Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A Cool Day Off

I've had a few hectic days of either catching up with housework or going out driving.  So, today, I thought to have a day to myself and absolutely nothing; besides, my right arm has been giving me the shits.  It's been getting better off and on, but otherwise, the pain in it is dreadful when I move it.

So, it's time to sit down and do zero and let it do its thing.  I do find this hard to do; honestly.  

But I have done a lot of things over the last few weeks when you look back at how long I've been driving - which is only about three weeks or so.  And I'm damned proud as how much has been done around here thus far.
To start with, I got this office cleared out permanently.  And it's stayed nice and clean; which I'm happy with.  My bedroom still needs some work on - especially the chair - but I'm not giving up on it.  I've hooked up both the beside lamps and have just yesterday replaced the bulbs in them.  One of them was the old-fashioned bulb and I have never used it since I received this set of lamps a couple of years ago; so I didn't want to risk the bulb doing something weird or exploding (which I have seen happen before some years back at Mum and Dad's house once.  I was picking up small shards of light globe glass for about week after it exploded!).  Anyway, I went to Bunnings and found myself two new bulbs and bought them, installed them and made sure they both worked well... and they do!

Over the weekend, we had a bit of rain.  So, I did some laundry, caught up with my washing up, put out the rubbish and checked on my finances to see when I could work on the front garden again.  I've got the plant for the other end of the garden and the potting mix, so all I need is another big pot, river stones and a bag of small stones to go on the top of the planter so when I water the plant, it doesn't dry out so quickly - and it'll look great too.  I'm hoping to get a few more pots from Bunnings and more potting mix so I can begin working on my backyard to repot my other plants that really need to upgrade to new pots soon.  But the front garden was the most important project for this year.  I wanted it look like it was something worth coming home to; something I could look at when I walked home and know I did all that work myself - especially that wall next to the front door.  I love that!  It took me a long time to get that wall just right, but it was worth it and a lot of fun.

Craft Group was good yesterday.  I took in 'Books On My Mind' - the painting I've been working on over the last week - and the ladies loved it.  After three hours of writing with paint on the canvas about 10 books, I was exhausted, and it was almost time to go.  So, I packed up and put the painting on the table with all my gear next to it ready for me to pick it all up and leave.  A lot of the ladies had a look at it and were amazed I had read so many books from 2001 - 2013.  I told them that there were still about 25 books that I couldn't fit onto the canvas from My Reading List book and showed them.  They were still amazed that there were books that they noticed I had read, and they hadn't.  And last night, I counted up the books I had put onto the canvas, and found there were 105 books on the canvas!  How cool is that?  I'm hoping to do more work like this, however, seeing Christmas is coming up, I'll be doing some work towards my Secret Santa game played at Craft Group, and painting up a few canvas' with flowers on them for one of the ladies. 

Well, that was my weekend, and yesterday.  I've got shopping to do tomorrow and I hope I can get in and do it all in one day - the fruit'n'veggies and groceries - as I don't want to be going out too often this week.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Slow Down Weekend

My week has been go-go-go, this weekend I'm going to be slow-slow-slow... I did have a few chores to do this morning, but I didn't want to get in and do too much as I just want to be able to kick back and do as little as possible to help my arm heal well too.

I'm not saying it's not, but I'm hoping to also get in some serious reading and painting during this weekend.  But this morning, I got in 2 loads of laundry, picked up some milk, washed up as little and then, I wiped up a bit and made a drink for myself and have been online since.

Since I've sat down, I've written a Flash Fiction for a challenge for Chuck Wendig's site titled 'Ned's Move' (which is also on one of my blogs) and then, I read a few blogs myself, read my e-mail, updated some photos of my art and looked at a Bookcrossing forum and took part in that.  I've also edited a photo on Picmonkey and uploaded it onto a Supernatural fandom page I'm a member of and then... well, that brings us to now.  
Now, it's cold.  Today is supposed to be warm, but it's not.  I'm not warm at all.  Okay, it's probably warm in the sun, but inside my house, it's not warm, so I've closed the house up and pulled some Pumpkin Canneloni out of the freezer for dinner tonight; and a lime for tomorrow's breakfast of pancakes.  Yeah, I plan ahead a day or so with food.

This arvo, I gotta wash up all the pots and pans and really tidy up the kitchen, put away the dry laundry and throw out last week's Sunday Mail.  Then, I'll be ready for tomorrow.  And tomorrow?  Well, I have the shopping list to look into and petrol for the car.  Yep, that's my weekend.  It's not much - and it's not supposed to be much - and I'm happy with it being not much, seeing how busy the week has been.  So, what have you been up to this week, and what have you got planned next week and for this weekend?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Busy Week - But Fun

This week, I've had my ups and downs.  I began to really make a difference with my front garden.  After buying large river stones, a couple of plants and a planter pot with a few bags of potting mix and a bag of river stones, I had to borrow a gardening tool off Dad before I really got going with this - and did.  However, that's not all that happened.  
On Sunday night, I found my right fore arm was hurting like crazy.  After wrapping a compression bandage on my arm, I Googled tennis elbow and found that I might have it - but thought to ask my doctor about it first.  So, I made an appointment the next morning to see if I did.  And low and behold, I did!  $50 for a proper strap later, I was on the road to recovery and on my way to my craft group, where I had one lady tell me about another exercise to help my recovery along (the doctor had shown me one).  So, I'm using both the exercises and my arm is feeling better each day, so long I rest it for long stretches of time.  But I have noticed that it's not as sore as it was on Monday.  I can grip and carry tiny things and I'm going okay with reading and holding a book... so that's something.  I don't wear the support at night, and put it on in the morning and wear it all day - as annoying as it is - until I go to bed at night.

Anyway, that's not all that has been happening.  I worked on my front garden.  It's been looking as though I only rent my house when I'm a full-time resident and have been for a long time now.  So, with the use of Mum's car, I've been able to get to Bunnings and pick up what I need to get this garden looking the way I want it to.  
So far, I've built a rock wall - which took me four days to do with only one arm and a few trips to Bunnings to pick up large river stones - and I also scored a good-sized blood blister on my right hand (it seems to be in the wars this week, eh?).  This makes typing very interesting; and I'm making all kinds of typos.  And I've also placed a large pot out the front of my place, next to the door, and planted a Draceana Plant in it.  It looks gorgeous.  I love it.  This plant has made my place look better already.  Now, next week, I have to buy another pot the same size, a bag of river stones and start on buying bags of smaller stones for the garden itself, and another couple of stones for the centre of the garden.  That will be another two hours of work or so... depending on the weather.  But I'm in no rush to get this done.  After this garden is done, I'm going to get in and fix up my back yard by repotting my plants... they'll look great.  I'll be getting new pots for some of the plants and moving some from old pots to newer ones - upgrading them a little.  I can't wait to get stuck into the back yard... it'll look great over the next few months.

