CHRISTMAS HAS COME & GONE

Christmas eve up at the hospital was full of surprises and emu came to visit, then Santa & Co arrived and we were ready for them with our water bombs as were they, I think we all came out even. 1/2 an hour later we could see from afar a dust storm was approaching, OMG it was unbelievable to see, it did not hit the hospital it went around it. We usually have one of these at least once a year but this was the first time I had seen anything like that full on.

Thanks everyone for my presents - loved them all.

What next? Making new years resolutions - mmmmm.

A visit from an emu

Santa is arriving on fire truck

Tania & Sam ready to water bomb Santa & Co

The the dust storm on its way

The reddest dust storm hits

HO HO HO

One more sleep until the man in red arrives!

Merry Christmas everyone.

THE REAL JINGLE BELLS SONG!

THE JOYS OF SHOPPING

Went to Goorlie (Kal) on Saturday and went to the Gift Home shop to see if the Christmas tree was still there and guess what? - it was there waiting patiently there for me. Paid for it and walked out the shop with a smile, first time for awhile that something has gone my way, as the other day my ipod shuffle said it was corrupt - so now I am looking at purchasing and ipod classic, also I have lost my phone - I know it is in my house somewhere but where is the question?? Had to ring Karen up the other day for her to give me my mobile number, rang my number but to no avail.

My New Xmas Tree

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Bumped into Karen and her friend Chloe in Goorlie they were both trying/buying clothes in Target. I did my good deed and bought 2 Chrissie presents for the Target Xmas Tree for the under privileged children.

I went to Woollies to buy my diet coke (as here in Leo for a ctn of 24 cans of diet coke $39.00 - forget that) one ctn of 30 cans for $19.00 - I am not sure how they justify their prices here, its a total rip off.

Thought I was going to put my first aide/PCA nursing skills into practice when I was in Woollies I was waiting for my sister while she was doing some shopping and I was sitting on the seat inside Woollies, this girl came out of one of the checkout aisles and she stumbled at bit (thought she was a little bit tipsy), anyway she stumbled towards me and I could see in her face she didn't look right - I asked her if she was "OK" but no reply, as she fell to the ground I grabbed her before she hit the floor, this girl that was sitting on the seat next to me I had to actually had to say to her "can you please help me to lift her onto the seat" by the time we got her onto the seat this lady just pushed me aside and took over and then this guy yells out from the crowd - "I am a Medical Officer - lay her down on the seat blah, blah, blah", so I just stood aside. Poor girl had fainted.

PS: 14 more sleeps till Christmas - Ho Ho Ho!

4 WEEKS TILL CHRISTMAS

Our Christmas display at work

Gosh time is flying and Christmas is just around the corner. I saw this most gorgeous Christmas tree in Kal a few weeks ago at a gift shop, it was about 2 foot tall and made out of fake red roses (no not plastic but material) with little fairy lights through it - I fell in love with it and wanted it, but the price of it was ridiculous, have not stop thinking about it so if it is still in the shop when I go back then I was meant to have it. A certain person that left Leo a few months ago was throwing out her branch/twig tree that she decorates as a Xmas tree (which I so wanted for my back patio) but no it was given to someone else and here I thought she was my friend - so jingle bells to her!!

RAIN DROPS KEPT FALLING

Catching the rain water for my plants
(I wish I had a water tank)

View from my back yard

Rained on and off over the weekend and I loved it. It was a weekend of sleeping in, doing nothing much at all except snuggling up with my electric throw on the lounge chair and watching a few DVD's, have not done that in ages.

On Sunday afternoon I received a call from AC, I had just finished telling her about the rain and it was pouring down at that stage and if she could hear it, next minute there was a big clap of thunder & lightning and then a humongous bang - I just instantly threw the phone and all that came out of my mouth was F _ _ K! I was not sure if AC was still on the phone as too scared to touch it. The power and phone lines were cut instantly. I know you are not suppose to be on your land line while there is thunder and lightning and there was nothing to suggest that at the time, it just happened that quickly. I rang her back on the mobile to let her know what had just occurred and that I was OK. I was shaken for the next 1/2 hour after that happened, it was so scary and poor old Miss Tubby was scared with me.

PICK ME!

This is Santa's new helper, his younger brother, he takes care of naughty girls only and guess what? I have been very, very naughty this year! Thanks Jo for sending him to me.

