Australia's Choice: The Decadent Triple Chocolate Cookies...

Time is definitely slipping away from me. I've been on leave now for six weeks, with two and a half to go. Sometimes I forget what day it is!

I've had my review with my doctor. Although my outlook has improved a little, it's still not great and I've had my medication increased. At her instance, I've had to make an appointment with a counsellor as well. My next doctor review is at the end of month.

Tax time! It has rolled around again but I'm not sure what sort of refund I will get this year. Once again, the tax rules have changed and a simple dependant spouse rebate no longer exists. Sometime I think we have one of the most complicated tax systems in the world. MOTH is born after the cut off year, so I have had to look at another option. Since he received a disability payment, I've decided to try and claim the rebate under that exemption. This year his income is taken into account though so I only get half the rebate I used to. Never mind that his income is the disability which in itself is tax exempt. Darned tax.

Special K wants to go for lunch again. She's convinced her brother to come with us. We aren't sure if we can go. Sunny also wants to meet up for lunch. He asked first so I've arranged a time with him for Saturday. The Club wants to meet Thursday. This should work fine. Until I find out that I have an appointment that day. Still, we'll make it if we can.

MOTH had his birthday a couple of weeks ago but as yet hasn't got his birthday present. Not through any lack of trying, he's after a jacket or jumper without a hoodie. They seem to be few and far between! We spend some time in the morning at one of the larger shopping centres to see what we can find. We spot one of the men's stores is having a closing down sale and manage to pick up a lightweight jumper for half price. MOTH is happy with this. We look for jeans while we're there. The store doesn't have them, mostly stocking three piece suits and business shirts. We've checked MOTH's usual menswear store as well but they no longer stock them. We head for the cheaper chain stores and find two pairs, one for fifteen dollars and the other nineteen. While we stand at the check out, we notice that our favourite biscuits are available in white chocolate as well. We grab a box. They turn out to be delicious!

My appointment time for the counsellor rolls around. I'm nervous; I've never used the service before. I have trouble opening up so I'm not sure how I'll go. She turns out to be quite young, softly spoken and very friendly. I explain how I'm feeling and what lead up to the time off. She suggests some strategies I can try to help me cope when I return to work. HR had talked of a graduated return to work but I have not yet heard from them to make arrangements. I really would resign and look elsewhere if I could, however as sole breadwinner I don't have the option to take that drastic action. I'm putting the resume about and applying for jobs but haven't heard anything yet. Fingers crossed that something will come up soon.

Lunch with the Club is at the Tavern. This time it's a little cheaper as MOTH remembers to ask for a pensioner discount. He always manages to get his money's worth from a buffet but I'm not quite sure I can say the same for myself. The food isn't too bad and the company is good. Special K's brother didn't make it. He turned up early and as no-one was there, he left. That's a shame but I can understand. He's not well either.

Sunny advises he can't make Saturday lunch having been leg roped into helping his housemate and his parents move house. We reschedule for next weekend. That's good, it gives me time to wind down a little.

We've upgraded our broadband plan a little. Or maybe it's about the same but this time we get an extra appliance called a T-box. This is an extra service provided by our ISP which allows cable/satellite tv as well. The Elder has moved her Foxtel subscription to her current address. I missed it badly but had decided that I couldn't really afford to have it replaced. However, Foxtel had an end of Financial Year special whereby a person could sign up for six months instead of the usual twenty four. The first three months of this contract are free on the basic package. I was tempted but still couldn't really afford it. And then I remembered ... I'm waiting for season 7 of Murdoch Mysteries and if I didn't get Foxtel on, I'd never see it. I got it connected. But this time it's single room, and in my rumpus room. MOTH misses out, but I am the one who uses it constantly. But we've upgraded our broadband and now have the T-box. We've set it up today in MOTH's room. He's happy, particularly as he managed to get it connected to his surround sound and now all the programs including ordinary free to air programming are sounding pretty spectacular.

I've had to interrupt my setting up of my new universal remote to help him set up the T-box. I can't get the remote set up so I'm happy for a break anyway. My TV remote stopped working some time ago, so it's been strange to have to get up to change the channels. Since Foxtel has been installed I've only had to get up to switch it through the AV functions. Switching off is no problem as I've never used the remote to power into standby but prefer to switch it off completely. I'm still trying to decide if I want to use the remote for the DVD player as well... nah, probably not ...

My shadow is missing...

So I'm 2 1/2 weeks into my leave. It's getting to be that I no longer know which day is which. Sleeping in is a lost cause but I manage to lie in till about 6:30am or sometimes 7:00am. This is good as overnight temperatures are dropping to about 5C.

Jerome still wakes me about 5:00am though, asking for his breakfast. I put it off as long as I can but I usually give up about 5:30 or sooner, dive out of bed, throw some kibble in his dish and dash back. Usually though he's back asking me to stand near the dish while he eats. Since I've been on leave, Jerome has barely left my side, even taking to sleeping on top of me during the night. Sometimes he tucks himself down behind my knees but that's rare. If I lie on my back, he lays down on my stomach. If I lie on my side, he's just as likely to climb on my hip and ribs and lie there. If I lie on my back with one knee bent, he uses my inner thigh for a pillow. Some of the gymnastics I go through to change position!

A lot of days getting out of bed is about all I can manage. In the beginning I slept. A lot. I'd be out of bed about 6:30 or 7:00, go back to sleep for a couple of hours around 9:30, wake for about 3 or 4 hours, sleep again for a couple of hours and then go to bed about 9:30pm. I didn't eat much.

MOTH tries to get me out of the house occasionally, but doesn't push too hard. Last Thursday he insisted I attend lunch with the Club. We went to the local and dined in the restaurant there. I had salt and pepper calamari with salad. It was very very good. The calamari was lovely and tender. It was a struggle but I managed all of the calamari and most of the salad. The company was good and didn't push me to talk too much. MOTH ate a kilo of ribs and most of his salad. John and Stan were quite impressed.

We did the grocery shopping after, when it was all packed away I was exhausted.

I think I'm improving a little though. My appetite is returning. I don't sleep as much during the day. I have a little more energy. I realised that I'm not having to make a conscious effort to uncurl and relax as often. Yesterday was a good day. I cooked cannelloni from scratch for dinner and learned how to fold a fitted sheet.

I still have problems with the idea of going out and I am definitely not keen on returning to work as I know I will be going back into the situation I was having trouble with. But again, I'm trying not to think that far ahead. One of my friends reminded me of a suggestion I made to him, so long ago I had forgotten about it. A "burn book" where I could write down how I felt and destroy later. I can't even bring myself to do that, it's all just so "meh" at the moment. Perhaps I can do it later. But I guess by then I will have forgotten all the little incidents that added up to so much stress. Who knows...

Dogs. Cats. Travel. Yay.

Time slips by so quickly, all the days blend into one. The black dog comes and goes and I just don't care anymore.

I've finally given in and am taking extended leave from work to get myself back together. The truly terrifying thought is at the end of those eight weeks, I'm back into the situation I left in the first place. Still, that's a way down the track and I need to focus on the now.

The work conference came and went this year, a mere blip on my radar. Enthusiasm for it has long waned so I don't have many photos. Twenty years of business this year so for something different...

This year Admin2 and I were told our presence wasn't required until Tuesday. No going down the night before, Tuesday morning as a normal work day so please leave home by 9am, go straight to the work room until bump in at 12:30pm. Off to a great start. The General Manager informed staff that partners were welcome to attend the conference for a day. Then we were told they weren't welcome at all. Staff kicked up a fuss, so then they were. Except for Admin2. She doesn't have a partner so she brings one of her brothers. Not this year. He's not a partner so he couldn't attend. So very unfair in my book. Penalised because she is the only single person in the office. Mind, while there, I did notice the General Manager not only brought his current squeeze, but his parents as well.

MOTH had to take me to the conference this year. I didn't get a work car, and since no one except Admin2 was travelling Tuesday. And my lift on Friday turned out to be leaving late, around 6:30 to 7:00pm. I didn't want to wait that long and I didn't want to spring the lift request on the other person who lived in my suburb. So he came to fetch me as well. Now I'm eggshells as to whether or not I will be allowed to claim mileage costs for both trips.

I have a visit with HR to discuss extended leave to be followed by a visit to the doctor. HR are supportive of me looking after my health and not allowing it to get the better of me. I suppose this may have something to do with a popular ITS staff member committing suicide last year. I go to my doctor and get eight weeks off. I have use my sick leave, my recreation leave and some long service to cover this. Not the best, but there isn't much else I can do.

The doctor gives me the third degree about symptoms etc and once again, pushes the CPAP machine and a further sleep study. I remain unconvinced. I've yet to hear of someone having a sleep study and being told they DON'T need a machine. I couldn't afford one anyway, they aren't subsidised for people in my wage bracket.

The Teen turns 21 this weekend. We're headed north to help her celebrate. The Elder has organised her birthday cake and it is a cracker. It's shaped like the Yellow Submarine. It's one of Teen's favourite movies. And while uploading photos, I've just realised I didn't get any photos of her. *bummed*

We got to meet Harry's parents. They seem pretty down to earth. Not quite the same as MOTH and I, but close. We slept over at Teen's and had breakfast with Harry and his folks the next morning.

