Long time between walks ...

[Clownfish]

Hi Everyone,

Maybe you've been wondering where I got to, maybe not ...

Anyway, just thought I'd stop by and let everyone know where I disappeared to, and why it's going to be a long wait between walks for me, yet.

So far, 2010 has been - to put it mildly - a sh!t year.

As I mentioned on a long-ago topic, I was laid off in January. Then in March, I tore my Achilles' tendon at the Westbury St. Pat's night (and no, despite what everyone immediately assumes, I was not drunk; I was, as Bowie once sang, only dancing). So that meant surgery and six weeks in plaster, then months of recovery. A couple of weeks later, my wife wrapped her car around a telephone pole between Hagley & Carrick (if you watch Southern Cross news, you probably saw it!). She was incredibly lucky, and came off with a bad gash on her head, as well as assorted bruises, etc. A few weeks after that, the plaster came off my leg, and I could start to lurch around in my Herman Munster shoes ... except that it turned out I had a blood clot in my leg, part of which broke off and lodged in my lung. Jesus, I thought I was having a heart attack!

Oh well, another day, another trip in the ambulance!

Then, while I was in hospital with that, my son got rushed to Emergency, with appendicitis. He had his appendix out, and father and son went home together - one in a wheelchair and one on crutches: truly a bonding moment!

Since then, things have slowly been improving: I can walk fairly well again, although I'm having to do physio to build the muscles in my leg back, and stretch the tendon.

So, all in all, I think it's fair to say that I'm off the tracks for a while yet, although I'm hoping to start easing into some day walks this summer.

So ends my tale of woe ... I hope!

[Chris]

Welcome back Clownfish, and commiserations. Surely you've gone through your ration of bad luck now for a few years

Didn't the state govt take over the ATC and keep the staff? or maybe you were too sick of the uncertainty of the politics of the organisation?

Anyhow, good luck with the rehab. The walking will be even better when you finally make it

[Clownfish]

Hi Chris, and thanks. I reckon we've used up a lifetime's worth of bad luck - I also forgot to mention that we had to have my son's pet budgie put down - he'd had it since he was seven.

The state govt. took over, about half the staff were made redundant or walked, and the place is now a shell of its former self. Nobody I've spoken to since - students or staff - are happy with the place now: chalk up another win for Barto's education revolution!

I'd originally planned to have summer off and live on my redundancy: ironically, the St. Pat's weekend was my last weekend before getting back on the workday wagon ... I've only just been able to start doing some casual work the last few weeks (in all this time, I've received the sum total of about $200 off Centrelink), and I'm kind of thinking about a career change. I've been doing some farm work and some cleaning work, and looking at going into business for myself. Might be time to unshackle myself from a computer, 9 to 5 ..?

I am SO looking forward to being able to go bush again!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Welcome back Clownfish. Hope things turn for the better for you.

[Nuts]

Wow, thats rough! Surely your now in for a run of good luck?

[Son of a Beach]

Wow... what a horrific time you've been going through. Welcome back anyhow, and I hope the road to recovery is smooth and fast for you.

[tasadam]

Yes, I had been wondering where you have been.
I would personally like to thank you for using up ALL the bad luck of every member of this forum, so I thought I might start up parachuting or something...

Seriously, that sucks! I wish you and your family the swiftest and most peaceful of recoveries and hope to hear of successful outings into the wilderness before too long.

[Phil]

Geez. Tough season of life you've been through clownfish; good to hear you're coming out the other end of it though

I was only chatting with 'Tasman' the other day, we should have another forum members coffee catch-up some time soon (like we did at Blue Cafe last year)........maybe I'll propose some dates and see if anyone's keen to get together and then we can all share our journeys for the past year!!

Phil

[Son of a Beach]

Geez. Tough season of life you've been through clownfish; good to hear you're coming out the other end of it though

I was only chatting with 'Tasman' the other day, we should have another forum members coffee catch-up some time soon (like we did at Blue Cafe last year)........maybe I'll propose some dates and see if anyone's keen to get together and then we can all share our journeys for the past year!!

Phil

Top idea Phil... go for it.

[Jellybean]

Welcome back Clownfish (had wondered where you disappeared to). 'Hope things are on the up and up from now on. After all that drama, life will seem incredibly cruisy before too long! (And it's funny how after experiences like that you have a much better appreciation of what's really important in life and of the simple things!).

Take care,

Cheers,

JB

[Phil]

Top idea Phil... go for it.

Sorry Clownfish, I don't mean to hijack your post, but FYI I have proposed a 'Bushwalk Tas Coffee Catch-up' similar to what we did last year (which I remember you coming along to).

Info is here if anyone is interested:

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4475

[north-north-west]

Geez, and I was starting to feel sorry for myself after a few relatively minor little problems over the past 8 months . . . Thgat'll teach me to not be so self-pitying.

Glad to hear it's starting to look up a bit, but. Oddly enough I was thinking the last time I was in here that we hadn't seen you for a while. Welcome back and *fingers crossed* good luck for the rest of your life.

[Ent]

Hi Clownfish

Look forward to catching up with you for coffee again. If bad luck comes in lots of three as some say you should now be well clear of if by now. Anyway great to see you back on site.

Cheers Brett

[flyfisher]

Yeah mate, good to see you back, nobody should have that much bad luck.

ff

[Clownfish]

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone.

Things are on the recovery, slowly. Starting to do some casual work - some dairying, some domestic cleaning, etc. - so some cash is starting to come through now.

The leg is still stiff and the muscles still quite weak, but it's improving. Off to see the physio again tomorrow.

[Phil]

The leg is still stiff and the muscles still quite weak, but it's improving. Off to see the physio again tomorrow.

Good to hear clowndish.

Out of interest, who is your physio? Is it through the LGH or elsewhere? The reason I ask is that my brother is a physio at the LGH and deals mostly with out-patients.

Phil

[Clownfish]

No, going to Active Physio, right near the hospital.

Did your brother walk the Overland, earlier this year? I remember when I was in for my op, the physio I talked with was planning it.

[Phil]

Nah, he didn't. His colleague has run it a couple of times though! Came in 7th last year too!

[geoskid]

Yeah, well done Clownfish - we never know in advance when we need to draw on our strenghts, and you have found out you have strength in reserve. Glad your life is getting back on track (thought I'd slip in a Bushwalking term)
Kindest Regards
Geoskid

[lyndoor]

Sending you & your family good Karma, Clownfish.
Hope you're back to the outdoors very soon.
All the best, lyndoor.