WHAKING READY THIS WHAKING WHAMILY!

1.81 GB per day until changeover

 

So far we have use 1.93 GB per day

 

We are on track but I'm still suspicious!!

My first pig

This past weekend I stuck my first pig. I'd already been into the bush a few times with Richard - real good kiwi bloke. The first time Richard took me out, we got a pig. He was a beauty, 170lbs. The dogs had it held, and Richard showed me where to stick it. I was a complete failure though because I couldn't get the knife in. The pig was voicing its protestations as I attempted to get to its heart through the thick armour-like breastplate. Richard eventually relieved me of the knife, and relieved the pig of its heartbeat. This past weekend was different though. This weekend I got to stick my own pig. It wasn't as big as the first one, this one was only about 60lbs (that's it in the picture there). It doesn't look very heavy but we had to carry it off the mountain which took about 2 hours. There is something very satisfying about killing your own meat and bringing it home to the family. I have now decided on two things: 1. I definitely need the right clothes - I shall rectify that soon, and 2. I want a gun licence. I have already started studying the Firearms Code. I will report on progress. Tomorrow is the last day of August 2006. Christmas will be here soon - by then I hope to be a duly qualified, Government authorised holder of a firearms licence. Ciao!

I'm back!

I haven't actually been anywhere, its just that I go off the internet every now and then (not in terms of connectivity, just in terms of 'can't-be-bothered-with-it-ness').

 

Mum has enrolled in a computing course.  The course providers have given her a PC and printer (along with an internet connection) in order for her to complete her study.  The course materials and PC arrived today and she passed the first test by assembling the thing.  She's in her room studying right now.  The forst module is word processing using MS Word 2000.  She's doing very well and I'm proud of her.  It takes a bit to go back to studying.  She has been using the internet now for some time (along with email) but this course will give her some of the nitty gritty like understanding the make up of the PC and some proficiency in the use of some of the more common programmes, especially those in the MS Office Suite.

 

That's it for now.  I'd hate to do burn myself out and stop my blog updates prematurely.

 

Good night Kiwi.

Woodhenge

Today Karl and I started building a woodshed on the site of the old Wash house.  The old wash house received its building consent in 1910.  Its not longer there but conveniently the concrete base and low walls are.  Having no idea what we were doing, we set off to buy an impact drill, a masonary bit, a spirit level and dynabolts.  Jesse and Karl were hopeful that it could be built this Sunday afternoon.  I was more realistic and decided on 3 weeks (weekends only after deducting rugby and rugby training).  By 3.30pm our backs were absolutely shagged and neither of us could stand up straight any more (to be fair, yesterday we did do a heap of work around the property.  Karl started his rough draft of the woodshed, and I mowed the lawns, weed ate the top half of the bottom section and pulled apart most of the cartage pellets the woman who sold us the place left behind).  Our backs called all the shots and we threw in the towel for the day.  We will get back into it next Saturday, but at the moment the woodshed has its uprights (the studs) only standing.  It looks like a wooden version of stonehenge erected to pay homage to the sun the area in which the woodshed will stand so desperately desires.  That's actually part of the problem and the reason for the woodshed.  There is almost no sun in that area so the wood for burning manages to attract damp - this of course is non beneficial to the wood burner.  The wood burner incidentally pumps out 21kW of power.  That's a huge amount of heat compared to most heat sources.  I brought home a thermostat from work for the weekend to measure the heat in the house.  I was pleasantly surprised to note that the lounge (which is the room in which the wood burner resides) when the fire has been going for about an hour, has an average temperature of 26 degrees celcius (top temperature is 30 degrees which is far too hot), and the bedrooms, after the heat transfer system has been on for about an hour, has an average temperature of 19.4 degrees celcius.  It is just wonderful to go to bed and never have to feel cold, or get dressed quickly lest jack frost bites your member.  All in all, we are very very happy with the fireplace and heat transfer system when they operate together.  The fire is sonderful on its own but the high stud (12') holds all of the heat in that room.  Back to work tomorrow.  Mum has now been home from the infirmary for the past 4 days and she is steadily showing signs of improvement.  She still gets tired, but her sleeping binges seem to be getting further and further apart.  She had a smoke yesterday.  Very disppointing.  She has had a couple today as well.  Less disappointing - mainly because I knew that as soon as she had her first one that would be it.  Hopefully she manages to keep the number of smokes per day down to the bare minimum, but seeing she's been smoking since she was 13 years old, I think that unless she stops fully, that will be unlikely thing.

