Karen-in-Brisbane Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Hey red... Me thinks you are too wonderful for words!!! oh I mean WITH words!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgie 1 Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Hey RedNice pics and obviously journal entry.(is that you in the sexy jeans?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Witch Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Hey RedNice pics and obviously journal entry.(is that you in the sexy jeans?)...and the red toenails..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted April 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 ...and the red toenails..? I gotta have red toenails Andi... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Witch Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I gotta have red toenails Andi... But of course..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Thanx for sharing - as always a great enjoyable read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I am shattered… physically shattered. I never realised just how much one could fit into a weekend. Every muscle in my body is aching, every muscle screaming agony to my senses!Tenpin bowling on Friday was fantastic… managed to fit that in on Friday after supper! I’m clearly becoming the tenpin bowling champ in our household… a little more practice and I should be joining up with our local ten pin bowling league. We managed to have a round pool after the bowling… definitely decided I should stick to bowling, sinking that shiny white ball didn’t seem to score me anything but a laugh. On Saturday, with the sun shining brightly we decided to have a game of tennis. That was such a joke… Bern and I really need to work on those backhands. After tennis and lunch we went riding around the neighbourhood… beautiful homes… made me drool… or was I drooling because I was so blimmen tired?! And then, just when I thought we could do as much as we could possibly do… Bern challenged me to a boxing match…Yip that’s right… a boxing match… but that was after we went fishing and after Becca did some slalom skiing and a couple of ski jumps… oh, and after I had a one on one session with my yoga instructor… and yes, how could I forget all this after walking on a tightrope between two buildings and falling to my death!!Isn’t modern technology a brilliant thing! What a blast! Thank you Nintendo for a work out like I have never had before… I must say we got off to a really bad start when we initially set up… For those of you that have Nintendo Wii you’ll know what I’m on about… and well for those that don’t… What on earth is wrong with you… you are missing out on a whole lot of fun, which is not only for kids as the kids might want you to believe. Anyway, like I was saying… we got off to a bad start. Wii fit, is designed mainly around fitness and results. Naturally, there’s only really one way to measure results… and that’s with weight. Every fat filled cell’s dream… and every woman’s nightmare.So you choose your Wii fit character… that was a bunch of fun… a little blank canvas I managed to give red hair, green eyes and a sprinkling of freckles across the nose. It was all good… until… I stepped on the balance board and did my Wii fitness test… balancing left and right, trying my best to keep the silly red dot in the silly yellow circle… and then the dreaded results followed…Oh my, oh my, oh my… oh my… It started with my cute little lookalike expanding about double the original size, confirming I was in fact overweight, and then, horror of all horrors… my so called ‘Wii fit age’ was 15 years older than my actual age…Fifteen years… oh sugar-honey-ice-tea!!!And then well, I had made my mind up… it was wrong (really wrong)… and the way to prove me right was to get Bern to do the same. That would prove it was all just a gimmick to make you feel bad, hence to get you training.Only… when Bern did the so called rubbish test… he was in fact 4 years YOUNGER than his actual age!What was that?! Repeat after me…Sugar-honey-ice-tea…Obviously, there were only two choices here. Get on or get off.I chose to get on… and like I said did a whole lot of training… Strength exercises, yoga and a whole bunch more… Trying really hard not to throw the remote through the TV screen, when my ‘trainer’ asked me if I happen to fall or trip over myself fairly often… What the?!… There’s just no hiding my clumsiness anymore… even a digitally created character feels the need to inform me of my inadequacies…And talking about being inadequate… I just have no co-ords… I scored a rating of ‘a dwindling fire’ when it came to my aerobic step workout. It probably had something to do with the fact that when I should have been stepping off, I was still in the process of stepping onto the board.Tenpin bowling proved to be more my thing… and would you believe it… BOXING!After knocking Bern out round after round he’s since threatened to take the gaming console back to the shop. I guess there’s something about a five footer (chick) knocking out a six footer (dude)!It’s all good… really… really… it’s all good…And anyway, he gets his own back when it comes to shooting games and cow racing… I guess pretty much like Becca does too… except for boxing… and that’s odd in itself… I still don’t feel right about knocking my daughter out. The worst is when I see her little Wii character lying on the boxing ring floor with no life or energy to pull herself up. It’s just not right… and I’ve had to find ways to convince her that perhaps a game of tennis just may be more fun than a round of boxing…What a crazy weekend. Thankfully on Sunday (after a game of tennis) we decided to go for a drive into the hills. The weather didn’t seem chilly, so we pulled on some summer clothes and