Friday 19 March 2010

Z tries to stay awake

I'm a bit tired.  Please excuse me if I make less sense than usual.  Possibly, even less sense than usual.

This driving lark takes it out of you, dun't it?  I've driven about 125 miles in the last day and a half, not having driven at all for two months, and I was quite whacked by the time I arrived home this afternoon.  I drank Lady Grey (tea, darlings, tea) and ate carrot cake, but was still glad to move on to wine an hour or so later.  It didn't help that I forgot to put in my contact lens this morning, which didn't matter for driving as I had prescription sunglasses in the car, but the meeting was a bit hazy.  In some ways, being without a lens might have been a Good Thing, as I had really nasty floaters in my eyes yesterday, don't know what that was about, but it seems to have improved a lot now.  I know one gets used to them and stops seeing them, but they were intrusive enough that, if they didn't clear up, would prompt a visit to the doctor next week to find if there might be a cause I'd rather not know about.  I hope the matter will just go away though, and become an unexplained shrugful.

I really am tired.  It's hardly 8 o'clock and I really rather want to go to bed.  I won't, because I'd be wide awake  by midnight and get no more sleep overall.  My left knee twinged by the time I got home - I suppose driving with a clutch puts more strain on the left leg than using the brake and accelerator does on the right, which feels fine.

I've duly been elected secretary of the east angularian Nadfas committee, though won't take it up until May, and was quite startled to have my ear bent by a number of people who want changes in the way things are administered.  I did a lot of nodding and frowning and smiling.

I am going to read today's papers. And yesterday's, as I don't remember finishing them either.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never understood how you English made it with them clutches and things ... all on the wrong side ... I very much like to drive english bikes like Royal Enfields and it is all different - spiegelverkehrt - but when you once realized how it is to be done there is no difficulty.
I could never use an original british car: I would do all wrong. On the bike you sit in just one way and it is a matter of technique whether you pull the clutch with the left or the right hand, brake the rear wheel with the left or right foot, one simply learns to use the machine. The car is part of an overall design of streets and all and it amkes a huge impact whteher you drive on the "right" side or on the "wrong" side. I once tried to change gears in an English car and nearly ruined the whole gearbox, terrible sounds ...
Nodding, frowning, smiling ...yeah ... to keep it going.

lom said...

Now don't start getting silly, take you time, (superwoman)

Dave said...

Lots of floaters are a sign of a detached retina. If you find a tiny blind spot as well see your doctor, or go to the hospital immediately.

Z said...

Wink and Bod (see sidebar) hired a car in Portugal - Wink was fine, but Bod found the gears really hard to manouevre with his right hand. I don't mind whether I drive an automatic or a manual geared car, I"m well used to both. On balance, I marginally prefer manual.

If the receptionist hadn't got my appointment wrong, LOM, I'd have been driving since Tuesday and would have been able to pace myself better. I did need to get to the meeting yesterday, and had promised to take my friend.

I thought of your detached retina at once, Dave, so I've been keeping an eye on it, as it were. A likely explanation has just occurred to me, however, which means things may well be okay. Thank you.

sablonneuse said...

So pleased to hear the hip has all gone to plan and you are (almost) back to normal though I think it must be difficult to remember the moevments you shouldn't make when there are no little twinges to remind you.
It must be a relief to drive and regain your independence but don't try to do too much too soon.
Hope the floaters have disappeared by now.

Z said...

I said to him that I'd more or less been taking it that if it didn't twinge then it was all right, except for the twisty things which I knew I mustn't do, and he said that was all right.

In fact, I've read that the polyethylene (or whatever it is) lining has a little lip on it to help hold it in place so I don't think it should dislocate - but safety first.

I'm taking it easy this weekend. I went into town, but the Sage drove me.

A wildlife gardener said...

Your posts always make me smile, Z ...you have a way with words :)

I admire you covering such a long distance after nearly two months away from the wheel...good on you :)

I'm not surprised you began with Earl Grey and went onto the wine, after that long journey... :)

Z said...

I think of my blog as my side of a conversation so aim to write as I speak. Not sure that's always a good thing! - but thank you for the compliment.

luckyzmom said...

Blogging is like visiting friends for me. I seldom leave the house more than once or twice a week. Plus, it is usually after four in the afternoon when I do. So,I love being the other side of your conversation.