Updating

Yes, I know, I haven't blogged, and I have been reminded about this. I guess I've been busy... ish... well it depends what you class as "busy".  If busy is being away at work with hours and hours spent in hotel rooms with not much excuse not to blog except "I don't feel like it", then I've been pretty flat out.

I've just spent one day at home between my 4 and 3 day trips for this week(ish), and blogging was far from my mind.  Instead, I made beef vindaloo and fresh bread (which I sort of invented the recipe for, and could have done with more rising time), I treated the garden with some anti-grub solution, I went grocery shopping, and spent a large amount of time reading books and cuddling Lily.  Oh, and laundry.  But not blogging.  Sorry folks.

But now it's the next day, I'm getting ready for work - which involves completely forgetting the eggs that were boiling on the stove.  I just realised as I wrote this, and as I have watered the garden, had a bath, made packed lunches and had breakfast since I put the eggs on, they have now boiled dry and I have decided that they are not fit for human consumption.  

The next batch of eggs have been put on the stove with a timer set on my phone.  You're welcome.

My neck/shoulder is quite sore this morning, hence the bath, and I'm trying to loosen it out before I sign on as I really don't want to take yet another sick day for the stupid thing.  Lily was not impressed by the bath.  I think she thought I was going to drown.

 

She is being ever so clingy this morning - more so than usual - do you think she knows I'm going away again?

That said, I really should manoeuvre myself off the couch and pack, iron a shirt, take the eggs off the stove, that sort of thing.

Ciao all! 

PS I go to sim on the 12th so there's another excuse for me not to blog: I have to study, right?  Or at least pretend that I am, in between Netflix and Facebook??

The Housewarming

Apparently I haven't blogged about the housewarming, but I'm not quite sure what you want me to say!  It was an amazing night, over twenty people turned up although there were lots of last minute no shows also.  People seemed to gravitate into a "work group" and a "church group" with a few tagger-onners in each.

I tried to flit between groups a lot but in general just had a good time and hung out.  I definitely overcatered as there was a lot of food left over!  The freezer is now well stocked up with burgers.  Basically there were burgers, sausages (Aussie beef and Irish pork - the butcher I found is Irish - not quite Denny's or Superquinn but pretty good), all the trimmings, and icecream for afters. 

I had a fire pit ready to go but it ended up raining all evening so that didn't happen - we still had a great time without it and I will simply save the wood for next time.

I shooed the last person away just after 0400 and pretty much fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, waking up grumpily at around 0730 due to people crashing around my house like the more noise they made the better their life would be.  I didn't get rid of the sleeper-over-ers until lunch time and then napped all afternoon!

I also think I got bitten by every mosquito in SE QLD, despite bug spray and lots of citronella burners around the place!

The house was remarkably clean and tidy after the party, Kara did a lot of clean up for me which was appreciated, and I guess I just have tidy friends!  It didn't take too long on Sunday to make it back to normal.

Vegan me

My dog is not a vegan.  I know this for a fact, because we went to a vegan cafe yesterday and she was quite unimpressed.  It's the in thing nowadays, you know, to go to vegan places.  There's Moo Free Burgers which are all different types of veggie burgers - no bacon in sight - and then there's Charlie's Raw Squeeze which is all sorts of juices and smoothies and vegan gelatos. 

Last time I was coerced into going to Moo Free Burgers (hopefully the only time) I prepared in advance by having a large juicy steak at the house.  This time, I decided to have a vegan gelato, choosing the fruit version as I thought that "Vegan Whipped Cream" and "Vegan Chocolate" looked a little bit dodgy.  It was still only chopped fruit on a little bit of very runny white gelato which tasted distinctly of coconut, and it cost me $10.  I'm sorry but I could do a much better job at home!

I am considering buying an ice cream maker for such things.  On principle alone.

I tried to feed Lily some orange and she stuck her nose in the air and refused to go near it.  When I said "Eat" she grabbed it in her mouth and then spat it out in disgust, horrified with me for tricking her in such dastardly fashion.

 

Sick

When there's no milk or bread in the house one must improvise when it comes to breakfast, especially when one's car is still at the airport.  Yesterday morning, only one hour into it, in fact, as in the clock read 0119 when I looked at it, I woke in a balloon of pain.  Figuratively.  Because literally would be weird.  I mean, maybe somewhat cool to be inside a balloon but when talking about pain, balloons or not, I'd prefer to avoid it.

Basically, the pain was in my neck and I instantly knew what it was.  You see, I have an old injury - actually I have no idea when it happened - that flares up every 6-12 months or so.  And when it does flare up, I know I will be spending a couple of days in bed.  Except that unfortunately, I was in a hotel in Gladstone, due to sign on at 0550 to fly home, and then operate a couple of other flights.

I was awake until 0400 or so, struggling with the idea of calling sick at an outport, what the consequences would be, and whether I could improve my neck enough with ice (the room service peeps brought me two giant bags which then proceeded to flood the fridge/carpet as they melted as I didn't have a freezer!) and painkillers to make it back to Brisbane.  No such luck, and finally I had to call crewing and break the bad news.  They were cool about it, I guess that a) I'm pretty reliable in general and b) they didn't have any other option.  

