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Another good day. I managed to get all the washing done and hung on the line, and most of it dry. This doesn’t sound like much but it puts me in a really good mood. I also cleaned both bathrooms and toilets, changed the bedsheets, and started sorting out the room we call the ironing room. As you may have guessed, this is where we keep clean clothes before they’re ironed, together with the ironing board and iron. I should add it’s my least favourite room in the house, particularly as it often looks like a bomb has gone off in there.
The cat has spent most of today sleeping in her box on our barbeque, outside the kitchen window. She’s a determined napper – she even managed to sleep through C vacuuming. I read somewhere that cats sleep about 16 hours a day. This sounds about right, from what I’ve seen with the cat.
It’s kind of hard to believe that tomorrow is Monday (and work) already…. the weekend has gone so quickly, and I don’t feel like I’ve really had any time to relax. Still, I’ve done heaps, and that’s always good.
Yes we are both still alive! It was C’s birthday on the 2nd of August, which took a fair bit of prep, as we had his dad and stepmum over to a three course dinner that I cooked. Yep three courses, plus little coffee meringues for afters. I was shattered by the time it was over, but it was worth it – C had a great night. As the 2nd was a Tuesday, I then had to struggle through the rest of the week at work knackered, but it was a good evening.
On the third, we lost both internet and phone connectivity. Thanks Telstra! We’re iinet naked DSL customers, and it appears one of Telstra’s techs just stole our line for a new customer in the area :O This shit amazes me. It’s anti-competitive behaviour, as far as I’m concerned. Anyhow, we didn’t get a connection back for nearly a week and a half. Pretty stressful as C was on call for a week during that period. Luckily for the first time in forever, he didn’t actually get called on the entire week. This is just about a miracle.
LIfe has been going pretty well generally. We’re finding the properties are all behaving themselves, which is nice. We had people move out on Friday and for some reason, I washed all the linen like I was possessed. Not really sure why, as we didn’t have anyone due to move in to that property. Anyhow, wouldn’t you know it, I got a call and long story short, we did end up with people moving in on Saturday. I’m SO glad I got that linen all sorted out. How’s that for lucky?! They’re there for a minimum of three months, which is great. Next couple of turnovers will be happening at the beginning of September, so no rest for the wicked here.
Work is also going well – my boss P has asked me to put in for a permanent position. This is a good indicator. Mind you, I am pretty good 😉 I know he likes the work I do, plus the fact I can adapt reasonably easily. These two factors definitely count in my favour.
Firstly, YAY CADEL! I’m so proud <sniff> <wipes tear away>
Another good day. Ironed two business shirts for C, cleaned both bathrooms, changed linen on both beds, and finished off the laundry, including some white towels I bleached, so they’re actually white again. C vacuumed the house and even wanted to sort out the front room (our ‘crap room’) until I had to tell him his birthday presents were in there, unwrapped. I ended up wrapping them and even started cleaning up the loose paperwork that was in that room. Baby steps, baby steps.
I had lots of naps and also spent lots of quality time with the cat. She’s spending all her time with us now, and sleeping in her box we’ve given her every night. She’s such a darling. Even C has completely fallen under her spell. On the way home from work, the topic of discussion inevitably ends up being, will the cat be there when we get home? She usually is. Coincidentally we do normally feed her not long after we get home, but I prefer to think she likes to see us as well 😀
We have two turnovers this week, one mid-week (move out Tuesday, move in Wednesday). I’m going to see if I can take a day of annual leave on Wednesday, which will make things a lot easier.
It’s been a really good day. I did the food shopping and also managed to do some ‘other’ shopping – C’s birthday is coming up, so I bought a couple of shirts for my mum and J to give him, and some other stuff from me. I also bought some new work shoes, after one heel on my current pair broke on Friday.
After that I came home and had a nice nap, then got up and did some house stuff – did some laundry, weeded the back lawn, and cooked a cottage pie for dinner. Actually I cooked two, so dinner for (probably) Tuesday is now sorted out as well. I even managed to clean up the kitchen when I was cooking, an unusual feat for me. (Unlike the stereotype, I’m a hopeless multitasker. I’m basically an honorary man in that department.)
Now I’m sitting back, warm and clean (just had my shower) and I’m watching Cadel Evans put in the fight of his life for the 20th stage of the Tour de France. I hope he wins!! Hang in there Cadel, you have the whole country rooting for you 😀
As per usual it was a good weekend. We broke with tradition and spent most of Saturday weeding our front garden beds. On the rare occasion that we get outside, it’s usually on a Sunday afternoon, but for some reason this weekend it was Saturday. I think part of it was the weather – it was just beautiful, about 19 degrees C and sunny. Another part of it was that I just couldn’t live with the weeds any longer. When they’re bigger than the plants, you know you have to do something.
Anyhow, I spent probably five hours out there, and C spent about two, so we got a fair bit done. After we were over weeding, C sprayed the recalcitrant weeds (mostly couch grass runners that had got into the garden beds) and I fertilised various plants with Miracle Gro. Should be interesting to see if it makes a difference. I then outdid myself by going inside and cooking up a magnificent roast lamb dinner, complete with vegies. Damn it was good! There’s lots of lamb left over, so I can see what we’re going to be eating for the next few days.
