eric byrne

Good Morning Everyone, Still having fun chasing not lizards but my cursor,must get to a pet shop and buy a mouse,also need to find a laundrette,the dirties are beginning to pile up. I visited Times Square last night,it was very impressive,too easy to get lost though,I just cannot figure out the street ID system,always as last resort,hire a taxi,mind you,walking is quicker.I also rode the subway,I got a return ticket to Times square,couldnt use it on the return leg,since I had forgotten the name of my original station,drat.I wandered the streets of broadway,I want a ticket for the Jersey Boys,Wicked,and War horse,well found the venue for the Jersey Boys in 52nd Street,but no show on Mondays?tickets priced around $120,well knock me down with a feather,the most expensive show I have been to was Chicago in London,I am sure not more than $45.I have heard of bucket shops that do ticket deals for unsold tickets same night,think I will try that out. Well returned to my hotel area early evening,looking for somewhere to eat,found a nice local bar,and ordered,steak strips and salad,what a pile of food,goodness gracious,and me still on my diet,I stayed the whole night there,chatting to a New York young couple,we really enjoyed each others company.Oh I got to watch a bit of baseball on TV,not that I understand in the slightest about its rules etc,but this one was different,8 guys have just got to hit home runs,10 misses and you are out,good fun,would have loved to have had a wee shot myself.Think the British open starts shortly,maybe already has?need to find somewhere I can watch this-really amazing your soccer girls have beaten Brazil in the quarter finals of the womens World Cup. Well just received a phone call from Jessica,she works in the New York office for LUNGevity,she inroduced herself yesterday on my cell phone offering me a ticket to see the David Letterman show on Wednesday Evening,she has also arranged me to go with one of her friends,since she is off to Philladelphia tomorrow.Jessica has now offered to meet with me today for lunch,arent I the lucky one?.Well better get on,getting a wee bit peckish,now where can I find a nice place,oh my hotel dosnt do breakfast,dont think this is a hotel, actually I think its a gulag,dont tell them I told you.I will drop by tonight,have a good day everyone.Bye

It must be the heat- I meant to say, I wanted to stay here until Sunday,leave for Boston on Monday am,instead I am leaving on Friday.I might be stopping off en route to Boston,to meet up with Nick at a place called New Haven.

Hooray I got part the Password Page. Good Afternoon Everyone, Just spending some time chasing the cursor round this page,it does its own thing.Its so frustrating,this is my second go today at posting in.I have now arrived in Manhatten New York,my preferrence was to stay until Saturday,but it was so expensive,even the cheaper quotes were over a £1000,I could get a fortnight in Rome for less LOL. My room here is very small,light on- to see, its a bit dark,despite broad daylight outside.Still chasing the cursor,just going to freshen up a bit before going out,oh another thing I have to share the bathroom-hope its not with everyone in the hotel?I was really spoiled in Richmond and Washington.Seems the Empire State Building and the Crysler Building are nearby,where's my camera? I have posted some pics into facebook,including the Museum of the Confederency and WashingtonDC,the pics speak for themselves regarding Washington.I will get down to writing a wee summary of my time there later. Sorry but I am a wee bit adrift with the blethers,Annette wish we had another week (at least)together,dont work too hard ease yourself back in.Thanks for the lizard/cat chase story with Keith if only I had been there with my camera,might have been a sight more enjoyable for the ladies here, than my museum pics? Hi Sara,sorry I have lost all contact with you recently,you were in my thoughts through each day,I hope everything went well for you?.You have not lost your sense of humour,with your treatments-you were lucky the Irish waitress didnt show you the door. The Judies,I have so missed your chats,missed the grillin guys story,can you get me Randy's autograph now before he gets too big to ask later.Hope evryone is having a good day,catch up with you all later,oops Bud,sorry,nearly forgot you,how are you?,hope the crappies are still biting.Byee

Sorry Guys,I have just lost my post in for the second time,seems being here for only a few minutes,and my post vanishes and I am left staring at the index page,I also have problems logging in,my status is only recognised after several re-attempts,also having problems with my curser,keeps freezing and I have to force shutdown then reboot back up,grrr.Off to New York tomorrow morning,booked a hotel for four nights,seven nights would have been better,but even the cheapest ones would have been over $1000 incl taxes.I will fill you in on the WashingtonDC leg tomorrow if this blooming netbook will oblige

