Portable Vineyard December 2013

Portable Vineyard December 2013

Yesterday- rearranged the vines [nearly all] backyard Vineyard vines to line up down the side yard, and sulphur/insecticide sprayed them all for Xmas.

I was away the other month, they were not watered regularly so the harvest for the homemade wine won't be much as there is hardly many bunches formed, for all the pots, and will only get  a few kilos this time.

Some are abundantly laden however, so that is nice.

The planted vines seem to be doing well too, plenty of rain fell while I was away.

Looks like I will be away again so will have to bribe the kids to look after the pots better, argh.
Anyway, that's the latest on the Portable Vineyard December 2013

Portable Vineyard December 2013

Portable Vineyard December 2013

Yesterday- rearranged the vines [nearly all] backyard Vineyard vines to line up down the side yard, and sulphur/insecticide sprayed them all for Xmas.

I was away the other month, they were not watered regularly so the harvest for the homemade wine won't be much as there is hardly many bunches formed, for all the pots, and will only get  a few kilos this time.

Some are abundantly laden however, so that is nice.

The planted vines seem to be doing well too, plenty of rain fell while I was away.

Looks like I will be away again so will have to bribe the kids to look after the pots better, argh.
Anyway, that's the latest on the Portable Vineyard December 2013

Windsurfing and MS

Windsurfing and MS

Now that I have combined all blogs into one, means titles are going to be even more cryptic... And hopefully descriptive as to whether it will be worth reading through. As the SEO spammers keep on at me about! So there will more stuff on the family, and then hobbies like windsurfing, my state of health coping with MS, and the weird and wonderful rants and being Marvined of course. Maybe being Marvined means nothing to you now, but then when birds of a feather congregate, sparks may fly. [That's where the weirdness comes in, by the way.]

Selfie

Storm

Some Pelicans

The Prom

Since I have been back from the the drilling rig in desert - my MS symptoms seem to be at low ebb, which is good, apart from the loneliness feelings or paranoia of not being kept in or deliberately kept out of old friends or family loops of information flow. I know I like doing things myself, but really- am I that crappy to be with? And/but looks like I am going to need more help as when and or if the MS attacks become more often or severe or both. So where will that support come from? Flying backwards and forwards to work is okay IF there is going to be regularity and time off to wind down. With people- do I have to chase all the time, or be told no time, maybe sometime else. Retchereding. Look that up!

But then the winding down has to be put off as getting home means re-adjusting to the reality of rearing two young women and a young male adult. Which seems is not as easy as it was with the eldest child just a few short years ago! Having the friends of the YA around too much is wearing too, means the house is FULL- and EMPTY stubbies/tinnies (beer containers)  appear SUDDENLY on my - well it is not that neat but anyway- COFFEE table. AND things go missing while I am away- like the brand new remote control for the brand new EXPENSIVE blue-ray disk player/PVR! AND the relatively expensive yankee can opener is missing too!  AND the poor old portable grape vines were not that well looked after- the bunches are going to be the runts of the year- on all fifty pots! The ppo wee hoose was not looked after properly either- #2Son needs to be reminded that friends are not just there to tidy up after him! Even though they are staying over for freebies- Should I stop it?

BLAH BLAH- whinging and whining, and not appreciated. Just getting started- NO just relieving myself- I mean releasing some pent up up crappiness.

"Need money for this Daddy..." "Going to the pub with the mates, seeyas..."

THAT'S being Marvined- having a brain the size of a planet, and being used as the bank and cleaner.
But still I am doing it.

Being Un-Marvined, 

but still marvined as well, the last three weeks I have put nearly three tanks of fuel towards WINDSURFING and a thousand kicks on the vehicle's speedo, while actually being on the water for about sixty minutes all up. Yep, twelve hours travel for one hour on water time. To be fair, the wind was shitty or not there, or I was too tired(?) to stay out too long. My MS advisors have mentioned that- BE ACTIVE, be AWARE of tiredness too. Hmph. Bloody off putting the whole thing, I want to go SPEEDSAILING and am not up to it anymore. Throwing money at the shop for better gear means it will be worth more down the track cos it probably wont be used.... Ache and belly...

But I still do it.

AND today was a good day today- 30 minutes flat out after the wind came in at 1:10pm (2 hour wait... had nearly gone home at 12:10pm).  Very nice on the new board with the new sail and the new boom and new mast insert and new wetsuit and new floaty jacket, less time IN the water this time- bliss to be up to date almost- so now I need a new mast and another sail (a  5.5m). Then the wind relented so I packed up and and   and had a nap, as the tide was RIGHT IN! Again I had badly miscalculated, thinking that last weeks' high tide time would have occurred earlier today- idiot- NO. Ah well, very peaceful, puffing on a ciggie and drinking a packet of UHT coffee flavoured milk. Watching the pelicans and gulls floating in the shallows. Strange day, only me and two cars turned up, one a boater and the other a dad and son looking around- NO ONE else sailing. Bugger me.

