Life looks up

It is so easy to be negative in life - it is so easy to whinge and whine than be happy and see the good things around you. I will try to look at the good things around me. I got a new second-hand filing cabinet and some lovely purple files for it and finally got all my paper work arranged. I found my 2006 tax return. There is a possibility I may get some more money back from the government as I will have 5 years tax returns re-assessed when I get some paper work from the pension people. I have a new electric drill - I haven't got it out of the box as yet but hope to over the weekend. My old gas company finally moved me over the the new one. I have painted the clothes basket and I think it looks nice. I go the soil to plant the lettuce over the weekend. I have enough food to eat and have paid some bills. I could be much worse off.

I was going to rant and rave about work...

but then I realised it would be boring for others to hear about the people I work with and that karma will catch up with in time- the people I work with that is- and they will get what they deserve in life and no amount of bad feelings on my part with make any difference. I will just say they are showing their true colours and are unlikely to be happy people in the long run.

When the young lady moved into the house behind me, for some reason the landlord cut off all the branches of the gum tree in the backyard that were hanging over the back fence. This made the tree lopsided. It looked dangerous and this morning a young man was hanging from a rope and chainsawing lump off the tree that was left. I have no objections to a dangerous tree being taken down but it might of been nice to actually tell the neighbours what was going on. The noise of the grinder is incredible!

I cleaned out the small plastic pond in my backyard this morning and refilled it with clean water in preperation to getting a goldfish for it tomorrow. As i then moved it slightly to get the pump cord from under it, it split and dumped about 50 litres of water in a wave across the yard. I'm upset about the water loss more than anything else. I had been thinking bad thoughts so the universe got me back. I found the other plactic barrel and repeated the process, this time making sure the cord was out of the way.

I didn't get retrenched a few weeks back so my mother has booked up a holiday for last week October - first week November to go to Queensland so I can see the nephew (now 10) I have never seen. Not being retrenched means I have more time to look for another job. There was also some good news with my tax - I have to follow that up some more.

November this year will be the 10th anniversary of Ian's death. I'm already feeling I might not handle this too well. Might also have a dinner at the local Mexican restaurant as Ian's liked going there.

The straw has broken on the camel's back

I have to leave this stupid job as soon as possible. No more just thinking I have time and I can wait it out. Any organization that refers to its support service as a "Business unit" has to be gotten away from in a big hurry. I joined the Cancer Council to make a difference and my ethics are now being sorely tested. It isn't possible to put a price tag on good service, empathy, listening or pride in your job. The heart has been pulled out of the library and I am not going to wait around for the corpse to stop twitching. I will be applying for anything I can from now on and hope to be out of here in a month. I don't like to leave the people who appreciate the service in the lurch but the management here has made it impossible to for me to continue working here and still uphold my values. My job is actually making me sick - I've my second cold in a month, I'm anemic, need Vitamin B12 shots and my sugar levels are a bit suspect. I will not be a candidate for diabetes.

KRin has reasons to be cheerful

It is very easy to whinge and moan. It is harder to look for good aspects of life.
1. I'm not dead yet!
2. I am walking better then I was 12 months ago. I'll never run a marathon but then I never would anyway.
3. I can afford to feed and clothe myself.
4. I have a pet who loves me.
5. I have a house that is warm and dry.
6. I have friends who care for me.
7. I can afford a few luxuries in life but then I don't want much either.
8. I do have some family - annoying as they are.
9. I still have a job for a while.
10. I have Ian's artwork to promote.

KRin and stuff

Good and bad...head cold almost gone, had a great day last Friday and walked the most I have ever walked - according to my pedometer. Went to a fannish event on Sunday afternoon - was quite shocked to see someone I knew in the past had last about half has body weight and is waiting for a lung transplant. Good thing is that the Melbourne Science Fiction Club wants to do an event for the 10th anniversary of Ian's passing - will have to get cartoons scanned and copied by November.

People next door sold their house about 3 months back and never spoke to me from the day the house was sold. Walked past their place Monday night and they were gone! Not a word was said and they have a set of my house keys. I didn't do anything to upset them - honest! I suppose people go a little funny with the stress at this time. Moving is hell.

Melbourne has had more rain, nice but not enough. Winter like it was maybe 10 years back, people have forgotten how cold it gets...

KRin has a head cold

Most people when they are sick would takeit easy. Not me. I have the Melbourne head cold - have lost my voice and have the most annoying cough. Also have the runs today just for variety. I'm not sleeping well. So, what did I decide to do? Resdesign my main bedroom wardrobe. There has been a shelf sitting at eye level since we moved in 1989, just in the right place to smack you head when you lean in to get clothes out. On Monday night after all these years, I took a hammer and dismantled the damn thing.

