Category: Wednesday W’s (Page 4 of 12)

What’s top of my mind: Credit card fraud.

I’m so angry. Remember how I had the voucher from the kids to use, and I had to pay the company $1 to get every last cent from the voucher?

I’ve just got off the phone with the bank to dispute not one, but FOUR transactions from this company totalling just over 1K. I’ve had to cancel my card and now I’ll have to change all of my direct debits when I get the new card in a week.

Talk about greedy! Surely anyone would notice an extra thousand dollars coming out of their account?

Where I’m going: Specsavers.

Izzy works for them and I’ve decided that I need new lenses for my reading glasses. I’m coming down to the end of my Goodreads Challenge, (I’ve read 105/110 books so far this year), so I’ve been having a few massive reading days. Getting 11 books that I put on hold at the library all at once hasn’t helped!

I’m getting headaches at the end of the day. I think my 3-year-old lenses might need replacing. Plus I get a family discount!

Where I’ve been: Taking Scout for walks in her new pram.

I know, I know. I’ve turned into one of THOSE dog parents.

But as she’s getting older, Scout is becoming more anxious about walking around when there are lots of people/dogs. She’s so tiny, so I can see how it would be intimidating. She just puts the brakes on and refuses to move, which means I have to drag her along, looking like an absolute monster, or i pick her up. She’s only 6.5kgs, but that gets really heavy over time.

(I’m a delicate flower…)

So I bought her a pram. At first she screamed the street down, but after Ryan28 kept giving her treats and she realised that she was up high and not missing out on anything, she decided that she loves it.

I’m not intending to use it for every walk. Just those places where I now she’ll be scared.

What I’m reading: I’m up to 105/110 on my Goodreads Challenge!

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman is the fourth in the Thursday Murder Club series. I absolutely LOVE these books.

Sweet Jimmy by Bryan Brown. Yes, THAT Bryan Brown… the actor. He’s released a novel that I’m in the queue for at the library, but I thought I’d have a look at this collection of short stories. I really enjoyed them. Gritty stuff.

Treasure and Dirt by Chris Hammer. I’ve read all the Chris Hammer books now and I’ve enjoyed the ride. He’s an excellent writer and his stories are engrossing.

What I’m watching: The Walking Dead spinoffs on Stan.

Oh, how I’ve missed the distinctive sound of the zombies!

What I’m listening to: RATS.

Yes, the rats are back and we think they’re even worse than before I had the house treated. I had to wait 48 days from when we had the house done to ring the pest control company to get them to come out and do a (free) second treatment.

It’s annoying. We’re doing all the right things, but our next-door neighbours are not. They don’t seem to mind too much if they see a rat or two in their yard…

Ryan28 is going to attach some sturdy steel mesh to the fences around our boundary, starting with the fence between the druggies’ house and ours.

What I’m eating: Salad from the garden.

I was late getting things in the ground this year as I was off on my trip, but the plants in the veggie garden have clearly decided that now is the time to go nuts and grow.

I’m using a new fertiliser called Troforte that another Aussie blogger raved about, and honestly, things almost seem to be leaping out of the ground, begging me to cut them loose!

I have other fertilisers I’ve bought that are sitting here, but I don’t know if I want to use them any more…

What I’m planning: Christmas Day.

It’s at my place this year – just how I like it.

Who needs a thumbs-up: Ryan28.

Being a mature-age student suits them. You’ve never seen anyone work so hard to get excellent grades.

What has made me smile: Scout.

In the ‘Little House on the Prarie’ books, Ma Ingalls always used to say in times of misfortune, “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.”

Basically what it means is that one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity, so you can look for the advantage, however small, in what’s befallen you. (One example of this was when their entire corn crop was eaten by blackbirds. The corn was supposed to set them up financially, so now they were absolutely broke. However, they started baking the blackbirds in pies and eating them, so at least they had free protein for the family.)

The rats are bad news for the humans, but Scout has discovered her life’s calling.

Dachshunds were originally bred to be ratters. She hasn’t been in contact with any, but she can hear them skittering around under the house. She’s been on guard for two days, barking and grumbling. She’s on high alert – no rats will make it inside as long as she’s on patrol!

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: The Zombie Apocalypse cupboard is full.

I did a big Aldi shop yesterday to stock up on the essentials that we use. I don’t know why, but my spidey-senses are tingling again, so we now have plenty of wine, coffee, pasta, rolled oats, tinned stuff, cheese, non-perishables and everything else.

The freezer is full of meat, both for humans and the little woofs, as well as veggies. When I went to Costco a little while ago I bought lots of dry food for the dogs as well as a slab of toilet paper. Naturally.

If nothing else, it’ll mean that I won’t have to brave the shops very much at Christmas. I just felt that now was the time to ensure that the cupboard was stocked.

Where I’m going: The Ghost Walk.

Yes, the voucher excursions finish on Friday! I think I’ve made pretty good use of that $136. Not a penny was wasted.

Where I’ve been: A Christmas Carol.

Jenna had some free tickets to see this show at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne. I took my girl to see it. It was a fun show, with Owen Teale from Game of Thrones as Scrooge. We had a lovely night, meeting under the clocks at Flinders st and walking to the theatre, grabbing some sushi along the way.

What I’m reading: Lots!

I have a few of the 11 library books I brought home with me still sitting beside my bed, and I’ve had notice that the 4th Thursday Murder Club book is waiting for me, so I’m reading these other ones as fast as I can. Below are the two that I really enjoyed.

Holly by Stephen King. I enjoyed this one because I love Holly Gibney’s character. But even I – a MASSIVE mask-wearer until I got home from the UK – found the constant covid references annoying. But the bad characters? LOVED this idea.