Wish I were more positive- maybe I am normal- or just normalising things out. Wish the kids were just a little more house proud- not that I am a great example. Did do some retail therapy this week too though. New mower- self-propelled expensive little beauty, a new whiz bang Weber, a pole chainsaw for the bloody trees. Had the family wagon's electrics fixed up a bit for a grand... still needs more work!  And then I have my sister's wedding to look forward too, and all that jazz, going there in #2Sons new old car- nice it is too. And I have another desert job next week- means I miss xmas and the Boxing Day Cricket match at the Gee with the two boys, ouch, Ozzies V The Poms. Bugger.

PS the pics today were with a lens kit for the android phone- works well and as a macro for work, should be excellent too.


/*Retchereding- being pissed off at people and doing nothing about it as the effort may mean loss.

Woopie trails in the desert and old music compilation cassettes

Woopie trails in the desert and old music compilation cassettes

Before the last job started [in Geology!] I found- and then so put in to my van some of my old old old music compilation cassettes. The woopie for the journey to work had no mp2 connection either, and I brought no CDs with me anyway...

So- back to September:

Thus, I was in a travelling time travel machine [most of them others are sedentary- Al La The Police Box of Dr Who- althogh I think it can also fly- where as I could not unless travelling over the speed limit on an interstae hwy counts?], as each was played once through in the van. At least eight tapes I think- it was a eight hour trek to the Other Littler Big Smoke- Adelaide. That was a few weeks ago now. "A Wednesday in September". The tapes were all from the eighties, late night recordings of favorite album songs back then, after a night out with Tarn or the boys and sleep was too far away. Tracks from Men At Work, Split Enz, Beach Boys, Talking Heads, Supertramp, ... In other words, a few. Trouble was, being tapes, no fast forward or skip to next song- [a problem of the general population it seems that we only need to sample our favourite music too now- ie 10 sec, skip, 10 secs, skip til you get what you want unbtil another song name appears on the screen. Anyway- see this guy or this guy- they are good- skip through as short]..

The woopie we are using used to get to the desert, throught the desert, and back from the desert has had radio and a CD player with no MP3 connection. And no auto fridge [for the beer cold drinks.] The trip up and around the desert was not that boring, my friend Doug has a history in the oilpatch going back a long way, so many tales are etched in the back of my mind. Sometimes near Moomba- the mobile phone network would work, weird or what! [Doug might be a generation older than me, but he loves his iPhone5!] and also a radio station, relayed either from Broken Hill, Perth or maybe somewhere in Queensland- but never relavent to ME- I do seem to like My Big Smoke Radio Stations back in good old Vic.

September. That's a long while ago, and the kids have [had?] missed me. Really? #2Son has nearly finished last year of high school and last exams, telling me "I am studying", other people worrying that it does not look like it. Even If I Was Home, I am more than sure he would be telling me that same thing anyway, whether he had or not. Being a teenager once, I remember that.

And I am was up here there, for now, or longer? Was not longer. There was much to-ing and fro-ing on progress the last few days, will this be done or that. One choice was an sxtra ten days- not taken finally. Whew.

I have/had been at the desert job for so long now, I am getting used to the sub-luxurious living conditions and a the far off life of being the incredible gullible dependable single dad is fading away... Ah Innamincka, lovely place... Wow, more than that now, the Melbourne Cup is on as I write, well, back then! Weird life. Not  a housework thang to do. Nice. In a small way.

Posted a month later

ciggies, medictns- i took enuf of those that they lasted right to the end- not as planned but as anticipated anyway- dusty cigs are crap, bur ah well, and the MS meds- could have stretched it out.

Wells since 1983

All the wells I have ever been to, date, client, position, location and the rigs types between 83 to 96 with Sclumberger and Halliburton up to 2000
no's 170 something or Latest Wells
TEDDH-1 for GreenPower Energy Australia, East Trafalgar, West Gippsland, Victoria
Yallourn Power-1 for Lakes Oil Pty Ltd, north of Morwell, Gippsland, Victoria
Pirie-01 Cooper Basin for Tellus/PNC, Inamincka area, easterly on the Coopers Creek almost.



Geology Career   Formal CV

cursed?

Is a widower cursed by chance?

Life seems to be rolling on without my preferences for small socialising occasions. Successful as life seems- and the bank balance, [no need for Uncle Tony to chip in to the mortgage this year- and can pay out balance for gels braces too], cant get no satisfaction.

Work seems to interfere with the biggies, I may miss my baby sisters marriage soon, but also, there is no word of work either- Limbo...

Catching up with people long not seen also off the table- "busy for the next three, no four evenings- sorry", not home, too busy, too tired, missed opportunities or Do I just have Bad Breath? Bad manners? Boring to be with?

Paranoia?

Hmph. Up em all then. Three new bottles of Single malt to taste, waiting waiting waiting... Although, must say, picked up some Noice Wine at the Barossa on the way home the other week- 7 cases should get me and any afficiandos tipsy if I get visitors again. The VP shiraz port is Divine!


Some happy things have been- #2Son's Valedictory dinner with his Pop, and meeting some new people- whose Life Styles verge opposite mine- blame my scientificaltness I suppose... But biodynamics- cow poo buried with horns or Lock The Gate verges on uneducated hysteria to me.

