We went for a beach walk this morning. The radar said that my suburb wasn’t going to get rain but when we were out there I saw rain falling over Frankston and decided to turn back.
Five minutes after we got home, the rain arrived. Fortunte Frogdancer strikes again! I’ll include shots from today’s walk in this post.
Where I’ve been: May’s Little Adventure.
Post to come.
Where I’m going:Aldi to get bocconcini.
The boys are all coming over for a pizza lunch on Mothers Day and David28 asked for bocconcini on his pizza. On the next ‘spend day’, which will probably be tomorrow, I’ll hunt down those cheese balls.
Nothing but the best for my boys!
What I’m watching:How very beautiful Poppy is.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a very pretty breed to begin with, (unless their owners stuff them so full of treats that they waddle when they walk.) I’ve owned this breed since I was 20 and I’ve had many Cavaliers, particularly when I was breeding and showing them before I started breeding humans.
But hand on my heart, I’d have to say that Poppy is the best example of the breed I’ve ever owned. She’s utterly beautiful and moves like a dream. She’s my shadow… unless someone else walks into the kitchen.
It’s a pity that she doesn’t have a sense of humour. Life’s a serious business for Poppy.
I first saw this on a Twitter thread ages ago, but with the news coming out of America that their Supreme Court is likely to be overturning Roe Vs Wade, this article is incredibly timely.
I’ve never been more glad to be a woman living in Australia. I don’t know what the hell is happening in the US, but between their healthcare system, the guns and now this – I’m VERY glad that my ancestors got onto the boats headed for here instead of there.
Sorry if this upsets any US readers, but this is how it looks from over here. There are many wonderful things about the US and her people, but things seem to be slipping in a nasty direction.
I’ve never read this book and apparently it’s a classic. So I downloaded it from the library, thinking that it was an eBook. But no… it’s an audiobook. So I guess I’ll put ‘Mum’s Boppin’ Bangers’ on Spotify to the side for a while and catch up on my reading while I’m quilting.
What I’m eating:Home-made hommus.
I brought back an uneaten Turkish bread from my last Little Adventure, so Ryan27 and I used it up with some hommus that I whipped up. There was some hommus left over, so yesterday I spread it on a freshly-baked bread roll and polished it off for lunch.
Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make all the difference.
No, it’s not the same photo!
Who needs a good slap:Ummm
This is always the hardest one to fill in. My life is pretty chill. Total freedom – aka retirement – suits me well.
What I’m planning:A little nap after lunch.
The Spanish were certainly onto something when they invented the siesta. I love a good nanna nap!
What has made me smile:Finding out how to delete shows from my “Currently watching” list on Netflix.
You know how sometimes a show sounds as if it’ll be good, then you start watching and realise that it’s AWFUL? And then it stays on your ‘watching’ list forever, unless you get sick of it and whizz through every episode on fast forward just to get rid of it?
Turns out that if you log into Netflix on your computer, there’s an option to ‘clean’ lists. I knew that there must be an easier way! I’m so happy I found it.
Remember last year, when people from our pasts reconnected on Facebook because we were all in lockdown and had lots of time on our hands? After things eased up, I went on quite a few reunion lunches and coffees.
On one of these, I heard how a school friend’s husband was working at the Cranbourne Botanical Gardens. I’d vaguely heard about this place before, but when Blogless Sandy mentioned that her walking group had been there and really enjoyed it, I decided to use it for my latest Little Adventure.
(Basically, when I retired I decided to take a Little Adventure once a month. I’ll go somewhere/do something that I never have before. What’s the point of freedom if you don’t explore a little?)
When I got there I made straight for the lookout, which was perched on the highest part of the whole area. Here I found a map of the place. I decided to save the top part for a further Little Adventure sometime in the future and to hang a right just after the Perched Swamp and walk along the bottom part of the property.
That’ll be enough for one morning!
So I set off. The track was on a gentle incline. One thing I really didn’t like about this place is that they didn’t allow dogs, so the little woofs had to stay at home. But further up the trail I spotted two labradors. Turns out they were Assistance dogs being trained.
I didn’t want to muck up their training so I held back while they went up the lookout tower first. While they were there I saw this sign underneath:
Phew! Thank goodness there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!
I climbed the steps to the top of the lookout and surveyed my surroundings. The assistance dogs were disappearing down the hill.
I don’t know what’s causing the sparkle on the horizon, but it looked pretty.
It was a bit of a shock to read that on a clear day I could see both Port Philip and Westernport bays from here. Despite having lived here for 6 years, I haven’t yet made the adjustment to realising that I’m far nearer the Peninsula than the city.
Anyway, after a long look around, I set off down the track.
