Saturday

For a moment there I thought I was going to have a serious lie-in this morning, but ... not this week. I at least had a bit of an early night last night ... and was pleased of it ... because I was the nominated driver for our drive to Brisbane today.

M and Sooz were up early - off to their Deep Water Running - and Sooz texted me on their way to let me know that breakfast was at Daniel Stuarts. It was good that I knew that ... because while I was on my way in, An texted me to confirm where and when for breakfast.

Before I left home, I gave Pearl the rest of her cookies - expecting that she wouldn't touch them. She's been cautious about her new cookies - I've seen Maggie eat more of them than Pearl! But she wolfed them down ... and I found out why later ... they're not the old new cookies. Pearl has new new cookies! I think the old news are slated for return to the vets ... or M may be finding another home for them.

Daniel Stuart's was wonderful as always. And then, without further ado, we were off to Brisbane - deciding that we would rather be early and have a drink at the Powerhouse rather than run the risk of getting caught in traffic along the way.

The movie was a documentary - and a good choice by An who we left there ... she was getting a lift with a friend to meet Brisbane.

Gelato ... yum

Before we drove home to the Coast, Sooz, M and I stopped for lunch along the main drag and even though we thought we wanted Vietnamese we ended up having some Asian fare at a pub we found, before we called in at a Gelato Bar for an ice cream. It was very nice.

Back home - in time to do the furries (and that was a bit of a surprise), I settled in to do some work as the girls watched last week's Doc Martin (which explains why I couldn't quite work out what time it was ... it finished at 8:10 rather than 8:30).

And then it was an early night for just about everyone at Latimers ... although I did stay up later ... just putting the final touches on my filing and sorting - to be able to get a head start on what we're doing at the office on Monday!

But I still had to set the alarm for the morning - otherwise I knew I wouldn't be awake nearly in time for the call with Tr. The good news is that this is the last time the call will be at 7am for me (until October at least) because Daylight Savings Time ends next Sunday.

Friday

It's getting colder at night now - or is that because of the rain - but I pulled the covers over me for the first time in a long time at some point very early this morning!

Two from the captioners this morning:

* That's mag sniff sin!

* 56789va (believe it or not - this one was supposed to be Stefa - or something like that).

It was another big day at work again - and I am definitely looking forward to the others being back. Of course, I could have made it a bit easier on myself by not having a late night last night - but you know me, I didn't want to miss out.

Tanker trail

If my eyes had been open, I may or may not have seen the damage caused when the petrol tanker rolled from the compound, over the road, through the fence and into the yard below. As it was, I didn't notice it and was surprised when someone told me about it. I had the chance to see it this afternoon as I was leaving - and yes, the truck had gone through the fence - it wasn't still there of course - a tow truck had removed it within half an hour of the incident. The driver was uninjured - and luckily no-one else was injured - when I think about it ... it could have been much, much worse.

Sooz cooked spaghetti last night and rather than taking it for lunch (as I had originally planned), I thought it would be good to have it for dinner this evening. I had a feeling I would be tired at the end of the day - and I was not wrong - and I wasn't wrong that the spaghetti would be great ... because it was. But even though I was tired this afternoon, I did manage to drop in to the chicken shop to pick up some dinner for Sooz.

M was just about to go out when I arrived home - but she'd had a busy afternoon - the rain had stopped for a while, and she didn't waste the opportunity to jump on ROM and mow the lawn when she arrived home from JPs and lunch with her Mouse and Az.

Sooz went out this morning too ... she went off to Bingo with An - and while they weren't WAGs this morning, I think they thought it was worth going to.

 

Thursday

The captioners were at it again: Many more famous faces offer their dullset tones (to the new Mr Peabody and Sherman movie).

It was a day of faces today. On the way into Nerang, along the Latimers road, there was a face in the mob ... actually a lone kangaroo, sitting on the side of the road. I slowed down to an almost stop and watched it bound back towards the fence. It's a while since I've seen a kangaroo in the morning - and it was a nice start to the day.

PieFace

But there were more faces ... as I was out and about at lunchtime, I dropped into Pieface for lunch ... and now that I've been there, the name makes sense.

And then what could have been a familiar face dropped into the office - he started out by asking if I had a sister by the name of We - and I said yes, with more than a little surprise in my voice I think, and he said "you don't remember me do you?" - and given my lack of facial recognition skills - that isn't at all surprising. As it turns out, he was the oldest son of my sister's ex-husband. He's grown a little in the 12 years or so since I've seen him. He was just 18 then and adulthood certainly does make a bit of a difference to a boy.

Then another face ... a bird came in and sat on top of the reception desk ... that was a bit of a surprise - we know they often hang out in the crib room - but this was the first one inside. It's a shame AC and Le weren't here to see it.

Then a decision at quitting time ... how much do I want to go home - do I want to face the weather? I was standing under cover, still deciding how wet I wanted to get (where else would the umbrella be but in the car?) when I heard Jess call "Run" and in the end I decided that was what I had to do because there was no telling how long the rain that had lasted all day would keep falling. I walked quickly instead.

It had been raining most of the day at Latimers too - but not enough to stop Ja coming and M helping her in the yard. They stopped only when they were trimming the poinsettia tree and a branch fell the wrong way ... and from this, we know that the frozen peas did make it back into the freezer the other day - and they did a good job on Ja as well.

 

Wednesday

Bingo - we have a WAG! It was Sooz this time ... well, she's the only one I know about - the others may have been WAGs as well!

Finally we made it to Trivia at The Tallai Country Golf Club!! We were eight in total - the usual Monday nighters together with Cl and M. It was a different night to that we're used to - and quite good except for the noise, and that when the EmCee asked the questions (and gave the answers) it was very hard to understand him. And even though it has fewer rounds that Southport RSL's, it seemed to go much longer. But the food ... oh the food ... it was such a pleasant change from the RSL ... there were plates with nothing left on them at the end ... and not just because everyone helped everyone else (that's usually St's job with my chips at the RSL but lately the others have been joining in - especially on the nights when the chips are good ... sometimes they are not). There was a good choice of fare at Tallai as well- something for everyone - and good-sized serves ... so good in fact that the only one of us who was brave enough to take on dessert was Fl - who hadn't eaten there. We did have a look at their dessert menu and knew what it would be that we were having if we had been able to manage it. The tiny Belgian biscuits that came with the coffee (tick) were very nice and were the best I could do!

