If Life was like airline travel...

 If Life was like airline travel...

Hi Readers,

Two posts in two days! Either the author is:

1. Organised

2. On the ball

3. Motivated

4. Enjoying holidays

5. All of the above

Well, I can tell you I'm a bit of each of these. So what prompted this post ?

Well, two things. 

While I was away in Qld for Christmas I spent a bit of time each day going for long walks along the beach (Yeah, we've all heard that line before!!) but I was actually doing it. Alone  though, so don't read anything into it. I also had the radio on in my earbuds and listened to many, many stories. One of them this week dealt with a new report that described the worst things that airline passengers do before, during and after flights. We've probably heard them all before, but as I was travelling on a plane yesterday I decided to keep a subtle eye out and see if these things were actually happening on my flight.

It was nearly like a game of "Flight Bingo", and I was just ticking off each behaviour as I saw it.

Hopefully I wasn't doing any of them myself !!

Different reports focus on different things, but these are the ten that came out on this report. What I'm trying to do via this post however, is to try and identify when and where we might continue our 'flight habits' into real life, and what are the sort of insignificant things that bug us to the point that we make our "ants become elephants" (See previous post where I expand on this)

There is nothing meaningful or philosophical about this post Readers, it's just a waffle as I bang on about the pathetic things that bug me, and hopefully you might agree with some, or it might prompt you to think about the pithy little things that really tick you off !

So here we go....

Somehow etiquette flies out the window for air travel. The boredom of a long flight gives people licence to do just about anything to pass the time. But there are unwritten rules everyone should know to be a good passenger. Here are 10 plane etiquette rules that are non-negotiable. 

1. 

Middle seat gets dibs on the arm rests

The middle seat sucks. You’re constantly worried about encroaching on your neighbour’s side, fearing you’ll fall asleep and drop your head on their shoulder. For this reason, the person in the middle seat gets dibs on the arm rests.

As I flew home yesterday, I took my window seat and an older lady took the aisle seat. The middle seat remained ominously empty as passenger after passenger walked past row 6. Then the doors were closed. We just looked at each other as if we had just won the lottery. The middle seat was empty and we just piled our belongings on it and had a short polite chat. I left it at that . (More about that later)

So what are the "middle seat " moments in our lives?

Ever had that meeting that you are dreading and it gets cancelled at the last minute?

Or have you been sweating about initiating a 'difficult discussion' and the person involved does it instead and saves you from doing it?

Or, as a teacher, that child who has been driving you nuts lately goes on an extended holiday with their family?

I'm sure that we all have these moments, and different occupations present their own scenarios that mean so much more to those in that occupation.

2.

Stand up to let your neighbours through

Don’t do the half lift, awkward lean back. Stand up, unbuckle your seatbelt and wait in the aisle till your neighbour returns. It’s a good excuse to stretch your legs at the same time. Win-win.

Well, as difficult as this can be at times, traversing from the middle seats in the centre aisle can be a real pain, but remaining standing in the aisle is something I don't do. If I see the other passengers spending copious time up near the exit aisle doing stretches and calisthenics then my patience might be tested.

In real life? Driving in your car and you let someone cut into the traffic or you slow down to let them enter your lane. Hopefully they'll acknowledge your gesture with a simple wave or a thumbs up. Who, like me gets peeved when you let them in and they give you nothing ? I don't expect it, but it's still nice to get it.

3.

Keep your belongings to yourself

I still remember trying to push someone else’s shoes back onto ‘their side’. Yes, there’s not a lot of room, but manage your belongings and keep them in the pocket of your seat, under the seat in front of you or stowed overhead.

When someone's belongings actually encroach your space, do you dare to touch them or shuffle them back to where they came from?

In real life - Who has that colleague whose 'stuff' just always finds its way into your space? Or, does that colleague just not look after their stuff and they are always pinching yours? It's not just keeping control of your things, it's also making sure you provide your own things.

4.

Say hello, but read the room

It’s always nice to greet your neighbour, but gauge whether they want a conversation. Earphones generally mean they have zero interest in chatting.

