a life in the tropics

A new beginning

2010-09-10T21:07:00.000+10:00

www.wheredoallthefishgo.blogspot.com

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye

2010-04-08T14:52:00.004+10:00

I've been silent recently, I know. Mostly this is due to not having internet access at home which can curtail my blogging abilities rather severely. It has also been due to the fact that for a year and a half (until last September) I had a terrible job which didn't make me much fun to be around and I wanted to whinge about work a lot. Then I got a new job. Which was great for about 1 week before it all, too, turned to a big pile of poo. It's not really good form to blog about troubles (or anything, really) at work and for the most part the shit happened to someone else and it wasn't really my story to tell and still isn't. Suffice it to say, I was over the moon when I got another new job in January. This job is fantastic. Three months in and I still love it! I love going to work, I don't feel sick contemplating walking into the office, when my bosses speak to me I don't stress about what it is I might have done wrong or if I'm going to get shouted at. All in all, job = fantastic.

Life seemed to be going well. I have a great job, a loving husband who is fantastic in every way, things were going well. In fact, this probably should be a 'hey I'm back and I'm great!' sort of post.

It isn't.

I'm not back and I'm most certainly not ok. This will improve, over time, but right now if I could hide entirely from the world, I would. My husband, as mentioned, is a wonderful, supportive, loving man and a fantastic pillar of strength. My family and friends, although mostly distant, I know are thinking of us. I write this not for people to ask what's wrong (and I don't think you can anyway as my comments provider decided to close up shop a month ago), or fishing for sympathy but to explain that, right now, I can't do this. I can't blog what I'm feeling because it's just too hard. I'm not even certain writing this final post is a good plan, but I think I'll do it anyway, if just to stop people asking me when I'm going to blog again.

So, from me, it's goodbye. Take care of yourselves and (because I'm quite a bit of a geek) live long and prosper.

On the Scrapheap

2009-09-24T12:15:00.001+10:00

I am a huge fan of Scrapheap Challenge. I watched it religiously when I was in the UK. It was fantastic and it had Kryten presenting it! (I know, I’m a nerd. Live with it)

On the move to Australia things changed slightly. While travelling it was impossible to watch it (most backpackers have no taste) and when I met Graham it was a while before we got into a decent place and it’s only in the last 12 months that we’ve had access to a channel (ABC2) that showed it. And Graham doesn’t like it*. Still, I occasionally got my Scrappy fix of both Scrapheap Challenge and Scrappy Races. I have even been known to watch Junkyard Wars (What IS it with Americans? Do they not know what a Scrapheap is? Was ‘Challenge’ not macho enough for them?).

July this year. I turn on to ABC2 and it’s Scrapheap Challenge folks, but not as we know it. What were they thinking? It’s AWFUL! That bloody presenter is a nightmare, the format is all wrong. It worked for Scrappy Races, people building in their own time, but for this it’s all just WRONG. And where are Kryten and Lisa? Even the AMERICAN presenters were better than that man! The episode I saw didn’t even have the teams competing against each other because it was too far for them to go. Seriously, what is the point?

I’m not happy.

*we were married before I found out...

Hmmm..

2009-08-24T13:59:00.002+10:00

Suddenly it's gone very, very quiet on the cricket front here in Australia...

Am I wandering round with a big grin on my face? What do you think... :D

Feeling patriotic

2009-07-10T12:55:00.004+10:00

I'm very proud of being British at the best of times and like it when people notice. Occasionally I feel that my accent is slipping and do my best to pronouce words properly and not slip into Australianisms. I still manage to surprise people with British sayings and phrases which always makes me happy :)

I felt exceptionally patriotic when on Wednesday night Graham and I settled down to watch the opening overs of the first Ashes Test at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. I smiled as the camera panned over Cardiff, I loved the Welsh flags everywhere and I made Graham laugh when I along to Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. I still think that that's one of the best national anthems ever :)

I love cricket. I inherited the habit from my mother of watching cricket on tv with the sound turned down and listening to it on the radio. You can't beat Test Match Special, there' s just something about Henry Blofeld's voice that to me means summer. I shut my eyes and I can see the kitchen window at home open and see the cricket on the tv and the sound drifting out into the summer day. To me, that is almost as close to heaven as you can possibly get while still being alive.

Graham and I both want to go to an Ashes Test in Britain one day so that should be fun to plan :)

I was really happy with England's performance until Australia came in to bat. I'm still hopeful though :) I just wish I got to see more than an hour or so's worth of cricket before going to bed :(

p.s. Am I the only one to think that Skysports commentary team is not only a bit dull but also one sided? They had a West Indian on day one but it's the Ashes for crying out loud? Where are the guest Aussie commentators? All they could say is that they 'may' have Shane Warne for one day of a test. Yay

blast

2009-07-10T12:16:00.002+10:00

I just lost my entire post.

Grrr

sigh [Scanned]

2009-06-24T11:30:00.001+10:00

If time goes any slower, it will start going backwards.

Why did I get out of bed today?

Paradise lost? [Scanned]

2009-06-11T14:25:00.001+10:00

I went on in the last post about living in a wonderful place. And I do.

I would like to point out, however, that where I grew up is wonderful too and although it’s not a lot of people’s idea of paradise that’s because they have no idea what they’re missing. It’s got more variety than the tropics do. Sure it’s hot here, occasionally cooling down to warm but the seasons just don’t happen and that’s a crying shame in itself.

How can you not love bluebells in a wood in spring and daffodils over every roadside? Watching the bare hedges and trees bud and bloom with early spring flowers and leaves? Watching the hills rise out of the mist like out of some enchanted sea first thing in the morning? An avenue of trees covered in cherry blossom?

Those warm summer days where it’s just perfect to sit outside with friends and family in a pub garden with a beer or a gin and tonic and smell the honeysuckle? Proper beer? Proper pubs (they just aren’t right here)?

Kicking up piles of dead leaves in autumn?

Or how about wrapping up in gloves and a scarf against the wind? Snow covering everything on a crisp winter’s day? Sledging? Sitting in front of a warm fire safe in the knowledge that it’s bloody miserable outside?

If I could have all those things and more, with the palm trees and the heat just occasionally, I really would be in paradise.

Paradise found? [Scanned]

2009-06-09T14:00:00.001+10:00

It is so easy, sometimes, to take for granted what there is around us. I’ve taken to driving to work a slightly longer way every morning, but a way that takes me down onto the Esplanade with its palm trees and grassy strip before the sea stretches out (or the mudflats depending on the tide – you can’t have everything) and it’s beautiful. Even in the rain and wind it just amazes me to think that I live here, almost in paradise, every day. In a place where people come for once in a lifetime holidays - and I LIVE here.

We went for a walk along the beach the other day. It’s a two minute walk from our front door and it stretches for ages. People were laughing, swimming and further down, kite surfing. It was windy but clear and still absolutely lovely.

I have a wonderful husband, a lovely home, a car and a boat. It couldn’t really get much better than this.

Murder on the dance floor [Scanned]

2009-05-28T14:34:00.001+10:00

It all began last September when I went to my sister’s wedding. The bride and groom had been taking dancing lessons and when the day came, after several drinks, I got flung around the dance floor by my new brother-in-law (much to everyone’s amusement I suspect) but I thought there and then that learning to do something like Salsa would be really quite fun.

Six months ago I went out for dinner with my husband and noticed that there were Salsa lessons at the place and I mentioned that it would be something I would quite like to do. Much to Graham’s amusement, I suspect.

Nothing much happened until last week when I was out for lunch with the girls from work and we were talking about getting fit and the gym (neither of which are things that I do) and things like that and I mentioned that I’d always wanted to take Salsa lessons. Then one of my colleagues goes ‘well, I’m starting Salsa lessons on Tuesday and it’s two for one for four lessons, why don’t you come along?’

Now those of you who know me know I’m a great one for wanting to do things but never actually quite getting round to doing it. It’s a failing I know, but hey ho.

Anyway, I agreed to go and on Thursday this seemed like a great idea (even though Graham was openly amused by this – and flatly refused to join me). By Tuesday not so much a good idea and I did try to back out of it (to be fair, I was absolutely knackered and just wanted to go home and collapse). Somehow though at 6pm I found myself at the bar where the lessons were taking place (it’s amazing what the offer of a glass of wine will do).

I must say, I had fun. However, I’m not sure I can say the same about the teacher who has possibly never seen someone have quite so much trouble with not only left and right but backwards and forwards as well. I have also completely forgotten at least one of the four steps that she taught us and have strained my right leg and foot (I’ve been limping for 2 days).

Still, I’ve paid for another 3 lessons. You never know, I may have got the hang of it by then, otherwise it really might be murder on the dance floor…

urgh [Scanned]

2009-05-06T14:16:00.001+10:00

I feel urgh. I hate feeling urgh and I especially dislike being at work and feeling quite this urgh. Ah well.

The curious phenomenon of passport photos [Scanned]

2009-04-20T14:03:00.001+10:00

Firstly, good news! I have my new passport (finally!). This is a Very Good Thing.

Secondly, I don’t really know how I managed it but I did.

For years I hated my passport photo. About 6 months after I had it taken I cut all my hair off and for the majority of the next decade, wherever I went I had passport officials scrutinising my photo and me as if they were thinking ‘Is that really her?’ I even had bleach blonde short hair at one point and that took a little bit of explaining to the official I was trying to persuade to let me into Australia.

Even with the differences in hair style, I hated that photo. I looked chubby, I looked pale (dark clothes didn’t help), my fringe was curling every which way and my eyebrows were in really, truly quite desperate need of an appointment with a lot of wax.

In effort to correct this with my shiny new passport, I wore a light shirt and my hair looked good and neat on the day I had the photos taken. Of course, the Foreign Office then sent me the whole sodding application back as the photos had too much glare. Grr. So, I had them done at Australia Post across the road and that took 3 goes to get shots that were the right size and didn’t have any glare on them.

I was in a rush. I was harassed and consequently, in my new passport photo, I look pale (dark tops again), my fringe is curling every which way and although I don’t look quite so chubby but there are more lines than a decade ago. The only good thing about the whole debacle is that my eyebrows are now, at least, not in desperate need of tweezers.

I really don’t know how I managed to end up with a practically identical photo but I have. I think cameras have it in for me.

Rain [Scanned]

2009-04-17T16:45:00.001+10:00

It’s raining L Quite a lot actually.

My poor seedling coriander and sweetpeas are going to be mangled yet again L

Grr

Cooking

2009-04-16T13:30:00.003+10:00

My husband, for all he doesn't eat much vegetables and stuff, has the happy knack of being able to throw things together and it comes out wonderfully. He cooked me a meal of redclaw marinated in lime, lemongrass and soy with rice and courgettes the other day and it was set out so beautifully it was a shame to spoil it. It was worth it though, it was delicious! And the mango curry he made the other day was simply stupendous.

