Howdy folks
It was good to see a few of you when I was there on the weekend.
Just came up for The Man's farewell on Friday night, another doo on Saturday night and we had a pool party for The Girl on Sunday so it was back down to The Sea on Monday.
What have I been up to since I spoke to you last ... ???
If I have my filing correct, I haven't told you about the Melbourne trip. Nothing exciting really, 2 days stuck in an office that resembles the studio where Ally McBeal was filmed, and to top it off, it was stinking hot ! The bright young receptionist didn't prepare the room by drawing the curtains and making sure that the room had lost all of that heat by placing a fan. BIMBO !, and she wasn't very polite !
We went out for tea for the 3 nights that we were there, Japanese the first night - food was magnificent - and green tea ice cream with a red bean that was sweet but had the consistency of a baked bean or kidney bean - WEIRD, Egusto's (standard kind of restaurant), and Feddish the following night (another standard restaurant), the Feddish night I thought it would be the right night to try out my new shoes that I had bought for the trip (originally we were going to have dinner in the Motel - the Sheraton (side note - that place is too flash for me - could have had a meeting with myself in the room with an antique table set up, fax machine, modem connection) anyway, the Sheraton dinner was abandoned and replaced with a 2km walk in NEW SHOES, aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh ! Needless to say, I walked home, in the rain, with NO shoes on !
Eight blisters later.........
Wasn't a bad trip, I just wanted to get home. Being with a strange bunch of people makes you kinda home sick.
The trip from The Big Smoke to The Sea was Yucky ! I am normally not adverse to flying and the turbulence is all part of the deal but this trip almost had me worrying for my life ! I was so glad to have landed ! So we've gone from the geological lumps and bumps around the OD Airport (which makes me nauseous every time I land there) to the 100km/h headwinds that crop up every now and again from The big smoke to The Sea. Still, it's only a short flight and I can tough it out. I like flying, my tummy doesn't though, and touch wood, I haven't lost my lunch yet !
We have had every season here now, and they tell me that it hit 41 here while I was in OD, today it is overcast and rained 4mm on my farm (25kms North of The Sea) from 5-6am this morning. The wheat might not like that though as it is almost ready to reap and if we have too much more it will shoot in the head and then it is worth NAFF ALL !
The dog is now a permanent resident of the farm as well - he's not my guard dog either as he seems to be loosing his hearing at a rapid pace - poor old bugger. Nice to talk to something that actually moves and looks at you even though he may not understand. He knows where his meat is kept so he has no trouble communicating with me ! I have to feed him of a morning otherwise I will be feeding the foxes of a night time if he doesn't feel like eating. That and the birds (magpies) get into his meat if he leaves it unattended. I saw a kookaburra in the tree closest to the house the other day and was spewing because I didn't have my binoculars to have a real good look at him. I do feed the magpies there with scrap meat and the kookaburra may have heard it on the grapevine, so I should be better prepared when I'm out there and try to hand feed him. I know it will take time but right now, I have all the time in the world.
Still having fun with my ride on mower and discovered the other garden toy - the Whipper Snipper. Boy oh boy, I wish I had one of those easy start Stihl's as this one is NOT EASY TO START ! I spent at least 10 minutes every time I had to start it, fighting with it and ended up with a bleeding blister by the end of day 2. Then the long grass along the fences, decided to wrap itself around the shaft of the snipper and the cutting cord was scared of it and retracted back into itself - another trip back up to the house to sort that out. By then I had given up for the day and I really didn't feel like getting any more dust/grass in my eyes (gotta call into the safety shop and get some goggles I think !).
Saw a roo in our front paddock this morning - I think The Man's response was "get the gun", me ??? I had trouble prying a dead pigeon out of my roo bar that I collected on the way home yesterday. I think warning shots are the only thing I am capable of.
How's this for exciting ? I may be going to a private function to see "James Blundell - Up close and Personal". I'll let you know if it pans out and I do get to attend. Just stay tuned ...... (not much on Country Music but always up for meeting celebrities, especially the musical ones !)