Yep, I totally agree with this one. I tend not to risk becoming involved with discussions with fellow passengers just in case it goes pear shaped, and it becomes too difficult to extricate oneself from the discussion. It sounds totally weird when you are rubbing shoulders with someone for a few hours and you don't say a word to them! I go with the headphones trick every time, and have been known to put in headphones that are totally flat just to avoid having discussions with those in my section.

5.

Don't recline on short haul flights

Unless you want your neighbour’s coffee or meal to end up in their lap, be mindful and resist reclining on short haul flights. I know it’s tricky when the person in front of you reclines; it often creates a domino effect with everyone then reclining to create more space. But think about that person in the last row who can’t recline at all. It’s 6 hours or less, suck it up.

Well Readers, this makes my blood boil. I'm not tall by any standards, but my knees still generally touch the seat in front of me. Imagine my rage last week when the person in front of me reclined their seat while we were still boarding !!! It was only a 2 hour flight and this raises the question - How long must a flight be to justify reclining the seat? I don't begrudge them their right to recline, but before the plane has even taken off !!! Let's just say my knees 'accidentally' banged into the seat many times on that flight!!!

6.

It’s not a nail salon

Why this needs to be reminded is beyond me, but here we are. Just because you’re bored and forgot to do your nails or toenails at home does not mean you can cut them on the plane. No one wants to receive a bit of nail shrapnel in their face or worse, in their food.

I sat next to someone on a flight who continually chewed their fingernails, then flicked the 'bits' in any direction that meant they didn't land on the person they belonged to. It was nearly snowing in our section !!!!

In real life? How do you go with those people who are totally comfortable with doing things in meetings or work situations that clearly should or could have been done earlier? Having a cup of tea or coffee is fine, but finishing their breakfast ? Makeup or shaving? Just doing personal stuff in a public setting really bugs me, because why do we need to be made aware of nitty gritty things that more often than not make us feel queasy at the best of times. I'm not against things that are natural, just things that are being done due to not being organised.

7. 

Odourless food only

The rules of the office microwave apply on the plane. No tuna, no pungent curries, no oozy cheeses – save anything smelly for your home.

Yep. We've all got one of these.

Ever had to use the microwave after someone has zapped a very aromatic fish dish? Or have you been in a meeting where someone continues to eat a really strongly odoured food? Often they might apologise for it, but if you need to apologise, why bring it in the first place? But for those who bring meals that smell utterly sensational...keep it up!!

As I write this on my porch, I can smell the corned silverside in my slow cooker wafting out to me. I need to be aware however that although it smells divine to me, it might be the aroma that makes others just want to vomit !!

8. 

Have all your stuff ready before the plane lands

We all want to desperately get off the plane and you have hours to get your stuff together. Don’t hold everyone up and decide to pack your belongings after the plane lands. Get it done before the descent.

I felt this yesterday as our flight landed. Here I was, in row 6 and looking forward to getting off quickly as I then had a 2 hour drive facing me. I had the window seat, the middle seat was empty and a lady had the aisle seat. Imagine my dismay when she glares me down and says " I'm not going to fight to get in the aisle, I'm waiting until everyone gets off before I'm moving!!"

Here's me, everything in my hands ready to get up and off the plane, only to find that sitting near the front was proving to be just as useful as sitting in the very last seat 😫

Some of the other passengers in the aisle even waited and asked if she would like to get her things. Nup. She was not moving. 

And neither was I !!!

9.

Wait your turn to exit the plane

Don’t you love it when people from the last row jump up and try to get as far ahead as possible? It then becomes impossible to get your bag from above because everyone is blocking the aisle. Just wait till your aisle is up to grab your bag and exit.

I think I covered this in the previous paragraph.

10.

Just be nice

We’re all in the same confined space together so let’s just all get along. Be respectful of the crew and fellow passengers, and we’ll all have a more pleasant journey.

This is the one that resonated with me most, and one that I'm always conscious of doing. The radio segment suggested just doing something so basic as smiling at the cabin crew as you enter and acknowledging them, and doing the same as you leave the plane. I always find that they are so appreciative of such a simple gesture, and it always makes me feel good at the same time.

