Category: Wednesday W’s (Page 7 of 12)

What’s top of my mind: Something has left a bad taste in my mouth.

I was teaching my year 9s today and a couple of boys suddenly let out a cry, as if they were watching sport on their chromebooks instead of working. I went over and told them off, when suddenly another teacher came into the room and started yelling at them.

Turns out that one of the boys had his phone held up where I couldn’t see it and it appeared that he was filming me. This other teacher had poked their head into the room, looking for an extra chair for their class, and from that angle they could see everything. I confiscated the kid’s phone and the Student Managers and Principal were called in.

At the end of the day, he’ll be unlocking his phone to show the Student Managers and the Principal that he wasn’t filming. If he wasn’t… happy days. Though he was still doing absolutely the wrong thing by having his phone on him in the first place, so he’s still in trouble.

If he WAS filming his teacher, then things won’t be so great for him.

To be honest, it’s left a nasty taste in my mouth. You can trust the vast majority of kids at the school, but this is one kid who could absolutely be doing the wrong thing. I don’t need this sort of thing in my life. I’m retired, after all.

Though even if he put the video up on TikTok, I’m wearing a mask. As Blogless Helen said at lunch, no one would be able to recognise me anyway…

Where I’ve been: Out in the park beside the school.

Just as I was debriefing with the Student Managers at lunchtime, a fire alarm sounded. It wasn’t a drill. The whole school had to go to the park next door, line up in form groups and be accounted for while the fire brigade went through the building to make sure it was safe.

It’s turning into a very exciting day!

Where I’m going: a wedding rehearsal.

David29 let me know that we have to go to Rowville for a wedding rehearsal a couple of days before the Big Day. Evan26 won’t be there – he’ll be performing his show at the Comedy Festival.

What I’m reading: Our Woman in Moscow – Beatriz Williams

How I love my little corner of the internet! On Twitter, I follow a few authors and every now and then they post book recommendations. On Facebook, I have a couple of blogging buddies from the early days of craft blogging who are massive readers, called The Festival Mavens. I’ve read some cracking books from them.

I’ve just started this one. It’s living on my desk at work, where I have 10 minutes at the start of every English class where we do Wide Reading, as well as any spare time I have without corrections or lesson prep.

I’m enjoying it. Can’t wait to see what’s going to happen!

What I’m watching: My life slowly ebbing away.

I’m watching the clock. It’s ten minutes to go until Day 43 is over.

What I’m listening to: A Great Hope – Jessica Stanley

I’m really enjoying this book. I’m not totally sure why, as a lot of the characters aren’t all that likeable, especially Sophie. But every time I hop in the car and start listening, I’m engrossed.

What I’m eating: my home-grown stewed apples.

Well, my breakfasts this week are epic! I stripped my meagre apple crop from my trees a week or so ago and then let them sit in the fruit bowl until the weekend when I stewed up a storm.

They’re now sitting in the fridge, still in the saucepan I cooked them in, and I’m having 3 or 4 heaped dessertspoonsful with my morning oats.

It’s like starting off the day with a party in my mouth.

What I’m planning: when I’m going to see Evan26’s shows at the Comedy Festival.

Evan26 has two shows at the Comedy Festival.

Long Play is the solo show that he wrote himself. It’s the second year he’s performed in the festival. Last year he had a sketch show with a mate from Uni that was an absolute hoot. I can’t wait to see him in this show – he’s such a funny guy. He’s so damned quick with the puns and word play. (I have no idea where he gets it from.)

Underwire is the (almost) solo show by Evan26’s partner. She performed it in Melbourne last year and I can confidently tell you that it’s absolutely worth seeing. I laughed, I cried, I loved it. Evan26 supports her on stage, playing music etc.

I still haven’t organised when we’re all going to see them. I’m a bad mother. But we’ll definitely be there multiple nights – with bells on!

Who needs a good slap: kids with phones in class and mothers who don’t book tickets to their kid’s shows.

Yeah, both these types of people are so annoying … especially the mothers. The mothers deserve a hearty slap.

What has made me smile: my mandarin tree.

A couple of days ago I realised that my plucky little tree has increased its crop by a full 100% since last year.

Yes, it’s growing not one, but TWO mandarins.

Dad joke of the day:

People said I’d never get over my obsession with Phil Collins.

But take a look at me now.

What’s top of my mind: I’m getting tired.

People sling off at teachers, especially about the long holidays we have. But I’m telling you – we need them.

Teaching isn’t a job where you can coast… if you try it, you’ll rue the day because the kids will simply start walking all over you. Every day you have to be switched on. High energy and with your game face on. It’s fun, but it certainly takes it out of you. There’s a reason why teachers find that we tend to get sick as soon as holidays come; we’re running on empty by that stage.

I’ve reached the point in the term where there are less than 3 weeks to go. I’ve noticed that it’s far more tempting to get takeaway. The dinners I’m now making are far more likely to be frozen schnitzels or fish fillets with some veggies all thrown in the oven, rather than the salads I was making earlier in the year, which are lovely but require a lot more prep time.

