Happy Birthday to me...

Yes, I am 38 today. :o)

I have had an awesome day, and been spoiled rotten with books and handbags, 2 of my favourite things! LOL

We went to lunch at Bliss Organic Cafe with our Mums. It is an organic vegan cafe. And the food is absolutely sensational!

Ross and I got a tofu burger and a vegan BLT that we shared. And I got a raw chocolate and fresh mint milkshake that was sooooo yummy and thick!

Tonight Em is coming over and we are having a quiet one to finish 2010.

Lots if exciting things planned for the next 18 months or so, and all will be revealed soon.

I hope everyone has an AMAZING New Year celebration and my wish for you all for 2011 is that you find and achieve your hearts desire.

xox

PS - I finished my Mug Rugs finally!

:)

Merry Christmas

100 Days of Gratitude - Day 40
Today I am grateful for my gorgeous neices and nephews who make days like today absolutely perfect.

xox

After the Weekend

I had a good weekend.  I did not turn the computer on once.  It has been ages since I have done that and it was actually a really good feeling when I got to last night and realised that without even thinking about it, I had done it.

Friday night Ross & I were meant to go for a hike.  But the torrential rain we have been having, and were still having Friday night, put an end to those plans.  Instead we just spent a lovely evening in.  I was up until 2am reading.  I kept thinking - at the end of this chapter I'll turn out the light - but then I would get sucked in and before I knew it I was in the middle of the next chapter.  So I ended up finishing it. :o)

Saturday I spent at my Mum's.  I needed to use her big table to pin the knitted blanket to the backing fabric.  Since I was there I also ended up using her sewing machine to sew the binding.  Now all I need to do is tie the top to the bottom, which I am doing with cute little buttons.  I am about 1/5th of the way through that.  Hopefully I'll be finished the blanket within the next week or so.  Finally! LOL

Sunday started off beautifully.  Weather wise.  I went out to check on the veggie garden.  The snow peas and dwarf peas at about 2 inches high.  They look sensational.  The lettuces were coming up but one of the cats used it as a litter tray so they are pretty much gone.  I need to get a wire frame to put over to top of the pot before I put more in.  The rest are starting to sprout we think.  We have lost a lot of top soil due to the heavy rains we have had for the last couple of weeks, so I will probably have to put the rest in again.

Around 11.30 the rain kicked in and was settled for the whole day.  We went to the Nursing Home to visit Grandad.  It was hard.  He had no idea we were there.  He has shrunk and has aged about 20 years.  I don't think he has much time left.

Yesterday was especially hard for Ross.  It was his first Fathers Day without his Dad.  And then seeing his Grandad getting so frail before our eyes made it even harder.  But he tried to keep his spirits up.

This morning the last book I ordered from the Book Depository arrived.

Fast Food Nation.  It was one of the one recommended from Food Inc.  I am looking forward to reading it and will let you know what I think when I'm done.

xox

I'm Back

Wow, Long time no blog. :o)

I have had a long weekend, and I have loved every second of it.  Coming back to work today has been hard, but we gotta do what we gotta do.

It started Saturday when I made my way into the city to pick up the new bike helmet I won.  Yep – I won a helmet!  I never win things so I was super stoked.  It is a Gear Up Girl Helmet for the bike ride in November.  The first 100 to register got one and I was in the first group.  YAY!

Saturday afternoon I spent shopping with Em.  We had a great time as usual.

Sunday morning was Book Club.  It was a really interesting group because this time we all had very different opinions on the book.  I had a great time.  From there I met up with my sister and niece in the city for my Niece’s 13thi birthday shopping trip.  I can’t believe she’s a teenager already.

Monday morning I caught up with a friend for coffee then went to a Tea exhibition at the Unley Council Museum.  Sounds strange, but it was really interesting. 

Then yesterday I spent writing and reading and relaxing.  It was fabulous.

I did no exercise at all (other than walking around the city) and I didn’t think about my food.  Strangely, I also didn’t overeat which is bizarre in a way.  I barely turned the computer on over the 4 days which was also fabulous.  I am becoming too reliant on the blasted thing so it was good to make the decision to avoid as much as possible.

