Saturday, April 30, 2011

Six Years With Little Miss Stevie.

Today, I've had my dear, sweet little budgie for six years.  I bought her at a pet store at Logan Central Plaza for $26 on this very date - and day - six long years ago and it's been a roller coaster of a ride since.  I picked out a blue male budgie, called it Stevie-K and proceeded to teach it to talk.  And he learned to chatter and talk to me for around eight months... until he got into a fight with another budgie, got sick and I was told I had a female bird.  
The great thing was when my bird had been a boy for all that time, he had learned everything I wanted him to say; from 'blue boy', 'Stevie-K', 'Lynda' to 'budgie-boo, 'pretty-boo', and even got him to say 'I love you'; but only once.  Otherwise, I had the most intimidating, horrid little bird with the worse attitude towards me for the next two or three years!  She bit me all the time.  I had my attempts at piercings of my nose, lips and eyelids (the latter being the most uncomfortable and eye-catching as they left me with a black eye most times). My fingers bled from where she'd catch me on my knuckles with her beak and hang on until I pulled away in pain crying because it hurt so much; and she knew it hurt me!
Then the day came I forgot about the door!  I had opened the back door and completely forgot that her door was open on the cage.  Well, she took the opportunity and took off!  Outside she went, hung a right and kept going!  I saw her in a tree nearby... well, she was blue after all; I couldn't really miss her.  I ran after her and she kept on flying.  She looked great, but really, she didn't know how to feed herself or where to say once the sun went down... so I want to get her back as soon as I could.  Too soon, three Mickey Birds smacked right into her - one after the other - throwing her off her flight path!  My heart was in my mouth when I saw her get hit so hard!  She went from soaring through the air like a plane to crashing into the back fence of the unit complex!  And Stevie crashed hard!  I raced up in my Doc Martens and found her next to the BBQ in the dirt looking very lost and disorientated between my huge feet.  I bent down and picked her up gently, looked at her and said, "Come on, now you seriously didn't think that'd work, did you?" then put her against my chest where she pooped all down my favourite brown shirt... not that that bothered me at all.  I just had my little bird back.  I looked back at my house and found I was locked out of my unit!  Fortunately, the caretaker at the time, had my spare key.  A few days later, and a quick trip to the vets, Little Stevie had a clean bill of health.
After that, Little Stevie turned into a Miss... a right Miss!  She also got very sick in 2009 on Melbourne Cup day with a Bacterial Crop Infection; and I had to change all her food trays and make sure her cage was clean.  Once she was better and I had her on a special diet, she was on her way to a better way of living; and happier.  
It's been over a year since that scary day of her puking everywhere.  And even now, I know that she can get sick within the day and there's not much I can do about it.  So, my little bird is something of miracle every day to me... and I treat her like that.  If she's not around next year; that's fine with me.  I'm just happy she's here now with me; as she's the sweetest little thing I've got in my life.  
What I do with her at night is I open the cage and take her out, giving her a cuddle, and scratch under her chin while I watch television at around 7pm or so.  then, I put my left leg onto the coffee table and let her walk out on it and she looks like she's on a long branch where she goes right out onto my feet... such a cute little thing!  When she looks like she wants to go back to her cage, I pick her up and toss her into the air in the direction of it and she flies to it... eventually putting herself away within the hour.
So happy 6th year with me, my sweet little bird!  I hope to see you through this year.  If not,it's good we had the time together; as pets are the best thing to have in people's lives.  Little Miss Stevie has been a bright light in my life; and I've been one in hers.

April's Something Different!

Well, this month, I've still got the same old dramas to do with next door's plumbing.  But the good thing is that my water hammer is gone.  Dad fixed it and I no longer have to put up with it each time they do something.  So, now, it's a matter of getting my next door neighbours to get their finger out and to fix their side of the problem.  If they don't, I'll talk to the Logan City Council and they'll jump on Body Corporate about it; as it's really beginning to bring my health down.
At the beginning of this month, around 5th, April, I began again on cleaning up and cleaning out my house.  It was raining again and cooled off; so I thought why not!  And I succeeded in throwing out a lot of clothing and tidying up a lot of things around the place.  My bedroom hasn't looked better and now, next to the front door, there's three big bags of clothes I don't need and will give to charity as soon as Mum gets her giveaway stuff ready.  We also have to get rid of stuff in my car port too.

A few days after my clean-up, Mum and I went out to the new Logan Central Library on Wilbur Street (where the old Bi-Lo used to be) and we heard Annette Syms talk about how much weight she lost and how she's kept it off for 18 years.  It was an inspirational speech.  I took my recipe books in to get autographed and she was so happy to find they were the first printing.  I said I was eager to try new recipes to be healthy; and to sneak some low fat food - that didn't taste like that - to my Dad.  She laughed saying that most people want to do that.  
That morning, I had gone out to buy some milk and found a gorgeous car at the service station - and me without my camera!  After all I thought I didn't need it!  So, I raced home and got it (swearing I'd never leave home without my camera again!) and I took some very cool shots of this hot Chevrolet and its owner before he took off.
Also during April, if you happened upon my site, you would have noticed quite a few changes.  First was the blog title.  I had written in 'The Book Craze' as a working title threes years ago and it kinda stuck around for a while.... well, more than a while!... before I changed it to something I'm happy with.  Also, the template and background is something I wanted to change because we're now coming into Autumn here in Australia, I though to get with the season.  
During this month, I caught a rotten cold.  One day, I was okay and walking around feeling a little tired, but good.  The next morning, I opened my eyes and a streaming cold had ambushed me from nowhere!  Had I done something wrong?  Who had sneezed on me on the bloody bus?  Or at the shops?  What happened?  I had this dreadful thing for about a week before the chest-rattling cough forced me to the doctors to have antibiotics prescribed.  It was horrible.  Those things knocked me out like a light; and so when a party went on over my back fence - and kept everyone else awake - I was zonked out under my duvet at midnight when it was getting really loud.  It's been around 3 weeks since the initial cold hit me and I've still got a dry cough nagging at me... stupid thing still isn't completely gone!