Coincidentally, this morning as I was leaving for work, I opened the gates and my neighbour, who is a Drama and English teacher at another school, was just about to get into her car. We had a quick chat, and she asked, “Are you trired?” When I nodded, she said, “I’m absolutely knackered!” So it isn’t just me.

I’m looking forward to getting the more sedate retirement pace back.

Where I’ve been: dress shopping.

Yes, the shop that Mum mentioned turned out to be a winner.

I walked into Southland, turned where the escalator is and strode straight to it. There was an outfit in the window that looked great. I went in, looked at the different colour options, tried one on and BAM! It was done.

I was in and out in less than 10 minutes.

(I may need to buy shoes and possibly a bag, but that’s Future Frogdancer’s problem.)

Where I’m going: to David29 and Izzy’s first home!

Can you believe that these two people, who are getting married in 4 weeks, have never lived in a house that hasn’t been run by parents?

I’m over the moon that they’ve finally been able to find a place to call their own. I was getting worried that they’d come back from their honeymoon and go home to Izzy’s parents’ place. The rental market in Melbourne is impossibly tight – it was only that one of Izzy’s cousins was finding that affording the mortgage on the apartment he bought was too hard. He’s moving back home and David29 and Izzy are moving in.

It’s a win/win – he gets to keep up the mortgage payments, while the kids will get to have a reference for their next place.

It’s not what you know, but who you know!

What I’m reading: Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng.

What a lovely writer Celeste Ng is. This is her third novel and I’m a third of the way in. I’m loving it.

It’s reading books like this that make me so glad that each English lesson at my school starts with 10 minutes of silent reading. 5 X 10 minutes X 2 classes = 100 minutes of reading that I’m getting paid for!!!!

What I’m watching: The school’s General Assembly.

One very good thing that’s come out of all the lockdowns we went through is that the General Assemblies are now live-streamed, so if you’re not a form teacher, you can watch from anywhere.

I’m at my desk, listening through headphones and switching to the visual if something is interesting enough.

What I’m eating: easy stuff.

See above.

What I’m planning: What to do with the veggie garden for winter.

I really need to get out there and start putting more beds to sleep for the winter. Many beds have plants at the end of their runs that need to be chopped and dropped, then snuggled up with fertiliser, mushroom compost, autumn leaves and pea straw.

I still haven’t dragged out the mini greenhouse from the shed and so I still haven’t started any seeds for winter crops. I need to get my arse into gear.

Who needs a good slap: my next-door neighbours.

Would it kill them to train their staffy to shut up?

What has made me smile: Mum and Dad’s shopping trip.

Yesterday I went to see Mum and Dad after work, but no one was home. Later, we were talking on the phone and it seems that they were out shopping for a brand-new lounge suite.

They’re going to have all the bells and whistles. Electric reclining armchairs, all leather… they won’t know themselves.

I said to her, “Considering all the time you’re spending at home now, you might as well get it all set up the way you want.”

“Yes, this will see us out in the last 10 years of our lives,” Mum said. “It’ll certainly get more use than any other lounge suite we’ve ever had!”

This couple has been frugal all their lives. It’s good to see them replace the ugly fake leather lounge that they got from Marketplace a couple of years ago. This new lounge sounds like they’ll absolutely enjoy it – especially the recliners for those pesky afternoon naps that just seem to sneak up on you.

Dad joke of the day:

My grief counselor died.

He was so good I didn’t even care.

What’s top of my mind: My doggie visitors.

The photo above shows Jeffrey sleeping on the couch next to his Mum, with Silver at the back.

Where I’ve been: On yard duty.

I have yard duty twice a week. Wednesday’s is in a section of the school called ‘South’, a thin strip of concrete totally in shadow all the time from the 4-story building that is the actual school. It’s cold and a breeze is usually blowing through it, though the garden along the back boundary cheers it up a bit.

Last year it wasn’t a very popular place for the kids to go – only the loners and weird kids would hang there, which actually made it quite a good place to do the slow-paced ‘yard duty walk’ up and down. These sorts of kids are the quirky and interesting ones. This year it’s far more popular.

Where I’m going: Phillip Island.

My friend Blogless Helen, who I went to North Korea with back in 2018, reads my blogs. When I said that I was planning nothing last week, she was outraged. So a few of us are going down to her holiday house on Phillip Island at the end of April.

When I was a kid, we used to go to Inverloch, a little further up the road, every school holidays to visit my grandparents, who retired up there. So it’s a little like revisiting the past.

🙂

What I’m reading: ‘Die With Zero’ by Bill Perkins

Last year, I was driving to work, listening to Aussie Firebugs pod with the author of ‘Die With Zero. I’d vaguely heard of the book before, but never really taken much notice. However, I really enjoyed the interview and it was very lucky for Tom30 that I listened to it – Perkins advocates giving $$ to adult kids when they need it; not simply leaving it all to them when you die. Tom30 was in the throes of house-hunting and I ended up giving him 15K towards his deposit. (5K of that was the amount I’ve earmarked towards helping each boy with a wedding, while 10K was my emergency fund at the time. Of course, I’ll be doing this for the other kids too.)

I finally got around to ordering this book from the library after it came up in conversations with Charlie from Antarctica and another guy from work.

