The cafe who had asked me to provide framed photos for their walls has cancelled right after I ordered the frames, matts & prints.
I am totally wilted & numb. What will I do to get some self esteem back? And the dollars of friends who invested in me?
Not good, not feeling good.
I can’t believe that folding a towel & 6 tea towels made both wrists go click & hurt enough to draw tears. Grand Theft Suckage!
That was the last straw for today. Having already delivered the recharged laptop next door (they got loaned a Macbook Air without a charger- duh…), fed the cats, put on a load of washing, Swiffed the floors of cat hair, made cups of tea and taken daily pills, I was just revving up to clearing the local pigsty, since Spotrick is ill & all.
Its obvious
So the rugs will have to stay hairy, the bedroom piled with boxes exchanging summer clothes for winter, the washing stalled before Spotrick’s work clothes are washed, the dishwasher unemptied from yesterday, the fishy plastic bag stuck in the sink clogging up the drain, the dirty dishes from last night and breakfast festooned over the kitchen, the cat food strewn over the kitchen floor & the bathroom not subjected to it’s weekly super-sprucing, the snail pellets not distributed around the tree dahlia, the kangaroo paws not planted in the front garden, the pillowcases not changed for 4 weeks, the hedgetrimmer not bought from the hardware store (so the hedge is untrimmed so the clothes can’t hang on half the line), the bins not put out for 2 weeks due to WTF and…and…and.
I’m taking the rest of the day off. SOD everything & I’m having peanut M&Ms for lunch.
Friends and I have had many conversations on the subject of why so many people have depression these days. I’ve also noticed that many are far more depressed than you would imagine, given their overall life circumstances.
Recently, I found I am massively deficient in Vitamin D and am now taking a course of oral doses in oil for six months to build up my levels so I won’t get brittle bones (osteoporosis). Previously I had no idea I would be deficient- it was detected by a canny shrink who ordered a pile of blood tests. Once I’m off the oil, I’ll take the same capsules you can get in the supermarket or pharmacy, which have a much lower dose but maintain a healthy level in the blood.
Lovely natural melanin
Looking at the wider world, there is general agreement that there are many more depressed people coming forward for help these days than you might expect from historical numbers. It’s not just that there is less stigma and more (and better) treatment available- there seem to be more individuals who are moderately to severely distressed than there ought to be along with more eating disorders. My mum would have been missed in statistics collected from doctors and hospitals when she was alive, but I realise she was depressed during most of my life. She seemed to suffer in silence and I insensitively thought she was “acting the martyr” when I was really young because she would sing these dirgey songs around the house which she ascribed to her own mother’s influence! There were obviously a dour, depressive bunch of Scots to some extent, conforming to stereotype. I suppose there was no useful treatment in those days any way, so they would have suffered like most did before Prozac.
Fair skin & freckles!
Why are so many depressed AND Vitamin D deficient? My friends and I think it is simply lack of sunshine. The human species seems to have evolved to derive a lot of benefit from exposure to sunlight, which they were able to gain from their first forays out of caves to hunt for animals during the day time. Apparently the hairier humanoids died out in favour of our smoother-skinned ancestors who had less natural sun protection. Some races evolved dark melanised skin which allowed sufficient absorption if they lived near the Equator and most Scandinavians in the far North, with their fair hair and skin, manage to absorb enough if they spend plenty of time outdoors during summer. A few of us unfortunately have very white skin with just a few patches of melanin, ie. freckles, so we can burn in the sun before we absorb what we need. All this Slip Slop Slap that served to protect us from harmful burning & skin cancer via sunscreen, protective clothing & hats has made a heap of people (mainly Australians I think) quite deficient in Vitamin D. It would be interesting to do a genetic survey alongside a study of average sunlight exposures of people with different skin colours at different latitudes (Equator to polar circles). I know there is some scientific data around, but haven’t heard of a comprehensive inquiry into the surge in depression vs. Vit D & skin colour. Most American people with dark Negro skin derived from their Equatorial African ancestors live too far North to gain Vitamin D from the sun, even if they’re farmers or roofers. They should ALL be on Vitamin D supplements these days, with indoor occupations being the norm. Since most fair-skinned people also work indoors, they need Vitamin D as well, even though they would derive great benefit from time in the sun every day.
