Sunday 24 July 2011

Going Insane

I'm sure of it! The other night I was telling Fluffy a story, walked into the bedroom and stopped mid sentence. I just couldn't remember what I was saying! No amount of hard thought was going to bring it back either. And, today I was going out the back door. I couldn't get it open. Because I was pushing instead of pulling....

Anyway, aside from that, it's been a quiet week. Not much happening, just some down time. Well, work was very stressful. The plant we produce some of our product from has been down and customers were getting understandably irritable. Boss had to fly overseas so I got left in the thick of it. I couldn't contact him immediately and the situation was changing very quickly at times. Decisions had to be made and phone calls had to be taken and made. But, in the end, the plant started on Wednesday. Whew. One customer was phoning me twice a day for updates, often before I even got into the office.

When I told him we were delivering to him the next day he told me he was going to buy me a box of chocolates. I joked to make it a big one, I needed it! Next morning, these turned up instead...



Lovely, aren't they? Made the stress all worthwhile. Nice.

Last weekend I finally got the camera out. I haven't bothered recently, been too busy. But it was a freezing morning, down to about 3 degrees. Later in the week it got down to 1.3 degrees. Brrr!

Anyway, I took these photos, just because it was a lovely morning. Kitty was playing around under the orange tree, dog was sitting on the patio enjoying the sun. We have had such dark and overcast days, it was lovely to have sun for a few. Back to rain again this weekend though.


Spiderweb around my garden ornament.


Frost on the Falcon's windscreen and roof.


Roger playing under the orange tree. A family of rats live in the bush beside the tree and he can often be found here waiting for a look.





The orange tree has plenty of lovely juicy fruit this year. I got Fluffy to pick some for our guests on the weekend, which I promptly left outside and forgot to hand out. Typical! Now I have a bucket of fruit sitting there with no chance of getting a home! I guess I'll have to start juicing. By hand of course...


Ozzie enjoying the sun for a change. The other morning, when it was 1.3 degrees, he was very reluctant to go outside, and indeed, when he did, he stood there shivering. First time I have seen him shiver with cold in the two years we've had him.

Dobby went to a friend's house Thursday night. She stayed over Friday and I picked them up Friday after work so they could go see Short Stack play. Fluffy and I dropped them off then went for a meal at a pub down the road. Noisy as heck but the food was very good. We had baked barramundi with chips and garlic bread. Very tasty indeed. But, because we had to drop the girls off so early, we were finished our meal only minutes after the show actually started.

The plan was to hang around while they were there (first time leaving them alone at a rock concert, we were a bit nervous). However, the concert was a young group with a fairly young fan base, so we knew there were no creepy old men around. The crowd we left them among were mostly groups of teenage girls. Not all, but mostly.

Apparently they had a great night. It was general admission, with no allocated seating. I suggested the aim for the Dress Circle, about the middle of the theatre and elevated compared to the mosh pit. They found a little box area very easily and in fact most of the fans headed to the most pit so they were fine. A friend of Dobby's friend was there, and she had a friend as well, who it turned out was a friend of Dobby's from school. How's that for small world? This friend she went to the concert with does not go to her school.

Anyway, Fluffy and I came home, and he put the telly on. I played around on the computer for awhile, then about ten headed out in the cold to pick them up. It was freezing! I waited for about 45 minutes for them to come out, and it got so cold I had to start the car. Not long after they came out, so the car was nice and warm for them.

They headed to bed around midnight or so, and Dobby dropped her water bottle on her bed. We teased her about wetting the bed. So there we were at midnight changing bed linen. Kids.

Saturday I got the girls to help do a few little chores around the house then took them out to run a few errands. The lounge was lovely and clean for my Postie Fashions party. I only had three ladies turn up but it was a lovely afternoon. They each bought a teen daughter (we had two Sallys with Sarahs for daughters). I managed to get over $600 worth for under $300. My wonderful husband was going to buy me a jacket for $189, if I paid for the rest of my purchases. With all my discounts the jacket was only $49 so he bought the lot! Isn't he a treasure?

Everyone went home and we kicked back to relax. Today, Fluffy went to work and Dobby and I went in search of an electric blanket for her bed. Hers, after 9 years, has given up the ghost. We tried two places but neither had any for single beds. We did find her two pairs of black pants for work. She wants to go put her name down soon. We are having disagreements over where though. She doesn't want the traditional young kids jobs at Maccas and Hungry Jacks. Nor does she want to work at Coles, Foodland, or Big W. However, she is going to find it difficult to find work at any other places. I just gently explain the difficulties she will have and leave it to her. When she's ready I will take her out with her resume again. I'm not pushing, she's only 14. Plenty of time yet, although some of her friends have jobs so she feels a little under pressure.

