tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33010161166240974392024-02-07T21:12:01.252+10:00Queensland GirlI didn't ask to be a princess but if the crown fits...Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-53736413526942539262015-04-09T14:11:00.005+10:002015-04-09T14:11:57.080+10:00Still hurting<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's been six weeks today since we lost magnificent Max. Six long weeks.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Making himself at home </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There was so much I took for granted about being Max's Mum.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Max was therapeutic to own, he didn't judge, was always there, a little, quiet presence who has been there for me throughout the hard times over the last few years.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cuddles on the lounge, I'm still not used to sitting alone, whether it be reading, drawing, computing or watching TV, I miss my trusty sidekick.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Snuggles in bed. Even now it's hard to go to bed and know that he isn't going to turn up 5 minutes later and flop down next to me for a tummy scratch. Always 5 minutes later, you could set your clocks by him. I miss waking up to find him next to me with all four paws pushed under my belly or with his face on the pillow next to me.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The talking, as an Oriental cat he could talk constantly. We had many a conversation over the years. If I was out of sight for more than a minute or two he'd be yelling for attention and he couldn't jump up on the furniture without a little comment. I've also never come across another cat that had to announce himself whenever he walked through a doorway. I'm sure I still hear him calling out to me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've only just stopped finding his toys scattered around where he left them, trust me, that cat had more playthings than your average toddler.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">We still put our shoes away in case he eats our shoelaces and I still can't walk up the stairs without expecting him to race past me and triumphantly stand at the top of the stairs, the winner of our little race.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">Lilly, his sister, has changed a huge amount in Max's absence. She talks a lot more, is far more affectionate, spending lots more time with me and sleeping on my feet. She's started racing all of us up the stairs. Max was definitely the dominant personality, but Lilly is stepping up now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">We are in the early stages of talking about a new kitten, not to replace Max, there's no replacing such a huge personality, but to add to our little family.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-42830966728664662442015-03-27T20:25:00.001+10:002015-03-27T21:38:35.811+10:00I'm GLAD it's temporary<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So it seems some genius over at Glad decided that it would be a great idea to move the cutting blade on the Glad Wrap box from the bottom edge to the side of the lid, rendering the whole box virtually useless. I know that this change was some time ago, but we don't go through a lot of wrap so it took some time for me to be inconvenienced.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Glad wrap (and it's competitor's brands) is hard enough to wrestle with sticking to itself and nothing else anyway without having to manoeuvre an upwards backhand motion to get the fecking stuff out.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was wrapping up my son's dinner tonight and fighting with the box and silently, well, kind of silently but not really, cursing whomever came up with the bright idea of changing something that worked just fine. Have they ever heard of the saying "If it ain't broke don't fix it". Apparently the change was for safety reasons, I'll reserve judgement on that piece of logic</span>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I had finally fought the wrap into submission, I vowed to change brand to <u>almost anything</u> else in the market (which is hard for me, I'm extremely brand loyal in almost every aspect of my grocery shopping)...</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">...then I found this story from today on </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/03/27/18/28/glad-wrap-fiasco-sees-consumers-switch-to-competitor-products"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>9news.com.au/national</strong></span></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> covering this very thing. I was pleased to see that the good people over at Glad are listening to their customers and changing back to the old dispenser but it just may be too late. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>So tell me...</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>...have you mastered the Glad Wrap dispenser or </strong></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>did you change brands?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span></div>
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-32520255162101125622015-03-19T16:03:00.002+10:002015-03-19T16:05:45.367+10:00My B.A.D<div align="LEFT" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Warning: This post contains details regarding mental health concepts.</strong></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>The information supplied is from my personal experience and should not replace professional medical advice.</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Two and a half years ago, after I had my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3301016116624097439#editor/target=post;postID=5012357314073689946;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=13;src=postname"><span style="color: #4c1130;">meltdown</span></a>, I was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Since that time I've done a fair bit of research, as you do, and have become more and more confused as time went on.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">We all experience mood fluctuations in response to our everyday lives. </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bipolar is different in that the sufferer can experience wild swings in mood, affecting our work, family and social lives.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">I was initially diagnosed as Bipolar II, typically characterised by episodes of both hypomania and depression but no manic episodes. That's where the confusion arises, as I've experienced long periods of mania, not psychotic, but manic nonetheless. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Bipolar I disorder is said to be present if one experiences episodes of </span><span style="color: #4c1130;">mania </span><span style="color: #4c1130;">and periods of depression. Like me.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQYwtWf05m_ktYHb6eXOx3CldD-ri_sMfcLvK3BF6kvdlhyphenhyphenzJh3rtNPYPuuKLnekFiE-gu4r1RAX_yJjqPrqC5k55c1L8cYnFPjbiR0LMlcLDqrxcC9cvSEl89fH-CrBSJHkpPKTMNQD6/s1600/bipolar.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQYwtWf05m_ktYHb6eXOx3CldD-ri_sMfcLvK3BF6kvdlhyphenhyphenzJh3rtNPYPuuKLnekFiE-gu4r1RAX_yJjqPrqC5k55c1L8cYnFPjbiR0LMlcLDqrxcC9cvSEl89fH-CrBSJHkpPKTMNQD6/s1600/bipolar.gif" height="195" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">Also, the information online regarding my medication states it is for Bipolar I. As I said, confusing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">I recently had a chat with my Psychiatrist about this very thing. He told me that in Australia we have moved away from the whole Bipolar I vs II definition and now the illness is termed Bipolar Affective Disorder...same thing, different title.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">He went on to tell me that the distinction between Bipolar I & II is mostly used in the US for the purposes of medical insurance.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">In Australia the PBS and Medicare refer to Bipolar Affective Disorder as one condition, not distinguishing between Bipolar I and Bipolar II.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">This made a huge load of sense to me, as I used to have periods of mania...brilliant fun but destructive, depression...just awful and even mixed affective states where you have both at once...not good. Now I know it's all one condition I'm less confused. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">Now that I am heavily medicated I don't get the mania or hypomania aspects of this illness, but I constantly have to battle the depression. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">I wish it was the other way around, life is a lot more fun with a bit of mania.</span></div>
