Feeling the love!

Isn't it lovely when you receive positive messages from folk?  Given my recent hospital stay, and my birthday, I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the good wishes I have recently received.

But, let me start from the beginning.

As you know, I had to go into hospital for an iron infusion last week.  For whatever reason, I was required to stay overnight.  Don't know why, it's a 3 hour procedure...  But, anyway, stay I did.

My wonderful friend Marg came to my aid again and dropped me off at Ashford hospital.  I bought her a birthday gift and left it in her car.  She is a mad tiger freak so I bought her a resin one, about 30cm long.  She phoned me the next day to tell me she loved it, and had named it, well, Fluffy's real name!  Sweet!

Anyway, I digress.  So, I got to the hospital, and was delighted after a phone call to find I didn't have to pay the $250 admission (my health fund declared I only have to pay it once a calendar year, and i had already paid it this year).  Nice.  I had not long sat down (after a loo visit) and was called through.  They have a couple of elderly ladies who volunteer their time, to assist patients to their rooms.  A lovely use of people, I feel.  I might look at this when I get a bit older.

The poor lady, though, dropped me off in a crowded room with people waiting for day procedures, then just as I got squished into a corner, came back to get me to take me up to the ward.  She had misread my paperwork.

Up we go, and I share a lift with an elderly lady in a wheel chair being pushed by a lady my age, and followed by an elderly gent.  We proceed down a hall and I glance into rooms which I think look rather nice.

Around the corner we pass the nurses station, and head for the room directly across the hall from their desk, the same room as the other occupants of the elevator are headed to.  Oh.  So much for a private room.  oh well.

I go sit on the bed, and eventually a nurse comes and checks I am who I should be, says she'll be back soon.  Ok.  I sit and twiddle my thumbs.  The room is  minuscule.  And drab.  And in need of some sprucing up.  Sigh.  the lady next door has a recliner beside her bed.  Nothing will fit beside my bed.  The bedside table is all.  A chair like the doctor's surgery waiting room type chairs, with wooden arms, is sitting at the end of my bed, but in direct view of the door.  So I sit, rather uncomfortably on the side of the bed.  I am not sure what I am supposed to do with anything, and there is no table across my bed i can pull up to read either.  So I just sit and wait.

Lunch arrives.  I had ordered fish, chips, pears and custard.  I got it.  The fish was dry and the chips soggy but I was hungry so I ate all the fish.  It would have been rather lovely were it not so dry.  Dessert was left (the dry fish was sticking around my band so I couldn't eat any  more).  The nurse later put it in the fridge for me.



Eventually someone comes along and takes my blood pressure.  It's high.  It always is in hospitals.  A lovely irish nurse comes to find a vein to insert the catheter for the IV.  Despite me drinking heaps of water before arriving, she can't find one.  She has a go in one elbow but is unsuccessful.  She goes off to find help.

More waiting.  I sit in the chair.  Put myself on view.  Get out my ipad and start reading.  Another nurse comes along and finds a vein in my right hand.  It'll hurt, says she, but it's the best we can do.  It doesn't really hurt.  But because they tape it up, I can't do much with that hand.  And I'm right handed.  Great.  I head to the loo and use one hand to pull the dacks down etc.  Lucky I wore jeans that are loose and stretchy... hmmm.

Back to the bed and wait a bit.  Eventually they come to get me started.  I ask if they can pull the table across my bed so I can read or do something.  I lift the head of the bed and try to get comfy.  I pull out the ipad and my crime book and settle in.

But they don't pull cross my table so I prop the ipad up in my lap.  The blood pressure cuff is put on one arm (bloody hell those things hurt) and the oxygen monitor clipped to my finger, and the IV is hooked up to my other hand.



I'm left helpless in the bed for 3 hours, without the table, with my ipad propped awkwardly in my lap.  Sigh.  Oh well, I settle in to watch Megamind.

That keeps me occupied.  I have to keep taking out an ear piece so they can take my temperature.  My blood pressure is still high, as is my temp.  No surprises there.  When the movie finishes I take out my crime magazine and try to read some of that.  And go of Facebook, and chat to SOL.  But it's hard to do anything without the use of my right hand.  So I lay back.

Eventually I need to pee. So I ask the nurse to give me a hand.  She has to take the IV machine off the bed pole and hook it up to a wheeled unit.  Takes a bit of untangling and stuff but we manage.  Off I go to the loo.  When I come back, the nurse brings me my pears and custard for afternoon tea.

Did I mention the old lady has a walking frame and is somewhat mobility limited.  Going to the loo for me means removing her commode seat and putting down the toilet set.  Great with one hand.  But I manage.

Back to bed I trundle.  Eventually the machine starts beeping.  And beeping.  And beeping.  After a few minutes one of the aids follows the beeping and rescues me.  It's stopped so she unplugs it and unhooks it from my catheter.  Free!  But my fingers are still taped up somewhat.  Not too bad though.  But the tape across the top holding the end of the catheter still is wrapped around my hand.  One of the side effects of the infusion seemed to be, cold clammy hands and feet.  Or maybe it was just me.  Anyway, that meant the tape came unstuck.  But because it was stuck to the clear tape patch they put over the needle site, I can't take it off.  The ends flap annoyingly.  Sigh.

Well, now what do I do?  It's four thirty.  Boring.  Once I have finished my treatment, I am left alone.  The lady next door's visitors leave, and she falls asleep so it's deathly quiet.  I read.  I sit back in my chair for a while just to move about.