Isn’t this lovely? It’s a little door under the fence so that echidnas can move through.
To be honest, most of the walk wasn’t that exciting, view-wise. This was the usual ‘vista’… fairly boring scrub. But the air was fresh and pure and all I could hear was birdsong and my feet crunching on the gravel.
That wasn’t so hard to take.
Then I got to the turnoff to the Perched Swamp and went down the path. I found this bit really interesting.
If you read the sign, it turns out that this patch of land is like a teacup suspended between the dunes. Water seeps in and it turns into a swamp. Hence the name – the swamp is perched, suspended (in a way) between the dunes.
This hasn’t been filled since 2001, which goes to show how dry this area is. The photo on the sign shows a vastly different view than the one I was seeing.
Two wallabies were having a snack to the right.
If the sign wasn’t there, you’d never dream that you were looking at swampland.
That’s the edge of the ‘teacup.’
A little further along the main track, I saw the sign that told me to diverge and take the road less travelled* to the wetlands.
*Just a little nod to the literature buffs.
Looks inviting, doesn’t it?
All this time I was walking along, totally alone (as I thought), just enjoying the day. I was walking in a shady part of the track, totally alone (as I thought) when I saw a tree with bright green moss on it.
Still walking, I suddenly stopped dead and lifted my phone to take the shot when something moved. For a split second I froze. A woman walking alone NEVER likes unexpected movements near her.
Then I saw…
And something else moved…
They were so close to me! I was so rapt. What an absolute gift.
If I hadn’t have stopped unexpectedly to take that photo and scared the living daylights out of them for a split second, I never would have known they were there.
Here’s the tree with the moss, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.
Considerably buoyed by my wallaby encounter, I set off again. The track turned sandy and then I found the lake.
I walked off the track to get closer, trying to avoid stepping on the wallaby poo that seemed to be everywhere.
Then I saw a duck!
It was even better when she turned out to have ducklings. I stayed there for a while, just enjoying the vibe, then I set off again. My next goal was to get back to the car park.
That quilt isn’t going to make itself.
This part of the walk seemed to go on FOREVER. I was glad I brought my hat as it got quite sunny. I saw a couple of Mums with prams in this section, and I caught a glimpse of the assistance dogs a long way behind me.
Look! Some more duck-like things!
They were a brilliant shade of blue, though it’s only on the left-hand one in this photo that you can get an idea.
I kept walking.
I had no choice…
It was a long track with not much to look at. Fortunately, I had my thoughts to keep me company. I find myself very interesting.
Before you label me as egotistical – just imagine if I didn’t find my thoughts interesting. How awful would that be? You can never escape yourself. You’re always with you, so you may as well enjoy it.
This was quite interesting. When I was walking up towards it I couldn’t make out what these strange little boxes were. Nesting boxes for endangered birds?? Turns out it was far more scientific.
Started wondering if dinosaurs lived in the bush as well as wallabies.
The track had curved and we were back in the trees again. Surely I was getting closer?
I’m a busy woman. I have things to do at home.
Plus, look at how close those trees grew together. Crazy.
There’s no real reason for this shot. I just liked the colours.
Success!!!!
This was a long walk for me because I’m very unfit, but it was easy. The paths are well maintained and there’s no way you could stray off them and get lost.
When I was talking to Blogless Sandy about it, she mentioned that I’d apparently chosen the most untouched part of the garden to explore. This means that when I next choose to go back, I’ll be wandering around a more planned part, which showcases Australian plants.
Should be good.
All in all, I enjoyed this Little Adventure. It’s nice to think that in these modern times there’s some land so close to the city where for a split second wallabies and humans can scare the living daylights out of each other.
I first learned the value of having what I then called a ‘Buffer Zone’ back in the days when I was newly separated, with 4 small boys under 6. When we split, we had a mortgage, 2 old cars and $120 in the bank. I withdrew the money and gave him half, so we each had $60. I took the people mover and he took the van he needed for work. We agreed that the boys and I would live in the house and in lieu of child support, he’d pay the mortgage.
(Anyone who’s ever been in this situation, or knows people who have, knows what’s coming next. It’s the classic move of the non-custodial who wants to punish their ex.)
Establishing a new life with $60 and 4 kids isn’t as much fun as you might think. We were able to get the Sole Parent’s Pension, as it was called then, so basic bills were covered. But I had a huge urge to get some security for us and so I decided to scrape together one thousand dollars as a ‘Buffer Zone’ for us.
It took 4 or 5 months but I did it. I scrimped and scraped, I barely ate any meat during this period – though I remember cutting off the end of a sausage that the boys were having as part of their spaghetti and ‘meatballs’ meal and devouring it. Any way that I could save money, or at the very least wring every cent’s worth of value from each dollar, I did.