I just found out that I am doing a field trip to Kimba (2 1/2 hours from here) next week also calling into a trucking company and whatever else the boss wants us to do. Should be good to meet people without just having a phone relationship with them, and if any of you spoke with my Friday night, you'll realise why I'm not real keen on going as it's "him" that I've been partnered with for the trip ! AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH !!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 01, 2004
Natterings of the Nutter down by the Sea
Howdy folks
Been a while between letters ! I've been back and forward to the big smoke for training and will be going to Melbourne next week ! Been at OD for 15+ years and travelled probably 3 times for business and been on zero business dinners. I've been here for what seems like 3 minutes and have already attended 2 trips (with the Melbourne one coming up next week) and will be attending a business dinner for the Agents training in two weeks time. It also looks like I will do a bit of local travelling as well to acquaint myself and the new boss with the Agents around the Eyre Peninsula. I only wish that they could find some way of holding a training session in the provinces of Italy ! One can only dream.
Well, this is what I have been up to lately...
At home, I have been playing lots on my ride on mower and managed to wrap some rusty old barbed wire (hidden beneath the long grass) around the shaft of the mower - I didn't discover this until the next day. As I was in long, dry grass and the mower started to smoke, I thought it a good idea to high-tail it out of there and limp her back to the shed. Along the way I tried again to engage the mower blades but eveytime I did this, she was smoking. I was a bit worried at this time as I had NOOOOOOOOOOOOO idea what to do next, and what do women do when they are struck with this kind of situation you ask ? They drive it into the shed and hope it fixes itself. Well readers, this was not about to happen as I am the only one here and it had to be fixed ! So, being ingenious, I backed one side of the mower onto a couple of planks of wood to raise it and check what was caught, I had discovered the barbed wire as I walked up to the shed as it was obviously poking out from under the mower. So down I went, onto the starling manured floor (with my white shirt on) and proceeded to pry this rusty barbed wire from the shaft. Was pretty easy really, and much to my surprise, rolling over the ground, my white shirt remained spotless - it's a miracle ! So, with that job out of the way, I got back on and a mowing I went again.
Been doing a bit of decorating as well. The tiles in the kitchen were, lets put it simply, REVOLTING ! They were a fully patterned tile (white background with a bronze/green 1970's pattern) mind you they went especially well with the 2 inch X 1 inch yellow tiled bench top (grouted with black grout !) - get the picture. So, I used a tile paint (had to wash them first, prime them and then go over with the solvent based paint - not very environmentally friendly and it did stink A LOT !) and painted them a nice white. They came up pretty good but a stark contrast with the yellow bench top. During the last Adelaide trip, I convinced the boys to go to Bunnings Hardware, (wasn't hard really, bit like asking me if I would like a beer) and found some transfers that could go onto the tiles. Was having a bit of trouble deciding on a pattern because I was looking for a more random effect rather than geometric lines so I got onto my computer and worked it out that way. Prior to that I was just sticky taping them to the tiles and moving them around - TOO HARD.
I would take all the flies in OD from you and you could have the midges in return. They are like black hundreds and thousands and they bite you and to top it all off, they urinate on you after they had administered their bite - lovely little creatures. I am telling you about this as they are similar to mosquito bites BUT MUCH WORSE !!! I have sensitive skin (don't laugh !) and they itch for days, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and several times during the day when they feel like it. Apart from the itching, they burn, from the inside ! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH !!! and by the way, the chemists are so helpful here NOT ! I did manage to get a product that is similar to calamine lotion with antiseptic and anaesthetic and that seems to take the edge off it but I am going to try an oral vitamin that apparently repels them by emitting "something" from my skin. I'll probably stink like a pole cat and no one will want to go near me ! If anyone has any remedies, I'm willing to try them - and the one that involves baby oil and dettol, tried it to no avail.
This is enough for today as I know how busy you all are and would be lucky to read the first line before you are rudely interrupted for something trivial as work ! How dare they.
I am well and enjoying Lincoln (when I am here), and meeting people every day. Although I am finding that this place is a little weird - can't explain it at the moment, but when I work it out, I'll be sure to let you know.
Take care all and keep smiling
Miss everyone heaps.
I can't wait for the family to move here as I am getting sick of talking to myself - I don't hold a very good conversation ! My roses probably wish that too !