Hi Everyone, Hopefully the link will work,: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 562c1f933a

Good Morning All, Sorry about my absence,thought I would spend last night in the hotel and catch up with the mail.What a disaster,my cursor kept freezing,so it was hours of forcing shutdown and re-booting?the netbook,all to no avail.I was also trying to post in my USA pics to date,without a mouse,I dont have the dexterity,to scroll them "blue" to capture them as a file to post in,the netbook would,without my input,automatically load only one and post it,so I have the one pic posted several times in facebook.I have Rebecca now on board looking after me,she and KatieB have set me up with a flickr account,which should make the task easier for me,well I did manage to scroll them all-203-yeah I know-but that was after a serious editing,you've guessed it-flickr message-you have used more than your monthly allowance-unless you want to click the "professional " box?,I decided to pass,and go to bed.I think my first priority is buy a mouse from some where.Oh Rebecca thinks there is some fault in my battery,so its been detached and I am working from direct mains,oh I wish I had just brought my laptop with me,I dont even know where to go to get my netbook checked over. I have so much to share with you,about Richmond and being with Annette and Keith,meeting up with Randy,Lisa,Annette's Mum and her daughter Christine, also her neighbours and the twins,think that embraces everyone I met,not forgetting many of Richmonds inhabitants that I encountered.I have to say ,honestly,I just couldnt have spent my time in better company-anywhere-anytime,thanks everyone for making my stay so "Brill" and unforgettable. My Richmond stay,included some to the many attractions around,think to do the area justice,I would have needed weeks if not months to visit.The places we visited,include,well,first let me mention ,the restaurants and the food-wow-lets just say my diets been kicked into touch.I just cannot believe the quality of service you take for granted.In Scotland you get whats on the menu,asking for anything otherwise eg a particular other type of salad dressing to ONE thats stated,will be met with utter contempt,that you have dared to question their choice of what you should have to eat,since they know mch better than you.Thanks to Annette and Keith, since I had only a limited time,they chose a super mix of things to visit,Monument Avenue,they even arranged for me to attend a July the 4th party there,where I got to join in a sing song with a guy playing the keyboard,he was good,I even bought one of his CDs,(using Keiths money-isnt that so Scottish?)We also visited Hollywood Cemetery,no it wasny full of movie stars,it was the fallen servicemen from the many wars that has taken place since your countries inception,particularly,the civil war,amazing to think,nearly 500,000 died in that struggle compared to 52,000 who died in the ten years of the Vietnam war?. Next day,Colonial Williamsburg-now if you have been to this,mark it in your to do list,since this place is just wonderful,the recreation of a town in the eighteenth century in the USA,done with such thoughtfulness,buildings ,farms,people all dressed up for their part and holding their characters throughout the day,was just super.There were also throughout the day many staged events of everyday living eg musket drill,this was fun,tourists given sticks as muskets as the drill sergent put them through their paces,he barks his orders to them,methinks,he has lost the plot and is really taking these tourists for recruits.Well this place has its place for Scotland,theres a Scottish shop,Keith found a tartan tie in,his family tartan would you believe?.Then a visit to the Governors Palace,a beautiful building,occupied at the time by a Scot called Lord Dunbar(he owned a dog called Glasgow).Highlight at the end of the day was a parade through he streets of redcoats playing pipes and drums,we woukd say fyfes and drums,not to confuse the word with bagpipes. The next day we spent at the Museum of the Confederancy and the White House of the Confederancy.I do know some of the Principals,Keith knew a lot more than me,of course,but it did give me a little tingle as a foreigner and a Scot to have been standing in the same rooms as Lee,Grant and even Lincoln who had just days later visited the Ford theatre. I have to move on to WashingtonDC,(Thurs)it is a sad parting for me,I have to leave Annette and Keith,I dont know what lies ahead for me,but I do know,I wont share better company,one day in a posh modern shopping mall,we sat on the perimeter wall of a fountain,and just as I did at the Trevi fountain,I threw in a coin over my shoulder,which now guarantees my return.Bye for now,I will have Chapter two-WashingtonDC to describe to you,starting to-night,I may aslo wander back to Richmond as other events drift back into my mind,I hope you dont mind subsequent confusion of events,I so miss you all,and all the blethers,hoping now,I can maintain better links,please God,when I press the submit button this works,I dont have microsoft word in this netbook to pre-write.Oh any questions you have about my trip please ask,only too pleased to reply,Bye all,God Bless.

