I need a car that runs on the smell of an oily rag!

What's the go with petrol for God's sake!!!
The choice seems to be, "Do we eat or shall we put petrol in the car?"
Messed around with the idea of buying a smaller shit box to get around in, but we have hit a bit of a brick wall, so we have to rethink this whole thing.
As much as I love my Volvo it is a gas guzzler.
So do I spend more money to save money?????
It would have been so much easier if I had won that $58 million.......
Meanwhile, the man made the brave move and notifed work that he was intending to return on July 1st - then he curled up into a ball in the corner of the bedroom.
Going back to work will be be a stress filled experience, it isn't a nice place to be, and after one and a half years off work....it's certainly hard to go back.
Round and round and round we go.......

My latest Masterpiece!

How do you like them apples?

Just finished this one today in art class...

This one's for Tony!!!!

Hailed as 'one of the few elite still life artists in the world today...' and as 'the most acclaimed and admired artist of the new millenium'( so says the fineartamerica website)
Indeed so..
(Are you embarrased yet Tony?)

I speak on none other than Tony Moffitt, artist,teacher, bohemian,supremo novel writer and general nice guy! ( He tells some crap jokes though )

I am very lucky to be currently attending art classes with "the master blaster" and showed him my impression of Mother Mary in a bad habit.

He was totally impressed and has promised to leave me a comment....
I AM WAITING....

If we are lucky, he will start his own blog ( come on )and we will be able to really get stuck into the commentary!
Be afraid Tony,
Be very afraid....

P.S. To get to Diana's blog try hippywitchz.blogspot.com

Another fun night with Gunther

Now, most of you have heard me speak about a creepy German, Gunther von Hagen, who has appeared on SBS with his show about anatomy - he has a very "special" way of teaching people about the body, by cutting up the bodies of dead people in front of a live audience and then taping it for TV. These shows have provided my family with weeks of entertainment in the past.

Well, he's back.

On Monday nights at 10.55pm on SBS, Gunther is hacking into more dead bodies to show us the effects of trauma caused by accidents.
Last Monday we saw the effects of swallowing a foreign object and the effects of injury to a main artery.

All went well.
Creepy as usual.

I could even take the naked man who appears on stage every so often to act as a "model" to show areas of the body, although I still can't seem to work out why he has to be totally naked to do this?

Baby girl's only comment was "why is his doodle crooked?"
Hilarious.

It was when they bought out a whole frozen human body wrapped in something like gladwrap and then proceeded to saw it in half with a massive table saw that I thought my eyes would pop out of my head.

Seeing the body slide through and then be pulled apart so that we could then see the two sections took the experience of watching TV to another level.
For those brave enough to watch...he will be on for another two weeks..
Must see TV.

It's a miracle!

Speaking of Mary's....

Miracle needed to make McKillop a saint.
May 20, 2008 - 3:06PM


Mother Mary MacKillop is unlikely to be named Australia's first saint named during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Sydney in July.

Vatican officials say there are no plans to elevate the Catholic nun to sainthood during World Youth Day (WYD08), despite the Pope's scheduled visit to her tomb in North Sydney during the event.

Born in Victoria in 1842, Mary MacKillop co-founded the Sisters Of Joseph religious order.

She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in January 1995, but remains one documented miracle away from becoming Australia's first saint.

Beatification means someone is blessed and has performed a miracle, but a candidate must perform two miracles in order to be canonised and become a fully-fledged saint.

Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, Archbishop Guiseppe Lazzarotto, said it was unlikely a second miracle would be recognised in time for Mother Mary to be canonised in July.

What a wank....( thant's my comment )
She deserves to be made a saint...I wonder if we would have to wait for a second miracle if she had been a man???????

Just some small challenges...

1.GETTING OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING AND STAYING UP.
2.TRYING TO PAINT "FOLDS" IN A WHITE TABLECLOTH IN MY NEXT MASTERPIECE.
3.DOING SOME EXERCISE.
4.READING ALL THE BOOKS I HAVE BORROWED FROM THE LIBRARY.

Had the most bizzarre dream about Armaggeddon and that I was living through it...hell, fire and brimstone, cluster lightning and thunder, smoldering boulders flying through the sky, buildings exploding and crashing - pieces landing near my house, heat, smoke, no where to hide,beyond war, beyond terror, horror.

Ok, so what am I getting myself into now?
I guess it is only a reflection of something that I either feel or am going to come up against...

What shits me this Thursday

1. Alan Bond back on the rich list.
2. The fact that he is making money on Diamonds - have you seen the conditions of those that work in the diamond mines?
3.The price of petrol and the thought that I may have to sell my beloved Volvo cause I can't afford to fill the tank.
4.The price of groceries and that we have to buy overseas shit when our farmers are going broke.
5. The state of our river systems and that people with the knowledge of how to fix it are not being allowed to do so.
6. The fact that they are still making such a big deal about stem cell research, when it can be doing so much good.
Why are people having to go to India to get this treatment?
7. That the man who developed microwave therapy to help cancer patients has been treated as a witch doctor by the establishment.
8.That the media is continually on a campain or terror and slander, as long as it can make them a buck.

A good week..

Sometimes doing readings can be very uplifting, cause you get some feedback - that can be a rare thing.
I did a reading for a lady on Sunday who showed me some fantastic pictures taken of her scattering her mother's ashes on the beach at Nobby's.There was a definate flare in the photo - not a photographic or camera anomoly for sure. She asked me some questions and we got on to other things. Later that evening she actually sent me an email thanking me for the reading.
On Monday I had a lady come to see me at the Cottage for a reading - I felt that most of the reading was hard going - I was telling her things she didn't want to hear, but I did it anyway. I really felt that she was not going to be happy with the reading in the end, but as she was leaving she actually grabbed me and gave me a hug and said "thankyou".
Today I had a guy come back to see me - he had come to see me about a year ago. Another really difficult reading. But he came back - that meant that in some way, he must have trusted me after that first time. That impressed me. How did the reading go?
It was still difficult...but I beleive that it made him think about things.

Sometimes it seems to me that I am talking in riddles, that there is no connection. But, it is not up to me to feel good or bad about a reading - it has to say something to the person I am reading for, it doesn't have to fulfil my needs or satisfy me.It's not about me. So this week has been good and I am grateful for those people to have crossed my path.

I have a pile of new books to read and have been to the library and gotten "The Celestine Prophecy" on CD. I have found that I really enjoy listening to tapes in the car while driving, so I will get the man to make me a copy.

I need an extra brain. The one I have is not enough.

Survived YAAD

Last night was my first night of the new YAAD class and I am happy to say that all went well.
Unfortunately they all wanted to stay and have a chat afterwards and I was pushing them out the door after class as I wanted to get home...
Teaching is quite complicated - there is a lot of pressure on you to deliver a sensible dialogue and to keep it interesting. I can sometimes feel myself standing there going "what do I think I am doing?", but with a class full of newbies there will always be someone who asks a really good question and that will open up a whole new area of discussion.

I am still feeling tired in the mornings and my wish is to continue sleeping - it is very hard to get going.

Am meeting my older daughter daughter for lunch today - she just got herself a new job in town with a hot shot law firm and is very happy. Plus she is going to be earnng quite a very good wage ( always a bonus ).

