This week I decided to try to revitalise the concept of movies by copying the contents of a couple of tapes onto the computer (to free up the now difficult to get tapes... There's a pressy idea for Christmas if you need one.... 'Digital 8' tape. The buggers nicked my mini digi cam in London remember?)
Anyway, this is my first movie up load.... ever!
Matilda and I went to the muesum at her behest last Saturday, her having given up her chance to go to ballet. 'Yukky'. Phoebe and Lilly went instead, with Nana, Carlene and Maddy.
Tild and I got down to the good stuff. We had a FANTASTIC day! This is of course just a glimpse. We went paddling at the South Bank beach, we went to a market...
...go on! Click on the arra!
Monday, 29 September 2008
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Good luck Josh...
I just found this bit of wisdom. Its written by someone called Lesa Whyte. I really like it, and i'm putting it here for you Josh. Good bit of 'steerage' for someone going to university I reckon.
"If you have something to say, you'll never get any feedback if you don't
actually say it. You'll learn by asking questions. It isn't wrong to wonder. Don't
be afraid of sounding stupid. Everyone else is just as perplexed by life as you.
Every single thing you do will affect every other thing you do; there is no part
of your life that isn't connected to every other part of your life. You define
yourself in the smallest acts, and in every single moment. Don't wait for a
great big grand finale to find out who you are because you are who you are
every day. [...]
Oh, yeah, and "wear sunscreen." ;-)
"If you have something to say, you'll never get any feedback if you don't
actually say it. You'll learn by asking questions. It isn't wrong to wonder. Don't
be afraid of sounding stupid. Everyone else is just as perplexed by life as you.
Every single thing you do will affect every other thing you do; there is no part
of your life that isn't connected to every other part of your life. You define
yourself in the smallest acts, and in every single moment. Don't wait for a
great big grand finale to find out who you are because you are who you are
every day. [...]
Oh, yeah, and "wear sunscreen." ;-)
Friday, 19 September 2008
362 days....
Well the moment is upon us. It's a year since we arrived in Australia! The first blog entry was the 14th of Sept while we were in Bangkok, but the first entry from Oz was the 22nd.
We've had a fantastic year, despite not having made any tangible progress on the house. We've found that the process of living in a new place took a LOT more time and effort than we'd imagined and that the temptation to sit down at the end of the day has been just too great.
Phoebe has started to get into things in more depth. She has become MORE like Phoebe than she was. I mean she sings along to herself just as much, but the subject matter is a bit older (a year older more or less!) and she's more wily in the way she winds up Matilda. She's developed as a dancer, having joined her ballet class and done really well. They are going to be doing a show at the posh theatre in Ipswich, in which they will be using the proper dressing rooms and everything will be as it would be for 'proper' dancers. The teacher, ms Ivegottalottasnottupmynose-akova has told Daile that this is in recognition of the fact that most of them wont be getting an opportunity to do that again...since they wont make it as dancers in reality. I was pleased to hear that was the reason... I've been wondering about her. Phoebe's not quite as fragile as she was either - this IS Australia after all! Reading wise she's beginning to get it too, and probably would be sailing ahead if we were blowing her sails... as it is we've been happy to let her go slower than she's ready for, and she's been fine with that. All the kids start later here as I've already mentioned and there's no point in pushing her too far ahead... even if a bit of a head start is a good thing for confidence. Her ability to fold her own clothes is fledgling but sweet to watch...unless you're in a hurry. She's VERY girly.
Matilda on the other hand is VERY un-girly. She's come along really well in general (as a person to hang out with) and is much more in control of herself than she was when we left. Having said that, both Josh and Molly didn't really get to see that developing aspect of her personality too much because she's a show off when people are around. It seems to be that she will behave best when its just Daile or I or at least just someone who she's really not trying to impress. I'm very impressed with her ability to control her mountainous tempers and really love her spirit that persists through all her travails. School wise she's settled in really well, is a major player in the poetry club, the science club and generally a bit of a swat. However, you'd not want to be the kid that picked a fight with her for it.... she's as stubborn as a bank manager, as tough as a prize fighter and as ferocious as a cornered cat. She's also INCREDIBLY creative! (I take full responsibility for this aspect....Daile is responsible for the stubbornness!)
