Thank God It's Friday

Yep, that's all I can say about today... really, I've had a huge week and I'm stuffed.  I just want to go back to bed and crawl under my duvet and go back to sleep again.

But I can't... I have to live out my Friday in the sleepy haze I'm in because that's just how it is.  I've been on the go since Monday working on my garden, shopping and enjoying my life with a car; and people don't realise what it's like to go without a car until you really do for so long.

On Monday, I had craft group.  It was fun, and I found a very lucky ducky of a metal statue - which is sitting in amongst the leaves of a Happy Plant in my backyard as I write.  
On Tuesday, I was out again looking at things for the garden at Bunnings and scored big!  I bought two deleted items from two different Bunnings stores; which were only around the corner from each other.  Very cool.  
Wednesday was shopping day.  I scored a lovely necklace at Life Line for around $7.50 and then walked out, looked to my left and found a basket of bookst sitting there with a sign on the front:  '$3.00ea'.  So, I looked through them as they were all hard cover and I spotted a few Piers Anthony books.  I picked up 4 of his books which turned out to be First Editions and to make my day even better, two of them had been printed in the USA!  I also scored a biography of reclusive writer - Patrick White - and that was a First Edition too!  How's that for a stunner?  I came in under budget for my shopping - despite having to spend a little more money on a few things I needed around other shops - and yet made it home well before midday.  Yep, Wednesday was good, exhausting and fun... I even ordered in Season 8 of Supernatural on dvd and began paying it off.
Yesterday, I was out the door by around 10am, went to Bunnings, bought 2 bags of potting mix, 1 bag of lawn food, looked around and then headed off to a few stores to look for outdoor settings, then drove to Springwood's Reject Store and bought some fairy figurines for the garden and other things and then went to the doctor to get a prescription (and ended up getting all my scripts written up just to be on the safe side) and then I was back home looking at my garden... it was time to get rid of the old white, rotting table in my backyard.  So, I asked Paul, Ian's flatmate to help me, as my right arm isn't quite up to anything too big in the hammering arena yet.  Paul was more than happy to help.  When he saw it, he understood why I needed help with it and gleefully smashed it up and grabbed the recycle bin up the back and put the peices in it.  I appreciated his help.  He also unwrapped some of the figurines and we found one of them was already broken when he opened it... which was disappointing as it was a favourite of mine.  I said I'd take it back and get an exchange; but he said to get it glued back on; I told him I had the receipt still and I'd take it back on Saturday.  So, I bagged it up and it's ready to take back tomorrow.

Anyway, the backyard looks and feels kinda bare without the big white table there, but it was ready to fall down and so, I'll be looking around for something to put in its place to have the plants sit on and the fairies can hide too... it'll look lovely.  And I'm hoping to get a bird feeder to hang from the tree branch soon too, but that'll take time to find.  

However, I was tired from the day - and week - and so last night, I thought to get an early night.  So, I was off to bed at around 10:30pm.  Unfortunately, my next door neighbour had other ideas.  She thought to get some laundry done instead.  So, I went over there and asked if she could possible do her laundry early today.  She sighed and said to go away and leave her alone, closing the door in my face.  I shouted through it that it's on her lease that if she is making noise that's bothering her neighbours that I have every right to come over and ask her to stop it, and she is obliged to.  She still told me to leave her alone and go away.  She finished the load of laundry, hung it out and slammed the back door.  By the time she did, it was almost midnight.  So, today, I called the Body Corporate and let them know and they told me I had to e-mail them.  I did, telling them that the noise of the mixer taps have been going on for a few years, and it's now just dreadful and it would be a good idea to make the landlord get rid of them and go back to conventional taps then I'd never hear anything and the pipes wouldn't knock or rattle inside the walls; and my neighbour could do laundry whenever she wanted without bothering me.

