The news today here in Neighboursville is as follows: -
DONG - 24 February will see our build commence
DONG - Stevie has a job
DONG - All sporting events should cease until the next won is one. Can't believe Ireland and New England threw away the rugby and American football respectively.
And aside from that, not much really.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Back to school
Hello there
I'm really struggling for something to write at the moment, although a moment of inspiration has appeared. My wife is a dirty stop out who went out on Friday and Saturday, one of which was an inauspicious trip to a male strip club. Shocking behaviour! I even had to drive into the city to pick here up (brownie points banked!).
Otherwise, it's been very boring as the summer continues to give us 30 degree days. The boys go back to school tomorrow, our lodger still doesn't have a job and Ann Marie is finishing a week off. Oh, and the first mortgage payment on the land has been made.
Once the building work starts, things might get a bit more exciting!
I'm really struggling for something to write at the moment, although a moment of inspiration has appeared. My wife is a dirty stop out who went out on Friday and Saturday, one of which was an inauspicious trip to a male strip club. Shocking behaviour! I even had to drive into the city to pick here up (brownie points banked!).
Otherwise, it's been very boring as the summer continues to give us 30 degree days. The boys go back to school tomorrow, our lodger still doesn't have a job and Ann Marie is finishing a week off. Oh, and the first mortgage payment on the land has been made.
Once the building work starts, things might get a bit more exciting!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tennis time again
Well, it's mid January - summertime - and it's time for Melbourne to go tennis mad. Include me out. Wake me up when Andy Murray stops being British and becomes Scottish again.
Here the news is that we have now purchased land and sign a contract this Friday to move forward on construction. With rent and mortgage needing to be paid, things will be tight over the next few months but the sacrifice will be worth it.
Meanwhile, Stevie has taken up residence and is searching for work to give him a purpose on his travel visa! Well, not quite but he is quite frustrated that his search for gainful employment hasn't paid off yet.
Also, the boys were away at camp last week to Philip Island. They had all sorts of activities planned but the weather was rubbish. They seemed to turn into teenagers though. All we found out about it was "it was great!". "What did you do?". "Stuff".
Here the news is that we have now purchased land and sign a contract this Friday to move forward on construction. With rent and mortgage needing to be paid, things will be tight over the next few months but the sacrifice will be worth it.
Meanwhile, Stevie has taken up residence and is searching for work to give him a purpose on his travel visa! Well, not quite but he is quite frustrated that his search for gainful employment hasn't paid off yet.
Also, the boys were away at camp last week to Philip Island. They had all sorts of activities planned but the weather was rubbish. They seemed to turn into teenagers though. All we found out about it was "it was great!". "What did you do?". "Stuff".
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
It's Christmuzzz.....or something
Well, after an extended delay I am back blogging. I have deliberately not been blogging because Ann Marie and I have been going through a stressful time. However, I am happy to confirm some news. This piece of land will officially belong to us on 9 January.
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-vic-lyndhurst-2946131
We've had a few issues with sorting out mortgages and stuff but on this piece of land we will be building a property just like this.
http://www.carlislehomes.com.au/find-a-home/baltimore/photo-gallery/search
In fact, we actually sign off the property design on Friday.
So we have been extremely busy, but also extremely coy, about this news because settling the mortgage deal has been quite stressful. I won't go into details on here but suffice to say that the last mortgage we arranged in the UK, with Lloyds, was settled in about a week. A bit different!
In addition, work has been smashing us. I have been working ridiculous hours and Ann Marie has been working ridiculous days. Still, we will soon have a mortgage and rent to pay for for most of 2012 so what can you do?
Otherwise, it's the festive season in the summer again. I won't bore you with the chat of "it doesn't feel like Christmas" because it just doesn't and I've kind of accepted that (although I do wish some more Christmas songs were actually played on the radio here). The boys are getting excited though and Santa blackmail is of course being used to keep them on the straight and narrow!
We also have a Christmas visitor this year! No, not Santa. Oh, well, apart from him. No, Stevie, Ann Marie's nephew, arrives on Saturday for Christmas. Funnily enough, our biggest online supermarket shop of the year arrived this evening. This is purely coincidental of course (!)
Sorry for my absence and it was nice some of you were concerned. I'll be back next week!
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-vic-lyndhurst-2946131
We've had a few issues with sorting out mortgages and stuff but on this piece of land we will be building a property just like this.
http://www.carlislehomes.com.au/find-a-home/baltimore/photo-gallery/search
In fact, we actually sign off the property design on Friday.