This is one of Josh's pics which seems to describe them pretty well:
When Molly visited she was significantly older. She came across as like Molly, but without so many 'out there' sorts of comments and observations. She reckons she's matured.... and she has, but like Asda mild cheddar to Waitrose mild cheddar. Still plenty of room for more if you know what I mean. (No offence Moll! He he). She's been really working hard at college and has been blisteringly prolific with her artwork. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she's going to be a player in this field, however it manifests itself... and of course she is turning out to be a fine and good looking woman type of thingy too. She wants a car. I'm hoping that will focus her to the need to work at things that you don't always feel like doing too.
Josh distinguished himself this year by managing to travel around the world on a bag of pork scratchings and wallet full of coppers. I was impressed greatly by this - having already braced myself for an emergency bail out. I was happy that he proved me wrong - and normally I don't take much pleasure in being wrong as many of you will recall. I really wanted him to 'get' that money isn't easy to come by. He did some work at a frozen food factory that started at 5am and that was fun to watch too....even though I had to get up at 3am to take him there. Next week he starts his university phase, and is doing English at Exeter Uni (Falmouth campus). http://www.ex.ac.uk/cornwall/?icid=G035-3079692-106G
Smart move this, since the cost of living is less and therefore the amount of work he's going to have to do to keep himself in the squalor to which he's about to become accustomed will be less. Oh to be able to do all that for him... curled up with James Joyce Ulysses and no particular obligations for a bit.
Daile has turned into Cinderella, she cleans the house and clothes all day and cooks at night. She's been trying to get her psychology degree augmented with a biological psychology addition that is required for her to work as a psychologist here. She's also been training as a counsellor for Lifeline, a service that is like the Samaritans in the UK. She's missing the UK at times funnily enough - not so much the place, but the people she used to hang out with! The way things work here from a school drop off perspective couldn't be more different than the way it worked in the UK. Here its all done without getting out of the 4WD. Hardly any groups of women standing round with the breasts propped up by folded arms cooing like chickens. Its all air brakes and carbon monoxide outside the school here.
Wayne and Bernadette have been solid. I'm amazed that even after all this time, they are still as uncritical and just as accepting of our presence in their home as they were when we arrived. They are a wonderful couple of people.
And I've found my place here. I LOVE the masculine culture thing here. It makes it easy to be comfortable in my skin. Where else would I be able to drive a 4WD along deserted tracks and beach, blat around in a boat, and call women 'mate', without falling foul of some politically correct edict or other. Workwise, I've been right out on a limb to be honest. I think I've done pretty OK considering that there is absolutely NO creative element to this job and my bonus depends on 'gross profit' - whatever that is! THAT is what's stopping me from getting the house built... and beer of course. If I could put my beer down for long enough, perhaps I'd be in with a fighting chance!
We've had a fantastic year, despite not having made any tangible progress on the house. We've found that the process of living in a new place took a LOT more time and effort than we'd imagined and that the temptation to sit down at the end of the day has been just too great.
Phoebe has started to get into things in more depth. She has become MORE like Phoebe than she was. I mean she sings along to herself just as much, but the subject matter is a bit older (a year older more or less!) and she's more wily in the way she winds up Matilda. She's developed as a dancer, having joined her ballet class and done really well. They are going to be doing a show at the posh theatre in Ipswich, in which they will be using the proper dressing rooms and everything will be as it would be for 'proper' dancers. The teacher, ms Ivegottalottasnottupmynose-akova has told Daile that this is in recognition of the fact that most of them wont be getting an opportunity to do that again...since they wont make it as dancers in reality. I was pleased to hear that was the reason... I've been wondering about her. Phoebe's not quite as fragile as she was either - this IS Australia after all! Reading wise she's beginning to get it too, and probably would be sailing ahead if we were blowing her sails... as it is we've been happy to let her go slower than she's ready for, and she's been fine with that. All the kids start later here as I've already mentioned and there's no point in pushing her too far ahead... even if a bit of a head start is a good thing for confidence. Her ability to fold her own clothes is fledgling but sweet to watch...unless you're in a hurry. She's VERY girly.
