I’m sitting with the heater on, but my hands are stll cold. The sky is grey and just looking out of the window brings chills. I know for a fact that right now, there are tourists in Borneo walking around in shorts and t-shirts, laughing at the warm weather.
Where I’m going:The bank.
Mum and I are going on a road trip tomorrow. All of the banks that I visited with Dad to get me attached to his accounts, now have to be visited with Mum.
Where I’ve been:Coles.
I’m a devoted Aldi shopper, but every now and then I get an offer from Flybuys to spend $50 for 4 weeks at Coles, in return for a $50 voucher. I use it to get free meat.
It’s ok. I wander around, phone in hand with the calculator open, totting up how much my shopping costs. The game is to get it as close to $50 as pobble. Today’s total? $50.32c.
Yeah, baby!
Every time they offer the same deal, but for a higher spend each week, I simply ignore it. Eventually it comes down to the $50 for 4 weeks offer again.
What I’m reading:The latest Jackson Brodie book.
Kate Atkinson is a fantastic writer, and her Jackson Brodie series is a cracker. I’ve been reading this series over the last few weeks and I’ve been having a terrific time.
What I’m watching:Sister Wives.
Ok, I don’t know how this happened, but I’ve been sucked into this ridiculous reality show about a mormon family with 4 wives and 18 chilren between them. To see supposedly intelligent women make such STUPID financial decisions because their husband drags them from pillar to post is like watching a train crash happen in slow motion.
What I’m listening to:Scout chewing her ball.
She’s obsessed.
What I’m eating:a roast chook from Costco.
You can’t go past a Costco chook. Connor has to get his own dinner tonight – Georgia and i are having a roast dinner!
What I’m planning:getting furniture for Mum’s room.
Mum’s legs are swelling with fluid, so Kate and I have decided that we need to get her armchairs from the house. They are recliners, so she can watch tv with her legs up. Tom33 and David32 are going to be loading up a trailer with some odds and sods from the house, which will make Mum’s room much more ‘homey’ and comfortable.
Who deserves a thumbs-up:Stephen Colbert.
More people should tell Trump to go fuck himself.
What has made me smile:The photo at the top of this post.
I have two long flowerpots at either side of my front door, and I buy small ‘potted colour’ pots to have flowers there. Last year I bought 4 gerberas, and when they finished flowering I decided to see if they’s flower next year if I planeted them in the garden.
What’s top of my mind:wondering how cold it’s going to be in Iceland, etc.
I’m so used to travelling with carry-on luggage, but I’m starting to wonder if I might need more space for more clothes. It’ll be autumn when I’m there, so it won’t be as cold as it can get, but I’m pretty sure it’ll seem pretty darned cold to me. My dependence is on my merino tops. Layering.
Where I’m going:The Motley Bauhaus.
Evan28 and his friends have a one night only show tonight. I’m going to go along and surprise him. It’s a sketch show, so who knows what it’ll be like? It’s part of the fun to find out. Evan28 is a very funny person, so I’m pretty sure I’ll have a laugh.
Where I’ve been:Bonbeach and my parents’ old place.
We’re beginning to clear out Mum’s place and either take things to the op shop, or bring them back to her room. The photo shows an orchid that’s just beginning to bud. Mum wanted it brought back to stand outside her window, where she can see it.
My sister-in-law loves orchids, so she’s taking the other ones Mum had in pots in her backyard. I’ve got a maple Dad bonsai-ed years ago, and a daphne in a pot that used to belong to Auntie Doris, Mum’s cousin. They’re now sittting on either side of my front verandah steps. My Mum and Dad pots, if you will.
I dug up some white irises from the front yard. These came from some that my grandmother gave Mum, decades ago. Now they are under the bottlebrush tree in my front yard. Kate didn’t want any; they’re too messy for her. But I like the history.
What I’m reading:
Some fabulous short stories. I’ve had this tab open for about 3 weeks, and I’ve been making my way down the list whenever I’ve had a spare snippet of time. Most of these stories are very. very good. The only one I didn’t bother with is the J D Salinger one. I can’t stand ‘Catcher in the Rye’ – I wanted to slap Holden Caulfield.
Some of the links don’t work, but just take the title and author’s name and put pdf after them. Only one story (‘God Bless America’) didn’t come up, but the others all did.
‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’ve come late to the party wth this one – even Kate has read it before me, and she’s not an all-devouring reader like I am. It’s loosely based on Fleetwood Mac in the ‘Rumours’ era, and the way she’s told this story is unusual, but very effective.