Anyway, my point is I love cooking but I have a tendancy to get stuck in the same couple of recipes for ages without attempting anything new and I, alas, do not have the happy knack of chucking things in and turning out marvels. I need receipies.

So I've made a resolution to myself.

At least once a week I will attempt a new receipe. Or find an old receipe that I have not attempted in a long time (Chicken Everest springs to mind)
At least once a month one of those receipies will be a desert or cake or something (as I have a wonderful book from my lovely best friend which I got for Christmas - Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess - which makes my mouth water just looking at the pictures and I never know where to start as they ALL look brilliant).

I intend to be on the lookout for Charmaine Solomon's 'The Complete Asian Cookbook' and I'm always on the eye out for Ken Hom. I shall possibly have to start looking out for other good types of recipies otherwise I'll get stuck on Asian which will defeat the purpose.

Keep your fingers crossed and I will keep you posted.

The washing up saga

2009-04-09T12:22:00.002+10:00

Now, I don't mind washing up. I know that sounds a bit odd but on the whole, it's quite a calming exercise when you're standing there with hot soapy water over your hands. It's a time for contemplation.

I wouldn't have been complaining at all had I occasionally managed to convince my husband to do it once in a while. Surely once a week is not too much to ask?

Sadly, it was.

Given that we also cook separate meals I would have two lots of pots and pans to wash up (or not quite two lots when he uses the barbeque). Every. Single. Day.

So, after the evening meal it was always he'd go and flop on the sofa whilst I spent ages putting away the dry dishes from the night before, doing the washing up, then cleaning up. To make things worse he always asked why was I doing that and why couldn't I go and sit down and do it all in the morning.

I hate leaving the washing up for the morning. Coming downstairs to make your breakfast and seeing a disaster zone that you know has to be cleaned before you can even sit down is something I loathe. Especially when I have my mornings timed to perfection so I don't have to get up a second before I absolutely have to. (I don't do mornings)

On top of this I do most of the laundry (he may put a load on once a fortnight)
I do the housecleaning (he may mop the floors once a fortnight or less)
I clean the fish tanks and filters when they need doing (he may do them occasionally - I've learnt not to believe when he says he'll do it soon, because he won't. He'll do it then, or not at all)
I take most of the rubbish and recycling out (he thinks that putting the recycling in a bag and putting it in the garage for me to take out later is 'doing the recycling')
and I do all the washing up (sometimes he would rinse all the dishes and pile them up, but it still meant me washing up).

So I complained. I nagged. I mentioned it at every damn opportunity.

I wanted a dishwasher.

He didn't really want to spend the money and then worried that the kitchen wasn't set up correctly and didn't want to have to pay for a plumber to install it.

So after a couple of heated discussions, I figured it was a lost cause so imagine my surprise when I got home on Monday night (the night after the talk about plumbers installing it costing too much) to find a nice, shiny new dishwasher in the kitchen.

I'm in domestic heaven.

It's so easy! You quickly rinse the plates/glasses etc. as you finish with them and just put them in! Set it at night and in the morning you have clean dishes! It takes me a quarter of the time in the evening it used to take me to clean up which means more time giving my husband attention so he's happier. He doesn't have to listen to me complaining so he's happier still. It's also so quiet, you cannot hear it unless you're right next to it, it's great!

Now I just have to work out what I want next...:)

Slack

2009-03-20T15:36:00.002+10:00

I seem to spend a lot of time here apologising for being lazy and not blogging. Ah well, if that's the way the cookie crumbles...mmm...cookie...

Anyway, where was I? There really isn't much to report at the moment, the financial worries of the world are not effecting us hugely...yet. There's always time. We're a little worried about Graham's job right now, the hours are drying up as no one is really moving and his company has just been merged into the parent company so the other employees all seem to get chosen for work over the ones from his company. Not fair, highly irritating and not really helpful to new home owners but what can you do? Anyway, he's looking for new work but with 100 applicants per job at the moment here it's going to be a while and any money coming in is better than no money coming in! We've got savings and stuff so even if he did lose his job for a little while, we wouldn't be in dire straites for a bit. Mind you, the first thing he wants to do right now is buy a boat so that when he's not at work he can go fishing! Gotta love him...

I got to talk to my friend at home the other week for her birthday and that was really lovely, I really am terrible at keeping in touch and to all of you out there I do truly apologise. I am going to attempt to write some letters this weekend to be sociable but it will also depend on how long I can get Graham out from under my feet for as to whether it gets done... :)

I hope you're all well and not to troubled by economic worries. Take care xxx

Update [Scanned]

2009-03-06T16:10:00.001+10:00

Well, it’s cyclone watch again - Hamish this time. Graham was really disappointed that we didn’t have Ellie and Graham both in the same year…

I haven’t blogged much, I know, a little because there’s a lot of stuff going on and there are some things that I don’t want to blog about but mostly I’m just lazy, and I only have access to t’internet through work. Grr.

Anyway, we’re doing ok and while we love our house, we realise that just before a world recession wasn’t exactly the best time to be a first home buyer! Still, we’re making extra payments as much as we can at the moment just to get the mortgage down a bit and let’s face it, the less interest we pay in the long run, the better. We have the threat lurking on the horizon that one of us may lose our job in the next year or so but it doesn’t do to dwell on something that may or may not happen, that way leads to heart attacks. Que Sera Sera as they say. Mind you, that’s not to say we’re not saving as much as we can. Just in case. And if disaster doesn’t strike, we’ll buy a boat.

You’ll all be glad to hear, I’m sure, that the fish are doing ok. We had a little spate of deaths of the barbs because the water acid balance shifted when Graham got his wish and got 3 more barra but I’ve rescued two and they’re in a new small tank which the old owners of our house left behind. Yes people, forget about cars, we are now a 2 fish tank home. No more angels have disappeared (touch wood!) and the yabbie is doing well.

Our house is still as lovely as it was when we bought it but I think the honeymoon phase is over. No longer do I think that it is absolutely perfect and those little things that you seem to gloss over when you’re first in love are starting to niggle, just a little bit. For instance, the previous owners made a big thing about how they’d repainted recently and retiled it and put in new fans and light fittings and everything. Which is great. Only they only used one coat of paint on the wooden surfaces so you can see the previous beige-ish colour underneath. They’ve also obviously grabbed at a couple of not quite dry painted doors within dirty fingers, judging by the finger marks.

For 3 months now, when we go to be, one of us has gone up, turned on either the spare bedroom or the bathroom light and then the other has turned off the lights downstairs. We put up with this until last weekend because we were really not bothered enough to replace the bulb in the landing light. We now put up with it because it doesn’t matter which lightswitch you use, the light does not go off so we unreplaced it and went back to the old system. I think that one may need an electrician.

The upstairs toilet leaks only a little, but constantly and the seal around the cistern is not the best. Thankfully the floor is tiled.

Also thankfully the large spider in the bathroom vent died. Now I just have to persuade my husband to remove the corpse…

Other than that, life continues very well J

When will I, will I be famous?

2009-02-02T12:10:00.003+10:00

Well, yesterday is the answer!

I am fabulous, everyone knows that, but it seems that my fame has spread as far as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology who were so SO impressed with me that when a low situated 200kms off the Cairns coast yesterday morning reached the magical speed and pressure that meant it became important enough to name, they immediately thought of me.

Yes, Tropical Cyclone Ellie was the cause of much interest yesterday and we kept a careful eye on it as it (I?) meandered south of Cairns and finally crossed the coast near Mission Beach, approximately 140kms south of us.

I was in quite a bit of trouble at work this morning, I got told off for not being closer to Cairns and giving everyone a day off. As I told them though, when you're famous you don't have to cater to the whims of the masses ;)

Isn't this headline a cracker? :)

Urgh

2009-01-30T13:51:00.002+10:00

I like our new bathroom. For one thing, it's actually a bathroom! With an actual bath! It's only a tiny one, I would have to sit up a bit, or bend my legs and have cold knees but it means that in the winter I can actually go up, light some candles, pour a glass of wine, take my book and have a lovely bubble bath :) I can't wait for cooler weather!

Our bathroom also has a sink, and a toilet and as far as they go it's pretty standard.

However it has no windows due to the fact it's in the middle of our home which is one of several terraced houses in a complex (called a unit over here). Anyway, to compensate for this, the designers though that they would put in a skylight about 1ft square to let some natural light in. A brilliant idea you might say, and so it is. We have a grill ( with about 1cm wide holes) in our ceiling and a window in the roof.

We also have a bird eating spider* that lives between the two.

The only comforting thing about the fact that this damn thing is HUGE is that it can't get through the grill because its body is so big. I am not amused.

*shudder*

*actually, it's not a bird eating spider because a little bit of research shows that that is native to South America. Nevertheless, it sounds impressive and as I don't know what kind of huge monster it is, bird eating it will remain.

Lazy lazy me

2009-01-28T13:43:00.005+10:00

Ok, so once again I've been thinking of all these great posts and witty observations and completely failing to make them.

What can I say other than sorry?

The last couple of weeks have been quite good actually. We've settled quite well into our new abode and it's really feeling like home now.

Graham recently took me to a shop that they have here in Cairns, it's only a little shop and it's irritatingly named (for crying out loud Australia, it's quite simple - if it's on a stick, it's a lolly. If it's not, its a sweet. It's not difficult!) but it's heaven for an ex-pat like me. I refer, of course, to the British Lolly Shop (see what I mean). I was so happy I didn't know where to start! I was amazed and overjoyed to find that you could buy redcurrant jelly there (and I made Graham go out and buy a lamb roast for dinner just so I could have some) and I got some aniseed balls and proper fudge. They were all out of prawn cocktail crisps but the lovely lady assured me that they would get some in in the next delivery so I feel another trip coming on soon!

I also had a bit of a nostalgia dvd weekend (while Graham was away of course, he would never have put up with it if he were there!) a little while ago because I was just killing time in Sanity (sort of like HMV) waiting for keys to be cut when I spotted High Society for only $10.00. And then I spotted The Sound of Music for $20.00. Bargain! Consequently, that particular Sunday was spent cleaning the house with The Sound of Music on. I'm sure my neighbours loved my singing...

It was Australia Day long weekend this weekend just gone and Graham dragged me out in the boat at some awful hour of the morning - mind you, it does mean I get fantastic sunrise pictures so I can't complain too much!

