Jan/Feb 2022

NOTE: It seems I wrote these notes for my blog 6 months ago, then promptly forgot all about them! D'oh! Can I just blame the MS for the memory lapse? Sure, why not?! [laffs]

➽► Xmas 2021 - pre-Xmas depression seems to kick in for me, as it can feel a very lonely isolating time for me:

"Some things happen for a reason, others just come with the season" - Ana Claudia Antunes

However, Xmas Day was awesome, with my brother David spending the day here, and a great visit from my eldest son and his wifey, Josh & Sam. That was GOOD!

➽► Xmas 2021 for my middle son, Seb, saw him under Covid lockdown, but he didn't actually catch it. Phew.

➽► Then my Boxing Day turned out well as well, as my great friend Keith and his son Kalyan dropped in, just so we could 'hang out'. So, this Xmas season ended up feeling very joyous for me, in contrast to the pre-season depression. Thank goodness.

➽► Two days after their Xmas day visit, Josh & Sam heard that they were 'close contacts' with Covid, and had to wait for 3-days until they finally received their negative test result. Poor guys: they felt terrible, after visiting on Xmas Day. But no harm done, thankfully.

➽► I started getting back into baking my own bread again, using an old recipe in my machine. I'd just fallen out of the habit of doing it. My first attempt was a total failure, as I didn't follow the recipe, did I? The loaf was burnt and failed to rise - D'oh! (The local birds enjoyed those results, however... a positive! lol). However, I did a quick internet search and realised I should have been using sugar instead of the Treacle I'd been using previously. Oh, and following my tried-and-trusted recipe... the next loaf: Perfect! 🍞

➽► (Early Feb 2022): I've been sitting on a 4 out of 10 for about 2-ish months now; normally I can shrug it off... this one seems to be lingering, for no real apparent reason. This is my life at times. "She'll be right!"

➽► (Early Feb '22) My old trusty DVD player decided to physically swallow a DVD... I thought I could somehow open the drawer and fish it out somehow? Nope. So, I ended up having to purchase a good quality cheap DVD player online, which was delivered in like 3 days - first-world problem, I know! I rarely watch TV as it is. But it's all good now. Oh, and I managed to burn myself another copy of the DVD that was eaten as well.

➽► New Movies I've enjoyed (in Feb 2022) included "Being the Ricardos" and "C'Mon C'Mon". 🎥 

➽► Ashes Cricket Test series - the Australians humiliated the English to win the series 4-0, introducing new Aussie players into 'Legendary' status!; then the Aussie Women did the same in their Ashes as well! And there's LOTS more to come: Sri Lanka Series and even cricket in Pakistan for both the Aussie Men and Women. YEAH! #CricketTragic 🏏

➽► I've been having one of those annoying toothaches... tis a 0.5 on the pain scale... I've had two mega-painful PE's, so it was absolutely nothing but a 'minor inconvenience' if I'm honest! (Postscript: nothing came of it in the end. Phew).

➽► Feb '22: I went to print a document, something I hadn't done for ages. Did it work? Nope? After fiddling about, I realised why: this was a totally different laptop since the last time I'd wanted to use the printer, so I had up upload a new free printer driver (software) to get it to work - which it did just fine. Silly moi.

➽► (end of Jan '22): I had a GREAT visit with my bestie Keith yesterday... just hanging out, no agenda - perfect! A great uplift for my weary soul.

➽► "How to support a depressed friend" (article)

Then my UC [ie. 'back-end;] decided to kick in last night for no apparent reason, dammit... I didn't wake up until 3pm today! Woah! Glad I was home alone when it happened...

➽► Australia Day 26 Jan 

➽► I know nobody will read my status but sometimes when I'm bored, I get wrapped up in my tutu and put a giant horn on my head, lather sparkles all over myself, and slide around the kitchen floor pretending I'm a magical unicorn. Reply "Asparagus" if you read this. Thanks. 😸🤭😺😀😃😄😁😆😂😜

➽► The Tonga Volcano explosion 😮

➽► Ukraine: "I don't care what their politics are -- anyone who attempts to justify Putin's actions at this moment is full of shit."

That's all I have to say about that.

