Well I put the cheque for the amount I did have into the bank so I can at least pay off some of the loan.
Just had a call from Alan he's talked to the insurance company and they said they would compare my claim with Jasons and get back to him. I'm not in any rush but I would like it sorted at some point.
Also its the last day to put my uFlex benefits. I'm going for Private Medical, Personal Pension, Season Ticket loan and the Cycle to work scheme.
The Season ticket loan is after tax, and quite large (plus three grand) as I'm travelling in to London from my Parent's, but interest free.
The Personal Pension is pretty much a continuation of the 8% contribution the company was paying into my scheme before all this flexible stuff started. The two main differences are its paid monthly so if you quit you don't lose back to the last six month payment and two I'm putting extra 3% which will replace the additional payments I was making from my bank account. The advantage of this is that I save the National Insurance Contributions and don't have to do extra paper work to get the tax back.
The Cycle to work scheme lets you save the tax and NI but you have to buy a bike. I my case, with my knee, this isn't as mad an idea as it seems.The knee is fairly stable now and the motion of riding a bike is fairly straight and won't stress the knee too much. And I have to do some exercise because I'm doing zero at the moment. It seems actually to be a bit of a shock to the system, if you suddenly stop being very active (like stop ski every day) you're body can't work out its energy levels very well and it can play havoc with your sleep patterns.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Lunch with a Friend
Jason looks a lot better
he's had the surgery and so has been out of it on drugs for the last couple of days. we had lunch today at Noodle Noodle near Victoria station (good food, big portions). He got his insurance claim but it was for a larger amount that I got around 4500 so I've got to have a word with the Insurance company cos that can't be right, its more that I got and I came back first!
A uFlex update as we are part of a group scheme I can join the Health plan without having to be excluded because of my knee. So I will be able to claim for my treatments. WOW
he's had the surgery and so has been out of it on drugs for the last couple of days. we had lunch today at Noodle Noodle near Victoria station (good food, big portions). He got his insurance claim but it was for a larger amount that I got around 4500 so I've got to have a word with the Insurance company cos that can't be right, its more that I got and I came back first!
A uFlex update as we are part of a group scheme I can join the Health plan without having to be excluded because of my knee. So I will be able to claim for my treatments. WOW
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Welcome back to Customisation
Well its my baby
The Customisation part of uSwitch's system (the part of our website that decides which images and colours to put on our web pages) is has been running fairly trouble free while I've been away, now I'm back its been decided that there were some things that need fixing. So I've been given the tasks of making improvements, well I did help write it in the first place.
I think it was more of a case of them ignoring the issues and hoping I would come back and fix them. It's a bit complicated and I think it scares them.
Actually there is some talk about getting a proper content management system to help with the company's expansion into new countries, so like most things that I every seem to do in the IT business, the work I'm doing may well be binned in a couple of months.
The Customisation part of uSwitch's system (the part of our website that decides which images and colours to put on our web pages) is has been running fairly trouble free while I've been away, now I'm back its been decided that there were some things that need fixing. So I've been given the tasks of making improvements, well I did help write it in the first place.
I think it was more of a case of them ignoring the issues and hoping I would come back and fix them. It's a bit complicated and I think it scares them.
Actually there is some talk about getting a proper content management system to help with the company's expansion into new countries, so like most things that I every seem to do in the IT business, the work I'm doing may well be binned in a couple of months.
Good News / Bad News (Again!!)
Monday I received some post from Canada and West Byfleet
The tax refund claim for about 60 dollars was successful and I got a cheque in pounds from the Canadian government. Nice!
This was the tax I paid on my skis, poles and helmet.
Also in the post I got a cheque from my Insurance company. However this wasn't as happily accepted.
The Insurance company decided to pay the medical costs in full, including the taxis that I submitted receipts for. They also paid pro-rata for the food, accommodation and flights that I didn't use.
