Winning. Sometimes easy, sometimes not.

As stated in yesterday's post, I had a bone density scan this week. I went to see my doctor yesterday to get the results. I was very pleased to discover I have very strong bones, and it would take considerable force to break one. This is good news. Winner No. one. Winner No. 2 was finding out I have lost 2 kilos this week, by just cutting out sugar altogether. Yay! I have to try to keep that up. everthing tastes digusting, but I will have to persevere. Winner N0.3 was being told, because I have started to lose weight, and cut out sugar, I am NOT a Diabetc! ( Feel like eating a piece of cake to celebrate) Just joshing!
The doctor is confident, if I continue to lose weight, my blood glucose levels will get back to normal.
Losing weight is not going to be easy, but I am determined to try my bset to succeed. Winner No. 4 was a competition in a Hardware catalogue. The prize is a six piece dripper set and 25m hose. I was an instant winner. My daughter rang me while I was in Adelaide, very excited, to tell me she had won one of them. I got my catalogue yesterday and entered the comp. There are only 100 to be given away Australia wide. Howzat?

Adelaide trip.

We travelled to our capital city yesterday, as I had to have a bone density scan, in the afternoon. I arrived at my mother's, at a little after 11 a.m. We had a cuppa, and she showed me some photos of my sister Alison and her family, that were taken at her second daughter's 18th birthday in July.
I have not seen Alison for thirty years, and have never met her other two girls, or her partner, Aiden. There were pics of all of them. Ellen is a beautiful girl, with flowing red hair, and a full figure. That is not to say she is over weight. Not at all. I have spoken to them all at times, when I have rung Alison. They are all very nice.
I took mum some flowers. Blue Irises and white Geraldton Wax, and a bunch of red rose buds. She was very pleased to receive them. We had lunch, and afterwards, we played two games of Scrabble. Mum won the first one by 9 points, and I the second, by 16. She declared, in jest, that she was not playing me again, as she does not like to lose. Before we had finished the second game, Neville had returned to take me to my scan appointment. He said KMart had canned peaches out for 0.99c each. You could purchase a box of 12 for nearly $12.00. I rang my daughter and asked if she would like some. She said , yes please. We bought three boxes.
We then travelled further along the road to the hospital, where I had to go for the scan. He dropped me off at the wrong gray building! It was my fault, as I am nearly blind, all I saw was the first part of the word, Ashford, and assumed it was the hospital. It turned out to be an eye clinic, and retirement home construction, office. The hospital was just a short way further down. Neville had to get off the very busy Anzac
Highway, and try to find a park. I was concerned, as he does not have a moblie, and I was unable to inform him of my mistake. `
When I got inside, I had to fill out a form, as I expected. Guess who left her glasses in the car?
That was a first! I had to ask one of the receptionists to help me fill it out. She was very obliging.
When she called me up to the desk to fill out the form, I sensed someone was standing next to me, and turned around to discover it was Neville.
I did not have to wait long to be called in for the scan. I told the radiogropher that I had several things wrong with my spine, and would find it very difficult if not impossible to get up off the exam table, as they are so hard and it causes me such pain. When the scan was finished, she stood next to the table and said I could get up by myself. She did not give me one iota of assistance, even when she could see how difficult it was for me. I guess they have to be careful they do not injure themselves, and people do 'bung it on', but with minimal assistance, it would have been so much easier for me.
We then procceeded to the Central Markets in the city, to check out the fruit and veg prices. As we came to the end of one aisle, I noticed a couple, the guy was in a wheel chair. I do not like to 'stare' too long to see if I know people, especially one's in wheel chairs. They don't know I have deffective eyesight, and think I am staring for the sake of it. We were just turning into the next aisle, when all of a sudden, I was acosted by the woman in question, and realised it was my cousin Patti, and her husband Ric. I have not seen them for years. Ric broke his neck in a horse
riding accident, 18 yers ago. He had a stock businees, and was rounding up cattle in the market yards, when the horse went under the overhead walkway, and Ric was looking the other way.
He is now a Quadreplegic, with slightly impaired use of his hands, and a world class Paralympian, and artist. He was Young South Australian of the Year a few years ago. They are lovely people.
After we had made our purchases, we headed for home. We called in at Tailem Bend and I bought tea, and we went to Neville's brother's place to eat it. He was very pleased to see us.
We left his place about 8.30. We stopped at Keith to apend some time with our daughter and her family, and got home around 11p.m. I was mighty glad to see my bed!

