PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt – I Love …

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It’s hard to narrow it down to just one thing that I Love … so I’ve chosen three different things …

“I Love … my Mum” – she’s always there when I need her, albeit it across the ocean … she’s my friend, my mother, my role model, and I feel blessed to call her my Mum 😀

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“I Love … Ducks!!” – no need to say anything else … I can’t explain why, but I’ve always been drawn to them, both the feathered and immitation kind – a girl can never have enough ducks!!

Duckies!!

And lucky last … “I Love … a Jim Beam and L&P” at the end of a long day – unfortunately L&P is like gold dust over here, as it’s imported from New Zealand, but it means I savour it when I get my hands on it!

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Actually, I just thought of one more to add …

“I Love … Melbourne!!” – this photo is taken at the waterfront of Docklands, with the Telstradome arena in the background.

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Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Travel

Farewell to Melbourne … but hello eastern coastline!

Before I do anything else, let me post a piccie of Tannia, Mum, Fraze and Jason (and me) from our pub night out – for some reason WP won’t let me edit my last post whatsoever, so the formatting is totally screwed up, and a couple of piccies missing ho-hum …

pub-night-out

Rightio, back to the story we go …

My final day at work in Melbourne was very very sad – I was mortified that the my fellow Hotliners had done a small collection for me (which never happens for a secondment as technically you’re not ‘leaving’) … so I was very unprepared when a sign went up saying the presentation for Anne was about to start … yikes!! I was so overcome emotionally I could hardly say anything, and got all teary-eyed. Their gift for me was perfect – I got given a book of Sydney street maps for driving (which was christened on my way into the city on Saturday night) and a $50 gift voucher from Visa so I can use it anywhere … to say I was stunned and touched is a definite understatement!!

Anyway, we didn’t do too badly by getting on the road by 1pm (I finished work around 12 noon, although I only answered about 4 phone calls all day – I brought mini chocolate bars in for everyone in the building and spent 2 hours walking round handing them out and saying farewells to everybody … gotta love that! haha). As we’d been up since just after 4am, we decided not to push things on the first day of the journey, and drove as far as Sale before stopping for a leg stretch and drink (I also paid my RACV membership which had expired and got printouts of a driving map for the next day). After that we just drove to Lakes Entrance, arriving around 6pm, where we paid for a cabin with ensuite at one of the Big4 Holiday Parks. We unpacked the car which was basically the entire back seat jam-packed right up to the top of the seat head rests haha, and then wandered over for a walk up the river inlet and over to the beach to see what “90 mile beach” looked like. It was nice and invigorating having that walk, as we’d been feeling like death warmed up just moments before being over-tired. We finished the day with a chicken salad and bottle of wine while watching So You Think You Can Dance on TV … and so endeth our first day travelling. One highlight of the day for me was seeing an echidna on the side of the road (alive).

lakes-entrance

Day 2 saw us driving up the coast with a bit of a side trip. I’d been advised Mallacoota was a nice spot to visit, and I have to say they weren’t wrong, but before we got there we took a side trip to Marlo … a very small and peaceful hamlet, we were thrilled to see our first pelicans in the wild when we drove down to the water’s edge. I got a bit camera happy there, but loved every minute of it. I have to say, too, I wish I’d had the guts to also take a photo of some of the local fisherman as they looked like they’d just walked off the set of Deliverance!! Picture the long flowing beards and look of Z-Z-Top, and you’d have the image perfectly created!!

marlo

After Marlo we drove on to Mallacoota – it was a fair detour off the main highway, but it was just lovely. It’s definitely somewhere I could have stayed a night or two and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the area. Here I found another stuffed duck to add to my collection (actually the dog here, Dusty, can obviously sniff out a ‘toy’ at 1000 paces ‘cos I caught him with his snout in the bag last night, with jaws around my poor duck – it’s now residing on a top shelf in the wardrobe away from his drooling jaws LOL), and I grabbed a cappuccino to take away so we could sit and have lunch and refreshments down on the lakefront watching yet more pelicans and their antics. They made me laugh when at one stage there were four of them lined up at the fishing station begging to be fed fish scraps – it was too funny!!

