Things and Stuff

How is it May?  This year is just flying by. 

At the start of April we took a visiting Kiwi on a road trip.  We went to Echuca to see the paddlesteamers, Deniliquin to see a Ute on a Stick and to Beechworth to do a ghost tour of the old lunatic asylum.  There was a bit too much testosterone for my liking at times, but overall we had a great trip.

Port of Echuca

Deniliquin

Our accomodation in Beechworth

When we arrived home, I got sick, nothing too terrible, just a nasty chest infection, I will live.  I occasionally got off my sick bed to see some stuff at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.  We had to give away some tickets we had pre-booked because we were just too sick, but we did see some of my favourites like Paul McDermott and Cal Wilson.  Also a 'reunion' of the Doug Anthony Allstars.  The highlight for me was Hannah Gadsby, if she comes to a town near you, check her out!

Becuase I've been so sick, I've been watching a lot of bad TV.  The highlight for me lately has been Celebrity Splash.  I love it!  I know it's awful, don't get me wrong, but for me it is lighthearted and shiny fun.  It is the very definition of 'craptastic', and if you've been around these here parts for long you will know that we love ourselves a bit of craptastic fun.  Sometimes I like my TV to make me think, but othertimes I just want to see people do belly flops. 

Also, every episode so far of Celebrity Splash has started with synchronised swimming and that is possibly one of my favourite things in the entire world.  No, seriously, I LOVE it.  When we went to Expo 88 (otherwise known as 'That thing a long way away that cost a fortune where you spent most of your time lining up to see things') they had a synchronised swimming show that I reckon I made my parents sit through at least 6 times.  I loved it.  I like to think I could've been one, but that's not true.  I can barely swim.  And I float too much.  But it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?

I've seen a lot of people bagging out Celebrity Splash and saying it is horrible and should be taken off TV immediately.  I don't think that's very fair.  There are lots of shows on TV that I don't like, for whatever reason, and you know what I do?  I just don't watch them.  I respect that other people enjoy them and I don't demand they be taken off air, I just watch something else.  It's not hard.  Live and let live and all that stuff.

Speaking of TV shows I like.  Why are shows so short these days?  I'm sure years ago that if you made a TV show it was just expected that you would make forty odd episodes whether you liked it or not.   Eight or ten episodes is nowhere near enough of shows like Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones and Call the Midwife, I need more! Even Aussie TV shows are shorter.  Rafters and stuff like that only seem to go part of the year.  I don't like it.  Can someone please fix it?  Thanks.

Do you enjoy craptastic TV?  Do you want more Call the Midwife in your life?  Who is your favourite comedian? 

You can't tell, but my 16 year old self is having kittens in this photo

I Don't Run

I haven't blogged in ages.  Sorry about that.  Mainly because I felt I had nothing to say, but when I stopped and thought about it, I realised that wasn't quite true.  We always have something to say, but maybe sometimes we just choose not to say it.  However, that's a post for another day.


I'm currently trying a new sort of happy pills, with the eventual aim of coming off the original ones, which my doctor thinks might have contributed to the weight gain I've had.  And here was I thinking it was just a result of too much bacon! 

Speaking of weight gain, why do people/doctors always think that when they tell me I am overweight it is the first I've heard about it?  I do own a mirror, I know how big my clothes are.  In any case, the doctor suggested I see a nutritionist.  I told her I know how to lose weight, but I just... haven't.  No matter what fancy pants diet you want to go on the basis is always the same 'Eat Less.  Move More."  Is there such a thing as a pill to make me motivated?  I need it!

Several of my friends are doing a fun run in a few weeks.  Never one to miss an opportunity to hang out with the girls, I'm going along.  As the cheer squad.  Should I take pom poms and if so where does one get pom poms?

Wordless Wednesday - A New Family

The New Family

Me the Honourary Auntie!

Things I Know - Volume Nine

I know I'm linking up again with Shae at Yay for home!

I'm know also flogging with Glowless from Where's My Glow?

I know someone bestowed my first ever blog award upon me this week.

I know I will write more about that soon.

I know that this week has been pretty good.  Certainly a lot better than the last few weeks.

I know I am very glad about that and I hope it continues.

I know we have a very lazy weekend planned.

I know I'm looking forward to it.

I know I took a tonne of photos when I made 'The Best Pizza In The World' a few days ago.

I know there might be a tutorial coming your way soon.

I know that you should go and read this article.  It could have been written by me.  (It wasn't, but it could have been)

I know you should go to Liz's blog and while you are there make sure you vote for her in the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards.

I know we have some very cool things going on in the Castle grounds at the moment, not the least of those is this rose bush which was a housewarming present.

I know I spent several months feeling convinced this rose bush was going to die.

I know I am very glad I was wrong.

I know there are also sunflowers growing almost before our very eyes.  I hope I remember to take a photo of them on the weekend.

I know a pay increase with back pay is wonderful.

I know the tax on back pay is bullshit.

I know we are going to put the back pay to good use on a road trip to NSW just after Christmas.

I know that just when I think people are starting to understand where I'm coming from, they do something that makes me realise they actually have no idea at all.

I know I am over Christmas and it hasn't even started.

I know I do not understand the need for Christmas themed nappies. 

I know there is a baby about to be born to some of my best friends.  I hope everything goes smoothly for them.  I'm waiting by my phone for the news! Please don't buy any Christmas nappies!!!

What do you know?

My Sister

I have the best sister in the world.  I know a lot of people think they have the best sister in the world, but they're wrong.  Here are but some of the reasons why my sister is better than yours.

*She is older than me.  Old enough that when I was born it was like she had a real doll to play with, and play with me she did.  She looked after me a lot when I was little.

*She saved her pocket money and used it to buy me Strawberry Freddo Frogs.

*When she moved out of home, even though things were really strained with our parents, she made the effort to come and get me and take me to her house for weekends. 

*She let me wear a pretty dress and be a junior bridesmaid at her wedding.

*She didn't get too mad when I spilt an entire can of lemonade on my pretty dress just before we had the wedding photos taken.

*She can do amazing things with hair.

*She used to let me cook things in her kitchen.

*She has the best stocked baking kitchen.  With all the right sorts of sugar and lots of different sized baking trays and things.

*She cooks me Meatloaf.  And sometimes meringues.

*She has entrusted me with the care of her children.  More times than I can count.

*She introduced me to Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs

Accept no imitations!

*Even though she didn't like him nobody liked him, she supported the fact that I chose to live with a fucktard for almost four years.

*She supported me again when I chose to leave said fucktard.

*She always seems to know when I need reassurance about things.

*She helped me more than words can say when PTSD engulfed my life the first time and she is doing the same this time around.

*She is the first person I call when things go bad, and the very first person I call when things are great.

*She is beautiful. Despite the fact that she lets me cut her fringe with kitchen scissors.

*She loves me unconditionally.

*She gave Chyken permission to ask me to marry him.

*She pretended to act surprised when I told her I was engaged to Chyken.

*She helped me put my wedding dress on, and told me I looked beautiful.

*She proudly stood beside me as I took my wedding vows.

*She kept me together when my world was falling apart when my Dad died.

*She held my hand and stopped me having to walk out of the church on my own behind his coffin.

*She let me move into her house when there really wasn't room.

*She treats Chyken like he has always been part of our family.

*She is an amazing mother.

*She makes me laugh.

*She listens to me.

*She is hopeless at trivia, but comes along to trivia nights regardless.

*She is the bee's knee's, the ant's pant's and the cat's pajamas.

*She has no idea how wonderful she really is.

*She is my best friend.


Me & My Sister

 Today is her birthday. 

Happy Birthday to the best sister in the world!   I hope you have an amazing day. 

Thank you for everything you do for me. 

I love you.

Jo xxx

Let's Go Fly A Kite!

We spent Good Friday and Easter Saturday at our friend Thea's place.  She is lucky enough to live near the beach.  I have had this kite for a while, but the conditions have never been right to take it out.  Friday was perfectly windy!

 

 

Today I am grateful for time away from work to recharge my batteries.

Wordless Wednesday - Recent Happenings

The Week That Was...

What a week!

I spent most of the week in bed with migraines.  Do you get migraines?  I hope not, for they suck!  I'm not talking about headaches, for migraines aren't just 'bad headaches'  This link might help explain it.  In case you were wondering, I get the full shebang, with 'aura' and nausea.  And I spent two days away from work this week with two separate migraines.  Fun times.  The upside of the migraines was that I got to spend the days with these two gorgeous creatures!

Nutter & Sausage

Nutter has almost given up her hissing campaign and seems to accepted that Sausage is here to stay.  I'm not saying she's happy about it, but she seems to have accepted it!  Still the occasional hiss, but for the most part they play together reasonably well.

My best friend has returned this very day from an almost three month European adventure.  As I am writing this she is on her way here so she can regale me with tall tales from her trip while we eat food that is a billion Weight Watchers points per mouthful.  I'm a bit excited!

I'm also a bit excited about the state of the Castle grounds.  Today I removed the protective bunting to stop people walking on the front yard, because we kinda have lawn now.  Check it out!!!

Now, yes I did run this picture through the Instragram App on my iPhone, so the grass isn't quite that green in real life, but it's pretty close.  Those long grass things along the front are not weeds, they are agapanthus!  Next summer they are gonna look grouse!  Mark my words!!!

I'm catching up with some work mates tomorrow afternoon, and I'm really looking forward to it.  Given the nature of my work (have I ever mentioned what I do?  hmmmm perhaps I will write a post about it!) there isn't a lot of time for chatting at work, so every now and then we need to get to together after work for a catch up!  Tomorrow night we have an engagement party to go to, then I am working on Sunday morning.  Sunday arvo I have a date with Chyken and the couch and then another week will begin.

What about you?  Got exciting plans this weekend?

Bits Of My Weekend - Volume Nineteen

Ohhh man I love a good pool.  I spent most of the weekend in one of my favourites.  It belongs to one of my best friends parents and it was a lovely 26 degrees.  See that lilo on the left in the picture below?  I spent a LOT of time on it this weekend.  It was divine!  (Thanks AGAIN for inviting us down there!)

THE Pool!

On Saturday morning we picked strawberries.  I don't eat them, but Chyken assures me that they are delicious.  I did have some ice-cream and some strawberry wine and they were great!



Strawberry Farm

This weekend was spent with my oldest friends in the whole wide world.  A few were missing from the gang (Hi P, K, C, K and O!), but we soldiered on without them.  As it turns out, the four ladies who went were four of us who went to kindergarten together about a million years ago.  Please excuse my 'I only got out of the pool because there was ice-cream on offer at the pier' hair.  Thanks!

Kindergarten Buddies!

We ate ice-cream while watching a beautiful sunset over the bay...



Sunset at Rosebud Pier


On the Sunday we had lunch at the Portsea Pub.  We sat in the room up the top that you can see in the picture below.  It was beyond delicious.  Then we all began the long trek home.  It was great to be back in my own bed.  Nutter was extremely glad that we returned.


Portsea Pub

How was your weekend?  You should totally write a post about it and leave a link in the comments section below!



*All photos taken with my iPhone and edited using the Instagram App.


Today I am grateful for lifelong friends.

This Is Summer? Huh?

This weather is odd.  It is the middle of Summer and yet it is raining.  We do not live in the tropics.  Nutter is completely freaked out by the humidity, and who can blame her?  It's bad enough for me, and I'm not covered in fur!  She has set herself up in front of the fan and I think she will stay there until we turn it off.

Out street is flooded, but it is nowhere near as bad as what is going on in Queensland, so I won't harp on about it.  As far as we can tell there is no danger of it coming in our house.

Two great things hapened today.  I got my old early shift back at work.  It means earlier starts, but it also means I will be home earlier.  I can hopefully ramp the BSEP up to the next level!  Woot!

The other great thing is that I have a long weekend.  Starting now!  Well, actually it started a few hours ago, but you get the idea.  Chyken and I are off to the beach to catch up with some friends. The only real plans are to go to the Portsea Pub for dinner on Saturday night. The rest of the time will probably be spent by the pool or at the beach.  I know, not great weather for it, but I love water, no matter what the weather!