The gels are getting into battles- girly crap at school- feel sorry for them. Now have Two Little Women at home trying my patience and wallet. #2Son does have wheels now- just needs a ticket to use it. I hope #1Son had a good week in the Little Smoke working on a TV news program- even battling his own privations- glandular fever is supposed to be pretty bad.  And #2's stay over for a while friends have been nice to have around too. yes- Mandi and Zak and Cammo. Just wish the mac-attack-rubbish was not left out to annoy me. Yep, grumpy about something ALL the time...

Was visited recently by my dad's side- Anne and John, and then Bern and Kath, so slightly mollified not left entirely alone at the end of the known universe by family passing by. I know- everyone is really busy and just cos I used to like dropping in on anyone does not warrant vice versa... Do unto others as--- OMG, no, do not want to think, but, my karma is low...

Just wish the gumption was there to front up to assholey better than thou wankers- but loud wheels need greasing or ignoring, I cant stop feeling shitty about life.

I think I have cleaned up the shed of facebook contacts that have not bothered to be there. Not going to bother putting anything on it, or read others stuff, for now. Interesting blogs are all that I am happy to read about- geology, windsurfing and weather. Tis sad really.

Trying to keep the kids into their interest- #4 photos, #3 music, #2 the car [Black Pearl Ford sedan] and #1, well, I wish him all he best for a job he would like to luck into, music gigs and reviews thereof. Time for one on one with three this week with the family wagon off the road for electrics clean-up, though the van aint that great a place to talk. But then, got to have a ride in the New car of #2's- nice one there- a granny had it- 71k on the clock for a 19 year old car...

Enough of the Marvined stuff and whinging about lost time- I need to get passionate again on the water, the small fleet of RC indoor copters not the same as blasting across the water at Sandy, but small steps, the new wet-suit and sailing gear need to be Used!

Last post

Last post

all over here

Not last Post

Not last Post

Thanks for the interest.

Added the rest of the blogs consolidating MS, winemaking, geology advert, and hobbies and weirdness.
all the things posted elswhere apart from wordpress blog- thinking on that, no last post  there yet- but should I put Everything on one site. I know links go to the old sites, so that just confuses people. leaving them on the net. I imagine so anyway.

The way I write is not scoring hugely I note with dissapointment- maybe I cannot write whre people are just wringing their hands and grinding teth- "Just where/when is the next one Tony?

Been in the desert with just internet

Been in the desert with - just internet

Strange to say, that being without the close knit family members around, seems I am not really shallowly missing them, as/but I have the Been in the desert with just internet for nearly four weeks to keep in touch with them all.

Missing a person permanently gone for ever is different, but the kids and others- I Vill Be Bach! You guys are still in  my heart and on my mind. A little messaging very few days, a quick email if I remember to, they are close that way.

Been in the desert with just internet and while I am away; The #2Son is supposedly doing all the household chores, washing, yard chores, mail and childminding chores on top of studying like mad for his last year at school exams in the hope of being a driver of an ambulance- if not a paramedic... [Pretty sure it was the fast thing about the career- not the blood and guts... Ve Vill See...] But my "leedle shpiez" tell me that the actual quality of the house work done at home is enough that you can see     -   the doors and walls and ceilings..... and he gets his friends staying over to do some of it for him! how to win friends and influence people... Oh dear me, if I get home to a-------!

Now the #1Son, what a good one that is, not in comparison or anything to #2Son, but I reckon he will be a good catch the way he has stepped in as chaperon for the Gels this last weekend- they went to an aunts he's Night luncheon(I know- luncheon?), and then maybe (window!) shopping back in The Big Smoke with Big Brother (I can see his face now- get used to it...). He aint well this week, tonsillitis the doc reckons, so I wish him better health soon, as well as good luck with last semester uni stuff.

The gels now, I think they may miss me, but early teens- probably say they do just to shut me up! I hear that they are being good, from their aunt, I hope so, she has been kind enough to take them on for initially a few weeks, but as this old desert job carries on longer, she or I may have to pack them off to boarding school! JOKE! But looks they are growing up, sensible and all. Did I mention under a little duress and help that the braces are on their teeth now, so in the end all I am is the money cow after I look after That! 

Been in the desert with just internet and no TV is a shocker- but that has been changed- we now have satellite- 999 channels and only the ABC shows to amuse me... Like missing beer and the kids, "Hmm, Am I Really?" (I say only the ABC- I meant to try to catch Craig Ferguson the other night, but I missed the Late Late Show by That Much, I went for dinner in disgust).

Been in the desert with just internet and no household chores, no dishes, no cooking, no cleaning, no bed making even, no taxi rides around town for overnights or band outings. Been okay for a leedle break from raising kids for a change, as long as the work done(?) is paid for.

Been in the desert with just internet, heat, crows, dust... Hope it will be worth it, xmas is coming...

Been thru the desert in a Woopie with no name

Been thru the desert in a Woopie with no name

I have recently been awarded a desert job with an old friend, on a oil drilling rig near Innamincka, South Australia.

Suffice top say, I am very satisfied with the career move, and a previous client is at my heels for some more work nearer home too- but I am still stuck out here in the desert. Waiting for more samples and oil shows to turn up. Been a bit of a slow slog, but the trip upin the hire woopie was a revelation- I don't know how the truckers can keep on tripping up the corrugated track to the centre of Australia, but they do!

