Another Saturday night, & I ain't got nobody....

Yep, It's Saturday night, & I'm home alone.

Beloved is at work, & Vboy is spending the night at a friend's place. TV is now boring, so I thought I'd drop a little blog, then shower & bed.

It's been a fairly normal week in Blogmuggle land.


Last weekend was good. Poor NannyVal was under the weather with a flu, but we were at a good place to have a quiet time. And yes, time was definitely spent sitting around the lovely fire. The hosts, Alison & Adam were wonderful, and the food was excellent! The company was pretty good too.


Monday was the 1st anniversary of my friend Sharon's passing. Where did the year go?????


Tuesday, I had my first day working with Patient Transport, with a lovely excursion up to the Land of the Golden Guitar to collect a patient & return him to Muswellbrook Hospital. I am looking forward to 4 more Patient Transport days in the coming week. I was curled up in bed with my book by 8.30pm, much to everyone's disbelief.


On Wednesday, I worked an evening shift at Muswellbrook Hospital: it wasn't too busy for a change. The ol' H1N1 flu has been quite rampant up here, with lots of staff having been off work. After work, I drove down to my bro's at Elermore Vale, as I needed to return PoppyKen's car that I had confiscated a few weeks ago.


Thursday morning, I attended an appointment at the Cardiologist with PoppyKen. The cardiologist isn't all that impressed with pop's progress: he is still in cardiac failure, needs to take it easy, and was advised not to drive anywhere (he discussed the insurance ramifications in the event of an accident: poppy said nothing), & increase his medication, pending his visiting with the cardiac surgeon next week. The problem is, neither my brother nor I can attend this appointment with him, so not all of the info will be absorbed, nor shared.........
The doc on Thursday will be most impressed to know that Poppy couldn't wait to go home & have his breakfast in a rush so that he could hop in his car & drive to work on the Central Coast. Evidently, PoppyKen found some keys to the old car, & has been driving himself to work & wherever & whenever he wants...... regardless of the ramifications.


My bro & his lovely wifey picked me up at Pop's then met SBoy (who was driving around in GG's car) at Jesmond so I could drive Sboy up to Williamtown to catch a plane back to the Gold Coast.... He's gone again!!!!!! My wallet will be glad of the relief.........


I then drove a bit further up into the wilds of the Tiligerry Peninsula to visit a friend since I was in the area, but there was a very artfully written sign on the door advising:
"Back at 3.15"........


I drove down to meet GG at Mayfield, but not before I stopped for the 1st ever time to ogle & listen to the wind turbine at Kooragang Island. There's a big kerfuffle up here at the moment as a wind farm has been planned, & the locals are up in arms about it. There is a definite "woosh, woosh" sound, but I think I could live with that. It's got to be better than the rape & pillage of the coal mines that dominate the landscape (& economy) up here.......
En masse, I think that a field of white windmills possess a rather unique beauty. It's peaceful.


GG dropped me off at Hamilton station & I settled in for a quiet read on the train, until a friend got on at Maitland & we talked all the way home. Beloved & Vboy met me & filled me with Maccas for dinner.


Friday morning, I worked for 4hrs at the local hospital, but by the time I finished catching up with people, it stretched out to almost 6 before I arrived home at 12.45pm & made Vboy get out of bed. He's certainly turned into a teenager, that one!


I was so shagged by that time, that I rolled up in a blanket, & barely moved off the recliner, dozing off & on until bedtime.


Today, Vboy played footy in Muswellbrook: they went down again, and have just 1 more game until the semifinals start. 3 weeks ago, they were virtually unbeaten & on the top of the points table. Now they are in 4th position, & will have to work really hard to make the finals.


I should have been at Singin' Sue's Karaoke 40th birthday party tonight. Instead, I came home from footy & a bit of shopping and rolled up in my blanket again, too tired to do anything else. I am really peeved: tonight would have been an enormous amount of fun with the great crowd from the theatre group, but I just couldn't do it. This flu, after almost 3 weeks, is still having consequences...... I have 6 days straight at work this week, so I need to be on top of my game.... get plenty of rest in the bank... if you can bank it, that is.....


Tomorrow, I have nothing planned. I need to make a dent in the washing, and seriously look at cleaning around here. it's been a while since the floors were vacuumed, & even longer since they were washed..... they're all timber....... the shopping can wait until Monday after work, I think.


Anyhoo, it's time to shower & bed, I think.


Goodnight ;0)


zzzzzzzz xoxoxoxoxo zzzzzzzzzzz

Sail away, sail away, sail away..............................

"A ship is safe in the harbour..............

but that's not what it's for."



Is this another way of saying: "You must paddle your own canoe"?



It's a beautiful, wide, vast ocean out there..........


;0)

In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine, dwelt a miner, forty-niner, and his daughter, Clementine.

This is where Beloved and I are spending the weekend!

It's the Glen Davis Boutique Hotel, located at the once-thriving mining township of Glen Davis, which is nestled in the Capertee Valley, north of Lithgow & east of Mudgee.

As you can see from the rising escarpments behind the hotel, it will be cold..... but once inside, the roaring fire will keep us warm.

If all else fails, we will have our love to keep us warm .........

or we could run up & down the stairs, maybe.......

We might have to, if we eat too much of this.......

Of course, there is the pool, but since it's July, we might have to partake of pool of the indoor variety.....

