The YouTube Trail

If you're anything like me, you have regular channels on YouTube that you watch or subscribe to. Then there are those days where you either search for something or you're watching a regular channel but something in the sidebar catches your eye. I had one of those moments last night.

I was watching one of my usual channels on my tablet in bed, then there was something that caught my eye in the sidebar, so I watched it. To be honest, I can't even remember what it was, the title was far more interesting than the clip lol (don't you hate that!). However, in clicking on this clip I was now on the YouTube Trail! There was another clip which caught my eye, it was called "Casually Suicidal - Sarah Liberti - TEDxAdelphiUniversity". I had to watch this, what on earth was casual suicide?!?

So I watched Sarahs TEDx and while I was watching, I thought to myself "this is something that I should write a blog post about". After watching Sarahs clip, there was another TEDx that was in the sidebar and I also watched it. This one was called "Why We Choose Suicide - Mark Henick - TEDxToronto".  

Both clips were different, yet similar, I won't go into detail here, I'll let you watch them for yourself. Why did I feel the need to write about suicide after stumbling across two clips that weren't at all related to what I was originally watching? Well, in my "About Me" page (which is sooo old and needs updating lol) I briefly mention that around 2011-2012 I was diagnosed with Rapid Cycling Bipolar 2 and ADHD. 

Never in a million years did I think I'd receive a diagnosis of either of these mental health issues. Ignorance had actually led me to believe that ADHD was only something kids had! Prior to my diagnosis, I used to joke with my wife that "If ADHD was around when I was a kid, I would've been the poster child"!!!! 

So how is Rapid Cycling Bipolar 2 different to Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2? Well, to really simplify it Bipolar 1 or 2 means you live life with more extreme mood swings (and other symptoms) than the regular person. Rapid Cycling is exactly how it sounds, I cycle through moods faster than those with Bipolar 1 or 2, which can make medicating a right pain in the backside for both my Psychiatrist and myself - the one who has to swallow the multicoloured happy pills.

Okay, so back to the two YouTube clips, I said that they were different, yet similar. So how were they similar? Well, both Sarah and Mark touched on the feelings of shame, guilt, stigma etc in relation to thoughts of or attempts of suicide. Having lived on the medication roller coaster now for a few years, has suicide ever crossed my mind? I could say "No". However, to say this would undermine the work that people like Sarah and Mark are doing in telling their stories in a very public way - trying to remove the shame, guilt and stigma from mental health issues.

So Yes, suicide has crossed my mind. It crossed my mind in my early 20's and right up to quite recently. Have I ever attempted to harm myself? No, not since being medicated in 2011-2012. In saying this, medication isn't a safety blanket and shouldn't be treated as one. For anyone who lives with any kind of mental health issue, you'll know that your medication needs to be tweaked every so often and dealing with negative thoughts or thoughts of suicide can take immense mental strength - sometimes when you just don't have the strength to spare! When you're taking the right medication, you're only three quarters there, the other quarter is a deciding factor that only you can make.

If you need to talk to someone, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or visit their website:-https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 

Long Time. No Write.

Okay I hope the format of this post isn't all over the place as I'm writing it on my tablet, not my pc (my tablet never seems to keep the right format for some reason?). It's been quite awhile since I last wrote. I don't have the usual "I didn't have time or I've been busy working" excuse. I was actually sick, the sickest I've ever been in my whole life! 

Almost two months ago I felt a bit yuck like I was catching a cold, so I went to the Drs and got checked over. The conclusion was that I had a bit of a chest infection, so my Dr gave me a script for some antibiotics and I was on my way. I was a good patient and took the medication as prescribed for a week. In the meantime my wife was working nightshift, so we weren't seeing much of each other so she wasn't seeing how ill I was. Anyway on the morning that my wife finished her last shift she was still awake when I dragged my backside out of bed to get a drink. I actually hadn't heard her come home. My wife took one look at me and started taking my observations and asking me a bunch of questions. After she had finished being a Registered Nurse with me, we had a backward and forward conversation where she told me I was going to hospital and I kept saying no. 