In any case, I have had some time to use the Nikon 3100 with either the 18-50mm lense or the 50mm lense- I think I prefer the zoom, and wish I had a 50-200mm!

Anyway, here's the collection so far, nearly four weeks in, modified or not with PhotoMatrixPro4.2 using Triggertrap Mobile Dongle for timelapses:

Agenda October to November '13

Agenda October  to November 2013

The desert Job

Doug Short has me along as his off-sider for my third job as consultant. No contracts except handshakes so far, lots of travel food and beer along with a Grand Final.

Waiting for spud and beds at the site. Innamincka, Copley, bed stops along the way- Big Stars, big trucks.

WIll have to investigate graphics programs to do composite logsStarted the desert job end of September, looks like will finish end of October.

Job is north of Moomba, and I am consulting wellsite geologist- night shift. An old friend and colleague, Doug Short is the senior man of the desert job- I consider him as The Mentor, his experience is fantastic, and he
keeps you amused as well.

Updated Linked-In profile, and started another web site for self promotion at this site, a Facebook spin off?

There was a message from a group boss about work in Gippsland next year, so not worrying too much about that yet, nice to have a network growing out there. Wondering whether chasing up insurances have been a great idea, joining a group might mean good money not used well next year- will see what the contract is all about.

That's about the Agenda October  to November '13

Alcoholery and Portable Vineyard Spring 2013

Alcoholery and Portable Vineyard Spring 2013

Down here in the Austral Spring the Alcoholery and Portable Vineyard Spring 2013 report is that August and September rains have encouraged good growth in the vines.

As of this week, the pots have are healthy apart form some insects eating away at the baby Pinot pots, the failure rate on the pinot 2012 cuttings is over 60 percent, dang.

Repotted 2011 cuttings- six with one fail.

Agenda October '13

Agenda October '13

Looks like a shared desert job in the old oil and gas hunting fields out of Moomba for October.

A little trip to Adelaide, then a shared drive with an old mate up north for a few weeks consultant wellsite geologist work, probably night shift or shared day work, some reports and inspections, pick a zone, all the usual.

Complete the hole, drive back south , then visit a few old friends if the old phone numbers still work, and a favourite winery visit in the Barossa, maybe a sail down the coast.

Nothing else new on the horizon past December at the moment; one of my first clients is not contactable, and I know there is some work by them coming up... A bit worried.

Ready now to be independent consultant wellsite geologist, with public liability extended, just waiting on the PI.

That's the Agenda October folks, wish me luck!

post august '13 consult- not too bad

post august  MS '13 consult- not too bad

Dr 'D' says of the last MRI in July, a new pea sized lesion in the brain. The post august '13 consult- not too bad after all!

Great. Well. Well. Well. Three holes in the desert... Was there a little superiority noted by self when the doc could not see how to view three CD's of MRI images at once? Yep. But she did appreciate the tip- if a program is on disk, then copy it and data files to temp folder, and use it to resuscitate a "dead" imaging file on a "faulty" CD, and then go and compare the annual file images- Voila! Well, it took a little time out of the following patients time  I reckon, but then, learning never hurt anyone... Unless a diagnoses learnt does... Argh.

Was nice to say to her that since I have been on one of the recommended treatment that there has been no significant relapses since the left eye deal last year, the week before the new consulting job.

The last few months have been relatively free of the numb and tingly symptoms too, but have noticed that there is a slight relaxation in the bladder control after urinating, the last few drops manage to spoil things, and this is rare, and after dinner too. Weird.  A fold of the willy in the jocks is a fix I think..

Which means that the post august '13 consult- not too bad result is good. It is still only a mild onset of MS.  The capoxone may be holding off symptoms- just think that a oral tablet treatment would be less stressful and worrisome when working in the desert if more work comes up- keeping it cool may be a hassle.

Spring buds 2013

Spring buds 2013

Pinot- 24-Aug-13

Reading of a local winery's Spring Buds 2013, I thought I better check my collection of "Ragedy Annes" out in their pots, to see whether I had some spring buds.

Yep!
As of the 20th August, the Pinot and the Shiraz potted vines have wee little spring buds movements! Some have leaves out and all!

Not as well budded as the winery over the hills and vales to the northwest, but definitely erupting. Even the "bay" vinrs had slight Spring buds

Comparing Spring buds with last year- seem to be earlier by a week... I wrote in the first week of September- first week of the Southern Hemisphere's Spring- that the Portable Vineyard vines had budded. No! And- The vines budded by 20th August in 2011 too.

Maybe Global Warming aint happening...

Winter 2013

Winter 2013

Lined up 

All the bunch ready potted vines line up down along the side fence for winter now, ready for spring bud time- about to occur quite soon.
Over forty portable backyard vines now, with eleven or so one year olds re-potted.
Re-thought the irrigation- get that lined up down the fence line this year, maybe a timer of 2-4 liters per day- or enough to fill the cut down and nearly buried 2 liter containers

one and two year old cuttings

The Pinot, and cat 

ADFord Geologist

Oil and Gas Exploration Wellsite Geologist

2013

Available as a consultant/contractor/subcontractor Wellsite Geologist as of August 2013

December 2012 through to June 2013

Since December 2012 was the Wellsite Geologist and assistant to the Operations Geologist at Lakes Oil NL at Morwell, Gippsland on a stratigraphic hole, including HQ coring through the Strzelecki Group and into the main objective of the well, the underlying Tyers Subgroup (media released quarterly report May 7 2013). Results as per company quarterly report here, page 6

Reached target depth and now looking for the next project.