The day I went to the doctors a few weeks back was interesting and shocking - but mainly shocking.  I came home to a very bright house; and didn't know why.  Little Miss Stevie was hanging off the front of the cage and looking out the back and I followed what she was looking at and found that I could see my back neighours' house.  After unlocking my back door, I stood there in absolute shock to find that the tall trees that were in their back yard had been all cut down, stumps ground out and poisoned.  Their yard looked like a desert; and they hadn't even been told.  We were both shocked; and they told me that the landlord wanted to sell the unit... unlikely seeing how little privacy it has.
Over the Easter/ANZAC Day long Weekend, it turned wet.  Rain was the main dominant thing that happened and dampened our spirits for those days that were supposed to be fun.  So, I got into some serious writing of my Fry Nelson: Book 3 (not yet put up on the blog as it's yet to be looked at properly) and I started on my self-portrait again... after it sat next to my back door staring outside for only the Gods know how long!  It looks good now... I'm really happy with it.  And seeing I used music to get myself working on it - and I must thank the Red Hot Chili Peppers somehow on inspiring me - I really must use music for my other works of art next time I need a kick in the arty pants to work on paintings.  And all Little Miss Stevie did on the Easter Weekend was snooze on her swing under her toasty covers... and do you blame her?  It was quite chilly and wet. 
ANZAC Day didn't work out the way we planned it.  We were hoping to get up for a Dawn Service, but it was pouring rain for it.  So, we thought an 8am service would be great; but when Dad walked up to the park, they were packing up to leave at that time.  And so, there went our chance to be in on the action of commemorating the ANZAC's... damn... we missed them all!  Oh well, I was wearing last year's badge (as I hadn't seen anyone selling any at the usual shopping centres around my area) and I uploaded a nice photo of it on 365 Project and I got plenty of people commenting on it too.  Even though I missed out on the main ceremonies of the day, I didn't miss out on remembering the diggers who have made this country free.
Over the long weekend, my brother, Gabe, went to the Blues & Roots Blues Festival at Byron Bay.  Before taking off there, he dropped by my place to give me his old television.  It was a fully imported from the UK, 80 cm television... a sweet piece that I would have loved and he was willing to hand in my direction for nothing and take my television off my hands to give to Dad to work with.  But... the darn thing wouldn't fit my cabinet by millimetres on either side... what a bummer!  I hated it that it wouldn't fit; was downright disappointed as it would have been a great upgrade from my old one and not cost me a cent.  Gabe was really mad about it and didn't want to give up; yet if we had pushed the cabinet, it would have broken it.  Well, he ended up taking it back home to sell it with its stand; which means it would be worth more.
During the last few months, the world has been going through Royal Wedding Craziness.  I never really like it when it happens; it means all the television stations bombard us with crap about the 'loving couple' and the wedding and all the rest in between.  Not that I'm not a romantic, but really it does get a little too much for some.  However, I haven't liked the Royal Family since Diana and Dodi passed away in 1997; and haven't really trusted them either.  So, I didn't watch the wedding.  It's in no reflection to Harry or William - their mother would have been absolutely proud of who they have turned out to be - it's the Royal Family who bother me.
So... that's what I did this month!  It doesn't seem much... but it somehow is.  So, what did you do?  More of the same; or something different?  Let us know.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Royal Wedding.... or Not?

