Took a day trip to Gloucester on a cool day yesterday. Walked by the river before and had a nice lunch in a pub (lamb cutlets). Took a scenic drive part of the way there and back which was nice. On the way to Dungog I saw two cows in a field with a cattle dog sitting happily between them which made me smile.
The school I interviewed for has a new advertisement for 2 positions! I guess I can reapply...
On this day 17 years ago, I became an Australian citizen. Took me long enough, I had been here for 13 years by then. @Clarence was above me in the gallery at Brisbane Town Hall, crying like the rest of us, new and old citizens alike, as we sang We Are Australian. That should be our national anthem, not the banal girt-by-sea ditty. @Rowen of blessèd memory 🕯️ came along. We went out to The Kookaburra Café - also of blessèd memory 😢 - in Paddington afterwards. Clarence's sister and family bought me an Akubra to mark the occasion.
Australia has been good to me.
Took a day trip to Gloucester on a cool day yesterday. Walked by the river before and had a nice lunch in a pub (lamb cutlets). Took a scenic drive part of the way there and back which was nice. On the way to Dungog I saw two cows in a field with a cattle dog sitting happily between them which made me smile.
The school I interviewed for has a new advertisement for 2 positions! I guess I can reapply...
Hope all are well.
That is a pretty part of the world; not far from Taree which is not so pretty.
Definitely apply for newly-advertised positions; nothing like enthusiasm!
Congrats @Foaming Draught, it sounds like a very special day and like you I think we should change the national anthem to I am Australian, a song that can be sung with pride unlike the second verse of our current dirge. I think Cheery son was still in infants when he said he was ashamed to sing the second verse at school events when it was clearly not true.
Today has been a stellar winter day, blue sky, hardly any breeze and lovely in the sunshine. I think I've noticed more than the usual number of walkers around the neighbourhood today. Even Cheery son and I went out for an amble before lunch. I've followed that up with half an hour of sweeping and topping up the green bin ready for tomorrow. I am actually quite hot now and will have a shower and put pjs on before making dinner.
Aged Aunt has just scared me by advising me she's received a text indicating that the item I ordered online for her will be delivered tomorrow. I think she's read it wrongly and it's from AustPost and not from the site I ordered from. I could do without the worry about how they got her details, I can tell you. Will still discuss with Cheery husband when he gets home. The best I could think of doing was to tell her not to click on any links.
Had a minor win today. Yesterday I booked a specialist appointment for Cheery son, was told I couldn't get one before November. Given I was dealing with a few different bookings, I thought I'd contact our Outreach nurse at the original treatment centre. Like me, she thought that date was too far out, and she suggested I phone back today. I girded up my loins, sent up a quick prayer, that I keep my cool when explaining the need for a more urgent appointment and phoned the practice. After speaking with the Receptionist and she got that The Team thinks he needs to be seen sooner, got us an appointment next week. Now to word up Cheery husband and son about all the details they need to remember for the appointment. Gah, but I'll take the win!!
Talk about a blast from the past - I got a letter from the government agency that handled earthquake insurance claims. It seems a group of people disputed payout amounts in court and won their case. The upshot is that I am entitled to an extra payment. It isn't millions, but will allow me to get a new heat pump which means next winter will be warmer than this one has been.
@Huia, that is really wonderful news. I am very pleased for you and the others who will receive a payment. A new heat pump is certainly something to look forward to!
Thanks @Climacus, it is a relief in a way. We are absolutely not fans of having to re-engage with the hospital system (grateful though we are for their prior work), but it's something we can't ignore.
I sent up the arrow prayer, because I honestly expected to be unheard by the receptionist, who just have to deal with calls like mine every other phone call that they take. However, this time using the right language got us the attention that was needed.
Interestingly the Outreach nurse told me that they like childhood cancer survivors who have received radiation treatment, to begin their screening for bowel cancer in their mid-20s. It's an aspect of follow up care that I'd not given a lot of thought to - too worried about the heart and the cataracts and the learning issues and the driving stuff to have even given that a second thought. Good to know we've been able to get the attention needed without delay, we are thankful for that.
Not on the same level, but my GP has a 6 or 7 week waiting period for appointments. You can get a few emergency appointments if you call on the day, and it is a clinic so there are a few doctors (all with long waiting periods). I like my GP so I am loathe to move but things could be better.
