Generation X, the Awesome Generation…

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Hands up if you were born between the years of 1965 – 1980… you are well and truly my people, the Generation X people. My generation.

As a Gen X myself, born in 1971, I love being a Gen X. I love how we know a lot of things to do with the generations that precedes us, The Greatest Generation – those born between 1901 – 1927, The Silent Generation – those born between 1928 – 1945 and The Baby Boomers – those born between 1965 – 1980 as they are our great grandparents, grandparents, great aunts, great uncles, parents, uncles, aunties but we also know a lot of stuff from the generations that succeeded us as well. We know about things to do with The Millennials or Generation Y – those born between 1981 – 1996, Generation Z – those born between 1997 – 2012 and the latest generation, Generation Alpha – those born between 2013 – 2025, as these are our children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great nieces, great nephews, our friends children.

We just have a lot of cross generational knowledge with being a Gen X.

Generation X was the last generation who played in the streets, we were the last generation to record songs from the radio onto a cassette tape, we were the first generation to play video games, we were the first generation to use personal computers, we could walk over a kilometre without complaining about not being driven to our destination, we were the last generation to go to our friends homes to see them, remember having to be home as soon as the streetlights came on? We learned how to work the VCR before anyone else, we lived without mobile (cell) phones, we were the first generation who had Sony Walkman’s, we were before the internet, we were the last generation to drive in cars without seatbelts, we were the first generation to use chatrooms, we only had 4 TV stations to choose from and TV stations closed at midnight, we didn’t have social media, the music was also the best.

Generation X is absolutely the best generation in my books.

Until next time

Kaye

Happy New Year 2024…

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Goodbye 2023 and hello 2024… what a year 2023 was? 2023 was a tough year for many, including me with many of us facing the storms of life during the year that was but just like any storm, the storm stops raging eventually and the sun comes out again.

Personally, the year was indeed a rough year for me. Life happened in a big way. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about so called friends who ended up being fake friends and not being in my corner at all.

I learned who was in my circle and my circle got smaller as I removed people from my life who weren’t serving my greater good and were draining my energy or creating drama in my life through their own actions and drawing me into their drama.

I also distanced myself from certain people in my life and haven’t removed them completely.

This is what setting healthy boundaries is about. Life isn’t a popularity contest, you’re not going to get along with everyone in life. It’s healthy to have boundaries and either remove people out of your life who aren’t in your circle because not everyone is. There’s many people who will call you friend but will talk about you behind your back, or not show you support when you are going through a storm in life, there’s so called friends who are toxic, fake friends, friends will continuously disrespect you or badmouth you… these people are not your friends.

These are the people to release from your life, even on social media. Set healthy boundaries and have people who accept you for who you are and will show up when you need that support when life hits.

Surround yourself with people who get you and what you are about and don’t try to change you but they bring out the best in you.

It’s even okay to remove family members from your life as well. We need to be able to preserve our inner peace and just because someone is family, they can cause more issues for our inner peace than friends.

I’m okay about losing people in life, both in real life and on social media. I want people who bring out the best in me, people who understand me, people who will be there in both the calm days when the boat is in calm water and during the storms. The storms of life, this too shall pass but it’s worth knowing who is next to you in that boat; someone who will help you bail out the water if the boat starts leaking or someone who will go overboard and swim to shore, leaving you to bail out the water alone in that boat.

Yeah, I’m okay with my circle shrinking. I’m more about me and no longer about keeping certain people around in my circle because they simply have the label of family or friend. 2023 was a year of letting go.

2024 is going to be the year of keeping my circle small and making sure everyone who is in my circle is worth having there.

Until next time…

Kaye

Christmas in Australia…

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Most people around the world associate snow and cold weather at Christmas time, well, here in Australia it’s quite the opposite as it’s summer time here.

In Australia Christmas is different… we have the option of having our Christmas breakfast, lunch or dinner’s outside in a backyard, a beach, a park for instance. Pubs are open for Christmas lunch as well and it’s something you have to book weeks in advance as they book out quickly.

Even the food we eat on Christmas Day can vary from the traditional Christmas foods to having seafood, a barbecue, or a pub meal.

In my family, we all meet for Christmas lunch at a family member’s house and we all contribute something for the meal, whether it be a part of the meal or money to help cover costs. We eat outdoors under cover. A few of the members of the family bring food they cooked so the host isn’t cooking the whole main lunch.

