Last Post for 2008.

I know that sounds rather sad, but when you think about
it The last post is a sad tune played at funerals! and
it is a sad time watching the last hours of 2008 go by.

It has been a year of endings with the dead of Don Snr
and friends and relatives but also a year of beginnings
with the birth of Ryley and Meg beginning to date again.

Lets hope that 2009 will carry on with those beginnings.

We are all praying that Ryley's medical tests came back
with an all clear and that Meg and Mark make a go of it.

The Christmas Rush!

I guess it is starting to show. Yesterday Tuesday 22nd
Dec, Cliff was saying to everyone in the shop Happy
Christmas. It relly began to grate on my nerves. I
ended up saying each time he said it "It's MERRY
Christmas and a HAPPY new Year!"

Didn't help that Meg dragged me to MAD Valley to do her
Christmas shopping. I had to go as she was out of money
and I had to put it all on my credit card as hers is full!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Euchre Christmas Party Break Up

Visiting Erika

After I had my hair coloured and cut at the Bridal Estate
hair dressers I rang Erika to see if she was home.

After having tried three times before to catch her at home
I was delighted to find her home so I went straight around.

She opened the door and said she had barely put the phone
down.

She had sprained her ankle a couple of weeks ago and is still
finding it hard to walk around. She said it was the first
day without crutches.

I told her she should sue. She laughted and said everyone
hastold her the same thing!!! Someone said she should have
takenpictures. Erika said "Oh yes, there she is laying on
the sidewalk in pain so of course the first thing on her mind
is taking a picture!"

I asked if she had a mobile phone that takes pictures and
she said she did but would never have thought of that.

So then I told her the sad story of my 'lost' phone. She
liked the look of my new phone, so then we played with our
phones.

It turns out she is on the internet so I showed her how to
find my blog on the WWW, so she might check it out from now
on.

She also has e mail so I have added her to my list!

Found!

Cliff rang about 3:45 p.m. Friday 12/12 to tell me he
had found my 'missing or lost phone' in an old shopping
bag that I had left at the shop.

Silly me but at least now I will be able to put all my
old numbers into my new phone!

Partylite Candles Arrive!

Sue rang on Wednesday and said that all her other orders
had arrived. Unfortunately mine had not. She wanted to
know if it was 'safe' sending the order to the shop and
I told her about my Franklin order. She was impressed.

Cliff rang at 11.30 a.m. Thursday morning to say that
they had arrived. But I could not find the paper work
to sort out what belongs to whom! Though some I can
remember off by heart.

So I tried to ring her but the new mobile phone still
had the barring on it so I had to ring them and complain
and use the landline to ring Sue!I told her my problem
and as she has some of her orders in my package she said
she would be here before 6 p.m. to sort it out for me.
But she had not arrived by 9.30 p.m. so I rang her again
and she said she will see me at my place by 3.30 p.m.

Expess Post!

Finally got around to looking up the Franklin web site.
I tried Google and it first gave me the US web site so
I had to narrow the search. With the phone number I was
able to ring and tell the young woamn what I wanted and
she told me the model number of the item.

It was still $69.95 after 8 years! I ordered it at
1.41 p.m. on Monday 8th Dec and when I arrived at the
shop on Tuesday (9th)at noon, Cliff said a parcel had
arrived for me just after 9 a.m. and it was the Collins
Crossword Solver!

Now that is Express Post, particularly at this time of
year!

The Worse Ad I've Seen on T.V. in a Long Time.

Supercheap Auto have this horrible ad on the T.V. at the
moment.

It shows a young boy, who has used his hard earned pocket
money to buy his dad a C.D. He has thought about it and
knows what type of music his father likes.

The father takes him to the garage and DESTROYS the C.D.
and in it's place jumps out a gift card on Supercheap and
the announcer says "Give him the gift he really wants."

Now I was taught that a gift horse should not be looked
at in the mouth!

Also a gift card is an IMPERSONAL gift. Something you buy
for the people who don't know very well or in the case of
a person who is so busy that they have not got the time to
go shopping.

It is anti everything I was brought up to believe Christmas
was about.

ZZZZzzzzs!

Cliff is driving me mad with his snoring! It is getting
worse I suggested he see his doctor about it but he
says he doesn't snore! especially as 99% of the time I
'wake' him and tell him he is snoring he insisits he
wasn't even sleeping!

When he came over and stayed on Tuesday night, I forgot
to tell him to bring the clamp for his nose and I did
not sleep a wink all night and even then on Wednesday
I barely got 4 hours in the morning, so I felt like shit
all day.

Well on Friday night (5th Dec) it was the same thing all
over again. I was so tired I fell asleep by 11 p.m. but
his snoring woke me at 2 a.m. and despite waking him and
getting him to put the clamp on his nose he continued to
snore for the rest of the night which meant I did not get
any sleep till he got up at 7.30 a.m. to do the garage
sales, but even then I only got 1 1/2 hours before I had
to get up.

On Saturday night he tried to sleep in the bedroom but was
so lazy he could not pull the curtains closed and thus
was unable to sleep, as the house opposite had their Xmas
lights flashing, so he came out to the lounge room and went
to sleep on the couch! I of course hurried into the berroom ,
closed the curtains, went to bed and slept like a baby!!!
best night sleep all week!

Thankfully he did not have too much to drink on Sunday night
and we made it through the night with me only being awake
from 5 a.m. having gone to bed at 12 a.m.

I don't know if the non snoring device I bought from HomeCare
works as he refuses to wear it saying 'it is too small.'

Computer Problems and My Surveys.

I think I really hate computers.

I just spent twenty minutes doing this post and
went to publish it and it said Sevicer Error 502
and completely lost the whole thing!!!!

I am having trouble with doing my surveys. Every
time I answer a question and press the NEXT button,
I get a message that says there is an error on Line...
it asks if I want to fix the problem, at first I use
to say yes, but it would take FOREVER and then tell
me it could not fix the problem and that the internet
had to shut down. So now I select No I will not
fix the problem, but I have to do this AFTER EVERY
question and it makes taking the surveys much longer!

One survey group sends me surveys regularly but they
grossly underestimate the time it takes to do them.
The last one on Friday was suppose to take 15 minutes
to complete. It took nearly 40 minutes and I was
screened out which means I did not even finish it!
They will 'award' me 20 points! It takes 5,500 points
to receive a $100 Coles/Myer Voucher, which works
out to be 55 points=$1, so for the forty minutes I
'earned' a little under 40 cents, I feel like one of
those workers in a sweat shop! at this rate it will
be 5 years and 5,000 hours of doing surveys before
I earn the $100!

The galling part is I paid $35 to get a list of these
companies that issue surveys and the company selling
them said "You can earn $1,000's every week." As far
as I can see there are not enough hours in the week
to earn more than $168 with this company and that means
just doing surveys 24/7!!!

Another company 'pays' a decent amount for a $100 voucher
you need 1060 points and in some of their surveys thay
'pay' 600 points, unfortunately I have only been eligible
to do one of these as most times the surveys are finished
before I get to them. Once I tried doing one within three
hours of receiving it and it was already FULL!

The easiest one has been a survey of cinemas, I go and
watch and write down all the ads before the feature film,
it takes about twenty minutes and they pay $25 for each
survey so far in the last year I have done 4 of these,
which means I have covered my initial outlay of $35! But
it is the only money I have seen in the fifteen months I
have been doing surveys! I am cdertainly not going to
make my fortune this way! but as my Aunty Josie was wont
to say "It's pin money dear!"

The Rush To Christmas

On Monday 1st Dec Bruce Oliver came into the club again
when the Euchre Club were playing. He spoke to John and
asked how many more weeks we would be coming before we
broke up and John said two. I reckon he'll be be in both
those nights! just to make it uncomfortable! yet we
usually don't see him Monday nights!

I will do the certifictes for the first three places,
again this year. It is between Billy and Roy for first
with really only one week to go.

I will ask John what he thinks about a wooden spoon prize
for last place? A real spoon with the date and average on it!

So much to do so little time.

Cliff is bugging me about the tape I took nealy ten years ago
that had Chris on it, to make a copy for Audrey.

I have finally got the paper work done for getting a copy of my
marriage certificate to Don and now I just need to send it off.
I need it back before Xmas for the kids presents!

Started the decorations in the shop but there is not enough
tinsel.

Thankfully as Kath is having Xmas at her house I'm not
putting up any decorations or tree at Cliff's this year.

Cliff asked today if I have done the Newsletter for the Xmas
cards this year. He says it is getting LATE!! The answer was NO.

The Partylite candles should arrive by the end of next week and
I need to take them to the people and at the same time hand
deliver Xmas cards. Still have to get the money from three
people but fixed up the mistake with Karen's order also Sue
told me I had won the hostess gift for October which was a
nice surprise. I gave her the information re the rep who
stiffed Meg and I by taking our broken items but never
replacing them1

Serendipity

This has been happening to me my whole life but I
didn't really start to notice it till I began working
for Australia Post.

I'd see an envelope with a city, town etc on it that I
had never seen or heard of before and have to look up
where it went and low and behold the very next day
there would be an article in The Sun about that town.

Last week there was a program on Channel 7, "Life After
People" and one of the things they talked about was the
failing of power stations except for Hoover dam. They
gave quite a bit of information about the dam and up to
now I have only heard of it in movies. Then the very
next day I saw an ad on T.V. for a show that will be
screening over the next seven weeks on Sunday call "The
Seven Wonders of the Modern World." The first program
to be about the 'Hoover Dam' on Sunday 30th November, 2008.

I watched the program and found it fasinating. They are
going to feature 'The Brooklyn Bridge' next week. Then
on Monday night (the very next day!) on the first episode
of the new season of "The Darlings" Donald Sutherland is
talking about the fact that 27 men died building the
'Brooklyn Bridge'!

