Chatabox

The conscience is a wonderful thing

2009-11-11T13:38:00.000+10:00

Last night as I was walking from work to the train station I needed to pee really badly. I never go at the train stations as they are usually pretty gross! But as I was about to leave the bathroom I noticed someone’s (expensive) cell phone laying on the paper towel holder.

Now I am NOT the kind of person who could steal something. I know that I had 2 choices here. To hand it into the station office OR to call a number in the phone book labelled “home”, “mum”, “dad” or “work”, or something similar. Here’s my dilemma… I never have any credit on my cell. So to make the call I would have had to call from the landline at home. A home which is a good hour and a half away from the station I was at.

I was going to go with this choice as I knew that I would try my hardest to get the phone back to the rightful owner. However the minute I put the phone into my back – full of good intentions – my conscience whacked me in the gut. It felt like stealing. It looked like stealing. I felt GUILTY of stealing.

So I did the next best thing and handed it into the station office. I felt bad as I doubt QR will actually do much about it.. but I felt worse taking it home. (and reading this it sounds selfish. I can’t win huh?)

So karma got back at me, and this was what happened afterwards:

1 – My train got changed from an express train to the end of the line (which is my stop.. yes I live in the middle of nowhere!) to an all stations train which only went about 3/4s of the way.

2 – I get off at Central and the lovely loud speaker lady informs us – constantly – that there is a “fault” in the systems and all trains are cancelled. (Joy!)

3 – The underground platforms experience overcrowding and I nearly faint because of the heat

4 – I get pushed and shoved while waiting for the trains to resume and bite my dam lip, get elbowed in the rips and nearly get my backpack ripped of me because “it was taking up to much room”

5 – Did I mention the Nausea? No? well for all of you who have had the joy of visiting Central Brisbane station you will know that there is a McDonalds right above the platforms. (next level) Usually McDonalds doesn’t bother me, but this one is always so dam greasy! So I was trying very very hard not to puke on about 10 different people

6 – When they finally get going.. a LOT later, there is now of course overcrowding on the train. Luckily I was right by the doors so I got a seat, but not without a lot of pushing and shoving going around first! The trains have 2 rows of specialty seats designed for the elderly, disabled, pregnant or people with babies. Yeah people don’t believe that I am pregnant! So I have no chance in hell of getting one of those seats. Not because they are taken up by the proper people.. because they are taken up by snobby losers who want the best seats in the ~~house~~ train.

7 – When I get back to my car (finally!) I have a terrifying moment of turning the key, and nothing happening. I get the GRRgrrGRRgrrGRRgrrrr of the car trying to start.. but nothing. Luckily it eventually started!

I get home and I feel like shit. So shitty I can’t even eat tea! (actually I don’t think I have eaten a evening meal all week) So I go to bed at 8pm, and wake up this morning exhausted… Again.

So yesterday was a great day. I hope today’s better!

Progression!

2009-10-28T16:18:00.001+10:00

I am so excited! Last night we went to the doctors and got a referral to the hospital, and also for our first scan! I can't wait until I have this as then we will be able to tell the word our news.

I have a stupid fear of something going wrong. Even though this wasn't planned, and is going to make us a bit financially unstable for a while, I already love the little bean. I fell incredibly lucky to be fortunate enough to easily conceive a child, and for some reason it all feels to easy. Morning sickness is a drag, however I am not puking my guts up. I am tired, but that's all.

So I fear that to counteract the easiness something is going to go wrong. And seeing the baby on ultrasound will be the first major hurdle to prove my theory right or wrong. So I am slightly freaking out. But telling friends and family will be a great reward if everything does go right.

I can't wait to see reactions and be able to talk freely to people I know who have had children. I HATE keeping secrets, and this one is huge!

10 Weeks

2009-10-26T12:37:00.001+10:00

I have a feeling my pregnancy is going to be a trial.

I started off bragging that I didn't get morning sickness. I was even giving out tips and hints on youtube! So of course this had to come and bite me in the bum.

I now get morning sickness every morning, and it's right after I get up. Which means empty stomach! Probably TMI.. but I am gagging and trying to throw up, but there is nothing in my stomach. I literally need to drink a large glass of water just so I have something to bring back up. Not the nicest feeling!

I also jinxed it the other morning.. Peter rang me and asked how I was feeling that day (he hates that I am sick all the time!) and I was feeling great! I wasn't sick so I told him that. About 20 mins into the train journey I needed to throw up! Luckily I was pulling into a station and managed to get up and over the platforms to the bathrooms.

I am also having cravings, but I don't know if this is lazy me wanting foods I love.. or if Its my body telling me to eat certain foods. I always want KFC's potato and gravy. Actually anything with potatoes sound really good to be at the moment. My favourites are mashed, or a baked potato with Bacon and mushroom filling.

Something else I am getting into is water temperatures. I either want my water freezing cold (super easy at work) or hot. No flavours.. just the temperatures. Its weird!

Sleeping is not great, and I need to get up at least once every night to pee. Last night I got up at 1am, and for some reason I didn't get back to sleep to after 3am. Its horrible because I am so tired all the time!

