Category: Wednesday W’s (Page 8 of 12)

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:

What’s top of my mind: I accidentally agreed to work full time in term 1.

I didn’t say yes and I STILL got the job.

When I was in Ushuaia I was asked to work term 1 at a different school, teaching English and Drama full-time. I was so proud of myself when I said no. I was determined to never work full time again. My plan was that I was going to work 1 or 2 days a week, only accepting short-term contracts of 3 weeks or so.

Two days after I got back, I received a panicked message from the Daily Organisers at my school. They were all sitting in the staff Christmas lunch on the 2nd last day of the year when it dawned on them that they hadn’t covered a guy who was going on Long Service Leave for term 1.

They were beside themselves. It’s very difficult to find someone at this late stage of the year and unless I agreed, it was going to be a huge problem for the school. They thought that I was still in Antarctica, so they were googling what the time was there, and saying, “It’s 11:30. You never know, she might be looking at her phone…”

When I answered back straight away from my couch in Melbourne they were very impressed with the internet in Antarctica! But as I read the message I was torn. I was serious when I told everyone I wouldn’t do another long contract. I found the loss of freedom for weeks on end to be hard. But I could also feel for the Daily Orgs… And also, I was just back from an amazing and expensive holiday. Working for 10 weeks would give me the cash for another one…

Plus they were offering holiday pay or being paid as a CRT. Holiday pay, eh? Being paid 12 weeks but ‘only’ working 10? Hmmm…

So I typed back a message asking about which option would pay more. (I’m not a charity!) Then I thought that might sound rude, so I sent a smiley face after it. Apparently, they looked at each other, with one saying, “A smiley face? That means YES.”

Their next message was telling me that the holiday pay was the best way and thanking me for accepting. I stared at the screen in disbelief. I didn’t accept! I was just asking for information.

But I knew that I’d want to go somewhere in 2023…

So I let it slide. Friends and family have already told me that I can’t whinge about working. “You’ve done it to yourself!”

But I tell you what – I’m taking term 2 off.

Where I’ve been: Gardenworld.

Ryan28 kept the important things alive while I was gone. Himself, Poppy, Jeff and Scout. But my hanging baskets? Not so much. I’ve spent a month trying to revive them, but yesterday I realised that I was sick of looking at ugly.

Today I’ll be chucking out the old plants and making the place look pretty again.

Where I’m going: England and Ireland.

Woo hoo!!!!!!

An hour after I finished my Antarctica blog posts, I began researching where to go next. England is my soul’s home. It’s where my family comes from, (ranging from my paternal grandfather to 6 generations back on my mother’s side and everything in between), and I absolutely adore English history.

Now that I’m in a position to be able to travel every year, I can revisit England and also see other parts of the UK that I either skimmed through when I was there in 2015, or I missed altogether.

I thought of Ireland. Never been there… people say it’s terrific… it’d be fun to go from an all-white place to one of emerald green…

So anyway, I booked a place on this tour. If I’m going to see the place, I may as well see as much of it as I can. Plus I can catch up with my friend James, who I met on the tour to North Korea.

I’ll be in England before and after the tour, seeing my friends Corinna, Deana and Scott. I also want to sneak off to Windsor Castle to stand on Henry VIII’s grave. I was hoping to do that on my birthday, but Windsor Castle isn’t open then.

So the Ireland part is locked down. The English parts are still a work in progress. Who knows what I’ll end up doing and seeing?

What I’m reading: Really good books.

I ended 2022 with 120 books under my belt and I’ve started off 2023 with some cracking good reads. I can recommend:

The Way It Is Now – Garry Disher. A crime novel set on the Mornington Peninsula, just down the road from me. The author must live there because the descriptions of the place are utterly real in every detail. I’ll be hunting up more of his novels.

The Trivia Night – Lowe. This is an excellent summer holiday read. It’s in the vein of Sally Hepworth. It’s set in Sydney. Don’t read it if you don’t like saucy themes.

The Paris Apartment – Foley. Another murder mystery. I enjoyed the twists and turns in this one.

The Bullet That Missed – Osman. I know I’m late to the party with this one, the 3rd in the wonderful Thursday Murder Club series. This one was equally on a par with the first in the series. (Not that there was much wrong with #2…) I read this in a day and I count it a day well spent.

By the way… have a look at my reading challenge on the right hand side of the blog. My rates are due in February and I’ll be finished with the challenge of ‘earning’ back my rates money for 2023 before I’ve even paid them! Only one more book to go.

What a nice head start I’ve given myself for the challenge in 2024!

What I’m watching: my Netflix queue.

It was getting out of control, so I’m concentrating on whittling it down.

What I’m listening to: not much.

I mainly listen to podcasts and music when I drive and when I quilt. I haven’t been doing much of either since I got home.

