My Book-Crazy Life...

Let's Just Blame Telstra

2012-02-14T11:33:00.000+10:00

This week, on Monday, I was sitting eating breakfast, organising myself and what calls I had to make to all different people before I jumped on the net to do some serious work online when I heard a truck pull up nearby. I'm always curious about who's around and who's not, so I took a peek and found a Telstra van outside my neighbour's house. It didn't stay long, so I didn't worry about it.

However I did worry when I picked up my phone and found a massive amount of static on the line. So, I went in search of the Telstra van to find out what he was going that might be disturbing my line. He was about halfway down the complex looking at the lines. I explained what was happening and he said for me to talk to my service provider, but I said that the lines were Telstra lines; he didn't seem to realise what he was doing to the lines were causing the problems. By the time I had gotten home, my phone line was dead. I went to find the guy again, but he was gone. So, I had to sms my folks and they called Optus who diverted my landline calls to my mobile for me until the line is fixed by them on Thursday.

What I don't understand is that my bills come through Optus and yet the phone lines I use are owned by Telstra. It's weird.

So, it's really quiet at my place seeing I can't call anyone and the internet isn't in use. Instead I've been sitting around and reading, listening to music and catching up with cleaning out other things around my upstairs bedrooms. This is a good thing, but I'd like the use of my computer's internet back; as I am paying good money for it. And it wasn't my fault this happened.

Now, tomorrow, I have shopping to do, and that will have to split into two days instead of one. I'll be going out on Thursday as well to pick up a few things I couldn't get on Wednesday. Then, on Friday, I have to go out to Garden City to pick up something else and I'll be away for the night and half of Saturday... what a tiring week! All because of some idiot's moves from Telstra. I hate it that this week has had to be changed around all due to this.

Have you ever had to change your plans as suddenly as this; and have it not be your fault? It's not the the going out that bothers me, it's the matter of having to wait for so long to have things to have things to be fixed that's the problem. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

A Brilliant Career Cut Short

2012-02-12T22:43:00.000+10:00

Today, I read on Bookcrossing that Diva, actor and songwriter, Whitney Houston, passed away in a hotel room in Los Angeles. What a loss to the entertainment industry this is; as well as the world of music.

Whitney started out her life in a gospel church group with her Mother Cissy Houston, related to superstars such as Dee Dee Warwick (cousin) and Dionne Warwick (sister), it's a little wonder that Whitney would take to the music industry as easily as she did. Her mother nurtured her talent and passion for gospel singing from a young age. As a teenager, Whitney was already singing on the scene in New York, and records with her first young performances in the '70s and early '80s album credits with such eclectic acts as Michael Zager, Chaka Khan, Herbie Mann, the Neville Brothers, Bill Laswell's Material, and others are much sought-after collectors items.

In 1983, Clive Davis saw Whitney singing in a club in New York and signed her on the spot. Two were spent in making her debut record; and in 1985, her self-titled album came out yielding a string of great hits such as 'The Greatest Love of All' (which became her veritable anthem), 'Saving All My Love For You', and 'How Will I Know'. Not only did the album establish her as an important new recording artist, but it went on to sell over 12 million copies in the U.S., plus many millions more abroad. This LP set the record as the biggest selling debut album by a solo artist.

With her second album, Whitney made history as the first female artist to make it onto the Billboard album charts #1. The new album soared past 9x-platinum on the strength of four #1 chart-toppers.

In 1992, after establishing her place on the big screen with Kevin Costner in 'The Bodyguard', Whitney Houston, three of her hits made it onto 'The Bodyguard' soundtrack which sold over 42 million copies worldwide. Filmwork continued for Whitney as other roles showed up for her and she starred in 'Waiting to Exhale' (1995), 'The Preacher's Wife' (1996).

By 2000, Whitney Houston received her sixth Grammy Award and was named the Best Female R&B Vocal; a month later, she was named Female Artist Of the Decade at the "Soul Train" Music Awards annual ceremonies virtually 15 years to the day since her debut single, "You Give Good Love" entered the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart on March 9, 1985.

The Guinness Book Of World Records lists Whitney as music's "most awarded female artist of all time," with an amazing tally of 411 awards (as of 2006) a tally that is certainly topped by her two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 23 American Music Awards, as well as MTV VMAs in the U.S. and Europe, NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, "Soul Train" Music Awards, and so on. She received the Nickelodeon "Kids Choice" award (she was inducted into the "Kids Choice" Hall Of Fame in 1996), the Dove (Gospel Music Association) Award, and Blockbuster Entertainment Award. Whitney was inducted into the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Walk Of Fame in 1996; and received "Soul Train"'s prestigious Quincy Jones Career Achievement Award in 1998.

Being Brutally Honest

2012-02-12T10:53:00.002+10:00

Have you ever looked around your house and thought that it was time to really get in and do a good, brutally honest toss-out? Well, as a lot of you who have been following me for a while now know I have been cleaning out my house for a while. And now, I'm up to a stage where I'm about to attack the wardrobes. Yep, I've begun going through my clothes and tossing out what I don't need, doesn't fit me and letting it go to the charity bins.

Yesterday was the day it all began. I opened the wardrobe where my skirts, shirts and jeans lived and I pulled it all out, dumped them onto the bed and checked the sizes. Anything that wasn't a size 12 went into the charity garbage bag; and there was a lot that didn't fit me. There were some jeans that looked like it did, but then, when I tried them on, they didn't (I had to make sure they weren't a large fit).

Yes, that's a Sherryn Footy you can see in the centre. I'm an AFL fan. :)

While I was putting my clothes away, I also sorted through my vintage t-shirts and thought it would do them a world of good to put them through the wash today. And on the way through sorting them, I found a t-shirt I thought I had binned years ago. It was my Pride Fair Day T-shirt from 2000. Why I hadn't tossed it out is beyond me, and I didn't think twice about throwing it out, it just went straight into the charity bag unwashed and unfolded. This is a win for me to throw out something from my past as I no longer have any connection to it - and fortunately - don't feel guilt in throwing it out.

After around forty-five minutes, I had replaced the draw-lining, put all the jeans and shorts back. The Winter t-shirts were in the wardrobe along with the skirts. My Summer shirts were in the duchess and most of the laundry was put away. I had a rubbish bag full of clothes to give away, the bath towels to fold and put away and I was done. I was very pleased with myself; as this wasn't the only thing I had gotten done yesterday.

I had also vacuumed the bathroom floor and scrubbed the shower cubicle within an inch of its life. That was a good part of an hour before I attacked my wardrobe.

However, today, I'm hoping to sort through all my hanging space in the other two-door wardrobe. I have far too many dressing gowns; with about eight of them in there, I only need three really. So, I'm going to look at them and keep the ones I want and give away the others after washing them. Then, it'll be time to go through all my other clothes and jackets. Now, that's going to be painful! I do love my jackets; they all serve a purpose. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember I'm always here.

Busy Days

2012-02-11T12:03:00.000+10:00

Right now, I've got a sore arm. Yep, I started a new painting and was overzealous and failed to pick up my arm support; injuring the muscles in my arm. It hurt more yesterday than it does today, so I'll be away from the easel today as I was yesterday too. It's a matter of resting up my arm until the muscle heals a little. Otherwise, I have to find other things to do in the meantime.

So, I have decided to do some more cleaning out. Yes, just like last year, I'm doing this again. however, this time, I'm working on my storage spaces and clothes. I have a lot of clothes that either don't fit me or I don't wear anymore; either way, they are going to a charity and I'm going to find other clothes that suit me and work on a new wardrobe (but that's for another time for me to write about, of course).

As for the storage space? Well, I began on the spare room wardrobe and successfully filled a medium-sized rubbish bag within 45 minutes. I was just really brutal and threw out magazines from 2006 that I didn't need and want. I read everything, made sure I had the right things in the right piles and put back what I wanted and tossed exactly what I didn't. And after the last few years of being honest with myself, I have found it easier and easier to be able to throw out what I don't want.

On Wednesday afternoon, I found a medium-sized craft box that I could paint up for my coffee table, a wall hanging that has a lovely saying on it for a space next to front door and a couple of other things that I think would work downstairs... most of the other things I found ended up in the bin. Now, I have the rest of the office to finish up and I know what needs to be done. I need to make sure I keep nothing that isn't useful and find a use for things that are. I have found somethings that don't belong to me; things that are other people's and I'd like to return them to their rightful owners. However, I came upon some written work of a friend who has passed away and I don't know what to do with it. So, I've just left a note with another fellow writer who would know who to pass it onto - or what to do with it (not that I don't want it; it's not mine to have or publish).

Anyway, today - this morning - I did get a lot done. There's four loads of laundry out on the line, all the washing up has been one (except for one pan with dirty water in it from a day ago), the pets are happily fed, I vacuumed the bathroom (to ready it for a good clean-up) and I've checked my mail box out the front for junk mail and all my e-mail... otherwise, I've still got a lot to get done this weekend.

The sun has just come out from behind the clouds for the first time today and it's almost midday; what a relief! I thought it was going to be overcast all day! After all the rain we've had, I love to see the sun here in Brisbane. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Changes

2012-02-08T11:09:00.000+10:00

Since the beginning of the year, I've noticed a lot of things going on, a lot of changes happening and plenty of unusual occurrences. It's the Year of the Dragon and it's also the year the Mayan Calendar finishes; thus meaning many things - spiritual and otherwise - are going to either come to an end, begin or reborn themselves in some way or another.

I've met a wonderful man and we both like each other immensely. However, as we've gotten to know each other, we have admitted that we don't wish to have a relationship this year as it doesn't feel right; and we don't want to hurt each other. I know this sounds really strange and unlike me, but we both have this feeling we should both wait until next year. And so, we are. I suggested to him that we should get to know each other as friends this year and work on being as close as we can as human beings instead of being lovers; and he loved that idea. This means we'll find out a lot more about ourselves as well as each other in twelve months than most people. How cool is that?

Another thing I've been noticing is that I've been finding things around my house that I've 'put in a safe place for future reference'. I'll tear the house apart looking for one thing and find another that I have looked for before and it'll just show up, with me needing it right now. It's amazing. A few years back, I was in a pagan shop and I bought a hard leather pouch for no real reason. And - seeing I didn't know why I had it - I put it away and left it in with my other magic gear until last month when I pulled it out and looked at it; knowing it was this year I had to use it. I also found a Smoky Quartz that I bought about five years ago and put away for the same reason... just to keep it safe... and once I found it, I knew exactly why I put it away. It was because it wasn't time to use it yet. Now, I'm finding things all over my house that I've stored in boxes and drawers where I'm suddenly in great need of them; like my Tibetan Singing Bell which has been sitting on the window sill of my computer room - behind the tower of my computer - for the last eight years. I picked it up on Monday, went outside and made it sing for no real reason. The whole neighbourhood went quiet for a full ten minutes! I was amazed. However, the moment I put it back on the kitchen table, everyone outside my back door started up fighting again like they were before.

Another change I've been noticing lately is of where I live here in Logan City; of a name change. Now, this is something that has been bounced around for a while now. Every few years, the politicians get this weird idea of changing Logan City's name to something else, can't think of anything and then drop the subject. This year, they're on this soapbox more than ever. They really want this change and I'm really wondering if it's the right thing to do. I mean, Inala nearly had a name change because it was a crap suburb of Brisbane, and once they figured out why it didn't have a good reputation, it turned out okay. However, Logan City is much bigger than Inala and it's got this horrible reputation where nobody will even mention the City's name on the news (oh, yes, don't you love it when the anchorpeople say: '...and there was a fatal stabbing, (mumbles) south of Brisbane...' and you wait until the report comes up with Slacks Creek, Woodridge or Kingston when all they have to say at the beginning was Logan City. What? Are they terrified that we're going to come knocking on their doors or something?). So, why change the name of Logan City when it's the reputation of this placed that needs changing, not the name. And people wouldn't be calling it Bogan Logan - or any other such name - if some famous Bogan hadn't said it first; pointing out the elephant in the room. Weird but true.

So, what changes have you noticed - spiritual or otherwise - have you noticed going on around you in this world this year so far? Or haven't you noticed anything at all? For me, they have been pretty big and obvious. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Busy, Relaxed Weekend

2012-02-06T10:37:00.000+10:00

This weekend was an unusual one. I had a lot to do, and yet it ended with me coming home late from Brisbane City in the afternoon on Sunday.

On Saturday, I had Mum and Dad over for afternoon tea, however, I had to begin cleaning my house up on Friday night to get it nice and tidy for that occasion. Fortunately, 'The Sound of Music' was on the television and there were some classic music on there to work to. I got in and washed up, cleaned up the lounge room, put away the knitting, took the laundry upstairs and cleaned down the kitchen table and then washed all the floors before closing up the house and going upstairs to hang out on the net for a while and going to bed.

On Saturday, I vacuumed the downstairs, put out the rubbish, swept the floors, cleaned up the corners of the kitchen, dusted and bought Dad a Birthday pressie and a card. Now, normally, I just get him a card, but this time I though a little pressie would be good. I got all this fixed up in two hours as I was online until around midday or so and Mum and Dad were here by around 4pm. I had made up a platter of food and some plunger coffee and ice tea (which I had organised the night before) and we sat down and ate and chatted. Dad loved the coffee and nibbles, read last Sunday's paper and asked if I could play a bit of the piano for him. I did but I have been out of practice lately; and so made a few mistakes. Mum took some photos of me playing; which made me a more nervous and I made more mistakes (isn't that always the way?). Then, we were out in my yard and looking around. Dad tightened up my clothes line with two shifting spanners I had bought so it wouldn't move and Mum sat in the shade under my kitchen window and perused my yard that had grown since mid-January. They had a lovely time looking around the place and weren't impressed with the condition of the fences; but then nobody is. Before long, they had to go home and it was almost time for me to cook dinner.

On Sunday, I was off to New Farm Park to attend a Sunday Meditation which is held once a month with a group I'm beginning to go to. Even though it was Dad's birthday, I really didn't want to miss this; and this was the reason why i had Mum and Dad over on Saturday for afternoon tea, to spend time with them for Dad's birthday. They dropped me off at the ferry terminal (and Dad had never driven all the way down there, so I had to give him directions; and he was impressed that there was a round-a-bout there to get out). And I did the silly thing and walked straight past Will and to the tree we were at last time. So, I got out my mobile and called him and asked where he was and we ended up spotting each other across the park... really funny.

One by one, we all showed up and we were going to go to the big gazebo but decided to use one of the trees instead. This time, we nabbed ourselves a picnic table; and there was so much food we could barely fit it all on there! Packets of chips were ripped open, home-made cakes were brought along, dips, crackers and other great food was put out for everyone to eat. We chatted and talked and brought out our crystals and meditated in small groups, talked about different things such as dreams and unusual occurrences and other things we don't dare talk to our families about. This is a place - people - who have experienced things that others dismiss as an over-active imagination whereas these people don't. I had one lady - Deb - look at my dream journals and she helped me greatly into what they mainly covered. The one thing she was amazed at was that they were so detailed; that I remembered so much so easily and quickly; and she said that was a good thing.

Then, we got in and did our group meditation. Deb led the Tree and Earth meditation. It was a great one, going for around twenty minutes which just flew by! Then, we all sat around and talked about what each of us got out of it. I enjoyed the feeling of togetherness it brought with a group of twenty strangers and friends. This was my first time at a large group meditation and it won't be my last. next time, I'll have to take along some of my crystals; in particular my Rose Quartz.

Geoff and Vivienne had to leave and were off soon after the meditation, but I stuck around for another hour or so chatting with people, watching people practice yoga moves and helping Will show people how to get the moves right. I walked over to three of the guys who were trying out The Hero pose - and not getting it right - with Will and he said that I'd be able to do it and asked me to show them. I took off my sandals and showed them all; with them all cringing as got onto the ground and easily did The Hero pose on the ground. Then, I made the guys cringe more as I transformed that pose into The Child pose... with all of them saying they couldn't get their backsides down properly. I said it's all to do with practice and getting their stretches down pat,and they agreed. I really gotta get back into my yoga more; it's something that I'm not that flexible with right now, but it's good to know it.

Before long, it was 4:30pm and I had a City Cat to catch. I said my goodbyes, received three hugs (a big one from Will) and ran off to the ferry terminal and caught it to the Riverside Centre then walked up to Lower Edward Street to catch the 555 to Springwood. It was about 100 metres to Mum and Dad's house where I could kick off my shoes and relax a little. After such a long day, my feet were killing me as I hadn't had any arch support in my shoes; but it was a nice relaxing day. Such a pity I got sunburnt... I did use sunscreen, but them's the breaks I guess. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Been Given The Slip

2012-02-03T14:34:00.000+10:00

Today, I was off to Garden City to do three things: pick up a new battery for my camera to keep the date-stamp working, an index book and to buy a half-slip. Sounds simple-enough doesn't it? Well, I found the first two things easily; and paid for them cheaply enough - both being under $10. However, I had a hell of a time finding a half-slip around Garden City. Finding one of these things was like trying to find a Hen's Tooth; that's how rare they're becoming to find and buy now.

My first stop was Best & Less - where I thought I'd find one, but I didn't. The young lady who helped me lamented with me, saying she understood my dilemma and said that there were people asking for the ones I was after up to ten time a day. She'd order them in but they never arrived. However, she did say to try out Big W, Bras & Things or - if I was really desperate - David Jones.

I went in search of my illusive half-slip to Big W next and couldn't find one. So, I found myself standing outside Bras & Things. This shop spooks me to no end. It's a store full of knickers, bras and naughty nighties... something I have always found daunting to look at in such a large number, but I took a deep breath and went inside. After looking around the place quickly, I asked if they stocked my item and they said they didn't and to try out David Jones... actually, they were positive that D.J's had it and that store was the only place that would.

So, I walked into the large department store, found the women's section and walked around their underwear section looking for my half-slip that seemed to have gotten away from me. Truthfully, I was beginning to forget what these stupid things looked like... until I came upon a beige one and looked behind it and found the black one I was searching for. Ah-ha! I found a medium-sized and checked the price: $39.99??? Oh, my God! Well, there went my budget for the day... my coffee at Gloria Jeans too. Oh well, a coffee made at home is just as lovely and a hell of a lot cheaper too. I walked to the counter and paid for my one half-slip and told the lady dressed in the uniform black that I had searched the whole of Garden City and David Jones was the only place that stocked half-slips. She was shocked, telling me that the ones that were hanging over there where I had gotten mine had been there for three months and haven't moved! Wow! I told her that Best & Less had been trying to get them in for the last three months and they haven't been able to get any; now this surprised her.

Well, I arrived home with my half-slip in a little David Jones bag (maybe my first and only purchase of underwear from that department store in around twenty years I've made... since I went off to New Zealand) and looked at that lovely slip. I had spent almost two hours looking for this? Now I know where to get the stupid things, I won't be going anywhere else for them. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember I'm always here.

....and It's Only Thursday!

2012-02-02T10:51:00.000+10:00

I'm really tired this week... but I think it's because of what I've been up to lately. On Sunday, I was up until 1:30am talking to Will on the phone. He had asked me to hang out with him on Monday afternoon and we had a bit of a problem when I didn't know where the lizard on Boundary Street was; and it turns out that I thought it was a pub (makes sense seeing how many bars and pubs there are on that street!). Well, we hung out, perused bookstores and grabbed a bite to eat back at his place; then lost track of time until around 7:30pm when I bussed it back home; missing the last bus from Garden City (oops!) and having to get Mum to come and pick me up.

On Tuesday, I was supposed to have been at a workshop but was too stuffed to go anywhere. So, I tried to call the Gallery but kept getting the answering machine; so I gave up and just didn't go and vegged out around my place doing the laundry and cleaning up. That was another early night for me and I crashed.

Wednesday was shopping day. This was also the day where phone banking screwed up on me. I put across over $200 for my day of shopping. But it only put across $185 instead; so I came up very short by the time I came to the Chemist. I had to spend an unnecessary amount of time at Suncorp to get my finances sorted out. The teller was great, she said that phone banking had been screwing up lately; and apologised. Otherwise, my shopping was good. I got nearly everything I needed that day - well, except two things. I need a small index book and a black half-slip. I'll get those tomorrow morning.

Before I took off yesterday morning, I did two loads of laundry. It was going to be a nice hot day; and I thought it would be a good idea to get it all done. And I was thankful I did. By the time I returned home, it was all dry and ready to bring in. Now, all I need to do is find the time to put it all away.

