Monday

Who knew it could go from triple-layer weather to quite warm within the space of a day or two. When Pearl and I set off down the lane this morning, after a quick hello with Blaze, I was in shirt sleeves and Pearl was naked! And we weren't frozen or even with chattering teeth when we returned. I managed to keep my next layer off until I was settled at work... I don't know what it is about the configuration of that building but some days it just gets cooler and cooler! But I'm not complaining! We have night works on at the moment and the guys were saying this afternoon how bitterly cold it was at 2am this morning - and they would have been outside as well!

It was all hands on deck today - the last day before the travellers arrive home - and there were a few of last-minute things to see to. Je came as planned, and Syl popped in as well, so it was a regular hive of activity at Latimers.

Trivia was a good antidote although it would have been a little better had we been within cooee of that Podium. The scores overall were quite low - nothing in the 70's at all, and we did less than splendidly in both our bonus rounds and in the definitely non-bonus "All things sport". Where are St and Ni when you need them?

Furries at rest

The girls filling in for Craig moved the game along at a lively and compelling pace which was good because we had MasterChef to watch when we arrived home - and by then it was already nudging 9:30.

The good news was that the travellers had landed safely in Hong Kong and had only a few hours if waiting (and thanks for the shopping efforts M!) before they could board their flight for the last leg home.

We think the animals know they are on the way - especially now that M's bed has been made up with flannelette sheets (hopefully that will make it warm enough.

 

Sunday

Sooz insisted on watching "60 Minutes" tonight - which gave an unbiased report on convicted wife killer Gerard Baden-Clay. - from the viewpoint of women he had come into contact with - like his mistress and a woman he had had dealings with on the Gold Coast and who he had apparently told he was after someone to kill his wife.

It made quite sombre viewing after MasterChef - where it is the start of Finals week and one of the contestants has already gone home. Only six (or five) to go now. Only Tinka and Pearl saw that though, Maggie was already tucked up in bed. Is it possible she has reached her MasterChef limit?

This was where everyone was when I went off to shooting this morning. I'd already had the Skype call with Tr and waved to Sooz as she went back into the bedroom with Maggie.

I think this was Wild West.

It was "Steel Challenge" this morning; something neither Syl nor I have done before. Steel plates were involved - arranged around the stage as per the official instructions. We all helped set up - carrying the target stands (a bit like mobile basketball hoop holders) from the shed to the range. As this was the first Steel Challenge for us, we now have a benchmark. And I think we both went quite well. Syl was amazing in the second round - 25 shots, 25 hits. Bravo! She'd have to be happy with that!

And Sooz was very happy with Ferry Road for lunch. She had Lemon Butter Fish and a taste of my Calamari; we finished with a coffee and cake. Then it was home for a quiet afternoon* and the possibility of a phone call from M. The call didn't come but we did get to see the photograph of the Family Lunch she posted on FaceBook with the caption "Enjoying lunch with all of the family before returning to winter!!!" Here's hoping they have a speedy and trouble-free journey home.

* Who knew there could be so much research, comparison shopping and consternation involved with something like shopping for a car. I know its a first-world problem and I should be happy to have it but when I think about it, my other cars have just "been there" and this (and yes, that would be making the decision) is a whole new Territory! The good news is that I think I am going to do a bit better on the car questions at Trivia now.

 

Saturday

Syl was out and about doing "support" things for a mate who is doing an overnight endurance run today. Initially she was going to be free for shooting but a fire in the area where the "run" is happening meant there had been some changes to the course so to be on the safe side, Syl and An were going to be available all day to go where they were needed with soup and other supplies.

Whale

So, I decided not to do shooting today - especially as there is an NRA "Steel Challenge" (whatever that is) on tomorrow morning … and without the Market on, I can make it without that feeling of missing out.

This morning, for a change then, there was time for a later start - after the early morning furry patrol that is … and that was very nice for a change. If I had thought on it for a moment longer when I got up, I would have left my electric blanket on … but that was okay since Maggie had warmed up my spot by the time I went back. Sooz asked me if I had any plans for the day … and then when I said "no", she asked, a few beats later, if there was anything I wanted to do today. I said I thought that was the same thing. Totally unrelated to this, it turns out that Sooz had decided that she wanted to see "Gardening for Soul" again at 9:45 and while it was a bit of a rush, we did manage to get there. I dropped Sooz off and went to Harvey Norman for a little impromptu whale sighting. It was funny, Sooz and I had only been talking about whale-watching on the way in. The whale I saw wasn’t a real whale. It was a wire/chain link sculpture on the back of a small truck -definitely not something I had expected to see in the car park.

Sooz thoroughly enjoyed her movie again - even though she did go to sleep for a little bit in there. She wasn't sure how long she was asleep for but it didn't matter because she was still cross with herself. I'm familiar with that feeling - where you are trying to stay awake but regardless of how hard you try, you're not able to.

We swung by the Post Office on the way home and there was more mail from "the friends" for M; it looks as though she has an invitation to something ... anyway that's what we're thinking that big gold envelope means.

