those that have met my little blue friend know that he does talk though not very clearly. He chatters away and sometimes one can pick out recognisable words and phrases. It has been said he sounds like an out of tune radio. Some of what he says is obviously learnt, other things seem to come out of the blue (ha, didn't mean to be funny).

Today's gems:
-fish bird
-not happy
-what's the new job?

The first two are likely learnt, the last one not. Maybe he didn't really say that but it sure sounded like it.

Yes, I'm still sick- bored with this. Back is improving. I had a good night's sleep and today can sit for a while. Yesterday I mostly stood or lay flat on the floor.

look what they did for me! a whole trailer load of bricks brought in and neatly stacked in my back yard and I only shifted one- the ceremonial last brick to go in the trailer.



I had been offered salvage access to a property belonging to a colleague, the house is to be demolished soon. They had the same kind of bricks that I used for the garden path, and conveniently clean*. I wanted enough to be able to replace my poxy front path with nice bricks. However, I am still too unwell to manage brick shifting. Left just to me I would have had to give up the opportunity. But I have stunningly lovely friends who came and shifted them for me! So I set up the meeting with the owners etc and others did the rest. Hoorah. We meant to take other stuff too but were not allowed to start taking the house apart. So no floorboards etc.

bonus extras:
-a few loose wall tiles that match mine at home-weird to find but good.
-roofing tin for mrbassman
-a little wood for burning
-a strangely nice, heavy glass ashtray with a rose pattern in the bottom.
-the old fence posts that have been cluttering up my yard have been taken away to be recycled into other fences and firewood

Now I am very very tired to go with the pleased. Also very congested. This virus (?) is going backwards. I've been coughing for weeks, now my sinuses are getting in on the act too. Usually goes the other way. Really not sure how I will handle work this week.

*Clean as in not covered in mortar. Dirty as in covered in muddy soil.

still sick and coughing but better enough that my body has remembered how to sleep after more than a week of not being able to work it out past the coughing. So sleeping I am doing a lot of.

I was in the office again today though I wonder whether I really should have been as I coughed away.

I'm having yet another completely unproductive Monday evening. Not unusual.

very shortly I will go do some more of that sleeping. I just need to observe that the germination of a seed is a very exciting thing. Is it sad that I think that or that I have only just figured that out? either or both. I need to take pics to compare the newly sprouted pumpkin and basil seelings, such a contrast.

sleep now though...

just a health update- I am reasonably convinced I'm on the improve. I'm still having coughing fits but less often. I didn't get the 5-6pm "deathly horrid" fit today (have for previous several days). I have a bit more brain, enough to have flung bits of fabric and clothing about but not enough to actually make anything.

I have had a dying fit (of the coloured variety). I shan't be able to tell until the thing is dry but I don't think it worked terribly well. Again this was a plan made whilst well so a) there was no thinking involved and b) I won't blame the sickness if it doesn't work. As usual I dyed some secondary stuff- which has almost always been a bad idea, no reason that should be different this time eh?

Suppose I should stay home rather than coming to craft hall. I'd just cough on everyone and get even more tired. So I think I shall sit on the sofa and do the SCA stitiching I have been saving, pretend I am there. I'd rather have the company though.

Raspberry, pistachio and chocolate gateau.

As I was commenting to doushkasmum - my knitting is now looser, faster and I can knit for longer. So over the last 4 days of being brainless, sick and sitting on the couch I have made this:



The design has been sitting in my head for a while. I like the way it has come out. The red and yellow wools are leftovers, the chocolate brown was bought for the purpose and though it was my third choice of colour, I like the way it works. I believe I have enough for a second sock- want to work on something else for a bit though.

I am thoroughly tired of coughing and thoroughly tired. I slept a little better last night but only for about 5hrs, then my body demanded that I move about to shift and get rid of the accumulated goo. Pity I am so bad at napping or I could catch up some sleep. I shall stay home again today, working a little as needed but basically being sick. I do hope this lurgy shifts soon.

I'm still coughing. Not much else wrong with me except a lack of energy. I have vastly more inclination to do stuff than my energy levels allow. Thinking of you both splodgenoodle and  sjkasabi.   I am managing to do a few things

This pic shows my appreciation both to dear Papa for making the seed box- I'm finally using it! Also to splodgenoodles for the seeds. I have only used a small selection. I should have thought about planting things with similar germination time though- at least the fast ones and slow ones are vaguely grouped- a happy accident. I have also been brave or foolish and sown some more radishes after the last lovely lot were slaughtered by the heat. This time I don't plan to be away from home for 3 days of >30deg temps. I added some beets this time. Bold gardener I.



and here is a beautiful sight. My cherry tree is even less dead!



