A Christmas tragedy

When you hear something like this on the news you think "Poor buggers." And wonder what happened.

Suspicion falls on Christmas lights.

I watch Ready, Steady, Cook! when I am at home and in front of the television, so I am familiar with the chefs who appear on the program.

I don't know what to say, except I hope that Matt is OK, whatever happens.

Mum's surgery

Mum's fine. All successful no complications, except she's got very low bloodpressure - has always had it, but it seems to drop when she's had anaesthetic.

She's ordered me to break her out on Monday... or I think I will be out of the will (meh, she's spending the inheritance, it's not much of a threat!).

Floyd the Wonder Dog

They needed heartworm tablets, the furry kidz, so I bought some different ones - the produce store only had the enormous ones for dogs between 40 something and 68kg. The bloke said "Cut it in half, it means it will last two dogs six months, not like the ones for the dogs' size. It's a big saving!"

I agreed.

I gave Meggie her half tablet the other day. Just put it in with her normal dry dogfood, which she hoovers up, and it was gone!

Floyd was a different approach. I've never shoved a tablet down his throat, I've disguised it in a chunk of meat. But this was a bit big (about the size of half a man's thumbnail, and almost a quarter of an inch thick!).

How to give Floyd his tablet...?

Ahhh! I know. Blobbed it into the dripping pan. He had a bit of a sniff and a lick. Then he took it (he's very, very gentle), bit it - it must be bitter. He swallowed the tiny third he broke off, and kinda dropped the rest out of his mouth. I picked it up, and he tried to get it. I was encouraging him to take it with sweet words. He took it and crunched again. Another third swallowed.

Then it popped out of his mouth and fell on the ground, in some dust and fur. I picked it up and told him he really needed to swallow it. I had a bit of fat on my finger, just a tiny bit and thought I'd put that on it, but he took it and swallowed it.
He's an amazing fellow. I love him to bits!

He's learnt "Paw!" to present his paw, for shaking, and he gets a reward.

Problem is that when he sees you with the treats he will go through all the motions of the things he's done  before to get a treat. He'll start with sit and present "Paw!", when that doesn't work he will lay down, then sit up again. Always anticipating what he is required to do to get the treat.

He's so clever, he's got ME trained!

Oh, and Mum's having diverticulitis surgery this month and I'm going to Sydney to look after her when she gets out of hospital. That's something else I  have to sort out. Kennel for dogs and driving to Sydney. I think I'll only be there for a week, but see how Mum goes.

Mum, stepfather charged with murder

Poor child.

Update:
Watching the news update just now and seeing the announcement by the police officer in charge of the investigation... I like him. He's nervous and strikes me as an honest man who knows more than he's allowed to tell, but wants to tell the truth...

Dad

It's his birthday today, he would have been 80 if the fags, grog and depression hadn't got him just over ten years ago.

I hope to write more later, it's exam paper submission time.

Visitors

Been gallivanting since Friday night with the unexpected best friends kids' visiting - well, they are more like family!

Be back as soon as I stop gallivanting!

Thanks for askin'!

Karma or hormones?

When I was very small, three or four, my great grandma, Nanna A, was someone we visited whenever we could. She was probably about seventy something, grandma, Nanna J, must have been about, oh, fiftysomething - or they might have been younger... I was only a little tacker, mum was in her twenties.

Nanna A had the best garden. She had figs (I love fresh figs), she had carnations (I love carnations, the scented ones!), she had a big, square cut topiarised tree in her front yard in Wiley Park. I usually visited with Nanna J in the afternoon for afternoon tea and Mum would come home from school and pick us up from there.

Nanna A was lovely, she was cuddly. But I hated kissing her good bye.

Nanna A had whiskers. Yuk. I thought that was the worsest thing that could happen. I dreaded getting whiskers. Nanna's don't have whiskers... no way!

I'm 52 this year. It might very well be karma. I never uttered the words of the Billy Goat Gruff, "Not by the hair on my...". Ever.

If you think your hormones are wonky when you're a teenager, just wait until you're hitting menopause!

Karma?

(The other Nannas didn't have hairy chins, and Mum doesn't. Sux to that!)

Dad 20/4/31 - 31/10/01 - this is the more promised...

Today is my father's birthday. He would have been 79.

Dad, although not perfect (as are we all), was the only father I had. I loved him, perhaps I didn't show it enough.

Dad had many interests. Flying, aircraft, gliders, photography, boats, caving. There were so many things he did.

He was a wood lathe operator by trade, but during his life he had many jobs. He worked for AWA, Kriesler TV, had his own building company until his partner robbed him blind and Dad (and Mum) were left with all the bills because the partner owned nothing, and even took the company ute! He built boats and worked for a company called MJ Bain fibreglassing boats and he became involved in a boat race in Macksville a few years when he was doing this job, I think it was a water skiing race - Bridge to Bridge? Bridge to Ocean? Dad was somehow involved with slot cars, too. Later he worked for Sebel Furniture, in R&D. He was into the injection moulding of the furniture - the Sebel Integra chair was one he worked on.

Dad (and the family) were recreational cavers, most of my immediate family were members of the Sydney Speleological Society. Dad was a member of The Explorers' Club. The photo here is of Dad after he received his gong from the NSW Governor in the early 90s. He was so proud.

Dad had his demons. He drank, was an alcoholic. It was only after his death I learnt that he had been stalked by the black dog, I suppose this is why he drank... but it didn't work, because the dog was always there. Eventually he had alcohol psychosis and paranoia. I knew my Dad when we were young. He taught me so much. As we got older he drank more, and I had less time for him and his drunken silliness.

Dad was a good guy, always taking people on face value, helping people if he could. He trusted people, sometimes to his detriment. Unfortunately he was a soft target for people who used him, particuarly his business partner who left Dad's business owing approximately $25k (that I knew of), in about 1977. The debtors came after my father because the partner owned nothing. Mum and Dad had cars, a house, and good paying, regular jobs (Mum was a school teacher). Dad had the builders' licence. Dad's accountant warned him about 18 months before the proverbial hit the fan. Mum took out a third mortgage to pay back the business' debt.

I was looking for the eulogy I wrote for Dad, but I've lost it again. I did find some letters.... I'm thinking there might be enough there to do something interesting with. He had a very interesting life, and perhaps I can tell a bit of that story?

Here's some pix of my Dad...

Mum's off spending the inheritance, again...

Mum's been cruising the Mediterranean since mid-month. She'll be back in Aus on 30 March.

I've wanted to call her to vent, for advice or to share a laugh several times. I've missed her.

A text message from Mum! That's a first...

Gosh, what a surprise, a reply to my Happy New Year Text...

Oh wait. My sister in law is in Sydney. That'd explain the text, Mum's just dictated it.

Globetrotter SMSd me...

Well, Mum's overseas again, spending her kids inheritance - I just don't understand how she can leave us here; surely she misses us too much to go away?

First there's a bit of sight-seeing. Then there's some speleo conference. Then some more sight-seeing.

The SMS said "Do you want some perfume I found X for X dollars... we are choppering the Grand Canyon thisafternoon."

*sigh*

I had a fire alarm.

Greetings from Miami

Mum's in Miami.

Or was a couple of days ago. A friend in Florida, on the other side of Florida, heard from her a couple of days ago.

She reckons Mum's crazy to cruise The Caribbean with the Great Barrier Reef on Australia's doorstep!

My friend worked for IBM for 25 years and was let go last year I think. Not a good time to be unemployed. She's got a big birthday coming up and hopes to visit Aus for her birthday - I think she liked the quality of the 21st party my family threw for her when she was visiting all those years ago.