Well, that was my week.  And like I said, I'm stuffed; and now you know why.  If I had gotten a good night's sleep this week, last night, I wouldn't be so tired.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Pots and Statues

Just when I thought everything was at a stand-still in my garden planning, found it's not.  I thought to go window shopping yesterday at Sam's Warehouse and found a metal duck.  He was quite handsome and very cute!  So, I bought him to put in my garden as well as a large pot from the same place for the Happy Plant I scored from Letitia Coyne's place at Park Ridge.  Both of them ended up in the shade area of my garden that afternoon after I returned home from Craft Group.

Then, today, I went out to Bunnings to see what I needed later this week to get for the lawn and potting mix.  I knew I needed more pots from the cheap place but I'd get that on the same day.  
Anyway, I showed up at the Bunnings on Kingston/Logan Road and found a garden mirror there.  However there was no price on it, so I asked how much it was and found it was a deleted item; and it was $14.00 brought down from $39.00 which had been brought down from $59.00!  Wow!  How cool is that?  And how could I resist such a bargain?  So, I wondered how much was on my card and took a chance and swiped it... and it let me have the purchase!  Yay!  
I was off to the next Bunnings on Compton Road.  I needed to price a sitting Buddha - and seeing I didn't find one at the other Bunnings, I thought I'd find one at the smaller one.... and you know I did!  It was sitting way up high on top of the shelves where nobody could reach it; but it was perfect for my garden.  So, I asked how much it was; and low and behold!  I had come across another deleted item!  It was $4.00 brought down from $39.00!  How cool!  So, I took another chance with my card and swiped it and - yippee! - it let me have my sitting Buddha!  I got it out to the car, and I found I had to put it into a seatbelt next to me so it didn't break on the way home.  Yes, it looked funny... I felt stupid while clipping the seatbelt on, but really, I didn't want to break it.  

Once home, I took my items out into the back yard, placed the buddha, hung the mirror on the fence and then took photos... and to think I was only going out to window shop, and scored bargains instead for things I did want and need in the yard.  Anyway, I've gotten a few things that I was hoping to buy later on this week.  So, when Thursday rolls around, I'll be able to spend less money and more time looking at my handy-work.  I'm so pleased at how smoothly this garden is going with its transformation.  It's not as difficult as it was with the front garden; as I've got all the plants already here and I only have to add to them... so that's a plus.  

I do have other plans that just came to me last night for this garden.  I want to make a Fairy Garden in the shade area, get rid of the white table (because it's rotten and won't hold up for much longer) and then, it's a matter of getting another table for the area for the plants - a metal one hopefully - and they'll look good, and I'll have a little somewhere to sit and it'll look cute for my fairy garden in the shade. 
Then, there's the lighting which needs fixing up.  I'm hoping to save up for some good solar lights that work on direct as well as reflective sunlight and they light up my garden at night.  Right now, I've got cheap as dirt solar lights that were $15 for 6 and they only lasted about a month before only 2 of them worked.  Now, only 1 of them works when it wants to; and I bought them March last year.

Anyway, that's what's coming up for the garden... I know this was supposed to take only four months, but it's going to be an on-going project.  I'm just getting most of it done before the deadline so there's a major difference we can all notice before the end of October.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember I'm always here.

A Busy Week Ahead

This week is going to be one where I'm not going to have much time to myself.  But that's okay.  I like keeping busy, it's the way I work.  

Today I have a fair bit to do around the house.  There's the shopping list for this week to organise, the washing up to get done, vacuuming downstairs to do, the bed to make and other things to fix up around the house.  I'd also like to read a bit more of 'The Wastelands' by Stephen King and get myself through it more so I can finish it soon.  Now, it's book three of the series and for me to read this many books of a series in a year is pretty good; seeing I'm an average reader.  I haven't read that many books this year, but then again, I'm also writing a book and editing my work, so that's why there's been a slow-down on my book-reading lately.  I do hate not being able to fully focus on reading books; but the payoff is writing my books and that's wonderful.

This week, I think I have to go to the chiropractors, but I'll also be off to 'Sam's Warehouse' to look at statues and planter pots for my garden.  If I find something worthwhile for the backyard while I'm out, I'll just buy it before payday.  
Then, there's shopping day on Wednesday, and then by Friday, I've gotta get in and buy some lawn seed and more potting mix and get in and plant into the pots from the cheap stores the Happy Plants I got from Park Ridge... I can't wait.  My garden will transform over the next few weeks into something I want.  And the best thing is that I'll be able to work more on it soon.