But I am back at work today and already straight back into it.  I wish I had taken the whole week off, but I have more time off in October so I just have to hold out until then.

xox

Bluebell's Milestone!

My beautiful Bluebell (my bike for those of you who have not been acquainted) reached a milestone this morning.  In the 15.5 months I have had her she has clocked up just over 2500 kms!!!!  It is a little hard for me to fully comprehend that in that amount of time I haven ridden - using my own legs and not a motor - 2500 kms...  Two and a half years ago I couldn't walk for 10 minutes without needing defibrillators.  The Grocery Shopping used to wipe me out for several hours and required a sleep to recover from.  And now I have clocked up all those kms.  I know that compared to all the tri-people who read this blog that is nothing, but for me it is a massive achievement, and one I am very proud of.  Especially considering 1000 of those kms have occurred this year.  :o)

Yesterday morning Grandad had a fall in the toilet.  MIL could not get him up so called the ambulance.  The paramedic came and got him up and checked him out.  He was fine and did not need a trip to the hospital.  But the paramedic noticed how exhausted MIL was and asked if she was okay.  MIL filled her in on the last 5 or 6 weeks, how none of us are sleeping etc.  The paramedic (our hero) decided that was not acceptable and got some emergency respite organised - effective immediately!  Within an hour MIL and Grandad were on their way.

We now have 2 whole weeks of smoke-free silence.  Last night we folded up the sofa bed and we all sat in the lounge room and watched the big TV.  Just because we could.  Tonight we are thinking of going out for dinner to celebrate.

Since none of us are tied to the house this weekend we are going to get out and do stuff.  Tomorrow I need to deliver my photo cards.  The client is about a 15km drive away, so I am riding there.  Then tomorrow night we have my work social night.  We are doing dinner and bowling so that should be fun.  And Sunday Ross & I are going for a hike.  I am looking forward to every bit of it!

xox

Achilles

I seem to have done something to my Achilles.  It has been twinging a little bit for a couple of days, but last night it really began to ache.  It is very tight and a little bit swollen.  This has happened before and it took about a week to settle down.  I am hoping that if I rest it, it will only take a few days this time as the Start Running Group starts again next Thursday.  Fingers crossed!

On other news I got my cards finished for my big order last night.  I will deliver them on Saturday and hopefully she is happy with them.  I finally got into a rhythm with them last night and the last 60 did not take anywhere near as long as the first 60.

Grandad is getting more and more frustrating.  He is just being so naughty.  I am not sure if he is just completely oblivious or if he is doing it for attention.  I like to think it's oblivion, except for the fact that he is capable of conversation and he tries to hide some of what he does, which to me shows intent, or at least knowledge that he shouldn't be doing what he is doing.  All of us are so ready for a break - I can not WAIT until we at least get some respite.

Before I go, have a look at my ticker.  I have finally broken the 1000km mark for the year!  WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!  Only 2000 to go!  LOL

xox

I Need A Running Buddy

Someone I can meet at a set time each week and go for a run with. Not necessarily to run together, but to start together, meet after, then maybe go for a coffee or something. The question is, how do I find this elusive person???? I am thinking Sunday mornings is probably the best time for me, but I need to find someone I can meet up with hopefully somewhere I can easily access by bike or public transport, that I will get along with, and who will encourage me to keep running.

My Start Running Group – take 2 – starts in 2 weeks. I know it is a start running group but I really wanted some decent running under my belt before starting as I am really slow and don’t want to hold everyone back. This weekend – NO EXCUSES!

Today is my Wedding Anniversary. I can’t believe three years have gone by so quickly. And I still like him! That probably sounds weird, but by the time I was married for 3 years the first time around I was looking desperately for an escape.

We are going out to dinner tonight which will be nice. We haven’t had a date night since Grandad moved in so this will be great. I can’t wait!

