Dipping my toes in the water

It feel good to be blogging again albeit this is only my second in 5 years! I have a morning routine - cuppa tea, read the headlines, check out a few blogs, checkout facebook, do a couple of puzzles then get on with my day. I think I can easily add an update here as part of that routine. We shall see.

Oooh - I can change colours. And size. And font.

And I can add stuff.

Now I just need to work out how to add photos from my phone. But that can be a job for another day.

When we bought this place back in 2017 it was beautifully presented. It only took a couple of days before we realised that it had been done up to sell. The couple that lived here before are lovely but the husband was not the handyman he thought he was! 

We did some fairly major renos (turned the ensuite and wardrobe into a decent ensuite and the fourth bedroom into a walkin wardrobe). Unfortunately that cost more than we thought and the building inspection which said the roof needed a $3,000 fix up was way off the mark and we ended up replacing said roof for a helluva lot more! But it improved the insulation which meant the house was more comfortable. We also installed a new split system to make the best room of the house (a rumpus room with a bar in it and a fabulous view) liveable. It hadn't been used for years because it would be unbearably hot in summer and freezing in winter. 

Now we have plastered the exposed brick and painted the timber cathedral ceiling (1980s anyone?) and replaced the ancient carpet with timber floors which match the rest of the house.

Within the first few months the dishwasher died, the range hood fan shat itself and the back of the wood heater sheared off. All more $$$.

You can understand why we have had a real love/hate relationship with this house. Especially as the house we moved from was new when we bought it so modern and airy, was close to the beach and had a lovely view. But it was a town house and our neighbours were close. Just before we moved a young family moved in next door with two small loud kids so I imagine the peace would be shattered. It was also body corporate which brings a whole lot of issues and lacked space for Himself to potter. This house is older, granted, but has a big block of land, a massive garage which Himself uses as his work area, is in a quiet leafy street and we are right on the outskirts of Melbourne close to the Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland. I am slowly learning to love it.

This is the entrance hall on the day we moved in. 

This is it now - 2020 decor!

The wood heater and my new hobby (crocheting not wine!). I'll talk about that another day.

What prompted that ramble was that Himself has gone to Bunnings to try to find a door kit so we can rehang the folding doors that the previous owners removed so we can make the house more dog proof. I have no idea why they moved them because the track was still there. As I said before, there is lot of stuff in this house that makes us shake our heads!

And on that note I shall go and continue working on a paint by numbers picture I'm doing for one of the grandkids. They will each get one for Christmas if I can get them done in time. This is another hobby I started in lockdown. It has helped keep me relatively sane (OK, it's stopped me going completely off the rails).

Well Well Well ... look what I've found!

 Helloooooo you poor neglected blog.

I need a lesson in how to drive this as it's been so long (5 YEARS!). I think facebook and the like have caused a drop in blogging but I still follow a favourite (waving to Chris) and recently rediscovered another oldie but a goodie. This, combined with the year from hell, has made me consider blogging again. 

So, what has happened in the last 5 years?

In no particular order (just as the memories jump into my head)

• all our kids are now married 
• we have 5 granddaughters
• we moved
• I found a job left it found another and left that one ... see next point
• In 2018 over the space of 5 weeks we lost Himself's brother, his uncle and his other brother's wife. His father went into hospital and was cared for for 3 weeks, his mother went into aged care and on the same day his father died. It was a shit time. I quit work to support Himself.
• His brother died from bowel cancer. He had declined chemotherapy because he didn't want to lose his hair. 
• Mother in Law has dementia and is now blind (the two are not related but certainly have an impact). The Aged Care Facility she is in is fantastic (far better than the one my parents were in) but with Covid our contact with her is minimal and even with daily phone calls she has deteriorated.
• We lost both our beautiful German Shepherds this year and our affectionate Ninja last year.
• The Stig is still around and very unimpressed with
• our new German Shepherd puppy "Jinx"
• I had a knee replacement in January this year
• Covid sucks big time. But not as much as the fucking idiots who spread it because they won't do the right thing. At least we are in Australia and whilst Victoria hit the panic button after 700+ daily cases and we went into lockdown we are now doing pretty well. I would hate to be in a country with case numbers in the thousands.
• I have started volunteering teaching English to migrants and refugees - and have been matched with a lovely woman from Armenia

Assuming I was blogging every day for the past 5 years what would I be talking about today?

Well, MIL had a melt down. The cruel thing with dementia is that she relives the loss of her husband and son over and over again. Sometimes we can distract and deflect but today was bad. The ACF (Aged Care Facility) allowed us special permission to go and visit her (see Covid) and I sat with her for an hour and a half and listened to her brain take her in too many places. I have learned that this is the best way to support her. Just follow her mind and engage with 

We took Jinx to a new off lead park where she met new dogs and had a great time.

I spoke with my aunt in FNQ who is struggling with life at the moment (she's 89 so is allowed to struggle!)

Himself cooked an awesome meal. As he does every night.

This all just makes me realise how much life has changed in 5 years.

And while it all sounds rather negative I am looking forward to blogging more. The issue I will have is posting photos!!!!

