Shad~ Delightful weekend!

Miss Mel~ How are you today?

Not feeling great.
Not feeling particularily horrible either. Definitely tired. Yesterday was a looooooong day. It was a loooooong night too.

DS~ Had a good day! Hockey was good. I played a few hands of Uno with him. This is a victory because usually playing games with him means hysterics on his part or some kind of supreme weenie-ness. A victory. I took him to Burger King for supper to meet up with a friend and the friend came home with us for a sleepover. DH just took them to hockey.
DD~fever of 103C all day but it broke during the night. She has been up lot in the night and sleeping with us.She ate supper last night and seems better so far today.
ME~I am just plain tired. Skipping church today. Nothing pressing for me there. I have done my duties for this month and then some! I had 2 nights of crappy sleep. Ds had been up in the night too. Fri both kids and the cat were in with us. I woke up perfectly pretzelled. I was up yesterday at 6am. I went to bed a 9pm but kept getting woken up.
I accomplished a bunch of stuff here, tidying,washed kitchen floor. Our washer flooded on Thurs but DH couldn’t find anything wrong, so I ran it and it was fine, whew!
More puttering and laundry to do today. OH, I searched for jobs for DH. He applied for a couple.
DH~is down in the dumps. His skills and education are very specific. He made comments about not being educated enough. I have never heard him talk like this.
He could do most line work .It pays well and is not hard on his back.We dont have a lot of connections that way BUT I did talk to another hockey Dad who is a plant manager and he has leads. Now DH needs to talk to him himself....sigh. I am not sure he will.

I had a good day in spite of being tired. I had a good talk with other parents. I have a nice visit with the Grandparents of the boy who came overnight. I am still feeling great about myself.
I am worried about my little family. At least I am not pissed at DH for being grumpy. I am feeling compassionate.
I finally got more into the Life OF Pi. I am interested.
4 kids tomorrow. 6 every other day. Outings.

I wont talk about the apple cinnamon pancake I ate before bed.

Wow Spring is really on its way and tooo soon in this country. I heard and saw my first meadowlark and robins in the neighborhoood this weekend. So very cool and I heard a report that the bluebirds have arrived. A small storm system is suppose to pass through but we have not enough moisture to survive a warm summer. Time will tell.
Shad you are so busy and get so much done on your weekends...... it just seems to set things right for the week when the to do list is checked off. I had a great day of doing that same thing yesterday....organized piles of paperwork and put stuff away.... had to pull out everything I was hiding for the meeting and make a mess again.
Mel how are you feeling? Hope you recover soon.....sort of scary how long these colds and flu hang around this year.... and so it seems all over the world.
I started a folder for my vacation stuff..... that makes me excited. it is going to be here before I know it. Trying to track down a few people to see if I might have a place to sleep a few places on the way out to the coast.
Hope everyone is having a good weekend......
Take Good care,
Peace,
Nae

im afraid i must join mel on the sick front i have flu and some kind of stomach thing ,camping out in the loo is hareder here always seems someone needs to go , will get back later for the challenge
kirsty

Hey Shad you busy bee you you made me have to put the dishes away and load the dishwasher I felt so guilty at my squalor :b

Hugs to all the sick chicks in our midst

I have managed to escape :fingerscrossed: the fever and sore throat that the kids had so far, they are still coughing... wanders off to find her surgical mask and gloves to avoid infection

Seems to be some low energy here of late. I haven't exercised this week, except my mind of course which is always clicking away

I wish I could have a cup of tea and a natter with you all

Linus~ (((hugs)))

I have a big fat 0 for points. I may actually have some but I cant find them in my head. I will start fresh tonight!!!!! I will focus on my OWN goals!!

Hiya all

I hear on the grapevine - well the 3FC vine anyway that our fearless leader Suzanne 3FC has become a grandmother. Congratulations Suzanne. From the picture you had on your avatar some time back, you don't look old enough to be anyones Granny! Please pass on my congrats to your son as well.

Funny old day today, did bits and pieces and more bits and pieces. Not much constructive but am sort of getting to the end of the pile of things to do at work (does that ever happen at home?). We have a couple of the Sydney trainers come up to do some FICO training this week. They seem surprised that I have organised the room, turned on the aircon and set out the paperwork and documentation for them. They tell me that they don't get looked after like that down there! I made some Blueberry muffins over the weekend and took them in for my blokes today. They were all happily munching away at morning tea time. I'm in the good books for a couple of days at least.