And yes – one day I checked the bank account and there was $1,000 sitting there.
I breathed a sigh of relief. We had our Buffer Zone. Job done!
But something was niggling me. A few days later, I decided to call the bank and check on the balance of our mortgage.
I felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under me. The person on the other end of the line told me that the mortgage hadn’t been paid for a couple of months and that the account was $963 in arrears.
“After another month, we would’ve called to discuss it.” But of course, I wouldn’t have been the one they would’ve called. This was 25 years ago – the male name on the mortgage would’ve received the call. I was lucky that I decided to check.
But of course, I didn’t feel lucky at the time. As I threw the younger kids into the massive double stroller I had and began to walk up the street towards the bank with the older two boys skipping along beside me, I was furious. Actually, I felt incandescent with rage.
But I also felt thankful that I had the money behind me to fix it. A simple transfer from my Buffer Zone account to the mortgage and the situation was safe.
And that’s what a Buffer Zone/Emergency Account is for.
To save your bacon in the event of an unexpected expense.
Scout’s a big fam of the Emergency Fund – with good reason.
Naturally, I immediately began work on building that Buffer Zone back up. It was even harder this time because I was now paying the mortgage on top of everything else. But like everything else on this FI/RE trip, if you keep at it step by step, you eventually get there.
Would I ever be without an Emergency Fund again? Hell, no! That thing not only kept a roof over our heads when we were at our most vulnerable, but every now and then over the years it’s smoothed the ride when surprising things happened.
What about the day I loaded the boys into the Tarago and swung the roller door closed, only to have it keep on going and the bottom half swung off the car? Ok, I admit that it was stressful trying to secure the door well enough so we could drive home safely, but the next day, thanks to the emergency fund, I was able to get it fixed.
(When it happened, the boys stared at me in shock as the door was swinging wildly from one hinge. I remember thinking, “I can either laugh or cry.” With those little boys looking at me, all I could do was start laughing. The situation was so awful as to be hilarious. )
The time that Scout swallowed a seed pod and almost died was another one. Her surgery cost $3,200. I was telling that to a friend at work and she gasped and said, “I’d never be able to afford that. The vet and I would have been having a very different discussion.” Fortunately, I have a separate emergency fund for the dogs, so money wasn’t an issue. Three years later, we still have our little girl who makes us laugh every single day.
A couple of years ago I leapt blithely into my morning shower – only to leap straight back out, screaming. The hot water system had died. Three days later we had a continuous gas hot water system installed – luxury! I tell you – I loved my emergency fund when I took my first hot shower.
These are just a smattering of the times that problems that can be fixed with money were taken care of with minimal stress and no debt.
New fridge.
Over time, as I became more financially secure and started work again, the size of my emergency fund grew. It started out at $1,000, then grew to $5,000 and then up to $15,000, before settling down at my current level of $10,000.
My gauge of how much cash for an emergency I need to have behind me is pretty much the ‘can I sleep at night?’ test. With 10K, I feel that it pretty much covers most things that could go wrong with my house and car. As I mentioned before, I have a separate account for the dogs that I set up when I got Scout and then found out about the 25% risk dachshunds have of getting IVDD. I’m devoutly hoping I never have to touch that money but it’s there if she needs it.
The Emergency Fund is a funny beast. In my experience, I can go for YEARS without tapping into it, to the point where it almost feels like a waste having all that money just sitting there earning next to no interest.
Then WHAM! Something happens. Or two things happen. They seem to come in waves.
Consider the last 2 weeks. My fridge dies. After weighing the options, I decide to buy a new one. $1,900 later, the shiny new fridge is installed in my kitchen. No credit card debt, no drama. Excellent!
A week later we experience the first cold snap of the year, so we try to switch on our gas ducted heating. Nothing. Turns out that it was a 20-year-old model that has valiantly served its time but was now up for renewal. No problem. $3,000 later, a new model was installed on the same day.
Annoying? Yes. But stressful? No.
In the space of 2 weeks, I had 5K of unexpected expenses. I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s a little more than simple walking around money. Over the next little while, I’ll steadily pump money back into the emergency fund until it’s at the ‘can I sleep at night?’ level again – ready for next time.
Because we know that there’ll always be a next time.
The brilliant thing is that there are no set rules.
YOU decide how much money you want to have in there – the ‘can I sleep at night?’ rule is totally individual. Some people, particularly those with insecure or erratic jobs, like to keep 3 – 6 months of expenses in there. Some like to have a year. Personally, because the job I had was incredibly secure, I was happy with the 10K – 15K level.