Ant hills

We ended up coming third in the Trivia - not a bad effort although, as Fl pointed out, if we had listened to him and not changed the Freda answer, we would have tied for second. Ahhhhh, some things never change. Although some things do - and rather than going to the QuizMaster for scoring, our sheet went to one of the other teams - and they congratulated us on the placement of the apostrophe in "Pig's Back" although it would have been more satisfying if we'd had the right (what are you lying on when you're very comfortable - Bed of Roses) answer ... and our spelling of Worcestershire Sauce (what you get when you ferment anchovies in vinegar).

One of the things I really liked about the Trivia was that everyone received a prize ... for third we won a "Dinner for Two: Thursday Fish & Chips Night". First place was a $50 voucher ... last place a bottle of wine.

No-one answered the three jackpot questions correctly - meaning the jackpot which currently stands at $800+ will ... jackpot.

The rain continues. We might be in for a bit more though - I don't know whether it's seasonal or whether it's just that time of year ... but the ants are back!

 

Tuesday

It rained last night and this morning - quite heavily - which is good because that means Sooz's plants have had a big drink! I know something else happened today - but as I'm writing this - without the benefit of notes, a couple of days later - I have no idea what it was.

Must endeavour to do better!

Monday

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but I prefer to leave earlier and not sit in traffic for 95 minutes on the way to Brisbane. So I left home at 5:30 and was sitting at Joe's Diner, in Eagle Farm, having my breakfast at 6:16. Not bad considering the trip up last week took me so much longer. I'm not sure I loved the 4:15am start though.

Before the show Green Porno

I'd like to say it was a productive day at HO for the first day of the new financial system start-up, but that would truly be stretching it. When we arrived we were all locked out of the system because they had been having problems with it over the weekend ... and it just went on from there. By the time I left, we still didn't have access but we are hopeful that they will be able to successfully upload our data. Hmmm - but what was infinitely more interesting today was the show we went to this evening. M had booked tickets for all of us as part of our Christmas presents (thanks again M!). So it was a day of firsts ... driving through Brisbane (and numerous toll areas) to get to QPAC ... and seeing Isabella Rossellini on stage dressed as an 'amster. The show was a great mix of her - and props galore - on stage, and use of the screen behind to show her clips where she was method acting different creatures in a bid to better understand them. She has always, she told us, been fascinated with biodiversity and she had even gone back to University to study it! It is certainly one of the most entertaining lectures I have ever been to (although I imagine I would find a lecture by the guy out of "Perception" good as well). There was certainly plenty to think about in there - how many different ways species have come up with to ensure propagation of their species. She talked about eels as well - those from Europe and North America - and that they return to their spawning "grounds" in the Sargasso Sea each year - sometimes over land until they can find a suitable waterway to help them on their way.

QPAC lawn

M had driven Sooz and An up to Brisbane - given Syl and I had already driven up there for work - separately - earlier in the day. She was in Mouse's car ... and I realize I meant to ask about it but didn't. An went home with Syl, M gave Sooz a lift and I drove down the highway alone, in the dark, music blaring, singing at the top of my voice - so I wouldn't fall asleep on the way. Luckily it was a great run - and while there were road works along the way they weren't that bad. They were badly signed and organised though and as I went I couldn't help but hope that our guys do a better job with our works!

 

Sunday

It was a good call with Tr and she has put me on to a couple of new series to try. That will be a job for next week when I can get to the computer!

Re-making the bed

We were a bit late for the Markets - but earlier than some! Both Fl and I had the same idea today - a massage ... and the massage girls seemed more excited at the prospect of seeing Mi back - rather than our new business - but, granted, it has been a while since they have seen one of their most regular customers. Mi had a friend with her - visiting from Fiji where she is currently working on a government contract - but very surprised she is on the "other" side of the island! As she said when she saw the job in Fiji she thought it would be nice - tropical island, resorts etc etc - but that is not quite how it worked out. She said she's glad she signed only for six months rather than the year!

Syl came over this afternoon to help with (read: to do) the bed. We have been looking to change over the bed in the room for our bed in the shed (yes, the same shed where I saw Mr Snake a couple of weeks back) for some time. It turned out to be quite long, if not big, job. First: extract the bed bits from the very back of the shed ... except for the missing bit hidden right up the front! Syl who knew what she was looking for "a piece of wood" found it so quickly I am still in awe. But then she is so competent at so many things that I could be forgiven for expecting it! She knew exactly what she was doing with the bed - fix the broken bit with big self-tapping and countersunk screws, provide some more lateral strength by screwing the slats in, and providing some more support along the middle (we're still working on this one) by having 21cm "somethings" placed under the midpoint of the slats. So almost "job done" but job done enough so it is good to go. Tinka was the first to investigate "under" the bed... and also, at some point during the night, the first to throw up on the bed. Hmm, I wonder if that summed up her thoughts on the change?

I'm also wondering what happened to the frozen peas. They were being an icepack at the time after I hit the car - absolutely preferable to having a car hit you! It was a silly accident ... with no major damage to Bertha or me - but I'm now concerned about the peas. Did they make it back into the freezer for next time (best to be prepared ... generally speaking and/or for dinner) ... or did I leave them somewhere? That's a job for tomorrow!

We stopped at Bunnings on the way home and Sooz now has some new planty things for her garden - and took the opportunity while she was there to see how her crop is growing compared to theirs. She was pleased with the progress hers have made - and she should be because they appear to have gone ahead by leafs (heh heh) and bounds every time you look at them!

