MONDAY IN AUSTRALIA

 

Today is the start of a busy week for the family here.

Lots of appointments, getting kids to and from school, new routines etc.

My niece Rowena and her two young children just moved into Lorraine's house, so lots of adjustments being made.  

I am being picked up mid morning today, to accompany family ... out and about.

I just hope it's not as cold today as it was  yesterday.  I might have to buy some thermals if it continues being damn cold as F*#k.

ABOVE: This was the meal the girls made last night, and delivered to my B'n'B!  It was enough to feed three people!  I am having left overs for my dinner this evening.  Leishy did damn well, it was a delicious meal.

Leishy lives on the same property as Lorraine (separate homes), and is like a daughter to Lorraine.

Right, I'm going to get up and start my day.  I might even go and watch the kangaroos for a while.

...

SUNDAY IN AUSTRALIA

 

I'm happy to report I slept like a log last night.

The road outside is really busy, but that didn't seem to bother me at all.

I think I must have been really tired.

Today I leave this lovely motel, and the girls are taking me to an Air BnB instead.  I shall be there for a week.

After that is still up in the air.

But for now, I am here and trying to spend as much time with Lorraine as possible.

ABOVE: Yesterday Stew got quite a few of the niggly little jobs done. Hanging that 'does not work clock' at our front door was one of them.

I'm hoping that today Steve goes over and puts up the TV bracket, then Stew can watch his sports programmes in the front room.  And I don't have to. (most importantly really) 😂😋😊

I did a little grocery shop yesterday afternoon, when I supposed to be having a nap.  Clearly, I didn't have the nap.

It was a good walk to the supermarket and back.  I just got some snacks, and some fresh pasta and sauce for meals over the next few days.

I expect one or other of my nieces to pick me up in a couple of hours, so I better get up, have a shower and pack me bags again.

...

9 am. I am up and just waiting for someone to come pick me up....

Sitting at my sister's home, freezing.  So my niece brings out a quilt and puts it around my shoulders.  Hmmmm... that looks familiar. 

ABOVE: It's a quilt I made. Nice one.

It is now 3.42 pm (Aussy Time), and I am at the AirBnB, it is gorgeous.

AND across the road is a paddock with Kangaroos in it!  I'm gunna have to wander over there soon and take a photo.

Talking of photos, I am respecting my sister's privacy.  I don't know if there will be any photos of her or not.

I've not asked, but might tomorrow.

ABOVE: Stew just sent me these photos of the front bedroom, with the TV on the wall, and the sofa bed out.   It's awesome, we now have a multi purpose room, for visitors and TV watching.

I might put a smaller throw/blanket on the blanket rack though, that one is too big.

ABOVE: This is Tapu, Lorraine's dog.  He's slowly warming up to me.  He even came right up to me and sniffed me, a big step for him.   

I have some 'down time' now.  The girls will pick me up in a couple of hours or so for dinner back at their house.  * edit:  Dinner is being delivered to me here, so Lorraine and the little children can go to bed on time.

As I wandered down the road, the lady right next door heard me comment on all her lovely succulents.  She came out of her garage and told me I was welcome to take some!  I had to politely refuse, as I can't bring them home on the plane.  What a lovely lady though.

ABOVE: Can you see the Joey?  So cute!

ABOVE: This AirBnB is right at the end of a suburban road, and I have native bush right beside me.  Rather neat.

I might not venture in there though, snakes/leeches/monster spiders, and god knows what else could get me!

7.55 pm:  Time to sign off for the day.  Catch ya tomorrow.

I'M GOING TO THROTTLE HER! (SATURDAY IN AUSTRALIA)

 

First and foremost, I'm safe.  I'm here and will be picked up by the kids (nieces) this morning.

But why a rant?

FIRST:  The travel agent in Hamilton told me I could walk from the International Airport to the Ibis Hotel over by the Domestic Airport in 5-7 minutes.

WRONG.  I had to get on a bus, and it took 15 minutes.

Then when I got to the Ibis by the airport, I went to book in, and the lovely lady told me NO.

I was booked into the IBIS BUDGET MOTEL, which was a 20 minute drive away.

So I had to get a taxi.  That was scary, I did not feel safe with that man at all.  He kept trying to get me to book him for today... insisted on giving me his phone number so I could ring him when I needed him.

He was CREEPY.

Anyway, we get to the IBIS BUDGET.  And it's a fucking DIVE.

It is filthy.  Dirty, sloppy reception person, and it feels like it's being used for nefarious purposes.  Might not be, but that's the vibe.

I get to my room.

It's an oversized fucking closet.

I need a piddle.

I go into the bathroom.