Haven't heard anything about the job in OSR yet. But it is government and will take time. Other silly thing that happened today was an e-mail from a recruiting agency asking for my cv and availability. What's silly about that? It's the same recruiting company that is dealing with the OSR for this job I have been working on!!! Hello, is anyone talking to anyone else out there.

I'm trying to locate a certain squash racquet for DS1 - it's what he wants for his birthday - well today I tried yet another place that 'usually' has them but has none at the moment. Tomorrow I think I will let my fingers do the walking and find it by phone. I can only hope it isn't forty kilometres in the opposite direction from home. It's not as if it is a weird brand or model or anything. No one seems to have one for one reason or another.

Mel is still not too well. Apparently she had a run in with Senna tea and come off worst. She is on the mend and will return.

Be nice to hear from Tig and Happy again. Teel rung me on the weekend - she is okay but her sleeping habits have gone to pot again. Maybe if she smoked pot all her problems would just float away!!!! No don't do it Teel.

Okay, one more thing to take off my to do list for tonight and it will be time for bed. I didn't sleep too well last night for one reason or another. Early night tonight I guess. Geez I must be getting old.

Hello my friends. It is a gorgeous sunny day here today which makes for a nice change!!However the wind is cold and strong especially if one is trying to walk headlong into it!!
Holly and I have managed to walk as far as the post box at the end of the close today!! It's not exactly a marathon...on a good day it only takes 5 minutes to get from door to door again!! Today however we were a lot slower!!Nice to see the sunshine though

Linus I am sorry to see you are ill again! I thought pregnancy was meant to make you blossom and bloom but you certainly have had a very rough time of it. You just wait til I get up there! I'll sort you out!!
Shad it was great to talk to you in the midnight hour on Saturday night local time!!It's a good job there are always some people awake round the other side of the world to blether to whilst everyone is asleep or at least trying to be so!!Good luck with the Brisbane job opportunity! May it be yours for the taking if you want it to be!!
Mel you poorly sick too?! Get well soon everyone for spring is upon us at last in this hemisphere and the sun is out for once!!
Happy where are you hiding? Have you got lost head first in a packing case?

Hello to everyone else !!
Oh I forgot to report to Miss Linus for my points! I do think I will wash last week out of the collection! I lost count and ran out of squash to make the water taste better so had to rely on the fizzy stuff and then yesterday morning I forgot to step on those darn scales so I think this week was a dead loss really!! I know I scored about 3!!!!So I have started again as far as the fizzy drink amnesty is concerned! Don't know how the weight is going....I am happy as long as it is going and not coming back!!

Teel good to see you back in print again. We seem to be a very quiet bunch at the moment. Hope it is because everyone is busy achieving their goals and not because they are becoming bored and dropping out.

Quiet day on the work front. Still beavering away to get all doco done and passed to the web site for publishing. Why is it that I always seem to pick the hard ones to do. And why is it that when I get to the subject, there is always just one bit more for me to put in and one more thing to find and document. Todays little effort ran to 26 pages - ye gods, I will be finding a publisher if it gets any longer.

Gym this morning for the treadmill. I really didn't feel like it. I woke up to the alarm but must have dozed off again and its 40 mins later already. I raced around - at least I had packed my gym bag the night before and shot out of the house just after 5.00 for the gym. 5.30 at the gym, 50 mins of treadie for 7km and 510cals and I'm in the shower and off to work. Self talk all the way, you know you gotta do this, you know you will get through it, just take it 5 minutes at a time.

Cyclone Ingrid has been touring the north of Australia and has caused damage from Cairns in the east to Kurrundaru in the west. So far she has been downgraded 3 times from 5 to 2 and upgraded 3 times to a 5 and is expected to cross the coast tonight at Kurrundaru - a tiny little fishing village on the northern coast. Ingrid has caused damage from Cairns (deluge of water) to Weipa (damage to mine and infrastructure, ripped the heart out of Tiwi and Croker Islands and managed to blow Darwin around a bit. Hopefully when she comes ashore this time it will be the end for her. Otherwise we may see her do a circumnavigation of the continent.

I've done the dishes and made my breakfast and put three loads of laundry through the machine. I guess it is time to get on with sanding down a couple of walls and a ceiling in the entry hall. So with that in mind - lets do it. See ya

Hi Shad thanks for the update on the storm down there.....I have been wondering about it and I don't get world news coverage any more since I dropped all the channels...... hope you get the job you want.....you are so good at being consistant at the gym..... I need to develop some you can do it attitude.
I am doing my treadmill at home and trying to increase my time a bit at a time. It does feel good when it is all done!!!!
Teel, so nice to see you are getting around a little bit...I do hope that ankle comes good again for you. I am sure that Holly is enjoying the outside walks again.
Where is everyone......
I had a good weekend and got soooo much done it feels so good.... I will report on my challenge later in the week...
Eat good meals
exercise.... 30 minutes
Take Care Everyone,
Nae

Hello to you wordly chicks!!