Psychic Fair at Maitland

Spent the day at East Maitland Bowling Club at a Psychic Fair today. It turned out pretty good even though, to begin with, I was a bit worried about how the day would pan out.
I made some money, so it was all good.
There was one creepy guy who was doing a reading for a ten year old boy who was accompanied by his mother - he was with him for over an hour!I really think that it is wrong to do a reading for someone so young even if they have their mother with them. I have done some palmistry for a few teenagers but it is more about an explanation of character traits and strengths and weaknesses - I try to avoid any readings for under 18 year olds like the plague but sometimes you are placed in a difficult situation and it is hard to say no so palmistry comes in handy.
But to do a reading at a psychic fair and to fill a young lads head with whatever?
Not my cup of tea sorry...

Anyway, another big week ahead. I will be introduced to the new YAAD students tomorrow night - I will have a mersyndol and wine ready.

Changes

Well, I have been back on Oz for about two days now and am still finding it hard to adjust.
Because of the time difference, we were often still up at 3am ( our time )and so my body clock is still a bit out of whack - have a massive headache this morning that I cannot seem to shake.
I would like to go back to bed but need to take mother to the shops..
Some things have changed in the little time that I have been away and I need to get up to speed with the happpenings at the Cottage and back in the groove of YAAD.
I finished my second painting during my art class yesterday - will post it shortly for you all to see. Am rather chuffed with the results, but, as usual in my world, the moment I find something that I like the universe starts to make things difficult for me as is happening with art, as our teacher has told us that he is cutting classes.
Pooh - I just started going!!!!
I guess, we wil see what happens there as time progresses.I just so want to continue with my art, I have waited so long to do it.

EL(F)VIS HAS RE-ENTERED THE BUILDING!!!!!

Last night in K.L.

Have met up with a friend here and given her a reading......does this make me an "international reader" now?????

Maybe not?

Had a lovely evening out with a family we have gotten to know here - they are taking us to Chinatown tomorrow.
Lots of drama today - nearly got poisoned in the stpid hotel - they started painting the timber next door with laquered paint ...stupid idiots.
The smell was shocking, so I called the manager and demanded a change of rooms immediately...they had no where to put us except in the upgraded rich arse section of the hotel - so here we are.
We also went to the "wet and wild" style theme park attached to the hotel complex today. The beby needed some encouragement to get on the slides and by the time she wanted to try them it was almost too late as we had wasted half the day changing rooms and unpacking all over again...
what a bummer for our last day eh...

I am here in the hotel lobby as it is the only place we can get internet connection...see what I do to keep in contact.

Over in the blink of an eye!

The thing about holidays is that they are all an illusion - you think about them for a long time but when they are happening they feel surreal and then before you know it - you think you were just dreaming it all anyway.

So my dream will soon be over - I will be waking up tomorrow...

We went back into K.L. city last night.The taxi drivers give you a lot of info, if you talk to them.
- all is not as it seems here in Malaysia - the muslim malays are treated with high regard and are given benefits that are not extended to malays of other religious beliefs. Then you have the other ethnic peoples who are treated even more badly - the Chinese, the Indians...all find it difficult to own anything, to get work, to be afforded the same courtesy as the muslim malays.The goverment seems to play favourites.

We decided to go into the city and walk around for a while - the Sunway is a strange place. Very uninviting I would say. We tried to get into a cinema last night but the sessions were booked out in advance, so we went into Kinokuniya again and bought some more books - crazy I know.
How can you resist - some of the titles are so good I would buy them all - we took more photos of the Petronis towers at night.

Today is Wesak - a big Hindu celebration in K.L. There will be processions in Chinatown and in the temples.It is a public holiday whis is strange as the Muslim religion is the main one in Malaysia.

We also learnt that we are not in K.L. anymore - we are actually in another state - Selangor, even though we can see the city from our hotel window and it is only a 20 minutes drive away.

Just to give you some idea.....The average wage for a cafe worker in Langkawi is about 500 ringit - approx $150 a month. They survive on tips and in the off season, between May to August they hardly have enough money to buy food.
The taxi drivers get one day off a month, yet still have to pay the car rental every day - if they get sick they must get someone else to drive the taxi for them so that they can pay the rental on it. They cannot own their own taxi unless they are muslim malays.Petrol is about 80 cents per litre. Most taxis run on lpg gas.
Most food is a lot cheaper here - the shopping complex has a supermarket and it is easy to compare.

Still,we in Australia do not know how lucky we are - we still live in the best counrty in the world and travelling reminds me of this fact every single time.

Today we take baby girk to the theme park - the man and her have stopped coughing somewhat.I am not looking forward to exposing my fat arse to thousands of foreigners.How I wish I had a figure, other than 808 turned on its side.....

Get me outa here!!!!

I am in an all to human environment and my Phartian mentality has become strained....
shopping complexes and Phartians do not mix well - but we ventured out as it is little coughing baby's birthday today so we needed to have Macca's and find a birthday cake.
This we did - and we have sung happy birthday and eaten chocolate cake. We might go to the cinema and watch "Narnia - Prince Caspian" as this is baby girls wish.

The man is a shadow of himself - snoffing and coughing and burning chest and all.

We are holding up well.

Lots of Asians ( strange about that eh? ) and we are sometimes the only "white people" to be seen...
Many people from Singapore head into this hotel complex as it is direct from the airport - they can get off a plane, bypass K.L. central, book into a room and shop til they drop ( everything is apparently hugely cheaper here than in Singapore although for us it is as expensive as at home ). Not so many Arabs, but when one appears in a head to toe black outfit with only the eyes showing it is still somewhat spooky looking.

The Indians are pushy and rude and we only see Malays serving in the shops - this place is too expensive for them. It IS only a shopping mall and the main hotel lobby acts as a thoroughfair for the mall itself so there is a constant stream of people passing through.

I really want to go back to K.L. but I dont know whether the clan will be well enough to take the trip - we need to catch a taxi into town, about a 20 minute drive.

It is Sunday today - a day off for most Malays and we are told that it is their day to sleep in and then to go window shopping. Tomorrow they celebrate Wesak and it is another holiday for them so it will be busy everywhere.

I would prefer to be back on the beach at Langkawi - at least it would be quiet.
But the idea of travelling is to experience as much as possible - good, bad or indifferent.

There are amazingly few Americans here - maybe as it is a Muslim country?
I don't know, but we have only hear one or two people with an American accent. On the island there were many Germans, Dutch and French.

Did I mention that I broke my glasses?
Both sides are scratched and busted but still hanging together - thank goodness or I would be quite blind.

Back in K.L.

We left Langkawi Island this afternoon and we are back in K.L.
We are staying 25 minutes outside the city centre in a resort hotel called the Sunway resort.
The resort is connected to a big shopping complex that would curl your toes - I am so over shopping complexes. I have seen enough over the past week to last me a lifetime.

Well,
I have now officially done my YAAD task by having completed the cable car ride yesterday - and I have pictures of my terrified super sized arse to prove it.
It was totally amazing though - well worth the paltry $8 entry fee to travel up the highest cable car in the world. You just have to do it - no words can express getting to the top and then seeing the view.

I WILL show you pics when I return.

