Miscellaneous

1.

The opposite of a hypochondriac is most likely an "anosognosiac" - someone who insists they are perfectly well when that is not the case. Such people try not to visit doctors' surgeries or other health facilities, often pressing ahead with their lives even when they clearly require health support or intervention. That's kind of like me.

Oddly,  in the last week I have been a "customer" of the health service three times with one appointment still to go. Last Wednesday I had my prostate examined by a young doctor called Georgina with a chaperone present - a member of the reception staff. Fortunately for a man of my age there was no problem and Georgina dealt with the procedure very professionally. It was the first time I have ever had my prostate examined.

Yesterday, I went to The Royal Hallamshire Hospital to have bloods taken before tests happen and today I received winter flu and COVID vaccinations at my local health centre. On Friday I am going back there for a full health check to which the blood tests are connected.

My trolls may be disappointed to learn that death is not imminent.

2.

Above - for a year or so these messages have been appearing when I log into my hotmail account. At first I believed that they were from Microsoft so I started deleting hundreds of emails from the past  - especially those with attachments such as images. My clearance efforts made no impact  on the alleged percentage of storage used. Now I just click these warnings away because I believe they are spam messages that are trying to get me to pay for more storage when I don't need it. Has anybody else encountered this kind of messaging within hotmail or perhaps other email accounts?

3.

A rare picture of me with Phoebe - up on Stanage Edge last week. I appear to be squeezing out some people but that is merely an optical illision.

4.

And finally for all you poetry buffs out there and  as half-promised  yesterday, here's two recent poems by Bluto:-

Love Bluto

Olive, my darling, I dream of thee
When e'er I behold the briny sea

Thy limbs as slender as a deer's

And golden studs in thy shell-like ears.

Oh Olive - why did you pick Popeye?

Your cruel choice oft made me cry.

I would have given you everything  -

Upon your hand a wedding ring

And a little house with a picket fence

Where we could dwell in the present tense.

Such dreams have drifted away like mist

With memories of the times we kissed

Along the shore or under a tree

Olive, my darling, I dream of thee.

                     ⦿

Threesome

He was Popeye the sailor man
He was Popeye the sailor man
He went to the pictures
And pulled down his britches
He was Popeye the sailor man.

But me? Well, let's see...

I was Bluto the aid worker
I was Bluto the aid worker
My voice was quite gruff
And my habits were rough
I was Bluto the aid worker

And she?   Dearie me...

She was Olive the mum of four
She was Olive the mum of four
I loved her completely
And remember her sweetly
She was Olive the mother of four.