I got to check out the new abode of Elder's. It's a pretty good abode. Sheldon and Penny like it. A lot. It's in a good area, though the rent is very high.

It was so great to catch up with everyone. Except Mouse. She missed out this time. The days seemed so full. And again, I didn't get to catch up with my friends while I was there. One day I will really have to make sure I have enough time to catch up with them all!

Beef stew!

Yep, it's that season of the year again. Don't know why I love beef stew so much, but I do. But only when I cook it mind.

The conference draws closer and the preparation ratchets up. This week saw me fall in a heap. One of the tasks assigned me didn't get completed. This was to source labels for tagging cables to avoid loss. Between procrastination from the supplier providing the first quote and myself taking too long to provide the exact information required for price comparison the deadline was missed and people were not happy. I was devastated because this is very much out of character for me. When it was decided on the second quote there wasn't enough time to have the labels printed. The solution was to obtain them from a stationery store and print them ourselves. I can't use the work credit card so I assumed they would be purchased by one who could after I gave them the price. It never occurred to me they weren't passed to me for printing. And they weren't purchased. And it was my fault for not completing the task on time despite being reminded. Of course.

It's been a long week. Any joy I've had previously helping to organise the conference has well and truly been washed away under the tide of ... criticism, hopelessness, and thanklessness.

Things have been quiet on the home front. MOTH can't decide if he's happy or not that he will have four days by himself. Usually he would come with me but this year we don't have a house sitter/pet feeder. He's going to use the time to begin prepping for our next house inspection at the beginning of June.

Elder informs us they finally have a house to rent. WHOO! I don't know who is more excited, them or me. There will be three of them there. The dogs are welcome but the realtor doesn't know about the cats. I believe. The rent is very expensive so they won't have any money to play with but I'm hoping it all works out well for them.

The Teen will be turning 21 soon and is hosting some do or another to celebrate this milestone. Seeing as she's our daughter and all we kind of feel obligated to travel to attend. You know how it goes. I'm not looking forward to the drive *it's 8 hours of tedium with no scenery to look at only endless rolling brown hills with occasional trees and cattle* but I am excited to be seeing both the girls. And their respective other halves. I wonder if I can get into "party mode" this time? No facebooking any incriminating evidence ladies! Also this will be a great way to make an impression on Harry's parents whom we have not yet met.

MOTH is excited about the trip because when we travel up, Sheldon and Penny will travel with us. We still aren't sure what we will do with Jerome. Maybe we should bring him too? But then again, he won't get to visit Teen unless she comes to visit us while we are there. That might be something to consider.

Winter is finally coming and the temps are beginning to fall. Minimums are dropping to less than 10C overnight. There are only a couple of things I like about winter. And that's flannette sheets, doonas, minkie blankets and beef stew with dumplings. *ok, so maybe more than a couple* MMMMM! First stew of the season this weekend. And it's not even winter yet. I have to be careful not to have it often of course. Don't want to get sick of it. And MOTH doesn't eat much of it. Piker.

Decided to treat myself this weekend. MOTH saved a voucher from the shopping with a DVD rental discount on it. I like those. The day was bright and I had every intention of walking up to the shops. But I did some washing. And I pegged it out, unpegging the stuff that was already there. I prepped the beef stew for dinner. I cleaned up after the cats. And by then, I decided I was too pooped to walk so I drove. I brought back The Hobbit. I brought back Resident Evil: Retribution. And I brought back Wreckit Ralph. I watched them all one after the other and I loved them all. I thought The Hobbit might have been drawn out a little but no, I actually enjoyed it more than the other trilogy; a little faster paced I think. I was also surprised to find that this is also part one of a trilogy.

Conference next week so I suppose I should start planning what I'm planning to take with me. Who knows, I'm pretty sure that in spite of all my planning I will forget something... *too much planning = brain burn*

I'm going on adventure!

Well, maybe not really. Just the conference rolls around again in another week. Doesn't time fly?

And with that, time is slipping away so quickly. It's been almost two weeks since I last updated and I'd not even realised.

I've been meaning to phone Ma to check on her, but I keep missing that too. I should phone her today since today is Mother's Day. I tried earlier but there was no answer, so perhaps she was out for the day. I hope so. It would be nice for her to get out and do some stuff, even if D'niece and D'nephew are with them.

Work has been keeping me very busy. The project I have been working on is coming along quite well and I'm hoping that continues. Of course, having said that, there is every chance I've just jinxed myself! I guess we wait and see. I confess to some surprise that so far, I've been left to manage it on my own. Beyond the whole having to reevaluate thing of course.

There seems to be a thing that the only time I have interesting things to write about during my trips to work is when I'm on the bus. Maybe it's just the bus. Following one to work I had to laugh when it had to suddenly slow down to allow a scrub turkey to run across the road. Neck extended the turkey jogged quickly in front of the bus and up the bank on the other side.

The conference is drawing near. There's so much I've not been involved in this year and I'm not necessarily thinking I will enjoy it. Even Admin2 isn't interested this year. We didn't even get to choose the furniture for the booth. We don't get to attend the Sunday event - now moved to Tuesday - that we used to. We don't even get to attend the conference until Tuesday. We used to arrive Saturday for early morning Sunday set up, right through to the following Friday evening. Not anymore.

There's a little cash left and I'm dying to see the new Star Trek movie. MOTH wants to see it too. We head to the shops for a cup of coffee, spend a little time with John as most of the Club are busy this morning, then head off to the cinema. I'm hoping they will let us in at Pensioner prices. I ask for two to the 10:30am screening and put the membership card and the pension card on the counter. I'm charged $19. As I walk away I think that sounds a little steep. OH. Maybe he's charged two adult prices? Whatever, it's still less than $10 each. We head up to the 'candy bar' and purchase a large raspberry frozen coke, a packet of Starburst snakes *YUM* and a small packet of twisties. There's about $7 change from that and I'm pleased. I loved the movie. Of course, it may help that I'm a bit of a Trekkie but I really did enjoy it. Riveting from the beginning. Action, good dialogue that had some of us chuckling and Bennedict Cumberpatch doesn't disappoint either. Though I confess I would have been surprised if he had.

OH MY GOD I'M SUCH A BAD MOTHER! It's gone 8:30pm and I've just realised that I forgot to feed the kittehs! Penny jumped on the desk with me and I suddenly thought, wait, did I give them dinner? Oh my.

It's Mother's Day today. I tried to phone my mum but she isn't home. I thought I'll phone after dinner around 7pm when the kids are about to go to bed. And I just realised it is 8:15pm and now too late to call. My memory is really shot today!

MOTH cooked a lovely dinner for me tonight. Roast beef with baked vegetables. He also bought me a present without any prompting as well. A big tin of Darrel Lea chocolates. It's amazing. The tin is lovely and I can use it for other things later.

My doctor is still pressing me to go back to the sleep clinic to be fitted for a machine. I can't bring myself to do this. Supposedly my sleep apnea is moderate so I would really like to investigate other options. I don't know anyone who likes their machine. MOTH cannot get used to his. I simply cannot afford to purchase a machine for me and not use it. I don't like the thought of putting the mask on my face. I don't like things touching my face and get really panicky if I can't breathe. If MOTH kisses me and I can't breathe the feeling is the same. Bestie's hubby has been trying a new contraption for his, a mouth guard. It costs about $70, it can be heated and custom fitted and is supposed to change the shape of the throat and jaw. She tells me he no longer snores and she loves it. I'm saving up to try this. MOTH is interested too. The device has a life of about 18 months but at only $70, that can't be bad, right?

As part of this investigation into other causes, I've recently had a CT scan. It shows only minimal thickening of the sinus linings and a slight septum deviation to the right. Still doesn't give me a clue as to why I have constant sinus pressure and a blocked nose though. Sigh. On the other side, I'm still feeling tired but some days are good and some are not. My iron intake has been doubled and we'll see how that goes.

I think I need to get active. But I've got no energy to actually do it. Vicious circle.

Whoo! One of the shows I watch on Foxtel is Grimm. Next week is Zombies! Bring it!

No room on the couch!

I can't believe I've left it so long between posts. Well yes, actually I can. The last couple of weeks have just flown by. When I was young, before I turned 18, someone told me it's all downhill from 21 and that it goes faster every year. I didn't believe them. I surely do now!

I've been back to the doctor to discuss the results of my sleep test. Apparently I suffer from a moderate sleep disturbance. I've researched this on the web and that information indicates that "moderate" means up to 30 disturbances an hour. That's not good, but not too bad I guess. The sleep clinic phone me back to arrange a CPAP consultation and fitting. I decided not to go with the machine; doctor and I are examining other options. Like weight loss *eep, never done this before so no real idea how to start* and a CT scan of my nasal area. Perhaps I have an underlying problem there that is contributing?

News from Ma hasn't been great with D'niece beginning to act out. Elder phones me to tell me she's worried that Ma is not coping well. She has had to move into Rabbit's house to monitor the situation and prevent escalation. This is not good. Elder is worried that the stress levels are too great and if things don't improve her health will deteriorate quickly. Can I come and lend a hand? She offers to pay for the plane tickets.

I ask for two weeks off work. They aren't pleased because we are in the middle of preparing for a conference in May but they let me go. I make arrangements to do a little work while I am away. This isn't too difficult although there are some things for a big project I hope I can get up and running while I am out of the office. They won't let me use the work wireless USB just in case there is a power outage. Luckily MOTH reminds me that he has one I can use. He hasn't had it very long so I had forgotten about it.

