What are the odds???

Blind item:

What Australian blogger recently had back surgery and then had to have a second surgery to fix a complication as a result of the first surgery? What same blogger is now looking at the possibility of having a third surgery to fix the same complication once again.

Who is the blogger and what are the odds?

Am I man enough or how to be a man in 25 easy steps...

One of my blogger friends, Ur -spo, came up with a list of what he believes to be the 25 things that a gentleman should be able to do, accomplish and/or perform. I thought I would see just how much of a man/gentleman that I am. It's a simple list and all you do is bold the items that you can do, accomplish and/or perform. So here are my results:

1. Change a flat tire
2. Tie a bow tie - I don't own one and when I did it was a clip on. (I was five and it was part of my new Easter outfit)
3. Carve a turkey - Let me at that bird. I love carving me some turkey.
   
4. Open a bottle of champagne
5. Change the oil in a car - No that's why God created auto mechanics (As you continue to read my list you will see that this will not be the only thing that I'm grateful to God for creating. Read on and see for your self)
   
6. If asked, you know the name of a good barber - Hubby and I cut each others hair. (There's only so much you can do with a pair of clippers)
7. Have a tailor who knows your measurements - I don't buy that many suits and as for the rest of the clothes they're strictly off the rack. I know that shocks some of you and I apologies but it's just the kind of man I am.
   
8. Tie a bowline, clove hitch, and a square knot - Yes and no, I used to know how when I was a Boy Scout but that was a long, long, long time ago. (Don't pretend you don't know how old I am)
   
9. Chop wood - This is a yes and no. Yes I can but no I don't have to because that's why God built gas fireplaces
   
10. Shoot a rifle - Another yes and no I know how but choose not too as I don't like guns of any kind.
    
11. Make a dry martini - Yes and this knowledge was not good for my health during a certain low period in my life.
12. Keep a checkbook balanced - Once again yes and no, yes I can but no by virtue that I don't have a checking account. (Once again thanking God for creating credit cards)
13. BBQ - Isn't this one a genetics thing? You know all those X and Y chromosomes. If not I'm almost sure that it was chapter 11 or 12 in my "How to Become a Man Handbook" given to me around the 5-6 year old range or as soon as I could read. If I remember correctly there was a picture book version for preschoolers "Baby's First BBQ Handbook"
    
14. Lay a fire - No you say but I thought you were a boy scout. I was but I never said I was good at it.
    
15. Change a fuse
    
16. Polish shoes
17. The ability to read stock quotes in the business section - It should be noted that although I do know this I've never had enough money to invest so while I do know how to do this I'm not sure what ever possessed to me to learn how to do it in the first place Maybe I was bored. Also, I'm just thinking out-loud here, aren't the quotes always in the business section? I mean do they ever put them sometimes next to say the comics? Hmm, maybe that's not such a bad idea. I mean considering recent events. I'm just sayin'...
    
18. Keep score at a baseball game
    
19. Jump-start a car
20. Know how to throw a punch - Only if I have to but I'm not generally a violent person
    
21. Own a tuxedo
    
22. Know how to judge a new wine - I've never been asked to judge a wine but I know a good one when I taste one.
    
23. Do your own taxes at least once in your life - Yes and never again (Thanking God once again this time for creating H & R Block)
    
24. Know how to play poker
25. Carry a handkerchief - Another yes and no, yes I have once and after the experience of carrying a wet, snot laden rage around in my pocket all day pretty well helped me make up my mind that it was not something I would ever be doing again. To be honest I can not for the life of me understand why anyone would carry a handkerchief. I know that it's more environmentally friendly because a tree has to die to make my tissues but I'll take shorter showers to compensate. (Thanking God once more for Kleenex)

I've just read my answers and it sure is good that God is around. I mean look at all the things we wouldn't have without him/her and that's just based on the items I mentioned in the list. I know there's like tons of other stuff he/she has created that we would be lost without. Think about it, microwaves, dishwashers, television. The list could go on and on but I'll leave it there.