Bowls of chips (crisps), mixed nuts, Christmas lollies (candy) are put out on the table before lunch to tide us over until lunch is ready. Our menu usually consists of turkey (cut up turkey roll), rotisserie chicken (from a fish and chip shop which was previously ordered for the lunch), leg ham, roast potatoes (cooked in a Webber Barbecue), roasted carrots, peas, beans, potato salad, noodle salad, coleslaw and bread rolls. A couple of hours later it’s the traditional Christmas pudding or for those who don’t like Christmas puddings there’s a chocolate pudding with either custard or ice cream on top.

Our food is buffet style where you go and get your own food and put it on a plate, then go sit down and enjoy. We use paper plates and disposable knives and forks to save on washing up.

After Christmas, the young ones and a few of the adults go for a walk to a nearby park and kick either a soccer ball or a footy around.

Christmas for my family is really just another day as we no longer have kids in the family but it is still a fun day to get together with everyone and I only get to see my family one day of the year.

The weather can be mild temperatures in the mid 20’s to the early 40’s degrees Celsius. On Christmas Day in 2016, the temperature reached a scorching hot 40 degrees Celsius and our lunch was moved indoors as it was too hot to sit outside. Me personally, I’ll take the weather in the mid 20’s on Christmas Day.

However you celebrate Christmas and whoever you celebrate Christmas with, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Until next time

Kaye

The Magic of Christmas…

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One of my favourite times of the year is Christmas. I love everything about Christmas, the Christmas music, the Christmas decorations, the Christmas tree, the feeling of Christmas time, all of it; it’s just a magical time of the year.

During the week, I had a friend currently living in the US ask me if there were any Christmas movies made in Australia depicting what our Christmases are like and if it was weird living in Australia where it’s Summer at Christmas time and watching all the Christmas movies with snow in them.

I replied to my friend, no it wasn’t weird as snow is associated with Christmas as that is how most of the world celebrates Christmas; it’s winter and there’s snow around. Watching Christmas movies with snow is just normal for us.

Celebrating Christmas here in Australia where it’s summer has its advantages though. We can have a meal outdoors if it’s not too hot. We can go to the beach, splash in a pool, go to a playground, walk around the neighbourhood wishing people we come across a Merry Christmas, have a bbq, eat seafood, do things that people in a colder climate don’t do at Christmas time.

The one thing I don’t enjoy about Christmas and summer is when it’s too hot to do anything outside.

Regardless of where you are in the world this Christmas, whether it’s in the winter with the snow or summer with the heat, I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Until next time

Kaye

True friendships…

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Let me ask a question, what makes a friend and what makes a friendship? To me, to have a friend, first you need to be a friend. It’s a clichéd saying but it is a true saying.

I have a select small group of friends, real friend who I know have my back and are there through all times, the good and the rough times. I also have a lot of friends who are really just acquaintances. Then there are the fickle, fair weather friends who are only there when the going is good but are no where to be seen in the tough times.

As I get older, it’s more about quality over quantity with the friends I have as life isn’t a popularity contest and I just want to surround myself with people who are genuine in there friendship and are always around.

I had friends who would try and buy friendship with giving things to me but they always wanted something in return, it was never anything given because they were true friends who gave something out of the generosity of their heart but only given with an ulterior motive. Then there’s the so called friends who kept score on what they gave me as they felt it proved their friendship but felt as though I wasn’t being a true friend all because they expected something in return and try to guilt me into giving them something by telling me all the times they gave me something .

I give the people I consider friends things all the time but I never expect anything in return. I do it because I want to. I don’t make anyone feel obligated to reciprocate the gift giving, even if it’s just a cup of coffee, I never expect anything in return.

Then there are those who will tell you the things they think you want to hear, or pretend to be something they are not in trying to earn a friendship.

For me, I want friends who will be open and honest with me. I want friends who don’t gossip behind my back because if you have friends who talk with you about their friend behind their back, guess what? those people you call a friend, they are saying things about you to other people.

As I get older, I am in a place where I don’t want to deal with so called friends who are disingenuous, fake, full of drama, selfish, self absorbed, toxic or narcissistic people. I have let go of a lot of friends who fit into those categories as I want to be around kind, caring, nurturing people who are always there, who are real, trustworthy, provide a listening ear or a shoulder I can cry on and those make me laugh.

