Cute

Published June 18, 2018 by helentastic67

Cute

I’ve been called many things in my life. Many, many things and on a rare occasion I get called ‘cute’ or more that I have done something ‘cute’.

Being cute

Last week upon arriving at my favourite café, I don’t speak ‘hospitability’ so it’s got the system where you arrive, walk past all the beautifully made and displayed “sweet things”, then the savoury. You are often prompted by a friendly face behind the counter who takes your order, you pay, shuffle along, receive a number on a small metal stand. Then you take a seat and your purchase arrives with a cheery smile. To be clear, I don’t need a number. The staff know my by name and where I sit.

Walk into a cafe

Occasionally, someone doesn’t seem to know the ‘system’ and I don’t want to push in, if they are ahead of me in the queue, so I offer a prompt, if they are undecided about what to get.

Make a decision

Two slim gentlemen were away from the counter, so I kindly asked if they needed help to decide. They very shyly motioned they were waiting for their order to take with them.

My name was said and I looked behind the counter (on my blind side) Robert the owner was there. I thought to mention to the waiting me, this was Robert the owner when he handed out a packet of “Goodness” to them and I read the situation correctly to move on.

Move on

I politely smiled, inclined my head and moved to order, pay and find my seat.

Let me premise this next bit by saying, to the common foodie, like me, famous chefs host Masterchef and go by the names, George (Calembasis), Gary (who my chiro states, is seen out in her neighbourhood walking his dog) and Matt (Preston). The cravat king of Australia.

Masterchef

Once in my seat in the room before the kitchen, he stopped at my table to ask me what I had said out the front, I explained and he told me it was really cute because…

Oh? Why?

Keeping in mind, a woman once asked if the carrot cake was good. Said customer was like me, we do not eat a packet mix carrot cake. It must be moist and have cream cheese frosting with just the right amount of sugar. Just like a CWA (Country Women’s Association) would make.

Carrot cake

Like I make or my mother. The staff member she asked at the time was new and hadn’t tried the carrot cake, so I offered my tick of approval. I didn’t just tell her it was good, because I thought it would sound trite, so I did it creatively. She seemed to appreciate my efforts, I’m certain she bought it.

So, I digress. My offer to advise was cute, because he was a famous chef.

Famous chef

What! Was he? He wasn’t George, Gary or Matt Preston and I don’t do ex-foodie adventures, so I didn’t know, I had to ask.

Robert mentioned several restaurants around Melbourne, he owns all of which meant little to me. I asked him to write down his name for me, he obliged.

I have some “Foodie” friends and my older sister and partner, do the “Foodie” scene in Melbourne.

Foodie Friend

Mentioning him to my Boo, my friend who once worked for Gordon Ramsay, gave me a bit of a “meh” OK? Which I took to be akin to a “whatever”, so I mentioned to another of my gay “Foodie” friends, who very promptly responded with a big smile.

Gordon Ramsay

Have I mentioned yet, I’m really “chill” around famous people?

Famous people

Fighting the Big Fight

Published April 30, 2018 by helentastic67

Fighting the Big Fight

You know those days you think “Wah” (like a baby) why do I have to be the one to stand up for when people are idiots? And if you don’t do something to make a change, they will keep being ‘idiots’. I had that moment as I often do a few days ago.

Now, by all means we all do it, sure, but then there are times it can be beyond painful.

Then there was yesterday.

I do like to upsize my meeting with my CM (Case Manager) to be help at my favourite café (Where I also go on a Wednesday) and then I wandered down to my GP appointment, so far, so good. Left the GP’s clinic and walked a short distance to the tram stop. I would normally walk to the next stop near the café so I get a little exercise.

Now the weather report. It’s a lovely day in Melbourne, it’s summer, there is blue sky and it’s not hot and muggy. T-shirt weather, everything is right in the world.

I was waiting for about four minutes for the tram, I could just hope the tram would be a flat-bed tram (Disability friendly) so I wouldn’t have to work so hard to pull myself up and get a seat. Then along came a woman, she literally huffed within a minute and she complained about the lack of trams. I told her they shouldn’t be far as I’d already been waiting a few minutes. I don’t normally check the timetable.

