3 Paws Saloon Attic

Val,

I looked up the Shedd Aquarium Beluga whales on Google and they reminded me of some dolphins I encountered while surfing this spooky reef break over a mile out in the ocean. They wanted to play with me; like grabbing my leg rope and pulling me backwards through the water, while I was freaking out - convinced that I was being attacked by a shark.

A 100 pound catfish! A few years ago, I would have questioned your sanity but in 2010 I started watching a British documentary called 'River Monsters' hosted by Marine Biologist and fisherman Jeremy Wade. What I saw left me in no doubt about how big catfish can grow - in the Amazon, European and American rivers. The biggest fish I've ever caught was a Blue Groper which weighed in at 9 kilograms or close to 20 lbs.

Got to tell you, when I put him back in the water and watched him gracefully swim away, I was convinced that they look better alive in the wild than on a dinner plate.

Love of the water is a blessing and a curse. I've lived with both all my life. From the adrenaline rush and abject fear of riding big waves to swimming out and trying to save people from drowning has tutored me in one of life's lessons of respect.

You're right Val, understanding nature leads to having a healthy respect for her powers and (as Dirty Harry once stated) 'knowing your limitations' is the difference between having fun or fearing something that is magnificent. Being able to swim is very similar - of the people that managed to make it back to the beach, after being swept out to sea, the majority could swim but were not strong enough or did not understand the movement and power of vast amounts of water.

Alas, I've also injured and have been injured by the occasional fish in attempts of catch and release. The problem was solved by using one of our 'universal tools of the trade' - the talented long nose pliers! You can squeeze down the barbs on the hook and then grab the hook (not the fish) twist sideways and the fish drops off the hook back into the water. Of course, this is only good advice if you intend to release the fish undamaged. Different story if you are fishing to feed the family or yourself.

Never use a handline if you intend to hook something over half your body weight, you will be left with the choice of losing your handline or going on an underwater journey!! Definitely fishing rod and reel territory. In fact, I did see a documentary showing two burly Texans that actually jumped into the water and wrestled huge catfish out of their holes in the river bank. Reminded me of Tarzan wrestling those African crocodiles (Ungawa, Ungawa) - Go Johnny Weissmuller!

 

What a sadistic instructor. People like that should never be placed in charge of children or anyone at all.

You're not alone, Val. I can't swim either. Fell in the pool as a little girl, thrashed around and made it to the edge. Then got tossed in twice at parties. Drunk partygoers + pool + non-swimmer = really bad idea.

Had 3 attempts at swimming lessons. When I was 17 at school, then twice more in my thirties. Couldn't continue because I developed an allergic reaction to chlorinated water. When I get into the pool, within 20 minutes, I itch, burn and then break out in angry red splotches. Even after showering, the painful rash would last for a few hours. Unpleasant.

If only I can get lessons conducted in a salt water pool. I can barely manage a clumsy dog paddle. The funny thing is, I can dive headlong into an Olympic-size pool and make it almost to the end if I don't think about it. Then I start thinking about it and start sinking. I do much better with a big noodle float. The hardest thing is not seeing where I'm going. But I'm not about to spend a fortune on getting prescription goggles fitted just yet.

I do enjoy walking in the salt water pools in our area. Great exercise without hurting my bad knees.

Funny in my head all of Tarzan's speeches were in 'animalese' not human.  There are a great number of things about Tarzan that differ from the books.  For instance, in the books, Tarzan was not raised by normal gorillas. He was actually raised by a species of ape unknown to science. These creatures resemble gorillas in size and strength, but they differ in other ways. These great apes often walk upright, hunt animals, eat meat, and have a spoken language. They call themselves the "mangani,” and Burroughs describes them as “huge,” “fierce,” and “terrible.” He adds that they’re “a species closely allied to the gorilla, yet more intelligent.” They referred to gorillas as "bolgani".

According to the movies, Tarzan and Jane live in a fairly elaborate tree house, but in the novels, it was an English style bungalow behind which lay the barns and outhouses of a well-ordered African farm.   By the way, Cheetah is Nkima in the books.  I guess for Hollywood that was a little too tame, and civilized for an 'apeman', can't have him being all domestic after all.  

