THE NEVERENDING PILL SAGA

It's a nice spring day outside, the breeze is a bit chilly but nice for walking. Tomorrow is not going to be nice, windy and cold with rain and I have to walk in it.

I've got to sort out the pills again. The morphine has been upped another 20 whatevers but instead of with the morning or evening pills, it's in the middle of the webster pack. This has caused massive confusion.

She can't get it straight that she isn't getting a new medication which is making her ill, causing confusion and stopping her from turning on the DVD player.

It confused her into taking Monday and Tuesday's pills on Thursday and Friday. That's what happens when you turn the pack upside down instead of back to front and it's all due to the new medication. She didn't take Friday night's medication at all because the new medication made her go to sleep early.

So I'm off to the pharmacy to find out why the dumb arse doctor asked for it to be this way. I'll get it put with the morning pills which is when she has the most pain. Then I have to pick up the 'you know' pills she's nearly out of and that's another 15 minutes of my life I won't get back. I think I was yelling again, something about not being a mind reader.

Hopefully it will only take a week to get back to normal, near normal, almost normal or anything approaching normal.

TO THE MOVIES

I had my Gold Class upgrade code and I was first in line to see 'The Mummy and the Dragon Emperor's Tomb'. Brilliant entertainment and I think it beat Indiana especially in the special effects department. John Hannah stole every scene but then he does in every 'Mummy' movie. The humour was subtle. Great escapism for a couple of hours. I just wish they hadn't kept saying 'mummy' through the movie, it made me remember what I was there to forget.

Next week, Hellboy2 and how stupid is it that, at my age, I'm reduced to sneaking off to see a film.

Daniel Craig just might tempt me back to see a James Bond film.

I'm still shitty on Warner Bros for not screening Harry Potter in November. Their story is that due to the writer's strike they haven't enough quality films for summer release. The HP forums reckon it's because Daniel Radcliffe is starring on Broadway and WB didn't want the nude scene in Equus (?) crossing over to The Half-Blood Prince movie. Pre-viewers of the film have said it's stuck very close to the book and the visit to the cavern is a great scene. I feel like Warner's have stolen Christmas. A dragon pox on them.

I THINK I'LL GET SICK AGAIN

Well it would be a good move since 'Insanity Central' is gearing up again.
I walked over on Monday, insane move, since I hadn't been out of bed for nearly a week but I had to check the bills and pay the Mastercard.
I was there one hour and wanted to cut myself with a sharp instrument.

Yesterday, the morning phone call was loonier than usual but that could have been me. I'm out of the habit of being woken at 7.15 with,
Mother "Hello, what time is it - answer - I have to go for a piddle".
An hour later at 8.15 I get the second call,
Mother"What time is it?" I look at the clock and realised I've already told her 8.15 at 7.15 out of habit.
Me "You have a clock."
Mother "Yes, but I'm not sure what day it is".

This morning at 8.15, (check both clocks in the bedroom) another "What day is it?"
Me "It's Wednesday, cleaning lady day and if I find out you got up to clean up before the cleaning lady I'll kill you."
Mother "I haven't got any bread."
Me "You didn't have bread on Monday and it's Wednesday. What are you waiting for, the Bread Fairy?"
A long diatribe about the irresponsibility of The BrickOuthouse since he's had a girlfriend follows. It's her fault there's no bread because she doesn't let him get it. I believe there was a lot of screaming after this but I can't be sure.

Phone call at 10 a.m from BrickOutHouse, "Is there money in the bank?" "Is there anything wrong with the ATM card? Has the number been changed?"
Me "Plenty, no, why?"
Mother has mixed up paydays and thinks she's broke until Thursday.
Me "Buy two of f'ing everything and f'ing put one of f'ing everthing in the f'ing freezer!!!!"
BOH "I can't I'm on my way to work, I'll do it later."

Three days I've been back on the job. I have a headache. I lost nearly 6kgs in weight over the past five weeks and the desire to annihilate several Magnum ice-creams and the biggest bag of crisps is creeping up on me. My resolution not to get sucked back into this nightmare is gurgling its way down the nearest toilet.

Don't let anyone ever tell you that swearing doesn't solve anything, it bloody well fucking does.

PRETTY

I thought I might have something intelligent knocking around in the drafts but not a thing for my brain to feed on so I tried my photo file to find this.

That's a single black Tourmaline needle in quartz. The precision cutting positioned the needle at the culet (pointy end) and extending perpendicular to the table so the tourmaline is reflected in a kaleidoscope-like effect.

It was photographed by Wimon Manorotkul who really knows her business.

SEPTEMBER'S MORE OF THE SAME

The virus that was having such fun chewing up my lung got lonely so it invited a friend in to chew up my kidneys.

The pain I thought was a torn muscle from coughing and which I let go for 6 days before seeing a doctor was much more serious.

Apparently the falling out of the chair bit could have been passing out.

Temperatures above 38 degrees are fun, what with the hallucinations and vivid dreams not to mention being woken up by my name being called by nobody there.

Did I mention the pain? Almost gone now but I can't sit up for long. More worrying, I don't want to eat.

Jeebus but I've been crook. Still organising Mother from flat on my back.

I PASSED A MILESTONE

No doubt MiLords Sedgwick and Hughes will be over to play havoc with that heading.
While I was sick I managed to miss my 800th blog post being posted. I hope it was something intelligent.

Spring in Melbourne is wonderful, we've had 4 types of weather today. I managed to get some food in and pasta sauce is on the go. I found over the last four weeks that it's no good making soup out of nourishing fresh things when all your stomach wants is plain old Heinz Big Red Tomato soup with toast and cheese.

Things to watch out for when ill.

Don't doze off in the chair without a safety belt. I'm ashamed to admit I did just that yesterday and fell flat on my face. I did a lot of damage to the Sunday papers but my glasses bounced.