Usually the morning sickness isn't too bad. It is bearable, and usually gone by lunchtime. Today has been bad! I have thrown up more times than I can count, and because of this I have not managed to keep anything in my stomach. It's hard working in front of a computer which is making it worse.

On days like this I really worry. Throughout the pregnancy so far I have lost between 3 – 5 kg (depending on when I weigh) I know I should be gaining weight, but when I am puking everything up I just don't want to eat. My meals are now tiny because my stomach can't handle big dishes. So I worry about the weight loss!

Its only another 2 weeks until I have my 12 week scan, so I am really looking forward to that! I go to the doctors tomorrow night for the referral to the hospital, and to have a check up.

I guess things are so up and down right now. It will be good when things settle a bit. Namely my tummy!

And the bad parenting award goes to...

2009-10-15T10:34:00.001+10:00

"New federal guidelines for parents and carers say children should be banned from watching television until they turn two, warning that it can stunt language development and shorten their attention span."

There has been a lot of commotion over the above comment. Actually on the Australian website where this article was published there were a LOT of parents getting angry over the "Nanny State". There were lots of parents claiming TV is good for their babies, and that it has helped them develop language skills and in Dora's case even a new language.

However a lot of parents are getting angry that they are being told what to do by the government. So being a Mum-in-training I have decided to stick my 2c into this debate.

And you know what.. I actually agree with the guidelines. This is the thing that most parents are NOT reading. That they are guidelines for your under 2's. Nobody is going to come into your house and fine you for letting your baby watch TV. Nobody is going to send you to jail, or anything else if you do decide to turn the TV on. These are guidelines. Designed to HELP Australian parents and the development of their children. This does NOT mean that it is a Nanny state, or even that you are being told what to do. GUIDELINES people.

So many people are up in arms over the comments, and I can understand where they are coming from. The eye zooms directly in on the words banned, television, and until they turn two. I would bet anything that most people who are bitching and moaning about this didn't see the word guidelines, or even realise that is what they are.

Actually a recent study has been done and it has proved that its not healthy for babies to be watching TV. And honestly… why would you want to put your kid in front of something that could harm them?

So back to my agreement.. (I seem to get of track a lot these days!) Most (yes most.. NOT all) Australian parents use the TV as a baby sitter. They will get up, plonk their kid in front of whatever is on and then get on with their day. This is why these guidelines have been put in place. Kids are watching to much TV and its not good for them.

Babies in particular need more than just a moving screen. They need interaction to help them learn and develop. Actually there are so many things that you can do to help a babies brain develop, so why would you just plonk them in front of a TV? Especially working mothers! You are away from your kids all day, slaving in an office to be able to give them the life you want. On the occasions you do get to be with them, why just let them watch TV?

I do agree there are some good programmes out there for developing minds. I have watched a few of these shows and I have learnt stuff. However almost off of them are aimed at the 2-5 set, and these programmes only last for 20 minutes tops. That kind of gives you an idea that they should only be watching TV for a short amount of time!

TV is not evil, and when used in the correct environment it can be a good learning tool, along with some great entertainment. However I don't believe it should be any form of babysitter.

I can't believe the anger that Australian parents are expressing over this guideline, and I can't believe the lengths they will go to prove that the guidelines are wrong. It is stupid and you are looking like a dumbass while trying to make yourself look smart.

Accept the guidelines and accept them as that… guidelines! You are the parent, and if you decide that your kid needs 5 hours of TV a day, then you will be the one to deal with the ramifications later in your babies life. These are infants. Why do they need any kind of TV or electrical entertainment?

Someone please explain this to me?

Annnnd the news is....

2009-10-11T20:22:00.002+10:00

So this post has been a bit delayed. I am so tired all the time, I can hardly find any time to eat, let alone update the ol' blog.

Work has been crazy busy. I have been writing a 48 page Fiji brochure practically solo, and that has been a huge learning curve.

Samoa has had a huge hit on all of us at work. These are people we work with, people who we know, and in my bosses case very close friends. Most of these people have lost their jobs and homes, as the tourist part of Samoa was hit hardest by the tsunami.

There have been so many horror stories, and my heart goes out to all the people who have lost friends and family. One family owned resort lost 14 members of their family, and are now faced with the HUGE task of trying to rebuild their home and livelihood.

The Samoans are the nicest group of people you will ever find, and it is such a shame it happened to them! We were also on the lookout after the earthquake of Santo (Vanuatu) but luckily nothing happened.

I also read in the NZ online newspapers that people (dumbasses) went to the beach to WATCH the tsunami as there were current warnings. Jeez.. lets take the family, kids, dog and a picnic to the beach to be potentially washed away by a tsunami. Sounds fun!

Anyway... the reason I have been away, is because a few weeks ago Peter and I found out that we are expecting a baby. The news scared us shitless, but thankfully we are both now really excited. I am 8 weeks along, so a new edition in May.

I don't want this space to become ramblings from a mum-to-be so instead of moaning about my pregnancy I have decided to not say anything. Bad idea.. as I have been eager to share the news! Luckily I have not had any morning sickness, so the whole thing doesn't feel real. However I have 5 pregnancy tests and a blood test to confirm it!

I hope everyone had great weekends, and I will be back soon with better blog posts! (well anything is better than nothing :)

Storming... Dust Storming!

