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.
Friday, 18 January 2013
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
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.
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.
Sunday, 18 March 2012
We are really going to Paris next week
As mentioned before, I bought a pair of new running shoes. They are bright green!
The most important thing when buying shoes for sport is that they should, above all other things be comfortable! Out of the 6 pairs of shoes that were sitting in front of me, it was again, the ugliest shoes that fit and felt the best. So my shoes are green. It is also important not to do an event in a new pair of shoes and I was hoping to do my last long training run in them but I got the winter lurgie and have been coughing and grumbling around on half power for some weeks, so the new shoes have not been tried and tested. The old shoes which are just brown/gray and crusted in dried mud (proper colour, long forgotten). These will come with me to Paris and the dilema of which to use will remain until just before the start.
So I will have to go Paris armed with a positive mental attitude. I heard once, that it is as important to feel strong, as it is to actually be strong.I feel strong, I feel strong, I feel strong. I feel strong.
I will remain positive as I step forward and keep stepping forward repeatedly in France next week. I am trying to raise money this year for the Clive Packham memorial fund and this is the first of a few events that I am attempting in this vein. I am at an advantage because I have completed this run before and have even enjoyed it.
I will let you know how I get on.
The most important thing when buying shoes for sport is that they should, above all other things be comfortable! Out of the 6 pairs of shoes that were sitting in front of me, it was again, the ugliest shoes that fit and felt the best. So my shoes are green. It is also important not to do an event in a new pair of shoes and I was hoping to do my last long training run in them but I got the winter lurgie and have been coughing and grumbling around on half power for some weeks, so the new shoes have not been tried and tested. The old shoes which are just brown/gray and crusted in dried mud (proper colour, long forgotten). These will come with me to Paris and the dilema of which to use will remain until just before the start.
So I will have to go Paris armed with a positive mental attitude. I heard once, that it is as important to feel strong, as it is to actually be strong.I feel strong, I feel strong, I feel strong. I feel strong.
I will remain positive as I step forward and keep stepping forward repeatedly in France next week. I am trying to raise money this year for the Clive Packham memorial fund and this is the first of a few events that I am attempting in this vein. I am at an advantage because I have completed this run before and have even enjoyed it.
I will let you know how I get on.
Eco Trail de Paris
Goodness me! We are off to Paris next weekend to run 80kms in a row in an event called the Eco Trail de Paris. I am ill prepared.
Things you need to do to run 80kms vs Things that I have done
sign up. Tick
buy a ticket to Paris. Tick
Raise some money. Tick http://www.justgiving.com/Daren-Packham (Not enough yet due to lack of confidence)
Train like a maniac.......? Hmm
buy new running shoes. Tick
Things you need to do to run 80kms vs Things that I have done
sign up. Tick
buy a ticket to Paris. Tick
Raise some money. Tick http://www.justgiving.com/Daren-Packham (Not enough yet due to lack of confidence)
Train like a maniac.......? Hmm
buy new running shoes. Tick
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
A Day out with my Brother
My Brother is a very enthusiastic supporter of the Brighton & Hove Albion football team, is a season ticket holder and presenter of a radio show dedicated purely to the team and its trials and tribulations.
This season sees the Seagulls moving into a brand new stadium and also up into the English Championship League, which is basically all very good news if you are a Brighton football fan or if you are my brother. I was thrilled that I was invited to join my brother and the crowd at the American Express Community stadium to watch Brighton play Peterborough (the Posh). This was to be my first attendance at a live football match in the UK.
The day started at the radio station, where I sat in the back, quiet as a mouse while the boys discussed at great length the chances of one or other team beating the other and some other things. The show is all very professional and has an ever increasing following but this is the realm of Brighton and Hove Albion anoraks.
We left the studio and jumped on a nearby bus which slowly delivered us to the stadium with enough time before the game to drink half a gallon of local ale. Some hours later we were finding our seats in the Upper West Stand. I know that it was the west stand because every now and again the fans in the North stand got a bit lost. When they remembered where they were, they started telling everyone very loudly, chanting that they were indeed in the North Stand. In response to this the nice people of the West stand are reminded where they are and shout loudly back! This is very convenient and reminds me of my Tom Tom.
The West stand Brighton boys including myself were very pleased with ourselves because a) we were full of beer, b) my brothers seat is very close to the loo and c)Brighton beat the visitors 2 – 1. So pleased were we in fact, that we went off to that North stand to find more beer after the match. We only left the bar there because a friend of my brothers was playing a gig and we were on the VIP list! ‘The wedding Present’, a band formed with quite a bit of success, decades ago has a reasonably new young bass player. This Bass player is the wife of my brothers mate, which is how we were on the VIP list. The band was good and we drank yet more beer. We only left the gig because my brother was on an early morning flight to Greece and it was already close to early morning. It was a great day out with my younger brother and I even enjoyed the game of football, but don’t tell anyone.
The day started at the radio station, where I sat in the back, quiet as a mouse while the boys discussed at great length the chances of one or other team beating the other and some other things. The show is all very professional and has an ever increasing following but this is the realm of Brighton and Hove Albion anoraks.
