Long day. And how!

Yesterday morning, when Neville came home from buying the Saturday paper, he asked if I would like to go to Adelaide to look at a good second hand car. As I have been having a torrid time with my leg, and not feeling like doing much, it was a big ask. It meant hours cooped up in the little car, and I did not relish the idea at all. It also meant I would not be able to move around much all day, and that would mean much discomfort, not to mention possible pain. I said I would go if we went to see my mother who is in hospital, and very ill. He said we would not go to Adelaide and not see her.
We finally found the home of the man with the advertised car. It looked very good at first glance. He had said it was a clean, neat car. We thought it was a white 1998 EL Ford Falcon. Had only done 123,000.00 kms. Paul was asking $5,000.00 for it.
We took it far a short test drive, and Neville said he would see if Paul would take $4,500.00 for it. They discussed the sale, and Paul said he had wanted $4.600.00, but he did not want to be stuffed around with it, and, as we had come all the way from Bordertown, he agreed to our offer. It turns out it is a January 1997 model. There are, as one could anticipate, some minor things to be fixed, but Neville says it is still a good buy.
I can tell you dear reader, it was a loverly feeling driving down the street this morning in a decent car!!! It has air conditioning, a CD player, blue/grey mottled/plain upholstery, keyless entry and lots of leg room. Neville is not used to these new fangled gadgets, but he will get used to them. I will buy a dashboard mat so that does not get cracked from the sun. He will need to buy stronger head lamps, as they do not show up well on high beam. He will also need to fix the old Ford Fairlaine and sell it so we can put this one in the shed!!

Here I am once again.

Hi folks, I have returned. I have been in hospital having had knee replacement surgery. I have been home nearly two weeks, but have not felt up to blogging until today. My leg in still a little stiff, which makes doing the exercises difficult to say the least. One must persevere, as this is the only way to loosen and strengthen the muscles.
I am still using a walking cane and am still very slow on my feet. No doubt as I improve so will my confidence. The new joint is working very well and does not hurt, but my whole leg aches so much I could scream! It is getting better, though.
We went to Naracoorte on Tuesday, to do the grocery shopping. Hadn't done a big shop for four weeks. I was not ready for such a big task, but the driver said I did not have a choice. Bah! Humbug!
I did overdo it, and my knee was swollen up like a balloon, but what the hay, he couldn't feel it.
The swelling has gone done considerably in the last two days. Thankfully.
I bought myself a new pair of shoes on Tuesday, as the old ones I have been wearing are too long, and I was afraid I would trip on them. I can not afford to fall over!
I bought a pair of Kumfs. My mother has been wearing them for years and swears by them. They are VERY expensive! I tried on a lovely pair of black ones with inlays of patent leather strips. It turned out it was crocodile skin.Yuk! I thought they were priced at $79.00. After I decided to take them, I discovered they were $179.00! Too rich for my budget. I told the sales assistant I am legally blind and did not see the one. I asked if she had any others at around the $79.00 mark. She brought out two pairs of two tone shoes. One had pale blue and cream uppers, and the other, navy and cream. I chose the navy and cream. They were half price, but still cost $87.00. Very comfortable though.

Houston, we have a problem!

Well folks, we have lift off, of a sort. My Home Help cleaning lass came a few days early today, to give the house the once over, as her next day to come would be Monday, and I will be in hospital then. She had nearly finished, when we all decided it would be best if the new cupboards were installed, so she could clean up the kitchen after that. We didn't reckon on 'Murphy' showing up, but come he did! The man about the house had had some trouble getting things level when he was making the cupboards, as he has about six spirit levels and none of them are accurate. You guessed it. For all his attention to detail, the b****y thing didn't fit! He also had to pull it out so he could use the cut off wheel to cut some off the quarry tiles. The only problem with that was, I had just wiped all the bench down, and Kristen had just cleaned the house. Neville tried to keep the dust to a minimum by closing the doors, but the stuff seeps through every crack and crevice. Consequently, everything was covered it a thick layer of red dust. Bugger it! The cupboard fits the space now, but needs to to be pushed in hard.
Then when Neville brought the wall oven cupboard in and put it in place, we discovered another problem we had not foreseen. Because the thing is higher, it covers the double power point which is behind it, and we can;t plug anything in to it. We scratched our heads and thought of several solutions, but none terribly satisfactory. Then I had a brain wave. As he has to make a small cupboard to put the drawers in, I suggested he move the wall oven to where the stove is now and put the drawers in it's place.None of the cupboards are joined together. That way we do not have the expense of an electrician moving the power point, and I will have somewhere to put the microwave. It will also be better not having the cook top right next to the wall oven, and it will not get too hot and will be easier to keep clean.To my great relief, he agreed with me. He then started to revamp the cupboard that had the drawers in it, so he will not have to start from scratch. He asked if it would matter if he left the maroon Laminex on it. I vetoed that idea damn quick. He just has to replace the top with the black and it will not look like a bodgey job.
Keep your fingers and toes crossed folks!

