Science Experiments

Today was a series of science experiments.

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I have undertaken an experiment as to whether letting people know my business exists will improve the potential return and reward of more work.

I have seeded a few petri dishes in town, and even created one rather basic web page.

If you want to be part of these tests and assist in quality control let me know. Constructive feedback is appreciated from friends - or not? Maybe that will be an experiment within the experiment.

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While mowing the lawn, I proved (or rather, it was proved to me) that mosquitoes can live and breed despite winter conditions. Debby - wanna come check?

I proved that clothes can be dried on the clothesline. I then went on to prove that if they are left on the line long enough, they will dampen with the evening.

I have an experiment under way to see how long one half of a lawn can remain unmowed if the first half looks neat. No doubt I will keep you updated on the outcome of that (as it is one of the most exciting aspects of my life).

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'Salina proved that her mood can be as sunny as the backyard if she gets to play among the mosquitos and magpies weeds and frangipanni branches.

'Salina proved that her mood could be quite stormy if asked (again) to pick up after herself.

'Salina proved that violin practice can be painful for all involved if she is in a funk.

V proved that he could maintain silence in the face of such a tornado of passion.

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'Salina proved she was up to the challenge of a different menu - mostly.

I proved tuna-cakes were not as gross as mornay. She proved that steamed spinach was disgusting. We all proved that tuna-cakes, alfredo pasta'n'sauce and steamed spinach combination mouthfuls were an improvement on the separate pieces (especially the spinach bit).

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'Salina is proving - and improving - her artwork blossoms when she has a happy attitude, a full stomach and 10 minutes before bedtime.

Morning has broken

All across the weekend - mornings were grey skies accompanied by a bright-eyed beautiful girl bearing cups of tea or coffee in bed.

This morning - pink-tinged puffs of cloud haloing bright sunshine - and a little dark spirit grunts out of her bedroom.

Snarls greet my effusive good mornings.

Ah - don't need to be Nostrodamus to work out that its Monday - nor that I will be in REAL trouble in a few years!

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Still coughing for Queensland, although I have orchestrated it that they are generally confined to a more discrete minute or two of discomfort rather than paroxysms attacking from any angle at any time - so I am getting better.

I know there is this theory that if I go to a doctor I might make a faster recovery, but (I am all but some days) I probably won't get in to see anyone anytime soon, I have an appointment next week anyway so if I am still sick she can cure me then, it will cost an arm and a leg and I will only get to the elbow back, they will tell me its just part of the virus and I should let it run its course - oh, and my mother left me some drugs and advice, and I am sure if I take them and follow that it will be just as effective.

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Rain is wonderful - until it hits its second week and your partner is reliant on a dry weather job. We used to dream of rain days, where we could enjoy each other's company without the crimp of an eight-year old. But rain days aren't really like that at all. They are me trying to get work, do work, finish work or quote for work and V worrying, worrying, worrying about when the sun will return - and checking to see if he can get a wave.

Our back yard is almost ready for cropping - we have managed to combine the only sunny weekend in the last month with time away so it hasn't been attended to. We DID manage to use the hour that 'Salina was at a birthday party last weekend to get to the front yard, so the neighbourhood doesn't know how dire it is out there!

I am in fear of our next electricity bill. Drying the laundry has been the job of machines for the last little while - I have occasionally pegged in the faint hope that there will be enough dry hours to get a bit for free, but unfortunately that has either never happened OR I am not home in that magical window where the laundry is dry and waiting for the unpeg.

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So I am sort of getting back on deck. Who knows - maybe I will even visit a blog or two in my breaks today.

Now - I have a daughter to harangue into getting ready for school and drive her there because she has a snowflakes chance of getting on the bus!

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Edited to add - its amazing what happens when you add peer pressure! Girl Down the Road arrived to catch the bus with her - a rare occurrence as GDR is often at before school care - and a rocket was launched. With 20 seconds to spare, she had violin, lunch box and school bag packed, uniform on, hair brushed and a "bye mum" in passing. Of course, the tip that is her room (and the trail that was created this morning) remains - but I didn't have to drive.

Pensieve

That is IT! Five posts of blither and, although I am not yet hale and hearty, I am heartily sick of the bad blogging being generated by me.

So instead, I have taken inspiration from Robyn at Penseive and will concoct a poem. She has invented a new poetry form called "A Pensieve" - I like it as it doesn't call for patterns in rhyme or rhythm - which, if you know me as a poet, you know that I don't either!!