Matilda on the other hand is VERY un-girly. She's come along really well in general (as a person to hang out with) and is much more in control of herself than she was when we left. Having said that, both Josh and Molly didn't really get to see that developing aspect of her personality too much because she's a show off when people are around. It seems to be that she will behave best when its just Daile or I or at least just someone who she's really not trying to impress. I'm very impressed with her ability to control her mountainous tempers and really love her spirit that persists through all her travails. School wise she's settled in really well, is a major player in the poetry club, the science club and generally a bit of a swat. However, you'd not want to be the kid that picked a fight with her for it.... she's as stubborn as a bank manager, as tough as a prize fighter and as ferocious as a cornered cat. She's also INCREDIBLY creative! (I take full responsibility for this aspect....Daile is responsible for the stubbornness!)
This is one of Josh's pics which seems to describe them pretty well:
When Molly visited she was significantly older. She came across as like Molly, but without so many 'out there' sorts of comments and observations. She reckons she's matured.... and she has, but like Asda mild cheddar to Waitrose mild cheddar. Still plenty of room for more if you know what I mean. (No offence Moll! He he). She's been really working hard at college and has been blisteringly prolific with her artwork. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she's going to be a player in this field, however it manifests itself... and of course she is turning out to be a fine and good looking woman type of thingy too. She wants a car. I'm hoping that will focus her to the need to work at things that you don't always feel like doing too.
Josh distinguished himself this year by managing to travel around the world on a bag of pork scratchings and wallet full of coppers. I was impressed greatly by this - having already braced myself for an emergency bail out. I was happy that he proved me wrong - and normally I don't take much pleasure in being wrong as many of you will recall. I really wanted him to 'get' that money isn't easy to come by. He did some work at a frozen food factory that started at 5am and that was fun to watch too....even though I had to get up at 3am to take him there. Next week he starts his university phase, and is doing English at Exeter Uni (Falmouth campus). http://www.ex.ac.uk/cornwall/?icid=G035-3079692-106G
Smart move this, since the cost of living is less and therefore the amount of work he's going to have to do to keep himself in the squalor to which he's about to become accustomed will be less. Oh to be able to do all that for him... curled up with James Joyce Ulysses and no particular obligations for a bit.
Daile has turned into Cinderella, she cleans the house and clothes all day and cooks at night. She's been trying to get her psychology degree augmented with a biological psychology addition that is required for her to work as a psychologist here. She's also been training as a counsellor for Lifeline, a service that is like the Samaritans in the UK. She's missing the UK at times funnily enough - not so much the place, but the people she used to hang out with! The way things work here from a school drop off perspective couldn't be more different than the way it worked in the UK. Here its all done without getting out of the 4WD. Hardly any groups of women standing round with the breasts propped up by folded arms cooing like chickens. Its all air brakes and carbon monoxide outside the school here.
Wayne and Bernadette have been solid. I'm amazed that even after all this time, they are still as uncritical and just as accepting of our presence in their home as they were when we arrived. They are a wonderful couple of people.
And I've found my place here. I LOVE the masculine culture thing here. It makes it easy to be comfortable in my skin. Where else would I be able to drive a 4WD along deserted tracks and beach, blat around in a boat, and call women 'mate', without falling foul of some politically correct edict or other. Workwise, I've been right out on a limb to be honest. I think I've done pretty OK considering that there is absolutely NO creative element to this job and my bonus depends on 'gross profit' - whatever that is! THAT is what's stopping me from getting the house built... and beer of course. If I could put my beer down for long enough, perhaps I'd be in with a fighting chance!
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Land lubbing
On Sunday I went down to do the new boat. As you'll see its no oil painting, but it is sound, and i'm looking forward to getting it all sorted out and in the water. The trailer is new and still needs to have the brakes connected up. There is cosmetic fibre-glassing required in the cabin, and i'm going to put a door on (probably)... but right now I just want to get it in the water and see what we've got. So the thing that needs doing first is the device that raises and lowers the outboard and trims it in the water is broken.. so I've pulled it off. The hydraulic pump is broken.
