Watch out....here we come....

The 2012 AFL Grand Final.....between Sydney Swans and Hawthorn Hawks......is almost upon us and we have a monumental few days ahead.

We leave in the morning for Melbourne....a mere 10 hours away!!

We need to drop Buster at the Vets by around 8.00am...where he will be enjoying a short mini break.

Then with a car laden with essential supplies.....

.......we begin our journey.

The plan is to drive 7 hours down the Hume Highway and spend Friday night at Albury......a regional city, located on the New South Wales side of the New South Wales/Victoria border.

Albury.....not to be confused with Wodonga

We will wake up bright and early, and make our way to Melbourne in time for breakfast at a friend's house by 9.00am.....that's another 3 hours drive.

By 11.00am, according to Hubby's meticulous timetable, we will be on our way to the MCG.

For those that don't know, that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground which for whatever reason is known as the home of AFL Football....I sense a man's involvement in this confusing state of affairs.

The game begins at 2.30pm, and hopefully by about 5.30, both the Sydney Swans and we will be performing a rousing victory dance!

Something like this

If they lose......it's going to be a loooong drive home.

I'll be muttering things about criminal wastes of money and ridiculous harebrained schemes that only Hubby could come up with.....and Hubby will be coming up with plans....like not eating and living by candlelight for 6 months to recoup his losses.

We will spend Saturday night back in Albury....sleep....wake up early.....and drive back home....another 7 hours!

We need to pick up Buster before 6.00pm on Sunday....otherwise his mini break becomes a maxi break.....because we won't be able to pick him up until Tuesday.  Pesky vet will be enjoying the long weekend.

It promises to be a very long, exhausting weekend....that will either go down as one of those great "I was there" moments....or a senseless waste of time and money......and it all depends on the result of a single game of footy!!!

As Michael Jackson once said......just eat it......

There are lots of blogs about cooking and they are filled with recipes and pictures of delicious things......and I like them, I really do.

But I wonder where they get their inspiration from.

I don't mind cooking....(though I prefer not cooking)....but I find the hardest part is not the preparation, its not the frying or the baking or the grilling, it's not the mixing or the basting or the searing.

It's deciding what to cook.

It's finding inspiration from the unexciting contents of my fridge and pantry.  It's coming up with some idea that does not involve me running out to the supermarket at 5.00pm.  It's creating something that will be eaten by ALL members of my family.

My kids don't do green vegetables, they don't do yellow or red either, they might do orange at a push, but they complain!!  They won't eat anything leafy, or anything with a watery crunch.  They don't like fruit and they don't like fish...fresh or tinned.  They won't eat fried rice, stews or anything with red wine in it.  They won't have mayonnaise or mustard...and they will only have cheese if it's melted.  Basically anything natural is out...anything processed has a small chance of consumption.

Hubby won't do fish, or any other forms of seafood unless it's covered in batter.  He won't eat stews, or curries and definitely no apricot chicken.  He likes peas and ham...but don't give him pea and ham soup.  He will not eat rice in puddings, no food with a strong smell and definitely nothing reheated.  No pork chops or spare ribs or bacon with rind.  Oh and no vegetables in cake.

I have nothing left......no inspiration.......no incentive.......no idea!!!!

Another boring blog about Optus........

Here I go again.....I know reading me rave on about the utter ineptitude of Optus is a tedious bore...I know I'm tediously bored with it......but it's on my chest and I need it off!!

I am still waiting on the arrival of my new phone.  Last reports suggest it will arrive either tomorrow or the next day......believe me I'm not holding my breath.

But now we have the latest instalment in this fiasco.

The kind folks at Optus have sent me a bill....charging me $57.80 for the period 16 Sep 12 to 20 Sep 12 for a phone they have not even flippin supplied me with yet....and that wasn't even released until the 21st September!!

My head is more than hot it's combustible at the moment.  So I call them again and wait on hold again and in an ironic but by now totally expected twist....because nothing surprises me anymore....their phone line was so bad that the difficult to understand phone operator was reduced to impossible to understand.  I mean why would one expect an audible phone line from a phone company??

So my friendly Optus operator offered to call me back immediately...."within a minute"...were his words.......and I've had time to write this blog post....plan dinner.....start dinner.....nag Master 12 to take out the rubbish......take out the rubbish myself......and I'm still waiting.

Think happy thoughts.......think happy thoughts........

No words needed.......

ENJOY!!!

The right hand don't know what the left hand is doing....