Here are the rules:

What is a Pensieve? A titled, five-line poem; each line correlates to one of the five senses--sight, sound, scent, taste, touch--and describes the subject (title). The goal is for the reader to take on the poem as his own, being able to "experience" your subject through your words, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what you described.

Now, the only problem with this is that often you do not try to taste so many things that you would like to describe, but here goes...

Hoons
Yah!!! Go rev your engine, let its gargling screams screech elsewhere.
Let your laser speed stripes reflect across some other crossroads
    Your spinouts muddy some other street and grit their mailboxes
    Vapours of your joy cause others to cough
    And the sad aftertaste of your fuel be more appreciated there.

Still pretty crappy - and so am I...

Courtesy of Aussie Bloggers Forum

Oh for crying out loud! I just climbed out from under my rock and realised I have not updated this since I had to start working to pay the ridiculous food and petrol prices to feed my kids... You would not believe how much more of a drama I could make that But I'm sorry you'll just have to take my word for it..

I am hopped up on caffeine with discovering time doesn't stand still hanging out at the Aussie Bloggers Forums just generally being scary to society in general, my day is a magical flight from the light through yonder window breaks to well after sun-down. I am looking at rectifying this. but never say never.

I won't promise anything to you but I will write something that makes sense soon. Honestly! What do you mean you don't believe me?.

(Generated by the Lazy Bloggers Blogpost Generator, the Aussie Bloggers Forum's 6 month old birthday present to everyone.

Because any post in a blog

is better than no post at all, isn't it?

Still working my butt off - next on the BIG LIST is build a web site for uber-business.

To test myself on it, I played with my family's cattle website all day today. No, not going to link here, otherwise you might try to ring all my family members to find me. I prefer elusive as a tone in the blogworld.

Thats right. I played with html and css. All. Day.

Didn't even get my fix of Dr Phil. Actually, didn't get my fix of much as I tend to go for immersion when working in geekdom. So no lunch, no coffee, no leaving the frigging chair for a few hours.

Hnece I am cross-eyed and can't hold a conversation in human languages. A problem when a chatty 8 year old arrives home. I needed to access coffee (and a muesli bar) for that.

Have to right it before my mother comes to visit in a few hours half hour. Will try to do that by immersing myself in that few hours (eek) half hour of housework I have been threatening for weeks.

In other news. No - we haven't planned anything new for the wedding. No - we haven't got rid of lurgy, although it has moved from the sinuses (yay) to the chest (urgh).

Through doing some work for some friends, I have negotiated a "between visits to Granite Glen" horseriding opportunity for 'Salina. She is pleased with my efforts, and proudly sports a new helmet and riding boots (thanks to Grandpa Stjep's sending some money and some of the wages Pagi ruins enhances her economy with).

Tonight is taco night - yay!!

By the way - some time between now and Thursday I have to create an entertaining and insightful post for the blog that Aussie Bloggers Forum run - because they foolishly wisely have included me as part of their moderation team. Despite promises of hazing newbies, I haven't actually seen any moderating action. (because I am slow on the uptake, perhaps?)

Apparently you don't have to be an Aussie or even a Blogger to join, and there is heaps of blogging info over there - you should check it out! (But please don't test my hazing skills!)

The Ten Minute Timer

My daughter epitomises the saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". Unfortunately I am the tree she fell closest to.

She is messy, easily distracted, has a temper and can pout for Australia. Hello mirror.

Today has not been a joyous day. I awoke from a nightmare. It was the night before the wedding, I was at dinner with family and the clothes were in the machine and we had to travel 4 hours to a city starting with C (in New Zealand, for goodness sake) and we hadn't booked a hotel to stay at, a celebrant, sent any invites or got wedding rings. As the washing cycle was still not over, I suddenly hit panic.

Great way to wake up. So I stumbled out to the living room and decided to make English muffins - because isn't that what you do then? Yeah, right.

As I was banging about in the kitchen, suddenly it became apparent that the reason that I was so grumpy was it is the lead up to Red Wednesday, and its never a happy place to be, in my zone. Of course, if I had invested in some Evening Primrose Oil as someone suggested when I moaned about it in the past, may not be an issue.

Knowledge isn't control, however, and as much as I know I am easily irritated and should handle every situation delicately it doesn't stop the universe (and by extension, my loved ones) from just poking that little bit harder to watch the reaction.

So, no Evening Primrose Oil preparation and my daughter pushed one too many of my buttons without realising so I rode her about some scissors situation or other and she exploded and disappeared into her room with a bit of a dramatic flourish.