Still...those old Weissmuller Tarzan flicks bring back some good memories. 

Winter in Sydney has arrived with steady light rain, overcast skies and nippy weather. Though hardly as viciously freezing as the other side of the world though. We braved the wet weather to have lunch at a Turkish eatery. Pizza and a mixed shish kebab plate, which has grilled lamb, chicken and beef, garlic rice, salad and flat bread. Lovely and with enough for leftovers.

Came home, well-fed and content. The afternoon was cool and drowsy. Time for a quick nap too.

It's been pretty quiet around here lately. Nothing to 'write home about'!

T-Rex, our winter, so far, has been quite mild. We have had two cold snaps. Other than that, our day time temperature hovers between 16 & 18C, nights are between 2 & 4C. In the past week, we had two days with a bit of rain, which is unusual for us at this time of year. One morning, we woke up to the vlei across the road being covered in mist - so pretty. I have also been alerted to, what were strange sounds on the first occasion, coming from across the road. I peeped out the window to see a herd of cows being driven into the vlei. They graze there till about 15:30, then traffic is stopped when the herder drives them home again.

I am so glad to hear your liver is holding up so well.

Val, where does time go? Summer break already? A nap, especially over a weekend, can never go amiss! I hope Jerome gave you some peace and quiet.

Jadeite, you are so lucky to see the whales, etc. every now and then. With us living so far from the ocean, we miss out on all those wonderful sights. The last time we were near the ocean was six years ago, as Raylene reminded me when I phoned her for her birthday.

Shenay starts her mid-year exams on the 5th June, and ends on the 18th - Ray's birthday. This is usually a bad time of year for Shen, as the 6th is an unhappy anniversary (her mom's death), but I think the distraction of having a boyfriend is helping enormously. I have seen no sign of unexpected tears and depression this year.

We usually hold a birthday celebration for Ray on the nearest weekend to his birthday, if it doesn't fall on a weekend. This year, we have held off because of the exams. Nicky has offered to hold it at her home on the 24th. She says it will save us the hassle of cleaning up afterwards, which is very kind of her - it will be a gathering of 9 people. Shen has promised to bake a coffee cake again - it was a hit last year!

By the way, Shen is a little sh*t! She told us that term marks were separate from exam marks, then told us she only got 21% for math for the term. Turns out, she achieved 95%. She also had to write a speech on "Heroes" for English. We were gobsmacked to find she had written it on us, her grandparents. She got 80% for that.

Haha - Fergie, I think Shen has learned a tricksy thing or 2 from her clever grandma. I've no doubt she'll blitz through her mid-year exams. Glad to hear that her boyfriend is good company for her. She's grown up into a fine young lady. Yes, please post that speech. I'd love to read it too.

Whales are a magnificent sight. What makes me smile are dolphins. I've seen them a few times on the rare occasion when T-Rex managed to drag me out with him on a fishing trip. Some years ago, we were sitting by the water at Hawks Nest on the Central Coast (just north of Newcastle), waiting for the fish to bite and admiring the sunset. Then up popped 3 glistening dark grey heads just a few feet from me. "Hello, hello, hello." They looked at us then slipped back down and swam off. The next afternoon, we saw them again on Myall River. They were following the little houseboat we were in and playing in the wake. For the rest of the trip, they would be waiting for us every morning, escorting the boat up the river and keeping us company. Such a thrilling experience.

Val, Jerome is a real pain in the tuckus. You should have that little talk with ghostly thin air: "You really shouldn't trip Jerome up Ghostie; that's mean." Then watch him stumble everywhere on a flat surface.

You should also get that squeaky mouse toy. For Kirby, of course. Squeeeaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkk.

Yes, oh yes! Get the mouse! Tee-hee.

I mean how nice for Kirby. I'm sure he'd love a delicious catnip mouse to toss in the air and chase around. Go sic 'em, Kirby.

We've been having thunderstorms since yesterday.  The kind that roll in demanding you turn on lights no matter what time Mr. Clock says it is, stay awhile, roll off just to come back around. 