Points to note: 1. The only thing holding the shelf up was an upright of wood about 3/4 of the way along the shelf. 2. The shelf was built out of the nastiest wood I have ever seen. 3. I've never seen nails like the ones the builder used. 4. The last bit of nasty beige carpet has gone.

I was going to reuse the wood to redesign the storage unit but it was so awful I elected instead to get some half price stick down tiles for the floor and found a hald price metal unit to put in instead. For something that feels quite flimsy it is working quite well (I'm about half done). I have also discovered that the wardrobe is narrower than it should be for a wardrobe.

Stuff/Life and such

It's cold for Melbourne. I have the Melbourne cold - thank you to who ever gave it to me. Mir is bored, she keeps coming in and out through the window behind me, attacking my sewing or the plant near the window. Job is still uncertain - just wait and see I suppose. I'm going to have a couple of days off in the next week - I'm enjoying the sleeping in.

KRin's rather obvious advice

Don't eat have a box of tiny iced doughnuts and not expect to feel sick!

Burp.

KRin has to think about her future

I feel my job is going at the end of the year. No, there isn't any definate proof as yet as the library review is still being undertaken but I feel the writing is on the wall in big letters. So, do I stay and wait for the job to disappear or do I go? There hasn't been a great number of jobs I could apply for - I do keep any eye out. I can't stand for long periods of time so maybe working in a cafe is out. Yes, I can stil be a library technician but the field is small.

I will have to put aside some money - so goodbye to my holiday money and hello to emergency money. I will cut back on eating out - no more buying lunch on Tuesdays before I start work at the op-shop. No more taking vitamins - when the current lot run out that will be it and I will see if they were actually doing anything! Finishing the floor in the kitchen and the tiling in the bathroom will both go on hold. Also the paving down the side of the house will go on hold as well.

I felt myself wondering yesterday if it would have been better if I had gotten cancer rather than Ian. He would have contributed more to the world than I ever could. Morbid but true when you think about it realistically.

KRin obviously isn't a great blogger

as she keeps forgetting to post.

Do you really care anyone out there? Maybe I should actually tell my friends about this blog? I'll think about it some more...

KRin muses

Male got on the train this morning and was smoking. He then started to threaten his invisible friend with murder. Slightly scary and I was glad I was getting off the train.

Spam headers : "Update your penis" and what, make it a kidney or a liver?
"Turn into the incredible hulk" - would you really want to do this? Big, green and nasty?

Life continues.

KRin exposes her softer side

and no, don't take that in a context that isn't meant.

Sunday, 1st June would have been Ian's 50'th birthday. Dear friend J had me over for dinner. She gave me a lovely present. I cried, not something I do often and only when I feel safe. Even after almost 10 years the death of my beloved still at times stings deeply. A hug from J and N made it all seem better. Friends do make a difference.

The fog was coming down when I was driving home. Some drivers on the freeway didn't slow down. My exit ramp was fog bound and I almost missed the end of my street because I caouldn't see anything. Very, very creepy.

KRin has some observations on life

To the people with iPods and such on the train : if I can hear YOUR iPod music over my iPod music while I have earphone buds in my ears, your music is WAY TOO LOUD! To this path leads deafness.

The drivers in Melbourne: Red lights mean STOP, not continue what I am doing and cross the intersection into the path of the oncoming cars.

The the cyclists riding on the footpaths : GET OFF THE DAMN FOOTPATH! Yes, the road may be crowded and you may be threatened by this but pedestrians have right of way on the footpath. Thats why its called a FOOTPATH! You have to get out of the way of pedestrians, not the other way around. And wearing your helmet, not having it handing on the handlebars is another damn good idea.

Are we breeding stupid humans nowadays or we always this dim?

KRin has gastroenteritis

And its no fun at all. Last time I had gastro Ian was alive so it was at least 10 years ago. I had forgotten just miserable the whole experience is. Got myself dehydrated over the last weekend and in a confused state, drove myself up to the emergency section at the hospital. They put a litre of saline into me, gave me some rehydration salts and told me to stay away from other people as I was infectious. Since then a cheerful round of loo and bed has been my life. Bloody awful way to lose weight. I will get better but its so damn slow.

