Wednesday

It was raining again today and it's supposed to go on until and through the weekend. This may make mowing a bit of a challenge! But I'm confident there will be at least one dry patch where the lawn is itself dry enough to mow without swallowing ROM into a bog hole (yes, it has been that wet).

Tink slept in with us again last night - I love it because it makes it very easy to give her her morning shot - but she does complain a bit: What do you think you're doing with that light on? Can't you see some of us are trying to sleep here? Why are you making all that noise? Yes, I want to play with that belt, don't put it on, throw it back over here!

I also love the way Pearl wanders out with me in the morning, does a little mosey around (read: hunt for cookies), and then finally lets herself be shepherded back into the bedroom because she knows that it really is too early for her breakfast. Usually, she's joined by one or more of the felines - who take up their positions with S on the bed ... sometimes even refusing to move. S sent me a photo today showing that the cats had finally debunked ...

Night had fallen by the time I arrived back at Latimers again this evening. I had been out on the M errand in at The Big House! It has been a while since I was there ... and it never ceases to amaze me how overcome I am with the exasperated "What were they thinking (about the parking)?" as soon as I drive in to their car park. I was thinking today that if I ever drive in and find the boom gates are operational, and you have to put your rewards card in to gain access, I'm not quite sure what I would do especially as the gates are at least four rows of (chained-off) parking from the entrance - with no turning around points.

But the big news is that CSP is up to over $160,000 and while there was a seat at the table when I was there, I didn't feel alert enough to put money on the table (although I did take a photograph of some chips as I was going in ... although I was actually leaving at the time!). Never mind, it's not going anywhere ... hopefully.

So, in all I was at The Big House for maybe five minutes before making my way back out to Zarraffas to have a coffee, and wait until it was late enough to order Pizza for dinner. I now know that the pizza shop that smelled so good yesterday is the second largest franchise in Australia (thank you Trivia) - Eagle Boys - and that as you sit waiting for your pizza to cook, the aromas can be overpowering, and definitely not as tempting/inviting as when you just stroll past. But it wasn't bad.

So, while I was waiting, I played on the iPad - did a little reading, did some blogging, and created a YouTube account and posted my first video! Then, when I got home, I took a video of Pearl, Beazley and Tink meeting in our bedroom and posted that to YouTube as well. I have my own channel - which you need to if you are going to post - and I'm looking forward to playing with that and trying to work out if there's any way to use S and my talents to produce something which could then "go viral" and which could be "monitized" (and perhaps even help with my spelling of "new", made-up words which, I suppose, all words were once upon a time)!

The "ALDI - Opening Soon" signs have gone up over the old Coco's store at Carrara - as we knew it would, we just didn't know when. I wonder if anyone we know is making herself known to management there so they can get the Thursday specials on Wednesday night. I wish I had that kind of chutzpah!

K came today and she and S had a good catch-up. Beazley was very brave - staying on our bed while she was there, and only moving when she came in to do our room. It's funny how the different cats have different sleeping styles - Maggie and Tink seem to prefer the curled up position, while Beazley stretches out and makes himself as long and as wide as he can ("my bed, my bed") and stays that way.

MasterChef had moved to Parma tonight and the Teams challenge had two sections - first they had to cook saffron risotto with gold leaf, with the top five dishes going into the red team, the other going into the blue team. Then the teams had to prepare lunch for the staff at the Barilla pasta factory and ... is this really a surprise? - the red team were victorious, leaving the blue team members to battle it out tomorrow night to see who gets eliminated. None of the cats watched MasterChef tonight and it could be that Pearl only did because, with the cats out of the way, she could have a spot on the couch!