Later it's dinner time.  The lady's daughter comes back up to visit.  The neighbour gets her dinner.  She's scottish I think.  The daughter is Australian.  I am sitting back on the bed, and they are watching TV.  The daughter asks a question I know the answer to, so I poke my head around and tell her.  She invites me to sit with them for a bit, so I pull my chair over.  We have a chat for a bit.  My dinner arrives.  We giggle - I ordered caesar salad.  I also ordered some mashed potato.  A small serve I say.  Well, I got a small serve alright.



Now, I don't know about  you, but I thought caesar salad was lettuce, egg, chicken and bacon... with dressing.  The white at the top left of the plate is potato salad.  The grey on the top right is chicken thigh meat, full of gristle, with a few shreds of bacon through it.  There is cucumber, carrot, and a wedge of tomato.  A square or two of dried bread for croutons.  With a dollop of warm mashed potato on top.  Served on a small bread and butter plate.  That was dinner.  I was a good girl and at it, except for the chicken.  The fruit salad was nice, and it came with a chocolate milk.  And a little tub of ice-cream, like the old Dixie Cups we used to get as kids.  That was the nicest part.

After dinner I decide to go put my jammies on.  Didn't bother with a shower, I didn't have a towel and her shower chair was taking up all the tiny cubicle so I just didn't bother.  Felt better to be in my jammies.  The daughter left and the old lady settled back into bed to watch some TV.  I sat on my bed.  And read some more.  My how time goes slow when you're flat out.  I found the only draw back to wasting the day as such, is my heel spur seized up.  Well, the tendon area puffed up because I just wasn't using it at all.  Very painful it became.

Later, after waiting till about 8pm, I decided to watch Mulan.  Just to kill time.  I settled in.  The domestic came in and offered me tea.  Heck yeah!  with two  little shortbread biscuits.  Yummy.

Eventually I turned off the ipad and put the magazine away.  Just before ten I thought I may as well go to sleep.  But my pillow was uncomfortable.  And my back was aching.  And the nurses were talking outside at the station.  But I dozed off.

Ten minutes later the old girl got out of bed, and wandered around to my bed.  She was confused.  She didn't know who I was and was quite surprised to find a stranger in her room.  I told her gently she should go back to bed.  She did.

Then, for the rest of the night, just as I dozed off she's start yelling for someone to come and tell her what's going on.  Why weren't they going down to get her husband from downstairs?  He'll be wanting his supper.  Someone should come help her get his supper.  Several times a night nurse had to put her back to bed.  Or bring her a bedpan (because they raised the rails on her bed, which really miffed her because she couldn't get out of bed).  She didn't use the buzzer, she didn't have to.  They heard her.  And I heard her.  When it wasn't her it was the nurses laughing at the desk.  Sigh.  At around 3 someone actually stuck their head around the curtain and saw I was awake so took my blood pressure.  But other than that they never once came to check on or look in on me.  From when they took the IV off me, that was it.  Their job with me was done.  I was so stiff in the neck and had a headache.  But I found that if I elevated the head of the bed just a fraction it helped.  Dunno why I didn't think of that in the first place.  Du-uh!

I gave up trying to sleep around 5.  The nurse noticed I was awake and asked me if I had slept.  Don't be silly said I.  She said sorry, but even when I said half the problem was the nurses at the desk she didn't seem to grasp I was saying THEY were as bad as the old girl.  I couldn't blame her, she wasn't herself, so she can't be aware she was keeping everyone awake.  But the nurses should have had more respect.  Anyway, I had a headache and felt like death warmed over.  But what could I do?  I just sat and read.

The old lady woke up, and they tended to her.  Breakfast eventually came around 7.30 or something.  By then I was sitting in the chair on public view.  I was sick of lying in bed reading.   So I was sitting in the chair reading.  Resting my poor head.  The old girl came and sat in the chair next to me.  She was saying she wanted a longer gown to wear.  The hospital one was open at the back and left her butt exposed.  She was wearing a pair of Depends, and the lining was hanging out.  Poor love, I felt so bad for her.  So I got her long dressing gown for her, and she was very happy with that.  I tried to look after her as much as I could.  I even got her to drink some water - she was very stubborn in that nature!

My breakfast was porridge, yoghurt, warm like, sugar, and tea.  I really did enjoy that.

While sitting there, I  noticed this sign at the end of the bed.  Rather made me laugh.  I can't imagine why anyone would be UNDER the bed... but obviously someone was at some time!



I go get changed and brush my hair and teeth.  Feels so much better.  Eventually they come to take out the catheter.  That's a relief.  Just a bruise around the knuckle to show for my effort.

I sit around and wait some more.  The young aide comes in about 9.40 and says whenever you're ready I'll take you down.  I laugh and say I was ready two hours ago.  Oh, she says, well lets go then.  As we are walking to the door Fluffy comes around the corner (flirting as he always does with the nurses.  Gosh he's a giggle).  He comes back down with the nurse and I and I am free.  He has dog hair on his shirt.  He says the dog we are babysitting, Ruby, had done a runner that morning and he had to chase her all down the street and through people's hards.  So glad I missed that.  Dobby had a friend over the the house was a pigsty.  She had not done the things Fluffy had asked.  Aah, don't you love coming home to such a situation?  I just wanted to go back!

Anyway, I got passed it.  The friend eventually left and I ducked out.  I went and bought crickets for my girls, and stopped in to find something to wear out to dinner for my birthday.  I found a rather nice little black dress, all pleats and hanging straight, and on special for $47.  I also found a silver and black long chunky necklace, $20, black earrings with diamonds, $10, and a silver small bag with a chain handle, reduced to $10.  Thank you I'll have that.  I also bought Dobby a lovely clutch for her new outfit.  I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself.

