Don’t panic Pike…

This morning I set off for work, a leisurely 48 mile drive over two motorways, my fuel light had come on, arriving home last night.  I knew I could get to work, I knew on reaching work the light would be flashing and I’d need to fill up for the return journey.

As is my usual pattern, this morning I intended calling at little Tesco to fill up, alas panic buying had started, the signs were up “No Petrol/No diesel/delivery later”. Undeterred I drove on to big Tesco.  There was a man at the entrance, I wanted diesel, he only had limited unleaded petrol.  Time for Plan B, Nicky had said I could take her car, albeit she had an appointment with George at wheelchair services first.

Plan B was for me to use the train, well three trains, an hour and a half trip and 20 minute walk.  I was already destined to be late if driving, after the trafficked foray to the filling station.  I’d be in for 10:30 and was already wondering what on earth time I’d get home tonight.

It hadn’t come as a huge shock that there would be panic buying, the government had suggested we fill up, now I’m struggling where to side, who’s at fault Cameron or the people panic buying?  I’m not going to poke fun at Francis Maude, he said ‘Jerry Can’ like the rest of us say ‘Hoover’, he wasn’t suggesting people break the law, it was just a comment, he clearly meant petrol can, but politicians are superhuman so don’t make errors.

What shocks me about people’s behavior is that they say the government talk crap then hang on every word and go and queue for petrol.  The real laugh of the situation is that, as was pointed out to me this morning, the drivers have to give seven days notice of a strike. I would need to fill up twice in a seven-day period normally, however today I couldn’t fill up as people had filled up to potter round town for the next month.

In fairness, as capitalist petrol-heads we all see our travel as essential,  some of the stories I heard of why people needed fuel seemed a bit petty as I stomped about but on thinking it through I didn’t really know other people’s situations, I’m sure in many cases people seriously thought they needed to buy.

So, off I set, walking to the station.  I entered the ticket office, the rail worker was sat in front of a side window.  I stopped halfway in, he watched as it dawned on me and I turned round to go outside and round to the outdoor serving position.

There was no outside window, he was just basking in the sunlight shining through the sealed unit frosted glass.  I re-entered the ticket office, the two rail workers clearly privately amused.  I asked if he was selling tickets.  ”That’s why I’m sat here was the sarcastic reply”, I half pointed at the ticket desk in front of me, about eight feet from him and did the exasperated Jim Halpert (The Office – US) look to camera.

“Where are you going”?, I told him, apparently I’d just missed the train and it would be an hour wait.  I turned on my heels and left the ticket office.

Thinking on ones feet, I knew Nicky would be driving past both me in the next five minutes and the main town station, this would allow me to make up my lost time, brilliant.  This was further enhancing my life motto: landus poop accent scentus rosé.

I phoned her, sure enough she picked me up en route.  In the car we decided it would actually be great if I went along with her and George to the appointment.  Then afterwards I could take the car that had fuel.  Two cars you say, well yes, but Nicky needs hers to ferry George to appointments, she walks the kids to school, will walk if working.  She wouldn’t be refueling until after easter, anyway you’ll remember my Plan B was to catch the train. But instead it would be Plan C, Zafira.

So guess what, I got to go to Georges appointment.

George has for some time now been leaning over in his mini wheelchair to ‘self-propel’, he’s worked this out himself.The professionals have decided he needs a bigger self-propelling chair.

He tried one as you see in the picture, oh what a clever boy. Took straight to it, at first with one hand, then on being shown with both hands.

He also gave us a ‘reverse’ demonstration.  The best bit among this proudfest? Well when he was clearly upset when we made him get back in the ‘baby’ one.  It’s just a matter of waiting for the chair to come now.

Back to the matter in hand, who cares, petrol schmetrol, I got to spend extra time with George and see what a star he is (I’m sure Nicky and I were grinning like eejits).  We dropped him off and off I toddled to work.  I got there for 11:30, not 9am but better than not at all.

