2005 - Going, Going, Gone!

2005 was a year dominated by disaster in my mind from purely selfish reasons but I also remember all the natural disasters and man-made horrors of the year.

It was not a very good year.

But I did make it till the end.

But rather than list and do a year review filled with woe, I shall not go into details or dwell on the unfortunate events.

2005 was also the year that I took to using my Blog as a means to take my mind off my own waiting game and what I discovered were some wonderful voices who were supportive, interested, interesting and informative.

Liverpool Football Club pulled off the most improbable victory in the European Champions League Final in Istanbul in May.

I now have three months to make a full physical recovery and then who knows what...2006 will be time to make up my mind and to find my way.

I really don't know what I'm trying to say here, perhaps i'm just typing for the sake of having an entry to end the year. Maybe a monent of clarity will come to me or I'm just having a funny day as I recover or does everyone get a little misty eyed over the past twelve months each year?

Regardless...

Wishing Everybody a Happy and Prosperous New Year!


TIP FOR THE DAY: Do not sneeze after a sternotomy - it really hurts!

Marching on the Spot

The main part of recovery after heart surgery is to start reusing your heart by exercise the best form of which is to walk slowly at first and to increase both time and distance over the next few weeks. However the current cold weather is not particualry condusive for anybody to want to walk outside.

After a call to the physiotherapy department at the hospital I was advised to march on the spot or to use a stationary bike. Well I don't have a stationary bike and its a bit early to go swimming.

I need to march for 10-15 minutes or until I am short of breath. Every minute seems to last an eternity! Yet I suppose its no more ridiculous than walking on a treadmill in a gym for 15 minutes. It is a weird thing to do though...if you ever get bored give it a go. I have to march at least two or three times a day...

Visitors

Today I had three visitors, all female, all lovely in their own ways.

My mother had got a bit excited and went to some effort in getting cakes and making little sandwiches.

We laughed, we talked about my operation, we talked about people we've worked with and places people went for the holidays.

And they talked about the men they fancy and the men they find attractive.

Why do women feel comfortable to talk about these things around me? How do they know I won't go and tell the men that they fancy them? What am I meant to do when they start talking about men? What am I an honorary girl?

That gripe aside it was good to see them...

EDIT - 2102h I am John Cusack's 'Lloyd Dobler' in 'Say Anything'...

One week later...

I have been home for a week now although it seems like years ago that I was in the hospital. The main thing is to walk as much as possible each day to aid my recovery. However while I know some of you are in climates colder than 2 degrees or -1 degree...its just makes it plain damn difficult to want to go for a walk in the cold.

So instead I walk in a circle in the lower part of the house for 10 minutes which is not particulary interesting but it needs to be done.

My post operative operative information booklet also tells me that I must not lift, pull or push heavy objects and small children. I don't think you're meant to push or pull small children when you're well!?

And so it has been done.

This year has been one of the strangest for me.

It started badly in that the unstable industry that I work in and was starting to make a little headway in was drying up and what jobs were there I couldn't get on.

Then it got interesting in June when I was told that I had a problem with my heart.
It was literally broken and it would need an operation to fix it. Iwould need aortic root and valve replacement. I spent the next five to six months seeing various doctors waiting for my surgical consult and then date for surgery. I received a date for sugrery which was then cancelled one week prior due tue to illness on my surgeons part.

Finally last week I had my operation and am now in possession of a mechanical St. Jude Aortic Valve.

So, yes I tick. I sound like kinitting needles, its not loud enough to be heard under normal circumstances perhaps in the quiet of night. It is rather disconcerting.
(So I won't be becoming a Ninja anymore!)

I have an 11 inch or 28 cm long vertical scar down the centre of my chest and will have to take anti-coagulants for the rest of my life.

No, it is not a pacemaker.

It should take three months to make a full recovery.

I was going to try and write a more colourful post to explain my wherabouts in the last ten days but in the end came up with this.

So it now a case of taking things easy and buliding my strength up for 2006.

It is one chapter that is hopefully finished now.

So Merry Christmas to all...

'It was a dark stormy night...'

'In a galaxy far, far away...'

or

'Once upon a time...'

Haven't worked out the beginning of my story yet...

'Mission Control...we have re-entry'

I have returned successfully from my exhausting adventure and will update very very soon.

Hope everybody is well.

In absentia...

I shall be in absentia from tomorrow for up to a week to ten days and I won't have internet access.

If all goes according to plan I shall be posting before Christmas and seeing what kind of misadventures and adventures my visitors to this blog have managed.

'Elvis has left the building'

Everything has a battery that needs to be charged...

Ipod.

Mobile Telephone.

Digital Camera.

Will we plug ourselves in and charge our batteries next?

'STOP' / 'Beginning Dump of Physical Memory'

I had fully intended to burn some CDs today using iTunes only for the computer to go to a blue screen and tell 'Stop' messages and that it was 'Beginning physical dump to memory'.

This happened not once, not twice but thrice. Why oh why do I get grief!?

You think out the playlist, you put it in order and then iTunes screws it all up! Perhaps I should try Windows Media Player to burn CDs...

iTunes is just not working out for importing CDs nor burning CDs...aggravated, annoyed and irritated.

Whilst I think my iPod is great I'm not so enamoured with all the technical difficulties that the PC is having...it was fine for 1 week of transferring music and now its just become so damn tempermental. I never know for how long or how many tracks it'll read from a CD...

To quote another blog...

'le sigh' followed by pouty, screwed up iritated face.

Music Video Choices and Recommendations?

So far I have 'Feel Good Inc' by The Gorillaz from the limited choice on iTunes UK Music Videos downloaded. I could download all the Gorillaz videos but something with real people in it might be good other than Madonna or Eminem or U2 which seem to be the most popular videos and Michael Jackson.

Any other video recommendations would be most welcome...there are no Fat Boy Slim/Spike Jonze videos nor Beastie Boys videos on the UK site yet...

Arghhh! I need Tech Support!

This terminal keeps suffering from online crashes, screen freezes and other such nonsense.

My suspiscion is that this is due to iTunes since this is the most recently installed software but I've been using it for a week until all these problems...should I delete it and start again?!

I could add 'learn computer tech support skills' to my 2006 list...hmmm.

More things for 2006

11) Complete a first draft with illustrations of a Childrens Book.
12) Read at least a book a month.

10 Things to do in the 2006

1) Move to West London.
2) Move up a grade at work.
3) Find and enrol in an Illustration Course.
4) Learn Photoshop.
5) Try Ceramics.
6) Try Pilates and Tai Chi.
7) Play Golf and Tennis.
8) Swim at least once a week.
9) Visit Japan and U.S.A and European Capitals.
10) Meet some of the visitors of this blog.

These are just some of things I will/I intend to/I could/I should/I must/ do in 2006.

The list is subject to change on completion of things or due to a new inspired idea.

Do you download music?

To everybody...do you download music?

Where do you download from?

Or do you still prefer to have the CD?