One fringe benefit of working is that I’ll be able to catch up on all of my podcasts during the commute.

What I’m eating: Plums from my trees.

I thought the rainbow lorikeets would get them, but I was able to pick some sun-ripened plums for the first time from my little orchard. The Satsuma plum (my favourite) has quite a few, while the Santa Maria plum produced two plums. If I divide the cost of the tree between the plums, the Santa Maria plums are worth $30 each.

What I’m planning: Holidays!

Not just mine. Liga from Latvia/Antarctica is coming to Australia this year and we’re going to catch up. So far, she wants to see the Opera House, do a 10 day hike and see me.

We just have to work out how these things will all fit together.

And as I’m sure you all know, she’ll be doing that hike without me.

Of course.

Who needs a good slap: The Irish tour people.

Guess how much the single supplement is????

Nearly one thousand Aussie dollars. Ouch.

They didn’t even offer the option of sharing a room. After having such a great time with Liga and Corinna, I might have considered it. But I didn’t even have the option. Rude.

What has made me smile: The Best House in Melbourne.

It’s really lovely to be home.

Dad jokes of the day:

What’s top of my mind: Have I forgotten anything?

I think I’m ok, but Monday was spent driving around getting last-minute things like polarising sunglasses and a plug to fit the charging outlet of my new battery charger for my phone. It’s scary when you buy something electrical, bring it home and then realise that you have no way of charging it because you don’t have small enough outlets.

If I wasn’t going grey before, this last minute stuff would have brought it on. I’m looking forward to sitting down on the plane on the first leg to Aukland and thinking, ‘If I haven’t brought anything with me, I can’t do anything about it now…’

I hope there’s some good movies!

Where I’ve been: Chelsea Heights Community Garden

Yesterday I drove over to this community garden. I first spotted it a few days ago and thought it’d be e great Little Adventure for November. Alas! When I arrived there was no one there and a pinpad locked the gate.

I’ve decided that November’s Little Adventure will have to be postponed. I’ll try my luck again in December or January, because looking through the chain-link fence, it looks like a fantastic space. I’m really keen to see what they’re doing with it.

Plus they have chooks. Sometimes I miss my fluffy-bummed gerls.

Where I’m going: Have I mentioned that I’m going to Antarctica tomorrow?

Well, Santiago first. Fingers crossed that my suitcase travels with me all the way there! As Blogless Sandy said, it doesn’t matter so much if the suitcase goes missing for a few days on the way home.

What I’m reading: nothing.

I’ve finished all my library books and I can’t reserve any eBooks until later today – they’ll become due before I get back and the last thing I want to do on my quest to earn back my rates is to have library books actually costing me money!

I have books downloaded on my iPad, which will be my entertainment hub while I’m away. I’m hoping I can read eBooks from the library to keep my challenge going, but if for some reason they won’t work, I have plenty of books on my kindle app.

I tell you what though; The Murder of Mr Wickham was great! If you love Jane Austen, you can’t go wrong with this book.

What I’m watching: ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix.

This is directed by Tim Burton with music by Danny eElfman, so it’s reminding me of ‘Edward Scissorhands’ in many ways. I think I’ve watched ‘Edward’ about 40 times – we taught it as part of the year 7 curriculum for years. Tonight I’ll finish it off, just before I go.

What I’m listening to: Jeff snoring.

They’re not going to be too happy with me when I start wheeling my suitcases out the door…

What I’m eating: Vegemite.

I bought some Saladas yesterday at Aldi. All of my breakfasts until I go are going to be 3 Saladas with loads of vegemite. YUM.

What I’m planning: A nanna nap today.

My sleep was disturbed last night and I was pretty angry. See below:

Who needs a good slap: The person who wrote the packing list for the Antarctic cruise.

Usually, I find it hard to fill in this ‘who needs a slap’ section. But something happened at midnight on Monday night that made me LIVID. Please read the screenshot above…

On Monday afternoon, I was procrastinating with doing the ironing by sitting on the couch on the front verandah, reading through the entries on an Antarctica travel group on FB. As I was scrolling through the photos and videos of penguins, seals, whales etc. I saw a comment that someone made about how the Hondius (the ship I’m going on) doesn’t supply parkas for its passengers, only boots.

“That’s odd,” I thought. “Maybe they’re only supplying parkas to select groups.” Still, an hour later, the remark was still niggling at me. I decided that it’d be easy enough to ask the question, so I went to our group’s page on FB and asked if parkas were supplied. At midnight the answer came back:

“No, Frogdancer, only boots are supplied. Here is a link to the hire company the ship uses, but they don’t accept hires less than 7 days out from departure. You’ll have to move quickly!”

