THeRe'S An AnGeL On My ShOuLdEr...

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Happy Trails 

Last night I couldn't sleep, so rather than think about bills, an impending interview, an impending funeral, the fact that I can't find my silver bracelet & all the other crap that usually fills my head, I turned my thoughts to a memorable family holiday.

I was about 8 or 9. The family (Mum, Dad, Sue, Simon & Me) hitched the caravan to the old Holden Premier & headed for the Grampians. It was the first of sever trips I have made there. A beautiful place. It was the September school holidays, hence it was cold and wet. Very wet. One of the wetest winters on record. It was the cold & wet that made the holiday so event-filled and memorable.

The first incident was when Dad took a wrong turn. As we were towing a caravan, a simple U-turn was out of the question, so Dad pulled into a farm to turn the car & caravan around. Well, that was the plan, until the caravan got bogged & we were stuck there for an hour trying to get it out.

When we finally got to the Halls Gap Caravan Park, we found that it was half underwater. Flippers were required to get to the toilet block! Because it was so wet, Mum thought it would be a good idea to get me some gumboots. She promptly told me not to play in the puddles, but of course, that's exactly what I did.

The first and second nights, I fell off the top bunk, thereafter being banned from sleeping up there & was made to sleep with Sue on the converted table/bed/thingy. I have a long history of falling off bunk beds in caravans & even have a scar to prove it.

Because of the cold & wet, there were more waterfalls than the regular sights, as all of the stone steps to the viewing areas for them ran with torrents of water. I don't remember seeing so much water.

The Piece de Resistance though was yet to come with a drive up to the top of the highest peak whereupon we found it to be snowing! We'd never seen snow before. Sue & I, after a quick exploration, hopped back into the warm car (the heaters worked well in the old Premier). Simon however decided to scare Sue by throwing a snowball at the car window. Good move....not. Of course we then discovered, the hard way, that the sudden change in temperature would cause the window to shatter! Brilliant!! We spent the next day driving to Horsham trying to find a replacement. Of course there was none available & we had to make do with plastic until we returned home.

For all of the dramas, it's still one of the best family holidays I can remember. But I'm glad that we eventually discovered on-site caravans and cabins for future holidays.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

I See The Light 

I see the light, and now I know it's not a train coming the other way.

The last few weeks have been sheer hell, the last week and a half in particular. I didn't think I could survive it. I thought I was going mad. I never thought I would ever be 'me' again. It scared the crap out of me, and that, of course, only made everything worse.

The Dr has precribed Cipramil to manage the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I think it's working - to a degree. The side effects of going on it were truly horrible, as I knew they would be. That was one of the reasons I resisted going back on medication. Been there, done that. But every day, I'm feeling a little better, and can eat a little more & not feel quite so sick. Needless to say that after nearly three months of feeling nauseous, I'm somewhat thinner than I used to be. Yesterday I tried on a pair of size 11 jeans. They fitted more or less but I figured that now I could eat, I might put on a bit of weight. I was well & truly a size 14 before developing GAD. I should make the most of it & try & tone up what's left.

On a sad note, my close friends' Father passed away last Thursday after battling Cancer. He found out last October as did the Father of my other close friend, Donna. Her Father passed away in January, on her birthday. He didn't suffer for too long. So much sadness & pain.

On a bright note (& it will be when you hear what I'm wearing!), my niece is having her 21st on Friday night. It's a Retro themed party. What to wear? Well, we went op-shopping for some inspiration & I found the most gorgeous (or revolting) 70's suit. It's bright red un-cut cord/velvet and consists of long wide-legged pants with a 2 inch cuff & a long sleeved jacket with red & gold buttons. Fits perfectly! Nobody will be able to miss me! My other half managed to find a truly stunning authentic, tight fitting velour windcheater and a pair of cords. All he needs is a little emblem on the left breast & he'd look right at home on the deck of the Enterprise. It should be a good night, and now that I'm feeling better, I should be able to enjoy it.

CoNtAcT

LiNkS

ArChIvEs

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