What I’m watching:Dept Q on Netflix.
Just like when I saw ‘The Boys’, this one had me n the first 5 minutes.
What I’m listening to:Birds.
One of the things that makes living here in The Best House in Melbourne is the birdsong. When we were kids, we’d spend our school holidays in Inverloch, where Mum’s parents lived after they retired. The birds were different there to anywhere else I’ve lived. Except now.
Every now and then a bird will cry out and I’m instantly back in Inverloch. It’s lovely.
What I’m eating:ham and cheese scrolls.
Well, I haven’t made them yet. But I have a hankering, and I’m sure Georgia won’t object.
What I’m planning:a Little Adventure.
Oof. Remember those?
When I retired, I decided that every month that I wasn’t travelling, I should go and do or see something new to me. A day trip. I’ve been doing so much travel over the last 2 years that the Little Adventures have been few and far between.
But I’m not going anywhere this month. 🙁
So I have to start thinking about where this month’s Little Adventure will be.
Who deserves a thumbs-up:Scout.
It makes Mum so happy when Scout trots into her room, wagging her tail. Mum’s missing Dad so much, so anything that brings her happiness is a very good thing.
What has made me smile:Procrastination.
My poor veggie garden looks AWFUL. After I harvested last summer’s crops, it has been left to rack and ruin while I gallivanted all over Asia and Africa. I’d be happy to leave it be, but I have 3 different sorts of garlic to plant. They go in at the winter solstice, and they are harvested at the summer solstice. If I was going to have free garlic for another year, they had to get into the ground.
I got up on Monday morning, and when my feet hit the ground I said, “That garlic will be planted by Friday!”
By 2 PM that day, every clove was in the ground. Just as well, because when I opened up the paper bags I’d put them in last year, they were already starting to sprout.
In my head, the job was so much larger than it ended up being. That gave me heart. Yesterday I cleared out 3 more garden beds, which will be all fertilised up and will then lay fallow until I get back from the Iceland/Greenland/Scandinavia/Baltics trip in October.
I’m also thinking about how I want my back yard to look on Christmas Day. It’s my turn to host.
We’re clearing out things from my parents’ place, and a few days ago we retrieved some jewellery. This row of rings are 4 generations of engagement rings from Mum’s side of the family.
The kids are all coming to my place on Saturday, so I’ll get Sophie to put her engagement ring next to the others. Then there’ll be 5 generations. How cool is this?
Where I’m going: Bonbeach.
As soon as I hit publish on this post, I’ll take Scout and we’ll go and take Mum for a walk. She’s losing mobility and she needs to build up her strength again. Her 2025 was pretty much sitting and watching Dad.
Where I’ve been:to the library.
I haven’t bought a book for the last 5 years or so. Instead, I use the local library, and for a bit of fun, I keep track of how much money I save by doing this. (At a rate of $30/book.) See the side bar…
A lot of the books I had on hold have come up, so presently I have about 10 books piled up beside my bed, ready to go. So far this year, I’ve read 62 books.
What I’m reading:some great books!
The Book of Guilt – Catherine Chidgey. This was sensational. It’s a slow burn and I don’t want to gve anything away. It’s set in an alternate future, where WW2 ended in 1943 in a draw, after that assassination attempt on Hitler’s life actually succeeded.
Caro Ramsay’s DCI Christine Caplan series. These are terrific. Set in modern-day Scotland, I’m loving them. I just finished the third in the series, then when I was getting the link for you, I discovered that number 4 has just been released. EXCITED! I raced across and put a hold on it at the library.
What I’m watching:The Buccaneers on AppleTV.
I’ve always meant to read the novel by Edith Wharton but I’ve never got around to it. This series is pretty darned good.
Also on AppleTV is Murderbot. I love the novellas and this show is wonderful.
What I’m listening to:the kids next door playing happily.
Aparently it’s school holidays. This is the first holidays that I didn’t realise. I’ve finally got the retired teacher mindset!
What I’m eating:nothing noteworthy.
What I’m planning:lunch for the family on Saturday.
Now that the kids are leading their own lives, getting us all together is like herding cats. I like to touch base with them in between my holidays, so this is the first one since Borneo. Sadly, Izzy won’t be coming, but everyone else will be there.
Evan28 will be moving back home in a couple of weeks, so this will mean a massive switch in the menu to vegetarian meals. Georgia and I will no doubt be having meat/cheat meals whenever Evan28 is busy at dinner times. 🙂
Who deserves a thumbs-up:the locksmith.