I’m about a third of the way in and I’m thinking that there’s nothing new here – I got it all from the podcast. Still, I’m pushing on. There may be a pearl of wisdom or two still to be discovered.

What I’m watching: OUTLANDER season 6!!!!!!!!!!

It’s finally on Netflix. I’m so happy.

What I’m listening to: ‘The Party Crasher’ by Sophie Kinsella.

I’m listening to this on 1.5 speed just to get through it.

The protagonist is the most immature 26-year-old I’ve ever read and she’s very annoying. It’s a chick-lit ‘madcap’ light read, but just when I start getting sucked in to what’s going on, something unbelievable is done or said and I’m annoyed again.

What I’m eating: Hard-boiled eggs and a salad for lunch.

Quickly thrown together this morning. I prefer a light lunch, especially with my home-grown cucumber and tomatoes.

What I’m planning: Nothing.

Haha! That was just for Blogless Helen’s benefit.

Who needs a good slap: Kids who are away during a Learning Task.

Argh! So annoying!

Yesterday I gave a history learning task (a piece of work that is marked and goes on the kids’ reports) to my year 9 class. SIX of them were absent. That’s a lot of kids to chase up. I really want to have all of these marked before Friday, when my other 3 classes submit their first learning tasks. The correcting has begun in earnest.

What has made me smile: The Mother/Son song at the wedding.

David29 popped in on Sunday and stayed for over an hour, so we had a lovely chat up and chinwag. He brought up the topic of an appropriate song for a mother/son dancer at the wedding.

I said, “What about The Angels, “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?” and he instantly replied with, “No way, get fucked, fuck off!!” and we both laughed.

“Imagine Izzy’s family’s faces if we did?” I said.

(For overseas readers, this is a fantastic song, but it’s an Aussie tradition to yell the “get fucked’ thing every time the question is asked in the song. It’s asked a lot, so it’s kind of fun.)

This morning I woke up with the PERFECT song in my head. Paul Simon’s “Loves Me Like a Rock.” I used to use this as a lullaby for the boys when they were babies.

Dad joke of the day:

What do you call a man who gets botox in his face?

Phillip.

What’s top of my mind: It’s day 24 today.

One more day to go before I’m officially at the halfway mark of workdays!!!!

I’m at the point in this contract where I’m at the boring middle point, where getting up and going to work has stopped being a novelty and has begun to be a chore.

I just have to push through… the last week is only 4 days long and two of those are parent/teacher interviews. Too easy!

Where I’ve been: Nowhere.

Remember how I was going for a drive in the country to return my friend’s dogs to her? That didn’t end up happening. I came home from work Friday, bathed all the dogs, then called her to check that it was still all good to take them back.

Turns out that as I was leaving a voicemail on her phone, she was listening to it as she was crawling along the floor to get to the front door to let the emergency services people in. She’d fallen in the kitchen and couldn’t get herself back up.

There are a couple of good things to this story.

The first is that she had the brains to have her emergency alarm actually on her person. How often do you hear of elderly people living on their own who don’t bother?

The second one is that she’s clearly not ready to have the dogs back yet. Imagine how awful it’d be if I drove up, left the dogs with her and then she tripped over them and ruined her knee? All three of them want to be back together again, but as the bard said, “Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.”

At least they’ve learned to sleep through the night.

Where I’m going: Nowhere.

Nothing planned for the foreseeable future.

What I’m reading: Strong Money Australia by Dave Gow.

I’m really enjoying this book. It’s written by the guy who writes the blog with the same name, When I first started becoming aware of how much I needed to learn about investing, I learned a lot from US blogs. However, at the time, Dave’s blog was one of the few Aussie blogs out there. It was so helpful to get the duck’s guts about how to move within OUR financial system – there are a lot of similarities with the US system but there are also some very important differences.

It’s rare to have a numbers guy who has the gift of being able to explain things so that even someone scared of numerals (that’s me) can understand. Anyway, I highly recommend this book.

What I’m watching: The Physical 100 on Netflix.

Because I’m working at the moment, I’m concentrating on Australian Survivor – George is playing the best game I’ve ever seen, and I’ve watched every episode of both Australian and US Survivor – so I’m watching reality shows that require no mental bandwidth. This particular show is made in Korea and has some of the toughest challenges I think I’ve ever seen.

It’s perfect for pouring a glass of wine, settling on the couch with the dogs and mindlessly watching at the end of a long week.

What I’m listening to: a crazy French teacher talking with a not-so-crazy one.

Ahhh, staff room conversations! Later on in the term when the marking starts to flood in, these conversations slow right down. I can hear them from two desk rows away.

Time to pop on some headphones.

What I’m eating: a frozen apple pie from Aldi.

I don’t usually eat dessert, but last night while watching Survivor, I had the urge for a snack. I remembered that I bought a packet of 4 apple pies a few weeks ago and they were somewhere in the back freezer.

A few minutes in the air fryer and YUM. Hit the spot. I can go ages without using the air fryer but every once in a while, it’s the perfect appliance to use.

What I’m planning: nothing.

Nothing to see here…. move right along…

Who needs a good slap: the people who sold me my ‘mother of the groom’ dress.