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</span></span>References: <a href="http://www.sane.org/information/factsheets-podcasts/199-bipolar-disorder"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sane Australia</span></a> <a href="http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/healthprofessionals/bipolardisorder/diagnosingbipolardisorder/bipolaribipolarii.cfm"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Black Dog Institute</span></a> <a href="http://www.health.qld.gov.au/rbwh/docs/bipolar_aff_disorder.pdf"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Queensland Health</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are suffering a mental illness or considering suicide, </span></span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>please talk to someone, see your GP, <br /> call Lifeline on 13 11 44 or go to your local hospital emergency department.</strong></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>If you are in physical danger please call 000 (Australia only).</strong></span></span></span></div>
</span><br />Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-5759363712797933242015-03-14T12:15:00.000+10:002015-03-14T12:15:13.697+10:00Wreck this<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">During the week my sister sent me a book for the hell of it, to torture me I'm sure. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have OCD tendencies, always have had. It's very hard for me to start a diary or journal, or even a colouring in book as I don't want to spoil it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So when this arrived it caused me some stress:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVkD_mksmXSj9d-jlldVE_I6Z2i4YXdDYzLFQzdR4ZgvBKp5vNsbL8hJiFZXtvVz2NP46whaas9cEBB3sAfqVooteXw-R64gkjqyHQ6NTscunXHCfrB5H8OJAvazPXpY4CX7han3yV4p5/s1600/journal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVkD_mksmXSj9d-jlldVE_I6Z2i4YXdDYzLFQzdR4ZgvBKp5vNsbL8hJiFZXtvVz2NP46whaas9cEBB3sAfqVooteXw-R64gkjqyHQ6NTscunXHCfrB5H8OJAvazPXpY4CX7han3yV4p5/s1600/journal.jpg" height="320" width="192" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">According to </span><a href="http://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780141976143/wreck-journal-create-destroy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Penguin Books Australia</span></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> : Think of Wreck This Journal as the anarchist's Artist's Way - the book for those who've always wanted to draw outside the lines but were afraid to do it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">Drawing outside the lines, are they crazy?</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">The book includes many acts of vandalism, including poking holes in pages, rubbing pages with dirt, use a page as a napkin, wiping your feet, you get the idea. I don't think I can bring myself to do many of the activities requested, but there are a few fun things I can get on board with.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">I'll be collecting stamps from my mail, doing some drawings and generally try to extend myself and have some fun.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>What about you? </strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Could you wreck your journal or does the thought of messing something up on purpose bring you out in hives?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-50196589670431182842015-03-13T15:03:00.002+10:002015-03-16T15:40:24.243+10:00Catching up<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Warning: This post contains details regarding mental health and suicide.</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <br />If you are unable to cope with these concepts or would rather not proceed then please don't read on.</span></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia;">The information supplied is from my personal experience and should not replace professional medical advice.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">Part 4 of my series on depression & suicide. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">Please find<span style="color: magenta;"> </span><a href="http://queenslandgrl.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/hard-post-to-write.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">Part 1</span></a><span style="color: magenta;"> , </span><a href="http://queenslandgrl.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/in-treatment.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">Part 2</span></a> & <a href="http://queenslandgrl.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/mythsuicide-is-painless.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta;">Part 3</span></a> via these links.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's been a while since I talked about my mental health. I struggle to construct a sentence let alone a whole blog post. I blame a combination of brain fog caused by depression and medication...plus ECT, but more on that later.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">2013 saw me in a different hospital for the better part of 3 months again. I couldn't sleep, if I did I had the most appalling suicide dreams. I was a mess of anxiety and panic attacks. Not a good time for me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">I saw a new Doctor, who had some fairly different attitudes to treatment. He enrolled me in an intensive CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) course, changed ALL my medication and introduced ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) to my regime. He was not a big believer in Psychologists.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) is a medical procedure that is used to treat a range of mental illnesses, such as severe depression, catatonia and some forms of mania and schizophrenia. The treatment induces controlled seizures in the person by placing small electrodes at specific locations on the head. </span><a href="http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Electroconvulsive_therapy?open" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: xx-small;">Read more here</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was initially terrified at the prospect of undergoing ECT, it is never discussed or portrayed in a positive manner and I really knew nothing about the procedure. My previous Doctor had suggested that it might be a good idea but let me talk him out of it quite easily.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In reality, ECT is the same as any other procedure. Depending on the hospital, you go into the "day surgery" area, change into your sexy hospital gown (or stay in your own clothes, again, depends on the hospital) then wait. I have found that there isn't much of a wait as they churn through the patients very quickly, it only takes about 10 minutes each. They you move through to the procedure room and get on the bed. The anaesthetist puts in the line, they put the oxygen mask on and it's bye bye time. You wake up in recovery. Done.