How many other people have that going on in their lives?

Jasmine's 4th Birthday!

Another Encounter

Who should turn up at the Club's Echure night on Monday 24th November, but Bruce Oliver. Once again he started complaining in a loud raucous voice about the Echure Club, however he soon disappeared into the gaming room and within half an hour had left the Club. It was later said

"One Fifth Avenue" by Candace Bushnell

I loved 'Sex and the City', but I did not realize that
'Lipstick Jungle' was also by Candace Bushnell. It seemed
to only be on for the one saeson. I guess it was not as
popular. I liked it because the characters were older!

Now I have just finished reading 'On Fifth Avenue' and
loved it as the characters range from a teenage boy to an
80 something woman!

There are single people, young, middle aged and old,
married couples and even the required gay man!

I think it is a pity there are no copy READERS anymore,
it always upsets me to see mistakes in the books I am
reading.

On page 345, 6th line from the bottom of the page, a
character is refered to as Mrs. Enid Houghton. While
throughout the story we have come to know her as:-
Mrs. Louise Houghton. Enid is actuall called Merle
and is a completely differnt character.

Never the less I enjoyed it and highly recommend it
to others.

House Rules or so it Seems

On Friday night 21st November Cliff and I had booked a
table at the R.S.L. in Traralgon for twelve people, to
listen to the band Ross plays in House Rules.

An Abusive Male!

Bruce Oliver came into the Nook and Cranny on Friday
afternoon and had a go at me!

About six weeks ago on Monday night at the Morwell
Club while the Euchre Club were playing cards, Bruce
came in and started verbal abusing the Eurche Club.

I said to the other three members sitting at my table
to ignore him and he would go away but if we responded
he's continue.

It seems that one of the other ladies playing cards
couldn't ignore him and said "SUSH."

Approximately a week later than this, Bruce came into
the shop and told Cliff he didn't have control of
'his missus.' When Cliff asked for clarification on
this. Bruce said that I had told him to 'SUSH' at
the club and I threatened to write a letter to the
committee. Cliff said "No mate you've got it wrong it
wasn't her." But apparently Bruce wouldn't believe him.

On Friday 21st November at about 2.45 p.m. Bruce came
into the shop again. He said "Hello" I replied "Hello,
How are you?" The next instant he's calling me a f***ing
mole and a whore! I said "I beg your pardon." and he
said "You heard me" and repeated his abuse. He then said
"What happened to the letter you were going to write to
the committe?" and I said "I don't know what you are
talking about." Which of course I didn't!

He started on about the night he'd being giving abuse to
the euchre club and the penny dropped. I told him he
was mistaken it wasn't me but he just kept mouthing off.

Finally I had enough and told him to leave and he said "No
I'm going to read a book" and I said "No you're leaving."
He said "Whose going to make me?" and I replied "Cliff if
you're still here when he gets back." He then said "He's
more likely to throw you out than me." He must really be
delusional if he believes that.

So I began to move towards him and he kicked me and I
pushed him out of the shop. He said "That's assault and
I said "Report it to the police then." I was the one with
the bruised leg!"

Out on the street he still refused to move away from the door.
There was a young couple who were sitting in their car out
side the shop. The young man who was in the pasasenger seat
got out came over and said "Look mate the lady doesn't want
you here perhaps it would be best for you to move on." Bruce
turned on him and said "Oh yeah, and who the hell are you?"
I answered "A concerned citizen so leave now." He stood
there a moment and then began to move away and as he did
he gave a parting shot. "That's what you need to be a
concerned citizen." I didn't understand what he meant till
much later, then it hit me. I believe he was threatening me!

Within a few minutes Cliff was back. I wonder if Bruce saw
him coming and that's what made him decide it wasn't worth
staying.

There was a lady customer in the shop and she told Cliff and I,
she was so concerned for me she had begun to dial triple 0 but
thankfully the young man came along. She gave me her name.

To make matters worse he turned up again at the club on Monday
night 24th November and began to carry on again but then he
went into the gaming room. Later someone said he was asked to
move along. Hopefully that will put an end to it.

E-mails and Other Rubbish

I had over 60 e mails in my iprimus account and about 30
in my yahoo account. I started working on them at 11.20
today Friday 21st November, 2008 and finally finished at
1.43 p.m. to day.

I last did them on Tuesday! Not that long ago.

I keep getting this annoying message from iprimus that my
mail box is full. Turns out it ONLY holds 10 Mb and with
all the 'picture' e-mails I get from Meg and Sue it quickly
fills up.

Of course I'd get an extra one in there if they didn't send
the message about the box being full!

There were a number of rubbish ones like the ebay lottery
winners, ones from the U.S. postal service re a package
I have sent despite the fact I have sent no package!
And the ones from people who want to sell me watches and
viagra and to get a bigger penis. A great trick for a woman
with out undergoing surgery.

There there are those people who want you to commit fraud so
they can get money from accounts, though this might just be
a way of infecting your computer. Of course I don't open
these but I know what is in them from previous experience
when I was a naive internet user.

Sick as a Dog

Don't know if it was the Chinese chicken I had for lunch or
the diverticulitis but I woke uo at 4.30 p.m. yesterday
(Tuesday 18th November) with a huge headache bordering on a
migraine I drank heaps of water but it didn't help.

I went and had a shower to cool off as I was sweating as if
I'd done a marathon race. Then I was too cold! and then I
felt like I wanted to vomit! it was about 5.30 p.m. and Meg
had just come home but she didn't come to see me and I had
to go and get water from the kitchen and a bucket from the
bathroom. Luckily I did as no sooner was I back in bed
then swoosh my lunch came up in about six heaves!

I had to phone Meg on her mobile to come in ( after I got up
and cleaned up most of the mess out of the bucket) I didn't
want to make her sick. She was on her way out to netball for
her semi final that she had asked me to come and watch. So
I had to explain why I couln't come.

After she left I fell back asleep again and when she came home
at 8.30 p.m. she waoke me up and I was feeling better but not
enough to eat tea.

Watched an hour of T.V. but the light started to hurt my head
and I went back to sleep (about three toilet breaks during the
night) next think I know it is 10 a.m. and I was much better.
Had a banana for breakfest and will wait and see how that goes
before trying anything heavy.

The Blues Brothers

Would you believe that it was on Pay T.V. on Friday night
and on Channel Ten on Saturday night and I wanted to tape
it for Donald as he loves it but lost the orginal copy he
had of it.

Each night I missed the beginning and only caught it when
the Blues Brothers arrive to visit the 'Penguin'.

How unlucky this that? and what a coincidence to pick it up
at the exact same place each night?

Partylite Party

I invited at least 16 women to my party on Saturday 8th
November and I still have not heard from Janette and
most I had to ring up.

Beryl claimed she had to go away for the week end but
never said where what she was doing or how it went.
She said 'friends don't take advantage of friends in
that way' Which I don't understand as she came to the
last party and bought two wall sconces!!!

Erika was the first to come at 11.30 a.m. followed by
Debbie at 11.45 a.m. followed by Meg at mid-day and
considering it was suppose to start at 11 a.m. I guess
that was to be expected especially as Meg kept thinking
it was to be on Sunday and not Saturday.

Cliff ordered when he got home and I went and saw Angela
and Karen on Sunday and they both ordered and on Monday
I caught up with Lena who also ordered. Lena had not
read the invitation correctly and went to my house. I
had asked Meg to pick her up but when I spoke to Lena
she said she would br alright to get to the party, but
as she thought it was at my place she just walked
around there!

Despite the bad beginning I did get $600 worth of sales
and as some people said they wanted to order again and
five people have not even seen the catalogue I booked
another party for Saturday January 10th.

Twenty to One : World's Funniest People.

On Sunday 9th november, 2008,Bert Netwon hosted 20 to 1 :
World's Funniest people.

I went onto the web site and for once in my life left a comment.
How could you not? Like the other 46 people who had left remarks,
I was shocked at the choice.

Here is the list:
20. Mike Meyers ( An over the top idiot that thinks crude
innuendo is funny.)
19. Joan Rivers (who loves taking the piss out of people, not
funny at all.)
18. Benny Hill (The orginal 'smutty' innuendo freak, not funny.)
17. Jerry Seinfield ( I have watched at least three episodes of
this show and agree it's about nothing and never have I
laughted once though I did smile ONCE.) I never found Jerry
funny.
16. Rowena Atkinson in the Black Adder is funny but just stupid
as Mr. Bean.
15. Chris Liiey (come on he's a new boy on the block and hasn't
been been recognised by most of Australia!! How can he be
one of the funniest in the world? get real!!!
14. Roseanne Barr, yes funny as Roseanne and in "She Devil" but
WHAT else?? Not one of the funniest in the world.
13. Ben Stiller, another idiot that thinks palying bumling idiots
is funny and it is but that's all there is to him. Should not
be in the 20. May be top 200!
12. Owen Wilson, put him in my bed any time, bent, scarred nose
and all, but one of the world's funniest people, sorry
darling no, in the top 100 maybe.
11. Roddney Dangerfield, if crudity and swearing makes one funny
then he is right where he belongs but I have thought that a
low brow sort of humour, like that of Benny Hill e.g. any
idiot can be funny that way.
10. Ruby Wax, who the f**k is she?? from what I saw on the show
I'd say an English version of Joan Rivers and about just as
funny (see comment above!)
09. Will Ferrell same as Ben Stiller see comment above.
08. Magna Subanski, our own girl. Yes she is funny, BUT not in
the top 20, top 50 perhaps.
07. Billy Connelly a modern version of Rodney Dangerfield with
more f**ks per sentence. More embrassing than funny.
06. The Three Stooges, well if physical abuse is funny they are
the outright winners, but in no other way are they funny.
Didn't think they were funny in the 1950's and I still don't
think they are funny.
05. Jerry Lewis, finally they got one right, though perhaps not
in the top five.
04. Eddie Murphy another funny person!! in the top 20 though.
03. John Cleese, you really have to like his antics though, he'd
be in my top 50 maybe.
02. Barry Humphries aka Dame Edna, thank god i t wasn't Sir Les
who is a brother of Billy Connelly and Rodney Dangerfield.
Though Dame Edna does like her innuendo a little too much.
01. Robin William, a real funny man who seems to be getting
better with age in my top twenty but not my number one
choice.

