Today’s Lunch – 16th January 2019

Published January 16, 2019 by helentastic67

todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Well, I’ve survived another Christmas holiday period when my favourite cafe closes down and while I could go to dozens of cafes closer to home nobody looks after me like the place I’ve been going with regularity for 10 years and I think the regular staff might not have remembered me from before I developed my disabilities, but they certainly treat me like I’m a normal person and well, not asking questions of what I did to my arm, etc. It’s great to be back!

surviving christmas

I’ve already been a little busy organising things to run smoothly for the rest of the year. Chasing up Botox referrals and my new NDIS plan! YES! It’s been approved! I should have it by Christmas 2018, they said, my backside! It was approved January 10th and even that small delay pushes everything back including requests for carers and services. It all counts. January seems to be a time not worth trying to achieve much as most of everywhere I need to deal with to get anything achieved is still in holiday-mode, or still on holidays. Might as well have a stay-a-way too.

everyones on holidays

By now, you likely all realise how bad my sleeping pattern is? If not, you are about to. Tuesday morning I’d just gotten to bed around 2.30am, took a while to get to sleep and around 3.30am heard increasingly off-putting sounds from Mika. When I went to bed Mika curled up against my leg on top of the blanket purring. So happy! 3.30am? Growling, hissing, smells (you know the ones) and at first all I could think was, “where would she find another cat to be growling at?” I got up to investigate.

sleeping pattern

It was hot! Did I mention we are in peak summer? Every day hot! Even over night! I called Mika’s name and closed the door to the study. She considers it her room. I move around inside without needing to turn on a light. There is enough coming in from the street. I don’t close my blinds. I see Mika standing at the glass balcony door. She is growling. What the? Looking out onto the balcony amongst the jungle of my plants, I spy a slim long-haired black cat. It sees me and scrambles up onto my large potted curry plant. It wriggles through the 2.5-inch gap and is gone. OMG!

balconey garden calla lilly

I have mentioned I live on the second floor, haven’t I?

Not happy Jan.

Mika hasn’t been let out onto my balcony despite her curiosity at the water running across the tiles, from watering the plants. I would net the balcony if it weren’t for the expensive, and the promise to ‘make-good’ when I vacate and the drama of getting the body Corp to agree to let me net the balcony. Easier to not let Mika outside. She manages to have a view from the windows and there is fly-wire screens so can’t get out. She chases the little sun to get her vitamin D! Cats do have their priorities after all.

black cat

Now, time for eating and writing. I’m way behind on writing. Today’s offerings are, the chicken and turmeric salad & my standard medicine.
Nom! Nom! Nom! Nom!

chicken and tumeric latte

Cheers

Today’s Lunch – 9th January 2019

Published January 9, 2019 by helentastic67

todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Sometimes good things happen when least expected and even better if I can give a life lesson. You know I worked in nightclubs back in the 90’s for 5 years? Yeah, it felt like 10, but it was intense three to six nights a week. No drugs and barely any alcohol. Yeah so last week I had lunch with a chick I knew from back in those days. Yes, we were friends yet I hadn’t seen her since those days, losing touch because I moved back to the country for two years and her relocating across the ditch. This was before everybody had a mobile phone.

working in nightclub

While my club career added to my skill set, it didn’t lead to further employment shall we say.
However, meet Skye Bromberg. She was the receptionist at some of the clubs I worked at and the Door-Bitch at another. Telling young guys in bad suits they couldn’t enter the club because she “couldn’t guarantee their safety”, (because the regular patrons would want to sort them out)
Club work really can lead to bigger and better careers.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2010/11/04/3056809.htm

And here is Mika playing with her new toy. Many thanks to Stephanie, she loves it!

mika & fish

And then just before Christmas a gift arrived into my letterbox. It was from ‘Santa!’ and while I do all my gifts from ‘Santa’ if I put it in your hand you know it’s from me. Now, this gift was are specially from the man in red, and I am stumped! Welcome to my Happy Socks!

