A classic holiday :-)

Deb & I go away for a few days over the weekend. It is ... a debacle :-)

As an aside: I often fail to notice things to my left. IF I focus, I can see them. But I have to look closely.

I eat dinner -- then notice a pile of food pushed off the plate, onto the table.  to my left. Deb says, don't worry, we can wipe the table :-)

Another effect is, that typing is difficult. I aim for a key and hit a key to one side. I aim for A, hit caps lock, AND FROM THEN ON i'M SHOUTING.

Sooner or later I will stop correcting these mis-types. Or, I will stop seeing them :-) Either way, just try to guess what I mean!

So, the weekend holiday:

Stay one night in Dwellingup. Then move to Collie. A 7km night run, Deb & I will run (walk)together. Next day, a 5km or 10km run. In daylight :-)

I decide that 10km is further than I want to run. I contact the organisers, ask them to change my Saturday entry from 10km to 5km. No worries, they reply... though that run is on Sunday, not Saturday. Oh.

We drive to Dwellingup. A pleasant drive through lots of nice forest. Deb drives on the highway. When there is a wide, quiet road -- with lots of space on the left side, I drive. We're both tense but have no trouble. Don't worry, that's the last driving for me...

Dwellingup, we're in a chalet on a farm, looking over paddocks to forest. Beautiful!

Then we drive... Deb drives... to Collie. We're in a nice b&b. We prefer self-catering but this is very comfortable.

We follow the hostess' suggestion and eat dinner at the Collie Italian Club. Very nice. Okay, we get a bit lost on the way back... but Deb's smartphone saves the day.

Earlier, we were using *my* phone to navigate. Back of Waroona my phone goes on strike, claims no internet connection. Deb's phone works. not mine.

Twelve hours later, I'm back on the internet.

Luckily, Deb can read a road map. I can't. I look at it. Can't find any towns other than Bunbury (a large ugly blob). I have also lost the concept of page-turning... I can't find a cover, I turn one page and skip many pages. back or forward. Deb probably slipped me a joke book of maps :-)

Not to worry. We're now in a comfortable b&b in Collie, nothing to do till we run tomorrow morning. We have already decided to skip tonight's night run. Deb thinks we could go to the 'event village" and get dinner from the food van. Instead, we eat at the Collie Italian Club, a good choice.

We've asked for breakfast to be ready early so we can get to the Saturday morning run.

About 10pm, we're in bed, almost asleep. I ask Deb, What day is it today?

Ahhh... We left home on Thursday So today is... Friday. There is no night run tonight. there would be no food van. Oops.

There is no "Saturday" run, there is a run on Sunday...

We wake up ridiculously early -- to get to a run which is... not till tomorrow. We cut our losses...

We pack up. Start driving home. Today. Saturday. We planned to drive home on Sunday.

At Harvey, we stop for a snack. I phone the b&b hostess, tell her we have done a runner. I gloss over any explanation of Why :-)

Now we're home. A day earlier than planned. A classic holiday... one of our best :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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... f"Question authority. Don't expect to like the answer." ... per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)

anti leftism

I'm reading the paper, this story seems to make even less sense than usual. Oh, wait -- the story started in a previous column, so I'm starting half way through.

I'm missing seeing things to my left, things such as the first column of a newspaper story.

I can see it -- a thing on my left -- if I look. But with a quick glance, I don't notice it.

Dang, this typing is difficult. I keep hitting a key to one side. The worst is when I intend to type the letter A and I hit Caps Lock.

Driving is exciting. I keep up a running commentary  (to myself) to remind myself to watch the left. " parked car ahead... move right, closer to the white line... turning left, watch the inside kerb... It's easier with Deb as a passenger, when there's a car close by the left side, Deb shrieks. Today we drive south, Deb will be driving.

I send an email to the cancer doc. Say that if she thinks running round in a panic will help then I can book an earlier MRI. The doc replies... I'm booked for an earlier MRI, the day after we get home again.

Deb and I have independently concluded that my tumour is back. We'll find out next week. Meanwhile, a weekend of trail running.

Deb's ankle is still sore. She's looking forward to a 7km night trail run...