Yesterday, I was at the Logan Art Gallery where we had a workshop going on in the afternoon.  So, I took took along Mum's laptop and worked on a couple of chapter of 'Fry Nelson: book 4' so I could get through a few chapters while they were in my head and I knew what I wanted to get done; while I was in the zone.  And I got through 1 1/2 chapters!  Very cool.  I can't wait until I finish the trilogy (book 4 is just a working title, but the whole thing is a trilogy as I've added books one and two together) and get it edited and proof-read.  This will take time though, and getting it published is going to take longer than people think.

So, that's it... my weekend and my week.  Busy, but fun.  How is your week looking?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

First Date In A Long Time

Today, I went out on a date.  It was the first one in a very long time where the guy didn't hesitate and have second thoughts about seeing me again.

I met a new person in my unit complex last week, Paul, who moved in with one of my friends, Ian, up the back of the unit complex. The other day, Paul asked me out on a date, and I said okay... because I found he and I got along well, and Ian told me that he wasn't a bad person.  

So, today, I got up early, put on the laundry, washed up a little, varnished some pegs and got ready to go out.  Paul showed up while I was varnishing the pegs.  He liked watching the process of how I varnished them; but I said that it was the first time I had used a small clothes horse I had nabbed from the back junk area of the unit complex and I wanted to see how it went... and it was working out quite well; a few teething problems in the positions of the pegs, but nothing too major.  He thought they looked great.  Within about 20 minutes I was ready to leave as I had the last of the laundry hung out, put on my make-up, packed my bag and closed up my house.  The pegs had dried too with the breeze that was around.

We headed off to the Kingston Butter Factory and we looked around the arts & craft shop upstairs.  It was a nice little place, and I was going to take some of my pegs, but forgot them... oh well, next time.  Anyway, after that we walked around the Butterbox Museum and were on our way.  We dropped off to the Logan Art Gallery and looked in on the Lloyd Rees exhibition... and what an exhibition!  I loved it; seeing I had been at the last one that was there.  And I'm also working tomorrow at the gallery; but it's going to be busy with a workshop and filled with people.  
After that, Paul and I walked down to Limelight Cafe where we had something to eat.  I was hungry and needed a pick-me-up but he really wanted to get to the Buddhist Temple on Underwood Road.  I haven't been there in a long time, and it was time to get back there.

Once there, we walked in, made a donation and through the grounds.  Paul had seen the place from a distance, but he hadn't been close up.  He was so amazed at how beautiful it was.  I lit an incense and meditated for I'm not sure how long and then we were on our way.  It was so wonderful to be there and able to focus on our meditation in such a beautiful place.

We drove home after that and he asked if he could see me again.  I said next week would be busy for me; but I would still need help with my garden next Thursday or Friday and we could go out and buy some things for it.  He has offered to help do the heavy lifting for me while I'm still a bit stiff with my arm - which is getting better, but still needs a little bit of rest.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Searching...

For the rest of this week, I'm going to be at home nice and quietly catching up with a few things that have been neglected.  

There's the housework, the vacuuming, the cleaning up and washing of the floors to get done.  I have a book to write - now the hard drive of my computer has been replaced yet again.  This is the 3rd hard drive my computer has been installed with.  The HP tech has never seen anything like this before.  I asked him what size it was, and he said it was 1GIG and yet my old external hard drive is only half-used.  So, I think I might need a bigger drive in the near future seeing the computer isn't handling what I do with it; and it's a brand new computer.  So, that's something to look forward to in the next few months.

