Strange Valentines Day

A really, really strange day and I am wondering how to explain it without raising concern or indeed going in to personal health issues. I don't go to the doctor often but I did get an appointment pre Christmas after an extended spell of indigestion. I got some tablets, finished now, and I feel much better. However he did suggest I should get a, a something scopy, a camera down my throat. I thought it had been forgotten about but an appointment was duly booked for today. The letter came in over a week ago.

The procedure dictates that the subject does not take any breakfast so you set off hungry. I did have a couple of drawings to drop off in the town so got those
errands done, oh aye and dropped my car off at the garage on the Fort William outskirts and continued on foot to the hospital. I was duly booked in and attended to by some really lovely friendly staff. I was placed, just sitting, in a wee room with a bed and wash hand basin in it and told someone would be along to see me shortly. This was mid morning by this point, always my hungriest time of the day normally, and indeed I was ravenous. In the corridor outside I heard lots of footsteps clacking along on the hard floor coming and going but they came and went without them belonging to someone entering my wee room.

May be just ten minutes but it felt like ages.

Then, I heard my name being mentioned out in the hall and a lady whom I had not previously met came in and introduced herself to me "Mr Stuart",

"No just Stuart".

She was some senior administrator in to deliver the news that the machine for the procedure was broken down and I would have to get another appointment when it was fixed. I was told that engineers had worked on it until a few minutes earlier but had to accept defeat; indeed it may be beyond repair and have to be replaced.

At a personal level I was cheesed off. I had taken a morning off work, prepared my self mentally for getting the horrid sounding thing done and out of the way and now it wasn't happening. The lady was very pleasant indeed and I found it a bit alarming that her apologetic words came at me partly anticipating that I was going to write an angry letter to politicians and her bosses. She actually mentioned I could formally complain. What good would that do? The machine broke down. I have had a theodolite break down on me and I wouldn't expect a client to complain as long as got it fixed or replaced and got the job done.

There is a dreadful blame culture going on out there. It is not constructive or helpful and scarce resources get consumed applying or defending such blame accusations. Its a horrible world some times.

I was shown to the door by the nice lady. The fresh air on my face felt good but compounded my appetite and I marched straight to MacDonalds and had a Mac something meal with black coffee which is almost certainly bad for the body.

M collected me. I was home and now had an hour to prepare for a funeral in Roy Bridge. A lovely retired couple lived across the road from us when we first moved to The Knoll. Latterly they had moved down to Fort William. Mr K battled bravely against illness for about ten years but passed away earlier this week. The church was packed with many sad faces but the service was delivered with some happy memories rekindled, and truly beautiful choral music.

Outside I spoke briefly with some of Mr K's family and then trudged home in a very solemn mood in the pouring rain.

My head started to get back to normal and, as last night, it got dark with the day still blipless. I resumed the relationship with the Sunpak and Caley obliged with a little fence hurdle in the garden.

Finally, first thing, I woke up to a beautiful cuddly Valentines card.