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I haven't blogged for a while I know. A raging toothache took hold last weekend, followed by the inevitable visit to the dentist and the parting of company with (a) a cracked old crown and (b) many pennies. The whole week was ruined by sleepless nights, a "soft" (= boring) diet and much complaining on my part. The teeth I have left are protesting, partly due to many years of never seeing the inside of a dentist's waiting room plus a load of incompetent genes waiting to pounce. It started when I was little, with a visit to a nasty Welsh dentist (no offence to the Welsh but he was a B%%*$d!!). This had the consequence of my developing a lifelong fear of dentists, and by the time I had found one that restored my trust, it was all too late. It's all part of getting older I guess. That and an expanding waistline, worsening vision (I am Vision Express's best ever customer!) crap hearing (see previous blog). Now the sweats of the Peri-menopause pop up to irritate me from time to time, which doesn't improve my mood! I am by nature a "cup half full" lady. I always try & see the positive and funny side of everything as the alternative is too depressing in my opinion! Weeks like this see me turning into a temporary grumpy old woman (I could give Jenny Eclair a run for her money!) but at least today, at long last the antibiotics appear to have worked - yippee, just in time for root canal treatment joy tomorrow lunchtime - wish me luck!!

Digital miracles

For years I've suffered from Tinnitus. A hangover from my teenage years of listening to loud music through headphones followed by loads of concerts in my twenties and thirties. You know that loud wine you get in your ear after you come out of a gig? No, not your other half! It used to fade away, but some years ago it decided to stay. And get louder. And louder. Until the high pitched ringing started to be louder than the things we are all supposed to hear. Like birdsong. A conspiratorial whisper. Or what someone sitting next to you is saying without having to look at them and try and lipread! As I type, I realise what a virtual tap dance is being played out on the keyboard - it's so loud!! So, much to the delight of my OH - I took myself off to the doctors in February for a hearing test. And guess what? I have what they call "high tone" deafness, and mild hearing loss. This morning I took charge of a minor miracle in the latest digital technology. An "open mould" digital (Siemens, no less) hearing aid. A whole new and noisier world is opening up to me. I had not realised what a muffled environment I had been living in for many years. I hope the Tinnitus will subside - it is believed that as a sufferer gets used to all the "normal" everyday noises around them that the alien ones will fade into the background. For now, I am in awe. I will also be doing more typing on my lovely quiet laptop because the pc is so noisy!!

Electrickery

This morning I nearly killed my husband. Before you all run off to dial 999 it was an accident, honest!! A genuine, bonafide, honest 'injun mix up over what fuse was switched off. He had successfully fitted a new light to our spare bedroom/study. Very nice it looks too. Now it was onto the landing to fit another. He tested it, switching the fuse box back on (is this the right terminology? I know nowt about blasted "electrickery!") but nothing. So he went to check the wiring again. In my half asleep, somewhat hungover state I managed to confuse things over what lights were on or off when he switched the fuse box off. Only he didn't - switch the right one off that is. All I heard was a loud, blood curdling yell, followed by a thud. My heart dropped into my boots and right back up again as my legs turned to lead. As I ran up to look, I dreaded what I would find - but there he was, standing on the landing, screwdriver in hand - grinning at me. "I think I just got electrocuted" he said, shaking his arms and shivering. Luckily it was a low voltage shock, as most household shocks are (as I googled later) but it had left a large cut in one finger and a small burn on his other elbow. The "entry" and "exit" wounds apparently. I feel so guilty, I think my heart was racing for the rest of the day at the thought at what might have happened. And the light fitting? It was fitted perfectly. Neither of us had noticed there was and "on/off" switch on it.

New stuff

There has been a bit of delay with my blogging. I have written lots of notes about my week in Hay-on-Wye at the literary festival. When I got home, I realised that I had a lot more reading to do for the next assignment in my Welsh history course than I first thought. And there was me thinking (smugly) how organised I was. Roll on July - when the course finishes. I have plans you see. Poetry is where I am hurtling towards, and I may start writing my memoirs (posh name for a diary I know, but I have never kept one) which will be the ramblings of a slightly dotty forty something woman who lacks motivation, looking back on her life. After all, I have no children (as a friend and fellow blogger has also realised) to pass on my history to. I think it is important to write things down, for reflection and perspective. My thoughts generallyconsist of rather mixed up ramblings in my brain who are all competing with each other to get out - that's what it feels like to be in my head, scary!! So thank you Larisa, for giving me an idea and a bit of direction. I also need to re-write a story I submitted for my final assignment for my degree. I think it has potential - I certainly got a great mark for it, so fingers crossed I can do something positive with it.

The rage has subsided.....all thanks to Tony Curtis...

