Watcha' Doing - 2020 Showing 301-350 of 2,651

[Shirley]

Rusalka wrote: "So... today was a day. A huge storm warning came in at lunch time, so I went home to get the chooks, as I had let them out. Massive storm came through, it was actually really scary. Winds blowing t..."That's insane! Hope it cleaned the air though.

[Shirley]

Whatever works, Margo. Is it a cure or does it just treat the symptoms?

[Renee]

I may have asked this before. does the tar help the psoriatic arthritis as well?

[Margo]

No Renee, there are drugs for psoriatic arthritis that I'm told work very well.

Shirley, the drugs just work on the symptoms. The only two things that cure psoriasis , Dovonex (vit D derivative) and coal tar. The tar is very refined so it's almost colourless but I still destroyed 2 pairs of sheets and a duvet cover in 3 months! Also it stings like hell, so I decided to go the medication rout.

I've been taking the tablets for 3 months and my rash is still very soar and itchy so I thought they weren't working BUT the Doc was pleased. He has doubled the dose. Apparently he was titrating it up but didn't bother telling me LOL I can go as high as 50mg (stared in 10mg) but it works by drying out the skin so dry lips, eyes, nose etc etc. There is no predicting what a person can stand *sigh*

[Kristie, Moderator]

Just realized I missed a bunch of posts. The image of the kids playing with the koalas hanging out in nearby trees is so cute.

Wow, Rus! I'm so glad you went home during that storm. How scary. I can imagine that it does feel apocalyptic there. Those pictures are so different in two weeks and neither looks good.

Oh man, Margo... I hope they find something that works better for you. That sounds awful. Sometimes the side effects are worse than the original symptoms.

[Janice, Moderator]

The chooks saved you, Rusalka! That picture really shows how you went from one extreme to the other.

[Renee]

sadly the psoriatic drugs don't work as well as I would like. I am always looking for something more.

Margo wrote: "No Renee, there are drugs for psoriatic arthritis that I'm told work very well.

Shirley, the drugs just work on the symptoms. The only two things that cure psoriasis , Dovonex (vit D derivative) a..."

[Sandra, Moderator]

@Margo, I hope you feel better soon. Psoriasis is not fun.

@Rusalka, Oh my! I don't know what else to say... I hope Australia has a break soon... :/

[Peggy]

That sounds horrible Margo.

[Sarah]

Oh wow Rusalka. That is crazy. Your storm has been in my news feed a lot today. So pleased you had left the chooks out.

Fingers crossed with the change in direction Margo.

Back to work for me tomorrow!

[Esther]

OMG Rusalka!!!! This is insane.
Your chooks deserve a treat. Good you were home.

[Jayme, Moderator]

That is crazy Rusalka! You guys can't catch a break!

[Shirley]

Margo wrote: "No Renee, there are drugs for psoriatic arthritis that I'm told work very well.

Shirley, the drugs just work on the symptoms. The only two things that cure psoriasis , Dovonex (vit D derivative) a..."Finding the right fix, and the time it takes to work must be very frustrating. Feel for you.

[Shirley]

Sarah wrote: "Oh wow Rusalka. That is crazy. Your storm has been in my news feed a lot today. So pleased you had left the chooks out.

Fingers crossed with the change in direction Margo.

Back to work for me tom..."Happy work day Sarah

[Jannene]

Holy crap!! I guess it is a good thing you have chooks to rescue. Or did they rescue you? I wouldn’t want to be an insurance agent right now.

I guess the good thing is that it looks like air quality increased?? Plus you got precipitation. Not exactly the way you would want it. (This is where my friends would slap me aside the head and say, “it’s too soon for that positive crap.”

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Shirley wrote: "That's insane! Hope it cleaned the air though"

Hah! Yes, it's absolutely beautiful here now.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Margo, I am so sorry your skin has flared up again. Good luck with the doc. Hope they have some suggestions for you that work. Even if it's the goopy tar again.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Back to work for me tomorrow!"

Good luck! Hope it's a good day :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Yay for my very spoilt chooks! But to be fair, the golf ball sized hail predicted would have killed them. The cricket/baseball sized hail that hit some parts of Canberra have decimated birds and bats, as it shredded the trees. It's really sad.

