After explaining to a few health professionals at various times why us kiwis were testing out the National Health System we settled down in the waiting room for a day operation to begin. We hid behind newspapers trying not to laugh as other day patients described their ailments (one saying he didn't know why he was going in but the Doctor said he needed too). Harry was operated on quite late and they decided to keep him over night and well into the next day - he arrived home in time for tea!! But no complaints, really he is recovering well with the help of a few painkillers and some good advice and care from the nurses. One nurse described our visit as 'Health Tourism', something we probably would have preferred to do from a distance but we can't always choose these things can we?
Anyway, while Harry has been playing solitaire, reading car magazines, watching tv and dozing, I tackled our garden. It isn't very big but with a wet and warm summer so far, the weeds (and slugs) are having a field day out there. We don't have much opportunity for gardening except in the evenings so it was good to have a couple of days to do that and the housework - I hate to admit it but I think I actually enjoyed the pottering around and wandering to the shops without having to hurry - and having time to read the newspapers and my book in the sun. I also went for a long cycle one day to get some much needed exercise around the Clifton Downs. It was a lovely sunny day and I kept stopping to look at the view and houses and people enjoying themselves before heading into the town to go to the library.
The Bristol papers are full of all the attacks by youths on pedestrians and cyclists on the Bristol to Bath cycle path (we went on it recently and I had begun to cycle on it before making my way home in the evenings). It is a Catch 22 because they say that the more people that go on it the safer it is - but who wants to be hit by a baseball bat for no apparent reason? There has been something like 5 vicious attacks in 1 week - rather nasty as it doesn't seem they even want to steal anything - the police have arrested some youths and let them out on bail!!! The other news is that the council is still trying to get buses to share the cycle paths with cyclists - lets hope they don't achieve that cos it wouldn't be much fun for the cyclists and pedestrians. Another road rule coming in is that cyclists will be allowed to go the wrong way up a one way street, but there won't be a cycle lane and it will be the car drivers fault if there is an accident - can't see how that would work and I don't think we will be testing out that rule!! Why, do I get the feeling that some of these policies just might not be encouraging taking the 'green' transport options. Another interesting little fact we discovered the other day - as we are beginning to meet people now we have some locals to ring occasionally for a chat. Our first phone bill with a local call registering for any length of time (I will not admit to how long we talked) was more expensive than the same length of call to family and friends in New Zealand (land line only). And who said things aren't dearer over here? We also read and heard about the All Black and Irish game and the great Wellington weather that was put on for the occasion (there is a newspaper article about what will happen to rugby if it loses New Zealanders support - empty seats for the game was the reason for the article - it seemed to think that if New Zealand, Australia and South African supporters lost heart the game could also become a minor sport). In Swansea I listened to many a despondent Welshman talking about their loss to South Africa (including Justin Marshalls hairdresser who no longer dresses hair). I went there for work on Monday morning and returned to more nursing tasks on Tuesday evening (actually Harry doesn't really require nursing I am just looking for some sympathy now) for a management team meeting and evening presentations. I prepared a second quiz (first in March had a good response - I am getting a reputation as the quiz master - you might see me hosting 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' next). All the questions had a transport theme because I am in a transport agency. Anyway, people said this one aged me (they don't like to admit that on some of the questions all the teams could answer 60% of the questions and some got as high as 80%). Anyway, just to see how old my friends are who read this (Harry and I came up with these one night with the help of Google).
1. What would you be on if you were ‘rocking, rolling, riding, out along the bay, all bound for Morningtown’?
2. What would you be on if you were ‘riding downtown in a hurry honey, down south avenue…’
3. What would Daisy look sweet upon the seat of …
4. What would you be in if you could ‘sing a song and sail along the silver sky …search the clouds for a star to guide us …, float among the stars together’?
5. Where would you be going if you were 'Standing in the silent hall waitin' for the final call, Says he doesn't love me anymore, Shaking hands I pack a bag, trembling voice I call a cab, Slowly I start walking to the door'
6. What would you be riding in if you were listening to: ‘Ah breaker one-nine, this here’s the rubber duck, you got a copy on me, PigPen, c’mon’
7. What is the name of the boat in the documentary that used this theme song?
‘I am sailing, I am sailing, home again across the sea, I am sailing stormy waters to be near you, to be free…’
8. What vehicle is this man’s tool of trade?
‘Some people make a fortune, others earn a mint, my old man don’t earn much, in fact he’s flippin skint…’
9. What type of vehicle are these two people in? ‘And she said “How are you Harry?”, I said “How are you Sue” through the too many miles and the too little smiles, I still remember you’
10. Who would you be watching if you saw ‘They go up diddly up up, they go down diddly down down’?
Anyway, let me know how you do - if you get near 100% you must be oldish, and if you get closer to 0% you don't know much - so you can't really win.
That's it for this blog 'Haz and me signing out...'
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