Suzy McHale’s Diary: 2017
Events of note for this year: Michele, Chris and family had to move out from The Gap and found a new place to rent in Ferny Grove in February. My cousin Kevin Reilly visited us for the day on Monday 18 December (I had not seen him for a few decades – late 1980s, maybe?).
January
Sunday 1/1
7:04 p.m.: A quiet night and day as usual for me on New Year’s Day. I got little sleep; could not turn my brain off so I passed the time browsing the Internet on my iPad2 (still going, though its operating system can’t be updated anymore) as is my habit now. Time seems to go quicker at night, oddly. I have been tired during the day though. I did hear the fireworks in Melbourne, around 15 km away in a straight line. I have no New Year’s resolutions, also as usual.
February
Saturday 4/2
Graze on my right inner elbow from fall
5:59 p.m.: Last Saturday I went into the City and managed to trip up somehow and fall forward onto the pavement (Elizabeth Street, on the way to the Minotaur Bookshop) – ouch! Hard and painful; I bruised my right arm – got a graze on the inner elbow – and tore the muscle on my right chest over my ribs. I could not stop myself falling and the accompanying shock (adrenaline spike) was unpleasant also. A couple of nice guys asked if I was okay. I felt very shaken for a while afterwards, and am sore and tired today. I was upset that my blue Uniqlo hoodie jacket got a bit dirty and a small hole in the arm also. Today it is a week since my fall and I am still sore! On my right side, over my ribs and right pectoral muscle, when I move in certain directions or breathe in deeply. Maybe it’s just a bruise (though there is nothing showing on the surface skin), maybe I tore some muscle there, or even cracked a rib? Don’t think it’s worth going to the doctor for as there is not much they could do (as in plaster it over or whatever).
Saturday 11/2
2:37 p.m.: Two weeks after my fall, and I am feeling better; the soreness has mostly gone.
Michele and family have found a unit to rent; their address from 23/2 will be Unit 5, 82 Bergin Road, Ferny Grove QLD 4055, phone: 07 3351 8726. (See 13/6/2015 entry; they had to move from The Gap as their church at which Chris was pastor closed.) As they have a large pet dog (Strider the Doberman), this made finding a rental property more difficult.
Saturday 18/2
1:49 p.m.: I was dismayed to see our front fence had a couple of silver spray paint streaks on it; these must have been done last night. Not tagging as such; looks like someone was testing their spraycan. Very annoying and difficult to remove in any case (the fence is a metal Colorbond). It has had some damage from deliberate denting over the years (last time was on 6/11/2010; a whole panel was kicked in). Graffiti vandals should get a hand amputated if caught; I am so sick of the tagging scourge that is defacing much of Melbourne.
Monday 27/2
3:30 p.m.: We got a pamphlet in the mail last week saying that the corner milk bar at 83 Tucker Road that was closed in November last year (29/11/2016 entry) is to be re-developed into a cafe, called the Good Times Milk Bar. Don’t know how viable it will be with the other two coffee shops and fish & chips shop and pizza takeaway, so we shall see.
March
Friday 10/3
4:03 p.m.: Mum finally went to the dentist today (after not going for 3 years or so) – Southland Dental Surgery – and she now has to get four fillings done; an expensive procedure. She snacks on sweets, cake and biscuits, so it is not surprising decay is evident.
I am due for my yearly checkup later this month, so will have to make an appointment soon, which I am not looking forward to as usual; I hope I don’t get a nasty surprise in the form of another filling/s. I have been diligent in looking after my teeth. Dentists now like to have patients visit every 6 months, but it is simply not affordable for me to go that often.
Autumn is here. The weather has been warm and dry the last couple of weeks (high 20 degrees to low 30s); as the intensity of summer has waned, the warmth is more bearable, even pleasant. I much prefer it to the miserable rain and cold that seemed prevalent last year.
Wednesday 15/3
5:44 p.m.: Mum went to the dentist yesterday and had 2 of her 4 needed fillings done. She gets the other two done next Friday week (24/3).
Timothy Perona, Michele’s 3rd child, is coming to stay here for a few days in late May to see some friends.
Saturday 25/3
5:51 p.m.: Mum had her second dentist visit yesterday and had a temporary filling put in; it will be there for 6 months to see how the tooth settles. She has decay under her old fillings (teeth are “crumbling,” in her words).
April
Saturday 1/4
5:34 p.m.: I made a dental appointment, but could not get in until 18/4, a little over 2 weeks away. I am concerned about a side filling patch on my lower right first molar, put there in 2008 to cover some gum recession; the edges feel raised. There was no drilling or decay when it was placed. I hope I can get it removed and that there is no decay underneath; I should not have got it in the first place (see 5/2/2008 entry). So I will be fretting until then; the cost is the major concern (now $162 just for a checkup and clean). I have two other side patches (see my Teeth page). Wish I could afford gum grafting as I have recession at the bases of several teeth, but it would cost thousands of dollars.
