The in-laws

I'm scared. I've met his parents. And I like them. A lot. And, so he assures me, they like me too. We're pretty certain that whenever his mother looks at me all she can think is 'grandchildren'. I've got a nasty feeling that we should never let his parents meet my mother or we'll find a wedding planned and the children already named in a very short period of time! What scares me isn't actually that I like them, or that they like me, or even that they seem to think that we go well together and are planning grandchildren. It's that we think that we go well together and the thought of children sometime in the future is possible and that, completely independently, they agree! The Other Half is already certain that he'd never hear the end of it if he dumped me or I left him (not that he is planning to, or that I am thinking of it but if it were to happen, in some horrible alternate universe, he would not hear the end of it) They're not supposed to agree, especially not this early. There's supposed to be cries of 'but you've only just met, you can't move in together' and 'she's a backpacker, she's sure to leave you one day' and stuff like that! And surely my mother should be advising caution, given my past history with men, but no. I could hear the disappointment down the phone, from the other side of the world, when I jokingly told her not to worry, that I'm not pregnant. I've really got a feeling that she's already compiling a wedding invitation list in her head. Yes, definitely do not let the parents meet just yet.

Sumer is icumen in

Summer is indeed a'comin in, you couldn't call the heat that has hit this place in the last couple of weeks anything else*. I am really grateful that I've not only got a boyfriend who, when I work with him in the paddock, notices - sometimes before I even do which is incredible under the layers of dirt that generally cover me within seconds of being out there - when I'm not looking so good and really need to sit down before I faint (I'm a stubborn sod and don't like giving in) but also a boss who is also understanding and lets me go home when I'm not feeling so good. As in the last few days, and a couple of days last week, I'm just glad someone got me drinking Gatorade, it's the best thing since sliced bread! Ah well, one day I'll aclimatise. Honest. Until that day I'm just going to struggle through the next week until the off season which we're really looking forward to :) The only thing that I'm not entirely looking forward to in the next few months is the fact that this heat is going to get worse, oh yes indeedy. Anyone who's wise gets out of Bowen for the off season. Wise, as most people who know me will have realised by now, is not really what I am. At all. The only really good thing I can say at the moment is that our new house has air con (woohoo!) and is under the mango trees so will be at least in the shade for the most part. This is a Very Good Thing. He mentioned the other day that we're going to have a big chest freezer so we can store lots of ice and if we get a paddling pool, well, paddling pool + ice = chilled me, yay! P.s Do the margins look better now for those who were having trouble? *even though technically it's still Spring, which is incredibly worrying

More soppiness

We're going to get the house! There's been a bit of drama about renting the house that we actually wanted (it's lovely and big and cheap and out in the bush a little surrounded by mango trees) because the guy who's moving out actually doesn't like the other half (officially my boyfriend, not a fling or anything or whatever I was or wasn't with TAB, I'm actually his girlfriend. He said so) and there's been all sorts of problems at work with him because he's an insane sod but the owner of the house wants us in there, and the boss at work wants us in there* and if he can't find a tenant to take over his lease that the owner approves of he has to pay the rent for the next 5 months. He's basically been told that we have to have it :) Anyway, by the end of the week I should be happily living in a proper Queenslander house just outside of Bowen. Once again I am stupidly happy and grinning from ear to ear rather a lot. I can't wait to get some chickens then we can have fresh eggs and stuff :) And before anyone says anything, we know that we've not known each other that long, and this may be seen as rushing things, but neither of us have ever felt this comfortable with someone this soon. We both feel that things are just right so we're not going to waste any time. Having said that, don't worry mum I'm a) not getting married and b) I'm not pregnant, just happy. *probably so that he can check the other half - or should that be the Other Half? - isn't fishing when he calls in sick...

First of all I have to say that I'm sorry for the lack of posts recently, getting to the internet has been a little bit tricky and I've been somewhat distracted of late. Secondly, this is likely to continue so once again, sorry. There has been a bit of a change in the life of Ellie recently, having decided that me paying rent in one place and living actually somewhere completely different was a little bit stupid and not really money-wise I was a bit reluctant to mention to my new lovely, lovely man that it may be an idea for me to move to the caravan with him. I need not have feared. He mentioned it first. So I did. I now live out at the Queens Beach caravan park and am loving every second of not living in hostels and, an added Ellie bonus, I get to live with a wonderful man as well.* We're going to go camping after work finished in a couple of weeks just to get away and have time and space to ourselves. We're also thinking of renting a house together. There may be chickens. I'm feeling domestication looming large on the horizon and do you know something? I'm not scared in the slightest about it - and that should scare me most of all. Now I have to go and meet his parents. Wish me luck! *I'm going to apologise for the gushiness but you're all just going to have to put up with it because I'm happy. Completely and utterly so.

Men

I thought that I should clarify this - in case of future confusion. The guy I am currently dating (we've seen each other every day this week, I think I can fairly safely say that we're seeing each other) is not the Toy Boy, nor is he the French fork-lift driver in the next town. He is someone that I work with who, in time honoured male fashion, showed that he fancied me by always tickling me whenever he passed and spraying me with the hose whenever I foolishly got close enough. In other words, he's as childish as I am when it comes to things like that so we're fairly well suited. Unlike the Toy Boy he doesn't mind telling me he likes me, or that he thinks I'm beautiful - his words, not mine! (although I keep telling me he should have his eyes checked) and unlike the French guy, he didn't wait until either me or him had left town before telling me he liked me. Both plus points in my view. He's also in my age bracket which is highly unusual for me. So far we've been out for dinner and sat on deserted beaches watching the sun set over the ocean. He even bought me an icecream (a Magnum no less!) last night as a surprise which we ate in the dark watching the lights of the boats out on the ocean. He took me fishing and has been surprisingly good natured about the fact that I outfished him - I suspect that that will not happen again. We sit and talk for hours and are currently annoying everyone at work by grinning widely whenever we see each other in the shed. :D

Phone problems

My date is txting me when he's on his way to pick me up. Unfortunately my phone is in his caravan. Bugger.

Busy busy busy

Sorry for the lack of posts for a little while, I do have a good excuse though - I was fishing. No, really. I even caught a coral trout big enough to eat! Which I did, it was delicious :) I've been a bit busy at work hence the silence, if I miss the office opening hours I can't usually be bothered to walk to the pub (I know, I know, but it's right at the other end of town and it's too hot to walk, and being in a pub would mean drinking and drinking and getting up at 5am every morning doesn't always work very well). Still no word from the Toy Boy, I've pretty much given up on him. 5 weeks without a word is a bit much, even for someone with my patience. What did irritate me slightly was the fact that another-very cute, I might add-French guy who worked for me on the forklift at my old shed decided to tell me he really liked me and would have liked to have seen more of me AFTER he left town. I think this might just be the right opportunity for a cry of 'MEN!!!!'. Mind you, he is only in the next town...