Bloody hell. Are you kidding me?!? I jumped straight across and THANK GOODNESS was able to reserve a parka. The time difference worked for me in this case – it was 6 days until embarkation from where I live, but in the US it was still 7 days.

I checked the email of the packing list that I was sent in June … yes, as you can see, I remembered correctly. We were told that a parka would be provided. The owner of the company sent the hire link to us all 7 days ago, but didn’t mention that parkas were needed. I glanced at the link at the time, and thought that I’d already bought gloves, hats and everything else and that I wouldn’t need to hire a parka, so I ignored it. I was unimpressed when I realised, to say the least.

Can you imagine how absolutely stuffed this trip could be if I couldn’t go on the ice????? Fortunate Frogdancer strikes again – if I hadn’t read that comment and asked the question, my whole trip would have been ruined. As it is, I’m going to be paranoid about it until I actually get the boots and parka in my hot little hands.

I don’t think I’ve been so angry about anything for a long while. This whole thing was like Macbeth – it certainly murdered my sleep for a while!

What has made me smile: How excited everyone is for me.

I’ve been planning this trip for over two years, so now to me it’s just routine – I’m going to Antarctica. But when other people hear, their eyes light up and they get so animated. I remember when I was like that when I first started planning it. Now, as I have only a day to go, I’m getting those anticipatory butterflies in my stomach. I’d almost forgotten how much fun it is to travel overseas.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: I’m actually going to Antarctica!

You know it’s all becoming real when your pee bottle arrives in the post!

I posted this photo on FB and a friend was a little disturbed, saying she had a purple one of these “but I didn’t know it was a pee bottle!” It’s not, of course, it’s just a wide-mouthed water bottle, but when we’re on the ice we can’t leave a trace of ourselves there when we leave. That means no food, no litter and no… um… wastes. If you know what I mean.

My visa arrived yesterday, thank god. My travel agent rang on Friday and chirpily said, “So do you have your visa?” When I said, no, her voice changed dramatically. I asked her to try calling the Chilean embassy since no one was picking up the phone whenever I tried.

Of course, on the first attempt, she got through, and talked to a lovely woman who said that she couldn’t put it through on Friday because she was working on visas that people needed for the coming weekend. (Can you imagine the STRESS those people would be under???) She promised to look at it on Monday.

However, in the afternoon I came back from collecting my currency and there it was… the instructions for the extra info I needed to provide. Basically, I had to show that I could support myself for the 3 days I’ll be in Chile, so I won’t be a burden on their community.

A screenshot of a bank account, a payment for the visa and the next day my visa was in my inbox. This alone has made going through a travel agent worthwhile. I’m sure I was pushed up the queue – someone on Twitter said that he’s been waiting since the beginning of September for his Chilean visa.

Where I’ve been: to the Money Exchange.

Here I am, hunkering down at home trying to avoid crowds, deciding to pick up my currency in Mornington rather than Southland. I get a text that my money is ready, so I grab my mask, jump in the car and drive to get it. When I walk in, the girl behind the counter says, “Oh sorry. We don’t have your Chilean pesos yet. I shouldn’t have texted you…”

What can I say? I wasn’t impressed but there’s no point in complaining – she can’t magically produce them out of thin air. So 2 days later I made the trip back. Fortunately, I have good podcasts to listen to as I drive!

In the end, I decided to get some Chilean pesos, but I know I can use my debit/credit cards here as well. Even though the exchange rate is much better to get Argentinian pesos when you’re actually in the country, I decided to get some here – I’m arriving in Ushuaia at 10 PM and I have a feeling I’ll just want to pay cash straight up for a taxi to my hotel. I embark on the cruise the next day so I won’t need that much money.

The ship uses Euros so I plumped for them rather than USD. If I have any cash left over (which I NEVER do when I travel) I’m far more likely to be going back to Europe rather than the States,

Though having said that, I DO have to tick off my last continent, so who knows where I’ll visit next year?

Where I’m going: To Mt Martha.

See below.

What I’m reading: some cracking good reads.

The Herd – by Emily Edwards.

“Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites, but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they trust that the safety of their children is their top priority.

But what if their choice could harm your own child?“

Widowland – by C,J Carey.

This is a reimagined history, set in London after Germany won WWII. The author has done a really good job of weaving the details of the people and events of that time into an alternate reality, where in 1953 there is a coronation planned – but for King Edward VIII and Queen Wallis – not Elizabeth II.

It’s very 1984-ish.

I’ve just started Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid – all about an aging tennis star who comes out of retirement to try and defeat the new up-and-coming star on the tennis scene, and I’ve picked up The Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Grey.

“The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.  “

As an Austen lover, I thought this might be an enjoyable romp as I’m counting down the days before my trip. Here is the post I wrote after visiting Jane Austen’s house in 2015 in Chawton, Hampshire.

One of the highlights of my life.

What I’m watching: A zombie-fest!