In compensation for this, on Sunday we drove to Cape Tribulation for a day out. I've been wanting to do this for a while as it's a lovely drive and there are all sorts of things that you can do. Not that we really did any of them, mind you, but we know we want to go back when we've got a boat and spend the weekend fishing and maybe do the odd crocodile spotting trip.

I had a lovely moment though when we were driving down one of the few straight spots on the road, deliberately made windy so that people don't drive so fast, when the van infront of us stopped and we could see, crossing in front of a car coming the other way, was a cassowary and its chick. It's the first one I've ever seen and it's a big bird! Unfortunately the van infront was full of backpackers and despite the fact they had all the time when it walked in front of them to take pictures, they stayed there until it had disappeared into the bush so I only got a really dark picture of it. It made me rethink bushwalking though, you would not see the thing until it was nigh on top of you and you really do not want to be on foot in close vicinity to a cassowary in a bad mood!

We also went to Mossman Gorge which doesn't really give much impression of being a gorge but was very pretty nontheless.

Finally, because I have to get back to work, the last bit of excitement in our life recently was Cyclone Charlotte crossing the coast up on the other side of Cape York* and dumped a whole heap of rain down on us which, happily, coincided with the king tides for the year so our little village of Yorkeys Knob (yes, it's true) was flooded in for a whole day. Ooh excitement!

It did mean, however, that I got some quite good pictures of waves and stuff :)

*for those of you interested, it crossed near Kowanyama from the Gulf of Carpenteria which is not, in any way shape or form 'near Cairns' as apparently reported by the Guardian at the time - that made us chuckle

Christmas time

2009-01-07T12:12:00.004+10:00

Christmas is an odd time of year for me. I love it, I really do. I love making up the Christmas tree and having all the presents under it. I love the formality of our Christmas at home with the champagne at around 11am with the opening of the presents and the fire blazing in the living room. I love being told to be careful with the good china because it's older than I am. I love eating so much I can't move. I love setting fire to brandy to pour over the Christmas pudding. I love Christmas cake and smoked salmon and cucumber on cream crackers (Jacobs of course) for supper. I love the feel that it's freezing outside but I'm nice and warm and wrapped up inside. I love having my family around me.

This means that the last 4 Christmases have been really quite hard for me. It's very hard to do really Christmassey things when it's 32 degrees outside. This Christmas we had a bbq outside and spent most of the day in the pool at my parents-in-law's house. We'd just moved house in early December and it took a little while to get organised, added to the fact that my husband is not big on the whole Christmas thing, so there was no tree, no decorations. We had cards up all over the place but that was about it. It's just not right here. Not right at all.

Graham, bless his heart, understands how difficult I find this sometimes and at around 7pm on Christmas day looked at me as I said goodbye on the phone having been passed round my entire family for a quick chat (even to my 3yr old nephew who was very excited about his playmobile lighthouse) and wordlessly held his arms out as I collapsed sobbing into a very loving, comforting and understanding hug.

Next year, I want to go home.

changing names

2008-12-22T12:35:00.002+10:00

I've not been that good lately, with this blog and everything. I still want to blog, I do, it's just that I only have internet access at work and also that quite a lot of stuff now is about things my husband and I do together and I feel that, mostly, it's too private to share on a public blog.

So, looking at it today, I decided that just as I changed names 7 months ago (and believe me, that is still taking some getting used to, especially as I have to use the old one sometimes and remember which signature to use! Its too much for my little brain) it was time for my blog to change a little.

I wrote a post a long time ago about why I called this blog 'a world full of sky' and, at the time, that seemed the most suitable name for it.

But a lot has gone on since then, I've been home, and back here again. I've stopped skydiving. I've got married. We've bought a house.

This used to be about my travels and now it's more of forming a new life here in Far North.

Also, I've learnt that the world isn't just full of sky, here in the tropics it's also full of sun, sea, sand, reef and rainforests. Limiting it to sky is simply not fair on anything.

Tired [Scanned]

2008-12-17T16:06:00.001+10:00

I’m tired.

I miss my husband.

I want to go home.

And it’s only flippin’ Wednesday.

On the other hand, hearing my 3 year old nephew sing Happy Birthday then Jingle Bells down the phone to me last night was the highlight of my month.

Been busy

2008-11-10T12:39:00.001+10:00

I've been a little quiet of late, I know, and for that I apologise.

Mostly it's because I've been very tired of late, not sleeping terribly well (I think we've narrowed it down to our air conditioner which isn't really a good thing because I don't sleep when it's on because it's too noisy, and I don't sleep when it's off, because it's too hot - it was 30 degrees at MIDNIGHT last night in the room - so it's a lose lose situation really) and it's been affecting my concentration and all sorts so I just havn't been blogging.

The other reason is something I've wanted to blog about but havn't in case I've jinxed us, or something. But this morning I had the news that I've been waiting for since the middle of last week and I figured that it couldn't hurt too much to let people know now.

No, I'm not pregnant (despite the rumours that my husband insists on fueling) - Graham and I are buying a house!

We got finance approval, pending a valuation on the place, this morning so I'm over the moon! We didn't think we had a icecube's hope in hell of getting it without fighting tooth and nail so this is brilliant :)

It's a lovely townhouse in a complex of about 21 other townhouses (basically like a small group of terraced houses) and it has a lock up garage (a minor miracle in complexes), a separate laundry room and a pantry and a linen cupboard* and it's just lovely! It's a little bit more than we were initially looking at but, as they say, you get what you pay for and the difference between this and something $20,000 cheaper was phenominal (I'm not even going to go into what was wrong with some of the ones that I looked for around the $200,000 mark). It's in a small village on one of the northern beaches and we're about 300 meters from either the beach one way, or the boat ramp and yacht club the other.

Anyway, we've got building and pest inspections in 2 days time, we should go unconditional next week and settle somewhere in the first week of December. Fingers crossed we're going to own a house! I'm still in shock I think.

Oh, and the best bit?

...

We'll be living in Yorkey's Knob. It took my mother several seconds to compose herself when I told her that :)

*if you'd told me a decade ago I'd be excited about buying a place with a linen cupboard I would have laughed at you. A lot

Ascending Angels

2008-10-31T15:40:00.001+10:00

I have a mystery on my hands and it’s all to do with angels. Well, angel fish to be more precise.

I had 3. They were lovely and they were called Rod, Jane and Freddy*.

Throughout the trials and tribulations that was us getting our first fish and then one by one losing the rest, the angels survived, and thrived.

Then, sadly, one morning Rod was found floating and had to be sent to the fish bowl in the sky L I mourned, but I had Jane and Freddy to comfort me still.

All was going well until I went to Britain for 2 weeks. Near the end, my husband confessed that he had lost one of my angel fish. It hadn’t died, as far as he was aware, it simply was not in the tank any more. I didn’t really believe him and assumed that he had managed to suck it up with the gravel cleaner or something whilst cleaning the tank. Still, I forgave and moved on, after all I still had Freddy.

That is, until 3 days ago when I was looking at the tank. He had vanished. Not a sign. No body in the tank, or caught in weeds or the filter, no dead fish behind the tank stand (just in case he’d jumped out), just no angel fish. And Freddy had been seen since the tank had been cleaned last so that was not what had happened.** Baffled, bemused and completely confused we just accepted that they had gone L

My parents-in-law*** kindly thought that they would buy me three more and when I got home from work yesterday there they were in the tank - 3 more angel fish for me to love and care for. Wilbur, Brian and Ermintrude seemed to ok and swam around settling in and all was well.

I went home for lunch today and looked in the tank, ready to say hello to my 3 new friends. Try as I might, I looked in the weeds, I looked behind the filter, I looked in the yabbie’s lair (which is only a few rocks and immaculately clean, he puts me to shame really), I looked everywhere.

Ermintrude had gone. I now fear greatly for Wilbur and Brian but there is little I can do but watch, and wait, and see if they truly are angels and going to a better place.

Failing that I’ll kill the bugger who keeps stealing my fish.

*which is completely lost on my husband but I don’t care, I’m still amused

**at this point I had to apologise to my husband for blaming him for the previous disappearance

***who are now living with us until they can move into a house of their own – just don’t ask

The importance of proper punctuation [Scanned]

2008-10-22T16:57:00.001+10:00

This really tickled me this morning, just when I needed it. I came across an advert whilst searching for something and this is really a place I’d like to go! There is, apparently, an indoor rock climbing gym in Melbourne that has ‘Australias tallest friendly staff’.

It’s amazing what these places can find to boast about :)

Travelling (part 2)

2008-09-20T21:08:00.002+10:00

This evening actually appears to be going quite well for me! not only did I manage to earn the undying hatred of quite a lot of people who had been queuing to book in since before the counters had opened by strolling to the service desk (no queue) and getting my boarding card (well, my third one actually, since the first had my seat at standby and I hadn't liked where they'd sat me when they did allocate me a seat, hence the visit to the service desk) but I also got a window seat all the way to the UK so yay for me!

I have, since then, had a rather nice meal at the PJ O'Briens in the check in desk area (making sure that I was nowhere near my flight time) and a couple of nice glasses of wine to help wash the delicious beef and guiness pie down.

I was, therefore, in just the right mood to appreciate the fact that, after having gone through passport control and customs and finding a screen that would tell me where I have to be in just over an hour, the instruction on it was not 'final call', oh no, not even 'boarding' or 'preparing to board'. Nope, this very friendly screen is instructing me to 'relax' and, you know what, that sounds like a very good idea.

UK here I come. Suitably relaxed

travelling

2008-09-20T19:16:00.001+10:00

I'm going home! I'm in Melbourne and have just noticed that the queue that was non-existant when I started on teh internet is now huge. Bugger

My telepathic trays

2008-09-15T15:16:00.000+10:00

I’ve discovered an amazing thing about my trays at work…they’re telepathic!

I have 2 trays on my desk, an in tray and an out tray, one at either end of my desk and it’s become clear to me that they automatically know what they are supposed to be for the person putting things down! They can change their state of being from ‘in’ to ‘out’ or visa versa in the blink of an eye.

The practical upshot of this is that no matter which direction you approach my desk from, the nearest tray to you will always be the in tray (because everyone comes to dump stuff on my desk and rarely to take it away again).

It’s a miracle I tell you!

Don’t miss next week’s instalment - the miracle of the coffee making photocopier! Marvel at the things that it can do…

Horrible sounds

2008-09-09T16:37:00.001+10:00

‘snick’

That such an innocuous, harmless sort of sound can bring instant fear into your hearts is almost impossible to imagine.

Nevertheless, it is with absolute horror and with that harmless little quiet sound echoing in our ears, as deafening as a multitude of foghorns blowing in unison that my husband and I look at each other.