Hi everyone. Sorry I have been absent. Having a super time in Richmond with Annette and Keith. Problems getting on line now solved. Will get back to you tonight. Have fun (I am).

Good Afternoon Everyone, All my bags are packed,I am ready to go-oh time just now is just dragging in.Busy about town yesterday,visit to the dentist,check up time,everything OK,just a wee polish up,dentist asked me about this years holiday plans,well I gave him the shortened version,you know he waived his fee and asked me to pass it on to LUNGevity,remind me KatieB I owe you a tenner.Missed posting in last night,Bill and his wife May dropped in to wish me a great holiday,they also wanted my online link to follow my journey,I really don’t know this yet,but I will send it to them when I do. Just about to leave and pick Jennifer up in Glasgow,she is coming home with me and staying overnight.I mentioned to Irene I would get to the Airport one hour before take off-well it seems things have changed since I last flew,she suggested three hours was a better idea,what on earth?anyway, I find time passes quickly for me in Airports,so no big deal.I did try yesterday for ages to add music to my new iPod,well I put the cd into my laptop,and found I couldn’t even download it into my music file,never mind downloading it into my iPod, so Jennifer is going to do this for me today,well if she does just one cd I will do the rest myself.We have Guidi’s booked for seven to-night,thinking about a fillet steak,their food is just delicious.Roll on 12.40pm tomorrow. Hi JudyKW,At last, chemo done,and smoothly too,I have lost the plot a wee bit,is it just one cycle you are having?.Hope feedback on results are brill. Hi Lillian,I hope you have loads of fun when your daughter and granddaughter arrives next week.Good on you having in mind places to show around about you,I am sure they will have a great time with you. Hi KatieB,love the bike,though i cannot really imagine Bud on one of these,can you,racking my brains over Peewee Herman,I think i know him?is he the one with the funny accent?. Sorry guys,got to rush its one thirty got to get Jennifer at two,will try and drop by tonight.Bye.

Thanks KatieB, Marked Hope Summit in my diary 2012,I will be there.Where on earth is hope summit by the way?

Good Morning Everyone, Thought I’d get a post in early,just gone 8.30am now,skies completely overcast,but dry.Beautiful sunny day yesterday,I would usually take advantage of such a day,sitting out in my back yard,cool drink in one hand and a good book in the other,however over to Jennifer’s to help her move back over to Chris’s flat in Springburn,right where I was brought up,such happy days.Well it only took two trips in my car,I let Jennifer drive,she gave up her car a while back when she was unemployed,also living in Glasgow,the public transport is so good,she really wasn’t using her car.I had added Jennifer to my insurance for a year (they don’t do 7 weeks).Jennifer is going to look after Sally in my absence,getting her groceries etc,making sure she is OK.Well Sally is insisting she has turned a corner and promises never to have a drink again(sober now for two days and feeling great)well fingers crossed,never say die. Following Jennifers flitting as we call it in Scotland,we did a bit more shopping,Costco and Tesco,thanks Bud,I now have 3 plugs I can use for my all my electrical gear in the US.Well getting more excited as the days close in on Saturday,such a beautiful day, better cut the grass and do the borders and planters,no rest for the wicked.Just sat down following dinner,Bill on the phone,can I petition Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon at the Scottish Parliament before I leave for the USA.Long story cut short,multi-national firm want to build a huge incinerator close to Airdrie,we all get to-gether,sending a petition og objection to the local council,North Lanarkshire council uphold our objection and refuse to give planning permission.This company hawk their scheme around other sites around Central Scotland,Bill discovers Alex Salmond overrules our council and gives the company permission,the council has hired a QC to challenge this decision,in Scotlands Highest Court,the case will be heard when I am in America.This company have just recently been fined for polluting a Scottish river with industrial waste-rumour has it just prior to the recent Scottish elections this company made a significant donation to Alex Salmonds Nationalist Party (they did win an overall majority in Parliament).Ooops sorry that may have a really boring tale to relate to you,sometimes just cannot help myself LOL. Anyway what have you all been getting up to? Bud,I did go onto the site you provided the link for- feet,forks,fingers,sleep,stress and love,common sense really,I agree with the list entirely ,I have always found when reading a recipe for something in a magazine they mention the use of ingredients I have never heard of or so exotic you would have the greatest difficulty in finding them in the shops.Well again, I have never heard of white tea,modified citrus pectin or avemar,frustrating isn’t it? Hi Annette,not long to go now,is it,I am getting the wee butterflies just thinking about it all,so looking forward to meeting you and Keith not forgetting Randy,and meeting your daughter on Tuesday,you did send me a brochure on Williamburg,it really looks an exciting place to visit,cannot wait,better google it,so I can get up to speed with your daughter LOL.Sorry to hear about your AA,Jama (what is an AA by the way?)please pass on my best wishes to her. Hi Lillian,Well I arrive in the USA on Saturday at Philladelphia Airport in the afternoon,stay overnight,first thing Sunday morning 8.35am train to Richmond arriving there at 1.00pm.Meeting Annette, Keith and Randy,the start of I know a wonderful seven weeks in your country.Imagine,I will be posting in pics not from Scotland but from all over America,I am sure there will be so many interesting subjects to point my camera towards,I cannot wait.Just wish I could be clicking on all the buddies here,sorry I am going to miss so many of you,no names no pack drill,you know who you are,imagine writing naming everyone and accidentally through dymensia,leaving someone out? Got to go,its way past my Gym and swim time,sorry all you working buddies out there,but this is hard work also,you know,I will drop by later,bye.

