A guide to purchasing ROSKILL or TALK TO ME.

I don't know why, but today I had a few inquiries re buying my books online. Only ROSKILL is available as hard copy, but both books are able to be downloaded from AMAZON. There is a downside to buying hard copy online (Amazon). It costs about $54 whereas by contacting me direct (neilcolemanauthor@gmail.com) I can sell it in NZ for $25, postage included. to Aussie for $32,

If you wish to buy the downloads from Amazon, you could of course do a search, but here is the easy way:
1) Go to my website (www.authorneilcoleman.com)
2) Click on Neils Books
3) Click on Roskill---or Talk To Me
4) Click on the Kindle option---there is a free AP tere if you need to use a device other than Kindle

Happy downloading and PLEASE---leave a review. That helps me a great deal.
Thanks.
Neil

PS---If you want me to write more books, I need to sell the two featured here.

Coastal 'hearing!' Seeing with your ears is great.

I walk often, more than 4 times a day, sometimes---be it along the beaches, up valleys with flowing brooks, on on wide open spaces, where perdy can let rip, chasing her ball and 'hopefully' returning to me.

Today, it was very different. I HEARD things, as I have not for quite some time. You see, Perdy tried to eat my hearing aid, some time ago and as a result, I have been suffering from'aural input deficit.' In pother words, I was becoming a deaf old bugger and a bit grumpy with it.

I decided, just before Christmas, to do something a bout my hearing loss. Friends, family and maybe clients were possibly getting a bit 'over' having to repeat themselves, so it was time to act.
My insurance company came to the rescue and in the process, I learned that dogs are 'a major threat to the existence' of hearing aids. They are attracted to the whistling sound and do their very best to expunge them from emitting that sound--the best way?---just eat them.

Today I had my first walk along the beach and near the trees over the road from my house. I was immediately 'bathed in sound, caressed by birdsong and massaged by the playful sound of running water.'

I observed Perdy casting glances towards my era---I k now that look. 'Thou shalt not goeth near it,' I said.
'Oh hell---just like the chooks, is it?' she implied, re that next look.

There is another interesting and perhaps excellent ramification of being able to hear: I can hear the cars and actually place other sounds in a 'directional mode.' That makes for distinguishing whether a voice is fomr a neighbour GOD! Not that I am aware of messages from the latter.

I guess the bottomline is that I feel more balanced. One forgets what it like having one ear, not performing as it should. I feel like I have stepped back in time---for all the right reasons. I don't feel SO OLD!

Don't get too cocky, dear readers, I shall still posts 'off the wall,' politically unPC and whatever the hell I feel like---posts! The COAST does that to ya.

The 'Racists,' Debate' and Talk Back Radio---'Talk To Me.'

The airwaves, or the Talk Back Radio hotspots are full of a certain debate today, about an event that occurred on Waiheke island a few days ago. A well known 'celebrity' uttered a comment that he no doubt put little thought into before it's tidal wave response from many sectors of the New Zealand public. I very much doubt that there is going to be much in the way of agreement, given the stance that 'all sides' have taken.

The 'Mad Butcher' (Kiwis, know who I mean) used language that reflects a certain sector in NZ society; the response to that, from another. Now, everyone and his/her dog is putting their 'bit in.' It has become ugly; it has become a watershed for some, whereby they want to take the 'utterer' to task. Others are rallying to his defence.

For its part, Talk Back Radio, is milking the issue for all it is worth---why?  That's simple---for ratings, for advertising revenue, because Talk Back radio is for entertainment and is carefully crafted to attract big advertisers. You can be sure that if a subject is garnering a large portion of the ever suffering public, then the revue increases exponentially.

The above debate is taking many twists and turns, further increasing the number of those listening and partaking in the debate. I take a cynical view that the real driver of the 'show' is the big dollar! The more entwined and outrageous the debate(s), the more the coffers are filled.

I used that feeling to inform me, re the writing of my latest book--'TALK TO ME.'
While I was writing this book, I often found myself getting angry as I 'lived' the attitudes and felt the emotions of the 'callers' into the fictitious radio station. I also found myself laughing uproariously, as I put pen to paper---oops fingers to keyboard.

In Talk To Me,  I am the talk back host; I listen and respond to the callers; Perdy (alias SPOT!) is my trusty friend and things go bump in the night. If you take my story too seriously, then I am not responsible for your reactions! Lighten up, or you will expend unnecessary emotional energy, that should be saved for the real underlying issue in NZ society. I could list them, but my other blogs should inform you re my feelings about THOSE! (for example, my other book---ROSKILL).

Go to my website and follow the links from Neils Books.
Download and you can use the free AP for your phone or laptop. Alternatively you can contact me on  neilcolemanauthor@gmail.com for a good price on ROSKILL---hard copy. Both are available as downloads from Kindle/Amazon.

Now---go and listen to talk back---if you dare!

Jeeze China!

OMG China! 3000 hits on my blog in one day? Do you realize that if each of you downloaded a copy of ROSKILL and TALK TO ME, that I could come and visit you?! That would be so cool. Go for it. Just follow the links on my website. Go to Neils Books and do your thing.

