Jannie Jaunts

Hi! Or "so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye" ... Sooz and I moved about a month ago ... and it's probably time that the blog did as well. You can find us now at janniejaunts.blogspot.com - make sure you bookmark the new site (or add it to your Home Screen) so you can find us again easily! Look forward to seeing you at our new place!

Friday

There's nothing like an early mark and we were fortunate to get one without having to really work for it (although we actually did ... all week). IT was closing us out of the financial system mid-afternoon for maintenance and upgrade - and without it it was just a little difficult to do things - and yes, there were other non-accounts-computer-related tasks that could have been done - but none were nearly as exciting as an early mark!

It was good that I didn't squander it at a coffee shop (as if I would ... squander time in a coffee shop that is!) ... there was a shiny thing to procure ... this time a contact grill from Harvey Norman.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, earlier in the day, Sooz was off to Aqua with M. It's not one of their usual days but it sounded like the same folk were there. Because it was Sooz's first session in a while, and because she worked hard, she was a bit tired at the end of the session and she took herself off for a nap this afternoon.

We had leftovers for dinner - Mouse soup for me and Zen for Sooz. Yum. Then, while I watched some videos, Sooz flicked between Better Homes and Gardens and The Living Room on the television. She seemed to manage to turn to each program just as they were going to ad break ... there must be a way to watch television more effectively ... and efficiently.

Also from Harvey Norman today - a corded phone so I can try out the home line to see if it is the line or the new cordless phone that's causing issues. We now believe it is the line and 48 minutes on the phone later, Telstra are going to service the line and see if (a) that fixes the phone and (b) if that increases the internet speed!

Thursday

As planned, the girls went off to their breakfast with Julia Gillard this morning. I was very impressed when I had a message just after 6:30 from Sooz saying they were at the venue in good time. It had meant an early start for them but it was well worth it. They both enjoyed it. In a way I'm sorry I didn't go, but I'm the only one who has started reading her book out of the three of us ... and I would have wanted to have finished it by the time I heard her ...

I'm looking forward to seeing the photographs. M had tried to take some but her phone was not quite up to the task but luckily someone there took her business card and offered to send her some pictures.

After breakfast, Sooz and M went off to Harbourtown. There was shopping to be done and with Bertha it meant Sooz could stock up on a few things and bring them home. And since they were there when the Turkish place Mi had recommended was open, they had a light lunch of dips and bread.

Sooz was tired by the end of the day and didn't want to come in to The Big House tonight (Thursday is a very good television night she told me) so I went in and met M and we had Zen dinner (with leftovers for Sooz) before we went upstairs for a coffee (they are down to their very last double-walled coffee mug that everyone loves so much ... they keep breaking in the dishwasher) and some Numbers. There were a couple of Asian girls there and they were having a fabulous time at the Table ... and it was fun to watch them. They were so excited ... and even though one of them professed not to know much about what was happening ... they were doing rather well. I was happy to watch ... but not as happy as Sooz was last night at Latimers when Maggie chose to sleep on the bed with her. Tinka didn't ... she was sleeping on Pearl's bed ... but Maggie stayed with her all night.

Wednesday

There was no Aqua today ... aand there won't be for a little while from what Sooz was saying. That's okay thought because there was enough to keep her busy around here ... she is still valiantly making her way through the many boxes that are waiting to be unpacked. I haven't been much use to her, of course ... the last thing I want to think about at the moment is lifting and moving boxes ... which will be my next task so we can finally start unpacking the kitchen goodies.

Sooz is having a sleepover at Latimers tonight so it makes it easier for she and M to be on time for tomorrow's breakfast at the Convention Centre. They are going to see Julia Gillard, our first woman Prime Minister and our first woman ex-Prime Minister, and she will be talking about her book "My Story". The breakfast starts at 6.40 - so hopefully they have an early night.

M didn't have to cook because she managed an invitation to dinner for all of us at Mouse's. It was very good - soup (with leftovers ... yes!) and spaghetti. Yum. And the extra bonus was that we were able to spend some time with Pearl as well - she's still on a sleepover with Mouse. From what Sooz was saying it seems that the furries out at Latimers are missing Pearl too!

It was a relatively early night though and I think Riki and Miki were pleased of the company when I arrived back at Jannie. Riki even came out of the hidey-hole and took up a position in my lap as I sat down to do some computing. From what Syl has said, it is something she is used to doing and she certainly seems to recognise a computer from 20 paces.

Tuesday

We have broadband! It's not exceptionally fast but it is there! Now if only I could get the phone line working! But that isn't going to be today at this rate. But I was able to watch one of my programs, so I was very happy about that. It has been a while. What would we do without iView I ask you.

Ka came today ... she has agreed to come to clean Jannie fortnightly for us - luckily she is doing a place up at Helensvale on a Tuesday as well, so it works out quite well for us all. Sooz has missed her so it was good for her to have the opportunity to catch up.

Meanwhile, back at work, I was catching up with site diaries and other construction-related odds and sods. We are nearing the end of the main contract and any day now the three lanes on both sides of the Motorway will be open to traffic. This is a major milestone!

Riki and Miki take turns at being sociable and then not. They don't both seem to be out of their litle hidey-hole at the same time ... and if they didn't have different collars, and the missing whiskers on one of them, you would truly be hard-pressed to know there are two of them.

There was another "shiny thing" (thanks for the terminology M) coming into the house again today - or, to be more precise, into the garage because that's where it is until I take it out of the box and put together what bits of it need to be put together ... and then I will be able to mow the lawn! There is a good chance I am going to have to get a whipper-snipper at some point too ... well, that's what I'm saying anyway ... you know I've always wanted one!

Monday

Well, the back is still problematic so I decided to give work a miss thinking that a day of data entry and filing may not be the best thing for it. Is it possible that I am getting more sensible in my old age? I hope so!

Riki and Miki were fairly low key today and spent a fair bit of time in their scratching post Watchtower - in their basement. They continue to be as cute as … but that is not to say we are missing those Latimers' furries any less. There is something about the three of them that is so endearing … probably because we know them so well.

Pearl has gone for a sleepover at Mouse's so that will make both of them very happy. I must remember to ask M how Pearl went climbing into Bertha.

Trivia tonight and St made his first appearance since returning from France where he fitted in cycling as well as some golf (which he played competitively on the local team which then went through to the Nationals). All we need now is for an to come back and we will be our full complement again!

Sunday

There was fresh rocket and tomato from Latimers this morning at the Markets. M had been harvesting before she came in - and it was well worth her effort. She was sorry she hadn't remembered the mulberries though because they apparently don't last long once they are off the bush/tree

ROM had a workout yesterday … M was telling a I and all that the morning dew, and no doubt a bit of Spring sun, is making the grass grow quite quickly. She said Jane mowed yesterday and will probably need to do it again tomorrow or the day after. I miss ROM but at the moment it would be a bad idea to volunteer to give it a run around the yard because of my back. Quite uncharacteristically I took myself off for a massage at the Markets this morning. It has shifted it a bit but not enough … thank goodness for painkillers say I!