Anyway, today, I went out for an hour or so to go window shopping for some second-hand furniture for my art area.  Yeah, I know that might have been a little out of place for me, but I thought this morning over breakfast that it might be the cheapest way to go; and the best, seeing some old furniture would work out better size-wise than newer storage units.  But I was mistaken.  A proper second-hand furniture store was far too expensive and I went to Vinnies and they didn't have anything I was looking for.  So, it looks like I'll be looking at IKEA furnture solutions in the next month or so.
Otherwise, next pay, I'll be off to the cheap stores - such as 'The Reject Store' and 'Sam's Warehouse' to pick up some planter pots and statues to put into my back yard... otherwise the potting mix will be coming from my local Bunnings, along with lawn seed!  Yep, in the next pay packet, I'll be very busy indeed working hard on my garden, making it look and feel like it should.  I'm looking forward to pulling it all together over the next month or so.  But then, I'm also looking forward to pulling together my house too; which will take a little more time than I expected.  

I have been totally enjoying myself over the last few months.  With the use of a car, I've been able to get places I normally couldn't and I've been saving money and spending it on things I normally wouldn't be able to.  This has been a wonderful experience, and I've watched my house transform from a dull, empty art canvas, into a beautiful place where I love to be.  I hope I can keep doing this kind of thing after my folks return from overseas and keep up my gardening and working on my house as much as I need to.  Until my next post, take care keep safe and warm, and remember, I'm always here.

Only Tuesday...

It's only Tuesday and I'm frustrated.  Yep, frustrated.  The roadworks at Mum and Dad's house have become so that nobody can get to their houses and they've cut the road.  I had to park up the road in a car park and be walked down to the house and walked back through a 'safe zone' just to check on my parents' house.  It's not a good feeling when you can't do something you've promised to do when others are preventing you to do it.

But then, I'm not to blame really.  There's a company that been contracted by a company to install new storm water drains and a manhole.  However, the road has been cut today and I wasn't allowed near the house with the car.  So, one of the workers walked me to the house and walked me out to my car.  It's a massive job, but I've been told by the Logan City Council that they will be finished by Thursday afternoon and that if there's anything else that needs to be added to the road, they'll add it.  

I've been busily working on my back yard, and looking at what needs to be done, however, I'm hoping to work on getting just enough plants in my yard to enjoy it the way it is, with just enough lush plants to make the shady parts shady enough and pretty enough to pull it together.  And I do hope it does work out in the end; especially with some of my friend's plants I picked up from Park Ridge on Sunday.  
Anyway, yesterday I started to really feel the last week catch up with me.  So, today, being only Tuesday, I went out and did what only needed to be done and came home.  And I'm working around the house today... getting on with what needs to be done, as I've been on the go since Wednesday last week.  Well, I don't have much planned for the rest of the week - and I hope there isn't much planned for it - and so I'll be able to kick back and relax a bit more this week before I'm out and about again to pick up more for the back yard next week, save more money for the art area and work on getting in and working on the back yard... particularly the lawn. 
The last things I'm aiming to get now are:  statues, plaques, good solar lights (as the ones I have now are crap), lawn seed and a few more pots and potting mix for the new plants.  Then, it'll be sweet!  I'm hoping to buy cheap statues, not expensive ones, and the pots I want to buy are going to come from the cheap stores too.  But the rest of the stuff will be coming from Bunnings.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

A Very Full Weekend

This weekend has been full as full can get!  I have barely had any time to myself; and it was fun too.  Yesterday, I went out to the Logan North Library to a World-Building Workshop for sci-fi month and totally enjoyed it.  Rebecca Timmis ran it and I got more out of it than I expected.
But on the way there, I had to drop off to Mum and Dad's to pay one of their bills and then pick up some pasta on the way home.  However, as I drove up Vanessa Boulevade, I was greeted with an unexpected sign on the corner:  'Road Closed: Local traffic only'.  Seeing I was local traffic, I went through to find the roadworkers had closed the road from just before Mum and Dad's house to just before the Well-Being Centre.  I stopped at the road blocks and observed the old driveway of No. 41's and used it to get to Mum and Dad's driveway.  Some of the road workers were amazed I did; others didn't care.  But then, I had to get out of the place... and this amazed them more I did get out.  
Well, that was the fun part of the day.  When I returned to pick up the pasta, I found what they were doing to the road.  They were putting in preparations for a traffic-slowing island just beyond Mum and Dad's driveway to slow people down.  While they're doing this, they're also replacing the stormwater drains under the road too.  
A strange thing happened when I arrived that morning though.  I parked the Pajero, got inside the house, paid the bill, looked at the itinerary, then left... it took all of 10 - 15 minutes to do all that.  Well, I left by the same way I got in and by the time I arrived back to the corner Vanessa Boulevarde, there had been a head-on collusion between 2 Barina's on the corner!  There were tow trucks there, a fire engine and cops all hanging around... and I was gone only a few minutes!  How could this happen so quickly?  I was shocked.