However the Course Fees, Lift Pass, Exam Fees, Heliskiing Trip and Avalanche Course were all included in a section called Inability to Ski. This section has a maximum limit 150 pounds. So this is how much that they offered.
It's a good 2 grand short of what I was expecting.
So I connected Crystal, as it is actually the insurance which is sold with the course and suggested that it isn't right. It looks like they are treating the trip as a simple winter holiday rather than a expensive course.
Now I paid 460 pounds for this Insurance and I would expect it to course slightly more than a normal policy. So Alan at Crystal (Who was very helpful when I had the accident and was sorting out the claim) said if I send him a copy of the letter he would look into it.
so fingers crossed!
otherwise I may have to take Jason's advice and start talking to lawyers.
BTW Jason is in hospital now getting his arm fixed, so good luck to him.
The tax refund claim for about 60 dollars was successful and I got a cheque in pounds from the Canadian government. Nice!
This was the tax I paid on my skis, poles and helmet.
Also in the post I got a cheque from my Insurance company. However this wasn't as happily accepted.
The Insurance company decided to pay the medical costs in full, including the taxis that I submitted receipts for. They also paid pro-rata for the food, accommodation and flights that I didn't use.
However the Course Fees, Lift Pass, Exam Fees, Heliskiing Trip and Avalanche Course were all included in a section called Inability to Ski. This section has a maximum limit 150 pounds. So this is how much that they offered.
It's a good 2 grand short of what I was expecting.
So I connected Crystal, as it is actually the insurance which is sold with the course and suggested that it isn't right. It looks like they are treating the trip as a simple winter holiday rather than a expensive course.
Now I paid 460 pounds for this Insurance and I would expect it to course slightly more than a normal policy. So Alan at Crystal (Who was very helpful when I had the accident and was sorting out the claim) said if I send him a copy of the letter he would look into it.
so fingers crossed!
otherwise I may have to take Jason's advice and start talking to lawyers.
BTW Jason is in hospital now getting his arm fixed, so good luck to him.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
uFlex and the P45
Yeap sure sign I'm back at work the level of important bits of paper increase.
For some reason the HR department send me my P45 to the flat, so first job on Friday was to return part B (the bit you give to your new employer) to the person who had put it into the post in the first place!
Also now I'm back and I don't have to do a probation period I get to join the new flexible benefits package. It still doesn't look like they do sabbaticals, not that I have to do anything about that until this November/December. It's all run from a website call youatwork.co.uk, but it's not working for me so I've no idea what it includes. what I do know is it has a good range of discounts as I'm registered on that site through the University of Leeds. Hopefully I can register twice! or something.
For some reason the HR department send me my P45 to the flat, so first job on Friday was to return part B (the bit you give to your new employer) to the person who had put it into the post in the first place!
Also now I'm back and I don't have to do a probation period I get to join the new flexible benefits package. It still doesn't look like they do sabbaticals, not that I have to do anything about that until this November/December. It's all run from a website call youatwork.co.uk, but it's not working for me so I've no idea what it includes. what I do know is it has a good range of discounts as I'm registered on that site through the University of Leeds. Hopefully I can register twice! or something.
Back to school
It's a slightly strange feeling to be back at work. Just the same as when I went away, well it's only been two months, but some things are completely different.
Some new faces and a few missing friends.
I made quite an entry to the office with a bit of a cheer, a lot of hand shaking and people meerkatting up from behind their monitors all the way down the office.
There are changes to the teams including a new one dedicated to improving the number of customers who complete the energy switching process (I've started calling this project Panic). This is in response to the price cuts in the domestic fuel market which have caused the number of people switching suppliers, and hence our profit, to drop.
I wasn't the only person to be injured apart from Reno who I knew about, he showed me a very impressive Xray pic. There was also Barry (the Marketing director) who has done a similar thing to me but also the other ligaments around the outside and the protective cartilage between the bones. He's going private so should be back on his feet (sorry) in a couple of months.
I must have answered the questions 'What did you do', 'Where you skiing' and 'How long will you be like that, over 30 times. It's nice to get the attention and that everyone cares but...