It's baby's 14th birthday tomorrow and we were hoping to take her to the water park ( hence the decision to stay at the resort at this time )but we are all tired and baby girl is still coughing and now the man is sniffling and snorting too....
some horible bug they have both picked up.
I am sending them to the other side of the room.

The resort is huge compared to the tiny one we stayed in on the island - when we arrived there were probably 50 people waiting to check in - I dare say a bus load of Chinese had arrived.

We are on the 20th floor and have a great view of the city.

Well, only a few days left and I will be home before you know it...

It just gets better

Well and truely enjoying this special time. The food just gets better - have no room in my fat pants for my arse to fit, but who cares - I will not get these satays at home thats for sure.
We went to the highest point on the island today - it is 11,000 ft above sea level.The view was spectacular and we saw monkeys along the roadside. We forget that there is really a jungle around us.

The place was closed at the top as they were building a new hotel near the top, but the man got a security guard to let us up to see from an observation tower - we were above the clouds.
wow...
back to town for some more shopping and then the man and I went for a swim in the warm waters of the Andaman sea and watched the sunset.

We had a super meal tonight at a very quaint restaurant that would probably be shut down if it tried to serve food in Australia, but here it had "atmosphere". The food was to die for - traditional Malay. The man had a beef randang that made him sweat and baby girl had pancakes with icecream.
Alll is good - our last full day here tomorrow - cable car here we come.

I really like it here - now that I am accustomed to it.

Survivor Langkawi

Baby has a rotten cough and only wants to sit in front of the t.v. watching her anime dvd's - she is no fun.
The man and I dropped off our laundry up the road this morning and then I just had to find some cheese as I had a craving for it {crazy eh?}
We got into our little sports car and headed off to the cable car. Unfortunately it was shut and will be tomorrow as well - so we can only hope to do it on our last day. It looks spectacular and very scary - I MEAN VERY SCARY.If I do this consider it my YAAD task done and dusted as I can see myself soiling my underwear here.

It rained for the first time today, for about half an hour and we got to see some magnificent views of the storm clouds coming in over the mountains.

Last night we had a Malay feast - it was the most expensive meal we have had while on hols.
It cost us 69 ringit which is about $33 and that was for two people - so about $17 each for a banquet style meal with yellow rice, white rice, chicken curry, satay beef and chicken, barramundi, prawn, calamari, shredded beef, potatoes in a sweet curry, fruit strips in a chilli sauce and pineapple and zuchinni in a chilli sauce.

Yes....all of this for $17 per person and we struggled to get through. It could have fed 3 people easily.

Baby girl is finding it hard to eat something on the menu, often sticking to just boring steamed rice, but what can you do? She is just not willing to try anything as hard as we try to convince her.
She is making it up with duty free chocolate.
Hope all is well at home. Thinking of you all and knowing that too soon we will be at home again.

Langkawi – where do I start?

First impressions……What the hell have we done?
Being the only white people on board the plane should have been the clue……
We arrived at a very small local airport, similar to Williamtown and got a taxi to our “resort” – we will use that term loosely here.
This place was a great let down. We knew it was cheap – but certainly the pics on the internet were not indicative of what we found.
The place is owned by a Chinese guy, therefore all the rooms end in an “8” – our room being 98. Two mattresses were to be found on a raised platform ( these were our beds ).The bathroom had lukewarm running water, so no hot showers, the fridge managed to freeze everything.
We contemplated leaving in the morning.

But, let’s breathe…
We went out the back to see the ocean – it was indeed beautiful although not really a swimming beach. We were starving so we headed into the shopping area to buy some food. Some places were closed as it was “in between” lunch and dinner, but we found an arab place called…wait for it..”Al Jazeera” and had some traditional lamb masala and rice with breads.
This place looked like what Bali must have been like about 25 years ago.

We thought whether it was possible to stay here, or, maybe we should look for another place on the island. We were tired and headed back for an afternoon snooze. The evening was spent walking around, late dinner ( 12pm our time ). T.V. has three channels – all foreign language, so we have no idea what is happening in the world. We were slightly jaded, but willing to get into the spirit of things.

Breakfast was eggs, toast and dreadful coffee with a spectacular view of the sea. We found out later that the locals ordered malay food from the place next door at 1-2 ringits ( about 50c ) and theirs was freshly prepared spicy local vegetarian stuff.

We decided to go hire a car to drive around while on the island – maybe it would cheer us up to have some freedom to explore what else was on the island. People had said that this was a duty free place – there must be shops somewhere?

So we found a place just up the road and hired their smallest car for just $15 a day.
To fill the tank cost us $10 ( petrol is about 1/3 the price of Aus petrol ) and we hit the road.

If the man wanted to change gears I had to twist my shoulder to give him space and my knees touched the dashboard – but it was hilarious and it cheered us up immensely.

We headed for the biggest place on the map and found a small township with heaps of shops. We found a large store and headed in – the baby was happy as there was a McDonalds and plenty of duty free shopping for the man and me.

The baby picked up a pair of Converse’s for $30. The man has been checking out sun glasses and has been trying to get me to buy a new watch. We got some t-shirts and a few bits and pieces.
The grog here is so cheap it is ridiculous – so things like Cruiser style drinks are about $1.25. I am stocking up to get me through and the man is going to splurge on a good bottle of scotch to take back to Aus.

The car idea was great, we will flog it to death and see as much as we can – it IS only a small island, but there are a few back roads that we can get lost on. Being a Muslim island, we have breaks in the day to hear the prayers being blasted on the radio and in the town you can certainly hear it everywhere.

We might go up to the cable car ride tomorrow and maybe find a small beach and have a swim.

There is also a cinema here, so if we get stuck we can go to the movies – it only costs about $3.50 per person.

Down time in Lagkawi

Yippee!!!Free internet access at the airport!!
We are waiting to board our local flight to the island of Langkawi - the next four days are for rest and relaxation.
NO MORE SHOPPING.
Langkawi is duty free, but they tell us that unless we smoke and drink, there is not much to buy.
I guess it remains to be seen.
I am looking forward to reading my books - am into a very interesting one by Ramtha that I picked up at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival about manipulating time and understanding our own internal programming systems - working beyond the neocortex and into the midbrain.

This is all about quantum mechanics.

Interesting shit - but thought provoking indeed and I need some quiet space to digest it.

I can count the white English looking people on one hand - mostly Arabs and Asians here today.

Aleks has had her fill of McDonalds as there isn't one on the island - they have a mega mac here which has four beef patties - arterial clogging to say the least.

This is the next part of the journey and I am slightly apprehensive - we have heard good and bad about the island.

Talk to you all soon.

Smells like Bali!

The smells are interestingly familiar, very much like Bali - the humidity makes everything smell somewhat sweet and then you layer with spices from all the corners of the earth and you have K.L. Central.
We took a Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus to take a tour around the city - it was supposed to last 45 mins, so we were told.I had a cup of coffee before getting on - 3 hours later we were still on that bus, stuck in grid lock traffic with that cup of coffee just dying to come out. As usual the man was making the best of efforts to make me laugh - and my bladder hung teniously on tenterhooks.....
We finally made it off that bus and I literally was doubled over with a totally full bladder. We ran into the nearest Mall and searched for a toilet - finally with salvation in sight, I entered the first cubicle to find....no toilet paper, the next, no paper....NO PAPER ANYWHERE......I walked out again and was killing myself with laughter..how could this be happening? It was the Gods having a mighty good laugh...so we headed for the nearest chemist to buy some tissues I could use ( yes...I can hear you...I could have gone without the loo paper...but, no, I cant ).
To add insult to injury, the only tissues they had were being sold in six box lots....again, here I am screaming with laughter in the corner of this shop with all and sundry giving me the evil eye....we finally found some small tissue pakets up in the front counter and having purchased those......I ran.

