J is for Awesome

No no… I’ve not bought extra tickets on myself. Title is a subtle thankyou to the housemate who helped get these photos onto my blog. So thanks

As promised… here are a few little images of life up here… In no particular order.

 This is my house!

 This is also the house.

 Please… come on through.

 Mind your step!

 Floor boards “Before shot”

 Spacious kitchen. Genuine 1960’s!

 Barramund with Lime, Sweet Chilli, and Barbecue, Pepper (Capsicum) and Spanish Onion sauce. I call it “Yes Mum, I am looking after myself”.

 Plenty of this going around… “Wettest wet season for 25 years” said our good friend Marg C. Incidentally, Marg C & Marg R are extremely clever people… the fonts of all wisdom. (Marg G: you’re pretty clever too).

 Indoor swimming pool has filled on several occasions. Please note: this is a ’slow day’ water wise. We’ve had up to double the rags, cloths, pots, pans etc. Biggest day we had about 6 litres in buckets plus a “zalout” of wet towels. (“Zalout”: a large cluster of wet towels on the floor of a house).

 The might Burdekin River… currently about 9 metres deep, and with the Burdekin Dam (Australias largest Dam) at 100% … there was apparently an entire Sydney Harbour flowing over the Dam Wall every 6 hours.

OGT? Today I had band. Band is a Wednesday thing now. And today they sounded quite excellent… pretty darn good for 3 rehearsals into the new year. Wooh!

Row Row Row Your Boat, Gently Down the Street

Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily… it’s raining again. (music cue #1: Here Come’s the Rain Again / Eurhythmics). It began raining circa 8am this morning, and stopped for a few minues at 9. This evening that is. The good news is that the “severe storm” will not hit until at least Tuesday or Wednesday, and I’m told that there is at least a 40% chance theat the highway will be open on Wednesday night when housemate and I drive in to attend the Cat Empire concert. (cue #2 The Car Song / Cat Empire).

Meanwhile… painting has commenced (#3 Our House)… I’ve done the ceiling in one bedroom. Trying to finish it soon prior to visitors in March Swimming pool has been filled once again… might overflow a bit in the next few days.

In other news, I am first to admit I have been pretty terrible with birthdays so far this year (#4 Beatles playing the B’day song). However, to my (2) wonderful rellies in Bris-Vegas… I hope you both received your birthday salutations… even though they were 5 to 10 days late. I sure will improve though…. (#5 Beatles again “Better All the Time”) Just wait and see…

And finally… a pleasant hello to all those back in sunny Victoria…. have been missing the place a bit of late. Things are busy again, and so holidays feel a world away. Also feel decidedly more broke than recent years, but I guess that’s all part of the fun. Double digit interest rates here we come! (#6 Pink Flloyd “Money”)

OGT? There are now 6 trombone players at school. Granted, 5 of them are “compulsory musicians”, but I choose to ignore this and cling to the number 6. Also 11 flutes. 6 clarinets. 8 saxes. 7 trumpets.

It’s all about keeping regular…

So I am back here at school. No, I didn’t swim to get here. Despite slight water problem in the house I was generally untouched by flooding. Most of the footage you saw on television was of small towns surrounding Charters Towers.

Today was the first day. You know? That day where Year 8’s behave exceptionally for a whole double session. I enjoyed it while I could.

The painting adventure has stalled somewhat in that I need to do a few repairs… and am still yet to settle on colours. Meanwhile, I have a vast array of sample colours with which I can soon paint my fridge. Swapped my little bar fridge for a big-mamma-old fridge.. it’s great so far.

In other news… Dan’s birthday was on the 10th and I didn’t ring him. Sorry Dan. Bad citizen am I. In other, other news, the house is full of stuff. Really packed… it’s been great how people give stuff away, but the doors have now closed.

The new little quirk of the place is that with all the flooding… the mines stopped operation for 3 weeks… which means (of course) that they have truck past (about one every 10 minutes) 24 hours a day until they catch up. I am now a member of the “I Hate Road-Train Noise” Society of Queensland.

OGT? I start piano lesson teaching this afternoon… a good thing as I need the groceries!

Hickory Dickory Dock…

Yesterday was a big day… it had its ups, its downs, and of course buckets. You see, Charters Towers is enjoying ‘Wet Season’… I would have much preferred Rabbit or even Duck, for it would seem that Water has ingeniously found its way through the roof and the drainage, through some timber, past some masonite (Yes we’ll hope its masonite) and drips very neatly in about 7 places in my dining room. Yesterday I filled half a bucket (which was placed under 4 of the 7 dripping points). And so, I’m in the great position of praying for NO RAIN at the beginning of wet season. We had close to 50mm ysterday, but today has been better so far.

Other house news… Nearly ready to start painting… few more tubes of ‘no more gaps’ thn I’m right to roll. I bought a washing machine!!! It was 2nd hand… $200… I’ve used it twice already, and not broken yet… hoping for at least 100 loads. Bought a table and chairs…. well, a card table and chairs also.

*sigh* it just started pouring with rain.

Anyway… best be going…. am going to watch my roof and figure out a way to stop it from leaking

OGT? The mouse population in Charters Towers decreased by one at some stage early this morning. That’s not a “my house” thing… there have been quite a few around lately.