Waiting for the bus to Newcastle for my psychiatrist appointment. Wearing a pedometer. Not sure if I said but I signed up to be part of a uni study on in-room psychology versus walking while you talk. Not sure what group I'm in, starts next week. I wore the pedometer they sent to get some information on our weekly movement yesterday and at night I looked and it said 0 -- and I had done a bit of walking by the bay. We will see what today brings! I did give it a test last night and it had numbers.
First World problems, but for cappuccino drinkers is this the usual amount of chocolate now? I am usually a latte or flat white person but I thought I'd have one as it has been a while. I feel a bit short-changed.
Goodness @Climacus, is 6-7 weeks after they've been on holidays or is it like that all the time? Normally at our practice it is 2-3 week wait for non-urgent. I never bother ringing the practice as it takes so long for the phone to be answered that my call has on occasion dropped out. I do like the booking online facility, particularly now they've added more options.
I wonder if the chocolate shaker was a bit blocked or the barista only shook it over the cup partly. Perhaps they were still waking up for the day?? Or shaking over multiple cups at once?? Hopefully the next cup will be better.
Having a slow day today, but still managing to get through a few jobs, which is great.
First World problems, but for cappuccino drinkers is this the usual amount of chocolate now? I am usually a latte or flat white person but I thought I'd have one as it has been a while. I feel a bit short-changed.
Not a good looking cappuccino.
IMHO it should remind you of the brown hood of a Capuchin monk.
Their hood doesn’t look any different to that worn by the rest of the O(rder) of F(riars) M(inor) ( regular as opposed to Conventual who wear a grey habit).
Just by the bye Capuchins are permitted to grow beards; Gawd knows why…
Are other orders not? I've only Franciscan, Benedictine and Carmelite experience and can't recall. They seem compulsory in Orthodoxy, priests included. And lay men seem to favour them but whether that's fashion I have no idea.
Goodness @Climacus, is 6-7 weeks after they've been on holidays or is it like that all the time?
All the time now. It was slightly shorter previously. There is a clinic in the next town (15 mins) I went to when I first moved here but their doctors come and go quite regularly.
I’ve never see beards on Carmelites, Augustinians, or Benedictines. The only other bearded friars I’ve seen are another species of Franciscan ( Friars of the Renewal) who are an American-based rad trad mob.
And yes, I’ve never seen a beardless Orthodox priest ( or one with a short back and sides for that matter)
Their hood doesn’t look any different to that worn by the rest of the O(rder) of F(riars) M(inor) ( regular as opposed to Conventual who wear a grey habit).
Just by the bye Capuchins are permitted to grow beards; Gawd knows why…
The local bishop is the only Carmelite I am aware of, and his hood would be the same as the Capuchin hood (not the monkey) the coffee got it's name from.
I read horror stories of GP wait times in UK, I didn't think that some folk have to wait in Australia. Not much help if you don't live in Townsville, but the practice which @Clarence and I patronise (prob the wrong term for a GP/patient relationship)
1 Bulk bills
2 Has v.high quality and diligent doctors - pro-active, not reactive
3 Is open weekends and evenings
4 Will have a slot sometime in the day/next day. Might not be yr regular GP, but everything is on a shared IT system, so whoever you see will have up-to-date clinical notes.
I think the UK is variable, though I suspect all practices are busy. Where I live I can usually get an appointment within a day or two or a week. I can usually get a same day appointment if it’s important enough for me to go through the 8.30 scramble.
On the train currently to Sydney for a day out (yes, over 3.5 hours one way by bus and train is a day trip for me!) Thinking of catching the ferry to Manly and looking around.
13 hours by train link and train for me.
I used to have relatives living in manly, and I used to consider a trip to Sydney incomplete unless I had a ride on the manly ferry.
If you are new to manly, the ferry docks on the harbour side, so make sure you get to the manly beach. I've known visitors who never made it to the sea beach.
My brother in law was an early morning swimmer and categorised the swimmers as the Bold and Beautiful, the Old and Bold, and the Shedites (who returned to the sheds after the swim).
Manly was so named because an early European thought the aborigines looked manly.
