Burning Desire For FIRE

Financially Independent, Retired Early(ish) at 57.

Page 20 of 61

Wednesday W’s #71.

June 21, 2023 / / 15 Comments



What’s top of my mind: Travel to North America.

Corey, one of the teachers at work, knows that I’m thinking about going to Canada next year. He told me that as of yesterday, airfares had dropped from 3K to 1.8K.

I have no idea when I want to go, but I’m thinking that maybe I should get organised and book a ticket???

Where I’ve been: Evan26 and Jenna’s place.

Yesterday Ryan28 had an appointment in the same street that Evan26 and Izzy live, so I thought I’d go with him and drop in for a coffee while I waited. I tried to contact them the day before, but they didn’t answer their phones.

When I got there at 9:30AM, no one answered the door. In the end, I sent a photo of their front door to them both and waited in the car for Ryan28 instead.

Turns out that they were at a wedding in Healesville and the guests’ phones had all been taken off them!

Where I’m going: David29 and Izzy’s place.

All of us are going over to the apartment for dinner to watch the wedding video and see the photos.

Mum wants me to order a photo to put in a frame for her, and I’d like to have one of those too.

It’ll be lovely to have us all together, particularly as it’s the last time we’ll see Evan26 before he flies off for Clown College in France.

What I’m reading: Tales from the Cafe; Before the coffee goes cold – Kawaguchi

I picked this up at the library from the ‘Quick Reads’ shelf, which is a selection of popular books that you only have 2 weeks to read – no extensions! It”s a collection of short stories, all set in a cafe in Tokyo where, if you are very lucky, you can travel through time from.

As the title suggests, you only have the duration of when your piping hot coffee is poured until it goes cold. I thought this was a stand-alone, but it turns out that it’s the middle of three. I’ve ordered the other two, happy that I’ll get to spend more time in this world.

What I’m watching: A class of year 9s working in silence on a poem.

They have to write a 16-line poem, using at least 5 poetic devices and relating it back to a poem they’ve studied in class. They then have to do an oral presentation on their poem, reading it aloud to the class and then talking about why they’ve chosen the words they have.

I used to teach this unit when I was a real teacher and some of the poems the kids came up with were extraordinary. Definitely a favourite Learning Task for the year 9 course.

What I’m listening to: ‘Fight Like a Girl ‘by Clementine Ford.

I’m late to the party with this one. This is the first book written by Ms Ford, a feminist content creator from Melbourne. It’s fair to say that she’s known for not taking prisoners and definitely for not putting up with patriarchal crap.

I’m about an hour into this audiobook so far. Am I enjoying it? I’m a little on the fence. She undoubtedly has extremely valid points to make. I’m just a bit worried that it’s going to be a bit repetitive. Anyway, time will tell!

What I’m eating: Takeaway pizza.

Apparently, this is on the menu for tonight.

What I’m planning: London activities.

Now that I’ve stopped working so much, I’ve started thinking about what I’m going to be doing on my trip away in a couple of months. I’ll be spending a couple of days on my own in London while Corinna’s at work, so I’m starting to mull over what I could be doing.

Who deserves a thumbs up: This class I’m in front of.

They are almost totally silent, working away. This class was one of the ones I taught Geography to last year, when they were naughty little year 8s.

Maybe maturity has started to settle in?

What has made me smile: I got my Wool& dress yesterday!

Ryan28 and I came home from a morning away and there it was, waiting by the front door! I was so excited, and a little bit nervous. This is the one outfit I’m planning to take with me to the UK and I was petrified that it wouldn’t fit properly.

Thankfully, it all looks good. I’m now deciding whether or not I’ll do the 100 Days Challenge or not. If I do it, I’ll have to start on July 1 in order to finish it on the day I get back from the UK.

I chose the Sierra dress in grey. I figured that it would be easier to dress in such a neutral colour when I was away. Anyway, nobody cares what I wear, anyway!

Dad joke of the day:

Little Adventures #16 June 2023 – The Guinness Book of Records attempt.

June 19, 2023 / / 5 Comments

(When I retired at the end of 2020, I decided that I’d go and do something or see something that I never had before, just to keep life fun. And so the “Little Adventures” were born.)

Here I am, squinting into the sun while poor Scout is thinking, “What the hell am I doing here?”

It was too good an opportunity to pass up for a Little Adventure. It was a Guinness Book of Records attempt to beat the record of the most dogs of a single breed going for a walk together. Apparently, the beagles held it at 1,026, but Dachshund-loving Melbourne was going to give it a fair shot.

When we arrived at the Elwood Beach foreshore, the place was seething with snags. Just after I left the car and we were walking towards the meeting point, I bumped into 3 women who are teachers at my school. Honestly, you can’t go anywhere without bumping into people from that school!

The rules stated that there was to be one walker per dog. Dogs in prams were fine, mixed breeds were not. It was free to join, but a donation to ‘Devoted to Dachshunds’, a charity that looks after abandoned and neglected dachsies, was asked for. I’ll bet they raked in a lot of money!

Once people were registered, there was a 1KM circuit to be walked.

Scout is an utterly confident little girl at home when she’s with her pack, but this was a bewildering place for a small dog who is utterly convinced that she’s a Cavalier like her brother and sister. What were all of these weird, elongated dogs doing?

I spent most of the walk carrying her. She walked for a little bit, but mostly, every time I tried to put her down, she’d dig her heels in and I’d end up dragging her. So she rode in style for most of the day.