Don't sit up in bed, in the middle of the night, with the doona wrapped round, after a coughing fit, when you're exhausted. You'll drift off to sleep because you're exhausted and then you'll wake up when your tongue falls out of your open mouth and you bite it.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

GOODBYE AUGUST

Spring tomorrow. Goodbye to 31 days of absolute shite involving physical and mental disintegration.

I had to severely slap myself around last night and acknowledge that sometimes, medication is neccessary, very much needed and should be taken without guilt. So I've upped the mind and body equalizers until I get to level ground above this pit of blackness.

I cannot help anybody else. I can't equate their problems with mine and think mine are not as bad and I should be grateful. I'm in trouble, me *slap* so start with the basics, medication and stop feeling guilty that I have to give in and take it.

Constant physical and mental pain shortcircuits everything in most people. Sometimes it doesn't but with me, I tend to be waving okay with one hand and digging myself into the black pit with the other. I find it impossible to talk about it to anyone and yet I will help others without a second thought.

Blame my mother, I do. I've shut down emotions so tightly so that I can deal with her and I don't think I'll ever open up again. Besides it's no good raging at her, she forgets about it after an hour or so but I'm left with the self-recriminations of losing control. My sister deals with it better, she walks out and never thinks about it again. I'm made of weaker stuff.

Thank you Great Maker for Codeine, anxiety pills and muscle relaxants. I'm taking all of them until my glass becomes half full again.



Just to make sure I had a good dose of the irrits. A mother and daughter have shed 140kgs in 16 months. The daughter weighed 166kg. and now weighs 76kgs. She took Celebrity Slim diet shakes for breakfast and dinner, with a cooked lunch including lean meat, fish and vegetables and had a 30 minute walk each day. They said it was easier to lose weight together.

Here's the good bit, Melody's previous diet included up to two blocks of chocolate and a packet of Tim Tams each day. My initial reaction was anyone could lose if they dropped that kind of diet, second reaction was several four letter words because it wasn't me, third reaction was sliding down into the pit again but good luck to both of them if they hold on to those bodies they've gained.

I hate Tim Tams, I don't like chocolate biscuits at all, see there's a silver lining everywhere.

THAT WAS A BIT CLOSE

I'm used to saying to people on the phone "Hang on while the plane flies through the lounge room" but today it was really too close.

A kilometre as the crow flies and I did hear both planes go overhead.

I didn't know anything else until my sister rang to tell me one of the nurses saw it come down as she was on her way to work.

Considering how long the airport has been there, there have been few really bad accidents. This one was a freak with two planes so close that one tipped the wing of the other.

It was very close to the school though and witnesses said the pilot tried to get away from it.

PERIDOT FOR AUGUST

Peridot comes from the Arabic word "faridat" meaning gem or from the French word "peritot" which means unclear due to the cloudiness of the inclusions in large stones.
The depth of colour depends upon the amount of iron present in the stone which is composed of two minerals, Fayalite (iron rich) and Fosterite (magnesium rich).
It has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 and the most desirable colour being a sparkling vivid green as shown in the faceted stone of this ring.Peridot is the birthstone for August and the Zodiac stone for the constellation Libra. Legend has it as the favourite gemstone of Cleopatra.
Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral Olivine formed by volcanic activity. Tiny crystals are found in the black volcanic sands of Hawaii and in the extinct volcanoes of Victoria's Western District.
An unusual source of Peridot is the iron-nickel meteorites called Pallasites.
Myanmar, Pakistan and Egypt produce the best quality gems but they're found all over the world. Peridot has been mined as a gemstone for an estimated four thousand years and is mentioned in the Bible under the Hebrew name of Pitdah.
Ancient Egyptians called them the gem of the Sun and the priests drank from cups made of peridot believing it drew them closer to Isis, the Goddess of Nature. They also wore it as a talisman to protect against infection and evil.

While it stands alone in its beauty, it's also enhanced by complementary colours as in this necklace of cat's eye Kunzite, faceted Vesuvianite, pink Sapphires, faceted Peridot, faceted Rhodolite garnets and pink Keshi Pearls.

The silver bracelet by Stephen Dweck has Peridot, pearls, drusy, smoky Topaz and faceted smoky Topaz.

PERIDOT LORE

It's considered protective against evil and when set in gold, especially helpful against night terrors.
It was ground to powder and used as a remedy for asthma.
It brings friendship, prevents envy and is purported to lift depression.
It sources divine inspiration and signifies strength and happiness in both individuals and relationships.
It enhances the efficacy of medication and improves speech.

STILL LIFE

I'm a bit late with the birthstone for August which is Peridot and this isn't it but I loved the beauty of it and the way it was photographed.

It's Rhodochrosite, only 3.5 centimetres tall and looks like a pink blossom.

It's from the Wolf Mine, Betzdorf, Seigerland, Germany and was photographed by Wimon Manorotkul.

CLOUDS OF GLORY

There's a lot happening in this MODIS image from NASA's Aqua satellite.
The ring shaped, rainbow-like glory in the centre is caused by the scattering of sunlight by a cloud made of water droplets that are all roughly the same size. It always appears in the spot directly opposite the Sun from the perspective of the viewer. It can appear on mountains and the giant shadow of the photographer is seen in the centre, the anti-solar point. In this image the Aqua satellite is too far away to cast a shadow.

In the upper right are phenomenon known as Von Karman Vortices. These appear downwind of islands tht perturb the flow of air like a boulder creates an eddy downstream in a river. This image was taken on May 20, 2008, over the Pacific Ocean.

STILL VIRUSING

I'm still not sleeping well so I've been staying in the warm in front of the TV to the wee small hours.
I don't know what I'd do without a remote control, going from Channel 7 to Star Wars to SBS.

There was a bit of a snarky item in the Age this morning about two Olympic sports:
"Rhythmic gymnastics. The dry-land equivalent of synchronised swimming and just as silly......."
"Men's handball. A sport created by people who couldn't make the basketball or soccer team and played by countries who aren't very good at anything else......"

