2 more sleeps!

Yep, I missed the big arty farty show tonight - I heard it was grand and the artist sold two paintings. Yay!!!!!
I will try and get in to see it on Sunday, if I get enough time ( promise Michelle!).

Apparently the cleaning and the ironing are waiting for me to return as is one naughty 13 year old who has been unable to function and do as she is told while mother has been away.

I cant wait to see my family and give them hugs and kisses - the cleaning and ironing will have to wait.

We get our 2000 tons of concrete bricks on Monday (just kidding, its not 2000 tons at all, only 1999 ) and as long as the weather holds out, the retaining wall will commence construction by the end of the week.

Tomorrow is a long day....we work till 5pm and then we have to deconstruct the massive book stand..and pack up all the books to go back to the wharehouse.
That should take a few hours extra. Phew.....but then its over.

Thanks to the booksale, some money will go into the bank, but for a moment, only to be taken out again, to pay some stupid bills...isnt that always the way.

Spies in my Bush!

That title should have ASIO onto me with 24 hrs!!!!!!

Well folks, I have not been able to connect to the friggin internet have I?
The spies must be out and have had a plan to shut me down......

I feel like I have been in deep space over the past 48hrs with no connection to the outside world...it has been scary.

Did we all see the eclipse last night?

I went walking and watched it in quiet solitude while contemplating my life as a hoe....

My car just got fixed and has cost a packet of coloured money, mostly greens and yellows, so I am grateful to be hoe - ing at the moment.

Otherwise all is well.
I am hoping that I will be home before I get a chance to kill the next door neighbours as they kept me awake all last night with their fully sick holden ute revving and their major discussions on their mobiles while right outside my bedroom window.

A hoe on no sleep is not a pretty sight!

My adventure to Lakemba!

Tonight I went for a walk to Lakemba, which is about half a kilometer away and played spot the white Australian...I lost.
But.....
it was all good, as I discovered the best ever Lebanese sweet shop I had ever seen!
(well, to tell you the truth I have never really seen one except on T.V., so I guess that would qualify it as the best ever, dont you think?)
It was chock full of baklava style pastries with pistasios, walnuts, dates - oh my goodness...how could I choose?
But.....
I didn't take any money with me ( fool ).

Anyway,I called the man to tell him I was drooling at a shop front window in Lakemba surrounded by Arab men and Jews and that I was ok, and got clearance to buy a kilo or two before I go home on Sunday...it will make a great father's day pressie.
I may sneek up there tomorrow for a smaller sampler pack...shh..don't tell.
P.S.Also brought a much needed bottle of Reisling of which one or two glass fulls have been consumed as I am slowly losing the plot.

Where am I and Prada, Prada where is my Prada!

There was a whisker of daylight left when I finished work today so I decided to go the the nearest Park to where we are currently staying as it is supposed to be very pretty there.
When we arrived, it so happened that the park was full of people.....except we were the only white Australians there.
Every, and I mean every, woman was wearing a veil or headdress to hide her hair.
For a moment, I thought that I could have been teleported overseas accept that there were ibis in the park.
We did not stay -

I must also say that I have never seen so many Prada, Gucci and Dolce Gabba hand bags in my life as I have over the past week.
I am assuming these ones are real ( not like the ones I got from Bali two years ago!)
cause they are attached to women who look quite cashed up indeed.

I guess, I also make a striking statement as I stride the corridors of Miranda Fair with my Coles Green bag....yes...a striking fashion statement alright!

These women all wear high heels to shop too -
I must learn a few tricks so that the next time I go to Wallsend shopping centre I can impress the locals.

Curry and Spice and everything Nice!

Despite waking at 5am and going to work at 7am I have had a nice day - I was fed a beautiful home cooked curry tonight which was made by the husband of Patty's daughter ( whom we are staying with ). he is from Bangladesh and he makes a mean beef curry. I got a few tips on spices and things that he uses and we had a long discussion about cooking. I was shown how to do lentils and split peas in the old Bangladeshi style and it was way cool.
I also ventured out tonight, just up the road for a walk and some alone time.
Low and behold I am surrounded by Indian takaways and grocery stores. I walked into one to find not one thing on the shelves labelled in English...it was like I was overseas!!!

