7 days to go, and counting . . .

This time next week my course officially starts!
I decided that I would have a look at it all today, to get a head start in case of bad health days - and I'm glad I did, as I think I'm going to need that extra time (gulp!)
For all that I've always loved Shakespeare, I find that I've always 'got the gist' of what was going on, rather than fully understanding it all and, on watching The Taming of the Shrew today, I've realised just how much work I'm going to have to put in just to keep up.
I don't mind the hard work, but I'm hoping that I haven't bitten off more than I can chew as, on the evidence of my work on plays with A210, this isn't my strong point (there's another bit of British understatement!) lol
But I'm going to gird my loins (see, I'm getting into the spirit of the language already!), and do my best, as that is all I can do!
On the pet front, we haven't had a good week this week - not through any fault of Tomkins, or our own, but through the vets neglect!
On the day we picked Tomkins up from his previous slaves, I took him straight to the vets for a general check-up, de-fleaing,de-worming, and castrating. The castrating was obvious, and we had no sign of fleas but, this week, all the signs of worms came to the fore, and I am not amused!
When you ask your vet to de-worm your pet, and they charge you for it, then you expect the job to have been done thoroughly but, unfortunately, it looks like they only did a partial wormer, as poor Tomkins had them coming out both ends this last week - it took me going to a more local vets, and picking up a Drontal tablet, to clear our poor little lad of worms!
As Tomkins hasn't been outside the door since the day he got here, we can only assume that the wormer the vets used wasn't for all worms, and this has annoyed me royally, as I wouldn't have asked for a partial wormer, and had assumed that they would have been more thorough - especially as we live in a heavily livestocked area, where worms would definitely not be a welcome visitor!
To make things even worse, when I phoned the vets to check that they had actually given Tomkins a wormer, when I asked how he could have got them, if they had given him the wormer,the woman I spoke to said 'well, it's a mystery, isn't it' - very professional - not!
Fortunately, the tablet I gave him seems to be working OK, and he is much more lively today, with no signs of the infestation but, from now on, if he needs anything like this, I'm going to do it myself, so at least I know it's done properly!
BTW, I had my stiches removed last week, and my hand is slowly, but surely, healing nicely. It's still a bit swollen, and the area where the stitches gaped is still not quite healed up, but I'm very pleased with the progress it's making. I need to build up the strength in my right hand again now, as it's as weak as anything, but I've got good hopes of it getting almost as good as new fairly soon.
Talk again soon . . .

Nearly there!

Well, another couple of days, and I can have my stitches removed - and you don't know how glad I'll be when they are!
A couple of days after the op, I had to have my dressing changed for the first time, and it was discovered that my wound had gaped slightly, so I had the underlying muscle pushing through the area.
A butterfly stitch was applied, in the hopes that it would heal OK but, on the next change, it was slightly more bulged, so the nurse applied some silver nitrate to the open area, and it has started to heal up nicely at last!
In the meantime, my hand is itching like mad, which is good, in that it shows that the healing process is going strong, but which is also driving me nuts, as the area is too tender to scratch - I do hope the removal of the stitches eases the itch a little! lol
As far as my studies are concerned, the online access for my Shakespeare course becomes live on the 22nd, so I am very much looking forward to discovering my fellow students, and what is expected of us in this course.
Strangely enough, although I've had my course books for the last week (amazingly, the comb-bound stuff came at the same time as the ordinary course books!), I haven't once been tempted to open them yet - definitely not like me - but I guess pain brought on by my various complaints, that are reacting to this atrocious weather, and an itching hand from the op., have been distracting me somewhat!
I'll, hopefully, get swiftly back into study mode once the course site opens in a couple of days, and it'll be all systems go for studying the Bard!
Talk to you again soon!

Pressing That key again!

Here's the latest picture of my bundle of trouble, Tomkins - I titled it: 'What Happens if I Pull This?'

I have to confess to being guilty of pressing that key again!

I couldn't resist it any longer, and pressed the key that would reserve a place for me in October's A215 course! lol

I know I've got my Shakespeare short course starting in Feb., but I know how popular the Creative Writing course is, and was afraid it'd get booked up early, so I did the deed, and now i'm just waiting for the forms etc., so I can pay for it.

On the medical front, I had the operation for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on my right hand on monday - and, once again, I did it under a local anasthetic. The surgical staff were brilliant and, as with my left hand, it took a total of ten minutes for the actual op!

I was fortunate to be seen when I was but, as a lot of wards were closed because of this awful bug going around, it left the theater free for minor ops, and so I was phoned on friday, and asked to come in on monday.

I was also fortunate that my dutch friend, and fellow sister in the truth, Mirjam, happened to be here when the call came, and she offered to take me up there, so I was able to say 'yes' straight away.

So, I am sitting here, typing this blog left-handed (thank heavens it's not handwriting, otherwise you'd never be able to read it!). It's taking me a lot longer to do, but I'm determined to keep on! (grin)

Talk to you again soon!