Today, I posted off a Valentines Swap to Canada, picked up my mail and did all my bits around the place before settling in on the computer today. I'm tired, but it's been a good week. It's Dad's birthday this weekend and I'm hoping to go to a gathering in New Farm Park then take off for dinner that night with family... we'll see what happens. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Favourite Photos Time - January!

2012-01-31T12:40:00.000+10:00

It's a new year and so another year of photos is here! I'm out and about more around Brisbane and you'll be seeing a lot of different kinds of photos from me this year. And this month is just the beginning! Enjoy!

New Farm Park 1st, January, 2012

My back courtyard after a much-needed clean up

At around this time, we found out that Picnik was closing down, so anyone not paid up were offered to have a go at the Premium Effects for free until April 19th when it's going forever. Google is taking this great photographic site away from us.

The Lizard, Boundary Street, West End, Brisbane.

Hope you enjoyed this month's photos. I had a ball getting out there and taking them; as I will next month!

Dear 16-year-old Me

2012-01-29T11:13:00.001+10:00

In today's 'Sunday Mail', I read a piece about famous people being asked to write to themselves when they were 16-years old; what they would advise them to do - or not. I think this came from a video that was posted on Facebook about Melanoma not so long ago called 'Dear 16-year-old Me' where people who have survived Melanoma wrote a verbal letter to themselves about the dangers of the skin cancer and what they'd change about themselves. Now, I'd like to do the same for myself; as I had big problems when I was 16 and wish I could go back and talk to me as a teen. So, here goes:

Dear 16-year-old me,

School may seem like crap right now and your hair looks like a horrible mop of a mess, you're not popular, there's no boyfriend and you're not allowed to go to parties. But don't worry, life does get better. Hang in there. Your folks have sent you to a church group because you're their youngest and a girl (believe me, they think they're doing right by you; it's just how they think).

By the time you leave school - which will be at the end of year 11 because you'll flunk out - you'll feel rotten about yourself, but know where you're going. Do the TAFE course, but try not to lose it with the tutor (she's an idiot anyway); just walk out on her without throwing the textbook at her head.

Love your car - the Toyota Celica - and make sure you drive it as much as you can before you have to give up driving; because it'll be a long time before you'll get out there again. Little Vroom won't be your only car, but it'll be the one you'll remember the best.

Epilepsy will be something you'll have problems with. Again, patience will be something you'll learn with doctors. And this condition will totally change your life in many ways. You'll get into reading, painting and music is such a big way that your life will change.

Oh, don't keep going out with that dude you dated around 1999... he'll ruin your life completely. You'll know the one. He'll begin screaming at you for no reason. Once he starts that, just dump him; he's not worth it - honestly.

Keep writing. No matter what keep on writing... it hard as hell to get published, but just enjoy the fact you love telling a story and entertaining people. And... um... your bookcase? You know the one in your bedroom? Yeah, multiply that by four bigger ones and you're lookin' at your collection in 2012 (and the collection keeps growing!).

Speaking of collecting books, computers will become a big part of your life in the future. Get used to them. They are going to work well with you and you're going to own one in your house! How cool is that? But keep your eye on the ball about being published; it will happen, just not when you expect it to. Otherwise, don't worry about school, it's a drop in the ocean. And yes, you'll get back at one of the high school bullies later on in life - and it'll feel great!

PS: Do go to your 20 Year Reunion... it'll be worth it!
PPS: And even though you avoid the sun like the plague, you'll still get a rotten sun cancer. It'll be painful as hell and you'll be left with a scar... however, please, please, please, when you go and hang out with one of the kids at Bruns next year (you'll be 17), put some sunscreen on! Even if you think you'll be okay; you'll get sunburnt to a crisp... and that's when the damage will happen to your leg.

So, what would you say to your 16-year-old self if you had the chance? Lots? A little? Nothing? Or would a letter not be needed at all as your life turned out exactly as you planned? I thought it would be interesting if we could talk to our 16-year-old selves. However, the problem would be, would they believe anything we'd say? Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Wet Old Week

2012-01-28T22:34:00.000+10:00

It's Saturday and I just had to get my butt out of the house! So, I jumped on a bus and traveled to Garden City for a few hours; besides I had a few errands to run and didn't want to wait until Monday. It was nice up there. There was air conditioning, more space, lots of stores to enjoy and I got all my errands done under one roof without having to go outside - lovely.

I picked up my 'Good Reading' Magazine which was dedicated to The Year of Reading this year. I'm thankful this is the national year of reading; as I find books an integral part of my life. They are oxygen to me and very textile. I love the feel of them in every way; as well as the smell of a new one and an odour of an old one. However, there are people who just don't understand that. Oh well, doesn't matter.

Then, I went off to Best & Less and found myself some new knickers. Yep, I was finally sick of my underwear having holes in them; and bought some lovely pairs for $3 and $5 each! Such bargains! I also found a cute little camisole for $5 too.

Then, it was time to feed my stomach. Yep, I was starving and the Pancake Manor beckoned. I was seated outside and ordered an ice coffee and a plain short stack. All up, it cost me around $11.00 for my meal. Not too bad if you ask me. And I had a good read of my magazine too.

On my way to the bus stop, I dropped into the chemist for a bottle of Saline solution and some syringes as Little Miss Stevie had scratched her eye again last night. So, I thought to get some to wash her eye out; and seeing the bottle only cost me $4.95 and the little tubes were .80c each, I thought it would be cost effective to go with the bottle; and then I bought 3 syringes for .60c ea.

I didn't have to wait long to catch the bus. However, the amount of people who didn't know where to catch a bus was amazing. An elderly couple and I directed a rather flustered old lady and her daughter to the right stop downstairs to catch the 555 to the Hyperdome (where they wished to go directly) instead of catching the 554, then two other buses; as directed by the driver of the 554 which was sitting right next to me. I reassured her - saying I caught the bus all the time and I had been catching buses for a good part of my life - and for her to relax and everything will work out. Then, a young teenager came up and asked which bus it was to the Hyperdome... and we had to tell her too.

The 545 arrived soon after and I was on my way home. And just as well; about 20 minutes after I opened the house and took some photos of my gorgeous Gloxinia, it began to pour rain; just when it hadn't been raining all morning. How lucky is that?

Well, this arvo, I did a small load of washing and hung it out on my small clothes horse... washing all my knickers (new and old). This got me thinking that I need a new - bigger clothes horse. So, this is going to be my next big thing to save for. It won't take long to save for either... about six months; that's all, but it will be worth it to have something where I can hang up a full load of washing, things on hangers and everything else I want too... and it's on wheels and folds up and stores in the cupboard. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Australia Day Washed Out

2012-01-26T22:23:00.000+10:00

Australia Day is a day of independence for Australia. This country was invaded over 200 years ago by the English and turned into a penal colony to put prisoners that couldn't be fitted into the prisons in the UK. What a horrible thing to do to two groups of people: the Aboriginals and the convicts who were brought here to die.

Since then, Australia has become a country of independence, of Vegemite, of great intelligent people, national pride and great sporting abilities from all sides. We have famous cricketers, famous race horses, car races, beautiful beaches, The Great Barrier Reef, a massive desert in the middle with Uluru as a main attraction (which turns the most gorgeous colours from dawn to dusk). Yes, Australia has a lot going for it; and this includes its racism as well; which I hate to mention, and it's not all one-sided. There's been an ongoing fight about exactly who's country this is. If you ask me, it belongs to the Aboriginals; as they were here first by about 10,000 years. And as much as none of us don't like it, change had to happen... but did it have to happen the way it did? So horribly? And did it have to take so long for the apology to come?

To me, Australia Day is a day of pride and togetherness. However, it's better known to me as Invasion Day; as it will remind me of what the Aboriginals went through from the English and what was taken off them for the convicts to survive here. I am from convict heritage; as well migrant heritage and I'm damned proud of it as if the decedents of the convicts are still around, it means they are the true Aussie Battlers from that time.

My Grandpa also came out from Liverpool to start a new life. He had a choice between migrating to Canada or to here; and took one look at the brochures and picked here. It may have been further away from home, but it led him to his future wife who lived on the Darling Downs here in Queensland... and rest - as they say - is history.

Australia Day, this year, wasn't much for me. Mum was sick with a sinus infection and she felt pretty miserable. So, she stuck around the home snoozing and hoping to feel better tomorrow. My brother had something cut off his neck yesterday; so he sat around the house recovering from it. So, we didn't get to do anything today. Today, I hung around online, watched the overcast day drift by, caught up with an old neighbour who used to live here at the unit complex and then, took a shower, washed my hair and worked for 2 hours on my painting while listening to 'Amigos' by Santana. Not a bad afternoon if you ask me. Well, what did you get up to on your day? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember I'm always here.

The Quest For Happiness

2012-01-25T11:06:00.000+10:00

Late last night, I was up late listening to the rain and surfing the net on my usual blogs to read before I headed off to bed. On my last look at my hotmail and peruse of Romance Bandits, I spotted a new post by one of ladies there about Happiness and it got me thinking about exactly how happy people really are.

For example, what happened to me last Sunday with that young man being so rude and obnoxious to me about photographing a flower could have gone a little better from his end. I handled it well, but really, he didn't.

But I think we all have a time in our lives where we lose our happiness and positiveness towards life and wonder where in hell it vanished to; and that includes me, as some years back, I wasn't the happiest person around. I thought I was happy, but it was the illusion of being happy that I was under; like most people who think they're happy when they're not. It took a lot to admit I wasn't happy and even more to admit that I wasn't the easiest person to live with.

My Mum knew I wasn't happy, but she couldn't tell me, until one day, I realised I wasn't and called her told her as I began to cry. It was something that surprised me. What really made me sad was that I had been unhappy for a long time and didn't even know it.

The first thing I had to do was figure out exactly what was making me unhappy. This took a long time to find, and I made it a kind of mission to firstly make myself happy then it might come to me as to why I was unhappy in the first place.

The very first thing I did was clean out my house. This took a long time - years in fact - and I am happy I did it as it was while I looked through my piles of paperwork that I found my Year 12 English Senior Certificate for TAFE and that I received a High Achievement. I hadn't known where that had gotten to and it pleased me to no end that I had passed that subject very well. No sooner had I found that, but I also found my autographed program, tickets and receipt from the 1986 concert of when James Galway visited Brisbane when I was only 13. I thought I had lost this! To find these two things were the first steps to finding my happiness in life.

Cleaning out my house took about 2 or 3 years. I had to stop a few times and make sure I wasn't throwing out anything I wanted or needed. I cleaned out my wardrobe, my books (just things I didn't need), the kitchen, my lounge... everything. It was amazing how many bags went off to charity that I didn't need and somebody else could use. And giving to people who really needed it made me feel good! You'd be amazed at how good you feel when you give without expecting anything in return. It's a massive load off your shoulders when you give pre-loved things to somebody you don't know who will enjoy them as much as you have; and you know your things will live on again with somebody else.

Now, I have a clean out each year - you all know - to keep my house as tidy as I can. There are a few things in certain areas that I don't get to, but I know it's something I need to work on them. Otherwise, my kitchen and lounge room are looking good all the time. I am enjoying my life as it's gotten better and better as each year has passed; even my older brother's noticed I'm getting back on track after all this time from my blues. He blames the last boyfriend I was with who screwed me up; he's still angry about him and has never forgiven him. But he does see the progress I've made lately; and thinks it's great even if it has taken a long time.

Now, it's the beginning of a new year with new things I'm hoping to do and new plans I'd like to take a look at. Life is better than ever before. I am enjoying myself more than last year and I don't think anyone or anything can remove me from my happiness - not now or ever. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Rain

2012-01-24T12:31:00.000+10:00

Since around lunch time yesterday, it's been raining off and on. However, last night, it really began to pour. Today, after I checked the mail, it poured down from the skies and hasn't stopped. This kind of rain reminds me of the type of rain we received last year which triggered the floods that swept through Brisbane City; and destroyed so many businesses. The same floods that people are still recovering from one year on.

Last year, I was so scared of what was being reported to me; and mainly it was because of how it was being done. There were news reports every 15 minutes about which places had been flooded, who had lost what and how many people were now without power and homes. This kind of reporting is an effective way of terrifying people everywhere; and it's not needed. They never did it years ago, so why did they do it last year?

This year, it's so much more different. Our Christmas has been and gone, school has started and we're better informed about what we need to do; also insurance companies now offer flood insurance. I remember when I was looking for insurance for my place, I really had to hunt for one that offered that particular type of insurance as my place was in a low-lying area. So, when I found the right one, I jumped at their offer; and ironically, they usually covered people in the country and rural areas. However, when they found out where I lived was low-lying, they took me as a customer. It's great CGU would do that; and the best thing is that I pay monthly so I don't feel the bite of it but I know I'm covered for flood and anything else that may go wrong.

It's really strange what rain can do to places. How the damp of the stuff can get in and destroy things you treasure, don't you think? I don't mind rain, but when you really want to get out and do some gardening or be outside for another reason, it puts a real damper on any projects you have planned (pun intended).

However, you can catch up with other indoor things you haven't done in a while. For example, today, I'm hoping to get my library here in my home office tidied up before the day out. There's books on the floor, handbags that need hanging up, shoes, the battery-run Teac radio (for when we lose power during storms) and others things that need putting away. This room has been neglected for far too long. So, what do you do when the rain is intense and you can't get into the outdoor work? Do you read, watch a good movie or snooze the day away? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

The Attitude of Youth

2012-01-23T22:32:00.000+10:00

Yesterday afternoon, I was threatened by a drunkened young man in my unit complex. All I did was take a photograph of a flower in the front garden of his mother's unit and he came storming out - drink in hand - yelling and screaming profanities at me that what I was doing was illegal and he'd have me charged. He went to trouble of putting down his dinner to come out and have a go at me; which really makes me wonder about how he came to conclusion it was illegal.

Now, I must begin at the beginning. This young man has never liked me - since his family moved in - and so over time, he has made it very obvious to me that my presence around his family (who like me very much as a close friend) isn't wanted by him. Fair enough; I don't like him either, but you don't see me going around screaming at him. Mainly if I don't like anyone, I usually don't say anything unless - of course - something has to be said.

Well, after I took my one and only photo of this flower, I walked off to the pool at the front of the complex where I took more photos of flowers (mainly of Native Iris') and then when I noticed I was losing the light I needed, I made tracks back home the same way I had come; thinking he'd have gotten it out of his system about me photographing his garden. However, it wasn't the case. He came back out when I walked past again (this time with my camera securely in its case) and he started on me again. The profanities were just as bad and he was still yelling at me with his drink in his hand. I tried to calm him; then thought it was best to tell him what I thought. I called him a piss-pot and a drunk and told him to go back inside, that I've done nothing wrong or against him; and never have. I then turned and walked off. He didn't follow me, but as I turned, he gave me the two-up fingers signal a few times and that was the last time I saw him as I went home.

Not long afterwards, I thought it would be in my best interest to tell my Caretaker (as he's related to this young man) and he said he'd take care of it. A couple of hours passed by and I ate dinner and was watching television. The young man brought the wheelie bin up, wandered around the place a bit and then went home. I didn't take much notice until his Nanna showed up at my door in her wheelchair calling out to me. I rushed up and opened the door. She was scared and asked if she could hang around with me for a while; until her daughter - who is a good friend of mine - came home. I said yes. I looked around and found the flowers I had photographed all around my place. His Nanna - whose name is Betty - said that he had gone and knocked all the blooms off the plants so I couldn't take pictures of them anymore, then made threats to burn my house and smash my windows.... it was awful and a little freaky to hear that he had continued his rant after I had gone home; when usually people stop, shut up and are worn out when a person is out of visual range. But he hadn't. Soon, Betty's daughter came home, drove straight up to my place and dropped off her own teenaged daughter and sped off home to deal with her delinquent son.

Today, they moved. I didn't get to say goodbye to my friends. I don't know where they've moved to and I didn't get an apology from that young man for saying what he did.

And this really gets me about young people today; and we see it on the news all the time. There are people like me around who are nice to others and nothing against anyone who are trodden on by these young people who think that they know everything, they own the world and they can push around everyone once they get a few drinks under their belts. Alcohol isn't this young man's only problem; he's also got a drug problem that's adding to his demons that he must deal with - but won't. And what really gets on my nerves about where I live is that whenever I see people like this act this way, it's because they don't know they've done this to themselves.

Exactly what is the world coming to when people won't take completely control of their own lives. They won't take full responsibility for each and every action they make; and realise there is a reaction to what they do. Why isn't there something that will teach the youth of today - in full colour - that there are consequences to what they do to others? Please will somebody tell me this?

The End of a Photographic Era

2012-01-21T16:42:00.000+10:00

If you haven't heard by now, Kodak is going out of business. The company filed for bankruptcy and are closing their doors for good soon. Now, they have been a staple diet for everyone around this nice blue planet of ours for such a long time, that I don't think I have ever not heard the word 'Kodak' and not associated it with cameras, the film industry or any other part of film since I was little.

However, it's a matter of the company not marching on with the times that brought about its demise. Kodak invented the first digital cameras before they came out on the market, but they didn't market them at all. They wanted to keep people who were diligent and kept their allegiances to film within that market; and this company became the biggest producers of camera film in the world; even with the digital camera took over and people who once loved film changed over to digital cameras.

Even I changed over from my worthy, brilliant Pentax Z10 film camera to my digital little Canon PowerShot A590 and it was a little painful, but I love my little camera now. It takes the best photos and it's nice and light, fits in my bag and has a myriad of settings in it to suit my needs. With my big film camera, I found it seized up in cold weather, got hot and sweated a lot in hot weather, I was forever carrying around a number of lithium batteries (because I never knew when it was going run out of juice; as one minute it worked and the next it didn't) and then there was the film. If I kept the film for too long and didn't use it, it 'got old' and was unusuable. And once the digital cameras came into use, I found that film for my old Pentax Z10 became so damn expensive to buy - let alone develop - I didn't bother buying the dreadfully expensive batteries (at $25 a pop, who'd want to?) and wasting my money on the film as it was just too bad if the shots didn't work out. Also, it took up so much time trying to get them developed... so many days in the week to be out and about sending it in, then collecting it; only to find that half your shots were useless. But that was the fun of having a film camera. You got good at what you did; and quickly.

Kodak just didn't keep up with the times and was lost on the path that was paved with electronics, the internet and other digital items that have come our way. The public have forgotten who they are - unless you still use a film camera - and it's such a pity; as I still have some of the film in my Pentax that I need to get out and developed as the battery died; and I'm not sure if it's used up or not. I might just open the back door of the camera and pull it out... or better still go into Photo Continental and ask them to help me get my photos developed. Actually, I just phoned up and found out that K-Mart don't have their dark boxes around anymore - these are boxes that are used to open cameras inside of when you know you have a film in it but you don't want light getting in. They can help you develop what's left on the roll if you wish or just destroy it by letting the light get to it. It's such a pity because due to Kodak going out of business, K-Mart has to close up their film photography section of their stores. This takes two weeks. So, it looks like I'm stuck with going to Photo Continental at Creek Road to get my camera checked out. Damn! I was hoping to it looked it locally.

Well, I do hope that Kodak stays a part of our lives in some way or another. I also hope with their bankruptcy, they can work on newer innovations that can bring them back from the ashes. Even though they may not be around anymore, and will be missed dearly by more than one generation of people around the world, I'm sure they have a few other plans (a few other Aces up their sleeve). Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2012-01-18T14:54:00.000+10:00

Today, it was shopping day. However, when I looked outside, it was also a sunny day. So, I jumped up, dressed to go shopping and put on a full load of towels. They were out on the line before 8am and I ate my breakfast, readied my bags and took off to the post office to pick up mail and send some off. Then, I headed to the bus stop.

On the way to the shops, we drove along Wembley Road and found that the Logan City Council was chopping down trees that they had planted all long the road. These are trees that give a lot of shade and were planted there by the council; and that people park under during the long hot Summers we have to keep their cars cool. Well! Not anymore! Those trees are gone! From what I was told by a person who works in Triple C Shopping Complex, the Council also pulled up all the trees along the middle media strip along Kingston Road too. Now, that's just a stupid and mindless thing to do in the middle of Summer in a state where we have the top Melanoma rates in the world, don't you think?

I also had the best day out shopping. I bought a lovely skirt and green bag at Life Line - and they matched! It was something I didn't expect to find and they came in under $20 too! Now, to find a top to match them; probably something that's in a turquoise or emerald green. Anyway, they look great.