Saturday

There was no chance of a lie-in this morning ... I had to hitch a lift into Surfers with M and Sooz (on their way to Deep Water Running) after we left Lars outside Mouse's last night. That was a good decision though because I felt too tired to drive home and it was almost like M was reading my mind when she offered as we were about to leave Mouse's.

Nerang RSL

I had been planning to complete my entry into this month's Clique challenge - Buildings and Monuments - while I waited for them to finish their class and join me at Daniel Stuarts for breakfast - but I ended up taking tram shots instead - and I'll select the best of them to send off to P.

While I was wandering around Southport, An texted to see if we were on for breakfast - so it was a nice surprise for the girls to find her waiting at DSs with me.

LYPO

Saturday afternoon was devoted to errands - including cashing in my birthday points at the now-almost-not-there as it is definitely under construction Nerang RSL - before I scampered home to have a rest before we went out tonight. Yes - that's out two Saturday nights in a row! Heady stuff! And it was: dinner at The Q Centre before we headed off to The Big House for the Laugh Your Pants off comedy night. We were right about not eating at Spinners - it was packed. People have discovered Fl's secret parking area - which is a shame since we could usually get a park quite near the entrance. LYPO was incredibly funny! How do they put together a lineup like they have - knowing who to put last and first, which act leads into which - and how to sustain the momentum? We did laugh ... and it was only modesty that prevented me from LYPO especially with The Kransky Sisters and the Umbilical Brothers ... and while you would think that would suggest some familial restraint - I heard more F words tonight than I have heard in all my years of driving - and that is saying a lot!

 

Friday

Lemon

I knew it was going to be a busy day - and it was! We're gearing up for the charge to the new financial system at work and today was the last day for work on the list - all of our rates and descriptions - for plugging into the system. Call me an optimist (although most who know me wouldn't) but right up until the last moment I was hopeful we'd get the call to say they would be able to do an electronic upload into the system rather than us having to key everything in. That call did not come … but there was a text from M saying Mouse had decided to do a FNF dinner - were Sooz and I starters? That would be a big"yes". I had been thinking of working back an hour of so (if needed) so I arranged to meet the girls there. It was a wonderful way to end the working week!

And it was great to catch up with Mi (the first time we've Seen her since she arrived home. She was in good form although still a bit jet-lagged.

Dinner was wonderful. M had made stuffed onions and capsicum, polenta, mashed potato for those who don't like polenta, and a mixed salad which M dressed with the juice of a lemon from the Latimer's tree. And we finished off the ice cream cake from M's birthday!

Syl and her dad were out at Latimers today adding to S's busy people day. S had a busy people day. Her regular weekly call with Liz j then another call with Liz about a mutual friend who is splitting with her partner of 20 or so years. The details are unclear at the moment as Sooz hasn't spoken to L - she's currently on a (pre-arranged) holiday with her golfing buddies in New Zealand.

Pearl seems to be okay within herself although she is sneezing a bit - which is keeping M busy cleaning up since when Pearl sneezes there is usually a fine spray (but sometimes lots of it - Sooz and Syl did a size able clean-up today) because of her nose infection. Hopefully those antibiotics will kick in soon though - it can't be making her feel good - and she is sleeping a lot!

 

Thursday

Morning

What a wonderful morning! If only I had a 360 degree camera I might have had the ability to capture it. There was a golden glow from the sun rise, a brilliant white half Moon against the dark blue of the sky, dark rain clouds over the hills below that, and, behind B's shed, the faintest of rainbows. Who wouldn't want to go for a walk on a morning like this?

Rainbow

Tinka was acting a bit strangely at 4:30 this morning. I thought she was after cookies but when I offered her some and she growled at me, I knew it was something else. She was very interested in outside the front door but when I turned on the light, I couldn't see anything, She was on guard though… and, based on that alone, there was no way I was letting her out.

Tinka was still curious about the other side of the sliding door after her breakfast and she made it there by going out the back door and around. M saw her there too - and she went out to investigate… in time to save the wee lizard that gave up its tail to escape from Tinka.

Pearl seems to be a bit tired with the antibiotics but well enough within herself. While those pills might be palatable, hiding them in mince doesn't work any better than hiding it in chicken! So, this evening as M administered the table, both Sooz and I watched as M opened Pearl's mouth - being careful of her nose - and pushed that pill back in with her thumb.

I have found some more trivia players! It's time to find out more about Wednesday night Trivia at the Tallai Golf Club - and it might mean a call to them because the interweb doesn't have much - although I am prepared to accept that that might just be my Googling.

The Big House gave Sooz $25 Casino dollars in The Great Swipings … alas, she was the only winner today.

 

Wednesday

The Circus is in town! Well,would you believe it … it's raining circuses … there are three of them in the vicinity - Robina, the Broadwater, Loganholme!

As it turns out, not all three of them are here now. The Webers Circus at Robina doesn't arrive for another couple of weeks. Ly at Maccas was telling me she took her grandson to the Stardust (at Parklands Broadwater) the week before last - so I'll have to check how much longer it's here… it would be a shame to miss it.

It rained at Latimers this evening… a good steady rain which, hopefully isn't falling on our road works (we're asphalting tonight - or we were ... rain and asphalt don't mix).

M took Pearl to the Vets this afternoon. She has an infection in her nose and is now on antibiotics which are supposed to be palatable - this may be so … but not to Pearl who could tell M had hid one in some chicken - and wouldn't touch it. The standing orders are now that if Sooz or I need to give Pearl her pills, we're to take the very direct approach of just getting her to open her mouth and throwing the pill in. This may be a job for Sooz - while M's furries have helped me address my fear of dogs over the years - there are some things that I may not yet be absolutely comfortable doing.

She's back! She's back! M went off this evening to see the newly-returned Mi and hopefully we'll hear her news tomorrow.

Tuesday

Brisbane again ... and who would have thought that the traffic could be worse than it was yesterday?

Molly (at Jo's)

On the way back down the highway l called in on Jo. She's off to a sleep study this evening - Ke has noticed that she often stops breathing while she's asleep and while her"kick starting" again doesn't wake her, Ke is definitely aware.