I feel remarkably refreshed. Happy sigh.
Yesterday was plain old fantastic. Good morning with kids. DH was pleasant. He did comment that he needed to get a job and get outs here the kids were driving him batty. Heehee. Really?
But it is not hard physical labour.
The kids and I went to town and hung around the Dollar store. They each bought a treat with their own cashola.
Then I copied and blew up some pics on a kodak machine for framing. I am so HAPPY!!!!
The first was a pic of grandma on her 95th. The second was along distance shot of DS riding a sheep and I got it closer. Awesome. The 3rd was a close up of all my canning on the shelves in fall. I did a 5X7 and framed it for in the kitchen. Very artsy..The 4th I am soooo excited about. I had a pic of our house from 1972 when it was a gas station/restaurant and recent aerial shot( 2003) I made them both 5X7 and then used a cherry wood frame( I hated the pic in it) , cut a new mat and framed them. Yippee!
I went up to bed at 4 and read for an hour. Made supper. Read form 6-7.Got the kids ready for bed. They zonked out by 7:30. I read til 9. Watched 24 with DH and then slept for a solid 8 hours. Weeheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
DS slept til 8am!!! Remarkable. What ever am I going to do with a happy, well rested family?
Our night time sitter is coming to do crafts with the kids this morning. I picked up pom pom kits to make bunnies.

I did my monthly weigh in. I was 227. That is up 2 form last month. It is OKAY I was very sick 3 weeks this month I have not exercised and I have been eating carbs every night. I am feeling recharged and ready to go.

Oh, DH did get a call for that job, talked to personnel today, the starting pay is low(too low) but the job is his if he wants it. He is going to wait a bit. He sent off 3 resumes today.2 were for cabinet making. Those would be cool!

Have happy day!

just me again not dropping out but being driven mad,dad has been making problems at the mo {accidently overdosing on his co_proxamol by 100 tablets } so im now cheif organiser for this problem but he wont liste to anyone else so im having to deal with all the arrangements for changing his tablet issuing and arranging for the nurse to do liver function tests and taking him to the cardiologist and so forth and so forth ,so i dont know when ill get in or how often ,this week so if you could please do the challenge for this week shad id be most apprecitive ,just what i need more hassles lol starting to sound like poor mel ,right have to go and pay the bills online since ive not managed to do them in person {sorry electricity board} i will be in reading and trying to do quick posts will let you all know how i get on at the midwives tomorrow
have a good one
kirsty

Linus~ sorry about your woes. Take good care of YOU! Let us know how the midwife goes.

I Am Outa Control!
What is with all this laid back stuff!!! I played hookey from church and dance for DD. I am playing hookey from TOPS. I had a highschool girl yersterday who did crafts, took all the kids outside.....I puttered and got meals. She is back today. DH is laid off, so home. No school for the kids. We are all relaxed. Could it be we are having a little HOLIDAY???? What total madness!!!!

6 kids today. Off to the sugar bush. DH ‘s cousin invited herself with her kids. One is wild. It is okay but stressful not what I would have chosen. I will breathe.

I painted a sign for the diningroom that says....You can draw in the dust but please dont date it!
Oh, what fun!!! It made my day!! I cant wait for my Mom to see it. She will be horrified.hehehehehehe

Have I mentioned I am having my family for Easter? Leg of lamb, baked potato casserole, asparagus, a funky salad and I am still thinking on dessert.

I really need to finish that book today. I fell asleep with my face it it last night.

The old head is pretty empty.

Again, I wont mention the crackers I ate. i wasn’t even hungry. Stop it!!!

Have a light and airy day!

Boy we are a quiet lot today. Must all be out celebrated St Paddys day. Green beer is flowing in the city today. Tonight there will be no stopping some of them and on Saturday I guess will be the St Patricks street parade. Guess I won't be going anywhere near town this weekend. Next weekend is Easter. Who amongst us has organised themselves so that it won't be a chocolate binge that weekend?? I see we have some St Pats smilies.

