I think I’m getting a bit softer after too much sitting on mowers and not enough digging. I dug soil and stuff for a garden today and it pretty much was the end of me!
The Epic Journey of the Gloucester steps November 27, 2009
So today I finished the steps at the back of our Gloucester place. I started it off about a month or so ago, so it has been fairly epic. partly this has been because I have had to fit it in between teaching and visitors. But partly or mainly because I have never done it before and have no idea how… actually HAD no idea, I think I have learnt a lot about it this month.
It’s interesting how you can decide that you can’t do something with no evidence for the claim. I have said often that I can’t do handyman things. Sare always says it is just that I have never learnt. 2009 has been the year of the practical, or as I am calling it coz it has a better ring to it “The year of the trench.” I tested out the theory that I can’t do handyman things and found out it is not true. I do have more to learn, but I can do a lot more than I thought. Apart from getting start pickets and sleepers cut for me, no other person helped me make the steps, so it has all been me, for good and bad.
In case you are not on facebook, I wiill take you through the process.
These two are after the first day of digging. I thought it looked pretty good, maybe a few hours work to go but pretty much there. This was rookie mistake number 1. Check the dimensions of your sleepers. FYI for the DIY dummies (of which I am king), the dimensions of most sleepers are 2.4m long, 30cm wide and 15cm high. So the steps should have been 15cm high. Subsequently I had to re-dig most of the steps in stage 2
This photo shows it pretty clearly.
Next were the vertical sleepers. I just dug a trench and slotted them in. The horizontal sleepers are just 2.4m sleepers cut in half, saves you $$
Then there were nails (200x9mm spikes for the new diy-ers)then putting some star pickets on each corner so it held in place.
The final touch is crusher dust to cover it all, and to make sure when it’s muddy it doesn’t all wash away. I am glad to be at this step today, it is a fully hot day!
Pablo’s September 22, 2009
My fave cafe was reviewed in the Sydney Morning Herald today. I am pretty sure I know at least 2 people in the photo. The review is not bad, though not high enough praise for the awesome coffee and ignoring the fact that there are awesome nachos and a burger that is amazing on the food menu. But they are here, fyi
Pablo and Rusty's at Gordon (art on the wall by Matt Weatherstone, who is in my soccer team, random but cool)
Throwdowns September 21, 2009
I have a friend. One who will remain nameless, but I love him for this. I recently dorpped into conversation that I really missed fireworks night, and especially Throwdowns.
Does anyone else remember those things? You chuck them at the ground and they make a bang, simple pleasures. Anyway, they are a very fond memory for me.
Anyway, next day, this friend turns up with 2 little packets, which I open up to see forbidden treaure. 2 packs of throwdowns. Now where to throw them down to?
oooh I love dese tings!
A lazy monday morning September 6, 2009
It’s a slightly overcast Monday morning, I am probably going to take Xave to Bunnings so I can get concrete for our jungle gym and he can look at mowers.
Still trying to get blood form a stone out of our bank and the OSR. They don’t want to make it easy for people to do things, and in part I blame them. In part I blame the people who rip off the system if they can. So maybe we will get somewhere with those today. Either way we’ll still look at mowers and buy some sushi for lunch, so life is not that bad.
less sleep August 24, 2009
Our little boy is an amazing one in so many ways. Chilled, happy, usually compliant. But he has one habit which is a test for us. he bangs his head at night as he sleeps. He has since he was about 6 months old. I sometimes have wondered if he’s smashing his brains away, but apparently it is fairly common, and there is no brain function loss. Still, it is sucky, so we are trying to help him break the habit.
but that means we are getting up several times every night to teach him a new way to self soothe. Mucho tired today!
No cash for comment July 26, 2009
I have noticed that when a song is on the radio it has a certain life span. This is pop stuff generally I mean.
And when the dance remix comes out, there’s about 1-2 weeks until the song is extinct.
90 million June 29, 2009
Where to put a truckload of cash
Well all of Sydney, maybe all of Australia is in a flap about the $90 million Oz lotto draw tonight. 1 in 2 Aussie adults have bought a ticket or more.
Now I realise this will offend one in two adults, but I don’t get it. What would you do with that much money? I know people always say “I could find a way” to that question, but most of us would know what to do with 1 or 2 million, not 90. There is the perception that heaps of money will make life blissful and amazing, but I am sure it is a lie.
When I was watching a bit of Underbelly 2 earlier this year I had this moment of realising that most of the problems in the world have to do with money. Wanting more, and more, killing people who stopped you getting more. Then I thought, these people are getting really worked up over money, and they have heaps more than me. I don’t have a lot, but I have enough. So I think the best thing to do with money is be content.
” I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”
That’s how Paul puts it in Philippians, and I think that is good advice. The thing is, it leaves me at a pretty small end point as far as OzLotto goes. I just have no motivation to enter even once. I am content with what I have, and my life would get complicated if I did win any more than 1 million. So I have no reason to enter, and would love to know any thoughts you have about good reasons to enter, even if it’s just for a bit of fun and excitement. Coz I wonder why we are all going so crazy.
A very exciting day June 22, 2009
As briefly noted on facebook today, Xave and I went to both Toys’R'us and the zoo. I have never been to TRU before, it’s kinda like a rave party for under 7 year olds. They get high on the oversupply of toys.
Xave is a great lover of machinery, like a lot of little boys. And as he is going to be a country bumpkin soon, it seemed right to get him this pressie today. It is one of the only things I have ever bought him (it is so good to live in community!). He is in love!
I had great trouble trying to put it together, not because I am unco (ok a little bit of that), but because he would not be more than a foot away from the digger. He kept passing me bits to put on it, and sat on in playing as I made it. Then after it was made he kept getting on it, off it, on it. Digger goes up, digger goes down, digger goes up
It was a fun day, if you add in a few hours with elephants and monkeys as well. They didn’t get any pics taken coz it was a spontaneous zoo visit, and the only photo I took was on my phone when I was amused that alongside the signs to monkeys and lions there was a sign to women. I tried to find their cage, but it just looked like a dunny.
Gloucester House June 14, 2009
Yes this is a while in coming, but you know that’s how it is with photos. Here is the state of life in our Gloucester home, beginning a while ago….
It is quite a strange thing to see your house pushed in on a tractor. It was also very wet that week, made for some fun for the movers.
Xave pretty much was speechless for the day he watched the house come in. That is totally rare for him btw. He still says “tractor…push… our ‘ouse!”
If you look closely on this one, you will see that both quarters of our house got bogged on their way in, and the second one looks like it’s Leaning Tower of Pisa style. It did, but no houses have ever tipped over done by Manor Park who have looked after us. I am glad we weren’t the first
We love our winding driveway!
Here is our place the last time I saw it. It’s all stuck together, painted outside, just needs some TLC from us and services like water and stuff.
So this week is a biggie for us, I am pretty sure we’re getting the keys to our house on Friday. Then we’re living there from July-December for most of the week. Crazy new world, but it will be fun.
