if I only had a brain

Up early again so I could get my long run in before heading to Doc Dan the neurologist for a couple more tests and results of the MRI. So lets do that bit first. I go there on time but the doc was running a little late so I picked up a National Geographic and read about caffiene. Interesting article I will reveal nothing about here. A couple, I assumed mother and daughter, were in the waiting room and speaking both English and non-English - maybe Croatian - to each other. The daughter was switching between the two but mainly using English and mum was using almost exclusively Croat (or whatever) with the odd few English words and sentances. Not sure how that works; I wonder what language they were thinking in? I should have but didn't ask.

I was called at around midday for my tests. I had electrodes attached to my head by Jill, who conducted the tests. Again the equipment looked old and crappy but I am sure it's all good kit. The tests were one eye at a time stare at a dot on a TV screen while the background changed between different patterns of black on white squares and diamonds. Full screen, then right half and then left half of the screen and then repeat for the other eye. Another couple of things were attached to my ear lobes and I had headphones on through which, one ear at a time, I had loud beeps played. Then some beeps fading away and I had to indicate when I could hear nothing. Then one of those optomotrist letter charts. That was it and I was in to see the doc, glad that I would be able to stop using the word 'then' quite so often from then. ...who told me he could find nothing wrong. The MRI was all good and no signs of MS. Fucking MS, I should hope not! Today's tests were all good and the results were what you'd expect for someone with my blindspot. But as far as the brain doc is concerned I'm fine, please pay here, go away but call if I get any numbness, pins and needles and the suchlike that I cannot explain. And with that I pissed off. Doc Dan had been far friendlier and personable today, we had some small talk and I said I had no desire to see him again. Well whay would I? So good news, my brain and nerves are all good, normal according the the covering letter. News tempered by...what the fuck is going on then? But at least I have my MRI pics and that's kinda cool. Anyone wanna see what my brian looks like?

An aside on bonkers weather. Before going to see the Doc I had brunch in a cafe that I don't remember the name of. Picked up a newspaper to read that this week, in Sydney, we have had temperatures of 28 degrees c at 01:00am and 17 degrees c 13:00. Bonkers.

Working backwards for the day. From Willoughby to Boni Junction was via Mara's place at Randwick and Sally drove and I ran. I need a long run per week and today was the day. From home to the north side of the Bridge took around 23mins, from there I headed over the Bridge, around the Opera House and Farm Cove, the Botanical Gardens, the Domain, up past Hyde Park, along Oxford Street to Moore Park, to the Randwick Gate of Centennial Park, an inner lap of the park and then to Mara's for a time of 1hr 46mins. Very happy with that, especially as I felt I had some left in the tank at the end. So from there it was to Bondi Junction for brunch, then the neuro and now I think we are back in correct time order.

I met the girls after seeing the doc. Sal had decided to do a spot of grocery shopping and that seemed to piss her off no end and both Mara and I bore the brunt of that. Ah well. We left Mara - and Kate, who has taken our spot in Randwick - and met with JCJ in the afternoon for coffee and a snack over the north side in Cremorne. Very nice little coffee shop. new to us, called oven. Good deserts. JCJ is such a top bloke. He apologised for calling so often to see how I was, and he presented me with a couple of presents - a t-shirt from his trip to the reef and new handlebar grips for the bike. We chatted and laughed and he and Sal flirted and it was, as always, great to share time with the guy who has won 'World's Nicest Bloke' for as long as I can remember. That despite looking a little too much like Dr Evil. And as for the bike grips; the bike looks far cooler and faster with them than with the older, covered in electricians tape ones.

Fucking cricket.