Up at an early-enough time to say bye to the boys and go outside and continue to do some wooding, before 'Don' was due to come and dump some unwanted Cedar chunks on me at 10am. He came at 10.15 and the pile of Cedar chunks turned out to be smaller than expected... however something's better than nothing, and a day's worth of free fuel is not to be refused just because it would only last for one day... I enjoyed showing Don around the garden and I think he was impressed with the compost heap selection! I gave him some dried fruit as a sweetener (!) for next time (I think he's a gardener/tree worker) and as soon as he had gone, I bombed into town and beyond to have a meeting with a friend and then put in a couple of cheques, then come home via Martin's Country Compostables and do a pick-up, just two sacks today.
The minute I got in I got a phone call, so didn't settle down to my lunch til after 2pm.
Then at 3 I went to get the boys.
Gill had gone to Art in the morning and then on to Scarborough to sort out some of Uncle Tom's affairs, and didn't get back til 5.30, by which time there was a John-style rice and stir-fry on plates for all to eat. Cooked totally on the woodstove, of course!
Gill went out soon after that to go to help at the theatre where she's painting scenary.
I got the boys ready for bed.
Friday, 30 November 2007
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Thursday 29th November 07
Managed a bit of a lie-in, til 8.15 anyway! Would have liked more as was up late last night wrestling with attempting to copy and paste yesterday's blog post from notepad into the blog create page.
However, opened it this morning and tried to publish and it did! Why is it temperamental, I wonder? Anyway, crisis over.
I spent most of the day with my logpiles, did some splitting/initial stacking, then a big load of chainsawing.
I picked up our youngest at 3.15, and then our eldest at 4.15 after his Drama Club... then a fairly hasty tea of pasta and broccoli, then at 6 took him to Cubs. Whilst he was here I popped in to see Jo and her husband and son, who live nearby where Cubs meet up. Good coffee and chats.
However, opened it this morning and tried to publish and it did! Why is it temperamental, I wonder? Anyway, crisis over.
I spent most of the day with my logpiles, did some splitting/initial stacking, then a big load of chainsawing.
I picked up our youngest at 3.15, and then our eldest at 4.15 after his Drama Club... then a fairly hasty tea of pasta and broccoli, then at 6 took him to Cubs. Whilst he was here I popped in to see Jo and her husband and son, who live nearby where Cubs meet up. Good coffee and chats.
Wednesday 28th November 07
A really interesting day. I woke at 8 and had a fairly normal breakfast which was nice. I checked Anna's cycle map and memorised how to get from her house to Denmark Hill, and left at about 8.40. I was quite amazed to see a small mistletoe plant growing out of a street tree in London, not the usual place to see mistletoe, surely?
I got to the Maudsley Hospital at 9.10, some time before my appointment, and was seen by a psychologist to undertake a battery of personality and psychological assessments. Some were pretty straightforward, simple questions about my behaviour, others were more obtuse, stuff like timing how long it took to define a word (what is a bird? what is enthusiasm? what is a niche?) and a similar test, to see if I could say how two things were similar, such as a bus and a plane. I also had to do the different coloured words test, first saying the word (they were the colours red, blue, green and tan) and then to say the actual colour the word was printed, which was mostly different from he colour of the word's meaning.. this was recorded for accuracy and speed. Also a test with plastic blocks which if arranged in different positions would make various patterns, and I had to make patterns which was displayed in a book, again, timed.
We finished at about midday and I phoned a student researcher who was doing some work on empathy and ADHD basically to say that I didn't think I'd be able to do the research after the day at the as I was meeting someone at 6pm at Kings Cross. However the message I left with her department was that I'd collect any message from her from the main info desk at the Out Patients Department. I went to have lunch and chatted to some people running the 'Bedlam Gift Shop' (I decided not to buy a mug.) and when I got to the Out Patients at 1pm, the researcher was there waiting for me, saying we should be able to get the study done in an hour if I wanted to do it. So went with her and after filling in another sheaf of forms, she got me sitting comfortably with electrodes on my fingers, and I had to watch a screen with faces flashed up on it and then click on the mood correlating to the expression. These were: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and neutral. I then had to do the same type of thing but this time identifying an animal: cow, goat, bison, bear and horse. I did well with the animal ones, I think all correct, but the emotions/expressions I found really difficult. I found sitting so still for so long the most difficult. I look forward to seeing how well I did on that task.