At least it's been keeping the heat down. To me thunder sounds like a hungry beast; a dragon to be precise.  It rattles windows and shakes houses like cookie jars, hoping to find a treat.  

Well, the computer is saying it's going to restart for some 'vital' updates. Think I'll go have some coffee and get started on my day. I'd like to finish the cleaning today.  

Well, I've successfully ridden out 3 tornadoes in my lifetime.  The first I was only 5, my Mom hid us all in an interior closet. My older brothers were in school, so it was just Mom, younger sister, the baby, me and the puppy, Rebel.  I still remember that freight train sound and the fish like stench as it barreled through. We were lucky, it hit houses on either side of us, but skipped us, as if playing some odd game of hopscotch.

I also survived the Lemont twister that article talks about. That was a F-4 (166-200mph). Far much worse than what your link leads you to believe. It actually produced two additional tornadoes.  Two died and something like 26 were injured. If you've ever seen the movie Twister, it gives you a fair idea of the damage inflicted.  All those jokes about flying cows? It happens.  It also ripped the roof off of  the Argonne National Laboratory reactor, so real scary.  Of course we didn't know that until after. The aftermath was pretty surreal. 

2001, I was working at a gas station and a small one came through. Sideways rain, pounding the surrounding glass.  This time something really odd happened though.  Right before the sirens went off, the phone rang (no caller ID) and a male voice, I assumed to be my boss says, "Shut down the pumps and find a hidey hole NOW!" I don't need to be told twice.Sky had gone menacing green/yellow.  I flipped the switches, locked the register, and as I was locking the door I see 2 idiots in the lot. It took everything I had to hang onto the door the wind was so strong, the sideways rain had me and the inside floor drenched in seconds. I was screaming to be heard for them to get in.  It took all 3 of us (me and 2 grown men) to get the door shut, as darkness swallowed everything up. I shoved them ahead of me into the safest spot I knew - the Men's restroom, and rode it out. Only lasted maybe 15 minutes, but it was a scary 15 minutes. Again except for some debris, the station was fairly untouched. I rang my boss to see what I should do, pull the pumps back on or what. Seriously, I didn't know the protocol for something like that, and he tells me he hadn't called me!. Never figured out who did.  But whomever it was had told me the right thing to do. 

Around 2005 we did have a funnel touch down in a nearby cemetery. It redecorated the place a bit, but no big whoop.  Where I live right now, is pretty much in a valley, so the tornados tend to skip over us. Which I am all for.  I wasn't in the Plainfield  incident. It's just a couple of towns over. They went through much worse than I ever have. 

 

Very true, it generally isn't the tornado but the flying debris that causes the worst damage.  Oh, and folks stupidity.

Maybe 4 or 5 years ago, a hurricane was to be in the vicinity of where my oldest brother and his family lived in Florida I wasn't sure how close though, so I rang him up.  I was having a devil of a time hearing him, so I say, where are you? I expected to hear, maybe in a car with windows down, or a place with bad cell reception. "In my driveway, watching the storm come in."   Now, this guy actually set records for running,  but as a wheelchair, double amputee I don't think he could outrun a hurricane, and I can hear the wind building.

"Ummm...don't you think maybe you should go inside?"  Hard to believe this guy has the IQ of a genius, no kidding.   

Unintelligible words then "Whoa! The guy down the street's speedboat is airborne!" I then hear him arguing with someone about going in, and the sound of stuff being whipped around.  Seriously? HEAD FOR SHELTER. 

I appreciate a good storm as much as the next guy, and do a lot of watching. But, really, stuff starts flying , tuck and cover!   That's just common sense, but I so get his wanting to witness the awesomeness of nature's fury. To feel that - well it's a sense of being alive the storm gives you. Like an electric current running through your veins.  Truth be told, I've done some stupid things myself. For good reason, but that doesn't make it less stupid.   