Tanks.

I do not mean water tanks. I mean those great thundering weapons of mass destruction used in the army. It has been reported in the media, that the department of defence has purchased some of these things from America. They are about thiry years old, and have been reconditioned. They cost huge amounts of money. Over $M500 has been cited. They each weigh over thirty tons, and because of that they are too heavy to transport by train,or truck, and too heavy to cross bridges and they use far too much fuel in comparisine with more modern ones.They have also purchased helicopters that are out of date and possibly dangerous. This begs the question, do they even care about the safety of our militry personnel? They certainly don't care how they spend our tax dollars. It begs another question, what sort of doctor was Brendon Nelson,was he as inept as he was as Minister for Education, he is worse than useless as Minister for Defence. To wit, the Jake Kovco affair, to name one instance.

Water.

There is not one drop more or less in the world today, than there was when the world was created, but we humans treat it as though it is not at all important. It is vital to sustaining life, any life, and we need to be more careful how we use it. We have droughts of course, but we do not utilise it prudently when it is in abundance. It was stated in the media, by some 'bright spark', that the way to make people think more carefully how they use it, is to make them pay more for it. Why do our pollies, or contributors to the letters pages of our papers, only think in terms of money, and how much we have to pay for anything, when they are trying to solve any crisis of consumption of power, water etc. We need people in politics who have more imagination and vision, than that. I certainly do not have the answers, but we are 'screwed' enough for everything we purchase now. I don't think this is the answer. The Federal Government has now implemented a new office within the Prime Minister's Department, and Malcolm Turnbull has been given the job of CEO, to try to 'nut' out the answers. He has been quoted as saying, we will have to pay more for water. Time will tell if he can acompilsh his goal. Hopefully, it will be with more finesse than that.

Get it right, folks.

I do so hate inefficiency! I went to Adelaide two weeks ago, to consult a specialist physician,on the recommendation of my Orthopeadic surgeon, to see if he could ascertain the reason or reasons I can not lose weight. I need knee replacement surgery, and my surgeon is not willing to put me at risk and wants me to lose some weight. He has not told me how much as yet. He sent me to this man, and he ordered a whole raft of blood tests and urine tests and a chest x-ray. One of his receptionsts rang me yesterday, and informed me I have an infection, and she was posting me a prescription. The same woman rang again today, and told me the other test results were back, and my blood glucose level was of concern, and I should see my own GP, poste haste, and discuss it with him. She said she was sending a copy of the results to him. I rang the clinic and told the receptionist what I had been told, and she said the results had been faxed to the doctor just before I rang. She spoke to my doctor, and he said he would squeeze me in this afternoon at 2 pm. I went down to the clinic and got in at 3pm. I was not concerned about having to wait, but when I got in to the consulting room, and told the doctor what I had told his receptionst, he tried to find the results on the computer, to no avail. He then rang the desk and asked, rather curtly, where they were. He also said, he only agreed to see me because he had had his arm twisted. He said he was late, late,late and people were waiting for him at the hospital. You can imagine how that made me feel! We talked about other things, and I got him to write me a script for some other medication while we waited. He then rang the desk again, and told the girl to ring the doctor's rooms in Adelaide and see where the test results were, after telling me to make an appointment next week to to get the results, only to be told they were being faxed at that moment. He told me to wait, and we would sort it out. When they finally came through, it said my blood suger level was 13. This is not good, and usually means the person is diabetic.I was devastated at the prospect. He then decided to get his clinic nurse to do a finger prick blood test and see what it was. I had foreseen this occurance, and had not eaten anything since breakfast. When she did the test, I was greatly relieved to see it was 6.5, which is quite OK.As my husband is a diabetic, the docter said to have some random tests done by Neville,over the next few days, and to go to the clinic at random times every day next week for more of the same.
My doctor also gave me a prescription for some Reductil, to try and help me lose weight. I took the scrip to the chemist, and asked for a price before I let him make it up. I am mighty glad I did I is over $100.00 a throw!!! I will have to make another appointment, and tell him to think of something else. Even if it works, and there is no garrantee that it would, I can't afford that sort of expense.

I forgot me poi!!