She wasn’t the only one. There were a lot of people around for such a small breed.

There was an awful lot of standing around, waiting to be registered, but once the walk began Scout cheered up. There are intersecting paths and bridges, so the organisers had people with ‘stop’ signs to stem the flow of people and dogs whenever there was a bike rider or some walkers coming from a different direction.

After a while, I tried my luck and Scout consented to walk. You wouldn’t think a 6kg dog would be heavy, but after a while, she’s uncomfortable to hold. My arms were glad of the break.

She actually looks happy in this shot!

But all too soon, she plumped down on the path and refused to move. Ah well… we were nearly at the end anyway.

Look at Melbourne’s skyline in the distance. Such a perfect day for it.

My registration band was 950 and there were PLENTY of people waiting behind me, so I was pretty sure we must have succeeded.

Turns out that well over 1300 snags turned out for the walk, so we smashed it.

But, like Dorothy Gale says as she clicks her ruby slippers, “There’s no place like home.”

Poppy and Jeff forgave us for going on a walk without them, Tom31 came over for a visit and at the end of the day, the dogs snuggled up with Ryan28.

Scout snuggled under a quilt after dinner and let the worries of the day slide away.

On the news, the organiser said that she’d like to give it another go next year. If she does, we won’t be going. Once is definitely enough, especially for Miss Jean Louise Finch. She was a brave girl, but she doesn’t need to do it again.

Dad joke of the day:

I finally did it! I knocked back work.

June 16, 2023 / / 8 Comments

People who’ve been reading my blogs for a while have probably picked up on the fact that, up until now, I’ve found it impossible to say no to a day’s work. Even though at the end of 2020 I retired, since February 2022 when the school reallly needed help, I’ve been turning up to do CRT days, (Casual Relief Teaching), or some longer contracts.

I haven’t wasted a dollar. It has all gone towards travel for me, helping with a house deposit for Tom31, helping with David29 and Izzy’s wedding, and helping with Clown College in France for Evan26.

It’s nice that I can point to all of these big projects, but…

… to be honest, 2022 and (so far) 2023, haven’t been nearly as much fun as the year i had all be myself – 2021.

Ahhh, 2021! Even in the midst of many lockdowns, 2021 was fantastic. Turns out that having total freedom at my fingertips is really wonderful.

The last couple of years while I’ve been working I’ve been driven partially by a feeling of loyalty towards my school, a loyalty forged by nearly two decades of working there. It’s engrained that if the school needs you, you do your best to help. Also, it can’t be denied that when the school’s need for teachers coincides with my children’s need for help with various big goals, it’s extremely hard to walk away from such an easy and lucrative way to help them.

I know exactly why it’s so hard for me to knock back work. After all, anyone who’s read my ‘About” page would also put two and two together without much difficulty. So many years of being poor, struggling to make ends meet, and grabbing every chance of earning money to support the boys and I have definitely left their mark.

So every time the phone rings and the offer of work is there, the pressure to accept it is huge. Especially in this time of a teacher shortage. It’s not as if by accepting work I’ll be taking the food from another family… the schools are literally finding it difficult to get enough bodies in front of classes.

I’ve discovered that if I’m asked directly, I find it impossible to say no if I don’t have something definite planned for the day. If I do have something planned, then no problem. After all, it’s rude to change plans if something else comes along!

But if the calendar is clear and it’s ‘just’ a day totally for myself, then the school gets me and my time.

But last week I tried something different.

When I was working in the new school about a month ago, I heard CRTs being offered work for the coming week by the Daily Organiser and – gasp! – they were turning her down if it didn’t suit them. (You know, just like a CRT has every right to do.)

“No thanks Donna,” they’d say. “I’m already working 3 days next week. That’s enough.”

Wow. So THAT’S how it’s done, hey? Mind blown. Donna wasn’t upset or annoyed. She’d nod and then ask the next person.

At that stage, I was still earning the money for Clown College so I was grabbing every day of work I could get, but I filed these conversations away for when I hit that goal.

A week ago I walked away from work knowing that I’d earned enough to send my boy to France. As I drove home I did some thinking.

I worked full-time in term 1 this year after the school contacted me in a mad panic because they hadn’t covered a teacher going on long service leave. I said yes, partly to help my old school and partly because I could allocate that money towards my birthday trip in September to the UK.

It was a hard slog, but I kept thinking that I’d take the whole of term 2 off to compensate. I had decided that working a day or two a week mightn’t be such a bad thing. Maybe I could get a house cleaner? Maybe I could just throw money towards expensive holidays?

Then Evan26 needed help for Clown College in France, so I swung into gear and accepted every day of work that was offered to me, thinking that I’d rather earn it as quickly as I could. I’ve lent him $6,500, which yes, I could have just drawn from my investments. However, while I’m (relatively) young and the work is there, I’d rather just get off the couch and earn it for things like this, rather than take from Future Frogdancer Jones. Who knows? She might need it down the line.

So, two weeks before the end of term 2, I hit the Clown College goal. I had already committed to working the Wednesdays in term 2, so I had 2 more days of work that I was contracted to do. But apart from that… my days were free.

Complicating this state of affairs is that I was asked if I’d work in term 3 to cover another teacher going on long service leave. I flinched as the prospect of another stint of full-time work flashed before my eyes.

