Total Tools!

It was so nice going to bed last night and knowing that now we have the phone extension downstairs there would be no sudden dash up the stairs in the morning.

It was not the phone that woke me......it was a flippin' bird hitting the window......and not just once......it kept on banging into it.

It was a Magpie-Lark but known around these parts as a Peewee. I suspect it was attacking its own reflection in the glass and defending its territory which seems to be the ours and the few neighbouring gardens.

Dulcie was up at 9.00.

I expected Blue Care at 10.00 for respite.....but the time came and went.

It was annoying because Dr Hew was coming at 12.00 and I wnated to be around when he called.

I rang Blue Care and spoke to Indira.

"I was expecting respite at 10 but no one has come," I said.

"Oh, let me just check," said Indira........"Oh, yes they are running a bit late.....they will be there at quarter past."

I don't know what time zone Indira was in but it was 10 minutes behind mine.....it was already 20 past.

"Look," I said "The doctor is coming at 12.00 and if they arrive at 10.30 (a more reasonable estimate of mine) I will only get an hour and a half."

"No, we will do the whole two hours," said Indira.

"But I will have to be back to see the doctor at 12. I know Mrs Rodgers I am not leaving her to see the doctor with someone who does not know her and cannot answer his questions."

"Oh, right." said Indira, " Well, I am sorry....you were down for respite from 10.15 as you asked for, we are just running late."

"I didn't ask for 10.15 I asked for 10 until 12 on a Tuesday. I am sorry I know its not your fault but its just that I am getting a bit irritated by all this now. My respite has never been at a regular time and I have not been able to make plans because of this."

"I see," Indira said," I will put you down for that time next time."

"I will believe it when I see it you bunch of............

.....is what I wanted to say.....but didn't.

Respite arrived at 10.30....it was the indian woman......I don't know her name.......it was not her fault either.....I wasted another 10 minutes talking to her about it.

"Who is responsible for the rota?" I asked.

"Indira," she said.

Dulcie didn't want a pie bringing back for lunch.

"They fill them too much" she said.....a complaint that I would never utter.

I went to Sunnybank.....I had a small shopping list. I walked over the road to the Sunny Park Mall to the Aldi there. I got all I needed on the list but there was only one till open and a huge queue of trolleys waiting.......I did not have time to wait so put everything back and walked out. I got everything at Woolies instead. I just had a little time left to get something to eat....I got some Chinese food for my lunch back at Sunnybank Plaza and then a healthy 'Boost' smoothie to counteract all the fat.

"Do you have a 'Boost' loyalty card?" the server asked.

"No," I said.

"Do you want one?"

"No," I said.

"Can I have your name?" she asked.

I was flabbergasted.......what did they need to know that for? 

"Mr Allen," I muttered grumpily.

"Thank you, your 'Boost' will be ready shortly." she said.

I waited for my smoothie.......precious time was passing and I spent it wondering why did they needed my name? Was it for some kind of weird spying record? Did it go on my Medicare information?.....What kind of a Big Brother World are we living in where they document your smoothie intake?

"Allen?" said a voice.......my smoothie was ready......I felt a......

(without the 's').

I was back for 12.00 pm.

Dr Hew didn't arrive until 1.00 pm.

Dulcie had got the time wrong. 

Sigh.

Frogknot Flying Visit.

We had a brief but lovely time up at Frogknot. It was all looking good since we were last up in June and there was hardly any rodent evidence.

It rained most of the night on Friday and on and off during Saturday so we pretty much stayed in and did nothing.

We went for a short walk today before heading back to Brisbane.

Into the bush.

Goodbyes and Hello Again.

This is a picture of Will, Ros, Rachael, Colin and I when we were in Hervey Bay in 2010. We were there to go whale watching and had a lovely few days together.

Colin was buried today but he was not alone...

.....very sadly Otto, Ros's dog died yesterday and so Otto joined Colin, complete with a few dog biscuits for the journey, and they were laid to rest together this morning. 

Here are some pictures of Otto at Frogknot last year, helping to clear out the dam and waiting patiently for Ros to come back from a trip in to town.

It rained all day again.

We arrived at Frogknot tonight just after 9.00pm.....after a drive in the dark.

It all looks good on the inside and the frogs are calling out their welcome from the dam.....or perhaps they are shouting "Oi! Clear Off."

I do not speak Gribbit.

Seventeen Mile Rocks.

No phone calls to wake us this morning!.....Will was up at 9.00 but Dulcie and I did not get up until 10.00!

Yesterday she had her hair cut so this morning Will coloured it with a hair dye.

We set up a new phone line in the man cave so we no longer have to make the dash upstairs at some unearthly hour in the morning.

Blue Care arrived dead on time at 2.00 pm this afternoon.

Will and I headed off to Seventeen Mile Rocks for a riverside walk from the Rocks Riverside park to Jindalee and back.

After attending Ros's Dads funeral tomorrow we are heading up to Frogknot for the weekend.