Jokers.

The man about the house and I went down town this morning, as I had some errands to run.
I recently 'found' a Velour beach towel my daughter gave me some time ago, that has cats on it. I had decided I wanted to make it in to a wall hanging. Neville said he had some dowling in the shed. When he got it out, I was not at all enamoured of it, as it was very dirty and greasy.
There was not enough, so we went to the hardware /timber store and I asked about their stock. The young guy and I climbed down some steps to the back of the shed, and he showed me what he had. While I was deciding which was the better size for the job, a bloke came in, just as I asked the lad how much a metre it was. I do not know this man from 'Adam', but he cheekily said as he walked past, $25.00. I said, as lightheartedly as possible, "If bulls**t was music, you would be a brass band." He just roared laughing and went about his business. He came to the counter with the dowling he wanted, just as the lad told me the length I wanted would cost $4.00 all up,and said something else cheeky, but it escapes me.
I have also rearranged the linen cupboard so I can have my tea towels at a height so I do not need to bend. They were in a drawer, and it is a real pain in the back when I need one.
I now have to find a home for all the meat bags and sundry other stuff on the bottom shelf.
We should be able to put the new cupboards in place tomorrow. I hope the cook top and wall oven will be connected before I come home from hospital.

NOT a happy little vegemite!

For the uninitiated, Vegemite is a dark brown, yeasty,very salty spread that comes in a jar. We in OZ use it for flavouring soups and the like, and on our breakfast toast. Yum! It is however, an acquired taste. The Brits have only recently got a taste for it, and can't get enough of it. It is now being exported to Britain. It is laden with vitamins and minerals and is reputed to put a smile on the consumers faces. Hence the term, Happy Little Vegemite. It is therefore used to describe one's mood. I am not happy at the moment, because channel 9 has been bought by the television mogul who owns channel 7. This now means, all my favourite programmes are now obsolete, and have been replaced by channel seven's guff.
The Today programme has been replaced by Sunrise with David Koch and his female sidekick. Now, the only person I will miss on the Today show is Steve Jacobs, the weather man. He is funny, and refreshingly entertaining. I think he is the best weather presenter in the country. I will not miss Richard Wilkins, gossip monger extraordinaire. He is boring in the extreme and so full of his own self importance, he makes me want to throw up!
We no longer have Temptation or A Current Affair. We now have Deal or No Deal, and Today Tonight. I will watch them tonight and see if they are worth watching long term. There will no longer be my favourite C.S.I. shows. Apart from a couple of Law and Order shows on 10, and a couple of shows on ABC, there is nothing we will be watching.
I love Temptation, because I like to pit my wits against the competitors and see how many questions I can get right.
A.C.A was getting a bit beyond the pail, but they still got results for the Aussie battlers.

What a day!

It is our 38th wedding anniversary today. Usually, we try to ignore it, as the man about the house is NOT a romantic in any way shape or form, unlike our son, who is celebrating his 10th anniversary today. http://frugalbastard.com.au. This morning however, he kissed me and wished me a happy anniversary. We went out to the local pub for lunch yesterday, as I had to fast, and it would have been too late to go in Naracoorte.
We have just arrived home, after going to Naracoorte to shop and for me to have a chest x ray and upper abdominal ultra sound. I had to fast for the latter for six hours, so was glad when it was over so I could have something to eat.
I went into Subway and was served(?) by Jen. She was so slow I nearly had to line her up with something stationary, to see if she was moving. I asked for a wheaten six inch roll. So far, so good. I then asked for turkey and if they had cranberry sauce. No, they did not have cranberry sauce. Never mind. I then asked for the roll to be toasted. She was able to manage that OK. Then she put the filling on it and I said I was having it there. We got to the check out and she proceeded to wrap it and put it in a plastic bag. I said, "Excuse me, I said I was having it here." "Oh, I thought you said you were taking it away." "No, I did not." I would also like a cappuccino please." "Would you like a cup or a mug?" "I will have a cup, thank you." She totaled it up and I paid for it. She said she would bring the coffee to my table. Dear readers, I was not surprised but annoyed,when she put a MUG in front of me! How some people get a job, let alone keep it is beyond me. Why don't they LISTEN? I suppose I should have said something, but I was too hungry and thirsty so let it slide.

