#471 Saturday 31 December 2011

New Years Eve ....
Kaylia was up late last night and so she slept in this morning.  Both Naomi & I went to sleep to the sound of her chortling and giggling .... she behaves really well but doesn't sleep.  Last night she was experimenting with the torch and how the light shines through the body.  She thought it was funny to see the light shining through my cheek into my mouth.
During the night Kat had a close enounter with the mouse ... tikus.  She woke to find him snuggling on her leg! So today we have to find rat poison and rat traps.  He must die!

This morning we all went off to Alta Moda ... a fabric shop in Kuta.  It just so happened that it was a genuine 'end of year' sale today  .... 50% off!  Naomi and Kat were both stoked!  .... and each bought lots of fabric.

2pm  Kat found Mr Mouse in the bathroom ... so she very sensibly shut him in there and called me.  Sho' nuff he was in there ... but he's not a mouse .... he's a rat!  He's now a dead rat.

We must adopt an anti-rat regime .... rats would be a definite turn-off for rental clients!



7pm   Fireworks!  New Years Eve!  I bought some fireworks tonight ... the first in about 50 years!  They were outlawed in WA when I was about 10.  I used to love that time.

Remember that it was New Years Eve fireworks in Ubud 2 years ago that was part of setting off Kaylia's anxiety?  Well tonight Kaylia has been excited to watch  them!  We did some in daylight so she could see what it was .... then more as it has become darker.  I think she is over her anxiety about loud noises now!

#470 Friday 30 December

2012 is the Year of the Dragon .... but last night was the Night of the Mouse!  Poor Kat did not sleep ... she had an extroverted mouse who wanted to do acrobatics .... nibblies ..... prancing and dancing .... all night long.  I think we need to take anti-mouse measures!  Shame ... it's only one mouse so it would be nice to tame him .... but 'meeces ain't neeces'  ... so he has to go.

Kaylia has started her day with "CAR!" ..... "MACDONALDS" ...... "PIZZA" ..... ooh boy .... it's going to be one of those days.
BTW .... I've had feedback about Kaylia's seemingly bad diet ..... it isn't as bad as it sounds .... all the healthy eating doesn't get much of a mention in the blog ... so it sounds as though she only eats poor food.  Not so.  Given the difficulty of persuading Kaylia to change a choice, we don't do too badly.  Our situation isn't like a normal family where a battle is waged and then the food choice decided ..... with Kaylia there is no battle because she refuses to enter discussions!  She is the proverbial rock .... she cannot be moved.  All we can do is the 'water tactic'  ..... the water washes round the rock and undermines it ... so the rock moves despite not engaging in discussion!

Bedtime:  Things have actually happened today!  Guys came and refitted the missing door .... the job is not completed but at least it closes.


Then Lanang came with an offsider and fitted the new pressure pump to the water supply.  Much better!  The bore pump now fills the overhead tank ... with an automatic start and stop .... and the supply from the tank to the taps / showers etc is boosted by a large pressure pump that delivers high volume with even pressure.



For tea tonight I went to a warung round the corner ... a local one - not one for the tourists.  Boy ... the food is much better than that served to the tourists.  Much more flavoursome.  I think the so called Indonesian food in the tourist restaurants is 'watered down' for the westerners.

#469 Thursday 29 December

Another waiting day ... the builder had said that his men would be here this morning to fit the door .... no men!
We had a meeting with the villa manager and interviewed a maid.  Putuh starts tomorrow.  We were able to assure ourselves of her English competence and understanding so we feel that we can see her being a long-term staff member.

I made good use of the rest of the waitng time ... fitted the carved braces to the entry door ... the door now works well and looks good.







I also found that the main entry gate had swollen and couldn't be opened ... so I fixed that .... and gave everything a coat of oil.
Meanwhile Kaylia, Kat and Naomi went off for a shopping run.  In the afternoon, Kaylia had a big swim. Naomi and I went down for tootie massage .... it is making a difference with my sore feet.  I also had a hand massage last night .... for the past year I've had nerve problems in my thumbs .... an after effect of the cortisone injection in the wrist.  (The needle had gone right through the nerves.)  After the hand massage, I'm almost free of the pain!  A big improvement.

Last night I gave Naomi a break from Kaylia so that Naomi could get a good night of sleep ..... it was a delight to wake before Kaylia and watch her slowly awaking.  At this time of the day she just glows with happiness at having her people with her.    All the readers with "Kaylia history" will know of Kaylia's delight at 'collecting her people'!

Now it's 5pm ... we've been down to Hardys for an icecream .... now we're pondering if we can summon the energy for 'makanan malam' .... maybe not.

Later:  No .... I didn't feel hungry but I did go for another session of foot and hand  massage ... gee it's good!

#468 Wednesday 28 December

She was up at 5am.  It's amazing how alike Kaylia and I are.  I wake at that time too but I have learned to rest .... she wants to be up and playing! .... or shower ..... or swimming.  The villa is good at these times .... I can take Kaylia into another room and her noise can't be heard in the next room so Naomi can continue to sleep.

This morning I am waiting.
The back door to BR3 (which had been removed 2 months ago because it had shrunk so much) has been returned.  .... but I don't know when the guys will come to fit it! So I have to wait in case.  They have also brought a replacement entry door (which has been promised for 9 months) but I now don't want the new door to be fitted.  It is the same design as the old door and so it will sag in the same way.  The design is bad.  Sure as eggs .... if I go out, the guys will come and start work on it!  If I stay home, they probably won't come!

This morning Kaylia made a mess in the pool ... so I assembled the pool vacuum .... and then I could not work out how to make the suction work!  The pool has an underground pump room with 5 different valves ... I tried all arrangements but nothing worked.  So we called the 'poolman' and I have photographed the settings!





