< link rel="DCTERMS.replaces" href="http://trappedcivilservant.blogspot.com" > Aginoth's Retirement Ramblings: October 2006

Friday, October 27, 2006

Over-excited?

One day to go.....

Woooooooooooo Hoooooooooooo

What do you mean calm down...why? :o)

LOL

No work today....going shopping for new shiny things for re-enactment

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Counting Down

2 days till the gang head off to Cornwall...we're all getting a little fidgety now...so much so that a couple of the Crazies have started leave already, only 4 of the 6 us in work today, and I think only 2 tomorrow.

Me, Mrs.A and CQ are off to the Bi-annual Reenactors markets at Warwick and Ryton on Dunsmore tomorrow...generally with short shopping lists that are going to be ignored completely when we enter teh halls full of pretty shiny things :o)

I've got a new walkingstick in time fo the holiday, it's a aluminum adjustable length one with sprung shock absorbtion...my old wooden one was hurting my wrist, and so far today this one seems to be a lot easier on my poor joints.

Did I mention only 2 days til the holiday.....

Winding down at work...hah...carried out 3 audits today, wind down my @rse...still i'll leave writing them up untill i return to work in 10 days time.

Agi Junior (no this is not you RCA!!!) is staying at Nanny A's house tonight, last time in her old house as she's moving whilst we're in cornwall...and yes we do know her new address :oD, and the girls will be dropped off early to nursery so tomorrows shopping trip will be child free...mind you that won't stop breakages, Mrs.A is reminded to remain clear of the Roman period Glass stall this year...

Oh and btw only2 days till we go on Holiday :o)

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Working from home

As it says...I'm working from home today I have my flu innoculation at 12:15 so seemed silly to traipse all the way into work and back to home then back to work and back to home....environmentally friendly too

Talking of environmentally friendly, we at Chez Aginoth have been doing our bit more and more recently, just changed all the incandescant Lightbulbs in teh house over to Energy saving Flourescent ones, we're recycling everything we can, and looking into getting Solar and Wind power fitted ... next year we'll see about changing out our 15 year old Boiler, although it is a condensing boiler there are now more efficient models on teh market.

Anyway back to work....I am resisting the urge to play computer games too :o)

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

I know I should post more often.....

I haven't been on a lot lately so thought i'd post an update. I know I know ...must post more often.....

I've been a bit under the big black cloud of depression recently, so haven't felt like blogging, but the desire to do so has come over me today ....probably a good sign

Still on Enbrel, the targetted immunosupressent / Anti-TNF, T-Cell inhibitor drug that costs £10000 a year I spoke about some time back; 20 odd doses taken now...i've lost count...the Psoriasis has cleared from PASI 45 to PASI 20 (PASI is the way Psoriaisis severity is measured (0-60) still counts as severe (20 plus) but to me that may as well be clear), I can go short sleeved again without being self conscious. I still have rough skin on flanks and plaques on Elbows, knees and ankles, legs still clearing.

Sorry to say the Enbrel is having little effect on my Psoriatic Arthritis, which although I only have to a mild extent compared to some of you is a right bugger...I have just been prescribed Naproxen for the first time for pain relief, 400mg of ibuprofen (3 daily) has become not enough some days.

I had a lump removed from my leg 2 weeks ago but as always the wound has got infected, spent last week off work on Antibiotics. The infection is gone and i'll have yet another bullet hole scar. Oh and btw the lump was thankfully benign, there was a few concerns when it turned out the lump had acquired it's own blood supply, quite odd seeing a small lump on the surface (5-6 mm) turn out to be the size of a marble below the surface !!!

I'm now one step closer to being Medically retired from the Civil Service, had a medical with a stupid doctor last wek...how is someone who sees you for 19 minutes (i timed it) meant to assess your medical conditions with no reference to your complex medical history? Utterly useless experience, i'm making sure they do get reports from my GP and 3 consultants (Dermatology, Rheumatology, and Endrocrinology). I'm also in discussion with my union over the opening remark made to me by the doctor..."Oh your only 36....no chance of you getting medically retired then" which is now against the law since the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 entered Statute earlier this month.

But anyway in addition to this I have received loads of paperwork from my employers Personnel Pension Dept that will allow them to release my pension to me...this is odd because I have not been granted medical retirement officially yet....me and Mrs.A suspect, and hope that this means that Personnel and Welfare have already decided I am likely to be retired and are just getting ahead of themselves with the paper work. Just have to wait a couple of weeks now for the medical reports to come in, can't realistically see anything happening this side of Christmas.

Mrs.A has started a new job and is becoming a normal human being again, much more pleasant to live with. This has meant though that the children all needed to go into full time Childcare. Mrs.A's new Job pays roughly £13000 a year the childcare will cost us about £15000 a year....do the sums....bugger....so I was very pleased yesterday after I spoke to a very nice lady at the Inland Revenue who informed me that we are entitled to just over £15000 a year in tax credits. This with my Disability allowance means for the first time in quite some time there is light at the end of the tunnel for us financially.

Clan Aginoth are off on holiday to Cornwall with the Crazies next week...see the counter at the top of the blog, a week in Watergate Bay (webcam). The weather forecast looks jolly good for the whole week bar a couple of showers and daytime temps of 16°C (should be around 8°-10ºC in November !!), there's also a steady breeze forecast most days so I think some time will be spent flying my power kite (arthritis willing), something i've not doing or felt like doing in ages.

Piccie of Watergate Bay....

AgiJunior has asked to go visit Tintagel Castle, supposedly captured by the last Roman Overseer of Britannia Utha Pendragon and incidently birthplace of his slightly more famous son Arthur...which reminds me must sort out going up to London to see Spamalot.....

If you read Mrs.A's Blog you'll knowwe had visitors early last week and had nearly £1000 worth of cycling equipment stolen, glad to say the insurance company are going to pay up and replace our bikes and trailers.

Just read teh above and it does sound quite upbeat...perhaps things really are getting better...

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Male Restroom Etiquette

I just had to share this...brilliant short from you tube...