I understand that one of Winston Churchill's regular replies to situations when things seemed to be about to overwhelm everything that he was doing was to state that he intended to just keep b*ggering on. That's just what I have been doing for the past couple of day ... I've just kept b*ggering on!
The cold that started last weekend has really taken a hold, and it has been accompanied by stomach problems as well. Despite this I managed to get up to Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, on Wednesday in time for the rehearsal for the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting in the afternoon. Luckily I was able to meet up with a lot of people I know, which raised my spirits somewhat, and I was able to have lunch with a very old friend who is also a Freemason.
The meeting in the afternoon seemed to last for an age, and I ended up sitting in a seat that was so close to the one in front that I had difficulty standing up ... which we had to do quite a few times during the meeting. On top of this the Grand Temple at Great Queen Street that was being used for the meeting was hot and humid, and I was wearing my full regalia and Masonic clothing. (The regalia comprises a heavy ornate leather apron, adorned with a gold fringe and various Masonic badges and symbols, plus a similarity ornate collar. My clothing is a full Morning Suit, including tailcoat, waistcoat, and heavy striped trousers.) By the end of the meeting I had a raging thirst and was feeling very, very hot.
After the meeting I joined up with some friends from my Mother Lodge and we went to the Connaught Rooms for a drinks reception (in my case, a glass of lukewarm orange juice), followed by a 'banquet' ... which was over thirty minutes late starting due to a time over-run by the organisation who were using the dining room for a presentation that afternoon. The food was edible, but I felt that it was not worth the £52.00 it cost. The only plus points were the company (which was excellent) and the fact that I was able to chat to loads of people that I have met during my visits to other Lodges. I finally got home just after 10.15pm ... thirteen hours after leaving home that morning.
On Thursday morning I had to be up earlier than I would have liked as Sue had booked a visit from the representative of the company who supply and monitor her car's anti-theft tracker. It had to be replaced, and the mechanic arrived at 8.30am to do it. This took the best part of two hours, after which we had to do some shopping before we had lunch. As soon as lunch was over, I got changed into my Masonic clothing (this time the lighter-weight normal jacket and striped trousers I wear for less formal meetings) and set off for Great Queen Street for the second time in two days.
The meeting of my Holy Royal Arch Chapter was preceded by a rehearsal of part of the work we were going to do that afternoon, followed by the meeting itself. We Exalted a new member into the Chapter, and after the meeting had ended, we all trooped off to the Trattoria Verdi for a meal. As I suspected, this was not only better food than I had eaten the day before, it was also a lot cheaper! I am very lucky in that the members of my Chapter are a good bunch of blokes, who are quite willing to take the mickey out of each other. We all come from very different walks of life, and sitting talking to them helped me forget how awful I was feeling for a couple of hours.
The journey home from Bloomsbury was not made any easier by a strike on the Piccadilly Line, which meant that there seemed to be far more passengers on the Central Line train I had to use to get home.For once I used a slightly different route to get home, going to Stratford Station on the Central Line and then using the Dockland Light Railway to get to Woolwich Arsenal Station. It is not the most direct route but I was able to get a seat, which was a big plus as far as I was concerned.
The cold that started last weekend has really taken a hold, and it has been accompanied by stomach problems as well. Despite this I managed to get up to Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, on Wednesday in time for the rehearsal for the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting in the afternoon. Luckily I was able to meet up with a lot of people I know, which raised my spirits somewhat, and I was able to have lunch with a very old friend who is also a Freemason.
The meeting in the afternoon seemed to last for an age, and I ended up sitting in a seat that was so close to the one in front that I had difficulty standing up ... which we had to do quite a few times during the meeting. On top of this the Grand Temple at Great Queen Street that was being used for the meeting was hot and humid, and I was wearing my full regalia and Masonic clothing. (The regalia comprises a heavy ornate leather apron, adorned with a gold fringe and various Masonic badges and symbols, plus a similarity ornate collar. My clothing is a full Morning Suit, including tailcoat, waistcoat, and heavy striped trousers.) By the end of the meeting I had a raging thirst and was feeling very, very hot.
After the meeting I joined up with some friends from my Mother Lodge and we went to the Connaught Rooms for a drinks reception (in my case, a glass of lukewarm orange juice), followed by a 'banquet' ... which was over thirty minutes late starting due to a time over-run by the organisation who were using the dining room for a presentation that afternoon. The food was edible, but I felt that it was not worth the £52.00 it cost. The only plus points were the company (which was excellent) and the fact that I was able to chat to loads of people that I have met during my visits to other Lodges. I finally got home just after 10.15pm ... thirteen hours after leaving home that morning.
