The House Husband

I’m pretty sure it would be next to impossible doing the washing without a machine with only one hand. With a machine it’s not too bad but everything takes a bit longer because you have to think ahead. And carrying the full laundry basket downstairs can be a bit scary with poodles jumping around you.

Still, I’ve managed a few loads today and didn’t really have too many problems until it came time to fold the sheets. This took some doing, I can tell you. Of course, it’s made all the harder when Carmen tries to help by sitting on each corner. I made a bit of a fist of it the first time but then used the bed to lay it out and then joined the corners up. This worked…sort of. It doesn’t look too pretty but at least they fit in the linen drawer where no-one can see them. The big test comes on Friday when I try and make the bed. I’m not looking forward to the pillow slips!

Today I noticed a couple of big bruises on my arm, above and below the elbow. One of the side effects of the painkillers is a higher likelihood of bruising. I’m fairly certain this was where the nurse held on to my arm while the doctor reset the bone. I never bruise so can only assume their appearance is primarily due to the tablets.

Speaking of pain, it’s not as continuous as it has been and the throbbing only happens at night. I get sharp pains around where the bone(s) broke every now and then but basically it all just feels very uncomfortable if I lower my arm too far. Mostly I sit with it sticking up in the air.

For anyone who wants to see what it looks like, I’ve managed to take this photo. You can see the bruising.

Arm in plaster

After talking to someone at the hospital yesterday, I am now going to see a specialist on Tuesday because, she said, Thursday would be a waste of time.

Christmas eve and the rain hasn’t stopped. Dad had to go into the hospital today so the hospital could do what they needed to do, and I was to be left in charge of the house. Denise turned up bright and early and whisked them off.

Trace then turned up to take me shopping for mum & dad’s Christmas present part 2. Before she turned up, and following orders from mum, I put out her towels to dry. The sky was grey in patches but there was also plenty of wind and sun. I figured it would dry before it rained. It just shows how incredibly silly I can be sometimes.

We were in the car, just about to cross the Kawana Island bridge and the rain came down a-teeming. Trace also had washing on her line so we both sighed.

There is a ridiculous amount of rain around Queensland this year (and elsewhere in Australia). The news is full of floods, stranded cars, kids surfing in their back gardens and the usual tale of woe about how this woman’s house was flooded two years ago and took months to dry out and now it’s happened again. Well, der. You live by the river, you flood by the river. So I always say, anyway.

Now I don’t mind a bit of rain – I wouldn’t live in England if I didn’t – but this is ridiculous. It’s not your nice, friendly, mild-mannered English drizzle. Oh no! This is torrential, get soaked just from looking through the window type rain.

In fact, this afternoon, mum and I popped into the Kawana shopping centre so I could logon and perform some very important online stuff on a public terminal and, while it was fine when we went in, it was pouring when we came out. The drops were so big we were drenched from head to toe after about three feet. Mum had my umbrella but that was as useful as a wheelbarrow on an iceberg.

Rain. Mum and dad actually decided to move to Australia 50 years ago because they were sick of it always raining on their holidays. And that was nice gentle English rain.

Which reminds me, in an entirely different weather related vein. Trace had a call from Mitchell (her youngest who is presently in Norwich) in the early hours of this morning telling her how it’s started raining in Norfolk and the snow is vanishing. He now has the wonderful slush to look forward to. Lucky boy. Though he did say they are predicting a white Christmas. And I get rain. And humidity.

So the towels have had about 28 rinses while hanging around on the washing line. Just as they are almost dry, the rain decides they could do with another soaking. Pointless. Wish mum had a dryer. Not that she’d use it.

Here’s the sad old towels after their umpteenth rinse, looking a bit sorry for themselves.

Well rinsed washing

Also, I thought this next shot would show how awful the day is but it didn’t quite work. Still, the trees look like they’re suffering a bit.

Trees at the edge of a Queensland cyclone

Actually, it’s really three. My assignment for Information Retrieval was in two parts. I just finished and submitted them. This is a good thing because they are due tomorrow morning by 10am.

I managed to fit in a few breaks today. Naturally, I took the puppies up to the park. It looked so lovely, I took a photo of them sitting in the avenue of trees.

The poodles sitting obediently in the Avenue of Trees, Farnham Park

For another break I mowed the lawn for the second time this year. And during the day I managed to work my way through the washing.

Anyway, I decided to celebrate finishing my essay(s) by putting the Globe photos on the website. You can see them here.

Tomorrow I have a big day. It’s my second session at the Science Museum. I have a huge mound of clean clothes to put away and then I’m off to bed.