Keeping up with the happenings

With the rain showers coming and going almost every day, it's been hard to get all the outside chores completed in a timely manner.
Ended up having the McArthur palms cut right down, since they were obstructing the view to the harbour and the cruise ships.

   Stumps are all that's left of the majestic McArthur palms.

 I was sorry to see them go but they were really too tall. Guess I won't be seeing the Scaly-Naped pigeons in my garden any longer.

Our garbage day now seems to be more Friday than Thursday....no sense calling to check, because I'm not sure if they're sure either....the last time I checked in with them, I hung up still not knowing. To be on the safe side, I've been putting my garbage out on Wednesdays.

Last Sunday night, just as I was about to settle down for an evening of tv viewing.....Whoopseemama!  An island-wide power cut.  It had been such a LONNNG time since we had an interruption in power that I had to search for some battery operated lanterns that were hiding at the back of a cupboard.
For two hours I sat outside on the patio enjoying the evening ambiance while the island was plunged into darkness. From my vantage point, it was a total blackout, with the exception of the hospital, the Hilton hotel and the harbour and various homes that have their own standby generators.

During the week, I found myself attending to more necessary appointments. I had already paid a visit to my dentist last week to have a much needed filling taken care of.
I'm going to have to get a loan from the bank the next time I make an appointment....boy prices have risen!
Early in the week I paid my doctor a visit to get my blood test results, but to no avail. Seems like the lab took such a long time to get around to the samples that they were dumped.
This kind of crapola only happens at the hospital lab, not at the other privatized labs on the island.
Another trip back on Friday morning to have fresh blood samples taken after a night of fasting.  My doctor took care of the procedure herself.   I sat with my face turned away to the wall while she chatted away. As soon as it was all over, I drank a small pack of fruit juice, since I'm slightly anemic and faint quite easily when I lose blood.  Let's see what happens with my blood tests this time around.

I have been reading more......(one of my new year's resolutions).

Lots of large print edition books.

Wednesday afternoon was hard for me, since I attended the funeral of yet another one of my dear "Mums."  Giving thanks for the time she spent with us, and realizing yet again that she was really gone, made me cry all over again, even though it was a beautiful and uplifting service.

With daughter dear away now quite regularly, I didn't really have the urge to cook any large meals. However, I did make a lovely fish sauce with chunky tomatoes, spinach and butter beans....delish!

Enjoyed it with spaghetti pasta.

I also baked a pineapple cake.

Very scrumptious......I had to freeze a few slices, if not you know what...........

One night Daughter dear did come home excitedly, asking me if I wanted some monopoly money?

What? I asked. Did you say Monopoly money?

Yes, she replied, have a look at our new money.

The Barbados Central Bank has issued new notes in denominations of $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.
For the first time in 40 years, new redesigned notes were launched on May 2, 2013.
They have been designed to help the visually impaired with tactile marks. They also include new security features to make them more difficult for counterfeiters to copy. To read more see here and here.

When I went shopping in the supermarket, it took three security/detection money machines to authenticate  the new note.....hahaha. 

My girlfriend returned from her travels, and brought  Brownie's treats, and other goodies back with her ....boy oh boy you know who was a happy camper. They're not sold here on the island, so I had to order them online.

He's not too thrilled about the "Senior" label, but is enjoying them nonetheless.

Still working on the bat problem....it's a slow process but I will get there in the end.

Next, my old faithful tv in the living room went bum.  Not sure if it can be revived yet again.

"Stand back! Clear! Nada! Pump it up to 300! Stand back! Clear!  Up to 400! Stand back! Clear! No response! Oh dear, call it.......time of death Monday June 17, 2013."

Maybe it's time for one of the new fandangled models after all.

So how was your week? 

Update: The technician came by, and hit the Power button on the tv, and the tv came on as if I had been lying about it being broken, and it's been working perfectly ever since......what are the odds?