Folk at the Markets were in fine form - and they agreed not to hit the latecomers with the Penalty Plate this time … but as from next week, if you're late, you have to pay up … no excuses.

After the Markets, we had a quick drop-in to JB's to get a phone just in case our Broadband/Landline bundle does get activated on Tuesday as promised! Apparently Telstra don't provide handsets anymore - or not for free at least!

Next, Southport Park where Target and the supermarket were on the list. Sooz kindly did the shopping as I waited for her (still nursing my back) at the coffee shop.

Then, back to Jannie where Sooz had a rest before going out to the Movies at The Big House with M this evening. It's part of the Movie Convention currently on on the Coast. The movie is about Stephen Hawking - based on a book by his first wife, Jane. Mi showed us the trailer at Mouse's the other night and it looked quite good - and M was going to see if she could get extra tickets (they'd only given her two) … and, drat, wouldn't you know it, she did score an extra ticket which I could have used, except for my back.

Riki and Miki continue to be cute. They are so affectionate as well …and smart. I left the laundry door open this afternoon and one went out to have a look. Luckily Syl had been there first and had sealed up the cat door with pegs so they couldn't get out. (This is the same Syl who went through and sealed all the holes in the fence so, just in case they managed to get out of the house, they wouldn't be going further than the fence.

Saturday

We were up early and on the road to Toowoomba by 7am! We left the furries sitting on the couch - wondering, no doubt, how long we were going to be in the laundry this time! Or maybe they are cleverer than that because when we came around the front, I noticed they were both sitting at the window - and while little noses were not pressed against the window, they might as well have been!

It was a good drive up, made better by finding a cafe that does decent coffee at the service station where we filled up, and because we stopped for a leisurely breakfast at The Sister Cafe, just out of Marburg. Also, the roadworks along the way, while still there, are less annoying and not as time-consuming!

Gr and Abs are in good form and the had just arrived back from "a hit" as we came down the street. I don't know what it is about some people but they never seem to change - not in terms of their external personas anyway. He is still the same jokester he always was and he had us in fits of laughter soon after we arrived with his dance moves.

I'm was totally smitten with Abs - just like she was when she met Ja. How those years have flown! And how many changes there have been along the way!

Lunch was at Mum's - a little taste of a few things - and we all managed to crowd around the tables (we had to join two together for us all to fit).

After lunch we drove Gr and Abs over to the tennis centre at the University so she could have another "hit", this time with one of the tournament girls rather than with Gr - and while I don't know that much about tennis - she seemed to be very good. She is in the top 500 in the world with her doubles, and top 750 individually.

We set off from Toowoomba just after 5 and were back home with Riki and Miki just after 7:30. It didn't seem as though they had missed us that much although one did go and sit with Sooz on the couch as she watched New Tricks! And as soon as the keyboard (for the iPad) came out, I had a little visitor as well.

Friday

Why is it that short weeks always seem incredibly long? Is it because we try to fit five days of work into four? Or, in Ch's case, two? It was productive though, so much so, that Ma favoured us with an early mark ... not much of one for me though as I leave at 4 ... but the extra fifteen minutes meant I had time to call into the Post Office and the Chemist on my way to the doctors (nothing serious).

Meanwhile, back at Jannie, Syl and An were dropping off Riki and Miki and settling them in. We will have them for three weeks and both Sooz and I are looking forward to having them. It will be interesting to see if they decide to sleep on the bed at all ... or whether they can tell that we've had other cats on the bed!

Dinner was at Mouse's tonight, so we had to work out how to effectively lock Miki and Riki in so they wouldn't slip outside while we were leaving. While Syl had patched up all the holes in the fence that might have allowed them to venture out into the big wide wonderful world, we don't want to risk putting it to the desk.

In the end, we decided it would work if we locked them in by us going out through the laundry and the back door. I can't help but wonder if they wondered why we spent three hours in the laundry ... and whether they were grateful that we had moved their litter tray and other accoutrements into the main bathroom.

It was great at Mouse's ... some good discussion and fantastic food - thanks Mouse! We also noted that Allure, the Currumbin restaurant where we had been with David and his family, had been named as the second best in Australia. (Aria was #1.)

Thursday

Today was Ch's first day off now that she is working part=time ... that's four days a week ... so she can spend time on her studies - end goal: acupuncturist. She has four years of study in front of her but as we all know, the longest journey starts with the smallest step (or something like that).

She was away yesterday too ... sick - so I am really looking forward to her being back at work tomorrow. Hopefully she won't be taking Friday as well and having an extra long weekend.

But enough about work. Sooz and I are not so much loving the kitchen sink at the moment. Marty fixed the leak there when he put the dishwasher in but Sooz noticed today that there is a leak in there again. She contacted Fl and Marty will drop back in tomorrow morning to have a look.

Sooz continues to do a marvellous job with unpacking boxes ... and making space in the second bedroom ... you can see the floor in there ... room enough for the ironing board to go up ... as it was this afternoon when I arrived home ... and Sooz (thank you!) was ironing me a work shirt for tomorrow.

We are very much looking forward to Riki and Miki arriving tomorrow for their holiday with us; while they are not Maggie and Tinka, they will be furries on the bed. We've missed that!

Wednesday

Wednesday 

l was so much looking forward to the lunar eclipse tonight but there was cloud cover which meant we couldn't see it.  We kept setting the alarm on the offchance the clouds would part ... but not to be.  We'll have to catch it on television or wait until the next. ne.  I just hope that all the people I encouraged to watch out for it did and that they had better weather than we. 

Sooz made good progress again today, probably helped by bed tea. It is a wonderful thing. She had a heap of boxes ready for relocating to the garage when I arrived home.  Tomorrow will be kitchen things. As long as Sooz can get to the boxes in the garage that is.  I have warned Sooz but I will try to clear the way a little before I go to work on the morrow.  (She hasn't been in the garage for a few days So may not realise how many things are now residing there- even if only on a temporary basis! .)  

Tomorrow will be an exciting day for Sooz. I did get a replacement hose for the washing machine today and now the laundry detergent has made it out of the car and into the house as well, I doubt she will be able to resist her first WashAthon at Jannie.

An had come down with a migraine (the bad kind) overnight and with M off at another engagement, there was no Aqua for Sooz today. 

Tuesday

No ... no ... not time to go back to work _ there are still way too many boxes to unpack! But we are getting there so that is at least a bit encouraging.

I woke Sooz with bed tea this morning ... she had to be up and ready for the plumber who was due at ... 7 am. Obviously I had made that booking without thinking it through properly. And it was just as well she was up because the plumber arrived spot on time. He was fantastic (thanks FI). The dishwasher looks fantastic - and works too! Ditto the washing machine except for the split hose from the tap to the machine - only discovered after Marty departed.

But he wasn't Sooz's only tradie today luckily ... there was also Chris who changed the locks and reduced our key load dramatically! Now to have some spares cut and distributed to folk. Chris was also very helpful in diagnosing the hose problem and taking it off so we can source a replacement.

