Cate's Diary

I'm happy your son is home. I hope he has a speedy recovery!

Some cultural differences. We call 8 ball pool. We call 9 ball 9 ball, but I've never heard anyone say "Do you want to shoot some 8 ball?". We don't say pot when we hit a ball in we say sink. We "sink the eight ball" or " you sunk the 9". We say rack, break, stripes, solids, and scratch (sinking the cue ball). I used to play a fair bit as a teen, but it was usually more about smoking, drinking, gambling, and thinking I looked cool. I'd play again if I had access to tables that weren't smokey and filled with drunks. Oh how times change. It would be nice to have a club that took it seriously, but the tables I can play are at seedy bars and bowling alleys.
 
Ha ha Q. There are huge cultural differences, but deep down we're pretty much the same. Stripes & solids don't exist anymore. Balls are yellow or red. In the UK they call it pool too. We rack & break. Scratch I have never heard before. It used to be a smoking, drinking thing here too, but now there is no smoking in bars or pool halls it's a great atmosphere. I'm sure there are still plenty of seedy bars with pool tables though.
You would love to have a hit on our table. We have a full sized Snooker table (12' x 6'.) It's a beautiful thing- over 100 years old & in beautiful condition. If you & Mrs Q ever get to Aus you'll have to come visit! You would love Tasmania!

Another big day today! zzzz I could go back to bed zzz
xo Cate
 
Snooker is the only game here without stripes and solids and I've never played it. Are the balls still numbered like 9 ball or solid like snooker? What do you call it if you hit the cue ball in?

That would be a great trip!

I've considered moving to Aus at various times of my life. As a child I was going to be a marine biologist and study the Great barrier Reef. I had a national Geographic map of Australia on my wall with the reef outlined in black and a red circle around Cairns. That's where I was going to live, but I don't really recall how I made the decision. I decided by middle school that I sunburned too badly while visiting the Gulf of Mexico in the summer and I would need to change from marine biology to just biology. Yes I was born a nerd.
 
We went to Cairns a couple of years ago & I snorkelled in the Great Barrier Reef on my birthday with a Marine Biologist. It was wonderful! The offer to stay is a genuine one. You & your wife would be very welcome.

Pool balls are no longer numbered at all & the white ball is spotted for television. I have never seen 9-ball, but our younger son(R) played in the world 9-ball titles in Vegas last year. We don't say cue ball, it's "the black". You pot the black & that's potting out or potted out. Our sons could probably give you lots of other sayings. I'll ask them for some variations used here.

I have our older GS(A) here atm. I went to pick the 3 GK's up yesterday from their Mum's & he was very sick with the flu, so I brought him home here for the night, rather than risk our older son(D) getting sick. A cough could undo him! A is looking a bit better today after a good night's sleep, hot lemon drink, Paracetamol etc.

I'm picking up my sister this afternoon from the airport. She's coming over from Victoria for 8 days for Mum's 90th. Talk about a full-on time! I'm taking the GK's back to their Mum's this afternoon & then picking them up again on Monday morning to spend the night with D.

Time to get moving. I'm feeling very lazy today!
xo Cate
 
That snorkeling trip sounds great! Thank you for the kind offer. You and your LH would certainly be welcome here, but it's hardly a local destination not alone an international one. You'd likely be the only Tasmanian to ever visit Gilmer, Texas. Hardly a prestigious title.

You've got your work cut out for you!

Happy 90th Birthday to your Mum!
 
Hi Q- I think I would find Texas fascinating as it would be so different to here. I don't care what something is called- whether it sounds glamorous or not. I'm struggling to concentrate here as my sister is visiting. I'll say goodbye for now. I'm doing well with not drinking. I am still quite sick & just want to sleep & am running around driving the GK's etc. My ex-DIL is being a crazy & is a big worry. Thank goodness she's his ex! She is still is the mother of our GK's, so we need to get on with her. I had better scoot. I'll try to find some time each day, xo Cate
 
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Another auzzie - woohoo!
So sorry to hear about your sons accident - wishing him a speedy recovery! If you can get your hands on a 'red light', that may help the process. It's painless, and promotes healing - I use it a lot on me and the horses. Comfry and Arnica are also awesome for healing.

Happy birthday to your mum! And enjoy the stay while your sister is there. :)
 
Edited my last post as I sounded mean & grumpy!
Hi BlueBean, I will enjoy my sister's visit. I just wish I felt better! I still have a really pesky cough & Laryngitis. A total stranger at the Craft Fair suggested I go to the doctor & get tested for Whooping Cough. She had it recently. Apparently it's rife in the ACT, which is where she got it. She said people should be getting booster shots as adults. The antibiotics don't seem to be working at all so I will probably go back to the doctor this week & ask to have some sputum (eeuww!) tested to find out what specific bug I have.
I had better get moving & I will try to be positive today. I'll try psyching myself into feeling better. You never know!
Cheers, Cate
 
Sorry to hear you're still feeling so poorly :(
Have you tried having a tablespoon of honey a few times a day? Honey has amazing healing properties, and is my new go-to for coughs and sore throats :)
Ginger, honey and lemon is what my mum gives me when I'm sick. She wont drink it, but I will - make a thermo pot of it, and sip it during the day. I swear by it! I throw in some mint if my stomach is giving me grief. Works a charm.

Hope you feel better. Sounds like a good idea to go back to the Dr.
 
I am having so many teaspoons of honey & hot honey & lemon drinks, scoffing garlic, ginger........Nothing is working! I bought some really strong Echinacea today & have started taking that again. My voice seems to have vanished. COME BACKKKKK!!!
 
Have woken up feeling quite a bit better! I didn't cough once. I may just have reached a turning point!! Thanks for the well wishes LaMa & Q. I'm actually going to attempt a game of golf as it's round 1 of the 3 week women's championships. I hope I make it around the course, without coughing & spluttering too much. It's very windy as well! xo Cate
 
Sorry to hear you're sick, but nice to hear you may be getting better. Enjoy the day out on the links. I haven't been in months now (no money).
 
I am getting better & got around the 18 holes playing some fairly ordinary golf. I would love to be more consistent. I played abysmally on one hole & then birdied the next! Golf here is not expensive, thank goodness. It's a shame you're not playing Vee. Cheers!
I am aching like crazy I must admit! ....& starting to cough a bit! Going to Narawntapu National park tomorrow, which will be good. I'll post some photos afterwards.
 
About to head off soon & am wearing my new Scarpas. I won't be doing much walking as I'm going with my sister & she can't walk far. She is meeting up with some members of her allergy group who live in Tassie. Hopefully, they will be able to cope with whatever vegetation is in the park. Most of the members have M.C.S.(Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.) The idea is that once they meet up with one another they might then contact each other for support in the future.
I had better get going & make a picnic lunch xo Cate
 
I wonder if this forum is going to get fixed. I have to refresh or "Go Advanced" almost every time as I have a blank window. It's starting to become just a tad annoying.

We had a lovely day at the national park, but didn't get to see a lot of wildlife as it was quite windy & warm. Saw an Echidna, some Wallabies, Kangaroos & 2 Wombats(from a distance only) & lots of water birds(mostly Eurasian Coots).

I am slowly getting better. I still have a cough & my voice is fairly husky, but I am getting there!
My sister goes back tomorrow. We will visit Mum again today & take her for a walk this time. We took her for a drive the other day, but that was very difficult. She is so frail physically.
Bye for now, xo Cate
 
Your Eurasian coot looks just like our American coot. The rest I have only seen in zoos. I saw a kestrel today really close up which was neat. Maybe I'll see something while hunting tomorrow. I'm glad to hear you are on the mend!
 
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