Why, oh why, can't I.........................

Just to show you all that I can write a short post........ inspired by by music on Natalie's blog..... thanks Nat xoxo

Way back, when I was a cute wee lass, I used to sit on a swing in my Nan's front yard in Warners Bay, singing 2 songs at the top of my voice. The poor neighbours & passers-by! It was all Nan's fault: she used to encourage me....

The first song was "I like Aeroplane Jelly". Yeah, I know: I was corrupted by the media, even at the tender age of 3 in the 60's.....

The second song was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

I love this song so much. It still resonates with me. In 2003, GG performed in a production of "The Wizard of Oz", playing the role of "Nikko" the leader of the evil flying monkeys. If ever you want someone fluent in evil monkey gibber, she's your girl. I was backstage manager. Kate Squires had the role of Dorothy. Never once, throughout every rehearsal & 8 shows, did Kate's performance fail to evoke weeping lacrimal glands on my part. I can't explain why: it just does. So much, that I want it as part of my funeral service.... I'll have to save the part of Kate singing it on the DVD from the show..... by the time I peg it, she'll be too old to sing it..........

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high, There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby. Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true. Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I? If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why, oh why can't I? It must be the eternally optimistic dreamer in me............ I'm a happy little vegemite, as bright as bright can be................. Short(er), no? xoxoxo

Remember the days of the old school yard.. when we had simplicity... warm toast for tea.... and we laughed.......

Hi there.

It's a beautiful day here in Wattle Grove. And time for a Blogmuggle news update.

I have nothing of any real interest to report.

That's a relief, isn't it?

Beloved: Working too hard as usual. The 3 of us that are left living here these days went out for a meal & to see a movie with our across-the-road-neighbours last Friday evening. We had a good pub meal at Singleton, then saw "The Nightwatchman". It was a long, rather odd film that became better as the story became clearer. Not for everyone though.

GG: Has commenced a new career as a pizza delivery driver for Dominoes in the heart of Newcastle. She hasn't had too many dramas until Monday night, when some crackheads abused her for taking too long, so they had to put their kids to bed without dinner. These economically-challenged folk were spending $37 on pizza for tea on a busy Monday night whilst making my daughter cry because they were too stoned to cook their children tea... Whilst she was apologising profusely, she really wanted to tell them that they could have given their kids dinner for at least 2 nights for the same money, but just couldn't cope with the harrassment. Then one of the more stoned ones tried to ask her out...... She has delivered to them before, (She's been delivering for less than 2 weeks) so it wasn't a special occassion or splurge thanks to Ruddi-money.....
She's persevering though. All her shifts are at night, sometimes until 2am, so she sleeps late. The buggers forgot to pay her for her first week of work, too. Even a petrol allowance doesn't help you to drive your car for work if you don't get paid! She still has some shifts up here at the service station, & will continue until she has enough regular work in Newcastle to rely on. She hates coming here though, & will not stay if it's only for 1 shift, preferring to drive up & back in the same day. She says that Uni is OK, but doesn't talk about it all that much. We see her very little & text messages are very limiting. During the time that she lived here, she actually rarely slept here, preferring to stay on a friend's lounge in town.
She is rather frustrated with Centrelink. She was hoping to be a greatful recipient of some Ruddi-money so that she could travel to Mackay in May for a friend's 21st birthday. GG has never received any government subsidies even though she has basically lived out of home for 2 years now, not even rent assistance. She earned around $9000 last tax year, & was informed that she does not qualify for Ruddi-money as she received all of her tax back last year... which, by the way, was quite a bit less than the $900 Ruddi-money pay out. However.........
.........if she qualifies for just $1 of Youth Allowance, she will be paid out the full amount. How does she do this? By her parents signing documentation stating that her family situation is intolerable, untenable & unredeemable & she cannot possible live at home....... For pity's sake! She is almost 20yrs old, deemed legal in every sense of the word, but because she chooses not to live in the same area as her parents, 2hrs way from home, studies, tries to support herself & be independent whilst living under the poverty line, she cannot access the same government assistance as people that do NOTHING!!!! As I have said previously, we cancelled our Family Payment even though we were entitled to it, in the hope that GG would receive her own........ The government is under the impression that we should still financially support her, evidently........ Beloved & I have paid tax since we entered the workforce at the age of 15.....
Of course, if she had earned MORE money, then by some strange government quirk, she would have been eligible. Obviously, she & all the others just like her (and I'm sure that there are many of them) must live in some idyllic, mythical land like Brigadoon.....

Based on this logic, then SBoy doesn't qualify either, because he's not registered with Centrelink & has only paid a small amount of tax, all of which he received back, too...... He's living La Vida Loca... never here, but all over the country, based up near Byron Bay. He's definitely enjoying his life at moment, but I do wonder how long one can continually live out of a suitcase. He will be home for a visit at the end of the month.... YAY! He's learning how to budget, as he only gets paid when they perform, so he has to make his money last. I'm looking forward to having him home, but I have a sneaking suspicion that most of his time will be spent with his sister in Newcastle. He wants to go out with her in Newcastle for her birthday on April 2. I think the celebrations may last a few days.

VBoy is back into footie training. Rep trials are this Thursday, & the first game is March 28. And so it begins........
Parent-teacher interviews were yesterday. Nothing of any real concern was raised, which is an improvement on previous years. One teacher didn't even realise that Vboy was in his class, which for us was fabulous, as the usual report was that his presence in the classroom could be overwhelming... most of the time. It's also a sad reflection of the public schooling system that we have to cope with. The teacher was new to the school, & not really sure of any of his students at this point. Only the louder ones, I would guess. Every teacher reported between 29 & 30 14 & 15yr olds in their classroom. How can we expect them to teach this number of kids when they've got so many to cope with, for just 40 minutes at a time....? We complain about just 1 hormonal pain-in-the-ass at a time at home...... The smallest class had 28 kids, which had been reduced from 32... this was a maths class......
Another teacher reported that whilst he was aware of the spread of abilities in his class, by the time that he was able to get around to dealing with the need for increasingly challenging work for the more able students, the lesson time was over. And he had only had the kids for the last week or so as they had been under the tutelage of a trainee teacher for the previous 3 weeks... they had basically chewed up & spat out this poor fellow......
There is a large turn-over of teachers up here in the country. Newgrads gain credit points & ambitious teachers get extra points for spending a stint in the country, but not too many stay. The ones that do tend to be weary & apologetic. And I can fully understand why.