It's been coming for a long time now; and that's the Royal Wedding of William and Kate.  Now, I'm not going to watch it as the whole thing with the Royal Family in the UK bores me to tears; and truthfully, I just don't wish to see another young couple get followed around by idiots with cameras and have their lives ruined because they want to get that money shot.
Now, tonight, when I get myself home, I'm going to get myself some pizza, and settle down in front of the television with a couple of good dvds... which ones I'm not quite sure.  I'll pick 'em out when the time comes.  Then, I'll head off to bed and not worry about how long it took or who did what, or what happened when, or which television channel could pick apart the wedding better... because in all honesty, I don't care.
Now, before anyone comes at me with a pitchfork and acts like this is a witch hunt, saying it's wrong for me to voice this kind of opinion.  You have to understand something.  I was over in the UK when Lady Diana and Dodi died in Paris.  It was a horrible shock to wake up in St. Neots and find out that dreadful news on that wet day and still have to go ahead with my plans to go off to Cambridge by bus; but to make a detour to sign a Condolences Book (which in my honest opinion was handed out pretty darn quick!  Too quick to be something off the cuff).  These books looked very well-made, they were leather, had the royal seal on them, were guild-edged and had the most wonderful paper inside with lines that didn't quite reach the edges.  I couldn't believe they were asking the public to write on such beauty!  And I wrote my page and a half (or so) on behalf my Grandpa - who always called Lady Di his girlfriend.  
I saw shrines of flowers all over the place.  You couldn't pass a church or a marketplace where people had laid them down with her name plastered all over them.  I even bought a Sunflower - as it reminded me of her personality - and wrote a sweet card to her family (which the florist placed in a little plastic sleeve so it wouldn't run when it rained).  I placed it outside St. Neots' Church (well, one of them, there's a few in the town).  I was in Chester for the funeral and the people I stayed with and myself found out very quickly that you couldn't get into or out of London for about two days before or after the funeral.  There were people sleeping on trains and in the parks and streets to just get a good place for the service.  
And if that wasn't bad enough, all the television stations and radio stations took up coverage of it all.  We didn't have a choice in what to watch.  If you had to television on, you were watching Diana's funeral service... it was shoved down your throat.  What people don't know is that once they finished the coverage, they went back over the whole service on Channel 4 and picked her whole service to bits!  It was sickening.  Instead of leaving it alone and saying it was a lovely farewell and all; they couldn't just leave her alone!  Not only did they pick her life to bits, but also picked her funeral to bits.
During the time I was visiting the shrines, I felt I couldnt' say anything to anyone that was right.  It was best if I kept my mouth shut and just nodded and walked away before anyone asked me a question that required my voice.  As soon as I opened my mouth, I was insulted by the English, with them telling me to go back to my home country and calling me a convict.  I never knew what to say at first until one day, I turned around and said, "Hate to tell ya this, but I am home. My convicts came from here and were taken to a prison of a country where your government expected them to die."
When I returned from the UK, I couldn't really talk about what happened with Diana because nobody had experienced it the way I had.  People I knew had been here in Australia when they heard about it... not there.  I can barely look at a photo of her without crying... and it's because all these years later, they are still picking to bits the case of how she died when they should just leave it alone.... leave her alone.  She's gone, the world's most lovely person isn't here anymore and we all have to deal with it; and not just the English, everyone.
So, this is why I'm not watching this wedding.  No disrespect to her dear and wonderful son, William.  He's grown in to a brilliant young man because of his Mother and her influence on him.  It's the Royal Family that I don't like; not him.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Wet Old Shopping Day

This morning, I woke to an overcast, cold day.  But that didn't deter me from having a nice hot shower and getting ready to go out shopping.  While I was eating breakfast, Dad came over and looked at a Body Corporate letter that had come in the mail yesterday and offered to take me to the shops.  I said that I usually left at around 9:50am but he said that he had a few things to around the place before we left; so while I was getting ready, he went and did his things.  
By 9:30am or so, we were standing on the front door stoop waiting for a shower of rain to pass while I locked up.  The front window was closed and I told Dad about the day I left and it was really hot but while I was out, it poured rain and came in the front... Stevie got wet, all the lace got wet, and the credenza got wet too.  When I arrived home, she had thrown all her food and water trays everywhere to try and get my attention ... he laughed.  So, now, when there's rain around, I keep that window closed.  
Dad took me to the post office and then to the petshop to pick up Stevie's millet and a cuttle bone for her.  Then, he offered to drive me to Woolworths; even though it was only across the road.  As soon as I was inside and I had waved him off, I picked up a basket and some mushrooms, turned around and found it was pouring rain outside!  Wow!  Didn't I time that right?  Well, it didn't take long for me to get my vegetables and two blocks of 'Whitaker's' Dark Chocolate together and then to the checkout.  By the time I got outside around twenty minutes later, the shower had passed and I was ready to walk to K-Mart Central Plaza.
I hit my usual places where I shopped - Woodys', the chemist and Coles - and then by the time I finished the shop, only an hour had passed by and I called up Dad to see if he was in the area.  He was my unit complex.  However, I said if he wasn't coming my way, I'd catch a cab home - no probs - but he said he's come and get me.  So, I checked out the newsagents, to see which 'Good Reading Magazine' they had and then headed out the front.  It was good of Dad to pick me up when I could have taken a taxi home.  He had been waiting for the fencing guy to show up and he hadn't shown until I phoned him.
On the way home, he asked how it went and I said that I stuck to my list and stayed within budget.  He's pleased I make a list and don't wonder outside it; and that I shop in the morning just after breakfast.  I said that it's easier for me because then I get it all done in a few hours and have the day to myself; and I'd never shop at the end of the day as it's then you buy stuff you don't need or want because the place is closing.  In the morning, you've just eaten breakfast, the shelves are full of fresh food, you've got all the energy from breakfast and you have the day ahead of you after you've finished.  
The great thing is that I'm paying off the vampire shows and Supernatural shows quickly as sometimes I'll put $20 on the laybys instead of $10; so it pays it off faster.  But seeing I'm hoping to be working soon with some paid work, I'll get in and add more money into it to get more paid off.
Well, I'm home now, Little Miss Stevie had some apple for snack and is singing up a storm downstairs now.  Before I gave her the apple she was ready to take a piece out of me... now that's mood swings for ya!  Anyway, she still a sweetheart when she wants to be.  The day looks like it's clearing up; but it's probably best not to think that too soon... it may yet rain again.  Until my next post, take care, keep well and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, April 25, 2011

