Cough, cough Choke, splutter. Hard to breathe at the moment with all the bush fires around. I'm told the air in Brisbane is now worse than that in Beijing. Yikes
Still slight improvement on what we have had and the heroic firies (firemen and volunteer fire fighters) are getting some relief with new crews arriving from New Zealand, Tasmania, and the US. Thanks for sending us help, much appreciated. So far our fires have covered the entire eastern seaboard of Queensland and more in NSW and inland. Apparently 1,100,000 hectares is burning (approx. 2.5 acres to the hectare) which is more than burned in the Amazon. So this is a great loss to the lungs of the earth. They have also consumed several hundred homes and killed 4 people (that we know of) and countless wildlife some of which was critically endangered. And it is not just Queensland and NSW on fire, there are some burning out in the red centre and some in South and Western Australia. Only States not on fire are Victoria and Tasmania and they are getting snow blizzards and storms. Not a pretty situation.
Other than that, the painting goes on. Nearly done in the lounge and then onto the dining room and kitchen - which shouldn't take too long as there is not much wall, mainly windows and cupboards there. It's too hot to work outside so I go out there very early, water the plants and put out the rubbish and then come inside and work in here. Will be nice to get the painting off my list of things to do. It is getting smaller but I keep adding to it as well so that isn't good.
DS2 should be landing in Chicago shortly. Left here for SF yesterday afternoon. He packs like his mother, only more untidy. 11.6kg in his suitcase - which as I said left lots of room for him to buy me some presents. I hope he remembers to get something for little miss S for (that C word which should not be mentioned) and maybe I will need to remind him at some stage.
Annie - good to hear from you. Are you gaining weight because you have gone off the Keto diet. You did so well on that for a long time. I'm not much more than a flabby, fluffy mess either.
Just book something that takes your fancy for the summer break. Lord alone knows that families can never seem to come to a joint decision without derision, dissension, discussion or sulking because that's not where they want to go - but couldn't say where they did want to go.
Glad to hear the sil is doing okay and that C is behaving. Maybe he got a big enough fright to make him behave.
Glad to hear the arm is doing okay as well. Seems to always take longer when you get a little older.
Laura - glad to hear the foot is coming along and that you are bearing up with being at home - can get boring when you can't move about too well.
I'm sure the DS will find something to do, just bothers me that he might get mugged for his phone or something, so I have impressed on him about walking down streets and not looking around him and staying alert. He's big enough to look after himself I guess. He has a list of things on his phone he wants to try to get to see. And he will look like the Michelin man getting along with all the layers he will be wearing. Going from 35C (100F) to 3F or whatever it is in Chicago today will be interesting for that hot house boy.
Meantime dog is missing him and is hot and bothered as well.
Happy - sounds like a nice time at the craft show. My friend in Arizona used to do the rounds of them - mind you she had a stall/booth whatever you call it, so she might have made a few dollars as well. Hope the bingo goes well for the restaurant and for the shelter and also for you.
You are doing the right thing about decluttering. A little at a time and get rid of what you have decided you don't need straight away. It will eventually get done and you don't get bored and fussed out over the amount of boxes or shelves still to do. I'm about to start on my pre retirement wardrobe when I get through the painting, and off it will go to the Op shop. I've also a box of computer gear which I can no longer use or need to use, and some books that are in good shape but the boys don't want them and I certainly don't so they are off to the Recycling Shed in the next couple of days.
Painting I don't mind but the prep drives me bonkers.
Nearly done now. So get all your prep done and I'll be over to paint. Then I can go over to Annies and paint her place and fix the doors etc.
Ceejay - hope the nephew is doing okay now. Does he do AA (alcoholics anonymous)? But at least he admitted to his fault this time and hasn't blamed anyone else - well it didn't sound like it anyway.
How's the hand coming along?
Susie - You are wishing your life away. Winter may be cold and wet but at least it cuts down the breeding of flies and other bugs which annoy the heck out of us.
Glad to see you are painting as well and the house is like mine and in complete disarray. There is only one bathroom here too so we have to take turns when I have visitors. When the bathroom was redone, I had a porta-bathroom in the front yard and it had shower, basin and toilet. Glad that I only needed it for a week - the dash to the loo was something else particularly in the middle of the night.
Okay, that seems about it for the time being, Now I had better get on with the last major wall of the lounge room and get the prep underway. I'd like to have it all done by next weekend. On the 15th, the family will descend for the Christmas feast since many of us will be out of town for the actual day. Hopefully we will be finished with the fires by then and will be able to light the bbq to cook some of the stuff. I haven't counted how many this year yet but it should about 16 or so I guess. Lots of fun.
Oh yes, the cat got an infected tooth and it had to be extracted. Off to the vet with him for the day and $829 later I got him back. He'll be sleepy said the vet. He won't probably want to eat said the vet. He will appreciate water said the vet He will appreciate a calm and peaceful place to sleep said the vet. He shouldn't go outside said the vet. Yeah right. Get him home and he makes straight for the food bowl - nothing there and I get a look that says he is about to ring the RSPCA to claim abuse. I feed him some soupy stuff and strain all the solids out of it so it is liquid and he sups the lot. Then he gives me the look again, so I do another packet which is almost gone before I get the bowl on the floor. Then I get the look again so I give him the fishy solids that I had strained off. That's gone in less than a minute. I give him biscuits, they are gone just as quick. He then curls up on the mat and washes himself. And then bolts out the door into the night and I don't see him again until he lets me know that daylight is coming and he needs more food. The dog is pleased to see him home so they thunder up and down the hallway chasing each other.
Wait until I see that vet on Monday again.
Sigh
to Susie. Hope you are feeling better too. I'd better get on with my coffee and then tackle the last of the sanding of walls. Can't wait to put the house back together again and the furniture in place again. Have to admit it has been worth it though, the new colour looks cool and refreshing.