Speaking of Grandad, we had the Geriatric Assessment Team come in this morning, finally. He has been assessed as High Care which will make finding a spot for him easier, and also as High Priority for Respite, which means as soon as the paperwork comes through we can book him in for a week so we can all have a rest. Although we still don’t know timeframes, it is such a relief to know where we stand and to know that things are finally moving forward. The end may not be in sight yet, but we know it is coming. We have chosen the Aged Facility we want to get him into and already have him on the list. Now it is just wait and see.

One more day till the weekend! WOOHOO!

xox

Cigarettes!

That is what Grandad has starting yelling out in his sleep.  And of course, every time he does, one of us has to get up in case he is in the kitchen looking for them.  He's wily.  Half the time he can't get up on his own, but when he wants a smoke, he can get up and he can do it quietly...

My doctors visit last night was good.  We got the icky stuff out of the way then we had a chat.  She is aware of the events in my life over the last 15 months or so and has been concerned about me teetering over the edge and into a depression.  I will be honest, I have been concerned about it myself sometimes.  She gave me some good ideas to try, herbal teas, vitamins etc, but is also prepared to give me something stronger or refer me to a counsellor if I need it (counsellor first though).  I have not taken her up on that, but it is good to know the option is there and that my doc is taking me seriously. 

One thing she did say is that I need at least one night of uninterrupted sleep a week.  I have sleeping tablets that she prescribed me last year.  I'll be honest, the bottle isn't even open.  I have never had one.  But her suggestion is that I take one on a Friday or Saturday night and let the others listen out for Grandad.  I talked to Ross & MIL and they are happy with that, since I do take up most of the slack at nights.  I am nervous about taking a sleeping tablet, but I will give it a go this weekend.

I didn't end up getting out for a run last night though.  And I also didn't ride in to work this morning.  I am struggling so much with the cold this year and I slept in this morning. 

I got through in record time though, traffic was light due to school holidays, so I spent half an hour writing before I got stuck into the pile on my desk.  I have started Chapter 3 now.  It is coming along and I am starting to get a real feel for the character.  One of the sub plots has begun and about half of the characters have been introduced.  And the main thing is, I am enjoying it!

OK, I have a crap load of work to do so I better get stuck into it.  Till tomorrow...

xox

Still nothing happening

I am debating if I am going to blog on days like this when there is really nothing happening. I am sure it is boring. But sometimes I just feel like writing.

Another weekend spent mostly at home, trying to give MIL something of a break from constantly taking care of Grandad. Saturday I spent reading, writing, and cooking. Ross was at work all day which was the only down side as I really miss him on weekends, but he is so happy in his job I would never let him know that I am kinda feeling a bit lost without him there. Thankfully Grandad takes up a lot of time and energy while he is up.

It is weird, he is only awake for an hour or two at a time, but it is so intense. You have to watch him constantly as he is always waiting for you to turn your back so he can try and get up to look for his cigarettes – which we have to hide or he sneaks them into bed and tries to light up in bed in the middle of the night. Fortunately we have heavy wooden chairs on a tiled floor so we can always hear the scrape as he pushes the chair back. However Saturday afternoon we obviously hadn’t pushed him in far enough and he managed to slide off the chair. MIL caught him just as he was about to throw a glass on the floor looking through the cupboard for those blasted cigarettes.

Anyway, I did get some writing done. I have now written 2 chapters of the novel and I also got to work on the next children’s picture book story I am preparing to send to the publisher. I have forwarded the first one to my second choice of publishers and will prepare this one for the first choice. Right now it is still too long so needs a lot of tightening up. Hopefully it will be ready in a month or so.

Saturday afternoon I felt like baking and made some Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies. These are seriously the easiest cookies I have ever made. Anyone who has kids who like to cook, this is the recipe for you!

Sunday I got up early to make Ross breakfast before work. I found a recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes and thought I would give it a go. Can I just say – YUMMMMMMO! I will NEVER get those pancake shake mixes again. These are so much better.

I spent the rest of the day just reading and helping out with Grandad, as well as doing some chores etc around the house.

What I didn’t do was get out for a run or a ride. I am really struggling right now. It is cold, I am tired, and, well, nothing else really. These two things keep me off the roads. I need to find a way to make myself do it. I know I feel better after I get out there, but getting out there is so hard.

