Now it's November...

Last night we attended another Trivia Night, this time to raise money for my nephew's Cambodian Campaign.

He and his team mates are heading over to do all sorts of good works for endangered wildlife and orphans or endangered orphans and wildlife or endangered orphaned wildlife. Something like that.

You can read all about it here: Khmer Rode Rage.

You might remember he participated in the Central Australia event, pedalling in their carbon neutral vehicle from Darwin to Melbourne.

Anyway, the trivia night was a very well run event but it did drag on a bit with the auction items and we all got a bit tired after working or being busy all day which sapped our competitive spirit a little. The trick is to keep things moving along but to get the cash without too much pain. Our table came in a very credible 4th, just 5 points off the first place getters. A pretty good effort. We had a good time and I got to wear my new jacket so it was win - win all round.

And I think they will have raised a good sum to help them with their good works in Cambodia.

The last day of October...

October is at an end.

This means the end of daily posting unless I have something really good to put up. But scarier than Halloween is the fact that the end of year is fast approaching. A friend is going to spend next year in China with her husband and 2 younger children and she asked me about blogging. It would be a fantastic way to document the adventure and great for us left at home in quiet ol B Marsh to follow and live vicariously through them. Her asking me about how to go about setting up the blog makes me realise that I have learned quite a lot about blogging over the last 4 years. I have added and changed it up quite a bit but there are still things I could learn so as to improve it but I am pretty happy with it. Its a bit like scrapbooking in a way, you do it not to please anyone else but to tell your own stories in your own style. I want to help her but I don't think I can remotely.

I might have to schedule a visit if she wants it.

October 30...

I should be in my new craft room crafting up a storm.

Something is stopping me.

I go in there and arrange and rearrange and then sort and categorise. I just cant seem to be able to put something together. Perhaps now I am too organised. Perhaps the threat of a looming deadline is putting me off. I am close to achieving my 50 layout goal but still not there yet. There is nothing to stop me but a lack of mojo. I blame Pinterest. I sit here browsing and pinning and get inspired by beautiful creations but then cant create anything myself. Its a bit like browsing through cookbooks then having take away for dinner.

I'm going to close the laptop, do the dishes, then some ironing and then I'm going to make something.

For real.

October 29...

I headed up to Ballarat to see a breast specialist to find out about my cyst-ey breasts. After waiting for a long time I asked at the reception desk if I had been forgotten. Well yes I had! Seems being a patient patient doesn't pay off. After I finally got in to see the specialist she couldn't find my paperwork. Oh look its in the wrong week. I was beginning to lose faith. Then my examination didn't match up with the mammograms I had supplied. She jabbed me with a big needle without much luck, told me to take Evening Primrose Oil and I'll see you in 3 months.

All in all a pretty unsatisfying appointment. Costly and unsatisfying. And no 'thanks for waiting' or 'sorry about the delay'.

I salved my soul with a visit to the Scrapbook shop and then got some nice bits for the developing study/craft room at Big W.

Duncan and Donna came up for dinner and we put them on the train back to the city. More good times but I had to miss tennis to do so. It has been a wonderful catch up and we wish we were closer so not so much time would pass between visits. We always make plans but time gets away from us with life stuff.

October 28...

Last night we had another reason to go into the city. Chris attended a reunion, a reuniting of colleagues who had worked together in the Transit Patrol.

20 years ago just one month after we had just moved in to our first home, I was driving home from work when I heard on the radio that my husband had lost his job. It was announced on the news because Jeff Kennett had disbanded the Transit Patrol unit. We had been 'Jeffed'. It was gutting for Chris as he had enjoyed this job and had worked his way up to a senior position. There is still a lot of ill feeling about Kennetts actions.

They were not the only Government department that was closed or sold off but may be the only department with over 100 years of history and tradition that became 'defunct'.

So since 1992 every 10 years they get together and remember the work they did and the people they worked with. Chris doesn't talk to me about the distressing parts of the job such as the many suicides and accidents, only colleagues can really understand.


I wonder at the irony of the present government instituting a new department that does almost the same duties that they did back then, making the trains a safe way to travel.

What happened on October 27...

We went into the city.

Melbourne CBD.

We met our interstate visitors in their Bourke St hotel, had some pre dinner drinks then wandered down to Southbank and found a place to eat. It is quite foreign to me to wander the streets, to be entertained by street performers and to people-watch all generations enjoying the nightlife. There were many young people dressed up in Halloween costumes and we were astounded by the number of people queued up to get into the many night clubs.

 

It was interesting to see the city through tourist eyes. Donna took many photos of the multitude of art sculptures dotted around the city. Many more than I had ever noticed before.

The brothers had a good time catching up and planning the next visit.

Gems on October 26...

Why is it when you are looking for a particular thing you find lots of other things that you had sort of forgotten about. Things that distract you from your task and jog your memory.

Today while I was looking for a disc I found another disc that Chris had labelled 'photos'.

Here are some gems from the past, from our first digital camera

 

 

Halls Gap 2004, that pool was freezing!

on the HMAS Stuart

many photo shop creations were to come...

patience abounds

with Nana Mitchell in Rye

This shows that Callum used to smile and that he was a sweet boy. That sweetness is now hidden beneath a quiet exterior.

More gems to come.

October 25...

work today, tennis tonight. It has been a busy day. I'm looking forward to the next 4 days off to regroup.

Chris' brother & wife will be in Melbourne over the weekend so we will be catching up with them. Duncan and Donna live in Toowoomba and we don't see them very often. I am also going to try to squeeze in another few sets of tennis on Saturday before we go into the city.

I hope to get nice and ready tomorrow.

An anniversary on October 24...

8 years has passed.

Time heals all wounds but some wounds linger.

Often in my thoughts,

miss you.

The new neighbours on October 23...

The young couple next door sold their house and are going to build their own home nearby. They were a lovely quiet pair, our only complaint about them was they used to dog-sit her mothers dog while she was away and it would bark and bark and bark and bark every minute they were out. Hour after hour we would listen to that barking. We were thankful when the mother would return and take her  dog back to her house. Other than that they were the perfect neighbours. His uncle sometimes landed his helicopter at the end of the street in a paddock and created some excitement in the cul de sac. He was whisked off to his wedding in that helicopter.

But they moved out and moved on.

The new neighbours were very busy in the house on Saturday morning and we were curious to suss them out. But they didn't exactly move in. The mowed and weeded and used a power drill on something. Sunday saw more activity but no furniture appeared. Today the carpet was steam cleaned. Makes me think they are fixing it up for renters. I am hoping for an older couple, someone quiet. We have been in this house 20 years now and previous renters have been feral and at one stage a  young family had a very vocal, whingey toddler.

Fingers crossed for owners not renters.