But one thing at a time, eh?  

Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

New Specs!

Today, I was up nice and early to take off to the Optometrist at the Underwood Marketplace on Logan Road.  It's been a long time between having my eyes tested; and it's because the buses aren't always reliable and I don't normally have a car.

So, with a list of other things to do while I was up there, I arrived early, parked and found my way there.  Before long, it was my turn to have my eyes tested and we chatted for a bit before he started looking at my eyes.  He said that it had been 4 years since my last visit; and asked why now?  I said that I've been finding it hard to read books; and that my eyes are becoming tired faster.  He did say that my eyes have changed marginally and this would make me feel tired at the computer or while reading.  So, we looked at my private health fund and found I could get 2 pairs of glasses fully covered; or spend a little more for designer frames where I put in a bit of money out of my pocket.  I looked at the fully covered frames and found some funky designs I liked, picked out two with the receptionist's help and she ordered them in for me.

After that, I was off to Bunnings to find another plant for the other end of my garden out the front; and I found one!  Once I found a plant, I was in search for a large pot.  Soon, I found that and I was ready to go and pay for it... but I found the plant wasn't for outside, it was a shade-lover, so I exchanged it for a sun-lover and went to pay for it when I ran into one of my Facebook friends.  It was really cool!  She and I knew the same person; but from different places and she said was amazed I knew her too.
Well, I had forgotten to buy large river stones.  So after packing the car - and having some dork park close to the back of the Pajero, making it hard to open the back - I went back in to see if they had any big river stones.  Unfortunately, they didn't.  So, I was off to the other Bunnings to find they still had the large river stones for $3.97, and so I picked out three of them, went and bought some purple paint and looked for detailing brushes (but didn't find any) and then, went and paid for my stuff.
Once home, I went straight to work on the front door wall.  Within the hour, I had smashed my finger between two rocks and scored myself a good-sized blood-blister (which I burst and put on a couple of band-aides) and then I was back to work to finish up the wall.  And before long, the wall was complete!  I'm so pleased with it!  After I finished it, I pulled the new pot out of the back of the Pajero and put it in the back yard - along with the new plant - and locked up the car... the hour of working was all I wanted to get done today.  I may get more done next week.  I'm in no rush to finish this project.  How are your projects going?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember I'm always here.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Day Off

Since Monday, I've been on the go; but not because I had a choice.  With craft group, I was there painting and working on a new larger piece because I had to rest my right arm - which is fair enough.  By the time that ended, it was raining and I was glad I drove there and not walked.  
I dropped into Mum and Dad's place and looked for something for Aunty Helen, then locked up again and drove home where I made some nachos and settled in to work on my painting again.

Yesterday, I was out at Bunnings again to find a piece for one of my large handled utensils.  I found it, picked up a large river stone and came home.  On the way out to the car park, I found somebody had left a box next to the back of my car and so I used it to put the other rocks in the back of the car into it; to keep them from rolling around.  Then, I was off to Mum and Dad's place to borrow a few tools to work on my garden in the afternoon.  With my tennis elbow, my work on this project was going to slow down, and not completely stop... I still want to get this done.
Anyway, I found some mail in their letter box which was supposed to have come to my place and so I grabbed that, called the bank for Mum and then came home.  I did some washing up, tidying up and patted Sheba - the neighbour's cat over the back fence - and took some photos of the front yard as well as a Kookaburra on the roof from the backyard - and then worked on my front garden for about an hour.  And - boy! - was it a slow hour!  I took my time though.  The rock wall looks good, but still needs work as it needs two more rocks to give it proper overlap and to make them stand up properly as they're laying down too much.  Oh well, live and learn.  I'll be doing the next part of that wall tomorrow.  Otherwise, it'll hold until then - seeing it's all dug unto the ground.  And by tomorrow, I'll clean it up properly and it'll look great with proper rocks around it, leaning up against it to hold the water back.  I can't wait to finish it.  
So, today, I'm just catching up with things around the place I haven't done.  So far, I've done the laundry, pulled in the bin (as collection was early) and then put away the kitchen towels and some wiping up.  I'm hoping to get in and tidy up the lounge a bit more and do out the bags next to the piano and throw out more stuff I don't need.  But that might wait until another day.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Tennis Elbow

Yep, that's what I have.  I was off to the doctor today, and Dora did some basic tests on my arm - pressing here and there and asking me which hurt and which didn't - and she confirmed my suspicions of having Tennis Elbow.  She recommended that I go and buy a support from the Chemist - which set me back $50! - and that I take it easy on this arm.

Bummer!

Oh well, at least this gives me a month or so to do more planning on my front garden.  Or to at the very least work on it a little more slowly.  This is a good thing.  I can get in and enjoy my work and not hurry it along - as I'd probably do.  The support is harsh and does hurt a little, but I'm not feeling horrible and sick anymore, so it's doing its job.  
Dora told me that it's good that I strapped it when I did as I was putting pressure on something that needed it in the first place - in the right place too! - and that I was beginning the healing processes a few days in advance.  However, she wants me to keep it on there as much as I can and not use my right arm.  So, I'll be doing some paintings and reading a few books over the next few weeks; and that's not a bad thing either.  I've been meaning to catch up on my reading list in a big way; and well, this is a good way of doing it.

Craft Group was good.  I took along a stretch canvas with me to begin my new painting on and told some of the ladies what happened and scored some free advice on how to assist with my healing processes and physio too.  So, I'm glad I went.  Another lady celebrated her birthday and we all had cake today; and this time it wasn't horrible and sweet.  

Well, I must get going.  I have a few things to get done tomorrow, and there's I want to get in and figure out some things around here as well.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm - or cool - and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

'Lazy' Sunday

I've had a good day today; and tried not to do anything too much.  Last week was one where I didn't seem to stop; and I've hurt my right arm.  So, tomorrow I'm off to the doctors to see what I've done to myself.

Today, I was up early and off to get the paper.  It was a nice chilly walk to the service station and the price has gone up to $2.50 for the Sunday Mail... and I remember not so long ago, it used to be only $1.00 to buy.  Damned inflation.
Well, this morning, I washed up a bit, made pancakes, read the paper, listened to some nice music and took it easy until around 10am.  This is when I jumped up and put on the two sets of sheets which really needed washing - both Winter sheets - and they were out on the line before long.  Then, I moved the clothes horse out of the way and pulled out the vacuum and took it upstairs and vacuumed my bedroom and the nice tidy office (which both look great after 2 weeks of nothing invading the floors or anywhere that I've cleaned - that's a record!).  I'm pleased with myself.  
Then, I chopped up some pumpkin and got fruit cooking on the stove to make some of my famous pumpkin fruit cake for tomorrow.  I'm taking half the cake with me.  Yummo!  The ladies at the craft group will enjoy it, I'm sure!  Anyway, it's on the counter now, on a plate, cooling off.  
There has been one little drawback with stove though.  The little clicker thing which lights my oven, stove and grill is broken.  It no longer lights them.  How fortunate was it that I happened to buy a proper lighter for the stove that runs on lighter fluid just last Wednesday just in case it did this again (yep, it did this trick once before, and I didn't want to be caught unawares this time).  It cost me around $10, but was well worth the money.  