KRin has her first MRI...

and what a weird experience that was boys and girls! Did some checking up before I went on Monday night (what else would you expect???) so had some idea of what was to happen. Luckily, as I was having ankles done I could go in feet first. I think head first might have been a wee bit freaky. The most astonishing thing for me was the noise it made! It's just very powerful magnets so why would the machine make so much noise!!!! NOw just have to wait for the next Outpatients appointment to see what Mr Doctor says. He can go jump if he suggests surgery.

The other slightly weird thing was how badly lit it is around the hospital. Very few street lights. Maybe the hospital is trying to hide?

More Mir/Observations on life

Mir is fine. Won't be building a cat enclosure though - $3000! I'm going to just replace the fences instead - that is an essential and will kill two birds with one stone. Then allI have to do is wire over the top. Mir tried a bid for freedom on Saturday - she jumped up onto the reed fencing which then bent down at an angle of 45 degrees so so had to jump off - she didn't utter a sound while doing this. She knew she was doing something wrong.

Had a lovely afternoon tea for j's birthday yesterday afternoon. Lots of yummy food and I was able to apply my sandwich making skills to help.

Signs are up on the Eastern Freeway for the tollway extention to Ringwood. Yes, there are covered up but they must be ready to go. Won't be travelling any further than Springvale Rd - I'm not paying a toll to a private company to travel on a road in Victoria. I'll go the long way around thank you very much!

Got a new monitor on Saturday - bliss! Now just have to adjust it.

More on Mir

Wednesday night to the vets - another abscess, not as bad as the one just two months back but deep. Took her in Thursday morning, 4 stitches, another blasted drain and an another even more blasted plastic collar. By today she can't understand why she can't have the colloar off-she feels fine! Drain is dry and has been since Friday night. She keeps licking the inside of the plastic collar which makes the most awful noise. Getting some of the antibiotics into her but for heaven's sake - they are bright pink pills! Why not a liquid or meat flavoured? Have spent the weekend making the backyard into a cat run - time will tell if I am successful or not. I can already see one place she could get out and will have to fix that next week. I have never had this type of trouble with any other cat I have owned in my whole life. I wonder what it is that makes what-ever-it-is attacking Mir want to attack her?

Life continues still

Mir has a cut or scratch on her back leg, will have to get her into see the vet in the next couple of days, no letting the wound go septic this time. Had to have the back section of the exhaust system on the car replaced today - he was sounding like a jet engine. I have all the books (I think) in the one room now so I suppose I can officially call it a library now. Should start selling on ebay as soon as I can - get that camera out KRin and get going

Observations on life

Two young people were begging on the train this morning, asking everyone for change. It was quite sad and faintly annoying. No-one seemed to give them anything.

Mad old women over the road was watering her nasty, common-as-much flowers yesterday morning. It had rained the night before.

Local mad women came past yesterday morning as I was packing the car to go the tip. She was dragging along two dead plants (well, they looked dead to me). I do try and avoid her as she talks AT you, not TO you.

Was channel surfing last night, came across a program on a teen weight reduction camp in the US. First thing to strike me as odd was the fact that the counsellors searched the childrens belonging while they were at a concert - very much an invasion of privacy I would have thought. Secondly, the weight reduction scheme all just seemed to be playing sport all day. Where was the emotional counselling?The nutrition advice? At least they didn't weight these poor kids out in the open for all to see!

Sad sight of the day

A teenage girl begging in the train. Her speech seemed slured. I had seen the same girl yesterday screeching at someone on the stairs yesterday in Box Hill. Don't think anyone gave her anything. Very sad.

Blaming genetics again

I had my appointment today at the Orthotics in the Box Hill Hospital outpatients. This had made me laught when I got the notification of this appointment back in October last year. I feel strange going to the hospital for the first time since Ian's passed away - I don't really count the time I went into emergency there and had some morphine and drifted the day away.

Apparently, my ankle damage is only usually seen in athletes, and for those of you who know me, you will know thats is the last thing I would ever be. I just expected to be sent away and told to put up with the pain. Oh no, that isn't what is happening at all. Firstly, I have to have an MRI on both ankle - these have to be booked a day apart as Medicare doesn't let here be two such scans in one day. Then I go back to outpatients to see the surgeon again. Meantime, I take my old shoe inserts off a place in Ringwood where they will assess if they can use them for this new condition (the old ones were made ofr a heel spur many years ago). Also I have very tight calf muscles which is genetic - thanks again Mum and Dad. High blood pressure and being short sighted obviously wasn't enough! I am supposed to book for physiotherapy but I'll wait and see on that.

So, rats really.

Interesting sight of the day

A gentleman in a shirt and tie, backpack on his back, clutching an Elmo doll by the neck, upsidedown, held close to his body. His expression said "don't ask me about this...". I didn't.