So why wouldn't I go to hospital? Well my temperature was so high that I was delirious! Yep! I was off with the pixies lol! Finally I was convinced that I needed to go to hospital so off we went. My wife was still wearing her uniform lol When we got there, I couldn't believe it but the first nurse that I saw on entering the emergency department was one of my customers lol Anyway after having more observations taken, blood and xrays done I was hooked up to a drip and spent 3 days and 2 nights in a 4 bedded ward with 3 old codgers lol.

It turned out I had septic pneumonia and if I had put off going to hospital longer than I had, they would have had to knock me out for 2 days while a machine did my breathing for me. When the Dr's agreed that I could go home they told me that for 2 weeks I was to do nothing and that the following weeks I would slowly start to feel better but would be quite tired. Yeah they weren't wrong about the whole tired thing! I pretty much slept for the first 2 weeks. Since then I feel ok, but get tired soo quickly! It's so frustrating! I wake up feeling okay but between 11am - 12pm I seriously run out of energy. If it wasn't for my android tablet I would have gone crazy! I was too tired to do anything. 

One thing I did do just recently is finish a small cross stitch pattern that I had started a while ago. It's called "Queen Rock Band" from Clouds Factory.

Queen Rock Band.

Sorry about the crease, I'm yet to wash and iron it lol I've just started another one called "Tribal Cat", it's supposed to be stitched in black floss on white 14 count aida. I've decided to stitch it in pink floss on black 14 count aida...... Yeah, I'm just trying to my life easy lol I've never stitched on black aida before lol It's a wee bit hard on the eyes, especially without one of those lap light thingamajigs. Here's my progress over the past two days. 

First day.      Second day.  

The pink (DMC 3608) is actually much darker/brighter in real life, for some reason is photographs quite pale :/  

DMC 3608

Tribal Cat - White Willow Stitching

This is what is will look like (hopefully lol) once it's finished. :)

Okay, well I'll be off now! I hope you all have a great Easter and get lots of nice chocies and have a bit of a rest! 

P.S I Hope This Makes Sense LOL!

P.S Yes I'm putting the P.S at the top for a reason lol. This is my second attempt to get this blog post written today, as I'm still taking pain killers my brain just doesn't want to link words in the order that they should normally be found lol Due to this reason, I took a break from writing today as I was constantly correcting mistake after mistake.... So I do hope that the rest of this post makes some sense and is readable :o)

The Original Start:- I haven't got much to blog about on the parrot front, as I've had the the first part of my dental implants inserted this week.... So I've been off with the fairies, thanks to the painkillers. Don't worry, I'm not going to show you a photo lol. So most of Tango's time has been spent with my wife, as I was either asleep or just not feeling well enough to cope with his antics lol. I go back next week for a check up on the stitches and the posts/screws that were implanted, then after three months I go back and the crowns are put into place.

A couple of days before I had the implants done, I went to see an optometrist as I have started cross stitching again, and I've found that my old glasses aren't quite doing the trick...... They are seven years old lol Anyway, as I expected, I needed new glasses. So I asked if I could keep my old frames as 1. I like them, 2. They're really lightweight, and 3. They cost me a small fortune! I was told that it would cost me more to keep my old frames and it would be much cheaper to get new frames with new lenses!?!!? The girl that I was talking to looked at the figures of what my health insurance company covers, and it would have cost me a minimum of $150 just to send my old frames off! That's not including the price of the lenses. 

So then she looked at the figures of what it would cost me to get new frames and lenses and the total gap I would have to pay was $139.50. This cost was for two pairs of glasses.... mind you, I only wanted one pair.... But the deal that was running was 2 pairs for the price of one. It's just crazy! So in the end, it was cheaper to get two pairs of glasses, instead of just changing the lenses in my old frames. So next week I will go and pick up both pairs of my new glasses lol

Anyway, as I said, I have started cross stitching again. I used to cross stitch all the time when we lived in the Mountains. As it was so cold there, having an indoor hobby was a must. But since we've moved to The Central Coast and it's so hot, I've found it very hard to get interested in it again. The photo above is of a witch, I have actually done more than this, and I thought I had taken a more recent photo.... But I can't find one and to be honest I couldn't be bothered right now digging it out and taking another photo lol I will post a photo when it's completed :o)

                             

I also discovered an online store called 123stitch.com, wow, what a dangerous website! They sell everything that you could ever want! I have already made a number of purchases from them lol Even though they're located in the USA, their prices are so much cheaper than Australian prices. Plus they stock so many things that you just can't buy here.