Now, the laundry is almost dry - even though there's no sun, and only a gentle breeze - and I've got washing up to get done because of the baking.  Otherwise, I've strapped my arm up because it hurt like hell this morning.  Yeah, I'm off to the doctors tomorrow by the looks of this... darn.  Oh well, at least I'll be able to know what I've done to myself.  And it's feeling better because I've strapped it.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm - or cool - and remember, I'm always here.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

A Full Week of Busyness!

And what busyness was there to be had!  I had a great time driving around in the Pajero, and managed to get myself to places I normally can't.  And by this morning, I thought it was high time to catch up with my housework... or part of it.

On Wednesday, it was shopping day.  I took the car out and did my shopping, spent more money than I intended but arrived home a half hour earlier than I usually did without a car.  Very cool; and even cooler is that I had $30 more in my pocket.
I put this money to good use the next day where I was off Bunnings and bought a plant, some river stones and created a large utensil holder for my kitchen.  Now, I have one of these already, but it only held 4 hooks.  This one was one I wanted to have a number of hooks on it and I wanted to be able to add or subtract hooks from it as I wished.  So, after buying a $3.95 towel rack and eight 50mm hooks at around $1.85 each, and some long screws, I was set.  I used the same first hole in the stud in the wall the anchor the first end and then went from there!  Within half and hour, I had my utensils hanging off it... very cool.
Yesterday, I was was back at Bunnings looking for another bigger clip for one of my utensils, but got the wrong size... darn!... oh well.  
Today, I went back and picked out the next size up... and it was still too small.  So, I'll take it back and get the next size up again.  But while I was there, I picked out a big river stone to add to my front garden.  I've got one there, and now I'd like to add a few more to give it character.  So, $3.95 later, I've got another one to add to the garden in a few weeks' time.  Not too bad.  So far I've spend about $30 on the garden and house; and it's only been a fortnight.  And I've cleaned out two rooms in my place too.  I'm two weeks ahead of schedule for my four-month plan for this place to work... and this is good.
So, what have you been up to around your place?  Any improvements?  Or are you happy with your house the way it is?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm - or cool - and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Oils Ain't Oils

Today, I was going to stay home and do nothing but catch up on housework - you know the deal: vacuuming, dusting, bring in the laundry and wash up.  Well.... that didn't quite go to plan.

I was going to pass by my folks' house to pick up some motor oil for Mum's Pajero and had asked Ian - a neighbour of mine to fill it up with a litre of it.  Easy-peasy, right?  How wrong could I could be!  I got there and found there was nothing looking like oil to be found - oh yeah, an empty can of motor oil, but nothing to fill Mum's engine with.  So, I tried phoning them, and found she had turned off her phone to get a good nights' sleep (something I can't do because I need my phone to use as an alarm clock).
So, I grabbed some money and went to Super-Cheap and asked the guys there to help me with finding a good one for Mum's car that won't destroy it.  He asked me what she recommended and I told him, and he looked it up for me and found me the Castrol range I had found under their house and told me which may work for the car.  I picked out the mid-range one and grabbed a funnel (to make it easier to put in) and then, at the check-out, I found a chocolate-scented car smelly thing and bought that too... I mean, why not?  It looked like an ice-cream cone too!  Very funny; and I strung it onto the gear shift so it wasn't too distracting.

Then, I was off to Bunnings!  I had some hooks to pick up for the kitchen.  I found the row they were in last time I was there and found a clip for the pizza lift handle - but it turned out to be too small - so I attached it to my house key and put Mum and Dad's house key onto it; so I'll never forget their house keys ever again!
Then, it was off to the gardening section of Bunnings to find a plant for out the front.  I was in search of Draceana Tree/plant for out the front of my house; but not one that was too old or too expensive.  So, I asked the lady there and she told me they were very popular for small places and grew well in pots as they grew the size of the pot they were put into, but they needed drainage.  So, I grabbed a bag of riverstones and went to the checkout.  I'll buy the large pot next fortnight.  I want it to be a good, large on and I'll make sure it'll be nice enough that nobody can tip it over.
I chose a Draceana (pronounced: Dra-ceena) plant because it's slow-growing and has nice soft leaves and doesn't need too much watering.  And it's such a lovely plant, once it's established too, I've always loved plants that don't need too much caring for.  I can't wait until next pay when I can go and get a pot for it and plant it!  How cool is that?  

Well, it's going onto 2pm and I've been home and hour or so and the clouds have scudded over the sky.  So, it looks as though I arrived home just in time for rain.  However, I also have to wait until the engine of the Pajero cools off until Ian can put a litre of oil into it; and I bought a 5lt container of it.  I'm tired, but have gotten a lot done; which I'm happy with... and it's more than I had planned to get done this fortnight.  So, I'm ahead of schedule for the makeover for my house and garden.  Very cool!  Are you making over a part of your house, garden or life this year?  If so, which part?  How far along are you?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember I'm always here. 

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Busy Morning Out

Today, I wanted to do just the fruit and veggie shopping and that was it.  However, I got up to a lot more than that.
It began to rain as I drove out onto the busy road, and so I thought to get myself to Bunnings up near the Underwood Marketplace to find some potting mix and bits to fix up my kitchen.  I've been meaning to get into the yard, and so I grabbed 3 bags of the potting mix for $6.95 each and some things to make a new hanger for my large utensils for the kitchen.  You see, I'd seen one at Gabe and Kat's place above their stove and wanted something like it in mine; and instead of forking out an arm and a leg, I thought to invent my own from a towel rack and hooks.  And doesn't it look great?  I love it!

My morning wasn't done yet as I drove out into the rain again and made my way to The Big Apple to pick up some things I needed for this weekend.  I didn't spend much money there, but it was good I did; as I'm planning on making a cannelloni and a cake for Monday's craft day for the ladies (the last one I made, they all loved!).

