Its too darn hot.

I am sitting at home after being out for dinner and relishing in the fact that it is 24C (75F). This is fantastic after the 45.1C (113.18F). The house is starting to exhale the hot air.

Then there are all the power outages. I have been lucky but I know people who had over 30 hours of no power. It came back on today then went out again! Where I went out to dinner they had the upper hand over all the nearby restaurants. They were the only one with power. Of course they are run off their feet and everyone serving in the restaurant is looking a little stretched.

What the power companies are talking of now is enforced black outs - 2hours a pop - to try and cope with the amount of energy being used. I would hate to think what the carbon footprint is for the state at the moment!

I also heard in the news that the state government is thinking of utilising emergency powers to force the non use of certain things. The report didn't mention which things....

Surprisingly I have not heard much from the Western Front out the back. They are quiet. I am blessed.

Tomorrow is set to be 33C (91.4F) which is actually really cold compared to the last few days. Oh who am I trying to kid. It's still hot but I am thinking that it is less than 40C (104F). The long range forecast is low to mid 30s for the remainder of the week. With kids starting it will be interesting. But this is summer. This reminds me of what being a kid was like.......

Bringing me to my thoughts on my 'new' house - environmentally friendly and designed for the hot and cold.........

back to work

I started back at work yesterday.

It was, and still is, bloody hot!

Yesterday topped 43C. (109F) Today 44.8C (112.64F). Tomorrow will be about 43 again! Overnight we have got down to 29C (84.2F). Tonight will be 27C (80.6F).

I have minimal air conditioning and I am not turning it on when I get home as the room it is in gets the strongest afternoon sun. Despite this I have slept well.

Starting work yesterday I developed a nasty headache which had migraine-like side effects (bloodshot eye). I was a bit of a pain to be around - what with the idea of going back to work, the heat and then the amazing amount of noise amongst the staff just threw me completely.

I was a bit out of it. I didn't know but a few others noticed.

Today was better for me but not for a 'local'.

As I left school I saw a little possum struggling to cross the hot road. I moved closer to it and it tried to find comfort with me. Possums just don't come near humans.

I tried feeding him some water but it was not working. I picked him up and walked back to the school. A parent of an ex student stopped and helped me by picking up my gear. When we got into the school I wrapped the little baby in a wet towel and got instructions to the nearest vet from Scott, who also put a box together for me to carry the possum in.

Unfortunately the possum didn't make it. When I got to the vet he told me that lots of possums have been brought in. A lot of possums make their homes in the roof of peoples houses. With the temperatures we've been having it must be SOOOOOO hot in the roof. The vet was thinking most roof cavities were closer to 50C (122F) or more!

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. It wont be cooler but a cool change is coming......apparently.

Goals

I have been inspired by Amanda so I am now writing my own

GOALS LIST FOR 2009. I know that we are at the end of January but these things take time......

1. Purchase my own property. This means investigating the market etc NOW. (note to self - get on with it!)
2. Sort out my health once and for all. This is well under way. I will keep you posted of my progress as I have things to comment about.
3. Plan my next overseas trip and start saving for it. This will be interesting as all my money at the moment is going straight into home ownership at the moment.
4. Not use my credit card for a month - and that month is February. If it works successfully I will do again in a few months after that.
5. Laugh more each day - already have a good chortle but I want laughter lines on my face. I don't want a prune face that shows anger and bitterness.
6. 'Reward' myself each and everyday for all the things I'm thankful for - particularly with me!
7. Not getting bogged down by the crap that is workplace politics. Life is too short and I work with a number of fantastic people. I will seek them out rather than listening to the IDIOTS instead. Like most work places there are idiots there and they are full of hot air that 'MUST' escape their lips. Meh! I half did this last year and it was fantastic. This year I will do it completely.
8. Read more. Something that I discovered last year that I really enjoy. I was surprised. I am a visual thinker and find that reading rewards that style of thinking.
   
9. Buy a new artist each pay so I can expand my listening.
10. See a new movie once a month. Sometimes I just ignored the movies even though I had gone out to them with friends. Coffee and conversation was always more interesting but I think this year I might try and keep up with some current culture.
11. Go on a date at least once a month. I go out nearly all the time. I have a few Friday/Saturday nights home but socialising in a group is not the same as a date. I did this a few years ago but I was not selective in my initial acceptance of dates. Had some great stories to tell but as a result of the craziness of it I stopped going out on dates for a year.
12. Finish the projects that are in the cupboard.
13. Go for a walk everyday.
14. Practice my yoga everyday.
15. Be thankful for each day for what it is and not what it could be.