At this point, I finally managed to get some sleep and woke at around 0730 to start trying to find a doctor.  The problem was that it was a Saturday, and Gladstone to boot.  The rule is that if you go sick at an outport, mid duty or on an overnight, you have to see a doctor and get medical clearance to pax home.  This was not going to happen, as doctors were not available until the afternoon, and as they had not only cancelled my flight (sorry peeps) but being a Saturday, the last flight out was at 1040 and then the next one was at 1255 the next day!  Not cool.

Thankfully my manager proved to be a hero and let me pax back without seeing a doctor.  It was a very difficult flight sitting upright but my FO drove me home - as she lives in the next suburb - and it was ever so nice to crawl into my own bed.  There is a home doctor service that I was able to call, he came around and wasn't particularly useful except to say that I could have a sick certificate.  He prescribed some muscle relaxants, which a) I won't take because I don't know if they're OK with work and b) I can't take because I have no car to get me to the pharmacy.

By the evening I was feeling much better so decided to try to clean the kitchen before I went back to bed, which was a bad idea so I stopped doing that.  I had a much better night's sleep last night, although this morning I am incredibly stiff and fairly sore.  I am starting to do some exercises and massaging my neck so hopefully it will loosen up enough during the day for me to pick up my car tonight. 

As far as breakfast was concerned, I had shortbread and black coffee.  Not exactly healthy but I have a great excuse so - winning!  There is plenty of steak in the fridge, although it is expired.  I am flexible with steak expiry though - if it smells good, it is good - and some places age it up to 180 days! 

Running on

The running continues

 

Not as cool as my dad's reflective lake photos, but 6k! Hurrah for me.

I think the dog's worn out anyway.

 

Rocky running

I'm in Rocky, it's pouring with rain, it poured earlier while I was getting ready for my run and then it stopped so I ran, and I just made it back to the hotel before it started again.

Apparently there's a flood warning - maybe it'll flood the airport and we'll get stuck up here tomorrow!  That would be better than an 11h15 shift.

I ran down to the Fitzroy River and then left along the river bank to the railway bridge, over the bridge (there's a walkway) and then right along the river again until the footpath ended, and then back to the bridge.  Despite wanting to do a full loop I was a little concerned about getting lost.

It was 5k back across the bridge and so I stopped to take some photos before walking home.

 

The Fitzroy

 

The train bridge. 

Note to all: don't swim in the Fitzroy, there may be crocodiles, especially in the summer!  Sadly, I saw none.

I am back in my hotel room now slumped across the bed waiting to cool down before I can shower, and listening to the rain pelting down outside.  It was pretty murky flying conditions today too - lots of rain and lots of bumps.

Britta just sent me a photo of Lily in the dog park.  Playing, you would think.  Nope, cuddling while she waits for Gatsby to finish playing so that they can go home.  Dumb dog.

 

She has been decidedly more cuddly since her hospital trip and less energetic.

Oh yes and I found this photo of when we brought her home:

Naww!!!  

January so far

Three days in to 2017, folks!  What's happened so far?  A trip to pet emergency, two Garmin Australia challenges completed, and I changed my name on Facebook.

Garmin wise, it's a January 31 days challenge they're doing that I only discovered on the first.  Day one was a five kilometre run that almost killed me, day two was 10,000 steps - which I did 9,500 of and then shook my Fitbit around for the last 500 as I had no energy left.  Now it's day three and apparently it's another 5k which I'm not at all sure I'm up to.  We'll see how I feel this evening.

 

Facebook wise, I'm trying to re-brand myself, and have started using my maiden name on the PA at work and figured January 1 was as good a day as any to change it on Facebook.  It's not that I'm opposed to the other name - in fact I'm used to it by now, and I don't dislike it either - but at the same time, if that's not going to work out, I don't think I can use the name for the rest of my life.  It feels a bit fraudulent.

In final news, today is a movie marathon, as I'm going to watch the new Star Wars movie at lunchtime with L - we've been trying to do this for over two weeks and keep having to cancel - and also got invited to the movies in North Lakes to see La La Land with some of the women from church - and as it's "Cheap Tuesday" over here - why not?

I shall leave you all with a picture of my gorgeous dog which I love incredibly much.

 

Gastro

We spent the evening in pet emergency, with Lily in a lot of discomfort from her abdomen.  She started very suddenly and after half an hour of crying, salivating and hunching up, I took her to the vet.  

Once there we had to wait over an hour to be seen - Sunday evening New Year's Day, anyone?  And once we did see the vet Lily was still crying in pain and very unhappy so they decided to keep her in for the night.  

She had x-rays, anti-nausea meds and pain relief, and they called me at 0600 this morning to say that she could come home!

I picked her up at 0800 and she was ever so happy to see me.  She is still a bit dopey and very tired but I am incredibly happy to have her home.