Friday 27 December 2013

It's Bah Humbug time again!!

Sunday 8th December to Friday 27th December 2013

OK, so it has been a while since I have sat down and put fingers to keyboard.

Life in a regular house and neighbourhood does not provide the same diversity as one in a boat (even one not moving).

There are more usual things that need to be done each week and work does not have the same feel as it does when on the boat.

Actually going into work once a week is a bit of variety, only in terms of the travel – trains and commuting in general -  but don’t get me wrong – I certainly do not want to go back to doing it every day or even every week.

What has happened then in the last 3 weeks?

Not very much.

Mitch and Sara have flown off to the USA – to Dallas in particular for a holiday/Xmas/family wedding and in the process catching up with plenty of football over there.

They are having a good time and beginning the process of setting up their lives for the future and we say good luck to them both – they have a plan and are pursuing it – and we support them 110%.

I have ventured off by train to see my aunt in Warrnambool and mighty happy to see Brenda again – it has been about 20 months since we were together and she remains the favourite aunt.


Brenda - not about to face the camera - just like the teenage
brigade - far too interested in the phone.


Buddy (Brenda's dog) - he has turned out to be a really good dog

We went off to Port Fairy to visit another aunt and uncle – Heather and Ron – who do at times follow the blog – so if they are reading this – hello to you both.

Ron - obviously concentrating on something else

Cousin Fiona - cheesey grin and all

...and the delightful Kitty Rose - only 3 but clearly is much older
by the way that she speaks
For the past 29 years we have really enjoyed the kids visiting Santa for the obligatory photo - we did give the stipulation a few years ago that whilst they live at home then this was a requirement. It pleases us a great deal to say that they do not need any reminding to go and get it done - in fact we think that they may just enjoy it.
Certainly it seems that Mitch likes the tradition - this year apparently he got all of the photos out from previous years to show Sara - there is now about 32-33 of them (some years like this there are two photos as they are in different places).

Sara and Mitch

... and Sam too (American style)

The weather, for this time of the year, has been rather coolish with plenty of colder winds and conditions – but it hasn’t been completely so – Thursday last week (19th) – reached up to 40C – mighty glad it didn’t stay that way.

It will not be an especially joyous week to come – this will be the first Xmas that Diane and I have been apart, but for us it simply is another day and we will have the usual fayre when I return to the boat in January – in the  meantime I will be working right through every day. Time off will come later.

I am very thankful to the guy still staying with us – Speedie – he is one of Mitch’s mates who lives here and he is such a nice guy and pleasant that it makes a great deal of difference. With Mitch, Sam and Diane not here it would have been less than enjoyable to be without all of them – Speedie has helped quite a lot.

Speedie - in his natural habitat - and this was on a good day too
I am looking forward to the next week – at least the holidays and weekends will mean that there will not be the usual hour-to-hour rush requirements from customers – it will still be busy – but by the end of it all, 2013 will be at an end and then it will be just over 2 weeks to go.

The effort that has been put in to bring the house back up to scratch has had its effect; the list of things that I needed to source for bringing back with me has been almost completed; the sorting out of paperwork for the last 20 months has been done.

One more highlight of the week – perhaps the best – Dorothy turns another year older – that is Diane’s mum – I cannot disclose her age but it is more than 60 and less than 100 – so the phone call went through and she is very well and ready for a special lunch – Happy Birthday!!

Given the situation this year – with Diane still being on the boat in Stone and me here in Melbourne – I was mighty happy to spend it on my own and not have to endure people commiserating with the two of us not being together.

Boxing Day was the same, but I have occupied myself by being able to work and then take the days in January.

So here I am, Friday night and have just spoken with the favourite in-laws – well I did manage to get a few words in edge-wise – at least after I had spoke loudly. Millie (Dot) does like to sometimes take a breath whilst talking – but only sometimes. Never-the-less they are both well and as I have said before doing very well with the computer based stuff – and continuing to learn all of the time.

Nothing much coming up in the next week – apart from work – so as I started off this blog – life at the moment is just a bit different to being on a boat.

This fellow was hanging around waiting for his photo to be taken

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