Saturday 10th May

Last night we had a bar-b-que at Jared's school incorporating a disco for the kids. It's rained every night this week except the night of the b-b-q. They had no contingency plan.... I guess they just relied on the Lord being on their side..... and it worked *S*
It was nice... much as I really wasn't that interested in attending and my big mouthed friend got me roped into going in the afternoon with her to decorate the 'disco'. Jason went too...

As I sit here it looks like rain again tonight. Jared and Jason have gone fishing

They caught nothing *S*

*************


Tuesday 27th May

Ah well, another month almost gone. Now I have to try to remember the extraordinary events that infiltrate my life. Yet again I've let another month pass without making notes. Guess I'll never learn.

Jason and Jared went camping last weekend... they can have that!!
Too cold for me!! BUT Jared said he had to spend QUALITY TIME with his Dad *S* He says the same thing when the "Simpsons" are on and they're watching it together. LOL!! He's taken to doing his homework in the study with his Dad every night.... it's taken the pressure off me at last.

Of course their camping trip wasn't without discovery. He brought some new pets home. Lord this child never gives up..... we now are the owners of 8 SCORPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




He and Jason got on the 'net' to find out how to look after them. They've taken over the rat's cage... poor Doris will turn in her grave *S* I'll tell you something..... they're nocturnal .... and make quite a racket shuffling around at night. I inevitably fall asleep on the sofa and the first night they moved in they WOKE ME UP with all the commotion. Looking for food I guess and getting drinks. Now instead of trying to keep cockroaches out of the house... they're being brought in along with worms, beetles and assorted creepy crawlies.

I'm sure this kid is going to end up in some profession to do with BUGS.

More pics here

The CAT FROM HELL wasn't in the least bit happy being left with two old ladies... she missed her 'daddy'!!! Jason asked me to keep her in my room during the night (so she wouldn't devour the bird ). Well... I tried... but the bitch woke me up at 3 in the morning banging on my door trying to get out. She was actually trying to get to the door handle and I bet if it was one of those 'pull down' handles instead of a knob she'd have got out herself. So I grabbed her and put her on Jason's bed and shut the door. SILENCE!!!! LOL!!

Tonight she's going to spend the night on the roof!!!! She's taken to sitting up there now. Jason had to coax her down last night... well Jason's sick and in bed and I'm not about to climb ladders and 'soft soap' her down. Jared tried earlier in the night but she'd have none of it. So she's going to have a damned uncomfortable night tonight.

Earlier this evening.. I heard Mum shout...." did you see what Jared's got!!!
A SNAKE!!!!" I pursued him down the hallway (he was looking for his Dad) and breathed a sigh of relief to find out it was only a legless lizard. Neither wonder I have grey hair!!! LOL!!

Went for my blood test today... it's been 5 or 6 weeks since the last horrendous one. My doctor has been away again and the surgery has moved as well during that time. My appointment with her is Thursday. Back to the blood test....

After my last experience I wasn't looking forward to it one bit! I was bruised for days the last time. When I arrived I saw the last 'nurse' (for want of a better description) I'd had, disappear out the back. My heart sank. I did some quick praying... didn't want her to touch me... even though she was quite pleasant I wasn't looking forward to HER poking the needle around inside my arm desperately searching for a vein.

My prayers were answered. Thank you Lord!!!

I gave this other nurse the 3rd degree. She'd been doing this job for the last 20 or so years.. that was a good start *S* Had very few misses in that time.. more good news *S* She had me worried when she wouldn't listen when I told her where to stick the needle (no I'm not being facetious... LOL!!).
Even though we disagreed about where I should be punctured she seemed to know what she was doing.... she got a vein right away and the blood gushed into the tube!! She told me I shouldn't be watching.... (grin).... like I wasn't going to keep my eye on her... ha!!

Mum hasn't been as well as she should be. Now the weather is getting cooler, it causes her to have more angina attacks. Even though we hate the summer months (which are endless here) she doesn't have as much need for patches (nitroglycerine) or angina pills in the warmer weather. She gets moody when she feels lousy which is hard to handle. Still, I'd rather have her moody than not have her at all.

We finally got rid of the Governor General!!! He's the ex archbishop who condoned child abuse by his priests. He finally resigned. He keeps inferring that some of these underage kids initiated the relationships!! The man is sick!!! Good riddance!! Our smug, pompous ass of a Prime Minister will be making a statement tomorrow... who cares! He's such a weasel. Just a point of interest.... his wife Janet and I went to the same High School in Sydney... she was a year ahead of me.

