Today’s Lunch – 3rd April 2019

Published April 3, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

A few times a year I am fortunate enough to be taken out for dinner. Monday after a rather long day it was once such lucky day. I was taken out by my Boo! (And his Boo!) well, he says he only has one Boo! Everyone says it with me now! ”aaaaawwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!”

Going to Dinner

Honestly, if I wasn’t lucky enough to have gay men in my life, I wouldn’t have any men in my life!
It is definitely easier to survive as a single barren spinster if you have some gay friends. We went to a Vietnamese place in Preston I was first introduced to around 15 years ago when it was so well respected it made the cover of the Age. That’s the Melbourne based newspaper and it didn’t make the cover of the Epicurian, the foodie magazine inserts, but the actual Age!

Gay Friends

Doing Vietnamese must include vegetarian spring rolls wrapped in a lettuce leave with a mint leaf or two tightly wrapped inside before dunking in the dipping sauce. I also like the weird drink called three colour! It’s got kidney beans in the bottom, green jelly things and ice with coconut milk? It’s hard to tell but it’s nice.

Spring rolls

The strangest and most important thing about going out for dinner with good food and even better company is I was actually home by 8pm! And with leftovers for tonight’s dinner! Again, no photos. My bad!

Leftovers

Here’s my second Bread and Butter pudding for the year! Oh, does it look exactly the same as the first pudding of the year? Yes, because it is, I forgot to take a photograph of that one also.

Pudding

I actually had a day at home yesterday. Still dealing with this annoying cough from my cold and then I had a migraine!

Migraine

So, needing a pain free easy day today at my favourite cafe for sure! Today’s offering is the Ortolani quiche with a side salad (Mediterranean vegetables) and my medicine

Quiche Latte

Cheers

H

Today’s Lunch – 27th March 2019

Published March 27, 2019 by helentastic67

Today Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

I have two things to celebrate this week, both very slow-burn achievements. One, only I am the beneficiary, the other the whole apartment building I live in benefits. Feeling like a win-win!!!
Firstly, I got my clothes dryer, it was fully funded. Thank you, St Vincent de Paul, below is a photo of my European laundry. Well, the doors to it, in my main bathroom. Then the doors open. Then the third is just of the dryer. This will save me 90 minutes every night in winter from having to bring in my washing from the racks on the balcony and hanging them a second time in my study. It’s not always cool enough to put on the heater in my apartment. I might start getting to bed before 1am. Maybe?

Dryer cupboard Dryer 1 Dryer 2 Dryer 3

The other win, is that the whole building had its windows cleaned. I have been asking since last spring as it’s normally something I get done at that time. I was out at an exhibition opening of a friend from high school, 100 years ago (exaggeration much) and came home to lovely sparkling clean windows! I understand they may never have been done before.

This is my friend Fran O’Neil and I in front of her work. Fran spends part of the year in New York. Go Fran!

Fran and I 1 Fran and I 2

And a nice lunch back at my regular haunt. Very happy. A pumpkin and spinach arancini with side salad and medicine.

Aracini Latte

Cheers H

Today’s Lunch – 20th March 2019

Published March 20, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

The last few days I’ve been contemplating how to tell you all something. I have a few followers that are obviously of a very strong catholic faith, shall I say. For the rest of you, I’ll put your minds at rest. There is NO GOD! And I say this because I have a cold!

No God 1

I know, shocking right? I’m sure to cover my reasoning and beliefs in the faith department one day. Not sure if I have already, or not. But I will.

Faith

When I get a cold, the spasticity in my left arm is not fun, it shakes uncontrollably. Hope it doesn’t in public.

I have a cold

I haven’t been able to tell if I’ve had hot flushes or a fever but I just happened to be seeing my GP yesterday and he agreed it’s a fever. So, drugs! Yay! Me! Please be the ones that help me shed some pounds. I do already have the probiotics you should take with them.

