I know I did something this week

I have done something this week to marvel at.

Not a memory thing obviously.

Got the lawns mown by fraxxlerdaxler.

Girls room still untidy...

Ah. Meeces.

As noted elsewhere, tidiness is not my forte, but to have that meeces smell knocking you over when reaching for a pan in the kitchen, wow.

So that's nearly all done- the cleaning, carefully pacing snake & lizard poo pellets descretely in corners.

With rodent killer pellets and blocks laid around, like a neutron bomb effect I hope- and the bodies will be Under The HOUSE, NOT DECAYING IN THE BLOODY WALLS.

Has happened with student housing and RATS. Must have been where the idea for The Young Ones came from; a pommy spy stayed over in Bendigo 1981...

Fingers crossed.

rainy day

As the usual 2010/2011 weather sets on for the weekend- I.E. Rain... The girls and I are so busy. Not.

If you check the BOM records for Victorian towns for the last six months, the weatherman says, each weekend has been wettish. Somewhere. Not in my backyard anyway. Close but, no.

 But 143 mm for February, that's good. My grapes may be being affected by all the moisture though, lots of sultanas and husks. I may have to up the number of pots, get shade cloth and cage them all against Birds.

I have been doing the Angry Bird thing on the iTouch  No.1 son gave me... the seasons edition with valentine crap flying everywhere.

If I get one star, I try to get another one...

Dam #1!

No.2 son- fraxxelate-me-now-b4-I-dy had an out of townie staying w/ us for dins & overnite, and early bed too.
?
Well, they were off on the train in the wet early this morn to skate/ride at a town up the line, nearer The Big Smoke. So far we have had nearly an inch since midnite, but a wet skate park up the line was so much better. Sure.
The last sentence I see Yoda me at laffink...

Anyway- so the girls and I have had it easy- TV and Wii, iTouch and SF mag. What else?

Dinner is wot! All the other major protein and carbs have been on the menu, nearly. So tuna mornay it is.

Missing my boy

Well, I am missing my eldest, a young man out in the world.

A uni student, starting a new chapter.

I am glad he decided to straight into it rather than buggerise around for a year, making real money...

His cousin lives in the same apartment block which is more or less on the uni campus, and last I heard they were heading to the local pub to meet up for a drink...

Would be nice to be starting life at a uni again. I may be more studious this time. And productive rather than the merest requirements fulfilled.

His timetable is low hours I think, with some late starts which may suit a teenager...

There was a hint of him visiting soon.

Funny- it is not actually "coming home" anymore.

Well, within the next few months, I will be letting his brother take over the shed- once his bits and pieces, suoveneirs, games, posters, DVD, books are sorted and stored. And rubbish moved to a skip...

I miss the dishes put away first thing in the morning, the cat fed.

I miss the teen draped over the chair at his pc, with sounds like Led Zep drifing over to me while I am trying to watch the news.

I miss the little drollness doled out to me and his siblings when required.

Miss the cool gang looking for him, and the garden parties and drinking games only beginners have to have.

God, when ever I was thinking of him, I was a little... hmm, wet eyed?

Thinking of what Tarn would have been thinking, so proud of him and worried about him too I guess.

Well, he is on his own more or less I guess. I am here though. Worrying a bit less, and time to concentrate on his sibs more.

those meeces marvining me!

Those bloody meeces.

Yesterday, I thought there was a strange smell in the House.
It was from the kitchen, I thought.

A strange musty horsey smell.
Hmm, and No 2 son said later after walking in to do the dishes- HEY A MOUSE!

Ahhhhh.

Pulled out the cooking pot, and WHAT?!

Behind the pots and pans in the corners, Meeces Poo?

YEP!

So, now I have tonights and tomorrows things to do-

CLEAN THE KITCHEN CUPBOARDS, AND LAY MOUSE KILLER TRAPS AND BAITS

ARGH.