It still hasn’t arrived. I’m not exactly panicking yet, but in another few weeks, I’ll have to swing into action and get a backup dress.

What has made me smile: Jeffrey.

Poppy and Scout are definitely the smartest dogs, particularly Scout. They run rings around Jeff. But Jeffrey is my ever-faithful, loving doofus. All he wants is to be next to me, or at the very least to have me in his line of sight.

This, and two meals a day is pretty much all he wants. He’s a beautiful boy.

Dad joke of the day:

So many people these days are too judgemental.

I can tell just by looking at them.

What’s top of my mind: The things we do for those we love.

Look what I brought home a few days ago! This ramp is for Scout. We have 2 couches in the lounge room and one already has a little footstool in front of it so she can get up and down without putting strain on her long dachshund back.

The other couch was left ‘as is’. I think that she must’ve tried to jump up on it one day and pulled the quilt down with her and had a fall, because suddenly she was filled with anxiety every time she wanted to jump up to sit in her spot by the window in the sun.

Clearly something had to be done. So now we have the ramp adding a practical air to the decor.

Look at this little face. How could I not do everything I can to make her happy?

Where I’ve been: at a tarot reading.

Guess what everyone?

Love is in the air! (Apparently.)

There was a tarot reader at Izzy’s kitchen tea and she didn’t get around to giving readings to most of the guests. She offered to give 15-minute readings via zoom to anyone who missed out, and you all know how much I love a bargain.

As expected, once she heard that I was single, she kept pulling cards full of bare-chested romantic guys out from the packs left, right and centre, no matter how many times she shuffled them.

According to her, there’s a man who is looking to come into my life…

Poor guy. One can only feel pity for him.

Where I’m going: To Mum and Dad’s place after work.

It’s handy working where I am, as it’s close to where my parents live. I can drop in after work and have a quick chat before heading home.

What I’m reading: The Foundling by Stacey Halls.

I’ve just started this one and I’m quite liking it so far. I’ve brought it to work to read during the 10 minutes wide reading time we have at the beginning of each English class. It’s an easy read.

What I’m watching: Australian Survivor.

This season is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The gameplay is shi**ing all over the American version – the tribal councils have been amazing. Well worth watching.

What I’m listening to: The House by the Cerulean Sea.

Hmmm. I’m listening to this on audiobook. It’s very popular with many readers, but I have to admit that I’m a third of the way through and I really want to punch the protagonist. He’s so BORING.

If I was reading it I’d probably be at the end by now, so the boring beginning would have slipped by quickly. Listening to every word of Linus Baker’s wafflings and self-doubt and general wishy-washiness is becoming excruciating.

By all accounts it gets better, so I’ll keep on listening as I drive. With the long drive on Saturday to drop off the dogs, I should be done by the end of the week.

What I’m eating: Tuna mornay.

Someone from the Simple Savings forum posted this recipe. I looks as if it would hit the spot, so I’m making it tonight. Sometimes it’s the simple things that give you what you need…

What I’m planning: a road trip.

On Saturday I’ll be loading Silver and Elizabeth into the car and I’ll be driving to Mooroopna to drop them back with their Mum. They’ll have been with us for 5 and a half weeks by then. I know all three of them will be ecstatic to see each other again.

Who needs a good slap: Whoever moved the new kid into my quiet year 9 history class.

The dynamic has totally changed. Ugh.

What has made me smile: David29 and Izzy have found an apartment to rent!

Boy, it’s tough out there if you want to move out of home. David29 and Izzy have been looking for a place to move into for months and they keep on missing out. Until her cousin needed to move out of his apartment in a fabulous location in Chadstone. The great thing is that when he decides to move back in, he’ll be able to give them a reference and they’ll have a rental history.

It’s well past time for them to move out from her parents’ place and become independent. They can’t wait!

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: It’s day 13.

I’m writing this on my 13th workday. This is the time when coming to work every day begins to seem less of a novelty and more like a chore. I’m not at the stage when I’m dragging myself to work – give it another week LOL – but I’m groaning at the sound of the 6:30 alarm and starting to get back into the habit of doing the ironing on Sundays and thinking about which easy meal to make at the end of the week so I don’t just get takeaway because I’m tired.

The pictures on my desk are turning into a really good spirit lifter. I’m pretty sure that when I’m in the middle weeks they mightn’t work as well, but for now they’re a happy reminder of why I’m doing this.

My classes are still lovely and are making me laugh. I’m enjoying teaching medieval history to the year 8s – the class I have is 8T… imagine how many kids we have here? – and although they’re right at the end of the letters, they’re a beautiful group of kids. Traditionally, that’s not the case.

Where I’ve been: In an endless round of home to work to home to work to home…

Et cetera.

Where I’m going: In an endless round of home to work to home to work to home…

Et cetera.

But I got paid last week. It was a little more than I was expecting. That was good – my flights to Heathrow and Dublin are all earned!

What I’m reading: I Know why the Caged Bird Sings- Angelou

I’ve seen Maya Angelou on Oprah, way back in the day when I was at home with 4 small boys, so I know who she is. I know she’s way famous in America, but she’s not so much of a thing here. It occurred to me that I should maybe read her memoirs about her life, because why not?