I spent the rest of the day tidying up and stuff.  I also made potato bake ready for a BBQ.  We went up to the other side of town and had a lovely evening with friends.   Great food, my potato bake was a hit, and we chilled out till around 10.30.  Fluffy had had a few drinks so I drove us home.  A pain killer (for my back and ankle and headache for me) and straight to bed.

Sunday I did some house work.  Dobby had been invited by friends to go to the movies.  I was going to drop her off.  But then she said one of them was at Castle Plaze (near home) so could she go now?  She walked down and I didn't have to go anywhere.  Suits me.  I told her to be home by 4 as we were going out.  At 3.40 she sent me a text - what time should she be home again?  Good grief.  I told her 4.  She said uh okay.  But she'd be a bit late.  Hmmm.  Eventually, just before 5 I asked her where she was.  Apparently they had missed the bus and walked!  It's over an hour's walk!  I told them I'd come pick her up but the others had to keep walking.  She apologised so I wasn't too hard on her.

We all got dressed to go out, and Dobby took a couple of photos of me and I of her.  I don't have them yet, they're still on the camera.  I'll put them up next time.

During the day the weather changed.  An awful icy breeze blew up.  I forgot we weren't going to be able to park close to the restaurant (which is beside the beach) and was so totally under dressed.  Luckily I had a black sequinned jacket, 3/4 sleeve, but it was still so cold I actually got chills.

Dinner was lovely.  The restaurant had a house special from a set menu, $36 for 4 courses.  Fluffy and I had that.  Dobby had an asian inspired beef (or was it lamb) salad.  The food was lovely and we shared with Dobby so we all had plenty to eat.  Even dessert.  It only cost us $128 including drinks.  We staggered back to the car (I did find out that those shoes I bought, while comfy, are not conducive to walking any distance, for me anyway.  Very painful on the balls of my feet).  But it was such a nice night.

So today, my birthday, I have been very spoiled.  Because I had already bought myself stuff, plus dinner, we didn't worry about something for me from the family.  But Mother sent me the Amy Winehouse biography and money.  Sister Tanya gave me money.  Wally gave me a lovely little coin holder money box shaped like a frog.  And some gold coins to get me started.  Then, at work, I was given a gift voucher from David Jones by my boss (he had hidden it behind my computer screen - if he hadn't told me it was there it could have been there years! lol!).  The new bosses in Sydney sent me flowers.



And my Facebook page has been inundated with messages.  It's so nice to have such wonderful messages sent to me.  Some made me feel very special indeed.  At work it was very quiet, and now I'm about to go home and cook some lamb chops.  Dobby doesn't have to go to guitar so I can kick back and do nothing.  My favourite!

Hope this wasn't too long and boring for you, or that I didn't sound like I was whinging too much.  That wasn't my intention, just trying to relay my experience.

Have a great week, folks.  Catch you next week. xx

Just a short note

this time, cause I ain't got much to say.

Last week has been busy at work.  Boss was away in Sydney, but Thursday and Friday I had RV over from the accountant's office (the new one in Sydney).  He is indian (Hindu) and very shy.  An amusing chappie and we work well together.  But come Friday afternoon, the work and done and I am caught up.  Even with all my sick leave.

Speaking of which, I have to have another next Friday.  I saw the doctor last Friday and he has booked me in for an iron infusion, but the hospital has changed the rules and it's now an overnight stay.  Yay for health insurance.  It would be nice if I could actually use the time to relax.  Wonder if I can sneak my laptop in??

Actually it's going to be a busy weekend next weekend.  I am going into hospital on Friday, the Jack Russell Ruby from over the back is coming to stay Friday, Saturday Fluffy is taking us out to dinner for my birthday, and Sunday I plan to do as little as possible.

This last weekend my back has been giving me so much trouble.  I took Dobby shopping to the Supre outlet.  Mistake.  She went wild.  They have a lot of cheap clothes and she bought lots.  But then she topped it off with some dearer articles and it ended up costing a bit more than I anticipated.  However, her summer wardrobe is set now.  NO MORE!

I think I also felt bad for her.  She just split up with Lurch.  But, being the trooper that she is, she did it with dignity.  She showed me the text message he sent her.  She sent him a long one back, asking if he couldn't have done it face to face.  His answer - "how, I never see you".  Well, anyway, she wasn't upset or anything.  She just shrugged it off and went about her business.  I am so proud of my self-proclaimed "tough bitch".  She handled herself very well.

So, anyway, not much else to prattle on about.  My work mac is lying dead on the conference table at the moment.  Apparently while I was on sick leave Boss told Geek that there was a huge problem with that machine.  I didn't notice... so he arranged a new hard drive for it.

But when Geek went to install it, the thing wouldn't work.  So he has had to go see if he can swap it for another.  Lucky I have the laptop....

Brrrr

It's been cold and wet this winter here in Adelaide.  I'm really kinda over it.  We managed to have a few days in the low twenties last week, which would have been nice, had I not been inside the entire bloody day!  It was cool again by the time I left work so I didn't get to enjoy it at all.

This weekend looked like it was going to be lovely, and indeed here in Adelaide it was.  Pity we were in Nuriootpa!  The newly named Family and Friends Caravan and Camping Club had our first rally up there, and it was lovely and warm when Dobby and I left Saturday morning for the drive, but periodically overcast with light misty rain thrown in for good measure, all weekend up there (an hour's drive away).  Here I am sitting in the office at home, and it's bloody cold.

Anyway I'm getting ahead of myself.