Sooz cooked tonight - oven sausages and roast vegetables. It was wonderful!

Pearl may be on the way to The Tevs in the next couple of days. She has been having nosebleeds - and they don't seem to be caused by anything in particular - although it is possible that we're missing something. We've all been keeping an eye on it but when there was blood in her bowl and on the floor where she sneezed tonight, it was clear that a visit to the vet may be in order. The other furries are in good form except for Tinka who is still spreading herself thin - spending her nights on the mat out in the living room, in with me, or in with M. I know it's good to be flexible but...

Plants

Mi is due home tomorrow - we'll all be pleased to see her but not as much as FI! He really has been missing her even though he's the one who suggested she stay the extra time.

Sooz's plants continue to grow and I'm wondering how long it will be before they need to be planted. I know I questioned the whole planting seeds in toilet roll tubes thing - but it has worked very well (helped by Sooz's green thumb!)

 

Monday

I knew I was going to Brisbane for training today but I didn't realise until this morning that I would be driving. If I had I would have made an earlier start because by the time I finished what I needed to at the office, the training session was due to start in 20 minutes. Usually I would have stressed about being late but as it was totally outside my control it wasn't an issue. Now, if only I could start doing this in the rest of my life that would be a huge plus! By the time I braved the traffic - and there was heaps of it - and been over the Gateway Bridge a couple of times (when the GPS said turn right - who knew it should have been at the second set of traffic lights!) I managed to be be just over an hour late.

It was a lovely day for a drive though - nice and sunny and not too hot (thanks to the air conditioning!). Thankfully there wasn't nearly as much traffic on the drive home - actually to the Club because rather than going out to Latimers and back in again, I just went straight in and did some work in the relative quiet of the Palm Bistro before the Trivia crowd arrives.

And speaking of Trivia - we were one down as An has an early start to PI in the morning and decided to have an early night. I suppose that is sensible but we could have used her as there were no Winners are Grinners at our table tonight. We were, though, only three points from Victory. Those points translated as Gardening (not fishing), the SeaHawks (not the Broncos) and. Blue (not White). They weren't the only ones we had wrong but they were the answers we debated the most.

Last of the cake!

We are not sure where she finds the time but Ni had baked again and even though we couldn't correctly identify the flavour, it was fresh out of the oven and extremely tasty.

The furries were ready to call it a night when we arrived home - as were we once we found out the power was out. I checked the Energex website to confirm the outage and another update was due to be posted just before midnight. We thought it would just be easier to go to bed and leave the lights on (and electronic devices) so we would know when the power was back on.

 

Sunday

It was a bit hard getting out of bed this morning - I really should have gone to bed when we arrived home rather than staying up and playing on the iPad. When the alarm went off, I thought about turning it off and grabbing a few more minutes sleep (I could always have a shower after the phone call with Tr) but I decided to stick with the program ... and I managed to be ready one minute before time ... it was that tight.

Mmmm ... cake.

The Markets were good this morning - even though the bread people are away again. Someone will need to talk with them aboutg their needing to be there more than once every fortnight! Sooz had picked up some multigrain break from another bread outlet and it wasn't too bad. Mouse had the usual accoutrements - plus a smoked cheddar which was very nice. And there was birthday cake - because my birthday weekend continues. It was pretty good too! Az had offered to make a Black Forest Cake but in the end Sooz suggested a cream and strawberry filled sponge ... she knows me well! Everyone seemed to enjoy it too. I loved my presents - including the Jumping Putty (like Silly Putty as used in Cocoon but this one bounces as well). Even Mouse had a go!

Jumping (Jacks) Putty

After the Markets, Sooz and I went to TBH, via JB HiFi where I needed to seek expert guidance on the cable I purchased yesterday - when I used it, it became wedged in the tablet ... but when he did it, it popped out nice and easy - so I had him show me the trick with it ... so I ended up not returning it ... but I've kept the receipt and we'll see if it remains "workable".

M joined us for lunch at TBH - Sooz had the Lobster & Prawn Special; I had a milkshake and the biggest plate of chips I had ever seen them bring out - which, luckily M helped me with. Sooz already had her own mountain of chips with the Special - so no help there.

Back at Latimers, we had a quiet afternoon ... Sooz had a nap - and I pretended I wasn't having a nap as I sat out the back and did some writing - and caught up with a couple of episodes of one of the series to which I am addicted!

 

Saturday

What a fantastic day! Today has been one of my best birthdays ever. I slept in for a while - listening to Sooz and M taking off in the Land Cruiser on their way to Deep Water Running before I decided I wouldn't have an extra long sleep in - just enough to let me think that it was a different day ... Saturday ... my birthday.

Kookie

M had taken Pearl for a walk before she left - but by the time I was ready to face the world, Pearl said she wanted another walk - so off we went, down the lane. I'd noticed the other day that the bushes outside B's shed had been trimmed back - apparently Jas' handiwork - and he has done a great job. It makes it look very different.

Breakfast was at Daniel Stuarts' ... Sooz had left me a note to let me know, so I made my way there and managed to read some birthday messages (and do some responses) before she and M arrived. As usual, Daniel's breakfast was wonderful - and we even broke out a bit this morning and had a side of hash browns as well.

B's bushes

Then, Sooz and M thought they were going to the MarchinMarch - but, true to form, where there had been misinformation for most of the week whenever Sooz looked at their website - it was wrong again this time. They had said it was to start on Chevron Island and go through to the Council's Chambers ... but when we drove past Chevron Island there was nothing there ... absolutely nothing to indicate that a group of Australians were going off to protest a Government which at times not to be acting in the interests of the people. So, according to the MarchInMarch FaceBook page - the Gold Coast March will now be held next Saturday in Surfers Paradise.

I left the girls to go home - M was going off to help Syl do things out at Latimers - while Sooz went off to rest up after her very intense DWR session this morning. Lars and I went off on a drive ... with no set purpose although, not surprisingly, we did end up going to JB HiFi, then on to the Botanic Gardens, then on to the Cemetery, lunch in Nerang, an Old English Toffee Choc Top from the cinema, before making my way home.