As a foot note, I stopped at a BP near work, they had fuel, hypocrisy kicks in, I decide to top up, well I need it for my 500 miles a week.  There’s a notice on all the pumps, “Please during this time, limit your spend to £10“.  I wondered what would happen if I filled up, probably £25+, but I put my tenner in, and got it to a tenner for a change, bang on.

In front of me at the till, there was a woman who like me three hours earlier was exasperated.  I was very chilled now.  She was ranting on at the attendant that they should only sell fuel to people who need it for work.  The attendant, a quietly spoken Asian man for whom I’d think English was probably his second language, was trying to make herself heard above his ranting.  He was saying, “I missed you going past the £10, I should have stopped you”.

Yes, that’s right, in spite of notices everywhere asking for self-regulation, she’d put £68 in her chav-mobile, and was hiding this fact behind a rant, she left.  Was my blood about to boil again?  No, the cashier and I both gave each other a knowing look and smiled.

It’s a big world made up of ‘interesting’ people…

Footnote:  Naturally on hearing of a potential strike, I wanted to shout “Tanker drivers earn 45k tell the lazy ******* to get working”, but it’s not just about the money, below I’ve cut and pasted from the Unite website:

Tanker drivers work in an increasingly fragmented and pressurised industry where corners are being cut on safety and training in a bid to squeeze profits and win contracts. Drivers face growing job insecurity as a result of the contract ‘merry-go-round’ and a ‘beat the clock’ culture has flourished with drivers forced to meet ever shorter delivery deadlines.

Final salary pension schemes have been swapped for inferior money purchase schemes, and some workers are now on their sixth pension in as many years, with 10 to 15 years left to go in the industry.

Commenting Diana Holland, Unite assistant general secretary, said: “These votes send a clear message throughout the industry and should prompt all the major companies to get around the table to establish minimum standards.

Tags: Cameron, Fuel, Panic Buying, Wheelchair

Let’s have a gripe about the NHS…

We arrived at the hospital with plenty of time to park up, well you would have thought so.  Our local hospital, like many I imagine, recently increased their parking footprint by adding a tin second storey over a number of their existing car parks.  Alas no, we had to park off site, not in the immediate residential area because of course there are lots of double yellows to make sure ambulance can get access, quite right too.  We parked in a free community car park about ten minutes walk away.

George has cerebral palsy and for four and a half years we’ve attended a consultancy twice a year until recently when his consultant started to hold a surgery at school.  I originally used to go to the appointments but Nicky and I decided that it wasn’t necessary under normal circumstances for us both to be there.  I think work would be ok with me going to every appointment as my employer has an excellent family friendly policy but our take is that one never knows when you will need time off for a reason of emergency.

The reason I was going this time was because George’s ‘walking’ has deteriorated and secondly I’d get to meet the new consultant.  A good job I went too what with the ten minute walk and the fact George was in his wheel chair and we needed to take his Kaye walker too.

We were still on time, 2 o’clock x-ray for 2.30 consultant’s meeting.  So into the x-ray went George, at 3:10 :-/

It was a busy waiting room for a Wednesday afternoon, it is the general hospital but also A&E and you can guarantee a busy x-ray department during Sunday soccer season, but not so much so mid-week, or so we thought.

Now the consultant’s meeting was something else, an accidental full service if you like.  In attendance apart from George, myself and mum were the consultant, an orthopedic surgeon and the physiotherapist.

The surgeon had me walk George round the room.  We’ve noticed two things about his gait, his legs cross while walking, a sort of scissor, he’s always done it but now it appears worse.  Also his feet align such that he almost walks on points.

George then had a good stretch on the bed while the surgeon tried to turn him into an origami swan.  It seems his adductor muscles have his lesser trochanters at 30° while his peers may only manage 10°, this isn’t a good thing, for George, but there may be a solution.

Botox!  My first thought was they wanted to make George beautiful, thus giving him an advantage greater than his disadvantages, WHAT? It’s a joke, he’s gorgeous … but no, apparently not. Botox can reduce tightness in muscles.