I decided to check the timetable myself out of curiosity. It was just before 5pm so trams run everything eight minutes. After 5pm, every six minutes. Not bad right?

A young lady came just as that time and checked the timetable and had her head in her smart phone. Then announced it’s twenty minutes until the next tram, but then there’s three of them.

Negative Nancy and her sore legs.

I asked the younger woman how she knew this? She mentioned some Apps on her phone. I felt so old. I have a smart phone, but it’s under utilised and I refuse to put Facebook or my blog email on it, because the excuse I use is that I’m not 14…

I have my personal email on my phone for convenience, but mostly so I can cull the rubbish and anything of value waits until the end of the day.

Anyway, I digress Ms Apps (not a negative term) mentioned there had been a medical emergency on the tram, hence the hold up.

Negative Nancy: “Oh those people on drugs! I just want to get home!”.

Seriously? Was there a Zombie Apocalypse I didn’t know about? I tried to level the situation by saying “You know, if someone is sick or ill or had a heart attack on Public Transport, they are legally bound to get them an Ambulance. If no one dies, it’s okay!”

Negative Nancy (you know she had something to say about that) “How long does it take to get an Ambulance?”

Don’t know if you’ve had to get an Ambulance, but I have and I wasn’t dying nor did I think I was dying and I was cosy in bed waiting, so it was no drama. It takes as long as it takes.

Again, I suggested whatever the commuters need, they would be triaged with everybody else.

Ms Apps stated she would walk to the next stop, it’s normally what I do and I nearly went with her, rather than submit myself to anymore shitty energy from Negative Nancy.

About a minute later a tram came around the corner down the hill. So, I decided our time together now had a deadline and decided she needed to be told. So, politely I started:

“I know you have maybe had a tough day and your legs hurt”

She attempted to cut me off thinking I would pander to her delicate temperament, but I did not let her.

“Yes, Yes, I know! But what you don’t realise is that right now, I can’t feel my left foot and most of my left leg.”

I started to also indicate a part of my left side and back I used to lift my left leg and despite my

“I have low vision badge,” she didn’t notice. I told her I had half my eyesight. Her demeanour changed instantly and she stated.

“I’m so sorry! Had I known I wouldn’t have.” and she told me I looked ‘Great’ and good.

Hidden disability is a curse isn’t it?

She really hadn’t had her eyes or paid any attention to my cuff and collar on my arm or my walking stick.

The tram arrived and she eventually stepped aside to allow me to get on first to get an appropriate seat for me to not fall over getting on or off.

Two people got up to offer me their seats and I took one of them up on the offer, very much appreciated.

Negative Nancy took a seat to my left in my blind spot simpering like she deserved the seat.

She started to try to make conversation with me but I was really over it, so pulled out my phone. Conversing with her on my left would have given me a migraine and if you think that meant the trauma was over, think again.

On my right was a guy on the phone, he was talking to a work colleague who was using drugs and driving around with his kids in the car.

Um, does anyone else want to hear about this shit on the tram? Unless it’s broken up with words suggesting they are going to get him help? No!

But instead, he punctuated every sentence with the biggest sniff and hark back, it was disgusting.

Luckily for him, he got off about five stops before me, otherwise I could imagine I would have silently help out with a packet traveler tissues and if he had been offended and told me he was not a child. I would have growled at him. I’m too young to be his mother. But here we are.

Chocolate

Published March 23, 2018 by helentastic67

Chocolate 1

Chocolate

Again, another post that is telling on how long ago I wrote this. For me, this is possibly the best thing that happens at Christmas. About fifteen years ago, I went to the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show. It’s been running annually since 1995 and I distinctly recall the first time I went because of a purchase I made that time. I’ve maybe only been once since because all the soil I own is in pots and I’m always feeling too poor to go. Paying an admission fee is one thing, but if you don’t have some spending money it’s just easier not to go.

