Maloney's first review, blood tests and writing at last

Great joy and rejoicing today as the lovely Ann Somerville has reviewed Maloney's Law at the Unique Logophilos site and you can find the whole review here. Many thanks indeed, Ann - I really appreciate that! Always good to make readers cry - in the nicest possible way of course.

And it came at the best possible time as I really needed some good news today. The Surrey Park Clinic rang yesterday and left me a message that I need to have a second tumour marker blood test. Naturally this put the fear of God into me - in vast but thankfully relatively short swathes - but I was too late to ring back when I got home. So this morning, I spoke to the receptionist, who spoke to the nurse and got back to me in order to book me in for another test in a couple of weeks' time. Bugger, eh. Just before my holiday too. Mind you, it would be worse (or would it? Lordy, I don't really know - who's to say?) if it were after the hols. Naturally enough, I surfed the web for more information - actually, surely they should just give us the info when we ring up rather than being cagey about it, as they must damn well know we'll be Googling our diseases afterwards! Clinics should really catch up with the Internet world ... Anyway, apparently you have to take two blood tests if they don't like the look of the first one, just in order to see what's going on in there. There are other options apart from cancer though, but I really don't like the look of the liver thing. Good job I gave up the alcohol then and perhaps not a moment too soon! Knowing me, I shall probably have a juicy melange of illnesses, none of which they can really identify. Ah, 'twas ever thus. And at least I get to go back to the posh clinic before the consultant goes to work full-time in the NHS, taking me with her. Must remember to use the clinic toilets then - they rock.

Anyway, for the rest of today - apart from drifting round the flat in what I hope was a suitably ethereal manner (not a manner I'm much accomplished in, I must admit) - I've had the gas man round checking the boiler, which he suspects is near retirement age though it might hang on for a while. Lordy, I have every sympathy with it then. I've also - put out the bunting! - got back to doing more to Hallsfoot's Battle. Which has been a struggle, but quietly enjoyable and I've managed somehow to pack away about 1000 words of Ralph's first re-encounter with the mind-executioner. Not to mention the mountain-dogs. Ah, they're evil beasts, you know ...

Tonight, I must remember to video the John Barrowman programme, as I suspect Lord H would prefer "Mock the Week" and "Lab Rats". I have to say also that "Lab Rats" is highly irritating, but strangely does seem to have one utterly marvellous joke every week thus far which has Lord H and I creased up with unstoppable laughter. And it's even been the same joke. So worth it just for that.

Today's nice things:

1. My first Maloney review - hurrah!
2. Writing - at last
3. TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website