More Kookie

M was out by the time I got home - but arrived home soon after - with afternoon tea ... four different types of cakes - and a candle on top. Happy Birthday!

I hadn't left time for a nap though ... that was a piece of bad planning ... before we were off to Kirra for dinner and a dance at the local Sports Club. M drove - thanks M - and while that might have meant I could have another drink - I restrained myself to tea and soft drink.. It was a good night out though - and it was a much better venue than the Nerang RSL - especially since there was a large balcony to go out on - and a great breeze blowing off the ocean.

Everyone was tired by the time we arrived home - except Maggie who refused to come in when first called. She did in the end though - when I went out to whistle her for the third time - I was surprised when there was a little meow from the other side of the door - and Maggie was finally ready to come in. By the time she was in - and I went round turning off all the lights - there were snores throughout the house. It wasn't long before mine were joining in.

Friday

How busy is it at Zarraffas in the morning? It has been a while since I've been here and I'm here this morning (near Syl and An's) because I have an errand to run in Southport Park before I go to work. There has been a constant stream of people through here (Zarraffas) and still they keep coming. And the coffee was fabulous - as was the Raisin Toast.

Ribs Rumps .. Apron

What a busy day! I was working on spreadsheets today - and it was a mammoth effort. I realised that by the end of the six-hour-day I had put in, I had looked at almost 50,000 lines, trying to match delivery dockets and journal entries. There is still lots to do - but there was no more time today - I had to leave to get to Ormeau to see Co - and who knew there would be heaps of traffic on the way there? M had warned me that I could run into some on the way back - but I never imagined I would be weaving my way in and out of traffic on the MotorWay on the way there. I made quite good time actually - I left work on the other side of Nerang just on 20 to 5 and was there by 3 minutes past. And not once did I break the speed limit.

I was only a few minutes late getting back to Latimers afterwards - not leastways because I had dropped in at the pharmacy to get a script filled on the way. But we were ready (showered and changed) by the time Syl and An arrived. As my birthday present, Syl had offered to come and collect Sooz and I and drive us to dinner - so I (who doesn't drink and drive) could have a drink for my birthday if I wanted. She stopped short of wearing her chauffeur hat - and uniform - but they did bring the big car (they bought a Jeep) and even lowered it to help the shorter people get in. It was a wonderful gift and I had chosen the restaurant - Ribs and Rumps over at The Spit - because they have Dom Pedro's - a drink I had first had in South Africa when I went there for work a few years ago - a mixture of whiskey or liqueur blended with ice cream. They are as good as I remember. It was a great dinner - small - Syl, An, Mouse, M, Sooz and I - but very nice. It was the first time I have seen Mouse have ribs - and she seemed to enjoy them as much as Syl did! Apparently Mouse does love them - but she just never cooks them.

It's sometimes hard for me to accept offers of help - so I was glad that I was able to accept Syl and An's offer

When we arrived home, we managed to go into lockdown without having to stay up for hours trying to persuade the furries to come in. The moon is getting fuller by the day and we know this is sometimes a sign that the cats will want to stay out longer at night ... not sure what they do out there ... but they want the freedom to do it.

 

Thursday

Sooz and M met Flam for breakfast at Maccas this morning … and then they went off to Robina for some shopping - leaving the house clear for Je to come. I can't believe how quickly cleaning day comes around though - but I guess it's the same when you have a regular weekly commitment - it sees the week fly past rather than dragging. Or maybe that's just a function of getting older (which we all are of course).

Work was busy - we're still on the hunt for dollars - to find where they have been accounted for in the system - and to see if there are any double entries in the system. Hours of fun!

Lunch was good - I had leftover pasta and sausages from the other night. What I realise now is that while I thought I had halved it yesterday - I was way off. Just as well there was other “lunch” in my drawer to have.

M managed to make it out on to ROM again today and while she didn't get it all done, she has made a good start.

Tonight was TBH again and I met M at home before she drove us in. Dinner was at Spinners, before we went upstairs to play Numbers. We were the only ones at the table to start with but another couple of people did turn up. I think I need to do more work on my system - and determine how I can track the numbers I choose while I'm actually playing. It has proved way too difficult to do at the table … so I think I may be sitting away next time.

Sooz's plants continue to thrive in their nursery!

Wednesday

Red sky at night ... Shepherd's delight ... but what if the sky was pink all the time? I saw on QI some time ago that the sky over Ancient Rome and presumably the rest of the world - was pink.

You have to love double click Wednesdays at Maccas - just one of the reasons I now have four free. coffees stacked and waiting for use.. There would have been five but I used one yesterday afternoon while I was working on my homework for tonight's meeting with An.

Bingo comes around quickly as well and I received word just after one that M had managed a win again today; she was the only one in the group though. Syl joined them for lunch and the word is that she will be coming out to Latimers one day on the weekend to help me get the bed out of the shed - and repair it. Tools won't be a problem An was telling me tonight because most of Syl's tools are now out here. Hopefully there will be another tip run on the cards as well.

Pearl seems to be enjoying her morning walks up the lane with me although we had to cut it short yesterday morning because it was raining.

It was a good session with An again this afternoon although it was a little shorter than usual. At this point it looks as though my contract not be ending on 31 March so that gives me a little breathing space on the employment front.. But I still need to be skinny things in terms of working towards a permanent appointment so that will be the focus for the next little while. I am very much enjoying working with An and am very grateful for her reality testing and business acumen.

Sooz cooked curry for dinner tonight and it certainly gave last night's dinner (and today's lunch) a run for its money.

The fox and the hare - I saw both on my way home last night!

Tuesday

Rainbow

There was an amazing rainbow this morning and I couldn't help but take a photograph of it from the Maccas carpark. As I did a man coming out with his cup of coffee stopped to admire it too; we both agreed that a rainbow sighting was a fantastic way to start the day.

