0 minutes ago  5 comments

DaD had knee surgery.

So DaD has had some knee surgery, and i'm flat out like a lizard drinking, trying to keep things running around here, alone, unaided, and carrying a baby. I've gotten good at one-handed housework, but my left arm is going to snap off some day very soon.

DaD is doing very well. The weird thing is that he went in for a torn meniscus but the surgeon's notes don't reflect that, they state somethign a little more sinister... so we don't know if he has to have MORE work done when he goes for the checkup next month. it appears, to our non-medical-degree-holding eyes, that he has yet to have some drilling in the bone, to heal some other problem. meantime they've just, we think, shaved off some sitcky-outy torn up cartilege or something. (like a hangnail, i suppose, but worser.)

I actually stupidly thought i could get some real work done while he was off from work, figured he could mind the baby. Didn't allow for the baby inexplicably wanting to repeatedly climb his busted up knee. Or wanting to play with the crutches (and smack herself in the face a few times with them too), didn't allow for DaD getting really nauseated by the drugs (I should know that, he gets that one every time), should have allowed for the fact he'd be bored in bed and want to phone people and use his laptop on the LAN, so that i'd have cables running all over the place, that the baby wants to play with and the tradesmen trip over, and that I can't see them, when i'm carrying the tenth load of laundry down the hall in a blinding hurry because he's on the sofa needing pain meds and ice packs and Beenie is trying to eat cat food in the kitchen, but dinner is meanwhile burning, the nappies need to be washed but the lines are all full of dry laundry i haven't yet put away, i'm tripping over toys, clothes, boxes of non-baby-safe things destined for storage, in my hurry, and the phone is ringing with someone wanting to know how he's doing. Oh yeah, and there's a knock at the door, either a tradesman, or a neighbour wanting to know how he is.

It gets even worse when DaD says things like "you haven't forgotten i've got to teach tonight, have you? i need you to come too, just in case." Argh. yeah i remembered, but no, i didn't know i had to come too. figured i'd drop him off then go nap. Or like sunday, when we had to go to my dad's birthday lunch, an hour or so away by car, have to lug all this stuff, like handbag, nappy bag, present, baby, baby-restaurant-seat, DaD's man bag, etc etc., drag the whole lot through a packed restaurant. Just getting it into the car from the house was a total production. (And when DaD was stalled beside the car, we were already running ridiculously late and i hadn't had time to shower, DaD was emptying his backpack all over the driveway, asking "have you seen my keys?" i really thought i'd died and gone to hell.) Let's not forget the manic cat who can't be satisfied being inside or outside, always wants what she hasn't got, and is determined to trip me over at least once an hour.

This year for my birthday, can i Please have, a crash helmet, a flak jacket, a portable inflatable wheelbarrow, a tardis, boots of ascension, felix the cat's magic bag, night goggles, batman's utility belt, and some elvish rope. Oh, and a massage.

0 minutes ago  13 comments

I'ma get my learn on.

I think it was CJRW the other day asking about study while mothering. The answers in that thread have convinced me to finish my degree. Or at least make some effort. More than i'm making now. Which was none. So i've enrolled in the next unit - w00t, medieval literature, awesome-yay. All up i have 10 units to go, if i do one at a time it will take me 2.5 years. If things go well i will be able to take 2 at a time and do it in less time, obviously. I was sort of apathetic because it seems that a degree in literature isn't likely to get me a job. But an old highschool friend has tracked me down (that's a whole other story), and she's halfway into her PhD, and i feel like a dunce next to that. (I never finished high school.)

So i looked at the postgrad options i would have, and there is some pretty wicked stuff in there. Plus it all qualifies for HECS (i.e. he government gives you a dirt cheap loan to pay your tuition - you never see it, they give it straight to the uni - you just pay it out with tax slowly, once you're earning over $32k. So like, ten years down the track or something, cos right now i make squat.) So right now my motivation is high. (i.e. look awesome in front of genius old highschool friend.)

0 minutes ago  21 comments

Can i say fuck on here?

I just read that mcCain too old thread, just to see what the fuss was all about... and well, fuck.

Firstly, i'm not posting this in there, cos it's an old thread, it'll just pop up in everyone's list and they'll get annoyed at me... etc etc. And i don't want to bug you guys with old news. Unless you've friended me and also follow my essays... In which case, it's up to you whether you are reading this, i'm not ramming it down anyone's throat.