For an instant no words need to be said. The realisation of what has just occurred happened instantaneously and simultaneously. Then…

‘Please tell me that you have keys?’ This from my husband, frozen in mid-step.

My hand still rests on the door handle, the metal of it cold in my palm, my fingers curled around it. The door handle of our front door. The, and this is the vitally important part, the very locked door handle.

Already the mosquitoes are starting their feeding frenzy on my ankles, my exposed ankles as I had decided to put on a skirt for the first time this Spring.

“I thought that you had one” A remarkably stupid thing to say, given that it is extremely obvious that no, keys are something he does not possess at that moment in time.

This is quite a way from our usual house-leaving ceremony which consists of him going out the door first, me asking ‘have you got keys?’ and double checking even if he says that he does by waiting until he unlocks the car or I know for a fact that keys are in my hand. Not in my bag, but ready, in my hand, unable to make their escape for this very reason. My greatest fear is that we will lock ourselves out of the car, which has only 1 key, or the house. Now, with one terrible little sound, I have managed to do both in one fell swoop.

We cannot get into the car.

We cannot get into the house.

So, after one phone call to our agent and instructions on how to get to the out of hours key keeping person, I embark on a mission to gain the means to re-enter our house. I do this alone and in the dark as my husband, having climbed up to our balcony to check if the screen door was miraculously unlocked, cannot now get down again without breaking a limb, or the air-conditioner and it’s a race against time to get back to him and let him in before the mosquitoes finish him off.

The next day, itching ferociously around the ankle region (and arms, and neck…) I go to shut the door to the house and pause…

‘Have you got the keys?’ He just beats me to it.

The answer, thankfully, is yes.

hmmm

2008-09-04T16:02:00.001+10:00

Why is it that the phone only never stops ringing when you really don’t want the interruptions? It never seems to ring when you’ve got nothing to do.

I dreamt...

2008-09-03T13:31:00.001+10:00

…that it was spring and I was walking*. There was snow on the ground, just enough to make everything white with the grass and the daffodils and the snowdrops peeking through, the sky was blue, that wonderful glowing blue that means you should rug up warm before heading out. There were leaf buds on the trees.

I was in a village walking past the green, with a magnolia tree in flower just off centre in the green, amazingly untouched by the cold, heading to somewhere. I don’t know where.

I took a turn, past old stone cottages and went up the road which turned after a little while into a track, then a path.

I stopped at a ladder over a stone wall, and turned and looked back at the snow covered valley and the daffodils in the shelter of the wall, a burst of yellow against the grey.

I stopped and sat down and simply watched the world go by and marvelled at the snow covered view and waited for the bluebells to arrive.

*because the tyre on my bike had gone flat and I didn’t have a puncture repair kit. Don’t ask, I don’t know.

Some days

2008-09-02T09:59:00.000+10:00

Some days I wonder if anyone will actually notice if I tip the entire contents of my desk into a bin and start all over again.

Probably not.

In 18 days, 3 hours and 25 minutes I will (hopefully!) be on a plane J

Thank god it's Friday

2008-08-29T15:37:00.000+10:00

The subject says it all, really.

Mind you, unless the wind calms down I’m not going to have a very happy husband all weekend so I may be looking forward to Monday fairly soon!

Grr

2008-08-19T13:36:00.001+10:00

And now he's given it to me *sniff*

Sick man syndrome [Scanned]

2008-08-18T11:02:00.000+10:00

I have a poorly husband.

The poor thing has been sniffling and snuffling and coughing all weekend and I, as dutiful wife, have been supplying him with all sorts of pills for his ills (mainly Sudafed and Strepsils, wonderful stuff) and lots of sympathy (though, according to him, I could have given more – he’s a sympathy addict). He has a cold.

He, however, is convinced that it must be something more…

Something awful…

Something deadly.

Throughout the weekend he’s listed all the possible diseases that he has from Alzheimer’s to Meningococcal meningitis, from Malaria to anything with the word streptococcal in it, from Bird Flu to the Hendra Virus*.

What is it about men?

*for those not in the know, or in Australia recently, that’s horse flu

I'm a legal alien [Scanned]

2008-08-08T09:07:00.001+10:00

No, honestly I am J My visa came through yesterday!

I know the guy said that he would look at it and try and get it through before I left the country in September but I never expected it to be this quick!

So, I’ve got 2 more years of being a temporary resident then I have to tell them that yes, we are still together and then I’m permanent!*

Oh, and Graham came home with a fairly decent (and very comfortable, I must admit) huge, lounge suite yesterday**

All in all quite a good day J

*Apologies for the overload on exclamation marks…

** My question being immediately ‘So where are we going to put this huge 3 piece suite in our teeny tiny lounge?’ The answer? ‘We’re going to have to look for a bigger house, aren’t we?’

A list [Scanned]

2008-08-01T16:58:00.001+10:00

Bad things today:

I have had a headache since getting to work. This has not abated. Grrr

I had a phone call from the Department of Immigration saying that I owed them extra money

However, I have managed to keep my spirits up a bit because of good things today:

My husband went fishing and caught a large Spanish mackerel and some other fish so he’s in a really good mood.

The extra money was only $15 so not exactly bank breaking stuff.

I had a phone call from the Department of Immigration saying that they’ve received my application and because of the stuff up with my payment, (it wasn’t my fault I underpaid them, I only did what I was told) they’re going to try and push my application through.

I have a really nice case file worker at the Dept.

It’s Friday.

It’s Friday

Choices [Scanned]

2008-07-30T14:06:00.001+10:00

Graham and I took a long hard look at our finances last night and I think that we are going to have to make a decision about our future soon. And it’s quite a big one.

Basically, children or house.

Neither of us have fantastic prospects of earning huge amounts in the future and we simply cannot afford to take out a mortgage for the next 30 years and bring up kids. I don’t know how people do it, I really don’t. The prospect of renting for the next 30 years is also not a great one.

I must say though, for me, and I think for Graham, the choice is a no brainer.

Can you guess what it is?

Carpets [Scanned]

2008-07-29T14:28:00.001+10:00

I finally lost the battle.

This weekend, we bought some marine carpet (great stuff, hard to stain and you can take it out and hose it down if you need to) to put in the back of the car to protect the carpet.

This, I was perfectly agreeable to.

The battle I lost was whether we had the back seats up or down. I like them up. I like our car to look like a car that’s used for carrying people (besides, things used to get stored down in the gap below the back seats in the old Subaru and after several years of accumulated gunk it was horrible to clean up when we traded it in. I mean, we even had cockroaches breeding in the car *pause to shudder*) rather than a more utilitarian one.

And I was worried about the gunk building up again.

So, the carpet was bought and cut out to cover the whole lot, back seats down. Sigh.

Still, he’s promised that it will be kept clean, and stuff won’t be stored down under the seats.

And definitely NO cockroaches.

I'm a comin' home! [Scanned]

2008-07-23T14:32:00.001+10:00

I have my flights and everything so watch out Britain, I’m back for 2 weeks from Sunday 21^st September J

I can’t believe it will have been nearly a year since I left last time.

Husband, unfortunately, can’t come because that would have been fantastic but we’ll get there. One day. One warm day…

Visa stuff

2008-07-16T09:52:00.001+10:00

Well, it’s lodged. Now, I just have to sit and wait for them to tell me what hoops they would like me to jump through and whether or not they’ll be burning…

Wish me luck.

Testing

2008-07-12T12:03:00.001+10:00

Trying out the blogging by email thing which may help with posts, fingers crossed!

A long absence explained

2008-07-12T11:30:00.003+10:00

Firstly, I am so sorry that it's been so long between posts :/

For some reason, I can't post at work, they've got some blockers up so that probably explains it all (as well as my absence on Facebook...). I will try and make more of an effort to get online more though, I really don't like sitting there at work when something occurs to me that I really want to post but then I can't and it just goes by the wayside and then you can't post them later because it just seems out of context, for example:

'Sitting here, at my desk, with my glue-stick, scissors, paper and sticky-back plastic in front of
me, I realise that I've missed my vocation. I should have been a Blue Peter presenter'

Which would have worked really well as a one off, but seems odd now.

Anyway, married life is fantastic. We're loving every minute of it. We decided that we needed to do a married sort of permanent gesture and so we've bought an aquarium (because they don't interfere with Mr M's asthma) and we've got 2 baby barramundi* (Walter and Minnie), one goldfish (Arthur) and 3 angel fish (Rod, Jane and Freddy - which still amuses me greatly but went completely over Graham's head...). We've also got a couple of un-named fish who haven't displayed enough personality to warrant names yet. We've had a couple of fatalities (a goldfish called Bubbles (because he loved playing in the aerator - 'My bubbles! Mine!) and a barra called Gutso but we've dosed the others with medicine and they seem to be doing fine so fingers crossed they'll stay that way!

I've been in my new job for a month now and I'm loving it! It's a larger office than the last place but still quite a small firm. I work with a paralegal for two solicitors, one of whom pours out a heap of work - enough to keep both of us busy and the other's quite quiet. All in all, we're generally busy, the atmosphere in the place is great and it's just a fantastic place to work. They put on morning tea for people's birthdays and if someone leaves, or arrives, or for any excuse really!

I've got to put in my new application for my visa in the next week and have been gathering all the evidence needed. I'm worried, because I'm a worrier, but I really don't think that we'll have too much of a problem. there's an 8-10 month waiting list in Queensland at the moment so even if they do reject my application, we'll have even more evidence by the time they get round to it to make an appeal :)

I hope to be online more often soon because we've now got a computer. We've got a little trouble because we don't have the power cord for the monitor, but we're working on that one. A friend is giving us a webcam so all we'll have to do is set up the internet and not only will I post more often but I'll be able to go on skype which should be great! I can't wait and will keep people updated on that one.

Anyway, I'd better go, I have copying to do (honestly, the Department of Immigration must go through several forests a day the amount of paperwork they require).

Love you all and miss you!

*the spell checker doesn't recognise barramundi and suggests barracuda - I may be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that we don't have barracuda in the tank...

Bloody Cyclists

2008-06-02T12:35:00.002+10:00

So, there I was, driving along minding my own business. I'd been into town job hunting (having given up my old job when I went back after my wedding holiday because a) there wasn't enough work and b) I couldn't be bothered to cope with the other girl in the office who was really being nasty in a sneaky way (she'd archived my folder into the 'old employees' section while I was on holiday - I can take a hint) and was on my way back home. I'd stopped at the lights at a junction to cross a major road and was in the left hand lane (arrowed to go straight across or right, the right hand lane was just right). The lights went green and I set off, I saw the cyclist ahead of me and on my left and made sure that I kept away from them on my way across (they're notoriously bad in this city) and had got mostly past them when BANG. In my mirrors is a cyclist in the middle of the road. Shit.

