One-Armed Bandit

I doubt I'll post next week, and there are unlikely to be any zoo visits for a week or two unless a hunk of time miraculously opens up by a move to a 36-hour-day.

On Friday I'm due to have a right shoulder replacement operation, so my right arm will be out of commission for weeks - no driving for 8 weeks. Help!

If there is muscle damage to the shoulder, such as the rotator cuff tear I had repaired a couple of years ago, it can aggravate or even cause arthritis, but a like-for-like shoulder replacement is not suitable. Instead they perform a reverse replacement to relieve pressure on the muscles that are used in moving the arm. Sadly the range of movement may continue to be limited. (At present I cannot raise either arm behind my back, so the left shoulder will probably be on the list soon. Good thing I had my boobs reduced, as I cannot reach behind to fasten a bra! But their prior weight did the shoulders no good at all.)

So what is a reverse shoulder replacement?

Hang on to your breakfast.

They swap the position of the ball and socket. Here's a little picture to illustrate before and after.

The surgeons are also keeping open the possibility of resurfacing the joint, but that won't improve the recovery period or constraints on movement.

After surgery I believe they will pretty much tether my arm across my chest. I have a horrible feeling I will be unable to reach behind me to undo it when necessary because of the poorly left shoulder. So the first thing I am likely to do when I get home is either cut it off (one-handed of course) or get the friend who's coming to look after the cats to remove it for me.

All this trouble for an operation that might not even make the pain go away or the movement improve. I'm so happy.

The Investigator

Such a sweet, near incomprehensible version of an O Henry story.

Winnie and Tigger

It's 90 years since the publication of the first Winnie The Pooh story, and it seems someone somewhere is planning a TV programme about it sometime between Christmas and New Year. My source? A sound man at the zoo.

First hint was a well known presenter outside the tiger enclosure being filmed with real life tiggers.

Alan Titchmarsh peparing for his entrance via the camel enclosure.


Titchmarsh started his TV life as a garden makeover presenter. He moved to garden quiz show presenter, then novelist and chat show host. Not one of my favourites.

 When I first arrived mum and the cubs were ensconced in the shrubbery. But dad was as close to the visitors as he could be. It was as if he was posing for people's photographs.



For a while the babies came out to torment dad. One zombie chomped on a leg while the other ate some brain. Dad looks like he's yelling for help!



To oblige the TV crew, Melati's favourite keeper Kate threw in some treats so that mum and babies came out to chase their snacks.







Meanwhile baby gorilla Alika is currently her mother Mjukuu's sole concern.



Gernot is back with his mother Effie, though trying to escape to be with his half sister.



Success!

The Cell

Super-creepy film, first time I was ever sympathetic towards a serial killer.

Family Time

Mum tries to excape for some "me" time.



Ha! Cubs are too big to stay on the ground now!






Getting down is not so easy though.



Then dad goes to his shelter for some rest so everyone else decides to join him for a drink and a play with an old sack.

 NO rest for the wicked!

The Break Up

Vincent's characteristics were, I suspect, very much invented by the man himself. Rubbish film as a vehicle for the untalented Ms Aniston, methinks.

Fight!

I am a sweet little vicious girl cub. First I fights wiv da big rope ball.





Look at dem claws!

Den I fights wiv my bruvver.



Finally we bofe fights wiv our dad.



An he submits!



My brave bruvver does a victry lap right past the MILLIONZ of hoomans watchin. RAAAAR!

That Championship Season

In which we are expected to believe that that midget Gary Sinise was ever a high school basketball player.

And in which he also played opposite the future ex-husband of Kathryn Erbe.

A Wedding

A few weeks ago I went to a country house hotel for a family wedding. The venue was Eastwell Manor.

It looks like a Jacobean manor house (ie. from the time of James I in the early 17th century) but in fact it is a fake from 1926. You'd think, under those circumstances, there's be no excuse for such poor disabled access, but you'd be wrong. Their lift has been out of order for over a year. They say they can't replace it because of conservation restrictions. One of my cousins is very dodgy on her pins, but had to negotiate a long staircase to use the toilet. But it was great to catch up with cousins:












Including the bride's mother:



As well as the bride's brother and his partner (now his fiancee!)



And the beautiful bride and her groom:



And an amazing dress:



Not forgetting the cake:



The bride's father was my cousin, but did not live to see his daughter marry. He died  seven years ago of asbestos-related lung cancer.

He would have been so proud.

Suspicion of Innocence

Brilliant bit of acting from a very young Vincent in one of two episodes of The equaliser he did with the late, great Edward Woodward. His character's disability is not specified, but from his acting it's pretty clear to me he has cerebral palsy.

Performing for the Public

Unlike last week's non-appearance, on Friday the tiger cubs were out and playing for much of the day. There was much exloration of the jungle.


















Sadly, there was some domestic violence. Mum beat dad into submission. No cub should have to witness that!



Dad crept away with his tail between his legs.



When she'd had enough of naughty cubs, mum went further up the climbing frame than either baby has yet ventured.

Stuart Saves His Family

I saw absolutely no point whatsoever to this film.

Adventures in Zoo Land

There was a shortage of tiger cubs on Friday when I was at the zoo, but plenty of baby gorilla action. This is Alika following mum round.



And here we have triple tier gorllas, Mjukuu with her stepson Gernot on her bck, and her daughter Alika on the top!



Finally Bhanu is in with two of his ladies. There is a hate-hate relationship with the third, RUbi, so she's not with them. This is either Heidi or Indi. I can't tell the difference.



He is a very handsome boy.



I don't think he was evacuating his bladder but I'm not sure. It was not easy to get a good view.



He paused to look up at his fans.



The he looked into where we think there was food being prepared.



Melati was in a very bad mood, not for the first time. She's been aggressive to the keepers and to JaeJae, who could swat hereasily, but is fortunately too good-natured to do so. After this feed, the shutter between this half of the enclosure and the other half with JaeJae in was shut. The keepers were a bit sad that this meant keeping Jae away from the cubs, as they think the cubs prefer him and his laid-back-ness to their mother!