T1 Diabetes and Jelly Baby Month

JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 

May is Jelly Baby Month, when Jelly Baby products appear in supermarkets, chemists, schools and workplaces across Australia.

Living With Type 1 Diabetes

When you or someone you know is first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it can feel like the whole world has been turned upside down. You may experience a range of reactions including shock, anger, fear or denial. This is completely normal and always remember "you are not alone".

When a person is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it affects the whole family and will pose challenges for everyone. This difficult period will pass and you will learn to cope. Having diabetes will not prevent you or your loved one from enjoying a full and active life.

Progress is being made in the treatment options and management techniques of type 1 diabetes.

Thank you to retail partners Woolworths, Amcal, MyChemist, Chemist Warehouse and Discount Vitamin Warehouse, and  distribution partner Toll IPEC, for their support of this special campaign.

There's a variety of ways that you can support Jelly Baby Month in 2012... 

• Watch this YouTube clip:

• Pre-pay for a merchandise box
• Order a merchandise box and bank funds as you raise them
• Share Jelly Baby lollies with your friends and workmates with a confectionery box

Supporting Jelly Baby Month means that your friends, family, colleagues, clients, suppliers, sporting groups or other clubs will be helping you to be part of a better life for people with type 1 diabetes and ultimately a cure. Click below

Something rotten with Australian Olympic Committee

Swimming Australia has denied allegations it cut a secret deal with London-bound butterfly star Nick D'Arcy that persuaded him to drop legal threats against the federation, before being welcomed back to the Olympic Team. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said he saw no reason to investigate Swimming Australia's conduct, or revisit the merits of D'Arcy's selection for London.

D'Arcy was sacked from the Olympic team in 2008 and was banned from the 2009 world championships after pleading guilty to assaulting fellow Olympian Simon Cowley. D’Arcy’s “Guilty” plea before Magistrate Favretto ensured there was no trial. No witnesses to the event could be called, nor, their statements introduced as evidence.

Simon Cowley's horrific injuries after being attacked by Nick D'Arcy.

Picture: Channel 7 Source: No Source

With the benefit of evidence that was not before (Magistrate Favretto) a NSW District Court judge ruled in 2011 civil action for damages that D’Arcy had not acted in self defence and he was ordered to pay Cowley more than $370,000 in damages.

D’Arcy successfully filed for bankruptcy and was declared bankrupt last year.

This is not the first assault with which D’Arcy has been associated.

Iron man competitor Tim Peach claims D’Arcy king hit him and left him with two black eyes and a broken nose in an altercation outside a Mooloolaba night club in 2006. “I was unrecogniseable with two black eyes and a broken nose", says Peach.

D’Arcy’s father, a surgeon, organised X-Rays and recompensed Peach for lost wages.

Now it has also been revealed that D’Arcy previously threatened another athlete, pole vaulter Matt Boyd. He had gone to Boyd’s house with a group of friends, smashed a glass door and a letterbox, reportedly because Boyd was being friendly with a female whom D’Arcy was seeing.

D’Arcy’s father paid restitution and no complaint was made to the police.

The development raised questions about whether Swimming Australia, or the AOC, might rule him out of contention for London for failing to meet behavioural and ethical standards. At the Australian Olympic Committee, Fiona de Jong says that she took legal advice on D’Arcy’s eligibility for the London Olympics – “The question is”, says de Jong, “does his declaring bankruptcy bring him or his sport into disrepute?”

I think she has missed the point and avoided the underlying issue. D’Arcy is a person with a history of causing bodily harm to others.  He has pleaded guilty to having recklessly caused grievous bodily harm to Cowley and has been convicted of that offence which, at maximum, carries a 10 year imprisonment. He was given a 14 month suspended sentence. The real question for the Olympic Committee should be:

“Is Nick D’Arcy a fit and proper person to represent Australia at an Olympic Games? Does his behaviour and lack of obvious contrition embody the spirit of the Olympic ideals?”

Swim Team Coach Laurie Lawrence wants him in the team and D'Arcy's coach Michael Bohl says he's a "Hot favourite for an Aussie Gold medal."

Seems that's all that counts!

Soda Bread III

By Jove! I think I got it!

Absolutely scrumptious with a bowl of warmed up left-over cauliflower au gratin and even toasted up OK the next day for brekkie!

Wet .... but we went anyway

Wednesday, as reported was quite wet, however, we went away anyway.

To put it mildly - "The Camp was damp!". You could feel the cold coming out of the damp ground and penetrating right through the soles of your feet to chill to the bone.

Wednesday night we just sat around the gas fire and read. At 9pm I chucked it in and headed off to my warm bed.

