Sorry it has taken this long to post this..... i forgot!!
At the end of March Adele and I jointly decided that we would both pack up our lives and move to Qld. She was always going to go if her application to join Tas Ambulance Service was unsuccessful. It was, unfortunately, so i was faced with the prospect of farewelling my beautiful daughter, moving house and dealing with the empty nest syndrome!! I decided to do the unthinkable and join her in Queensland! I say 'unthinkable' because i am not one who likes change. I like the security of a home, friends and family around me. So this was a huge decision for me!!
Once the decision was made, Adele booked the tickets on the Spirit of Tas so we couldn't back out! We had a little less than 6 weeks to pack up our lives, sell our stuff, pack what we were keeping into our cars, say goodbye to our friends, and hit the road! We planned to drive to Qld - Adele's final destination would be Brisbane, Mine a further 400kms up the road at Hervey Bay. 6 weeks, 2 people, ADVENTURE!!!
All was going according to plan until i was hospitalised with the worst migraine I've ever suffered. 11 days later i was home and eager to get packing - we had 3 weeks til the boat sailed!! Alas, a bad bout of flu hit me and i was again bedridden. I was however, headache free after weeks of a continuous throb so i was grateful for that. After a few more days in bed i was finally able to tackle the mammoth task of finishing off the packing!!
We sold most of our furniture and assorted items at a garage sale, gave a lot of things away and threw a lot of stuff out. I was limited in what i could keep as i didn't want to clutter up my friend's garage after his kind offer to store a few items. By far the hardest thing to do was to go thru all the childhood stuff of Adele's i had kept and which provided me with many memories. Photos and a few very special items were kept, much to Adele's disgust!!! She was horrified to find i had saved all of her baby teeth!!! She was okay with the first haircut, and then huge ponytail i had saved from her first major chop when she was 11, but the fact i had her teeth was beyond belief to her!! But she reminisced about losing her first tooth, the letters from the tooth fairy written in the tiniest handwriting, how the tooth fairy forgot to come when she was away with one weekend and lost a tooth.... then she counted them and discovered there were only 19!! There should have been 20 she said, so I had been careless and lost one!! I then reminded her that she still had a baby molar as there was no adult tooth under it!! After a lot of laughs stemming from tooth related memories, Adele assumed i was gonna throw the teeth away as she still thought it was disgusting. She thinks i did. I didn't. They are in the memory box still. I did tell her that she was lucky she was a girl as a friend kept her son's foreskin from his circumcision and presented it to him on his 21st birthday!!!
Other items i kept were Adele's first pair of ballet shoes. Again we laughed and remembered the nights she wore them and her ballet leotard and skirt to bed; how she would walk on her tiptoes around the house pretending to be 'en pointe'; how she would hang over the front fence gazing adoringly at all the little girls going into ballet class for a year before she was old enough to join; how the ballet teacher finally relented a year early and let a 3 yr old Adele into her kinder class; how we had to order her shoes from Bloch as her feet were so tiny!!
Some things we just had to get rid of, like Adele's extensive Barbie doll collection and associated vehicles, furniture and accessories. Whilst packing these up we remembered the days when a 5 yo Adele would spend a whole day assembling everything til it was perfect, right down to the little details such as having the cutlery set correctly on the dining table! She would then admire this for days - not really playing just rearranging stuff and NEVER letting anyone else play with it as she was worried they would wreck it. This included me!!! I was worried she had OCD!! Later, in her teen years, i began to wish the obsessiveness with order in the Barbie Kingdom had carried over to the real world!! Her room often resembled a tip!! The Barbies found a new home with four young sisters who cried when they received them. We know they are well loved and looked after.
Packing was one of the hardest tasks i have ever had to do. Deciding what to keep, what to sell, what to give to whom, was stressful, and as i didn't have much time, i had to make decisions quickly. I cried when saying goodbye to some things, and was glad to see the back end of others..... the last 15 years of paperwork i finally sorted and burned!! In a sense i felt like i was clearing out my life, getting rid of the clutter. It felt cathartic in the end and i don't regret it. To me it was just STUFF. Yes there are memories attached to the STUFF but because i have thrown out the STUFF doesnt mean i need to throw away the memories! i will always have the memories. Unless of course i get dementia!!!