In Memoriam by Alice Winn. OMG – What an amazing novel. I absolutely loved it. It’s beautifully written, breathtakingly sad and realistically gritty, especially when the protagonists are in the trenches of WWI. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

Children and Wives by Tony Birch. This is a short read, but my god it packs a punch! It deals with really important issues such as domestic violence, education in the Catholic system, women’s rights etc. It’s simply told. The relationship between the protagonist and his grandfather is beautiful.

I read another chapter of ‘Shakespeare’s Wife’ by Germaine Greer. Perfect insomnia reading. I’ll finish it eventually, but ugh. Dreadfully dull.

What I’m Watching: ‘Bodies’ on Netflix.

I finished this on Monday. It’s an 8 part series that starts off with 4 timelines, but by the end, they’re all tied up together. I enjoyed this one.

What I’m listening to: Traffic outside as people go off to work.

Yeah, I’m not missing that commute at all.

What I’m eating: it was almost takeaway…

Have you ever invited people over for dinner and a few hours before they arrive, the power goes out? David30 and Izzy arrived and just as we were about to jump into the car and look for a takeaway shop with the power on, the lights came back.

Thank goodness for a Skinnymixers quick chicken curry that only takes 20 minutes to cook. We were hungry!

What I’m planning: Christmas Lunch. Or dinner. But it’s at lunchtime.

Every time I go to the supermarket I’m trying to get something for the Big Day. Yesterday I bought a fine triple-smoked ham.

Who needs a thumbs-up: Izzy and Dvid30.

I asked Izzy how married life was going after 7 months. She said, “It’s just the same as it was before we got married. We still like each other, so I guess that’s good.”

What has made me smile: Lazy Housewife beans.

I thought I had heaps of Lazy Housewife beans to plant this year. Turns out I only had 8 saved from two years ago. So I planted them and crossed my fingers that they’d all come up.

Turns out 6 of them have. I’ll be planting more bush beans, but 6 Lazy Housewife plants will give two people more than enough beans to eat over summer.

And you can bet that I’ll be saving more beans to plant! I alternate each year between planting Purple King and Lazy Housewife beans.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Getting back into the groove of retirement.

2021 was the year that I didn’t work a single day. I loved it. Then, as you know, I was drawn back into the teaching world, where the concerns of the school and the students are paramount and you spend lots of energy each day.

I quit work and then immediately went on a very busy 5-week holiday. Since I’ve been back, I’ve found that I need to take naps nearly every day, just as I did in 2021 when I first retired.

Now I know that the naps will decrease as my body learns to relax properly again. I’m re-learning how to take it easy and to realise that I don’t have to fit all my tasks into the one day.

I have TIME. It’s pretty cool.

Where I’m going: The Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

Tomorrow I head off on a minibus tour of the gardens. I’ve lived in Melbourne all my life and I’ve barely set foot in them. Time to see where things are!

This is the third excursion from the voucher I was given 3 Christmases ago. I probably shouldn’t take a nap during this one.

Where I’ve been: My Latest Little Adventure.

I’ve scheduled the blog post for Friday.

What I’m reading: The Tilt by Chris Hammer.

Last week I said that I was reading the Scrublands trilogy by Chris Hammer, and yes. Loved them.

The Tilt is even better. It’s the second book featuring two detectives but I only found that out after I finished this one, so it’s definitely a good stand-alone read. It’s set in a small country town surrounded by forest – which has beautiful descriptions, by the way – and the novel is split into three timelines. Hammer handles this deftly, with the clues and connections all falling into place as the novel progresses.

I was intending to have a very productive day yesterday, but I couldn’t put this book down. If you’re looking for a good book to give as a gift this Christmas, I highly recommend this one.

And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin. This was one of the smaller novels I borrowed to get up to speed again with my Goodreads Challenge. I found it interesting – it’s like a zombie tale but it explores differing views of reality. I found myself thinking of the Cookers and Trumpers…

This is also Australian. 🙂

What I’m watching: The Crown.

Love this show.

What I’m listening to: Trevor Noah.

This is a bit of a cheat because I haven’t listened to any episodes yet, but this morning I found out that Trevor Noah has started a podcast on Spotify, where he interviews interesting people from all walks of life, with differing views.

It sounds like he’s trying to stop the situation that ‘And Then I Woke Up‘ is exploring.

Anyway, it’s called ‘What Now?’ I’ll bet it’ll be interesting.

What I’m eating: nothing special.

Just the usual, though I did lash out and buy a roast pumpkin and falafel wrap for lunch on my Little Adventure.

I don’t mind a falafel.

What I’m planning: a birthday present for my girl.

I have a great idea for them, but it’ll work even better if people club in with me. I’ll be putting a message out for the boys to contact me. Hopefully they haven’t already bought their present. The birthday is 4 days after Christmas.

I love this time of year, with people plotting and planning for gifts to give.

Who needs a thumbs-up: the Little Woofs.

Just so constant and… well… just there. I’m never alone and I love it. They’re my constant companions. I took this shot on a late afternoon as I was on the couch on the front verandah, reading a book with a glass of wine.

What has made me smile: my parsley seedlings.

We use a lot of parsley in summer. The plants we grow here are from seeds that I was given on a community garden walk years ago, when I still lived at the old house. Her grandmother had brought the seeds from Italy in the 1930’s and the family had been sowing the seeds from the seedlings ever since.

I love the continuity of this. I collect seed from these plants every year to keep the tradition going.

Dad joke of the day:

First up, apologies for being a day late again. I just wasn’t in the zone for writing a blog post yesterday. I was too busy buying Christmas presents and booking another holiday…

What’s top of my mind: How nice it is not to have to go to work.