It turns out that I wasn’t trailing behind the rest of ‘The Walking Dead’ fans. The very last episode dropped on Monday, so on Sunday I settled in on the couch and watched 7 episodes to get up to date.

It was emotional to see the last episode. I’ve been watching this show for 12 years. However, there are a few spinoffs planned, so I just might buckle myself in for those.

What I’m listening to: A very emotional and heart-wrenching speech.

Chanelle Dawson is the oldest daughter of Chris and Lynette Dawson. Chris murdered Lynette over 40 years ago and has only now been convicted of his crime. The podcast ‘The Teacher’s Pet’ investigated the crime, while ‘The Teacher’s Trial’ documented the murder case. In this last episode, Chanelle is giving her victim impact statement. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.

What I’m eating: Vegemite.

I know I’m going to miss having the opportunity to eat Vegemite with breakfast. So even though I don’t often eat it, lately I’ve been going nuts with it.

What I’m planning: to get the cavaliers shaved today.

Wow. I wrote about this nearly four years ago. Where does the time go?

Yesterday my sister Kate came around, all masked up, to clipper my dogs. Halfway through Poppy’s coat, the clippers died. She’s left with one short ear, one skinny leg, a short back and long hair everywhere else.

Fortunately, we discovered a clipper shop just 10 minutes away. She left to go and see our parents and I went to get the blades sharpened. I’m going to her place later today to finish the job. All masked up, of course. I seriously am taking no chances so close to the trip.

Who needs a good slap: No one.

Well, maybe Trump. But that’s pretty much a perennial thing.

What has made me smile: The realisation that next week I’ll be off on an adventure.

I’ve been putting my head in the sand, pretty much ignoring that Antarctica is really going to happen. Last year Latestarter Fire and I were so disappointed to have to postpone our trip – she had to actually cancel it – so I guess I didn’t want to get disappointed again.

This time tomorrow I’ll be halfway to New Zealand on the first leg of the trip…

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: how quickly covid can fuck things up.

No, no no, I don’t have it!

But remember how I was only going to leave two weeks to hunker down away from crowds before I left on my trip? Then bethh left a comment, suggesting that I give myself an extra week, just in case.

“You might want to take 3 weeks off ahead of your trip – IF you were exposed on your last day of work, it could take 7+ days to show up and 10 days to clear. I almost messed up a trip in July/August by getting Covid closer to the departure date than I planned! I only tested negative the morning of my flight. It probably partly depends on the rules for your trip – in my case it was a very light case, my housemate didn’t even catch it, and I felt fine by the time my trip arrived. Thank goodness for vaccines & boosters!”

Today was going to be my last day of working and tonight was going to be my last outing… David29 and Izzy have a tasting evening at their wedding reception to choose the menu items for their wedding.

Last night at 11 PM he called me and said that Izzy’s mum has just tested positive to covid. Even though they live with her, the happy couple, Izzy’s Dad and sister are all allowed to still attend. Imagine if I was still going and she’d found out a day or two later?

David29 said that there’s around 16,000 active cases in Victoria at the moment.

Where I’ve been: at the doctor’s. The hairdressers. The chemist.

Yesterday I received my 5th dose of the vax. It takes 2 weeks to be at its most effective, so hopefully, that’ll help keep me safe on the planes. I also had a haircut – holding my mask on my face at all times.

Today I took a nice stroll to the other side of the highway to pick up some anti-seasick tablets that Blogless Sandy recommended.

Where I’m going: to get some money.

I’ve ordered some currency – Chilean pesos, Argentinian pesos and Euros – and I’m waiting for the currency place in Mornington to let me know when they have it all assembled for me. I thought that it was probably safer to go to Mornington than Southland at this stage.

What I’m reading: The Long Game by Simon Rowell.

I just put this down an hour ago. I enjoyed it very much. It’s set in and around Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula and it was so nice to actually know the places where the action was happening.

Plus Harry the dog was amazing – I love a Golden!

What I’m watching: The last season of ‘The Walking Dead’… at last.

I decided that if my ship goes down in Drake’s Passage and I’m bobbing around, waiting to be rescued, I didn’t want to have unanswered questions about what ends up happening in The Walking Dead. So I’ve launched into it.

What I’m listening to: the sounds of the neighbourhood.

I’m sitting here on the couch, the dogs asleep beside me. Jeff’s snoring.

I can hear the kids next door playing in their yard, with birds chirping and cars driving by every now and then. It’s a sunny afternoon after a morning of rain.

What I’m eating: sneaky fish and chips for lunch.

When I was walking back from the chemists, I saw that the fish and chip shop was open, so I decided to grab a minimum chips, potato cake and a fried dimmie. It was ok, I guess, though for some reason the chips were bright yellow.

Put me off a bit.