This morning I was so exhausted I cheated and brought the car to work. Grandad was up 4 or 5 times last night (I lost count). Every time I was just warm, or finally comfortable, or dozing, I heard the inevitable grunting and the springs bouncing as he tried to get up. So up I got….

OK, tonight, assuming I get home from the doctors before dark (nothing serious just a check up following on from the events in Feb) I will go for a run. No excuses.

xox

10 for 10 Update

Well, not too much progress has happened here....  Let's see.

10 For 10

1) Run/walk the Mothers Day Classic in May - done!
2) Ride at least 3000kms - up to nearly 900 so slowly making headway.  Of course, I should be up to 1500 by now...
3) Finish the knitted blankets - got nothing done on these this month
4) Lose 30 kilos - I have lost about 8.5 this year so it is something
5) Be in a financial position to sponsor a World Vision child - nope, not there yet
6) Send at least one childrens story to a publisher - done!
7) Run/walk the 12 km at the City-Bay in September - am thinking I may only be doing the 6km the way I am going, but we will see.
8) Start my novel - been thinking about this more and more which is something.  I have the first sentence down, does that count? ;o)
9) Go on an overnight hike (first stage of Heyson if funds permit) - scheduled for October
10) Keep in touch with my interstate friends in the old fashioned way - by writing actual letters with pen and paper. - none written this month, although I have done 1 this year, I need to do a few more to mark this off

Thanks for all the comments yesterday.  I had a better night sleep last night.  Grandad only got up once and Ross was awake so he got up to him which was nice for me.  I do believe I will get used to it, but we are hoping to get him placed in care once his assessment has been done.

Nothing else happening here.  Had another freezing ride in to work this morning.  It was 3.5 degrees when I left home.  Thankfully it wasn't raining.  :o)  I am off to the library tonight to grab some more books, as long as it isn't raining as walking through the library dripping wet is not pleasant.  Then last day of work for the week tomorrow - YAY!  Of course, Ross is working all weekend, but that's life.

Happy Thursday everyone!

xox

New Respect for Working Mothers

Don’t get me wrong, I have always had respect for working Mums, however the last month has amplified that significantly. Last night – as with most nights - I was up 3 times with Grandad. He is now having trouble getting out of bed on his own so lays on his bed and grunts until one of us gets up. I am the only one who hears him. MIL and Ross have both said to wake them up, but if I am already awake I don’t see the point in interrupting someone else’s sleep, they are exhausted as well.

This has only been going on for a month. How these women do it year after year, then still maintain full time jobs and social lives and keep a clean house amazes me. I am sure I will get more used to it as time goes on, but right know I am just tired beyond belief.

As such my exercise is suffering. Last night I got a lift home with my boss. The main reason for that is it was 10 degrees out and my clothes were still wet from the morning ride. So he dropped me off then picked me up again this morning. Which was lovely. I want to go for a run, but I am just so exhausted. And when I get home (tonight is Di’s craft night, the only time she gets out of the house all week) I have to get dinner and get Grandad organised and up, then cleaned up, and back to bed.

sigh…

Tomorrow night I am thinking of riding to the library after work which will at least give me a 15km ride. And on the weekend I will make sure I get out for a run. And hopefully a yoga class as well.

Other than that nothing is happening in my part of the world. Still reading lots which is good. And knitting a bit when I get the chance. I have sold a few of my cards as well which is exciting. For those of you on Facebook check out the fan page called ‘photo cards by kylie ann’.

OK. Enough grumbling. Back to work now. :o)
xox

Knitting, Beading, Cooking

Sorry I have been absent for several days.  I will try and catch up on blogs shortly.

Friday I spent yet another day sick in bed.  I am certain it is related to lack of sleep.  However we now have a baby monitor and take turns having it in our rooms so we can all hear Grandad and we can all get some nights of good sleep.

Yesterday I was feeling a lot better and went to a WEA class to learn to make a scarfe/shawl.  It was called a rainbow scarfe, but that related to the texture of the yarn rather than the colours.  However I decided to relate it to my colours as well.  It was knitted "in the long" which means rather that doing 20 stitches and 200 rows, you do 150 stitches and only 25 rows.

