Facebook ?? Bah Humbug!!

Yeah, that's my excuse. I figured that everyone has now discarded blogs for Facebook, so I didn't see the point in updating. Well, that's as good a reason as any. I, too have signed up for the dreaded imposter, and have since accepted invites from lots of you to be your "friend". Hey, I thought we were already friends?? Is it so important that we have more friends on Facebook than everyone else?? (Help me out here, I still haven't grasped the whole concept). Is is signigficant to be hugged, or slapped, or pinched by 128 of your friends?? I'm not getting it, obviously.... I mean, I can even receive a pair of nice shoes, (red, if I remember, with 15" heels) from one of my friends - I am still, by the way, checking my mail each day --- they must be coming from Italy (which can't be a bad thing..)

PLEASE tell me what Facebook has that is so special. It's not even a chat thing, is it?? Is there some prize for every hundred friends we collect?? Is it important that we probably don't even know these people, they just happen to know someone that we might know or be related to...??? I'm drowning here....

OK, so here I am back to have a whinge, and to add some new pics and some new dribble. But right now please excuse me because I have to shower and dress to go out and join some friends for a night of the best game ever, Cranium. If you haven't played Cranium yet, let me know and I will send you a complimentary slap on Facebook.


OK, remember how I bought a house in Darwin (that I absolutely loved)?? Well, I still do love it, but now that Charlie, Simone & kids are living in it - and me on weekends - it's just not doing the job. Unfortunately, when I bought it I had no insight into how difficult it would be for five people to share ONE bathroom (with the only toilet inside that bathroom), how a 3-car family with a fourth car (Joe's) frequently visiting could share a single car port. Nor did I stop to think about how I could possibly sleep in a bedroom with no windows leading to the outside - I am a fresh air freak. Didn't do my sums at all, just loved it and bought it. Now I have bought again. This time I haven't made any mistakes .... I think. The house has three bedrooms, a beautiful kitchen, etc etc etc, the tiniest spa you have ever seen, AND a seperate flat for Moi. My flat also has a big kitchen/lounge, huge bathroom and potentially two bedrooms.

You ready??? Here's the main house first, Kitchen;

(French design, with the cooking area seperate - the previous owners were French).

Next is the lounge; THIER furniture unfortunately....



The foyer; (complete with built in fish tank!!)


The master bedroom;



The front drive showing the house on the left, and my flat at the rear...



The kitchen in the flat (Chez Moi) - loven the oven-


The spa-ette and part of the large entertaining area:



Please kind God, don't let me come home wobbly and finish this post tonight.

No news - still!!!

But I thought it was way past time to update.

Still in Kakadu, love living in Jabiru, but there are some serious issues with the job I have, so I am planning my exit. Of course, having my own room awaiting me in my home in Darwin is a plus. so I just have to find a job in there now, then I can move. Charlie and Simone and kids moved up in January and are loving the lifestyle but Charlie (although he does have a job) is still chasing the big money in mining.
Simone is also working - jobs in Darwin are plentiful, you can take your pick.
(Unless you want the management ones like I am after, but even these are coming up all the time - I just gotta land one!)
Our pool was supposed to be installed in late February, but due to the continuous rain it has been postponed. Should be in by Easter and we're really looking forward to it.
We went fishing yesterday, caught about 4, but I actually caught nothing.


Oh !!!
This post has been sitting in pergatory waiting to be published. See how it goes, I wonder if it will position itself in the correct chronological order??

Kids a visiting...

Billy came up to visit last month, so I thought I'd post a few pics of him and my beautiful (and very alert) little granddaughter Sommah. This child is quite amazing. Everything and every day is a new and exciting adventure - the sheer delight in her eyes when told of the plans for each day (however ordinary) was just wonderful. She absorbed every moment, and looked forward with fervor to whatever a new day may bring. I was exhausted when they left, but laid awake that night thinking about just how much like her father she is. I love this pic of her deep in thought under the sprinkler...



THE fish must be published.... OK, so it's not huge, but Sommah was excited!!



And with Dad.



We even went to a friends place in Darwin, so I thought I'd put in a pic of Billy at the party.



OK, so my house is now mine, going home to Qld. to sell my Gympie home to make it really mine, and this weekend I am going to spend my second night there. My first was last Saturday and .... I sensed a visitor when I heard a few strange noises and the locked door slowly opened while I was showering, so I thanked the former owner (I don't know much about her except that she's about my age, and died..) for her beautiful home and told her she was welcome to share it with me if she chose, and heard no more.

This weekend the guy is coming to measure up for a swimming pool. Not a luxury in Darwin, a necessity, and a very practical one because you can swim all year round.
Next Thursday I have a HUGE air conditioner going in, so then my home will have all it needs. Except for one thing.... family. Charlie and Simone and my two precious grannies Chloe and Tylah will be moving to the NT after Christmas to start a new life. Charlie finally has an apprenticeship organised, and I will spend every weekend possible with them. Hopefully, I may even move to Darwin myself sometime next year, and the picture will be complete.

