Bloo's Self Reliance

It’s been a balanced weekend.

We rested when we needed to. Ate what we wanted. Did some work. Played games together and tonight neither of us really want much to eat.

Being Sunday we always try to have a decent meal but the way things have been neither of us really want to cook. I needed something to take my meds with so crackers, some cheese and a jar of pickle with a spoon is just perfect while catching up on some chilled YT videos.

A quiet, simple, chilled weekend getting the basic jobs done and a bit more packing whilst also getting much needed rest from the week before ready for the week ahead is really all anyone can ask for.

For me balance is everything right now and taking time away from the chaos of everything and letting my body rest when it wants to is key to me being able to actually making it to my goals.

Tomorrow I hit the ground running again and Tanny is back at work so we’ll be both back to it but for now appreciating the quiet moments and allowing our bodies to lead the way has been such an important part of the process.

5 days ago | [YT] | 15

Bloo's Self Reliance

It’s been really tough trying to get packing done with my leg in as bad shape as it is but today Tanny helped me knock out another 4 boxes.

We got through the infamous box 18 which we’ve been working around for 2 weeks as I couldn’t pack more into it due to it being on a chair and me unable to lift it down. Today though it was finished.

I managed to get box 32 done myself yesterday but needed Tanny’s help to finish it off and seal it.

Once we knocked out boxes 33 and 34. We successfully finished packing all the art books from the office, the Devon pottery ware from the dresser, the last of my clothes from the dresser I’m not taking in my case and most of my off cut fabric box.

We even started taking stuff from the kitchen. My veg prep caddy, some metal food prep containers and my scales. Yah know the fancy yellow ones.

I know 4 boxes doesn’t sound like a lot but not being able to sit with my leg bent for too long makes progress slow, however another 4 boxes is another 4 boxes.

Tomorrow he plans for us to knock out a bunch more starting with my esoteric books and tarot card collection. With more stuff from the main kitchen equipment shelves and the last of my clothes that need to be packed up that aren’t going in the case with me.

Doing the boxes in a mixed way has meant that no one box is so heavy it can’t be managed safely at the other end. Which is really important since I only have an hour to decant the box once it arrives.

I only have 3 weeks more before it all gets picked up so I really do need to get a wriggle on now.

It’s definitely getting there though and as the clock ticks by the big day is coming and I can’t wait!

6 days ago | [YT] | 2

Bloo's Self Reliance

Not gonna lie with everything that’s been going on cooking has not been top of my list the last few weeks and we’ve literally been living off sandwiches, frozen prepared foods and takeout.

Today though Tanny is home so we worked together, I prepped the bacon, onions, cracked the eggs and grated the cheese and he sauted the bacon and onion and mixed the eggs and put it all together, popped it all in the oven and served it up.

Frittata is a very easy, budget friendly, high protein meal that will keep us going for the whole weekend for a fraction of the cost of takeaway that ultimately will let us down.

#budgetfriendly #cheeseygoodness #frittata #bacon

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1 week ago | [YT] | 16

Bloo's Self Reliance

Sooooo yesterday I took a major tumble on my way in the front door from an appointment with orthotics and tripped over the packing boxes and landed in a very not fun or elegant way on the floor.

30 minutes later I made it to the bedroom while my left leg felt like it was being torn apart from the inside out and from there it took 7 hours for an ambulance to get me to the hospital.

Once at the hospital it then took 3 hours to get seen by triage and another hour to be seen by the doctor. Doctor organised an xray with promises to be able to other scans afterwards. It took another hour to get the X-rays. At this point it’s 3am and I’d been awake for 28hours.

The whole time I told them I don’t have anything broken it’s all tendons and ligaments so need a CT or ultrasound sound or MRI as they wouldn’t see anything on the xray. I was ignored. I mean what do I know right I just live in my body.

At the end of it I was sitting in the waiting room waiting to see the doctor again and at the very least get some kind of ankle support and yet… in the words of the doctor who thought no one was listening “they weren’t going to waste hospital resources on that.”
Little did the doctor know I was on a call at the time and they heard everything. Along with the refusal to let me see my X-rays, have a copy of the letter to my GP.

Then left in the waiting room unable to walk and unable to get the attention of a nurse or anyone for yet another hour to help me get to a taxi pick up point.

Thankfully I keep a fully stocked first aid kit Tanny this evening wrapped my ankle with a medium dressing bandage to give the ankle some support.

It’s not pretty buts it’s working and for the first time since midday yesterday my ankle feels like it’s not being ripped off my leg.

A couple of day of resting it should help but seriously I am so done with being treated like I don’t matter and only worth less than half the effort by the medical services here in York. It’s genuinely ridiculous and bluddy dangerous.

All good though only 6 more weeks and I’m back in Oz getting the help I need and deserve.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 8

Bloo's Self Reliance

I’m not gonna lie my knee is totally fooked and demanding I stay off it.

This is making packing incredibly slow and I’m starting to be concerned that I won’t get it done in time. No before you ask Tanny can’t help more as his work keeps pulling him in on his days off and when he does finally get a day off he’s so damn exhausted he sleeps most of the day and honestly I do too.

I’m not saying I don’t appreciate the help I’ve had because honestly I wouldn’t be where I’m at if I hadn’t had it but I am properly struggling now and growing increasingly concerned I won’t get it done.

It’s a downer today I know and tomorrow I may feel better but chronic injury and pain doesn’t help a huge job get done and my brain is now looking at it all thinking what the hell are you doing? Let’s just fook it all off and start again.

The thought is tempting and in some regards I am doing so but I have spent a lot of time and money putting together an off grid living start up kit that includes manual kitchen equipment, crafting tools and materials and actual books, DVDs and music that it would cost me more to replace than it would to ship.