I don’t know about other jobs, but in teaching, every day is divided up into 48-minute chunks. So I can look at the clock on any given workday and see that it’s 10:27 (5 minutes to wrap up the lesson before recess) or 11:30 (ugh. Still 28 minutes to go before period 3 ends…) or, like now – It’s 11:59. (It’s in the early minutes of period 4. W while to go before the lunch bell.)

Instead, I’m at home. I’ve just paused in reading a book to finish off this post and then throw some food in the slow cooker for dinner tonight, to make the most of the solar power. Might even make some bread rolls.

Then I’ll finish my book, start another one, then plant some seedlings and ,maybe squeeze in a nap. It’s all pretty sweet.

Where I’m going: Kangaroo Island.

Many years ago I bought into a time-share, thinking that it would force me to take holidays with the boys. It did for a while, but then as they grew older and I grew busier, I wasted a lot of money by letting my points lapse most years. Now that I have more time to spare, I’m determined not ue the Club to its capacity.

The timeshare I’m with is Accor Vacation Club, where they use a points system instead of the usual “lock into the same week at the same property” model, so it has much more flexibility.

Earlier this year David20 and his brand-new bride spent a week in New Zealand at one of the properties, and I spent a happy weekend away with all of the girls in the family in Ballarat at another place. When I bought the timeshare, I had the 4 small boys to consider so my points bought a week in a 2BR apartment. Now, of course, I get more holidays for my points, as now I only need a 1BR or studio apartment.

Happy days.

The club now has access to a room on Kangaroo Island. I’ve booked 4 nights there in late January. A couple of years ago I stayed on the peninsula nearest to KI and even looked out across the water, watching the ferry go across. In two months time I’ll be going across and seeing it all for myself.

Kangaroo Island is famous for its wildlife and its cheeses, honey and other gourmet titbits. I’ll be taking my car with me so I’ll tootle around and have a look at all the things. Before that, I’ll be staying with Jenna’s parents in Adelaide for a couple of days. It’ll be a lovely way to bring in the new year.

(And it uses up most of the points that are expiring on June 30.)

Where I’ve been: my sister’s place.

Kate and Francis have bought a new puppy. He’s a groodle (Golden Retriever X Standard Poodle) which means he’s going to be a big boy. He’s the size of a large Cavalier at the moment and he’s only 12 weeks old.

Kate is already besotted.

This is young Huxley.

What I’m reading:

Argh! Spending 5 weeks not reading much while travelling and writing lengthy blog posts in the UK and Ireland has put my Goodreads challenge for 2023 in jeopardy. I wanted to read 110 books this year and I’m currently on 90.

Goodreads sent me an email with a list of short books so that I could catch up, so I selected some that I thought sounded interesting and now all 11 of them are waiting at the library for me to pick up.

Yes. Eleven.

Trouble is, I’m reading a set of 3 books that are quite long, but gee I’m enjoying them. I figure that the books on hold will have to wait till Saturday. So what are these books?

The first is called Scrublands, by Chris Hammer. If you liked ‘The Dry’, you’ll like this one. The interesting thing for me is that Chris Hammer was originally an investigative journalist, and so is the protagonist in this series. He knows what he’s writing about, in other words.

I’m halfway through the next one and I have the third one on the nightstand, ready to go. The next couple of weeks are clearly going to be Reading Weeks. I haven’t failed a Goodreads Challenge yet. And I don’t intend to start now.

I’m also reading ‘Shakespeare’s Wife’ by Germaine Greer. I downloaded it as a free pdf years ago on my old laptop and I started reading it in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. It’s an excellent book for this purpose… I start to surface at around 3 or 4 o’clock, realise that if I grab my computer I have to read that book and it’s boring. So I roll over and go back to sleep again.

‘The Children’s Bach’ by Helen Garner. I know that Helen Garner is a national treasure. So is Time Winton and I can’t stand his writing either. I’ve tried and tried to enjoy Garner’s work, but I’m officially giving up. I dislike the people she writes about and life’s too short.

So there!

What I’m watching: Sex Education season 3.

I’m still catching up on the tv I’ve missed. I’m really enjoying this show. I’ve got 2 episodes to go.

What I’m listening to: Spotify on my NEW TV!!!!!

My new soundbar comes with a subwoofer. omg.

Mum’s Boppin’ Bangers has never sounded better.

What I’m eating: Rye bread.

My sister Kate and I went to Costco on Monday to look at dog food for Hux. While we were there she went mad. I’ve never been to Costco with a shopper before. I’m a “hunt it, bag it, bring it home” kind of shopper. She’s a “let’s look at every aisle” one.

Our bill was over a thousand dollars. My share was $387, which is normal when I buy the big bags of grain-free dry dog food. I also bought a loaf of rye bread, which I haven’t had for AGES. She bought a couple of packets of raw meat patties for the puppy. The rest was other stuff.

Costco doesn’t have those enormous trollies for nothing!

What I’m planning: how I can be productive and still read twenty books in 6 weeks.

Those shorter novels may be the saving of me. They’re about the length of Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm‘, just to give you an idea.

I’ve already bought nearly all my Christmas presents… just have to decide what to get David30! They’ll all be wrapped by the end of today. I love wrapping Christmas presents. I’ll finish ‘Silver’ and start the third book today.

I won’t let this challenge beat me!

Who needs a thumbs-up: my sister.

Turns out I haven’t had 4 sons… I’ve had 3 sons and a daughter. My sister was fantastic when she was told, especially when she saw them and congratulated them on the news.

She’s a good egg.

What has made me smile: the way my lounge room looks now.