Mum and Dad had a safe in the house that, by the end of his life, not even Dad could get into. It had a dial on the top that was impossible for Kate and I to manipulate. We tried for at least half an hour, until I lost patience and said, “Fuck it! We’re calling a locksmith!!”
Naturally, he got it open on the first try.
The “family jewels” were there. Nothing is worth anything – it’s all sentimental value. There was also a huge bag full of every key that had ever passed through my father’s hands. Yes, I don’t know why this was so precious, either.
Mum and I had a lovely time looking at the jewellery and she told me all the stories behind who owned each one. The plan is for Kate, Mum and I to go through and we’ll take what we’d like, then we’ll have a meeting with Mum and all of her granddaughters and they can select what they’d like. Kate has two daughters and my brother has one.
I asked Mum if Georgia would be considered a granddaughter. Mum looked startled for a second, then said, “Yes. I think she is.” How wonderful for my trans daughter to have such acceptance..
What has made me smile:Seeing Megan (from Alaska/Canada) so excited about her new carpet.
At work, there’s a saying around a select few people about working deliberately towards early retirement. It’s called “doing a Frogdancer”, but with my IRL name, of course. Megan is being very strategic about how she deploys her finances. This year, she’s finishing off the last of the major house renovations by installing carpet throughout her unit. She’s done all her renos using cash and she’s been using her head when it comes to her long-term plans. I’m very proud of her.
Can you believe that the last time I posted a Wednesday W’s post was at the end of January??? Wow. All of the travel blogging has taken over, but now I have a gap of a few weeks (oh no!) before I head off to Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia and the Baltics. Time for regular blogging to get back ito gear.
WHAT a year this has been so far! It can’t be faulted on the travel side, though of course my life has been turned upside down since Dad had his fall and my parents have required so much time and care.
Honestly, there has not been a single day since my father fell that, when I’m home, I haven’t had to do something for them. Some days are all-encompassing, while others might be doing admin. I’m visiting Mum every day when I’m here. I’m not complaing, but it has required a big mental shift on my part.
The good thing is that the place where Mum now lives is happy for dogs to come and visit, so Scout usually comes with me. She still hates the car and begs to be allowed to go back inside when I open the car door, but once she’s there, she loves it. When Mum lived here for a month after Dad fell, Scout adopted her, so she-s always glad to see her Gran, while I pretend not to see the shnacks Mum quietly feeds her.
Where I’m going:2026 travel is being booked, baby!!!
So far, The Galapagos Islands/Sth America for nearly a month; and Nepal/Bhutan for my birthday. I’m eying off some other destinations as well.
Where I’ve Been:Did I mention Borneo?
Haha.
Yesterday Mum, my sister Kate and I went into the city to organise probate for Dad’s will, and also to take Mum and my brother off as executors. Kate has already said that I’ll be the one doing everything. Oh joy.
It’s an uncomplicated will at this stage. Everything passes to Mum, so this is probably a good exercise in finding out what to do before Mum goes and we have to split the assets between us. I’m not looking forward to that exercise.
Still, I’m feeling better now that an expert is taking care of the boring nitty-gritty details. We had a nice day out, too. We made a day of it, going out for lunch as well.
What I’m reading:Look above. 🙂
I read 8 books when I was in Borneo, and I have a stack of 7 books piled up beside my bed, with 2 more ready for me to pick up from the library. I see a lot of comfy reading days in my immediate future!
What I’m watching:Squid Game 3, and Alone Africa,
I’m livid at the news that Survivor Australia has sacked Jonothan LaPaglia as host and has cast David Genet to replace him. The man wn Survivor AND won 5 million US dollars on another reality tv show. He’s got BIG shoes to fill. JLP was amazing.
What I’m listening to:Tom Odell.
Tom33’s girlfriend put me onto him. It’s gentle, sad boi energy.
What I’m eating:Pea and ham soup with home-made bread.
It’s the weather for it. It’s bubbling away in the slow cooker as we speak.
What I’m planning:an epic holiday.
Guess what? Remember Antarctica, where I made such dear friends? Morgan, Baptiste and Corinna are joining me in Iceland! Remember North Korea, where I met the unforgettable James? He’s joining us!!! The 5 of us are going to have an absolute ball.