There is something about dealing with telecommunication companies that really does my head in....they appear to be totally inept....but there's no use changing providers because they are all just as bad as each other!!

I made the monumental (with the benefit of hindsight) error, of pre-ordering one of the new iPhones through my mobile phone carrier.

It's been nothing but madness and mayhem ever since... you can read about it here.

On Saturday the 22nd of September they sent me a text message to say my phone would be delivered on Monday the 24th.  They graciously provided me with a link to track my order.

When you enter your order number in the link, it tells you to wait for a text message advising you when your phone will be delivered (the same one that provided the link in the first place)...and round and round it goes!!!

So all day Monday I stay home and wait and wait....even though Hubby is panicking because the Grand Final Tickets he has ordered using my credit card can only be picked up by the card holder (and he can't settle until he has those tickets in his hot little hands)....and wait!!

When there is still nothing delivered by 4.30pm, I phone Optus....and wait and wait on hold for over 30 minutes.

Finally, they answer and tell me that my phone will not be delivered until Wednesday or Thursday because I live in a regional area!!

Does beg the question as to why they sent the text to say it would be delivered Monday....I haven't moved house in the last two days.

So my pre-ordered phone will not arrive until almost a week after I could have gone into any shop and bought it!!

I ask the Optus girl if there is any way I can track this order myself...hoping to avoid 2 days of waiting around at home later in the week....so she sent me a link!

The same link that refers me to the text message that says it will be here on MONDAY!!!

Sunday musings.......

 Master 12 was described by his first grade teacher as an enigma.

At the time he was struggling with very basic maths....and yet if you asked him, for example, what Sydney's score would be if they kicked 18 goals and 15 behinds, he could come up with the answer in a heartbeat (which is 123, in case you were wondering).

He "can't be bothered" with school work and yet he can rattle off every imaginable fact about cars, volcanoes and the Olympics.....because that interests him.

His writing is barely legible....but if you can manage to decipher it...what he says is knowledgeable and witty.

When he is out he rarely speaks......when he is home he rarely shuts up.

You have to nag him for hours to take a shower....then when he does you have to cut off the water to get him out.

He is shy.....but has lots of friends.

He'd rather eat breakfast cereal than junk food.

He refuses to drink juice or soft drink....but loves a coffee.

He is alarmed and horrified by disobedience and rule breaking but rarely does as he's told.

He's a master at imitating voices....but doesn't like to speak out loud.

He's obsessed with aeroplanes and roller coasters but is afraid to fly and ride.

He will amuse himself on his own for hours....but doesn't like to be alone.

He's about as carefree and laid back as you can be......and yet he's a stress head.

He marches to his own drum and doesn't care what others think...... and yet he lacks self confidence.

He's doing it his own way, in his own time, in his own little world....and it's a happy place.....wouldn't mind going there for a holiday.

He most certainly is my little enigma.

So it went like this.....

We were off to the AFL Preliminary Final between Sydney Swans and Collingwood Magpies.

We left home around 4.00pm.

Travelled down the freeway to Sydney Olympic Park........

......and made our way to ANZ Stadium

Had dinner....

........managed to run into several people we knew even though the crowd was just shy of 60,000.....and took our seats.

Game started at 7.50pm.....

1/4 Time Score;

• Swans 5-5-35
• Collingwood 2-3-15

1/2 Time Score;

• Swans 7-9-51
• Collingwood 3-6-24

3/4 Time Score;

• Swans 9-14-68
• Collingwood 5-8-38

Full Time Score

• Swans 13-18-96
• Collingwood 10-10-70

Swans win.....Collingwood lose......hoodoo broken.....HOORAY!!

Then we had to drive all the way home.....but first we had to get out of the car park!!

Sydney are into the 2012 AFL Grand Final next weekend.

If they win they get to call themselves Premiers, they get to hold up a big cup and everyone turns a blind eye while they get smashed and remain that way for the next 5 days.

Personally, I feel a little conflicted about this win.

It now means more tickets must be bought and I get another big charge on my credit card.  It means driving all the way to Melbourne for a day and then all the way back...a round trip of 1940kms.....or alternatively we could fly down and then I incur a second big charge on my credit card.  It means finding somewhere for  Buster to stay for the weekend...which will likely involve a third big charge on my credit card.  It means finding accommodation, which in turn will mean a fourth big charge on my credit card.

Maybe I shouldn't have done so much shopping this week....

The battle of the birds......

Hubby has taken the day off work today.