What with the rug, the new tv and soundbar… it’s all coming together. We have an old footstool that used to belong to my grandfather that Scout now uses to get up onto the couch. It’s red, so soon I’ll be taking it to the upholsterer to be transformed into an appropriate colour.

It’s nice when a plan comes together.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: My lounge room.

Today I picked up the carpet offcut/rug that I ordered a couple of weeks ago. (This section is a copy-and-paste from the frogblog, so if you’ve already read it, jump to the next answer.)

My sister Kate suggested this, as it’s much cheaper than buying a huge rug to cover the space.

Funny story: I measured the space that I wanted the rug to define (my lounge room) and it came to 3m X 3m. I saw a suitable piece and ordered that size. For some reason, the next morning I decided to measure it again and I realised that it was too small. ARGH! I needed a piece of 3m X 3.2m.

I rang the carpet place in a mad panic. Nope, they’d already cut it. Oh well. It meant that instead of the 3 seater couch having all its legs on the rug, only the front two would.

I went to bed and had a nap. Twenty minutes in, I sat bolt upright. Why don’t I get another piece sewn back on the end? Most of the seam is going to be under the couch anyway!

I rang the carpet place. Yes it could be done. And you honestly wouldn’t notice it’s even there if I didn’t hunt for it and show you.

And the price? Just over $500. A ‘proper’ rug of comparable size is at least 3 times that.

So I’m happy.

Where I’m going: Noble Park

See below…

Where I’ve been: JB Hi Fi

You might have noticed that the couches are facing a bare wall. This is because I’m going to have a 65″ new TV mounted there, with a sound bar mounted underneath. David30 and Ryan28 are going to do the work, which will save me $300 or more.

The room is going to look amazing, especially when I add a bigger coffee table and a lamp or two. (I heard what Neale Whitaker said on The Block – “every living area needs lamps!!!”)

What I’m reading: Everyone on the train is a suspect – Benjamin Stephenson.

This is a cracker! It’s written by the guy who wrote “Everyone in my family has killed someone” that I read last year sometime. I just love how this author writes. There are some literal Laugh Out Loud lines and the way the narrator tells the tale is utterly different to any crime narrator I’ve ever read. Definitely a big THUMBS UP from me.

Roald Dahl’s Ghost Stories – Honestly, don’t bother. This s a collection of stories he complied as being the best of the best. All I can say is – they must’ve scared a lot easier back in his time than we do now.

So Late in the Day – Clare Keegan

This has been released as a novella and it’s beautiful. I read it in one sitting and days later, I’m still thinking about what went on.

What I’m watching: Outlander season 7.

I’ll be finishing this tonight – I have 3 episodes to go. How I love these novels and the tv show!

They have stayed really true to what happens in the novels, which pleases me greatly.

What I’m listening to: a fly’s buzzing.

I have no idea how it got in, but now it’s trying to find a way out. It’s driving me crazy…

What I’m eating: boiled eggs and an avo.

Can’t wait until my avocado trees start producing fruit.

What I’m planning: a drive to Noble Park tonight.

I want to get Ryan28 some jewellery for their birthday, and I think I’ve seen something they’ll like on Marketplace.

Reminds me that I actually went onto Marketplace to put my crazy-legged bureau and little coffee table up for sale. I got distracted.

Anyway, I’m hoping to be home before they are. Shhhh!

Who needs a thumbs up: whoever sewed the extra bit on my carpet.

Whoever they were, they’ve done a sensational job. I’m impressed.

What has made me smile: the way my house is suddenly coming together.

The impetus for all the work being done was the big party last week, but the momentum is still going.

As I get each new thing completed, it makes me so happy that I’ll be spending my retirement days at home in a place that I know is really pleasant to be. So even though I’m spending a lot of money right now, I think that it’ll pay emotional dividends in years to come, as I can relax and enjoy my beautiful surroundings.

Which reminds me… as soon as I press publish, I’d better go and water all of those veggie seedlings.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Feeling glad I threw the party.

On Sunday we had a belated party for 4 birthdays, which all happened when I was away on my England and Ireland trip. We had 19 adults and 4 kids, spanning 4 generations. The place was jumping, baby!

Ryan28 and I worked like navvies to get this place ready. You’ve already seen how he and David30 worked to get the Man Cave ready – we were also scrubbing the outdoor area, manoeuvring huge terracotta pots into place to make it look inviting and filling them with massive plants. We had a hard rubbish collection to get rid of a couple of outdoor couches that had seen better days, while then filling the spaces left on the front and back verandahs with plants, plants and more plants.

The morning before the party, a couple of extra people suddenly said they were coming, so Ryan28 and I went to Bunnings and bought another trestle table and 6 more chairs. Safe to say that we are now party-ready at the drop of a hat.

It turned out to be a lovely afternoon. Everyone sat out the back and simply enjoyed each other’s company. The dogs, initially a little frightened of the little children, soon discovered that having little people holding food at their eye level was GREAT. Jeff enjoyed it so much that we had to put him away for a while so little Austen could actually finish a sandwich.

I’m hosting Christmas this year so I feel that we’ve broken the back of the work we’ll need to do to prepare. And now we have enough seating to prepare for anyone who wishes to come.

Where I’m going: Alaska and Canada.

I was scarcely back from the last trip when I was booking the next one. Megs, a friend from work, is taking Long Service Leave next year and she asked if I wanted to travel somewhere with her. Seeing as I wanted to knock over my seventh continent sooner rather than later, I suggested Alaska and Canada.

We’re all set to go for 4 weeks in May/June next year. We’re taking a 2-week land trip around Vancouver, seeing Lake Louise, Banff etc, then we’re jumping on a plane and flying to Anchorage to take an expedition ship, similar in size to the one I went to Antarctica on, down the coast and back to Vancouver.