T-Rex you ever experience a dust storm?  Those can be pretty scary as well. Only been in one back in '82 or '83.  There's something about seeing what appears to be a wall of dust coming at you, that is unnerving. We were at a park event at the time, someone yelled, "Dust storm!"  I tucked Josh's head in my shoulder and RAN for cover.  That quick we looked like a couple of chimney sweeps or something. We took refuge in the bird house, and peeking out the window you couldn't see squat. Dust so thick it was like a white-out only real grey/black/brown with soil.  Josh's bath left the water black, and mine fared no better.  Had to wash my hair 3 or 4 times to get it all out.  Josh was around 2 or 3 at the time. Poor little guy's snot was even tinged black with dust.  

It's way too easy to imagine how someone could get lost in one, or be exposed long enough to clog their airways.  

Something else I can do without a repeat of.   Live in the midwest long enough and eventually you'll experience a gamut of Nature's storms.  

All the repair guys are booked solid for the next 2 weeks or so.  Well, it is what it is, at least I can say, "We're on the list," for the broken window panes.  At least it's the interior and not the exterior.  Not much I can do about it right now.

Sounds like your first surfing safari was a hum dinger.  

The inspectors work for the city (housing authority) to the best of my knowledge. Basically it's to make sure there are no 'slum' lords. They come around about every 3 years, unless you file a report/complaint, then they'll 'investigate'.  They make sure you have things like smoke detectors, and Co detectors, and that the conditions are safe, and livable. Also that the space isn't being 'over rented'. No one sleeping in an unfinished basement or attic. A 2 bedroom  apartment isn't being shared by 12, stuff like that. They also look around the outside.   

The outside part happens a lot more often, they actually have  a person who drives around making sure lawns are mowed, and there are no weeds over 6 inches high. Sometimes they'll even come up and look in the side and back yard.  Let's say they find your lawn sub-par, then you get a warning letter. Don't correct it and you get a fine, still don't correct it (I forget how long you get) and you're fined double. Still not done, 3x fine and they do it for you to the tune of $75, last I heard. Might be more by now. Problem, as I see it, these guys aren't trained very well, if at all. 

This incident happened when I owned my own home. A very large 2.5 story house on 3/4 of an acre. I know many of you aren't impressed with the yard size, but in the city that's HUGE. One day,I get this letter ordering me to remove the brambles and 'assorted weeds' from my yard.  I had no clue what they were talking about, so I rang them up (I was really nice about it) and asked if they could send someone to point the infraction out, as I could not see it.  So the guy comes and we take a walk. "Those are brambles," he says pointing. I look and say, "Those are blackberry bushes."  

"Oh, well those viney weeds need to go," he gestures towards the fence.

"Ummm, those are grape vines..."

"I don't see no grapes," he looks at me all suspicious like I was lying.

"They're not in season yet. But come here, see these tiny little green flowers? I admit, they don't actually look like flowers, but they are. They'll become grapes  around May/June."

He's staring at me like I just said he was on some other planet.  Looking rather doubtful, he points over to another area, which at one time had been somebody's garden I suppose, but the patch floods so badly I don't plant there. Still a few plants come up of their own accord.  "And those?"  "Onions, and  a few tomato plants starting to sprout - hopefully they'll get to produce before the rains wipe them out."

Obviously, I didn't get fined and after that, they pretty much left me alone.

 

 

Jadeite, gardens and livestock are a LOT of work.  Most folks don't realize that a horse needs to be ridden/exercised every day. And it's very painful for a milk cow not to be milked daily/on time. (By the way - cows kick sideways and will slap you silly with their tails if you're not careful.)  Not mentioning the feeding, upkeep and general shoveling that needs doing.  Although it does make good fertilizer.  Don't know much about chickens.  But just about any kept animal needs serious looking after, and can be expensive to keep.   I do know this, if you plan on eating any animal, best not to name it.  

Dogs are good company, and protection. Cats require little care really, they've got that whole "Bow, to your master, peasant" attitude going on.  