Injected under general anesthetic, it takes about two weeks to take effect, its positive effects, should it work, lasts for between three to six months.  During this time George would carry on with his exercises and physio, maybe at an increased rate.  It’s thought that maybe his mobility development could come back on track and correct, though it’s not a cure as such for cerebral palsy of course.

The physio also suggested we consider foot splints, this could correct the points issue, well in for a penny, in for a pound.

The consultant noticed George had two absences/drops? (we counted 6+), these drops are a momentary lapse in consciousness, a symptom of his epilepsy.  His head will drop if seated, standing he could fall.  We had previously asked if his medication could be increased, at the time the consultant didn’t want to.  School had reported an increase in drops, but less so after lunch.  We wondered if there was an issue with blood sugars.

Full service I said, sure enough they shuttled George off for a blood test, 4.1, normal.  So his medication is increased by half a tablet a day.  He’s getting a big boy now.

Oh, there was one more thing.  He dribbles quite excessively and as cute as his bandanna neckerchiefs are he can slobber more than Beethoven the pooch.  The consultant noticed this too, there’s a patch for that apparently.  Prescription at chemist.  We shan’t be giving up the stylish bandannas (bandanni?) though.

An eventful appointment in all, quite honestly wiping the parking issue and x-ray delay from our minds.  Lots to think about, I liked the consultant, the surgeon had a great manner, neither patronising or over complex.  The staff at the hospital clearly love children, well George certainly.

Gripe about the NHS?  Not . a . chance.

Legoland Discovery Centre, Manchester.

We have been to Legoland Windsor a number of times so really weren’t sure what to expect at the Trafford Centre’s Legoland Discovery Centre.  We have friends who have been and have been given both negative and positive feed back.  We also know a family with an annual pass.

Our seven year old is Lego mad, we figured that a Legoland that’s fastened onto the side of the Trafford centre will be a worthy play area for someone of his age.  In the morning before we set of I declared that I was prepared to be underwhelmed.  Was I underwhelmed, quite the contrary.

Nicky and I took the three young ones, James 11, Matthew 7 and George 5.  James is at the age now where he opts out of some outings and he was never big on Lego but I think his curiosity got the better of him.  That, and the promise of a McDonald’s lunch en route.

We couldn’t go wrong with Matthew, he’s been to Legoland in Windsor, a nice family theme park, but the Legoland Discovery Centres like at Manchester are for people who want to touch Lego and probably leave with a little bit in a bag too.  It is hard to gauge these places for George, he is a wheelchair user and although he can go on some of the small rides at traditional theme parks, you have to see the facilities to carry out the inevitable risk assessment.

Duplo Village @ Manchester's Legoland Discovery Centre.

The transition from pay-desk to inside was through the Lego Factory, where a very enthusiastic Professor Brick-a-Brac explains in a child friendly, timely manner, how Lego is made.  Inviting the children to turn wheels and off load the finished product.

Inside, the first attraction is a ride, “Kingdom Quest”, the carts seated five and the ride was of the shoot-’em ghost train type, where all riders have a laser gun to shoot mixed scenes on the way round.  George is able to hold the gun and generally gets giddy on those rides and enjoy the excitement of his family.  When we’d finished this ride, I advised the staff that they may as well close as I’d shot everything…

Next was the walk through  Mini-Land.  Lego built UK cities, with some lovely touches with moving parts and interactive button presses.  We spent longer in awe of these constructions than at some of the outside model villages we’ve visited over the years. There is something magical about a Lego building, maybe the belief that it’s just possible to build it yourself one day.

There are a number of themed Lego building areas: Lego Racers ‘Build & Test’ to name but one.  Buckets and buckets of the plastic pieces built into worktables and ramps & circuits for testing your finished design.  There was a mix of adults in this area, bored looking parents and those of us elbow deep in Lego.