The only ones who didn't show up today were Telstra who had managed to mess up our order - so still no Broadband for us. Do they not know I am hanging out to get back online?

Dinner tonight was down at the Broadwater ... seafood as we watched the almost (if not actually) full moon in the sky and the walkers, strollers and runners on the ground.

Despite my best intentions, there was no boxes unpacked by me today but I did help Sooz carry her empties out to the garage.

Monday

It was a lovely start to the day - bed tea and toast. I had wanted to sleep in just a little longer but my first mistake was setting the alarm - and then resetting it. The next thing I knew Sooz was at the bedside putting down tea and toast ... so my eyes opened and it was time to start the day ... with the SMH Trivia quiz. Alas, it wasn't our best score but we will have the chance to hone our skills tonight at Trivia. We're going to have our full team back on deck - for tonight at least; Syl and An are off for three weeks from Saturday which means we will have to manage without An.

We had a plan when we started the day ... to put up the curtains - one set Stone, one set Mocha, and I didn't catch the name of the ones going up in the bedroom. We were safe about it too ... taking into account Syl's words of advice that anyone over 50 shouldn't be up a ladder - except her.

Next task ... break down some of the boxes that have been entered but are still in the house ... to make the office and the second bedroom look a little less cluttered.

But what we really wanted to do was the washing. Otherwise it's going to be a little difficult to have clean work clothes since the plumber hasn't been to fix the tap in the laundry yet!

Over to Latimers. Syl and An were there - An came a bit later though. They were doing caravan cleaning out - although Syl had already been working with M on cleaning out the shed and they had already been on a tip run by the time we arrived.

It was good to see the furries again. It is the first time Sooz has seen them since we left. Tinka was lovely and when she saw Sooz she gave a huge purr, and then trotted over to the drawer where her cookies are kept, waiting for Sooz to catch up.

Pearl was happy to see Sooz too ... and rolled on to her back so Sooz could pat her tummy. Maggie stayed on the bed ... but she didn't get out of our visit that easily because we were in Shep's room with her sorting out the clothese we had left in the wardrobe there. (I can't believe how much stuff we haven't taken with us yet.)

Then it was out to grab a bite of lunch, and then home for a rest (of sorts ... I am still playing with the boxes in the office) before we went to Trivia. St wasn't there, he had his mother staying, so Ni brought Cl with her instead. 70 ... we managed 70 tonight which was enough to give us 2nd place. There was a tiebreak for 3rd and, wouldn't you know it, on ones where we are not competing, we can sometimes pull out the stops ... who knew there are 47 strings on a harp. Well, apparently I did!

Sunday

It was good I could make the Skype call from Latimers to Tr this morning because next week she'll be somewhere off Tahiti and not taking Skype calls. Alas she was a little early for the call ... there may have been a some confusion about Daylight Savings Time ... but she did find something to do in the two hours she was waiting for me to come online.

Out at Latimers, as well as using M's internet, we were also looking to use her washing machine... and her furries - we have been missing them.

M had a late night last night... with Bertha - when she had a flat tyre. It was probably good we were out there reasonably early so she was up - and thinking about going out to lunch with the extended family.

By the time we were finished at Latimers we had a car full of things to take back to Jannie. Which we did before going in to The Big House - to have lunch at Food Fantasy. It was good to be able to have tastes of lots of things - it was just what I felt like and Sooz felt like salads, so it all worked out well.

Then it was back home and a relatively early night ... there is much to do tomorrow ...curtain, breaking down boxes, and perhaps a little shopping.

Saturday

We started the day well - I was up a Iittle earlier than Sooz, starting to sort out the office, but that was good because I was able to get some done and feel a sense of accomplishment before starting what was perhaps the most important task of the day - making bed tea for Sooz. Ulterior motive ? Why, yes ... we had to be out of the house early because we were doing breakfast with An and M. I had suggested Cafe Alfons on Chevron Island and that's where we ended up. It was good too!

We managed to get in some shopping today - Bunnings, OfficeWorks, Spotlight - and we managed to get a couple of bargains for the house which we were both very pleased about.

Then it was back to Jannie and doing more boxes shifting and unpacking. I have learnt a lesson or two which would be useful for another move (if there was ever going to be another - but based on the past week I would be strenuously resisting any suggestion of that!). We are still thinking about desking the office area ... it's definitely a work in progress.

We had an early night - there's more boxes and unpacking to do on the morrow.

Friday

End of Month is now over - but I was a little dissatisfied with it. The process was different from last month - and, I don't know why this surprises me at all, they have gone and changed some of the key reports again - I would like to say they had merely “fiddled” with them but that would be something of an understatement. But we finally sorted it out … and I managed to sit tight and not express my dissatisfaction at some of the decisions made … better that way .. and we'll have another go next month. 
By the time I arrived home this afternoon, Syl had been again. This time she was taking out a cupboard … the one which is where the dishwasher is intended to go on Tuesday. All we have to do now is bring the dishwasher in from the garage, and that will be a job for the weekend after we've been out to Latimers to pick up the trolley. 
Sooz and I went over to HarbourTown for dinner this evening - and while we had thought we might eat at a Turkish place Mi had mentioned to Sooz - it was closing as we arrived. So we ate at Fasta Pasta - and while we may have ordered a little too much, they had plastic containers so you could take your leftovers with you. It saved me having to go back to the car for plastic containers (we'd noticed there were some) - and as it was I was fairly sure I wouldn't have brought back enough.

Thursday

What an absolutely wonderful sunrise this morning. Okay, I wasn't actually up for sunrise but there was sunshine streaming through and around a cloud formation as I drove to work that was simply spectacular!

On the way home I went shopping ... for more shiny things ... and they were shiny: paper towel holder, dish rack, clothes airer ... that type of thing. I was a bit surprised how long it took but that may have been because I also stopped to look at cushions (yes! there was a pineapple one), and BBQs, and curtains, and probably some other things as well ... plus some glasses. Then home and a catch-up with Sooz and a look at Syl's handiwork ... she took her whipper-shipper to Jannie's lawns. It looks much tidier now! I'm thinking we may need to invest in a cutting device ... but will that be lawnmower, whipper-snipper or scythe ... or is that a sickle - and how much more dangerous would one of those be than a whipper-snipper?

Dinner tonight was at Spinners - I had the Pork Cutlet ... quite nice ... although I think M’s Gyro and chips had something going for it as well. Then it was upstairs for a cup of coffee and some numbers (not enough of them mine unfortunately). It was odd driving back to Labrador rather than Latimers - and strange that it didn't seem to take nearly as long to get here!

End of Month continues but it didn't seem to be quite as stressy today. We sent Da out (he volunteered actually) to do the coffee run - and that was enough to keep us going until lunch. It's always good to have an incentive.

Wednesday

There is no doubt about it-the mornings are getting lighter. I am still struggling to believe that it will be Daylight Savings Time next weekend. I am still on Latimers time in the mornings... with plenty of time left over to feed the furries if they were here instead.