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From Mallacoota we took one more quick detour before returning to the highway, to Gypsy Point – mentioned in the tourist info it’s supposed to be a great haven for bird lovers, and it was lovely and secluded with a small like in the bush setting … definitely a place to ‘get away from it all’ and relax. Here we managed to see some Galah’s up close (although they’re really common in Victoria too, Mum hadn’t seen them that close I don’t think).

gipsy-point

After that we continued on hugging the coastline via Eden, Merrimbula, Perrimbula, and Tathra, before finally settling in at Bermagui for the night … but I’ll leave the tale there for another night, as it’s way past my bedtime before my alarm goes off at 5.50am tomorrow!

Home & Family TO BE FIXED, Melbourne

Arrived in one piece!

Here we are in Sydney … 1190 km after leaving Melbourne, we’re really here!!  In fact we arrived on Saturday night, but I haven’t had time to post until now.  It was a great trip, with some exquisite scenery and wildlife that we encountered along the way.  Parts of the trip were a bit boring, but you’ve gotta expect that driving across such a vast land mass.  I’ll share a few photos of the journey just to give you a tiny taste of what we saw etc in another post (in fact, I think I’ll do a few separate posts to make uploads easier).

Firstly, though, I want to share some words of belated thanks to Jenna, my northern twin … weeks and weeks ago she sent me the most awesome card in the technique of quilling, and I just love it to death.  I was parading it around the office showing it to anyone who would stand still long enough, then had it sitting on my desk all day.  Unfortunately it arrived on the day when I was moving housesitting jobs and it got packed away – and I couldn’t blog about it immediately as I didn’t have internet access at the time.  I did take a photo that night, but in no way does it do it justice (I really should take another photo in daylight!).  I can finally share it, though … isn’t it the most perfect thing for a duck lover like myself?  I just adore it to bits!!  I’m going to get a wee frame for it to keep it protected – thanks so much again Jenna, I totally adore it! 😀

duckies-card

Rightio, now back to the travelling news etc … in fact, I think I’ll do a separate post for each day, and I’ll start off with snippets from our final week in Melbourne.

As I’ve already mentioned, we managed to get to see Tannia and Bill performing the week before we left – it was a wonderful listening experience, and the time flew past.  I have to say the food was also great – and the company just as great.  Thanks again Tannia for your friendship – while we only start meeting each other recently, I hope the friendship continues, and I look forward to the day when we can catch up once again 😀

On the Sunday before we left, I took one more day of annual leave so Mum and I could have a “free day” to go back out to the Mornington Peninsula and Arthur’s Seat to see how the gardens have changed, and see the roses in bloom.  It was absolutely pelting down with rain, and I found out later there were flood warnings out past the area where we were … but we decided to brace ourselves and get out in the abysmal weather and still have an enjoyable day out.  The winds were quite blustery so Mum’s umbrella ended up inside out a couple of times – and she was holding two umbrellas over me while I tried to take some photos of the roses – we didn’t let the weather get us down, and we had a really lovely time together as always.  I’m very lucky to have a really close relationship with my Mum!  Here are some photos I took that day … including a funny one of Mum!

Ashcombe Lavender Gardens & Maze
Of course we couldn’t go and not sample the rose petal scones – which were divine! (plus some plain ones)

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I think this one is from the Myrtle family?

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Of course I got all excited when I saw a row of ducks waddling in formation across the lawn – I finally managed to get a quick photo when they stopped for a bit of preening!