Merlin’s Apprentice is another ride,  a rotary thingy with about eight two-seater cars.  You pedal like fury and are rewarded by your car rising as the ride spins.  George was able to enjoy this with mum or myself.  James and Matthew were able to maximise their enjoyment without an adult.

The café is lightweight but perfect for a snack stop while the kids can play in one or other of the soft play areas.  The two areas being for differing height ranges.  In fact depending on your children, they can wander anywhere within the discovery centre safely, it’s a secure site and to escape you need to navigate doors, stairs or lift and through the shop.

We sat at the café drinking tea (£1.60/cup) while the kids played, waiting for the next showing at the 4D  Cinema.  The 4D cinema, I rated for story, cosyness and overall experience as better than the ’Honey I Shrunk The Kids’ at EuroDisney. Obviously it wouldn’t be fair to compare with any other parts of Disney.

We bought our tickets using left over Airmiles having left that scheme before its re-brand. The tickets would have cost around £50, we were at the Discovery Centre for five hours. The tickets for the same family to attend Legoland Windsor would be £160.

We of course left through the shop and purchases were made.  I don’t know if the goods were more expensive that other outlets, Lego is expensive anyhow.  If you need more food choices the Trafford Centre has something for everyone.  The staff at the Discovery Centre were without question the most consistently friendly of any attraction of that type we’ve visited.

A great day was had by all.

Help me down off the fence.

A public sector worker kindly took the time to explain the reasons behind todays strike action:

My pension (a real fund called USS) is 108% funded from contributions. It has always performed well and is one of the largest in the uk.  Over the years we have accepted changes in T&Cs to keep it like this. Very low admin charges and large membership.

Now the government is using a perceived pension crisis to attack it. They will not negotiate or even audit it. We need to pay more, work longer and for less. All this even though the fund is over funded. I have contributed for over 20 years.

There is also a general dissatisfaction with this government, their regressive policies and the current negation of the efforts of public sector.

Summarised thus:

Terms are changing so the payments at the end will be reduced substantially for most members.

That person and others have stated their dismay that today’s strike wrongly becomes public versus private.  That of course isn’t the point of the public sectors strike.

I am working in the private sector and here follows my experience.  My pension has been negatively affected by the unstable markets of recent years. I guess this also affects the public sector pension pot too.  Many companies in the private sector we were asked to take a cut in salary a couple of years back, to support their jobs, people signed up for this.

There is some sort of salary scale within our company.  Some people get paid more than me, some people less.  I have a friend who works elsewhere who describes at length how much extra he pays into his private pension scheme.  My pension scheme is what it is, I may or may not make extra provision.

I have a colleague who earns less than me who has no pension provision outside of the government but I also have a workmate who earns more than me who has not arranged an extra pension.  The person who has a lower salary does not value its importance.  The ‘richer’ person says they can’t afford a pension.

If we go back to the earlier explanation of today’s strike it seems that the public sector has been made promises by their employers, the government, and these promises have not been kept.  I wonder what will happen if my employer once again asks us to consider a drop in pay to again protect the company as a whole, have they failed in their last promise?

Would we find a change in terms and conditions acceptable?   Would we sign up in union (small u), in that instance some may choose to find work elsewhere.  It’s unlikely that we would strike.  The reality is though we have seen competitors fold during these difficult times and there is a fear which guides an individual’s choice.  Times are hard, two million strong we are not, we are but thirty.

My bias here appears to be anti-public sector/anti-strike.  I’m not meaning to express a bias, just asking some questions and relating my experience.

The work of bin men, nurses, teacher’s et al is important and undervalued.  I would like to think that the majority of people across the political spectrum would want for society to be fairer.  How to differentiate the worth between someone who shifts your refuse and someone who decides where to invest other people’s money is an unenviable task.

Take away the uniforms of work and we are all just human.  Complete your career and hopefully your salary has rewarded your hard work, you too are stripped of your badge and are the same human as the next person.

