May 2026 Life Updates

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Welcome back to another monthly life update! What have Ashy, Benji, and Luke been up to this month?

Previous 2026 Life Updates:

• January 2026 Life Updates (8 min read)

• February 2026 Life Updates (8 min read)

• March 2026 Life Updates (8 min read)

• April 2026 Life Updates (9 min read)

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May 2026 Life Updates

• We have been looking after Frankie a bit while Luke's parents are in Europe to help out Luke's brother (I think they will be back in 2 more weeks). I've dubbed this "The Adventures of Benji and Frankie" lol. They are doing really well together, even sleeping next to each other without having to be separated. Benji even gives up his bed for Frankie, so kind.

• I saw my GP (well, a new GP, but one I saw a few years ago) and she was really helpful. You can check out my health updates "in this post", but basically we're going to see a rheumatologist next, and I can go see a different POTS specialist if I choose to do so. It's good to know that my blood markers do mean that something IS wrong. And she definitely said the exercise physiologist I have been seeing is a bit weird. Oh, I also got my flu shot!

• I had a dentist check-up on Monday, and UGH, I have to get a filling fixed tomorrow (and now I have two appointments in one day, and I hate that). Anyway, the filling that's getting fixed has a chip, and there's one other filling that needs replacing, I think. In good news, the dentist said it looks like I'm drinking WAY more water and brushing well because there's barely any buildup/other issues, so yay for looking after my teefies. I have been stressing a lot this week about my appointment, even though I know it'll be fine.

• It was the anniversary of my Nana's passing.

• For Mother's Day, Benji got me a card with Bluey on it - very cute. I've never had anything for Mother's Day because most people don't view being a dog mum as a real mum lol.

• We had Detector Inspector come and check our smoke alarms, and Benji was very excited about that, ahah. We also had someone do some gate maintenance on our communal driveway gate, which was random.

• One afternoon, Luke and I did a colour walk as a mindfulness activity, and while I was walking around the neighbourhood, I noticed one house was having a party in their backyard, and there was a F*CKING DONKEY RIGHT THERE. I was too shook to get a photo, but apparently, you can just hire donkeys in Melbourne for parties. So weird.

• Step Counter Updates: As you guys know, one of my goals for 2026 is to walk at least 5 - 10K steps per day, so here's my May 2026 progress! I feel I've done really well this month + have been keeping up my strength training.

STEPS	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
WEEK 1					5932	7613	6021
WEEK 2	10,525	10,716	8999	5646	3607	2811	6472
WEEK 3	8002	6248	7593	9211	5207	6239	5516
WEEK 4	7560	7205	7857	7973	5844	7559	5809
WEEK 5	8016	10,052	5094	5899	7399	3725	5126

• The YouTube videos I have put out this month are as follows: The Adventures of Benji and Frankie Episode 1 // The Adventures of Benji and Frankie Episode 2 //

• The Freaky Friday Files I have put out are as follows: Disturbing Wikipedia Pages You Shouldn't Read at Night Part 3 // The Horrors of AI // The Most Common Phobias // and tomorrow there will be one about ESP!

• TV Shows that Luke and I have been watching are: Masterchef AU 2026, Urzilla, Bad Company, Gruen, Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee, The X-Files (this will be here a while), Last Week Tonight, SNL, Taskmaster UK, and Shaun Micallaf's Going for Broke docu. I definitely understand why people can get addicted to gambling, but I feel like the best thing to do is to educate young people about it. If you know the psychology behind it, then you're less likely to get addicted. I also think NZ is WAY better when it comes to gambling advertising than Australia because in NZ it is illegal to advertise gambling, but here they can advertise, and the ads are like "gamble, don't gamble" lol.

• TV Shows that I have been enjoying are: Shrinking, and I'm about to start The Last Thing He Told Me.

