Tuesday, January 11, 2011

High and dry

It appears that the weather gods (or even the big G himself) has shaken a fair bit of our Sunshine state hard. (Its okay - I talk to God pretty regular these days, and I think s/he chuckles at my little jokes).

Each day, you think "oh no" and feel for those bearing the latest - and then find that the latest is not yet the worst. I hope to goodness it now is...

All of this water has not affected us directly - indirectly, yes, but we are safe, we have shelter, we have food.

The main impact on our lives really is that currently I am seriously over-employed. Normally, I work 20 hours a week at one of my workplaces. I agreed to work the first week back (last week) as skeleton crew so that the other two administration ladies could take pre-booked family holidays.

We-ell - their holidays have extended to waiting for floodwaters to recede and roads to be driveable - and I have discovered what they do all day!!

Therefore, V has had to be not only househusband, but househusband tethered to the home all day every day, kid-wrangling and keeping the washing at bay.

'Salina has gone back to Granite Glen for a few days - her posterior was requested atop a saddle, although reports are that her horse's posterior got a little too close to the waterline today!

There is no bread on any of the supermarket shelves - nor is there milk, hardly any meat and sparse produce. Facebook is doing a roaring trade in photos and swapping bakery tips.

My thoughts and prayers are going out the those to the South, to the North and to the West of us - some are still surrounded by water very slowly receding, some are in shock at their lives being turned upside-down - and some are watching the wall of water coming closer to their record books.

Our receptionist is discovering just how hospitable a small inland town called Goomeri is. She (and her husband, teenage daughters and excess teenagers they were carting) has gotten to know it very well over the last 5 days.

Can you believe parts of WA is suffering bushfires and drought? If only we could pipe some over... NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are meant to be inheriting some of this rain system over the next week - I hope to goodness that it becomes far more civilised as it moves South.

Right now, I am signing off. I am switching off the 24 hour news we are getting on the television and putting on the Outrageous Fortune episode we taped last night - futile plea to Network Ten to consider the fans of great television and not give us feast/famine of such programming so late at night.

It is my hubby's birthday (mmmmmwwwwwwwaaaaahhhhh), and while I could not get buns for his requested birthday dinner he did get ice-cream - so I am going to share some.

9 comments:

Jayne said...

Glad to hear you're all safe and sound, albeit breadless and a tad damp.

Happy Birthday, V !

Rootietoot said...

We've been watching the drama all the way over here in the USA. Events like this really can bring the best out in folks.

BB said...

I know... amazing in a shocking kinda way. Happy Birthday V!!!
:-)
BB

Anonymous said...

Glad you are safe and dry. It's heartbreaking watching all the footage. :S

Debby said...

I'm glad that you all are well. What a time for your country. The pictures are shocking. I think the most shocking thing about this is that it has gone on so LONG. I keep thinking that I've seen the worst of it...but then, no, I discover that I haven't.

Happy birthday, V. No bread? As royalty would advise, "Let them eat cake..."

The Brave said...

Glad you are safe Jeanie. I am very saddened by what has happened in your usually sunny sate.I hope you guys get suppplies soon. South Aussies are shocked by the images. We never even get the tropical downpurs that QLD has to deal with, so this is almost unthinkable to us - devastating.

Pencil Writer said...

So sorry for all the horrific rain and destruction out there! It does boggle the mind, and I've seen some pretty good doses of rain with and without hurricanes attached. I've never witnessed the massive specter Oz has been dealing with. Prayers still going out for you all.

And Birthday Wishes for V. He and I share the same date for entering mortality. Hope it was happy as could be!

Pencil Writer said...

I should amend. I'm older, I'm sure, so DAY of MONTH, not "DATE" of birth. (Sorry, V. A small slip.) :-)

Anonymous said...

Yep - we need to tip Aus over to the left a little, drain some of the water onto the bushfires. Hope things are calming down for you x