Next morning Denny woke me up at daylight and said he was ready for his morning walk. Seeing there were only two caravans and a campervan in the park beside ourselves, I took him for a walk wearing my PJ's, woollen calf length dressing gown and sheepskin slippers.

Rhonda slept on and when we arrived back she was still snuggled down in her bunk. So, I made a mug of tea and read until Rhonda woke about and hour later.  I made her a coffee and she and Denny settled down inside while she waited for the fog to lift outside. You can see the gas fire with Denny 'parked' right in front of it lol! He may be a dog but he's not silly and knows how to locate all the prime spots.

When the fog did clear, around 9am, we had a perfect day and made several walks in bright sunshine under a clear blue sky. Unfortunately, after lunch, we had to pack up and return home - but the overnight stay was well worth it.

Tomorrow I've got to drive over to Goulburn to pick up two new HLSS monogrammed shirts and I'll take the opportunity to look for some Artic Underwear - heavy duty polar-knit singlets and Long Johns. Rhonda is back to work on a 10 to 6 shift so when I get home I'll be putting on a slow cooker chicken casserole timed to be ready by 7pm.

Friday - Just for laughs

Friday May 4, 4.45pm. You may have heard a few of these before, but surely not all.




Nothing sticks to Teflon, so how does Teflon stick to the pan?

The other day I was walking through the forest alone, a tree fell right in front of me and I didn't hear it.

If you were in a vehicle traveling at the speed of light and you turned your headlights on would they work?

I bought this thing for my car....It sends out a noise so deer won't run in front of your car. I installed it backwards by accident, driving down the street with a herd of deer chasing me....those were the days. 

I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met.

I bought some powdered water but I don't know what to add.

I bought a cordless extension cord. 

I bought some land....It was kinda cheap....it was on somebody else’s property.

I've been getting into astronomy so I installed a sky light....the people who live above me are furious. 

I decided I was gonna leave the house. My girlfriend said, "how long you gonna be gone?" I said, "the whole time."

It doesn't matter what temperature a room is it's always room temperature.

Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts.

Just think how much deeper the ocean would be if sponges didn't live there.

If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?

After eating, do amphibians need to wait an hour before getting OUT of the water?

Why don't they just make mouse-flavoured cat food?

If you're sending someone some Styrofoam, what do you pack it in?

How come abbreviated is such a long word?

Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?

Why are they called buildings, when they're already finished? Shouldn't they be called builts? 

Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together? 

If the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into? 

If you got into a taxi and the driver started driving backward, would the taxi driver end up owing you money?

What would a chair look like if your knees bent the other way?

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?

Why is a carrot more orange than an orange? 

When two airplanes almost collide why do they call it a near miss? It sounds like a near hit to me!!

Do fish get cramps after eating?

Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?

Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?

Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?

If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

When I erase a word with a pencil, where does it go?

Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?

Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it.

Wet Wednesday

Wednesday 2nd May 10.40am. The rain came in at 9.00am.

Rhonda was having a sleep in. She had been on an evening shift last night but the night Nurse rang in late to say that she would not be able to come on duty. Rhonda found another RN but she couldn't start before 12midnight 'cos she has had no sleep, so Rhonda held on until she arrived at 12.30am.

Work just rang and asked her if she can do a night shift tonight instead of her evening shift. She had to refuse 'cos we are going away tomorrow morning. I think things aren't going down too well over the night shift roster and a special 'All staff' meeting has been called for Monday morning.

I'm about to head out and collect the community car and take a couple over to the ACT. he needs a cataract removed so it is going to be a long afternoon. I have some shopping planned for Fyshwick commercial precinct - a visit to Jaycar to buy Rhonda a digital  (DAB+) radio to overcome our poor radio reception (I hope) and also a digital radio tuner for the Hi-Fi unit.

If I get time I'll also do a visit to Bunnings to get some more  weed whacker twine and to have a look and see if their outdoor combustion stoves have come in. We want a potbelly stove for the patio at "The Camp"

Poor old Denny is going to be peeved. He'll be locked out while I'm away after Rhonda goes to work at 2pm. He'll have to be a 'real dog' for a change - but he has his Futon lounge-bed in the carport and I'm sure he'll snuggle down into it.

Well, that's the chimes for 11am - must head off and get on my way.

Ciao for now!

Back home now - Saw one digital radio 'Media Centre' that also had a docking station for an Apple 3G Iphone to download music but that one would run to around $400AUS. The salesman would not cut any slack on the price - simply said their prices are 'fixed'. I didn't buy that digital radio and a good thing I didn't 'cos another salesman spoke to me outside the store and informed me that we would not get any digital signal out here where we are, that its only 'on trial' with the ABC in Canberra on a limited output. Lucky on that point, saved my 400 bucks but - Damn!! - may have to look at installing a digital satellite dish and connect all the electronic media to satellite reception.