Flower-Show

So, a long time ago I went with a college friend, let’s call her Jane (it’s been a while since we used Jane, right?). We wandered around outside before venturing inside into the Melbourne Exhibition Building. It’s a beautiful landmark as it’s Heritage listed, it’s in Carlton, close to the city.

Royal Exhibition Building Melbourne

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/reb/ (Royal Exhibition Building)

As we wandered around we heard a voice calling out ‘Hot Chocolate’ over and over again. It was monotonous. We kept wondering around down stairs, before venturing upstairs. We kept hearing this chant, ‘Hot Chocolate’.

Hot Chocolate

Seriously, when we found him, he stood at an exhibition stand with tall posters made of plastic fabric. We asked him what he was going on about. “Hot Chocolate”.

Their was a spectacular lily with a rich velvety colour and variegated leaves. The product came in a white plastic tub in the shape of a coffee mug. The packaging came with a bag of soil and another bag with a bulb in it. They were $50.00. We both walked away from that stand carrying one each. And he was still alive.

Growing Calla Lily

We were promised we would have flowers the first year. We should have killed him because that didn’t happen. After, I think two years I re-potted it into a bigger pot and some years later, I re-potted it again into an even larger pot.

Repotting

That $50 really was an investment because I think it took about five years just to get foliage and about ten years to get flowers.

Even now, Christmas 2016 I got three flowers the first year I had flowers the requests started from family and friends alike for a part of the bulb when it multiplied.

family

They stopped asking…

At the start of Summer, the pot, a large plastic pot in the corner of my back yard, that I start to water religiously in Spring, starts to get little spikes in it.

I’ve found Jamima nestled on top of the pot and I’ve had to shoo her off.

The spikes become too tall here, leaves open and stretch upwards and around a week before Christmas comes the best reward.

Tell me if you think it was worth it?

Hot Chocolate Calla Lily

Kick Arse

Published February 19, 2018 by helentastic67

Kick Arse

I kicked someone in the bum yesterday, I mean, I kicked a guy in the arse and he did nothing to deserve it. It’s not something I meant to do, it’s actually fair to say he had it coming by sitting where he was.

Melbourne these days filled with hole in the wall hipster Café’s. So, this guy was sitting on the footpath with his feet on the road drinking his coffee, outside one of these hipster Café’s and along I come walking down the footpath.

Hipster cafe

Firstly, I didn’t see him. Which after my Daisy Grazing drop foot collected with his bottom, he bolted upright and that was when I apologised by saying, I hadn’t seen him and I have a drop foot, which is why in the early 90’s I could not perform a dance move called the Melbourne Shuffle.

Went to a club in Wales, UK back in ’94 and saw a guy at the end of the dance floor doing the Melbourne Shuffle.

Melbourne shuffle 1

Today’s Lunch – 7th February 2018

Published February 7, 2018 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Now, you all should be aware by now Melbourne is dealing with summer and while my happy place is 25 degrees, today it’s 37 degrees and I’m out in it!

These are the days hellonwheels serves me best. Particularly because I had to stop at a post office to collect a parcel. And then when I parked outside acupuncture I had to ask the lovely Angela to take the parcel inside. (For security) I already take my flag in so it doesn’t get stolen. It’s happened once, it’s not happening again!

So, then as I watched a tram go past I received a message from Young John, he couldn’t help me today! On that topic, was in the Young John taxi Monday when his wife rang. Young Betty told me they were not going to move back to Greece! (Thank God!) She calls him each day when she finishes work (she is a nurse) and they chat on speaker phone so I always get to give him some cheek and chat to Young Betty.

So, back to lunch.

Today with limited time to scramble, I have a lovely pancetta quiche with side salad and my standard medicine. No pretty leaf on top today. Tobey must be at lunch. No! He’s on holidays! How dare he! (note, not a question)

And tomorrow is a brand-new day!

Cheers,
H

The Seasons

Published January 21, 2018 by helentastic67

Seasons

The Seasons

The weather is Melbourne is always a heated topic. Everyone gets grumpy in Winter because it’s so cold. I think I’ve coped better this Winter as I’ve had an electric blanket.

