Cate's Diary

[Cate]

I have had my exercise bike for about 20 years & it has probably had more use than most, but it's time for it to go. The dust bunnies have had their time too, LaMa. They can't be having so much fun on top of our cupboards

 

[Marsia]

I like the idea of "catch and release" dust bunnies. I can see organizing someone else's house being fun, especially if all the storage boxes are already there waiting.

Glad you are taking great care of your knees and that the exercise bike got a nice new home!

 

[Llama]

I could imagine organizing someone else's stuff being less stressful than organizing my own!

 

[Cate]

Hi, M & LaMa. Organising someone else's place is more fun as there is no emotional attachment. They are just things.
I am such a "thingy" person I must admit. I find some things are just jarring to the eye. Where I sit in our living room one large window has plants on either side & looks lovely. Then in front of me is a great big chunky cabinet with just a few of my favourite things on top & a small plant on either side (1 string of pearls, the other string of beans) but then the window on the right has a chair to the left of it that in no way looks right. It's just out of synch.
(I just deleted a great long paragraph about that chair & my living room! )
Back to today-
BF- mushroom & cheese omelette on 1 small piece of toast.
Lunch will be roast chicken & veg
Dinner will be a salad of some sort.
I need cherries! We will have to have some stewed fruit & yoghurt.
I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow so we'll do some shopping & get some cherries & other fruit & veg. Everything is so nice at the moment. I'm loving summer!

 

[Marsia]

So glad you are soaking up the sun and enjoying your house. I also am "thingy", and at the moment, the things are everywhere!

Hope all goes well at the GPs!

 

[Cate]

Thanks, M. I got G to help me move the chair, I rearranged the plants & it looks much better. I’ll still try to sell the chair I think. If I do I might buy myself a new one.
I also rearranged & cleaned the decking. We think we might go to town tomorrow after my doctor’s appointment as we have such a long list & it’s too much to try to do on Wednesday when I have an appointment at the eye hospital. The eye appointment might take 2 hours!
I really need a hair cut as well. We will take Archie tomorrow as everything can be done as a tag team.

 

[Llama]

Getting things in your living space just right is such a lovely feeling. I remember my eye appointments taking forever as well: register, wait for the vision test, wait for someone to stick paper strips into my eyes to measure dryness, wait for them to get taken out, wait for contrast drops, wait till they work, wait for the person to shine light into my dilated pupils (while checking for whatever they check for), wait for the person to blow air into my eyes to measure pressure, then wait again for the actual appointment where they tell me everything is as expected and to come back in a year or two. And that´s the best case scenario! Which reminds me that I should probably call in for a check-up. I´ve only been once or twice since I moved here almost nine years ago.

 

[Cate]

Hi, LaMa. Moving the chair helped as it no longer looks discordant, but I am still aware that I want the chair gone. It is way too small but also way too heavy. Another cane chair would be good. I have a lovely old one, which is in such good condition & easy to take outside if needed.
The eye hospital appointment will take ages I think. I have cataracts in the centre of both of my eyes & hopefully I can have them removed. I didn't get new glasses at my last optometrist's appointment as they thought it best to refer me to the eye hospital first. My sight is very ordinary at the moment. Life is a bit blurry.
I had a terrible night's sleep last night, but feel ok so we will head to town. We have too much on our list really & it needs to be spread out over 2 days. That's what happens when you live 60 km away from a major shopping centre. I could shop online & "click and collect" but we need to go to quite a few places & are not sure what we need at some. We are going to do some home repairs ourselves.
I can't wait to get a haircut!

 

[Llama]

Life is a bit blurry.

More room for fantastical visions to appear. You'll never spot the rhino at the traffic lights if you're wearing your glasses.

I could shop online & "click and collect" but we need to go to quite a few places & are not sure what we need at some.

Some things need doing and looking at in person. Just don't pressure yourself and really do leave the rest for another day

 

[Marsia]

Hope your hair cut came out just as you like it! My mom was so, so happy when she got her cataracts operated on. She could see in lovely color again, and she was so appreciative. She also realized that where we lived was a lot prettier than she thought! Hopefully you'll get good walking in today and be nice and sleepy tonight.

 

[Cate]

Thanks, LaMa & M. We had a pretty full on day, but it wasn’t stressful at all & we got everything on our list, except for N95 masks. The wait at the hairdressers was 2 hours so I’ll try again on Wednesday morning before my eye appointment. School goes back on Wednesday & there was a queue of mothers with kids.
I am hoping they will recommend having my cataracts removed. I miss being able to distinguish things clearly, like birds.
We tired Archie out & I slept like a log!

 

[Marsia]

Non-blurry birds do sound very nice. Glad you both got good sleeps!!

 

[Cate]

Everything is blurry today I must admit. I am sooo tired. I had a brief nap just after lunch & still feel wrecked. A trip to the city can do that to me & we are back tomorrow *sigh*

 

[Marsia]

Darn, I wish you had another day to recuperate. Hopefully you wake up refreshed and rested.

 

[Cate]

Thanks, M. I hope so too. I haven’t done much today. We’ll go in early tomorrow & I’ll hopefully get a haircut, then go to the eye hospital & hopefully my appointment will take a lot less time than the up to 1-2 hours they said to allow. G is trying to get out of taking Arch.

 

[Llama]

I can remember getting my first pair of glasses and noticing leaves on the trees. They´d always looked like the blobs on sticks I drew in kindergarten. Fingers crossed everything will be smooth tomorrow.

 

[Cate]

Thanks, LaMa. We're about to head when we finish our coffee. I hopped on the scales this morning & was hoping for a small drop & instead I have had a whoosh. I thought my weight was stuck! Yay! 6.5 kg down since Nov 22. D's house is sold. The guy had his finance approved. Big YAY! Now for R to get his DL this Saturday...

 

[Llama]

Yay on the big whoosh: congratulations!

 

[Cate]

Thanks LaMa. It really helps to keep me motivated.
The eye hospital visit & their tests were really interesting. Both cataracts need to go. It will cost me $2,600 per eye or I can go on the public waiting list & it may take up to a year before the first one is done.
I said I would go on the wait list but after talking to G we decided it would be best to get my eyes fixed & wait longer for a “new” second- hand car. I actually like my little car. It’s so easy to drive & park & we manage. I’m booked in to have my right eye done on the 8th of March. I’ll decide then on the left, but will probably book the left a month after that.

 

[Llama]

I don't think I've ever met anyone who regretted cataract surgery. Best of luck!