Today is Sunday 13th October 2024 and I am on a waiting list for a full right hip replacement .
Am I scared? Yes. Of course I am . I’ve not been under the knife since 1995 and well, to be fair, I’m not the happy-go-lucky- teenager I once was.
It was roughly around Christmas time and the surgeons all had Christmas trees on their scrubs.
I was chatting away to the anaesthetist ( quite the friendly chap if I recall) who was telling me they listen to music while they work, when I noticed a $100 note on the ceiling.
I was midst asking him why it was there when he knocked me out cold. Very clever tactic if you ask me.
Now, at 47… I don’t know what to expect. So yes, Things would have undoubtedly changed no doubt but still, I am a wee bit stressed about it. The thing that stresses me out the most is that I will wake up alone and no one will be there there with me after surgery.
Anyway, best not dwell on such things. Don’t want to feel any more anxious than I already do
In other news my Change of Situation ( my 3rd in as many years ) has been submitted to the NDIS – in the hope of getting Psychology reinstated onto my NDIS plan and Bathroom modifications approved – so that I can shower again. I have had to be bed bathed for the better part of a year because I cannot get into the shower in our bathroom .
I tried to discuss this with our Landlord when he popped by unexpectedly back in June this year – but I was completely ignored and he said ( and I quote) ” You can do whatever you like as long as I don’t have to pay for it” So that was that.
This week I am having ramp builders over to install mini ramps at my front door so that it is easier for me to get the Wheelchair out of my house. They’ve tried already, once before, but got the measurements wrong – so had to go away and do them again. Hopefully, they’re correct this time.
On the work related front, tomorrow I start with a new team and a new Manager. Haven’t had an introduction to either yet, so we’ll see how things go on that score. Having been with the same team for just over 4 years, getting to know new people will be good – although, how that is going to workout I don’t really know – Given that my old team day in the office was Monday’s ( and I could join Team Meetings) and my new team – is Tuesday and I don’t work on Tuesdays … So we’ll see how stuff works out .
I have begun a clean eating journey. It’s only been 2- weeks so far. I also do set exercises twice a week. I tried to weigh myself the other day however, I don’t think the weight was accurate as the ground was uneven. Need to do it again shortly to get some idea how much I weigh. NGL, I know I am over 100kgs.. It’s just a question of by how much.
As “Pete” from Maroondah Hospital said ” The best thing you can do is lose weight – which I know is pretty hard when you’ve got a bung hip” but I’m still trying anyway.
Currently, Hubby and I are doing a Simpsons watch. We’re almost up to season 9. Enjoying watching so far. I still can’t wrap my head around how many seasons there are ( so far) but yeah. Speaking of the Simpsons, I’ve rediscovered “The Simpsons- Tapped out” which is a fun little game. Sadly, it’s going to vanish from the app store at the end of the year. It’s been a game for 12 years the developers are calling it a day in the next few months. Some stuff stopped working at the beginning of October – but I can still play the game for the moment – so it’s all good.
Here we are. At this point in proceedings I had hoped to give everyone a date as to when I was to receive my hip replacement surgery date.
Sadly I have not. To say I am disappointed is the understatement of the year. Let me tell you how things went.
I arrive an hour early for my appointment at Maroondah Hospital Acute Outpatients department
I am told I need to get x-rays ( despite bringing the x-rays I had done at Box Hill Hospital back in May with me) so I go do that.
Around 45 mins later I am called into a room. I meet a “Doctor” who prefers to be called Pete. We have a quick chat. He gets me to sign some kind of consent form and proceeds to tell me the risks of my operation including but not limited to:
Blood loss
Infection
Numbness / nerve damage
Heart attack
Stroke
Several other not fun things I can’t remember at the moment
He did tell me that a full recovery will take 6 weeks and that they’ll get me up walking the day after the surgery ( He did mention the Spastic Diplegia and asked me how long I’d had it for. )
I enquired about rehab and he said “It could be organized if I needed it”
In the meantime I had to lose weight which he said ” I know is hard with a bung hip”
So there you are.
I just have to wait for a phone call / letter to see when my surgery date is and God knows when that will be .
From tomorrow ( Monday – for those wondering) I begin clean eating. In the hope that I can lose some weight before my op.