ANZAC Day

Today, Mum, Dad and I had planned to go to one of the services around the area.  However our plans to go backfired as we didn't have any idea what times they were on.  I didn't see any of the usual diggers who sold the badges from last year around the shopping centres and so wasn't handed the timetables of the services for the day.  When Dad got up there around 8am this morning, the service had finished and people were going home; so we had missed it for the first times since Mum got her hand operated on.  What a disappointment!  I really wanted to go.
But I'm wearing one of my badges from last year, and Triple M is playing a Two-Up for ANZAC Day all day today.  This is where each band they play, they'll play two of their songs instead of just one; and part of 'The Last Post' is played each hour just before the news to make us remember why we've got tomorrow off.
Today, started out as a cloudy, looking-a-bit-like-rain day.  However, the sun's made an appearance and so it's looking nice and it's windy too.  It's our first 5-day weekend... a good long one; where everyone loves it, mainly because it's as long as a working week!  How cool is that?   All I'm missing is collecting the mail... and I do like to collect my mail from the post office.  It's just nice to get outside and walk there and back some days.
Yesterday, I spent some time at Mum and Dad's place for Easter Sunday.  I took across the remaining eggs for them to choose from; and those eggs turned out to be delicious!  The were Australian Made; and I will buy them again.  Dad had the cookies and cream while Mum had the chocolate with orange and I had the toffee and chocolate.  I was very surprised at the quality of them.  Mum had bought me a Lindt Dark Chocolate Bunny... yummo; and we stuffed around on the internet and computer for a bit and then we ended up eating a late lunch at around 3pm.  While eating out the front, we watched a lady doing her weeding on the footpath in the cul-de-sac across the road and more than enough people walked their dogs.  There was one little Maltese that looked like he was so excited about his walk that his fur was going to be shaken off his body.  Such a cute little thing!  But we found that the owners of all the dogs didn't seem too excited about walking their pets.  We remembered how excited we got when we had to walk Jessie; and how happy it made us (and our pooch) to go for our walks around the place.
Well, I was driven home by Mum about an hour later and she saw how bare the yard looked and my painting I'm working on.  She didn't know it was as big as it is.  And she also commented on how nice and clean my house smells now after I vacuumed with the Dyson (I think she realises now how bad my bagged cleaner is for me; and we'll be looking for something like it to replace my vacuum soon in the coming months).  Then, we were upstairs to look at books of short stories for her.  I found three and gave them to her.  There was one F. Scott Fitzgerald, one Ray Bradbury and one Australian short story book... I hope she enjoys them.  I had already left her the one with 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' at her house too; so that made it four books that she has of mine which have short stories in them.  Today, I'm just bummin' around the house.  I gotta get into some of the book I'm reading about the universe, tidy up a bit more and throw out more junk, wash up, wash the kitchen floor and clean the toilets and the rest of the bathroom.  Then, I'll see how it all goes with folding the laundry and getting the basket downstairs before the day is through.  It sounds like a plan.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and remember, I'm always here. 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter Weekend

This weekend started off wet with a storm yesterday afternoon.  It was all thunder and lightning and plenty of rain filling our gutters and running down the drains.  But it didn't cool us off; instead making Brisbane warmer.  But that's Easter for you.
That morning, I had done some laundry, washed up a little, thrown out last weeks' newspapers and hung about on the net for a few hours.  Then, by around 2pm, I thought to read a little out the back with Little Miss Stevie to keep me company.  After the neighbour made it clear he was going to mow the lawn, I pulled in my laundry (as he did his) and had to wait until he did his lawn.  Then, I sat and read for about an hour or so with Little Miss Stevie sitting on the white table out the back.  She had a bath and was happy running around her cage and enjoying the fresh air.  I read about ten or fifteen pages of my book on how the Universe started from nothing.  It wasn't long before I noticed some clouds coming over and I thought it was a good time to get inside.
I hung out at one of my neighbour's places for an hour or so waiting for Gabe to drop by to see if his old television would fit in my television unit.  When he arrived - and Dad did too - we got it inside and found that it didn't fit by a few millimeters on either side.  So, we were stuck with a nice television that is front heavy that wouldn't fit at all.  He had to take the television to Mum and Dad's and leave me with mine... oh well. By the time they got the new television back in the Kombi, I had picked up my old one, slotted it back in and plugged in the cords around the back and side.  Dad was impressed I could pick up my set and remember where all the plugs went; but it was good it didn't take long.
Gabe got to look at my self-portrait and he said he had seen it on my Facebook page and thought it was brilliant; and even better in real life!  He said it looked different now I had done more work on it; and it will look better when I've finished it and got it framed.  I'm looking forward to that day.  Then, Dad asked if I had shown him the new view out the back I had; and I said I hadn't and did.  He was amazed how bare it looked and asked how come it happened.  Gabe said it was just wrong for the landlords over the fence to butcher the trees then try and sell the place without a privacy screen as good as trees like the ones that were there; he even said the place might not sell because it's so bare-looking.  I gave him three Easter Eggs for him, Kat and Riley before he left and then put the rest in the freezer for Sunday.
Today, I used a Dyson Vacuum to clean my carpets that one of my neighbours offered to lend me.  She said it's amazing and the suction on it is brilliant!  Well, I was absolutely surprised at how good it was!  I got my cleaning done in around 20 minutes; and not once did I sneeze!  But you should have seen the crap it pulled out of my carpet!  Because it's bagless, it doesn't throw dust up in the air and didn't make me sneeze - or make the bird sneeze either.  But it was exhausting pulling it around the place!  I had sweat pouring off me by the end of the time... and I had vacuumed my bedroom, lounge, office and bathroom.  It was amazing how much of my hair ended up in it!  And how good my house looks now... how little I cough now too!  I'm going to see if I can trade in my present vacuum for a small Dyson to find out how much it'll cost as they're brilliant cleaners.
For the rest of today, I'll be reading, writing, dusting, washing up and mowing the lawn (if the weather holds out) and putting away the laundry.  It'll free up the rest of my weekend to do whatever I want; after all we all have until Tuesday off... our first five-day weekend... very cool!
So, what are you up to this weekend?  How are you celebrating Easter?  Is there going to be an Easter Egg Hunt and a morning at church?  Or is your day going to be more relaxed around family and reading the paper?  For me, it's the latter as we're not that religious.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Dull Days

