Sunday, May 17, 2009

Somehow I managed to forget to take my evening meds TWICE this week, resulting in me missing two mornings, one work and one today (Sunday). I really don't like this. I feel like the time has been ripped from my hands and time is something I cherish. Time when I feel strong enough to get out and about, to actually do some things I had planned, to go to the Old Bus Depot markets which had their wool day today. Not that I need more wool, but they also sometimes have other bits & pieces that I like to collect like antique needlework tools or old pattern books. I also wanted to pick up some carpet pieces to repair the Imp's scratching post which is in sorry shape. She uses it, but then she uses other things as well, from the carpet in the lounge room to the tapestry chair.

Instead, when the headache had retreated to annoying rather than skull-splitting, I got up and made some progress on moving all files of use from the Big Computer to my new MacBook. (It needs a name, doesn't it? I'll have to ponder for a good apple name. Winesap? Here in Oz, Macintosh is an heirloom variety which seems odd to me.) I deleted a lot of files from the old computer, printed out a lot of knitting patterns that had been languishing, copied files to the MacBook, downloaded some freeware book-keeping software to replace Quicken, but I haven't trying the export and import of Quicken files to a new platform. As far as I am concerned, once that's done, I am no longer tied to the Big Computer for anything and it can go to computer heaven or hell. I only had to reboot it twice and once I had to unplug it in order to restart it. Think it's past its use-by date? No doubt the Bear could have patched and supported it but I am just not up to it.

I've plied the Wendy Dennis Polwarth and I managed to get some very long colour changes that actually matched up in plying so there will be stripes! I am more than halfway down the foot on the first of a pair of Opal socks for my boss. I had no idea from the ball of wool what would come out as a pattern, but I get several inches of a caramel-ish brown, then a blue stripe, a red stripe and a yellow stripe and then back to brown. Nothing that the ball announced. No doubt if I'd looked up the colour number I'd have known, but I just let her pick from about 6 different yarns.

Swans news (yes I now I haven't posted anything in ages) They won last night! Beat the Weagles by 5 Points! And I didn't watch! As a matter of fact I was already feeling unwell enough to go to bed at 9PM. If Essendon loses today, we'll be in the 8! I don't believe that this will be a tremendous season, just one to trial a lot of young players and give them more match experience. We can't rely on Goodesy forever. The membership department had to rely on Expresspost to get Canberra members their membership package and gave us our caps for free along with a min-scarf with suction cups, which is now in the back window of my car. If I clean the thing off well enough I will put the new season Swans bumper sticker on, as well as the Carolina one I picked up in Chapel Hill.

Friday, May 08, 2009

I am beginning to get back into the daily routine of my life, whether it's going to the mall for Medicare refunds, or going out to lunch with a good friend. I did both today, I will have to see if I am exhausted tomorrow or not. A lot of walking done which is good exercise but can inflame the angry leg muscles.

For any of you (besides my step-daughter) who read my blog and are interested in the saga of the superannuation, conciliation did happen (perhaps because I said it wouldn't, which by the way, was the assessment of my contact at the Tribunal, not a personal opinion). We met sort of halfway so I get enough to secure my future while hopefully meeting some of the needs of the children. I am glad it's over since it has been hanging over my head for nearly two years. I can now get some income from depositing it somewhere, and also make the repairs to the house that need doing. I've already started by fixing door latches and getting quotes to replace the front entry porch, which is falling apart and has no real steps, just piles of bricks. I need new carpet in the dining room which would mean emptying the china closet, which is not a small task. Then there's new fabric on the outside awnings.... I could go on.

I saw the surgeon today and, while he mimed mock horror at my not using crutches and driving early, he also was pleased with my progress. I can't wait for the other knee to be eligible but it will probably be this time next year. I no longer trust the intact knee to support me and revel in being able to do things with the new knee that were impossible just 6 weeks ago.

I found stuffed in my letterbox a box from Amazon with the latest in C.J. Cherryh's Forigner series, Conspirator. The Bear and I would practically arm wrestle over who got to read the latest. I am sorry he's not here to share it but this is one series I will hold on to. I love novels of culture contact, and speculative fiction regarding humanoids much larger than us, coal black with amber eyes, with elaborate courtly manners and singular bloodthirstiness, is just too juicy.

My final admission is I am writing on a new platform. I purchased (on credit) a MacBook last weekend. This was partially because Windows mangled the loading of iTunes, completely cutting me off from the application and the library. Della also had the type worn off some of her keys and the finish worn off the surface. She had also started to develop flakey system problems, the same type that have crippled the big computer. Without the Bear here to fix things, I had to move to a simpler system where I didn't have to know how to rub cleanup programs or download updates every week. I am even getting used to the whizz-bang new track pad, which I thought I'd never do. It is incredibly fast and the screen is crystal clear.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

I have no excuses. I supposedly went back to work yesterday and then crashed in a heap today. I had been back to a "normal" level of activity for being up and about, walking, going to the grocery store and running various other errands. My knee is preforming beautifully which only highlights how bad the other one is. I don't have enough strength between the two of them to stand up easily without something to hold on to. They both get stiff when I sit for any length of time and the muscle pain from good old fibromyalgia is still at its only sometimes excruciating best. So I have a strong knee joint but everything else is the same. The bandage fell off shortly after my last post and, despite my squeamish anticipation, the wound was completely healed and I have a pink line down the centre of my leg. Part of the knee area is numb because of cut nerves, and it still gets warm with use, but I have had no pain with most activity. The quad needs to be exercised to build its strength and that's the only thing that gives me pain. The miracles of modern medicine, eh?

Tomorrow is the conciliation conference call with the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal. Since I don't believe the other party has any intention of conciliation, and that the arguments have no basis in law, nothing will be resolved. Therefore, it will proceed to "review" by the Board and that takes 6 to 8 months. I wonder if I should go to Centrelink and apply for the dole now, or whether it would take 6 months for them to process me. I guess I continue to live on credit and the remains of the first super settlement to keep my financial head above water.

My BBBB is now Mother Tongues by Helena Drysdale. It is more travel writing than much hard research about vanishing native languages in Europe but is a pleasant read none the less. Food Politics was too boring and I just wasn't getting into it. While recovering I went through a series of murder mysteries including two by Monica Ferris. Her needlework mysteries are the only ones of the genre I find interesting, and the needlework is almost beside the point.

I am knitting up the turtleneck on CAW because I finished the instructions for the first sleeve and it looks terribly short. They advised measuring the drop from the shoulder seam after completing the neck, so that's what I am doing now. I also started knitting a shell out of Crystal Palace Choo Choo railroad ribbon in pink. It knits up to look tweedy, black and white and pink. It's a free Berroco pattern and I pray I have enough ribbon. The hat I started languishes, as do the socks for my boss. The shell had been Irving in a bag next to my recliner for about a year so I decided it deserved a shot. If I have enough ribbon it shouldn't take long.