I am the egg lady...

22nd March 2011

I will admit that since I got my new car and having it serviced every 15,000kms I am enjoying being able to relax on those early mornings in the west in a lovely cafe with polite staff and lovely peaceful finches and other squeeky birds in an avery in the middle of the cafe.

The coffee is great, the staff are funny and happy to have a laugh and the bacon, tomato and cheese toasties are tremendous.

Today I am having raison toast for a change.  Mostly because I dont have alot of cash on me.

To my left is a distinguished gentleman with grey hair and a red backpack.  A tradie of some description has just come in.  He is talking loudly on his mobile.  I am assuming he wants the whole world to know what he does.. Must be a plumber.. he is whinging about dishwashers.. I'll confirm that suspicion when he turns around and I see the trademark "plumbers crack".. I won't complain about that though.

I heard on the news on my way to the car yard that it is flooding yet again.

I am sitting in a ray of sunshine.. The first bit of sunshine I have seen in days.  I am staring at the Mercedes Benz show room across from where I am sitting..  Fancy schmancy cars that I will never be able to afford, but, honestly, I am ok with that.

My latte and raison toast has arrived, I am actually quite hungry this morning.

0833hrs..... Oh.. a siren!  Still no plumbers crack... *sigh*

I don't do public transport...

Public Transport experience 12 January 2011
0430hrs...

I am sitting on the platform of my local train station, which by the way is a good 15 minute drive from my home.  I am heading into the city for a 12 hour shift with another Department due to the Queensland/Northern NSW flooding.

So far, a scruffy Aussie has confused me with rail staff and has asked me when the next train to The Riff is until he looked at my name badge and realised that I was wearing the wrong uniform.  Sincerely apologised and scurried off to the next unsuspecting fool. I am going to assume he could not read cause we were right in front of the train schedule board.

An asian couple get on.. He is elderly, hard to tell exactly how old he or she is.  They are carrying an esky between them. I wonder what is in that esky.. Wontons? Dumplings (hmmm, dumplings! *drool*). Their dead cat that they are taking to be cremated?.  She is carrying a brolly because it's raining.  They sit opposite each other - he pushes the esky in front of her. I wonder why, because it's probably all her hard work making those wontons and she is going to bash anyone who knicks them with the umbrella?  She hands him his newspaper, up until this point there has been no words exchanged between the couple.. Still no words.. They have probably been doing this every single morning for god knows how many years (except if it really is a deceased pet in the esky then it would be a one off). She takes out a newspaper..  They sit silently side by side reading their newspapers protecting their wonton cargo.

There is a woman behind me coughing.. Continuously... If I get a bug I will hunt her down and lick her so she gets it back.

0437hrs
I have officially lost my sense of humor. Seriously, what kind of life is this?

Who (apart from the wonton couple) gets up with the sparrows to catch a train to get into the city to start work before 0600hrs?

No wonder I want to try and move out of this city!  I am not even sure which wasy to go when I get to Central Station!  Fortunately, I have about 30 minutes to work it out. 

I can smell chinese food..  It HAS to be the esky...

0439hrs
Half way mark..

Maybe that why I can smell chinese food.. We are going through a large Western City.. Lots of asian restaurants around here.. Delicious...

0455hrs
The wonton couple leave the train, with their precious cargo.. Damn..

Last time I was on a train, the seats were vinyl.. These seats are a material of some description.

0528hrs..
You have reached your destination.

Just to lighten the mood....

And now for an Ikea joke....


What is the difference between a normal meat ball and a swedish meat ball?







The swedish meat ball you eat with an allan key!

The end of social interaction...

After having a conversation with my friend Jen I/we are beginning to think that texting and facebook is contributing to the end of human interaction at it's best.

I wonder whether we loose a connection with people because we SEE what is going on with their lives on Facebook or send them brief text messages therefore we don't bother ringing them to talk one on one anymore because we THINK we have communicated sufficiently.

Have we lost that ability to chat, talk, converse, debate, consult? Have we lost the ability to spell when the average conversation has "LOL" or a smilie face :) attached to it?  Or even "Hi HRU?" "I'm gr8"..  I mean what on earth does all that mean?  Am I a fuddy duddy?