I don't see the difference between handball and beach volleyball except maybe more clothes but it still takes skill and this is coming from someone who's lucky to catch a cold. (I was ambushed by this virus, I didn't catch it)

The Rhythmic gymnastics which I landed on during my late night channel surfing was a joy. Maybe the heats weren't as good, I didn't see them just the finalists with the twirling ribbons. I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time so the idea of twirling a long silk ribbon and twirling a body with graceful moves without falling over doesn't seem to be silly just really difficult plus.

I'll be glad when it's all over. I'm sick of bursting into tears everytime the green and gold gets a medal and I did last night at the diving. I don't think I took a breath during M's dive and I loved the look on his face and his tears when he saw the score.

I'm not a sports fan so I'm blaming all this emotionality on this stupid virus. The bugs are going for a gold medal in endurance body destruction.

FAT PEOPLE ARE THE NEW TERRORISTS

BLOATED OBESITY COSTS A THREAT TO THE NATION

Don't you love that headline. According to the article the cost of the obesity crisis has soared to $58 billion a year and taxpayers are bearing the burden. It seems that I must apologise to all the supporting thin people out there who are carrying me on their backs.

There has been a staggering (their words) 137% increase in cases of type 2 diabetes caused by excess weight. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoarthritis and some forms of cancer have also soared as waistlines have expanded.

Now for some figures. 3.7 million Australians are obese. 17.5% of the population which could increase to 18.3% by 2025.
The biggest price of obesity came from lost wellbeing, and estimate of $49.9 billion. Lost productivity cost $3.6 billion, direct burden on the health system was $2 billion and carers' cost topped $1.9 billion.
The Federal Government had the biggest share, 34% of the bill, 30% was covered by the individual and 19% by family and friends.

But that's only for obese people not the overweight so the true cost could be higher. The experts want a ban on junk-food advertising to children, better food labelling and funding for lap-banding surgery. I'm all for the first two but surgery as an option, not for me. The report was from the Diabetes summit in Hobart.

I knew they were keeping those detention centres for a reason. Can a fattie round-up be close?

The increase in diabetes could be due to the fact that it's routine to test for it now. 25 years ago if you complained to your doctor about a raging thirst and weight loss then you had a test. 25 years ago we didn't know the fat content of a Big Mac, didn't know about low GI foods and didn't worry about letting the belt out another notch. We didn't have the internet to research and didn't have carbs, fats etc. labelled on our food. We also didn't have experts blaming fatties for ruining the country's economy.

I've ranted about this before but it really gets on my wick. Good food costs a lot, junk food doesn't. Supermarket shelves are laden with cheap chemical quick meals, just add meat. Rows of biscuits, potato crisps, soft drinks and sweets out number the rows of vegetables. Even the vegetables are suspect. Apples come from cold stores, garlic from China, oranges from California, in fact name a country and the supermarket will source food from it.

I'm looking at having organic food delivered to the house but the cost might be prohibitive. Everything I buy is wholegrain healthy. This week I had a free loaf from Baker's Delight and I grabbed the white hi-fibre low GI loaf and felt like I'd just scored a bag of ecstacy in a sleezy back alley. I'm doing my best, croissants and an ice-cream only on Sunday, bypass the chocolate aisle, drink water but I'm only human not Wonderwoman and I stress eat.

I'm very conscious of health. In the last three weeks, I've had a cousin, neighbour and friend die, two from cancer and one from Diabetes. My cousin was 53, the neighbour was 60 and the friend was 47. Two smoked, one had never been sick with more than a cold and none was obese or even overweight. There's no easy answer. More exercise? Another friend who is an athletic trainer says losing weight is 20% exercise and 80% diet.

What I need is someone to serve me three meals a day so I don't have to think about it.

I'M IN AWE

After declaring that I wouldn't bother watching the Olympics I've ended up plonked in front of the TV at strange hours because I can't sleep.

I watched the women's hockey with Australia and China. I use to play hockey, after a fashion. My main aim was not to run far, go anywhere near the ball or get hit with a stick and that was my hockey career. I know how hard it is to move the ball and not lose it at a walk but it was fantastic to watch the speed at which these players walloped it up and down the ground. I stuck it out to the end hoping the Aussies could pull off one more goal from nowhere.

I watched BMX races today. I thought about turning it off but the first time trial started and I was hooked. I used to ride a bike and staying upright was a challenge. The damn things almost fly and fast, more than fast. I have trouble walking and breathing let alone throw a bmx over a jump while pedalling and did I mention going fast.

Synchronised swimming, I'd drown. Hurdling, I'd fall over. Diving, just looking down from the tower makes me shake. My shoulders hurt watching the gymnasts on the rings, the high bar and the uneven bars.

I don't care how many medals Australia gets. It doesn't matter to me because to reach this level of brilliance is breathtaking. The athletes are disappointed enough without the armchair experts whinging that we haven't taken a big haul of gold.

TOO SICK FOR COMPUTER

I never thought I'd say that but I haven't turned it on once this week. Good old blogger put the scheduled one up last Sunday and that was it.

I've lost interest in computer, food, chocolate and I still haven't spent my birthday money.

A family of microscopic gerbils fleeing from an intergalactic war has taken up residence in my right lung. At least that's what it sounds like, squeaking and eeking away except at night when I sometimes think Darth Vadar is lying beside me. How did he cope with that bloody breathing, it never stops.

Sleep deprivation is the pits.

I have developed empathy with anyone who battles cystic fibrosis, emphysema, asthma and chronic fatigue syndrome.

I'm boycotting Panadol flu tablets because of their ridiculous ad. Poor bloke, got his holiday all booked and he gets a cold, oh woe! But no worries, he's off to some tropical island with sun and water so he takes his Panadol and enjoys himself. You selfish prick, you're still crawling with germs that you're taking on the plane, breathing all over the islanders, leaving on door knobs, in the water but, hey, you don't feel a thing, I'm on pills. Panadol is the pits.

