The job in Saudi Arabia was over so I left Saudi Arabia on December 31st and arrived back in Thailand to celebrate New Year’s day with my loving wife – Tay.

Now that the house construction is finished on the new additional rooms, we went shopping for some furniture to fill in the spaces. Tay convinced me to buy a new 55 inch LG OLED curved screen TV for the new ‘Mike’s Man Cave’. She was able to negotiate a good price – I was not really wanting to buy another TV but as usual she was right. WOW – great picture. Being unemployed I was trying to not spent a bunch of money but that didn’t exactly go my way either. So we bought this and that and more of this and that.

Meanwhile I was trying to relax and enjoy the time off and not working. I was sort of checking out other work but not really pushing too hard at finding a new job. After about 6 weeks off I got an e-mail from my previous employer and they wanted me to go to Darwin Australia – would I be interested? Well of course I am interested, so I completed the telephone interview and they decided that I was a fit for the job. Then I had to fill out a bunch of forms to get a work visa. Some of my other friends on the project said it would take a long time as in months – much to my and everyone’s surprise I had it in about 10 days. So it was time to pack the bags again and hit the road.

This job as was the last job a 10 week on and 3 week off rotation. So I arrive in Darwin March 9th. They have 2 seasons here – wet and dry. Average temperatures ranges from 24.7 - 32 °C (76.5 - 89.6°F), and humidity can push past 80 per cent. The average annual rainfall is 1727.3 mm (68″) and January is the wettest month.

My apartment is in a hotel that has serviced apartments. It is a one bed/bath/full kitchen affair with a 4th floor view of small shopping center. The grocery stores – there are 2 of them within walking distance – about 250 meters away - so a car is not really necessary. There are lots of taxis if I need to go to other parts of Darwin.

Well things are going quite merrily along – I had to do lots of training to get proficient with the project and local rules – then after being here a month I tripped going up the stairs. This is almost at the top of the stairs and I put out my left hand to catch myself while my right hand is hanging on to the hand rail – well I definitely hurt something but being the ‘tough’ guy and said I was ok and went to my next meeting where I realized I had seriously messed up my left shoulder. So I quit being the tough guy and got some medical aid. Someone came and took me to the site clinic where they suggested soft tissue damage but really need some X-rays done to see the true extent of my injury. So off to the hospital in Darwin.

The hospital immediately gave me 60 mg of codeine for the pain. Finally we got the X-ray and it showed nothing broken. As this was happened on a Saturday right around Easter week end – big holiday in Australia - the place that could do an MRI and CT scan were not open. Finally about 3 weeks later I get a CT scan and things are looking good – my shoulder is regaining range of motion and strength – then I get the MRI – well it turns out that I had a fracture of the glenoid bone – sort of like the hip socket but for the shoulder The local doctor says he does not have the skill to do a proper surgical repair. So it is recommended that I go to Adelaide, South Australia for the surgery. The plan is made and so 6 weeks after the fall, I am off to Adelaide in South Australia for surgery.

Well after 6 weeks the bone has healed to a certain extent. The doctor in Adelaide does another CT scan and tells me – yes the bone has healed but it is about ½ inch out of position. This means that I could dislocate it in the future and need a doctor to get it back in place. So the best advice is to do the surgery. So we check into the hospital May 19th and they do their thing to put things back in the proper position using a plate and screws. They keep me in the hospital over the weekend and send me to a hotel late Monday.

I go back to the doctor for a review and all is ok and says I can fly back to Darwin. Back to Darwin I go with my arm in a sling and taking lots of pain medication. So back to Darwin - photo of the Darwin approach.

I get back on Friday afternoon and try to get the company to get me a ticket to travel that night back to Bangkok – but until I can get a local medical release they will not give me a ticket. Through the next week I go have the dressing changed several times as I had developed a big ‘fracture’ blister. The local doctor finally says all is well with no infection and the next Friday gives me a clearance to travel back to Bangkok.

 On Saturday morning – 0250 am – we are loaded and ready to fly. Next stop Bangkok via Singapore. We arrive safe and sound and head to the house to relax – rather convalesce – for the next 3 weeks. Tay takes great care of me as my arm is in a sling for the entire 3 weeks. Even taking a short car ride was a painful experience so I stayed at the house most of the time. I would take the arm out of the sling to shower and dress.

3 uncomfortable weeks later it is back to Australia and 10 weeks of work. Through this entire accident, my hats off to my employer as I was on full pay and didn’t lose any income including the time off for the surgery. The local doc says it is now time for the physio. So we start that 2 times a week and surprisingly after about 4-5 weeks I am getting some good range of motion. We continue with the work and the physio for the next 10 weeks and they it is time to head back to Thailand for a 3 week break. One day a work friend asked if I want to go to the local K-Mart – as I needed a few things, we jumped in the cab and away we go. Well I had been wanting to try out the new Apple Airpods. We found them in the mall. Then I saw a Bose SoundTouch 300 sound bar – had a listen and bought the sound bar and the small satellite speaker that go with it. Got the Airpods back to the room – they sound nice and no wires. I then hooked up the Bose speakers and – WOW – was impressed by the quality of the sound. Well this was really a birthday present for Tay and it is cheaper in Australia than in Thailand. So for the next 8 weeks or so I enjoyed listening to music. The great thing about the Bose set up is that the 2 satellite speakers are blue tooth and only need power which simplifies the wiring for sound. Oh yeah, and I got a 10% VAT refund so I was happy with that savings too.

Off we go and get back to the Thailand with the Bose speakers – that was a chore on how to pack as the sound bar is about 1 meter long. Well I connected the Bose speakers and I knew what Tay would say - there is not enough ‘thump’ so we contacted the local Bose distributor in Bangkok and they shipped the sub-woofer module - now Tay is happy with the sound. I also gave Tay a pair of the Apple Airpods but she refused to use them until 2 days before I left – yup - she really likes them. I had no sling on my arm this time – and actually can get some stuff done. There was still some discomfort but not like the first time after the surgery. Shopping and hanging out were about all that I did.

I have a hankering for new stuff and bought some Philips Hue LED bulbs on Amazon that can be programmed to 16 gazillion colors. So I played with that and I am now hooked on the home smart kit- Hey Siri, turn on the living room lights - works for me.

Back to work for the next 10 week stint and here we are about to travel back to Thailand for Christmas. I will be home for Christmas but back in Darwin for New Years. Can’t win them all.

This is the end of Mike’s 2017 Blog – Thanks for stopping by for a read.

Be safe in your travels and please don’t drink and drive and certainly DON’T text – nothing is worth texting when driving – please pull over if it is that darn important – remember we did very well for years and years without having smart phones. Remember that you are supposed to control the smart phone not visa-versa.

Stay safe and have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

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