Been in the desert with just internet

Been in the desert with - just internet

Strange to say, that being without the close knit family members around, seems I am not really shallowly missing them, as/but I have the Been in the desert with just internet for nearly four weeks to keep in touch with them all.

Missing a person permanently gone for ever is different, but the kids and others- I Vill Be Bach! You guys are still in  my heart and on my mind. A little messaging very few days, a quick email if I remember to, they are close that way.

Been in the desert with just internet and while I am away; The #2Son is supposedly doing all the household chores, washing, yard chores, mail and childminding chores on top of studying like mad for his last year at school exams in the hope of being a driver of an ambulance- if not a paramedic... [Pretty sure it was the fast thing about the career- not the blood and guts... Ve Vill See...] But my "leedle shpiez" tell me that the actual quality of the house work done at home is enough that you can see     -   the doors and walls and ceilings..... and he gets his friends staying over to do some of it for him! how to win friends and influence people... Oh dear me, if I get home to a-------!

Now the #1Son, what a good one that is, not in comparison or anything to #2Son, but I reckon he will be a good catch the way he has stepped in as chaperon for the Gels this last weekend- they went to an aunts he's Night luncheon(I know- luncheon?), and then maybe (window!) shopping back in The Big Smoke with Big Brother (I can see his face now- get used to it...). He aint well this week, tonsillitis the doc reckons, so I wish him better health soon, as well as good luck with last semester uni stuff.

The gels now, I think they may miss me, but early teens- probably say they do just to shut me up! I hear that they are being good, from their aunt, I hope so, she has been kind enough to take them on for initially a few weeks, but as this old desert job carries on longer, she or I may have to pack them off to boarding school! JOKE! But looks they are growing up, sensible and all. Did I mention under a little duress and help that the braces are on their teeth now, so in the end all I am is the money cow after I look after That! 

Been in the desert with just internet and no TV is a shocker- but that has been changed- we now have satellite- 999 channels and only the ABC shows to amuse me... Like missing beer and the kids, "Hmm, Am I Really?" (I say only the ABC- I meant to try to catch Craig Ferguson the other night, but I missed the Late Late Show by That Much, I went for dinner in disgust).

Been in the desert with just internet and no household chores, no dishes, no cooking, no cleaning, no bed making even, no taxi rides around town for overnights or band outings. Been okay for a leedle break from raising kids for a change, as long as the work done(?) is paid for.

Been in the desert with just internet, heat, crows, dust... Hope it will be worth it, xmas is coming...

A Showery

Blurb to the Masses About
Hairy Plugholes...

Deserving some pat on the back, or cash, for a hair washing cure! YouHaveToLaugh at this one, or commiserate!

Having some complaints from some of my immediate family descendants growing up around me the past year, ie my kids, we have swapped to a well known brand of shampoo and conditioner, as some of us keep getting "rashes" from nearly every kind of shampoo and conditioner I contrive to either luxuriate in or save money on.

I kept saying- "Water too hot", "Too long in there", and "Really? Show me, nah, can't see it".

Well, actually, I think after using a well known brand or the Aldi sort-looka-like, the complaints from the bleachers have all but disappeared!

And even the plug hole has been clear of all detritus! Hair I mean. No long ones, grey ones, or short ones. Since start of the year anyway, that I recall. I used to pick the junk out and slap it in a corner and forget about it, and do it again, and manage to collect a fair amount each week. The WeirdOrWhat dirty left behinds are gone, hooray.

Being the sole cleaner stay at home dad, I used to get tired of the ankle deep tepid water gathering at my feet, thanks to the collecting "human hair balls" in the shower.. Laziness and necessity and money, cures all ills?

Figured after a year I could maybe call a hair saloon that creates wigs.

Not any more. Cured and Clean and Happy all round. Some trivial but absolutely riveting and amazing facts of our life.

One bad call for the week was, also to do with the bathroom, that there must be a leak under the handbasinsink, cos all the spare bars of new soap, including the expensive pandering ones were in a container, that collected the leak... Fifteen bucks worth of soapy waste... argh.

Reintroduce Family Custom

The Old Sunday Ritual
Sock Sorting


Saturday is alright for washing, eh?
And trying to be organised- the "Do As I Say Not Do What I Do" class.


This particular weegen, for some 'weird' reason, a realisation.


Arising from the dead slumber of a sleep-in,
getting out of the system the usual Satdee morning ritual of
screaming
"dirty clothes! dirty clothes!"
at the TV zombies and at the
teen that had had a late night, and
before a cold coffee
[filled but forgot to Boil the kettle before sitting down for brekky After Hanging Out some washing], and
while hanging out the washing...


I realised I may have overlooked a key element in the accruing of millstones around my neck...


There was TOO MANY SOCKS TO HANG OUT. Why?


Three kids and me, say, a pair of socks each per day- 28 pairs- say nearly 60 actual socks? Okay 56... 5x3=30 white school socks, plus me and weegen stuff... should be less than 56!


As the socks came out of the laundry basket to be hung up, I realised that there was MORE than usual...
So I started counting- [shut UP Muttley] and got to about 50 with still more to come out of the Magical Basket....And more smalls than you can poke a long long pole at!
And this was just the first load, the whites...


ARHGHGRG!#$%%^


What have I done?


Time to delegate? Why should I spend time sorting whites, coloureds and goth* clothing out, but really? Can't they do it all now? And then watch out that it doesn't rain on the dang drying clothes as well.
although does seem to actually make sense to have the Internet and the Rain Radar. Worthwhile? Oh yeah!

Thinking- a friend of the kids stayed over, so there was a quick bedroom clean up before the spare mattresses were laid out, and the lounge had a few socks in the armchair creases [Muttley, Shut Up]. And under them too...?