There is SHIT in the toilet.  Like, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?

The sink is filthy...

ABOVE:  I wiped PART of the sink!   

DISGUSTING.

ABOVE: The sink and wall behind it.

ABOVE: hard to show just how grotty it is! The floor is also dirty.  

I dared not get IN the bed!  I slept on top of it last night.  AND I kept my clothes on, cos I really didn't feel safe. And yeah, I'm wide awake at 4 in the morning. 

When I get home I am going to have some very angry words to say to 'B' at Flight Centre, The Base.

I paid almost $200 for the 'pleasure' of staying here last night!

I am fucking LIVID.

Now, moving on.  My SPARK roaming pack is NOT working here in Australia.  So I'll have to ring them soon.  I can do some things, but not all.

Most frustrating.

I hope the rest of today goes well, and the kids get me out of this hell hole fast!

Oh and I've not had a chance to get any Diet Coke, so I've already got a massive headache from caffeine withdrawal!

I'm drinking COFFEE, to avoid dehydration. 

4.29 am and the International Roaming for my phone just kicked in. Thank goodness,  I can now communicate fully again. Been texting Stew just now. I already miss him. He said it's -2 degrees there. Yeah no thanks. Lol

6.40 am : Well I just read the reviews on this motel (Ibis BUDGET Brisbane).... 100% wish the Travel Agent had before booking me in here.

I had less than 24 hours to organise this trip, I trusted the Travel Agent to know her stuff. Clearly not. I'm not going to bother leaving a review myself, it's all been said before by the look of it.  

I'm just killing time until I can leave....

ABOVE: Saved from death by dehydration... there's a vending machine here!  Aahhhhhh...

ABOVE: Looking at that! This shit hole has a pancake machine!  Must say they were rather yum after not eating anything since on the plane yesterday. 

The young people working here are AMAZINGLY rude. I'm really gobsmacked at their attitudes. 

But... the pancakes are lovely. 😂🤣😅

I just heard from my niece... I will be rescued in an hour or so. Thank goodness.

9 am. I was tempted to say something derogatory to the young man at reception when I left, but decided to just be kind.

Just as well cos I'd left my phone charger in the room and had to go back to get it.

That young man was really lovely and even gave me a smile.  I thanked him again and wished him a nice day. 

My nieces should be here very soon, though it's lovely sitting in the sun.

2.40 pm:  And I have been picked up, and taken to visit my sister.  She is looking quite good, better than I expected in fact.

Her dog, Tapu, does not like me.  But he's warming up to me.  I bet by the time I leave he will love me.  Well, I hope so.

My niece, Rowena, just took me to my motel.  I am going to have a nana nap, and so is my sister back at her home.   I will be picked up again in a couple of hours, and get to spend the evening with my sister.

We stopped in at a supermarket on our way to my sister's this morning.  I only bought ONE thing.

NO prizes for guessing it was Diet Coke.  8 BIG bottles of it.  I should be OK now.  😂😊 

ABOVE:  My niece, Rowena has booked me into a motel for tonight, and tomorrow I go to a B n B house.

This motel is LOVEY.  Super clean, a really good size, immaculate bathroom etc.  Such a difference from last night's accommodation. 

I  walked down the road to COLES, and did a little grocery shop, then got bored.

ABOVE: So I pulled some weeds out of that pebble garden.  It was satisfying.  Shish, don't tell Stew!   

Though, we don't have to do any weeding at our new home, one of the big bonuses of living in the Village.

Now I'm just sitting here, looking out the door, and listening to some really noisy birds.  I think they are crows.  

5.30 pm... Aussy time. I'm absolutely freezing! Totally shocked at how cold it is here.

I'm back at my sister's home, we are going to spend the evening together. 

Signing off early.

Catch ya tomorrow. 

FLYING OUT

 

Well I was supposed to be getting my hair done down in the Village Salon this morning.  But I ain't now.

Seems I'm doing this:

ABOVE:  I'm flying to Brisbane this afternoon.

Without going into details, I'm going to see my sister, who is very unwell.

I do not know how long I will be away, possibly a week or two.

Stew is going to stay home for now, as he's got too many commitments next week to fly out right now.  But he might join me towards the end of next week.

It is amazing how quickly I managed to get everything sorted out yesterday afternoon!  I got flights and accommodation booked and paid for,  cancelled me hair appointment, moved the fitting for my new glasses to a later date, got international roaming for me phone, did the washing, packed me bags and BOOM.

READY TO FLY.

As you can imagine, my posts may be a bit light on it for the next little while, but I'll do me best to keep ya up to date.  Internet coverage where my sister lives is PATCHY at the best of times, so just know I'll do me best.

