THE BEST DAY OUT!

Today was the best day for me; but it didn't start that way.  I didn't sleep all that great last night as the moon kept me awake for a good part of it as it drifted across the sky.  I had to keep getting up in my sleep-deprived stupor and pull the curtains closed.  So, when the alarm went off this morning, I felt as though I hadn't had enough sleep.

But that didn't get in my way of making today something great.  Actually, I ran early because I kept myself away from Farmville and the computer before going out.  I also got going at around 9am, so I got to the post office early and happened to be 15minutes early for the bus... what bonus!  This bonus time paid off in a big way!  I walked past this house on Kingston Road where there's been about three bags of stuff left out next to the letterbox for the last three or four

days.  I've been noticing that those bags have been walking lately.  Then, the ALDI bag flapped at me... and I realised it was a book cover!  I turned around and walked back and took a look.  This whole bag was full of books.  I judged that I had plenty of time to take them home and dump them just inside the front door while I did my shopping.  When I arrived home, I pulled the  bag apart (in case there was something in there besides books; with people these days, you never know what they'll put in bags with books.  There's so little respect for them now).  When I found there were just books and nothing else, I was so happy and relieved.  And I made to the bus stop on time too!

Once to my destination of the shopping precinct at Logan Central, I went to Life Line and they had stocked up on little coin purses and handbags.  I was happy to see that my old handbag had been snapped up by somebody who was in need of a preloved bag.  It's so good to see your own stuff picked up off the shelf when you no longer need it.  Well, I found some of the lovely little coin purses were just sweet and bought a fair few of them along with an Oroton

handbag!  And what a lovely bag it is.  It matches the purse one of my friends sent me from the coast!  I'm so thrilled I found its match.

Well, my day got better and better.  At 'Woodys' my television series arrived (the one that Christian Slater is in) and I began paying that off along with my usual dvds on the layby.  But, the down side to my day was that the pet store I usually got Little Miss Stevie's millet from has stopped stocking it because the company they bought it from went out of business.  Bummer!  I said that it was the freshest stuff around; and the lady agreed and said they only buy the fresh stuff (as it's the most popular and best for birds to eat).  She said that seeing there's other pet stores around the area now, I'd probably find fresh stuff there.  I hope I do.  I don't want to have my bird go without her treat of millet because the companies out there go out of business.  I told her that I'd grow it; if only the damned possums didn't eat everything I grew!  She laughed agreeing with me, knowing how I felt.

I bought my medications of Topamax and Epilum and - while I was waiting for them - I went off to the Oriental Shoppe to pick up some Tofu and other Asian things I haven't seen around the shops.  By the time I returned to the chemist, my prescription was ready and I could keep going on with my day.

Coles was my next stop.  I did all my grocery shopping and found that I came up cheaper than expected!  Yay!  How good is that?  I also had more than enough money to buy my 'Good Reading' Magazine and get home by cab!  Yep, this was most definitely a great day out!  The weather even stayed beautiful for it too!

August Is Something Different!

This month has been very busy!  My brother bought a wicked coffee machine and brought it to Mum and Dad's house to set up.  After much trial and error and waiting for the temperature to get up, we had coffee!  It was lovely, but my brother being a perfectionist wasn't pleased with it.  He said that because they bought the coffee beans at a shop like Woolworths, he thought it would taste better.  Well, if you buy retail, it won't taste as good.  I suggested he try out Gloria Jean coffee beans as they sell them fresh at the coffee shops and you can sometimes test them out before you buy.  He said he'd have a look around.

On the following week of the 7th, August, I had the most horrendous headache had haunting me.  When I was in bed sleeping, I was fine.  I was also fine when I was playing the piano.  However, if I was doing anything else, well, I had a thumping headache, my eyes felt like they were out on stalks and I could barely eat or stand daylight.  So, off to the chiropractor I went and he found out that I had moved my head around in a funny way and made one of my neck bones press against the base of my skull... not a pleasant way to feel.  But he said that I had that neck bone pushing right up against my skull for the whole week.  He said that being in bed was probably alleviating the pressure and the posture that I sat at the piano for was also the correct sitting position we all need to sit with.

