Kookaburras, eBooks, Blue Cheese and Baking....!

Hi!

Well. Another Sunday has come and is going....... The weather has been glorious, which is awesome because we've had nothing but rain rain rain since January. It's weather like this that makes you happy to live here (and worth enduring the stinking hot and humid summers)! The birds are even happy and relaxed. Add to the lovely fading day - have got the cool jazz tunes and a new white wine, Counting Sheep, a generic sauv blanc from Marlborough in NZ (I have to admit, they make a pretty good white no matter what blend). It's not bad, pretty good, but not up to stand-by caliber I'm afraid. But, with the lovely weather, good tunes and a nice wine - life is good!

So work. Yep. Is good. Thankfully not too busy. In fact, it's been quiet enough that we all took this last Thursday (Anzac Day - national holiday, like Veteran's Day) and Friday off. I wouldn't've minded going in on Friday but I would've been the only person there and I hate that (especially when the weather has been so perfect). So I splurged and spent a precious and hard-earned vacation day instead. Ehhhhhh. Hey, ultimately am just happy to even have a job that accrues vacation time! So it was a  happy short work-week and because the weather's been so nice, we spent a lot of time just talking and fantasizing what we'd do if our little Lottery pool actually won. It's more fun to dream about winning the lottery than doing real work..... Just taking advantage of a bit of quiet time for once. It's nice. Otherwise, work is good - still building the book that no one wanted, which is good because I learn and get better at doing stuff along the way. And really, just happy to have work!

And then there were a few weekends in there. Sorry for not checking in last weekend. I'm trying to think what I did to not check in...... I know not much has been happening worth reporting..... the usual really - chores...... That week/end I was trying to get through an epic French version of The Count of Monte Cristo with Gerard Depardieu - as long as it was, it was really good. I really liked it. But then I really liked the book as well. Excellent performance from ol' Gerard and the cast is like a who's who of French cinema. So if you're into that sort of thing, I highly recommend it. It was gooooood!

Otherwise, I can't recall why I didn't check in. I know there hasn't been much to shout about really.... Thankfully no banzai trips to Ikealand (my wallet thanks me profusely)...... Since booking the visit home and hosting a cousin/friend the first week of July, am really needing to save mah $$$$$. And you know how it is the second you leave the house money vanishes somehow..... At least with my wallet that's what happens.

Anyways, this extended weekend was nice, tho pretty quiet. Thursday I baked cinnamon rolls from scratch - labor intensive but pretty good. It was times like that I wish I had a normal kitchen with normal working spaces and a normal stove. But me and the little ol' toaster oven managed. They came out pretty good (shared them with all the neighbors) but not sure how often I'd want to spend 6 hours on a weekend baking one thing.......... Eh, it was an experiment! Next time am going to give some of these Mexican recipes a try..............

And then Friday was a sort of interesting day - I went to visit my neighbor in the hospital (he's the guy with Motor Neuron Disease). Got to his rehab center only to find out they'd sent him to

the emergency room because he was having lots of trouble breathing. Long story short, he's ok but man, I'm glad it wasn't me. I'd've lost my patience with the ER/Acute Care staff in no time. But the thing is, tho he was ok (more or less, certainly not on death's door), once you're in the system, you have to just ride through it. And in his case, tho he was ok, he couldn't just get up and walk out like I would've done (errr, he can't - needs help and a wheelchair). So that was a real exercise in patience. I feel bad for him but he's getting the care he needs and that's all anyone can ask. And that pretty much took up the whole day with the errands, bus rides, hanging out at the hospital, bus rides back.............

And then yesterday was quiet, relaxing. Tho later I met up with my friend Kim and we wandered up to the movie theatre to see if anything good was worth seeing (no) so we sat and had a couple glasses of wine before heading back to Kookaburra Cafe for dinner (this time I had the

Fettucine Gorgonzola - Exquisite Blue Cheese, White Wine & Garlic Sauce - oh my god it was gooooooooooooood!). I swear, you have got to get down here just so we can go have dinner/pizza there. I love the place ever so much. Tho it was really quiet last night, so quiet that Steve the owner sat and talked with us for ages, which is rare. But we all decided that lots of folks left town because of the "long" weekend. Aussies are so funny - if there's a three- or four-day weekend, they'll take the whole week. Bless 'em.

And then today was laundry and tidying. Pretty dull stuff if I say so mahself. Tho I did clean up my little eReader...... I had like 1,200 books on there from the blitz I did when I first got it about two years ago, turns out I had like 5 copies of a lot of those books. So cleaned that up. Like I said, pretty exciting stuff happening down here in Australia!

And there you have it! I hope by now you've noticed a slight pattern in when there's a trip coming up I kinda move to Dullsville in order to protect mah bank account (well that, and maybe I just really am boring....). And now that the weather's lovely again, it means baking and fluffing around in the kitchen again. And too, I have the sewing machine to experiment with........! And those blasted screenplays to write......... Ahhhh, whatever it takes to save the bank account!

So, I hope you're all well up there. The weather's finally gone back to being perfect so feel free to c'mon down any time! Any questions about planning your trip, ask away! Hooray!

BYE!

J!

Beer = No Check-In, Except at Ikealand.....!

Hi!

