Many Days in the Life

(Source)

After I had a stent put in for my kidney last week, I felt so ripped off after having 'surgery': there was no scar for me to show off [laffs]. My brother and I laughed later when I said, jokingly, "Now with their 'Chip' in the stent inside me, "They" can hear all our conversations!" 😄

On the flip side... there was one moment in the middle of the night whilst I was staying there, where, in the darkness of the guest bedroom, I couldn't find the light switch to open the door to make it to the bathroom (which was directly across the hallway). In short: I didn't make it (No.1) ... on the floor. I felt so embarrassed. All easily cleaned up no problems, thankfully. Moreso, I clearly recall saying to David and Colleen the next day, "This is the first time I have really felt 'old' ".

I've set up my new phone just as I like it: easy to use, see and find stuff quickly. Fiddling with my new 'toy' [laffs] has been an enjoyable and rewarding journey.

Gotta love mid-winter here in Bathurst, with some old mornings getting down to -4°C / 24°F. No snow, just good frosts and heavy fogs to start our days. It's starkly beautiful in its own way.

13 July 2023: -4°C / 24°F @ 7am

A good "Sea Poop" fog and frost, taken from my front door.

I feel so spoilt, now that I'm able to watch my DVD's sitting in bed - thank you David and Colleen for this great portable DVD player! I rewatched 'Rango' - good fun.

David & Colleen, 2016

I was happily putting my rubbish bin 'Otto'* out on Wednesday night, and I could plainly hear the glorious sound of our towns' Carillion Bells ringing out across the cold still evening air. Gotta love living in Bathurst.

* Random thought: what do you call this? Rubbish bin? Trash can? Otto...?

Evans Memorial and Carillion belltower, Kings Parade, Bathurst

Photos taken around town in 2004

(Pics by moi) 

While I was staying with David (my brother), he passed a great item to me: a draft of a book our long-passed father wrote in the c.1940s about his first sailing dinghy ("VJ") and 'How to Sail' etc! This has huge sentimental value, as I caught Dad's passion for sailing. It will become one of my "Pet Projects", now: to write it out and publish it online.

This is Dad (white hat) sailing that same VJ "Wyreema" that he describes c.1940s, Middle Harbour, Sydney.

I love living here: I was sitting in the midday midwinter sunshine, getting a quick dose of Vitamin Sol; the beauty of living in a country town: I can say "G'day!" and have a quick chat with a passing local walking his dog. It's just how we are out here... as I grew up in the big-bad-city (Sydney), you simply could not do that! Took me a long time to get used to this when I first moved out here 25+ years ago: people stop and talk with you randomly. It's wholly natural in rural Australia - and I love it.

I've started using Facebook again. The "Feeds" feels much easier for me to keep up to date with my friends, etc. than before - I can interact more easily with those I want to interact with! I can filter out all the unwanted crap that I just do not want to see on there - thankfully. I didn't feel as though I could do that so easily before now. ( www.facebook.com/Mal.Pram.Kiely ). I'm still using other ways as well (as always). I'll be staying on Twitter until / unless...

It still amazes me that I made it to 59-yo this weekend. Just think of it: I'll turn 60 next year [grins]. I remember being in Year 9 in High School (1979), and thinking that I'd be 36-yo in the year 2000, and back then considering that to be an impossibly old age [laffs]. It's all relative, huh?

A huge Thank You to David and Nola for their very gracious and extravagant gift.

Asparagus?

It was great catching up with a great friend, Lynn, via IM. Even though we hadn't spoken for way too long, we're the kind of friends where it felt like we only spoke together yesterday.

My youngest son had a scare (18 July 2023)

He posted these two images on social media, and later sent me this message:

"They broke into the garage at 1 this morning and rode away; the cops called us a couple of hours later to say they found it in a park; we've no idea of the condition, but it is insured.

"Sophie and I are a little anxious after it all, but we're OK."

18 July 2023: I wonder what the local council are going to put here, in the middle of the little park/playground across the road from me? My guess is a park bench. (My life is SO exciting, huh? lol)

24-hours later... Oh! So exciting! [laffs] Gotta love that even tradies will stop for a quick friendly chat here in the country 😉

I attended a very cool small music gig with my great friend Keith at Logan Brae (across the road) on June 17th. Keith was playing the percussion in support of Matt Williamson (in a beanie with guitar). And yes, it was bloody cold, even in the sunshine.

This is my great friend (and fellow Odd Sock) Keith

The views from the front balcony

My Blood Pressure is still coming down after the new med started four months ago, thankfully… I’m just too fat and out of shape…. But isn’t ‘round’ a shape…? [laffs]. I've lost a bit of weight after the whole recent kidney episode, thankfully.

Random... I had a single day of very black depression come right out of nowhere for no reason, back in mid-June. Thank gawd it only lasted just 24 hours, then went away as if nothing had happened at all. It's just bizarre how it can happen so randomly at times.

More random... one of the cats next door would occasionally leave me a 'gift' of a dead mouse by my back door, partially demolished (gag!) Sadly they and my neighbour of a few years have just sold and moved to Queensland - she said she couldn't cope with our winters, which is fair enough. I've met the new neighbours already. Cool. I've always had good neighbours here for these nine years. Nine years - this has been the longest I have stayed in one place since I left home! Good gawd...

More random... One afternoon I heard a loud metallic 'crunch', and sure enough, two cars decided to get way too close and personal for their own good at the intersection outside. Thankfully, no one was hurt. That's the first one I've encountered here in nine years.

Oh... have I mentioned anything about watching all the Men's and Women's Ashes Test Cricket Series games against the Poms at all...? [laffs] Lovin' it.

➽ My Recent 'Adventure' 💥 + New Phone 📱 

➽ Awesome visit with my eldest son and his wife on their country property + photos 💥

➽ Some selfies  📷🤳

➽ My Views from Home

➽ Bathurst Winter Festival Lights

➽ Music I've Enjoyed and Appreciated Recently 🎵

➽ Movies I've Watched, Enjoyed and Appreciated Recently 🎦

➽ Odd Socks... 😏🎵😆

➽ MS Update  🎗️ 

More fun silly stuff:

➽ Clean Glasses? (I know this only too well)

➽ Old Fun Memories (nb. NSFW)

💥 My Sense of Humour 💥

→ https://rebrand.ly/Humour ←

Peas be with ewe 
Mal