what happened to summer????

Ok, now some of you might be thinking huh bad luck, but I thought I was coming over to the UK for a summer. But, I am saddened to say it is not the case as it is bloody cold here!
After all of the good news from yesterday with London being granted the Olympics, it went into chaos this morning with the bombings in Central London. Big news over here really, but we were still to hear about it when my brother 'D' called here to see if I was alright! Mind you, Liverpool is nowhere near London!!!!
Today, we walked along the Mersey River where there are about 30-40 bronze statues positioned along in the sand. Very weird really with all these statues either well out of the water, just in or way out in the 'surf' so to speak!!!

Mersey exhib

Pat on Mersey
We also went up to my Uncle Joes place who has recently come out of hospital. After that, we came back to the flat and I had a 'quick rest' which ended up being a full on sleep with Auntie Pat knocking at the door at the time that we were due at the restaurant for dinner!!
After a yummy dinner, I am now back at the flat and about to go and have a well earned sleep.

my god it's wet in Japan!

Hi, and welcome to Japan,
I arrived after the night flyer of QF21 to Narita. I was really lucky in my seating, as I changed my pre-assigned seat, in an attempt to get an exit row. The seat I was assigned was 20C (aisle) but when I got onbord, there was almost no leg room as it was up against a wall!! The lovely check-in agent gave me 65K, which was not obly a window seat, but 2 window seat!!! There was a tonne of leg room, even though the child in front was for the most part of the first 3-4 hours, putting here seat up then down then up and then down. Thank goodness her mother finally got jack of it and told her to stop it or the plane will fall out of the sky!!
Looking out the window here in the internet cafe, all I can see is rain, rain and more bloody rain. The approach was almost not visible due to the low cloud (rain) and it was a bit bumpy.

Narita airport

We arrived a little late, even though we left Sydney early. I had a quick look around here for any goodies to bring home, but I will get them on the return I think.

pikachu

Well best be off for now, and I will add in the pics when I use the laptop so stay tuned!!
Note, Japan time is 1 hour behind!

off to warmer climes....

Passport..... Check

Passport..... Check again (I am British too you know!!)

Ticket(s)..... Check

Greencard to exit Australia..... Check

Bags packed..... NO!!!

Well, guess I know what I have to do over the next couple of hours then!!!!!
Well one and all, it is off I go, but it will be a couple of days until I get back (almost) full time online. So until then, it will be a matter of internet cafes and the like. Actually, I recall that in Tokyo airport, there is a nice window view in the Internet cafe, maybe I will go there again whilst I am in transit!!
Hoo Roo until I get to the other side!!!

See ya

lost kitty in first time out of the new house....

This evening, I took the trailer we had been using in the move, (which thankfully is now complete) back to the F.I.L!

Upon my return, I was thinking "god am I glad to be home, 'L' was going to have cooked dinner to which we could sit down and rest afterwards...... NO"!!

'L' came out to me with the engine barely turned off FRANTIC......... "she's gone, we've lost her"
Oh god I thought, this is the last thing we (I) need, as on Tuesday, I am off to Wales... Did I tell you I am going overseas, No? I will later...

Anyway, back to the story, 'L' told me she looked EVERYWHERE!! And everywhere included under the new bed (thanx Stevie), in boxes, cupboards EVERYWHERE!!

She had been outside calling her, I went outside call her (god knows why as she doesn't like me, and why would you go to someone you don't like???), and the best I could say to 'L' was "lets not get stressed here (Outright LIE as I was stressed out about how stressed 'L' was going to be!!!), lets just let it go for a little bit, and see what happens.

Well, 'L' had cooked dinner, a roast rack of Lamb, YUMM! But, the stress she was under, and the fact that the new house has a fan forced oven, meant that it was now well and truly cooked and there was no sign of any thing else to go with it (potatoes, veges etc)...

'L'' started to get some rice cooked and some peas, and I snuck out around the block which would have been particularly nice if it wasn't for the circumstances, calling for Jasmine. I even snuck out the back when I got back, with her full bowl of food, tapping the side of it with a spoon which normally gets her into the house double time!!

So we sat down for dinner when all of a sudden L got all excited and asked if I had heard that??? You see, this is new to us as Jasmine has a new collar on with her name and phone number that tinkles a lot.... So I listened a bit, and upset her with all I could hear was a cricket *sigh*
Well after an hour, L was in the rear lounge room and I got an SMS from my friend Josh, the other 'B's brother and went to my mobile to get it, read it, answer it and send it on its way. I thought, I will go outside in the cold (glad to be going to the UK where it will be warm) and have another look, when at the door was our little white ball of fluff sitting waiting patiently to gain her entrance pass. Apart from wanting to kick her to kingdom come (something I would NEVER do by the way) I let her in without saying a word and followed her to the rear lounge. It wasn't until she shook herself that 'L' looked at her and just stared at her for about 20 seconds before realising that she was actually looking at Jasmine. Needless to say she was very happy to see her again, but also cross with the fact that she had gone on her own little holiday at the same time. Tears were now flowing.....

A happy ending after all.

