New Toys

It is past midnight but I have been playing with my new toy - I have bought myself a new mp3 type thingie - for those playing at home the actual gizmo is called San Disk, which is a 2GB (500 songs!)beastie. It will also play audio, video clips,FM radio,and hold photos. I have managed to Rip some music off a CD and download 60 songs without the lap top having a meltdown. The best part was I got the MP3 on special for $49 down from $119 (harvey norman sale!!!). The sound is brilliant - I am sitting here with ear plugs in trying to write while rocking to "I see Red" (Split Enz). Love it. It is shaped like a mobile phone, has 20 hours of battery life and has an integrated voice recorder with built in microphone (will have to check if it is able to fetch a coffee as well, LOL). OMG the stereo on it is brilliant - now listening to Leonard Cohen - Sisters of Mercy. I am blown away by the fact that I have mastered enough technology to get the thing to work plus manage to work my my way through ripping a CD. This purchase was on the want and need list of purchases as neither utes that I drive have a tape deck (notice the quantum leap in technology!!!) or a CD player and 3 hours round trip (to Gton), of contemplative driving is about 2 1/2 hours too long LOL.

I had a good day yesterday doing the vegie run - left here in drizzle and trailed the frozen food delivery truck to Mullewa. There was water everywhere, but only in a couple of places over the road. It was raining more in Geraldton to start with, the tide was rough and the water filthy brown for about 100m along the shore. My first stop was to get new tyres on the ute - (it needed 4) so after dropping it in to a local firm I retired to Maccas to have a coffee and scone. I took the opportunity to read 'The West Australian' and NZ was mentioned twice no less. A small article in the sports pages about the AB's/Wallabies and their coaches. It was talking about Elvs and Robbie Deans knowing more about how the new rules are to be implemented. I take it Elvs is something to do with the new rules, unless the AB's have turned into small impish creatures heh,heh.

The other article nearer the beginning of the paper was headed "NZ Brothels get Tick from Gran" (!!!!!!) Apparently two women (73 & 62) from the British Women's Institute have been travelling world wide making a documentary on brothels. They raved about NZ and specifically mentioned 'Purely Blue' and 'The Bonton" which was described as a boutique style venue in a surburban house. It went on to say the sex workers had degrees and professional jobs - both places were very discreet and the hours civilised - 10am - 7pm, Mon - Fri. The doco called 'The Women's Institute and the Search for the Perfect Brothel' will air in Britain this weekend. (no channel mentioned LOL if anyone has rellies in the UK).

The other info that took my eye was a piece saying Starbucks to close more than two thirds of their coffee stores in Oz, putting 685 people out of work as well as 600 co-owned stores in the states - mainly out of city shops and no plans to do the same anywhere else.

By the time the ute was ready, the sun was out and I shed a layer of clothes and carried on with my chores. By late in the afternoon, there was blue sky with sun out, so another layer was removed (I had four layers LOL)while I finished all I had to do in town. I picked up a student and got away from town by 4pm driving into rain by the time we were half way back. It is phenomenal, the changes that have occurred in the landscape since I arrived over here. I did think of calling this post - How Green Is My Valley, as the shades and variation of green are unbelievable. The barest, dirt, red brown paddocks are now covered in green. Intermixed with the lushness of the wheat growing are huge swathes of yellow with all the canola flowers blooming for miles. I saw new wild flowers out - had my camera with me but could not be bothered stopping in the pouring rain.

It was a nice change to get back in daylight and be unpacked in time for dinner which I had with the WMH last night. I took up my kumera/rosemary soup and we had pasta bake and then caramel self saucing pudding for desert followed by three games of Buzz - Hollywood Quiz.

Have had realaxing day today - finished a book and a couple of mags, then tidied the place, washed the floors and vacuumed. I got a load of washing out and dried but there were more showers again this afternoon. For a complete first - I went out to the one of the local pubs for dinner tonight. A group of us went by way of a farewell dinner for one of the kitchen staff. Had a great time and the meal was great - fishermans basket with the ususal prawns, fish, calamari, scallop bite and chips with salad $18. Had one or five gins and tonic which made getting into the back seat of the car to come home interesting. A two door, 4 wheeldrive - there is no way you can be elegant getting in or out of such a beast and it involved a couple of contortionist moves before I was seated successfully LOL.

Forgot to mention my other key purchase yesterday - a 12 super-bright led light, battery free, crank lantern - for camping and emergencies!!!! You crank the handle round for 1 minute and it will give you 20 mins light apparently. In the interests of authenticity - I have just had a go and yes it is alight and there is THREE settings - 4, 8 or 12 Led lights on at once depending on how much light you need. The blurb also says the led lights are good for 100,000 hours!!!

had better get some shut eye so will sign off for now.