My Sister recently found a website called Clouds Factory, and they have some brilliant patterns. They're all small patterns that you could stitch up as they are designed, or you could turn the characters into cards - I've purchased a couple of the patterns and I also have a 'wish list' going there lol. I'm also back on Chatter Fox, which is an online cross stitch/crafting community.

Anyway, I'm outta here and back to the lounge room. :)

Dentists and Shopping

I'd like to apologise in advance if this post is disjointed or makes no sense... well no more than usual lol. I went back to the dentist on Tuesday and the pain killers kind of leave me floating in no mans land, so to speak :o). I had a 2.5 hour appointment at 8am, which meant we got up at 4.50am in order to get ready and get there on time. After the dentist worked on me for just over 2.5 hours, he said that he wanted to get more work done, and asked if I could come back at 1.30pm. So my wife and I wandered down to the shopping centre for a bit, but I had to go back to the car for the rest of the time, as I was quite doped up and feeling uncomfortable.

At 1.30pm we went back into the dental clinic for my second round in one day. In total he extracted a number of teeth and restored and filled six teeth. I can now see some progress, rather than just extraction holes. I didn't need to take antibiotics last time, but this time he prescribed some as the extraction holes were quite large. As a result of taking pain killers, antibiotics and probably not eating enough, I felt quite ill last night, so I will make sure I try and eat some more today. 

My next appointment is in just under three weeks, and the dentist said I will need an x-ray of my lower jaw before he begins, so he can work out which teeth will need extracting and which teeth he can save. Ohhh, more fun and more fuzzy pain killer days ahead!  

Apart from dental stuff, my wife and I went shopping the day before the dentist and bought some new furnishings for the house. One of the things we bought were new cushions for our dining room chairs. The dining room suite looks nice..... But after sitting there for a while, the chairs do get uncomfortable. Naturally when you have cats, they have to try everything out that is either new or has been moved. So Millie decided that she would be the first to test the cushions lol.

I also received a delivery yesterday! I made a ridiculous offer on a 1920's Art Deco Lady Diana lamp on ebay, and it was accepted! I honestly thought the guy would tell me to go jump lol, but hey - if you don't try, you'll never know lol. I had been looking for one of these for ages! The problem is that they were either too ratty and tatty due to their age, or way over priced because they were in good condition. 

I remember when I was in high school, I chose art as an elective subject. However, most of the theory was Historical Australian art. Yes, Australian art is nice, but honestly - you can only look at so many paintings of broken down farms..... One day we went to the Art Museum in Canberra, and that was when I first discovered Art Deco and I was in love! I purchased a couple of art theory books from the museum, and one of them was The Encyclopedia of Art Deco - I read it from cover to cover.

It's one of my favourite books, it's actually the only book I have on Art Deco... I don't know why I don't have a few more lol. I love the imagery, the style... I love absolutely everything about this period in history and art. It was after I read this book, that I wanted a Lady Diana lamp, but I was about 15 years old... Where was I going to find one of those things, let alone afford it..... and yes, when I was 15 years old, there was no internet lol I guess this is why I love Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries so much (which I wrote a little bit about here), as it is set in the 1920's. It's on again tomorrow night, and I can't wait! :o)

The Ancient Egyptian Oracle - The Cards Of Ra-Maat

Today I decided that I would dust off my deck of - The Ancient Egyptian Oracle - The Cards Of Ra-Maat. I haven't used them for quite sometime.... I wasn't looking to do a full reading, I just wanted one card for a general pointer... The card I selected was the card "Concerns ~ Problems and Worries". I thought that this was a pretty good card to draw from the pack, as it is regarding other peoples perception that I am/have become distant and detached and I'm in a world of my own.