So I've been quite this last few weeks.  Really, nothing at all has been happening.  Until last week.  I have been having health issues.  As you 3 who read this know.  One of the tests I had to do, as an elimination thing really, was an endoscopy and a colonoscopy.  For those who don't know, that's a camera up each end... I seriously hope they washed the blasted thing!

The preparation is very hard on the body.  When you're tired and vauge at the best of times, being food deprived does absolutely nothing to help that!  I started by stopping my usual medications on Monday evening.  Tuesday I could only eat bland white meats (microwaved or grilled chicken or fish - I cooked up some chicken breast Monday night and salted and peppered it), as well as a plain boiled potato or very well cooked pumpkin, white bread (plain or lightly toasted), plain biscuits, cottage cheese.  That's all.  I also had to drink plenty of clear fluids, such as apple juice, coke (Chris, you'd be happy there), water, lemonade, yellow jelly. tea or coffee (no milk) or, oddly enough, beer.

I drank plenty of apple juice and Zero on Tuesday, plus a slice of toast with cottage cheese for breakfast, and some thinly sliced chicken for lunch.  Dinner was more of the chicken.

Wednesday I could eat breakfast (two slices of plain toast, no butter or toppings) with black tea, and that was all.  I had to drink plenty of fluids, then I finished work at 12.  After running a few last minute errands I headed home.  At one I had to drink a preparation drink that tasted something like the Staminade we used to have a skids.  It was fizzy but not too unpleasant.  Than drink a litre of water or juice.  Then at two I had to take another concoction that tasted like Salvital.  Not so nice, (even prepared and refrigerated earlier).  I had to drink it one cup at a time, followed by other fluid in between, over the course of an hour.

It was a wonderful laxative.  Hence coming home from work early.  Then I had to drink another two litres of fluid through the afternoon.  My poor little botty was raw.  I also started to develop a headache.  By the time Fluffy came home from his meeting Wednesday evening and I could go to bed, I felt terrible.  And I couldn't take any medication.

Thursday Dobby was going for a sleepover, and then to the Show the next day, so she packed a bag Wed night.  Thursday morning I had to wake her then take some more of the Staminade-like preparation.  This time, because I was physically so hungry and probably dehytrated, my headache was making me feel physically sick.  I ended up having to ask Dobby's friend, who I usually took to school, to ask if her dad would mind taking the girls today.  He is so lovely and agreed.

Eventually I felt well enough to venture out to buy some last minute necessities for the others before my friend Marg came to pick me up for my hospital visit.  I still felt so terribly, with the headache and nausea, but a little better.

At the hospital I was way early but they didn't mind.  I didn't have to wait long until they brought me in to undress and don one of those wonderful backless gowns.  This place gives you a blanket to wrap around yourself for modesty sake.  As there were several doctors doing the procedures in-house there were a few of us waiting.  I made friends with another lass from the country.  We chatted a bit to waste some time.

She was called and not long after I was also summonsed.  I had to lose the knicker then, and got to make myself comfortable (as much as I could with my stinky headache) on the trolley with the blanket over me.  I met my anaesthetist.  A very lovely chap named Andrew.  Quite dishy he was.  Oh to be 40kg lighter and 25 years younger!  They ended up wheeling me into the room the wrong way and as they were turning my bed I quipped "Ooh, procedure and a circus ride".  Heh.  So, they lay me on my side, put the drip in my arm, and next thing I was out to it.

I woke up before they had finished and my first vision was Andrew.  Aah.  He let the doc know I was awake and he finished up (thankfully).  I had been spun around again while asleep so I know they started with my throat (thank goodness! lol!).

In recovery I still had my headache but i lay there for a few minutes.  Probably about fifteen.  Then they walked me over to a lovely recliner and fed me a cup of tea and an egg and lettuce sandwich.  Although the headache lingered I felt much better.  They phoned Fluffy to get him to pick me up but it was an hour before he came - he had missed the call and didn't get the message.

Anyway, on the way home we had to stop and buy him dinner and I was still hungry.  So I also bought myself a piece of battered fish.  Yummy.  Later we had cheesecake.  Geez, I'm not doing a very good job of taking it easy and eating healthy am I!

After sitting watching TV for a while I took a headache tablet and we went to bed.  As Dobby was at her friends it was lovely and quiet and I got quite a good rest.

Friday, Fluffy went to work till lunch time and I pottered about.  I was eating normally although being careful just in case.  I managed to pop out to do some grocery shopping and get some last minute things done in the caravan.

Fluffy came home at lunch time, hooked up the van, and headed up to Nuri.  I checked the Show website and found out that the fireworks Dobby and her friends were checking out weren't going to be on until 9pm.  That gave me the whole afternoon and evening to relax.  I did just that.  I didn't get up off the couch except to top up my drink and nibbles or go to the loo, as well as soak in the bath.  Total bliss!

She got home about 9.30 and the friend's father had bought them Hungry Jacks for dinner.  That man is so good to the girls. She then proceeded to open all her showbags and put the stuff out on the couch for me to admire.

After a while I insisted she clean up and head off to bed.  She did.  Saturday morning we got up early and were on the road by 7.45 am.  We stopped for fuel and got to Nuri at 9.00 pretty much on the nose.  We found the rest of the group, and wandered around to see who was there.  Fluffy was happy to see us, and Dobby was happy to see him (as, of course, was I!).

We had morning tea with the group, then Club Game.  After that we were sitting around our van magging when one of the other members asked if I would like to go for a drive with them.  I figured they were going to the lookout and wanted to know did I want to take photos so I grabbed my camera and left Dobby and Fluffy to hang out together (Dobby had just been complaining that she didn't spend any time with her dad so that was the perfect opportunity).