200

It was a busy day at work - I was looking for more money - something I actually enjoy doing. We are getting ready for the cutover to a new financial system and there is plenty to do to make sure we have the best experience with the change.

Back at Latimers M was having a busy day catching up with paperwork (did someone say "tax"?) and she put in a massive effort before shifting operations to Mouse's. This of course reminds me that I have yet to do mine but I might leave that until after my birthday weekend!

Tinka

Sooz's seedlings continue to flourish and you never know when you are going to hear the squish squish squish of the spray water bottle as she makes sure they stay hydrated. The garden bed where they will be planted has been cleared and it will be interesting to see when she plants - the intention is to leave the seedlings in their toilet paper rolls as the rolls will just disintegrate into the soil over time.

Tinka has deserted me and has taken up nightly residence on M's bed ... and still she expects me to give her cookies on demand... which I do (I think everyone at Latimers does) because it isn't conditional!

 

Monday

Ape bit of cage apsing. I wish I knew what that was supposed to mean but it was the captioners at work again!

Sooz had a busy day today. She and M had Aqua and then Sooz went off to see The Book Thief at TBH. She enjoyed it - although she mentioned that a woman had left after a few minutes because she was upset. It has inspired me to read the book.

It was a busy stopover at Latimers on the way in to Trivia this evening. I had offered to do the furries to save M coming back out but had totally forgotten that it is Monday - rubbish day and recycling day! But I managed to fit it all in - thanks to adopting a trick from L - taking both the rubbish and recycling bins up on the same trip. And I managed to get a walk in with Pearl as well.

Bins

Trivia was fantastic and not just because we won. St was in great form - firing on all cylinders really - not bad for an inveterate bike rider. The rest of us were going great guns as well although it would have been a better result - scorewise - if we had listened to each other a little more. The Baffler was a year again and we didn't manage to guess it - but at least one team did though - on the second clue ... Japan joined the United Nations. And the answer was... 1956.

We had no French assistants, teachers or students (save for Ni) at Trivia tonight.

Sooz's seedlings are coming along very nicely... and Mum sent some Marigolds home with us for Sooz to use as companion plants (and natural pest control).

 

Sunday

Waffles! We was kind enough to cook us Waffles for breakfast - and they were wonderful - topped with strawberries, blueberries, and a splash of Maple (-flavoured) syrup! The only thing missing (not really) was a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Gardening

M had good news from The Markets … the bread people are back. They have been on holidays in Sri Lanka and while they may have needed the break .. they have definitely been missed! It was strange not going to the Markets this morning though - it's a nice thing to do and a good opportunity to catch up with folk. We were doing catching up this morning though with my aunt and her family. It is the first time we have seen them since J passed away last month.

We saw the children today - they are as lovely as ever and Ka is now copying everything his big sister does. No has developed an interest in gardening - she's been copying Mum - and she shows off her garden plot by making you close your eyes and then she leads you through the back yard to where it is - and you have to trust her because if you open your eyes - she catches you!

 

Saturday

Roadworks are hardly ever fun - when you're driving through them - although they are fun to work on! There were at least three separate lots of roadwork on the way to Toowoomba today. By far the most challenging was near Tivili where we crawled through a 1 kilometre stretch in 30 minutes. They were asphalting and I was able to point out the different equipment in use to Sooz as we inched past.

I don't think the traffic would have been any better had we left earlier as we had originally intended. Sooz had decided not to go Deep Water Running and we'd considered leaving straight from Latimers - then the pull of breakfast with the girls (and our honorary girl, Fl) at Cafe Alfons was too great - and. as we all know. girls gotta eat! And it was a great breakfast although Syl and I both thought we could have made better choices - we both had the French Toast - and it definitely could have benefitted with some French intervention.

Also at breakfast, and this was a bit of a pleasant surprise, Vi from the Hospital project. An even bigger surprise - they are still working on it - it just keeps going and going and going, said Vi. I'll try to meet up with her soon for a proper catch-up.

While we were having a relaxing time in Toowoomba - Syl and M were making a couple of tip trips Bravo!

We had a BBQ at We's this evening. It was very pleasant sitting outside under the gazebo watching the half-moon make its way down to the horizon. It was a bit chilly though - it was Toowoomba - and Sooz enjoyed that after the warm, humid weather we've been having at Latimers.

Friday 7 March

Happy Anniversary Sooz ...twenty-four years today! I left her a card and a small token this morning before I left for work. I gave her the real present this afternoon when I arrived home - although hopefully I will be able to find the actual tickets to the concert at some point. Who knew that the modern-day anniversary present for 24th anniversaries is musical instruments.

There was some excitement on site today with the discovery of a long brown snake. He, Ti and Ia went along to watch the snakecatcher at work. It was a something-or-other maybe something with "head" in it - brown but not a Brown but as venomous as a Brown. They all seemed to have a good outing - and, come to think of it, I could have given them my camera to take. So, the brown "head" is hopefully now on its way to a nicer life somewhere in the Gold Coast Hinterland - but hopefully not too close to us - or the star-gazing tourists who were there again on the valley road on Wednesday night as we drive back from Mouse's.

Syl came out to Latimers again today and is busy organising stuff in the stable - including polystyrene wine coolers which may end their lives as planter boxes. Is there nothing that woman doesn't think about?

Sooz and I had a quiet evening in - and supped on Chinese from Fast Fok (actually Wok) at the Q Centre. They were fairly busy this evening but it's always worth the wait!

Thursday 6 March

On our walk down to B's shed this morning, Pearl and I spotted a small bird - a finch? - with blue colouring on its head and neck. It was sweet - and tiny - and fast! I don't think I would have been able to catch it on camera even if I'd had one with me. I'll try to remember to take the small Panasonic (point and shoot) with me from now on though, just in case it makes a reappearance.

Dinner at the Casino and a quick game of Numbers.

The Great Swipings continue at The Big House but maybe I should have waited until I had my new card to do the swipe. Fl and Mi both won tonight - better luck for we girls next time hopefully.

M ROMed today and her efforts, and those by Syl on the whipper-snipper have the yard looking AOK. The tree out the front needs to be done - so hopefully I can help with that at some point.