It is coming along nicely, thank you.

Cupboard number two is taking shape. The man about the house is doing a great job, considering he has had no formal training in carpentry. He has been experiencing a bit of trouble cutting the wood, as the bench is not level/straight. There are some very minor gaps, but I told him to paint it and if anybody says anything I will tell them they are too close. Only I am allowed to get that close to see.
It would be terrific if the stove components are installed and operational before I go in to hospital in a couple of weeks, but I am not holding my breath. All he will have to do after this one is completed is make the one to go where the present stove is, to put the drawers in and the microwave oven on. I will have plenty of space in the new cupboards to put my electrical appliances away so I can have more bench space. Speed the day!

Lucky Find.

Last Saturday morning, the man about the house walked out to a seed merchant's, to see about the price of some Millet seed, as he wants to sow some on the farm. He found a credit card wallet full of cards for various banks and other organizations, The name on them rang a bell, so I made some phone calls, one to my son in Perth. I asked him for the phone number of the mother of one of his best friends, as she had remarried, and her husband's name was the same. There was also a Golf Club Membership card for the town where they live. I put two and two together and came up with four. Bingo! It turned out the chap had lost them the day before and, as he is a Veterinarian, and one of the cards was govt issue, I knew he would be very relieved to get them back. He happened to be working here at the local meat works, and his wife gave me his mobile number, so I rang him. He came and picked them up when he finished at lunch time that day. He has just arrived on our doorstop bearing a gift of potted tulips as a thank you for us returning the cards. I was overwhelmed and told him it was not necessary to have done anything like this, as we were only too happy to be able to restore his property to him. He came in and met Neville and thanked him also.

Lost somethin', mate?

We had a busy day yesterday, with the necessity of traveling the Adelaide for my medical needs.
On our way home we stopped to visit Neville's brother, Peter. We had a cuppa and caught up on our respective news. When we were about to leave, Neville could not find his car key. He looked everywhere for it, to no avail. He got his torch out of the boot and looked on the footpath,, but it was not there. He then went back and looked on his side of the car. While he was looking, some young chaps, also carrying a torch, came past and asked him what he was looking for. He, being the owner of a dry somewhat sarcastic wit, said, 'A lost dog, mate.' " Oh, right. A lost dog. OK." They kept on down the road, and Neville said, " Lost dog indeed, Why would I be looking for a lost dog in the middle of the road?" He found the key under some rags in the front. He has so many keys, he does not know which one is for what.

Kath& Kim.

I know I am probably in the minority, but I can not for the life of me understand what is so riveting about this show. I am sticking my neck out by making any comment about it, as I have never watched an episode, but, all I see is adverts for the show in all forms of the media. I have seen snippets of this show, and it does not 'grab' me at all. I am no philistine nor am I a snob, but I don't understand why it is so popular. Can someone please enlighten me? We can't get it where we are.

Wool Away.

Last night one of us was supposed to ring a wool buyer in Horsham, in western Victoria, to ascertain if he was going to be in Edenhope, also in western Victoria, but closer to the S.A. border, to buy wool today, but we both forgot. I rang him early this morning and had to leave a message for him to call back. The man about the house sold our wool to him last year, and was very pleased with the price he got, so decided to sell it to him again this year. I did not go with Neville last year, so had not met Jim Rice, the buyer. When Jim rang me back, he sounded very nice, and I was tickled by the fact he was calling me 'love'. He said he would be at Edenhope today, and I said we would see him later in the day. He said he looked forward to meeting me.
When we got there, I got out of the car and he hailed me from the shed and said, "G'day. Are you Susan?" I said, "Yes, I am." He said "Nice to meet you." He said hullo to Neville, and as he had his dog with him, I asked what it's name was, to be told mad Maggie. I asked, "Why mad Maggie?" And he said, she loves to chase tennis balls all day. Maggie is a lovely Border Collie sheep dog.
Jim is about 45 and very friendly, so much so that he called me Suse(?) or Love all the time we were there. As we were leaving, he said to me "Nice to have met you. See you again next time." I said I hope to be a lot thinner next time, and he said I was alright as I am. He sidled up to Neville and said in a stage whisper, "Susan's the reason you got more for the wool this year. All that extra weight."
I told him he had the 'cheek of the working class'. I said to Neville it was just as well I have a great sense of humour too.
We went to the pub and had lunch when we arrived back in Naracoorte, as it was 12.30pm. Then Neville dropped me at Woolworths so I could do the shopping, and he went back out to the farm for a bit over one and a half hours.
When he returned, he took me to Target and I bought a pair of runners, as I want to try walking a bit more, though I will not be able to go far until after my op, but every bit helps in the weight loss game. I needed a good pair of shoes as the ones I wear normally, are not at all suitable for that purpose. I went to the chemist, but they did not have the item I needed, so we came home. I checked my emails after I had put the groceries away, but I was exhausted, and went to lie down after tea, and totally zonked for nearly an hour.
My friend Sue came around tonight and has just left.