So who would I pick as my number one Charlie Chaplin
of course! he had to be funny with facial expressions and body
posture as he never spoke a word, try being funny like that to-day!

My number two would be Lucille Ball, I saw re-runs of some of her
shows recently and they STILL cracked me up!

My third choice would be Bob Hope, remember all those road movies!
and the troops in the War certainly thought he was a funny guy!!!

Look at the classic Laural and Hardy (4) 'that's another fine mess
you've got me in.'

Of course you can't go past The Marx Brothers(5) must better quality
than The Three Stooges.

Who could forget Abbott and Costello? (6)

Back in the same era there was Red Skelton (7) and Jack Benny (8)
followed closely by Jackie Gleson. (9)

Jerry Lewis (10)Peter Sellers (10) certainly should be ahead of
John Cleese.

Then Bill Murray, (11) Gene Wilder,(12) Richard Pryor, (13)
Chevy Chase,(14) John Candy (15) and Bill Cosby(adored the
Cosby Show!.(16)

Robin Williams (17)What about oue own Little Aussie Battler
Norman Gunston (18) who could forget his performances in mother
and son and that brings us to his 'mum'. (19) She desrves a place
ahead of Magna.

Then there is Aunty Jack (20) though not one of my personal
favourites. He had a large following.

In the modern line up how could they have left Jim Carey (21) out of
the list? A question that nearly every other writer asked as well.

Yes I like Chris Rock (22)too.

Yes I cheated a bit but with so much talent how can you pick?
certainly not the half baked listed presented by Channel Nine.

Crown Oaks Day 2008

Once again Curves in Moprwell celebrated Crown Oaks Day
by having a "Best Hat" Competition.

As I went at 2.40 p.m. I was not sure just how many
members got into the spirit of the day and wore a hat.

Maria took a photo of my hat and one of the other member
there who had a hat. There were four ladies with us who
did NOT wear hats. I guess as there is actually NO PRIZE
they could not be bothered.

Maria should have put up all the photos of the ladies
who took part by the end of next week. She usually gives
me a copy of my photo as she knows I do scrapbooking and
I put mine in my own album.

Melbourne Cup 2008.

The day dawned mild, but fine.

Third Time Lucky

Wow for the third time this year I won at Euchre. I
really must be getting the knack. I know that I take
more chances than I use to, sometimes making a call on
two good cards if I have a reasonable off suit.

I ended up with 123 on Monday night the 3rd November
and to think I was thinking of not going because of
the Melbourne being the next day!!

It was a reasonable turn out with four full tables.

The person who came second only got 119.

Though I upset Bill as we partnered in the second
last game and I said to him that I wanted 10 points
for the game and we ended up only getting 6 points.
Two for a shoot, three I got and one Billy got. I
complained that it was the lowest score I had got
for the night (it was!). He said that he was never
going to partner me again. I mean Billy usually
looks glum but he looked positively livid. I think
he might have ben annoyed with himself for not doing
so well and took it out on me. He likes to get a
high score too. It's not as if I cursed him I was
just stating a FACT.

Friends Reunited

I finally started opening the email from this group and
was delighted to find a number of ex-students from my
class at Marist Sister's College on their site.

But even more wonderful was the fact that Kathy O'Hara
was on the site. I send her an e mail and hope she will
answer it. I couldn't belive it but when I saw her name,
tears actually sprung up in my eyes!

As I have stated she has had my address all this years
(as far as I know) yet I have not received a letter from
her since she moved to the acreage. Hopefully that will
change now.

"Diane Keaton" Fest

Over last week end I had a Diane Keaton feast. It was not
meant to be but just turned out that way.

On Friday 24th I got Mama's Boy which Cliff and I watched.
The mother was played by Diane Keaton. It is about a young
man still living at home, like Ross. The son works in a
book shop and Cliff owns and operates a book shop!! SPOOKY!!

On Saturday 25th I picked up Maddy and her little friend and
withBeryl we watched Horton Hears a Who. Good example of
ethical codes.

Saturday night Cliff and I watched Smother which again had
Diane Keaton as the mother. Interesting note both the 'sons'
in these films were 29 year old men.

On Sunday 26th Beryl could not come as she had a headache so
I watched Made of Honour by myself. It is a remake of the
Julia Robert's film My Best Friend's Wedding. But of
course beacuse the main character is the man he has to win
through while Julia Robert's character of course being a
woman had to suffer and miss out!!!

That night Cliff picked up a movie called Mad Money, which
was a remake of an English film, but I can't recall the title,
but it is about women working in the 'bank' where paper money
is destroyed. Well the American version followed the English
version and Diane Keaton played the leader of the gang!

So she must have really had a busy year with these three films
and how many others??

It's Official!!

Meg and Mark are dating!

It was official at approx. 1 am on Friday 24th October 2008.

"We Care" Program, Latrobe Valley, Victoria.

I was finally contacted by Marya Stait. It seemed I must
have passed the police check. She aske me to attend a one
day training session at the Latrobe Regional Gallery on
Wednesday 22 October, 2008.

There were ten of us, nine women and one man. Eight came
from Traralgon one from Tanjil South and myself from Morwell.

The session was run by Judy Setches who operates the program
in Moe and outlaying areas from there and Marya who does
the same for the Traralgon, Morwell and outlaying areas.

They went throught the 3 R's, Our Roles, Rights, and
Responsibilites.

We had two 'guest speakers' Joelle Champert from Vision
Austraila, who told about loss of sight in the older
Australian and aids that were available to aid impaired
people. It sounded such a responsibility, I'm not sure
I could cope with a 'blind' friend.

Then Carole Ayres from the Latrobe City Council spoke
about OH & S issues for us as volunteers.

The next step will be the matching up process, like
finding a date! The ladies did say they had a number of
individuals on the books waiting for 'friends.' So I'm
hoping that by the New Year I have a new friend to visit.

Coffee

As a child I watched my mother have a cuppa at mid morning
and mid afternoon. I had my first cup of tea at eight years
of age. It was not till I was 19 and flatting with 'flatmates'
that I discovered coffee.

At its' height I was drinking nearly 10-12 cups a day (late
1980's early 1990's) but then I received a redundancy package.

I guess it was 'the stress' of work, because my coffee drinking
fell away to about six cups a day.

Now I am lucky if I have two cups a day. There are days when
I have three cups and other days when I have NONE.

So what brought this memory up?

I was looking through a scrapbook magazine and a scrapper had
done a layout on coffee using a 'Gloria Jean' thermal mug.

I have decided to do a similiar layout.

Being a Gloria Jean (by name) (I thought I had written this
before) I went with Beryl to 'Gloria Jean's' (the Traralgon
store)for a coffee and despite proof of name they would not
give me a free coffee, but I bought the thermal mug so now
everyone knows it is my coffee.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN BACK TO BUY ANOTHER COFFEE!

I have tried MacDonald's coffee and it is O.K. but I like
Subways Cappuccino. I read someone that the Italians
consider Cappuccino to be a breakfest coffee only and refuse
to serve it after 10 a.m. Of course the best coffee I have
had in the last couple of years is at Clauda's cafe in
George St, Morwell, an iced coffee that is $1-2 cheaper than
any where else!

However about the same time Beryl and I discovered sachet
coffee. It is more expensive than buying a jar of coffee,
but less fuss and mess and the coffee doesn't go hard as
it is a one serve sachet. I prefer Nescafe and I buy them
when they are on special, $4 for ten sachets, so it is a hell
of a lot cheaper than paying $5 for a coffee in a fancy cafe.

Nescafe have so many varities Cappuccino, Sweet Cappuccino
Latte, Mocha, Caramel, (my favourite), Irish Cream, (Beryl's
favourite), Hazelnut and Vanilla.

So now my coffee addiction is under control!( and not the
one that Maxwell Smart works for!!)

"Sex and The City" (The Movie)

Beryl and I saw "Sex and the City" on Saturday morning. I had
been the one who put her onto it in the first place. She loved
the series as did Meg.

Meg has seen the film twice at the movies.

Well I kept the tissue box beside my chair and went through 8
(Yes E-I-G-H-T) of them!!! I don't think Beryl shed one tear.

Though I have to say for a 40 year old woman Carrie acted quite
stupidly, (e.g. throwing away her phone!.) She goes on about
wanting to understand what happened yet would not take Mr. Big's
calls and listen to his explanation. Miranda was just as bad,
taking over 5 months to 'confess' what she had done at the
rehearsal dinner.

But then if none of these 'silly' things would have happened
then there would not have been a 2 and 1/2 hour movie!!!

I will watch it again!!!

Moe Cup 2008

Thursday 16th October 2008, dawned a lovely sunny day. This
year I decided not to attend the Moe Cup. However Meg had
the day off to go and eventually dragged
Don Jr along with her.

Girls Night In

On Tuesday 14th Curves held a 'Girls Night In' to raise funds
for Cancer research into breast cancer. As it is awareness
month for breast cancer it all made sense.

It was a $2 entry fee and $2 for raffle tickets.

I 'won' a door prize of some 'summer eye make up.' As I
haven't worn eyemake up for about fifteen years, it wasn't
exactly the most useful prize.