I think the rest of the day should contain more resting, possibly sewing and definitely less gardening. I want to fit some cooking in there too. Should try for some clean. I'd like to manage some visiting also but probably shouldn't.

My usual organised self doesn't seem to be home. She is hiding behind the goo that has invaded my head and throat. Ya, I seem to be a bit sick. blarchrch ch ch.

One amusing consequence- I am drinking half a glass of sweet viscous, probably highly alcoholic wine. This was poured off the partially defrosted bottle of wine that was frozen accidentally. I thought last night that a glass with dinner would be good- then forgot that I had put a bottle in the freezer.... Thankfully it was a corked bottle- but not anymore! Suppose I should wait for the rest to fully defrost before I have anymore. Otherwise I will have drunk a bottle's worth of alcohol without planning to.

Tomorrow I shall probably stay home and cough to myself. Wonder if I will get spots like young R?

Abbotsford types- sadly you should assume I won't be in Ballarat on the weekend. If I have enough of a miraculous recovery in time I will let you know.

I've had two very productive days on the sofa with my laptop. The clag is receeding (or has emerged) and I have a bit more voice and energy. I am going to be brave and try the office today. I went to Kensington for a couple of hours last night as an experiment and because I was tired of my own company and my own cooking. One of the quietest craft halls I have seen. Only one poor fighter, a few of us sewing. Hopefully more will come next week. The experiment worked, I survived with a little energy left over, though I left at 9 and it was a good reminder to not forget the cough lollies.

I have consumed most of the pre-dinner part of today.

-pink/green sock #2 has a toe
-after a couple of false starts, I have decided how to quilt the heart blanky. I feel that when finished, a more appropriate title for it will be "The Queen of Hearts Hairnet" I'm sewing a diagonal grid of running stitches of bright gold silk in the non-heart squares. Simple but very pretty.
-I have watched season one of "The River Cottage" and thoroughly enjoyed it. doushkasmum would like the section on pressing windfall apples for cider. They use a wood mulcher to puree the apples before pressing!
-I went out to buy sewing needles. The only one I had of the right size for the 'hairnet' was bent and that was not helping the straightness of my stitching lines.
-The foray above has convinced me I shouldn't be anywhere but at home, sigh. I have even less voice and my chest hurts if I exert. Thankfully, while sitting on the sofa I feel pretty good. So that's where I shall be for the rest of today that doesn't involve prepping food and drinks.

So sorry to all those I said I'd see today. Also, note to my parents. If you read this, I'd call but talking is not a good idea just now.

I'm thinking tonight might involve a rewatch of Stardust. I'm in a fairytale kind of mood and I still have the lovely HD player here on loan.

is where i am today. I had no meetings so I decided to stay home and see how I was.  Blah is the answer. Respiratory stuff seems to have faded away, nice, but I have that  low energy, achey, wobbly, vaguely dizzy feeling that I associate with a virus. I get an attack of this every so often. Feel pretty good if I stay still but rotten if I move about too much. Hope it doesn't last too long.

I am moving about enough to feed myself and get a couple of loads of washing done. Other than that I am doing bits of work and worrying about how I am going to deal with this weekend- GSG  you know. I'm booked and due to teach three classes. Wish I knew when I will feel up to packing. Right now, putting a tent up feels like a very bad idea. I think I might have to day trip it.

I am still unwell in a low level way. Have been since Sunday. So I am at home, working* but trying to get maximum fluids into myself- chicken soup, soluble aspirin *,* coffee, oh and even some water. Last glass of water was found by the budgie before I drank it- much excited splashing ensued. I then got a fresh glass for me and am insisting budge stays in the warm loungeroom until he dries.

When I had the flu shot a few weeks ago- they said if I did get sick, it would likely be less severe and pass quicker. So maybe I would have raging bronchitis if I hadn't had the shot? or maybe I would be well?

F4 peeps- I don't think I can sing tonight, more's the pity.


*well, for another hour or so anyway
**why does panadol make me feel vaguely unwell?