Now that modern living has influenced the amount of time we spend outdoors during daylight by making us work indoors on machines & computers, the human race in the form of our common gene pool, may have failed to adapt to our changed “normal” environment. Perhaps the surge in obesity recently is an evolutionary strategy by the human body to acquire more Vitamin D from food rather than from sunlight? Obviously oily foods like potato chips & bacon don’t contain much of the most suitable oil, but our genes are not intelligent, they just drive our urges and actions.
We haven’t taken much notice of a 2008 study reported first in the Harvard Women’s Health Watch and later in other publications that encouraged everyone to get extra vitamin D unless they had a largely outdoor occupation. This site explains about Vitamin D in everyday language with a sprinkling of medi-talk. It’s not intended as a substitute for consulting a qualified doctor about your individual needs, but is very clear about the huge importance of Vitamin D for a healthy life.
Recently the New York Times health blog had a good piece on Vitamin D, prompted because the writer was continually being asked for advice! There doesn’t seem to be any high-profile campaign in Australia to encourage people to get a sufficient dose of Vitamin D, just the occasional TV advertisement, conveyed with no real passion. On the other hand, there is still plenty of publicity on preventing skin cancer by using sunscreen and avoiding the hours of the day when sunlight is strongest! It’s a dilemma!
I haven’t posted much in either blog for a while- just the occasional outburst. However, my head has been FULL of ideas on what I want to say to the world. My drafts are also getting a bit overwhelming.
So- here I am. The first thing is about my disappearance from Facebook. I was quite happy on Facebook and made lots of online and real life friends there. It also allowed communication with various groups I belong to in photography, wine and dining. The problem happened over the last four weeks, with Facebook twice banning me from “Adding new friends” for 7 days. I hadn’t been aware of trying to friend anyone unusual or completely unknown to me and I hadn’t said anything offensive to anyone there. Maybe the new relatives I had been given the names of in New Zealand and Queensland complained about me, believing me to be a stranger, despite sharing my surname. Or, they suddenly got worked up about some feud my father is supposed to have had before I was born- who knows?
Most likely it was a series of totally false “complaints” by people connected with our mutual friend’s suicide last year as the first Facebook ban came around the anniversary of his death. If people want to blame me for a suicide, I don’t want to argue with them- but they needn’t interfere with my interactions with other people I know as friends. Further hints that these people might be behind the Facebook bans was at a dinner I attended, about which I previously blogged (above)- a woman came up to me and said something like “Oh you’re that Kay Walker from Facebook- humph!”. I didn’t know her, but vaguely recognised her face from some social events years ago. I guess she wasn’t pleased to find me at the dinner with a Facebook Group so made further complaints. It’s a mystery to me.
Maybe I am paranoid, but I’ve also discovered that some people on Twitter and Google Plus have recently banned me as well- or “blocked” etc. I have commented on one person’s blog a few times as I share similar experiences with depression and drugs with her, but the comments never appear. What have I done to her? Maybe I should learn to use more lists on Twitter so friends from one sphere don’t suffer the Tweets of my other spheres. Irrelevant Tweets don’t bother me- I know people lead multi-facted lives- but if they bother others, perhaps I could change my ways.
You see, the Internet is one of the few ways I get to interact with other people these days. I’ve been completely unemployed for 5 years now and was only employed sporadically for 7 years before that. I’ve been up and down with my depression [like the Assyrian Empire], but managed to maintain a small group of real life friends over all that time. The rest of my socialising has been via the Internet. With my exit from Facebook (I feel I have been hounded off there) and the way others are blocking or dropping me elsewhere, I’m starting to get a bit worried. I’ve made a few moves to join some other sites to make up for my losses, but they are not so much with people who could ever be friends IRL- eg. on Pinterest or Tumblr. They’re more to share interests.