For a good part of the weekend, it's been dull and overcast.  This is good sleeping and reading weather.  I got in and did some serious writing of two books.  One of them was Fry Nelson Bounty Hunter: Book 3.  Yes, I've finally started on that one again... it's hard not to screw up a trilogy, and I don't intend to start now on my first try.  My other book is a new erotic fiction called The House Sitter; about a professional house sitter who travels the world house sitting for people who go on world trips, business trips and people who have left their houses empty for over a year to make sure nobody breaks into them.  She doesn't have a permanent home, so takes all her furniture from one place to the next with her; until this particular house when she finds that old, bad habits come back to haunt her and a new romance is around the bend (or is it next door?).  
I have also restarted my self-portrait.  I just sat there looking out the door for a few months going nowhere and so I sanded it down more, put some white paint on it and covered the background in a green/blue hue and have done a white outline.  It looks very basic, but I'm looking at it with fresh eyes as the face is much closer than the one I originally drew.
Today, it has been raining all day and has been cold.  so, Little Miss Stevie has been under her covers all day and snoozing on her swing.  Personally, I don't blame her.  If I was a budgie, I'd be doing that too.  Me?  I had a nice hot shower and washed my hair (it's been needing it for a while) and then got myself dressed in my arty clothes to get in and do a few hours of painting done this afternoon before I get into some dinner... or maybe takeaway will be on the menu tonight; who knows?  Fish and chips?  
Well, this morning, I posted off a book baggie for Bookcrossing.  It's just in time for Winter too.  It's called the Varied Reading Winter Book Baggie; and even though it's only got five people on it, I know it'll be a lot of fun.  I have put in quite a few books I don't want anymore - and they are from my bookshelves, and not my Available List!  So, these are books the BCers haven't seen!  
Anyway, I have to be going.  I've got a painting to get into.  I won't be putting up any photos of it until it's finished.  Nope... no progress reports or anything until I get it done.  Until next time, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.

Friday, April 15, 2011

It's a Friday!

Yeah... Friday already and the week has been weird and crazy.  Since last week, I've caught a cold and have been battling with it.  I went off to the doctors on Tuesday, found I was working well with it, was given antibiotics and sent on my way.  It's going away, but taking it sweet time... as colds do.  When I got home, I found that my poor back neighbours came home to a big surprise!  The three shade trees in their back court yard have been cut down and the stumps poisoned.  So, I could see into their house; and they into mine.  Now, it opens up the place - sure - but really, if you're trying to sell a unit (which in this case, the landlord is trying to do) privacy is a big issue.  Zef and Kylie didn't appreciate this happening while they weren't home; and neither did I.  And the worse part is that the same landlord did it to two other units in the same complex; other units he's also wanting to sell.  
Well, on Monday night, 'Supernatural' had a season final and I thought that seeing that happened, I was going to have to wait another two months until another show finished it's stupidity (because really, some channels put on some really dumb shows over two times of the year:  Christmas and the middle of Winter).  But I was pleasantly surprised to find them advertise next week's show as a new season of 'Supernatural'!  The show's ratings must be huge for them to keep it going without a a break...  and I love it when they do this.  So, I'm really looking forward to Monday night.
Lately, though, I have been turning off the television at around 9:30pm as there's nothing on after that.  There's no good movies, no good sitcoms, no good funny shows... nothing to keep my attention or make me laugh as it's all been done before; it's all repeats.  So, I've been turning off the television and switching on the stereo system and playing some vinyls.  It's been very relaxing and groovy to do that... something I haven't done in years; since I was young.
This weekend, I'm hoping to get in and do some serious cleaning, vacuuming and attacking the bathroom.  It's not that it's disgusting, it's just that the floor needs a wash and so does the vanity; and I'd like to look at the shower and give it a good scrub at some point before the plumber gets in and does something about the taps and drains.  I've also got the office to finish off and the charity stuff to send off to Endo's and my stuff in the carport to send off too.  It's been out there for weeks... this is when I do wish I had a car so I could do this myself.  But then, there's too many nutty drivers out on the roads now... however that's another story for another time.
Well, that's my week.  I'm getting rid of my cold, getting rid of a lot of gear, was horribly surprised by some really dumb landlords over the back fence and have enjoyed the company of my dear, sweet little budgie... of course... and it's the end of another week of living on a fixed income.  I haven't bought anything out of the ordinary lately, and am still saving to go overseas and to get the piano tuned when I can.  Until my next post, take care, keep well and remember, I'm always here.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A Shock For Two Neighbours.

