Taking a break

I am stepping away from the internet for a few days.

I won't be blogging or reading them but I still loves ya.

I'll be back after my few days in Melbourne. 

Quiet

It has been a quiet few days and I am not complaining.

I had my hair cut with a new stylist on Friday. I am happy with what she did so we will see how things go.

The roof tin has been delivered and that should go up tomorrow all things going well. There is a slight issue with the scaffolding which could delay it from an OH&S perspective. There was a time when you only needed scaffolding for two storeys or higher but now all roofs must be scaffolded before installation. 

MW is still sitting outside her house and taking photos of Himself when he walks the dogs. Not my business. As long as she keeps her aggressive mouth shut I will leave her alone.

We have had lovely late summer weather. Clear and sunny with gentle breezes. Even when we have the inevitable hot days I can be comforted knowing the autumn is not far away.

I suggested a drive this afternoon so we drove to Bruthen and then took a back route home along dirt roads through beautiful farmland. We are so lucky to live here.

On Wednesday I am heading up to Melbourne. The Mermaid is excited to have me visit so I will head off earlier than I initially planned. I will pick some prawns up on the way (assuming the fish shop has them) and spend a day and a half with her. Then Fave sis in law on Friday and the night with One and has lot. Should be a nice break.

My right hip is giving me grief. I could barely walk after driving to Traralgon on Thursday and it hasn't really improved. I don't know what sort of pain one feels when one requires a hip replacement but this is not the same as the bursitis pain I had last year. I'll make an appointment with the doctor and get some xrays done.

Well, that was unexpected

I mentioned in my previous post (the day before yesterday) that there was a cool change imminent.

The storm was the strongest I have seen in many a long year. We lost power at around 7pm and it finally came back on this afternoon around 2.30. Most of Lakes seemed to be back on line yesterday evening but our pocket took longer. Some people in Victoria are still without power. Phone reception was also affected as was internet so for most of yesterday we were completely cut off.

It was interesting but I wouldn't want to experience anything like it again for quite sometime. Lessons learned ... know where the candles are and always have a stock of batteries! 

We managed to charge our phones and my kindle from the car so I could read at least once it got dark. During the day I could knit and do my puzzles. Himself was at a loose end as he is very dependent on his computer and phone.

Our house was unscathed. The fencing fell down which was to be expected but everything else stayed put. I am glad they hadn't started to install the roof - those metal sheets could have been interesting.

A neighbour's house was less fortunate! Their builders portaloo blew over and their waffle pods blew all over the estate. I feel for the builder as they will have to get a whole new lot delivered and dispose of the damaged ones.

Today I had to drive to Traralgon for a plasma donation. It was fortuitous as we received an email last evening (when the internet restored itself at 8pm - the email had been sent at 4pm) saying that the bricks we chose were unavailable at the moment. Seeing as I was already in Traralgon (a 2 hours drive away) I was able to pop into Metricon's offices and choose a new style which is actually a better brick and I like the colour. It is very similar to the one we chose initially so everything else will still tie in.

It was so lovely to be out in the country again. I needed to get away from this house and away from Lakes just for a few hours to clear my head. I have decided that MW is not worth the time of day. "What someone else thinks of you is none of your business". A wise saying.

Speaking of MW, her antics were the talk of the Metricon office! People are amazed at her stupidity and craziness.

Yesterday morning I was meant to catch up with someone who is a friend of Andrew and his partner. I wasn't able to contact her until late in the day but hopefully we can still meet in a couple of weeks when I am back from a quick trip to Melbourne next week. 

Tomorrow I am going to the hairdresser. My previous one is on maternity leave so I will see what Jade is like. Hopefully she can do something with the mop on top of my head. Himself likes it long and I don't. I know it's my hair but I did wear it cropped short (ie shaved) during covid. There is enough length in it to play with, now.

On the way home I was listening to spotify and singing at the top of my voice as is my wont. This song came on and the words struck a chord for several reasons, I think.

I give you the late, great Joe Cocker.

Hot

The last two days have been extremely hot. Like well over 30*C hot. I have gone out when I had to (U3A) but otherwise I have stayed home and we even put the air conditioning on and I had a nap on both afternoons which is most unlike me. As I write there is a cool change with storms heading our way which will be a huge relief.

I have done fairly well keeping MW out of my head (Mad Woman as suggested by Andrew - Nutty Neighbour made her sound somewhat cute and that she ain't). That's not to say that we haven't see her car - if she sees us driving on to the estate she will do a Uturn and follow us - but I keep telling myself that we have done nothing wrong and anything she does to us I can report (ie take out an inteverntion order).