Dad’s 84th birthday was on Thursday 30/3; he and Mum went out for lunch with Pastor Kang.
Monday 3/4
2:35 p.m.: Today is a perfect sunny Autumn day; clear sky, cool morning and pleasantly warm afternoon. Mum said the weather for her wedding day (13/3/1968) was similar to today.
Tuesday 18/4
5:31 p.m.: The dentist visit went well, thankfully; no new cavities, so I had a checkup and clean. Dr Smitha also smoothed out the side filling that was a bit raised. Visit now costs $162 for these procedures; last year it was $155.
We are having more Autumnal weather now, with cold mornings and fine still days. The sun is at a lower angle and kinder. Deciduous tree leaves are turning red and yellow at last. Autumn seems especially to evoke nostalgic feelings in me. The cold weather is unpleasant for me, though.
Mum and Dad are going away to Kyneton Bushland Resort next week (leave Thursday 27th) for what has become their annual week-long break. I am not looking forward to it as getting around will be much more difficult for me – as I still can’t drive, I am reliant on public transport or walking.
Mum has a sore left leg, or hip or knee, and is going to the doctor tomorrow for a diagnosis. If she has to have physiotherapy the Kyneton holiday may be delayed.
Saturday 29/4
1:47 p.m.: Mum and Dad left for Kyneton on Thursday. They arrived there OK, though Dad missed the turnoff for the Bolte Bridge and they had to go another way, which was exhausting when trying to negotiate heavy traffic (especially contending with trucks). Mum did remark during her evening phone call to me that Yarraville (a suburb near the West Gate Bridge) was a desolate place. They spent the next day in their cabin recovering.
I rode my bicycle to Southland on Thursday afternoon after they left; this was extremely tiring as my bike is old, heavy and has not had any servicing in years. The next day I took the bus to Chadstone Shopping Centre and back. Today I walked to Southland and back (45 minutes each way), so I am tired again.
May
Saturday 6/5
2:58 p.m.: Mum and Dad returned home safely on Thursday. Dad apparently had some sort of fall while in the kitchen at their Kyneton cabin; he nearly choked on a rock cake and managed to fall over when trying to dislodge it, and blacked out briefly. Mum’s left leg is still a bit sore.
I had a quiet week; walked to Southland and back on Monday and Wednesday. There has been rain through the week, though not as bad as it was last year.
Friday 12/5
5:29 PM: Today was one of those perfect Autumn days: still, mildly warm and the leaves of deciduous trees turning all shades of reds and yellows. The morning was quite chilly – 7°C or so – making it hard to get up. The sky was hazy all day, with the sunlight golden and shadows blue. Such days bring feelings of nostalgia for me, as though they could last for an eternity.
Tuesday 30/5
12:07 PM: Our electric hot water heater broke down yesterday, so Dad had to get a new one installed ($2000 or so! :-(). The old one was installed during the Longford gas explosion on 25 September 1998, so it has lasted nearly 19 years (we previously had gas hot water).
June
Thursday 22/6
2:27 PM: Timothy Perona arrived today. I just met him. He seems nice. Again I am worried about not being able to do my usual routines, so we shall see. I get stressed out and am tired.
Little else of interest. Winter solstice was yesterday. Weather is cold and damp, though there were some nice days earlier this week. I hate winter and want it to be over.
Thursday 29/6
5:30 PM: Timothy departed for Queensland yesterday. On Sunday he went to the MCG to see Richmond play Carlton; happily, Richmond won! He spent most of each day out visiting his grandparents (Chris’s parents) or friends.
I went to the GP today to get my ears syringed as there was some wax build-up. Last visit for this was 14/12/2015.
July
Tuesday 4/7
3:00 PM: Saturday and Sunday mornings were the coldest Melbourne mornings in two years – only 1°C or so – and I was freezing and miserable. I went on my early morning walk on Saturday and thought I would die, I was that cold (despite my Uniqlo Blocktech coat and pants). I did not go on my early morning bicycle ride on Sunday; it would have been torture. I did find that putting on an old heavy coat on top of my Uniqlo one blocks out most of the cold, so I have been doing that since then.
August
Monday 14/8
1:34 PM: Parents are going away to Kyneton Bushland Resort for one week from Friday 1 September to Friday 8, which is only 2 weeks away. The weather is slowly warming up so I hope things will be a bit more bearable by then. Pink blossom is appearing on the flowering plum street trees.
