Rare happening - snow in Newark

Opened the curtains this morning to find the most incredibly fine snow, or was it frost falling? In fact it was not all tumbling downwards. So fine that at times it drifted sideways and was even at times wafted back up.

Looks beautiful in the garden but it will not last as the sun is already upon it.

For some reason it rarely seems to snow in Newark. This has been the case since long before global warming made it less of a regular occurrence than it used to be years ago in other parts of England. I have always thought, with no evidence whatsoever, that it is caused in some way by us being in the Trent river valley.

Business career stalls

The front door bell went about 10.30 this morning sending cats flying in every direction. It was Paul from Horsforth who had won the Ebay auction for Honda C90 I had posted for sale.

I had been agonising that he had bid too much for the bike and that when he saw it we might have an unseemly disagreement about the description I had given on Ebay. So as soon as he came through the door I said " I don't want £200 for the bike".

He looked concerned doubtless thinking I was going to ask for more.

"It's too much" I said, "just give me 180, buy a battery with the twenty".

He relaxed "If that's OK with you".

My guilt resolved and with Paul doubtless thinking he had a simpleton on his hands we went through into the garage.

"There it is", I said and waited with trepidation.

"It's great, better than I thought it would be from the pictures and just what I want".

"Your er, satisfied with it?"

"Fantastic".

His friend who he had brought with him agreed.

Sod me I'd just given away twenty quid unnecessarily. And I gave him the Haynes Workshop manual for nothing. Two cups of tea as well milk and sugar in both. It happens every time, my late flowering business career is in tatters.

Must re-read "Perfect people skills, all you need to get it right first time".

The cat sat on the.............

..............er laptop.

How times have changed, they used to be content with a coal fire and a mat

Another 8 miles on the Puch - and a response to a post

Beautiful sunny cold day and another eight miles on the Puch with no catastrophe. Sold 1976 Honda for £200 on Ebay and feel really guilty as it is too much. I don't think the buyer has researched or knows anything about the C90 market. Anyway he is coming to collect it tomorrow and I have resolved to give him a discount - if he turns up!

Very exciting day as I have recieved not one but two responses to a blog post, most unusual.

Dupuytren's contracture - Three years after the operation

Dupuytren's contracture causes one or more fingers to bend into the palm. As you can see from the two pictures I had one hand operated on three years ago but the other still has the condition.

I first got indications of the problem in my left hand in my early twenties. It started as a lump on my palm and although I discussed it with my GP in my late twenties never had anything done about it at the time.

My right hand began to develop the condition in my forties and progressed more rapidly than the other hand had done, two fingers becoming bent at more than a right angle into the palm. In the end the inconvenience (hardly being able to pick up a pint of beer) overcame my exceedingly high level of anxiety and I was referred to a surgeon. He told me that the operation should be able to be done under a local anaesthetic (arm deadened by a block) so I decided to go ahead. In the event a general anaesthetic was required. When I came round in the basement of the Queens Medical Centre surrounded by many other half awake individuals in flowered nighties I was amazed to find the op had taken two and a half hours!

As I had allowed the condition to progress so far it had been necessary to remove skin from my upper arm to repair my palm and finger. I now have some hair growing on the front of my fingers of my right hand. Mad or what.

The surgeon did an excellent job but I have to say that I was not prepared for the considerable and fairly excruciating pain that I experienced in the post operative period. This was I understand due to the fact that the many nerves present in the fingers are damaged in the course of the operation and need to repair over a period of time. Numbness of the finger ends was also present for a time but this resolved.

Three years on I am clear that the operation was a success. I have more mobility in the right hand although I am unable to clench it as tightly closed as I could. I now have one hand that won't fully close and one that won't fully open.

Why have I not had the other one done?

• I have concerns about subjecting myself to a two and a half hour anaesthetic for a non life threatening condition - if I had known it was going to take so long I might not have had the right hand done
  
• It was very very painful
  
• The condition can return though fortunately mine has as yet shown no evidence of returning

I suppose the lesson that I have learned from my experience is that if you begin to develop the condition get it resolved whilst it is in it's early stage of development and requiring less drastic surgical intervention.

Fingers crossed no seizure yet

Another 8 miles today in the cold on the Puch MV50. Still goes "ting, ting, ting" when you first start up but no "nip ups" on todays run. Mind you kept to under 25mph.

The performance (sic) of the bike has definitely been affected by my doctoring of the piston. However the plan is to run it on the old barrel and piston and if the seizures don't recur to replace with new barrel etc. Have just put a bid in on a NOS barrel on Ebay so possibly another spare.

Whilst on the subject of Ebay, the 1976 Honda C90 which I have for sale there has been bid up to £200 which makes me feel uncomfortable. In many ways I hope that it does not go higher. My usual response to this type of uncomfortable/guilt feeling is to give the successful bidder all sorts of extra items when they come to collect their purchase. Must curb this urge now that I face an impecunious future as a pensioner.

Eight miles with just a little tinkle

Eight miles today and no seizure with the MV50. When you first start the bike up there is what I can best describe as a metallic "tinkling" sound. I assume that this is the now doctored (by me) and ill fitting piston rattling in the bore. This sound stops within a few minutes presumably as heat expansion takes place.

So so far so good.