Life Goes On

* wolf whistles *

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005 - 12:58 a.m.

I have a new neighbour! He is single - so the old tenants were quick to tell me - and we've been introduced. He is just my type ... he has a pulse. Oh yeah and he's white collar, sweet smile, appealing looks, soft voice, has a job. He has initiated contact - asking to borrow an ironing board (LOL! Yeah. Right.), asking advice about the garbage bin situation and also makes suggestions about things we can do - "Oh you build old computers too? Maybe we should swap parts sometime?" and "I would love to learn Microsoft Access! Do you think you could show me a few things?" Now if that isn't interest I'm not sure what is. t.

An All Time Low

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005 - 12:50 a.m.

As most of my friends know, I spend a lot of time in my pyjamas. I just love wearing soft, elasticised, comfy clothes and only put on normal clothes when it is absolutely necessary. Every morning I drive my son to school in my pjs. Once, we ran out of petrol on the way - he was able to walk to school but I had to walk home :) Another time a police officer stopped me at the school drop off zone and told me to get out of the car and remove my old registration sticker. I pleaded with him, explaining my situation and he left me off when I promised I would remove it as soon as I got home, which I did, in my pjs.

I go through McDonalds drive-thru in my pjs and the servers often comment on them. "Oh, you're wearing your frogs today!" I realised I was going through Maccas too much when one girl commented on my new car (I'm driving my Mum's car while she's OS for 6 months).

So anyway, tonight I went to Red Rooster to get dinner, in my pjs, using the drive-thru. I was coming home trying to decide what we would have for dessert and just had a craving for chocolate so ... stooping to an all time low, I went to my corner store ... in my pjs! Luckily only the shop keeper was in there. She seemed slightly amused at my green slippers, pink flanny pants and jumper.

Now that's embarrassing!

Friday, Aug. 05, 2005 - 12:19 a.m.

I don't know why but tonight I had a flashback to 1993 when I attended my first Secretaries Conference, back in the days when I was a failed daughter with no degree, pregnant, unmarried and unlikely to amount to anything. That is completely irrelevant to the anecdote but I never miss an opportunity to have a dig at my Mother.

Anyway, a discussion started about inappropriate presents. One lady told about how she gave a set of sherry glasses to a female friend but when the friend tried to use them that night after dinner she had such a big nose that she couldn't get anything out of the glass!

Another lady piped up and explained that once she had been corresponding with an inmate from a Brisbane jail. She was granted her first visit and asked for some advice on what present she could bring him. The day came and she handed over an expensive pair of Bolle sunglasses, approved and passed by the security and would prove useful in the yard.

The inmate, however, was not happy! He yelled at her asking if she thought she was funny. She returned with a blank stare until he pushed back his long straggly hair to reveal that he had no ears! Apparently he had lost them in bar fight many years previous.

Have you ever given an inappropriate present, either on purpose or accidently?

Found: One Pair technology-challenged Parents

Wednesday, Aug. 03, 2005 - 10:30 p.m.

My Dad sent me an update by email for their blog. There were a couple of days worth, maybe 20 lines in total and he writes "If this takes up too much time to type into the diary then don't worry about it until your studies are done." The smartest man I've ever met can't grasp the concept of cut and paste.

So my parents are no longer lost in Romania; they are safe and well enjoying a rest at the home of a friend. I received a CD of their photos which was an adventure in itself. A hand scrawled note giving details of all the photos on the CD told me to DELETE about 8 of them. I guess I didn't fully explain the concept and advantages of a digital camera to them before they left. Another four "photos" are actually AVI files, mini-movies of them saying "I did click it! Why isn't the picture showing up on the screen? What's happening Sandy?" Keeping in mind that they are only in month one of a six month holiday I think an entire blooper CD will be available by the time they return.

Here they are in Prague having hotdogs for breakfast!

And a picture of Red Square in Moscow.

Photos have been uploaded for all entries up to Prague if you would like to see the others. Navigation of the site is a little "odd" - I am attempting to fix it so I apologise.

Someone mentioned to me the other day that is was August! I can't believe it! I kinda somehow thought we were still in May or something. That's ridiculous. I've barely got used to saying 2005 and it's more than half over. At least that also means my degree is going quicker.

David seems a little better and hopefully he will be back at school tomorrow.

Heard from an old associate last night by text. I get irritated by female 'friends' who attempt to flit in and out of my life like that. Males I can understand it because I just assume they're horny when they text me but females have no excuse. I can't build a genuine friendship with someone if they only give me five minutes of their time every six months. It doesn't work that way - so to C, you gotta do better than that. My friendship is worth more time.

Backpacking Parents Lost in Romania

Sunday, Jul. 31, 2005 - 11:38 a.m.

Last week we were given tickets to go to a free Family Fun night at the local Trots Paceway. Apparently this local family puts on this show every year as part of their charity donations. It was a free night for the kids - rides, fairy floss (candy floss), donuts, lollies, balloons! The area was contained with fences so the five kids in our group just walked around together while the parents sat near "The Coffee Man" stall and drank lattes. They also gave away door prizes including 10 bikes, 10 skateboards and a large plasma TV.

David and I picked out a couple of horses for the Trots and placed our bets early in the night and had fun! I didn't look at the time of the last race which ended up being 10.37pm - most of the kids had left by then but I had to stay for the last race just in case we won.

I was sitting in the grandstand with David and surrounded by a small group of other spectators huddling in the one spot to share body warmth when my mobile rang. I answered it with the intent of informing the "private number" caller that I couldn't talk to them but it was my Mother ringing from Romania! The line was really bad and she started yelling out this email address of the person that was supposed to pick them up at the train station the next morning and asking me to relay a message about their arrival details. I started emptying out my bag trying to find my notebook and a pen. Everytime I spoke my voice was heard on feedback across the line. I finally got the details down and only when I finally hung up did I realise that everyone was glaring at me. I mumbled something about backpacking parents lost in Romania but nobody believed me for some reason?

As soon as the last race had finished we dashed home (after walking through dark alleys to get to the car) and then I searched the Romanian white pages for the phone number. No luck, so I sent the email and luckily received a response almost immediately. Rang the woman in Romania and confirmed the details with her. I actually went to school with her way back in 1983 in Malawi, Africa. She is now married to the US Consulate for Romania and has been living all over the world supporting her husband in Embassy duties.

She agreed to meet Mum and Dad at the Clock Tower outside the train station and then said "I'll be driving a burgundy Toyota Camry with indian elephants and camels painted on the side." WTF? I thought I had misheard but no, she repeated it and the polite part of me denied my desire to laugh and/or ask for an explanation.

They're still on the train, expecting to arrive in Bucharest in about half an hour so there might be another frantic phone call. At least this time it will be in the privacy of my home and not in a grandstand of people attempting to watch the races.