Thursday 24th November - The Inbetweeners

I have booked the flights for when mum and dad come out in january. We decided to get them booked early otherwise they would be too expensive to book closer to the time. I have managed to get from 7-23rd January off from work which i have had to use my sick leave up for. I have a certain number of hours off for my sick leave and i said to the admin people that i will be calling in sick if they dont let me have the time off any way so to save a lot of hassle, they may aswell just book me off so that they dont have to cancel patients on the day. They agreed to this...yay! When mum and dad come over, the plan is to have a few days in hervey bay and to then fly down to adelaide, drive down to kangaroo island to see the baby seals and wildlife...then do the great ocean road to melbourne...and perhaps drive to phillip island to see penguins.  Cant wait!

Work this last week has been so slow. Patients havent been turning up and its been really quiet. I recognised one patient in the corridor today, he had been in to see one of the other dentists. I said "hello, how are you?" and his reply was "pfft, much better now." and he hobbled off....i was a bit like hmm ok? and then i remembered who he was when  the other dentist told me what he was in for....i had seen this 80 year old man 2 weeks ago and he had been moaning his metal denture was loose. i followed the protocol and told him a new denture can not be made unless he comes off the waiting list. He asked me to adjust the existing denture and i said no because it is a cobalt chrome denture and from past experiences, adjusting the clasps on a metal denture can 1. make the denture not fit at all or 2. the clasps can break. He was unhappy with this and had been moaning about me to another dentist. the other dentist backed me up and said we cant make him a new denture but she did take the existing denture to the lab, and the lab tightened the clasp which did the trick and he was happy. He walked out to the waiting room and said to the receptionist ..."well that dentist i saw today was marvellous, so much better than that POMMY, irish or whatever the hell she was, dentist!" .....what a tw*t.

This evening Gaz and i went to the Hogs Breath cafe for a steak sandwhich (im sure it was a patient of mine serving us)...afterwards we went to watch the inbetweeners in the cinema. The cinema smelt a bit funny and was full of teenagers, all very overdressed...but i guess this is a big night out for them in Hervey Bay? The film was ok, a bit what we were expecting to be honest...i cant believe mum and dad went to see it!!!

Gaz has played on the computer today and done really well. Gaz has nothing else to report.

tuesday 22nd november

Not much to report from this end. Last night gaz and i went to find a public bbq along the esplanade. we found a quiet spot that overlooked right onto the sea...unfortunately the wind was a bit strong and our attempt at cooking on tin foil was being 'foiled' by the wind.

Gaz was out fishing when i arrived home from work but he wasnt out long as he said it was too windy...any excuse for not catching something! He cooked me some meat in a bbq source which was lovely and i did some cleaning to spruce the house up a bit! ive managed to clean the whole of downstairs but cant face upstairs tonight...its too hot!

Ian...gaz has found ur buttery biscuits uve left here...hes demolishing them as i type! will have to get you some more when you arrive back here!

Nothing much else to report!

Sunday 20th November - On call, A and E

Yesterday we enjoyed a bit of a lie in. I have recently purchased an 'x stage lite' as pole dancing is much more widely accepted out here and not thought of as some seedy night club thing but more of a fitness workout. The 'x stage lite' is a pole attached to a base and does not require a ceiling, therefore i have it positioned in the garden! I havent tried any pole dancing for 18months so i was keen to see how much i could still do...the answer is not a lot. It is amazing how much my upper body strength has declined and ive also lost the hard skin in the places that rub like on your hands and feet. It was hard work when the sun came out and it was heating up the metal causing my feet to burn therefore this is something im going to have to do early morning (before work) or late evening, after work. Gaz played on the computer and did well.

In the afternoon we fell asleep...gaz for half hour, myself for 3 hours (oops!). I was going to attempt some more pole moves in the evening but my skin was raw and peeling on my hands and feet. We enjoyed a lovely meal at the boat club but had to wait an hour for a table because it was so busy so Gaz dragged me over to the  pokies...i said ill choose the machine and he can press the buttons but in the end i did both and won 9 AUD profit before being buzzed over to get our table. When we got home we watched 'willow'...i forgot how much i liked that film!