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I found that I had a sore jaw the first time I had ECT, but after that no pain, not even a headache. I have had some memory problems since my treatment. There are entire weeks that are wiped from my memory and to this day I can't recall TV shows that I've watched.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2014 saw me suffering from depression again so it was back into hospital for a slight medication change and some more ECT, this time it was only for a week.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since that, I've managed to stay out of hospital for over 12 months, just. Medication increases and the addition of a Psychologist to my team have helped. I also sleep, thanks to my medication.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm not depressed, I'm not manic, I'm somewhere in between. The huge amounts of mood stabilisers, anti-psychotics and anti-depressants leave me feeling flat and foggy. I find it hard to concentrate enough to read or write, engage in craft or other activities. My Psychiatrist wants me to blog every day, and whilst I'm doing my best it's just not that easy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are suffering a mental illness or considering suicide, </span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">please talk to someone, see your GP, <br /> call Lifeline on 13 11 44 or go to your local hospital emergency department.</span></strong></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are in physical danger please call 000 (Australia only).</span></span></strong></div>
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-87967574736321667032015-03-11T11:41:00.001+10:002015-03-11T11:42:00.458+10:0021 Today<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Our youngest baby is 21 today.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">21 years ago I gave birth to a beautiful, 9lb 10oz, 51cm baby boy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We survived the terrible twos, threes...and fours and the teenage years.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Fast forward to today and a 6'2" honest, forthright, hardworking and loving man I'm proud to call son.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Happy Birthday!</span></div>
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-20494435312019046212015-03-06T06:53:00.000+10:002015-03-06T06:53:00.420+10:00Get it right! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">One thing I really hate with a passion is some people's inability to construct a sentence. Not being able to tell the difference between your and you're, there, their and they're or lose and loose.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I can barely contain myself on social media as gross grammar crimes are committed with increasing frequency. Is it so hard to read what you're writing before you post it?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I was discussing this very thing with my sister the other day, she's the same, can't stand bad grammar.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Today I found a story about a real estate sign that was marked and graded by an obviously perfectly normal, well adjusted individual, as one would when confronted with such a grammar disaster. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="Here's the original story" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVMpe-1WkfMm5p67kpUlhNE1OdklpqRIdbjGVfIgyzrZGTVJk5ySmyt6b0n-NiFs-IF78MloCMVBOrhUWK6BS8rpfbru8OZBQwT6U3_xR9HbqrZqEWzqQO00HkT8an4QjK-0pqCyQpfBy/s1600/2654305D00000578-2980257-image-a-17_1425518643201.jpg" height="316" title="" width="400" /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2980257/D-presented-work-girls-time-little-care-proof-reading-Grammar-nark-takes-red-pen-embarrassing-mistakes-real-estate-board.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the original story</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">My only concern with this story is the website's referring to the marker as a nerd. I think not.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">If you're in any doubt, here's a quick guide to commonly confused words and their meanings. You're welcome.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-57282059207931787032015-03-04T06:53:00.000+10:002015-03-04T06:53:00.470+10:00Being a grown up<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Being a grown up means doing things you don't want to do.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yesterday our GP told MrQ that he needs to have a colonoscopy. So he's all booked in and ready to go. We believe in fast action around here. We are lucky enough to have great Health Insurance so there's no real wait.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">The only question he had for me was one of personal grooming, as in, should he get waxed, you know, down there. MrQ isn't a particularly hairy individual so I don't think there will be a problem and I assured him the doctor will have seen it all, but if he wishes to get waxed he can...he'd probably have to go for what we affectionately call a back, crack and sack wax.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Is it just my man who worries about his hairy arse or would your fellas be concerned too?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;">But seriously:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/types-of-cancer/bowel-cancer/" target="_blank">www.cancer.org.au</a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bowel (or colorectal) cancer</span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> causes the second highest number of cancer deaths in Australia after lung cancer. However, around 90 per cent of bowel cancer cases are cured if detected early.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cancer Council Australia recommends that Australians aged 50 and over complete a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) every two years. FOBT is the most effective population screening tool for detecting early signs of bowel cancer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Australian Government’s </span><a data-href="http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/bowel-about" href="https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/our-work" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">National Bowel Cancer Screening Program</span></a><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> currently provides a free FOBT kit and pathology to all Australians aged 50, 55, 60 and 65. Cancer Council urges all eligible Australians to participate.</span><br />
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-59553103689251627022015-03-03T10:59:00.002+10:002015-03-03T11:51:14.748+10:00Shudder<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Two of my least favourite creatures would have to be snakes and spiders. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">This week came a news story that covered both.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A "battle" between a giant Redback spider and a deadly, if only a baby, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> eastern brown snake.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2975142/Snake-vs-spider-smackdown-moment-giant-red-LIFTS-eastern-brown-ground-hurls-web-mindboggling-battle-royale.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Here's the story as reported</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Luckily we don't have snakes here in town, but we do have Redbacks. Not dirty great ones like in the story but big enough to give you the willies. Nothing a liberal application of Mortein won't fix though. My preference is to spray the little bastard white, eliminating the chance it can hold it's breath and survive the onslaught. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Don't get me wrong, I'm an equal opportunity hater when it comes to spiders. I saw this today and it sums up my feelings about them perfectly.</span></div>