M visited Sooz today and was saying Tinka is still sleeping on Pearl's bed. I'm not sure where Pearl's moved to, although she had been sleeping beside M's bed. We do miss those furries ... it's just not the same stretching out in bed and not having to mind Tinka, or being able to stretch down to give her a "little chuck under the chin"- she likes that. She's let me pat her the last two times I was at Latimers, but she wasn't totally enthusiastic about it. Hopefully, in time, she will forget that she's unhappy with us ... Pearl too.

The missing giraffes have been found! Thanks M who located them behind the chest of drawers in the bedroom. We had been looking all over for them and I'm sure one of us would have looked behind the drawers sooner if someone had had any recollection that we had had them up in the bedroom - before I put them away to put the night photos up. Hmmm ... thinking about that, I had up until now thought that they had been about "light" but just as equally they could have been about "dark". Funny what you think about!

Sooz has had a good go at the unpacking today and, doing my part, where I hadn't yesterday because of the dentist, I did spend some time tonight sorting out my clothes. I am taking Sooz's advice of separating summer from winter attire - and the "off" season will be stored somewhere other than the bedroom closet. There's still a bit to go but, as they say, the longest journey starts with a ... well, I actually don't know what they say. But I do know what they say about eating an elephant ... one bite at a time!

The drive in to work still takes about 17 minutes but that may change when the school holidays end next week. Still, I am leaving early enough to beat the traffic!

 

Tuesday

I would have raced home to do some more unpacking this afternoon, but I had a dental appointment instead. I know which I would have preferred! But it didn't take as long as expected and I only looked a little like I had been in a cage fight … and lost. Da did a good job though and once my lip goes down I'll have a better look at what they've done.

Work was busy again today - End of Month continues - but the hard slog needs to be finished by lunchtime tomorrow so I'm planning to go in a bit early to make some headway - and make up some of the time I lost this afternoon.

Sooz had a busy day at Jannie - she is starting to get it organised - lining the shelves. sorting out the cupboards and the kitchen, unpacking boxes, thinking about which pictures will go on which walls. There's still lots to do though but we just need to keep plugging away. I was pretty impressed I have been able to find some things as I have needed them - like my healthcare card for the dentist. I can't help but wonder where a lot of other things are but I know they will safely tucked away in one of the boxes. Hours of fun!

Sooz and I went to Sharks Club last night - as an alternative to going in to Southport RSL where Trivia wasn't on. I'd like to say it was a wonderful experience but it was full of folk and very noisy. The food wasn't that good either - Sooz suggested it was on a par with Southport. I think she was being a little generous.

But it was good in that after dinner we lingered for a few moments to have a little play on the machines - and Sooz ended up paying for dinner with the winnings. Good job!

There is birdsong in the mornings here but I am missing the sound of the cows and the horses - and, of course, the Latimers furries.

Monday

It was a good drive in to work this morning save for the roadworks and the oversize vehicle - but still I managed to get to Zarraffas at Nerang in around 20 minutes. I had thought it would take a bit longer and it probably will if I don't leave ridiculously early (that was this morning) or go another way.
I was pleased though because as I drove along the Motorway I could see the balloons and picture where they were over Nerang - skirting Latimers as they often do.

I had time to eat my toast at Zarraffas this morning - something I haven't done for a good while, and because of that I had time to check my mail - and see the invitation to watch Co and Mi renew their vows (barely just over two weeks old) at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas via Webcam. So I did - on the iPhone as I sat at my desk working. There was singing (by the Elvis impersonator/celebrant) and dancing (by Co and Mi), and the exchanging of rings… and there was kissing… I'm still not sure if Co was actually trying to kiss Elvis. But they both (well, all) looked just fabulous.l popped into Latimers this afternoon to collect more boxes and the clothes from M's wardrobe, and the gear from the back of (Bertha) the 4-Wheel Drive. - there's still a little more but that should be finished this week.I made it home for a mini-rest before we set off for Trivia… that was the plan anyway - until An rang from the Club to say they were having a function (and expecting around a thousand folk) so Trivia was cancelled. I was very disappointed: I'd been looking forward to seeing St and him shepherding us back onto that podium!

Sunday

There was no call with Tr this morning; I had deferred it until next week until I have Jannie's broadband under control.

Markets were a go though and we were almost back up to our usual complement again ... it's been a while! Ni and St are back from France although it was Ni and Ca (visiting from Melbourne) who came to the Markets today. Et and his family were there as well - and he was saying that he didn't understand why we come to the Markets for Sunday mornings as we are actually nowhere near them - sitting up the back as we do. But it was a good day - before they start back on Daylight Savings time next weekend. That came around awfully fast.

Em's cousin is still visiting so she and Em were there although Ba had called off because he is not feeling 100% and had slept in.

We were almost the first to leave today: we had some errands to do: We even had a list which we actually stuck to. And believe it or not everything we picked up did actually fit into Billi - although for a moment there it did appear that it wouldn't. There was a lesson there though - if you have your head in the car packing/repacking you cannot hear Sooz telling you that your trolley is making a run for it. She told me three times and I only heard the last one - and it was indeed on its way down the hill passed the parked cars. I managed to catch it before it hit the second one ... when I say "hit" I actually mean "glanced" ... there was no damage ... huge sighs of relief in order!

Back at Jannie, there was some car unpacking before our attention turned to an afternoon nap - and then an early night.

Hmmm ... I wonder how those furries are - at least Pearl and Tinka deigned to say hello to us yesterday when Syl and I were out there - nor like the silent treatment (with backs turned) they gave me on Friday.

Saturday

Today was our first day of waking up at Jannie - if you don't count the short naps we had on Thursday - Sooz on the couch and me on the table (actually "at" the table). It was great ... and not just because I was able to sleep in because I wasn't planning to go shooting. Instead, we were off to breakfast at Daniel Stuart's again - we're going to start exploring other breakfast venues soon! From there, Syl and I did end up going shooting - Service Pistol - and while it was good to be shooting, it wasn't the best match we've been to. The targets for Service Pistol are all black - which means that when you're shooting from 50m away (we didn't) it's all but impossible to see where your bullets have hit ... making it very difficult to correct your shots as you go. And it seemed almost impossible from 7m away to hit the target - Syl did much better than I - because you shoot 2 mags (5 bullets each) at the targets without "sighting" - you hold your gun at waist level and fire them off. It's hard to see the target even at that distance so 10 shots later I managed to get one - yes one only - bullet (yes, and just by luck me thinks) into the target.

Service Pistol

But the day wasn't all about fun ... Syl was on board with some more moving - taking things off to the dump and another load of things still at Latimers - to Jannie. And I'm not quite finished yet - I think there's another one or two loads - not counting the things I had put straight from Lars boot (remember Lars?) into Bertha's boot. I had been meaning to take them out before now but have been ... well ... slack.

Chicken and mat!

Best chair ever!

Mouse and M dropped in (M phoned first) this afternoon - and Mouse bought a housewarming gift with her ... which will remind us of her every time we arrive home - as will the chicken that M gave Sooz some time ago which sits out the front as well.