I have been asking everybody! It’s going to drive me crazy! Just crazy!

going crazy

One more week and my favourite cafe is back! So, today’s lunch was closer to home, much closer.
Today’s offering is a beetroot salad with goats’ cheese and my medicine, of course.

salad

latte

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 2nd January 2019

Published January 2, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Happy New Year 2019. When did that happen? How many of my followers were born after 2000 I wonder? Feel free to comment.

Happy New Year

You might recall I went to lunch with some high school friends after Christmas. Yes, that happened. Photos of proof? That did not happen, I imagine if I explain my morning you will better understand how these things get missed.

Forgot Photos

Try getting to sleep around 5.30am, waking around 10am, scrambling to have a shower where the water pressure leaves a lot to be desired. It’s called country living. We hit the road to get to the arranged meeting place and we had the whole hour it would take to get there by 1pm. First there is the gravel road to navigate and the swerving of the road, the hills and dips that we navigate. Did I mention I get motion sickness? My mum has missed her calling as a rally car driver. After being on the road 10 minutes phone reception kicks in and I’m inundated with messages and texts, despite all of the above and mum driving at 95 kilometres an hour, me checking and replying to messages and because there was flooding damage along the way mum giving me a tourist guide description of fences down, the piles of refuge that has been dragged out of creek beds.

Rally Driving

A few weeks before Christmas my hometown was inundated with floods. Well, all the outlying areas that usually flood this time even the freeway on the outskirts of town were unpassable. While Melbourne was said to have had a month’s worth of rain in a day, my mums area had a month’s worth of rain in half a day and the creeks near her, run down into the river that goes through all the low-lying areas. A young couple made the news because they had been rescued from the roof of their car by helicopter. (Sounds great right? Wait for the punchline) The girl said the water was fine, it was more the spiders! Turns out spiders don’t like to drown either………shudder! I’ve mentioned my white tail spider bites previously and the baby huntsman only last week. Made a quick stop at the bank teller and my loss of eyesight means for a frustrating transaction. Don’t see the prompts, swearing. Etc. Arrive at the destination and lemon, lime and bitters. Bliss! Oh, and it’s 34 degrees outside! Don’t know how that translates to wherever you might be? But keep in mind my happy place is 25!

Flood waters

So, when I order lunch, I order salt and pepper calamari. It’s soft and cooked just right. The chips, not so great. The salad could have been bigger. But it was over. Hence, the no photo, but it was delicious!

Delicious Calamari

Returned to Melbourne on Sunday night and didn’t stop until I was completely unpacked and I had cleaned up my couch and dining table.

Unpacking 1

January can be a bit slow after Christmas, many places close or people are still on leave from work. Today is my first day back at chiropractor and acupuncture and I’m not filling my days with too much as there is no point and even, I need some time out. I had been promised my new plan from the NDIS review before Christmas. They had literally told me it was a definite since my extension on the last plan ends 5 Jan 2019 and I’ll let you know when I get it. If the 3-month extension had been given from the end date of my actual plan it would go another month but it seems it’s all about not providing funding. I find it all rather morally bankrupt. The plan is generally what funding you have and what you are meant to spend it on although written in such a way you will never use it all and be very frustrated trying to work it out. I guess if you get pissed off enough you might just go get a job. If only I could.

NDIS

Spent New Year’s Eve unpacking a parcel I had received from a blogger friend in Norfolk in the U.K. Stephanie Faith and her family of little Chau wow wow’s. (Sorry, I got it from a comedian) The box was almost childproof. Almost. Mika’s fish is fantastic! I’ll need to teach her how to play as she isn’t big on toys. I love it! Rally love my new salt and pepper shakers. They are purr-fect too!

Mikas fish Salt and Pepper

I hope you put together your jigsaw puzzle.

So, today’s lunch, I’m already in my summer foodie happy place, because, salt & pepper calamari with salad & sum chippies.