Paracetamol is okay to take when your temperature is heading towards 39. Years since I took a temperature and didn't notice the red number which is normal so ring sis to find out what is danger level. Making sure Mum has her pills keeps me from noticing I only have two paracetamol rolling round in the bottom of my bag. Sis arrives 10 minutes later with large packet and rings every half hour until temp. is down a couple of points.

Ice cold Sprite lemonade is divine when one is trying to force down a piece of dry toast.

Tired now, must rest for a big afternoon. I found a date scone in the freezer and I'm going to need all my strength for high tea.

IT'S THAT DAY AGAIN

Euan James 1971-1995

Mention the theme song from Titanic and people wince at the thought of Celine Dion's mangling of the English language and the words get lost. The first time I heard the song and really listened to it, I realised that it wasn't just for a lost lover.

Every night in my dreams

I see you, I feel you

That is how I know you go on

Far across the distance

and spaces between us

You have come to show you go on

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on

Love can touch us one time

And last for a lifetime

And never let go till we're one

Love was when I loved you

One true time I hold to

In my life we'll always go on

Near, far, wherever you are

I believe that the heart does go on

Once more you open the door

And you're here in my heart

And my heart will go on and on

There is some love that will not go away

You're here, there's nothing I fear,

And I know that my hear will go on

We'll stay forever this way

You are safe in my heart

And my heart will go on and on

EVIL GERMS

I can feel the little virus battalians mobilising for total warfare. The only good thing about it is that Mother doesn't want me anywhere near her. A shame I feel too crook to enjoy the freedom.
Lemonade icy-poles win over Vinegar and Salt crisps any day.

I spent the day in bed after I staggered to the shop for the above goodies. I loved lying there with the sun shining in, books to hand, snot to my chin and bits of lung being hacked up. (anybody eating?) Lemonade icy-poles really help.

So I'm reading an article about locust swarms and why they swarm. Scientists have determined that the locusts in the lead aren't hungry, they're the ones who are well fed on protein and salt. It's the ones behind who aren't getting the food. They're hot for the fat bodies in front and the fat bodies have to start moving fast before they become the food for the hungries behind and so the swarming begins.

All the time I was reading that and looking at the locust feeding on another locust, I could picture Brendan the Brave twirling his little antennae hoping to outrun Malcolm the Mighty who is trying to keep ahead of Costello the Cunning. The swarming of the Federal Liberal Party should make a ripper of a horror movie.

PIGS IN RUNDLE STREET, ADELAIDE

Davo took his camera to Adelaide for a short break and photographed the sculptures in Rundle Street. I fell in love with these bronze pigs so in the tradition of great bloggers, I've stolen them from him.
You can see them in Rundle Mall at the junction of Stephens Place. The sculptor was Marguerite Derricourt.
They were commissioned by the Adelaide City Council and unveiled by Former Lord Mayor (Dr. Jane Lomax-Smith) on 3 July, 1999.

This is Oliver, at the bin

This is Horatio, sitting

Truffles is the standing pig behind Horatio, Oliver at the bin and missing is Augusta, the trotting pig.

NOW I'M CROOK

I have a chest infection. The best thing for that is lemon juice, honey and ginger.

But I've developed an allergy to citrus fruit, mainly grapefruit and orange, so it's no citrus for the moment. The rash is clearing up, no grapefruit. The headaches aren't as bad, no grapefruit. Isn't it marvellous, the only things that grow in the garden are the citrus trees.

I went through another diet day unscathed.

My mother rang. She wanted to know who turned 60 last week, her or me. How that woman passed a mental assessment I don't know.

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS

This is big news.

I have managed to stay on a diet for twenty-four hours.

Why does one small pototo, half a small carrot, 2 Brussell sprouts, 1 shallot and 200 grams of Tofu look like it would feed a small family when it goes on a plate?

Another good day tomorrow then I have to shop on Thursday.

It will be tough.

Why don't cakes come with the kilojoules stamped on the bottom then I could cheat just a little.

It will be tough.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY

The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby invites you to the 4th annual Equal Love rally and Midwinta vows.While some progress has been made with an imminent Victorian Relationships Register, same-sex relationships are still not fully recognised in law and marriage is still banned.

We invite you and your friends, families, colleagues and neighbours to join us on Sunday August 3 to 'Stand up for your love rights'.


Details:
EQUAL LOVE RALLY + MIDWINTA VOWS
SUNDAY AUGUST 3, 1PM
STATE LIBRARY Cnr SWANSTON & LA TROBE Sts

This is just not only about every gay couple in the village wanting to overwhelm churches and registry offices to get married. It's about having a choice whether or not to make a partnership official. Gays and Lesbians don't have this choice, it was denied them by an act of Parliament. An act that singled out their relationships as having no value to society. The current Government is not in a hurry to right a wrong but we're working on them. In a world of hate, let's go for love.

I'SE GOT FLOWERS!

Highriser sent me a bouquet of pretties. I was very careful with them Andrew but the boi you hid in the middle must have fallen out. I looked everywhere. Could you please send another one?

LIFE IMITATES ART

SEDGWIIIIIIICK! You're a dead man walking if you don't get your skinny aristocratness down here and remove the spycam from my bathroom.

HIPPO BIRDY AGAIN

This is me four years ago. Yes, I am wearing a crown of gold berries and frosted grapes, bite me.

This is me today. I don't look much different but I'm older due to the stress induced ageing of another year.

I still say I can cop to 59 for another 5 years.

I hope Selley's don't go out of the polyfiller business.

Of course, the colour of the bikini is not one a red head should wear but then I'm barely wearing

the bikini.

Keeps the seagulls away from the food though.

