Road trip

I am officially the worlds most pathetic blogger.

My last post was May 4th. Holy crap... since then I've grown a whole year older, I've been on a fun road trip with my sis to visit my (our) folks in downtown Walpole, I've danced to Abba, run away from home, returned home (feeling like a big dork), had my sis and her hubby up here to stay, enrolled to do my Cert III in fitness and spent a week pretending to be a Vegetarian in sympathy for all the cute fluffy cows out there.

My how time flies when you're doing mundane every-day things.

My holiday down to see Mum and Dad was FUN! It's the first time my sister and I have done a trip to Mum and Dads together (just the two of us) and by the end of the week I had sore cheeks from laughing so much.

This is my favourite place in the whole world... laying reading mags on my Mums lounge. There is something so comfortable and cosy about it... I'm not sure why it gives me such warm fuzzy feelings - maybe it's a state of complete relaxation which is difficult to find these days. I had to forcefully try and remove my sister from the lounge at times when I didn't feel like sharing it - which was most of the time. I spent an impressive amount of time laying horizontal in that exact position for the five days we were in Walpole.

Big Sis Jo in the Pilot seat. She wouldn't let me sleep so I annoyed her by taking silly photographs and singing out loud to her Beatles soundtrack.

Dad and I went fishing, Mum and Jo preferred to stay on dry firm ground, but met us down the river at a Jetty with coffee - deluxe! We wanted to go fishing again but it rained for the next 3 days! boo.

I'm definitely going to plan another Walpole journey in the next 6 months. This time I hope the weather is clearer so I can spend more time in the boat and less time on the lounge... not that I'm complaining - the lounge was a fine substitute for fishing.

Flutter-by's

Today I spent the majority of the day in the garden . I bought some new plants in Kal yesterday, which today (coupled with the beautiful sunshine) gave me a splurge of motivation to attack the weeds and rearrange my pots. It looks like I've got a new garden now! Amazing.. Don Burke eat your heart out.
There were plenty of butterflies keeping me company...darn hard to photograph though, because they just keep flapping.

Our Bali holiday dates have changed because JB was having a panic attack about leaving work at the end of July... so to avoid her

a) having an out of control spazza episode requiring admission to a psych facility

and

b) cancelling and deciding not to come at all....

I decided to change our dates. I did a mad ring around to the other Bali-adventurers and then to the travel agent and we have re-booked for early September. Initially we were unsure if we'd be able to get another 3 bedroom villa, but today it was confirmed... so it's all systems go!

Phew.

Note to self: NEVER try and organise more than 2 people to do anything at once EVER again!

* * * * * *

Husband is in Perth for a week catching up with his favourite things - family footy and friends.

He rang me today from the Lancome counter in Myer to see if I needed anything - he handed the mobile to the sales girl so I could explain my foundation and moisturiser to her. He then paid and will bring it back for me. Ah! Too easy!



He's decided to go to Bali too with some mates (He's not invited on our girls trip - so he had to make his own fun!) He's going before I do so I'd better start stashing some cash in case he spends it all.
Might start now... am off to hide a 50 under the mattress.

Happy Birthday Jo!

My Sister JoAnn turns 42 years young today!

Jo you are a beautiful, generous and incredibly kind person.

I love you lots & hope you have a fantastic day -because you deserve to be spoilt rotten!

Nice Bikini.... even nicer hat. Did you choose that getup?

Gee... we reeeally look like sisters.

Hey! Take note of the date on this pic!

Happy Birthday Jo!

xx

running solo

All my running buddies have deserted me for a life by the ocean in the big city. boo.

On Monday I bit the bullet and figured if I want to run I'm going to have to learn to enjoy it solo for the time being. I've done a grand total of zero-zilch-no exercise since coming back from Canada and I knew it'd be tough, but I managed a 30minute 5km jog (plod) - just me and my trusty iPod and we did great! I felt like a big blubbery whale pounding the pavement, but it didn't completely kill me, and to be honest i actually quite enjoyed it.