In theory I am working from home but there doesn't seem to be much working happening. I have stayed home from work today after sneezing and being all stuffy for 3 days. Today I am less snotty, yay! but have very little brain. I obviously should have made the call to stay home earlier in the week

I will perhaps try to get the one urgent action done, participate in a telecon this afternoon and let that be it?

Hopefully I will be even more well tomorrow- I have meetings/training/farewell lunch booked back to back all day.

I am feeling slightly better. Still need to go sit down more than usual though. Yesterday I was all dizzy and shaky in the morning so though I turned up, I did not contribute at all to the pizza oven building at doushkasmum  and sacred_chao  abode. By afternoon I had improved enough to manage some pruning and weeding activities in their front yard. So the rosemary bush* looks healthily growing rather than half dead.  I also knitted the first 10 or so rows of an important hat. I should post more about the hat later I think. In addition I took over many dozen squeaky clean crown lager bottles. I collected and cleaned these about 3yrs ago thinking I might do some brewing. Well, brewing has not managed to squeeze itself onto my active list so the bottles go to doushkasmum  who is brewing enough to run out of bottles. Yay, they get used, they are out of my house and I might get to drink some of the eventual contents.

I stayed home this morning swearing that I would actually paint something! Well I did but it wasn't bathroom proper yet. I painted the chest of 8 drawers instead. Frustrating, I keep finding more prep that needs doing before walls and architraves can be painted. So I applied more spackle this morning and then had to wait for it to dry before sanding etc. Hence the painting of the drawers, they could be done while the latest lot of spackle dried. Somewhat later and I now have sanded spackle , a door stripped of fittings and I think I can actually paint that bit!

I am being amused by the colour for the walls. They have been asking to be painted a soft pale pinky beige. Sort of an echo of the terracotta floor tiles but vastly paler. I went through the paint charts in the house and the winner was called..."Pantaloon"! how sweet. I swear I did not pick it for the name but as the best choice of all the pale pinky beige options, really. What is now amusing me further is that the drawers were not painted in Pantaloon colour, what a pity. The drawers are "Whisper white"  **, chosen to match the new cupboards.

Now I have to decide whether I will go to catch the last hour of Irish or paint a door before going off to my visiting appointment this evening. I had meant to go to the full session of Irish today but the way I am feeling, 3hrs of solid exercise would be way too much.

*that I feel somewhat responsible for as it came out of my garden

**which name is amusing in itself given the regular contents of these drawers
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deary me. thank someone upstairs that it is finally friday night. I went back to the office on Tues and haven't had chance to read LJ since until now. Tues and Wed I was fool enough to attend low key social engagements. Thurs I felt like death warmed up and flaked out just after I got in the back door. still have cold symptoms, two weeks now. blergh. and I am supposed to help build a pizza oven tomorrow, not sure how much use I will be- anything I should bring to assist doushkasmum? sacred_chao?. At least the weather is supposed to be warm, that will be nice. sleep soon.

if you have a cold with attendant sore nose...and are silly enough to also play about with plasterboard and spackle....DON'T rub your nose! ouch. I suppose plasterboard has lime or some such in it. Sort of like doing ill advised things with fingers covered in chilli residue.

I do hope Bash went well today. I am sad to not have gone. The weather was fan-jolly-tastic.

It sounds odd to be writing of reno work while claiming to be too ill for Bash. However I have only enough energy to be upright for about 20min at a time. I didn't want to get halfway to bash and then come over all woozy, or breathe on people and pass this unpleasantness on. So I rest on the couch until I am bored, then go do bits of useful things until I need to recline again. In ~20min bursts with 30-60min rest in between I have:

-been to the local hardware, bought butterfly screw things and paint
-put up the towel rail in it's new spot, about 15cm from it's old one, how exciting. One side went really well. The other was a bother as there was not enough hole to use the butterfly thing and not enough wood for a normal screw. Might try again  later with one of those plastic plasterboard screw things.
-drilled holes for the toilet roll holder and guest towel ring. Need to paint before I can put them up.*
-taken down the luggage rack in the kitchen- and was forceably reminded of the hole in the wall it was hiding
-filled said hole by carving up a bit of plasterboard
-spackled old holes etc. Spackling is fun. It mixes up like icing then you get to trowel it into all those holes. Rather satisfying.

So my aim from here is to get the painting of the bathroom done over the next few weeks so the new cupboards can go in rather than cluttering up the dining room.  No energy left for that today. Now i really need couch time.