What I’m planning: my Little Adventure for November.

It has to be somewhere away from lots of people. And definitely NOT a school excursion. Blogless Helen told me off about that one!! LOL.

Who needs a good slap: The Chilean Embassy.

I submitted my visa application on October 4. It’s now 6 weeks later. I still haven’t got it. I sent them an email today, but I’m getting nervous.

What has made me smile: my freedom.

On Monday I drove over to Tom30’s place, let myself in, made a cuppa and turned on a Netflix movie. He was getting a washing machine delivered and would otherwise have had to take a day off work.

It’s lovely to have the time available to do little things like this for my kids.

He also suggestively left the ironing board and iron out, but I pretended I didn’t see them.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: This is my last day of teaching for the year!

Due to a comment last week, I’ve decided to allow 3 weeks of avoiding crowded places before I jump on the plane for Antarctica. Right at this moment, I’m sitting in front of a year 8 class, deflating little boys who think they’re able to do whatever they want.

Fools.

Where I’ve been: In my sewing room.

When I decided to increase my crowd-free weeks before my trip, I decreased the time I had available to make baby quilts for people at work. I spent the last few days frantically sewing and quilting and finished them yesterday, only to learn that one of the recipients doesn’t work on Wednesdays.

D’Oh! I’m going to have to sneak into both campuses tomorrow morning to deliver them.

Where I’m going: to the Apple store at Southland.

Blogless Sandy lent me a carry-on bag for my trip. One look at it convinced me that I won’t be able to escape bringing checked luggage – packing for both -5C and summer temperatures on the one trip means that I’ll need more space than a carry-on bag will give me. So I’m going to buy an iTag for my suitcase.

It’s one of those purchases where it’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

What I’m reading: Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes.

I like to have an eBook on my iPad, as well as my kindle books and my podcasts. Every now and then, when I’m searching on Borrowbox, I’ll come across books that I otherwise wouldn’t have.

Stone Blind is the story of Medusa. I’m only a couple of chapters in but I think I’ll enjoy it.

What I’m watching: nothing. And everything.

The Block has finished, not with a bang but with a whimper. I’m finishing off ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ on SBS, American ‘Survivor’ on Go!, The Serpent Queen’, ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK’ and ‘The Circus’ on Stan and my queue on ‘Netflix is lengthy. Add on my new ‘Binge’ subscription (I still haven’t watched the last season of ‘The Walking Dead’) and I’m really spoiled for choice.

What I’m listening to: The Other Half podcast.

I just love this podcast! I first stumbled across ‘The Queens of England’ podcast a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Once he finished this, he began successive series of podcasts looking at women in history. If you’re a history buff, I’d HIGHLY recommend his work. I’ve learned so much and each episode is interesting – quite an amazing feat considering how many there are!

He’s just on the last story of the ‘women and the papacy’ series, ending with a nun in 1930’s Italy who sounds like an absolute powerhouse.

Looking forward to hearing what the next series will be about.

What I’m eating: salads from Thermobexta’s new book.

I’m still working my way through this book. I’ve decided that now there’s only two of us in the house, I’d like to have a salad or two in the fridge and pick away at them for meals.

Last night I made the sweet potato salad and the sesame coleslaw and paired them with some roasted drumsticks. We’ll probably have the same tonight.

What I’m planning: My trip.

Up until now, this holiday has had all the feeling of being a dream. After I had to cancel it last year due to lockdowns, it’s always been “in the future.” Now that my last day of teaching has come, along with the delivery of Blogless Sandy’s suitcase, it’s starting to seem real.

I need to get some cash. I found out yesterday that UBank doesn’t charge international fees on their Visa debit cards, so I’ll have to activate the one I’ve had with them for years. I think I’ll use that to pay for my bill on the ship.

I need to work out how to use Google Translate (I’ve never used it) and I should probably learn a few Spanish phrases. Seems polite.

Still need to get some seasickness medication. The Drake passage is apparently not to be sneezed at. I have no idea if I’m a good sailor or not, but I think I’m about to find out.

I’ve just had a chat with a beautiful student in year 9 who I used to teach in year 7. She’s from Santiago, so I’ve picked her brain about good places to go. She’s so excited that I’m seeing her city.

Who needs a good slap: The Drake Passage.

What has made me smile: it’s MY LAST DAY!!!!!

On balance, I’ve enjoyed coming back here to work – and I’ve really enjoyed the money – but I’m so looking forward to 3 cruisy weeks at home before I set off.

I’ve shamefully neglected my veggie garden, so I want to have it up and running before I go. If all Ryan27 has to do is water it every couple of days or so, it should be looking good by the time I get back.

Dad Joke of the Day:

I used this as the Dad Joke for a French class last week. It cracked them up.