FROM A POST I PREPARED EARLIER

Lordie, I wish I had the arse to make this for the big 'O' day. The recipe is here for the daredevils of blogdom.

FRIENDS ARE A JOY FOREVER BUT CUPCAKES TASTE BETTER

The Bwca, who is currently riding herd on cats, dogs and chickens, sent me a virtual birthday afternoon tea. I've set it as wallpaper but my tongue keeps getting stuck on the screen. Somewhere at Southland tomorrow I will find cupcakes and blackforest cake in real life.

I will inhale them without a moment's hesitation and guilt will be shoved under a rock for the day.

RING OF FIRE

Chaiten is building up for what could be another pyroclastic eruption. Scientists are recording deep seismic activity as magma moves towards the surface.

Near Chaiten, Llaima volcano erupted for the third time with a lava flow working its way down from the summit. The image above is from the January 2008 eruption.

This is Ecuador's Reventador volcano which is erupting ash at the moment but with no immediate danger to the city of Quito.

At Okmok Caldera, the alert has been downgraded to 'orange'. It's still producing an ash column but it's less than 20,000 feet high.

SHINY

This is the Peony Nebula as taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. You can read more about it here.

IMPACT IMAGES

This is the Serra da Cangalha Crater in Northern Brazil. It's hidden underneath tropical savanna vegtation, resting on sediments laid down approximately 300 million years ago. Geologists estimate the meteorite struck here about 220 million years ago. The crater's structure shows a series of concentric rings with a diameter of 8 miles and the inner bowl is rimmed by rocks rising about 1,380 feet above the surrounding land.

It took some time to establish Serra da Cangalha as a impact crater. Geologists had to take into account, its circular shape, no volcanic rocks in a drill core and no carbonate or salt layers in nearby sediments which would suggest a salt dome. It also had to have the signs of impact in the form of shatter cones, conical shaped, grooved rocks known only to appear in impact craters.

This image was taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite on June 23, 2006. It's a simulated-true-colour image with varying shades of green defining the mix of savanna and riparian forest (forests along a river or stream). The occasional patches of purple-grey mean bare ground.



This is another way to image a crater or potential crater. It's a 3.4 mile wide craterlike formation which is buried 4,900 to 5,250 feet below sea level west of Stockton, California. Rocks in the area date to about 37 to 49 million years. This is from a seismic survey data of the Central Valley region which scientists believe was underwater at that time. More important than the circular shape is rock analysis showing shocked quartz that require a high-shock pressure impact to form.
The Victoria Island structure is being added to a database of suspected impacts along with the 0.8 mile Cowell structure to the north. If this can be proven, it'll be the first crater found in California.

IT'S DAME JOAN AGAIN

You know the drill by now. If you've got a mother you love, stop reading and back away from the blog.

Last night I kind of hurt myself, painfully. I'm used to the left kneecap moving off its tracks if I've been doing too much walking and not giving it a rest. It always happens in bed so I do the usual treatment to fix it which is too involved to go into but last night there was a new development. As I turned over, the quad muscle went into pain orbit and I really thought it had detached itself from the bone.

After the requisite amount of swearing and a lot of moaning, I tried to get out of bed. I couldn't stand upright at all. The knee had stopped hurting but not the rest of the leg. The only way I could get to the freezer and an ice-pack was to walk with feet and hands on the ground. Regardless of blubber I'm still flexible enough to do this. The minute I tried to stand up, pain. I always keep the nurse-on-call number by the phone but if I call then there are certain things to be done first.

After getting the ice-pack, unlock the back door in case of ambulance. In case of ambulance, put on nightdress. To make the call, put in teeth. Luckily I didn't need to call, the ice-pack worked on what must have been a tremendous muscle spasm from putting the knee back in place.

So where does mother come in? She rings this afternoon because she can't find the supplies she needs (don't ask) and I tell her they're in the sewing room, green bag, just inside the door. She says she's looked and there's nothing there and she hopes I get as sick as she is one day and have no-one to call. Wrong day to say this, not that it isn't said at least once a week, so she gets told to shut up and the phone crashed in her ear. I yelled so loudly, I think the whole street had a minute's silence.

Sister calls in and mother tells her she has enough supplies to last as she found them in the green bag in the sewing room.

KUNZITE

The first piece of Kunzite jewellery I ever saw was designed by Paloma Picasso. It was an emerald cut stone wrapped in pave diamond gold bows and suspended from a South Sea pearl necklace. It was lust at first sight.

Natural Kunzite crystal from Pech, Laghman Province of Afghanistan
9cm x 5.1 cm, selling for $2,450 at the Tucson Gem Show 2007

The first significant desposit was discovered in 1902 on the White Queen mining claim near Pala, San Diego, California by Fred Sickler. There was also another deposit found at the Pala Chief mine by Frank Salmons. So for a time, the gem was named "Sicklerite" and "Salmonite" until Carles Baskerville, a chemistry professor at the University of North Carolina, named it "Kunzite" in honour of George Kunz. Baskerville worked on the analysis of the stone in 1903 while Kunz was describing the new crystal for the American Journal of Science. Ten year later the gem was being marketed under the trade name of "California Iris" but by 1919, Kunzite became the recognised name.

Faceted Kunzite

Kunzite is a variety of Spodumene. The lilac colour is due to minute traces of manganese but the colour can fade in strong sunlight.

It has a hardness between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale. It has perfect cleavage and, like diamond, a sharp blow in the wrong place can shatter it in two. To show its colour to full advantage, the cutter must align the raw crystal very precisely which makes it a difficult stone to cut and almost impossible to re-cut. The stone can appear violet, pink or colourless. Some stones from Afghanistan show rich violet, light violet to light green, depending on the viewing angle. An effect known as 'pleochroism' or 'multi-colouredness'.

Apart from this internal colouring, the stone reflects a silvery gloss on the facets. The more intense the color, the more valuable the stone but clarity also determines value.