Well, by the time I arrived home, it was past 11am and I was hanging out to get my work done in the kitchen.  But after the rain, I didn't think it was a good idea to work in the garden yet as everything is wet.  So, the potting mix will have to wait.  At least I got that part of the gardening plan.  The next part will be getting new pots and a few new plants - which I priced around at while I was at Bunnings.  I will definitely have to save more money than I originally planned, or buy smaller-sized plants of the ones I want and put them into the large pots they'll be growing into.  Oh well, one step at a time.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Rooms 3 & 4 - Kitchen & Lounge Rooms

Yesterday, I made a start on cleaning out the kitchen and lounge rooms.  But I took my time and didn't get as much done as I normally would have.  
In the kitchen, I pulled down a stack of old, cracked plates my Nan owned, wrapped them in newspaper and put them into a rubbish bag and then put them out into the bin.  These plates have been getting small cracks in the sides of them, which have been slowly growing over the last few years; and finally, two of them popped when I put hot food onto them.  So, to cut my losses, I wrapped the rest of them up and threw them out.  They're lovely plates, but if I can't put hot food onto them without them breaking, they're of no use to me; and no use to anyone else.

Anyway, once that was done, I moved the lounge and opened up the doors below the television set in the entertainment unit and pulled out everything in it.  I forgot I had so many VCR tapes of movies I had replaced.  And so, I decided to donate them to a charity.  I put my other VCR tapes - still in their synthetic bag in the back of the cabinet and then sorted everything out, making sure I threw out what I didn't want, put back dvds I wanted and the small treasure chest full of dvds too and closed it up.  I ended up with more space than I first started with.  The movies ended up out in the back of the car with the other donation stuff to be donated today.

This morning, I drove to do my shopping for the first time ever!  It was great to be able to check the mail, go and donate the things needing donating and go to Woolworths and then drive to Coles without having to walk kilometres while carrying all that stuff with me physically.  Having the car was a great convenience, and I got my shopping done in a lot shorter time than I normally do - by around half an hour - and I bought some of my fruit and veggies at Coles just to save me time too.  

I'm not as exhausted as I normally am after going shopping; which is another plus with driving a car.  But I do find driving itself exhausting itself, so there's where I get tired from it.  I really could get used to this.

There's still things to get done around here.  I'm working slowly at making the house tidy, but I'd like to work on the garden soon too.  So, this weekend, I'm hoping to get my butt to Bunnings and pick up some bags of potting mix and a large pot and a plant too with granite (to fill the bottom) and then, I'll be able to put one pot out the front and care for it.  However, first things are first:  the whole backyard's potted plants will be repotted - as needed - and then, I'll work on getting new pots for ones that need upsizing and then there's the front garden to work on next.  I can't wait! Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Burn Out

It's Tuesday and I'm kicking back doing nothing.  Yep, zero... and I know why I'm doing it.  It's been a couple of weeks since I got back behind the wheel of a car and I'm exhausted!  Driving really does take it out of you.  
I drove on Saturday and Sunday, but I didn't rush anywhere, I made sure I was happy and not hurrying to get from point A to point B... and not stressed out.  But I still managed to burn out.  I told my brother, Gabe, and he said to take it easy and that I'd get back into the groove of it all soon.

So, today, it's a nothing day.  A day to do only what's needed and that's it.  I'll probably get in and make the bed, put out the rubbish bin and do some reading and put away the video tapes that are cluttering up the lounge room area in the entertainment unit.  Otherwise, I don't have any other plans today.  I don't want any other plans.
I have had a very busy week last week.  As you have probably read, I've spent time cleaning out two rooms in my house; and they aren't temporary clean outs, these are permanent ones.  The cleaning out I've performed it to make my house tidy in the way that's it's supposed to look always.  I don't want to have to do this again at Christmas, or Easter next year, or this time next again... ever!  I'm making sure of it.  So, I've taken my time and cleaned out slowly, taking hours and days instead of an afternoon or two.  I even bought a plastic box on wheels to store books that are on my Available List for Bookcrossing so it doesn't look untidy and is organised.  It looks good and I'm very happy with how this room looks so far... but it still has two bags of paper I need to go through, which I will do in due time.  But not today.

I do want to get in and do more with my house, but I need a rechargeable drill; something I've wanted badly, but I haven't bought because Dad has said he'd get me one but doesn't.  So, I'll buy myself one this year and use it.  There's things I want to fix around here - small things - that will make this place work better; especially in the kitchen, where I have to throw out some old cracked plates.  

But I've been trying to rush things; that's my problem.  I'm excited about having the car at my disposal and I'm ahead of myself... sounds silly I know, but I really should take it easy with driving and ease into it.  Yes, I loved driving when I was young and my first car was like an old friend; and I loved driving... and I still love driving... and that's just it, I keep forgetting how much energy it takes - excess energy I don't and haven't had in years - to drive a motor vehicle.  So, I must take it easy and realise that it's going to take time to get accustomed to it again.  This also means I've put myself back onto supplements to help keep my energy levels up where they are supposed to be to feel good enough to drive and live again while I'm driving.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here. 

Sunday, July 14, 2013

A Day Off From Cleaning

It's been a very busy couple of days.  So far, I've cleaned out my bedroom and the home office; quite successfully too.  And today, I'm at my folks' house to stay the night and put out their bins and attend my craft day tomorrow with the ladies up the road.

But while I was getting some fresh food at Arndale Shopping Centre down the road, I dropped by Sam's Warehouse to see what they had in the way of storage containers - as I need one for the office for some books - and found a good one with wheels on it for $9.99.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.  So, I bought that and brought it home in the back seat after I bought some essentials at Coles.

It's been cold today and I don't think it's going to get any warmer... so I'm all rugged up and nice and warm.  The television is staying off until I really need it and so is the stereo as I really don't feel like listening to anything at the moment... the silence will help me write and edit more later on in the night; something I haven't been doing lately is my writing.

Anyway, yesterday was a big day out at the Logan Art Gallery where it was a family day marking 150 years of history of settlement of the Samoans and South Pacific Islanders here in Australia.  The Queensland Archives were there to show people where they could find their family history and were handing out retro type badges, fridge magnets and bookmarks as well as information and other great things about the day.  By 5pm, we had around 300 people walk through our doors... and the day before we had around the same number.
There was music, food and art outside and all kinds of people from everywhere came and had fun.  Being an alcohol-free zone didn't make it any less interesting, but we all enjoyed ourselves.  When I arrived, I was invited to paint my hands onto a sail that was laid out on a table... and so I rolled paint onto my hands and planted them onto it; and at the end of the day, it was hung up in the third gallery for everyone to see.  How cool is that?
By 4pm, everything was closed up, put away and everyone was off home before 5pm.  They were wonderful and helpful and the lawn out the front of the Logan Art Gallery was clean and tidy and we were almost ready to head off home ourselves.  I had fun being at the desk and being able to talk to everyone there; as well as walk around the exhibition when I wanted.  But it was also exhausting too.  
So, I came home, made a pizza dough and waited out the hour for it to rise at a neighbour's house with a drink or two.  We had a few laughs while they cooked their dinner and then I was off home to chop up the ingredients to put on my dinner.  Before long, my dinner was ready and I ate it all and it was getting on in the night.  What a long day!

