What's Happenin?!

So....what's happening here today?... not much at all!

Boys have 'student free day' or whatever they're calling it - doesn't really matter for Small Man - Z16 is still in bed (gee teenage boys can sleep!!). They had a good weekend, Saturday arvo they went into town to an internet gaming lounge place that Z16 frequents, met with some friends then went to the cinema to see the Simpsons movie.

Big A and I thought we might go to the Casino for tea - not a single parking space left!!! So we went to Macca's instead - and yes I was certainly cranky yesterday PMS (post maccas syndrome - he he!) but it was nice not having to cook! After that we went to a work mates place for a few drinks (not me with the drinks, Big A had my share, and his!) .

Picked the boys up from the cinema around 8pm and bought them back to the friends place for an hour, then bought them home, then went back and picked up the Big A - just in case I hadn't done enough to-ing and fro-ing for one night!!!!

Big A & Z16 went to the footy Sunday - Small Man and I stayed here doing our 'stuff' mucking about on the computer etc etc.

Had a visit from a guy that.... worked with Big A, lost his wife to cancer last year so had to leave work to look after his children, and now works for my senior PB (so technically works for me). He comes to visit every now and then for a chat, when he's having a bad day or just wants to ask for female advice on things.
He has a daughter aged 11 and a son aged 14.
He's doing a great job with the children, and each time I see him he's finding it a little easier to cope. He bought me some flowers yesterday (no, nothing like that at all, he just doesn't have anyone to buy flowers for any more and would buy them regularly for his wife, even before she was sick). Don't worry Big A isn't fazed - he actually was jealous that PK didn't buy them for him (he's a wally!).

I spent the afternoon wrestling with the stupid, stupid loss of suction/blocked hoses vacuum cleaner - vacuum cleaner NOT to buy "Wertheim" power head - don't buy it, you'll be majorly disappointed - they try and flog you these at Godfreys - tell em to get stuffed!!!!

Anyway - best go and do something - not vacuuming though - it could get ugly!!!

G
xx

You are a Self-Discoverer

You're not religious, but you've created your own kind of spirituality. Introspective and thoughtful, you tend to look inward for the divine. You are distrusting of all forms of organized religion. You especially dislike religious gurus and leaders, who you feel are charlatans.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Yin and Yang

Boobie Name Generator

Your Girl Parts Are Named:

Love Muffin

Girl Parts Name Generator

Your Aura is Violet

Idealistic and thoughtful, you have the mind and ideas to change the world. And you have the charisma of a great leader, even if you don't always use it! The purpose of your life: saying truths that other people dare not say Famous purples include: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Susan B. Anthony Careers for you to try: Political Activist, Inventor, Life Coach

What Color Is Your Aura?

Your Power Color Is Teal

At Your Highest: You feel accomplished and optimistic about the future. At Your Lowest: You feel in a slump and lack creativity. In Love: You tend to be many people's ideal partner. How You're Attractive: You make people feel confident and accepted. Your Eternal Question: "What Impression Am I Giving?"

What's Your Power Color?

Focus On The Positive...

I am going to focus on the positives in my life this morning - otherwise the negatives are going to chew me up! Bad morning already......feels like some things are slipping away....so no further mention of that!!!

I am grateful for my loving, practical, kind, faithful, generous husband

I am grateful for my loving, intelligent, compassionate, spiritual children - and I will add healthy to that (you never know!)

I am grateful for my pets, two cats, one dog & a sheep - each is an individual and I adore how they love us unconditionally

I am grateful for my home and it's peaceful surroundings, and the security it gives me

I am grateful for my job - the flexibility of it is allowing me to still work despite my current circumstances - and my team, even though two have let me down this week, I still care very deeply for each of them

I am grateful for my family - they're a mixed bunch with abundant 'ring-ins' but I love them all just the same

I am grateful for my friends - we are always there for each other

I am grateful for my blog, and those that read it - it has given me a window to the world, a forum to unload my frustrations, joy, happiness and sadness

I'm sure there are many other things I'm grateful for - but these are the main one's!

