I'm so very tired; and it's because I've been on the go since Tuesday morning. I was up at around 7am to turn on my hot rollers in the bathroom; then went back to bed until my 7:30am alarm went off so I could put them in and get myself ready for the Melbourne Cup Day luncheon at Lime Light Restaurant at the Logan Entertainment Centre. And what a day that was! I had picked out my dress, shoes, handbag and what I horses I was betting on last week and all I had to do was just get dressed that morning, put on my make-up and go as soon as I had eaten my breakfast. Little Miss Stevie was non-too-impressed to find I was off on my own adventures on Tuesday that didn't include her. But it was Cup Day; and that meant going out, eating a great lunch and hanging out with family.
Mum, Dad, Uncle Allan and I had a gorgeous lunch, bought into the Sweepstakes and watched the race-that-stops-a-nation and Mum and I won a bit of money from a bet we made at the TAB on the way there! I've never lost a bet on this flutter at this time of the year; and it's always been a fun time to do it. Otherwise, I don't gamble in any way, shape or form.
When I arrived home later that afternoon, I didn't feel like anything to eat. So, I boiled up two eggs, made some toast and cut them into soldiers for dinner and that was what I had... basic but delicious. Don't you love it when the most basic things from your childhood can the best things for you? I settled in for a night of average television viewing; until I thought to get into the washing up and watching a new television series that aired on channel 11; and let me tell you: 'The American Horror Story' leaves 'Supernatural' in its wake! I actually had problems getting to sleep last night after turning out that light... seriously! I had to remind myself about the special effects and all the garb in it to get myself to relax enough to sleep. It felt as though I had read one of Stephen King's books... like 'It' or 'Night Shift' before going to bed (and how dumb is that? When I usually read his books during the day).
Well, the alarm went off proving that I did actually get some sleep and I was up by 6:30am, showered, dressed and eating breakfast by 6:45am and getting myself ready to walk out the door to meet Mum and Dad out the front at the footpath by 7:50am... this was so Mum and I could catch the 8am (or so) bus at the Springwood Bus Station into the city. It didn't take all that long to get into Melbourne Street Bus Station and only about 10 minutes to walk to the Conservatorium of Music (after we took some photos along the way of an awakening Brisbane City and Southbank). We signed in, picked up our brochures and arm bands and grabbed a drink and then headed inside the auditorium.
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| Orrin Devinsky from NYU on the satellite conducting our first lecture. |
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| The hilarious debate on how to treat Epilepsy - or not - that had us all laughing. |
The first four speakers were great. The first speaker was Orrin Devinsky from New York University who joined us via a satellite link and he gave a very informative lecture about treating Epilepsy over history and into now; with the medications of today as well as herbal treatments. He compared them with what worked and what didn't; what was tested and what we shouldn't be doing with our health - basically, we shouldn't be (any of us whether we've got Epilepsy or not) using herbal remedies as though they are fully tested and true forms of medication. It's the scientists who have done the tests who will help us the most.
Then, there was a very humourous debate about how to treat Epilepsy; and whether is should be treated at all. There were three for and against treating it; which had funnier results as the debate went on... and one of the people who had talked earlier, played MC and he gave out his mobile number for the people of the audience to text him with questions and comments; and what was sent to him was hilarious! There were some serious comments that he read out and others were about the fashions the debaters wore... funny as hell.
We had lunch where a lot of acted as though they've never seen food before and just stood around the trays outside and hoarded them; not letting anyone by until the organisers picked the trays up and took them inside and served us up. It was so weird. By the end of lunch, I was still hungry and looking for something to eat, and people were going inside again for the last speaker. However, this was what we were all there for: 'The Private Life of the Brain' by Susan Greenfield; a Professor from the UK.
This presentation wasn't what we thought it was going to be; in fact it wasn't what any of us thought it was going to be. She told us that she wasn't going to get technical, but within 10 minutes she was talking about things we didn't know anything about; except the other visiting Neurologists and Neurosurgeons and scientists who all sat in the front row. For the next hour, we felt as though we had stumbled into an advanced course at university by accident - or I woke up in the wrong auditorium, take your pick! - and a lot of us were far too polite to say anything during the talk that we didn't know what she was talking about. We did have response sheets and so I wrote my response down very clearly that this one wasn't suitable for a return performance. And when Mum and I were finally able to go outside to hand in our sheets, I mentioned Norman Doidge as a better choice for next time as he would be able to explain things better; and he was working on Epilepsy and Neurofeedback right now. The two ladies there sounded interested in him.
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| The Temple that was given to Brisbane during Expo 88 by Nepal |
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| A gutsy & tiny Water Dragon who kept still for me as I photographed him! |
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| Brisbane City... what can I say... I love this city! |
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