Evidently, attractions include;

"4WD Tours, Accessible, Adult retreat, Birdwatching, Bushwalking & wilderness, Canoeing & Kayaking, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast, Family Friendly, Farmland Experiences, Fishing, Golf, Great view, Heritage Trail, Horse riding, Massage, Motor Bike Friendly, museums and galleries, One Night Bookings Welcome, Rockclimbing & Abseiling, Romantic getaway, Valentines Day, Wedding venue, Wine Appreciation, Winter Holiday"

And this one is a bit of a personal favourite:

"Take an early drive or stroll in winter and you're bound to see our local wedge-tailed eagles feasting on road kill."

Now, seriously, this Saturday is the first of Poppy Don's birthdays that he is not here to celebrate with us, so we decided a few months ago to take Nanny Val away for the weekend in an attempt to make it a little less traumatic for her. I found the brochures for this hotel in a service station in beautiful, downtown Rylestone when the dog was stolen (sorry, rescued) back in April. Beloved and I will be accompanied by his sisters, brother, and their respective partners, and of course, the lovely Nanny Val. All our meals are included in the package, so hopefully, it will be a lovely weekend full of food, ambience & fun. Lots of memories will be shared, too, no doubt.

Unfortunately, I'm still only firing on about 60%, so I won't be doing much bushwalking or exploring. I'll leave that up to Beloved's very energetic sisters. I can see Nanny Val & I quite happily curled up in front of the fire, engrossed in our respective books with a cuppa and nice little tidbit on the side.

Although, a massage would be nice. I wonder how the massage therapist feels about legs that resemble the forests behind the hotel?


The boys are remaining behind to "mind the house"........ EEEK!


So everyone, please have a good weekend, and if you are somewhere where it might get cold, stay warm! If you're not, then lucky you!


;0)

If you just smile...

Hi guys. This little piece came to me as am email, & I thought that I might share it with you:

BANK ACCOUNT!!!

This is AWESOME ... something we should all remember.

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each
morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved
perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After
many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled
sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description
of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just
been presented with a new puppy.
Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.
Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is
arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.
'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice;
I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the
parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful
for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day
and all the happy memories I've stored away.. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.
I am still depositing.
'Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more..
5. Expect less.

Pass this message to 7 people except me. You will receive a miracle tomorrow.
Now, STOP! Did you hear what I just said. You WILL receive a miracle
Tomorrow. So send it right now!
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

Food for thought.

:0)

This little piggy went to market: this little piggy stayed home....,.

I am still here!

I have not succumbed to the suspected Human Swine Influenza! Ok, I did.... but nothing's certain or definitive.......

Lots of others have gone down up here: the hospital has called 3 times to see if I am well enough to work over the last few days. I'm not and I'm not going back to work until I am well enough to cope with the rigours of the job. I am constantly tired, have a persistent cough that is eventually productive, but dry and annoying until it is, and a runny nose. My chest hurts and I have a very sore rib muscle from all the coughing. And then there are the very stressed out bladder muscles that are beyond hope at the moment........ At least I can sleep relatively well at night.

I rang the GP's this morning: of course, they have people lined up out the doors, and the clinic sister suggested that I give the Tamiflu another day or so to work........ Until this cough resolves, I can't go back to work, and I have now knocked back planned work right up until next Tuesday..... I will be very surprised if I don't end up on antibiotics anyway. Imagine if I had been someone who is really unwell, immuno-supressed or at either end of the age spectrum.....

At least it doesn't look as if I've shared it with anybody so far. VBoy has a bit of a cold, but all other family members seems to be in relatively good health and the household is longer under our self-imposed quarantine.

I'm a bit sad though: school holiday midday movies & kids' tv used to be good. What's happened? Did we get too busy or something for the networks to bother? Thank goodness for J.R.R Tolkien, Peter Jackson, J. K. Rowling and all the other dvd makers that have kept me entertained.... I've re-discovered my David Eddings books.... Unusually, I haven't watched any "Angel" this time around. But I would just about kill for the "Buffy" series...........


Ah well, never mind.

Back to my recliner ;0)

<3>

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick......

Hi Bloggers!

It appears that the universe may have cut me some slack in the form of the dreaded H1N1 Influenza!

I went down with flu-like symptoms on Tuesday evening, and a visit to the local doctors resulted in 5 days worth of Tamiflu & a week off work. I am also in isolation for the next 3 days. I can't see Dad either.

It appears that a patient that I nursed on Sunday night has tested positive, so any contacts/exposures that develop symptoms are treated as if they have the same thing.

All I know is that, I wouldn't wish this on anybody, & I'm not particularly sick.

I also wish that instead of looking at me as if I was a leper in the docs as I was the only one wearing a mask, that all the other coughers & splutterers had had the common sense to wear one too. What a hot-bed of potential infection!

Anyway, I'm retiring to the isolation of my lounge, where I've been residing since Tuesday night anyway. I've just decided to leave my mask on, & not go near anyone. Beloved & the boys haven't been game to come near me anyway....... The "oink, oink" jokes have been thick & fast until I returned from the docs..... Now they're all just a little bit wary.

Anyway, all jokes aside.... I am not particularly unwell, and will be back on track in no time. I'd better clean the keyboard & mouse, I suppose.

See ya!


Wee, wee, wee, wee............ (you have to imagine this is a squealing piglet.....)

*************************

downhearted... this post comes with a numb-bumb warning

Forgive me Bloggers: it has been some time since my last blog.

Life is busy, and I seem to have really lost interest in anything computer-related. I have just checked out a few blogs every so often, maybe commented, and then just had a quick peruse of Facebook. Even emails are at the bottom of the "to-do" list.

SBoy came home for his little op last Thursday, survived his overnight hospital stay and he's doing well.