We sorted that out, but it has been the tone of the day. Considering her best friend is having a birthday party at 2.30 and I have the keys to the car, she is having to learn a few lessons that were as painful for me at that age as they are to her.

So currently we are using the 10 minute timer technique. Its amazing how much good can be achieved in 10 minutes - I got this blog written, she got her room cleaned and the world is a MUCH BETTER place.

Focus clearing slightly

Unfortunately as I not been working with my 20 point to-do lists of late, "Blog" (and by extension, check blogs) has failed to be listed and therefore "Blog" (and by extension, check blogs) hasn't been ticked.

Instead, I have had 5 BIG THINGS to do every day and man, have the 5 BIG THINGS been done!

Another problem with limiting myself to the 5 BIG THINGS was that I didn't get to list "Guard against lurgy", and it ticked me right off its list.

So I have been both businesswoman-extraordinaire and a bit blurghy. I would have preferred a bit bloggy.

Today was Friday. Yeah, no $#!+(expletive deleted as my mother among other nice ladies read here) Sherlock! But of course, I have to consciously remind myself of such facts this week.

This meant that my usual voluntary labour at tuckshop would have been both expected and appreciated. Even if I was as infectious as a yawn at an early church service.

V finally went back to work today, after being held in the throes of the same lurgy all week. 'Salina was slow to rise, and I was slow to ride her on getting ready, so she got to travel to school with me.

When we got to school, she discovered she had not only left her homework at home (a common occurance and one we don't want to continue as the teacher awards merits on remembering homework on Fridays) but her whole school bag.

One of the perks of your mum helping in tuckshop is that you get tuckshop generally on the day she does, as she can't be bothered doing your lunch before school. And one of the perks of having an indulgant mother is that she will go home to get the homework at some point during the day. I know - neither will ever learn!

Anyhow - where was I? Friday... school... Oh yes, tuckshop. The tuckshop convenor (hereafter known as Ms C) was very glad to see me, lurgy and all, as after the rest of the week being slow and her working alone, it was excessively busy - and she wasn't looking forward to working alone.

My strength in the art of the tuckshop is procedures. While some have called my style "bossy" (ahem) I prefer to refer to it as "time and motion". (I was taught by the master). Anyhow, Ms C was perfectly happy to let me push around the paperwork and play with orders and money and tell her what to do, how many to do, in what order and how while she did the foodwork. So she was REALLY grateful to see a warm body, hey?

I had to rush off after "little lunch" as my 5 BIG THINGS were still out there to do. Only I got home (for abovementioned homework) and found that Eddie still remembered one unwritten thing and was quite vocal about my failure to include it. Sigh - cats needing food will organise such demonstrations.

So, the rest of the day went (5 BIG THINGS in capitals)

• Get urgent supplies for tuckshop at iga
• Deliver supplies and homework to school
• COLLECT ARTWORK FOR FLYERS
• ORGANISE PRINTING OF FLYERS
• PUT ADS IN NEWSPAPER
  (well, tried to and failed...)
• Return library books
• Organise boots to be mended
• MEDICARE
• Small grocery shop
• Bump into friends of parents
• Collect mail
• Collect voicemails and attend to small matters
• PUT ADS IN NEWSPAPER
• Cycle to park for friend's son's birthday
• BUY STICKERS FOR QUICK FIX FOR BUSINESS CARDS (didn't happen as stickers almost as expensive as just getting new cards so contemplating my alternatives)
• Cycle back to park for friend's son's birthday
• Admire cute baby, collected shells and starfish
• Cycle home for jacket and car as wind is freezing
• Drive back to park for friend's son's birthday
• Network with a friend of the friend who may be able to be of mutual assistance (sheesh, talking business at a social event, how businesswoman-extraordinaire of me...)
  
• Pour girl who has indulged in 2 hours running, playing, eating a little bit of junk food and ice-cream cake, sparkler action and a lolly from the party bag into the car. Shove in her bike also.
• Stir girl to bathe, okay - have a banana - time for bed, time for bed, time for bed NOW, read, sing, time for bed, time for bed, time for bed NOW!!!
• Collapse with coffee and glass of whine wine.
• What the heck - BLOG!!!

Thank you so much for your comments - I know that the "ORGANISE WEDDING" has not been part of my 5 BIG THINGS strategy this week, but either it will make its way to the top some time soon, or I will be so busy with the 5 BIG THINGS and getting rich that I can afford to just subcontract it!!