At just after 2pm, I got back to the reception area and was immediately ushered into a tiny room with a female doctor who asked me a lot of medical history questions, stuff about early childhood, experiences at school, problem behaviour then and now and a lot of very interesting and personal stuff, about anything which might inform their diagnosis. At 4.30 I was given a break and at 5, I was asked back to see the senior doctor, who had a few more questions, things which weren't completely covered in the previous sessions, and he offered me his initial thoughts on my diagnosis. Apparently my concentration span is too good to be a 'typical ADHD' and I have some traits seen in Autistic Spectrum Disorder. So, although the diagnosis will be a few weeks away, after the psychology tests have been scored and analysed, he thinks that I have a mixture of Autism and Hyperactivity. Wow. My Mum was right, she thought that I might be slightly 'Aspergers'. I await my final diagnosis, and if I am on the Autistic Spectrum, they'll suggest another set of tests, specifically to look at Autism, either in York or back at the Maudsley.
I was released at 5.50, and found a train to King's Cross fairly easily. Finding Mary from DANDA at King's Cross was less easy. She'd said the pub on Platform 1, but there was no pub on Platform 1, it was on 8. She'd described herself as very very short and fat, and when I did find her she was just ordinarily petite and nicely rounded, not fat. Peoples' self images can be quite odd. We had a cider each and chatted about Neuro-Diversity and her desire to set up a branch of in the Yorkshire area. I said I'd assist but not be the main person. She left at 8 and I found a filling pastie and baguette, and waited for my 9pm train.
Spent most of the journey back writing up this blog on wordpad, which I hope I'll be able to copy and paste into my blogspot page. I was able to copy and paste but then not publish, getting an 'Error' message about post labels or some such rubbish.
I got to the Maudsley Hospital at 9.10, some time before my appointment, and was seen by a psychologist to undertake a battery of personality and psychological assessments. Some were pretty straightforward, simple questions about my behaviour, others were more obtuse, stuff like timing how long it took to define a word (what is a bird? what is enthusiasm? what is a niche?) and a similar test, to see if I could say how two things were similar, such as a bus and a plane. I also had to do the different coloured words test, first saying the word (they were the colours red, blue, green and tan) and then to say the actual colour the word was printed, which was mostly different from he colour of the word's meaning.. this was recorded for accuracy and speed. Also a test with plastic blocks which if arranged in different positions would make various patterns, and I had to make patterns which was displayed in a book, again, timed.
We finished at about midday and I phoned a student researcher who was doing some work on empathy and ADHD basically to say that I didn't think I'd be able to do the research after the day at the as I was meeting someone at 6pm at Kings Cross. However the message I left with her department was that I'd collect any message from her from the main info desk at the Out Patients Department. I went to have lunch and chatted to some people running the 'Bedlam Gift Shop' (I decided not to buy a mug.) and when I got to the Out Patients at 1pm, the researcher was there waiting for me, saying we should be able to get the study done in an hour if I wanted to do it. So went with her and after filling in another sheaf of forms, she got me sitting comfortably with electrodes on my fingers, and I had to watch a screen with faces flashed up on it and then click on the mood correlating to the expression. These were: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and neutral. I then had to do the same type of thing but this time identifying an animal: cow, goat, bison, bear and horse. I did well with the animal ones, I think all correct, but the emotions/expressions I found really difficult. I found sitting so still for so long the most difficult. I look forward to seeing how well I did on that task.
At just after 2pm, I got back to the reception area and was immediately ushered into a tiny room with a female doctor who asked me a lot of medical history questions, stuff about early childhood, experiences at school, problem behaviour then and now and a lot of very interesting and personal stuff, about anything which might inform their diagnosis. At 4.30 I was given a break and at 5, I was asked back to see the senior doctor, who had a few more questions, things which weren't completely covered in the previous sessions, and he offered me his initial thoughts on my diagnosis. Apparently my concentration span is too good to be a 'typical ADHD' and I have some traits seen in Autistic Spectrum Disorder. So, although the diagnosis will be a few weeks away, after the psychology tests have been scored and analysed, he thinks that I have a mixture of Autism and Hyperactivity. Wow. My Mum was right, she thought that I might be slightly 'Aspergers'. I await my final diagnosis, and if I am on the Autistic Spectrum, they'll suggest another set of tests, specifically to look at Autism, either in York or back at the Maudsley.