Hi Everyone, Busy weekend,i am just back from a Dallas Team lockers room doing an interview for TV,following a short visit to Mexico,thanks Stephanie for filling everyone in. No I wasn’t,on Friday I was in the Ingram Wynd Restaurant at Bill’s retirement night out,funny I must have passed this place many a time and never noticed it?.Great night,food,drinks,company with speeches that made your sides ache.Bill, covered several topics ,one he was recounting from his early schoolboy days in the fifties,times of austerity ,Britain broke after WW11,people struggling to make ends meet,Bill,well you never know when he is joking sometimes and being serious,said one of his classmates parents clothed their children for the army surplus stores that abounded in the UK then,he said on e of their kids attended school dressed as a Japanese Admiral.I think everyone had a good time. Late to bed and an early rise,not a combination that best suits me.Met up with my sister Dot and her husband Jim for out cruise Doon the Watter(see pics)Really enjoyable day,Rothesey had certainly changed from my memories in my youth,the throne of hundreds of holiday makers milling about and how lively everything seemed have now gone,most people now going abroad to France Spain,Italy and Florida,these places have so much more to offer,well sunshine for a start. LOL. Sunday,I forgot my sister Irenes birthday last week,so I invited them to Guidies for a meal,Sally booked it and was so looking forward to it all week but somehow managed to get wrecked on Sunday afternoon and was unable to go,not really an unusual occurance.Well we three had a lovely meal to-gether. Busy again today,i took Dot and her grandson Jack to the newly opened Riverside Museum of Transport,at a cost of £75 million,it should become a major tourist attraction for Glasgow,well the building is stunning,but for me the juries out,the old museum allowed everyone to climb into the old steamtrains,buses,tramcars,cars,now they have put up barriers to prevent of restrict access,which is rather ridiculous,since the exhibits are all public forms of transport,well on the plus side it is free to enter.Young Jack (6) just loved it.Dropped Dot off back home at 5pm,picked up Jennifer, she was wanting to go to the Braehead Shopping complex,to get some things from Ikea and I wanted to buy a net book for my trip to the US,well we both got what we wanted,then home for dinner. Well not long to go now,not only going to meet up with Annette and Keith but Randy is also coming up on Sunday to join us from North Carolina,this is going to be so much fun.Jennifer is moving back in with Chris tomorrow and has asked me to help move all her stuff,just as well I have being gyming and swimming recently,all the stair climbing in both her old and new flat. Well I do hope the sun begins to shine tomorrow for all of you who have been suffering from the downpours recently you have been posting in about.Judy good show getting Randy out to the Zoo,hope you both had a great day.Goodnight everyone,see you tomorrow.

Hi Paulette, I am sorry I would loved to have met up with you too,so many buddies I will miss,maybe some time we can all plan to have a Big Meet Up somewhere central in the USA that everyone can access,,just imagine the pure pleasure that would bring to everyone.Put me down for where ever I will be there-whenever.