In real life ? Do likewise for the people that you encounter in shops, at work etc. Any research shows how well it makes us feel when we do things like this. It costs nothing and everyone wins.

So Readers, after reading this report on the things that bug airline passengers, it got me thinking about the pathetic things that bug me in real life, when in reality they are so insignificant to the point of being irrelevant

Some of you will be considering me a total nut case, but then again, think of some of your own foibles that I or others might have a little chortle about !

I'd love to hear some of them, you can do this anonymously via the comments tab at the bottom of this post.

Be brave, take up the challenge!!

Importantly, do we let these ants become our elephants and dictate our lives, and do we, or are we endeavouring to reduce the impact that they have on how we go about how we live?

Without going into detail, here's just a random selection of some of my own 'hassles'!

You can take me to task on any of them, disagree with me, whatever. They just bug me !

* At the supermarket and at the checkout. The checkout chick/chap is putting the items through and the customer is on the phone either taking a call or just scrolling. For goodness sake, give the worker some acknowledgement or respect!

* At the supermarket. Again. I'm in the "10 items or less" express aisle, and someone ahead of me has a zillion items in their trolley and says feebly to the checkout person "Oh sorry".

Yeah, right !!!

* Not getting 'the wave' when letting someone enter traffic. 

* At the supermarket. Still. People who don't park in their spot properly and block you in, leaving you to learn how to be a contortionist as you try to get out of your car.

* People who park in Handicapped parking spaces just to get a closer park. GRRRR!!!!

* At the servo. People who don't go to the bowser at the front, and just go to the bowser closest, leaving you to wait even longer.

* People who stand in the middle of the footpath having conversations.

* At the supermarket. Again. People who overly fondle the fruit and veges. Okay, I'll be blunt. If you pick it up, you take it !!!

* Driving on the freeway. Cruise control is on. You go to overtake a car and suddenly they need to go faster. You pull back, they slow down. You go to overtake again...you get it.

I could go on and on, and after looking back at the things that tick me off, I realise that in the big scheme of things, they don't really matter, and they shouldn't change my behaviour, but unfortunately in many cases, they do. It's pretty embarrassing to look back and see the things that make me behave differently, and then realise how pithy they really are !!

How do you go?

Are you as bad as me?

As I said, this is just a waffle post, not much literary strength associated with it at all, just like most of my posts.

 Please feel free to add some of the things that tick you off, it might give us all a collective laugh, or highlight the fact that we share so many of the same things.

Or that you might have a particularly quirky one that makes us laugh, pity, think about or rage about as well!!

Until my next post,

Cheers 😁

Christmas...and other things....

 Christmas...and other things....

Hi Readers,

I'll spare you the usual excuses that I usually bang on with at the start of each post, so I'll get straight into it.

First of all, Happy Christmas to all of you that take time to read my posts, I really do hope that you had some great times with family and/or friends. And if you didn't, then I sincerely hope that good times are ahead for you.

Myself, I'm still navigating this Christmas thing on my own for the second time, and although I did spend it with two of our sons, there is still a massive hole that I know I'll never be able to fill in. Jen always rose to the occasion each Christmas and just pulled it off year after year while the rest of us just looked on in awe as she just managed to do everything so smoothly. The buying of presents, making sure that they were appropriate and suitable for each recipient. As for me, thank goodness for gift vouchers!!  And the wrapping of presents!! I'm sure our grandson has already been traumatised by Pop's efforts at wrapping presents and the ordeal that he has to go through to unwrap them. Sorry Henry!!!!!

Readers, the lead up to Christmas for me was difficult to some degree as I have been recovering from hand and shoulder surgery, so the reference to my wrapping looking like it has been done by a T-Rex is not far off the mark. It's amazing how one knee can be used to hold the other end of the sticky tape while then trying to cut the other end!

Speaking of gifts, while I did mention that there might have been a few gift cards given to the boys (okay, they each got one !) I'm still pretty confident that they were appropriate to each son.