...

1.32 pm  safely at the airport.

My bag is checked in and I have my boarding pass.  So all ticking along well.

Now getting a late lunch  before killing time until my flight.

Nervous.

I hate flying.

Lots of people here. 

Last time I was here in 2020 this place was utterly DESERTED. It feels so different, but also not. 

I had a lovely lunch.  McDonald's Tower burger. Was yum.

ABOVE:  On the plane. Takeoff in 14 minutes approx. STILL NERVOUS. 

ABOVE: Half way there. Smooth trip so far. 

9.34  KIWI TIME:  I'm at my motel.  I'm going to be sleeping on top of the bed.

And getting out of here as fast as possible tomorrow.

Right now, I'm too tired to explain.  It's been a long day.

Catch ya tomorrow.  Be prepared for a bloody rant!

MOSAICS, AND IT'S NOT US!

 

First up, I'm off to Mosaics in Cambridge today.  I will be bringing home me ROCK today.  And grouting a pot that was gifted to me by SD.  

I'm trying to decide what my next project will be.  Another paving stone, or something else.

I managed to run into the co-ordinator (Oz) of our 'section' of the village.  I asked him about the little old lady who avoids us like the plague.  And was SO RELIEVED to hear she does that to EVERYONE!  She is apparently, very much a loner, and does not get on with most people in the village.  Oz went on to say she has, in the past, HARASSED one neighbour, telling her to go to bed earlier!  She's even put notes in letterboxes telling people off!

OK, might avoid her myself now.  I'll still smile and say hello... but that's about it.

I'm just happy it's not US that's the problem.

Ok,  I think I'll read the news, then get a move on.  

Right, I'm up.

I've been down the road and brought my car up to the house, ready for me to drive to Cambridge in about 40 minutes.

ABOVE: We have a super duper thick fog this morning. It's come down even more since I took that photo!  I can hardly see my neighbours houses now.

Ikkk to fog.  I better rug up good for mosaics.  It's held in a garage.  Luckily, S does have heaters on to keep up comfortable.

ABOVE:  The new Samsung Vacuum is now in it's permanent home. The Front Bedroom.

For ages I was calling it 'Stews Room', as his clothes are in that wardrobe, but last night we settled on calling it 'The Front Room'.

It is going to be a multi purpose room.  Watching TV.  Visitors room. Dressing room for Stew.  And so on.

ABOVE: All that needs doing in there now is to hang the new, lightweight TV on the wall and it's done.

I listed our 14 year old, heavy as hell old TV on Marketplace last night.  And it sold in minutes.

The lady is coming to pick it up this afternoon.

That was an easy sell, and I was quite surprised by that.  Maybe I 'gave it away'? I sure didn't list it for much.  But I'd rather see it gone than sitting in my garage getting in my way.

OK, I better get off here and put the clothes rack in the car... you know, that big new one I bought?  I sold it too.  It was simply TOO BIG for me to find a space for it, unless I left it outside.  That would have ruined it.  So yeah, I sold that on to a friend of mine.  Lots of juggling still going on in this house of ours.

But we are so close to having it exactly how we want it.  SO CLOSE!

ABOVE:  The rock is finished.  I had a good time at Mosaics.

Then a situation started unfolding, and I've been busy on the phone arranging a few things in a hurry.

More later.

4.20 pm and the lady who was picking up the TV has not turned up yet.  *sigh*  Maybe she will, and maybe she won't.  Either way, she's only got about an hour before I take the listing down.  I don't have time for this right now.

I'm going out soon to the kids for a little while, then joining Stew at the pub.

8 pm, and it's been the usual Thursday night.  Spent some quality time with the kids, then to the pub for a catch up with the regulars.  Always enjoy that.

Now.. home and about to put me feet up.

It's been a long day today.

Catch ya tomorrow.

MID WEEK HUMP

 

It rained a lot yesterday... and it's not looking that promising today.

I am not sure a walk is on the cards this morning, unless Lacy doesn't mind doing a mall walk?  I'll ask her a bit later on.

Right now, I'm not inclined to do much.

Later on I will go to Spotlight for some strapping and clips, we need to do some repairs to our gazebo.  Well not exactly the gazebo itself, more the straps we use to hang the runners on.  After 6 years, some are breaking.  This weekend we plan on putting up the gazebo and doing the necessary repairs, before our next market.

That will be a good job done for sure.

I do not need to do any more sewing for markets, having not sold much over the past couple of months.  Fairly normal for winter of course.  It will pick up in a couple of months I'm sure.

Though... I am tempted to make a few more Scrappy Dolls.  Mainly because they are fun to do, and don't take very long.

