Don't you want my money?

I wear my hair in a ponytail or in a chignon. If left unrestrained it decides to cosplay as Medusa. So I decided to bite the bullet and have it cut. I tend to second guess myself if I have to make bookings too far in the future, hence the head of snakes.

Fortunately the hair salon of my choice has online booking. It means I know when they have available slots so don't have to play the stupid battleship game of them saying 'when do you want to come in?" I suggest a time and they say "Miss".

I went on the site and lo they had an appointment or 3 available the next day(today). Great I booked. I got an email to say they'd received my booking and would get back to me to confirm. I'd booked for 12:30 so there was plenty of time to confirm.

So we get to 11:30 today and no email no phone call. Hmm. So I get myself sorted. You can't go to a hair salon unprepared. The lights alone turn an unmade up patron into a crone. So we get to 12:10. I must leave now if I am to make it. Off I drive armed with my hoped for hair do photo.

At 12:27 I park outside the salon. For the last time I check my email but surely if there had been a problem they would have rung me. Gadzooks! At 12:12 an email was sent saying they could not fit me in and suggesting rebooking. WTF! So I replied that I may rebook but I thought advising me by email at 12:12 was a little on the late side.

I have not as yet rebooked. I am waiting to see if they reply. After all there are hundreds of salons to choose from, all happy to take my money. On the other hand I have 101 hair ties and enough hairpins to build a death robot so I could always keep my money. We shall see.



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More drugs to make me rattle

It was neurologist check up day today. I saw my relief neuro and it went reasonably well. I continue on pretty much as I always have but my shakes seemed to have increased over the last fortnight. My legs start to get really restless and my arms get the mad desire to wave around. Not a good look!

So he had nothing to help with my swallowing - no surprise there. He thought my Baclofen dose was high but if I don't take it I shake and grind my teeth like someone demented! The hip surgery has made my leg stronger apparently. Pity it still hurts if I walk too far (as in further than car to store).

He has recommended an ECG to check out my spasmy actions are not seizures - cos I need another health issue! I've also been prescribed Clonazepam to see if it helps. Despite it being a benzo I have high hopes as it seems to cover a lot of my problems in one - spasms, bruxism (tooth grinding), anxiety. I'll try it tonight and we'll see what happens.

So my current regime is:
Morning
2 Baclofen tabs
1 Ferrograd tab because my swallowing difficulties means I don't get a lot of iron and I lost a lot of blood in the hip surgery and off course the amount of marrow in that particular long bone is greatly reduced due to the titanium stake in it's heart.
Loxalate for anxiety - I was worrying about things that hadn't even happened!
Occasionally Oxybutynin for overactive bladder.

Evening
4 Baclofen
0.5mg Clonazepam
Occasional Oxybutynin
Occasional 1/2 a zopiclone when I haven't slept properly for more than 3 days. Hopefully the Clonazepam will put an end to needing that.

Add to that Brufen, maxigesic and Panadol as needed and it all adds up to a lot of rattling!


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This year's Christmas Cake

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK CHRISTMAS CAKE
Chef: Mary Browne as heard on This Way Up Saturday 17 December 2011
Tags: Christmas, condensed milk, christmas cake
Adapted from the 'Sweetened Condensed Milk Christmas Cake', contributed by Mary Browne to New Zealand Guild of Food Writers' The Cookbook (2000). This recipe was an updated and metricated version of a popular Christmas cake of the early 1970s. Mary revised it from a hand-written version, found in a coverless cookbook from Oamaru, to satisfy the many requests for the recipe from family and friends who appreciated the 'quick-mix' method and the cake's excellent flavour and moist texture.
Mary's youngest daughter makes at least three before Christmas each year because her husband loves rich fruitcakes and each one disappears before the official celebrations begin. As a result time runs out for icing and decorations.
Ingredients
125 g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 x 400 g can sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon lemon essence
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
1.2 kg mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup rum, sherry or port, plus extra 2 tablespoons to pour over cake when cooked
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup milk
350 g bread flour
Method
Line the base and sides of a 20 cm-square or 22 cm-round cake pan with a layer of brown paper followed by a layer of non-stick baking paper. Preheat the oven to 130˚C with a shelf in the middle or just below.
Choose a large-enough saucepan to hold all the ingredients for the final mixing. In it, melt the butter, golden syrup and sweetened condensed milk over gentle heat, stirring constantly until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs with the essences until light-coloured and thick.
Place the dried fruit in a bowl and add the 1/4 cup of rum, sherry or port. Stir to mix thoroughly. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk. Sift the flour.
Fold the eggs and essences into the mixture in the saucepan. Add half the fruit and half the flour. Mix gently. Add the remaining fruit and flour. Add the milk mixture. Stir gently until thoroughly combined.
Spoon into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake at 130˚C for 3–3 1/2 hours. (See hint below on how to test when a cake is cooked.)
After baking, sprinkle with the extra measure of rum, sherry or port. Cover loosely with foil and leave to cool completely before turning out. Wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an airtight cake container or wrap in foil.

This is a seriously moist and delicious Christmas cake


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