It must have been obvious because the woman talking to me _ yes, I was being approached directly, which as you already know is my Achilles heel – hurriedly said, “Her position is only part-time. Three days a week.”

ARGH! How dare they offer me – IN PERSON – something so reasonable! I immediately thought that I could put that money towards North America in 2024, which is definitely not going to be a cheap holiday. I looked at the teacher’s allotment, saw that it was playing pretty much to my strengths, and said I’d do it up to a full week before I left on my trip.

I may as well totally write off 2023 to work.

BUT

I decided to carve out some time for myself for the rest of term 2 this year. Eight days just for me, not counting weekends. But it was already clear that i can’t be trusted with resolutions like this. I needed to try something different.

I rang the new school and told her that I wouldn’t be accepting work for the rest of the year. I KNOCKED BACK WORK! I don’t want to work any more than the 3 days per week next term, so I decided I might as well totaly take this new school off the table, at east for 2023.

Turns out, I can wak away from work if I pre-empt any direct offers. Nice to know!

I felt so empowered. I rang my original school and said pretty much the same thing, except for the Wednesdays that I’d already commited to. Ryan28 has some medical bills, so I may as well work towards those. Though with this school, my original school, I was nice enough stupid enough to offer the following subordinate clause… “unless you’re desperate.”

Just before 7:20 this morning my phone rang, waking me from a dead sleep. I nearly knocked it off the bedside table as I grabbed it. I looked at the name, then croaked, “Are you desperate?”

So that’s why I’m here in a Science class on a Friday, instead of on the dog beach or up a ladder painting and listening to an audiobook.

Still, on the bright side, I’m learning to say no to paid employment, which is a huge step forward for me. I can’t tell you how proud I was of myself after I finished the calls to the schools, taking me out of consideration for work.

I’ll know that the shine has well and truly gone from CRT work when I start refusing face-to-face offers of work. Obviously, I’m still not quite there yet. History is hard to shake.

Dad joke of the day:

I entered an astronomy competition.

I ddn’t win, but I won the constellation prize.

Wednesday W’s #70.

June 14, 2023 / / 5 Comments


What’s top of my mind: How I’m smashing the ‘Earn my rates’ challenge.

Have a quick look at the sidebar. I haven’t even got my rates notice yet – it’ll arrive in August – but I’m already more than halfway towards paying it. Using the public library for hundreds of hours of free entertainment is a retirement superpower.

Where I’ve been: To Mitre 10.

You’d think by now that I’d know how many bags of sugar cane mulch I need to buy to get the front yard/orchard ready for winter, but clearly, I don’t.

A punnet of cos lettuce happened to jump into the trolley.

Where I’m going: To the UK in September.

Gee, have I mentioned that yet???

Haha!

What I’m reading: Wrong Place, Wrong Time – McAllister.

This is an interesting premise, and as I like things playing around with time, I picked it up. It was a slow burn at first, but then it grabbed me – especially when I was caught by surprise by something in the plot that I didn’t foresee. I’m going to track down more of hers.

The Money Club – Fiona Lowe.

I could barely put this book down! Instead of watching zombies after dinner, I sat and raced through this book until I needed to go to bed… and then I read it some more. This author has written some cracking good reads.

What I’m watching: My gardens slowly getting squared away for winter.

One of the big downsides to working so much is that things get neglected here at home. Since I’ve stepped back from doing so much CRT, I’ve been able to pick up the sack here. After starting to paint the lounge room, I decided that I needed to get my gardens squared away first.

I’m not growing anything much over the winter, just some celery, lettuce, garlic and spinach/silver beet. Everything else has now been pulled out, chopped into little pieces and dropped onto the garden beds to slowly rot down and return the nutrients to the soil.

I add some animal or chook manure, some mushroom compost, some autumn leaves and any coffee grounds and teabags that I have lying around, then cover it all with a thick layer of pea straw. Some years I get lucky and peas sprout from the pe straw, so I get free peas. (Free is my favourite flavour.)

When I received the money from the sale of the old house, I spent an absolute fortune on landscaping. I knew that numerically, I’d never grow enough food to cover the cost. But it’s certainly ‘free’ entertainment. I was out there all day, listening to Mum’s Boppin’ Bangers on Spotify and contentedly getting my garden ready for Spring.

It’s very satisfying to include ingredients for dinner that have come from your own backyard.

What I’m listening to: The sounds of school.

Yes, it’s Wednesday s I’m back at school. This week I’m at the main campus, which is lovely because I get to see some of my old students and the general atmosphere is a lot calmer. Main has a lot more space for people to move around.

I’ll be working next Wednesday as well, which I’ll probably put towards paint and curtains for my revamped lounge room.

What I’m eating: Shrimp pasta.

I’m using up a bag of frozen shrimp that’s been in the freezer for ages. As an experiment, I made our usual vegetarian pasta sauce (with our home-grown garlic, silver beet, zucchini and basil) and popped a couple of big handfuls of the shrimp into the steamer basket in the thermomix.

It was delicious!

What I’m planning: Painting.

How and when I’ll be getting this job done. I’m not exactly feeling the love for doing it, but I’ve finished the gardening so I have no real excuse.

Who needs a high five: Ryan28.

He’s been helping me out in the garden by tackling a really big job that I wouldn’t have been able to do. It’s been nice, both of us working away, sometimes talking, more often not, just companionably working away. Every now and then Scout will leave a ball suggestively close to one of us. The Cavaliers are usually asleep on the couch under the verandah, though sometimes they’ll come to check out what we’re up to.