Phew.....

Later we were met by a friend of mine's bother and sister in law and taken to a very swanky restaurant for dinner. She took us sight seeing the next day, one of the highlights being Batu caves which is a holy place about 30kms out of the city centre. You have to walk up a very steep 272 steps to get into the caves but once there it is a totally amazing place. Yes, it IS only a cave, but it has so far been the best of all places here. We spent time just sitting and watching people pray and be blessed by the priests ( It is Hindu ).
We then went to see the biggest undercover bird park in the world, still in the city and then we went to the Petronis towers to eat - it has THE BEST food hall I have ever seen!!!!!Wow, laksa, thai,indian, islamic, Morrocan,noodles, everything and all fresh and tasty.
We went to Kinokonia - a huge bookshop in the towers, most books are about half or three quaters the price of home. Thier new age section would have made you all cry!Needless to say Baby girl wanted everything she saw...we got a few books each.

We crashed but managed to get out again later on and have a Morrocan feast in one of the small restaurants near us.

Today is Mother's Day and we are taking it easy.
Some shopping this morning and venturing to Chinatown for the street stalls this afternoon.
We leave for Langkawi tomorrow.
Hope they have an internet cafe there.....
We are all well, no tummy bugs....just tired feet and aching limbs from walking and shopping.

Blow me down, I am in K.L.

Where the f***k am I?
Why is everybody so well dressed?
Yesterday we took most of the day to get to K.L.Flight was trouble free and we landed at 8pm our time after having left Newcastle at 6.30 in the morning.
K.L. Airport is so big that you need a shuttle bus from where the plane lands to take you to the terminal building! I have never seen anything so clean and huge in my life!And everyone is so quiet - Lisa you would love it here!
We took a taxi from the terminal to our hotel - another one hour trip ( almost ) on a BRAND NEW SUPER HIGHWAY......remember, we were on this road for about one hour!!!!
It nhad just been opened about three months before our arrival.

We got to our very spiffy hotel at about 10pm our time.
Our room is super and I must say the Petronis Towers at night are something else to behold - they are simply stunning. You can see them from all points of the city and they look surreal as nothing else like it lights iup the skyline.

We rested and then left to look for our first meal.
We went to Chinatown bypassing all the "big name" stores that are just over the road from where we are staying. Dolce Gabana, Lois Viton, Fendi, oh Lordy, my daugter Monika would have a cardiac arrest!
We are next to all the posh hotels ( ours sneeks in at the back ) such as the Marriott and others that are too expensive to mention.

In Chinatown we found a decent looking stall going past the fried frogs and freshly cooked turtles, still swimming in the tank ( thought that I would add that in ) and had a most sensational meal of sizzling beef, ginger chicken and fried rice all for about $12. The tastes and smells were all enveloping - I wass on overload. Did I mention that it was about 1am in the morning by now????

Aleks was falling asleep at the table and we could not feel our feet... so when we finished, we hobbled back to the hotel and went to bed about 2am.

Today we got up for a lovely brekkie with a huge amount of French pastries and toast, eggs, fruit, on and on......

We then hit the street and got into our first big Mall - the expensive places are beautiful but empty - the Malls that everyone goes to are the cheaper ones that have about seven levels with small stalls that have EVERYTHING x 10.

Aleks has sent us broke with Anime stuff - we have stopped in to have lunch.... again a culinary delight and now I am catching up with you guys as I have no free connection on my lap top from the Hotel ( I am using the internet cafe which costs $1 per hour).

We are going on a small sight seeing tour this afternoon on one of those tourist buses that take you around the city - you can get on and off as many times as you like.

Our friend from Jakarta is sending her sister to meet us this evening ( she is a local ) to take us out to dinner.
Oh well, its tough but someone has to do it!!
Am heading back to go to the Pool for an hour as it is meltingly hot at the momnet and I may have to down a cocktail or two....tough...
Love to you all...
Will blog again soon..

Ok..here's a blog to get rid of fatty boombah!!

Following a huge demand to get rid of the last iconic piccy on my blog I have been forced to give you more informaion about Phart.

We all start as single cell amoebas on Phart - and frankly most of us end up staying that way.
We only have one orifice, and that is usually busy either eating liquified food or in excreting vile gaseous substances.



Very typically, we believe that we are the centre of the universe and that the sun shines out of our arse.
Any Phartian that believes that there could be other more intelligent creatures inhabiting lesser evolved solar systems, such as earth, are punished for their beliefs and are sent there to live amongst the creatures that they so love to defend.



After studying the extensive photographic literature available on earthling life, such as this fabulous example above, we Phartians are quite partial to you lot - we hope that you can except us for who we truely are.



Above, is a very rare photo of a Phartian when not wearing an earthling costume - are we not beautiful?


More info later.....

Oh.....my......God....

What does one do with the dilemma of trying on the only pair of swimmers that one owns and discovering, to their absolute shock and horror, that this item of clothing no longer has a hope in hell of fitting over ONE'S FAT ARSE!!!!!!!!!

I swear the last time I put them on , they slid on effortlessly.
But, that was 18 months ago.

In 18 months I have turned into...
A MONSTER.


At least it solves the problem of what to pack - I only have a few things left that fit.

I will definately have to get a grip on this - but not till after I return from Oompah Loompah - am not giving up those stir frys and cakes...no way.

Brain meltdown

I had a party booking this afternoon to do readings for a lady who was having a doe show - always a dodgy event, but she was "older" - this was her second time around, and seemed quite well to do - so I thought that I would go for it as I could do with extra dosh before hitting oompah loompah land next week.

I was promised around ten women would have a reading, which would have made the afternoon a worthwhile event, each reading about 5-10 minutes.
When I arrived there were 30 women there - wine, canapes, balloons etc...all very "noice".

Now, it could have gone one of two ways - either, the first few ladies would have a reading and tell the others that I was total shit in which case I would be leaving shortly thereafter....or I would get my ten ladies, as promised.
I was hoping for the second outcome.

I started at 2.30pm.

At 6pm, I was still doing readings with women fighting for a place as I had said that I would be having to leave shortly as I was brain dead...

I had done 18 readings.

I think they liked me.

(Thankyou to whoever was watching over me this afternoon and gently keeping my foot out of my mouth and my brain functioning).

Life on Phart!

Well my admission of life on Phart has been a relevation to all.
You are all a scream and it has lightened my load to admit to you all that I am really an alien being ( yes, I know that you ALL knew that and were discussing it behind my back anyway ).

Phart is a very gaseous planet at the edge of a very unknown and dark solar system known as Alpha Romeo.

Phartians do not really have a language as they communicate via psychic connections and so learning the earth language has been challenging.Especially when I heard earthlings using the word "fart" so openly. I really thought that you knew more about us then I was aware of until I noticed the different spelling.