I've been painting a Traffic Signalling Box across the road from my unit complex.  They change the lights at intersections and can be pretty boring-looking as they are normally painted an army green or gray colour.  So, what the Queensland Main Roads Department has thought of over the last few years or so is to get artists from all over Brisbane to paint the signaling boxes so they didn't get tagged by kids who think it's cool to put their initials on everything.  I saw the one across the road and thought it would be fun to paint one of these things.  After handing in a design, and having it accepted, I asked Mum if she wanted to do it with me.  She jumped at the chance; but at the same time, she was asked to help Aunty Helen with her high school's big celebration (I think it's its 50th Anniversary I'm not sure) and so, Mum's been splitting up her time between me and Aunty Helen.  Painting the TSB has been physically and mentally a massive challenge for both of us; but it's been fun.

I won a double pass to see 'Salt' with Angelina Joli in it; and I took Mum to see it.  Seeing it was being shown in the city, we had to organise ourselves for the day and catch a bus in.  It was also on one of my paydays... so that was different too.  It was a very exhausting day.  Ian Skippen was there from Triple-M Radio station and he was disgusted about how people just kept on dribbling in when he had begun talking; saying to quickly find a seat.  Even then, they just stopped and looked at him as though they were staring into a set of oncoming headlights.  Idiots!  And even when the lights were down, people were still coming in!  There was even a couple who brought in a new-born baby!  What?  They couldn't find friends who didn't want the ticket?  Couldn't find babysitters at a week's notice?  Did they want to deafen they baby at that young age and terrify it at the same time?  Idiots!  They soon left once the first action scene broke out... which was five minutes in.

And speaking of movies, Mum took me to see 'Knight And Day' with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.  Even though I'm not a Tom Cruise fan (and haven't been for a long time), it's a great film in itself.  So, for a good laugh and dry humour, it's worth going to see.

Also this month, we had a Federal Election.  It hasn't been fun.  You see, we had a Prime Minister ordered to step down by his Deputy Prime Minister.  Then, there was a big shamozzal about her being Prime Minister and they called an election so we could pick one.  But it seems that none of us wanted any of them to run the country and it became a Hung Parliament.  So, the Greens have been sorting out who is running the country.  Personally, it took almost until lunch to get Mum, Dad and I to a poling booth because the school I normally go to decided not to open to one (and also they didn't tell anyone they weren't going to be one).  Then, the other school we went to had a massive line and then finally, the high school we went to normally didn't allow itself to become a poling booth.  So, something went wrong in the mix of things.

My Big Tidy-Up returned on the weekend.  After the Winter of not being around, I decided it was time to get back into it and put things away and get tidying again.  So, I'll be blogging about which part of the house is tidy and clean and which parts have yet to be done.  And there's always something to be done around here.  Until next month's Something Different, see ya later!

So, that's it.  My month of difference.  It's not very exciting this month, but it's been a cool month difference nonetheless. 

Night Creatures

Last night, just as I turned off the light and snuggled under my duvet, I heard a Boo-book Owl.  I haven't heard one since about April.  It was the most gentle sound in the silence of the evening as I listening in the darkness and its calls lasted for about half an hour.  I thought it was the sweetest thing I had heard all night.  What a wonderful bird; and yet we don't see it during the day.  Happily, I went to sleep with the moon rising behind my curtain.

At around 4am, I was awoken by a flock of Kookaburras.  They laughed and cackled for a few minutes and eventually stopped.  This is the second time I've been woken up by them in as many nights.  I was woken up twice by them on Sunday morning at 2am and 5am.  The 2am flock were much closer to us than the second flock and so I wondered when we'd be in for the rain they were predicting.  And seeing we've heard them this third time, I'm sure it's going to rain this week.

