Wearable computers (by )

One of my too many projects is to make a wearable computer.

Lots of people are interested in making wearables, but nobody's yet come up with one that hits a "sweet spot" of decent functionality along with it being unobtrusive enough to not be a pain.

Well, I'm a nerd, so I'm far happier to put up with obtrusiveness to get my pervasive cognitive-assistance fix... I've been fascinated by pervasive computers since I was a kid; I read about Steve Roberts' recumbent bicycle as a youngster, as well as plenty of fiction about brain implants and the like.

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Merry Christmas ;) (by )

So obviously we have missed any hope of posting things to people so I have drawn a Christmas Mammoth to share with you all - consider it your Christmas card from Us here 🙂

Helga Mammoth

A Week of Medical Stuff (by )

Monday saw us at two (technically three but as two of them are next too each other it doesn't really count) hospitals having scans and consultations and a meeting with the diabetic nurse.

The issue is that as a result of the glucose tolerance test I had just slightly raised sugar that would normally have been ignored but due to Jean's pregnancy and family history it was considered enough to be checked out and monitored.

Then the consultant (C-section guy) said he'd been worried that the baby wasn't growing enough but now it was in the top 10% i.e. it has has grown alot in the last month 🙁 But not to worry as I am having a c-section anyway. But he was releived we were going to see the diabetic clinic and showed us what they would want to see on the scan.

I got a blood test kit and stuff from Gloucester (appointments all over ran so we had to get someone to pick Jeany up from school for us). Anyway we ran through my diet and stuff and I should be fine but I have whopped on weight since the end of the summer - probably due to my decreasing mobility. She suggested I try swimming - this is like one of the few exercises I can do anyway but I explained we'd only just got a car again but that I had emailed all the local pools as soon as we got the car to ask about mixed changing and pool access but not one had gotten back to me >:(

She told us of the ones that have mixed changing and pointed out phoning might have been an idea (doh! neither me or Al had actually thought of that - we expect to get responses from emails). Anyway the issue is I'm not supposed to aim to loose weight whilst pregnant but from the info I was given most of my problems with Jean's labour were caused by the out of control gestational diebetes. The diabetics nurse said that obviously with the problems I'd had with the blood clots and things the diabetes had not been a priority last time but that I should have been monitoring my blood sugar from week 16 of pregnancy.

This was about the time we found out I was pregnant and not suffering from food poisoning :/ And from the results I've been getting with my six skin prick blood tests a day - I really wish I'd known this - I had to ask about the sugar test in the first place. I should also have been having an yearly test to check that I hadn't developed diabetes as I am a high risk group.

Tuesday was spent on the phone to more medical people. I'm having trouble getting my compression hoisery meaning long car journeys are out. These are for two things - one I got red warm patches that hurt on my legs and two I have a huge varocous vein on my right leg - which hurts too. Obviously there is fear about blood clots again as I had the lung ones last time.

There is issues with my blood anyway with it not making up it's mind weather I'm positive or negative - something Jean apparently has sensatized me too.

Wednesday the diabetics consultant decided I needed to go onto metforming a drug to help my body control sugar levels - especially as I'm not actually eating anything wrong (as it were).

Thursday I spent on the phone talking to the dietician, visiting the Dr Surgery and then getting caught in a blizzard and being turned around by the police trying to get to the hospital to pick up medication - this time it was Cheltenham General so a different hospital again!

So I am on two metformin (500 mg) after my evening meal - put it this way two hours after eating you are supposed to have a sugar reading of below 7, on noodles (the portion that suggested on the packets which the dietition said are small portions anyway) and broccili stirfry (not a suacy stir fry just broccili and onions) I got a reading of 9.9 🙁

I'm feeling really guilty because last month when I managed to get into my writing meets I was having Toffee Nut Lattes 🙁 Al pointed out that my sugar would have been much much worse with Jeany. The hospital food alone was a nutrition nightmare :/

Friday saw Alaric struggle out of the valley to pick up a literal sack of medical stuff for me including a sharps bin :/ (with biohazard logo and everything!). He was going to pick wood up as well but I had a rather scary eruptive nosebleed - I sneezed and showered poor Jeany in erm... red jelly. I didn't realise I had done this, nor that there was blood running down my face. Jean just said, 'Oh ok Mummy, stay there - I'll get you a tissue,' which she did and then ran to get Daddy. I didn't register any alarm as I was finding thinking and even staying up right an issue.

Not really sure what happened next but I was somehow on the setee with Jean watching kids films surrounded by bloody tissues. I spent the rest of the day bursting into tears at things like Gamima Puddle Ducks eggs getting eaten and Tiny Tin 'dying'.

I am finding thinking hard at the moment I have to confess. I have also started having my hospital, labour and miscarriage nightmares again. We were hoping that going for a swim would help with well everything but unfortunatly we are snowed in :/ Also without my parents here etc... I have not been getting to places were I can walk about (ie shopping malls - they are warm and flat and have lots of seats - I love hill walking but that is a no go at them moment with or without ice). This means I am really paranoid about blood clots building up in my legs and stuff - the metformin is also making me feel sick and stuff :/

I have to confess to being a grumpy moo - Jean even gave me grumpy stickers - but says she hopes I wont be grumpy forever :/ And this is still much much better than Jean's pregnancy and it is a pregnancy that's lasting and I still want my baby - but I am growing increasingly worried that something is going to happen - the midwife said that with what's happened before I will be like this until I have a live baby in my arms.

A Recipe for Riot (by )

  1. Take one apathetic, peaceful, book-loving student body intent on learning

  2. Tenderise with cuts and broken promises

  3. Optionally add agent provocateur/thug type - this speeds the reaction but is not necessary due to using the kettling technique - guaranteed to bring anyone to a slow violent boil

  4. Sprinkle in a portion of police - ill-equipped and vulnerable causing the trigger happy reactions that seem justified - adds flavour

  5. Leave to simmer with the odd bit of bait/sacrificial target to get the crowd proving

  6. Knead in naive youth quick to follow the flow - after it swells to double the size - bash it down

  7. Season with paparazzi to bring out the 'incite to violence for the perfect photo' flavour

  8. Add a match and Voila! The Social Flambe - Riot

  9. Garnish by only reporting the juciest politically-approved bits to the general public

  10. Serve piping hot and full of bias and lies

This Months Challenges (by )

I'm going for easy challenges this Month due to a) having killed my wrist with the Nanowrimo and my 72, 000 words b) having that whole Christmas thingy! and c) now being very pregnant!

So I am taking the easy options of doing a blog post every day and an hour of art/craft a day.

I am putting up links to past and present christmas crafts and cooking on Rachel Cotterill as part of her fun Craft Christmas Count Down! I'm aiming for a link a day 🙂

I'm quiet chuffed that my Fimo Christmas Tree Vase was picked as a highlight 🙂

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