Long trip. I remember summer holiday trips of my youth visiting relatives when the XPT (regional train) went to Lismore. An enjoyable trip seeing the scenery but a long trip.
Manly was lovely. Walked by the ocean to Cabbage Tree Bay.
I shall soon need to buy a new can of spray deodorant. Except I can’t just take one off a supermarket shelf to put in my basket. Now, I have to stand in front of a locked cabinet, as if Nivea Deep were an S4 prescription-only drug, and wait for a Coles employee to look me over to sus if I’m planning for a chroming session in a local park, before she graciously unlocks the cabinet with its pong-suppressing treasures.
We went to the Lismore Art Gallery on Friday to see the 2004 Archibald finalist's portraits.
It's notable that some subjects have been subjects in previous years, and some are other artists or art gallery curators. Started to think that the artists need to get out more, but I suppose that it's a good idea to pick subjects the prize selectors know of. The winner was of Tim Winton.
Manly was so named because an early European thought the aborigines looked manly.
We were taught that it was Capt Arthur Phillip who did the naming because he thought that one of the aborigines looked particularly manly. He later took that man to London to present to the King.
Ah @LatchKeyKid, I had a senior moment this morning. Reading of your Art Gallery visit I got all excited thinking, I saw that! Then I remembered it was the Bald Archies I went to see. Not quite the same, but very enjoyable!!
Interesting about the naming of Manly, I'd honestly never given it much thought!
Lovely balmy day today, so warm and out in the garden enjoying the sunshine. We have been told we are to have some rain, at this point I don't really believe it, but we live in hope!
Tomorrow Cheery husband and son attend the appointment booked last week. I hope it is a useful appointment! I guess we have to wait and see!
Manly was so named because an early European thought the aborigines looked manly.
We were taught that it was Capt Arthur Phillip who did the naming because he thought that one of the aborigines looked particularly manly. He later took that man to London to present to the King.
My computer has been doing weird things, so if I disappear for a while that will be the cause.
A beautiful sunny winter's day here, we've had a string of them but the nights and mornings are frosty. Unfortunately the cat still demands to be fed at 6 a.m but I go back to bed and she goes out to freeze her paws.
I've developed a chesty cold, one that makes me sound as if I'm at death's door, but I'm not running temperature, so that's a relief. It's weird though because the soles of my feet always ache when that happens.
@Cheery Gardener I didn't know about the long term effects of the treatment of childhood cancer. I hope your son's appointment goes well.
Tuesday, I helped a few mates clear up the palliative care room of a friend who died on Sunday. He had suffered from Motor Neurone Disease in the past few years that I had known him.
Yesterday LKKspouse and I visited a friend in hospital in Brisbane who had had Parkinson's for about 20 years. His family said that end was close, and he died late in the evening of the afternoon we visited. His children (adult) were there. After our visit we went to see his wife at their home. No doubt we will be going to Brisbane again before long for the funeral.
Friday we will again visit Brisbane to see LKKspouse's sister who is coming from the Sunshine Coast to the Mater Hospital for an appointment with her specialist.
Last night LKKspouse had an attack of hives and as we did not have any anti-inflammatories we went to the local hospital at 2am for treatment.
It's been a very medical week.
On Sunday, a local church has its yearly Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation fundraising soup lunch. I plan to go.
That's a lot @LatchKeyKid, I hope you are OK. I hope the fistula foundation lunch goes well.
Glad to see you here @Huia, I hope your computer's weird behaviour settles down. Cheery son's appointment went well, he has to have a colonoscopy due to his complex history. That will be a 4-6 week wait and hopefully beyond the peak of the latest covid wave. Bler.
My best friend from school has a major birthday next week so today I have found a suitable card, looked up the price of posting an oversize card, got it to the post box and all before the end of the week, which is an achievement for me. I am normally very bad at sending cards, but I think to have a chance of it arriving before her birthday I couldn't post it any later than today. I just have to hope now that it's in the mail!!
Lovely, lovely rain last night, just beautiful to fall asleep to!
Sorry to read of all the medical travels, LatchKeyKid. Hope you're okay too.
Hope the computer gives you no troubles, Huia. My laptop screen has become disengaged from the frame but still seems to be working which I'm thankful for.