Today?  I washed up, put out the rubbish, did a load of towels to hang up on the clothes horse and then I packed and arrived here at my parents' house for a day or so and then I'll be back home again by tomorrow afternoon.  I've had to throw out some things - but not much - and replace some food too for dinner tonight.  However, I'm going well here.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, July 12, 2013

The Office - Part Two!

Every time I've wanted to clean out this room, it's always in two parts... yep, it takes that long to finish it.  And today, I was re-organising the bookcases... jeez, that's exhausting!  I was up and down the darned ladder to much, pulling down books and moving them around looking for one particular book, I felt as though I was going mad - but never fear! - I found it and put its dust cover back on it.

The first thing I did with this room was find all the books that belong to the left over dust covers... and it was frustrating when I couldn't find them all and put them with their partners.  This took most of the two days I spent running around this room looking for the last two books - which happen to be right at my feet next to the third bookcase!  Boy did I feel like a ditz! I must have walked past these two books about a dozen times and not seen them!  Have you ever done that and not noticed something until you were right next to it?  Yeah, happens to me a lot.

Well, I tossed out another bag of charity stuff today - which included some books and something I hadn't used in 5 years or so.  And there's one bag of rubbish to go in the wheelie bin for next week.  Now, I have to go through two bags of paper rubbish and put away two more bags of books sitting in front of the wardrobe in here.  This shouldn't take long.

The next room will be the living room.  Here, I'll be looking at the entertainment unit where all my VCR tapes are.  I have to stack them all up and make sure they're stored okay.  Then, I'll have to make sure everything is where I can get at it; as well as easily put away in case I have visitors coming over - or in case I just want to tidy up to go out.  
Anyway, downstairs shouldn't take very long as I've done it out before.  The main things I'll be doing down there is working on improving storage around the place.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm - or cool - and remember, I'm always here.

Busy Friday

It's Friday and I've been busy as hell this week.  But today, this morning, I've been busier than ever; as I'm feeling great - better than I've felt in weeks.

This morning, I looked outside and saw a nice, fine days and knew it was time to get in and do some laundry to put outside.  So, I put on the first load of new sheets - purple ones - and made myself breakfast.  While my porridge was on the stove, I put the wiping up away and sorted out what needed to be washed in the kitchen, then cut up some fruit and organised my vitamins for the day.

I thought of all the things I needed over the next few months to complete this house... and I mean seriously needed, and I really began to list them.  There's honestly a lot of things that would help me out to store things here.  I just need to get them in due time; and one of the major things I need is a rechargeable drill.  I've been trying to buy one of these things for years, but Dad's always stopped me.  This year, I'm going to buy one myself and it'll help me with all kinds of things I need to get done around here; all kinds of projects that need doing.  

Besides the hanger in the kitchen for all the things next to the stove, I'm hoping to get a cabinet for my art area, a foot rest for the office as well as cleaning up my garden front and back... all this will take plenty of time, and I'm hoping to get some of it done by the time Mum and Dad return from their holidays. 

I've wanted to get this stuff done for a long time, but without the resources - like a car - I've been stuck.  So, it's a great convenience to be able to work with a vehicle now.  And now, I'm only using the car when I need it, not because it's here, so if I need to go to Garden City, I'll bus it there - you have to pay for parking, and I'm not paying for that.  Otherwise, I'll be looking at getting things I can get back here in the car from Bunnings or from somewhere else I can afford.

Well, that's what I'm hoping to do soon.  I know this all sounds like pipe dreams - and some of it probably is - but it's what I want to get done here.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool, seeing how hot it's been in the USA and UK and Europe) and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Room Number 2.... The Office: Part One!

This afternoon, after I got off the computer, I was busy in this very room... this very small room.  It was a very small for a good reason.  The mess has been getting bigger for a long time and I need to keep on top of it.  So, today was the day I threw out a lot of things and tidied up the bookcases.

I started with collecting together the rubbish bags and Green Bags to see what was inside them.  So much paper came out of a few of them and was thrown out!  I also threw out my old shredder bin - which is useless, to make room in front of the bookcase. 
I then collected together any books off the floor and put them in to any empty Green Bags around until it was time to put those books away in the bookcases (and I'd do that once the bookcases were tidied up first).  I organised what bags needed to be taken downstairs to be arranged and emptied, and what knitting needed to be taken down too to be finished (my Dr Who Scarf that needs tassels; the scarf is 7ft long).

I found a bag of stuff that needs shredding.  So, I looked through anything that had a receipt or was crap and added it to the shredding bag and put it on the floor and then looked next to that and found a bag about my childhood.  It had a lot of stuff in it about my schooling life, grades, school photos and other stuff and I found the bag this was all sitting in was broken.  So, I found another bag and moved all this stuff over to the new bag and threw out the broken bag.
The next thing was the trolley I got from Mum.  It's a tiny little trolley and I love it.  I went through the books in it and have restacked them again - but I still have doubts about them staying there.  So, I may yet put my empty notebooks in that trolley and move the books somewhere else, so I can lay my hands on a notebook whenever I need one.  

Anyway, I put away a few things, like my old diaries and most of the stuff from the tea chests at Mum and Dad's house and then, I shifted all the rubbish out into the wheelie bin outside and closed up the house.  By this time, it was around 3:30pm... and I had started at 1:30pm - or a little before.  I had gotten a lot done in that small amount of time.  But I still have a lot to get done tomorrow.  A lot more has to be sorted through and more to be thrown out.

Tomorrow, I want to be able to see the brown folding chair, the floor around it and I want all the green bags in front of the wardrobe gone.  I want to be able to bring the vacuum cleaner in here and vacuum right up to the second bookcase without anything getting in the way... and tomorrow is the day I'm hoping to get that done by.  If not, I'll work on it on Tuesday - as the weekend is going to be busy.

So, if you're cleaning out your place, how is it going?  If not, and you've already done your house, how long did it take you to get your place totally cleaned out and finished up?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here. 

Room Number 1... The Bedroom!

Yesterday, I pulled back the feather duvet of my bed and opened my wardrobe to reveal what I had done to it... it was overcrowded and needed fixing up.  So, I pulled out the step ladder and pulled down all my bags and sorted through them.  I kept a good lot of the big ones and some small ones and tossed out others which I haven't used in around 5 years.  I made sure there were no tissues, receipts or anything else inside the pockets of the toss-out bags as they're going to a charity.  
Then, I rummaged around the bottom of the wardrobe and found the bag of stuff I kept from the clean out at Mum and Dad's place (you know of the tea chests?  Yeah, I didn't sort that bag out).  Anyway, I grabbed a rubbish bag and a Weetbix tin and sat on the end of my bed and sorted through the plastic bag.  Most of the stuff was old birthday cards from age 10 - 18... a lot of the people who had given me cards I had forgotten; except family.  Then, I looked around at some of the items in my bedroom and found I had quite a few things sitting around here that I had received on my 18th birthday from my friends and I'd forgotten where I gotten them from - except the jewellery box with the bow on the lid... that's from Tina Buchback.  I'd never throw that out as she gave me that when we were closer than ever.  Now, she won't talk to me when I want to talk to her... I really treasure that jewellery box.