As well as the scarfe/shawl we learnt some beading to go on one end.  I hadn't done beading before so I found it a bit challenging.  I ended up putting it down and concentrating on the knitting.  Mind you, I didn't finish in class. But when I got home last night I finished the scarfe, and I finished the tassels which I was super proud of.  This afternoon I sat down and all of a sudden the beading clicked and I ended up finishing it.  I am really proud of the result and it is a very unique scarfe I now own.

This morning I decided it was cookie baking time.  Mum was coming over for a couple of hours and since we have to sit in the kitchen (Grandad sleeps in the lounge) I thought baking cookies while we visited would be lovely. 

I made Chocolate Sugar Cookies.  The recipe said it made 7 dozen.  It made 10 dozen!  Luckily Ross loves cookies.  They are really yummy, but I am going to experiment with the recipe before I put it up as I think it could be better.

Mum brought over a bag of green veg from her garden.  I opened the bag and stuck my nose in and the first thing I thought was  - SOUP!  So I put the leeks, silver beets and spring onions in some veggie stock with a couple of potatoes and some fresh parsley and fresh spearmint from our herb garden.  I also did up some soup grains (spit peas, barley, lentils etc).  I blended the veg mix and added some cream then put back on the stove with the grains.  The result was fantastic!  I forgot to take a pic, but I will definitely make it again so will snap a pic then.

In all I have had a good weekend.  Thankfully the anxiety from the caffeine withdrawal is pretty much over with.  That was a truly horrible feeling to have all the time.  And hopefully the tummy pains are over with as well.  Am looking forward to getting back on the bike this week and also going for a couple of runs.

xox

All Quiet on the KC Front

I haven't blogged for a few days because quite frankly there has been nothing to blog about.  Get up, shower, ride to work, work all day, ride home, fix dinner, help with Grandad, go to bed, read far too late into the night, sleep, wake up to help Grandad toilet when I hear him move, sleep, wake up to help Grandad toilet when I hear him move, sleep, wake up to help Grandad toilet when I hear him move, sleep, wake up exhausted, start all over again...

I don't recall waking up this exhausted in ages.  But I can't get to sleep until I am so far past exhausted it is ridiculous, hence the reading far too late into the night.

Hopefully tonight I can get a better sleep though.  We are borrowing a friends baby monitor so we can take turns listening out for Grandad.  The problem at the moment is that I am the only one who hears him so I have to get up to him all the time.  But we are going to use the monitor and take turns having it in our rooms so that way we can all sleep at least every 2nd night - in theory! :o)

The good thing is I have been reading lots.  It has been ages since I have really got stuck into any good books.  I am currently working my way through the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris (True Blood series is based on these).  I have the first 8 and am up to book 5.  When I finish these I will have to take a trip to the local library I think.  I am actually enjoying reading.  I don't think I have turned the computer on at home all week which is awesome.  I was getting into a rut with sitting on the computer every night.

That is really all from me.  I have my shoes here to go for a run tonight but it will depend on how exhausted I am.  Hopefully I can pound out 2kms at least, just so I have moved.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

xox

Quick update

Back to work.  How I love long weekends and how sad I am to see them pass...  Ross got home late last night.  He was only gone for one night but oh how I missed him.  He has been helping to set up the 2 new stores so has been doing long hours.  They both open today though so things will settle down.

Grandad is doing well.  He is up and moving around unassisted, and while he is still sleeping for around 20 hours a day, when he is up he is chatty and doing really well.  We have the assessment team coming in a couple of weeks to have look and to see what their suggestions are for care.

My next lot of photos arrived today so I will have more photo cards up in a few days.  If you are on Facebook, don't forget to check out "photo cards by kylie ann".

That's it from me.  No running or riding so far this week, but I will get there.

xox

The Weekend So Far

Well, we are heading toward the end of the second day of the long weekend. It has been an interesting couple of days, some good, some challenging.