What has made me smile: A conversation I just had with a kid.

I was happily typing away and a kid said, “Fuck this stupid program!” to his friend.

His friend said, “Miss, did you hear that?”

“Yes,” I said. “But I don’t know what that word means…”

The kid looked at me, smiled and said, “I think one of us is lying, Miss.”

Dad joke of the day:

Wednesday W’s #69.

June 7, 2023 / / 10 Comments


What’s top of my mind: How lovely it is to have days to myself.

After weeks of whiney posts about having to go to work again, you’ll be relieved to hear that I only worked one day last week and (so far) only one day this week.

It’s been so good to get stuck into things that need doing here at home. The garden has been kicked along, while on Monday I got up and suddenly decided to use the sample paint pot I had to start cutting in around the doors and windows. No sense in wasting good paint!

It took from period 4 to the end of period 5 (including lunchtime) to use up the paint. Ok, I wasn’t earning money but I’ve got to tell you – I felt far more productive during those 3 hours than I’ve felt sitting in a classroom!

Where I’ve been: out in the garden.

After painting on Monday and then a heap of ‘chop-and-dropping’ in the late morning yesterday, my legs were feeling it. But a glance at the weather forecast told me that we’re in for a tonne of rain today. I knew that if I didn’t bed the orchard down with sugar cane mulch, I’d be looking out of a classroom window at the rain teeming down and I’d be kicking myself for not getting it done.

So I dragged myself out and put two bags of mulch out there. I underestimated what I’d need, but most of the ground is thickly covered and the rain will bed it all down beautifully. Pretty happy with that.

I got Ryan28 to make dinner though. I was pretty tired by the end.

Where I’m going: to work.

I’ve been booked for every Wednesday this term, so I’m back at the new campus today. The VERY good news is that today is the day that I’ve officially earned the money for Evan26’s Clown College in France.

I do love ticking off a goal.

What I’m reading: The Book Eaters – Dean

I finished this a couple of days ago and how I loved it!

What I’m watching: Ted Lasso season 3.

Ryan28 and I are watching it. It’s our latest mother/son bonding program, first started when we watched ‘Breaking Bad’ together.

What I’m listening to: My son’s podcast.

While I was eating breakfast I skimmed an article about the 50 best life hacks. One of them was to listen to audiobooks and podcasts at 1.2X speed, to get through more content faster.

I can’t do that! I love hearing Evan26’s voice as I drive. If it was sped up it wouldn’t sound like him.

What I’m eating: I have no idea.

Ryan28 is cooking dinner tonight, because I’ll be home late. Who knows what he’ll decide to make?

What I’m planning: What I’m packing for my trip in September.

Yesterday I ordered a merino dress from a company called Wool& from America. (I looked at the Aussie brands, but they were very exxy.) I’ve decided that I’m going to take only one outfit for my trip, which will be this dress, and I’ll have the merino long-sleeved tops that I bought for Antarctica to layer underneath for warmth.

Autumn in the UK is bound to feel like winter in Melbourne on some days. Given this, I’ll be taking the fleecy jacket that I also wore in Antarctica as my coat. I won’t be terribly fashionable, but the beauty of being Frogdancer Jones at this stage of life is that I don’t care.

I’m definitely taking 2 pairs of shoes – my beautiful boots and a pair of white runners. I learned the hard way about the importance of NOT having sore feet when I was last in London in 2015. Scott and I had to go shopping for runners on the third day when I was nearly crippled by the sandals I was wearing.

** The Wool& company has a 100 day challenge, where if you wear the same dress for 100 days, you get a $100 credit towards a new dress. I worked out that if I start the challenge on July 1, I’d be finished by the time I get back home after my trip. I’m thinking about doing it.

Who deserves a high five: Me.

I’m really pleased that I’ve earned the money for Evan26’s trip.

When I left work I definitely didn’t expect to come back. But after a year’s total break, this CRT gig has helped out nearly all my boys with big life goals, as well as paying for my upcoming holiday.

That’s not bad.

What has made me smile: OMG! There’s a ‘Walking Dead’ sequel coming to Stan in a couple of weeks!!!!

We all have our guilty pleasures and (one of) mine is The Walking Dead.

I love watching a zombie apocalypse.

Currently, I’m watching ‘Z Nation’ on Netflix and it scratches the itch a bit, but it’s just not the same as the original.

Dad joke of the day:

Wednesday W’s #68.

May 31, 2023 / / 8 Comments


What’s top of my mind: I’m having the CRT day from hell.

I suppose it had to happen sooner or later.

The day at school is divided into 6 periods. Today I’ve been put onto 3 periods of sport (YUCK), 2 periods of Maths (also YUCK), and 1 period of sex-ed with one of the worst classes on campus.

To add insult to injury, I was also given yard duty at the canteen for the first half of lunch, when the kids are hungry and feral.

I’m starting to wonder what on earth I did to upset the Daily Organiser…

Where I’ve been: rethinking my life choices.

Do I really want to earn Evan26’s Clown College fees??? Today has been absolutely no fun.

Where I’m going: England and Ireland in September.

I’m keeping this trip in front of mind today. I need something to look forward to!

Last night Corinna messaged me about a stage show we’re hopefully going to while I’m in London with her. It seems so far away, but before I know it, I’ll be stepping onto that plane.