Also the ever inventive members of the department came up with a huge range of jokes along the lines of; hop-a-long, old man with walking stick, pipes and slippers and the dangers of skiing.
Some new faces and a few missing friends.
I made quite an entry to the office with a bit of a cheer, a lot of hand shaking and people meerkatting up from behind their monitors all the way down the office.
There are changes to the teams including a new one dedicated to improving the number of customers who complete the energy switching process (I've started calling this project Panic). This is in response to the price cuts in the domestic fuel market which have caused the number of people switching suppliers, and hence our profit, to drop.
I wasn't the only person to be injured apart from Reno who I knew about, he showed me a very impressive Xray pic. There was also Barry (the Marketing director) who has done a similar thing to me but also the other ligaments around the outside and the protective cartilage between the bones. He's going private so should be back on his feet (sorry) in a couple of months.
I must have answered the questions 'What did you do', 'Where you skiing' and 'How long will you be like that, over 30 times. It's nice to get the attention and that everyone cares but...
Also the ever inventive members of the department came up with a huge range of jokes along the lines of; hop-a-long, old man with walking stick, pipes and slippers and the dangers of skiing.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
KNEE (MRI) SCAN
I got the letter, I got the letter !!!
oh Friday the 13th April that's not for ages... damn!
well at the least I can now do a bit of planning and book the day off work.
oh Friday the 13th April that's not for ages... damn!
well at the least I can now do a bit of planning and book the day off work.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
First Class Stamp
Knocked together a CD for Jason who's still in a bit of pain, of all the videos he took while we were in Canada. I posted it off and at the same time post my insurance claim forms.
The process of posting a letter is quite fun at the moment, we go up to the post office anyway to get the newspaper. But its quite the little expedition as my Mum looks after my niece Ivy during the day and so we all go out together. Ivy on her tricycle being pushed by my Mum and me following behind with my walking stick.
Got some news from Canada everyone passed the teaching part of the level one exam. However three; Andy, Jess and Laurie have to retake the skiing/boarding part. So that's mostly great news, 30 odd new qualified instructors with the others due to retake the skiing part soon.
The process of posting a letter is quite fun at the moment, we go up to the post office anyway to get the newspaper. But its quite the little expedition as my Mum looks after my niece Ivy during the day and so we all go out together. Ivy on her tricycle being pushed by my Mum and me following behind with my walking stick.
Got some news from Canada everyone passed the teaching part of the level one exam. However three; Andy, Jess and Laurie have to retake the skiing/boarding part. So that's mostly great news, 30 odd new qualified instructors with the others due to retake the skiing part soon.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Hot Fuzz
Went to see Hot Fuzz today, the new film by the guys behind 'Shaun of the Dead'. Its really good, very funny and I recommend it everyone to go and see it. We went (my Mum and me) to the Cineworld in Stevenage and watched it in a huge theater with only three other people in the place.
lots of car chases, guns and west country accents.
Quality...
lots of car chases, guns and west country accents.
Quality...
Julian
News from work, Julian my ex team leader has resigned.
For me he has always been one of the problem members of the company and my progress in the company has definitely been effected by him for the negative.
He has been sidelined over resent months, has been demoted down to developer and moved around the department several times. So although he did jump rather being fired he was pushed a bit.
They announced it last Friday but as you can imagine I'm a little out of the loop
my friend Nils told me by email on Monday morning and after some serious msn I got the full sp.
Of course, some people may have found out earlier down the pub, which is the way things normally happen at the Company.
I think even Julian would agree that He's not the most productive IT team player, he is very intelligent and so most of his code is quite hard to understand and he's not the best person at understanding how us mere mortals think. I wish him the best in what ever he plans on doing next.
For me he has always been one of the problem members of the company and my progress in the company has definitely been effected by him for the negative.
He has been sidelined over resent months, has been demoted down to developer and moved around the department several times. So although he did jump rather being fired he was pushed a bit.