I want people around me that I don’t have to explain myself to, people who don’t judge, friends I can trust wholeheartedly and be trusted, so because of this, I don’t have a big circle of friends and that suits me fine.

Be true to yourself and surround yourself with the people who will serve your greater good and raise your vibration and not drain your energy by making you feel some kind of way just because you feel it necessary to have certain people as friends. Some people are not for you and are not the right fit for you and it is okay to release them as those people definitely not for you as they will only keep bringing you down to their level.

Until next time

Kaye

The things I do…

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Recently I updated my mobile phone and changed providers, a task easier said than done. The time it took for my previous provider to release the phone number to the new provider took weeks. Usually it only take that long but in this instance all because of a process that wasn’t done when I received the new phone from the new provider, there was that delay.

During the 8 weeks it took to get the phone number released and for me to be able to use my new phone as a phone, I was using both my old mobile phone and the new one as I was using the new phone for everything else using wifi, thank you wifi. I also got used to having 2 phones and I liked it.

My new provider was my original provider but to get my last phone, I had to change providers but with the update, I wanted to go back to my original provider.

My last phone, I promised someone else that I would give it to them before I realised that I enjoyed the luxury of having 2 phones, as they needed a new phone as they had a really old phone which they needed to replace.

Once I was back to having one phone again, I was on the lookout for a good, reliable but a cheap phone to use as a second phone, which I found on Amazon as they have refurbished phones in top quality condition and most phones, unless they are the latest, they sell for a cheaper price.

So having updated my Samsung Galaxy S20 to a Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, I went on Amazon and found a refurbished phone I wanted to buy, an iPhone. I have been curious for a long time about the whole iPhone thing and why people love them so much. I had looked at iPhone’s before I had bought a Samsung Galaxy S5… if you can’t tell, I’m a Samsung and Android girl but I’m open to owning other phone’s. The iPhone I found was an iPhone 13 and bought it.

The phone sellers on Amazon sell refurbished phone’s in good condition, screens get replaced and the phone’s are sold in the best condition possible but buyer beware, you do get what you pay for, so doing prior research on the phone you are interested in does pay off as there are people who have received phone’s with dents and scratches on the phone from wear and tear by the previous owners.

The iPhone I received didn’t have a scratch or a dent on it and it looked brand new out of the non original phone box. The battery condition was at 90%, so I knew I wouldn’t have an issue with battery problems either. I was definitely winning with this phone.

The iPhone I used the provider I left as I wanted the second phone to be under a different provider for when one provider has a technical issue, I have the use of the other phone. Both providers use the same phone tower’s though, so that could prove an issue but hey, I’ll deal with that when I have to. I also wanted the second phone to not be on a contract but prepaid.

I used to have a landline phone years ago before just solely using my mobile phone. The landline phone had an answering machine connected to it as well. Anyone I didn’t want to speak to, I used to give them the landline number as a lot of people don’t like leaving messages on an answering machine lol. Same with services who would sell phone numbers on to telemarketers, they would get the landline number as well. Then when I gave up the landline, I then would change a number in my mobile number so I didn’t have to speak with those I didn’t want to hear from lol.

What I use the second mobile phone for now is these callers and keep my primary phone for the people I want to talk to or need to talk with.

Note to self… put the iPhone on the Do Not Call register.

Does anyone else have a second phone and what do you use it for? I don’t want to know about illegal activities though lol as sometimes ignorance can be bliss lol.

Until next time

Kaye

No to bullying or toxic people…

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Anyone who know me knows that I do not tolerate bullying in any kind of way. I do not tolerate the drama started by bullies or toxic people. I will not tolerate any person who enables those people to continue to do what they do by not calling out their bullshit behaviour in turning a blind eye to it in making the bullies and toxic people be accountable for the drama they start.

I do not tolerate those who start dramas and blame others for starting those dramas because they don’t have the ability to accept accountability and be responsible for their actions.

I do not tolerate bullies and toxic people who create drama and blame others for their dramas, then engage others to do their dirty work all because these bullies enjoy gaslighting and then knowing they will have flying monkeys do their dirty work for them as they seek attention.

On Tiktok recently, I have been caught up in the cross hairs of 2 narcissistic, manipulative, passive aggressive bullies who have caused dramas through their lies, their manipulation, their gaslighting, their looking for flying monkies who will side with them and do their dirty work for them because there are those who believe their lies and think these people are good people because they haven’t seen the other side of their personality. One of the people has a “chosen family” of Tiktokkers who turn a blind eye and allow this person to continue bullying others.