What are you up to this weekend???

Today I am grateful that I have a full-time permanent job that pays me holiday pay so I can afford to take time off to go away for the weekend. 

The Year that Was 2010

Aunt Becky did this meme, and then she said I had to as well.  I don't like to argue with her.


1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Lots of things! Some good and some bad.  Buried my Dad, built a house, joined Weight Watchers, started this blog!


2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make them.  I'm not calling it a resolution, but in 2011 I aim to be happier and healthier.


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yup.  One of my bestest mates, Kells, had a beautiful baby girl and called her Ruby.  She is one of the happiest babies I have ever seen!


4. Did anyone close to you die?
Technically it happened in 2009, but I'm gonna say yes to this question.  I miss you, Dad.

5. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
More happiness.  More holidays.  More Money.  A new car.

6. What countries did you visit?
Just this one, the best one, Australia.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why:
January 4th.  Funeral.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Building the Castle. Getting help for my PTSD.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Falling off the Weight Watchers wagon towards the end of the year.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder reared its ugly head again.  Chyken was hospitilised with pneumonia.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The Castle.  And the new couch.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Chyken's.  Seriously, this husband of mine is amazing!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No comment.  Those who need to know, know.

14. Where did most of your money go?
On the Castle.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our Castle.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
Time To Say Goodbye

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Happier

ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner (a little bit!  Yay!!)

iii. richer or poorer? Poorer, but a homeowner!


18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eating.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Dude, Meme, Christmas is over.

21. There was no #21. I don’t know why there was no 21.

22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Yup, with my husband, all over again.

23. How many one-night stands?
Not enough.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Escape To The Country

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a very strong word... But, no, I hated them already.  :-)

26. What was the best book you read?
I re-read The Pillars Of The Earth

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Tooth Jazz!!!

28. What did you want and get?
A Castle.  And eventually, a Bertie Beetle.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Despicable Me

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I went to Echuca for the weekend and ate too much and went for a ride on a paddlesteamer with great friends.  I turned 33.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More cake.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Extremely similar to 2009, but with more vests.

34. What kept you sane?
My Chyken, my sister, my friends and my cat.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I find it best not to get involved in politics.

37. Who did you miss?
My Dad.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Kristen and Brian. 

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
There is always help available, you just have to ask! 

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
'Whatever gets you through the night... It's alright, it's alright'

Son Of A Singer

Just a little something that you might enjoy...  You might also see some familiar faces...

Wordless Wednesday - Spicks & Specks Taping

Too Cool For School

I've missed a few days of the 30 Day Blog Challenge.  Chyken and I have been very unwell with a snotty virus and the last thing I felt like doing was sitting in front of the computer.  Sad but true.  As a result, I'm going to answer a few questions in this one post, so I can try and catch up.

Question Nine:  What is something embarrassing that happened to you in high school?

At the time, I thought that pretty much my entire high school experience was embarrassing.  I was embarrassed that my mum wouldn't take my uniform up the length that all the other girls had.  I was embarrassed that I had the oldest parents.  In.  The.  Entire.  World.  I was embarrassed that I wasn't one of the 'cool girls'.  I was embarrassed that I lived miles out of town and couldn't go visiting my friends on a whim after school.  I was embarrassed that I never had the trendy outfits to wear on casual clothes days.  I was embarrassed that I wasn't allowed to get a perm until a LONG time after everyone else.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see that all of those things only mattered to ME.  No one else probably even noticed, let alone cared.  And as for being one of the 'cool girls', with the benefit of hindsight I now know several things: 

1) The so-called 'cool girls' were one of the bitchiest group of women I would ever encounter in my life. 

2) The friends I had in high school WERE the 'cool girls',  I just didn't realise it at the time.  I'm not saying that I didn't love and value them, I certainly did, but we did not think that we were the 'cool girls'.  My high school friends are the people that are still my friends today.  They are the ones that proudly stood beside me when I got married.  They are the people that pick me up when I am feeling down.  They didn’t care back then that I didn’t own a pair of stussy pants, and they don’t care now. 