I realise that working out of the office is fine but not when you are waiting for information from a third party who only works part time. It's been two weeks now and I still don't have the information I need. Time is a-wasting people! I need to get this information before I can give it to the graphic artist and then send it to the people doing the set up for me. Ridiculous!

I'm a little nervous before I fly out. I always am when I leave my comfort zone. About five minutes after leaving home a text message appears to tell me my flight is cancelled. Tch, first time that's happened. I make arrangements for another. It leaves an hour later. Elder is there to greet me on arrival at my destination. We grab some lunch and head to Rabbit's. Ma is surprised. She wasn't expecting to see me till Friday. I'm surprised. The house is really quite nice for Government housing. It's lowset brick. There's no carpet in the house, just painted concrete. Her oven doesn't work. It hasn't since Rabbit and the kids moved in back in January. Complaints to Housing have produced no results.

I've discussed the issue with Elder who wants to help. She's approached some electrical outlets to price a new one. It can't be done I tell her, Housing will prosecute if anything in the house is touched without their permission. Bummer. I tell her to approach one of the Council members to see if they can offer assistance. They can't but provide her with a phone number.

It's a full on visit. I am staying with Pa. We've made arrangements to take Ma for a girly day with the Teen as well. We drive to her place. It should have taken about an hour and a bit, but it's taken nearly two. Danged road works. We have lunch at Sizzlers. It's a really great day. Ma had some things to pick up from the store. She said she told me but I have no recollection. Elder and the Teen want to visit the zoo.

We take a little time to visit a couple of shops while Ma looks for some kitchen canisters for Rabbit. Then off to the zoo. I haven't been here for years.

It's not large but there are animals to look at. The day is hot and I'm not liking it. Ma and I sit in the shade while Teen and Elder explore a little further. The day ends and it's time to drop Teen off and head back home before D'niece and D'nephew get home from school.

I spend time there most every day to offer support. Elder provides Ma with a phone number to contact about the stove. Ma calls the number and tells them about the stove. It's not Housing so we aren't sure if they can help. Later that morning, an electrician appears to look at the stove. She writes it off and calls to see if it can be replaced. She has to wait for them to call her back. Eventually they do and within a couple of hours a new stove has been installed. As MOTH says, it all comes down to who you know.

Friday I spend the night at Mouse's place. She cooks chicken mornay without the cheese. I am impressed. It still tastes good and the sauce is thick. One of her friends is there and we share a bottle of wine with dinner and laugh a lot. I can't even remember what we watched on tv that night.

I spend the night with Rabbit and the family so Ma can head home for the night. They are relatively quiet this night. Ma sleeps on a couch while she's here and I find it's too short. I don't know how she does it, it's so not comfortable!

I'm spending some time with Elder the next day. I haven't had much of a chance to see her. But that's ok, it's not what I'm there for. I get a call from Ma to ask if I will baby sit that night. I'm a little reluctant and I have to check to see if one of the "ring in" children still wants to catch up. He doesn't get back to me in time so I tell Ma that yes, go out to dinner.

They aren't out long and the chance to catch up with relatives is very appreciated. I've found it exhausting today. D'nephew was in a non cooperative mood and wasn't pleased to miss out on his ice cream dessert.

All too soon it's time to come home. Back to a house full of kitties and an excited MOTH. I'm happy to see him but when I get home the house hasn't been tidied. He's not been well lately so I guess I can't expect too much. But I so missed coming home to a clean house. I never realised how much of a difference it makes to my mental state.

I have used the last couple of days to wind down. At least, I think I have tried to. I don't think I'm fully wound down yet. I've napped a bit and even the kitties have been wanting to lie all over me. There's no room on the couch lately as all three have been spreading themselves all over it.

Work is looming again and I don't really want to go. I wish I could spend more time with Ma. At times like these I wish I lived closer. I dunno, I keep hoping this is my year for change....

Happy Talky Talk...

No, I have no idea why this song is stuck in my head. Considering it's a work day and the last thing I normally do on a work is day chirp happy songs to myself.

It's been a strange week, pleasantly interrupted by Easter. Hope everyone had a Happy Easter. I think I needed the break.

Once again, my incompetence at work was subtly hinted at so that was an exiting way to begin the day. I couldn't tell which receipts were cabcharge and which were not. Not everyone gives me the blue stubs, plenty of people leave mystery items on my desk. I have since worked out how to tell the difference but that still doesn't tell me who the receipts belong to.

A letter arrived for me. Advice of my sleep test results. I still have to see the doctor to discuss them further; apparently I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The letter doesn't indicate the severity. MOTH and I are somewhat confused and I guess I will have to wait for the discussion with the doctor. According to the things MOTH has noticed I would have thought that Central would have been the go. I don't awake unrefreshed, that sets in a couple of hours after I rise. I don't snore or on the odd occasion I do, it's very very light. Instead I breathe very slowly and very shallowly. I occasionally awake with a sore throat or dry mouth but not often. I don't wake up with a headache. The irony is that ever since I received the letter, I've not slept well.

Easter Friday is good to be home. The Teen and Elder are not visiting so all will be quiet over the long weekend. There are a couple of gold Lindt bunnies waiting for me in the freezer. Do they mock me each time I open the door? I'm beginning to think so.

The stores are open for trading on Easter Saturday. I go with MOTH to join the Club. MOTH takes his coffee with him this time. It's good to see the regulars since it's been some time for me. Even Wombat is in a good mood. Special K asks how my Easter has been. I tell her pretty damned good. Wombat pipes over the top that it's been boring. Hold on, I say while grinning madly, she asked how MY Easter was going. He chuckled and kept quiet, Special K giggles hysterically. She giggles again when sometime during the conversation I roll my eyes skyward. She's busy giving everyone a hard time today and I spend a lot of time laughing.

MOTH decides to do the lawn this afternoon to make it look presentable for tomorrow. I don't mind because I like the way it looks when it's done, but there really are other parts of the yard that need priority. We've discussed this before. Sure, it's the entertainment area but then again, there are fallen bricks from the retaining wall, bits of cut down trees gracing the front yard and the yard at the back looks like a jungle. The shrubs are overgrown, the grass is beyond knee high and the weeds have taken over. I think he leaves it go because it's not used *because he refuses to use the clothesline out there and i don't do washing often* and it's not easy to mow. Too many ants he says. But if it was kept tidy the ants probably wouldn't be so keep to make homes there.

Easter Sunday I spend time cleaning house. And munching on one of those gold bunnies. Yeah! John and Special K are coming over for coffee so I need the table cleared, the cat tray clean and the floor vacuumed. Gotta pretend I do housework occasionally. I also bake some scones. They don't stay long but I laugh along with Special K, especially when she butters her scone over her coffee cup. Guess where part of it went. She digs it out, we laugh some more, and then she continues to butter the scone. Over the cup. I use the term 'butter' rather loosely, it was actually jam and cream.

They head home and the house is quiet again. The rest of the afternoon is relaxing. In a tidy house.

Dr Who returns tonight but it's up against Grimm. I'll watch that one as I can catch Dr Who later. I hope. Yes! It's on iView and I soak up the zany adventure. I really like Matt Smith as the Dr and whoever has been writing for this incarnation has made him quirky and quick witted. It's my favourite so far.

One of the ex GTs sends me a message to find out if we'll be up for a visit. Him to ours, or us to his. Eventually we decide him to ours. Most of the day passes before he arrives. He arrives bearing gifts - an iced bun. We sit and talk and he stays for dinner. We chat about his health, we chat about my health, compare notes, discuss possible causes and cure the world. We talk cars, we talk relationships and it's so good to catch up. Several times he says he has to go but still we chat. Eventually I chase him home to his puppies.

It's the season return of Game of Thrones. I'm looking forward to seeing it. We don't do daylight savings so is it on at 8:30 or 7:30pm? I check and discover it's 7:30. Luckily I haven't missed much!

The Poltergeists in my wall

Scared me nearly half to death. Well, ok, I exaggerate a little. Gave me a jolly good start though.

Some of the conference work is picking up a little. Now there are five of us in the team we will be having regular meetings to keep abreast of things. I like this - makes me feel much more included. At our first meeting I actually sounded like I was busy. I like that too.

I'm still exhausted but still no wiser as to the cause. The doctor's surgery haven't phoned me to make an appointment so I am assuming they don't have the results yet. MOTH and I were discussing and wondering if the constant lethargy might very well be tied to the depression rather than something else. I guess I might get more of a clue when I find out the results. Yeah, I know, not much of a clue now. No Joe, they didn't wake me up to put the CPAP machine on. They didn't wake me at all. I don't know if this is a good thing or bad thing.

This week Bestie contacts me to ask if I would like to go for coffee on Saturday. She's made contact with an old school friend. I check with MOTH to make sure it's not going to affect any plans he might have. Just a girl thing I tell him. Oh, ok. Luckily she's given me plenty of notice so I can budget for the bus fare and the coffee. A couple of days roll by and ... nothing. I'll wait and see what happens. If it doesn't go ahead I can use the money for something else.

