The First Step

The first step has been taken: G has done his IELTS (english) tests! He should get his result within 3 weeks. I have been reading up on the Aus immigration site, and it seems his application would be a priority one, as his occupation is not only on their most in demand list, it is now also on their critical skills list. I don't think it means they will process it faster (although we can only hope that that's the case!!), I think it means it will be given priority over other applications if there are not enough visas available (quota for the year).

We're looking at making the skills assessment application next week. That should take 10-12 weeks, which works out that we MIGHT be able to apply for the visa in June. The actual visa application is likely to take 15 months, which means we would probably only get it in August 2010 (after the soccer world cup... bummer), but at least it's soon enough afterwards. I do have a feeling that those 15 months are going to be VERY LONG.

I have been scanning my little heart out of late - it is taking less time than I had imagined, I guess the big time-waster is actually procrastinating and "getting around to it". I mustn't get too excited about it though as I do not actually know how many other photo albums/boxes G's parents have!

In other EXCITING NEWS! I have managed to find a copy of the LocoRoco2 soundtrack and have ordered it as well as 2 other game-music CDs. The soundtrack should arrive in about 2 weeks' time, the others will probably only ship out after 2 weeks. My PSP pouch and Cardigans CDs should arrive very soon. And my Apollo 440 and Daft Punk CDs should arrive in under 2 weeks' time. Too much excitement!

Work has been exceptionally murderously dull, as always. But, nowadays I seem to be more irritable... I guess I'm becoming a bit fed up with the situation there: I have a boring, not quite busy job, and my desk is a few metres away from the reception desk. So, I get to 'stand-in' as receptionist, because I am not REALLY busy... and I don't feel that I am able to complain about it *because* I am not busy. I am, however, getting tired of it.

The receptionist, who is a little busy-body, just LOVES going on walkabouts, and uses any excuse to do so. Such as taking printouts/drawings/deliveries/envelopes/etc upstairs to people's (not just the bosses') offices - that's what the pigeonholes are for, or she could wait for the person to go past her desk as they HAVE to to go to the loo/kitchen/out the front door... OR she could PHONE THEM to tell them it's at her desk. Or she will all-too-willingly (so much so that she won't even phone upstairs to find out if the tealady/messenger is there) do stuff that there are people EMPLOYED TO DO, like make tea/coffee for meetings, or make photocopies for meetings. Other than those 'excuses', she likes to go to the loo "just for 5 seconds", and end up spending 10-15mins going to the loo, making tea/coffee, chatting to the tealady/whoever, etc.

I KNOW I don't have a busy job, but this is just... starting to get to me. All my job is now is 'standing in'. So much so that on Thursday, one of the guys, who had a MASSIVE roll of architects' drawings which needed to be sorted out, asked ME to stand in at the switchboard while the *receptionist* went ELSEWHERE to sort the drawings out!! Gee, thanks... I really appreciate that. I'm not a PA, hell, I'm not even an "admin assistant", I'm a 'stand-in' receptionist now it seems. Don't forget stand-in accountant (yay invoices). But, I am trying to calm myself by reminding myself that there are a limited number of days left: 234 working days, to be exact.

Let me savour that a while: 234 working days left.

Accomplished weekend!

Yay this weekend was a successful weekend!  I finished the bag - it is now waiting for G's mom to come back from visiting his gran, to help me assemble it :D

Sat morning we fetched my passport.  We also sorted out all our NB documents, putting them all together in one place.  That way, we know exactly what we have and precisely where it is, so that if there's any emergency at home we know exactly where to grab it and run (like if there's a fire/anything).

Talking of fires, the fires in Aus really freak me out!  Seeing pics.. it's so disturbing.  I haven't even seen many, but the ones I have seen are so terribly tragic.  I can only hope that the people who were killed in the fires died VERY quickly - although I'm not sure how it would work and they were probably in a lot of pain... one can only hope.  I have this feeling of "I don't know what I'd do in a situation like that" but there's no use saying something like that because there is nothing you can do.  I suppose that feeling is more one of "I can't comprehend or imagine it".  But anyway.  That is enough to give anyone nightmares!!

It was Dude's birthday on Saturday... we didn't celebrate it though.  I must admit I forgot!  The date is when he arrived in our life, not when he was hatched as we can't be sure when that was.  Can't believe my Bumble is 2 years old already!