I was released at 5.50, and found a train to King's Cross fairly easily. Finding Mary from DANDA at King's Cross was less easy. She'd said the pub on Platform 1, but there was no pub on Platform 1, it was on 8. She'd described herself as very very short and fat, and when I did find her she was just ordinarily petite and nicely rounded, not fat. Peoples' self images can be quite odd. We had a cider each and chatted about Neuro-Diversity and her desire to set up a branch of in the Yorkshire area. I said I'd assist but not be the main person. She left at 8 and I found a filling pastie and baguette, and waited for my 9pm train.
Spent most of the journey back writing up this blog on wordpad, which I hope I'll be able to copy and paste into my blogspot page. I was able to copy and paste but then not publish, getting an 'Error' message about post labels or some such rubbish.
Tuesday 27th November 07
Spent some of the day travelling down to London on the train, getting into King's Cross at 145, and then got a tube (bought a £10 Oyster Card) to Leicester Square, where I met Ruth. I have known Ruth since I was 18, when we formed a close friendship at Nene College. We became regular companions but not as close as boy/girlfriend, and have remained fond of each other ever since. She arrived at Leicester Square and we walked over the Hungerford Bridge and had a coffee before going to the Tate Modern. We spent a couple of hours there and then crossed the river on the non-wobbling Millennium Bridge to St Pauls, and had another coffee on or near Fleet Street, and I bought a bottle of Mosel wine for tonight.
Ruth left me at a tube station on the North side of the river and I crossed Hungerford Bridge again and walked South West past the London Eye and down to Vauxhall Bridge, where I found my way past Vauxhall Station and along to where my friend Anna lives. We have a mutual friend and it was very good to finally meet her and her partner.
Ruth left me at a tube station on the North side of the river and I crossed Hungerford Bridge again and walked South West past the London Eye and down to Vauxhall Bridge, where I found my way past Vauxhall Station and along to where my friend Anna lives. We have a mutual friend and it was very good to finally meet her and her partner.
Monday, 26 November 2007
Monday 26th November 07
Woke feeling grotty and snotty, cold in full flow. Gill too. She got the boys up and off to school, I came down to assist but went back to bed and she joined me. I had to go to the bread shop and Co-op.
I got the boys back from school.
Gill got a phone call saying her lovely Uncle Tom (Carless), from Scarborough, had died, aged 86. Gill's sister and brother in law had been with him, and Gill was very upset as she had wanted to go and see him, but couldn't as she's not been well. So a tearful afternoon and evening.
I got the boys back from school.
Gill got a phone call saying her lovely Uncle Tom (Carless), from Scarborough, had died, aged 86. Gill's sister and brother in law had been with him, and Gill was very upset as she had wanted to go and see him, but couldn't as she's not been well. So a tearful afternoon and evening.
Sunday 25th November 07
A slow start to the morning, and went to the veg shop for about 10.45, to buy some provisions, but had to wait as it didn't open til 11am. I had a quick chat with Richard, thanked him for performing a brilliant gig on Friday night, with The Falling Spikes at Fibbers.
Back to see some of Countryfile and get my Fiddlesticks stuff together as I've a gig today in Thorpe Willoughby, west of Selby. I set off soon after midday and went through Naburn, Stillingfleet and Cawood, stopping at Cawood for lunch. Got to Thorpe Willoughby at about 2.20, plenty of time to wind down and get changed ready for a 3pm start. Performed my circus show followed by my Balloon activities for the birthday of two eight year old girls, who had a lovely time. I left soon after 5pm and went into Selby, then North through Barlby and Riccall, where I stopped at the south end of the cross country cycle path which used to be a railway track. I had about 20 mins stop to have 2 small bottles of beer which the parents of one of the girls plied me with before I went. So, feeling relaxed and satisfied, I turned my dynamo off and cycled in the dark all the way to Naburn.. no problem as I know the route extremely well, this could be the 20th or 30th time I've cycled it. Felt at one with my machine and the planet below and the clouds scudding overhead. I have had a brilliant weekend, but am developing a cold.
