Chores to Paint By

Hi!

Well. I now know not to have short weeks. Nice as they are, it sure makes it harder to go back to work and the daily routine. By the 4^th day off, I must admit, I got kinda bored. But, if I were retired, or didn’t ever have to work again owing to winning the lottery, or that rich uncle finding me, I would never, ever, until my dying day, be bored. Promise.

So work. Yep. Is good. Have managed to get the projects to a reasonable, workable level where am not running around like a headless chicken (or ‘chook’ as they’re called in these here parts). Is nice. Tho I’ve hit a small bump in the road with my way awesome RoboHelp project, small bump, but a bump nonetheless. And this little bump, which I asked Adobe about (you know how hard it is to get tech support from them? Yeah. Just as easy as it is to find the help you need online. “Buy another one of our products to make the one you’re using work better”. Sigh), kinda lead to another, bigger, meaner, more off-road type of a bump. A) The guy couldn’t help me with my problem as its trial software and they don’t touch trial stuff with an 80 foot pole. Fair enough but would’ve been good to know before I bothered going through the hopeless automated menu system. B) Then the guy said that I shouldn’t actually be creating a whole project using the trial version of the software. I asked ‘why not – how else are you supposed to see what the hell it does?’ He said ‘because’, and this is where it got hazy, could’ve been the language differences, not sure, but something along the lines of I ‘won’t be able to transfer my trial version project to the purchased version’. Huh? So now I have such a fear in me that I’ll have to do the whole project over again when the purchased software arrives (which I ordered on the 12^th. Must call IT). And that makes me really sad. If this is how Adobe works, egads, there has to be better, comparable software out there!? Otherwise, work is good. On the 26^th it was a year to the day that I’ve been in my ‘new’ job! Hooray! Man that went fast.

And then the weekend. Friday started off nice and restrained for once. Met some of the folks I used to work with from TAFE at the Plough Inn in Southbank for a couple glasses of wine. Always good to see them and catch up. But I must say, I don’t know even a third of the folks that go to these anymore. I love to see the few that I do know, but I get sad and frustrated for them for continuing to work for the same brain donors. Now I know am not working for atom-splitters myself, but the monkeys they have to put up with, eeessshhh. So it can get a bit, what’s the word, tedious, after a while. So I motored early. Which was a good thing in the end. I didn’t spend money I should be saving and I woke up bright and early with no hangover – yyaaahhoooo! Plus, another episode of Rebus was on – much more entertaining!

And Saturday was good and productive. Did the chores. Laundry. Napped. Read. Watched some spectacularly crappy movies on TV. I must say I was really disappointed with “Happy Feet”. George Miller, Australian, the same guy that brought us ‘Mad Max’, I had high-ish hopes. But ooooooooh nooo. Stinker. If I was 10 I probably would’ve liked it. And following that was “What Women Want”. I just shoulda known better. And not only cos it has Helen ‘No Expressions’ Hunt. And Mel Gibson. He could do comedy in Lethal Weapon 22 years ago (mygod), but a goofy, middle-aged, corporate ad man? Phew, you could smell it through the TV. And to think I had a couple episodes of "Deadwood" or “Goldfinger” I coulda watched instead. I must’ve been tired from all my chores.

And today. I painted the cabinets in the kitchen. That only took me 7 months. They still need one more coat but my god it looks a bazillion times better. Course, anything other than dirty and scratched up lime green would’ve been better. Followed by nap time. I love nap time. And now here we are! The sun is setting, the lorikeets are chattering, the wine is chilled, life is good.

So yes. Things are well. The trip planning is going slow but well. Just want to get some big stuff booked and then it’ll sort of plan itself. Shame we only have 4 weeks. I even thought of setting up my own little tour company – personalized, guided tours around the US. How cool would that be for those Australians who are too scared or intimidated to go to the US on their own?? Once the economy picks up, I just might have a business plan ready! Otherwise, hope you’re all well up there. And hey, if you think you want to come down here for a visit, my friend Dom is thinking of setting up his own personalized tours around Australia business – he’ll be your guide! It’ll be fun and highly informative! Come on down!

BYE!

J!

P.S. Happy Birthday KT!