On the link I just posted on her book, I see that she has 7 memoirs. Yikes…

What I’m watching: The beautiful summer day through my classroom window.

It looks nice out there.

What I’m listening to: Last week’s audiobook.

I’m still ploughing through the audiobook I mentioned last week. I’m not loving it, but I’ve only got 3.5 hours left, so I’ll get it done. It’ll contribute to my “Earn your rates back by reading” total.

What I’m eating: The last of the plums from my tree.

I was taking them to work, 3 at a time, to eat at recess, but they were starting to get too ripe. On Sunday I stewed them and now they’re part of my breakfasts instead.

I’m not wasting them – mainly because my tree went to all the trouble of producing them, but also because they were my Gran’s favourite fruit, so I think of her every time I eat them.

What I’m planning: what to do if my wedding dress doesn’t get here.

No, I’m not getting married! I mean my outfit for David29 and Izzy’s wedding in April. It’s been 5 weeks since I ordered a silk dress from China. I’m getting slightly restive about how long it’s taking…

Who needs a good slap: The Australia Post delivery driver in my area.

I ordered some heart medication for Silver, Jenny’s dog, from an online company because it works out cheaper than getting it from the vet. While we were waiting for it to get here, I simply gave him some of Jeff’s heart pills, as they’re on the same one and the same dosage.

On Friday, we got a leaflet in the letterbox saying that it would be dropped off at the post office on Monday because no one was home.

Except Ryan28 WAS home. None of the dogs barked, which meant that the person didn’t even try to deliver it. So annoying. The last thing I want to do when I get home is to go to the post office.

What has made me smile: Watching Izzy watch David29’s video.

We had Izzy’s kitchen tea last Sunday. I’ve never been to one of these – I didn’t even know that they were still a thing – and it was a pleasant surprise. We ate, drank and played some games. One of the things they did was to give David29 a list of questions about their relationship and he had to answer them on a video. Any time Izzy got an answer wrong, she had to take a drink.

They were expecting a simple question and answer, but David29 went above and beyond. He drove out to locations and filmed his answers. he had costume changes and props. It was very funny.

Even with the lamest of jokes, Izzy was sitting on the floor in front of the screen laughing herself silly. They’re definitely on the same wavelength.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: How much money I spent last year.

For some reason, I didn’t keep up with my annual expenses chart last year. The end of August was the last time I’d looked at it, and then of course, once I realised this, I couldn’t face the arduous task of totting up months of figures.

Until I had a couple of periods off at work. I had no marking and I’d prepared all my classes, so I grabbed my iPad, pulled up the calculator app, and got to work.

In the end, it only took a little over an hour. My ‘no-spend’ chart made short work of it – everything was there. I already knew it’d be a spendy total… Antarctica, even with the absolute bargain I got with the cruise, isn’t a cheap destination, while giving 15K away to help a son get into the housing market is always going to hurt the bottom line.

So yeah, I was prepared for the total. Let’s hope that no other children want to buy a house this year! I’ve already paid for much of my England/Ireland trip, but all of that will be covered by the work I’m doing now, so with a bit of luck, my number crunching in January 2024 will leave me with a smile on my face.

We can only hope…

Where I’ve been: to my pumpkin vines.

I had no success for years at the old house when I tried to grow pumpkins. It was infuriating because everyone who grows veggies crow about how easy they are to grow. However, once I started putting pumpkin seedlings underneath the fruit trees in my front yard orchard, it was a game-changer.

This year I’ve planted Bunnings butternut pumpkin seedlings and they’ve taken off. I can’t see beneath the leaves on the seedlings that are towards the back, but I’ve spied 5 or 6 plump pumpkins happily growing.

I love pumpkins. I’m looking forward to the harvest.

Where I’m going: a kitchen tea.

Izzy is having a kitchen tea before the wedding. I’ll be picking up Mum and driving to Izzy’s place on Sunday, presumably to drink tea and eat dainty foodstuffs like a lady.

What I’m reading: A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor.

Normally I search for books from the library and put them on hold, but this was one I selected when I was quickly browsing the shelves. She’s described as “Britain’s Stephen King’ so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like. So far, I’ve just read the introduction.

What I’m watching: Anh’s Brush with Fame.

I’ve caught the odd episode of this over the years, but when I was looking for a feel-good show to watch, I saw this on Stan and decided to give it a go. I’m absolutely loving it.

My Mum is an artist and I have inherited none of her talent. To see the way Anh is able to produce such incredibly lifelike portraits in such a small amount of time, while he interviews his subjects is incredible.

Stan has series 2 and 3. Imagine my joy when I pulled up this link for you when I saw that ABC iView has 6 series of it! Writing this blog just keeps on giving.

What I’m listening to: The Familiars by Stacey Halls.

I finished the audiobook I was listening to last week, ‘Mrs England’, and thought I’d listen to another novel by the same author. This one is about the Lancashire witch trials. I know nothing about them, so I thought I’d give it a go.

What I’m eating: Plums from my tree.