Now, goats just depend on how they're raised. Seriously. They can be very like a dog. I had a pet one once. Her name was Daisy. Still had her umbilical cord when I got her, and had to be bottle fed. (The Mom rejected her.) Daisy would follow me everywhere, up stairs, down and all around the farm. Cry if I didn't let her in my apartment at night. And they are smart. We had an old goat (well, actually the landlord did. Being imaginative the goat was named 'Billy' and the donkey, 'Jack", you get the idea) who could undo just about any latch. More than once he let the horses out of the corral and we had to round them up.  There was an Austrian sheepdog, named Peanut, fairly large that would help with this.  They had lots of dogs, the wife raised teacup poodles, tiny little things. But in the kennels were shepherds, a couple of Rots, some of mixed heritage, I think 10 or 11 in total.  Sometimes they boarded other folks dogs too. 

Anyway, if retirement includes being a lady of leisure, you do not want a lot of livestock. Oh, wait...since we're dreaming anyway, you can be rich enough to have farm hands for the manual labor!  Silly me. 

 

I really do miss having a dog. But with our stairs being so steep, and the apartment so small, I think it would be cruel. Plus it wouldn't have the freedom to run and play. Even old dogs deserve to be able to stretch out in the sun or under a shady tree, without being fettered by leash or  cramped in a small run.  

But, since we're dreaming, how about we have a euthanasia free home for animals? Where all the unwanted or can no longer keep dogs and cats can come live?  We'll make exceptions for other animals too.  The only animals ever put down, will only be those where it's crueler to keep them alive.  But never ever because they're just old, or no one has adopted them in x long.  Of course we'll have our own on site vet. 

Yesterday was the inspection, and it seemed to go well.Downstairs has a few issues (not sure what) but I don't think anything was found in mine, or around the yard (Peter would have called by now, I think, or the inspector would have said something).  Since the windows are on a waiting list, I made Jerome rehang the curtains. Idiot hasn't taken them to be cleaned, so I washed them in the tub - 3 times with hot water, and dish soap.  I read the dish soap (anti-bacterial or grease cutting) will kill any critters. Figured worth a shot.   Now here's something odd - 12 windows 12 sets of panels - yes? From somewhere  we ended up with extra panels...very odd. 

I plan to spend today just relaxing.  It's been a rather tense few weeks. Oh almost forgot, Peter liked my plastering job. We both knew we'd still get dinged, but he was really happy, as it showed the problem wasn't being ignored, and definitely looked better than gaping holes.  I do know that better bracing of the handrail was on the inspector's list. 

 

 

 

I love your dreams, Jadeite. Sounds like a little slice of heaven. I wish I had some way of making your dream come true.

Val, I am happy to hear about the inspection. It must be a whole heap off your mind. Has Jerome been behaving himself lately?

T-Rex, what I have seen of geese is quite scary for some people. Back in the days when I was working for the blanket factory, and putting Angel through college, I had to make extra $ for that purpose. I would buy 3rd grade blankets and shawls, mend them and sell them to less privileged people at reduced prices. There was a whole community living out at our sewerage-farm. They kept a small flock of geese. One day as I drew up in my car, I saw a small, naked native boy, holding his private parts, run screaming from the geese. I guess they thought human worms were as good as any other.

Well after our scare of being in the dark last Tuesday, (fault at a local power station)the electricity hasn't been off since. However, Ray did get a notification today, saying that the whole of SA's power will be switched off at noon tomorrow. We are waiting with bated breath. Apparently, the workers at Eskom are wanting an increase in pay, between 9 and 15%, plus a bonus. Eskom says it can't give either. Too many municipalities haven't paid what they owe (monies collected, or not, from users of electricity). I guess you can't get blood from a stone. But the workers can't, or won't, understand the situation. We, that have paid regularly, are caught in the middle. Well, que sera sera!
Today has been cloudy all day, with a vicious wind blowing, heralding a cold front. If we suffer, we the 'privileged', won't be alone.

So good to hear from the fastest mouse in the west, Fergie!

A good battle with the fastest mouse in the east (Jadeite). I'm just a slow T-Rex that only gets fast when hungry.

Ah electricity. Modern urban society can't function without it. The situation in SA sounds complicated with the workers (I suspect) fed up with broken promises but putting little weight into looking after their potential supporters (the customers). Has SA's electricity generation been sold off to private enterprise or still in government hands?

