OK may seem odd coming from someone who has not personally had anything directly to do with the NHS for 11 years or so, but I have indirectly since I told my parents.
My mum went to her Doctor to find out who she could speak to to help her understand the bombshell I dropped on New Years Eve. Apparently the doctor tried to be helpful, and did some investigations for her. The result is what has riled me.
The only thing the NHS will do for my parents is... Refer them to a sexual health clinic. To discuss how my news on being transgender has affected them. *I* wouldn't expect to be sent to a sexual health clinic if I went to the doctor there and said I needed to speak to someone out it, so why on earth should my parents be sent there? It's insanity...
On top of that, and the real stange one for me. They won't speak to my parents about how it is affecting them unless I go in person (1600km's away 99% of the year) to give my permission as their feelings are connected to my news. WTF. What right do I have to say my parents can't discuss their own feelings.
I just don't get it... I think I'm going to have to do some searching for them and find a private therapist.
Other than that it was a nice chat again. We hadn't spoken for a while, and yesterday I just a text from her asking how we were so I gave her a call.
And lied a little... I've been pretty down the last couple of weeks, but didn't really want to get into it last night. No doubt we'll talk again soon and we can go over it in more detail.
And... She's sent me my yearly package of Mini Eggs! I am totally addicted to these things, but you can't find them over here. Ergo each Easter I get a red cross package full of them :) They take a while to arrive though - they were posted more than a week ago, and still no sign of them. I hope the postie hasn't eaten them!
Update: They are located in the far North of Scotland (about 30 miles north of Inverness) - which doesn't help... (Thanks Chrissie for pointing out that I missed this )
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Fun times two
I've had another busy week, but seeing as most of it was boring bureaucracy I won't bore you with the details except to say I am finally getting rid of my UK license and changing it for an NL version, and applying for a long term residency permit, as opposed to the usual 5 year temporary permit.
The fun?
First is obvious to anyone who has read my blog in the last 7 days. The toy is sleeping peacefully in the garden under a blacket to protect it from the cold and rain.
I picked it up on Thursday and have done about 100km's on it so far - 30 for fun, 70 commuting. I love it. I'm taking it easy to start with, new bike, lots of power and just as important, band new front tyre that has to bed in before I can push aything. Even taking it easy the bike is fun, very easy to ride (I wasn't expecting that) and very difficult to accidently go really fast (wasn't expecting that either). When you do try to go a little quick it's very difficult to go just a little quickly (that is what I was expecting - but I am getting used to it).
Lots of riding to do in the coming weeks to get used to it. If the weather is nice tomorrow I'll be taking pics and may well post one up here...
The second was cooking last night. We have been trying to find some nice food to eat over the last few weeks instead of eating the same things week in week out.
I love cooking, and have a good collection of recipe books. But I've never really tried to make my own recipes up. Last night we did just that: Chicken and mushroom pasta with a goats cheese white sauce.
Cut a breast of chicken into thin strips and start to cook over a low heat. In the meantime chop the mushrooms into small peices (quater for small muchrooms, 6 or 8 peices for the larger ones) and throw into the cookng chicken. Add some italian mixed herbs and salt and peper to taste.
The sauce is a basic white roux, with salt, peper to taste and some goats cheese. Once thickened and the cheese has melted throw into the chicken and mushrooms to mix with the juices that have been released during the cooking process. Stir through and leave to cook for a min or so.
Place the pasta on plates, using a draining spoon place the chicken and mushrooms over the paster. Finally pour the sauce over the top.
Serve with garlick focaccia.
Was much better than I was expecting, and amazingly cheap - 7 euros for two people IIRC (the goats cheese and focaccia drive the price up a bit without those it would ahve been 4(ish) euros.
The fun?
First is obvious to anyone who has read my blog in the last 7 days. The toy is sleeping peacefully in the garden under a blacket to protect it from the cold and rain.
I picked it up on Thursday and have done about 100km's on it so far - 30 for fun, 70 commuting. I love it. I'm taking it easy to start with, new bike, lots of power and just as important, band new front tyre that has to bed in before I can push aything. Even taking it easy the bike is fun, very easy to ride (I wasn't expecting that) and very difficult to accidently go really fast (wasn't expecting that either). When you do try to go a little quick it's very difficult to go just a little quickly (that is what I was expecting - but I am getting used to it).
