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.