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This is my first blog entry since becoming unemployed - ahem, I mean 'freelance', as do they all - on May 27. As an earlier blog here details, I've taken a break from my career to go to university. I have taken a bit of a punt in leaving the job without having a place at uni secured, going on faith (as usual) and hoping a little luck will fall upon my cause. Until then, my job is to rest. Which does make me sound like a convalescant grandma: and I sort of am, as I've spent most of my time out of work so far in Kings' College hospital or the local GP surgery, or on the phone to either of them. As dictated by the law of Sod, on my very first day out of the office (my one week of gardening leave, so I've had two weeks in total away from work), what I had previously ignored as an annoying muscular strain on the side of my neck turned into a sizeable, hard lump which was visible and causing great pain to the area behind my ear and right eye. I went to see the doc who thought
it might be mumps (?) but discarded that hypothesis and ordered a battery of blood tests, They came back wuuth news of an infection causing an abscess on my lymph nodes, one biggun and lots of small ones on both sides of the neck. An ultrasound later showed the biggun to be about 4cm long and silled with dying matter (the word "necrosis" was on my referral letter - eugh!). i was supposed to have a biopsy but my case sadly fell in the week leading to a bank holiday, which meant I had to stalk the NHS on the phone every day for a week to get news of the date and time for the biopsy and even go to the hospital in person to speak to the right person. On that weekend I came down with a throat infection too so I'm enjoying a course of antibiotics. You know what? Some days I feel like shit. But more of then than not I feel totally fine, aside from a sore neck and a bit of a temperature. I am supposed to be slowing down in this period - thats the reason I left work earlier than this course
would start, to stop and smell the roses a bit - but I can't say that I have gotten into it yet cuz of this neck thing. I have had some nice lunches on other peoples coin (one of which with one of my favourite contacts who told me who it was that had been shagging Fred Goodwin in this juicy super-injuncted RBS affair - I'm telling no one!) - and I trust this person has it on good authority with their proximity to the corridors or power - and I've even ventured into TopShop which is usually the thing I'd hate to tdo the most. The weather has been pretty good so I've been camping out on our balcony a lot more, making use of the wifi with my ipod, tweeting a bit, posting photos and surfing with abandon. Our landlord is selling up so we'll be out of here by September, giving us the summer to enjoy this incredible balcony and garden and meaning that once my health issues calm down I can really take full advantage. There are yellow, red and pink roses in full bloom in our garden, bushes so tall and heavy with flowers they
are falling on themselves to create lovely arches of foliage over the steps from the balcony into the garden. Our family of foxes living under the shed provide entertainment, but from afar - they keep their distance and so do I, in our unspoken but very clear contract of engagement - though they are horribly messy dragging bits of dead bird and plant pot all over the lawn. We'll have to tidy soon. But they are cute enough to be permitted to live in the garden as they grow.
Work in the form of freelance beckons though, and I may soon want to do some of it if they'll have me. Until then, the focus is health, sleep, rest, eating and drinking well, sunshine, music, reading.
soundtrack samples
Chilquilines - Bajofondo
Rolling in the deep - Adele
Wichita Lineman - Jimmy Webb
It's Working - MGMT
Enta El Shams - Najwa Karam
Rip It Up - Orange Juice
Blast Off - Rivers Cuomo
Little Derek - Sway
Drown In My Own Tears - Ray Charles
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