The other point made at the start is the general dissatisfaction with this government.  I do have an opinion on this, there have been politicians across all parties that have abused the system or represented themselves before that of their electorate.  I think that there should be a radical overhaul of our government to suit the good of everyone’s future, but I’m not sure how to bring about the start of that.

I dare say the public sectors expression of disgust with the current government may get the ball rolling toward a brighter future for all.  It’s thought that there maybe 2 million striking today, are they voicing the dissatisfaction of 44 million voters?

Flower

Flower

What’s the next big thing?

With the uptake of smartphones the app market has reached unbelievable proportions in such a short time.  According to The Mobile Indian at the beginning of 2008 the value of the total market for apps was close to zero. Within a year from now the market’s size is expected to go up to $17.5 billion.

Technology moves things along at such a pace, the last new market was the phones themselves.  Most of us have a landline and probably two mobiles in the house so are effectively paying three ‘line rentals’.  This is great for the utility companies, yes that’s right a mobile phone company is now on the list of essential bills to be paid.

The crossover of services, broadband, mobile, landline & TV, like the bundled electricity and gas means that in the first instance it’s harder to compare like for like across suppliers.  The second problem is that the marketing people have made sure these all become part of your budget.

So, how essential are apps?  Well they only cost 69p but we give Apple our bank details to ease delivery of apps and how much do they add up?  Well like an addicted gambler we don’t realise until the occasional receipt shows up in the email inbox.

On my iPhone I’ve 11 pages of apps and that’s with many combined into folders, I can’t begin to think how many others have been relegated to just in the iTunes folder on my PC.  I should say, in case the good lady is reading this that many of the apps I have are the free ones.

Free or otherwise if your bank balance doesn’t suffer from the new industry, there is a time cost.  What were we doing before downloading, playing with and managing our app folders?  I know, we were aimlessly flicking through subscription TV channels, don’t get me started…

Tags: Entertainment, Opinion, Technology

The Death Penalty

A contentious issue, but the murder of Troy Davis in Georgia US by the state is a sad reflection that in the 21st Century the human race is still deeply flawed.

There are many sides to the debate. I don’t seek to answer the question of Davis’s guilt or otherwise or his representative’s claims of unfair jury selection.

Mark MacPhail an off-duty police officer, was shot dead having intervened in an argument in a parking area while working as a security guard. The shooting took place in 1989, in August 1991 the trial of Troy Davis begins and by the end of August Davis is found guilty and sentenced to death.

After rejections of right to appeal, stays of execution and having sat on death row for twenty years Troy Davis is announced dead at 11:08pm on 21st September 2011 having received a lethal drug injection some 15 minutes earlier, in the name of justice.

How can we teach our children that killing is wrong when the wise politicians, justice departments and the constitutions they represent pursue the belief that ‘a life for a life’ is right? I describe Troy Davis’s punishment as murder above and by doing this I do not intend to offend Mark MacPhail’s family, but it is murder at the hands of a human legal system.

Anyone who agrees with what I say here may also subscribe to the belief that government’s do also sully their hands sending people off to war, in particular where it is to protect a barrel of oil. Do not misunderstand me, our soldiers carry out essential duties of defence and they have my utmost respect for that.

While all murder is wrong, legalised killing is ‘more’ wrong. More wrong morally as the lethal injection of the death penalty in any particular case, has effectively been sanctioned by a greater number of people whereas an individual who has murdered has acted alone.

Whether a murder is carried out by a criminal caught in the headlights who happened to be carrying a weapon or by someone who may offer diminished responsibility as a defence, one life too many is taken.

While the death penalty continues to be imposed in many countries, the number of executions has about halved since 1997, this may mean humanity is turning a corner. Not enough of a change for Troy Davies though…

Tags: Crime, Death, Opinion

Are we nearly there yet?

It’s the clichéd cry of a travelling child, of course we said it ourselves when young. This is the thing though, I don’t remember saying it intentionally to wind up my parents.