THEN: at the other end of my Scandi trip, I’m meeting up with Liga, (also from Antarctica, but we travelled together last year on the Epic Road Trip), and she’s going to show me the Baltics for a week. That’s Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, for those playing at home.
How fantastic is that? I’m so very happy that we’ll all be travelling tgether. James says that he might join us in the Baltics, which will be so very great. I’ve got my fingers crossed.
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’:Fortunate Frogdancer.
This is my mother’s laundry trough at her old place. A few days before, when Kate was there with Mum, she put something in there to soak. Unbeknownst to her, the tap had a slow drip.
We visited the house on Sunday to start clearing out cupboards. I nearly pushed it back, as I was tired after travelling 24 hours to get home, but decided to suck it up and just go.
Look at the water level – another hour and it would have started to flood. Phew!
What has made me smile:Look at the kms on my car.
Added to all the ones, is the fact that my trusty little Golf is 11 years old.
This is the first day back at work after the summer holidays for Victorian teachers.
I woke up early in solidarity, but I can’t tell you how glad I am that I’m not having to trudge off to McKinnon to spend all day at work, particularly with what’s going on here with Mum and Dad.
The photo is one I quickly snapped when Mum got up a couple of days ago. Scout was very eager to greet her buddy on a fresh new day.
Dad is not progressing from his hip operation as well as we’d like. He’s not eating much at all, and people are shocked when they visit and see how thin and frail he looks. The new plan is for him to spend two weeks at a rehab facility starting from Friday, which I’m very pleased about. I’m sure they’ll get the cattle prod out in a smaller facility and get him moving, while it also gives Mum a chance to settle into Bonbeach, get the lay of the land, and start making some friends before Dad turns up (and starts arguing debating with people.)
Where I’m going: To Mum’s podiatrist.
Old people have a LOT of appointments, I’m discovering. After we leave there, we’ll visit Dad and then head home.
Mum goes into the aged care home after lunch tomorrow (Wednesday.) That’s why I’m posting today – I think I’ll be dealing with some emotions with Mum tomorrow…
Where I’ve been: to Costco.
I’m hosting Tom33’s engagement party on Saturday. After all this kerfuffle, I’m catering via Costco platters and a mud cake. The only thing I’m baking is some scones.
Meh. The descriptions of taxidermy are really good, but I’m still waiting for anything much to happen and I’m nearly halfway through.
What I’m watching: the news.
Mum is a news junky, so I’ve watched more news programs in the last 3 weeks than I have in the last 3 weeks. I’m looking forward to going back to a far more positive existence.
What I’m listening to: Morning TV.
Oof. See above.
What I’m eating: home-grown rhubarb and apple.
Part of my revised eating plan is stewed fruit and home-made yoghurt for breakfast, avoiding carbs for one meal at least. Yum! I’ve lost over 6KGs since Christmas Day.
What I’m planning: how to spend the 2 full days I have to prepare for the party.
My plans to use the whole month of January to prepare have obviously been thrown out the window. Instead of lovingly preparing the veggie garden beds with layers of fertiliser, mulch, compost etc, I think I’ll be throwing pea straw over everything. Hopefully, it’ll hide a multitude of sins.
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: People who work in aged care.
It’s good to know that Mum will get the care she needs. Dad’s just not up to it and hasn’t really been able to provide it for a while.
What has made me smile:Scout.
She’s a funny little scrap. I’m so glad we have her.
I’m ererging from that foggy week between Christmas and New Years, where everything blurs together and it’s like you’re in suspended animation. Not going to lie – I’ve been enjoying it.
Where I’m going:Absolutely nowhere.
Considering the crazy year of travel I have lined up in front of me, I’m enjoying keeping close to home and doing very little. I have around 10 library books stacked beside me bed, an overgrown veggie garden that needs cleaning up and a sewing room with lots of fabric.
I won’t be bored. 🙂
Where I’ve been:Megan’s place to help eat leftovers.
Remember Megan from the Canada/Alaska trip? She sent out an SOS after hosting her family for Boxing Day and so a group of us gathered for a barbeque and salad. It was nice.
At last!! I’ve been making my way through the Slough House series, which inspired the excellent series ‘Slow Horses’ on AppleTV. I had all the books except this one. Some selfish person had borrowed it before me. On Monday I raced down to the library because they’d finally handed it in.
I’ll be finished with this series lickety-split now. I’m loving the way Herron wries. His use of metaphor and his wry British humour is very enjoyable.
What I’m watching:The Sopranos.