Hi Annette, Well I am visiting some friends that day,I have never been to a July the 4th celebration,might I guess we make up some placards with "Down with the British" written on them.We have Guy Faulks night on the 5th of November,he is placed on the top of a bonfire,so will a British Guy bonfire do?.So long as nobody wants to put me at the top of the bonfire,we are forgiven now, I wont have to stay in my hotel room for the day-right?.

Hi Karen, Good to hear from you again,you really are something special,going though treatments and continuing to work?I hope you are taking care not to overdo things.Sorry to hear you are going through this WBR,I am thinking and praying for you and Sara that the treatments you both are going through are 100% effective with minimal side effects.

Hi Muriel, Well two and a half years ago,I had my upper right lobectomy,I am so greatful to be here still, to tell you that,but wow,eight years-what a boost for all of us here to read this from you,may you continue to post in for all your future years NED and may I still be here with everyone else to read them,congratulations.

Hi Everyone, Here are the pics of my cruise down the River Clyde to the Kyles of Bute,I hope you enjoy seeing them. : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 57fa673a20

Good Evening Everyone, Weather,cloudy bright,warm and dry,not much in the way of sunshine I am afraid,never mind some serious sun next weekend,Hoorah, the start of my American hols.I had to laugh at Annette’s concern about missing me in a busy station,in my LUNGevity T-Shirt,Kilt,and a Helium filled balloon on a string tied to my left ear,a big ERIC written on it,I don’t think you will miss me.You can of course have a wee refresher of my visage by going to You-Tube and typing in eric byrne-stop smoking. Busy day today,missed out on the gym again,I was half expecting a couple of phone calls today,one from America and one from the Evening Times,well nothing happened?.In the meantime I decided to give the bathroom a good cleaning while I was hanging about,its now sparkling like a new pin.Its now my buddy Bill’s retirement night out tonight,meeting him at 7pm,its in Glasgow,the Ingram Wynd Restaurant,never heard of it,hoping it will have good food,well I will be having a couple of wee sips of the amber nectar,so who cares about the food anyway.I have’nt prepared a speech for Bill,I covered his ground at my retirement night out 5 weeks ago?,I just know there will be some excellent banter and laughs.Got to watch I don’t overdo things,as I am meeting up tomorrow with my sister Dot and her husband Jim,at 10.00am the Waverly leaves its mooring in Glasgow city centre for the Kyles of Bute and Rothesay,please may it not rain,great opertunity for pics down the Firth of Clyde.Live folk music on board so nice party spirit will abound. I will have to go now,left this post a bit on the late side,need to shower, shave and get dickied up, its 5.45pm,a wee bit of relief for you tonight,me keeping things short.Annette have a really good relaxing weekend without wayward. Goodnight everyone.

I think I read somewhere that only 4% of Americans travel abroad?come on, travels certainly does broaden the mind.The Victorians (with the cash) always included a Grand Tour of Europe as an essential passage of rites as part of their education to becoming rounded adults.

Hi Stephanie, I think Scots are born with a wanderlust,mind you the ones that do settle in faraway places,sing songs about "My heart is in the highlands a' chasing the deer" or "My grannies hieland hame".They get particularly homesick at Hogmany,phoning relatives and friends,just after the bells. I do hanker after visiting many places on planet earth,some doable others unlikely they include:- The Crysler Building in New York, The Pallio in Sienna, Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio De Janerio, Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona,Catherdral Familia, The Galapogous Islands off Peru, Ayers rock,or Ularu as it is now called Matchu Pitchu in Peru, Not forgetting,Paris,Prague and Salzberg The ones on my bucket list I have managed are, Montserrat in Spain,(got a good story to share with this place) Medina in Malta Knossis in Crete Tivoli Gardens and Hadrians Villa in Italy Rome- wow- so many places,St Peters,Villa Borgeise seeing the statues done by Bernini,Sistine Chapel Pompeii,this has got to be on everyone's bucket list,it is simply spectacular,not to be missed,I will certainly return. Thanks for raising the subject,Stephanie,I am sure my list is not complete.Come on everyone what would you like to include in a bucket list?

