More Joondalup Fires

Because the new computer system is being installed this weekend, work closed at 5 today and will not reopen until Monday.

Instead of finishing at 8 we all got to finish early. A group of us headed off to the pub for a well deserved drink before going home.

At the intersection of Wanneroo Road & Burns Beach Road was another fire. I could see the flames while sitting at the traffic lights. They also had the helicopters dumping water on the fires.

I found out from my step brother (he's a fireman) that this one was an accident.

We haven't even got to the really hot weather yet and already we've had several fires around our place. Scary!!

Fires In Joondalup

Tuesday lunch time we had a couple of fires in the bush just off Joondalup Drive. Wanneroo Road and Joondalup Drive were closed for several hours while they tried to get it under control.

On my way home from work (9ish) they were still mopping up. It came dangerously close to jumping Joondalup Drive and threatenting the houses overlooking the lake.

The sad thing is they think that it was deliberate. Why would someone do that?

The smell is all through the house, making it hard to sleep.

Me?! The Social Butterfly?!

This weekend I have not spent one night at home for dinner!

Friday I drove to Ace's house because I was babysitting for him and his wife while they went to dinner and a show. I had to be up by 5.30 to get to their place for 7.30 to catch a bus into work. I didn't get home until after midnight.

Saturday was tough because I had training for a new computer system they are implementing in a week, so I had to be up at 6.30 to get into Perth for 8. Training lasted all day, so I didn't get home until well after 5. I got changed and headed over to a bbq at one of my neightbours down the street. I didn't get to bed until 2.

And this morning I met up with a friend for coffee in Osborne Park and got home around midday.

Ace was cooking me dinner (not ordering pizza) so was at his place about 5.30 and didn't get home until well after 11.

It feels like I've only been home to sleep this weekend. I haven't seen the folks for more than 5 hours since Thursday night because they've still been in bed when I've left and in bed when I got home!

This week at work is not going to be any different because I am on the late shift where I start at 12 and finsih at 8, so they have left when I get up and in bed when I get home!

Maybe next weekend I will actually sit down for a home cooked meal with them?

A Fire Emergency

On the ride in to work this morning I heard on the radio about a fire that happened overnight in the vicinity of my workplace.

I was secretly hoping that it had either been our building or the one right next door so that I didn't have to go to work - I really didn't feel up to it.

The Police and FESA (Fire & Emergency Services Authority) had the street closed off, so traffic was diverted down our street which, is a one way street in the opposite direction. They didn't reopen the street until late in the afternoon.

As with most cases, the business that burned down was under insured.

Justin Timberlake Hits Perth

I was so excited to go see Justin - he is definitely up there on my list of favourite concerts.

As he emerged from the centre of the stage the screens rose and the crowd went nuts.

He sang all his hits plus some new stuff and even sang an old *NSync song. He played some guitar, piano and guitar keyboard.

I'm only disappointed that I was stuck behind a camera filming his show and that my pictures aren't close ups.

It will be so much better when we finally get a decent venue for concerts. Burswood Dome is worse than a paddock full of cow paddies!

Melbourne Cup 2007

At work today we held our own Melbourne Cup race. I was stuck on the phone and only managed to get a little bit of the race. The bald man out front is one of our Senior Managers! This was actually the second time he raced today - he had raced earlier with all four of our managers. It was so funny! The guy in the jockey outfit was the rider for our team who ended up winning. Our horse was made from paper mache` which our team got together to do over a couple of Saturday afternoons, including an alcohol laden one.

I have no idea if I've won anything because I put a mystery bet on and now can't find my ticket. I do know that I placed a bet on Purple Moon who ran second so have won some money - I hope I can find my ticket!

Movie Review: The Seeker - The Dark Is Rising

Sick of sitting at home recuperating, I decided I would see this. This sort of film is right up my alley but it was only okay. I was a little lost, even at the beginning. I suppose one would need to read the books to understand it better.

Plot: On his 14th birthday Will Stanton (Alexander Ludwig) finds out that he is the last of a group of warriors - The Light - who have spent their lives fighting against evil - The Dark. Will travels through time to track down the signs that will enable him to confront the evil forces. The Dark is personified by The Rider (Christopher Eccleston).

A Painful Recovery

Today is day 3 of my recovery after my tonsil operation.

I was warned by my surgeon that today would be one of the worst days of recovery and also to watch out for bleeding which can be dangerous.

My throat and ears are extremely sore (still haven't taken the morphine yet but may take it tonight) and I do have some bleeding which I am keeping an eye on.

I'm finding that eating Minties is helping with my throat, more so than lozenges - go figure!

Random Facts 18

1. The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
2. The main purpose of growing rice in flooded paddocks is to drown the weeds surrounding the seedlings.
3. It takes on average 90 squirts from a cow’s udder to make a litre of milk.
4. Horseracing regulations require no racehorse’s name to contain more than 18 letters.
5. Sheep will not drink from running water.
6. Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
7. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in England, egg whites were a popular form of laundry detergent.
8. The Hollywood sign was erected in 1923.
9. In Elizabethan times, carnations were used to spice wine and ale.
10. Up until the age of six or seven months, children can breathe and swallow simultaneously.

Long Overdue Operation

I finally had my tonsils removed yesterday after suffering excruciating bouts of tonsillitis off and on over the last 25 years.

I was up by 4.30am because I needed to be at the hospital by 6 (my operation wasn't until 10) so was pretty tired and kept snoozing before they came to get me.

When I came out of theatre my throat was absolutely killing me and I was starving. Thank god for morphine!

They took me up to my room and brought me some sandwiches, then not an hour later my lunch came around and I had ordered ice cream! Man that felt good on my throat. I had the room all to myself until the next morning for only about 30 minutes until they went off for their procedure.

I kept sleeping on and off all afternoon, waking up only when they came in to check my vitals or to give me my medications.

I had ice cream with dinner and one of the nurses managed to find me an icy pole when she woke me around midnight for another check.

I was a little bit stressed because they managed to lose my overnight bag which had all my belongings in it including my ipod as well as some throat lozenges which I was dying for. I didn't get my bag until the following morning not long before I was discharged.

My voice is different which they say will eventually correct itself and I am a walking pharmacy with the amount of medication I will need to take. Thankfully I've not had to take the really strong stuff (similar to morphine) because that has some nasty side effects.

I was supposed to have another procedure done at the same time on my nose to improve my breathing, but the anaethatist was concerned about the risks. Apparently my tonsils were so large they were obstructing over 75% of my airway which was causing my sleep apnoea and my snoring. Since they've been removed I've not been snoring!

I have 2 weeks off work to recover! Now I'm off to have some jelly!