I think I have been remiss to this point but not yet having mentioned that M was absolutely wonderful helping with the move - including the "first day" and food boxes she sent over with us and the work she did packing up our goodies from the kitchen ... and loaning us a kettle until we get another one (yes, yes, I may have been too rash in throwing out our old one when I found it in the shed the other day). Not to mention how helpful she was in driving Sooz around to look at places before we found Jannie, and then, once we had, helping Sooz to keep various appointments and such. Thank you ... thank you ... thank you.

 

Friday

Morning came way too soon!

I went off to work (and I'm really not quite how that happened) while Sooz stayed at The Big House to spend the day relaxing at The Big House (thanks again M).

Even though I had wanted to leave work early, I ended up staying until day's end and actually managed to get a fair bit done. It's a jump on the load that we'll have on Monday and Tuesday.

The good news is that we had a dinner invitation from Mouse so after work, and a quick trip in to Latimers to pick up some of the things that were still there, I dropped in to The Big House to pick-up Sooz, and do the Great SwipeStakes (yay! $25 Casino Dollars) and head off for Mouse's. Fl was a non-starter - he was tired at the end of the week - and probably sleepy after P&P afternoon. It was good though because Mi is back from NZ - and she had much to say about a few things.

Then, well fed, and a little on the tired side ourselves, we were off to Jannie - for our first night there.

Thursday

Fridge in

Morning came too soon! I managed to get myself to bed around midnight moderately confident that we were ready for morning - as long as I was up early enough to do some last-minute things because today was Moving Day!

Moving times

The movers arrived on time at 7am (truly … what was I thinking when I booked in for first appointment of the day?) and they were fantastic. The only hiccough was at first when they weren't sure everything was going to fit on to their truck but through masterful packing (was that the music from Tetris that I kept hearing) and a realisation that they weren't taking all the furniture and other goodies from Latimers.

Moving in

The guys were great … they carried all the boxes to and into the truck - and out again - by hand, saying that it was faster … and they certainly did move along at a rate of knots.

I ended up leaving Latimers much earlier than planned - as soon as I received a call from Harvey Norman saying they were on the way with the couches and would arrive in about half an hour. So I left Sooz (and M) to it and drove at a hasty but within the speed limit pace to Jannie - just beating the delivery folk there so I had time to open up the side doors to allow easy access.

It wasn't long before Sooz rang to say that Tony and Zane were on their way with the truck - and during that time I had calls with the guys delivering the other appliances. Everything came as planned - and by early afternoon, everyone had been and gone and I had staged the house so the boxes for unpacking (but not immediately) were stored in the office area, the second bedroom and the garage. The "important" boxes were in the master bedroom or the bathrooms.

Well done Syl!

Syl came around this afternoon to put the bed back together again and help us move the mattress on … voila … done and ready! Of course, we weren't using it tonight. M had offered us a night at The Big House and we happily took her up on that … it meant Sooz would be able to stay there tomorrow and just have a big rest post-move!

 

Wednesday

Morning came too soon! I was up late packing last night - later than I should have - but we're working to a deadline now … and while we just have to make sure the big stuff is ready to take - it would be good if the small stuff was ready as well. Who knew there were so many things to put in so many boxes (I did get some more … and some more packing tape). Sooz has been hard at it as well, working on getting the bedroom in order while I've been working out in the shed trying to make sure we know where "things" are. I have been labelling the boxes - on all four sides (thanks for the tip M) and hopefully we will be able to direct them into where they need to go in Jannie when the time comes.

End of Month continues at the office but they will need to go out without me tomorrow. I had been thinking I would just take the morning to do the move, but I've decided to take the whole day and not put the extra pressure on.

The furries are still being a bit distant … we haven't had Tinka back in with us yet, but at least she's still letting us pat her … and feed her and give her those special cookies.

Wednesday

Morning came too soon! I was up late packing last night - later than I should have - but we're working to a deadline now ... and while we just have to make sure the big stuff is ready to take - it would be good if the small stuff was ready as well. Who knew there were so many things to put in so many boxes (I did get some more ... and some more packing tape). Sooz has been hard at it as well, working on getting the bedroom in order while I've been working out in the shed trying to make sure we know where "things" are. I have been labelling the boxes - on all four sides (thanks for the tip M) and hopefully we will be able to direct them into where they need to go in Jannie when the time comes.

End of Month continues at the office but they will need to go out without me tomorrow. I had been thinking I would just take the morning to do the move, but I've decided to take the whole day and not put the extra pressure on.

The furries are still being a bit distant ... we haven't had Tinka back in with us yet, but at least she's still letting us pat her ... and feed her and give her those special cookies.

Tuesday

M was up incredibly early this morning to take the rubbish and recycling up to the road for collection. It was actually very impressive - but also a bit sad because if she had been up a few minutes earlier she could have seen one of the prettiest sunrises we've had in a while.

The big news in the valley is that Choo Choo is back with her foal - she is a chestnut cutie. They are sticking pretty close together - as you would hope - and there were both under the shelter at one point - but hopefully Choo Choo was not sharing her windsucking habit with the foal.

The not so big news is that there was more packing today. We are getting closer but there is still a bit to do. Hopefully we are going to be ready for when the removalists show up on Thursday morning.

Monday

I gave the furries dinner - and they all had a very nice time indeed. The cats really loved their "Purr" and were determined to finish it with their heads buried in their bowls and not budging even when Pearl came sniffing around after she had bolted down her mince and cookies. It is a wonder that dog doesn't get indigestion the way she vacuums up her food sometimes. But she is a dog ... and that's what we all love about her.

Road wood

The Pest People came to Jannie today and Sooz was over there (thanks Syl and An) to let them in. It was only when she was there that she realised that she didn't have the key to the garage (d'oh, that would be my fault) but they said they would come back to do that another day.

I can not believe we are getting worse at Trivia or that it all seems to be getting a little harder with mosl Scores tonight being under 60. We were as well and managed a third.until we pointed out they had somehow managed to add ten points to our score ... so no equal third for us - but a good honest maybe fifth I think.

You can never be too careful when you're out and about driving these days. I was glad I was coming from Zarraffas rather than Maccas when I saw a guy who had lost his load of wood at the traffic lights. Now I'm not into investigative forensics but I would say that when he stopped at the lights - perhaps a little too quickly, his load of planks kept travelling. Thankfully there was no-one in front of him otherwise he, his mate from the truck behind him, and the bicyclist who had stopped to help may have been faced with a decidedly different proposition.

Tinka knows something is up - she is no longer sleeping in the bedroom with us.

 

Sunday

Swell again - this time with Sooz. I was very impressed when she was up and in the shower before me this morning … but I would have been happier if that had been for any reason other than that she had had a bad night.

But she was still more than happy to go… and was very pleased she had.

She very much liked the Octopus - and the bats! I was amazed by how different some of them looked in the different light this morning. Even though the time wasn't much different from yesterday, the sun was out this morning and that made a big difference in some of the artworks. I just sorry I didn't make time to see them in the late afternoon light. Next year!