Fever

I thought to empty my waste paper basket of tissues before my Wednesday carer arrived because she is acting like I’m contagious and I’ve got the Black Plague, lord love her! (She’s going to read this and growl!) I told my GP I tried to separate two black garbage bags and I couldn’t so quickly throw them aside. He told me they can be hard with two hands. I put it down to Child-Proof and therefore, sometimes Helen-Proof!

Contaminated

I usually have a stockpile of tissues in my home and I burnt through that in two days. Good thing I live close to the German shop we all love. Stopped in and got enough to last a few more days. On Friday I can have some real drugs, Antibiotics.

Tissues

Meanwhile, today’s lunch, somewhere different today! Lamb pizza with lemon and my medicine!

Lamb Pizza Latte

And a picture of Mika finally having discovered her new toy.

Mika and toy

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 13th March 2019

Published March 13, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Today, I am going to start with a free gift. What? I know. I never. Your welcome! Wait, what?

You know I’m part of a self-advocacy group of people with brain injuries and a project was to create an App for free download to help people anywhere in the world with brain injuries. Or not……who want to see me live! And talking……..if you dare.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.braininjurymatters.abiwise&hl=en

Yeah, it’s when I realised, I’ve a face for radio, but full disclosure, I am very low maintenance these days and no matter what I always look stoned or hungover. Awful when you are never either. I’m just tired and after a long weekend and an early start Tuesday shy of a migraine! Yeah, that was yesterday.

Looking stoned

Oh, met some people from just south of Seattle in the city yesterday. I took them part way on my way to the Pancake Parlour, as they just looked lost. I love offering complete strangers in the city directions. It’s even better when I know where they are wanting to go. Too easy! They were really lovely.

Giving directions

Happy to be doing my usual punchy/stabby day! Really need to be well-adjusted today and even better to have a nice lunch, today’s lunch is Calabrese pizza with the side salad and my medicine.

Pizza Latte

This is the birthday cupcake extravaganza I presented my carer on Monday and the French Toast I made her, complete with cuppa tea in my wonder woman mug. (Yeah, she is!)

Birthday muffin French Toast

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 6th March 2019

Published March 6, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Um, where has this year gone? Seriously! It’s already March! Or maybe I mean it’s March already?
I mean in disability circles, January is a complete write-off.
But MARCH!

March already

And I’ve got new shoes! Go ME! Well, it’s a team effort. But……

New V Old 4
So, it will be a day of new shoes followed by a day of old shoes and a migraine probably every single day. I’m also getting Botox tomorrow in my leg. So, that’s not at all sexy……

Moving right along

Moving right along!

Today’s lunch! The (cannot remember the fancy name) pork schnitzel with mustard & lettuce salad (healthy!) and my medicine.

Pork Schnitzel Salad

Latte

Cheers

H

Today’s Lunch – 27th February 2019

Published February 27, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

I’m starting this post as I do late Tuesday night. I’ve had two rather busy days despite only having one or two appointments each day. But I’m knackered! But I’ve got super awesome news to share before I debrief about actual lunch.

Knackered

You may recall in the last weeks post, I’ve been mentally and emotionally raw about family putting worth on me and my existence with a cat-pee stained couch, thanks to when Mika coming home last August (I know, it’s been that long) and today over lunch I’ve got plenty of posts to write about my friend Frank, and one of my most hated questions, what is your budget? (Yeah, that one!) so, stay tuned for those! Meanwhile, by the very end of Monday, I had this in my lounge!

New couch

By Tuesday midday Mika was well and truly settled in.

Mika 1 Mika 2

By the way, the new couch, it is rather large. It fits five adult bums! I know this because it took a village to get it upstairs and I insisted everyone sit down. So, I guess I could potentially do a serious binge TV night, if I wanted to and I mean not all by myself. Still trying to get Mika to be a lap-cat but she now has even more couch at her disposal.

Five on the couch

Today I’ve also delivered most of the first bread and butter pudding for the year.

Pudding

There will be six this year! One down, five to go.

So, today’s lunch is a pancetta quiche with side salad and my medicine!

Pancetta Quiche Latte

And lastly, a media gag-order has been lifted on a particular topic in Australia. George Pell May you burn in Hell! I think we all knew what it was about anyway………….