Australia's power has been sold off and over the last couple of years, electricity prices have trebled. There is a political debate brewing about astronomical price peaks in power, the degradation of our energy grid via the move to 'clean energy' and how significant is Australia's contribution to the Co2 emissions worldwide. All very interesting (NOT) when you watch the electricity bill rise several hundred dollars each year and areas 'black out' because it's been a cloudy day with no wind. When it comes down to blaming failures on the weather, you know we are in trouble.

Val, when it comes to naked flames in people's abodes, I have no problems with people that possess common sense using candles, etc. Here in Australia, I hear/see more and more media stories each winter of house fires and people perishing of smoke inhalation. Some of the dumb things people do is staggering - even in our own apartment block we've had a residence gutted by fire due to a poor decision.

Anyway, get off the soap box Rex and give it back to Rook!

Look at the time! - I've got to go and take Jadeite out for lunch. I'll post my 'Wild Geese' story when I get back.  

I read a report of trees 'screaming' and exploding out of the ground after being struck by lightning. For me, the concept was disturbing. The (so called) facts but more like hypothesis, was that the tree's sap would instantly expand as it was super heated and turned into steam. The expansion would cause ruptures in the tree's bark and the escaping steam would cause the screaming sound. The soil around the lightning strike would be chemically altered forcing it to compress and literally squeeze trees, boulders, pipes, etc, out of the ground. I have witnessed the damage to underground telephony conduits and cables caused by a 'direct hit' of lightning, so I now accept that this is possible.

Here is another incredible account. A person was caught in an open field during a severe thunderstorm. The lightning started to hit the ground around her and she realized that she was soaking wet. Being the highest thing in the field (and now a conductor) she was eventually struck by lightning. To her amazement she watched as her arms and hands glowed a blinding white light, before passing out. Rescuers revived her by shaking her awake. Apart from the soles of her shoes disappearing, she wasn't hurt.

Is there a scientific explanation on why she wasn't severely injured or killed?

Well yes there is!

In the majority of reported lightning strikes, the electrical charge travels through the body causing the heart to stop beating and in extreme cases damaging vital organs. It was assumed that if the body was dry, the lightning must travel through the body to reach the ground. In the case of the girl, the path of least resistance was her wet clothes and water flowing down her.

The best option for her would have been to lie flat in the field and avoid being struck twice (lightning DOES sometimes strike twice).

Hey Val, the first thing I learnt in First Aid Courses was look after number one. Visual check around your patient to make sure that you don't end up beside them in the same condition. The first time I went to someone's assistance, the Adrenalin was flowing and all those instructions were lost in the rush. It wasn't until later that I gave myself a 'mental uppercut' for being so foolhardy. I'm sure people either freeze or rush right in, so you're in good company.

Poor Mr Summerford! I couldn't help but think that he must have done something in the past to really tick off the Big Guy Upstairs, in a major way.

Here is a Wikipedia link to Roy Sullivan, who was struck by lightning seven times and survived. Unfortunately, he did not survive the self inflicted gun shot wound.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Sullivan

Val,

Before we got the Air Conditioner, the scientific 'next best thing' was a wet 'T-Shirt' and a fan. Something to do with evaporation lowering temperature. If you haven't got a fan, then you've got a couple of options:

1. Cold shower or bath, don't dry down but stand or sit beside an open window and hope for a breeze and no onlookers.

2. Go down to the local supermarket collect a trolley and walk around the refrigerated section, pretending to buy some meat or frozen veggies - but you can't make up your mind.

Otherwise, you are destined to wait for a cold change and run around in the rain, dodging lightning, hail stones and tornadoes.

It's been a big 2 days of backwards and forwards to the hospital to see my Liver Specialist (yesterday) and Bone Specialist (today).