I believe it may be to give him the opportunity to take some quiet time and mentally prepare himself for the evening ahead.

Tonight the Sydney Swans go up against the Collingwood Magpies in the AFL (Australian Football League...affectionately know as Aussie Rules) Preliminary Final.

The winner of this match goes through to the Grand Final.......the loser goes home.

Winning tonight does not promise to be an easy task.

It seems Sydney has some kind of hoodoo when it comes to Collingwood.  To put it simply we just can't beat them....we can beat teams that can beat them.....but WE can't beat them.  In fact, the last time Sydney recorded a win against Collingwood was back in 2005, it's been an 11 games losing streak since then.

There isn't a team in the AFL that you want to beat more than Collingwood.

EVERYBODY hates Collingwood....except Collingwood supporters.

Now Collingwood supporters...what can I tell you about them....I don't want to appear biased so instead of using my words I will quote the Urban Dictionary.......

Collingwood Supporter

46 up, 14 down

An illiterate bogan who has little or no general knowledge on any topic to that isn't to do with Australian Rules Football. They are incappable of dealing with a loss of a game, and claim it is always the umpire's fault even though they kissed dale thomas' ass the whole way through the game. Typical ways to pass the time including getting dressed up into your favourite flannie and ugg boots, combing the mullet and going down to "norflanz" to have a drink with fellow supporters near the bus stops. While at the game, it is tradition for a supporter to have at least 12 VBsbefore half time. It is also important to try and pick a fight with anybody supporting an apposing team. Normal Person " Hey what footy team do you go for?" Collingwood Supporter " I goes fa collingwood the best f'in team in thaa AFL, if ya doesnt like them i'll kick ya arrrrsee in!"

......and they look like this......

and this......

and this

Now in an attempt to be fair, and portray a well rounded, accurate picture of the Collingwood supporter I thought I would also add some photos of  well mannered, well behaved fans of good quality.....but I couldn't find any.....

So come on Swans....do it for all your latte sipping, eastern suburb yuppie supporters....and a few ring ins from the central coast......SMASH THOSE MAGPIES!!!!!

Ooops.....

Buster had an appointment at the vet this morning...he had to get a jab and a haircut....if only we could get our pesky medical issues attended to while getting a good wash, cut and blow-dry.  So I dropped him off at 9.00 and was told to pick him back up at 1.00pm.

That left me at a loose end for 4 hours and I was tantalisingly close to a large shopping centre.

"I'll just drop in for a few minutes...then I'll get back home and knuckle down to some good housewifely duties".....hahahahaha!!!

I'll just briefly refer to the message that Hubby gave me on Tuesday......."don't spend too much"!!

Before I begin, let me just say in my defense, that we are heading overseas in about 6 weeks, and it will be close to winter over there, and I really had to take advantage of all the sales that were very considerately getting rid of their winter stock as we head into summer.  It would have been ludicrous to not buy these things.  Not to mention we really have to support the ailing retail industry...they're doing it really tough at the moment....and I'm very community minded like that...I like to help where I can.

So though I meant to drop in for just a few minutes, and maybe pick up a loaf of bread, I accidentally came home with......

• 2 pairs of thermal long johns
• 5 cardigans
• 1 jumper
• 3 shirts
• 1 pair of pyjamas
• 8 pairs of socks (though 2 pairs were for Master 15)
• 1 pair of jeans (but these were for Hubby...and he asked for them)
• 3 loaves of bread

I know it looks bad......real bad.....but I saved $327.89!!!!!!

That's almost $82 per hour!!!!!

I am considering getting one of these signs and sticking it on my wallet....but only if it's on sale.

Tackling the Really BIG, International Issues......

The news is full of Prince William and Kate and THOSE topless photos at the moment.

Some sleazy French photographer hid in the undergrowth with a 3 foot lens on his camera and snapped some shots of the newlyweds doing what newlyweds do....you know, enjoying each others company....before the kids come along......and they never get the opportunity to be alone again......for a really, really long time.......at which stage they realise they've grown apart and have nothing left in common......and decide to go their separate ways.....but I digress, that's another topic altogether.

So Wills and Kate were having a little holiday and Kate decided to even out her tan and some slimy photographer hid behind a tree about 10 km away and took some pictures with his really long lens.

Shocking invasion of privacy.....and that stinky photographer should be charged and have a least 35 inches amputated from his camera lens......

BUT......

Chin up Kate.....things could have been worse.

He could have caught you on a fat day (though I doubt you have those).......and he could have caught you engaging in some sort of kinky foot fetish behaviour.........and he could have caught you with a man that wasn't a prince or your husband either.....

