Shaky Weekend

Well, Saturday was a bit exciting!

At 9.50am, I was in the pool area playing with Harley when there began a loud rumble in the ground with a strong vibration under foot. It lasted for about 15-20 seconds.

At the time I was helping Harley get his ball from behind the pergoda and I thought the noise and vibration was the pool filter blowing up or breaking down, but then I heard BGWLBH yelling at me and asking if I’d felt that? Next thing, Adoring Husband came running out of the house yelling “Are you ok? What the hell was that?”

After a brief conversation about what it could have been, I could hear everybody in the neighbourhood coming out of their houses and calling out to each other speculating about the rumble and vibration.

We looked online and discovered lots of comments and posts on Facebook about a possible earthquake.

Then a Google search confirmed that we’d experienced a 5.6 earthquake!

Harley and I had only got out of bed 20 minutes before the quake happened. Instead of running in and out of the house like a crazy animal, as he usually does first thing, trying to encourage me to hurry out to the pool area, he nervously stuck very close to my side. 

Even after we got to the pool area, when I threw the ball, he stood and looked at me weirdly.

So I think he could sense something was about to happen.

There was constant activity on social media all day regarding the quake, but I was ‘over’ it within the first hour. No damage, no injuries, no fatalities, no biggie, move on.

I’ve had an excellent weekend of footy tipping and I’m now 18pts ahead of my nearest rival! I only missed one game - South Sydney Rabbitohs ruined my chance of a perfect round.

We watched the movie “Michael” starring John Travolta, William Hurt and Andie Macdowell. It’s from 1996 so it’s almost 30 yrs old! Crazy! Still a good movie.

It’s already 11pm so I need to sleep now.

Nite all.

Footy Time

Footy tipping this week - I am two from two and I’m the only person in the tipping comp who selected Roosters to defeat Bulldogs. With 6 minutes to go Roosters are winning 26-12. All going well, I’ll be three from three and 16 points ahead of my nearest rival!

The neighbours across the road have a dog that has been barking all night. It’s a big dog with a loud, fierce bark, that becomes as annoying as hell after a while.

😩

BGWLBH did a solo trip into The Bay today.

I listened to Adoring Husband snore until about 11am and it was loud enough to send vibrations through the house. Almost as annoying as the dog across the road!

😩

I caught up with some episodes of The Block and watched an Adam Sandler movie.

Good Harley play.

No rain today. Blue sky and sunshine so I did my washing.

On Wednesday, I poached 5 chicken wings and then stored them in the fridge, sealed in the poaching water. All the goodness in the bones and skin of the wings, turned the poaching water into gelatin. I reheated it all and added onion, mushrooms and snow peas. OMG that poaching water turned onto the most delicious broth! I could have drunk a litre of it!

I’ve been watching the footy since 6pm and enjoying it very much!

I think I’ll grab some sleep now.

Nite all.

It’s Been Days

Today (14th August) would have been my father’s 85th birthday. He’s been gone from this world for 28 years and I can’t believe it’s been that long.

My days have been much the same as usual.

Sunday was mostly in front of the TV watching the football, both AFL and NRL. Monday and Wednesday in The Bay. Tuesday was meditation day and two hours sitting by the river chatting with The Gypsy.

Lots of Harley play.

A fair bit of rain.

Plenty of healthy food, teas and supplements.

Nothing else to report.

Nite all.