VBoy played football on Saturday and has socialised as much as has been practical when not engaged in school, footy or footy training. He plays at Swansea this weekend coming.

GG is enjoying her life at the moment, & is even attending a school-reunion & career day tomorrow in Muswellbrook. This is amazing, considering her disdain for all things Muswellbrook. She won't be coming home to see us though, as she has to work tomorrow night.

Beloved is recovering slowly from his bike accident & returned to work last Wednesday after 10 days off.

Me?? Well, life has revolved around everyone else, of course, with a bit of work thrown in to give me a bit of respite........ and money. Thank god for the money...and the distraction......

Today however, I crossed some personal boundaries with my dad. As I have previously mentioned, he is not easy, with a stubborn streak and irrational way of making things a tad difficult. Something as simple, say, as following a doctors instructions. Dad has had an on-going problem with swelling in his legs since his surgery. His GP's advice? Wear surgical stockings, elevate & rest the legs as often as possible, but make sure that you go for 15 minutes of gentle walking twice every day. It hasn't really happened. When I left him last week, I was not happy that his swelling & fluid retention had increased further up his body, which is usually a good indicator that something is not quite right with the workings of the heart & cardio system.


Another instruction? Don't drive for 4 - 6 weeks, and don't return to work until fully fit usually after at least 6-8 weeks....
Dad arranged with his boss to pick him up & take him to work last Thursday, 3 weeks after his surgery. Friday night, he called me to say that he was feeling fluey and unwell, but that he was going out for the evening. Early Saturday morning, he phoned me to say that he was more unwell & breathless, and needed the mum's left-over ventolin nebuliser medicine and where is mum's old puffer that he couldn't find? He has never, ever been prescribed ventolin, but was insistent & refused to go to the doctors. My brother, bless him, took dad to the chemist to buy one. It didn't help, as the breathlessness was the result of the increase in fluid pressing on dad's chest. He was also insistent that he needed me to return his car as he had to drive to work on this coming Wednesday, & felt that he didn't have the strength in his right leg to drive the old brown car in the shed. After work, he has tickets to a show in the evening, and needed to drive to that as well. I had arranged my week to return his car on Wednesday, so that on Thursday, 4 weeks after the surgery, he could take a drive up to the shops, or to visit his friends up the road, and gradually increase his driving time, as advised. But not my dad. He kept on nagging until I changed my arrangements & drove to Newcastle this morning & met he and my brother for his appointment with the cardiosurgeon. Dad said that he felt 100% better following the 1 diuretic tablet that he took yesterday as "it's cleared the phlegm and lets him cough better". He has not been prescribed this since his return home following surgery, but lack of a prescription has never stopped him taking medicine before.


His surgeon was not impressed. Nor was he impressed with the admission that dad had gone to work: he's not supposed to return for 2 months, nor to drive for 6 weeks, as his condition has deteriorated & he needs new blood pressure medications that he probably shouldn't have needed, including diuretics... He has had a chest xray, & will see the doc again next Monday.......


He was ropable upon our return home, & stated that he will drive when he wants to & go to work, regardless of what the doc says, as he feels fine and the doc is just "covering his arse...". Evidently, we should respect his right to make bad decisions. Which we do, but not when the lives of others can be affected........

The new medications may cause havoc with his blood pressure and the info sheets that he was insistent upon having advise not driving or operating heavy machinery in the first few weeks of taking it.........

Result?

Boundary crossing 1: I have driven home in his car, as well as taking the keys to the old brown one. I will not return until Saturday, and he's not getting the keys back yet either.


Boundary crossing 2: I contacted his boss to explain the situation, as he was unaware that dad had any issues as he had told them, of course, that he was just fine....... well derr.... that's why the nurses are coming to his home 3 days each week... they thought that it was miraculous that he has returned to work so soon after a major operation....... Dad feels that he will now lose his job as the company he works for will go bust without him there....... and they will think that he is a liar..... who put that thought there?????? ...

From my discussion with his boss, it would seem that he is quite a reasonable man, who would prefer have a healthy Ken back at work in a few weeks rather than one who is not going to be well for a while longer if he returns to work too early. He decided that he would pick dad up this Thursday sometime after 10 and bring him home again about 2 ish so that dad gets out a bit, but doesn't overdo it. I keep trying to find a compromise as I know that dad is hating being at home...... not that dad sees it that way.... I'm just too bossy & interfere too much..... It's got to be better than the 7 till 3 day that he did last Thursday.........

After a tirade on the phone after I arrived home this evening, I am going to make him sick, have a heart attack & vomit all night... evidently..... Well, that's your choice dad... whatever makes you think that this is easy for me?????



Boundary crossing 3: I visited the person with whom he was going out with on Wednesday night, & she informed me that she had expressed her doubts to him before he bought the tickets, but he was insistent that they should go as he would be fine...... There it is again... insistent and the "I" word again..... She is much happier with my disclosure to her. I told dad today that there was no way that I was going to let her go in the car with him.......


Dad is very big on the "I can", "I will", "he/she is doesn't know what they're talking about (even though they are an expert in their field)" & "I'm in charge". I get this: he's always been a control freak. He was something of a maverick in his younger days, with some wonderful achievements in his areas of interest. But he has enormous double standards. Most of the time, we accept that this is the way he is. But in this situation, his arrogance & irrational thinking has gone too far. When the safety of others is potentially compromised, then it's time to do the right thing. Because that's what my brother & I were taught to do: the right thing. Morally, dad is in the wrong, so he will just have to wait a bit longer.