So if you have a list of things you have decided to focus on this year let me know.....


just decided to add these two in because this is where my head is at the moment. For reasons that I will keep to myself but this first one is my theme song that arises when speaking to people who annoy me and it has arisen in the last week......Language warning





And this one is bloody funny and true. Nobody likes a BOGAN it's true

changes

I have been catching up on reading so many blogs. It has been great. I realised that I have become a lurker, which is a title that I can deal with quite happily.

My own blogging is less prolific. I am quite happy with this concept. I have made a decision that I will only blog when I feel that I have something to say. Most people do and their blogs are fascinating.

I felt, particularly in the last few weeks of last year, that I was writing in a very blah, blah, blah style. I'm not up for that anymore.

I also realised that I have encouraged many people in my world to read my blog and therefore left with the situation that many people 'know' what is going on in my world and make conversation next to impossible. Seeing I love the art of conversation I am now officially frustrated.

Here is what I have been thinking about in the past while. I am going to pick something that has been brewing in my head, world or whatever and then post on that. It will be a personal response to the 'issue' but I might not rant as much. (who am I trying to kid on the ranting!)

I have also been thinking of blog a week of significance and then a point form update......other days. Maybe.

This is a work in progress.

I'll keep you posted.ha ha ha (that was really funny - posted!!!!!! - you know blogging......meh!)

I'm not a fundamentalist

I am just back from my 'blob' holiday. I loved every minute of doing not much and love the idea that I am truly relaxed.

While I was away I read a book that I needed for one of my book clubs.

I WILL NOT mention the name of this book as it is one of THE worst books I have ever read. In 160+ pages I agreed with 1 1/2 sentences. It is unusual for me to feel so antsy about a book but this one pushed every button. Well done!

To put it succinctly it is one man's version on how people should live their life based on church teachings and quotes from the bible. What you end up with is quite strong rhetoric that smacks off far right thinking that you could not be blamed for confusing with the type of language that has been thrown about by other religion 'terrorists'. Just change the name of the god they talk about and you have exactly the same story.

A friend within the group did suggest that I might find the language a little challenging. The language was not a challenge. It was the fundamental belief that all should live according to this set of rules and if you don't then you will not live within gods love. hmmmmmm.

This book was suggested by someone in the book club and she is within her right to suggest anything but it has left me thinking that I might just have to plot my revenge. Do I offer a memoir of a woman who has lived as a prostitute and drug addict? What about a book about mental illness? I could throw in murder mysteries (both fiction and non-fiction).

If you have any interesting suggestions please comment. I would love to have something that is just a little bit of a challenge.

off again

I dropped the cat off for her next 'holiday'. She was rather quiet on the way to her resort. I am sure she will counter that with the return trip.

This afternoon - after the heat has predominantly gone - I will head off to Ocean Grove which is about 2 hours from my place, including city traffic. I will be there for a week with other friends dropping in and out. I think there might be one night when no one is dropping in. I have no problems with this. I have books to read and I might attempt to do some work - not sure of the chances.

My wine arrived last Friday and it has taken me until about now to unpack the boxes. The first box I unpacked was the one I got for my sister. I love the idea that you have no inkling of what is in which box and you stumble across the right thing straight away.

more holidays

I took this picture in the under water observatory at the end of the Bussellton Jetty. I love the colours I was able to get of the life under water.

I have finished the piecing of the material for the back of my quilt. I am finishing the socks for Vanessa and these will be sent with the scarf in the next day or two. It is very exciting.

Next week I am off to Ocean Grove for a week of nothingness. Bliss.

Overview of Western Australia and pictures.

By the time I got this post finished it was 4.10pm! I started at whatever time it says in the footer......

I am just in the process of importing all the photos that I took while I was in Western Australia. I think I took around 590 photos. I also had about another 15 that were from Melbourne so it is taking a little time to import all of these pictures.

I am looking at them and deciding which ones might be the best to show you how beautiful the West is. Most of the pictures are of nature. I realise I prefer natural shots as opposed to those of people. I don't mind the pictures of people but they're not my favourite.

I have also realised that my views of Perth were quite similar to The Missus who was visiting Melbourne from Boston. I was rather amused that she sees Melbourne as small - try Perth honey. I think Melbourne has a bigger population than Boston......

I like the idea of surprise that Australia has good coffee. Actually Melbourne has outstanding coffee and you MUST move beyond the American chains to get the best stuff. Try the Italian cafes for the best - including the flat whites you discovered. Perth on the other hand -the coffee - Meh!

