What is the importance of history ?

Are my dental costs a tax deductable outlay?

Rubbish, I hear people say sounds like an MP or a BBC exec exposed for taking liberties with tax payers money. Dental treatment for artists what ever next?

Well I may disagree, and it makes an interesting link with that knitting blog where the effects of artwork on the body of an artist were thought about.

I have two cracked teeth, a filling fallen out and an absess, this has all culminated into an ongoing catalogue of dental treatment recently. This may be due to a long term mosaic making!

Eh?

Cutting thin strips of mosaic tiles, into what I call thirds requires considerable preasure and this causes me to clench my teeth in readyness for the snapping, jarring impact. Over a period of 20 years of cutting probably 100’s of thousands of hard vitrified materials by hand with what are in effect pliers has put considerable preasure on my teeth on a day in day out out basis for long periods of my working life.

Are my teeth now showing the toll for what must be in the region of 500 mosaics some large and some very small out there in the public realm?

So having writen this does dental treatment enable me to carry out my work? No. It may be a result of it. I guess thats not tax deductable, just a health and safty issue.

That reminds me of a fantastic story of one secondary school that made me supply two classes with rubber gloves (to prevent contact with cement) and goggles (to prevent chippings in the eyes) now add to that gum shields for protection.

Keep taking the tablets rob.

I think the real Tour de France starts this weekend, and today my race was kind of removed!

I have caught the leading riders with a sustained effort, the bunch nowhere to be seen, in taters spread over miles at least 12-15 miutes down. If I was dope tested I fear I would have failed as Ibuprofen, Amoxicillin and Metronidazole would be found in my system. This is due to an absess and probable root canal dentistry required, tooth ache…. less painfull than Alp-D’uez or Mount Ventoux.

The installation date on my contract has been extended from Aug to sometime yet to be agreed before the 26 Oct. This is probably due to building schedules slipping. Lets say some time Sept. Even though the preasure is off I still have one quarter of this mosaic left to do.

Ironic, as I went for a job interview more than a week ago, and told them I was too busy to do their job in the time frame they required. I have not heard from them, which comes as no surpise then.

I am actually very pleased, as I have knocked myself bandy with Newcastle and everything and can ride my bike with friends again for the first time in ages.

Vive La Tour.

I can almost hear those air horns ‘didley de didley de didley de’

Without history, would we keep on making the same mistakes again and again?

The Tour de France is back I am struggling. The small group of leading riders has dropped me. The bunch are behind me and I am in danger of being swallowed up and the race lost.

There is a point where you need to make a move otherwise its over, and you’ve missed that chance of the win. Now is that time, its not a dash for the line thats weeks and weeks away yet. Its about catching the leading riders before they get too far ahead. I must move now and I’m tired, increase the pace keep it steady, dig deep, focus and settle down for a proper attack on this leading group. When I catch them I’ve got to pass and drop them, but not straight away.

This translates in work terms as finish the Newcastle mosaics damm quick and get the feck back onto Witney.

The chase is on fella.