I feel that I have fitted into your colony well but I have kept this a secret for too long.
I have no parents as such, we are all created in a big trough in the Phartian colonisation factory. Many mistakes are made and these are all sent to Earth - so there are many more of us here than you think!
Your best friend may be a Phartian and you don't know it.
Anyway......more details, to come, if you so wish..
Pharts to you all!

Eight things you didn't know about me..

1. I am really an alien from the planet Phart.

2. I do not suffer fools.

3. I hate the smell of fish and do not eat seafood ( unless it is flake from the fish and chip shop ).The smell reminds me of "unclean" women.

4.I am a tight arse.This is a very common anomoly on Phart as things can easily crawl up your arse if it is not tight - lots of things tend to get up my arse on Earth. Unfortunate!

5. I wanted to study art at University but was "no allowed".

6. There is no area in my brain capable of understanding how to work a computer( this has to do with comming from another planet )

7. I hate broken egg shells - I have a fear of finding bits of shell in my sausage and egg McMuffins, cause the dumb idiots that make them always leave bits of shell in the eggs and it freaks me out.

8. I am 50 earth years old this year, but really I am over 1000 years old ( if I still lived on Phart ).

all the way round to the start

could have...
should have...
cannot....
must not.....
can't...
won't....
need to....
have to....
really, really have to.
don't make me...
I'm trying.
don't ask.

When is a post not really a post?

I am not going to write about what is really on my mind, I am sometimes tempted to, but it would serve no purpose at all....so I will just talk shit instead.
The weather has been nice hasn't it?
What about the price of eggs and cheese - shredded cheese is so expensive...
Have a nice day...

Blessings and Honour to our Anzac Heros!

Say hello to me beloved,
Give a kiss and a cheer
Have a beer at the pub mate
for I'm no longer here -

But I'll be standin beside ya,
Me old mate, me old chap,
That's me you'll be feelin
My hand on yer hat -

When you're in the parade mate
when you walk down the street,
When the dawn is a risin,
when the tears start to creep.
I'll be standin beside ya,
Me old mate, me old chap,
I'll be singing the old songs
We sang at the camp.

So say hello to the missus,
give her a kiss for me,
and go and play two up
and win a penny or three.

Meeting a Hooker!

Today I get to met a Hooker in Hamilton - and have a coffee with her too!
Good thing she is a friend of mine, or the tongues would be wagging eh!

The weather has been wet, wet, wet...so it is a great opportunity to stay on the computer for hours on end and just do bugger all.

I am trying to get a handle on my food intake so that I can at least make space for all the food I intend to eat in Oompah Loopah land - I need stretchy pants...will head to a shopping centre close to you soon......

In the mean time, I know I have something important to do....but cannot remember what the hell it is??????

Is this freaky or what?

Is this a picture of a fairy at the bottom of the garden?
Or did someone just fall asleep under the tree and then the tree reclaimed him/her?

Thoughts become mainfest!

Well, I opened my big fat mouth in yesterday's blog and said that I would not be getting to sleep till two...and guess what,
I didn't get to sleep till two.
and an early start this morning has left me feeling quite furry.
Baby girk is spending the day with her girk friend from school and I am tying more cut up bushes as the council is collecting them for free tomorrow and we have a forest in our backyard.
Am also clearing bamboo from my back passage ( ouch ).
This rain is making everything grow as if we were spraying the place with steroids.

Having strange dreams about standing in blood and guts....and asking for luck in a chinese temple - way too much coffee I think!!!

Baby girks and Harry Potter

Cheers to the ladies that picked up my spelling mistake last blog...I have now fixed it but I seem to have retained my baby girk for ever more.
Baby girks do not fall asleep till after midnight and do not get up till 11am.
They eat everything that contains chocolate or McDonalds and little else.
They read books or are attached to the computer all day long and the only time they watch t.v. is to watch another rerun of Harry Potter ( how many times can one watch it?).
Baby girks have two left hands incapable of even the most basic tasks and seem to have selective hearing - yet they can listen to incredibly nerve shattering music on their ipod thingys.
They speak in a foreign language that only other girks seem to understand.
Oh well....

I have had a very productive day - I beaded, painted, washed sheets,cut and tied branches, took mother shopping and for coffee, watched Harry Potter and blogged.

The man made me two very yummy cappuccinos and now I will be awake to 2am!

Not much to say...huh?

Well, I really dont have much to say.
Really.

It has been a quiet week, some activity at the Cottage and not much else.
These are my last weeks with the man at home - he returns to work in July, so I am enjoying the time that I have with him and I both at home.
Its been wet and fairly cool so we are limited to what baby girl wants to do during the school holidays - if she had her way she would be sleeping in till 11 every day and staying on the computer till she has to go to bed.

Quiet is good.
Three weeks to oompah loompah land!

Mental Illness or Spiritual Experience?

Watched a show on ABC last night about Mental Illness and it occurred to me just how many similarities there are between symptoms of mental illness and deep spiritual experiences.
Such as, feeling "between the worlds", disassociated, feeling that the other world makes sence whereas this one does not, hearing voices, fatigue, bouts of extreme energy then feelings of exhaustion, a sence that many of your choices and actions are not yours, leaving your body etc...
Obviously, the major difference is that mental illness is all pervasive and does not leave you with a feeling of elation, you are required to contain your emotions by using drugs and rehabilitation to allow you to function whereas a spiritual experience is uplifting and profound and mostly transitory...

but yet, these experiences are in many ways very similar - I discussed this with the man and said to him that I felt that most of us have a "screw loose" and can relate to one or more of these feelings,and his comment was that I don't have any screws left to come loose anymore, they all fell out years ago!.
Hmmmmmm.....

Party Chick!

It's just party, party,party....
Friday lunch at the pub down at Lambton for my cousin's birthday.
Saturday morning breakfast at Chaddy's for same said cousin.
Then afternoon tea with family - more cake...
in between, much manoevering to make humungous caramel laden cake for miss Mary of the "Cottage" and more partying that evening and eating of said cake ( did I mention the mountain of cream that was in the cake as well? )

Ohhh! My stomach ..I have overindulged.

I have dust gathering in every corner of my house and have no motivation to clean it.
I have started a new painting and have stupily thought that I can do a bit without having my hand held...he,he....I think that was a mistake. I do not want to spend all of next lesson correcting what I have stuffed up.

Last night's birthday bash was fun. So much yummy food - there was even an idea that we should hire ourselves out to do wakes!

THe baby girl has been on school holidays for about a minute and is already bored out of her brain....oh, this is going to be a long school holidays - I am not into entertaining a 13 year old.

Helllloooooo out there!

not one to point a finger but........

the blog lines are "verwy kwiet" and I am sick and tired of clicking on everone's blogs and finding NO NEW POSTS!!!!

Come on!



We need some new posts bloggers....get into it.

Some interesting local history

Wallsend - from the coal district on Tyne ( end of old Roman occupational wall)

Newcastle - after the English city. The Port was first entered by boat in 1797 in pursuit of escaping convicts. Newcastle was first called "King's Town" and the Hunter river was known as "Coal River".
The native name for the site is Malubimba.