Gone are the days from 20 years ago when if you wanted to know what a friend was doing and you couldn't afford the astronomical phone call the only option was to put pen to paper. 20 YEARS AGO! Where have those 20 years gone?  Long gone are the days where you had to wait three weeks for a person to send you a response to a question via snail mail. 

We live in an instantaneous world, even noodles are instantaneous these days.

Society has changed because we no longer give people out undivided attention. it devalues a person's worth.  So next time you think about one of your friends, pick up the phone and TALK to them.

I guess ironically I am choosing a form of social media to vent this..

Right, I'll get off my soap box now..

A visit with Joseph

My Optometrist's name is Joseph.

He is a funny man, a silver fox estimated to be in his late 40's. 

It's been four (4) years since I last saw Joseph.  Apparently this is unacceptable especially since I've had optic neuritis.  So, have I been told today?  Yes I have!

I did find out that whilst my optic nerve was swollen for some weeks and after being on steroids in hospital for four (4) days I have minimal long term damage to the optic nerve which is good news. In fact, he toyed with the idea of not even changing my right eye script from 2007.

So, two pairs of glasses and a pair of new fancy Oroton sunnies later I walk out $585 poorer promising that I will be back in 12 months for another check up..  I did walk away feeling positive and with one piece of useful inside information and perhaps the secret to being a good Optometrist.

When I asked "Why is it so difficult to choose glasses?"
Joseph "We make it that way deliberately"
"Why?" I ask
Joseph's answer "Because it means you spend more time with us"....

Awww..

Life in the burbs..

It's a beautiful sunny day here in the burbs.. 

I have my third load of washing on, cleaning the house, the mentalheads are frollicking in the backyard, the chooks are fed, the washing is gently moving in a slightly chilled breeze on the hills hoist.

I've spent some time in the garden weeding and soaking up some much needed morning Vitamin D after a week of being office bound...  Hung a bag of garden goodies and shared some of my fruit stash after a visit to the fruit and veg market yesterday on the fence pailing for my neighbours.

THEN the peace is shattered.

My wonderful kind beautiful neighbour starts listening to not only country, but western too..

She is singing "stand by your man" at full volume.... Not only once, but twice.. It must be a favorite.

I see that I have three choices: 1. Tape up the windows and vacate the house; 2. Counteract with some Aerosmith; or 3. If ya can't beat 'em join 'em.

So, because I have to suffer... You do too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZr0_ic1304

Oddly enough, it was top of the pops in the year I was born!  Now, that's a piece of useless information!

Thank you to Tammy Wynette for that toe tappin' goodness!

Enjoy!

Henny and Penny..

The new additions to the family...

Bovine Bribery...

Here is the old girl...  Mileve :)

One good deed leads to a new UBD...

On my way home on Wednesday night.. Car is literally running on vapor.. It's been three weeks since my last visit to the bowser so I figure I had better juice up..

Travelling along a main arterial road near my home towards my favorite petrol station I pass a Motorhome on the side of the road, snicker to myself thinking "oh boy are they lost!".

So, I pull into the service station, wait for a truck to finish filling up as there is only one diesel bowser.  I start to fill up and low and behold the lost motorhome cruises up beside me.

Two people get out of the rear, two people get out of the front. Driver stands in front of me and stretches. It's almost 7pm.

I say to driver "looks like you needed that".
He says "Yeah, it's been a long day"
Me: "Where have you come from?"
Driver: "We flew into Brisbane this morning and got straight in this thing (motions to motorhome) and here we are!"
Me: "Where did you fly in from?"
Driver: "New Zealand. Here for a few days for a Machinery show.  You wouldn't happen to know where the nearest caravan park is would you?"
Me: "No idea! I'll find my UBD"...

So, after a lengthy conversation in the petrol station.. and to cut a long story short, these Kiwi's had flown into Brisbane and driven down here in a motorhome to Sydney with a map that is dreadful.  So, I gave them my UBD so that I would feel comfortable in knowing that they wouldn't get lost again..