Calamari and Chips Latte

Cheers H

Today’s Lunch – 26th December 2018

Published December 26, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Well, this week’s foodie, good mental health day post will be different again!

Merry Christmas for yesterday and today is Boxing Day so I’m not actually out at my regular haunt. I’m in the country where I visit at this time of year for a week.

Country Victoria

Our standard Christmas celebrations this year was to meet the girls from the Peninsula somewhere central for a nice lady’s lunch. My mum and younger sister drive 3.5 hours south to scoop me up and we drove into the city. This year we went to the Chocolate Buddha at Federation Square.

federation_square

I meant to take photos, I swear I did again, reasons why I shouldn’t be on Instagram! Just picture it like this. 5 ladies. 7 entrees shared, I shared my main with my mum and I shared dessert with my older sisters’ partner. It is always debated that my older sister has big eyes but a little tummy. So much teasing in her direction, hence, by sharing my desert with her partner, she actually got a fair share. I did get a photo of that!

Chocolalte Buddha 2 Chocolate Buddha 1

We had a lovely chick as our waitstaff who was from New Zealand who we wanted to adopt. Her name is Bianca and when we were selecting the entree’s, she told us she understood our making a serious effort to make sure we had enough. She told us she was one of eight kids. she very quickly followed this announcement by explaining it was very cold in New Zealand and they are very fertile. We had dumplings, tempura pumpkin and capsicum, and other yummy things. My younger sister is very keen on ramen right now as she was overseas eating tasty goodness all of September.

Ramen

Went back to my home to pack and headed north to be informed only 20 minutes from home I was told there was no turkey to be had. (we usually do a turkey roll stuffed with fruit and nuts and such) prompting me to call out “Take me back home!” I think the last time we had an actual turkey, my mum stated we wouldn’t do another until one of us had a husband! (The pressure, right?) And my sister has a partner of the fairer sex so that’s no help what’s so ever! Haven’t had turkey since…………

No Turkey

Skip Monday as it was spent in PJ’s, and sleeping, so on Christmas Day lunch was had at 4pm, with baked ham, roasted pork with crackling and yummy roasted vegetables. Both cranberry jelly and gravy. After a break, some TV and a kip, we had dessert, which was this gingerbread pudding with caramel and Connoisseur ice cream, followed by a second course of dessert which is traditionally trifle in this house.

Pudding

Trifle

Big thanks to my mum and younger sister for all the yummy food. They wouldn’t let me help. I’ll make up for it, in clean-up duty. Promise.

Cleaning up

I don’t yet have photos of just how country I am just now but to say I do NOT have mobile reception here. Like, seriously first world problem!

No phone

But another perfect example of just how country I am, within 30 minutes of arriving here and mum rummaging around in the hallway cupboard to get some bedding out I found the first huntsman. It was about a 50 cms in diameter. It was still pink, meaning it was still a baby and where there’s one there’s more. Mum came with a glass and a card to implement catch and release. Cringe. It should be mentioned huntsman spiders are rather friendly spiders, they just like to hang around on your ceiling………but in Queensland I’m told they can be as big as dinner plates. #Never living in Queensland. They won’t kill you just frighten you to death……….

Huntsman

So, doing this post late Tuesday night I’m finishing the evening with my once-yearly alcoholic drink, in the form of a little Muscat. It’s really all I drink at this time of the year. I still have a bottle of baileys in my fridge at home from two Christmas’s ago. Must finish that!

Glass of wine

Catching up on Thursday with some high school friends. Will remember to get some foodie photos then. Or I will try.

Hope you are all well fed and safe with family.

Safe Christmas
Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 19th December 2018

Published December 19, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

It seems after several months of ploughing through meetings and appointments I realise there are people I have not seen for a while. Social lunches that I thought needed priority to help ease the way into Christmas. So, Monday and Tuesday I caught up with two friends I’ve not seen for a while.

Monday, very local to home I had this yummy beetroot salad, with feta, hazelnuts and orange and other yummy things.