I had bought $4 worth of raffle tickets (3 for $2). So that
was 6 tickets. Mandy T bought $10 worth (15 tickets.) I
won nothing and Mandy won 6 prizes, a return rate of 40%. If
I had that return rate I would have got two prizes. What I
wanted to win was a sweat head band as I have one and it has
to last all week before I wash it while it realy should be
washed at least every three days.

Other members and friends who do party plans were invited to
take a stall for $30 and promote their products.

There was a PartyLite lady and I told her the sad story of
the items I had returned as one broke within three months and
the other arrived broken. She also took one of my candles that
cost about $25. It was all suppose to be replaced free of
charge. I chased the girl for nearly TWO years till she
completely disappeared but never got the items replaced or
returned. I eventually spoke to her local supervisor who said
I should contact the company. She gave me a nice candle holder
(free) but I really thing she should have contacted the company,
for me.

The items outstanding cost about $100.

Anyway there was also an auction of goods and services to
members to help raise money. When a PartyLite item came up,
Brenda said it "was a $17 candle and a $50 voucher." So I
eventually won with $32. When I went in the next day I found
out it WAS NOT a $50 voucher but a Hostess incentive certificate.
"Hold a party and when guests spend over $400 THEN the hostess
is entitled to receive $50 worth of products." Which is worth
nothing to me as I am already holding a party!! So it seems
PartyLite have GOT me again as I paid $32 for a $17 candle.

What is the saying "Buyer Beware?" How true!!!

OV

On Thursday 9th October, Cliff and I attended a free concert at
Kernot Hall, Morwell, given by Orchestra Victoria (OV).

It was the first classical music concert I have been to and I
quite enjoyed the music. Of cousre they played the well know
Carmen and Cliff was so carried away that he started humming and
tapping his foot, much to the disgust of the lady in front of us
who turned around and glared.

We arrived just as they were announcing the first 'band' which
was the local 'Youth Brass Band.' I found some of their music
somewhat tinny but that could just have been me.

When OV came on I was amazed at the number of strings they had.
Three double bass, four cello and violins and one harp player.

There were four men in the percussion section one played the
drums, another the bass drum and once the cymbals. The other
two played the cymbals, the triangle, castanets and tambourine.

There were five men with grey hair in various sections of the
orchestra but only three grey haired ladies and they were all
in the strings.

The big disappoinment was "The Supper." In the Lifestyle magazine
it had said that at the interval there was to be a supper and all
proceeds to go to the local cancer section of the hospital. As I
had no time for tea I was eagerly awaiting the break. but the only
'food' available was chocolate bars!!!

So the second half was spoilt for me by the rumbling of my stomach!!!

E Bay

Well I am no longer a virgin. I bought my first itmes on Ebay
this week. It was OK buying the first three as they were BUY
Now items and I paid straight away. But on the last three
I had to bid on them.

Lucily I won the bids but I had no idea what to do next and had
to wait for an email from Ebay. I tried to follow it to contact
the bidder and it took 4 days and over have a dozen attempts before
I got to the right section. I had no idea: it was that hard to
follow the instructions!!!

But hopefully everything is fine as I have now paid within the
five days asked of the buyer. I hope to have the books by next
Tuesday at the latest!!! That will make my collection of
Scrapbooking murder mysteries by Laura Childs complete!

Meg Comes Home.

Well Meg brought her main furniture back on Wednesday 1st Oct.
Her smaller stuff came on Thursday the second. Now I can't
move in my own home.

Still have not found a place for everything. She says WE will
get stuck into it tonight (Tuesday 7th) before she goes to netball.

One can but hope. Of course she will want everything her way.
So I don't see us having a very good night!

Last night I was working on her Christmas scrapbook when she
just rushed into the bedroom she saw I was scrapbooking but
thankfully I managered to cover the work before she could get
a really good look. I told her she will have to knock and wait
for me to say come in as I am working on her Christmas present.
So she said she will do that UP TO CHRISTMAS!!!

Does The Punishment Fit the Crime?

The world is going mad. Once more we have a case of no
common sense!

In the Herald Sun Thursday Sept 11 2008. (I missed this
article first time around and only read it this week end.)
There is a case of a mother Mrs. Aziz who complained her 4
year son had to help clean up a puddle of urine.

From the article this is what happened. A childcare worker
at an ABC center finds two boys in an indoor area with a
puddle of urine. Now there are two ways it could have got
there.
1. An accident or
2. A deliberate anti social act.
As neither boy had wet clothes the logical conclusion was
that it was a deliberate antisocial act. So the worker
asks which boy did it. Both boys deny all knowledge.
Thus they have now lied as one did do it and the other
boy knows 'his friend' did it.

The worker now has a choice.
A. She can clean up the puddle which re-enforces the
following:-
1. It is OK to urinate on the floor.
2. It is OK to lie about it.
3. It is OK not to say 'my friend' did it.
4. Any mess I make a woman will clean up after me
(and this is REALLY BAD! re-enforcing such a sexist norm)
B. She can choose one child to clean up the puddle.
(Which could allow the 'real guilty' child to 'go free.')
C. Order both children to clean up the puddle.

Of these options the only real one is the last. Thus the
'guilty' child learns
I can't do anti-social things and telling a lie about
it does not do any good. There is also the unaddressed
question that when the punished was metered out the 'guilty'
child DID NOT step up and say "I did it Miss" thus allowing
the innocent child Not to be punished.

The innocent child learns that not all 'friends' are good
friends and it is best to choose wisely and it is OK to step
up and do the 'right thing.'

It is certainly not an over the top punishment, now if she
had taken a rolled up newspaper and swatted them on the nose
with it or rubbed their noses in the puddle THEN that would
have been an over the top punishment but to clean up a mess
you have made - NO WAY!!!

This mother has re-enforced so many BAD things
1. Disrespect for an adult in charge of him.
2. Disrespect for the safety of others (What if another
child had slipped and fallen??) and
3. It is OK to perform anti-social behaviour and lie about
it because a woman (the mother) will clean up after me.

To Smack Or Not To Smack

In the Herald Sun on Monday Sept 29th 2008, Robyn Riley wrote
an article called "The Caring Smack."

She states the case of a grandmother who smacked the bottom of
a child in her care who went down a drainpipe. She has now
lost custody of the grandchildren in her care. It seems the
"NSW Dept of Community Services thinks children would be better
in foster care than with a family member who smacks the bottoms
of naughty children."

She asks the question "Has the world gone mad or am I missing
something here?"

In answer to her question YES the world has gone mad.

As she states about an altercation between her children "I heard
myself shouting at the top of my voice" and "thats all we can do,
isn't it. Shout like a maniac until someone hopefully listens."

Gone are the days when it was "Spare the rod and spoil the child."
Personally I think 'sparing the rod' is the reason why our crime
rate is on the increase. Children learn there is no consequence
to their actions and thus keep up their anti social behaviour.

Parents are aware of what 'abuse is' and it is NOT a smack to a
well padded bottom or a tap on the back of a hand, it is where a
strap, belt, strop or worse is used on a child causing severe
brusing and even broken bones.

Joe Tucci get some perspective and stop the push for a national ban
on smacking.

As far as I can see smacking has not produced violence in my children.
This year both Donald and Meg received Best and Fairest for their
sporting activities and if ever there is a venue for 'allowable
violence' it is in sports!!

Whenever I looked after my oldest grandaughter Kirsten I smacked her
on the bottom or hand when she did wrong. It was always accompanied
by the stern look and shake of the head WITH the reason why she was
being punished in a firm voice. She is 10 now and I just have to use
the firm voice and look, for her to burst into tears as she then knows
she is out of favour for doing the wrong thing.

Training a child is very similar to training a puppy!!!

Power Out

Kath thought that Leoine was taking Kirsten for the weekend on
Saturday 13th, but she said she couldn't and as she and Nathan
were going to Angela's 28th birthday party she asked me to mind
her.

So they caught a taxi over and dropped off at Cliff's by 8.30
p.m.and then I drove them up to Angela's. So I took the boots
that Lacy left the weekend she stayed at Cliff's.

I went in to see Anglea and wish her Happy Birthday. I told her
Cliff was puzzled by the fact she was having a 28th Birthday Party
and as i said to him "it's just an excuse to have a booze up" just
like when his team win he drinks to celebrate and when they lose
he drinks to commiserate,. either way it's an excuse to drink (he
says different!!!) (HA! BLOODY HA!)

Angela said "Love the Nanna!"

All That Jazz

When we were at the "General Store" concert, there were flyers for a
wine and cheese night at the Monash University Student Union. Cliff
thought it might be a good night, so we went.

It was held on Friday 12th Sept at 7.30 p.m. At least that was what
I was told, when I enquired about the starting time but as it turned
out that was the time the doors opened. The actual performance didn't
start till 8.45 p.m. We went to the R.S.L as usual but got there
exactly at 6 p.m. ordered our tea and ate it and left by 7 p.m. to
get to the concert in time. When in actual fact because of the
'real' starting time we could have stayed for the raffle and played
the pokies as well. As we usually leave between 8 p.m. and 8.30 p.m.

Cliff has not been out to the Uni at all and it is 12 years since I
was last there. There are more student housing blocks. In my day
the Student Union was the last building before the car park, but now
there are three buildings between it and the car park!!

Also you no longer enter that car park from the Bibi Shell road, but
you now turn left at the first roundabout and go along the road at
the side of the Uni and there is a new entrance there to the car
park. I couldn't find it, but we were lucky and ran into a security
guard, who kindly told us to 'follow me' and he drove there and I
followed him.

The Student Union had a partition up which halved its size. So it
was a small room, with tables all set up, candles, cheese, water,
glasses, plates etc.

We went to the wine tasting table, but I know what I wanted, a sweet
white, and didn't bother with tasting other wines. Cliff had his
red wine as usual.