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/george-pell-convicted-can-he-be-defrocked-by-pope/10852726

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 20th February 2019

Published February 20, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

I confess today I’m dealing with a little depression, or sometimes as I like to call it CBF! I have both depression and anxiety. It’s not that crippling variety that most people suffer but the type that hums along in the back ground. The type I find I have to remind people that it’s there behind the smile I paste on my face and it’s often when I need to solve a problem around my home that can’t be taken care of with funding. It’s when I remember fondly the days I worked and would just go buy the thing or things I needed and just tighten the belt a bit later.

CBF 1

The sales guy in the Freedom asked my budget? I hate that question so I usually respond with “an amount I can ask from my father without his head exploding” Which means he quotes me the base-level.

Shopping

Sometimes when I’m advocating my needs to family to help me solve certain problems it’s painful when as an independently living 46-year-old woman. All I should need to just name a figure and ask if they want it paid back over time or can it be a gift? Needing to explain the whole backstory and what I have done to attempt to solve the problem and how it’s impacting on my health, comfort and wellbeing is another level.

Independant Woman

I know these awkward conversations are never looked forward to and in the back of my mind I’m always wondering if my laptop will die or my iPad or phone and those things will be far more important and should I just suck it up and live with my cat-pee smelling couch? I am a little immune to it but it still sometimes comes back in waves and getting a rib put back in the other day by the osteopath is reminding me how I’m sitting on my couch cannot be helping!

Asking for money

So, on a better note, here’s today’s offering. Doing something different today. This pork thing (I didn’t get the name) it’s like a pork schnitzel with lettuce and mustard with a side salad and my medicine!

Pork Schnitzel Latte

Today’s Lunch – 13th February 2019

Published February 13, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Well, today’s post is bought to you by the letters J, M and J and the word “OUCH!” I woke up early Tuesday morning, that being only yesterday and my neck was killing me! My plans completely changed.1) I needed help to get out of my pyjamas! My PJ’s I tell you! This is not a good start. 2) Call chiropractor!

Ouch

After the chiropractor I went home to ice my neck. Had a little kip where it hurt just lying down. My lovely Girl-Friday (she has been my Girl-Tuesday and Girl-Wednesday this week also) delivered me to my monthly GP appointment while I had to tram it home. I had to let 2 trams go past me so I could wait for an accessible flat-bed tram to arrive. When one finally arrived, I passed up a seat offered to me because it was less challenging to stand. The stop near my home is not an accessible tram stop. I fully imagined to step down and would let out a yelp and maybe even a little pee would come out! Yeah, that level of ouch! Thankfully none of those things happened but it still hurt!

Neck Pain

So today, another chiropractic appointment and on to our normal programming.

Chiropractic

Today’s lunch, cannot get enough pizza right now. So, pizza and a side salad with medicine with a red velvet cupcake for Valentines.

Pizza Latte

Red Velvet 2

I’m staying in tomorrow. Valentine’s day is no fun for single barren spinsters! I am fully aware of the irony of this comment.

Single Barron Spinster

Cheers,

H

Today’s Lunch – 6th February 2019

Published February 6, 2019 by helentastic67

Todays Lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Firstly, I need to apologise for the break in standards last Wednesday, I had serious technical issues, followed by a meltdown! Super! So, this week has been way too busy already. Here is last week’s offering with a mention of todays.

Technical support

Secondly, I’m going to make a very brief announcement. Something to celebrate, particularly if you are a Foody or a big fan of beetroot.

Big announcement

My girl Friday, this is what I call her she told me she is now a big fan of beetroot dip! Her family are really big cheese fans and she isn’t. I’ve tried to interest her in olives but so far, no chance but beetroot dip. Yes, it’s pink and she hates pink, but I’m taking it as a win. Celebrate with me and tell me in a comment below what you can’t live without?

Beetroot dip

So, at the moment I can’t live without Smooth Iced Tea or ice cream. Today’s lunch from last week is, Chicken and Turmeric salad with my medicine in the background as you can see. My girl Friday’s thick shake looks good doesn’t it?

