( because people find lists boring )

Since Nic refused to call the shower sealing people, I called them and booked a 2 - 4 hour appointment on Monday starting from 12.30 - 1 pm. Too bad if she had plans! It also means no showers on Sunday. I am considering calling some solar panel people as well but Nic doesn't like all the technical stuff. Since we are heading towards more daylight ( Read more... )

I think I've been spoiled having the house to myself for long periods of time. Nic came back on Thursday, and our friend Esther came to stay on Friday, and I'm kinda wanting the house back. I guess they are both leaving tomorrow. And the house will be dirty. Bah ( Read more... )

Nic flew out this morning. I was barely concious to say goodbye. I should really start going to bed earlier. I thought her whistley snore this morning was Barbie crying to go outside but when I got up Barbie was still asleep on the couch. I let her out anyway and she toiletted, and then passed out again. So with no Nic, I have to walk the dogs ( Read more... )

So it's delightfully grey and drizzly outside, and I should have probably ridden my xtracycle to work because it has a front mudguard and there's no way the mud from the back wheel would get me.... and with 20mm or rain overnight, there were quite a few boggy sandy bits on the trail... but I was feeling so crap this morning that I wasn't sure I'd ( Read more... )

I'm gazing in awe and wonderment at the mandarin on my desk. It is one of maybe a hundred that dropped off our mandarin tree on the weekend. Its hard to believe that this magnificent bounty sprouted from the sandy, unkept, tiny, garden around the side of our house on our 300 square metre block. I've never really had any mature fruit trees, unless ( Read more... )

Origin Energy are offering a 1.5kW PV solar system for $3990 along with an interest free, 24 month payment plan ($728 upfront and $133 per month). Very very very tempting. It's the best price I've seen so far but the prices seem to keep going down. It is quite a competitive market now, the solar panel installation industry is growing. The feed-in ( Read more... )

So we got the second interest rate hike in a row... am waiting for the bank to send us notification of our minimum payments now... I think after another couple of hikes we are going to be looking for a housemate (+$120 pw), or I will be looking for a second job (+100pw), bringing in packed lunch everyday and no more breakfasts at cafes (+$75pw)! ( Read more... )

so our cute little Solarhart has been pressed into service, and Nic is certainly enjoying it, because she took a very long shower this morning! The Solargain people are going to talk to us about PV panels on Wednesday at 4, I'm hoping we can get a system for under $4,000 (probably only 1KW). The PVs will hopefully reduce our already small power ( Read more... )

No interest rate rise this month. Awesome.. That will save us about $200 this month. Or more precisely, that extra $200 will come off the principle of our mortgage. Every little bit counts!