Sooz has been doing some tending in her garden and seedling nursery as well. The little ones are doing very well - she can see their progress almost on an hourly basis now. She has a plan for dividing her garden bed into quadrants so it's all go in that quarter too.

Wednesday 5 March

Punctuation is important. Bikies are threatening to out gay - or as that "outgay" - people on the Gold Coast as an intimidation tactic. Hmmm ... intimidation or blackmail?

I broke with tradition this morning and limited myself to one coffee on "double click Wednesday" - usually I have two - which gives four free clicks - which equals one free coffee - not quite as good a deal as Seniors' Tuesday I admit, but definitely something.

Ka came today - early - so the girls had a chat with her before they set off for Breakfast and then Bingo. I'm not sure where they sat at Ferry Road but Sooz said they didn't have access to the newspapers there because that part was "full".

Birthday Cake

M and An had small wins at Bingo - and it was apparently very exciting when An was one off the $1,000 jackpot ... until a woman at the next table called it first.

I met An after work again to do more application preparation. I managed to finish my short form all-purpose resume at work at lunchtime today so I can start sending that out now. Most of our session today though was spent recapping the conversation she'd had with her mate Le who works with Queensland Health. There was some great intelligence there - and there's now a bit of work to do familiarising myself with the one website that is the gateway to employment at Queensland Health.

Dinner tonight was at Mouse's - Purple Carrot Soup (yes, seriously - very yum), vereniki (slightly crunchy - extra yum), salad (yum yum yum) and ... wait for it ... because we had to after the wafer thin slices at M's dinner on Friday night ... Ice Cream Birthday - minus the candles of course!

 

Tuesday 4 March

Seniors' Day at McCafe - buy one coffee get one free! Whoever would have thought they would come up with something that was better value than "double click Wednesday"? I sent Sooz a text to let her know, in case she and M were venturing out today, and we decided that she and I would go this afternoon after I finished work - I'd pop out to get her and then bring her back in - before I went home to finish my "homework" for tomorrow's meet with Anita. Well, that was the plan anyway but when I rang to say I was on my way, she said that M had arrived home with some Hot Cross Buns (they're fantastic if you just warm them under the griller and pop some butter on them) and we could have afternoon tea at home ... which we did. It was very thoughtful of her because it did mean I saved a bit of driving time - and it is wonderful sitting out the back in the afternoon just watching the Valley at rest.

Then it was on to the computer - ostensibly to do some of my "homework" but I was sidetracked into transferring some pics on to the Pendo. But it's good to have a break. But I do need to clean up my desk again - and reorganise it (and work out something to do with the "stuff" that's there at present'

I finally received feedback on my (non-winning, non-mentioned) entry into the Clique competition - Water. There were some fantastic photographs - just shows there are some really talented people out there - and it's made me determined to try harder for this month's competition - Monuments. The feedback was good - and informative - and I was impressed (a) that it came through at all and (b) that it was so fast.

Tinka was a bit naughty last night - or was it the night before? They all merge into a bit of a blur sometimes. As I was letting Pearl out before final lockdown - Tinka, who had been nowhere to be seen - came flying out of nowhere and forced herself out the door I was holding partway open for Pearl. And once Tinka was out, she wasn't coming straight back - so I ended up staying up a wee bit longer than expected to wait her in - she ignored the rattle of the cookie box, the whistles, the callings, the cursings ... and then casually sauntered up to the closed door (I didn't want Maggie taking a late night wander as well) and indicated that she would like the door opened for her. Lockdown!

Monday 3 March

Post yard work

Is there nothing people won't bet on? I'm watching one of the morning shows and they're running through the betting odds for the Oscar for Best Movie.

But rather than being at home tonight watching The Oscars (Ellen de Generes was hosting) we were, as usual, at Trivia. St sat out tonight but we were still six as Ni managed to persuade her French Assistant from school to come along in his place. And since she was being St - who often helps me with my dinner at trivia - we encouraged Cl to have a few chips while she waited for her Chicken Caesar Salad. The questions seemed easier tonight than last week and we managed to climb onto that Podium in second place - and be one of the ten teams who correctly deduced the Baffler on the second clue! (Great work Sooz!)

Busy bugs

I don't think I mentioned that Ja came last Thursday and the great yard works continued - which explains why there were seven bags of rubbish that were taken to the tip on Saturday. As well, Syl came out to do some whipper-snipper-ing and is about to start storing some things in M's spare shed/stable space - she needs somewhere to put all the stuff that will be coming up from Palmers in a minute - and I think there was also talk of Syl setting up a workshop out at Latimers. And hopefully she has a strategy for dealing with the snakes I fear may have taken up residence in our bed base in the other garage … oh wait … that was the bed before this one - and we knew there were spaces in there because we found at least one of the cats (Homer or Emma) hiding there - they had a wonderful knack of knowing when it was time to go to the vet … and “disappearing”.

And speaking of “disappearing” - that's what has happened to the grape vine leaves - gone … all of them - and luckily M was observant enough to see why … small green caterpillars and black ones too - had moved onto the vine and chomped their way through them all … they didn't leave a one!

 

Sunday 2 March

Autumn - Day Two - and yes, it was a little cooler and a little less humid for most of us - except M who had managed to unknowingly and accidentally turn her seat warmer in Syl and An's car on with her foot and was slowly cooking. Finally she asked if anyone else was hot - and if someone had turned on the seat warmer - and the answers were yes, and no but yes since she had. Once located, she quickly turned it off - and then concentrated on levitating from her seat to try to cool down.

Intermissiobn

This was about the stressiest it got on our trip to Brisbane to see “Blue is the Warmest Colour” - although I should be quoting the French title since it is a French film.

We were expecting the film to be long but we got more than we expected when there was a break in transmission some way into the film. It was green screen so no picture, the soundtrack had been replaced by loud white noise - but the subtitles were still running. This would never have happened with film. We entertained ourselves as best we could during the 50 minutes or so of unscheduled intermission - and hopefully An and I will at some point get to finish that game of Scrabble.