When he IS well, and he is given his clearance to drive & work, then he can. The sooner the better as far as my bro & I are concerned, because it relieves us of the responsibilty that we have at the moment.


As I said to dad tonight:
"You need to just get over yourself & suck it up. You cannot just do whatever you want. You are Ken. You are not superman. You are 72yrs old, you have just had major surgery, and you will follow the same rules as everybody else. You were doing ok, and now you're not. If you were, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. We will fight & argue, & then get over it, because that's what families do..."


Of course, there was a lot more, but I'm sure you get the gist of things......... We have a lot to learn in the family stakes....... Hard work.


It's so sad..... I talk like this to dad, and it's my brother who dad said he will "Knock his block off if he comes anywhere near me tomorrow..."


Of course, he is going nowhere near dad... me neither..... I love you Glen <3


I find it so sad and disappointing that I have had to react in this way to my father's actions. But we were always aware that there would be issues. I took his car keys into protective custody while he was in hospital. I was just hoping that I wouldn't have to actually keep them.......


*sigh*


I feel so sick at heart.........




Well, that's a blog...... a few weeks worth, at least.

Am I off the hook now?

:0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) :0) ;0) ;0)

I won't hestitate no more, no more, I cannot wait..... I'm yours........

Hi there!

I am writing this blog (very quickly) from Belmont TAFE Library before it shuts. Thank goodness for free TAFE libraries! Dad only has dial-up at his house, and begrudges you every second that is spent there, so I just don't use his computer. And don't I miss it!

It is 2 weeks since his surgery, & he is doing well. Complaining, as usual, about anything & everything. As is his way. He isn't an easy person, my Dad. But you get that. I finally managed to get the community nurses on board: he wounds have infected, & he needs their expert attention. I think their advice is more appropriate than his doctors at this point. Now, if I can get some meals-on-wheels on board, all will be good, but he is resistant to this idea so far. He can't cook and is reliant on my brother or me to cook & leave meals for him. I would prefer him to have some independence rather than rely upon us: it's a long time before he really needs to be dependent upon us!

I went home monday night as Vboy was due to return fronm his camping expedition in the Tunumbar National Park: in a hoarse voice from singing on the bus, he exclaimed that "he had the BEST TIME EVER!!!".

Good.

He's back at school, so life is back to normal for him.

Poor Beloved had a fall from his motorbike last Saturday, and is laid up for a week or so after the handlebars had an intimate yet forceful meeting with his groin & upper thigh.......

I came back to Dad's on Wednesday morning, and will remain here until Sunday at this stage, I think. While he was in hospital, we basically gutted his bedroom so we could lay new carpet in there after the old, blind & incontinent dog decided that every piece of furniture that cast a shadow was a tree...... all over the house. Not surprising really, considering that he was a chihuahua...... I have threatened the new dog with death if she pees in his room....... It's difficult with her, as she isn't adequately toilet-trained, and will pee & poo in a number of locations well chosen for there position in high-traffic areas...... There is only 1 room left with original carpet in it, & she will toilet in there if given the opportunity. Dad just doesn't seem to understand that she will continue this behaviour while ever there are any traces of the old dog's places, and will happily put old mats and furniture (usually of the old, swollen-pee-laden-chipboard-bottomed-variety) back.... and so the cycle continues. His room was so bad that ithe smell knocked you over when the door was opeded. He was just putting paper on the floor to catch her eliminations.......

The clean-up continues, but I'm getting there.

Life will return to some normality next week. I am working on Monday and again on Tuesday night, so I may string together 5 days at home....... It will be good to work again. And to be at home. Sboy will be home from Wednesday as he is to have a minor surgical procedure on Thursday.

Anyway, I'd best go...... time is ticking away, and I wouldn't want to keep the lovely lady waiting. I haven't checked my emails or facebook yet!

Stay warm and safe!

love, Bloggie xoxoxoxoxxo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ain't to sunshine when he's gone.......

Update:

PoppyKen good. Back in Cardio ward after 6+ hours of surgery and a night in the cardio intensive care ward. Eating and not hooked up to any machinery.

Blogmuggle well. Bought a very striking red wooly anorak-style coat from Salvos :). Looks like a coat to brighten a drab winter day.

Brother of Blogmuggle good. Proud owner of a striking black woollen European-style cay with dark green trim and wooden buttons from the Salvos shop. He is very chuffed with his purchase.

All things considered, all's good.

See y'all later.

On the road again.......

Hi. Just a quick post.

• Result from colonoscopy yesterday good. Able to break wind again without reservation of "follow-through"........
• Busy on PoppyKen & puppy duties as PoppyKen's CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) surgery and heart repair in on tomorrow (Thursday). The John Hunter hospital called me today to get him in for the surgery sometime after lunch tomorrow. This is a BIG operation that will sideline Pop for a few months.
  
• I will be floating around Newcastle for the next few weeks while we get Pop back on his feet again.
• Don't know how much computer time I will get, but I will keep you posted.
• I'd better get off to bed: I've got to be on the train at 6am, & it's 12.36am already. Who needs sleep anyway?
  

See you later <3

;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0) ;0)

Send her victorious, happy & glorious........

The Queen's Birthday holiday. Thank goodness ;0)

A day of nothing really. Washing by the overflowing clothesline full, cleaning of the bathrooms, & watching some tv that Beloved had recorded yesterday for me while I was at work. He has busied himself around the house constructing & fitting architraves. He's lovely, & much, much more handy than he thinks. He hates doing this sort of stuff, but does it anyway ;0)

Oh... and no food: clear fluids, noodle-less chicken noodle soup & the pico-prep necessary for the colonoscopy scheduled for tomorrow. I dunno: jelly just isn't the same without drunken sponge cake, fruit, custard & icecream. My empty stomach has responded with an acidic mutiny.

