More rain expected!!!

Am writing another quick note in case the server goes down again over the next few days. Have been told its due to rain some more at 10pm tonight (30 mins ago) and even if it doesn't rain here, rain further away may still leave us marooned again tomorrow. I have a vested interest in knowing the upshot of all this as Br M has given me the keys to the double cab ute (white, LOL) and I am to do the vegetable pickup for the staff and other assorted jobs in Geraldton and Mullewa tomorrow as he has business in Perth so I will be on my own. First thing was unlocking it - no central locking - how soon we forget!!! It then has a gizmo on the key ring not unlike a very miniature cow prodder that you push into the receptacle that allows the key to work in the ignition. Br then decided I needed to fill it up with petrol!!!! Another frontier crossed as I have never done this before (You wouldn't think there would be that many firsts left for me to do LOL) and with trepidation I unlocked the bowser and filled the ute. I had no idea how the pump would know the ute was filled - Br said it makes some gurgling sound - I missed that and only stopped as petrol started to run out of the car albeit a very small amount as I immediately squeaked and stopped, thinking all I needed now was a spark with all the vapour about .... Drove to and from my place for practice so am all ready now for the great vege run - just need to find someone with a map of Geraldton as even though I have been numerous times, it all seems double dutch to me to find my way round with ease. I do know general directions from a very few places but I think the workmate has a map so she'll be right.


B........d, B.........d Telstra have 'suspended' my phone. A bill came just after I left and had till 24th to pay - of course was still in NZ at the time and had no idea I had received the bill in the first place. Have rung them from school and have an extn until Friday so all going well should be back in business by the weekend.

Am limping slightly today after having my foot bandaged for 24 hours with my right ankle distinctly more swollen than the left. I was going out the door onto the verandah yesterday when I sort of slid off the step or mat, rolled my ankle and saved myself from falling by some less than balletic moves and a wild clutch at the drain pipe running down the wall. The pain was brilliant - the sort that involves a dose a violent swearing under the breath and the feeling that I was going to be sick. After a few waves of pain, I managed to hobble downstairs to put ice on it and have it bandaged. The steps were a challenge and did not move much once upstairs again and a good night's sleep did wonders. I had been lugging furniture about the place the day before setting up for the beginning of term so count myself lucky that all the setting up was complete by the time I did my swan's dive.


Things I had forgotten about Australia - my password to the school internet!! (small retraining session), and flies!!!!!!!!! and how friendly they are. Immediately swapped the french duty free perfume for the insect repellent in quick time LOL. Am also loving the long straight roads again heh heh.

Apart from family and friends, I am already missing the vegetables. Thank you Mum for the roasts with the 9 vegetables at a time. Pure Bliss. We had a roast tonight with 3 veg!!! Not quite the same.

Responses to comments: Kay - it took 3 months, four goes, some moderate swearing and a few grey hairs to get the counter on - trying for anything else just now is up there with poking myself in the eye with a sharp pencil.

V: Glad you are reading and keeping up to date.

Mum: Have no problems with people clocking up multiple looks as I am three months behind with the counter LOL. (or more if you count the European trip)

Will let you know how the great vege run went all going well and server being up tomorrow.

Lynn

Lots of news!

Well it has been awhile and it is going to take some time to catch up with the holiday home and the first few days back here. Suffice to say, I now have a counter on my blog (the shocking pink thing somewhat down the page) which I fluked getting on and I can see either one person has been looking a lot or there are several people waiting for an update LOL.

I will start this update with just the Oz bit as I am short of time but wanted to let everyone know I am OK. Got dropped up by brother Brett and his wife to the airport somewhere around midnight on ANZAC day/next day and proceeded to wait until 4.00pm when I was able to start the boarding process. In the meantime, I weighed my bags and found that I was several kilos overweight so sat and went through paperwork etc and managed to lose 3 xtra kilos by juidicious pruning of what was absolutely necessary. Had to wait until 4.30am to pay the tax to leave and then wait some more before customs opened and then I was on the way. To my surprise, I was on a Spanish plane or some airline (I thought I had booked quantas all the way) that Spanish was the first language with English as second. What a waste on me and how perfect it would have been for Kay and Viv LOL. Regardless of language, I was on board, a quick breakfast and then I woke up in Sydney. This step was not too traumatic - they have "friends of the airport" - people in uniform who are happy to direct you to the right place. I ended up by sitting with a very friendly woman from Matata who knows another friend of mine in Tauranga - go figure- so we chatted from the International airport to the domestic one where we went our separate ways.

Slept most of the way from Sydney to Perth and again everything went relatively smoothly. Took ages at each airport to wait for luggage to arrive but all was good and only had to walk from one area to the next part of the airport to get to Sky West. Had some time then to have a snack and buy some mags for the week ahead and then the last leg back. Was about to doze again when I heard a voice say hi, and it was a teacher from school on the same plane so ended up by moving seats and catching up on all the news for the rest of the flight. First thing on reaching Geraldton I noticed was the warmth - bliss as I nearly froze to death (small exaggeration) on each plane on the way over. The workmate, husband and family arrived not long after and it was great to see them.

They had bought a new beast of a car whilst I was away - an 8 seater, 4wheel drive (with snorkel for going through water!!!!) so after lurching my way into it we were off. It was decided I needed to see the new place they had found over the holidays so off we went to the sand dunes at Geraldton for a look. The place is like a moon scape and there were several adventure tours there with bikes, sand boards, etc. Because I needed to see the full impact (yeah right) I needed to climb! up to the top. Yes, well, I did make it without oxygen, some of the time, like a crab on all fours as it was a case of going one step up and sliding two back in places. Yes and for all those outdoor junkies out there, the view was spectacular with the sea down one side of the dunes and a vista like the arabian desert on the other. (My own intrepid journey LOL). After a quick slide down the dunes, we went to town for a quick Chinese meal, and then joy of absolute joys, they had found an IGA in Geraldton that opens on a Sunday and is open to 7pm in the evenings. A reasonably quick peruse (it specialises in homebrew, bread making and asian type ingredients), and a small buy up and we finally headed back to Tardun. A coffee and more catch up and I finally got to my own bed just before midnight. It was absolute bliss to dive in and I pretty much was asleep before I hit the pillow.

In a weak moment the night before I agreed to go to Mass in Mullewa the next day so no sleep in and once again I was collected by the workmates family and off we went. The church is amazing!! It is on the heritage trail and was built by the same person who designed the one at Tardun. Stone, with stained glass windows, statues, etc it is very colourful and looks like it should be in Italy instead.

ARRGh, have just noticed the time and will have to sign off and go to work. Just to make me feel at home, the server went down yesterday in a thunderstorm (spectacular) from which we got 60mls of rain here ( more in other places) and once again, the roads are all closed out of here. We have only got the students back that arrived before dinner last night. The workmate's husband got back from Geraldton at 7.30pm and the teacher who came back at 8.30 got stuck in Mullewa the night and had to swim through the flooded bits this morning to get back to teach. The boys did manage to make it up but all the roads further up from us and from Geraldton are still closed. LOL.

Will try and get back on tonight and hope this does publish. Love from Lynn