Woolworths had me talking to a lady with a baby Rainbow Lorikeet on her shoulder. This little sweetheart was only 4 months old and she told me that Bodgie (as she named her last night when she picked her up) bit her only once and has been preening her since. I said that the bird's showing affection because she's trying to bond with her; and that's a good thing. It's also good to have her bird be familiar with other people in house as well, so she can have the family and friends come close to her physically; as some parrots can become very possessive of their owners. Otherwise we talked food - and what not to feed her bird - and then we parted ways.

I didn't spend as much as I thought I would at Coles. I bought a drink container that had an insulated cover around it. With it holding over 1lt of liquid, I thought it would be great to take with me into the city or anywhere else while I'm traveling on foot; bringing my drink from home and keeping it cold with the cover and it won't leak.

Unfortunately, I had a cab driver who didn't know the area at all. He said that he was a city cab and was sent out here and so I had to tell him exactly where to drive; even that the car gate was going to open when he parked in front of it when he was leaving my complex. And I don't think this is a good thing; seeing he is supposed to know more about the streets than I am. Oh well, I guess you can't have it all.

Well, right now, I'm here on the computer, the washing was brought in about 2 hours ago and it's pouring rain and as dull as it was yesterday; but humid and close instead of cold and windy. Bummer. I thought the rain was going to leave us alone so we could all get some laundry done. At least I got home before it began to pour rain and not during. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Wet, Wet, Wet Days

2012-01-17T12:01:00.000+10:00

It's wet outside. The rain is pouring from the darkened clouds, trickling through the drains, along the clogged gutters and into the storm drains and out into the mass of drainage systems that keep our roads and other areas of our cities from becoming flooded.

However, with the pitter-patter of the rain, comes other things. With it comes the problems of not being able to do your laundry, because there's only so much space on a fold-up clothes horse. You can only do so much housework before you become bored as hell with it and just sit and fiddle with the things you're supposed to be sorting out. You can very easily catch up with the supposedly-lost hours of sleep because of the darkened house and cooler breezes of the day and the subdued lighting outside. Even your pets are feeling the same way as they curl up and snooze the day away and enjoy the lovely warm comforts of the house - especially when you've gotta go out into the wet, cold day to do the shopping, pick up some milk or just check the mail, only to return with wet shoes, ankles and umbrella less of money and with wet groceries because it was pouring rain when the cab dropped you home.

Wet days are sometimes great, though; especially when you don't have to go anywhere. It plays to your advantage when all you need to do is sit and read, paint, play the piano or curl up with some freshly popped popcorn - all nice and warm - and watch your favourite movie on dvd while the rain teems down outside. It's the best feeling of all when there's a day like that; and you know, I don't get them very often. However when I do, I like to spend my hours on the computer and do some decent writing; because there's nowhere else to be, no-one needs me around anywhere and nothing to get done outside - all because it's too darn wet.

So, while it's pouring rain outside - day or night - what do you enjoy as your indoor hobbie? Is it painting,reading or listening to music? Do you design new things and sew them up, do you brave the weather and get out into the garden, slopping around in the wet mud to get your garden looking great while the soil is wet enough to mold? Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Cooler Weekend and Defrag

2012-01-15T12:21:00.000+10:00

It's been a better weekend than it has been this week; weatherwise. I have noticed that the clouds have scudded over the sky and the temperatures have cooled down our nights, bringing with them some lovely breezes. And about time too! This means we've all been able to catch up on some much-needed sleep over the last few nights.

Last night, I ate early and put on a couple of dvds and had a vampire night; starting with the classic 'The Lost Boys' from 1986. What a great movie! So many great stars and they were so young! And the great, late Corey Haim was in it along with his best friend Corey Feldman. Both of them were only around 15 at the time they were cast and their friendship on-screen shone through. I haven't seen this film since Corey Haim's passing... and so it was lovely to watch it again and remember him.

The other vamp film I watched was 'Dracula 2000'. This was a massive step into the future where the internet and mobile phones are around, technology was better and music wasn't as textile as it was in the 1980's. However, I do love this film as much as any vampire film around as it's got the same old values as any other vamp film: old vampire shows up, he's in search for his 'beloved', he finds her, he thinks he's got her and she kills him.' Great storyline. And the old vampire is played by - none other than - Gerard Butler! What a babe! By the time both these films were finished, it was 10pm. So, I closed up the house, turned off all the lights and went upstairs to hang around on the computer.

However, this thing has been playing up on me lately. It's been restarting twice over... and it would keep on doing it if I let it. So, last night, I figured out where the defrag section of the computer was and thought it would be a good idea to get it going early today and defrag it completely. This would take about 2 hours.

This morning, I was up at 7:30am, dressed, turned on the computer, got the defragging going, fed the pets and went out and to buy the paper. I chatted to Betty at unit 16 until a honey bee chased both of us away (poor little thing was only curious about where the flowers were... she wasn't interested in us; but scared us away anyway). Then, I bought the paper and ate breakfast.

Once my morning meal was finished, I washed up, put out the rubbish, cleaned the stove, checked on the computer (and it was 61% done) and then I went back downstairs and tidied up the lounge and put on a vinyl and finished up cleaning the lounge room and putting things away. This took up another half hour and I checked on it again and it was finished. I restarted the computer and I took off to make my milk drink and came back upstairs to hang out on here. It's been about 2 years since I defragged this computer; and that's not a good thing. Computers become slow and begin to stuff up if you don't defrag them once a year. Defragging them is their way of reorganising them; thus making them run faster, more efficiently and better and so you'll have a computer that will work better for you and you'll be able to have something that will have more than enough space on its drives too. Another thing you can do to make your computer work better is to move things you no longer need - like excess photos or large files - onto an external drive. I have lots of photographs, however they are stored in such a way that they don't take up a lot of space.

I have made a folder in my Pictures folder in my computer, named it the year it is for and the month we're currently in then I put all the photos I've taken for that month into that folder. When that month is over, I go in and create another folder in that year of the next month; and so on. It's the best way I know how to organise my photographs; and to keep track of them all too. Once the year is over, I move all the folders into a main folder of that year, create another one for this year, and a new one for January and I've begun again. It takes up such little space, it's amazing. And yet, I have got all the photos I've taken for the last three years on a digital camera. Amazing stuff... and yet, I also have other photos as well - like about 100 or so photos of Little Miss Stevie that take up next to no space.

Well, I'm expecting my parents this afternoon for afternoon tea. We're having coffee and some Christmas Cake and a chat about what they've been up to over Christmas and NYE... me? I'll be talking about what I did too. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Weird, Old Friday 13th!

2012-01-13T16:45:00.000+10:00

Weird is the word for today... really it was, is and I think this day of all days will always be. This particular day I had to go into the city and pick up a book that had arrived from the UK for me as it was out of print and was never marketed here. So, I thought to take off at around 11:30am and make it back to Springwood in time for my Chiropractor's appointment. It seemed like a good plan at the time.

First off, the bus was 10 minutes late, but we made it to Garden City on time. How strange is that? Then, I jumped on board a bus from the lifts immediately. I thought my luck had changed! It hadn't. The man who was in front of me - sitting sideways in the bus seat - was reading 'The Courier Mail'. I could only read the headlines - as I'm short-sighted and the larger bold print jumps out at me - and so when an article about our Solar System caught my eye (and a photo of some planets and a sun jumped out at me from the opposite page), I leaned forward to read the headline and he moved the paper to close the gap so I couldn't. I know it's rude to read over somebody's shoulder, but that's the only thing I read over his shoulder. This pig of man hunched his shoulders, and pulled the pages closer and closer to himself, folding the paper more and more so I couldn't see what he was reading. I started laughing because he was being ridiculous... seeing I could easily find a netcafe in the city and google the article or just simply find myself a copy of 'The Courier Mail' for the article to read. When we pulled in under King George Square, he even went to the extreme and folded the paper right up into quarters and shoved it into his bag and did it up... doing up the clips loudly and glaring at me as I got off the bus with a smile on my face. The first thing I did was buy myself a copy of 'The Courier Mail'... I just had to see what the fuss was about with his newspaper being so confidential about it all; I could go as far as calling him a snob.

Once I was walking through the city, got myself a copy of the paper, been to the Lady's toilets (and no I didn't leave anything there this time!), I was off to The American Bookstore where my copy of 'Christian Slater: Back From the Edge' by Nigall Goodall was waiting for me. I had a book voucher that Mum won years ago from The Logan Writers' Guild and she gave it back to me... this thing was worth $25! So, I thought that after around 15 years of waiting, it was high time for this voucher to be used! And I asked if it was still valid; and the owner smiled and said yes. Well! I perused the books on writing and language, pronouns and other written language uses... however there was one my eyes kept going back to. It was 'Everything Creative Writing Book' by Wendy Burt-Thomas. When it mentioned blogs on the front and publishing as well, I thought it would boost my non-fiction section quite well (as a few of the books from this store have in the past; and will do in the future). So, I forked out another $6.95 and bought the book with the voucher and walked away a happy customer.

Once on the bus, I could relax for around 20 minutes - as I was getting off at Springwood and not Garden City. So, I had time to peruse my two purchases. I began reading the Christian Slater book and - as with the other Nigall Goodall book I own on David Tennant - it's a good, well-written book that I think I'll be able to get through easily.

On the way to Springwood, at the Eight Mile Plains Bus Station, on guy got off. He stood, let off a loud fart and walked off, touching off his Go-Card as he went. He didn't excuse himself or anything! It was shocking and gross! I couldn't believe it; and neither could the people behind me! He had farted in the face of an older gentleman and didn't even apologise to him; now that's just disgusting! A decent person doesn't do that; they wait until they are outside to let off a fart - if they can - and if they can't, they at least get embarrassed to have done it in the first place; not just do it and walk off as though it was something they do all the time (which it looked like this guy does!). And the really bad thing was: He was sitting in front of me when a girl boarded the bus at Garden City with a large stroller and she forced him to move. He didn't want to move, but he did. Soooo, what was he thinking of doing if he hadn't? Fart in my face instead? If he had, he would've been in for serious surprise of me teaching him about manners... no excuses!

I went to my Chiro's at Springwood and checked up on Mum and Dad's house before walking back to the bus station and catching my bus home. My afternoon wasn't a stressed out one, but it wasn't really a busy one either. However, it was eventful. So, how did your week end? I hope there wasn't anything bad that proved this day to be historically horrible; or did it go the other way and become a lucky day for you? If your day turned on a dime and landed the right way up for you, let us know about it. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Heat Exhaustion

2012-01-13T00:07:00.000+10:00

Last night, I suffered from heat exhaustion. It was horrible. After a dreadfully hot day out, I felt sick, constantly thirsty and didn't know what to eat. I was tired - but not tired - and had the trots. It was a horrible feeling. I drank almost a full pot of tea, all of my Ginger and Mineral Water Drink and another two 500ml of water on top of the other two I had drunk that day.

On top of all of that, the bins outside my place - which were supposed to have been collected that day - stunk to high heaven all night. So, I was out there at midnight with a can of Glen-20 spraying every last one to keep the smell at bay; thank Gods that worked! But I still couldn't sleep. So, I used up my last two Gastrolyte pills and finally got to sleep at around 1am.

At 5:30am, one of the new neighbours across the court thought it would be bright idea to hammer something. I called out what time it was and to give it a break... they did for 5 seconds and started up again. I called out again what time it was and told them to shut up! This time they stopped alltogether. This was because I had finally gotten some solid sleep - and my body was recovering from the heat yesterday - and somebody thought it would be good to start something noisy (besides a car leaving to go to work; which doesn't bother me, as you get used to those noises).

Today, I was out and about. I was feeling very blah... very ordinary... but I wasn't feeling anything as bad as I was last night. When I returned home, I took another two Gastrolyte pills and within two hours I was feeling great! I was also very, very hungry - starving actually - and had to say to a friend online that I needed to get some food into me; as it was the first time in over a day that I actually wanted to eat. I ate a snack and then cooked up my home-made fried rice and scoffed into a huge serving of that... and I'm still starving. This is a great sign... I'm on the mend, but I'm now very tired and still have to catch up with lost sleep.

When Mum called earlier this evening, I told her what happened, and she was worried. She said that the best thing for heat exhaustion is to just drink fluids; no food. But she's happy I'm feeling a lot better... and said that if I can survive this, I can survive pretty much anything. So, I'm glad about that. She also said that I did everything right - from taking a cool shower, drinking my Gastrolytes, drinking sugary drinks and eating cool foods (when I could) and lots of water - it was right... my body just had to mend. Thankfully today was a lot cooler.

Well, tomorrow is supposed to be cooler still with a few showers... let's hope. We really do need the rain to green up our lawns. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Another Hot Day in Brisbane City

2012-01-11T16:21:00.000+10:00

Today, I was out and about in this dreadful heat. But I didn't dress in my usual mini-skirt and rock'n'roll shirt. Instead, I grabbed my Balinese wrap-around pants and the Indian shirt I wore on Christmas Day and caught the bus. This outfit may have had me covered from head to toe, but I was cool! Sure I sweated, but when a breeze hit, I felt so nice and cool and it was lovely to not feel the sun burning my skin.

Well, I was meeting a friend for lunch; and so I thought to kill two birds with one stone and drop off the mail to Mum and Dad's place while I was at Springwood. So, I walked there from the bus stop, dropped the mail, grabbed a glass of water (well, it wasn't all that pleasant-tasting really) from the fridge and then I headed off down the road and grabbed some money out of the ATM. It wasn't long before Susan showed up and we ate a lovely lunch at 'Luv a Coffee'. She had a Club Sandwich and a Coke Zero and I had a Greek Salad and an Ice Coffee... and we talked and chatted about what we've been doing. It was great to catch up.

Then, it was time to have a walk around and I badly needed a bottle of water and bought some mineral water... how delicious and refreshing in this horrible Summer heat! We walked to Rockaway Music to find it was closed for around 10 minutes because the guy who was there had to go on lunch. We waited outside the place until he came back and then Susan and I had a look around. She was amazed at the variety of vinyls that were there. I pointed out which ones were which and headed for the $2.00 and $4.00 box immediately and began flipping through them. Susan grabbed a few great - higher priced - vinyls that were absolute classics. There were some I haven't heard of yet I have heard of the band. I found a couple of great ones - which were in good condition - played them and put them off to one side to purchase. Then, I came across a coloured one! It was red and by 'O Band' - a band I hadn't heard of, but when I played it, I enjoyed the beat... so that one went on my 'to buy' pile too. All in all, I purchased $12-worth of vinyls and used my Rockaway Member's card.

We soon left there and wandered up around the corner to see what had become of 'Trochaderos'. Nobody had leased the place yet; and then Susan and I spotted the FDB's and took a look inside. We spent a good 45 minutes where I stopped myself from buying anything, and Susan bought a few things for the house. Truthfully, I really didn't have all that much money left; so thought to leave it until another day where I did.

Susan and I left the nice coolness of Centro at Springwood at around 2:45pm. It was horrible to have to be outside in the melting heat of the day; oh well, can't have it all I guess. Susan dropped me off home on the way back to her place. It's always great to see her when catch up each Christmas School Holidays. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

It's A Heatwave!!!

2012-01-09T22:45:00.000+10:00

It's been a hell of a day! Really and truly... an absolute heatwave... and it's reminded me of the song

Heatwave by Martha and The Vandellas

as it's about heat. I love how it keeps being remembered by people everywhere (I even sung in quietly while shopping one day last year when I heard it come over the radio at Coles). However today, it was so very hot, I nearly just laid back down in bed and went back to sleep after breakfast to ignore the day. But I didn't.

I jumped on here instead - as usual - and ended up getting off at midday... to get outside. However, it was very hot and so I jumped back on here at around 1pm and the computer quickly overheated! So, I took the side off and angled the tower towards the air-conditioner... however it wasn't doing it any good. The temperature kept going up. So, I turned it off and then took the opportunity and cleaned it out of the dust and crap with cotton buds and a washer sprayed with glasses cleaning fluid (which has alcohol in it; so it dried quickly and yet cleaned well).

While I was waiting for the computer to completely cool off, I worked on a painting for an hour and a half, read some of the stories of 'Brief Interviews With Hideous Men' by David Foster Wallace and began reading 'The Dreaming Void' by Peter F. Hamilton. By around 4pm or so, I wasn't bored, but I was all read out and Mum and Dad had smsed me telling me that they had had a storm down at Brunswick. So, I called Will. We chatted for a good long while... talking about everything from pets, birds, lizards, spiders, parents, books (and he was shocked at how many I have) then we both had to go... it was good to talk to him.

I felt as though I didn't get a lot done, but yet I did... seeing it was so hot, I found I was reading a lot; and with the computer out of action for such a large part of the day, I felt kind of useless without it. But I did find that having the time to read was quite refreshing. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Home Made Ice Tea

2012-01-08T10:50:00.002+10:00

My home made ice tea was such a success yesterday - and I even had a taste thought it was lovely - that I thought to add it to my recipes here for you all to have a go. Now, this recipe is best made the night before as you'll need it chilled just right to drink during the long hot days of Summer.

Ingredients:

Two teabags of decaf Green Tea (or your favourite)

2 1/2 tablespoons raw sugar

4 slices of lime cut into halves

Boil a full kettle

Get a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water into it and put the tea bags into it for 10 minutes (or longer if you like your tea nice and strong). After the bags are taken out, add the sugar. Now it sounds like a lot, but you have remember that this will dissolve and sweeten the tea; making it taste nice once it's cold. Let the tea go cold for a few hours then ladle it into a jug, add the lime slices and cover it over with plastic cling wrap and put it into the fridge overnight. The next day, pour it out for your visitors - or yourself - and enjoy it in the long hot Summer. It's lovely, sweet and refreshing on any hot muggy day.

Enjoy!

Visitors and Vinyls

2012-01-07T22:31:00.000+10:00

I had a good meaning to why I was in a cleaning frenzy yesterday. I was expecting a good friend of mine to drop by. However, she wanted to listen to the small number of her vinyls on my turntable; something she didn't own. So, seeing she's never been to my place and Cate and I got together at her place first to find the vinyls and then came to my place.

Today, I was up with the Kookaburras... seriously I was woken up by a flock of those birds cackling their heads off. It was nice to wake up to that kind of thing instead of people yelling at each other and going to work. Yep, I love Saturdays; but I also hate them as it's when people get up and do their laundry really early; unless it's raining. But today, I got up, did some handwashing and got it out on line quickly and got another load of laundry out there by 9am.

The washing was done, rubbish put out and then I cleaned out Little Miss Stevie's cage and put a lot of what was on the kitchen table in a green bag. Compared to yesterday, I really didn't have to do much to prepare for today's visit.

Gus the normally camera-shy cat

Once I arrived at Cate's house - and got some photos of her very camera-shy cat (who really didn't know what I was doing with a large brown thing stuck in his face until he heard a 'click'). Cate was impressed I got so close... but then I did photograph Gus with my iTouch; so the cat didn't know the difference just that I was close to him and he wasn't about to move because it was too hot to.

We headed off to my place and soon we were cleaning up the vinyls and playing them on my turntable. Cate hadn't heard the records for years; and so was impressed with how good they sounded and we were soon laughing at the titles of the songs - where there was one called 'I Won't Sleep In the Wet Spot' - while Cate drank a very nice batch of ice tea I made last night. I got the recipe off a Bookcrossing friend in South Carolina and it worked out really well with large slices of lime in it! I'm not much of an ice tea drinker; so I mainly made the tea for her to drink as it was such a hot day; and I knew she'd appreciate it. With the tea, I served up some of Mum's Christmas Cake she made... and Cate and I shared that. It was lovely to eat something nice and sweet - and yet a little Christmassy still - even though it was January; as we sat and chatted and listened to her vinyls.

By around 4pm, Cate had enjoyed her day, the ice tea and the vinyls as well as the company of my little budgie - kept us very much amused with her clicks and whistles. I even let Little Miss Stevie out for a bit, but put her back into her cage when she tried to follow me to the kitchen and missed the turn - and my hand - while she headed straight for the glass of the back door. Silly little bird... and she wasn't hurt either. I did try to catch her, but she flew above my hands and over me. Why doesn't she just let me catch her? It would be a lot safer for her.