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Enchanted Maze Garden
It was nice to see the cottage garden all filled in with flowers, and leaves on the trees 🙂

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And the piece de resistance:

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On the way home we called in to see our good friend Sharon, along with Pete and Erin – as always it’s a pleasure to spend time with them … Sharon was the first stitching friend I made in Melbourne, and it was sad to say goodbye – but it’s not for good as Sharon is hoping to come visit me in Sydney, which will be wonderful!  Both Mum and I adore her, and even though we didn’t see each other that often, I will miss being able to pop over and say “hi”.  Sharon spoilt me rotten with some farewell gifts, which I forgot to take a photo of, and everything is now packed up – as soon as I unpack everything again, I’ll take a piccie – I especially adore the birdie ornament, it took my breath away – but everything was very thoughtful and touching … Erin kindly took a photo of the three of us ladies together – I’ll check that Sharon is OK to add the photo to the blog and hopefully I’ll be able to post that later as well 🙂

OK, that’ll do for today – there’s so much more to write, but I have to run to get ready as we’re heading out to catch a train to Katoomba today.  Dragonfly Dreams, here we come!! 😉

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Bye-bye to Melbourne

Sorry, no time to write … am frantically trying to pack up the boot of the car etc ready for a 4am wake-up call to finish off the final packing and heading off to work for a 6am shift (the final one!).  Then tomorrow lunchtime we take the journey up north … will try to write more either on the road or in Sydney – just haven’t had time to sit at the computer this week at all.  I promise photos etc very very soon!!!

 Now I’m off to pack up the laptop for the journey as well … hooroo!! 🙂

PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt – Classic

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Here is a photo of some classic cars (post-war vintage) at a car rally held in Auckland – the photo is taken in front of the Auckland Museum, and the cars are all Armstrong-Siddeleys. Dad has only just recently got rid of our old car, which is the blue and black one, 2nd in from the left. We had some great times with the Car Club in my younger days, and I was even Editor of the National Magazine for a while – not bad going for someone who knows nothing about cars! 😉

Classic cars - Armstrong Siddeleys

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

A little bit AWOL

Sorry I’ve been absent for a while – things are pretty hectic around here, and to top things off my modem has been playing up and not working … tonight is the first time in a week I’ve managed to get the darned thing connecting hmmm.

Anyway, this is just a really quick post to let you know I haven’t fallen off the planet just yet – I’ve been spending my spare time catching up with wonderful friends in Melbourne … last Sunday we had a ladies day out at Tannia’s home, with Mum, Sharon, Tannia and myself, and had a fantastic day out – as always, Tannia was the perfect hostess, and it was a great day in great company 🙂

Yesterday we hiked all the way over from Airport West to Lilydale to catch up with Frazier’s folks, which was another great visit.  We also caught up with Phil & Dawn, friends I made through Frazier a few years ago – they’re always great company, and the favourite of all of Frazier’s friends that I’ve met to date.

Tonight we spent a couple of hours in the storage unit in Highett before treating myself to a new duvet cover set in the sales at Myer at Southland shopping centre, then trekking out for almost 2 hours doing 15km/hour in peak hour traffic back to Airport West to feed the menagerie before heading straight out the door again to head back into the city.  We met Frazier and Jason for dinner at a pub where Tannia and her DH play – it was wonderful to finally see and hear them performing together … Tannia has a magical voice, and it was truly a pleasure to spend the night out there.  I hope it won’t be too long before we can catch up again 🙂  It’s been one of life’s treasures getting to know Tannia over the last year … and I hope there will be many more to come with our friendship 🙂

Tomorrow it’s back to work time, then I’ve been given Sunday off as annual leave, so we’re heading to the other side of the city again to Arthur’s Seat and the Mornington Peninsula to revisit the Enchanted Maze Gardens and Ashcombe Lavender Garden.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how different the gardens look now the flowers are in bloom (especially the roses etc).  Alas, then it’s back to work again right up until leaving on Thursday … ho-hum …