They announced it last Friday but as you can imagine I'm a little out of the loop
my friend Nils told me by email on Monday morning and after some serious msn I got the full sp.
Of course, some people may have found out earlier down the pub, which is the way things normally happen at the Company.
I think even Julian would agree that He's not the most productive IT team player, he is very intelligent and so most of his code is quite hard to understand and he's not the best person at understanding how us mere mortals think. I wish him the best in what ever he plans on doing next.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Forms
An insurance claim is not a simple process. For one the form they send me doesn't really have the sections on it to detail what it is I want to claim. So I'm putting it all in a separate letter. Alan, from Crystal, has been very helpful and has produced a nice break down of the costs which I will forward on to the insurance company. Generally lots of info is required and I'm planning on just sending them as much stuff as possible.
The medical costs worked out as
Transfer to Airport $50.00
Taxi costs (have receipts for) $178.00
Physiotherapist
1st Visit $110.00
2nd Visit $85.00
3rd Visit $85.00
Hospital
1st Visit $489.00
Dr Holmen $205.00
Crutches $29.00
2nd Visit $369.00
Dr Buchco $100.00
A total of $1,700.00 which is about 740 GBP.
Proportion of the trip unused and that I'm claiming a refunds for are
Flight 50.00% Unused
Accommodation 66.67% Unused (56 out of 84 nights)
Food 67.21% Unused (41 out of 61 prepaid meals)
Course Frees 87.50% Unused (42 out of 48 prepaid lessons)
Lift Pass 85.54% Unused (71 out of 83 days unable to Ski)
Exam fees Not Used
First Aid Course Not Used
Avalanche Course Not Used
Heliskiing Trip Not Used
Photographs Not Used
so a total claim is about 5,000 GBP.
I've got lots of invoices and receipts to get together and send off to them making sure of course that we photocopy everything before it goes out, just in case!
Jason, who is also going through this process, is so fed up with it he may well end up suing. He's not mending too well, his arm is starting to feel numb so he's off to see a specialist this Thursday to make sure its nothing serious. Fingers crossed for him.
The medical costs worked out as
Transfer to Airport $50.00
Taxi costs (have receipts for) $178.00
Physiotherapist
1st Visit $110.00
2nd Visit $85.00
3rd Visit $85.00
Hospital
1st Visit $489.00
Dr Holmen $205.00
Crutches $29.00
2nd Visit $369.00
Dr Buchco $100.00
A total of $1,700.00 which is about 740 GBP.
Proportion of the trip unused and that I'm claiming a refunds for are
Flight 50.00% Unused
Accommodation 66.67% Unused (56 out of 84 nights)
Food 67.21% Unused (41 out of 61 prepaid meals)
Course Frees 87.50% Unused (42 out of 48 prepaid lessons)
Lift Pass 85.54% Unused (71 out of 83 days unable to Ski)
Exam fees Not Used
First Aid Course Not Used
Avalanche Course Not Used
Heliskiing Trip Not Used
Photographs Not Used
so a total claim is about 5,000 GBP.
I've got lots of invoices and receipts to get together and send off to them making sure of course that we photocopy everything before it goes out, just in case!
Jason, who is also going through this process, is so fed up with it he may well end up suing. He's not mending too well, his arm is starting to feel numb so he's off to see a specialist this Thursday to make sure its nothing serious. Fingers crossed for him.
1st March
Had a phone call from Rich the CTO about when I would be returning to work. Actually it was a whole day of telephone tennis before we managed to talk about 7pm-ish. We agreed I would trying going back to work on the 1st March.
The 1st is a Thursday so I get a couple of days to try and see how easy the commute is before doing a full week which is very sensible.
The 1st is a Thursday so I get a couple of days to try and see how easy the commute is before doing a full week which is very sensible.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Getting back to work
Well started think about getting back into coding today in preparation for going back to work.