Cate said that my house was nice and very well cared for and that I have lovely things from all kinds of eras and they mixed well. She felt very comfortable sitting on my lounge and enjoying the coolness of my house. The one thing that I wished was that she could have come upstairs and seen the home office; which she couldn't do because there were too many stairs. But Cate did get to see outside my back door and said that my yard looks nice despite the fence looking like it's about to fall down.

Once I watched to make sure she found her way out (as I've seen many people get lost finding their way out of my unit complex), I went inside to organise myself for dinner. I thought a pizza would be a good thing to tonight. However, once I got it home, I found it didn't smell right. Something in it wasn't right and I couldn't put my finger on it. Then, it occurred to me that somebody had cut up something on the same board as they did the meat and it had rubbed off on my pizza making it smell like raw meat and rendering it inedible. So, there went my pizza night. I didn't take it back as I was too tired and didn't with to make a complaint against the pizza place about something they really should've been keeping an eye on. Instead, I made a vegetarian BLT and watched 'The Brady Bunch' and 'Doctor Dolittle 2' and then jumped on here because there wasn't anything worthwhile to watch on television... jeez it's really getting bad when people are turning off their televisions at 8:30pm isn't it? Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Housework Friday

2012-01-06T22:13:00.000+10:00

This morning, when the alarm went off, I want to stay in bed as the nice cool morning breeze blew in through my window. However, once 7am came around, it was no longer a cool breeze that blew in, but a warm one and I was out of bed far sooner than I thought, stripped the bed and gathered up everything to toss into the laundry basket to take downstairs for the first load of laundry.

By the time I had that first one on, I had tightened up the clothes line with my two shifting spanners, pruned the back privet and taken a good look around the rather shabby back yard; and decided right there that this place needed a good clean-up, and today was the day I was doing it.

I went back inside, fed Little Miss Stevie, the fish too and took out the rubbish to the bin then ate breakfast. The washing up got done (once the sink and counter got a good clean up with Gumption) and then when it became too to do that, I stopped and went out and checked the mail, signed for a parcel and bought some biscuits for a friend visiting tomorrow and then came home with a nice cold bottle of sparkling mineral water.

Once home, I paid the phone bill, pulled down the Christmas Tree and put away all the Christmas Decorations and placed all the Gloria Jean Christmas Mugs back in their boxes and then looked around at the living room. It looked very bare without the festive cheer I've been looking at for the last few weeks... but I'm kinda glad it's all put away for another year.

I pulled out the drawers from the first China Cabinet and did them out; pulling out all the crap from them and putting back only what I'd use. There's so many postcards, letters and bits of things I didn't know I had that I just dumped it all on the table and did out the other drawer and found a lot of tools that I used in everyday things; so I left it that way, well most of it.

After that, I made my milk drink, put on the fan and made sure Little Miss Stevie had enough fresh air and water and went onto here to stuff around for a bit. I journaled a book I had received through the mail on Bookcrossing and I'm looking forward to reading it. Then, I uploaded my daily 365Project photo and then I talked to a few friends on Facebook until around 1pm when I got offline as the sky had scudded over with cloud; and I thought it was time to get into the garden.

So, I unlocked the side gate and began putting the potted plants out in the car port. Once they were all out there, I pulled out my lawn mower and did my best at mowing my lawn. What I couldn't get done, I pulled out with my hands. However, I found the spin-reel mower jammed and I had to clean it out. While I was cleaning it, one of the tips of my fingers got caught in the blades and pinched! Oh! It hurt so bad, but caused only a blood blister under my skin; and annoyed the crap out of me for a few hours. However, it's settled down now; even if I do feel the bruise a little when I dig my nail into it (but then you would).

After I cleaned up the yard, I put the plants back, and the lawn mower away and looked around. It looked pretty good. I was pleased with my work; but exhausted. However, as I turned, I felt something alight on my skin... not sweat, it felt like rain. So, I quickly locked up the side gate, raced around, through the house and out the back door (which I had locked from inside) and took everything off the line. But I must have been mistaken, as about fifteen minutes passed and no rain fell. Oh well, doesn't matter, everything was dry anyway and I could pick out of the laundry whatever I needed to wear after my shower where a lot of the garden dirt was washed down the drain too.

It was a good day of cleaning up, gardening and other things too. Tomorrow, I have a friend coming over to listen to music and have some tea with me. So, tonight, I made ice tea and it's currently in the fridge waiting for us to drink it. She hasn't been here before; and I hope she enjoys being here despite the heat. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

It's Not The End Of The World....

2012-01-05T21:51:00.001+10:00

There are people out there crying out that it's the end of the world as we know on the 21st, December this year... however it's not how I see it. If last year had anything to do with it, and the people I met, the things I did, the places I got to visit and go to; well, it's not the end of the world, but the beginning of a new one. Well, for me it is anyway.

You see, I don't believe in the world ending just because an ancient Mayan Calendar is. There have been other calendar changes and endings before and did the world when they did? Nope. There have been many predictions by Nostradamus and the Church that Jesus himself will come down upon a cloud and retrieve those who are worthy of saving and leave the sinners down here upon the Earth to roam around and destroy ourselves. However, did that happen? Not as far as we know... unless it did and nothing changed for anyone because Jesus took one look and realised none of us were worthwhile (only kidding).

I've begun this year with a magnificent year of new artwork on my easel, new writing in my computer, a new iTouch in my hands for Christmas and a new lot of friends I love and trust (and one of them in particular I'd like to get to know a lot better). And it will take this year to get all this done. However, the advent of this Mayan Calendar will not stop me. In fact, it will only make me stronger as this is going to be a great year to think about my spiritual self instead of anything else.

I'm still a pagan but I've backed off on my witchy ways in the last few years until the last six months when things have really picked up in the world. Over the last few days, I've cleansed and recharged all of my crystals and made them work, I've found something I bought years ago and realised it's no longer mine but now belongs to somebody else... somebody special... and spiritually, everything has been falling into place in such a way that my mind is so much more clearer than it has ever been. I'm hoping to find what I've been searching for - whatever that is, as it will show itself eventually - and I'll be happy.

So, how will this year begin to change things for you? Will it be for the better or hasn't anything changed for you at all? Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Gaga-Mush Brain Day

2012-01-03T21:37:00.000+10:00

I've been having a few days to myself; and found that I've got what I call 'gaga-mush brain'... that's where NYE has caught up with me and I can't think. So, today, I didn't do anything much except recharge my crystals in the sun - they've been sitting around my house not doing anything for the last few years and have lost anything useful in them.

I washed up everything from yesterday, last night and today. This included the large pot from cleaning out the fish tank! Boy! It's a messy job doing that. And the fish weren't all that impressed about being moved for that half hour but they're happy now to be in nice clean water.

Once I got that done, I began a cleaning spree again. I grabbed a rubbish bag and cleaned out the corner next to the food processor and found a lot of receipts, coin purses and things around the place that needed to be either thrown out or put away. So, I cleaned up that spot. It felt good to put my mind to a better use.

Then, I remembered I had more crystals upstairs in the second draw of my dresser to cleanse. So, I went up to the bedroom, pulled out everything and found a purple paper bag. Not knowing what was in it, I opened it found a leather pouch. It's something I bought and have never used... so when I handled it I found I knew it wasn't for me. I remember buying it for an unknown reason years ago; and the people at the shop said that when the reason presents itself, I'll know who to give it to. And today, I knew exactly it belonged to; and it wasn't me. So, I'll be saving it up for the right person.

Anyway, once I figured out where the other crystals where and washed them, I had them out in the sun drying and recharging, I thought it would be a great time to get in and do some painting. I worked for about 1 1/2 hours on the flowers that I haven't touched on the easel for almost a week. It's great to get back into working on it.

It's just past 9:30pm and I've got the shopping to get done tomorrow. Fortunately, there's not much to get done, as I had done a massive shop for over Christmas and NYE. I'll be out and about posting off a parcel to Mum and Dad, getting my first $20 itunes card and then making sure I have all my prescriptions as well. It ought to be a good day out tomorrow. I should be home by around 11am if I get away early enough; if not, it doesn't matter, I'll just take my time. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Calling In the New Year!

2012-01-01T22:30:00.000+10:00

Well! I hope you had a great New Year Eve wherever you are in this great globe we call home. I sure did. It was an interesting trip getting to my destination before the party even began!

I got to Garden City via bus - and it was late - and once I arrived at Garden City, it was very crowded. There were people waiting to get into the city to start their celebrations wherever they go for the New Year. Well, there were three emo's and one big-busted girl who was being initiated. She wasn't dressed in black; instead dressed in another colour and being chased around by the girls in black... nobody took much notice until we all boarded the bus and it was standing room only and things got a little disturbing. Their outsider took a seat and began texting and the emos began hitting on each other; then nobody really knew where to look - at them or out the window, or at their phones, ipods or - better still - take an interest in the passenger next to them! Me? I was hoping to get off the bus as soon as I could without having to go past them. Once my stop came up, I did have to get past them and one of them grabbed me... it was the most uncomfortable feeling I've gotten from another person in a long time.

Will and me at Tom and Ev's place... both hating the flash of the camera.

Vivienne and Geoff... this is only blurry because it was late and I was tired.

Once at the party, Geoff and Vivienne and I saw Will standing out the front waiting for us to show. Will and I played the game of 'hey long time, no see!' (seeing we hung out on Wednesday) and then we all headed up the side of the house the party was just beginning. The sun was setting, the booze was starting to flow as was the food... and not long after, Tom and Ev covered their beloved Cockateil and he went to sleep soon after.

We all chatted and talked with the music playing and all kinds of subjects were passed around the table. Will worked his Rieki on a few of us and he found out a few surprising things about everyone - right on the cusp of the New Year. I was very interesting... and we got some fun photos of everyone too.

It didn't take long to get back to Geoff and Viv's place. However, once we all got to bed, I found that the neighbours had other ideas about going to sleep... like staying up until dawn. I - of course - had my idea of wanting to sleep, so I said for them to 'be quiet' from the window... nope. They got louder. So, I shouted louder and more direct to 'shut up because some of us want to sleep!'. I heard this one echo across to the other town houses across the drainage ditch... oops!

Well, when my alarm went off, I didn't feel all that refreshed... in fact, I felt very hungover from not getting the sleep I needed. So, I took it easy and reset my alarm another two times to take my other medications; then tried to sleep in. But I couldn't. So, I got up, dressed and brushed my hair and readied myself to go downstairs. Porridge was made and I stuffed around on the net after buying two Sunday Mails and a bottle of coffee drink... and believe me I needed it!

Will with Emmanuel playing the drums in New Farm Park

Where we were set up for the afternoon... a great spot!

The massive crystal in the middle! Great vibes emanated from it!

We stuffed around until about 11:30am and slowly got our butts into gear to head off to New Farm Park. It was a good drive there; not many people on the roads. The sun shone nice and hot and strong with a good sea breeze. Once there, we found the place where Will and his group had gathered and settled under a massive tree! It was magnificent! We settled around the edge of the blankets and helped ourselves to the food and munchies and chatted while a massive crystal sat in the middle of the whole blanket! It was amazing. The charge this thing gave off was brilliant! The park was full of people, the sun was hot and wonderful and the wind was as lovely and cool - taking the humidity out of the air. It was such a rebuilding experience to be by the Brisbane River at this time of the year. There were so many other families enjoying the first day of 2012 in this very park and at The Powerhouse Museum... it was fantastic.

We spent around 4 hours at this spot enjoying each other's company and talking, chatting and eating. It was energising - especially when Will handed around the massive crystal to Geoff, Vivienne and me and we all felt its power individually for about an hour in the sun. What a blast! I felt completely charged from just sitting there for that time; as though I had gotten a full night's sleep.

I'm home now - have been since 5pm - and I'm tired. The unit complex is very quiet; as people have gotten a quiet and early night. So, I'll be off to bed in the next few minutes. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

New Year Wishes

2011-12-31T11:37:00.001+10:00

I wish you all a very Happy and Safe New Year. Here in Brisbane - and down the Eastern Seaboard of Australia - it's going to be a wet and cold NYE... so we're going to be careful on the roads here; as I hope you all are.

Enjoy tonight and welcome 2012 with open arms. And I'll see you all in a couple of days and tell you about what I got up to this weekend. Until then, enjoy, have fun and keep safe! And most of all tomorrow is always fresh!

2011 - A Year In Photos - Part Three

2011-12-31T10:58:00.001+10:00

September

October

November

December

2011 - A Year In Photos - Part Two

2011-12-30T23:23:00.000+10:00

May

June

July

August

2011 - A Year In Photos - Part One

2011-12-30T23:06:00.000+10:00

I thought to do a year in photos - instead of this month - seeing it's December. Enjoy!

January

February

March

April

Be The Opportunist!

2011-12-29T14:57:00.000+10:00

New Years' Eve is quickly approaching and this is the time of year we all think about what we are going to aim to do with our new fresh year. Being one who hasn't made a New Year's Resolution in a few years, I have found that this year, I became an opportunist. This meant that when I was offered a chance at something, I jumped at it; once I looked it over. If it looked good and fun, I did it.

This year was the fullest calendar I've ever had in my life! There were months that just zipped by and I didn't realise how fast they went until I looked at my day diary and found out it the first week of the following month. Yes, a lot of great things happen to an opportunist once they get on a roll and start loving what they do.

However, it took me years to get myself out there and just do it. I was the ultimate control freak when it came to my of what I wanted to do in my year after NYE came and went. I even got to the point that when I didn't reach a particular goal it depressed me to no end. So, one year, I sat there down the coast and thought about what I wanted to do with my New Year and realised that I had nothing; and wouldn't you believe it? That depressed me more than having too much to do! Seeing I couldn't have my cake and eat it too, I thought to try and go with the flow that year. I found it so hard to do that, it drove me nuts just to go out on a whim.

As the years passed, I found it easier to close up the house and just go out. However, this year has been my best year yet! If I want to go out, I pack a bag, some money and a few essentials and go. I have a lovely sense of freedom when I leave my home and it's nice to know when I come back that I'm able to go out and do what I wish.

This year, I've had so much come my way and I've said yes to it more than I have said no. It's a great way of becoming the person I want to be and stopping being the person others expect me to be. I haven't felt this free about myself in over a decade and I don't wish to stop doing opportunistic things next year.

So, what have you got planned for next year? Do you plan your New Years or do you do what I do and just jump at the opportunities as they come along? If you're an opportunist? How long have you been one? Or have you been one all your life? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day

2011-12-26T21:47:00.000+10:00

I awoke yesterday to a lovely cool day, a breeze blowing through the lace of my window and birds singing. Yes, it was the perfect day. It didn't take long to shower, dress and rush downstairs to the tree and rip the paper off the pressies and find out what goodies I received off Santa, Little Miss Stevie and the Fishies. And what a loot! Just look at that! How good is that lot of pressies... well, okay, the Supernatural Box Set was bought by me for me; so I guess it was something I had been paying off all year.

Well, it didn't take long to get ready after breakfast and Dad picked me up and took me to their place to open pressies there. It was one really, an expensive one. I was given my Santa Sack and right down the bottom was a little box. I pulled it out and looked at it as I put the Sack on the lounge, and ripped the paper off. I was amazed to have received from my parents an Apple iTouch! How fantastic is that? I love it! As soon as I saw the markings on the side, I burst into happy tears and hugged them both! But they couldn't last for long as we were in a hurry and were out the door to drive to Gabe & Kat's place.

On the way over, we spotted a piece of graffiti near Anthony Lister's work at Keperra wishing everyone a Merry Chrissmass... and we thought it was wicked! Then, there were cars that had tinsel and tree decorations all over them! How cool was that? We've never seen anything like it around Brisbane before! I managed to get only one photo, but I spotted about six cars with all kinds of decorations on them. But once at Gabe and Kat's place, we established where the pressies had to go and the food then said hello to everyone, and the dog and joined in the festivities as we were served up a coffee and kicked back in the nice coolness that was the beginning of our Christmas Day.

Once everyone had arrived, it was gift-giving time. Now, in our family, we did a Secret Santa; and Kat played Santa this year - wearing the hat. This went down really well as everyone pulled through with the gifts and we all received what we wanted from our lists. I was thrilled to have received a set of detail brushes and three tubes of paint in the colours I needed and the person I was Secret Santa for was totally surprised to have received more than she bargained for with her 'book and a few cockies' (in truth, I had found her book for a great bargain at QBD which left me with more money than she thought. I bought her a bookmark and a bag of chockies - Lindt ones that were on her list - and I gave her one of my book baggies too!). She was thrilled!

Next was lunch. Gabe put on a turkey and some veggies and it all took time to cook. By the time the bird was ready, it was 3pm and we were all ravenous... however, they didn't starve us! We nibbled on cheese, biscuits and dip and delicious fruit as well as 4kg of fresh, rich, ice cold Tiger Prawns that Gabe and James went halves in... sooo goood! Within about ten minutes, all twenty of us made two piles of shells of them! How good was that! And they came with some great dipping sauce! I got through four before my stomach ordered me to stop; that's how rich and filling they were.

During the day, we all talked, listened to music and just basically kicked back and had a nice time enjoying the lovely day. By the time the whole day was over - and we had eaten ourselves into the usual Christmas stupor - it was going onto 7pm and dark outside. Woah! What a day! The washing up was done, kitchen was cleaned up, Gabe and Darren were down at the fire pit chatting and downing a few beers, Dad, Mum and Riley were playing their first game of Rummy Cub and I was fiddling with my iTouch and getting it configured while Kat was wiping down the counters and putting stuff away.

On the way home, Mum, Dad and I dropped into Aunty Narelle's and Uncle Iain's place for about an hour. By the time I was dropped home, it was getting onto 10:30pm. What a long day!

Today, I found I had had a rough night's sleep. I didn't sleep well until around 2am when I woke for the last time and - did something, I'm not sure what - and crashed until my alarm went off in the middle of one of the weirdest dreams I've had yet (and still I don't remember it!).

I fed the Little Miss Stevie and the fishies, ate breakfast while I listened to the radio and put on the laundry of towels and sheets - two loads. While I was waiting for this to be done, I walked down to Lisa's house to see how their day went... Betty was up and having a coffee. We chatted and she was thrilled that I had gotten what I wished for over Christmas. Before long, though, it was time to come home, hang out the laundry and look at cleaning up this place a little.

I photographed my presents and put them away, hung out the laundry, emptied out the bags of pressies and spent two hours hooking up my iTouch to the itunes site online and downloading what was needed to get music from online - and on my computer - onto my iTouch. There was so much running around on this stupid little thing that I was stuffed by the time midday came around. The next thing I know I'm talking to a friend on the phone and we've chatted for almost two hours and it's 3pm! Oh My God! Exactly where did my afternoon go??? Well, at least I've used it up a little. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here... and of course, Merry Christmas!

And So This Is Christmas?

2011-12-24T12:10:00.000+10:00

I know I've had a good year when I come to Christmas and I feel almost sad to see the year go. And this year was one of those years where I don't really want it to end. This year, I achieved so much, learned so much and enjoyed myself to no end. So many things fell into my lap, was mailed to me and I went out so many times with my camera in hand that I haven't wanted a year to not stop than this one.

Yes, it's been a good one. I have had quite a few cd's from Triple M show up in the mail, won a tour of their studio at North Quay and took Mum with me. We enjoyed nibblies, booze and met some of the hosts as well. Then, we enjoyed being inside The Cage's studio where I sat at Emily Jade's mic which was covered in pink studs all over it, the keyboard and her headphones. It was so cool!

I posed nude for one of my artist friends because he needed a model for his collection of paintings. And it was around the same time I was painting my first self-portrait; which got me working on my current lot of work for an exhibition. I have almost finished it and handed in the application for an exhibition on Thursday just gone. I hope I get in after all this time of being a volunteer at the Logan Art Gallery; as I've always dreamt of my work being in this place as my first major gallery.

I've worked on and finished a few short stories, read about 20 books this year and reviewed them too. My blogs have changed from just reviewing books to talking about book-related issues, authors and bookstores; just to make it more interesting; and I have had a big jump in my readership.

I have enjoyed the meeting of the minds with a like-minded person; who I found I like. I met him last year and we got along well, however over time, I've found that I tell him far more than I have ever told anyone. This is a massive jump for me in how I trust people... and that's wonderful. I just hope to see him again soon (and no, I'm not going to mention his name here).

