My Weekend Retreat ...

Just had to post this because I keep looking at these photos and thinking how much I loved my little getaway. It was pure bliss being able to hang out with one of my oldest and dearest friends and just chat away about anything and everything or just stroll around the shops and sip on a latte.

Hopefully it won't be as long in between catch ups this time!

Do I Dare ...

When I attended the QLD Bloggers Meet at the beginning of the year, talk (obviously) turned to our blogs.

What we write about, what made us start, what do our IRL friends think? Do we want to make it a money earner? Are we happy to just use it as an online journal with the added bonus of comments? Or both?

It came up in conversation that I had written an eBook. An unsuccessful one at the time but one all the same.

I had attended the World Internet Summit way back in 2005 and came away feeling so inspired and ready to take on the world and write. I came up with, what I thought at the time to be a very good idea for a book. I enlisted the services of a writer so that I could concentrate on content rather than the actual wording.

It was an exciting time. I sold two copies!

I passed it on for a couple of friends to read and got no feedback whatsoever. I guess I thought it was really, really bad. So bad that nobody had the heart to tell me. I haven't revisited the book so I can't say for sure.

I was asked at the meet up if I would resurrect said book. I hadn't given it a thought in so long that I didn't know how to respond. Should I? Could I even do that?

I still don't know whether I would, could, should but I do know that I will pull out the hard copy that I have around here somewhere and I will have a read of it. Who knows what will come of it. I might decide that I was a truly sleep deprived mother with no idea of what I was saying.

What I do know now is this. I am not a marketer. For any kind of business. And if there is one thing I have learned is that certain people are good for certain things. I do not know how to build a website. I do not know how to market one.

I type. I am a really fantastic Transcriptionist. I keep clients because of my expertise in this area. Of being able to set out a document to perfection with correct grammar and spelling and being able to provide a service that meets its deadlines and is consistent. That's my forte. I am a perfectionist when it comes to this side of things.

In 2005, I didn't give outsourcing enough credit. I was/am a tight arse. But now I'm a tight arse who can see the benefit of spending a few dollars to get someone who is good at what they do to actually do it.

I no longer begrudgingly hand over money for a job well done (although there have been times when the job has not been so well done that I have had a really hard time accepting that was as good as it was going to get). So I try to ensure that I source people with a very high quality of work and a good business manner. It isn't as easy as it sounds but I do tend to find that like attracts like - take that as you will. Maybe I attract other tight arses or people who take pride in what they do. Or both - and sometimes you do, in fact, get what you pay for.

So the decision probably won't be made anytime soon but when I do need to market either my transcription business or my eBook or any other venture I dare set up, I will definitely source the best people for my team.

Of course, the upside to that is if I still get no business, I can blame somebody else!

Sunday Sessions - The Little Things ...

Friday night saw me head out for an impromptu night out to see a little local band that's making it big.

We braved the cold and rainy weather and I am so glad we did.

I just wish I could find more of their stuff online because these guys are great.

I wish there was a recording of them doing their cover of King of the Road because, honestly, it was just awesome.

I love a band that can add their own twist to an old song and make it sound great! So I thought I'd post this one up because every time I hear it now - which *ahem* probably won't be too often I expect -  it's going to remind me of them (and still of my road trips to Sydney with my family when my stepfather owned that awesome cassette box set of Country and Trucking Favourites. Hmmm, yeah, don't think I'm going to forget that EVER!).

They also did a cover of this one ...

What is going to make this song memorable is watching Mrs M relive her dancing glory as an eight year old and then realising she wasn't the only one!

But for now, you'll have to settle with this video I found of The Lamplights recording my favourite song of the evening.

Go and check out their Myspace page, their Facebook page and/or their website where you can listen to some of their other songs. They even do a kids song.

So good to be able to see and support a great local band!

Even better when that band is so humble and appreciative of the opportunity to just be able to play music. Their music. It's all about the community people (just for you Mrs M).

This band deserves every success!!!

I'm linking up over at Do I Really Wanna Blog? for Thea's Sunday Session ...

Old Patterns ...

So here it is.