Not that I've actually got a return date yet (apart from the 2 April date that we set for my return after the whole ski course). But its important to try and get back into the way of thinking that lets you code. Its a lot like doing crossword puzzles, say you don't do one for a couple of months and then sit down and try one, you'll find it much harder than if you had been doing them all the time.
So I downloaded a bunch of web casts and white papers on different things including Agile development, the new Microsoft technologies (.Net3 and .Net3.5), Ajax and Ruby.
I think that these topics should be helpful once I get back to work if only so I know what on Earth the rest of the Developers there are talking about...
Not that I've actually got a return date yet (apart from the 2 April date that we set for my return after the whole ski course). But its important to try and get back into the way of thinking that lets you code. Its a lot like doing crossword puzzles, say you don't do one for a couple of months and then sit down and try one, you'll find it much harder than if you had been doing them all the time.
So I downloaded a bunch of web casts and white papers on different things including Agile development, the new Microsoft technologies (.Net3 and .Net3.5), Ajax and Ruby.
I think that these topics should be helpful once I get back to work if only so I know what on Earth the rest of the Developers there are talking about...
nhs waiting...
So I had a appointment at the local hospital (the QE2) for 9:15am on Monday. It was all quite quick, partly I think, because of my Canadian medical notes and I didn't need to have a new set of Xrays done. The time consisted of 30 min's waiting with my Mum and then 3 min's meeting with the consultant while he looked at my leg.
He found a new, quite alarming way of making my knee bend so that it clicked
from this he could tell that there was something wrong with the ACL. he was not sure about the PCL, apparently looking at the other knee I have quite a lot of movement (loose knees?) to start with in my knees and so some of the large range of movement may be natural.
He said he was going to put in a request for an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) which will take three or four weeks to happen and then we'll have another consult to discuss what surgery I need.
It will be surgery as he saw from my Canadian notes (and I told him) about being a ski instructor and he agreed that I would need it fixing completely. apparently if your not too active the advice is to learn to live with it and just have some physio but as I want to be active then its the surgery. Also he said he would put me on the more urgent list so I would be more mobile sooner.
I can actually get around quite well now and only use the brace and a walking stick when I go outside.
When I first got back to my parents I didn't trust my leg to walk up stairs without hanging on to the rail. but now I can do it pretty easily. I'm walking around now with my full weight on it just not quite the full extension. I looks a little like I'm crouching down as I don't fully straighten my leg.
I tried a full walking motion this morning, that is start by putting your heal down leg straight, move your weight onto the leg starting to bend the knee and then move forward until just your toes are touching the ground with you leg behind you and all the weight on the other foot.
The motion is pretty good and I'm happy putting weight on the leg except for the very start of the movement. (warning icky bit coming up) When the leg is completely straight and I try and put weight on it, it isn't stable and tries to bend the wrong way. This is a most unpleasant feeling as you can feel all the different bits of the knee in quite a bit of detail as they rub against each other.
Away he put me on the quick list which means 3-4 weeks for the MRI and then about three months wait for the surgery. He also gave me a sick note to sign me off work for six weeks, which is nice (if a not really any use as I'm unemployed!)
Meanwhile ...
Jason called, he's in a bit less pain and the doctors just have him going to a bit of physio on his arm. He's back at his parents but unlike me isn't finding it much fun as he doesn't get on with them too well. His injury too, has rather screwed up his plans which were 1) to be a snowboard instructor 2) to go out to Oz to stay with his Brother. Adding on top that he works in the building industry (carpenter I think) he's not even able to work. It will be about 3 months before he'll be able to use the arm fully again.
and Finally ...
I also seem to be using the word quite, quite a bit, except of course when I misspell and everything gets low volume...
He found a new, quite alarming way of making my knee bend so that it clicked
from this he could tell that there was something wrong with the ACL. he was not sure about the PCL, apparently looking at the other knee I have quite a lot of movement (loose knees?) to start with in my knees and so some of the large range of movement may be natural.
He said he was going to put in a request for an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) which will take three or four weeks to happen and then we'll have another consult to discuss what surgery I need.