I know I will get it done but it is a very hard slog mostly due to written a complete and full inventory of every item in the boxes. It slows things down but it also means I will want a week to fill in the online versions from the written ones sooooo I now have 4 weeks to get it all done and a week on top to get the inventory completed.

I’ll get there … today is just not the day.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 17

Bloo's Self Reliance

It’s been a while but I’m back to it.

Clearing out the electrical kitchen equipment shelves and jars to bring it down and ready to become another wall of box.

Baby steps but it’s actually starting to start looking like it’s getting there.

The pick up has been put back 2 weeks due to the time my passport will take to get here so that’s something.

Box by box. Day by day it’ll all get done.

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Bloo's Self Reliance

Another day another box. Finally working on box 19 and yes I’m actually sitting in my couch because we found it!!!

At box 19 we are down to the second to last box in the first pack. In this one I am starting to pack up the doom mountain which is also known as the coffee table.

It looks like it may take around a 1 1/2 boxes to get it done but that’s ok. It’ll be done and hopefully the big bookcase and tv unit can be brought down this weekend or early next week.

It’ll feels good to be getting somewhere and reaching the first goal. Sure slower than I’d hoped but it’s still getting done.

Of course finding out the 17 minute call I made to speak to a human being at the Australian high commission cost me £85 didn’t exactly fill me with the joys of spring but it is what it is I guess a fight to fight for another day.

Anywho I’m off to watch The Librarians and finish off this box and start again tomorrow.

1 month ago | [YT] | 9

Bloo's Self Reliance

I know I haven’t done an update for a couple of days but I have been working off an endo flare that floored me.

Today though I moved all the stuff that’s been blocking the living room so Tanny can move the boxes somewhere else so we can have a couch again. For now that’s enough.

I also have decided on 3 of the 5 books I am taking with me in my hand luggage. The Bitterbynde Trilogy of books came to my attention back in 2009 which was a very very dark year for me. The Ill Made Mute I found in a charity shop in Milton Keynes for £1 and I sat away in my room and read it 4 times in a row!

Our hero in the book is a woman who wakes up severely scared with no memory of who she is, her life and mute. The whole book is about her adventure to find someone who can help her find herself again.

At a time I felt invisible, I had no direction, had lost everything and felt my voice may as well be non existent this book represented me.

I have often thought of looking for the others because I’ve wanted to know the rest of the story but any time I found the books I either didn’t have any money or they were extortionately expensive. I figured though now was about the right time to find the others so she can continue her journey. Not unlike me.

I looked on Amazon and they were around £50-£60 each and I wasn’t willing to pay that. So I went to awesomebooks.com and they had them for £3.61 for the second one and £4.63 for the third one and I figured that was acceptable.

Here they are. I can’t wait to see how her story progresses and what adventures await her. I feel like this is the right time to continue her story as I continue mine. I’m really excited to see what happens next and I’m trying really hard not to read them now!

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1 month ago | [YT] | 11

Bloo's Self Reliance

Today is Tuesday and I had a loverly fella turn up from the shipping company to bring me the starter kit which is packed in a white box which apparently is meant for shoes.

I think customs are going to be very disappointed in finding only my spare boots which are still brand new and never worn in the box. I’m ok with it though. I was never an Imelda Marcos unlike my ex husband.

I also received a call from the Hugh Commission passport office saying that I didn’t need to send them half my life just the pictures and form and could I please print off another form so I could put the correct date where I signed it… apparently I put my date of birth instead of the days date.

So everything is coming back and all I need to do is send it back resigned (keeping my signature in the white box and dated with the days date and NOT my bluddy birthday… well I guess I can manage that.

Meanwhile today I’ve been taking pain meds and not feeling able to start packing boxes due to it being a bitty day. Having the oh so wonderful time blindness as part of ADHD i tend to not be able to start stuff if I know I’m going to be distracted and have to stop half way through.

So today I decided to make dinner for us for the next few days instead. Not gonna lie I’ve been really unable to cook while packing as I have to pick my tasks. Packing has taken priority.

Today though was the perfect day to make food we can scoop and go for the next few days.

I used 2 packs of premade fresh tortellini
6 slices of bacon from 2 different packs floating around the fridge
1 punnet of mushrooms sliced
6 small red onions sliced
1 jar of homemade condensed chicken soup
1 jar of homemade roasted tomato and basil soup/sauce
1 jar of water
1 cup cream cheese

I sliced and diced the onions, bacon and mushrooms and sauted them off
Added the liquids.
Add the cream cheese
Added in the tortellini and turned the Ninja 8-1 on braise for an hour
Perfectly cooked at this point but since Tanny isn’t home for an hour I put it on to warm until he’s home.

Perfect for a cozy movie night or quick dinner or convenience grab and go meals during busy weeks.

Tomorrow it’s back to packing

1 month ago | [YT] | 6

Bloo's Self Reliance

Today was a big information day and a day of decisions and from this point onwards there is no turning back!

The shipping has now been booked. The driver will be here tomorrow to work out logistics for drop off, loading and pick up. I now have 6 weeks until the shipping is being picked up and shipped off and will arrive in 4-6 months.

Also I booked my tickets. I was going to get 3 seats for myself mostly due to needing to stretch out or not being able to walk afterwards. However I have spoken to the airline and I’m going to get 2 seats at a bulkhead so I have more legroom.

I also chose a more expensive airline. This way I can feel more safe and comfortable on the flight. I will know that everything is done properly and I don’t have to pay an extra £200 PER TICKET to a travel agent because I went directly to the airline.

So from here it’s all go. Packing daily… inventory upload to the online account and awaiting a parcel weighing scales to arrive so I can make sure neither the shipping crate or my cases are overweight.

So … feet up and chill out time and tomorrow it’s time to hit the ground running.

1 month ago | [YT] | 13