Beetroot Salad

Tuesday, I wanted to try a place one of my carers had mentioned. This particular carer, the conversation went like this, she started with “what are those people? Not. Millennials, the other ones?” I was very confused, you need to give me more. You are telling me this story, not me. She mentioned ‘beards.’ Oh, Hipster? Bingo! I got it right! Love this game. So, Tuesday, found our way to a hipster cafe in Northcote called Tinker. Like typical hipster cafes you need to ask for explanations for made-up things on the menu. After being educated about what a ‘redox beef burger’ was. It’s after you have the detox salad and you want to replenish yourself of toxins? What the F?! I did not have the burger as burgers are a particular challenge one-handed in public and a very happy meat eater not too pleased. My vegetarian friend had this concoction.

Vegetarian

And I had the hot cakes with so much yummy I think I’ll be going back there very soon.

Hot cakes

Today, back to my regular Wednesday haunt and I fear the upcoming holiday spells, finding an alternative lunch spot as it’s the only time they close for a break. So, I guess you can expect some variety in my lunch offerings in the New Year. Today’s offerings, another chicken and turmeric salad with medicine.

Chicken and Tumeric Salad Latte

If anyone receives a Christmas card from me before actual Christmas? It will be a Christmas miracle! I finally outsourced them to a carer and put them in the post only yesterday.

Christmas card

Lastly, wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. I’ll be going home to the country for a week, which will be 4 days too long. Then back for New Year’s Eve where I might make it to midnight before going to bed. Feel free to share what you will be eating to celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas 1

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 12th December 2018

Published December 12, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Have I told you how I do not like summer? Yeah, summer and Helen with my AVM: Not good friends. Love wearing my cruisey shorts (3/4 length pants) and t-shirts, however if I’m not wearing a black tee shirt and I’m wearing white. It’s too damn hot! Add to that Peri-menopausal hot flushes, no you can’t tell which is from what.

Summer clothes

Also, blogger friend in Florida? You know who you are. Don’t worry, pretty sure I’m not coming to visit. Too damn hot!

Florida

Tuesday, not thrilled to go to a brain injury group meeting in the city. Miss made a noise like she might vomit. “What’s that Mika, you feel sick and I should stay home and look after you?” Sadly, I had to go. Didn’t bring my migraine home until 5.30pm! Then out on hellonwheels for a 7.30pm appointment. It wasn’t far but pilled a little on Oxy made my waxing a little easier to take. Really looking forward to chiropractor already even though it’s another hot one today.

Leg waxing

Have I mentioned 25degrees is my limit? I really don’t get it and today is, oh wait. It’s only 32 but I’m wearing my only white T-shirt already.

Summer

Today’s offering is a quinoa and chicken salad, with my standard medicine.

Chicken Quinoa Salad Latte

Just a thought. If anyone is still reading? Do people actually read this post or do you just like it as goody/coffee porn? (You know, pictures of good food and/or coffee?) Trying. not to feel needy, just working out if anyone’s going to be open to learning anything I have to say on a Wednesday? Or is it just the food porn!

Food Porn

Hit me with a Like and why not comment?

Like and comment

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 5th December 2018

Published December 5, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

As per usual, just when my Wednesday settles back into a comfortable routine there is a spanner thrown into the works. If you need a reminder, my Wednesday used to completely revolve around lunch at my favourite cafe followed by a short walk to chiropractor then tramming it back to acupuncture close to home then a hearty walk home. But because one of those things relocated from Clifton hill away from the tram route that I rely on. I would catch taxi’s however I am lucky young John fits me into his schedule and doesn’t charge me, in his words because he says he’s a “decent human being”, and I otherwise cannot afford to do taxis and the NDIS expects me to Uber. Hell NO! So, I started getting a carer for a rather lengthy shift just to get me to my standard Wednesday appointments.