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-88583706953570159502015-03-02T13:55:00.000+10:002015-03-02T13:55:11.394+10:00Heartbroken<span style="color: #4c1130;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: small;">Always in the middle of things</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Thursday last week was one of the toughest days I've ever lived. </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">It's taken days to blog about it, even now as I write, it's through buckets of tears.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Our little boy cat, Max was a bit off-colour, so we took him to a specialist vet for a check-up on Thursday morning. He was fine at 9.30am when we left him, by 3.00pm he was gone.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">We were with him when he passed, it was gentle and peaceful. The vets were kind and compassionate, giving us all the time we needed to say goodbye.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Max was not quite 10 years old...too young to die. He was a major part of our family for just over 9 1/2 years and will always remain in our hearts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><em><u>Max</u></em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><em> <br />You left paw prints on our hearts</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><em><br /> Loved and remembered always</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><em><br /> 07/04/2005 - 26/02/2015</em></strong></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><strong><em>How we see him...our little angel.</em></strong></span></td></tr>
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<br />Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-53192238113240429462015-02-25T06:30:00.000+10:002015-02-26T17:56:17.845+10:00Maximus<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>EDIT: 26/02/2015 We are heartbroken to advise that we lost our darling cat Max today from a sudden and devastating illness. Small cat, big personality. Life will never be the same. A very sad day for us all.</em></strong></span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Our cats really are members of the family, just like kids but lower maintenance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We love them dearly and would do anything for them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">So, when our little boy cat started to lose weight and had breathing changes it was off to the vet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">We, well <strong><u>he</u></strong> to be precise, has been through blood tests, x-rays and ultrasounds. Little shaved spots all over him. Diuretic tablets have been prescribed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The upshot is that they think he has heart disease, more precisely fluid around his heart and lungs, but don't know why yet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Now has his very own cardiologist...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">and we're wishing we had taken out pet insurance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><br />Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-58143501231491483272015-02-24T11:05:00.000+10:002015-02-24T11:05:54.073+10:00Hmm...<span style="color: #20124d;">Now I find myself on the wrong (or right side depending on your view) side of 40, I've noticed a couple of things. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;"> - I've come to the sad conclusion that current music is crap, not all of it I will grant you, but the vast majority. I look back to the late 80's and my teenage years as the height of musical brilliance.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"> - Kids in shopping centres, or anywhere really. Now my kids are grown and we are in a holding pattern awaiting grand-kids my tolerance levels have dropped dramatically. Nothing, well not much anyway, bothers me more than whiny, or worse shrieking children running amok.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"> - Whilst on the subject of kids, it really bothers me the number of young girls dressed like tarts. We wore mini skirts and shorts when I was a kid, but today's clothes retailers really have sunk to new depths.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Of course there are many more things that bother me as I get older and crankier, but these are pretty much at the top of the heap.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">What do you find annoys you now you're getting older?</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: large;">Love Jo xxx</span></em><br />
<br />Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-7628115268548631652015-02-23T16:31:00.000+10:002015-02-23T16:31:59.379+10:00Wow...it's been a while!<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">How are we all my lovelies?</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">I can't believe how long it's been since I wrote here. I have no excuse for my absence other than the fog of mental illness. I just can't think of anything worth writing or at least that I think people would want to read!</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">My Psychiatrist wants me to write every day, tells me it will get easier and will be ideal therapy for me. So ever the compliant patient here I am resurrecting my poor, neglected blog.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><em>Jo xxx</em></span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-2697582167021226062013-11-05T06:41:00.000+10:002013-11-05T06:41:00.048+10:00Customer service...what's that?<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">During my working life I have always worked in client (or customer) service roles. I like to think I excelled...after all, it's not hard to both do your job and give people a positive experience at the same time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This past week I experienced both the best and worst customer service I've seen in a while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Firstly, the good. I recently changed hairdressers. The old one was OK, but the salon was a bit noisy, a bit unprofessional...a bit "cheap" ie tacky.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My new hairdresser works for a trendy company with quite a few salons. I will call him..."Sam". He is an absolute joy. Well presented, friendly, chatty but not overly so...makes a mean cup of coffee and gives a fantastic head & neck massage. He is everything you want hairdresser to be, with the possible exception of the blinding cost!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the other hand, I have recently started getting my nails done at the local salon of a well known chain. I go there as they do a good job and are substantially cheaper than their competitors. The problem is the people skills of the staff...they have none! As they don't introduce themselves I have nicknamed them all Surly, and they live up to it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't expect the world, but I do expect that staff in the businesses I visit have a basic level of customer service. It's not hard to paste on a smile and be pleasant to your customers after all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I know I sound old fashioned, some would say just plain old, but I remember a time when customer service was a priority for businesses, not a rarity.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-18365405994233198442013-11-04T16:41:00.001+10:002013-11-04T16:41:49.968+10:00It's been too long!