As the year has gone on, this unit complex has done a complete circle so fast, it's not funny. It's the quickest turn-around I've ever seen! Within months, my next door neighbour's wife left him, a friend of mine in unit 5 moved and a few others in the complex moved out as well. However, it's been interesting how different the place is already without these people around. Without a noisy, bossy wife, my next door neighbour, Mark, is friendly, nice and says hello to everyone. He'll talk to everyone who approaches him now; unlike when his wife was there. I think life will get better for him as time goes on; especially after this Christmas Period as he's feeling a little lonely.

Next year, I'm hoping to get myself into the workforce again; however, only part time. My health has been wonderful and I think it's time to join in and find a job. I just hope I can get a job where I'd like to be. I also hope I get into the art gallery I wish to be in. Well, until my next post, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A Few Recipes for Christmas

2011-12-23T11:20:00.000+10:00

It's getting so close it's not funny... Christmas that is. So, I thought to keep this post light and fun for you all and put in a lovely recipe you can have a go at today for tomorrow or Christmas Day. It's my famous Turkish Carrot Dip... a favourite with my family and something I found on Food Safari when my SBS reception was dreadful; so I couldn't see how to do it and had to use my imagination!

Ingredients:

3 Big Carrots

1kg tub of Natural Yoghurt

1 Pinch of Sea Salt (ground)

1 Clove of garlic

Method:

Skin and grate the carrots and put into a large pan over a low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook slowly until the carrot turns a brighter orange colour and softens - losing its crunch but not turning brown (taste it to find out; you'll know what I mean). While it's slowly cooking, put all the yoghurt into a large bowl (this will be your serving bowl) add the pinch of salt and push the garlic through a crusher and mix it all through, then put this bowl in the fridge to keep cold.

Once the carrot is cooked and cooled off completely, get the bowl of yoghurt out of the fridge and begin adding and folding through the carrot a few spoonfuls at a time. Once it's mixed through, add either some sliced olives on top or a sprinkle of paprika and it's ready to serve.

This is best made the day before and can be used as a dip as well as a condiment... so split it in two and serve some up a little at a time. People will love it. This can also be made with beetroot as well. However, seeing I'm not a fan of beetroot, I have always made it with carrots.

Enjoy!

It's My Greta Garbo Moment!

2011-12-22T14:59:00.000+10:00

At long last, it's Thursday afternoon. My shift at the Logan Art Gallery is finished, which means my last day of running around like a headless chook is over too. At long last, I can act like Greta Garbo and hide from the public for around 48 hours and rest, paint, read and watch television.

This week has been the most hectic I've ever come across; and it's been mainly the last three days that have really knocked me around. However, I've survived it and tonight, I'm going to get myself a nice pizza and settle in front of the television for something to watch... if there's anything interesting to watch.

This week began with me frantically getting out of bed at 7am on Tuesday morning (this is a time I began to get used to seeing on my watch in the mornings) and getting myself ready to go out. Fortunately, I had packed myself a bag the night before to go out that day; so I needed to do was eat, put on shoes and leave. Easy-enough, right? Wrong. I was five metres from the bus stop when the very bus I was to catch only minutes after I arrived there, zoomed straight past me! I turned to watch it vanish from my life and my morning with a forlorn expression on my face when its indicator came on and it pulled up! The bus driver must have caught my look! I ran up with my Go Card in hand and thanked him very much. When we arrived at Garden City, I thanked him again for stopping for me and wished him a Merry Christmas... now that's a great bus driver. I got my last-minute Christmas shopping done in about 1 1/2 hours and I was back home at around 11am. I had caught that bus at 8:40am. Not a bad record for me; not bad at all.

Wednesday had me getting up at the same time as Tuesday. I had everything ready to go out grocery shopping and - just like Tuesday - all I had to do was dress, eat, put on shoes and go. I caught the 9:20am bus and it got me to Logan Central Plaza at around 9:30am (as I caught the 545 not the 550). On the way, the bus drove past the Woodridge Train Station where it was cut off by a cab driver. The bus driver blasted his horn, scared the crap out of the cab driver who got insulted and - after he did he u-turn in front of the bus still - got out of his car walked across the road and bashed the window of the bus driver. He had a few 'stern' words with him before flipping him the bird a few times and kept on doing it on the way back to his cab. The bus driver ignored him. But really, you don't cut off a bus driver, no matter what you're driving.

I got in added my present to the K-Mart Wishing Tree pile (and I was the only person who had wrapped theirs in celophane) and then, I went to the chemist, picked up what I needed and then did all my shopping at Coles. Using my Frequent Flyers $50 Gift Card, I paid for some of my groceries, I could afford the rest of them with my own cash and I was ready to go home. That was Wednesday over and done with.

Last night, I got talking to Dan; an old boyfriend of mine who I lost touch with over the years and found on Facebook. We chatted for over an hour and caught up. He hasn't changed a bit in being able to make me laugh; he is still a lovely person to know. We talked about achievements in our lives, failures and the shared sadness of the passing of his Mother late last year from a secondary Cancer (this last one shocked me badly as I really wasn't expecting it). We chatted until after 11pm and I realised I had to be up early again today.

So, this morning, I was up at 7am - again - dressed, got some breakfast into me and shoes on my feet. Then, I grabbed the rest of my gear and was away early. However, I came back and grabbed the umbrella... and just as well, it poured rain on the way to the bus stop and while I was there. But do you think it rained for the rest of the day? Nope. I was training a new volunteer, Graham, and he was a quick study when it came to learning things around the desk. While I was serving somebody at the store, he answered the phone and took a message. We also had a morning workshop for young children to teens where they all made Christmas decorations. How very cool is that? All the kids enjoyed themselves and had a lot of fun, and they came out of the workshop with colourful, sparkly decorations to put on their trees at home. It was a good morning; yet a little on the slow side as it's just before Christmas.

The most interesting thing happened then. At 1:30pm, the next couple of people for the next shift came in and we said our farewells. I walked out onto Jacaranda Avenue and the new volunteer drove out onto there as well. He wound down his window and asked where I was headed - I told him - and he offered me a lift home. So, he saved me around half and hour's bus and walking and fare too.

Now, I'm home. I'm so happy to have this afternoon, tonight and the whole of tomorrow to myself. How wonderful. I also have most of Saturday to myself as well. Yep, this week has been one of the busiest and most unusual I've had in a long time. During this week, I was published online through Bibliotastic.com and then today, I handed in my application to have an art exhibition for 2013. I hope I get in; as I'd love to have my work in the first gallery at the Logan Art Gallery. Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Aaarrgh! Less Than One Week Away!

2011-12-19T11:49:00.000+10:00

If you're surprised by this title, it's because you haven't thought about Christmas yet... or you're trying to ignore it. Me? I have one of the busiest weeks ahead of me that I'm ever going to have; and I'm not looking forward to it.

Today and Friday are going to the be the only days where I'll be hiding here at home to get away from the public and crowds because it'll be the only chance I'll get to do that. Otherwise, here's my week:

Tuesday: Off to Garden City to get in and do some last-minute Christmas shopping of two books at QBD and then run home. I don't want to be there any longer than I need to be. I'll spend the afternoon sewing up book baggies and wrapping the said presents for the people.

Wednesday: The last Grocery Shop for a while. It will probably take about an hour - or a little more. In that time I will be taking in my K-Mart Wishing Tree present and fighting the crowds for the groceries I need for the next few days. I hate shopping at this time of the year! Truly I do.

Thursday: This is an easy day really. I'll be off to the Logan Art Gallery to do a morning of volunteer work where there will be a new guy on the desk with me. I just have to show him how to count the money, deal with the RSVP's for the openings and customers for the store (which might be me too).

Friday: Hide from the public as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is nigh! I'm not going anywhere for anyone; no matter what they say, how much they pay me or where it may be. I will be staying home and hibernating until such time it's safe to come out (ie: that'll be Christmas Eve Night when we go to Oma's place for dinner... when the sun goes down at 6pm Saturday night).

Okay, now, you've know my plans, you can see why I have nothing else to crowd my schedule. During this week, I'll also be making my famous Turkish Carrot Dip and getting myself ready for the day where The Orgy of Greed occurs (this means Christmas Day for those not in the know of my translations). I call it this because I believe Christmas should be about being with family and friends and not just about the presents.

Anyway, I'm just looking forward to the time after Christmas when all this hooey dies down, the kids have broken their toys after three hours and they're on their way to going back to school. Not that I don't like school holidays, it's just that after a while school kids get bored and they also become destructive when left to their own devices (something that never happened to me; strangely enough). Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Pool Party Success

2011-12-17T22:50:00.000+10:00

I was away overnight last night... and it was to attend a pool party. However, the pool part of it didn't really take off, even if the party part of it did. We had plenty of food, a lovely turn-out and lots of laughs towards the end of the evening.

I was picked up earlier in the day to go to my Chiropractor by a cab driver who couldn't drive the cab, didn't know where I wanted to go and broke every road rule there was. And I thought I was a bad driver when I drove a car! Well! He nearly caused two major accidents on the way to my destination; one of them when he was picking me up. He illegally pulled up in front of my unit complex at the driveway and cut off a driver behind him. I told him about it and he acted like he didn't care; and car behind him was a very nice late model blue ute. When I got into the cab and told the driver where I needed to go, he seemed okay with the destination, but by the time we arrived at Compton Road, it was clear he didn't know where the Wellness Centre was at Springwood. So, I had to give him clear directions. When we arrived there, he had to pull into the driveway - across a lane of traffic - and he waited until the last minute to cut in front of a car coming towards us! I couldn't believe how close he had made it - I judged it as about 2ft! It terrified me how much he just didn't care for the safety of his client; and that the car coming towards us would have ploughed into my side of the car if it had hit us! I was very grateful to get out of the cab and away from him!

Soon enough, I had had my adjustment and I was out and Geoff was waiting for me out in the waiting room. I told him about the cab and he was disgusted. We drove off to Dan Murphy's and bought up some drinks for the party, then to Coles and then we were off to their place to set up the whole place.

One of these cakes was taken over to the pool party!

Once there, I handed over two books he was looking forward to reading over the Christmas/NYE break and he gave me the first book of the trilogy I just gave him the last two of. But I'll wait until he's finished the last two before beginning the first one (in case I fly through it). Anyway, I helped Vivienne with the Christmas decorations and the place soon looked like it had been decorated for weeks instead of hours. Then, we moved all the food over to the Summer House where I began taking photos and put out the food.

The people who showed were fun. We had a great time eating and talking, but the weather turned a little too chilly to swim in; so we closed up at around 8:45pm and cleaned up and headed back to Geoff and Viv's place for a nightcap and coffee. That's where they showed off their new television and Viv put on her skydiving adventure from 2009... it was much cooler on a bigger, digital, flatscreen television! Once she turned it off, we stumbled upon an SBS1 show entitled 'My Penis and Everyone Else's'... how weird is that! We thought it was the funniest thing to have come across and - much to the discomfort all the men present - we began talking about them. Too soon, the program was switched off because there were some new visitors arriving who weren't really into those types of shows; so out of respect we left the TV off. Otherwise, I took along a new little notebook I've begun for my friends to write weird and funny things in called: 'The Public Notebook of Funny Shit'... it's for funny quotes, thoughts and stories you know but can't tell and yet you can write down. In the end, it'll be something for everyone to get their nose into for years to come... and I'll eventually get published into a proper book; and family will all get a copy of. Sounds cool? Well, I got the idea from the Volunteers Notebook at the Logan Art Gallery reception desk. Well, it's getting late and I have to catch up on sleep; as I only got around 4 hours last night (despite sleeping very well on the spare bed in their house last night). It was the morning light that woke me... damned! Oh well, I guess I'll sleep better tonight. Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Time of Our Lives

2011-12-15T10:36:00.001+10:00

Isn't is funny how time plays a major factor in our lives? It's always time to go out or time to come home, time to get up in the morning or time to go to bed at night. It's time for the news, time for this funny show, or time to get in and do study or the housework and pull in the laundry.

However, we never make time to do anything for ourselves. I have found that when people have reached their forties, they realise with very sudden clarity that they are miserable in their lives and try to change everything. I'm not knocking anyone who has done this, however, I've always believed in doing a job that you like; and not just because it's there. So, take the time to look around yourself now and think, do you really like where you are?

Some years ago, I found that I wasn't happy. Mum asked me many times and I said I was; until one day, I looked at myself in the mirror and realised I really wasn't, and I didn't know how I had gotten here. So, I phoned her back and told her I wasn't happy, she said she knew. It took me over a year to figure out how I had gotten to this stage of being unhappy; and how the hell was I going to get back to being the way I was. So, I talked to my Shrink (yeah, I needed some advice from a pro) and he said it was time I looked at what I surrounded myself with and did anything in my house make me happy? I went home, looked around the place and found that there wasn't much that made me want to stay home and enjoy my house. Then, I remembered something my Grandma once told me: 'Your home is your castle and it's where the heart is.' I had to make my humble home look and feel like a place I felt welcomed in each time I walked through the door.

Making time to make yourself happy in your own home is hard. Sometimes this'll mean being selfish, pulling away to rediscover your true self to find out what you really like to do, what your real happiness is. I found that I had to stop being ashamed of how many books I had; that my passion was the written word and it made me immensely happy to sit and read for whole afternoons and not think of anything else but that; and no, I didn't waste those few hours in any way. I still don't think I waste days or nights wasting hours reading when I could be doing something else - like I don't know, watching the idiot box in the lounge.

Soon, other things were making me happy. I had a few vinyls when I was young; however, I did have a deeper passion for them as a grew. And so, I began looking for ones I liked; and I found that the more I looked for them, the easier it became to find them. The next thing I knew, I found a nice turntable and I was set to collect vinyls. And with each vinyl I collected, there was another out there I wanted. Now, I can play most any vinyl I can lay my hands on in my collection and enjoy the music from my generation as well as my parents' generation.

However, being happy takes time... a lot of time. There were other things that took time to find that made me happy. And I have found that if you're not looking out, time will catch up with your happiness will always be just out of reach. I know for a fact that life wasn't meant to be easy; I'm living proof; but if you work hard on yourself you can make it an easier place to be. For me, my happiness was found in the written word, art, music and gardening. Okay, it took me ages to find out those things, however, I found them; and it didn't take me until the end of my life to find them. However, it's never too late for anyone to find the time in our uber-busy schedules to slow down enough to take a good look at ourselves and see - recognise - if we're truly happy and having the time of our lives or are we just fooling ourselves and putting up a facade for everyone to see. If you are, pretty soon that facade will fall apart - as they all do - and you'll have to face the harsh reality that you are not as happy as you have been telling people. And the longer you leave it, the harder it gets; as you leave behind the real you, it becomes harder to find the real you where you were happiest first off.

I'm heading towards forty and right now, I'm at my happiest time of my life. I have found my happiness and I'm glad I have as there's not much that can destroy my life right now. It's a great feeling to be just myself right now. I can enjoy a great book, a great film and listen to great music in the comfort of my home which has some lovely memories of where I've traveled. And that's what life is all about, isn't it? Being able to just be yourself in your own way? Well, that's what I think.

Busiest Week Ahead.... Ever!

2011-12-13T21:02:00.000+10:00

Okay, it's two weeks before Christmas and my family is doing a Secret Santa... the problem with this? None of us have received our recipient's lists in the mail. Normally, I have got all my Christmas Shopping finished and I'm kicking back with a good book and doing some painting. However, this year, I'm stressed out that I need to buy a present for somebody that I may not be able to buy for them because there won't be anything left in the rush.

Now, I've organised a Secret Santa in the family before and it worked out really well. Everyone got their people's names well before Christmas and they were happy as they had time to get the shopping done. Now, I'm not putting down the person who is organising this one, but really they're cutting it very fine; and I don't like shopping this late in the game of Christmas.

This week, I'm busy as hell. Already, I've been asked to edit the remains of an anthology I'm publishing in the New Year. All I have to do is go through it and see if it looks okay and read through the corrections; and give it the go-ahead. I've chosen the cover and title colour (deep burgendy); and just today, I've put in the dedication and a warning there's adult content, violence and some things that may make some readers uncomfortable. The blurb was suggested and I like it; so gave that the go-ahead. And seeing there were six stories, I've read the editings for four of the stories; and have two to go... ironically the last two are the longest stories out of the lot. I have to get them all e-mailed back to the lady who helped me out with them before Friday; and I'll get it all done by Thursday morning at the latest.

Tomorrow, I'll be out and about at Logan Central Plaza paying off my 'Supernatural' boxset. This is the whole 8 seasons of the hit television series which is coming to a finish soon which I've been paying off for the whole year. I've got one more payment to go on it and it's mine! I'll be wrapping it up for myself for Christmas and putting it under the tree. Then, I have to get some medication from the chemist, journal and celophane and then come home. It's just little stuff; but I need it.

On Friday, I think I have a Chiropractor's appointment; I'm not sure, and so have to check. But right afterwards, I'll be taken to a friend's place from Mum and Dad's place. So, I'll have to take all my stuff with me that will be traveling with me overnight. Saturday will be spent coming home and recovering from what is usually a party; and this one will be a pool party.

Before long, next week will begin and this week will slip by very quickly... taking us to Christmas and NYE... and then suddenly - very suddenly - it will be 2012; with another year gone.

Wow... and what a year. And this post began about how busy this week is going to be; and I have ended up talking about next year... how did that happen? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Big Storms, Cleaning Out and Artwork

2011-12-11T22:19:00.000+10:00

Today seemed to go on forever... literally. I jumped offline and went downstairs around 1pm and started work on cleaning off the coffee table. There was so much crap on it I couldn't believe I had lived with it all there for so long. The lounge was the same. How did I live like this? It's all so much more roomier now with it moved and removed into either another room, place or a rubbish bag and taken outside.

Then it started. I heard the first grumblings of thunder above the radio. So, I raced upstairs and unplugged the computer completely - modem and all - and then closed the bedroom window and went back downstairs and went outside to check the drain. But I had lost the key to the sheds. So, once I found that in a bag I had used from last week, I went and grabbed the spade and cleaned it out to the best of my ability. Soon, it came down and the car port began to flood, so I was out there again looking at the drain and found it was blocked and I had to pulled the leaves out with my hand and the flooding went away.

I spent most of my time with the battery radio, washing up and clearing away rubbish in the house while the rain poured down outside with thunder rumbling around the place. And not too much later, the wind and rain slowed and stopped; however it was muggy and still hot for a while even when I opened the windows.

About an hour or so later, the skies were still overcast. I had moved onto my next project of working on my current painting. However, I found my work area was too dark; and becoming darker as I set up. So, out came my battery powered radio again and off went all my electrical appliances again. The skies became darker and darker. This storm was the real one. Then, the lightning began as I started on my painting with the light on above me, my cordless and mobile phone next to me and a great view to the outdoors, sky and yard to my right.

To my left was the darkened unit where Little Miss Stevie was snoozing by the closed window as a little silhouette of a bird on a swing. The fish were hiding behind their castle and staying low as the storm began to show its face with the first spats of lightning and claps of thunder. And Triple M played very joyfully on the radio set up on the kitchen table in the dark.

I worked on the painting as the storm moved over us, while I ate a piece of Christmas cake that Mum made for me, while I assessed what I'd be saying in my application to the Logan Art Gallery for an exhibition there in 2013. The storm flashed and grumbled by us while I waited it out for it go away; our second for the day. And by the time it had, it was almost 3:30pm; time to clean up, pack up and turn on some lights and make my place look lived-in. I went out the back and looked at the rain gauge and found that for two storms, we didn't get that much rain... strange that. But somebody out there got the real damage.

However, I did get a lot done this afternoon during those two storms. I got my lounge room tidied up, rubbish thrown out, a painting was found while one came forward in leaps and bounds. I worked on an application for a showing and I watched as water that normally collected in my car port go where it was supposed to go... down the drain. Until my next post, here's hoping you achieved a lot in your day. Until then, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

I Found It!

2011-12-11T10:53:00.000+10:00

After I turned off the computer yesterday, I headed downstairs immediately and found it was raining. Not a fun day to be do anything more than what I had planned: cleaning up. So, I turned up the radio, gave Little Miss Stevie a well-earned cuddle and - after I put her back in her cage, happy and blowing me kisses - I picked up the blue Logan Library bag that has been sitting on the floor next to the storage facility since February. Yep, it's been there that long! I put it on the table and pulled everything out of it onto the table.

Now, the table vanished under all that paperwork of bills, stationary, magazines from Epilepsy Queensland and other places, but I kept on going sorting through it all. Soon, the piles began making sense and I started putting things into the Logan Library bag that I needed to file away - and these were only to file away. There were other piles that were for other things and they were sorted out as well and put away; and pretty soon, I had the table cleared and ready to be cleaned up. I couldn't believe it! After two hours, I had the table nice and clean and ready for use. Underneath it still needed work, however, it was the table top I was looking at right now.