G
xxx

You are the World

Completion, Good Reward.

The World is the final card of the Major Arcana, and as such represents saturnian energies, time, and completion.

The World card pictures a dancer in a Yoni (sometimes made of laurel leaves). The Yoni symbolizes the great Mother, the cervix through which everything is born, and also the doorway to the next life after death. It is indicative of a complete circle. Everything is finally coming together, successfully and at last. You will get that Ph.D. you've been working for years to complete, graduate at long last, marry after a long engagement, or finish that huge project. This card is not for little ends, but for big ones, important ones, ones that come with well earned cheers and acknowledgements. Your hard work, knowledge, wisdom, patience, etc, will absolutely pay-off; you've done everything right.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Watching T.V.

It's a cats life!

G
xxx

Done and dusted!

YAY! Big A (He who is most efficient and organised and punctual) got the tax returns done and dusted last night - if it was left to me I'd be doing it the night before it was due......I do tend to fight against 'having to do things' and am a definite procrastinator - he on the other hand lives to an excellent schedule.....sometimes I'd like to be a little more like that (he would probably like it too!) - but we seem to blend well, despite being polar opposites on the personality scale!
I think we balance each other out, he worries that I don't worry enough about things!
He is quite straightforward, and to the point - people always know where they are with him - and they usually like it.
Whereas I am subtle, tactful and choose my words carefully - apparently they like that too!!
He is a morning person, likes to get out and get things done early, my best time of day is night time.
He can be impatient, I am not.
He likes routine - I hate it!

Our boys have ended up somewhere in the middle, but they are extreme opposites in every way - they don't even look like brothers! Yin and Yan!
You think same parents, same recipe similar results....nope, not here!!!

G
xxx

My Angel Name Is...

My Angel Name is......AKINA The Angel Of Life.

Take The Elemental Angel Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Motivation...

Motivation - or lack thereof - is one of the the biggest challenges I face in my job. Not my own motivation (well, sometimes) but that of my team.

One distributor in a rural area, who has around the highest sales per catalogue, has announced that her town is sick of Homecare, and that she's taking 6 months 'off'. Wouldn't that be nice!!! Unfortunately her sales don't reflect her customers apparent lack of interest - $980 in sales from 75 catalogues dropped/collected. To break it down as far as time spent goes it would have taken 30 mins to prepare catalogues, 2 - 3 hours to deliver + collect the books, 1 to 2 hours to deliver the goods - say 5 - 6 hours work - she will receive $196 commission - an average of $32 per hour. Don't think they pay that at Woolies!!!!

The work may be commission based, but to put in the same amount of work that you would at a 'normal' job would be far more worth it. They just don't see it.
Many seem to work if they have nothing better else to do - say for example they are offered extra hours at their other part time work, they'll do it - Homecare is so often put last - and it shits me!!!!

Our best distributors are active retiree's - the work ethic seems to be totally different amongst the mature crowd, reliability and attention to the little things seem to come more naturally.
So what to do?
Sometimes I could just boil over with frustration!!!! Even after ten years of similar stuff.
I don't pile the pressure on at all, I am understanding, patient and accepting of circumstances.

My senior team are for the most part terrific, but have worked the 'other job' scenario at different times, when their first commitment was to our team.

I have held Christmas in July for my senior team every year for the past few, we are all so busy in December that it's usually too stressful, too rushed and a hard time to all catch up. Having Christmas in July seems to provide that Winter motivation that is needed. We will be getting together next Wednesday, all going well. One has already informed me that he will be working his 'other' job Wednesday, so he'll just have to miss out then!!!