Liver wise, everything is going ok, except my 'Tacrolimus' levels are erratic. This is the anti-reject drug, which I'm taking tablets twice a day. They are trying to reduce the dosage to one a day. This means more blood tests and continuing two monthly checkups until things stabilize. Also, I'm starting (again) to exhibit bruising and nose bleeds, due to low platelet count. Interesting as my father had more serious symptoms (hemophilia), which was attributed to him catching hemorrhagic fever while in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. At this stage, the suspicion is a twofold cause; the first being medication (Aspirin) and the second is dehydration. Again, more blood tests every two months.

Today, after one year, I got to see my bone specialist. Not good news. I'm still loosing bone density to the point where I'm at risk of developing Osteoporosis. This means another Calcium injection and 2000mg of Vitamin D per day. The Calcium injection is a bother. Last year it laid me low for 3 days with flu-like symptoms.

We talked about the importance of these extra symptoms and medication and I told her that as long as this did not affect my new liver ....... well, there was no point winging about it, lets just get it done. She also told me to start drinking more fluids as this medication can cause kidney damage.

Amazing, here is my aunty with kidneys shutting down plus Osteoporosis and I'm presented with the same risks! The difference being that I've got a chance to do something about it .... but maintaining a balance with looking after my new liver. At least I've got a good team looking after me.

Anyway, there are no steps backward in this journey, just a few speed bumps along the way.

Thanks Val for the suggestions.

I'll try to give a short summary of all that's happened over the last few months.

The reason for the Aspirin is to thin the blood, so that the sites where arteries, veins and bile ducts are joined don't clot up and undo all the good work. The blood pressure pills (Beta Blockers) also reduce the risk of hemorrhaging.

I was told to never take any kind of medication which wasn't first cleared by my specialists. Changing from Aspirin to another drug was not an option, as they use my previous blood tests (on Aspirin) as a 'baseline' to compare to future tests. Good news is I'm ok to drink Gatoraid or Poweraid to keep up fluids and electrolytes. I like eating apples, limes, tomatoes, beans of any sort and sweet potato (it's beautiful baked with potatoes by Jadeite). I'm not allowed to eat any kind of sea food or grape fruit.

Diet wise, I need to eat more red meat (protein). I have started to master pan frying rib eye steak (once a week) and eating minced steak pies (twice a week) from the best pie shop in the known universe.

The calcium shot won't be until August and I'll be taking a drug called Prednisone which further suppresses the immune system and reduces inflammation.

Anyway, hope the temperature stays mild and mother nature puts on one of her awesome light shows (only) for your enjoyment.

Val, what you folks in the US call 'hamburger' meat or 'ground beef' we call mince. So, I presume T-Rex was referring to pies made with ground up steak.

T-Rex, wouldn't it help to eat liver and kidneys too? If I remember correctly, eating iron rich foods help with the absorption of calcium.

Jadeite and Val, I havn't been ignoring you about the "Shen's speech" question. I did ask her for a copy, but she was in the middle of exams. She also said she may have thrown it away (really?) but would have a look when she wasn't so busy. We will be bringing Shen home with us tomorrow, after Ray's birthday bash at Nicky's place. Hopefully, she will have found it by now.
Exams are over, and reports have been sent. Shen's only mark below 60% was for PE - pfft! What the hell, who cares? My eyes bugged out at the 98 mark for algebra. All her other marks are very 'respectable', either on a par with other students, or above class average. Nicky is so proud of her, as are we. All remarks from teachers were couched in glowing terms - what more could we want?

I posted her school portraits below, one of them will go into the school Yearbook.

I vote for the 2nd pic of Shen, where she has that big smile.  The other feels too stiff and posed to me.

PE was not my best subject either. But you know what? I have never once seen them ask if I can cartwheel, throw a curveball, or climb a rope, on a job application.  Closest they've ever came was asking if I could lift 25 pounds.

98% in algebra?  Excellent!

Ok, please put minced steak pie, and vegemite on my must try list for my someday trip to Australia.  Although the pie does sound a bit like our pot pies; generally bits of meat, potatoes and other veggies covered in a thin gravy inside a pie crust. I find them tasty. 

Silly me, Rex. I should have assumed Jadeite had your cooking endeavors up under her wing.  I just tend to get a wee bit over excited when a subject I actually know something about comes up.