I woke this morning
feeling rather ill. I lay in bed feeling grim for a little while, but
soon got up. I usually feel better when I start moving about. After a
few minutes I felt a tad less grotty but I didn't feel right all day.
I wonder if I've caught whatever lurgey it is that has laid Lacey
low. Perhaps I should have phoned in sick?
Over a spot of brekkie I
watched an episode of "Earth 2". It turned out that
last week's baddie had been computer generated; which was a relief
for all concerned. Except the one who's now on life support after the
little contretemps with the CGI adversary.
And so to work. I had
something of a traumatic drive today. When I wasn't being run of the
road by rampant dustbin lorries in Ashford and Canterbury I was
having to dodge reckless cyclists going wherever they pleased with no
regard to the Highway Code.
As I drove I listened to
the news. I know I shouldn't. Today the pundits were interviewing the
Minister for Health who is making changes
to GP provision in England. He had fine sentiments, but with no
additional resources for the NHS it is doubtful if anything will be
achieved from these latest reforms. It strikes me that the NHS has an
impossible task. For it to work there needs to either be an increase
in available resources or a decrease in demand. And bearing in mind
there is no shortage of people being ill...
I am reminded of an
incident which occurred when I myself was sitting in a doctor's
waiting room a few years ago. One old fellow was loudly telling his
mate that he always came to see the doctor on a Tuesday regardless of
whether he was actually ill or not because "he'd paid his
stamp". When his mate hinted that maybe an ill person had
not been able to see the doctor because of this fellow's unnecessary
visit, said idiot got rather aggressive about it being his right to
see the doctor regardless of any medical need to do so.
Perhaps this is the
problem. Perhaps people expect too much from free health care.
Perhaps charging to see the GP before free health care is provided
(and so discouraging the time-wasters) might be a better way
forward. I have it on good authority that such practice works
elsewhere in the world.
Mind you it would be a
brave politician to suggest such a move.
After the news the radio
presented "Desert Island Discs" in which the pianist
Alfred Brendel was asked to share his eight favourite pieces of
music. I wouldn't say that his choices were dire bordering on to
dreadful (which they were), but I would say that I do hope I
never have to share his desert island. After all, who actually wants
to listen to opera anyway?
And again this show got
me thinking. What would my eight desert island discs be?
I filled the car with
petrol this morning. Petrol is the cheapest it's been for some time,
so I thought I'd make the most of it in case the price went up again.
And then as I was in the area I went into the Cheapo Bargains shop.
The staff there were shrieking vociferously at each other across the
length and breadth of the building. I somehow found that rather
threatening.
I saw they were flogging
Woo Woo at less than two quid per bottle, but I turned down the
offer. I didn't want to hang about this morning.
Once at work I did my
bit. One of my colleagues had been "energizing himself"
with beef broth made from "O Negative bone marrow".
He claimed it did the trick; I took his word and didn't enquire too
closely as to what trick it might have done.
There was also talk of
staging a world record attempt. It transpires that no one has ever
managed to eat eighteen Jaffa Cakes in one minute. I'm game to give
it a try, if only I could obtain sponsorship. I'm not going to pay
for eighteen Jaffa Cakes. I did get given one though; which was
something of a result.
Mind you, the more I
think about it, the more do-able it seems. Eighteen Jaffa Cakes in
one minute is only one every three (and a bit) seconds. If any of my
loyal readers would like to give me eighteen Jaffa Cakes and the loan
of a stop-watch...
With my bit done I came
home. I'd bought a Snickers bar (Marathon!) from the Cheapo
Bargains shop and had left it in the car for the ride home. It had
been a cold day: that choccy bar was rather solid. I really shouldn't
eat choccy bars so late in the day...
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