Houses & stuff...

OK, so now my house is official, not settled yet, but will be soon, I thought I'd put in a few pics just in case anyone still reads me.

This is the main living area, looking out on to the outside deck.
Next is out the front of the house.


Another shot of the back deck.

One of the two sleepouts...


The second bedroom...


And the kitchen... (with it's beautiful solid timber benches)


The pictures don't do it justice, and I am really excited about it. Will put in a large spa before I move in.

More tomorrow....

OCTOBER !!!

As in.... oh God, it's October - THREE months since I last added a post!!
and also... October, what a month!!!!

The reunion was fabulous, we all had a ball I think - I KNOW I did...
I am NOT going to thank anyone, you all know who you are, and you all
must be throwing up "thankyou's" in your sleep by now. So good. I am
just annoyed that I missed out on the one and only (alledged) arguement
of the weekend... (Again, you all know who you are!!!)

Ah October. The government loves me and my sons this month. We have
collectively been responsible for donating almost $100,000 to the
bastards in just under 4 weeks (actually half of it is still outstand-
ing, and may remain so until I am summonsed). These sums involve
stamp duties and capital(@#$&*%) gains(*&%$#) tax(@#$*&%).

This month Tom has bought a house, Joe has bought a unit in Darwin,
Charlie has sold his home in Gympie, and I have sold one and bought
one.

Thank goodness my job is a very low stress one. My life stresses are
almost killing me!

I found it interesting though and more power to our gender, that of
the six business people I have dealt with in the last month - Real
Estate Agent, Home owner, Taxation Accountant, two separate
conveyancers and a Bank Manager, only ONE was male. He doesn't
count though, coz he's cute enough to be gay....

Back soon...

Been & Gone..

Yep, the week flew, and now my mates are safe and sound back home in Wyndham.
Monday (after checking Jane's hair for nitts)

we had a champagne brekky - yeah, all (or most) of the day - these things do tend to drag on !!! Nibbled between sips on all sorts of nice stuff, and then decided against dinner.

Up bright and early Tuesday, and off sightseeing. The girls wanted to see where I work, so did the guided tour, then out to Ubirr

- tried to fight our way through the tourists but gave up in the end and went back to Bowali (it's a visitor's centre, but almost a mini museum sort of) for a look and coffee.

Then to the local shops for a wander, then home for an afternoon/evening of karaoke and drinks.


On Wednesday we went into Darwin. Did the shops, then in the evening went to Lalaluna - a theatre production which was really a kids show, but great fun.
The Casino seemed like a good idea after that, but we were all pretty tired, so as soon as the money dried up, so did we.
Next morning we "did" Bunnings - my very new, very huge, very most favourite place to spend a few hours. Then off to the movies to see "Driving Lessons" wow, Ron Weasley AND his mother reunited in a totally gorgeous film...
Drove back to Jabiru in the afternoon and had a cuple of hours rest before doing the local night spots - the Croc of course, then the local Sports & Social Club, finally the Golfie, where we dined and didn't win the draw. (But DID leave my mobile phone behind ~ think it's the first time I've ever done that). Home & bed, and the girls left at 6.45 Friday morning.
So off I strolled to work, my head not absolutely sure if there were enough cells left in my brain to risk calling anyone by name.....and my liver quietly sobbing
'transplant, we need a transplant'.

I LOVE it when friends come....

Well they haven't arrived yet, but the best bit is that your home gets a really good clean - I should say MY home - don't want to inflict my slack habits upon all of you, but to be quite truthful, living in an area where ceiling fans go all day every day of the year and the breeze gently blows all fluff and other unidentified matter to the edges of the room, I rarely clean until the fluff reaches 30 cm up all the walls. (that's 12" to you really old readers).

Firstly I must just quickly provide a little closure to the Beds R Us saga. I ended up doing two trips myself with mate Rhonda to ensure that the two oldies who missed out on beds DID in fact get them, and that I, of course, got mine. Sadly we finished up with the worst of them, while MY lovely ensemble still hangs over a fence looking a little sadder every day. No matter.

OK so today I borrowed a "blower" from work to get rid of the leaves on my driveway and out the back infesting my gazebo, and this would (I estimated) take me 5 minutes. I chuckled as I drove home from work thinking about the day I swept it all - with a yard broom - and almost needed chiropractic treatment afterwards. This was gonna be a walk in the park.

Needles to say, just unravelling the extension cord took 20... Then away we went. Leaves everywhere. Just as I cleared one area, up they went again in a wirly wind, and back where they started. My hair was full of them, between each toe I had them, and they just went from one place to another, laughing their stupid heads off at me.

I finished the job finally, in about an hour and a quarter. My shoulder ached, my legs ached, my house was full of them, and ............. The broom job had taken me only about 45 minutes.

Modern technology, huh??
Having said that (let me now say this) I did have a blower in Wyndham, and it was fabulous. I seemed to blow where you WANTED it to blow, and not, like this one, where IT wanted to blow.

OK, so in the vein of the McBlog "Outside my window" theme, I have taken some pictures of my workplace for you all to see...