I played a bit of LocoRoco2 this weekend, as a reward for finishing the bag and also for scanning 2.5 photo albums!  Somehow I'd stopped halfway through one album, so I finished that one and scanned 2 more.  It is SUCH A PLEASURE working on G's desktop after crawling through the task with my laptop.  Jeepers.  I think the scanning process won't take so long now, granted there is a box or 2 of loose photos but still.  If I can manage the albums, which is more timeconsuming because of having to peel the pics off the page each time, the boxes will be no match for me!  Ask me again in a month's time though ;)

G's mom has lent me her Gail Tsukiyama books to read.  They've become quite an institution between us.  I don't remember how it started, I think she mentioned wanting Samurai's Garden and G and I gave it to her for xmas/birthday, but we've since given her all of Gail's books!  And she's lent them all (except for the latest gift one which she hasn't yet read), and I must say they are really good books.  Her writing is so vivid, sensual and sensitive, emotionally involving and yet she manages not to put herself into the books.  She writes various characters' stories, not stories about characters.  Really lovely stories, I can heartily recommend them!

I've managed to find a LocoRoco PSP pouch on eBay - yes, I've bought it!  My stash is growing - it'll be so funky having a display cabinet for it one day!  Of course there are a lot of things I don't have and probably don't know about... but I'm very glad I've managed to get a pouch - they're very cute!  I STILL would LOVE to get my hands on a beanbag, as well as the little seat/footrest/pouffe thing!  I don't want to imagine what the shipping would be like for either of them... but I'm sure it'd be worth it in the end!

Ooh talking of buying hard to find stuff - I managed to buy a copy of the Cardigans' album "Other Side Of The Moon" which was only released in Japan & Australia apparently.  It, and also my LR stuff, should arrive quite soon.

Sometime soon there is going to be a Carnival - I really can't wait.  We missed out on it last year, hopefully this year's will be awesome as usual though!

I can't think of anything else to blog right now - I do believe it is coffee-time so I shall press 'post' and head to the kitchen to make a cuppacoffee!

Frustration

At the moment, here in SA, there's a taxi-strike.

Basically, the government wants to introduce a bus/taxi (mass transport) system for the soccer world cup next year.  These taxi drivers (individuals, there is no company governing them) have decided that this will lose them money because people won't use them but will use the mass transport system.  Despite the fact that NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would VOLUNTARILY use a MINIBUS TAXI... they believe that they will be losing out on all the tourist dollars.  So they have decided to strike.  Strike meaning:  stoning buses/cars/trains, burning buses/trains/cars, throwing petrol bombs, cutting the electric cables for the trains, etc.  Basically terrorist behaviour.

These same ARSEHOLES 'protested' in pretty much the same way when the government "did away with the taxi-lane".  What the rest of the civilised world knows as a YELLOW LINE indicating the EDGE OF THE ROAD, is to them a dedicated taxi lane.  The traffic department was merely enforcing the law that no one is allowed to drive on the other side of the yellow line, but THEY'RE TAKING AWAY THE TAXI-LANE omg it's time to stone buses and burn things.

I really really really desperately think we need to get out of this shit-hole of a country as soon as we can.  This is basically terrorism: if the government does something we don't like, we're going to terrorise people.  Yay, MORONS.. way to go.

Anyway, on an unrelated (but also frustrated) note, I'm really fed up with where we live.  The security complex... yes our little haven of safety and security, with a garden each and dedicated parking/garage(s).  We may as well be living in a fucking high-rise with no openable windows, with underground parking bay.  We don't get to enjoy the garden, because of our neighbours who smoke.  Yes, I've griped about this before.  But it never ends.  We CANNOT have our back door open, to enjoy the balmy evening breeze, BECAUSE OF THEM.  They smoke roughly EVERY 20 FUCKING MINUTES, so there actually is no point having the door open if it's just going to be closed for 5-10mins EVERY 20MINS!!!!  But, as if that's not bad enough, THEIR STINK COMES INTO OUR LOUNGE!!!  Without fail, our entire lounge becomes a smokers' paradise with stink.  I'm sick of it.  I wish I could superglue the goddamn windows shut so that NO AIR can come in at all.