 2012

Recruitment company got me a second job with Lakes Oil PL over summer- a top hole supervising and maybe continuous coring next.

October 2012

Consulted for a company late September  to October in the Latrobe Valley, as the Wellsite Geologist and Company Rep working on a coal coring job up valley from home, with an option if successfully completing this task for another in south Gippsland next year too. RESULT- 6 days worth paid out a laptop and MSOffice- just need a log program.

Resume
Graduated Applied Science (Geology) 1983, started in Oil and Gas which meant logging and sitting wells to identify productive zones via hand specimens or microscopy or fluoroscopy or chromatography or interpreting drilling parameters or from logs of gammaray, density, neutron and sonic via wireline or LWD- and passing on recommendations or reports as needed . Directional well surveyor, MWD, directional drilling tool operator. LWD engineer before leaving the field due to family reasons. These are Wells Worked On. Locations were around Australia and overseas in different areas of Oil and Gas Exploration. Picture below is the Maersk Valiant. I appreciate your taking the time to review my resume. If you feel that your company is in need of someone with my background, I would enjoy talking about any opportunities. Please contact me at your earliest convenience so that we may discuss the possibilities in detail.

This is my CV 

Schools's Back

A catchup on the month [February 2012!]

gone past- phst!

[a catchup on the drafts folder, whether it is worth it.. yep]

From a note to my sister who wanted some gossip from over here:

Not much news here either. Al’s back for maybe jury duty later this week.

Gels like school, gets lots of boring news about that- she said, she did, he did etc

Fraser has deb ball training, i was sposed to go to a meeting to form a committee or it will be cancelled and arrived as it was closing as I forgot,,,,,,

Got photos school pics this week.

Made a subwoofer and got aspecial amplifier for it, sounds good!

Her reply

I read your subwoofer adventure. You are Terry Ford's son that's for sure. Good on you!

I love you have to hear the who said what Stories. That's so funny. I bet you tune out and get glazed eyes. HA

Lucky bugger that Alexander. I have been called up twice in the past few years but didn't go any further than the letter and the voice mail saying I wasn't need this time. How is he going in his new place?

Awe Debs, what fun times. I went to 8. I stared in none. Our school didn't do debs so they were organised in by ballet schools, Starlight foundation etc. Plus I wouldn't have had anyone to ask being at an all girls college. No great loss really. Waste of money for the girls.

Stories from school, yep, who has been smokin etc

There's always That Month

Not that any month should be avoided

September for a lot of people is probably a Hard Month to handle for tragic anniversaries.

[posted nearly a year later. Because]
Here, we have a birthday and a mother's death to get through.

The other weegen, there was pizza Friday, and some beer Satdee with 'some' friends for #2Son annual birthday celebration, a bit of fun had by all. So that's the good side of September.

And then there is the the rest of the month.

Morning 20th, a call from Aunty D, "oh Tone,can't stop think...". Unfortunately, I had managed to avoid remembering that morning, so it was a little dig in the ribs for me- "Shit!".

Taking the kids to the grave site of their mum the last couple of years is getting more painful for them, especially my twin gels. We used to go with their grandfather, but I can see that is getting too much for him too. [This is de ja vu too]

Mid afternoon 20th September. One of the boys was home, from the Big Smoke, the other was missing calls on his cellphone "To Get Home Now, we are Going out" , and there was a visit from Aunty and Pop later in the afternoon. #2 missed the visit.

I would like to get through this visit quietly and, well, not quickly, but at least put the effort in to dust down the tombstone and place fresh garden flowers there. We took some Jasmine and Azaleas, the Jasmine Tarn's favourite thing about the house she chose for us to live in and raise our kids.

A nice remembrance from myself or #1Son might have cheered the gels up, but none came forth this time. Sorry gels.

On the other hand, as #1Son said- spooky because:

Twenty nine years ago this month's end, I had to part with Tarn to start an oilpatch career, which lasted to 1999, on the other side of the country. She did join me there though the next year, and we stayed together where ever I had to work, Perth to Adelaide to Scotland to Melbourne to Gippsland. 

Twelve years ago this month I started another new career path, paused with a Huge Hiccup, and continued with family support. 

Ten years this month ago I had to stop that job and stay at home with the kids, for their sakes and mine. 

By the end of this month, I may be starting down a new career path in the oilpatch, and having to leave teenage girls and a young man in their aunt's care while some money is made and separation anxiety is fought. Finger crossed, September could be a neutral month this year. But is it chicken and egg counting, argh.

Latest scan- mmm

Latest scan- mmm

Not being a specialist- from the data disks that I can access of the grey crap in my noggin- I cannot tell what is going on.

I think that the pea sized bodies in there are the same.

Looking for schleria[?] on the left eye nerve myself showed me nuthin, nuthin, nuthin.

Will have to wait for next visit to see what E.Butler and co. can find.