<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was going to say I have no idea where this year has gone, or how I can't believe that I haven't written a post since January, but the sad fact is I know exactly where it's gone and why it's happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've had a hell of a year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In no particular order, I've had a major surgery causing a dramatic lifestyle change, a serious bout of depression leading to a couple of months in hospital and another month visiting relatives and recovering. Exhausting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I need to learn to look after myself better, to recognise when I'm going into a decline before it gets to the point where I have to spend so long in hospital.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I accept that there will be occasions where hospital is necessary, it seems to be the nature of my particular brand of mental illness, but I need to learn to get help sooner, to try to shorten those admissions. Hopefully I can limit my stays to medication changes only rather than extended stays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have to keep myself busy, building new neural pathways, doing a range of new things (or old things I had stopped doing).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Part of my recovery includes writing, something I haven't been able to do for much of the last year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So for better or worse, I'm back.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-46154485610162485692013-01-29T15:11:00.000+10:002013-01-29T15:14:38.160+10:00I'm a statistic...<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today I became a statistic.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After dodging skin checks my entire adult life (yes, I am a complete idiot), I finally put on my big girl panties and went to see a specialist. The result of this was that today I had to have two excisions ie. chunks of flesh the size of the top of your finger cut out. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAy66TvR365qTWjj8HOztrZaairtkid6JWuayuY0jtHurpyAwMUFSFA_xf2iyZShfAKdK9wpg8TYJHhIwumjEETf-fb7JltWsGuOJtw4zgG-NGcZNy9r9E3yLgxp1wTORwCgKwGJDqric/s1600/528817_10200455080649561_902784047_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAy66TvR365qTWjj8HOztrZaairtkid6JWuayuY0jtHurpyAwMUFSFA_xf2iyZShfAKdK9wpg8TYJHhIwumjEETf-fb7JltWsGuOJtw4zgG-NGcZNy9r9E3yLgxp1wTORwCgKwGJDqric/s200/528817_10200455080649561_902784047_n.jpg" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">That's going to hurt when the numbing wears off!</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">No pic of the one one my back, you get the drift from this one.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now it didn't hurt (except for the local anaesthetic needles), and it still doesn't yet, but it will. A small price to pay for peace of mind.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;">Now I just have to wait a week for the pathology results, but the surgeon believes they were Basal Cell Carcinomas. Bad enough but not lethal.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The damage was done when I was much younger. These days I cover up, wear sunscreen, a hat, sunnies. But I didn't always. That was part of my illogical reason for avoiding the subject, I was convinced I was riddled with skin cancers, so I ignored it all together.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now, with all the zeal of a reformed smoker (yes, I am one of those too) I will preach to everyone who will listen.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rather than listening to me though, it's best to go to the source, in this case </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.cancerqld.org.au/page/prevention/skin_cancer/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #660000;">The Cancer Council Queensland.</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australia, with 80 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia being skin cancer.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Queensland has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. More than 430,000 Australians are treated a year for skin cancers. Of these, over 10,500 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed. Each year there are around 1600 deaths from melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.</span><br />
<h2>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preventing skin cancer</span></h2>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The major cause of skin cancer is too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Skin can burn in as little as 15 minutes in the summer sun so it is important to protect your skin from UV radiation. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Skin cancer is largely preventable. Be SunSmart. Protect yourself against sun damage and skin cancer by using a combination of these five steps:</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.cancerqld.org.au/page/prevention/skin_cancer/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gldXX3q7SB1xQZwFjHReymm7CVV3Xc3KEARl6FNsBzpnAya0Kd8mp06NhFb2ACtbWqQ-XB4RSJASl6SMV2Y3Ag15KDjStGkjtroBLf2hOx8TtqHgdoa80e_8kztZmLM9Vr7R33UrdFw/s320/SSIcons.gif" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So be brave, get checked, use common sense and follow the guidelines.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<em><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Love Jo xxx</span></em></div>
Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-14349289891564140182013-01-28T21:23:00.000+10:002013-01-28T21:25:39.998+10:00Wet, Wet, Wet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Summer in Queensland can be a little unpredictable. One day it's stiflingly hot, the next coldish & rainy. Then there are the storms, we do summer storms well up here! (or badly depending on your point of view)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Australia Day long weekend in Toowoomba was a bit of a fizzer weatherwise, pouring rain, fog, howling wind and flooded creeks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thank God we didn't have a repeat of January 2011 here on the range, but it's still a pain in the ass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had to venture out yesterday for supplies, so being a good little blogger, I took my camera and snapped away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxXfEiHAu1KdBihLMvRysTsgJjAINKboOB5cACN3iy6v4utOzE_CkaiLxV4ac-n0RmpnMcTMYn8LwjoAVjlDACBI1A9SyEnq0ehmnySBFto0NSnLA7VuR8SaaevVrvStbStxv9C7y6rg/s1600/19098_10200439581862101_652817407_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxXfEiHAu1KdBihLMvRysTsgJjAINKboOB5cACN3iy6v4utOzE_CkaiLxV4ac-n0RmpnMcTMYn8LwjoAVjlDACBI1A9SyEnq0ehmnySBFto0NSnLA7VuR8SaaevVrvStbStxv9C7y6rg/s320/19098_10200439581862101_652817407_n.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">East Creek, Toowoomba</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47-M5AJ8MWg3scqOtBf7_xzaMutCX4j5EQFqdqNYHpDx4q2533Y9pxnfK2IeOQxfFfy3SgzWb9ZtXDj_zIqa3KH-t-mAgfcmUB0FGkNRciQBiqU7m4_hL_tDUtxfn2RSj7cjK8NhqbPM/s1600/196320_10200439578982029_168267844_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47-M5AJ8MWg3scqOtBf7_xzaMutCX4j5EQFqdqNYHpDx4q2533Y9pxnfK2IeOQxfFfy3SgzWb9ZtXDj_zIqa3KH-t-mAgfcmUB0FGkNRciQBiqU7m4_hL_tDUtxfn2RSj7cjK8NhqbPM/s320/196320_10200439578982029_168267844_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">East Creek overflowing onto MacKenzie St, Toowoomba</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprgVpYMgY_jrxwtSoLzv5uU_WRcF4kURCeYJwVEDnwlpSOVV004gLfcVRUJdfY4rk0cuVOqeFhuaNeh00qbORdJK0tIPWwLhA3iL5zddHM-EoC-RQaTFGyKzWJSsJbrlfK3JgKlTTtY0/s1600/22218_10200439572221860_1387598370_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprgVpYMgY_jrxwtSoLzv5uU_WRcF4kURCeYJwVEDnwlpSOVV004gLfcVRUJdfY4rk0cuVOqeFhuaNeh00qbORdJK0tIPWwLhA3iL5zddHM-EoC-RQaTFGyKzWJSsJbrlfK3JgKlTTtY0/s320/22218_10200439572221860_1387598370_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">East Creek overflowing onto Kitchener St, btw James & Herries Sts, Toowoomba</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC7IMWZl6xjvbNNO3nlHcQR2khlsPDN7q1NC8gm4pJldlA_kYyMkhyDIrjCPdbWmq1201kHRLRZYuw4jNFYQsMQW9o87yVJuv8ydmDdhyHJuJsCmPKYyPIfZYNxX8ygdLDXdac_sTizg/s1600/523274_10200439580462066_562914510_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNC7IMWZl6xjvbNNO3nlHcQR2khlsPDN7q1NC8gm4pJldlA_kYyMkhyDIrjCPdbWmq1201kHRLRZYuw4jNFYQsMQW9o87yVJuv8ydmDdhyHJuJsCmPKYyPIfZYNxX8ygdLDXdac_sTizg/s320/523274_10200439580462066_562914510_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A bit scary to come around a blind corner and see this!