Today Kunzite is mined in Brazil, Afghanistan and Madagascar.

Kunzite cabochons set with quartz cabochon
with pave set diamonds in a gold ring

Mystical Lore

It's a precious stone for lovers. It's said to enhance a person's capacity for devotion and understanding.

The delicate violet pink is regarded as "healing", radiating a serene composure and bestowing inner peace and joie de vivre on the wearer.

It's also said to activate the mind and liberate it from worry and anxiety, having a positive effect on relieving strain or nervous tension.

Faceted Kunzite with multi-coloured sapphires

with cream pearls in a five strand bracelet

ARCTIC HAZE

The Research vessel Knorr carried scientists 7,394 nautical miles in a six week expedition from Cape Cod to the Arctic. They were to analyse a reddish-brown fog, a mix of dust, black carbon and chemical polltants which was first reported by pilots in the late 1950s. With little springtime rain to clear the air, it tends to float for weeks over parts of the Northern Pole.



At the start of the voyage, the scientists took air samples in Long Island Sound to analyse pollution from New York City. Knorr skirted the edge of the Arctic ice pack to let scientists take air samples. This gathering of current concentrations of pollutants is to provide baseline information to gauge future changes. The more polar ice melts, the more ships will use the open water as a shortcut to save on fuel costs and that means more pollution in the future.

Sailing off the northern tip of Norway and Russia, they also measured air quality near coastal smelters. They even sampled the exhaust from a fleet of Norwegian fishing boats.

The Knorr got far enough north to measure the Arctic haze where the highest concentrations of particulate sulfate were measured along the edge of the ice-pack.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute operates three ships and it's the job of Liz Caporelli as ship scheduler to make sure the scientists have everything on board the right ship for their research, make sure the ship is in the right area of ocean and at the best time of year. When the ship leaves, she serves as an on shore liason.

She stated off at the University of Rhode Island in mechanical engineering and after taking a few classes in marine science decided she was more interested in the environment and fisheries.

To earn money for college she had summer jobs as a deckhand on commercial fishng vessels including lobster boats on Rhode Island. At the time, fishing was a dangerous occupation and women generally didn't fish.

From Rhode Island she went on to science-and environmental-focused jobs in Bermuda, California, Maine, cruises in the Arabian Sea and Antarctica then to Woods Hole.

She says, "I think that science is really important. I admire scientists; they work really hard, and sometimes for their whole life, to get to sea. So I want to make that happen."

A QUESTION

It was a bit cold last night. I wasn't sleeping well and doing some tossing and turning. Unfortunately on one of the turnings I got the left one caught under my armpit. It's not my fault, stupid Newton and his law of gravity. If it hadn't been for him I might have stayed pointing straight out instead of dropping on my feet.

Anyhow in the aftermath of squish extraction, I wondered about men.

I suppose if they wear PJs, their tackle wouldn't go wandering too far but if they don't, do they ever have squish moments? A sudden roll over in bed one way and the jewells go the other?
And edge of the bed moment and they fall over the precipice? I guess they'd have to be well endowed to really do damage on that one.

What do they do with all that outdoor plumbing when it's not confined?

Using my imagination about this. It's too long ago to remember.

*wanders off to curiously peruse fridge door*

ALEXANDRITE

Another of my favourite colour change gems, Alexandrite. It was discovered in 1834 in the emerald mines of the Ural Mountains of Russia near the Tokovaya River. The discovery was made on the day of the coming of age of the future Tsar Alexander 11 so it was named for him and became the national stone ofRussia as it showed both red and green, the principal colours of Imperial Russia.

Russia has remained the primary source of Alexandrite but as the deposits were worked out, interest decreased. There were other mines but none of them produced stones with the colour change. In 1987, Alexandrites were discovered in Mina Gerais, Brazil. They showed a distinct colour change although the green is not as strong as Russian Alexandrites. Occasionally stones are found in Brazil with chatoyancy, the cat's eye effect, which has not been seen in Russian gems.

Top quality Alexandrite is rare and hardly used in modern jewellery. Tifany's gemmologist, George Kunz (1856-1932) was fascinated by the gem and the firm produced quality Alexandrite jewellery in platinum settings at the end of the 19th Century and early 20th Century. (Kunz had a beautiful pink/mauve gemstone named after him. Kunzite is on my wish list.)

Alexandrite has a hardness of 8.5. It's scarcity is due to its chemical composition. It is basically a crysoberyl but differs in that it not only contains iron and titanium but chromium as a major impurity which accounts for the colour change. Its formation requires specific geological conditions. The chemical elements beryllium (crysoberyl) and chromium (colouring agent) have contrasting chemical characteristics and are usually found in contrasting rock types. Not only
does Nature have to bring these contrasting rock types into contact with each other, but a lack of silica is also required to prevent the crystal from becoming an emerald. This geological scenario is rare and so is Alexandrite.

The colour change is spectacular. A vivid bluish green in daylight and a purplish-red in artificial light without a trace of brown or grey. This change will only occur on exposure to the different light surces. If a finely faceted stone obove one carat is indisputedly known to be of Russian origin then it will be rarer than ruby, sapphire or emerald and one of the most expensive gemstones in the world.

The Mystical Lore
It's considered a stone of very good omen.
In critical situations, it's supposed to help the wearer find new ways forward where logic won't provide an answer.
It's also reputed to aid creativity and inspire the imagination.

HATE POST

No, it's not about the Pope or Pell, as far as I'm concerned they don't exist in my time dimension.

My hate is directed to any of the slimey rotten criminals, girlfriends of criminals, wives, ex-wives or anyone else who is being given air time and being paid for it. Why should they profit when none of their victims can?

By victims, I mean innocent people who don't have a clue that they've been sucked into a non-legitimate business behind a legitimate front.