Now I have no excuse not to go more often....especially now God has turned the heating off and the cooler weather has arrived.

Animals

My fourth goldfish just carked it, so I'm now officially giving up on trying to be a fish-mum.

I'm obvioisly doing something very wrong.

First there were Ajax and Omo - they were both orange Fantails and survived the journey not only all the way back from Kal (240km) but accompanied me shopping in Woolworths before I even left Kalgoorlie! When we got home Ajax promptly swum sideways and died. Omo was a toughie tho and lived on solo in the tank for 2 months.

JB bought me fish number three -Harpic. He was a Comet and despite a traumatic fall from the window hanger-to the seat- to the floor In JB's car (on the journey home from Kal - which nearly caused JB an accident as she skidded to a halt to retrieve him!), he too survived two months before suddenly dying.

After a long discussion with the Pet shop gal (who assured me I was doing nothing wrong), I decided I'd go a fourth attempt and bought a Black goggle eye fish last Friday. I called him Bingo (hoping he'd be lucky) and he lasted.... wait for it.... TEN WHOLE DAYS.

I feel horrible that I've killed another one.

I spent a large portion of today on the 'Goldfish Emergency 911' site trying to save the little sucker. I'm now convinced the pet shop gal knows SHIT ALL about fish, and the tank I bought off them is DODGY, and our water up here SUCKS.......... because it couldn't possibly be all MY fault that four little innocent fish have snuffed it whilst in my care. Could it?

* * * * * *

JB is away converting to Yankee-ism in New York. She's loving it and reckons she's never coming home - she'd better because its weird here without her.

Anyway... I've been watering her plants because she only lives 4 doors up the road. On Friday I took the dogs up there, locked them in her yard while I watered and they LOVED it. They raced around the yard chasing each other, hid in the bushes - they had a great old time.

Today I thought I'd do the same.

Within one minute Murphy had found a broom and went mental attacking it (he has a 'thing' with brooms -it's an issue we're working with him on) and while trying to release it from his lock-jaw before it was completely trashed, I tripped over a sprinkler in the back yard, fell over & twisted my ankle - snapping the sprinkler off at the base of the retic pipe. I still didn't get the bloody broom off him and had to practically rugby tackle him and pull his ear till he yelped and released it. Shit-head dog.

I then locked them in the yard (or so i thought) and went to the other neighbours place to turn his retic on & water the back potplants. When I came out JB's front gate was open and there was no sign of the dogs.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiit. Crap crap crap.

I ran up the street screaming 'Murpheeeeeeeeeeeeee' (you can't call out to Diesel coz he's deaf as a door-nail and it's no use) a guy in a ute drove by and said he'd seen them run up the street into the bush. I had visions of squashed dogs on the highway because they have ZERO road sense (and zero intelligence) between them. As I ran down the street toward our house I screamed to husband to come help. I then spied Murphy staring at me from about 50 meters away in the bush. As soon as husband walked outside Murphy ran toward home, with Diesel following 2 feet behind.

Phew.

I fully need therapy after todays animal incidents.

See why I don't have children?!

Clever Husband

Early in February, husband studied his butt off and sat a very intense interview to be considered for the Police Sergeant pool. He spent ages preparing & I helped him a bit - proof reading his application, quizzing him on 'Frontline First Policing', reading over scenarios with him - heck I was so familiar with WAPOL strategies I think I could've sat the damn interview myself! Anyway, he rang me last week (He's away at the moment in Leinster doing a week relief because they're short) and said:

'Drea, I'm in the pool'
I replied 'Really?? - Isn't it cold?'
He said ' No! I mean the Sergeant POOL'

Ooooooohhh, I said (feeling like a complete moron for thinking he was swimming) YAY! Congratulations husband, what a smarty pants!
I'm really happy for him because I know he'll make a fantastic Sarg (and secretly I'm also glad we don't have to go through that whole bloody loooong process again, jeezus it would've killed me!)

