I do agree with this in today's news. There are obviously many people who, for whatever reason, do not keep their appointments with their G.P. There is the problem that in some practices it is impossible to get an appointment within 2 or even 3 weeks unless you are dying, and even then, it's not certain! Not surprising, then, that the less organised of us may forget about the appointment before it comes round. Incidentally, I will pay homage to my previous doctor here. He runs a practice single handed, with a mix of appointment and open access sessions and I have never had to wait more than 2 days for an appointment with him, which begs the question - if he can do it, why can't larger practices?
The problem I have at present, however, is not with doctor's appointments. My problem is with dental appointments, or lack of. It shocked me when I looked at NHS website for Wales and discovered that, in the whole of Clwyd, not just Wrexham, there is not one dentist who is taking on new patients, either NHS or private! So I have the choice of hoping nothing goes wrong with my teeth in the near future or doing a 100 mile round trip to my former dentist near Liverpool!
So much for Tony Blair's wish to improve the state of the nation's teeth! I bet he doesn't have a problem getting his pearly whites sorted out!
Location, location, location!
Having been musing over the ever escalating price of property in the U.K. over the weekend, I came across 2 items in the news today. The first is this one about an island for sale off the coast of Guernsey - a snip at £50,000 to £200,000. Sounds absolutely idyllic although some idiot has apparently suggested that it would be a good place for a casino!
The other is if the quiet island life gets too quiet and you fancy a move to the bright lights of London, Mayfair, to be exact. This little pied a terre will set you back £25,000 a week in rent.
So, the choice is yours. No contest really....I'd go for the island retreat any time, but definitely without the casino!
The other is if the quiet island life gets too quiet and you fancy a move to the bright lights of London, Mayfair, to be exact. This little pied a terre will set you back £25,000 a week in rent.
So, the choice is yours. No contest really....I'd go for the island retreat any time, but definitely without the casino!
Baby Boomers
We went over to Sheffield yesterday to visit my elder daughter and see the house she has just (bought) committed herself to a hefty mortgage for. A little over a quarter of a century ago, she was a babe in arms and I had been introduced to the novel concept of being responsible for this new being I had brought into the world.
Now, she is a mature, responsible, confident adult, fully in charge of her life and making 'doctor-speak' comments about my cholestol level and pre-arthritic ankles! It must be a result of my encouraging her to specialise in geriatric care so that she can look after me in my old age!
When I look at young people of her generation, they seem so confident and self-assured, much more so than I was. "Work hard, play hard" is the motto and, indeed in today's culture of working endless hours, they do have to grab the chance to relax when they can. Those who have degrees enter the world of work already committed to paying off their loans before they can even think about taking on mortgages for houses with ever increasing price tags and by the same token, bringing up a family has to be juggled with staying at work in order to pay the bills.
There is a reason for that lifting of the spirits when 60's music is playing! It reminds my generation of our youth - those heady days when going to university or college was possible without having to live at home to lessen the expense. Those of us who needed it, had grants -
not loans, so we were not saddled with huge debts as a result of getting a degree. When the time came to settle down, house prices were usually affordable. Starting a family was usually possible on one person's salary or wages, so mum could at least stay at home for the first few years - as I did, and, looking back, I feel very privileged to have been able to do so.
So do young people now have a better life? I can't help thinking that we were the lucky ones. We were able to enjoy being young without the financial burdens that our children shoulder today. But then, maybe it's a case of 'distance lending enchantment' and I am looking back through rose coloured spectacles. All I know is, pre-arthritic knees or not, I am glad I had my youth when I did!
Now, she is a mature, responsible, confident adult, fully in charge of her life and making 'doctor-speak' comments about my cholestol level and pre-arthritic ankles! It must be a result of my encouraging her to specialise in geriatric care so that she can look after me in my old age!
When I look at young people of her generation, they seem so confident and self-assured, much more so than I was. "Work hard, play hard" is the motto and, indeed in today's culture of working endless hours, they do have to grab the chance to relax when they can. Those who have degrees enter the world of work already committed to paying off their loans before they can even think about taking on mortgages for houses with ever increasing price tags and by the same token, bringing up a family has to be juggled with staying at work in order to pay the bills.
There is a reason for that lifting of the spirits when 60's music is playing! It reminds my generation of our youth - those heady days when going to university or college was possible without having to live at home to lessen the expense. Those of us who needed it, had grants -
not loans, so we were not saddled with huge debts as a result of getting a degree. When the time came to settle down, house prices were usually affordable. Starting a family was usually possible on one person's salary or wages, so mum could at least stay at home for the first few years - as I did, and, looking back, I feel very privileged to have been able to do so.