I am struggling with the decision of whether or not to keep Vboy at the public school, & I have been thinking about changing him to the Catholic high school in Aberdeen for some months. I have idealogical differences screaming in my head: I have always been a staunch advocate for public education, but now I an beginning to feel that my child will be disadvantaged if he remains in the public system........ Year 9 is such a difficult year......

Enough for now.

I've nothing to report in regards to Me. I'm working in an aged care facility, which is an area I'm familiar with, so it's not too scary. I finish next Thursday, then it's off to Community Nursing. Then as far as the traineeship goes, "That's all folks!!!".
It's finished.

And so am I.

See you later. Have a good day!

Real Love......

I'm posting this video here for anyone that would like something beautiful to listen to for a change.

It's Regina Specktor's version of the John Lennon classic, "Real Love".......

I needed to put something lovely here as a diversion away from the sadness of my posts of late. And yet it continues. Another beautiful person in my life has passed away in the last few days. If anyone has seen my Facebook page, they will have seen Denise mentioned.

Denise passed away suddenly from a heart attack whilst enjoying a celebratory meal with another friend, Lani. Denise was just 53. Her funeral is on Thursday. It will be quite a day, I think. Fortunately, I have Thursday & Friday off this week, so I will join the vast crowd wishing to pay their respects to this amazing woman & her lovely family.

Enjoy Regina. Hopefully, it will load. I've never uploaded a video before.

xoxoxoxooxox

Sorry.... it won't let me... so here's the link instead.

http://abc.net.au/triplej/media/s2176643.htm

And John Lennon's original lyrics:

All my little plans and schemes
Lost like some forgotten dream
Seems like all I really was doing
Was waiting for you

Just like little girls and boys
Playing with their little toys
Seems like all they really were doing
Was waiting for you

Don't need to be alone
No need to be alone

It's real love
It's real, yes it's real love
It's real

From this moment on I know
Exactly where my life will go
Seems that all I really was doing
Was waiting for love

Don't need to be afraid
No need to be afraid

It's real love
It's real, yes it's real love
It's real

Thought I'd been in love before,
But in my heart I wanted more
Seems like all I really was doing
Was waiting for you

Don't need to be alone
No need to be alone

It's real love
Yes it's real, yes it's real love
It's real, yes it's real love...

Goodnight xoxoxoxo

L-O-L-A.......... Lola

Yesterday was spent at another Blogmuggle family funeral. Beloved's paternal sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2007, & given the all clear until last November, when a sudden loss in Lola's sight led to the diagnosis of secondary cancers in her brain. Lola, aged 75, was laid to rest on the hill in Wallsend cemetary, where she can watch the goings-on of the town where she has spent the last 53years. She & husband, John, were married in Bundarra at the tender ages of 21 & 22 respectively.

Following the Funeral service & Eucharist Mass, the more personal part of the service was finalised when the song, "They tried to tell us we're too young..." sung by Nat King Cole, was played. It was lovely.

They try to tell us we're too young
Too young to really be in love
They say that love's a word

A word we've only heard
And can't begin to know the meaning of

And yet, we're not too young to know
This love will last tho' years may go
And then, some day, they may recall
We were not too young at all

And yet, we're not too young to know
This love will last tho' years may go
And then, some day, they may recall
We were not too young at all

After 53 years, six children & six grandchildren, maybe they were right.

I love the part in the mass where you turn to the people around you offering the greeting "Peace be with you..."

If only we really meant it. And for longer than the period of time within the walls of the church........

I don't know why the italics won't stop..........

More sad news over my weekend:

Saturday night was spent in the company of delightful friends. One girlfriend has been purposefully pulling her life back together after the very drawn-out breakdown/up of her marriage. She has began a new relationship with a man that I believe will be an important part of her life. Unfortunately, he has very recently been diagnosed with primary cancer on his eye (initially thought to be a detatched retina), and has some suspicious spots on his lungs.......

And then.......

Last night, I received an email from a very special girlfriend. Her mum, an extraordinarily robust & healthy 81 yr old, has been diagnosed with secondary liver cancer in the last few weeks. Until yesterday, the docs had been unable to find the primary cancer. Unfortunately for Mary, the primary cancer is in her pancreas, & there's not much that they can do except to try & buy her a little more time. But the treatment will make her quite unwell. What awful decisions they have to make.........

But life's not all bad in the Muggle house. Arty Farty Michelle is right. Life's gold nuggets are there, hidden in the mire: you just have to keep looking for them. And sometimes, they just find their own way to the surface......... a bit like a splinter working it's way out of your finger......

In the meantime, Peace be with you..............

;0)

She's got the look.............

Hi all.

Life goes on.

I spent a day with my Dad yesterday. It was good. We went to Charlestown Square, then to visit my Uncle & Aunt in Mount Hutton, & then Mum's cousin in Toronto. All are getting are getting on a bit, & their health isn't the best. It was wonderful to see them. Mum's cousin, who was probably Mum's best friend during her teens & early 20's is missing Mum enormously. The poor love, as we were eating lunch was just gazing at me as we talked, and commented with a wistful smile; "You look so much like your Mum...."

I think that maybe I have mannerisms that are like hers, as I tend to physically resemble my Dad's side of the family more, I think, in the face, anyway. My body is simply a shorter, chunkier version of Mum's. GG & Sboy are very much like my Mum's side of the family. My Brother is very much the same as well. Beloved didn't get too much of as look-in with our children. GG has echoes of his maternal grandmother, & Vboy is built very much like Beloved's Mother's brother. He has Beloved's mother's large eyes, too. Sboy is slight, like Beloved's father' s side of the family. None have Beloved's red hair, or tall, generous body shape. They all have his over-developed smart-ass sense of humour........

Work is very busy. I'm on my last few days at the hospital. It's very unpleasant when someone takes a dislike to you, isn't it? I just can't do anything right as far as one nurse is concerned: I don't even bother trying anymore. I hate it when we have to work together......... on days like today........ And she is SUCH a grumblebum. Of course, I am never one......... I believe that you get back what you put out there: I just do not put out what I get back from her (at least at the beginning, anyway) I will concede that I might be a touch ambivalent towards her these days..... But I definitely do not give out the impatient, disdainful, hostile & aggressive vibes that come my way. She looks the other way when we pass in the corridor......I have a tendency to smile & say hello to her, (because I can...) ... When she has to speak to me, she tends to hiss & spit it out, especially if she thinks that I may have done something wrong. When she thinks she's right, the hint of a smug smile tugs at her mouth.....

It's one of life's skills, isn't it, to cope with the crap that some people deal...?

Bah! I will waste no more time on her. Tomorrow is another day.