And, as far as enjoying our place AT ALL, even that we can't do with the KIDS (rodent-runts) running all over the place. YELLING AND SCREAMING.  So... we may as well live in a damn high-rise, with NO OPENABLE WINDOWS, so we at least wouldn't have this (un-????)realistic 'expectation' that we MIGHT ACTUALLY ENJOY our home.

I'm actually sick of it.  I'm sick of OTHER PEOPLE, with their INCONSIDERATION, INTERFERING with us.  We don't yell and fight, we don't play loud music at all hours of the day/night, we don't have loud sex, we don't braai (ever, nevermind constantly), we don't smoke, we don't drink and get drunk and cause hassles, we don't PLAY all over everyone else's cars and in front of their homes, we don't play tennis across the parking area, we don't invite loads of people over and have loud raucous parties, we don't hog all the parking bays, we don't PARK like idiots so other people can't get into their own bays, we don't SLAM OUR GODDAMNED FRONT DOOR EVERY TIME WE GO OUT OR COME HOME, we don't have a barking whining dog, we don't have a huge stinking compost heap in our back garden, we don't have a tree with roots digging up everyone's place, we don't have a garage door that we leave open to creak like a dead old tree every time the wind blows, we don't bounce netballs/soccerballs on cement or against buildings, we don't play drums or practise violin/piano, the LIST CAN GO ON AND ON!

What DO we do?  We go to work at regular hours.  We close our doors quietly, we park neatly, we water our garden, we take our dirt out, we occasionally mow the lawn, we clean our place, we cook and bath and sleep and do washing and play music loud enough for us but not loud enough to hear OUTSIDE with the doors closed (see above - they never ARE open!!), we have quiet hobbies, G plays guitar WITH HEADPHONES, etc.  Why is it, exactly, that WE (quiet people) have to endure OTHER PEOPLE'S INTRUSION with NOISE AND SMELL etc?  Why exactly?  It's not as if G and I can start BEING noisy because it's just... a bit... ridiculous.  I don't WANT to slam the front door.  I don't WANT to have loud parties.  I don't WANT to start smoking so that I can stink someone else out.

I don't know whether we would move between now and when we leave, but I'm not AT ALL as fond of our place as I was.  This stink is really getting to me now.  And NOT TO MENTION THAT BRAT SCREAMING ALL DAY.  God alone knows what is wrong with that child.

So I'm actually fed up.  Really fed up.  This vexation EVERY SINGLE EVENING is just getting to me.  Yes, things anger you if you let them but damnit, how am I supposed to NOT get pissed off if every bloody evening MANY times in the evening, I get burny eyes and a scratchy throat BECAUSE OF THE BITCH NEXT DOOR SMOKING?  I'm sitting CROSS-STITCHING!!  Why do I have to get a burny throat because of her?  Why does the inside of OUR home have to stink because they smoke outside so that theirs doesn't...?????

 

ARRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish I could have a blogpost NOT about boredom!!

But sadly this one is also about boredom of sorts - or rather DUE to boredom (at work).

On Friday evening I house window-shopped on the net.  Looking at houses for sale in Brisbane.  There are some nice houses out there - but they are rather expensive.  I suppose if you are paid in Aus$ it all works out, but converting from "Ront" it's very expensive.  Everything will depend on our situation next year, after February.

Speaking of which: there are 12 months and a little over 3 weeks left until my last day of work!!  My work-day countdown has it at 243 work days left!  Yay!!!!

We had a very cool thunderstorm on the weekend.  It was so nice to watch the sky go dark, and the dark mass of cloud coming closer.  It had been super-hot for the past couple of days before, and after the storm there was a very brief relief from the heat.

This weekend I played LocoRoco til I got PSP-hands: those achy fingers from playing for far too long!  I am busy going through all the levels of LocoRoco trying to get all 20 Locorocos, all 3 of the MuiMui etc for each level.  In LocoRoco2 I've already beaten the main bad-guy and rescued the planet, but there is still quite a lot of Moja-muck lying around for me to find and clear.  Once that's done, I can explore the entire place and find all 3 MuiMui, all the house-parts, etc.  I LOVE the MuiMui house, too.  They really are cute little things.