Whale

I'm not saying it is cold tonight, but after watching "New Tricks" with us while we had our dinner Tinka decided to go out. She took only a couple of steps though before turning around and coming back - obviously deciding there was nothing she had to do that was that pressing. By that time Maggie had already been in bed for some time and was starting to get impatient waitiing for the blankets to be turned on!

Sooz and I can definitely take a hint so we called it an early night - quite strange for us on a Saturday night ... no, wait, who am I kidding ... The strange thing would be if we did go out or stay up late on a Saturday!

 

Friday -

Well, you don't go fo Maccas for a couple of weeks and things change ... a lot. Where there used to be one drive thru lane, there are now two! It seems so cramped driving around the building now - and I can't help wonder if it going to increase or decrease the speed of service.

I wonder if the morning crew are still around - it's been ages since I was there on the way to work! And, definitely, Jo and Lynn do make the best coffee: the fare this afternoon, while passable, is nothing to write home (or on the blog) about!

When I woke this morning it occurred to me that it would be a great opportunity for a mental health day - work has calmed down a bit and while we are doing MOM reconciliation, there's nothing there that can't wait until after the weekend. The sticking point, though, was we were having a meet with someone from Head Office. D'oh ... so off to work I went. I suppose it says something about the nature of life, the universe and everything that the meet didn't happen, but that Chan was not well and didn't come in today, and as AC wasn't in because she is with her mother (who is about to have reconstructive face surgery after a tumour removal some months back) ... I was the only one in Admin! Would Admin be any competition for StableLand in the "happiest kindgom of them all"? Computer says no!

It was gorgeous weatherwise today. At halftime, I ate my lunch in the car, reading "Doctor Sleep", and soaking up the warmth of the sun beating through the windscreen. Mmmmmm. Nice. I could have sat at the tables outside the office, but there had been a bit of a wind about all morning ... and, besides, we all know that when Bridgette ate her lunch outside on her first day, she was bitten by something and was in hospital overnight for observation. Yep, better to be in the car.

OfficeWorks has missed me but I called in there this afternoon to drop off some empty toner cartridges, in their Planet Ark program, and to see what new things they've stocked since my last big walk around there. Suffice to say, I didn't need to buy a bag to take my things home ... although I did manage to find an iPad cover for Sooz at a very good price. That was her "surprise" for the day ... although for a moment there it looked like it might be a chicken - and who knew that chickens are the most common bird in the world? (We would have been wrong with our answer of "pigeons", but I don't think that would have been a bad guess.)

Pearl had held on to her Musical Chairs from last night, and today, as Sooz was having her lunch, Pearl took up her position on the other couch. It's good to see her moving a bit more freely because after she's been lying on the cold tiles at night - and she moves there herself from her bed - she is obviously stiff and has a little trouble walking until she frees up again.

Tinka's bloods came back. Her glucose reading on the day was high (as we all expected) but her fructosamine was with the "fair control range" (although towards the bottom end of it). There also looked to be some evidence of dehydration on the day (Sooz has no idea how this can be the case as all the furries could "drink for Australia") which may necessitate a urine test in the next little while. Otherwise, no issues. The Tev is going to have a chat with Son on Monday to see if she thinks Tinka should be put up to 12 ... given the 11 dose seems to have made some difference.

There was no MasterChef tonight - they'll be back on Sunday night - so we had to make do with "The Living Room" - although lots of the stations were having extended news programs with coverage of the air tragedy in the Ukraine. Very sad and utterly unfathomable.

Thursday - Play Misty for Me

It was a magic morning at Latimers this morning with a heavy but perfect mist hanging over the Valley. It makes for a chance to see the world differently and to truly appreciate things… even the seemingly tiniest things like being able to see where you're going. How hard would it be to take Pearl for a walk if we didn't know which way home was? And it gives the imagination a chance to run free (possibly even "wild") for a while - and to again wonder why author Stephen King had agreed to change the ending of "The Mist" the movie from the original story - perhaps not for the better.

The mist had burned off by the time I made it into Nerang - mostly. The sun rise behind what was left though was sensational - and just another reason I need a handsfree camera in the car - you can't be taking photographs while driving, cresting a hill and being dazzled by nature's beauty - and the glare of the rising sun. But, as I said … magic.

Not much can ruin a day that starts like that.

Gerni Girl!

Sooz had an industrious and fruitful day and even though she initially didn't want to pose with her handiwork, she acquiesced making sure she and the Gerni were showing their good sides. She did an amazing job on the back area … but I was surprised she didn't mention whether she had seen the very large spider we had relocated there last night. (While we now know that there are, at least in America, some folk who chase spiders with aerosol spray cans and fire - burning down their homes in the process - we take the gentler approach with the spider-catcher and taking them away from the living areas.)

The gerni patrol had happened in part while Je was busy inside with the cleaning, and while Syl was up the back playing in StableLand. While some people may believe that Disneyland (which opened 59 years ago this month - possibly even today) is the happiest kingdom of them all - StableLand could give it a run for its money if the choice were Syl's!

