Listening to the Voices in my Head

A lot of people just don't get it

Many times, when I go visit people, I smile, have a great time. What people don't see is the next day when I am almost in tears from back and leg pain. I swallow pain killers when make me lethargic, but at least keep me functional.

I didn't ask or plan for a disc to calcify in my spine, and then collapse. I also didn't expect 6 weeks after the surgery for someone to make me walk, using a cane, for 2 kilometers. It set back my recovery at least two weeks. Then, SOMEONE not learning from what happened to me, two weeks later, we go to a cinema with horrible seats (not going to mention the hobbling walk to the cinema and back), and THEN to a cafe with even worse ones. Did I mention the low to the ground sports car, where I was pretty my folded up in the seat, knees up at a 70 degree angle? It was all I could do not to sob uncontrollably in pain. It took me 3 weeks to recover from that movie/cafe combo.

Too often, chairs and sofas are too low (I'm supposed to sit with my knees at an angle UNDER my hips). Getting out of them after sitting for a while is, no joke, white hot agony. But I smile, and never let on.

Of course the next day, I am a case of "Better Living Through Chemistry".

I can't walk faster, but I'm not 'lazy'. Many have seen me doing yardwork, go on all day photowalks, go for long hikes in the woods, or over rocky terrain. Stalking birds for hour after hour.

So, when we go for a walk through the city, I have two choices. Get left way behind, or limp to walk faster and schedule the eating of pain meds the next day. Ain't that a hoot?

Pet insurance is definitely worth it

Just sent Ziggy's filled out claim form to the vet for them to put in the info and forward it to PetPlan.

Many people have said "Why not just set up a savings account for pet expenses?" Yes, in a perfect world, when just normal things like check ups and vaccinations are the norm, this would be a good solid plan.

HOWEVER, when you have a seriously ill cat (Keito for instance) a small savings account isn't going to help. Keito was in Murdoch Emergency Vet for 9 days. Average cost was $1000 a day, because he needed 24/7, treatment, supervision, surgery and IVs etc etc. (pet haters, beware, I will delete your comments and block your sorry asses, capice?) Because we had pet insurance 65% of the bill was covered.

Ziggy's current bill is no where near that much, but getting $120 again back is good.(yes, again, because she has had this allergy problem a few times this year. $180 per visit.)

Each cat is about $300 a year to cover. That is the price of one emergency vet visit, NOT counting treatment, surgery, medications. $1200. About 1/8th of what Keito's vet bill added up to be. So yeah, definitely well worth it and cost effective.

It might only be 50 cents..

Last month, I changed my Coles Mastercard to e-statements, so more paper statements, saving 50 cents, and a tree, per month.

Got me email notice, checked the statement online, and noticed I was charged 50 cents for paper statement.

I called Coles MC toll free customer service number, got through very quickly, and had the charge reversed immediately. All under 3 minutes.

Considering the wonky customer service I've gotten from Peak Design, and from a services I renewed my subscription, it was a pleasent surprise.

My respect of certain people is plummeting.

The idiotic BernieBro mentality (not to be mistaking with Sen Sanders supporters). Ms Clinton is not a slut, whore, piece of shit, and those are the politest terms I have seen them use.

And then you have the rabid Pro Hillary group (not to be mistaken with Clinton supporters), the ones that cherry pick phrases from an essay Sen Sanders wrote about sexism and say it proves he hates women. And now, women who support Sen Sanders aren't 'going to a special hell'.

Then on top of that, you get the ones that say, like pouting children, if THEIR Democrat doesn't get the nomination, they aren't going to vote. Or worse, attempt to split the ticket OR vote for Trump (yes, I have actually read someone say that.)

I so Want to take them and shake them and say "EITHER of the Dems on their WORST day will be better than any of the GOP choices". But no, like spoiled children, they would prefer to pout and sulk.

This sort of crap give Customer Support a bad name

I got an error at the End of Sale page and it said "Unfortunately there was a problem activating your service. Please Contact Support." so I took screen cap of the error/message and submitted it.

Me:
Subj: Error message at end of sale.
Msg: It said contact support. (image attached)

Them:
Msg: Hello,
Thank your for your message. As far as I can tell, your service is active and should work without any problems. Did you receive an error message or something?

Me:
Msg: I don't mean to sound cranky, but I sent you a screencap of the error I got an the End Of Sale. Didn't anyone bother to look at that? That *was* the error I got, and I even said so in the subject of the request.
If your End Of Sale page is kicking back false error messages, maybe that needs to be seen to, yes?

Hot days, cooler evenings

It does get rather toasty during the days in Perth-ish W.A. (I say Perth-ish as I don't live in the capitol city of Perth, but I can see the skyline of it) That's called summer.

The evenings though, the refreshing "Fremantle Doctor" aka ocean breeze kicks in and cools things down. Wing and I went out with a group of local photographers to have a wander around the newly opened "Elizabeth Quay".

Preparing ahead of time

For the next 5 days, we are going to be having 40c/105f degree or over temperatures. So, I have prepped as much as I can. Not just for me, but for the local wildlife/birds.

All the birdbaths have been scrubbed and refilled with fresh water. I will check on them a few times a day to make sure the water hasn't gotten hot in the sun. They are in shade most of the time, but planetary rotation and all that puts them in the sun for some of day.

Plants were well watered before the sun came up, with cool water from the garden hose.

The AC; I have it set at 27c. And if anyone thinks that is too hot, I will invite them to stand outside for a few minutes.

Persistence paid off

That and Wing not sleeping too well.

I ended up getting up at just the right time, to get outside at just the right time, to get a photograph of the 5 Planets and the Moon in Alignment.

Kit used: Canon 5D3, 8-15mm fisheye lens.

Jumped from it one time too many

Ziggy liked the armrest I had gotten for my desk. She would sit on it when I wasn't using it, as she fit so perfectly. See?



Loki kept trying to do the same, but at twice her weight, I wouldn't let him get on it.

Ziggy used it one time too many for a springboard, and it broke. Me, being the type that thinks ahead, went into my bedroom, rummaged around the top of my wardrobe, and got the other one out (different style, so won't have the same structural weakness the previous one had.) and bonus, this one has a wrist rest built in.

Here's hoping the new one lasts a bit longer.