Winter

Spring was over before I could get it together and write a decent post about it.

Living here is the best in Spring, there is a peach tree outside my bedroom window. While it was raining a lot in the early part of Spring, watching the tiny green come out on the peach tree followed by the sudden burst of blossoms.

Peach Tree

It’s like watching a slow-mo nature documentary. Then the gust of wind blows the blossom away and now the end of November, Summer is really here.

The butter on the kitchen bench has become a melted oil slick, the jar of Coconut oil is about to follow the butter into the fridge.

Butter melting

I want to bake some cookies later, I wonder if I can do it without turning the oven actually on? Definitely can’t do it while I’m in the kitchen.

Cookies

Clothes dry on the line in no time at all. Bonus!

The best positive of all.

My coffee takes one minute and 10 seconds less to prepare. I get the bottle of prepared coffee from the fridge, pour into a glass, add milk, some sugar and stir.

Coffee

Today’s Lunch – 17th January 2018

Published January 17, 2018 by helentastic67

Todays lunch 1701

Today’s Lunch

Happy Hump Day!

Hump day

Haven’t left the house in 2 days and back at my favourite cafe! Was looking forward to a nice healthy salad, but alas by the time I got here they were sold out. But as you will notice consistency is the key. Pancetta quiche with side salad. With my standard medicine! And rather than try carrying it myself, I asked for a glass of water and this is what arrived. Feeling special!

Water Quiche

Latte

Have a nice little migraine bubbling along behind my left eye since late yesterday so really looking forward to seeing my chiro today. She has been away the last two weeks so I saw a fill-in. Head, shoulders, knees and toes. Or realistically, head, neck(atlas) ribs, back, just everywhere. Ad nauseum!

Head Shoulders 1

Rather warm in Melbourne today! But hellonwheels will make it a breeze………..
Also, big shout out to my pen-pal friend from Texas! Phoebe! I received an amazing parcel from her yesterday. I sent her a late birthday gift last year and am about to post her my last Christmas parcel. Seriously, why should Christmas and birthday presents be on time and just once a year? Anyway, rambling. My left eye hurts.

Texas

Have a great rest of the week!
Cheers,
H

Good week

Today’s Lunch – 4th October 2017

Published October 4, 2017 by helentastic67

Todays lunch 0410 1

Today’s Lunch

Well,

A brief Hot off the press moment! Unit 2 have left the building! A huge truck was in the driveway this morning……I am sure the truck might have been half empty. (Unit 2 is smaller than units 1 and 3)
You may recall, I didn’t hate the tenants in unit 2, I just intensely didn’t like them?
Ironically, the energy is different already.

Moving 1

I attempted to bring you a different …….foodie offering.
But it hasn’t happened.

Today, is a different Arancini. This has pumpkin and spinach. Still with the side salad.

Pumpkin Arincini

And the medicine, might need two today. Feeling like a zombie.

Cafe Latte

It’s a nice day today in Melbourne. I’m hoping I don’t regret wearing my merino wool cowl neck vest over long sleeves. I just wasn’t ready to go full scooter t-shirt! (yes, I have one!)
To be continued………

Scooter

Cheers,
H

todays lunch 0410

Hot off the Press – 2nd October 2017

Published October 2, 2017 by helentastic67

Hot off the Press 0210

Hot off the Press

Monday, rudely awoken at the crack of nothing! At 3.45am. There is no God! Who rings anybody’s doorbell at that hour? I imagine it wasn’t even mine but likely unit 2………did I mention they told me they are moving? They were given notice to vacate using the excuse that family was moving in. I doubt it but, it’s the excuse landlords can use to get rid of tenants. When they told me, my neighbours suggested others would move in I would hate instead. Rude! I don’t hate them I just intensely disagree with their use of the doorbell rather than a key to open their own door and their definition of the term ‘Hippy!) Anyway, saw my Shrink, so good start to the week despite feeling knackered!

