Long time since I wrote, sorry. I’ve been a bit busy. I’ll say why shortly.

Aaah, a beautiful day, 30degC, a bit windy. The forecast is for another hot one tomorrow, 38C, but going on past days it might even reach another 40C day, to add to the eleven we’ve had so far this summer (since 1 December), a record. And it’s about 45 days since we last had rain. No, hang on, it sprinkled a bit on Monday. Anyway … it’s a hot, hot summer.

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The reason for the title is that the boss of QANTAS Alan Joyce has doubled down on his comments likening WA, with our tightly controlled border, to North Korea. He’s highly critical of Mark McGowan for regulating the way people can enter the state, saying it’s damaging business and causing talent to leave the state.

He’s wrong for several reasons, but what really gets my goat is that if the border is completely opened, people will die because of it. Joyce’s only concern is QANTAS’s business and profits (and Joyce’s bonuses, of course). He puts that above the deaths of people. That is despicable, in my opinion. It’s typical of many business managers, profits before people.

He ignores the fact that the closed borders have kept WA largely COVID free, which has particularly benefited the mining industry, which generates 60% of Australia’s export income. If Joyce had had his way, that could have been crippled.

This makes me so mad that I think it’s time I cut my ties with QANTAS. I still have 120,000 Frequent Flyer points from years ago, which I never use because QANTAS doesn’t fly where I (used to) want to go, i.e. Bali. I also don’t see myself travelling any more. I may as well use the points in the ‘shop’ to buy some item and then bail out completely, making it clear to QANTAS why I’m doing so. It’s become a nasty company under Joyce. He cares more about money than people. Nasty man.

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I’ve had another stay in hospital, SJOG Subiaco this time. The urologist wanted to investigate why I was pissing blood a couple of weeks ago, so a cystoscopy was scheduled. No big deal and he didn’t find anything, so it’s a mystery (so far). I thought it would be a kidney stone, but he doesn’t think so (why?). I see him again on Friday so I’ll have a few questions.

I stayed an extra night because I was having trouble pissing afterwards. I’d driven myself in, as they wanted me there at 6.30am (!) and parked in the underground car park. My parking charge after two days came to $54! Still, that’s cheaper than a taxi or Uber.

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I’ve just got off the phone to HBF, about a program they’re running called Health Navigator. Obviously it’s in their interests to keep me fit, healthy and out of hospital, so this is some kind of coaching program. I don’t mind this, I like the idea, because like most people, I have trouble keeping myself up to setting, working toward and reaching goals.

One thing I’ll be able to show them is my brilliant progress to getting my diabetes blood sugars under control, at last. Due to changes in my medication since mid October, I can say that I’m now well controlled – 5.6mg/mmol this morning. That’s within the normal range of 4-6. Evening readings are a bit higher, around 7-9, but coming down. This is the first time I’ve been able to show this in nearly 20 years. My HbA1c was 7.3 a couple of weeks ago, and if we did the test again now, it would be below 7.0, I would say.

However, this raises the question: how come I don’t feel any different? I don’t feel any better for it. I still feel fatigue. My eyesight is still variable. I don’t feel any stronger (i.e. if the sugar in my blood is now reaching the muscles, assisted by the insulin, how come I don’t feel any benefit?)

I shudder to think what damage has been done by my very high (out of control) blood sugar levels for the past 15 years or so. I think luck has been on my side, as it usually seems to be.

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Dog! I know we need insects, but I’m being plagued. First, tiny black ants. Not too much of a problem, but I wish they’d go home.

Worse are small grey moths which love to attack anything resembling grains (e.g. oatmeal) in my pantry. Insect spray doesn’t seem to do anything.

And last are tiny black flies, less than a millimetre in size, breeding in my rubbish bags. They don’t seem to any harm, but again, insect spray is not working. I’m a bit tired of it.

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I did my grocery shopping today for the first time in a fortnight or so, and the gaps in the shelves are very noticeable in Coles. Shortages due to the break in the Nullarbor rail line, I mean. I didn’t have any trouble getting what I wanted but I can imagine if this went on for longer than a few weeks, it might be much worse. I’ve never seen this before in all my long years.