➽► Odd Socks - Doom & Gloom Break

➽►→ twitter.com/OddSocksEnt ←◄

➽► I had some awesome phone calls, both locally and internationally, too: Jan in Spain regularly catch-up via Facebook's IM! Costs nothing... it still spins out this old fart that I can have a live-time face chat with someone on the other side of the planet for free! Try it with me sometime. 📱

➽► Whine follows [ignore at will]: I am sick of not being disabled 'enough' to be on Disability Benefits [etc], but disabled enough NOT to be able to be gainfully employed. FUCK! I never fit into their fucking 'system', and it shits me. [rant ended]

➽► I realized I had one of my rare 'I feel lonely' moments when I had to put the sports radio on, burbling away in the background, just for company! I'm not even a real sports-type person! lol "This will pass". Twas just a momentary thing. Feel fine again now. 99% of the time I am happily single, but sometimes I just miss the companionship. "She'll be right!"

➽► (Early Feb '22): What a boring old fart I become some days... sure, it's 3am, and it's just quietly burbling away in the background... but I love listening to "ABC Jazz" on the radio! I make no apologies [laffs] 🎺🎻🎤🎼🎙

➽► Mid Feb: We had two huge thunder/lightning storms come thru here in the middle of last night, complete with hail... "Heaven's Fireworks!" No damage done here, thankfully. Sounded so LOUD on this tin roof! [grins]

➽► Panic Attack (Feb 14): Woah: for the first time in many years, I experienced a wholly-random full-blown panic attack, with no apparent trigger, either! I'm a lot better now and feel a lot calmer etc, thankfully. And no - it's got nothing to do with Valentine's Day either! lol

One of the nice things I was able to do today was sitting on my front landing for c.45 minutes and just unwind, appreciating my views. Not too hot... and a bit of Vitamin Sun as well always helps lift the mood. "Gotta find the Positives!"

➽► My middle son, Seb, almost had a car crash, which was not his fault at all! Thankfully no one was hurt. Phew.

➽► (Note: I Tweeted the following as it actually happened! Bizarre, but helped me get thru it OK).

14 Feb '22: Tonight my left kidney thought would be a great time to pass a kidney stone! I've got some pain meds, and it'll be a long night here at home just waiting it out. This will be my first one in c. 8 years and my c.5th time in 30 years! I knew 'that' pain straight away!..."She'll be right"... it'll just be a long night of pacing, being unable to get comfortable until it passes!

Happy Valentine's Day! [laffs] There's no rhyme nor reason why I get them, either... 8 years since the last time is a good run! [grins]

The pacing begins... in fits and spurts: I can tell you that the number of paces between my laundry and bathroom is exactly 34 paces! [laughs] Pain comes and goes, that's why I have to slowly walk thru it. The pacing back-and-forth reminded me of watching my boy's mum in labour!

It feels weird to be tweeting during a kidney stone... but in between grabs, it's a bit of a mental distraction. I'm so bloody tired [12.41am], but I'm simply being unable to get comfortable at all, in any position.

Just gone 3am... I just managed c. 30 minutes of relatively-comfortable bedrest [first time tonight], and then: BITE ME! Oh, you've gotta laff. Things have definitely 'moved'!

The joys of tweeting a kidney stone for a guy! lol

I had always expected tonight would be a 'long' night in discomfort... par for the course; things are definitely progressing, thankfully. pain swells rises and eases in cycles... but it *is* moving!

19 hours and still going... I'd say the bit where it enters the bladder from the kidney is enflamed... what a surprise! Still unable to sleep or rest comfortably. But I'm a stoic bugger when it comes to these things [grins]

Literally, as we speak, the pain suddenly eased greatly, both front and radiated pain in the back... hmmm! Maybe all the pain meds just kicked-in at once [laffs] (TMI follows): maybe now I can do a big [poop]! lol it's been a 'hard days night' for sure [grins]

That is quite enough of those last 19-hours... Twas bizarre tweeting it as it happened... at times I couldn't keep my eyes open! Time for a shower and some sleep at last.

I'm one of those 'lucky' ones where the pain is only between the kidney and bladder... they usually break up in the bladder! Fingers crossed!

Well, it passed without major incident... just no fun going thru it. All good.

Almost back to normal, thanks. What an exciting 36 hours... a panic attack and a kidney stone to boot! All's well, I swear!

---

Peas be with ewe 
Mal