Adrian Phelan

Post 8

Dancing the night away | Gaeilge Lingo | The job bit | COVID-19 Inquiry | Nizlopi supportEd | Do Good Well | TV and film | Rounding off

Welcome to this week’s blog. 

I’m in the mood

The blog week started on Saturday with a trip to Beeston near Nottingham for a surprise 60th birthday party, and it was brilliant. There just aren’t enough opportunities to have a boogie these days and we danced the night away. I have a milestone birthday in 2026 myself and no one’s having buffet (vol-au-vents, chicken wings, quiche) until we’ve timed you dancing for at least half an hour. It’s just the tonic for life’s challenges. My feet are still going.  

And it snowed on Wednesday. It was short-lived but for about ten minutes the place looked like a winter wonderland and there were fewer people in shorts and crocs (overkill on that one I know). Significantly I heard the last time it snowed in November there was a white Christmas so let’s wait and see.  

Speaking the lingo 

This week I started practising Irish on Duo Lingo and I’m surprised both at how much I’ve remembered and how much I’ve forgotten. What’s good about it is that it also teaches you how to learn. It does have to show me some words about 8 times before I remember them however and I have no doubt if it was human it would have thrown a blackboard duster at me by now. But I’m really enjoying it. (I hope there’s some reading this who don’t know what a blackboard duster is.)  

How can I help you? 

I’m deeper into my new temp job, and the comfort of the training days are long behind me. I’m chatting to lots of people on the phones now, hopefully sorting out some of their problems and suffice it to say that when 5pm comes each day I am knackered. And the work doesn’t stop there as the job searches need to take place into the evenings. I’m planning to cold approach people at companies I’d like to work for so brace yourselves, I’m coming for you. Nothing ventured…as they say. A reminder you can find me on LinkedIn at Adrian Phelan | LinkedIn 

COVID-19 inquiry 

If you have seen my LinkedIn profile, you’ll know I’ve spent the last five years promoting adult and childhood vaccinations. During the pandemic the focus was naturally COVID-19. It was a massively significant time for all of us, but I think even more so for the NHS staff who selflessly put themselves at risk caring for patients, day in and day out. So, I read with interest the inquiry’s findings into how the four governments did. I don’t think any of us would have taken their places but the idea that the lockdown(s) could have been avoided and 23,000 fewer lives lost is mind blowing. I’m going to leave that one there, but I hope we’ve learned lessons and are far-better prepared for any future pandemics that fingers crossed never happen.  

Nizlopi SupportEd

I was delighted to see that Nizlopi, who featured in Blog post 3 will be supporting Ed Sheeran on his UK and Ireland dates in December. They have a long association so it’s great that the duo’s reunion is marked in this way. All the dates are sold out so to those of you who have tickets make sure you get down eary to check out Lemington’s finest. They really are very good.  

Do Good Well 

I’ve been avoiding the Prostate Cancer UK guy all week at the station. I support three charities already so can’t afford to add a 4^th but what we can do for free is raise awareness of their great work. What he was promoting was the “multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) scan which is a special type of scan that creates more detailed pictures of your prostate than a standard MRI scan. It does this by combining four different types of image.” These images give your doctor information about whether or not there is any cancer inside your prostate. Read more online and do consider a regular donation if you can.   

What are you watching this week?  

I haven’t been to the cinema this week but The Running Man and Wicked are on the list. If you see either of these, do share your reviews. I am nearly at the end of the Iris Affair mind and I’m enjoying that a lot. If you have Sky Atlantic, do consider watching.  

So long and thanks  

As ever, thanks for coming with me this far. Do get in touch for any or no reason. I’d love to help raise awareness of anything you’ve got going on so just ask.  

This has been somewhat of a blogette this week, but it gets you back to your day quicker.  

See you again next Friday.  

Adrian  

07974669338 

adrianphelan@hotmail.co.uk