Our table was in the second row and after the music started we were
asked if we wanted to move up, but we said no. Personnaly I wanted
to move back a row as the band was LOUD. Too loud. It reminded me
of a rock band. In fact they were an old rock band and the first
half of the show was old rock songs! The second half ( 9.45 p.m.
till 10.45 p.m.) of the show were popular songs with a Jazz
treatment, but not really Jazz songs.

There were about 50 people there but at $40 a head that was not bad,
compared to the 80 people at the Tyres Hall at $20 a head.

Overall it wasn't too bad, just loud. The singer was Peter Coupples
who is the brother-in-law of Heather Coupples, who used to work at
ACCESS, which ran the GipsTAFE Writing Course before it was taken
over by Business Studies.

Heather and I caught up and I told her how badly the course is going
now.

There was only one other couple at our table, Grace and Ron. They
live in Warragul. He works in Traralgon and she is a nurse at a
Health Center in Warragul. I gave them 'our' business card and you
never know, they expressed an interest in books and one day they may
walk in as customers.

And Once Again!!!

On Thursday 19th Sept 2008 I was working on my blog and e-mail
when the phone rang. It was Elise Bryne to remind me I was due
at her house at 6 p.m. for tea. The time now being 6.05 p.m.
I had forgotten.

So the last thing I did was run a full virus scan on my computer.

When I got home at 8 p.m. the scan was just finishing and it said
I had 13 minor infections on the drive so I 'performed actons'
and then was told everything was A OK. SO I turned off.

Then on Friday afternoon after TAFE when I tried to turn the
computer on, I could not get on! It would go to the blue page
and say WELCOME and when I clicked owner it would show the message
"loading settings" then it would go to the page where my icons
usually live and stay there two seconds and then switch back to
the welcome page where the message came up "logging off".

This happened about twenty times over Friday, Saturday, Sunday and
Monday so I took the tower into JB Computers of Morwell. The
gentleman informed me that Windows was corrupted AGAIN! and had to
be wiped clean, this time I got him to reinstall the printer and
scanner as the phone bill cost me $75 last time that happened.

I then sat down on Saturday afternoon (27th Sept) (as I don't watch
football and wasn't interested in staying at Cliffs and hearing
him carry on, so I had gone home) and connected everything up again
and installed the internet and then tried to find my blog. I had
started doing this at 4 p.m. and finally starting doing my blog
at 5.20 p.m. that was about 40 minutes longer than I thought it
would take!

Jazz

I have never been into Jazz. Maybe because I was born after the big Jazz era. But Cliff wanted to go and see a Jazz group performing at the Tyers Hall on Sep 6th so I bought the tickets for his birthday.

The group was called General Store, because they first started playing at Merrick's General Store on the Mornington Pensular.

At the break the members of the Gippsland Acoustic Music Club provided tea/coffee and cakes and the cakes were quite scrumptious.

Quite enjoyed the evening especially when after the half time break the singer announced she was going to give away a CD to the first person who called out who sang the song she was about to sing in the film version of the musical show, after she was finished. She began to sing "I've grown accustomed to HIS face."

I had to go to the toilet and gave the answer to Cliff but luickily was back in time as he had no intention of embrassing himself by calling out ( it would have only been embrassing if I had of been wrong!) so I called out "Rex Harrison" and scored myself a free CD!

I guess changimg the words threw a few people off, but there was one bloke who was a hare's breath behind me! I had finished the ..son and he was starting the Harr.. part of the name.

The singer called out "The winner is the lady walking along the back of the hall." Helps to have a stand out feature, like returning from the toilet!!

Of course Rex sings it about Eliza when he sings "I've grown accustomed to HER face."

It is the first time I have been to the Tyres Hall. It has acoustic boards over the walls and celing so the sound quality of the music was good.

The band featured a sax, double bass and guitar, there was no drummer but there had been one on the album.

Another Male Driver

On Tuesday 2nd Sept I was backing out of a car space in front of Curves Morwell. A thing I have done at least three times a week for 56 weeks only this time I had an idiot male driver approaching.

There were six cars all pretty close and then the next car was at the hotel. I know from past experience that when a car has arrived at the hotel I have always had time to back out.

Today I was just straightening up when the car came right up behimd me and tried to overtake. Not only that but the light had turned orange. By the time he was laying on the horn the light was red.

The only way he could have come up that fast was if he had put his foot down and floored it! What idiot does that when they see a car backing out. It is usual to slow down (After all it is a 50 zone and approaching a set of lights!) and then he has the gall to blow his horn at me!

Well I stopped at the light opened my door leaned out lokked back at him and at the top of my voice said "Do you think because your a male you f..king own the road, well let me tell you you don't? It's idoits like you who have no road coursty that cause accidents!" Then I closed my door and waited for the light to change. You should have seen the look on his face as if he never expected anyone to challenge his behaviour!

When the light chamged I speed off at 20 kms an hour till we neared the 60 zone put my left hand blinker on and moved over. He sped past me again onlt to reach the McDonald St lights in time for them to turn red! I smiled and turned left!

I think from now on whenever I encounter a bad driver I will try to get their rego number and post it in my Blog. Shame them as well as warning the public of dangerous drivers.

Cliff came out with me in the car last week end and he said he has never noticed how many bad drivers there are out there (within fifteen minutes I avoided three potenial accidents!) and Cliff had to admit it was the other drivers who were at fault and not me! ( He had thought I might be putting it on a bit thick!)

"View from a Window"

On the 28th May 2008 I entered The Eastwood/Hills FAW Annual
Literary competition. It closed on the 31st May, 2008.

I received a letter three weeks ago telling me that I had
been shortlisted in the Memoir section with the story of my
mother's death "View from a Window." I was very pleased but
could not attend the presentation night on Friday 29th August,
2008.

On Wednesday 3rd Sept. I received the results in the mail.

FIRST: "My Father's Forte" Kate Gilbert
SECOND: "Crossing the Pacific" Kay Richter

HIGHLY
COMMENDED: "The Madness of King Jules" Michelle Lopert
"Vanishing" Michelle Brock

COMMENDED: "View from a Window" Gloria McDougall
"The Kolinsky Sable" Laurie Forth
"A Tale of Two Tonsils" Deloy Oberg.

I would like to think that the results have been given in
order of merit. As I said to Beryl I thought at the very
least I would get a Commended so I was not disappointed.

Last Will

Signed my will today Thursday 28th August 2008. It is held at Richard Horseman's office Commerical Rd, Morwell.

Short Story Course.

I don't know why it was so important to email our stories to Violeta last Friday. We could have taken them in today with a copy for each person.

We all agreed she had not read them and as there was only one copy, the student whose story it was had to use that to read it. Nothing worse than trying to follow a story a person is reading to you. I think you miss quite a bit that way.

Chris Thornton R.I.P.

On Sunday 10th August we learnt that Chris Ian Thornton the
only son of Terry and Grant Thornton had died of a heroin
overdose, he was 29 years old. Born on 22nd May 1979.
He is survived by a daughter.

His funeral was on Wednesday 20th August at Wacol in Queensland.

Cliff flew out from Melbourne at 2.55 p.m. on Tuesday and
Andrew flew out of Adelaide. It was easier for Andrew to
drive the 4 hours to Adelaide rather than 8 hours to Melbourne.

The brothers shared a motel and hired a rental car.

Cliff said the funeral was very moving with Vanessa's husband
writing and singing a special song for his brother in law.

Andrew went home at 5 p.m. and Cliff flew home at 6.30 p.m.

It is always sad when the young loss their lives so carelessly.

"Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peave of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet air to you
Deep peace of the shinning stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour out their healing light to you.
Deep peace to you."

Another Win

On the 4th August I was again the winner of the nightly Euchre with a score of 131, much better than the first time I won, but that is twice in less than two months, am I finally getting better?

Baby Sitting The Grand Kids (Part Four)

On Friday I was tired so tired that even though the noise of the heater at Donald's waa still bad I did go to sleep.

I set the alarm for 7.35 a.m. as we had been doing so well the last two mornings. This morning while I cleaned all the cobwebs off the dinning room ceiling and walls the kids pulled out the table and chairs and Maddie hoovered the floor. I don't think it had been done in a year. As she did that Sam and Connor cleaned the table and chairs.

They were having a lunch order at school so did not have to take a packed lunch. We arrived at the school at 8.50 a.m. As I drove past the front of the A.P.M. I explained that the 'reek' that they could smell was the chemicals and the process used to turn the wood into paper.

Once more to Cliff's for a sleep. Checked his cupboard as I had promised the kids pancakes after school as they had been so good for me. He needed sugar and milk so on the way back from gym I grabbed those.

Maddie had been asking to walk to Cliff's each day but as it had been raining we had not done it but I said if it was fine on Friday they could walk.

A recent study in the paper said that high school students who did not walk to school in primary school had a very poor road sense by the time they were in secondary school.

Donald did not want them to walk as they had to cross a 'main road' but it was Grey St and there is a lolly pop lady at the crossing so I don't know what his problem was.

But as it turned out, though the day had been lovely and sunny right up to 3 p.m. dark clouds came over and a wind kicked up and by 3.30 p.m. it was pouring rain so I had to pick them up anyway.

I showed them how to make the panckes. Then we ate them. Connor had two, Sam had three, I had three and Maddie had four (which included the one that Connor didn't eat.)

Later that evening when I came back to Cliff's he asked "Where's my pancakes?" So I got up early Monday morning and made him some before he went off to work.

Donald said that he wished he had the kids for another week so I could do some more cleaning. ( No thank you, a week at a time, actually three days is enough, the getting up early nearly killed me!)

Baby Sitting the Grand Kids (Part Three)

On Thursday after I couldn't sleep Wednesday I decided to
clean Donald's house. So after dropping off Donald I
cleaned the outside of the mircowave, the fridge and the
stove, it took nearly 1 1/2 hours just to clean the top of
the stove, the dirt was so baked on.