Georgia put me onto this one. I know I’m very late to the party – and I also know about the very last scene in the whole series – but for some reason or another I’ve never seen it. When Georgia told me that she was watching it and thought it was good, I knew I had to see. She put me onto ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’, so I take notice of her recommendations.
Thank goodness Binge has it.
What I’m listening to:the blackbird in the front garden moving through the leaves on the ground.
I’d swear that there was a huge animal living under the fruit trees, if I didn’t know better. The avocado trees have huge leaves and they seem to keep dropping them all year round. As I’m sitting here on the couch, I can hear it moving around and making the leaves rustle. It’s pretty loud, but it’s only the blackbird.
What I’m eating: The Christmas Ham.
I love a good Christmas ham. Every year I buy one and then slowly savour the hammy goodness on the days after Christmas. This year is no exception. With only two of us in the house nowadays, the ham lasts a long, long time.
When I get sick of it, I’ll chop and freeze the rest. But so far, we’re loving the cauliflower cheese, pizzas, ham and salad lunches, zucchini slices etc. Long may it last!
What I’m planning:an engagement party.
Tom32 and Sophie are planning a big year. They want to buy a house, buy a dog and get married all in 2025. To save money, they’re planning a very small wedding and they’re having their engagement party at my place.
I have a month to make my place look sparkling. An added impetus to this is that my ex-husband and his wife will more than likely be coming. I haven’t clapped eyes on them for a happy decade, so it will be interesting for us all to see how time has treated us.
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’: Mum and Dad.
Remember when I bought them each a ‘Storyworth’ gift for their birthdays last year? Basically, each week they get a question sent to them about their life/memories/attitudes and they write a response. At the end of a year their 52 essays get put into a book.
Because I’ve been travelling so much, this has turned into a series of binge sessions. They refuse to type out their answers, so I’ve been recording their answers on my phone and then typing them up.
They came over for lunch (christmas ham and salad, of course!) and we got through 10 questions. They only have 3 more questions each to finish the project. We’ll knock them over next week and then it’ll all be completed before I start my crazy travelling schedule.
I’ve learned a lot more about their lives as they’ve made their ways through. It’s been interesting.
What has made me smile:Scout.
I’ve been thinking for a while that she was 9 years old, but Facebook memories tells me that she’s only 8.
I’m a lucky person. I love travelling and I love being home. I have the best of both worlds.
Where I’m going: Christmas Shopping.
I only have Mum and Dad yet to buy for.
Georgia is turning 30 a few days after Christmas, and I want to take her shopping for some women’s shoes to fit her. It’s time.
Where I’ve been:to the mechanic.
I’m still salty about the bingle I had, just 4 days after coming back from the Crazy Road Trip. I was happily driving along Nepean Highway, went into the service road to turn left and saw that there were no cars in front of the car before me, so OF COURSE they’d be turning.
I glanced to the right to check if there’d be any cars on the road when I got there, looked back and the silly cow in front of me hadn’t gone… even though there was nothing in front of her. So I ran into her.
It was my fault by the letter of the law, but why wouldn’t you make the turn if there was nothing preventing you from doing so? My poor little car. She drove 8,000 km with no problems, and then this happens.
I will have to leave her at the mechanics for 7 business days at the end of January. They’ll be stripping her right back and replacing lots of panels etc. Thank god for car insurance!
What I’m reading:LOTS of books.
I’m thinking I’ll do a whole post on this, as I read about 12 books on my holiday. There were some cracking good reads among them.
What I’m watching:Alaskan Bush People.
This is a show on Netflix. I didn’t feel like watching anything challenging and this show fits the bill. It’s about a family of 7 kids who are totally under the thumb of their incompetent parents, particularly the father. They live far away from civilisation and exist like settlers in the 1700’s.
Their father is so STUPID. His decisions are questionable most of the time and he thinks he’s the head of “the wolf pack.” Ugh.
I got excited though, when I saw two towns that we went to in Alaska. Ketchikan and Hoonah. They filmed a segment in the very café I went to in Hoonah, where I saw the bald eagle fly to the pier and eat a salmon it had clutched in its claws.
What I’m listening to:Georgia’s music.
It’s drifting down from her room at the end of the house to where Scout and I are in the lounge room.
What I’m eating:Low carb stuff.
*sigh*
What I’m planning:my Vietnamese visa.
I have to get things together. I’ve heard they can be tricky to get right and I know quite a few people who have had to get one at the airport – at a cost of $500 or so. Yikes!