It will be surgery as he saw from my Canadian notes (and I told him) about being a ski instructor and he agreed that I would need it fixing completely. apparently if your not too active the advice is to learn to live with it and just have some physio but as I want to be active then its the surgery. Also he said he would put me on the more urgent list so I would be more mobile sooner.
I can actually get around quite well now and only use the brace and a walking stick when I go outside.
When I first got back to my parents I didn't trust my leg to walk up stairs without hanging on to the rail. but now I can do it pretty easily. I'm walking around now with my full weight on it just not quite the full extension. I looks a little like I'm crouching down as I don't fully straighten my leg.
I tried a full walking motion this morning, that is start by putting your heal down leg straight, move your weight onto the leg starting to bend the knee and then move forward until just your toes are touching the ground with you leg behind you and all the weight on the other foot.
The motion is pretty good and I'm happy putting weight on the leg except for the very start of the movement. (warning icky bit coming up) When the leg is completely straight and I try and put weight on it, it isn't stable and tries to bend the wrong way. This is a most unpleasant feeling as you can feel all the different bits of the knee in quite a bit of detail as they rub against each other.
Away he put me on the quick list which means 3-4 weeks for the MRI and then about three months wait for the surgery. He also gave me a sick note to sign me off work for six weeks, which is nice (if a not really any use as I'm unemployed!)
Meanwhile ...
Jason called, he's in a bit less pain and the doctors just have him going to a bit of physio on his arm. He's back at his parents but unlike me isn't finding it much fun as he doesn't get on with them too well. His injury too, has rather screwed up his plans which were 1) to be a snowboard instructor 2) to go out to Oz to stay with his Brother. Adding on top that he works in the building industry (carpenter I think) he's not even able to work. It will be about 3 months before he'll be able to use the arm fully again.
and Finally ...
I also seem to be using the word quite, quite a bit, except of course when I misspell and everything gets low volume...
Friday, February 09, 2007
I'm now a Landlord
Well after not managing to get anyone into my flat all the time I was away in Canada the agents have finally sort it out and managed to rent the flat out at 180p/w
to a Scottish guy called John.
He will be moving in on Friday evening and doesn't mind about the bed.
For those of you that don't know my flat is quite small (its in the docklands so space costs a lot of money) and so the double bed is raised up to make a space underneath for an office.
I just have to pay for a clean up of the flat and for someone to take an inventory of the contents.
I think as soon as I told them to drop the price (just before I flew back), which they had originally at 210p/w, to 190p/w people started to look at it and then it went pretty fast.
I had aimed for 190p/w but its much better to have someone in and paying than it sitting empty.
Now all I have to do is find somewhere for me to live once the knee is better.
to a Scottish guy called John.
He will be moving in on Friday evening and doesn't mind about the bed.
For those of you that don't know my flat is quite small (its in the docklands so space costs a lot of money) and so the double bed is raised up to make a space underneath for an office.
I just have to pay for a clean up of the flat and for someone to take an inventory of the contents.
I think as soon as I told them to drop the price (just before I flew back), which they had originally at 210p/w, to 190p/w people started to look at it and then it went pretty fast.
I had aimed for 190p/w but its much better to have someone in and paying than it sitting empty.
Now all I have to do is find somewhere for me to live once the knee is better.
Letting Work know
A tricking thing but I had to let everyone know now that I'm back, what's happened and that I'm back in the country.
This broke down into two groups Work and everyone else.
Well everyone else was straight forward about half already knew due to this blog and I sent out a quick email just to let everyone know. I got a lot of very nice emails back from all sorts of different people saying get well soon and we should met up for a drink when I feel up for it.
Work was also fine, a bit more of a shock as not many of them know about the blog. Basically Rich and Rob said they would be quite happy to have me back as soon as I feel up to it.
So it's fine and a weight off my mind.
I'll see what the NHS say about getting an operation and then arrange to go back to work in (hopefully) a couple of weeks when the knee will be more able to cope with travelling into London by train.