It started Friday night. My MIL got a call that her Dad (Grandad) has been in a car crash. Only a minor one thankfully, however at 92 years old a minor crash can jiggle things around. By the time she got up there the paramedics had been called. They got to the hospital and my MIL finds out this is the 2nd crash in the last couple of weeks and also that he has had 2 falls in his house in the last week that he has not told us about.

Grandad lives a good 45 minute drive away if there is no traffic. He lives alone and until recently has been doing fine. MIL saw him last Sunday and all was well. However when she got to his house to pick up a few things for him things were different. A week of Meals on Wheels dinners were lined up on the counter unopened. The cat had been locked inside with no kitty litter. The cat food was dried up and had been there for days. We don't think he had eaten for a week or had he fed Blondie (the cat). He was in the same clothes he had been in the previous week and no PJ's had been used. He had burned his pillow so he is smoking in bed again.

The hospital in their infinite wisdom wanted to send him home after 2 hours. MIL managed to talk them into keeping him overnight. However considering he can't get up or down on his own, can't shower, can't go to the toilet unassisted I am truly disappointed that he was sent home the next day. We explained that he lives alone. They pretty much said take him home. MIL said he would be sleeping on the couch as we have 3 adults living in a small house and they said that will be fine. Not happy.

So Grandad has been here since yesterday. Thankfully he is eating now but he still needs a great deal of assistance. He sleeps about 18 hours a day. I am not sure if he is going to be able to go home. We talked about me and Ross moving up there but the logistics are too hard. I would have to leave for work at about 5.30am and would not get home until after 7.30pm including a 30 minute walk at night through a very unsafe neighbourhood. Plus there is the fact that with both of us working and with the extended travelling time we would not be there enough to take care of him anyway.

I am not sure what is going to happen but for now he is here and a neighbour is taking care of Blondie. The poor old thing is so frail. None of us are sleeping as we are all listening out for if he gets up in the night as we are so afraid he will fall. Hopefully we can get him into care fairly quickly.

OK, so on to the good parts of the weekend so far, and there have been some.

Yesterday morning I decided to skip yoga and go for a run. I haven't been out for 3 or 4 weeks. I didn't realise it was that long, but geez the time goes by quickly. I decided no more shuffling, I am going to run! I lasted 3 minutes. My legs hurt, my lungs hurt. So I started walking, I did a few more spurts - running, not shuffling - and got home sore.

After some breakfast and a clean up I hopped on the tram, switched to a train, and took myself out to visit my Grandma, who has been in a Nursing Home for a while. We never really got along, so I have been a bad Granddaughter and not visited for a long time. But she was really friendly and we had a wonderful visit.

I came home and helped MIL with Grandad and helped with dinner. We had an early night.

This morning I got up early to help Grandad get up and get him some breaky so MIL could have a sleep in. I got all the animals fed and got cuppas ready for Ross & MIL. Then I got myself ready and headed in to the city to go to the Botanic Gardens to meet my Mum for a walk and to take photos. We spent a few hours and had a really good time. She also bought me this wonderful book from the Botanic Shop.

Ross and I have had several attempts at starting veggie gardens, that have had varying degrees of success. This book was written by a South Aussie, so all the planting times and everything are very specific to where we live. I am going to start getting a garden bed ready tomorrow so we can put some spinach in, which is one of the only things we can plant at this time of year. Hopefully this one is successful.

Tonight I am going to make some parsnip soup for us all for dinner. Ross is working early tomorrow on the other side of town so he will have an early night. I will be here all day so I am going to try and get MIL to go out for a while, at least for a walk with the dog or something, just to get out for a while. Ross is staying at Mums tomorrow night as he is working just a few kms from her place tomorrow and Tuesday.

That's it from me. I'll leave you all with a few pics from this mornings wander....

xox

Bob's Farewell

Today we farewelled Bob, my darling Father in Law who we lost too soon. Ross, Di and I were all shown just how lucky we are today, with all the love and support we have received.

The funeral went really well, and I know Bob would have been pleased with how it went. Those that spoke did so with love and dignity. I read a story called Waterbugs and Dragonflies by Doris Stickney (see previous blog post). I made it through with no tears, and only lost my place on the page once. It was scary but I did it for Bob, and for Ross & Di.