I'm so proud of myself to getting this table cleaned off. It's a first for me to do this ever. And the Library Bag is another first... I haven't been able to get that empty. Each time I've tried, it keeps being added to. So, I was so proud that I'm going to continue on today with the lounge. I'm going to keep working on my house; keep on making this place what I want it to be and nothing less.

I will be throwing things out - clothes will be given away to charity, items in my house I no longer need or use will be sold and I will be streamlining my place to a point where I will be able to look at it and be happy. Finally, I'm going to make my house exactly the way I want it.

Things will change a lot around my house and garden next year. So, what are you hoping to start on now and finish next year? Is it an old goal that you began last year and it's continuing on like mine? Or is it something new?

It Begins Again!

2011-12-10T09:53:00.001+10:00

It begins again! Nope I don't mean School Holidays, I mean my annual Big Clean Up Challenge. Each year, I go all out and clean out and clean up my little town house and try to keep it tidy. And each year, I fail in some way. However, there is always one room which stays tidy... so I must be doing something right!

So, this Christmas, I thought to begin on it early and take my time with it. It'll be something I'll be hoping to keep up with, something that will be more permanent and something where - at some point - I won't need to shuffle things from one place to another. My main aim is to have a house where I'm not embarrassed to have somebody come around and visit; I should feel as though my home is beautiful and not a mess.

So, seeing I have my kitchen sorted out (and it's been sorted for a while now), I need to start looking at my living room and dining area. I have never had the dining table completely clear over the time I've lived here... and it's something I'd like to have. It's the same deal with the coffee table and the lounge. My whole lounge room has always been cluttered and messy; and I've allowed myself to live like this for the whole time I've lived on my own because of my own personal demons. Now, I have worked those out, it's time to move on and live a better life and clean up a little. I'm tired of the mess and need to find my space. It's there, I know it is, I just have to find it.

Another thing that's beginning - and it's quite new this year for me - is the Summer Reading Challenge that's be offered to me on Good Reads. I did the Spring Challenge and only got four books read; and now I've been invited to read in this challenge and I'm halfway through a book I began in the Spring Challenge. I'm looking forward to reading more books; such as 'The Year of the Flood' by Margaret Atwood, 'The Passport' by Herta Muller' and three Romance novels I won over the last six months from The Romance Bandits who write nothing but romance and have fun competitions. I'm looking forward to reading these ones. And there's also a bookray I have to finish as well I started. However, I haven't been near it lately, so I might just post it to the next person on the list next week.

The next things that begins again, is my savings. Okay, I'm not going to get personal about this... I'm going to save up enough money to work on my front garden this coming New Year. I've got two lovely plants in it, but I'd like it to look more personal; so I'll be getting in and making sure I don't buy anything I don't need from my savings accounts for a few months and I'll get some lovely pots, some uncut granite, soil and plants that will look good. I can't wait.

So, what are you looking forward to over this time of year - and the New Year - to do for yourself? Is it something special? Or is it something you've been meaning to do for ages? Well, it's a miserable, gray day outside. I have the radio going and I've got a house to get into and clean. Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Friday... And The Sun's Out!

2011-12-09T16:40:00.000+10:00

Today, I woke to my alarm, looked outside and found the sun was shining and birds were singing. After two days of grey skies, cold and pouring rain, we're having a heat, sun and a chance to do our laundry. Well, I did anyway. While I was out the backyard photographing my gorgeous Frangipani flowers on the tree I have, my neighbour, Jodi, and I talked. She was pulling out the weeds in her back yard; readying it for the grass to come in over the weekend. With the sun out, I put out one load of laundry and had another one out while we chatted. It was lovely to have a good chat with her after such a long time in between talking; as it's been a few weeks since our last chat.

After I put the laundry out, I went to the post office and found I had received a Christmas Card from a Bookcrossing friend; and it's just gorgeous! I love it. I collected other mail on my way home. By that time it was time for me to get my butt into gear to go out. However, there were clouds threatening rain; and I had all my clothes hanging out there... I only hoped it would stay fine for the whole day as they promised on the news that morning.

When I arrived at Springwood, I looked back over toward Woodridge and found more gray clouds were moving toward Springwood, and I still wondered if I had done the right thing by doing all my laundry today. I couldn't do anything about it while standing there looking at it; so I kept going with my day.

I dropped into The Book Warehouse and made a purchase of two copies of 'The Year of the Flood' by Margaret Atwood (one for me and one for a Secret Santa on Bookcrossing) and then I bought a drink for myself at Coles. This left me just enough time to arrive at my appointment at CRS by five minutes; and this included the bus being twenty minutes late... not bad if you ask me.

When I entered the foyer of the office, there were about sixteen heavily-built security men out of uniform all taking part in a self-defence course. Each one of them had the giggles as the teacher went through step by step what they were doing and I was I asked to sneak off to one of the offices before it got really exciting and they all began laughing their heads off at themselves. While I was at CRS, my teamperson, Melissa, and I talked about work and what kinds I could do, my referees and other things as well. It was good session. She was pleased I had gotten the two referees she had asked for and we chatted about work experience; and how long I'd like to try out a place before going for the real thing. I said a month; and she was happy about that.

Our session only went for about half an hour and so I found myself at Mum and Dad's house whiling my time away on the net, answering e-mails and looking through Facebook and blogging. I've been enjoying my first week of My Reading List Summer Fun Event. I'd decided to leave the weekends free so I can have some time to myself; and my followers can enjoy what has been going on during the week. Otherwise, this will be going for the three months over Summer... I'll have plenty of fun on there, books go review and bookstores to recommend during that time.

During this week, we had the sad news that Harry Morgan passed away. He was 96 years young; and had lived a wonderfully long life of movies and making two great television series that he's been remembered for. For the full tribute I've written for Harry, please read the post below. He was one my favourite old-time favourites, and I do believe he didn't regret a single moment of his life... what a man; what an actor.

Well, it's time to sign off. I'll be busy this weekend: sewing up book baggies, reading more of Stephen King's '11-22-63' and hopefully being able to clean out my house just a little of some junk I don't need. Yep, it's on again... a Big Clean-Out Challenge... but isn't it always a challenge to keep our places clean when life is so busy? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

The World Loses Harry Morgan

2011-12-08T11:08:00.001+10:00

There is no other actor like Harry Morgan. Best known and fondly remember as Col. Sherman T. Potter who ran one of the best M*A*S*H units in Korea on the hit show of the same name, he became a quick favourite of the show along with Hawkeye and Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan along with a cast of others who tickled our funny bones.

Harry Morgan has led a great acting life; from cameo parts in 'Murder She Wrote' to epic television shows such as 'Dragnet', Harry played the parts brilliantly. He was in a few movies - 'The Glen Miller Story' where he started out using Henry Morgan as his name before changing it to Harry Morgan. He only began using the latter name due to the comedian, Henry Morgan, becoming popular on the radio. The irony being that the two were only born eleven days apart. When he wasn't filming television shows or movies, he was keeping himself busy with eleven hobbies ( golfing, traveling, dining, fishing, spending time with his family, reading, raising quarter-horses, horseback riding, animals, painting and poetry).

Harry Morgan has lived a long and prosperous life, made many friends through film and television and enjoyed his lucrative career. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, He was an active opponent of the anti-communist witch hunts in Hollywood, In several episodes of "M*A*S*H" (1972), Col. Potter was seen painting portraits, mainly of the other characters. These portraits were actually painted by Morgan.

On the IMBd site (where I've collected a lot of this information), there's a collection of quotes of his. I saw one where I remember him saying in a YouTube interview last year; and I'd like to put it here: 'I've never been more comfortable in a part than with Colonel Potter.'

May he Rest In Peace.

Skateboarding in the 80's - The Lone Skater-Chick

2011-12-03T11:20:00.000+10:00

I've been noticing that I grew up in the right generation; the X-Generation of the 1980's. This was a time where the laws of wearing a helmet, elbow and knee pads were something that our parents asked us to wear, but if we didn't, well, that was really our choice. No police pulled us up, there were no fines, there was no big thing that was forcing us to stop and think about the consequences.

When I was young, I wore the helmet when I roller skated, but the consequences of that was that every time I did, I looked like and felt like a dork, other kids would skate by and rap on it hard and laugh calling me names. Then, one day while my year 7 class was doing the Wednesday afternoon sports of roller skating, I had the other kids knocking on my helmet when I stopped at the edge and pulled the damned thing off and threw it in frustration. The owner shook his head as he picked it up and noticed that it was one of the first stack-hats that had been on sale in the 1980's. This thing was indestructible. I took off and kept on skating; but the kids kept on knocking on my head; even without the helmet. Idiots; they didn't know something about me that day... they didn't know I was a skateboarder, and I wasn't about to tell them. That would have made them laugh and tease more.

As I picked up my skateboarding - and roller skating took a backseat - I didn't wear pads or a helmet. It just wasn't the done thing while taking off down the footpaths of Logan City in the late-80's. If I stacked it, I stacked it... skin came off, I'd bleed and I'd have scars; so what? Scars were cool.

However, being the only female skateboarder was harder than I first thought. There was another for a few years, but she took up netball and left the skateboard at home; and I was on my own again. But being the only female skater was lonely; I didn't have that many friends in that arena as the guys didn't like me taking up their sport and their girlfriends thought I was a slut (which I corrected them immediately on that one; scaring them into making an apology to me).

I found I wasn't allowed near any bowls or skate parks (not that there were many around then anyway); so I took up Freestyle - which is where you travel the streets getting from A to B; using the board as transport.

I skated for years - about a decade - and I totally enjoyed every minute of it. Over that decade, I had one major stack down at Brunswick Heads where the trucks on my board were loose and I took skin off my chin, left shoulder, wrist and the knees; and I had a pebble stuck in my right hand (leaving a hole there once I pulled it out). It was the first day of the school holidays and I also had a 2ltr carton of milk under my arm which lost its label; but the used by date was still intact. When I sat up and looked around, I found everyone staring at me and the owner of the caravan park's daughter laughing at me. I got up, grabbed my board and walked off. It wasn't until later, after Mum accidentally put a bit of rubbing alcohol on my chin (and made me scream so loud my brother came running!) that I realised I had been wearing my only pair of glasses... these were to read, see: prescription glasses. And you can only imagine that I was the last person in that caravan park that night to have a shower! It was around midnight when I went to the showers with Mum and put up with the hot water against my wounds. And I still have the white patches on my knees to show where I stacked it all these years later; however my chin has recovered by the number of freckles that have covered that one up.

In 1996, I had to give up skateboarding for something quite unexpected. I had to get a melanoma taken out of the back of my left thigh; not an experience I wish on anyone. It was a massive operation and the cancer could have killed me if it had been left any longer. However, I have been fortunate enough to not have another show up anywhere else. After I found I couldn't stay on a skateboard, I took up roller blading... I just couldn't stay away from the feeling an extreme sport gave me. I bladed along Southbank and the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, then back to QPAC and back to Dock Street once a week for some years until I stopped driving. I couldn't find a place to blade after that... there wasn't anywhere I could go, so I have my blades in storage with the pads waiting to be use again.

However, I haven't lost my passion for skateboarding. A few years back, I saw a young skater attempting to do an Ollie (an on-board jump) and he kept on falling off. So, seeing I had some time on my hands, I walked over to him and watched what he was doing (and also he was in my unit complex carpark; so why not?). I saw that his technique was all wrong and so I thought to advise him about how to land, his balance and his core muscles. He did as I advised and his Ollie worked on his next jump! He was thrilled! So was I. I asked him if I could have a go... and he said yeah thinking I was going to sit down on it and push myself along (like most girls do). Instead, I jumped on it and skated around the complex like I used to. It felt great to feel the board under my feet again... I hadn't skated in a long time and it was wonderful! By the time I did a loop and stopped about 10 metres from where the young skater was waiting for me, I thought to do a few 360's and see if I could still get it where the pivot didn't touch the ground; but I had lost a lot of form. Damn... anyway, I looked up and saw the kid with his phone and he looked like he had photographed me and was sending it to somebody (this had just come on a cheaper and easier way on mobiles). I had been out of the skating circuit for so long, I couldn't think of who he had sent it to so I panicked a bit and skated up to him as his phone rang and he smiled picking it up. He had a conversation with somebody saying: "Yeah, she's here." and handed me the phone saying it was for me. On the other end was a fellow, skater from the 1980's who had known my brother and me - Gator - who had wondered where I vanished to in the mid-90's. I had to tell him what happened and that what happened was just a fluke. Gator has been keeping a database of all the older skaters so he can keep track of them all. Cool, eh?

Well, since then, I've had two other times when younger skaters have recognised me; but it's becoming fewer now. I think it's because there's so many girls on boards now that I'm not that much of a legend, not that new anymore. But when I look back on how hard it was when I started out, I found that it was a very lonely life to be the only female skater here in Logan City... but I did have a lot of fun while doing it.

Christmas Begins Here and Rabbits Rabbits!

2011-12-01T11:53:00.000+10:00

Well, it's the 1st, December and I've got two wrapped gifts under the tree already. Yep, yesterday, I went out to Garden City to meet up with a friend to catch up with coffee and pancakes in the morning, and I thought to get in and start my Christmas Shopping while I was there. Now, the meet-up didn't work out as my friend didn't show, but I did eat the pancakes and did get my first two pressies for Christmas; and that was the main thing.

When I returned home yesterday, I started on some other hand-made goodies after I jumped on the net to see if my friend had e-mailed me that morning to change our meet-up date and time; but she hadn't. It just wasn't like her to not show at all; and now I'm very concerned about her. I hope everything's okay as she hasn't been online since Tuesday and I have sent one e-mail to her asking if there was something else that suddenly showed up and she didn't have time to let me know of the sudden change in plans. If so, that's okay... I mean, that's how life is, it just happens that way sometimes.

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled out the sewing machine and some fabric I had sitting in a bag from a few weeks back and started working on some book baggies that I've designed. These are going to be handed out as Christmas Presents to the kids and family on Christmas Day. They're nice and light and easy to make; and I'm hoping to put a button on a couple of them so they do up and the book doesn't fall out. But that'll be next pay.

Today, I've got the fabric out again to work on more - bigger - baggies. The template is sitting on the kitchen table waiting for me to fix to the fabric and to cut out. One baggie is taking me about 45 minutes to sew up and complete where it used to take me around 1 1/2 hours in the early stages. How good is that? I'm hoping to get something for Little Miss Stevie for her Christmas soon; maybe some extra seed or another toy. The fishies have their present... or I might buy a piece of coral or something else for the tank to make it look cool for them to swim around. I'm not sure yet; but I'll wait until Christmas Day to give it to them.

It's become very overcast outside. I think it might rain; however they reckon we're in for a storm. I'm not sure, I think it'll just be rain - like yesterday morning. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

November's Something Different!

2011-11-30T22:39:00.000+10:00

The beginning of this month was uber-busy! After Halloween was done for another year - and I didn't get a single Trick-or-Treater - we had the next day to contend with. And the next day was Melbourne Cup Day. Mum and I placed our bets at the TAB and then we made our way to the Logan Entertainment Centre where we had lunch at Limelight with about 20 other people. It was a great day of eating, sweepstakes and watching the famous Race That Stops A Nation. Mum and I won some money as our bets won us a cool $50 or so.

The next day, Mum and I were off to the Epilepsy Symposia at Southbank; nice and early. We took the bus into the city and walked there and found it was a good morning, and lousy afternoon. The morning was full of debates and funny stuff while the afternoon was full of too much information given in such a way that we didn't have a clue what was going on.

Then, on November 4th, I was rudely awoken by my body... yep, it was doing something I didn't expect it to do. At 2.45am, I suddenly woke up and didn't know why... so I wandered off to the toilet (thinking that's what I needed to do). When that was a failure, I stumbled back to bed in the dark, curled up on my side and was almost asleep when I felt an awful cramp in my left side. I thought it was gas (you know when you got air in your guts from eating too fast?) so I changed my position on the bed... but that didn't work. So - of course - I changed it again and I felt worse! Turning on my reading light, I tried to sit up but doubled over as the pain worsened yet again. It was time to call my parents... I didn't want to, but I had to. By 3:30am, they were here and had called an ambulance on the way over. By 4am, they ambos were here and I was trying to smile politely while I was scrunched up in a ball on the edge of my lounge. Soon, they had me in the back of the bus and had morphine in me to kill the pain. I had always wanted to see the sunrise, but not from one of these things! By 7am, I was discharged from the Mater Hill Hospital with the diagnosis that an ovarian cyst had ruptured. Wow! If that's how it's going to be, I really need something done to make sure it doesn't hurt so much the next time it comes back (which it will as this one comes back).

After this visit, I went and got an ultrasound done and visited my doctors. This took a couple of weeks. The technicians were great. They could see this cyst has been one which returns and ruptures by the scar tissue it's begun to leave behind... however the doctors don't see it that way. They said that now it's gone, they'd like to see what happens next. What happens next is that the stupid thing will grow back and cause me more pain... that's what happens next!

During this month, I found some great photos from when I was a kid. Now, there was a reason for my trip down memory lane; and it was from a news article where things were being Dumbed Down for this generation of kids. There's too much technology out there at everyone's fingertips and everything is too easy to get. Gone are the days where it took forever to get from point A to point B, where we didn't have mobile phones, didn't have the net or anything computerised to keep us occupied. Nope... we didn't have a choice, we had to get outside and play with the neighbour's kids. So, I went and had a look at some photos of my childhood to see how basic it was back in the early 1980's... and boy! Was it basic! We had so much going on outside, that the only time we were inside was to have a bath, eat dinner and go to bed. So, the few posts about the history of the area I live in are to show how far Springwood has come in around 30 years; and it's a long way.

Over the last few months, I've barely had a weekend to myself. And last weekend was no different. On Friday, I was out to lunch with family and then off to CRS. Then, Saturday was a day out with some 365er's around Capt. Burke Park at the Storey Bridge here in Brisbane. That night Gabe and Kat brought the fish over for me to care for. Then, on Sunday, Mum and I went out with the Logan Art Gallery Volunteers to Bribie Island to see some arty places and have a lovely lunch at the Bribie Island Bowls Club. And the day out was great, hot and sunny... but the bus felt as though we were inside a steamer!

Well, that concludes my month of highlights! The great places I've been to, things I've written about and fun times I've had this month. It's been great. And next month will be better... with Christmas just around the corner! Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Favourite Photos Time - November!

2011-11-30T13:41:00.000+10:00

Wow! It's that time again, for my favourite photos that are stored up on my computer! Some have been seen on my Facebook page, some on my 365project page, while others haven't been seen on either. So, sit back and enjoy the sights of what I photographed this month.

I love this kind of effect on photos; and did this one on Picnik.

This was for Remembrance Day.

My Uncle Reg at his daughter's Baby Shower a few weeks ago.

Brisbane's Storey Bridge.

I just took it; and it worked out well.

A City Cat full of Santa Clauses... that's where they all go for lunch?

A Frangipanni bloom opening up near the Brisbane Jazz Club.

What all the volunteers received this year from the Logan City Council.

One of my neighbour's gardens. Just gorgeous!

Took a series of the sun emerging from this cloud... looks amazing!

What happens to all the used Westfield Vouchers?

Well, I hope you enjoyed my favourite photos for this month. I have loved taking them. I can't wait until next month when I'll be putting up more of what I've photographed.

Hot Crazy Days of Almost Summer

2011-11-29T12:09:00.000+10:00

Yep! Summer's almost here and already it's boiling hot, the nights are still, unbearable and unsleepable; and yet, we're surviving on cool drinks, cold showers and salads already. And it's only the last days of November. Today, it's supposed to be raining, and as I look out of my window, there's plenty of blue sky with a skittering of clouds. The air-conditioner is rumbling away there keeping this room cool - and computer too - and the rest of the house is opened up enough to let some air through.

This morning, I got stuck into the sheets, kitchen towels and hand-washing. However, I didn't get very far into it when the clothes line snapped! The day was heating up to a nice simmer when I found all my nice clean towels laying on the ground attached to the clothes line when that line was supposed to be suspended up in the air. I was not impressed. So, I called Dad and he came over and fixed the problem by tying a knot in the line as a temporary fix until we can get in and fix it properly. The way we have it now, with the bits of plastic running through isn't going to work; as the steel is cutting through it all, and that means it's cutting through the clothes line itself just as quickly - if not quicker.

