Morphine is Nice

The continuing saga of me versus medicine

Mrs.Twisted Goes Completely Bananas

Well that was a very strange and dramatic weekend.

Firefox 4 Frees Frantic Frightened Floggers

OK, It's really Bloggers, but I liked the alliteration.

Alles ist Übergefücked

The mighty gremlins of the interweb thingy have struck, and for some strange unfathomable reason, I can no longer reply to comments on my own blog.

My Big Throbbing Black Friend

Seven long years we've been together, but I had to say goodbye today.

Mononucleosis and the Sterling 9mm sub-machine gun

Epstein-Barr virus (causes mononucleosis)

I was in Germany with the British Army on the Rhine (BAOR).  I was a newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, seconded to 1st Armoured Division near Herford.  My job was to lead (that's a joke;  Ask any soldier what the most dangerous thing is in war.  He'll answer "A 2nd Lieutenant with a map") a small detachment from my based-in-Britain regiment to a major CPX (a Command Post exercise on the large training grounds nearby)

Hospital Tales

Reading Hestia' s Larder, with Ali's very funny account of her time spent in the clutches of the NHS getting bits removed/fixed reminds me of many encounters I've had with the NHS.

The Man's a Genius

I don't know how he does it.

He must have some sort of inherent talent.

Nobody else would be able to do what he has done.

Can you guess?

Getting older can have some advantages

I admit it, I'm not exactly young anymore, in fact I've only got 6½ years left before I can apply for my Senior Citizens Pension, but I don't really mind.

If music be the food of love, I'm going to throw up.

What is wrong with these people?

Are their ears and brain wired differently from the rest of (and I use the term loosely here) humanity?

Surveys and Zombies

As mentioned by Richard (of RBB) we had a survey after school yesterday.  We were instructed by Ringo to make our way to a designated computer lab. and to complete a survey on the attitudes and methodologies prevalent in our school, with particular emphasis on bullying and victimisation.

Bad Weather

The rain was so heavy on Sunday morning that we didn't go to the Wairarapa.  I cancelled the booking at the Tirohana Estate, and gave my son the option of going somewhere else, or trying again for the Wairarapa next week.  He chose to go to Wellington to try out La Boca Roca in Miramar.

This is a small Mexican themed cafe/bistro.  We found it OK in Park St., but it was undergoing some renovation, and they only had 4 tables available, plus the long counter.  The food was Ok, but not spectacular.  My son chose an extra side of ceviche (raw fish in lime juice) which my beloved also tried. I didn't.  I don't eat any type of animal raw.  I'm a microbiologist.  I know what can exist in raw meats.

Then we headed over to Lambton Quay and had desert and coffee at Bordeaux Bakery.

Then back home to a gentle afternoon of wine, rugby, and a good book.

Until.

About 6 o'clock, my beloved and my son began to feel a little nauseous and by 9 they were both throwing up. 
See.

Never eat raw fish.

Add in the intestinal explosion that was my ongoing post-Aussie parasitic infection and we were a very happy family.

I do wish however that we had another toilet.
My beloved wishes for it even more so. 
It cannot be very pleasant throwing up down a toilet 5 minutes after I've finished spray-painting it.

I leave the details to the now-nauseated reader.

Back to school.

25 Years

My son has his 25th birthday tomorrow, and to celebrate, we're going over to the Wairarapa to have a quiet lunch at the Tirohana Estate near Martinborough.  To non-Kiwis reading this, the Wairarapa is a mostly agricultural area to the East of Wellington, accessible via a very steep and windy mountain road over Rimutaka, and is visited heavily at the weekends by many Wellingtonians and other denizens of the Hutt Valley.

The Wonders of being a Teacher

Sometimes, like most jobs, being a teacher is great.  We get to interact with a lot of enthusiastic children and help them develop into young adults.  We work with a (mostly) dedicated professional team, who are always willing to go the extra mile to help both the kids and our colleagues.  The nice long holidays are a major attraction, even if the pay isn't fantastic.

70,000 and Not Well.

Thanks to all who visit my blog.

I've given up trying to figure out why.

Optimistic

Today is going to be a good day.

Female Locomotion

Wonderful

I like women.

Keep Going

As I predicted, I didn't have a good day.

Today is not going to be good

When I got out of bed at 5:30 this morning, I had no idea of what was in store for me.
I was actually looking forward to the day.  A light teaching load, some admin, some cups of coffee with colleagues, a little marking then home.  Nice and relaxed.

I now dread today.

Travelling Companions

A typical drunk Australian

Over the years, I have travelled to many places by many means of transport and had many types of travelling companions, both good and bad.  But none were as bad as the guy on our flight to Melbourne.

 

Before I describe what happened, here's some examples from the past.

 

Back from Melbourne

I'm back

It's so nice to be back.

Back amongst the sweet song of Tui echoing up the valley.