Alas - Earwax!

Anyone who knows me will be well aware that my ear, nose and throat are not the best in the world, and that I do tend to make a lot of noise coughing, sniffing, and sometimes even growling and grunting.  It's as annoying to me as it is for all you poor people who have to listen to it, but after years of baffling Doctors who always seem to end up suggesting nasal sprays that just make me sneeze, I have pretty much given up any hope of it ever getting better.

Something that often crops up as part of my ENT displeasure is earwax.  I pretty much always have it, but once in a while it gets ridiculous, and right now it is back with a vengeance.  The last time it was this bad was in 1998 just before I started a new job where I had to complete a hearing test as part of a medical on my first day.  I didn't stand a chance of passing the hearing test as my ears were about a week into a course of drops that had more or less made me deaf, and believe it or not they also discovered the hearing test machine was broken a week or so later.

Anyway, back to the present, and I went to the Doctors a week or so back, and he confirmed that I had some very nasty wax buildup in there and said I should start softening the wax by putting drops in for about 7 days. 

I had very much learned my lesson from last time and I have only done one ear so far.  So thankfully I am only deaf in one ear right now as opposed to two!  I phoned the Doctors this morning and he is going to get me an appointment to get my ears syringed.  This will be an immesnse relief I can tell you.  Thankfully he thinks they can probably do both ears at the same time as the 7 days of drops is only a guideline apparently, so if I put some drops in the other ear the night before he thinks it should be OK.

Fingers crossed anyway! 

Telly Roundup

Have been too busy to post the last few days but I have enjoyed the TV this past week.  Here is a roundup of what we have been watching in the Rising household;

X-Factor

First live shows were this last weekend.  We watched them a day late as we were at a party on Saturday night.  Is quite good catching up on Sky Plus on a Sunday because you can fast forward adverts and also the acts/songs that you don't like - and you also don't have to wait another day for the results show.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of Cher.  I think she is really talented but she won't win as the voting public will probably want another forgetable wailing diva who wants to be Whitney Houston.  Is probably best that she doesn't win actually as she can then make her own way - very much the way Diana Vickers is now doing.  I thought Diana was easily the best two years ago but she came third and I think we can probably expect the same from Cher. 

The painter bloke is very good, as is Aiden.  Mary has an amazing voice but she's on the wrong show.  She should be on Britain's Got Talent.  Wagner is beyond hilarious, and Storm is the one that I have just taken an immediate dislike to and I want him out as soon as possible.  Good first week though and looking forward to more.

Food Programmes



I love Masterchef Australia.  It is on every night on Watch.  Our version is good - this is better.  Strange that I have come to love food programmes so much as I loathe the idea of cooking!

Masterchef, The Professionals is also on right now, but I don't enjoy this as much as regular Masterchef purely because of Michel Roux Jr being on it.  I don't have a problem with him so much.  I just don't think it is right without Jonty Road! 

Come Dine with me is another that we watch and this is just genius.  Purely because of the comments of the bloke that narrates it.  Great stuff.

The Apprentice

Week 2 of The Apprentice and I enjoy this show every week.  This weeks test to invent, produce, and sell a beach product was really good.  I thought the blanket/towel thing was a great idea, but the book stand was rubbish.  I can't see that there is a problem in the first place that requires such a product, and the product itself looked awkward, and not very functional.

I used to love the You're Fired aftershow as well but I think it has really lost something since Adrian Chiles has gone.  The bloke who is now hosting it belongs on the panel really as opposed to the hosts chair. 

Anyway, I think that's about it.  Can't think of anything else that we watch.  We have just got Sky Movies free for 2 months so am hoping to watch a few films.  Don't think we are watching enough films at the minute so hopefully we can correct that and I can review some of them here!

Book Update

After a slow start I am now really happy that I stuck with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I am still not even half way through (such is my reading pace) but I am gripped by the story and I can't wait to see the movies (both the Swedish version, and the one Daniel Craig is currently filming).

So my reading schedule is sorted for probably a good few months as this is a trilogy of books.  

Conkers

 
Went out for a walk to the park with George and my Father In Law today and we had a great time collecting a bunch of Conkers.

I was genuinely excited. Conkers make me as happy now as they did when I was a boy.

We found some cracking ones too. Brilliant fun.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I hate dark mornings!!

The dark mornings are well and truly here.  I really don't like them but I guess I had better get used to them as this is the way it is going to be now until next February/March I suppose.

When it is light when you wake up it seems to make a big difference.  I hop out of bed no bother at all.  But since it started getting dark I have felt like an absolute zombie come 6.00am when my alarm goes off.  I stumble out of bed and quite often nearly lose my balance before struggling to the shower room to try and get human.

Roll on December 21st when at least we will be heading in the right direction again!!

Coffee Blog Rant pays off!

No sooner had I had my little coffee rant yesterday, than my lovely wife got this for me today.

I cant wait to take it into work tomorrow and open up that packet and smell that lovely coffee. Thanks Louise. Now have I mentioned that I miss having an Audi? :-)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Apprentice is back!