Time for a shower & bed.

Goodnight all ;0)

Lost in love & I don't know much; I was thinking aloud & I fell out of touch......

God, how I love 70's & 80's song lyrics....

You know what?

My last post was quite a bit longer than was published.

I took us on a rambling walk through the the 80's weekend. A social commentary on the lost art of "the weekend".

Then I cut & pasted in the song article.

And my ramble was lost.

I didn't realise until after it was published.

And I'm too tired to write it again.

Now I am sad.

But never mind.

You get 2 posts in half an hour this morning.

Maybe the universe was telling me something. (Not just that I am techo/computer dumb...)

Working, working, working.......

I'm having at leat 2 weeks off in April/May........ I need a holiday.

Whinge, whinge, moan, moan......

Have a good weekend. ;0)

Everyone's wondering; Will you come out tonight....?

Friday.

*sigh*.

Enjoy your weekend.

And now, a blast from the past (since I'm there anyway).

Remember "Loverboy"? A there was a string of hits from this 80's "superband":

Working For The Weekend - Loverboy Everyone's watching, to see what you will do Everyone's looking at you, oh Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right Everybody's working for the weekend Everybody wants a little romance Everybody's goin' off the deep end Everybody needs a second chance, oh You want a piece of my heart You better start from start You wanna be in the show Come on baby lets go Everyone's looking to see if it was you Everyone wants you to come through Everyone's hoping it'll all work out Everyone's waiting they're holding out Everybody's working for the weekend Everybody wants a little romance Everybody's goin' off the deep end Everybody needs a second chance, oh You want a piece of my heart You better start from start You wanna be in the show Come on baby lets go (quick break) You want a piece of my heart You better start from start You wanna be in the show Come on baby lets go You want a piece of my heart You better start from start You wanna be in the show Come on baby lets go

With a string of three multi-platinum albums, Loverboy was one of the most successful mainstream hard rock groups of the early '80s. Comprised of vocalist Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, bassist Scott Smith, keyboardist Doug Johnson, and drummer Matthew Frenette, the band formed in Toronto, Canada, in 1980 and immediately signed with CBS Records. Later that year, their Bruce Fairbairn produced debut album appeared. Featuring the slick, hard-rocking singles "Turn Me Loose" and "The Kid Is Hot Tonite," the album went platinum in both Canada and America. Loverboy recorded the follow-up, Get Lucky, in 1981. Driven by the anthemic "Working for the Weekend," the Fairbairn-produced record was a major success in the U.S. and Canada, yet it failed to gain an audience anywhere in Europe. Nevertheless, the band was a staple on AOR stations across North America, as well as a popular concert attraction. The band's good fortunes continued with the 1983 album Keep It Up. Again, Loverboy worked with Fairbairn, who kept their melodic yet tough sound intact; the album featured the hit single "Hot Girls In Love." Loverboy's fortunes began to slip with 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It, which was produced by Tom Allom (Judas Priest). Allom gave the band a harder edge, which didn't prove as commercially successful as their past records; nevertheless, the band's fans managed to make the album go platinum. Fairbairn returned from working with Bon Jovi to produce 1987's Wildside, yet the combination didn't prove as potent as before. After an extensive two-year tour, the band returned to Canada. In 1989, their greatest-hits record, Big Ones, was released. The same year Reno and Dean announced plans to make solo records, which effectively put an end to the group; a reunited lineup returned in 1998 with Live, Loud and Loose. Tragedy struck in November, 2000, when Scott Smith was swept overboard by a wave while on a boat near the California coast and he drowned. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

And I love the thought...........

Good evening!

It's so lovely & cool in Blogmuggle land this evening. The last few days have been such a change from the melting heat from the first week of the month. It was 46 degrees both days of the weekend the Victorian Bushfires, & we were at a bike riding weekend on the banks of the Hawkesbury river, not too far from Windsor. It was 41 degrees in the shade. I am revelling in the cool change. Today, when I was driving into Muswellbrook, the day was grey, but the scenery was crisp; green. I usually find that when the sky is overcast after a shower of rain, that everything in the surroundings seem to have more clarity & depth.

I have been busy at work, but it's been enjoyable. I had my 1st visit into an operating theatre as a nurse & watched a gallbladder being removed by keyhole surgery. It was interesting; not at all gory, but I don't think that it's really my thing. I like my patients to talk to me! And caring for a patient coming out of anaesthetic is not an easy task: they tend to be scared, hurting & in shock. Not fun. Lots of monitoring & number-checking.

Can someone please tell me what the pain is in my groin that won't go away?

Beloved has been working nights this week, which is a bit different for us. Luckily, I have been on 3 days off, so at least we have seen each other. I go back to work tomorrow, so we won't see each other until maybe Thursday...... I've now only 1 more day off until March 1, then only that day until March 7 & 8.

GG has her tutorials sorted out for uni, but is more excited about 'Soundwave' in Sydney this Sunday, as is Sboy about 'Soundwave' in Brisbane this Saturday. GG has rather diverse tastes in music, & loves a lot of older style stuff. It's funny the way some things work out. Today GG was trolling through MySpace music & asked about "that song that Simply Red sang: you know, the big one". It turns out that it wasn't the big one that I was thinking of; "If you don't know me by now.." But it turns out that the song that she had in mind was the song that I knew as "Fairground". The odd thing about this song is that it was my favourite song that I would play loud & often when GG was about 8 & Beloved was living & working in Muswellbrook whilst I continued to work for a year & lived in a shed at NanandPops with the 3 kidlets at Belmont. I played it even more on a Friday leading up to the time that we would all be together for the weekend. The girls at work all reckoned that I looked a kilo or 2 lighter and glowed like a hundred watt light bulb on a Friday.........

Anyway, I must have brainwashed GG........ she loves it too....... I love the simple lyrics, & the way the excitement builds with the melody & tempo..... The chorus is my favourite bit.