We also have possums.  They can get pretty noisy as they fight over food and places to sleep.  I normally hear them run relay races along my carport roof... it's funny when they do that because of their competitive ways.  They also fight in the trees and long the fences.  But when we come out with some food - like a banana - they are all cute and fluffy and ready to play nice to get that fruit off us.  Or if they don't like us, they'll wait for us to peel it for them and they'll come during the night - while we sleep - and take it off the fence posts or the old plates we leave the food for them on.

What kinds of animals do you hear at night?  Do they wake you up or do you hear them early enough in the evening to see them in your yard?

The Big Tidy-Up Returns!

For one reason or another, I didn't quite finish the Big Tidy-Up this year.  I think it was because it was the weather; and how cool it became.  So, it's now come back and I'm into it again.

This morning, I got into my housework early with the laundry being hung out by 9:30am.  Then, I gathered together the newspaper from last week, junkmail from the PO Box and the street letterbox and a pile of books from the Children's Book Cull from earlier in the year that has been sitting around the place for the last 5 months and tossed it all in the wheelie bin.  Then, I put away my shopping trolley, vacuum cleaner and shoes too. 

Then, I turned to the kitchen table and gathered up the paper from today and tossed it onto the floor next to the garage door (ready to be tossed out at the end of the week) and then sorted out the empty envelopes, dead batteries from the digital camera and cleaned down the table with a damp washing up cloth and gumption.  Once it was clean enough, I gave the table a wipe down - as well as the chairs and folded up the kitchen towels and put them away.

The washing up was next.  I washed up everything except two pots with wooden spoons.  Why?  Well, they had to soak for a bit.  Then there was the cutlery from this morning that I forgot to wash up.  Otherwise, the cupboard doors are clean, the bench is clean and the rubbish was taken out from the last few days.  There's still a lot to do around the house; as per usual.  I have laundry to put away, paintings to store, books to find places for and dusting to get into (and believe me, there's dust in places in this townhouse that you wouldn't believe there is!).  So, until my next post about The Big Tidy-Up, get into your Spring Cleaning and let us know what you've done to jump into it.

Sleepless In Brisbane

Well, I never thought this would happen to me for any other reason except that my meds were keeping me awake.  Since Friday night, I've had nothing but bad nights' sleeps; and it was from other things outside my control.

On Friday night, I visited a wonderful friend of mine who was moving out of the complex.  We've been friends for around five years and we both like each other a lot; and on Friday night, he asked me not to go home, to stay with him.  I didn't stay the night; but I was tempted.  I haven't been in a relationship for a very long time and knew he wouldn't push if I said no that night.  He did promise to stay in touch and I said I didn't wish to lose him again (last time he left here he disappeared from my life for a long time).  I got home on Friday night and went to bed; but didn't sleep for a long time.

Saturday was a day of keeping busy on the net, photographing things and I caught up with my friend.  We chatted about the night before and we were more relaxed around each other; which is better than how we were before.

That afternoon, I jumped back on the net and stuffed around, talked to a few friends and then edited a story or two before getting off the computer and then practiced the piano at around 4pm.  It was only for 20 minutes or so, but it felt good to get back into it again.  I made dinner and before I knew it, it was dark outside and a friend of mine called me (Nick) and we caught up with two weeks' worth of news.  It was good to hear from him again after missing each other's calls for so long.  Then, I watched three episodes of 'Moonlight' on dvd and went to bed after a shower.

