Recovery

Josie had her operation yesterday. We dropped her off at he vet in Lawson about 8:30am and Ian and the boys went up about 4:30pm to bring her back home.

The vet says he found and removed a tiny little bit of ovarian tissue about the size of half a matchhead and that hopefully will be the end to the matter.

She just needs 24 hours quiet recovery so I am off work today and dagging about the house with Ishbel.

Ish and I had a late night last night, not getting back from Rock Eisteddfod until shortly before midnight. Another great night of dance spectacular. Springwood High School did marvellously but were rather overshadowed by Northmead High School who managed to get a jumbo jet on stage!!!

Another busy weekend

Usual morning of shopping, housework and AFL. Jamie's opposition forfeited the match this weekend but the team photos had been organised so he still had to go down to his home ground and he'd been warned that the Reserve grade might need players. Indeed he did end up playing with them (older people in their early 20s). Enjoyed the ramped up pace and even managed to score a goal. Chuffed at that. The Penrith team won - Jamie got the impression the Reserve grade hadn't won many games this year because they were stoked - it's what Jamie's team has come to expect.

Once they were back we took Jamie and Robbie's old beds round to a friends. She has recently separated from her partner and was moving into a new place with her children. Several hours and one false start later the beds (Ikea beds - to explain the several hours) were up and we gobbled up some pizza before home to bed.

Jamie and I were up early this morning and out to RFS training. I knew it would involve cutting trails for the upcoming hazard reductions (perhaps 15/16 August, Karen & Dan - although keep 15th free coz that's Ishbels birthday party day). Jamie only came because I said if he didn't make an appearance at the preparation he'd likely not be allowed on the HR.

In fact, we did not only do trail cutting - did a few training drills for the first hour and half or so, including marshalling vehicles. If I'd seen this video, I could have tried some of these moves!



Another big start to the week tomorrow - Josie is off to the vet to be de-sexed again. Here's hoping all gets properly done and we don't have to repeat a third time.

In the evening Ishbel and I are going with Janet to the Rock Eisteddfod. We've been for several years in a row now and always enjoy it.

TGIF - Fun Librarian-style

From the American Library Association

Not happy

Our supposedly de-sexed puppy may be in season!

We noticed some blood last weekend - thought it might have been a leech but it has continued. Took her to the vet on Friday and he thinks she might be coming into season (she's about the right age for doing it the first time). Either that or she has an infection.

Anyway $400 + later (Bella also had her annual injections) we have got some massive antibiotics to give her and I have to leave her at the vet tomorrow and he will take a swab to see if he can diagnose her problem.

If she hasn't been de-sexed properly (there might be a tiny remnant of ovarian tissue somewhere) she'll need another operation and it could be like looking for a needle in a haystack - Expensive and invasive.

TGIF - Jokes only understood in Scotland

A pregnant teenage girl phones her dad at midnight and says: "Can you come and get me? I think ma water has broken."
"Okay," says her dad. "Where are you ringing from?"
"Fae my knickers tae ma feet."

"A Glasgow woman goes to the dentist and settles down in the chair.
"Comfy?" asks the dentist.
"Govan," she replies.

What did the male Siamese twins from Glasgow call their autobiography?
Oor Wullie.

A guy walks into an antiques shop and says: "How much for the set of antlers?"
"Two hundred quid," says the bloke behind the counter .
"That's affa dear," says the guy.
"Aye yer right!" replies the bloke.

Did you hear about the fella who liked eating bricks and cement?
He's awa' noo.

After announcing he's getting married, a boy tells his pal he'll be wearing the kilt.
"And what's the tartan?" asks his mate.
"Oh, she'll be wearing a white dress."

Ten cows in a field. Which one is closest to Iraq?
Coo eight.

Three wee jobbies sitting on the pavement.
Which one's a Musketeer?
The dark tan yin.

A Scotsman in London is having trouble phoning his sister from a telephone box. So he
calls the operator who asks in a plummy voice: "Is there money in the box?"
"Naw, it's just me," he replies.

While getting ready to go out, a wee wifie says to her husband: "Do you think I' m getting a wee bit pigeon chested?"
And he says: "Aye, but that's why I love you like a doo."

What was the name of the first Scottish cowboy?
Hawkeye The Noo.

What do you call a pigeon that goes to Aviemore for its holidays?
A skean dhu.

How many Spanish guys does it take to change a lightbulb?
Just Juan.

What's the difference between The Rolling Stones and an Aberdeen sheep farmer?
The Rolling Stones say: "Hey you, get off of my cloud."
And an Aberdeen sheep farmer says: "Hey McLeod, get off of ma ewe."

What do you call an illegitimate Scottish insect?
A wee fly b*****d.