I have no idea how much I weigh. ( last I checked was at the beginning of the year and that was 103. 9 kgs or 229.06lbs) so I’ll have to figure that out somehow.
In other news – things regarding the NDIS are slowly happening. Had some new taps and things installed in the bathroom the other week so now I’m just awaiting approval for the shower to be useable .
Anyway, I don’t really have much else to say so I’ll just end this here
I know.. I know… I still need to finish off my February Respite weekend, but somewhere along the line – I ran out of spoons for blogging and so, I took a break.
Anyway, I figured, since it’s been such a long time since I updated my site.. Today would be a good day to do un update in dot points
Hubby and I are currently taking a week off work for Holidays
Tomorrow ( The 16th) is our 18 year Wedding Anniversary
Over the next week or so we’re doing all the adult-y things that need to be done before the end of the year
On the 25th September – I finally get the date for my Hip Replacement surgery
The weather has been bollocks
NDIS stuff is happening slowly ( Another C. O. S could be in the works)
Given that I am now sitting down to write this in July, I hope I can be forgiven for not remembering how our morning started .
I do know we slept in. And I do know Miss C made us scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast.
It was a lazy morning. Originally we had planned to meet up with my friend Jo and a few others for coffee however, like us, they were completely exhausted after the events of the day before and so it was taken as a given we weren’t going to meet up that morning.
After finishing breakfast and getting ready for the day, the first thing on our to do list was popping into my workplace to say hello to everyone.
I hadn’t seen the inside of an office building since the 17th May 2020 and so, when arranging my respite at the beginning of the year, I asked my manager if I could come down and say hello.
Of course, the answer was yes and so down Miss C and I went to Burke St ( PSA – My workplace has since moved elsewhere at time of writing this blog) and popped in for 20 minutes to see everyone.
Seeing my workmates was nice and I must say they were VERY impressed with Eleanor Wheelie (who wouldn’t be) and after about 15-20 minutes we left to get on with the rest of our day .
As we were going to the Aquarium, we decided to park at the Casino and make our way from there. The weather was lovely and warm ( It was still Summer time, remember?) and the wander across South bank was lovely.
I had never been to the Aquarium before and I was very much looking forward to it.
Imagine my disappointment when I discovered the outside of the building was covered in graffiti, there was rubbish strewn everywhere and the entrance was almost impossible to find.
Once inside, it was even worse. I found it dirty, smelly and the staff very much unhelpful to those of us who were there that day.
That aside, here are some photos from the time spent there
After a good look around and Miss C purchased my little penguin friend, we decided to go and find a bite to eat for lunch. We found a nice take away place along South Bank that had delicious souvlakis and chips and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
As we were leaving, we were stopped by a gentleman who said he found it fitting Miss C was “flexing her muscles” in the sun. We were both bamboozled by the exchange and with that, decided it was time to head on back to the Quest apartment.
We spent what remained of our afternoon and evening watching movies and relaxing ( aside the mystery person who wanted to “share” our Netflix/ Disney logins. We soon put a stop to that by blocking them) and then went to bed.
Tomorrow (the Tuesday) would be my last day of respite and a visit to the Botanical Gardens – but that will need to wait till my next blog .
I know. I’ve been promising the third installment of Hublander for weeks but life.. You know?
Anyway, since I have a little bit of time up my sleeve this morning, I figured I’d get cracking with the third ( and final) installment of Hublander 2024
Now… Where was I?
Oh yes, Autographs.
After Sam finished his panel, it was time for the autographs.
The autograph line went something like this ( And this is from memory so bare with me)
Sam, Charles, Duncan then John.
First, was Sam.
In the lead up to the event, my friend Jo and I decided to have some specialized Sassenach belt buckles made for him as a gift. ( At time of writing, everyone has seen these so it’s not a surprise.)
I must admit, whilst waiting in line to give him the buckle ( complete with personalised belt) I was kinda nervous. In fact, it was the only time throughout the entire day that I actually felt nerves.