I was out yesterday at the doctors; and I got the good news that I'm getting over my cold.  It's just brought along a nice little cough to keep me busy while it goes away, so I'm on antibiotics for a while to help it on its way.
Well, on my way home, I spent a few hours at Mum and Dad's house and had something to eat.  I managed to read a few pages of 'Passage To India' while sitting out the front with my folks and drinking Green Tea.  While I was sitting out there, a small insect kept flying underneath the metal chair and building its home, then taking off.  Now, normally, you'd think this insect would have a sting; but this one doesn't.  So, I thought to move its chair to let it build its nest in relative peace... instead I confused the poor little thing when it came back to the same spot and couldn't find its place, it buzzed around, looked at me, buzzed back at the seat and looked around as though to ask where its home had disappeared to.  Mum laughed and told me that I had confused the poor little thing... me, confused a bug?  So, we moved its seat back and I sat somewhere else and let the insect happily built its nest where it wanted to.  Funny little thing.
Then, not long after, Dad drove me home after we heard prang happen up the road (nothing out of the ordinary really; a lot of accidents occur on our street and we see plenty of cars get damaged and people get hurt unfortunately).  Fortunately, it was just a car that got clipped at the lights that's all.  We chatted about things to do with the complex and my next door neighbours and how she hates things.  I said that one thing's for sure is that we can't pick our neighbours; no matter what!  He agreed.
My garden April 2011 - 8 1/2 years after living here in Woodridge
My garden 2002 - in the beginning... no trees, no privacy.

When I had arrived home, I found that there was a lot of light coming into the back door and when I went to look, I was shocked to see that the back neighbours' yard had gotten their entire yard stripped of trees!  Not just trimmed severely... nope, chopped, ground and poisoned.  Zef and Kylie were not pleased about this as their landlord did not tell them about this happening; and if it hadn't been for Zef's brother being home, he didn't want to know what would have happened.  He told me that they had even broken a window too while they chopped down the trees; and I noticed that the fence was snicked here and there as well as some palings not surviving the change.  
Now, not only do they have full sun in their house all the time, but they can see into our unit complex, my house (upstairs and downstairs) but I can see everything in their house... it's very exposing and we all feel very naked no thanks to the thoughtless actions of their landlords.  
The question running through your minds is:  Why?  Okay.  Zef told me that the landlord wants to sell all three units he owns; and so did the tree-stripping treatment to all of them.  If you ask me, that landlord just brought down the value of their unit by thousands of dollars; not increased it!  Privacy is a big thing in unit complexes and to take it off people is something next to removing one's dignity.  Both Zef and Kylie weren't impressed that their landlord didn't tell them about this endeavour, and I encouraged them to go to the RTA about this - as it's a breech of contract on the landlords part - and that removing the trees removes shade, privacy... and really all he needed to do was trim them to make it look good, not remove them to make it look like a desert.  
Now, today, as I look outside, it looks like a pimple on a pumpkin... a bare spot as it's surrounded by trees and it's not.  They're not sitting outside for long and hate being out there.  Even their little dog doesn't spend any time outside anymore; and that says everything about what the landlord has done to them.  I have the shade of my house to hide in, whereas my neighbours over the back don't have anything.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and remember, I'm always here.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Off To The Doctors Tomorrow.

Well, this cold of mine has brought a long a nice little cough with it... and it hurts like hell when I need to clear my throat.  So, this morning, at around 11am, I made an appointment with my doctor so this cold doesn't turn into anything more nasty than it already is.  I'm already eating cough lollies, using inhalent and taking hot showers to try and control it; but I do get the feeling they're not working as well as they should.
But today, I woke to a nice clear day, my head a bit clearer than it was on Saturday and no fever... yay!  I'm through the worse this cold has served up to me.  Now, all I need to do is get through the cough and I'll be home free!  This always happens at around this time of the year; just when it's beginning to get cold, when a cold or flu is going around.  I feel at my best and then suddenly, I get something from somebody... and it really tests me.  
Strangely enough, I really get into housework and tidy up the place.  For some strange reason, I get the impulse to have my house to look good for nobody.  Oh well, I guess it's probably because I have had emergency people in here and it's been a mess and it's been embarrassing.  So, to have a place a little bit clean it probably the best thing to do.  
I have been washing up every night after dinner and have found it really nice to get up each morning to find a nice clean kitchen looking at me.  And even when I put all the stuff away on the lounge, it's nice to see it tidy at times.  So, I'm looking forward to the time when I get into the habit of putting away things after I'm finished with them straight away... then it'll be a real achievement.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep safe and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Down With A Cold!

It all started when I opened my eyes yesterday morning.  I was clogged up to my eardrums with sinus!  Horrible and debilitating sinus!  I took a walk down to the chemist and picked up some Clarintine and two boxes of tissues and thought I'd be over it by dinner time.
On the way home, I spotted a Hi-Lux van that was broken down turning from Kingston Road into Park Road and the guy behind it got out and offered to help push.  Well, the moment he began to turned red, I rushed across and offered to help too.  Before we knew it, another two people from other cars had come up and were pushing as well.  Traffic from the other direction didn't pause to let us through until the lights changed again and we got our momentum up and going again... then once we got it into Park Road, we all realised how hard that was; how out of shape we were.  But I knew that my car was definitely lighter to push than that van!  
By the time I got home, I had was tired and really needed to take something for my sinus... so I did and began doing some serious housework.  First, though, I jumped on the net for a few hours and got into some serious internet time for about two hours.  Once off that, I put on a few vinyls and turned them up loud as I dusted the entertainment unit, the window sill, television and the piano.  Then, I opened the lid and cleaned all the keys before I sat down and had a practice of a few drills.  It was fun to enjoy that for about an hour!  I loved it.  In between all the housework, and piano playing, I had a boiling hot shower and washed my hair, sat outside and began cleaning up the office.
First, I put away the oscillating fan that usually sits just outside the hall of the kitchen.  I took the feet off it and took it upstairs and put it all into the wardrobe for another year.  It's given me a lot of space not only in the closet, but also downstairs.  Then, I cleaned up the office area in front of it and made sure it was usable and I could get into the closet easily.  I've tossed out a bag of handbags and given away a few other smaller ones I don't need.  I feel good about this; as the charity bags by the front door are getting bigger and my house is looking better.  
The air condition is being used to clear out the dust and mothball smell from the office and I've used the Glen 20 to kill off any germs that have been hanging around since yesterday.
Yesterday, I was so congested I could hardly breath; and the Clarintine didn't work at all.  So, I was feeling pretty bad.  But today, I'm a lot better and the Clarintine is working.  I slept more last night - around 5 hours - and now I've put my pillows out on the line to air so the germs can get away in the fresh air.  
I really hate being sick, but what I really hate is getting a virus; as you can't do anything about them.  You just have to ride it out and wait until it goes away.  Well, until my next post, take care, keep well, and stay safe; and remember, I'm always here. 