I’m still bringing satsuma/blood plums into work to eat at morning recess. 3/day. Yum!

What I’m planning: Nothing.

There’s nothing much on the horizon at the moment. That’s ok.

Who needs a good slap: Netflix.

Ever since I moved to The Best House in Melbourne, I’ve been paying the top tier for Netflix subscriptions. It’s now $23/month for 5 screens. This allows myself and my 4 sons to all have access to it.

Now that Netflix is rumoured to be cutting off memberships who don’t log into their account from their home screen address once a month, this may change.

There’s no way the boys will pay for Netflix memberships of their own. And there’s no way, if this comes in, that I’ll continue to keep paying for screens I won’t use. I think Netflix will find out that they’ll lose a great deal of money with this decision. I’m sure there are many families and groups of friends just like us.

What has made me smile: The kids’ reactions to today’s Dad joke.

They love it. See below:

Dad joke of the day:

If I have twin girls, I’m going to call the first one Kate.

I’ll call the other one DupliKate.

What’s top of my mind: How UNretired people don’t have a clue.

I was sitting at my desk today and a couple of people were talking about a colleague who is apparently going to retire soon and is very unhappy about it. She said to one of my friends that “I don’t know what I’ll do all day.”

They were nodding away, saying, “Yes, what will she do all day? She’ll have no clue.”

And, “I don’t want to retire. In my scenarios of when I win Tattslotto, I always think of my husband retiring but not me.”

“Well, exactlly. What would I do all day? I know how she feels.”

Ugh. I was all, “I know I’m here now, and some people might say that I’ve obviously got bored and come back to work, (which is BS), but honestly, retirement is GREAT! There’s so much to do… the days are always filled and you have total freedom to be yourself and do whatever you want to do. Tell her she’s going to love it.”

Where I’ve been: Chopping up pictures for my desk.

I’m a woman of my word. I said I’d cover my desk with pictures of where I’m going to be going and so I have. In the interests of accuracy, I stuck a piece of paper over the ‘Britain’ part of the title, because I’m only going to England and Ireland. Scotland and Wales will have to wait for another trip.

It’s already working. Some people have come up with a smirk, saying, “Thought you retired?” I walk them around to my desk, point at it and say, “Yeah, I retired. But you know me… I can’t ignore the lure of a “free” trip overseas! Five weeks in England and Ireland in September.”

That shuts them up.

Where I’m going: Costco.

We’re running out of the raw meat patties that I feed the dogs, so it’s to Costco I’ll go! I’ll also grab a slab of eggs while I’m there. They may be slightly more expensive than Aldi but it’s more convenient to have a tonne of eggs in the fridge.

There used to be years when I’d ignore the convenience factor and I’d go for what was cheapest. Nowadays, I usually still go the frugal route, but I’m loosening up the rules a tad.

What I’m reading: The Rest of Us Just Live Here – Ness.

I’m really enjoying this one. You know how when there’s a plucky band of teenagers fighting the forces of evil – think ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, for example – and they go to school and mingle with all of the ordinary kids? This novel explores the situation from the point of view of the normal kids – the ones who aren’t in the thick of the action but who still live where all of the drama takes place.

Each chapter begins with a paragraph summarising what’s happening from the core of the plucky kids’ experiences, sort of like a plot summary of a tv show. Then the rest of the chapter follows what the ordinary kids are doing.

It’s great. I have 2 English classes tomorrow, so 2 x 10 minutes wide reading will just about finish it off.

What I’m watching: Australian Survivor.

They really have to be careful about the level of danger in the challenges they get the contestants to do. In the first episode two people were injured… one with a broken collar bone. She had to leave the game.

Unfortunately, the person that had only minor injuries was a contestant I hate with a pure volcanic passion – he’s such an absolute wanker – so he’ll be coming back into the game. The producers were probably lucky that no one snapped their neck. The Australian version is a lot more gritty than the US one.

I love Survivor.

What I’m listening to: Mrs England.

I’m about halfway through this Edwardian gothic audiobook and I’m loving it. If I have to have a commute, this is a very pleasant way of dealing with it.

What I’m eating: Carmen’s Protein bars from Aldi.

I bought a packet of these to keep in my desk in case I needed something to eat at recess.

They’re awful. So SWEET.

This will motivate me to eat a hearty breakfast each morning so I don’t have to eat one.

What I’m planning: I can’t say this week.

Tom31 told my ex-husband about this blog a while ago. Apparently, A is interested in FI/RE as well. I have no idea if he pulls up this blog to read.

But just in case he IS reading… A…Don’t freak out, because no one who reads this blog has a clue as to who you are IRL. I’d like to say to you: please let the boys’ half-sister come to David30’s wedding. She was so looking forward to it and so were the boys. If she comes, it’s something they’ll all remember with gratitude and love.

Who needs a good slap: Whoever put the class lists together at the campus I’m at.

A small part of me was hoping that the classes I’ll be teaching this term would be awful, so that I’d never do this again. However, I’ve met three out of the four classes I’ll have. They all seem really nice.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. This is good news. But it’s not making my obvious need to learn to say “no” to the school any easier!!

What has made me smile: The elderly dogs I’m looking after.