The pants we bought her actually look very good on. Tight around the legs though, but they suit her. I also bought her a little pair of wedge heel shiny black cort shoes. They look fantastic. And two cheap tops she loves. She's happy. My boy is moving from skinny jeans, sloppy joes and skate shoes to dress pants, pretty tops and dressy shoes. Wow.

Well, it's after ten now, and I want a shower. Dobby just reminded me I promised her my electric blanket from the caravan, so I had to go out and strip my bed and get it for her. Lucky I was a bit smart and turned the top half of the bedding down, removed the blanket, then remade the top, then turned the bottom part down and pulled the blanket out from underneath. Meant I didn't have to strip and remake the whole bed. Whew!

So, now it's late, and I want that shower. Enjoy the pics and I'll catch you next time.

Sunday 17 July 2011

Finished!

Well, almost anyway. Dobby did a great job keeping her room clean all week, until yesterday when we had to move some more stuff from the office to her room. She hasn't sorted it yet, as she got a call to go for a sleepover, and lets face it, what teen would refuse that?

So, I drove down and dropped her off, raced back home, packed up the stuff (most of it anyway) for the Salvos. I phoned them to order a pick up service, but they weren't interested in the desk (which was the newest of the lot and in great condition, and could have fetched them $80 or more!) so Fluffy and I put the pantry and bookcase outside Friday night and left the desk in the office, off to one side allowing Dobby access to her wardrobes to clean out.

On the way to the Salvos I stopped at the pet store. $137 later, one big bag of dog food, one bag of cat food, one collar and one chasey toy for the cat as well, I made it home. By this time it was almost 4 and Fluffy came home.

He complained about the mess (the rest of the house had bits and pieces strewn around it waiting movement as well) so he got in a helped me. He did the loungeroom and I did some more in the office. Then he came in and helped me clear the desk and put my stuff back on it. So, I am back online after two weeks off! I love it!

Then, because we were both knackered, we ordered Pizza and veged in front of the telly for the rest of the evening.

Today, I took it very slow, being home alone and all that. Dobby is getting dropped off soon, but I have managed a load of washing (although it's raining outside today so it won't dry anyway), steam mopped the floor, sorted through the hundred odd emails that were waiting for me, put the desk on eBay for sale, and moved my craft stuff into the office here beside my desk.

Now, while I am working on mum's photo scrapbook album I can do it here without making a huge mess out in the dining room.

So, If you don't mind, I'll must finish my lunch quickly before Dobby gets home, and play a couple computer games while doing so. Catch ya later.

Oh, by the way, thank you all for the lovely comments last blog. I am feeling the love! xx And, last thursday night, I got home after the other two. While I was in the kitchen, Fluffy made me a cup of tea. As we were all standing around talking, he also took the potatoes I had just gotten out to peel, and peeled them himself. Then, he also sliced them up for me. It was great!

Tuesday 12 July 2011

BORING!

Okay, so I know I haven't been on here for a while. But seriously, that's because there has been nothing happening at my place. And, lets face it, no one reads this crap anyway.

Apart from Fluffy having more time off with pneumonia and Dobby having a head cold, little has been happening. Endless rounds of work, housework, sleep, work, housework, sleep.

We did, however, decide to swap around Dobby's room and the office. Man, what a chore that turned out to be. We started it Saturday and we're still going. Don't expect photos, because I just don't have time to take any, and the rooms are too difficult and small to really photograph anyway.

Saturday Dobby started cleaning her room. Sort of. Then I stripped off the 3 bookshelves from the office. Once Dobby had moved enough rubbish off her floor we were able to move her bed aside and shift the 3 bookcases out of the office into her room. I also had to take my work table apart. Not literally of course. So that ended up on it's side, with it's legs at head level, in the hallway for all to bash themselves sensless on. But Saturday night we got Dobby's bed into the other room.

On Sunday her friend came over and they spent the day sorting through some of Dobby's mess. Well, they did to a little. I did heaps. But then hit a snag because I can't get anymore done. See, I wanted Fluffy to move the table outside. But he figured we could get rid of a cupboard of Dobby's that she didn't need, and her almost-new desk, and put my table in the office instead.

So he moved them into the middle of the office. Now, I can't get to any thing behind it - books to put away, powerpoint to set up my desk again, the rest of Dobby's stuff. So, we ground to a halt. There are piles of books and bags of clothes lining the hall and spilling into the lounge, and the only available space in the office is now crammed with crap waiting for other stuff to be moved before we can continue.

Solution? Phone the Salvos and see if they'll come pick up the cupboard and desk, and all the books and bags as well. Then we can access the other stuff needed to finish.

And who will do that? Me. When I have a tick. Probably after I finish posting this....

It has to be clean for next weekend anyway (not this one, luckily), as I have a Postie Fashions party planned. Sigh. Things we do to ourselves!