Boolaroo - aboriginal meaning "many flies" ( right Diana? )

Waratah - because of the prolific growth of the plant in that area.

Shortland - after John Shortalnd, master's mate on the "Sirius".

Muswellbrook - once known as Muscle Brook on account of the mussels in the creek.

Morpeth - after Morpeth in Wales. The native name is Illulong. Was first called Wallis Plains.

Maitland - after Jas. Maitland, Earl of Lauderdale. The original settlement was made up of " 11 well behaved convicts". The natives called west Maitland " Boyden" and east Maitland " cooloogoolooheit".

Kotara - a waddy in aboriginal.

Cardiff - after Cardiff Wales. Sir Edgeworth David, Aust. scientist was born there.

that's all I have found for now.
Just thought it would be of interest..

Another week begins....

School holidays begin soon...what to do with the kids at home?
We will all be screaming out for coffees and sanctuary within a few days I am sure...but before that we have this week to contend with.
What will it bring?
The man has a few doctor's appointments today....hope all is well - it must be!
We are going to Kuala Lumpur ( or as it is now known "oompah loopah land" ) in less than a month and I am getting very excited.

This is one of the spots we want to visit. It is called Batu Caves and is a holy Temple just outside the city of Kuala Lumpur.Note the millions of steps that need to be climbed to get inside the caves...I am swaeting already.

The Cottage has a Fairy Godmother/or father!

Indeed I have been informed that there have been a number of anonymous donations left at the Cottage in the last 24 hours.
To whoever left them - I also extend my sincere thanks.
I would love to know who it was - human curiosity - but anonymity is a beautiful thing. You have to be a pretty big person to give without expecting thanks.

Our Cottage is a beautiful place and now we have a fairy Godmother, or father too!

Meanwhile,
The man is out having some timeout with friends from work at a "smoko".
I have baked apple pie and am watching "Harry Potter" yet again - it's still so cool.

I also learnt how to apply gesso onto a canvas today ( whoopee do I hear you say ).
Yet an important part to the process of painting and I learnt it today. So I am stoked.

My very first completed painting - Woo Hoo!!!!!

A1 Ghostbusters

Seeing the sun rise!

I was at the beach to see the sun rise this morning and I must admit that it was spectacular!
Had to take baby girl into school at sparrow's fart to catch a bus to the Royal Easter Show in Sydney (school excursion).
So was brave and thought, since I am up anyway....shall head into town and go for a walk along the beach.
There is a fabulous coffee shop up near the old hospital - it overlooks Newcastle beach and having a morning cappucinno there is superb.
I thoroughly recommend it!
Shall we make a date girls?

Tonight, doing a cemetary walk with my psychic development group...what a day!

Coffee and Catch up

So enjoyed our coffee today with Michelle and Jen, Faerie and Mother Superior.
We went into a variety of subjects, as usual going deeper and deeper as the coffees flowed.
Some truths were told and heaven help anyone asking us to be blunt and truthful cause that is what you will get!!!!
We all hold fears about what we can and cant do - we all feel less than perfect most of the time. We all hold friendships dear. They are integral in our lives.
All of us cope, sometimes more, sometimes less but we all keep trying as best as we can.
Another week begins......
down the rabbit hole we go.....

What was I thinking?

* convinced myself I could do with a cappucinno machine.
* the man suggested to follow "Choice" magazine recommendations and get a certain brand.
* Went to Good Guys and made purchase.
* Went to supermarket, brought assorted ground coffees with great anticipation.
* Got home, turned on machine.
* Became seriously hostile as machine refused to froth milk.
* Watched the "you are such a dumb arse we have to show you how to make a coffee" instructional dvd.
* Made more coffees that were pathetically horrible.
* Thought, it must be the milk.
* Drove to supermarket and brought assorted milks to try.
* After trying for another half hour decided that this was another piece of shit and packed it all back in its box.
* Drove back to Good Guys, had an arguement with salesguy who even went and got his own milk to prove how good this piece of shit could froth the milk and then stood there trying to convince us that what he had created was perfectly frothed milk and what were we on about?
* Spent more of our precious time telling sales guy that he wouldnt know a good cappucinno if he fell into one.
* Got our money back after much heaving and sighing from salesguy.
* Went to Euro Bar for a decent cappucinno and come to the realisation that unless you are willing to spend a motza on a professional machine to use at home - the only way to get a good cappucinno with frothy thick and creamy milk on top is to buy one from a really good coffee shop with smiling baristas who love to make good coffee.
* Lesson learnt.

I need a cappuccino machine....now!!!

I have been getting up at about 6.30am over the past two weeks to complete darkness. I peer out of the kitchen window and put the jug on for the first cup of the day and it is just so peaceful and quiet.
When day light saving stops this weekend, I guess it will be a lot lighter, so I have only a few mornings left of watching the sun come up.
Yes, I know I could get up earlier...but, duh

I went down to Glendale to buy toilet paper as baby girl had just used the last sheet before striding off the catch the bus and I used that as an excuse to stop at Brumby's to buy a cappuccino ( Brumby's make good coffee ).

I have decided that I am quite addicted to cappuccino's and will save thousands of dollars if I just go and buy myself a decent machine to have at home.I also now know that I can buy ground decaffinated beans at the local Gloria Jeans.And it's good stuff.
Will work on that.

Also we had a bad pizza experience on the weekend - must warn you local people,
so...
Warning, warning!!!!!!

Small Americana pizza from Don Peppino's at Merewether $12.

Look on my face when I opened the pizza box AND LOOKED AT THE PATHETIC PIECE OF SHIT INSIDE - PRICELESS!!!!!!!!

Never, ever, ever buy your pizza from Don Peppino's.
In fact, don't even drive past.
You will experience more joy and flavour if you put that $10 note in between two slices of whole meal bread ( with no butter ) and ate it with a glass of tap water.

Stay away.

They have a hand written sign inside the restaurant saying that the magificent traditional food is made by some traditional old italian ladies who have been making the pizza and pasta there for the last 28 years.

Well, I think those ladies must be about 136 years old, have dementia and have forgotten the recipe.

The man has been telling me how he used to go to Don Peppino's when he first came to Australia nd remembered how great the pizzas were - so I thought well, lets go and test out how they are now as compared with how they were back then.

You know how you get that gut feeling that you just may be making a mistake?

We both had a tinge of it....
but no, we were determined to see it through.
So we placed an order, waited 20 minutes and collected the pizzas.
Back in the car, I dared to open the box and took one look inside and well...
What a joke...that was supposed to be a pizza?....
McCains from the supermarket looks a million dollars compared to what we got.
Black and Gold pizza has more ingredients than what we got.
It was so bad, we were tempted to take it straight back, but the man said that maybe there was a hidden flavour experience just lurking on that miserable looking imposter of a pizza.
So we took the pizza home, poured a glass of wine...
and were bitterly dissapointed when there was no flavour to be found anywhere.
The pizza box would have had more flavour.
The whole thing was so bad that the man rang up Don Peppino's and abused them.

Corn flakes and old guys

News flash.....
SOme girl in America put a corn flake up on ebay and got bids to the value of $200,000 cause it looked like one of the states of America....
DuH?????
Ebay pulled it...but it went back on and sold for $1350.00.
I am off to the shops right now...
Also the last and oldest French World War One veteran has just been buried having been given a state funeral.
He was 110.
Now that's amazing..