Looks like---- no tv tonight!
Well half way there, and of course- NO DETERGENT

place should smell better tomorrow!

Speedy Sailenzo

For all the sailboarding afficiendos out there- I know there must be a couple... 


I managed to stave off the kids and the werk Skedyewl
(told them to leave it all until later in the day as I had to be away... Being an independent self employed contractor had to have a perk in there somewhere for Slow day. Yeah, Mondays, SLOW to the point of why even get up for lunch! ) 



And get to sandy by 9:45, and leave the water at 12:15 (swimming back to the channel bank AGAIN!!!!), and home for shower and work before dragging kids to dentist and chiro and and and- reminds me of an Arc Day. But SO WHAT.


I can't get me $600 ten yr old shrunken wetty on or off IN A HURRY so I wear the falling apart florescent style circa 1988shorty... And a sort of wetsuit vest. 


It was a little cold, BUT, but the wind was a squally SW to SSW at aboot 20knots. 


I was rapt! 


I used my second-hand 4.2 wave sail from Simon and my fav board.


And the SPEED sailing, it was purfection. A couple of little showers and some sand blasting off the dune did not stop me- just reminded me to get back to the car at the next lull and grab the pseudo-Polaroid sunnies!


I think I was the fastest there. Out of 4. Nya nyah!!
But. If they were not there, I could'nt have sailed- Safety first, f@#& it. 


And I only had 80 minutes or less on the water. Prob less. Ah well, great time.


AND BUT I left at home my new data logger gps toy, so I could tell if I really was fast or just pulling my own leg... 


But. {again} I would not want to fall off- I was fast, yay me. The new harness lines were good, the footstraps need attention, I do not seem fit enough or confident nuff to just "and the foot was slammed in with out looking people! Wow!" I did not spin out after I was in the groove. Jsut did not attempt huge flairy gybes. Did not want to swim back in the lulls or hurt myself...


Until the wind dropped and I had to swim home  A/A. And cramping- ow. Note to self- fitten up ya slack mudder! I still hurt all over 36 hours later. :-(

marvined by the garden hose fitting...

For the last month or two. Or longer... Anyway, there has been a very very small hole in the incompressible-non-bending-and-blocking-the-flow-very-expensive garden hose. The type that when a vehicle is parked on top of it, there is still FLOW. Enough sprays out under pressure to really annoy someone, say, as it is pulled past you while reading the paper. Or sleeping in the garden while guarding grapes from birds...

Fluffer. The Cat. Guard duty and Meow (food?)

The cat hates it {the leak}, which reminds me, like in Red Dwarf- do cats get smarter with age because if her paw was big enough and we had handles rather than knobs (old house), she would let herself In and Out of the house every five minutes. To annoy me. And while the door trick is good, I.E. sounds likes she knocks... getting a can of meat or fish open is still impossible.


Anyway. The hose.

So I got the bugger, but it won't reach the shed and the vice- well, I could have undid it from the tap/faucet... Okay, just grab tools. Lots of pliers, wrenches, nippers, knife, ciggie, coffee.

Siddown. In the sun.

Undo the connection between the two hoses- [that's so it goes right around the house, only one tap to use then...]

The holes are next to the brass connection, so I undo the ring. The wrong way!

It worked its way down the hose, and not back away from it!

Well, I worked it, it really did not do it by itself. Bugger times two.

The job had unnaturally extended itself by half an hour over the initial budgeted 10 minutes.

I tried to wind the ring back with thew pliers (tight fit!), but then I was just twisting and putting in small cuts on the hose where a new leak could form...

I know- cut the hose beyond the leak! And then. Then- ah, still could not work the dead hose and the ring off the connector... Not enough to grab to twist apart...

Gas burner brought to bear to burn the rubber as the craft knife would not quite fit in the space between the connector and the ring to cut the rubber out, argh!

Burn you bastrd, burn. Scrape. Pull apart. Burn self. Scrape clean, try to join the bastrds together.