However, the time and thought that was put into selecting some gifts for 3 year old Henry exceeded the time and effort that went into each of my assignments when I completed my Master's Degree a few years ago.

I was the old guy in the toy car section in Big W, K-Mart, Toyworld and any other toy shop in Bendigo. I was in there far longer than some of the displays on some days! But this is required if you want to get the right toys for the occasion. 

Jen's mum always gave the boys a Matchbox car or two on each visit. 

Overseas readers, look at the picture below to see what I mean by 'Matchbox cars"

So, when Henry was born it only made sense that Jen would continue the tradition with her grandchildren, and since her passing that responsibility is mine, a task that I take seriously, but with unbridled joy.

Along with a new bike for Christmas for my favourite little man, the obligatory 'Matchies' had to be given the moment I stepped through his door a week ago. I know Christmas was only a few days later, but 'Matchies' are just as important as that first hug each visit.

Imagine my surprise when I couldn't resist my self yesterday at the shops near his house and I bought him a few 'extra ones' that I thought he needed. As he unwrapped them I suddenly hear, "I've already got this tow truck Pop, but I can use it to tow the other one"

Dang!!! I bought something that I'd already given him before, but he still saw the upside of it.

It never fails to amaze me how such a simple act of spending just a few dollars on a couple of 'Matchies' can mean so much to a toddler.

And with a baby due in the next weeks I'm already on the lookout for new editions for Henry's new little brother.

It could have been so easy for me to wallow in self pity this Christmas that I was once again without Jen, but by spending it with our sons and a 3 year old enabled me to witness the pure and utter joy of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a toddler.

How many times was each present picked up from under the tree, only for Henry to be told "Put it back please Henry", which would happen with a big toss and crash as it was thrown back. We were all hoping that the contents were fairly sturdy and not fragile.

The night before Christmas Eve we went out and did the Christmas lights, which turned out to be a great decision as the next night was stormy and pouring rain.

Whereas Sam and Phoebe and myself were probably looking at the lights and thinking "Yeah, not bad", little Henry was mesmerised by all the sounds and sights around him. It was the first Christmas that he could really take in the ceremony and celebration, and to witness this and be a part of it with him was just so special.

The look on his face says it all.

As we all know, here in Australia it is Summer, and for my overseas Readers, I have flown from the southern part of our country near Melbourne, to the mid north near Brisbane.

Upon checking the weather at home each day I can see that we are having anything but a Summer down there, with cooler days and lots of rain, even floods. 

Up here on the Gold Coast it has been incredibly hot and humid, with almost nightly thunderstorms. Even the other night a massive storm uprooted thousands of trees and even destroyed a crane on a building site near here.

It has taken the best part of 4 days to carefully dismantle it, as the arm has flipped completely backwards. How the whole structure didn't collapse is amazing.

And Readers, while I'm still not overly mobile due to my ankle surgery 12 months ago, I've still been able to get out each day for a walk ( sometimes even twice a day) and this is what I am greeted with.

No wonder I am constantly thinking if I should, or could move up here to live.

I just need to get this body off the rack so that I can start to enjoy a life of greater mobility, something that I am patient with, but still utterly frustrated with.

This will be a relatively short post with no editing or checking for typos as my flight is nearly ready to board.

I did notice this week that there was a sudden surge in readers one night this week in the USA. If you were one of these Readers, I'd love to know where you are from, or what prompted you to log on to read.

Are you part of a reading group?

A cult?

Or just plain bored !!!!

Please feel free to hit the comments tab at the bottom of each post, I'd really love to chat with you.

Finally Readers, and a real highlight for me as I left this morning for the airport.

One of our other sons, Will, popped around to say goodbye and we managed to get a photo showing 3 generations of our family.

A real highlight in the last hour of my time up here. All that was missing was our other son Lachie, who is back in Bendigo.

As hard as it was to leave, I know I'll be back up here in a few weeks to celebrate the birth of their new son, something I look forward to with joy.

That's it for now Readers, everyone is getting on board, so that means so must I.

Another lot of self indulgent waffle, but as always I hope it has given you reason to reflect on your past few days. What "insignificant things" have you been up to over Christmas, that are in actuality, the most important things?

