Good morning everyone, here we are at another Wednesday which means it is Aussie Slang day.

Smoko: A smoke or coffee break

Slab: A carton of beer usually with 24 cans or bottles

Sook: A person or animal that is considered soft, tame or inoffensive

Spewin: Very angry

Spiffy: Looking good, great or excellent

Good morning all unless it’s not morning then good afternoon or good evening depending on where in the world you are. It is time for this weeks creature and it is then wraparound spider.

This spider is found on the western side of Australia and is only small females are 9mm in length and males only 5mm, they have venom but are not particularly dangerous to humans.

Their colour makes it easy for them to conceal themselves in trees as they are built for tree hugging its body is shaped like a shield with the underside concaved to fit snugly around a branch and its abdomen slightly raised to complete a line.

It builds large orb shaped webs between trees in order to catch its prey.

Hello everyone let me start by saying I believe God created Heaven & Earth and the human race, however, I respect that not all share such views do even though last weeks post and this week’s post are about the beginnings of Earth doesn’t take away anything from what I believe.

So here are this week’s facts about Earth.

Earth has a breathable atmosphere which when viewed from space looks like a thin blue layer surrounding the planet.

In one seconded the Earth travels about 30km (19 miles) around the Sun.

Although the planet is called Earth only about 30 per cent of it is Earth the rest is water.

From 1930 Pluto was believed to be the ninth planet in our Solar System but in 2006 it was removed from the list of planets due to being too small, it is now referred to as a dwarf planet.

The Earth is made up of different layers which are held in place by gravity.

Had a pretty good night up at 4.50am only because my hose to my Cpap mask came disconnected and I had to get out of bed to find it saw the time and decided to stay up.

My feet haven’t been as bad this morning

Tim has gone out to get Sam’s birthday present.

SAM’S 16TH BIRTHDAY

I was surprised to see it was 5.10am when I got up this morning it is a much cooler start to the day.

Sam came down and I gave them their birthday present which they loved nothing fancy 3 different packs of playing cards, as they have decided to collect playing cards. Also gave some things for their arms and a set of fancy fingerless cloves.

Tim gave more practical things as in screwdrivers, a tape message and a small hammer all of which Sam loved. Sam does like to take things apart just for the fun of it.

I turned the air con on at around 9am which I suspect annoyed Tim but I was hot.

What a night last night was I was very restless and it took me a bloody long time to settle down. I realised I had forgotten to take one medication and got up and took it after which I did at last settle down.

I managed to find a diary online I hope it is the type I want.

I have been restless most of the day. Managed to not turn the air con on at all today.

Tim had a doctors appointment to get his medical for his driver’s authority.

Had a good night slept pretty much straight through the night, I don’t recall getting up during the night at all.

Tim went with Jessica for her rego check and noticed that the automatic registration failed as her pension card has expired so it cost her $443. Good thing he noticed. Although like me he has a habit checking the rego online after that time Jess got caught without rego because her CTP didn’t go through even though we had paid it.

Tim had his Dr’s appointment with him was a woman called Sarah who has been appointed by the CTP company “Youi” to help Tim get back to work. If only it would all run smoothly but nope isn’t happening the company Tim works for are being difficult and one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing. Hell I feel that neither hand even knows what it is doing. This is very frustrating for both Tim and myself, I hate seeing Tim so upset and confused.

Up at 5am and opened the house up but there is no breeze this morning which is annoying. It is a real muggy morning I am feeling very sticky so I have turned on 3 different fans. When I checked the humidity was up at 96%.

I turned the air con on at midday, as I was fed up with the heat.

I have felt restless on and off all day.

Tim had a talk to his case worker from Youi and seemed in a tad better mood after that. He now has to have different physio on his hand to increase his strength, his lack of strength is one of the things preventing him driving a bus again.

In for another stinking hot and sweaty day how lucky am I.

Had only a short chat with Kathy as neither of us have any news to share.

