Friday 2 August 2019

A Passing Life Update

Just a quick one, while my MS fingers are co-operating [grins].

A HUGE THANK YOU to the anonymous person(s), who topped-up the recharge for my pre-paid mobile phone account! I only just discovered about it... constantly ringing my i'net provider had kept running all my phone credit down to almost nothing, where it got to a stage where I couldn't even make a phone call! (Thanks to my ISP, I don't have a landline anymore...) I'd have to wait until the end of every two weeks, before I could afford to top my mobile up again (D'oh!) (I don't have one of those smart phone thingies [I wouldn't be able to use the screen on one anyway, with my MS fingers!], just an old skool phone with no i'net!) So – thank you – very appreciative for your gracious generosity.

Another HUGE THANK YOU to Chris, who shouted me lunch today – always good to just catch-up and enjoyed our no-agenda chats. Very appreciative. It'd frustrating tho... afterward, I suddenly felt so weary, I just had to have a nap – ridiculous I know, but that's one of the annoying little things that comes with my MS... bloody thing [laffs].

While I was cleaning-up some old dusty CD's last week, I stumbled across a CD containing my brother's first novel he wrote, "The Reflection In the Mirror", from back in 2009. It's a supernatural mystery, and I quite like it (altho I don't normally enjoy that style of thing). Oh, he never got it published, he just writes for his own pleasure and amusement... he's written about ten books in total (in a similar vein), he said the other day. Good on him, I say.

I just thought... at the same time (second-half of 2009), I made my first music CD album "Lancelots Pram"... I guess we both had a creative burst at the same time, independent of each other... indertesting...

Today I'm listening to a CD I discovered a few years' ago, of Louisiana Cajun/Creole music (great grooves) – something different to enjoy… I love my musically-diverse tastes! Yesterday it was some jazz with Dexter Gordon – go figure [laffs]. The next one I put on (all my albums are basically on my radio music external hard drives – over 4,000 albums' worth!) was an Aussie rock-blues one from Johnny Diesel, "Short Cool Ones" from 1996. Mixing it up.

I had been using a separate computer for the I'net (as I have no I'net connection at home currently… but that's a whole other tale…), at one of my health providers, over the last few weeks – which helped me get some online things done. But then I remembered about the library's wifi, and I thought… it works great for me. First-World Problem, really.

It's been great walking to-and-from the library this week. It's about a 25-minute walk one-way, on mostly-flat relatively slight-sloping ground for my path. The walker (which I've named "Brian") is an absolute boon – not only can I strap my laptop to it (letting it double as a trolley), the positive health benefits (for re-building the strength in my legs alone!) has been wonderful. Sure, I've had a few stumble-trips along the way somedays – but this walker has been such a blessing, when it comes to preventing me from falling splatt across the ground downtown. It's been good for my brain-box health too, it seems – that phew for that!

I *was* stressed for a few days about the whole home I'net downtime (and another issue I won't discuss here), but then the angst went out of it all for me… thankfully I was able to shrug my shoulders of it all, and just get on happily with things… another big phew.

Funny the little things you encounter, sitting in the library using the I'net on your own laptop… I'm happy in my little cubicle with my laptop, and then the guy sitting in the cubicle next to me starts talking and arguing with himself… (laffs).

At least I've been able to keep in touch with my #MSFamily on Twitter (and Facebook) again – I've really been missing hanging out with them… mutual encouragement in our shared-understanding situations has always been a big help for me, even on the good days.

Funny things you notice out walking… lots of homes here use open wood fires for their heating during our current sunny dry winter, and somedays I feel like I have to dodge some heavily-choking chimney smoke, just to enjoy our fresh country air [laffs].

Today's walk was greeted by the pealing of our town Carillon bells – glorious in the sunshine, with the sound drifting through the still winter sunshine air.

The walking exercise is brilliant – I'm even actually sleeping a bit better at nights as a result – it feels like a strange phenomenon for me, getting some good nights' sleep for a change. Must be all this glorious mid-winter sunshine and still crisp air. It's catch-22 with using the walker tho – the vibrations though the handlebars (is that what you call 'em?) turn my hands even more numb afterwards, but it eases after a little while, thankfully. Thanks MS

I'm sure some locals wonder who the crazy old man is, the one who talks to the magpies on his local walks… I can't prove my theory, but because I talk with the birds now, they don't 'swoop' me during their aggressive nesting season. They must recognize me and know I mean no harm. Seems to work – I haven't been swooped in 30 years! The poor things must be starving… my local bird family loved the bits of stale crusty bread ends I threw out for them from my front door this morning.

YAY! The Ashes Test cricket starts this week! Yes – I'm a cricket tragic – I love to watch, but can't/never could play well! There'd going to be some late night TV viewing for me in the months ahead… the five games start at 8pm here for us (Australia vs England, playing in England)… watch out for this crazy old man, sitting on his well-worn sofa, wrapped in his favourite blankie, applauding the good cricket [laffs]. Reminds me of sitting watching many games with my dad, over many summers when I was a kid – he'd try to explain all the field placements and rules etc etc… always makes me smile to watch and remember those happy positive memories I have with my dad. Cheers, dad – always miss you.

While I don't have the I'net on at home at the moment, I've been rediscovering some old DVD movies I haven't re-watched in years! One of them was the David Lean classic "Doctor Zhivago" – a panoramic sweeping drama, set during the Russian Revolution… just watching it again, with all that cold and snow… made me feel cold! The other one was the classic "Gone With the Wind"… I'd forgotten about the classic line from it, that must have been outrageous in 1939 (when it came out): "You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how". Clark Gable was born to play that role, for sure!

It may sound bizarre (and it does for me!), but I randomly picked-up one of my old Bibles the other night (I was once a Bible College student in a past life, amazing as that sounds… tho I don't believe in that thing any more – and that's OK). I read the first book, "Genesis", but just as a rollicking epic adventure tale, not as "The Bible"! It's got it all: deception, lies, murder, incest, genocide, homosexuality, racism, confusion, homelessness, self-mutilation, favourtism, rape, pillage, plunder, sexual perversion, famine (no, seriously!) – Genesis has it all! So much for the 'Holy' book, huh? [laffs]

You know how all your small loose change can pile up sometimes? I've been keeping mine in a small glass jar, and I thought to count it out and bag it… $45! I was amazed… sure didn't look that much! That's half my groceries for next week paid for… gotta celebrate the small things (even small change…).

Peas bee with ewe
Mal.

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