Thursday, September 28, 2017

Car keys

Hi there

I have an ordinary, old-fashioned, actual key for my car.  None of that pressing a button from a distance to gain access to the vehicle.   Heavens to Betsy, I am such a dinosaur.

I can't have a press-from-a-distance key because I  swim a lot, and I keep my car key on a plastic coil scrunchie that I wear on my wrist.  I don't forget the time a Hataitai Beach swimmer got her bag stolen whilst she was in the water.  Her car keys were in her bag.  Her car got stolen as well.

I hired a car a few years' ago and, without thinking, put the electronic key onto my wrist scrunchie prior to swimming in Queenstown's Lake Wakatipu.

Whoops.  After my swim, the car door wouldn't open when I pressed the key from a distance, nor would it open when I inserted the key into the door lock.  Silly (wet) electronic parts!

I had to call the hire car company for rescue.  Never did I admit to them what had actually happened.

Is it any wonder that I now unlock my car doors manually, with an actual turn-key?






Thursday, September 21, 2017

Getting back on that horse

Hi there

I was scared going back to the gym this week.  It had been seven weeks, the longest time away from doing gym stuff in 24 years.  I had to be very careful not to overdo any exercise because my body wasn't used to it, what with my holiday, and plus my sickness.

"I'm scared to get back on the horse," I said to my friend J.  It was an old saying but highly appropriate.

J emailed me encouragement by way of the below image.


The gym workout turned out OK.  I was only a fraction sore the following day.  Oh, and 5 swims this month.  Triumph!



Friday, September 15, 2017

Hataitai Beach Swimming

Hi there

In between the flu, and the gluggy eyes, and the laser treatment, I have managed to get in three swims this month.  A triumph for me, but still only halfway towards the number of swims that my two swimming friends, The Young One and J, have notched up.

The early afternoon sun now shines on the changing shed at the beach.   Directly after a swim, if I lean back against the palings of the shed and stretch my arms out wide to either side of me, pressing down hard against the wall, there is a summertime warmth all across my wet skin; it's heaven!

Thursday, September 14, 2017

YAG PI LASER

Hi there

No, the title of this writing isn't in Klingon.  It's the piece of equipment that was used on my eyes at the Wellington Hospital Eye Clinic to release the pressure from behind my eyes.

The laser makes tiny holes in the iris.  And a laser?  Goodness, talk about "Buck Rogers in the 21st Century", eh? Today's inventions rival many of those old sf shows.  And again ... a  laser?  Wow!

I admit I was scared.  I mean, lasers can cut through steel, and walls, and concrete.  The operator only had to sneeze and I'd be a goner.

"I've got an eye infection," I had admitted earlier to the doctor operating the laser.  My eyes were red inside, and outside.  The lids were an eyelash away from glueing together.

But after due discussion with a nurse or two (who seemed to be totally against me being lasered), the doctor made the decision to go ahead.  I had to sign a consent form that would absolve him, the nurses,  the hospital, the laser, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, from any responsibility.

And now I have to wait until the 29th of  September to see if the laser work was successful -

"If not," the doctor informed me, "surgery is the next step."

Such a joy germ...


Friday, September 8, 2017

Glaucoma, yuck!

Hi there

Not only do I still have gluggy eyes from my "American Flu", I also have an out-patients hospital appointment on Monday to have the pressure released from my eyes, via some sort of laser technique.

Scared, much?  You betcha.  I had to give up wearing contacts because I couldn't stand seeing my finger coming towards my eyes when I put the lenses in.  When I told the eye doctor this, he said "Well, you're certainly in the wrong place today," and clutching a small bottle of eye drops proceeded to inch that bottle towards my eyes.   I squirmed in my seat like a five year old.

My one hope is that the glaucoma doctors at the hospital will see that my eyes are still "American Flu" gluggy, and will send me home.  Oh, I am such a coward...




Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Me and Star Trek

Hi there

Yes, okay, all right, I quite like Star Trek, in all its incarnations.  But I also like Star Wars (so sue me!).

In the States last month when I was visiting show biz places, studios, and exhibits,  I chanced upon a lot to do with the new Star Trek: Discovery.  This tv show is starting in the States at the end of this month.  It is set within ten years of classic Star Trek.  It's concentrated more on Klingon people and the Klingon worlds.

Practically the whole series is done with a blue screen (or is that green screen?  I can never remember which colour is used for which thing,  Oops, you can tell I'm not a real Trekker, huh?).  All the weapons, communicators and what-not were done on a 3D computer.



above: Klington stars Mary Chieffo and Kenneth Mitchell (taken from  photo so not very clear).  They had a Klingon language tutor, but only learnt phrases


above:  ST uniform.  Note the zip pocket in the leg.  They must have copied me.  Whenever I travel, I make sure that I have a sideways zip pocket lower down my trouser leg too!


 above:  space outfitt

above: Harry Mudd, a favourite from classic Star Trek, is back











Saturday, September 2, 2017

One not-so-wise monkey

Hi there



For sixteen days I've been sick -

Five days with laryngitis.
Gluey eyes for five days.
Deaf In one ear for twelve days.

Talk about the three wise monkeys all rolled into one.

But there should be a fourth not-so-wise monkey, sitting there all droopy and depressed.  Me.

I'm still coughing, still having trouble seeing, and still feeling completely under the weather.

Still, I went out of the house today for a half-hour walk.  I was as weak as a kitten.  Hey, but ... baby steps?  Better than nothing, eh?