I get asked the most stupid of questions sometimes.
Today I was asked when my transplant op was scheduled and had to explain that transplants are not scheduled but are dependent on a matching donor coming available. My rather dumb neighbour processed this info for a good two minutes then said that she thought there was an organ bank, like a blood bank, where organs were kept in fridges until someone needed them. I wonder how many other people think like this as it is not the first time I've been asked this question, even by health professionals. Wouldn't you have thought with all the publicity transplants get everyone would know, at the very least, that such a thing cannot be planned? I think people just walk around with their eyes and ears closed.
Well Laurence duly arrived for tea Yesterday and stayed until after nine. It was lovely all siting together and watching Top Gear, just like the old days. Andrew made muffins for the occasion and they went down a treat. We had a lovely time and a good old catch up. He seems very settled in his place now and I'm happy at last that he is coping on his own. We've rescheduled the meal and will be going up to his in the a couple of weeks.
Finally I'm feeling a bit better. I haven't had to use oxygen today and only woke myself up coughing once last night. I'm still very much under the weather though and my chest feels like a lead weight. Peter had to do a Tesco run this afternoon as I was craving oranges and we'd run out. Being brave I decided to go along for the ride, just to get out of the house and get some fresh air. It was very quiet, thank goodness, so whizzing around in a wheelchair wasn't too much of a problem but I was so glad to get home. The trip buoyed my spirits but exhausted the rest of me. Being fit for Wednesday is looking less likely by the minute because that is an all day thing while Tesco took all of an hour. If it is as cold on Wednesday as it is today then the campus tour is definitely out as I'd freeze to death in a wheelchair. So frustrating!
In the news at the moment is the row over bonuses. I've always viewed bonuses the same way I view OBE's etc. Why should you be awarded for just doing your job? Bonuses and gongs should be reserved for those that put others first or do something outstanding. I hate is when someone gets an award for 'services to acting', in other words doing their job, however I have no problem with an actor getting an award for charitable work. Bonuses should be awarded in a similar fashion and certainly not be awarded when the organisation is still heavily in debt. Any spare cash floating around should be used to payback the people who bailed the organisation out of trouble, that's us the tax payers by the way, before being given to those already on monstrous salaries. Once all debts have been paid and the organisation is doing well by all means pay bonuses. Once again it is all about choosing the moment and now is not the time to be announcing million pound bonuses when the rest of us are having to mind the pennies.
Also in the news is the fact that university applications are down 10% following the hike in fees. Is anyone really surprised at this? It's all very well saying you don't have to pay upfront but you still have to pay at some point and that will put an awful lot of people off, especially with the job market the way it is. The other argument is that if you don't get a job or don't get one that pays enough you won't have to repay. Again excellent in theory but in practice you still have an enormous debt hanging over you and who wants that? Andrew very nearly gave up on uni because of the fees and it took a great deal of persuasion to make him change his mind, I suspect this situation has been going on all over the country. How long I wonder before a university education becomes the preserve of the well off? Not long at this rate.
I've used so much oxygen over the weekend that I had to order up some more today and guess who lost the number? Half an hour and a frantic search later we found the number on one of the cylinders, yes we hadn't thought to look there, and I now have one huge bottle and several portal cylinders heading my way for tomorrow. Maybe they could send me a brain while they are at it.
Today I was asked when my transplant op was scheduled and had to explain that transplants are not scheduled but are dependent on a matching donor coming available. My rather dumb neighbour processed this info for a good two minutes then said that she thought there was an organ bank, like a blood bank, where organs were kept in fridges until someone needed them. I wonder how many other people think like this as it is not the first time I've been asked this question, even by health professionals. Wouldn't you have thought with all the publicity transplants get everyone would know, at the very least, that such a thing cannot be planned? I think people just walk around with their eyes and ears closed.
Well Laurence duly arrived for tea Yesterday and stayed until after nine. It was lovely all siting together and watching Top Gear, just like the old days. Andrew made muffins for the occasion and they went down a treat. We had a lovely time and a good old catch up. He seems very settled in his place now and I'm happy at last that he is coping on his own. We've rescheduled the meal and will be going up to his in the a couple of weeks.
Finally I'm feeling a bit better. I haven't had to use oxygen today and only woke myself up coughing once last night. I'm still very much under the weather though and my chest feels like a lead weight. Peter had to do a Tesco run this afternoon as I was craving oranges and we'd run out. Being brave I decided to go along for the ride, just to get out of the house and get some fresh air. It was very quiet, thank goodness, so whizzing around in a wheelchair wasn't too much of a problem but I was so glad to get home. The trip buoyed my spirits but exhausted the rest of me. Being fit for Wednesday is looking less likely by the minute because that is an all day thing while Tesco took all of an hour. If it is as cold on Wednesday as it is today then the campus tour is definitely out as I'd freeze to death in a wheelchair. So frustrating!
In the news at the moment is the row over bonuses. I've always viewed bonuses the same way I view OBE's etc. Why should you be awarded for just doing your job? Bonuses and gongs should be reserved for those that put others first or do something outstanding. I hate is when someone gets an award for 'services to acting', in other words doing their job, however I have no problem with an actor getting an award for charitable work. Bonuses should be awarded in a similar fashion and certainly not be awarded when the organisation is still heavily in debt. Any spare cash floating around should be used to payback the people who bailed the organisation out of trouble, that's us the tax payers by the way, before being given to those already on monstrous salaries. Once all debts have been paid and the organisation is doing well by all means pay bonuses. Once again it is all about choosing the moment and now is not the time to be announcing million pound bonuses when the rest of us are having to mind the pennies.
Also in the news is the fact that university applications are down 10% following the hike in fees. Is anyone really surprised at this? It's all very well saying you don't have to pay upfront but you still have to pay at some point and that will put an awful lot of people off, especially with the job market the way it is. The other argument is that if you don't get a job or don't get one that pays enough you won't have to repay. Again excellent in theory but in practice you still have an enormous debt hanging over you and who wants that? Andrew very nearly gave up on uni because of the fees and it took a great deal of persuasion to make him change his mind, I suspect this situation has been going on all over the country. How long I wonder before a university education becomes the preserve of the well off? Not long at this rate.
I've used so much oxygen over the weekend that I had to order up some more today and guess who lost the number? Half an hour and a frantic search later we found the number on one of the cylinders, yes we hadn't thought to look there, and I now have one huge bottle and several portal cylinders heading my way for tomorrow. Maybe they could send me a brain while they are at it.
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