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’:Everyone who has commented on the blog this year.
Anyone who has been blogging as long as I have would know that people used to comment a lot more on blogs back in the day. Nowadays it seems that people just consume the posts and move right along.
I appreciate every comment and they make my day. So thanks, commenters!
What has made me smile:Avocadoes!
I planted a couple of avocado trees 3 years ago. I was watering the front yard a couple of days ago when I noticed something.
Yes, one of the trees is finally sprouting avocadoes. I was so thrilled!
What’s top of my mind:The Ligas will be here in a week!
Yes, I have one short week to get my shit together for the Crazy Road Trip, which astonishes me. This trip was in the future for so long – how could it suddenly be almost in the present?
I’m finishing off a quilt for Liga’s daughter, then I have to pack, buy provisions and work out how to bring as many library books as I can for the third leg of my holiday. I’ll talk about this more below, but anyone who has travelled in the outback and Queensland and outer NSW – I’ll be interested in any tips you may have.
I’ve decided to do a BIG road trip.
Where I’m going: to the ‘back o’ Bourke!’
Younger and overseas readers may not know the expression ‘back o’ Bourke.’ Bourke is a town in far western New South Wales which used to stand on the edge of nothingness. If you went to the back of Bourke – there’s nothing there.
I’ve decided that I’ll stay there for 2 nights on my individual crazy road trip. Apparently times have changed and there’s a lot to do and see there now.
Where I’ve been: the VW dealership.
Two weeks ago, my trusty little Golf’s air conditioning packed up. It was blowing hot air on the driver and cold air everywhere else. NOT ideal for a road trip to Uluru in November!
That’s now fixed. I had her serviced and vacuumed as well. She’s ready for the drive of her life!
I really loved ‘Slow Horses’ on AppleTV, so I’ve ordered the series of books by Mick Herron and I’m working my way through them. I’m still waiting for the first one to get to the library, but I have books 2 and 3 here, so I polished off Dead Lions a couple of days ago. I’m excited that there are 8 in the series – they’re very well-written.
What I’m watching:
River Cottage Australia and Last Week Tonight on Binge.
Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under and True Detective on Stan.
The Block on channel 9. Auction day on Sunday, just before I leave. Woo hoo!
What I’m listening to:The Zombies list on Spotify.
I found another good list to bop along to!
What I’m eating:Anything that’s in the house.
Once I’m gone, Georgia will have full access, so I’m eating and drinking the good stuff before I go. Is that wrong?
What I’m planning: Here’s the itinerary for the next 3 weeks…
November 12 – 20: Melbourne; Healesville Sanctuary: Mornington Peninsula; Great Ocean Road; The Grampians; Adelaide; Port Augusta; Coober Pedy and Uluru.
This is with Liga and Liga. It’s an action-packed itinerary and I don’t think they have any idea about just how much ground we’ll be travelling.
Once I drop them off at Uluru, I stay a night with them, then I’ll be heading off. Here’s what I’m thinking at the moment. Anyone who has done this trip before – I’d love your thoughts!
November 21: Uluru to the Devil’s Marbles Hotel. (850 km and 9 hours drive.)
I’ll probably be too tired to go and see the Devil’s Marbles when I get there, but I’ll definitely start the morning off with a viewing!
November 22: Devils Marbles Hotel to Barkley Homestead. (500 km and 5 hours drive.)
(After 2 really long driving days, – Coober Pedy to Uluru is an 8 hour drive – I thought I should have a couple of shorter days.)
November 23: Barkley Homestead to Mt Isa. (450 km and 4.5 hours drive.)
November 24: Mt Isa to Winton. (470 km and 5 hours drive.)
In the morning I thought I could do a mine tour at Mt Isa. After all, when am I ever likely to be in a mine again?
November 25: Winton to Charleville (700 km and 7.5 hours drive.)
November 26: Charleville to Bourke (453 km and 5 hours drive.)
November 27: Bourke.
There’s a paddle Steamer on the Darling River, Fred Hollows’ grave, a historical homestead and lots of bushwalks. Two nights here sounds great.
November 28: Maybe Griffith???? (524 km and 5.5 hours drive.)
It’s halfway between Bourke and Lake Crackenback Resort, which is where I need to end up. I don’t know that there’s much to see at Griffith though. Still, I could probably catch up on blog posts or start one of those books I’ll be taking.
November 29: Griffith??? to Lake Crackenback. (454 km and 6 hours drive.)