Friday, April 8, 2011

Time For A Change!

Well, if you looked in on this blog today, you may have noticed more than a few things were different about it... like the title.  When I first began writing it, I gave it working title and that was 'The Book Craze - Not Just About Books' and thought I'd change it later.  But that sort of stuck; for about two years!  And so, I thought today would be the right day to give this blog a nice new face, template and flower on front.  And the title change was going to happen anyway; I just didn't know when.  
So, what do you all think?  I'll be writing about all the same stuff:  books, art, my ventures into the world and everything else in between, but this blog will be under the new heading of 'My Book-Crazy Life...'.  I hope you like it as much as I do.  I still have the old photo titled 'Looking Up' from last March that I took at New Farm Park (I'd never get rid of something as lovely as that) and so, once the seasons change again and Spring comes around, I'll probably put it back up there and change the background to a Spring one to keep it looking lovely.
I'll be putting up other new things onto this blog too like new photos I wish to share with you and other stuff as well; but it'll all be to show you more of what's going on in my life.  So, until my next post, keep warm, and stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

What A Day!

Today was so long and I started it so early... I thought it would never end.  I was still under the covers of my duvet when I heard my neighbours have a fight in their carport... and their loving terms of endearment to each other.  He calls her 'Oi!' and she calls him 'What the eff do you want?'... charming, eh?  And at 6:30am, it wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear while still trying to have a bit of snooze until my 7am alarm was about to go off; and yet I did.  
I was out of be by 7:30, dressed and ready to face the day.  Little Miss Stevie was fed, the curtains pulled open and I had put on my first load of washing: towels.  Then, I made breakfast.  But the milk was sour!  Not a pleasant experience, and yet, it wasn't off bad enough that it made me horribly ill, just left a bad taste in my mouth.  Yuk!  So, after my towels were hung out and the hand-washing was done and was in the spin cycle, I went out to get some more milk at the service station.  While there, I spotted a hot Chevrolet!  And there I was without my camera -for once - and so I asked the owner how long he was going to be there and ran home to get it.  After I took about a dozen shots of the gorgeous automobile, I got one of him with it too!  And wasn't it worth it, or what???

Well, by this time, I had to collect the milk and the mail, check up online my internet mail and Farmville and then get my last few things into a bag for a day out with Mum.  We went to the Logan Central Library on Wilbur Street to see Annette Sims talk.  

There must have been about a hundred people show up to see her.  Her husband Bill was there too and she talked about how she had hit rock bottom about her weight and what she did about it; ditching her yo-yo dieting and eating properly and exercising by just walking around the block each day.  It was inspiring to know she had done this all on her own.  And today I got to meet her in person and she signed all three of my first edition recipe books; which she was impressed I owned (and also happy that they were used to having a little food on them).  I said that her books were my starting point in eating healthy and that I now have my own little lot of recipes that I use on a regular basis.  She asked me to send her some of them so she could have a look at them; I promised I would (and I will).  The one thing I didn't do was get a photo with her with my camera; bummer!

The Logan Central Library is where the old Bi-Lo used to be; and it's impressive.  As you walk in, you're greeted with the lift which is surrounded by a huge column of books all arranged by colour... very artistic!  I had to sit on the floor in a corner to get the full affect of this photo.
Then, once inside, you see around four or five columns of books surrounding the front desk which also has books curving around underneath it!  Isn't it amazing what they've done with the old books from the old library?  I love the artistic side of the whole affect.  And seeing how much more space they have now, they can have more arty stuff to spread out with.  The decor and really speak for how the people of Logan are now, instead of how it used to be in the past.
Next door to the Library is a Supre Outlet; which unless you're a pixie, you'll never be able to fit into anything!  So, we looked and thought: Nah, I'll stick to Life Line.  Otherwise it was a good place to see... big, but good.  On the other side was a bookstore which was open on Saturdays from 9am til noon.  Pity, it would have made a killing it was open every day.  So, that was my day... I got home at around 1pm, and I pulled in the laundry by around 2pm because it was all dry... and seeing we had gotten two massive downpours while at the library, I thought it would have been soaked, but it was bone dry.  And just tonight, it's begun to pour rain; which shows that I got all my laundry finished just in time for the weekend!  How's that for timing?  Until my next post, stay safe, keep warm and remember, I'm always here.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Cooling Off

This morning, I woke to overcast clouds and a cool breeze.  Normally, it warms up to a nice hot day and windy weather; however, today it has stayed overcast and there's been a few drizzly showers and rain.  It's good reading weather.  
But I'll start with yesterday.  I was tired again; but not as bad as Sunday.  I got reading 'Legacy' by David Suzuki and read up to page 40 of 'Baudolino' by Umberto Eco (I'm getting through a lot more of it than I thought I would).  They're both good books.
the kitchen got a good clean up as I washed up everything and put away a lot of other stuff.  I also wiped down all the counters and cleaned the stove.  Then, I moved onto my bedroom.
This room has been ignored for the last three months... now that's dreadful; but true.  I attacked it yesterday.  I put away all my clothes I wanted and put the clothes I didn't want into a bag for the next charity store run.  All my bath towels are put away as are my jackets, dresses and clothes that Mum gave me last year in her clean out.  I have also taken the laundry basket downstairs and put it back where it's supposed to be - and hasn't been in the last three months.  Then, I tidied up the reading area next to my bed so that the books I'm currently reading are closest to my bed and the ones I've got next in line are not too far off

These are books I find a challenge to read; or are reference books.