Saturday, 13 September 2008
Longer lasting posters?
You remember the post about the signs..? Look at this! Someone has censored them. Good on 'em!
Ha ha
Ha ha
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Jack be nimble....
Have you ever noticed how big a baby's head is on its body? Apparently its like that because its difficult to get all that brain into something smaller.
With cats its at the other end!
Today we got a kitten. Matilda called him Jack. (Good name) .... but check out the relationship between the size of his body, and the size of his bum hole! Er... so why IS that?
When I brought Jack back to the house this morning from the pet shop, I'd not really considered Monty's reaction too much. I knew that he'd be a bit put out, but it was a bit of a shame that he tried to eat him! Twice! The first time Jack was obviously a bit surprised by it too.... but the second attempt had him spitting at Mont rather convincingly for one so small. Then, to prove a point, he sank his teeth through my finger! This had the desired effect and I got him 'outa there'.
Daile took the cat out to the office/playroom and she and Phoebe spend most of the day out there, with Monty looking in and Jack taunting him at the window.
Bernadette had the idea that we could use the fence that we had been using to keep Monty off the drive, to keep Mony off the cat IN the house. Brilliant! So now we could get the cat in, get the dog used to it, and all hang out.
Monty circled the cage for hours, getting the occasional nip, and eventually lick in. For his part, Jack eased up on the hissing, and by the end of the evening there seemed to be an uneasy resignation in Monty's face.
Needless to say, Matilda was in her little girly Richard Attenborough heaven...
'...and here you can just see that if I hold his ears back like this...he looks like Pamela Anderson having a face lift'....
For these precious moments...we pay for the next 16 years! God I'm a cynic.
Daile incidentally has gone to bed with him!
Doesn't she realise that shit comes out of these things? I bet he's asleep on my pillow! I'll probably wake up looking at that bum tomorrow!
Bless!
With cats its at the other end!
Today we got a kitten. Matilda called him Jack. (Good name) .... but check out the relationship between the size of his body, and the size of his bum hole! Er... so why IS that?
When I brought Jack back to the house this morning from the pet shop, I'd not really considered Monty's reaction too much. I knew that he'd be a bit put out, but it was a bit of a shame that he tried to eat him! Twice! The first time Jack was obviously a bit surprised by it too.... but the second attempt had him spitting at Mont rather convincingly for one so small. Then, to prove a point, he sank his teeth through my finger! This had the desired effect and I got him 'outa there'.
Daile took the cat out to the office/playroom and she and Phoebe spend most of the day out there, with Monty looking in and Jack taunting him at the window.
Bernadette had the idea that we could use the fence that we had been using to keep Monty off the drive, to keep Mony off the cat IN the house. Brilliant! So now we could get the cat in, get the dog used to it, and all hang out.
Monty circled the cage for hours, getting the occasional nip, and eventually lick in. For his part, Jack eased up on the hissing, and by the end of the evening there seemed to be an uneasy resignation in Monty's face.
Needless to say, Matilda was in her little girly Richard Attenborough heaven...
'...and here you can just see that if I hold his ears back like this...he looks like Pamela Anderson having a face lift'....
For these precious moments...we pay for the next 16 years! God I'm a cynic.
Daile incidentally has gone to bed with him!
Doesn't she realise that shit comes out of these things? I bet he's asleep on my pillow! I'll probably wake up looking at that bum tomorrow!
Bless!
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Molly has left the building....
After we came back from Fraser, there was a kind of calm pervading our persona's for.... ooh must have been about an hour! As soon as we came within the environs of the city, we knew we were back in the thick of commercialism....
This sign is one that has become prolific here. I find it really offensive.... hey! NOT that I'VE got any problems in that department you understand!! It's just that its the verbal equivalent of a picture of an average couple...you know.... doing....it!
...and then it was back to work for me. Molly has been really good about the general lack of pace during her stay here. There's been a whole lot of hanging about with the kids and Phoebe in particular has been like a necklace to her. However, at the end of that week, Daile took all the girls to the famous Australia Zoo... the one that Steve Irwin started, and that his widow and children are expanding like their pop star status depended on it.