It’s now been a week and a half, and after a very traumatised few days at the start, Silver and Elizabeth have slowly settled in. Silver follows me around all the time, whereas Elizabeth will keep her distace but settle at my feet whenever I sit down.

Yes, I’m glad I have hardwood floors. You can imagine why…

Yes, I wish that they didn’t bark so much. (They’re learning to chill though, which the neighbours would be pleased about.)

But all in all, for two old dogs who have never been away from their Mum in their lives, they’re doing extremely well.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Country hospitals.

Remember last week I was saying that I was looking after 2 dogs for my friend Jenny while she was off getting a knee reconstruction?

I’ve tried several times to call the hospital to talk to her to see how she’s getting on, but I either can’t get through to the ward, or when I do, they say there are no individual phones for the patients and they can’t give out any info over the phone “for privacy reasons.” I left a message on the only time I was able to get through to a nurse on the ward, asking her to pass along to Jenny that her dogs are missing her but are doing fine and are now part of the pack. I hope she got it.

But yeah. It’s been a week. No one can talk to her, short of me driving another 7 hours in a day to go up and visit, which I really don’t want to do…

It’s amazing to me that in this day and age, if a hospital patient doesn’t have a mobile, then they’re effectively cut off from the outside world. I’ll be trying again today. I might ask if a nurse could send me her own mobile number via text, and then I could call at a prearranged time so Jenny can actually talk to someone other than hospital staff. I can’t think of how else to find out how she’s doing.

Where I’ve been: To the tyre place.

Argh. After replacing all four tyres last year, on Tuesday night on the way to see Evan26 in a play, I got a flat. Thank goodness it was opening night, so I was able to see him last night instead.

That’s why this Wednesday W is being sent out on Thursday. I was busy.

Where I’m going: School.

Yep – term 1 starts tomorrow with a student-free day… then the onslaught starts on Monday. Today I’ll be cutting out pictures of England and Ireland from the brochure I got from the travel agency, so my desk will be COVERED in them to remind me of why I’m doing this to myself.

What I’m reading: The Leisure Seeker.

Now that I’ve wrapped up my ‘Earn your rates back by reading’ challenge for 2022 – 2023, (which had a finish date of September 2023) I’m feeling way ahead, so instead of reading a library book I’ve picked up a book Dad passed to me that he liked. It’s about an elderly couple, one with dementia and one riddled with cancer, who decide to drive off in their camper van for one last vacation.

There’s a movie with Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland which I think is streaming on Stan, so I’ll probably watch that on the weekend after I finish the book.

What I’m watching: Thrive.

I’m watching MY SON IN A PLAY!

Evan26 is currently acting in a play called ‘Thrive’, which is of course on the other side of the city in Footscray. I had a ticket for Tuesday night, but halfway there I got a flat tire. The RACV obviously had a busy night… they didn’t get to me for nearly three hours! Thank God I had an iPad with podcasts with me.

So tonight I made another attempt, this time navigating a part of the city that’s almost totally unfamiliar to me, with a phone on 10% battery. Thankfully, Fortunate Frogdancer made it to the venue 3 minutes before the phone died.

‘Thrive’ is a verbatim play, which basically means that real people have been interviewed and then the actors have to use every word/pause/umm/’you know’ etc exactly how the person said. The play itself is looking at queer people’s experiences in Australia, with the people ranging in age from 24 – 72.

The actors were directed not to play an old character as ‘old’… you know, not hobbling around with a walking stick and having wrinkly make up etc. They had to speak the exact words but also bring themselves to the portrayal.

They also had snippets of the original interviews, so we could see how the original interviewees actually looked and spoke. I was sitting next to a couple and we started talking. Turns out one of them was one of the characters being portrayed on stage. She loved it.

It’s no secret that I love seeing my son up on stage, living his best life and doing the thing he loves best. I’m also lucky that he’s good at it! I’d recommend going to see this play if you’re within reach of Footscray. You’d better hurry though – there’s only 3 more nights.

What I’m listening to: Mrs England.

I’m listening to an audiobook called Mrs England, which I downloaded when I was waiting for the RACV van to come. I’m around a quarter of the way in and I’m loving it. The woman reading it has the best English accent!

What I’m eating:

I’m entertaining at home a lot over the last week of the holidays, so I’m eating lots of salads, homemade pizza, bread and zucchini slice. I’m so glad I put that huge verandah roof out the back- it’s been lovely sitting out there on these beautiful summer days, eating food that has come ten feet away from the garden.

What I’m planning: Nothing much.

My trip to England and Ireland is pretty much at the stage I wanted it to be, with all of the broad brush strokes put in place. Apart from that, I have nothing much on the horizon just yet.

Who needs a good slap: Umm…?

I’ve been sitting here wracking my brain and I can’t think of anyone specific.

What has made me smile:

Look at the photo at the top of this post! Timo and Garrett from the Antarctica trip popped in to see me. After Antarctica, they saw a bit more of South America before coming to Melbourne. Timo is from Germany and Garrett is from Ireland, so I pulled up the itinerary of the Irish leg of my trip to see what Garrett thought. He comes from a small town near Dublin, so he had heaps of suggestions for things I could do and see. Turns out Tim used to have an Irish girlfriend so he had some good ideas too.

