painting?

David started off the weekend to do some painting but began by getting his Bob the Builder fix.
No he hasn't gone mad and decided to put a closet in the stairs.
Course it helps to know where he was doing the painting.   Ceiling and walls and windows  above the stairwell.
Ahhh now it makes sense.
Scaffolding.
Ceiling is looking very good.   One more coat and we can start on the walls.

take one garlic bulb

Take one bulb of garlic. 

  Use some in cooking and leave on window sill for a month where it will start shooting green sprouts.

Enter one garlic lover

(Person who left it on window sill is not a garlic lover)

Garlic lover decides to rescue said sprouting garlic bulb.   

Breaks it into individual cloves and stealthily plants in an abandoned garden bed.

(Garden bed abandoned because above non garlic lover does not have a green thumb)

Results in non garlic lover having a bed of garlic that she will have to give away.  

If given to garlic lover it will only reward him for his bad behaviour.

(In encouraging the proliferation of garlic)

who's one today

more yarra time

The kids decided to do a lilo and boogey board float down the Yarra.   Same route over the rocks and we went on our kyaking adventure.  This time we were minus David but had Dave and Aiden.   After about an hour Dave, Aiden and I bailed before we came to the first lot of rapids and walked back to the car which we had left at the starting point.  We were the smart ones.   Their 3 hour trip turned out to be 5 hours and there were some pretty hairy moments inbetween.

maggie maggie magpie

How did I know it was a hot day today.   I went for a walk at lunchtime and decided in my maybe not so wisdom to go exploring.  I had never walked down by Olinda creek which ran past at the back of the library.   I followed the asphalt path, occasionally walking off the track to look at the creek.   There were a few birds resting in the cool shadows of the trees that lined the creeks bank.   I decided to head back to the library and took one last foray off the beaten track.   I stopped beside a gum tree and there settled in the lower branches were three magpies.   I was close enough to be able to reach out my hand and touch one.   They eyed me and ignored me.   Mmmm they must be feeling the heat not to fly away.   I eyed them back and slowly retreated, leaving them to shelter in the cool branches.

whitewater kyaking on the yarra

the mottley crew

Had a great afternoon kyaking but I think it should have been called 'getting stuck on rocks kyaking'.

look alikes

Had to laugh.  While shelving in the junior area found these on the jump shelving.   Was this an accidental pairing or was it a child with a keen sense of humor.

cape woolamai phillip island

Another beautiful quiet beach.   Popular for beach fishing and surfing, with the occasional para surfer.

I took a long walk down the beach until I could go no further.  Once again another large rocky outcrop that tumbled into the sea.

crib with a twist

Definately not playing with a full deck here.

This was supposidly a new unopened deck of cards.   As the game progressed we realised that most decks didn't have 2 Aces of hearts.   On counting the cards at the end of the night (why ruin a good game of cards over an extra Ace here or there) we found 47 cards and this was how the deck was made up.   Still had an interesting game of crib.

san remo

It was cool and blustery (sounds a bit more nautical ) and it really did look idealic with the fishing boats docked.

 The coast line along San Remo beach changes dramatically.  Rocky outcrops with the waves gently running onto the rocks

Around the corner and the rocky outcrops were more dramatic as were the waves.

Davey the king of the castle or is that rock.

And back towards the pier the beach was gentle and shallow and as the tide ran out showing off the sandbars.

boxing day

For the first time ever yesterday went to a boxing day sale.   And not just any sale, went to Chadstone shopping center.  Jen Jen picked me up about 8.30 so it was about 9.30 when we finally got there.  The closer we got to the shopping center the heavier the traffic became.  Only took us 10 minutes to get a park.   We were lucky.   The place was packed.   Doors had opened at 7.30 and the eager shoppers had camped out overnight.   Really don't know why unless it was to get a good parking spot.   lol.  Anyway had a great morning.    Bought some new towels and some creams and perfumes.   I fell in love with the fragrance and they were deleting the line so made sure I had some.  Towels are nice, hope they are good quality but I think they look a bit suss but hope I am proved wrong.

started walking again

Haven't done much walking since the stampede but have to start again.   Did a half walk to work and the morning was perfect for walking but they were predicting showers so I had my jacket and umbrella with me.   Was decidedly over dressed.   There were a lot of people around running, walking dogs, walking, and a lot of wildlife out enjoying the morning. 

mobile for the day

On the mobile for the day doing an emeergency days driving.  Spent the day at Warburton.   The weather was perfect and my lunch time was spent walking.

PS to my day.