Today is a new day.
I am a scary mother who is cracking the whip.
I am buying paints to start my collection - I AM going to keep painting even if it frustrates me.
Tonight is YAAD.
I am very lazy and need to get motivated - does anyone know how to do that?
It is so easy to fall into bad patterns.
So many bright ideas, but they are just ideas...someone give me a kick up the bum please!
ok..
ok...
get in line and stop pushing..
you will all get your turn.

Is it over yet?

The Shroud of Turin is in the news again...more testing to be done this year to check it's authenticity. Didn't they already acknowledge the fact that it was actually created in the 12th century?
mmmm, obviously they will retest and retest until someone works it back to when J.C. died. I guess it goes to show us how strong beliefs can be, whether it is right or wrong and even in the face of evidence that disproves it.

We all know that the church was great at selling 'the thigh bone of St. Jude" and "the left nostril of St.Benedict" for centuries, why not create the ultimate of relics?

Maybe the Pope was short of a few gold coins to throw into the local pokies at the Vatican Vegas and commissioned some guy to whip up a relic or two for a quick buck?

Meanwhile,
Last night's turn out for Yaad 2008 was great - I am looking forward to a muchly interesting group of vocal and challenging students.
Feaster is nearly over for another year - for those of you who might be thinking that I am a heartless bitch for not giving the baby girl her chocs yesterday, she got heaps at her grandmas and we gave her ours this morning.So there...

My intention for today is to do as little as possible!

It's Feaster - happy ho hum to all!

Easter Quiz
Question: What does one do with an 84 year old mother who chucks a temper tanty in the middle of 'Strandbags" cause her good for nothing daughter willl not allow her to buy the bag that SHE REALLY WANTS, but cannot open properly?

Answer: Let her buy it anyway and come home and have a glass of wine.

Question: What do you do with a child that will not eat vegetables ( only five solitary measly beans on her plate )?

Answer:Tell her there will be no easter eggs tomorrow and go and have another glass of wine.

Question: What do you do when you know that you should not be eating meat until tomorrow cause that is the freaking "tradition" in your family?

Answer: Have not one but two pieces of bbq steak for tea and follow it up with a third glass of wine!

Question: What do you do when all feaster it is raining?

Answer: Sleep in and watch movies - that one was easy.

Question: What do you do when you have to go to a boring family breakfast for Feaster Sunday and you would rather just sleep in and have dry toast and water in preference?

Answer: Suck it up and just do it. Avoid anything that looks like garlic and pork sausage in the shape of dismembered penises that have been boiled in water or "finger food" that consists of sausage rolls and chicken nuggets that do not contain anything that could be called "meat". Also avoid the same old cakes that got pulled out at Christmas and were not eaten because we have been eating the same cakes for the last 20 years now and are over them and especially avoid the rellies that have not seen your shaven head yet and who will spend many a merry moment pointing fingers and speaking in hushed voices so that I can just notice.
Also avoid father in law who will try to ply you will either cheap wine or port before you have had your first decent coffee for the day.....burp.
I feel heartburn coming on already!

What a day!

Spent all day with my homies - the sista's from the block.
Am starting to get hooked on art class - my tutor has been chosen to exhibit in China as one of the 35 most influential artists in Australia. How cool!

I am more that half way through my first painting..maybe two more lessons and I will be done. ( maybe three )
And then I will do another one, very much the same so that I can work out how to remember how to do things.It is much harder than it looks.It can be so frustrating when you know what you want something to look like but when you touch the canvas with paint it comes out like crap.

Anyway,
this weekend sees me chillin'.
Tomorrow big daughter picks up new car.
Baby girl will sleep all day.She is very tired and needs a rest.
The man has worked up a sweat mowing lawns and wipper snipping all day - so he will be taking it easy
after all it is good Friday and

da...da..da....doom......
the shops are closed for one whole day and the world is in turmoil with a frenzied attack on all supermarkets..
Obviously people are worried that they are going to starve - cause they are buying like there is no tomorrow.
insane!

May the force be with you.

Worlds Greatest Shave Update

The cash has been counted...and the amount is...
drum roll please.....
drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
$2362.95!!!!!

What an excellent result.
Thank you to everyone - such a solid effort was put in by everybody
and all of those last minute donations were all added in too!

It's going to rain soon...I can feel it.

Going broke at Borders

The man found some 40% off vouchers for Borders on the net so we have been there two days in a row buying up....couldn't there be one member of the family who is not a book hog?

I did get a great book that I have had my eye on for a year now. Nice when that happens!

Our Steph is locked in a room upstairs with the baby girl doing maths tuition....
But I am hearing laughter and not screams...must be something wrong. Must tell Steph to be more punishing, after all it is maths.

Must go and walk...need to get rid of 5kg of unsightly fat before I go on hols....so I can gain 5kgs of unsightly fat!

May the force be with you!

Eye test, tile fest, book quest

Just come back from the optometrist - had an eye checkup and am getting some new specs to go with my new do.Eyes are fine.
Having an issue with the scabby tiles we got this weekend and we will probably pack the load of shit in the car and return them at some stage today.They are all scratched.

Also heading into "Boarders" - the man has downloaded some discount vouchers and we mean to use them!

Baby girl did finish her assignment yesterday - thank the Goddess.
It took her all day.
Must kick her arse.

Me, I am fine.
It's Monday and Easter is at the end of this week whic means spending time with various parentals ( Raihn word ).Ho hum.

My grown up girl is getting her new second hand car this week.
She is very excited. Even though it is still a 10 year old car, it is in pretty good nick, and has far less rust than what she is driving around in now! Plus it is red - so it goes faster.

Bald head Sunday

I am getting used to looking at my new self in the mirror.
The grey hair is ok.
The shortness is still a bit too short.
I get a lot of looks ( sideways ) at the supermarket if I dont have a cap on.
The best thing is that I get up in the morning and "what do I do with my hair?" is no longer a question I need to ask myself, at least for the next few weeks.
Will be getting together with Helen on Wednesday to total off our donations and we will have an amount for you all by Thursday.
One thing, it is far more than we both thought it would be.
I am very unconstructive at the moment.
It's just too hot - can't get over the weather.
I think it is summer now - not autumn at all.
The back yard is a crisis and we went out to buy tiles for our bathroom makeover yesterday and they are all scratched - not impressed.
I am making baby girl do an overdue assignment today ( until her fingers bleed!!!!!!)
and the man is heavily into Formula 1.

So it's a slow and comfortable day - food and wine festival in at Hamilton today, might go for a look, but might not.
Easter next week - when did that sneak up?

Pics from the shave

The Day after the Night before!

Well, it is done.
I was so high on adrenalin last night that I found it hard to have a decent sleep.
What a wild day it was...how much energy was there at the Cottage when we started to shave!
It was a pretty special day.
I think it will stay a memorable event in Cottage history.

Thanks go to Lisa for continuing her Cottage dream - last night is a true example of what it is all about.

Thanks to Helen for inspiring me to go for the chop and for all of her hard work. It has been a few hard weeks fundraising.And we all must remember that you have baby Bear to organise too! What a champion!