We drove up to the looking and I took some pics.  It was so bloody cold and overcast, but still interesting.  The looking is a park area with chunks of lovely marble and other rock carved into interesting shapes.

After we left there, we travelled to Kaiser Stuhl conservation park for a short walk.  We got to see a family of kangaroos beside the road.  One of the other folks (there were about 4 or 5 cars in our group) had a japanese student with her as well as her kids.  She was very happy (the student) to see the roos.

After another member got dumped in a small creek (her boyfriend had picked her up to step over the creek and overbalanced!) we all headed back to camp.  It was a lovely afternoon.  Kids Club followed and the kids had a blast.  The lass with the japanese student did Kids Club and she always has plenty of physical activities to keep them amused.

The club put on a sausage dinner (those cheese kranskies are to die for!) and we all chipped in with salad.  Some of the more adventurous made theirs, the rest of us bought ours from the supermarket.

At dinner Fluffy said he wasn't feeling well, and indeed went to the bathroom.  He had a bad pain in the belly and went to bed.  The teens Dobby had been hanging with went home (just visiting for the day) and she came inside too.  The three of us were just sitting inside.  Fluffy went to sleep and Dobby was asleep b 7.30 too.  Boy, talk about boring.  And the party was right outside our van, around the fire too.  I watched a bit of telly, then went up and put my jammies on.  Eventually I decided it was too early to go to bed so I joined the fireside again for a bit.  I checked on Fluffy again, and he was awake. Whatever it was, had passed and he felt better.  The fellow who, with his wife, took me for the drive, popped in to see Fluffy and eventually they both joined us at the fireside.

Rather later we all went to bed, early by club standards though.

This morning we all packed up (nothing for us to pack up, just roll up the awning and wash some cups up!) and Dobby and I left about 11.15.  We were home by 12.30.  Fluffy stopped at the office to talk to the park owners about hosting the 2022 National Rally there.  It's a huge event, with a budget of $8m.  He got home around one.  The van was tucked away back in the yard, and we were all veging out bu 2.  I've uploaded some photos to Facebook and done this.  it's now 4pm and I'm buggered.  Oh crap.  Just remembered I totally forgot to hang out the washing, and the weather was lovely here this afternoon!  Sigh...

Fluffy mucking around on the kids ride on the camp kitchen

Because the park fire pit was behind our van, Fluffy was Firestarter this time.  No one was allowed to touch his fire except while he was in bed convalescing.

This tree was behind one of the vans in our row.  Rather interesting it was, all hollowed out and showing signs of having been burned.

The view from Menglers Hill Lookout Sculpture Park.  Note some of the sculptures adorning the grounds.

Wattles always remind me of my mother, because she once told me one of the few happy memories she has of her childhood was stopping to eat her lunch under the huge wattle trees.

I rather liked this huge eagle.

Max through the eyes of the eagle.  Rather clever I thought.

Wildflowers on the hill.

Some of us milling about in the cold, waiting for the boys to plan where we were stopping next.

I'll take a picture of you taking a picture of me!

This is at the back of the parking lot on Menglers Hill lookout.  I didn't have time to read it, as we left just after I snapped this shot.

A little creek flowing across the path at Kaiser Stuhl conservation park.

I found this bit if fungus growing on a tree rather interesting.

This bloke and his family were sitting quietly beside the road.  They didn't seem to mind us stopping for a look.

Oh, for the record, my tests were all negative.  So, next week I make a time with the doc for a 3 hour intravenous treatment and then take supplements.  They made some money from our health insurance for nothing!

Goodness me

Blogger has changed yet again.  One way to get a bit of web experience I guess.

Anyway, it's been an interesting week.  Recently I was called in to the doctor's office to get some test results.  We have been working toward eliminating my pain centres.

We changed my medications - Panadol Osteo for the arthritis, Indocid for the back.  Coincidently the Panadol helped the back.  But it didn't help the achilles tendon, which worsened when the back went out.

Turns out I have some degeneration of where the tendon joins the bone, due to wear and tear.  Favouring the back has put more strain on the ankle.  And my iron levels are low again.  Sigh.

I left there armed with a note for an X-ray and ultrasound, with added steroid injection for my ankle, and a referral to a specialist for my iron levels.  Both in the same building.

But with my interstate visit, I deferred it to this week.  It's been a week of stuff going on.  First, Dobby lost her retainer, so on Tuesday I had to leave work early and take her down to the dentist to do another mould on her teeth.  Wednesday I worked back an hour, and Thursday I had to go to a meeting for the Family and Friends Caravan and Camping Club.  That's right, no more SAPI.  Sad, but exciting all the same.  It was also pouring down rain!  Amazing the amount of rain we had.

Thursday morning was also ankle day.  I was unable to get both the appointments for the same day, so it was just the ankle.  I had the X-ray, then the ultrasound, then the radiologist grabbed a medico and they gave me the steroid injection.  I have had a permanent limp for about nine months or more now.  Very painful.  I remember one rally where I could barely walk, I felt like a cripple.

So imagine my surprise when I get to the take away shop Thursday night, and walk limp-free down to the grocer and back.  It was amazing.  I am now pain free for the first time in months.  Well, in the ankle anyway.  That was way quicker than anyone expected.  I was told it could take at least 5 days.

Then, Friday morning was the specialist visit.  I parked the car a couple of blocks away, and as I alighted the car, I noted the sky was black.  Very black.  I popped the boot and as I was removing the umbrella from my bag, it started to rain.