Restyle hose end and re-attach, three times, bevel hose end. Try again. Bevel hose end. Try again.

Done. Whew, and another hour of my specially expensive time fulfilled. Not.

Bloody join. Ring on right wound right, not left and off the hose end...

Big week for some...

Well, I found out that I have no responsibilities for #1 son anymore.

According to his new place of learning- apart from maybe some financial and emotional back up when and if required.

Wow!

And Hmph! BS!

Well, that was from a head of some department there anyway.

I traveled to The Big Smoke to attend a talk for parents of new students at the Halls Of Learning. Another big drive- return only about 450 plus km, or 300 miles. For a 45 minute yak about now and how, that they are new adults, the institution cannot give any info on how the bloke is doing to dear old daggy dad, or the feds will get roight up em for breaking the rules.

But Before All That-
 I had the usual BUSY arvo shift at work, so I was running around like a chicken with its head cropped short. Finished later than i wanted, the had to get a couple of things, and make sure that #2 was okay looking after the twins and that the food was ready to go and that there was too none of this and none of that and that bedtime was ETC ETC ----- So I got away later than I thought. I called in on The NuHoose at BillsBong to catch up with that too- only 5 mins!
And then cos there is a coal mine trying to collapse The Major Freeway To The Big Smoke from the Country, a detour throught the local town cost me another 10 bloody minutes and of course  missed the Introduction!

The joys of the twang of the apron strings. Not.

Anyway, #1 has managed a fair bit by himself this week. As far as I know anyway.
He is on the student allowance, will get rent assistance, and a Moving From The Country to The Big Smoke Bonus. He just has to remember to report what's goin' on...
So I may not have to support him as much as I thought- like getting another job!
He wants to get some part time work there, he took his kichen gear Just In Case. And his bike for prescription delivery possibilities.
he had to organise bedding Manchester etc. I had told him to grab some stuff from home, but nah. Oh well.

The post delivered Unto Him His New Apple Laptop and Printer.
[And a bonus for dear old dad- an iTouch! he has a large capacity iPod. Thanks little bloke! I had fun when I got home getting Angry Birds and an Anemometer App from the AppShop at 1am! And. My account still works- yay!]

When the yak was finished, we met up. I was asked by his Lordship about why/what can he do to link the lappy to the webby- cos the dinosaur PC is the only authorised PC for that account apparently, to get onto the web with the new contract he got-- FINE PRINT MUST READ will be the next sage advice I will give unto him, unless he has got telepathy! So the extra goods delivered last night inluded a hub, but no cable or extra network LAN card- I should have thought of That! Some tuna mornay. Nuff for two meals.

And that's #1.

Number Two Son has a very busy week- a delivery run and two nights at a car dealer's workshop. Almost no time to scratch his bum.

He babysat for me last night- boy was that hard to organise, see above.

And the twins are good, one is on the Junior School Council, and both in the Taiko band, and one doing more cornet in the school band.

Nuhoose

Trying ta keep oot uf the wey at tha Nu Hoose Oot uf toon.
here.

Hard to make the Marvin in me not be overcome with awkwardness today.


Out at the new house block they were pouring the slab.

I like watching machinery doing a job, and there was heaps today.

On the way out a D9 Cat was working away on the new dual carriageway that may or not be completed for a few years due to the floods all over the eastern seaboard, and the government rightly or wrongly trying to spread the tax dollars towards those that need ROADs and Bridges, rather than a nice dual carriageway into my town...

Anyway, as the above picture shows, there was big time movement at the station today, and the hard work of finishing the slab off started at 11am once it was poured and leveled off.

Building Supervising or Monitoring...

Monitoring the house project out at out at my sister-in-laws building site.
Just a few minutes a day.
Here

Bad news for the alcoholery

Getting ready for vintage, organising the grape sources.
Well, I was.