A few days ago I ranted away the workday blues....today I am chilled and at one with the world. Yesterday was the best day. We saw Stephen Fry at the festival, speaking about America. He reminded us of something. Our habit of laughing and looking down on the Americans is a bad one, we seem to have acquired a bad habit (unfounded, in his opinion) of thinking that just because we have a history and know literature well enough to speak about it in an articulate way that we are somehow superior. His travels around the US have taught him otherwise, he says. They are such a smart race, and we should not underestimate them. (George W Bush aside of course!!) A lesson in humility here.

7pm and we saw, in my opinion, one of the greatest movie stars of our time, Tony Curtis. Aged 83, still with a twinkle in his eye and a sharp and sardonic humour! What a privilege it was too. And for him too, he said. The stories kept coming, he commanded the stage and audience alike, despite a frail body (a stroke 3 years ago), he is a true fighter. He even stood up on stage and attempted to show us how he perfected a woman's walk for "Some Like it Hot", nearly falling off stage in the process but he laughed it off - much to the interviewers distress I might add!

Two power cuts did not faze him either. He just kept on chatting to the front row, as if nothing had happened. Actually he was chatting up an attractive woman in row two. Life in the old dog yet!! Afterwards, we ran round to the bookshop to get his book signed. A first for me - I don't do the "autograph thing", just admire from afar. We had our friend's six year old with us, who was totally oblivious to who he was or what he represented. AfterTony signed his book for my Mum, he then had a chat with Max - I always think it is so lovely when an old person sees a child - for a few minutes they regress and enter their world. Their eyes light up, their smile widens, and they totally engage with them. Max was probably wondering why on earth this old man was talking to him! He then grabbed another piece of paper and wrote on it "Max - A pleasure - Tony Curtis". I then plucked up courage and shook his hand - such smooth skin for an old fella, and he smiled and winked as we went on our way.
It totally made my day! Perhaps I'll pluck up more courage to do the "autograph thing" in the future. But I'll choose wisely.

Hay Rage

You've heard of road rage, well I have just experienced a new phenomenon, "Hay Rage"!! (copyright Rob Thompson!) I knew it would take a few days to shake off the heavy cloak of work stress, but I thought a glorious sunny day in a beautiful place would help the blues melt away. Until a short stroll this afternoon from the village of Hay on Wye to the festival site half a mile down the road. Perhaps my intolerance levels are still high, or perhaps I should have taken that "chill pill". They stretched 5 abreast in front of us. There was not a millimetre of pavement left. Still they kept coming.There were just three of us, and what seemed like three hundred of them! By "them" I mean our fellow festival goers, who seem to live on the planet rude and inconsiderate. Obviously that phone call they were making at the time was sooo important, or the conversation so in depth that our very existence passed them by. We were invisible. We shouldn't be surprised. The London crowd (or so they sounded) acted as if they were still fighting the crowds in, well, London! "Sorry" we kept saying, as we moved out of their way (why do we do that?). "Don't worry, I'll walk in the road and play with the traffic!" No, I didn't say that last one out loud. Well it is Bank Holiday I suppose. We English are used to cramming in some enjoyment into three short days of what we hope to be mostly sunshine this year. It isn't all like that thank God. Yesterday we met a lovely old lady who was in a wheel chair, and we sat and chatted while we had tea. "I am hoping to come and see my friend Roger McGough" she said, in a most unpretentious-like manner. I was impressed. We had a lovely chat, about what the festival was like years ago, before the site moved to the outreaches of the town. Most of the people are lovely though. And the site is especially lovely at night, and on Tuesdays, after the weekenders toddle off back to London town or wherever their busy and important lives lead them to. I sound like an old cynic don't I? Or a grouchy old woman? But all I want is for a few old fashioned manners and a bit of consideration for fellow human beings. After all, we are all here for the same reason aren't we? Never mind, another glass or ten of wine will make it all seem better I'm sure!

Holidays

We're off on holiday next week to Wales. But not just any old holiday. I am stupidly excited as it will be my third visit to the Hay on Wye literary festival. My friend Jane and I have been eagerly monitoring the website for months now, waiting for news about who is going to be appearing. In a bit of a frenzy some weeks ago we logged on to try & book to see some of our favourite authors, musicians and national treasures. What makes its special is its accessibility. The tickets are relatively cheap, you get to listen to someone you really admire for an hour or so, and then you can buy their book and get them to sign it in the bookshop afterwards if you want to. The place is just buzzing with excitement, everyone with a common love of literature and the Arts. Last year we came out of a session with Ian McKewan only to find our other halves sitting at one of the picnic benches having a chat with Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. What a lovely man!! After I had lifted my jaw off of the floor, we wandered over to say hello, and he offered me his seat (which is now my claim to fame!!). He had just finished doing a podcast for the radio, and had been chatting to my husband about Richard II's place in history, and how Maggie Thatcher may be seen a hundred years from now by comparison. As you do!! This year we are seeing Alan Bennett, Graham Swift, Kate Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy to name but a few. Our friends are taking their 6 year old to see lots of children's authors such as Jacqueline Wilson and Julia Donaldson. Each year we say we'll have a break from it the following year, but the lure of the place is just too much......