Anyway, we made the deadline - just - packed our cars, repacked them, threw out some more stuff, repacked and finally left our home for the past 8.5 years with sadness in our hearts, but also with excitement ahead of us as we embarked on this big adventure!!
May 10th we sailed out of Devonport, even though Adele's car decided it didn't want to leave and broke down in the queue to board the ferry!! 5 days later we arrived in QLD!!! I'll leave the roadtrip stories for a later date!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
TV Viewing Habits of the 43 yo housebound female
If we study this fine female specimen closely we will see that her tv viewing habits change with the changes of the seasons. In the summer months television viewing is curtailed for more pleasant activities like beach walks, organised sport, bbqs and socialising with other members of the tribe. In the cooler months this female tends to stay inside her cosy habitat and spend more time communing with other species in the form of television characters.
During these somewhat cold and chilly months television viewing becomes a staple part of her daily diet and without it she becomes edgy and noticeably agitated. This is further acerbated when favourite programs go on hiatus for weeks at a time. This can often lead the subject to watch reruns and dvds of past series and episodes.
It is interesting to note in this case, that not all the television viewing occurs on the free to air service provided to all households. This tv addict watches the majority of her television on her computer!!! This is somewhat of a rarity for these parts of the country. Not many inhabitants of the region have the technology, the skills or the know how to be able to do this. This sets this particular female apart from the rest of her peers.
Interestingly, the viewing habits of this particular female are also quite unusual for some one of her age and maturity. Close study has revealed she does tend toward the traditional medical shows, cooking programs, crime shows and reality tv. However, diving deeper into her hard drive we also find many comedic, and often over looked programs - Community, Parks and Recreation, Eastbound and Down, The Soup..... to name a few. This female has indicated that the male species in a show is often the catalyst for a first viewing, and if he meets her high standards then continued viewing is guaranteed. Examples of these male members of the species include Joel McHale, Rob Lowe, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, David Boreanz, Nathan Fillion, and oddly, Donald Trump!!
There is however one exemption to this. This subject did admit to watching one program solely for the female in the series. She stated that although the program no longer interested her greatly as it appears to have fallen victim to poor writing, she continues to watch. When asked to identify the show and the female in particular, she responded by directing us to her Youtube Channel. Again, this was highly unexpected as most subjects of this age and maturity, in this region do not purport to even have knowledge of such things, let alone have their own channel!.
Once we located the Youtube channel and perused the videos we quickly ascertained that this subject had fallen victim to Katewalshitis. This is a common affliction amongst the female population. The worst cases have been known to stalk the actress through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, will often have bookmarked various fansites in their web browser and will have photos of the actress as their screensavers and desk top. Unfortunately, our subject had one of the worst cases of Katewalshitis we had seen in a very long time. Not only did she have all these listed previously (with a particualrly breautiful photo of Ms Walsh and a sea turtle as her desk top) but she had a twitter account dedicated to stalking Ms Walsh's every tweet. She had also attempted to engage the actress in conversation by tweeting her regularly. She was surprisingly, somewhat successful at this. This subject also "liked" Ms Walsh's facebook page, had bookmarked 7 different fan sites and was a daily visitor to Katewalsh.com, Ms Walsh's website, often leaving comments and asking questions. At this point in our study we became concerned for our subject and proceeded to check her hard drive for any further signs of the progression of this insidious disease. Imagine our shock to discover over 2000 photos, several videos of interviews and public appearances, books narrated by Ms Walsh, every movie Ms Walsh has acted in, including the strange indie film Three Below Zero, many fan videos favourited on youtube, and EVERY episode of Grey' sAnatomy and Private Practice stored on the pc and in DVD format.
What had began as a simple study into the television viewing habits of a normal 43 yo female had become an intervention! For without intervention this subject was in grave danger of thinking she was actually a part of Ms Walsh's life, that she was a friend and confidant! When in reality, Ms Walsh had no idea of the existence of our subject. The battle is continiung today to assist our subject as she comes to terms with this shocking news. Our last conversation ended with, "but she tweeted me yesterday..." Yes we have along road ahead for rehabilitation, but we feel we will succeed. The subject did say that the she would quit The Walsh, as the fans endearingly call her, if we could get Rob Lowe to marry her.......