"Fairground"
Simply Red (1995)

Driving down an endless road
Taking friends or moving alone
Pleasure at the fairground on the way
It's always friends that feel so good
Let's make amends like all good men should
Pleasure at the fairground on the way
Walk around, be free and roam
There's always someone leaving alone
Pleasure at the fairground on the way

(chorus:)
And I love the thought of coming home to you
Even if I know we can't make it
Yes I love the thought of giving hope to you
Just a little ray of light shining through

Love can bend and breathe alone
Until the end it finds you a home
Don't care what the people may say
It's always friends that feel so good
Let's make amends like all good men should
Pleasure at the fairground on the way

(chorus)
I love the thought of coming home to you
Even if I know we can't make it
Yes I love the thought of giving hope to you
Just a little ray of light shining through

Pleasure at the fairground on the way

(chorus)
I love the thought of coming home to you
Even if I know we can't make it
Yes I love the thought of giving hope to you
Just a little ray of light shining through
Love (love the thought)
Even if I know we can't make it
L-l-love the thought
L-l-love the thought

And then I found these misheard lyrics on the website: http://www.kissthisguy.com/7176misheard.htm

"And I love the thought of coming home to you
Even if you're gonna be naked"

hahahahahah............. the real lyric:

"And I love the thought of coming home to you

Even if I know we can't make it"

hahahahahaahah................

I reckon the misheard ones were more appropriate for us.

I wish that I knew how to scan some photos from this time into the computer so I could post them. The kids were so gorgeous! We made every bit of spare time count as time was so limited. We lived apart for almost a year........ We had so many adjustments to make when we were all together again.

But we're still going........

One day I will bore you with my romantic tales. But Natalie ("Musings From the Deep" in my sidebar) has set the bar pretty high.........

Goodnight everyone. ;0)

PS. If you read this, Brother of Mine, you really are allowed to make a comment!

Free the people.....................

See...

I was right.


"Mobilising the power of humanity"


Humans are amazing.

Strong.

Committed.

Generous.

Supportive.

Caring.

Loving.

Industrious.

Resourceful.

Surviving.

Living.

And so much more...........

Have a good day.

In the heat of the night.........

Right now, I am glad that I don't have a conventional, unshakable faith in a religious icon. Glad because right now, that faith would be shaking in its boots, especially if I lived in Victoria or Northern Queensland.

How anyone could maintain their faith in such a "kind, loving & merciful" god is beyond me. Anger, despair & confusion would be what I would feeling. And a guilty relief that I might have survived such a cataclysmic event.

I have a tendency to put my faith in people instead. Over the coming hours, days, weeks & months, I know that faith will be justified. The stories of loss in Victoria make my heart quiver: the tales of survival astound me & make my heart beat faster. So much: too much.

I want to do something: there is no blood bank here in Denman or Muswellbrook, and blood supplies are urgently needed for burns victims, so that's out. Working as a volunteer? well I'm better off staying here at my little country hospital & letting more experienced professionals head off to where they are needed. So money it's then: The Red Cross have organised a hotline for donations, & I believe that the Commonwealth, National & Westpac banks are also taking donations.

Whatever you believe, organise some rain for our folk in Victoria: good solid, drenching rain. Dance, pray, wish, will it or simply hope that it will happpen.

Hope. And have Faith. There is no justification for the events of the last few days. But faith is necessary, whatever or whomever you have faith in. It's not a tangible thing, but then that's the nature of faith, isn't it?

I also hope that KRudd sends my manna from Kevin to where it is really needed, & without all the usual accompanying red tape.

Grab that cash with both hands..........................

Evening Bloggers.

I wasn't going to post anything today as I thought that I had nothing to say. But as I pondered the newest manna from Kevin, it lead me down a path.

Why the heck are we being given money to spend, when just today, a patient sent a pink lady on an errand to buy 5 boxes of tissues for the hospital because they had run out, & there was not a box in the stores department either? A palliative care cancer patient returned her "back-up" box of tissues to staff for other patients to use................

Why are we to promote the economy when people are waiting months for potentially life saving/enhancing/promoting treatment in a hospital because they can't afford to buy themselves private hospital services, & existing services are so stretched that beds are empty because hospital budgets don't allow the employment of staff to utilise them? Income levels should not drive the level of healthcare that an individual receives, yet.......

Why are patients forced to wait because budgets don't allow for more staff?

Why aren't more medications subsidised by the government, which would potentially improve access to medications?

Hospital staff are constantly reminded of the cost of every towel, sheet, flannel & pillowcase. Incontinence aids, types of tape used & gloves........ All are related back to the inflexibility of the hospital budget.

Why are waiting lists so long?

Why aren't more doctors & nurses being trained? Surely less overtime stress & shorter shifts would improve patient care. Staff are tired & stressed.

Why aren't doctors offered better incentives to practice in rural & outlying areas? What happens to the ones that are being trained? Hint; they don't end up in country hospitals. The majority of medicos in rural practice are imported from overseas......

Why is so much money wasted on fireworks? Every bang & flash of vibrant colour sees a hospital bed, education for our children or helping out a company that is going down the tubes disappear with the fading colour.

The same goes for the "Why aren't you a good enough Australian" campaign and just about any anti-smoking ad.... To me, they are just a huge waste of money. Our kids could be provided with an education that is appropriate for the individual rather than one that barely caters for the masses.

Money is wasted that could be better spent providing services that could make people more comfortable when thay are ill, aging or dying. Or setting up a decent pension & welfare plan. Infrastructure & teachers in our schools all gone up in smoke. And save our teachers from inconveniencing already stressed families with more strike actions.

I'd better stop now.

I could rant for quite a while if I get a roll on. ( and you thought that I was already... way more to go yet).

Of course, like most other folk, I will not give manna from Kevin back. Beloved & I have been paying taxes since we were 15..... I believe that I will still be working into my 70's: the government has decreed that there will be no pension for Beloved & I, so I'll take mine as it comes along.

*sigh*

I'm such a hypocrite.

Having said all this (actually whinged all this), you will receive good, safe & professional healthcare in our hospitals. Our system is still way better than the USA's. We'll just have to be patient, that's all. And in country hospitals, there is no benefit to private healthcover as there are no docs in private practice, nor are there usually any private rooms on offer/available anyway. It just means that private patients' care is charged to the health fund, & the goverment (ie you & me) doesn't pick up the tab.

Goodnight >_<

Pink Floyd: Money

Money, get away
Get a good job with more pay and your O.K.
Money it's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team
Money get back
I'm alright Jack keep your hands off my stack.
Money it's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class travelling set
And I think i need a Lear Jet
Money it's a crime
Share it fairly, but don't take a slice of my pie
Money so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away

There's a party going on right here.....

Good Morning on a Monday, People!

If this post is confusing, & gives you a sense of dejavu, don't worry, you're not losing it: Blogger posted my text before the pics uploaded..... soooo slow..... then I re-published it......

There will be no deep & meaningfuls here today, mainly because I just couldn't be bothered. There never are any really, are there? Maybe I'm too shallow..... or insular...... or just plain lazy.

The latter, I think.

It started out a biggish weekend. SBoy, Yana & JackF (his bosses) arrived home on Thursday night while I was at work.