Never mind: it will all be over soon. It will give me better perspective about how the patient feels..............

Cleaning the bathrooms out gave me time to think today. It may have simply been the effects of the bleach fumes.

Is it ok to walk out on a marriage because "We've nothing in common anymore"?

On the other side of the argument: "Is love enough to stay where other things are lacking?"

Neither of these has anything to do with my marriage (Oh yeah, as if, I can hear you say), but are words that I have heard from friends as relationships breakdown, seemingly irretrievably.
My mum reckoned that we don't try hard enough these days, but I used argue with her that life is short, so time shouldn't be wasted with someone that you don't want to be with.
I still think that this is the case. But not in every case.

As a society, we have been conditioned to believe that our own needs are paramount, with a "live for now mentality", and the social changes that we see these days are a reflection of that. More than half my friends are in a 2nd or 3rd committed relationship, struggling with the demands of blended families, stretched finances combined with the impositions of emotions and moods that extended families, partners, in-laws bring as well as trying to swim against the tide of overwhelming expectations to have the right house in the right suburb, the right car to drive around to all the after-school activities as well as an amazing education for our children who are supposed to be the best at everything that they do in up-to-the-minute fashions.

Is it any wonder that there's no time to "find" ourselves, or work out what can be made of a marriage that appears to be less than desired? Or that we think that this can only happen outside the "confines" of a marriage?

Sometimes I wonder if we can't see what we are looking for even though it's right there all the time. Can't see the forest for the tress, so to speak. Our poor old heads & hearts are so saturated with information & expectations.

In my line of work, I see a lot of octagenarian couples who are still devoted to each other. Other marriages may not have been so good. But a lot of these people have had the experience of making a life & growing old together. Wars, depression & deprivation, ill health, hard living conditions & meagre lives have all been part of their journey. But at the end of the day, they have each other.

Are we going to deny ourselves this dependable companionship in our "golden years" because the bells aren't ringing in the middle?

A lot of marriages are never meant to be, and it is the thoughts & actions of the individuals involved make it so. But is a marriage really meant to be with Prince Charming in the drivers seat and Mrs Perfect Housewife/Mum at his side? Is it possible to be individuals within a marriage, and still make it work?

I would like to think so. I am a romantic at heart, but a very practical, pragmatic one. I don't know if we are meant to be monogamous: maybe some of us are, & some aren't. It's whatever works for the individual.

But then, that's probably the hard part: finding out what works. And that takes time & patience. Maybe we need to make sure that we're not always looking for the greener grass only to find that it's greener because there's a sloshy old drain hidden under it that makes it so lush-looking.

Ah well: no answers here, just a few sociological ponderances.

Put it down to the bleach fumes, empty stomach and the colonic evacuation, hey ;0)

And that Beloved was eating chocolate in front of me when I couldn't have any..... Say, does anybody know a good laywer?


Goodnight all.

Take Care

xoxoxoxodohxoxoxoxodohxoxoxoxoxo

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things! And then I don't feel so bad!,

These are the roads most travelled for me. They are the roads that I drive on from my home in Denman (or, "Wattle Grove", as Lovely Lisa likes to call it) to Muswellbrook. It starts out as "The Golden Highway". If I drive another 27klms or so north along the "New England Highway", I will reach Scone.

But not for the last few days.
After coming home from work on Friday, which was a call-in for community health, I started on my downhill run. Stuffy head. Sore eyes. Headache. Achy everything, really. Sneezing, snorting, sniffing, blowing. Potential for my face to explode: you know: that sort of thing.
And sleepy. But not effectively sleeping. The most comfortable place is my lovely recliner chair in the loungeroom, & woe betide any person or animal that tries to occupy it.........

But......

I am Pseudoephedrine!
I am Chlorpheniramine!
And Paracetamol. Oh yes..... Paracetamol!
And I would fail a breath test as I'm sure that I have absorbed enormous quantities of alcohol from my gel hand rub......
I am also very obedient, as the box says not to drive a vehicle or operate heavy machinery, so operating the washing machine, vacuum cleaner and stove/microwave are out of the question........ especially whilst driving.......

The TV & DVD remote control are do-able though.

As is this very short stint in front of the computer.

I cancelled last night's nightshift in Muswellbrook. The money would have been handy......

I don't have much else booked in except for a day in the Aged DayCentre on Wednesday this week.

I should be better by then. It's only a cold.

Seriously, I don't have the H1N1 Influenza strain. I refuse to refer to THAT flu as "Swine flu".... I haven't seen a pig suffering from it yet. Just a lot of people with the flu, and a whole pile of rampant media hysteria. If we all practise suitable hygiene, then we should be ok. If people stayed home to get well, rather than swallowing drugs & soldiering on because our employers need us, and because we are determined that nothing will interfere with all Necessary Very Important Things in our lives, then there wouldn't be so many people ill, either. Bosses like to pull the guilt trip on us, don't they????? Money, money, money........

Anyway, this little chicken is off to re-claim her recliner, swallow more lemon & honey & fall asleep through yet more daytime television.

Stay safe, warm & well, People!

Now as the rain beats down upon my weary eyes, I cry

Wow.

Thank you, Michelle.

I have received award an occassional award before, but this one from Michelle, & the accompanying sentiment is just so lovely and from the heart..........