I hope that for you, like me, you are able to realise how lucky we really are to be loved, and to be able to love.

Until my next post, 

Cheers 😁

Otherwise...

 Otherwise...

Hi Readers,

Well, two posts in less than a week ! You can certainly tell that someone is not at work. 

To be honest, although I haven't been at work this week following operations to my hand and my shoulder, I have waited until I have caught up on all schoolwork that was in front of me before starting this. And upon reflecting on that last sentence, why do I feel guilty about putting work before this? I definitely know which one I like doing more!!

I'm still typing with one hand, to be more precise, one finger, so this post might be a lot shorter than usual.

Where does the inspiration for this post come from? Does it even make sense ?

Well it does to me, and I'll try to weave it into something readable, so be patient with me.

It all started when I was having one of my regular FaceTime calls with our 3 year old Grandson, Henry on Saturday night.

The usual babble and banter was going on between the two of us, probably more from me than him. I can't even remember what we were talking about when this exchange took place, but it went something like this.

"Have you been swimming in your pool today Henry ?

"Yes Pop. I did a big jump and splashed Daddy"

"Did you land on Daddy?"

"No Pop, I can't do that, otherwise he will get hurt"

Did I hear that correctly?

A 3 year old using the word 'otherwise' correctly in a sentence? And he used it just as if he was using the word cat, dog, and, car, truck etc.

It was used as if it was just another common and everyday word that he always uses.

That's why I can't exactly remember what it was that we were talking about, but I definitely remember that he used 'otherwise' !! I mentioned it to his parents and commented at how impressed I was, but also it was a great reflection on them as parents and the way that they do everything they can to enable him to develop in so many ways.

It even had me thinking that he has a better control of the English language at 3 years of age than his Pop does at 60 !

S, hearing this got me thinking about a few other things that I've been noticing over time, but just haven't had a context or connection to use them in.

Until now.

As you'd all mostly be aware, kids at school use so much technology. Our kids have ipads that they probably use just as much as their workbooks. Think about yourself. How much do you actually write in books compared to how much you use a device?

We can be as critical as we want about this, but it's just the way the world is changing these days. I look at Henry and actually wonder how much handwriting will be a focus compared to typing as he grows up?

In my own class I see handwriting that is exemplary, and other samples that could easily pass as doctor prescriptions. That's not being critical, it's just how it is.

When using the ipads I have noticed the kids are often so impatient waiting for a screen or site to load, that they often reload or delete things before they have even the slightest chance to appear. They get frustrated if something hasn't loaded in just a few seconds, whereas I see the download wheel spinning and am content to wait.

It seems that in this day and age we are becoming so accustomed to getting things immediately that even just the slightest period of waiting is unbearable.

My response when they do this ? I use the 'otherwise principle'.

eg "How about you just wait a few seconds, OTHERWISE you'll spend even more time doing it all again?"

Or "How about you just wait for this page to load, OTHERWISE you might end up on a different page that won't have what you are looking for?"

It's about being prepared to persist with other options rather than blindly following the very first option that presents to us. And I could confidently predict that when we look back on decisions that we have made in our lives they haven't always been the first options presented to us. Particularly in making decisions that are really important and that require exploring all or many possibilities.

In a previous post I discussed decision making and how we need to consider the effects of our decisions on all stakeholders. "I need to make this decision OTHERWISE..."

Just hearing this gem from little Henry a few days ago has been that slap in the face I need from time to time to remind me to think carefully before rushing into decisions. I'm sure that he wasn't thinking about the consequences "of landing on Daddy and hurting him" as he jumps into the pool, but the discussions have obviously been there and held in such a way that he understands them and they are embedded.

Hopefully this lesson is then transferred to other situations in his life where he is able to consider more 'OTHERWISE' moments that he will no doubt encounter in his everyday life.

This is not just a learning experience for a 3 year old Readers, I see it as a great learning experience for all of us.

How many times have you seen someone do or say something, and you are left pondering, "What on earth were they thinking???"