So I pull over once across the junction and rush back to help her up. It turns out that she'd wanted to turn right and 'hadn't noticed' that my car was there. Great. Large scratches down the side. Anyway, I search through the car for tissues for her and this guy comes over, asks if I'm ok. I told him that I was and that she'd run into the back of my car and I look round and she's bloody gone! No name, no nothing.

I shakily went home and then rang Graham who told me to go and search for her, which I did, with no success. I then went and reported it to the police in case she tried to claim I was a hit and run.

This means we're left to pay the excess. Fan-bloody-tastic

We really didn't need this.

Also, jobs are really thin on the ground so stress is happening (although, as I typed this, I had a phone call from an agency regarding a junior paralegal job, though they'll take an experienced secretary, with chances to go up through the ranks if I want so I told her to put me forward for it right away! fingers crossed!)

Reader, I married him

2008-05-28T10:01:00.005+10:00

At around 4.15pm on Saturday 17th May 2008 I looked up at my fiance and said 'I do'. I don't think I've ever been happier in my life.

That's not to say that the day went entirely without hitches. The photographer is going down in family history as a by-word for someone a bit strange.
I thought that when I was walking across the beach everyone was laughing at me and my entirely unsuitable for a beach dress which was a bit disconcerting but I thought to myself 'sod them all - I feel wonderful' and was determined to not let them get to me. I later found out they were laughing at my sister's complete inability to hold onto the back of my dress and ensuing chase for a corner to grab, just to drop it again.
The vows were terribly simple. There were 2 responses to 2 questions each 'I do' and 'I will'. Unfortunately, I let Graham go first and he wasn't entirely certain of this. Still, 'I do' and 'um, yes' worked just as well.

The flowers were absolutely beautiful and the cake was delicious. The venue was so perfect I can't even begin to describe it. All in all it was a bloody good day.

Nearly there...

2008-05-14T14:12:00.001+10:00

Do not talk to me about work, I will only cry.

On the other hand, they're so fed up with me sitting round doing bugger all (there's no enough work and only so much looking busy you can do) that they've given me tomorrow off so yay!

This means that the dress maker who started off steaming my dress and is now altering it (only in minor and good ways) will get me back again tomorrow for another fitting, yay! I like being told how lovely my dress it :D

So, this is it. Goodbye Miss Ellie J. When I return, it will be with a new name and a new husband.

Wish me luck!

More cake stress

2008-05-13T11:31:00.002+10:00

I have had more cake stress. I thought that I was over that!!! (for those of you who don't remember, I posted back in February regarding the cake saga).

My planner just rang up saying that I'd confused the bakery by making enquiries there regarding the cake I previously wanted and now they didn't know how many cakes I wanted or through who or which cake.

I, with a great deal of restraint I thought, managed to not point out that how was I to know that that was his bakery seeing as he wouldn't tell me!!! But, I kept my cool, confirmed that I had not ordered a cake through the bakery but had just made enquiries, I wanted the cake that I had ordered through him.

All solved.

Bloody hell though, if that man turns up at my wedding I'm going to tell him exactly what I think of him when it's too late for him to do any damage!

Not long to go

2008-05-13T08:40:00.003+10:00

You know, how when you've been planning something for AGES and it's always just so far away and then suddenly it's right here, and now, and there's a multitude of things you meant to do nearer the time but nearer the time is here and passing and it's getting to even nearer the time and you still haven't done them?

Welcome to my world.

In 4 1/2 days I'm marrying the Most Wonderful Man in the World (TM) and I still haven't drawn up my place setting cards (or even bought the stuff to MAKE the damn things), I need to contact a bridal shop and see if they'll get the creases out of my dress (I'm not taking it to a dry cleaners, I'd rather get married in a creased dress thank you very much), I need to contact the reception with a revised number of guests, I need to burn the music onto CD for the reception (that's tonight's job, my parents-in-law-to-be are letting me use their computer, bless them, only Graham went to Brisbane with half the CD's I want...), I still haven't managed to pick a song to 'walk down the aisle' (it's a beach but you know what I mean) to and, to cap it all off, Graham went to Brisbane on Saturday and isn't due back until tomorrow afternoon. He'll be working Thursday, knackered Thursday evening and then fishing on Friday so I won't really see him until we get married. Aaargh!

*deep breath*

Other than that, everything's under control. No, really it is :)

A little something for the Welsh out there...

2008-05-06T15:31:00.003+10:00

I went to a massive DVD/book/CD sale this weekend where there were supposedly hundreds of deals and I have to say, for the most part I was highly disappointed. There were no real bargains for sale, it was just lots of the same titles. No fun.

I did, however, have to stop and have a bit of a giggle when I came across a pile of CD’s called ‘Songs from my Welsh Home’.

Intrigued, I looked at what they had on the list of songs. Fair enough they had the perennial favourites like ‘Land of my Fathers’ (NOT ‘Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ grrr) and All through the night’ and then I got down to number 11 and couldn't quite believe my eyes...

I think they mean 'Myfanwy'...

aaargh

2008-05-01T16:11:00.002+10:00

I HATE repeating myself. For crying out loud, when I'm explaining something, why I've done it like that and the reason for everything (42?) LISTEN TO ME. Don't talk at cross purposes over me, don't tell me I've done it wrong simply because you're not listening, don't tell me that I've got to do it a particular way, which in the end turns out to be the way I did it initially because you didn't listen to a bloody word I've said!

Also don't tell me to do things when I'm in the middle of something more important, you know it's more important, I know it's more important and then when I've just finished. Just handed it to you to sign, exclaim in surprise that I haven't done the other so non-important it may as well be invisible thing. Because that really. Really. Pisses me off.

Don't tell me off for not telling you I've not got any work. When I have. Repeatedly. You've just gone and given the work to someone else instead and ignored me.

clothes shopping

2008-04-28T09:34:00.002+10:00

I accomplished a miracle this weekend - I managed to get Graham into Cairns Central and not only go into clothes shops but actually TRY ON THE CLOTHES before buying them, a miracle in itself.

So, we've got him kitted out for the wedding which is a worry off my mind.

Thank god for ANZAC day

2008-04-24T16:45:00.003+10:00

I really don't think I could cope with another day of work this week :/

Hooray for ANZAC day :)

On a slightly more serious note

Hooray for ANZAC day lest we forget.

Difficult weekend

2008-04-22T12:27:00.002+10:00

This weekend is not one I would willingly repeat and I'm not going to post about it because it's not really my business to do so.

I will say one thing however. My future in-laws are the nicest, most generous, caring, welcoming, family I could have hoped for.

In extremely difficult circumstances where I could easily have been overlooked, I was treated as one of the family and not once made to feel that I was in the way or that it was awkward to have me there.

I think, in the scheme of things, I'm really, really lucky.

Diet update no. 2

2008-04-17T13:18:00.003+10:00

I know you've all been weighting (sorry, bad joke) for this weeks weigh in.* I know I have.

I've been a little naughty this week and have had a couple of glasses of wine (I still have half a bottle left a week after I bought it so I really do mean a couple) but other than that I've been sticking religiously to the diet.

I was getting a bit worried that I hadn't lost anything this week but I was worrying for nothing. Another 1.4kg has vanished into the ether. Woohoo!

I've can't believe myself though, for the first time in my life I've started to actually look at the labels on sauces and stuff. I can't believe the difference between 2 foods labelled as the same thing! How can they be so different?! There's one pesto sauce I'm supposed to be able to have (luckily it's Sacla, which was the one I always had anyway) but my local supermarket doesn't have it all the time so I had a look at some of the others. I was shocked!

Anyway, if this keeps up I'll have to go on the maintenance program instead or I'll get lost in my dress!

*ye gods and little fishes, I'm starting to sound like I'm on the Biggest Loser, eek!

Weekend

2008-04-15T09:07:00.003+10:00

I had a lovely weekend.

Graham worked quite a bit of Saturday which left me free to go shoe shopping (and after 3 hours I finally managed to find 1 pair of shoes that fitted). hopefully I won't have to do that again in a hurry! The problem was I found loads that I liked but there were sales on and there just weren't any pairs in my size, grr!

I also bought my wedding ring. I had been trying to wait to get Graham to come along with me to try on rings but I eventually gave up as I was cutting it a bit close. As it was, the first jewellers I tried would have had to order the ring in and that would have taken 4 weeks. With 5 weeks to the wedding I thought that that might be cutting it a wee bit close.

Anyway, the next jewellers I tried were lovely and helpful and I got me a ring that they're keeping safe hold of until just before the wedding. yay!

On the Sunday we went for a drive down to Mission Beach. What I can't understand is, if you're going to sunbathe topless on public beach, why would you choose to set yourself up right next to where the cars park and therefore in the path of absolutely everyone?!

In the evening I rang my sister-in-law to wish her happy birthday and got told by a happy little 2 1/2 year old that they were having a 'par-tay' for mummy because it was her 'birfday'. According to my brother, he's been going on about how they had to have cake and candles for mummy for days :)

Anyway, all in all I had a lovely weekend, though talking to them made me want to jump on plane and go and see everyone. Still, not long now before most of them are here!

I do wish my brother and sister-in-law could have made it though, it won't quite be the same without them. I'll just have to make sure that lots of photos are taken for them.

Shopping stress

2008-04-11T13:47:00.002+10:00

Tomorrow I'm going to brave Cairns Central Shopping Centre and go shoe shopping.

Now, traditionally shoe shopping is not one of my favourite activities, rare as it is to

a) find shoes in my size that
b) fit and
c) don't make my feet look even larger

This is harder than it sounds, trust me.

But, my work shoes are rapidly disintergrating* and I really need a new pair of flip flops, or 2, well a pair I can go fishing in therefore cheap and plastic and a pair I could conceivably wear out say to a pub or restaurant, therefore not plastic and not so cheap.

Wish me luck.

Oh, and did I mention it's also the school holidays and the shops are HEAVING?

*and since the incident with the mud while running to the bus and a few walks in 30 degree heat and occasional rain are starting to give off a distressing aroma

Diet Update No 1

2008-04-10T13:32:00.002+10:00

I'm in shock. Completely.

I've been on this diet a week so today was my first weigh in. I've tried to be really good and so have cut out the wine, I've been drinking my 2 litres of water a day. I'm not so good at getting the 'palm size protein' the right size so I generally have a little bit more meat than I'm supposed to (naughty me *slap on wrist*) and I've been having my fruit. I've even said no when there's been cake here at work.

I feel healthier and Graham's been telling me that I've lost weight but I couldn't really see it myself. So imagine my shock when I stepped on the scales today.

