Friday, July 25, 2008

Leo and Kath Steam Train Visit
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Aysons home for next 6 months - grand eh!
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VERN writes

Hi all- Thanks for the flowers . I was chuffed The first time but thats probably because I havent had a baby .Thought I might @ one stage> Kay Graeme& Valmai (G&V) are at Tedsmore today and Im confined inside the Pool Grange mansion so I have all day tto compile a report and will need the full day to do it We had a good trip to USA -little time @airports-spent the first few days doing odd jobs around Petes house and planting Harrys vege garden which he had me lined up to do Every morning the first thing was to inspect the garden and see how much it had grown over night.Pte & Kate went to Burmuda for the weekend.and we entertained the boys at the lake and sea where - good swimming- the kids were great and were sorry to say good by------We flew to the big apple with Pete on . his way to work - Stayed with Kays sister LIZ & RIC in a one room apart. Was Quite cosy particularly one night when pete gave up the $450 hotel room opp his office to stay with us .Got transported around in a corp cab kindly sponsored by amex. Pete showed us thro head office of amex after a rigouros do over by security -even issued a plastic card will we were there -had a look around the presidents office after Pete convinced the guard we were from nz and were therefore harmless .magnificant decor must have cost apacket We could look down on ground zereo slow progress not above street level yet ----walked for miles around NY--Thunderstorms delayed or fight from JFK to manchester sat 8 hrs inplane rather than 6 -Train from air port to welshpool Shiftingall or luggage from one train to another over stepped over bridge triggered my problem. Puchased the car from the kings and settled in -no work the first week---we then started looking for a car for G&V which they got at a place called telford but couldnt be piicked till next day. Trish and barry T&B from chch phoned to say that they had sue and john from auck aboard their canal boat and were to come to birmingham the next night ,Because we had to go back to telford to collect G&V car we decided to carry on to meet the canal boaters.Parked the car in a parking building for what Ithought was one night and got a taxi out to the boat .Got aboard and then proceeded thro 23 locks all of which had to be opened and closed my job was to wind up the shutters to let the water into the lock HAD NO PROBLEM WITH DOING THIS .HELLO A TYPE CHANGE --THE CANAL GOES UNDER MULTI STOREY BUILDINGS MOST INTERTISTING-----STAYED THE NIGHT ON THE BOAT --NEXT MORNING GOT UP AND THEN DEVELOPED CHEST PAINS-IBUT IN A TAXI AND OF TO THE HOSOITAL PAIN RESIDED PUT ME IN A BED - TWO HOMO DRUGGIES ON ONE SIDE AND ANOTHER DRUGGIE YELLING AND SPEWING ON THE OTHER SIDE .QUITE A INTRODUCTION TO MY FIRST SICK DAY IN HOSP EVER----AFTER THREE DAYS OF FEELING LIKE I WAS SLEEPING IN A BEEHIVE WITH ALL THE PRICKING AND OTHER TESTS THEY SET ME UP FOR ANGIAGRAM ON THE FOURTH DAY --LIE ON YOUR BACK WATCHING TV OF MYSELF BEING FED A WIRE UP THE ARTERY FROM MY WRIST TO MY HEART AND WATCHING THEM FEED DYE UP THE WIRE AND THEY IDENTIFIED A BLOCKED ARTERY A BALLOON WAS RUN IN TO BLOW UP AND WIDEN THE NARROWING THEN A STENT TO RETAIN THE ART AT TH CORRECT SIZE -ALL DONE IN A HOUR WITHOUT AENISTHETIC A BIT LIKE HOW THEY CAN FIX A SEWER PIPE WITHOUT DIGGING IT UP-WHILE IT WAS INTERESTING WATCHING I WOULD SOONER WATCH A GAME OF RUGBY------------------WARD 5D HAD SOME INTERERTING RESIDENTS--DIRECTLY OPPOS MY BED WAS LILLIAN WHO MUST BE MADGE (OF DAME EDNAS) SISTER -SAT THERE PAN FACED ALL DAY BUT AT ABOUT 8 AT NIGHT SHE WOULD CALL OUT AT THE TOP OF HER VOICE TURN THE BLOODY LIGHTS OFF THIS WOULD THEN AROUSE THE ITALIAN BLOKE AT THE END OF THE WARD 9WHO!S DIAMETER EQUALLED HIS HEIGHT) HE WOULD SAY SOMETHING IN ITALIAN IN A LOUD VOICE THIS WOULD BRING LILL BACK TO LIFE --WHO SAID THAT .-THEN A WHILE LATER SHE WOULD BELLOW OUT THAT SHE WAS COLD -THIS PROCESS WENT ON SEVERAL TIMES EACH NIGHT LIILL WOULDNT SAY BOO TO A MOUSE AGAIN ALL NEXT DAY --------KAY STAYED ON T&B BOAT ALL THIS TIME AND I HAD SEVERAL VISITS EACH DAY TRISH WOULD CALL IN ON HER MORN RUN -----TRISH AND BARRY DROVE US BACK TO POOL QUAY ON TUES --AFTER I WAS DEPATCHED WITH A BUCKET OF PILLS--WE ARE MOST GRATEFULL FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND THAT WE WERE IN BIRRM WERE THEY DEAL WITH MY PROBLEM BY EXPERTS-------------ITS STRANGE I HAD NO INDICATION OF THIS AND CAN BE THANKFULL THATS BEEN BROUGHT TO A HEAD WHERE I COULD BE REPARED-----------NEXT WEEK I WILL ONTO LIGHT DUTIES LAWNMOWING 3-4 WEEKS ON FULLTHROTTLE------------------THANKS FOR ALLTHE MESSAGES ----MY ONEFINGER IS ABOUT WARN OUT--------------------------------------REGARDS TO ALL--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------KAY AND VERN

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Welshpool

We had 3 great days in New York, with sister Liz and Rick and Pete, walked all over Manhatten, in the heat, saw the huge building Pete works from, right next to ground zero, construction not yet at ground level. We flew with him from Boston on the commuter plane, left home 5am.The streets swarming with people, horns and sirens go all night.
Very sorry to farewell Pete an his family.
Arrived in Manchester 6am and at Welshpool by train 1pm.
The couple we are replacing were there to meet us.
Wow!! a huge house, 6toilets, 5 showers, 3 baths, 3 sitting rooms, huge kitchen!! whose going to do the housework? 2 acres of lawn, and rambling gardens. Its rained most days soo the grass doesnt stop growing.
Went to look at Tedsmore, even bigger!! Didnt have to work the first week.
So we helped the Chesneys to buy a car and then took off to meet the Greigs and Yeomans, at Birmingham on their canal boat. Had to evening with them , helped open 23 locks!!all manual, got to the mooring about 10pm . Beautiful flower boxes, and all lit up at night, right in the heart of the city.
Next morning things changed for us, Vern had chest pain, a passer by , retrieved a taxi, and off we went to th city hospital, which wasnt far away. Very rapid attention, and admitted to coronary unit. On telemetry, over the weekend as was still having pain. Had angiogram and 2 stents applied on Monday, they did 9 that morning, run off to mill here, very scarey for us.
I staye on the canal boat with Trish and Barry, they were our saviour. i could walk up the tow path 25 mins and be at the hosp. Excellent treatment, old old ward remindered me of Wd 1&2 Balclutha Hosp.in my training days. men and women all mixed up side by side.
Vern was disharged yesterday and Barry and Trish drove us back to Welshpool, so here we are , Vern with a truck load of pills, and to rest and kay off to garden for the first time tomorrow. Will add some photos next blog. Its still raining!! it doesnt stop for long here.