Picture From The Past - Volume One

I really wish I could remember which blog I saw this done on, but I can't. Apologies if it was on yours, please let me know and I will give you due credit.

Anyhoo, the idea is that you find a picture from your past and write about it. I don't have photos going back really far, mainly because I didn't get a decent camera until I got a decent husband.

This photo is from our July 2008 trip to the Red Centre. We took my cousin B4 with us, and had a wow of a time. This is the only photo of all three of us there.

We got really cheap flights to Alice Springs, and then rented the cheapest car we could and drove out to Ayer's Rock. (I know I am supposed to call it Uluru out of respect to the Aboriginal (or is that Aborigine??) people, but I believe that if you call it that it is really disrespectful to Mister Ayer (Who, incidentally, didn't even 'discover' it! His lackey did, who then named it after his boss! Idiot!!!!) So, I'm sticking with Ayer. Feel free to bag me for it in the comments section of the blog.)

Where was I? Oh yeah, the trip. So we drive for 450 kilometres in record time and stayed at Yulara for two sleeps. We crammed a LOT into that time. We looked at the rock at various times of the day and we also looked at Olgas. We swam and we walked and we BBQ'd. We saw camels and B4 did a LOT of sleeping, both in her bed and in the car. Chyken and I argued over the top bunk. Neither of us wanted it! Does this mean I am mature???

It was not my first visit there, nor B4's, but it was Chyken's. He reacted much like I presume I did way back in 1995. With absolute wonder. If you have never been there, you really should.

I remember thinking before I went the first time that I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, it's just a rock, right? Well, yes, it is a rock, but I don't think you can go there and NOT be moved. It is one hell of a rock. I really am not good enough with words to explain it. I can only implore you to go!!! Go now!! (Well, make sure someone is feeding the cat, and that it is alright with your boss first, OK???)

All in all though, we had a wonderful time. I really hope that one day we can take our kids there. It really is the heart and soul of Australia.

Sussan Women's Fun Run 2010

I've signed up for this again!

I'm hoping to beat last years time of 1 hour, 8 minutes and 34 seconds.

Please go to this page to sponsor me!

Bits Of My Weekend - Volume Fourteen

I was really slack this weekend and didn't take any photos. I worked on Saturday, and on Saturday night Chyken worked while I curled up with Nutter and watched a DVD.

Today we went for a drive, then had a spa, and then went out for dinner. A very relaxing Sunday, but not very photo-worthy.

Since there are no photos of the weekend, here are the latest Castle photos instead. We now have a painted front door.

They've painted the inside now too, but I have no photos of that as we can't get in. Here is what the front looks like. Pretty much done, except for a garage door!

What did YOU get up to this weekend???

Perplexion at the Drive-Thru

At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I must tell you that I am baffled by the youth of today.

I went to McDonald's drive-thru on my way to work today. (Yes, work on a Saturday, bleurgh!). The voice in the box told me the price and I drove to the next window. I got there and handed the girl wearing far too much make-up (but that's a post for another time!) a $50 note. She took it from me and stared at the register for what seemed like forever. I asked her if everything was OK. She said 'Well, you gave me a $50 note, but I pressed the $20 button...'. There was another pause. I said 'Well, how about you just give me $30 on top of whatever it is telling you to give me?'. Another pause, and I could almost see the light bulb illuminate above her head. 'Oh, yeah, that would work, wouldn't it?'

Then she handed me my change (amazingly the correct amount!!) and I shook my head, collected my food and was on my way.

Mooooooooo!

I have been so unbelievably moody lately. I know that it's mainly because I am still grieving, both for my Dad and for the way some family members have treated me since, but oh my, when will it ever stop?

In the space of a few hours, sometimes even minutes, I go from looking for knives to do myself in with, to bouncing off the roof with happiness. It is very frustrating, not only for me, but for anyone that has to deal with me.

If you are one of those people and you're reading this, I am SO sorry.

Please know that I am aware of it, and even if it doesn't seem like it, I am trying really hard not to be such a moody cow.

Bits Of My Weekend - Volume Thirteen

Welcome to another volume!

Saturday we did the usual Castle visit. We can't get in anymore. They have taped everything up inside ready for painting.

They've painted the gables and guttering. There's also a frame for the neighbours now.

Chyken had a gig in the city on Saturday night. I dropped him off and then went to a mate's place for Chicken Shop! om nom nom nom



She has a very cute cat, with eyes like saucers. Say hello to Senorita Fluffykins!


My Sunday was spent in the kitchen. I made all these things:

This is beef casserole. I transferred it to the oven after this and cooked it for 4 hours. It will be dinner one night this week.



I made English Tea Cake. Yum!