This broke down into two groups Work and everyone else.
Well everyone else was straight forward about half already knew due to this blog and I sent out a quick email just to let everyone know. I got a lot of very nice emails back from all sorts of different people saying get well soon and we should met up for a drink when I feel up for it.
Work was also fine, a bit more of a shock as not many of them know about the blog. Basically Rich and Rob said they would be quite happy to have me back as soon as I feel up to it.
So it's fine and a weight off my mind.
I'll see what the NHS say about getting an operation and then arrange to go back to work in (hopefully) a couple of weeks when the knee will be more able to cope with travelling into London by train.
Knees, GPs and bits of paper.
Its crazy because I'm at my Parents I can't really go to my own doctor so I wanted to go to the local one that my Parents use. I only wanted a referral to the hospital and didn't want to trouble the GP for anything else (such as drugs).
However the is a rule that GP are not allow to refer temporary visitors (only give them drugs) and they force you to register just to get a referral (and as a result deregister from you own GP). So after some serious form filling in. I get to come back that evening to see the GP and get him to make an appointment at the fracture clinic at the local hospital. The visit with the GP takes about 2mins, half the time it takes to register.
Fortunately I get a phone call fairly quickly saying I have an appointment on Monday at the hospital. They should be able to tell me how long it will take and what can be done about it. This will start the whole waiting list process and hopefully the doctor will be able to answer questions such as what is the length of rehab and more importantly can I ski next year?
However the is a rule that GP are not allow to refer temporary visitors (only give them drugs) and they force you to register just to get a referral (and as a result deregister from you own GP). So after some serious form filling in. I get to come back that evening to see the GP and get him to make an appointment at the fracture clinic at the local hospital. The visit with the GP takes about 2mins, half the time it takes to register.
Fortunately I get a phone call fairly quickly saying I have an appointment on Monday at the hospital. They should be able to tell me how long it will take and what can be done about it. This will start the whole waiting list process and hopefully the doctor will be able to answer questions such as what is the length of rehab and more importantly can I ski next year?
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Back to Blighty
Well the start of the six nations England v Scotland match was certainly worth travelling through the night all the way from Canada to see.
The trip to the airport was a little strange because just as we got down out of the mountains we left the sunny blue skies and the weather conditions got really bad. most of the way it was a white out with quite a bit of snow falling. So much so the flight was delayed while they had to deice the wings.
The airport was fun mainly because the customs desk is miles from the air canada desk (I had to get my receipts stamped so I can claim the tax back on the stuff I bought). Also we had a little fun with the check in as my medical clearance to fly didn't show up on their system. fortunately I had all the documentation on me and was able to get it sorted that way. They got me a wheel chair and I whizzed through passport control and past the xray machine. They xray my stuff including the crutches but I just was given a quick hand search (ooh missus!). Then they wheeled me up to the exit gate and parked me until it was time for the flight. This was all great but by the time they loaded me onto the plane, I was first on, I was busting for a pee.
The flight was nice, especially as I was in first class. the meals where on proper plates and the wine in real glasses. This was demonstrated by one of the air hostesses when she dropped a couple of glasses and covered the floor in bits of glass. I decided not to take my shoes off for this flight. The seats where nice and big with controls to electronically lift the foot rest and lower the back. The seat also had a built in TV and I watch the film 'The Prestige' (good) and 'The Illusionist' (better) again despite the entertain system crashing a couple of times.
I was struck, while we were coming in to land, by how much I had missed the colour green while I was in Banff. The fields and trees where very colourful in the briliant clear sunshine as southern England was having a very nice day.
At Heathrow I was last off the plane and got another wheel chair ride back out through the special medical and cabin crew gates and out to meet my dad who was waiting out the front.
So it was off back to Watton to catch up with everybody and then off to Ivy's party, which was fun although by that time it was all I could do not to fall asleep.