TIM & SARAH'S WEDDING

The Bride & Groom - Tim & Sarah
18th October 2008

The Wedding cake

The Bell Tower - Perth

Jodi, Jarron, Sarah, Tim & Me

NOVEMBER GOSSIP

He Did It

I bought my Obama badge when I was in Washington in April this year and yesterday I wore it proudly, no I am not an American but an Aussie, if I was an American he would of got my vote for sure. It is time for change, a younger, fresher new face to run the country. President Obama is the man.

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Yippee

This time I was determined to catch Mr Whippee that came into town last weekend, I could hear his music from his van afar, as the music came closer, I grabbed my money and waited for him on the street. As per usual my eyes are bigger than my mouth and went for a double cone ice cream (been years since I had a Mr. Whippee ice cream), it was very filling but delicious as the same time. That was my Sunday treat.

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My Stall

It was that time again to de-clutter out the cupboards and biff out things that I knew I would never ever wear again (there was stuff there I didn't even know I had!) and set up stall for the market day last weekend. I sold 80% of my stuff with with help of my offsider Shawnaye , the things I did not sell will go to the Salvation Army bins in Kal.

NO REST FOR THE WICKED

This afternoon fly out to Perth for a wedding - Tim & his wife to be Sarah, getting married/reception at the Bell Tower in the city. So looking forward to the day.
My Weekend Plans:

Booked into the Sheraton Hotel for the weekend.

Friday Evening - catch up with Miriam (who will kindly will pick me up from airport), have a me night on Friday evening, manicure, pedicure, nice relaxing bath, just chilling.

Saturday - Meet Jodi (looking froward to seeing her, with many laughs for sure) both have hair appointments in the morning, Jodi's a blow wave and myself a French roll (oh very sophisticated) then off to wedding Saturday afternoon. I still have no idea what the hell I am going to wear or whether anything will fit me - I should be panicking by now - but I' m not, just threw this and that in bag and hope for the best on the day!

Sunday - Meet AC for lunch in the city and a spot of shopping of course- yeehar. Sunday evening, meet Kelly for a few drinks and dinner, looking forward to seeing them both again.

Monday Morning - Catch early morning flight back to Leo - then straight to work.

PJ PARTY

20.09.2008

Had a girls night for AC, lots of drinking - alco's we are!, dancing - dancers we are not!, singers - Australian Idol - no way! but a good night by all to farewell AC leaving Leo. I miss you AC.

Singing to Singstar

Doing the sprinkler dance!

Farewelled AC with a bottle of champers

Come on AC get it off!

LOOKS LIKE A PRE-HISTORIC CRITTER

This little tail-less ghecko was underneath my bin and scared the shit out of me when I went to put the bin out for rubbish day.

BALI BERRY GOOD

05.09.2008 to 15.09.2008

Bali holiday just memories now - great memories at that, The Kunja Villa (as the Bailinese pronounce it "Billa") was everything we expected and more, had a wonderful relaxing time there. The company, food, shopping, weather etc all bloody bantastic!

This is where we spent most days, just lazying by the pool

Good Ole Kuta Beach

My Good Ole Faithful Thongs
(This is what happens when you try to exercise on the beach with thongs!)

Me & my adopted family on our last night at the Kunja Villa ("Billa"!)

THIS TIME NEXT WEEK...

We will be in Seminyak, Bali maybe having a late breakfast or relaxing by the pool, reading our trashy magazine (which I love), sipping on an icy cold diet coke/banana milkshake, munching on pringles and catching a few sun rays or having a massage, maybe shopping or we could be sight seeing then again we might be sleeping in, getting a tattoo (henna) sounds good too, who knows. All I know is no alarm clock, no work, no stress.

Must go and finish my packing.

WAS SLEEPING SOUNDLY UNTIL ............

Early to bed last night as I wanted to rise early so I could wash my hair (it takes me about an hour and a half to dry and straighten my hair). I was having a sound sleep until I heard the phone, looked at the time, 10.00pm. It was my neighbour (name withheld) 4 houses down, "are you sleeping"? - WELL YEAH! - "I want to know about the routine steps we did in aerobic step classes the other night"? - WTF - you are asking me, when you know I have no idea at all as I am so confused with steps as it is, your talking to the wrong person. After phone conversation it took me ages to get back to sleep. Did I get up early as planned? Not as early as I wanted.

This will be me at work by lunch time!

TIME FOR A CHANGE

Thought it was time to change the colour of my blog but kept same template layout. Not sure how long I will keep this before I change back to black?

Don't have many choices to pick from "pick a new template".

