Come on Eileen

Don't tell the man, I just bought another song off i-tunes. I'm supposed to be waiting for some $70 vouchers he got from somewhere. Except I wanted to blog about my knees and realised we didn't have 'Come on Eileen' by Dexy's Midnight Runners. He he. I'm blogging about knees, running and the song is by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

My sense of humour again? Calm down, the part about Eileen is coming.

So one of my bridesmaids recommended I go and see a bio mechanist  about my knee. You know, the knee I blogged about here and here and here and here and  here  oh and a little bit here.

I could have blogged about it more, but thats all I could find...

Obviously its been a source of worry for me (and pain!) and I've basically given up any hope of running long distances, I'm down to about 1km right now. Anyway so figuring that going to yet another doctor couldn't hurt I went and saw Kahlil  (pronounced Kail) and he told me (this is where Eileen fits in) that my right leg is 8mm longer than my left. 

Come on Eileen - I-lean? Geddit?

He also told me that my knees don't track right. When you run, your knee cap should naturally be in line with your fourth toe, if that makes sense. My knee cap points in. Not even in the ball park of being correct.

I asked Kahlil if there was anything I could do and he said that orthotics will help. GREAT! A solution. Most unexpected. My celebration was cut short by two words. Health Insurance.

Of course, I googled and cursed. Then I rang someone at our health insurer and while they were very nice, they just confirmed what I'd googled. That our insurance doesn't cover it. . 

I don't know if any of you are orthotics valuers but they are not cheap. I figured that orthotics just went in my runners, so when I run, my knees point the right way. But no! Apparently its important my knees point the right way - all the time! Who knew! So instead of one pair, I need (kneed?) two.

I even tried doing MATHS and worked out it wasn't even worth upgrading our insurance to cover orthotics. $300 a month for health insurance! They must have rocks in their heads. Also - waiting periods

With a wedding coming up all purchases are being carefully scruitinised. Unfortunately orthotics fell squarely into the category of 'things that would be nice to have or are needed eventually - but can be postponed until after the wedding'. That category is a mouthful.

Just when all hope was lost - someone checked his list, not once - but twice and realised I'd been more nice than naughty this year and so Santa Claus came to the party with a gift voucher for orthotics.

Thank you Santa. 

The man - I think the $1.69 was well spent. 

- Jen

Christmas is going to the dogs.

It's not really, but the Eels song of the same title has been in my Christmas carols playlist and I wanted to use it.

I had a nice enough Christmas, it was strange being separated from the man. For numerous reasons he went to his family and I went to mine. Mainly that I'm on call for work this week so I had to be back here on boxing day and he wanted to spend some more time with his family.

Mum came down on the 23rd so we could go and visit my sister the next day and brought with her my 'Christmas Turkey' - see video below. You should watch it, its freaking hilarious. Could be my sense of humour, but I doubt it.

We left to visit my sister early on Christmas Eve and one interesting addition to the trip was a 'tom-tom' (sat nav system) Mum had borrowed. She's named it Shaun because of its irish accent and good old Shaun was actually really handy. If the three wise men had of had Shaun it would have made their trip a whole lot easier. Back at home we had the usual seafood dinner of prawns, oysters and crusty bread rolls. 

After dinner I actually went to 9:30 mass with Nan which was nice. I usually love going to Mass at Christmas, but I should either go earlier or on Christmas day because all the little kids must have been in bed. Fr Kevin started talking about direction, and finding your way and that sometimes you get lost and its hard to find your way. Which made me giggle when I thought about Shaun, so I tried to whisper to Nan that he should get a tom-tom. Except Nan's getting a little bit hard of hearing and said "WHAT" so I said "he should get A TOM-TOM" and then Nan laughed when she'd figured it out. Which made me laugh more. 

I am very lucky because 'Santa' gave me a gift voucher for orthotics (I just realised I haven't blogged about this yet). The post will no doubt be a rant about what is the point of health insurance. But anyway. 

The man also snuck 'Twilight' the book and some lindt dark chocolate bars in, when we weren't supposed to be giving each other presents this year. I haven't got him anything, which he's probably happy about. 

Christmas lunch was great. After lunch when Dad and Grandpa went off to have their snoozes 'my sort of kind of cousin' Josh and I started playing tug a war with Tammy my parents enormous black lab. MUM suggested making it more interesting by adding in Dad's old desk chair on wheels. Hopefully I can get the video of me being pulled around by the dog. Hopefully none of you will report me to the RSPCA. Besides, I'm light and the dogs huge. 

I came back on the XPT on boxing day afternoon and just about finished Twilight on the train. It wasn't a bad book and I know why teenage girls rave about Edward Cullen. 

That's about it for Christmas.

- Jen

What did you do today - I did nothing

Today I probably had the best sleep I've had in the past year.

What a difference it makes.

I had another Christmas party yesterday, and had a few - but not a few too many. By the time I got home and chatted to the very hungover man it was about 11:30pm before I got to bed.

I woke up at 10:00 this morning. Fantastic. I'd settled into finishing off the last Harry Potter book again when someone knocked on the front door and I decided I should get up.

Now its been bugging me all day who was at the door. I took it very easy all day, surfed the net, did some washing. Wandered down Puckle St for 'my usual' weekend coffee and swiss fruit toast and now I'm cooking up my world famous 'Poosaburgers' for dinner.

The man will not be too impressed with dinner as he's just told me he was dared to - and did eat a 'pounder' for lunch. Yuck. Actually I just googled it and found this . Its a wonder he wants dinner at all.

- Jen

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right

The past couple of weeks have been hectic, with Hotel Fankworth-Unshauser being packed to the rafters. Even with all our beds now, we've had people on couches etc.

But its been so much fun. Last weekend we even had 60% of the bridal party in one place at the same time. I sincerely hope we can boost numbers before October 24 next year.

Anyway last Saturday we went to Ballarat with Georbridge (Bridgett and George) to visit some other friends. Had so much fun just hanging out, having a bbq and playing cricket. I'm so lucky to have ended up with a bunch of friends with such similiar tastes. I can't remember what Bridgett and I were laughing about. Obviously something hysterical.

- Jen

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

Mum and Dad and Denny were some amongst the many who turned out to see the passing out parade at Puckapunyal

I was talking about 'I was only 19' in my last post.

Now before everyone knocks the remix of 'I was only nineteen', watch this:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=1gmgwx77osw

And now listen to the remix:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ns82tHhJOr0&feature=related

I think its pretty good, more modern but the story is still the same.

The whole thing..makes me feel..sad/proud. I think every Aussie kid feel it a bit, on ANZAC day, and Remembrance day. But after reading 'well done those men' by Barry Heard , it makes it more...poignant. I recommend reading the book.

- Jen

We get around, we get around, we stare you down from the walls - SOTM December 2008

It's my blog. I say this because no reader on here is going to like this song .

It's 'we get around' by Urthboy. I feel sorry for the man because I've been playing it non stop!

But anyway, Song Of The Month is 'I get around' by Urthboy.

The same guy was in the band..(would you call them a band?) that did the remix of
'I was only nineteen'.

See next post...

- Jen

The joy and the misery

Or maybe it should be the misery, and the joy.

18 months may not seem like a long time, but after watching all the other graduates from my year get promotions and little me left wondering what I was doing wrong, today I finally got my promotion.

To confuse everyone, I'm still acting in a position which is higher than the position I got a promotion for. Basically it just means when I go back to my old position, its not going to be so financially devastating.

But yeah, I'm a bit chuffed. Feel like I'm equal with everyone else.

That's news with me anyway

- Jen