Now, with me going overseas next Tuesday, I am off to Llandudno Wales to attend the 10th International Turfgrass Research Conference. I am going via Tokyo Japan, then onto Copenhagen Denmark before landing in Manchester, where I will go to my Auntie Pat's place in Liverpool. After the conference, I will be going down to London for a couple of days (4-5), and I might catch the Eurostar across to France for a treat before heading back home. Can't wait to get on the plane, but I will miss the lovely 'L', who as we bought the new house, can not come along, but she has until Tuesday to change her mind, so stay tuned!!!

Gotta go and unpack my bag so as I can start packing for my trip hey....

'L'' how can I help.......

bring on the removalist....

Well dear listeners, we are finally on the move. After weeks of (L) packing, and after days of (L) moving the boxes, we are nearly at the new house. Mind you, this is in no way thanks to the real estate agent from which we bought it through!!!

Let me take you through the process...

We originally had our first meeting with the bank about this house on the 8th Feb, just a couple of days after looking through it for the first time. Since then, Sam had been calling us almost every week if not day. But we had told him (numerous times) what we wanted him/vendor to do...

Eventually, things were completed by the previous owner and we signed the contracts just after I got out of hospital, and we hadn't heard a thing from him since! Now, on Monday the settlement went through thanks to the lovely solicitor and her legal sec, I called Sam to arrange collection of the keys, and he said that he will leave them with the girl in the office as he will not be there!!

Ok, me thinks and thought nothing more of it, but when yesterday he arrived at the new house to collect the signs out the front, and all he was interested in was the fact there was one 'SOLD' sign missing and did we know where it was????? No, "Congratulations on your new home" or "Are you happy to be moving in, when are you moving in??". NOTHING!!!!!

Oh well, that's all I have time for right now, so see you from the new house. Oh by the way, after tonight, we will be off the WWW for a couple of days, so sorry for delays in posting...

valet Brian Strutt

Not really in the mood for a blog at the moment, but I must say that it is with great sadness my Uncle Brain passed away tonight, after a long battle with cancer.

packing up the house

I am very fortunate to work in an organisation that provides three days moving leave. This has enabled me the next few days for packing and moving what I can carry myself ahead of the removalists on Thursday. So far I have managed two trailer loads to the new house and packed a third trailer load. I am having a few minutes rest before heading off again, although I am not that keen, as it is now quite dark. B has gone to get more boxes from my brother and SIL's before he has to head off for physio. I can't believe the number of boxes we have needed - we have availed ourselves of the free boxes from Bunnings, some from Coles the other night care of the early nightfill*, boxes from Mum and Dad, and boxes lent to us from B's friend from work Mel.

Here's some photos of the packing in progress.

Packing assistant

OK so whats in here???

*I will never complain about the nightfill again, even though I can't comprehend how they always seem to be doing it when I do my shopping, no matter what time of the day it is, and always in the way of items I need

90 next thursday

Birthday cake for 90

My (grand)Pa turns 90 on Thursday, and Sunday the extended family* and friends held a celebration at my grandparents house. It was afternooon tea with the usual catering to excess, skillfully put together by my mum and Auntie Christine.

Cupcakes care of the next sister down

It was also the youngest cousins 15th birthday, and it was actually her birthday on Sunday.

birthday people

family

more family and friends

dad, brother, littlest sister, next sister down, and partners

It was a great day for our family, but in the ying and yang of life B's family were not having such a great day and thoughts go to them and B's uncle who is very sick in hospital.

*As a postscript - I hate it when people from the eastern suburbs say they will get a nose bleed coming out to the western suburbs or even crossing the bridge, grow up and don't be so boring. You should be ashamed of yourself at your age, you stupid woman.... and your eyebrows are too thin!

i told you bread was baking

yumm bread

posted by L

i'm in need of a cure for insomnia

I couldn't stay in bed a minute longer, so the plan is to catch up on emails, blogs and general surfing. I don't know why I get the insomnia thing - especially now. I have been so tired this week. I have struggled to stay awake past 9.30pm and apart from getting through my exam (tuesday), I have had so much to do and none of it involved packing for the move to the new house next week - that is this weekends priority. Also happening this weekend:

• accompany B to get a haircut, I have cancelled the eyebrow wax, and manicure (what was I thinking),
• shop for presents for the youngest cousin (she'll be 15, a straw pole of acquaintances with teenagers tell me they want money most of all, so that will be easy) and a present for my (grand)Pa, and this one is proving difficult, he'll be 90 - and the grandmother has stipulated it must be "consumable, nothing that means she'll have to find a space in the house to put it",
• make a Bailey's dip and accomanying fruit platter for the birthday celebration on Sunday, and
• attend birthday celebration (not before a cucumber or cold teabag eye compress, and I am going to sleep Saturday night right through to Sunday morning).

As it is now almost a reasonable hour of the morning - I am back to bed and will wake just as the bread finishes baking (I can smell it now and it smells pretty good) , and I will not look like I am allergic to the littlest sister's cat ( I am, and my eyes are still sore, but it was fun visiting them yesterday), and will be able to string sentences and thoughts together which I am struggling to do at present.

Ciao