Anyway, I got 15 out of a possible 25 which isn't to bad. So I guess I'm a pretty good man when it comes down to it. I definitely know I'm a gentlemen. I mean after all, I did grow up in New Orleans. You learn all about being a gentlemen in the "How to Become a Man Handbook" I mentioned earlier It was in chapters one through five, or was it seven, hang on maybe it was a separate book altogether. Now I'm confused but I know I read it in a book somewhere. All I know for sure is that "Yes Ma'am or No Ma'am" and "Yes Sir or No Sir" are as good as scripture growing up in the south and there can be serious consequences for not using those words. Maybe it's from the "Mind Your Manners Handbook" Southern Edition.

Memories...

Two years ago today my dad passed away and even though the pain has eased, I will never forget. My mum is alone now and I worry about her so very much but I know that my dad will watch her and for the hard things I know that she will find the strength to move forward because he wants her to keeping moving.

I love you dad
and
I miss you very much

We're not friends any more...

...and no I'm not talking about you, my dear blog friends and readers. I'm talking about friends that hubby and I made recently since we moved here to Tasmania. We knew members of our new friends family when we lived up in Sydney and we where happy to meet the new members of this extended family down here in Tasmania. Recently due to behaviour and habits exhibited by our friends in public that hubby and I find objectionable we can no longer be friends with our new acquaintances. In fact we will be going through extreme measures to cut these friends completely out of our lives. I'm sorry to do this but it has to be done. They made their bed and now they're going to lie in it.

Hubby and I are not hateful or vindictive people but our new friends have pushed us to the limits. We have been open and genuine with them and they have turned around and used our friendship for their own good. They have tricked us and now they are actually starting to abuse us. Granted it's not physical but it might as well be. The abuse is more mental and emotional and they are tearing us up inside because we truly thought that we could be friends and share some part of our lives but apparently they just wanted to use us.

I have actually told you about these friends a few months back. I told you how happy we were to meet them and how excited we were to have them in our lives. Well that's all changed and now it's time for them to go Just to jog your memory here's a picture of our friends.






Yes, that's right our cute little fiends the possums. They are visiting us now on a nightly basis. I say they because there are at least four of them that come to visit. There are two males and female with a baby on her back. They are still cute to look at and even though they look adorable and cuddly we know that they are not and we never tried to get that close. The thing that has strained our relationship to the breaking point is that during their nightly visit to our backyard they have decided that it is their mission to destroy our 15 year old Japanese Maple which I've shown you before here. They are eating all of the new leaves that are coming out due to the fact that it is spring here. The tender little leaves of the Maple tree are apparently a delicacy to hard to resit for our past friends.

We don't hate them so much as to hurt them. We would and never could do such a thing but I tell you what I'm getting pretty damn close to hurting something if they don't get out of my tree! We bought a product from the local nursery called Poss-off (get it Poss-off Piss-off cute huh?) which is supposed to make the leaves that have been sprayed taste bitter to the possum and as such they will move on to better tasting trees. We used the product a couple of nights and it seemed to work but the possums realised that we could only reach so far from the ground while spraying the leaves of the tree and that the leaves up higher had not been sprayed leaving them sweet and tender just they way they like them.

We have spent the past two nights out in our back yard spraying the intruders with the hose using an attachment that has a high pressure mode. The possums just sit there while we soak them with the hose and continue to eat and I suppose they just think it's raining really hard. We have thrown things at them and even used a long pole to poke at them trying to get them out of the tree. All the time while we're spraying and poking these sweet, darling demons we're stand there in the middle of the night yelling "Get out of our tree!!!" Can you imagine what our neighbours think? To be honest with you I don't give a rats behind what they think I want these little vermin to stop eating my tree and to get they hell out of my garden, end of story!

We are going down to the local hardware store to see what we can find to rid ourselves of these creatures. I'm buying everything they have in stock to combat the furry little woodland animals that find invading our garden a bit of fun. I'm dead set to rid myself of these cute, furry, cuddly animals once and for all. I have no intention of hurting them especially the mother with the baby. I just want them to stop eating MY Tree! They are protected in as much that we can't purposefully hurt them and we wouldn't any way, but whatever else is available to me to send them on their way will be purchased and put to use this evening. If this doesn't work I hate to think what will happen to the tree and hate even worse the prospect of replacing the tree as it will take forever for it to get back to the tree that is is now. Anyway, I'll keep you up to date as how we are going with our possum removal and if anyone has any suggestion we're listening!