Speaking of interests- Spotrick & I attended a pleasant (if freezing cold), sunset photography meetup yesterday at Gillman, near the industrial Port Adelaide, north of the City Centre. There we met some previous acquaintances and a bunch of new people who all seemed very pleasant. We also took a few good photos and shivered together!
Here are several pix from the trip.
| HowManyOfMe.com | ||
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Since I’m Australian, the proportion would work out that there are probably 14 or 15 of us over here!
When I was on Facebook I had 7 Friends named Kay Walker. We used to wish each other Happy Birthday & Merry Christmas. I am keenly following the education and career of one of us who is a college student at a place oddly named [to me] Quinnipiac University & has a small photography business. My regular readers will know I’m also a keen photographer.
Kay Walkers of the world
On Google Plus I have a Circle titled Kay Walkers of the World with 6 members so far! At one stage when I was a health researcher and publishing regularly, I discovered two other Kay Walkers in academia, both of whom were also in health: one in nursing research and the other in allergy. I know of three MALE Kay Walkers, but none have joined me on any of the social media sites. Where are you, guys?
While I was researching some health conditions in Australia, a person with my name presented themselves for an assessment interview, so Kay Walker interviewed Kay Walker. Another coincidence was when I was registering for the local artists’ festival [SALA] as a glass artist and discovered I had already registered as a print artist! That was a bit scary!
The Cat Bed by printmaker Kay Walker
Lastly, there is also a TV director/producer in Australia with my name which explained a very strange incident where I was sent an urgent message to please contact someone on a TV show team in Sydney NSW. When I rang the number they were very puzzled to hear I was a health researcher from Adelaide, not the prospective producer they wanted to employ!!
Has anyone else had such amusing or alarming experiences with name-doubles?
By the way, although there are so many Kay Walkers, I have absolutely no problem with identity confusion! I know who I am. Who are those others??
Obviously lots of us die all the time, eg. there were at least ten pages of obituaries at http://www.iannounce.co.uk/United-Kingdom/23/Obituary/obit?_fstatus=search&keywords=Kay%20WALKER
We’re dying everywhere!
But I couldn’t find any new birth announcements- I think Kay is a little passe!
This post is a reply to a summary of the blog post by Shane Barker on
held at the Victory Hotel, Aldinga, South Australia on Saturday 28th April, 2012.
Ready set eat
Thirty members of the Dead Reds Wine Group, convened by Charlie Robinson, descended on the venue via a hired bus driven by the long-suffering Ron Corso. We were treated to a fantastic mini-degustation menu of
Starters: Chicken, Lime Leaf & Coriander Spring Rolls with Chili Sambal &
Myponga Beach salt & pepper Squid with Lemon Aioli accompanied by an Eden Valley Riesling from Karra Yerta 2008 (NOT local);
Entree: Springdale Farm Rabbit Pie with sauteed Brussels Sprouts, speck & jus
Mains: Scotch Fillet Steak on a Potato & Thyme Galette or;
Pork Rib, Accompanied by a Kay Brothers Dry Red Mataro [lately Mourverdre] and a Rudderless Grenache (made from grapes grown around the Victory Hotel) or;
Coopers Beer-Battered Kangaroo Island King George Whiting & chips.
followed by a cheese course: Mature Cheddar with home made lavosh, muscatels, quince paste & apple slices. Accompanied by a 2010 Vintage Shiraz from Graham Stevens Wines.
All courses were accompanied by interesting and appropriate wines, presented by Shane Barker, with a short wine options game between main and cheese courses. Everyone concluded they would gladly do the whole thing again in a month or two’s time.
Shane holds forth
I really enjoyed the whole affair and would love to do it again! However, there was one big surprise [to me a little disappointment]; I thought we were going to be TASTING some McLaren Vale grandfathers, ie. old wines. The much more recent offerings presented were pleasant enough, but to me not exactly characteristic of the traditional McLaren Vale we know & love. I guess it was not what I expected because I didn’t plan it or own it! Thank you Charlie & Shane for making it the dinner it was.