Well. Here we are, Sunday, late afternoon/early evening. The day was lovely for the most part, then a couple hours ago the clouds came back. We've had what feels like a ton of rain lately, but then I exaggerate, a little - it's been cloudy more often than not and has threatened to rain every day, which it did yesterday, all day. Sigh. Winter will be here soon and with it the lovely crisp dry weather. But none of this has deterred the little birds out there from arguing who gets which branch to sleep on tonight, and the crows just bark at everyone. Got some lovely jazz tunes thanks to the usual suspect...... Got a nice cool glass of a new white, a Semillon Sauv-Blanc from Rosemount Estate - ehhhh, it's not bad, drinkable of course, but not up to Stand-By caliber. Ahhhhh but Rosemount makes some good wine tho - one day I'll get to their winery.......! So yes, got the tunes, got the birds, got the cool wine - life is good!

So work. Yep. Is good. I guess one of the tricks to this is to take a crappy project that no one wants, fix and finish it. And to think there's a whole additional book just like the one I've been working on to be created - another chance for me to show them how s.m.a.r.t I am. Hey, whatever, it makes the day go by and no one's yelling at me- bonus! Well, I guess the real bonus is the paycheck - hooray for gainful employment! Otherwise, all is well, am not very busy, which is nice, but there's enough to keep me entertained and out of trouble. And really, what more could anyone want out of a job (if one has to work that is)?

And then there were a couple weekends in there...... Apologies for not checking in last weekend....... Checking in was nearly impossible as I had one hell of a headache - self-induced for once, so no sympathy needed. I'd gone out with some friends that I hadn't seen in months and months, and to cut a long story short, I guess we made up for lost time and now beer and I don't get along anymore (nothing ugly or scary, just that my head and stomach have advised me not to go near it again). But it was a great evening spent at the German Club - the food was most excellent and wonderfully stodgy as expected and the company fun as always. Will just have to avoid the beer next time, although it seems a crime not to drink beer at the German Club, I shall resist, crime or not. 

Otherwise, last weekend was quite good although rather unproductive. I did somehow manage to get all the laundry done, which was nice, but not much else unfortunately. Good thing I don't do that to myself very often. My god if I did I'd live in a pigsty and be forever broke, and hungover. Yikes. Lesson learned!

And then there was this weekend. Faaaaaaar more productive, and healthy, than the last! Yesterday tho was kind of a bit of a write-off as it absolutely poured rain all the night before and the entire day. So in the late morning, while I sat in my kitchen sipping my coffee debating the merits of doing laundry only to have it hanging damp all over the teeny apartment or just watching multiple episodes of Magnum P.I., my neighbor, Luise and her little three-month old boy Zaphod (it's what kids do today - name their kids weird things. His is from the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Don't ask.) came up to ask if I'd like to go for a drive and a wander around Ikea, as she had a bad case of cabin-fever. And you know as well as I that for whatever inexplicable reason, in a hundred years I'd never say no to a trip to Ikea, even on a rainy Saturday when everyone - and their mothers - would be there. So off we went. And we had a great day. Even little Zaphod seemed to have a good time (not one nuclear melt-down or even a shaky, teary, bottom-lip-quivering whimper). And of course we had to stop for the lunch of meatballs and potatoes. I did actually have a couple things I'd been wanting to pick up for a long time now and yesterday seemed like the perfect chance - I picked up a new couch cover and some wall art.......! My couch is really rather cool in that the entire cover Velcros off - easy to wash and easy to replace, well, after you've flipped the couch over and taken the eight bolts out of the arm rests - then it's pretty easy to replace....... Anyways, so I got a new couch cover, something I've been debating for like two or three years, and a new bit of art to hang over the couch. The motive behind the art was to stop me from buying paint and painting a "feature wall". Although, in retrospect, buying a can of paint might've actually been cheaper...... But I can't take it with me to the next place when I move out..... someday........ Anyways, it's a different look - see what you think? I think I like it............ I like that the picture is so big - makes the room seem taller...... Hmmmm......?

And today was boring old chores. And because today was the first real sunny day we've had in weeks, I busted out those chores out like nobody's business. In fact, I had both washing

machines going (my lovely, new, efficient, non-germy washer and the communal germy one) so I could get the original couch cover and rugs done whilst getting the clothes done. Sheesh. I even mopped, haven't done that in months and months (I'd previously borrowed the neighbor's steam mop - not bad but nowhere to stash it - no stash space in the teeny apartment). Yes, yes I know, woooooooo, chores, but I tell ya, when they haven't been done right and proper for a few months, you can feel the difference. And it's nice. Trust me - if you ever stay here (not likely unless you travel light and on your own), you'd appreciate it.

And that's about that. So, even tho I neglected to check in last weekend due to too much beer and this weekend was really just chores, ok, with a teeny Ikea Adventure, you haven't really missed anything. I'd spin some story about having to save for mah trip back home in July, but after spending what I did at Ikealand (not that I'd spent that much), well, to say I was saving for the visit home'd be a wee lie..........  and really, there isn't much that I need to pick up while am at "home" - just want to hang out, catch up and eat too much Mexican food, if that's at all possible?!

So there you have it. A bit quiet, yes, but hopefully when the weather sorts itself out,

mini-Adventures can be had. Will just be happy when it quits raining every weekend (and it's clear and happy sunny during the week - nice one, weather gods), and it's thankfully no longer stinking hot and humid, I can get out and take some pictures. Now that I think about it, I haven't really been on any good, long Adventure Walks around town in a long time........ Yes, once it quits raining on the weekends will have to go for a good wander with mah camera....... 

Otherwise, I hope you're all well up there! I'd say drop me a line if you need help planning your trip down thisaway, but you know the drill by now - plus with those links over the right, they can be really helpful.... But if you do by any remote chance need one or two little hints, write away! Remind me that am not here most Sundays writing to mahself!!! Hooray!

BYE!
J!