There was a shelf out the back with the most aromatic fresh spices I had ever smelt and I told the proprietor that I would be back for some supplies next week.

There is not much to do at Whiley Park, which is the suburb where I am staying.
About 6 shops make up the main drag - if you blink you will miss them, but it was nice to be out and away from everyone else.

I do enjoy some private time and this has been quite a stretch, being in company continually...I guess that is why I am so stressed during Calendar Club...sometimes I just want to be ALONE!!!!!!

So yes, I am tired but my belly is full of curry and roti, my hot water bottle is full and tomorrow I get to sleep in as we dont start till 10am.

Yay!!!!!

Same ol' shit - different day!

Nothing of note happened today.
I found a shop that makes fresh pretzels and had Indian for lunch.
Hmmmmm...
No...
Nothing else to say.

Tomorrow I get to wake up at 5.45am so that we an get to work by 7am as we have pallets of new stock arriving and we have to get them out and on the shelves by start of trade at 9am.
Sounds like a rip snorter of a morning eh!!
Guess who will be having Macca's for breakfast? (Sorry hippy witch! - I know, I will burn in hell!)

I have managed to get lost every time I have gone on my lunch break - I have no sense of direction ( the man can certainly vouch for that ) and Miranda is freaking huge.....it takes me 15 minutes to work out where the hell I am...so many excellent coffee and cake shops and so little stomach capacity!!!!!

Have fun at tomorrow's market day...I will be thinking of you at 6.15am!!!

A lotto win!

Well, so our lovely Mary Raihn, she of the painful nether regions,has had a lotto win.....I pass on my congratulations to the family...any bonus money ( that does not have to be had via blood,sweat and tears is truely a beautiful thing )....maybe she should change HER name to Lucky?


The funny thing about being somewhere where you havent been before is that.....
There is something very freeing about knowing that you will not bump into anyone that you know...you could create a totally different persona if you wanted to and know one would be the wiser, no wonder some people just disappear...but it is also very lonely - its like dropping onto another planet...everything looks familiar but strange at the same time.

I miss my baby girl and the man especially since they had the hide to go to the new Krispy Creme shop at Charlestown Square and buy a dozen donuts without me!!!!!!

But some really good news came through today..the man had another psa ( blood test)
just before I left for Sydney and his results came back today.
All is clear - his levels are undetectable so we can breathe easy again.
As you can imagine it's always a bit of an uneasy time waiting fo the results to come back, and for some reason I was really quite anxious this time..but it looks like the man is in the clear ( and it will stay that way - or else!)

So have a happy one - and Mary Raihn, dont spend all that money in one shop!

I am missing you all...

It is still cold and miserable here in the outer suburbs of Sydney...it has just started to rain again and I am in bed with my hot water bottle, blogging...
What a thrilling life.
All is well and am getting into the swing of things, although tomorrow will be a bugger of a day - 9am to 9pm....ouch!
Think I might just have an early night as there is nothing else to do...
see ya!

How many hours can one elf wiggle work before she passes out?

Too many!

Not happy Jan - today started at 6.30 am, being wakened by noisy people in the other room.
Three cups of coffee later...
I dragged my sorry arse into the car for the sprint through traffic to the Temple of Doom ( otherwise known as Miranda Fair )
Spent all freaking day inside said Temple and then had to stay overtime to accept delivery of more stinking books...so I didnt get home till after 8.30pm with ouchy feet and stiff back!
This is way too much fun for one person...

Nachos turned out yummy, but definately had them too late, and will probably still be having them tomorrow ( if you know what I mean ).

I hope my girls did well in their YAAD exam tonight...I was thinking of them at around 7pm.