I think my colleagues think that about me many times every day !

I was listening to a radio interview this morning about the miners in India who have been trapped in a mine collapse for the past 17 days.

When it first occurred, a collection of smart engineers sat around and tried to figure out the best way to rescue them without causing further collapses. No luck initially until they reached out to one of the chief engineers who comes from Monbulk, on the outskirts of Melbourne. Rather than having some whizz-bang intricate plan, he kept it simple.

He implemented the OTHERWISE idea.

"This is what we'll do, OTHERWISE we risk losing them all, plus many rescuers"

He wasn't even prepared to sacrifice 1 or 2 miners in order to save the rest, such was the belief in his well thought out and considered plan.

By now they had managed to get a narrow pipe through to the miners so that they could communicate and get food and water to them.

His plan?

"What we need to do is get them to slowly, but carefully dig by hand just 100mm a day in order to maintain the strength and integrity of the rest of the mineshaft"

It must have sounded like this would take forever, but he had taken the time to consider so many options, OTHERWISE...

Who knows what the consequences might have been had they decided to bore in and risk the lives of everyone?

Readers, I'm not suggesting that we all go out and try to save the world. 

But if you can, then we will all be grateful!

What I'm suggesting, and what I took from what Henry said, and what I heard on the radio is that at times we could try to be less reactionary, and perhaps stop to think about things before responding. It doesn't mean that in an extreme emergency you go and make a coffee, open a packet of Iced Vo Vo's and calmly sit down to plan what to do next.

It's just to try and respond more rationally and in some ways, choose your battles.

I know this happened to me just last week when a kid at school did something that initially made me really annoyed, and just as I was going to tick him off, I stopped and just said those words to myself..."Is this worth the battle?"

And it wasn't, because in reality it was minor, and I was letting an ant become an elephant.

So Readers, two posts in a week, and who knows what could happen tomorrow ?

Time to rest this one finger that has typed this entire post and read some books to find some inspiration for the next post.

Otherwise...

Cheers 😁

Photographs and Memories

 Photographs and Memories

Hi Readers,

Once again an extended break between posts, but with end of year reports, school camp and a few other interruptions I have had to prioritise things a bit more, as much as I love doing this. There you go, a pitiful attempt at an excuse!!!

 Not so sure about how lengthy this will be (Hooray I hear you say !!) because I'm doing this one handed and it's a real pain trying to do capital letters as I can't always reach 'Shift" and the letter I want capitalised.

"Why don't you use Caps Lock" then?

Easy to say, but when it is a habit to automatically do it one way, it doesn't come easily to suddenly do it another.

And why one handed? And why is it a pain? You'll just have to read on!!!

And guess what I've just noticed that I haven't really noticed before? Another Shift key on the other side of the keyboard !!! DERRRRR!!!!

 Now I just have to develop some muscle memory to use it, not easy when one hasn't realised it has been there all this time. I expect most of you would have been screaming this at me in my opening paragraph.😖

Now to the point of this post, "Photographs and Memories".

A bit of a back story to start with.

When Jen and I first started going out way back in 1984, we'd share a lot of music and our tastes were quite different, but she did have some that I grew to love and we used at our wedding as well as her funeral last year. She didn't gravitate to much of my music though !

Out of the blue last week I was listening to a radio station that plays a lot of songs from the 60's to the late 80's, my favourite eras. On came a Jim Croce song from an album of hers that we would listen to a lot. I hadn't heard this song for so many years and it brought back so many memories.

The album ? "Photographs and Memories"

Later that day I was sitting with a work colleague and he was proudly showing me the new family photos that he and his wife had taken recently with their two beautiful kids. I commented on how special it is to do this at all stages of their lives as it seems like only yesterday that Jen and I were doing the same thing with our 3 boys.

The events of the past year where we lost my sister, then Jen, then her mum made me realise that when they are gone, photographs and memories are pretty much all that we have to remember them by. That's also why hearing this album made me realise this even more.

We often hear that with so much technology at our disposal nowadays, it is destroying  many elements of society. I sort of agree with some elements of this, but also embrace it.