So, after he fixed that, I got Dad a glass of water and started on the rest of my hand washing and got it hung out. Now, it doesn't look much, but it finishes up the rest of my laundry - except for three pairs of socks that were missed out on two days ago. I'm happy to say that at least I've got clean clothes for the next week now.

When Dad arrived, he said hello to the pets first - after me - and asked how the fish were doing. You see, Gabe and Kat dropped off Riley's fish for me to mind over Christmas and New Years; until the end of January. Seeing I'm not going away anywhere, I don't mind looking after them. Yesterday, I went to Pet County down the road and found that they were closing their doors after 33 years of being one of the biggest and best pet stores around the area. So, they're having a Closing Down Sale; which I took full advantage of. I bought enough fish food to last the goldfish until the end of their - and maybe into the next goldfish - lives. Then, I spotted a castle along one of the isles and found it was only $9.00 down from around $14.00. But it was only around an inch tall... not a very exciting thing for the fish. So, I kept looking and found a larger one for the same price but it was around ten times bigger! I spotted a toy for Little Miss Stevie that I've been looking for for the last few years; and so I picked that up too. The lady at the pet store gave me a large container to put the fish food in - for nothing - and so I came home with more than I expected and the fishies got more than they expected in their tank. Now, they're happy little things; swimming around the castle and hiding behind it all the time... very cool! They're getting around more and aren't as bored as they used to be; and that makes me happy too.

Well, it's just on midday. I've checked the mail, had the clothes line fixed, got my hand-washing done (and hung out), washed up from last night and this morning and Dad's visited... all before lunch. Yep, it's been a busy morning. I've still got the rubbish to sort out for the bins this week, the laundry in my bedroom to put away and the bed to make up and the bathroom to clean up too. Since it's become hotter, I'm trying to get as much done before 10am as possible - before the day becomes too hot and I can't do anything - and then when the afternoon comes around, I get in and try to do more things again. It's hard to work around the hottest part of the day; but I do try. Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

A Very Full Weekend

2011-11-27T21:52:00.001+10:00

Wow! What a full weekend I have had! And it started on Friday - not Saturday. I went out to lunch with my family at the Springwood Hotel where we ate up big and talked and caught up with each other. But I couldn't stay as I had an appointment with CRS at 2pm to look for work. It took only an hour and so I arrived back at Mum and Dad's place by around 3:15pm.

There were more of us, but this is what was left after a few hours.

A Santa Clause Party... right on the Brisbane River!

A weird picture I took of tree roots

On Saturday, Mum and I went out to a 365 Project Meet-Up. This is where a group of 365er's get together to chat, hang out and photograph and swap stories. Well, this was for the members around Brisbane. About 8 people showed up with 6 of us being the photographers of the lot. Much photography and fun was had - including a few funny photos and interesting ones. Like the one I took of around a dozen Santa Clauses on a City Cat having a party! They call out and I called back and they waved! How cool is that!

Well, the hours zipped by quickly and soon, we took a stroll along from the Thornton Street Ferry terminal to the next one down. I used to blade from Dock Street to Horton Street Ferry Terminal; then return to Southbank, and then blade back to Dock Street. This took 2 hours. Since that time - it's been years - a lot has happened, a lot has been developed and I'm pleased to say if I went and bladed along now, I'd be able to arrive at the Storey Bridge without having to remove my blades. How cool is that!

Well, we all took a break before going our own ways. Before long, it was time to return home and find out which photos worked and which ones didn't. So, Mum and I boarded the Thornton Street Ferry - heading for Eagle Street Pier - and found our way to Elizabeth Street to catch a bus home. Just before Garden City, I pulled out my Go Card and almost got off the bus; forgetting we were staying on until the Springwood Bus Station... oops! Goes to show how used to my own routine I am.

Today, Mum and I were out again to the Logan Art Gallery's Christmas Party for 2011. The day started out hot as hell and - by the time I had gathered together my little esky and my drinks - it was going to become hotter and stickier. By the time we had our photo taken and were on the bus and got going, we found out the air conditioner wasn't working; thus making our day out very warm indeed! So, when I pulled out my drink and guzzled it down and then my bottle of water, I found it was lovely and cold; and I thought to offer Mum to put her water bottle into my esky to keep it cool. Just as well I did! The day turned into a right boiler and the bus made every water bottle on board undrinkable; except the ones Mum and I had in our little esky.

The bus took us to Bribie Island where we enjoyed ourselves at a craft market which was situated next door to the Matthew Flinders Art Centre. I hadn't been to a market in ages; so I gave the art centre a miss and jumped straight into the market and looked around in the heat of the morning. It was lovely. There was so much to see; and I didn't see it all! I found some great coffee from Byron Bay - which I bought some of for $8.00 - and then I bought a cake of lovely Lemon Myrtle Soap for Mum for only $2.00 which was made from all natural ingredients! Its scent was delicious! I also tracked down some Neem Soap. this stuff is made in India from a tree which is a noxious weed; however, they can use every last scrap of it - from the roots to the flowers to the oil, to the leave and the bark... the whole tree is used. In comparison to something here, it's the same as our Camphor Laural; grows everywhere and anywhere, and yet, not matter how much they cut them down, they seem to have more.

The Bribie Island Bowls Club - a great place to eat!

What we all received as a thank you this year.

Trips the Cat????

Trips The Cat - as he usually appears.

After the markets, we were on board the bus by 11:45am to be taken to lunch at the Bribie Island Bowls Club. And after such a warm atmosphere on board the bus, this place was an oasis of cool! The air was lovely, the drinks were well-received and the service was brilliant. I found the Ladies' toilet to freshen up only to return to find a delicious vegetarian dish already waiting for me at the table. I didn't have to line up like everyone else. And the dessert of Bread'n'Butter Pudding with freshly whipped cream was just superb! And yet, I was served up a bowl of ice cold, fresh fruit salad... which I couldn't eat, so I shared with Geoff, Viv and Mum. After we drank our drinks and had our coffees (I made mine an ice coffee due to the heat), Annette, Chelsi and Marsha handed out the gifts of a pen in a wooden case. The pen was wooden as well! How beautiful! I loved it! This is something I will definitely use.

Well, we didn't wish to move from the bowls club - actually we were all ready to have a siesta. However, the day had to move on; and so did we. Our organisers gave us the option to get on the bus or walk to the next destination. Mum and I thought to walk to the Seaside Museum along with a few of the other volunteers. It was a lovely day and the sea breeze was a lot cooler than the air on the bus; and a lot fresher too. Along the way, we walked past a carnival for Christmas where a school band was playing, a radio station was working live, people were there with their pets and there were farm animals as well; it was great!

Finally, we arrived at the Seaside Museum and we were greeted by lovely cool air-conditioning.... and Trips the cat. He wasn't a real cat, he was a stuffed one - a replica - of Matthew Flinders' cat. He laid there on the front counter where everyone could pat him; or not if you don't like that kind of thing. Well, one of the ladies picked him up and we found the base of him looked like a frisbee! It was hilarious! I found this place wonderful and every interesting. I took plenty of photos and we all ended settling down and colouring in too until it was time to go back to the hot bus.

Unfortunately, it was so hot on board the driver opened some of the windows for us - cooling the interior down a bit - and we had a reasonable trip home. However, the air-conditioning really wasn't doing us any favours. Once home, I had a nice cool shower and ate some dinner. And I'll be off to bed soon; as it's been a very long three days.

Dirt Poor Vs Stinking Rich

2011-11-23T15:10:00.000+10:00

Today, I was out and about doing my shopping and found myself having a great conversation with Leigh in 'Make-it Fabrics' at Logan Central about how happy or sad people are when it comes to money. He said that the more money people have, the more they want; and the poorer people are, the less greedy they tend to be. I totally agree with him.

Since I lost my full-time job at RACQ about 15 years ago, it took me a long time to adjust to not having any money. I went from having a job, lots of money and being able to afford pretty much anything I looked at, to me living on only $900 per fortnight (to date) to cover my food, rent, bills and travel expenses. This doesn't include how much I put away into my savings accounts for other things I wish to save for - which is a lot for somebody on a pension/welfare - but I do live below the Poverty Line when it comes to the averages; but you wouldn't think it by the way I eat.

I make sure I eat well. Forget about where I need to go out socially; so long I have the right food in the fridge and pantry, I'll always have my health. And this is the most important thing which will make me happy. I don't care if I'm dirt poor... so long I can sit back, read a good book, listen to a vinyl on my stereo system and sleep in a bed a bed under a roof at night I'm happy. So what if I live in one of the poorest areas of Brisbane and Logan City? So what if I don't have the most up-to-date fashions or a car? It's not money that will make me happy, it's family, friends and so long I can pay my bills with what little money I've been allowed to have by the Australian Government that does. It's the little things that bring me the most joy. It's the song of my budgie; and her love, her cuddles, her funny moments and little kisses on my nose that I find joy in. It's the moment when I know I have finished a painting to best of my abilities - and the last 3 - 4 months of sitting in front of the same painting has really paid off - that brings me happiness. It's knowing that when I take a card off the K-Mart Wishing Tree each year, I can make another person's life that little bit better because - even though I'm dirt poor, just like them - I can help them believe there's somebody out there who cares enough to give of themselves.

If I was ever in the position where I had all the riches beyond my wildest imaginings, I really wouldn't know what to do with it. Besides publishing my books, improving my environment a thousand-fold and traveling a little, I'd probably end up investing a good lot of it and living off the interest because that's how I've been brought up: you don't spend it all, you save it like crazy because it might all vanish on you in a minute.

Even though I'm from an Upper-Middle Class background, I'm doing my best to be who I am. I'm alone, and yet not lonely. I have no money, and yet I'm rich in my own way. Life hasn't always been great to me, and yet I've had a great life in other ways. So, where do you stand on this scale? Are you stinking rich or dirt poor; or are you somewhere in the middle (there's nothing wrong with being there either)? And how do you feel about the separation of the classes being this way? Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

That Christmas Feeling

2011-11-22T11:16:00.000+10:00

I've been noticing that the Christmas season has come around yet again; and I've yet to go out and do some of that famous Christmas shopping - yikes! - again! Yeah, I've left it a little late this year. Even my Christmas cards aren't out yet. I wanted to send out a bit of a news letter to some of my friends but it's not working out the way I thought it would... might yet put it onto a disk and pop it into the mail with some photos on it too; like I did last year.

However, I do love this time of the year. Despite the heat and the storms that lurk around this part of the world I enjoy the family aspect of it all. It's something we don't get to do very much; only do at this time of the year. Most of the time, my friends only hear about what I've been up to at this time of the year and realise how busy my years are becoming as each one passes.

And this year has been particularly busy - with next year becoming even busier. Have you noticed that some years, Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas... there's something about it that it doesn't? I have and I think it's because I normally don't have enough money to buy the gifts I'd like to have to purchase for my family, or go out to the places I'd like to go to without having to rely on my family so much. It's not until the big day that I feel that Christmas Spirit of giving to everyone it starts to kick in; and I don't know why it happens that way.

This year, my Mum's been baking Christmas Cakes for everyone - it's as though she's taking orders like a real bakery; everyone just loves them. However, they're disappearing faster then she can make them. For me, my money's disappearing faster than it's going into the bank. I'm hoping Triple M does the big survey it did last year; and hands out the $100 Westfield Voucher (and I tell ya, that really did help me last year; even if it didn't show up on time, I did end up buying exactly what I needed for this year including my calendars, diaries and other bits to kick off this year... and still had a bit of money left over on one of the cars). This year, I don't have all that much money in the bank as I've been saving up big to go overseas. Yes, this year is my first year of saving to go to America; and I've gone above my expectations of $500... I've hit the $600 mark instead! How great's that? So, I'm a hundred dollars ahead of my goal already which means it can only get better. But it also means that sewing machine I received for my birthday will be getting a workout as I'll make a few book baggies for my family and back off on Christmas spending on them. It'll be another year of hand-made goodies; just like a few years back when I knitted a few things for them.

I do hate it when that Christmas spending rush doesn't do it for me; when I wish I could spend more on my family than I actually can. But it's the family togetherness I cherish more than anything now, the food my brother cooks and the laughter that we really should be enjoying more than anything else - not how many presents we can accumulate over the Christmas period. It's family that makes it all that much more special and the bond that holds us together that makes us work as well as we do. For me, I think about the poor people around this time; the people who don't have anything at all. I think about them more than anything. It's because I have a more than they do and - at times - I feel horrible about that. So, I give to the K-Mart Wishing Tree each year now so somebody out there is given something for Christmas - so they don't miss out - and they can say they received something lovely from somebody who thought about them.

So, what about you? What do you do to keep the Spirit of Christmas going on in your family and your life? Do you give to a charity? Spend more time with your family, who you don't see, over the Christmas period? Enjoy your time with your kids? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Growing Up In the 1980's - Holidays

2011-11-21T12:19:00.000+10:00

In the 1980's, it took a long time to get anywhere. Seeing there were no highways or tollways to take us places - to cut the times in half - we had to take the long way to get anywhere. It took almost an hour to drive into the city driving through Logan Road and other back streets. A day trip to Grandma and Grandpa's started at 8am and finished after dinner; and it would take us around 45 minutes to drive home, instead of the 20 minutes it took from Tarragindi.

The first time we decided to travel further than Tallibudgera we were in for a big shock. We had heard about this great little holiday destination called Brunswick Heads; and Dad was told the fishing was fantastic, us kids could have some fun, but the water was undrinkable. Well, we decided to go. We hooked up the Chesney van to the Kingswood and took off down there; with no clue how to get down there. We drove through the ranges. This took us an hour or so out of our way; and with a van on the back and a boat on top of us, made it very dangerous and heavy. We also got lost! We arrived down there around midnight and set up as quietly as we could... right next to the Pacific Highway! It felt as though the traffic was driving right through our annex when it zoomed by on the road day or night! The massive trucks made the van shake and most of our nights were rendered sleepless because Dad snored. Some holiday! To top it all off, most of the caravan park became physically sick from drinking the water by accident; and forgetting to boil it first. I was throwing up out of being worry that I was going to drink the water by accident because Gabe drank it (yeah, I was one of those kids!). And Mum and Dad thought this was going to be a holiday. At the same time, Mum weened me off my medications for my Epilepsy; this was the year I had grown out of my childhood Epilepsy. I barely noticed I was going off them. By the time I went back to school, I was an ordinary kid who had gone on holidays to a new holiday destination.

Over the years, the trip to Brunswick Heads has been refined to a fine art. We know what to take, what not to take and what we can get down there. The drinking water situation has been fixed up so it can survive the tourist season and we can drink the water from the tap. However, we've survived some really big things down there.

One time, the whole town went without water for about three or four days. None of us showered; and we had to ration our water. It was dreadful, but the little kids didn't seem to mind at all. And Dad showered at the surf club (the only place with running water). The only drawback with that place was that it had cold water showers only; not our idea of a clean shower, just another way to freeze our butts off in the Easter Holidays.

We've seen some really wet holidays where there was nothing to do but plays games, read books and watch the gutters fill with water. But then, that rain could also be very destructive. Like the time I was down the coast and it poured over Christmas Day Night, Boxing Day and the day after that. Right in the middle of those three nights, I was very tired and crashed early to the lovely thrumming of the rain on the annex roof; when at 3am or so, I hear a loud CRACK which woke me from a dead sleep. It was pitch dark when I called out to Dad - and when I didn't get an answer - I went back to sleep. At 6am, I woke to my alarm, turned over and found that the flouro above me appeared very close to me, until I reached up and found that it actually was very close to me! I laid there calling out to my parents who were sleeping soundly inside the van while I heard the annex roof creaking under the strain of all the water it had gathered in the three hours it had collapsed above me. Dad spent the day - a public holiday - looking around for a camping store in Mullumbimby to be open. Fortunately the owner of the biggest one around forgot his wallet and had returned to his store and sold Dad exactly what he needed to keep our annex from doing two things: 1. becoming a microwave oven and making everything boiling hot during the day and a steamer after rain, and 2. becoming a water tank again. I tell ya, I was very hesitant about sleeping under that annex that night; after all it was raining again that night and I really didn't want to sleep there again.

Another thing we've seen at Brunswick is flooding and evacuation. When Gabe and I were younger - well before they built the by-pass - I remember watching the Brunswick River break its banks and everyone in the Massey Greene Caravan Park (as it was called then) being ordered to pack up and leave three days before they were supposed to. Some people had another week or two to go; and they were packing up without being told. Us? Gabe and I could only help until a certain point, then wait until Mum and Dad had the van hooked up. But on this day, I remember standing up on an unpowered site (they're all powered now) and watching the river in turmoil. The tide was coming in as the river was trying to empty itself; and the water kept coming up. I found it an amazing thing to witness up close - a river attempting something that was going to partly destroy it; and yet we couldn't do anything to help it. It made me feel more than a little helpless. And the trip home was amazing! It was a huge convoy of holiday-makers taking the one road through the ranges to Brisbane with their trailers, caravans and cars, utes and 4X4's full to the brim of their wet camping gear.

The next time we were evacuated in that manner, I was driving a car. My Celica played a major part in the packing of Dad's fishing gear and my stuff too. I folded down my back seats (one of the main reasons why I loved the car was because of the extra space I could make in it through these seats; and that I could sleep in it if I needed to) and we packed it full. My car became part of the convoy on that two-way highway up through the ranges; being hit by a hubcap on the way through. When we decided to pull up in a vacant car park somewhere, I asked one of my cousins to help me and I found that my license plate had been bent back by the force that the hubcap hit my car. No other damage was done to my car thankfully. That drive was particularly tiring at it had taken so many holiday-makers to long to get home - again.

But over the years, since our first trip to Brunswick Heads, we have become a local family who holiday there. I have grown up in that town over my holidays and seen things come and go, people come and go and our van site move from the highway to being as close to the river front as we have it now (which is about 5 or 10 metres; how nice is that?). It's a lovely place to stay; quiet and pretty and the smell of the salt is so wonderful to inhale - so much different to heavier scents of a city.

So, what places did you go on your holidays when you were young that you remember? Did your family return to one place in particular year after year? Or did you travel everywhere; never staying in one place for more than a few years? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Growing Up in Logan City

2011-11-19T12:22:00.000+10:00

Being the youngest of two siblings meant I didn't have anyone to really hang out with except my big brother. So, we did everything together. From riding our bikes, hanging out with the neighbours kids and trick-or-treating (yes, we did that around here when I was young), Gabe and I did lots of things together because our area was quite young.

It wasn't long after I was born that Dennis Road was still a dirt track and in the mid-70's it was properly fixed up with bitumen. Our street was always the way is it - minus the massive amounts of traffic it now has. I remember the massive amount of lawn we had to play on out the front and out the back and how we could see the so much of the street while we ran around with the other kids around the place without our shoes on; and we all arrived home with grass stains on our clothes and our feet black, exhausted, ready for our baths at around 4pm.

Up the road from us was the Springwood Library. It was literally a five minute walk for me to get up there and after I taught myself to read with my brother's 'I Can Read' series of book from his school port, I went up there on Saturday mornings to continue the fun of reading my way through the Childrens' Section of the Springwood Library. Soon enough, though, I was offered my own library card and found out I could take home books to read and bring them back. This is where my absolute passion for reading began; aged 4 or so. And I read anywhere. This library was moved when I was in high school to the IKEA Centre because it needed more room. And what a place! It was closer to the schools, public transport and many other things that made it more popular for people to access it. It even underwent a new name: The Logan North Library. Pity. The Springwood Library has such a lovely ring to it. Then, this library was moved again; this time it was moved to Sports Drive next to the public pool. Now, it's good library, but it's so far away from public transport, schools and anything else, it's not all that popular, unless you've got a car. And the building where it was originally? Well, that has been turned into the Springwood Community Centre.

What I loved about where I lived when I was young was the forest behind our house. The block of land it was on extended to the Service Road next to the South East Freeway, lined the back of the houses on Cinderella Drive, Vanessa Boulevard and the shopping district (what they called it in those days) on Fitzgerald Avenue. It was a lovely place to run around in, search and enjoy. We had bon-fires, climbed trees, made a tree house (with the help of a couple of Dads from the neighbourhood kids) and enjoyed the privacy this forest gave us). I loved the wild birds, lizards and Pheasants that wandered into our yard at odd times during the year; and we learnt their calls too to bring them out of the garden beds so we could see them. It was wonderful to see the wild life so close to our homes.