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNBAT3Ikcxzl98mPKOKbrhsUhHr9ElgEZgpD5bYF21WxRjUGxZ7l-wsNyLm4ziO8SRo8HuCQabYe5tCIG4wraRBpwr55MLffsEN6ZFE95SgN81GTdV5JUY8EfN_LdPA1fQlIhh2HSvLI/s1600/552998_10200439561981604_123111866_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNBAT3Ikcxzl98mPKOKbrhsUhHr9ElgEZgpD5bYF21WxRjUGxZ7l-wsNyLm4ziO8SRo8HuCQabYe5tCIG4wraRBpwr55MLffsEN6ZFE95SgN81GTdV5JUY8EfN_LdPA1fQlIhh2HSvLI/s320/552998_10200439561981604_123111866_n.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I shall call this Whirlpool on Burstow...sounds like a restaurant</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2n6V4g21zrQIMAE02NHSO9od3MmtuI0GJNgdBoD7V-h7B-p0o2Bdagw3M6zAU84fL13H_uPU7m8DMD35UnRmeNGLpl4ewyurfjNFLBQjDh-KL41YpjmrBxd1HI7U6XwBRldiZQb68F0/s1600/734787_10200439583942153_566797617_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2n6V4g21zrQIMAE02NHSO9od3MmtuI0GJNgdBoD7V-h7B-p0o2Bdagw3M6zAU84fL13H_uPU7m8DMD35UnRmeNGLpl4ewyurfjNFLBQjDh-KL41YpjmrBxd1HI7U6XwBRldiZQb68F0/s320/734787_10200439583942153_566797617_n.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">West Creek, looking towards Toowoomba City. Still showing signs of unrepaired damage from Jan 2011.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hopefully this disaster is over for our town.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We have a leaky roof, and a lounge full of stinking, wet carpets. I liken it to what I imagine the smell of a thousand tomcat's piss would smell like.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now thoughts turn to our fellow Queenslanders who are not as lucky as we have been. Be safe, stay strong, we are praying for you.</span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-542301561876077162012-12-14T16:19:00.000+10:002012-12-14T16:19:03.063+10:00Someone's on the naughty list...<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">After yesterday's seriousness I thought something lighter would be best!</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My cats are a big part of our family.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Max, our little boy, has a reputation for naughtiness and trashing everything he can get his paws on.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lilly on the other hand is generally pretty well behaved...</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">...except when it comes to the Xmas tree, then all bets are off.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The other day I kept catching her trying to chew of the branches, which would be a spiky, plastickey experience!</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I decided to make a short film of it, maybe I will show it at her 18th....</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Please excuse the crappy production values, it is my first ever video. The original had music on it and was brilliant, but YouTube & Facebook blocked it...bastards. So you will just have to sing Santa Claus is coming to town to yourself as you watch it!</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6n8i2itLg9k?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-23911274759524937632012-12-13T19:01:00.001+10:002012-12-13T19:01:18.628+10:00Sobering...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Warning:</strong> This post includes video that is graphic and confronting. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: red;">I make no apologies for this but understand if horrifying road safety ads are not for you.</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't drive when on new medication, I don't text or use my mobile handset whilst driving. I don't hoon or speed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But I am human, capable of driving distracted or tired, I try not to but life gets in the way sometimes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Most of us know someone who has been taken too soon as the result of a motor vehicle accident.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All of us are horrified by the news of multiple fatalities occurring seemingly more and more often.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As a mother I am terrified for my teenage son. He is a good kid, sensible. So are his mates . But the parents of those killed or maimed on our roads would say the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I firmly believe that the following video should be shown to school kids and those applying for drivers licences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I believe that drunk and drugged drivers should be dealt with more harshly. That people caught on mobiles, speaking or texting should lose their phones, much like hoons lose their vehicle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Emergency services members, whether they be firies, police or ambos, doctors, nurses, care-flight pilots and crews, or any of the multitude of related services need all the help they can get. They deserve respect</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As a community we must each play our part to reduce the carnage on our roads.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have shared this video before with some of you in the past but I think it's worth doing it again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before you watch grab a tissue and make sure the kids are out of earshot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span> </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5b69J_bMoYk?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em><strong>Love Jo xxx</strong></em></span>
</span>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-18445371069193046442012-11-03T10:32:00.001+10:002012-11-03T10:33:25.114+10:00Tonks, but not the HP character...<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My son says I am a crazy cat lady...</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Growing up I always hated cats, we never had them as kids and I was horribly allergic to those belonging to my friends. When my son was 8 he wanted a dog, we compromised on <u>a</u> cat and I settled for a life of anti-histamines. Luckily the breed we chose don't cause me allergies, and 6 months later another kitten from the same family "followed me home".</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We have two Tonkinese kitties, a boy and a girl, 7 & 8 years old respectively.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They are indoor cats, always have been. Max used to try and get outside all the time, many a visitor was yelled at to "shut the door before the cat gets out!"</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They are a joy, sometimes the only joy in my day!</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The boy, Max, is more dog than cat, instigates games of fetch, welcomes people at the door and sees EVERY lap, whether it is family, a business or repair person, as his to sit in. Once when we were having the fridge fixed he sat in the sparky's lap the whole time he was fixing the wiring. