ianbee: this is instead of getting a dog

Saturday

Despite the fact that they are unwelcome in the green bin, it is possible to recycle paper-based drinks cartons if you are prepared to save them up and take them along to the tip. In order to save up enough to make it worthwhile, your home does smell a bit of stale milk. And when you get to the tip the man who works there assumes you drink an awful lot of juice.

On the way back from the tip I bought some broad beans from the Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. They were grown locally, probably picked by young offenders. The community-service beans were a bit tough, and required double-shelling which raised the hassle-to-benefit ratio to 'barely worth it'. However, when served with quinoa, mint and lemon they were brilliant.

I shelled the beans while watching the Hitchcock film 'Rope' on the telly. It's a thriller about a man who considers himself superior to those around him. Considering himself morally superior to the rest of society, he uses this belief to justify a horrible killing then seeks to profit from his action to make a macabre point. WIth the miserable news from Norway on in the background, it was either inspired spontaneous television scheduling or a sobering coincidence.

Anti-obesity gate

You see a lot of these metal gates around Leeds. They are designed to prevent motorbikes riding down footpaths.  Ironically they also prevent fat people from exercising in parks.

Don't walk east along the canal

In Leeds, never turn east down the canal tow-path. Always turn west. If you walk this way you'll see bramble bushes - sweet blackberries alongside clouds of elderberries. There are also tiers of pretty canal locks and the route winds past a nice pub and close to an old abbey.

Walking to the east will take you under dark bridges and past shopping trolleys and intimidating fisherman. Today a group of scary, topless, drunk men were urging one of their number to jump from a bridge into six inches of water. I'm easily intimidated by hoodies, especially when they aren't wearing hoodies.

Further along there were dodgy looking canal boats, lots of barbed wire, and a pack of ferrel kids chucking bricks into the water. I passed a cyclist weaving along the tow-path holding an open can of Carlsberg. Even the ducks looked sinister.

West is best. Blackberries, puppies and calm.

The last time I unintentionally went east it was dark and I was lost and disorientated, having missed my intended exit off the tow path. I rounded a corner and came across a tree.

On fire.

I ran all the way home.

Random cycling event

Seeing the Tour de France all over the telly has reminded me about when I accidentally stumbled upon a cycle race earlier this year. I was in Genoa, just for a day. I don't know who was riding, or where they had travelled from, but they whooshed through the city and finished the race at the top of a hill, which seemed a bit harsh.

There were three girls in short skirts helping hold the winners onto the podium. A guy in a stripey top told them what to do.

In the hours before the race finished they let little kids cycle up and down the closed streets, which was nice.

Despite watching many hours of the Tour de France last year, I still don't really understand it. Lots of riders who are taking part aren't even trying to win, they're just helping someone else win by cylcling slightly in front of them. And they wear different coloured tops depending on who is in the lead, or is best at hills. And there remains the awkward, unanswered question about what they do if they need to wee during the race. It's all a mystery. Anyway, here are the winners of what appears to be The Colli Cup! I think the second place cup looks better than the first place cup.

Ferry

When in Scotland the other week I ended up taking the ferry between Glenelg, on the mainland, and Kylerhea, on Skye. I've always wanted to get this ferry, she's the last manually operated turntable ferry in Scotland, apparently. She also takes you to an amazing pub, and somewhere where you can see otters.

Sorry about the old-fashion looking photo. It was't one of those time-travel ferries, I was just messing about with my phone. The ferry can take up to six cars, although I was told that they once fitted eight minis on it! On the way back mine was the only car travelling. A ferry just for my car, myself, my two Australian passengers, the two ferry crew, the captain's grand daughter and a dog.

I have blurred the number plate in case there are spies or terrorists reading this. That appears to be the protocol.

 

 

 

High chance of rain

I've been sending off a friend who is heading to Canada for a while, hopefully to work on exhibitions involving dinosaurs. We'd heard that they can have wet winters so we looked up the rainfall data. The Rough Guide to Vancouver said that in December they have an average of 36 rainy days. That's the average. In a month that has 31 days. Based on this data I calculate a 116% chance of rain on a December day. That's a high chance of rain, better take a brolly.

We were in Buxton, Derbyshire, home of Buxton spring water. It flows out of the wells slightly warm (and uncarbonated!) It was the time of year for well dressings. Each well was first covered in clay, then petals and leaves were pressed into the mud to form patterns and scenes. I liked this scary castle monster.

Double-published

This week I was double-published. The first event was a peer-reviewed article in a medical journal.

Braithwaite I, Hervo J, Babarao S, Harrison C. Continuous low suction pressure: an innovative solution to transporting patients with Replogle tubes. Infant. 2011 Jul. 6;7(4):133–134.*

The second was a funny sign which was published on the website of the Daily Telegraph in their "funny sign" section.

I think you'll agree that's a funny sign (pointed out by a friend). I think you'll also agree that it's been a diverse week.

* Neonatal patients with trache-oesophageal fistulas are at risk of aspiration and require constant drainage of the pouch in order to clear secretions. This can be a challenge in the transport environment where low pressure suction is not always available. This article describes a solution to this problem utilising a dry seal chest drain with a built-in suction regulator.