We'll be running (walking) together. I tend to run into bushes on the left. Deb has to be gentle with her ankle (as if :-( Should be fun :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

... for the greater good ... against the corrupt metastasis of oligarchic power that stomps on humanity's neck everywhere" ... Sacranist creed, Thin Air

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)

hold the sympathy?

Okay, I've just had a refresher on the brain area which is necrotic. It's an area which is unlikely to have serious effects.

So, probably -- just needless worry... all part of the cancer process so worth blogging. And yes, I blogged and felt better, even before the brain area update.

Dang... back to being a senile old man who can't keep his food on his plate. :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

... for the greater good ... against the corrupt metastasis of oligarchic power that stomps on humanity's neck everywhere" ... Sacranist creed, Thin Air

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)

awkward

Dang, my left-challenged vision could be awkward.

Before I started the previous post, I went to the toilet. I just noticed, I forgot to turn off the light.

The toilet -- and its light switch -- were on my left.

I suspect that I will be finding -- or not finding -- more and more things on my left :-) This could get awkward :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

... for the greater good ... against the corrupt metastasis of oligarchic power that stomps on humanity's neck everywhere" ... Sacranist creed, Thin Air

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)

prepare to be sympathetic!

Al last -- I have some real symptoms :-) Other than falling over in a fun run, that is.

To save the suspense: I do not see -- or do not notice -- things on my left. Oh, and I have regular -- mild -- headaches. Nothing to worry about except that headaches are not -- usually -- something I have. Oh, yes, and I do have cancer in the head... So perhaps I should worry? Maybe later.

I've just emailed the cancer doc, asked her if running round in a mad panic is likely to help. Otherwise, I'll see her in a few weeks.

Not seeing things to the left, that's easy to spot... well, no. It took Deb to spot it. I simply ignore what is happening. Of course :-) So, what is happening?

Deb has started to scream while I'm driving. screaming things like, Look out for that parked car!! Ohhh that parked car. Once it's pointed out -- I see it.

The very first indication is a lot smaller than a parked car. When I'm reading I don't see the first letter of words. I look again and there it is... it really slows down my reading.

It also seems -- according to Deb -- that I am driving very close to the left side of the road. And yes, I am bumping into kerbs... quite often. Kerbs on the left.

One day I'm running round the lake. Dratted trees, hanging over the path, I run straight through the hanging branches... on my left.

On the same run, I wander off the track, to the left, of course. May as well wander off to the left, there's nothing there -- as far as I can see.

Crashing into things while running, not a problem. Just adds some excitement to the run. (Next week's night run should be fun :-)

Crashing into things while driving, that could be a bit more serious.

Even a week ago -- before we noticed my left-challenged vision -- I let Deb drive. This was taking our grandson to swimming. I was feeling old and senile -- not fit to drive a grandson. Now, the problem is more specific. And definite.

I suspect that my driving days are over. Certainly -- immediately -- Deb will do the driving. ( Or I may join the modern world -- shudder -- and use Uber.)

Here's another annoying thing: When I type the letter A there is a high chance that my finger will drift to the unseen space to the left -- and hit the caps lock key. I'm constantly having to turn off the caps lock key :-(

Running, driving and typing are difficult for the left-challenged. But it gets worse.

I am eating dinner. I notice that half of my meal is on the .table. Yes, on the table to the left of my plate. Didn't see that happening, did I?!

I clear my plate. Delicious, I say. Then I notice and pick up the food from the table, put it back on my plate. (Hey! not going to waste it!) So I clear my plate and push the plate away... and see that there is still food on the plate. Yes... on the left of my plate.

I clear my plate again... not. I Try again -- checking the entire plate. To see if I have really eaten everything.

Later, Deb tells me that I ate all the food on the right half of my plate. Well, that is the food that I can see...

Going back a bit: My last few MRI scans showed a shadow on my brain. It didn't seem to grow so it is labelled as radiation necrosis. The shadow may (according to my dodgy memory) be on a bit of brain that relates to vision.  I think it's on the right hemisphere. So: my instant analysis is, my necrotic -- yes, dead -- patch of brain is affecting my left-side vision.