Shopping night and there's a little left over to buy take away. We think we'll have doner kebab. It's "under new management". The woman behind the counter is not a native English speaker and somehow I end up with yoghurt and garlic sauce AND tahini. Makes for an interesting combination, but not one I'd necessarily like to repeat. Disappointing isn't it when a place you love changes hands and it's just not the same...

Friday comes around and still nothing. Ah well. Suddenly Bestie lets me know that it's all on, the friend had forgotten to get back to her. We've arranged to meet at a coffee shop in the city. It's a nice looking little place although I haven't been there before.

Saturday morning for something to do I join MOTH with the Club. I haven't seen them for a while. Wombat is there, surprising me by occasionally laughing, not surprising me by complaining about stuff. John makes me laugh by deliberately bringing up a topic we know will generate complaints. I play a game on the phone while keeping an ear attuned to their conversation. I'm feeling cheeky so I give Stan a hard time when he asks me a question about a book and author he can't remember the name of but he's sure I will know. I did. We finish up there about 10:30am and buy some supplies for dinner.

It's nearly time to head out for the bus. Got all my kit ready. Yup, I'm a girl so I need to take lots of stuff. No. Not really. The less I have to carry the better I like it. Alas, the new phone doesn't fit my "wallet" so I have to find something else. I have a little tiny handbag and I can just squeeze the phone in there. Along with my bus pass (go card), my licence, and the money. All set. I'll have to tuck my glasses somewhere else. The weather is a stinker, hot and humid. Sure do pick the good days to go out! I jump on the bus and swipe my card. It doesn't register. What? I look. I've just tried to swipe my licence. *rolls eyes* The man sitting in the front bus seat calls out "Wrong one girl" and laughs his fool head off.... yeah, great.

I'm there first. But not for long. We look for the long lost one, not sure if she will even look the same. She does. It's great to catch up, we think it's probably been about twenty years and there's plenty to talk about. No photo of us, but I have one of the view from my spot at the table. There's deck chairs set up under the trees and we wonder if they are there for anyone to use. Nifty, hey...

The afternoon passes quickly and we vow it will become a regular thing.

It's hot again today. I'm too hot to do much. The air is still and humid. The fan is on full blast and if I sit on the couch I can get a good breeze. If I sit at the desk, it's too far away to pick up much. How can I fix that? I don't want to run the airconditioner. Evening sets in, the breeze picks up. The sky darkens and I can hear a rumble or two. Lightening flashes and the storm arrives. It's crackling enough that I turn off the tv at the wall. The computer too. Maybe now will be a good time to move things around? I get MOTH to help. I guess it's even a good chance to vacuum the carpet. A little. It's really too hot for this and I've managed to give myself a headache. The storm is over and the air is cooler. I don't think that will last. Finally the room is finished. Looks a bit odd, but at least I can get some air circulating around the desk...

The tv is out of frame to the right.

Showered and in bed, sliding into the sweet oblivion of sleep. Thump! Bang! Not far above my head. Whoa! I'm awake now! My heart is still going pitty pat but no other noise ensues. You'd think that if something inside the wall fell *and that's what it sounded like, some furry body losing it's balance* there would be some other noise, wouldn't there. Scratching? Scrabbling? No, all is silent.... What sort of Things are living in my wall!?

So I'd better get me some bloggin....

Time is slippin slippin slippin into the future... and I am still trying to catch up.

I've been going through a bit of a crisis mentally *quiet peanut gallery!* and possibly, just maybe, the idea that I'm not coping as well as I had hoped. MOTH suggests I should draft a letter to HR, ready to send if things to get worse. I wonder if I should, or would that just be too tempting to click the Send button instead of taking a deep breath and a walk. When my eldest daughter was very small my then treating doctor diagnosed me with depression. I have been self managing it for years, but about two years ago my now treating doctor said You have depression. I've decided to continue to self manage rather than medicate but boy it's getting difficult some days. The idea of the letter to HR would be to find out if they would help me transfer if I need to. As John Denver once said, some days are diamonds some days are stone.

But on the sunshine side, I'd been toying with the idea of changing my phone. I think I mentioned it last post. I like to do my research so I spend ages looking to see what's there and reading about things that catch my eye. And thinking about what I want. Then I go in store and see if I can see a physical example. It's fun. And I find something I like the look of. I've done some basic searching, the store only has a dummy model so I can't play with it. Fair enough but at least I can see what size the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 really is. Hard to visualise measurements y'know. I leave the store and think about it some more. I research some more, reading specs and reviews. This looks likely. LG Optimus G. I read the reviews. I check the specs. Beauty. I go in store and ask about it. He gives me dimensions. They don't match what I have. Weird. He doesn't have one for me to look at anyway. I go home and think some more. And do more research. Oh. I've been looking at the PRO! No wonder. So more research. More thinking. The store can let me peek at one when it comes in. That's right, it's not even on the market here yet.

The more I think about it, the more I think this might be the phone. Finally, they're in. I can come and have a look. SWEET! *loves me some tech* And ... there it is. Smooth, black and beckoning. I'm sold and I transfer my phone. This is it LG Optimus G. My biggest bug bear? It's not compatible with anything Apple. Because it's Android. Sheesh. This includes iTunes.

Sleep study. I'm a little nervous about it. Heck who am I kidding. I'm VERY nervous about it. I have a general idea of what to expect and it's not pretty. I do have the following day off work though, so at least I'll have time to recover. I need to be there by 7:15pm. MOTH and I hook up Karen and off we go. It's about an hour drive away. We can't find it. Karen says it should be on the left. But where? We've no idea. Pull into a shopping centre while we try to work it out. We're looking at a paper copy of the map sort of directions thing that was included with the appointment information. No go. We can't figure out where we are. I key the address into Google maps. Oh, there we go! Karen took us past it. We need to be on the other side of the road. When we do find it, yes, the information on the paper was accurate. But only as far as now we knew what landmarks we were looking at. Whew. We sit in the car park for about fifteen minutes before I get out and head for the clinic. Eep!

I walk in the clinic. No foyer, just a little space with some chairs and a pretty cabinet with flowers on it. The hall is short with two doors on the right. There's no one there. I walk down the hall a bit and soon this tiny chap bustles up and checks my name. He's got my paperwork and directs me to the first room. Uh oh. Scales. And height. I'm a couple of kilos off my weight estimate but I've not been near a set of scales for years. And I've not checked my height for many years. Oh! Look at that! I thought I was shorter than that. But now I've looked at a conversion tool, maybe I've always been that height.

That done, I'm shown to my room for the night. On the way he shows me a the shower, a kitchenette, loos and here we are, I'm in room 6. There are other patients here already. I see one in his jammies already sitting on his bed reading. Another room has two beds in it. My room is pleasantly surprising. It looks like a very basic motel room, a low bed, paintings and a mirror on the wall. He pulls the blankets from one side of the bed, tells me to change and he'll be back soon to start the hook up. I change, check out the loo, and go back to wait. Up to the front room for a breathing test. This means shoving a mask against your face while one nostril is blocked. Yep, grab the mask handle, shove the styrofoam thingo attached to that tube up your nose, clamp the mask to your face *careful, don't let any air leak!* and now breathe! Left nostril was fine but boy! Did I have trouble trying to breathe through my right.

Back to the room to get hooked up. A belt goes around my chest. Is that too tight? No, ok. Then one around my stomach. Have to adjust that off a bit *dang*. Stand here and he begins. Two wires taped to each calf. Two to the chest. There might be some in the waist belt too. A throat mike is taped on. They are hooked to this little machine that is not much bigger than a desk phone. I get to read for a while before he comes back to hook up the rest. That's done down the other end of the clinic. I have to take the 'phone' with me. These are the ones that will be attached to my face and scalp. He uses a scrub on my cheeks just in front of my ears, behind my ears, on my forehead and another couple of places in my hair. Then some wax, electrodes on, wired into the 'phone', wires zipped into a cloth jacket. While we chat, I begin to get a little sleepy. I mention that if I go to bed too early, I'll be awake at three. He says it's nearly nine o'clock. In the course of the chatter he is called away to check something. One of the other patients is a young girl who has to have an extended ECG as well as the sleep study. She's here with her mother. Soon we're all done. Ready to go. Back to my room, phone on the cradle, oxygen wotsit on my fingertip, and lights out. Wait! But I'm not sleepy anymore! I've not a clue what the time is. He's moved my iPad to another chair. My sudoku puzzle book with it. I lie there a little while *oh no, i can't sleep* There's noise outside. I roll over and ..... zzzzz

I wake up. It's still dark. I wriggle a lot and finally get my hands on my phone. It's 3:40am. Dang. I lie there for a while. And a while. And more of a while. I'm finally beginning to relax and the light on my finger thingo goes blue. It's nearly 5:15am so I guess they've turned me off. A knock on the door and he pops his head in. Time to unhook and take off the tape. It's like getting a wax. The legs don't hurt too much. The scalp pulls some hair but not too badly. One of the ones in front of my ears has well and truly caught in my hair and I think half my face has torn off too. That hurt! I dress and go to the kitchen for a quick cuppa. I can't find milk in the fridge but I've not really looked. Looks like everyone uses it for their lunch and I don't want to accidentally take someone's stuff. I drink it black but I don't really have time to add cold water. I scald my tongue a bit and after a few sips I leave off and rinse the cup. All the other patients have long gone it seems and I'm the last to leave.