Blood donation rigmarole!

I have never donated blood before, but as I am having surgery in four weeks time, I have decided to donate three units for my own use, if needed. Today was the first appointment for this procedure. I was on time, but the doctor was not. The clinic sister left just as we arrived. It turned out, she did not have theses appointments in her computer, and thought she was free until 2.30pm, and went home to have lunch.I was not called in until 2.50 pm, one hour and five minutes late. Then there was all the paper work to do. I was astounded by all the things that have to be tested for. When we were ready to start, I was of course, lying down. Karen inserted the needle, (crow bar) and I suddenly felt woozy. She asked if I was alright, and I told her I felt woozy, and asked if it was normal. She said it does happen. I did not expect that. It did not last long, thankfully. It did not take long to collect the blood, as I have a very good vein and it pumped out. It took a bit of time the stop the flow once the needle was removed. I usually clot very quickly. I have two more of these sessions. Fun!

Childish wonderment.

Yesterday, my daughter and he husband and children, came down to do some shopping. The baby was asleep, so we didn't get to have time with her this time, but the boys decided to stay here and kick a ball around.
Riley, who is four, saw the cupboard Neville is making for my new cook top, and was very interested to know all about it. When he was told his Pop was making it, he got very excited and called to his brother, "Hey, Lach'an, come and look at this. Pop is making a cupboard! Hey, Lach'an, come and see this!" ( Riley can't say, Lachlan.)
The incredulity of the child, that his Pop could do something so wonderful, and clever, was a joy to behold. He couldn't get over it. Said cupboard is coming on a treat, and should soon be finished and in place. It will be a while before the wall oven cupboard is done, and they can be connected and I can get cooking once again.
The boys kicked the ball for a short time, then Lachlan asked if he could play a game on the computer. He played a couple of games of Go Fish, then Riley had a game. They seemed to really enjoy themselves, although they were only here for about an hour.

Luciano Pavarotti. Vale.

Pavarotti was, in my humble opinion, the best tenor the world has seen and heard in a long time. I am deeply saddened to hear of his death today. He seemed to be a very nice, humble, man and not at all enamoured of himself. It is sad to think he will no longer make wonderful music. I pray that he rest in peace with his Lord for eternity.

Knicker-less!

We had to travel to Naracoorte today, not our usual shopping day, because I had a dental appointment. I needed to have the four upper front incisors repaired. The dentist assured me, most vehemently, that the reason they had collapsed, was because I grind my teeth. I argued with him, and said I did not. He said,"Yes, you do!" I said it must be in my sleep. I think I have discovered the problem. It is not that I grind my teeth, but I have been chewing sugarless gum for a year, because I read somewhere that it helps digestion and the extra saliva helps to protect the tooth enamel.(?) I tried chewing some tonight, and discovered I push it up against the front teeth a lot. This puts too much pressure on them. No more gum for me, as I can't afford another $200.00 for repairs. As always, my dentist has done a brrrilliant job, and I told him so.
Before my appointment, I had four hours to 'kill', as Neville brought me in to town from the farm at 11am. I went to Target and bought myself two new pairs of knickers.I then went in to Retravision to do something for my daughter. I then went to Subway for lunch. While paying for my order, I apparently put the carry bag on the counter and did not notice. I went to the fridge and got myself a lo fat yoghurt and went and sat down. Halfway through eating my meal, I got a tissue out of my bag and noticed the Target receipt and decided to put it in the carry bag. Oops, no carry bag. I got up, and was looking for it, thinking I had left it in Retravision and I would have to retrace my steps. How embarrassing!
Next thing, one of the girls in Subway came over and handed me the carry bag and asked if it was what I was looking for. Much relieved, I said it was. She told me, barely managing to refrain from bursting it to fits of giggles, where I had left it. Ah, me, another 'senior moment'!