Lots of riding to do in the coming weeks to get used to it. If the weather is nice tomorrow I'll be taking pics and may well post one up here...
The second was cooking last night. We have been trying to find some nice food to eat over the last few weeks instead of eating the same things week in week out.
I love cooking, and have a good collection of recipe books. But I've never really tried to make my own recipes up. Last night we did just that: Chicken and mushroom pasta with a goats cheese white sauce.
Cut a breast of chicken into thin strips and start to cook over a low heat. In the meantime chop the mushrooms into small peices (quater for small muchrooms, 6 or 8 peices for the larger ones) and throw into the cookng chicken. Add some italian mixed herbs and salt and peper to taste.
The sauce is a basic white roux, with salt, peper to taste and some goats cheese. Once thickened and the cheese has melted throw into the chicken and mushrooms to mix with the juices that have been released during the cooking process. Stir through and leave to cook for a min or so.
Place the pasta on plates, using a draining spoon place the chicken and mushrooms over the paster. Finally pour the sauce over the top.
Serve with garlick focaccia.
Was much better than I was expecting, and amazingly cheap - 7 euros for two people IIRC (the goats cheese and focaccia drive the price up a bit without those it would ahve been 4(ish) euros.
Friday, 19 February 2010
Where is my muse?
After a week of having lots of idea's for this weeks posting here I am on a Friday lunchtime, with the office to myself and my thoughts. And they seem to have abandoned me at the moment - taking with them all vestiges of medium term memory over the postings.
I can't wait to finally get rid of the cold that has been haunting me for the last two weeks now. It's causing me pain, and lots of ikky stuff besides, and is making thinking harder than after drinking a bottle or two of cheap plonk.
The only thing I can remember wanting to do a posting about is a website made by a Dutch guy called pleaserobme.com. Basicalled if you link 4Square and Twitter you have the makings of a home security problem. The problem is that the more I looked into it, the more I am not sure how much of a problem it is - but that could always just be the fogged brain that I have at the moment. So there goes one posting idea... But I thought I'd mention it as those who use Twitter may want to look into it and see if they need to change their habbits (or the amount of personal information that's easily findable online) to protect themselves...
Well then I guess I'll get back to trying to find some nice recipes for this weekend - we've got bored of eating simple food week in and week out and have decided that since I like cooking I have to find something nice to make. So far I have a recipe for leak and cheese ravioli and... Not much else. If anyone has a nice recipe they'd like to share please feel free to share :) I guess I have to dust off my Delia's, Jamie Olivers and Silver Spoon* this weekend and start to come up with some nice menus...
Have a good weekend all,
Stace
* The Silver Spoon is a *real* Italian cookbook, best selling in Italy for 50 years or so. Some of the recipes are not for the meek (and so I haven't tried them yet) but there are some absolute stunners - and it remindes you that there is so much more to Italian food than pasta - which I could eat everyday of the week, but Mrs Stace gets bored with :)
I can't wait to finally get rid of the cold that has been haunting me for the last two weeks now. It's causing me pain, and lots of ikky stuff besides, and is making thinking harder than after drinking a bottle or two of cheap plonk.
The only thing I can remember wanting to do a posting about is a website made by a Dutch guy called pleaserobme.com. Basicalled if you link 4Square and Twitter you have the makings of a home security problem. The problem is that the more I looked into it, the more I am not sure how much of a problem it is - but that could always just be the fogged brain that I have at the moment. So there goes one posting idea... But I thought I'd mention it as those who use Twitter may want to look into it and see if they need to change their habbits (or the amount of personal information that's easily findable online) to protect themselves...
Well then I guess I'll get back to trying to find some nice recipes for this weekend - we've got bored of eating simple food week in and week out and have decided that since I like cooking I have to find something nice to make. So far I have a recipe for leak and cheese ravioli and... Not much else. If anyone has a nice recipe they'd like to share please feel free to share :) I guess I have to dust off my Delia's, Jamie Olivers and Silver Spoon* this weekend and start to come up with some nice menus...
Have a good weekend all,
Stace
* The Silver Spoon is a *real* Italian cookbook, best selling in Italy for 50 years or so. Some of the recipes are not for the meek (and so I haven't tried them yet) but there are some absolute stunners - and it remindes you that there is so much more to Italian food than pasta - which I could eat everyday of the week, but Mrs Stace gets bored with :)
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