Sam’s personalised belt
Anyway, after getting the nod of approval from both Sam’s handler Steve and the Security guy – I gave Sam the belt. He liked it and said thank you . He then signed a photo for me
The photo sam signed after I gave him the belt buckle
After getting my photo of Sam signed, I had an anxiety attack (I need to point out – this event was my first “Peopling” event in 4 years. I was bound to feel overwhelmed) and if it wasn’t for the quick thinking of my Support Worker, Miss C -I never would’ve gotten any of the others signed. She was able to get John Bell to sign his photo of us for me. Unfortunately, I missed out on getting my photos with Charles and Duncan signed. Oh well. There’s always a next time.
It was after 5pm when Miss C and I were finally able to leave . We went back to her car and sat and scoffed everything we’d bought to eat with us that day – as we were starving.
The next part of the event was to be held at The Pullman Hotel in albert Park.. but we weren’t due there till 7pm. Given we still had time to spare, we decided to go back to the Quest Apartments and drop everything off. I waited in the car while she ducked inside to take everything to our room.
We then headed off to the Pullman for the Platinum Ticket meet and greet.
Once arriving, I went inside while Miss C went and parked the car. Upon her return, we found where others were waiting and then asked a lovely member of staff for the nearest disabled toilet. (After a million hours I finally got to go! Hurrah!)
The meet and greet was up on the first floor in a conference room just after you got out of the lift. There were about 5-6 tables and each table has a food platter with a mix of things on it such as fruits, cheeses, dips, crackers and cold meats. Each person got two tokens for a drink ( I just had water) and we all just found a spot to sit.
The meet and greet was supposed to start at 7:30pm but the boys were late. Around 8pm, Sam poked his head in to apologise to us all for being late and to let us know they were just finishing up their meals and getting their drinks and then they’d join us.
The meet and greet was wonderful. Sadly, Duncan was feeling unwell so he was unable to join us.. So Steve took his place.
Each table got about 15-20 minutes with each guest and we just got to chat and ask them whatever we wanted. Steve was absolutely hilarious and was wonderful to chat with. Of course, Sam booed him and told him to go away when it was his turn to sit with us.
I have to admit, by this stage Sam was just about dead on his feet ( Charles and John were in fine fettle and wide awake. HAHA! As was Steve!) and was struggling to stay awake- the poor love. But, he managed and answered all our questions and told us of some things that were happening for him and his hopes for when Outlander ended.
It was closer to 10pm by the time all was said and done and everything was wrapped for the day . Each table got their photo taken with the cast before they left – to make up for the fact Duncan wasn’t able to take part
Group photo at the Pullman Hotel
Which was lovely
Miss C and I left the venue and made a quick pit stop at the local Mcdonalds so I could grab something to eat. ( While the platters are nice, they don’t fill you up)
By the time we got back to the Quest Apartments it was after 11pm and we were exhausted.
Suffice to say I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It was a big day. A wonderful day and one I won’t ever forget.
Thanks for reading
Ceej
PS As mentioned in another blog, David Berry couldn’t attend due to Covid so he signed photos for us:
Three things have struck me as I sit down to write this blog
The last time I wrote a blog was May 11th
According to my WordPress phone app – I have a draft blog just sitting there that’s incomplete … and yet, I cannot locate it when I login on my desktop.
Point two is going to irritate me for a very long time
Anyway,
Time for a life update.
Since my last blog I found that I simply did not have the spoons to write anything. I was feeling exhausted all the time and writing the blog on a weekly basis was starting to become something I felt I was obligated to do – which meant I quickly lost interest as it was no longer something I considered to be fun or enjoyable anymore.
I’ve often been told as soon as something I’m interested in becomes “work” I lose interest . It’s the truth. I have no desire to put any effort into the things I enjoy. I simply wish to enjoy them. I have a 9-5 day job and because I’m getting paid an hourly rate – I’ll put in as much effort as is required thank you very much.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to make money from writing – but yeah, I’m just not cut out for that I’m afraid .
Melbourne has been bitterly cold of late. In fact, they’re saying ( whoever they are) that this year has been the coldest year on record.