I closed the boot, locked the car and while crossing the road opened the umbrella.  By the time I got it all the way open it was pouring!  And windy to boot!  I got to the crossing lights, and the rain had turned to small hail.  It was pouring, wet and windy.  The umbrella got blown inside out and I had to walk very fast (I simply do not run) to get to the shelter of the hospital.

I made it with time to spare but was soaked all down one side.  Never mind.  That aside, the visit went well.

I found out that my tiredness and blonde moments were typical to low iron (I already knew that) but I also found out that my restless leg symptoms are a direct manifest of the condition as well.  That made so much sense.  I have been suffering for some time with achy, tingly, jumpy legs.  Feels horrible.  I can't get comfortable and they don't seem to relax.  Jiggling them is the only way to feel any type of relief.  What an amazing thing to find the conditions are related.

Anyway, when I told him that's what I was experiencing, he changed his plan of attack.

First we are going to have an endoscopy with a colonoscopy.  Nice.  Not.  That is just to rule out any pathological reason for the low iron levels.  Once I go back for the results for that, we will make a date for a drip feed.  I could go on supplements again, but he said that for the restless leg symptoms, he would like to kick start my treatment with a direct infusion via IV, which takes about 3 hours, and has a faster effect.  The pills will take a couple of months but the IV will take a few days to a week.  I like that idea.

I was feeling a bit crap so now that I have my laptop, I was able to pack up a bag of work and head home early.  I also had to take Dobby back to the dentist to pick up her plate.  Poor lamb, though.  Her teeth have shifted and the once-straight front teeth have shifted and one now slightly overlaps the other. She is sooo not happy.

In other news, Dobby has a boyfriend.  I am not sure how I feel about that.  When we were young it wasn't done.  At all.  And add to that, she is 15, he is 17.  They don't see each other, she goes to a girls school and he lives in a small town outside Adelaide.  But they are in regular contact.

Apparently he has been pushing her to meet us, so we arranged for him to come to lunch Saturday.  They were both nervous.  Ain't that sweet?

So he comes over around ten Saturday morning.  He's very tall (around 6').  Has a stretcher and snake bites, glasses, short hair, and is quite imposing.  No, that's not the right word.  He's a presence.  Loud.  Dobby introduces him and Fluffy invites him to sit at the table where we are.  I ask Fluffy to make coffee but he doesn't move, so I make it.

Conversation is awkward.  He's not a great communicator, and I think the poor bloke was nervous.  Dobby was.  She was also doing the 40 hour famine, so she's not eaten either.

I send them off to the shop for cheesecake ingredients, which keeps them occupied for a while.  When they get back they disappear to Dobby's room (she at the desk, he on the bed, don't worry we checked!) while Fluffy and I go about our business.  I cooked Fettuchini Bolognese for lunch with a salad.  

There is a lot of laughing and chatting coming from down there.  That's nice.  He makes her laugh and she him.  Sweet.

At lunch he tells us he wants to be a body piercer.  No problem with that.  He is doing a type of bridging course equivalent to year twelve so hopefully he can get good enough grades to get into TAFE for his apprenticeship.  I hope he finds something he can do which he enjoys.

They again retreat to the room for a bit, eventually deciding to go for a walk.  They are gone 3 hours before Dobby comes back, but she was on FB so I asked what they were doing and she said they walked to Castle Plaza where she saw him off on the bus.  They both enjoyed their day and she had a great distraction from her hunger.

She came home, briefly spoke to us, then put herself into bed to watch TV.  When Fluffy checked on her later she was sound asleep.  We sat and watched Karate Kid together before heading off ourselves.  What a day.

Sunday sees the end of the famine at 12.00.  At 12.01 Dobby is at the kitchen table munching on leftover pasta.  Happy kid.  I am very proud of the job she did.

I brought work home on Friday afternoon so I had better do a little of that today.  Otherwise, think I'll just sit quiet.  Yes, think that's just what I'll do...

Interstate Visit

This blog will be a long one, because it's got lots of visual art for your enjoyment.  I won't bother blogging about the last two weeks, cause that was just work and stuff, so nothing worth reading about there.  However, this last four days has seen a visit from my bestie Wally.

I'd like to say we turned on great weather for her.  She thinks we did - there was no hail or snow, so she's happy!  Today, she flew home, and the sun's out and there's not a cloud in the sky - typical! 

Anyway, where to begin.  

Wally arrived on Wednesday afternoon, while I was at work, and settled herself in at the motel down the road from home.  I picked up Dobby from netball and we headed over to collect her (and pizza for dinner).  It was lovely to see her again.  Dobby was also beside herself, seeing her Godmother again.

We brought Wally back home for dinner, but as she'd been a busy little beaver that day she called it a night before seven.  Piker... :-)

Thursday I had the day off work, and Fluffy took the van up to Port Wakefield for the weekend.  It was also the SAPI AGM.  He needed a few days peace and quiet and I needed serious girlie time.

Fluffy took Dobby to school, came home and hooked up the van.  After I saw him off Wally and I headed down to Hahndorf for the day.

We both were inrtigued by the candles in one store, and she wanted to buy me one, and I wanted to buy her one.  But she bought me a big one and only wanted a little one for herself, the wicked girl.  They had virtually no smell in the store, but when we got them home the smell was very strong.  Weird.

We stopped for a look at the Beerenburg farm outlet for some fresh jams and things.  I found some garlic sauce which looked very nice.  Wally found some other little delights.

After this we parked a bit closer to town and did the walk up the street.  We had lunch at "the top pub" although I think we should have gone to the "bottom pub".  Poor Wally had to go to the bathroom almost immediately after.  Badly.  While she was in there I took advantage of the flora outside the toilet block.