I worked on the Damask Rose purse too - it's really progressing quite fast.  I won't be able to stitch this evening because we're going out with M&J, sis+her G to have burgers.  Sort of a Syndicate-meet, sort of a birthday eat-out for sis.  She's turned the big 3-0... it's so weird to think of her being 'in her 30s'.  I guess it's not such a major thing, but there's this association with it.  I guess it's like the standards at school, and the associations/connotations.  Every standard is a new 'level', but after school you have 20s, 30s, 40s and so on.  Only once a decade do you progress to the next level.

Last night we met up with Mom, sis + her G for supper at a Thai restaurant.  It was incredibly quiet - we were pretty much the only table there.  The waiter was a bit... odd... very spaced out!  And, once again, G's order was 'forgotten'.  I don't think it's specifically G's order that gets messed up every time, just that G and I often order identical things and waiters usually hand food out to females first... so I get the food and he doesn't.  The food was interesting, new to me, with names that I wouldn't dare try to pronounce.  Thankfully each item has a number so you don't have to read out the names on the menu!

I've decided to put the PSP away during the week, and to stitch and scan photos on weeknights and then RELAX on weekends after chores and stuff that HAS to be done.  That way there isn't a chance for me to play the entire evening+night away and not accomplish anything.  On a weekend, there are far more hours available, so I can tell myself (for argument's sake) "after the chores, I will play a bit", and won't feel guilty for not being on track with my stitching/scanning.  That also allows us to have time to exercise too - we skipped it this weekend because it was TOO DAMN HOT!  Friday was 39C, Saturday was probably close to that and Sunday was only fractionally less hot.Today is murky and also a bit drearily muggy.

A week or 2 ago I ordered stuff online - some Daft Punk and some Apollo 440 CDs, they should be here in the 1st week in March.  I really enjoy Apollo 440... I'm not sure how to 'classify' my taste in music: Daft Punk, Apollo 440, Chemical Brothers, Propellerheads, Prodigy, possibly Basement Jaxx (but haven't really listened much and it hasn't grown on me yet)... but then I also LOVE A Camp, The Cardigans, Shivaree, Rammstein, enjoy the Sneaker Pimps, Joe Satriani, the list goes on and on and on!  Not sure what the common denominator would be.  No need for one I suppose!

It is nearly Dude's birthday.  He's going to be 2!  My sweet Bumble-bee :D

I'm not sure I have much more to blog about...

If everything works out we will be applying for the visa in July.  Our birth certificates and my passport should be ready at the beginning of April, G is hopefully going to apply for ACS assessment soon, which should take a couple of weeks.  His english test is on the 21st.

April contains quite a few public holidays and I've taken off 3 days at the end of the month.  I'm planning to go to Mom's place and go through old stuff.  Toys, games, books, etc, to go through everything and get rid of the junk/unwanted stuff and salvage anything very special or worth keeping.  It'll be good to go through everything once and for all and put all the odds and ends together, like my Cabbage Patch Doll - he's currently got 1 shoe (if I remember correctly!), and a substitute tracktop.  I'm SURE his full outfit must be somewhere, and his dummy too.  All the bits and pieces like that must be reconciled, and then given away or kept or whatever.  I'm actually looking forward to it, it'll be quite an endeavour, almost like a 'coming-of-age' experience.  I've already weeded out the teddies - there are some (very special ones) I'm keeping, although I'll probably have to go through the box again and take out the less than very special ones and keep only the VERY VERY special ones.  Ah, at least it's a start.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the toys again - going to keep my My Little Ponies - I think they're all mixed together with sis's ones.  I doubt she'd give me her ones!  It's strange actually, how the toys (like the Ponies) get personalities of their own, which are somehow partially "tainted" with the knowledge that they're HER ones.  Somehow, despite how I secretly wished they were mine, the fact that they were, in fact, hers made them not as nice.  Like, I'd have wanted them to be mine from the outset, because now that they had been hers, they had somehow picked up a bit of her negative 'aura' which always stayed in mind longggggg after we'd had a serious squabble!

Arrrrrgh, I'm bored now - waiting for invoices before I can send through my stuff.  I could be stitching now, and once that is done I could be scanning photos.  I really want to stitch and finish this bag because the scanning is such a huge task and really will take ages.  It'll thankfully be a quantifiable task because as I work through the albums, I can hand them back.  ARGH now I want to scan pics!

Ok let me try get back into work-mode.  YAY it's getting closer to payday!