What’s top of my mind: The year 8’s are STILL studying ‘Bend it Like Beckham.’

Over my time at this school, I would have seen this film about 50 times. Don’t get me wrong – it’s an entertaining movie with really good themes, but I would’ve thought that there’d be something more modern by now for the kids to look at.

But hey. At least I get to look at Jonathan Rhys Meyers for a couple of periods today!

Where I’ve been: The couch on the front verandah.

I’ve read a ton of books over the last couple of weeks. It’s nice to take a cuppa out and sit in the sunshine.

Where I’m going: The Apple store (maybe).

I might need an airTag.

See below.

What I’m reading: ‘The Marriage Portrait’ by Maggie O’Farrell.

Just about every English class I’ve ever taught has had a look at my favourite poem. ‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning. The masterly reveal of the psychopathic Duke is so beautifully done.

The real-life inspiration for this poem is widely believed to be Lucretia de Medici. She is also the protagonist of this novel. Imagine. Married at 15, dead a year later. Her husband ended up having 3 wives – no children. Not even illegitimate ones. But of course, it’s the women’s fault…

What I’m watching: Bend it Like Beckham.

The soundtrack is in my ears. I’ve seen it so many times that I don’t have to look at the screen to know exactly what’s happening.

What I’m listening to: The Bend it Like Beckham soundtrack.

See above.

I’m also listening to ‘Shandee’s Legacy’ – the podcast about the public inquiry into the appalling behaviour and dereliction of duty that the Queensland DNA lab has been doing over the last 10 years. This was uncovered during the podcast called ‘Shandee’s story’ which looked at the ‘unsolved’ murder of Shandee Blackburn in 2012.

(I put ‘unsolved’ in inverted commas because even though her ex-boyfriend was acquitted in a trial, TWO coronial inquests have named him as the probable murderer. He got off mainly due to the lack of DNA evidence.)

The court revelations are incredible. It’s week 5 and the last two eps, in particular, are explosive. It’s mind-blowing that hundreds, probably thousands, of crimes in Queensland have gone unsolved because the DNA lab was either lazy or incompetent.

The craziest thing about it is that it’d still be going on if the original podcast of ‘Shandee’s Story’ hadn’t asked a DNA scientist to explain some of the findings and she got very worried about what she was seeing.

What I’m eating: Salads.

David29 has put his back out and is coming over tonight to get a myo treatment from Ryan27. He’s staying for dinner, so I’ll be making a roast chook and a couple of different salads. Yum!

What I’m planning: My trip.

The tour company sent lots of forms etc on the weekend, along with a brochure of info from the actual ship. I’ve been jolted into reality – it’s only about 4 weeks until I go to the airport.

I was going to buy a carry-on suitcase, but luckily Blogless Sandy has Just The Thing, so a trip to the peninsula is on the cards so I can pick it up. Then I have to make the decision – can I manage with just carry-on, or will I have to take some checked baggage with me as well? I have FOUR flights each way, so I’m worried about my suitcase going astray.

Who needs a good slap: Baggage handlers.

I’ve never had to worry about this before, but it seems like every time I hop on Twitter there’s another tale of woe about baggage going missing.

What has made me smile: Putting the Christmas List together.

It’s not long now!

I just love Christmas.

Dad joke of the day:

What’s top of my mind: I’m over halfway there!

Have a look at this year’s Retirement Reading Challenge, over on the side of the blog. This year is the highest target yet, with the inclusion of my dog registration fees as well as my property rates added to the total.

I’ve been reading some fantastic titles from the library. Whoever buys books for the Kingston library is doing a cracking job. I’ve read 3 books in the last 5 days which were all excellent. Never has a personal challenge been more enjoyable!

Where I’ve been: Lawn Bowling with the year 7s.

I really didn’t want to take this day’s work when the Daily Org mentioned that I’d be taking sport in the afternoon. However, she was kind to me. 17 kids are bussed to and from the bowling Club in the next suburb, and they have instructors once they get there.

My friend Helen, who I went to North Korea with, is also doing a day of CRT. She’s going POWER WALKING with the year 7s. Honestly, your days can get pretty varied when you’re a CRT.

Where I’m going: Nowhere much.

Now that November is rapidly approaching, this means that Antarctica is also getting close. I’ve avoided covid for the last couple of years so I’d hate to get it now. I’m thinking of hunkering down and just pottering around the house until my flight out of here.

What I’m reading: Here are the 3 books I mentioned above…

1. The Ink Black Heart – Robert Galbraith

One of the perks of freedom is that if you feel like binge reading, you can finish a 1,000 page book in 2 days. I really like this series and, once I got my head around how to tackle the internet chat sections, I galloped through it, thoroughly enjoying the ride.

2. The Paper Palace – Miranda Cowley Heller

I liked this one, particularly the way it was all put together.