Hippy Witch, I have not succumed to the temptation of the Krispy Cremes....yet, but may have to buy one or two before I leave.
I love you all - and miss you too!

One day down - 12 to go!

I am over this hoing business!!!!
Set up last night took hours of back breaking lifting and carrying - there were eight of us there and it still took from 5pm to 9.30pm to get organised.
But thats over now and it's down to sell, sell, selling!
Traffic in Sydney is crazy - thank goodness we dont have too far to go and Miranda Fair is huge with three levels of shops that go on forever....too many to fit into one building, so you can cross the road and go into the other half of the complex if you so desire!
How many shops does one need?

We are stuck up one end, but the food court isnt far and we have crispy cream donuts close by too!
Looks like I'll be gaining weight while I'm here!

My friend Patty and I are staying with her daughter, and they have been gracious hosts.
They made tea tonight and it's my turn tomorrow - I am making nachos!
It's really cold and I am having trouble sleeping, not to mention the fact that the man's hot bod is not next to me keeping me warm.

Can I come home now?
Please?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to work I go!

Stone the f*****g crows, I am going "hoing" again.

But this time it's all the way to Sydney!

I have been offered to help a friend do another booksale at Miranda for two weeks starting on Monday.

The money should be worthwhile, considering the people in Sydney tend to have more money to pay a poor ole' country ho like me!I will look suitably poor and do a lot of begging!

I do not relish this...I have never been away from family for more than two nights and now I will have to go for 14 days. I am travelling with a friend and once I get there, its work all day every day.

I miss the man and baby girl already.

But, I must pay for the stinking, shitty very expensive retaining wall that will keep our house from sliding down into our neighbur's yard somehow, and these two weeks will pay for a few more concrete blocks.

But it means that I will miss out on my YAAD classes, Diane's Aromatherapy night, Michelle Smudgetick night, the next Market day and Michelle and Larry's Exhibition Opening night.

POO BUM!!!!!!

I will get to see the exhibition during the week when I get back...I am sure, and Lisa assures me that Cottage life will go on regardless of the fact that one wiggle elf will be missing in action somewhere 'hoing' her butt off in down town Sydney.

Hopefully, I can get internet connection somewhere there and I can keep you all informed on my antics!
Otherwise I will feel as though my arms have been cut off.

This work stuff sucks.....
See you on the dark side of the moon!

Next time your children whinge about putting out the garbage!

Have you ever seen the show "Worst jobs in History"?
Last week they were talking about jobs in the Industrial era in England and showed us how little children were used to clean the floors in the cotton mills for 12 hours a day, on their hands and knees, half naked, because of the heat and rushing in and out of the machines to avoid being crushed.
At the end of the day they would get a bowl of slop with a piece of bread, if they were lucky.
They were also used down the mines, to either push the carts full of coal up the small openings, again on their hands and knees in total darkness for around 12 hours A DAY!!!!!
Oh yes, they could have candles, but they had to buy them and this would cut into their meagre wages. Also, you could hardly hold a candle while pushing a cart full of coal and avoid continually falling over.
To avoid getting their clothes dirty and ripped, they mostly worked almost naked.
Now these kids were as young as seven ( could you imagine your seven year old doing this? ) and there is even a case where a three year old was sent to work down the mine.
These kids worked so hard that many died because of continually inhaling all the dust and the injuries they sustained. They were eventually replaced by pit ponies which did the same job.
There were also little kids that were left in charge of door ways that would have to be opened and closed as the carts came past.
So these kids sat in the dark, with the dust, the silence and the RATS, waiting for the signal to open the door and close it when the carts went past - for 12 HOURS A DAY!
My God.....
So next time your child complains about some simple task that you have just asked them to do for the tenth time.....you and I both know...they really have no idea just how lucky they are!

Don't you love T.V.?