I have to agree. It’s been baltic ( thanks to my Scottish friends for that one) and as a result, my Husband and I have discovered the joys of sleeping with socks on. ( Although, in my case it’s been socks and tracksuit pants. I’m finding I’m feeling the cold a lot more than usual this year)
We’ve also been going to bed a lot earlier than normal in an effort get the required 8 hours sleep that everyone goes on about. These days we tend to go to be anywhere between 8:30 -9:30pm. Personally, I have woken up feeling slightly more refreshed than I used to be. Not so sluggish and desperate to fall asleep in the middle of the day.
Speaking of sleep, if there’s one thing that can make you sleep for extraordinarily long periods of time, it’s Covid.
That’s right! It was our turn to get Covid. After 4.5 years of successfully avoiding it, both my Husband and I came down with it shortly after the King’s Birthday long weekend.
Now, if I’m being perfectly honest, the version of Covid we were hit with, whilst not great, wasn’t the worst thing we’d ever been hit with. In fact, we’d had colds worse that it. However, given the risk of passing it on to someone more vulnerable than ourselves, we kept everyone at a distance.
This meant that my Support Workers couldn’t come and assist me or take me to my required appointments ( Not that I went to them anyway) and so for two weeks, Himself and I managed to get by while dealing with Covid. I will say, over the last two weeks we have slept a lot… Often close to 10 to 11 hours ( Minus those days where I was well enough to work and had to get up by 6am) and it’s been lovely. Sadly, this is due to come to an end from tomorrow as Hubby has to go back to work – So, it’s back to 4am starts. Boo!
In other news, we recently got the kitchen taps fixed in our rental. It’s taken well over 20 years to have them repaired, but it finally happened. I grant you, they still cannot be used due to the fact that there’s massive wood rot at the back of the sink and the Kitchen pipes are old and cracked but, at least, they look the part and that’s all I can hope for, for now.
On the NDIS front, aside from just about everyone I rely on ( from the coordination side of things) suffering some kind of personal meltdown, family drama, or work related debacle, ( Note: This is not a dig- It’s the truth) everything goes as smoothly as to be expected.
This week I am getting a quote on a couple of mini ramps to be installed out the front of my house ( Our Landlord gave permission for this – which is nice) So I will let you know how it all pans out.
Mr Jetson has recovered from his surgery! Yay! He no longer needs the cone and is back to his usual scheduled programing ( meaning he’s all about food and nothing else) He’s taken to sleeping between Hubby and I on the bed at night which is nice. It seems to be the only time he allows pets and cuddles. We bought him his very own grooming brush the other day.. hopefully he allows us to groom him and get the knots out of his coat.
Over the last few weeks we have watched the following on TV
Bridgerton (S1 -3)
Sweet Tooth (Se 3)
The Simpsons (We’re currently making our way through, from the very beginning)
Dr Who (Se 1 – if you’re one to accept that. BTW – Who IS that woman in white? The new Master?)
The Bad Batch (Se 3)
Marco Polo ( Se 1 – not yet finished)
SHOGUN (Se 1)
The 3 Body Problem ( Se 1 – Not yet finished.. .Although to be fair, it’s actually doing my head in)
The Acolyte ( Se 1 – Not yet finished. We’re still sitting on the fence atm)
What have you been watching? Please let me know.
On the home front, the last 3 weeks have been spent dealing with the Maroondah City Council. The amount of run around to get a Hard Rubbish collected was absolutely ridiculous!
I booked a standard collection on May 30th and after much back and forth over the phone and via the chat portal – we were given dates that our rubbish was to be collected – followed by excuse after excuse why it wasn’t. My favorite excuse being “Oh, it depends on who is driving the truck as to whether we enter your unit complex”
It took until I contacted my local MP before anything was done. It seemed they had a word to the Maroondah Council CEO to intervene on our behalf to get it taken away. We’ll have another one later on in the year. I hope we don’t run into issues next time.
Finally, as some of you may recall, I wrote about the issues I was having with my right hip. It was determined ( after CT scans and X-rays) that I have severe Osteoarthritis in my hip joint – to the point its bone on bone.
I have since seen the Surgeon and he wrote a referral letter to Outer Eastern Health regarding my situation.I received the letter a few weeks ago and they’ve deemed me Non- Urgent (meaning it’s not broken, cancerous or life threatening) and so I should expect to hear something in the next two months about a date for the operation .. otherwise I have another appointment with the Surgeon in August to see how things are going.