* I suspect this is not the recommended order of operation. I just wanted to do my drawing on the wall etc before the pretty new paint went up.

right, I am finally convinced that I am sick rather than hayfever ridden. Only a bit sick but enough that I feel I ought to have a couch day rather than running about. I was contemplating painting bits of bathroom or installing towel rails or shifting furniture but these things are likely not a good idea. I would probably do something dumb and/or ugly and then run out of energy just after I started. So I might target low level tasks like the mending pile. Hmm, actually do some sewing? About time. Also finish reading "Chalice", kindly lent to me bydoushkasmum  and lovely so far.

I really am turning into my Mother. the first sign of a cold or so and she would lose her voice. Well it's happening to me now. I have had a sore throat and cough all week. Last night i made the mistake of spending the evening singing. Well, I now the voice is croaky and cracking. I am at home supposedly working but have spent over two hours trying to get my internet to work. Running out of data allowance just as one needs to work from home is not convenient. I have upped my account now but getting enough connection to make that happen was not easy. I think I am back on broadband now, whew.

I really do need to get some work out today but fingers crossed maybe can rest a bit this arvo. shortly  there will be an apple eaten in the sun whilst looking at flowers.

1. have cold- woke with sore throat and congestion, still have it. About to try and combat with honey+lemon+brandy. I was so pleased for there to be a plan of singing and dinner on my birthday. Now I might not be able to sing. Hopefully it will be a one day lurgy like Mr G's. fingers crossed

2. work is .. well what can I say. Another week of 11hr days coming- suprise- I have but scratched the surface of what has NOT be covered while I was away. This always happens, I should not be suprised. Whenever one of us is away, the others have to do 1.3-2 jobs. One is more than enough by itself and without crises of which we usually seem to have several. Hmm, is it a crisis when they are always happening? I am trying to play this down at work 'cause the lady who has been covering me is so stressed that she is going to the doctor tomorrow to see why she is getting chest pain, no joke. She (and the rest of us) is hoping this is muscular and stress based rather than anything more serious. I don't want her more stressed but I do need to deal with the work, my own stress response to it and try to adequately describe this situation to my new boss. I want to point out the system problem, not a person problem.  Management is never very keen to hear they are short of staff.

3. Yes I am marginally thinner than before the Scotland trip. This is good. Sadly not thin enough to fit into my court frocks though. The orange Cranach and the red Durer are still too close in the shoulder to wear. I can at least get them on now but they really are too small. Sob. No way I could wear them for an evening. I could maybe have a go at wearing the old Holbein frock. it at least has no shoulder constraint. It is too small in the body but at least it laces down both sides.  So I will give it a bit of a sponge down and review for needed mending. Otherwise I have only the 14thC stuff, really nice but i don't think of it as court wear. Fatty boombah lapsed frockmaker that I am :(   The consequences of prioritising pre-spring gardening above frocking become clear. Those plants had jolly better do well I say!

Bizarre then that I am feeling marginally more cheerful than I have for the last few days.

slightly less sick. Haven't taken sudafed for a whole day. Still coughing and snotty but the voice is emerging.

New back door has been hung -three times. I think it is going to stay there now? Dad has deciphered the new lock and is busy making holes in the door for it to be mounted in. The kitchen keeps getting covered in layers of dust, dirt, sawdust. it is a fight to make a clean space to prepare food.

I am hopeful of making it into the office tomorrow. Not sure I am really well enough but how long does one have to stay home for just a cold thing? Besides, our department is going out to lunch and I have a remodelled ring to pick up from the jeweller near work.

To add insult to the injury I(this cold) have dealt my collegues,  I have 3 days annual leave booked for wed-Fri this week. Wonder if I can still take this? Supposedly I will take the folks away somewhere, that might not happen either. 

I did take Mum to Darncheap yesterday. Should not really have gone, that little excursion used up my day's energy quotient. They are moving to South Melbourne, less convenient to me but at least they will still be around. They are in clearance mode. Some stuff is very reduced but not the better fabrics, silk, wool etc. I bought some bits:
-green rayon lining- best kind
-pretty silk/cotton voile with tracery of angular grey/brown/black roses on it
-fine dark brown tartan wool -lovely-for work skirt/pants
-thread and zips- habby was 20% off but all white and black thread had gone.

so someone please tell us housebound types how the tavern feast went??