Just getting by.......

Started by kombi1976, August 24, 2011, 10:49:47 PM

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kombi1976

Ever had one of those weeks? They start out well enough but, like a 14 yr old boy in a crowded place with a stink bomb, it inevitably tends to creep up on you when you least expect it.
 
Monday was good. I managed to organise a 7mm bbl and other parts for my Turk 03/38 action as you would know if you'd been reading the thread in the Firearms & Optics forum.
 
Tuesday seemed ok to as, for the first time in months, I rode my pushbike to work which meant I was on time and in a good mood for the day. I did have a bit of a sensation of burning in my throat and lungs but I put that down to poor fitness and exertion. The rest of the day went well until about 5pm.
 
At that point my youngest son Alex(2) was knocked over on the trampoline by my eldest son Bryn(7) for about the millionth time(they do insist on being on there together!). Problem was, his reaction was pretty extreme. He couldn't walk or put weight on his right leg. I found it hard to think he was badly injured because he's always been ok before when he was knocked over on the trampoline. Sounding ominous, right? He sat on my wife's lap for a little while but was clearly in alot of pain so I told her to take him to the hospital.
 
It transpired, after a few hours, that Alex had broken his right leg just below the knee. In that time however Tia, our 3 mth old daughter, had woken up and was not going back to sleep without a feed from her mother. More to the point, Alex was on pain meds and had to stay in hospital overnight. My wife couldn't stay there because she couldn't take the baby into the hospital. So I rang work to say I'd be away and then called a friend who looked after the kids while I nicked up to the hospital (thankfully just around the corner) with the necessary kit to replace the missus in Alex-tending duty and stay the night.
 
Around midnight we were finally admitted to paediatrics and spent the night in a big playroom because all the wards were full of kids with gastro and bronchial problems. That was actually a blessing. I didn't want Alex, who already had a cold, to be inflicted with those complaints as well his fracture. He did his best but periodically he had muscle spasms and the pain woke him up. I was sleeping on a couch next to him and got no more than 15 mins at a time before he woke up wailing. When the morning came he cheered up and watched some Wiggles DVDs and even had something to eat. Thankfully they discharged us around 10:15am and we headed home.
 
My other revelation for the night was that Alex had given me his cold, in the form of sinus and a sore throat. So I felt horrible and was absolutely wasted. However waiting at home hanging in the garage was a leg from a Rusa doe that my mate Drew had taken last Sunday. I should've skinned, boned and cut it up on the night before but Alex's accident had blown that. So I had to deal with it that afternoon. I also had a leg of fallow venison that had to be seasoned for dinner that night. Drew and I were due to go out to the historic house and cull some bunnies and he was coming for dinner before hand. I'd promised him roast venison so it had to be done too. I was going to ring Drew and call it all off but the missus said "No, you need to get out."
 
So the fallow leg went into an oven bag as well as 4 large diced cloves of garlic and generous amounts of rosemary, pepper, oil and red wine and then into the fridge. Then I systematically severed the skin and then over 6kg of Rusa venison from the leg, cutting it into steaks, diced meat and a small 1kg roast. That took me the best part of 2.5 hrs. Working on sleep deprivation I'm lucking I didn't cut my hand off!
 
The roast went into the oven around 5pm to be followed by potatoes an hour later and when Drew turned up at 6:45 I steamed some vegies too. At around 7:15pm the meat came out and I started carving. First I served for my 4 boys, then for the adults. When I finally got to the table my 2 eldest sons were already finished and both had seconds before I got to sit down! Drew meanwhile was hoeing into his meal with audible delight. And no wonder. The venison can only be described as spectacular. After an afternoon half awake wrestling with a leg of Rusa it was evidence that the effort was worth it.
 
So, at my wife's encouragement, despite the insanity still going on with the kids, Drew and I departed for the historic house at 9pm. For a full report see the Aussie Outdoors forum.
http://thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?p=115084#post115084
It was a satisfactory shoot i.e. bunnies died, but my rifle magazine has gone AWOL somewhere in the house and I wasn't in the zone. Small wonder really. We returned via McDonalds where we'd picked up a sundae and apple pie for my wife....a treat she really needed. Tia had only just gone to sleep and Alex, who'd been inserted in his bed when I left, had suffered the same spasms and his crying had kept his brother awake. So he was sitting on the lounge watching TV, falling asleep, spasming awake and crying, watching TV, and so on and so forth. Finally he fell asleep on her lap and was put into bed but we were wasted. I rang work and said I'd be absent for the second day.
 