So now, will need to plan the menu! Last year we had three course lunch with pumpkin soup, traditional roast turkey + roast beef and veggies, followed by a strawberry hazelnut gateau and layered ice cream cake. I go as all out as I possibly can to spoil them, and have to make it all myself (my rule!). Maybe I should give them all some red bull or something to fire them up!!! We chit chat about work but there is certainly no agenda involved, after lunch we are usually all very relaxed and laid back.
This time I will take the opportunity to recognise one of my seniors for ten years of service - that will be nice. No idea what to buy him, none at all!!!!!
My ten years with the company came and went without so much as a 'thanks for coming' - that's fine, they'll keep.

Have a great day!!!

G
xxxx

New Day...!

Starting 'fresh' don't even want to think about yesterday!
Will add though that the drive 'out' to do my jobs (which I successfully completed once I stopped feeling so darn sorry for myself!) helped - can you be slightly agoraphobic yet get a bout of 'cabin fever' with it?!!! Course I can, multi-talented I am!
Boys are both still sleeping, I had to drag out the senega & ammonia for the horrid coughs last night - not sure that I'll get Z16 to take it again, it's pretty rank stuff - but all is quiet on the coughing front.....
George decided to dismantle a little frog in the kitchen some time last night - naturally I didn't see it until I trod on it - by outh Georgie you're lucky I had socks on.......yukky boy!! Poor little froggy.....

Could've slept in - but decided I needed 5 minutes to myself before the ratbags get up.....if I'd slept I'd end up feeling all useless like yesterday....then wouldn't get to sleep til late tonight....wouldn't want to get up tomorrow.......and on it goes!

G
xxx

Spinning and Twirling...

I really need to get back in charge of things!!!!!
My mind is going in circles today - far out I've wasted some time doing....?!
Probably blogging is the last thing I need to be doing, but if I write about getting my head straight - then I will have to - cos I've said I will!
I've barely done any eBay lately, and finally got a few things listed the other day, but I have loads more to do, and the cash would be handy at the moment.
This house never seems to be tidy, despite my best efforts - there are just 'things' in every room that shouldn't be there. A trick I learnt years ago was to do one room at a time, and not allow myself to be distracted until it was finished.....having the attention span of a flea leads to much distraction I can tell you!
The floor needs doing, but I can't be stuffed. The dishwasher needs unpacking....I don't want the boys doing it with their coughs.....My car is filthy, hasn't been washed in a while....destructo dog chewed thru the hose that many times it won't reach the driveway now...so I have to go to the car wash....so it goes on the too hard shelf for a while.....

The short list for today involves going out - oh the horror!!! Just to get power - the pay as you go seems to be more expensive I think, it's costing around $50 per week, and we have a woodheater.....get some petrol while I'm there, saves running out/panicking about running out tomorrow!!!
The daily trip to the supermarket - don't need much there so that'll be o.k.
Z16's blood test, if he's up to it - I'm sure he'll claim not to be....so will put it off til tomorrow maybe.
Send a few emails for work, and hope they don't want to ring me and discuss whatever it is for hours, cos I don't feel like it today.
Get some stats from the website ready to send to the almighty tomorrow morning.
How boring, I wish the small boring job fairy would turn up and do some of these things for me.....lazy, boring old woman I am......

I think having two sick children may be catching up just a bit, especially when one is semi permanent. Not a thing I can do about it though, that's the killer.
Whinge & moan - that'll really help eh!
O.k. enough totally uninteresting , repetitious dribble from me...
I'm going!!!!!

G
xxxx

Getting On With It....

We are all slightly better today - although Z16 didn't go to school - he's still asleep!
I have to take him for a blood test, was meant to go last Monday but the flu struck, so will get it done today.
Even destructo-dog (above) is walking better on her sore foot (vet had to cut the nail out).
Big A avoided the flu - so far - must have been all of my disinfecting efforts!! He he!

Small Man's gorgeous teacher emailed me last week to see about coming for a home visit, with the guidance counsellor, to let small man know how worried they are about him, and how everyone misses him etc. I didn't expect such support in a million years, the amount of contact and concern the school has shown just blows me away. It certainly wasn't like this last year in primary school - small man could miss a whole week, or two and I wouldn't hear a word. I received maybe two or three phone calls from the vice principal for the whole year regarding small man - wasn't up to him to be ringing really. His teacher last year actually made things worse as far as his anxiety - he'd miss a few days school and go back to a whole pile of work that he HAD to do "must get you ready for high school" - yeah right - he bought home more homework in grade 6 than Z16 has bought home in the last three years......

