Strange phone call and just recovering.

First of all thanks to you all for your good wishes and I`m sorry it`s been a week since  posted. The fact is I have been quite exhausted since my discharge after the infections.

I so  miss not cruising and blogging as we go although I must say at the moment I have no desire to go anywhere on the boat. That tells me there`s a long way to go yet in getting fit. Need to fatten up so if anyone has seen the 28 pounds I lost just send them on please. Jaq in the meantime is feeding me up with anything I want.

I am working on a little historical piece about our enforced home here at Cow Roast but  Something that did catch my eye on page 2 of the December TowpathTalk was Canal River Trust reporting some facts on continuous cruisers. Sixty seven boats in 2013 each month declared continuous cruising on their licence application, this is of course our licence declaration.
The surprising thing is that on top of this an average 36 boats per month change their status from a home mooring to Cont. cruising. Now we can only guess but this sounds like people are feeling the credit crunch and rather than give up boating all together are saving marina fees and leaving their boats on the towpath to be moved as the mooring limits dictate.
I realise a lot of boaters are working and cruising and commuting to work from different locations but I think this is not the case of the people leaving the marinas except in perhaps a very small number. No I feel they are leisure boaters feeling the financial squeeze.

Now the strange phone call;
Last Friday Watford hospital phoned trying to arrange an appointment for a pre-op check up. Now I have been aware that some solution to the Urethra/Catheter  was needed but have never discussed any surgical procedure with anyone let alone a surgeon.

The person on the phone had no idea of anything and promised after I explained my recent connections with the 5 star NHS accommodation called Watford hospital to get the surgical teams secretary to phone on the Monday. Now I have recently found out she works 8am - 3pm but not Mondays, why did I not have a job like that in all my 43 working years.

 My main concern over the next few days  was I did not, having just come out of hospital for the second time, feel fit enough to endure another surgery.
Anyway no phone call so the last 2 days I have left messages at about 4 different numbers I thought might bring results. Today I spoke to the secretary, the head of the Urology and the head nurse who I will see on Monday for my flow test and hopefully the removal of the Catheter.
It seems none of these people had any idea of why the call was made and reassuringly told me no surgery was planned and perhaps someone had entered an incorrect patient number.
At the moment I have the post op appointment tomorrow with the cancer surgeon and the Urology on Monday. Big thank you to Mike for the car ride on Monday.

A couple of days ago we had to attend a meeting at the settlement checking service. This was to have Jaq`s application for leave to remain in the UK checked and the relevant proof of cohabitation, financial and other documents copied and forwarded to the Home Office.
The fee of  £90 ($115) was worth it as not only were some errors spotted but important documents  such as passports needed certifying by the immigration officer and returned to us after the interview without going through the postal service.
Big thank you to Tom on Nb Waiouru for suggesting the service.   Jaq wants the indefinite leave to remain as Tom recently obtained.

All that is left is to wish folks across the pond a Happy Thanksgiving day.