Did get to Bunnings and got two spools of ready-wound weed whacker string and a 15 metre role of unspooled string. Called in at Barbeques Galore looking for a slow combustion wood stove for the patio up at "The Camp" and the cheapest they had was $999AUS and that's without the flue which was another $369AUS.

Really! I don't know where some of these retailers are coming from 'cos money's tight, retail sales are down, they are whinging like mad to the government to create more 'consumer spending' but they keep demanding these ridiculous prices for things.

Going to search the second-hand house materials tonight and see if someone has a slow combustion stove that's been pulled out of a renovation somewhere (a lot of people are switching from wood to natural gas heating).

Tuesday - and I learn something new ...

Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - Foggy morning and 4C at 7am but the sun is now out though not with much warmth. I think a change in the weather is on the way and we may get some rain tomorrow - or even as early as this evening.

At the doctor's surgery this morning I overheard a comment made in a conversation between two indigenous adolescents. They referred to something as a "Goon Bag".

Piqued my curiosity, so when i got home I looked it up on the Urban Dictionary

"... Cheap wine that comes in a box and leaves the consumer with an extreme headache the next day. Convenient because the remains of the vessel can be inflated for use as a pillow after consumption.

 "I've only got $8 so I guess I'll be drinking a goon bag tonight." 

"The Goon Bag" is a specific location in Garema Place, Civic, Canberra City, Australia. This is a common hang out for alternative sub-cultures, such as Goth, Emo, Indie, Punks, etc.  

The Canberra 'Goon Bag' is a sculpture of a metal over-sized cushion, which is mounted on black marble 'steps' that rise about a meter off the ground. 

The actual sculpture was named 'the goon bag' due to it's metal cushion, that resembles the silver bag that contains cheap bulk-packaged wine (the wine is also known as 'goon') 

"I’ll see you at the goon bag today after school" ..."

Well, OK! I learnt what 'goon' and a 'goon bag' are. More Aussie slang, it's a language all of its own that just keeps evolving. 

I've always known what a "Goth" is. Now I've got to go and find out what an Emo, and Indie and a Punk are? lol!

Someone asked me if my ID picture is Denny's mother:

Caddy

No! That's Caddy (sorry Cindy, I wrote the wrong name in our messages - Freudian slip or plain Old-timer's Disease - lol!)

Caddy is one of my daughter's two dogs that often visit us - sometimes to be 'dog sat'. They usually have to be chained up when unsupervised if they visit if I don't want the whole yard excavated or anything made of steel chewed into iron filings. 

Caddy's mate is a young lady spaniel named Candy. She's the 'excavator' of the two, tho' Caddy learns fast!

Candy

Denny and Caddy love to play 'boy dog' games.

Caddy and Denny 'at play' - that's a 'tug-o-war' between their

front feet that they are in dispute of 'ownership'.

When they do this candy gets upset at being left out so she'll join in and (usually) she'll centre her attention on Denny. Caddy reckons that's a 'fair thing' so he also concentrates on Denny and those two do a 'tag wrestling' attack on Denny.

The three join to play as a group!

Denny lets me know when he's had enough of this attention so that I intervene and separate them - Denny inside and Caddy and Candy outside on the old futon for their nighttime sleep..

Night! Night! folks.

Denny goes inside the house for the night.

Phew! I need a rest from those two young 'uns!

Denny's 'adopted mum was the late "Miss Socks", a pedigree female Smithfield terrier. Besides having four white feet and a white chest blaze, she also had two 'false eyes' - two brown spots either side of her snout and just above her true eyes. 

While her quarry focused on the brown spots, thinking they were her real eyes, the latter would be narrowed to slits, allowing her to be ready to pounce when the time was right while the 'false eyes' mesmerised her quarry - such as rabbits.

Miss Socks, ever 'the lady'!

Denny was (then) a wild-eyed Denny 'free spirit' living on borrowed time at a foster home. He had a few weeks to find a home or it was "The Needle"!

Denny roaming the bush on the farm at the back of Narooma

Miss Socks was a 'Super Dog' - smart as a whip and a natural cattle dog - you never heard her unless she wanted you to hear her and she only barked when it was essential. She believed that the shank, just above the ankle, was the most vulnerable spot for man-or-beast. Under Miss Socks' care and guidance she re-trained Denny to become more placid and a 'house dog but also taught him everything she knew about 'dog behaviour'.

She worked hard at training Denny, teaching him patience, obedience and how to develop a placid nature.

Denny and Miss Socks were 'friends forever', like mother and son.

Sadly Miss Socks needed to be put down when she developed lymphoma and could hardly get off her bed.

Anyhoo-dee-doo, time's a wasting so I must finish this post now and go and get some lunch!

C'ya all around the traps!