Update

A couple of weeks ago Himself got a phone call from the agency that placed him in the contract that didn't last.  He is now working for another financial institution and is loving it.  It's the happiest I've seen him at work in many a long year.  This contract is until the end of the year but there is a possibility of another one which will go until the middle of 2017.  Fingers crossed.

I have been dealing with an employment provider under my Centrelink newstart.  It is awful. Just horrible. I feel like I'm being punished for something.  I haven't worked for so long and the last time I did was in my nursing capacity which I can no longer do as I have let my registration go.  I keep trying to explain to the silly woman that I have no current job references and my skills are nursing based. She tells me I have "transferable skills" but can't tell me what they are or how to transfer them!

Because I have a bachelor degree I am ineligible for government retraining!  Now that Himself is working he suggested that we pay for me to retrain so I am going to do a course in pathology collection.  My nursing will help and it gets me back into a sort of clinical field.  Fingers crossed I find local part time work when the course is complete and I never ever ever have to deal with that terrible employment place again.  Even if I do have to go back onto newstart I will make sure I get a different provider.  That place is the pits.

We are still waiting for my parents' estates to be finally settled. The Australian side of things is pretty much done but we are now waiting for the Hong Kong side to get finalised.  We have given up on the UK.  It will be nice to close that chapter.  I am amazed at how much I miss my mother given that we didn't have the best of relationships.

Himself gave me a Samsung Gearfit for my birthday. (like a fitbit).  It is sort of helping me move more but I really do need to take myself in hand and address the weight and health things.  Two gets married in February and I would like to be a couple of dress sizes smaller by then.

We have someone coming to install drawers in the pantry this afternoon so I'd better go and clear things out.

Til later ....

Wake up call

I have high blood pressure.  I've had it quite a while (about as long as I've had a major weight problem!!) It is controlled with medication .... IF I take the medication.  If I don't it can get scary high (like make doctors panic high).

I also have high cholesterol (see above comment - applies to both!)

I have found a lovely doctor who, for the first time, doesn't preach or make me feel foolish for not addressing my lifestyle related health issues.  Consequently, I have been renewing my scripts when they're due (rather than waiting for a blood pressure event) and this time I even had the blood test he ordered.

My cholesterol has come down (still high but better - thanks to meds).  My blood counts are good, my kidneys are good.  My liver could be better but isn't different to last time.  BUT ... my blood sugar was up.  For the first time in my life.

Doctor Lovely told me that I need to lose weight.  He said it in the nicest way but one which brooked no argument.  I see the practice nurse on Monday to discuss lifestyle issues and get a management plan happening which means I get 5 allied health appointments subsidised by the government.  Dr. L and I decided on 5 exercise physiology appointments as I really don't need a dietitian.  I know the shit, I just don't follow it!

I haven't told Himself yet.  I know he will be supportive but I don't need the hovering and the questioning of my every action.

Also, the fewer people I tell, the longer I can bury my head in the sand!

I give myself this weekend and then the gloves are off and I need to face this battle.  It could cost me my life.

Welcome to my world of crazy

So.

After the phone call yesterday saying the bank had pulled the pin on funding Himself was asked to meet with other senior management today to discuss options.

As if.

I took Mother in law to an appointment so Himself could meet these dudes in the city.

On my way home I got the expected call from Himself ... saying he starts on Monday!

So over the past week we've gone from retirement to working to retirement to working.

The ramifications are huge as we will have to cancel all the systems we have in place for pension concessions.  And centrelink benefits.

Personally, I would be happy for him to say thanks but not thanks as I think he will struggle with the stress of this job.  I remember what he went through in previous jobs, his memory has deleted the negatives.

Oh well.  A chance for me to do ..... something!

What the?

So, Himself was due to start the new job on Monday.  This morning he received a phone call to say that the bank had withdrawn the funding for the project so no job.

To say the atmosphere in the house at the moment is a tad unpleasant would be a massive understatement.

And Three didn't get the job he went for either.  He's not too stressed as there will be other opportunities.

Well, that came out of left field!

So.  After finally accepting retirement, albeit reluctantly, Himself was headhunted a couple of weeks ago.  He was interviewed on Wednesday and has landed a 6 month contract in Melbourne with the possibility of 18 months.

It has done his morale the world of good.  I think he will struggle a bit getting back into the whole getting up and going to work mindset but it is a time defined contract and he knows that someone wants him!  That was the hardest thing for him as he went for job after job after job.  It's all very well for the government to say that older people need to work longer .... society hasn't quite read that memo.  And most older people I know WANT to be able to work.

Anyway, this will mean a few changes around the joint.  I shall get routine back.  I will be able to cook dinners again (he has taken that role).  I shall have to walk the dogs!  I think I'm looking forward to it.

Three hasn't been happy at work (call centre) and while Himself was on the phone getting the message he'd got the job, Three was on HIS phone finding out a job application within the parent organisation had got to interview stage.  It was lovely to see him so happy and excited.  Call centre work is all well and good but not a long term career path.  Today, Himself and I took him shopping to buy decent slacks, shirts and shoes for the interview.  It was lovely being able to spend money on him knowing that Himself had a job.