What I’m reading: Elektra by Jennifer Saint.

I finished this novel on Saturday night. I couldn’t put it down. I snuggled up on the couch with the dogs, a shiraz in hand and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the house as I galloped through the story.

I only had the haziest idea of Elektra’s story before reading this. I really enjoyed the way Sant entwined the perspectives of Cassandra and Clytemnestra as well as Elektra in her retelling of the ancient myth. Ever since reading The Firebrand when I was in my teen, I’ve had a soft spot for Cassandra. SUCH a good book!

I’ve also been reading Tricia Stringer’s books. They’re easy to read, family saga-type books that I can listen to when I commute, or pull up on my iPad if the class I’m in front of is quiet and doing their work and I don’t have to watch them like a hawk. She must be popular – my local library has a heap of them available!

What I’m watching: my life dwindle away.

I have just one more period to go. The Maths kids are doing a test, so the room will be quiet and miserable, just the way I like it.

What I’m listening to: Kids doing revision for their test.

It’s some kind of algebra and they seem to enjoy competing with each other to get the right answer the quickest.

It would be my idea of hell, but this group seems to enjoy it.

What I’m eating: What’s left in the meat drawer of the freezer.

Later this week I’ll be stocking up on meat again, but for now, we’re eating what’s lurking in the meat drawer. We have some prawns, some salmon and some chook carcasses that I make into stock for the chicken and veggie soup Ryan28 and I like to have for lunch on the weekends.

Last night I made a simple pasta sauce and threw some prawns in. Delicious!

Every now and then, it’s a good idea to eat down what I’ve stored in the freezer. It’s too easy to just keep stocking it up, but then it ultimately leads to things getting freezer burn and being wasted. It’s strange to see so much empty space in that drawer, but soon it’ll be full again and the ‘Ma Ingalls’ part of my brain will be happy again.

What I’m planning: my wardrobe for my trip.

I’m only taking carry-on for my 5-week trip in September, so I’m beginning to think about what I’ll be taking with me. It’ll be autumn in the UK, so things will be getting a bit wet and chilly. I’m starting to look at merino clothing, like I did for Antarctica. There’s a lot to be said for merino as part of a travel wardrobe.

Who deserves a thumbs-up: a young PE teacher.

He used to be a student at the school and he knows full well that I’m not cut out to take a double period of soccer on the oval. He conflated our two classes and ran the double, while I mopped up things around the edges. If he hadn’t stepped in, that double period would have been an absolute shit show.

I said that I owed him one, but he said he was just paying me back for teaching him some great drama games that he uses when he needs to keep kids occupied. Those lessons would have been nine or ten years ago!

Sometimes, I guess that teachers DO get their reward here on earth.

What has made me smile: lunch at Evan26 and Jenna’s place yesterday.

It’s handy having weekdays off. Ryan28 and I went across town to organise a medical thing for him, and after that, we dropped into the kids’ place for lunch.

We don’t get to see a lot of them, as they live on the other side of town, so it was lovely to loll around on their couch, stuff ourselves with dips and crackers and just talk.

On Sunday we went to spend some time with David29 and Izzy. Married life seems to agree with them.

It’s a fine thing to see your adult children so content with their partners. 🙂

Dad joke of the day:

Wednesday W’s #67.

May 24, 2023 / / 0 Comments


What’s top of my mind: The little things.

When we moved to The Best House in Melbourne, I brought a mandarin tree with me. It had lived in a pot its entire life and had given me one or two mandarins. Once it was here, I pretty much ignored it. It was attacked by an insect and it lost all its leaves and nearly died.

When I got the boys to make the orchard in the front yard for me, I felt that I owed it a second chance. Last year, it gave me one plump mandarin. This year, I could see two on the tree. But in the last few days, as they’ve begun to turn orange, I’ve discovered a THIRD one!

What an increase in production! That tree has outdone itself.

Where I’ve been: To work and back.

I’ve picked up quite a bit of work over the last few weeks. I’ve decided that I want to earn the cash for Clown College sooner rather than later, and then it’ll be another job ticked off the list. Evan26 leaves in a month and I’d like to have it all done and dusted before he takes off.

Where I’m going: to work and back.

At least, I assume so! Term 2 is prime time for CRTs. Teachers start getting sick as the weather cools down.

Though it was hard to get out of bed this morning as the alarm went at 6:30. Had to hit the snooze button.

What I’m reading: SO MANY BOOKS!

Goodreads runs a challenge each year. I decided to put in 110 books for 2023, which is the same number I had for last year’s challenge. I’m at 51 books as of yesterday.

What I’m watching: The Traitors.

I saw that Luke from Australian Survivor is in season 2 of this show, so I’m going to watch season 1 to catch up on the concept.

Yeah boi!

What I’m listening to: Back to podcasts.

The good thing about listening to an audiobook while letting your poddies build up is that when your audiobook finally finishes, you have HEAPS of episodes to work your way through. It’s the best of both worlds.

What I’m eating: nothing exciting.

Just normal things. I got Ryan28 to cook dinner last night. A simple meal of mash, veggies and oatcakes – or as we call them, oakcakes. It was beautiful, and all the better for being made by someone else.

What I’m planning: When I’m going to paint my lounge room.

Well; am I ‘planning’ it or just knowing that now that I’ve put the sample pot of colour on the wall I’m going to have to get the job done at some stage?

