Another day out the ordinary

Went into the hospital, a day earlier than scheduled, to have my willy tubes and bags removed. What a relief and no odd sensations, but have stripped and exposed my lower regions so many time in the last few weeks, what's another female playing around with it all. Apparently my five wounds - Is that the right term for the places I had laparascopic gear thrust into my belly have never looked better.

Now the degrading bit, panty pads and control management. Must get my pelvic floor exercises going again, but not easy when It hasn't been possible for two weeks and the need to wee was ignored - hell, there was a bag doing all that. Got a busy time ahead so will be practising.

I have at least got two gallery wrap canvasses prepared for a new commission of two paintings, using two photos in Nepal taken from the same spot, but on in daylight, the other at dusk. Not sure when I will start.

Cheque received yesterday for the watercolour I shipped up North last week. Relieved to hear it arrived safely.

Whiling the time

This is the watercolour I was working on last week. It's titled 'Off the Bend'.

The accursed Strictly Come Dancing is on the TV and it's finals night. My wife is not far off addicted to it and yes we have another TV in the house, but I thought I would write in here aiming to get some odd jobs out of the way, like live chat to Kodak Help who cleared my cartridge jam for me. It took 45 minutes but it cleared.

I am looking for good quality reference photos available to artists for use as subjects. My en plein aire sketch books provide wonderful references, like a note book or diary but in pen and ink, but sometimes one needs an extra layer from somewhere else to augment the scene. I think I found some, but of course the printer had jammed. Got them now and might start work tomorrow, after the present wrapping session my wife has planned.

I then checked a pal who lives in an awkward place in a local town, dominated by railway, who might know if there is foot traffic access from the end of his dead end (cul-de-sac) to the river which would give me a lovely loop for a run/walk I am planning for the Hash on Monday Jan 4th. Negative answer so think again.

Try to concentrate on the issue

I really wanted to blog yesterday and got in and then started to browse. Again I was led into art blogs, none stop, continuous feed and all well and interesting, but by the time I had to go for dinner, I hadn't written a damn thing.

Anyone know out there why that's what happens when I click on 'next blog' ? Haven't got time now myself as dinner will be calling, I am tired after writing loads of Christmas cards and there is a match on TV tonight which might grab my attention - if I concentrate.

S'funny that

I am a bit knackered as we have had the delightful (sometimes, as proved today) - Maddy our two and half year old grand Daughter. She is a real cutie and we look after her two days a week to let her mummy do a part time job. It's no hassle but it tires us out. However as I am in recovery still, she found it odd I couldn't hide and chase with her and lift and swing and all the things grand dads do. Then madam took her off to church to see our five year old grandson perform the school nativity (wonder if all the adults were vetted at the door?) It was peace for me, but she disgraced herself on leaving the church (Maddy, not madam) the latter virtually throwing her into the house in disgust. Can you imagine this cutie doing such a thing?

When I entered these hallowed halls this evening and started to browse using the next blog tit, I got a whole series of art blogs. Now why is that? That is my main interest these days, but why? Then I spotted I had to log in, where normally I am straight into this page, odd again, but that might be Googlemeister's security kicking in. Of course I could remember my password, trying one which bombed me out, so I got help and reloaded and here I am, but now I don't feel like contributing much.

Painting in progress

Nearly - I say nearly, as you never know until it's all dry. I have looked at the watercolour through a mirror, the so called classic test where you can see things wrong and yes, I did spot one part which needed a tweak. It's a scene of race horses at a gallop coming head on and meant to be an impression of speed and power, and not an accurate anatomical image. Therefore there are lots of areas where detail is left out. Some horse purists have a go when they see this sort of thing, but I sell 'em so what's the problem?

It's like when I do my steam train paintings, some of the buggers try and count the rivets on the boiler! I ask you?

I had a visit from the district nurse this morning and was impressed. He was early, pleasant and helpful ( about male incontinence products which I need for two weeks). He is ordering some extra bits and pieces for me. I wouldn't have minded if the nurse had been female, I don't have hangups about that sort of thing, I have been seen naked in front of very large groups of people in my time, part of an act you understand. Tell you about it one day, the hidden broom figures.

Inspiration

I watched the film Julia and Julie last night and was enthralled. I am not into cooking, in fact I have difficulty finding the kitchen in our small house. Luckily madam loves to cook and I love to eat.

The film did inspire me to do more in the blog. It's many years since I kept a diary and this won't be one, but I think there are enough interesting, daft or rude things going on my daily grind which maybe worth writing about.

Ref the film, didn't Streep make a wonderful characterisation of Julia Childs? That warbling voice - just delicious.

Wee bits continue, although a cold has crept into the scene, so my snozzle is like a tap and every sneeze really hurts inside. I wonder if it is pulling at internal stitches.

I am going to try and continue with a watercolour painting I started yesterday of racehorses. It is like several I have completed and sold and as I aim to do much more painting in the new year, that subject seems like a nice money spinner. I need the funds as the Numpties who run Southampton City Council are terminating my annual contract in March. A much loved part time job which pulls in the princely sum of £6000pa is being scrapped, but they are appointing a new Director of PR at £87k having spent £400k with outside consultants advising them on the appointment.

Good news this morning on opening my messages is that my remaining painting of the three I submitted to a current exhibition in Winchester is to be sold (That's it above)

Need to organise things as I can't drive since the op.

See ya'

Wee bits

Having just returned from hospital minus a prostate gland which proved malignant but contained, I think in my recuperating period of about a month, I will visit the blog more often. The laparascopic (keyhole) surgery went to plan on Wednesday 9th Dec in Royal County, Winchester (where else?)

I would have liked to have seen and maybe shown you the awkward little bastard, but maybe I should have asked the surgeon first. Apparently it's about the size of a conker with a hole through, as if for the string, but actually rings the urethra.

So now I have a bag attached to my leg which collects my wee wee and needs emptying at a rate of a hundred times a day it seems like. This will be in place until Christmas, when my main present is to have it removed together with the tube up my willy draining my bladder. Too much info maybe.

For a week prior to going in for the op, I was instructed by a delicious young Nigerian physio on how to exercise my pelvic floor muscles. Now bear in mind that these are the same muscles a chap uses to stimulate an erection, so while I was trying them out opposite this chick who insisted on looking at my crotch during the trial, it was an odd experience - but I managed.

Over 24 hours at home, certain occurances make me think there is a niche market for the aftermath of this op or any others where a bag is necessary. More later.....