Kept me out of mischief for a bit anyway.

Then we crossed the road and did the other side.  Wally's dream has been to see the pandas, so you can imagine how excited she was to find this:

What she is pointing to there is the initials TW, scratched onto the Panda's forehead.  She swears she hasn't been here before to do that... we wondered if her sister hadn't been here before her!

Eventually we decided, after spending more money, on afternoon tea at a dear little bakery, that had three tables with massive cow-hide covered chairs around them.  We chose a berry mousse type dessert and scones with jam and cream.  Lovely.

One of the more unique things we did was "make our own candles".  This little shop tucked up the back had some lovely (but expensive) candles.  They are made with wax particles which are melted.  We had the opportunity, for $14 each, to make our own.  Wally shouted, because it was a unique expereince.  The lass in the sorter advised us to keep them upright, but of course, that was near impossible.  This is what happend when you don't.  Each colour is a separate scent, but although mine didn't do too bad, poor Wally's all blended together.  She didn't mind at all.  This one is mine.  I tried for the rainbow look...

Eventually it was time to go home.  Dobby was waiting excitedly for our return.  I bought her a coffee cup with a delicious bubblegum scented candle inside it, so she was happy.

Chinese for dinner in front of the crime channel completed the day.

Friday Dobby got the day off school so she could go to the zoo with us.  Fluffy came back later that afternoon to pick her up and take her up to Port Wakefield with him, to give Wally and I some girlie time.  Bless him...

Pretty much the first stop (after the flamingos) was the Pandas.  This display was outside, and the girls had to stop for a pic.

Wally was in heaven.  Don't blame her really.  This one is Funi, she's the female.  She was happy just lying in the sun sleeping.

See Funi in the background?

This bloke is Wang Wang.  Wally nearly wet herself, because he was sitting so close outside eating.  It was wonderful to see them upclose and active.  Lovely creatures they are.

After the pandas we wandered about looking at the rest of the animals.  The seal feeding was interesting too, but I didn't put up any photos of that.

We walked through the bird sanctuary, and right inside the door was a black cockatoo.  He was jumping all around the railing, making himself quite known.  He was very friendly too, you could get right up close.  Dobby took her chances and he let her pat him very carefully.

Mum would have loved that bit.  I think we would have had a hard time getting her out of there.

These monkeys were cute.  They were the white-cheeked something or others.  The little white baby was playing with her black father.  It was sooo cute!

The other animals that took my fancy were these lemurs.  They always remind me (and everyone else I guess) of King Julian from Madagascar.  Lovely creatures they are.

Wally bought us both gifts from the gift shop (Dobby loves her owl, it went to Port Wakefield with her) and I love my bookmark and bag).  We dropped Wally off at the motel and Dobby and I came back to wait for Fluffy.

After they left I had time for a quick shower then off to pick up Wally for dinner.  We had to make a stop first to see a lady about some skin care samples.  That took a bit longer than I had planned but we eventually made it to the Buffalo Bistro. 

Adelaidians will know where I mean.  For the rest of you, the Buffalo is a ship that sits in the water at Glenelg.  It's a lovely old place, although it's not very busy.  I believe it's in a spot of financial bother too.  But the food (although in the uppper end of the price market) was fantastic and the service lovely.

Here are our desserts...

After dinner it was back home.  Wally was happy for me to drop her off home for an early night. On the way out to the car I dropped my scarf.  As Wally was bending down to pick it up an elderly lady walked past and farted.  Well Wally just lost it.  She says "that old lady just farted".  I'm giggling like a loon trying to get her to shut up, but she's adamant the lady should have said excuse me.  Very embarrassing but totally hilarious as well.  We couldn't stop laughing all the way home.  You just can't take some people out in public.

That evening, the frogs decided to croak.  Roger came for a look...

Saturday we had to drive up to Port Wakefield for the AGM.  This was an important one, as we had to vote in our name change.  Fluffy has a hammock set up outside the van.  Wally decided to try it out...

I didn't get any photos of her exit.  I was too busy laughing....

This tree stump was beside the caravan.  I was quite taken with the worm markings on it.

After the meeting, we acknowledged that the SAPI Caravan and Camping Club is no longer with a ceremonial lowering of the SAPI flag.

We are now known as the Family and Friends Caravan And Camping Club.  Here's to new beginnings.

Wally and I drove home after the flag lowering, and I said my goodbye's about 6.15pm.  I had a giggle actually because I had planned on letting Fluffy know I got home, but Dobby phoned me just as I was driving down the next street.  Had I gone directly home and not taken Wally back to the motel, I would have been just parking the car.  Great timing.

Anyway, last night I got the place to myself, nothing to do, no one to answer to.  I really have enjoyed the peace and quiet.  I sure did ned it.  Even the cat likes me again.  When Dobby is home he seems to gravitate to her (dunno why, she doesn't even like him).  So he has been sleeping on my bed and smooching all around me.  Lovely.

Today it's going to be a quiet morning, then off to buy some crickets for the frogs.  I have done one load of washing (sheets) then it's just the second load to do and vacuum the floors before the others come home.  I wonder when I can convince them to go away again?  I'm not sure if the cat misses the dog or is enjoying the quiet - at the moment he's asleep on the dog's bed...

Getting in touch with my inner criminal

Well, not really, but about the only exciting thing lately is what we did to day.  But I'll get to that shortly.

Boss left for overseas on Friday, so last Friday he presented me with an anniversary gift (I have been with the company for 5 years in August).  He recently updated his coffee maker and it came with a free milk frothed.  Before I figured how to use Fluffy's new coffee machine to make hot chocolate, I had asked boss what he was going to do with his.  So anyway, he gave me his.  I haven't needed to use it yet, but it was a lovely gesture.