A bit of a relaxed weekend - we were due to go visiting down Port Sorell way Saturday- but had to take a rain check on that one - so the Big A went and did a wiring job he's been trying to find time for - and the boys and I slept in!
She's interesting stuff around here let me tell ya!!!!!!

G
xoxo

My Element Is Water...

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep. Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others. You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What's Your Element?

Better Day!

Z 16 bounced out of bed and announced he was better, and has gone to school!
Small Man is still in bed, but coughing much less, I had the vapouriser going all day/night with a mix of eucalyptus and a tiny bit of tea tree oil.
The Big A is home today, thankfully, Zara the naughty blue heeler has just gone with him to the Vet - she has hurt her foot (probably caught her nail whilst running up the back barking at Banjo the sheep). He'll be off to get a load of fire wood after that - I have a love hate relationship with that silly woodheater - I love the heat it throws out but hate the way it rules your life....whinge whinge, moan moan!! Wouldn't mind a heat pump......thanks universe!!!!
It's all very exciting stuff here let me tell you!!!!

Have a great day!
G - (aka chief snot rag washer)
xx

The Calm Before The Storm....

Yesterday, as it turns out, was just the calm before the storm here.
Small man was sleeping on the couch, he'd been coughing etc yesterday morning and looked a bit 'off'.....he ended up with a fever that quickly rose from 37.4 degrees to 38.6 degrees and rising within half an hour - he started hallucinating and getting pain in his legs.

I panicked!! I rarely ever panic - Z fell off the fence and broke both bones in his forearm when he was 7 - the bones were nearly sticking through his skin eeeewww! I was calm and in charge! organising pillows and a blanket, delegating who was to ring the ambulance etc etc!
I think that I have been so worried about my small man for so long I just didn't have a clue what to do and went to the pack.
So I rang the Big A - I think I just needed him to tell me to ring the doctors surgery. So I did.

They told me to bring him straight down, or if he deteriorated any further on the way in, go straight to the emergency dept at the hospital - I didn't really want to do that unless I had to, his resistance and immunity are obviously quite compromised at present, not to be all Michael Jackson but who knows what else he'd catch in there.
His doctor was pretty concerned when he saw us, small man looked terrible, still had a fever and sinus/throat/chest infection to go with it.
So today we are propped up with the ventilator/steam thingy to help loosen his cough, pillows are hanging out on the clothes line to freshen up, beds stripped and re-done, bathroom scrubbed and disinfected, clean hankies all ready to go, the computer keyboards have had the big wipe down - and hope for the best.

Tomorrow is another day....

G
xxxx

The Sound Of Silence

All is peaceful and quiet here - at the moment!
Small man is sound asleep on the lounge - he went to school yesterday afternoon and is worn out today - plus he has a terrible cough which isn't helping.
The Big A has been handling things a lot better, and seems to have accepted small man's ongoing illness and is more supportive.
I understand his frustration, but as I pointed out it doesn't help either small man or myself. I think he was afraid that if he accepts the situation it makes it REAL - I don't know, men have a different way of coping I think. Also he was raised in a household where any sort of illness was not accepted/handled too well.....I'll stop there I may say too much.....
Needless to say it was becoming very stressful, as he would ask nearly every day why he hadn't been to school, and often made the comment "he looks o.k. to me".
Small man's best time of the day, for whatever reason, is between 5pm and 8pm (when he hasn't been to school) - which is the time of day Dad see's him most - vicious cycle. When he has been to school he is more often than not asleep within an hour of getting home.
I know he wants answers and a solution, but we just have to accept that time is probably the only answer we will get for now, and just take each day as it comes.

