Monday, April 20, 2009

Snooping? Not a bit of it.

The other day I went looking for my spouse, and found him in the back yard next to the car. He was looking through the binoculars at our neighbour's place across the street.
I thought it was very odd, as he is not the type to 'spy' on our neighbours.To anyone else, it would have looked very suss, to say the least. I asked him what he was doing and he said that the chap over the road had picked all his apples, and that is why the parrots and other birds are congregating in our yard and eating our apples. Spouse is trying to keep ahead of the birds, and stewing apples and freezing them, but there are very few containers that are the correct size, as he does not want to defrost large quantities as he is the only one who eats them.
Funny thing happened yesterday. He has been saving the margerine containers for the apples as they are just the right size. He froze the latest batch on Saterday. Yesterday morning he was looking for the margerine. I knew it was a fresh one and we hunted through the fridge to no avail. Then I had a brainwave. I said, "I bet I know what has happened. You have put the margerine back in the freezer by mistake when you put the apples in. I will bet you anything that is what you have done" Sure enough, he had done just that. I should have had money on it! Darn it!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

I'm Glad that is over!

I tell you folks, I am glad yesterday is just that, yesterday! We left home at 7.30 am to travel to Mt. Gambier because I had to have a bone scan. The day before, one of the receptionist rang to ask if I could come is earlier. I said That I could not as I had a two hour drive to get there. It would appear that NOBODY who lives in a city, be it provincial or a capital , have absolutely any conception of distances. I had an appointment here, with my Ortheopedic surgeon at the end of next month. One of the receptionists rang last week and told me he is not now coming until the end of July. She asked me if I would be going to the city in the next two months and i said I had no idea when I would be. She then asked if I would prefer to see him at Jamestown. I assured her, quite vehemently, I would not. It is north of Adelaide and quite a lot further to travel!! When I arrived at the hospital, the receptionist took my details then told me that the doctor had omitted to put my name on the referral, and she would need to ring and ask them to fax another one with my name on before they could do the procedure. This took some 20 to 30 mins and two phone calls to accomplish. I was under the impression, mistakenly as it turned out, I was to have only my knees x rayed. The radiogropher took some pictures to check my circulation. I am not sure now if she had injected the radioactive isotopes or not. I was then told to return in two and a half hours. When she injected the isotopes, she must have hit the tendon, as it is quite sore today. I have had quite a few bone scans and never had any after effects before.
We went into the city and my other half needed some oil for the car motor. This is to clean the injectors. We then went to a furniture shop, as I wanted to see about purchasing two recliner chairs. I got the shock of my life when the assistant told me ONE was $1,699.00!! Oh, please, cow hide is not that valuable, surely. I told him we only paid $1,000.00 more for a whole suite.Then the bos came in and tried to talk me out of buying fabric coverd chairs, which is what I would rather have. He told me they were greatly inferior, and he had lots of them in the repair shop. I said we were not going to be jumping on them, but he was insistant. The salesman told him not to try to put anything over on me as I was a tough lady. I then said, "Excuse me, but where is the front door, as I am leaving?" Neville said to me when we got in the car, that I should have asked him , if the chairs are such rubbish, why does he sell them. Good question.
We then went to Radio Rentals. Nothing there and NO service either! I had taken my small sterio down to get someone to look at it, to see if the laser could be replaced in the CD player. I was quoted $45.00 to look at it, and, wait for it, $150.00 to $200.00 for the laser!!!! Spouse thought it would be a waste of money and I would be better off buying a new Hi Fi. We then walked over the road to Target. It is in a shamlbes as they are doing refurbishments. Dust and chaos . I was asked by the young man behind the counter if he could be of assistance. I said I was looking for a CD played with external speakers. He scratched his head, and pointed out a small Hi Fi yonder on the shelf. I told him I could not see that far and he walked over with me so I could get a closer look. There was a price ticket on the shelf of $29.00. He said that was not the correct price. Bugger! He scanned it and told me it was $129.00. I bought it as it is a Sanyo and a micro sterio. Just the right size and has a lovely tone. It also has a single tape deck, which suits me just fine. I then went into Spotlight and bought two pairs of cutrains for the sitting room. I have just washed them and was horrified to discover they were covered in white stuff. As there was only liquid detergent in the machine, I am at a loss as to what it could be. I have put one pair through a cycle with no detergent. I will see how that works out.
We traipsed all over the city trying to find a park so we could go and have lunch, as we were both feeling yuk! No parking spaces near a pub to be had. We went to the shopping arcade, and were very lucky there too. The place was jammed, as the kids are on school holidays,and we would have had to queue for ages, and I felt as though I would collapse if I did not get some food very soon. Neville probably felt the same, as it was quite late.
We finally managed to get some pasties. Mine was nice. Cheese and veg. Neville had two meat and veg ones. He said one would have been enough as they were very filling. I had a couple of bites of the other one, and threw it in the bin. It was awful.Some people are easily pleased, it seems and will eat anything. Not me.
It was by then, time to return to the hospital for the scan. Now, under normal circumstances, these things are not a problem in any way. But I have a very painful back, and one has to lie still for 45 mins or more on a narrow steel 'bed'. This thing has a rubber mattress on it, but it does nothing to cushion you from the hardness of the underlying steel plate. With my back condition, I am always unable to move and am in a great deal of pain and discomfort afterwards. I never get any assistance from the staff, and am left to sruggle on my own. This time, however, it was worse, as my knee stiffened and locked , and it was agony trying to get it to move again. When I finally made it to a standing position, the girl asked me to wait while the doctor read the films and wrote a report. Another half hour of sitting around.
I paid a $20.00 Gap and got outta there. We went back into the city to do a couple of other errands.Then we headed for the hills, so to speak. We stopped in Naracoorte so I could buy some fritz for my daughter, from Woolies, as that is the only place we can get the kind she likes. We then filled the car with gas and I asked Neville to stop at the furniture shop and went in to see what they had in the way of chairs. It was then he told me he did not want a recliner. I asked him what sort he preferred and he told me something with wooden arms and a straight back. He said there had been some like it in the first shop we visited in Mt. Gambier. I asked him why he had not said something, and he told me I was in such an almighty hurry to get out of there, he did not have the chance. These people have a sale on next week and there is a leather recliner for $799.00. This is nuch better that $1,700.00 for one. I told the lass I would come back next week when they have one in stock and see about it.