Maybe I'll get on to them soon.

So yesterday I talked about one of my neighbors and her strange behaviour.  Sorry about that. I hadn't meant that for that to go on DIET COKE ROCKS..  but once it was done, too late to take it down.    *** I have now taken it down ***

There will not be any more posts about that on here. UNLESS things improve. 

I have now got a thumping headache and feel like shit. So not going for a walk. 

ABOVE:  So I'm outside, taking the rubbish bin back around to the shed, and I pass that!  I have never seen a more beautiful iris  I stand corrected, it's a gladioli, it's stunning!   I am gunna have to try and find some for our gardens.  That one is in a 'common ground garden', just behind my house.

I have a young lady coming soon to buy our Matai chest of drawers.  I have had masses of enquires about it, but until now, no firm offer.  Best thing? They didn't even quibble about the price.  That was nice.

Looking around our house now, and there is VERY LITTLE furniture left in this house that we had 'originally'.  Most things have been sold/gifted away, and we have bought smaller replacements.  It's what ya have to do when you buy a MUCH smaller home.

But... I am really starting to LOVE our new little home.

We have everything we need, love and cherish, in a smaller space.

As for the 'hiccups' we have encountered within the village itself... they will blow over.  We will adjust.  People will come to know us, and either like us... or not.  That's how life is.

Lacy is here, and we are talking about how people often pull me up when I 'seem' to act/say something mean, horrible, derogatory.

WELL GUESS WHAT?  I am a fucking normal person.  I'm not perfect. I'm not nice all the time.  I'm normal.  I react when provoked, who doesn't?  I can presume too much.  bla fucking bla.

Get over it, I AM NORMAL.  No one is fucking perfect.

Rant over.  Got if off my ample chest. So there.

I got a text from Harvey Normans this morning, saying our vacuum cleaner had arrived.  So Lacy and I drove over and picked it up.

Grabbed some sushi for lunch at The Base, then came home.

ABOVE: As there was some charge on the battery already, I gave it a whirl.  And OMG it does an excellent job!  It picked up all the little bits of crap off the carpet.  I'm so happy.

Now, it's plugged in and charging.

ABOVE:  Lacy scored a vacuum cleaner btw.  😂😊

I am now killing time until the Residents Meeting at 2 pm, which I intend going to.

And then I remembered how goddam long and boring the last resident's meeting was, so I canned it.  I'm just going to potter around the house instead. 

*snort*, I've vacuumed the house TWICE already!  It's now FUN, and I don't get all crabby and annoyed dragging a vacuum behind me.  This new vacuum is BLISS to use.  And it does such a good job.

Sorted for life.  Thanks Samsung.

I took my car back to it's parking space, then Coco and I had a little walk around the village. Ran into a few people, said hi etc.  

It doesn't sound like I missed much at the meeting.  

ABOVE:  Well, I dragged Stew down to our local for dinner this evening.  Most of our mates were there, so we had a very nice hour or so.  And a lovely dinner.

Home now, and we are blobbed out in front of the telly for the remainder of the evening.

So cosy.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

CRAFT ROOM PROJECT IN VILLAGE

 

Today I am joining in with a group of ladies from the village to do a good deed.

Every year the ladies cut out and stitch up sanitary pads for girls/women in third world countries, and poorer nations.

It is an all day affair by the sound of it. 

And today I am going to do it for the first time.

So I need to pack up my sewing machine, get bits 'n' bobs like threads, scissors etc and take it all down to the craft room by 9 am.

Oh and I better not forget my Diet Coke and lunch.

I am hoping its a nice experience, and a chance to get to know more people from here.

I will try to pop back in here a few times during the day to give you all an update.

`

Quickly... cos I'm standing in the rain to get internet access... having a nice time. Getting heaps done.  About 3 hours to go.

3 pm, and I'm home again.  I did have a lovely time today!  There were about 9 ladies all working together for a good cause.  We had a shared morning tea, and took our own lunches.

ABOVE: That is the charity we were making products for.  Not just menstrual pads, but little drawstring bags to put them in as well.

So there were a variety of jobs to do, and we all got to do several, to cut down the boredom of only stitching one thing all day.

I really did enjoy it.

***  previous content removed. ***

Moving on, Coco and I have lovely fresh hot pods and are going to enjoy a couple of hours doing diddly squat.

7 pm.  Stew arrived home and met me down at the clubrooms, so he could carry my sewing machine out, and bring it home.  Job done.  

I'm now contemplating a very early bedtime, I can't believe how tired I am!  It's a long time since I sewed for hours on end, it's done me in.

Signing off for the day, catch ya tomorrow.