Tim and I went out for lunch and we ended up ordering the same dish and we both only ate half of it, I think next time we should get one dish to share. The meal was really nice, well I thought it was, Tim, however, thought differently.

I turned the air con on at 10am and thankfully Tim didn’t say anything.

Tasha isn’t able to come and help me this afternoon yet again she will not be home. This is more annoying to Tim then it is to me as I don’t need help as much as I like seeing her and having a short period of one on one time with my daughter.

Awake and up at 4.45am once awake I get up not one for just laying in bed. Thankfully not as sticky this morning.

Ok it is 8.30am I have just folded up the clothes and I am now drenched in sweat.

Air con went on at 10am, even then I suspect Tim thought it was too early.

Sandy called in to drop off an apple turnover for me and left with 10 small packets of cheese & onion chips and a packet of biscuits I didn’t want.

Tasha is helping get ready for bed this afternoon.

Hello everyone as many will know I was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease last year although the first sign of a tremor started way back in 2015, being told at first I had a Functional Tremor although back in 2016 or 2017 I was prescribed some kind of Parkinson’s medication for a short trial, which didn’t work. I was also told that the tremor wouldn’t get worse which of course it did.

When I went back and asked why I was getting worse I was referred to the movement disorder clinic which turned out to be one other neurologist who agreed it was a Functional Tremor and shouldn’t get any worse. It did.

In 2021 Tim and I decided to pay to see a private neurologist the other visit were through the public health system, this guy wasn’t sure he thought possible Functional Tremor with some Parkinson’s overlay and referred to another neurologist this time in Westmead, Sydney a 2hr drive from where I live.

This neurologist thought a Dystonic Tremor with some kind of Parkinson’s thrown in and arranged for me to see another team of movement disorder people, this time there was something like 15 in total who checked me out discussed my case amongst themselves and decided it was more Parkinson’s then anything else.

I was also started on Parkinson’s medication the first lot didn’t do much so she tried another type which helped more but still not satisfied I was changed to another, then another which is the Madopar I am taking now which works pretty well. I still shake and it has spread to my feet and I still breakout in sweat and have balance problems when tired but overall I am doing better.

This will be the first post of a few about Parkinson’s Disease.

Well how would you like to hear about what it was like to be a servant in the late 1800’s. There were servants that lived in as in their wages include food and lodgings, these servants would start their day around 6.00am earlier on wash days.

Tasks undertaken by the servants included house cleaning but also they might be expected to deal with deliverers of milk, bread, meat and vegetables that would be delivered to affluent homes. They may also have to mind the children and do the mending and sewing under the direction of the mistress.

From 7.30pm provided she had completed her daily duties she would be permitted free time and could go out, she would, however, be expected to be back and I bed by 10pm. There were no days off and she was expected to attend church on Sundays, sitting a few rows back from the family.

Some servants would be accepted into the family, respected by the mistress and master and loved by the children.

During the troubled 1890’s housemaids made around 10 shillings per week, cooks made between 15 & 20 shillings, laundresses got between 15 -17 shillings, nursemaids and general servants got paid between 6 & 12 shillings per week.

During the 1880-90’s there became a servant problem with many mistresses finding it difficult hiring servants as due to the increase in industry many preferred to work in factories. They could live at home and spend their free time with friends. This shortage made it hard on those who were servants who had more work to do.

For a little while this year I will continue to share some Aussie Slang words and phrases, why because I am only up to S in my list of slang and I can’t leave it there.

She’ll be right: To turn out ok

Shit House: To be of poor quality, unenjoyable as in this car is a shit house, a broken, run down mess. It also means toilet………Der

Der: I don’t think I have covered Der before it means stupid or obvious

Snag: A sausage

Spag Bol: Spaghetti Bolognese

Here we are at the start of another year, and to carry on from before the Christmas posts starting with a creature post and this weeks creature is the Platypus. Yes I did a post about it back in 2019 but here is another one.