There’s lots of other things happening – but they’re not important right now and this is a long enough update as it is.
Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten my Respite series – I will get to finishing that soon, I promise .
I hope this blog finds you well. Yes, I know, you’re waiting for #HublanderPart3 but- I plan to write the final installment of that tomorrow while Hubby goes out and does all the things.
By the title of this blog, you must’ve figured out by now that there has been a little bit of celebratory shenanigans coupled with a side of Adulting ( Yuk!)
When it comes to the month of May ( That’s enough from you Justin Timberlake! We be know your meme!) everything happens all at once.
*Hubbys Birthday
*My Birthday
*Other family members birthdays
*Mothers Day
*Car Registration
*Chasing up invoices and service agreements for the NDIS – that kinda thing. It’s a very busy month
To start with, my Husband turned 50. ( That’s half a Century for those playing at home) It was a very quiet affair- just him and I and the kittens. I got him a few dinky gifts and a pair of homemade bunny slippers .. .which I’m happy to report, he loves.
I got him a Black Forest Cherry cake and we partook of that till it was all gone.
Next, it was my turn. I turned the ripe old age of 47. I celebrated by having my uterus turn against me and let me know it was not going to play Happy Birthday without a musical cheese grater or two – so that was nice. I also continued the tradition of scones w/ jam and cream and a can of Irn Bru.
Hubby got me a beautiful Dragonfly charm for my charm bracelet – which I love. I got an Outlander t shirt from my Support Worker Miss C and a $50 gift card for Typo from my support worker Miss B. My Dad also gave me some spending money – but I think I might save it for a rainy day instead.
Again, a quiet day spent at home. Nothing crazy. Spent it eating a 6-pack of Chicken Nuggets from McDonalds and a caramel Sundae while watching the latest Jimmy Carr Special on Netflix
Right then, now the adulting.
Like most people, I despise adulting .. but also, like most people, I know it has to be done.
Naturally, I paid rent, paid Hubby’s registration and threw money at other things that needed paying off but…the most adulting thing of all was that I found out I had severe Osteoarthritis of the right hip ( to the point of bone on bone) and it doesn’t look good. I have been referred to an Orthopedic Surgeon and have an appointment lined up in June to see what my options are. In the meantime, I have to do everything I can to lose weight and strengthen the muscles around the hip area. Especially my glutes. According to the CT report – two of my glute muscles have atrophied and are currently useless – so I have to work on that.
I have to admit that the idea of surgery terrifies me. The last time I had surgery I was 18 and it was to have bunions removed. But yeah, Hip surgery is a whole new level of “I fucked around and now I have to find out” and I am not OK.
Finally, my Hubby and I celebrated our 27th year of us back on April 25th, 2024. I know, it sounds dorky but we think it’s kinda cute and so, along with our Wedding Anniversary, we celebrate the milestone that is us – happy in the knowledge that, despite getting older, grayer and more cynical as each year passes – we can still agree we don’t suck!
With the way this blog has turned out- We’re heading for a part 3. I will try and get the final section done ASAP . I Promise! ( Please note: All photos used are from my phone. Taken on the day by me- except the official Hublander ones)
So, where was I? Oh yes, the doors closed.
Now, before I begin to talk about the day, the panels, the episodes airing on the big screen, the never ending lines for photos and the marvel that is STEVE …I just wish to point out that it was 38 degrees in Melbourne that day. 38 DEGREES! ( or 100.4 F) and we were all shut in a giant tin shed with very little ventilation or air conditioning.
Not that any of us cared ( at that point) to be honest. .. The regrets later however … Hmmmmm.
I’d say that, for the VIP / Platinum members panel – there would’ve been roughly 100 people. ( There were 800 people in attendance on the day) and our first guests for the day were Sam and Duncan.
Sam Heughan and Duncan Lacroix kick off Hublander Melbourne 2024
It’s at this point I’d like to point out that all Hublander USBs of the event have been sent out and mostly received. I still haven’t watched all of mine yet so I am going mostly from memory. *Deep Breath* Wish me luck!