Sboy turned 18 on Friday........

Many drinkies for Sboy & various peoples over the course of the day, starting at lunchtime, both at home & at the local pubs. More drinkies at the pub later with family & friends. Then more drinkies at home with the patrons of the pub back at ours..... copious amounts of party pies, sausage rolls, garlic bread & potato wedges soaked up some of the alcohol..... Sboy slept through a lot of the latter proceedings...... We finally cut his birthday cake (sans "Happy Birthday" song) on Sunday for afternoon tea.
And the most dangerous bushfires are not in Victoria or Tassie, they're right here in Wattle Grove: They're concocted of white rum & tabasco sauce, I believe.

There were times when it wasn't pretty: not a family show at all.

I love being 18.....


still loving it, but... going.....


going..........

GOOOOONNNNNEEEEE................

All things considered, there were no hassles on the day/afternoon/night/early morning. Except that I never slept AT ALL.... backing up after 3 hours the night before & a full week of evening shifts...... *yawn* X 50 squillion.......

My 18 year old son is now my hero. You may be familiar with the scene in the movie, "Zoolander", where the 2 models, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) & Hansel (Owen Wilson) have a "walk-off" on the runway & Hansel's coup-des-gras to win the competition is to remove his underwear by pulling them off & out of his pants from the waist........ well that was performed on Sboy by his "best mate", and without a stunt double...... Hopefully, he will still be able to provide me with some grandbabies.......

Please ignore those fingers that seem to have developed tetanus....

They were a rather expensive pair of bonds "very comfy undies" that I bought him for Xmas..... and as you can see, he wore his best clothes for the occassion.....

As you can see we're a party waiting to happen in our family.......

I DID NOT give Vboy that beer....... maybe he's holding it for his brother... brotherly love..

And I take absolutely NO responsibility for the behaviour of the young adults that I gave birth to....... those genes must have come from Beloved....... even though he says that I had them last.....

Saturday was necessarily quiet. Tea at the pub, then the younguns went to lovely Amy's 18th birthday party.

On Sunday (the day of the week, not the fashionably individual name chosen by our Nicole & Keith for their little darling), we purchased a new/old car for GG. A very functional and relatively attractive 2000 model Ford Festiva Trio.... Happy 21st birthday for 2010, baby....... She's happy...... And loving her new domestic arrangements at no 25 as well. She will be actively looking for work in Newie as she is desperate to "get out of this s'hole town..." Wickham is def better baybybee......

On a brighter note, I have solved my work dilemma in regard to the lack of surgical experiences on my surgical rotation, so that's a weight off all of our shoulders, isn't it????????

Vboy's happy back at school, with only one request at the moment: "more pimple wipes please Mum, cos my skin's gone off!" It could certainly be worse. Oh that's right: I forgot. He wants a $150 pair of skate shoes to wear to school "cos they're black leather like I'm supposed to wear". The black Dunlop volleys that he's previously favoured are certainly more economical........... damn those OH&S regulations......


Better go.

Cya ;0)

We are young, but getting old before our time....get into the car & drive....

It's been a funny couple of weeks. Lots of time spent on the road. And it's been hot. So hot. But a southerly has come through in the last hour. Every door & window is now open to let out the stuffy air & encourage the coolness in.

Sboy flew back up to the Gold Coast last Sunday & will be riding at a show at Penrith on Australia Day. Then maybe he will be home on Tuesday (hopefully) for a week or so in preparation for his 18th birthday on the 30th. There is a job in Sydney Feb 7 & 8, so hopefully he'll stay at home with us in between. Then he leaves us again, probably until after Easter.

On Wednesday, GG was accepted back into Newcastle Uni to study for her BA in (I think) in Anthropology, Social Science & Drama. She will be attending part-time, but will remain working up here until at least April, whilst looking for work in Newcastle after that. She's very excited at the prospect, but her world is blissfully revolving around her part-time move into a house at Wickham with friends that she is VERY keen to make full-time. So keen is she, that she is going to pay them a weekly rent to secure her room full time even though she will only be in residence 2 to 3 nights a week until she moves down there...... I suppose it's only fair: she has virtually lived on their floor off & on over the last 18 months rent-free..... Her hair is no longer vibrant fuschia: it's white-blonde with pale silver-mauve streaking....... So tomorrow is spent moving GG & some gear down to No 25, as well as picking up stuff from Pop's to take there too. The house is a semi-detatched terrace, & she has the top rear bedroom. God I hate stairs.... & moving up furniture up stairs...... At least she will be there for a while.

And tomorrow, we will look at a car for GG at Medowie on the way down. Sboy will need his back at some point, & GG needs one that is comfortable & reliable with all the travelling that she will be doing. And easy on the fuel. Hopefully, this one will fit the bill. Vboy will probably need a new car before the year is out, too. Hopefully, he has heeded our warnings about saving his money to contribute to the purchase ........... It's hard when they are so young & living away.... you really have no idea about what is going on in their lives: only what they choose for you to know.

Vboy has had probably the best school holidays ever, but I think that he forgets that he is only 14 sometimes, & just expects to be able to do whatever he wants to do. Here in our little village, he & his mates can pretty much ride their bikes anywhere & everywhere, swim in the river & hang around without getting into too much trouble. It's much the same in Muswellbrook (in the daylight anyway). He is expecting us to let him catch a train to Newie with his mates on Australia Day (of course they're all allowed to go....). He just doesn't get that the city is a different ball-game, & not necessarily safe. These kids have little or no street-smarts.... He's cranky with us at the moment, & revolting at the prospect of coming to Newie tomorrow.....

Poor Beloved went to an old friend's funeral last Tuesday........ There's been too many of these .... And I see way too many young people (that's under 70yrs, folks) struggling to stay alive in my line of work. But I never fail to be amazed by the sheer tenacity of the human spirit.......

I've been a bit out-of-sorts. My shifts have been all over the place; 4 days on last week starting Sunday, then a day off with Beloved to attend a skin clinic appointment, worked the next day, then Sat, Sun & Mon off. I turned up for work this Tuesday in the morning, only to realise that I was on an evening...... I ingratiated myself with my workmates by doing a morning tea run to Maccas & spent most of the morning helping out..... which was just as well as I was mixed up on Thursday. I thought that I worked in the evening, but I was phoned at 7.10am to find out where I was.... lounging in bed of course, after working the previous 2 evenings..... Friday was Mum's birthday, so Friday was never going to be full of promise..... but it was ok in the end. I wasn't even late for work. And the money came through to buy GG a car......