Doorbell

Glad I took photos of the concrete bollards in the Bourke Street Mall as the LEGO has been discarded. Ah, I’m sure it will be replaced. Give us time.

Lego bollard 1 Lego bollard 2

Ran into a retired Nun getting off the tram and decided to attempt to convince her to vote Yes, on the upcoming Same sex marriage equality postal vote. She actually doesn’t mind if two men love each other or two women love each other, it was just the use of the word ‘marriage’. I attempted to give her other points to consider and even after telling her I was a “Bitter single straight barren spinster” (yes, I told her I wasn’t bitter) she gave a little laugh and I gave up. I just hope it gave her something to think about.

Same sex marrige

Tuesday! Ladies? Because I don’t think I have many male followers………would you prefer a trip to the dentist or the gynaecologist? I confess I’ve never seen a gyno but get my regular Pap smear every two years as it is recommended and as I went to the dentist today I confess to say, I vote pap smear! I had my teeth cleaned today and I confess I squirmed the whole time, and wringing my hands. I absolutely hate it and I’ve had fillings without needles. I’ve had needles driven into my lower back near my spine with only a local anaesthetic. But Pap smear! I confess I kept holding up my right pointer finger to indicate I was drowning! (They suggested my left hand) but I had to remind them my left arm didn’t work and I promised not to get in their way. So, I guess it took longer than normal for that reason. I agreed to an x-ray which I later regretted as now I have more appointments to mend 4 fillings!

Dentist

Standard Wednesday, with a drop-in visit with Bella. She is often hiding and today I worked out the perfect way to encourage her to emerge. I can’t believe it has taken me so long. The shop has many, many pet toys. (You know the ones that squeak?) I love those toys. I just go crazy with the squeaky toys and she comes running. Awww.

Squeaky toys

Thursday, having family generally ignore my needs and isolation from family or friends and continually under delivering on promises. Therefore, sabotaging my ability to have funding or use things I need. I had the severe case of the CBF’s!

I kept my head down for the day and was largely off-grid. The few people I did reach out to didn’t improve my outlook much. Afternoon nap and rather late lunch was just what Doctor Helen ordered. A late text to a friend Michael and I learnt it had been his birthday! So, I gave him a call. Phone calls with Michael can cover a Plethora of topics and go for hours. Tonight, was nearly an hour, a short one all things considered. Ate dinner after midnight! I’ll get back on track tomorrow. Michael reminded me I’m overdue a trip to the community centre I go to for my free Osteo/Mio appointments. It’s a great way to feel your own life is normal.

Happy birthday
Friday, a long weekend bought to us by the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne. I mentioned I’m not into sport? Yes, very un-Australian. It also makes fun for going out shopping. Plenty of woman with a ‘kill or be killed’ attitude and men who have the day off work and don’t know how to act in normal society. Mixed with school holidays and a handful of teenagers treating the shopping complex like a playground. Running around playing kiss-chase? Is that what that was about?

Kiss chase
All I can say, is my attitude to people who are likely to knock me over? I go down, you come down with me! (Can’t wait to see what Noelle comes up with for that comment!)
Challenge issued……… Challenge accepted

Threw together a double batch of my special muffins and my carer left with the first 4 out of the oven. Muffins for everyone over the weekend! Ate dinner late and still ploughing through emails around 1.30am. So much for off-grid Saturday. At least I got to have a quick visit with both Bella and Wilfred this week. Looking forward to not having a schedule for a few days.

Muffins

Saturday, grand final day in Melbourne. Best afternoon kip ever! Didn’t want to get up. Late dinner, later coffee then went to bed at 2am. Still awake at 4.30am. No judgement please, coffee keeping people awake is for amateurs……

Sunday morning. What!? It’s day lights savings? There is no God! It takes me all summer (and the rest of spring) to get used to it. As another week begins……I’ll leave you with some photos of my discoveries in my back yard. It’s a concrete jungle.
Orchids 1 Orchids 2

Orchids 4

Orchids 3

Lastly, read six comics this week. Note, failed to mention the pitiful number last week but more than made up for it this week. I’m currently reading Buffy season 9. But it did take a conscious effort to achieve that number.