Today, I bought the paper and found I had two 'Escape' sections in it; this is why it was thicker than the other papers... oh well, I still got charged the same amount: $2.00.  I washed up a little after breakfast and did some laundry that really needed to be done.  Then, Mum called to see if I was okay.  I said I was and she said that I might have been out on a date.  I assured her I wasn't - and hadn't been - and told her what happened on Friday night.  What a mistake!  She went into a spiel about how set in my ways I am and how it could all go wrong.  Well, after about 20 minutes, I said to her that she's blown it all out of proportion.  My friend didn't ask me to move into a house with him, marry him or anything else.  He asked me to stay the night.  I wonder about my Mum sometimes.  Does she want me to be single for the rest of my life?  She told me about a friend of hers who's got a man in her life but they live in separate houses; and they're happy.  Well, that may have worked for them, but a lot of the times when you'd like to be with somebody - or get to know somebody - it does take time (and a lot of sleepless nights).  Why my Mum jumps to conclusions about my life and nobody else's is beyond me.  Yeah, I've had a rough time, but I'm okay now.  I think it'd be nice to share my life with somebody who wants me in theirs.

Well, that's my weekend at the moment.  It's getting onto lunch time.  The laundry is still out on the line and sun is still out warming the day.  Spring is almost here... thank goodness! 

A Good Day To Stay Home

As the title says: it was a good day to stay home; truly it was.  The wind was chilly, the temperature was low and I had to don my leather gloves to go out and about anywhere.  And the places Mum and I went were the nutritionist and the dentist.

Over at Sunnybank, I was given a clean bill of health by Holly Frail; who told me that my diet as a vegetarian is very good.  All I needed to do was eat a little more for lunch (seeing I don't actually have lunch due to my medications keeping my appetite away); otherwise, I'm doing everything else right.  She also gave me a few recipes to try out too... and they all sounded brilliant!

Mum and I broke out of usual routine of good healthy food and grabbed some Hungry Jacks on the way home... it was lovely to eat something and not feel horrible about it.  All too soon, it was time to take off to the dentist where I was told my teeth were in great health.  Peter Caswell told me that I had a little wear mark on a tooth I was worried about; otherwise my teeth were in good shape.  All they needed was a good clean by the hygienist and for me to back off using Biotene for a little while.  I'm so pleased the cavities are going away and my teeth are getting better; and so is he... not to mention Mum and Dad!

Well, I got home tonight and made myself a lovely pasta dish and I could still taste the paste Peter put on the wear mark on my tooth - it tasted like bananas - otherwise, it was a slow night in the way of programs on the television.  I watched a repeat of 'Lie To Me' and then put on an episode of 'Moonlight'.... a very cool vampire show I used to watch.  Such a pity they only made on series of it!

I'm off to bed now.  I hope tomorrow is better than today; then Mum and I can finish the TSB and send the box back to Clayfield.  Well, good night all.  Until my next post, take care and keep warm - or cool - whatever your case may be. 

A Blast From the Past

I've had a good weekend - if you don't count the goose chase of a day called voting day.  I spent a good part of yesterday morning with my parents trying to vote on who runs this chicken farm called Australia.  After one school was closed - because the polling

booths had been moved and nobody was told - and the next school we tried out had a line where we had to wait 45 minutes to get in, Dad drove us to Springwood State High School.

Now, this place has some memories for me from my childhood that I remember well; and all good ones.  As we drove through the gates at the top of the hill and took the long road to the school, Mum said she didn't remember the last time we were at the school.  I said that I did; and it was when I was a little gymnast aged 9 years old for the Springwood

Springers.  We met in the gymnasium and as we came to the end of the road, we found that the old place hadn't changed much; just had more gardens around it more buildings as the school grew over the years.

We walked up after parking the car and found that we were going to vote in the gymnasium.  And as I waited outside for my turn to go in and get my named crossed off, I told the lady who was standing at the door that the last time I was here was as a child.  She asked why and I told her about my days as a little gymnast... she thought it was great that I remembered it so well and fondly too.

As I walked into the place, I looked around and found the place inside had changed a lot more than I thought.  Sure, the stores rooms (where the mats were kept along with the equipment) was still at the same end and the markings on the concrete were the same, but the whole place had underdone a rejuvenation and it was new.  My memory of the place may have been clear to me, but there were things around the place that weren't there before.  But that's progress.