The trip to the airport was a little strange because just as we got down out of the mountains we left the sunny blue skies and the weather conditions got really bad. most of the way it was a white out with quite a bit of snow falling. So much so the flight was delayed while they had to deice the wings.
The airport was fun mainly because the customs desk is miles from the air canada desk (I had to get my receipts stamped so I can claim the tax back on the stuff I bought). Also we had a little fun with the check in as my medical clearance to fly didn't show up on their system. fortunately I had all the documentation on me and was able to get it sorted that way. They got me a wheel chair and I whizzed through passport control and past the xray machine. They xray my stuff including the crutches but I just was given a quick hand search (ooh missus!). Then they wheeled me up to the exit gate and parked me until it was time for the flight. This was all great but by the time they loaded me onto the plane, I was first on, I was busting for a pee.
The flight was nice, especially as I was in first class. the meals where on proper plates and the wine in real glasses. This was demonstrated by one of the air hostesses when she dropped a couple of glasses and covered the floor in bits of glass. I decided not to take my shoes off for this flight. The seats where nice and big with controls to electronically lift the foot rest and lower the back. The seat also had a built in TV and I watch the film 'The Prestige' (good) and 'The Illusionist' (better) again despite the entertain system crashing a couple of times.
I was struck, while we were coming in to land, by how much I had missed the colour green while I was in Banff. The fields and trees where very colourful in the briliant clear sunshine as southern England was having a very nice day.
At Heathrow I was last off the plane and got another wheel chair ride back out through the special medical and cabin crew gates and out to meet my dad who was waiting out the front.
So it was off back to Watton to catch up with everybody and then off to Ivy's party, which was fun although by that time it was all I could do not to fall asleep.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Times up in Canada
I'm just waiting for the transfer bus to the airport due at 1:30. So Rich and I are watch a last bit of biker build off and sci fi stuff on the TV while I finish packing.
Last night we all had a jolly night out starting with us all going to Mellisa's followed by a quick lesson on ski tuning, then off to the rose and crown, and finally Hoodoo nightclub. the whole thing finished around 2:30 with sitting in the hotel reception watching the more drunk members of the group returning from town. It was nice to see everyone together for one last time.
I was lucky with the ski tuning lesson as they managed to have one of the session before I headed off home. The lesson covered waxing, edging and filling in holes on the underside of the skis. These things repair normal damage to the ski and lets them run faster and make more accurate turns. We got to try out the techniques on a couple of old skis. It should save me some money in the long run as I will be able to do some of the things you would normally need to pay a ski shop to do, to keep my skis in top condition.
Last night we all had a jolly night out starting with us all going to Mellisa's followed by a quick lesson on ski tuning, then off to the rose and crown, and finally Hoodoo nightclub. the whole thing finished around 2:30 with sitting in the hotel reception watching the more drunk members of the group returning from town. It was nice to see everyone together for one last time.
I was lucky with the ski tuning lesson as they managed to have one of the session before I headed off home. The lesson covered waxing, edging and filling in holes on the underside of the skis. These things repair normal damage to the ski and lets them run faster and make more accurate turns. We got to try out the techniques on a couple of old skis. It should save me some money in the long run as I will be able to do some of the things you would normally need to pay a ski shop to do, to keep my skis in top condition.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Jason
another blow to the IA yesterday
one of my good friends here, Jason, badly dislocated his shoulder while out boarding.
He went off to the hospital and came back with quite an evil looking torture device designed to stop his arm dropping out of its shoulder socket. Unlike me he is in qutie a bit of pain and so we decided we would try quite a lot of alcohol to see if that helped. It did a bit !
so unfortunatly he too will be heading home early.
one of my good friends here, Jason, badly dislocated his shoulder while out boarding.
He went off to the hospital and came back with quite an evil looking torture device designed to stop his arm dropping out of its shoulder socket. Unlike me he is in qutie a bit of pain and so we decided we would try quite a lot of alcohol to see if that helped. It did a bit !
so unfortunatly he too will be heading home early.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)