It should be good fun.

Where I’ve been: taking it easy.

Yes, the last two days after the party have been full of reading, binge-watching tv shows and having little naps.

It’s convenient when you don’t have a job to go to.

What I’m reading: The Trauma Cleaner – Krasnostein

I know I’m late to the party with this one, but it came up on my library’s Borrowbox for reading and I remembered years ago that my sister said she really enjoyed it.

I started reading it when I was waiting at the hairdressers yesterday. It’s a little confronting when reading about the abuse that poor little boy suffered, but I can’t deny that it keeps you flicking to the next page!

What I’m watching: American Survivor.

The 45th season. I binge-watched 5 episodes yesterday.

Hey – I was still tired after the party, ok? Don’t judge me…

What I’m listening to: Shandee’s Legacy.

I’m catching up on podcasts and this is one that I’m a couple of weeks behind in. But WOW.

‘Shandee’s Story’ was a podcast that looked at a cold case murder back in 2013, which inadvertently uncovered a huge scandal at the DNA lab in Queensland, where for well over a decade they had been covering up a shockingly badly run laboratory that was missing DNA in thousands of samples.

This meant that since 2008 or so, serious criminal cases in Queensland, such as murders, rapes, sexual assaults and the like, have been going unsolved because the DNA lab had been missing DNA that would have been crucial to identifying the perpetrators.

The people running the lab KNEW THIS. But they thought it was more important to get results out quickly, rather than taking a bit more time and getting ACCURATE results to the police and courts. It beggars belief.

There’s been an enquiry and the lab is now working on a backlog of at least 30,000 samples that have to be re-tested, which will take years.

But it seems that there was still more corruption going on there. It’s uncomfortable listening. It’s awful to think that there are people who would put anything before the proper running of a DNA lab that is meant to find violent criminals and protect the community from them.

What I’m eating: Leftovers.

God I love a leftover! It’s the best thing about entertaining at home. There’s nothing better than sashaying up to the fridge for lunch and dinner and having gourmet food there, already prepared… for free.

What I’m planning: When to do my sky-dive.

I asked the kids for a sky-dive for my birthday and they didn’t disappoint.

Who needs a thumbs-up? ME.

Yesterday I received a job offer from the school for a 4-day-a-week teaching job for term 1 next year.

I turned it down without a moment’s hesitation.

I’m proud of myself. I drew a line in the sand last term before I left for my trip and I’m sticking to it.

What has made me smile: The cake.

I decided to make life easy on myself for this party, given all the renovation and garden work we were doing beforehand, so I went to Costco and bought a cake with our real-life names on it.

When everyone went home, there was still a huge amount of cake left, so I called out to the kids next door and asked if they wanted it. Ryan28 dropped it off (I was already in my pjs by then) and then 10 minutes later, as I was clearing away a few things from outside, little Delila climbed up on the fence and handed me this:

I laughed and laughed!

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: I’m throwing a party!

While I was away, I had a birthday, David 29 has turned into David30, Evan26 is now Evan27 and Mum had her 83rd. So, because I’m an idiot, I invited around 30 people over to mine to celebrate.

This of course means that the house and garden are in for some serious work.

I’ve had it painted and the shutters have been installed. The back verandah area looked AWFUL. So Ryan28 and I have been sweeping, cleaning, power-washing, and calling in a hard rubbish collection to get rid of things that we don’t need anymore.

I’ve spent a LOT of money on pots and plants to soften up the area and make it inviting. I’ve done the big things for this party – I’ll add some flowers with Christmassy colours for Christmas Day – plus the rest o the shutters will be installed by then.

David30 has come around for 3 nights after work to help Ryan28 finish off the big wall unit for the Man Cave. He also hung many pictures that have waited years for a home. Remember the propaganda posters I bought from North Korea? I went there in April 2018. Yes, 5 years ago. They now have a place on my wall.

Busy, busy, busy. Spendy, spendy, spendy too. But I figure that what I’m doing now will pay dividends for years to come. I want to be proud of the house I live in – especially as now I’m retired, I’ll be looking at it all day.

Where I’m going: probably back to Bunnings.

The photo was taken yesterday, when I was driving home from Daicos Nursery and hoping I wouldn’t have to reverse anywhere, because I couldn’t see out of my back mirror.

I have a carful of pots and potting mix at the moment that I bought at Bunnings today, but I’m sure to need something else before Sunday.

Where I’ve been: to see the kids’ shows at the Melbourrne Fringe Festival.

Evan27 got a Judge’s Pick award, which was a really nice thing to happen.

I’m so proud of these two. It’s been three years since their uni degrees – Evan27 in Acting and Jenna in Musical Theatre – and they’re still writing, creating and performing their work.

We saw both shows on the same night. Evan27’s show finished 30 minutes before Jenna’s started. It was a mad rush to get from one venue to the next. An ex-Theatre Studies student grabbed me in the bar after Evan27’s show ended and I would have LOVED to catch up, but I hugged him, said, “I’ve got to get to Jenna’s show!” and left. Yikes.

What I’m reading: Nothing… yet.

But I saw a lot of books in Ireland and in Target today that I want to read, so I’ve photographed them and have put them on hold at the library.

Won’t be long now!

What I’m watching: Still catching up on tv shows.

It’s going to take me weeks to get back on track. I enjoyed the first 3 episodes of Frasier, though.

What I’m listening to: Evan27’s podcast.

I’ve been driving a lot to nurseries and carpet places and Bunnings, so I’m finally up to this week’s episode. I’ve caught up on this and on The Block. I feel such a sense of accomplishment.

What I’m eating: Tuna Mornay.