This morning i was up early to go riding. My arms and shoulders are in agony from pole dancing yesterday so im going to try some moves this evening when the sun has gone down! I left Gaz in bed and reached Lisas ready for a 9am ride. There were 6 of us going out today. Myself on Buddy and some of Lisa's friends on their own horses. We rode 15 minutes into the outback and were planning to be gone a while. Unfortunately my on call phone went off...a 12 month little boy had fallen and smacked his front teeth on a table. The doctor working at the hospital wasnt entirely sure what needed to be done so i said i would be there as soon as i could. I had to leave the ride early and rode Buddy back to the field. I thought he would put up a fight about leaving the other horses but he was so well behaved, he did exactly as i asked and carried me safely back to the paddock where i quickly untacked him and forced some carrots att him before running back to the car. I drove back to the house, by which point gaz was up and getting ready to play on the computer. I  got changed and rushed straight to the hospital. A very anxious mother was holding a baby in her arms and when i lifted up his lip, he screamed the place down. His central baby tooth was lying out of the socket and was being held in by a piece of gum. We ended up having to IV sedate the kid so i could get the tooth out. The poor thing. I reassured the mother that these things happen because i think she felt really guilty as he had been under her supervision and she turned her back for a second to answer the phone. They seemed a nice family...but at least it wasnt his adult tooth!

I will get paid quite a lot for the 2 hours i spent at the hospital so i am going to buy buddy something nice as an apology for ruining his ride! its such a shame, i was really looking forward to it! Gaz and i have been asleep for the past 2 hours so we are slowly waking up so that we can go and have a nice bbq by the beach. The weather again is hot and sunny...i could really get used to this!

Firday 18th November - Its a Boy!

Ive been a bit slack writting the blog these past few days for which i apologise!

These past few days have been great. Chris and Ian have sadly left gaz and i now and flown down to Canberra for the weekend before driving up the east coast to spend their last few days in Aus with us at Hervey Bay. Gaz and I have really enjoyed having them both to stay and it was so sad this morning when i woke up for breakfast and the kitchen table was empty! Gaz has been a little quiet and says that he is missing them so much already. Hes enjoyed having a fishing buddy and its been really lovely to come home and have dinner cooked for me and the shopping all done!

Yesterday whilst i slaved away in work, the three of them went off on a boat that they hired out. Ian managed to catch a flat head, squid, whiting and a sole. Gaz caught a squid and a reef fish. The guy that rented the boat out to them was very impressed that they managed to catch things and admired their knowledge on boating that he has offered to take gaz out fishing with him on his boat...this is great coz it means i dont have to go! In the evening we treated Chris and Ian to an Italian down the esplanade as a thank you for being here.

This morning Gaz dropped them off at the air port and i received the exciting news that Gemma had just given birth to a baby boy (8lb 2oz). It is very strange seeing a picture of adam holding a baby! I am now auntie toria...and uncle gaz.

Work went smoothly today and my dental nurse was very impressed with how well i handled an extraction on a 9 year old kid (even though i HATE treating kids) and with the ease at which i got this lower wisdom tooth out on some woman. I did have some idiot from yesturday back in moaning about his denture rubbing where i took some teeth out...he asked my dental assistant if she was training me?! and she said 'no vicky is my boss' and he said...so shes training you? and i turned to him and said 'WE HAVE NO TRAINEES HERE, WE ARE ALL HIGHLY QUALIFIED;....and he shut right up!

Oh and i handed my CV in to Aura dental clinic 2 days ago...today they rang me to ask if they could meet me next friday to chat about how long im in Aus for etc. and to let me know the maternity leave position had been filled but they are opening up a 4th surgery. Finger crossed for next friday! This private job is just around the corner from where we live at the moment and would be so ideal!

Gaz and i have just been out for dinner at the irish pub and we are going to settle down for the night and watch some tv. missing chris and ian lots already!