Virtually every adult has a camera at their disposal in the form of a phone 24/7, and incidents can be recorded instantly.

Friends and colleagues of mine who are of a similar age often joke that we are so glad that the phones of today weren't around when we were at Teacher's College in Ballarat in the mid 80's, otherwise none of us would have got teaching jobs at all !!!! Some may have even copped a visit from the law, and I'm not joking !!!

But in a way I wish that we also took more photos than we were able to, because back then it was still the camera with a roll of film, and a bit of a wait getting them developed. Also, as we were all living on next to nothing, not many could afford the luxury of getting films developed. 

I really wish that I had more photos of all the life long friends we made then and the crazy things we got up to, and also more photos of Jen and myself in our early years together.

I accept that's not to be, so that's what makes those photographs and memories even more special. 

Photographs and Memories❤️

I've managed to scan most of what we have taken from those years and that in itself was a joyous and lengthy task as I'd just stare at the pictures and it would stir up memories of not just when it was taken, but also further memories of the people in the shot.

As I look through various files for photos to use in my different posts I'm glad that I take photos of most things that pique my interest, as you never know when you may want to pull them out for whatever reason. Unfortunately though, society is also loaded with those who use the opportunity to take photos so easily and then use them inappropriately . 

I suppose that's the price of progress.

I have been so lucky that our son and his wife in Qld send me constant photos and videos of them and our Grandson, and these images will be available to them forever, what a great way to collate a record of one's life. You could argue that we will have too many photos, but after losing someone, there are never enough photos. I just wish I took more video footage.

Another son also lives in Qld, and likewise uses photos and videos extensively to keep me in the loop about what he is up to. Photographs and memories that I'd otherwise miss out on.

So Readers, I'm not suggesting you all become paparazzi,, just that you take time to record moments that will be memorable over time. It's amazing how a simple photo taken a few years ago that seemed so irrelevant at the time now holds so many precious memories. Then there's the pile of photos that have been taken and I think "Why on earth did I take that shot?"

Photographs and Memories.  Thanks Jim. Thanks Jen.

Now to other things more boring.

It seems that my other favourite pastime over the past 12 months has been going to hospital to get bits fixed.

This week was no different so I've been in again for a day and a bit to get two procedures done.

Firstly, back in January I was admitted for surgery to my right hand as I had two fingers that kept locking into a bent position, a painful tendon problem. Just before the operation the surgeon was comparing this hand with my left hand, and he noticed that a finger there had the same problem. I hadn't mentioned it to him earlier as I didn't think it was as bad as the others. His solution ? Do it as well that day, meaning I came out of the theatre with both hands bandaged. At the time I was also on crutches/trolley following ankle surgery, so I was starting to look like a mummy!

Fast forward a few months and the finger problem surfaced again in one hand, another operation.

Fast forward again to yesterday and yet again another operation on my hand for the same problem. I can foresee needing at least one more op for the same problem as it's starting to develop in another finger. On the bright side, once all of my fingers have been done it will be the end of it all ✋

On top of the op on my hand yesterday, I also had an op on my shoulder that I bunged up when I took a tumble at a tennis clinic at school last year. Luckily it's all on my left side, but it has left me a bit incapacitated and in a fair bit of pain for the next few days. 

All is good though, I just remember that I'm not sick, just sore.

A funny thing happened yesterday when I was having my first tests when I checked into St John of God Hospital. My heart rate was low (47) and they asked if I’d been to a cardiologist to have it checked. Later when another nurse took my heart rate and blood pressure it was still low, so they called in another nurse to check. A 3rd time later on the same thing happened so the nurse did it on a different machine. I get into the theatre and I hear someone say  “Oh, this is the heart rate guy” 

I'm sure that I'm running out of things that need to be fixed, but they just keep finding me !

Well Readers, that's my waffle for this week, I might get another done in the next few days while I'm recuperating, but I see a pile of schoolwork trying to catch my attention that might get first dibs.

And if you want to listen to a great album, jump on Spotify and tune into Jim Croce, "Photographs and Memories ".

Until my next post,

Cheers 😀