I have a week booked here from my timeshare. I have an inkling that I’ll be pretty tired from all of the racing around, so I plan to read lots of books and do pretty mundane things while I’m here. I’m going to take the chairlift to the top of Mt Kosciuszko, which is Australia’s tallest mountain.
Plenty of naps will also be happening as well.
So what do you think? Is my solo drive doable? Is there anything that is a “must-see” along the way?
Who deserves a thumbs-up:Scout.
She’s gradually getting used to being an only dog. I’m still not sure how she’ll take the long absence, but it’s something she has to get used to. Next year I’ve booked 16 weeks away…
What has made me smile:the girl who bought Jeffrey’s Cardisure tablets.
I had 9 packets of Jeff’s heart tablets left after he died. I bought them from an online animal pharmacy company because they are miles cheaper than buying them from the vet. I knocked even more from the price I paid and put them on Marketplace, thinking that someone would come across them and know that they have an absolute BARGAIN on their hands.
This happened this morning. A young girl turned up to buy them, overcome with how much money she was going to save. Her vet makes her pay for a blood test every 6 months for a 15.5-year-old dog, PUS paying $90 for a phone call afterwards to discuss the results.
Yikes!
I had a magnet on my fridge with the details of my vet on it. I gave it to her, telling her that switching from her vet to mine would be worth the drive.
Blogless Sandy and I are going for a 12 day trip. May was looking pretty bare, but now I’m going somewhere. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I saw a great deal and we were both free to take it.
Retirement has its perks. I think I have around 13 trips booked between now and the start of next October. I hope you like travel posts!
Where I’ve been:The local footy oval.
This morning, after dropping Georgia’s car off to get new tyres, I took Scout for a walk. To her annoyance, we didn’t go to the beach, but she was ecstatic when I started to throw the ball for her as we walked around the oval.
No one else was there and it was lovely. Scout was so tired that we had to take a couple of little rests on the way home. She’s getting older…
What I’m reading:
No One Saw a Thing – Andrea Mara: This was a terrific read. Two little girls get on a train and the door closes before their Mum can get on. Only one child gets off…
Intermezzo – Sally Rooney This one was very different. Told in a much slower, far more contemplative pace, this is the story of two very different brothers and their lives after their father’s death. It was very good.
What I’m watching: Thou Shalt Not Steal – on Stan.
I saw this promoted, but wasn’t drawn to it until I heard an interview by the director when I was driving. I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did. The episodes are only around 20 minutes long, and the beautifully shot scenery is all where I was back in September, and where I’ll be in a couple of weeks. (Coober Pedy.)
It’s a slapstick kind of story, but after a few eps you really get into it. I particularly liked the lead, Robyn, played by Sherry-Lee Watson. She doesn’t say much, but her eyes are wonderfully expressive. It also has Noah Tayor and Miranda Otto. Definitely worth a watch.
What I’m listening to:ABC Radio.
Who knew that it was so interesting?
For the last couple of road trips, I’ve accidentally left my iPad at home so I couldn’t listen to my podcasts. The best interview I heard was one with Stephen Fry, which I had to cut short when I got to Mum’s place.
There’s been a huge variety of people getting interviewed. It’s been fun.
But now I’m back to the pods. ‘Bronwen’ has a new episode out.
What I’m eating: Cauliflower Cheese.
It’s Georgia’s favourite dinner.
What I’m planning:Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip.
This starts in a couple of weeks. I’ve almost decided to extend the trip when I drop them off at Uluru and fill in the 9 days between the end of this trip and the start of my Snowy Mountains trip by turning left instead of right and wending my way up and across the middle of the country.
We’ll see.
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’:ME.
Georgia’s car developed a problem with the power steering and she had to take it to Holden to fix it. While it was there, they quoted her 1K to replace all of the tyres. I got her to cancel that part of the job and I took her to a tyre place in Cheltenham.
Only two tyres needed replacing, so she walked away with a bill for $350 (including wheel alignment) instead of 1K.
What has made me smile:The Real Estate people who came to give the house an estimate.
Two days ago, two people from Jellis Craig popped in to have a look at the place. Now, we all know that this is The Best House in Melbourne, but who knows what other people who know the market think of it?
They LOVED it. I got an estimated price that I was happy with and they were so complimentary about what I’ve done with the place. They especially liked Scout.
I’ve done all of the renovations to make this place suit ME down to the ground, but it’s nice when people who see houses all the time are appreciative of the vision.