My favourite “thing” of the evening was the presence of Colin Kay- an iconic McLaren Vale Grandfather! I would love to sit next to him at dinner and extract some more tales related to establishing the vineyards and evolving the wine styles that led to such gems as Kay’s Amery Shiraz. I was also pleasantly surprised that a winemaker at 72 was in such fine mental and physical shape, as some I have known have been just the opposite! It is encouraging when I think of my friend’s son, Chris Thomas [Thommo], who is not of huge physical stature, but seems to be heading towards a long life in the winemaking business! He’s currently maker at Dowie Dooleand I was worried that all the alcohol was going to ruin his liver before forty, but Colin Kay has reassured me there’s hope for the little guys yet! [Sorry Chris- you've always been slapped in the face with the fact you're no Brendan in the size department!].
The venerable Colin Kay
As for the food- perfect choices by the planners & chef. I want the rabbit pie recipe, please chef! Apart from the choices, there may have been a little under catering with the spring rolls and the cheese. Several (four at least) didn’t get any spring roll, although others were sharing out plenty of remaining baby octopus at the end of entrees. When the cheese came along, there was plenty of accompaniment (yummy quince paste, muscatels and delicate apple slices) but the cheese itself disappeared far too quickly compared with the generous second glasses of port! My partner is still suffering from the second port (it’s Monday morning & he has that reflux thing).
The wine options game was a lot of fun BUT, Mr Tasting McLaren Vale…most of the attendees were NOT sophisticated nor experienced wine buffs- more enthusiasts. Therefore, demonstrating that two different years of Zinfandel from the same (small, as yet not widely known) maker, was a bit beyond us. Sure, some people who had visited the Vale recently knew about Inkwell, but some of the older, less regular visitors had never heard of it, let alone appreciated their Zinfandel. Let’s face it, Zinfandel is not something we are expert at consuming from McLaren Vale. Maybe 3 of us knew that Cambrai had done some Zinfandel many years ago. But there is a sharp division in the ages of people at the dinner- oldies who are 50 or more and maybe have had good personal cellars in the past but may have eased back now & youngsters who are either experts on new wines or who drink mainly for pleasure, not enlightenment! Most of us know McLaren Vale for its Shiraz and more recently for GSMs. The older peeps like me also still love the old ports, whether Tawny or Vintage, but youngsters may have never tried them! There are also some lovely young whites happening that people might like to explore as well!
Treasure chest of wines
Finally, if I was doing another wine dinner for Unearthing [whether it was featuring grandfathers human or vinified], I would feature wines more generally agreed as characteristic of the region at the core of the tasting line-up, perhaps provide some tastes (not full glasses) of contrasting/educational wines and I would tell people about why each wine has it’s particular characteristics. For instance: what about the seasons or earth in the vineyard produced the differences? Guide people to where the taste might be happening, eg. can they taste the difference in length of palate, acidity, tannins, as well as the colours you pointed out.
Vigorous discussion
So, having done the full crit, I must now prepare myself for a visit to the Vale to get re-educated about what it’s doing these days; (apart from drowning myself every Wednesday & Saturday in wines made by Chris Thomas from his time at Fox Creek, Serafino, Boars Rock & Dowie Doole)!
Are you up for it, Shane?
Popocatépetl
This a sound poem which plays with the sound of words and revels in the responses and rhythms they stir up. At the end it features actions which only work in live performance, rather than on the printed page.
NB Popocatépetl is the second highest mountain in Mexico, and an active volcano
Popo cate petl Poppa cata petal Pot a cat a petal Pot a cap a petal Pot a cup a petal Pot a cup a petrol Pocahontas?