On Thursday morning I had to be up earlier than I would have liked as Sue had booked a visit from the representative of the company who supply and monitor her car's anti-theft tracker. It had to be replaced, and the mechanic arrived at 8.30am to do it. This took the best part of two hours, after which we had to do some shopping before we had lunch. As soon as lunch was over, I got changed into my Masonic clothing (this time the lighter-weight normal jacket and striped trousers I wear for less formal meetings) and set off for Great Queen Street for the second time in two days.
The meeting of my Holy Royal Arch Chapter was preceded by a rehearsal of part of the work we were going to do that afternoon, followed by the meeting itself. We Exalted a new member into the Chapter, and after the meeting had ended, we all trooped off to the Trattoria Verdi for a meal. As I suspected, this was not only better food than I had eaten the day before, it was also a lot cheaper! I am very lucky in that the members of my Chapter are a good bunch of blokes, who are quite willing to take the mickey out of each other. We all come from very different walks of life, and sitting talking to them helped me forget how awful I was feeling for a couple of hours.
The journey home from Bloomsbury was not made any easier by a strike on the Piccadilly Line, which meant that there seemed to be far more passengers on the Central Line train I had to use to get home.For once I used a slightly different route to get home, going to Stratford Station on the Central Line and then using the Dockland Light Railway to get to Woolwich Arsenal Station. It is not the most direct route but I was able to get a seat, which was a big plus as far as I was concerned.
I finally got home at 10.30pm, and after relaxing for a short time, Sue and I went to bed. I was feeling very tired, as a result of which I slept for the best part of nine hours. When I awoke this morning my cold was still in full flow but I felt a lot better than I expected to. As for the rest of today ... well I'm going to do what Churchill suggested, and will keep b*ggering on!Click on the map to enlarge it.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteYou certainly do lead a busy and hectic schedule- even when your unwell. Seems in retirement we need to be busy. I had a pleasant morning and afternoon away with a drive down the South Coast to a small coastal town called 'Kiama'- it was rainy and cold though this didn't deter me from buying a very nice sculpture of a turtle and a single ocean shell and a very nice coffee. I took the long way home away from the coast travelling up through 'Jamberoo' and negotiating 'Jamberoo Mountain'- by the time I arrived at 'Robertson' there was a heavy fog and misty rain- the rest of the journey home was uneventful apart from the much needed rain. All up about 5hrs journey- it was great to have a change of scenery to view the coast and inland dairy farms...it will not be long and I will go again. Yes, pottering around and whiling away the days can drift by without notice- spending some good hours away from home is certainly good medicine. Best Wishes. KEV.
Kev Robertson,
DeleteI try to keep busy as it seems to make our regular holidays feel like a proper break from what passes for normal life. Too many retired people seem to sit and do very little all day ... and then seem to age very quickly. An active body and an active mind are a recipe for a full and enjoyable retirement.
Your trip sounds as if it was very enjoyable It's vital to have the occasional change of scenery to keep your mind active, and can be a great tonic, especially if one is feeling a bit stale.
All the best,
Bob
Sorry to read you have been unwell again Bob, you do seem to be prone to those heavy colds. I agree with the chap above when he says you have a full and active life in retirement, good on you. Hope you are feeling better and able to continue work on the Portable Napoleonic Wargame, you can put me down for a HB copy once published as I have something in mind for my 40mm figures :)
ReplyDelete'Lee,
DeleteIt almost seems that as soon as I left work as a teacher, I suddenly lost my immunity to the various viruses that I came into contact with!
Keeping active in mind if not as much in body does help, and despite being very busy doing other things at present, work on the PNW book continues.
All the best,
Bob
You seem to have tenacious brands of viruses in the 'Propodes'. But I am convinced in my own mind that 'Man Flu' is a thing, and essential to survival. Attending meetings is one thing, but imagine hunting mammoth with your eyes on strings, or facing with a runny nose a sabre-toothed tiger, or sneaking up on a buffalo with a sneeze coming on and demanding attention.
ReplyDeleteThat is why, if I could, I'd hunker down, sleep off the cold, and three days later emerge with just a little bit of a cough and feeling pretty close to top notch. Now I'm a bit older, it's more like 4 days, but, after that, any mammoth, buffalo or sabre-toothed tiger roaming around in my neighbourhood does so at the risk of its life.
Get well soon, eh?
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteFunnily enough I was discussing the current virus with a friend who has been suffering with it on and off for months. We came to the conclusion that living in London was part of the reason why we seemed to shake it off and then catch it again. Either it was evolving and modifying itself or it was the pollution that was making it worse. Not sure which, but it may well be a combination of the two.
I'd love to do as you suggest and just retreat into my 'cave' to recover, but the 'mammoths' need hunting ... and I'm the man to do it!
All the best,
Bob