An oldie but a goodie. David30 is coming over after work tonight to hopefully finish off the wall unit, so I thought I’d make him a comfort food that is PACKED with lactose. Izzy can’t eat anything like this, so he can sneak a meal in.

What I’m planning: the party and beyond.

I’ve ordered a carpet to be made into a rug for my lounge room. Kate was right – it’s SO much cheaper than buying a rug, plus I wanted a 3m X 3m rug which I was never going to find.

Unfortunately, it’ll be ready next week, which is after the party. It’s ok though – the Christmas day people will see it in all its glory.

(I just hope the dogs don’t throw up on it or something…)

I’ve been looking for ideas for my house and front verandah. This place is going to be amazing to live in. I can feel it in my waters.

Who needs a thumbs-up: The middle boys.

David30 and Ryan28 have worked their behinds off to help me this week. As I type this, Ryan28 is out power-washing the bricks in the backyard, while David30 is coming over for the third night in a row after work to get the Man Cave finished.

They’re good people. I’m glad I made them.

What has made me smile: seeing plans come to fruition.

See those propaganda posters? I knew they’d look good together.

Once all the tools have gone, you’ll see Molly Malone from Ireland with her bright red coat standing there on the shelf. As of yesterday there’s a plant by the door. It all looks fantastic.

This room will one day be full of art from my travels.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: SO MUCH!

I can’t believe I forgot about Wednesday W’s yesterday. I’ve suddenly become really busy with a lot of projects on my hands, so I suppose it’s not surprising. I really want to share with you what I’ve been doing and planning.

Have a look at this photo. I was devastated when ‘Death of a Salesman’ with Anthony LaPaglia was coming to Melbourne, because I was going to be away on my trip the whole time. If there was one actor who was born to play this role, it’s him.

I was at the theatre on Friday night with my friend Megs and she happened to mention that it was still playing, with only a couple of nights to go. Before the show started, I was sitting there on my phone, buying a ticket for the matinee the next day.

IT WAS FANTASTIC. I think Anthony LaPaglia is a terrific actor. (His brother Jonathon is the Australian host for ‘Survivor’ and is even better than Jeff Probst.) The ticket definitely wasn’t cheap but I’ll remember this show for years to come.

Funny story – my sister hasn’t read the play and thought it might have been a good, motivating show to take her sales team to!!!! When she told me I yelled out, “NO!”

Where I’ve been: The Teacher’s Pet – an interview with Hedley Thomas.

When I was in England at the beginning of the trip, Megs messaged me, said she was going to this and had an extra ticket. I messaged back, “I’m in!”

I’ve mentioned this podcast on the blog before, probably a year or two ago. Basically, a woman disappeared from her house on Sydney’s Northern beaches in the early 1980’s – her husband said she just walked out, leaving behind her two young daughters and every stitch of clothing she owned, including contact lenses and glasses. The police barely looked for her and her daughters grew up believing she’d deserted them. If not for this podcast her husband would have gotten away with murder.

He’s released a book, including things that weren’t in the podcast. Of course, you all know that I’ve requested it from my library! I’m 4th in line. It was interesting to hear what he had to say. Some audience members asked some excellent questions, too.

Where I’m going: Back to Flight Centre.

No sooner am I home from the last trip that I’m booking the next one. Megs has long service leave next year and we’re booking a 3-week trip to Canada and Alaska. This will tick off my last continent, which will be a fun thing to do, and we’re sure to see some spectacular scenery.

It seems that I’m booking expensive places to explore… maybe next year I’ll stay closer to home…

I’m also seeing Evan27’s Fringe Festival show and Jenna’s one. They’re on the same night but hers starts 30 minutes after his ends. We’ll be sprinting to get from one to the others!

What I’m reading: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson.

I just finished this novel and I really enjoyed it. I’ve loved her work in the past – she’s the one who wrote Life After Life, which I’ve never forgotten – and now I’m going to track down the rest of her novels.

What I’m watching: Everything that has banked up while I’ve been away.

My sister-in-law and I text each other while watching The Block, so top priority was to get up to date with this. It helped that there’s a couple on here who are just AWFUL. I can’t imagine what their families must be feeling as they watch this show. But it’s excellent viewing!

I only watch TV in the evenings, so it’s going to take me ages to get up to date with everything.

What I’m listening to: Podcasts and Spotify.

The same banking-up effect has happened with my podcasts. I’m currently listening to my son’s podcast episodes as I drive around, but there are lots of others as well.

I’ve added some of the Irish tunes that the coach driver played for us to Mum’s Boppin’ Bangers on Spotify.

What I’m eating: Nothing special.

I’m hosting a big family get-together next weekend to celebrate 4 birthdays – 2 ending in zeros – so I’m starting to think about what to do for this one.

What I’m planning: LOTS!

1. Three days after I got back I had my plantation shutters installed. They looked so good that before the guy had left, I was on the phone booking an appointment for the company to come back and measure up the rest of the house. I didn’t know that you could get them for sliding doors.

So the whole house should be shuttered before Christmas. I’m hosting Christmas this year so I’m happy about that.

2. I’ve popped my artwork from the trip off to get framed and when they come back I’ll be hanging everything – including my North Korea propaganda posters that never had a permanent home. The Man Cave is taking shape and hopefully will be looking good before the party. If not – definitely before Christmas.

3. I’m giving my living area a major overhaul. Kate, my sister, suggested going to a carpet place and getting two large rugs made from carpet, one for the Man Cave and one for the lounge. With the shutters going in, although they look lovely, it does mean that the spaces need a bit of softening.

I’ll be getting rid of my current TV cabinet, moving my TV to the Man Cave and getting another TV mounted on the wall at eye level, with a couple of lamps for nicer lighting at night.