Aurora-australis from NASA ISS
The Southern Aurora or Aurora australis is a lighting phenomenon [not lightning, the ziggy zaggy stuff) seen in the Southern Hemisphere towards the South Pole. It is rarely seen in mainland ]ustralia and not often in Tasmania. However, New Zealand often gets a nice dose and I remember it there from my childhood. It always filled me with awe.
Therefore, I am posting a link directly to another blog that has a great summary of the Auroras, both North & South, we have experienced over the latest sun flare period from March 12th to 18th, 2012.
Thank you A Know.
Dead Rainbow Lorikeet
Yesterday a huge flock of “Rosellas” flew over the house. They’re really Rainbow Lorikeets, but it’s my generic term for smallish brightly coloured Australian birds, especially seen in the distance. These gorgeous creatures usually come and sit in the Liquidambar tree next door and strip it of seeds (or something since they’re not supposed to like seeds) in a day or two, meanwhile posing for the occasional photograph.
I always love to see the birds arrive and thought no further about them until I went out to the road to move my car back into the driveway. there on the ground was a poor little bird struggling in the dust on the edge of the footpath, trying to pull itself along by pecking at the ground- to no avail. I didn’t know what had affected it, but I carefully picked it up and got an old cat cage out of the carport to provide a safe resting place until it recovered (I thought).
Again- out to move the car, but- another bird on the ground! This time it was well and truly deceased- the ants had started; so I placed it in our garden while I planned on its disposal.
Underwing colours- superb
After the car was safely in the driveway, I returned to the live bird. It had climbed up the side of the cage and looked lively. However, when I placed some sunflower seed and water inside with it, it just dropped dead! Sad. I imagined I was helping conserve this bird, even though with thousands around, I guess this one didn’t need my charity. Sadly we bundled both birds into a bag, sealed it and placed it in the garbage bin.
When I hopped onto the internet to verify my identification of the birds, I discovered they were indeed Rainbow Lorikeets and additionally that most lorikeets eat only nectar and occasionally binge on fruit- not usually eating seeds. However, the Rainbow Lorikeet is known to accept seeds, especially sunflower ones. Reading further about the birds, I saw an article about a strange disease noted in Australian bird colonies-
Here’s an extract from the above extract:
“Rigid legs/clenched feet — this is a reasonably common problem with all lorikeets. The bird is unable to perch or stand and therefore cannot fly. I have not been able to discover the cause of this condition but feel it is a secondary problem caused by kidney infection. This is purely supposition, but in the absence of other explanations I treat in the following way. Firstly, it is important, as in the treatment of a swollen chest, that the bird is kept erect and not allowed to lie on its chest. It will require hand feeding and a course of antibiotics to counter the infection. I massage the stiff legs and gently open the feet, letting them close around my finger. I then am able to stretch the legs and bend them at the joints. When this physiotherapy is showing signs of success I place the bird in a cage with narrow bars laid on its side to give a ‘ladder’ for the bird to climb and thus exercise the legs. Improvement can be slow but 1 have released birds that have recovered from this condition. If, however, after three days there is still no sign of movement in the legs or feet, the condition is unlikely to respond-to treatment.” [Accessed at http://www.birdcare.asn.au/pdf/loris.pdf]
Gorgeous colours, red beak
Both the birds I had “rescued” had this peculiar back-stretching of the legs and such tightly balled up feet/claws that I could not unfurl them even though they weren’t in rigor mortis. I’m used to seeing a dead bird assume the pathetic “feet in the air” posture, with legs projecting straight up with gently relaxed claws, not this weird stiff pose. I wonder if these birds were suffering the odd disease mentioned by the Bird Network? I thought they had merely flown into power lines and been stunned, then fallen.
If anyone has any ideas, please comment. I’m puzzled, though not necessarily hugely distressed. What is killing the cute little creatures that I’m so used to seeing all around the Unley High School [yes, Julia Gillard's school is just over the main road] and the conservation area next door?
While researching this post I came across another blog post that was very appreciative of Rainbow Lorikeets, much to my delight! See:
Think & Be Inspired’s post at:
