Printers, walks and Flinders.

Dougal arrived yesterday for a short stay. We went out for a walk this morning and  I had Benji walking alongside Dougal. Roughly the same time and distance despite the fact that Dougal kept stopping, but otherwise the two walked well together. That’s the longesr distance Benji has walked in weeks. I didn’t use the stroller this morning since I felt it would be too difficult to control the stroller with one hand and have Dougal with a leash on the other hand. Anyway, they both walked well.   Benji is over in his bed and Dougal is here with me, curled up at my feet.  If Flinders call in good time, I might try and get both dogs down to the Ada Ryan Gardens for a little while.  Today being the 17th.  Flinders will telephone sometime today so we should have a fair idea  of where we go from here in Annabell’s treatment.

I ordered a new printer last week and it arrived on Tuesday. I spent all day Wednesday setting it up. Up until this new printer I was using an HP Ink-Jet but recently the cartridges were starting to get too expensive – $29 for the Black Cartridge and $36 for the colour cartridge — and— they were not lasting all that long, Doing the Orders of Service for two Funerals plus the magazine and I  had ro replace the cartridges. I felt that this was  just getting too expensive – yes I did get repaid for the cartridges and the Special  Paper for the OOS but that’s not the point – it is too expensive. So taking a lot of things into consideration, I bought a new printer. I bought an Epson Tank Printer. It does not use cartridges it uses ink. Each Ink Bottle costs $14 and I need 4 bottles  – $56. I know it seems like not a lot of saving really, but the cartridges last about 6 – 8 weeks  ( if you’re lucky) whereas the ink tank should last about 8 or more months.  The printer came with four bottles — AND, I  took advantage of an offer to buy four bottles extra  at a reduced prince so, I should not have to look for more ink for this machine for at least the  next eighteen months. Well,  that works for me.

Despite the fact that it is cold in the mornings, Annabell is fairly well. Tuesday night is still her coffee night with the ladies and I still drive her there. She calls me to come and collect her and that two minutes is the total weekly use of her mobile (cell) phone. I answer, she  turns the phone off and it stays off until the next Tuesday.  I tried to get her to use it and even pay the phone company for her, but I ‘ve given it up as a “lost Cause”.

Was reading an interesting article about why Australias feel the cold so much and it has a lot to do with the buildig industry. Most Australia houses – particularly in the country areas – are designed and built to cope with  cooling during the heat of Australian Summers with little regard given to heating the house up in the cold of winter. The rooms are cold and what was difficult to start with – heating – becomes harder  by the week as gas and electricty prices soar. – fuel  has gone above $2.25 per litre.

We have just had the telephone call from Dr. Tamara at Flinders Cancer Clinic and all I can say is “Rejoice with me!”  The treatment is working and the recent tests have shown that  the cancer has declined. Thus we are going back down to Flinders  on 1st  August and they will continue with the treatment. There was some concern regarding the findings of the last  test but the people at Innovations in Cancer have examined the  results of the tests and the findings of the latest one and have concluded, based on the latest test, that the  cancer had, indeed, shrunk. Agreed, not as much as they wouldf have liked but it is a start and they will continue with the treatment.  Annabell tends to take these things in her stride- me?? I’m overjoyed.  The last few weeks have been a bit of a roller-coaster with all that has been going on, so with one thing at least settled, perhaps things will start to calm down in other areas – we can only hope. Just as an aside, Flinders was supposed to call at 1:50 but the call didn’;t come until  after 4pm which made it too late to go to the Gardens- not that I was in a mood to go to the gardens anyway, but there you are…