MOTH comes to pick me up around 6:00am. I'm so tired, yet I'm sure I slept relatively well. It's after 7:00am when I get home. I go to bed. Sleep till 8:30 then potter around the house. Nappage in the afternoon is good too.

Now I just have to wait a week or two till my doctor gets the results.

And on request ... here's a photo that suitably blurry cause I can't do selfies but it does give an idea of my hair. Heh.

How did we get here??

I suddenly realised it's Tuesday and I hadn't done a blog update. That nearly escaped me...

Not that there is anything to update really.

Nope, truly.

I think I mentioned I had been referred for a sleep test. I finally screwed up the courage to make the appointment. The paperwork arrived outlining the date, time, and address of the clinic. Along with a medical questionnaire about my sleep habits. Some of the questions I had to ask MOTH about *do i snore? how do i know? do i wake him up snoring? well i dunno* and he happily supplied answers. One of the questions on the form was How long does it take you to fall asleep at night? MOTH looked at me and grinned. Oh, till about the first letter E he says. We both giggle. Ok, I guess from that I fall asleep pretty quickly.

I'm hoping it's not aponea because I am so totally not enthused about having to wear a mask to bed. Just the idea of something on my face while I'm laying down makes my nose want to block. At any rate, I've done some research and while I don't think I have obstructive aponea, I may very well have the other. That's the one where you aren't getting enough oxygen. We shall see I guess.

Oh joy for me. Look, it says shampoo your hair the morning of the appointment. BUT! No using conditioners, hair oils, gels etc. WHAAA? If I don't use that stuff, how the heck am I going to even get a comb through? My hair is waist length, thick and bleached blonde. I suspect my sleep study will be disturbed by hearing my hair shafts snap off as I lay down or turn over. Ha! And never mind any sounds of the monitors, the noise level outside the cubicle, or them coming in on a regular basis to check the machines....

I've asked for the following day off work. I don't think drooling on the keyboard is acceptable office etiquette.

My Avon nail polish has arrived! Whoo! I had to stop and look at the packaging and compare it because it surely looks different in reality. I thought I was buying one of the 'sequin' ones but it seems it's only a shimmer. Absinthe. Guess what colour that is. Yes. Green. But not quite the green I was expecting. But I do like it. I put it on. Oh..... it's kinda green. A snotty sort of green really. Delightfully gross. Remember that slime stuff you had as a kid? Remember how if you played with it too much it changed colour? A dirty green? Yes, it's almost like that.

The other turns out to be black with a red shimmer. I haven't tried that on yet but it looks lovely in the bottle.

All in all it's been a quiet week. The project I'm working on for work is nearly finished; I'm just trying to whip myself into a frenzy of enthusiasm to finish the final report. Of course, my get up and go has well and truly got up and gone, so we are still waiting for said enthusiasm. And words. Got to have words to finish the report.

And just for something to do, here's a pic of Penny, the walking flea factory...

Stop that scratchiiiiing!

Cats! Fleas! Expense! It's driving me crazy. $60 later, just to treat one cat. $66 later for 3 months treatment for the other two. Just because *i think* Sheldon can lick his treatment off. I know, they say put it at the base of their neck. But no kidding, he can reach. He gets the oral dose. So there cat, lick that off. He's stopped scratching but the other two haven't. Sigh....

I'm liking the pan I bought recently. It's not cast iron but cast aluminium. Very light weight but it gets hot pretty quickly. I must remember to make sure that in future I use the mitts when I shift it from the stove...

The rain continues. Off and on all week and probably more to come. I thought I might have seen the sun peep out at one point, but I was mistaken. A friend of mine living further up the coast has observed that she thought it had rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The boy next door to her was named Noah and if he started building anything, she wanted in. I think I know where she's coming from.

Ultrasound this morning. One of those full bladder ones. So uncomfortable! But hey, all over and done with. Such sweet relief! Then off to work but at least I only had to work half a day.

I've had to take the motorway a couple of times this week due to the rain. One of the main roads closed due to flooding. It comes across the driving range, the road and submerges the park on the other side of the road. On a good afternoon *or morning* the drive home takes about half an hour. This day I discovered it closed the trip took about an hour and ten. Frustrating! I wish it had closed the motorway too so I couldn't get to work. What fun!

My heart sinks on the drive to work today. Someone's little dog lies in the middle of the double lane. I hate seeing road kill at the best of times *an awful lot of bandicoots and possums fall on the altar of asphalt around my way* but it's worse when it's someone's pet. I know traffic can get heavy but surely if you hit something you can pull off and shift it? I hate it so much. Hate, hate, hate.

MOTH drags me out of the house this morning for a cup of coffee. Alright, I'll go. He's already been out to join the Club so we take our time. The coffee is good and he's bought me a muffin. It's warm and has a side of cream. I don't usually eat muffins but this is delicious.

I'm toying with the idea of changing my phone. Not because I need to, but just because I want to. I have an iPhone 4 which works perfectly well. I usually update about every 18 months. I don't know why, it just seems to happen. I pop into the store but they don't have a working model of the one I'm thinking of. Disappointing! He offers to check and see how much is outstanding on my current contract. Not as much as I had thought. I also remember that once upon a time, my current carrier would have waived that when you changed over...

The power bill arrived this week. I'm totally gobsmacked. I know we had two extra people, but how can two extra nearly double the bill in a quarter? DOUBLE! The highest I've paid previously is around $350 for the quarter. This bill, including discounts is just short of $500. And the media is busy telling us that bills are expected to increase by 21% for next quarter, and power companies are posting huge profits. Disconnection rates are high and there are plenty of people around the poverty line who already get by in winter with lots of blankets and a one bar heater... It will be interesting to see what our next bill will be. MOTH has a habit of swapping power companies for a better deal. Our current *and original* company then phone him saying they'll match it or do better. However, I don't think he notes the tariff rates they promise so we can keep track. The only thing I can remember him saying is that the new discounted rate *still higher than our supposedly previous one* wouldn't come into effect until the next bill. Bloody power companies.

The Teen is still working a lot of weekend shifts and hunting for something a little more 9 to 5. Alas, she still has no license, no car and no way to get anywhere so things are pretty limited.

The Elder has worked her first shift at her new job. I had thought it would be mainland based but it appears that she was stationed out on the island. Her job is security based; I believe currently doing bag checks etcetera for project staff coming on to the island. Hopefully she enjoys it and sticks to it long term.

The cupboard is bugging me, but I can't really get motivated to clean it out. Except today! Today I took out the cast iron electric pan. I'm putting it out in the garage. MOTH says I can buy a new cord. But we don't know if it's the cord/thermostat that trips the circuit, or a fault in the pan itself. I don't know if it's worth investing in a new cord - MOTH never liked cleaning the pan from the get go. Too heavy. Amazing how taking that one thing out makes that much more space. But hey, that's exhausted my enthusiasm for today.

I've flea bombed the rumpus room. It's where the fleabags hang out most of the time. No, wait. Don't include me in that. Penny and Jerome spend a lot of time in there with me. If I'm not there, Penny sleeps in the space where I sit and Jerome .... could be anywhere. Sheldon spends most of his sleeping time curled up on a dining room chair. The whole house needs doing and I've earmarked this weekend as a possible start point. Think I shall do the garage too.... Damn kids and their fleas ...

Rainy days ...

and Monday's always get me dowwwn. Well, I don't have much of a chance today then.

We have another new addition to the GTs starting this week. A new one only started a couple of weeks ago. Two new faces in such a short time, but I don't think we'll ever get back to where we were at our most productive.

The Teen is desperately unhappy with her situation at the moment. Her job has her rostered for weekend after weekend, with little in between. They are very short staffed so today she works a double shift. With a five hour gap between shifts. With no car and no lift available, she can't go anywhere between times. She doesn't get to see Harry much anymore because he works during the week. Even with all the extra shifts, her pay rate is just enough for her to pay her bills and nothing else. She wants an office job and is busily applying everywhere, but as an adult with no office experience her chances of getting anywhere are very, very slim. MOTH tends to think that perhaps Admin wouldn't be the thing for her. She's just too active. If she didn't suffer from Anxiety, I think she'd make a great promo girl!

Anyway, I think she desperately wants to come home for a while but Harry simply will not budge.

I've seen The Hunger Games again. I think I enjoyed it just as much this time round as I did my first viewing. It makes me want to buy the books. I um and ah, and eventually I do. All three volumes. Electronically of course.

When visiting here last, Elder noticed her concert tickets were missing. They weren't pinned to the notice board. Uh oh. We've no idea where they may have gone. I get a call from her this week. Have you looked? Have you found them? Where did you look? I'm sure they were pinned on the notice board. MOTH and I are equally sure that she went to pin them there, was told Sheldon would take them down if she did and they were put in a "safe place". No one has a clue where that place could be. That's how safe it is. Eventually we decide they just aren't going to make an appearance and she decides to see if she can get them replaced. Luckily she can, but it will cost an extra $20 a ticket. Very, very expensive concert tickets these are!

I get the pan off layby and I can't wait to use it. The instructions that come with it are impossible to read. At least for me they are. Why do people make the writing so darned small? Even with my glasses I can't read it. I end up taking a photo of the page and enlarging that. I've seasoned the pan and it's good to go. Hopefully if I treat this one right it will last for ages.

It even has mittens! I can use it stove top, cook top, oven. I'm not sure about gas cooktops though!

