G'day, y'all!

My name is Charles.  I live in Nashville, Tennessee now; have for the past ten years.  My sister, on the other hand, lives in Darwin, in the Northwest Territories, in the country of Australia.  She came here on holiday to spend Chrissie with me; then she got crook.  Ended up in hospital with a burst appendix; she liked to have karked.

It was a scary time; thank God those bad times are behind us now.  She is doing much better; in fact, if she continues to be on the path she is on now, she might be out of hospital sometime next week, according to the doctor.

Meegin just got out of the ICU unit a few days ago; she just started eating only yesterday.  Doesn't have much of an appetite; food doesn't taste good to her.  Guess it's 'coz of all the meds they been givin' her; they wrecked her appetite.  Even Vegemite, which she adores, doesn't sound appealing to her.

All she does is sleep, sleep, sleep; if she's awake, the damn bloody vampires are taking blood from her arms.  Her arms are all bruised; I feel sorry for her!  She has been having a horrible time in hospital!

So have I.  The sleeping quarters here are the shits.  Cots not made for people of my size (I'm 7'1" tall!); have more crooks in me spine than I know what do do with!  LOL

When I'm up, I walk like a palsied old bloke.  LOL  Stupid cots!!

But not about me:  about Meegin, me sis.  She's eight years younger than me; we're very close, we are.  It liked to have killed her when I moved to Tennessee on account of me job.  We stay in touch through e-mails and phone calls, to catch up on each other's lives, y'know?  I've been back to visit her several times; this was her first visit to the US.

She then had to get sick.  LOL

Thank God she's here for a couple more weeks; it'll give her a chance to recover (though I know it'll take longer'n that).  Plus I will be able to take her out and do the town.  'Course, it ain't nothin' like Sydney or Darwin, but it'll do in a pinch. 

You know it scared me when I heard her fall.  I came running into the kitchen, flat out; there she was, lyin' on the ground.  She'd been complaining about her stomach bothering her, but it wasn't bad (she said).  Called the ambulance, and they popped her off to hospital, where she was whisked into surgery soon after she arrived. 

She spent several weeks in the ICU, fighting for her life.  She was full of infection, but now things have turned 'round; she's on the mend.

I've been with her this whole time, only going home for brief showers, or to check mail or do laundry, and definitely feed the Monster back home.  (Monster is a 25-pound Maine Coon who adopted me three  years ago; just showed up on me doorstep one day.  Hasn't left.  LOL)

Meegin was happy with me last night:  brought me laptop, so we could watch the live feed from Sydney Harbour, from when they shot off the fireworks to bring in the New Year (18 hours ahead back home in Oz).  I used to go there every year when I lived in Sydney; so did Meegin.  This is the first year she's missed 'em live.  I haven't been back in at least five years to go see the fireworks; how I miss the revelrie!

But she fell asleep before the big finale.  Poor love!  She needs her rest.  Thank God for video!  (She can watch it later, when she's feelin' a bit stronger.)

Meegin and I used to make a regular go of it to see the fireworks.  I'd drive up to Darwin to pick her up, bring her to Sydney (took several days), and get a good spot for the fireworks.  After the show was over, we'd go back to my place and relax and then go to Bondi Beach (weather permitting, of course!).  She'd stay a couple of days, then I'd drive her back to Darwin; then I'd drive meself back to Sydney!  (Petrol was a constant worry; it's gotten so dadblamed expensive!)

I want to make her laugh; that's the last thing she wants to do.  I told her a very dirty joke last night before the fireworks; nurse wasn't happy with me.  Neither was Meegin; she was in tears and pain from laughing so hard!

Probably why she fell asleep in the first place:  that pain shot must have been a ripper!  LOL

I looked over, and there she was, dead to the world!  LOL

Bloody hell!  Someone's rappin' at the door again!  Whoever said you get rest in hospital has obviously never been a patient!  Will let you go; take care!  I'll write again with another update on me sis in a couple days.  Take care, all!

~Charles.  :)