I've never been to these, either. But sometimes I think about them, out there in the ocean, battered by the weather, basking in the sun, watching the ships come and go, and all the time, every second of every minute of every day, deteriorating a little more, and being reclaimed by nature.
They're Maunsell Forts. They sat out there, with their...crews? Whatever you'd call them. Not only facing the waves, wind and weather, but also the Luftwaffe.
I imagine it was lonely, but at the same time, a place of great comradeship.
Anyway, there are lots of lovely pictures of them and similar, if you look them up.
Tomorrow I'm going to Bristol to see Mum. I'm...not exactly looking forward to it. But I think I'll feel better for seeing her. I'm trying not to get my hopes up much regarding what to expect.
104 comments:
you really do find the best pictures Greg :-)
Enjoy the ride tomorrow, it's supposed to be drier isn't it? and good luck with your mum, I hope you come home feeling it was a valuable trip for you.
I never heard of those. Neat. I like things I don't know yet.
rsf
AnonyBob - first time I ever saw them was in a music magazine, talking about the pirate radio stations. I thought they were brilliant. But obviously now it's a lot better and easier to find out about, with the internet!
Good luck tomorrow, love. I know it won't be easy, but I hope it goes better than you're expecting.
Thanks. I'm sure it'll be fine. And then I'll be back in time to enjoy a bit of time with you and pick up Sherlock.
Some of the other pictures the internet provides make them look like aliens walking around Greg. its kind of freaky ;-)
Yeah, they're quite eerie, in a way. Makes you wonder what the sailors think of them. Or those soldiers, seeing them for the first time, knowing they'd be living there for months on end.
That picture made me think of those walkers in the second (real) Star Wars movie, only as though this is what they look like on summer vacation. :D
As for tomorrow L--I think you will feel better for seeing her. Probably she will be better for you coming, too, whether she shows it or not--but (and I don't mean this in a nasty way at all) it's really more about you and you feeling the need to go.
Some of the pictures onthe net of these look like things out a Star Wars movie.
rsf
given the time frames, I think it more accurate to say those Star Wars things look like these sea forts... ;)
Ha, rsf!
And yeah, that's more accurate, L. :) I wonder if Lucas saw photos of 'em!
Room is warm, John is warm, bed is warm, so why won't my teeth stop chattering?
I hope this is completely wrong--but...high fever? (Do you feel feverish?)
tension? nerves? totally involuntary movement? who knows but hope they stop soon and you sleep some :-)
I guess maybe tension? I've no idea. I sort of feel cold around the edges, but I know I'm warm really. Except my feet.
No, RR, not at all feverish.
Now alternating between laughing at ridiculous teeth chattering and actually having chattering teeth.
Well, if you've been feeling chilly all evening, I'd say go take a hot bath, you might have gotten yourself too chilled to warm up easily. If not, or if you try that anyway and it doesn't work, I'd say wake up John, because it could be something not so good. (Like an allergic reaction or an infection. The body usually has a reason for shivering.)
get John to deal with the feet issue and maybe do something to help you relax?
be careful with your chattering teeth if you go down that route though ;-)
As loathed as I am to suggest it - socks?
He's anti-sock.
L - I think it's tension, probably, yeah. Though I would be happy to take a bath with you if you think that would help...
How could you turn that down? ;)
I believe he's mentioned it in the past, hence being loathed to suggest it; sometimes, though needs must... Mind you, a shared bath sounds like a much better plan than socks :-)
Mind you, a shared bath sounds like a much better plan than socks
If a little difficult to manage when dressing for work.
For one thing, will it fit under the desk?
Yes, you're right, L. Maybe G. Lucas saw these before he designed the things in the movie.
For chattering teeth, silly as it may sound, get your ears warm. Which a hot bath might do, but if not, try a scarf. Don't know why it works, but it usually does.
rsf
I very much hope the shivering/chattering teeth have been subdued and that you both have a restful night.
I get like that too, sometimes. If I go to bed cold, I can't seem to get warm. Do you have a hot water bottle, or one of those relax thingys with rice that you can warm up? That, or a bath, are usually the only things that work to warm me up. Then again, I don't have a warm doctor to put my feet against!
Good luck on your trip tomorrow, I hope your mom is doing better.
John cured me of chattering teeth by rubbing my neck. Sorted. And now I'm off to Bristol.
At least it's clear out. Freezing, but clear!
Wishing you good travel and that the visit won't be as bad as you fear. And hoping your find you mum continuing to improve.
Have a safe trip Greg, I hope you get some time to talk to Nicky as well as to see your mum :-)
Thanks. She's....okay. I've been to see her, now having a break with Nicky.
I'm glad you mum is ...okay, is Nicky doing alright?
Have a safe trip home :-)
Hope the ride home is nice and long, Lestrade. It's always more satisfying that way.
Nearly home. Had to stop for petrol.
Nicky's okay, yeah, being amazing. I left her to feed Mum her lunch.
They say Mum's doing well, considering. I didn't really know what to expect.