The missus mentions that there isn't a whole lot to do in Melbourne. I was thinking the same thing about Perth. I then decided that this is unfair. If you know a city it is EASY to find something to do. There are so many things that you can do but it does depend on what you want to do. I heard the same sort of complaint from a Malaysian man in Perth. He comes from Kuala Lumpur where the city rarely sleeps. They have a big thing on shopping - at all hours.

Personally I found the museums interesting in all the towns/cities I ventured into. I also think just taking the time to observe how people live their lives rather than demanding to be entertained is important when you travel. I have been to small countries (Cook Islands) where the pace is so slow that you think carefully about something before you commit yourself to definitely deciding to do something about it.

Like most Australian cities there isn't a great deal to do in the city itself. We seem to have built a trading centre but things happen all over the metropolitan area as well moving into the country. Perth was much the same.

The rule about Australia is that it is a BIG place with a very small population. Western Australia even more so. You have to get out and about to see things. One week I was there I traveled 2500kms and saw a lot but I didn't even cover the whole state.

Here are a few photos of my trip - I have thought through which ones I think might interest.
A view of Perth city from Kings Park Gardens.

Sunset over the Indian Ocean at Cottlesloe. Beautiful.

Here is a blogging mandatory. Feet! That's all you get of me! My feet in the Indian Ocean.


Up close and personal with a baby kangaroo.
The memorial for HMAS Sydney in Geraldton - the dome is made of 645 birds - one for each sailor that was lost. It is an impressive site and something I am glad I got to see.

A close-up of some local wild flowers.

The Pinnacles. Really quite extraordinary.

Wave Rock - fairly impressive but after The Pinnacles not as impressive.

The jetty at Busselton - it's about 2km long. Slightly overcast - the rest sunny!


A river at but not Margaret River. One of the two overcast days I had.

the cats holiday

I arrived at the airport at 5.30am Saturday morning. I didn't fly that far (only 4 1/2 hours) but I was wrecked.

Home at 7am and straight into bed. I slept until 11 which was good. I then forced myself to stay awake for the next few hours. This turned out to be easier than I thought.

A + C made dinner for me Saturday night and I unloaded on them. I apologise to them for out talking anyone I know!

Finally I was home again and couldn't get to sleep! Can you believe this! 2 am I finally got there! Yay!

Sunday I went household shopping. I had nothing in the house. I mean NOTHING. I spent a mini fortune on good food and then decided to go and get my cat.

She stayed at the cat hotel down the road...so I got her and she talked all the way home. When I dropped her off it took me about 25 minutes there and also return. Sunday was a really hot day so EVERYONE was at the beach so it took 45 minutes to get home. It was a great drive home - Precious said something, I responded, she said something further. I have a feeling that I was being told off.

When we got home she followed me everywhere mewing and letting me know how terrible I am as an owner for leaving her somewhere. This went on for a good 4 1/2 hours.

Then she started purring. 6 hours!

Finally I got to sleep at 2 am this morning!

Now she is following me everywhere demanding serious lap time.

Oh the joys of pet ownership.

on my way home - sometime today.

I fly out of Perth tonight - 11.35pm local time. Here it is a sultry 39 Celsius. When I arrive in Melbourne it will be 5.05am and, from what I can read, 9 Celsius! Tomorrow in Melbourne it is meant to be about 22 which was less than the overnight temperature here last night.

I am not going to really miss the heat. I will miss it from the point of view of washing. I mean you can put the washing out and it will be dry within an hour - this is not a joke.

Packing today was quite an effort. As usual I overpacked clothes on my way here - 16kgs well the case weighs in at about 2 kgs but I think they make allowances for that already. I also had presents for people here. But I have purchased lots of chocolate, fudge, jams, spreads and wine.

Actually lets not talk about the wine.

No, I changed my mind again. I will.

I purchased 8 bottles and had planned on drinking at least 2 but that didn't happen. I then faced the consequential issue of how to get 8 bottles of wine from one side of the country to the other.

Solution. Post it. Australia post have special boxes so I that will do. Might cost me a little but, meh!

That's this afternoon. Post office to work out how much etc. I might have a rest and then we have dinner and finally off to the airport at 10pmish.

I purchased a case - overnight one - to travel with me on the plane. It has so many pockets and hidden compartments that I am not sure where they all start and finish. In that I have popped SOME chocolate, a few magazines and books and a few other trinkets.

All the spreads are wrapped in bubble wrap and clothes and are in my case.

As I mentioned the ease of washing and drying clothes earlier I will now tell you - and you do need to know - that I have no dirty clothes to go back with. I was up at 9.30 and washed my bed linen, clothes and towel. By 11.30 all were dry, folded and away. Riveting I know but I am impressed. When I get home I will put all of it away. All done! Exciting.

This means that I will get home - about 7am and collapse into bed for a few hours.