To a degree this is very true! However in saying that, there is the quote:- For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction - Isaac Newton. As some of you know, I have had a lot going on in my life over the past months. I'm not just talking about losing my Aunt, but also simultaneously being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Adult ADHD (you can click here for more on that topic) and the trials that come with taking medication that alters the way you feel/think.

Most people in my life have been very understanding and supportive, yet there is always that one apple in the cart - so to speak. It is that one apple that has caused a chunk of me to become - distant, detached and in a world of my own - and for the time being, I am quite happy being there!

Separation Anxiety In Dogs

Meet Bob our youngest family member.

Bob suffers from separation anxiety, he's 14 months old and we are his second owners. Poor Bob was given to us after his previous owners were unable to keep him due to various reasons, their reasons were completely unforeseen - so they are not to blame. As we had met Bob when he was a little puppy, my wife and I decided to take him in when he was six months old. Bob settled in well and got along well with our two other dogs and three cats (yes we now have a zoo! lol), that was until about three-four months ago.

We would go out for the day or dinner and when we came home, we would find things from inside the house, now outside in the backyard. Our dogs are house dogs, so they have their doggy door and they come and go as they please. It started off with just one item, then next time it was two or three items, then it was a few more, then he started dragging things outside and destroying them. This had to stop!

Bob looking miserable just before bedtime.

You're probably thinking that we should just lock him outside when we're out. . . This has been suggested... However it would not actually solve his anxiety, yes it would save our belongings, but poor Bob would still be psychologically traumatised. The other problem with this is, that one of our other dogs is a rescue dog, she was locked in a tiny yard and neglected when she was a puppy, and as result she completely freaks out if she's locked outside. So we can't lock the three outside, and we can't lock Bob outside on his own, because the other two need access to the backyard to go to the toilet.

So Bob and I went to visit our vet last week as my wife and I were at our wits end, our vet is also an animal behavioural specialist! What a bonus! We have some medication to trial, while video recordings are made in our house while we're out. We also have some un-training to do, such as pick up the car keys as though we're going out, and then put the keys down on another bench etc. Training tricks like these are supposed to teach Bob, that keys don't necessarily mean we'll be disappearing, because keys rattling equals the start of his anxiety kicking in. We have a bunch of other things to do as well to break the 'cues' that we are leaving, it's very time consuming and it also means not getting angry when he does take a step backwards - which is difficult, especially if he's just majorly destroyed something. 

Bob 'helping' me build an office chair.

You've probably noticed that Bob doesn't look happy in the photos. . . This is the look on his face constantly. He always looks worried/miserable. We take loads of photos of our furry family members, and unlike the others he never truly looks happy. I've been to the vet today to drop off our first recording for her to check out, here's hoping that we can sort Bob's anxiety out - for all involved. 

10 Day You Challenge - Day Two - Nine Loves

Day Two - Nine Loves

1. My wife - I have listed my wife as my first love as she is not only my wife, but she is my best friend. We met thirteen years ago (I had to use a calculator to work that one out sshhhh lol) when we were working together. I had already made a pact with myself years before, that I would never get involved with anyone I worked with, because if it didn't work out.... It could just get messy. To be honest, I had no idea that she liked me. I'm not particularly good at picking up on signals or hints. If you want me to know something.... I'm afraid you're going to have to spell it out or even better, draw me a picture lol Which she did lol Oh, and never say never lol

My wife and I on our first segway ride

We are the kind of couple that goes out, and does things together. For example, I don't have a separate group of friends, that I go out with on the side - we have the same group of friends that we socialise with. However, we also have our own interests, we're not a Stepford couple lol For example, I like to paint ceramics and while I do that, my wife may play her piano or she may cross stitch while I play on the computer or read. Even though we have things in our lives that we do as individuals, we still spend time together, even it's just watching a movie or going out for a simple meal together.

2. Food - I love food! For a number of years I was a vegetarian and ate vegan where possible. However when I started taking the medication that I'm taking today, I started craving meat. The only way I can describe it, is when you hear about women who are pregnant, and start craving things that they would not normally eat. So meat is now in my diet again, along side vegetarian dishes. I'm not a picky eater and I will try anything at least once. I also love to cook and try new recipes, even if the ending result is a disaster..... You live and learn! :)

3. Music - I cannot read music or play an instrument. God only knows I have tried lol. I love music. To me music can be an emotion, it can be a memory and it can make you think. The right music, played at the right time is perfection. I admire anyone with any kind of musical talent, because it takes dedication and passion, and I feel that these two traits are often missing from people today.