However, as with everything, that type of lifestyle wasn't going to last forever. We were informed by the Logan City Council that something might be on the cards for that lot of land soon... and so we went on holidays when I was around 11 years old thinking we had time to see what it was going to be when we returned. However, we came home from Brunswick Heads to a dreadful shock. The block of land behind us was cleared completely - right down to the Service Road from our back fence! It was awful! I remember Gabe elbowing me in the car and I looked up to see the red dirt there, no trees guarding the privacy to our house and then we saw it... the back of our house! I felt so violated. I felt as though the whole world could look in on our private world we had created for ourselves over the time we had lived there. It was terrible; and even worse was when we drove through our garage and into the back yard, after we opened the back garage door, and saw the view we were going to have to put up with for years to come.

I never liked changed... and this was a big one. But when the shopping centre - Mall At Springwood - was built, I didn't like going there. It was my own little way of boycotting it; of hating it being there in my own way. Then, parts of the car park began to buckle as the pressure of the creek the council had pushed underground began to bubble to the surface. To me, this was hilariously funny - a show that nature couldn't be controlled by us humans - and never will be. However, they fixed the problem, resurfaced the damaged parts of the car park and it never happened again.

Now, I still look out on that shopping centre and sigh; remembering what was once there... my childhood playground. It may have just been a small piece of forest to some, but to me, it was something bigger. When you're little kid growing up in a new suburb, everything means something to you; and you become so attached to it all. So, when it's taken away and you have no control, it's the hardest thing to deal with. I'm sure, there's a part of your childhood that was taken away from you - something you had no control over no matter what you said or did - and yet, you still wish it was there all these years later. Until my next installment... remember your history. Take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

History, Never Repeat...!

2011-11-18T23:04:00.000+10:00

I love that song from the '80's because it's true. History doesn't repeat; well not exactly. Yes we had dreadful floods last Christmas, however they were over 20 years after the infamous ones in 1974.

The history I'm talking about is the history of where I grew up; and how I remember it. I have found that history happens differently for all of us depending on our point of view. We all remember the events of our lives differently - even though we were all there at the same time because how we felt and how we saw things happen and what we thought about those times are all individual to us as people. I remember growing up in my area as a very interesting time; as well as sheltered time. My family lived in a PIN House on what once was a quiet street with only a few other homes. We were only one of four or five houses on the now busy-as-hell, highway-like Cinderella Drive here in Logan City; and it's amazing how quiet it was at night, how silent the streets around Logan became after 9pm compared to today where nothing closes down completely and Brisbane has become a mini-metropolis-like-New-York-lookalike where it doesn't sleep. I wonder where the time has zoomed by and how it took all the privacy, silence and my childhood with it.

In the last few weeks, I've looked around my old childhood stomping grounds and found not a single thing has survived from when I was young. Down Thornhill Street - if you walked to the very end (where the townhouse complex is now), there used to be a block of dirt that went right through to Springwood Road to the left and if you kept on walking, it took you through to another dead-end road and onto another street. This used to cut fifteen minutes off my walk to primary school every day... and when you're a short kid like me, that was a lot of time! I remember the day I walked that short cut alone. My brother, Gabe, was sick with a cold (or something) and I was running late for school; and I didn't have a choice but to take it. Mum and Dad didn't want me taking it, but I did and arrived at school early enough to get to class just on time. However, on the way through, I had heard some kids riding their BMX's up near the Springwood Road end of the vacant block. When I hit the halfway mark, they all stopped and watched me. I found out later, they were boys who were new in my class that day and turned out to be bullies from there on in. Great, just what every small, redheaded kid needed in their lives... bullies.

However, that short cut isn't the only thing that I've noticed is gone completely. On the corner of my street and Fitzgerald Avenue is a large block of office buildings. Now, they've been there a long time; but I remember when they were built. And I remember before they were built, when there was a vacant block of land there with a track running diagonally through it from the corner of the Skov's house to the corner of the New Springwood Post Office (which we called The Big Pink Elephant... any guesses why? Okay, I'll save you thinking about it. The undercoat for the grey paint you see today was a lovely baby pink! And so, thus the nickname. Pretty funny, eh?). I used to walk that track nearly every weekend to buy myself a Bubble-O-Bill ice-cream... and believe me it was my favourite type at the time. And the bubble gum nose was massive! It took up most of his face! And it only cost me .80c to buy! How cool is that!!! Now, it's sickly sweet, the bubble gum nose is tiny and it costs around $2.20 to buy; a complete rip off, and yet kids still purchase them.

The kids who we played with in the neighbourhood were cool. There were the Walker Girls next door on the top side, the Carstens two doors up and the kid across the road who lived on the corner. Now, I mentioned the Skov's before. They were great people who had migrated from Denmark and just moved from Mt Isa after they climatised there and learned a bit of English. They had an original way of talking to us; but inserting curse words in amongst their ordinary speech. We helped them with how their diction. For example: they had a kitten and the kids called it Little Shit. Gabe and I said it wasn't the proper name to call a cat - asking what they were going to call it when it grew up - and they said, Big Shit (of course!). We talked them into calling it fluffy. It was stuff like that we had to get them to alter because it wasn't correct around the city for them to say. It's turned out that they became some of our closest friends. Unfortunately, one of their sons died in a horrible car accident and it split up their whole family.

The Skov's house isn't there anymore. It was sold and moved to another location and the Springwood Wellness Centre was built in its place. It's been a very lucrative business since it's been there; but I do remember that brick house well and that many families rented it. However it's the Skov's who were the best remembered out of all of them.

Well, the Carsten's and the Walker's have moved on. So have the Williams' (the people who bought the Walker's house after they left). After all these years, we've stayed on. However, this area has changed so much that I can't put it all in one post. So, I'll be splitting this up into a few posts over a couple of days. And I'll find a few more old photos I can show you too.

Medical Circles

2011-11-17T11:51:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I felt as though I was listening to a broken record while I sat talking to my doctor. However, it took forever to receive the letters for my ultrasounds; as the doctor surgery couldn't get them off the place that did them. Along with me requesting them twice, the doctors I use currently went and requested the letter a further four times before the fax came through! How horrible is that?

Well, the news was the same as it was before: 'seeing it's gone now, we'll just wait and see what happens next, okay?' I can tell you what happens next. The damned thing will grow back and cause me more problems! This doctor was a different one to the last two I went and saw - who told me the exact same thing - and this is why I wanted a different doctor. However, now, I'm beginning to think they don't want to help me with this or anyone else with this problem. So, I'm getting a second opinion and getting this problem fixed; as I don't believe we - as humans - should live our lives in pain, it's nothing we should put up with just because our doctors think we should.

Mum and Dad were as upset as I was when I returned to their place and they found out the results were what I had been told last year and the year before. So... we're getting another second opinion. It's very frustrating when this kind of thing happens and you feel as though life just isn't working out the way you had hoped; and nobody is willing to help you.

While I was at their place, I took photos of Mum cooking the third Christmas Cake this year (as she found a great recipe and tried it out as a fruit cake; but then it tasted better as a Christmas Cake when she added booze to it). So, I stuck around and wiggled my fingers at the fish (they seem to like it; hungry little guys!) and talked to Mum about things. Then, she had to go to the optometrist to have her eyes tested. This took a good hour; so I turned on the television at 4pm and watched 'Roseanne' and then 'Family Ties' - two great and funny sitcoms from the late '80's while Dad painted the new extension out the front. Just as 'Family Ties' was ending, I turned it over to 'Hercule's to watch the credits and write down the protection clause - or what wasn't protected and ended up dying or blowing up - and I wrote it down (in this episode 'Finally the demon Dakah is killed in the production of this program' ... brilliant!). Anyway, I ended up watching part of 'That 70's Show' and found out that Mum and Dad didn't have any Epilum at their place. So, when Mum dropped me home, she picked some up and made sure I was okay when I took it.

For dinner, I had a salad roll and - for dessert - I drank my usual green tea, ginger drink and ate a few blocks of Whittaker's Dark Chocolate with Almonds (Yummo!). It was still a very hot night though; and there wasn't much on the television. I watched it until 9:30pm then closed up the house, put the phone on the charger, said good night to Little Miss Stevie and went upstairs.

I was on the computer until after 11pm before I went to bed; but I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned for quite a while before I fell asleep. I think that it was what happened at the doctors that bothered me. But I'll find the answers to my newer medical problems; as I believe that in this day and age - with all this technology around - we do have more answers today than we did 20 years go. And I know there's somebody out there who can help me with my ovarian cyst; as it's such a common problem that there can't be thousands of us women walking around with them without some kind of answer to it all.

After A Hot Day...

2011-11-15T23:10:00.000+10:00

It's been a very hot day today; and I had to go and get an ultra-sound done. This is so I can take it to the doctors tomorrow afternoon to see what we can do medically to prevent what occurred on 4th, November ever happening again. I don't wish to be traveling overseas and end up in a hospital somewhere having to fork out a couple hundred dollars for a doctor to tell me something I already know... so I need to fix this now before anything else.

But today, after the scan, and after lunch, Dad came around to my place to borrow my computer. He needed it to look at a hard drive that his computer wasn't recognising; and wanted to know if mine would recognise it. However, my computer wouldn't 'talk' to it either. So, he took it out and now has the problem of wondering what to do with it; and who to take it to. While he was here, he also fixed the cold water tap in the basin of the bathroom. It had been locking up when I turned it on and he could feel how tight it was. So, he sprayed some lubricant onto it and got it working well; however it does need to be cleaned up properly in the near future to make it work even better.

While he was upstairs, in the nice air-conditioning, I was downstairs, washing up in the kitchen and cleaning the stove. It was hot down there while I scrubbed the crap and grease off the plates and off the counter. However, it was satisfying to look at it and know it was clean and ready for use whenever I needed it. Then, I made him a coffee with my plunger, sprayed Little Miss Stevie and poured myself a Cranberry Juice from the fridge.

After he left, I tidied up a little and watched a bit of television then, I made a lovely salad for dinner - it was so lovely and delicious even the really spicy mayonnaise didn't seem so spicy after a while. Then, I made my usual green tea and pulled the dark chocolate from the fridge and watched a few sitcoms while I knitted and watched my little bird snooze in the hot lounge room while the fan pushed around the warm air from outside.

It was nice to hang out with Dad. He enjoyed the coffee; and asked where I got it from. I told him it was a German mid-roast and I bought it last month and have had a few cups and have forgotten about it until today... oops! Oh well, that happens. At least it didn't taste horrible. Well, I best be going. I have a busy morning tomorrow. I'll be getting in and doing more housework before taking off to the bus stop earlier than usual (as Translink has changed the bus timetable and pumped up the prices of catching a bus! How's that for putting everyone off traveling by public transport? And seeing I don't have a choice, it's not a good thing to do to me - or others in my position. Well until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Dumbing Down

2011-11-13T23:33:00.000+10:00

I was reading the paper this morning and found a very interesting piece that I totally agreed with; in more ways than one. Kylie Lang has it one when I read about how technology is really making us dumb. And it's not only Twitter and Facebook that's doing it to us; it's also how we have been taking the whole approach to life.

A great example is how advertisers think that because it's cooked in a microwave - and it takes only 4 minutes - well it must be good for us. When truthfully, when anything it cooked in a microwave, it's cooked from the inside out, the moisture is pulled out of it and it more or less tastes like cardboard. This is one reason why I have boycotted these machines from my kitchen from the moment I moved into my own place. I don't like them; and will never buy one or even accept one as a gift. I see cooking as something of a challenge and something fun to do; a learning experience and knowing exactly what goes into each meal is something I've been brought up with and it shouldn't be lost.

Now, technology is something else. If I didn't keep up with the times, I would be lost. Without the internet and learning - teaching myself - how to use it properly, I'd have no idea what was going on in the real world. This particular type of technology can be a learning experience or a hindrance. It depends on how you look at it. I don't do Twitter... it's stupid, it's lazy, it's one of the worse ways of communicating without actually talking face to face that if you really don't want to talk to anyone, well, you may as well be a bloody hermit and be done with it. The same with Facebook. I had to be talked into going onto Facebook as my whole family and 90% of my friends are on there. So, I've kept the personal details as basic as possible.

As for other things such as Wii's, X-Box's and other computer games you hook up to your television? Well, no I don't have them in my house; and they are not allowed past my front door. This isn't because of my illness; it's because I value the spoken language much more than I do staring at a screen and acting like an idiot for long periods of time. Or music. Would it hurt anyone to sit down at an instrument - such as a piano - and actually play it? There's nothing better to hear at night than a well-played piano, guitar or saxophone playing away in the darkness after dinner instead of a video game blaring out of the television speakers.

I have a dvd player and use it once or twice a month to play some of my favourite movies; and I do this usually on a Saturday night as everyone around the place is very restless at this point in the week and putting on a dvd doesn't hurt once in a while. I also play vinyls or cds because there's just utter crap on the television; and I mean it's just rotten television programming. I don't like - and will never like - reality television. It sucks and should be gotten rid of as it's destroying how television is supposed to entertain the public.

And now, I'd like to talk about the amount of information that is right at our fingertips compared with what used to be there before everything zoomed into the Gigi-byte age. I remember when I was young - at high school - and we had the very first laptops. They were 3cm thick with a very small screen; and they didn't do much. Their memory sucked, and so did the battery if you dared to unplug it from the wall. And the huge amount of colours you had to choose from to type with? Well, amber on black ... and amber on black and ... jeez... amber on black. There wasn't any choice, that was it. Each day we started them up, it took a full 10 minutes for them to get up to the screen we needed and saving anything took about 1 1/2 minutes as it grunted and grounded away there onto a 3 1/2 inch disk. Speaking of which: God help you if your disk became corrupt and all your assignments and school work was on it! Nothing could help you, nobody could pull anything off it because, one day it worked and the next it didn't. Yes, when I went to high school, technology was just grinding away there as a snail's pace... very, very... very slowly.

Very suddenly, we had the internet. Dial-up at first; and then it graduated to Broadband, then cable... and then wireless! All of the information is all right here on the net and it's so easy for us to obtain. All you need to do is Google it and ... well, that's it. There's pages and pages of crap for you to peruse to your heart's content about anything you want from books, Epilepsy, Andy Warhole, car engines, surgery (and how it's all done) to medications, gardening, mining in different countries and the history of pretty much anything you can think of. However, it's how we use this instrument that matters. Are you sitting there googling crap just for a giggle or are you Googling crap because you seriously want to learn something new?

For me, I taught myself how to use the internet as a social networking tool. Over time, I learnt how to find reading and book sites, friends I haven't seen in a long time and use two different types of e-mailing accounts as well as Facebook, YouTube and 365Project and a photographic editing program called Picnik. There's so much out there on the net to learn that a lot of people don't know what we have on offer - what we are paying our monthly fee for - and really if we're not learning anything worthwhile off the internet, we're all going backwards in intellect, not forwards.

Warm, Fine Weekend

2011-11-13T11:35:00.000+10:00

It's been a good weekend; nice and sunny and fine. However, seeing the days are becoming longer and they are warmer earlier in the mornings, this means I'm getting out of bed earlier as well. So, seeing my next door neighbours have parted ways and he wants to sell the unit (yep, a lot has gone on that I have ignored purposely simply because it's none of my business; but he told me in the last few weeks that she left him over the fence while bringing in the laundry). Well, yesterday was supposed to be the Open Day for their unit, so I was up early, dressed and out in my back yard pulling weeds, mowing the lawn and making the place look nice so his place could be sold easier. I think it's just common courtesy to clean up your yard if your neighbour is trying to sell their house. This gives the new buyers an idea of what kind of person you are; that you do look after your place and you're a nice person, nice enough to have a tidy yard. For me, I really did need to get into as I haven't pottered around in my yard in a long time.

So, there I was out in the courtyard with my push-reel mower at 7:45am, then I pulled out a lot of weeds - including Bindis' - and then I went over to the back fence and pulled out some taller and more hardy weeds and found them a lot harder to dig out; finding I had to work on them more. I knelt down and really pulled hard and found I was attacked by some green ants! Little bastards! My God, it hurt like hell! I pulled the weeds out and went inside and applied Lavendar Oil onto the bites and took an antihistamine before going back outside to clean up the place. Once everything was put away and the rubbish bin was closed, I came inside, fed Little Miss Stevie and swept out the front; pulling as many weeds as I could from out the front of my place as I could in one go. When I had that finished, I was famished; and really needed some breakfast. So, I went inside and ate my muesli then jumped online for a few hours; knowing I had gotten a good lot of work done for the day.

After I got offline, at around 1pm or so, I decided to do some reading downstairs. But the lounge was messy and I couldn't stretch out on it fully. So, I tidied that up, putting things away, throwing things out and finding all the remote controls; as well as taking what needed to go to the kitchen from the previous night there. It was a good half hour before I could sit down and read; and by then, I was hungry too. So, I grabbed some wholegrain chips and a book I'm halfway through and enjoyed the quiet afternoon reading for about an hour or so. By around 3pm, I looked around and Little Miss Stevie was snoozing, a lovely breeze was coming in through the window and the fan was pushing another breeze from the back door. The house was nice and cool for the afternoon; and I wanted to do some painting; but wanted to wash my hair first.

I sat down to the easel after nice refreshing, cool shower and poured out some paint on to a fresh pallet, picked out a thick, flat brush and then - with the turntable running - I worked on the background of 'Lost Pages'. It took me about an hour and a half to get the colours anywhere near what I hoped to have them so I could work with them today; but it was worth it. Later on, after dinner, I worked more on the painting until around 9:30pm as there was nothing worthwhile on the television.

Today, I woke to another lovely, warm day. Yep, it's a lovely day. There's a few clouds in the sky; but nothing threatening, the breezes are nice and the sun is beautiful. What more could we ask for from Queensland? Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember, I'm always here.

Lest We Forget

2011-11-11T20:56:00.001+10:00

I was out and about early today to get myself to Garden City and then back to Springwood before 11:30am. However, I did get a lot done while up at that particular Westfield Shopping Centre; and nearly lost all my purchases in one foul swoop!

I went to the bank first and pulled out all the money I needed to make buy my cousin a present for her Baby Shower, some paint and a Stephen King book I had on order (and I used my book voucher from QBD I had gotten a few weeks ago so it cost me even less than the price they quoted). I put all my purchases into the gorgeous Shakespeare fold-out bag Mum bought me from the UK and went to catch the bus to Springwood.

However, the bus service had change all the timetables and the ones at Garden City don't include any buses from Logan City. So, I phoned up Translink and used up my all my credit (damn!). By the time I was at the Springwood Bus Station, I stepped off the bus without my Shakespeare bag - then remembered it at that last moment and jumped back onto the bus and grabbed it! - and then walked to the lifts and found it was 11am. So, I quickly photographed my watch telling the time and paused for a minute of silence. And then, I photographed my surroundings; so I could tell where I was at that time of the day today. I grabbed the lift and walked across the Service Road and to Coles where I bought myself a drink, straws and a new freezer bag before walking up to CRS for my job appointment.

This went really well. However, I did forget my red folder which holds all my certificates; oops! Oh well, doesn't matter, I'll take it next time so we can fill in the holes of my resume. After an hour, and after meeting my new jobsearch person, Melissa, I walked to Mum and Dad's place to chill out for the afternoon.

Yep, today was a right scorcher! I took my hat with me and I really didn't wish to be anywhere without it. So, I made sure I did have it on all day until I arrived at CRS and went to the toilet and took it off there. I should have taken my shoes off; but I didn't think I was going to be at my folks' place all that long. However I was there for hours.

When Mum returned home from where she was, I showed her the baby book I bought for my cousin and she loves it; saying how cute it was. And then I gave her the remembrance badge I bought her at Garden City (which is the same as mine) and she said she had bought hers already. Oh well, that means I have two! Doesn't matter, so long my money went to a good cause, that's all I care about.

I was dropped off home at around 5pm or so by Dad as they had to go out for dinner at the Killips' place where they were meeting up with Gabe and Kat. I enjoyed a nice salad roll for my dinner; and have listened to 'The Blues Brothers 2000'... it's not really my type of movie; but the first one was great. Little Miss Stevie is in her cage with the pedestal fan blowing around the living room; yeah at last I pulled the fan out of the wardrobe and put it together to cool the place down (as I can pull the feet off it; thus making it easier to store it). Well, until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember I'm always here.