I won't watch a program or channel that puts to air anything about these gutter crawlers and neither should anyone with a conscience.

End rant.

DISAPPEARING LAKES

In late July 2006, a 2.2 square mile lake on top of the Greenland Ice Sheet emptied from the bottom through a crack that reached down to the base of the ice sheet, 3.215 feet below. Most of the 11.6 billion gallons of water drained away in 90 minutes.

Researchers documented the complete drainage of this supraglacial lake, one of thousands that form each spring and summer as sunlight melts snow and ice on the ice sheet. It's been long speculated that these lakes can build up enough pressure to crack their bottoms creating conduits to penetrate through the ice where the water greases the skids between ice and ground speeding up the glacial flow towards the ocean. More flow, more icebergs.

Supraglacial lake, Greenland Ice Sheet

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution glaciologist Sara Das led and expedition to Greenland in 2006 and 2007. The object was to determine whether melting at the ice surface which is sensitive to climate change could influence how fast the ice can flow. If Greenland's 2-mile-thick ice sheet melts completely it would raise global sea level by 23 feet. It would add larger amounts of fresh water to the ocean which might affect ocean currents which can alter rainfall patterns, fisheries and climate

Sarah Das, Glaciologist

The team used seismic instruments, water level monitors and GPS sensors to monitor the evolution of two supraglacial lakes and the motion of the surrounding ice sheet.

The also used helicopter and airplane surveys and satellite imagery to monitor the lakes and track the progress of glaciers towards the coast. The team returned in July 2008 for a third summer of field work which you can follow here

Large ice canyon with melt water stream, Greenland



I blogged about Greenland lakes in 2006 here .

OKMOK VOLCANO

Okmok volcano in the eastern Aleutian Islands is erupting. The image above was taken by flight attendant Kelly Reeves of Alaska Airlines on July 13, 2008. The volcano is a nested caldera with numerous cones inside the main peak.

This is inside Cone E with its own small lake. The walls consist of layers of lava, spatter, tephra and cross cutting feeder dykes or feeder conduits for magma's ascent to the surface. This image was taken by Christina Neal in September, 2004 and reproduced courtesy of the Alaska Volcano Observatory/USGS.

The eruption is continuing.

JULY IS MOVING MUCH TOO FAST

As far as I'm concerned it is half way because if I stop at the 30th of July and don't move over to the 31st then I won't get any older. Now that's logic.

I've tried several times to post the monster of a weekend, thank you Mother, but I can't talk about it. It's taken three days to just put it in my journal.

So, I've given myself a week's respite care. I've done all the washing that was lying around, been out in the garden to water the plants and nearly watered the neighbourhood lost soul. This old tom has been wandering up and down my street for years, sleeping on roof tops in the sun but this is the first time I've seen him in my garden. It was a shock for both of us but he didn't look too well so I've left some Whiskettes by his little nest of weeds.

MOONSTONE

Moonstone is the secondary birthstone for June. It's characterised by a surface shimmer known as 'adularescence'. Moonstones from Sri Lanka shimmer pale blue on an almost transparent background.

Rene Lalique used moonstones to great effect in his Art Nouveau designs of the early 20th Century. The shimmer of the stones suiting the swirling leaf and vine natural shapes of this era. Since some of the stones had a cat's eye effect or a four-spoked star as well as the typical undulating shimmer, the stones were cut as cameos, or engraved with various images.
The moonstone belongs to the large mineral group of the feldspars, in particular, the variety known as 'adularia', a potassium alumino silicate of gemstone quality. The stone is also known as 'selenite' from the Greek 'selene' meaning moon.

The real beauty of moonstones is seen only after a craftsman has cut and polished them in the classic cabochon shape. The cutter must first determine the correct height of the finished stone and then align the axes of the crystal precisely into the zenith of the stone, bringing about the light/shimmer effect.

Moon stones are found in the USA, Brazil, Australia, Myanmar and Madagascar but good quality stones are becoming rare with prices rising accordingly. Along with the pale blue shimmering stones, Sri Lanka also produces a deep blue. India produces green, brown, orange stones as well as some with a smokey appearance or the colour of champagne.

The Mystical Lore of Moonstones.

This is the stone of the moon goddess Diana/Artemis so the most powerful time to use it is at the full moon.

Wearing a moonstone strengthens our intuition and our capacity to understand.

It is also called the "lovers stone" and if given to another when the moon is full you'll always have passion for each other. If apart, it can re-unite lovers who have quarrelled.

It is a personal stone, reflecting the qualities of the person who owns it.

Moonstone is a stone of inner growth and strength and while considered to be a woman's gem it can be beneficial to men in opening the emotional self.

To revitalize the healing properties it's important to place the stone in the glow of the moon reaching its fullness, not a full or waning moon.

A BIT OF A SPRUCE UP FOR THE BIRTHDAY

I rather fancy a new colour or two or maybe three.
I mean I look like this when I wake up in the morning anyway only monochrome.
I'm rather fond of magenta, matches the veins in my eyes.

WEB WISDOM

"The hardest part about doing nothing is trying to explain yourself to people burdened with a life full of somethings".



I can't attribute that to anyone but I found it on a forum at DeviantArt. Haven't we all had people with a life full of somethings annoying us?


The us, being the ones lolling about doing nothing and thoroughly enjoying it.

HOME OF THE VOLCANO GODDESS

Kilauea has been erupting since 1983 but has ramped up its output of lava since last November. Kilauea is the home of the Goddess Pele and Hawaiians still throw offerings into the crater to appease her. Long strings of molten volcanic glass, called Pele's hair, are blown on the wind forming clumps. As tiny as these are, they are still volcanic bombs. Gas bubbles at the surface throw droplets of fluid melt high into the air where they're chilled into shiny glass globules known as Pele's tears.