O.K, someone who knows more about laptops than I do - most of the developed word over 7 -probably understands this better than I do - I left my laptop unplugged for too long. The battery went flat, it doesn't show any charge, but as long as I keep it plugged in it works. I feel like it may stop working at any point, but I can't afford to take it to the tech people at the moment. I do have an appointment with Techmate - free help for the technologically bewildered - but that's to sort out my phone (because
NZ is phasing out the 3G network and I need help with my new phone).
I think I will mention it to the young genius and see if they can help me after we have sorted out the phone. They do house visits for older people so I wouldn't necessarily have to unplug it.
TechMate are a charity, but I looked up the Living Wage in NZ and am planning to donate at that rate, which will mean they can help more people who can't afford a donation. That's my "everyone wins" solution.
Hardware and networks were never my thing, but I have a similar issue that my battery drains quickly. I keep it plugged in all the time when in use. The living wage donation seems like a great idea!
3.7° (feels like 0.4°) currently. May delay the usual 7am dog walk.
It’s currently -3° feels like -6° here, @Climacus, but that sounds like a chilly start for your part of the world. @Huia that sounds like a good idea to ask the tech guy about the battery, although I did have a laptop that kept going for about 18 months like that. Just meant it couldn’t be used away from home. That sounds like a great organisation..
That is chilly. I heard Goulburn went to -10 a few weeks ago.
Nice morning wandering around Morpeth (old river port) before I annoy the Anglicans for their patronal feast service. The sun made the chilly temperature more manageable. Quite pleasant now.
Likewise warm (14C) & sunny here. Will be attending patronal festival @ St James King St this evening along with an old choir friend who is visiting from the UK.
Will be attending patronal festival @ St James King St this evening along with an old choir friend who is visiting from the UK.
Hope you enjoy it. I only visited a few times but greatly enjoyed the services I attended. I notice on Sunday they have "cornetts and sackbuts": somewhat tempted to head down!
There was wattle on display in the church today. Spring is on its way! I do love wattle.
O.K, someone who knows more about laptops than I do - most of the developed word over 7 -probably understands this better than I do - I left my laptop unplugged for too long. The battery went flat, it doesn't show any charge, but as long as I keep it plugged in it works. I feel like it may stop working at any point, but I can't afford to take it to the tech people at the moment. I do have an appointment with Techmate - free help for the technologically bewildered - but that's to sort out my phone (because
NZ is phasing out the 3G network and I need help with my new phone).
I think I will mention it to the young genius and see if they can help me after we have sorted out the phone. They do house visits for older people so I wouldn't necessarily have to unplug it.
TechMate are a charity, but I looked up the Living Wage in NZ and am planning to donate at that rate, which will mean they can help more people who can't afford a donation. That's my "everyone wins" solution.
It sounds like your laptop needs a new battery. It will continue working while plugged in to power, but turn it off before you turn off the power. I have replaced batteries, but it needs a little technical knowledge. It's more complicated with apples than windows, but can be done. Sometimes you need special screwdriver heads.
Hope you have a pleasant time in the mountains @Climacus. I've only been to Katoomba in the summer months and it's a bit too hot for me, but I think that's everywhere in summer!
Glad to hear that the frosts haven't been too cold @Huia. Your computer battery problem sounds similar to mine, I have to work with it plugged in these days. I hope I can replace it soon-ish as I find the cord a real pest!
I'm enjoying the rainy days we've been having, but it's limiting my social activities a bit, as I give Cheery husband the car to go to work when it's wet. I'll have a friend in for coffee to make up for it!!
Comments
The school I interviewed for has a new advertisement for 2 positions! I guess I can reapply...
Hope all are well.
Australia has been good to me.
That is a pretty part of the world; not far from Taree which is not so pretty.
Definitely apply for newly-advertised positions; nothing like enthusiasm!
Upon reflection, Give Me A Home Among The Gum Trees 🏡 🐑 🦘 would be better than Girt-by-Sea. Now I've given myself an ear worm 👂🪱
Thanks Sojourner; will do.
Today has been a stellar winter day, blue sky, hardly any breeze and lovely in the sunshine. I think I've noticed more than the usual number of walkers around the neighbourhood today. Even Cheery son and I went out for an amble before lunch. I've followed that up with half an hour of sweeping and topping up the green bin ready for tomorrow. I am actually quite hot now and will have a shower and put pjs on before making dinner.