3. Lucy By the Sea- Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is an extraordinary writer. This is the 4th in the Lucy Barton series, set during the first year of the pandemic. It’s a beautiful book, so simple yet so profound.

I have another novel by my bed, waiting for my next day of freedom.

What I’m watching: Kids pretending to work.

The year 8 camps are on this week – we have so many kids at this school that the year level camps are always split in two – and I’m supervising a Science class that is 3 classes smooshed into one. Their classmates are all away at camp and so I have 15 kids sitting in front of me.

Obviously, the teachers aren’t going to leave major assignments for only a few kids to do while the majority of the classes are away, so the kids are (with permission) wearing headphones and are “listening to music” while they “do their work.”

In reality, whatever work was left for them has been finished long ago and they’re playing games. Hey, as long as they’re quiet, I don’t mind.

What I’m listening to: Podcasts.

I seem to alternate between listening to an audiobook and letting my poddies build up, then once the book is finished, burning through the podcasts until there’s nothing left, then borrowing another audiobook.

There’s no way I can go for a drive without having my stories with me!

What I’m eating: Lentil and Halloumi salad.

Thermobexta has released another cookbook. This time it’s another salad book. We’ve tried a couple of recipes, but I have to say that the lentil and halloumi salad is worth the price of the book alone. Even Ryan27, who’s not a fan of salad dressing in general, really enjoyed this for dinner last night.

I have all but one of her books and they’re the only things that enabled me to keep my cool when Evan26 became a vegetarian a few years ago. Her recipes are excellent.

What I’m planning: The next salad I’ll make from this book.

The pumpkin, feta and black rice one sounds nice.

Who needs a good slap: Me.

I’ve been doing so much reading, I’ve let a lot of other things slide. I have 2 baby quilts I want to make before I go away and I’m going to run out of time if I don’t watch out. But once a story grabs me I just HAVE to find out what happens…

What has made me smile: My tax return.

For the first time ever, my accountant son Tom30 is doing my tax. I knew it’d be a great return, seeing as I didn’t work for 8 months out of the financial year.

Tom30 rang me yesterday to let me know how much I’d be getting back. I’m pretty happy with it! I’d have to work nearly 14 days to get the same amount of money in my take-home wage. 🙂

Sandra from Simple Savings told me that I’d get a nice little bonus for my Antarctica trip when I did my taxes. She wasn’t wrong.

Dad joke of the day:

I accidentally swallowed my cat’s medicine.

Don’t ask meow.

I didn’t do a Little Adventure last month – I was too tired and all I wanted to do was rediscover the glories of being at home. But I’ve got back on the horse that threw me and I’m on the quest to go somewhere each month to a place or experience I’ve never had before.

This month started with a text on Monday evening.

“Hi Frogdancer! Would you be available to go on an excursion to the city with the year 8s tomorrow? “

As it happened, I’d arranged to take Scout to the vet on Tuesday for her annual grease and oil change, but just as I was about to hit ‘send’ on the first refusal of an offer of work I’d ever have done… I paused. This was a very late text. They normally don’t hire CRTs for excursions. Someone has clearly had to bail at the last minute and they were desperate.

Dammit.

I sent ‘ok’ and turned up to the main campus bright and early the next morning, ready to go into the city with 2 year 8 classes and 4 other teachers. We were going to learn about how Melbourne’s land use has changed over the years since settlement.

The kids were enthralled to learn that one of the names originally slated for our city was “Batmania.”

We rode in on the train and started off at Federation Square. The kids were all sitting down, listening to their teachers as they were filling in answers in their booklets, when one of the kids noticed an old man taking photos of them.

“Is he allowed to do that, Miss?” she asked.

Turns out he was a retired teacher from Holland, here to visit his sister. He complimented us on how well-behaved our children were, saying that in Holland the kids are feral. “They don’t have very good parenting!”

Fed Square always seems like a wasted opportunity to me. It’s always empty and it looks really uninviting. How hard can it be to have a space that people actually want to be in?

The photos on this post are taken from the internet. I left my phone at home.

The next step on our journey was Birrarung Mar.

It’s been ages since I’ve walked on this side of the Yarra. I had it in my head that Birrarung Mar was closer to Docklands, but there it was, tucked away behind Fed Square.

We were here for quite a while. The kids were sketching what they could see on the banks of the Yarra and answering questions in their booklet about how land usage had changed over the last couple of hundred years (and further, of course.)

After we’d eaten morning tea, we moved on down the Yarra to a bridge I’d never noticed before. Here’s where it got interesting.

Sandridge bridge is way down the Yarra. One thing you know when you go on a Geography excursion, there’s going to be a lot of walking! The sculptures on this bridge are ok, but it was the perspex plates stretching all the way across the bridge that were really interesting.