4. Halloween - What can I say? I live in Australia. Yes Halloween is growing in popularity, but we still live in a country that is divided by two camps. The first camp being: Halloween is commercial American garbage and we are Australian! The second camp is: Halloween is not American, chill out, stop whinging and have some fun! I'm in the second camp lol When I was a child I used to watch the American TV shows, and wish we had Halloween. Of course we didn't. However, as an adult I now decorate our house and throw a Halloween party every year! :)

5. Cold weather - I love the cold, I love snow, I love those rainy days where you just close the front door, and curl up on the lounge in front of a good movie. This is a funny comment coming from someone, who now lives on the coast, surrounded by beaches where it gets very, very hot (yuck)! We do get a lot of rain, but with that comes humidity (also yuck). We used to live in the mountains, and winter was just brilliant! There's just nothing that compares to snow gently falling to the ground, while you're inside by an open fire.

6. Being a hermit - I'm not afraid to say that I enjoy my own company. I can keep myself amused for hours on end! I don't have the need to frequent shopping centres, clubs, pubs, parties, events etc. . . Of course I do go out, my wife and I will go out for lunch occasionally. However, we often go to places that are not over run with people, as all the noise generated by them grates on my nerves. If we do go to a shopping centre etc, we often go early and leave early to avoid the crowds.

7. Retro - Call me old, but I just can't move forward with the times lol My taste in clothes hasn't changed in years lol I wear almost a 'uniform' of jeans and shirts or shorts and t-shirts. I haven't heard a new song that I've fallen in love with for years, and when I mean new, I mean newly written, not a new cover... I love retro art, music, cars, movies, etc. Yes, I'm old. lol

8. Candles - I don't buy candles as much as I would like to, mostly because I can't see my money in them, the way I used too. Years ago, I used to buy candles a lot! The problem is, that all those years ago when I used to buy candles, they weren't 'popular' then. I bought them because I liked the mood they created, the scent that they emitted and the overall look of them in a room. But now, candles are very vogue and with vogue comes the price tag. 

These days, when I can, I tend to buy my candles from art and craft markets. Yes, they still carry the price tag, but I would rather support the 'little guy', who I know has put the effort in. Don't get me wrong, I have and still do purchase candles from the shopping centre stores, and their candles are just as nice, I just prefer to put my money in a smaller pocket.

9. Learning - We should never stop learning! If you believe that you know all you need to know, one day you are going to have a rude awakening! There are so many things in the world, that we need to open our eyes and minds too. Just the other day I started an E Course, which I mentioned in my Lisa Williams post. I'm not saying that you need to fork out money, that you don't have and enroll in a course, no not at all. Look around you, listen to other people, pick a topic out of thin air and look it up on you tube! Seriously lol I have learnt so many things from watching you tube clips :)

You can borrow a book from a friend or library, watch a documentary, talk to an elderly person, talk to a child.... Yep, even children can teach you things, they don't see the world the way we do. You could ask a family member or friend what is involved in their job. In this day and age we have so many opportunities right in front of us, don't ignore the chances you have to broaden your mind. You'll never hear anyone say that they regretted learning something! :) 

One Photo Every Hour

Last Saturday I thought it would be great to take a photo every hour and write a post about it lol At the time I thought it would be really interesting..... I must have been bored stupid at the time!! lol Since I took the photos I have um-ed and ah-ed whether to post them or not. Today, I figured that since I took the photos, I may as well post them..... My day really wasn't all that interesting lol! If I ever do it again, which I probably won't, but if I do... I'll do it on a day  where I spend more time away from home. Read on if you dare, this really is the most mundane post I have ever written!

The first photo was taken in the dark of my alarm clock, I also used instaweatherpro to show you what kind of day it was outside... Cold and wet.