The left eye situation varies day to day oddly enough- sometimes I can read sentences and the road looks gret as well, or, vision seems greyed over, and words hard to make out.

Different every day.

Latest scan, mmm. I cannot tell whether status quo is as last year or not. Bugger.

Since Last I wrought

Wrote I mean, but then...

Spend! Wow, where did all the money go...?

Had the six months fun working on a drilling rig...
Fixed things with the cash flow- like:

The car and van.Fixed the west kitchen wall with brother-in-law- nice job too.
Got a nice telly.
Fixing the tooth of #2Son soon.
Been through a few birthdays this last few months.
Spent far too much on Aldi tools, have to find a space for a new bench and shelving to put them on.
Want to make a cloud chamber- a la backyard science- a Muon Search!
Read some great science fact and fiction- life is a chance!
Gravelled the front path again, thinking of doing another around the old cottonwood tree.
Thinking of a outdoor sitting area in the backyard with a nice roof.

Amazing where the money goes- a good year means getting the house paid for I guess!

To be continued...

Three Milestones This Year

getting three in one year

Alone almost, well, people do say I have managed it, so as usual, it's either water off the ducks back or breathe it in Princess- Anyway- my four prodigies have made it to an interesting time of our lives, where, if I may be self aggrandizing, we can celebrate three no four, milestones.

The gels have made it to the TEEN years. With phones and keys and purses...
The second boy will be VOTING on his EIGHTEENTH birthday. And driving that week too.
The eldest is TWENTY ONE- I just gave him the usual birthday present- a watch.
I am a full deck of spider solitaire cards old. And Tarn would be too.

[So then- Five years to go, to sell the mansion, and move to a warm windy lake place... Unless grandchildren start falling from the sky! Need a yard to corral them little ankle biters I suppose!]

So much more could be said- I have not written up much lately, think I am still coming down from the high of working for a good coin and recovering from the stress of it all- not- haha- not quite.

We do seem to have attracted a few new people to the family home- #2Son has friends living in the shed with him a few days a week- Mr C needs to be closer to work- a 15 minute commute interferes with the apprenticeship wage threshold of fuel or food or drink- something like that- and the same with the other blow-in that has landed like a drowned kitten at the door, Mr Z, although I think he makes more coin for socialising purposes only mind you, than Mr C! I should also note that the final year of high school also includes a fair bit of weekend boozing- not like when I was a kid [hmm?]- think I may have lost parental control there- but I can stop his phone use... Just wish he would jump in to do the usual kiddie chore without been repeatedly asked. I am hoping he knuckles down the rest of the school year so as to pass high-school and get into a paramedical course! Life...

What to tell the gels when their friends start to behave like... girls? As above- "live with it", it is only one phase you have put up with- at a time- should be okay within a week or so- like the common cold- and Who Knows...

About #1Son and the milestone- he made it down from the Big Smoke for a NIGHT to celebrate with us and cousins and grandad and the carers that are lifelong friends. Was a good night out- everybody well behaved. The cousins, my brothers twin girls, who also be 21 next year, brought along a hard-drive chockers with their overseas trip to Europe- we saw about ten percent... another time BunnieTwins!

[PS #4 achieved another milestone 20 July, congratulations!]

Nine months

Nine months

On copoxane

Since the start of the course of medicine-"copoxane", very occasionally there are  little tingly feelings in back and sometimes in the legs.
No episode or attack on the temple.
MRI next week, to see how well(?) the leedle pea bodies in the grey matter are growing.
Thought the effect of colourlessness in the left eye would be bad for the job- at least a little bit, but no, not affecting the job as long as someone else can verify we are calling a red "red" etc etc.
Wonder about reading street trraffic signs from afar though- better not have an attack on the right eye- else will be no good for reading/driving/describing rock colours or seeing what needs to be recognised.
Not depressed- just amazed at evolution, and coping strategies the DNA deals out.

misbehaving vision

AS i TRY TO WRITE THERE IS A broken RING IN MY VISION

Yes, a new symptom of my version of MS I reckon.

Only about an hour ago, there was speckling occurring, a shimmering or glittering like a thin curving squiggly line nearly in my line of sight.

It was a 3/4 circle almost. A fracture there.

It was smaller, like less than a palm width at arms length.

Now as I write it is to the left, with  both eyes shut or open, very slowly spreading like waves from a dropped pebble in a still pond.

I thought at first I had looked at the desk lamp, the old image of what is left when staring at then away from something.

No, it is glistening, a line, snakey or zigzaggy. Pixellation. Is it fading away?

Great, my work depends on Looking at things, and driving too.

lightspeed and galaxies and biology and geology

Time travel

again a new experience

Looking at NASA space pictores, like the ones from the Hubble can be humiliating.

My desktop display has a few at this time, and one has a few billion galaxies dotted around in it.
Not a few, billyans!

When you think about it,  Andromeda Galaxy, the closest galaxy to The Milky Way, is only two million light years away, and it is calculated by some people both are collide at some time down the track, after we are history.

I hated to think of infinity when I was very young. Like thinking that God has you, and you, and you as well as me on his mind 24/7 and is all around us- both are plain creepy and scary. Now especially- is that not lurking or what ever?

