Non-event Monday

It's one of those Monday's when I just can't get motivated. I'm active - I've done the washing-up, cooked breakfast and vacuum cleaned all over. I feel as if I should be doing things and I'm sure there are things waiting to be done, but I just can't get started.
My wife is at home for another week recovering from what is probably a kidney infection. She's on a cocktail of pain killers which are making her very tired. It's a bot odd having her about at the moment, and I must remember not to burst into song, forgetting she is in the other room.
Weather is horrible. It is grey, misty and damp - typical 'leading up to Winter' weather.
I could be doing some work on our group funding bid. I have about a third of the application form to complete, but I really don't feel in the mood. I have to be in the right frame of mind to do things, as I've mentioned before.
I do need to reply to a Psychology student who wishes to gain some experience by joining our support group as a volunteer. I will ask her to come along Tuesday 30th. Perhaps she could do a little talk about her studies  and what has made her interested in mental health.
Yesterday wasn't too bad. If I go down, it's normally on a Sunday. I managed to busy myself fixing a friend's WIFI. She lives in Spalding so it wasn't too far to go. It didn't take me long to get things up and running for her and we sat and talked for a while, which was nice.
In the news, the Jimmy Savile 'scandal' seems to have felled its first TV executive. Peter Rippon has stepped aside whilst the BBC investigation continues. Peter is editor of Newsnight and was responsible for dropping the Jimmy Savile story when its own investigation revealed allegations into his conduct. I doubt very much if Peter will be the last and more revelations are expected following a special Panorama programme tonight on BBC1.
My Moodscope rating is 26% today, not bad at all and a true reflection I think.

50 Years

It was my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. I think about what life could have been like 50 years ago. There is much to remind us, most of which can now be found online in various media. It was clearly very different to today. On this day in 1962, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. The Cuban Missile crisis was being fought out between Kruschev and Kennedy and many must have wondered if they would live to see the next day. I have broached this subject with my parents with a view to discovering how they felt at this time and whether the crisis permeated into normal everyday life. Their recollections seem pretty vague and I wonder if there was much concern at the time amongst the general public. Perhaps it wasn't reported fully until the crisis had passed? We know that news of world events took time to reach the TV and press. There was no instant live news reporting as we know it now. Perhaps the general public were really oblivious to what was going on and just how perilous things were?
I do begin to wonder if the reason my parents were married during one of the most traumatic weeks in our modern history could be down to the fact that people really didn't know what would happen so rushed to have their weddings as soon as they could. I wonder if statistics would bare this out, an increase in ceremonies taking place during this week in 1962?
This period in history really does fascinate me. The fact that two men were deciding the futures of countless millions of people. Was there still a 'stiff upper lip' war years spirit that prevented the panic we would see today should a similar situation occur? As there were many who had lived through WWII, was there a false sense of security that we would somehow 'win' and come out unscathed? Only this would be much much different.
Unlike today, very little was known about how the country would defend itself and I suspect the public were kept in the dark about the workings of the government and the military. They had heard that Britain 'had the bomb' and knew that it was being tested in remote parts of the world, but that was probably the limit of their knowledge. Most remained ignorant to its destructive force and effects.
Just what was society like then and did people really know how high the stakes really were? Would society react in the same way today? Somehow I very much doubt it...

The Two Fingered WIFI salute

I was very amused to read on BBC News Online this afternoon an article about 'aggressive passive WIFI naming'. It turns out people have been naming their WIFI networks to give messages to neighbours and others who stumble across them. Some of the names include 'keep_your_cats_off_my_lawn' and 'stop_moving_furniture_at_night'. Others have referred to neighbours noisy sex sessions.
In addition to thinly veiled rants, some names warn would be WIFI hijackers to steer clear and not to even attempt connecting.
How wonderful it is to read of a very clever modern day equivalent of sticking a sign up outside your house to dissuade any unruly neighbour or would be thief. I do like this :-)

(Moodscope rating today is 24%... getting better)

Happy Days

Oh Happy Days...

Playground Butterfly

Something different. Collecting my Son from school this afternoon, I almost trod on a rather nice looking butterfly having a rest on the playground in the brief sunshine. Just managed to get a snap before it flew off...

Praise for the 111 Service

At 1am last night, I found myself dialling 111 for my wife who had taken ill with severe abdominal pains. Ironically, I had earlier watched Channel 4's '999 - What's Your Emergency'. I was immediately put in touch with a trained and professional operative who talked me through basic checks. They dispatched a Paramedic who arrived in a few minutes preceded by a First Response unit from our local town of Long Sutton. The response was nothing short of instant and the care we received was simply first class.
It was decided that my wife should attend hospital and an ambulance was requested by the Paramedic, but she was told there would have been a wait for one to become available. Instead of waiting, the Paramedic drove my wife to QE II Hospital, King's Lynn where she was treated.
Although the exact cause for the pain hasn't been established, my wife does have pain reducing medication and antibiotics. These are helping though we will need reassess her condition at the weekend.
We live in what I would consider to be a fairly remote location on the edge of the Wash. Despite this, we were attended to within minutes by well-equipped and highly professional personnel.
A huge thanks to the emergency response teams of Long Sutton and Moulton Chapel! I appreciate it.

CBT No More!

I've been attending CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) sessions for the last three months and I was due to have my 6th session of the allocated 8 during the last week. I normally receive an SMS message to remind me of my appointment time but I didn't receive one. I rely on SMS reminders all the time and find it a great way of keeping me in check with my Google Calendar.
I called this morning hoping I could find out the time of my next appointment and I was told that I had been discharged (or struck-off) as I had missed my last appointment. I did stress that I hadn't received a text message but I was told I would have to now re-apply and join the (8 month) waiting list for therapy.
I'm a little angered that their reminder service has failed, but at the same time relieved that I no longer have the stress and anxiety of making sure I've completed the homework. To be honest, I really hated it and I do not believe it has done anything to help my depression. Depression cannot be controlled by CBT as I'm convinced that it is not caused by the way I think or analyse a problem.
I'm pretty glad to be shot of it. It wasn't working and it was doing me more harm than good. That's not to say it won't work for anyone - it will benefit someone - but not me.
So thanks all at NHS Riverside, Spalding. Your CBT therapy didn't work and neither did your reminder service.