Looking round the gym this morning I realised just about everyone close by to the machine I was working on was female.   I was a little late arriving, so was expecting it to be that way (because for some reason all the men get there really early on a Monday) and it certainly didn’t bother me that most of those women weren’t actually ‘doing’ anything.  Most of them were ‘looking the part’ but seemed to have stopped for a chat lol  Come Wednesday the place will be packed with men – there is a special session for Vietnam Vets !

Yesterday I enjoyed a ‘Sunday High Tea’ – a joint Mothers And Fathers Day gift from one of the daughters for myself and The Golfer. Now ‘High Tea’ usually means teeny weeny sandwiches, cakes and pastries along with hot nibbles as well – not the sort of thing most men would go for – so I walked into the room and saw what I expected, a sea of women.  Groups of them chatting and laughing, sipping their champers or specialty teas and definitely at ease in those surroundings.

It wasn’t table service but one of those ‘come and choose from the selection’ buffet affairs and looking at the women giggling over which delicious looking high calorie delight would be allowed on their diet I did wonder how the couple of fellas tucked away in a corner of one of the tables would fare.  Choosing which of the minature morsels would go onto their plates was no problem where they were concerned –  they just loaded their plates with 2 of everything and settled down to eat and smile at their female companions from time to time 🙂

http://www.yarravalleylodge.com

Friday last week I had lunch surrounded by oodles of women – because after all, I was with other View Club members and that is an organisation solely for women. I knew when I sat down, each person in the room was comfortable with the other ‘ladies’ at their table and via The Smith Family there was a common interest and solution to helping some disadvantaged Australian children cope with problems of education.  Voice, Interest Education of Women.

http://view.org.au

And going back even earlier last week we were at a BBQ with several members of an exservicemen’s association The Golfer has ties with.  Mostly couples, all similar age to us ( in other words, getting on a bit lol). As with lots of gatherings here in Australia the ‘men’ sit about chatting over past experiences and the women gather in the kitchen which with this group I don’t mind too much because the ‘men’ are rehashing service life and when you’ve heard one story about the workings of aircraft you’ve maybe heard enough.  Anyway because a lot of the members have known each other for many years, by general concensus of the other men one person (the widow of a founding member of the Australian group) comes along with her new husband.  Sitting around with the other women in the kitchen she was filling us in on recent happenings in their life.

The husband has become increasingly unwell (as in getting more wobbly on his feet and needing help with dressing/showering) but once he is mobile with his walker seems to be ok.  So after both having the government assesment done and it became apparent they had to make the decision to move into a low care assisted living hostel they gave up their little independent living unit to move into a place where they have just one room each. Seemingly he was aware of what life would be like, he acknowledged what was to be, that there were limitations on what could come with them and even though they could come and go as they pleased during the day there were various ‘rules and regulations’ that had to be adhered to.

Oh dear, now after a few weeks he is not a happy chappy.

His main complaint is ‘all those bl***y women’ telling me what to do and when to do it!

There are some male staff but most are female and the majority of the residents are women!

Meals are in the dining room so it’s ‘time to get up and have your shower before breakfast, no, you are perfectly capable of going to the dining room’ – ‘Dinner is ready, maybe you could finish your book later’

He needs regular medication but of course it’s now kept under lock and key not in his room ‘it’s mine, why does it have to be dolled out by a bossy woman (registered nurse).  Also they keep interrupting his activities to give it to him.

Those ‘bossy women’ think I’m a child that needs to go to bed early.  I’m not putting my nightclothes on at nine o’clock’  After accepting he is not able to undress/dress himself without help this problem seems to have been rsolved by him accepting the night staff will assist him after handover at ten pm.

And of course the domestic staff are all women and they are ‘always carrying on about my papers and things being on the floor’.  A problem caused by a previous (now deceased) doting wife who was always cleaning up after him.

Even though our friend might do so, somehow I think it will be a while before he is comfortable and accepting of the fact that he must now live his life in the company of many women.