All theses things could have happened.....but they didn't.....well not to you anyway.

Maybe to someone else that shall remain nameless (Fergie).

Super savings and spring storms.....

Another beautiful spring day on the sunny Central Coast.

A day I spent doing one of my most favourite things....shopping!!

I set off with Hubby's warning ringing in my ears "Don't spend too much.."

So I tried my very, very best......

I got these...

 but they were 25% off.......so you really can't count them as spending

Then I found these.....

 ....and they were reduced from $20 all the way down to $4.95......so in order to save more I got these as well.....

With all those savings it was really reverse spending.......I probably made money!!

Then to end the day on a dramatic note....

.....the clouds rolled in.......

....the sunshine disappeared....

......the sky got really dark....

......and the rain started to fall......

.....if my reflexes were quicker I'd have got a shot of the lightning.....but it was as fast as, well lightning so we'll have to make do with this....

Laundry ad nauseum.....

 I will often complain to whomever will listen (usually nobody does), just how much I hate washing day.

But I gave this matter some quiet contemplation (as I sat on the couch trying to avoid the task at hand).....and I experienced an epiphany.....it's not washing day I despise.....it's the day after washing day that really irks me.

That's when you are faced with a mountain of jocks, socks and other clobber......

 .....which all needs fluffing and folding.......and an overflowing laundry basket spewing it's horribly crinkled contents at you......

The finished result does lead me to question a few mysteries in life.......

Why is my pile of laundry always sooooo much smaller than everyone elses???

I have a theory that involves the distinct possibility that everyone else is too lazy to put anything away and finds it much easier to chuck things into the dirty clothes basket than into their cupboard.

I have proof of this conjecture.....there was an occasion, back in 2011....which involved someone that will remain nameless (Master 12).  I had spent the entire day washing, folding, ironing and I left a neat pile of freshly laundered clothes on his bed and asked him to put them away.  Where do you suppose he put them way to???  The dirty clothes basket!!!  Suffice to say, I am much more specific in my request now.

The second mystery also involves Master 12.  How is it that his entire weeks laundry contains just one sock......

.....where's the other one.....and what has he been wearing for the last 6 days????

The answer could lie in a secret stash of socks squirrelled away somewhere safe for unknown purposes...or it could mean he's been hopping around on one leg, wearing the same sock for a whole week.  I suspect the answer lies somewhere between the two.  Hygiene....what's that?  Obviously it's a dirty word.....but dirt don't bother him!!!

Before this tedious day is over, I have to iron about a million shirts for Hubby (worst job....like....ever).

Just one more mystery to solve......

....how can any ONE person possibly need this many blue shirts??

Just wondering!!!!!

Ways to NOT spend your Sunday afternoon.....

Okay....sorry folks.....But I feel a major rant coming on.

Yesterday afternoon Hubby shocked me by declaring that we would go off in the morning and pre-order me one of the new Apple iPhones.  If you have read my blog previously you will know that I have been nagging for an upgrade from my dumb phone for a while.  What came over him to result in such an about turn I'm not sure....but I wasn't complaining.....yet.

So this morning we set off bright and early for the local Optus shop intent on upgrading my current pre-paid, and getting my name down for the shiny new....better than ever....slimmer.....lighter....will do anything....including the dishes (almost)......iPhone 5.

Seems we were a little deluded in thinking that the place to go to upgrade an Optus account was an Optus shop......"Oh no....you need to do that on line....pre-order the phone....and then collect it from this store.  If you have any problems....call this customer service line....ie don't come to me with your issues. (Seems to me Optus may as well post the phones out and close down the stores if they are only a collection booth...they could save some money...and pass the savings on to their customers...ha ha).

So home we went....I log into Optus....first screen I see... pre-order an iPhone 5....click here.  Well that's nice...I'll be done in a tick.  Poor deluded fool was I!!  Select your phone, memory size, colour.....are you an existing customer.....Yes.....enter your phone number....ok.....enter your account number.....oops I'm prepaid, I don't have one......it's a mandatory field....no going forwards.  Ok, close the screen....start again....enter through the prepaid menu.  Would you like to upgrade to a plan.....Yes....please take a moment to create an account.....now we're talking!!