This might sound silly but I have always had a strong sense of doing the right thing and if I feel I might have done something wrong or illegal I get incredibly stressed and anxious. I won't even stop in a no standing zone for a second. It's not a fear of being caught but just doing the wrong thing. Not breaking the law - just the wrong thing. The only thing I knowingly do is speed a bit and even then I am terrified of getting caught. This is partly why MW has got into my head so much. It isn't just the stalking bit but the feeling that she feels we have done something wrong and therefore maybe we have (I know we haven't but if someone thinks I have I go over and over in my head making sure).

At no point did I say I was sane and logical!

Weekend

Isn't it strange how even when one is retired the weekend is still a thing?

Yesterday the excavator man was up doing his thing which was tidying up the block after the slab etc so the bricks can be delivered and installed. He, and the chippies on Friday, have the place looking fantastic. I wonder if Himself's constant supply of cold drinks made a difference.

Apparently the antics of NN are spreading amongst the trades with some amusement. Recently during a downpour our concrete lads sheltered in her garage and copped a torrent of abuse from her until she realised they had also laid her slab and then she was all sweetness and light! They are actually allowed on her build as they have been inducted and carry the correct cards - she is not.

We took the dogs for a walk down the path that leads from our place. I am pacing myself and using this as a guage as to my ability to walk a bit further each time. The back and hip are still sore but I am able to push that little bit more each walk. 

Today we went into Bairnsdale so Himself could get an SD card for the camera he bought for his car (from Aldi, no less). We then went to Coles to get things we can't get here - like Harissa paste!

I am struggling with the whole NN thing. She is stuck in my head and I really need to get her out. 

I have a busy week so maybe that will help.

Apologies

The comment spam gremlin has struck again. I found 7 comments in my spam folder. I am sorry. I usually check every day but when I don't this happens!

Anyway. Yesterday we took a drive into Bairnsdale to suss out the court building. It is a pretty old building and there was a very helpful security gentleman who, after ascertaining I really was going to be there for a legit reason, gave me some tips on what to bring and not to bring and where to park. A trip to a couple of shops to look at security cameras as Himself is considering putting one up somewhere to see if NN goes onto the property. 

A quiet day today. We were going to have a look through the house this afternoon but the chippies are still working so we should be able to have a walk through on Monday morning. 

It wasn't a wasted trip as we got to meet and chat with several neighbours. The general consensus is that it is a quiet street and everyone keeps to themselves. Suits us.

Today I had my favourite dark roasted crunchy peanut butter on toast and for some reason had a craving for strawberries so I added slices on top of the peanut butter and I was in heaven.

As a kid peanut butter and vegemite was a favourite sandwich filling or toast topping. 

My mother used to hate preparing food and that included school lunches so she was always looking for something different - more for her than us, I feel. As a result we had some interesting sandwich fillings :

• cheese and walnuts
• celery and sultanas
• caviar (for the last day of school and a bottle of babycham when we got home cos she didn't think the school would be impressed if she packed it in our lunch boxes)
• dates and walnuts
• peanut butter and sultanas
• peanut butter and celery
• chicken and bacon (oh yum)

I guess the combination of salty or savoury and sweet is not unusual these day but remember this was the '60s and early '70s, the latter being in Australia where anything out of the ordinary was considered strange (to be polite). 

What taste combinations do you enjoy that others might find odd? I know different countries have different favourites.

NN strikes again.

I have been summonsed for jury duty. This is the third time in my life and the first time I will attend. The previous two times I had an exemption due to babies and then study. It will be an interesting experience even if I don't get selected.

Coffee group this afternoon was lovely as always. It was especially lovely today as I was feeling very fragile after learning that NN has been walking around the perimeter fence and taking photos of our house. Nothing alarming but she and her mother were observed (by the neighbours from yesterday who live across the road) walking around, talking, pointing and taking photos. All the things she has accused us of doing (except - at this stage - we assume she hasn't actually entered the property). The coffee women, bless them, offered to take her on for me. Seeing as we are all on the wrong side of 60, 70 and 80 it was a very kind gesture. The very prim and ladylike B offered to moon her for me. At least I laughed.

It is good to know that people know our side of the story and all think she is barking mad but it doesn't stop the angst and the feeling that we are being stalked. 

Our roof frame is up and the front facade will go up in the next day or so. The windows will go in as well.

This is what our front facade will look like (the colours are different from memory but the structure is the same) and it is the timber bit at the front they are erecting. The scaffolding went up this afternoon. Very exciting.