A two leg Weetbix triathlon

Kingsley was all psyched up to participate in her second ever triathlon. The Sanitarium Weetbix Try-Athlon was held today in the Catani Gardens in Melbourne. There were 3200 competitors and an estimated 8000 spectators with the event supported by 350 volunteers ( mainly from local tri clubs).

It was an early start so Ahubby took Kingsley down to register, get her competitor bag and put her bike into transition. I waited for Mili and Phili to pick me up closer to race time. It was bitterly cool near the Bay and the wind had whipped up the waves. Not sure whether it was the cold , swell or the EPA warnings that led to the swim being cancelled.

The triathlon turned into a duathlon with very small waves being staggered in each age group to avoid congestion on the bike course. The picture above is of Kingsley exiting transition to commence the bike leg. The shortened race didn't matter to the thousands of kids who tried their best. As in most kids' races it didn't matter who came first it was about participation. At the end of the finish chute each competitor received a finisher medallion and certificate.

The excitement of the day was captured professionally on video by Uncle M, ably assisted by WStar on the digital camera. Ahubby's photographic outcomes proved impressive but that may have been more to do with the new Nikon D300 he was using!

Plastic Fantastic Grass

Can you spot the fake versus real ? In our current drought conditions TeamSAK have given up trying to save the remainder of the courtyard lawn and let nature take its course - both on the grass and in the garden beds!. The area in question is only 30 square metres so we considering laying artificial grass if the price is right. Neighbours down the road did their backyard with the most life- like fake turf I have seen. A $30,000 AUD quote for the front lawn has put the rest of their plans on hold.

This is now my current project to get quotes and have the area rectified by the end of March before any rains we do get turn the area into a mud bath. The first supplier arrived on time with a sizable sample (noted above) and answered all my questions:
Was it dog proof, wine proof, paint proof, UV protected so it wouldn't fade, can I rake it , how do I clean it, is it toxic to kids, will the rubber filling choke a child, how does the water drain off, how long will it take to lay, where is it made and so the questions went on?

The second supplier arrived 1 hour early , without calling and left the tiniest 8cm x8cm sample of prickly plastic. Yes he was cheaper but so was the product and service!

I was worried the current sample was looking too artificial but visitors yesterday didn't even register that there was fake turf on the ground.

Staples are not my favourite stationery!

Those who know me , understand that I am pre-occupied with stationery. There is nothing better than quality writing paper, diaries, journals, scissors and precision made writing instruments. However, I draw the line at staples- particularly when they are in my head.

If you heard a faint ( or even loud) moan today it was me. Nothing like having 28 staples removed from your scalp. My surgeon is renowned for shaving very little hair off and the loss was limited to a 1 cm wide strip in the shape of a large letter C. It started at the temple above the eyebrow, hooked toward the back and then bottom of my head then looped over my ear, ending in front of the ear near the lobe. The downside of losing little hair in surgery is that the remaining hair and dried blood gets caught when the staples are removed!

In the interests of Fairlie's delicate sensitivities after the blood test post, I won't post a photo of the staples in front of the ear or of the scar line which is currently visible when my remaining hair is pulled aside .

Escape from Hospital

Hello and thanks for the very flattering photo of my ted hose compression socks that Fairlie has placed on her blog. Imagine me topped off with a bandage turban and you have a complete fashion statement.

Surgery ( craniotomy) was Wednesday , spent the night in ICU then to my own room on Thursday. Walking , talking and generally being an ideal patient, even reminding my nurses about the regulation observations that were required. Yes, as Fairlie points out the demarcation of job descriptions was amazing. Home today ( Saturday) at least 2 days ahead of the very short stay I managed last March. Only 3 nights in total post surgery. Pretty amazing that I can be home ( albeit with staples in my head which come out Monday) after having my brain exposed in the operating theatre for 3 hours on Wednesday.!

Thank you all for your positive thoughts and best wishes. I am so lucky to have come through this surgery without any apparent physical or cognitive impairment. Over the next few weeks I'll continue to recover and gather more strength ready for the forthcoming 12 months of chemo and a future of blogging!!!!!

Science Lab

Kinglsey loves school and was so excited to discover there would be set homework handed out every Monday which needs to submitted to the teacher each Friday morning. She has already almost completed all of her tasks the class were given this morning.

The week before last, in readiness for homework, she set up a science lab on her desk.

There were specimen jars with bugs, spiders, beetle and ants collected from in and around the house. Research included studying the insects under the microscope, reading nature history books and googling on the internet. It culminated in the Ant Exhibition and lecture by the chief scientist, Kingsley. The invitation only display required presentation of the flyer pictured above to gain admission. The second half of the week was devoted to the study of dolphins which was a little harder to try to see under the microscope!

Rated M ( medical) A Little Enforced "holiday"

Been a bit sidetracked lately and slack with my blogging and checking out all your blogs . I will be offline for at least another few weeks while recovering from surgery. After the recent MRI news on 29 Jan I head to hospital tomorrow for a visit with my favourite neurosurgeon for another craniotomy . Maybe I should ask for a frequent patient discount?

There will be lots more blood tests and rides in the tunnel. Kingsley took this photo at my recent blood test and is going to help maintain a photographic record of the next stage in the journey.