Internet censorship is a real frustration here.  I was reading the news this morning and came accross an interesting item about an act of parliament in India... click on the link .... CENSORED!  Yesterday I was researching Kaylia's Lovan medication .... many of the links are censored ... I assume this is because it might be related to drugs!  I'm learning to be devious to try to get round the censored links.  I cannot even log on to my blog directly!  That's censored too!  It confirms the correctness of the protests in Australia when the government was trying to introduce censorship of the internet.  Censorship doesn't work .... or rather it works too well and has too many unintended restrictions.

Midday:  Another wasted wait!  The door guys won't be coming today ... maybe tomorrow.

Later: Naomi Kat & Kaylia had a good visit to the Big C (Centro in Kuta)   Kaylia is still battling her earache .... she is on antibiotics and painkillers so it should be better soon.  She has bouts of pain then we get it under control and she is happy again.  At present it's heading for bedtime ... she's listening to "On the Floor" (J-Lo) and "Move like Jagger"

#467 Tuesday 27 December

"The revenge of the mouse"  .... (remember yesterday's story of the fireworks?)
Last night I was fast asleep and at 1:40am, Naomi wakes me in high distress ..... MOUSE!!! .... (the rooms have sliding exterior doors and it is a simple matter for a small animal to slip through the gap!)  I spent a while checking all possible mouse hide-aways before Naomi could settle.  Of course by this time I was wide awake ... Kaylia wanting to cuddle (in her sleep) and I read the current book till 3am .... it's a very rivetting book about vampires and witches in modern day.

This morning? .... there was a big storm again last night and it poured.  It's still pouring at 8:30 and looks as though this will be an all day thing!
During the night there was an email from Tina .... much news from Germany .... and some interesting comments about our experience of this trip.  The time with Kaylia is indeed different to all the recent travels ... in a very good way

 10:00am .... it's off to the Big-H for donuts!
1pm ... no ... it was more swim .... then Pizza Hut. 












On the way we stopped at the apotek to collect the supply of Lovan for the last week of our stay.  (We can heave a sigh of relief now ... the thought of running out of Lovan is not a good thought.)

The storm during the night has shown that my attempt to seal the garage roof has not worked .... it still leaks.  I'm hoping that the builder may have some ideas when he visits tomorrow.

3:20pm. Wow .... I spoke too soon! Over the past 24 hours Kaylia has developed an earache .... we put her on all the right medicines in time but we've just had a torrid hour or so while we worked to get her pain under control. Her distress has a bad effect on our distress of course.

Bedtime
Tea was at Gardenia ... Kat and I both had Ayam Betutu ... yummy!

#466 Monday 26 December

It poured with rain last night .... so much that the dratted fireworks actually stopped! So we slept well.

Certain people were given permission to set off the two fireworks in their possession last night. It had been raining most of the day so Naomi figured nothing could catch fire. Well.... she got that wrong!

After the let down of the first firework failing to go off, the second went off with a bang (pardon the pun). It was at this point that I lost control and the stupid thing began firing off firework bullets in all directions. In the process it set one of the umbrellas alight in the house. I think we were very lucky and I won't be trying this exercise again in the near future...or at least until I find somewhere safer to fire them off. (Written by Naomi on behalf of Ian - hoping he's got fireworks out of his system).

Kaylia is in a strange mood .... she's moving from one room to another .... having a play session in each room in turn.  She has a botty rash again and as usual she won't let us put cream on to ease the pain.  She understands when we explain that the cream will stop the hurting .... but she won't put the cream on herself and she won't allow us to apply the cream.

On other health matters, I realised that at the increased Lovan usage rate, we will run out!  Catastrophe!  Fortunately a trip to the local Apotek has fixed the problem and we have a new supply coming.

While at the local 'western style' chemist, I saw a pair of 'therapy glasses' ... they are to train your eyes to see better.  They are amazing .... they have a "lens" that is solid with pinholes all over .... I can see clearly using them!  I have researched "The Bates Method" online and it seems to be a real thing!  Very interesting indeed.



Bedtime:  We've had a good afternoon ... a long car trip to Tanah Lot.  When I first saw Tanah Lot it was at a distance .... today we first went to the same place and then got "up close" .... wow ... what a place.




The roof of the resort is marvelous.  Common to much Balinese architecture .... the soaring open spaces and carved beams.

While walking back to the car, Kat noticed some fellow pilgrims taking a group photo .... and stepped in to help!  Satu, dua, tiga!






On the drive home we saw some beautiful glass work in a roadside shop.

When we we back at the villa, Naomi & I went out for tootie massage .... excruciating but good.

#465 Sunday 25 December

Happy Christmas to you!

This morning Kaylia is awake at about 5am .... it brings back memories of all the mornings when Maxine, Peter and I would wake very early on Christmas morning .... we were allowed to raid the Christmas stockings but not the presents. I don't think that Kaylia has any concept of it being a special day .... but I could be wrong! She has just gone next door to look at the bed on which we had wrapped the presents....




This is Kaylia with the gift she has 'latched on to'  .... it's a car race track with an elevator to lift the cars .... an it has the most noisy music to go with it!!  Ah well .... maybe it will soon break?

After swim time it was off for lunch at Bubba Gump in Kuta ... good food and atmosphere. Kat says the southern fried chicken is quite authentic.





Kuta is strangely quiet .... many shops shut.






At 5pm it is pouring with rain!  We won't be going anywhere for tea on Christmas Day!

Kaylia is very happy.  She spends a lot of time singing nursery rhymes.  A problem has arisen .... with the increased use of Lovan, the quantity I brought with us is not going to be enough.  It will be off to the apotek tomorrow to see what we can do.