It's all about the food...

Well here it is, five days later and I finally have that meme I've promised. This is the food meme that has made the rounds. I would give credit were credit due if I could remember where I found it but I can't but if I could I believe the credit would belong to this lovely man. So without further adieu have a gander at what I have and have not eaten in my lifetime as well as some things I never plan to put in my mouth. You'd be surprised how many things that weren't on this list that have made it into my mouth, or maybe you wouldn't, and get your minds out of the gutter. Anyway, bon apetit...

1) Bold all the items you have eaten.
2) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (Since I've never been able to strike through things or figured out how I will have to go with mark to things in italics.)

I have to admit that I had to look a few of these things up to find out what they were. There are a few of the dishes I would love to try and definitely will if I ever get the chance.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari - Yes, and then found out I was allergic ending up in hospital for a week
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart – No, and why would you?
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle – Not by themselves but used in making a sauce if that counts.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Blueberry
19. Steamed pork buns – yes after friends took us out for Yum Cha (aka Dim Sum to some). I have to say never again to Yum Cha but not the pork buns they were great.
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes – Yes, even though I’m not big on tomatoes. We were at a friends house for dinner and I was brought up to not be rude so I ate then and they weren’t half bad.
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras - Yes. and never again
24. Rice and beans – Red beans and rice to be specific and once a week every week growing up in New Orleans. It’s a staple on school lunch menus and it was a staple in our home once a week every week. So I guess that means I actually had it twice a week.
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters – Once and never again
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea – I’ve had clotted cream with Devonshire tea which included warm scones and strawberry preserves
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O – Yes, one to many in my life time, but none lately.
39. Gumbo – Of course, remember I grew up in New Orleans
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal - I like Indian food but this is WAY to hot for me.
44. Goat’s milk – I’ve not actually had a glass of milk but I’ve had plenty of cheese made with it
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala – yes possibly once a week as we get Indian takeaway
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – A long, long, long time ago
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini – Yes but not my cup of tea or should that be cup of alcohol
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores – Yes, But not for a long time now.
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin – Why would you? When I looked this up all I could find out is that it was some sort of clay.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – Beignets from Café DuMonde
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette – Andoulle sausage is a staple in New Orleans and it sure is good in some gumbo.
71. Gazpacho - Yes, but not again. I never understood cold soup
72. Caviar and blini - Yes, but I think highly over-rated.
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie – Yes, but it was so long ago I’m not even sure what flavour it was. I suppose it would have been apple.
78. Snail – Yes, to rubbery for my taste.
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini – Again, one too many in my lifetime
81. Tom yum – A lovely Thai dish that we don’t have nearly enough
82. Eggs Benedict - Yes, my favourite breakfast to order when we are at a restaurant.
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef – Yes and it was delicious.
86. Hare – Not my favourite but will try over again from time to time depending on the restaurants presentation
87. Goulash
88. Flowers – Yes, in a few things but mainly in salads
89. Horse - Yes, apparently we were eating it when I was a child and my mother was getting meat from the downstairs neighbour whose husband was a butcher. The neighbour showed my mum how to cook this meat by sauteing it for a long time in lots of butter. My mother asked the lady what made the meat so tender and that’s when the lady told here it was horse meat. We stopped getting our meat from the neighbor shortly after that revelation.
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam - Unfortunately
92. Soft shell crab – Yes, and it’s very nice.
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish – We used to eat a lot of this growing up but I haven’t had any since.
95. Mole poblano – Love me some chicken mole enchiladas!
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor – One of my favourite dishes but then again I love lobster period
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee – No and never will since I don’t drink coffee
100. Snake

52 things out of a 100 is not bad and of those things not tried there were many that I would so that number of tried things could eventually get bigger. You never know, you just never know.