SINGER I'M NOT, THOUGH WILLING TO LEARN

Singing Classes started on Monday night, me I will give anything a try, can't sing but always wanted to learn so thought here's my chance. The first thing I said to the teacher "I hope we don't have to sing on our own in front of everyone, as I am too shy" and he assured me no. There were 5 in the class and he had asked each and everyone one of us if we had ever sung before, I told him "I had plenty singing experience in the shower and in the car"!

My fear had just become a reality, we had to sing Mary Had A Little Lamb ON OUR OWN (he tricked me) as wanted to hear what our voices were like. I shot up my hand to be the first as I wanted to get it over and done with. We practiced singing two songs Your The Voice by John Farnhman and Tainted Love (have no idea who sings that), could not of picked two harder songs. In the song Tainted Love, there are words in the chorus - touch me baby, touch me, nothing wrong with that but I thought to myself that's a bit rough especially as we had Sr. Annette from the Catholic church in our class and every time we sang the chorus all I could think was I wonder what Sr. Annette is thinking!

Watch out Battle of the Choirs!

Watch out karaoke bars in Bali!

BURGLAR'S!

Early Saturday morning I woke about 2.30am, I could hear noises out side my house and security lights were on. Sat upright in my bed petrified for 10 miniutes thinking what should I do? Call the Cops? No, as knowing my luck it would of been diverted to Kalgoorlie (last time that happened I thought someone was in my back yard, rang the cops and got through to Kal and she told me "to ring back if I was worried" - that's why I rang the cop shop as I was WORRIED - I told her "I could be raped or murdered in that time" and slammed the phone down.) My Neighbour was away. So I decided to be brave (me never brave), grabbed my wadi (a club thingy made out of wood) and tip toed into the lounge room, took a deep breath and peered through the blinds and what did I see- 3 BLOODY KANGAROOS eating at my lawn, I forgot to close my front gate!

CHRISTIAN THE LION

I just love this clip - brings a tear to my eye every time I watch this.

NO YOU CAN'T GO!

AC rang me yesterday to tell me her news (not good news for me) that her and hubby were leaving good old Leo (gold country) for Quairading (wheat belt country) within the the next 2 months. WTF am I going to do - no doubt go back to talking to the walls!! AC was my drinking partner - IC's /champers (I will will be drinking solo from then on), gym partner, walking her mongrels, our Sunday drives (you have to be there to understand our Sunday drives!) our laughs, our whinges. Who's gunna (good English) help me when I need a birthday card or when I get a new gadget and help me put it together, I am going to be lost.

I have friends but I only have a handful of really close friends. I said to AC yesterday I hope we will be friends forever as many have come and gone in my life and you stay in touch for a few years then you lose all contact, I hope that is not the case with AC. No bull we actually speak nearly everyday via email/phone or in person and she only lives 4 houses down from me! I first met AC when she arrived into town and she came to join the gym and I gave her a guided tour of the gym. Who would of thought we would become good friends?

I WANT A NEW OFFICE

This is my office where I work, I am in the hub of everything and everyone its a real thoroughfare. When I am busy it is difficult to concentrate especially come pay day, rates or end of month, people walk past and want to talk (I don't mind a chat when I am not busy) or the fax machine or photocopier is playing up and they ask me why is this not working? I get cranky and tell them to read the instructions as I am not the bloody mechanic, the worst is when the Ranger is in the office and his mobile phone starts ringing and his ring tone is a bunch of dogs barking - that's when I want to pick his phone up and throw it at the wall. I have asked to be moved but to no avail!

ANOTHER BIG MOTHER ?#%#*#

This is what crawled through the main street yesterday morning hitting and bending a few keep left signs along the way, presumably heading to one of the mines out of town , thank goodness I was not sitting behind one of these going to Kalgoorlie.

45 DAYS TO GO

The Bath

This is what I am looking forward to when I go to Bali at the Kunja Villas - "THE BATH" so it better have those rose petals in there otherwise it is false advertising, I don't have a bath at home so where ever I go and there is a bath I am in there. Eating, drinking, shopping, massages (the feet), hanging out at our very own pool (having not to share with a hundred others) and sipping on diet coke, munching on Pringles, the company (my adopted family!) and not having to get up for work for 10 whole days - that's what I call chilling. Our dollar better stay high while we are there as we will feel like millionaire's changing a hundred Australian dollars.

ONYA NANA TERRI

Yeah for Nana Terri wining BB08, she out beat the young ones.

I read that this was the final BB ever, and me just love reality TV (I know as I have said many times before "I have no life") will miss it. OMG what will I watch now? - oh yeah there is still The Amazing Race, Farmer Wants A Wife or I could get off the couch and do something constructive!!