Aged Aunt has just scared me by advising me she's received a text indicating that the item I ordered online for her will be delivered tomorrow. I think she's read it wrongly and it's from AustPost and not from the site I ordered from. I could do without the worry about how they got her details, I can tell you. Will still discuss with Cheery husband when he gets home. The best I could think of doing was to tell her not to click on any links.
Had a minor win today. Yesterday I booked a specialist appointment for Cheery son, was told I couldn't get one before November. Given I was dealing with a few different bookings, I thought I'd contact our Outreach nurse at the original treatment centre. Like me, she thought that date was too far out, and she suggested I phone back today. I girded up my loins, sent up a quick prayer, that I keep my cool when explaining the need for a more urgent appointment and phoned the practice. After speaking with the Receptionist and she got that The Team thinks he needs to be seen sooner, got us an appointment next week. Now to word up Cheery husband and son about all the details they need to remember for the appointment. Gah, but I'll take the win!!
Happy Dance time!
Good news about your son's appointment too, Cheery Gardener.
I sent up the arrow prayer, because I honestly expected to be unheard by the receptionist, who just have to deal with calls like mine every other phone call that they take. However, this time using the right language got us the attention that was needed.
Interestingly the Outreach nurse told me that they like childhood cancer survivors who have received radiation treatment, to begin their screening for bowel cancer in their mid-20s. It's an aspect of follow up care that I'd not given a lot of thought to - too worried about the heart and the cataracts and the learning issues and the driving stuff to have even given that a second thought. Good to know we've been able to get the attention needed without delay, we are thankful for that.
Not on the same level, but my GP has a 6 or 7 week waiting period for appointments. You can get a few emergency appointments if you call on the day, and it is a clinic so there are a few doctors (all with long waiting periods). I like my GP so I am loathe to move but things could be better.
Waiting for the bus to Newcastle for my psychiatrist appointment. Wearing a pedometer. Not sure if I said but I signed up to be part of a uni study on in-room psychology versus walking while you talk. Not sure what group I'm in, starts next week. I wore the pedometer they sent to get some information on our weekly movement yesterday and at night I looked and it said 0 -- and I had done a bit of walking by the bay. We will see what today brings! I did give it a test last night and it had numbers.
I wonder if the chocolate shaker was a bit blocked or the barista only shook it over the cup partly. Perhaps they were still waking up for the day?? Or shaking over multiple cups at once?? Hopefully the next cup will be better.
Having a slow day today, but still managing to get through a few jobs, which is great.
Not a good looking cappuccino.
IMHO it should remind you of the brown hood of a Capuchin monk.
Their hood doesn’t look any different to that worn by the rest of the O(rder) of F(riars) M(inor) ( regular as opposed to Conventual who wear a grey habit).
Just by the bye Capuchins are permitted to grow beards; Gawd knows why…
All the time now. It was slightly shorter previously. There is a clinic in the next town (15 mins) I went to when I first moved here but their doctors come and go quite regularly.
And yes, I’ve never seen a beardless Orthodox priest ( or one with a short back and sides for that matter)
The local bishop is the only Carmelite I am aware of, and his hood would be the same as the Capuchin hood (not the monkey) the coffee got it's name from.
1 Bulk bills
2 Has v.high quality and diligent doctors - pro-active, not reactive
3 Is open weekends and evenings
4 Will have a slot sometime in the day/next day. Might not be yr regular GP, but everything is on a shared IT system, so whoever you see will have up-to-date clinical notes.
Come on up for a sea-change!
IIRC it's called a Blue Card in Queensland.
On the train currently to Sydney for a day out (yes, over 3.5 hours one way by bus and train is a day trip for me!) Thinking of catching the ferry to Manly and looking around.
I used to have relatives living in manly, and I used to consider a trip to Sydney incomplete unless I had a ride on the manly ferry.
If you are new to manly, the ferry docks on the harbour side, so make sure you get to the manly beach. I've known visitors who never made it to the sea beach.
My brother in law was an early morning swimmer and categorised the swimmers as the Bold and Beautiful, the Old and Bold, and the Shedites (who returned to the sheds after the swim).
Manly was so named because an early European thought the aborigines looked manly.
Manly was lovely. Walked by the ocean to Cabbage Tree Bay.