Of course the ex Governor General leaves with $180,000 per year for the rest of his life plus a million dollars over the next 3 years. These bloody politicians look after themselves!!!! I reckon he hung on until he had been in office 2 years before resigning so that he could collect the perks $$$$$$$$ that came with the job. I bet he had to be in office for that length of time before he could collect. Not bad for someone who thinks
child abuse is not a punishable offence.

Jason has been a huge help to me these past couple of days... yes... a huge help... MY son... I know it's difficult to believe (grin). Naturally, when it has something to do with computers..... it's never a problem. Now if it was mowing, or a trip to the dump... that's something else *S*

With the PSP classes which we started a week early this time disaster struck!
I'd spent days uploading the tuts to Topcities thinking the links would work better from there.... WRONG!!!!
Topcities shut me down!!! Used too much bandwidth!!
You see... we have so many MORE students this time, Topcities couldn't handle everyone going to the site at the same time. So much for these lessons being a
breeze :-(

Still, everything happens for a reason... so I believe.
As I'm writing this just now... I'm uploading the last of the tuts to Jason's domain. We decided to share the cost and this way there will no longer be any bandwidth problems.

I've lost a couple of days with my group, but they have been fantastic and very supportive, in fact all 4 groups have been great... sending words of encouragement. We just grew so quicky from the first class... it's totally incredible and a success.... or at least it will be again once I get over THIS hurdle

******************

Friday 30 May

What a lousy 2 days we've had....
Jared had an upset tummy and Jason has a blazing great migraine, It's been hanging around for days but it's sent him to bed today. I've been trying to get hold of our Bowen Massage Therapist... but can't raise him :-( Medication doesn't work with Jason in this
case... the massage therapy is the only thing that'll get rid of it.

I've left two messages... can't understand why I'm not getting an answer, unless he's away on vacation. I hope not.... Jason is 'out of it' :-(
I can sympathise... I used to suffer from migraines.

I know I pick on him sometimes... especially here in the Journal...
but I DO love him ( Well.... you have to when they're yours.... don't you... LOL!!!)
and when he's sick I feel for him. I'd rather have him "fighting fit".

You cat lovers out there will be pleased to know that the CAT FROM HELL didn't spend the night outside the other night.... I went out about 3:00am and got her inside. She'd got down from the roof herself and was sitting at the laundry door... unperturbed *S* So she ended up in warmth and comfort as usual. Lord, I'm weak *S*

I'm off my tablets for a week after my visit to the doctor. I've had what I thought were mozzie bites which were weeping... they're not bites... may be a reaction to the methtrexate tablets... Damn!! I also have what looks like a hair with blobs on it in my right eye. She checked out my eyes yesterday and couldn't see anything... I can... and it's damned annoying. It's inside my eye, not on the outside, and it floats! (A bit like when you get wavy lines in your eyes when you get up too quickly... except this is there all the time).

Jared has a sports day today... all schools in the area.... yup.. it's raining!!!
Went to a parents and friends meeting this week at the school... I'm a glutton for punishment *S* The Bar-b-que was a success... actually made a profit *S*

We were more interested in the uniforms.... they have white socks.... that is...
when they set out for school in the mornings, but that's not what they are when they come home in the afternoon. I suggested Navy socks... Lord, I started something (I should learn to shut up *S*). Mum wants to go to the next one... I don't *S* The headmistress needs a good jolt.... she's so bloody negative... can't do this... not allowed to do that.... I left half an hour early!! Doesn't matter what you come up with she has a reason why it can't be done.

What I'm furious about is... we were assured there would be a high school next year... she says no.... maybe in 2004. We would never have pulled Jared out of the other school if we'd known this. Yet.... his math has improved, he got 38 out of 50 for his last project... could have got 46 out of 50 BUT he was 4 days late handing it in and lost 2 marks per day!! He never did that well before, except in the lower grades at the other school. He seems to be doing better overall and is gradually improving in all areas... he wants to
get better marks .... so that's a positive sign.

Jason is up.... migraine gone for the moment.... still no word from the therapist...
must be away :-(

I've gotta go... going to the sports oval to see how Jared goes in the trials, armed with camera of course *S*

*********
Later.......
Jared came 4th in the Long Jump out of 13 contestants... pretty good, but missed out on qualifying :-( Didn't qualify in the 100 metres dash either, but he did his best *S*

I spent the time chatting with his teacher about Jared's progress. He's apparently improved in all areas since he started at the school... so that was nice to hear.