LOOK AT ME

Murphy relaxing after his walk!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

WORK:
The last couple of weeks have been super busy here at work, with the end of financial year stuff to do, group certificates (I was 24 thousand dollars out but after shutting the books for the day and coming back to it a day later, bingo, found it), new payroll to download (had to converse with some IT guy over east, who I could hardly understand, it was so frustrating, it was the longest 45 minute phone conversation I have ever had, you could just tell in his voice he could not be bothered with me, they get paid an annual fee so when we have any queries they are suppose to be there to help us!). At present we a doing the annual property and mining rates so they should be out in the next few days then we wait for the onslaught of the little old pensioners scurrying in to pay their rates - bless their little souls. Hurry up September - Bali here we come.

MISS TUBBY:
Miss Tubby has settled into life with me though she has been locked out of the house several times as come my bed time and I go to call for her she is nowhere to be seen so out she stays until I hear her meowing at the door at 6.00am so begrudgingly I get up to let her in and give her a stern talking to about staying out all night in the freezing cold.

PURCHASES:
I bought myself an electric throw rug, OMG the best purchase so far, for winter anyway, while watching TV, turn it on, throw if over yourself and you are settled in for the night, pity it does not plug into your cigarette lighter in your car!!! My other purchases was a 19' flat screen TV for my bedroom and a combo Video/DVD recorder - I do a lot of TV recordings (which is still sitting on my floor in the lounge room, waiting for me to connect it up, if I can't there is only one person to call, Miss Technology AC.

FRIENDS:
I received a call from Kelly last night, to say that she has settled into her new position in Port Hedland as Regional Coordinator - Pilbara, Active After School Communities I think she will be much happier there than she was in her last position in Mundaring, told her she had to get down to the local boozer and mingle with the locals.

FOOD:
I had the most delicious, yummo camp oven roast delivered to me last week (meals of wheels) and it was the best roast I have ever had, that delicious that I even licked the bowl. I want a camp oven now and somebody to cook it for me!!

WILL I OVER TAKE THIS? I DONT THINK SO!

This is what I had to contend with on the road a few weeks ago - lucky I was on my way home and only 20 kilometres out of town, the escort vehicle did indicate for me to pass the big mother f.....! on several occasions but I declined as I was only 10 minutes out of town. At times I have no choice but to pass these big dump trucks and that's when the heart is thumping at 100 miles an hour and once you have overtaken them, a big sigh of relief!

WHERE'S THE PUDDY CAT?

Come On Puddy Cat!

Leave me Alone!

AC had the pleasure of baby sitting little Finn on Sunday morning and they both came up to visit me. I wanted to show little Finn my cat, Miss Tubby but as you can see by this photo there was no way Miss Tubby was coming out from under the bed.

TRASH & TREASURE

Bargains galore @ our table

Morning Price, Morning Price!

Michaela & Shawnaye left with bags of goodies, happy customers, that's what we like.

AC and myself headed down to the local school to sell our goods for the Trash & Treasure Day on Saturday, we sold 97% of our stuff and came home very happy traders. One man's trash is another man's treasure - that is for sure.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

MISS TUBBY

Miss Tubby exploring the outside

Miss Tubby and her new friend Tiger the stuffed animal

I have myself a new cat called Miss Tubby (she weighs 7 kilos - hence the name!) she's a moggie and is 3 1/2 years old. She came to me from the city, where the owners were separating and took Miss Tubby to the vet to be put down (sometimes I wonder about people having pets), the vet Tiffany couldn't bring herself to do it - so she took her home hoping someone would take Miss Tubby into their home - this is where I came into it.

Miss Tubby flew up on Tuesday, she was a little stressed after her flight but slowly getting use to her her environment, she has already found her favourite spots in the house, she does like the outdoors, she seems to sleep 60% of the day, is a little scared of me - but I am sure with time we will be great friends.

SOME PHOTO'S OVER THE GOLDEN GIFT WEEKEND 2008

Race Day on Saturday 31st May 08

Mr. Clown - certainly kept the crowd entertained - he was funny

AC & JB

Kate Ceberano - doing what she does best - singing (she was awesome)
Saturday Night 31st May 08

ABBA Girls (they got the crowd up and dancing)
Saturday Night 31st May 08

Kate Ceberano relaxing after show in shire office
Saturday Night 31st May 08

The Athlete's - The Winners
Sunday 1st June 2008