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!