This week I might attempt to get to bed before 1am, as I do like to have a realistic and achievable goal. I have started with the new service provider for my carers. My local council is no more so, here’s to a new week where every day I’ll face a brand-new carer, do my own in-house induction and within 20 minutes they will see me naked! Luckily, they get paid for that torture! I wish I had kept a tally over the years, there have been so many carers.

Showering
To another crazy week ahead!

Crazy week
Cheers,
H

Home

Published September 22, 2017 by helentastic67

Home

Is where the heart is, right? My parents built the home I grew up in from the age of about 5. (better first check that)

My bedroom had a window on the side of the house so the only view I had was of a fence. When the men next door worked on their cars in the driveway after hours with the lights on, late into the evening.

The house was built in the 70’s and my parents never did any major renovations, so to this day the kitchen still has its orange (sorry, mum, Mordarine) bench tops, its brown cupboards and orange spaceship lights.

Space light

They seemed to make them to last back then, right? But anyway, I digress, I moved out of home and to Melbourne when I was 19 years old, to study. This is probably when it seemed to be my home. It was a base, sure and my teenager “stuff” remained here, but it wasn’t really my home any longer.

When I was about 23 years old, my parents finally divorced. I say ‘finally’ because from about 12 years old, I knew it was imminent.

In the late 90’s (me in my late 20’s) I lived with my mum and younger sister (then 13) for 2 years, but while her house feels like a home, it doesn’t feel like my home.

It definitely feels like their home and when my dad had a thing for moving “stuff” around inside his house, much of my important childhood “stuff” migrated to my mum’s.

Every rare visit to both my mum’s home and my childhood home brings up different emotional ‘traumas’!

A visit to my mum’s, some 3 ½ hours north from Melbourne, upon arrival, as soon as you open the car door, a whiff of fresh country air, with a subtle pine and burning wood fireplace smell takes me back and refreshes me.

Melb to Wangaratta

I was quite isolated and depressed when I lived there for 2 years.

But my dad’s house, doesn’t feel like a home. Over the 20 years, its felt like the ‘life’ left.

The good furniture is still there, the wall units in dark timber is still there, the timber chest in the billiard room that housed the stamp collection, the roll-timber desk and of course the beautiful pool table. (I call dibs)

Wall unit

Op shop finds have sprung up and taken root (or even stored) for some insane reason, where it’s not needed or used. Dad’s house seems strange, like time stood still, I got bigger, but ironically, when I’ve spent a rare night there as I did last October, when I went to my 25^th High School Reunion. Kitchen cupboards, the laundry sliding door, they still sound the same. Like it’s been frozen in time.

My father did move on and found another relationship (weirdly with someone 20 years older) so he has kind of aged in a strange way, if you know what I mean. She has never taken up residence there and they maintain they are ‘friends’, although I suspect he has helped her financially.

Romantically mum never moved on and was busy being a single parent to my younger sister and didn’t make time to meet anybody.

While I’ve moved so many times in the last 25 years, my mum has called me a gypsy. I have desperately wanted my own home, where I never had to move again. A place I could renovate, plant trees in soil and put down roots.

Gypsy

My father in the last 10 years, while I’ve had my disability, has retired, slightly early to deal with bowel cancer, then bladder cancer. He has beaten both, a little worse for wear, but winning all the same and earlier this year he decided to sell his house. Not to downside, but for financial reasons he has upsized.

So, his house sold and the new house is not yet built and he’s renting for maybe 9 months in between. He’s not even renting far from the home I grew up in. He’s moving from 30 to 1/22, I know, insane!

I’m not sure how I am meant to feel about this. It has certainly bought up much emotional trauma for my mum who has clearly felt short changed for the last 25 years, since her divorce. I know, I’ve heard all about it, but while I feel a little sad, I don’t feel like I’m losing anything. If that make sense?

New home