Next was breakfast. I have to be honest I absolutely hate breakfast, so I always have something quick like toast or cereal. Up until recently, I hadn't eaten breakfast for years. The only reason I eat it now, is because if I don't, my morning medication makes me ill.

After downing that horrible stuff called breakfast and having a shower, it was time to go out, thankfully the rain cleared for a bit. The first stop was a pet shop near where we live, they were having a fund raiser for a local pet shelter. I'm also pleased to say this pet shop does not sell dogs, cats etc from backyard breeders. They only sell pets from the local shelter, which saves a lot of little furry lives. As we had a huge clean out at home recently, we took along a bag of towels, which they gratefully accepted for bedding.

We chatted to the shelter staff and did some shopping for our own dogs while we were there. I'm sorry the photo above is blurry, but this little piggy wouldn't stand still! I took so many photos, and this was the best of a bad bunch. He was so cute! 

Off to the cake shop! We were actually going to a birthday party Saturday night and we offered to bring the birthday cake. Yes we could have baked one, but to be honest.... I had been in the shopping centre the day before and just thought to myself... It'll be easier to just order one lol It's called a Chocolate Treasure Cake.... It's all chocolate!

After we came home from the shopping centre, we had some lunch and watched a couple of episodes of Silent Witness. It's a show that my sister told me about, so we've started watching it, starting with season 1. It's funny because even though it first aired in 1996, which doesn't seem that long ago.. The actual show feels and looks quite dated. However I do like the story lines, they actually remind me a lot of the Patricia Cornwell - Scarpetta book series, which I was hooked on for years.

This is Millie. I have had her forever! Yet I hardly have any decent photos of her, because all the ones I do have, she looks unbelievably crabby! lol She was lying next to me on the lounge, when we were watching a second episode of Silent Witness. At least her eyes are closed or you'd be getting a death stare lol

All this shopping and tv watching requires a cup of tea... and a small sugar hit. Of course on the day I want to take a photo of a cup of tea, all of the nice mugs are in the dishwasher lol So you'll just have to excuse the fact that I used an ordinary one lol Boost bars are also my favourite chocolate bars. My wife buys the mini ones in a bag for me. The reasoning behind this is, in the hope that I don't eat them all at once.... lol Sometimes this theory works, sometimes I need a mid-week trip to the supermarket for a top up lol

Feeding time at the zoo has arrived. We have three dogs, three cats and two fish. When they hear the bowls being placed on the kitchen bench, all hell breaks loose! lol

The presents for the birthday boy are wrapped, and now it's a case of showering and getting ready to go out. It had begun to rain again... Of course.

We're on our way to the party and it was sprinkling rain when we left, and continued to rain throughout the night. I didn't take any hourly photos at the party or when we got home as it was quite late and I was too tired lol

I'm sorry that you have been exposed to such a mundane post! If you did read through all of this.... You should reward yourself with a treat! You deserve it! I hope the next post will be a little more interesting! lol

The Smell Of My Past

I read a post a little while ago over at Behind Green Eyes, she had looked at various perfumes, that she had worn in her life. It's an interesting concept, because we normally think about our past in terms of, who were we in a relationship with, what we may have been driving, what music we liked or where we were living. So I have decided to track down some of the aftershaves/colognes/fragrances - call them what you will, that I have worn during my life.

I was able to find one of the first fragrances that I used to wear when I had moved out of home. I was on a very tight budget, and I believe at the time this was worth about $20, it now sells for $8! lol I remember purchasing it from those discount style pharmacies. Lomani and another one, which I cannot remember the name of, were my choice of the cheapies! They did the job, didn't cost earth and at the time I thought they smelt ok :)

This cheapie aftershave reminds me of being broke - point blank! I used to work seven days a week at two separate jobs, and I never seemed to have enough money to cover all of my bills. Ahhhh, the good ole days! lol

A friend of a friend, who had flown in from overseas, purchased a CK gift set like the one above, at Duty Free for me. I had never had an actual name brand cologne before and I treasured it! I only wore them on special occasions and they lasted me for years, as I was quite frugal with their application. I received another gift set similar to this, a year or two ago. I do like these mini's as they open doors to new scents, that you may otherwise not try.