Another rivetting t.v. program appeared last night, and as you all know, I kind of like the bizarre...
This one is called..."embarrassing illnesses" and we had the joy of seeing one man's haemorroids, another's athelete's foot and the sheer delight of watching a whole English football team stripping down and playing with their testicles while they are being taught to look for testicular cancer...
Riveting T.v. indeed!
This was followed by "life of Grime" where we were taken to England and shown a decomposing body of a man who had died in his bed and was not found till two days later and a rat infested council flat piled high with unimaginable shit.
Makes you remember just how lucky you are...eh!

Yep...this is for real!

The Blobfish inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it’s rarely seen by humans.

Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the Blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; which allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.

August Winds

Just read Fairy Mary's about the winds and how alive she feels and I must say that I really feel the opposite - the wind always irritates me. I am unsettled by the hot winds of August.
Have a good weekend all!

Ouch!

My back is killing me at the moment - ouch.
This has been going on for two weeks now and I am over it.
Time to hit some anti inflamatories I think.

Everyone has the flu - at YAAD last night all I saw was a group of very sick ladies with snotty and red noses. Half of my daughter's class at school has been off with it.
It's pretty ugly at the moment so stock up on the vitamin C's and Evening Primrose everyone, and don't listen to those sceptics that say that that stuff doesn't work.

Bruised Testicles!

And so I hear you ask...what sort of title for a blog is that?

But this is where our world rotates at the moment.
"Man of many scars" spent the night up and down with ice packs on his nether regions to alleviate the pain,hence the blog title, but all in all it's not too bad, so he says.
There are some strange bruises starting to form in funny places....some interesting colours Anchell - you might want to come over and get some inspiration?
I can see a soul collage idea possible as well ( he he! )
I am sure, if I look hard enough, I will be able to create something.

Today is a quiet day for the family - the child has been asked to go and see the Simpsons movie with her friends, but wont be, due to a very shitty little attitude that was demonstrated last night and the fact that she is still barking like an old man with chronic smoker's cough.
I think the most exciting thing that we will do today is watch some dvd's.
Could be worse!

Another day..another grey hair!

Bright and perky...up at 6am.
Got to Belmont Hospital at 7am.
Lord and Master of my Universe got his "puncture" repaired at 8am and got through it with flying colours.
By the time I got back to see him at 2pm ( after pleading with the nurse as "visiting hours ARE STRICKTLY between 3pm and 8pm!!!!) he was already sweet talking the nurses!
Stop.....one big sigh of relief breathed in and released!!!

"Don't do this again", I say in my head as I take his hand and sit looking into his eyes wondering ( yet again )what I would ever do if I lost him.

I stayed and we talked for a few hours and then I went back home to sick baby child.
I went back at about 6.30pm and the man had already chatted with all the other patients in his room, had tea and managed to still look gorgeous even in his blue hospital gown!

So far, all is good - he is suffering little pain at the moment and is on track for going home tomorrow.

He has souveniered himself another nice little scar to go with the other five that he currently has on his tummy....I'll be able to play join the dots!

Belmont Hospital is as far removed from the John Hunter as two hospitals can be - every time I drove into the car park..there was no problem in finding a spot. I did not pay for parking.It took me two minutes to walk to the entry.The Hospital was quiet, the nurses are lovely...we can't complain!
Lucky again!

24 hours to go!

Tomorrow is D - Day!
Hubby has worked hard all week to lift, pull, push and drag everything that he could think of before the operation as he wont be able to do any of that for some time afterwards.
Baby girl woke up this morning bleary eyed and hot - definately viral.
So she is at home, in bed and as far away from the man as possible - the last thing he needs is getting sick right now!
Last night I attended a ritual at the Cottage which turned out to be such a special night.
Not too many turned up but those girls that did experienced a great evening.We talked, shared experiences and knowledge. We experienced the essence of Brigit and her energy and watched the full moon peak in through the trees outside the window.
It was a serene space.
P.S.Deb looked fantastic with her new hair cut.
You have just got to check her out - Wow! What a super cool chick!You certainly have style!