D Day + 16: Saturday 28 August 2010 - The Future's Bright, The Future's....

...Orange; well in terms of my vehicle it is anyway!  We went and collected my new car today - although technically I can't drive it yet as we're waiting for the changeover documents and tax disc to arrive, but at least it's here, parked in the garage, awaiting the day I can legally take it out.  It was a bit of a wrench parting with Gregory (my Vitara - he's been good fun); I swore years ago that I would never have a sensible car again, and my driving experience had to be fun fun fun, but clearly petrol prices and the hideously expensive RFL have put paid to that.  The new car is nice though - a bit different (it's orange) and it's still got my beloved cherished registration plate so it's not all bad; well it's not bad at all really, having driven it and loved it, or her - she's called Jemima Jaffa!!! I know, weird maybe, but I do tend to name my cars: since I bought my first car (from C incidentally, in 1986) they've been called - Reggie, Nora, Roger, Bianca, Ruby, Nigel, Gus, Mavis, Boris, Zoe, Aggie, Rory, Winston, Tiger, Bess, Gregory and now Jemima Jaffa.  Doesn't everyone, though?
Today was also No 1 son's birthday - Brendan is 32 today, so when we went to collect JJ we gave him his card and pressie.  He's into XBox or something games so got a voucher for one of those.  He's suffering a bit at the mo having fallen over the other day (not drunk I'm reliably informed) and done some nasty damage to his shoulder.  And he was at work.  We said 'Happy Birthday' to which he replied 'Is it?' so I guess he was not a happy chappy at that point - I think he'll be better tonight though as he's going out for a meal with friends and, surprisingly, No 2, which is nice.  No 3 is also out in Ryde tonight, which worries us slightly as it's BH weekend and the scooterists are over...
Not that I have anything against scooterists generally, I'm sure the majority are really nice normal people enjoying a weekend away doing what they love best - who wouldn't?  But it does grate just slightly when an entire town, and its feeder roadways, are completely taken over by them.  We had to go into Ryde to drop back a DVD (Green Zone, Matt Damon, very good - thanks Carol!) and it was basically hell on a stick to get in and out of the town; everywhere you turn there are scooters - parked on the road, the grass, driveways, car parks, even the pavement in some cases - and that noise they make....you can hear it miles away.  That said, I hope they all have a lovely weekend and go home happy (and I personally will be happy when they go home).  Having seen so many in pub car parks it did make me speculate on how many end up being breathalysed by PC Plod....
I drove the Land Rover into Ryde - it's a very powerful experience being up that high in something that moves and feels like a tank...you can see why things get out of your way PDQ, oh the power...on the way home C took us 'off road' down a bumpy byway.  I have to confess to wishing it had been a bit wetter/muddier/slightly more risque, but I've got to start somewhere!!
So today has been a good day really - I realise I haven't said much about C, but he's been okay and it's felt like quite a normal run of the mill day.  I think we've both realised however that he does run out of 'puff' quickly, and we need to keep topping him up with food and/or drink to keep his energy levels up.  Apart from a couple of what we now call 'moments' when he dips down a bit low, he's had another good day.  We just need to get on and see the consultant next week to be able to have some idea of a timetable for ops, treatment, recovery etc.  
And despite C saying that, because I walk the dogs now instead of him, that Sidney is 'mummy's boy', we both know that's not true - Sidney is entirely fickle in terms of who gives him what he wants; we both know that at the end of the day there's only one person he wants to cuddle up with...and it isn't the one with blonde curly hair!