We left the studio and jumped on a nearby bus which slowly delivered us to the stadium with enough time before the game to drink half a gallon of local ale. Some hours later we were finding our seats in the Upper West Stand. I know that it was the west stand because every now and again the fans in the North stand got a bit lost. When they remembered where they were, they started telling everyone very loudly, chanting that they were indeed in the North Stand. In response to this the nice people of the West stand are reminded where they are and shout loudly back! This is very convenient and reminds me of my Tom Tom.
The West stand Brighton boys including myself were very pleased with ourselves because a) we were full of beer, b) my brothers seat is very close to the loo and c)Brighton beat the visitors 2 – 1. So pleased were we in fact, that we went off to that North stand to find more beer after the match. We only left the bar there because a friend of my brothers was playing a gig and we were on the VIP list! ‘The wedding Present’, a band formed with quite a bit of success, decades ago has a reasonably new young bass player. This Bass player is the wife of my brothers mate, which is how we were on the VIP list. The band was good and we drank yet more beer. We only left the gig because my brother was on an early morning flight to Greece and it was already close to early morning. It was a great day out with my younger brother and I even enjoyed the game of football, but don’t tell anyone.
Sea Swimming
The benefits of sea swimming have been known for many years. In the early 19th century it’s virtues were extolled & people flocked to Brighton and Hove to enjoy the healing qualities of a salt water dip. Since then, the city of Brighton and Hove has grown and the fraternity of sea swimmers has reduced but there are still quite a few folks that try and go in as often as they can.
Generally these days, those that take a regular dip in the sea are seen as eccentrics and it may be true.. When my friend Chris and I meet up early in the morning for our swims, we know it is not healing but the positive feeling that it gives you for the day is undisputed. We usually dive in with grand enthusiasm, laugh at each other while gasping for breath as the shock of the cold ebbs to a reasonably comfortable level. We then talk like old ladies and get very pleased with our selves looking back at the town from our aquatic vantage point and saying repeatedly how wonderful swimming in the sea is. Once at a suitably far distance from the beach we turn around and swim properly back to the beach.
The Brighton pebble beach which is much loved by us Brightonians but has a crippling effect on cold bare feet but somehow we still love it? I for one would rather find a pebble in my underpants and expel it quickly than have sand in my crack all day!
While still excited from the thrill of such a simple excursion we go in search of a hot cup of tea and then smiling broadly as we sip the warm liquid. Our first question is always,'When shall we meet for our next swim?'
Maybe those Victorians were on to something..
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Boy adventure gathers momentum
The destination had been chosen easily. But!! What gear we should take with us, was clearly a much larger point of consideration! We were like two excited teenage girls going to the prom! We knew we were going and who with.. But??? What shoes to take? What to wear? How many changes of clothes etc. If you were accidentally listening in to our conversations you may have been forgiven for getting the muddy end of the walking stick. Our long discussions starting with phrases such as “ How big is yours now?” “Mine is certainly bigger than that!”, “Do you think we can make them smaller somehow?” “We will surely not manage to run with one that big!”
These discussions over rucksacks and gear went on and on until a very sensible interjection by our mutual friend Dai. It was at the point where David and myself had decided to ditch sleeping bags and sleeping mats from our overburdened gear. It was a kind of ‘are you sure you want to do that?’, sort of comment’. Dai’s simple suggestion was a trial run up on the South Downs near to where we live. Carrying the exact gear we intended to take with us. We would then be able to easily ascertain the right level of equipment. Our intention was to go as light as possible, enabling us to do some running along the route but encompassing all the necessary stuff and to keep a modicum of safety gear.
A miserable night on the South Downs was soon endured! Apart from a very well placed stash of red wine, cheese and pate by our friend, we ruined a great run up on the hills by then sleeping out in our minimal kit. It poured with rain and we all got damp and avoided hypothermia only by a narrow margin. Adjustments to the kit after this uncomfortable experience were……. Nil! Our relentless enthusiasm and excitement for the trip was great and our focus on keeping things light was important. Our decision was that we would just have to find huts to stay in. Using our Bivi bags would be left purely for emergency back-up.
These discussions over rucksacks and gear went on and on until a very sensible interjection by our mutual friend Dai. It was at the point where David and myself had decided to ditch sleeping bags and sleeping mats from our overburdened gear. It was a kind of ‘are you sure you want to do that?’, sort of comment’. Dai’s simple suggestion was a trial run up on the South Downs near to where we live. Carrying the exact gear we intended to take with us. We would then be able to easily ascertain the right level of equipment. Our intention was to go as light as possible, enabling us to do some running along the route but encompassing all the necessary stuff and to keep a modicum of safety gear.
A miserable night on the South Downs was soon endured! Apart from a very well placed stash of red wine, cheese and pate by our friend, we ruined a great run up on the hills by then sleeping out in our minimal kit. It poured with rain and we all got damp and avoided hypothermia only by a narrow margin. Adjustments to the kit after this uncomfortable experience were……. Nil! Our relentless enthusiasm and excitement for the trip was great and our focus on keeping things light was important. Our decision was that we would just have to find huts to stay in. Using our Bivi bags would be left purely for emergency back-up.
Monster truck driving
How to put a big smile on the faces of some big kids. Send them into the Sussex countryside for a driving experience, including getting behind the wheel of a real life Monster Truck. My neighbour had a birthday outing and we had a blast..
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