YOU decide where to leave it – my personal choice is to put it in an online bank account away from my everyday bank, so it’s not always in my face. The Emergency Fund is intended to lurk in the background like a benevolent stalker until it’s needed, not to be a constant temptation to spend the money on fun stuff.
The only requirement is self-discipline. First to build up the thing in the first place; then to not tap into it unless it’s a genuine surprise expense that’s popped up. But as we all know, fiscal discipline and delayed gratification make you stronger.
The Emergency Fund is like having a friend who is always ready to have your back. And who doesn’t like that feeling?
What’s top of my mind:Getting another row finished on my quilt.
The photo is of two rows of blocks. It’s exciting because I can already see the pattern emerging.
But boy! This quilt takes constant mindfulness. There are a lot of corners that have to be edged up exactly right. After an afternoon’s sewing on this beast my eyes feel like they’re going around like Catherine wheels.
Where I’ve been:on April’s Little Adventure.
Post to come.
Where I’m going:To the High Country.
I suddenly realized that I have a lot of points in my Vacation Club to use up before June 30. Being constantly in lockdowns last year meant that I didn’t get the chance to go anywhere. So the chase is on! I decided to nip away this coming weekend to see the autumn colours up in the high country.
What I’m watching:My garden slipping into ‘winter’ mode.
I’ve already put a few beds to sleep for the winter, spreading fertiliser, chopping spent plants as mulch etc. Give it another month and most of the beds will be waiting for spring.
Though having seen the prices for cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower at Aldi yesterday, I might grow a few winter veggies. Yikes!
What I’ve been reading:French Braid by Anne Tyler.
I’ve read a few books by Anne Tyler and there hasn’t been a dud amongst them. With French Braid, Tyler has created another winner.
It’s not a long novel, but it covers decades in the lives of a family. I particularly liked the character of the mother. Some reviewers find her very selfish, but I identified with how she chose to live her life on HER terms. I seem to have done the same, though I’ve made different choices than she did.
Anne Tyler has written a long list of nvels. Now I want to track them down and read them all.
What I’m listening to:Nothing.
Argh! I’ve misplaced my iPad! It has all of my podcasts in it. I really need to track it down before Friday. I’d hate to be driving for hours and not have poddies to listen to.
What I’m eating:Red capsicums from the garden.
This year may have been a shocking one for tomatoes, but I’ve grown the best capsicums ever. Ryan27 loves green capsicums, but even he got sick of them and so I now have a few caps that were left long enough for them to turn red.
Tonight we’ll be having chicken tikka masala so I can use one. So happy. 🙂
Who needs a good slap:No one.
It’s all chill here.
What I’m planning: A trip to Manly Beach in Sydney.
Again, using up points from the holiday club. I’ve never been to Manly, and the last time I was in Sydney was 12 years ago with the boys. We climbed the bridge and went to Taronga zoo and the aquarium and had a great time.
I’ve locked it in for June. Something to look forward to!
What has made me smile:Talking to the boys on the phone.
It’s such a simple thing, but I love it when I chat to them. Two still live with me, so that’s pretty easy, but when the others call – or I call them and they pick up the phone straight away – it makes my day.
It’s surprising how fond you can get of the people you make.
Now that the state government has relaxed the rules for close contacts, I’m wondering how much work I’ll be picking up now that parents of young kids don’t have to isolate with them anymore.
Where I’ve been:Hanging around waiting for my heater to be replaced.
Yes, what with the fridge last week and then my gas ducted heater needing to be replaced today, it’s been an expensive school holidays.
Where I’m going: Nowhere.
I’m intending on having a lovely week just chilling here.
What I’m watching:Peaky Blinders.
I’ve had this show in my Netflix queue for ages, but it was the news that a kid from Jack30’s year level has secured a role in the 6th and final season that finally prompted me to start it. I have until June to get up to speed on the first 5 seasons. (Luckily they only have 6 episodes per season!)
Ryan27 read this book to deepen his understanding of the immune system while doing his myotherapy course. Ever since then, he’s been badgering me to read it. Of course, I avoided it because it sounds boring. But I ran out of books to read over Easter so I picked it up.
It’s fascinating! The guy who wrote it has a youtube channel that explains all sorts of things in an entertaining way and he’s kept the same thing up here. I had absolutely no idea how incredible and – frankly – impossible our immune system really is. I’m only a third of the way into it and I’m loving it. It’s a non-fiction book that reads… well, if not like a fiction book, then at least an easy-to-digest non-fiction book.
