Sunday, February 05, 2017
The Player
Sorry for the long absence. I'm recovering from my shoulder replacement and too much time on the computer or tablet makes my arm ache.
The operation went well, but after that everything seemed to be governed by incompetence or indifference. I had a lovely single room with private bath, which gave them the perfect opportunity to ignore me. I've just lodged the complaint the surgeon has encouraged me to make.
Meanwhile, here's an oldie in which he meets an untimely death once again.
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Bookends
I finished off the old year and began the new with zoo visits of course. How could I resist? on Friday I'm due to have my shoulder surgery. Travelling on public transport will be a problem for a while and driving, even without the congestion charge, would be a no-no for up to 8 weeks.
The cubs are getting so big, people kept thinking there were three of them (including their mother). Some failed to notice the family jewels on JaeJae and kept calling him the mother!
But anyone seeing him acting as the caregiver could be forgiven for their mistake.
The cubs played happily on both days.
Fake eye spots and stripey backs. Ahhh!
Too much play makes Achilles a very tired boy.
But sister Karis bravely continues to attack the smelly sack.
Finally she falls asleep with mum Melati
Achilles sleeps on.
When the keepers are setting out the "come in for the night" feed, Melati emerges to wait. She can't help but lick her lips.
JaeJae literally climbs the wall.
The lionesses are letting their new man Bhanu gradually closer.
They know how to relax.
2016 was the 90th anniversary of Winnie-The-Pooh. The TV programme celebrating this occasion featured JaeJae as NOT a tigger, prowling rather than bouncing, then being attacked by decidedly bouncy tigger cubs. They spent hours filming it but only used about 30 seconds.
And yesterday was stock-taking day at the zoo. As the local paper said, it was fortunately very easy to account for all the tigers.
For those counting smaller, fastly flitting creatures like fish, it must have been a nightmare.
The cubs are getting so big, people kept thinking there were three of them (including their mother). Some failed to notice the family jewels on JaeJae and kept calling him the mother!
But anyone seeing him acting as the caregiver could be forgiven for their mistake.
The cubs played happily on both days.
Fake eye spots and stripey backs. Ahhh!
Too much play makes Achilles a very tired boy.
But sister Karis bravely continues to attack the smelly sack.
Finally she falls asleep with mum Melati
Achilles sleeps on.
When the keepers are setting out the "come in for the night" feed, Melati emerges to wait. She can't help but lick her lips.
JaeJae literally climbs the wall.
The lionesses are letting their new man Bhanu gradually closer.
They know how to relax.
2016 was the 90th anniversary of Winnie-The-Pooh. The TV programme celebrating this occasion featured JaeJae as NOT a tigger, prowling rather than bouncing, then being attacked by decidedly bouncy tigger cubs. They spent hours filming it but only used about 30 seconds.
And yesterday was stock-taking day at the zoo. As the local paper said, it was fortunately very easy to account for all the tigers.
The New Tenants
This was a fun few minutes, and it was nice that for once he was in an Oscar-winning movie of sorts.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Fantastic Felines, Carnivorous Canines.
Last week I made the trip from the tiger territory to the land of the lions.
There were some very relaxed females toasting on their hot rocks.
The male, Bhanu, was looking more relaxed.
Until he saw one of his favourite keepers and thought there might be some food coming.
As usual the tiger cubs did not disappoint.
They're nearly six months old and are looking so grown up.
Like the male lion, dad is on the prowl for any chance of an extra feed.
Finally the cubs decided to relax on their own warm rocks.
Now, it's obvious that I'm a cat lover, but my first animal love when I was 5 was a dog. Sadly, my affection for canines was severely tested the other day when I went to slip a note through a neighbour's door and her dog grabbed my fingers. Several pints of blood later the mortified neighbour had cleansed and strapped my war wounds. Now she wants her dog to aologise...
The male, Bhanu, was looking more relaxed.
Until he saw one of his favourite keepers and thought there might be some food coming.
As usual the tiger cubs did not disappoint.
They're nearly six months old and are looking so grown up.
Like the male lion, dad is on the prowl for any chance of an extra feed.
Finally the cubs decided to relax on their own warm rocks.
Now, it's obvious that I'm a cat lover, but my first animal love when I was 5 was a dog. Sadly, my affection for canines was severely tested the other day when I went to slip a note through a neighbour's door and her dog grabbed my fingers. Several pints of blood later the mortified neighbour had cleansed and strapped my war wounds. Now she wants her dog to aologise...
The Narrows
I need to watch this again, i don't remember much about it. I'm pretty sue VIncent's character saves his son from the Mob.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Fucked by a Cunt
Our National Health Service is being wrecked by the current government so they can bring in their rich friends to offer services privately. At the same time they are taking away funds that should be used to support the elderly so that they do can be safely released from hospital. It's called bed-blocking.
Amazingly the hospital knew on Tuesday that they were going to have an emergency on Friday, so cancelled my operation. After much pushing from me it's been rescheduled for January 6th, which doesn't change the fact that my friend travelled all the way from Wales late at night for no reason.
For those who never heard it, I'd like to show you what an eminent UK broadcaster accidentally made of the Health Secretary when he was still Culture Secretary. It was very prescient.
Meanwhile, given a few extra days to my week, I went to see my baby cubs, who are now five months old. It wasn't a good day for photos as they mostly fought one another in the bushes, but I did my best.
Eventually Melati came out to see what her cubs were up to, ie. no good.
They are getting so big, pacing around like proper tigers.
For those who never heard it, I'd like to show you what an eminent UK broadcaster accidentally made of the Health Secretary when he was still Culture Secretary. It was very prescient.
Meanwhile, given a few extra days to my week, I went to see my baby cubs, who are now five months old. It wasn't a good day for photos as they mostly fought one another in the bushes, but I did my best.
Eventually Melati came out to see what her cubs were up to, ie. no good.
They are getting so big, pacing around like proper tigers.
The Irishman
I appear not to have a folder of photos of The Irishman, just a few production stills, so here's one of those.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
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.
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.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
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!
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!
Sunday, November 06, 2016
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!
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!
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