The Invisible Jeanie

I know - me bad. I have hardly peeked in Blogworld since we returned from the wedding.

I will cite Flu, work promotions and planning another wedding.

Well, the first two are true, the third is just hurtling towards us with nary a thought going towards it. It will happen - and as I have told a few people the date there may be people here.

I have organised several bits, you will be pleased to know. For a start, I have a willing groom. We have set a date. We sort of think we know where we want it to happen.

Other than that, I am adopting my uni assignment approach - so if I am up at 3 am on the morning of, baking and sewing a dress I will actually be in my element. I mean, I got a degree using that method - how much harder is a marriage?

So apologies for my invisibility - if it helps, I have marked 380 posts as read and pretended you are all invisible also!!

By tomorrow I hope the first excuse passes as I am pretty much over it.

By next week I hope the second excuse has morphed into lots of new work heading my way (but in an orderly and lucrative manner).

And hey - by November 15th we will see how far the disorganised wedding has progressed!

Please feel free to advise me of what I have missed and any "oh my goodness, I did a post you have to read" links that I should take some time out on.

Just a reminder if you need to know how to link - type (without spaces)

< a href = " the address " > what you want to show up < / a >

in the comments section.

Tales of Lice, Fleas, Fuel and Love

Today, I have to pack the car to head on a flying visit to the Big Smoke.

What a cruisy day, yeah?

Lately, V has been working hard up North. He does work very hard but has a - um, how do we coin this? Disorganised boss - so he has been working hard for a few days longer than we expected him to be away. We hope he is back in time to have a shower before we pour him in the car for the next long drive.

Keeping the home fires burning, 'Salina and I have done our best to get organised for the weekend ahead.

However, what was to be cruisy day got a little crunched by the first tale.

Backtrack a few days, 'Salina had a lovely playdate with a girlfriend who was having a birthday. She came home and I caught her scratching her scone.

Like the overanxious mother that I am, I casually did a visual check of her head but found no culprit. However, like the smart but myopic mother I am, I immediately booked us both for trims.

At the hairdressers yesterday, I explained to the hairdresser my fears. Quelle horreur (and if you are French, apologies for the strangulation).

She confirmed what my eyesight failed to do - adult headlice - but we were lucky, as the little beggars had not been around long enough to start procreating in earnest.

I was clear (thank goodness - my hair is very long and I have trouble seeing the back of my head) so I got a trim and we got the wedding present, some heavy duty blitz for the lice and a hair colour for me.

Therefore, this morning I had to start my home colour an hour earlier than anticipated as we had to go back to the hairdresser for 'Salina.

I was awoken two hours earlier than that even by the second tale.

'Salina was not the only one to annoy me with scratching inadvertently - it has been at the back of my mind that Eddie's collar may be a little lax in the flea department of late, and that I must do something about it.

Unfortunately the back of my mind doesn't get anything done, and at 4 he was having a battle royal with the pesky beggars right beside me. Eek!!

And double eek, as we are going away for the weekend and for his safety and our peace of mind, he is booked to stay at the Garfield Pet Motel - who sort of only appreciate paying guests. Today, we visited our vet for some amazing stuff that will make the fleas jump off him within five minutes and some other amazing stuff that will give him a flea free zone.

Now, the joy of giving a cat a tablet is up there with giving a young child a tablet - although there are laws against holding the child's mouth shut quite the way you do a cat. Even so, it took 4 good goes to get the first wonder drug down and 'Salina got to be the bad guy holding him down for the other stuff - that way he should hate us both when we round him up for the cat box to take him to the motel this afternoon!

However - a few hours after the ingestion he LOVES us. No scratching and sticking by us like glue! The ports being packed may have clued him in to show us some love in case we take pity and leave him here to his own devices. Ha!*

So - spent over $90 on fuel for the trip (and that was with a voucher) and should only need to refill once - I hope the bride and groom accept the cheap-ass present for what we appreciate and valued as that + $180 on fuel and the clothes we will need to buy because it seems that good jeans just won't cut it, and V is out of options after good jeans! I wouldn't mind something decent to wear also, so I have the joy of clothes shopping with my darling tomorrow morning - one of those "you should do before agreeing to marriage" trials, no doubt.

By the time I get back, S & R will be entwined and I wish them love for evermore.

Well, that and a return trip for them in a few months when I finally get myself organised - although they will be able to wear jeans to ours.