Normal Plan

Just pointing out I don’t need handholding for 4 hours but here we are and you may wonder about this “red-tape” I’ve mentioned previously in regards to funding for disability? I learned yesterday the NDIS has decided I can’t use core supports (fancy word for carer hours) to cover the mileage for my carers. I will now be billed for that separately. Only .80cents a kilometre, but if you add it up for the year? Ouch! After consulting the lovely Noelle, my blog administrator and the person solely responsible for my memes, her son also a client of the NDIS recommended I have mileage written into my service provider agreements.

Red Tape

My other solution is to only use the providers who don’t charge for mileage. My Friday chick who takes me shopping claims hers I believe on her tax, which makes me favour her for community access shifts. Are you picking up my subliminal messages of all the new names and terms for things under the NDIS? Yes, let’s recap, shall we?

Service Providers – Companies that provide carers or other needs funded and registered with the NDIS.

Core Supports – The name given to funding allocated for hiring person carers or support Workers.

Subliminal – Like, how I’ve been sneaking it into your minds that not all brain injuries are the same.

The general consensus is that all people with brain injuries sit in a corner and drool without conscious thoughts and you are getting it that I don’t have that kind of brain injury. Nailed it!

Brain Injury

Also, today is different again and not getting to my favourite cafe at all. Instead going to a free screening of a film called Defiant Lives.

https://defiantlives.com/

Lucky for you I managed to get a quick coffee break last Friday in between missions and my Friday chicks, really should call her my Girl Friday. Had this delicious little treat. It’s half a lemon tart and medicine.

Lemon Tart Latte 1

I may squeeze in a medicine at a more local cafe close to home before I get home. To be continued……….

Latte 2

Oh, and here is my first calla lily out on my balcony garden. Only planted them a few months ago.

Calla Lilly 1 Calla Lilly 2

Cheers,
H

Wonderful Wednesday 1

Today’s Lunch – 28th November 2018

Published November 28, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Welcome to another busy week so far. Hoping Wednesday’s punchy/stabby day is a bit of calm to my mid-week.

Calm mid week

However, first I must mention a lovely woman I called my friend that I heard passed away a month ago. I met her when I knocked on her door. 15 years ago. She squinted at me suspiciously and I reassured her she did not know me. I introduced myself and inquired as to the cumquats over her back fence. I’m sure I can’t do her justice in a Wednesday foody post but I’m sure to do a full post about her at a later date. I would hear from Kath around December as she would call people instead of doing Christmas cards. I knew Kath from when I lived in Clifton Hill before and straight after I developed my disability. Kath was a morning regular at the cafe near where I first lived and everybody knew her. From my visits with her I learnt she had been a nurse in the ICU brain injury ward at St Vincent’s hospital. When she would update me on her breakfast companions, she once told me they had “fallen off their perch!” Which I prefer “They went to God!” Which is how I diplomatically like to put it when someone dies. I know it’s really hard for the older generation when they keep losing their friends because they outlive them.

Kath 1

Every time I spoke to her. she would announce happily how old she was. It would go like this “Oh Helen I’m 94 this year and I don’t want to live forever.” She lived to be 97 which was a pretty good innings. I always found her interesting because she didn’t seem to have that Grumpy old lady era. I have a few other older lady friends and one of them has always been in that era and I’ve known her for the same amount of time and has never disclosed her age. What is it with older ladies and their age? My friend Betty is only 87 and doesn’t want to get to 97. Clifton Hill won’t be the same without her presence.

Kath 2

Otherwise have been in the city the last 2 days. Tuesday all afternoon even coming home in peak hour on the tram to get home just before 7pm! Didn’t even get my medicine. Might need to sneak in a second medicine later today.

Peak hour

So, today’s lunch is a salami pizza with a side salad and my medicine.

Salami Pizza Salad Latte

And just reporting my friend in Texas received her latest parcel only a week late. She seemed pleased! It’s gone already, apparently.

Package arrived

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 21st November 2018

Published November 21, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Because consistency is the key.
#why Helen should not be on Instagram!