The end of the week is here and I'm exhausted. My favourite part of the week is the 'couch collapse' on Friday afternoons. Just knowing there are two days off ahead of me is magic.

Elder and Burrich are due to arrive tonight ready for the concert tomorrow. She managed to get the tickets replaced and has to collect them from admission when they arrive at the venue. Even though it's only been two weeks since I last saw them, it is good to catch up with them again. It was getting a bit quiet.

The weather this week has been rainy and muggy. A most marvellous combination ... NOT! Saturday dawns beautifully, a bright blue sky. It's sticky again by day's end. Elder and Burrich have left for the day. They won't be back till well after dark. I go with MOTH up to the juice bar for a coffee before we join up with the Baby Sitter's Club. While having coffee, Elder and Burrich walk past. Burrich has purchased himself a new tee. I like it. I want one. Elder is busy telling me that they were nearly rear ended in the car park. Someone waited for the car in front of them when reversing out of the parking space, but didn't wait for them! I buy the tee. They're in men's sizing, but the M fits well and the material is soft. I like it already. And at $12, who am I to complain. The wording on the shirt was written for me. I'm sure it was. "I'm only wearing black until they invent a darker colour".

Sheldon, the walking flea magnet, is at it again. I decide to try something different and use an oral treatment this time. The vet suggests something called Capstar, a course of tablets for six days. They are $29 for the course. Fair enough, I'll treat them all this way. But when I arrive to pick them up, the assistant puts them against Jerome's name and sticks a label on the box. Six tables for six days, followed by one tablet a week for six weeks. What? That wasn't part of the deal! So, maybe I'll just dose one cat then! At least the others don't eat their flea treatment off their backs. If only pets weren't so expensive!

We leave the vet and reverse from the parking space. As MOTH changes gear to Drive, there's a terrible crunching noise. It seems we have been rear ended! MOTH tells me to get the plate number but he calls it to me before I can even see the car ... driving out of the car park. They didn't stop, or even get out of the car to check damage. Luckily we've managed to get off pretty easily, just some grey paint on the boot lid and some scrapes on the bumper.

I know the xBox will be going soon. I have a last little bit of time with Fable 3 before it's good bye. I finally eject the disc from the console and pack up the games ready for tomorrow.

Elder and Burrich are due to leave today. They start packing the car and sorting through belongings. They can't take everything of course. It starts to rain and I dive out of the couch. The tailgate and both back doors of the car are open and not a kid in sight. That's it, that's my exercise for the day. I unhook the xBox. Good bye old friend. However, Elder has agreed to replace it with her PS2 which she won't be taking with her. How odd it is to use a console with wired controllers! So old fashioned. She's left me her games as well, so there will be plenty of look at. She leaves her copy of Guitar Hero Wii on the drum kit. What good is that? And they aren't taking it with them, they don't have a working Wii. ... ... ... and it slowly dawns on me that I've been looking at the kit as a piece of junk stuck in the corner when I could have been playing it... Not slow, me. She digs the guitar from behind the couch and now I have a drum kit and a guitar to play with. And no one to collapse in hysterical laughter when I stuff up. Which I will. Excellent!

They leave in the afternoon and all is quiet again. I look at the spare bedroom. It's still a mess. Dang. Not quite as messy as it was, but still messy. The jumble of boxes in the garage have been put back in some semblance of order. She's made some comment before she left so I check her room. And nearly collapse in the doorway. It's practically spotless and the bed is made. Wow!

I flick the last page and ... I'm done. That's the Hunger Games trilogy finished. Why oh why do I have to read so fast?? Now what will I do?

Hippo Birdies Two Ewes...

Well, a project I've been assigned at work is turning out to be quite a deal bigger than first thought. It's keeping me busy... to be honest, I just want it over an done with.

Dr visit this week to check results of some recent tests. Iron levels are low *surprise surprise* but this doesn't require injections. I need to lose weight *again, no surprise* and I gain a referral for a sleep study. Darn, I'm not sure about that one.

The Teen takes me to task about my spelling of Moscato and Crouchen Reisling. Working in a bottle shop, she would know! I don't hear from her much, she keeps quiet. No headlines to let me know she's been up to mischief. She's getting good hours at work, but too many weekends. I read somewhere that she, Elder, Burrich and a friend managed to catch up for lunch. Lunch at Sizzler and all I hear about is fish pooing in the tank...

The Elder is excited that she has finally managed to get some work using her security license. She will be joining the crew monitoring a function for employees of one of the big industry employers. She's happy. The night goes well. The drunks love me! she tells me. The crew tell her it's the smoothest exit for a long time. She has been on a short list for more security work, but the industrial partner needs to coordinate an induction. This is taking forever, and she's been promised and ignored by this bunch before. I christen them "Useless Trev". Burrich has picked up some casual work with his old employer.

Saint Valentine's Day. MOTH and I don't usually celebrate but we notch up 30 years together this year. Maybe I've mentioned planning to go out to dinner previously? Well, ok, we will. And did.

I think riding the bus into the city will work best. What is the point of driving halfway to destination to pick me up, driving home and driving back in again? No point, that's the point. So, I'm bussing into the city.

And why is it I only ever see interesting stuff when I'm on the bus?

We come around the corner. A very tight corner. And there are birds. Everywhere. Galahs. Pigeons. Lorikeets. All chasing seed in the gutter. They scatter as the bus comes around the corner, but only just.

The streets are winding and the corners tight. We have to turn right across the traffic and up the hill. Drivers can be impolite here, and leave just enough gap for the bus to come through the line. But it doesn't leave enough room for the bus to turn up the hill. A car sits there and the driver watches the bus come closer and closer to his bonnet. Finally he seems to realise that something has to give and begins to turn the wheel to get out of the way. The bus creeps through. It might have worked a bit better if the car driver had reversed up the hill a little. Especially when the bus first appeared at the intersection!

The main road into the city is busy, though not nearly as busy as it could have been this time of day. Oh look. The coppers have some driver pulled up in a bus stop. Lights are flashing. Huh, silly. They'll get you if you misbehave in peak hour!

I've arrived in the city in plenty of time. No rush but I decide to check out where the restaurant is. Oh, there it is. Nice and close to where I told MOTH to park. I'm about to text to let them know where I will be waiting and ... Elder pounces on me from behind. They're already here. And parked way further down in the car park. *shakes head*

We've an hour to kill so spend it sitting al fresco at an ice creamery, drinking lemonade and watching people walk by. Eventually it's time to leave. The restaurant is empty - it's only 6.20pm or so after all. We're seated and already MOTH is giving the kids and the waitress a bit of cheek. It's going to be an interesting night.


The setting is modern and quite upmarket. I can't really say we are though! Those of us partaking of the "Romancing the Stone" menu are sectioned from the main dining room. The price is excellent for a 3 or maybe 4 course dinner. Amuse Bouche, Entree, Main, Dessert, and a complimentary glass of bubbles on arrival. All $75 a person. The reservation was for 6.30pm and at 8.30pm we've dined and left the restaurant.

It's raining. We dash across the street and pause to catch up under the shelter. I didn't see the balloon man, but he saw us! Elder ended up with a balloon flower, Burrich a bow tie, I had a crown. MOTH was the only one who escaped.

Parking costs $24 - delayed by the balloon man!

Early Friday morning, Elder and Burrich head back up north. A rush visit home to go out to dinner and collect some gear. Weird, isn't it. They can't find a place to live so come back here. They can't find jobs. They go back for a visit and land part time work and camp out in the downstairs bedroom of Burrich's parents. They assure me *or is that warn* they will be back in a week or so to attend a concert.

I head up the road with MOTH this morning. I need to buy some new apparel for the sleep study. For which I have yet to make an appointment. The local Robin's Kitchen has specials. So many good things! I would like a pie dish. A deep one as I have in mind to make a chicken pie. If I buy a Maxwell Williams, I can get a second piece for half price. I buy the dish, and after some consideration *cough. MOTH came looking for me after half an hour* I decided on Turkish glass cups and saucers.


But there is other stuff on sale too. Baccarat pans. They're already drastically marked down with another 25% off the marked price. I'm so tempted, so so tempted.

Sunday morning and I'm off with the oldies again. Don't know why. Oh yes. I want to check out the sale... I layby one of the pans. Back home and I offer to buy lunch for MOTH and I. While he's out, I vacuum the rumpus room floor. I contemplate rearranging the contents of the pan cupboard but it's going to be a big job and I change my mind. I nap in the couch. I move to the bed for some more nap, but Penny interrupts me. I play a game on the Wii for a while. I think I should get in some xBox time before it disappears next time the kids come back, but then again, maybe I should be getting used to the Wii.

I think of playing again this evening, but Sherlock is on and he wins out. Bennedict Cumberpatch is the best Sherlock I've found so far. Robert Downey Jr is a close second. Heh.

Mmmm. Wine. Where are you?

Whoops. It seems I missed paying a bill. That's been happening a bit lately! Just plain forgetting. The brain is meeeeelting!

This has been a week of dragging myself off to work. And when I'm not doing that, I'm dragging myself off to my doctor. Or maybe it just seems that way? I'm busily trying to convince my GP that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She is busy trying to convince me I have sleep apnoea. It's all swings and roundabouts really. But just stop and let me off, I want to leave the playground!