I go back to work on Monday evening (1.30pm). People at work have checked to roster with me a few times (with a sly smirk, but more often, a wide smile.. ;0) ). It's my last week up on Afloor at Muswellbrook, then it's downstairs into the Aged Care Facility. I just don't think that I've learned enough, nor am I good enough for the assessments that need to be done. I think that I will need to organise some of my own time for more practise & assessments. *sigh*.

April 21, the end-date for my contract is so close. And my assessment book has to be completed & in by mid-March.....

I'm off to shower & bed. Tomorrow will be busy. Oh: I forgot about the load of washing to hang
out ....

Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

And I wonder why?

Morning.

It's just after 8am, & I am hot already.

I'm glad that I don't have to go to Charlestown Square (AKA "The Faecal Palace: the largest choice of numbers 2's in town..."). If you think I've lots my marbles here, then you need to check out Renata's blog. Or maybe you shouldn't. I think she's still getting over her experience.

Everyone is in bed.

The teenagers in this house think that it's ok to be on the computer on MSN all night. Obviously a lot of other teenagers think the same thing. Then a tired teenager sleeps until midday, and repeats the process.

They also keep their mobile phones on their pillow, & other teenagers send them messages in the small hours of the morning when everyone who is normal or not at work should be asleep. For parents who haven't yet encountered this phenomoenon or have children too young to have their own phones, it would be a good idea to set a curfew on phone calls, and "put phones to bed" at night.

I wish that I had done this: actually, I DID set a curfew, but it has been ignored. Remember the good old days when it was bad manners to phone someone after 9pm? People had down time, & didn't have to be available 24/7.... I mentioned to my kids that the number of sms & constant demand provided them with validation, & they laughed at me, but I believe it's true. They can't wait to continally check their MySpace & facebook pages to see if someone has "commented" them. It's often a fight to see who can get to the computer & the request of "lurk me, then" is frequent when someone else is on first. When they DO finally struggle out of bed near lunchtime, the computer is the 1st place they sit (food & drink come later... at the computer, of course ...excuse me, but NO food or drink at the computer!!!!), & the computer is the 1st point of call everytime they walk in from outside the house. School bags live next to the computer: they rarely make it into the bedroom: are books ever taken out for homework? I really don't think so. Sometimes. it's difficult for them to take 2 steps away from the computer to sit at the table for tea, & then it's bolted down fast so that they can return to the computer.

Yet, with all this communication at their fingertips, they rarely talk to anybody on their phones, & have a vast circle of "friends" that they have never met. Does this compromise their social skills? I think it does. They have trouble organising activities as they wait for "OllieB to comment them back.." . Actually talking on the phone, which allows quick transfer of information, is just not done. And hopelessly inadequate to me in this "right here, right now" world that we live in. Mind you, I have to say that my kids are improving in this, largely because I have insisted upon using the phone as ... OMG... a communication device....... After all, it costs me a fortune for them to make a gazillion sms to a gazillion different people for them to say;

"sup?"

"ntmch. U?"

"same"

"lol"

"Seen (enter name here) l8ly?"

"nah. you?"

"nah. She probs hang wif (enter name here)"

"kk. She was on msn last night. gtg. cya."

"k. bye"

Fabulous command of the English language....... I wonder how much of this nightmare gibberish is making its way into their school books. I have heard it creeping into their conversation. My pet hate? Saying "lol" instead of actually laughing......

They are very adept at multi-tasking though: They can cruise the web, hold about 20 MSN conversations, check out MySpace & place useless bulletins, all the while whilst answering SMS on their phones........ They have endurance, as well: they can do this for hours......

They just can't seem to manage to put the milk/cereal away, empty/fill the dishwasher, put their clothes in the washing basket, or hang up their wet towels, though..... "lol". Even one job at a time.

And they ALWAYS leave their empty glasses, packets and plates next to the computer..... NO FOOD & DRINKS AT THE COMPUTER, GUYS!!!!!!!!

Ho hum.... They'll never read this anyway.

Remember when the telephone was THE desired method of communication? The desperation of waiting for "someone" to call? It used to be fun. And you generally had a person's undivided attention when you were talking.... I'm so old, that for years, we were only only house in about 4 in our street to have a phone, & we were the message centre for the neighbourhood.

The telephone has been an important & formative part of our culture: songs have been written with the phone as it's focus. Take Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone" as an example:

I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall
If you don't answer, I'll just ring it off the wall
I know he's there but I just had to call

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

I heard your mother now she's going out the door
Did she go to work or just go to the store?
All those things she said I told you to ignore

Oh why can't we talk again?
Oh why can't we talk again?
Oh why can't we talk again?

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

It's good to hear your voice, you know it's been so long
If I don't get your calls then everything goes wrong
I want to tell you something you've known all along

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

I had to interrupt and stop this conversation
Your voice across the line gives me a strange sensation
I'd like to talk when I can show you my affection

Oh I can't control myself
Oh I can't control myself
Oh I can't control myself

Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

Hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah oh oh oh run to me...............

Well, that's probably enough of my rambling.... Is that the phone I can hear????? WHY WON'T IT LET ME TURN OFF THE ITALICS???????

k. bye.

Have a good day!

This ain't a scene; it's a goddam arms race (lyrics that are in Sboy's head right now....)

WOO HOO!

SBOY IS HOME!!!!

Beloved & kids went to Sydney to pick him up yesterday. He is a happy, but thinner little camper. Unbelievably, he has stripped 6kg off his already lean frame: he's now 59kg! He bought back gifts for us all. I have a lovely Balinese dragon. He remains un-named thus far. Poor Sboy was concerned as he managed to break 2 of the wooden dragon's toes in transit. As Beloved pointed out, he just matches my other rather battle-scarred ones.......

This morning I take SBoy back to Sydney so that he can be picked up to go to Mulwala (near the NSW/Vic border) to ride at the show this weekend. Then he's going up straight up to the Gold Coast until the end of the month, he thinks.

I have Saturday off, then back to work on Sunday.

*sigh*

As the sand flows through the hourglass, these are the days of my life......

Smiley........

Good Morning Bloggers!

Sunday morning @ 8.09am and here I am.

Not too much earlier, Beloved had risen for work, & before I had even opened my eyes, there was a familiar thud, stab, twist, thud at the back of my head. I should have gotten up & taken some pills then, but I thought no, no, I'll just lie here in bed, & it will go away.

Wrong response. (Can't you just hear that buzzer from "Sale of the Century"; noll-noll...)