I was so shocked I had to step off and then back on again to see if I'd read it wrong. I hadn't.

In 1 week, I've lost 2.7kg.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

I may even skip my afternoon fruit and have a glass of wine this evening to celebrate :)

Work issues

2008-04-09T09:40:00.001+10:00

I'm not going to bitch about work, people in it or anything like that because I really don't want to get dooced.

I will, however, say one thing.

AAAAAAARGH!

There, I feel somewhat better now.

belongings

2008-04-08T10:56:00.004+10:00

I didn't post about it at the time because I was stressed about leaving home, and pissed off at the removal company and then I was here and with Graham and it just seemed petty but at the time I was seriously pissed off with the removal company that was shifting my stuff across the hemispheres.

Anyway, it's early November 2007. I have my visa, I've left my job, I'm here, there and everywhere visiting friends and relatives that I won't see for several months or more. In between all this, I managed to arrange for the removal company to deliver me some boxes so I could pack my stuff up.

Unfortunately, due to a complete clash of schedules, the only day we can both manage is Tuesday 6th November. Great, sounds wonderful. Only I leave for Heathrow Airport at 8am Wednesday 7th November so not much room for stuff ups. And removal firms being removal firms they couldn't give me a time more accurate that 'between 9am and 5pm'.

No worries, even if it's delivered at 5pm all my stuff is in nice piles, ready to go into boxes, it would only take me an hour or so to pack and it's all sorted.

Mum's house doesn't actually have a name sign so my aunt and I painted the name onto a bit of cardboard and pinned it to the gate, just to make certain they found it.

9am...

10am...

At 10.30am I rang the courier firm actually delivering the boxes. I expressed my worries that the driver wouldn't find the house and wanted to give them directions. 'Oh no, we don't need that, don't worry, he hasn't got to you yet, your stuff is still logged as being in the truck, it's shouldn't be too long now'. Just in case, I gave them my phone number to give to the driver, just in case he did get lost.

At 1.30pm I rang them again. 'Has he got lost?' 'Oh no, he's just not got to you yet, don't worry'. 'It's just that I'm leaving for Australia tomorrow and I really need those boxes. Did you give him my number? No? Well, here it is again...'.

At 4.30pm I rang them again. 'Where the hell's my stuff?' 'Oh, the driver knocked at 11am and there was no answer ...' 'Well I was in all day so that's not bloody true' '...so he's brought it back to the depot.' 'WHAT?!'

I was understandably upset. Apparently he'd gone to a converted chapel up the road because 'it looked like a house with our name should'. Why couldn't they tell me this when I'd rung them before when the situation could have been fixed? Just thinking about it now makes my blood boil.

To cap it all off, when he redelivered the stuff on the Thursday (my sainted mother packed it all for me) he did the same thing again! Thankfully our neighbour was in this time and directed him to the right house. Bloody idiot.

Anyway, fast forward 4 months. It's early March 2008. After several emails telling me that my belongings were going to be in Brisbane on increasingly later dates due to the ships being delayed due to storms I get a phone call from the Australian removal group handling things at this end. Customs have a query about my forms. I explain and everything's ok. I asked how long quarantine will take and I'm told that it could be up to 4 weeks, but they'll let me know when it's on its way. It's getting closer!

Fast foward to the present day. It having been a month since I last spoke to the removal company, I thought I'd better give them a ring and see what the hell is going on. 'Oh, it got put on a train to Cairns yesterday. It should be there on Thursday so if you give the depot up there a ring on Friday you can organise delivery or pickup'. Right. And you were going to tell me this when?

All I want is my stuff. If I manage smooth delivery of it at the end of this week it will be a bloody miracle. I've also heard horror stories of containers leaking and stuff going all rotten and horrible so I'm now really concerned for my books and, well, everything really!

Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Memoirs of a dieter

2008-04-07T13:05:00.003+10:00

I have a confession to make.

Against all my principles I've gone on a diet.

A proper, sign up, drinks shakes instead of meals and get weighed sort of diet.

Fear not, I still fit into my wedding dress, it's just that I have put on weight since coming back to Australia and it really was showing no signs of stopping piling up and I felt fat.

Our diet really is horrendous, given that Graham won't eat most vegetables they don't make major appearances at our dinner table. He always has a cooked breakfast, which is really addictive, and for lunch I either had a sandwich (with a huge chunk of bread because it's really difficult to cut very fresh bread i.e. 10 minutes out of the oven, with our breadknife) or sushi (so, rice) or noodles. Unfortunately the discovery that Noodle-box in Cairns Central Shopping Centre did wonderfully tasty takeaway noodles and stuff did nothing to help stay a proper weight.

I know I could exercise and I did try and keep up with the swimming which made me feel great but then Graham's work start time changed so my morning routine did and I didn't seem to have enough time. Then it was raining and I HATE swimming in the rain.
I also hate fishing grubs and bugs and stuff out.

Graham brought home an abs machine from work one day but I just can't get myself motivated enough to use it often enough to be of any use. He did promise to buy me an exercise bike* which I could at least ride whilst watching tv or reading but it never materialised.

So, I've become a disciple of Mr Tony Ferguson and since last week I have:

a shake for breakfast (I have soy ones so they don't taste as milky)
a soup for lunch (sometimes, I put vegetables in it)
2 pieces of fruit a day (allowed fruit that is, so no melon, grump)
a minimum of 3 cups of vegetables a day (allowed ones that is, I'm only allowed carrots 3 times a week, go figure!)
a palm size piece of protein (chicken, lamb, any lean meat)
and 2 litres of water a day (this is really, really hard. I've got a litre bottle of water on my desk - just keep sipping, just keep sipping...)
No carbs. At all. (so no bread, no rice, no potatoes, no nothing)
a treat of 2 glasses of wine a week (if I only have 1 piece of fruit the days I have a glass)

It sounds really difficult, but actually, it's not. The hardest thing is smelling the bread cooking every morning and not having garlic bread. The 3 cups of veges is quite a lot of food and I have to have it at dinner due to being at work during the day so my evening meal is lots of veges and a bit of meat and there are some stir in sauces that I can have so I don't actually miss the rice or potatoes (not that I have any rice at the moment, given that Graham in an experimental phase used nearly a kilo of basmati rice as burley (something you put in the water to entice the fish) and I hadn't got around to buying some more).

They also have jelly which I can eat as much as I want as so yay!

When I signed up, they told me I could lose 8kg in 6 weeks. This seems a bit extreme to me and I'll keep you posted on how I do. Not that I want to lose that much, or I'd get lost in the dress!

*because I'm not stupid enough to try and ride a bike on these roads, Cairns has the highest bicycle accident rate in Queensland I think, mind you, seeing how some people ride I'm not surprised. The Asians in particular like to go down the wrong side of the road, the wrong way round roundabouts and just not pay attention to what's going on around them at any given time)

Fixed?

2008-04-01T13:15:00.002+10:00

I think the endless Wednesday may have had something to do with Javascript playing up. Still, clearing my internet browser did the trick hopefully so yay!

On other yay news, we did get the car! It's lovely! The CD player doesn't work (grr) but that should be covered under a statutary 3 month warranty and it's going in tomorrow to get checked over :)

Graham hasn't forgiven me (possibly never will, I can see him in 20 years time regaling our children with stories of how mum made him get rid of his beloved Suby...) but I think I can live with it :)

Endless Wednesday

2008-03-26T15:36:00.009+10:00

For some reason, blogger has been playing up. It doesn't autosave and, whilst it does mostly let me post, Wednesday 26th March 2008 has been going on for nearly a week now.

It's a bit bizarre.

For the record, today is Monday 31st March.

hey-ho. can't be helped.

p.s. If it was going to get stuck on a day, why couldn't it choose something like a Saturday, instead of the day furthest from a weekend in either direction?!

oops

2008-03-26T15:36:00.008+10:00

I forgot to put my ring on after doing the washing up this morning.

I've now got a slightly white band glaring at me accusingly every time I look at my hand. Or go to feel the space where it should be :(

Ahem, singing...

2008-03-26T15:36:00.007+10:00

'These shoes weren't made for walking
I'll tell you something true
Now even my blisters have got blisters on them too'

Ow.

Prepare to be amazed

2008-03-26T15:36:00.005+10:00

They've approved the finance! We're jumping through hoops to do it but we didn't expect much else, we're getting a decent car, and it's under warranty for 5 years.

The only problem is that our mechanic who could fix the old car 'quickly' still hasn't fixed it. The offer on the finance runs out at the end of the month so really we need to pick it up tomorrow.

I rang him (for the millionth time this week) and said that we needed to pick it up tomorrow. NO buts.

'Oh, oh, I'm picking up the parts tonight, it'll be ready'.

I can't believe that we're getting rid of the rustbucket! I couldn't be happier!

car troubles

2008-03-26T15:36:00.004+10:00

Now all I have to worry about is getting finance for our new (hopefully) car.

It's not going to happen, but I can hope...

Wedding talk

2008-03-26T15:36:00.002+10:00

So, update.

The wedding's all organised, the reception's all done (well, apart from those tricky table placing decisions...if I sit him next to her will a HUGE fight break out or just a little one and would it be better to have a little fight between them than a larger fight between another 2?) and decorations organised, the cake's all sorted and I've even booked our place to stay on our wedding night. We're getting there everyone!

Only 52 days left...

Anybody else fancy a shot? shakes fist at sky

2008-03-19T09:07:00.003+10:00

About a month ago, some of you may remember that we had a few troubles with our car.

At the time I said that we probably needed a new one but no. We got a boat and then a motor for the boat instead.

This meant that as we were coasting down our drive last night towing the boat after an aborted fishing trip because the new motor hadn't started (we later worked out that it may have been in gear so not as serious as first though. May have been) the really REAALLY predominant thought in our minds was 'I hope that the handbrake still works to stop us because our brakes sure as hell don't'.

Yup, after a week in which the key I had cut for the car has buggered the drivers side door lock so it's stuck locked (you now, on most occasions, have to climb in over the passenger seat) and in which new leaks formed so that when it rains the passenger has puddles by their feet and a small lake in the back, the brakes have now locked on and burnt out.

Fan-flippin'-tastic.

So we have a new boat, but no savings with which to buy a car to tow said boat to the water.

Oh, and running for the bus this morning, I leapt over the water in the drain but failed to appreciate that the grass on the other side was just thinly covering mud. So I had to stand on the bus in slippery, muddy open toed shoes then walk 5 blocks to work.

Life just keeps on getting better.

Countdown

2008-03-17T11:42:00.003+10:00

In 2 months and 5 hours I will no longer be Miss Eleanor J but Mrs Graham M.