Cake

The film itself was … interesting. I could only give it a 5 though because it did drag on a bit and while I do understand that is a function of French cinema, I still think it would have benefitted from a good edit. And maybe one or two less shots of food.

Food is a good thing though - and there was plenty of it at the Markets - although our usual bread bakers were not there again this week. We had bread - but it's just not the same! And there was cake - as baked by Az for M's birthday. Despite the fact that it was incredibly healthy, it tasted fantastic - and my piece even had it's own personality!

 

Saturday 1 March

Where has the year gone? It's march - and Autumn - already.

We met with Syl and An at Daniel Stuart's for breakfast this morning. M and Sooz had already been to Deep Water Running by that time - for a quite long session actually - it's usually an hour but they had done an hour and a quarter this morning. They usually go to Golden Door over on the Spit but they have now moved for the next couple of months to the Kudos Health Club at Bundall. It is a nice venue ... even nicer because they gave them 5-day trial free cards which, of course, will include the complimentary breakfast.

It was, as always, a great breakfast at Daniel's - An and I had our usuals, while the others tried something a little different - except for S who had the Canadian - a bit of a favourite of hers.

Afterwards, Syl and An had to go off - they had unexpected visitors - while Sooz and I were going to go home via the car wash - but then I decided not to be lazy and actually do the most-needed bit - washing the interior of the windscreen - myself. Of course, at day's end it is still waiting to be done (as well knew it would). But I did achieve other things ... my Android tablet has been problematic over the last week - not turning on despite numerous resets - and when it did come on, it wouldn't recognise any of the applications: This application is not installed. So I took it back to OfficeWorks and they replaced it. There was no kicking or screaming involved - not by me anyway. You have to love OfficeWorks ... they are consistently good ... and yes, they still have the neoprene A4 folders (with built=in stationery case) in four different colours and with an included A4 notepad for $4 each. (There were lots of fours in that sentence, weren't there?)

I caught up with some work this afternoon, and some television series viewing. The programs in the States are back from break after the Sochi Winter Olympics and the Superbowl.

Just after I had finished the latest episode of "The Blacklist", M arrived home in the four-wheel drive and we threw the seven garbage bags into the back of Bertha for a quick run to the tip. It's definitely preferable to hooking up the trailer and taking it to the tip.

The other thing in the back of the Bertha today was M's bike which she was taking back to Ferry Road (Rode?) Cycles to have them look at the tyres and to give it a service. Even though they said it would be ready on Monday - they rang her this afternoon to let her know it was ready. She told them she would pick it up Monday.

It was a quiet night in tonight for everyone. Sooz and M watched Doc Martin while I did some more work on the computer before taking myself off to bed relatively early ... so I would be up bright and early for the Skype call with Tr.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Friday 28 February

Happy Birthday M!

Happy Birthday

I was busy with spreadsheets most of the day at work. It does make me wonder how they are going to successfully implement the new Financial System given they do not seen to understand how hands-on the old system is - and they just seem to be building on its complexity while taking away some of its better features - like useful reporting. It worries me - although it shouldn't because at this point I'm not contracted to be there for the rollout of the new system - is how they plan to do the roll-out of the live system. I've had a couple of conversations with Le about it but it seems they are in the dark with it as well. Hopefully all will become much clearer in the coming weeks as the launch date inches closer.

We had a change of venue for M's birthday dinner this evening - the Kalinda restaurant at Royal Pines Resort - for their seafood buffet. I was there early to drop off the birthday cake, as recently liberated from Baskin & Robbins - and after getting lost in their entrance and driving around the grounds (and very well tended they are too) - I realised I was running out of time to go home, get changed, and come back in. Luckily M had gone home to get ready so she could give Sooz a lift in, and Sooz could bring me a change of clothes. We were a small group - smaller than expected also because An was not well and was confined to Barracks - but a good time was had by all - including M which is fitting because it was her birthday! She wore a new birthday shirt which as very nice - and she was only surpassed in sartorial elegance by Mouse who was wearing a very nice outfit as well.

Az had organised the group present which Syl or I may need to help M fit to her car - it's one of those cameras that people are installing in their vehicles now which record your driving in case of accident. Apparently, according to Syl, who knows about these things, it can't really be used as evidence because the cameras remain private property and at this point are not seized - but insurance companies love them as it takes the story out of the hands of people who often remember things quite differently (from what they are).

It wasn't late by the time we arrived home (tired but happy) so I stayed up - Maggie was with me - to watch a little television - which turned out to be "The Blacklist" - it's back from break in a minute and it was good to revisit what was the last episode before it went on break.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Thursday 27 February

They have new uniforms at McCafe - Jo was wearing one this morning - and it is just one of the changes since new management took over there. Another one is that they have “countrified” -with gingham and dishes - the display cabinet.

But some things don't change and that would be the captions. Today's choice: They are a little bit skit tissue. I am to the stage where I think I am going to need to have the volume up do I can have done of knowing what it's all about - some days I am so busy reading and trying down to copy down the best captions and I have no idea of the context! It was another busy day at work and even though all three of us in the office had agreed early in the day that we would eat the lunches we had brought in, when the girls rang (they were off doing a final property inspection on the house we have leased for some staff) to say they were at the Noodle Box Pacific Pines - getting lunch - I caved incredibly easily and put in my order for Hot & Spicy. I think the trick is to stop taking money to work with me … although I could always take the leftovers home for Sooz (if I didn't forget them - which I did!).It was TBH tonight and as soon as M and I arrived upstairs (after dinner at the Q Centre on the way in; calling in to Spinners to see Mouse and her visitors; and The Great Swipings) I steered us towards the Roulette Table (which they thankfully switched back from being a $10 one to its usual $5 status) where the numbers were both kind and unkind - but good fun. I am amazed at how fast table play goes though when you're trying to copy down numbers, work out what will be next, place bets, copy down numbers, have your drink … good fun though and definitely an intellectual challenge!