My prime shiraz/Syrah source had a really bad season with rot and weather, which is bad luck for Harry and Lyn on top of their not being of 100% wellness at the moment too. It's not their only income source, being farmers of course. Next year.



I still have to bottle the 35 liters I made with their grapes last year- smells like wine anyway.
And then I have to bottle my whole Five Liters I made last year. I may try to spin it out to 12 half size bottles instead I think.

The vintage of The Portable Vineyard looks good.
The Shiraz has many dried up berries- sick? But should be a good crop. And the birds are trying to get what they can through the net too. Bstds.

The Pinot Noir may provide a few litres, especially as there is no Chardonnay left...

Maybe I should combine the lot? No, cos the Pinot is not far from harvesting by a berry taste today. The shiraz is at lest a month off, same with the [netted] foxy white garage grapes that are teasing the shit out of the birds, Nyahaha.

Home again, after a non sailing weegen

So after dropping Off The Boy, I stayed over at Sandy Point yesterday after a little trip to Inverloch. Stubby of VB. Bottle of red was used 50%. Two late telephone chats. Slept in til 9:30! No wind to wake me up by trying to over-turn the "new Winnebago" to remind me why I was there.

Th

At sandy point

Staying at Sandypoint by ownsome with a bottle of red and a book. Forgot a light so maybe an early night. Dropped #1 at uni. Was bit red eyed leaving him there. No apartment mates there yet so hope he won't be too lonely. Altough he does have friend at the Eureka Tower...
His cousin should be there maybe by the weekend.

I want some wind tomorrow so I can try my gps logger for some speed sailing... Better spend most of the time sailing and not swimming back to shore!

a last supper

Last supper with #1 tonight.
Before he starts at uni.
We, him and I, are going down to the Big Smoke with his gear on the morrow, the 12th.

I invited Pop and Bren over for a last supper, Not To Make Up Numbers Noreen!

So I rang Mr Pizza, and ordered small, medium and family size.
One slice left! Two girls and four adults. Wow! And the girls were too full for IceCream!!!???

Shared a bottle of Chocolate Milk Stout with Pop.
Bren had some ginger beer, the girls orange pop.
#1 did  not partake in the stout- he was orf to a mate's place for 'real beer' later on...
Alrighty then. Noice noight Joy-cee.

Missing above is Son2, he was out with his gf's family for her 15th, a pub meal- my guess was a plateful of schnitzel- correct!

And Tomorrow- I am letting the girls stay at pop's.
Son#1 and I go to Big Smoke, sign him in and drop off all #1's stuff.
Then I may got to RPS (need a safe for the wallet).
Then I am gunna go speed-sailing with any luck, down at Sandy Point and on the Shallow Inlet speed run to try my new GPS tracker.
The weather forecast looks great.
And I will have a whole few days by myself to worry about #1 and #2, and where the girls are going to school next year.
And what would Tarn be thinking and planning or whatever.
That's the hard part- the Missing Part of our lives, that I seem to skim over, distract myself from.
I have not yet let the car drift over the white line yet.
Been close over the years but now I will be staying closer to the verge for a while.

#1 son seems to have all his shit together. Was early packed tonight...
Keeps telling me to chillax!
Well, I am not that optimistic- paranoid that it can not go all that sailingly well...
Fingers, toes and nuts crossed.

great minds lose things- like, the mind?

The last few weeks are getting to me.

At Xmas, weeks ago, I left my camera at my sister's place.

We were swapping the piccies of Christmas day on her pc and it was on her desk.

Everything was packed up and we left...

I got back it from her pretty quick thanks sis!

Three weeks ago I left some stuff at my brother's place.

I had wanted the kids to pack things up and leave them at the door while I went down to a board shop.

Everything was packed and I did not check the bedrooms for left-behinds...

Got it back as had to do the run to enroll #1 at uni in The Big Smoke.

I used the camera two weeks ago. 

And left it... Somewhere... 

Last weekend I was putting the nets securely around the portable vineyard.