2009-09-24T12:55:00.001+10:00

Yesterday was a weird day! It started off fine, but when I got into work I heard about this crazy dust storm that was hitting Sydney. I didn't pay to much notice, and continued to work.

I had a supplier meeting which went on for over an hour. After coming out of the board room I saw everybody lined up along our bank of windows. Everything was turning this pale orange colour, and a fog was settling.

Eventually everything went so bad that all I could see out my window was orange. I couldn't see the trees over the balcony, let alone the houses across the street. I was lucky enough to not have to go outside, but it did get into the air conditioning. The small was just dusty, and for me it was hard to breathe without smelling these dust particles.

These are some good pictures, but because Sydney got the storm first the coverage was all Sydney. I couldn't find many Brisbane images, but look here: DUST STORM IMAGES and you will see how orange everything is.

CRAZY. Its was absolutely crazy. Nobody in my office had seen anything like this before, so this was a truly rare event. Sleeping was a pain as all you could smell was dust. It got in your eyes, and Peters 4WD is covered in orange.

Actually the cats had fun walking over it, so now its covered in cat prints.

Today is a lot better and you can't smell the dusty scent. Everything is clear again and we are back to the blue skies and sunny days. Actually I can't remembered the last time it rained! Our water tank can't either… Its nearly empty.

We should be due for a good storm soon, and not a dust storm I hope.

Life getting in the way of blogging!

2009-09-22T09:35:00.001+10:00

Things have been pretty stressful over here. Unfortunately it's something that I still can't really talk about on here. That is the worst kind of secret… the one you can't share.

I have mentioned something on twitter, so if you follow me there you will have a faint idea of what I am talking about. I am also going to be doing a youtube vid which will explain everything better.

If you want my twitter or youtube details… or if you just want to know what the hell is happening, then email me at chatabox.girl@gmail.com

Smile!

2009-09-10T10:08:00.001+10:00

Why is it that the smallest things can make you happy? I received my tax refund today and while it is a tiny amount compared to what Peter got, it is a huge amount compared to the amount I would have received in NZ.

This made me happy, and I decided to do the right thing with it instead of shopping. I called IRD (New Zealand tax department – Inland Revenue) and sorted out how to put that money onto my student loan. I found out I was in arrears from the 07 year (nice of them to let me know while I was still in NZ!) but the money I had was enough to pay it off. I also found out about the repayment holiday.

I get 3 years while overseas to not pay my loan. I still get charged minimal interest, but there is no weekly payment that I need to make. My goal is to pay off the loan before the holiday is up, so I get 2 years to pay it off.

I also found out that all NZ bank accounts now have a quick link where I can make the payment directly from my online banking! It even fills out all the tax forms and stuff that I need. SWEET!

And the thing that makes me the happiest is finding out how much I actually have to pay. I have a student loan and a personal loan. While still in NZ they came to a total of around $15,000+. This was such a depressing thought and I HATE being in debt. It is the worst feeling in the world, and I just don't want to go there.

I looked at all the figures today and I am now around the $11,000 mark. While $4000 may not seem like much, to me that is a lot of money. Especially in one year! I love my job, but being only just above minimum wage makes living and having fun very difficult.

I am so proud of my achievements, and I am hoping to get the full balance paid off in 2 years. Another tax return next year will help tremendously!

So today is my happy celebrating day. Nothing can make this day crap. I might even make ham and cheese toasties for lunch in our fancy work grill. YUM!

Skydiving!

2009-09-06T12:08:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was crazy! I ended up doing my jump, and then after I had been home for ages (Note: 11pm!) Peter and I went for a drive in his truck.

Nothing strange about that... excpet that it is a manual and I have NEVER driven a manual before in my life. I did really well, and apparently I have a knack for it. I didnt bunny hop, but I did stall it a few times. I keep forgetting that I have to take my foot off the alcelator to push in the clutch.

Anyway... My jump is crazy to explain. I did a flip in the air. a full 180 while FREE FALLING 14,000 feet in the air.

This is my favourite picture from the day:

AND I even got a video. It took us ages, but we managed to get it from the CD onto youtube. Its here:

Skydive 2009 - Toogoolawah

Let the countdown begin!

2009-09-04T07:23:00.003+10:00

When I was 14 I went to the States. I was mainly in California and of course California has some big theme parks!

I had never been on a roller coaster before, or anything remotely like the rides you would find in the parks. I thought I might be scared, so I used the time I had to prepare myself.

I started off by going to Science Alive where they had a few activities that could potentially scare the living daylights out of me. I did them, and I found that I wasn't afraid. I took that feeling with me, and I also kept telling myself "The worst that can happen is that I go upside down. That is nothing to worry about"

The trip was a huge success, and I went on every ride possible and I loved it! That holiday threw me into the world of travel, and also gave me my fearlessness. After that I abseiled, canoed, sky dived, bungee jumped, and went on every roller coaster possible.

Celebrating my 16th Birthday. Wigram Air Base, Christchurch, NZ

Skydiving was something that I had always wanted to do. In the days leading up to it I couldn't move without jumping up and down with a squeal or two. Excited was not a strong enough word!

So when I won some ticketek vouchers earlier in the year I decided to do another jump. I kept putting it off and off, and when the vouchers were about to expire I called and booked the jump.

