Happy days

RE: Happy days

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 16:24:06 GMT

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 22:16:17 GMT

I am on holiday this week - so today I decided to save myself some pennies. I bought a new garden gate and fittings last week for £100 - bargain I thought and then found out it was going to cost me another £80 to get the bloody thing fitted. So at lunchtime having viewed all possible variations on youtube (they make it look so simple!) and armed with every tool required on my checklist I decided to tackle the gate.

Drilling the wall and .... ping that was drill number one - visit to the garage and armed with 4mm drill number two (pilot holes), was going great guns - neighbours had even come for a look over the fence to admire my handywork, or possibly to find out what the hell I was doing - both hinges almost fixed to the wall and dead level too (checked 3 times with spirit level in every plane) and then the vibration from the hammer drill must have upset the new gate which was leaning against the wall. It was so upset in fact it decided to drop on me.

With a little assistance and a few expletives (my neighbours have NEVER heard me swear previously, its not something I do very often) I emerged reasonably unscathed from under the 38kg 6ft gate. Resisting all further offers of help it took me another 2 hours but it is now almost done - just a lock to fit tomorrow. I now know all about rawl bolts, various drills, folding wedges and lots of other stuff

There is something very satisfying about doing that gate - it looks good even if I say so myself and in spite of a few occurences that they don't show you on youtube I really enjoyed it!

RE: Happy days

Alison Clare Hickman — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 20:48:31 GMT

That's marvellous Sal!

Your garden reminds me of mine at the time when my little nephew stood with his hands on his hips, head on one side, let out a long considered sigh and said, "Aunty Ali. You need a TANK to get through that lot...".

Humiliated into tidying it up? OH YES!!!! Hahahahah!!!

Ali h

Still smiling, still giggling and still wagging my tail wooooffffff!

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 13:26:22 GMT

yesterday while I was at work a couple of chaps took on the vegetation in my back garden and found..... Tripod my 3 legged hedgehog who I haven't seen for the last two winters. I thought he was long gone but no he is still there and still using the large flowerpot tipped on its side to sleep in by the looks of it, he must be nearly 6 yrs old now (not sure how long hedgepigs live but he is no youngster. I have a walled garden and was completely overgrown to the extent there could have been a lost tribe living in there and I wouldn't have known. Was nice to see him again and glad we found him before we put down weed killer (which we wont be doing now). He showed up again last night when I went out with some food and this morning when I took a peek in his flowerpot he was curled up inside (pictures to follow when I work out how to do it)

RE: Happy days

Selena Carnell — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 10:50:17 GMT

fingers x that the meds help. My son will be 10 in august,

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 21:19:08 GMT

everything crossed for you and yours

RE: Happy days

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 20:13:13 GMT

[quote user="Laura Ringsell"]Sorry to hear that Arlo, what is it about tempting fate...fingers crossed it's still a step towards progress, good luck. [/quote]

Thanks Laura, I do think it is.

Still a happy day all the same!

RE: Happy days

Laura Ringsell — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:14:09 GMT

Sorry to hear that Arlo, what is it about tempting fate...fingers crossed it's still a step towards progress, good luck.

RE: Happy days

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:01:51 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]Very cool! :) [/quote]

Dammit, I knew I was tempting fate. She had another one at school today, so we're at the end of our good run.

Ah well. Still happy. 1 in 14 days is very good!

RE: Happy days

Mark Hedberg — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:32:17 GMT

Very cool! :)

RE: Happy days

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:14:52 GMT

Well, happy doesn't even begin to describe how happy I am today.

A few years ago, led by Caro Laithwaite VN, a group of VetNurse members jumped out of an aircraft to raise money for a charity that supported my little daughter Emily, who has a, well, devastating epileptic syndrome called Dravet's which usually leads to severe developmental problems. It was an incredible thing to do, and I was touched beyond words.

http://www.vetnurse.co.uk/b/veterinary-nursing-news/archive/2011/04/18/112555.aspx

A few years down the line, and Emily's condition worsened. She lost the ability to speak. She regressed to a mental age of about 4 (she's now 10). She started having clusters of up to 40 seizures in a day. Nothing helped, until about a year ago when in complete desperation, I begged the neuro to suggest something to knock her out during the clusters. She prescribed phenobarbitone, which amazingly seemed to stop the clusters. But she still had at least one seizure a day, and her cognitive skills plateaued.

About a two months ago, we enrolled on the first UK trial to see whether a cannabis extract (CBD) could be effective in the treatment of intractable epilepsy. Emily was patient 001. Treatment started a month ago. We don't know whether she is in the placebo group or the one receiving the real medication, and at the first checkup after 18 days, I was convinced we must be in the placebo group, because there had been no change in seizures and no side effects (if not "whoa daddy, nice pink elephants" or demanding to go and buy pizza in the middle of the night, at least a bit of drowsiness).

