Holiday Reading Material

A genre of reading material that is in a very narrow band, is those books which I have read purely because they were written by someone I know. For some reason I know 3 published authors, probably more. (Please let me know)

This was the reason that I was reading a book called, 'The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club' on my holiday. I worked with the author Duncan while I was in Savannah and I really enjoyed the book dispite the fact that I wouldn't have chosen it off the shelf. When reading a book written by a friend you can't help yourself trying to find a hint of their personality between the lines. In this book Duncan's twisted sense of humour was easily spotted.

The other authors, Orson Wedgwood the auther I know the best, wrote Deadly Medicine. Again not a book I would have seeked out but a very good read non the less. Roustabout by Michelle Chalfoun was a harrowing tale. I sailed with her for just a few weeks, she jumped ship in New York because she had gained the publishing deal. She seemed like such a sweet girl, I knew that she had spent time with a travelling circus but I was slightly disturbed, not so much at the book but because I hoped for her that this was a work of pure fiction. I have never seen her again to ask..

Lacking the necessary skills

We have returned from our family holiday in St Lucia which was both relaxing and beautiful, apart from the flights which proved to be a a huge challenge for our small boy child, who found sitting still and sleeping on demand were things properly outside of his skill set. To be honest it may be some years before he develops those particular skills as his father still has some trouble with them himself.

Sand Sculptures

 

On our family holidays to the beach at Margate, my dad always used to make me and my brothers a sand sculpted boat that we could play in on the beach. His were precise and neatly sculpted in perfect proportion. The boats I am now crafting in the sand are small and roughly made but it is difficult not to want to try and recreate happy memories from my youth when playing with my own son on the beach. He does seem to enjoy the boats I have made but my sculptures are having to evolve with demands for such delights as teletubbies and robots. I wonder what he will end up building for his kids..

Family Caribbean adventure

On the eve of or family holiday to the Caribbean our over privileged 2 year old has know idea how lucky he is, or how the military precision of his mothers planning is wearing a bit thin on his more laid back father. Of course she is right, gone are the days of throwing a few pairs of shorts into a bag and heading of with wild abandon. The boy child does require quite a bit more consideration.
I have very few expectations for our family holiday and expect that the dress code will switch between the two pairs of swim shorts that I have packed and that we will have long days exploring and playing.
St Lucia was the first sight of land for me when I completed my first ever transatlantic sailing voyage on board, Tenacious as a keen bosun back on 2004. The sight of land so sweet after 3 weeks at sea. It was wonderful that a local photographer (above pic) thought that we were a pretty sight as well.
I know that this visit to the island will be very different to my previous visit but I am still thrilled and excited, looking forward to sharing the sights and sounds with my wife and son and hoping to feel the sun on my back at the same time.

"I Build ladders"

As I have begun to write here again, I went to my profile to see if it needed updating. It was my friend Dai who set me up with the Blog site and made up the profile, some years ago and on the day he did it, he visited me at my flat in Burgess Hill. He found me there with a pile of wood, contemplating the design of a ladder that I was about to build. I was really just drinking cups of tea and giving it a jolly good looking at. This week, by chance, the week of starting to write again, the flat was empty and I was up there doing some work ready for the new tenants to move in.
I am very pleased with my ladder that is still standing proud and ageing well. I might change my profile here to read , "I Built a ladder!"

Another week has slipped by quickly. Britain has been frozen and everyone is surprised at endless transport confusion and delay, as per every time it has snowed in Britain, for as many years I can remember. This Mayhem during snow days is as British as the Queen. It is part of our personality that we obviously like. We seem wholeheartedly unwilling to change our attitude or prepare in any way and everyone seems to enjoy a jolly good moan about it..

The misery of this cold Monday morning was lost on me as I ran through Hove park and out of the town, heading for the open countryside. My feet making fresh tracks in the ankle deep snow and my breaths freezing and hanging in the air as I went happily on my way. I am still not as fit or as slim as I would like but I am very happy when out for a long run. I am training for another event that will take place in the Lake district this July. More about that later.

Compliments?

On the back of the 'Ship Captain's Medical Guide' it clearly states that the information within, should be easily understood and interpreted by an 'Intellegent Layman' The problem is, I found some of it quite hard to understand and interpret
The next compliment was from a guy in the group  and was issued in relation to a defibrillator that was announced by the teacher, as idiot proof. He said, that he had some doubts on whether I was 'a sufficiently talented idiot.'

Compliments are not always given in ways you expect and context, timing and humour should always be considered.

A Medical course in the NE

A classroom filled with hairy, fat, sea captains (I obviously include myself in the description) we are all from a wide range of different ships but all have to complete the same updates to our Medical Care at Sea course so here we were in Newcastle in a classroom. 10 Geordie guys and me.

Not long into the course we were dealing with catheterisation of a patient. Luckily we were provided with a life like rubber penis that interestingly ( to the others) was designed and built in Sussex for this purpose. I live in Sussex and if this was not enough to amuse the other participants, I was then selected by the tutor to do the first insertion of the rubber tube in front of the class. With my rubber gloves,on and my anaesthetic gel at hand, I winced as I tried to insert the tube into the end of the penis. This may all seem like an unusual enough activity for a snowy Tuesday morning but it was made especially memorable by the heckling Geordie sailors. 'No wonder that cock is so soft if its from Sussex' 'Is it you that makes these things when you are on leave?' etc etc

A Trip to Newcastle

As we landed in a small plane, an overweight stewardess welcomed us to Newcastle. She was stuffed hopefully into her too small uniform that she had either borrowed or was from a time before she found her love of pies. She spoke cheerfully with the classic provincial accent of the North East and informed us that it was snowin' and the temperature outside was rediculously cold. "Please watch ya step on the ramp to the terminal, as it may be slippery due to the de icing fluid" Surely de icing fluid can not be more hazardous or note worthy that the ice?

A New Start

Since I started writing my first blog some years ago, I have taken great pleasure in writing. For different reasons I stopped and today I am staring again.
I am fit and well, live in a small house on the south coast of England with my wife and 1.5 children (we are expecting a girl child in the spring) and I have a job that I mostly enjoy. So although it is simple, there is a lot to celebrate right there. I don't think I will tell anyone that I started writing here again as it is mostly for myself to keep track of life and to be honest when I was writing I just noticed things more.