As I pondered my approach to the day in that half-awake, half asleep state, with a good bit of painful indecision inside my head, the phone started to ring..... at the farthest point away from me in the house. In my haste to answer it, I caught my dressing gown on the pedestal fan and it would not let go. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, it let go so I could run to the phone, with my gown flapping about me (not a pretty picture to paint, so I'll leave out the details...) I picked it up just after "the man" had informed the caller with his nasal, annoyingly whiny twang that; "No-one is available to take your call at the moment. Please leave...".. well yes they are, they are just trying to avoid answering the phone infragrant delecto...... bloody phone, telling me who I can & can't talk to... organising my life.......
A surprised "Hello Bub: I was just going to leave you a message....." greeted me on the other end of the line. Dad. "Happy Birthday"....... Thanks Dad. Small talk ensued while I filled up & turned on the kettle.... "God I need a cup of tea.." Very small talk, really, as I had only spoken to him yesterday afternoon. He enquired after GG, asked what shifts I was on this week, I asked him how he was going to spend his day..... he's not too well in the tummy & has a cough, & can't sleep lying down (this may be related to his medication, I feel). Neither are new complaints, but both wear him down. He is very tired. If he's not on the move, he falls asleep in the chair.......
He asked how I was going to spend my day. Well, Beloved's octagenarian aunty, who is very pleasantly demented, is having a surprise birthday party at Bolwarra: Surprise: the kids & I are going down for it...... At 40kilos, Aunty Del is diminishing, & may well disappear on us before another birthday comes around. She has always been the size of as wren, but has lost the strong edge about her of late. Her frailty was more apparent at Beloved's dying father's bedside & funeral. She loves to tell stories, as is typical of someone with her generalised dementia. She couldn't tell anyone what she ate for breakfast, but the newsreels of her life from over 60yrs ago in her mind are fresh & bright.

The conversation wound up as I made my cup of tea & decided that a celebratory bowl of "Rice Pops" was in order. I had to coat my stomach with something before I assaulted it with ibuprofen, codiene & pantoprazole (no brand names here; I refuse to advertise or use product placement).
I then fired up the computer in anticipation of this tome, sat down, and my mother-in-law phoned; "Did she tell me Melbourne or Westbourne Street last night....". A short converstion later, I managed to actually ingest the afore-mentioned drugs...... Hurry up & work already!!! Nanny Val is slowly re-building her life without Poppy Don. She has a big day today. She & PoppyD moved into an over 55's community a couple of years ago. Actually, they are all way over 55 & most of them are widows, so she's got plenty of company, & they've all flocked around her. This morning, they're all getting together in the community centre for breakfast, then NannyV is driving herself up to Bolwarra. I'm pretty sure that it is her first trip outside the city. She hasn't driven anywhere much at all over the past few years as PoppyD was usually the driver when they were together, & they really didn't go anywhere separately often. Just turning up on her own at a family function is a new thing for her. That's why we're going. I plan to be there before she is so that she doesn't have to walk through the door on her own.

It's now 9.30. There's been more phone calls, another cup of tea. I rarely sit down & compose a post un-interrupted or in its entirety. I will have to get VBoy out of bed soon if we are to leave on time.

But before I go..........

Happiness.

Lovely Lisa brought the topic up the other day. How we search & search, & try so hard to be happy. I think I saw a definition or version of happiness the other day. It certainly put a smile on my face.
On my drive to work, I pass through a lot of rural landscapes. A number of things make me smile on this drive, even at 6am or on the way home (it's not just the fact that work is over for the day...) The sunrise, the mist, birds, foals, lambs, calves all cavorting in the paddocks, the moonlight over the landscape: they all make me smile & go "oohh". The big one this week was a cattle dog who had obviously finished his work for the day. The farmer had an irrigator going in a paddock by the roadside, one of the big ones that puts out a continous stream of water, that has a repetitive break in the stream so that it goes "Ch, ch, ch," very rhythmically & the stream of water is broken & goes further. It wasn't turned on very fast, and here was this cattle dog, having the time of his life jumping up 6 feet in the air and biting the stream of water & getting wet & cool in the process, over & over again. I laughed out loud in the airconditioned confines of my car at the sight of this happy dog. The next afternoon, the irrigator had been moved to a different spot in the paddock, and was turned up full pelt.
And there was the dog, doing the same thing, except this time, in order to reach the spray, he had to run, jump up onto the legs, then arm of the irrigator & launch himself into the stream, performing a 180 degree turn before hitting the ground running to do it all over again. He must have been reaching over 12 feet in the air........

He was definitely working for his happiness.
But what he did to get it was simple, & his goals attainable. When the goalpost was shifted, he changed his approach & the way he achieved it.
And he kept on trying.
And when he got his reward, he enjoyed it.
And repeated it & took time to really enjoy it, unlike we humans who tend to think that we can't remain happy for long & have to look for something else.

I was laughing out loud again at the simplistic fun that the dog was having. And amazed at his actions as well.

A ramble, yes?

We should all be able to feel the incredible lightness of being that happiness brings.

Unfortunately, we are way to complex to find it in a sprinkler. Mind you, we did as children.......

Dogs are good at being happy, aren't they? Clover takes herself off for a run around & around (& around) the house like a real loon sometimes, with real purpose, and when she's finished, she pounces onto the verandah with a triumphant air of accomplishment, absolutely brimming with viviacity, with a smile that starts above her ears....

The incredible lightness of happiness.

Bring it on.

Only problem is .......where is there a sprinkler.......?

Have a good day, everyone.

With love from the Blogmuggle ;0)

Celebrate good times... c'mon......

Welcome to 2009, young & old.

I had been planning to write a reflective post about my year in '08, followed by my hopes & aspirations for '09, but I'm not going to. I'm over it now. I've been a bit too busy to put reflective, hopeful fingers to keyboard. Instead, I'm just going to get on with living '09, & we'll see how it pans out, shall we?

I finish my "Medical" rotation at Scone tomorrow. It hasn't been any different to the other rotations that I've spent there, but it's been busy for me, and I've reinforced the skills that I already have. I won't be back there until April as my traineeship starts to come to a head. I'm at Muswellbrook Hospital for the month of January to attend my "Surgical" rotation, which is handy: the operating theatres are closed until Feb 5, with only emergency cases being considered. Oh well; I'm sure something will turn up.... I like working at Muswellbrook. The staff are friendly (not that Scone staff aren't), the set-up is different to Scone, & it's closer to home.
I think that I've just about driven the RN's mad with my "Would you please sign this off in my book?" requests....... but it HAS to be done.....