Chicken & Salad

Latte & Thick Shake

Mmmmmmmmmm, onward!

Hours later, still Wednesday I am sitting reassessing my day. It’s actually my first day out and about since last Friday. While I love my days where I’m off-grid. Taking a break, not doing adult or barely even person, I find once I do get out, I over compensated maybe. I had a brief chat to the owner of my favourite cafe and realised sometimes when people ask how Christmas was? I should revert to my first instinct and say “Good. Good!” Even if it’s not true. So, I actually overshared and I feel terrible.

Over compensated

You may have noticed; today’s post is actually the post that should have gone live last Wednesday? I’m a bit of a stickler for schedule. It’s important to me so, I apologise for the delay, because Australia has shitty, shitty 3rd world internet! It’s fucking outrageous! I realised last Friday I had crappy internet all last week because my brain training has not been doing its job and my favourite news program made a mention that all NBN providers are being made to credit customers for not providing quality services as advertised. I had good internet over the weekend and rubbish ever since. Tonight, even my home phone (Yes! I have a landline!) wasn’t working and my mobile. Yeah, that apparently needs a software update because it won’t let me make calls, as I discovered earlier today.

NBN

I use messenger a great deal on my phone to connect with people, my phone still has internet, but I try not to use it too much so I keep my costs down. I sent S.O.S to my family hoping they could assist. They took an hour to even respond and I received a call (at least my landline is back up!) and that was just to manage my expectation of a service I’m not getting and just to be patient! Which I must say doesn’t help one iota. As in it just added to my frustration! In the end a short convo with my lovely administrator, Noelle was just what I needed. Just a calming presence. If only I could bottle her. She didn’t fix my lack of internet, but she gave me the calm needed to deal with the whole situation myself. I love that woman!

Administrator

And today’s lunch, a lovely Pancetta quiche with the side salad, with my medicine.

Pancetta Quiche

Latte

Cheers,
H

Today’s Lunch – 23rd January 2019

Published January 23, 2019 by helentastic67

todays lunch

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Well, sadly I’m not at my favourite cafe today. I’m at an old haunt for a BBQ for a Brain Injury group I’m connected to called United Brains. Although apart from those beautiful, beautiful words (ok, acronym) the Great Aussie BBQ! I do get to see some old familiar faces I’ve not seen for a while and before I show you some photos of today’s lunch, here’s some pictures from my exciting Ladies Adventure Day on Monday. A friend and I went and scooped up Caroline my masseuse on the way South! We literally kidnapped her for a day of, what I prefer to call “Eat! Eat! Eat! (Take a few photos) and get a little burnt day.

united brains

Our destination was the Mornington Peninsula, first to Dromana where we ate fish and chips on the foreshore, got a little wind-burnt after about 20 minutes. Before moving to lie on our towels, not on the beach but under a nice tree in some shade. Getting up was lots of fun, my knees finding every single twig and stick my towel had covered with the kind assist of my 2 lady friends they hoiked me upright.

fish and chips

lying under tree

Did the sightseeing tour along the coast through Mount Martha to Mornington and despite the ladies calling from behind me to “wait up” and that we had just walked past a gelato shop, I powered ahead not preparing to change course from my destination. Found my preferred location for both ice cream to die for and coffee (to die for) just next door the ladies understood my mission to get to this particular ice creamery. I’ve only been once before, but I got my usual chocolate, Tiramasu’s you and lemon. The chocolate was really dark and rather than sickly sweet you could taste the cocoa. Tiramasu’s? Mmmmmmmmmmm, do I need to say more? And the lemon finishes it off with a little tartness! Then medicine.

ice cream shop

ice cream

I don’t get to have holidays and such so a nice lady’s day away was just what Helen ordered!
Hope you enjoy the photos!

mornington beach 1

beach 2 beach 3

And then today’s lunch……..
Some bread with a snag & sauce, a hamburger & sauce. Some salads. So, typically good fair.
I did have some medicine but it’s gone already. Strong & sweet is what you get here.

bbq