Good Afternoon Everyone, Its 4pm,well for a change it is bright and sunny,skipped out gym again today,we were getting a bit low on the groceries and I had a card in from my dentist requesting me to make my six monthly dental check,really want to have this done before I arrive in the US,don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a tooth there,do I?.Remind me next Thurs 3.00pmLOL. Got the groceries,then into Glasgow,I had ordered 4 printed T-shirts for my trip,LUNGevity-Beathe Deep Logo’s- perfect match to the current ones,as you may know I am going to travel round the States wearing my kilt and the T-shirt’s,one at a time of course.I hope to raise awareness of both LUNGevity and Lung Cancer,there will be a fundraising element to the trip as well,not really sure yet how this works,think its a website in my name you donate too?. Bit more excitement to add,I have just finished a 2 hour interview with a reporter from the Evening Times,it was all about my USA trip,loads of questions put to me like-who is LUNGevity?what is your link with this organisation?,will you get to meet the CEO?what is your trip all about?,who are going to meet up with?what parts of America will you visit?.Also loads of questions about my cancer experience,comparisions between the UK and the USA on treatments ,research,survivability statistics,you name it they asked it.Not to say this will be published yet,its still to be run past the editors eye,but the signs are looking good.One sticking point for me was the fundraising element,since I mentioned it would likely be an online donating system?they then went on to ask what is the address,well of course I did’nt have the answer to that one-but I would get back to them with that information later.I might if the story gets clearance,get my pic in the paper,sporting my kilt and LUNGevity T-shirt,oh the price of fame. Well its quiet today,don’t remember-did Annette post in?this senile dymensia is getting worse,any way I do remember JudyKW having fun with Dominick around the place,wait a wee minute are the schools now on vacation?,surely Dominicks not playing hookey?.I am also a picky with clothes,so hope Dominick finds something suitable to his taste.I have heard of a grouper but not the yellow tails?enjoy dinner to-night. Hi Bud,My new book Titanic,yes,I started that last night in bed,its so full of interesting details,notwithstanding,I fell asleep with the light left on,book still in my hand the next morning,that was more to to with tiredness than being bored with the book,will get back to it tonight. Well just about dinner time,what will I recover from the fridge for eating?something simple,microwaveable no doubt,cannot be bothered going to any great lengths in cooking for one.Sally’s appetite goes for a burton,when she has been drinking,she still had some residual money left over from yesterday,but not obviously enough to get to Pluto,since she can converse with me ,reasonably intelligently.She should be completely sober to-morrow,having run out of money,I think.Bye I will check in later to see how everyone is doing.

Hi Sara, I am so sorry to hear your news,my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you proceed through your treatment over the next two weeks.Best Wishes.

Hi Maryanne, Thanks for sharing Joel's NED story,I just love to hear these ones,please pass on to him my best wishes,may he have many more years of such results.

Thanks Sue,you have just put a great big happy smile on my face,please pass on my good wishes to your Mum,may she have many years to come of such results.

Good Evening Everyone, Well another overcast sky today,not seen much of the sun this June,at least it is dry and warm.Missed out the gym again today,Jennifer phoned asked me if I wanted to accompany her to return my MP3 player,to the shop where she bought it,Chris had given it a good run over and confirmed the device is faulty,the shop assistant was very nice and offered a replacement or cash refund.Well I decided to upgrade to a good quality iPod so left the shop happy.Continued shopping in Glasgow city centre with Jennifer I always enjoy her company,bought a few more things for America,I have decided anything missing now can be bought in America,Jennifer reckons clothes are cheaper there than in the UK anyway.We finished up with a visit a nice Italian Restaurant in the Princess Square Mall,really nice place to shop,if you have a big bankbook,but the restaurants prices are OK,Jennifer is meeting Dee later for a meal,in a vegan place ,so she just ordered a bowl of soup and bread in the meantime.Dee has two tickets for Take That in Hamden Park tonight,her partner cancelled out and Jennifer is the beneficiary of the spare ticket. Home to Sally “under the weather” again we have an old fashioned deposit account book in joint names,which I have hidden inside the flap of a dictionary,that lies on my desk in the study,never thought for a minute she would even dream of looking there,you guessed wrong Eric, the clever little fox has beaten me again,so its back to being carried about with me from now on.Jennifer is going to look after the money for Sally in my absence,and buy for her any groceries she requires etc,obviously shes not the slightest bit pleased with this arrangement,so it may be when I return home,we may be missing some household appliances like the TV etc but please not my laptop.I am buying a small laptop thingy to take to America (notepad?)and leaving my laptop behind,bit less cumbersome with the smaller device. Hi JudyKW,Hope you get the appointment and insurance sorted out asap,why don’t you move over here,we don’t do insurance with all that hassle it brings, not forgetting the cost.Good to hear you having fun and games with Dominick,they keep you young kids don’t they?. Hi Bud, Best Wishes for your annual scan,and of course clean as a whistle. Hi Annette,Well your post wasn’t all down,you finish the afternoon with a lie out in the sun,wish you could send some to me,nothing I like better than sitting out back on my chair,soaking up the sun,whilst reading a good book.Just bought a good one in a book sale yesterday-£3.99 would you believe,its a new one on the Titanic by Rupert Matthews,I will settle down to start reading it when I finish this post.Good night all enjoy the rest of your day.Bye.