3) Popularity once you leave school does not mean a thing.  I have since looked some of them up on Schoolfriends and Facebook and they are no more 'successful" or 'happy' than I am.  Suck on that, moles!


The Author, age 15

Question Ten: Fill in the blank. Right now I really want ___a winning tattslotto ticket___. 

Now, I know that this is something that almost everyone could do with, but I would make particularly good use of it at the moment.  Being sick is not cheap, even a minor sickness like the virus we have had this week.  I'd also like to pay off some debts we have, including getting a bit ahead on the mortgage.  While I'm at it, we could really use a holiday, I'd love to be able to visit our English friends again and/or to meet some of Chyken's wonderful American mates.

My Lucky Numbers?

Question Eleven:  How was your day?

So far, so good.  I went to work this morning.  It is quiet on a Sunday and not really like work at all.  Had a reasonable nights sleep last night, mainly because Mister Chyken Sweatypants is a sweetheart and took himself off to the spare bed so that I actually got some sleep.  This afternoon we have no plans, we might watch a DVD or two and just generally relax.  I got Chyken 'Storm Boy' on DVD yesterday, which is one of his favourite movies, but I don't think I have ever actually seen it.  Chyken has been off his food (no such luck for me!!!) but hopefully he will be up to eating more than jelly and fruit for dinner and we will have a nice chicken salad.  It is time to get back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon, I've been running just behind it for too long now.

Mister Percival!

Question Twelve:  What is your ultimate comfort food. And yes you can only pick just one.

One.  Really?  Just one?  hmmm... In that case, I choose... Fairy Floss.  We're talking comfort food, not favourite food, which in my book are two totally different things.  Fairy Floss has never failed to cheer me up, and that makes it the ultimate comfort food.  Plus, is is fat free!  Woot!


Food of the Gods!

How about you?  How's your own 30 Day Blog Challenge going?  How have YOU spent the weekend?  What is YOUR ultimate comfort food?  What was YOUR most embarrassing high school memory?  What do YOU really want right now?

Frankly My Dear...

Day Six of the 30 Day Blog Challenge!

Question Six is:

Which TV character do you think that you are most like?

This is a hard one, there is a danger of me nominating the person I WISH I was most like, and not the one I actually am like.

It's no secret that I look like Sharon from Kath & Kim...





Magda Szubanski as Sharon Strzelecki


But she's very into sport and I do my best to avoid any form of movement.


So, because I could not come up with an answer myself I turned to my two best friends. 

Gemma said that I was like Shirley Gilroy from A Country Practice.


Lorrae Desmond who played Shirley Gilroy

Because I am 'nice and funny and quirky and I don't take any shit'.  Runner up contender was Phoebe from Friends.  I'm not sure I'm quite THAT ditzy though.

Chyken thinks I am most like Doctor Frank Campion from All Saints.

John Howard as Frank Campion

The reasons are as follows:

* You are sexy, like Frank
* You are sarcastic, like Frank
* You don't mind a bit of power, like Frank
* You have a squishy soul, like Frank
* You have a pretty smile, but you look glum often, like Frank


So, what have we learnt today my lovelies?  We have learnt that I'm not really like any one TV character, and my husband loves a fictional man who likes pink shirts.


Have you started your own 30 Day Blog Challenge yet?  You should!  You will find out interesting things about yourself you didn't know.  Leave a link to your blog in the comments. 

Big shout out to Zette who has joined in already!

Bits Of My Weekend - Volume Seventeen

Here are some bits of my weekend...

Went to the Castle... The bathroom just needs a shower screen now...

Kitchen might need some more work...

Lunch with friends on Sunday...

Lemon Meringue Pie. Home grown lemons and eggs!

My current two favourite pictures of my second cousin, Oliver...

Found some puddles on the way home. Believe it or not, this is after we 'rinsed' some of the mud off...

What happened this weekend in your corner of the world?

Bits Of My Weekend is a concept stolen from Michelle at 6 in the City. She's had some stuff going on in her life that have meant she hasn't posted for a few weeks. If you have the time, please go over to her site and show her some support.