To Heidi who just looked fantastic and got us all excited ( and scared ) by getting her hair cut a few days earlier.

And to all of those that turned up yesterday and donated their time, cakes, money, love and laughter.
You all made it very, very easy to do something that would otherwise may have been very intimidating.
I got another $130 this morning from one of the people that I asked to raise some money for me so I am up to $860, not including the big tin and all the other little tins that Helen has...we might just get to $1500!!!!!
How bloody brilliant is that.

I will post some photos soon, but if you want to see some today go to Helen's Blog, she has some on right now!

True, True

These are my shots from the "World's Greatest Shave"!
Believe it or not!

BEFORE.....

AFTER.....

FARRRRRKKKKKK!!!!!!!

When did today sneek up?
I wasnt watching......

Did not sleep well last night, kept waking up thinking...fark
fark...
Should not have seen Heidi last night (sorry heidi, but you have such a cute profile
and I dont)
Deb - you have to promise me a number 3!!!
Or, I will hunt you down and kill you!

Now that today is here, I can't wait -
The man took off a bit last night and I might get him to cut another chunk before I go in to the cottage - then I really, really cannot say no.

I have had a shaved head breafast this morning - bacon and eggs (sorry to the veges out there ).
I figure I need the protein.
Now I will wash my hair, while I still have it and then I will make a few batches of scones to sell this afternoon.
Should be a fun day!

This is the week!

Well, only two more days and it's all happening.
My sister in law has managed to raise $350 from her work - wow
I also scabbed $10 from my doctor this morning.

I think I should have about $500 so far - a bit less than the $1000 I was hoping for.
I know that this Wednesday will be successful and I am sure that between Helen and myself and the help of the Cottage regulars and guests we will make it to $1000.

It will be a very cathartic experience, humbling yet hopefully, empowering.
It's only hair right?

I have always had a love / hate relationship with my hair ( more hate that love ) and having gone grey very early, it was a constant battle to keep up the colouring.
I remember several horrible experiences where my hair went bright orange and I had to make a mad dash to the chemist in a beanie to buy another colour to cover my mistake...crazy stuff.

Having a gorgeous crowning glory is a beautiful thing and I am envious of anyone who has such a thing ( yes, you Anchell ) - also age plays a part. Certainly little or no hair is more appealing on a 20-30 something than a 40 something...but it's not all about me and how I feel is in the whole scheme of things quite irrelevant and very egotistical and narcissistic...so off it goes.
Yeh baby!!!!!!

Moving Anchell to the Backpassage and No milk for a simple cuppa!

A good night had by all for Maureen last night.I missed the meal as we were helping Anchell pack the truck to move to the arse end of town, but got there to enjoy dessert.....NOT.
The rotten place ran out of milk!

Maybe I had something to do with it, cause I opened my big mouth and said that "knowing our luck, the place would run out of something".

So, we went back to the Cottage and had dessert supplied by Deb.

Maybe Lisa can put a sign out the front....
"IN CASE YOU ARE IN NEED OF DESSERT - STOP HERE!"

Today we also helped the Anchell family relocate to the backpassage with the help of a hired truck and 65,000 family members who worked thier little tooshes off.
Nice place, backpassage.
Pity it's so far away.

Anchell's new place is cool accept for the steep driveway that will see us all needing knee replacements next week.
It's amazing how much stuff we collect over time. It's only when we need to move do we realise what we have accumulated.
This weekends experience has made me vow never to even think about moving...ever.
But it felt good to be able to help someone else do it.
Good luck Anchell!

Heavens to Mergatroid!!!!

Yesterday's fundraising effort at Wallsend Plaza raised about $100 - not too shabby!
We were there all day and felt rather burnt out by the end of it. Must say, it was quite an enjoyabe experience, we spoke to some really nice people.

There was one young lady who had obviously had chemo, her hair was thin and wispy and she laughed when we said that we were going to be shaving next week - she commented on the fact that she had been trying to grow her hair after chemo treatment. It had taken her five years to get her hair to the length that it currently was - that's when the reality of it all struck us both.

Other than that, baby girl visited the orthadontist for a very eye opening appointment about what awaits her in the world of braces - hmmmm...
Total cost before reimbursments - $5800.
Ouch!!!
But, poor lovely child needs to have a perfect smile, instead of a sticky outy tooth so we will be heading down that road shortly, when I recover from the shock of the cost.

My precious piece of swedish shit is back home ( the automobile ) and our pockets are $600 lighter.

Good thing we have that money printing press working overtime in the garage, cause we were running out of yellow backs...

Also we have now booked all of our overseas accomodation in "down the road" and "around the corner" establishments - never let it be said that I do not try to get the best deal available!
Great thing, that google earth web site.

You can actually go to your hotel destination and check out where it is.
This helped us change our accomodation on Langkawi. We had originally decided on a more upmarket and more expensive hotel, but when the man located it on google earth, we saw that it was at an isloated part of the island which meant that if we wished to go down the main street, we would have had to get a taxi.Anywhere outside of the hotel, meant a trip of at least 15 - 20 minutes. Good, if you want isolation, bad if you want cheap food and shopping.

So, we did some more research and saved ourselves $600 ( note...same amount that the shit box has just cost us! )and booked a smaller place just down from the restauarants and shopping centre of the island.Still a really nice looking place ( well it looks good on the internet web site ).
Thankyou google earth....

Hitting the Fundraising Pavement

Today, Helen and I will be at Wallsend Plaza from 10.30am fundraising for the World's Greatest Shave. We will be encouraging people to come over to our table and leave a donation - as we are not allowed to approach anyone, this may be a bit difficult so I have made up a few signs and we will be in our bright blue t shirts.....
I am very excited and just know it will go well.
Come and say hello!!!!!

Headache of Massive Proportions!

Ouch...I cannot see!!!!
My head is bursting.Am battling through tension headache this morning.
Have been a stress head over the last two days and so now I am paying the price.
My car has pooped itself and is costing big bikkies to repair ( hopeless piece of shit ).Why does one simple plasticky/ metally bit that does very little at all, cost so much friggin money???? Just because you have to take the engine out to get to said friggin piece of crap to replace it! Pish posh.....that's just un - Australian.

Still needing to buy tiles for the bathroom and bathtub,basin, shower and all the rest.....Now there is cheap and tacky and then there is horrendously expensive for something that doesn't look much different from cheap and tacky.
Why do all tiles look the same?
There is either old fashioned or glass tiles.
Why cant colours match?
Why does it appear that stock is available but when you ask it isnt?

Have I hit you up for a donation for World's Greatest Shave yet?
Beware then....cause I'm commin!!!!!!!

10 days to go!

10 days to no hair!!!
Please support us and send us some money now!
I will be doing some fundraising at Wallsend Plaza this Wednesday with Helen.

Other than that, spent the weekend chasing my tail....
On Sunday we tried to organise tiles for our upstairs bathroom and order a vanity and bathtub, neither of which we successfully accomplished.

The doctor from down the road has been getting rid of stuff again, and I have managed to score a cork message board and a mini hi fi system ( not sure if it works yet).
I told my husband that the doc should just save himself the trouble and bring the whole lot down to our place.....at least it encourages me to walk, every time I walk past there is something new out.