Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Meg's Climb
Meg felt energetic and climbed Tabletop today. In his youth, Gibbo used to free range all over the mountain, shooting tin cans and lighting campfires. He lived at the the base of it and would climb it often over the back way.
When Meg and her friend Lou got to the top they saw this coming for them!
When Meg and her friend Lou got to the top they saw this coming for them!
Gone Again
Drew went back to Uni yesterday. His friend Tom came to stay on Friday night and the boys had a late night, reminiscing about their first year of College. Somehow (?) beer was spilt on a macbook and was quickly immersed in rice. I haven't heard the outcome.
He was keen to get back and get on with life. We had a moment of realisation just before he left that this is the last time ever that he will call Axxxxx home! After nearly 20 years of living on the property he'll never come back here to live. When he comes "home" from now on it will be to Woodlawn.
Meg made a flying visit home to have a hair session and clean out a bit more of her room. She picked Mum up on the way through town and we took her to the farm to show her the house progress.
He was keen to get back and get on with life. We had a moment of realisation just before he left that this is the last time ever that he will call Axxxxx home! After nearly 20 years of living on the property he'll never come back here to live. When he comes "home" from now on it will be to Woodlawn.
Meg made a flying visit home to have a hair session and clean out a bit more of her room. She picked Mum up on the way through town and we took her to the farm to show her the house progress.
We Started Moving...
and took the important things first. Now for the rest of our stuff over the next 3 weeks. Sandman comes tomorrow.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Meeting G
Drew and I went to town to meet the Italian exchange student that I am local co-ordinator for. We had coffee and cake with him and his host family. They are lovely people; G has a very quiet nature. We brought him home and went through his arrival orientation then Gibbo and I took him for a drive to the feedlot to see the many cattle; we went via the dump paddock and found a kookaburra and 2 kangaroos with joey; he liked those. Then we took him to the farm to show him around then back to his host family.
Drew and Meg put another coat on the worst wall in Meg's room. That's it now; no more. It is finished. We pulled off the plastic coverings. I did two more levels of the pantry with top coat. Three more to go. Drew put the colour on his window trim and his door trim.
Joey has finished and gone (except for when he comes back to fit the glossy basin). He has been an absolute machine and has done an amazing job over the last two weekends. No other tradesmen came near the place; he did it all himself. We have ended up with a beautiful brand new bathroom and toilet for a fraction of the cost that would have been charged if we had to pay commercial rates. Thanks Joey; we appreciate you and the work you have done very much.
Now I'm sitting on the couch. The cricket is on TV and the boys are watching Survivor on Drew's laptop. Meg is back in Twba (at the movies). I have submitted my report from today's visit with student G; now I'm about to do my 365 which is a couple of days behind.
Trying to work full-time and work at the new house has thrown our daily routine into disarray. I don't like disarray. It upsets my keel. This week will be full on at work; Drew will pack up his room here and head back to College next weekend. Next time he comes home he won't come here - he'll be coming home to the farm! I hope to start packing up some gear this week, ready to start moving on the weekend of March 2/3 (as long as the sanding man doesn't postpone again).
Drew and Meg put another coat on the worst wall in Meg's room. That's it now; no more. It is finished. We pulled off the plastic coverings. I did two more levels of the pantry with top coat. Three more to go. Drew put the colour on his window trim and his door trim.
Joey has finished and gone (except for when he comes back to fit the glossy basin). He has been an absolute machine and has done an amazing job over the last two weekends. No other tradesmen came near the place; he did it all himself. We have ended up with a beautiful brand new bathroom and toilet for a fraction of the cost that would have been charged if we had to pay commercial rates. Thanks Joey; we appreciate you and the work you have done very much.
Now I'm sitting on the couch. The cricket is on TV and the boys are watching Survivor on Drew's laptop. Meg is back in Twba (at the movies). I have submitted my report from today's visit with student G; now I'm about to do my 365 which is a couple of days behind.