My reason for being so damn cranky. Something happened over the weekend - yes. MY weekend. The weekend that was supposed to see me relaxing and enjoying my 24 hour retreat - that has been eating at me. Somebody I have just recently become friends with on Facebook commented on a status. Which, of course, is not the issue. But it kind of is ...

The issue is that this person chose to make a comment that belittled me. Again, it's more about said person than me. I see the type of relationship we have always had. This person has to make fun. It obviously makes them feel better. They do it in most situations whether it be to me or somebody else.

It's a kind of sense of humour I dislike but it's one that is extremely common.

BUT my problem with it is this. This person has chosen to come into "my space" and make fun of me in front of my friends. And it really irked me. The comment was a pointless one, no opinion expressed. It's aim simply to belittle. I doubt anybody else would have noticed and I didn't reply to the comment. I simply ignored it.

And by ignoring it, rather than being able to let it go, the opposite has been true. It has been sitting there, eating at me. It put a black mark on my weekend away by just sitting below the surface. It won't dissipate. It's not fading. It's just staying there. Just below the surface.

Because I want to say something yet I know ignoring it is the most appropriate way to deal with it. I am not the type to have a war on FB especially not over something this minor.

But because it is sitting there and I have no way to respond, I can't find a way to let it go. It will come. No doubt about that. But I think it takes longer when you can't (or won't) or don't know how to deal with it. And being the *ahem* slight over thinker that I am certainly doesn't help. But by responding, I'm just opening it up for the world to watch the train wreck that will be. Because this person always has a comeback and I know if I write anything back (even in light heartedness) it will come back to bite me in the arse. The way it always has.

And so every little thing that comes in on top of that little parasite just eats at me a bit more until I yell or scream about everything else but that!

That's just it, isn't it? I'm venting over the things I feel "safe" to vent about - which don't get me wrong, probably are long overdue for a vent anyway. There are just some things I let slide for so long but it's time to start pulling your socks up people - but not the actual event that has caused the need.

It's a pattern. I know. And I'm sure my wise friend, Miss K, will be nodding her head here with me. It's ingrained. From my childhood. And it's getting the better of me.

Something so little and trivial that has pressed my buttons so much.

Stay Out of My Way ...

I am in a mood. The very worst of moods. Quite possibly the worst mood I've been in for such a long time that I can't remember the last time I felt like this.

And I don't know why. And I'm trying to not be in a bad mood which just adds more pressure and makes me even worse.

I know there are a few little niggly things that are annoying me but it shouldn't be enough to put me in a mood like this.

It's little things like feeling that I am thinking for five people every day of the week and when I stop thinking for one of them they invariably forget to do something or lose something. Or if they have forgotten to do something, it seems to always fall back on me to rectify it.

And it's not getting near enough sleep at the moment. It's having to share my bed with more than just my husband - and I know he's going to read this and crack down on the girls coming in at night but as a general rule it never bothers me. I like having them in there - almost every night of the week.

Or the fact that my five year old is still having toileting issues and no matter how hard I try to remind myself how young she is and that it is just one of those things, when I'm in this mood, it bugs the crap out of me and I can't let it not get to me.

And my very own built in whining system that comes in the shape of a very vocal Miss Gumboot. Always with the whining. Over everything. Yep. Again. This week, I just can't take it.

Should I mention the "specialist" that couldn't even remember why we were revisiting on Wednesday after only having seen him on Monday? Or the cost involved with that which should guarantee he knows who I bloody am.

Let's not forget the speeding fine I got while driving home from a place I shouldn't have even needed to be after having my car checked over the previous day only to have to take it back yesterday to have it  rechecked because there was still something wrong with it. I thought I took it well but still, it's eating at me.

And then. Then there's always that good old mother guilt that comes after a morning of yelling at my children over lost property and whining and not doing as their told because most weeks I can handle it.

Just not this week.

This week I need to climb out of this hole because, in this mood, I'm starting to really piss myself off!

I think it's wine o'clock.

PS. OMFG! I think I've just worked it all out. Thank you for listening. I'll be back to post what has been eating at me and how or if I deal with it. *shaking my head at myself that I could actually let it get to me this badly*

Cute Little Guy ...