Ross made it through the day with dignity. He has shown these last weeks how strong he is. I don't think he knew that he had the strength he does. I hope he can now see that he is stronger than he thought. We have talked about what happens now, and know that he needs to keep taking his anti-d's, as reality will hit soon and he may need the chemical support. He knows that it is okay to need this.

Di is doing well. She is surrounded by family and those that love her, and is doing well. When all the rellies are gone it may be different, but we will be here for her.

And lastly, I am ok. I am so far beyond exhausted that I think we need a new word for exhausted. But back to work tomorrow and I have a Guide Camp on the weekend, so no rest for me. But I am eating well, and exercising so hopefully that will see me through.

Again, from Ross and myself, I would like to thank you all. You are wonderful, lovely, amazing people, and I am so glad you are in all my life.

xoxoxox

Difficult Goodbyes and Promises Made

On Thursday last week, my darling Father in Law Bob, passed away. His poor old heart gave up on him. Fifteen years ago he had triple bypass surgery, and all the grafts had clogged till no more blood could get to his heart. There was nothing the doctors could do to help.

The team at the Flinders Medical Centre ICCU were amazing, and kept him comfortable and happy until the end. We were called to go in, but got there about 15 minutes after he had passed.

The funeral is Wednesday.

Tuesday night I made a promise to Bob. I promised him I would start losing weight again. He had been one of my biggest supporters in my weight loss journey. He held my hand on Tuesday night and told me I had to start losing weight again. He said “It’s not worth it”. He knew then, that he was not coming home to us.

This morning I got on the scale, and I lost 1.1 last week. I haven’t had time to exercise really, but the second I made that promise to Bob I started making healthier choices. I am not saying I have been perfect, but I have not caved in to the easy option of fast food during this difficult time. I have made sure that not only I have had healthy meals to eat, but have been cooking for R & his Mum D as well to make sure they eat.

I am now doing this for Bob as well as for myself. He did not want me to go out the same way he did, at only 67 years old. I don’t want that either…

To everyone who has passed on their love and support throughout this period, I thank you. Our strength comes in part from those around us, so please know how very much it means to us.

xox

Offline for a bit

Just wanted to post to let everyone know I will be offline for a little while. Monday night my beloved father in law had a heart attack. He is in the ICU in hospital at the moment. They do not hold much hope for his recovery. I am splitting my time between work and his hospital bed and have little time or energy for much else.

I will be back, but I don't know when.

Camping

This weekend R & I took our niece K camping. It was her birthday pressie - even though her birthday was in July. :o)

We went to Kuitpo Forest in the Adelaide Hills. It is a beautiful place. Normally... This weekend it wasn't so great, although we did have fun. The camping ground was full of families, which is wonderful, but it was also full of loud mouthed drunken yobbos who spent the entire evening setting off fire crackers and hooning around.

But the worst part was that the one and only long drop (camping toilet built over a very very deep hole in the ground for those of you not familiar) was full. Yes, you read it right. It was full. There is nothing more disgusting than having to go to a toilet where the 4 metre deep hole in the ground is filled with "toileting"... By this morning it was even worse with many of the drunkards having become "ill" overnight and using the long drop to vomit.

Moving on though, we did have a great time. K is 12, so she is at a great age. We kind of got a bit 'misplaced' heading there... As in, we didn't take a map and I picked the wrong turn off. I kept swearing that the roads looked familiar. And they did. Because they took us to a friends farm 30 kms further on than where we were meant to be. :o)

So by the time we got there it was quite a bit later than we had anticipated. We set up, then got the fire burning so we would have good coals to cook in later.

We spent the afternoon and evening talking, laughing, cooking, playing games (Uno and Pictionary the current games of choice), and just generally having fun.

After dinner we had to have Marshmellows, after all, what camping trip would be complete without roasted marshmellows over the open fire. Plus, fire ban season is about to start so we had to enjoy it while we could as there will be no more fires for several months.

We had a great time. This is the first time we have been camping with another person. It is one of those activities we really like to enjoy on our own, however it was great having an extra person there. We have invited her to join us again.