January report

Can't believe the first month of 2014 has passed already.  It was a real busy month for me as it was time to move and change address. 

Rachel and I have settled in well at my parent's address.  I am slowly unpacking as I have been busy with other priorities in my life. I had some business affairs to sort out and getting Rachel ready for school.  She seem to settled in well at her new school but not comfortable in wearing their formal uniform.  A tie must be worn the same way as a male wears his tie.  She practiced on the school holidays on how to correctly wear one. This school only wears their formal uniform twice a week.  The other three days of the week the students can wear their sports uniform which I am sure the majority of the school are happy with this set up.  This school is only a small enrollment population.

Now it's time to think about finding employment.  I started to look online and in papers but it is going to be a challenge because of my age and limited experience. I have applied for afew nanny positions and only one has replied to my interest. I am thinking of enrolling into a TAFE course to study my qualification/s from home.

Rachel stays at her father's place on the weekend.  Either he picks her up or I drop her off in Logan on Friday afternoons.  She returns home in the early evening on Sundays. As for Monique she seems to be more interested in seeing her boyfriend then spending time with her mother on the weekends.  I now just do my own thing while Rachel is away.

My bowling league resumed back earlier in the month.  I have a new team partner and have Rachel attending to watch us played each week. After bowling we go out for dinner at a local takeaway store with some friends.

Have a great February everyone!

New changes happening

Wow!  This time next week we all have moved to our new addresses. This week will be full on as the finalizing of packing and moving big stuff has got to be done.  A good thing about moving, I finally got myself organised and started to sort out alot of boxes with my belongings in them.  I meant to do them years ago but I didn't seem to get there until now. Now I have to go shopping to buy more big plastic containers as I have run out of them.

Since my last blog I have been to the shops a couple of times, watch tennis on TV and been out visiting. On Saturday night I was out to a birthday party which I shouldn't of really went as I wasn't really in a party mood. I have been invited to a party plan for a friend this Saturday.  It's a party plan for greeting cards I think.  I only go for a couple of hours as I have alot to do this weekend.

My 15 yo had a big bowling tournament over the weekend.  Actually she started to play on Friday!  I don't really know how she went because she never said much about her weekend.  Actually I haven't seen much of her for the past couple of weeks as she hasn't barely been home. She seems to be doing her own thing!  I am getting tired of getting the run around for her.  Oh well...its now her father's turn to deal with her teenage ways after I have been the full time parenting for the past 15 years.

My bowling league returned back last night. It was good to be back after a 6 week break.  I have a new team member with a new name.  Not sure how the first night went with the scores as we don't have a true average recorded until after the third week.  I have just look online and the first game results are not up yet.  Before bowling we had a brief meeting about the end of the year venue as there was some complaints about the catering last year.  It seems we are still going to the same venue but our regular entertainment might not be booked to perform. After what I witnessed last year I feel its a waste of money to hire entertainment if majority of the league isn't there to watch to all the way to the end.  I pretty much told the league how I felt about this situation. And it voted not to hire entertainment. I just save the league alot of money to have someone.  Now to give them ideas what to do with that extra cash at the end of the year.

This might be the last blog to post for a while because once I move I will end up to get a new email address and so on.  But first I need to get a new laptop as this one is getting too old.  Put it this way I am still using Windows XP and I have heard no more support for this program will continue now. I am not sure if I will go to windows 7 or 8 as I have been told mixed reports about both. I am thinking of going wi-fi for my internet as my parents don't want me to use their landline for my internet.  And I am not sure how well wi-fi will sucess as I have problems with using my mobile phone at their address. I think they live in a dark hole area for mobile use as my Dad complain about the same thing too!  I found out recently I can't use the phone in their house as the signal isn't strong enough.  I have to make my calls and texts outside in the street. And if I have to do the same with the internet I won't be happy.

December report

The last month of the year seem to travel on by so fast, didn't it?  It was a full on month for most families as Christmas preparations began with shopping, decorations up, card list writing and present wrapping. All that expense for just one festive season!!  Sometimes I wonder if it is really worth it.

How was your festive season?  What did you do over Christmas and New Year? Over the years I have been alive I never really had a big bang of celebrations with Christmas or New Year.  My family Christmas is basically very quiet and sharing a family meal at lunchtime but last year I was invited to attend to a different family meal at dinnertime with a different family.  I was pretty well fed by the end of the day! I had an enjoyable day and I think it's one of the best Christmases I had for a long time.

