IN BRIEF

Monday 16th

Up early in anticipation of the workmen arriving. The scaffolders arrived first, but not much before 9, followed by three blokes from Alpine Windows about half past. Weather still brilliant and everything very much relaxed. Managed to upset them as I wasn't there to make them enough cups of tea. Have promised to mend my ways by tomorrow, if I can find any sugar as we are dangerously low on supplies!
Dug myself a rather large hole at Jewellery Class. Was feeling quite proud of myself having organised the caretaker to help me carry my things in, only to be thwarted by Head Of Service dropping by on a pre inspection visit, finding everything wrong/incomplete/out of date and I'd committed the cardinal sin of having promoted the English custom of Happy Easter in my last lesson...

Tuesday 17th

Attempted to mend my ways by making as many cups of tea in a day (I feel a Guinness Book Of Records challenge coming on) and by sorting out lesson plans and such like. Spent morning learning the new skill of putting images back on a camera memory card so I could then take them to the centre where I teach and print them on their equipment. Found Head of Service lurking at the centre and narrowly avoided bumping into her. Piano lessons went well and then came the prep for tomorrow's Colonoscopy...

Wednesday 18th

Big day, but went OK. 'Prepping' not nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe. Didn't really miss not having food as trying to drink as much as possible to avoid risk of becoming dehydrated. Walked from hospital car park and lady giving directions to find department was someone I used to teach silk painting. Surprisingly, not exactly in the mood to swap top tips. Forgive me for recounting a little of what took place, but it was quite interesting... especially after the initial hilarity of having to sit on whoopy cushion seats in the waiting room (I won't say any more..) I got to wear a rather fetching (scratchy) hospital gown and dressing gown (only one tie at the top) I witnessed very little of the actual proceedure. Once in the room, a needle was inserted into a vein in my wrist and then having been positioned on my side, I was given a seditive via the needle and knew very little about anything - until I heard the doctor mention the word 'polyp' and I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the screen in front of me as the camera appeared to be whizzing through a myriad of channels. It was a particularly wierd sensation knowing that there was a tube inside you and that you could feel it being pushed and pulled, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. The next thing I knew was waking up in another room and being offered a cup of tea and a choice of biscuit - food, brilliant! Celebrated by buying fish and chips for tea on the way home.


Friday 20th

Chaps completed sofits and facias about half past 2, just right for an early Friday finish. We will never again need to look skywards and comment about the state of our guttering! Hooray!!