Isolated Blurt Thread Again

The temperature dropped into the 40s a few times. We actually got 3 Florida winters. One week in 3 out of 4 months.
 
That beats the heck out of shoveling snow in NJ. ;)

I'm just hoping hurricane season doesn't get worse than shoveling snow in New Jersey. But I missed one right before I moved down here and got lucky this last year. So we'll see...
 
I'm just hoping hurricane season doesn't get worse than shoveling snow in New Jersey. But I missed one right before I moved down here and got lucky this last year. So we'll see...

As long as Florida treats you kindly, TPG.
 
Today is our wedding anniversary but not a significant number: 47 years.

We will celebrate with a quiet meal for two in a local restaurant.

47 years ago we had our reception in a local pub's restaurant. In the evening we were in a grotty holiday flat and couldn't get the electric cooker to work without blowing the fuzes so we had take-away fish and chips.

A meal in a restaurant is much more civilised.

Why a grotty holiday flat?

Our house purchase was stalled for six weeks. We needed somewhere to live for those six weeks and the holiday flat was the only local place that was available. Both of us had to be back at work on Monday morning. Six weeks later we could take a week's holiday to organise our new house.

We were grateful to the flat's owners. They too were moving in three months time and had taken the flat off the brochures for that year because the new owners would use it for their extended family. If they had been intending to rent it out they would have replaced the cooker and fridge. We survived by using two Primus stoves and take-aways, with full cooked meals at our workplaces.

But it was our first married home. Despite its limitations we still remember it fondly.
 
Today is our wedding anniversary but not a significant number: 47 years.

We will celebrate with a quiet meal for two in a local restaurant.

47 years ago we had our reception in a local pub's restaurant. In the evening we were in a grotty holiday flat and couldn't get the electric cooker to work without blowing the fuzes so we had take-away fish and chips.

A meal in a restaurant is much more civilised.

Why a grotty holiday flat?

Our house purchase was stalled for six weeks. We needed somewhere to live for those six weeks and the holiday flat was the only local place that was available. Both of us had to be back at work on Monday morning. Six weeks later we could take a week's holiday to organise our new house.

We were grateful to the flat's owners. They too were moving in three months time and had taken the flat off the brochures for that year because the new owners would use it for their extended family. If they had been intending to rent it out they would have replaced the cooker and fridge. We survived by using two Primus stoves and take-aways, with full cooked meals at our workplaces.

But it was our first married home. Despite its limitations we still remember it fondly.

:rose::heart: Happy 47th :heart::rose:
In more recent years, it seems the gift/association list has been updated (I only know this cause I'm nosy and looked it up) -- it's the year of books and/or memorializing your love story.

Any chance you'd add 500 words ;) But perhaps it's too precious to share with the masses.

Thanks for sharing with here--a lovely lovely memory!!
 
:rose::heart: Happy 47th :heart::rose:
In more recent years, it seems the gift/association list has been updated (I only know this cause I'm nosy and looked it up) -- it's the year of books and/or memorializing your love story.

Any chance you'd add 500 words ;) But perhaps it's too precious to share with the masses.

Thanks for sharing with here--a lovely lovely memory!!

Thank you. Year of books? That gives me an idea.

Shortly after we had moved into our new-to-us house we decided to take a day's break from sorting, decorating etc. We went to Hastings for the day. As we were walking through the old town we noticed a book for sale in a secondhand bookdealer's window. It was a fine leather-bound 19th century edition of Cervantes' Don Quixote in English with a 1,000 illustrations by Gustave Doré. It was priced at ten pounds, far more than we could afford or justify at that time.

But when we walked back down the road we stopped again and stared at the book. We talked about it and the counted just how much money we had on us - just a few pence more than ten pounds - and our bank accounts were empty until payday.

We bought the book and lived on tins and packets from the kitchen cupboards until after payday.