Good Evening Everyone, Mixed up day today,I was setting out for the gym this morning Jennifer called,could I bring her a hammer,for fixing picture hooks to the walls of Chris’s flat.Jennifer had bought me for my birthday a MP3 player,well my nephew Derek had downloaded some music into it,which when I played back later,the sound quality was poor.I had these tracks deleted and Brian downloaded another few albums into it,sound quality again was poor,well I transferred the music to my laptop,and the play back quality is perfect,so it confirms the MP3 is faulty,I asked Jennifer to return it to the shop,offering to pay the difference to upgrade to ipod.The shop may well refuse,since I have thrown away all the packaging and it is six weeks hence since was bought,who knows?. I was invited into Roy Castles Glasgow office at 2pm today,basically to be introduced to Davids new team,it turned into a real brainstorming session,they started by asking me as a volunteer what I see as my role within the org,what developments I would like to see,goodness where do I start?there are so many difficiencies,the organisation has such a low profile,the Scottish office being very much subordinate to the English Counterpart based in Liverpool,it is a bit of a backwater in their regard,and yet the West of Scotland has the worst incidence rates of lung cancer in the UK. Here is my list :- 1. Every hospital in Scotland has clinics on known days that issue Lung Cancer dxs,each person/familyshould be given a Roy Castle Information Pack,introducing them to and encouragement to engage with the local RC Lung Cancer support group for their centre,it is one of RC’s performance indicators that there will be a support group for each centre in Scotland. 2. The fact that for almost 80% dxd with Lung Cancer,are too late,the joint poster designed between MacMillan Cancer Support and Roy Castle,”Early Diagnosis-Saves Lives”, have not been properly circulated,to appropriate public places,ie Hospitals,GP surgeries,Health Centres,Colleges,Universities,Libraries etc,this circulation can be done with the personal touch of volunteers visiting these places rather than relying on mail shots,where display may be iffy.I know because I have done Airdrie and Coatbridge myself and they are still in prominent view in Pharmacies,Surgeries and Monklands hospital where I had placed them on notice boards myself.Most requests to display these are sympathetically listened to and agreed. 3. Trained volunteers to visit Secondary Schools targeting approx 14 year olds about the long term dangers of taking up smoking,not just the risk of lung cancer, but Cardio Vascular Disease and,COPD etc. 4. Fundraising,there is a lot of community goodwill in supporting charities including Lung Cancer,on one occassion last year the Stobhill Lung Cancer Support Group helped shoppers to pack their groceries for 3 hours and we raised approx £500 ($750)imagine how much could be raised by if this was rolled out thoughout the year involving more volunteers and more supermarkets?. 5. Corporate Sponsorship,Approaches made to large firms for their employees to participate in a once a year Star Trekk charity walk. 6. The Buddie Telephone Support System,I am one of three people in the UK,trained in this area,how many phone calls have we received since it began one year ago? One,Why?. 7. Running a Lung Cancer Support Group,there is no devised model it seems,our group relied on a Lung Nurse ,Penny who was excellent in the role,seeking out appropriate guest speakers for each months meetings,also contolling the meetings and following a structured agenda,however,Penny is now on a years maternity leave,and her substitute is unable to maintain this quality of support,through lack of time and experience.I think it is time to install formally a chairperson and minutes secretary,with lung nurses in a supporting role. I can appreciate,you finding my post today a bit strange,my apologies,but I really do want to advance the fight against Lung Cancer and gee up those people who are in a position to make this fight more effective. You may have thoughts of your own which I would appreciate you sharing, that I will bring to the attention of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.org Goodnight all, thanks if you managed to read through my rant.Promise I wont do this again,well at least not for a long time.Bye.