I have a few photos to share, but it’s now almost 1am and the alarm is going off at 7am, so I’d better call it a night – I’ll upload some piccies during the week hopefully and post again before we hit the road, as I have some lovely gifties to share – and one especially is very out-of-date as I received it weeks ago and didn’t get chance to blog about it immediately.  When you see it, you’ll understand why it gets shown off to everyone that will stand still long enough, though 😉

Rightio, off to sleep I go … fingers crossed the modem connection returns later … hope you’re having a good week – my apologies for not blog reading at the moment, but things are a bit frantic around here of late …

PhotoHunt

PhotoHunt – Pink

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Here are some lotus flowers in Hong Kong – which are a stunningly beautiful and very large pink flower … I just love them! 😀

Lotus flowers, Hong Kong

Unfortunately not a very photogenic background, so here’s one of the same flowers after I had a little play in Photoshop Elements trying to turn them into something more ‘arty’ …

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And here are some more pink flowers from my recent visit to Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Gardens on the Mornington Peninsula:

lavender gardens 2

Home & Family TO BE FIXED

Not much happening …

I’ve actually been struggling with a head cold the last few days, and ended up taking Wednesday night off work as I could hardly talk on Wednesday morning – spending the day in my PJ’s curled up on the sofa with Muffy seemed to do the trick, though, as by later Wednesday evening I felt loads better.  My voice is still a little croaky and weird, but I’m not as bunged up anymore.  I was supposed to have two hours overtime before work yesterday and today but I cancelled it, not wanting to push myself and make myself even more sick.  There’s waaaay too much to do to be sick while trying to do it! 😉

I chatted to Mum on Wednesday evening, and the outcome is that she’s flying over on Sunday to come spend the final week and a half in Melbourne with me.  The next two weeks will be spent frantically trying to catch up with people inbetween my crappy shifts before the big moving day.  The big boss can’t let me cash in all my Luv Ya Work awards in one day, as that would set a precedent (fair enough, I thought I was pushing it … still think they could have covered me to have two extra days off though so I wouldn’t have to cash them in hmmm) – so Mum and I will be hitting the highway up to Sydney on Thursday 8 November at 12 noon.  I’m on a 6am shift that day, and I have a carpark spot under the building at work so the car will be packed to the gunnels in the morning – poor Mum will just have to come into work for a while then wander round the shops to keep busy … it’s a good thing she reads and that she cross-stitches now, so she will have something to keep her amused 😉

So far the only ‘free’ days I have are this weekend, Sat and Sun – Sat I’m possibly driving back from Seaford back over to Airport West (I have to wait for a phone call to see if they need me a day early), and Sun I’m off to pick Mum up from the airport (so fingers crossed I’ll be at Airport West by then!) in the early morning.  We’ll then be heading over to Tannia’s around lunchtime for my final stitchy catch-up.  Then I’m back to 3pm-11pm shifts for 3 days, but having Mum here means we can spend the mornings seeing a couple of things locally that we haven’t managed to do yet, and just chill out or a couple of days.

Then I’m off again on Thu 1 and Fri 2 Nov – back over to the other side of the world on Thu to visit Len & Carole (Frazier’s folks) during the afternoon, then Phil & Dawn in the evening (one in Lilydale and one in Croydon).  Fri will be spent in the storage unit going through whatever boxes and suitcases I can reach and loading up the car, before heading back into the city to have dinner with Fraze and Jason while we’re listening to Tannia and her band sing.

Alas, then it’s back to work again on Sat – although I’m invited to a party at a work colleague’s place not far from work that I “must” attend (they’re having a race day party seeing as we’re coming into racing carnival stride here in Melbourne when cup fever hits!) – it’ll be a nice way to say cheerio to a few friendly faces.  At this stage I’ve requested Sun 4 Nov off as annual leave, which I think they’ve actually approved (shock, horror) although it’s not confirmed in the register yet – if that’s the case Mum and I are driving over to Arthur’s Seat to see the gardens I went to a couple of months back now the flowers will be in bloom – it will be wonderful to see how different they both will be.  We’re also hoping to catch up with Sharon during this time as well, if it can be organised.