I should tell you, I suppose, that Christmas was celebrated well, and quietly, which is just what the doctor ordered. It was certainly different. The kids are all growing up: GG worked both Christmas & Boxing Day, & Sboy celebrated Christmas Night in a restaurant in Dufan with JackF & Yana after they finished their shows for the day. We didn't have Christmas lunch: I baked an evening meal instead. My Dad was with us, which was good. He's not all that comfortable out of his own environment: he never has been. He is so used to just going off & doing his own thing, so at someone else's house, he's at a bit of a loose end.

Ewwww. I just went to the bathroom & discovered the back end of a mouse on the floor, which leaves me to ponder: where is the front end? Hopefully, it has been ingested by the gifter, Lulu.....

I want to try to put some recent photos of the kids on here: lets see if it works........

2 of GG 'cos her hair warrants the attention. Yes, it's real... her own hair. Happy 21st birthday, Prince Rhyslet...

GG: the girl with the pink hair & party attitude to match.....

A reflective (and nutty) Vboy.... that's Bryson's hand holding the chip....

A Christmas Sboy....

A festive Sboy... he captioned this one "sorry mum". I hate to think.......


Ah good times, good times.

Oh, that's sad. I seem to be living my life vicariously through my children....

That's all for now folks.

I hope the new year holds many good times for you all.

Love,

Blogmuggle xoxoxoxo

Joy to the world..... all the boys and girls....... Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea: Joy to you & me...................

• We have had THE BEST EVER CHRISTMAS PRESENT arrive: at 3.30 this morning baby Riley entered the world, as requested by his grandad, who is going on holidays this afternoon, & wanted to meet his new grandchild before he went! Yes, Dan & Twisty's lovely little man is here, and WE ARE THRILLED! Beloved wants to go meet his grand-nephew this afternoon..... but I can't go as I will be at work ;0(. I might have to sneak in a quick look on the way......... We are definitely going to see him tomorrow. I don't have any physical details...yet.... Hopefully, I can post a piccy tomorrow.

• I am ready for The Other Big Event.... Bring it on! I think I will bake a dinner: we probably won't eat until 2 in the afternoon. I'm not even sure what my Dad is doing yet, as he is working until about 3 or 4 this afternoon. He hasn't been up here for over 18 months: can he even find our house? He will certainly struggle if it is dark.......... I worry about him travelling on unfamiliar roads. He has been lost more than once........
  

• We are breaking new ground. This will be the first ever Christmas without Santa Sacks for the Jolly Red Man to fill....... My brother & his family are calling in for our Christmas this morning on their way to Mudgee for celebrations with his in-laws, so there will be lots of fun & excitement here this morning..... "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...." Friends may call in on their way home to Woolomin after visiting Dad as well.

• I have just eaten the THE best breakfast: Pan-fried bruschetta topped with chunky exotic Thai dip.... mmmmmmm.... very luxurious... and festive.... and my stomach, which has been rather objectionable of late, is already objecting...... Too bad, I say! I enjoy the tastes & pleasure of eating, so I'm not going to let my stomach dictate what goes into it. If I did, I would never eat anything. I would be a lot thinner though, I suppose. But crankier, too.

Oh My folks..... It's Christmas Eve already!

Ho, Ho, Ho............

Santa came to say....ho, ho, ho........

Good evening.

It was Christmas today in our little part of the world.

Beloved's mother, 2 sisters (1 from Canberra, the other from Newcastle)& 1 partner, & brother & his partner, nephew & very pregnant partner, neice & her son (from Kurri Kurri) all travelled to our home today for a 1st time look-see at our house & Christmas lunch as none of us will be able to get together on the big day. We had a lovely lunch, & lots of relaxed conversation. It's the first time we've all been together since the day of Beloved's Dad's funeral. The Beloved's Mum, lovely Val, dissolved into happy/sad tears before she left...... Tomorrow she's going to Canberra for Christmas & the Newie sister is going there as well. It was way better on an emotional level than we envisaged. And the food was lovely, including the $75 roll of seasoned pork (*choke...swallow....gag*) that I had bought to cook. I also made a killer icecream cake that received major kudos! It was a very simple affair, with everyone contributing something yummy.

I'm not working over Christmas now. In fact, I have 4 days straight off. I was rostered on, but the boss asked me if Iwould mind taking annual leave, but I could still keep the shift penalties..... well, yes, that would be ok...... I work morning shift Monday & Tuesday, then evening on Christmas Eve. So Lisa, we will be at the Aunties on Boxing Day, hopefully....

Nephew's very pregnant wife really is about ready to pop, GG reckons. Our Twist isn't due until the 28th, but she's a tiny wee little thing, with a very tight & now-teardrop-shaped belly.... She's very beautiful, but has no idea how beautiful she is. It will be good to have a new baby in our family. We are all looking forward to the arrival very, very much.

Watched "A Very Speccy Christmas" & "Joyeux Noel" tonight..... One funny, the other tragic, yet happy. It's hard to believe that these poor soldiers were basically all punished for behaving in a human, humane way.... stupid, stupid fat-cat "leaders"......

I have buckled under the pressure, & published a Christmas letter & cards......

I have finally successfully de-fleaed the dog....... she looks much happier..... "Frontera" is cheaper than "Frontline". I wonder how long it will work for? I will try some of your tips, too, Anchell.

I have almost finished the Christmas present catchnkill..... shopping is no big deal at this end of the world. We have a new Aldi that I'm going to shop at this week, too. Yessirree, we've come up in the world way up here in the count-ree.............

And having visitors come to inspect your house for the 1st time means that it actually has to be clean & tidy for once. And it is. And I like it. If only the pixies & fairies could keep the gremlins at bay, then it might stay that way...... Our yard is nicely mown & tidy, & I've re-potted plants and they now line up across the back verandah. Nice, yes.

And now it's time for bed.

Goodnight. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Schools out for ever......

Here are Sboy's Higher School Certificate results:

2008 HSC Results

Units	Courses Entered	Examination Mark	Assessment Mark	HSC Mark	Performance Band
Board Developed Courses
2	Drama	1 79/100	79/100	79	4
2	English (Advanced)	1 75/100	75/100	75	4
2	General Mathematics	80/100	77/100	79	4
2	Modern History	1 60/100	60/100	60	3
2	Retail Operations	Refer to Vocational documentation
	Retail Operations Examination	84/100	N/A	84	5

ELIGIBLE FOR HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE

Not too bad for someone who really didn't put in too much work, hey?

He's enjoying Jakarta. Not missing us too much at all.....