Anyway, I grabbed the new sheets Mum and Dad bought me when I got my new bed - as they were still in their bags and wrappings - and unwrapped them and put them in the laundry basket to be washed next week; when the weather improves so I can put them away for Summer.  I used the Spotlight bags they came from as rubbish bags and really got in and threw out whatever I didn't need as I really got into my first day of the Big Tidy-Up.  Then the most unexpected thing happened!

I came across old love letters from Dan - my first boyfriend.

So, I sat down and read some of them... they were so sweet and wonderful and I found one where he wrote it with a sprained wrist.  It wasn't a very long letter, but he endured his pain, and it took him hours to write it to get it out to me.  They were lovely to read and we had only spoken on Facebook a few days ago and he wants to catch up again... to after all these years.  I haven't seen him since just before his son was born.

Anyway, by around 3:30pm, I had tidied up the bedroom, pulled back the duvet, thrown out the Spotlight bags and put the charity bags into the back of the Pajero.  First though, I wrapped up all the fragile stuff in newspaper so it doesn't break on the way to where I'm going to drop it off.  I'm hoping to work on another room soon and toss out more rubbish in one bag and charity items in another.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here. 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

It's On Again!

Now I have a car at my disposal, and I've driven it and am comfortable with it, I've made some plans over the next 4 months.  While my folks are overseas, I'm going to be using this vehicle to my disposal so I can clean out my house and donate my unwanted things to Endoes.  There's going to be a lot going on at my house in the way of cleaning out because I'll have somewhere to put it all now; instead of waiting for somebody to pick it up.

As well as this, I'm going to fix up my garden.  I've walked around it and noticed that it really does need to have quite a few plants repotted, as well as some plants needing new pots all together - especially my Aloe Vera plant, which has been residing in a polystyrene box for the last 7 years.  The Frangipanni has to be repotted as well; seeing it didn't flower this year, it needs more room to move for next Summer.  And over the next few months, I'll be adding in a few statues and killing off weeds from over the back fence so I can keep the place looking good too.  
It's not only the back yard that will get a face lift - the front garden will get a few plants put there too.  I've wanted some large pots with plants out there and some rocks and statues as well, however, without a car, I've been unable to (as well as having to spend a lot of my money on cab fare which has been eating my money too).  Now, I can get in and make sure I have the money to  get my garden looking good and keep it looking good too; just as I've been wanting for the last 5 years.

So, by October, I'll have my house clean, the garden looking the way I want it, and all the practice in driving I've ever needed... and the best thing is that I'll be saving a lot of money by not catching cabs or buses unless I really need to.  Not bad when you think about it.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Biggest Complainers of Them All

I'm a big contributor and advocate of charities.  I give a lot to them and buy most of my clothes and handbags from them.  However, when it comes to big items, I find these companies become very picky about what they take off your hands and what they leave at your house.

I live in a townhouse complex where the rules are very strict.  Our carports are to be kept clean, tidy and we're not allowed to block them up with furniture or anything that might be a fire hazard.  
So, when I bought a new bed, I found it the most difficult thing to get rid of the old one.  My family tried Gumtree - and nobody wanted the bed or the suite to go with it; even though we lowered the price by $100.  Then, we tried Givvit.com where we got a bite immediately, but the charity who phoned up and arranged to take everything off our hands didn't show up.  They left Dad hanging about at my place for over 5 hours without calling him to explain why.  I suggested the Salvation Army and so we organised getting them in today.  And so, when they arrived - after getting lost on the way here - the guys immediately said no to beside tables and bedhead and grabbed the bed.  
I asked why and they pointed out a broken piece on one beside - on the foot! - which wasn't there before.  I told them I hadn't done it and it must have happened when it was moved a second time when my Dad moved it recently.  Then, they crapped on about it being left out in the weather for a long time and that it was made of 'cheap fibro' and that it would swell up and invite termites.  I had told them it was an authentic early 1970's bedroom suite and they didn't believe me... I told the guy that I wasn't born yesterday and that before me, my parents had the bedroom suite and had had it for as far back as I could remember.  He just shrugged and looked at me.  I felt as though he had made me out to be liar; and this frustrates me!

Anyway, I begged them to please take the suite with them; and they told me that they'd only dump it and it would cost them money to do that.  I countered that in saying it wouldn't cost me money?  Then, I told them I'm not allowed to store things here - not long term anyway - and I don't have a trailer to take it to a dump (not that I know where the Smart Tip is right now).  They just shrugged again, strapped in the bed and closed the door down, then left... 
So, the next time I need to get rid of something big - and I can't sell it online - I'm just going to throw it in the dump.  After all, that's what society expects me to do now, isn't it?

The biggest irony is that this is the same charity which complains that there's not enough people giving to them... that they're needing furniture of all types and kinds.  And yet, when I offer up a bedroom suite which wasn't damaged when I handled it, but did get damaged by accident while I wasn't here, they don't want it.  So, what does that make this charity?  It's telling us that if what you're giving them isn't perfect, they don't want it?  Please!  I'm not giving away brand new stuff to a charity... then it's not a donation, it's a reward and that makes me celebrity... which I'm not. 

So, the next time you want to give away something big when you can't sell it online, what are you going to do with it?  You have a choice:  try hard as hell to give it to a charity (as which point they'll probably not take it because of one tiny, little flaw) or you'll be forced to dump it at the local tip.  It's up to you, but I'd avoid the charities and not waste your time.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

UPDATED:  I've been in touch with the Salvation Army through their website and left a comment on their feedback page.  Within 20 minutes of leaving what happened above, I received a phone call from them.  The lady I spoke to told me that what happened should not have; they guys should have taken the whole lot off me - as promised - and the charity would decide would be good to keep and what needed to be tossed out and not the drivers.  She promised that a lady named Karen would be in touch with me and we would discuss further what action needs to be taken to have the rest of the bedroom suite picked up.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

It's Just Like Riding A Bike!

Have you ever heard somebody say that to you?  Yep, me too.  And a lot of the times, I never believe them because with me, I have quite a few big learning curves.  So, when it came time for me to get behind the wheel of a car again, I found it very daunting and terrifying.

I actually treated it very much like anything else I did in life... I watched the roads carefully for a few days first.  These things are like the ocean:  you can't turn your back on them for a second or you'll be up to you neck in problems, troubles and very rude drivers blaming you for their bad driving.  Then, I got behind the wheel of the car, drove it through the zig-zag of driveway of my unit complex, got to the gate, watched it open automatically ... and ... and ... turned my Mum's Pajero around and took it back to my place and parked it back in my carport.