I don't really feel comfortable seeing her like this.
its always hard seeing people not being themselves, and not being like you expect them to be. It plays all kinds of games with your understanding of them and it is really difficult to deal with so try not to worry about the fact you feel that way, it will get easier as your brain adjusts its expectations of things.
I'm glad Nicky is doing well, you make a pretty great team between you :-)
I hope home is warm when you get there it must be slightly chilly on your bike.
I don't really feel comfortable seeing her like this.
Yeah, I know. It's...it's the wrong kind of vulnerability, I guess. (Going by my experience with my dad, it will get bettter as she gets stronger. When it feels okay, she'll be about ready to go home.)
Have a good, relaxing afternoon/evening!
It's hard to measure "doing well" when someone gets changed as much as they do after a stroke. But if you saw a definite improvement over the condition she was in the first time you were there, then that's good. You didn't say if she had a right brain or left brain stroke, so I don't know if there's aphasia to cope with, but maybe Nicky can get a laptop in and you can "visit" long distance with Skype once a day or so, so you've got a better idea what to expect next time. I won't say it will get comfortable, but you'll have adapted to the new condition your mom is in.
rsf
I think I'm more not comfortable because I've seen her in a state similar to this far too many times, actually, and usually it makes me angry. So...yeah, trying to remind myself this isn't that simple, i suppose. Break the habits of a lifetime. Just like she's had to.
Fetching Sherlock now. I feel the park will feature in our lives very shortly.
Yeah, I know. But at least the smell is different.
Would it help you, on an intellectual level at least, to read a book about strokes, so that you can more deeply understand the difference between the causes for your mum's state between what was and what is? (Boy that's an awkward sentence, but I hope you understand what I mean.)
The park is a lovely idea for you and Sherlock. Will there be cake too? (Coffee is a given.)
rsf
Enjoy the park Greg, fun is good for all of you :-)
If you get coffee can I have some too? The kind with chocolate.
Ask John. They might do decaff, which would keep you at only levitating slightly, not actually on the ceiling...
RSF - the hospital gave me some stuff to read.
If it's decaff I suppose it'd be all right. I hope...
Decaff with two fs? It's usually just "decaf" when I see it on signs in the US. :D
L, I hope the reading material helps, and of course you've got John to clarify it, which I know will. Long road ahead, but you'll get there.
rsf
Might want to run some of it off on the way home. :)
Depends just how much caff they've removed...
RSF - to be honest, I'd read a lot online anyway. And in a way, it did all xonttibute, didnt it?
... contribute. No idea what my phone did there.
It's bad enough when they change what you meant to say, but when they start making up words... :D
It's a sad example of it putting what I actually typed, I think, rather than correcting it.
Big fingers, small buttons.... inability to write coherently.
Possible--but I suspect these things.,. *looking for an attractive tinfoil hat*
I have a reasonably frequent recurring nightmare where I have to make an important/urgent phone call and I keep miss dialling the numbers because in the words of the Simpsons 'The fingers you have used to dial are too fat.' It's one of those where you wake up with a ridiculously strong feeling of relief that it wasn't real.
I think a lot of adult children dealing with parents after a stroke or similar find the whole parent/child role reversal hard to deal with. You on the other hand have been dealing with that for decades off and on, it's not to be wondered at that it would get a bit wearing, it's certainly quite understandable that you would find this situation triggering the same responses.
Lancs. Anon
You can usually tell if I'm typing on a real keyboard or not by the error rate. I can manage the virtual keyboard if I'm awake, alert, and coherent, but if I'm all of those, I'm probably not on the internet.
L, I do a lot of internet research too, but when it really matters I want block-of-text writing with a single mind organizing the information, both for coherence and for completeness. *shrug* Part my learning style and part because as I librarian I know how much iffy information is on the internet.
From a personal standpoint, I know how much incapacity from drinking and from a stroke look and feel alike, but I was lucky enough that it wasn't the same person. I needed to do a lot of research to get comfortable with it, and also to make myself more aware of the differences so I concentrated on those things. And the person I knew with the stroke was a teatotaller who had been on a low salt diet for twenty years, so I didn't have bad habits to blame.
I don't know. I think you're handling the whole mess well, but I'm trying to be encouraging without saying junk like "think positive". I used to get told that and all I could think was that I was positive I hated the situation.
rsf
I don't think you need to be a librarian to know lots of info on the internet is 'iffy'. Lots of out-of-date books are 'iffy' too, when it comes to medicine, I'd guess. And I wouldn't know where to start with a good book vs. a not-so-good or out-of-date one. Plus the internet is there in the middle of the night when you think of a question.
There are enough websites - the NHS, charities, things like that, that I feel I can trust to find what I need.
And conversely, I'd rather have all those views than one person's, who I might not agree with particularly.
You can get very good info from the internet, so long as you choose your sites. The NHS website is probably superior; personally, I like the Mayo Clinic website for good medical info.
And it certainly helps to have a doctor handy to check with. :)
you mean there's a doctor lives with Lestrade? who would have known that?
do you think maybe we should trust a professional to be able to find good information more than the rest of us?
Lestrade's doing something secret in their bedroom and he won't let me OR JOHN in to see and I want to know what it is!