And thank goodness too as Dragon's Den had left a big gap as pretty much the only non-food related programme we currently watch!  Our Sky Plus is currently filled with Masterchef Australia (which blows ours out of the water incidentally), Masterchef The Professionals, Ramsays Best Restaurant, Come Dine With Me, Nigella something or other, and I think a Jamie Oliver programme too!

Anyway, back to The Apprentice and I enjoyed the first episode on BBC1 last night.  A pretty predictable first task really and a not too surprising outcome, but it's always enjoyable nontheless.  No early favourites yet but that short blond haired woman with the glasses is going to do my head in if she is not eliminated quickly!  Margaret is the biggest miss of course!  She's brilliant!  At least Nick is still there though!

Watched You're Fired afterwards and it's a shame Adrian Chiles is not on anymore.  That bald bloke (whoever he is - guessing he's one of those rent-a-comedian types that grow on trees these days) was OK but it's just not the same!  I don't mind change, but I think they could have found someone better.



Coffee Rant!

I love a good cup of coffee, and at work lately we have been treated to this which is delightful;

And occasionally this, which is almost as nice;

Today however, there is only this rubbish;

I actually think Nescafe Original is much nicer than this horrible tar/treacle like stuff!  Yuck. May have to pop out and buy my own jar of Dowe Egberts!





Nostalgia Moment - Star Trek!

I love Star Trek.  Especially the original series.  I also am very fond of The Next Generation and to a certain extent Deep Space Nine, but after that I lost interest!

You just can't beat the original though.  I remember watching it at tea time as a boy. I think it used to be on before the news on BBC1 in the slot that Neighbours eventually filled. 

It never bothered me that - even then in the early eighties - the sets, aliens, ships etc already looked less advanced than much of the technology available.  I just loved the characters, and the adventures that they had.

We got our first video recorder in 1984.  It was a Hitachi VHS Top Loader - much like the one in the pic below, and to this day very little has excited me to such an extent.  Possibly only the iPhone comes close (which I can watch episodes of Star Trek on incidentally)!  Anyway, I started recording the episodes until I had them all and (like the geek that I am) I would watch them over and over again.



There were 7 main characters, but it really focused around the "Big 3" of Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, and Doctor McCoy".  I wanted to be Captain Kirk, in the same way that I wanted to be Batman or Luke Skywalker.  I sure as hell didn't want to be one of those security blokes in the red shirts however.  They never lasted very long did they!

Anyhow, I mentioned that I can watch episodes on the iPhone and I have downloaded a few from iTunes.  I still enjoy them as much today as I did then, but I identify with the characters differently now.  I realise that I am much more like Dr. McCoy than Captain Kirk.  The ships Doctor was probably the most human of all the characters.  He was also a bit grumpy and cynical at times which are traits I see in myself. 

I also identify very much with Scotty.  The ships Chief Engineer (who like me had a taste for whiskey) always had to find a way to make things work at short notice.  He didn't always do things by the book, but he got the job done.  If he could see the wiring of my server room at work, I think he would be proud.  It is rigged in such a way that I think Scotty would approve of!  Wires all over the place - but it works! 

Like many popular and successful film/tv franchises - Star Trek has now been rebooted/reimagined (whatever you want to call it) with new actors playing those old familiar roles, and I must say I enjoyed the new film very much.  I think Star Trek in it's many incarnations will continue to entertain me for years to come!

Conclusions from a weekend in Scarborough

The Good!

If you ever go to Scarborough, stay at The Sands at North Bay! It is the most tremendous place I have ever stayed. You feel like you are living in the sort of Apartment a footballer would own. It is pure luxury.

The Food

The best places to eat are the Blue Crush Surfer Bar which is attached to The Sands, and The Glass House which is just up the road next to the miniature railway. Tremendous food at both of these fine establishments.

Things to do.

The beach is great, The Sea Life centre is pretty good but overpriced. The above mentioned miniature railway is beyond awesome, and a walk along to the more touristy South Bay with all the amusements et al is also really good fun.

Random Thought

I noticed that there are some very cool people at North Bay and they mainly hang around at the Blue Crush Surfer Bar. They are the sort of people who wear scarves with a jumper (and not a coat) as a fashion statement as opposed to using them to keep warm. There also seem to be quite a few blokes my age or a bit older about the place who look like they could be playwrites or the like and they also just look cool and chilled out in a way I never have and never will be.

It made me realise that not only am I not cool now, I have never been cool! Good job I am happy eh! :-)

Journey (and other) Rants

Tractors should not be on the bloody road. Where are they going and why do they bloody well need to go there in a damn tractor? Haven't they got a Land Rover or something?

Why do cyclists feel they have the right to ride two a breast when cars are trying to pass them?

Why do cyclists feel they have the right to use a pelican crossing. That bugs me more than I can describe?

Why do cyclists feel they have the right to ride on the pavement and then ring their bell to get you out of their way?

Why do Sat Navs try to send you the most ridiculous routes?

Final Word

A fantastic weekend with Louise, the boys and Louise's Mam and Dad. This is the second year we have done this and I think it could turn into a yearly thing. I am growing to really love Scarborough. I feel really content there and if I ever come into some big money - the first thing I will be doing is buying one of those amazing Apartments at The Sands.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone