Melting.

It was very hot today...so imagine what it must have been like in Brisbane!Even I swam in the dam today!......though I was not sure about the feel of the weed covered mud at the bottom. but it was very cooling and refreshing.Will had the patience of angels as he tried to get the cement mixer working.....he spent hours cleaning this and that and each time it sounded better but just not quite starting.....I would have smashed the thing to pieces and taken it to a scrap yard to be crushed after the first half hour.........he never got it going.I pulled up some cassinia, did some weeding, some sweeping and some titivation with fairy lights but it was too hot to do too much.We leave early in the morning to get back to boiling Brisbane......Oh, and my new camera (number 3) is ready to be collected!(The pics for the last few weeks and today have been taken with the camera on my phone!)

Audrey's new home.

Who is Audrey?......I (don't) hear you cry.Well, Audrey is the name we have given to the yam which Will pulled up out of the garden at Celtis St with the intention of adding it to one of his culinary delights. Audrey, however, had other ideas and instead of being resigned to her fate, started to grow again and produced a mass of long green tendrils while lying on the table in pergola.In producing her offshoots, she practically gave her life and wasted away.She came with us up to Frogknot today and she has been replanted in the newly weeded and mulched garden bed outside with a generous helping of horse poo that we picked up on the way........we only had to travel about half the distance to Frogknot with its equine aroma.

 

An interview.

Now don't get your hopes up......it's not what you think.......No, this was the interview I have to have for the New Start application I have put in.I set my alarm for 7.45 am as I had a text saying they would ring between 8.00am and 8.30 am.'Make sure your phone is fully charged. The phone call can last up to 30 minutes' it said.Just before 8.00 am I had a panic attack about how to answer a call on my phone. Did I swipe left or right when the call came through? I asked Will in a panic what to do.....it was 7.59 am.Suddenly my phone started to ring.......Eek! I swiped right and said "hello?"There was a beep and the phone went dead."Aaaagh!" I cried, "Nooooooo!""It was me!" said Will, " I rang you.....you were right. You swipe right.""Oh, I thought it was them," I said relieved.They rang at 8.20. What could possibly take 30 minutes?..... I was wondering.They checked my date of birth and address, asked if I had worked in the last 2 years apart from the 'caring', asked what my highest qualification was. Could I read and write English?They asked some 'optional' questions; Did I have any disabilities/illnesses that would prevent me from working? Had I been in jail in the last 7 years?How old was I?......it turns out if you are over 55 you are only required to work part time.......Damn!"I need to make you an appointment now to see someone who can help you with your CV, applications and interview technique. Can you go this afternoon?""Oh...." I didn't want to.We were going to go up to Frogknot after the phone call. "Er........""What about tomorrow?" She noted my  hesitation."I was thinking sometime next week?" I said."The latest I can do is Monday," she said."Fine," I said, relieved.She gave me the address of where to go on Monday."We have  until the 27th November to process your payment but seeing as you have just come off another payment you may get paid sooner. Keep checking your account."......and that was it. It was less than 10 minutes!It's official......I am a 'bludger!'

"Good Evening, Mr Bond. I have been expecting you."

....And in other news....

So.....once home I rang Centrelink and reported for the last time for my Carer payment which ends today. my last payment is tomorrow. Then I rang Alexandra about my camera which has been into get fixed since just after Anne arrived.I discovered yesterday that Alexandra had rung me three weeks ago about a refund or a replacement camera and I had missed her call.This is the second time I have had to take the camera back and she said I am to get new camera number 3 from Fuji shortly."It can't go wrong three times," said Will ever the optimist.There were starlings in the garden. I haven't seen any for ages but these incomers reminded me of home. Some native noisy mynah birds flew down and aggressively chased them off.I wanted to open the back door and shout out "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD! WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ON?!".......but didn't, because it might alarm the neighbours.And finally some good news!.......we have had an invitation!............which we accepted immediately.We are spending Christmas down by the river with Tracy and Jen, Lois and John.Fantastic!