Dear RAC

So much for you fewking advertisements.

Wing was in a smash up on the freeway. The car behind him was hit from behind, and then smashed into Wing's car.

Because the guy who did a hit and run ran, unless we can get the details of the person that hit the car than hit the the car behind Wing, we have to pay excess (aka nondeductible) of $350 & we lose the no claim bonus protection . Only option is contacting the police.

Police say they won't be able to get it for 2 months (Gee, color me so surprised! 2+ years after my son was run over, and jack shit has been forthcoming from the police). Cops say it the chances of finding the hit and run driver is pretty low. (Again, just so surprised here)

So, screw you RAC. You know the accident wasn't Wing's fault, or the guy behind him, but you are seeing fit to f**king penalize us because the asshole that did cause it decided to flee the scene.

Thanks for nothing.

So much for best laid plans

Woke up cold, coughing and with a stomach ache at 2:50 this morning. Chances are the stomach ache was too large a dinner after not eating much for the past few days.

The cold and coughing, that was because Wing shut the heat off.. again. I took a shower in hopes that it would help ease the coughing. It didn't stop it, but did make it less painful to my throat.

I turned the heat on, took some cough medicine, and got back to sleep about 5:30 or a bit later. Woke up at 20 mins to 8. Don't need a crystal ball to know a nap is in my future.

I think <a href="http://_meegan_.livejournal.com/"><b>Meegan</b></a> is right

This isn't a cold, but the flu. I would have been over a cold by now, but this thing is hanging on and making all of us miserable. Me for lack of sleep, the coughing and other joys of the flu, and Wing because he is stuck sleeping on the couch in the other room because I just can't stop coughing.

The upside to this is the cats find my 'warmer than usual' self quite comfy for snugging up to, as it's been cold and damp. heh

The goodish news is I do feel somewhat better than I did two days ago, but get tired so damned easily.

Cold/Flu decided to come back strong

Probably from stress, and then doing too much yesterday, but this bug has returned to kick my butt hard.

Tried crashing early last night, but cough woke me up around 2am. Got back to sleep about 3:30 and then slept until almost 9am. Ended up crawling into bed again before noon, and slept until almost 3 in the afternoon. Right now, it's taking sheer stubborn will power to NOT head off to bed this early. Last thing I want to do is get up at 3am again.

He is being more than stubborn

Wing says he feels fine, just a little stiff.

I have told him he needs to get an exam. Many others have told him needs to get checked out just in case. He refuses.

I told him "If it were me, you wouldn't let me slide with 'Oh, I feel fine'. You wouldn't allow your mother.... *DING* lightbulb"

Will wait until he goes pick up hire car and then give An a call.

Am I evil? You're darned tootin' I am!

R.I.P Peter Falk

Veteran actor, Peter Falk passes away, aged 83

I will always remember him as the loving grandfather who came to read a book to his ill grandson. RIP Mr. Falk, the memories of you will be cherished. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Now that he is home, showered and dry

Wing gave me the full dish on what happened.

It started down pouring, and like the very careful driver he is, he (and the traffic in front of him) slowed down. The car behind him also slowed down. Two cars behind him the guy either didn't slow down or slammed on his brakes and careened into the car behind Wing, causing that car to spin, slamming into the back of Wing's car, spinning his into car into the ones in front of him.

Then the moron who started the chain reaction drove off like a bat out of hell.

Tow truck driver said that our car is very badly damaged, and could very well end up being a write off.

Right now, Wing is starting to feel a bit sore. I have a feeling tomorrow, he will be very stiff and sore. But it could have so very much worse. Cars can be replaced. Wing can't be.

I've got some good news, and I got some bad news, and more bad news. *mope*

Bad news,Wing was in car accident. Good news, he is fine. Bad news, car is not drivable. Bad new, once again we will miss SupaNovaExpo again this year.

Ok, universe, could you stop now? First when it was found out I could go, I caught a nasty cold. I start feeling much better today, now a car accident?

Price of notoriety?

ShadoutCarver sent me something from the US. After it was shipped out, it was spotted that the wrong house number had been typed on the shipping label.

I get rather frantic IM and email from the sender, with a copy of the "Attempted to Deliver" information. I waited until 9am and called local Post Office. I explained, provided the tracking number, and even the senders information.

I told him I would be sending my son down to get it, as I have a horrible cold and really don't want to be out and about. He asked "He has same surname?"

I said no, and explained how I 'married' my last name.

He said "Aren't you the photographer I see with the camera and camera bag?"

Yes

"Oh, just send him down with his own ID and your telephone bill and he can pick it up for you."

Busy busy.. did I mention busy

Lunch with mother in law, pillaging, another "Night of a Thousand Curries (minus 995)" with me being 'asked' by Wing to make a lime cheesecake at the last minute. Ok, last 6 hours.