My husband is forever saving animals and bringing them home. He has done this since before the girls were born and on a couple of occasions I ended up spending my mornings in bed with a tiny joey in a sock trying to keep it warm after CJ had found it's mum on the side of the road. We would of course then take it to be cared for by professionals.

And since the girls have arrived, it's not really any different except that he probably brings more home to share with them. Not to keep them. Just to show the girls and then either let them go somewhere safe or look after them if they're injured and keep them safe until they can be released into the wild again.

We have had all manner of animals here from rainbow lorikeets to frilly necked lizards. Some I think I have blogged about but others remain in our photo archive.

The other night CJ came home with the tiniest little gecko I have ever seen. The girls, of course, fell in love with it and wanted to keep it but after taking photos we let him go somewhere safe away from our pesky feral cats.

Little guy! How CJ managed to see this on top of a container just moments before he was going to be squashed is beyond me. Seems we have our very own wildlife warrior in the house.

Sunday Session - My Weekend ...

I had a girlfriend come up from Sydney this weekend. She stayed here Friday night and then we drove to her Uncle and Aunt's place up the coast.

We have been friends for nearly 20 years. We were a little shocked when we started doing the math.

And after taking the girls to the farm for a few days, driving up the coast with her was just what I needed. My very own 24 hour retreat.

I'm sure there'll be a collage on that later but, for now, here are a couple of songs that will now remind me of this weekend.

This one is from a great old Aussie band and I couldn't actually believe Nani Kaf had this in her playlist. But she did and we played it. Really loud!

And this one, was one we were listening to as we drove back to the house this afternoon after spending a few hours just strolling around the shops, having a coffee and relaxing. It was so fitting for our retreat weekend.

I'm linking up over here with Thea for the Sunday Session ...


Disclaimer:  The film clip by Bruno is a bit, ummm, odd. I hadn't seen it until I posted! Bwahahahahaha.

Our Country Holiday ...

So let's see how I've gone. This is my first attempt at a collage and I've quite possibly picked the worst time to try and get this done.

BUT ... here is a snippet of our few days away up with Grandma at the farm.

I don't know if it's the fresh(er) air or the fact that it's just not home but the girls and I had such a great time.

Of course, don't be surprised if there's more collages to come now that I'm in play mode! ;p

Wedge ...

Yep. That's her name. Not Nova like I suggested. Such a sweeter name for a little girl puppy.

Nope. His dog. His decision. Wedge.

And it's actually not a bad name once you say it a few times.

The girls felt a little bit sorry for me when the decision became final. Miss Tween announced "It's okay Mum. Nova can be her middle name."

And so it is. We have Digit Tiny and Wedge Nova. Don't think we've ever had dogs with middle names before but I guess that's the joy of having children around. Wanting to add their part to the equation.

I think it's really cute.

As did the vet when she met our new addition this morning. She was the most lovely woman, taking us through all the information about caring for a new puppy. I loved her more when she told me I looked like I had it all under control - good thing she didn't see the debacle that was us on the side of the road cleaning the dog spew out of the car on the way home after our visit - and even more again when she saw how much the dog was being smothered loved on by the girls and suggested she do the vaccination and microchipping out back to save my girls from watching the big needle.

And she said that the most beautiful natured pets she saw were the ones that were allowed to be smothered tortured showered with love by kids.

And it made me feel good to know that my girls will have these loyal friends around for a while. Because I look at Miss Digit and how beautifully natured she is - no matter how much naughty stuff she gets up to - and I know that's partly because I chose well and partly because my kids LOVE her.

And, of course, those two puppies have already become the best of friends.


This post is part of FYBF over at Where's My Glow. :D

Almost Famous ...

Pssst! I'm over here today at Where's My Glow, the home of the lovely Glowless.

Go check out The Great BackFlip Fail of 2004!

Have to say I'm a bit excited but thanks really should go to my husband because without his, ummmm, stuff ups adventures, I really would have nothing to contribute.

So thanks babe! Love you!

And sorry, but this week you're now the star of the segment "He Did What?"








Love you?

And thanks so much to Glowless for her hospitality! I'm sure there's plenty more stories I can offer you!  ;)

To Market, To Market ...

So, as was expected, things didn't go to plan and we left without dinner at 5.