This was over 3 years ago and I was disgusted in myself.  I was one big chicken for not doing through with it, but I just didn't have the confidence in myself to drive the car.  The traffic was more hazardous and I found that it had been too long since I drove a vehicle.  Even my brother was beginning to have his doubts about me driving again; and to think I had spent over $500 on getting my license in the first place - and it's a manual driver's license too; one of the toughest ones to get.

This time around, it took me three hours to talk myself into driving the damned car - the same car - and the one good thing I had going for me were friends who believed in me.  One of my neighbours even went to the trouble of checking to see what kind of petrol the Pajero took so I didn't screw up the engine on Mum (Premium Unleaded; just so I remember)... and the good thing is that it's on the inside of the petrol cap too, to remind me. 
Once I was out on the road, I remembered every road rule I was taught... it all came back to me in a few minutes!  I couldn't believe how quickly my brain remembered how to get back into the concentration of driving a motor vehicle... and how much fun I remember driving is!  I didn't white-knuckle it - like I thought I was going to - but it was something I will get in and do again. 

And seeing I'm enjoying it, and I'm allowed to drive, I've got big plans for this Winter.  I have wanted to fix up my garden for a long time - but catching a cab to and from Bunnings is very expensive at any time.  So, seeing I have Mum's car to use, I'll take it there and use it carry potting mix, pots and new plants into my yard as well as get myself some lovely little statues in there by the time Mum and Dad arrive home from their trip.  This will take around 4 months to do and being the colder time of year, it's the perfect time to get in and repot plants that need it and plant new plants as they're all dormant right now; and I have a few plants that need topping up and I'd like to fix up my back yard and get some of my plants into proper planters to make the yard look lovely... and then get some weed killer to get rid of the Wandering Dew that's hanging around from over the fence.

So, there's some of my plans for this year; and what I'm going to do with the car, seeing I've got access to one now.  What have you got planned?  And what have you gotten back into after a long time putting it off when you thought it was too late, too hard or you were too old?  Was it easier to get back into it than you thought?  Or was it just as difficult as you thought?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Lessons In Life - Living With Other People

I read online that there was a man who wrote a blog about ten life lessons he learned before he passed away last week.  He had hundreds of people following him and after he was gone, his widow received a lot of e-mails about his blog and his advice and his words meant to total strangers.  Now, it's inspired me to do something a little like it.  I've learned a lot in my life - so far - and as time progresses I'm sure I'll learn a lot more.  But what I've learned can't be demonstrated, it can only be told through words.

As my title says, living with people can be totally different to living with your family.  Your family forgives you if you're in a bad mood; because you grew up with them.  If you are living with people, and these are people you don't know, they aren't going to be too forgiving for a little while - not until they get to know you.
In a share-house, there's give and take.  You have to do you fair share of the chores, give money for the bills, give money to the running of the house and have a night where you cook for the others.  And then, there's one night where you all have the night off and have takeaway... now, that's fun.  

I lived in a mixed share-house - which is always fun - and we had an arrangement where I couldn't pay the rent, so I did all the housework.  I cleaned, did the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, washed up after every meal and did all the shopping.  The guys (there were only two of them but - boy - did they make a big mess!) paid the bills, worked and they paid for the cable television.  However, I also got a night or two off a fortnight where I could do what I wanted... I didn't have to do any work and they cleaned up after me.  It was a pretty sweet deal.  The best thing was that us three got along really well... I was dating one of the guys and the other one treated me like a sister; so we worked out wonderfully.
I learned a lot about living with people the first time around.  For example:  just because toilet paper is cheap, doesn't mean it's good.  The first time I did the grocery shopping, I bought what Jon called 'Sandpaper Toilet Paper'; and he wasn't far wrong!  It was awful!  I learned to spend the extra $2.00 on the toilet paper and get the nice softer stuff... nothing worse than cheap toilet paper.
Another lesson I learned while living with these guys was to never do my shopping at 4:30pm on a Saturday afternoon.  I did this once when they didn't get their money in the 'Weekly Shopping Tin' on time and finish their items on the list before Thursday.  Well... fortunately, I had the mobile phone Mum had given me and called home and told Jon to get his butt to the shop to help me.  When he found me, I was in line with a collection of melting ice cream and all our cold goods going warm.  All of this stuff was given to him to replace otherwise we'd have food poisoning because I was forced to stand in line.  The next time I went shopping, I took a small esky lined with ice blocks and all the cold stuff went into it, just in case I was stuck again.
One last lesson we all learned about sharing the house was being careful who you brought into the place.  Jon made friends with a guy who treated man like a Prince, but treated me like a slave.  He didn't like me from the moment he walked through the door to the moment Jon threw him out.  This horrible man was invited to a party Dan and Jon had (which I didn't mind if they had - I mean, guys have to blow off steam, eh?) and so I thought to keep to myself in my room - which was right next to living room - and get in some reading, and watch television (yeah, had my own tv set).  This guy got drunk really quickly and almost miss-took my bedroom for the toilet - how lucky I locked my door! Well, when he did finally find the toilet, he didn't aim well!  He peed everywhere but in the toilet - he even got the ceiling.  Soon after 'using the toilet' he went home without another word.  Jon and Dan and the rest of the visitors enjoyed themselves and the party fizzled out at the right rate (at around 1am) at which point people either went home or fell asleep on the lounge and they closed up the house.  Jon went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, had a shower and walked past the toilet to turn off the light when he stepped in something wet!  He told me he had never seen something so gross in all his life!  And he spent 3 hours cleaning it!  So, when I woke at 7am and used the toilet, I did notice it was very, very, very clean - even the curtains had been washed! - and yet Jon couldn't be woken for breakfast.  I wasn't told until later that day.  Jon never invited or spoke to that guy again.
One last lesson I've learned about living in a share house is to never compare somebody else's cooking with your Mum's.  Oh, yeah, tell them about what you're Mum's cooking is like, but don't say that what they've cooked isn't as good as your Mum's... that's just bad form.  And they can turn it around on you too the next time you cook.  Also, don't cook the same old thing every time.  Learn to cook at least 3 dishes and do them well so your flatmates look forward to your turn in cooking.  My dishes were spaghetti bolasagne, savoury mince and roast chicken (Mum taught me the last one).  I didn't do the roast chicken very often, but when I did, it turned out wonderful.  Jon's specialty was Lasagne - boy - could he make a mean Lasagne!  It was amazing!  I remember he made one for when my folks came over to meet Dan for the first time as a favour as Dan wasn't all that great at cooking.  So, cooking is something we were all grateful we knew each other could do - and I learned a few new tricks by the time our lease was up around 6 months later. 