I'm just glad the building is still there.  My memory of it was without the gardens and mainly it being surrounded by just dirt and not much else as the school was still growing slowly.  

So, what have you revisited lately that has been an absolute blast from your past?   Did it change colour, shape or stay the same?  Did you feel the same about the place as you walked through it?  Or were your feelings new and exciting because the place was still there after so long?

Well, until my next post, keep warm - or cool - whatever your case may be.

Voting Day Shamozzal

Springwood Central Poling Booth

What a mess today has been!  This morning, I woke early and went to the local school on Smith Road to vote to find it was closed and there were people arriving to do the same; it was 8am, when the voting poles opened.  While I was standing around wondering who the hell to call,  a car pulled up and a lady go out, called somebody and shouted out that the Polling Booths had been moved to Jean Street.  This is another half hour's walk away for me... and put other people off.  My question today, is:  why weren't we told that this was going to happen?

So, I called my parents and told them.  I was really mad about this.  They weren't too pleased that I couldn't get my voting done as early as I usually do.  This meant they had to drive me to a school to vote - as well as themselves.

By 10:30am or so, we were off to Springwood Central Primary School where we found there was no signage, very little direction of where the booths were in this school.  When we finally did find them, there was a 45 minute wait to get in.  Dad said to stuff this and we took off to yet

Springwood High School Polling Booths

another school:  Springwood State High School.  This school never does poling booths, but it was there we voted.  It took no time at all and we heard that at Springwood Road Primary School, the lines were as long as Springwood Central.  

This was a ridiculous day of running around and stupid for us to have to find out through other people while we were out and about on the day where to vote.  I was not told of the school around the corner not being used for poling booths; and yet there's still another 8 hours or so to go until they close... which will make it a very long day; and still there

will be people who won't be able to vote because they will be mis-informed about where the poling booths are and aren't.

So, why is it that we are kept in the dark about where to vote?  Is there really so much to hide from us that they don't want to fair fight on this day?  If so, what's to hide that's so bad? 

Busy, Busy Week Almost Finished!

Whoda thunk it?  It's Friday... finally!  Thank God for that!  I for one am thankful that this week is coming to an end; however it's not without it's feeling of being a roller coaster.

Monday and Tuesday were mainly my two days to scratch and really just sort out my laundry, shopping list and figure out what the heck I'm going to do when Wednesday does finally come around... the day when my week really kicks off.

When Wednesday did arrive, I was out of bed as close to sparrowfart as I dared myself and got ready to go shopping.  The money was transferred across, my photo for 365 was uploaded, my breakfast was eaten, Stevie was cared for and the shopping trolley was pulled out of the cupboard and prepared.  I posted off a parcel via sea mail to Canada and then was off to the bus stop; where I arrived just in time to catch the bus!  Once I got to my stop at Triple C, I walked to Life Line in search for a new handbag to use in everyday life... yep it was time to upgrade to another one.  At the post office, I had to pull out three or four things to find the PO Box key and that was embarrassing.  So, I thought it was time to get a new one  that was more likely to store my stuff and less likely to hide it.

And I found a lovely one!  It only cost me $10 and was a Pinelands brand; and it fits everything I need in all it's pockets and zips perfectly... and I love the long strap on it!  What a bag!  Once outside, I emptied the old one into the new one and redonated it back to place I bought it.  They were happy it was still in such good shape.  Actually the lady said she remembered that it had been a few years since she sold it to me; and is amazed it's still in good working order - actually in the same kind of condition I had bought it in.  I'm just hoping the next owner has as much satisfaction with that handbag as I did... now I've got a new one, I'm happier.