You know, I still don't think it's quite sunk in.

Unbaaaalievable

2008-03-11T11:31:00.005+10:00

Whilst watching an early Top Gear the other night* there was a clip of Jeremy Clarkson driving around in mid-Wales somewhere.
As the camera panned across Graham exclaimed 'What's that?! Is it a cow? Or a dog?'
Unable to speak for mirth for a second I looked at him with an amused expression.
'You are joking...right?'
'No, what is that?'
'You really don't know?'
'NO! It can't be a dog'
'It's a bloody sheep you fool!'
'That's not a sheep, it's got a tail.'
'Sheep have tails'
'Well...not here they don't, it can't be a proper sheep'

So all you poor deluded British so called 'sheep' farmers (or, indeed, farmers from anywhere other than tail-less Australia) there you have it. You have been mistaken in what you've been breeding for millennia. They are not sheep, though what they are is open for debate

...

Possibly some sort of cow?

*SBS are currently showing the new format Top Gear from the very first episode - what I want to know is WHERE THE HELL IS JAMES MAY?

wedding stress

2008-03-06T11:57:00.001+10:00

If anyone knows any good songs to walk down the isle (well, across the beach...) to, I'd be grateful for suggestions...

Mum and I both seem to be stuck on requiems which aren't entirely appropriate!

Weather

2008-03-05T15:12:00.004+10:00

We're a bit wet here. Thankfully, our house is not in a suburb that is flooding (well, it wasn't when I left the house this morning...)

Still, I'm not worried, they say that the only way out of Cairns is by plane (that's if you can actually reach the airport) or by boat. So, no worries there then as that's our latest acquisition above.

It took most of what little monies we have at the moment but it was worth it for a happy fiance. Of course, he's not terribly happy that after perfect fishing weather for weeks and weeks, we buy a boat and all hell breaks loose!

This is a local tourist attraction up near Kuranda called the Barron Falls. For most of the year, it's got no water in it. At all.

This picture was taken about 1 1/2 weeks ago, before the latest deluge hit. Trust me, that's not much water in it compared to today!

Hopefully it will all have dried out in 2 months and 12 days time...

Bastards

2008-02-29T15:40:00.004+10:00

Why do people not realise that the urgency with which their message gets pasesd on is inversely proportional to the degree of rudeness with which they treat the person taking the message?

Therefore, someone who is lovely, will most likely be dealt with as soon as possible, maybe with even unasked effort being put in.

Someone who is abrupt, rude, treats you like an idiot and is downright nasty might very well find their message being forgotten or put to the very bottom of the pile.

It's not rocket science is it?

Ick

2008-02-27T13:37:00.002+10:00

I love having a pool*

I love being able to go for a swim when I'm too hot

I love waking myself up in the morning with a swim when I've got the time

I don't love having to fish dead witchetty grubs out of the pool first however. That, I could live without.

*even though it's not completely ours and we have to share it with the others in the complex

Cake Stress

2008-02-26T08:31:00.005+10:00

I just want a wedding cake. Why is this turning out to be such a drama?

I'm, unwisely perhaps, organising my wedding through a wedding co-ordinator which sounds all well and good and stress free and easy.

I wish.

Trying to get help or information out of him is like trying to get blood out of a stone and trying to get something actually organised is proving somewhat difficult on occasion, as the whole cake saga proves.

Anyway, this particular organiser has on his website several cakes but they also say that if you send them a picture of a different cake that you like they will make it for you.

All well and good so far.

So, I find this cake with cute little octopusses on top holding tentacles in a magazine and send them a picture. Having previously quoted me $355 for a 3 tier chocolate mud cake, with little figurines on top, they then decide that this cake is different and because of the weight and blah blah blah it has to be done differently so it's going to cost $640. Slight price difference there.

After a brief apoplexy I decide that never mind the bakery, I can cook my own cake! the day before the wedding! And ice it and buy little decorations for it and become a master chefess over night...

It took both my mother and my aunt to calm me down and make me see sense over that one.

So the hunt was on to find a cake that I liked that didn't cost the earth. I decided to stick to the website cakes in the vague hope that the costs would be reasonable for those ones. I picked a rather nice one with blue ribbons round it and a little crystaline bridal couple on the top. Right price, right colours, nice cake. Wonderful.

Only they don't have those figurines any more do they. The co-ordinator said I could have a couple from a different cake but (and this is being nice here) they aren't really US (for the record, here's the couple he suggested, you see my point?). So, I'm fairly certain I know which bakery he gets his cakes from so I pointed out a couple on that website and asked for something similar to that. He said that that was fine but it would be a $55 surcharge!

I'm sorry, they can't give me something that they are advertising as available and so are going to charge me EXTRA for something else?!

We've finally managed to come to an arrangement and I've found a cake, that I like, that won't cost the earth and that they have or can make the decorations for.

Why is this so hard?

Wishing for winter

2008-02-19T16:01:00.003+10:00

I've come to the conclusion that my cold is because, although it's bloody humid out there, my body KNOWS that it's February therefore has gone 'Ooh, it's winter, I should have a cold' and promptly socked me with one.

So, rather than shouting (well, whispering hoarsely) at my body and telling it not to be so bloody stupid, I've given in and am pretending that it's dark outside because of a winter storm, not a summer one and that we don't have the air-con on, instead it's a decent temperature because we have a heater on.

As I sit here cradling my hot honey, lemon and ginger drink I'm doing quite well at this delusion

Unfortunately, I am sure that I will go looking for my hat, coat and scarf when I go to leave the office.

I also know that I'll be quite disappointed when I don't find them.

I hab a cowd

2008-02-18T15:13:00.004+10:00

How, in the tropics, in the summer, I've managed this I don't know but I'm sniffling and snuffling and sneezling and coughing my little lungs out.

Urgh.

Christopher Robin
Had wheezles
And sneezles,
They bundled him
Into His bed.
They gave him what goes
With a cold in the nose,
And some more for a cold
In the head.
They wondered
If wheezles
Could turn
Into measles,
If sneezles
Would turn
Into mumps;
They examined his chest
For a rash,
And the rest
Of his body for swellings and lumps.
They sent for some doctors
In sneezles
And wheezles
To tell them what ought
To be done.
All sorts and conditions
Of famous physicians
Came hurrying round
At a run.
They all made a note
Of the state of his throat,
They asked if he suffered from thirst;
They asked if the sneezles
Came after the wheezles,
Or if the first sneezle
Came first.
They said,
"If you teazle
A sneezle
Or wheezle,
A measle
May easily grow.
But humour or pleazle
The wheezle
Or sneezle,
The measle
Will certainly go.
"They expounded the reazles
For sneezles
And wheezles,
The manner of measles
When new.
They said
"If he freezles
In draughts and in breezles,
Then PHTHEEZLES
May even ensue."
* *
Christopher Robin
Got up in the morning,
The sneezles had vanished away.
And the look in his eye
Seemed to say to the sky,
"Now, how to amuse them to-day?"

A. A. Milne - Now we are Six

Other good news

2008-02-14T15:15:00.001+10:00

We got the car back yesterday too...

And we don't get the bill until tomorrow so for today, life is good :)

all loved up

2008-02-14T13:05:00.001+10:00

I feel loved :)

Bugger

2008-02-13T13:38:00.000+10:00

And I just sprayed soy sauce over my white shirt.

Bugger.

adding to the woes

2008-02-13T12:40:00.002+10:00

Things seemed to be looking up with a new gas bottle for the barbeque, woohoo!

So, I bought some rumps steaks from Coles and some sausages from the butchers and went home looking forward to my barbeque.

Only, I'm not sure that beef's supposed to be green. Florescent green at that...

Still, I got my money back (dumping it on the refunds desk probably had a lot to do with that) and bought some nice steaks from the butchers so it's home to try again tonight.

Wish me luck

Yummy

2008-02-12T12:39:00.000+10:00

Mmmmmmmmmm........Chocolate cake...

And not even slightly sausagey :)

Anything else want to go wrong?

2008-02-11T13:01:00.000+10:00

Our car is shit. Graham says it's because I don't like it that it goes wrong but I'm certain that it's just because it's shit.

anyway, recently that car has been the source of many woes.

A shock absorber went about a month or more ago. So every corner or bump has sounded a little noisy.

The car needed a tune as it had virtually no acceleration. So, we forked out a couple of hundred dollars to have that done.

A headlight has gone. This meant that when I had to venture out to pick Graham up from the airport a couple of weeks ago I should have gone by the back roads, why I didn't is because for some bizarre reason I trusted my (drunk) fiance who said that I'd be fine on Mulgrave road. Where the police were doing alcohol checks. Not that I'd had even a sniff of alcohol so that was all ok, but they really didn't like the light. So, that was a $30 fine. Yippee.

Mind you, it could have been worse, they threatened to pink sticker it (you get a lovely pink sticker that means the car is unroadworthy and you can't drive it until you've had it fixed) for the tyres being bald. We talked our way out of that one and thankfully they didn't notice as we drove off that a brake light had gone too...

Anyway, we finally had the time, and the money, to have the shocky fixed, yippee! Graham even had the full weekend off so was going to fix the lights too!

The car went in on Saturday morning and, at around 11.30am, we got a call to go and pick it up. Wonderful! A car that didn't make horrible noises whenever you did anything, perfect!

So, to celebrate, we went shopping. We bought a Monopoly set (a special cricket Ashes edition, only $30, bargain!) and Graham really fancied having a barbeque so we went out and bought one, then we headed to Coles to do some shopping.

This was a mistake.

A couple of km's from home and the car starts to stutter. We coast to a stop at the side of the road and even though Graham has his foot flat to the floor on the accelerator, it splutters, coughs and finally, painfully, dies.

Bastard thing.

So, we decide that it's safer in the area that it's in than in front of the mechanics outside Graham's work so we, with our barbeque and Monopoly board, head home. Sans food because we never got to Coles.

Pissed off we decide to have a game of Monopoly before putting the barbeque together.

Another mistake.

For a start, I lost 2 games in a row, badly, which made him feel better but did nothing for me. Secondly, once the bloody barbeque was together we realised that our gas bottle was too small and didn't fit the sodding fitting.

Another 3 lost games of Monopoly, a fair bit of wine and beer later (me wine, him beer) we finally fall into bed.

On Sunday, we walk to the local IGA before the sun gets too hot (it was overcast but trust me, my white English skin can still burn so I was plastered in sunscreen). We discovered that we could buy a new gas bottle at the Supercheap Auto on the way but it would be empty. They do a 'swap and go' systemy type of thing but this would mean buying a brand spanking new bottle and swapping it for an older one. Hmmm. Methinks not somehow.