I am a professional, anon.
I am also the child of an alcoholic.
I don't expect Lestrade to think like me, I am only making suggestions. I can't do a reference interview from here. I suggested what I thought would be the most appropriate website days ago.
Rsf
I'm sure he'll let you know what it is when he's ready if its anything you need to know about Sherlock :-)
And Sherlock's just charged the door, only to find out it was locked...
well if you want to keep a secret from Sherlock what else can you do ;-)
But Sherlock, if it's a secret, how can he let anyone in? It's not a secret when people know!
He could tell ME and it can be a secret from John.
Got me there! I must suppose it's something he wants to keep a secret from both of you.
(Which is really hard, I know, when you want to know EVERYTHING, but it is, after all, the time of year that people want to keep secrets, so they can surprise other people. So maybe you should let him.)
Can you keep secrets, Sherlock?
YES unless they're bad secrets then I would tell.
That's a good rule, Sherlock!
I remember you were VERY good at keeping the secret of the special piece you played at the Christmas show last year, you surprised everyone! (And that was fun, surprising everyone, wasn't it.)
Has he emerged yet?
I'm about to...before Sherlock abseils through the window or something. He's already tried to fashion a periscope and get it under the door.
It almost worked, too.
John helped me with the sellotape because he pretends to be good on here but really he wanted me to find out too.
Its always good to have a responsible adult to help you Sherlock ;-)
or an irresponsible one...
right, i'm done. stand back! I'm coming out! (yes, again.)
For the record, I was merely helping Sherlock in the spirit of scientific enquiry.
so.... come on Sherlock you can't go not telling US now you know ;-)
Also, what is that? For those playing at home, it's...packets on a string.
It's called 'proof your boyfriend is completely soft in the head'.
The number of packets-per-string should give it away. Your string is the red one. Sherlock's purple, Mycroft's blue, mine black.
Is it an advent...string?
Can I open mine now?
Yup.
Well, the ones you get in the shops are crap. So I thought we deserved home-made.
When we were kids mum would buy a big tin of sweets and dole out one per day - she said it was cheaper, and she got to eat more of them on the sly ;)
That 'yup' was to John, not you Sherlock!
No, you can't open it yet.
You are a lovely man. Thank you. :)
That sounds really lovely. What a great idea.
the Christmas spirit has finally taken you then Greg. What a lovely idea to do home made :-)
Was it not worth the wait for such a lovely surprise Sherlock?
Can I have Mycroft's until he's home?
No! One each, and he can have his backlog when he's home for the holidays.
You're not so bad yourself, Johnny.
What's in them?
A surprise is what's in them, every day from Saturday until Christmas. No peeking, or getting ahead of the days. We will be counting!
That's an idea that is made of awesome. And I still have some November left for crafting...
I wonder if the kids would object to my using the rest of their halloween candy to put in the packages?
That's brilliant, Lestrade! I always liked our Advent calendars, but all we ever had behind the little doors was a picture.
rsf
...Please explain for the Jewish girl? (I have no idea, really, other than a vague idea that Advent is the month leading up to Christmas, which clearly can't be exactly right.)
My little ones have been bought four each! it kind of takes the sparkle of my home made efforts :-(
we do get lots of chocolate though :-)
RR - for the purpose of an advent calendar, yeah, it's a countdown from the 1st Dec to Christmas Day. Traditionally you open a little door each day, and there used to be a picture behind it - usually religious. But more recently you can get chocolate ones - so every door you open gets you a cheap bit of moulded chocolate, in some 'Christmassy' shape. So one per day from 1st-24th, then obviously you get your presents on Christmas day, so you don't need a bit of chocolate.
Surprises sound even better than chocolate.
Thanks, L!
What a sweet man you are, Lestrade.
I'm 27 and my mum's bought me an advent calendar every year for, literally, as long as I can remember... Even when my siblings and I are living away, she'll post them!
Just a little thing, really, but in this case it really is the thought that counts!
I haven't had one since I was Sherlock's age. I might be almost as impatient as he is to start opening it. ;)
There is a horrible rumour I may be...well, you say sweet. Others would say completely bonkers. Holed up in the bedroom wrapping 96 packets under siege...
*votes for sweet*
I don't think sweet and bonkers are mutually exclusive...
Sweet with just a bit of bonkers Greg, perfect balance ;-)
seriously though it is a really lovely thing to do and it is the kind of thing the boys, and John, will remember for years.
Heh. Hope it doesn't turn out like my gran and the chocolate eggs, with him saying, 'And I'm never doing it again!'
seeing the reaction of you lot I don't think it likely John :-)
I fear I may be doing this for years to come...small price to pay for sharing my life with these three boys though, right?
tiny tiny price :-)
Not only a small (miniscule, even!) price, but a lovely new family tradition. :)
L, what a brilliant Advent calendar! you are the best. I'm not exactly christian, so I might adapt the idea to use in April for the lead-up to May Day instead... although, my "baby" is all grown up now so... not sure for whom I'm going to make it. OTOH, if Anon is 27 and still likes getting them, maybe she would too. :)
S
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