* He used to get that pleasure when the other model Jeanie - our 80 year old neighbour - was near to feed him. Oh, and she would clean the house to keep out of her husband's hair for us also. Unfortunately she is in England at present, and we miss her greatly!!!

Guest Post - 'Salina and the Recycling Plant.

Well, on the top there is box - like a tray. And the front bit doesn't have a rail in front of it.

Then there is a ramp going down with a little tray in front of it.

The tray and the ramp can move up and down.

When it goes on to a tiny bit on the side of the tray, you mush it up and recycle it.

And that is my recycling plant.

From 'Salina.

Its a Small World

When you add in the internet, isn't it?

I am a member of the Aussie Bloggers Forum - a really helpful and wonderful group of bloggers from all over the shop, not just Oz - and there was a topic today referencing an article in the Sydney Morning Herald.

One of the bloggers mentioned there has a blog called "Life in Chippendale". As, in the early 90s I had a life in Chippendale, I thought I would check it out (as you do).

Can you imagine how blown away I was that one of the posts was a picture of a house I lived in?

Here is the house - imagine it green with a red door and two very funky chicks living within.

Zeeba house. on Flickr - Photo Sharing! via kwout

The flowerbox used to be square concrete painted red to match the door. Oh - and the door to the courtyard just going out of shot to the right? Broken glass as a burgler deterrent, because that is the sort of neighbourhood it once was!!

Across the road was a recording studio - great, you might think, if you weren't thinking how to stop those students practicing tuba on a Sunday afternoon.

A block away was a brewery - actually quite a lovely smell on the right day, a little offputting with the wrong wind.

The back yard was a haven of privacy - well, except for the factory workers on high behind, but we never saw them so assumed they could not see us. Right at the back was the outhouse, although it did have modern plumbing.

I shared with a beautiful friend in this house for nearly a year, and really loved my time there (well, except when someone stole our rent that time). Both my friend and I loved cooking, sewing and creating. We had no television but a wonderful record collection. The two bedrooms upstairs had japanese screens, and there was a wooden deck overlooking the back yard.

Anyone else had a moment of the circle of life being connected by blogging?

The Old Man Sense Of Entitlement Blues

Weeee-ell, I went to the IGA this morning
I jingled the coins in my purse
Because if I ain't got no cat meat
Then Eddie's lament is a curse.

I drove on into the car park
There were two free parks face to face
I figured on getting myself one
But you, old man, you upset my grace.

Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, you rattled my cage
Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, you made me enraged
Cause you pushed your case and gave me
The OMSOE blues!

Weeee-ell, I came around the corner
My angle, it was just fine
I was thinking of parking
With Eddie's cat meat in mind

And then, you with your gold car
You came in the other way
Some people were walking
Me, I stopped to give way

Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, you felt the need
Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, with your car park greed
Cause you kept on nosing in and gave me
The OMSOE blues!

Weeee-ell, I couldn't quite believe it
A normal person would stop
And take the carpark before him
Rather than make another's jaw drop

Not good enough for you, gramps
You wanted the one I was on
You just kept on pushing your Lexus
Even though I had done no wrong

Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, un-f*ing-believable
Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, your ego is full of bull
Cause you pushed on over and gave me
The OMSOE blues!

Weeee-ell, I waited for walkers to walk on by
And give you the park to yourself
Cause I don't give a crap about bullies
Even if on the geriatric shelf

You just didn't have any patience
And your car doesn't furnish reverse
Because you then parked your car and left
Keeping both parks to yourself

Oh, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, who the hell are you?
Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, what's a lady to do
Cause you took both parks and gave me
The OMSOE blues!

Weeee-ell, I guess there'll always be a$$holes
Be they eighty or twenty-three
But man, just thank your lucky stars that
Your gold Lexus is key scratch free

You pissed me off real bad, old man
You tried to ruin my day
And so I'll try to decompress by
Blogging these blues away.

Oh, you gave me the blues man
Well, I'm a better woman than that
Yeah, you gave me the blues man
Yeah, but I won't hurt my cat
Just because you're a rude old man with his
Sense of Entitlement dues
Don't mean I'm a punk hippie chick who'll scratch her
OMSOE blues (all over your car man)
No, I'm a blogging dame who'll keep in her cage,
pen her rage and
use her blog as a stage
to voice her old man sense of entitlement blues.....

Jeanie's Totally Accidental (and Actually Fantastic) Wholemealish Pizza Crust!

I will allow my biggest fans, 'Salina and V, to sing the praises about the homemade pizzas that come out of our kitchen. In fact, since we have started such a trend, we have not troubled any pizza outlets with custom!