So we have been extremely busy, but also extremely coy, about this news because settling the mortgage deal has been quite stressful. I won't go into details on here but suffice to say that the last mortgage we arranged in the UK, with Lloyds, was settled in about a week. A bit different!
In addition, work has been smashing us. I have been working ridiculous hours and Ann Marie has been working ridiculous days. Still, we will soon have a mortgage and rent to pay for for most of 2012 so what can you do?
Otherwise, it's the festive season in the summer again. I won't bore you with the chat of "it doesn't feel like Christmas" because it just doesn't and I've kind of accepted that (although I do wish some more Christmas songs were actually played on the radio here). The boys are getting excited though and Santa blackmail is of course being used to keep them on the straight and narrow!
We also have a Christmas visitor this year! No, not Santa. Oh, well, apart from him. No, Stevie, Ann Marie's nephew, arrives on Saturday for Christmas. Funnily enough, our biggest online supermarket shop of the year arrived this evening. This is purely coincidental of course (!)
Sorry for my absence and it was nice some of you were concerned. I'll be back next week!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tonight's blog
Hello readers
Apologies, but we're having major writer's block here. I could tell you that The Queen was in town and that she opened the latest version of the world famous Royal Children's Hospital. I could also tell you that it is Showcase this Friday and Rory and Luke are both performing as part of the school's musical extravaganza, but that's about all to be honest. Otherwise, everything is good here.
Apologies, but we're having major writer's block here. I could tell you that The Queen was in town and that she opened the latest version of the world famous Royal Children's Hospital. I could also tell you that it is Showcase this Friday and Rory and Luke are both performing as part of the school's musical extravaganza, but that's about all to be honest. Otherwise, everything is good here.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Post 200 - Holiday!!
Evening all. It's back - the blog you can't live without!!
Well, it seems an age since I last posted but that's because we've been ON HOLIDAY!! And now we're back. We returned from Queensland on Saturday after a wonderful 9 days up north, enjoying mid 20's weather and sunshine (mostly).
We spent 4 days in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast where the weather wasn't perfect. Indeed it was rain, sun, rain, sun and then a shower between Thursday and when we left on the Monday. During that time, we went to the main theme parks, Movie World, Sea World and Wet & Wild World. Of those, only Movie World was really a success. Sea World was ruined a little due to the weather although we did see the dolphin show, the first but by far not the last animal encounter we had on hols and Wet & Wild World didn't really work because the kids were scared of some of the water rides. Indeed Ann Marie was at the top of a couple of rides with first Rory and then Luke and they both chickened out, much to her chagrin!
Here are the photos of Movie World and Sea World: -
Then, with a quick stop in Brisbane where, despite a Tom Tom, we got lost, we headed on up to the Sunshine Coast and the beautiful town of Maroochydore. Our apartment was 200m from the gorgeous golden beach and the weather was absolutely perfect, save for a mad thunderstorm overnight on our last night there. The idea was to chill up there with the beach as well as taking in one of Australia's most famous tourist attractions, Australia Zoo. Crikey! What a place! It's a bit mad to see how much that place has turned into a shrine to Steve Irwin, who died almost 5 years ago now. It was good but I wasn't blown away.
What really blew us away (not literally, thankfully) was our whale cruise out into the Pacific to see humpback whales swimming off the coast as they head north from Antarctica in the Antarctic winter to have their calves. We were lucky enough to follow both a mother and calf and even more amazed when the whale 'breached' the ocean right beside the boat, lifting into the air and twisting and splashing back into the mighty blue ocean. Phenomenal!
Here are those photos: -
The lovely thing about Maroochydore though was just spending time in the sea. The kids loved the mighty waves crashing in as the surfers 100m down surfed on the same ones.
An awesome time, now we are slowly returning to reality!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday again
Evening all!
Well, this week's news centres round Rory. He went through the surgery last week (Thursday) and was a brave little soldier. He was a little shocked when we told him early on Thursday morning that he would be going to hospital for an operation but his first fear centred on not being able to go to 'footy colours' day at school. When we explained he would be there until recess, he was fine. Indeed, he obeyed his fasting instructions himself and told his teacher all about them! I was in class with him and was impressed by his attention to detail where the time was concerned.
So under the knife he went and, as I say, he was very brave. Now shorn of tonsils and adenoids, he is recovering, with his pain relief regime the main focus of attention. Thankfully, in one sense, his adenoids were big so at least the effort wasn't wasted.
I also had to include this picture, just because!
I also had to include this picture, just because!Next week is a massive week. Not only do some of us turn 21 again (ahem!) but Queensland is on the horizon! 8 days to go to escape the current Melbourne downpours for, er, Gold Coast downpours!!
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