A Year in Provenc^H^HSydney
What a year it has been. (And yes, I know it's only October, but I don't expect to have much chance to post in the next two months during The Trip.)
- Not working: What can I say other than being unemployed for the third time in a decade is a great way to destroy one's self-esteem.
- Leaving Adelaide: Miss it very much. I miss my old house in North Haven, the drive home along the beaches, Internode in all its aspects, my roleplaying group, Semaphore, the food, the wine, the people... *sigh* But I don't miss the stress we left behind. We made the right decision, extremely painful though it was. :(
- Having family and friends already here made a world of difference. Sydney is going to be home for the next 5 years and having them here makes it more of a home.
- Moving house. Again! And we'll do it again when we buy a house here.
- The Cat Protection Society: volunteering there makes me happy. (Thank you Toby & Sarah!) Fostering made me really happy, despite the disappearance of Chloe, my first foster kitten. :( The little Houdini! I still hold out hope that she gets picked up again and can be rehabilitated. Still, it had a happy ending for another kitten. I caught Phantom, another stray, in the (harmless) traps we set out for Chloe. (I named her Phantom because of the half-mask facial markings she had.) What I thought was a wound was actually infected stitches. It seems she did a runner after being desexed and had been missing for 2 months. The staff think she may have died if she'd gone without medical attention for much longer. Knowing CPS was able to fix her up and return her to her home was very satisfying. Yay for micro-chipping!
- Being an Auntie for the first time (on my side of the family): Alex is everything wonderful one imagines a baby should be. Seeing my sister, Julia, in her new role of mother makes it easier for me to come to terms with becoming one myself.
- Dr Phil(omena): We're taking over from where I left off with Christina M. because I need to rejoin the human race before the parade passes by.
- Having time to improve my cooking abilities.
- Funnily enough, the words I hear coming out of my mouth most frequently are "I hate this oven." How ironic that the oven is a Smeg. I hate it because it takes a long time to heat up, doesn't always work when its supposed to (because the buttons are easily pressed by accident,) and becomes too hot when it does work, so even when I cook things for significantly less time and at 20-30 degrees lower than what's recommended, I still end up burning a lot of dishes. Burning dinner is annoying; burning muffins is a travesty!
We're going to Europe on Sunday: to the UK with Glenn's mum & dad, then on our own to France & Greece, followed by 10 days in Perth over Christmas.
As Elan would say: "I'm on an adventure!" :)
--
Quote of the Moment:
Hidey's Disease should not be confused with Heidi's Disease, which is the uncontrollable compulsion to dress up in dirndl costumes and run around Switzerland looking for your Grandpapa. -- Ask a Ninja Q33
- Not working: What can I say other than being unemployed for the third time in a decade is a great way to destroy one's self-esteem.
- Leaving Adelaide: Miss it very much. I miss my old house in North Haven, the drive home along the beaches, Internode in all its aspects, my roleplaying group, Semaphore, the food, the wine, the people... *sigh* But I don't miss the stress we left behind. We made the right decision, extremely painful though it was. :(
- Having family and friends already here made a world of difference. Sydney is going to be home for the next 5 years and having them here makes it more of a home.
- Moving house. Again! And we'll do it again when we buy a house here.
- The Cat Protection Society: volunteering there makes me happy. (Thank you Toby & Sarah!) Fostering made me really happy, despite the disappearance of Chloe, my first foster kitten. :( The little Houdini! I still hold out hope that she gets picked up again and can be rehabilitated. Still, it had a happy ending for another kitten. I caught Phantom, another stray, in the (harmless) traps we set out for Chloe. (I named her Phantom because of the half-mask facial markings she had.) What I thought was a wound was actually infected stitches. It seems she did a runner after being desexed and had been missing for 2 months. The staff think she may have died if she'd gone without medical attention for much longer. Knowing CPS was able to fix her up and return her to her home was very satisfying. Yay for micro-chipping!
- Being an Auntie for the first time (on my side of the family): Alex is everything wonderful one imagines a baby should be. Seeing my sister, Julia, in her new role of mother makes it easier for me to come to terms with becoming one myself.
- Dr Phil(omena): We're taking over from where I left off with Christina M. because I need to rejoin the human race before the parade passes by.
- Having time to improve my cooking abilities.
- Funnily enough, the words I hear coming out of my mouth most frequently are "I hate this oven." How ironic that the oven is a Smeg. I hate it because it takes a long time to heat up, doesn't always work when its supposed to (because the buttons are easily pressed by accident,) and becomes too hot when it does work, so even when I cook things for significantly less time and at 20-30 degrees lower than what's recommended, I still end up burning a lot of dishes. Burning dinner is annoying; burning muffins is a travesty!
We're going to Europe on Sunday: to the UK with Glenn's mum & dad, then on our own to France & Greece, followed by 10 days in Perth over Christmas.
As Elan would say: "I'm on an adventure!" :)
--
Quote of the Moment:
Hidey's Disease should not be confused with Heidi's Disease, which is the uncontrollable compulsion to dress up in dirndl costumes and run around Switzerland looking for your Grandpapa. -- Ask a Ninja Q33