Big A sent me a message yesterday just to ask how my day was going, that was lovely - he does that often out of the blue, and at the moment I need the support.
AND we went grocery shopping together just the two of us, which we haven't done in ages

Sometimes after 17 years together you can not think to do little things like that ....I'm glad he did...we were kind of drifting into our own little worlds a bit, so it's nice to be together more.

After ten years of shift work I'd grown pretty independent and used to doing everything on my own/with the boys - now that he's on day work (has been for the last few years) (Ugghh!) we have to work on a new dynamic that works for all of us, especially as the boys are growing up.

Ah well enough waffling for me, better go and make myself useful,
but not by cooking broccoli though!!!!

Go plough the field woman!!!!Plant that broccoli (says she with no idea when you are meant to plant broccoli)
Maybe tomorrow....he he!

G
xx

Poop on your Broccoli? No thanks!....

A mate of ours works at a vegetable processing factory here in Tas. He was telling us that all broccoli is to be imported from China rather than buying locally, and......get this......they use HUMAN FAECES as fertilizer in China.
If I ever needed an incentive to grow my own....that'll do it.

G
xxx

Thought For Today....xxx

Nothing to add to this really...G xx

Farewell 'Puss'

Last night I had the distressing experience of taking my brother, and his cat 'Puss' to the vet at 8pm. My brother called me in a panic, he found 'Puss' outside with his back legs paralyzed. The vet said he had either been hit by a car or had a fall, either way his spinal cord was severed, and the only thing to do was put him to sleep. I didn't cry until I'd taken my brother home again, and returned home myself. He has lost so much lately, to lose his little mate was about all he needed. He'd been lovely company for him for ten years. Farewell 'Puss'.....xxx

2.20am - 11.11am - what the?

And so I have woken at 2.20am every morning for the last three in a row - aware that I've been calling out/screaming from nightmares....What's going on????......
...and of course 11.11am - every time I look at the clock.....

must be going bonkers!!!

G
xxxxx

POSITIONS VACANT!

I have vacancies available for distributors in West Launceston, Beaconsfield and Beauty Point

if you know of someone looking for approx 8-10 hours per week flexible work please let me know!

I have tried just about every other avenue so thought I'd give this a try!

My Gemstone is Amethyst

Dignified, impressive, and wise. You have a deeply spiritual soul

I followed the link from Toni's blog - and this was my result - very sweet!

Solstice Moon - better late than never!

I love this pic!
Much more positive today after yesterdays 'downer' - luckily I have an ADD type personality - so nothing tends to stay in my head long enough to get to me too much - bonus!!!

Quote of the day from Z - (he has an extremely dry sense of humour):

"It's a good thing I love you so much Mum - or you'd have been gone a long time ago"

He throws comments like this out randomly - it cracks me up!

Small man 12 is due to go to school at recess today (11.40am) every time he's gone to school at recess Wednesday he comes home and either goes to bed, or falls asleep on the couch (he has chronic fatigue, from a bout of glandular fever and 'walking pneumonia' last year.
What sort of life is this for a 12 year old boy?
It's affecting him psychologically also, having to go to school and try and 'fit in' to the group - and stresses about missed work/having to catch up and what's happening with his friends. The school has been absolutely fantastic - I couldn't fault them.
If I could take this on for him I would in a second.

G
xxx

"Bad Weather" 'Friends'..

...you know what I mean - the 'friends' you only see when their lives are F*%ked and they have run out of people to lean on. Maybe I'm getting harsh in my old (he he) age - but I'm over it.
My husband (the Big A) reckons I'm a bit of a looney magnet, maybe he's partially right...no hang on he's not allowed to be right about stuff like that...kidding!

I'm so sick of giving up hours of my time for people that don't want to help themselves.
I have many close friends that have been n my life for years, but then I tend to get the drifters, that come in for a while, drain me of coffee, free counselling, readings etc....only to 'sort things out' with their partners/boss/mother in law.....then I don't hear from them until the next time. I may send a message to ask "how's it going?' and don't get a reply for days.