jumped in the dear ‘ol (t)rusty steed.It was only when we were standing on Mount Lofty summit with the breathtaking view of Adelaide below did we both realise just how cold it really, really was! And wherever we stopped… and jumped out poor Mitsi… without fail we just jumped right back in! So in the true spirit of adventure we decided we would find a cheap, but decent looking warm shirt.Not a tall order on a Sunday after lunch was it?!All along the route we realised that the curio shops were catering for the tourists… and as much as buying a locally made Aussie jumper… something made out of Alpaca was just not going to cut it.So we pull in to that town that Bob has made so famous – Mt. Barker and head for the local Reject Store. Sorry Bob… I know Mt. Barker isn’t famous for its Reject Store… but we were cold, and they were open.When walked out of the shop, we walked out looking like true Aussie feral… both in matching hoodies… Bern’s with a flame surrounded motorbike riding skeleton, mine with a dagger through a bright red heart… Needless to say, we had to take a photo!We felt a little silly, especially when we realised there was a car waiting for our parking. Do I really need to describe the scene… Bern and I smiling away, outside a local Macca’s wearing our really cool shirt leaning against our really cool car. I’m also still not entirely convinced that we didn’t get into that scenic restaurant because they were fully booked… perhaps it had more to do with our attire.Talking about cars… Mitsi will soon be looking for another home. She has been awesome to us… but she’s really battling to get up and get going in the morning… So her drive around the hills this weekend was really us saying our last goodbyes. Showing her some gorgeous scenery and treating her to the great dusty roads that Australia has to offer. Beautiful autumn scenes, with red and orange and yellow will be a well deserved ending for a courageous little car.Good on ya Mitsi… you will always be remembered!It’s just one chapter ending, and another beginning…And as you all know… I just love new beginnings…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DESIREEB Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 You go girl, work those muscles that you never knew you had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANDYBRENT Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Good on you Red, keep it up. Thouroughly enjoying your posts as always. Always manage to put a smile on my dial. Can't wait for the next chapter in your fabulous life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted April 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) Some photo's from our drive in the hills... Edited April 20, 2009 by Red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eva Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 hey, nice trees!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Witch Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 hey, nice trees!!Ha! I was going to say that! Nice trees Red! (I have a 'thing' for trees...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 Great autumn pics - another tree hugger here !!Sounds like the Wii is heaps of fun (and pain) - maybe it will help my rear slim down a little ??? Looking forward to your next chapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted April 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 At this time, five months ago we were standing outside our council housing battling to get our front door open … We were in a strange country with strange people… absolutely helpless, with no mobile, and no mobile number to phone. Just as we were about to lose all hope, the key hit a sweet spot and the door was flung wide open.And what I’ve learnt from that night five months ago is that without a bit of effort you’ll never find that so called sweet spot… and the doors will never open.A couple of days after landing we picked up our (t)rusty steed from dear ‘ol Bob. It took all the effort in the world that evening to control my urge to run a mile. I understood the fact (as every male pointed out) that she was just something that would get us from A to B…But geez, she was unattractive. And the first time I had to climb in the passenger seat my heart sank… Her faux sheep skin seats and her carpeted dash made me gag… and all I could think of was the Aussie creepy crawlies imbedded in the fibres. Come to think of it I’m sure Horatio Cain would have had a field day!Rebecca had earlier remarked that she had thought we were picking up the Holden Lumina that had been parked alongside Mitsi… And oh, how I had wished the same.But we drove off… and just as I thought, well it wasn’t all THAT bad the Garmin bounced off the windscreen from all the vibrations of the rattling car! It’s strange though… with all Mitsi’s quirks we sure have all grown to love her…We’ve learnt that if we place a sheet of metal under her, the dripping oil won’t stain the driveway… we’ve adapted to the fact that the driver’s door can only be opened by reaching over from the passenger side and not the key. We’ve leant that she needs at least a litre of water every morning and at least a litre of oil every fortnight… Bern’s learnt how to handle her on chilly mornings when all she wants to do is stay put…And as much as I could go on about Mitsi’s quirks, I have to mention that for the past five months she has got us from A to B… safe and sound…and best of all we no longer have Aussie tailgaters… because with one sturdy foot on the accelerator she blasts out the worst oil ridden puff of smoke imaginable.That’s a gal Mitsi… you make us proud.Mitsi will no longer be the family car, and will be sidelined as the new school and work runabout.Bern’s been waiting ever so patiently for his probation period at