God bless their wooly socks!

The adventures of TJ & Robyn

Follow TJ on his venture around Oz...

http://tjontheroadagain.blogspot.com/

Pigeon with no where to go..

Monday 16th May 2011

So the little grey pigeon that was in my backyard this morning looking a little puffed up and disheartened has sadly passed away while I was at work. I did think that he/she had just landed in my yard because it’s welcoming and warm and had good intentions of making friends with the chooks. Clearly I was wrong.

This evening I rang the 1300 number on his/her band however they have gone home to roost for the night. I'll try again in the morning. Meanwhile he/she is in a box just in case the owners want it.

Tuesday 17th May 2011

So, it seems that pigeon fanciers only fancy pigeons if they are alive... The lady at the pigeon fanciers society advised me to put him/her in a plastic bag and dispose of him/her in the garbage bin. Such a sad, unromantic way to go. So I am going home to give it a fitting burial in the backyard.

Whilst I have had some tremendous ideas of making a meal out of the plump little bird I think that it is best that he have a proper burial considering the sad circumstances of his passing.

RIP #303 pigeon.

And it's not even winter yet...

I can smell the faint smell of smoke from a wood burning heater. We seem to be experiencing a crazy cold snap... I didn't think we were allowed to have them in this council area.  I guess it's nice to know that they still exist.  I think this house had one once, but the previous owners removed it. 

Currently it's 7 degrees outside.. I have the inside of the house at a balmy 25 degrees..

I think it's a miracle.. So, I won't whinge about it being cold... 

Keep warm kids ;)

Geoff's Muffins...

Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine)
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped white chocolate

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the flour and sugar into a bowl and mix to combine. Combine the sour cream, eggs, lemon rind and oil and whisk together. Stir the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold through the raspberries and chocolate and spoon the mixture into 8 x 1 cup (250 ml) capacity muffin tins lined with paper patty cases. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Makes 8.

If using frozen raspberries, no need to defrost them first.

An afternoon of bliss...

Recently whilst travelling we dropped into a place that I had heard of, but never been to..  I have been to a similar place in Launceston called the Roman Baths which has since closed down.

It's always been somewhere I wanted to check out, but never had anyone to go with.  Fortunately the day we were driving through it was pouring rain, cold and miserable.. Not the day I had hoped it would be, but it actually turned out to be a perfect day to be lazing around in 40 degree heated pools with a gorgeous view of Lake Lyall near Lithgow.

The sauna takes your breath away and quite literally makes you soak in the eucalyptus steam, its cleansing, relaxing, soothing and just lets all your worries float away.. I could have quite easily nodded off whilst in the 40 degree mineral pool.

So, needless to say, now that I have been I am addicted..  I am planning a girlie weekend there again later on during winter.

If you are ever free on a Saturday afternoon you should check it out, be sure to book first though.. Sincerest apologies if you run into me!

http://www.japanesebathhouse.com.au/bathhouse.asp

Have you got your phone?

Mum has just come back from a weekend away with her cronies..

When they were unpacking, one of her friends discovered that instead of packing her mobile into her bag, she packed the cordless home phone.

Meanwhile, her mobile was sitting on the kitchen bench at her home some 230kms away..

Needless to say, the cordless phone had no reception and she couldn't call her husband to tell him they'd arrived safely!

I just know that I am going to be like that one day..... Crazy senile!

Karma...

At lunch today I was discussing the fact that I haven't been to the Optometrist for years..

Tonight, on the way home.. The bloody lense fell out of my glasses.. 

It's a sign!

So, it's off to the Optometrist on the weekend for me!

A new view on life.....

So today was day one of my new job.  I have a lovely new corner desk with a window and a stunning view of the carpark and a phone number that is really easy to remember!

Haven't I got a handful ahead!  I've come home with heaps of reading and a head full of ideas and thoughts.

Going by what I learnt today, I will have my work cut out for me.

Fortunately I have some experience in what I will be doing, so all isn't quite as daunting as I had first thought.

Night night Kids, I've gots me some readin to do!