Saturday 19/8
3:52 PM: An email (Thursday 10/8) from Michele to Dad, with an update on her course placement:
I’m actually not in the main hospital of RBWH itself but with one other colleague a bit down the road at a place called ‘GARU’ (Geriatric Assessment and Rehabilitation Unit). On our first day (orientation) we were at the main hospital and there we chose what we wanted to be a part of from a list. I decided on this one because this is my interest at this stage. It’s a 30 bed hospital (upstairs) and patients (of varying adult ages) are brought downstairs for OT, Physio and Speech Therapy. Day patients are also treated here. This week is an orientation week and I’m following my supervisor about and watching her and sometimes talking to patients. There are several stroke cases amongst the mix. I’m there from 8-4:30 so it’s a long day and hopefully I’ll get used to it as at the moment I’m very tired by the end of the day for any other uni work. Maybe next week we might have patients but I’m not sure. They’re all lovely and friendly people and are happy to answer questions and want us to feel as though we are a part of the team (even though we are uni students).
September
Monday 4/9
3:48 PM: Mum and Dad left for Kyneton Bushland Resort last Friday 1/9 to spend the usual week there; they return next Friday (hopefully safely). I am going through my usual routines. I walk to Southland and back as I want the extra exercise (though it tires me out) and don’t want to pay the bus fare home.
Weather is still cold; impatiently awaiting summer and warmth.
I will not have had my periods for two years (last was on 22/9/2015). I do not miss them, health consequences be damned. If the scales are correct, my weight is around 41-42 kg. I am weak and tired (muscle wastage), my hair has thinned out, and I look like I have spent a few months in a concentration camp (bones!), but I like being able to fit into smaller size clothing and don’t want to outgrow these again like I did last time. I don’t want help or recovery, just to maintain. I eat a lot, but mainly steamed vegetables, some cereal and bread, eggs, some chicken and a can of tuna. I also have a daily latté (with skim milk, no sugar but sweetener instead) and some no-fat/no-added-sugar yoghurt. I try to avoid foods with added refined sugar or oils, though all the breads seem to have vegetable oil in their ingredients, annoyingly.
I wish I could get onto the disability pension, but the mean bastards in the Liberal government have made acquiring welfare such a punitive ordeal that I don’t think I could get myself qualified. I cannot cope with work, certainly not the demoralizing process of looking for employment – I am now very long-term unemployed with no qualifications or skills, and am probably unemployable. I just want to be a recluse and to be left alone to live in my inner world. I wish a Basic Income were paid to all citizens in Australia, but the nasty attitude towards welfare so-called “dole-bludgers” makes that prospect near-impossible.
Wednesday 6/9
5:43 PM: Mum and Dad are coming home tomorrow – a day early – due to the unpleasant weather all this week. A cold front from Antarctica has brought cold westerly winds and rain, and snow outside Melbourne. I am thankful they are doing that as this week has been difficult.
Thursday 7/9
5:39 PM: Mum and Dad arrived home safely, around lunchtime. Weather is still unpleasantly cold and showery.
The second milk bar at 75 Tucker Road has now closed, quietly (no announcement), so after decades there is no old-fashioned milk bar at the corner shops. A Chinese lady ran it; they seemed to have finished there (perhaps they got their permanent residency visa after 2 years running a business). Tucker Road Coffee Merchants at the top corner now sells newspapers, I noticed today, and Secret Cookies sells bread and milk. The north corner is under construction where the Good Times Milk Bar will be.
Thursday 14/9
2:10 PM: I applied online for my Health Care Card renewal on 25 August (and also mailed in a physical form with relevant documents), but unlike last year (1/9/2016 entry) the replacement card still has not arrived, my current one expires next Friday 22/9, and I am getting very stressed and anxious as Centrelink is now almost impossible to contact or deal with, no thanks to the punitive attitude towards the unemployed by the Government and its continual degrading of the service. I am dreading the thought of having to go to the place (nearest is in Cheltenham, near Southland) in person, due to the horrendous wait times and customer service. I have an online MyGov account but there is no feedback as to the status of my claim.
I realized it is a little over 20 years since my last visit to Gran’s home at 14 Bridge Street Elsternwick – on 14/5/1997. I miss being young; I miss the old days and the relatives now gone, when I had some hope for my future.
4:14 PM: I decided to try to ring Centrelink (132490 for Health Care Card) and amazingly got through. Around 20 minutes or so on hold after persisting past the annoying automated machine responder; I asked for “Operator” and got through to a human. She took my details, then put me through to the relevant department (another 20 m or so wait). According to the woman there my card has not yet been processed, so she took my details and said it should be done soon. So at least I have some knowledge of its status now, but I don’t know if I will receive it in time before my current card expires next Friday; I will then have to visit in person for a temporary card anyway.