Here comes the walk of shame... I don't know if the Lynx brand is available internationally, if it is and you wear it, I'm sorry, I'm about to offend you - please skip ahead. If it isn't, let me explain.... The way Lynx is advertised, is similar to 'those' tampons ads. You know the ones that show the wearer of the product, riding horses across glorious meadows and performing all sorts of activities at Olympic gold standard? This how Lynx is advertised towards young men. You just have to have it, because everyone is wearing it, right? 

What the brand fails to tell you is, that once you wear the product just once, it will hypnotise you and leave you feeling that you need more! This brand has not lost its momentum, and there are parents of teenage boys across the country cursing the brand name Lynx. Seriously, you can smell the wearer of this stuff a mile away! Not only do they manufacture 'aftershave' but they also churn out, body spray and deodorant..... All of which MUST be worn at once in large quantities! I would like to take this chance, to apologise to anyone who may have asphyxiated at some point in their life, when they passed me on the street. I am truly sorry.

The next item I would like to introduce is Safari, this was purchased for me out of the blue by an ex-girlfriends mother. There are two reasons that could have prompted this purchase... 1. That I used to wear Lynx lol or, that 2. That while I was going out with her daughter, she actually tried to pick me up, yes you read correctly..... Creepy huh? In any case, I cannot actually remember if I liked this one or not.

Then there was Tommy, Tommy has appeared in my life twice and although I no longer have any left, it is an aftershave I would probably wear again. The first time I was wearing Tommy, I was in my early twenties and had been diagnosed with depression. The medication that I was prescribed didn't suit, and the Dr didn't listen, so I took myself off the medication and went about my life. 

Jazz and Kouros appeared in my life around the same time, I cannot remember which one came first.... But I do remember, that I felt that I now owned some 'adult' aftershave lol I think because Tommy was marketed, as a trendy - young man scent. It's funny, because I still have both of these and I still like the smell of both of them.... But just not on me. 

Yeah, I know that sounds weird... I can walk past a guy in the street, who is wearing one of these and it smells fine. But I feel that as soon as I wear them, they somehow smell different??? It's like I am waiting for that 'one day', where I spray them on, and they just miraculously smell right lol

Okay, New West is one of my favourites and I have had it for ages. The reason being is, that my original New West, was in a mini's gift pack and when it ran out, my wife had a whole lot of trouble trying to buy me the larger size. She was told by many shop assistants that it was no longer being made. So it has now become something of the holy grail in my collection. lol I think that I actually wore this one on my wedding day.

Joop is similar to Tommy, in that I have gone through two large bottles and I don't have any left at the moment. It's also another one that I would wear again, as I feel that like Tommy, it's not an over powering aftershave. I remember wearing this particular aftershave, when I worked in a nursing home, an elderly woman (who was quite feral in her younger days) used to always comment on how good I smelt **shivers** 

I know that I have missed a couple of aftershaves, as I cannot remember them all. There are also a few that I can remember wearing, however I cannot remember what was going on in my life at the time.

My two current favourites are Dunhill Desire Blue and Bvlgari. The Dunhill aftershave has taken the place of Tommy and Joop. It's an aftershave that I can wear during the day or night as it is a fresh scented aftershave. Bvlgari is a stronger scented aftershave, which I prefer to wear either at night or when we go out during the day. The reason I say when we go out is, because I wear aftershave everyday, including when I am at home, even on those rainy days in front on the television :o)

I have not personally purchased aftershave for myself, since I was in my mid twenties! Every bottle since then has been a gift. :o) I am also ashamed to say that, I easily have at least four times as many bottles of aftershave, than my wife has perfume lol. So either I don't buy her enough perfume, or she buys me too many aftershaves lol

I can't help but admire Behind Green Eyes, for her in depth insight into her life at various points. Her recollection is far superior to mine! lol I can remember the early aftershaves and the later ones, but I have really struggled with the ones in between.

Well that is about it! I have given you a brief look into my bathroom cabinet, from the bargain basement cheapies, toilet cleaner (Lynx), and the name brands which I wear today. For those of you who don't know me in real life, now you know what I smell like! ROFL!!!