Patience
Week from Monday 13th May 2024 - DISCOVERING 'NEW' MUSIC (an occasional series)... I had long ignored the music of WILLIAM WALTON, having dismissed him as just another one of those pompous English twentieth-century composers - all royal occasions, chocolate-boxy village scenes and war films, a bit too flagwavy for my tastes. But in the last twenty-four hours, I've heard a couple of his pieces which might have swayed me that there's a little more going on, namely his FIRST SYMPHONY and the VIOLA CONCERTO. They sure sounded like sparkling performances to me (but then again, as a first-timer, I've nothing to compare 'em to)... Colourful and quirky compositions which sounded to these untrained ears as being of equal parts Ravel and Schoenberg. Tellingly, both pieces might be considered 'early works', so perhaps he only got REALLY "pompous" later on!?!
I'm currently EARWORMING the complete works of THE HOLLIES. It's my own fault. In an effort to avoid the campfest that is the EUROVISION "SONG" CONTEST, I went channel-surfing and landed on a SKY ARTS docko on the Mancunian lads. Finely-crafted sixties cheesy listening throughout, but it was at least interesting to find out what GRAHAM NASH was up to before he met Crosby, Stills and the other bloke. However, the upshot is that every single song is now firmly wedged inside my lugholes for days at a time (now I'm trying to chase them out with 'better' songs by BUCK OWENS and LOWELL GEORGE).
THE PATIENT PATIENT, or "Zen And The Art Of Being A Bit Poorly"... On Friday I am booked in for my fortnightly CHEMO session at the Ol' QA Ranch. The Patient Transport Service usually lay on a lift to the gig in one of their elaborately furnished Transit vans, and such was the case today. The appointment was at three-thirty and they got me there for a quarter to three, so PATIENT WAITING No.1, even before I could proceed beyond reception...
Then I learn that everything is "running a bit late today" (it CAN'T be because of the lack of staff, 'cos there are so many !?!) and the three-thirty people won't get seen before four-thirty at least. PATIENT WAITING No.2. Mine's a three-thirty appointment, but I only got properly seated sometime around five.
I then have to wait to confirm results of a recent blood test, PATIENT WAITING No.3... Three items on the agenda today; the two regular jabs and a (new to me) twenty-minute canulla drip full of something called Pamidronate. "Pamidronic acid or pamidronate disodium or APD (marketed as 'Aredia' among others), is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate used to prevent osteoporosis." Thank you Wikipedia. So now we know.
A total of two-and-a-half hours had been scheduled in 'THE CHAIR'... PATIENT WAITING Nos.4 thru 5... I thought I might break out my portable CD player-cum-radio to help pass some time. The batteries are flat, so no can do. Silent PATIENT WAITING No.6. I fiddled with Twitter on m'phone instead.
...And then suddenly(!), at about seven, we're done. Just time to discuss plans for 'next time' and wait for the transport home. PATIENT WAITING No.7 at least.
Turns out the return transport HASN'T been booked. Oh. No worries, I can always catch the bus(ses) home, that's free as well now, what with my BUS PASS and all. I hobble down to the bus stop. The next one due is at twenty-six minutes past. Spot on. But at twenty-five minutes past, I get a phone call to say that transport HAS arrived and "he is waiting outside".
I hobble back up the slope. There are no Hospital Transport vehicles to be seen. The driver has "gone for coffee". That'll be PATIENT WAITING No.9 then. He never returns. I've now missed my "catch the bus instead" opportunity. They hastily(?) lay on a replacement taxi service, but I'll have to wait for it to arrive. PATIENT WAITING No.10.
I can't wait here in the Day Unit, because they're closing for the um... day. So I have to go up to the reception area at Ward F5 (where I'd previously spent a funpacked month's vacation) to wait there instead. Hobbling around a few corridors followed by PATIENT WAITING No.11. At least I meet some familiar faces and get some tea and biccies provided...
I eventually arrive home (knackered!) at about nine, and then have to sort out all the stuff that I would NORMALLY have done in the afternoon. 'NO SLEEP TILL ENOXAPARIN', or summat like that...
I'm currently EARWORMING the complete works of THE HOLLIES. It's my own fault. In an effort to avoid the campfest that is the EUROVISION "SONG" CONTEST, I went channel-surfing and landed on a SKY ARTS docko on the Mancunian lads. Finely-crafted sixties cheesy listening throughout, but it was at least interesting to find out what GRAHAM NASH was up to before he met Crosby, Stills and the other bloke. However, the upshot is that every single song is now firmly wedged inside my lugholes for days at a time (now I'm trying to chase them out with 'better' songs by BUCK OWENS and LOWELL GEORGE).
THE PATIENT PATIENT, or "Zen And The Art Of Being A Bit Poorly"... On Friday I am booked in for my fortnightly CHEMO session at the Ol' QA Ranch. The Patient Transport Service usually lay on a lift to the gig in one of their elaborately furnished Transit vans, and such was the case today. The appointment was at three-thirty and they got me there for a quarter to three, so PATIENT WAITING No.1, even before I could proceed beyond reception...
Then I learn that everything is "running a bit late today" (it CAN'T be because of the lack of staff, 'cos there are so many !?!) and the three-thirty people won't get seen before four-thirty at least. PATIENT WAITING No.2. Mine's a three-thirty appointment, but I only got properly seated sometime around five.
I then have to wait to confirm results of a recent blood test, PATIENT WAITING No.3... Three items on the agenda today; the two regular jabs and a (new to me) twenty-minute canulla drip full of something called Pamidronate. "Pamidronic acid or pamidronate disodium or APD (marketed as 'Aredia' among others), is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate used to prevent osteoporosis." Thank you Wikipedia. So now we know.
A total of two-and-a-half hours had been scheduled in 'THE CHAIR'... PATIENT WAITING Nos.4 thru 5... I thought I might break out my portable CD player-cum-radio to help pass some time. The batteries are flat, so no can do. Silent PATIENT WAITING No.6. I fiddled with Twitter on m'phone instead.
...And then suddenly(!), at about seven, we're done. Just time to discuss plans for 'next time' and wait for the transport home. PATIENT WAITING No.7 at least.
Turns out the return transport HASN'T been booked. Oh. No worries, I can always catch the bus(ses) home, that's free as well now, what with my BUS PASS and all. I hobble down to the bus stop. The next one due is at twenty-six minutes past. Spot on. But at twenty-five minutes past, I get a phone call to say that transport HAS arrived and "he is waiting outside".
I hobble back up the slope. There are no Hospital Transport vehicles to be seen. The driver has "gone for coffee". That'll be PATIENT WAITING No.9 then. He never returns. I've now missed my "catch the bus instead" opportunity. They hastily(?) lay on a replacement taxi service, but I'll have to wait for it to arrive. PATIENT WAITING No.10.
I can't wait here in the Day Unit, because they're closing for the um... day. So I have to go up to the reception area at Ward F5 (where I'd previously spent a funpacked month's vacation) to wait there instead. Hobbling around a few corridors followed by PATIENT WAITING No.11. At least I meet some familiar faces and get some tea and biccies provided...
I eventually arrive home (knackered!) at about nine, and then have to sort out all the stuff that I would NORMALLY have done in the afternoon. 'NO SLEEP TILL ENOXAPARIN', or summat like that...
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