I jump tomorrow. Holy crap tomorrow! This time I am not as excited as I was 4 years ago. I am actually a bit scared and nervous. I don't know what has changed in that time, but my passion for all things exciting has gone.

I keep trying to harness some energy, excite myself and get ready for this awesome adventure. But all I can think about is self preservation. I should stay on the ground where I am safe and happy. This is NOT the mindset I want to be in as I jump 14000 feet out of the air.

Has this happened to anyone else? As you have gotten older, do you crave safety and security more than thrills and excitement?

And all is well again...

2009-09-03T16:52:00.001+10:00

I am sitting here at the train station with the sun warming my back. There is an - almost - summer breeze in the air, and my laptop is finally working again.

I first contacted Vodafone and then the laptop maker dell about this issue in FEBRUARY. I finally had the issue resolved a few days ago. The length of time this has taken has angered me, but I am pleased that it is finally working again.

I am now going to catch up on blogs while I train home. Fun!

Truly... Thankful

2009-08-31T14:31:00.001+10:00

This morning was one of "those" mornings. Every thing went wrong and slow, and it was so easy to look at the negative of each situation. So I thought I would post 10 things that I ma thankful for to try and get a little perspective!

Some things I am thankful for

1. Getting up each morning to an excited puppy who wants snuggles and 2 cats who are full of love (until they get what they want – food!)

2. Having a job to go to every day, no matter how busy it is or how many staff members we are down. I have a job I like, and I get paid for it.

3. Getting our new car back (finally! Only 1 month later) right before our other car died again. And being able to have transport to get Peter to work

4. Having a little bit of money available to pay for the above repairs on our Honda. (This is the same problem that we just paid a lot of money to be fixed a few months ago)

5. Even though today is crappy and raining I am thankful for the beautiful sunshine and HOT weather that we had over the weekend

6. The fact that I have family who love me and will listen to me bitch and moan, no matter how far away I live.

7. I have fresh fruit in my fridge, home made soup, vegetables and enough packet food to last us until our next pay day and beyond. Even though I am trying to diet, I am lucky that that diet is not enforced by simply having no food.

8. I am lucky enough to live in a house that has 4 walls, a roof, windows, and security screens on every door and window. I am lucky that I am able to pay for all this and still have some money left over to pay other bills.

9. I am thankful for my little bubble, and my little family who continue to support me (even if it is only with a purr here and there). I am thankful that I am not pushed out of my comfort zone on a daily basis, and that I have the strength and understanding to get through every day, 1 day at a time.

10. I am thankful for the fact that every night when I go to bed, Peter (who is always asleep before me) will open his arms to give me a sleepy cuddle.

The Fat Files...

2009-08-25T15:46:00.001+10:00

I have never had problems with my weight. As a kid I had an awesome metabolism, and could eat whatever crap I wanted and would never gain an ounce. I regularly had ice cream for breakfast, coke with every meal, chips, biscuits, snacks, lollies….

I remember going to the doctor once about 5 years ago and being told that my BMI is too low, and that I needed to gain weight. I was ecstatic! To me this meant even more lollies, biscuits, fizzy drinks and my favourite, chocolate.

I think since there it has been a downward spiral. I am not as active as I once was, even though active to me back then meant a bowl of ice cream and a good book. I have started eating more and more and more, and I just can't stop myself. Instead of eating a square of chocolate I would eat the block. Instead of buying one chocolate bar I would buy 3.

This has been getting worse over the last 6 months, and I think something snapped last weekend. I don't have many clothes. I only had 1 pair of jeans that fit me (that weren't work pants) and I was happy to keep it at that. Last weekend it was like a switch was flicked, and all of a sudden it was summer. 30 degrees with Peter wanting to go fishing. I was hot just getting out of the car and walking to the hardware store!

So I decided to dig out my pretty skirts and shorts. I had a specific pair that I was after that I brought just after I moved here. I last wore them about 5 months ago, and I was absolutely shocked when I couldn't get them up past my knees.

I tried on every single pair of summer bottoms (shorts and skirts) that I own. Nothing fit. I was stuck in my jeans and sweating up a storm. I was rushing because of this stupid house viewing and it all just hit me. I am a lot larger than I was 6 months ago. Not fat, but from a size 12 to a size 14.

I guess I am lucky. I am so tall that I can pretty much pull it off. The weight is relative compared to my height. But I still have back-fat rolls and I remember this at the worst possible moments. My pants are tight, and my tops don't do up any more. I hate my body, and the lifestyle that I am living with it.

I have decided to eat healthier and do a bit more exercise. The exercise isn't coming easy. Being home after dark, and leaving home before 7am really takes its toll. I am stuffed after a full days work and then a 3 hour commute. (1.5hrs each way)

But my meals are now looking something like this:

Breakfast:

Special K with strawberries and trim milk

Water

Lunch:

Half a can of condensed soup, 1 orange

Water

Afternoon snack:

Muesli Bar

Dinner:

Whatever Peter cooks

Dessert:

Yoghurt with passionfruit topping or a piece of fruit

Dinner is usually the worst time of day, as I don't control what peter cooks. But I am drinking just under 2 litres of water a day, and I have cut out a lot of my naughty snacks. I feel a lot better about myself, but I am a lot hungrier than I used to be. I usually eat HUGE meals, so I am trying to eat in moderation.