Maybe I should just do some CRT days and pay someone else to do it? It’ll probably get done much quicker. But I know I’ll do a better job.

Who needs a high five: Whoever invented Dad jokes.

Ahhh, Dad jokes. The way to ingratiate yourself to classes before you’ve said a word…

I’m sitting in front of a year 10 class, many of whom I taught when they were in year 7. Every few minutes I’ve written another joke on the board.

I don’t know if it’s a reward for good behaviour or a punishment!!!

What has made me smile: the year 11s.

For only the third time in 2 years, I was given a day of work at the original campus of my old school. At lunchtime I had yard duty around the portables and a group of boys were playing footie. Turns out they were the year 7 boys from my second-last year of teaching full-time. They’re in year 11 now.

They were SO HAPPY to see me! They brought up all sorts of funny things that happened in class back then, (most of which I’ve forgotten) and it was just a joy to talk to them again.

Dad joke of the day:

Wednesday W’s #66.

May 17, 2023 / / 9 Comments


What’s top of my mind: Working to pay for other people’s stuff isn’t as much fun.

Haha! I’m writing this as I work at my old school for the day.

Last term I worked full-time, but it was to pay for my holiday in September/October to England and Ireland. The weeks flew by and I ended up with more than enough money in the pot. Looks like my holiday next year to tick off my last continent has already got money towards it.

That makes me happy.

Now, this term I’m working to help pay for a holiday, but it’s for Evan26 to go to France. I’ve written about Clown College before. Even though this term I have days off here and there, it’s still a harder slog. Maybe this means I’m a selfish mother?

I’ve switched it up by adding another school, slightly closer to me, that I’ve been working at as well as my regular school. It serves the purpose of varying the days, but yeah…

… (it’s a lovely day today. We’d be at the beach, like these photos from Monday show.)

Don’t get me wrong. I’m enormously lucky to have access to work that is so well-paid and so easy. I like the idea of cash-flowing these expensive holidays and the expensive things my children need help with.

It’s just interesting to see how much easier turning up to work was when I was earning something fun just for myself.

Where I’ve been: Booking appointments and driving to them.

The next thing I’ll be working to earn money for is medical appointments for Ryan28. Two of his brothers have been diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD and we’re pretty sure he has it too.

He also has to talk to someone about his anxiety etc. Fun times.

These mental health professionals don’t come cheap. CRT for the cashflow win!

Where I’m going: A throat specialist.

Those who’ve met me in Real Life will know that I have a chronic cough that I’ve had for at least 8 or 9 years. Just before I went to North Korea in 2018, I went to a throat specialist who told me that I have an excited nerve in my throat that has set up a pleasure circuit between it and my brain. Any tiny thing- a speck of dust, saliva, etc that everyone else can ignore, turns into a coughing fit for me.

The specialist sent me to a speech pathologist (or something), but the exercises he gave me were impractical and so nothing has changed. I’ve finally decided to go back and see if something can be done. Coughing hundreds of times each day isn’t conducive to wild happiness.

I’ve been using chewing gum, lozenges, peppermint oil and lots of sips of water to keep the coughing to a minimum. I’ve noticed that alcohol is very effective in stopping it. Unfortunately, drinking wine during the day is frowned upon, particularly when teaching. I discovered when I was on the cruise to Antarctica last year that antihistamine pills are also great at lessening the severity of the coughing fits.

Still, it’s time to see if there’s a puffer or pills that can make my life a little less cough-y. It’s clearly not going to resolve itself if I leave it alone.

My appointment? July the 4th. Hopefully that’s a good omen.

What I’m reading: The City We Became – Jemisin

This is the second series of N.K Jemisin’s that I’ve read. The first one – The Fifth Season series – was one of the most original things I have ever read.

This one is equally gripping. It’s the first in a trilogy, of which only the first two have so far been published. It’s set in New York City, and the city itself is an integral part of the plot. There’s a map provided, but it ALMOST makes me want to visit New York to become familiar with all 5 boroughs. (All of those guns, though…)

What I’m watching: Masterchef.

I used to watch Masterchef when I was a thermomix consultant, as sometimes a contestant would use one and it was good to be able to talk about it with my team and customers. What I find really interesting is how all of these people’s passion and intensity are poured out into things like whether their Portuguese tarts are blackened enough on the top, or whether their ice cream’s flavours are balanced or way out of whack.

It’s the keen attention to detail that I find intriguing.

What I’m listening to: The Model Wife – Stringer

I’m in the audiobook part of my commute listening cycle… first podcasts, then when they run out I borrow an audiobook, then when that finishes I swing back to the accumulated podcasts again.

This one is a family saga-type thing. I enjoyed another one of her audiobooks so I thought I’d give this one a go. It’s ok.

What I’m eating: Leftovers for lunch.

I hosted Mothers Day on Sunday and I’ve brought the last remaining bits of salad for lunch today. Waste not, want not!

What I’m planning: Nothing much.

I still have to compile a list of everything Scott and I did in London when we were there back in 2015 and send it to Corinna from Antarctica. She wants to know what I’ve already seen so she can suggest some new things for me to do.

Apart from that, I’m just living my best life, enjoying my days off and enjoying my work days – (though not quite so much!) I have my veggie garden to put to sleep for winter, as well as the painting inside the house that I’m committed to doing. Putting paint swatches on the walls is a good way to make sure that the painting will get done, especially when they’re in the public areas.