I think it’s a terrible shame that the new ASIC guidelines for discussions around personal finance n Australia have been so heavy-handed that people like Dave and Pat have decided that it’s not worth the risk to keep offering the information that they do. I know that when I was just starting out on my FIRE journey after paying off my house, their blogs were invaluable to me to glean information. It’s going to be a huge loss to people coming after us, such as my sons, who’ll be starved for specifically Australian content.
What I’m eating: African Peanut Stew.
I bought a vegetarian cookbook from Thermobexta 2 years ago and it had this recipe in it. I always wanted to try it but never got around to it. Last night was the night! It was delicious! Ryan27 had 2 friends around and they agreed. Everyone polished their plates.
Vego food is so cheap. I fed 5 adults for around $6.
I have all but one of her cookbooks. They saved me when Evan25 decided he was vegetarian a few years ago.
Who needs a good slap: Me.
I just realised that I forgot to eat lunch. No wonder I’m so hungry right now!
What I’m planning:Nothing.
It’s so relaxing.
What has made me smile: The podcast review of Evan25’s show.
Evan25 sent me the link to a review that a couple of guys did for their show. It’s a lovely thing to hear that your son is “a very charismatic guy”; has “a beautiful singing voice” and is “someone I could watch all day.”
On Sunday night, as I pulled out some chicken schnitzels from the freezer for a quick fakeaway dinner, they felt a little soft.
“Has someone opened the freezer?” I asked. Both boys shook their heads, so I thought that maybe I was the doofus who’d left the door ajar. In the middle of the night I woke with the question, “What if the fridge has died?” running through my head. Sure enough, the next morning brought a silent fridge and soggy packages in the freezer.
It’s never a convenient moment to lose your fridge.
Where I’ve been:scurrying from the kitchen to the laundry.
Fortunately I have the full-sized freezer from the old house in the laundry. It’s pretty full, but there were enough nooks and crannies left to be able to fill them with lots of things from the kitchen freezer.
Anything else, I put in an esky or in the freezer drawers with a bag of ice.
Where I’m going:to Evan25’s show at the Comedy Festival.
Yay! The boys are doing ‘Chumsville’ gain, so on Saturday night I’m bringing a couple of friends to see them do what they do best. Make people laugh, that is. 🙂
“They thought their payments were untraceable. They couldn’t have been more wrong. The untold story of the case that shredded the myth of Bitcoin’s anonymity.”
This is a long article but it’s well worth the read. I really enjoyed it.
This is a new-to-me podcast, where each episode is a look at an interesting thing that has happened in the past. They’re not tied to any particular portion of history, so the episodes leap around time all over the place. The episodes are also in 30 minute (or so) lengths, so they’re great for a commute.
What I’m eating:Things that we salvaged from the fridge and freezer.
Last night’s dinner was mushroom risotto. Instead of parmesan, I used a piece of tasty cheese. I kept the parmesan cheese in the esky in the ice. There was a punnet of mushrooms that wouldn’t be great after another night without cooling, so I was pleased to use them up.
I was also glad I used up the tasty cheese, but going forward? Parmesan is definitely better.
Ryan27 cooked up a heap of dim sims for lunch. They were basically still frozen when I transferred them to the back freezer, but to be on the safe side, I told him that they needed using up. He was happy to oblige. I had the last frozen pie.
Who needs a good slap:The fridge repair company.
I can’t prove that they were planning to rip me off, but their quote certainly seemed suss. It turned out to be more viable to just get a new fridge.
What I’m planning: to make bagels.
Tom30 loves bagels. I’ve only ever made them once, YEARS ago. I used a thermomix recipe and they were delicious. I might give them another go. He’ll be delighted.
What has made me smile:Having my untrammelled days back.
Even though I’m enjoying the challenge of paying for David28’s wedding – and now the new fridge, I guess – by working, there’s a special beauty in the days where no one dictates how I spend my time but I.
Today is the last day of the school term and, as I hoped thought, there was no text asking me to come to work. I’ve worked 10 days in the last 2.5 weeks. I need a break!!! LOL.
Yesterday Tom30 worked from home and posted a photo of the walk he took on the beach before 9 AM. I decided that the little woofs have been so patient, putting up with me being gone, that they deserved the same thing. So after breakfast, I strapped on their leads – such hysterical barking! – and off we set.
It was sparkling. There were a few people and dogs there, but we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. Halfway along, I sat down and took the time to gaze out into the bay. The blues of the sea and sky were stunningly beautiful. Three seagulls were swooping low across the water. The white against the blue was amazing.
I was so happy that I wasn’t in a classroom!
The daily yoga has definitely slipped over the last few weeks, but as I sat there I did some breathing exercises and some neck stretches and we walked in the soft sand at the top of the beach on the way back. That wasn’t my choice, by the way. Scout saw an exuberant Doberman puppy and decided that discretion was the better part of valour.