In the beginning…

So I have arrived. And moved in. A few problems here and there… window frames that are rotting, window shade thingoes are slipping off the house, nails everywhere, only one hole in the floor so far. I have set about getting things done though… the mosquitoes have been well fed and couldn’t possibly eat more or my blood for at least a week. I have cleaned the walls in preparation for painting the front two rooms (lounge and bedroom 1). Tonight I am “filling” numerous holes and cracks. Tomorrow night is “no more gaps”. Then weekend should be painting time.

I shall keep this brief. Pictures are on the way. I have been photographing everything.

OGT? Tomorrow I am learning to waterski. I am told that the crocodile’s can not stand the sound of the motor boat… what better incentive than to hold onto the rope.

Pyotr и французские рожочки, or “Peter and the French Horns”

It gives me no pain whatsoever, sharing with my music-nerd friends that I was right! Sergei Prokofiev in all his wisdom used 3 French Horns to portray the Wolf (of ‘Peter & the Wolf’) fame. Thank you so much to Bev (via note) and JD from CC (whose name reminds me of a DJ) for confirming the details. I am sure we will sleep well tonight because we know that French Horns are excellent for portraying the sound of a wolf eating a bird, a duck, and a cat.

Speaking of ducks and cats, and things that have nothing to do with either… I was the unfortunate witness of a brother and sister fight tonight (not my brother & sister)… Wow! They sure can get nasty. I’m just relieved I was too meek and little and wussy to get in fights with Brother Jim or Sister Nell. For the record, in case the duck or the cat are reading, I think they were both in the wrong… not so much in what they were arguing, but how they went about it.

Anyway, enough of ducks and cats. Today I went to Ballarat with Dan & Sarah to have lunch with Libby and Narelle (my “old” music teachers from high school… lol). They don’t read this, so I won’t get into trouble for calling them old. Both of them are well… and it was great to catch up with them before I go home. I hope I can smile like they do when I’ve been teaching for 10 or 15 years. Although I rarely get to see them, and we seldom chat on the phone, there are not many days where I don’t think “What would Libby/Narelle do to handle this?”

And so tomorrow marks the end of my Melbourne holiday, and it is back to the middle of nowhere for more adventures in the strange world of North Queensland. I have already adjusted the time on my phone (9:54pm, January 6, 1984) so that I won’t be confused. I’m hoping that I will move straight into my new-old house and get right into the renovations straight away!

Best go, as it is time to pack my bags.

OGT? Even when you’re 27… your Mum will still come to your rescue if stuck for a lift. Thanks Mum!

It’s not whether you win or lose, its keeping your luggage under 20kg

Today was a busy day, but also a good one. Up at 6:10am… and then down again at 7:30. Up again at 10:00am (that’s more like it!).

11:45am… tasted a very interesting and unique interpretation of “a Classic Filler with no Tomato” from KFC… Yes, yes, I can appreciate that all great chefs ply their own little quirks in preparing our meals, but a “Classic Filler with No Tomato” with tomato was just a bit annoying. Off course many holidaying teachers would return to bed in protest at such a terrible start to a day, but not to be put off, I headed of to Clarinet Choir practise! It was good, though I felt very rusty indeed. Managed to keep up in most songs… missed my Clarinets though (back at home).

Back home… get dressed… converse with Mum (briefly).. and off to Mr&Mrs LiVolti’s house for dinner, social banter, and general celebratory cheer…. Mr&Mrs Hyatt came along too… I was the spare tyre None-the-less, a very pleasant evening inclusive of chicken rolls (with no tomato!) and a lovely spa. 

Now back at Melbourne home, at 1:15am… my holiday is fast coming to an end, but also looking forward to beginning the great house renovation.

As some of you would know, I’ve been shopping for 2nd ahnd instruments while on holiday… and so this evening began packing my “hand luggage”… “hand luggage” is an Australian term meaning “Stuff that would surely weigh too much and cost extra when flying with Jetstar”… and so, with luck, skill & determination (thanks Brother Jim), I now have 2 flutes, a clarinet, some jeans, a jacket, some board shorts and a towel in the tiniest of little carry bags. It remains to be seen whether these items can be removed from the bag in Townsville, but I’m cautiously optimistic.

Must go to bed now. Another big day tomorrow.

OGT? Good to catch up with the Clarinet gang today, as there is nought that compare up North. Was good to be back.

Absence makes the heart grow blonder…

Hello again. This marks my 2nd incarnation in the world of blog… thank you to all those friends and family who constantly remind me to get blogging again! So much has happened in these past few months. Mostly good things, which is good cos I need the material!

Am currently relaxing in Melbourne… have enjoyed several weeks catching up with friends and family down here. The Charters Towers adventure resumes on January 7th when I fly back and move into my new (*cough cough*).. errr… pre-loved house. I have a mortgage to match, which means I’m eating 2 minute noodles for about 24 years 11 months and 17 days. Am quite excited about the house though… big plans to paint, polish floor boards, hang curtains, build a kitchen, build a new bathroom. Can’t wait to start (whinging about the hard work on this blog!)

Today was a quiet but good day… lunch and a movie with psykoquack… and I bought some jeans. Am now back at ‘Melbourne home’ for a quiet night of relaxing. Might even watch “The Castle”.

 Well… I’d best be going… but what to choose for a OGT? Hard to pick as I think it has been about 5 or 6 months… well… hmmm… I had the good fortune to see MISSY HIGGINS live in concert back in Townsville about a month ago. Needless to say, she was exceptionally spectacular!!! Missy, if you’re reading this… I’d marry you in a second