I cleaned the wall behind the stove as it had a film of
yellow grease. I used car degreaser it was so bad. Started
on the wall around the kitchen window but ran out of time.

I woke Maddie about five minutes earlier than the boys and got
her to stand on the chair on the bench and reach right up to
the architrave and clean it for me. She loved it and asked to
be woken up early the next day to help with the house work!!!

We went to my place and dropped off some rubbish and recycling
papers as Donald's bins were full.

Then I drove them up to the A.M.P. plant and showed them the
cooling water ponds and the stacks of timber drying out and they
saw dust piles. I explained that as trees had sap in them which
helps keep them to stay alive, it means when they are cut down
they have to be left for a few years for the sap to dry out.

We still got to school at 8 45 a.m.

I went off to the gym and then collapsed into bed at Cliff's
longing for a sleep as I had not been to bed at ALL on Wednesday
night and within fifteen minutes just as I was drifting off some
bugger started mowing his lawn. Well that lasted nearly 45
minutes so it was about 10:30 a.m. before I could start to go to
sleep and I woke up at 1.45 p.m. and could not go back to sleep
again!

Babysitting The Grand Kids (Part Two)

Well I turn up at 4.10 a.m. on Wednesday morning and Donald
was only just getting up. I drove him to the station and we
got there at 4.40 a.m. When I got back to his place I found
the back oor closed and after fumbling around in the cold and
dark for five minutes trying to get one of the keys on the ring
to fit the lock (None did) I thought bugger I'm not staying out
here and freezing for the next two hours and then it struck me
that the front door key might be on the ring. Luckily it was!!

So now it is just after 5 a.m. and I thought that means two and
a half hours sleep! So I laid down and put my ear plugs in. The
first thing I realised was that the light from the heater would
keep me awake so I turned over and faced away from it and decided
that tomorrow I would bring my eye mask.

The next thing that struck me was the fact that the fan in the
heater sounded like the engine of a Boeing 747 taking off and
landing it was horrendous! even with the ear plugs in no matter
what I did, even trying to pretend I was on a plane, did not help
me to go to sleep. It was a relief when the alarm went off.

The kids pretty well looked after themselves I just keep saying
"get up" "get dressed" "brush your teeth" "eat breakfest" "no
hitting at the table" "pack your bags" "get your lunches out of
the fridge" "take your bags to the car" and they did it.

We got to the school at 8.40 a.m.

Babysitting the Grand Kids (Part One)

Well the week did not go as I expected.

Karen went off for the week to a dart's tournment in Geelong
and Don Jr had his children for the week.

I was suppose to come in everyday at 4.15 a.m. and drive him
to Morwell station and then come back catch some ZZZ's and
then wake the kids up at 7.30 a.m. to get them to dress, brush
their teeth, eat breakfest and then drive them to school in
Traralgon. After which I was going to the gym and then back
to Cliff's for the day till it was time to pick the kids up
at 3.30 p.m.

Well on Sunday night I get a call from Donald the silly bugger
has done his ribs again but this time while playing soccer,
so he was having the Monday off work and wouldn't need me.
I had made the effect to come home Sunday afternoon about 5.30 p.m.
so I wouldn't be trying to come into the house in the dark or
waking Cliff up at sparrow fart on Monday morning. So I spent
the night alone and as I was not in Traralgon Monday morning
taking the kids to school I did not go to Curves as I had planned.

On Monday night I went to cards as usual and despite the fact
there was a table of 3 I scored a 107 ( my average is now 104.6)
down on the 106 I had last year but not too bad.

At the first break I rang Meg to get her to record my shows on
7 for me. After that break I was changing tables and heard my
phone ring, it was Donald telling me that he wasn't going to work
on Tuesday either! But that he would definately need me for
Wednesday.

I had planned to have a $1 Video Ezy day with Beryl on Tuesday
when I was at Cliff's so not taking the kids to school put paid
to that.

Not a good start!

Peter Joseph Nankervis

In the early hours of the morning on Tuesday 15th July 2008
Peter died. He was having a quarrel with his children and
when he woke up his wife with his shouting, she threatened
to leave and began to pack her bag.

He shouted that she wasn't leaving and grabbed the bag from
her and dropped dead.

I was always polite but not friendly with Peter. I have never
liked bombastic, rude people.

I feel sorry for his family and sincerely hope that they do
not harbour any gulit over his death.

After all he had a heart attack about ten years ago and was
warned to cut out the drinking, smoking and to eat a proper
diet and not one that consisted of only fish, chips, pies and
Coke, especially as he had high blood pessure and cholesterol
levels. I don't think he made much of a concession, so really
he only had himself to blame. He was 51 years old.

As he died in the middle of a argument the police seperated
the family members and questioned them extensively and the
body was examined for gun shoot, stab wounds or any abrasions
and contusions. All very harrowing for the family who were
stunned and grieving.

The funeral service was held on Monday 21st July, 2008.

Yarragon Book Fair 2008

What a bust that was!

This year Cliff and I forgoed our 'diry weekend' and did
not stay over night but saved the $100 and drove home at a
cost of $20, but in so doing we also gave up the dinner
party on Saturday at a saving of $50.

We had hoped to break even but as the petrol and cost of
the tables was $200 that meant we had to sell $400 worth
of books.

This year the organisers stuck all the dealers out in the
back room away from the main action. I would estimate that
we had half the people from previous years. So we did not
take what we had hoped for.

The takings have gone as follows:-
2005 $560.
2006 $450.
2007 $340.
2008 $215.

We will not be going next year, unless the tables we 'rent' are
reduced by 1/3rd, from $150 to $50. It is just not worth it.

My Birthday 2008

Well when Cliff and I arrived at the Traralgon R.S.L.
Donald and his kids were already there as was Meg. So
I said we could order tea but Meg said that Kath had rung
and said they were at Rosedale and where coming for tea.

So Cliff and I went off and played the pokies for twenty
minutes and then I came back and talked to the kids and
they gave me cards they had made.

We had a couple of drinks and Kath and Nathan and kids
showed up at about 7 p.m. so I said well as there is no
one there we can start ordering tea. (As I only had Cliff's
and my card for discount meals.) So I allowed Donald and
Meg to order first with the cards and then Cliff ordered
for us. But when it was Kath's turn she said she wouldn't
order now as we had NOT WAITED FOR HER!!!! and nothing I
said would convince her that she had not been left out but
had to wait her turn for the cards!!!

But dispite her carrying on, the night ended up not too bad.
I only put Cliff's money through the machine so still had my
$30 for the weekend.

Meg had other plans later in the night and left at 8.20 p.m.
and as Donald wanted the kids in bed early as they had an
early start for soccer on Saturday he came back to the house
and we divided up some of the fruit that Cliff had won in the
raffle, Donald couldn't wait for Kath and her kids but left
at 8.45 p.m.

Kath and Nathan had gone to KFC and spent $10 more there on
food than they would have on meals at the R.S.L. We gave
them fruit from the basket as well as long as I had two
bananas I was happy.

Cliff , Donald and Meg did not give me cards or presents.
Only Kath gave me a card from her and one from the kids.
Donald's kids gave me a candle holder.

Everyone claimed to be broke.

It must be a miracle that no matter how broke I am I always
have a few $'s for a card and a present, for everyone else.
But then I don't wait till the last moment but generally buy
something I know the receiver would like when I see it on
special. It's called being thoughful!

My Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!!

Went to the shop at lunch time and Don Jr was there and he
had Brooke as it is holiday time so when Meg came we all
went to Lunch together for my birthday.

We are all meeting tonight at Traralgon R.S.L for tea and
hopefully Kath and the kids are coming too as she missed
Mother's Day this year. That is the first time I have not
seen her for Mother's Day.

More on this later.

Beryl wanted to take me to lunch tomorrrow but Cliff and I
are doing the Yarragon Book Fair this week end though we are
not staying overnight because it costs too much and we will
not be attending the dinner either, even the extra fuel costs
mean Cliff will still save over a $100.

All the more to spend on books!!!

A Winner at Last!!!

So many times I have been a runner up in Euchre and on Monday
30th June it finally happened (after four years of playing!)
I was the winner of the night's play.

That is at the end of the night I had the highest score of all
the thirteen players there! with a total of 116 points! It must
have been the lowest score ever.

On the first or second night of play four years ago the winner
got 118 points and I was second with 115. Up till now that was
the lowest score. But hey I don't care I'm a winner and I got
my $10 so that's all I'm concerned with.

YIPEE!!!!

Ryley Zane Cook

My latest grandchild finally has a name. Both Meg and I
liked Riley and suggested it to Kath. Meg even had a dummy
with Riley on it but no she has to be different and spell it
RYLEY, I pointed out to her that all his life he is going to
have to say "My name is Ryley that is spelt R-Y-L-E-Y" but
she said she had already sent in the paper work.

She took so long to chose a name as she didn't want him stuck
with an odd name all his life!!!!

It's A Boy It's A Boy IT"S A BOY!!!!

My daughter Kathleen Jean Rose Cook nee McDougall had a
son at 5.06 a.m. on Friday the 27th June, 2008.

His three older sisters think he's cute and so do I. He
wighed in at 3.434 kg and was 48 cm long.

This is his first photo.

A Rant (Cont)

On Thursday 6th June I was telling a scrapbooking friend
Karen about the trouble I had at Big W. As I said to her
it was the last day of the sale and surely I was not the
ONLY PERSON to buy one of those little metal signs yet no
one had picked up the error as it had not been corrected
in the Big W computer.