Sunday 17/9
3:00 PM: Today was almost warmish, though beginning with a chilly morning (4°C or so) up to around 15°C. A couple of days in the low 20s forecast for later this week.
I will spend this week anxiously awaiting my Health Card Card; my current one expires this coming Friday. I am not confident the replacement will arrive in time. Next year I will ring up a week after sending if it doesn’t arrive by then.
I decided to stop going out for my ½-hour bicycle ride in the early morning; I am tired of the cold and I don’t have the strength now to push my bicycle along (it is old and heavy, which doesn’t help).
Saturday 23/9
11:58 AM: My current Health Care Card expired yesterday and I still do not have a replacement one. I went to the Centrelink office in Cheltenham yesterday and the lady at the greeting stand told me that mine was being processed, but it would take 1-2 weeks for it to be mailed out. Very frustrating, as I will not have a new card I can use until then (it allows fare discounts on public transport as well as doctor visits). I could not even get a temporary card in the meantime. The lady spoke very quickly and I found it a bit hard to follow what she was saying. Something about cards not being processed until a month after the digital form was filled out online? (I filled my form out on 25 August – well within the time limit.) I am baffled as to what has changed, as last year my replacement card arrived in around one week after applying for a renewal.
Today’s weather is gloriously warm and sunny – a clear sky; but sadly not to last, with a cool change due later.
If my scales are correct, my weight is around 41 kg or so; I look like I have spent a few months in a concentration camp! I do not feel optimal, but bones are elegant, fat is not – I like the way I look, despite the ill-effects. I like being able to fit into smaller-size clothes and do not want to outgrow them again (a waste of all the money spent on them). I did that after my first time in my early 20s, and was not any happier.
I had my hair cut for the first time in nearly a year! Had a couple of inches taken off; I might go again before Christmas and get a couple more off as it becomes a nuisance to manage when longer.
Thursday 28/9
4:17 PM: I have not received my replacement Health Card Card yet, but some progress: I went into the Cheltenham Centrelink office today and was able to get a temporary HCC form (lasts until 10 October). My card application has been processed, so it should arrive in the mail in the next week or two. The iPad/iPhone Centerlink “app” (application – a self-contained program) shows my digital wallet card has at last been updated to expire on 22 September 2018, so that is another indication. I will not be entirely relieved, though, until the physical card arrives. It has been a lot of stress and worry, unlike last year.
October
Tuesday 10/10
5:43 PM: Still no sign of my Health Care Card in the mail. I applied online for another replacement one in case the sent one has been lost.
The Studio 77 hairdresser and beauty salon at the local shops up the road (Patterson/Tucker Roads) has quietly closed, since last or this week. It has been there quite a few years – since the 1990s at least – so I wonder why it has gone.
November
Monday 13/11
Tuesday 1/8: Meteor! And the ISS
I neglected to mention that back on Tuesday 1st August I saw a meteor! (Or perhaps space debris.) I was coming home from my morning walk down the driveway around 5:20 a.m. and saw a brief bright streak coming down into the west. It was bluish-white in color, leaving a short trail behind it.
My 47th birthday last Thursday was quiet, as usual. I received $100 and nice cards from Michele (a hummingbird) and my parents (a peacock).
The weather is warming up and will reach 30°C or so in the next couple of days.
Wednesday 29/11
8:01 AM: The remaining backyard pond goldfish (5 of them) died last week – Dad took them out to clean the pond and I found 3 of the fish dead on Tuesday morning, with the last 2 in bad shape. These were dead by Wednesday. Dad says he will get some more fish soon.
Kevin Reilly (one of my cousins – Aunty Hilda’s eldest son from her second marriage) will be coming to stay for a couple of days in mid-December (17/12), on his way to visit Aunty Hilda and Uncle John in Tasmania.
I had my hair cut again yesterday; the last time was 18/9 and before that I had not had it cut for around a year (20/10/2016). It had got long and straggly, and was annoying and difficult to manage. It is now around 4 inches shorter (to just below my shoulders) and feels much better.
December
Sunday 31/12
Last day of 2017, and not much to show for it. I have maintained my weight at least (around 41 kg or so). I have not done much creatively; I am in a near-inactive period there.
Christmas Day was quiet, as is usual for me now; just me and Mum and Dad (I did not have Christmas lunch with them as I am strict about what I eat now). I did receive an iPod Nano (generation 5) that Dad had bought a few years ago and had used little, so I am happy to inherit it.
6:00 PM Sunday, 31 December 2017