Somehow my spectacles were knocked off somewhere rather than been put on The Shelf Where I Put Pocket/Head Stuff. But NO, they fell off where the Boys ride their bikes into the yard....

One of them picked them up- in one piece too!

"Hey Tony!" "WOW thanks bloke!"

Today I used my mobile/cell as a calculator for the job. 

After work, doing the count back three hours later, I went to use it...

See? What the?

Have I broken a mirror? Kicked a black cat? Am I too tired? Watching too much telly?

My mum used to say things happen in threes. Too many broken threes here.

Dunno.

Not feeling too good, and snappy as hell well.

The kids suggestions, while great and all, are not helping...

And that's on top of the heart tugs I get on each reminder of the loss(?) of #1 this weekend to a new life.

My Dad's baby sister

My dad's baby sister is about half a generation older than me. I am catching up. Soon, I will only be 5/6 her age...

Her youngest boy is a bit older than my baby sister, also about half a generation younger than me.

The other two are into their careers now. One has a child. The other used to be a busker on Bourke St, where dad's brother would chaperon him. I think I have that straight. In any case, by Easter there will be a clan camp in the country and I can figure that out again.

But my aunt. At the moment according to the latest up-date that is mass emailed to the clan, she was in Houston with the love of her life, where they are on a business trip.

Slow weegen

Rain Rain Go Away...

Nah. But, locked inside with kids- it was quiet actually.

They all have their own agendas!

Basically-
get up after someone else
so that the cat and dishes are done already...

Hmph. So guess who ends up doing it...

Work Marvining- Twice!

I have a nice little job.

I consider that I fulfill my hours and pay requirements until I can get back to something else I really like and get paid for that instead- No not Gold Coast Tanning Spray as You Tan.... Oil and Gas exploration or Environmental Monitoring - Or teach windsurfing- simple. But while single wif kidlets...

Anyway- One of my busy days is doing CODs with phone orders.
The first delivery (del) and only on the first run was a COD. She took all my small notes and not enough shrapnel.
Paid that COD back at the shop counter before the next run of dels.
Before the last run of the day, counted up paids and to be paids... should be even...

7 COD dockets and 6 COD receipts....
And an extra $50 in the wallet...

BAH! And there was acall- Wrong bag wrong address- please pick up. Bah! again.

And so returned to first old lady- where's the pink copy docket please? I took it? Oh. Thanks, but can I take that original? Just in case?
Back to van, look for it. Nothing. Oh well, shit- I though I was gunna be in front with notes today!
Collect the missing bag of groceries.

At the shop- hand over the docket and cash.
Start the next del round, and drop off missing bag too.

Finally get home, what a drag of a day!

Count the dockets again and count up the cash- should be what I started with right?

NO....... I had a duplicate PAID DOCKET AND WAS SHORT ON CASH!!

Of course- being SO busy, I did not tick it off the running sheet I had Devised, and also had managed to collectively cash in the shrapnel to convert to notes... and thought I had not paid a COD...

Called back the shop, and got the chief, oh oh, "Ah- um Hi, I stuffed up! I paid one COD twice- dreadfully sorry!"
"Oh! Thanks a lot! Okay, we'll sort it"

Rob's great- she did, and I got it back... Apparently it was not a great idea to stuff up.

AND THEN TODAY
So I got a call well after I finished work.
A client had not got all their stuff.
"WHAT!?"
So called up the few dels from the last del round- "No, no extras here" x 4.

Hmm. Expensive. Rechecked van.

Phone rings.

They found it.

Bah!

I forgot!

Today the kids went / returned/ were banished/ disappeared-

School restarted for 2011.

And I was going to take a picture of them all together in front of a big bushy plant (to be edioted) like I always do at the start of the year. Well, that thought occurred during the last week, no partickuler dey... and wafted away...

#2 somehow baited me, and first thing in the morning too- that's distracting, as I bit.

And forgot all about a pic of the day.