KT Dodge

Archive for October, 2007

I have always had an interest in antiques and find them fascinating. Obviously, I am still a novice where antiques are concerned, however, today Elizabeth and I spent a very enjoyable afternoon sifting through things in an antique shop. There was just so much to see everywhere, we went from handling silver flatware to moth eaten furs which had really seen better days, but had rather stylish designs to deciphering the writing on a Russian Cigar Container. No I cannot read Russian, but Elizabeth can and I was pleased to learn that ‘Russians’ also cared about their children’s safety and warned them against cigar smoking.

Have you ever stood in a long queue to get in a club and wondered how some people just walk to the front and get in first. Samsung are running a competition where you can vote for your favourite queue jumper photographed by their newest slim slider camera phone - the G600. Their new phone is a5 megapixel camera phone which is not only one of the most stylish phones on the market today but takes superb photos. Go on, I dare you, visit their site and check the photos out for yourself.

Maybe the Mexican meal we had at Magaritas turned out to be a God send. We both felt quite ill after our burrito as it seemed to be highly acidic. It seemed to affect Andrew much more than me and therefore, after a consultation with the doctor it led to a colonoscopy.

Obviously, you hope that the result of any test will bring good news not bad. But it is also frustrating if tests keep finding nothing when you know something is wrong.

We finally got to the bottom (no pun intended) of the whole thing and the colonoscopy uncovered a small cancerous tumour in his colon. Initially I must admit this was shocking news for me and very unwelcome, but once I had come to terms with it I realised how lucky we both are that we have caught the cancer at such an early stage. We must thank Dr Sharkey at Parkview Hospital in Maine who initially identified the cancer, it is currently only 0.1cm and therefore in it’s infancy which should mean that they can just cut is straight out. In the US, colon cancer is extremely prevalent, at least 50% of the population suffer from it during their lifetime.

Andrew had no pain (prior to the Mexican meal) with this cancer and therefore, a colonoscopy was an important part of the discovery of it.

I love gambling. There is a new online French Casino where you can win big jackpots. It is all in French so if you’re leaning to speak French or already ‘au fait’ with the written language go check their site casino en ligne out. It’s a fun site with lots of chances to win big cash prizes. Go on take a look and have a gamble.

The whole idea of having to WAIT around for ‘results’, whether they be exam, lab, xray, biopsy, court is something I find extremely painful. I am just one of those ‘annoying’ people who just need to know so that I can make the next decision. At the moment we are waiting for my husband’s biopsy results from his colonoscopy and are kind of in a state of limbo until we know what our next move is ….. fingers crossed they will be positive and we can return back to Blighty.

With so many different types of mortgages it can be really confusing to get the right one for you. I initially chose one of the cheap mortgages at a discounted rate for two years so that I would know exactly what my monthly outgoings would be. However, I made the mistake of not researching a new mortgage early enough when my ‘fixed rate’ mortgate was coming to an end and when it reverted to the ‘full’ rate it was a wee bit of a struggle as it effectively went up almost £200 per month. As you can imagine purse strings were pulled very tight during the 2 month period I had to wait to receive my ‘re-mortgage’ rate and reduce my monthly outgoings. You need to be careful when finding adverse credit remortgages.

Another thing to remember is that there is actually a great deal of cost involved when you re-mortgage (survey fee, solicitor fee, mortgage broker fee) and therefore, you should always weigh up this factor before changing lenders as you never know your lender may offer you a better rate if you contact them.

Well if you’ve read my husbands blog, Andrew Ian Dodge, you will know that yesterday he underwent a colonoscopy. It was actually amazing how easily he took it all in his stride, he even seemed to enjoy drinking the saline potion to cleanse his body (puke) which everybody who’s ever had a colonoscopy says is the worst part. He even asked for pictures which they readily handed to him…gross.

Now the hospital staff were great, nothing was too much trouble and the surgeon afterwards came out and explained everything. No badgering for information, everything was clearly outlined which is so refreshing.

I suppose in a way it is unfair to compare the NHS with a private hospital procedure in the US, but one cannot help oneself. When I was a child, the NHS was something for Britons to be proud of and really it made private health care irrelevant because it was so efficient and good. Now with constant re-structuring and financial cuts it has lost its fine reputation. Instead we keep hearing horror stories where people have died because of NHS staff negligence or suffered because of poor sanitary conditions. Now in 2007, it seems it is essential to have a private medical health plan (if you can afford it) so that you get good medical care when you need it.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just feel like getting away at the last minute and sometimes this is the most difficult time to find hotel availability at discount rates. So it is important to know just how to find these deals. Also it can be very hard to know exactly where to stay when you have never been to a country before. Therefore it is really good to find a reliable place to book hotel, travel and leisure packages that deliver quality at competitive prices.

Now If you fancy a trip across the big pond to visit the UK a good place to start planning your vacation and get anything up to 70% off the normal price of a hotel is Hotel Shop. They have a great site where you can make UK Hotel Reservations and Bookings at short notice at bargain prices.

Not only that, but there is so much to see in the UK, London alone has many historical sites; The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace as well as our more recent additions. The London Eye is one such and it gives you a birds eye view of not only London, but far off along the River Thames. Talking of the River Thames imagine a leisurely cruise up and down the River Thames, floating under all the beautiful bridges, taking in all the sights .

I like it when I can plan my whole holiday, creating an itinerary which includes lots of activity at ‘bargain’ prices, which if booked separately would cost twice as much. If I’m going away I like to stay in a nice hotel, with lots of amenities, room service and a spa and swimming pool. I want good service and a nice big comfortable bed to rest my tired feet after all that sightseeing.

To get a fun filled vacation to the UK check Hotel Shop out.

It seems that Mark Thompson is really beginning to unravel the ‘mess’ that seems to be the BBC at the moment. I am glad to hear that finally somebody is not afraid to make changes and put the ‘viewer’ first. It seems to me that poor decision making has led to a crisis at the BBC and bad ‘marketing’ decisions seem to have in the past had no consequence as they know they have the license fee to fall back on. Go there Mark - bring back the BBC’s reputation and make some good programmes …. we need them.

I think it is always beneficial to have a regular skin care regime that keeps your skin looking nice and youthful. There’s nothing worse than dry and flaky skin or using a product that gives you an allergic reaction and makes you break out in hives just before a big date. I’ve used a skincare regime for years now and always look for a cream which gives me a sun protection factor SP15 to try and protect my skin from harmful rays from the sun. As I have a combination skin I try not to get a cream that is too oily and prefer it to dissolve on my skin quickly. I also dislike ‘creams’ that are too perfumed. I don’t know about you but with so much information out there, it can be a minefiled of cosmetic jargon and quite confusing as which cream is best for you - good luck.