And such a slack & uncommitted blogger, I am. And very humbled.

Like Lisa, I don't tend to "do" awards, but .......

Well, there you go.
I am speechless.

I bet that if you all realised that this would be all it that was needed to shut me up, then you would have done it ages ago.... *snort*

I rode my bicycle past you window last night......

Good evening Bloggers ;0)

I have finally worked a full shift as a real nurse! And it was nightshift, too: my first ever!!!!
It wasn't too scary, but the hospital at night is such a different place. We were constantly busy, & never even stoppped for a break, but ate & drank at the desk throughout the shift. I worked with some of the best of the staff as well.

I will have to learn how to sleep properly after a nightshift, though. I was called in at lunchtime, so by the time I went to bed this morning, I had been awake for 29hrs straight. The shift was from 9.30pm until 7.30am: I only slept for 4hrs, then was awake again. I have another shift booked in for May 31, and again, I don't have to work the next day (I have refused a shift in the daycentre), so if I don't sleep too well, it won't be an issue. But, I have a month of nightshifts booked in for August, so I really will have to learn how to sleep as I have to back up for 4 nights in a row.....

............. Newie tomorrow to try to sort out Poppy Ken's operation schedule. Good luck to me with that one >_<

The weekend was good. SBoys Freestyle Trials Stunt show is a lot of fun. He has learned an enormous amount over the past 6 months. After watching what he does, I think I can feel a heart attack coming on......... Nanny Val & Poppy Ken both saw the shows on Sunday, and were most chuffed, even if Nanny Val was watching it with her eyes shut a lot of the time! Poppy Ken reckons that the boys are mad, but I found a newspaper clipping of him in his younger days practising to break a motorcycle long jump record....... which I have used with good effect. GG turned up to watch before heading to Mussie to work, & family friends, Doug & Nine were there as well. We were even home in time to watch "Merlin" on Sunday evening!

I took Vboy to the on-call GP yesterday, arriving at the surgery at 8.40am. We finally saw the doc at 11.50am. She decided that Vboy most likely has a viral infection rather than the appendix issue or bowel blockage that I was concerned about, which she feels will right itself. I hope she's right, as on June 16, Vboy heads off on his "Outward Bound" bush camping experience in the Toonumbar National Park, near Kyogle, for 7 days. There are no toilets there: the kids dig a hole when they need to go.......... It's definitely not the place to have a bowel infection. He will be eating loads of different food to what he's used to, so I think that his stomach is going to be very challenged. I will be very surprised if he doesn't arrive home a lot lighter than when he left. But the idea is that he challenges himself to find what's within. The founder of Outward Bound, Kurt Hahn, has the saying;

"We are better than we know. If only we can be brought to realise this, we may never be prepared to settle for less"..........

I hope he's right.

I think that's about all I have to report for now.

Have a good day tomorrow!

:0) ;0) :0) ;0) :0) ;0) :0) ;0) :0) ;0)

Home, home on the range.......

Still here.


But Vboy is not too bad. A quiet day at home with his mummy will do him good. I am concerned that he may have a rumbling appendix.


See y'all later ;0)

________________________________

If you leave me, can I come too?

Hi Guys.

It's a wet and windy night up here. Great for blogging, eating, facebooking, eating, drinking, eating and, eventually, snuggling up in bed with Beloved.

I'm not sure if I'm coming to Newcastle tomorrow.

My car is a bit off, so Beloved has bits (coils) that he is going to have tested tomorrow. We've checked out a number of other possibilities, but have been unsuccessful thus far.

VBoy is a bit off-colour this evening as well. He has had a headache all day & looks quite rheumy around the eyes. He also has some tummy tenderness that bothers me more than anything. He is quite flat & not himself. I'd rather not leave him at home on his own tomorrow. If the car was ok, I'd just bring him with me, but if I come, I'll be catching a train at 6am. He's not up to that.

*sigh*

I guess I'll make a decision about 4.30am.

GG says that she can manage the specialist without me. But she needs my money. I would like to make sure that she is adequately treated as well, which hasn't necessarily been the case up to now.

Sboy and Jack F are performing at the Caravan & Camping Show at Maitland this weekend, so I hope that the weather improves for them. We are hoping to travel down after Vboy's rugby league game on Saturday, spend the night with Poppy Ken, then take Nanny Val to watch the shows on Sunday. Weather permitting, of course.

I have been looking forward to this, as I've never seen my Jack perform a show before.

I finally finished painting the architrave around the pantry door today: big news, hey?
Thank goodness: that's one less to be done.

I tried to post a couple of pics of the boys on here, but, as usual, Blogger found my technical abilities wanting....... I got them on here, but then couldn't move them or cut/copy and paste without everything highlighting itself then deleting..... such are my skills....

Never mind. See you all later ;0)


__________________

I hear the train a comin' : it's comin' round the bend.....

Michelle over at The Truth as I Know It is right: it would be would be really good to be able to get off the railway tracks right about now. Or at least of this merry-go-round.

Life has thrown another of it's curlies at us over the last week or so. This time, it involves Poppy Ken. Poor old Poppy has been having very decidedly inconclusive tests for varying ailments over the last year or more. Or, at least they were inconclusive until one particular cardiologist decided to be more tenacious & motivated/proactive than other medicos that Poppy Ken had seen. The result: Poppy Ken has to have 4 coronary arteries bypassed & grafted sometime in the near future. This is a fairly common procedure these days, but is not without risks.

