Wednesday W’s #5.

What’s top of my mind: Should I take a tutoring job?

Argh!!! I was so prepared to do tutoring last year but then all of those lockdowns happened so nothing eventuated. Now I’m all fat and happy at home, a friend from a different school has asked if I’d be interested in some work.

Anyone who’s read my About page would know that it’s so difficult for me to knock back money. For many years since I left the boys’ father, I’ve been chasing it just to keep our heads above water. It’s difficult to get away from that mindset.

Plus, I could put that money towards Antarctica. Or Easter Island. It might be nice to spend some time with some kids and not have to mark 28 essays all on the same novel.

But then again… my glorious freeeeedom! And I don’t particularly enjoy tutoring. Though maybe I might like it better when I’m not doing it on top of a full teaching load.

It’d help some kids who really need it.

I’ve asked her to send me some information. I’m genuinely in 2 minds about it. I’ll keep you posted.

Where I’ve been: in the veggie garden.

I said to Ryan27 this morning as I came in from the backyard, “I’m glad we only have two people living here. If I was trying to feed five of us on what this garden’s producing this year, I wouldn’t be happy.”

We have millions of green beans and lots of silverbeet. We can produce enough squash/zucchini to make a zucchini slice each week. Capsicums are starting to form and we have heaps of cucumbers.

But the crops I REALLY want to have heaps of are tomatoes and pumpkins. They’re not doing at all well this year. Damn.

Where I’m going: Dromana, to buy lots of champagne.

Why? See below.

What I’m watching: Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

I’ve decided that I’m going to pull out all the stops and, when Australian Survivor isn’t on, I’m going to watch the rest of the Ru Paul series. I’m up to season 12 so I only have number 13 to go and then I’ll be up to date and can go back to watching just 1 episode a week of the new season as a normal person does.

What I’m reading: The Psychology of Money.

I know I’m coming late to the party here, but I finally picked up this book. I’m really enjoying it. So many books about investing are written about HOW to do it – this one is about WHY people make the decisions that they do. It has nice short chapters full of anecdotes, which is a smart thing to do because everyone loves a story. It educates in a gentle, easy-to-digest way. Morgan Hausel is an author that I’ll keep an eye out for. I wish I’d read The Psychology of Money earlier so that I could’ve given it to my sons and nieces. Maybe I’ll compromise and just add it to the list of books I’ve given them.

What I’m listening to: Ryan27 talk about his job.

When Ryan18 left school, he enrolled in 3 uni courses one, after the other. None were a good fit. Then, with a little nudge from me, he decided to try Remedial Massage at RMIT. I thought he might like it because he’s the most chill person I know. Turns out that, as a gamer, he loves the problem-solving aspect of it. When someone comes in feeling pain, he has to work out what’s the root cause of it before he can treat it.

After he finished that course, he decided to stick around for another year and learn about myotherapy, (dry needling.) Now that he’s finally out in the workforce and earning a wage, he’s so happy. He’s already got return clients and the numbers of bookings he’s getting each day are steadily increasing.

It’s lovely to see someone who seemed to be spinning their wheels for years finally getting traction in their career. He’s loving the work and I’m loving hearing about it.

What I’m eating: Mashed potato.

Do you know how good mashed potato tastes when the potatoes are grown in your own garden?

They taste even better when they’re potatoes that have sprung up from a crop I first planted 4 years ago. Free food – my favourite flavour.

Who needs a good slap: Ryan27.

The dishwasher is empty. EMPTY. I emptied it first thing today before I fed the dogs. So why are there dirty dishes in the sink?

What I’m planning: an engagement party.

Finally, 6 months after David28 popped the question, he and Izzy are holding their engagement party. I was on the phone last Sunday with Izzy’s Mum. The party will be at her place and their family is huge. My Mum was an only child so our family gatherings are a lot smaller, so this one will be a huge Italian party with a few Skips wandering around. LOL.

As a joke, I said I’d cater for the Skips by bringing fairy bread. I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth. Izzy’s Mum and brother got so excited that I now, as well as providing a dozen bottles of bubbly and a Costco tray of wraps, I also have to go and buy that awful white bread and hundreds and thousands, just to bring a plate.

(For those wild and crazy Americans who apparently don’t know what fairy bread is – look at the picture at the top of this post.)

The trouble is, I haven’t had fairy bread for a decade, at least. I know that once I start making it, I won’t be able to resist that sweet, delicious crunch.

What has made me smile: Yoga.

I completed the free 30-day program called ‘Move’ that Yoga With Adrienne offered at the start of the year. Didn’t miss a day.

I’ve continued on with last year’s program, called ‘Breathe’, which is located on her website. It would’ve been pretty easy to let it slide, but I’m liking the routine I established during January. It’s nice to think that by the time I have breakfast each morning, I’ve already completed a yoga class.

Dad joke of the day:

I wasn’t sure how comfortable the new couch would be. But sofa, so good.