Bread and Butter Pudding

Forgot to take a photo until half was gone. It’s all gone already, FYI, I only had a single serve, gave all of the rest away. I gave a huge portion to my dinner-dates on Monday night! Went to dinner with my Gay-Silver-Fox and his husband! We walked to a Thornbury pizza place called Pizza Farro. It was really good. Haven’t been for a while and really should go more often.

https://www.pizzafarro.com.au/

Also had the best lemon, lime and bitters I may ever have had and I’m not mentioning anything else, because I did not take any photos! Damn it!

No Photo

Have discovered further evidence this week my new fur-baby is a weirdo! Mika has taken a keen interest in drinking from the buckets of water my carers fill in the kitchen sink and carry to the balcony to water my plants. She will drink for a very long time before the bucket is placed out onto the balcony. You. Ishtar imagine I’m a bad fur-parent, however she gets a clean bowl of water every day in her very own shower.

Drinking water

And the weirdo comment?

Weird Cat

Last night I heard a drinking sound? Kia had gone from the couch, to the table to the little freezer, in front of the microwave to the kitchen bench. To the bucket in the kitchen sink full of water to drink and no, I didn’t have the heart to stop her. Yet to find a workable solution to this habit of Mika’s.

Mika

Loving my weirdo cat! She makes life interesting!

Today’s offering, another chicken salad with quinoa and cranberries. I’m in my summer foody rut already and my medicine!

Quinoa and Cranberries Latte

But Christmas has arrived. Making these photos special! Panettone.

Cheers

H

Today’s Lunch – 14th November 2018

Published November 14, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

First, I want to mention with great sadness while America has mass shootings and it’s really awful, Melbourne last Friday had an incident of our own. When some ass-hat who decided because they couldn’t deal with, whatever issues they couldn’t deal with, to take it out on others and a well loved and respected Melbourne icon is now without a hero and beloved kind soul.

https://junkee.com/bourke-street-attack-sisto-malaspina/181642

Pellegrini’s is a place I used to go for great coffee in the top of the city back in the 90’s after dinner and before clubbing and could always be relied on for great coffee to help get me through. My uncle when in town from Queensland, I know would go there. I will go once again. Sit at the counter to enjoy my medicine.

Pellegrinis

Now, on a lighter note. I had a dinner party on Saturday night and number 1 reasons why I shouldn’t go on Instagram?

Lasagne

Food arrives and forget to take a photo before eating/serving dinner, in all fairness, my guests arrived in time to take my lasagne from the oven. I usually take it out after I’ve let the top brown I put on the foil and after another hour or so it’s a safety hazard for me to take it out one-handed. So, timing is of the essence. Threw together a salad. (Not pictured) and my guests provided a baked cheesecake. Which was delicious! It is just so rare to have company at home and it’s even better to be able to be relaxed. Better than going out.

Dinner Party

Crazy day Monday, with my NDIS review, mum was here over night and when she is here, we smash out ‘all the things that don’t get done unless she is here’. You picture those crazy crime scene maps with the red string?

Crime Scene

That’s what we did to Melbourne in my mums little racing car. Think mum was a rally car driver in a previous life. Her, Mazda and Google Helen (I’ve recently been called) and a Sally the GPS (after Sally the over-locker!) totally writing that post later! We even got to the Swedish warehouse.

After exactly a year of apartment living, I have worked out the best place to hang out to ‘accidentally’ run into my neighbours. While hanging out in B1 (the basement level where my scooter shed resides) while mum went to get the racing car, my neighbours came down for whatever reasons, one I even got to give him the light globe I had bought for him when I got some for myself, the other neighbour who was heading off for work. She is a night shift nurse and some grumpy guy who parks next to my shed. He was really friendly, (note sarcasm)

Basement

Now back to normal programming, have slotted back into normal Wednesday programming with the assistance of a carer, I’m getting to my favourite cafe in Clifton Hill, then my standard punchy/stabby day.

Accupuncture