Linus don't worry about the challenges - I think they have done their dash for a while anyway. Many of the people who were entering the spirit of the challenge seemed to have disappeared for a while and Mel is not so good. She maybe back tomorrow, maybe.

Holly, what are you up to - I was trying to fathom out the message behind your post. I guess you must be having a hard time of sticking to the plan - have I got it right?? We all have these bad times. It seems worse between seasons when it is neither one nor the other. You guys have it much worse than me. I would probably be going stir crazy about now over there.

Lots of things to do tonight, I got lazy last night and didn't get everything done on my list so will have to get on with it tonight or else!! Actually I didn't get that lazy, I sort of got waylaid doing other things - like clearing the junk and dust out of the spare room. My life is in boxes in there - so is the boys lives it seems. I moved things from box to box and will take to the DS2 place and tell him to deal with his own sh*t. Then next time DS2 comes tootling around, he can deal with his sh*t. That just leaves my sh*t and there seems to be two household lots of that.
The reason I got waylaid is that I sold my second vacuum cleaner to one of the blokes and I thought there might be some more accessories in some of the boxes. I haven't found any more so maybe there isn't. Anyway, it is now gone and I have a few extra square inches of floor space. Chucked out 3 or 4 buckets worth of junk at the same time. One day, I will get it all sorted and have a garage sale to get rid of some of it. Sounds like a plan to me.

Okay, time to move it Shaddles. (found some dog hair while I was cleaning too - still haven't completely got rid of the old bloke) get on with the day. See ya

Shad! It you and me today!! I didn't mean to be cryptic.giggle. Yes, I have been lazy with a snack too many and not enough exercise.
It is spring break for the kids and DH is laid off so it seems like a holiday. I am still babysitting. 7 kids today!! I seem to be very relaxed right now. Enjoyable.
I love throwing things out and organizing.Hope your day is grand!

A friends son is here for the day. The others arrive at 8.
Book Club tonight.
Okay, the Life of Pi was intriguing. I liked the beginning and end and about half of the middle. I am “hosting” the meeting tonight.We meet in the “boardroom” that the police,township and library share.
It has a beat up old table and 12 missmatched chairs, two of which are tippy. The late comers get those.
I have researched some ideas for leading the discussion. I am also in charge of bringing a snack. I am going to make an Indian sweet bread and Raita and naan bread.
The main character in from India. I thought about raw fish or seaweed but.........

Yesterday was really nice. I was pooped after 4 hours at the bush with 6 kids but several glasses of water and a tea fixed that. Quiet evening. Good sleep. DH wanted icecream. I had a bowl.
There seems to be 1 off plan thing every day. I will maintain but not lose. I have at least 30 lbs to go, c’mon chick.
Our church Roast beef supper is tonight but the church ladies told me I do enough and dont need to come clear tables!! yippee!
DH seems well! He has been sleeping from about 9pm-6am every night and napping during the day for 2-3 hours, for a week. The change in him is remarkable. His face is plumper and less drawn. He is lighthearted. Can you imagine just how burned out he must have been?
He got everything all set up, measured out and ready to grout the tile. It may actually happen soon.
DS got wiggy yesterday but we had good dialogue and he is more settled today.

Hmmmmm.....gotta think of green food to feed the troops today. Cucumber.....

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!!!

Yes, where are all of our friends.... HappY St. Pat's Day from the snowy Wilderness. We actually had a little storm blow last night and the snow is plastered sideways on the outside of the house..... more storms would be ok with me..... the east coast is crazy with them and we are desiring them.....
Shad I had to smile at your post.... it sort of has a shade of me in it.... I am trying to get through the lives of my boys and box them up and my ex's stuff too...... and talk about vacuum cleaners..... they are coming out of my ears...since owning the motel is what brought us here........but I am getting some things done and moving in that direction and it feels good.... I have basement full of stuff that arrived from alaska when we came and there it sits......
Where is our Mel? Even when she isn't great she pops is so we don't worry.... oh Miss Mel....what is going on are you ok?????
Linus, I am so sorry about the problems with your dad....that part of life is so painful to watch the different transitions and have to be the one dealing with the details of another's life....best of luck to you....how are you feeling in the mornings these days?????
I started a file for my trip and I am getting so excited.... I have still been getting on the treadmill too....today I started my P***** so that will help me to feel better.... you would think that would decide to leave me someday soon!!!!! I am glad to have something to look forward too and anxious to see what new perspectives I encounter.
Please everyone have a great day and stop in tell us how you are all getting on! May the blessings of this day sparkle anew in the simple pleasures.
Love ya,
Nae