Dieting sucks, but if I want to shift the weight then I have to do it. I have no more defined plans, and I don't have a time limit for shifting the weight. But I would like to have a nice body by Christmas. (Summer) I am going to ramp up the running, and along with my biking and taking the dog for walks it should help.

Now the horrible part…

I currently weigh as of this morning 86kg. (or 189 pounds) and I am a size 14 in tops and bottoms.

I would like to get back to 73kg (or between 70 and 75kg) and I would really like to get back to a size 10. BUT I don't know if this is realistic, so I would like to at least get back to a 12 which is what my limited wardrobe is.

I will probably end up doing video blogs for this, so most of my activity will be over on my youtube account. I will post a link when the first vid is up.

I Hope this works!

The best weekend in a long time!

2009-08-24T10:48:00.001+10:00

I had a great weekend! The Sunshine Coast was lucky enough to get to
highs of 30 for both days, and I really understand how your mood is
affected by the weather!

We had the boring couply kind of weekend. We had to give the cat a
bath as she sat under a car that was leaking oil. So her fur was slick
and matted. After that we decided to teach Max to swim. He was not
happy with being in the water, but he is a champion swimmer for how
small he is!

We were going to go fishing, so in the spirit of hot weather I decided
to dig out some shorts. I tried on every pair that I owned (not many)
and I couldn't get them up past my thighs. This was so depressing
because I have worn these just over 6 months ago. I guess it made me
step back and actually look at the lifestyle I had.

I ended up in tears, and Peter was such a sweetie tyring to make it
better. But when you are in that kind of mood, I guess you don't
really want to be told that its ok, and that it doesn't matter.

We had a house viewing in Strathpine (half an hour closer to town than
we currently are) and decided to go to the mall there afterwards.

Side note: The house was crap. I guess this is the problem with living
in a brand new house that has everything we could want. The house we
say didn't have fences, you could see into the neighbours yards. There
were no ceiling fans, no air con and no dishwasher! The house looked
pretty scungy, so we aren't going to apply for it. But… we are still
looking for a rental. What a job!

At the mall we found a few summer tops for Peter and a found the
prettiest dress for me. I don't really have money to spend on extras
like that, so Peter brought it to make me happy again. He was so sweet
about it, and I feel so great wearing it. I also brought some ¾ pants
which.. are huge. They are a size bigger than what I would usually
wear, but I only have 1 pair of non work pants (jeans) so I needed to
get something summery that fitted me.

The rest of the weekend was spent visiting friends, watching movies,
and training the puppy. We brought some treats, and it is surprising
what he will do for them. He can sit (mostly, and only when you have a
treat) and soon we will start training him some other commands.

The weekend was great, so being back at work is a bit sad. The day is
perfect once again, and I want to be out there enjoying it!

A Bit Behind...

2009-08-20T20:42:00.003+10:00

I am always behind the times. Something I want will come out, and I will usually go after this thing a year so so later. Twilight has been the same. Waited for ages and ages to see what others thought, then I brought all the books based on internet reccommendations. (the library waiting list was huge!) I have since been thrown into the world of Twilight, and love it.

With new moon coming out soon I was looking on the net for the 2 teasers (and they are good!) and found this:

Sorry if the world has seen it before... but its new to me, and I think it is really cute!

Oh god. Why do I make life harder for myself?

2009-08-19T13:17:00.001+10:00

I don't even know where to begin. Things are kinda stressful over here at the moment, and I have had no time to update my poor blog. Basically what caused all the issues is the face that we brought a dog. Well a puppy. A teny tiny little fox terrier cross that we named Max.

Basically we went to the mall to buy some butter. I wanted to do some baking and we didn't have any left. Peter also wanted to buy some new clothes, which was the reason for even going down that end of the mall. We went past the pet store, and there was a litter of puppies there.

Now I usually HATE dogs. I am NOT a dog person at all. I will put up with them in friends homes, but never ever wanted one for myself. Well.. I walk past this pet store, and I fall crazily in love with the little things. We walked away, came back, walked away and decided to buy him.

We get him home, and then we ring the rental agency to ask about pets. I know! Really did that the wrong way. But we had the cats, so we ( I ) thought they would be ok with it. Turns out they weren't. Not at all happy!

So instead of getting rid of him, we decide to move house. And on his nightly walk, we eventually decided to BUY a house. Just because. Our main reasoning is the grant that is available at the moment. First home buyers will get $21,000 towards a brand new house, and $14,000 towards an existing home. (up until I think its October this year)

Soooo with all that in mind we made the leap of faith and applied for a home loan. No deposit, debt out our ears, but we still went for it. Our aim was to buy a house, and with any left over money we would pay it towards our debt. Then we would just have a mortgage.

Ha. So we were conditionally approved for the loan. (I KNOW!!!! Blew me away too) BUT the condition was that we come up with 5% of the loan amount as a deposit.

I don't really know what we were thinking. Well I do. In an ideal world we wanted a 100% loan. Which is laughable. But in a way, it's nice to know that we can be approved for a loan. It's good to know that the minute we get the money we can go to the bank and redeem the loan. I guess it makes me put faith in my money and budgeting.