Recent reports are of some starlight that is {another} calculated to be as old as the universe! That calculation is supposed to be close to 12 or 14 billion years old. Whats a few billyan tween friends?

But really, it's colossal.

Driving a car to the moon, [yeah, try it Bill Gates] is a bit of a trip too. The average Earth-Moon distance is about 385,000 km, so allowing for drink and bathroom stops every two or three hours, a sleepover some where, it would take the the Griswolds a few months if get 600km done a day... or a year or two?

And another thing, after watching the Japan tsunami videos again, (sorry, I am a Geologist)  and after reading books like these that I have just finished on my Kindle#2-

"Power,Sex Suicide : Mitochondria and the meaning of life" by Nick Lane and
"Life's Ratchet : How Molecular Machines Extract Order From Chaos" by Peter F. Hoffman, giving me a few intense weeks I tell you! Highly recommended to everyone.

So- life and nature are not connected apart from chance? An earthquake or GammaRay Burst or a small addition the a mitochondrial chromosone, and ooh la la, life is different.

DIS-ED

Dis-?

What es Dis?

Well, this is what I am lately!
Either up or down, not wildly swinging though.

Disappointed/ing,
dis-ingenuous,
disgusted/ing
disappearing/ed
dis-engaged/ing
dismissive/ed
disgruntled,
disapproved/ing

With people and government and overseas news.
With the kids a little.
With me sometimes.
Not with this cat, the other one at meow-l times anyway!


The flavour of Luck may come into it. I try to dream of winning lotto, not hard work, to make up my shortfalls in life. My swings and roundabouts are heavy hitters at the moment, but not enough to swerve off the road left or right! Driving or in decision making anyway.

It should all pan out, it's being the supportive parent that is bugging me a lot. Life is moving on, and I am swirling along, complaining about it while there are more worse off.

A good good belly laugh, more than I am getting now, helps.
[As of 28/12/12 Anyway or even a bit earlier- just tidying up my scats [hurhur, better mood today! 28Apr13]

Doppelgangers, spirit and/or body

The years I have spent being somewhat human, and therefor a participant/observer in the social and incredibly weird world we live in has has always made me notice things that are just plain strange.

Like its complexity and its Doppelgangers.

And this is besides politics and religion- Gaddafi, The Ayotollahs, Popes & Presidents [i.e. Bush], examples of the immediate present and past- and social niceties and taboos that people have taken up in order to try to take over the world from the conventional order of plate tectonics and mantle plumes [the prime driver of evolution- see Japan- recently] and the oxygen exhalers [blue green algae etc etc the original "world leaders", the secondary life drivers] and then the ones that depend on those processes [bacteria- where we are derived from according to some experts, and viruses], and of course natural selection or evolution of  those singularly spectacular processes in them selves [Wikipedia has some excellent articles on those BTW, and on the Fed too!] A little rant from an irrationalist...

Okay, we are the parasites on the face of the planet. Blue green algae, bacterium, viruses- they will out-last us all. I mean, if a few simple "organisms" are still around after a few billion years, that means that it is hard to kill em... and undoubtedly these primal organisms will be around for a few billion more years, no matter what hits the planet- asteroid or human mal-adaptions. If they and their descendants were not around, what would we be living off anyway?

So if you have read up on some biology, even glancingly like I have recently (wikipedia of course), and then look at a photograph of a crowd of penguins, bears or people- or fish or bees- they are strikingly- what? Bilateral? Left and right, two of this, two of that, one of these and one of those. Legs, arms. Faces... Similar. We need faces to identify each other or we would be like fish in the schools [that are disappearing at a rate not due to natural causes, but anyway], twisting toward or away from food and predators, and not individuals- oh, the fish might be identifiable if observed in smaller groups- like goldfish and the aquariums they live in- kids always know Their Fish!

So if there are a few "x-illions" of organisms, I bet there are countless repetitions of larger multicellular life too- Dopplegangers as far as DNA goes. Like goldfish for example. And have you heard of the expression that similar or too dissimilar personalties cause conflicts in the workplace?

Hmm. Well.

So after this somewhat laborious dissertation on geology, biology and perhaps psychology-
I believe we all have twins distributed throughout the population! Not the same town so much as anywhere.

You walk down the street, and someone will remind you of a person you know well.

It may be the way they are walking or talking, or the shrug or look they give in an exchange. Just weird.

And then you sort of know how to react to them, or just do so in an unconscious way.

An example. I have a little "racist" reaction to redheads- or real carrot tops. I am always a little selfconcious at a level that says- "don't trust them"! Why is that?  Some past experience tells me that they may be a bit annoyed at being so unique- a chip on their shoulders type attitude- that as a child they may have been picked on or bullied too much for being "so" different for their red hair? Hot tempered? A Learned Reaction Behavior? So I class them as a species I suppose, that behaves that way. "Always". And when people dye their hair red- what are they looking for really? A better social; intercourse with the rest of us? I better watch out, my cousin's boys are so good natured in contrast to other red heads- maybe a generational change has come about? Although, for some mad reason, some researcher has written up that as a Hair Type, redheadedness maybe being bred out of us due to the mass migrations all over the world, one of the northern hemisphers's unique traits will be gone in a few generations, that aberrant gene losing out as it is not a survival trait needed anymore. Or was it that the Vikings changed their preferences from redheads to blondes... [and nice boobies?]