She told me how she had gone to Bunnings one Saturday
morning recently to attend a session on tiling which was
to start at 10 a.m. Well at 10.15 a.m. no instructor had
come but a few other people had come and gone. Well as
she wanted to attend another session which was to start
at 11 a.m. she went to the registers and asked to speak
to the manager. Turned out there was a miscommunication
as the person who was suppose to do the first session was
ill. So the manager gave her a $50 voucher on the store
for the inconvience! and she hadn't even bought anything!

So on Friday the 7th June when I sit down to work out my
monthly expenses and check the Big W docket you can't image
how cross I was to find the till girl had rung up the
'woof' sign not only as 1 cent but at the special price
of $1.65.

She never mentioned that she had rung up the item already!!!

So on Monday the 10th June I head back into Big W and ask
to speak to the manager. I tell him the story and when I
get to the part about having to wait in the long line and
therefore had a chance to read the sign over the register
lane I turned to point out the sign to him and low and
behold IT IS NO LONGER THERE!!!!

Well the young man Daniel is only the manager for the DAY
not the manager of the shop and he says "Oh that's easy
fixed we'll just refund the $1.65" and I say "Well that
would have worked when it happened but not now seeing as
how much inconvenience I had been put to just to 'right a
wrong.' I told him Karen's story about Bunnings and said
"and she didn't experience nearly as much inconvenince as
I have."

Well he asked "What do you want?" and I replied "$25"
being 1 and 1/2 hours of my time at $14 an hour and petrol
costs of about $3 plus the amount due back of $1.65 being a
total of $25.65. But he said he could not make a decision
and would have to speak to the big boss on Wednesday.

On the Wednesday Daniel rang me and said the manager was
only prepared to offer $15!! so I actuall ended up out of
pocket as I had to make another trip down there and it was
another 1/2 hour in time!! total cost to me $32:65!!

So I was not happy at all about the result. I doubt if I'll
shop there again.

A Rant

On May the 28th (Wednesday) I headed down to the local Big W
store in Mid Valley, Morwell. There were fleecy lined track
pants and tops on sale at $8 each. They were in larger sizes
BUT there were no tops so I asked for a rain check.

On the way to buy a set of five plastic containers (to put
all my scapbooking STUFF in) I passed through the scrap-
booking section. Low and behold some items were on special
including ALL the metal tags about two inches by 1 inch. I
saw one that said WOOF on it and thought that would be great
on the page of the dogs in their Christmas hats.

So eventually I head to the register and I have two pair of
pants, the sign and the plastic container set, (4 itms in
total). There is a quick register and the one with a long
line, but the quick register says 3 items or less. So I'm
forced to stand in the longer line.

I get to read the sign above the register a HUGE sign about
a meter by a meter. It says Big W guarantee that correct
prices will be scanned. If an item scans incorrectly $3
will be taken off the total purchase price. Or alternately
if the item is under $3 the customer will receive it free.

So I present my items. The 'woof' sign came up at $1.98
yet it was on special at $1.60 something, so I said to the
lady "I'm sorry but that item is on special.." So she
called for a price check. It was 2.50 p.m. At 3.p.m she
had to close the register and end her shift so I was moved
to another register. At 3.05 p.m. a young man comes up
with the tag and says yes it is on special for $1.66, so
the young girl goes to put it in and I say "Excuse me but
don't I get the item for free?" She says "No." So I point
out the sign. She said she didn't know about it. (What
sort of training did she get??) So she calls the front
end girl and tells her what I said and the front end girl
says "No you pay the special price." So once more I point
out the sign! She then said the young man must have made
a mistake and checked the wrong item!!!!!! So sends
someone else to check it. I say I'm going to pick up my
watch from the jeweller's.

I come back and it is 3.25 p.m. The front end girl informs
me that the article is on special and she is just checking
with the manager to see if I get the item for free. At
3.30 p.m. she says "Yes, I get it for free." The till girl
says how does she do that and the front end girl says you
ring it up as 1 cent.

So I was right!! but it did take some time and I was
NOT HAPPY JAN.

More on this next time. Yes there is more!!!

Friday the 13th June BAD luck day.

Well it certainly was. Nothing terribly bad went wrong, just
a lot of minor irritations.

My mind so active that I got no sleep on Thursday night.

Kylie being late and I having to wait for her when I went to
pick her up Friday morning.

Not being able to find my thermal mug (left it at Cliff's as
it turned out!)

Not being able to find all the little containers of milk,
though I found just enough to last the Friday.

Running out of time as Beryl took too long waiting for Phil.
He turned up at 12:45 p.m. and she had been waiting to see
him since 12 noon. Yet her nagging me not to go too fast when
I was doing 100 km in the 110 km zone!

Arriving at Kath's house at Yallorn North and having to get
out in the rain and risk my neck on their terrible back stairs
only to find they were not home.

Realising when I got to Cliff's shop I had forgotten to pack
my lunch!

Time constraints peventing me from doing my Curves work out.

Forgetting to take my photo paper to Cliff's.

Getting the raffle booklets for the RSL to take to dinner on
Friday night only to leave them sitting on Cliff's coffee table.

Going to have my tea and discovering they had given me chips
instead of the vegies I had asked for.

Cliff harassing me to leave early from the club as he had won
$330 and having so little control he was worried he might put
the money back in the machine when I was on a winning streak.
So I left being only $25 up. The poorest week in over six weeks!

Getting back to Cliff's to watch the Movie on Hallmark only to
find I had seen it before.

Lucky for me Friday the 13th doesn't come around all that often!

D.V.D. Marathon

This week end I had Kirsten and we had a D.V.D. marathon. As
usual we went to the R.S.L. for tea on Friday night. Kirsten
played in the play room and Cliff and I played the pokies.
Again this week I was a winner, winning $63. Of course I
stopped then. Again Cliff lost just over a $100. Like me he
is complaining that he has no money but he has not changed his
spending habits one iota.

On Saturday we went to Video Ezy and picked up "Bee Movie" and
"Mr.Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (with Natalie Portman and
Dustin Hoffman) Beryl came around about 11 a.m. when I asked
her to come around at 10 a.m. so we would see both movies
BEFORE Cliff came home from the shop.

I enjoyed the "Bee Movie", especially as it was topical. I
doubt many children would have heard that there is 'something'
killing bees and one scientist claimed that after the last bee
died it would be three years before all 'mankind' was dead too.

The movie pointed out the fact, it is the bees which pollinate
the flowers, without them all the flowers will die. However
if flowers die will there be animals who die because there are
no flowers? and I don't believe the bees have any thing to do
with the growth of trees and plants. So there will still be
oxygen. I can't see how the human race would die out if there
were no bees.


Of course Cliff came home before we had finished watching the
second movie. Luckily it was only half an hour so he did not
miss too many races.

On Sunday Beryl came around again and we watched the "Golden
Compass" I was disappointed. It is not a single story but
the first of at least a trilogy and leaves everything up in
the air there is no real ending.

On Sunday night I got "National Treasures Two" as I thought
Cliff would like that and Kirsten could watch it as it was
rated PG, but once the movie was on he started talking and
when I said shh! he got angry and went off to bed saying 'a
man couldn't talk in his own house' so he stayed there
sulking. Not a very good example for Kirsten or very adult
behaviour and considering Carlton had turned a sure loss into
a win, he should have been in a better frame of mind.

On Monday we watched "Enchanted" and I had to love it,
really was a very funny send up of 'fairy tales.' I'm sure
most kids would take it at face value but I, and I'm sure
other adults would see the funny side.

31 on the 31st!

Meg had her 31st birthday on Saturday. Some of the people did
not come and everyone was gone by 11.30 p.m. and she had booked
the hall till 1 a.m. so I think she was a little diasappointed,
especially at Kim and family.

Shirley is down from Ipswich and is looking good. She is
staying at Elsie's for the week and then going to her brother's
for a week before she goes home. She still doesn't know if she
is going to move back here. She said she will have a garage sale
and see what happens after that.

The most amazing thing is she gave me two medals that belonged
to Uncle Harry, apparently Don had them. How or why is beyond
me. The truth of the matter is that I did not even know that
they existed. They are two Lodge medals and Cliff is going to
help me find out more about them.

The kids knew nothing about them either. I asked her about the
McDougall Shield and she said that it is gone. She thought Don
Jr took it, but he said he did not, so it's possible that Uncle
Bill took it. I said to Donald that it is rightfully his as I
bought it as a birthday present for his father. As Uncle Bill
has no children it will come to Donald when he dies, but I'd
like to check to make sure he does have it.

Finally met Meg's friend, Catherine. She is a lot heavier than
I thought. She will end up looking like me when she gets older
if she doesn't keep exercising and watching what she eats.

Meg was annoyed that Catherine made no contribution to the cost
of petrol to the airport. It cost Meg nearly $100 to drive down
and pick her up and then take her back. Meg said that she gave
Catherine $30 each time to pick her up AND take her out to the
airport and it is only 1/2 hour from Catherine's home, not the
2 1/2 hours it is here. Really is cheaper going by train now but
it is getting from the city to the airport that is the bugbear.

Deb and Tony were there there are still seperated but not divorced.
Tony did not make the cake for Meg, Deb bought it from Safeway
in Morwell. It was lovely. I thought there would not be enough
to go around but there was so much over that Meg bought a couple
of slices for Ross, Cliff and I on Tuesday at lunch time, she
even took some in for the people at work.

She said that she had a good night. Most of the people left her
party to go to the Rossmore to see a particular singer and she
went with them. So they continued on from there.

The Funniest Garage Sale Ever!

Well on Saturday morning the 31st May, 2008 I reckon I went
to the funniest garage sale ever!

Of course they had the usual books, C.D's, D.V.D's, bric a
brac, clothes, furniture, crockery, silverwear, oods and ends,
but they were also selling their CAR! at $32,000 and the HOUSE
for $230,000!! but not the garage. Why not you ask? well
they never got around to building the garage. The sale was
held on the concrete slab where the garage was going to be.