Duncan was severely sunburnt and suffering sunstroke after arriving in Sydney and having a run in with his first ( I believe) Australian Summer. Whilst I’ll admit, Bondi can be a great place to party for the beautiful people, you still can’t do it without taking precautions. In this case, ye olde SLIP! SLOP! SLAP!
For my American Friends, the SLIP! SLOP! SLAP! ad campaign was one of Australia’s most successful ad campaigns around the prevention of Skin Cancer. The message was simple – SLIP on a shirt, SLOP on some sunscreen and SLAP on a hat.
Suffice to say, when photos on Duncan’s IG showed him burnt to a crisp – we were very concerned for his welfare. We all hoped with the help of the Good Lord and a poke with a sharp stick – He’d be OK!
Thankfully, not only did he survive the Australian Sun but also made to both Sydney and Melbourne events in one, rather red, piece. For which we were all eternally grateful!
The Panel was great and lots of laughs were had! After they’d finished, the rest of the attendees were let in ( after standing outside in the sun for 874 years) and took their seats.
While people were taking their seats, the VIP / Platinum guests were off to have their first photo ops for the day. First up, Sam and Duncan:
Sam Heughan and I at Hublander 2024 Duncan Lacroix and I at Hublander 2024
I honestly thought I’d be nervous – Especially around Sam … But I wasn’t. At all. It’s been said that he has a calming presence and I have to admit he does. Very relaxed. Very open. Very warm and welcoming! In fact, Sam reminds me of my very dear friend, Richard.
Richard is around 6’7 with blonde hair and blue eyes. He’s a genuinely nice, decent guy and Sam is exactly the same! Sam was lovely during our photo op and even got down on his knees for me! ( at the request of the photographer who said “He can get down on his knees for you, if you like!” LOL) We made polite small talk and both agreed that knees are overrated after the age of 40!
Duncan was a sweetheart and was just as nice! As you can see by my photo I completely forgot the “No Hugs” rule ( which was put in place to protect the Cast after David Berry tested positive for Covid) and kinda went for the head on the shoulder move – which is kinda like a hug for me anyway 😛
Next up was Charles VanDerVaart and John Bell!
Panel 2: Charles VanderVaart and John Bell
These two were a hoot! An absolute scream! They’ve literally become BFF’s and the way JB gives Charles such a hard time is the funnest thing ever!
It was at this point, the boys were given Tee-shirts to draw portraits of each other on and auction off.
It turned out that one of members of THE HUB team was going through a particularly difficult time and so, the tee-shirts were a way to raise much needed funds to help this member and their family. While I can’t remember the exact total, the money raised over both Sydney and Melbourne events was quite substantial and was definitely going to a good cause.
As the day went on, there were opportunities for photos with more than one Cast member – just as long as you had the correct token to do so. They were playing clips from 7A on the big screen in between panels so you could watch along while you waited.
I made friends with another lass in a wheelchair and her BFF . They were great fun! They were also both Peakers and we hit it off instantly! I just wish I could remember their names! They both complimented me on my Outlander Stickers on the back of Eleanor Whillie – in particular the S.H.A.Gger sticker! ( I.Y.K.Y.K)
The lines for photos were ridiculous! ( Massive shout out to Rod and Sarah for doing a brilliant job of sorting that mayhem out on the day!) and the only way to cool off (remember when I said it was 38c?) was ONE SINGLE stand alone fan at the entrance to the photo op area!
I will be forever thankful that Miss C and I took our own food to the event. There were supposed to be Food Trucks on site however, after a series of unfortunate events, there was a single ‘Food Truck’ that ran out of food by the time lunch was called.**
Add to this, the toilet situation was an absolute disaster. The Timber Yard had a total of 10 unisex toilets and 1 disabled toilet for the whole venue. Aside myself, there were at least 10 others who were in wheelchairs and several more who had walking canes or walkers. Trying to get to the toilet for anyone was a nightmare!
I tried twice to go to the toilet throughout the day. The first time saw me bump into Charles VanDerVaart who was on the way out of a unisex loo as I was trying to get to the disabled toilet on the other side. Apparently, someone has a photo of me chatting to Charles outside the toilets. I know this because they told me so. They also asked me if I wanted the photo. I recall saying yes.. but it never happened. Oh well. Nevermind.
