Smash repair, trains and daylight savings

Posted on October 29, 2007
Filed Under Australia - The land down under | 3 Comments

I dropped my car in at the smash repair today. It always makes me giggle a little at how literal Australians are. “Snowy Mountains.” “Sandy Desert.” “Smash Repair.” There is even a car aid called “Start Ya Bastard.” How appropos. :)

But I digress…

With my car in the shop getting the dent beaten out of it, I’m training it to work and today I used the William Street Station for the first time. I hadn’t even realized that it was functional. The last time I walked by, it was still under construction. Now, it’s all shiny and new looking with touch screen ticket machines and lots of glass. Very flash.

I only waited 9 minutes for the train and that, because the first one was an express train that flies past my stop. This wasn’t even rush hour! I was very impressed by the new Mandurah line now that it’s finally built and on it’s way to running. The only problem now is that there aren’t enough trains to have it running steadily, often enough. Another few years, they say. Thank goodness I rarely need to go to Mandurah and when we do, it’s usually to visit Brian’s Dad for a family affair. We drive.

On another note, daylight savings has begun again for the second year of a three year trial run. With any luck, I’ll be a citizen by the time we need to vote on it. There are way too many oldies out there that are afraid the cows won’t milk or the drapes will fade. Just TRY and explain to them that the drapes fade just as much at 4 in the morning as 8 at night. Oh, no! As for cows, I’m pretty sure the cows in Canada don’t all drop dead every year in the spring because they get milked an hour sooner (or later in the autumn.)

This does pose a small problem for me, in that, with Canada’s ending daylight saving, and ours just beginning, we then become 14 hours apart in time rather than 12. This can make correspondence a little trickier but manageable on the whole.

With any luck, there will be a big boost in the younger vote, those who appreciate not having to run from the mosquitoes at 6:30 because it’s starting to get dark or waking up at 4am because the sun is blaring into your bedroom at full force!

And though I feel for the joggers and surfers out there that enjoy the morning hours more keenly than the evening ones…well, it’s my vote isn’t it?

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This

Rest assured it was only a rash

Posted on October 27, 2007
Filed Under Australia - The land down under, Irony Anyone? | 1 Comment

An unlikely title, I know. Lately there has been a rash of birthdays, work events, school events and unfortunately as actual rash to deal with.

My BIL Garry, Connor and a family friend Claire all have their birthday one after the other making for a pretty busy week in terms of shopping for cards and presents, dinners, breakfasts, visits and phone calls.

Chloe graduates from high school this year and there have been exams, social event and graduation assemblies to attend. As a parental figure, the thought of Chloe graduating fills me with anxiety, nostalgia and pride for her and in her, so of course we’ve attended all events.
My work has had several work, and social events in the past few weeks, meaning that free time after work has been about nil. I stumble in, exhausted and can’t even bring myself to THINK about doing anything other than switching off.
On top of all that, I’ve been sick as a dog (a well deserved cold after I so blithely commented to a friend in Canada that her family always seemed to be sick and that we suffered very little here in Australia.) Chelsea, sadly, suffered the same cold.

As for the rash, Connor tripped over into a bottle-brush tree and stood up covered in fire ants. (My mind is screaming in horror over this one!) Before he could get all the nasty little buggers off of him, they managed to do quite a bit of damage. Several nights of crying and sleeplessness ensued with me making a rash creme from baking soda and applying gently a couple of times a day and night.

So, dear readers, I assure you. I have not forgotten you nor have I lost interest in regaling the anonymous public with my families tales of comedy and woe. I’ve just simply been busy enough to make the thought of sitting at the computer and using my brain one second longer than absolutely necessary, extremely daunting.

Hope all is forgiven!!

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This

Results are in!

Posted on October 9, 2007
Filed Under Australia - The land down under | 6 Comments

Negative.

For everything… thank goodness!

We still have to go back in three months time for one more blood test to completely rule out Hep B,C and HIV but we’re off to a good start. Talk about taking a load off your shoulders!

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This

Dishonest people and car dents

Posted on October 4, 2007
Filed Under Australia - The land down under, Stupidity and randomness | 2 Comments

So I went to the smash repair today to have my car assessed for my insurance company.

I jump ahead…

Last week, on Chloe’s birthday, or to be more precise 15 days after I got my new car, I parked as usual in the city car park across the street from my office. It’s one of those paid places with a boom and security guards. When I returned to my car there was a BIG HUGE DENT in the rear passenger side door and wheel well. I freaked out.

I called Brian in tears and told him what happened. He calmed me down and suggested I check the windscreen for information….nothing. The car next to me at the time was very obviously not the car that did the damage. So, I can only assume that whoever did it, drove off or parked elsewhere to hide their blunder.

This brings me to present where i had the car assessed today. It’s still going to be about a month or more before I can have it repaired. In the meantime, I’m driving around like this…

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This