Words You May or May not Know

A Round of 100 Essential Words for Adults

1. Absquatulate - to sneak away quickly

2. Argle-bargle - loud or silly arguing

3. Balderdash - ridiculous talk

4. Blarney - smooth nonsense

5. Bibble to sip food noisily

6. Blatherskite - one who rambles on senselessly

7. Bloviate - to talk for too long

8. Borborygmus - belly grumble sound

9. Brouhaha - noisy fuss or drama

10. Bumfuzzle - to completely confuse

11. Bumbershoot - another word for umbrella

12. Cahoots - secret teamwork

13. Cantankerous - cranky or moody

14. Cattywampus - crooked or off-center

15. Codswallop - pure nonsense

16. Collywobbles - nervous belly

17. Crapulous - sick from eating or drinking too much

18. Curmudgeon - cranky old soul

19. Dillydally - to waste time lazily

20. Discombobulate - to mix up mentally

21. Donnybrook - intense fight or clash

22. Doohickey - unnamed object or tool

23. Doozy - something impressive

24. Doppelgänger - a look-alike person

25. Dulciloquent - sweet talker

26. Firkin - little wooden barrel

27. Flabbergasted - totally shocked

28. Flibbertigibbet - silly chatterbox

29. Flummox - to completely baffle

30. Folderol - unimportant nonsense

31. Foofaraw - showy fuss

32. Fuddy-duddy - old-fashioned or boring

33. Gallivant - to wander around for fun

34. Gardyloo - heads-up warning shout

35. Gazump - to outbid sneakily

36. Gobbemouche - someone who believes everything

37. Gobbledygook - confusing talk or jargon

38. Gongoozle - to stare aimlessly

39. Gubbins - random small items

40. Higgledy-piggledy - in messy order

41. Hobbledehoy - awkward teenage boy

42. Hodgepodge - jumbled mix

43. Hornswoggle - to trick or fool

44. Hullabaloo - noisy uproar

45. Impignorate - to pawn something

46. Jabberwocky - made-up silly language

47. Jackanapes - cheeky or mischievous person

48. Kerfuffle - minor commotion

49. Kerplunk - splashy thud sound

50. Klutz - clumsy person

51. Lackadaisical - low energy or careless

52. Lambent - softly glowing

53. Lollygag - to waste time idly

54. Malarkey - silly or fake talk

55. Mollycoddle - to overprotect

56. Moxie - bold determination

57. Muckety-muck - self-important big shot

58. Nitwit foolish person

59. Noggin - your head

60. Nudiustertian - the day before yesterday

61. Oxter your armpit

62. Pandiculation - yawning while stretching

63. Panjandrum - someone who acts all-important

64. Persnickety - picky about small details

65. Petrichor - earthy smell after rain

66. Piffle tiny nonsense

67. Pogonotrophy - beard growing

68. Poppycock - silly nonsense

69. Quire 24 sheets of paper

70. Rigmarole - overcomplicated process

71. Salopettes - waterproof ski pants

72. Schadenfreude - joy in others' pain

73. Scuttlebutt - gossip or rumors

74. Shenanigans - playful pranks

75. Shilly-shally - to hesitate

76. Sialoquent - spitty talk

77. Skedaddle - to run away fast

78. Skulduggery - sneaky trickery

79. Skinkersnee - large knife

80. Snollygoster - clever but shady person

81. Snuggery - cozy place

82. Sockdolager - a big blow or win

83. Tarradiddle - harmless fib

84. Tatterdemalion - person in rags

85. Thingamajig - forgotten item's name

86. Tintinnabulation - bell ringing

87. Troglodyte - cave-dweller

88. Ultracrepidarian - one who gives advice on things they know little about

89. Vomitorium - stadium walkway

90. Wabbit - tired or drained

91. Whatchamacallit - you forgot the name

92. Whippersnapper - young upstart

93. Whirligig - toy that spins

94. Widdershins - counterclockwise direction

95. Winklepicker - pointy shoe

96. Woebegone - very sad-looking

97. Yertz - to gulp loudly

98. Yarborough - bad card hand

99. Zoanthropy - thinking you're an animal

100. Zonked - totally worn out

Nite all.

During the Rain

This is a post that I forgot to publish on Saturday …

It has been raining quite steadily for 24 hrs. It has to be around 40mm, probably more.

Harley and I played in the light rain this morning, but this afternoon we stayed undercover playing soccer with the tag ball. The problem with that is the neighbours dogs bark non stop at the fence while we play and she does nothing to stop them. Harley doesn’t bark back. It’s freaking annoying.

We watched a movie called “Jesus Revolution” on Netflix. I enjoyed it. I made Adoring Husband watch it with me and he didn’t fall asleep, which is VERY unusual.

I didn’t even get out of bed until 10am, so by the time I had Harley play and cooked my breakfast of pork and fennel sausages, then watched the movie, it was almost time for the footy to start.

Everybody tipped one game incorrectly today, including me, but right now, I am still in the lead by 12 points! Wahoo!

I’ve been searching for new slow cooker lamb shank recipes and found one done in coconut cream and sweet potato which I’ll try tomorrow. If it’s delicious, I’ll share the recipe here tomorrow night.

Our temperature range was 15°C - 19°C today, but right now, I feel a chill in the air so it’s time for me to slide under the covers.

Nite all.

Before the Rain

Another day in the bay.

Stocklands, Petbarn, Pialba to get everything on our lists.

Harley was the big winner today.

Home by 2pm and well before the rain set in. Instead of playing around the pool, I took Harley into the carport where we played soccer with his new tag ball. He LOVED it.

There was a parcel waiting at the front door when I arrived home and in it was an octopus for Harley that was supposed to be made with tough stuff for dogs that chew things to pieces. 

It lasted ten minutes 🫤

In my parcel was four cushion covers, 6 place mats, 4 white gel pens, a scarf, 2 art stencils, a sunflower floor mat and magnetic backed shelving.

Yes, I caved and got the Temu app 😩 big mistake.

It was nice to not cook dinner. Adoring Husband did the usual Friday night chicken wings and we’ve watched 2 games of footy. I have three correct from three games in the tipping comp.

Now I’m ready to sleep.

Nite all.

Thursday Already?!

Fragrant Thai Chicken Soup with Basil and Zesty Lime

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced

4 cups chicken broth

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk

1 stalk lemongrass, smashed and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 red Thai chilies, sliced (optional for heat)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 1 lime

1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish

Directions:

Heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly browned and cooked through.

Pour in the chicken broth and coconut milk. Stir well.

Add lemongrass, ginger, Thai chilies, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, and sugar. Bring to a simmer.

Add mushrooms and continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes until mushrooms are tender and flavors have melded.

Stir in Thai basil leaves and cook for 1 more minute.

Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Kcal: 310 kcal | Servings: 4 servings

An uneventful day for me.

I was supposed to attend coffee with my art girls, but I wasn’t inspired and stayed at home.

My new eating regime started with warm lemon water while I played with Harley.

Coconut yoghurt with papaya, strawberry, banana and grapes, then chopped cashews, grated Brazil nuts and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Soursop tea.

For lunch, oven baked barramundi, with butter and lemon slices, wrapped in baking paper and served on a salad of cucumber, red onion, avocado, grapes and mushroom.

That was enough to fill me up for the day.

Chicken and salad for the others for dinner.

Tonight’s football was a good pick for me because Storm thrashed the Broncos who lost their two leading players to injury inside the first five minutes of the game. A sad and sorry state of affairs for them but good for my tipping.

Now it’s time to sleep.

Nite all.

Perfect Whale Day

A beautiful, albeit cold, day for whale watching today.

We arrived at the Boat Club right on time and joined the queue of people planning on joining the same whale cruise as us.

There were a lot.

There were people from France, India, England, America and New Zealand.

The water was mostly still, clear and very blue!

I didn’t bother taking any photos or videos after our first encounter…

This guy was cleaning himself in the shallows on a sand bar by rolling around on the sand and THEN moving to the deeper water to breach. The captain said that the whale loosens some of the barnacles by rolling on the sand and then breaching sometimes knocks them right off.

We had to boat through some sea fog to get to the whales and there were so many whales close to shore that we didn’t need to travel the usual 60-90 minutes to find them, which was a real bonus.

We saw whales doing absolutely everything that whales do including three that surrounded our boat for a whole hour spyhopping. That’s when they get very close to the boat and either lie on their backs looking at us on the boat or bob their heads straight up out of the water to look at us.

I must confess to feeling quite emotional 🥹 for that hour. They were so beautiful and gentle and amazing.

When the boat was moving, it was bitterly cold, but it was lovely in the sun when the boat was still.

On the way home, we stopped at the fisheries and bought some salmon, barramundi and crab meat. After that, we detoured to Go Natural and I bought lots of health foods, teas, oils, supplements and probiotics to help my new eating/health regime.

The day was quite exhausting and luckily I had leftover spaghetti bolognese sauce to feed the masses. I ate the crab meat.

Now it’s almost 11pm and I’m ready to sleep.

Nite all.

Whales Tomorrow

•Go to bed at 8:30. 

•Pass on the dessert everyone is raving about. 

•Turn your phone off for hours. 

•Snack on meat and raw veggies. 

•Don’t know what the latest celebrity gossip is. 

•Bring your own lunch. 

•Be the only one who hasn’t seen it - and don’t care. 

•Drink water at social events. 

•Walk barefoot outside. 

•Choose silence and stillness over scrolling. 

“It’s no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society” - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Stay weird my friends.

Monday was a day in the bay to stock up on some supplies for my new eating plan.

Brazil nuts for selenium to help metabolise my thyroid hormones.

Cashews, flaked almonds and tapioca flour, plenty of coconut yoghurt and lots of fresh fruit and veg. Berries, avocado, cucumber, pear, papaya and bananas. Oh and lemons for my warm lemon water every morning.

I was going to stock up on fresh fish, but the shop was closed due to refrigeration repairs.

However, tomorrow (Wednesday), we are going whale watching, so we’ll stop in at the fisheries and select from a wider range.

Today was meditation day. Only two in attendance but what a great class, with lots of sharing and laughter. The time (90mins) absolutely flew by! On top of that, The Gypsy and I had another two hours chatting outside.

I left my phone on the outside table at the hall and I didn’t realise until about 40 minutes after I’d left it there, so I sent Adoring Husband off in search of it!

Thankfully, somebody had handed it into the library. Whew 😰 

Tonight, I was very lucky again, because BGWLBH made a garden salad, coleslaw and potato salad for dinner, which they ate with leftover cold roast lamb.

Those salads are not allowed on my menu so I cooked a piece of snapper and made a salad of cucumber, pear, grape, red onion and avocado with a delicious dressing.

Just right for me.

Now it’s time to sleep so that I can rise bright and early for whale watching.

Nite all.

End of Weekend

Savory Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry with Asian Flavors

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) lean ground beef

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 small onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

4 cups green cabbage, shredded

1 large carrot, julienned

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional for richer flavor)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)

Sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes until translucent.

Add garlic and ginger, cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks—about 5–7 minutes.

Stir in soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), rice vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.

Add shredded cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry everything together for 5–6 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve hot, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes

Kcal: 280 kcal | Servings: 4 servings

A lovely quiet Sunday for me.

Adoring Husband cooked the most delicious lamb roast for a late lunch and we all sat down at the table to savour every mouthful before the footy started.

It was so nice to have a delicious meal cooked for me.

I didn’t even have to clean up and I got to sit down in time to watch the beginning of the football.

My footy tips were pretty good for the weekend and I’m still ten points in the lead.

I’m feeling good on my new eating regime.

It’s almost 10.30pm so I’m off to get some sleep.

Nite all.