Accomplished week

Well hello there (anyone?  are you reading this? :P )

The past weekend was so busy, but good busy.  We accomplished a lot of things.  Apart from the usual (chores), I finished the bookmark I'd been working on.  A little cross-stitch bookmark that a colleague had given to me, which I'd decided I had to finish before starting on the Damask Rose purse that G's mom had given me a while ago.  And........ I finished the 2nd HOSS.  So, mom's one is busy being framed, and G's mom's one is waiting to be sent for framing.  They are both delayed birthday presents.

I started the Damask Rose purse, it's very pretty and so quick to stitch compared to those hosses.  Man, I've made up my mind:  I am not going to stitch on linen/evenweave/non-aida again, and I won't use metallic thread again.  OH MY WORD they were so frustrating to work with (separately, thankfully!).

Poor Golden Ice is so neglected.  Once I'm done with the Rosepurse, I am going to sit my butt down and SCAN PHOTOGRAPHS!  All the time!  Until each and every photo is done!  While I was chatting to my aunt a while ago, I mentioned remembering Gran's little tin of photographs.  She doesn't have that one, but she does have another tin of photographs from Gran.  So, hopefully, I can borrow the tin and scan those photos too.  I'd really love to see Gran's photos again - the last time I looked at any of her old photos was when I was probably under 5, and the people in the photographs were all strange: at that age, Gran was Gran and always had been.  So it'll be nice to see the photos of her as a young woman, to see photos of mom and her brother+sister as kids, to see Grampa as a young man.

In other news:  there have been 3 fires in 6 days, just outside our complex.  The smoke was TERRIBLE, each of those times.  Coincidentally, I've run out of allergy tablets... great!  It makes me very anxious though, because we aren't at home... and because our home is under threat.  I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Dude.

In OTHER news, we had an 'event' one evening this week - I probably have blogged about it... I'm at work now and don't have the luxury of checking what I've already blogged about.  I don't want to go into detail right now (I'm in a calm, sluggish frame of mind right now and don't particularly feel like being all revved up and amped)... but basically some bitch neighbour came and knocked on the door to come row at G for 'being rude' to her kids and telling them to play elsewhere.  Essentially, she believes (ahh, blind faith how we love you so >.<) that her preshis chyldruhn have the undisputed RIGHT to play everywhere (including near/against people's cars and directly in front of their windows/front doors) and disturb *everyone* else in the complex with their noise.  Sorry, bitch, your argument is so wrong in so many different ways that, had you actually been mature about it rather than bringing my (assumed) age as an indication of my (assumed) lower maturity level than yours (professed by yourself), it wouldn't even be worth arguing.  If you come to our place again to shout at us, I will bring up a chair with some popcorn, and watch you.

Ok... anyway!!

I am so unbearably sleepy right now.  All I've had to do this week (really) is filing.  I've worked on the usual invoicing-batches, but it's so dreary these days.  I really could just pick a clean area of carpet and lie down and sleep, right now.

I really hope the application to Aus doesn't take a long time - the way the country is going is a shitty, unfunny joke.  The elections are apparently in April/May/June... our (I love how it's so taken as fact) to-be president is possibly going under trial for various crimes in August.  It is just assumed that he WILL be our president, and his comrade in the party's youth league wants to prevent the trial from happening by saying it'll be embarrassing for our country.  Ah, no, moron, the fact that a CRIMINAL is going to run the country is MORE of a fucking embarrassment!!  It's not an embarrassment, it's a crying SHAME.  So, I sincerely hope that we can be accepted into Aus ASAP!

G's skills assessment application is nearly ready to be submitted.  He has to update his CV, fill in the application form and get the letter which outlines his abilities.  I hope ACS doesn't take forever with it, because as soon as he's got his IELTS result and his ACS skills assessment, we can apply... of course, I will have had to have received my new passport already!  Too exciting!

Anyway, this weekend is going to be busy.  Tomorrow morning we're going to brunch with G's parents and his aunt... Sunday evening we're going to supper at a Thai restaurant for Sis's birthday and Monday evening we're going to have burgers with sis&her G, M&J.

I'm so bored now.  I've been filing/folding drawings all day so far.  IT'S SO DAMN DULL.  There is actually nothing further to write about my job.

When we get home I want to iron the transfers onto my tshirts - I am so impatient to go home now!!

And on that note I will post this to my blog :D

Oh my god

I CANNOT believe the absolute gall of some people!