4. New handles on the cupboards in the kitchen… it’s all happening!

Who needs a thumbs-up: The nice man from Dawsons and Ryan28.

When I got home, Ryan28 greeted me with the delightful news that we had a rat problem. UGH!!!!!!!

They were eating the bark from my lime trees, they were digging holes under all the fences and had gotten in under the house. I was appalled.

Two days later the house was treated. Turns out they hadn’t made it to the roof, which was great. I also had two outdoor traps installed.

Ryan28 is even more grossed out than me. He actually SAW one in the backyard one day. He’s been doing a massive clear-out of the backyard, ripping out foliage that could offer them any shelter. He’s also lining the back fences with wire fencing to stop them coming in. Added bonus, it’ll stop the dogs from ever trying to dig their way out, not that that’s an issue.

The worst thing? I let all our neighbours know. The next morning I received this text from the woman next door with the loud dogs, hoarder’s house, overgrown garden and lots of little kids:

“Dave told me about the ????
We hadn’t seen any inside until today when I saw one come in through our front door! ????”

She said that she couldn’t believe how confident it looked. (I’m thinking that we may have just located where they’re coming from…)

What has made me smile: The dogs.

They were so happy to see me. And I was missing them too.

This is an old photo. Ryan28 clipped the cavaliers while I was gone and they’re not looking their best at the moment.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: I’m not carrying teaching into my 60’s.

It appears that I made the decision without even realising it. On Monday I simply started telling kids and some teachers that I’m not planning on coming back. Once you tell people, it means that you’re locked into a decision.

At least, that’s how it works with me.

I was talking about it with the kids. David29 said, “Mum, you’ve got enough money. I don’t know why you’re still doing it. Just stop it!”

When I was with Evan26 and Jenna, Jenna said something that resonated in my head after she said it. “So, cool, you’re not carrying teaching into your 60’s. “

I LOVE the arbitrary line in the sand of that! I’ve been teaching in my 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

When you think of it like that… maybe it’s time to try something else. Like… say… total freedom over my time.

(I still haven’t let the Daily Organiser know. Maybe I’ll text her just before I jump on the plane.)

Where I’ve been: Racing around.

I leave in 3 days, so I’ve been Getting Things Done. One of those things was seeing Evan26, which is where I saw the lovely little house with the amazing window at the top of the page.

I’ve been to the chemist to get my throat medications for 5 weeks. Tomorrow I’m getting my haircut… You know, the list goes on.

Where I’m going: To see my American cousin.

My Dad’s sister married an American guy, back in the day, and so I have US cousins. My aunt moved back to Australia a couple of decades ago and lately, her son has been popping over to see her every couple of years or so. He’s absolutely lovely. This time, it’s my cousin Jennifer from LA.

I haven’t seen her since I was about 10 when their family came out to Australia to meet us. She’s flying into Melbourne 2 days before I leave, so hopefully her jetlag and my organisation about my trip will mean that we can meet up the day before I go.

What I’m reading: NOTHING.

Yeah, I know. Unprecedented.

I’ll be adding books to my iPad in the next couple of days to make sure I have things to read while I’m away. I got through 6 books ( I think) when I was in Antarctica.

What I’m watching: The Block.

Gutted that I won’t see Bathroom Reveal this week. Imagine the glut of episodes that I’ll have to watch when I get back!

I’ve added lots of daisies, lavender, kangaroo paws, and these protea-type flowers in the photo to my front garden. I’m hoping that Ryan28 will keep them alive, so by Christmas Day my garden will look FABULOUS.

What I’m listening to: Kids pretending to work.

This class I’m in front of is doing a catch-up lesson on their major assignment that we’ve been working on for the last month. Some groups are finished and, after checking what they’ve done against the rubric to make sure that they’ll get top marks, now have free time. Other groups are grimly plugging away at sections they’ve neglected.

I kept telling them to look after “Future Them” when they were lazing around. Some people just have to learn by hard experience.

What I’m eating: Leftovers from the roast lamb we had the other night.

YUM.

What I’m planning: Where to dump my suitcase on the first day in London.

I’ve paid for an early check-in at 12 PM, but I arrive in London at around 6 AM. It’ll cut the day in half if I’m schlepping over to the hotel in the middle of the day. I want to be out and about seeing things! I’m not sure whether to see if they’ll stow my bag away for me, or if I’ll locate a station with lockers and stash my bag somewhere central for the day.

To avoid jetlag, I’ll have to keep galloping all over the place. By the time it got to mid-afternoon last time, jetlag was starting to hit me hard. By 6:30, over dinner, I fell asleep and woke up literally one inch from faceplanting into my food. I had Scott there to keep me awake last time. This time it’ll be just me.

Who needs a thumbs up: The nice chemist with the melatonin tablets.

I’m hoping that a combo of drowsy anti-histamines and melatonin on the plane will help me adjust to the local time much easier than in 2015.

What has made me smile:

I took this photo of the boronia that I bought when I was at the nursery last week. I’ve tried a couple of times to grow them, but they’re notoriously finicky and they died both times. I love their scent though.

When I was buying colour for my front yard, I saw a worker putting out heaps of these on display and I mentioned my murderous past to her.

“I used to be exactly the same, but then I changed how I looked at them,” she said. “I look on the m as an annual. I keep one in the kitchen every year, where I can smell it first thing every day when I get up. When it gets sick, I put it in the compost and buy another one the next year. It works out far cheaper than buying cut flowers.”

So I’m giving it a go. I hope Ryan28 keeps it alive until I get back, because the smell is divine.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Will I keep teaching when I come back from my trip?