Friday 6th June

Have just spent 3 hours at the hospital with Jason, He was in a bad way this morning. His head felt like it was going to explode BIG TIME!!! He was shaking like he was having a fit, from the pain. This was AFTER he got 2 injections in the leg to alleviate the pain. I felt lost... I couldn't touch him to console him.. it hurt too much. He was having hot and cold flushes, I went to get the doctor and he came back armed with some nasal spray... which almost made Jason throw up, then they put him on oxygen.

Eventually... the pain began to subside....

Apparently it's not migraines he's suffering with for the past 12 or more years..
it's Cluster Headaches. It's taken all this time to diagnose! Jason has had cat scans and been to umpteen doctors over the years and I know he's given them ALL the same description of the symptoms and it took a young doctor from Yorkshire, UK to finally hit on what he really has. I could have hugged him!

He's prescribed medication that Jason has to take whether or not the pain returns, over the next 9 days. Then he probably won't have a headache for the next 12 to 15 months. When it comes back he's told him to go on another course of the medication (7 days) to stop them before they really start. He even went to the trouble to photocopy information from a medical book describing Cluster Headaches and their treatment.

We've all been to the Hervey Bay hospital for many reasons over the years, and Jason... with his headaches... many times... this is the first time we have had someone who really cared look after one of us. The hospital is normally full of young 'back-packing' doctors who stay no longer than 6 months..... a holiday job! This one came 3 years ago.... fell in love, got married, and stayed.... lucky for Jason.

As soon as I found out he got married here, I cross questioned him on how he managed to do that without getting tossed out of the country. Had Jason's divorce been through... Jason and Chantal could have been married and no one would have been able to do anything about it. Then Chantal could have applied for residency.

If you're reading this "Dutchy"... you have to apply for a fiancé's visa to come back to marry Jason. Jason will explain in an email or over the phone *S*

When we got back from the hospital, Jason went to bed and slept until just before dinner time. He hasn't had a decent sleep in 2 weeks. He's spent most nights sitting on the floor with his head resting on the seat of a chair, because he couldn't lie down. Hopefully that's all over with now.

Jared has discovered GIRLS!!!!! He went to visit with his brother, at his other grandma's last weekend and when he came home he announced he had FOUR girls interested in him!!!! LOL!!! BUT there was only ONE he was keen on.... Amy *S* She even gave him a note... saying that she REALLY liked him, but was shy, would like to be his friend, but was not ready for a "relationship". Can you believe this..... she's almost 11 like Jared!!!
Jason didn't even have a girlfriend until he was 13 or 14 years old!!!!
As for me.... my first love didn't surface until I was 16... Lord, they grow up so quickly today!!

Jared's smitten! Has been to see her every afternoon after school and I think has invited her home at the weekend. He's met her PARENTS!!!!
This will be interesting, I can see his first broken heart happening, it's inevitable, somewhere down the road *S*

****************

My doctor has put me back on the medication I was on before. The lumps have subsided. I have another problem though... I have what appears like an eyelash in my eye... but it's not. It's inside my eye and there all the time. So I have to go to an optometrist for a test. I was talking to a friend about it and dragged from her what she thought it could be.... the retina tearing!! That's all I need!!!

I was as healthy as a horse before I had to care for my husband and cope with 5 years of stress induced by the Protective Office. NOW... I'm falling apart!!! I hate it!

I have a friend on the internet who is in worse condition than I and who is a lot younger than I who is heading for an 8 hour operation next month so that she can survive. She, though she doesn't know it, stops me from moaning about MY woes "all" the time. I'm too busy praying that she will come through it. ME... well... I'll just have to wait and see, at least I can sit for hours in front of the computer and not suffer pain, so I guess I should think myself very lucky in many ways.

Must tell you.... my doc has moved premises. Everyone in the partnership moved in to a "Total Health Clinic" to join up with a bunch of other doctors. Now.... when you walk into the place it look like an "expensive" hotel reception area.
So... when I went to the desk this week and they asked me how they could help me... I told them I wanted to book their best room for the night! They cracked up! So did the people sitting waiting within earshot.

It looks like the reception area of a hospital I went to in Orlando.
I was stunned then... when I saw the difference between the US hospitals and ours. Now, obviously our doctors are trying to emulate the same environment... but we're paying
for it. Very pretty.... but does it make any difference to the treatment we receive???

I guess I better stop raving.... I haven't done too badly this month considering I kept no notes (grin). I do so hope I haven't bored you #$%*less LOL!!

I better get online and check to see if my PSP beginners class needs my assistance *S*


OH! .... for Chantal...
THE CAT FROM HELL *S*
"CAMERA-SHY"



Until next month.... be kind to each other!! *S*

Hugs
Jamie



A friend is one that knows you as you are,
understands where you have been,
accepts what you have become,
and still,
gently allows you to grow

JUNE

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