This took about two hours to do and I found it very much worthwhile.  I threw out three or four plastic bags, put away an X-Ray that had been sitting around, tossed out a belt that broke and can't be fixed and put away about seven pairs of socks, all my undies and found my favourite belt (which I bought from at the Queen Vic Markets in Melbourne) and also found a place for an Oroton purse I had purchased a few months back too (bringing my collection to around 15 handbags or so).  
Once this room had been fixed up - and I found the chair we had put into it - I was pleased to know how big it actually is.  The next room I'll be attacking is the home office.  I've left this one until last because I do spent a lot of time here and I need to find out exactly what I need in here; and what I don't... and that doesn't mean getting rid of my books.  There's other crap in here I need to get rid of and storage room which needs to be utilised. Until my next post, take care, keep safe and remember, I'm always here.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Long, Tiring Weekend

I'm very tired today; and for a good reason.  Yesterday, my next door neighbours began their laundry at the ungodly hour of 5am!  These are the same people who have been keeping me awake until late with water hammer and not getting anything fixed while it destroys my house.  I have told my landlord and Body Corporate knows about it, and yet nothing is done to make them change their plumbing back to what it was.
I have been told a few things about these people.  They are from a plumbing background.  I have been told they owned a plumbing shop and sold it... that's nice, but really they should have gotten a plumber in to work on the place and not undertaken this thing themselves.  They did work that was supposed to be passed by the Body Corporate committee and wasn't; and yet they keep on saying it's their house and they should be able to do what they want there.  Which they can, unless it interferes with the next door neighbour or surrounding neighbours.
Then, I'm told today, that my neighbour has been known to say that there shouldn't be any rental people in this unit complex at all; it should be all owners, no matter how long you've been here, you should own the place and kick out the rentals.  And seeing I rent, she thinks she's above me and so won't go to the rules and regulations to make my life easier.  This is why she ordered me to leave last November if I didn't like living here... ahem... but I have been living in this unit complex since 2002.  And she's been where all that time????  She and her husband moved in at this time last year and thinks she can push and shove everyone around like we're cattle, telling us what to do.  Then, she's the noisiest person around here, slamming her doors, having tantrums, screaming at her husband (about things we don't want to know) and tearing around here in that god-awful loud car at all hours of the night breaking the speed limit in here.  And if she hits somebody in here, what then?  If it's a child, all hell will break loose because they're so young.  But if she hits an adult, it's going to be war.

Before these people moved in next door, it was very peaceful.  Not much went on.  Now, because she moved in, there's one drama after another; one fight after another happening in here all the time.  Personally, I don't want them here.  They are a hateful, dreadful and downright distrustful couple who just invaded here and didn't think to mix in with anyone.  Her plan was to make us go to her plans and rules; when in reality, she has to melt in with the rest of the community when it comes to unit complexes.  Her wrath of pain and childish behaviour is coming to an end very soon as Body Corporate isn't going to put up with her; and I'm not going to try to talk to her again (as last November had me yelling at her at 5am in the morning; not a good look for me).  So, what will happen?  I'll keep you all posted as things develop.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Busy Day

It was a rainy cold day... but before it turned into that, I had plenty of time to get outside and fix up a few things.
I did the laundry - which was put onto the clothes horse and then brought inside just in time for the first lot of showers!  Then, I checked the mail, paid the phone and gas bills over the phone, fed Little Miss Stevie, put out the rubbish, pruned the two shrubs out the front and put the off cuts in the green bins at the back of the complex.  Once back home, I fixed a paling on the back fence and then, made my drink, turned on the computer and jumped online... yep that was my morning.
This afternoon was just as busy.  I got offline around 3pm or so; around the same time one of my dear friends was being laid to rest in Bundaberg.  Rest in Peace, Norm Clark.  You're a true friend.  I went downstairs pulled apart Little Miss Stevie's cage, got her onto my shoulder and washed and scrubbed it on the washing machine.  For the whole time, she ran around on the side of it trying to crap on me... she thought it was fun to do that.  I washed all her stuff inside the cage too... her swing, her mirror and bells too.  Once it was back together, I found she just loved making a mess of it again.  Then, I went for a walk to the front of the complex and checked my letterbox and found no junkmail and came home where I grabbed a book, a cushion and my reading glasses and cordless phone and read for about an hour.
By this time, it was almost 4:30pm.  I closed up the house and dropped into unit 16 for a chat.  It didn't last very long... but it was nice.  I got home, made dinner and watched 'What Dreams May Come' with Robin Williams in it.  Now it's late and I'm about to go to bed as I'm really tired.  
Tomorrow, I have to wash up, send Little Miss Stevie off to Mum and Dad's and then get myself ready to go to my friends' house for dinner.  It's going to cool.  I'll be taking my camera - of course.  Until next time, take care, keep safe and remember, I'll always be here.