We still have it and love it, but after 47 years of reading and rereading one of the boards has become detached and needs a professional repair.

So, for the year of the book, I'll get it repaired. It will cost about 200 pounds and a replacement would cost about the same - but a replacement wouldn't be OUR book, our first married purchase together.
 
Thank you. Year of books? That gives me an idea.

Shortly after we had moved into our new-to-us house we decided to take a day's break from sorting, decorating etc. We went to Hastings for the day. As we were walking through the old town we noticed a book for sale in a secondhand bookdealer's window. It was a fine leather-bound 19th century edition of Cervantes' Don Quixote in English with a 1,000 illustrations by Gustave Doré. It was priced at ten pounds, far more than we could afford or justify at that time.

But when we walked back down the road we stopped again and stared at the book. We talked about it and the counted just how much money we had on us - just a few pence more than ten pounds - and our bank accounts were empty until payday.

We bought the book and lived on tins and packets from the kitchen cupboards until after payday.

We still have it and love it, but after 47 years of reading and rereading one of the boards has become detached and needs a professional repair.

So, for the year of the book, I'll get it repaired. It will cost about 200 pounds and a replacement would cost about the same - but a replacement wouldn't be OUR book, our first married purchase together.

Sweet story and perfect for the AH. A day late but Happy Anniversary!
 
Thank you. Year of books? That gives me an idea.

Shortly after we had moved into our new-to-us house we decided to take a day's break from sorting, decorating etc. We went to Hastings for the day. As we were walking through the old town we noticed a book for sale in a secondhand bookdealer's window. It was a fine leather-bound 19th century edition of Cervantes' Don Quixote in English with a 1,000 illustrations by Gustave Doré. It was priced at ten pounds, far more than we could afford or justify at that time.

But when we walked back down the road we stopped again and stared at the book. We talked about it and the counted just how much money we had on us - just a few pence more than ten pounds - and our bank accounts were empty until payday.

We bought the book and lived on tins and packets from the kitchen cupboards until after payday.

We still have it and love it, but after 47 years of reading and rereading one of the boards has become detached and needs a professional repair.

So, for the year of the book, I'll get it repaired. It will cost about 200 pounds and a replacement would cost about the same - but a replacement wouldn't be OUR book, our first married purchase together.

*swoons*

This is so moving! No romance story is lovelier than a true romance story, especially one with so many treasures!

And budgeting to buy the book makes me think of Tracey Smith’s The Good Life

When some people talk about money
They speak as if it were a mysterious lover
Who went out to buy milk and never
Came back, and it makes me nostalgic
For the years I lived on coffee and bread,
Hungry all the time, walking to work on payday
Like a woman journeying for water
From a village without a well, then living
One or two nights like everyone else
On roast chicken and red wine.


Here’s to the next 47yrs; hoping its all nights of wine and roast chicken! congrats again :rose:
 
One of the many large illustrations from Don Quixote, shown about half size:

QuixoteandPanza.jpg
 
I still have a New Jersey automobile inspection sticker on my windshield.
 
I submitted my first story since 2012 this morning.
It's short.
I'm terrified honestly lol.
:eek:

Here goes nothing!
 
Medical Progress...

I saw a specialist neurologist on 1 March who didn't find anything wrong in his specialism but he ordered extensive blood tests for apparently everything except pregnancy. The results of those blood tests haven't arrived yet, possibly because some have to be done in a specialist laboratory. He told me he would refer me to an ENT specialist but I had heard nothing.

I went to my local doctor this morning. I should have had a copy of the neurologist's report by post - I haven't had it. She read it to me. Apparently my muscles and reflexes are 'normal' or even 'good' for someone of my age so the neurologist can't find anything causing me to fall over, walk unsteadily and with slurred speech. I would fail a US field sobriety test but otherwise I'm OK. :eek:

The local doctor is contacting my health insurers to arrange a faster referral to ENT. Apparently the NHS waiting list for ENT is months long once you have the letter, but I haven't had the letter so I'm not 'waiting' yet...

