The bar had run out of salted peanuts!

Well after all the fun of my June fundraising event, things returned to normal last week. However, I am determined to take over the world! So watch this space! New ideas are coming!

So what about the nuts?

Travel is still possible for me, but I need to plan more. One thing hasn’t changed and that is I will always leave flight and hotel bookings to the last moment. For a couple, there is absolutely no reason ever to book ahead of time. I have never done this, and now it is a real no brainer for me. How do I know in 3 months if I can do this or that? This disease is progressing, but about a week ahead is reasonably predictable!!

However, before risking all on the high seas, we are visiting a relative soon, on his 60th birthday, and we need a place to stay with our two dogs near their house.

It’s our first UK hotel trip with our dogs! So I started searching, “dog friendly hotels”. In the end I found a great barn, self-catering that looks amazing. Reports will follow. But the search that led me to this was fraught with horror premises and places that just didn’t seem right.

Anyway, I did review a bunch of tripadvisor reports, and my attention was caught by one particular reason for a hotel losing 2 stars by a guest.

“The bar had run out of salted peanuts”

Some people, huh. However, more often than not it’s the clientèle that you need to know about when staying somewhere and not the place! For goodness sake, salted peanuts! Anyway sounded like a place to avoid, along with their themed 70’s nights and Black Forest gateaux eating championships!

Other news in the onein400 house. A couple of things have moved forward. We need to have ramp access into the rear of the house, but the current step is too high and all my ideas regarding complex rotating multi layer ramps were crazy. You should have seen my 3D CAD flyover video though! So the solution? Lower the doorstep and door! Simples! Now I must phone Bragg’s builders.

We also had a second bannister put on our staircase to help me going downstairs.

We had some cash to pay into the bank from the epic fundraiser. We needed to be discrete, so we took the money in a bright blue MNDA bucket! Not stupid, me. Anyway, we got out safely, without being mugged, and we were only 72 pence out! Mind you there were some cents and euros in the pot! Wait until I find out who put those in!

I have noticed that because my voice is a bit crap, I am resorting to using less words. So where before, I might have said “Yes please” to “Would you like a cup of tea?”, I am now just saying “Yes”. I am going caveman!

This hasn’t affected my car driving language, as yet, with key phrases such as “Idiot” still rolling off my tongue. But it has affected my chat up lines. Gone is the…..

“Your beauty would launch a 1000 ships, and I love your shoes”. Trust me guys always comment on shoes, a guaranteed vote winner. Now it’s much simpler

“Woman, ugg!”

Well it still works, I believe. That brings me nicely onto to football.

It’s the Euro football championships, and England are now top of their group and running a close second in the violence league! I do like the media interviews with so called innocent fans, “We weren’t doing nuffin!” Aside the awful use of the English language I do find these characters tiresome.

I don’t know about you. If I was out having a nice cocktail (with umbrella) and a load of guys in full body armour with shields and batons turned up, I would decide it’s probably time to go back to the hotel for a Horlicks, and not hang around for a punch up!

I tried to bet on the England game, but no one was offering the bet I was looking for. I was looking for a combination bet of England drawing, between 20 and 50 fans arrested and Wayne Rooney being sent off for punching one of his own team! The BBC commentator made a comment, which tickled me. “It’s great to have veterans like Wayne in the team to calm the younger members down”. Jeesh, how times have changed.

Anyway, they won! So we have another couple of weeks of tension.

I have noted though, that some of the footballers do fall over so easy, if not easier than me! I would recommend they see a neurologist, it could be serious. Although I am not sure what the roll around like a twat, clutching their face is a symptom of.

Its MND Awareness month, so I have 3 posts left to tell you something unique and interesting every week about MND.

This week, here is the only medication available, Riluzole. It is now 17 years old and adds about 2 months to life! And that’s it, there is no other treatment. I take 2 of these a day. No cure, and no new treatments in 17 years. I don’t criticise scientists though, it is complex and we are getting there. Keep donating folks, by clicking “One Way or Another”.

Why does it only appear to provide a short increase in life expectancy? Interestingly we don’t know how it works. It was thought to work by inhibiting glutamate production at nerve synapses, but when other drugs were tried that we knew did just that, there was no effect! So we have a drug that partially works, and we don’t know why! This is what makes science so interesting. It is possible that a product of breakdown (metabolite) is actually having the effect, and one study shows that it stops working after the first 12 weeks of use. So one line of research currently is “How can we make a better Riluzole?”

I think Jean tried to kill me this week. She parked the Mini right next to a drain, and she knew I was using a walking stick and was making my way around the back to the passenger door. Cunning old me saw her attempt though and I successfully avoided putting my stick in it! You’ll have to try harder than that, baby! What’s for lunch? Humm what’s that smell of almonds, unusual for chips?

Lord Lee Bragg has been out campaigning to remain in the EU and he is handing out postal votes for this who might need one. There is something odd about the form though….

Trust Bragg! What a useful little service. Anyway, whatever you vote, please vote.

We just had a visit from an assessor from a local emergency care team, in order to initiate support if Jean is suddenly unable to care for me. This is an interesting and incredibly useful service, funded from Council tax, I believe. Never imagined I would be involved this young in such arrangements. Preparation, preparation. A rather amusing but very logical setup meeting. Everything has to be known. Some of the questions;

Where are the heating controls?

Where are back door keys?

Do you have any pets – Yes

2 shih tzus

Where do you keep their food?

Oh and there’s Frank the cat, he needs love and a warm place to sleep.

Hold on, what about me!

Next week I am expecting a visit from the future. Yes the future! One of Lord Bragg’s descendents, is coming back in time for a visit. He has his reasons apparently, and is bringing a weapon! Now what is all that about?

Next week readers, Bragg’s back.