One more week

A very useful chart

I am not a political person. I find the two major parties as bad as each other. I find the so called independents often have hidden alliances (check their preference distribution). I am dismayed at the waste of money spent on these campaigns.

I am not impressed with the calibre of the election advertising this time round. More so than in the past.

Liberals have very cleverly played rhyming with the opposition leader's name ... "It won't be easy under Albanese". And the hole in your budget ditty could apply to both parties. 

Labor have been very smart and taken sound grabs out of context "It's not my job". 

United Australia Party seem to be the only one promising things in their election advertising. And boy, are they promising stuff. Only none of it is deliverable. And a lot of it is out and out scaremongering. 

With one week to go and many people already having voted I doubt anything will be pulled out of the hat and we will continue to see the two major leaders being carefully managed by their minders and the mudslinging and name calling will continue. 

Regardless of who gets in the promises made will not be kept. If Labor get in they will blame the lack of money Libs left. If Liberals get in they will deny actually making the promises. If UAP get in, we're fucked.

But I will cast my vote next Saturday as that is my democratic right and responsibility. I just don't know who will get it.

Friday 13th

I am not a superstitious person. I will knock on wood to not tempt fate and say "bless you" when someone sneezes but that is more habit and tradition than superstition.

Today is Friday 13th. I knew the 13 comes from 13 people sitting down at the last supper but interested to read that Norse mythology has a similar story with a supper in Valhalla. I was told as a kid that the Friday comes from the crucifixion occurring on a Friday (because it happened on the first day of Passover). In other countries and cultures Friday is not a particularly inauspicious day. The rise of Friday 13th as something to be feared is only comparatively recent.

Regardless, I will cuddle my black cats and walk under any ladder I need to but will stop at breaking any mirrors - too messy.

Still not 100%. Didn't go to craft and Sally's other grandfather picked her up from school. I planned to tackle the kitchen but the cutlery drawer inserts aren't doing it for me so I took to my bed instead and slept for a couple of hours.

There is always tomorrow but I need to get things sorted soon as we are running out of frozen meals!

Himself ordered the microwave. The dude he spoke to at Appliances Online was very pleasant but until the unit has arrived and is installed I won't hold my breath. Their website was a bit vague on a couple of things and Dude wasn't any the wiser. It says it comes with a plug and lead but also mentions an electrician which one shouldn't need for a plug and lead. Monday will tell. 

Both sides of the bag T made me. It's made with Scheepjes cotton (for those that know the brand) and is just beautiful. I remember when granny squares were it and a bit in the 70s!!

        

In trouble.

Could I please not give Sally sweets after school as she gets a sugar high and won't go to sleep and is then tired in the morning. I wonder what their excuse is every other day of the bloody week. She has no routine and suffers nightmares. She also has a nasty cold and cough at the moment but, hey, she doesn't have Covid so nothing to worry about.

Rant over. And I don't give her bags and bags of sweets. A couple of chocolate biscuits and a small packet of M&Ms. Today she had apple and a jam sandwich - her request. And two tim tams.

I am still not 100% as you can probably tell.

A friend dropped in with a beautiful crocheted bag she made me from some yarn I gave her. She made herself a granny square jacket and the bag was the last of the yarn. It was a lovely thought and I will enjoy using it. 

The kitchen is slowly getting back together. Today was a bit of a write off but I did get the plates put away.

Himself saw the solicitor and all should be sorted within the next 2 - 3 weeks which will be great as apparently if it happens before the end of the financial year (end of June here) it is a good thing. 

Still crook

I'll be brief.

I have crackles in my lower left lung but no wheeze so antibiotics but no steroids. Himself, funnily, has the same.

I was forced strongly encouraged to have a blood test while I was there so those results will be interesting.

I picked Sally up from school and she said she was losing her voice. After chatting to me for about 5 minutes she asked if she could please rest her voice and promptly feel asleep for nearly an hour. The kid isn't well and shouldn't be at school but I will wait for the parents to ask us to take her. I told her mum she wasn't well and was brushed off. Amy has been distinctively 'off' with me of late. The only thing I can think of is the fall out with her stepfather over the kitchen - assuming he even said anything which I doubt. So I have no idea what I have done. 

Himself has an appointment with the solicitor tomorrow to sign off on the application for probate which should have been done weeks ago.