The only problem is that we now have a dog in a house that we can't stay in. So, we are moving. I don't know where to quite yet, but what a mission. Finding rentals, looking at them, filling out application forms…

All I am thankful for is that the rental market has changed in the year we have been here. When we arrived, there would be at least 5 couples wanting the house that we were looking at. People with better references, no pets and lots of $$$. Now we have houses on our street that have been standing empty for weeks and weeks. All these houses and nobody to fill them. I am hoping like crazy that this will make it easier for us to find a house.

Otherwise I am going to scream!

The Horrors of the Internet...

2009-08-11T10:30:00.001+10:00

I have been hesitant to get onto my computer. Last week I have very vivid and real feeling dream, and I guess I am still a bit shocked! I don't usually dream, and if I do they are usually gone the minute I wake up. I usually remember only one dream every 6 months or so, and I feel quite lucky that I never have nightmares or horrible dreams. To make up for this I am a sleep talker, and I have had many interesting conversations with friends about what I say in my sleep!

My dream was long and detailed which I am not going to explain here, but basically the gist is that my online identity was stolen. All my passwords, IDs and accounts were not mine any more. I had no access to anything, and when I did manage to get on to facebook everything had been deleted and changed.

I have been really slack about passwords, as I have SO MANY different accounts and log ins that I have to remember. A few were the same with only a letter or number changed, and I didn't really care. Everything was linked back to my email account, and on that I have a very long and hard password that even I have trouble remembering. I thought that if anything was changed, then I just click on the "forgotten password" link, and change it in my emails.

So this weekend was spent changing passwords and log-in details. I made them as crazy and different as possible, but really… how the hell am I supposed to remember them all?!?

The dream was a real shake up, so hopefully nothing happens in real life!

Impressions

2009-08-06T12:48:00.001+10:00

Isn't it so weird that the smallest thing can lead you to change your impressions so easily?

I got told yesterday that Fiji was cancelled. Basically they didn't want to put up the $$ for the airfare. (Accommodation and all meals were hosted)

Yesterday I was so frustrated and angry with my job. There are a few other aspects that I have always been un-happy with, but with the "financial crisis" (which is NOT actually happening in Australia) These aspects are not going to be changed any time soon.

Along with the anger towards the company, I also feel embarrassed. Embarrassed for the fact that these hotels have kindly offered to put us up, and then we now have to come along and say no. Embarrassed for the fact that we had meetings set up, dinners organised and relationships to forge. Embarrassed that the boss said "Yes, go ahead I can confirm this" and then a week later says "No. You cant go"

Why couldn't he just say no to start off with? Why say yes, get us to get EVERYTHING organised, and then come back to say no.

GRRRR!

Cats and Cleaning

2009-08-05T09:28:00.001+10:00

Doing the cat litter is the bane of our existence. We both hate doing it but because our cats were inside cats before the move, it is a necessary item. We don't have cat doors, and all of our windows have security screens over them. So there is no way for them to get out during the night.

Conversations usually go like this:

Him: Can you do the cat litter?

Me: No

Him: Please?

Me: No

Him: I picked you up.

Me: No

Him: You just have to rinse it and put new litter in

Me: Fine. **stomps off huffily at loosing the argument**

*******

Me: Can you do the cat litter?

Him: No

Me: You have to

Him: Fine.

**rustling noises coming from the laundry**

Me: You need to scrape it out properly with toilet paper or something. And then rinse it and wash it with the floor cleaner that is under the sink. Bang it out on the ground outside so no litter goes down the drain in the laundry, and don't forget to DRY it. Otherwise it's kind of pointless to put litter in there to soak up the water.

Me: Did you hear me?!

Me: Huh?

Him: Do it yourself.

*******

Him: Can you do cat litter?

Me: Can you fold the washing, scrub the toilets, remove the mould from the shower, mop the tiles, load the dishwasher, clean the kitchen and fix my computer?

Him: Yes.

Me: Crap. Um i'll do all that and YOU can do the cat litter.

Me: Love yooou

Exciting!!

2009-08-03T09:29:00.001+10:00

I can't believe that it is the 3rd of August already. This year has gone by so fast! With my new job the weeks are being blurred into one. I am so crazy busy, that its Monday.. and then all of a sudden its Friday afternoon. I don't know what to make of it.

- In less than a month I will have been in Australia for one year!

I can't get my head around that. One year!

I have a few exciting things happening at the moment. Along with the new car, we also got a home entertainment unit. We set it up yesterday, and does it go! Music sounds awesome, movies sound great. This is our first proper sound system, so wow!

And I also found out that I am going to Fiji. In 17 days. Just because work likes to spring these kind of things onto me at the last minute. Imagine if I didn't have a passport!

So back to Fiji. WOW! I have never been to the pacific Islands before, and I am so giddy. I will be having a lot to do with Fiji in my new role, so of course I need to know the destination. Its going to be a whirlwind trip. 20th to the 23rd of August. It is going to be hotel inspections, meeting suppliers and having a ball.

My new boss (whom I love) is coming with me, and it is going to be a great time. I am stoked that I am going, and I may or may not have been jumping up and down my hallway screaming "FIJI! OMGIMGOINGTOFIJI!!" when I found out.