I was going fine until create your user name.  The handy hint suggested something you will easily remember e.g. Michael.Smith123.  Ha!!  No exaggeration, I sat there for an hour coming up with every possible combination of my name, birth date, address, phone number, pet's name, bra size, rapidly diminishing IQ...and sometimes a long string of all the above combined.  Taken.....already in use.....unavailable!!  Are you really telling me that someone is currently using my mobile number as their log in??

I finally came up with some convoluted combination, that joy of joys, was available.  Now password....too weak....piss weak....are you kidding weak.....a little better but I could hack you in 15 seconds weak.  I finally managed one that I might be able to remember that gave me the encouraging....mediocre.

Click the complete button....YAY!!

Now log in, we have sent you a security code...cool!  An email provides me with a link to log in.  Enter your user name and your password....ok...."Your user name and/or password are incorrect".  Try again and again....same result.  Swearing and cursing I dig around in my handbag for the customer service number, the ever so helpful salesgirl gave me (she obviously knew I'd be needing it).

Ring....enter your phone number....Press 1 for service....blah....blah....blah....then wait.

"Habib speaking, how may I help you?"

Habib sounded like he was taking the call from one of those overcrowded trains in Calcutta....I'm certain I heard chickens in the background.

"Ok...in the field that asks for your password....don't enter your password...enter your security code"

Oh of course...don't enter what they asked for, enter that other thing completely....OK!!

Habib hangs up quickly....I'm pretty sure a small child fell out of the overhead compartment onto his phone.

So I enter my long convoluted, but correct, user name and Optus' security code.....Your user name and/or password are incorrect....access denied!!!

I'm ready to kick some Optus butt...try again....this service is unavailable due to s@&hrh%jjruj(h (or some other equally indecipherable code)!!

MERCY!!!

So 2 hours later I have no account and no phone ordered...but I do have a raging case of high blood pressure!!!

That's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back!!

'Yes' Optus????

I don't think so!!!!!

My life on four wheels......

I came across an old family photo today.

It was taken many years ago on a summer holiday to the beach.

Like so many family photos of it's era, it includes the family car.  It is obvious that the family car held a very significant place within the family dynamic at this time and it was often proudly portrayed within family portraits.  How many of us have similar family shots....I wonder??

Anyway, it got me reminiscing....not about the family as such.....but about those cars that have played such an important part in our lives.

To me the car has always just been a way to get from A to B....for others I know it means much more.  I know in some families it is a revered object....probably looker after better  than the kids...

So for old times sake I thought I'd look back over my family automotive history.

The first (I've been told) was a Holden FB.  It may or may not have looked like this...

......I only have one memory of this car.....the interior roof was red with white stars on it.  I can only assume that I spent a lot of time on my back looking up when we had this car.

When I was around 3 or 4 a new car arrived, amidst much excitement and anticipation.  I can distinctly recall bursting out the front door and running down the driveway as Dad arrived home with the new car.  

It's seen in the picture at the top.

It was a silver Holden Kingswood with bench seats, brown interior and no seat belts in the back...or if there were we didn't use them.  I can recall family  road trips....hanging my head out the window....because it was so hot and there was no air conditioning....the vinyl seats would get so hot your legs would stick to them.  I can also remember being left alone in the car at one time and discovering the cigarette lighter...you pushed it in and it popped out when it was ready.  Oooh pretty, I remember thinking as I stared at the red hot element...then sticking my finger in to touch that pretty shining thing....ouch!!

Then came the silver Honda Accord.  I think this one came along when I was about 12 or 13.  We thought this one was pretty posh.  Everyone got a seat belt here and by now the laws were changed and we had to use them.

This was the car I learnt to drive in.  This was the car I failed my first driving test in because I exceeded the speed limit.  This was the car where at 17 I passed my next test....amidst tears....because my darling Dad had passed away suddenly.....and we were left as a household without a driver and I knew I absolutely had to get my licence.

By 19, I had finished school and was settled in my first job.  It was at this time that I decided it was absolutely imperative that I have a hatchback.  I applied for and received my very first bank loan and bought this.......a Ford Laser....

I tricked it out with seat covers and the obligatory suction cup Garfield on the back window.....

It was sweeeet and I was the bees knees...despite the fact that it leaked in the rain, the air conditioning only worked occasionally and it wouldn't start for anyone but me.

This is the car in which I first left home, met Hubby and got married.

One day in January 1996, we thought "Let's get a new car".....so we got in the Laser drove down the road to the Ford Dealership and bought this.......

...we didn't want to waste time thinking about these things!!!