Here’s the photo of the 5,000+ piece quilt, with a 50c piece on it to give an idea of scale. After I go out and water the gardens, I’ll be chipping away at this. I’ve discovered that it’s not so much the sewing together of all the tiny squares that’s time-consuming, (though it’s slow going), it’s the proper ironing of all the seams that will take up a huge amount of time.
Now I know why in the Quilt-a-long, Kellie has allowed 3 weeks for each row. I thought it was a bit too generous, but after working on this bit of the quilt on Tuesday, I’m seeing the logic.
I took home a little over $1,600 in my first pay packet. I’m happy with that, as I’ve been able to cross quite a few things from my list already. Now I settle into working to pay for my share of David28 and Izzy’s wedding costs. It’s a little disheartening to think that a full day’s work will only pay for around 2 places at the reception, but that’s how these things go. As I left school yesterday, I thought, ‘Well, I guess I’ve just paid for Mum and Dad’s places!”
Right now I’m home alone. Tom30 is at work and Ryan27 has gone out for a walk. The dogs are sleeping beside me and there’s total peace and quiet. All I can hear is birdsong, the occasional car and Jeffrey’s snores.
I’m thinking that doing some days of CRT work, even though there was nothing further from my mind than doing it, will give me a nice balance. When I’m at work it’s go!go!go! with every minute scheduled, while being at home is so unstructured and free.
I’m enjoying the challenge of bringing in money to pay for the things I want, while at the same time there’s no stress when the school doesn’t need me. I’m happy to work and I’m happy to stay home.
What’s top of my mind: The mystery will be revealed today.
Yes, today is payday. By the time I get home, I’ll be able to log on and see how much money I’ve earned over the last two weeks. I hope the grand reveal will be worth it…
Where I’ve been:in the garden!
Yesterday I wasn’t called into work, so after breakfast I grabbed me some secatuers and went out to the garden. The tomato plants were in crying need of decimation, so I listened to a few podcasts and chopped and dropped. Over winter the shreds of the plants will rot away in the soil and the nutrients will be able to be accessed by the new crops I’ll plant in Spring. It’s not quick, but over time to creates the best soil.
The kids next door had some friends over so they were out in their yard, playing with their dog. It was lovely to hear their happy little voices as I worked. The sky was overcast at first, which was why I decided to go out there – less chance of sunburn. By the time the sun came out I’d cleared 2 wicking beds and was sporting a big blister on my finger, so it was definitely time to come inside.
Where I’m going:to a Maths class.
Yes, after lunch I’m down to ‘teach’ a Maths class.
We all know there’ll be no teaching going on from me… pity the poor kids if I tried!
What I’m watching:angelically good children in a music class.
They’re doing some quizzes about chords on their chromebooks. I know I’ve said it before, but the kids at this school are terrific.
What I’m reading:The second book about a gated community.
I finished one of the books I spoke about last week over lunch yesterday, so now I just have one to go. ‘Dirty Little Secret’s by Jo Spain was good – I enjoyed it. This other one? Not so much, but I’ll knock it over. I still have to ‘earn’ my rates back from the library, after all!
What I’m listening to:Casefile, The Other Half, Welcome to Nightvale and Mum’s Boppin’ Bangers.
It was a lovely day in the garden and sewing room yesterday. I was able to knock over lots of poddies. On the way into work this morning I was listening to Casefile, about the case of a cannibal in Germany.
(omg)
What I’m eating: Last night’s dinner.
It’s so nice to know that tonight’s dinner is already cooked. I made a Chicken Tikka Masala from Skinnymixers last night, knowing that I was going to be the only one home to eat it. I love this curry – it’s like having a party in your mouth. Tonight, there’s enough for all of us. I can take it easy when I get home.
Plus curries always taste better the second day. It also has a red capsicum in it that I grew with my own fair hands. Very satisfying.
Who needs a good slap:No one so far today!
The day is still young, though.
What I’m planning:Nothing.
Of course, I still have my long-term plans in place, but short-term? Nothing much. I have vague plots and pans for the veggie garden and how on Earth I’m going to get the crazy quilt with the 5,000 squares done, but that’s about it.
It’s nice to have free days ahead. It’s the very definition of freedom.
What has made me smile: Scout sleeping in the cat’s bed. (Photo at the top of the post.)
Many years ago, when we still had the cats, (Daphne and Maris, named for Niles’ wives in ‘Frasier’), I bought a dog bed and a cat bed. The dog bed is still used by Scout every night, but for years the cat bed just sat there. It was too expensive to throw away but not worth so much that it was worth the bother of trying to sell it.