Sooz, very concerned that her hair has taken on a life of its own, went for a trim in Nerang this evening. It is hard for her when she has to rely on other folk to get her around and while everyone has been pitching in, it does get to her sometimes. But it's a great haircut - and to celebrate (read: avoid cooking and washing up on a Thursday night), it was off to the Advancetown Hotel for dinner; a decision helped by it being "Roast Night"! Alas, the varieties only spread to beef and "meat", so both Sooz and I went with the Crumbed Cutlets.

Musical chairs

Thursday night Trivia was on and we listened and played with the answers rather than actually entering the competition. One of my favourites questions was another anagrams question - this time: what other two seven letter words can you get from MARINES. Sooz pounced on the first word quite quickly, but then it took a bit longer to come up with the second one … it is definitely there! We didn't stay until the end of Trivia as it was the last elimination round of MasterChef and we knew the furries would want to watch it - although we had hoped it wouldn't be in real time - because the only thing there's more of in MasterChef than cooking is … ads. To keep us busy during those ads, we played a quick round or two of Musical Chairs. Pearl has lost a bit of confidence but she is still able to make it on to the couch - much to Tinka's surprise when she went to reclaim her seat … and there was Pearl! Thank goodness there was plenty of room for both of them!

 

 

Wednesday

It was another gloriously warm morning at Latimers - something to do with the continuing cloud cover no doubt. And the cloud wasn't leaving us - we had a fair bit of rain during the day - with each fresh shower preceded but a several degrees drop in temperature.

I spoke with Sooz this morning (taking a break from the accounts) just as she was getting in to An's car to go to Aqua. So we didn't chat for long and I swear I was dragging my feet as I went back in to the office. I could think of a whole heap of things I would rather have been doing today rather than accounts - especially since we are hard at work on the MOM* now - and it just seems that we haven't really had time to draw breath since the EOM.

I had thought Je might come today but as far as anyone knows, it looks like tomorrow now.

Tinka went to the Tevs this afternoon for her fructosamine test and her annual vaccination. She was very good - hardly crying on the way in - but she really couldn't get a word in edgeways with me prattling on. She has put on weight - .03 kg - and her temperature seemed to be fine. The Tev did ask me if Tinka always made a noise when breathing - she apparently has a slight wheeze - but she didn't seem concerned especially when I suggested she check with Tinka's real mother when she gets back next week. Tinka did her trick again tonight though - and I always love it when she does - when the Tev has their back turned writing up their notes on the computer, Tinka climbs back into her box - making no noise at all - so when the Tev turns around she is ready to go! It still seems to surprise them - since she has to step on the edge of the cage to get in - not making a noise and not tipping the cage over either!

The Tev will give a call when the bloods are back: and that will be the full bloods not just the fructosamine.

MasterChef is in its second last week and we've been watching the final lot playing with Heston all week. It has been a truly amazing experience for them - some exceptional learning opportunities with an emotional roller coaster ride for some of them. The great thing about this year's contestants is that, for the most part, they are all nice folk - personally and in company.

The furries are still watching with us ... and the only one who is constant with her viewing position is Tinka. She seems to have forgiven me the Tev visit and jumped up on the couch with me this evening for her "special time".

*Middle of Month.

Tuesday

It rained overnight and a little bit as I was waking up but it had stopped sufficiently so Pearl and I could go for our walk. The boy horses were waiting by the fence as usual and I thought about giving the more friendly (now there's a bit of anthropomorphism!) one a name - and even as I thought "Blaze" I realised that I was almost living that "why do you ask two dogs" joke.

The rain has kept the temperature up a little and I'm curious to see how long it will be before I need my jumper again.

Grande with seven sugars! It is incredible what you hear at Zarraffas. It was a bit busier this morning - I must have mistimed my visit because a group of six young-ish people flowed through the door just before me - which would have been okay had I not been juggling wallet, thermo, change and ZCard - and if the young man relaying his order to his "woman" (in front of me) had actually had at least a tiny clue as to what he wanted! Still, it gives folk a chance to practice tolerance! And some of us need all the help we can get!

There was a fantastic sunset this evening! All big and pink and amazing - helped by some cloud cover - so no moon viewing for us this evening - well not until much later anyway!

Big numbers

Syl was out at the ranch again today - she was up the back and on mowing down the bottom yard I think I heard S say. - or was that Monday? Again, it was dark when I arrived back at Latimers (finally managed to get to the grooming station) so I couldn't really see the changes.

There's a big new sign out where the lane meets the road - I am curious as to why it needs to be quite so big but it will serve as a useful landmark for anyone coming to Earth … oops, I meant to the Valley. I have to keep a watch out so I can check to see if it is reflective at night … and it was good to see it's far enough back not to be in harm's way if we have another person losing control on the corner (not that it's happened more than the once but it doesn't hurt to be cautious).