So do young people now have a better life? I can't help thinking that we were the lucky ones. We were able to enjoy being young without the financial burdens that our children shoulder today. But then, maybe it's a case of 'distance lending enchantment' and I am looking back through rose coloured spectacles. All I know is, pre-arthritic knees or not, I am glad I had my youth when I did!
Birthday
My birthday today. For the past 5 years, I have been training everyone around to avoid all mention of it and I have refused to celebrate it, but you can't stay 21 (50) for ever so I have to bite the bullet and admit that each year I get older - just like everyone else!
Anyway, I've had a very pleasant day, culminating in being taken out to dinner by Keith....oh and being stung by a wasp! Well, it's the first time in all my 56 years, so I guess I've got off lightly till now - but it ain't 'alf sore!
Anyway, I've had a very pleasant day, culminating in being taken out to dinner by Keith....oh and being stung by a wasp! Well, it's the first time in all my 56 years, so I guess I've got off lightly till now - but it ain't 'alf sore!
New blog!
Just a brief note to announce the birth of my new blog - my photoblog. Welcome toPhotos at Jennytc. See, it really is addictive and I am obviously past redemption!
Vive les sixties!!!
Keith and have have a new game to play this week. It all started when he got a new mobile phone. Having made fun of my new 3G, all singing/dancing phone, he has now acquired an almost identical one himself. Our first game was the 'Who's phone is best' game and I must confess, I think he has the edge on me there as his is bluetooth and is also a speakerphone. However, mine has more and better ringtones, unless you want to spend £4 a time downloading them off the internet.
So, being a bit of a computer whiz, Keith decided he would convert one of his MP3's into a ringtone.
So, onto our new game. It's like this:
1.Keith spends most of the evening on the computer playing or downloading possible contestants for the honour of being the ringtone on his phone
2.The music he downloads is from the golden sixties era (Nothing decent has seen the light of day since then, with the possible exception of Abba and Mike Oldfield, as I'm sure you'll agree).
3. I have to guess the title and the group or singer within the first few notes - which I usually do!
4. No prizes for me, unfortunately, and Keith still hasn't decided on a ringtone.
Personally, I'd go for Lulu's piece de resistance, "Shout'" In fact, I might have that one for my phone!
So, being a bit of a computer whiz, Keith decided he would convert one of his MP3's into a ringtone.
So, onto our new game. It's like this:
1.Keith spends most of the evening on the computer playing or downloading possible contestants for the honour of being the ringtone on his phone
2.The music he downloads is from the golden sixties era (Nothing decent has seen the light of day since then, with the possible exception of Abba and Mike Oldfield, as I'm sure you'll agree).
3. I have to guess the title and the group or singer within the first few notes - which I usually do!
4. No prizes for me, unfortunately, and Keith still hasn't decided on a ringtone.
Personally, I'd go for Lulu's piece de resistance, "Shout'" In fact, I might have that one for my phone!
Tearing my hair out!
Having noticed the smart scrollers on Dale's and Magz's blogs, by courtesy of Gemmak, I decided I would like one too, but, being the independent, stubborn creature that I am, I wanted it to be a learning experience - I wanted to do it myself! So I started.....at 7 o'clock....and finished.......at 11o'clock BUT I did it!
In fact, I did it within the first 10 minutes but the wretched thing just showed as an empty white box, so I thought I must have done something wrong - hence, another 3 hours and 50 minutes of fiddling, doing, previewing, undoing, redoing and copious sighs, ranting and swearing.
But what a great feeling of achievement when I discovered I had done it...followed by total disbelief that I had wasted all that extra time unnecessarily. (How many books could I have read?) I still don't know what the problem was, but it works and that's the main thing....I think!
You know what they say: A man who never made a mistake never made anything. I suppose that goes for women too????
In fact, I did it within the first 10 minutes but the wretched thing just showed as an empty white box, so I thought I must have done something wrong - hence, another 3 hours and 50 minutes of fiddling, doing, previewing, undoing, redoing and copious sighs, ranting and swearing.
But what a great feeling of achievement when I discovered I had done it...followed by total disbelief that I had wasted all that extra time unnecessarily. (How many books could I have read?) I still don't know what the problem was, but it works and that's the main thing....I think!
You know what they say: A man who never made a mistake never made anything. I suppose that goes for women too????
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