Trying to work full-time and work at the new house has thrown our daily routine into disarray. I don't like disarray. It upsets my keel. This week will be full on at work; Drew will pack up his room here and head back to College next weekend. Next time he comes home he won't come here - he'll be coming home to the farm! I hope to start packing up some gear this week, ready to start moving on the weekend of March 2/3 (as long as the sanding man doesn't postpone again).
Saturday, February 16, 2013
A Fit of Madness
In a fit of madness I bought myself two books on Thursday. I have no idea when I'm going to find time to read them; maybe on the plane to Hawaii, although I'd like to have Bruce read before the March 14 concert. As for Lance, the dirty rotten scoundrel; well, I'll read it and weep when I get to it.
True Story
You wouldn't believe it. I was painting in the pantry; Joey came to me and said he was out of tiles. He was one tile short. No way. Yes. I went and had a look. We weren't ONE tile short - we were HALF A TILE short. Absolute true story....and there were 4 broken tiles in the boxes I picked up on Thursday!! So we bought another box of 16 (in case we ever need to match them in the future). Half a tile.
The final piece.
Here's the almost finished bathroom. What's left to do? Install the wash basin (in Twba being glossed up for an exorbitant fee); paint the bath; attach the spout for the bath; sand and paint the ceiling; wash the walls.
Painting the pantry. I was only going to paint the bottom three shelf walls but once I started I couldn't stop so went all the way to the ceiling (which had never been painted anyway).
Man and dog.
The final piece.
Here's the almost finished bathroom. What's left to do? Install the wash basin (in Twba being glossed up for an exorbitant fee); paint the bath; attach the spout for the bath; sand and paint the ceiling; wash the walls.
Painting the pantry. I was only going to paint the bottom three shelf walls but once I started I couldn't stop so went all the way to the ceiling (which had never been painted anyway).
We decided to use up the last of the mosaic on a feature row in the separate toilet...then had to go and buy 2 more sheets of the stuff. The white tiles look different in this photo but they're not; bottom half grouted, top half not - makes quite a difference. I'm searching for a free standing toilet roll holder. If I can't find one, I'll make one. Somehow.
The kids put another layer on Meg's wall; one more coat might just hide the mess left behind by the wallpaper glue.
Man and dog.
This is what happens to you when you have a big night out after finishing work. It makes you thirsty.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Away
With Gibbo away I had a handsome substitute as a dinner companion (the guy in the foreground that is)!
Drew had pork belly and veges; I had thai beef salad (with extra beef); we shared chips and gravy and had no room for the fruit salad dessert.
I think a couple of these would look just right in the lounge room at the farm. The price might not be right though. A couple of wagyu cows I think?
I went to the farm this morning to check the water and cows; while I was there I painted another wall in the pantry. Now that I've started I think I might need to do the whole thing instead of just 3 shelves. I then went to work for a couple of hours to get on top of things in readiness for next week's onslaught of new budgets (new financial year again) along with January monthly reports and February end of month on the 24th. Drew and I spent the afternoon in town. I paid for the tiles (and picked up some more). We bought more supplies from the hardware store.What a money pit that department is; there seems to be no end to the bits and pieces that we need. We shopped for Drew's return to Uni. Then I had coffee with Kat and a few other girls for her birthday. Then Drewy and I had dinner, came home, locked up the chooks and checked the goats. We no longer have to hold Pepper down for the kids to get a drink from the troublesome teat. She/they must have got the message last night as I cursed them in the misty rain; this morning when I went over to them the teat was sucked out, same as tonight. Sometimes swearing at something does work.
I finally finished the 2012 tax last night and dropped it to the accountant today. It took me 7 months to get around to doing about 4 hours work to finalise the year. Duh. Every year I say it will be different but it never is (except this year IT WILL BE!!!!!!!)!