Did you see the welcoming of New Year?  I was with my best friend at the time on NYE.  We went on a mini picnic at a local park and watch the fireworks going off until midnight. Then went back to their place, drinking and talking until sunrise. Only had a couple of hours sleep but had a very lazy NYD.  Still feel exhausted and that event happened a week ago now. I used to be able to stay up like a nightowl when I was alot younger but I think those days are now long gone.

After Christmas the girls had a ten day holiday at Grandma's.  They live in Hervey Bay!  It's a beachy area that is four hour drive from Brisbane. Their grandparents have lived up there for 11 years now. It was the retirement choice to move there after they sold their home in Logan. We were the ones who brought the property with alot of regrets later! Never really like living here so I was glad when the house was sold last year. I am looking forward to a new start in life with my kids very soon.

While the girls were absent I had a mini vacation at my mate's house.  I just need a break and get away from this area. It was nice to hang around with some friends for afew days and we had alot of fun. We had a night of social bowling at their local bowling alley and a game of pool for 4 hours. I managed to win four games of pool.  And I am not even a professional player!!

December was also the month for the end of the school year for all schools in Australia. My 13 yo finished school 13 days before Christmas while her elder sister finished year 10 two weeks before her. Both of them done well in their school report.  Both received an A and the rest of the report card had Bs and Cs for their subjects. I can't believe my 13yo had survived her first year of high school.  This year she will be changing schools as we are moving to a different city very soon.

The kids are now on summer holidays until late January.  This month (JANUARY) will be busy with packing and moving as the house was sold last month. The settlement day is just days before school resumes. I had alot of stuff packed last year but the sale of the house fell through twice.  Now we only got last minute items to pack.  Alot of my belongings are already at my parent's house.  I have spend afew days already sorting out the boxes and hoping to be back there this week to finish most of the boxes.  The only thing I can't find is my resume folder because I need that to find employment. 

Inspite the big move back to the inner city, I have the school preparations to do of buying school supplies and new uniforms for my 13yo.  My car is due to have its 20 000 km service, rego and insurance to be paid and other business affairs to deal with in one week. I already started to job hunt as I joined two job agencies online.  So far I have applied for two jobs yesterday.  Also I hope to be studying this year as well.

Whatever New Year resolutions you might have, I hope your dreams and goals will come true in 2014.  All the best for a great and healthy year! 

Start of 2014

Goodbye 2013!  I am now glad that year is over.  Consider what I went thru last year I am hoping 2014 will be alot better year for everyone. I have a couple of New Resolutions ideas but I don't wish to share, just incase my plans do not work out.

It's now the sixth day into 2014 and I only been home for two days.  You see I was absent from home for ten days.  I left on Boxing Day and returned back on Sunday at lunchtime.  I spent my holidaying at a mate's house while my girls were holidaying at their Grandma's in Hervey Bay.  It was a fun time at my mate's house: cooking meals, social bowling, shopping, watching tennis and playing pool. On NYE we stayed up all night talking and drinking rum and coke.  Didn't we payed for it on NYD!! Even six days later I still feel exhausted but I have alot to do for the next two weeks.

Since on return, I had over 300 emails to read and dealt with only a couple of replies in groups and individual messaging.  Today I decided to make a start on job hunting.  I joined two job agencies in hoping to find Nanny/Housekeeping jobs as I had experience in this field for about seven years before I had children of my own.  Since my martial status will be changing I will have to find a job as I won't be able to have much financial assistance from the government for much longer. Also I am hoping to study my qualifications this year too. But right now I have to finalized all the packing and move out before settlement day (21st January).

All the best for 2014!  I hope your year will be a good year worth remembering for a long time.

Christmas starting

It's only two more sleeps until the big day of celebrations start.  All of my present shopping is done and wrapped up ready to hand out on Christmas Day.  I didn't go overboard with presents this year as I don't really have the budget to spend on presents.  For a couple of people it was very hard to buy for but after a day of window shopping I managed to get what I thought was best.  Just hope these people will appreciate what they received.  I try to buy what people really need for themselves, not their home.

