It's Showtime!

So this week, so far as my weeks go, has been relatively slow. It didn't start that way though.

Monday evening saw us at our last appointment with our family counsellor. She has pronounced us "cured" and ready to face the world as a family on our own. Apparently we have made sufficient headway to be able to tackle the next few teen years without too much trouble. And, of course, if we do encounter difficulties, we are always welcome back.

Dobby also had her netball team breakup dinner - across the other side of town. So, immediately after the doctor's at North Adelaide we had to head off to Marion, and we had about 15 minutes to get there! While driving past the Adelaide Oval, on King William street, I even managed to get a speeding ticket for my trouble. For some reason, I forgot it was 50km through there and was, I thought, legally doing 61km. Next thing flash, flash, flash. Sure enough, on Thursday it arrived in the mail. Oh well, live and learn.

We were a bit late for dinner, but we had a wonderful evening. She has had a great team this year, and her coach was magnificent. The girls presented him with a nut hamper and a lovely bottle of wine. Dobby is Facebook friends with most of her team, so hopefully they will stay in touch. Some are doing summer netball, and Dobby wants to too, so I had better find out how before too long...

Tuesday was okay, as was Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, well, the weather turned horrid. It has been raining on and off for so long now we all have webbed feet and mould growing between our toes. But Friday, well, that just took the cake.

We had vicious winds, heavy rain, thunder and the works. Why? Because it was the first day of the Royal Adelaide Show, of course. I think, in the 9 years we have lived here, I can not really remember a year where it hasn't rained on the first day of the show. Aah, the joys of spring.

This year, we went because I had won a family pass from Triple M. Speaking of Triple M, Friday was also the last day of Adelaide's (and my) favourite breakfast show team's 8 year stint on radio. They were such a lovely, funny threesome, I just can't imagine what next week is going to bring. I know it will take ages to get used to something new....

Anyway, I had this pass. We had made arrangements to take Hermione, out of the goodness of our hearts, because she doesn't get to go often. Winning the pass meant we could get in for free. Almost. It was two adults and two children under 15. Hermione has just turned 16... Oh well.

Anyway, we were going to go on the Saturday but when I saw the weather forecast I said no way! I would rather go Sunday. Even up to about Wednesday I wasn't sure, but then I told Fluffy, that although it was Father's Day, I just didn't want to spend Saturday out in the rain.

Hermione was furious and told the world on Facebook how p* o*'d she was at me. That really made me angry. I mean, here we are, taking her to the show, and that's what I get? We certainly didn't have to! I would have been just as happy staying at home! We always seem to waste so much money at the show. She complained that she had planned to do homework all day Sunday and go to the show Saturday.

Anyway, when Nan dropped her off on Friday evening, after a particularly nasty afternoon at work, working late when I was supposed to finish early, I was not in the mood for what I saw on Facebook. So, Fluffy took Bruno outside so he could have a smoke, Dobby went into the bedroom to set up the computer for Hermione, and I sat down with Nan and Hermione and gave Hermione a piece of my mind.

I pointed out that it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was at our house for a certain number of hours over the weekend. The proportion of hours we would be at the show, and she would have to do homework, was irrelevant because she was still there the same amount of time.

I told her that this was my house and I would like to think that I got to make the decisions on where we went and when, and I would not be held to ransom. I also told her that I was offended with her putting that out there on Facebook. I did not want to spend the day in the rain, and it was my right to not spend the day in the rain. Nan made her apologise to me.

I also suggested that when she had homework she stay at home. My weekends are the only time I get to do things as a family, and run errands, and pay bills, and do shopping, and to have to put everything on hold so she could do homework did not fit well with me. As it turned out, the little weed only did about two hours Saturday afternoon. And I think a lot of that was spent playing with Dobby.

Anyway, Saturday, it bucketed down rain all day. It was a truely miserable day. We went into the city first thing, as Fluffy wanted to get my birthday gift. We had originally ordered one from JB HiFi at Marion, but they coudn't get it in, so we chose to go to the Telstra store in the city, as they had them for $50 off.

What am I looking for? The new Telstra THub telephone.

Its a phone, with a small pad, about the size of an address book, which allows you to access some internet sites, organise your contacts, use the phone hands free through the pad, and play radio, and pictures on the pad. It's quite a neat little unit.

Anyway, When we spoke to JB, we told them that the Telstra store had them for $50 off. That's RRP of $299 less $50, is $249. JB had them for $288. The fellow who served us told us he could do it for $50 off, making it $238. Great! Put us down for one!

However, he phoned me (and I really must get back to him this week) saying he was having difficulty and if we wanted we could go to the Telstra shop and get one. So we went for a look.

We were all set to buy one for $249, but had to wait and wait to be served. Stuff this, says Fluffy, so we walked down Rundle Street for a bit, then back up to the mall. We walked up and window shopped a bit, then came upon a JB HiFi store there!

Fluffy wandered over to talk to someone, while the girls and I perused the "Buy 2 get 1 free" bin of DVDs.

Next thing, Fluffy comes back with one! And they gave it to him for $238! Bonus!

Next stop lunch, then home so Hermione could do her homework.

However, about 3.30 the power went off. Luckily, it flickered a few times first so Hermione was able to save her work before the computer went off.

The girls just sat around listening to music, Fluffy went to bed, and I sat around and tried to read. So much for our roast dinner! Eventually, after filling the house with candles, I caved in and ordered pizza. The power came back after seven!

Even so, the wind still blew and the rain, well, rained. This morning, Sunday, it turned up sunny. The forecast was for showers with sunny periods.

We made our way to the show, and Fluffy came too. I am glad he did. We just wandered around and looked at stuff. We usually check out the showbag pavilion, to get an idea of what the girls want then go off and do other stuff. When we are ready to leave to head back to the pavilion.

It's a formula that always works and we used it again today. I bought a few bits and pieces, like a jar of bath salts for me, soap for Dobby and Fluffy, a mug for Fluffy, a dress for Dobby, a Gadget Man number plat for Fluffy. He bought me a jewellery set comprising ring, earrings, necklace and bracelet for $20, and he also got himself a caricature done of him driving along with the van behind. The artist spelled gadget wrong, but we don't care. The pic is great, don't you think? The whole picture was too large to scan, but you get the idea.


Anyway, eventually we had had enough and wandered home. Well, that is, we took Hermione home.

You know that little person sure knows how to push buttons now. She was fine all day, fine all the way home. Then, when she got home, suddenly she is all over Nan, "I've got a headache"...

Then, while we were sitting around having a cuppa, suddenly she is moaning with her head burried in her arms.

I just looked at her and said "why don't you just get a Panadol?". "Yeah, I'll do that". And then made a point of coming over to where I was sitting and getting a glass from the cabinet behind my head. I know for a fact there are cups in the cupboard under the counter she could have used for a drink of water to take her tablet.

Then, "I'm going to lay down" she snorts and stomps off. I called her back "What?" "How about you take your stuff with you?" She had dumped her showbags in a pile on the kitchen floor.

The look she gave me was pure poison "I was going to get those later" she whinged and picked them up and stomped off to her room. Bah, no such thing as thanks for the weekend, never a word from the ungrateful little cow. I wonder why I bother sometimes.

So, anyway, we noticed while in one of the pavilions, that it had been raining. By the time we got to Nan's place, it had started again and it set it. It's been raining again since. Thank you, God, for the lovely weather we had at the show.

Meatloaf in the oven, fries in the oven, and vegetable au gratin in the oven. Yep, that's dinner ready for my man on Father's day. Icecream and custard for dessert. Yummo!