Thursday, March 26, 2015

Out Damned Spot Revisited

The mole which I had removed turned out to be a melanoma 'in situ' which means that it was caught at a very early stage before it had penetrated the skin.  I was very lucky but the pathologist recommended that some more tissue should be removed just in case.  So yesterday I went back and had my nicely healed incision cut out and a bigger, wider one made.   I am now back to square one with eight stitches instead of the original six and another two weeks of bandaged back.  And it itches and is more uncomfortable.  I should be grateful that the melanoma is all gone and here I am complaining about a little discomfort.


It was a glorious morning this morning so I loaded the cats into the Kitty Carriage and took them down to the park.  Poppy elected to watch from the safety  the Kitty Carriage but Parsifal climbed out and had a sniff around and chewed on some grass.  There was a flock of white cockatoos eating the grass and they were so unafraid that we were able to walk right through them and they only took flight at the very last minute which was great fun for the cats.


Then we dropped into Zoo where Parsifal explored the cat furniture and had a cuddle with Roz.  Once again, Poppy stayed in her safe place  -  but that was OK.


I have started spinning the first of my four braids of Polwarth 'Watercolor' for another vest.  The vest which I am currently knitting from the Rhinebeck/Metro Brown yarn is going to be too big but that just means that it will be loose and I can wear more clothes underneath.  I will knit the Watercolor a size smaller.  I had not taken into account the fact that I have lost eleven kilos and have gone down a dress size.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Out Damned Spot!

Last week my doctor examined my skin for nasties and lit on a mole on my back which I could only see with the aid of three mirrors.  Although it was not black it showed irregular borders and she decided that it needed to come out.

Yesterday I saw another doctor in the practice who does minor surgery and she removed the offending spot.  We are now awaiting the pathology to ascertain if it is a melanoma or not and we go from there.  In the meanwhile, I have stitches in my back and a waterproof dressing and will be having baths for the next few nights.  The dressings and stitches are supposed to remain in for two weeks and I have an appointment next Wednesday morning to have the dressing changed.  That needs a doctor to instruct the nurse and since my own GP will be away next week the one who did the surgery will have to preside.  I presume that the same process will have to take place when the stitches come out.  (memo to self:  Make appointment to see my own GP the week after next.)

I now know how Poppy was feeling after her lump was removed; it itches and hurts on and off  -  the itching more on than off.  Her incision has almost healed now and she is a happy little cat again and Parsifal has mostly stopped annoying her.  Maybe he was only trying to help her and she mis-interpreted his intentions.

I spent yesterday uploading MS Office for School & Home  on my new Surface Pro 3 -  it took all afternoon  (I kept getting the message "You have a slow connection; this may take some time.) -  and I have spent the morning downloading MS Office Picture Manager which is not in the latest MS Office Suite but so many people have asked for it back that there are instructions on the internet.  I am finally getting my Surface Pro 3 set up but it is fiddly and I hate the mail although I am starting to find out how it works.  At least is seems to have loaded my contacts list, although it may only be my yahoo one.  I guess that will sort itself out eventually.  The folders do not seem to have come with the rest so that will be the next fun job.  I guess that it is a good way to keep my brain from atrophying.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Bells and Whistles III

Surprise!  Yesterday my intercom was working again but the first and only call which came through was from a woman looking for 601 so I can only hope that the powers that be have got their wiring correct.  When the building was first open, people trying to contact 511 were connected to 602 and since it was The Party Boys who lived in 511 and their parties often started at 2.00am it was no fun for the occupant of 602 who was constantly being woken at all hours of the night and into the early morning.


I had my skin checked yesterday and there is a naevus which has to come off.  It is right in the middle of my back where I can't see it so I have to take my doctors word for it that it is better off than on.  It is being removed on Monday so my yoga may have to be suspended for a short while.  My doctor is the third person who has suggested that I might have psoriasis so I am beginning to think that maybe I actually do have it and that is the reason that I itch.


I have finished spinning the Rhinebeck/Metro Brown yarn and am already some way to knitting up the front of the vest I am making with it.  It is not my colours but is rather nice.


I have sourced a site which dyes and sells solid colours so I will be able to do more of the matched plying but first I need to get on and spin up some of the fibre I have stashed.  Or perhaps I could start matching up the colourways I already have with solids.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Bells and whistles II

On Saturday night (7th March) I decided to try appealing to a higher authority regarding the intercom system  -  or the non-intercom system as it is now  -  and posted a complaint on the "Our Community" forum.  This morning I received a phone call from someone there.  She has obviously contacted and spoken to the person responsible for getting things fixed.  He said that he only found out about it last Friday 6th March when things "blew up" and he was going to have to get  technicians in to fix the problem; that it might be a big job and take a while to fix.


Hmmm  -  at least something is going to be done now but I am very angry that my
phone calls to report the failure of the intercom were either forgotten or brushed aside as some kind of hysterical fantasy on my part.


I cut the kittens' fingernails this morning, having deemed Poppy sufficiently recovered to cope but, as usual, she took great umbrage and bit me on the thumb.  I have had her right leg checked out by a vet and no problem was found so I can't understand her.  I can only think that at some stage before I got her someone cut too close to the quick and she has never forgotten.  She was getting quite good about it but we are obviously going to have to start all over again.


I plied the last of the Rhinebeck/Metro Brown spinning this morning and will skein it tomorrow.  Then it is back to the Jewel  -  but only two braids left to do.  There is a new 'Discworld' site on Ravelry.com and various dyers have been asked to produce two colourways depicting characters from the Discworld Series.  I don't need it but there is an absolutely beautiful merino/silk colourway called 'Quoth', all in iridescent raven-coloured fibre;  I have ordered six braids, enough for a jacket or sweater.  It will probably not arrive until May but I am not short of fibre to spin so I am happy to wait.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Bells and Whistles

My apartment intercom has been down for the last eight days and the only people who can get into my apartment are the ones who know my telephone number and can phone up to say that they are unable to attract my attention in any other way.  I have reported it twice; last Thursday and again yesterday when I found that one of the other apartment residents also has a non-functioning intercom, leading me to suspect that the whole complex is affected.  The problem is that unless people are familiar with the working s of the intercom any visitors probably think that we are away from home.


At this juncture I am happy to report that I have two happy cats.  I am not sure if it is the result of the Happy Gas and the Happy Chicken-and Duck soothing treats which they eat in the mornings.  The instructions for these are rather amusing:- 
"DIRECTIONS  FOR USE:
To provide optimal emotional balance for your pet, administer the daily dose of delicious Tranquil Treats as directed.
CAT  WEIGHT  -  All sizes: 8 daily


Poppy is still not eating as much as she used to but she has a way to go before she could be considered thin, let alone starved, so  I am not that fussed, her incision is almost healed and she and Parsifal once again curl up together to sleep and I wake up in the mornings with him in bed with me and her curled up against me on top of the bedclothes.


Yesterday I attended the inaugural session of the local library's Knitting Club.  It was a fun couple of hours with four other participants.  I felt a bit guilty as they were all knitting for charity and I was knitting myself a vest.  We will be meeting on the first Tuesday of every month and tea and coffee are provided towards the end of the session.  On the strength of nothing in particular I have just ordered nine braids of fibre on the theory that one must grab it while one can as not all colourways are available all the time.  . . . and the last lot I ordered still has not arrived but it usually takes about four weeks to get here so I am not about to start panicking yet.  D3 says that her orders are here in about six days which I find hard to believe since it takes longer than that for a parcel to come from over east.