Train broken down near East Camberwell this morning. Chaos on the train system. Of course, there was, it's the first day back for school children after the holidays. This is becoming a habit Connex...

Life continues...

Had a flu shot at work on Friday, arm still aches and I have a lovely big, red lump. A little suffering rather than get a dose of the flu is fine by me. I have cleaned up the yard after the storm on Wednesday, many, many bags of leaves and sticks. Have a small terrace in the back yard now, just need the soil to settle again and I can get on with some planting. Garden seat - made with only things I had in the garage - is painted. Need it to dry then add the roof (table top) and metal shelf ($2.50 from IKEA the other day) and I will have a nice spot to sit in the back yard. I feel virtuous as I also managed to fix the kitchen floor and lay a new new tiles down as well.

Melbourne's Wild Weather

I was caught in the train chaos, like thousands of other people. It took me 4 hours to get home. Finally caught a tram going the other way out of the city, changed to a tram going back into the city so I could get a seat. At Box Hill was able to catch the local bus, although this was held up by every person getting on asking the driver if he stopped at so-and-so street and an elderly gentleman arguing with the driver as he wasn't going the way he wanted him to go. Hopefully the total collapse of the train system will prompt the government or Connex to develop some sort of emergency plan for the next time this sort of thing happens.

Still have no landline or internet connection at home, this could take a few more days to fix.

Yard full of leaves but no major tree damage. Fella up the road has a tree take out his front fence. Blackburn Station Street shops had no power for about 36 hours. Some place in the city still out and it could be a week before the power is back.

Today's Idiots

This morning, about 7am, when it was still dark, two ladies power walking. One was dressed in black. They were on the road. Just lucky I suppose no-one was actually driving along the road and failed to see them! Natural selection at work.

Who gives a toss really?

The wife of the stores manager here had a baby last night. Nice for them, hope they are happy. The people in the office have gone mad! There has been no work done for an hour and they are now cackling in the office behind me as they wrap a huge present. The big boss is away today so I suppose people are just taking advantage of that. It's just a baby, thousands are born every day. Get over it guys!

The stupidity of my workplace

I work in a service industry - a library to be exact. The purpose of our library is provide information and education to people working in the organization. It isn't doing that well at the moment, despite my best efforts. One major reason for this is my Fool of a Boss. The man is an idiot, he is rude, unsure of himself and suffers from a complete lack of any communication skills. The situation is not helped by the fact that the physical library is now tucked up behind stores - I actually know someone couldn't find it the other day when they went looking for it! So, Big Department Boss has arranged for an idependant assessment of library services. Hurray say I. Fool Boss is already running scared. Not that I have been told much at all, I hear most of what is happening through the wall as the Big Department Boss has his office next door. Fool Boss has sent me an email to say I am to talk to the Consultant with him there, no on your life sunny Jim, there is a lot I need to say that won't be said if you are breathing down my neck.

For instance. Book requests from staff for books held outside our library. Staff fill in a request form available on the intranet, which is currently passed onto Fool Boss. He prints them out and hands them to me. I process the request, find a library that holds the book, obtain the book and it is posted to us. I process the book into our organization. Fool Boss them internal mails it to client. Client has no idea I actually do the work and Fool Boss thinks he is doing a good job. This won't be continuing if I have any say in the matter.

More to come...

Tolerance on public transport

Lady fainted on the train on Wednesday morning (I actually saw her lying on the floor of the train so I can confirm this). The train therefore stopped at Richmond. Yes, it did tack Connex staff a little while to get things going and about 15 minutes before the ambulance turned up. It was the other train passangers that I found to be behaving oddly. Firstly, the passengers in the carriage where the lady was seemed reluctant to actually leave the carriage - maybe they thought she would just be tipped off and the train would go on its way. Secondly, the anger of the passangers who were now held up - I'm quite sure the lady didn't faint on purpose just to annoy the other passengers and make them late for work!

I'll throw a couple of words in and suggest anyone who doesn't feel sympthay for someone ill on public transport look them up in a dictionary - "empathy" and "compassion".

Life lessons

When laying pavers in the yard and need to tap them with the mallet to seat them properly, remove your finger before doing so. Having not removed my finger, I tried to ignore the pain as I had been so stupid as to hit my finger. This didn't last and I came inside to ice the damn finger. This actually hurt more. I shall have quite a nice bruise.

Testing,testing

Interesting things blogs. Can be very,very boring or exciting reading. I suspect mine will be the former.