Anyway, today is day 14 of being seizure-free. We've been here before, but its the first time in a very long time since she's had that long without a seizure. As I say, we don't know if we're in the placebo group or not. But each day without a seizure is time to get out the champagne.

At this rate, I'm going to be an alcoholic before the end of the month!

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 19:47:16 GMT

[quote user="therainyj"]

So good to read happy posts on here!

I've just been offered (and taken!) my once in a lifetime, dream nursing job

[/quote]

nice one

RE: Happy days

therainyj — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 19:30:26 GMT

So good to read happy posts on here!

I've just been offered (and taken!) my once in a lifetime, dream nursing job

The sun is shining and I'm drinking a beer! (disclaimer: I am at home not work!)

If I were a dog I'd be a chihuahua (minus unnecessary aggression) - a bit frantic and scared but also excessively excited about the big wide world! No bad teeth jokes please

Too many exclamation marks, I'd better get back to coursework...

RE: Happy days

morrane — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 02:14:47 GMT

It's so good to see a happy post :)

I often browse on here if I'm feeling a bit down about work (it happens, even in the best of jobs) and this really brightened me up- especially seeing all the happy responses. Its too easy to get bogged down in the unhappy details... maybe we could have a happy days forum just for positive things? I would certainly go on there looking for the lives we save, the puppy hugs and everyday moments that remind me why I started doing this job in the first place.

(just a thought: 2am is not my most coherent time of day!)

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Fri, 29 May 2015 11:37:18 GMT

you have a good day too . Its great to balance out some of the not so good stuff. Had a bit of a blip at the end of last week which was balanced brilliantly yesterday morning. Lovely weather and somebody treated me to a surprise couple of hours flying before work - its not everyday you get to loop the loop, so I am on a high for weeks now today it can do its worst because I am still buzzing

RE: Happy days

gemima — Fri, 29 May 2015 08:46:29 GMT

Hi all,

I have just started an 8-7 shift on a rainy Friday but after reading your posts I feel really chipper. It is so nice to read something positive and uplifting, It has made a huge difference to my day! If I was a dog I would be a Labrador as I am genetically programmed to eat anything put in front of me but in my head I feel like a Greyhound I get worried about silly things and would cry a lot if you came near me with a green needle. Have a good day everyone ;-) xx

RE: Happy days

Laura Ringsell — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 05:11:56 GMT

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 11:10:29 GMT

well I am chuffed to bits this morning.

Tomorrow is the last day of my weeks holiday - booo

but I am over the norovirus that hit me earlier in the week - yay

the hoover has just gasped its last - big yay because until the new one gets here I dont have to use one

Tomorrow the weather is looking like its going to be brilliant - and we are out flying most of the day

and Thursday is pay day - absolutely perfect

don't know what breed of dog I would be? but probably a dog with two tails

RE: Happy days

Laura Ringsell — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 06:43:39 GMT

Hi Ali and all,

Love your thoughts and that you have shared them, sometimes it's easy to forget within the toll of the day that we have much to be thankful and grateful for, sharing positive energy is a great way of encouraging it.

i too have much to be happy and thankful for at the moment. I am about to move house, away from the grind and hubbub of stressed and anxious Surrey ( which is really just South London now) to beautiful rural shropshire with my wonderful husband of 26 years. We have been sensible, worked hard, saved hard for a long time and feEl that we deserve a slice of peace and tranquility so a cottage with a small holding is what we yearn to achieve. I have a new a job lined up locally in a small mixed practice and I am so excited to be doing something I love, somewhere different and a completely different job, I never thought I would venture into mixed practice! I am also leaving the luxury of vets now and going back on call, something else I have a passion for, for me it's the ultimate service. I might need reminding of that in a few months time !! Add in the fact that I am going back to being a clinical coach as well, bring on the happy days

if I were a dog I would be a cocker-poo, lively, happy, waggy, eager to please but hopefully without the smelly ears.

thank you for making me think about all the things I have to be happy about

L x x

RE: Happy days

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:45:02 GMT

I'm going to join you on the happy side of the room. Me too!

[quote user="Alison Clare Hickman"]If I was a dog, I'd be a cross between a Labrador and a border collie.[/quote]

Sadly, I haven't got the brains or the speed of the collie, but I think we could otherwise be related

[quote user="Alison Clare Hickman"]Treat everything and every one you meet with respect unless they want to blow their nose on your shirt - and if this is the case, offer them your clean hankie and walk away.[/quote]

Except I think I prefer Robin Williams' daughter's take on people who want to blow their nose on your shirt, written after his death:

"As for those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car. Right after you’ve had it washed".

RE: Happy days

Sal the 1st — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 15:49:48 GMT