• Books I have read this month are as follows: 1. Yes Please by Amy Poehler 2. Bossypanys by Tina Fey 3. Welcome to Pawnee by Jim O'Heir 4. Stop Overthinking by Olivia Telford You can check out my May 2026 Book Reviews "here".

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• We went out for dinner with some friends at Penny Young, Moonee Ponds. Very delicious, but it's SO loud in there. We also had one of my kiwi friends come visit us, and we went to My Brother's Deli for sangas in Pascoe Vale, so good!!! I definitely will be going back. I also had my very first Mont Blanc. I am not sure if I would get it again; it wasn't a bad coffee, but it wasn't amazing.

• I have been making goodies this month! I baked Russian Fudge, TimTam Truffles, and Unicorn Ice Cream. Check out all the recipes over on my food blog, "Eats with Ash."

• I also finally found my favourite electrolyte recipe, which at the moment is coconut water, pineapple, lime juice and salt. Oh, I love the dragonfruit one too! So I think I am kicking a$$ at staying hydrated.

• Luke, unfortunately, attended a funeral for his old boss, who passed away from cancer. RIP.

• I had a haircut (which was just a toner and very quick cut) and my hairdresser organised for me to have my hair done right before we go to Vancouver, so that I don't have to worry about my curls for the first week of the trip, haha. He's so helpful like that! Although he did tell me about a lady who accidentally had her lady parts removed during surgery, and that freaked me out a bit, because like how?

• There was one Saturday when I was just home by myself, and I heard people yelling outside, and it looked like two cars had stopped, and I am not sure if it was them getting in the way of one another or if there had been a crash. I was a nosey bee and poked my head out the window, but couldn't really work out what was going on. So weird.

• I've been having WAY more dreams again, so I think I'm getting my REM up again and better quality sleep. I think I've talked about this one before, but there was a dream where I was forced to eat rat meat (shudder). There was also one about a stolen car, and this one was awful the other night - I had a dream where I was with Luke and his parents, and we went caving - SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN BECAUSE I HATE CAVES. Anyway, something happened, and then we lost his dad somewhere, then Luke found him, but his dad was unconscious, and all of us had on like breathing tubes like you have in the hospital. In the dream, I didn't know if we would survive because we were just stuck in the cave, and then I woke up. It was very scary. I also had a dream about losing my mum, so I think my subconscious is not having a good time lately. I would like to have some nice dreams, please and thank you.

• Benji's leg is getting stronger every day, and he is doing good stands. He even learned a new trick, "sit pretty/jumpies". Very cute.

• Luke went to a Luca Brasi concert, and he won a tote bag.

• We had lunch at Abbotsford Convent - we always love going there! Plus, it's so doggo friendly.

• Luke found reduced cream and Maggi Onion Soup mix at the shops (which are the ingredients for a special kiwi dip), and he forgot to buy chips haha! Anyway, we got the chips, and the dip just doesn't taste the same in Australia. Someone on Reddit said it might be due to the humidity, but I seriously wonder why the dips taste different in Australia and NZ when it's the exact same ingredients.

Things I am looking forward to in June are:

• (technically still May but...) Getting my dentist filling appointment done and dusted. Bleugh!!! It'll be over by tomorrow around 4 pmm.

• The final appointment with the exercise physiologist being over (it hasn't been a great time).

• Booking our accommodation for Canada in August. The good thing about Vancouver is that there are so many options, even if we leave it to the last minute, we'll be good. I don't like leaving things to the last minute, but I also feel like things will get cheaper once it's closer to the end of the FIFA World Cup.

• Luke's 30th birthday!! Woo! I assume we'll go out for dinner somewhere with his family, and I think he's organising a party with some of his mates in July.

Also, Luke and I are doing the container deposit scheme (where you take cans that are worth 5-10cents) to help raise funds for medical bills + our Vancouver trip, so if you're in Melbourne and you have any that you're just going to recycle, we'd love it if you sent them our way!

Thank you for reading!! Much love,

Ash xx

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