So then I was thinking too, if there are all these socks, should they be tested before washing that the things were actually worn? A [uhg] smell test... I just throw things in the machine if they are are in the laundry hamper... And today there was stuff about to be rewashed that were definitely not seen in the fashion parade this week that were done last weegen...

Which was followed by the [groan] idea that when the dry stuff comes off the drying line and back into the house, there should be a ritual- Sock Pairing, like we used to do after dinner on a Sunday night many years ago. I am not sure why or how I let it go, but necessity and inventiveness and better things to to do are inevitably and indubitably overcome by laziness and laizes affaire*, I guess.

So. More discipline on the parents hands... on the other hand, less screaming? On a Satdee morning? Nah, that shows we are communicating, does it not?

Sunday night for sorting sox.
And putting Away, sox.



Goth- All the black clothes, but not Gothic style.
Sox- many pairs of socks, like in a Murder of Crows, a Mob of Cattle, you know?
* no idea right context

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...

Eldest movin an groovin on

Well the #1 is orf agin to a Salefest music thing.
 "Can I have a 4 block lift?", and some blah blah blah, then,
 "Ta. See ya tomorrow!" at 3pm...???

We kicked some tyres together yesterday. First time. Will have to do it some more now that the sac school stuff is over, maybe let him give the van a whirl too.

Cat in the cradle thing? He will be gone as soon as.

OMG I will so miss him so much. Reckon Frazzlerdazzler definitely will. And the girls too.

Cars. I saw one that looks like a good deal for #1. Rang around, and did the net thing. Advice was get it checked for crash repairs, and make sure the waranty keeps going for new owner. Try to start from a lower price if its such a bargain, compared to what a dealer will give them. Good stuff. Only a 2 liter, 4 door white sedan. 'parently a lil goer!!

Maybe wait a week, then go back and make an offer for cash there and there...
Can always put it back in the bank!

I don't like saying 'no' to #1 anymore, or yellin' at 'im to do stuff around the house- he can vote g.d.i.! But still, he ain't payin' rent yet... After school ends, maybe I will loan him some old home spares: vaccy, microwave, coffee maker/kettle. And he can do his own washin'!
It's jus gunna be a pain in the rear, sorting things out til we know what he wants to do by Feb.

And then, I may even get the original Alcoholery back! Or will #2 claim it?

Bugger. 

And then there were three.

[BTW- maybe a repeat:
Room and board.
The board was a board
 to eat off in your room,
and then to sleep on.
How's that!?]

Washing, laundry like

Tarn used to hang out the washing in a particular way. Undies, 2 pegs each, on the inner line. Coloureds separate from underwear...

The last makes sense. I once washed everything and a particularly favourite bra of hers changed colour. Now she did not have many, she was a tightwad. So I got into a lot of trouble- well?






From then on I separated stuff. Back then it was at the laundrette, we usually went together. North Adelaide laundrette patrons may have stared if only I did it all,  wouldn't you?

As I mentioned. The bras. A smaller collection could not be possible? I cannot go into this too much as my sample group is small, so unless you tell me, is less than handful in the drawer normal?

As she had such a small number of the dang things. She would wear them and wear them. I could tell when they were worn out a lot when there would be a frown and a surreptitious reach under the arm, then a look of relief. The support wire that had escaped was slipped back into position.  Or the beautiful bounce was a bit more bouncy than usual as she raced around, late to something.

When the kids came along, I had to insist that I was not going to be in the way of increasing the clothing item options, please, pamper yourself I would insist. So in the end, I think she may have had a few more, not counting the nursing bras.

When I do the washing now, its most usually only on the weekends, a Saturday. Friday night is the laundry call out.

If all the weeks washing- school uniforms, Volleys, backyard and best clothes are not in the wash Friday night, there is a very early wake up reminder to get your stuff in the washing basket quick-time. And the beautiful sleep-in naturally expected is really rudely interrupted, HAHAHA.

So I start the washing day (yes, it takes all day) as soon as I arise, prior to breakfast if possible. Which sometimes is midday... Anyway, besides the point how much I like to sleep in.

First, is the weather going to be considerate, and then what was washed last, the last time? The blacks or whites? This is to make sure that any lint that may be left over from the last wash does not clash. Its such a fuss to get the kids to brush their own clothes free of lint- so let's get it right dad!

Then off for brekky or brunch, or lunch... And then remember to pull the crap out and hang it all out when the spin dry finishes- pretty important on a Sunday!

I pull the larger items out first, a pre-sort for the hanging out. All get a shake (as per old instructions from Tarn), which drops all the small stuff back in the bowl. And then all the small stuff piled on top, and march out with a large basket of wet clothes, or sheeting/towels.

First on the hoist is the socks, jocks, undies, the small stuff, with no sorting or preference- 1 peg each. In the end will have 5m of just the smalls around the inner line by the end of the washing cycle! Five people, seven days- should be 35 pairs of socks and jocks each! Nearly. You would think so, but lately, people seem to be stretching things out...

Then the rest of the clothes, towels, dishcloths, bedding. This line is 8m long, and then the next line is filled up which is about 10m long. The outer line is about 12m long, and if that gets full, there is the 10m line under the veranda.

Like I said, once a week washing can be a big day.

Then there is the sorting and putting away. Here I ask that the laundry is brought in if I am making up dinner. That can be a mistake- pegs are cheap but jerking stuff clothes off the line just catapults the pegs all over the yard and garden. The mower gets a terrible time later.

Sorting- basket upended over the lounge floor, and the kids reluctantly sort it all out. I get left with folding up mine and the towels. If there is ironing... Well, maybe it gets done only if a special event is on.

Later on, I see that the clothes are bundled into the kids rooms, and maybe put away. Another big day.