Earlier this year he updated his laptop.  He also bought a second hand one from our geek for his wife to use.  Cost him $900.

Then, just a couple of weeks ago he updated again.  Then he gave his "old" one to Jane, and gave the ex-geek one to me.  There had been talk among the new people of buying me a laptop to solve my issues of sickness, days off, or leave etc.  So he organised with the geek to replicate my desktop onto the laptop.  The only thing being that I own it, not the company.

That's great.  Except while someone is in my chair (as they will be when Wally visits) I will have to leave it at work for them to use.  Ouch.  Lucky, I still have the old home Mac to use!

So, apart from that, not much has happened.  Yesterday I had to duck off to the shops, then came home, picked up Fluffy and we went up to the docs.  Apparently my iron levels are low again, and I am supposed to see the specialist about my achillies tendon.  Seems it needs a steriod injection.  Nice.  Down to Castle Plaza for a coffee together then I had a visit with the optometrist.  I have him my crap glasses I got from OPSM (don't EVER go to OPSM at Castle Plaza) and when they do the whole "is this better or worse thing" he actually showed me what my previous pair were like.  Absolutely crap.  No wonder I couldn't wear them.

Anyway, after that it was race down to Morphette Vale to pick up Dobby, back home for dinner.

Today I went for a quick visit to Marion for Dobby.  She wanted a particular jumper from Big W that they didn't have any more of.  But I was lucky enough to find a similar one in Best and Less (plus some new undies for me, about time).  Then race home and scoff a pie, pick up Dobby and off for a walk around the Old Adelaide Gaol.  That was fun.  A couple of weeks ago we did the historic walk around Adelaide, you may remember.  This tour was done by one of the ladies who did the walk.  It was good, I think I wouldn't mind doing it at night.  Wasn't scary like everyone said.  Although at one point Dobby said she felt something touch the back of her neck.  But then, she was a but jumpy.  But she was disappointed we didn't' get any ghost photographs too!

I did get some, and tried to put them up.  But after waiting an hour or more for them to upload, the screen wouldn't close and it wouldn't let me insert them.

So, if you want to see them, try this link:

PHOTOS

Other than that, quiet here.  I'm in a nice bit of pain but trying to cut down on the amount of baths I have a week.  Mind you, if ever there was a good day for one it's today.  Perhaps I'll just have one tonight.... with a hot chocolate and good book.

It's been a while

Since I've been on here.  Just because no one really reads this, and the gossip that I have I share with SOL every day anyway.

But, out of a sense of duty,  here I find myself again.

So, what can I waffle on about?  Oh, I know.  Things are on the move at work.  You may know that the business was up for sale.  A portion of that has been sold, and my new "boss" in Sydney has some great ideas for moving forward.

One of my biggest bug bears has been my lack of back up.  If I am sick or have to go away the pressure is really on me, as there is no one to really do my job in my absence.  The Boss's wife comes in when I am on leave to do invoicing, but even that is difficult for her (she is not a young lady anymore) and it's a lot to expect her to do.

So I try to limit the time I actually take off.

The new people have had two sets of visitors in the office recently, with the view of one of them, being single and flexible, can just jump on a plane and fill in for me.  She was in my office for a week, is also visiting again for two days  next week.  The other, the "other" boss himself, was over for three days.  We had some lovely chats (he is young and forward thinking) and when my friend Wally comes to visit, this fellow aims to spend the first three days of the week learning the basics of my job, so I can take the Thursday and Friday off and he'll "drive" my chair.  So long as I am contactable, it should work...

A few other suggestions that have been bandied about have been a laptop (so that if I am home sick I can still action the emails and other issues that arise, or if I have to stay home for personal reasons), and relieving me of some of my work load.

I am a bit reluctant to do that, because although there are days when I am pushed to the limit, there are others when I find myself slowing down.  If too much gets taken off I would find it necessary to drop a few hours (although I doubt it would ever come to that) so we'll play that one by ear.

But on the whole, their main focus has been on support for me.  It's all positive.

In other news, the frogs are doing well.  Now and then I am lucky enough to hear them croak.  Yesterday, while veging out here in the office, I heard them loud and clear.  Usually they are very quiet.  Dobby has been home on school holidays for two weeks (she goes back to school tomorrow, lucky her) and she said she has heard them croak quite a bit.  Nice.  They are fat frogs now, so I am trying to cut back on what I feed them.  But it's so much fun watching them it would be very easy to over feed them.  As it is, I have changed to feeding them every 3 days instead of 2.  There are still 3 distinct sizes, Tub-O-Lard being the biggest, Niggs being next and Petite the smallest.  However, Petite has grown a lot through hand feeding her (she only eats one cricket to Tubb's 3!).  Some times when you look at all three spread across the tank, it's hard to pick who is who.

The caravan club has it's AGM the weekend Wally comes to visit, so being the good friends we are, we are dragging her along with is.  I have to go to the meeting and I don't want to miss out on spending time, so it makes sense.  Plus, Fluffy is taking Dobby up Friday night, and Wally and I are going up Saturday, so we get some girlie time to sit and watch telly and eat take away.  Heaven! lol!

Well, it's almost eleven.  I am still sitting here in my jammies.  It's getting quite cold, and I have to pop out to buy crickets and Raspberry Fruchocs plus if I can find one, a cheap fan heater to put under my desk.  It's always cold in there even with the heater on.  Brrr!

So, catch you later.  Perhaps next week I'll have some more gossip to pass on.  Don't hold your breath though... :-)