It was back in the days of vinyl seats.  Speedy cornering meant you would end up on your sister’s knee or with the dog on yours.  We never went very far in comparison to where we drag our offspring.

There wasn’t much to do in a car in those days, you may have a comic or a book but the chances because the ride wasn’t as comfortable as now, that you would suffer travel sickness if pursuing those activities.  There was of course traditional driving games: Spot the Eddie Stobart, count beige cars (it was the 70s) or good old I-spy.

These days we load up the car with DVD players for a forty minute trip, two players in fact and about five movies, each.  Also coming along for the drive is one laptop, two iPods and three Nintendo DS.  There may also be reading material, I mean of the dead tree type not Kindle or iBook.  That said I think the iPods each have the Kindle app.

So with all these modern day travel soothers for the kids, why do they let out a chorus of “are we nearly there yet”.  Purely to have me fly into a blind rage obviously.   The forty minute trip is one we do every couple of months, they are familiar with the journey, they know where the traffic jams are, what the landscape milestones are.

The eldest starts with the questions.  It’s a rite of passage, the younger one asks the same question the moment I answer.  The youngest asks again five minutes later, the elder assumes the position of a grown up, chastises the little one, then asks again himself.

Maybe you haven’t experienced this as a driving parent, but I bet you have.  Failing that there is the other question: “do we have any sweets”.  Well of course we don’t have any sweets, as we didn’t have any five minutes into the journey or twelve minutes and as we clearly haven’t stopped then at thirty six minutes,  we . still . don’t . have . ANY . SWEETS.

With regard to the time until we reach our destination.  They are intelligent kids, they can see the SatNav which is of course my soother on that familiar two thousand four hundred second drive.  I am of course only human…

Tags: Entertainment, Kids, Me, Technology, Travel

I’m NOT getting old…

What is this getting old all about, most people I talk to claim to be stuck at some young age, they say they are still 18 or 21, 30 even.  How does it work, do people stick at an age that represents a time in their life when they were happiest.  I can remember drinking from a Tommee Tippee cup in my cot, it’s a nice memory but perhaps misguided to suggest that I am still 18 months at heart.

It would also be wrong to suggest I’ve not been happy since I was a toddler.  Not sure what age I would choose, I just don’t feel I’m on my way to fifty, is it just a denial thing.  Thinking back to how my Dad was at 45 and I was six, Dad was old but not an old man.  He’s an old man now, but not as old as when he was 45.  Does that make sense.

This morning I ached, I had indigestion immediately I’d finished breakfast, I felt a little glum.  I’m not as supple as I’d like to be, it is harder to tend to my left foot than my right, I know not if this is a leg/knee problem or goes back to a back strain in my 30′s.  The ache is from wrestling my 5 year old all weekend, my left forearm hurts, I think it’s from carrying him, he’s a big lad now and needs carrying up and down stairs (George has cerebral palsy).

I’m a sporadic gym member, it’s important to exercise, all the usual reasons, I want to be fit for interaction with my kids.  I want that flexibility to put both socks on without creaking, a couple of years ago I shed three stone, I was so happy with myself at that time, It’s crept back up before and I kept it in check, it’s creeping up again now.  More strain on the old joints.  It’s harder to shift those pounds in middle age yet don’t older people lose weight, when does that start.

Some say that children keep you young, yet the strain of raising them is telling.  The people who know, the professionals, say that it’s important that a child is raised in a happy environment, they should be stretched but not pushed.  My approach to child slavery is laid back but involved, I try to indulge them all equally, though their differing needs as they grow older, includes their own private space, this too I find hard to gauge.

I’m wandering of the subject slightly, another right of the aged.  What is next for me, Alzheimer’s maybe.  No I’m not making light of that disease, just that the symptoms reflect getting old don’t they.  Hell, I’m also a bit ‘mutton’ though I can remember that as a young apprentice I worked in a very noisy factory.

What am I rambling on about here, I’m not really sure.  It’s a worry isn’t it…

Tags: Aging, Health, Me