When first discovered by Europeans this odd looking mammal was described as a cross between a duck and a beaver. Today we know it is as unique to Australia and one of two egg-laying mammals, the other being the echidna.

It has a rubbery bill, streamlined body and flat club-like tail that stores fat. The claws on its front feet are used for digging burrows in riverbanks, while its webbed legs and feet make it quite a swimmer.

The platypus is one of the worlds few venomous mammals the males have a sharp spur on their ankles which is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg. The venom won’t kill you but the pain is suppose to be excruciating.

Hello all this years Mondays are still my facts day, kicking off the year is a few facts about the Earth’s Beginnings, no one really knows how the universe came to be.

It is believed to have started around 14,000 million years ago with the Big Bang.

10,000 million years after the Big Bang our Sun and planets and solar system formed a galaxy called the Milky Way.

Each planet has a fixed path around the Sun, closest to the Sun is Mercury, then Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and lastly Neptune.

The Earth orbits the Sun at a distance of 149.6 million kilometres which makes it just the right temperature for water to exist as a liquid as well as ice and as a vapour.

The name Earth is believed to be 1,000 years old, all the other planets were named after Greek & Roman Goddesses the word “Earth” is an English/German word meaning “ground”.

NEW YEARS EVE

Had a good night but managed to stay in bed till 5am I dosed on and off from 3.30am till I got up.

David and Leigh came over to drop off the bag of empty cans and bottles for Tim.

It has been a much cooler day

Had a good night remember getting up to pee at 11.45pm and seeing Jessica and Sam before I returned to bed.

I rang Kathy at 7.15am as she hadn’t rung me she sounded more asleep then awake so it was only a short chat.

Tim had some kind of disagreement with Jess about Sam’s gender as in he wanting to be referred to as a girl. Tim doesn’t want to do it which caused the problem. Tasha said she is with her dad I also agree he shouldn’t be forced to call Sam she or her.

Although I do not agree with her saying that if Sam and Jess don’t want to respect Tim the can piss off and not come back till they do. This will hurt me as I love seeing them.

Had a good nights sleep up and dressed at 4.50am. Going to be another hot day and I am out of shorts so I will stay in my pj pants today, not like I am going anywhere.

A quiet day spent doing bugger all just no motivation.

Tim however agreed to take Blain for a driving lesson this afternoon and Tasha has asked if he could take him 5 days a week to get Blain’s hours up and help his conference, he said he would.

I am down to my last clean pair of shorts and these ones are too short for my liking but they are all I have at the moment.

I turned the air con on around 9.15am due to the heat.

The cleaners arrived around 11ish and did a good job.

Had a little sleep in, not getting up till 5.20am, in for another hot day.

Tim got up at 8.30am and shut the back sliding screen door, because he doesn’t get that there is a nice breeze blowing through the house. He thinks it makes no difference if it is open or shut he is wrong.

Turned the air con on around 10am as I was fed up being drenched in sweat.

A wet morning and of course I have to go to the doctors. The raining had stopped by just after 7am.

While talking to Kathy this morning I suddenly noticed that our car wasn’t parked in its spot nor was it on the lawn. Turned out Blain had parked it in our carport.

I walked up to Tasha’s for her to take me to the doctors and of course she was in a right mood. The appointment went well he has changed my diabetes medication again as my blood levels are so good.

I was sweating so much my feet were slipping in my thongs so I took them off while at the doctors.

Sue called in to see us, she just wanted to share how good her trip to Qld to see Kirsty and family.

I sent an email to Dr Babu about my feet moving so much enquiring if the new medication “Alziras” is the cause or is it just a progress of my condition.

Had a good night, although I was somewhat restless around midnight but in managed to settle again and slept through till 4.25am after peeing I decided to go back to bed for a but but ended up getting out of bed at 4.55am.

I finally heard from Snapfish and they are going to redo the lost project for free and I should have it by the end of the month.

Kathy and Summer came over as Summer wanted to see Tasha.