Jesse's first day of the term tomorrow, and he's not looking forward to it very much.  Never mind, only 5 months until Christmas.

Nite nite everyone.

Interim diagnosis

Mum is set to come home tomorrow; still very crook with 70% of her left lung damaged.  It seems likely that she has Legionaires Disease, contracted from breathing the dust of potting mix.  A week and a half ago she re-potted the Yukkas.  The hospital say that they will know for sure in 3 weeks time, so I guess they will be growing cultures to see exactly what it is they are dealing with. They have her on a new set of anti-biotics which by all accounts must be working (seeing they are sending her home).  They have told her that she should start feeling a little better in about 3 months time, and should be back to full capacity in 6 months or so.  Can you believe that?

Her resolve to give up smoking seems still to be there - have I mentioned this?  She has accepted the advice of the stop-smoking counsellor at the hospital.  That's a really good thing because I reckon the timeframes for wellness will be based on someone who doesn't smoke.  All Karl and I have to do is come up with some way of supporting her through it, although without actually giving it up ourselves that will be really difficult.  Tonight I will remove all tobacco/cigarettes from the house so that she isn't tempted by their sensual winks and suggestions.  A load of wood is being delivered tomorrow that will block her car in the driveway so she won't be able to drive to the shops to buy a pack, and her lung won't allow her to take dhamks pony the 5 blocks to the nearest shop.  This I think will be harder for Karl and I than it will for Mum.  Jesse seems rapt by the whole idea. 

Pray for us!!!

Pneumonia sucks!

Mum was admitted to hospital this morning with pneumonia in her left lung.  She was very dehydrated and in extreme pain.  They put a line into her arm and gave her saline and, just as magic water on the rugby field can make an injured man miraculously cured of all that ails him, the saline perked her up almost immediately.  Didn't take the pneumonia away but it certainly made her a lot more lucid.  It also made her hungry and she managed to put away a bowl of hospital soup.  When asked how long she is likely to have to stay in hospital, the respiratory doctor said that she'll be there at least until the weekend is over.  They have to make sure that all of the pneumonia has gone before she's allowed to leave and they will also be looking o see if there is anything sinister that might be causing it.  I certainly hope not, but the smoking can't be helping.  She's had about 2 cigarettes since monday - a drag here and a drag there, and tonight when I saw her the hospital I sensed that she might actually be thinking about giving up.  I reckon she's had a bit of a scare.  I learnt something today.  The doctor asked her how long she'd been smoking, and she said since she was 13.  Thirteen years old!  Jesse's 9 now, which means that in 4 years time he'll be the same age as his grandmother was when she took up smoking.  If he does the same there will be serious trouble in our household.  Not that I can lecture him too much about the evils of smoking seeing I indulge myself, but until he's brave enough to defy me (and to buy his own) he won't be smoking while he lives under my roof.  The reality is though that he'll sneak them while he's out (hopefully at some reasonably old age) and by teh time I catch him he'll be addicted to them and I won't be in a position to do anything about it.

We'll see what happens, but it would be really good if Mum could give up after all this time.  If she attempts it then I'll do it too - at the very least she'll need support.  I just have to convince Karl that it will be a good idea for him too, but to give up smoking you really have to decide it for yourself. 

Its quiet here tonight.  Jesse is at his friends house for the second night, Mum is in hospital, and Karl is recovering from his own dose of influenza.  Its so quiet I think I need a cigarette.  I'm hanging out for sex too!  Karl being sick and all doesn't really help much.  Never mind, I'll have a cigarette and pretend that its post coital.

Good night kiwi.

Saline, stat!

Karl is clearly on the mend.  He's taking fluids now and has eaten something for dinner.  The course of anti-biotics prescribed to him obviously, it seems to me, are doing their job well.  He's still lethargic, although he's getting pretty tired of being tired, and that in itself is quite tiring.

 

Mum on the other hand isn't doing so well.  Her visit to the doctor this morning resulted in a course of anti-biotics, not to treat the influenza the doctor says she has, but to prevent the onset of pneumonia.  She's suffered from it before so it is an obvious complication for her following the flu.  She is just the most miserable I've seem her in a good number of years.  She tells me that she is suffering all the same symptoms as she did when she had pneumonia last time.  She's in bed now, but I'm a little afraid to go to bed myself just in case she deteriorates and needs me during the night.  Unless the anti-biotics start having a very real effect by the morning I think I'll be carting her off to casualty and ask that she get anti-biotics by I.V.  I don't actually know what the danger is, but its scary nonetheless.

Good night, Vance.