Scaredy cat...

Playlist
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Timeless Flight
Girls Aloud – Out of Control
Various – The Best of British
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Soundingfall
Genesis – Wind and Wuthering

Track of the Day
Elton John – Rocket Man (4:42)


Up early as, today, I was to have an MRI scan at 9:10 am on my right shoulder which, despite successful surgery towards the end of 2007, is still causing me problems...

A quick breakfast then we set off to the Royal Infirmary soundtracked by Girls Aloud’s latest album...

We arrived in plenty of time and they took me early...



The pre-scan questions were all about whether I had any metal implants anywhere in my body or if I’d ever worked with metal or had an accident which might have left metal in my eyes – all very reassuring...

I strode manfully to the room and was introduced to the huge machine – there was a thumping rhythm in the room that sounded like a trance track – the nurse said it was the machine...

She had me lie down on the bed and positioned me for the scan and proceeded to have the bed slide inside the machine..

At which point I completely panicked...

I hadn’t realised I was so claustrophobic – she had to bring me back out pronto and advised I’d turned white as a sheet – I was shaking too...

What an idiot...

She asked if I wanted to go ahead or if I wanted to decline the scan – apparently I wouldn’t have been the first person to have done so...

But I thought about all the people who must have come here and gone through this because they were very ill indeed – and here was me with a sore shoulder..

So, after a suitable pause, I was prepared again and in I went, this time keeping my eyes shut and thinking nice thoughts...

Good music on the headphones:-

Fleetwood Mac – Albatross
David Bowie – Life on Mars?
Clifford T Ward – Home Thoughts from Abroad (I was amazed I was able to put a title and artist to that one)
Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale
Elton John – Rocket Man
The Kinks -Waterloo Sunset

The scanner was super-noisy, clicking and droning and I could feel my eyes being affected by matters at various points – around six scans of varying lengths during the time it took to listen to these songs...

On emerging, I asked to see the cover of the CD they'd been playing, to see if I was right about the third track – and was thankful the scans hadn’t lasted long enough for Spandau Ballet’s “Gold” to pollute my ears...

We had planned on lunching out this way but, for once, the NHS’ efficiency left us ahead of schedule, so it was back over to Tesco for the shopping – where I bought these lovely apples...



Then, after a suitable relaxation period, out and down to Cramond for lunch...



Tasty haggis for me and haddock and chips for Anne...



Back home a couple of hours later to find Meg the Black cat in a new place...



We settled down to watch “The Lives of Others”, regarding the watcher and the watched in East Germany in 1984...

Another superb film to add to the list of those viewed thus far this year...

Whilst driving to and from Cramond, the Exec Producer had the chance to listen to the new song and made some enlightening suggestions – a few hours post the film were spent adding around twenty seconds of guitar to the track, replacing improvised vocalisations, and then treating said guitar and working on further mixes...

Two episodes of “Coronation St” and the football highlights (a 40 min programme to show six games – with Celtic v Rangers, a nil-nil draw remember, taking up around 17 minutes – the Old firm-centric sports journalism in this country is pathetic) rounded off the day...

Track of the day from Elton John - made me think of what astronauts go through and helped put my scan experience into all too embarrassing perspective...

Highlight of the Day : The Lives of Others...