Last Friday I dropped little Scout off at the vet to get her teeth cleaned.
When I have dogs going under anaesthetic, I like to get as much done while they’re under as possible, so I also asked for her toenails to be cut and a warty thing on her back to be removed.
It turned out that she needed 4 teeth removed, poor baby. The bill was $1,040.
Ouch.
The idea is that this is a pre-emptive strike against her having bigger problems down the track. Also, now that she’s an only dog, I can give her a bone without causing a fight. Clean teeth and sweet breath for the win!
Where I’m going: Back to Mum and Dad’s later this week.
I had a quiet chat with my parents a few days ago and we’ve agreed that the time has come when I’ll start to oversee their financial affairs more closely. It was a conversation I was on tenterhooks to start, but to my relief it went very well.
The last thing Mum wants is to start to learn about all things financial in her mid-80’s and Dad can see the logic in having someone else helping with the day-to-day running of their finances.
My sister and I are in constant communication about everything relating to their health and well-being, so I’m hopeful that this next stage of their lives will run smoothly.
Where I’ve been:Bunnings.
It seems that every time I host a get-together, I feel the need to go somewhere the day before and drop a couple of hundred dollars on plants to make the place look nice. Last weekend was no exception.
It was fun, though, and now I have pretty plants and flowers to look at.
I tell you what though – after reading these novels, I’m starting to get a bit concerned about the upbringing Liz Nugent had! Haha!
I really enjoyed them and want to read more of her work, but don’t read them if you need a happy, uplifting story full of puppies and kittens.
What I’m watching:A luxury travel show on Binge.
I’m hoping to get ideas for new places to travel to in my two years of crazy travel. Not the hotels, which look insanely expensive, but the countries. The funny thing is that the show is sponsored by Silversea, which is the cruise company Megan and I went to Alaska with.
What I’m listening to: Joan Armatrading on Spotify.
I clicked on a suggested playlist of Joan Armatrading, which alternates her songs with other people’s. I’m enjoying it. I saw her in concert when I was at Uni and I love her voice.
It’s amazing how many lyrics I can still remember.
What I’m eating:Leftovers from the party.
The best part about hosting a large gathering, apart from having the excuse to buy lots of plants, is the leftovers.
I didn’t have to cook for two days.
What I’m planning:A Little Adventure.
I suddenly realised that I don’t have a Little Adventure planned for October. November is DEFINITELY taken care of, what with the Ligas’ Crazy Road Trip, but I have a couple of weeks to get out there and go/see something new.
I have a couple of ideas.
Who deserves a ‘thumbs-up’:Dad.
Dad’s entering a scary stage in life, where he is realising that he has to relinquish control of things and start letting his daughters take over the reins. He’s handling it – not perfectly! – but much better than I thought he might.
I hope I haven’t jinxed us by writing this down!
What has made me smile:The number at the end of this ‘Wednesday W’s’ post.
I got the idea from Urspo’s blog. He’s been doing them for years and I thought I’d have a crack as well. Considering that I don’t do them when I travel, and there are 52 weeks in a year, I guess I can say that I’VE been doing them for years, too.
I like that these days, they’re a little slice of what it’s like to have a very unstructured retirement. I’m writing this at 10:14 AM, sitting on the couch in my pjs, having had my morning coffee but still to have breakfast. I’ve done my 3 morning puzzles and fed Scout, so I haven’t been totally lazy…
Retirement Reading Quest – Reading my way to ‘free’ council rates.
I’m on a quest to borrow and read enough books to, in effect, cancel out the cost of my council rates per year.
It’s outlined in this post.
Year 7: I’m already a year ahead on my rates, so I’m taking a reader’s suggestion and I’m going to go back and start covering the rates from the year before I started. I may as well.
Year 7: Total needed: 2019/2020…$1,800
Running total: $410
Year 6 (2025/2026) $2,590 AREADY COVERED!!!!!!
10/08/2015 – I won’t have another rates notice until August 2026, so I have time to kill. Let’s knock over a previous year’s rates, just for fun.
Year 5 (2024/2025) $2,339 and dog rego ($63) = $2,435.
Finished it before I even had the new rates notice ready.
Year 4 (2023/2024) $2,413.
Success! Not sure exactly when I passed the total, because I was waiting on the dog registrations to come through. But yes – I blitzed it.
Year 3: (2022/2023) $2,350
12/01/2023 FINISHED! Not working gives me heaps more reading time – I recommend it!