And for Poppy Ken, the thought that he will be unable to work for a period of time (about 5 -6 weeks before he can drive ) is just unthinkable. He is convinced that he cannot live on the pension during his recuperation. I think that he is also very concerned that he won't have a job to go back to. Mind you, he grumbles & grizzles about this job every day......... but then he tends to err on the glass half-empty side of things anyway about just about everything...... he is 72 going on 92, I think.....

But he has to have this operation, or else his heart, which is showing moderate signs of failure, will just slowly wither & die, and we all know where that will leave Poppy Ken. The cardiac surgeon has offerred Pop a good deal (of the money-kind) in return for his exclusive service for a few days. Pop, under enthusiastic encouragement from my brother & I, has elected to utilise this financially-enhanced service. Of course, the admissions department at the John Hunter Hospital has never heard of such an arrangement, which threw Pop for a while. Investigation & reassurance by the surgeon & his receptionist has eased some of these worries. And as we all know, the receptionists are the real power brokers: they know everything.......

I go to great pains to never upset the receptionists.......

So far, no-one can give any indication of an approximate date for the surgery, which is a pain from Pop's standpoint: he needs to organise his work. He prefers to be in control of his live. In fact, he needs to be in control of every aspect of his existence.....
It's a bit of a pain for me too, as I intend not working for a few weeks so that I can be with him as he recovers. My Brother wants to take time off as well.

As I suggested a couple of posts ago, I wasn't overly concerned in regard to finding work, as I thought that it would find me, and that has been the case.

I was called in to work at Muswellbrook hospital this morning, & I have a day in the Aged Day Centre tomorrow. The local hospital here in Denman has booked me in for a weeks work after the long weekend in June, as well as a month of night shifts in August/September. The trouble is, I can't say for certain if I will be available until we know what is happening with Pop. The Denman manager wants an answer by next week.

I have to take GG to an appointment on Friday: I intend to see the lovely staff at John Hunter Hospital before this to see if they can shed any light on the subject. I'm not holding my breath, but I am hopeful.

Is anyone interested in some afternoon tea on Friday afternoon? Lovely Lisa has my mobile phone number.....

Anyhoo, time for bed. My reflexes at avoiding impact with problems are better if I get enough rest......

Goodnight zzzzzzz

The spicks & the the specks.......

Why is it, that during the simple process of painting the architraves around the pantry door, I managed to sprinkle my russet-brown tresses with "Whisper White" Aquanamel??????

"Whisper", my foot: it's shouting from the curling long bits at the ends !!!!!!

One coat: that's all I was doing, before heading off into town to pick up Vboy from a friend's house, and then buy some groceries.

Oh @#*%#@#*%$@# Plurgh!!!!!!!!

Groove is in the heart........

12.51.
9 minutes before 1am.
Probably not the best time to be posting a blog when one has to be up at 7am. But there you go. As a very wise 11yr old named Lucy once said: You get that.

This evening, very late, of course, I had an epiphany.
I should warn you at this point, that I may be here a while. But anyone who is a regular reader of my not-so-regular-blogs is aware that I'm not known for the conciseness of phrase.... I'm more along the lines of your read-until-you-can-no-longer-feel-your-legs style of blogger....

So there it is... a question of style. Or lack thereof. Over the last year or probably 5, I've just lost it. I'm not even sure what "it" is. For the purpose of this exercise, let's call it my "Groove"....

There you have it: Cyndy wants to get her groove back....... I'm not sure that I'm up to posing this question when I sit here wearing uggboots & a pair of lolly pink flanellette pyjamas with sheep on them that are "Dreaming of Ewe..." Fetching, no??????

A girlfriend of mine almost peed herself laughing the other day when I told her that I had lost my motivation & drive, but that I had the idea that they were hiding in a corner of my mind, behind my libido that was rocking in a foetal position, sucking it's thumb............

Sad, but true. And I know that I'm not alone. I'm not unhappy, per se, just not ............... Discontentment: perhaps. A constant companion......

I went to Sydney yesterday: I am officially now a Registered, Endorsed Enrolled Nurse. So workwise, things are all good. Don't get me wrong: I have made major leaps & bounds in a professional sense. I placed myself on leave over the past few weeks, & now have to find work. But I'm not too concerned, as I think work will find me. And I am not my occupation, even though it binds to people & places.

There have been so may major changes in my life over the past few years & they won't be the end of it. Probably the oppposite, in fact. There are definitely more on the way. Aging parents & the care of the same in the knowledge that their health & abilities are going to diminish, teenagers becoming adults, retirement (as if that will ever happen) and the mortgage that just doesn't seem to shrink, even though the money does.....

I seriously needed a couple of weeks to re-group. Holidays..... I've been constantly busy, back & forth to Newcastle, running family members to appointments & such, here & there, just like everyone else. When I've been home, I've just stopped..........

Now look where that has led us.......

Beloved knew that there was something afoot when he entered the back door to the aroma of cleaning products & the frisson of activity in the air... at 11pm...... "I think I need my sunglasses... it's too shiny..." he said on his way to the shower.......

As I tucked him into bed with a kiss, I mentioned that I thought that I needed to get my groove back: he knew immediately what I meant & nodded in agreeance, with the comment "I think that we're both a bit like that, but we'll get there". And it wasn't sex that he was talking about, even though the loss of groove is not without collateral damage......

Ah, Beloved.