I have always maintained, that no-one would be able to hypnotise me. After playing Crazy Eights for most of the morning, and watching those cards go back and forth, I am not so sure. I was mesmerised, and finished up have a snooze, before lunch, because they made me so drowsy!! When I woke up, I had something to drink and stared to watch a DVD of the movie, Exodus. It was made it 1958, and released two years later. I remember seeing it about then, but can not remember much about it. It was on sale for $9.95 a couple of weeks ago, so I bought it. I found a small apple and custard tart in the fridge, and put it in the toaster oven with aluminium foil over the top. I had originally put the heat up fairly high, but for some reason, I turned it right down, and played computer games, for several hours. I have just remembered it, and thought it would be burned to a crisp, but no, It had not even heated up, the thermostat was so low! I have just eaten it cold. Not as nice as if it had been warm. Ah, well, such is life.

Computer Games.

I was given a soft ware CD by my freind, Sue, so I could download some new games, a few weeks ago. I have been having 'the fun o' Cork', ever since. I already had some games from another company, but these are far superior, as they have other 'people' that talk, and can sort of interact with my created image. I have discovered this week how to make mine 'talk'. There is a T Rex, called Marvin of all names,Harley the Grizzly Bear, Cap'an Scurvy, a rather vitriolic pirate Parrot, and sundry others. It is great fun.I have been playing a lot of Crazy Eights, a card game, and not that easy to win. I do not know how to play a lot of the games, as I can't play Euchre, Bridge, Poker, Pinoche, Cribbage etc.There isn't an ordinary game of Solitaire, which is a shame, as there are other kinds.It is a great time waster, and my brain still gets a work out and I get a giggle out of the other 'players' comments.
Strange Auction.
Neville went to an auction today. He said a little while ago, that when the people arrived, they were given a number, and then had to walk around the items for sale and place a price they were prepared to pay for it, on the item, next to their number. The people who were running it then decided if the 'bid' would be accepted. He said they complained sometimes, and said it would have to be auctioned in the ususal way. He said they should have just auctioned everything and not wasted so much time. I don't know if it was a Dutch auction or not, but I have never heard of it before. The vendor is a friend of my aunt and uncle in Adelaide, and fancied himself as a wine maker. My aunt, my mother's sister, give Mum a bottle of his 'wine' on Christmas. Mum said it was 'Chateau Naff du Crapp", and poured it down the sink! She said, at least the drain would have had a good clean.

Don't patronise me, please!!

My friend Sue, came around this arvo with my ironing. She has been doing it for me for nine months. It helps her earn a bit of pin money, and helps me, because I can't do it because of health problems. We went down the street and had coffee, and while there, she told me someone had asked her if she was my carer! The lady in question knows I have very poor eyesight, and, as Sue is the official carer for her legally blind husband, and we get around together a lot, she made the assumption she was caring for me too.Sue told her we are just very good friends. We went past the shoe shop later, and I spyed a nice pair of tan shoes in the window. I went in to enquire how much they were, and was ignored by the proprietor, as she was otherwise engaged with her other sideline, namely, Avon.Sue came in, and started looking at the small purses and wallets. Rosemary, the owner assumed we were together and Sue was the 'shopper', not me as I was sitting down.
I got sick of waiting and put my glasses on and ascertained the price of the shoes myself. It dawned on Rosemary that I might have wanted service too, so she asked me if I had wanted something. I told her I had, but had found out for myself. She asked what, and I said the price of the shoes. She said 'They are all different prices." She assuned Sue ad told me, as she has known for years my eyes are bad. I said I had seen for myself. Then she said, I must have had an operation as the price tags are very small, and I am not wearing glasses. I tried to explain, but she is a very bombastic person, and kept talking over the top of me, so I took my 'specs' out and showed her. When she saw them, the 'penny dropped'. She just hadn't seen me use them.When she realised I had to have thing up so close to read, she said I must feel a real dill doing that in public. I said I didn't give a s..t what people thought. Then we went to the butcher on the way back to the car. I bought some things, then asked about the price of some cooked seasoned pork. The young man is new, and does not know me. That does not excuse what he did next. He said' Oh, that is cooked cold meat for slicing. You can't have it all'. I said 'I know that. I wanted to know how much it is a kilo'. Duh! When we got back to the car I asked Sue if I had 'silly old lady' stamped on my forehead!