Each rectangle documented the stats of the immigrants from a country – how many were in Australia as a whole, how many were in Victoria, how their professions have changed since 1820 onwards, and the languages that they brought here.

As soon as the kids hit the bridge, they all raced off to look at the countries that were in their backgrounds. Nothing could have illustrated how much of an immigrant nation we are as they all scattered! I walked along, looking at England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. There’s not a huge amount of diversity in my family tree!

Just around the corner from the bridge was Banana Alley. I’d heard about this place but I’d never been here before. It was good to put a face to the name. 🙂

We walked back across the bride and went to lunch at a food court in Southbank.

The plan was to go to the Arts precinct after lunch, but when we got there the lawn was packed with people attending a Welcome to Country ceremony. We decided tto go across the road so the kids could answer their questions from there.

It was nice. Every now and then we’d hear the click of the rhythm sticks and we could smell a waft of smoke, mingled with the ‘ding’ of the trams going by. The real teachers were talking about the things the kids needed to write down, as the rest of Melbourne hurried by.

The last stop before we jumped on the train to go home was the Alexandra Gardens.

Then it was all over, red rover as we walked the kids back to school. I was knackered! As I said at the start, there’s always a lot of walking on a Geography excursion.

I wouldn’t say that it was the most rivetting Little Adventure ever, but I got to see a few new places in my home town and it’s definitely the first Little Adventure that I got paid for!

Dad joke of the day:

How does a mathematician plough fields? 

With a pro-tractor.

What’s top of my mind: My veggie garden.

I’ve planted some seedlings – because of working so much last term I neglected starting any of my precious harvested seeds from scratch over winter – and now I’m in a battle with the local blackbirds and pigeons.

They want to scratch up the mulch to eat the worms I’ve so carefully nurtured. While they’re doing this, they sometimes scratch up the seedlings, or at the very least cover them with mulch. Every few hours, I’m going out there to chase them away and repair any damage.

Where I’ve been: On October’s Little Adventure.

I’ll be blogging about this next.

Where I’m going: To the in-laws for a birthday party.

On Sunday I’m going to Izzy’s parents’ place for her little sister’s 21st birthday party – the family edition. It’s nice that they’ve thought to invite me.

What I’m reading: 5 thumping good reads.

Well, I’ve actually READ all of these. I was so tired by the time the holidays came that all I wanted to do was nap and read. I’ve been on a lucky streak of picking some absolutely wonderful books.

1. The Mother by Jane Caro.

I read this in less than a day. Loved it. It made me question what I would do if one of my boys was in a similar pickle. I haven’t reached any conclusions…

2. Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson.

The same author who wrote the wonderful Life After Life that, although I read it in 2014, I’ve never forgotten. I see there are a lot more novels that I need to catch up on, which makes me happy. This one is set in 1020’s London and the construction of the storyline is beautifully done. Another one I gulped down.

3. Fairy Tale by Stephen King.

4. Two Nights in Lisbon – Chris Pavone

This was excellent. A fast-paced thriller that I found hard to put down.

5. Coronado – Dennis Lehane

Freddy Smidlap, a blogger from the US, recommended this to me in the comments a while ago. I’m so glad he did, otherwise I’d probably never have run into it. A collection of short stories.

What I’m watching: House of the Dragon.

Now that I’ve got a Binge subscription, Ryan27 and I are watching this as our mother/son bonding show. I’ve only seen 1 episode so far, but I like what I’m seeing.

What I’m listening to: next door’s dogs.

Thank Christ I’m not listening to them now, but yesterday they started barking and asking to be let in at 5:30 AM. Seriously? If I can hear them, then their owners could definitely hear them. I wasn’t happy.

What I’m eating: Flybuys fish fillets.

A few weeks ago I had to buy $50 worth of groceries at Coles for 4 weeks to get a free $50 voucher. (I used it on meat.) It was hard some weeks to get to the $50, so one purchase I made was the Coles brand of frozen crumbed fish fillets, thinking they’d be on a par with Aldi’s ones.

They’re horrible – tasteless and with a gummy texture to the crumb layer that’s really off-putting. In true Frogdancer Jones fashion, I’ll use them up, but I definitely won’t be buying them again.

What I’m planning: Nothing; though I should be.

It’s not long before I leave for my trip to Antarctica. In my head though, it still feels like it’s MONTHS away. I’ve been planning to go for so long that it seems like it’ll always be in the future.

Who needs a good slap: Inanimate objects.

They’re annoying me at the moment. Aways getting caught on stuff, tipping over or being mislaid. Very irritating and not at all my fault.

What has made me smile:

A kid just asked which “Orthodentist” another kid was going to.

When you think about it, it’s probably what they should be called.

Dad joke of the day:

Don’t throw sodium chloride at people.

It’s a salt.