During these somewhat cold and chilly months television viewing becomes a staple part of her daily diet and without it she becomes edgy and noticeably agitated. This is further acerbated when favourite programs go on hiatus for weeks at a time. This can often lead the subject to watch reruns and dvds of past series and episodes.
It is interesting to note in this case, that not all the television viewing occurs on the free to air service provided to all households. This tv addict watches the majority of her television on her computer!!! This is somewhat of a rarity for these parts of the country. Not many inhabitants of the region have the technology, the skills or the know how to be able to do this. This sets this particular female apart from the rest of her peers.
Interestingly, the viewing habits of this particular female are also quite unusual for some one of her age and maturity. Close study has revealed she does tend toward the traditional medical shows, cooking programs, crime shows and reality tv. However, diving deeper into her hard drive we also find many comedic, and often over looked programs - Community, Parks and Recreation, Eastbound and Down, The Soup..... to name a few. This female has indicated that the male species in a show is often the catalyst for a first viewing, and if he meets her high standards then continued viewing is guaranteed. Examples of these male members of the species include Joel McHale, Rob Lowe, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, David Boreanz, Nathan Fillion, and oddly, Donald Trump!!
There is however one exemption to this. This subject did admit to watching one program solely for the female in the series. She stated that although the program no longer interested her greatly as it appears to have fallen victim to poor writing, she continues to watch. When asked to identify the show and the female in particular, she responded by directing us to her Youtube Channel. Again, this was highly unexpected as most subjects of this age and maturity, in this region do not purport to even have knowledge of such things, let alone have their own channel!.
Once we located the Youtube channel and perused the videos we quickly ascertained that this subject had fallen victim to Katewalshitis. This is a common affliction amongst the female population. The worst cases have been known to stalk the actress through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, will often have bookmarked various fansites in their web browser and will have photos of the actress as their screensavers and desk top. Unfortunately, our subject had one of the worst cases of Katewalshitis we had seen in a very long time. Not only did she have all these listed previously (with a particualrly breautiful photo of Ms Walsh and a sea turtle as her desk top) but she had a twitter account dedicated to stalking Ms Walsh's every tweet. She had also attempted to engage the actress in conversation by tweeting her regularly. She was surprisingly, somewhat successful at this. This subject also "liked" Ms Walsh's facebook page, had bookmarked 7 different fan sites and was a daily visitor to Katewalsh.com, Ms Walsh's website, often leaving comments and asking questions. At this point in our study we became concerned for our subject and proceeded to check her hard drive for any further signs of the progression of this insidious disease. Imagine our shock to discover over 2000 photos, several videos of interviews and public appearances, books narrated by Ms Walsh, every movie Ms Walsh has acted in, including the strange indie film Three Below Zero, many fan videos favourited on youtube, and EVERY episode of Grey' sAnatomy and Private Practice stored on the pc and in DVD format.
What had began as a simple study into the television viewing habits of a normal 43 yo female had become an intervention! For without intervention this subject was in grave danger of thinking she was actually a part of Ms Walsh's life, that she was a friend and confidant! When in reality, Ms Walsh had no idea of the existence of our subject. The battle is continiung today to assist our subject as she comes to terms with this shocking news. Our last conversation ended with, "but she tweeted me yesterday..." Yes we have along road ahead for rehabilitation, but we feel we will succeed. The subject did say that the she would quit The Walsh, as the fans endearingly call her, if we could get Rob Lowe to marry her.......
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Changes
At this time in exactly 41 days I will on the Spirit of Tasmania, sitting in the bar, sipping on a vodka and preparing for the first day of a roadtrip to Queensland!! All my worldly possessions will be in my car somewhere deep in the bowels of the ship. All my memories will be behind me, left in Tassie, and my future will be in front of me. I said 2011 was going to be the year of huge changes for me, and it is certainly the case. In 41 days i will no longer be able to say i live in Tasmania. In 41 days i will no longer have a home. In 41 days i will no longer be living with my daughter, which apart from 6 months, we have done for almost 21 years!!
