#2242 Tuesday 5th December

 The year is flying by .... only 20 days to Christmas!  Kaylia's nightly talks revolve around end of year parties and the new calendars that January 1 will bring ..... and then her birthday on January 20 .... when she will be 20!

In a few days we will have a visit from Hannah and Callum and their two boys!  Hannah and Callum lived with us and helped to look after Kaylia from February to November in 2015 .... eight years ago!  How time flys. It will be really good to see them again. Callum helped with rebuilding the pathway at the side and several other projects.   At that time Kaylia was in her last year at South Ballajura Primary School.

No action on the Landrover since completing the refurbishment of the power steering.  Ho Hum!  It's now two years that have passed while I've been trying to get it registered for road use!

#2241 Tuesday 28th November

I had some excitement yesterday.... of a sort that was not pleasant.  I'd gone to a place to look at a trailer I wanted to buy. The place had a strong fence but the gate was wide open and the front door was open. I stood outside the gate and called out.  A large dog raced out and attacked me.  Fortunately I put my arm across my body and the dog bit my arm and not my face or throat.  The bite left 7 puncture wounds in my forearm.... which bled quite a lot.  The wounds are healing ok..... and yes, I did report the attack.

It was crazy for the dog to be running free! 

#2240 Sunday 26th November

Today has been a routine day..... breakfast at Dome followed by op shops.... at Balcatta this time.  It's been a very hot day so we stopped off for iced drinks.... and managed to spill them over the car floor!

I'm feeling zonked at the moment.  I think it's due to the thyroid hormone levels.  They have to be kept at a level that will prevent cancer cells developing..... but this makes me feel exhausted after a relatively low amount of exercise. 

#2239 Thursday 23rd November

Success at last!  I have defeated the beast.  This means that I have finally been able to get that darn thread started.... and so been able to complete the job.  The professionals would charge $600 for the remove/replace task.  I almost think it would have been worthwhile!  Its been physically hard work..... repeatedly getting down under the vehicle, then back on top again.  Leaning over the engine bay stretches the tendons in the back of my legs.....  I'm quite exhausted by the whole job.

The fires are bad at the moment.  I'm reminded of the days 1980 to 1988 when I was active in the fire brigade while living in Northcliffe. I had a couple years as the Fire Control Officer.  It was always very satisfying to go home after the fire was under control.... knowing that you had contributed to the good outcome.  It was the same with ambulance service.....  I had 15 years of that. 

#2238 Tuesday 21st November

You may know of my addiction/love of this place.....  this is where it all began!

#2237 Monday 20th November

 Monday is a "Curve Style" day for Kaylia .... working at her online business.

I've just come inside for some lunch and to have a break from a little job that is  taking w-a-ay too long.  The pipe connections at (1) in the diagram normally just screw in .... but this time the threads are refusing to engage and I have been trying for two hours!  It's the last connection and then I will be able to fill the system with fluid and bleed the system.  Finish!

#2236 Wednesday 15th November

 Kaylia is still in limbo at Workpower ....  the offer of a paid position is still being sorted.  "Paid" is a sort of fiction ..... the pay is $1.00 per week! But it means that she will have a regular routine and a meaningful activity.  It will be at a sheltered workshop where the workers do tasks such as packing bulk items into the small parcels needed for retail sales.  She will still have one on one assistance .... and she will be part of a group that gives her a social outlet.  It's a fair bit of travel though.  The workshop is in Malaga .... about 30-40 minutes drive each way.  In the morning, we take her from Darlington to the Midvale Workpower centre .... and then her carer will drive her from Midvale to Malaga.  The travel at  the end of the day is the reverse of this.

Progress report  on the Landrover .... I had to remove the power steering box so that it could be serviced to fix a bad oil leak.

This is the steering box that takes the driver's action on the steering wheel .... and turns it into left - right movement of the front wheels.

Point (10) is where the steering wheel moves ..... and point (20) at the bottom moves the front wheels.

It seems to be leaking at the point (9) and it leaked badly under pressure.  I removed the box a week ago and I will collect the repaired box tomorrow.  It was a physically hard job to remove the box and I have arranged for a fellow Landrover "nut" to come around to help me reinstall it.  It will be good to have this task completed as the vehicle can't be moved till it's all back together.

I hope that the process of getting it registered for road use will end at some point.  It feels never-ending!