Then we were off to the Markets - and we were the first of our crew there today. We kept ourselves busy by having breakfast - spicy knackwurst, sauerkraut and onion - and German mustard - on a crunchy roll. It was wonderful … and I think not just because we had done a bit before then.

We had secured the table and some chairs by the time the others arrived. As predicted, Mouse was the first, followed by Fl - or was it Mi and Az?

We hadn't planned to stay long but we were still there at 12 before we set off for home so I could do more shed packing and sorting so I'd be ready for when Syl came for the tip run. In the end she and M did it (thank you) while I continued in the shed. This moving jag can be a tad upsetting - especially when you come across things that haven't been sighted in a few years.

Dinner tonight was Pizza - and it was only a little bit wet when I drove in to collect it.

 

 

Saturday

Swell. I was up and out of the house early - which surprised me as I was up a bit later than I had planned packing miscellaneous papers and other goodies in the desk area.Even though I was there early … just before 7, the area was already packed … and I was pleased of that .. especially since I was able to get a park. It was going to get much harder later in the day. The sculptures were amazing. There are some really amazing people in the world - and the places their minds go, what they visualise and then bring to fruition is truly incredible. I had my favourites … which you can tell from the number of photographs I took of them.

It's Swell!

I wasn't the only one taking photographs today … it seems to bring out lots of photographers with lots of really big cameras! Who knew there were so many people into photography?And then it was off to breakfast with M and An, collecting Sooz on the way. We were back at Daniel Stuart's. Loved it!The rest of the day was given over to errands and activities related to next week's move. Refrigerator - check. Washing machine - check. Some more done in the shed - check!As a reward we went out to dinner at The Big House - finally catching up with Mi and Az. They both look well following their holiday!

 

 

 

 

Friday

Settlement Day plus one - which means the entrance cleaners came today. They were good - arriving on time and going through with me what they were going to do and then I was able to leave them to it. When I came back two hours later (I never did find Chirn Park - on the way there or back) they had finished and Debbie was waving the door back and forwards trying to get the drying to finish. Still, I think I left footprints on the white floor in the laundry when I went in there to check that the back screen door was locked. We'll know for sure when Sooz goes over there tomorrow to let the pest people in.

I'd left work early to be at Jannie for the cleaners and I enjoyed the early mark. It was good too because I met Chris, the neighbour at No. 1.

Tonight was not so much fun ... it was time for some more packing and I made a good start on my office area. I haven't thrown that much out yet but I have jettisoned some. I have also managed to find the camera I have been missing for a while ... in a place I would never have thought to look for it ... so it's just as well I was clearing out the office - otherwise I wouldn't have had it for tomorrow - and Swell.

Thursday

Well, it's finally here .. Settlement Day ... but it did take a while until the call came through that the deal had been done ... and dusted. Not that it took long after the actual settlement time ... it was just waiting for 2:30 to roll around.

Other big news of the day .. Mi and Az have returned and M went up to the airport to collect them and bring them home. I thought they might have gone via Mouse's to pick up Prince as well ... but it appears that he will have at least another day's holiday until his parents collect him.

Congratulations

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the Gold Coast (and thanks M for collecting Sooz and taking her to Maccas so I could collect her there) Sooz and I were off to the real estate agents to pick up the keys for Jannie. Of course, we didn't ask "which" so we ended up at Maggie's office rather than their other branch which is actually where the keys were. Luckily the right branch wasn't far away and within 10 minutes we had swung by, picked up the keys and were on the way to visit Jannie by ourself for the very first time.

It still seems small compared to the memories of our first visit ... but it is plenty big enough.

We met M at the Big House afterwards for Dinner at Zen (thanks for the food and beverage voucher swipings M.) and while Sooz had a flutter on her favourite poker machine M and I went upstairs for a quick game of Numbers.. It was not the night for winning fortunes but it was fun.

When we arrived home, we found Flowers and presents from M to congratulate us on the settlement.

 

Wednesday

Settlement is tomorrow but the day is just dragging. Just as well there was shooting tonight - air pistol. Syl did really well; me not so much at the start but by the end of the session I was starting to get my eye in. Was the sight on my pistol really listing to the right or did I just think it did. It was interesting to Vanessa (one of the other shooters of indeterminate gender) talking with the guy next to me. It was one of the most politically-incorrect conversations I have ever heard but well worth eavesdropping on because I never knew where it was headed next. I think they may have been doing it partly for my benefit - I suppose it doesn't do to tell people how funny their conversation is if you are pretending not to be listening. I wish I could claim that as the reason for my poor performance on the range, but I don't think so,

M has recovered very well from her spill the other day. You can barely tell she's limping now and she doesn't seem to be protective of her shoulder at all.

Tuesday

Will there ever be a time when I can put down a piece of paper and then find it again without having to turn the house upside down looking for it? It certainly wasn't today... but I should be thankful that I did eventually find the three receipts I was looking for. Huge sigh of relief since I need them all tomorrow to arrange the deliveries!

M was much better today: a very quick healer and fairly determined to boot (''fairly" being an understatement of course!)

Rainbow

I wasn't game enough to check the shed and the snake situation this afternoon - especially as it wasn't far off dark by the time I arrived back at Latimers.. Well, that's what I'd like to think but it's not so. I just didn't feel like tackling shed things this afternoon. Especially since I had plenty of inside jobs to do - like finding those receipts!

It rained this afternoon but not as much as yesterday (just in time to water M's new plants) or with such a spectacular rainbow.

The furries are their usual wonderful selves and Pearl seems to be responding well to her new "potions" including one which comes with what I've heard M at least twice describe as "the smallest scoop in the world'!

Sooz is doing a fantastic job packing up her half of the bedroom; I'll have to attack mine soon otherwise it will seem like I'm not doing it! But I am making progress with the office - thanks to those hiding receipts.

Sooz cooked spaghetti bolognese tonight and there are leftovers - either for lunch or dinner tomorrow - depending on whether I'm going to Air Pistol.

I managed to make it to bed at a much more reasonable hour tonight - directly relatable to having banished Peggle and Frozen - both highly addictive games - from the iPad. I miss them.

We still haven't told Tinka we're about to be non-roommates - or perhaps Sooz has and just hasn't mentioned it to me.

 

Monday

Tinka had a two-course breakfast this morning - three if you count both lots of cookies! She doesn't often ask for cookies as well as her broth - but she seemed to enjoy them both - or should that be "all"?

Drums, palings and fog

Maggie was funny this morning. When I woke up she was already prowling around the bedroom looking for a way out - and she followed me down to the front door (okay, she actually beat me there) and scooted outside as soon as it was opened. When Pearl ambled down, hoping to score some leftover cat brekkie, I ushered her outside (she knows the rules) only to have Maggie Bolt back in. She then tried to move Tinka on from her food bowl but, uncharacteristically, Tinka was not budging!

Snake thumper

And if only we could have said the same about M today. She was a little worse for wear this afternoon following her run-in with something on the floor in one of the Ferry Road Market shops. she skidded and went flying, hurting her shoulder and knee on the way down and across the rooms. Sooz was with her to prevent her from bouncing up before she'd had a chance to assess the damage. Thankfully, there wasn't much - as confirmed by a visit to the Docs although you could tell by the way she walked and held her arm that there was soreness involved.