This is incredibly exciting, frightening and stressful all at once! Wine is helping. Headache is not........ I'm looking forward to a having less responsibilities, warm weather, being able to spend time with my friends. I'm gonna miss m Deli ver very much..... and the letter before z and after x is not working!! FFS!! Why??? Oh there it is!! Welcome back y!! It seriousl keeps disappearing.... WTF??? there it goes again....
Anyhoo.... The next 41 days are gonna be bus .... looks like i will also be looking for a new computer... I cannot live without mi letter before z and after x...... FUCK!!
This is incredibly exciting, frightening and stressful all at once! Wine is helping. Headache is not........ I'm looking forward to a having less responsibilities, warm weather, being able to spend time with my friends. I'm gonna miss m Deli ver very much..... and the letter before z and after x is not working!! FFS!! Why??? Oh there it is!! Welcome back y!! It seriousl keeps disappearing.... WTF??? there it goes again....
Anyhoo.... The next 41 days are gonna be bus .... looks like i will also be looking for a new computer... I cannot live without mi letter before z and after x...... FUCK!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2010 in review
2010 was the year of the Twitter for me!! The year i became well and truly hooked. They're have been ups and downs, laughs, tears and lots and lots of new friendships forged. I wouldn't change a thing.
2010 has also been the year of the Headache. Again. Unlike 2009, 2008 and 2007 however, i have spent less time incarcerated in hospital. Probably because i refuse to go!! This biggest thing to happen headache wise however, has been that I've learnt to cope better than i did in the past. That's a blessing!!
2010 is also the year i went on leave from work. Back in May. Yet to return. This is probably why i cope better with the headaches!!
2010 is the year i traveled twice to Queensland to visit my best friends and my sister and family. I love QLD. I may even move there!!
2010 is the year i decided to change my life. Sell up, pack up, and travel - in 2011! More on that later.
2010 brought new friends into my life. People i know will be around forever.
2010 was the year i was so very, very proud of my beautiful daughter. She made some momentous decisions, did some very amazing things and made me proud to say i'm her mum!!! Love her to bits!!
2010 was the year i came out to my friends and family about all things Kate Walsh!! LOL It was also the year of much ridicule and torment!!
2010 taught me so much about myself. I'm thankful for every experience, good and bad. Life throws challenges at us constantly. Some we overcome with ease. Some we battle through. Others we fear and hesitate to acknowledge. It's how we choose to deal with the latter that makes us who we are. I conquered some and in 2011 i fully intend to conquer more!! Bring it on!!
oh and 2010 was not the year i used capitals and punctuation in my blogs.... :)
2010 has also been the year of the Headache. Again. Unlike 2009, 2008 and 2007 however, i have spent less time incarcerated in hospital. Probably because i refuse to go!! This biggest thing to happen headache wise however, has been that I've learnt to cope better than i did in the past. That's a blessing!!
2010 is also the year i went on leave from work. Back in May. Yet to return. This is probably why i cope better with the headaches!!
2010 is the year i traveled twice to Queensland to visit my best friends and my sister and family. I love QLD. I may even move there!!
2010 is the year i decided to change my life. Sell up, pack up, and travel - in 2011! More on that later.
2010 brought new friends into my life. People i know will be around forever.
2010 was the year i was so very, very proud of my beautiful daughter. She made some momentous decisions, did some very amazing things and made me proud to say i'm her mum!!! Love her to bits!!
2010 was the year i came out to my friends and family about all things Kate Walsh!! LOL It was also the year of much ridicule and torment!!
2010 taught me so much about myself. I'm thankful for every experience, good and bad. Life throws challenges at us constantly. Some we overcome with ease. Some we battle through. Others we fear and hesitate to acknowledge. It's how we choose to deal with the latter that makes us who we are. I conquered some and in 2011 i fully intend to conquer more!! Bring it on!!
oh and 2010 was not the year i used capitals and punctuation in my blogs.... :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Queensland lifestyle...