I also have a sky diving voucher to use. Actually, I need to look that up. Knowing me it will probably expire next weekend. So I will be doing that soon too.

So exciting things are happening!

Tricked You!

2009-08-02T10:06:00.000+10:00

Peter has always been a tricker. On many occasions he has successfully confused/annoyed or completely baffled me.

When we were in NZ one night I was trying to get him to see this thing I was pointing at. It was pitch black, and we were in bed. So he told me he couldn't see it.

I spent AGES trying to figure that one out. I know that my eyes adjust to the darkness, and I can make out the outlines of furniture or things in the room. Apparently didn't happen for him. I held my hand about 30cm away from his face, and asked if he could see my hand. He told me he couldn't, so I thought he was blind in the dark.

This went on until a few months ago where I asked him to get something and we got talking about seeing in the dark. He told me he could actually see, and he was just tricking me. This delusion went on for about oh… SIX MONTHS!

He did it again to me the other day. My train stopped due to "signal failure" and I ended up being an hour late. Usually I will send a txt message (SMS here) to Peter when to pick me up (when I am a few stops from home). On this occasion I txt him to ask him if he would be able to pick me up. I hadn't planned to be picked up, so I thought it would be nicer to ask before just telling him when to leave.

He said he would pick me up, but didn't know how late the train was. He assumed I was ready when I sent the message, so he came to get me. I txt him when I am nearly there to say "can you come and pick me up now?" and he send a message back "I came when you txt me. I was waiting for ages, and now I am back home!"

Of course I was starting to get annoyed. I thought out my argument in my head, and txt back that I had just asked him if he would pick me up. NOT to come and get me. I called him when I was at the station, and I ended up being so frustrated and annoyed with him.

We had a disagreement, and I nearly nearly picked a fight about it. He maintained that he was at home, and that he had waited for me for ages. I asked him if he could come back and get me, and he told me that tea was cooking so he couldn't leave. I hung up on him, like any classy chick would.

When I got around the corner to my bike locker, I did a double take. Our car was sitting there… Peter jumps out, gives me a kiss and told me that he tricked me. Of course I couldn't be angry at him, he had sat there for over half an hour waiting for me.

I really don't know what to make of these situations. These days I can pick when he is tricking, or pulling my leg. But that one really blew me. I had no idea at all!

New Car? ... Maybe not!

2009-07-28T18:36:00.007+10:00

We brought our new car last night. After filling up with petrol we hit the road for the hour and a half drive home (this is in rush-hour traffic, so it was longer too!)

After a while the car (ok it’s a 4wd, but really? To me it’s a car) started heating up. Peter had been told previously that the Toyota Surfs do run kind of hot. It kept getting hotter and hotter and eventually it was so hot it was of the gauge! I thought something was up but not being able to drive a manual, or ever driving in that kind of car I kept my mouth shut.

When we were on the highway something exploded and crap came out all over the car. We pulled off, and luckily we managed to pull into an emergency bay. After popping the hood, we (ok… Peter) figure out that the radiator pipe has burst off and all that crap was the radiator fluid.

At this point I feel kind of bad. It was running hot when I decided to check that this car actually had air conditioning (our Honda doesn’t) at this point the engine started labouring and making pretty bad noises. I think I pushed the poor thing over the edge! – for the records, air con works great.

**Not to long ago we had an issue with our car crapping out, so I have joined RACQ which is a roadside assist. As it was so cheap (being under 20 had some perks) I upgraded to the more expensive option.**

So I call RACQ and tell them the issue. “I have membership, but we are just driving our new car home and it has broken down.” What doe they tell me? “Cant help. Sorry. You need to join up the new car and then we can get roadside assist out”

So I join up the new car, and $98 later we finally talk to the tow guys. They can only get us off the motorway we found out, then we needed to get another tow truck to tow us to wherever we needed to go. At this point I call the dealership and let the guy know what has happened.

He is furious that it has broken down (meaning the auto check wasn’t obviously done properly by the mechanic) and instantly calls his boss to get the car fixed. At this stage it is now about 8pm.

We ended up having to tow the truck back to where we got it, and they are going to fix it there. This was another $70 for the tow (which we are going to be reimbursed) and a LOT of waiting around.

When we finally got back to the dealership, we are met by the salesman who has come from home to help us. He gives us another car to get us back home, and boy is it lovely! It’s a 2006 Ford Fairmont Ghis (or it could be Ghia) and man does it go smooth on the open road. I LOVE it so much and want to keep it for ever and ever!

We have never had a new or a flash car. I (and Peter too, and most teens in NZ) have always had cars from the 90's. Hell I have even had one from the 80's. Older than me that thing was!

So I love the flash car we are borrowing, but it comes with a hefty price tag. So unfortunately when our car is fixed I will have to give it back. He was going to give us a Dodge Magnum (I know!) but I couldn’t be bothered waiting around for him to open the dealership and get the car out, when this car was already waiting.

We finally got home just before 11, and poor Peter had to get up at 11pm to go to work! He had no sleep at all, so he was buggered.