Did you hear about the BBC Scotland series that features the queue for the toilets at Waverley Station?
It's called The Aw' Needin' Line.

While being interviewed for a job as a bus driver, a guy is asked: "What would you do if you had a rowdy passenger?"
"I' d put him off at the next stop," he says.
"Good. And what would you do if you couldn't get the fare?"
"I'd take the first two weeks in August,"he replies.

Two negatives make a positive but only in Scotland do two positives make a negative - Aye right.

A Glasgow man - steaming and skint - is walking down Argyle Street when he spots a guy tinkering with the engine of his car!
"What ' s up Jimmy?" he asks.
"Piston broke," he replies.
"Aye, same as masel... "

3D Ice

Ishbel and I went with Cailey to see Ice Age 3 this afternoon after dropping Rob off to work. When we got to the pictures at Penrith it was to find that it was the 3D (and more expensive) version of the film being shown. They gave us some NHS look-alike 3D glasses and we settled down to the film. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the film, and the 3D effects. Me . . . it's too dark in there for me and all I wanted to do was sleep.

Weekend report

The weekend began with RFS training on Friday night. Jamie Neale's dad had invited all those involved in the search and rescue mission to join them at an hotel in Katoomba but Steve, now our Captain, said he had a fun night of training for us instead so along trundled Robbie and I.

And it was a hoot! Somehow our "Ropes and Ladders" training session ended up, not with me adding another knot to my repertoire (of 3), but with us abseiling at Warrimoo in the dark!!! It was alright for Rob, he's been abseiling with the Scouts, but it was a first for me. Steve took some photos and said he'd send them on so I'll load them here and on Flickr when they come through.

Saturday night was Babysit Xavier night, something Ishbel's been counting down to all week. We think things went well enough that we have asked Karen and Dan if we can do it every six weeks or so despite the fact it meant even less sleep than usual for me.

The wee one was quite content during the evening. He thoroughly enjoyed a bath with Ishbel - we'd forgotten about the bath running as we made up his travel cot so it was lovely and deep - but didn't have much milk at bedtime.

We made up the travel cot in Ishbel's room and he went off to sleep really easily. However, around 2:30am he woke up grizzling. A wee cuddle and he went back down but woke up again later. Another cuddle and again off to sleep but again only for a short time. On the third time I gave him another bottle which he polished off in one gulp almost. Then (about 3:45am) he went back to sleep until after 7am.

He'd drunk his morning bottle during the night so he just had yoghurt and toast for breakfast. Same as us really! We were just getting ourselves ready to take Xavier a wee walk when Karen and Dan arrived. She gave him a feed that put him off to sleep! But we walked him up to the shops anyway and he was soon sitting sharing hot choc and a spoon with us.

This afternoon I took Rob out for a driving lesson. It's the first time he's driven a manual car. We've only re-insured the manual Suzuki for the boys; we can't afford to insure both cars for the boys driving, it's about double our normal, and we'd already done the Suzuki before we realised. We just went round and round a couple of loops in the local streets lots and lots of times while he got used to going up and down the gears. It was a bit jerky at times and I ended up feeling somewhat seasick but he mastered the skill pretty well in 30 mins or so.

Then he wanted me to drive him down to Blaxland where he works for McDonalds. He didn't want to have to drive on the Great Western Highway but I said for him to try going along Hawkesbury Road and we'd stop before he got to the highway if he wanted. However, he made it all the way down to Blaxland without a hitch.

Ian is off back to work tomorrow (although he'll have to be off again on Tuesday for a GP appointment). He nearly went back to work last week but stayed home to supervise the kids during the school holidays and anyway his hand has been somewhat sore. It's my turn for a week off this week. We've got Ishbel's mate, Britney coming tomorrow. And lunch with a girlfriend organised on Wednesday and I'll have to see who else I can catch up with . . .

Karen's making me do it . . .

Jamie brought me home a copy of The Daily Telegraph on Thursday. I'd made it on to page 3 of the paper - or at least my beanie did!

(Double click the picture to enlarge it)

UK search also successful . . .

From the wonderful Newsbiscuit site this exclusive report :

A 58-year-old British prime minister missing for two years has been found alive. Gordon Brown, from Glasgow, Scotland, went missing in Westminster’s political jungle shortly after taking assuming his new role two years ago.

Cleaners alerted emergency services after finding Mr Brown wandering aimlessly around the UK political scene, suffering from critically low poll ratings and a severe lack of exposure.

Mr Brown’s father, who flew to Westminster to join the search, said his son looked ‘gaunt and defeated’ but was lucky to be alive. Brown was thought to have wandered off into the jungle without any kind of moral compass.

TGIF - Office Mozart