A guy in a food van parked between me and the road in the no parking area.   I didn't say anything to him but he drove over the power cable and then put his power cables which were connected to his generator and a mat over my cable.   When it came time to pack up it took me several minutes to untangle the mess and oops I forgot about the ladder and left it standing up against the power pole.   Guess the guy would have scored a ladder for his days work as well.

naked christmas tree

I was determined to have my Christmas tree up at the beginning of December this year.  The third of December came and went and I began to panic.   In a fit of desperation late one night I found all the pieces and put it up.   It sat there naked for a week but I had the tree up.   Once again late one night when the guilt hit I pulled out the christmas lights.   Couldn't find the ones I wanted but lights were lights.  I have about 20 sets but the problem is finding the correct power box for the lights.  They don't twinkle this year.   All I could match up were one set of white and one coloured of the non blinking variety but lights were lights at this stage.   I found a couple of boxes of gold baubles and interspeced them with red.   I couldn't remember having red but I couldn't remember a lot of things so up they went and they looked pretty smart even if I do say so myself.   Anyway in another ooops the red lights were Jen Jens.  Now thats why I couldn't remember having them.   Don't know how they got in with mine.

35 years - now childless

Well after having kids at home for 35 years 3 months and 2 weeks I am now childless.  Not to sure how I feel about it just yet.  Jarrod and Jen Jen and Modo moved in to their first home.  Well kind of moved in.   Upstairs doesn't look much different except their bed is missing.   It will take them a while to move everything.   Good for them but don't know about me.   Anyway I have been keeping busy cleaning.  Even washing windows.   Have a lot of dejunking to do so will be kept busy for quite a while.

settlement day today

Jarrod and Jen Jen have hired the truck, organised the power, phone etc and are on the move.    Settlement was supposed to be at 2.15 but didn't happen until about 3.15. but Fridays are the busiest days for settlement.   Everyone wants to move over the weekend.  Now they have a huge job of settling in.

the art of textation

I was out Christmas shopping - as you do this time of year but I was unsure of no. 1 sons jean size.   Didn't want to spoil the surprise for him but didn't want to buy him something that didn't fit so decided to ask him.

textation - the act of conducting a non verbal conversation using text messages

Text conversation

What size jeans do you wear
I don't know you will have to ask Luke (his best mate)
I don't have Luke's phone number
Texts back with Luke's phone number
Hi Luke what size jeans does Dave wear
36 in or 84 cm.
Thanks

Had to laugh.

all of a sudden it's 39

The days had been cool, slowly warming to a bit of warm weather when suddenly a day of 39.6 degrees.  The library air con worked overtime and I had to wear a jumper to stop from freezing.   But that is me.  Can't take a bit of cold weather even in the middle of  summer.  That was Thursday.   Mildura had its hottest November day for 100 years with 46.1.   But what I am getting to is that it was still freezing cold in the library on Friday as well.   It was back to a respectable 26 degrees but there were rain clouds hanging around and it was v. muggy.   I lasted about half an hour in the library before I had to put a jumper on.   I took my polo shirt off and slipped my zipper cardigan on.
That afternoon I was going out in the flexi van to the caravan park and I headed out to the car,   Half way along the footpath I decided to unzip my cardy and take it off when I got to the car.   A couple of steps further along and I realised that i was feeling awfully breezy around my midriff and glanced to to see I was only wearing a bra underneath and the cardy was blowing wide open in the breeze.   I grabbed the two sides of my cardy and held them together.   Quickly rezipping I retreated back to the library to retrieve my shirt.

no towels

Sometimes I am just too efficient for my own good or not efficient enough.   Got out of the shower today and didn't have any towels anywhere close by.  Thats right I put them in the washing machine to fill up the load of towels.   Big sigh.   Do I try to dry myself on my pyjamas.  Tried that once before and it didn't really work.  Both the pyjamas and I ended up wet.  Or do I try to make a dash to the linen cupboard and hope that no one walks through the front door while I am doing it.  Another big sigh.  I am just getting cold standing here dripping.   OK go for the streak.   A quick peak out of my bedroom door a streak through to the other end of the house and grab a towel.  Quick streak back to the bedroom with towel clutched to my chest.   Why didn't I just wrap the towel around me first.   Obviously being cold and wet has made my brain go soggy as well.   Oh well I have the towel but will need a quick warm up shower before I dry myself.

chrissy dinner and bugs

Had the first of the work Christmas dinners.  I felt good til I got home from work, ten minutes later and I really just was not up to going out.   I'll feel better when I get there I said to David and I half heartily got ready to go out.   Must have had to much lunch I mentioned in the car on the way to the venue, don't think I'll be eating  much for dinner.   Half an hour later and even reading the menu was making me feel decidedly sick.    My tummy was now causing me great pain.  I soldiered on and tried to grin and bear it, ordering only what I hoped was a small entree for my main meal.   My head was now throbbing even though I had swallowed a couple of painkillers.   The meal arrived and I tried to eat it but just couldn't.  By now I had had enough of soldiering on and headed for home.   Halfway home and I was beginning to wonder if I would make it.   I pulled the car up to the gates and front door key in hand raced inside and left David to park the car.   Shoes still on I  raced to the toilet and threw up.
PS.  After a nightmare night of up and down I slept for 24 hours and still wasn't too good the next day.    Yep, I was just one of the many to get the bug doing the rounds.   I don't think I have ever been that I'll before.