An ultrasound on Monday, a phone call from the surgery to make an appointment to discuss the results from the iron study she ordered. Par for the course I should think as this surgery is good at follow up.

I really need to try to get my head into gear so I can work up the enthusiasm to try for another position. I think it's time for a change but I'm too tired to string a coherent sentence together. I'd much rather be sleeping.

Off the wall dinner tonight. I am having garlic prawns and since MOTH won't eat prawns *doesn't even like the smell of them cooking* I will have to find an alternative for him. Done. Kransky it is. MOTH decides to cook them himself though. I let him go wild in the kitchen first so he can eat and run away.

Bestie notices that my get up and go has gotten up and left. Have dinner at her place! I think about it. Boxing Day was our last visit. Well, alright, I think I will. She's promised yummy drinks after all. We rock up around 3pm and I warn her of my little garlic self. She laughs it off and greets me with a big hug anyway.

I've no sooner walked in the door and put my phone and glasses on the bench when The Lad is proudly presenting me with his Lego dragon and Ninjago. The ones we were having trouble building on Boxing Day. It's now complete. We promptly plonk ourselves on the floor and he drags the rest of his lego tin out as well. Bestie joins us after a time and I chat and play and chat some more. Before we know it, it's dinner time and we send the men out to the bbq. The Lad is a little reluctant to come to table until I mention it looks like he's sitting next to me.

Dinner is some tandoori chicken, some sausages, and tomato with spring onion. Nothing special and yet, it goes down easy. Especially accompanied by a glass or two of muscato. And then crouchen and riesling for dessert. The kids wander indoors, MOTH and Bestie's man wander off to watch the football, Bestie and I are left to talk.

It's a great way to spend the evening and too soon it's half time in the match and time to head home. I look at the clock and realise it's 8pm. It's been a great afternoon and this bear is sleepy. I think I needed the down time.

I've even managed to muster enough get up to put on a small load of washing and vacuum the kitchen floor.

Oh my! I've missed last night's episode of Murdoch Mysteries! Thank heavens for Foxtel and their need to repeat stuff. I can catch it today. I carefully check the guide so I know when it's on. 2pm. Right. Set. I make MOTH's lunch around 12.30pm. I flip the channel to make sure I'm ready and .... WHAT? It's already started? And not only that, it's nearly finished??? And I allowed for daylight saving too! What happened there??? Wweeeeehhhhh!

I've reconciled myself to the fact I've missed it. I finish making my lunch and browse the guide again. Oh wait! 13th Street +2. Maybe I'm in luck. Yes! Yes I am! *happy dance* I bring my lunch to the couch and settle in to watch.

And that's more or less me gone for the rest of the day. It's too difficult to dig myself out of the couch. Sounds like an excavation, doesn't it. Close enough. It's an old couch and the 'suspension' isn't quite as it may have been. I don't fall asleep but it's a close run thing. MOTH is cooking dinner tonight so I really don't have to move for a while. Some sort of roast pork, but it's precooked. I've never seen it before.

The pork is nice but I miss the crackling. The rind is there but it doesn't crackle. He also informs me that I will have to eat as much as I can. *it's a big piece, that could be a big ask!* Why? Because once it's cooked, it cannot be refrigerated or frozen. What kind of crazy darned idea is that!?

Save all your kisses for me...

Yesterday seemed to be a day of kisses.

An early morning fast and when I was allowed to eat again, off to the bakery to get me a pie. A very healthy pie ... NOT! But it was filling. Trying to eat a hot pie quickly so I can get to work takes ... work. I manage to spill heaps of pastry flakes everywhere. MOTH talks to the Club while I eat. A guest is there today. It's the first time I've seen him for a while. He's very sick and only appears occasionally when he's in the area. A lovely old gentleman, friends with Stan. Softly spoken, gallant and has yet to say a bad word about anyone. Or anything.

I stand to leave and he blows me a kiss. I blow one back.

In to work and in the course of a very speedy conversation, one of the GT's has returned to the office from holiday. He air kisses while he's chattering and we head off to the morning tea table. A morning tea to welcome a new addition to the GTs. Or perhaps it is to commiserate his decent into purgatory...

But on the whole, as I look back and try to remember the little things I did, it begins to occur to me that I am really ... don't remember the week. Like I woke up Monday morning and then again Sunday night, ready to go to bed so I could be refreshed for another day at work. I do recall being awake for a doctor appointment on Thursday to check results of my annual blood tests. Surprising to me was the fact that I have problems with my iron levels yet she didn't schedule an iron study. Oh dear.

All is not necessarily quiet at home, and yet at the same time it is. Elder and Burrich are still away up north, waiting for the highways to open and payday to arrive so they can return. Sheldon seems to be missing them, roaming the house and calling. He's become ... snuggly and picks on Jerome mercilessly. I heard Penny hiss at him the other day.

Having expected them back earlier, my freezer is stocked with meat divided into packs to suit four. Trying to decide what to do with the larger packs is proving to be a challenge. I don't like left overs much, a situation that may just have to change soon.

I've slowed down the playing of Fable 3. Three Heroes have completed the main task, there is only questing left now. Even now that I have no story to drive the game and nothing I do changes the outcome, I continue to want to play. Just not quite as much. It's like delaying the completion of a good book you never want to end.

Elder suggests I take up Gunstringer, a game for kinect. It means ... *gasp* ... I'd have to get off the couch and actually move. Not sure I'm up to that yet!

Hercule, I've become addicted to you!

Hercule Poroit, you keep me entertained. Or should I say, David Suchet. I've not enjoyed any of the other actors in that role.

The kids are still out of the house. I think the cats are missing them, roaming around meowing, and getting very very snuggly.

MOTH and the Club continue to debate the move. Wombat pushes for them to move back and alas, they relent. It doesn't help that John has been finding it difficult to walkthe extra distance and Wendys is close to the chemist, the disability parking and the supermarket where John prefers to shop. The Club returns to Wendys.

MOTH, John, Stan and Special K are still competing to lose weight. I think Special K might be a tad more serious than MOTH. Or perhaps not. MOTH went to the doctor today and while there discussed options for a referral to a dietician. I wonder if this means that I will have to join him? The prospect does not appeal. I simply cannot live without chocolate!

I often have an appointment at the doctor the same time as MOTH. It saves time that way. I have a call up for my regular tests but I need the referral form. Bit of a nuisance getting an appointment just to pick up a form. Although I confess I was slack and didn't investigate just collecting the form from reception...

Friday morning I decide to donate to the vampires and have the blood tests done. It's a fasting test and I nearly blow it. I'm feeling distracted and I pop an almond in my mouth. I even forgot to drink my usual glass of water before the test! I guess that should have clued me in as to how the morning might go.

It's been 12 months since my last tests and I have heard rumours that the nearest collection clinic had closed. Never mind, there is a second nearby. I have been there once before. I arrive and there are two other people waiting. I must be right then, the other has closed. Last time I was here, I was the only patient. It opens at 8:30am. We settle in to wait. More people turn up. We wait. Some leave. More turn up. 9:00am arrives but the nurse has not. One elderly gentleman has been waiting since 7:30am. We discuss what could be going on. Eventually I twig that the referral form has phone numbers on it. I phoned the other clinic. It's open! And the one we were waiting at is closed each Friday. Even though the sign on the front door indicates otherwise!

It's after 10:00am when I finally get to work.

It's Australia Day weekend. The holiday falls on Saturday so we have Monday off. I like this. A lot. We are having roast lamb to celebrate. According to Sam, you can't get much more Australian than that, right? *for my overseas readers, it's a promo to sell lamb that's been continuing in some form or another for several years now.* We have no other celebration planned.

Just as well. There is a tropical cyclone up north that has weakened into a rain depression but still contains a lot of kick. It has ripped through the morth of the state with driving heavy rain and wind gusts to 90km an hour. It leaves behind widespread destruction and flooding. It's headed our way this weekend.

The rain starts slowly Friday night and sets in properly Saturday. The wind gusts are strong and there is rain but nothing close to the level up north.

The wind picks up Saturday night and Sunday. We've closed the house and here we remain, snug as little bugs in rugs. We hear the occasional gust, see the trees bending in the wind, and see the rain. We can't hear much.

There are warnings not to drive through flood waters and to stay home if there is no absolute need to go out. And still there are those who drive and lose their lives unnecessarily. One of them is a three year old boy.

Luckily we don't lose power and I have Fable 3 and an Xbox so there is no need to go out.

Things have calmed considerably on Monday amd we drive up the road to the shops. The juice bar is closed so we head to Maccas for coffee. There is a tree down across the road but a very helpful neighbour has gone out in the rain and cleared it up. With his chainsaw. Drat! That means I can't plead for an extra day off work while they clear it away!

Bran' Nue Week

I made it through my first week back at the grindstone. I'm still wondering how...

Somewhere around 3.30am, Elder and Burrich left to travel north to visit with family. Furkid family mostly, but other family as well. Elder has been feeling very low about many things, least of which is the money situation, and missing Freddy and Hefe very much. I gave a small donation to cover the cost of fuel one way and told her to go. Arrangements were made in very short order *for them* and they were away. It's been a very quiet week!

The Teen seems to have settled into her new abode, no longer living with Harry and his parents. I'm still waiting for her to let me know the new address. She misses Harry and Ace terribly, but she has Garfunkel *ginger kitten* and one or two other furbabies to keep her company. Harry is still adamant that he's not moving out of home though as you'd have to be insane to live with your sister, right?