work to end… Every evening drooling over 4x4’s and such like… Thankfully on Thursday, he managed to secure a loan…. From there it was all about securing the car.We took a drive to the hills to test drive a real beauty… A 3.0 litre V6 Ford Escape that seemed just too good to be true… The seller was really cool, and we were both pretty relaxed until he mentioned that seeing as he was a policeman he’d better check Bern’s licence… GULP… poor Bern… I couldn’t help but think he must had felt like he was having to redo his licence all over again – only this time with a policeman directing him… you know, turn left in 300m, now right… easy here… to your left, clear this side… Without really any real negotiation, we both decided this car was the one. Friday, Bern secured the cheque and that afternoon we headed for the hills… only this time in a taxi (what? You didn’t expect me to drive Mitsi did you?)…And being the talkative types that we are, we found out that our taxi driver happened to be the dad of one of Rebecca’s friends at school (luckily he didn’t know it was in fact our daughter that got sent to the principal for pushing his son). Anyway, to cut a long story short we arrived to exchange cheque and car… and then realised that in all my excitement I had left Bern’s mobile in the taxi… Had it had been in South Africa… we wouldn’t have even bothered trying to retrieve it. We tried to call Bern’s phone, and just as we were about to give up… we received a call, it was the driver… he had the phone, and he was back on his way to us.Just goes to show, a little friendliness can never do any harm.And in keeping with tradition, we’ve given the new addition a name… Homer. And he’s real hot! He unlocks doors and opens windows all by himself, and can even control his speed if instructed. Poor Mitsi, she must feel even more sheepish now, being parked next to such a brute!Homer’s already done us proud… He collected our new little bundle of joy from the RSPCA today… and drove like a machine through wind and rain… We left pretty early, and arrived 10 minutes before they opened. What we hadn’t anticipated were all the other people that had the same thoughts in mind. I couldn’t believe the queue of cars waiting to get in…Having reported at reception we were guided to the cattery… and introduced to the kittens in line for adoption. Our second choice proved to be the kitten for us… a confident little soul with a very fluffy body that craved the affection of humans just as must as we craved the affection from him.We’ve called him Cola… he’s been caught a few times today with his head in Bern’s coke glass…And, as I’m typing this I can feel his little body cuddled by my side… Five months into our journey and I know we’ve done the right thing...We’ve found that sweet spot… in the land of Oz… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted April 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 Homer...Cola... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen-in-Brisbane Posted April 25, 2009 Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 Oh Red... I just love your new kitty and the car too. You guys must be so very proud of your amazing achievements these past months. Congrats to you both. We can all take a leaf outta your book to get to that sweet spot!!!You go Girl!!!!Lotsa LoveK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted April 25, 2009 Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 Hi RedJust loved Cola...if he brings you as much joy as our two bring us, then you will be surely blessed! Keep him safe and keep him indoors at night, there are some dreadful people out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 Hi Red,Smiled when I saw Homer.... we have one too! Its been the family car for the last 5 years and has done a great job at getting us around the country safely, whether it be for pleasure or necessity (hurricane evacuations). On that last point, you would be amazed at how much you can squeeze in when you have to! We'll be looking for something similar when we land in Oz, but with a little more rear legroom.All the best,Tex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordy Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 What an awesome car!!! Very lekker Man! Well done guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus&Susan Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 Love cola. We have promised the kids animals when we buy our first home, can't have pets in our rental, my youngest wants a cat and the older a dog so we will wait and see. In two days we will have been here 5 months, we are still in the honeymoon phase, we are loving our new life. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 Im so so so jealous - Cola is gorgeous - and I know is going to bring you guys lots of happiness.Homer is hot stuff - long drives in comfort conquering Australia.Take care, and enjoy !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 When we moved into our rental 4 months ago, we were faced with an almighty mess. The garden was filled with unruly bougainvillea, the grass non-existent and the plants were like sticks protruding from the ground. I knew Australia would be dry, but didn’t expect the gardens to be dead.Within a couple of weeks though, we had cleared the backyard mess and had filled plenty of garden refuse bins… I’d even ‘borrowed’ a couple of neighbours bins to lighten the load. Our arms and backs ached, but our souls smiled… until we stood back to admire our work.And even though it appeared neater the lack of plants became an eyesore. And this is where I have to come clean… Before I started working, I used to be a plant thief.That’s right… a plant thief.Not a whole plant, mind you – more like a little slip off the plant.I had a good thing going… I