I will continue to put the kitchen back together. I might even cook tomorrow night!

The kitchen that keeps on giving.

I have tried to be kind and understanding with the chap that did the kitchen because I know that Himself can be a bit intimidating. But after noticing that one wall cabinet isn't level (and no I haven't shown Himself, I'm not stoopid!) and having to clean dirty finger marks, builder's rubbish etc off and out of the cabinets I am really not impressed. 

It's taking me longer to put things back than it did to clear them out. I am trying to put nice things in the overhead cupboards as they have glass doors. I see a visit to Ikea to grab a few bit and pieces I overlooked in the planning stage. We can't think of everything.

Tomorrow I am seeing my GP. I hope I can sneak past the guard dogs receptionists without giving my cough away. I know my GP won't have an issue as we discussed this at my last visit. Himself has an appointment an hour after me. I need to write a list for him. He forgets the important things. At least that's what he says but I think he is suffering from head in the sand syndrome. Not tomorrow mate.

I hear that Her Maj is missing another major event and Charles is stepping up. How sad that she can't retire and let him take over. I feel we will have a change of stamps and coin before the end of the year. 

When I was putting stuff back I found 2 rolls of paper towel. Win.

Random thoughts

In theory, if we all had self drive cars there should be no accidents. 

Why do they call non-emergency surgery 'elective'. There is nothing elective about being in so much pain waiting for a joint replacement.  Or not being able to drive while waiting for cataract surgery. Or waiting for a breast reconstruction post cancer surgery. Or hoping your heart doesn't give out while waiting for bariatric surgery. The only true elective surgery is what is quite rightly called (judging by the end result) plastic surgery.*

I have a chest infection. I get a chest infection at least once a year (getting older and too many years smoking even though I've been off them for over 20 years). I had a cold. The cold got better but I am left with a hacking cough, shortness of breath and no exercise tolerance. I have an appointment to see my GP on Wednesday about other things. It is quite likely that I won't be allowed in to see her because my symptoms could be regarded as Covid even though I have returned numerous negative RATs and will take another one before I head down to the GP. The only way she can diagnose me and prescribe antibiotics if they are needed is to actually listen to my chest. A bit hard over a telehealth consult. I don't get this paranoia. They wear masks. We have to wear masks. They, hopefully, wash their hands and sanitise their office space after each patient. They have to be vaccinated.

Himself rang the solicitor handling the estate of his parents after a long period of silence on their behalf. Probate has not been applied for. The fee from the aged care facility has not been returned. The shares have not been sold. They have done sweet FA by the look of it. And the reason? Covid, of course. A great excuse for sloppy work. When my parents died the solicitor handling their affairs had everything done and dusted in a very timely fashion. And their estate was a nightmare - shares we didn't know about, tax issues, overseas pension and bank accounts. It only dawned on me today that we didn't have to go with the solicitor that drew up their wills. We could have gone with ours. Too late.

*I know that plastic surgeons do a fantastic job and I would never for one minute suggest their work is frivolous.

This is what I meant.

Mother's Day

 

I used to think it should be Mothers' Day but wikipedia informs me that the founder of the American Mother's Day, Ann Jarvis, "specifically noted that "Mother's" should "be a singular possessive, for each family to honor its own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world".

There have been celebrations for mothers going back centuries. Many of them based in religion. England observed Mothering Sunday which is tied in with Lent. 

Wikipedia also informed me that Ann Jarvis was mightily pissed off at the commercialisation of Mother's Day, a sentiment with which I heartily agree.

Three and his lot popped in briefly before going to a big lunch at her parents' place. One and his lot dropped by on the way to her parents' place. It was lovely to see them all even if it did once again remind that "your son is your son til he gets him a wife, your daughter's your daughter for all of her life". Not helped, I am sure with this chest infection and the fact that the change in medications has un-numbed me somewhat so I feel the good and the bad.

Himself is still struggling with the dishwasher. It's proving to be a right pain to install. Ideally the kitchen would have been assembled around it!

I finished the shawl apart from a final tidy up of the trim. It goes well with the dress I am planning to wear to my Nephew's wedding in a few weeks.

I am not a stylist by any stretch of the imagination.

More cussing is billowing forth from the kitchen. I think I might be needed.