Today, I was out and about across Logan City.  I was out the door by around 11am or so.  I picked up some Devil's Cut Bourbon & Cola for my cousin.  He was going to fix Mum's antenna for me, and I thought to give it to him.  
But first off today, I was off to Park Ridge to visit a friend - and fellow author - Letitia Coyne.  She offered to help me with plants for my garden, and I also found Gus there, my late-friend's cat.  He's settled in nicely and greeted me with his usual stuffiness, but otherwise let me pat him.  Then, we found a tick on his head!  Oh wow!  A tick!  Poor guy, he didn't like it that we pulled it off.
But then, after I collected the plants I had chosen, put then in the back of Mum's car and Letitia and I had said our farewells, I was driving down the road and I began to get itchy.  My mind began to play tricks on me about ticks.  I felt horrible and itchy and wondered if there were any on me!  Blech!  Well, instead of obsessing over it, I thought to drop off to my place and dump the plants in my back yard first... so that if there were any ticks on them, they could drop off and go where they want to go.  Besides, I really needed to grab a drink and get a few things before continuing on to my cousin's house to get the antenna fixed on Mum's car.
I called Anthony and Maria before I left my place and then headed off, and before long, I was there.  Anthony and his son Kory was just finishing up mowing the lawn when I pulled into the driveway and I left the keys on the dash of the car and he went ahead and fixed the car.  Then, I grabbed what was needed from the car and told Maria I had picked up some 'Devil's Cut' Bourbon & Cola for Anthony for fixing up the antenna and she put it in the fridge and I also brought along a plant for her to add to her plants.  
Well, she and I chatted for the time it took for the antenna to be fixed - which was only about an hour - and then I packed up and went out to the car and pulled from the back seat a Large Leaf Jade I had brought over for her.  She was amazed at it!  I told her to keep the stakes in it until the roots re-established (as I back-filled it only a few days ago) and then it would need repotting into a bigger pot next Winter.  Anthony said it was gorgeous and it would make a great addition to their plants.  He asked where I got it from, and I told him it was a pup of my original Large Leaf Jade I received 11 years ago as a housewarming gift and that this one I've given them is around 2 years old; and it'll grow really well now it's well-established.  Maria's thrilled with having a big plant like this, and happy that it's such a lovely plant.  And Kory thought it was cool plant too when he saw it.  He touched the leaves and asked what it was and I told him about it.  After finding a place for the plant on the patio, I said my goodbyes and came home.
But once home, I pulled out the vacuum and two extension cords and vacuumed out the back of Mum's car... and I found a tick rolling around the back of the vehicle!!!  So, I shook out the rug I've been using and vacuumed that too!  Then, checked the boxes I had in the back and changed the bag in the vacuum too!  And once I put away the machine, extension cords and locked up the car, I had a shower (putting my clothes completely separate from my usual laundry) and washed and scrubbed myself and washed my hair (scrubbing my head)... but I still feel itchy!  It's psychosomatic.  I know I don't have any on me, but it's something my mind is playing game on me about.  Ick, ick ick!  So, just to be completely sure, I'm going to be off to the doctors tomorrow and have them check me over completely.  I don't want to take any chances with these little buggers.  
So, how was your weekend?  Relaxing?  Or busy like mine?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here. 

Busy Warm Days

I've had a couple of busy days and am very tired.  Since Tuesday, I haven't slept well, but then I've also had a lot of things running through my head as jobs and chores to get done too.  