So, still no barbeque.

And we discover that BWS (Beers, wines and spirits) has cartons of VB (the only thing apart from Crown Lager which is made by VB, that Graham will drink) on special offer. Given how expensive cartons are usually, this is a good thing. Or would be if we a) had a car to take it home in or b) weren't 2 hours early for it to open, it being Sunday.

Bugger.

So, home we go. Still without being able to use the barbeque. On a plus point though I did win the first game of the day against Graham. Quite comprehensively actually.

Mid-afternoonish, after a sausage sandwich for lunch (and wedges for Graham) I decided that I would cheer both of us up with a cake. A nice big chocolate cake (sod the diet). I used the oven we've got (a fantastic thing, it's a big glass bowl with the fan oven in the lid, cooks like a dream and evenly too) to cook the cake and, unfortunately, it's missing two supports under the bowl so large cakes especially end up thicker at one end. I set it for 15 minutes and was going to turn it round after that but Graham suggested just piling a couple of coins under the bowl to even it up so I took the lid off to stop it cooking and found, to my great surprise, a sausage in the middle of my cake mix.

It turned out that Graham had cooked his wedges in the oven earlier and when he'd taken the lid off he'd balanced it on the frying pan used to cook the sausages. We'd left 1 1/2 sausages after lunch and one of them had stuck to the hot oven part. When I'd then turned it on, the fan had made it drop off and into my cake mix.

All I can say is that I'm glad I noticed it after 1 minute, not 15 or even 50!

So here we are, Monday, no car, a barbeque that we can't use, a cake that hopefully doesn't taste of sausages (I didn't have any, I was good) and as I typed this last paragraph I've just found out that Graham's got to go to Townsville tonight so I'll be all alone.

If anyone's listening, some good luck would be nice.

A new car wouldn't go amiss either... :)

new house

2008-01-31T11:00:00.001+10:00

I'm a bit bored so I thought I'd show you all where I live :)

Or, at least, the complex as seen from our house.

The flowers were from Graham because I wasn't feeling very well yesterday. I love that man :)

being good

2008-01-30T15:21:00.000+10:00

I can't help it, I live with Graham therefore I put on weight (also, Christmas didn't help). This bothers me a little more than it normally would (Graham insists that he doesn't mind in the slightest) as I have a wedding dress to fit into.

Now, before people start yelling at me, I do still fit into it, and to be perfectly honest, I needed to put on a little as the woman who measured it for me left a little bit too much space on top meaning that it tended to slip down a little too much. Still, I could do with toning up a little.

So, I've been good.

Ever since the horrible neighbours whose kids (and relatives, and friends, and friends of friends and people that they met at a party the other night but otherwise wouldn't know from Adam) took up the pool night and day have moved out, I've been trying to swim for 15-20 minutes in the morning before work and in the evening when I get home. (I only say trying because when it's bucketing it down I don't like competing with the leaves and rain that end up in there).

I've also been taking healthy snacks to work, carrot sticks and celery and red pepper and grapes and cucumber and the like.
As a result I feel very healthy.

I'm not craving chocolate at all.

Honestly.

Anyway, I've been at it for 2 weeks and don't feel any different so a little encouragement would go a long way...please?

p.s. and for those that don't know me, me having kept this up for this long is a miracle, I usually give up or just 'don't have the time' after a few days...

Temptation

2008-01-25T11:42:00.000+10:00

I know I shouldn't, but it's really reaaaaalllly tempting to send all my wedding invitations out with the writing in a font called 'blackadder'.

I already know that if we have a daughter one day her name it's entirely possible her name will end up being 'Bob'...

Heeeellp! I'm meelllltttiiiiinnnnnggg!!

2008-01-21T13:47:00.000+10:00

It's.

Bloody.

Hot.

No, really.

At 9am this morning (NINE AM for crying out loud!) it was officially 31.1 degrees C.

How bloody silly is that for a temperature?!

We havn't dropped below 21C all month (and not below 24C all week - and that's only once). The highest minimum temperature is 24.9C. Please bear in mind that this includes NIGHTTIME.

Is it an wonder that I can't move outside without sweating? Still, we had a nice swim in the pool yesterday :)

I'm struggling. Needless to say Graham loves it.

Talk about opposites!

Still, at least we're in the 3rd of the state that isn't underwater. Or in Victoria which can go between 40C and 20C in one day (think 4 seasons in one day and you've just about got it).

more wedding stuff

2008-01-18T13:11:00.000+10:00

I would kill for a John Lewis in this country. Myers really just doesn't do it for me.

All I want is a department store with an online wedding gift registry, is that so very, very hard?

The answer is apparently so.

Wedding planners

2008-01-04T13:07:00.000+10:00

I heard once that the best way to destress is to spread it about. So, here you go. Should I get married on the end of the beach by the headland (photo on the left) or somewhere down the long beach by the esplanade? (photo below)

I'm comletely at a loss.

I'm also thinking of taking votes on which bouquet looks nicest.

By the way, unfortunately, the sea isn't always that colour, we were just lucky on the day I took the photos :) Fingers crossed I get lucky again!

New Year Worries

2008-01-03T10:27:00.000+10:00

Well, what can I say. This year promises to be hectic if nothing else!

Firstly we’ve got to find Graham a job, that’s essential because although we can live off my wages, bills would have to go by the wayside and that’s not really a good way to be a good tenant :/

Secondly, I getting MARRIED in 4 months and 2 weeks time. It was really easy when I said ‘oh yeah, I’m getting married next year’ it made it seem so very far away. It’s not. It’s really not. So I’ve booked the date and the restaurant (though I’ve still got to pay a deposit, yay) but I’ve still got to decide on cakes and flowers and oh boy, expect lots of stressing to come…Was slightly weird though, my future mother in law jumped the gun a little and addressed our Christmas card to G & E Married name

Thirdly, my sister’s getting married! I’m going to make it back to Britain for that, by hook or by bloody crook I will be there!

Unfortunately I can’t make it back for the 3rd wedding of the year, that of Welshy, but I will definitely be thinking of her on her day J

I’ve got to persuade the visa people that Graham and I are still in a real relationship and hopefully this once again go fairly smoothly (at least I’ll be in the right country this time, no more 7 months on the opposite side of the world for this fiancé!) which is another $600. You see why Graham needs a job?

I’m going to be an aunt again!

And lastly (I’ve forgotten what number I’m on), I’ve got to do all this on the opposite side of the world to my family and friends and not get to watch my little nephew grow up or be there to see my new niece/nephew arrive in this world and be as adorable as their elder brother. That, I think, is going to be the hardest of all.

p.s. Happy New Year!

Moral dilemma

2007-12-17T11:04:00.001+10:00

Right, ok. My engagement ring.

I love it. I'm very proud of it. Unfortunately, a couple of months ago a diamond fell out of it.

The jewellers have confirmed that it's still under warranty and will 'replace it'. I'm not sure if they mean the diamond, or the entire ring.

If it's the ring, what should I do? It's probably not worth actually replacing the diamond but do I want a 'new' (if identical) ring?

getting there

2007-12-10T15:11:00.000+10:00

So, I took the job with the lovely firm I've been temping with so that's all good, I've got a date for my wedding which is fantastic! (it's the 17th May 2008 at 4pm). We don't use the pool at the house because it's always full of kids but you can't have everything I suppose.

All we have to do now is find a job for Gray, I'm keeping my fingers crossed about one he's rung up for today.

Please please please please please please...

domesticity

2007-11-26T18:02:00.000+10:00

Oh, and we have somewhere to live! It's got aircon, and a pool and we're off the main roads in a lovely quiet (so far) complex. Woohoo!

AND I've got a job interview on Thursday with one firm and then I've got to go back to the firm I'm temping for and tell them what they've offered and they'll see if they can beat it :) They've also promised to give me not only time off for my wedding but time off for my sisters wedding too which, in Australia, and with work choices (bad BAD law) you're not allowed to take holidays within the first 12 months of starting a job so that could be a very, very good thing!

Oh, and we've got an iron, you should be proud of me :)

Politics - back to the schoolyard

2007-11-26T17:57:00.001+10:00

I'm not the world's most politically minded person, I admit that freely, but even I could see the ridiculousness of the election that took place this weekend.

Was this country ruled by a bunch of 6 year olds?! Never before have a seen an election campaign by the party in power rely on a strategy that, instead of laying out policies that they have no intention of keeping etc, says, in varying tones of petulance, 'you have to vote for us because, well, we're better than the other side' or 'given that the economy is in so much trouble, you don't want to vote for someone inexperienced who hasn't led a country before'. The immediate question that sprung to mind with that last one was, if you're so great at leading, how come the country's in so much trouble in the first place? Not one strategy or policy have I heard since I've been back, it's ALL been 'vote for us because we don't want to have to move houses because we've been here so long and we're comfy'. It's no wonder that they bloody lost!

Mind you, only Australia could then vote in a PM called Kevin...

Stress

2007-11-22T09:59:00.000+10:00

Have you ever tried to persuade someone that you're going to be a good tenent and pay all your rent on time etc when you don't have a job? Or actually somewhere to live currently, caravan parks just aren't that impressive!

On the upside, we should get our old rental bond back today, $760 of very helpful money, because we've finally got our old agent to realise that they need to sign a crucial bit of paper that they strenuously denied needing to sign before. Grr.

Please keep fingers crossed both for me finding a job (I've got skills assessment at a temping agency in half an hour) and for us getting a house.

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore

2007-11-10T08:37:00.000+10:00

I'm here and jet lagged to hell. My final leg to my lovely fiance is at 5pm tonight and oh boy and I going to be lucky if I manage to get under the 20kg and not get charged and/or get them to put all my luggage on rather than hold bits back!

Wish me luck x

Leaving

2007-11-01T01:24:00.001+10:00

Everything's a bit strange at the moment, I'm a sort of last hurrah round my family and friends. I've been up north to see my aunt, uncle and cousin and my best friend in Leeds. As I write this I'm at my brothers house taking as many photos of my sister-in-law and nephew (the wee cutie aka the wee stropmeister today) as I can and unfortunately I've got to go to a funeral on Monday but it does mean I'll get to see a whole load of the rest of my family which will be lovely.

It hasn't really sunk in that I'm actually leaving. Next week.

Being a bit of a geek

2007-11-01T01:20:00.001+10:00

According to my itinerary, I'm on the new (and I mean BRAND new, it only flew for the first time last week!) Airbus A380!

I'm very excited :D

News

2007-10-18T03:29:00.000+10:00

I GOT IT!*

WOOOO!

*Pending official confirmation of course, she only told me over the phone, but I don't care!