OK this is one of the outdoors areas... where the filthy smokers loiter...


Next is the hallway at Kakadu Health


Our clinic - view 1...


View 2


And, my humble office....(depressing little room)



So, that's it until next weekend. My lovely friends Jane and Robin are driving up from Wyndham on Sunday for the week, and I can't wait to see them again. But until then I have a BLUDDY HOUSE TO CLEAN...

Ciao

Bed 'R US !!

Not much news this fortnight, but a funny thing happenned today, I am still giggling and tearing my hair out in frustration. Well, it all started 3 weeks ago actually.

We had a phone call from the South Alligator Aurora Lodge - one of the Kakadu resorts about 40 km from Jabiru. They have just bought all new beds for the motel, and wanted to know if any of the oldies wanted some free ensembles - queen and single were available. About 50 of them I estimate. Now, don't scoff about second hand beds. We all know the quality of beds that motels buy, mostly GREAT. I remember when one of the motels in Broken Hill - think it was the Miners Lamp - sold out some of their beds, and we all got some, (remember Suze??). Those beds lasted me for years, and my two eldest never had it so good.

OK, so I said yes, of course, thinking not only of all my clients who (if they were lucky) had a thin mattress on the floor, but also of me, a Queen size ensemble would be great for guests.

2 weeks went by and I was trying to come up with a way of getting some 10 or 12 beds and bases back into Jabiru, so I rang the CDEP mob. (Work for the dole). I was quoted some silly price for the job, so I said "I'll get back to you", and decided to approach Sammo. Sammo works for the same organisation as I do, he's a large indigenous man who comes in probably 2 or 3 of his designated 5 days a week, and has a cup of coffee, and if he's a bit tired might spend the majority of the day dozing under a nearby tree with family members, but he's cool. AND, as luck would have it, he's also very important in CDEP.

Sure he says, I'll do it.

I suggest that I come with him and supervise, but he says NO, I have a culpe of blokes, you just stay here and I'll be back in a cuple of hours. SO, I give him a list of how many beds, and for whom they are intended. That list, I might add, is never seen again.

He arrives back with a trailer loaded up. I get very excited and then I realise that most of the "beds" are just bases, some with legs, some without. I ask him where the other legs are, and he says that he must have left them behind. I ask how come he hasn't got the sets, ie. matching bases and matresses, and he pats me affectionately and says not to worry, he will match them all up in due course. So, I tell him where each bed is to be delivered and again ask if I can come, but again he insists that he and the boys are quite capable. He will deliver what he has, then return for another load and make sure that all beds are matched up.

OK, so I go out and check that everyone on the list has beds. First house. NO BED. Second house NO BED. House next to that (which was not on the list) 4 bases, ONE matress (a queen size which is sitting on a single base) One Matress and base hanging over a fence. All bedding out in the yard. Third house, which was supposed to get 2 single beds..... 2 single bed BASES, two queen size beds and matresses. Again, all bedding in the yard.
Fourth house - Tent, actually, the correct bed and the correct base.

Me??? No bed. His cousin who found out about our plan only today??? One queen size bed and one single. Every other Tom Dick and Harry??? Beds, beds, beds.......

He is walking the green mile tomorrow if my bed and the two missing oldies beds are not on the trailer tomorrow by 10 oclock.

I had to laugh though, because I reminded me of a gorgeous man at the aboriginal community of Wadeye, when I took him outside and asked him to put new number plates on the bus, showed him how to unscrew the old ones and put the new one on.... Thomas was not the sharpest, but such a gentle giant... He came back inside half an hour later, so pleased with himself.... bringing with him the two old number plates... Two different numbers( ?..) Out I went and only then realised that he'd put one on the front of the bus, and the other one on the front of the Troopy. He was so happy with the job I never had the heart to tell him...

Bush Pig.

Errr.... I am referring to the one laying down stupid!!!
(and NO, I didn't hit it!)



And lastly, a picture of Oenpelli as the non indigenous or Balanda people (us) call it, - or Gunbalunya as the indigenous (Bininj - pronounced Binning) people call it.



OK, that's a bit of an idea of what I do when I am not playing spider solitaire on the computer.

GO THE MAROONS !!!!!!!

Luv Yuz.....

Bush trip !

Sometimes I am required to venture out bush in my job, and I should do it more often, coz I keep forgetting how to engage 4 wheel drive when necessary, and how to "Ford Every Stream" when necessary... This little (but very fast flowing) creek scared the shit out of me ...

And coming back was not any less daunting - you see, the road underneath the water was just a mass of huge potholes..!!

The view enroute was beautiful..

Oops, probably not a good pic of the view, but here's another one, this is my Troopy and Chrissie's Troopy, she's my mate in Darwin who works for NT Carers, it's a long time since we have gotten together for a trip out bush. Her's is the front one!

So, being as how it's gonna start playing up if I put any more pics on, I will do another quick post for the next cupla of pics, OK (Now don't change that channel - yeah, I know it's State Of Origin tonight!!...)