After all this I really expected to get angry. But in all honesty I’m not. I have become used to the fact that the customer service in Brisbane is sub-standard, but this was exceptional. Especially for a car salesman! He was apologetic, annoyed that someone hadn’t done their job properly (Mechanic) and was really eager to put the problem right. He gave us a stunner of a loan car, and he has already called me today to give me an update of what has been happening.

So we started out with this:

(our actual car. Yes that's me looking in the boot)

And for the next week or less we will have something like this:

Puts our little Honda to shame!

Names and Places

2009-07-27T13:32:00.002+10:00

After spending the weekend looking we did buy a 4WD. It is a Toyota Surf, and no doubt we will have many many pictures to show soon. We pick it up tonight, and the logistics are hard! This car yard is in Ipswich, which is nearly 2 hours away from our house! So Peter in training in, and then we will train together to the car yard. I will then pick up his car from the station and drive home.

It's a manual. That's also a problem, as I have never driven a manual before in my life. Peter has owned one, but that was over 3 years ago! So its going to be an interesting drive home.

After we found the car we decided to do a bit of research on what kind of tracks there are for off-roading. We found a few good ones, but some of the place names were crazy! Whoever named the towns/citys in QLD really loved the oo's. Here are a few of the names I have found with oo's in them.

Aroona
Baroon pocket
Boonah
Boondall
Boonooroo
Booroorbin
Caboolture
Cooloolabin
Cooloola
Coolum
Coondoo
Cooroy
Cooran
Cootharaba
Donnybrook
Doolbi
Doonan
Gootchie
Indooroopilly
Jimboomba
Kulangoor
Maaroom
Marcoola
Moodlu
Mooloo
Mooloolaba
Mooloolah
Moorina
Maroochydore
Noosa
Palm Woods
Poona National Park
Thinoomba
Toogoom
Toolara State Forrest
Toorbul
Toowoomba
Toowong
Woody Point
Wooloowin
Woombye
Wootha
Woowoonga
Yaroomba

Mt Coolum
Mt Coo-Tha
Cooroy Mountain

And one for the immature… (Me included! I got a good giggle when I heard this) Bald Knob. An actual city! It was on the news a while back for some pretty bad fires. Heh. Bald Knob.

Choices

2009-07-24T17:36:00.000+10:00

Australia has never been a permanent choice. We both have always known that we would move back to NZ… Eventually. Maybe 2 years, maybe 10. We have just been going with the flow. Our first year (well just under) has gone so fast! Nothing much has changed except the new kitchen table.

The last week has been spent deliberating. We have been deciding weather to settle in some more, or to stay as we are. We decided to settle in some more.

Everything we buy has usually been thought about. When we move back we will move with all our furniture, so of course we are trying to keep our assets low. The more we get the more it will cost us to move back. That being said – our house looks really empty!

Over the weekend we went out and brought a home entertainment system. Just the usual – DVD player, speakers and a sub. Nothing major, but a little step over the “settling” line. This week we took a few more giant steps. We are going to get a second car. And maybe a boat.

The second car will actually be a truck. One of our past times in NZ was going 4x4ing. It was great fun, and we were members in a club for a while. We have been stuck, drowned, stormed on, and pulled out. I actually miss barrelling through rivers and sliding in mud patches.

So we (well Peter) is going to get a truck and if he has enough left over, he is going to get a boat too. That will be a mission to get in the garage (we live up a steep-ish hill) but it will be a fun way to spend weekends.

Nothing here has ever felt permanent, but I think finally we are starting to have some roots. I love the feeling!

Birthdays

2009-07-22T09:10:00.002+10:00

In two days I will be 20. In some ways it feels like this is no big deal. Just another birthday, just another year older. In other ways I am freaking out. 20. God. What the hell have I done with my life?

I guess I shouldn't worry about my birthday, but I do. I had plans, dreams and hopes. I wanted things accomplished before I was 20, and I know that it's not going to happen.

My main dream was to be a home owner by the time I was 20. I know! Dream big right? When I was in high school I decided that I wanted to own my own home. I would get in flatmates, but why pay rent to someone else when you can pay off a mortgage?

I guess I did it all wrong. I should have lived at home and saved my money. I shouldn't have spent it on the crap that I did. Crap I can't even remember! I was going to save a 20k deposit and get on with finding a lovely, if not small home.

But.. lots of things happened. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I moved out of home at 16, and went to live with a guy a few years older then me. He was almost like a brother (only child here!) and charged a tiny rent in a furnished room. It was through him that I met Peter and all of his friends. It was through him that I met one of my best friends (his gf) and that we used to regularly go out as a four-some, or a double date.

I feel disappointed that I don't have my 20k, and that I am now almost that much in debt. I hate myself for being lazy and stupid. I up and left my home, and cost myself even more money. But I did get some good friendships out of it.

And really, its not about the money. I get paid peanuts. I hate not being able to go out often, and I hate that all my money goes onto my loans. I hate the stupid wage freeze, but I love the people I work with. I guess everything is a trade off.

I am trading off another year of my youth for all the happiness that I am encountering. I am ridiculously happy and I am very pleased with my life, and the people I choose to have in it. 20 is not so bad. Just a number really.

Getting old sucks. I guess I will look back on this post in 20 years and scoff at my young self for saying this now. But its true. Getting old sucks.