Thankfully I wasn't up until 10:30am today and we've had a slow day. My bbl and parts turned up too. More about that in the thread.
http://thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15794
 
The next week looks interesting. Tomorrow night I'm off shooting at the Vineyard with Drew as the rabbits are going nuts there. Perfect for his BRNO Hornet and my Martini 25-20. Alex has a half cast at the moment to let the swelling go down and needs to go to the physio on Monday to get a full fibreglass cast. He also needs to see the surgeon on Friday to check him.
 
I can't really whinge. The stuff I've wanted to go well - the venison meal, shooting at the house, rifle parts - has all gone off brilliantly. But Alex's fracture, the general craziness at home and this cold....I could really have done without it. I'm back to work tomorrow.
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


Jamie.270

Chin up mate.  grin and bear it, yadda yadda.
Sorry to hear about the li'l guy, what a bummer!
At least you're having some success at the moment.

As for the cold, remember the rule.
If you take something for it, you'll be over it in 14 days.  If you don't, it will take two whole weeks! :D
QuoteRestrictive gun laws that leave good people helpless, don\'t have the power to render bad people harmless.

To believe otherwise is folly. --  Me

kombi1976

Thanks mate.
I'll let you know how tomorrow's vinyard shoot goes.
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


drinksgin (deceased)

I have always been surprised that any school teacher ever lived long enough to retire, they are exposed to more nasty diseases than a handful of doctors and nurses.
I shudder just thinking of the little varmits sneezing , coughing and throwing up on the teachers.
NRA life, TSRA life, SAF life, GOA, CCRKBA, DEF -CON

kombi1976

The first year of teaching is pretty bad for illness but my kids are more responsible for giving me colds than my students.
Plus, Alex just loves to cough right in my face. :undecided:
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


gitano

I hope Alex's leg wasn't broken at the growth plate. Otherwise, at 2 years old, he will have forgotten it in about 6 months, and be back on the trampoline.

One's own kids are the worst disease vectors, but they get the diseases from all of their friends at school and bring them home for the parents and siblings. The good news is that by about 10 years old, they're over most of it, and so thereby are the parents.

Kinda wishing I could have taken you up on your venison offer. :cry:

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

kombi1976

Nah, it wasn't on the growth plate. I would've been told about it if it was. It's only a crack, not a huge fracture and it should heal well. He just needs to stay off it. And I reckon it'll be more like 6 weeks when he wants to be back on the trampoline.
 
Oh, the kids are the worst for giving me colds and stuff. Fortunately I'm not prone to gastro bugs or else I'd catch those too. And even after 10yrs old you still go down to those.
 
I have to say you really missed out.....not that I'm rubbing your nose in it. And the shanks literally fell off the bone. They tasted amazing with plenty of gravy and mint sauce although even without the meat was so succulent. The secret seems to be oven bags although I think covering it in aluminium foil would be similarly effective in keeping the moisture in.
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


davidlt89

QuoteI reckon it'll be more like 6 weeks when he wants to be back on the trampoline.
it will take that to heal! Good to hear it was not on the epiphyseal plate, that would not be good. sounds like your making the best out of everything Andy! Glad to see your wife encouraging you to get out, she is a good woman! God bless.
Romans 12:2
     
2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

kombi1976

Yes, my wife is an excellent woman. She enouraged me to take Drew out to hunt at the vineyard last night as well. There's a report in the Aussie Outdoors forum about it.
BTW, the missus told me Alex was motioning toward the trampoline when she carried him outside. 6 months......yeah, right. More like 6 hours!
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


gitano

I wasn't quite clear with my "6-month" comment:
Quotehe will have forgotten it in about 6 months,

My point was that in six months he will have completely forgotten that he broke his leg. I"m pretty sure he hasn't yet forgotten that his leg is broken.

Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

kombi1976

Ahhh, I understand now. However I'm not sure he hasn't half forgotten already. He's carrying on like a right turkey and seems more upset by the impediment his cast is making than any pain. He gets the proper fibreglass cast on Moday and that should be better but he's being a right pain at present. No sooner do you put him in one spot he wants to be in another and he whinges constantly. Oh, and he's deliberately doing stuff he knows he shouldn't be and when you eyeball him he smiles at you and does it again. :mad:
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


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