Kilauea is a low flat shield volcano, the youngest on the Big Island, situated on the south-eastern side. It pulls magma to the surface from a depth of over 60 kilometres. When the lava lake overflows, it streams towards the ocean over land or through lava tunnels formed when old flows solidify in the air, leaving a hollow tube when the eruption stops. The image above is a lava explosion at Waikupanaha where it enters the ocean.



As the lava enters the ocean, again at the Waikupanaha entry point, vortexes form beneath the steam plume. The entry here is from underground tubes into the Pacific Ocean and is creating huge clouds of steam and ash.

This is exploding lava in the Pu'u O'o vent. It has been measured as high as 150 feet with temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Centigrade. It also creates Vog, thick volcanic fumes which kill wildlife, plants and humans.

SNIVELLING WITH GRATITUDE

I am, believe it. I've been cradling the keyboard for the last five minutes and chewing nails down to fingers.
Two days without my lifeline, my internet, my blog, I even missed Robbbert. (I've given him 3 b's for happiness)
I was even sweet to the tech support Peter Sellers imitator.
Nothing wrong with connecting to the internet just the computer not letting me load pages or emails with a little message saying "server not found".
Tech support took me through all the default settings, nothing wrong there so he suggested it might be the anti-virus. Turned off all security, nothing, so turned it back on.
Then I found something called system restore, shiny. Just pick a highlighted date which has restore points and click. Back to July 1st, before children downloading MySpace/youtubes and I was in business.
All I have to do is remember where I found it.
The joy of seeing a page load.
Checked in with blogger dashboard. It's official I have a big mouth, 769 posts since October 2005.
This internet thing is almost as good as chocolate and gin, almost.

GIRL STUFF MEME

Foundation:
Never bother with it except if there are going to be strong lights in which case Selley's ultra-fine finish poly filler is excellent.

Mascara:
Essential. It's a fact of life that old age brings grey hair and that means all hair including eyelashes. Never mind those fiddly lash wands, buy a yard broom.

Day Cream:
Day, hour, minute cream, litres of it. Doesn't work over a certain age but makes you feel virtuous for trying to stem the advancing tide of wrinkles.

Essential Beauty Product:
I suppose they mean beside money. Soothing eye cream, without which my peepers look like two proverbials in the snow.

Favourite Makeup Product:
Money? Lipstick, copper or bronze with built in pheromones.

Perfume:
Never go to bed without it. YSL's Opium. Expensive, very expensive. Birthday coming up. Hint.

Nails:
Karma again. I used to be overly proud of my long shapely nails but the older one gets the more calcium the body chucks away so now I'm left with sheared off stumpy crappy nails which split and crack so Araldyte gives a nice shiny finish.

Hands:
Huzzah!! Sarah Jessica Parker and Madonna have worse hands than me. I try to keep them out of washing up water, washing floor water or hanging out wet washing. You shouldn't handle dirty money either, use a credit card. Don't use hand lotion, lets the men slip through your fingers too easily.

Feet:
Yeah, still got two and all the defects are hidden inside flat heeled grannyboots. They're also my fat measure rule. If I can't reach to put nail polish on, I need to lose some or I could just stand up and let gravity guide my hand to each toe. Yes, I cheat.

Three products to bring on a deserted island:
Bombay Sapphire, soda water and a crystal glass. Bombay is an absolute beauty must. If I drink enough, I'll look fabulous, in any mirror, on any island.

Women I admire for their beauty:
I'll go for Aussies. Jennifer Hawkins. Anyone who can lose their dress while wearing a thong and still laugh while looking good is a winner. Maggie Taberer, fat and fabulous and loving her age.

Woman with the best sense of style:
I'm going for Her Maj. here. Age appropriate dressing and doesn't need a stylist to tell her what tiara to put on. She can still wear a dress beaded with 10kgs of bling and float. The woman's a legend.

My ultimate dream:
To wake up on my birthday and find out the Goddess has given me the body of Elle, the combined IQ of several well-known bloggers and taken 20 years off my age.

How do I define Womanhood:
Comfortable shoes with men firmly under the heel.

Favourite fashion publication:
Bunnings sale catalogue, has everything I need.

HELLO CHILDREN, MUMMY'S BACK

Yes, I'm here and there you all are, fighting, insulting and threatening to shoot each other. Thank the Goddess, my blog family still lives.
I haven't been well, still not well but aiming to get better by sometime next week.

The visit, not exactly a success. The girls arrived at 1.30 p.m. on Thursday so instead of a leisurely stroll around Southland and a nice lunch, everything was rush and more rush. Head off to mother's and take photos, see sister and forget to take photos. Pizza for tea in between turns on the computer to talk to friends in Queensland. Bed by 11.30 and they sleep until after midday on Friday so no wander over to the DFO just videos, left over pizza and more turns on the computer. They are picked up at 7 p.m. Friday night and by 7.30 I'm in bed with a migraine that would fell a draughthorse.

The girls love me but I'm not part of their lives. A two year gap of non-communication left me without anything to talk about. There's an old saying about not being able to go back but it's just as hard to go forward. They didn't want photos taken, one reads books, the other doesn't even read the trash magazines for teens, in fact doesn't read books at all. They like clothes but not make-up. They did allow me to buy some jewellery. One is happy at school, the other is about to start at her third school after being put on the 'expell ladder' at the expensive private school.

Their other family in Melbourne has had parties, having parties and planning parties so I was lucky to have a few hours. A few hours aren't enough to encourage confidences and I could tell the subjects that were taboo including the 'expelling' one. They were happy to see me, happy to be here and I get the feeling that it's an oasis of quiet between parties where they recharge the batteries.

My sister, who's never been in this position, says I'm seeing the glass half empty but a few hours don't make up for the years lost and it's painful to deal with it. I'm not the type to use them as substitutes because my son's dead, I like them for themselves.

So I'm dealing with it and the headache and mother and what feels like a very dead-end life at the moment except for my blog family whose comments have made me laugh for the first time in days.