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Max is a chewer, tea towels, clothes (sometimes when you are still wearing them), unattended shoe laces, stuffed toys, you name it, he will eat it.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZQPHJ9o-8DjaTHbIMq5SkcY4_iS-vNt1MA_1k9LiKsfqVukEj_CITEH8ZLjMfdN7sq1jr0O3b5roff37BjSptPRlnR3cGOnemVGbcZrvg01HB-dShyCfsl7HHPXfNPaQxJzuGUwZnNg/s1600/Max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZQPHJ9o-8DjaTHbIMq5SkcY4_iS-vNt1MA_1k9LiKsfqVukEj_CITEH8ZLjMfdN7sq1jr0O3b5roff37BjSptPRlnR3cGOnemVGbcZrvg01HB-dShyCfsl7HHPXfNPaQxJzuGUwZnNg/s320/Max.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max enjoying the sun...</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Due to a medical condition he must only eat cat biscuits from the vet, which means they both do...expensive!</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Max either operates at 100% or zero, he is either talking his head off and running around, or he is sleeping. Except when you climb the stairs, then her will emerge from seemingly nowhere to race you, up or down, he doesn't care. He was always definitely my cat, but since my hospital stays earlier this year he now shares himself out between me & my husband.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our girl, Lilly, is a great big sook. She is a runner and a hider...unless she perceives a threat to Max, then she will stand and fight. She really only talks to my son, to her he is everything, she loves him to the point of distraction.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMf27GQKBmRFisPd0p0tYCjgRD4YIX-fDaNwzMG36mpyf7Vekb00Q1yoi6Htesa51ikyoPfbQTS8aO4VtBWuZ6Xew6kCQk01qPR_2ndBniP9acDJI7MyFcGiBfJ3f8zIayI_IdnAK6AYQ/s1600/Lilly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMf27GQKBmRFisPd0p0tYCjgRD4YIX-fDaNwzMG36mpyf7Vekb00Q1yoi6Htesa51ikyoPfbQTS8aO4VtBWuZ6Xew6kCQk01qPR_2ndBniP9acDJI7MyFcGiBfJ3f8zIayI_IdnAK6AYQ/s320/Lilly.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilly...shy or sneaky, take your pick!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They fight, oh how they fight. The screaming and growling, howling and crashing around is phenomenal. They run around sounding as if they are wearing work boots...it sometimes sounds like there is a person walking around upstairs.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But they also love each other, if they can't immediately find each other they call out in the most mournful way, they clean each other for hours, well Max will give Lilly a couple of licks then settle down and she will clean HIM for hours, they always cuddle when asleep.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Not an evening goes by without them both sitting with me on the lounge watching TV, usually ON me to be honest.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ydVoSA_6G39dJp-bUH1gTiaQBlgKHJs2bcpi9YZ3Cs6A9Ki0CO7KYSqpqJsxWybNlnsUwZne6nW6sFd0qzBPAJtjWesGedWnmXTDvsPTGP98IkMtUi6JSmuNDbFT2GjYz04fWxAsSQY/s1600/Both.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ydVoSA_6G39dJp-bUH1gTiaQBlgKHJs2bcpi9YZ3Cs6A9Ki0CO7KYSqpqJsxWybNlnsUwZne6nW6sFd0qzBPAJtjWesGedWnmXTDvsPTGP98IkMtUi6JSmuNDbFT2GjYz04fWxAsSQY/s320/Both.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is their usual daytime position.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They have a LOT of toys, sleeping mats, scratching posts and cat towers, but they still prefer the furniture...one lounge has to always be against a wall due to their scratching...little buggers.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, yes, I may be a crazy cat lady, but in my opinion there are far worse things to be!</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have joined </span><a href="http://absoluteleigh.com.au/category/furrtastic/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">AbsoluteLeigh's </span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"> Furrtastic <b>Blog Hop</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvmP964klqJ8vAFppMTeW7OyQ92HdNsQGrzxE2PiBHmciVyJwiqlb9KWC_-ZrIqbk0tHKeOhdQ9zIMBGKWIybsJZ4t9fZCMCcwPNCaQxl5sNCA9zqOiaWpdUizPr6oUrbJ2bA-KT0OyE/s400/furrtastic-weekend-linkup-468x85.jpg" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>Love Jo xxx</em></span></div>
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=170198" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- end LinkyTools script --><br />Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-29235084551827146512012-11-02T17:03:00.000+10:002012-11-02T17:03:12.310+10:00Bugs<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hate bugs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I understand that they are important for life on earth, I just want them to live somewhere else!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, for the last few weeks I have been suffering extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Many GP visits and multiple blood tests later they have diagnosed me as being in the acute stage of Ross River Fever, with viral arthritis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They tell me that it will resolve itself over time, I just have to put up with it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPnwcxuqXPhBwQrPekG0LEGvYjfyTB-Nd542T6QKqTrkMf0yzdVFx0velDlM-xTpTlDA2PLpdHqU87o-N4RWplLKIXwSHCg1Kl0vS3GDHSnYvtst5Ia4umreyGUwvrm7AC09gv2SzPec/s1600/mozzie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPnwcxuqXPhBwQrPekG0LEGvYjfyTB-Nd542T6QKqTrkMf0yzdVFx0velDlM-xTpTlDA2PLpdHqU87o-N4RWplLKIXwSHCg1Kl0vS3GDHSnYvtst5Ia4umreyGUwvrm7AC09gv2SzPec/s200/mozzie.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So some little fucker bit me, I don't remember it, but some time in the last couple of months one got through the cloud of Aeroguard I usually surround myself in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Kind of sums up my year really!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Love Jo xxx</span></em><br />
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-21108188984154686762012-10-31T19:30:00.000+10:002012-10-31T19:30:02.653+10:00Staggering...These days there is a lot of talk about mental illness in our community. Ads on TV and the print media, endless online mentions, stories in the news and support from famous faces.<br />
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Beyond Blue and Mental Health week have recently received a lot of air-time of late.<br />
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Today I attended my weekly meditation class and we were discussing the stress response on the human body, more specifically how GP's deal with it.<br />
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Everyday people go to their GP and tell them they are stressed, can't sleep, aren't eating...whatever. Quite often the doctor will just diagnose depression/anxiety and send the patient away with a prescription for a magic pill. They take the medication for a bit, hopefully the stress resolves itself and they are "cured".<br />
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The statistics and costs of mental health issues on our community are both staggering...so is the ignorance.<br />
<br />
One woman piped up in the discussion and said, and I shit you not, "I don't believe in anti-depressants." This broad and ridiculous comment stunned me. It's a bit like saying "I don't believe in anti-biotics"! Of course they aren't right for every situation, but when there is medication available to ease a person's suffering, and it sometimes doesn't get much worse than mental illness, why wouldn't you take it?<br />
<br />
I myself am on medication, have been for quite a while, more than likely will be for the rest of my life. I don't just rely on medication though, I am learning as much as I can about my illness, reading everything I can get my hands on. I see a psychiatrist, a psychologist, I attend group therapy and am learning meditation, all to help me manage my condition.<br />