After a leisurely lunch under the back verandah, we wandered down to the Backyard Beach. It was an absolutely sparkling day. These guys are an absolute delight. They’re such great company- so funny and easy-going. That trip to Antarctica is the gift that keeps on giving.

Just before they left, they ate sun-ripened plums straight from the tree. Can’t get much more ‘Frogdancer Jones’ than that!

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: My trip is coming together!!!

I was hoping that all of the broad brush strokes of the holiday would be settled by the time I started work next week and it appears that it’s all going to plan. In the past week, I’ve been able to sort out who I’m going to see and when and where. Plane tickets are done and the tour to Ireland is sorted.

Scott was terrific in booking the plane tickets to Dublin and back for me. Flight Centre doesn’t use budget airlines in the UK so I needed someone from there to do that bit. On Tuesday I was woken by my Whatsapp pinging at 7 AM precisely, with a message, “Aisle, window, or middle?”

He was obviously waiting for a reasonable time for me to be awake!

Now that the important bits are settled, we all have plenty of time to decide what we’re going to do day by day. It’s all very exciting.

Where I’ve been: to the travel agents.

On Monday I went down the street and popped into Flight Centre to book my plane tickets. I’m fine with booking tours etc, but I’m more comfortable relying on someone else’s expertise when it comes to the Tetris game of juggling airline schedules.

Me oh my – when they say that plane fares have increased they’re not kidding. It is costing me nearly double what it cost for the same airfare 7 years ago.

Where I’m going: Mooroopna.

Forty years ago, I decided to buy a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. I contacted a breeder called Jenny. She put me through the third degree about what sort of home I was going to provide for a pup before she put me in touch with someone who had a litter of pups from one of her stud dogs. I appreciated the interview – I would’ve been deeply suspicious if all she asked me was about payment.

When I fell in love with Sarah, my first Cavalier, and decided I wanted to breed and show her, Jenny became my mentor. I was in the show ring for about 5 years and had my own breeding kennels, then when I started having human babies it all became too hard, so I disbanded my kennels.

Jenny and I stayed in touch. She very generously allowed the boys and me to adopt many dogs over the years. My boys were able to grow up with quality, purebred dogs with wonderful natures at a time when I could never have afforded to actually buy them a pet.

Well, time marches on. Jenny is now living up in the country with 2 dogs left. One of them is Poppy and Jeff’s mother, while another is a boy called Silver. While Jen is in the hospital for a few days, Elizabeth and Silver will be coming down to The Best House in Melbourne for a family reunion of sorts.

So today is ROAD TRIP DAY!

What I’m reading: A Slow Fire Burning – Paula Hawkins.

This is from the same author who wrote ‘The Girl on the Train’, which about half the world has read. I’ve only just started this one, but it’s off to a good start.

Oh! By the way – I’ve already ‘earned’ back my rates for this year ( September 2022 – September 2023) – have a look at the sidebar on the right. My next rates bill doesn’t arrive until August sometime, so now I’m just salting away the numbers to attack that one. I only thought I’d do this for one year but I’m still enjoying it.

And another thing – if anyone has a good book about Ireland – either fiction or non-fiction – please pop it in a comment. I have a lot of research to do about Ireland before I get there. I want to know exactly what it is I’m seeing!

What I’m watching: Junk.

Somehow, I got sucked into watching ‘Love is Blind’ on Netflix. I only have myself to blame. Don’t follow my lead, I beg of you. Save yourself!

What I’m listening to: PODCASTS!

I’ll be on the road for at least 6 hours today, so I’ll be able to rip through a lot of poddies that have been slowly accumulating. Finally, I’ll know what ends up happening to Belinda Blumenthal!

What I’m eating: lots of salads.

Ryan28 and I are on a bit of a health kick and we’re chowing down on salads. I make a couple of salads every two days and then we pick away at them until they’re gone. Then I make another couple and the cycle continues. I’m mainly cooking from the two salad books from Thermobexta , (she also has lots of free recipes on her site), and I’m loving my day off from cooking in between.

What I’m planning: How to decorate my desk when I’m at work.

When I was at the travel agents, I asked for a brochure on England and Ireland. I’m going to cover my desk with pictures so that when I’m unhappy at not being free, I’ll be reminded of why I’m doing this.

Who needs a good slap: …

Meh. I’m in holiday mode. No one.

What has made me smile: My notifications going crazy in the middle of the night.

Two nights in a row!

The first night was when Liga whatsapped the Antarctica group, saying that she was going to get a tattoo about the trip on her arm. The group went OFF, with suggestions ranging from a penguin, Ming’s yellow coat, a black panther, plankton or krill coming through. As you can see, she went with the map of Antarctica on her arm.

Then the following night, Scott sent through 11 messages and links about Essex. It was as if there was a fireworks display in my room! I was tired after being up the previous night with Liga’s conversation, so I left them until the next day.

I had such a lovely few hours, sitting on the couch the next morning going through all the links. We’re going to have a wonderful time.

THE HISTORY!

Dad joke of the day: