I’m just back from an appointment with an ENT man, that’s Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. I’ve noticed for many years that my right ear is not as good as the left and earlier this year I mentioned it to a high school friend, Viv White, who is an audiologist. Well, before you could say snap, crackle and pop she had me in for a hearing test. That was back in late January, pre-COVID.

Sure enough, it showed the right ear less sensitive, and both ears showing declining HF responses, rolling off at around 8KHz. By the way, when I started work at the TV station in the late 1960s, I/we used to be driven mad (a bit) by the TV line frequency whistle at 15,625KHz, so that shows how far my HF hearing has declined.

Anyway, Viv said she thought she could see something a bit odd about my right tympanic membrane (that’s eardrum to you and me) so she recommended an inspection by this ENT guy, just across the road from her rooms in Duncraig.

He was very easy to get along with and after removing a bit of wax from both ears, he said the eardrum just has a couple of scars, possibly from tears in years gone past that have repaired themselves. Nothing to worry about, in other words. So that was that. I really don’t have any worries about my hearing. I don’t feel the need for any hearing aid, which is not bad for a 73, nearly 74 year old.

___________________________________________________

On the other hand … yesterday I was working on getting my car radio properly installed. When I finished, I tried to start the car. Click. Nothing, Damn, flat battery, so I charged it overnight. Got in again today and went to start it – click again, but this time I realised I’d moved the gear selector out of the way to Drive. Duh!!

____________________________________________

Nota Bene: You know how I latch onto coincidences, right? Here’s the latest. I was listening to the radio in the car and being digital (DAB+) it shows the titles of the music. This one was by a 19th century composer I’ve never heard of, surname Nota (probably Italian).

After my appointment I bought a magazine and lunch. The magazine is Car and one of the articles is about Italian cars. Guess who features? Mr Nota. I can’t find the article at this moment to give his full name, but … there ya go again.

_______________________________________________

I bought the magazine because after that stupid German company Bauer Media closed down my favourite magazine, Modern Classics, in August, they tried to get us to sign on for a new subscription to Car.

No thanks. I enjoyed reading Car, but as usual it’s all about high end stuff like Ferraris, Porsches, Maserati’s, Aston Martins, Roll-Royces and so on. I want articles about cars I might be interested in. OR, articles about cars from the golden years, the 80s, 90, 00s, as Modern Classics used to do.

_______________________________________________

The COVID vaccine is getting closer and closer. I’m not worried and I can wait, but after medical and hospital staff, then aged carers, I should be next in line, being elderly (sob!) and with reduced immune system and co-morbidities. I wonder which vaccine we’ll get.

______________________________________________

I’m off to a small dinner gathering at the pub at Clarkson at 6.30pm, comprising members of the ALP in this, John Quigley’s electorate. I don’t know if he’ll be there but I’m a bit of a fan of his. This is the second attempt. Last week, I was the only one to reply to the invitation. I wonder how many will be there this time.