Post 427: A Visit from a Taxi Friend Made a Perfect Start to the Day?
Hello my friends, I’m a bit late but this is mainly today about lovely friends. I hope you know a few friends like my Darling and me.
I had a WhatsApp message:
“Can I come and visit you about that old Francis Barnett, in 20 minutes?”
“Of course you can,” I replied, “but you will have to cook me breakfast and take me to the doctors.”
I heard no more but, as I was unable to walk far, I couldn’t prepare the bike for a viewing. It would just have to stay where it was for him to rummage around in the shed for it.
In explanation, the taxi driver and his lovely wife had chaperoned me all the way to Carlisle and back, where we had a great time with them both.
So they knew I was sometimes a right mess when it came to walking around, decaf coffee and hospitals. At least this time I’m not causing them any grief.
Well, I didn’t think so, but as expected, you can guess what came next. My walking abilities had diminished overnight and the already not-very-good walking had turned into a tortoise-like human that needed loads of help.
My guests arrived and, being such a kind couple, when I asked if they could make the first cuppas of the day (after they had just settled into their seats), his wife got up and made herself comfortable in the area of the kitchen dedicated to making tea.
Within a few more minutes we all settled down and chatted easily.
The bike didn’t get mentioned too soon and, when it did, we soon had to adjourn outside.
I asked them to get the keys and walk ahead to the shed, extract one bike and have a look at the other dishevelled motorcycle that I’ve kept dry for too many years to mention (over 30 years for sure).
Then, after they had a chat about it together beside that wreck (wreck = my words), that machine I used to love at one time or another, I reflected that I really did want to get it on the road and had started with the V5, which I got with loads of help from the owners club.
I then made a list of things to find and later to get it running, get someone to fix the seat, get a tank badge and away we’d go.
My Darling and I travelling the world; well, the world around 80 miles from home.
Not a big world, I appreciate, but it’s only a wee motorcycle.
And for the second time this week I saw the eyes of someone who wants a motor vehicle badly.
Well, that’s great. Anything that I can remove from the stacks of things I have lying about is better in the long run for my Darling and me.
Although the tick boxes are being ticked slowly, it’s never going to be finished totally.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
But enough of that.
I hoped they would be able to drop me off in town for me to get to the doctor’s appointment and yes was their answer.
It was only a shade over a mile to get to town but it took a while and, as we idled away in Friday traffic, they told me about their own son and his family’s return to Mum and Dad’s home to save some cash for buying a house later on.
I said to “Dad”, “The last thing you need right now is a bike project, so I will offer that if you want the bike then fine, but take it when you’re ready. At least you can settle in with the kids and grandkids first before disappearing into a dad’s bike shed with a new project.”
As we got close to the doctor’s surgery we saw my Darling heading that way too, to meet up with me.
After some hellos and goodbyes we set them on their way and I hobbled to the door of the surgery without much thought about how this was going to go, but the lovely doctor did.
The first thing was nothing much, just a catch-up.
But then it turned seriously to my bloods and the problem with my numbers for Serum NT-proBNP.
Due to the increase from 1,600 to 2,400 there are implications that allow my referral to be raised to essential (or something like that).
In my view there is no real danger so we will carry on regardless.
Maybe a quicker route to an echo will finish the arguments about my heart and we can get on with day-to-day life.
We left very happily and when I got home I cracked open some Oramorph 2025 and splashed out on a 5ml swig.
Ah, what a fine year it was.
I had only just got back and been drugged when Big Sis arrived for the Friday chat.
Oh my word, it was a long one in such a short time.
How amazing families are. OMG!
Anyway, let’s keep this happy.
It’s a week till Big Sis has her big day out at her son’s wedding, which we are all looking forward to.
Luckily the seating plans are not a worry because we head from wedding ceremony to buffet dinner (after a long while in the sunshine, we hope, between the two parts of the day).
Big Sis left and Little Bro rang in, so we had a very big moan and groan about life and the world.
After a long day I wiped out the rest of the red onion and balsamic vinegar chickpea crisps, another easy peeler and headed for bed.
The day was also filled with pain and tiredness, but that’s a normal day just now.
Good night.
Take care.