Babysitter's Club has been in a bit of an uproar this week. Like most old folk, they like to keep to routine and sit in the same place every day they meet. Which is ... every day. This happens to be a group of seats in the *and i use the term very loosely* food court. Tables and chairs placed centrally and surrounded by shops, it happens to be close to Wendys.

They've been discussing the possibility of changing places. Helping this decision along is an older woman who has decided the seats are hers, takes them if the group aren't fast enough and gives them a multitude of filthy looks if they beat her. Not that it bothers them particularly. They've also heard good things about one of the little shops *a juice bar* and it's at the other end of the centre.

Some incident occurred involving Wombat and the staff of Wendys *i think an offhand remark regarding the higher level of trade that day by one of the staff during a conversation with wombat but i'm not sure* resulted in comments by Wendys owner's husband to the tune that the staff were no longer allowed to talk to Wombat. *his story*

The Club decided to move *i'm told this was Wombat's suggestion* to the other end of the centre to the juice bar, a much friendlier place with much better coffee.

The next day Wombat reports that he's received a phone call from Wendys husband to 'explain himself' and that Wendys had spoken to him and cried all over his shoulder about them being her best customers. Perhaps the Club should return?

Coffee at the juice bar with the Club and the coffee is really very nice! The proprietors of that place are so very friendly too, bright smiles and hellos. The Club feel very welcome. I'm watching though as a couple who have been kept waiting *maybe 15 to 20 minutes max* without receiving their order demand their money back. They've abused the waitress, the owner, and her husband. According to the owner it would have taken her about 1 minute to fill the order. It took them longer to abuse everyone and get their money back than it would have taken to make 2 cups of coffee.

I'm dragged up that way again the next day at the request of Special K. The juice bar doesn't trade on Sunday so we've settled on the Coffee Club. Special K has decided we won't go back again as although the coffee there is indeed very good, her wallet can't tolerate it. Perhaps next Sunday we'll go Maccas for coffee instead. They agree.

She's assuming I'll tag along of course. Never a given!

We're sitting there and Wombat wanders past. He hadn't joined us that morning. Again he brings up the crying on his shoulder and maybe the Club should go back?

After he leaves Special K is rather disgusted that Wombat should make the whole situation about him and try to guilt everyone into going back to a business that never seemed to care about them anyway. Wendys *the owner* has NO customer service skills.

MOTH and I have some groceries to pick up this morning. We're chatting to the daughter of an old neighbour when Special K and John come back from their shopping. She tells me Wendys has been crying on John's shoulder about the situation *not her shoulder mind!* and asks if we should go back. My firm opinion is go where you want!

Macaroni and cheese for dinner tonight. I haven't made it for a very long time so I can't remember the recipe. I think I'll prepare it like scalloped potatoes. I'm staring at the tv and decide to switch to the food channel. Nothing else I want to watch. And behold, one of the chefs I've never watched before is making ... macaroni and cheese. I end up following her recipe.

Guess what I have for lunch today??

Summer = Ice Cream Sodas!

Alcoholic ones, preferably. Failing that, a good cold cider goes down well.

The chambord did go very nicely over vanilla icecream. I found that one on the chambord website among the recipes. It also goes quite nicely in the aforementioned soda. Lemonade, a dash of chambord and vanilla icecream... mmmmm!

Seems it's been a week or two since I last wrote. That's something I've noticed when I'm on holidays, I can't tell which day is which. And it seems I'm not the only one. Burrich has been eagerly awaiting my return to work. So he can tell which days are the weekend.

One of the games that arrived from Santa with the wii console is Just Dance 4. I looked at in the in shop and remarked I probably wouldn't use it. Elder smiled and kept browsing. And there it was. Oh dear, thought I. I'll never use that. Never.

Famous last words. Well, just briefly. I'd watched Teen and her friend give it a very enthusiastic go. Might as well try it. Whew. Three dances was my limit. I could have kept going I suppose but I was huffing a bit already. This looks like it might be a good way to get some exercise. *ooooh. naughty word. i should wash my mouth out with chocolate*

I just have to find a time when a) it's not so hot that I'll pass out and b) there's no one else around to watch Unco Queen at her best.

Burrich hands me a game for the XBox. You might like this, he says. Hmm. Fable II. I try it. Now I'm stuck here and I've only got a week left of my holidays and there's not enough time to finish it and oh my god leavemealoneandletmefiniiiiish...! Actually, I do finish it. And just before I do, he hands me the sequel. Just found this he says...

The Babysitter's Club has been making plans to have an outing during the week. Stan has heard of a nice place for fish and chips. It's a bit of a drive but that didn't deter them. The weather has been very hot and humid but this day is probably about a degree or two milder.

We headed out straight from their morning gathering. John and his daughter *let's call her special k* travelled with Stan and MOTH and I were by ourselves. Off we go, MOTH leading the way after taking his cue from Stan.

About an hour up the coast and we arrive at our destination. We weren't sure where Stan's eatery was located and pulled over to check. Nope, he drives right past. Fair enough, he knows where he's going so we follow.

Nope, he had no clue either. After some discussion we return to the esplanade where a fish and chip shop was located, across the road from the beach. Nice food but very expensive. The Club chose a place to sit, near the roadside without the shade. Very close to the amenities though! The day remained overcast and a brisk breeze blew. Heat? Humidity? What heat? What humidity?

It turns out that .... Stan's eatery was in a suburb some distance away that also began with the letter S. Oh dear! He insisted he knew this and had mentioned it several times during the week. MOTH insisted that he kept mentioning the suburb we were in.

This didn't detract from the day and we gave Stan plenty of stick about not being in the right place. While Stan was absent, Special K suggested the food was good but not worth the hour and a half drive. I mumbled that Fish on Flinders might have been though. She almost laughed till she cried and insisted we use that line to rib Stan when he returned. I ended up with a fit of the giggles and couldn't repeat it. My turn to cop the stick.

On the drive home, MOTH and I detoured until we found the place we were supposed to have been. And took a photo. For Stan. Just as well he has a sense of humour!

Shame I had to wait till my holidays were nearly over to go somewhere, but I really did enjoy myself.

Now, be quiet and let me finish this game ...

2013! Happy New Year!

It feels like ages since I've been here, and I had to read my last post *can i hear dogs howling??* so I could remember what I typed about.

Here is my coffee machine...

It makes pretty good coffee too considering it's a pod machine.

Christmas Day dawns and it's hot. Hot, hot, hot. Well, humid anyway. One day I swear I am going to spend Christmas in the snow. Just once. Sometime. Maybe. The lotto gods willing. Breakfast comes first and then Santa hands out the presents. I think I manage to do alright. One of the gifts is a book Underwater Dogs. It's a great looking book. The tree is no laden with presents and it doesn't take long. Everyone plays with their gifts for a time and I head for the kitchen to lay the snacks on the table. Christmas Day fare is light, mostly all day snacks with salad and cold meat for lunch. I'm baking a ham this morning for something different. Lunch is laid out - the cooled ham, duck and chicken cooked yesterday and a light garden salad. Dessert takes the form of condensed milk tart, caramel tart with cream, an ice cream cake with vanilla ice cream, berry sorbet and crushed pavlova nests, and Lion's Christmas cake with brandy custard. I'm disappointed with the duck and chicken. They were beautiful and moist yesterday and dry and tough today despite being covered overnight in the fridge.

Would you believe that dessert was hardly eaten, and there was plenty of it left over!

Tradition seems to dictate that if Bestie isn't heading north to join family for Christmas we spend Boxing Day together. She offers baked ham, turkey, Boston beans, pumpkin pie and who am I to argue, right?

We're on our way to her place when Elder sends me a text. They've cancelled her shift for the day. Massive upset as the pay for working was going to be a good one. Things aren't helped when she discovers that she hasn't been allocated any shifts for January.

Time to tidy up as the Teen and ... and ... by golly it's been so long since I mentioned him in a post I can't remember what name I gave him! At any rate, the Teen and her lad are arriving this week. Elder has instructions to make sure the guest room is devoid of belongings and the bathroom is clean.

It's good to see the Teen again. This is the first time I have seen Harry *yay! i remembered!* for a while. I don't know if I can still call him that as he no longer looks like Harry.

The noise level in my house has just doubled, and none of it comes from Harry. *happy face*

Burrich celebrates a birthday this week. Plenty of friends are invited but not many turn up. The Elder and the Teen have offered floor space for sleepovers, which I guess is sensible, but they failed to check with me. I don't have enough beds or bedding. I don't see in the New Year and when I wake up, someone is sleeping on my couch. I'm quiet but I manage to wake her just before 6am. Disappointed about that as I wanted the clock to wake her. *i have a clock in the rumpus rooms that makes a terrific racket. goes off at 6am* She soon wanders off to sleep in a vacated spot in the spare room.

The Teen has brought with her a bottle of chambord. We were supposed to use this to cook duck confit, but I haven't been able to get duck. I think portions would be much better than the whole bird. She leaves it with me when she goes. Think I'll try some on ice cream.

The visitors have all gone and it's desperately quiet! Missing them already. But then again, it does give me time to play with the Wii. My Christmas present from Elder and Burrich.

Happy 2013 everyone!