Coastal crazy times!

Yes, even in Thames the days before Christmas are very busy----the locals would say--- crazy! I, of course put things in perspective. Take today for example.
I toddled off down to the town 's main street, intending to get my haircut and then do a bit of shopping for tonights dinner and to collect my ham from the butcher. I almost collected the wrong parcel, caused no doubt by the constant chatter one gets involved in.
The haircut----I thought I would have to wait for several customers, given the time of the year, but the only thing I had to wait for----was for the barber to finish his yap with a bloke on the street. All good.
Then to the supermarket. The carpark was full, so I assumed that I would be in for a long wait. Yes, it was busy, but they had ALL of the checkouts going and I only had to wait about 5 minutes for my turn. All so easy.
When I arrived home, my 'landscape designer' was busy finishing the chook house. LOL---You can figure that one out. He was also just getting stuck in to areas of my garden that he thought needed attention. Long may he continue. I guess he will help  me make it all more manageable. He's my near neighbour and tonight---he, his partner (She is going to help me to relearn how to bottle plums and to make pickles) and child are all coming for a nice big old fashioned dinner.
I quite like this stepping  back in to the 70's and----even beyond!

This is hardly a confession. (Super Hen--part 10)

OMG---HE has finally twigged about my escaping. HE hasn't actually caught me in the act, but HE has caught me----after the 'act.' Yes, I go quietly because I do not want to rock the boat too much. I squat down in that submissive mode that he assumes is me giving in and being returned to the coup!

Today---things happened at our place. HE had a visitor---apparently a neighbour and THEY were discussing stuff and measuring things. I heard the words--'well one point eight metres should do the trick. Even she can't fly that high.'
Jeeze mate---that's a bit drastic---that is, if YOU were referring to the height of the new fence!

There is a pay-off though. HE is making the area of containment----bigger,so maybe things won't be too bad. Then there is another issue. I am damned sure I heard that HE is selling the flash little hen house and remodeling the big old garden shed and HE is bringing in more gilrs! Sounds a bit strange for HIM, if you know what I mean---lololol. If even one of them there new chicks clucking well thinks she is going to rule the roost, then she will be lacking a few feathers by the time HE comes out the following morning to collect our treasures.

Life is going to be rather testing over the next few weeks. I better put on my 'planing hat! OH----I hear that there is gonna be a garden party in our neck of the woods, on Christmas Day. At least we are not on the menu---this time---I hope!

Why Bariatric Surgery? (3)

I think by now (if you have read my previous blogs on this subject) you would have gathered that I had quite a journey, arriving at the point where I decided to have surgery. From a skinny youth with long hair, I morphed into a rather large and very unhealthy 50 plus something kinda dude.' All the signs were there that I was heading to an early grave. Indeed my doctor was quite specific with me, around the age of 62, that I would not make the age for the 'pension (We call it Superannuation in New Zealand. It is Government funded for all over the age of 65)

Lets go back a bit. I began to notice a slight 'spreading of the girth,' around the age of 40---nothing to be too concerned about, but I am sure if I had had blood tests regularly, a pattern would have been apparent. My response?----GO ON A DIET. And so began the 'yoyo' period of my life.

Dieting became an addiction, along with food. You name it---the diet---I have done it. I will not name them all, but I am sure you all know the ones I am referring to. Of course they work, in the sense that the weight comes off---quite successfully for a while, then something kicks back in and back it all goes and then some! Those who have never had an issue with weight and food, will no doubt be making all the old judgments, so maybe they should stop reading. I have heard all the assumptions expressed before, in many different ways, so I guess I am immune to them now.

I will not bore you with the list of statements that the above people have thrown at people like myself. Often they come from people close to you, or ones who work with you. At the time---they hurt and led me to feeling incredibly bad about myself. I felt useless and out of control and I put up a facade. You all know the big happy loud guys. It is  nothing more than a veneer, folks. Inside there is a hurting and unhappy person.

I also went down the 'gym pathway' and other exercises. I ran/jogged, for a while and yes that too worked, but all attempts led to the same result. It came off then back it came! By the time I hit my 50s----health issues were becoming very hard to ignore. Blood pressure,  diabetes (T2), sleep apnea--just to mention a few! I had to use a machine to stop me from snoring and risking a stroke or heart attack. I actually quite liked that machine.

Everything came to a head, one day when while visiting my doctor, he gave me that 'ultimatum about not reaching the age for the pension.' It hit home and combined with the support from my family and some close friends---I explored the issue of Bariatric Surgery. If one is over 50 in New Zealand, the Government does not fund it. Yes, we are lucky in NZ to have a free public health system, that for the most part, delivers excellent service. We have not had to endure that never-ending debate my American friends have aorund that issue. MOST NZers accept higher taxation to have such a system, although  there is a tendency for more and more people to have medical insurance. I did and it paid for part of the procedure and I picked up the rest. (The total cost here was abou $US 15,000)

By this stage, the decision was quite easy for me. I went home and within minutes, I had rung up a surgeon who I had been recommended and started the journey. (To be continued)