Who needs a good slap: My father.

My father enjoys an argument. I really don’t; though as my friend Blogless Sandy says, “You’re like me. I won’t start an argument, but if you drag me into one, I’ll start swinging!”

This year, Mothers Day was marred by an argument between my father and me. Blatant misogynism? When it’s said under my roof? I don’t think so.

I guess you can say that he fooled around and found out.

I think this will be the last “Who needs a good slap” section. I usually find it really hard to write something here. I think I’ll change it to “Who deserves a thumbs up?” That’ll be far easier to fill. My world is a happy place.

What has made me smile: My old year 8 English class.

I was rapt to see that in period 6 I have one of the English classes that I taught last term. I’ve already bumped into a few of them today and they’re so excited! Their teacher has purposely given them work that they can knock over really quickly, because he knows we’ll want to play some drama games.

Looking forward to the last period of the day!

Dad joke of the day:

Wednesday W’s #65.

May 10, 2023 / / 5 Comments


What’s top of my mind: How much I dislike wishing my life away.

That’s the thing about going to work – my days are divided into 50 minute increments because each day is 6 periods long. As a CRT, I watch the clock, counting down how many minutes I have to go before the next chunk of day comes along, until the wonderful moment when the end of day bell goes at 3:10.

It seems like such a waste of my life, to be wishing away the minutes. The kids at this new school are fine – it’s not like I’m dreading spending the time with them. It’s just that I’m not doing what I want to do with these 50 minute increments..

Still, getting paid for it means that, sometime in the future, I’ll be travelling and using the money to see and do exactly what I want. Or, rather, Evan26 will be using this earned money to do the course he’s signed up for at Clown College in France.

So there’s a definite trade-off that still benefits me and my goals. But it still seems like a waste of life to be looking and the clock and counting down the minutes until each period ends.

Twenty-six minutes to go…

Where I’ve been: On Marketplace.

I’ve put the blinds up on Marketplace. Haven’t had any nibbles yet.

Where I’m going: to the library.

Turns out that I have 5 books waiting for me on hold. Better get to that!

What I’m reading: Old Babes in the woods – Atwood.

This is a collection of short stories, with many of them being from the perspective of a woman in her 80’s who has been married for many years. I found this collection poignant, especially the last section. They reminded me of my parents.

As an author, I find Atwood a bit hit or miss. Love her poetry, LOVE ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, but some of her other novels were a waste of time.

What I’m watching: The Coronation.

Yes, I watched the coronation. I’m an English history buff, so of course I’m going to watch it. I enjoyed the mix of modern elements along with the traditions going back over a thousand years.

Camilla’s face when she was finally wearing the crown made me laugh, though!

What I’m listening to: A podcast about Roxelana.

I know I’ve mentioned The Other Half podcast before. This season, he’s discussing mistresses, courtesans and concubines. I’m in the middle of the second episode about Roxelana, who was a concubine in the harem of the sultan in Istanbul… and she ended up marrying him. She must have been a force of nature.

What I’m eating: Chicken Biryani.

This is from the Skinnymixers Indian book that I’ve owned for years. Never made it before. It was nice; a bit like Indian fried rice, but steamed.

What I’m planning: Mothers Day.

Originally this was going to be for lunch, but now I’m thinking that a late afternoon get together with an early dinner will be the way to go. I want to see all my kids, if possible.

Who needs a good slap: The inventor of Spider Solitaire.

I’m playing a lot of spider solitaire at the moment. It’s a game that you aren’t guaranteed to win. That’s annoying… so when the sound of applause happens and the cards ripple out across the screen, it feels good. I beat it!!

Pity it took 400 games to get here.

What has made me smile: What just happened at the beginning of the period.

The hip student teacher was trying to settle the year 7s as they were coming into the room. Whatever he said, they were ignoring.

Until I stood up, laptop in hand, ready to call the roll. I told them to be quiet – they were. These kids don’t even know me!

Dad joke of the day:

“Drool” is my favourite word.

It just rolls off the tongue.

Little Adventures #15 – May 2023: Phillip Island.

May 6, 2023 / / 8 Comments

It’s funny with work friends. You can know them for two decades, see them every workday, and know heaps of details about their lives, yet once you retire, you see very few of them again. Or maybe that’s just me?

I travelled to China and North Korea with Blogless Helen and her husband Rick back in 2018. She retired at the end of last year and has been playing around with CRT work, recognising that it’s the best of both worlds. Last weekend Blogless Megan and I were invited to go and stay with them at their holiday house at Phillip Island.

Helen and Rick bought this place just before the pandemic. It’s right on the beach, where you just have to cross a bit of foreshore where wallabies and rabbits live before you hit the sand. They’ve done a lot of work on it already, with a new kitchen, new double-glazed windows and lots of painting and it still has the welcoming vibe of a family holiday house.

We drove up after work in the rain and arrived after dark. We found the key and let ourselves in, knowing that Helen and Rick were at the supermarket in Cowes and would be there soon after us. After we’d unpacked, I cracked open the bottla wine I’d brought. It was a gift from a year 12 kid a few years ago – I thought by now it would’ve aged beautifully. (I wasn’t wrong.)

It was a low-key evening. Bangers and mash, washed down with lots of wine and good conversation. I’ve hardly seen Rick since the North Korea trip, so it was really good to catch up.

