Novelty value

Yesterday it started to rain, and it rained all night and it is pouring down still. It hasnt rained like this for a fair while, and it does usually rain at night so Jack in his new racing bike red raincoat was excited by the novelty of having to wear a coat again. I am sure he is sitting in the class room dreaming of puddles instead of fractions, comprehension and whatever else they get up to today. But I am sure he is not alone in this, even I can remember as a kid in Australia running outside into the rain, looking at it in awe and wonder.

As for the more grown up, grown ups I have never seen the coffee shops looking so busy and the doughnut stall pull in so many customers.

As another weekend approaches I wonder how much our blog should say about what goes on over here - it is like an open diary, or a travelogue, or a personal snapshot in time?

So until I make up my mind on that one - suffice it to say - we only have 6 weeks left till our holiday in the UK (such a weird statement to think of "home" as a holiday). We are doing our best to see as many people for as long as possible but as Jim is fond of saying to Jack at the moment - we are not miracle workers. But we are aware it has the potential to be emotional but it is just us, lets just enjoy the time we do have to catch up. We are viewing it as a holiday so we plan to see as much of the places not just peoples house on our travels, so lets have some fun......

we got to go to the latest Indiana Jones movie

Today - the whole of K. was treated by the creative director to a trip to the local Imax cinema. Now the Creative director here is a bit of a fan boy and has been know to wear a fedora though I've not yet seen him carry a whip. Though I've heard about his reputation. ;-)

Yes - we got to go to the latest Indiana Jones movie and I've got to say - it was good fun. Not the best script of all time - but it was a good romp down memory lane and a nice circular plot line... which I wont spoil... just don't expect a masterpiece. Mind you - I found myself grinning for most of it, so I think that means it was good.

3.5 out of 5 stars from me - I think with a bonus .5 of a star for old friends revisited. They don't make film like this anymore.

I got there as I usually do, too early so I went and got some breakfast at a local cafe on the Brisbane river. $16 dollars got me an omelette which could have fed a family for a week and a cup of coffee, strong enough to shatter teeth.

Nice. It was gluttony I have to add.

But combined with early morning early winter temperature's, I was able to mooch about before the commuters and the tourists and it felt really carefree in my scarf and trendy coat. My heads normally chocker with "home" vs Oz stuff these days - so I really appreciated the morning.

As I say the whole company was there - its scary to see what the whole company looks like - there was 200 or so geeky people - either geeky or surfer types - to be fair. You could easily tell the difference. Lol.

So - I'm back at work now and to be honest - not in the mood - want to go for stroll and home. Its been a nice morning.

The news this week and a bit beyond

1. Jack recieved an award of Student of the Week in front of the whole school yesterday for doing such a good job of settling into his new school and into the new rules. He was chuffed, as were we.

2. Jim and I celebrate eight years of officially not living in sin today and we had lunch together, with a special tea planned for us all tonight.

3. At the weekend we went to Mt Tambourine, with long windy roads, fantastic rainforest walks and tiny villages filled with unusual and mostly pretty things - Oddly German things. And lots of wind, at one point we thought Jack was going to be a kite as we looked out onto the valleys below. Lots of horses, pubs and breathtaking scenery - all the aspects needed to unwind and relax.

4. On Thursday Jim gets to go see Indiana Jones new movie with work and I get to go to a work cocktail evening the following week as part of work.

5. And we all are having to wear sweaters and scarfs as the temperature reaches about 9-10 in the mornings and evenings. It is dark when we get up and dark when we get home...sound like anywhere we know...hum!!!!

Warning - a girly blog

I have just been out for lunch (extended as it turned out) and felt in the mood to do some window shopping and thought I might even try some clothes on. Not such a big deal for some but I haven't done this for a long while, so although there is some way to go I am feeling better about the way I look and wanted to see how a few outfits for Danielles wedding in August might look.

I don't actually need an outfit I should point out. I have more than enough suitable clothes that fit perfectly for the wedding. But I like to have goals.

First shop - sale on - perfect. I have always liked this shop and they have a lovely dress for only $50 - brown, long, quite clingy but comfortable and still sexy. And a size 10.

Then I wandered into a few other shops- great stuff for work, keeping looking - way too 80's - keep looking and I popped into a shop I had never spotted before and all the style is very japanese - beautiful fabrics and colours and the best bit the woman (who obviously owns the shop was lovely). I spotted a dress, red silk, 50's style over $200 in the sale - so over budget, if I had one but what the hell tried it on. Not quite right so the lady picked up a few other dresses and suggested a strapless. I have never worn strapless in my life always felt that my shoulders were too broad, and perhaps they are but it looked and felt great.

It is black, heavy but stretchy linen with a kind of tapestry in wool and embriodary that hangs down - sounds awful but honestly no one else in Liverpool would have this dress. Felt great. And so I tried on another black strapless dress again looked wonderful - made me smile and she was lovely. But I had spotted the price tags at this point and knew it was not going to happen - $465 and over $600 - so pay extra off the mortgage, feed ourselves for well over a month, pay for our trains for both of us for two months, you get the idea.

But I am still going back there and I am going to try them on and show Jim - just so I can see if he thinks they look good too and just to pretend for a bit and make me feel better about this crusade of getting fit and trying to look like I should.

As I said there is still some way to go, my spare tyre however looks like it is from a car rather than a truck - if I can ever get it to bicycle size I will be delighted.

Wish I could remember the name of the shop - Mocciahtio or something - its so good to have a shopping experience where you aren't just someone to buy something, that they actually care if you look good, that you enjoy it and that it's fun.

So better do some work - lots to get done. But at least now I feel happier in my work and plan to do a workout at home when Jackster gets to bed. Aud.

Cheeky Aussie bird

This morning we found ourselves with five minutes to spare before rushing to school so Jack and I were looking at one of his new books - Dinomummy when through the front door a cheeky magpie walks in - has a good look at us and I am sure at the book and then walks back out again - checking us out from outside before disappearing into the neighbouring garden. The magpies here are more grey in colour, definitely cheekier and very territorial and have been known to regularly swoop at people who are too close to their nests.

We have a long weekend ahead of us and we have plans to stay close to home and do some experiments (another of Jacks new books), find homes for all his new books, toys and clothes he collected last week and Jack has to do some thank you notes. We are embracing technology and saving me postage by sending them out via email. Very grown up of him - well he is 6 now you know and very proud of it.

I am meeting Jim for lunch today in the local park and will start the weekend early by finishing at 4pm (this is common over here on a Friday - beer o clock - but as I work on my own leaving early is the compromise). So good weekends to all and only 11 weeks till we catch up with you back in the UK.