Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!

Hi there

... and how does a person celebrate her birthday in lockdown?  Improvise, that's how.  Besides, improvising takes up twenty minutes and that's twenty minutes out of boredom and  closer to release time.

Only another fortnight to go....

Covid-19 - Coping

Hi there

I still can't get it into my head that Covid-19 is slithering around the world.    It seems impossible, like some sort of movie-of-the-week.  But it's real life, and people are sick and dying, and it's all so unbelievable, and sad, and disgraceful, and ...  and ...  Nope, can't think of words that are heavy enough to cover what's going on ...

My fave country in the whole world is Italy.  It breaks my heart to read about what the Italian people are going through.  I remember the time I was lost in Rome, and in a panic, and this elderly woman stranger took me over, like a mother hen.  She walked me down the streets, pointed where I should go and when I tried to thank her, she told me that her son was overseas and her wish was that if he got lost, someone would help him.  I was 21 at the time, and even now, whenever I see an obvious lost tourist in New Zealand, I rush to help.

I did return to Italy a few years back.  Beforehand I took a six day 'Tourist Italian" course.   I learnt and understood navigation of streets, shops, menus, transport, hotels, everyday phrases, etc.   For example, I would ask someone (in Italian) where a pharmacy was and when the answer came back, "down two blocks, through the traffic lights, then turn right", I would understand.

New Zealand Lockdown

Hi there

I'm exercising as much as I can, what with a sprained knee and a torn ligament in my ankle.  Twenty minutes around the backyard every second day, followed by hand weights.

I guess we have to have "Faith of the Heart" (a favourite song) -

First Day of Lockdown

Hi there

Well, yesterday was the first day of Lockdown.  I have an exercycle, rebounder, aerobic step, weights, dumbells.  So I guess I'm covered for exercise - if I feel like doing it.

And I wrote out a menu for the whole of my first week in prison - oh, wait, no, I mean 'Lockdown'.  If the queen works out her forward menus whilst she's lying in bed eating her muesli and scrambled eggs, then I can do the same thing.  I now feel as if I have some control over my life by plotting out my menus.   I have enough food to get me through the 4 week Lockdown, even though a lot of it isn't that appetising.  The worry is that, of course, I will shortly run out of fresh food, but the supermarkets have said that they will bring in a lot of fresh stuff to the detriment of unnecessary sells.

Be kind ...

Hi there

Well, from Wednesday midnight, New Zealand will be in lockdown.  Isolation.  Especially for older people.  Four weeks minimum, maybe four months. 

And I only have a teeny deep freeze: stick in a couple of loaves of bread, a packet of fish fingers, a lamb roast, and that's about all the darn thing will take.  I can see that dieting is on the cards.

I wish everyone around the world pleasant thoughts, and the wish that we emerge unscathed.  Be kind to each other.

Melbourne and After

Hi there

I was so scared taking the plane to Melbourne because I still have this cough, left over from last November.  I had my doctor write me a letter saying it was an acute cough and nothing to do with the Corona Virus.  Luckily, I got through Melbourne Airport without coughing.

However, I was wearing this clumpy ankle brace (stupid sprained ankle).  The brace had the maker's logo in some sort of metal on the front of it and I got stopped in Melbourne as I went through the x-ray machine.  Staff came running.   My brace was swabbed for explosves, then I was taken to the side and swabbed twice more for drugs.  I was highly indignant.  I would have enjoyed it more if they had been filming for "Border Security".  Darn.

Melbourne, itself, wasnt that spectacular for me because I couldn't walk very well.  I went to three shows, two of which I had a seat in the dress circle.  And no lift to get up there.  I tell you, my four readers, that I took for.....ever to get up and down those stairs.

Tell you what, though -  thank you, Thin Lizzy concealer:  you saved my days, otherwise I would have been walking through Melbourne with two black eyes.

###

This weekend is the first anniversary of the horrendous killings at the Mosque in Christchurch.  I cannot understand how some people can have no empathy for others.  My heart goes out to the community.

On dear..

Hi there

Remember when I said that I always seem to get injured or ill just before a holiday or while I'm on holiday? Well -

I was in Melbourne all last week, but four days before I left, I tripped over a little curb in the Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand ) carpark.  Flat on my face, terribly sprained my ankle (yes, yes, it was less than a month since I sprained the opposite knee!).

I didn't know right up till the day of travelling whether I could manage the trip.  So with a brace on my ankle, Thin Lizzy concealer covering two black eyes, and att-i-tude in my heart,  I hobbled onto the plane.

***
PS: the black eyes got worse than in the photo.