They had a really good time. There were lots of animals that you could make contact with, but Matilda still found some of it a bit upsetting she told me. I think that like me, she finds it sad to see the wild animals kept in such small space (relatively).
This is a wombat....
Then the following Saturday, I'd got some free tickets to the Boat Show, and as the proud owner of TWO boats... I felt compelled to go. Some of the boats there were, as you might expect, out of this world. This one (with apologies for the focus of the pic) had 3 x 250hp outboards on it. They were absolutely MASSIVE. I just had to go and stand next to them to soak up some of the awesomeness. I imagine that with a boat like this, you can do away with a pudenda altogether! What with the sign on the road outside about having longer lasting sex and this on the inside, there were a lot of sheepish looking fellas in there!
... I certainly saw a lot of activity at the fishing rod stand anyway! Then when we got back home Matilda thrashed me at chequers. Good day then. I DEFINITELY need to buy a Porshe. Good job I haven't got the loot eh!
Then before you can say anitdisestablishmentarianism, its the last week of Molly's trip.
We took her to the land which we'd managed to keep not managing to do. We went out for a couple of meals,
looked at shoes...
...had a driving session, did some hanging out...and then on Friday lunchtime it was all over!
The girls took time off school and Kindy to take her and I met them at the airport. Matilda doesn't do this well. When Josh left she was really upset so we were not surprised when she was just the same with Molly and had to be prised off her when she actually went.
We had a call from Moll this arvo.. she's back and fine. She had a good book this time, and the flight went really quickly as a result.
We all miss her of course, Matilda being a bit teary. Then we found the little notes that Molly had left on the Nixie clock and had a little warm moment. Thanks for those Moll... it helped.
And so we press on. Fast approaching the anniversary of this blog and our arrival here. Can't quite believe it.
This sign is one that has become prolific here. I find it really offensive.... hey! NOT that I'VE got any problems in that department you understand!! It's just that its the verbal equivalent of a picture of an average couple...you know.... doing....it!
...and then it was back to work for me. Molly has been really good about the general lack of pace during her stay here. There's been a whole lot of hanging about with the kids and Phoebe in particular has been like a necklace to her. However, at the end of that week, Daile took all the girls to the famous Australia Zoo... the one that Steve Irwin started, and that his widow and children are expanding like their pop star status depended on it.
They had a really good time. There were lots of animals that you could make contact with, but Matilda still found some of it a bit upsetting she told me. I think that like me, she finds it sad to see the wild animals kept in such small space (relatively).
This is a wombat....
Then the following Saturday, I'd got some free tickets to the Boat Show, and as the proud owner of TWO boats... I felt compelled to go. Some of the boats there were, as you might expect, out of this world. This one (with apologies for the focus of the pic) had 3 x 250hp outboards on it. They were absolutely MASSIVE. I just had to go and stand next to them to soak up some of the awesomeness. I imagine that with a boat like this, you can do away with a pudenda altogether! What with the sign on the road outside about having longer lasting sex and this on the inside, there were a lot of sheepish looking fellas in there!
... I certainly saw a lot of activity at the fishing rod stand anyway! Then when we got back home Matilda thrashed me at chequers. Good day then. I DEFINITELY need to buy a Porshe. Good job I haven't got the loot eh!
Then before you can say anitdisestablishmentarianism, its the last week of Molly's trip.
We took her to the land which we'd managed to keep not managing to do. We went out for a couple of meals,
looked at shoes...
...had a driving session, did some hanging out...and then on Friday lunchtime it was all over!
The girls took time off school and Kindy to take her and I met them at the airport. Matilda doesn't do this well. When Josh left she was really upset so we were not surprised when she was just the same with Molly and had to be prised off her when she actually went.
We had a call from Moll this arvo.. she's back and fine. She had a good book this time, and the flight went really quickly as a result.
We all miss her of course, Matilda being a bit teary. Then we found the little notes that Molly had left on the Nixie clock and had a little warm moment. Thanks for those Moll... it helped.
And so we press on. Fast approaching the anniversary of this blog and our arrival here. Can't quite believe it.
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