We had great intentions of going to Bunnings and Landsdale Plants today, but as it turned out I was sore from all the unprecedented hard work yesterday. C is calling me Gerry (as in, geriatric) and teasing me about being so unfit. It’d be funny if it wasn’t true. Still, it’s worth it, the garden looks so much less disreputable. Now all we need to do is remove the 12 foot dead pine from the front of the house (I wish I was joking, but I’m not).
Lots has been happening. Specifically, my little brother got married a couple of weeks ago. It went perfectly. He and his other half had asked me to do a reading, which I was happy to do. We gave them a lovely card, and a healthy cheque. I had already asked them what they wanted, and they’d replied money, which we were happy to go with.
The properties are all behaving themselves, although somehow it’s happened that they’re now all falling vacant at the same time. This isn’t an issue in terms of money, as I allow a fair buffer; but it does make doing turnovers HELL. Nothing like cleaning four 2-bedroom apartments in one weekend, plus preparing all the paperwork for the new tenants! Sucky doesn’t begin to describe it. Oh well.
I have been crook for the last two weeks. Some kind of flu bug, despite the fact I did get the flu injection a couple of months ago. It really knocked me around and I’m still not feeling 100% by any means. I actually had today off, even though I was back at work this week, as I woke up feeling crap, with a sore throat and earache. Still, I did get a few things done – all the laundry, plus cleaned both bathrooms. It makes for a good start to the weekend.
I wanted to share this as it’s pretty much fool proof – I made them yesterday for the first time and they were quick and simple. Plus they tasted great 🙂
Ingredients:
500g self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
100g butter @ room temp
1 pinch salt
1 cup milk, soured with a squeeze of lemon (or alternatively 1 cup buttermilk)
Method: Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius, and butter a cookie sheet. Mix dry ingredients in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. (I don’t have a food processor so I just used my blender, did it in two lots so as to not burn out the motor, and this worked fine.) Put into a bowl and quickly mix in the milk. Turn out onto a floured board and gently pat out to about 3cms high. Cut into squares or circles and arrange closely together on buttered cookie sheet. Cook for 12-15 minutes. Serve with jam and whipped cream while hot – delicious 🙂
The thing I like about this recipe is that there’s none of that tedious ‘rubbing in’ crap that so many recipes have, and the scones taste just like Gran’s used to. So good. My mother loved them, and she’s a harsh critic. (More on that in another post.)
This has been a good weekend. We had my brother and his fiancee over to dinner last night, to celebrate his birthday. We’d normally go to Mum and J’s place, but they’re over east, and as my brother’s only sibling I felt like it would be nice if I did something. So C and I spent all day cleaning, I cooked roast beef and vegies, and it all went so well they didn’t leave until 1am! C and I were zonked! But it was a great night, and my brother appreciated it, which was lovely 🙂
As a result of such a busy day and late night, I spent most of today sleeping – I was just shattered. I had two naps, both about three hours long, and I only felt normal when I woke up from the second nap at about 6pm tonight. And I won’t have any problems sleeping tonight, either. Being tired is the key trigger for my depression, and I’ve learned that ridiculous amounts of sleep for normal people are sometimes necessary for me to keep functioning.
And tonight, after dinner, C asked me if I’d like to go down south next week, for five nights. (We have a week of leave but we hadn’t made any specific plans for it.) Of course I said yes, so he booked it online. We’re going to a place called Harmony Forest in Margaret River, which is beautiful and isolated. We actually got married there so it has lots of good memories for us both 🙂 So that will make our week off work extra special. I’m looking forward to it already.
I just realised tonight that I have the BEST life.
I have a husband who, despite my many obvious (and not-so-obvious) failings, adores me. I asked him last week if we could have my grandmother’s piano. We would need to sell our substantial buffet, which stores heaps of stuff, to be able to have it. He said to me, ‘If you want the piano, you can have the piano’. On top of that, our relationship is based on mutual trust and respect for each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
I have friends who love me for whom I am – even when that means easily tired, grumpy, and self-absorbed.
I have family who would walk over fire for me. My brother is somebody who I know will always be there if I need him. My mother loves me too, as does my stepfather (bless him!). My stepfather’s kids are also fantastic – all five of them.
I have a job which is interesting, challenging, and provides me with coworkers who are funny, intelligent, and great company.
My mental illness is currently in remission, and has been since the beginning of this year.
I have a GP who is great, and an absolutely wonderful psychiatrist. This may not sound like much, but trust me, good medical assistance is worth its weight in platinum.
I am lucky enough to have a life partner who shares my dreams, hopes, values, and who thinks uncannily like I do.
I am so very lucky.
After trying to avoid catching C’s cold all last week, on Thursday I finally succumbed. Off work Friday, off work today, and quite possibly off work tomorrow too. Being sick sucks BIG HAIRY DONKEY BALLS. I have a nasty suspicion that I’m coming down with a sinus infection, as well. Snot isn’t meant to be grass green, is it? Nope, that’s what I thought. It’s only really just gone nasty overnight, so I’m trying out a home remedy – two tablespoons apple cider vinegar in a cup of water, skulled. (Pretty much the only way you can drink it, trust me.) Apparently the ACV has magical snot-thinning properties. I’m just hoping for the best – I really don’t want to have to go on antibiotics again.
a life half lived 