My cup runneth over and over ....

Does life get any better, I have been able to do this from home. I wore out two hamsters (in the wheel) waiting for this picture to down load, but another Eureka moment!!! I swear I have done nothing different to the last time I tried and it wouldn't work- unless it is because it is past the witching hour LOL. This is a picture of my abode as I walk back from school. Note vegetation and this was taken when I first arrived. Next Eureka moment:

My minimalist lifestyle is officially over - I had a ground kissing moment today (metaphorically speaking, - otherwise would have had a mouthful of ants LOL) when my boxes of "stuff" finally b.......y got here!!!! The poor bloke that delivered it spoke very little as he unloaded his van obviously sensing whilst I was delighted to receive said goods, there was much being 'unsaid' by myself . He had the grace to apologise for being two days late and I was gracious back, through only slightly clenched teeth, and replied it was the Perth branch of the company I had issues with and I would take them up with them accordingly. Very luckily for him, I was about to head out the door to Geraldton as he arrived, so did not get to the life story stage of hearing all his woes as a carrier, signed off the paperwork (may it burst into flames) and left.

I have opened said boxes tonight and had some laughs. Some things I had entirely forgotten I had packed and had many pleasant surprises. There have also been some 'Oh my God, what was I thinking' moments LOL. First things unpacked was my bedding and linen - ah, the utter joy to have more than one of everything! - the irony of it all is that I am not likely to get all this sorted before I come back home in 10 more sleeps. The other challenge being, where am I going to store everything LOL. It is like Christmas all over again.

This all happened just after I had managed to set up my new printer/copier/scanner finally. Perfect timing as I now can begin to get all my photos sorted, scanned and get printed hard copies as I like. Yay!

As I said before, I went to Geraldton and back today as workmate's husband, children and visiting friend were heading in to take the girls back to boarding school. I had stayed up at school last night instead of coming home as by the time we had moved fridges about, done supper etc I did not want to walk back in the dark with the risk of being eaten alive. (Am not 100% sure about the anti - bite tabs yet as have had a couple of new ones but none since I doubled the dose LOL). I also wanted to catch up on some emails, so the workmate and I decided to have a big girl's sleepover. Dragged a mattress out of one of the spare cubes and put it on the floor in the second room of our flat which worked fine.

Since taking photos of the local flora and fauna, the girls bought a new moth for me to take a photo of this morning - a little greeny-white thing with caramel coloured legs and undercarriage. The workmate was on duty today so I left after breakfast and she went off on a bus trip with the girls (only 13 as the others at basketball final and breakup in G ton). They went out bush and had a great time. They went to a river, (knee deep) and had a 'swim' and then they went looking for bush tucker. Apparently the bus got stopped on a dime when some plant was spotted up in a tree so everyone hopped off to try it. The next stop ( a repeat of the first) was when one of the girls spotted a lizard (sounds something like bung eye but will clairfy the name tomorrow LOL). Apparently the girls surrounded the tree and chased it until one put her hand in some bushes and grabbed it by the tail and proceeded to bash it on the road. Because she was taking to long for it to demise, one of the other girls grabbed it and whacked it on the head and just to make sure broke its legs (to immobilise it in case it wasn't dead!!!) and then put the demised beast on the bus to bring back to school - the idea was to cook and eat it..... There was also something else they tried that tastes like honey - will have to get the workmate to refresh me with the details tomorrow when she shows me the photos (that she took on my camera) of the great hunting and gathering expedition. I have made a snap decision that she will do the great outdoor pursuits next term if there is hunting and killing to be involved ( I would have had a 100 health and safety reasons why none of the above should have happened LOL) and I will do the trips to Gton, 10 pin bowling etc. unless we go out on Cart or any other horse riding on the farm!

In fact the demised lizard creature never made it back to school. When the group stopped at Mullewa pool on the way home, they donated the remains to a local aboriginal family who took it home to eat instead. (We had barbeque steak, sausage and chops which was exciting enough for me!!!)

My day was not as eventful but did do a small amount of being outdoors LOL. We got to Geraldton - and it was shut!!! I kid you not. We got there about 3pm and not a supermarket, nor anything else was open, it was like a ghost town!!! The only places we found open apart from one or two petrol stations was Bunnings and I know Rangers (a shop that sells stuff for the great outdoors) was open until 4pm because I had read a pamplet checking out the times earlier in the day. So instead, went to a swing type thing for the kids to have a go on just by part of the waterfront for about 15 mins. We then went further up the road (coastline) to where a lighthouse from the 1860's is still standing. We were able to park and walk on GRASS or the nearest thing to what I would call grass, to the beach. There were quite a few windsurfers out and people windsurfing with a parachute attached (not up enough on water sports to tell you the proper name) which looked amazing as one minute they would be surfing and the next they would be airborn. The sand I walked on was white and had a different texture - not gritty - more soft if that makes sense. We waded through ankle to calf deep water that was crystal clear with seaweed etc in it and then more sand and then the tide proper. Walked slightly behind everyone else just in case there was anything foreign lurking but all was OK. It was very windy but warm wind so also OK.

We then went back up to the monument for the HMAS Sydney to show the visiting friend and then after a quick trip to Macca's we dropped the girls off back at their school. I got to go in and have a quick look at the girls rooms (industrial espionage) as none of the blokes were allowed in the front door!!! The two staff were sat directly inside the door and that is as far as fathers/brothers etc are allowed to go other than the first and last day of term!

And then, once we had cleared Gton I drove back - the whole way - gravel road and all!!!. Had to laugh as the youngest boy (7rs) asked his father was he going to die? (have not had a reaction like that to my driving since, ummmm, my own boys were that age LOL - and I repeat once again - I never hit the goat!!!!). He then asked if I had a licence - to which I replied, yes, and I had sat it before his father was born! He then asked what speed I was doing ... 100k (the speed limit is 110k and most people drive at 130k) and yet again once I got to the gravel - I was doing 80k -and his father said he usually drove at 110-120k. Then once I had safely got us home and after I had put the car in park, turned the key off, I got asked if I had put the handbrake on !!!!! There was not a beastie to be seen on the road to be hit, very little traffic on the main road and none after the Mullewa turnoff, so apart from the complete lack of confidence from one passenger, not a bad go for my longest drive yet.

Go the Kariaotahi team and congratulations on your second 'Walk for Life' attendance. Yes, I will donate to the cause so put me down for $100 (NZ,) and I will sort that out when I get back. I know five people who have died of cancer since this time last year - two of them younger than me! - which was in fact part of my decision making process to do something so utterly different this year by stepping out of my comfort zone, and just having a go at whatever came my way (excepting dead lizard for dinner, although never say never LOL).

Need to get some sleep, as I have a staff meeting early in the meeting and I have to dash up to school and type the mins before 8.30am. Am on again tomorrow night so will take up my 'Dio' teddy bear (in uniform) that the Kitchen staff gave me last year, to show the girls and will see what else I can find during tomorrow's unpacking. Nighty night.

Lynn