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 |   A tentative blog to test the temperature. |
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Ten years ago I was writing several blogs on various subjects - F1 motor racing, Music, Classic Cars, Great Romances and, most crushingly, a personal journal that included my thoughts on America, memories of England and Africa, opinion, humour, writing and anything else that occurred. It all became too much (I was attempting to update the journal every day) and I collapsed, exhausted and thoroughly disillusioned in the end. So this blog is indeed a Toe in the Water, a place to document my thoughts in and on WdC but with a determination not to get sucked into the blog whirlpool ever again. Here's hoping.     |
| Summery Thoughts Summer has arrived and, with it, the looming horror of the annual medical check up. This used to be a winter thing and I could have the added delight of struggling through snow and ice to appear at the stated place and appointed time. Eventually, I realised that it would be easier to get it done in the summer and my doctor worked it out accordingly. This year, however, covid19 has come to my rescue and I will have the inspection by video link only. That should ease the humiliation a little. There is still the matter of the preceding blood test but that has been a minor irritant since I learned that it’s best to keep the eyes tight shut during the procedure. And then there’s the added entertainment of guessing at the size of the bruise that results. At least I know now that it makes no difference whether the needle hurts or not - sometimes the painless ones give the biggest bruises. It’s all part of the developing freak show that is old age. There was a time when I treated doctors in the same way I do mechanics. They are there to be used when something goes wrong and are otherwise ignored. Somehow, a few years ago, I was persuaded to begin this crazy round of annual humiliations and there seems no way of stopping it now. There is some satisfaction in that each inspection seems to provide much the same result year after year. The one blip in that happened between medicals so my doctor never had the satisfaction of seeing me on my back, at the mercy of a surgeon replacing a few pipes to keep my old ticker going. In fact, now that the plumbing work has been done, my numbers get better, not worse. But there’s no escape. Every summer my enjoyment of the warmer weather is spoiled by the knowledge that the dread appointment creeps closer. It’s not that my doctor is anything other than a really decent fellow and a pleasure to talk with. It’s the prodding, disrobing, peering into orifices and other investigations too awful to mention that get me down. And I suppose I have to admit that there is a niggling awareness that, sooner or later, he’s going to find something that will present me with some hard decisions. That, after all, is the ever-present sword of Damocles hanging over the aged. Still, the relief afterwards makes for a great summer! Word Count: 413 |
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I've always remembered that episode and thought that was a fun idea.
Quite good is quite a good compliment 
As someone who just reviewed an item in your port, I can't help but wonder, Did I pick an item that you'd throw out? 