Trivia - equal third until the tie-break and then we were fourth. There's nothing like having a consistent record of failure on those tie-breaks. I think though that we have managed to win one along the way at some point, but that's not enough! And I think we're all missing those bistro and beverage vouchers! Hurry back St and Ni is all I can say; we have a feeling they may be able to save us from ourselves!

M has moved one of the snake thumpers up to outside the shed. I'd thought of doing it but been frozen to inaction when I thought about where to place one: would any snakes already in there be trapped - and come tumbling out as soon as the door opened to escape whatever it is the thumpers do? I'll see if I'm game to go in there tomorrow!

 

Sunday

We were late to the Markets today - and it was a shame because today was not the day for it. The Markets venue had charged from the Turf Club to the Magic Millions Car Park. That meant there was no shade for the seating - which Mouse found out the hard way ... she was there on time and did her best to save the table and seats for the rest of us. We could tell from the car park behaviour that people were "hot and bothered" - because they were surprised by the change of venue, including the smaller car park and all the changed stall locations - and they were less than nice when it came to their "table manners". Poor Mouse - having to defend our "patch" from ... people ... and out in the sun as well. She was a bit shaken up by it, but she seemed to be okay once she'd had some waters and settled in to our alternate location ... Zarraffa's at Benowa where, and we were a bit surprised by this, it was okay to bring our own food ... so we were able to have our Markets breakfast anyway.

So that will be the last time we are late for the Markets ... none of us wants Mouse to have to go through that again! She is so good that sometimes I think some of us (including me) can forget that she is our "elder".

New venue

We called in to JB HiFi on the way home to have a look at the refrigerator I found yesterday, and the good news is that Sooz likes it too. Now all we have to do is measure the space to make sure it's going to fit (just a formality ... M is certain it will fit into the alcove already there) and then we'll see what kind of deal we can get buying both the washing machine and refrigerator from them.

I put in more shed time this afternoon - and I feel that I am starting to accomplish something. It was a hive of activity out here at Latimers this afternoon: Sid came over to replace some of the planks in M's fence; M moved three 44-gallon drums from the stables and brought them around to the gate for pick-up; and then spent some time cleaning out a box or two from the shed; Sooz was still in the bedroom working her way through that - and making good progess as well.

Swallows about to ... swallow

The Swallow parents were busy as well - running a yum cha service for the chicks. It was reassuring to watch ... and a good chance to try out M's camera again. Yes, I still like it.

M went out to Mouse's for dinner this evening while Sooz and I had a quiet night in. I was not playing Peggle or Frozen tonight - because I finally succumbed to my guilt about spending so much time playing them and, knowing I have the willpower of a not very willpowery thing, deleted both from the iPad. I went to play a couple of times today and had actually turned on the iPad before I realised that these games are now FORBIDDEN.

 

Saturday

What an exciting day all round: shooting, the opening of the new Aquatic Centre; looking at refrigerators and washing machines ... and, of course, more packing.

Pistol Club

I met Syl at the Pistol Club ... and she was quite excited. She was going to shoot her new gun today ... and as it turned out, I was able to shoot it as well. We were doing NRA Kindy - Steel Plate Challenge ... where you shoot 8" plates down from various distances. When they do Steel Plate Challenge, they usually do a higher calibre - but if you hit the plate in the right spot with the .22 it does fall over ... and if it doesn't fall over, you can hear the ping and see where it hits.

Syl's gun is a thing of beauty ... it feels wonderful in the hand, is a perfect fit for me, and the sights are lined up so what you aim at is what you hit (generally speaking ... of course there were some exceptions).

B's burn

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the Gold Coast, M and An were at the Official Opening of the new Aquatic Centre. They were among many others ... those who went were asked to take part in a Guiness World Record attempt ... most people gathered in the one place wearing swimming caps - which they got to keep. (And yes, there is a truth to the rumour that M was able to secure one of the commemorative caps for Sooz.) An wasn't able to stay for the record attempt, but M did.

The Aquatic Complex is amazing with lots of pools and one not-pool. M was telling us about it ... it is a room where they practice diving off boards - but they don't dive into water - they dive onto trampolines and mattress-like padding. As she said, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense that they would practice this way.

More NRA ...

Meanwhile, even elsewhere on the Gold Coast, Sooz was out at Latimers doing packing stuff. As an encouragement, I picked her up some lunch after I had dropped by the shops to look at refrigerators and washing machines. That is something I don't want to do by myself again ... the decision about what to take photos of to take home is enormous! But I did find one refrigerator that I liked - and hopefully Sooz will like it too. We'll find out tomorrow.

When I arrived back from the looking, Syl was already here and after a quick lunch, she and I went to the tip with the first load of rubbish from the shed. She put the trailer back near the shed when we arrived home so I can continue to load it up.

As we arrived back at Latimers, we saw smoke - and Syl correctly identified it would be B burning the pile down the back ... and it was.

Sooz and I had a quiet night in this evening ... with the furries ... and with M who was planning to go out but, in the end, didn't.

 

Friday

It was great to hear today that Mouse had had her licence renewed for five years yesterday, I think she had been a little nervous about it ... as most independent 88 year-olds would be ... but she passed with flying colours ... and the only thing they wanted to know was how she managed to not look her age! And, Mouse had gone off by herself to do it - even though M had offered to take her.

M was having her own adventures of course. She had JP detail this morning and at some point on one of walks through the Australia Fair centre she had chanced upon a ticket seller. He was selling raffle tickets ... or was he asking for donations? It was a bit unclear ... but M could have know that from the start when she asked what the charity was ... and he pointed to his ears ... ahhh, for the deaf. But whether he was deaf or not was unclear ... was the price of the $50 ticket tax deductible, did the tickets come in lesser denominations ... the questions could have gone on. In the end M made her donation/investment/ticket purchase and ... we know this because in the car on the way home from dinner at Mouse's she pulled it out of her pocket. Hmmm, I thought, there is a short story in that!

Breathe innnnn ..

Dinner at Mouse's was fantastic ... borscht and cabbage rolls, mashed potato, coleslaw and mushroom sauce ... followed by rhubarb crumble and ice cream. We were seven tonight ... Syl, An, Fl, Mouse, M, Sooz and I ... and of course, Number Eight was Prince who has still another week's holiday with Mouse before his parents come home.

I was pretty happy too today because Ma gave Ch and I an early mark* ... in preparation of what are going to be a few busy weeks since EOM is almost upon us yet again. I do not know where the time goes! Except possibly on packing ... Sooz is in the thick of the bedroom now and ... I had to admit it ... but I haven't been in the shed again yet this week!

* Yes, and no early mark is complete without a trip to OfficeWorks, this time to pick up packing tape, storage boxes, and a small Lego wall to house my DVD collection. It wasn't as happy a visit as it could have been though, when I was ready to leave I found that I was parked in ... which was quite amazing since we were about the only two cars in the more than 50-space lot.

