Hi!
Well. Here we are on another beautiful, sunny day. Winter's been here all last week, the week before, and it might even hang around through this coming week. But winter in this sense of the word is about 40+/- degrees at night and upper 60s, low 70s during the mainly bright, sunny days. It makes suffering through the summers worth it, because after our week or two (or three) of winter, we'll go back to beautiful until November, December and then we'll be back to whining about the heat and the humidity! So, we'll enjoy it while we got it! Even the kittehs like this weather better - they're in better moods and they certainly play more - even Kona gets the sillies more often than during the summer,
which is understandable. So yes, the weather is in its glorious phase! Otherwise, all is well - the chores are mainly done, the kittehs are out guarding the balcony, got the good ol' jazz tunes, and even have a nice glass of the standby red, although with the "chilly" weather lately, it has occurred to me to try my hand at making a batch of traditional German Gluewein, which I had when I was in southern Germany all those years ago over Xmas and it was The Best Winter Drink EVER! It's just never been cold enough here to bother, heck it isn't now, but man it sure sounds good...... But no, for now it's a just a glass of the standby stuff..... Yes, life is good!
which is understandable. So yes, the weather is in its glorious phase! Otherwise, all is well - the chores are mainly done, the kittehs are out guarding the balcony, got the good ol' jazz tunes, and even have a nice glass of the standby red, although with the "chilly" weather lately, it has occurred to me to try my hand at making a batch of traditional German Gluewein, which I had when I was in southern Germany all those years ago over Xmas and it was The Best Winter Drink EVER! It's just never been cold enough here to bother, heck it isn't now, but man it sure sounds good...... But no, for now it's a just a glass of the standby stuff..... Yes, life is good!
So, work. Yep. Picked up a little last week, had stuff to do to make the day pass, which was nice. Folks seem to be in better moods lately........ Otherwise, all seems better than it has been, but really, who cares, right? Always happy to just have a constant, decent gig to come to everyday that pays me enough to keep rent paid and the lights on (and lately, the heat going)! Waahhooo!
And then there were a couple weekends in there......... Yeah, they were pretty quiet. As the days and weeks drift by on the calendar, I realize how much closer my Big Nordic Adventure is getting (end of Nov) and how much stuff I have yet to buy (thermals, boots, coat, etc).... So yes, the bank account is in virtual lock-down, which in turn means a lot of fun stuff is deferred (unless it's free, that is). Trying to delay dumping it all on the credit card as long as I can because heaven knows it's going to take one hell of a beating during the trip!
This weekend was quiet but good, one for the record books actually - I finally got to vote in a real-life
Australian Federal election - something I haven't been able to do in over ten years!!!!!! And we still don't know who won yet! Sheesh. So, they always have voting day on a Saturday so most folks can actually go do it (looking at you, USA.....), unless of course folks do it early or by mail, then it doesn't matter. And as a citizen you HAVE to vote or you get fined, yes, fined for not doing your civic duty, which I think is a great idea, tho I have no idea what the fine monies actually go to........ So, after doing the chores, off I trotted up the hill to my local polling station, which also happens to be where my swing dance classes are held - lucky eh, to have it less than a minute's walk from my place?!?
Australian Federal election - something I haven't been able to do in over ten years!!!!!! And we still don't know who won yet! Sheesh. So, they always have voting day on a Saturday so most folks can actually go do it (looking at you, USA.....), unless of course folks do it early or by mail, then it doesn't matter. And as a citizen you HAVE to vote or you get fined, yes, fined for not doing your civic duty, which I think is a great idea, tho I have no idea what the fine monies actually go to........ So, after doing the chores, off I trotted up the hill to my local polling station, which also happens to be where my swing dance classes are held - lucky eh, to have it less than a minute's walk from my place?!?