I was away for the weekend from Friday to Sunday.  I thought it was time for the kids to get used of not having me around on weekends as the marital status changes will take place very soon. I stay over at a friend's house.  On Friday night a group of us caught the train to the city to view the city hall's festive activities until 10pm.  Then we walked to the mall to grab dinner and viewed afew window displays of Christmas at the Myer Centre. Then I was up until 3am, drinking and social chat to my friend.

Saturday was a busy day with shopping for presents. In the evening we went around my friend's local area to view light displays at afew homes and two churches.  It was so bright and colourful! Afterwards we went to the local beach to view the huge moon rising over the horizon on the east.

Since I heard shops are open until midnight I might go to the shops soon to get the fresh food done so I can avoid the last minute shopping on Christmas Eve.  Tomorrow will be the worse day to go shopping for last minute stuff.  Even today the shops were busy with shoppers getting the last minute stuff.

All the best to you all for a joyous Christmas with your love ones. Don't get sick on consuming too much of the festive goodies.  If you have travel plans, hope your destination spot will be a safe one. 

Christmas shopping

As someone pointed out, its only a week off until Christmas Eve. I started to go Christmas shopping with my 15 yo yesterday as she wanted to go to get the presents she wanted to buy for the family members and close friends.  I decided to make a start with mine at the same time.  Only got to buy for her sister and one of their grandparents but I couldn't really buy for my 15 yo as she was there with me.  Besides I have to shop elsewhere as the ideal present for her wasn't at the shop we were at.  Still got to shop for three other people I am close to. It won't be much as I don't have the budget to spend big this Christmas. 

My present to my parents was completed months ago.  It was homemade by me!! I spent many hours on completing it which I am sure they will love.  The same ideal present was completed to the girl's aunt and uncle too.  Suppose to make another one for their grandparents too but time has run out. Guess that will have to be something to work on next year if I have the time to do it as I have other plans that is more high priority.

By the time we got back from the shops, the girl's report cards had arrived in the mail.  I am quite proud to point out they both done quite well this semester.  Both received an "A" in one subject and all the rest were Bs and Cs.  They both had fairly good comments on their assessments, effort and behaviour. The next report won't be issued until the start of Term 2 when parent teacher interviews will take place.  Most of the time I only go once, just to meet the teachers. If there are any issues, I ask if they can email or phone me.  Only had an odd phone call or two this year about an issue or two.  Other then that, all's good!

Better go as I have some things to do at home this afternoon. Have a nice day! 

Christmas is approaching

Oh boy!  It's only ten days until Christmas!  And I still have my Christmas shopping to do.  Food will be the last minute shopping as fresh food don't intend to last long.  The presents I will have to get this week as I don't want to leave it the last minute.  I know what to get, just I need my motivation to get up early and be at the shops early before the good parking spots become no vacany and out before school holiday crowds enters at 10am.

The school year is now closed until late January.  All students in Queensland are now on school holidays for six weeks. I should get my girl's report cards in the mail this week as the schools generally post them out.

How was your second week of December?  I had a busy week as usual.  On Tuesday I had a friend over for lunch. It was a great afternoon to catch up with the latest. We had great laughs and conversations for five hours.

This weekend was more visiting and parties going on.  On Friday I visited my parents for afew hours then I headed off to a birthday party. I stayed overnight at my friend's house as I had a couple of drinks. We had Indian meals for dinner. It was quite a long time since I last had Indian.  Some foods was abit more spicy and hot then others. If I can remember correctly I had more drink intakes of fruit punch then consuming foods. The birthday cake was home made and very yummy!! I would of loved to have seconds but I didn't want to be rude to ask as I didn't know the party host very well. I went to the party as a guest of my best friend who was a relative to the party host. I had plans with my friend to have dinner and see a movie but I didn't know the changes until I showed up. It's a long story that I won't go into details about but it was a good night and I am glad I had the opportunity to meet new people.  Maybe 2014 will be a good year to be introduced to a new circle of friends.

Yesterday afternoon I was invited to an afternoon tea party with afew mums at a friend's house for two hours.  This party was more gluten free as the host has serious allergies problems.  Surprisely I enjoyed the home made dip with rice crackers. But my body told me a different story last night.  Whatever the ingredient was in this dip, kept me repeating belching for parts of the night.

This weekend I got to meet new people! I had four people stating they hope to see me again. I guess that made me feel good! Normally I am fairly quiet and shy when it comes to meeting strangers but I guess I found the right conversations with them.

Better go as I have afew to do this afternoon. Have a good week!