Tuesday 15th November

Im shattered! Ive had enough of weirdo patients today. They all seem to have appeared out of the woodwork coz its a full moon. One patient was telling me how she is disgusted that queensland health have put fluoride in her water. "look at the african kids you see on tv and look how great their teeth look...they dont have fluoride". This was coming from a lady who has 5 teeth in her whole head...maybe something to do with her not using fluoridated toothpaste! She wasnt listening to any of my argument about how beneficial fluoride has proven to be for you teeth so i handed her a leaflet that we have been given for patients about fluoride. Flicking back through her notes, she has Glass ionomer restorations (which contain fluoride) and someone coated her teeth in duraphat (which is FULL of fluoride)...would be funny to point that out to her!!! Every patient i had today seemed so...uneducated. On the medical history form under 'what language do you speak at home', someone put...Australian. Another person wrote ANTIBODICS for antibiotics...Another patient on bisphosphontes didnt even know what she was taking was a bisphosphonate and thought i was nuts talking about antibiotic cover for her to prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw. I explained to another guy i would be taking his denture off him at the next appointment so the lab could make a copy and i would do this that and the other to his top denture. He nodded and smiled. When he got to the desk the receptionist told him to make sure he has his top denture with him next time....and he said rather confusded..."but i havent got a top denture". Another patient in her 50s walked in in bright fluorescent pink socks up to her thighs and brought a sheep skin rug to sit on to "make it more comfortable"...she was only in the chair for 5 minutes! Patients keep telling me they are pulling teeth out after extractions and ignore me telling them its bone...i even show them the tooth after i extract it just to point out IT IS ALL THERE, NOTHING HAS BEEN LEFT and i inform them there may be bone present after multiple extractions...but they dont listen. I did a filling on a guy, replacing an existing amalgam he had and he said to me 'i dont like what youve done'. i said " what do you mean?" he said "youve put a great big groove into the tooth, the previous filling i had was flat." I tried pointing out i had carved a lovely amalgam restoration with the grooves showing the morphology of a natural tooth...he said "well i dont like it, do it again." I saw red at this point and almos tlost my cool. i said i wouldnt do it again as it was a good filling that will serve its purpose. "im not leaving until you do it again." i went to speak to the senior dentist to explain what had happened but he told me i must sort it. I walked back in to the surgery, whacked a great mound of amalgam into the fissure i had made and said "there, hows that." he felt it with his tongue and moaned there was still a groove in the filling. "well i cant get any more amalgam in there for you, its packed." and with that he said " it will have to do." and walked out. TWAT. I CANT WAIT TO GO PRIVATE.

Anyway, rant over...ive posted my CV to one of the private practices in the area because the woman is going on maternity leave. i dont know if me not being able to start till february will make me less favourable for the job but its worth a go anyway!

This evening Gaz, Chris, Ian and i all went over the road for a bbq next to the beach. Ian didnt disappoint with the food...all bought from the butchers he rustled up a great feast. Chris got a photo of a toad (i think it might be a cane toad) on the way back to the house. The weather has been hot hot hot today.

Friday 11th - Sunday 13th November - Loan Pine/Tangalooma resort

Friday morning we were up early and i kicked off the first half of the drive down to Brisbane. Chris and Ian, like well behaved children in the back seats of the car, played quietly on their ipads. Our first stop was Loan Pine Koala Sanctuary. I visited this place when i came out to Aus 5 years ago so i was excited to see it all again. Ian admits he wasnt too sure if he was going to enjoy it...but was pleasantly surprised! When we entered the sanctuary, we went to watch the bird show which had some very cool birds which swooped around the audience. There were lots and lots and lots of koalas here and it was fascinating to watch them all. Luckily we arrived at feeding time so they were all very active...but even the ones that were fast asleep on the branches were great to watch. I held one and had my photo taken with it...i wanted to take it home with me! There is also a kangaroo feeding section to the sanctuary which we had lots of fun photographing the kangas. I had found a bag of feed on a bench so i used this to feed the roos. I must admit, they all looked very full and appeared to be eating for the sake of it. At 4.45pm it was time for the lorikeet feeding. Porridge was put into bowls and wild lorikeets flew down to feed from them. People were allowd to pick the bowls up and carry a few lorikeets in the process...this was a great oppertunity to snap pics of gaz holding some birds.