Our deadline is approaching. I look around and wonder how we're ever going to move all this stuff. In 4 weeks we have to be out of here. Gasp.
Drew had pork belly and veges; I had thai beef salad (with extra beef); we shared chips and gravy and had no room for the fruit salad dessert.
I think a couple of these would look just right in the lounge room at the farm. The price might not be right though. A couple of wagyu cows I think?
I went to the farm this morning to check the water and cows; while I was there I painted another wall in the pantry. Now that I've started I think I might need to do the whole thing instead of just 3 shelves. I then went to work for a couple of hours to get on top of things in readiness for next week's onslaught of new budgets (new financial year again) along with January monthly reports and February end of month on the 24th. Drew and I spent the afternoon in town. I paid for the tiles (and picked up some more). We bought more supplies from the hardware store.What a money pit that department is; there seems to be no end to the bits and pieces that we need. We shopped for Drew's return to Uni. Then I had coffee with Kat and a few other girls for her birthday. Then Drewy and I had dinner, came home, locked up the chooks and checked the goats. We no longer have to hold Pepper down for the kids to get a drink from the troublesome teat. She/they must have got the message last night as I cursed them in the misty rain; this morning when I went over to them the teat was sucked out, same as tonight. Sometimes swearing at something does work.
I finally finished the 2012 tax last night and dropped it to the accountant today. It took me 7 months to get around to doing about 4 hours work to finalise the year. Duh. Every year I say it will be different but it never is (except this year IT WILL BE!!!!!!!)!
Our deadline is approaching. I look around and wonder how we're ever going to move all this stuff. In 4 weeks we have to be out of here. Gasp.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Progress 3
Back into it this morning; Joey was up until 2.30am. The waterproofing man arrived and did his bit; he brought his dog, Ralph.
Dave arrived to spray Meg's room; the 3 Stooges or what?!
Would you let this man roll paint on your wall?
I left them to it while I scrubbed the pantry floor and walls. I want to freshen the walls a little before I pack them with food.
The bathroom is taking shape. The new toilet is blocked off now. Yesterday you could see right through to the end of the bathroom with the old toilet on the left and the hallway on the right.
Walk in shower at the end of the the bathroom.
This wall is at the opposite end to the photo above (lets call it the bath end). The new toilet is on the other side so we're looking back towards it here (I'm standing in the shower).
Here's some of the tiles that we DIDN'T break.
The bath end wall, fully tiled (toilet is on the other side of the wall, to the left). I'm standing in the middle lounge room taking this.
This is where the 2nd toilet and basin will go.
The third feature strip runs at the head of the bath.
There's still a little way to go and Joey is staying tonight. He's done a phenomenal job in 3 days and saved us an enormous amount of money.
Every day we're one day closer.
Dave arrived to spray Meg's room; the 3 Stooges or what?!
Would you let this man roll paint on your wall?
I left them to it while I scrubbed the pantry floor and walls. I want to freshen the walls a little before I pack them with food.
The bathroom is taking shape. The new toilet is blocked off now. Yesterday you could see right through to the end of the bathroom with the old toilet on the left and the hallway on the right.
Walk in shower at the end of the the bathroom.
This wall is at the opposite end to the photo above (lets call it the bath end). The new toilet is on the other side so we're looking back towards it here (I'm standing in the shower).
Here's some of the tiles that we DIDN'T break.
The bath end wall, fully tiled (toilet is on the other side of the wall, to the left). I'm standing in the middle lounge room taking this.
This is where the 2nd toilet and basin will go.
The strips of feature tiles and the ceramic soap/shampoo shelf and foot rest, fitted.
The feature strips inserted. They look a bit like a leopard skin - they look better close up. The shower glass in 1400mm long; we will walk into the shower from the left hand end.
The third feature strip runs at the head of the bath.
There's still a little way to go and Joey is staying tonight. He's done a phenomenal job in 3 days and saved us an enormous amount of money.
Every day we're one day closer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)