I lucked out the first time – because it was in use. By the time I attempted to empty my bladder the second time – 6 of the unisex toilets were out of action and the disabled toilet was blocked and backed up!
Now, if you know me.. You know that I have an incredibly weak bladder ( TMI I know) and so, holding on for an entire day was agony. But, I managed… though not without complaint.
(There are some however, who were not present on the day, who will tell you that Sam Heughan has magical powers and by His sheer will alone- made it so I had a bladder of cast iron. That somehow I decided to ” Let it be known that ye verily I did forfeit my right to pee – less I miss a nanosecond of being in Sam Heughan’s company!” I assure you, dear reader that Sam Heughan DOES NOT have magical powers… nor is my bladder made of cast iron! The Women in my family possess no such thing!)
By this stage, complaints were coming in thick and fast about the lack of amenities, places to sit down, places to cool down and places to get food. Menu Log and Uber Eats made a small fortune from us that day, I can tell you that! Even the Cast had to order in as it looked like no arrangements made for them to have lunch provided for them – which is utterly appalling if you ask me!
Suffice to say there were 800 very annoyed people. Even those of us who bought our own food and drink found it impossible to sit somewhere and eat. With everything moving so quickly there was just not enough time to do so!
Anyway, here are my photos with John Bell and Charles VanDerVaart
Myself and John Bell at Hublander 2024! He autographed my photo with him. Lovely chap! Charles VanDerVaart and I at Hublander 2024
With the absence of David Berry (who very graciously signed photos to be given to VIP / Platinum ticket holders at the event) Duncan Lacroix did his panel solo. He regaled with stories of working on Outlander and other projects and answered questions from the audience. Unfortunately, his panel suffered technical difficulties – most likely due to the heat – so a large majority of it was unusable ( which is why only the Sydney panel that he did is on the USB)
“Everyone Needs a Murtagh” – Duncan Lacroix at Hublander 2024
He also gave us a designer tee-shirt and donated it to charity. Which was a lot of fun to watch.
It was during his panel that we found out Duncan was deaf in one ear and so everyone had to speak slowly and clearly. He handled it like a champion and his panel was enjoyed by all!
After a short break it was time for the man of the hour – Himself, Sam Heughan!
Sam was accompanied by his handler, Steve. Steve took over MC duties at this point and made sure Sam was asked either funny, interesting or intelligent questions. (If Steve didn’t like the question he threw it away! LOL!)
Sam answering a fan question during his solo panel at Hublander 2024
Sam talked about Outlander, his book Waypoints, His Whisky, His Gin, MPC and other projects and things that he’s working on – especially after Outlander ends after season 8.
Steve was hilarious throughout – offering his take on various stories and what working with Sam was like. Despite what you may think, Steve is a wonderful guy and very funny. I understand now why Sam always wants to work with him.
The highlight of Sams panel though, was when he got a lass on stage to sing the Skye boat song and called David Berry on his phone so we could all say hello and send him well wishes!
After Sam’s Panel ended it was time for the autographs.. However, that will need to wait until the next installment of this blog!
As always, thanks for reading
Ceej
**Correction: There were 2 food trucks on site. There was meant to be a 3rd but it was involved in an accident and couldn’t make it.
I hope this day finds you well and in fine fettle!
Look, I know I promised you HUBLANDER PT 2 this week but.. .things took an interesting turn – which meant I did not have the time this week to sit down and cover the 2nd half of my Convention adventure.
Fear Not! I’m planning a two-for-one deal this weekend! There will be TWO blogs! That’s right! You read it here first! Two blogs!
*Throws Confetti*
Anyway….
The Thursday before last I was in agony. Like, fire was ripping my hip and leg to pieces agony and it had me in tears. My Support worker, Miss B was with me that morning and suggested that, rather than go to my usual Thursday appointment at Knox Chiropractic and Wellness, I get my backside straight to the Dr’s to see what the heckin hell was going on.
So, I made an appointment and off we went. The Dr suggested I get a CT scan done ASAP and gave me a prescription for ProdineExtra – which was a combination of Codeine and Panadeine Forte for the pain.
I called the I-Med radiology clinic and thankfully they had a spot available April 23rd.
