Took Vernon to our local hospital yesterday, the PFI Norfolk & Norwich
University hospital, for day surgery. Went by car, I drove, as he wasn't
allowed to following surgery. Got there and noticed loads of sheffield
stands for bikes within easy reach of the main entrance. Good, but would be
even better if they were covered as weather protection. But that's a small
niggle on my part.
Vernon was fine - staff nice - but carpets on a hospital ward??? Carpets
harbour bacteria by the zillion. Also had not been vacuumed for a while due
to the noticeable dust collections round the edge of carpet/wall, and the
bits of paper under the bed and the dirty cotton bud between cupboard & wall
at side of Vernon's bed. Trolleys not cleaned too often either due to the
amount of dust collecting on the tray at one end under the mattress area by
Vernon's feet :-( Lucky I had him swathed in that anti-MRSA barrier cream
that's now on the market ..and I was cleaning hands at every available
opportunity. But I digress.
I've already mentioned on a different thread about the number of motorists
we spotted jumping red lights on the way to & from hospital. Interestingly,
not a single cyclist was spotted doing the same.
Today Nathan & I went out for our now usual summer holiday 40+ miler on a
Tuesday. Yes, WVM does indeed overtake far too close, as I found as the
'woosh' of a WVM wing mirror could be heard & felt micrometres from my right
ear at one point. But, loads of courteous drivers too, and nice to see many
acknowledging me when I gave a wave of thanks for courtesy shown. On the way
home, on the last leg down narrow lane, Nathan was well in front of me.
Behind me was a "toot" followed by moron in Landover who seemed to be of the
erroneous impression that just because he'd given a 'toot' on the horn, the
allowed him to overtake at great speed on a narrow lane, on a bend. Indeed
the Landover was a white one, so I think it was WVM in alternative
transport. A minute later, Nathan came back towards me at a vast rate of
knots, looking rather worried. "Wazzup?" I said. He said, "I've just been
passed by a loud moron in a white Landover and I was worried he might have
knocked you off your bike as his driving was so atrocious." Nice to know the
offspring cares for his aged mother ;-)
One nice thing - as I was cycling along, I noticed one of these on the
tarmac, wriggling along..
http://www.digitalnature.org/vlinders/ligusterpijlstaart%201.html
So I got off the bike, parked bike up in verge & got the privet hawk moth
caterpillar to wriggle on to my cycling glove. I took it across the road in
the direction it was wriggling and tried to put it on the verge. Little
blighter thought my cycling glove was extremely comfortable and did not want
to leave my glove, so I had to gently take my glove off & put it on the
verge and shake it to get the caterpillar to remove itself. I did not fancy
having it pupate on my glove.
Got back home to find Vernon in the land of the living still (thankfully),
curled up with a cat by his feet, whilst he rested reading loads of cycling
magazines. He should be able to get back on a bike in a couple of days.
Cheers, helen s