"Where Were You When The Earth Shook?"

Tuesday the 19th june at 8.50 p.m. Cliff and I
were watching T.V. as he decided not to go to
chess.

The walls of the house and the nick nacks began
to shake. It lasted 2 maybe 3 seconds. I looked
at Cliff and said "earthquake". Before I had
finished the word the walls and nicks nacks began
dancing again this time much stronger and for
about 5 to 6 seconds.

We walked outside to have a look as he still thought
it was a truck that might have crashed, derspite the
fact that we went throught an earthquake in about 2000
and it was exactly the same. I reminded him the same
thing happened to me when I was 8, with mum in our
house in Hurstville N.S.W.

When the earthquake struck in 2000 I had said the
same thing. The memory had instantly come back to
me. It was not something I was ever likely to
forget. Mum and i had thought it was a truck that
had crashed and went out side to look but there was
nothing and on the news that night they said it was
an earthquake that had struck around Bulli way.

The new neighbour across have Cliff had only moved
in that day and she came out but noone else did.
She had thought it was a truck and I told her what
it was. We went back inside and turned on pay T.V.
to the all news channel and about 15 minutes later
they started to say there were unconfirmed reports
of an erath quake in Victoria.

By an hour after the quake it was the only thing on
the News and we found out that it had started just
south of Moe bwtween Churchill and Moe. It was the
biggest quake in Victoria for ( one report said 60
years and another said 140 years) but whichever it
was the largest one I had experienced, and the
closest. The one in 2000 was out Geelong way about
200 kms away and the one in Sydney was also about
200 kms away. This was was about 3 kms south of
Morwell and about 7 kms east. So it was lucky I was
not at home at the time.

Cliff said he wondered how many people were in bed
having sex when it happened so that the earth really
"Did move" for them. I said at 8.50 p.m. not many,
so what do you think? and where were you?

Depression

I have been depressed since the fight with Kirsten and her
being send to her mother's. I have spent five days a week
at Cliff's just veging out.

Academdy of Dance Trivia Night.

Of course Don Jr rang back later on Friday night to say he was sorry.
But of course that does not change the horrible thing he said to me.
I'm sure Lisa had some say in that phone call. Kirsten also said sorry.
I say "Ha, what are you sorry for?" She gave the phone back to Don
and refused to speak to me. Kath asked me to take her to the Trivia
night so Kath could have the other kids. I asked Don to bring her
to the dinner.

I rang Leonie and asked her to have Kirsten on the Saturday night.
She told me her father-in-law had died the day before.

When Don and Lisa arrived at the top pub I asked Kirsten did she
know Rob's dad and she said the family visited him every week end so
she was quite familiar with him. I told her he had died the day
before and gave her a card to fill out and give to Leonie and Rob.

I asked her to put at the bottom of the card in brackets Kath and
Gloria. She threw it at me and said "You do that." She had made
out the card to "Aunty Meg". Another example of the child not
listening to what I had said to her.

Meg managed to change the Meg into Leonie without too much trouble
though it was hard disguising the trailing part of the "g".

When Kirsten found out that Leonie was coming to take her for the
night she gave me a dirty look and said "You couldn't even have me
for one night!" I answered NO. She refused to speak to me for the
rest of the dinner and when I went to kiss her goodbye she pulled
away and said "Don't you dare." This child really deserves a slap
across the face for her rudness and churishness.

We had not finished our dinner by 7 p.m. when the Trivia Night was
suppose to start. Thankfully it did not begin till 7.30 p.m.

I made Meg the scribe, so that way if she chose the wrong answers
she would not be able to crack at anyone other than herself.

She chose one answer from Lisa over George's answer, which turned
out to be correct. She also chose her answer over mine re a picture
of a movie star and my answer was right.

It did not make too much difference we would have been third last
instead of second last but at least we were not LAST!!!

However it would not have been appropriate for Kirsten to have been
there.

Meg said we have to improve. The only answer that Birdman gave out
was wrong and his wife did not answer any questions. Tony and Karen
were missed, Bev is fun but does not usually answer any questions.

We did help raise quite a bit of money for Maddy and Kirsten's dance
school.

I bid on a mid valley coin and paid $25. It was a $50 coin which I
can use at Bunnings for more paint for Yallourn Nth. Meg bid $15 on
6 beer glasses that are a good brand. She said she had checked them
out that week in House but was not willing to use one of her $50
vouchers for them so that was a saving. Mick said there was only a
few things they bought from there as they had most of what they wanted
in 'that sort of thing.' I wonder then what they will do with all the
vouchers. There was a chemist pack up for bids and someone bid $55 on
it and I said it was not worth it and who would bid that kind of money
on it and all he heard was "bid" and "money" and he then bid $60 on it.
So thankfull someone else raised the bid!!! I told him "NO" and then
repeated myself and he said "oh." Don't know who is worse at ignoring
what I say him or Kirsten.


I was disappointed to see that the two gift certificates for $20
worth of used books from The Nook and Cranny were the last two items
to be selected by the raffle ticket winners. Even the (6) one per
winner, $10 deli bakehouse vouchers went before our vouchers did!
A sad reflection on our society that they would chose $10 worth of
bread over $20 worth of books.

But over all not a bad night and Meg enjoyed her meal and got some
more cards and presents, though she wants to exchange her candles
for different ones. She reckons the Spruce smells like the toilet
blocks in the men's toilet. They are suppose to remind one of Xmas
trees!!!

Black Friday

Of course it was a Friday! I have mentioned that nearly every
thing 'bad' that happens to me occurs on a Friday.