Now we have to think about the future. It opens a few more doors and changes our plans a bit, but thats kind of exciting.

* * * * * *
More cool news.... Off to Bali I go! And I'm going with all my favourite girls! Mum, Jo, KDF and JB! - - - It'll be AWESOME!

JB, KDF and I were chatting one night about having a girls only holiday, then I asked Mum and Jo if they would consider coming, now it's all booked and we're going -July 25th for 10 nights.
I'm so excited because I've always dreamt of holidaying with Mum overseas (she hasn't been anywhere!) and I think we'll all have a fantastic time.

We've booked a 3 bedroom Villa at The Bali Villas that looks very luxurious. JB has been eagerly practicing her Indonesian (on any poor soul that will listen) and I'm all of a sudden on a health kick to make sure I don't scare everyone in my bathers.

103 days to go!!

Ironman

Yeah i know.... it's been a while.

I've been a bit 'off' blogging lately, mainly for fear of losing my anonymity and the whole small town i live in reading my daily moans. However after having a long think about it, I've figured if anyone is offended by anything i write - then sod off and stop reading. Its that simple!

I can't believe it took me so bloody long to figure that out.

* * * * * *

Is it me, or is the whole world in a facebook-frenzy?

Its a frenzy i just don't get... well I would if maybe i was single or a teenager, because all the crazy questionnaires, flirty quizzes, writing on your wall (or whatever it is)....it's just plain annoying to me. God i'm OLD. Anyway, i got sick of emails asking if i'd be friends or telling me i had a funwall mesage... so i deleted my facebook. GONE.

Husband has a serious klutzy- issue with the iron. He blames our ironing board but i blame his lack of attention. We've had TWO new irons because he's knocked them off the board onto the floor and they've broken. Yesterday he rings to tell me 'he's had a bit of a mis-hap'.

Mishap all right.... he was ironing (while watching the football - he's not quite as multi-skilled as he thought) and knocked the iron off the board (because hey...he's good at that) face down onto the carpet. We now have a perfect singed outline of our iron on the carpet in the lounge. For fuck sake...what is the deal with the iron NOT staying on the board when he is trying to iron??? I have NEVER knocked the iron off the board...ever. And he's had 3 disasters in 12 months. The burn mark is right in the middle of the lounge room carpet. It couldn't be in a more obvious area damn it.

Maybe it's a ploy to get out of ironing.

The men

KDF Matt and i made these little guys on Boxing day. The cookie cutter has these built-in bits that make a dent in the dough for buttons, mouth and eyes. They turn out so cute and it was so much fun turning each one into a little person... i felt bad eating them (but only for a split second because they tasted so good the flavour wiped my emotions). My personal fave would have to be top right, he was dropped when coming out of the oven (maybe he tried to run away) and sustained a severed arm and leg in the process. KDF fixed him up with some blue stitches. None of Matt's decorated men made it into the picture... because he insisted on givng them all 'pink-eye' (Knocked-Up has a lot to answer for) and they looked like possessed crazy little gingerbread-men.

All in the family

This is a pic of Mum, KDF (my niece) and I. I dragged Ma back to Leo for a few weeks to work at the hospital again (bless her woolly socks for saving our souls) and KDF has been working as a Patient Care Assistant/Casual Admin clerk... so thats 3 generations of my family all working together. It's a conspiracy to take over the town! It was great fun, however Mum snuck away back home just before Christmas leaving KDF and I to soldier on in the heat.

HEAT.... it's been a kazillion degree's every day (Thats no exaggeration). My whole garden is turning crunchy and the dogs have dug enormous craters in the back garden to try and stay cool (trust me... you need to dig a looong way down for any sign of damp-cool-dirt).

Husband is in Perth for a week having a holiday. He's staying with friends... relaxing, swimming, eating, shopping.

Bastard.

I want to be shopping.

I love shopping.

Love love love shopping.

Doesn't matter though coz i've given him a list. A long list. he'll wish he never went shopping without me ever again.