would drop Rebecca off in the mornings and then the bike (Scottie) and I would go on a plant search, up and down roads, keeping my eye out for a potential ‘goodie’…Scottie and I made a good team... and we had a great thing going. Prowling the neighbourhood was fun, even if I happened to get a few stares… I never got caught. We had a simple thing going; I would park Scottie and pretend to be looking at the chain or tyre, whilst very discreetly pulling on people’s plants. At times though, especially with the succulents, it proved to be somewhat difficult, especially when I just couldn’t get the darn branch to snap off… and the more I tugged… the more sinewy the branch tended to get. I eventually upgraded to carrying a pair of scissors with me… it made my life easier, although in retrospect the scissors in hand must have been a dead giveaway.I never carried a packet with me, that would truly have got me caught… Instead I used to drape the plants over Scottie’s handlebars whilst I made the getaway. If draping wasn’t an option, I made sure to wear a back-pocketed cycling shirt…Bern used to question me on many occasion… “But honey what if you get caughtâ€â€¦I’d had it all worked out… if someone was perhaps to come out of a house to inspect, I would have boldly walked up, confessed my wrongs and then proceed to explain that I was amazed by the fantastic fauna, and needed a sample to take to a local nursery for identification…At one stage I even ‘helped’ out a fellow complex dweller… by ever so neatly trimming the edges along his pathway… Looking back however, you probably find that if I had just knocked on the door, I would have met some friendly people that most likely would have dug up the whole plant for me and more.That’s just the way Australians are… such a fantastic nation… with such kind, generous hearts.Unfortunately, when work began… my garden started being neglected and the bare earth became even more apparent.Luckily I had another plan, and this brings me to yet another confession.I planted an instant garden. Much like instant lawn… but instant plants.Headed off to the local ‘Cheap as Chips’ store and bought a bunch of grassy looking weeds, some leafy vines and a DIY garden archway.And, I ‘m very proud to admit that my instant garden looks terrific! The plastic grassy looking weeds are planted (yes, I actually dug a hole and planted them), the DIY archway is assembled and the leafy vines neatly draped over.We had the land lord over the other day… he remarked how good the garden was looking… his eye’s literally doubled in size when I mentioned that they were mostly plastic… wonder how he would have coped with the news that the real plants were in fact stolen goods from here there and everywhere…What’s even better, is that we have started to have some real rain, so all my little slips are growing roots and starting to spread. Within a year, it will look awesome. Although I do have my concerns about how sun resistant my plastic plants really are… They’re going to look a little dodgy if the Aussie sun starts bleaching them white!It’s all good though… just like the Aussies.Working for a charitable organization sure has opened my eyes to the generosity of the Australian nation…. They genuinely believe in a ‘fair go for all’. One remarkable woman really made an impression on me this week… our conversation went something like this….‘Mrs Ford it’s Kirsten phoning from XYZ society’…‘Ah, yes my dear, how are you’?‘Fine thank you Mrs Ford, and how are you doing in this cold weather’... ‘Not so good my dear, but no need to complain, what can I do for you… cash is a little tight at the moment so I don’t know if I’ll be able to help’…‘No worries, Mrs Ford… would you like me to rather leave it at that? It was just a call about our little lottery to raise funds, it’s drawn on the 18th June’…‘Ah yes, well I couldn’t really say no, now could I… especially considering it’s my youngest son’s special birthday’…‘Special birthday Mrs Ford?’‘Yes my dear… it’s his seventieth… that’s my youngest. My eldest, well he’ll be 72 and a half this year’….I was stunned… and as much as I was desperate to ask how old she was, I just knew it was inappropriate.I took down her details, and thankfully accepted her $10 pledge for the lottery… I loved every minute of speaking to Mrs Ford, hearing her stories of how her husband fought in the war and just being able to soak in her wonderful spirit! For me she epitomizes the Australian nation… Aussies do good things because they want to, not because they are forced to.Aussies generally don’t harp on about their own misfortunes… I’ve had breast cancer and Victorian bushfire victims donate to the charity… and each time I am blown away…Its people like Mrs Ford and those above that remind me about what’s important in life…And that’s a fair go for all….*Certain names have been changed… and not Scottie the bike, his name really is Scottie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted May 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Part of the instant garden... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toitjie Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 hey Red, very nice garden! you'll never say its plastic, looks real Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Another great chapter K !! Your fake garden looks life like - and I must come clean here - I too am a plant thief and when visiting I become a plant begger as well !! Always have to leave with a little something green !! Dont worry about giving me some left over birthday cake to take home - just show me your garden !!!Ms Ford sounds like a real gem. Her life story must have spanned many summers !!Take care, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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