I may have left my dogs at home, but I still had my dog fix. Helen and Rick brought their dogs. One great thing about small dogs – they’re very portable.

When we woke up, it was POURING! There was no way any of us were stepping outside the house. We settled into a morning of sitting around and chatting, fortified by the excellent omelettes that Rick cooked for breakfast.

By the time the afternoon rolled around the weather had cleared into a sparkling day, though as you can see in the top photo, the sky remained moody.

“Who wants to go to the beach?” Helen asked. Rick decided that he’d rather go surfing, so he headed off while the rest of us grabbed the dogs and went out for a stroll.

Their house is in the perfect position – literally 2 minutes walk from the sand. A short walk through the foreshore, where wallabies and rabbits live, then there it is.

The sand was a different colour to my Backyard Beach – more golden. this beach is a little curve, bordered on one side by a dog beach and on the other by the ugliest lighthouse I’ve ever seen. Utilitarian, isn’t it?

We walked along with the dogs, enjoying the breeze and the fresh salty air, especially after being cooped inside all morning. The contrast was beautiful.

We’re so lucky with our beaches here in Australia. I’ll never forget the awful shock I had at seeing the pebbled beach at Nice. How could this possibly be a holiday destination when you can’t even walk into the water comfortably? (It was uncomfortable on the feet – I tried.)

But here, not 2 minutes away from the house was a small beach so empty that it might as well have been private.

Once we were back, Helen started cooking up a storm. It was clear that dinner was going to be a THING! I knew we were in for a treat when she brought out the Ottolenghi book.

Then after dinner, the hideous truth became clear.

Helen is into playing card games in a major way. I, alas, am not.

The other three settled into a ferociously fought game of 500 that lasted for hours. I contentedly read a book. After I found out who the murderer was, I sat and watched them play until the wee hours. We had different types of gin to sample as the hours wore on, and coincidentally, we all slept very well that night.

The next morning I woke before anyone else. Fortunately, I was downstairs on my own away from the other bedrooms, so I read for a while, then decided to have a shower and sneak out of the house down to the beach.

When I hit the foreshore, I saw a couple of wallabies. I took a photo, but they were too far away to look like anything other than splodges. A woman came up behind me, walking her dog. I mentioned the wallabies and she smiled and said, “Oh yes. there’s hundreds of them here.”

As she walked towards the tunnel in the growth that led to the beach, a magpie swooped down and landed at her feet. She pulled out a ball of mince and threw it down for him. This must be a regular thing.

(And yes – I know people aren’t meant to give mince to magpies because if that’s all they eat, it causes deformities in their babies. I wasn’t the one feeding it to him. But it was still nice to see their friendship; it’s obviously a regular morning ritual.)

After I looked my fill at the wallabies, I followed her.

Across the water is the Peninsula, where my sister Kate and Blogless Sandy live, though they’re on the other side. I gave them a wave, anyway.

I was there on the beach for nearly an hour, with the place all to myself. I turned left, with the sun behind me, and walked as far as I could one way, then turned and walked all the way to the dog beach. You can see a man and his dog in the photo.

The birds were calling and I could hear the rhythmic sound of the sea. It was very peaceful. I saw some different seabirds from the ones we have in Melbourne.

After a while I found a spot and simply sat and watched the waves. it’s a novelty for me to be alone on a beach. Usually I have the dogs with me and I’m scanning the place, trying to avoid the bigger dogs that freak Scout out.

After watching the waves come in and out and enjoying the sun, I decided that surely they’d be up by now… it was nearly 9 AM! So back I walked.

Turns out that no one had surfaced. Luckily, it’s possible to reach the deck from outside the house, so I grabbed my water and a book and crept up to the deck to read my book in the sun. Normally I avoid the sun like the plague, but I chose a chair at the table where my back would be nicely warmed.

Megan came out to meet me about half an hour later, bringing her crochet, so we sat and talked while we waited for our gracious hosts. By the time 10:30 came around, I said to Megan, “I’m really hanging out for a coffee. If they don’t get up soon, I might get some pots and pans and bang them outside their door!”

Fortunately, these drastic measures weren’t necessary. As soon as Rick’s feet hit the floor, he was grinding coffee beans and putting together another sumptuous breakfast. The deck on their house is perfect for just lounging around and chilling.

We spent the rest of the day on the deck. Helen and Megan played another card game, Rick was on his phone and I took a short nap and then stared at the bay. The water was reflecting millions of little glints from the sun. It was stunning.

At some stage, Helen brought out some dips and crackers and we washed them down with some wine. It was late afternoon when I stretched and said, “Well, we’d better make a move. I’ve got heaps of paperwork to fill in for the new school tomorrow.”

As we backed out of the driveway, narrowly avoiding an old tree trunk at the edge of their driveway, (could’ve been embarrassing!), Helen and Rick stood, waving goodbye.

Up until now, I’ve never really understood the appeal of a holiday house. I remember Mum and Dad keeping my grandparents’ house in Inverloch after they died. It was double the garden work, double the housework, and they were locked into going up there to maintain the place every couple of weeks.

Not for me. I’d rather go and see different places when I have time off.

But staying the weekend up here was lovely. Helen and Rick are slowly doing the place up, making it a chilled place where lots of people can come and stay. I can see them spending many leisurely days there with friends and family, building lots of lovely memories as their family grows larger and school holidays at the beach will become a thing.

Yes, I guess I can see the attraction. 🙂

Dad joke of the day:

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