So, these are the first few lessons I learned about living with other people.  There's others, but they're not as major as these.  What lessons have you learned living with other people?  Did you learn anything new when you lived in a share house, or was it more or less the same as living at home, just a little different?   

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Taking It Easy

It's the 4th July and I'm still more than a bit sore from yesterday's excursion out and about shopping; even though I took it very easy and didn't rush.  And it wasn't because I didn't rush, it was because the bags were a little too heavy when I got home.  

Now, that's just something I've had to learn and deal with.  My stomach hurt last night and I didn't feel like eating, but I did.  I was also tired early and could barely keep my eyes open - and I'm still tired today.  But I had to go out and do my fruit and veggie shopping at The Big Apple.
And just like yesterday, I didn't rush it.  I had breakfast before I left home, walked nice and slow and took my time getting there and back.  I didn't want to hurt myself.  And it's a lovely day for it too.

I also scored some great photos today too!  An Egret (I think that's what it was) was as the creek looking for his late breakfast; and he found it, caught it and scoffed it down as I took photos of him.  And he was just lovely... and I mean lovely... as he tried to hide from me behind all the weeds and greenery.  Cheeky guy!  But I got a lovely lot of photos.  Then, I turned around and found a fairy circle!  These are rare!  It was a big one too.  It was a massive circle of mushrooms laid out on the grass!  What a great sight that was!  I haven't seen a fair circle since my Grandma was alive!  But when I mentioned it to a lady who saw me photographing it, she didn't seem to know what it was... I said I hadn't seen one in ages.  They are wonderful things when you find them - especially of this size!

Well, I arrived home and found I had a message from Mum on the phone.  But first, I had to call the Logan City Council about the unfortunate fate of a cat out the front of the unit complex.  Yeah, this morning, I found a poor cat had been hit by a car - or most likely a truck - and chipped in its last 8 lives; poor little thing.  So, once I placed the call and let them know it had to be picked up, I returned the call to Mum and Dad... I just hope the cat isn't one of the ones from over the back fence because it was grey.  
Once my groceries were put away and got myself a drink, I was running pretty well on time for myself.  However, the hours have zoomed by and I've been just cruising around on Facebook and other sites I'm a member of.  Yeah, I'm taking it easy.  I moved my chiropractor appointment to next month - as I don't think my body will appreciate me getting another person pushing and pulling it right now - and I want to make sure it's fully healed before getting my chiropractor looking at my back.  They understood when I called up and told them what's been happening and moved my appointment for me.  Well, that's me for today... until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

First Grocery Shop Since My Op

Today I'm exhausted and sore - but not too bad.  I went for my first grocery shop since my operation two weeks ago and I'm glad it's over - both the shopping and all the slow walking around.  Yep, I wasn't quite up to speed today as I'm usually a brisk walker and get things done fast... however, today, I felt like and looked like I wasn't in much of a hurry.  This made me a target for the charity people to say hi to me, and I had to tell them I could stop and I had to get my shopping done... then I slowly walked away.  They didn't believe me, but then, they're not me.

I had a good morning making sure I didn't do too much, except just walk at half the speed I usually do and feel as though I was on slow-motion the whole time.  But I did get all my shopping done; and I bought a new case for my iPod.  It's cute and I found that it won't slip out as it clips in and is a nice red colour too.
Even though I took my time and did everything right, I still forgot a few things too.  And the strange thing was that I had to hunt around for one of those shallow trolleys to use so I wasn't bending down into it too much; and hurting myself.  Anyway, I got through the self-service area and was out at the cab rank by around midday and hadn't overspent.  I did get a few small luxuries, but not many.

I bought myself some white paint and some charcoal from 'Dollars & Sense' and I also bought a box of Fortunate Cookies too (something I love to indulge in sometimes) and then I made sure I had money to get home - which I did - and called for a cab and came home.  It took me around half and hour to unpack everything, make myself a drink and get onto here... boy!  Am I tired!  And I'm thankful that it's the last week of the Winter school holidays too.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, July 1, 2013

June Was Something Different!

Man!  Was June something different indeed!  From the very beginning of it to the very end, the month of June seemed to have significant changes happen in it for reasons I found amazing!

From losing my two little fishies after returning from house sitting my folks' house for a week while they were returning from up north, to going into Greenslopes Private Hospital only two weeks ago for day surgery, it all happen so quickly that I'm only catching up with everything now - but only just.

But I'll begin with furniture shopping.  Yep, I wanted new bedroom furniture to update a very dated bedroom suite.  Mum and Dad had given my suite to me when I moved in 10 1/2 years ago and my old double bed was due to be replaced.  I just needed something firmer and better-made as I'm turning 40 this year and my back wasn't what it used to be.  So, I thought to get a bed and a suite to make it a great year for myself.  I spent about a month looking at catalogues and going to furniture stores I could access by bus; then asked my Dad to help me get to some by car.  We found one place at Browns Plains called Bedland where everything was solid wood, well-made and I didn't have to wait 2 months for delivery.  So, when I found the bedroom suite I loved and the mattress my back loved too... well, it was set!  And the whole thing arrived a mere week before my surgery at the Wesley Hospital.
And just before that was to go ahead - only days in fact - the Wesley Hospital had a huge case of Legionnaires Disease which was throughout its hot water system... so all new surgeries were cancelled and new admissions too; this included me.  Fortunately, my doctor got me sorted out and my surgery was moved to Greenslopes Private Hospital.  And now, I'm healing quite well.

I spent the rest of that week feeling as though somebody poked me in the belly button really hard with a chop stick!  Not a fun prospect, but it felt like it.  Anyway, it wasn't long before I started to feel better and I was off to Brighton to house sit my brother's house while his family went to Emerald to dig for gemstones.  Very cool.
I had a good time there with the chickens been cheeky and funny.  I did some reading, knitting and cooking.  And by mid-week, I was able to walk a bit of distance; and then by the end of the week, I was back to my fast-walkin' self again.

Today, I went to my craft group where everyone asked me how I was.  The ladies there were lovely.  They said I looked very happy and full of energy.  I told them it makes a lot of difference when you get something cared for when it causes you a lot of pain; and has done for a long time.

But over the last week or so, I've had Mum and Dad here looking at my place and caring for me.  Dad's taken care of a few things in my house which I've been trying to get him to look at for a while.  He put a big towel rack in my bathroom and a proper medicine cabinet with mirror on the wall... very nice!  The bathroom is beginning to look like a proper little bathroom now, and not a quickly fixed-up one (which was what happened when I moved in a little over a decade ago).  Now, I have a place to put larger towels and Dad's got other plans for above my toilet where he wants to put shelves in for extra toilet paper and other stuff to get it all off the floor... and he knows that I don't want my dryer, but it's just an awkward thing to remove without the help of another person.  

Now, it's the 1st, July... the beginning of another month and the beginning of more things to happen for this year.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.