Australiana.

So.......you may recall the state election a few months ago......well, the new State Government has only really just got started in the last week when the State Parliament opened. Annastacia Palaszczuk, the new Labour Premier clinging on by one seat ahead of the Liberals has had to sack, from the party, one of her members, Billy Gordon, amid allegations that he has been accused of domestic violence and non payment of child support. It turns out that he also has a criminal past, albeit in his youth, but which he kept hidden from party leaders. Her Premiership is now on the line with possibly another general election looming. If Mr Gordon, one of two the new Indigenous Parliament members, resigns then it will trigger a by-election in his constituency. The present Government is in jeopardy. All is not well in the State of Queensland.There is great rejoicing now Australia has won the Cricket World Cup, none more so than from me, glad that the whole thing is over.It feels like it has been going on for three years! I am sick and tired of hearing the 'thwack' of leather upon willow.

Nightwalkers.

5 days into the battle with 'Elaine'.I am hungry all the time and have only wavered a few times. Will came into the kitchen today and found me putting the lid back on the biscuit box with a jam drop stuck in my mouth looking like a rabbit caught in headlights. He was most amused.It was my first for three days.Since Tuesday I have walked an hour every day. Twice on my own during the day and the rest of the time in the evening with Will after Dulcie has gone to bed.I am only drinking water during the day and have cut out cordial completely at the moment but have had a few hot chocolates. I have had no snacks between meals.The scales still say 93 kgs.......I hate them.

Earth Hour!

Remember it is Earth Hour tonight.Get those candles out.Switch off all your lights, TV, computers etc......but not your freezers of course.......for the hour between 8.30 and 9.30 pm.Do your bit for Global Warming!(Glad to see that Brisbane City Council switched off the Storey Bridge lights tonight.)

Hope springs!

So.......after discovering I am entitled to a Pensioner's Concession Card......(the real one finally arrived today by the way), Will discovered he might be eligible for a Low Income Healthcare Card and filled in all the forms and so forth and produced his evidence at Centrelink in Inala.He received an email today to say that it had been declined because 'our' income was above the threshold but, when he worked it out for himself, it wasn't.He toddled off to Inala and came back an hour and a half later."How did you get on?" I asked."It's 'Possum' fodder," he said.He went through all the details with a very 'nice' lady at Centrelink and she agreed his figures were right but when she tried to process it all on the computer it would still not allow it.It turns out that when I originally applied for the Carer's Pension in regards to the income I get from renting my house in the UK I changed two '$' signs into '£' signs but the person who processed my claim assumed another amount that I had put in as '$225' was actually '£225' and the upshot being, since the start of my pension, I have been underpaid.I am now going to get and a little more than a $100 extra a fortnight!"And what about the money he has missed out on since the payments started?" asked Will. "Can we claim for that?"Yes, we can!So fingers crossed!.......and we might get a little lump sum in arrears should the claim go through.2015 is finally looking up!

'Getting rid of 'Elaine'! (93 kgs)

So........since yesterday I have decided that 'Elaine' has to go.I weighed myself and was surprised to see I was 92 kgs, since I was 94 when they weighed me at the hospital.I suspect 'Elaine' has buoyed up by sugary cordial drinks so I have decided to limit those to two a day and the rest of the time drink water. I ate no snacks between meals and walked, during respite, for an hour.I weighed myself this morning and I was 93 kgs!...........How can that be?I coped very well until I made some biscuits this morning...........and 'Elaine' made me eat 3 fresh from the oven.When Will came home from work I went out for a walk around the industrial estate.

The street names were encouraging.

I was feeling positive after walking up 'Success' and 'Achievements' until I saw the fat dead possum lying in the gutter......it was 'Failure.' ........too fat to get out of the way of an oncoming car.

I carried on trying to focus on the positive and passed a 'Carvery and Cafeteria'.

'Thank goodness it is closed, ' I thought.

'Break in and get a pie," said Elaine.

I decided to head back home via 'Achievements' and 'Success' but had to pass the possum first.

'Eat that! You've eaten it before.' I ignored her.

I had walked for an hour and it was like hiking in a sauna with the temperature reaching 34 degrees here today....surely it must help.

I had my tea as normal but when Dulcie had an ice cream cone after tea......I didn't. I didn't even lick the ice cream scoop. It was an achievement.

'It'll take more than that to beat me Baldy!'

Yes, it is not going to be easy to get rid of Elaine.