Both of these people have sent me direct messages accusing me of creating drama and telling me to stop telling lies to others about them as they do not do drama. These 2 people as narcissists will not see they are the ones who created the dramas they find themselves in and they are the ones who are telling lies all because they refuse to acknowledge they are responsible and need to be accountable and not blame everyone else as they are the ones gaslighting.

I will always stand up to those people who are bullies and who are toxic as I have no time for drama causing attention seekers, nor do I have time or the energy to deal with people who support the bullies and toxic people, so I have ended relationships with these people.

It doesn’t matter who the toxic people are in life, friends, including friends on social media or family even family, as family can be the most toxic people around, you need to put yourself first. You need to protect yourself from the toxic people in life so you can live your best life and be free of toxic people who cause emotional and psychological damage to people they interact with. Just because a toxic person is a family member or a friend, be true to yourself and know that even though you may love these people, you need to be able to set boundaries, or have the strength to walk away.

Until next time

Kaye

Making the most out of it…

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Recently I had to do a sleep study… I had no actual symptoms but the doctor I see thought it would be a good idea after I marked high as a candidate for sleep apnoea on a check list… the questions asked could have covered basically anyone as having sleep apnoea as most people would fit into the categories asked but hey, the questionnaire said I had symptoms of sleep apnoea, so I had to undergo a sleep study.

I saw the sleep specialist a couple of weeks after being referred by the GP and they arranged for me to take an at home sleep study. I booked a date and time to pick up a sleep study kit for the at home sleep study.

The day of the sleep study, I went to the medical centre and picked up the kit and took it home.

That night, I followed the instructions on how to place all the wires and electrodes on my body before going to bed. I looked and felt like a lab rat once all the wires, electrodes and electronic devices were attached and ready to collect the data from my night of sleep.

I am no stranger in doing a sleep study as I’ve done one previously a few years ago, a hospital sleep study, which involved a night sleeping on the narrowest and hardest hospital bed I think that they could find for me to sleep on. There were more wires and electrodes attached that time and the wires were connected to a bigger box I had to wear but the memory is still in my mind like it was yesterday.

The following morning before 9am, I had to return the sleep study kit back to the sleep specialist centre, then wait for the results which were given several days later by the sleep specialist.

At the appointment with the sleep specialist, I was diagnosed with having severe sleep apnoea and I would need to have a CPAP machine. Oh joy… not.

I then had to book another appointment with another person who would help me choose a suitable face mask and CPAP machine for me to use.

I went home with a CPAP machine, an Airsense 10 Autoset and a full face mask. The first night using the face mask, a Resmed Airfit F20, I couldn’t stand it… I couldn’t stand the air blowing straight on my face, the feel of the full face mask on my face. That night was a interrupted night of sleep. In fact, I hated the mask so much, I took it off, turned off the machine in the very early hours of the morning and left it off to sleep.

That first night while struggling to get used to the machine and battling with the full face mask, which was a losing battle, I thought of giving my machine a name as something fun. Since this machine was going to be my new sleeping companion I have to sleep with, I had better get used to it. I also decided that the machine was a He as well as it looks like a male. After much thought, not really, I came up with the name “Colin” for my CPAP machine… call me weird for naming a machine if you must… but Colin is named after the inventor of the CPAP machine, an Australian by the name of Colin Sullivan in 1980, a fitting name I thought. Here’s the funny thing, now I can talk about Colin, my machine and have people think he’s my partner haha.

After having a word with the company I obtained the CPAP machine from, they provided me with 3 other masks to try in the hopes that one of them is more suitable for me.

The face mask I have been using is a nasal pillow which just sits under the nose, which is perfect for me as it’s not a full face mask, I don’t have air blowing on my face and I’m not feeling as though I’m suffocating. I’m also a person who sleeps with their mouth closed, so I don’t need to use a full face mask to cover both my nose and mouth.

It’s early days with using the CPAP machine but I hope the set up I have now with the face mask I am using, I hope I feel the benefits of it soon and get a better night of sleep than I was having after receiving the results from the sleep study.