 

Thursday

M has been busy with the Swipestakes at TBH and thanks to her, Sooz and I had enough Food and Beverage Vouchers to be able to shout dinner at Zen this evening. Sooz came too for a change because she felt like eating Zen tonight, rather than having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow - although we did order well, which meant there were leftovers too. What did we have? The usual ... there were no substitutions allowed ... and Sooz was able to choose a dish she wanted ... which turned out to be Lemon Chicken. Of course, a substitution would have been considered but as M and I told Sooz, there was really no need because the Sichuan Chilli Beef is different every time!

For planting ...

After dinner, Sooz went off to play the machines while M and I went upstairs for some Numbers. In the time we were there, they had three separate dealers, each working at varying speeds. One there was going so quickly it was hard to find time to put a bet on. It's probably okay if you play a lot and have all your number combinations mapped out, but for me who does it "on the spot", it was a bit hurried for me.

It was earlyish by the time we arrived home, although I had a late-ish night. A little while I downloaded two games: Peggle and Frozen, both of which are very addictive. At this rate, I'm going to have to delete them off the iPad so I have a chance to catch-up with "life".

I don't think I mentioned that M did plantings yesterday ... I'm not quite sure where she's put them ... I'll have a proper look on the weekend) but she seemed to be enjoying putting them in. They're nice looking plants too!

 

Wednesday

Shooting: air pistol. It was a different night tonight as Rob coached Syl and I on how not to grip our air pistols, where to aim on the target, and how to squeeze rather than pull the trigger. Consistently though I kept getting my hits in the top right quadrant of the target ... until I started aiming more bottom left - and then, and only then, did I start getting some decent results. Otherwise, it really wasn't worth saying I was there for the competition ... and even though there is some talk of handicap ... no handicap could be that great as to make up for what I considered to be fairly poor shooting. Ah well, there's always next week!

It was Aqua day for the Sooz and M - An is still waiting for her shoulder to heal properly before she goes back. Did she join them for lunch? I think so (but since I'm writing this on Sunday ... and I didn't take notes through the week ... it's a bit hard to be sure).

There have been no Plover sightings again yet ... although, I should say there have been no Plover chick sightings ... I did spot a couple of adult birds up the lane near B's but try as I might, and even though they were doing misdirecting behaviour, I couldn't see if they had any chicks.

The shed contents still remain a mystery as I haven't managed to get back in there since Sunday. I'm not sure why that is ... although someone with an interest in psychology and/or human behavious might say it's because there are some mixed feeling about the move ... or that I'm just being lazy preferring to be cerebral rather than packing and/or repacking.

Tuesday

It was another wonderful start to the day at Latimers. There was a soft mist blanketing the valley as I took Pearl for a walk but that had disappeared by the time I drove out - no photo op this morning! I'll just have to get up earlier ... or go to bed much much later!

I've had word from An and Na. An has started a business course that clashes with Tallai Trivia on a Wednesday night so we are going to have to work out other options for catching up with them. It's doable.

Sooz and I sat out the back as the sun set - and Sooz folded laundry. We did the SMH Trivia quiz and talked as we waited to catch a glimpse of the September full moon; it was magnificent last night and we're hoping it will be as wonderful tonight. And when we did see it, it was ... and I remembered the scene from King Kong where the Moon shines between two skyscrapers and seems to remind the giant ape of his home on the island. At least I think it was a he.

Dinner tonight was leftover pizza from the other night - not too bad at all. M had arrived home with Subway - a fitting reward (not really) given that she ordered her car today!

Monday

The girls had Aqua this morning - but not An as she is still recovering from her shoulder surgery and won't be allowed back in the pool until it heals. That meant there were just four of them there ... I'm not sure how long such a low number will be sustainable for the class, but hopefully now that Spring is here, more people will start going back. One of their number, So, sent out an email recently checking when people would prefer to have their Christmas Lunch. I cannot believe that Christmas is within cooee ... it seems like just a minute ago it was ... well, much earlier in the year.

Fl was at Trivia tonight even though Mi sets off for New Zealand again tomorrow morning. But even Fl being there wasn't enough to get us back on that winner's podium. We were a bit further away tonight ... and, thinking about it, I think it's because we don't have St there to make us question our answers more closely. It will be good when they get back - but at this stage no-one seems to know when that is going to be!

Vi and So were back with An and Syl for just a moment - they returned from Broome yesterday, stayed overnight, and then set off back to Sydney this morning, taking Jesse (who truly had come out of her shell while she was staying with Max and Coco) with them. They were overnighting in Coffs Harbour tonight and had texted An at one stage during Trivia to let her know the subject of tonight's Australian Story - a now-politician who had served in the military.

Sunday

I think the Plovers have moved on. I haven't seen them for a couple of days now. But we do still have chicks - Sooz heard them this morning - and I had suspected as much because the parent bird has been on the nest "differently'! So ... more swallows!

The Jam Queen

Syl came out after shooting today to help with The Shed - Phase I. The big stuff that is destined for the tip has now made it into her trailer ready to go - once a few more items join them. But at last it feels a start has been made - and now the job has started it should get easier to force myself into the shed to do the next part - repacking boxes and sending the things we no longer want or need off to other homes.

The Markets were good this morning - a small crowd bu`t entertaining. Mouse had her usual selection of jams (and then some) ... prompting Mi to say that Mouse was "The Jam Queen" - which was definitely worth a photograph, and then posting that photo on FaceBook for the Turkish contingent (and others) to see.

It's always good to support local business and we had Pizza for dinner tonight. The trainee there almost nailed the order ... there were anchovies on only one half of the Supreme Pizza, and there was pineapple on the Vegetarian Pizza, but both were large which in one way is good because it meant there are leftovers for later in the week when we don't feel like cooking. (I use that as a very loose "we" because we know I don't.)

I have started working out a timetable for the move, including the sequencing of some events which are dependent on other events. I am using the iPad to help, rather than a whiteboard because I fear that by the time I realised there is no "undo" on the whiteboard, it would be too late!

M is still deciding on the features of her new vehicle and I think we are now only a couple of days away from her placing an order.

 

Saturday

I went shooting with Sy while An and Sooz were "pistol widows" and had breakfast and Bingo together - joined by Mouse and M.  Their game was very exciting ... Sooz was one number off a major jackpot for quite a number of calls but it was not meant to be this time.  It's a shame though because if she had won at least someone at their table would have.  They are now talking about a game scheduled for later in September with $37k worth of prizes  - with a buy-in of $200.  It will be interesting to see if they book in for it because they are thinking that just going along on the day isn't going to guarantee them a spot. 

Syl did much better at shooting today than I and she's going to be getting in more practice because she is thinking about going off to NRA competition tomorrow.  Me? Well, it is time for me to be packing and sorting and I have some boxes from OfficeWorks which should do nicely for some of the things I want to sort in the office area.  I'll need to get some more of them at some point too.

It was a quiet afternoon other than that - just enjoying the furries who spent most of their time being them ... and they are very good at doing that ... and being cute to boot.