Why sell everything? well it turns out the young couple are
moving to Perth in about six weeks and they are going to fly
over and so evrything MUST GO.

A true sale! just a pity there was no gagarge as that really
would have been the icing on the cake!!!

Writing

Was disapponted again as we still only dwelt with house
keeping matters.

Violeta did say that she wanted us to have a glimmer of an
idea for a short story next week. We are also to bring
TWO magazines along and give a profile on the readers based
on the adverts in them. She wants us to work out the
audience we are writing too. She said that most writers get
published in magazines that they read as they know what
those readers want. I wonder if at the end of the course
she suggests we send away our story to our chosen magazine.
Last week she said that usually 80% of her writing classes
get published. Not bad odds. She said that she wants us
to write something with a view of reading it out to the
class. Still have not written anything in class!

Kylie had rung Beryl re coming to the group and Beryl
promised to pick her up and then passed it along to me but
as I was not consulted, why should I do it? If Kylie
wanted a lift from me surely she could ring me?

Both Beryl and I received messages and phone calls during
the morning from her. So I guess she was waiting to be
picked up. She rang me later this afternoon and we
organised that I would pick her up next week.

A reasonably quite time this week.

Grandkids at Soccer

I received a survey from Val Morgan to do two pictures this
week end. I did one on Friday and as I thought it a waste
of petrol just to drive over for a survey of the ads on Satur
day I asked Beryl if she wanted to go and see "What Happens
in Vegas" with me. She said she'd check her money and let me
know. The cost was $11:50 for concession and Beryl said she
had $11 only, but I thought as she had paid for the coffee for
me last week, I would make up the difference.

But at lunch on Friday Don Jr came over from the shop, as he
had come home early to pick up his kids and told me that
Samual and Connor were playing soccer against Talhia's team
at Newborough.

I had been thinking after doing Don Jr's scrapbooking for his
soccer that it would be nice to have a first season of soccer
for the boys. Like father like son, sort of thing.

So I agreed to go and watch the game from 9.30 a.m. till
10.30 a.m.

I thought well if I'm going to be over in Newborough and
driving back through Morwell to go back to Traralgon I could
do the theatre ads without paying to watch the film. Meaning
I would have the extra money to pay for the damage done to my
mirror by
the garbage bin on Tuesday.

Before going to the RSL on Friday night I reminded myself
when Cliff and I got back to his house that I would have to
ring Beryl and let her know the change of plans.

Unfortunately the next time I thought of it was just before
going to bed at midnight. So I thought I'll ring her in the
morning but then remembered she said she was going to the
Farmers Market so I thought 'I'll ring her at 11 .a.m. when
I get home from soccer as I told her I'd be there at 11 .a.m.'

Well things started out well. I planned the route for the
garage sales but I told Cliff we had to finish no later than
8.25 a.m. as I had to go to gym before heading off to see
the game.

But we didn't finish till 8. 35 a.m. but I thought no problem
I'll just do one circuit at gym and be up to date. I arrived
at the gym at 8.45 a.m. and did the one circuit and was
leaving at 9.05 a.m. when Meg rang to ask could I drive her
over to the game.

I had thought it would take the 25 minutes to drive to the
game via my house to pick up the book for Kath and deliver
it after the game.

I drove straight to Meg's and got there at 9.20 a.m. We got
to the end of her street and she realized that she had
forgotten her sunnies so we went back. Stopped at my place
and then drove to the game getting there at 9.55 a.m. So I
will have to remember it is more like a 40 minute drive than
a 30 minute drive from Traralgon to Newborough.

But I took lots of photos of the kids playing and am hoping
that some of them turn out OK. Can't print them at the moment
as the printer is staging a coup.

Told Kath and Nathan, Cliff and I had bought a cot for them
for $30 and Darren, Cliff's friend had a matress he wanted
$50 for if they were interested.

The game had just finished and I was saying goodbye when my
mobile rang. It was Beryl wondering when I was coming. I
told her the plans for the day had changed as I was at
Newborough at the kids soccer. She got most upset and when
I said that I would come and see her on Sunday she said that
she might be busy and hung up on me.

I tried ringing her twice on Sunday, once at 11 a.m. and once
at 11.30 a.m. on her home phone but it went to mail, I also
tried her mobile at 11.15 a.m. but it was turned off, and she
has not rung me back and it is now 4 p.m. on Tuesday so she
is having a good sulk.

I went to Kath's at Yallourn Nth and did the delivery and was
home by 11.10 a.m. I brought the printer in to print out
another letter for the cinema and realized I had forgotten the
laptop! Luckily they let me in without it, as I explained I had
the one letter and had come yesterday as the company wanted
research on two of the movie ads this week end.

So it was a hectic day, but the lazy Sunday made up for it and
because I did not go to Beryl's I got all my paper journalling
up to date.

Short Story Writing

Today, Friday 23rd May was the beginning of the new short
story course at TAFE. Beryl and I drove over together in
my car.

There were a few 'old' faces there but half the class were
new people. Nice to see. We did not do any work as the
three hours were taken up with house keeping matters. So
Kylie who could not come missed nothing.

Hopefully we will start writing next week. I was disappointed
to learn that we will be writing ONE short story but
concentrating on it in depth. I had had hoped for at least
3-4 in the six month period.

But we will have to see if that changes depending on our
skills and abilities.

Centerlink (Again!)

Last week a young man rang and asked me would I like to
attend a conference about the Morwell office of Centerlink
and voice any 'concerns' I had about the service.

The forum was held at the Traralgon Convention Center.
They supplied lovely cakes for morning tea and lunch of a
hot meal which was also nice. There was coffee, tea and
orange drinks available for breakfest, morning tea and lunch.

Water was on all the tables with breath mints.

There were 12 'customers' of Centerlink and 10 staff members.

But when it came to 'voting' using our electronic keypads
the results were invalid as the man conducting the survey
asked the staff to put in their responses.

Naturally they voted in the 6+ range for themselves but I
would say the 0's, 1's, 2's, 3's and 4's came from the
'customers.'

The main point of contention was the long waiting queues
when we have to hand in our fortnightly forms as well as
the lack of 'comfortable' seating as many people putting
in forms have disabilities and it is especially hard for
them to have to stand up for half an hour to an hour.

We will just have to see what happens as a result of this
meeting.

I had to rush off straight after lunch to see Wade. As I
pulled up at Work Solutions, I heard this great loud BANG.
A garbage bin that had been leaning too far into the street
took out my passenger side mirror and nearly tore the unit
off the car.

The man (Damian) running the survey said that each 'customer'
was going to receive a $50 cheque in the mail for doing the
forum. I reckon that it will cost me a lot more than that to
get my car fixed. As they say no good deed goes unpunished.

Dick's Birthday and other news.

Stopped in at Dick's and Helga's on the way to cards and it
turned out it was Dick's birthday. I was surprised when
Helga said that he was 84 years old that day. I thought he
was about 70 - 75! He looks really good for his age! Helga
said that she is 78 years old this year. That is only two
years younger than my birth mother would be if she is alive!

Did well at cards again with 110 though I only got one 15
game. But I was third again, equal with two other players.

On Tuesday I was not late for my appointment with Wade but
he was annoyed that I had not applied for the telephone
postition and said that I have to apply even if my phone
voice is not good. What a waste of time and effort.

Decided to do a scrapbooking page on Cliff and I, as a couple
but featuring stamps as we are both collectors. Was delighted
to find an old photo of my self when I went to the ball with
Robert Zeltzer. Of course I had cut him out years ago but I
did look good. In fact I can see a resemblance to Meg.

Also found the old flag that belonged to Dad's unit. It is
rather moth eaten but I can still read it. I wonder if I can
use it to get information through the R.S.L on his unit and
war service? Worth a try. It might also clear up the question
of when the photo of my parents was taken as Dad is definitely
wearing some sort of uniform.

Twenty Million

Powerball was 20 million bucks, so of course I bought a
ticket, in fact I bought TWO, but like everyone else I was
disappointed not to win, not even a minor prize. Maybe
with luck I'll be the winner of the 30 million!!!

I could do with that money. Not just to pay my bills but
to buy houses for the family.

The developers have finally got that housing project in
McMillan St going. I don't know why they bought George's
old house as they have demolished it but there is no road
there or on the plan and there does not seem to be any plan
to use it as a road as all traffic comes in and out of the
same roundabout in the street.

It has 50 blocks and they are all house and land blocks.
Starting at about $220, 000 and going to $295,000. There
are 11 styles of houses but not a two storey among them so
it is possible that they won't permit a two storey house.

The brochure shows that there will be street plants and red
brick paved driveways as well as the old fashioned green
street lighting. I had hoped that it would be under ground
power lines but I don't know about that as it was not
mentioned.

But then it is a dream. Standing talking to the lady about
the estate I saw Dick and Helga's son but he did not seem to
notice me but then I saw Dick and he saw me and stopped and
spoke. We talked about the new estate which is virtually
right behind his house. He said that he had paid off his
mortage years ago and he doubts if he could get money from
the bank as his stage in life. I know what he means!

Euchre (Again)

Though I was still upset over Ted eating in front of me
two weeks ago, I went to cards on Monday 12th May.

Luckily I did not partner Ted, otherwise I would have left.
Also there was a table of only two and if it had of been
three I would have gone home then as well.

Cliff was still having pain from the lesion that the Doctor
removed from his nose on Thursday, 8th May, so he did not go.

I had a good night with a final score of 115. The same as
Ted. We ended up being equal fourth.

In the last game I was at the two table with June and as
Harry had annoyed me by NOT calling and I had to get two
thirds of the points we got, I enabled June to surge past
him and win the night by one point, with 127.

Two other people came equal third on 120.

I was also in luck as I won the trivia for the night and the
$10 covered the cost of the night as I only bought one
Lemon Ruski.