Until I washed it and, as I was bringing it in off the line, I thought that Scout would probably use it if I put it on the couch.
Dachshunds love being burrowed under and into things, unlike Cavaliers who just like to pile up together. Daphne’s bed has been on the couch for 4 days and Scout loves it. She’s so happy, climbing into her nest. She’ll love it even more as winter sets in.
I remember Daphne curled up in it. Scout and Daphne were friends. It makes me smile.
Dad joke of the day:
Never buy flowers from a monk. Only you can stop florist friars.
So far this fortnight, I’ve worked 7 days. It’s been an incredibly busy time for the school, what with a huge year 7 camp, (taking nearly 500 kids away requires a lot of teachers as well), covid absences and a nasty throat bug doing the rounds.
I’m spending the whole day wearing a mask. In fact, probably the most dangerous part of the day is when I eat my lunch. For the rest of the time I keep my mask firmly attached to my face. With the mask, me being triple vaxxed and the students being double-vaxxed, I figure I’m as safe as I’m likely to be.
I’m booked to work a day next week and after that, who knows? That’s the joy and terror of doing casual work. When I was picking up my chromebook and keys from the Daily Organiser, she said that I’d put up my hand to come back at just the right time, because the last two weeks have been awful for staff absences.
She warned me that things will probably calm down and there won’t be as much work on offer, but I said, “That’s fine. I figure I’ll make hay while the sun shines. I’m using this work to help pay for Jordan’s wedding, so any work you can give me is great.”
Yes! Remember that chart I drew up about things I can ‘pay’ for with my CRT earnings? Going on those VERY loose figures, by the end of today… or maybe by the end of the day’s teaching next week, I’ll have “paid for” the first few items on the list and I’ll be up to the first big amount – the wedding.
This sort of stuff is very motivating, at least for me. I won’t lie – this morning when the alarm went off in the wee hours for the fourth straight day, it wasn’t a joyous moment. A couple of possums had galloped over the tin roof at about 2 AM and Scout vehemently objected. It took us both ages to go back to sleep. Dachshunds grumble a lot when they’re unhappy.
But when I thought about being able to cross off the boring stuff on the list and then be able to get started on the wedding, I had a spring in my step that definitely wasn’t there before.
A thing I’ve noticed that I didn’t expect at all was that in the 7 days I’ve been back at work, I’ve been bored far more than during the whole 15 months I was at home, living the retired life.
I think it’s because when you have total freedom over how you spend your time, the instant you even get a slight inkling that you might be getting bored, you can immediately drop whatever it was you were doing and move onto something else. It happens so quickly that, most of the time, the niggling feeling of boredom never gets a chance to eventuate.
Here? A successful day for a CRT means that there are long tracts of nothing much happening. You’ve brought each class in, settled them, set up the lesson and then let them go on their way. Sometimes you’re actually teaching, but more often than not you’re walking around the room making sure they’re staying on track and not watching the basketball or playing games on their chromebooks.
Given this, there have been long minutes of looking out the windows, watching the clock and generally counting down the minutes before the bell. Once every couple of days or so, I might have a therapeutic bellow at a naughty kid, but honestly, even the naughty kids at this school aren’t awful. They respond really well to discipline given with humour, so there’s rarely a need for a raised voice.
Now, it’s not as if I’m bored all the time. Of course I’m not. (I wouldn’t turn up to do CRT again if I was!) The kids are funny and I’m introducing a variety of different lessons that sometimes makes me quietly do some research into something-or-other that sounds interesting that I’d never think to learn about by myself. I just had a lovely chat with a year 10 Lit class about ‘Pygmalion’ vs ‘My Fair Lady’, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
(Pygmalion is the play that the Audrey Hepburn/Rex Harrison movie ‘My Fair Lady’ was based on. It’s fabulous – though when I read it, years after having seen the movie, I was shocked by the ending. Now that I’m older, I think that George Bernard Shaw’s original ending to the story is far better.)
Even though I’m having fun in classes like this, the contrast between my work days and my retirement days is pretty noticeable. Usually, at home I’m surprised by how quickly the day has sped by. At work, I know to the instant when that last bell rings at 3:10 and I can walk outside to my car and start living my ‘real’ life.
To be fair, I was talking just a few minutes ago to a friend who’s also come back to do some CRT. She’s the opposite – she was getting bored at home and she loves the CRT life. It’s her new hobby. We had a laugh about how different we are.
So far, I’m really enjoying being back at school and seeing the kids and staff. I’ve only been doing it for a couple of weeks so I’m definitely in the honeymoon phase. I’m still in the stage of kids getting excited when they see me and being pleased when I turn up to teach their class.