Work's closed again as every building on campus has been affected. /sigh. They think over ten thousand cars have been smashed. My SIL was working a holiday program yesterday, and they had been out on an excursion, and the bus had just pulled up back at the School. She had 50 kids trapped on the bus completely freaking out. They had to get the kids all on one side of the bus that the hail wasn't coming at, and get them all sheltered. And the adults then just watched their cars in front of them get destroyed. The school had a skylight in every room, so they are now closed. So no work, no car, and 50 traumatised children.

I was just writing at least today is beautiful, and just got a notification of a grass fire nearby. This is getting ridiculous.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Jannene wrote: "I guess the good thing is that it looks like air quality increased?? Plus you got precipitation. Not exactly the way you would want it. (This is where my friends would slap me aside the head and say, “it’s too soon for that positive crap.”"

Lol Never!

[Shirley]

Rusalka wrote: "Yay for my very spoilt chooks! But to be fair, the golf ball sized hail predicted would have killed them. The cricket/baseball sized hail that hit some parts of Canberra have decimated birds and ba..."
And I’ve heard they called a State of Catastrophe. What the hell is that?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

It means the insurance companies will process the claims quicker. Apparently.

Our EA, the one who I was parked next to, posted a picture of her wait time to talk to the NRMA (for non-aussies, each state has a major roadside assistance provider, and they also are major insurance agencies. NRMA is my one). It was 7897 mins.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Fire is out. But now we have strong, highly damaging winds forecast.

[Margo]

Rusalka wrote: "Fire is out. But now we have strong, highly damaging winds forecast."

Unbelievable! There's no no end to this. Stay safe Rus, Shirley and and anyone else who may be affected.

[Margo]

Renee wrote: "sadly the psoriatic drugs don't work as well as I would like. I am always looking for something more.

Margo wrote: "No Renee, there are drugs for psoriatic arthritis that I'm told work very well.
..."

Oh Renee, I didn't you were a sufferer. I don't know much about the condition but I believe it's nasty. My pain doctor wants to me to get tested for it. He's the one that was telling me about this new drug.

Have you known you've had it for long?

[Grainne]

Rusalka, those pictures from Australia are extreme opposites. Those hail stones are huge! I hope things get better there. We rely on the weather so much.

Margo, I hope your psoriasis is healing so that you can manage it better.

[Margo]

Thanks Grainne. I've started the higher dose today so fingers crossed ☺

[Kristie, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Fire is out. But now we have strong, highly damaging winds forecast."

Wow... you guys are just running the gamut, aren't you? I think the universe took the rhetorical question of what else could happen to Australia much too literally.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Locusts. And a plague of toads. That's where I'm at, at the moment.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "Thanks Grainne. I've started the higher dose today so fingers crossed ☺"

Hope it helps!!!

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Locusts. And a plague of toads. That's where I'm at, at the moment."

I want to chuckle at that, but at this point, anything could happen.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Please chuckle! We are! :D

I'll let you know if a locust plague comes through (at least they are edible and tasty, but not much for them to eat at the moment) or if cane toads move south ;)

[Janice, Moderator]

Tasty? Ick! I'll take your word for it.

[Grainne]

Margo wrote: "Thanks Grainne. I've started the higher dose today so fingers crossed ☺"

I hope that it does the trick.

[Grainne]

Janice wrote: "Tasty? Ick! I'll take your word for it."

Crunchy maybe? Tasty?! I don't know about that maybe if washed down with a nice red or white.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Yeah... I’ll have to take your word for it on the tastiness of locusts too. Lol

[Renee]

I have had psoriatic arthritis as long as I can remember. It has caused my hands to become a bit deformed. I like to say that's why my typing is so bad. Its not I just cant type. It took them a long time to decide if it was my lupus or something else. Lupus has arthritic symptoms also.

Margo wrote: "Renee wrote: "sadly the psoriatic drugs don't work as well as I would like. I am always looking for something more.

Margo wrote: "No Renee, there are drugs for psoriatic arthritis that I'm told wo..."

[Saar The Book owl]

This is some very extreme weather, Rusalka! I hope it calms down soon. It has been enough.

[Margo]

Renee wrote: "I have had psoriatic arthritis as long as I can remember. It has caused my hands to become a bit deformed. I like to say that's why my typing is so bad. Its not I just cant type. It took them a lon..."