Once there I had to duck and weave past all the different party's volunteers handing out "How to Vote" materials - really just glossy one-pagers telling the 
uneducated/uninformed and gullible how to vote for their particular candidate and their interests - no, none for me, thanks! I was a good new citizen and spent the night before (that's just how I study, maaaaan) reading up on alllllllllllllll the parties and candidates (of which there are about a million), quickly narrowed them down to those clearly not lunatics, weeded through the ones with deceiving names and nefarious policies, like the Health Australia Party - with a name like that you'd think, yeah, they want us to have access to quality medical care, etc. Nope - they're vitamin-chewing anti-vaxxers who're dead against fluoride in drinking water. So, after hours of reading and whittling, I made up a cheat-sheet of who I'd vote for and brought it in with me. And boy, am I glad I did because good grief their ballots are a joke. For starters, you had to do preferential voting, so, out of the six House of Representatives you had to number your votes 1 - 6, 1 being the one you really like, etc. A method I don't like at all because it still gives votes to the folks I really don't want getting votes. But that's the system.
uneducated/uninformed and gullible how to vote for their particular candidate and their interests - no, none for me, thanks! I was a good new citizen and spent the night before (that's just how I study, maaaaan) reading up on alllllllllllllll the parties and candidates (of which there are about a million), quickly narrowed them down to those clearly not lunatics, weeded through the ones with deceiving names and nefarious policies, like the Health Australia Party - with a name like that you'd think, yeah, they want us to have access to quality medical care, etc. Nope - they're vitamin-chewing anti-vaxxers who're dead against fluoride in drinking water. So, after hours of reading and whittling, I made up a cheat-sheet of who I'd vote for and brought it in with me. And boy, am I glad I did because good grief their ballots are a joke. For starters, you had to do preferential voting, so, out of the six House of Representatives you had to number your votes 1 - 6, 1 being the one you really like, etc. A method I don't like at all because it still gives votes to the folks I really don't want getting votes. But that's the system.
Then it was onto the enormous Senate ballot - honestly, this thing was 3/4 the length of me. There
were two ways you could fill it out - pick a minimum of six general parties above the line (1-6 preference), or a minimum of twelve(!) individual candidates below the line (1-12 preference!), which is what I'd studied up on. Soooo glad I had my cheat-sheet because seeing and fighting with it in person was an experience enough to fluster folks who'd been doing this for years and years. And then you had to do origami with it to get it through the little slot in the box at the end - that was fun watching folks fight with them. I thought I was super clever and folded mine accordion-style, then in half and it fit through the slot like a breeze. In the end, all I know is I tried to pick the people who have us folks and the country in their best interests (yeah, yeah, I know, but I live in hope), and I certainly didn't vote for annnnnny of the folks you see on the news all the time. No, I voted for the "little people". I feel good that I tried.
were two ways you could fill it out - pick a minimum of six general parties above the line (1-6 preference), or a minimum of twelve(!) individual candidates below the line (1-12 preference!), which is what I'd studied up on. Soooo glad I had my cheat-sheet because seeing and fighting with it in person was an experience enough to fluster folks who'd been doing this for years and years. And then you had to do origami with it to get it through the little slot in the box at the end - that was fun watching folks fight with them. I thought I was super clever and folded mine accordion-style, then in half and it fit through the slot like a breeze. In the end, all I know is I tried to pick the people who have us folks and the country in their best interests (yeah, yeah, I know, but I live in hope), and I certainly didn't vote for annnnnny of the folks you see on the news all the time. No, I voted for the "little people". I feel good that I tried.
Then it was outside where the first stop is the sausage stand, staffed by plucky volunteers with 
proceeds going to charity, and is an apparent post-voting Aussie tradition. So, for $2.50 you get a fresh-off-the-grill sausage (or snag, as the locals call them), complete with grilled onions and smothered in ketchup (or BBQ sauce - bleck), all wrapped up nice and neat in a slice of white bread. It was deeeeelicious, but lordy I burned the roof of my mouth something third-degree........
proceeds going to charity, and is an apparent post-voting Aussie tradition. So, for $2.50 you get a fresh-off-the-grill sausage (or snag, as the locals call them), complete with grilled onions and smothered in ketchup (or BBQ sauce - bleck), all wrapped up nice and neat in a slice of white bread. It was deeeeelicious, but lordy I burned the roof of my mouth something third-degree........
So there you have it! A dull campaign followed with a cumbersome ballot experience and no outcome yet! Ahhhhhhh gotta love Australia politics! Sure beats what's happening in the US by miiiiiiles tho!
And that's really been about it! Highlight of being a new citizen really, voting. Of course, the next thing on the list is when I will finally be called for jury duty......... Hmmm. But there you have it. All's well down here. Hope you're all well up there - dodging any wildfires/storms/heat. Hey, if you need a break, we're having a glorious winter........!!!!!!
BYE!
J!
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