Oh, I forgot, I saw a Kookaburra in my trees late yesterday - the closest I have seen them ! Woo Hoo !
Been a while between letters ! I've been back and forward to the big smoke for training and will be going to Melbourne next week ! Been at OD for 15+ years and travelled probably 3 times for business and been on zero business dinners. I've been here for what seems like 3 minutes and have already attended 2 trips (with the Melbourne one coming up next week) and will be attending a business dinner for the Agents training in two weeks time. It also looks like I will do a bit of local travelling as well to acquaint myself and the new boss with the Agents around the Eyre Peninsula. I only wish that they could find some way of holding a training session in the provinces of Italy ! One can only dream.
Well, this is what I have been up to lately...
At home, I have been playing lots on my ride on mower and managed to wrap some rusty old barbed wire (hidden beneath the long grass) around the shaft of the mower - I didn't discover this until the next day. As I was in long, dry grass and the mower started to smoke, I thought it a good idea to high-tail it out of there and limp her back to the shed. Along the way I tried again to engage the mower blades but eveytime I did this, she was smoking. I was a bit worried at this time as I had NOOOOOOOOOOOOO idea what to do next, and what do women do when they are struck with this kind of situation you ask ? They drive it into the shed and hope it fixes itself. Well readers, this was not about to happen as I am the only one here and it had to be fixed ! So, being ingenious, I backed one side of the mower onto a couple of planks of wood to raise it and check what was caught, I had discovered the barbed wire as I walked up to the shed as it was obviously poking out from under the mower. So down I went, onto the starling manured floor (with my white shirt on) and proceeded to pry this rusty barbed wire from the shaft. Was pretty easy really, and much to my surprise, rolling over the ground, my white shirt remained spotless - it's a miracle ! So, with that job out of the way, I got back on and a mowing I went again.
Been doing a bit of decorating as well. The tiles in the kitchen were, lets put it simply, REVOLTING ! They were a fully patterned tile (white background with a bronze/green 1970's pattern) mind you they went especially well with the 2 inch X 1 inch yellow tiled bench top (grouted with black grout !) - get the picture. So, I used a tile paint (had to wash them first, prime them and then go over with the solvent based paint - not very environmentally friendly and it did stink A LOT !) and painted them a nice white. They came up pretty good but a stark contrast with the yellow bench top. During the last Adelaide trip, I convinced the boys to go to Bunnings Hardware, (wasn't hard really, bit like asking me if I would like a beer) and found some transfers that could go onto the tiles. Was having a bit of trouble deciding on a pattern because I was looking for a more random effect rather than geometric lines so I got onto my computer and worked it out that way. Prior to that I was just sticky taping them to the tiles and moving them around - TOO HARD.
I would take all the flies in OD from you and you could have the midges in return. They are like black hundreds and thousands and they bite you and to top it all off, they urinate on you after they had administered their bite - lovely little creatures. I am telling you about this as they are similar to mosquito bites BUT MUCH WORSE !!! I have sensitive skin (don't laugh !) and they itch for days, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and several times during the day when they feel like it. Apart from the itching, they burn, from the inside ! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH !!! and by the way, the chemists are so helpful here NOT ! I did manage to get a product that is similar to calamine lotion with antiseptic and anaesthetic and that seems to take the edge off it but I am going to try an oral vitamin that apparently repels them by emitting "something" from my skin. I'll probably stink like a pole cat and no one will want to go near me ! If anyone has any remedies, I'm willing to try them - and the one that involves baby oil and dettol, tried it to no avail.
This is enough for today as I know how busy you all are and would be lucky to read the first line before you are rudely interrupted for something trivial as work ! How dare they.
I am well and enjoying Lincoln (when I am here), and meeting people every day. Although I am finding that this place is a little weird - can't explain it at the moment, but when I work it out, I'll be sure to let you know.
Take care all and keep smiling
Miss everyone heaps.
I can't wait for the family to move here as I am getting sick of talking to myself - I don't hold a very good conversation ! My roses probably wish that too !
Oh, I forgot, I saw a Kookaburra in my trees late yesterday - the closest I have seen them ! Woo Hoo !
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