There is something about warm humid weather that makes me feel like I'm on permanent holiday. Well I am actually on holiday right now, but I don't think I could adjust to living somewhere like this (Hervey Bay) due to the weather. I love it so much but it evokes a holiday atmosphere. I wouldn't want to go to work on warm days. I'd want to hang out at the beach, the local pub or cafes on the foreshore. I'd never tire of the ever-changing view, all the many beaches to lie on and swim at, the excellent food and the beer and rum! I'm rapidly becoming a local though. I have 2 pairs of shoes - thongs. A going out pair and a beach pair. I wear sleeveless tops daily. Go to bed early and get up early. That might be because of the household's baby though! I eat mangoes every day. I drink rum every night. I ride my bike with no helmet. I am slowly getting used to the wildlife- shared my room last night with my old pal Pierce- the Gecko who stares at me while I sleep, and a green tree frog. Admittedly he was outside my window on the sill. A cane toad lives in the gutter and croaks all night and by day the cicadas provide me with a musical chorus to walk to the beach with. We have none of these creatures in Tassie. It's like another world. Also, I've quickly learnt to avoid the narrow,circular burrow holes on the beach. Snakes. Apparently. I swim with the local sealife daily, in water that is so tepid it's like a bath. In Tassie we swim in 17 degree water in summer. Here it's about 25 degrees. Some days I have a cold shower after swimming to cool off. It takes me 2 mins and 50 secs to walk to the beach and I usually have the whole place to myself. I love Qld.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Endings.....
Things are always ending here in my world. The day, night time (with no sleep in sight), my favourite tv show, my iphone battery, the block of Cadbury Coconut Rough chocolate, the Bundy bottle, the vodka, the wine..... and my periods of good health- Perhaps due to the ending of the latter 3 items?? :D
I'm on a downward spiral. Bugger. My stupid, too small head, & too big brain have begun to bother me again. Not on a daily basis, just bi or tri weekly. This means i get four great days each week!!! And i love those days and am eternally grateful for them. But, this means the bad head days feel worse than they should. Sort of like breaking your arm - you don't appreciate it til you can't use it, and then you stress about everything you are missing. Never mind that you've not once used the weights at the gym. Now you can't, you desperately need to!
So, the days i have a headache i become extremely frustrated, because i cannot go abseiling & rock climbing on such a beautiful day; i cannot go for a skydive or base jump; i cannot raise my head from the pillow. Never mind that i haven't abseiled or rock climbed for almost 20 years, or have yet to do my first solo skydive. The point is that today could have been the day i did those things. And raising my head from the pillow is a challenge every day, especially if it's prior to midday, and even more difficult if Ellen isn't on the tv! But today..... the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and i really want to get up and enjoy the gorgeous day that is. I feel guilty for staying glued to my bed. Any other day i could care less.....
Yes my head hurts. But that's just an irritation. Its the limitations it places upon me, however unrealistic my expectations might be, that bother me more. So i while away the time waiting for that much longed for return of my healthy days by tweeting, facebooking and not blogging!
Today i decided i needed a mind shift. So instead of looking at life as a bunch of endings of good things, i need to think of the endings as beginnings, and i need to look for the positives in these new beginnings. Stretched my brain cells a lot when trying to find the positives in an empty vodka bottle, but i did. There are many more vodkas i have yet to get to know!!! Bring it on!! And the positives in a bed bound, headachey day - its a day for recharging the batteries. Mine and my iphone :p
So, the next time i awake with a headache, after firstly celebrating the fact i slept with a vodka or two, I'll accept my day under the covers with good grace. I'll dream about floating in zero gravity on my first space mission, knowing that it is what it is - something i need to do on a headache free day!! Yes i have some "unattainable" or "unrealistic" goals, but who's to say i wont do these things one day?? After all, tomorrow i am going to leave the house. That was unrealistic 2 months ago, before my remission :))
I'm on a downward spiral. Bugger. My stupid, too small head, & too big brain have begun to bother me again. Not on a daily basis, just bi or tri weekly. This means i get four great days each week!!! And i love those days and am eternally grateful for them. But, this means the bad head days feel worse than they should. Sort of like breaking your arm - you don't appreciate it til you can't use it, and then you stress about everything you are missing. Never mind that you've not once used the weights at the gym. Now you can't, you desperately need to!