After the sanctuary Gaz drove us to our apartment for the night. It was very snazzy! We had a nap before filling our bellies with an Indian. I had booked a table at a specific restaurant...but being awful at choosing nice restaurants, we passed by the window and were put off at the fact there was only one other family eating there. Gaz and i know from experience on a friday night, the good eating establishments are busy and there is a reason why it is empty! There was another indian down the road that ian had spotted so we went there instead. The place was fully booked but the nice waitress rustled up a table for the four of us. The food was amazing. We have managed to find a great curry house in Australia! It was called Kadishka (i think?).

The next morning we were heading for the ferry at 6.30am and as usual, were the first to arrive. We had a 75minute ferry ride to Tangalooma resort on Moreton island. The island is the only 100% Australian owned island in australia. It is another island similar to fraser island only a quarter of the size. We stayed in the Tangalooma resort...our apartment was average but it didnt matter as we werent spending much time in it. There are 15 ship wrecks off moreton island that were purposely sunk to make a man made harbour to shelter the boats from the wind and have now become home to coral and fish. All four of us took a snorkelling tour of the wrecks and we got to see lots of different fish. There was a big group of us, approx 20 people with lots of japanese tourists...most of which couldnt swim and had never been snorkelling before so it was quite amusing/annoying to hear these little screams and heads bobbing about in the water, arms flapping when stepped off the boat into the water. Chris spotted an octopus which was a really good spot because it was camouflaged with the barnacles on the ship..you wouldnt have known it was there...until some japanese bloke kicked it (accidentally) with his fin. The octopus quickly moved to a deeper location. I  was so angry i started telling the guy off for kicking it...the fact he swam into me had sparked my temper off!

Ian, Chris and I went to watch the kookaburras being fed and poor gaz had a dicky tummy so stayed in the room. At 6.30pm it was time for the dolphin feeding. 8 wild dolphins swim into the shore of tangalooma resort to be fed. Whilst we were waiting for the dolphins we saw a 'wobby gong' shark, sting ray and a few fish. Ian didnt feed the dolphins as he has caught it all on film.

Sunday was a day of rest. It was a bit windy so we decided not to go out on the kayaks which we were going to hire. Gaz and i strolled in the water which was so clear. I said " Gaz whats that?" he said not to worry, it was a rick. I put my food out to kick it............and a sting ray came out of the sand and swam away! that was close but it scared me and made me shriek like a typical girl.

We spent most of the day relaxing by the pool but did watch 2 of the wild pelicans being fed. They were huge! Gaz drove us all the way home. We had another fantastic weekend and i am shattered!!!

Thursday 10th November - BBQ

Gaz took his parents up to the 'snakes down under' reptile park that we had been to on our way to bundaberg. His parents loved it! they got to see the owner of the place (whose from wales originally) handling some of the most venemous snakes in the world. They also got to see the crocodiles being fed which ian has captured on film. They had a great day out but were a little exhausted from the heat. It got to 30 degrees yesturday and a always, no air conditioning in work! Luckily most of my patients didnt turn up!

In the evening we had decided to pop across the road to the outdoor bbq area where there is a free gas bbq and a table and bench next to the beach. Ian was in his elements cooking up meats they had bought from the local butchers and chris enjoyed taking pictures. Gaz and I had a little kick around on the grass with the football but the novelty soon wore off. It was a warm evening so was nice to be outside. The food was cooked to perfection! Everyone was shattered after a busy day so it wasnt long before we all retired to bed. This weekend we are off down to brisbane to visit the loan pine koala sanctuary. We are staying in 'essence apartments' which gaz stayed in when he went to pick his parents up from the airport. Saturday morning we are getting up early to catch a ferry to tangalooma resort where we are going to feed dolphins and stay the night. Soooo excited!!!