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I'm baaa-ack.

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Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

I'm baaa-ack.

#1 Post by Dave B » May 7th, 2017, 8:36 pm

Well, after various peregrinations amidst the various continents and islets of the Wide Webbed World I find myself back from foreign shores.

("What shores?" did I hear?

Pint of bitter please!)

There are strange peoples out there . . . OK, some here as well. Had a couple of rough bits but actually in slightly better fettle, physically at least, than I once was. By careful data collection I was able go convince my GP and consultant that one of my cardiac medications was actually causing more problems than it was fixing. After stopping that med I was able to walk more than about 30 yards without needing a 5 minute rest, able to iron more than two shirts at a time, with a rest before putting the kit away and make the bed in one go instead of three goes with rests between! Coming back from my, then, friend who lived about 70 yards away I had to rest half way, rest again before attempting the stairs to my flat, then collapse - totally breathless and suffering angina - on the sofa for 5 minutes before taking my coat off.

The problem was that the med was reducing my blood pressure so low that not enough was reaching my heart and lungs for just walking. Could not use my GTN soray because thst dropped it even lower. Meant weeks of going around with my BP meter cuff on under my jacket taking readings under various circumstances and muttering notes into my phone. I am sure some people thought I was a bit wierd! But, a BP of 70/52 with a pulse rste of 108 would make anyone a bit weak at the knees . . . Not to mention in the head! I could lecture on dizzy spells.

Not so bad now, due to that and other medical problems I got a bit inactive and reclusive for a while. Then my best friend and lunch buddy of many years moved to Devon to be closer to her son and I had another reason not to get out. Except to Tescos - but that is like a short trip to hell!

Now though I have got back into the voluntary circuit. My old stomping ground, the county archive, is having a major rebuild and has cut almost all volunteer projects. But they are now a "heritage hub" and keep a register of volunteers which they pass around. I was offered one job at a medieval city church - which I turned down gently. Then a job in the British Waterways Museum in Gloucester Docks turned up. Mainly helping sort out the archive to move it up north but also to establish a reference library. This has meant sorting through several hundred maps and collecting all the books in one room, setting up shelving and - joy of joys to come - checking every single item off on the "Accession Register" to see what got lost or added in the moves! There is a whole two of us doing this; a 60 something year old ex-librarian/cotton mill operator/shepherdess who can chuck boxes of books about as she once threw ewes over a stone wall and I. Margaret does the heavy lifting, I do whatever I can... But especially anything with a vaguely mechanical hint to it, she is a menace with a screwdriver...

Most of the volunteers are well retired people.

But I get to do other things as well, like play a little with steam engines, getting on well with the female engineering lead, Hazel. They are refurbing a pre-war steam dredger - great fun. Here's Hazel in the dredger boiler/engine room:
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20170315_115139.jpg (1.77 MiB) Viewed 9672 times
The two big belts, one either side, drive the bucket chain and are made out of three thicknesses of buffalo hide, far tougher than cowhide.
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"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#2 Post by Alan H » May 7th, 2017, 8:42 pm

Great to have you back and glad you've got your meds sorted out.

That's a fine looking vessel you have there - plenty of opportunity for tinkering?

But one thing puzzled me...
able to iron more than two shirts at a time
What'sa ll that about?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#3 Post by Dave B » May 7th, 2017, 8:59 pm

Alan H wrote:Great to have you back and glad you've got your meds sorted out.

That's a fine looking vessel you have there - plenty of opportunity for tinkering?

But one thing puzzled me...
able to iron more than two shirts at a time
What'sa ll that about?
Like I actually iron my shirts (except in the winter when a jumper or sweatshirt covers the wrinkles). Old habit from the RAF. Like I prefer properly pressed trousers, though I do have some summer weight cotton ones that do not hokd a crease (but gather hundreds of their own!) Not a blue jeans person.

But that sort of activity, same as washing up, drying off after a shower etc., of the upper body would have had me breathless in minutes. Very debilitating.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#4 Post by coffee » May 10th, 2017, 3:00 pm

It is good to know you are back again, this board was a bit quite without you! :smile: :clap: :dance: :wink:

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Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#5 Post by Dave B » May 10th, 2017, 3:28 pm

coffee wrote:It is good to know you are back again, this board was a bit quite without you! :smile: :clap: :dance: :wink:
Thanks, Coffee and the rest of you!

You are looking a bit swirly these days, Coffee . . .
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#6 Post by coffee » May 10th, 2017, 3:37 pm

You are looking a bit swirly these days, Coffee . . .
I blame the wind for that :smile:

stevenw888
Posts: 694
Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#7 Post by stevenw888 » May 10th, 2017, 4:26 pm

Nice to see you back Dave, and glad that you're feeling fitter.
I too, am back. My time on Google plus has come to an end. It was a great 4 years but now there's nothing left of the once great G+ other than idiots, spammers and time wasters. All the wise people have left, so I guess that's probably my cue to leave too. Shame - was once a great community. But then, so was MySpace, back in the day.
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

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jaywhat
Posts: 15807
Joined: July 5th, 2007, 5:53 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#8 Post by jaywhat » July 5th, 2017, 11:20 am

Hello friends, I am back but have never been away - just failing to communicate. I do not know what to write and I would like to have a private chat or two .....

Maria Mac
Site Admin
Posts: 9306
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#9 Post by Maria Mac » July 5th, 2017, 11:37 pm

Hello John

How are you?

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jaywhat
Posts: 15807
Joined: July 5th, 2007, 5:53 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#10 Post by jaywhat » July 6th, 2017, 10:24 am

Hi Athena, I am OK. I am on the alzheimer list and Nina is the best carer in the world. I am struggling with putting two or more words together in writing, but I shall persevere.

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Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#11 Post by Alan H » July 6th, 2017, 10:53 am

jaywhat wrote:Hi Athena, I am OK. I am on the alzheimer list and Nina is the best carer in the world. I am struggling with putting two or more words together in writing, but I shall persevere.
:thumbsup:
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#12 Post by animist » July 6th, 2017, 11:03 am

Alan H wrote:
jaywhat wrote:Hi Athena, I am OK. I am on the alzheimer list and Nina is the best carer in the world. I am struggling with putting two or more words together in writing, but I shall persevere.
:thumbsup:
+1

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jaywhat
Posts: 15807
Joined: July 5th, 2007, 5:53 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#13 Post by jaywhat » July 6th, 2017, 3:08 pm

This is Ninny typing for Jaywhat. He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and is finding the computer and navigating this forum challenging. He is still reading his emails at [email protected], and would appreciate anyone keeping in touch.

Maria Mac
Site Admin
Posts: 9306
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:34 pm

Re: I'm baaa-ack.

#14 Post by Maria Mac » July 6th, 2017, 11:35 pm

Understood, Ninny. Now who was it who said you're the best carer in the world - John or you? :wink:

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