Until next time

Kaye

Technology… the New Age Frontier…

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As a Gen X who grew up in a world of not having computers, mobile (cell) phones, Google, Alexa/Siri, or none of the technology we have now, I admit I do love new technology and I always have done.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I recently updated my phone and having to still use my old phone due to an issue with activating the sim on the new phone as I had changed carriers as well, so while in the process of doing that, I got to like having 2 phones to use.

For those who read that post, you’ll see that I own both a Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, which is my primary phone and out of curiosity bought a refurbished iPhone 13 from Amazon as a back up second phone just to see what all the hype is about iPhone’s.

Having used the iPhone for around 3 weeks now, I have had it confirmed for me that I am a definite Samsung girl.

For me Samsung phones are more user friendly, more intuitive, easier to initially set up. I also find that the picture quality of the screen is better on my Samsung over the iPhone. The zoom on my Samsung is clearer and more powerful over the iPhone as well. With Samsung it’s easier to go between previously opened apps when going from one app to another when using two or three apps at once when needing to switch between apps… it’s more seamless to go from one app to another.

With the iPhone, I love how I can use the Dark Mode with the phone and all the apps, I love there’s a lot more choices of emoji’s too with the iPhone.

One thing I don’t like about the iPhone, or Apple is that there are a lot more choices of apps in the Google Play App Store on Android than on the Apple App Store. The apps on the Apple Store is limited as it’s not open sourced as Android is. For the record, the apps on the Google play App Store are protected so only apps that have been approved can go into the Google App Store. The Google Play Store apps also have more downloads of the more popular apps over Apple as well.

As a new person to having an iPhone, I’m never going to be an Apple girl but I do appreciate what an iPhone can do and all the features and functions of the iOS. Both operating systems have their good points and their bad points, so it all comes down to personal preference of which one you feel more comfortable in using.

Question for all of the iPhone users, which apps would you recommend for astronomy, note taking, sport score updates, games and any other “must have” apps for iPhone… drop it into the comments below, please and thank you.

Whichever phone you use, whatever operating system you prefer, mobile (cell) phones are here to stay…

Until next time

Kaye

Why? Because why not?…

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Recently I updated my phone from a Samsung Galaxy S20 to a Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus. At the same time, I changed carriers as well because to get the Samsung Galaxy S20, I had to go over to another carrier, so I decided to change back to my previous carrier when I got the new phone.

Going from one carrier to another presented a hiccup in the system from going from one carrier back to my preferred carrier causing a delay in the sim card being activated.

So for a few weeks, I was using both phones, the old phone for text messaging and phone calls and the new phone for everything else.

Once the issue was fixed and my new phone was functioning fully with my carrier of choice, I promised a friend that they could have my old phone before I updated it.

The several week’s of using 2 phones, I enjoyed the convenience as I could stream movies or TV shows on my new phone and still answer phone calls, text messages or Google something while still watching whatever I was watching on the new phone.

I gave my friend as promised, the old phone and then missed not having 2 phones to use. First world problems, right?!

Anyway, I was looking for a Samsung Galaxy S21 or a S22 for a second phone but then I had another thought.

Since updating my old Samsung Galaxy S5 several years ago as I was researching phones, I had considered getting an iPhone. If nothing else, I just wanted to know what all the hype is about iPhone’s was but in the end, I decided against it and bought a Samsung Galaxy S20 instead.

I’m a Samsung girl through and through but I was still curious about the hype about iPhone’s, so I thought, well, why not get an iPhone to use as a back up phone? That way I can also see what the hype is all about and I’d have another phone to use.

As I was looking for phone’s, I discovered that Amazon sells refurbished phone’s, so I went down the rabbit hole and found a phone I liked, an iPhone 13.

I tell you what, I ordered it last week through Amazon Prime and today it came by courier to my door. I’ve set it up and I noticed straight away that the Samsung phone’s are much easier to set up than the iPhone. Samsung have a much more user friendly design to their phones.

The iPhone, for a second hand phone, looks in good shape as though it came straight out of the Apple Store. I’m impressed by that because I know expecting the phone to have a few dings and scratches on it being pre-owned but there was nothing. The price tag was half the price too.

So now that I have set up this iPhone, I’m interested to see what it can do when I become more familiar with it and I’m Googling less stuff I don’t know about how particular features on an iPhone works.

More updates later… but if you have any tips or advice, I’d welcome them as a iPhone owner newbie.

Until next time

Kaye