Sadly, this will fade. Soon I’ll be just another ‘sub’ who is part of the furniture. Hopefully, I’ll get enough work to take care of the wedding and beyond that, who knows? I wrote a post a few years ago about the importance of protecting your savings, so maybe I’ll continue to do a day or two a week, paying for outgoings as I go and keeping my savings for the Big Fun expenses, like travel.
(Actually, before I posted that link, I re-read the post. It’s got some pretty good points in it, if I do say so myself.)
I’ve always felt very lucky that I fell into a career that I was good at and I genuinely enjoy. It seems that CRT has most of the good stuff and very little of the bad stuff. I’m interested to see how this all pans out.
It’s no secret that I’m no fan of the numerals. Give me a 10,000 page novel and I’ll be happy. Give me a single, closely-printed page of numbers and I literally have a brain-freeze. I’ve learned how to do basic budgeting/investing calculations, but it’s safe to say that I don’t run towards mathematics with open arms. So I was grateful to my son, Tom30, for explaining something to me in an easy to understand way.
Tom30 is an accountant. It certainly isn’t my fault – I blame his father. (That’s a little joke…) Tom30’s great passions in life are sport and numbers – both are things I avoid wherever possible. The apple fell far from the tree in this regard!
I was curious as to how much money I’d be making each day by my CRT work, once tax was taken out. I asked the other CRTs over lunch the other day and got answers rangeing from $220/day, which seems rather low, to amounts that were much higher.
I decided to ask an expert. Tom30 knows a lot about tax returns.
When I asked how much I could expect to take home after a day of CRT work, he looked puzzled.
“I can’t answer that. It’s impossible,” he said.
But why?” I asked. “Surely the tax is at a set rate each day?”
“No,” he said. “Teachers are paid each fortnight, yeah?’
I nodded.
“Well, what the tax department does is look at each fortnight, see the number of days you’ve worked and then they tax you as if this was the amount of days you worked as a full-time worker. So if you worked one day, you’d be taxed far differently than if you worked nine days, for example.”
Light began to dawn on my mighty intellect.
“Ahhh. So if I worked one or two days I’d probably be taxed at the lowest rate, but if I worked ten days in a fortnight I’d be taxed as a full-time teacher?”
“Yeah. So that’s why it’s impossible for me to give you a flat rate,” he said.
I totally get it. And now I’m waiting with bated breath for Wednesday. That’s when I’ll get paid for the days I’ve already worked. Assuming I don’t break a leg or get covid overnight or something, when tomorrow finishes I’ll have worked 7 days in a fortnightly pay cycle. I’m really curious to see how much I get to keep.
For those who don’t remember, CRTs get $384/day. Superannuation as well as tax is deducted from that total.
The following pay cycle includes a week of holidays. I’m already booked to work a day next week and I’ll accept more days if they arise. It’ll be interesting to compare how the daily rates change.
Of course, when the end of the financial year comes along, it’ll be REALLY interesting to see how much tax I end up paying. I’ve had 8 months of not working at all, but of course I’ve drawn money down from dividends and the like to live off.
Fortunately, I won’t be the one doing those calculations. Imagine the hot mess my finances would be in if I did? That’s where accountants become my favourite people in all the world.
Anyway, apologies to the numbers people, (assuming any of them have still read this far.) This stuff is probably blindingly obvious to you, but I thought that if I didn’t know this, possibly other people didn’t know either.
Dad joke of the day:
I’ve conquered my addiction to chocolate, marshmallow and nuts. I won’t deny – it was a rocky road.
Retirement Reading Quest – Reading my way to ‘free’ council rates.
I’m on a quest to borrow and read enough books to, in effect, cancel out the cost of my council rates per year.
It’s outlined in this post.
Year 7: I’m already a year ahead on my rates, so I’m taking a reader’s suggestion and I’m going to go back and start covering the rates from the year before I started. I may as well.
Year 7: Total needed: 2019/2020…$1,800
Running total: $1,220
Year 6 (2025/2026) $2,590 AREADY COVERED!!!!!!
10/08/2015 – I won’t have another rates notice until August 2026, so I have time to kill. Let’s knock over a previous year’s rates, just for fun.
Year 5 (2024/2025) $2,339 and dog rego ($63) = $2,435.
Finished it before I even had the new rates notice ready.
Year 4 (2023/2024) $2,413.
Success! Not sure exactly when I passed the total, because I was waiting on the dog registrations to come through. But yes – I blitzed it.
Year 3: (2022/2023) $2,350
12/01/2023 FINISHED! Not working gives me heaps more reading time – I recommend it!
