Worth more money

Can you imagine what it's like feeding Hugo with (training) chopsticks????????????  I made so much mess helping him just now, he ended up wiping me down!  I've never mastered chopsticks myself and seriously question any culture that uses them when there are such things as knives and forks! 

This morning while I was supervising Emma's piano practice, Hugo got the box of handmade Christmas decorations and hung them all over the living room. Time's going so fast I thought we might as well leave them there.

The other grandparents are away, so I'm now in charge of both children, which is quite a challenge.  Fortunately my hip is much better and I'm now in new orthotics.  A physiotherapist is calling this afternoon, in spite of my saying last week I didn't need him.

A night in hospital

I woke up round 3am on Wednesday with excruciating pain in my right side and struggled into the kitchen to get a pain killer out of the fridge, then slid to the floor in agony, wondering how I could get to the tap for some water.  I realised there was a bottle of water within reach, so swallowed the tablet with water from the bottle, all the while coming out in a terrible sweat.

I struggled to my feet, went back to the bedroom and fluffed up the pillows but couldn't bend or raise my right leg to get myself in.  I didn't want to wake Philip, but after about an hour or so of suffering I had to, so went upstairs in agony and he drove me to the hospital (only 10 minutes away).

The service was wonderful!  They did an ECG, blood tests, temperature, BP and x-rays, and came to the conclusion since nothing was broken that it was possibly a pinched nerve in my right side.  I wouldn't have believed that pain could be so bad - I gave it a 10/10 level when I tried to move, but nothing when I was still.  A physiotherapist came to me round 8am and said I could go home, and that they would send a physio to treat me at home for a couple of days.

I've never seen so many medical people + ambulance officers + police.  I counted heads at the morning round - 10 doctors and 20 nurses - and ambulance men bringing in a patient. Just imagine the salaries bill for every hospital in the country if they're all like this.

When I was told I could go home, I didn't want to wait in the general area as I was in my pyjamas and brunch coat, so they put me aside in the police room.  It wasn't long before four police officers arrived with a grey/green looking yobbo and I guessed he'd been had up for drink driving and was about to undergo blood and alcohol tests.  When he suddenly asked for a vomit bag I though it was time I made my exit, pyjamas or no.  Poor devil apologised to me as I left!

This morning I went to my local GP who wrote a script for strong pain killers.  Nobody can predict how long I'll suffer - the problem could right itself at any moment, or take months. I'm still OK when upright, but find it very difficult to bend, sit or lie.

I, too, was amazed when I listed so many UK TV programs we have here.  Our ABC does very little, it seems, yet costs us a huge amount.  Mind you, it's hard to reach the high standard of your stuff, Winifred, even though we have plenty of local talent.  We've all been brought up on British programs and have come to love them.

British TV

Winifred, I saw one episode of Coast Australia (and of course all of the UK ones).  A quick glance at our TV programs would make anybody think we actually live in UK:  Just yesterday there was Restoration Home, Inspector George Gently, Sacred Wonders of Britain, Derren Brown, The Magic of Mushrooms; and through the week we get a daily dose of QI, Great Houses, Secrets of the Manor House, Escape to the Country, Walking through History, One Born Every Minute, Call the Midwife, The Men who made us Fat, Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Express, Absolutely Fabulous, New Tricks, Medieval Lives, Grand Designs, Midsomer Murders...

And, given that I still listen to BBC Radio 4 or 4 Extra all through every night, I know more about your country than you do!!!!  I absolutely love the plays, with top actors like Patricia Routledge, Bill Nighy and Lee Ingleby.  We have no plays on Australian radio. Well, none that I'm aware of.

When I come back to Australian radio I really notice the difference in accents!

Mother's Day

I've been very slack lately, largely because I'm not motivated to write anything on my blog without a photo of my own.  I still don't have a camera, but found this beautiful online pic of autumn in Mt Wilson, in the Blue Mountains.  I remember driving there on my own one Mother's Day when it was blowing a gale and freezing cold.  Today it's quite pleasant here in Sydney and I was even optimistic enough to put my swimmers on and step into the pool. That, unfortunately is as far as I went.  I stepped out rather briskly, had a warm shower and forgot about that silly idea.

We don't usually fuss about Mother's Day, but Philip came down earlier with a box of handmade chocolates for me.  I've been rather pleased with my healthy diet over past weeks - lots of fruit and vegetables - so will limit myself to one chocolate per day.  I've resumed my exercise classes twice a week and have told myself to ignore arthritic aches and pains, even going so far as to pretend I don't have arthritis!  Still standing at the computer and hopping up every 20 minutes or so if I'm watching TV, and doing some kind of exercise.

Sydney's high-tech security for the royals

On Thursday Sue invited me to her place next door to Admiralty House, the Governor-General's mansion, and we watched Kate and Wills step off the police launch and walk up into the grounds. Here is Kate in her lovely yellow dress - there are better photos to come, Sue tells me. The Cambridges are staying here during their Sydney visit.  Sue's apartment is so close I'm sure she could hear Prince George crying in the night!

Inside the house Prince George gets a wombat.

This pic would have been taken out the front, minutes after Sue took hers.  With Kate and Wills are the brand-new G-G (Sir Peter - oh dear, his surname escapes me) and his wife.