Home at 7.30, Gill had been keeping a pasta and cauliflower cheese warm for some time and it was very soft but I was glad to eat it.
A quiet evening, wrote my paid blog about woodstoves versus open fires.
Back to see some of Countryfile and get my Fiddlesticks stuff together as I've a gig today in Thorpe Willoughby, west of Selby. I set off soon after midday and went through Naburn, Stillingfleet and Cawood, stopping at Cawood for lunch. Got to Thorpe Willoughby at about 2.20, plenty of time to wind down and get changed ready for a 3pm start. Performed my circus show followed by my Balloon activities for the birthday of two eight year old girls, who had a lovely time. I left soon after 5pm and went into Selby, then North through Barlby and Riccall, where I stopped at the south end of the cross country cycle path which used to be a railway track. I had about 20 mins stop to have 2 small bottles of beer which the parents of one of the girls plied me with before I went. So, feeling relaxed and satisfied, I turned my dynamo off and cycled in the dark all the way to Naburn.. no problem as I know the route extremely well, this could be the 20th or 30th time I've cycled it. Felt at one with my machine and the planet below and the clouds scudding overhead. I have had a brilliant weekend, but am developing a cold.
Home at 7.30, Gill had been keeping a pasta and cauliflower cheese warm for some time and it was very soft but I was glad to eat it.
A quiet evening, wrote my paid blog about woodstoves versus open fires.
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Saturday 24th November 07
Oh how good, a lie-in! Not suprising after last night, up til after 2am, so was woken at 11am.
Had breakfast and went outside to complete yesterday's logging, finished building the by-the-door logpile and completed some splitting. Also did a bit of bramble cutting back and compost layering.
Came in to help prepare a nutloaf, which the children say is better if made by me, cheeky monsters! Was a good nutloaf though.
In the evening I went to my old friend Edwin's 40th birthday (OK, he's younger than me...) which was at 1331 Grape Lane off Petergate in York. He'd called the event 'Edstock' as he was previously a 'bit of a hippy' and still plays bass guitar in a number of bands, even though he's had his hair cut...
It was a good do. I met loads of people from the past, people I'd met at gigs such as 'Ramblin' Johnny Stomachpump and the Village Idiots' and 'The Suicidal Flowers'. I lived around the corner from some of the band members, including Fez the drummer, who was there tonight and fronted his band 'The Surf Sluts'. Ed played in a couple of sets, including a stormin' one from a Talking Heads tribute band called 'Slippery People'. It was a very good-natured event, met up with Mark, a very smiley chap I have hazy memories of from gigs, and Will, whom I met last night and told about this birthday do... he brought along his lovely wife Jacqueline, who's from Singapore, is of Indian parentage and dances very well. Oh and loads of others, most of whom I don't know well, not names, but they are sometimes to be passed in the street and there's always a smile of recognition.
I left reasonably early and called in on the woodland which is being pruned, and collected a load of logs, got in before midnight.
Had breakfast and went outside to complete yesterday's logging, finished building the by-the-door logpile and completed some splitting. Also did a bit of bramble cutting back and compost layering.
Came in to help prepare a nutloaf, which the children say is better if made by me, cheeky monsters! Was a good nutloaf though.
In the evening I went to my old friend Edwin's 40th birthday (OK, he's younger than me...) which was at 1331 Grape Lane off Petergate in York. He'd called the event 'Edstock' as he was previously a 'bit of a hippy' and still plays bass guitar in a number of bands, even though he's had his hair cut...
It was a good do. I met loads of people from the past, people I'd met at gigs such as 'Ramblin' Johnny Stomachpump and the Village Idiots' and 'The Suicidal Flowers'. I lived around the corner from some of the band members, including Fez the drummer, who was there tonight and fronted his band 'The Surf Sluts'. Ed played in a couple of sets, including a stormin' one from a Talking Heads tribute band called 'Slippery People'. It was a very good-natured event, met up with Mark, a very smiley chap I have hazy memories of from gigs, and Will, whom I met last night and told about this birthday do... he brought along his lovely wife Jacqueline, who's from Singapore, is of Indian parentage and dances very well. Oh and loads of others, most of whom I don't know well, not names, but they are sometimes to be passed in the street and there's always a smile of recognition.
I left reasonably early and called in on the woodland which is being pruned, and collected a load of logs, got in before midnight.
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