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And I think that's the key. All too often medication is prescribed in isolation or to placate someone, when in reality, stress management, education and in some cases therapy combined with appropriate medication make all the difference.<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">Jo xxx</span></em><br />
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Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-25720956892798215332012-10-25T09:00:00.000+10:002012-10-25T09:00:26.340+10:00Scent of WTF?<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was browsing Pintarest as I often do (it's very addictive isn't it?)</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There is simply not enough time, money or quite frankly enough space in any one home for every idea, every craft item to make,or every dish to be cooked.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">One thing I did find that you can be assured will not be finding it's way into my home is this candle. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf38wiy66c_dqgP_2gsrSPWVX8Xt3QG33DKii6A6xQB9zyUURJaV273o0uueY-jtLBQO8RWgb18q0cn-Xj1LZRBlUT6keuKu8lKpqzx5BWEpx_QMxzaa6uDGVoNMbEp2nw7R4aBERI4s/s1600/candle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf38wiy66c_dqgP_2gsrSPWVX8Xt3QG33DKii6A6xQB9zyUURJaV273o0uueY-jtLBQO8RWgb18q0cn-Xj1LZRBlUT6keuKu8lKpqzx5BWEpx_QMxzaa6uDGVoNMbEp2nw7R4aBERI4s/s400/candle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WTF?</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can't even begin to imagine how they captured the aroma and have absolutely no idea why they would bother...I suspect a prank!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I guess it would go with the baby powder scented ones.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I personally would love to capture the smell of rain on a hot summers day in a candle.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What would you pick?</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><em><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;">Love Jo xxx</span></em></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<br />Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-84397636284217082822012-10-24T19:39:00.001+10:002012-10-24T19:39:52.596+10:00Respect<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My son is 18 years old. He is well dressed, clean shaven and has short hair. </span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At work he is often treated badly by customers, when he is only helping them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He works nights, usually finishing between 11-12pm and walks the hour it takes to get home as there is no public transport then.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At least once a week he is pulled up by the police. Sometimes questioned as to what he is up to at that hour (they think he is younger than he is despite the fact that he is 6'2"), sometimes he is searched, sometimes his details are taken.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He is without fail polite and co-operative, as he should be.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">More often than not the police are aggressive in their manner and words.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I understand that being a police officer is often a hard and thankless job, but surely there should be a certain level of people skills required for the job.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When did it become OK for people to neglect basic manners, common courtesy and respect when dealing with those younger than us.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It would make everyone's life just a little bit brighter if we were all a little kinder to one another.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Don't you agree?</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Love Jo xxx</span></em>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3301016116624097439.post-56874423788923544132012-10-23T18:44:00.000+10:002015-03-16T15:43:13.456+10:00Side effects<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Warning: This post contains
details regarding mental health and suicide. </span></strong><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">If you are unable to cope with these concepts
or would rather not proceed then please don't read on.</span></strong></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></strong></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p><strong>The information supplied is from my personal experience and should not replace professional medical advice.</strong></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's a sad fact that the medications used to treat mental illness, as well as most other illnesses I guess but I can't speak from personal experience about those, are riddled with horrible side effects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now some people handle medication beautifully, but my observation is that mental illness of any kind generally involves lots of tweaking and experimentation to get to a dosage that is acceptable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Since I crashed and burned earlier this year I have gone through most of the medications available for Bipolar Disorder. It turns out that I am particularly sensitive to medication and some of the side-effects are worse than the illness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have variously experienced over the last few months nausea, diarrhoea/constipation (TMI I know), dizziness, sleeplessness, grogginess, mania/crushing depression/suicidal tendencies/mixed episodes (a bit of each), rashes, blurred vision, sensitive eyes, sensitive skin, high blood pressure and changes to my liver function tests necessitating a 4 month wait to see a gastroenterologist. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have also had fevers, cold like symptoms and my hair is falling out by the handful. Most worryingly is the crippling joint pain, all my joints burn and swell, some days it is all I can do to get out of bed. I feel absolutely exhausted all the time, bone tired. And then there is the weight gain...I won't even go there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I should have shares in my local chemist, seemingly every time I see my Psychiatrist there is a new medication, or a new dosage required. They know me by name.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The blood tests seem endless, tests to see if the medication is at the right level, tests to see what damage it's doing, tests to see why I have been so ill...they think it was my old medication but the symptoms have not subsided after it was changed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I live in hope that things settle down. In the meantime I will persevere, continue with medication, doctor visits, therapy, meditation and mindfulness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is an exhausting and expensive process, I can only imagine what it is like for people who have lived with this illness for years...</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are suffering a mental
illness or considering suicide, </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">please talk to someone, your GP, </span></strong><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<strong>call Lifeline on 13 11 44 </strong></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>or go to your local hospital emergency
department.</strong></span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you are in physical danger
please call 000 (Australia only).</span></strong><o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Love Jo xxx</span></em>Queensland Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03394015551463698544noreply@blogger.com1