Last night, my mind went blank as to what my usual base recipe was, so I went in search of a wholemeal pizza crust recipe.

I found one from the Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Queensland website but it felt a little too worthy (and really - only 2 pizzas!).

I also went through a new favourite blog, Kalofagas - Greek Food & Beyond and found a pizza base recipe - but the timeline was WAAAY over what I had available to me!

What to do? What to do?

Mix them up and see what happens, of course.

So I present to you - Jeanie's Totally Accidental (and Actually Fantastic) Wholemealish Pizza Crust!

In a jug, pour 1 cup warm water (blood temperature - test as for a baby's bottle on the wrist), stir in 2 tablespoons honey until dissolved and pour 1 sachet dried yeast over the top. Stir slightly and leave in a warm spot for 10 minutes until foamy.

In a bowl, sift (ha ha ha ha ha) pour 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour, 1 1/4 cups plain flour and a good pinch of salt. Add the yeast mixture, a dash of vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of oil.

Mix it all up and get a dough happening. If you need more liquid, add some water - mine was a little moist, so I added some more wholemeal to the bowl.

Once it had taken as much as it could, I emptied it onto the bench to knead it well. I put it into an oiled bowl in a warm spot for about 20 minutes, which was as much time as I could allow (ah, one of the few detractions to procrastination, hey?)

I then got to punch it down and split it in to 3 balls to roll out and top.

Once topped (and man, we put some scrummy toppings on) bake in a 200 ish oven for 20-25 minutes and eat until you explode - or preferably, one mouthful before.

Our toppings last night were -

• tomato paste, ham, salami, roast sweet potato, grated carrot, grated zucchini and grated mozzarella;
• tomato paste, ham, roast garlic, roast zucchini, fetta, roast sweet potato, capsicum, onion, olives, anchovies (only on my half) and grated mozzarella; and
• tomato paste, salami, olives, fetta and grated mozzarella.

Enjoy - we certainly did!!! (Oh, and sorry for no photos - we ate it all before documentation!)

Friday ALL day...

I had a very tight agenda this morning.

I have been at my sister's for the last few days. You may have not noticed the lack of posts, but no doubt you ALL noticed the lack of comments.

Not only is her connection tiresomely slow, but it slows down even more when we both go surfing very noticably.

Well, that and the fact that I was on a mission to do some serious cattlework - on the computer!

Well, that and that and the fact that 'Salina has moved up to be
Grandpa's number one jillaroo on one of his good horses and I had to spare a minute or two to be extremely proud.

Okay, all of those and the fact that I am about to relaunch my business with a windfall radio promotion that I have to do a bit of legwork on, create a website and get all my ducks in a row in the next week - which happens to also be school holidays.

Add to that the fact that my time out there coincided with a small soiree hosted by my sister (8 adults, 2 teenagers, 7 children) for the final State of Origin game on Wednesday night (that my boys won WITHOUT any housework help from me) and the small gathering (of 13 adults, 4 teenagers, 12 children) last night hosted by my sister - she doesn't do a bad job of gathering troops, feeding and entertaining! Of course, I failed in my major job of reminding her to take advantage of all the cousins and all the grandparents of her offspring being there to take photos...

I had to go to bed early (only beaten by the very young) as I had to be up early this morning, what with the schedule thing.

I was not intending it to be quite as early as it was however. My old mate insomnia visited from 1.30am, and hammered at me until I was beaten at 3.45am, got up and did a wrap up of my work and prepared our breakfast and lunch for the day and packed in the complete dark and freezing cold. 'Salina - extremely sleepy (she was one of the last ones standing) was in the car and we were off by 6.30am.

Just in time for the sunrise - right in our eyes - note to self - do NOT travel east at sunrise! 'Salina was NOT amused.

We had to be at the cattery by 9 - we made it by 10 minutes to collect Eddie. Apparently he had been very quiet all week - V has been working away so for Eddie's safety and our peace of mind he was boarded. Eddie made up for it with constant yowling for the 1/2 hour trip home!

I then dropped 'Salina to school vacation care, as I thought she would be more easily amused there while I did some work - although given her extreme state of tiredness due to candleburning, I am not sure she will appreciate the entertainment properly.

So now - to finish a few reports and make a few phone calls before my mind gets completely numb (already nearly there, eh?)

I hope everyone is enjoying July, and I will pop around to visit some time... It just may not be awfully soon!