Secondly, for the record, I DO think he's too old. 65 is the vague retirement age in this country, (i have NFI what it is in yours, or even if you have one.) Once you get over 65 here, you can continue to work, but you can be discriminated against if you go for a new job. No bugger'd employ you. And I see nothing wrong with that. They worry about loss of work days, due to failing health etc. I think that's totally understandable. I think 72 is absurd, he should be retiring, playing with the grandkids, touring in a mobile home, visiting europe, fishing... he's old. Too old for a regular job. FAR too old to lead a huge powerful country like america. I wouldn't want to hire a 72 year old to mow my lawn, some things should have an age limit. And it should go both ways. No driving or drinking til you're 18, no getting married until you're 18, no applying for a loan until you're 18... obviously the ages vary slightly from place to place, but if we have limits when people are too young for something, (regardless of an individual's maturity etc., yet you have to fix a figure that's fair for everyone, even if it seems arbitrary at times) why don't we have a similar age limitation at the high end of the spectrum? I admit people age at vastly different rates, but there really should still be a cut-off point, whereafter you don't work, drive, whatever.

Thirdly, I never feel obliged to read political posts in here. I will not be voting for Obama. Or McCain. Or any of them. Ever. It's got nothing to do with me, so i don't read them.  ok i read some of them.  sometimes.  But I don't judge you all on whether you're voting one way or another. I said nasty things about Hillary, someone bit me back, life goes on. That same person later will probably be the one dishing the helpful advice that gets me through some future terrifying episode with my baby. I doubt that it really matters at a time like that, whether she voted for Hillary. And if at that time, whether she'll care what i said about Hillary, or will she be more worried that my baby and I are ok. And i'm fairly confident that regardless of all of it, she and I are on excellent terms. (She even played scrabulous against me, when it was still legal.) Point being, it never resorted to name calling, i've never felt ostracised that i don't agree with you all on these things. i'm not about to friggin LEAVE over it, god no.

Fourthly, i can't see why sadie should be challenged as if she works for the campaign. Is it fair to say that people bring in their work issues to Offsprung from time to time, anyway? And secondly, since we all know she doesn't, but that she does appear to enjoy a good political barney (sorry, debate) from time to time, why would that be a bad thing? If i was at a playground (ok, playgroup, cos that's something i do), and one of the other parents started a political discussion, and did it reasonably often, i would either sit it out, or go find one of the other parents who was also sitting it out. Not all of us are interested in the same things, us parents. There are conversations at playgroup that don't interest me in the slightest, or where the view points are in direct opposition to mine. And i shut up and find someone else and soemthing else to talk about. Because, for instance, if someone thinks that - i dunno... Fluoride in water is a wonderful idea, and i'm totally opposed to it, i don't want to join the debate. I just don't enjoy it. If someone else wants to take up the argument, good luck to them. But i'm still not going there. However, it doesn't mean for a second that i will disregard their advice on parenting, i won't reject her offers to mind my child when i go to get a drink, i won't accuse her of being a puppet for the State Government, and i will happily go to her lingerie parties, tupperware parties, recipe exchanges and bowling night out. Or whatever.

I guess that's one of the many perks of being sentient. i get to pick what i devote my energies and attention to. this is another reason i love offsprung. Most of the people here will happily slap me down when i need it, but will still be my friends on the next thread. we don't seem to carry grudges, and our views on one topic don't sway us from respecting each other in other topics.

Finally, an election is a big deal. I can't imagine for even a second that anything that big could go past without appearing on offsprung. If you're going to vote, you should think about it. You should discuss it. i discuss most things with you guys... ok i don't imagine you're at all interested in our political climate... (no elections here anytime soon, just had one last november, so you're ok for a few years...) but if i wanted some feedback on something, even if it was a touchy subject, i would still consider you lot to be ok with it. And if you weren't, i'd totally respect your choice to walk away. Or ignore me. Or get in there and tell me i'm wrong or my sources are biased or whatev. (shit now that i say that, i think that has actually happened on here. Maybe on one of the vaccines threads?) But i wouldn't expect you to insult me and accuse me of being something i'm not. Or platforming. Or recruiting.

which brings me to my point. Vote Kevin '07. :P