OneGuyFromBarlick

Reading as I wait for the arrival of my castings. A day off won't do me any harm at all!

The castings et arrivee! Let brass turning and cylinder building begin.

Coaxing hard lumps of metal into the shapes and sizes I need for my engines. It's a form of sculpture.....

Enjoying myself in the shed and watching the China Grand Prix. Qualifying was better after the reversion to the old rules and we can look forward to an aggressive drive from Lewis Hamilton who after a series of mechanical failures will most likely start from the Pit Lane. Could be interesting.....

What a day yesterday. We were up and out of the house by 7.45 am. We drove to Lincolnshire to visit Audrey, who you may remember has moved back to England from France. We were there before 10.00 , our usual time for arriving at her French home after the ferry crossing( I said' same time different country'). She now lives in a lovely little village. We took her to a garden centre for lunch in another town that she can't get to by public transport and bought plants and her lunch. The afternoon was spent chatting over tea and lemon drizzle cake. We left at 5 .00 and went home via Sheffield and a visit to my new found cousin. We spent 2 hours with Toni and her husband Eric, swapping photos and family information. We arrived home at just before 9.00 fully uplifted and tired. What a fabulous day

Sounds like a good if tiring day Sue. I think you'll be pleased to know that the U3A foot spa did another sterling job last night as I had a full foot maintenance session in front of the stove in the front room while watching TV. Best thing that ever happened to my feet!

Excelllent Stanley, glad it is still working well.

It was my mums birthday today, I took some red roses to the cemetery this morning. I always bought them for her on her birthday, and an Easter egg if it was Easter. Anyway all the daffodils we have planted were in full flower, she would have liked that if she could have seen it.

I stayed a few minutes in quiet reflection, especially after yesterday spending time with her niece, and being given loads of family photos.

Miss you loads Mum, you would have been 93 today

Lovely Sue. The pain of loss may decrease but it never goes away..... It's good to remember.
You all know where I will be!

I had a good day in the shed yesterday but in the process woke my right arm up again and I'm paying for it! So not sure what I'll be doing today. Could be a good day for writing some articles, that's relatively pain free.....

Have just bottomed cleaning the kitchen. Now have to decide whether to get my bike out after lunch or do a Weet's variant, the day is good enough for either. I will be on my own on whichever I choose as today is one of Sally's early swim days, she's already done 70 lengths at the baths so that's her exercise for the day. She may be up for a bike ride tomorrow if the weather holds so I may opt for the hill today. I might take in a bit of Coal Pit Lane to extend it a bit. Chicken Curry for tea so I'll earn myself a Naan to go with it.

( Panny...you have earned a beer to go with that Curry and Naan)

A "Celebrity" tournament at our golf club here on Friday, with a private black helicopter flying low and doing multiple passes up the main fairway to deliver goodness knows who.
I shall be sat out on the balcony for days with my book, with a hole in it, and lens behind.
( and multi coloured drink in large triangular glass that sports an umbrella)
I know Johnny Depp and partner have been down under answering charges of smuggling their little dogs into Australia.
The wicked side of me wants to lay stones on the lawn that say "we welcome Pistol and Boo", but Febby will not allow.
Party pooper!

Go on, go on!

Oh don't encourage me....

Have been keeping an eye out all morning and there is lots to see...haven't seen anyone famous YET!
I've seen a lot of folk who look very important, but I'm sure that doesn't count at all.
This is fun...

Expecting delivery of a TENS machine today. Can't wait to get my upper arm wired up and turn on the current. I am expecting big things of this little device and it is bound to be better than swallowing paracetamol. (Stirred up an old injury lifting kayaks and bikes on and off the caravan). Sounds like I am in a similar condition to Stanley!