I should be seen by a private ENT consultant within weeks but I'm not convinced it is an ENT problem. If they decide I'm normal? Then I get referred to yet another specialism.

Meanwhile? I wobble around on a stick and only my wife can understand my speech. That is irritating both of us.

Even my coffee tastes wrong. Grrr!
 
I saw a specialist neurologist on 1 March who didn't find anything wrong in his specialism but he ordered extensive blood tests for apparently everything except pregnancy. The results of those blood tests haven't arrived yet, possibly because some have to be done in a specialist laboratory. He told me he would refer me to an ENT specialist but I had heard nothing.

I went to my local doctor this morning. I should have had a copy of the neurologist's report by post - I haven't had it. She read it to me. Apparently my muscles and reflexes are 'normal' or even 'good' for someone of my age so the neurologist can't find anything causing me to fall over, walk unsteadily and with slurred speech. I would fail a US field sobriety test but otherwise I'm OK. :eek:

The local doctor is contacting my health insurers to arrange a faster referral to ENT. Apparently the NHS waiting list for ENT is months long once you have the letter, but I haven't had the letter so I'm not 'waiting' yet...

I should be seen by a private ENT consultant within weeks but I'm not convinced it is an ENT problem. If they decide I'm normal? Then I get referred to yet another specialism.

Meanwhile? I wobble around on a stick and only my wife can understand my speech. That is irritating both of us.

Even my coffee tastes wrong. Grrr!

Og-
Sorry to learn of this. You are one of the brighter stars in the Lit constellation. You are also a bit more cosmopolitan than the average bear. In addition, the fact that you are a bibliophile makes you one of the very few folk who make this place worthwhile.

I hope the medicos get you diagnosed and properly treated.


 
One of my new stories I submitted yesterday has tomorrows date on it...
I'm so nervous.
:eek:
 
I saw a specialist neurologist on 1 March who didn't find anything wrong in his specialism but he ordered extensive blood tests for apparently everything except pregnancy. The results of those blood tests haven't arrived yet, possibly because some have to be done in a specialist laboratory. He told me he would refer me to an ENT specialist but I had heard nothing.

I went to my local doctor this morning. I should have had a copy of the neurologist's report by post - I haven't had it. She read it to me. Apparently my muscles and reflexes are 'normal' or even 'good' for someone of my age so the neurologist can't find anything causing me to fall over, walk unsteadily and with slurred speech. I would fail a US field sobriety test but otherwise I'm OK. :eek:

The local doctor is contacting my health insurers to arrange a faster referral to ENT. Apparently the NHS waiting list for ENT is months long once you have the letter, but I haven't had the letter so I'm not 'waiting' yet...

I should be seen by a private ENT consultant within weeks but I'm not convinced it is an ENT problem. If they decide I'm normal? Then I get referred to yet another specialism.

Meanwhile? I wobble around on a stick and only my wife can understand my speech. That is irritating both of us.

Even my coffee tastes wrong. Grrr!

I'm so sorry to read this, Ogg. You are and your wife will on my thoughts and in my prayers. Please keep us updated.
 
So I task myself
to blurt out words
in isolation.

I could call it a mumbled shout---out to no one.
But the only sound is the clicking of keys
and the voices in my head
that nobody hears.
Not even me.

In a way it is like pouring out ice water
on hot pavement.
The ice may keep it wet for a while,
but eventually the dampness goes away.

Kind of like sex.
Wet spots remind us of the passion
but they eventually dry up.

Hey…
Imagine that.
I got off onto a sex tangent.
Like that has never happened before.

But where was I?
Oh yes, writing a blurt
that will quickly make it’s way to page 2
and dry up.
 
Fool, you have never produced page 2 material in your life.

You've been missed.
 
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The power of the pen is still mighty and awesome! With such great power comes great responsibility.
 
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