I've decided I'm going to start giving bad advice, or none at all - since they never actually follow my suggestions that often, unless it suits them. I may even buy some homebrand coffee to wash it down.
Am I being horrible, I feel I give as much as I can to others, my expectations of people are very few - just the basics, if you make arrangements to visit me, let me know if you're not going to turn up. A reply to my sms messages at least some time would be great, even if it's just a quick one to say 'Hey!'. Don't say you're going to ring me on a specific day at a specific time if you have no intention of doing so.
These things rattle me so much because I am prone to disorganization - so I put extra effort into being home when I'm expecting someone, and make sure I'm not in the middle of doing something as I'm not great with being interrupted when I'm working - not that anyone else would really know this it affects me on the inside, and slightly as I am able to hide it! So with all of this preparation it really lets me down if I'm waiting around all day/night for someone to show up.
I have been let down like this in the past, years ago when my eldest son was born I didn't know many people, didn't have a drivers licence (didn't get it until I was 21) and was quite lonely and isolated. I had a friend at the time that would tell me she was coming to visit at a specific time, and then wouldn't turn up - this would really upset me - the Big A was driving a cab at the time and so was gone for 12 hours at a stretch.

I don't know, I'd never treat anyone like it - isn't it just basic manners or something?
Or am I expecting too much and being in a difficult bitchy mood?

I feel like I have enough on my plate just at present.

My little man L who is 12 has been sick for 12 months, and has missed possibly 6 - 7 months of school all up.
I am trying to fit my work around him being at home (he is currently doing three afternoons of school per week) - take care of him as well as I can, try and encourage him to do some of the work that's being sent home (pointless really, if he was up to doing the work he'd be at school, but I get where they're coming from) - do all of the doctors visits/school phone calls/counsellors etc - take care of Z my 16 year old (who has ADD and still needs help remembering stuff and organizing himself) in grade ten with work experience coming up, decisions on grade 11 and 12.....support the Big A in his final year of an adult apprenticeship..... keep this house in some sort of order - it's a biggish house with a half finished garden that I can't even look at as it's frustrating - obviously backyard blitz lost my address or something (he he!) also a naughty Blue Heeler that insists on digging everything up.........

Feel better having written all of that down,
thanks for listening,

G
xx

Learners Licence Test Passed - YAY!

Z passed his learners licence test - first attempt - YAY!
So proud of him. He's done 2 hours driving already, he needs to do 50 hours before next May to be able to go for his "P's".
This is the 'Meez' we made of him - he doesn't have the tattoo's though! G xxx

...Got The New Hair!!

YAY! The hair arrived on Thursday - it took about an hour and a half to attach - pretty easy except when it came to the back - then I had to admit defeat and ask a friend to help me (I hate that!!! Ms Do-it-myself-don't need-help!).
I have trimmed it so it's about an inch and a half longer than my actual hair, but fills it in nicely. The colour is virtually identical to mine (the colour I have it currently anyway!).
I am very impressed with it - it looks nothing like the photo above - was just kiddin with that one - he he! Actually, I'm starting to look like my 'Meez' (below).......scary!!!!!

..My House Of Mystery...

It's official! My house is turning into the Bermuda triangle or something!
All I seem to have done is search for 'missing' items, Z believes that the house has 'claimed these things for itself' - nothing too huge, but lots of little things:

1. Nintendo DS console
   
2. Nintendo DS Game 'Nintendogs'
3. 'Champion' trucker hat
4. X-box 360 plug
5. White Arnette Sunglasses
6. 'Silver' toy guns

Like I said - nothing drastic - except for the DS console which is a bit of a worry. This amounts to most of my time lately - LOOKING FOR STUFF! The boys have had a good look themselves, but I can't stand not being able to find things - it drives me nuts!!!
So far none of these things have turned up ANYWHERE - I have searched cars, bedrooms, kitchen cupboards, bathroom cupboards...............