It's notable that some subjects have been subjects in previous years, and some are other artists or art gallery curators. Started to think that the artists need to get out more, but I suppose that it's a good idea to pick subjects the prize selectors know of. The winner was of Tim Winton.
We were taught that it was Capt Arthur Phillip who did the naming because he thought that one of the aborigines looked particularly manly. He later took that man to London to present to the King.
Interesting about the naming of Manly, I'd honestly never given it much thought!
Lovely balmy day today, so warm and out in the garden enjoying the sunshine. We have been told we are to have some rain, at this point I don't really believe it, but we live in hope!
Tomorrow Cheery husband and son attend the appointment booked last week. I hope it is a useful appointment! I guess we have to wait and see!
Yes. Thanks for correcting my memory.
A beautiful sunny winter's day here, we've had a string of them but the nights and mornings are frosty. Unfortunately the cat still demands to be fed at 6 a.m but I go back to bed and she goes out to freeze her paws.
I've developed a chesty cold, one that makes me sound as if I'm at death's door, but I'm not running temperature, so that's a relief. It's weird though because the soles of my feet always ache when that happens.
@Cheery Gardener I didn't know about the long term effects of the treatment of childhood cancer. I hope your son's appointment goes well.
Yesterday LKKspouse and I visited a friend in hospital in Brisbane who had had Parkinson's for about 20 years. His family said that end was close, and he died late in the evening of the afternoon we visited. His children (adult) were there. After our visit we went to see his wife at their home. No doubt we will be going to Brisbane again before long for the funeral.
Friday we will again visit Brisbane to see LKKspouse's sister who is coming from the Sunshine Coast to the Mater Hospital for an appointment with her specialist.
Last night LKKspouse had an attack of hives and as we did not have any anti-inflammatories we went to the local hospital at 2am for treatment.
It's been a very medical week.
On Sunday, a local church has its yearly Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation fundraising soup lunch. I plan to go.
I think that will top the week off!
Glad to see you here @Huia, I hope your computer's weird behaviour settles down. Cheery son's appointment went well, he has to have a colonoscopy due to his complex history. That will be a 4-6 week wait and hopefully beyond the peak of the latest covid wave. Bler.
My best friend from school has a major birthday next week so today I have found a suitable card, looked up the price of posting an oversize card, got it to the post box and all before the end of the week, which is an achievement for me. I am normally very bad at sending cards, but I think to have a chance of it arriving before her birthday I couldn't post it any later than today. I just have to hope now that it's in the mail!!
Lovely, lovely rain last night, just beautiful to fall asleep to!
Sorry to read of all the medical travels, LatchKeyKid. Hope you're okay too.
Hope the computer gives you no troubles, Huia. My laptop screen has become disengaged from the frame but still seems to be working which I'm thankful for.
Happy Cheery Son's appointment went well.
NZ is phasing out the 3G network and I need help with my new phone).
I think I will mention it to the young genius and see if they can help me after we have sorted out the phone. They do house visits for older people so I wouldn't necessarily have to unplug it.
TechMate are a charity, but I looked up the Living Wage in NZ and am planning to donate at that rate, which will mean they can help more people who can't afford a donation. That's my "everyone wins" solution.
3.7° (feels like 0.4°) currently. May delay the usual 7am dog walk.
Nice morning wandering around Morpeth (old river port) before I annoy the Anglicans for their patronal feast service. The sun made the chilly temperature more manageable. Quite pleasant now.
There was wattle on display in the church today. Spring is on its way! I do love wattle.
It sounds like your laptop needs a new battery. It will continue working while plugged in to power, but turn it off before you turn off the power. I have replaced batteries, but it needs a little technical knowledge. It's more complicated with apples than windows, but can be done. Sometimes you need special screwdriver heads.
Glad to hear that the frosts haven't been too cold @Huia. Your computer battery problem sounds similar to mine, I have to work with it plugged in these days. I hope I can replace it soon-ish as I find the cord a real pest!
I'm enjoying the rainy days we've been having, but it's limiting my social activities a bit, as I give Cheery husband the car to go to work when it's wet. I'll have a friend in for coffee to make up for it!!
Stressful day ahead. Filling in forms for my rates rebate then sorting phones (again) with young tech genius.