Off to Woolworths I went and my grocery day began.  I bought my fresh fruit and veggies and chocolate here and then walked it to K-Mart Plaza where I went to Tru-Hardware and bought a small item.  Onward I walked to Woodys' to pay $10 off my usual layby of dvds I've chosen from their collection along the wall from last fortnight and I ordered in the first season of 'My Own Worst Enemy' with Christian Slater as the main character (72 is showing it at 12:30am on Tuesday nights, but I can't watch it and can't tape it; so it's better if I own it).  So, I'll be paying that off too... a nice big layby before Christmas.

I bought bird seed for Stevie at the pet store (the same one I bought her a little over 5 years ago) and then I went to the chemist and Coles where I did all my other shopping.  At around midday, I was through the checkouts with my trolley full of green bags and my blue trolley being dragged behind me.  

But my day wasn't finished.  

Once home, I jumped online and quickly did everything I needed.  By 1:30pm, I turned off the computer, had a shower, dressed and put away all the groceries (the cold stuff was put away when I first walked through the door).  Then, I readied my bad to go into the city with Mum to see 'Salt'... I had won a free double pass from Triple M and we weren't going to miss out on this!

What a film!  We got home around 8:30 - 9pm... and I was able to see one of my shows I normally watch on Wednesday nights.  But I crashed because it was a very full day.

Thursday was another full day out and about; but not far from home.  Mum and I went back to the TSB and worked on it from 11am until 3:30pm.  It was such a hot day that we had to really take our time with it; but we got a lot done and now we have the detailing to do on it.  I have had to ask for a week's extension to finish the work.  We got to meet the lady who lives at the house and she was so pleased to have met the people who paint these boxes; and her daughter is so excited that we got to paint their Traffic Signalling Box!  They've been watching it being transformed from the army green to blue, the flowers being painted on, the white stems and now, there's more on there to look at, she said it's looking really lovely.

I was hoping to get an early night, but a unit here at the complex had a massive fight.  A screen door was broken off its hinges and Darryl was trying to contain it; without success.  The police were called in to see what happened and one of the people from that particular unit disappeared in to the night... I'm not sure if they've been found, but I hope they have because they're older than the young ones who had the fight and she didn't look good when I last saw her.

Well, that has been my week.  Today is so dreary and dull, I'm not doing much but hanging out one here - something I haven't had time to do for the last few days.  Until my next post, keep warm - or cool - whatever you case may be. 

Busy Week Ahead!

After today, this week is going to be one of those where I'll be so busy I won't know which way to turn!  Yep, today will be my last lazy day; as tomorrow will be the beginning of the busy runaround which normally starts on Monday for everyone else.

This morning, the termite guys came around and looked at all the units.  It was actually the second part of the complex they were doing.  Next door wasn't home, so they did my place just before I went out.  As far as I know, my little unit has a clean bill of health;  but the fences don't... but I already knew the news about the fences.

Tomorrow, I have my usual shopping day around Logan Central.  It's going to be a good day of getting out there and doing what I do best... finding a bargain.  Then, tomorrow afternoon, I'll be off the net and computer early and readying myself to get to the city via a bus with Mum as I won a double pass to see 'Salt' in the Myer Centre... very cool!  And thank you Triple M, this is the second double pass I've won through these very cool people!  

Then, on Thursday, we'll be back at it again at the TSB painting the last bits across the road.  It ought to look wonderful.  We have the rest of the flowers to go on it and the stalks.  Mum keeps making things hard by suggesting that I try out colours when the mixing chart is in the lid.  So, I've said to follow the chart and let it do it all for us.  But last Saturday, we got a lot done; and I'm thankful we did because it's a big job. 

Friday is going to be a day where I'll sleep well and Saturday is the day we all go to the poles and vote in a new Prime Minister for Australia.  As I don't put political stuff on this blog, I won't go into detail about the two.  When I first began voting, I was proud to be in on the whole thing of being able to have a say in who goes into power in my country; but now, it's something I hate to do... it's a drag and very annoying; because no matter who you vote for, no matter who wins, the country loses out anyway.

Well, until next time.  Keep warm - or cool - whatever you case may be.