You really have been, and are still going, through the wars Renee. Do you get psoriasis as well? I understand there are some people who don't.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

You guys have never had stir fried crickets? A lot of Thai restaurants have them as entrees (starters) here. Crunchy, oily, salty, and pretty much like prawn tails or legs. Really yum. Insects are going to be what keeps us all going in the future, I'm all for giving it a go. Indigenous Australians use ants a lot in their bush food, which is becoming more common a seasoning here in Aus and are also delicious.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Renee wrote: "I have had psoriatic arthritis as long as I can remember. It has caused my hands to become a bit deformed. I like to say that's why my typing is so bad. Its not I just cant type. It took them a lon..."

I had no idea that was a thing, Renee. I guess it makes sense if my reasoning is sound, psoriasis is auto-immune, as is arthritis, so you are more likely to get one if you have another (along with other autoimmune diseases like asthma, eczema, hayfever, diabetes, food allergies, etc). But sounds very painful and frustrating when people can't work it out.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Update. High winds are forecast through tomorrow so severe fire risk. Work reopens tomorrow, except for half my Faculty's buildings which are badly damaged (except the one my office is in).

Get's to 5.05pm today and my phone goes off. There is a fire in the paddock next to Lexx's work. Text him and let him know. 5 mins later, another alert. It's at Watch and Act level (yellow). Text him, get one back saying "yeah there is lots of smoke". 10 mins later, another alert. It's at Emergency level (red) and people are being told to get out now as it starts bearing down on houses. Lexx gets out and comes home while I am freaking out (didn't tell me) - although I knew it was going the other way, but the wind is supposed to change today, and with those gusts the fire went from started to emergency in 20 mins.

Fire bearing down on 4 suburbs. Just as it jumps the road into the suburbs, they contained it as it was jumping the road. No houses lost, it's back to Advice level. But most of Canberra is dealing with ice damage to their cars, and now we are on fire.

I will be so surprised if I make it out of the next few months with all my nerves in tact. This is far too much excitement for me.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Over 10 000 insurance claims from the hail the other day. Two thirds were for cars. And our tenant's car for example isn't comprehensively insured, so I would guess another 5 000 cars are probably in that boat. My work is offering free transport to all staff and students who have lost cars that were parked on campus, just as people can't get around otherwise.

[Margo]

It's good when work places put sensible ideas in place business continue as usual. I'd imagine it would better to go to work than to stay home worrying but I'm sure that's not why they're doing it LOL

So your home is safe at the moment Rus?

[Grainne]

Rusalka wrote: "Update. High winds are forecast through tomorrow so severe fire risk. Work reopens tomorrow, except for half my Faculty's buildings which are badly damaged (except the one my office is in).

Get's..."

Take care Rusalka. I'll keep you in my thoughts and I just hope that the weather isn't as bad as it's predicted to be and that the winds ease. Stay hopeful and know that you and your house and your family and chooks have made it this far.

Trust your instincts like you did with the chooks. Crafty or arty stuff always help me to relax.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "You guys have never had stir fried crickets? A lot of Thai restaurants have them as entrees (starters) here. Crunchy, oily, salty, and pretty much like prawn tails or legs. Really yum. Insects are ..."

I never had crickets or ants or prawn legs. I don't care for prawn, so I've never even eaten a whole tail. I don't think I've ever intentionally eaten an insect and I don't eat shellfish. I already know that if the world was reduced to scavenging for food I would probably be one of the first to die.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Update. High winds are forecast through tomorrow so severe fire risk. Work reopens tomorrow, except for half my Faculty's buildings which are badly damaged (except the one my office is in).

Get's..."

Oh no... you guys really need a break and some time to decompress. This constant fear and weather must be wreaking havoc on everyone's nerves.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Kristie wrote: "I already know that if the world was reduced to scavenging for food I would probably be one of the first to die."

Next to me...

[Renee]

Yes I get the patches on my upper legs and head. I find the head to be the most embarrassing because it looks like dandruff. I wear a lot of scarfs. I am waiting to get some tar from the internet. It sounds like it works well for you.

Margo wrote: "Renee wrote: "I have had psoriatic arthritis as long as I can remember. It has caused my hands to become a bit deformed. I like to say that's why my typing is so bad. Its not I just cant type. It t..."

[Renee]

I think crickets sound yummy. I had one once inside a lollypop. I am not sure whether the cricket or the candy made It taste good.