People sometimes ask me what would it take for me to stop doing CRT (Casual Relief Teaching). I’ve always replied that sometime, something will happen. A kid will say or do something, another teacher or parent will say or do something and I’ll throw up myhands and declare, “I don’t need this in my life! I’ve got enough money! I’m done with all this!”

The thing is, I always thought the defining moment would happen directly to me…

However, three separate things have happened to other people in the last few weeks and it’s got me thinking in ways that our beleagured Daily Organiser would definitely not want me to go.

One thing that happened was an accident in the scool gym. A teacher was hit on the head with a basketball and fell to the floor, smacking her head. She was unconscious for several minutes before she revived. I was actually there beside her, talking to her and helping her to reorient herself, before briefing the school nurse. An ambulance wasn’t called until the end of the day. I can almost guarantee the story would’ve been different if it had been a kid that was knocked unconscious… (She’s still off work after a couple of weeks.)

The second one involved a class who turned on a CRT very loudly and made her feel unsafe.

The third incident involved a very experienced teacher who gave a boy an afterschool detention. His mother rang and berated my friend unrelentingly until my friend had no option but to end the call with the mother still in full flight.

All three of these incidents have been really stressful for the people concerned. I’m standing on the sidelines, looking at all of this and thinking, “Do I really want to hang around, waiting until the axe falls? By the law of averages, sooner or later something is bound to happen to me. Do I keep taking CRT days at a lesser rate than I have been, or should I bow out now, by finishing up this 3 days/week contract with 3 beautiful classes which are all a joy to teach?”

All I know at this stage is that I’ve worked A LOT over the last 18 months. I haven’t wasted a dollar of the money I’ve earned – over 60K in my pocket. Every dollar has gone towards a project – the big ones being Tom31’s mortgage; David29’s wedding; Evan26’s Clown College; Ryan28’s medical expenses and finally – my trip to the UK.

I’ve helped the school in the midst of a huge teacher shortage and incidentally, avoided raiding my share portfolios to help the kids at a time when the stock market was down. (Thus avoiding Sequence of Returns Risk.)

Working was a sensible decision 18 months ago, but how is it serving me now? I’ll be doing some serious thinking when I come back.

Where I’ve been: At the chicken shop.

Before I fly off to London, I need to buy and freeze enough chicken necks – in groups of 3 – to last for the little woofs’ breakfasts for 5 weeks. I’m doing them in batches; it’s not a pleasant job.

Where I’m going: The UK in under two weeks.

I’ve had Whatsapp conversations during the week with James from Ireland and Corinna from London about what we’re going to be doing while I’m over there. Chatting with them has really brought home how close this holiday is getting. I’m so lucky to have 4 really fantastic people (Scott and Deana as well) who are giving up their time and in some cases, their couches, to show me around.

What I’m reading: Mortal Engines – Philip Reeve.

I haven’t read a lot of Steampunk fiction, so after seeing the movie on Netflix I thought I’d give the novel a try. Turns out there are 4 in the series, so I might be plunging into this futuristic world where cities move around for a while longer.

What I’m watching: THE BLACKLIST!

I was sure The Blacklist had finally stuttered to a close after season 9, but like the crazy optimist I am, I left it on my Netflix list. Imagine my happiness when out of nowhere, season 10 popped up. I’ve only watched 3 or 4 episodes so far, but I really like the direction the writers are taking. The character of Raymond Reddington is oddly charming and even though the show is very silly, I still really enjoy it.

Of course, The Block takes precedence over everything else. Just as it should!

What I’m listening to: a podcast interview with Stephen King.

Stephen King posted a link to this interview on Twitter, saying that he enjoyed the chat very much. Intrigued, I made sure that I listened to it.

I’ve read a lot of his novels, some were not that great, most were entertaining reading and a few are books that I will never ever forget. When he’s good, he’s the best.

His book ‘On Writing‘ is one of the best books on this topic that I’ve ever read. It’s one of the books that has survived cull after cull from my bookshelves, along with ‘The Stand.’ I threw out ‘The Tommyknockers’ a week ago. I hung onto this bloated novel for a couple of decades. The first hundred pages or so are BORING and should’ve been ruthlessly edited, but after that, the plot really takes off and the ending literally made me cry.

The Bachman books include The Running Man (and to no one’s surprise, the story is much better than the movie) and one of the most haunting stories I’ve ever read – The Long Walk. I will never let these stories go.

The podcast is about the horror genre and the guy hosting is a massive King geek. The conversation they had was really interesting and ranged all over the place. I can highly recommend.

What I’m eating: Anything from the freezers.

I’m trying to eat as much as we can from the freezers before I leave. After all, I bought it so I should get the benefit from it! I know Ryan28 is planning to forage for food from the pantry and freezers as much as he can when I’m gone, so I don’t want to make life TOO easy for him!

What I’m planning: What to do on my free days in London.

I have 3 free days on my calendar. So many choices! So much to do!

I have to say, it’s a lovely problem to have.

Who needs a fist bump: James from Dublin.

I was expecting to have to get off the plane mid-afternoon and trundle around Dublin in the afternoon on my own, seeing the sights, before jumping on a train and heading up to James’ place.

But no! He’s chucking a sickie for a couple of days and is picking me up at the airport! How lovely is that? I’m so excited – we’re going to have so much fun.

What has made me smile: Ryan28.

I was Home Alone over the weekend as Ryan28 was in town at some Melee tournaments. He plays Peach. On Monday night I was sitting on the couch and he came into the kitchen. I mentioned that I was feeling a bit cold and I’d get my dressing gown when Jeffrey decided to move off my lap.

Without a word, he slipped into my room and grabbed the dressing gown, handing it to me as we were still on the couch. Jeff didn’t have to move and I was warm.

He’s a great housemate to have.

Dad joke of the day: