The Waiting Game

It's an awful long wait from Thursday to Wednesday, since the best laid plans can go awry. The flu that's currently sweeping Sydney is a tenacious beast and it just hangs on and on. As I said, Friday was lost to it. Then Saturday, came as a restful respite. In the morning I went to the hairdresser (not about to go under the knife with grey streaks showing, am I?) and I did some important shopping, like getting a couple of fish for my aquarium to replenish the ones that went belly up a few months ago. Later, Jackie (Chris' daughter) came over with her girls, Tegan and Leah. We went to the park at the back of my house and just hung out and discovered a small, hidden, well maintained wetland with lots of happy frogs. The weather was magic and the whole afternoon was thankfully normal, with a feeling that all will be well in the end.

By the time we got home I was exhausted and the evening was spent veging out in front of the tube with my two homestay students, Christina and Fumie. It was Fumie's last night. She is a fabulous bassoon player from Japan, in Australia to learn English and study with a bassoon master. She is moving into her very own apartment - a first for her. We are all very excited for her. Christina is from Germany. Her English is really excellent, but she feels she needs to polish it and she has just landed an internship with Novotel hotel, which is very exciting. In all this turmoil with my health Christina has elected to stay with me, so I expect her to be here for a few more weeks. Tomorrow I am expecting the arrival of Eve, my Birmingham buddy Doug's daughter, who also elected to keep to her original schedule and stay with me through my turmoil. So, I will be surrounded by healthy youth and energy for the next few weeks.

And, other offers of help are also pouring in. Jackie said I could go and stay with them. June, an A-class journalist friend who now lives in Queensland, informed me that she is also a nurse and would love to come down to nurse me. Judy P. and Marianne B. will ferry me to and from hospital, Peter J. will come for long walks afterwards, Paul R. will do the coffee and there is a room reserved in Marti and Marton's 'Paradise Hill' retreat in the blue mountains. My niece Judy G. offered to come over and, last but not least, Tunde will come and hold my hand at some point. The outpouring of love and affection from everyone is quite overwhelming, thanks.

But as I said, I have decided to continue as per usual, so yesterday Peter DK and I went to film some newborn racing pidgeons for the documentary we have started with my camcorder club friend Joy. She is away and the chickies are growing, so I was determined to get it all done. I was totally bushed by the end and that was all my activities for Sunday. Missed Kol Nidre.

This morning I went to Shule for Yom Kippur Morning Service, but left after two hours because I got too tired. It's been a strange High Holiday season for me. Missed most of it, but I don't want to dwell on that.

Now it's Monday evening and I am getting ready to pack it in and have a good night's sleep before the day of reckoning that is tomorrow. I'll get all my test results and the uncertainty will thankfully be over. For now I look at Tunde's flowers (in pic) and Doug's silly missive (llama song under links) and smile. Thanks guys. Keep the jokes coming. I'll share.