That morning I also had to get the ‘1000 mile service’ blood tests done – which meant I wasn’t allowed to eat before hand. I didn’t need to book ahead for that so we just rocked up, took a number and waited until it was my turn.
The Nurse taking my bloods was lovely although, she did take a bit to get a line in (and she needed both arms and it made a hell of a mess. LOL) but she persisted and eventually got the two vials required for this year.
I generally get these tests every two years. So far *touches wood* things have been OK and I am as healthy as I can be for my age.
Next stop was I-Med.
While we were sat in the waiting room, Miss B and I were discussing our struggles with the battle of the bulge. ( At time of writing this, I weigh in at 109.5kgs / 241.4lbs. At 5’1 tall I am very much aware that I am carrying way to much weight for my frame and need to lose at least 30 kgs /66lbs) when we’re interrupted by a Woman wanting to give us her take on our weight loss woes. Naturally, we smiled, acted mildly surprised at the information she supplied – that we totally didn’t want- and thanked her kindly for her book recommendations. We told her (somewhat unconvincingly)that we’d certainly look them up when we had a moment to spare.
The truth is, as we made our way towards the CT scanner room, we both agreed she was a noisy twat and she should really learn to mind her own business! We’d deal with our own weight issues and whinge about them if we want to – Thank you very much!
The CT scan was done in a matter of minutes. Thankfully the GP had the foresight to Bulk Bill the scan- which saved me a small fortune.
A few days later, I received a text on my phone to say the CT scan was complete and the images were now available to for me to access. Two days after that, the report. I have already booked an appointment with my GP for this coming Thursday for both the blood test result and the CT scan result. Will keep you posted.
In other, more exciting news, My Husband and I celebrated the 27th Anniversary of us on ANZAC DAY 2024. Every year we celebrate two Anniversaries – The Anniversary of when we started dating and our Wedding Anniversary.
We started dating on the 25th April 1997 ( Yes, I know. The Dark ages! The time before high-speed internet, mobile phones were bricks and could do nothing but make and receive calls. Sending a text took 20 minutes and cost you 0.99c and the internet wasn’t really a thing. You still had to either call someone, write letters or go to someone’s house if you wanted to tell them something) and every year since we’ve done something nice to mark the occasion.
This year we decided to go to LUX at Hoyts Cinema and see the next installment of DUNE on the big screen.
Hoyts LUX is the Village Cinemas equivalent of Gold Class Cinemas. A small intimate theatre with only about 2o seats. Big comfy, recliner chairs with a small table next to each one. You get a complimentary small popcorn and Pepsi upon arrival as well as being handed a menu – so you can order wine/beer or a snack / meal of your choice to have as you watch the movie.
The movie was OK. Started out strongly but by the halfway point it was like everyone involved kinda lost interest and it then just became a series of plot points with no real explanation whatsoever.
Visually, it was stunning. Brilliantly shot. Superbly done. I will say this one thing though, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha was truly something else. Must admit, I didn’t recognise him at first.. but once I did, I was very impressed with his performance. By far better than Stings version. That’s for sure.
Hubby and I enjoyed ourselves regardless as, truth be told, we don’t get the chance to go out much anymore. So, to have a day where we could spend time together to relax and enjoy ourselves was wonderful .
The next day was GROOM O’ DE FLOOF day and she was off to our favourite local groomer to be made the most beautiful of all kittens.
A few hours later, upon her return, Mr Jetson began to act differently around her. He began to hiss and spit and act out aggression towards her – which is something he’s not ever done before. The poor little moppet even went all submissive ( flopped on the floor onto her back) for him, but he still wouldn’t have it.
The best conclusion we came to was that she smelled different ( Hubby said it was an antiseptic smell) Perhaps he had a bad memory associated with that smell? Maybe a bad experience? We will never know.
Hopefully he settles down soon. If I know one thing about our Miss Floof it’s this. She won’t tolerate his bullying and carry on for much longer. I suspect she will set the record straight and sort him out in very short order.
Tonight we are having Scottish Stew with a side of crusty bread rolls for dinner. The slow cooker is on as I write this and the house smells divine!
Bitz 'N' Blogs with CJ Cross 