As it turns out, that wasn't such a bad thing though as we did a drive through for some dinner (chicken and chips) and managed to drive the whole way through with only stopping once. And, by the time we arrived, it was bedtime so it wasn't long before all three girls were settled and snuggled up in their beds.

Sunday saw us head to the markets for a bit of a wander around. I love country markets. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Never has there been a saying that rings so true with country markets. That and "You're not taking that piece of junk home are you?"

The girls love snow cones. And the park.*

So we wandered and played at the park and ate snow cones and, just as we were heading back to the car, we passed a lady holding a puppy. A very cute puppy.

And I stopped her - something I wouldn't normally do - and asked if she would mind us patting her dog and for a little bit of back story. Turned out she just bought it from the markets that day. And it was the style of dog CJ had been looking for.

So we walked and tried to call CJ with the girls begging the whole way for a new puppy. I suggested we walk up and take a look and if I couldn't get in touch with CJ by the time we got there then it wasn't meant to be and we would go home empty handed.

As an aside, CJ and I have been discussing getting a second dog for a little while as Miss Digit is such a sociable puppy in need of a companion so we thought it might be worth a shot to stamp out some bad behaviours that only occur when nobody is home. The deal, however, has always been that it would be the type of dog CJ likes. Funny we should go to markets that I would never normally have thought to visit or speak to someone I would not normally have approached. But such is the way I guess. And I'm starting to believe even more so that opportunities present themselves for a reason (no surprise I had only just looked on the AWL site before we left in case any newcomers had arrived).

So we went and we saw. The most adorable puppies. Aren't they all though? We had a chat to the owners and got a bit of an idea about them. We grabbed their contact details as they lived not far from my mother-in-law. And we couldn't get in touch with CJ. So I finally convinced the girls to head back to the car and that it wasn't the day to get a dog.

You can see where this is heading I'm sure.

And then just as we piled all the girls back in the car, he called. And, while I admit to not being discouraging by any means, I didn't talk it up or try to convince him that it was a good idea. Heck, even my mother-in-law didn't try and talk me out of it. What's a girl to do? Especially a girl that used to bring home every stray she found as a child. Clearly I am not the most responsible person for these situations.

So here she is.

Our little (hopefully to grow quite big) no name puppy who is waiting for CJ to pick a name for her. Although, in his defence, not having seen her makes it a little hard to really know what would suit.

And she is lovely. And I know what I'll be doing for the next few months. Can anyone say puppy school?

*I will have to upload photos of our trip when I get home because I didn't bring the cord for the camera. Doh!

Sunday Session - Christina Aguilera ...

I am just in the process of organising a Hens Night for a good friend of mine and being that Burlesque is her favourite movie at the moment, another very clever friend suggested we theme her night for her.

Not sure we could actually go out in burlesque attire but we're going to do the best we can to bring a burlesque feel to the whole evening.

It goes without saying then that the first clip for this session is none other than this one from the movie.

But it did get me thinking about the first song I ever heard of Christina Aguilera. Do you remember her first hit?

Can I admit that I really loved it? I did.

School Holiday Travels ...

So today would be the day I had planned to drive up to Gympie and stay with my mother-in-law for a few days with the girls.

Except that last night I went to a friend's 40th and shared a bottle of wine with a couple of the other ladies there. Luckily though - and let's just say I am NEVER responsible in these situations so would have easily been led astray with a second or third bottle - CJ had to work today so we did the boring right thing and arrived home before we turned into pumpkins.

CJ is still at work today and now I'm starting to feel a little weary and in need of a little nap - the girls graciously woke me up at 5am this morning despite my protests that it was still night time - before I hit the road. I have not been to the grocery store to grab the handful of things I needed. I have not packed a bag for myself - I'm thinking PJs and a book should suffice (wishful thinking) - or Gumboot Girl, although the two big girls have theirs totally sorted.

So I'm thinking I might camp out on the couch until CJ gets home and then do the mad dash to grab some supplies in the hope that he will have fed the tribe by the time I get home.

All that's left to do then is pile three (hopefully) sleepy children in the car and do the trek with as few stops as possible.

All going according to plan ...