Then Sunday, studio photo shoot. That was an amazing 3 almost 4 hour session. I definitely came away with a lot more info than I had when I arrived. And some damned good photographs.

Been going through them, and discounting 'the model blinked' and duplicates, I got 50 photos to sift through. And out of those 50, I have 21 usable/uploadable to my photo sites images. And out of the ones I won 't be putting up on site, they are ok, but not what I was after.

Aww so CUTE!

Wing and I headed to the Perth Zoo to get a look at the Alpine dingo pups. I think our blood sugar levels spiked.

The as yet unnamed dingo pups. They should come with an Excessive Cuteness Alert warning.



And, the 'new' Cheetah, Kifani. 10 years old and absolutely beautiful




Star was beautiful, but very shy, she is now taking part in the breeding/conservation program at another zoo.

The Mechanics of walking

I have been going for a walk before lunch, but today I wanted so see how the lower back pain started. It was actually rather interesting.

Turns out it starts in the upper right glute, then starts hurting under the last left rib (the floating rib, and my guess is because the glute is getting sore, I am adjusting my posture to relieve the pain there) and works its way straight across. Then the entire lower back becomes stiff, then the lower back from ribs down just painfully locks up so breathing is a bit.. well I can't take deep breaths, because the ribs on the lower right side just lock up and don't move. This is what makes having a regular exercise regime difficult to keep on.

Going to make appointment with a physio and see what he/she can do for me.

**YAAAAAWN**

Went for another 40 minute walk around the neighborhood. Didn't find anything of interest to photograph.

Feeling kind of tired tonight, but I don't think it's from the walk, but from my not getting to bed before 1am last night, and Loki, the furry alarm clock, wanting me up at Dark O'clock.

I know this isn't all that 'green', but I console myself with knowing I used paper towels made from recycled paper. Ziggy loves to savage paper towels. Takes her about a week to ten days to totally shred it. She also likes it if we use the tube of the roll as a 'den' for one of her toys. She hunts and drags it out. You should hear her yowl when she has decided that it's "The Hour of Scampering" :)

I guess I struck a nerve

It seems that the mods of aforementioned photo group feels that my not naming them, and not naming the group while pointing out their blatant favoritism isn't nice, so have sicced mods of other groups over to chastise me for daring to question and comment about their BS on my journal.

I shot an arrow in the air... and landed dead center in the target.

All's fair in image moderators/moderating?

Not hardly.

I'm not a shit stirrer, but when I see blatant favoritism, or bias, I will speak out. Politely, but firmly.

Last year, I submitted a photo to a certain group on Redbubble. It was accepted. A few month ago, I submitted another photo. It was rejected. I found this odd because after looking through the photos on the group, I found over 10 in 30 seconds that had same lighting, same composition, just different subject or location.

I questioned about it and was give the lamest excuses, and said moderators called in their calvary to berate me (the damning with faint praise variety so it had a semblance of politeness). I backed off. Funnily enough, every photo I have submitted to this group has been rejected, even if I duplicated someone else's photo (I don't mean copied, or stole, but made one of the same layout, lighting etc etc)

Yesterday, I submitted a photo to that group again. It was rejected out of hand. What got me is this: the photo I submitted last year, was the same composition, lighting, clarity, reflection just different location and was accepted. I called them on it, and again, the calvary arrived, popped onto my own journal to again chastise me for daring to speak out about bias and sulky mods. One of them linked to the conversation of the group. I deleted the comment, and asked to please not link without my permission. He complained. I said "Did I name anyone? Did I name group? No, and I intended to keep it that way".

My journal is for me, not them. If they don't like it, don't read it.

Oddly enough, I got a few dozen bubblemails (Redbubble message system) from others who felt the same way I did about how images are rejected even though examples of almost identical images could be found that had been accepted.

I think the best solution is to just bail from that group. They want to keep featuring/accepting the same clique of friends over and over.. their loss.

I think I dodged a bullet

This time of the year is typically difficult on my eyes, mostly because there are at least 3 different wattle trees in our neighbors' yards. Those trees are the reason I have to use a clothes dryer and not hang things out to dry outside.

I had been having pain in my left eye. Then on Friday, it was red, and the conjunctiva was visibly swollen, as was a 1 cm part of my lower eyelid. I got to pharmacy, got mild antibiotic eye drops and a topical antihistamine drops. Less than one day of using the recommended dosings, my eye has almost totally recovered. Didn't go into full blown pinkeye.

Last thing I need is a repeat of 6 weeks in a darkened room, like what happened a few years ago. I am very grateful for this.

Dunsborough Trip (part one)

Dunsborough , a set on Flickr.

Wing's company had a "Last Hurrah", as it's been sold, and is no longer the same company. Was a lot of fun. Yes, I know that "Sugarloaf Rock" is one of the most photographed landmarks in W.A., but it's the first time I have had the privilege of photographing it.