Friday

The rain continues. It's almost too wet to take Pearl for a walk! But because we love her so much, we're going to brave the elements and take her! We know she will appreciate it. The cats? Well they will stay where they are ... on the bed, in the corner in the bedroom, and on the chair out the back - all present and accounted for. They certainly have a routine for wet weather - I'd like to have one too, although I suppose going to work is a routine of sorts. I wasn't the only one there today who would have preferred to have been at home instead, curled up on the couch with a significant other and watching horror or science fiction movies or maybe even a rom-com (if it had to be) and a bucket of popcorn and a nice long drink of something yummy. Maybe that could be the plan if it's still raining tomorrow ... after we've taken Pearl out for breakfast and after we're been in to Pacific Fair - I can't believe it's been a month since my last haircut!

S saw some wonderful birdlife hanging out on the fence near the kitchen this afternoon. At first she saw one that was like a budgie but a bit bigger, yellow and blue. It was joined by another which had red around its head. Before she could take a photograph, they flew off. She was telling me about them as we watched a magnificent Kookaburra sitting at almost the same spot - which also flew away before we could get the camera out.

It was an afternoon for photography opportunities - as I was driving in to the Valley with the fog shrouding the surrounding hills, it looked so open and clear (surprisingly as it was raining) and looked so different I really did want to take a shot, but didn't want to pull over onto the shoulder fear that with everything so wet, Lars might bog. And sometimes the shot will only work from the one spot - so not to be ... this time.

The big Gold Coast news is that mayor-elect Tom Tate wants four more casinos in the area, and it looks like Jamie Packer will be offered first refusal. You wouldn't have thought the area could support that many gambling establishments but maybe they're planning on a fillip from the G20 Conference mooted for Brisbane in 2014 or the 2018 Commonwealth Games. You'd have to be concerned about ongoing viability after those events. And it would be interesting to know what non-competition period the Jupiters folk signed up for way back when!

The rain certainly isn't welcome news for the folks doing the Kokoda Challenge this weekend. As Sy said when she called this evening, saying she is doing support crew but she will have some spare time tomorrow for a cup of tea with us, the rain is worse than last year and will have the creeks full and difficult to ford and have turned everything to a muddy slush to make things especially slippery. S suggested that in the name of safety, they could call it off and reschedule - but we have a feeling that's not going to happen. But we'll certainly be thinking of those folks trudging through the bush throughout the weekend.

Well, I did call into the Post Office again today, thinking it would be lovely if my new stylus had arrived (ordered late Wednesday night so it was a fairly big ask!) and I was stunned to open the post box ... and there it was! Sooz thinks it's weird - it has a pivoting disk at the nib - but it is accurate and lets you write with a point rather than the usual conductive stylus "sponge"! For me, it's as big a leap forward with the iPad as was the introduction of "cut and paste” on the iPhone.

My work day was spent going through documentation provided by subcontractors in support of their claims, and what is usually a painstaking and slightly repetitive job was lightened when I found someone had labelled their Greenhouse and Energy Reporting - Subcontractor Monthly Report as “Vital, planet saving document”. That’s the spirit!

Tink was odd this evening. She wouldn't come in for her dinner at first, and then, when she did, she was spooked by Maggie and took herself back outside again. Hopefully she'll be hungry enough to come in and eat, but she'll be missing out on her insulin shot tonight - it's too late now so we'll have to pick her up again in the morning. Maybe she'll be in a more cooperative frame of mind then.