Bad necrosis is -- to me -- good news. The alternative is, a fast-growing tumour.

And here's more good news:

Deb identifies my left-challenged vision. It all fits together, yes. (Deb is brilliant :-) It may be necrosis. It may be cancer. Either way -- I am vastly cheered. Yes, really. You see, I had thought that I was going senile. I've already accustomed myself to cancer... as the devil I know. I did not really want the new devil of going gaga.

So, sympathy please. For Deb, that is. She is about to do a lot more driving. And a lot more wiping the table. To the left of where I sit.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

... for the greater good ... against the corrupt metastasis of oligarchic power that stomps on humanity's neck everywhere" ... Sacranist creed, Thin Air

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)

down, not out

It's a miserable week. I'm tired. Physically tired though my mind makes it worse. Little things -- added to bigger things -- hit me hard.

I swype-typed bigger things. Google gives me boost thongs. What an absolute pile of crap. I easily get angry. Underneath, I'm miserable.

Over the last few years I learnt two new programming languages. Wrote three versions -- limited but working versions -- of my app. This is "the app", the app which is -- in my humble opinion -- brilliant. It will revolutionise tourism. With bonus uses for orienteering and rogaining.

One version I wrote -- rewrote from scratch -- in two weeks. But my coding knowledge is limited.

I bit the bullet. Decided to spend twenty or thirty thousand to get a professional organisation to write my app. I provided step by step screen dumps. With wxplanations. Made a down payment and waited.

Six fucking months later they have delivered absolutely bugger all.

I thought I was dealing with a "project manager". Turns out, I was dealing with the unqualified, untrained,unskilled village idiot.

Six months wasted.

A fucking bunch of amateur wankers.

Tell you what. If they have not returned my money within a week, I'll tell you the name of the company. Fucking useless bastards that they are.

===

So that is a big thing that really spoils my mood. (Did you notice that I am upset?) Ha, I feel better already.

Except.

The last few days I have felt... very close to death. Hard to describe. Perhaps it's the "sense of impending doom" that is a sign of impending heart attack. Though my heart-- by all reports-- is fine. Put it this way: As this post began to form in my mind ... I felt that I should post it quickly, because I did not want to die with my rotten mood unexplained. On the bright side... it's taken me more than a day to get to write this. And I'm still alive :-)

I try Netflix and watch four episodes of Stranger Things. Love the 2.5x speed, it makes tv so much less boring. I decide Ido not want to watch a show where the key question is, who will be next to be killed? Seems like a good show, but too much amped-up tension for me.

I get worse.

We go for a run. (all good. Though Deb now runs faster than me.)

Home again. I have some data to enter into an Excel spreadsheet.

A few weeks ago I decided to try a different display option in Excel. I changed a setting. Now, I find that it makes Excell impossible to use. I cannot find the setting to change it back again.

I fuck around with Excel. It makes no fucking sense at all. Where the fuck is my data?! IClose it down. Switch off the PC. Curse and swear. Burst into tears -- misery and frustration-- go and lie down.

Later. I'm still prone to tears.

Deb asks if there's anything she can do for me. Can she write an app? I ask.

Several hours later and I'm feeling better. The start of this post may show that "better" is not "fine". Still :-)

As I point out to Deb, I asked her, can she write an app? I did not ask, Can she cure cancer.

I may feel close to death. Less close now, but closer than is comfortable. But cancer is absolutely the least of the things making me miserable.

Though I have been having headaches... Luckily, headaches have never been a part of my cancer, so that's okay :-)

Next week: It there anyone in WA who can write an app?

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===

We are here and it is now. After that, everything tends towards guesswork... Didactylos in Small Gods
   

self-catering

Deb is out so I make my own lunch. Baked beans seems like a good idea.

Searching for a tin of beans... I find a pot noodle. Beans and pot noodle? Sounds interesting, I think So I mix the two.

I only mention this experiment so that no-one else will ever make the same mistake :-(

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

... for the greater good ... against the corrupt metastasis of oligarchic power that stomps on humanity's neck everywhere" ... Sacranist creed, Thin Air

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)