Of course Mon 5-Thu 8 Nov I’m at work every day – I may having a quick drink at the local pub on Mon 5 Nov for my farewell, as that’s the only chance I’ll get, but I’m undecided whether to or not.  I’d probably prefer to go somewhere to dinner with my favourite pals from work, but it’s much harder to organise.  Tue 6 Nov is Melbourne Cup Day, and I move to 6am shifts on Wed, so no chance of doing much on that Tuesday.  Wed will be spent packing up the car pretty much – my house owners aren’t sure if they will getting back on Wed or Thu … seeing as I can’t get the Thu off now, that causes a bit of a problem – it means we may have to get a cabin or something on Wed night, but I’ll cross that bridge closer to the time.  Hey, you never know work may feel sorry for me and come to the party and give me the day off … yeah, I know, there’s more chance of me becoming President of the United States!!! 😀

My apologies to anyone I won’t have chance to catch up with – as you can see, it’s a pretty rushed itinerary over the next two weeks, and only so much I can cram into it.

Anyway, enough waffling on … there’s housework to be done … I’m waiting for a text message from the house owners from this house to see if they got on the flight out of Hong Kong today – if not, I’m here for another night, but if so I’ll have to pack up my car before work so I can drive to Seaford after midnight tonight … ah, the fun and games of housesitting for airline staff travellers 😉

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Ebay dramas & energy drain

Excuse the venting of this post … but I truly do need to vent!  I am currently in the process of a dispute resolution case on PayPal for an item I purchased – it was for a pair of scissors … and the item that was received was not the item that I paid for.  After “contacting seller” twice requesting a resolution to this error, I receive no response.  After 1 1/2 weeks of sending my first email I’m getting a little bit antsy after paying money out for a pair of scissors I did not ask for.  After no response I decide to file for a “dispute resolution” case … it’s amazing that all of a sudden – out of the blue – I get a response immediately from the seller.  He’s peeved because I left negative feedback for him, and now whining that he never received my previous emails, and he’s been busy etc – while he’s acknowledged the error and apologised he now wants me to retract my negative feedback, and tonight I received a dispute claim against me for withdrawal of the feedback.  Admittedly he’s come to the party and is sending the correct scissors now, and will refund me for the postage of sending the others back (well, let’s just say he’s said he will!) … but the feedback I left was because of receiving the incorrect goods and more than anything else the lack of communication.

As far as I’m concerned buying and selling is a business contract – I always pay for my goods immediately on receiving my invoice and complete my end of the bargain promptly and efficiently … all I expect from the other end is prompt posting and the correct item I paid for … and if required prompt communication.  As I said to him in all of my responses (so far it’s going backwards and forward like a bl**dy tennis match tonight, which is just starting to make my blood boil over and make me dig my toes in), all I needed was an email of acknowledgement to put my mind at rest.  I told him to put himself in my shoes and see it from a new customer’s perspective – I receive the wrong item, and try over 1 1/2 weeks to get an acknowledgement from the seller via email, but receive nothing in response … you wouldn’t be a happy camper either.

Bl**dy amazing how his email is working all of a sudden when it’s gone to dispute resolution!!  It’s probably not a good thing posting this here, but I needed to vent … it’s really left a rotten taste in my mouth for the evening!  If he thinks he’s getting that feedback withdrawn, he’s got another think coming!!!  I’m happy to go through the mediation process, seeing as the seller has apparently coughed up money to do so, but I’m still comfortable with my feedback – as far as I’m concerned my feedback was relevant to the lack of service I received 😦

Phew, vent over … now I just have to sit back and wait for a mediator to contact me regarding the feedback withdrawal … but I still stand by my original feedback.  The seller made a couple of digs at me in his last response, but I refuse to get into a personal attack situation … I’m stickin’ to the facts as I know ’em, and that’s it … mutter mutter mutter 😦