Or another strange occurrence- a child exhibits a behavior that reminds me so much of a adult I only know through the media- they may have a similar sound to their speech pattern for example. A duplicate personalty? I will never know that media person, but it is so amusing that they are and were so alike, would they have similar personalities too?

Or an overseas friend-

Or my sister- the younger- reminds me of others so much in that generation. Are they are being cloned from internet participation or what?

A long time later

You have to read these: 

By the way, I have just finished reading a few great books or three on my Kindle#2-
"Power,Sex Suicide : Mitochondria and the meaning of life" by Nick Lane and
"Life's Ratchet : How Molecular Machines Extract Order From Chaos" by Peter F. Hoffman.
That was a few intense weeks I tell you! Highly recommended to everyone.

By ones self

Missing other company?

Missing offshore duty?

(first written 28/12/2011)

No and no, apart from the money and challenges

A call the other day from an old friend got me thinking a little bit about company and fulltime work.

As myself and a single dad, the answer is pretty easy. If I retired [ha] tomorrow, I have too much to find out, I would never be bored!
The Kindle has me sucked in, I may have to unsubscribe from three SF magazines I have been buying since '79.


27/4/2013
Things change, got myself a great job that may last a few more weeks at least as a springboard to more better work as a geo, on the second Kindle, west wall fixed, car and van running, gels in secondary school and oldest boy a year from graduation, MS under control, bank balance balanced!

Life's good.

technical help

I finally tracked down a help group

After the annual extra-large-family- gathering at Easter time, where one can spend four days literally catching up with nothing in particular but renew kinships at the same time, I was persuaded to join up with a MS help group by my aunt, a long term MS sufferer.

"Aunty" * showed me a Copaxone Injector Kit that looked pretty awesome in it's use. No needle shock as it were and easy to use. She made me practise a lot with a done syringe for half an hour. Even then, by myself using the kit, I still forgot to remove the red cap- wasteful- all over the floor when I realised. But then, I have wasted two others too! Anyway.

Some prehistory- just a few weeks before, up early like 5am for work and I was doing the self injecting thing, and not really noticing how I was holding the dang thing, and must have paused and drew back some-a little bit- blood back- Well when I realised THAT it looked like a red blob in the syringe- I went- CONTAMINATION ARFHGH$%^! Dummy! I took the needle out almost straight away and went into a calamity-oh-WTF-is-going-to-happen mode, and went and laid down on my bed.
I was feeling weak.
Then hot.
Shakey.
Could I call out to the kids?
No- was instantly asthmatic!
Cold.
Spasms wracked my baddish back most intently.
Needed to evacuate the bottom end.
In the rush to the loo, there was an urge to throw up as well.
Get there, hot, cold, shakey,
and
Nuthin'...

Creaked my way back to the bed over-thinking  what can I do? Aids? How did the thing get through quality control etc etc.

Anyway- ten minutes later or so- felt fine, like a plague had not got me feeling so weird,  not contaminated with an instant deadly virus after all!

When back at work, I did the quick rounds later on, of "Help me" type calls: the pharmacist and aunty, and they said- "shock is all, probably happen a few times the next few years, just a typical reaction".

Me- sure...

Oh yes, I do remember reading that too...

Anyway- back to Easter- my aunt encouraged me to grab a help bag kit- "autoinject2". Alright.

I had previously sent off to the Copaxone Help group, but the Join Us note had Never Arrived I was to find out.

I called the help line on the mobile phone at lunch time the Friday after Easter- leaving a message that I had tried to get in touch in November...?

A few hours late, a call back.  From "Pip! Call me Pip!" And how could she help me?

Well- my life story and a bit of quiet shock from the other end and then a pat on the back for how well I was going all by myself- but now she knew what to do for me, and would be keeping in touch and sending a help-pack and all.

Help pack with auto-inject kit arrived by HDL special delivery----

MONDAY morning!

And a few weeks later a call back.

That's great. Just need to attend the MS groups that meet around here at odd times- I completely forgot the last one.

Ah well. Not taking the MS thing lying down, but then it has not really knocked me about that much, like some people I know now- speaking of which- NS and camcer did take Chrissie Amplett of the Divinyls way the other week, that was sad as she was from over the Bay from me as a kid and my age about. Bugger.

Still walking and talking, I still have the odd tingles below the waist, but not as intensely as the initial feelings, nor has the eye sight been affected again, but then, nor has the left eye completely recovered, but I can type this so it must be getting better.

By the way, I have just finished reading a few great books or three on my Kindle#2-
"Power,Sex Suicide : Mitochondria and the meaning of life" by Nick Lane and
"Life's Ratchet : How Molecular Machines Extract Order From Chaos" by Peter F. Hoffman.
That was a few intense weeks I tell you! Highly recommended to everyone.




*And she probably might hate that moniker as she is only 12 years older than me!

Vintage 2013

Portable Vineyard Vintage

Kids helped out with the Harvest for the Portable Vineyard Vintage this year, the pressing was a single handed affair.

result 7 liters of Pinot Noir and Shiraz blend- about 20-80%, and about 23 liters of the Foxey Garage Grapes