Since the front garden has been completed - and still looks great! - I thought to get in and begin my back garden; so it looks like my own little universe and I feel as though I'm a world away from the rest of the world and can escape from everywhere and everyone when I want to.  
So far, I've acquired some second-hand pavers from Gabe and Kat's friends and laid them along the back fence to help me know when weeds are coming through from my back neighbour (as she doesn't do any gardening at all; let alone go out in her back yard).  Then, I had to wait until this pay to do anything else.  I had two bags of potting mix and that was it.
Today, I was off to Bunnings with some money in my pocket and an idea to find some good pots and 2 more bags of potting mix.  And so, instead of going for the first set of pots I set my eyes on, I looked over all the pots in all the aisles and found out which ones were worth the money... and the two I picked out were the cheapest in the longrun.  I saved $12 - $15 all up buying plain terra cotta pots and two bags of $6.30 potting mix.  So, once home, I backed the car into the carport (knocking over some bins in the process; I mean, come on people, bin day was yesterday!  And they were picked up at 7am!) and then unloaded all my gear into my backyard.  Then, i was going to leave it all until tomorrow... but I found I wanted to get it done before the weekend.  So, I turned the car around and parked it nose in (so it wouldn't get hot), locked up the front of the house, grabbed the cordless phone, gardening gloves and headed out to the backyard and began working on uprooting the Aloe-Vera from its position with a shovel.
All up it took me around an hour to get it all done.  My right arm was killing me and I felt sick in the guts from the pain, but I'm happy it was done.  I even repotted the Gloxinia in the smaller round pot to give it more room to move this Summer... very nice!  And it'll be able to stay in the pot for a few years; as it was in its original pot for around 15 years.  
Next fortnight, I'll be looking around some cheap shops for garden statues to sit in my garden... nothing over $25... something like a sitting Buddha or something like a metal rooster or something fun which will be hidden amongst the potted plants.  I'm not sure what I'll get yet as I have to see what's out there.

Tomorrow, I have to catch up with my housework.  There's a ton of washing up, laundry, vacuuming and dusting to do.  Then, I have to pull the rake over what looks like a lawn but it's not, but I'll be getting into that on Sunday as I'll be dropping over to Mum and Dad's place on Saturday morning or afternoon while I'm in the area.  
Like I said I'll be over my folks' way on the weekend, and this is because I'll be at a workshop at the Logan North Library for a couple of hours during the day.  It's sci-fi month in all Logan Libraries and so I'm attending a workshop on how to build and create worlds and keep them... I can build worlds, but have problems keeping them in the minds of my readers; and in my imagination.  When my worlds are based on real places, it's not difficult because they're based on fact, but when it's imagined, it's more difficult and I find it hard to communicate it across.  I've always had this problem from the beginning; and I seriously need the help with it. 

Anyway, that's what my week has been like so far... busy as hell, but fun and a little painful.  But tonight, I cracked a few knuckles on my right hand and I felt and heard my elbow joint - where I have tennis elbow - pop and crack, a lot of pain went away!  This was good!  I think it's a sign of my arm getting better in some way - I hope.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here. 

Happy International Left-Hander's Day!

Yep!  There's a day for being a southpaw!  And guess what?  I'm one of the 10% of the population who are a lefty... so don't put me down about it.  Only kidding ya!

I've got a brother, Mum and my niece who are all left-handed and Dad is the only right-handed person in my direct family.  My brother's partner is also right-handed.  And to make things even funnier, Mum, my brother, Gabe, my niece Riley and I all I have red hair!  Very cool!  

But being a lefty hasn't always been fun.  I've had to put up with smudged handwriting in school, right-handed tools when fixing my car, right-handed electronics at the bank when I had to sign something and the pen is attached for right-handed people.  However, I have found that I'm not the only one who struggled with these problems.  My family home was set up for my Dad and yet he lived with three lefties... strange that.
However when I moved out on my own, I kitted up my place to be left-hander friendly.  All the stuff in my kitchen is exactly where it would be for a left-hander; and my brother noticed how easy it is to find things, so did my Mum.  They love getting around in my kitchen as it's so easy to lay their hands on the things they need to use.  