Not one, but two Egg & Bacon pies. One is whole eggs and one is scrambled up, because some people are fussy.

For dinner tonight we had Thai Chicken Casserole. I whacked it in the slow cooker this morning and let it hang about there most of the day. We had it with rice and it was very tasty!




For dessert we had Bootlace.


Bootlace is an old family recipe. Put simply, it is warm chocolate sauce for ice-cream. It is nommilicious.

Sunday night was spent in front of the TV with Nutter & Chyken. Bliss!

Pop over to Six in the City to see how the other half lived this weekend...

(If Michelle hasn't posted her bits yet, check back later, she's in the USA and things are a bit behind there!)

What did YOU do this weekend?

Him

I missed him yesterday. I missed him all day long. Most days I can hear him so clearly. Sometimes, I can smell him. Sometimes he is so close, I feel like if I turned around fast enough, I could catch a glimpse of him.

There is a part of me, a little girl part of me, that is sure he lives in the moon, and can hear me when I talk out loud to him. I know that's bizarre and ritualistic, and that I should know better, but I find myself doing it anyway.

He wasn't a perfect father, but he was mine. I have this list of questions I would just love to have answers to, but, as with so many questions I have for my father, for God, for the universe, those are not for this life.

Bits Of My Weekend - Volume Twelve

Welcome to another BOMW edition.

On Saturday we went to Costco, always a fun day out. We saw these, but we didn't buy them. Neither beer nor nuts are good for cats.

We DID buy bagels. But I ate them before I thought to take a photo of them.

On the way we visited the Castle. We have a kitchen! Woot! Surely it can't be long now until they let us move in?

Sunday we celebrated Emily's birthday. Out for a nommy meal and then home for this!

Happy 15th Birthday Emily!

(Sorry about the candles...)

Check out Six in the City to see what others around the world did this weekend.

What did YOU do?

Bits Of My Weekend - Volume Eleven

I had a really shitty week. (See post below). I wouldn't call this weekend outstanding, but it was certainly much better than the week!

Here is Nutter being cute. She's very good at it. I'm also impressed with this photo because I took it and somehow managed to get just her face in focus. I love it!
Saturday night we went out for dinner for Chyken's Mum's birthday. I went to order our meals and they asked for our table number. I said it was the big one with the highchairs. They said, 'Oh, with the guy with the tomato shirt?'. My husband, instant celebrity!

mmmmm... cake!

Sunday I went to work. This adorns the wall there.

We also moved house this weekend. No, not into the Castle, it isn't finished yet. We had internal doors delivered though, so it's inching ever closer! We moved from my Mum's house into my sister's house. Luckily (?) we didn't have a whole house to move, just our bed and clothes really. It still sucked like all house moving does.


Check out Michelle's blog for Bits Of My Weekend from around the world. (If her post isn't up yet, check back later, she's in the USA and is probably out at a 4th of July parade and/or eating something amazing!)

What did you get up to this weekend?

Deleting the Pigs

Recently I have been made to feel guilty for something that is not my fault. Although I am trying really hard not to let this get to me, inevitably it is. I'm not going to go into details here, but trust me on this, almost everyone wrongly blames me for the entire situation. This is largly due to the fact that they blindly believe what others have told them without bothering to ask me (or others that were there) what really happened.

I overheard a police officer on the TV last night saying 'There are two sides to every story, and the truth is usually somewhere in the middle.' How very true that is. I think what is most upsetting to me is that no one is even prepared to entertain the possibility that it is the other person's fault. I admit that I 'started' it, but I did not use violence, which the other person did. To me, this is very wrong.

There is no situation where violence is acceptable. Ever. I learned this the hard way. I was a victim of domestic violence in a previous relationship. It is only after thousands of dollars worth of therapy that I can admit that without bursting into tears. It was NOT my fault he did that to me. How can people that watched me recover from that not see the huge amounts of wrong-ness in this current situation?

I'm hurt, I'm angry and I'm really disappointed. Although having said that, there is a part of me that is not surprised. I've been blamed for things almost my whole life, why should that pattern change now?

So, I'm taking control. They can blame me all they like, and while it is not a pleasant situation to be in, it's the one I'm stuck in. I've tried and I can't make them see my point of view. I admit defeat. I'm giving up. They can think and say and do what they like. I know the truth. Those that matter to me know the truth. The rest of them can fuck off and find someone else to blame. As of this moment, these people have ceased to exist in my world. They will never see my beautiful new house, for I will not invite them in. They shall not have anything to do with any children I may have, for I do not trust someone with such violent tendancies. I have a feeling this is not going to go down well, but I've spent a long time trying to please other people, and that hasn't worked, so I'm going to do what is right for me from now on.


What have I got to lose?