So, the days i have a headache i become extremely frustrated, because i cannot go abseiling & rock climbing on such a beautiful day; i cannot go for a skydive or base jump; i cannot raise my head from the pillow. Never mind that i haven't abseiled or rock climbed for almost 20 years, or have yet to do my first solo skydive. The point is that today could have been the day i did those things. And raising my head from the pillow is a challenge every day, especially if it's prior to midday, and even more difficult if Ellen isn't on the tv! But today..... the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and i really want to get up and enjoy the gorgeous day that is. I feel guilty for staying glued to my bed. Any other day i could care less.....
Yes my head hurts. But that's just an irritation. Its the limitations it places upon me, however unrealistic my expectations might be, that bother me more. So i while away the time waiting for that much longed for return of my healthy days by tweeting, facebooking and not blogging!
Today i decided i needed a mind shift. So instead of looking at life as a bunch of endings of good things, i need to think of the endings as beginnings, and i need to look for the positives in these new beginnings. Stretched my brain cells a lot when trying to find the positives in an empty vodka bottle, but i did. There are many more vodkas i have yet to get to know!!! Bring it on!! And the positives in a bed bound, headachey day - its a day for recharging the batteries. Mine and my iphone :p
So, the next time i awake with a headache, after firstly celebrating the fact i slept with a vodka or two, I'll accept my day under the covers with good grace. I'll dream about floating in zero gravity on my first space mission, knowing that it is what it is - something i need to do on a headache free day!! Yes i have some "unattainable" or "unrealistic" goals, but who's to say i wont do these things one day?? After all, tomorrow i am going to leave the house. That was unrealistic 2 months ago, before my remission :))
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Running... & Jumping...
We all run. Either figuratively or literally. We run from situations that scare us, intimidate, hurt, upset, make us uncomfortable AND from situations that could make us deliriously happy. I know I do. Not as much as I use to, but it's still instinctive to "run & hide" whenever I encounter a difficult situation.
I have always said "I don't run unless I'm chased. Or there's a million dollars to be had." I hate running in a physical sense. Hot, sweaty, pounding heart, pounding footsteps. For what? To get somewhere fast, to gain fitness? I can get all these hot, sweaty feelings from looking at a spider crawl across my ceiling, knowing its out of reach and i'll never sleep til i catch it!!
When physically running, you miss out on so much. You are too busy listening to your heart trying to escape from your chest, concentrating on breathing, counting the miles/kilometres, hurrying, rushing. The scenery flashes past, thoughts are dismissed. Similarly, the same happens when we run from situations in our life we want to avoid. We miss so much. We hide away and close ourselves off to what is happening around us.
The "fight or flight" response is inherent in us all. There is a massive rush of adrenalin that is released as soon as we encounter anything frightening, or exciting. We can either use this adrenalin to remove us from the situation, by running as far away as possible for example, or in a less physical sense, to avoid the situation in an emotional way by withdrawing. Or we can use it to stay and fight, both physically and emotionally. A couple of years ago, I decided to stop "running" and start taking in my surroundings, facing up to situations, to stop being fearful and worrisome, to use the adrenalin rush to my advantage. I decided to jump into life with both feet and to see where it would take me!! So what was the first thing i did??
I have always said "I don't run unless I'm chased. Or there's a million dollars to be had." I hate running in a physical sense. Hot, sweaty, pounding heart, pounding footsteps. For what? To get somewhere fast, to gain fitness? I can get all these hot, sweaty feelings from looking at a spider crawl across my ceiling, knowing its out of reach and i'll never sleep til i catch it!!
When physically running, you miss out on so much. You are too busy listening to your heart trying to escape from your chest, concentrating on breathing, counting the miles/kilometres, hurrying, rushing. The scenery flashes past, thoughts are dismissed. Similarly, the same happens when we run from situations in our life we want to avoid. We miss so much. We hide away and close ourselves off to what is happening around us.
I jumped out of a plane!!!
And i enjoyed it so much i enrolled in Skydive School! I'm yet to do a solo jump, but i will. I can't wait!!!
I still "run & hide" from life at times, especially when my IIH erupts, but i only have to remember the feeling of exhiliration i had when freefalling and i know i can face most things. If remembering doesn't work then i look at the DVD of my jump and listen to myself screaming and squealing......... with excitement and sheer joy, mixed with a tiny bit of fear!!! Then i know i'm gonna be fine!
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