Years ago, when Prince Charles stayed here, Philip was in the Police Service and was on guard duty all night - he said he just slept in the car on the street outside.

My shameful secret

Kim Kardashian's rear end

Winifred, you have discovered my shameful secret!!!!!  Lina was so appalled when she discovered not only I, but another 'intelligent' friend of hers, was (were?) looking at the online Daily Mail that she herself started looking at it, too.  And now I learn that the philosopher Alain de Botton is also in the club!!!!

He has even started his own Philosophers Mail:  http://www.philosophersmail.com/
under the pretext his interest in the Daily Mail is a philosophical one!!!

Seriously, though, we 'intelligent' folk do look at it through utter disbelief that people not only behave so appallingly but that a newspaper would print such rubbish!  Makes me wonder how 'evolved' homo sapiens is.

Time for thyme

Yes, Winifred, I wonder who these people are, telling us what and how much to eat.  But I'm choosing to take notice now as I need a bit of a kick up the bum to get me going!  And I find that if my meals are well organised, my entire days seem to be better organised, too.

For example, this morning I dropped Emma at school and continued on to a shopping centre where I bought both kids a pair of winter pyjamas (our autumn nights are getting cooler), had a coffe while reading a book (about spelling) I bought there a couple of weeks back, then went to a green grocer for some vegies.  I came home and heated up some leftover chicken in thyme and white wine I cooked last night, added some whole potatoes done in the microwave and served with sour cream, and some frozen baby peas and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch.  That's nowhere near the recommended five veg, but better than the usual bread and cheese.

Now, after reading that book on spelling I feel motivated to do a bit of Japanese, then practise the piano. Usually I would have a nap and get depressed and unmotived.  Being alone is what makes it easy to slip into despondency and slothfulness.

So far I'm not losing any weight.  It's really annoying, when I eat properly, exercise, stand up all day long and still get fat!!!!  Mind you, I don't know why I want to lose weight, as I'm scrawny enough as it is - weight always goes from my neck and arms.

Getting fat again

Last year I was very pleased with myself for standing at the computer and exercising during TV commercials. I went down from 70kg to 63, month by month.  This year I was tired of standing at the computer, so starting sitting on my ball again, and generally became very slothful and, of course, starting putting the weight back on.  So the other day I got some more boxes to put my computer and mouse pad on so I can stand again, and am making an effort to move more.  But it seems I have to lose the weight all over again as I'm back to 70.

And now they tell us we should be eating not just five fruit and vegetables a day, but seven (including two pieces of fruit).  I'm fine with the fruit, and eat more than two pieces a day, but always fall short on the vegetables.  I'm now making an effort to eat more vegies, but will never make seven.  Even the experts realise this is just a dream.

Over the past few nights I've cooked myself some delicious meals.  I have dozens of cookbooks, so am never short of inspiration, and there's always the internet for recipes. It's never much fun eating alone, so I frequently have the family down.

What you say about not being lonely is correct, Winifred.  Frank, you are lucky, too, to have family so close.  I saw a new doctor - a middle-aged woman - the other day and she was very caring and asked, 'Who do you live with?'  I'd never been asked that before, but it's a good idea for your GP to know whether you're alone and might be lonely and depressed or have somebody keeping an eye on you.

The big problem

I have had the greatest difficulty with time ever since I retired.  When we work, we don't have time to think about it, we just rush about, fitting everything into somebody else's timetable. But our own timetable requires a lot more effort.

When I wake up in the morning I think of all the things I have to do, and sometimes become so overwhelmed I do nothing but lie about, undecided.  Will I practise the piano, learn some Japanese, dust and vacuum, have a swim/a nap, do the shopping, cook something, visit friends, go to a movie/a gallery/the zoo, read the paper, do the crossword, cuddle the cat, pay some bills, Google around, answer dozens of emails, read a book (in English/Italian/French), tidy up, watch TV, make some phone calls, do some online jigsaws, etc, etc??????

The only things I never have to worry about are what are imposed on me by others, like walking Emma to/from school, giving an English lesson, and having my piano lesson.  This is a sad state of affairs, given that I have been retired for almost 15 years, and am still unable to discipline myself and order my days.

Oh dear, what a laugh!

I remember commenting ages ago, when I first started listening to the BBC, that I was astonished to hear real-life baronesses and lords actually talking on the radio!!!  To us egalitarian Aussies, it is unbelievable that such titled folk really exist.  But now, can you believe, Tony Abbott has brought back Sir and Dame!  He did it without consulting anybody and has been a laughing stock ever since.  Both sides of parliament have called it ridiculous, the opposition has had fits of the giggles and the cartoonists have had a field day!

I specially love the new Australian flag, the one Sir Pository of Wisdom would like!
(For anybody who hasn't already heard about it, one of Tony's first gaffs was when he used the phrase 'suppository of wisdom', instead of 'depository'.  We laughed about that one for months.)

No offence to the British people - but the vast majority of Australians want a republic when the Queen dies, and an Australian-born head of state.  This present PM is a huge embarrassment. (He was born in UK.)

We have reached a new low with this current crop of politicians and, for the first time in my life, I voted for nobody in the last election.