My divine husband. I really couldn't have asked for a better partner. I told my mum after knowing him for about 3 weeks that he was going to be "big".. you know, "the one"..... We've certainly tested each other out over the intervening years. It will be 25 years since we met on July 4, & we launched straight into a courtship that lasted almost 4 years before we were married. He gives me a lot of rope/freedom, but will always be there to lift me down if I hang myself with it. This is purely in a metaphorical sense, mind you. And this is ardently (if grudgingly at times) reciprocated. He has accepted my need to be away in both a physical & emotional sense, just as he accepts that I often cannot share his bed when he is snoring or sleep simply eludes me. Shift work & study probably made this a little more acceptable initially.

He loves me. Me, me, me me............

We're big on change at our place. We've never lived in one place much longer than 3-4 years. I'm not quite sure why. Beloved & I both lived our respective family home until the age of 21. Beloved's parents only sold their home a couple of years ago, & my dad is still living in the house that he & mum built in 1963.

Some changes & decisions haven't been the most successful, such as buying the house we're in now.... dumbass me, & dumbass Beloved for supporting me in this, even though he was trying to keep me happy. Beloved: now there was a good choice... ;0)

I'm not sure why I have this drive to keep moving.... I think that it may have weighed heavily upon our kids at times........ VBoy is adamant that we don't move again as he likes being a Denman Boy.....
After all, where is home? To me, it's simply been wherever we all are, & never about the postcode or walls around us.......

But back to the question of Groove. Maybe we never left it.

I'm a bit of an "action" person, although not in the physical sense: I'm rather lazy.... Economical with my energy, I am. I think that you make things happen for you. So, I guess I need to make some positive steps in the groove-making scheme of things. Get myself out of this rut that I seem to have grooved myself into & start making a new one. Maybe I just wore the old groove out, so that it just disappeared into the dust. Maybe I do need to just start etching away again..........

Enthusiasm..... Joy de vivre... Where are you??????

If only I knew where to start....... but there are some positive steps taken.

I have booked myself into the docs to address a few of my minor, but nagging health issues. It's boob-bus & pap-smear year. I probably need a consult with the gynaecologist: it's been a while. You'll be pleased to know (not) that I have a colonoscopy booked on June 10....... A visit to the dentist, optometrist & naturopath should round-out my look-after-me-campaign. Yegods! I'll be working until I'm 90 to pay the bills...... The dentist, in particular, will be fiscally challenging.

Hmmm.. maybe I think that I'd better get more active on the looking-for-work front. It might not find me soon enough.

Can you still feel your legs?

Blogging seems to bring some clarity, doesn't it? My cat is happily purring as he eats his food: he always does this. And into my mind pops......

"Free your mind, and the rest will follow"...... the EnVogue song from 1993.....

Yep, let's free my mind so that I can get some sleep: it's almost 2.30am.......

You know, maybe if I can successfully clear out the crap that clags up my mind, then I will indeed find the Groove that's in my heart.......

"Groove is is the heart....... ah, ah, ah, ah....." So say Deee-Lite, anyway.

After all, the cat is now snoring happily. I might try to do the same. And Beloved has just appeared looking delightfully dishevelled & bed-rumpled, with a questioning "wha....?" & shrug. He looks like he would be a snuggle that is second to none. I'm off then.

I'll keep you posted.

Night all.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz (hopefully)

Woo Hoo!

Sorry that I missed out on catching up, ladies! The week went so fast...........

• As reported, Friday/Saturday spent in Canberra. Sunday/Monday was spent in Cowra & travelling home via Newcastle to pick up S Boy from the airport & the dog from my Bro's. Washing done Tuesday, Sboy taken to see surgeon, then back to Newcastle on Tuesday night.

• Sboy taken to airport to fly back to the Gold Coast Wednesday after sorting out last details of traineeship paperwork. Shop with GG, visit Lovely Lisa for a quick cuppa Wednesday evening. Cooked dad Red Rooster for tea.

• Thursday, cleaned out mum's wardrobe, visited with bestie, Janine, after dinner.

• Friday; shopping, haircut, cuppa with Glen & Lisa at Westfield (I bought 2 pairs of high heeled shoes!!!!!), organised impromptu housewarming for my friend/hairdresser, Maxine. 6 women sat around Maxine's table, & 6 lives have all undergone big changes over the last year. It was so good to sit and talk. Oh... and laugh..... the conversation definitely took the odd bawdy turn..... there was so much cackling, that I wouldn't have been surprised to see an egg or two under the chairs....

• Saturday, I went to the send-off of the mum of a friend of mine. Ann & I have been friends since we began working together at Newcastle Uni in the early 80's. Her mum, Mary, was 83. A delightful lady, to say the least.

• Saturday disappeared as I drove home & met Beloved after Vboy played football. Saturday was the "Denman Food & Wine Affair", which is the premier event on the Denman social calender. The main street is closed & festival runs all day, then the fun continues into the night. The stalls were all closed by the time we arrived: Beloved, in his naivete, had thought that we would be able to eat a lovely meal at the pub.... no chance when to town's population doubles in size for the evening....... Thank goodness for the local scout group and their sausage sandwiches..........

A band played into the night, & much singing & drinking ensued....... I was a little hoarse yesterday.......... but I didn't dance my socks off...... because my entire week was hampered by the stupid calf muscle that I had strained the previous weekend in Cowra! At least the bruises are finally emerging.... bugger of a thing is still sore, though... and I can't walk in flat shoes properly as it stretches the muscle out......

And here's a picture! Or 2..........

Beloved having fun with Tracy & Lois (she's going to kill me for this....)

Tracy, Amelia & I getting our smiles on........

At this stage, I am coming back to Newie with GG on Wednesday evening/Thursday morning, so the quest for coffee may not be over yet!

Have a good day all!