By the way Stanley, I had a dream about you last night!
In my dream, you had sent out word that you "needed paint for a jumbo jet". (Weird thing to need)
Anyway, I researched the best paint to buy for Jumbo Jets and ordered 20 X 20 litre drums of the brightest white Jumbo Jet paint. Lined up to give you them and found myself standing next to a woman holding the smallest tin of white paint you have ever seen with a small paintbrush balanced on top. I asked her what her paint was for, and she replied it is for Stanley's model Jumbo Jet.
Suddenly the penny dropped. ( how could I be so dumb?)
You came along and took the lady's paint and brush and then turned to me and said "I am not talking to you any more Maz. You never listen properly"

( any body need bulk Jumbo Jet paint?) m

I'm flattered Maz.... Sorry about the excess paint.... put it on Ebay. Sorry to hear about your arm, they are a nuisance! Tell me more about TENS....
I had an easy day, wrote an article and finished reading Len Deighton's 'Bomber'. Arm improved. I shall take a view later on....

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (T.E.N.S.)
Self adhesive (reuse able) pads that you place over affected area (I currently have 8 pads of various sizes over shoulder and upper arm as unit arrived about an hour ago). Plug electrodes into the pads and select a setting.
I AM IN HEAVEN on a very low setting.
Various ones on the market (at varying prices of course) and they have been around for years because I was offered the use of one when I was in labour...which was many moons ago!)
Mine is a physio model, so does both nerve stimulation and muscle stimulation...but I haven't tried that bit yet because I principally bought it to relieve the pain not excercise the muscles.
Oh it's lovely. I will email some pics to you when I take it off, Stanley.
This model cost £150 with free delivery but I am told there are cheaper ones on the market. Some are battery operated, some are power outlet operated but I thought that a bit restrictive, so I got one that does both. Might have to make myself a little dilly bag to carry the unit about though, as it didn't come with one and I don't have pockets on today, so I've got it tucked in my track pants (it's bigger than a mobile phone). It doesn't feel at all secure tucked down there, so I will solve that problem.
Instructions that came with it are a bit unfathomable...but, as I say, I have found a low setting and am very happy.
Arm feels like it is full of warm lemonade!

I am using 0.5 and 1Kg weights for my shoulder. Neither have batteries or plug into the mains but they do produce the same results after a while. Not sure that I would describe it as warm lemonade though Maz, more like burning poker I would say!

I am on my third session for the day.
This is heaven. No pain.
I have cooked dinner with it on and done the dishes ( I look a bit strange because I found an old shoulder handbag to pop the slightly-bigger-than-a-mobile-phone unit in, but it is working better than the waistband on my track pants)
Aaaaahhhhhh.
(Might have to invest in a rechargeable battery)

I keep smiling at my husband, and I think he is getting the wrong message...

ok..have to admit I just did some range-of-movement excercises and experienced pain.
But I do only have the machine set low, and I swear that normal everyday movements are painless.

I am on my third session for the day.
This is heaven. No pain.
I have cooked dinner with it on and done the dishes ( I look a bit strange because I found an old shoulder handbag to pop the slightly-bigger-than-a-mobile-phone unit in, but it is working better than the waistband on my track pants)
Aaaaahhhhhh.
(Might have to invest in a rechargeable battery)

Max, don't go outside wired up to your bag when the black celebrity helicopters are around - they might think you're a suicide bomber and send the security men after you!

Oh dear...you are so right!
I've been busy threading things through my clothing....
Might be tricky at bedtime. Not sure what to disconnect or remove first....

When my lower back pain was at it's worst the hospital physio department took pity on me and allowed me to bring home a TENS machine for a week but unfortunately it did nothing for me.
What I would like to have is a Revitive Stimulation Booster EMS (electrical muscle stimulation). It activates muscles in the legs and feet. I think it would help with cramps in the feet and calves.

My TENS machine does EMS too Cazza.
I haven't tried that function yet...

Sounds too complicated and restricting to me. I know the liniment will win in the end. I'll put up with the pain for a while.... They tell me it's character forming.....
I shall have another short session in the shed today.....