A brand new 1996 Ford Festiva...with metallic paint and air con that worked (ahhhh the luxuries).  This is the car in which we had a family (well not literally), bought our first home, sold our first home, moved to Melbourne.  Drove up and down the Hume Highway many, many times.....until finally, we moved back to New South Wales and settled on the Central Coast.

This is the car we kept until 2011....at this point we sold it to the 16 year old girl next door with a clear conscience...because it was a great little car that never gave us any trouble and never ever broke down.

And now I have a Ford Territory (is this starting to sound like a Ford ad?)....seems I have settled into the suburban "Soccer Mom" stereotype.....

So that's my life story in automobiles.  Amazing how an inanimate object can evoke so many memories.

Perhaps that's why it so often had pride of place in the family portraits.

Here's one 2012 style.........

Sit on that....

You could say I sat yesterday out......I certainly spent the vast majority of the day firmly and squarely on my bum.

It was an early start...the alarm set for 5.45am...though I did one of those inexplicable power of the mind things....where I woke up at exactly 5.45 just seconds before the alarm went off (how does the brain do that??)

I was at the side of the freeway by 7.00am hitching a ride.  This could have been a really interesting story if I was hitching with a stranger, but the truth is I was picked up by my eldest brother Mr P.

Then the real arse sitting began....six hours up the road to Dorrigo.

We arrived there in time to eat lunch and then get to Uncle Tom's funeral at 2.00.

Auntie Nell looked very well, all things considered, she is after all just a month shy of one hundred and a half, and has just lost her husband of around 76 years.  She used a wheelchair for the day but was most concerned that this made her look like an invalid.......at her age I think she's earned a free ride.

More sitting through the service, sitting in the car for the quick trip to the cemetery back to the church hall for the wake and then back into the car by 4.00pm.

Then another 6 hours sitting in the car, arriving back home by 10.00pm.

Today I have a bad case of numb bum....and if I wasn't so lazy I'd go for a walk....maybe I'll just sit on the lounge instead!!!

Some sad news.....

We received some sad news in our house last night.

My Uncle Tom had passed away the evening before.

I last saw Uncle Tom back in April.

We travelled back to my home town of Dorrigo to celebrate a special birthday for his wife, my Auntie Nell (she's my Dad's older sister).

I must point out at this stage, that as birthday's go it was a pretty momentous one.

One hundred years on this earth, and the vast majority of it spent with Uncle Tom (I believe they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary the previous year).

Up until only the last few weeks they had remained in their own home, where Nell was looked after  very well by Tom, who at only 97, was just a young whippersnapper.  (She must have been the original cougar).

 Last time I was in their home,  Tom was making cups of tea...boiling the kettle on their original wood fired stove, still working in the garden (he was proudly growing daffodils to be given to the Cancer Council for Daffodil Day), and he was thrilled to be given the chance to reminisce about the old days with Hubby.....who loves to hear a good story.

Sadly they moved from their home only a couple of weeks ago to a local nursing home.

I'm feeling for Auntie Nell at the moment....imagine spending over 75 years with someone....I know we curse our husbands at times....and they drive us up the wall....but after 75 years you'd be kind of used to having them around....

The Trials and Tribulations of Tuesday......

I was woken this morning...not by a gentle birdsong by my window....but by a full on brawl between brothers.

As far as I can gather it was over a tissue.....who should get it.....the person that needs it or the person that's 30cms closer to the box.

The morning deteriorated further by the time I made it out to the kitchen.  There I discovered that Buster has taken advantage of the boys' preoccupation with other "issues" to create a little havoc.....

When my dear Mum passed away almost two years ago, all that Master 15 requested from her effects was a red, heart shaped stress ball that she had.

  This is all that remained by the time Buster had relieved his own stress.

On a brighter note....now that both kids have finally returned to school...my Tuesday has returned to normal programming.  For me this means the 3 c's with Mrs C.  Coffee, cake and conversation....except we cross out the coffee and insert coke....as neither of us can stand coffee....nasty stuff!

We spend this time singing the praises of our respective lives!!!!

We share the delight we find in our children's perfect behaviour and in our spouses' faultless husbandry!!!!

Sometimes we solve the problems of the world and we wonder when the powers that be are going to wise up and put us in charge!!!!

Finally, word must have got out on the local cat telegraph that it is  highly amusing pastime to torment that dog up the road.  Our place seems to be quite the "go to" destination for the feline community.

We have now had up to 3 cats sitting in the front garden watching Buster go berserk (he's doing it right now as I type).

A word of advice Buster, bullies don't get any satisfaction if you don't react....