Also, being a lefty, I'm a creative kinda person too.  I'm a writer and an artist; however the last thing came later when my Epilepsy kicked in again (a medical condition I was born with, which we have found out in the last year is genetic).  But I have used my artistic abilities in more ways than one.  My writing is developing well, and so is my painting, knitting and I'm learning to crotchet.  I've also been getting in and doing up my garden and fixing up things in my kitchen too.  But then, I don't have to be a lefty to do any of this; however, we have some very talented left-handed people in my family, including my Mum, my older brother and Riley.  We are all musical, love to draw, paint and write creatively and yet it's something our right-handed counterparts don't take as much pleasure in doing themselves.  They're more readers and quiet kinds of people than we are. 

So, do you know any great, creative left-handers?  If not, here is a list of them for you to have a look at. And if you'd like to know more about lefties, here's another link to more facts on us!  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.

Hot August Days

Today, I woke to a warm muggy morning.  Yep, from a nice cool night, I found today turning into something from one of my Summers or Springs.  But incredibly enough, it's still classed as Winter here.  On the weather report, they told us that instead of getting South-Westerly Winds - as we're supposed to be getting - we are getting North-Westerly winds.  These winds come from the Northern Territory and are hot; thus our hot day today.

So, today, I decided to get in and do a full load of laundry and fill up my clothes line.  All the towels got done, so did everything, right to the hand-washing - except the sheets; they'll get done next time we have a nice hot day.  
After that I closed up the house and took off to the chemist down the road to pick up a prescription and found that there was only one guy on to do all the scripts that came in!  That was lousy!  The poor guy was run off his feet all day; I felt sorry for him that he barely had time to do anything else.  But that's public holidays for ya.
While I was up the road, I spotted the new massive pet store where WoW used to be and decided to have a look at the place before I left to head off to Mum and Dad's place.  I saw there was a vets there and walked past that and went inside the pet store; which was humungous!  I'd never seen anything like it!  They even had a grooming service for your cat or dog and the vets were attached to this place.  I looked at the birds they had on display and found they had hand-raised budgies and the larger variety budgies.  And the guy let me handle one of the hand-raised ones - which were more expensive at $50 each.  The little girl bird - once she was in my hands - started biting straight away and scratching at me.  But as soon as I tickled her around her chin and the back of her head, she stopped and just looked at me... and relaxed.  She laid back in my hand and let me tickle her again only nibbling gently.  The guy was amazed at how quickly the bird was at ease around me... and said that I might be close to getting a new bird soon.  I agreed with him, then he asked how I lost my last budgie and I told him about how Little Miss Stevie passed away.  He said that at her age, she lived a good long life and it was nice of me to take her outside during her last moments; but it was horrible she had a stroke.  He knew how I felt though because he lost his cat last year, and he'd had him/her for around 14 years, and we both know what it's like to lost a pet who have complete trust in us.  It's horrible but after about a year, we move on to get a new pet.  I told him that I was giving myself a year to mourn my little bird and he said that it's good I'm doing that; then I'm not rushing myself into buying something I don't want.  Well, I gave him the little female bird back (and she was ready to come home with me, but I didn't want to bring her home when I wasn't ready in my heart).  Then, I asked about the vet next door - if they dealt with birds - and he said they did.  So!  How good is that?  A vet nearby who works with birds!  I'll have to suss them out before I get another bird to see who their bird specialist is.

Well, I took off from there and drove to Mum and Dad's place where I watered all their plants in their back yard.  The place was looking a little dry and so I did that and folded up the clothes line properly and then left their mail on the table, locked up the house and came home.
By then, it was around midday and I wanted to have a nice ice coffee and stuff around on the computer.  It was getting really hot for the end of Winter.  So, I stuffed around online for around an hour and then washed my hair, read a little outside and - before long - it was around 3pm or so... I thought to have cannelloni for dinner tonight.  And so, I started preparing it and writing up the rest of my shopping list.  So, how was your long weekend?  Hot and sunny like mine? Or was it nice and cool?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm (or cool) and remember, I'm always here.