I went to the school to pick up Kirsten for her to clean up
the mess she left at my place. She bought the clothes in from
the line and put away the dishes but when I asked her to wash
out the bins (2 from her room and our recycling bin, which she
had put something in that left 'goo' all over it) she refused.

She rang her mother. Kirsten told me her mother said she only
had do do her rooms not clean up all this other stuff I was
asking her to do.

I told her she was in my care and when she was she had to do
what I told her to do. Thus if she did not clean out the bins
she would be in trouble.

I went into the house and started making sandwiches for us. I
went out to tell her the sandwiches were ready only to find she
had not done the job and not only that but she had 'run off'.

I threw as much of her stuff as I could out onto the front lawn.

Send a message to her mother to come and pick it up.

I am sick of Kirsten running to Kath and Kath underminding my
authority with Kirsten.

I send a message to Kath to find another house to live. Why
should I rent out my house to her for $100 a week when I can
get $150 through an agent, especially when she is supporting
Kirsten in her rebellous behaviour?

Don came around with Kath and they all picked up the clothes
and rubbish. Kath refused to give me the keys to Yallourn Nth.
I told her not to attempt to remove any furniture or white
goods from the house as she does not own them. They are in my
name. She has not really even started paying for them yet as
all the money she gives me goes to the money she owns from all
her grocery and other shopping.

Don yelled at me that he would take the furniture any time as
Kath had paid for it. The cost is $4000 and Kath has paid less
than $200.

I said in that case I would have them charged with theft and
Don replied "You f..king mole, see how long it will be then till
your house burns down."

At that point I went inside. Don said said something about "Now
dad is dead" but did not finish it and then "If you are having
problems with Cliff don't take it out on us!!" The only problems
I am having at the moment is with Kirsten, Kath and now Donald.

Meg Says "I'm in my mid-30's"

On the 31st May (officially at 11.59 p.m.) Meg turned 35!
She had lunch with Kath. I took Kirsten around to see her
at home at 6 p.m. and she came around to my place to watch
DH with me.

I gave her a Coles mini cup cake (chocolate of course) with
one huge candle lit on it at the first ad. She laughted.
Then took a picture with her phone.

I gave her the other three chocolate cupcakes to take home.

We are really celebrating her birthady with tea at the
top pub on Saturday 2nd June.

Kirsten Creates A Fuss

Kirsten was having a bad time at school last week. So when
she asked to have Lexie stay over on Tuesday night after
netball I said yes. Althought I always had the rule with
my kids that could be no one staying overnight if they had
school the next day. The thing is I have not had Kirsten
since the beginning, thus it is hard to establosh rules when
she has been allowed to do what every she likes when ever
she likes.

I thought she was showing off for Lexie when I went in at
8 p.m. to collect her phone. She had been using it
to acess Facebook sometimes as late as 1 a.m. in the
morning on a school night. No wonder she was tired and
irrrable at school and getting into trouble. She screamed
at me to "Wait" and continued to use it. I was not having
it. I told her not to speak to me in that manner and she
had to the count of ten to hand over the phone, as I was
missing my T.V. show standing there. So I counted to ten.
She still continued to use the phone, so I nudged her in
her side, as she was laying on the floor and said "Now."
Once more she screamed "Wait" at me, so I just unplugged it
from the power point and took it and the charger away.

The next day she was still upset with me, so I went down to
Headspace to see if she could see Bonnie.

They said no she would just have to see the duty officer.

However she did not come home from school but went to the
park with friends as I rang her to find out where she was.

So I took her on Thursday. The woman she spoke to asked to
see Kath.

When Kath came out I asked if she wanted to se me but Kath
said No. I'm driving away and asked "May I be allowed to
know why she wanted to speak to you." Kath said it was to
organise Kirsten to stay with her for two weeks.

The more I have though about it the angier I have become.

However will I be able to control Kirsten's behaviour if when
she gets the shits with me she can run to them and manipulate
them into letting her 'run' off to somewhere else.

This woman had no right as DHS had placed her in my care!

Then Kirsten says it was "because I kicked her." Must admit
I screamed "What??. Turns out she is claiming that the 'nudge'
I gave her with my foot on Tuesday night was in fact a 'kick'.

Could not do anything about it at that stage. On Friday morning
I rang the doctor and we had to wait nearly all morning to get
in to see the him. I asked him to look at the 'kicked' area
and took a photo of it. I said there is not even a mark and
Kirsten claims it is because it 'was 3 days ago' The child
does not know that if I had really kicked her by the time 3
days had passed there would be lovely purple and blue brusing
with maybe a tinge of yellow on the outter edges of the
'bruise'. The doctor examined her ribs and said there was no
damage to them. Of course not as I did not kick her. She says
she has a witness Lexie Gatt. She said that Lexie's mother
works for DHS, so there!!

I wonder if it was Lexie's idea to say "I kicked her."

I certainly will not be ever having her stay again, nor any
other child on a school night.

Good Bye Little Red Hatchback

Wednesday 23rd May, 2012. A sad day, the new Toyota Hatchback that
I bought in Oct, 1992, is gone.

Step said that the next service in 6 months would be major repairs.
Perhaps as much as $3,000. So Cliff got him to look around for a
car for me. Rob found a 2002 Kia Spectra for $2,500. With repairs
and reg it cost $3,500. It is insured for $4,00 as that was what AAMI
said it was worth.

Rob gave me $150, for my Toyota. She is being scrapped for parts.

An end of an era.