*warning - hard language in blogpost* (although you should expect that from me by now!!)

We live (yes, I'll explain the scenario AGAIN) in a security complex. Duplex units, with a garden each (say 3mx3m). We each have either a parking bay or garage - depends on what the owners of each complex managed to buy. We have a parking bay with carport.

Some kids have been playing in the complex. Riding skateboards all OVER the place, in the drive-way, within the bays that are not occupied, around the cars, or running around, directly in front of the kitchen window. All of the time, yelling, screaming and bellowing and making a god-awful noise.

We have on a number of occasions called out to them NOT to play near the car/s. Repeatedly. They don't stop. They give G's car a bit of a wider berth than lots of others, but they still run in front of our kitchen window and make a HELL of a lot of noise. Where they live in the complex god alone only knows because sure as fuck they don't play THERE.

This evening, after them making a SHITload of noise, but us not complaining at them, we get this bitch knocking on our door, wanting to speak to my husband... basically she goes off on this rant about how she's sick of our being rude to her children, this is a complex, it's a communal area, basically fuck us, they are allowed to play EVERYwhere, fuck our car, fuck our peace, they MAY play everywhere, as it's a communal area. Just going off at us. I give her a good piece of my mind (not swearing AT ALL), basically saying "excuse me, we are NOT rude to your children, they don't actually have the right to play EVERYwhere, this is not a playground" etc.

She just goes off, that her children have the right to play, there is nowhere to play, they come home from school, the garden is 1mx1m etc blabla.

Lady, excuse me. They are YOUR CHILDREN. If we had a large dog, and found the garden was TOO FUCKING SMALL we would have two options: TAKE THE DOG FOR A FUCKING WALK, either by going out around the complex or TAKING IT BY CAR. Or we would MOVE SOMEWHERE BIGGER. This is not a fucking playplace, bitch. Get the fuck over yourself... they are YOUR children, it is YOUR responsibility to see that they don't interfere with other people and disturb other people, they are YOUR children that YOU are to make provision for. This is (yes, as you said) a COMPLEX with COMMUNAL AREAS. Communal area does not equal playground. Their screaming interferes with our enjoyment of our ENTIRE FUCKING HOME, because they scream so fucking loudly that it infiltrates EVERY FUCKING PART OF OUR HOME. Whether we're taking a fucking piss on the toilet, washing the fuck up or watering the fucking garden. Even if we are listening to MUSIC, their NOISE INTRUDES!

Thank you, c**t, for displaying JUST HOW SHITTY, SELFISH AND INCONSIDERATE "PARENTS" CAN REALLY BE!

And, thank you, once again, for BEING MY CONTRACEPTION! I don't NEED children, because yours are MORE THAN ENOUGH!!!!!!

Bitch!

Thank you, GMAIL!

I just spent oh I'd say about an hour and a half... typing up a blogpost ... THANK YOU GMAIL for 'discarding' a draft by SMITING IT OFF THE FACE OF THE FUCKING EARTH, instead of sticking it in the trashcan.

 

NICE ONE!!!!

Random thoughts - because I'm bored

Today, as expected, has been dull :P  DULL DULL DULL DULL NULL VOID bla :P

I've been filing again, hbbm has been on a rampage tossing out old stuff from his office.  A form of 'springclean'.  His office would be quite a museum if it were actually filed properly!

This evening I should probably clean the fishtank, as it's overdue again.  And clean Dude's cage.  And vacuum.  Chores day, I guess.  Didn't feel like any of it this weekend past, but now it's time.

After that, I think I'm going to rebel and STITCH A BIT MORE GOLDEN ICE!!  Dunno.  Depends how I feel.

Afternoon slump time...  Zzzzzzzzzzz....

Ok now that I have that out of the way...

My ID hasn't arrived back yet... and I'm awaiting 3 parcels.

I'm bored.  I don't have anything to blog now :P

 

YATTAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Oh wow, BOREDOM

More boredom.  Last week was an Ennui Extravaganza!!

Being receptionist, in a construction industry company, in the week before the builders' holidays are finished... DULL omg... I nearly went nuts.  But I survived.

Right now I feel so ... melancholy isn't quite the right word.  I'm feeling now.  Right now, listening to A Camp's self-titled album, being taken back to the plane as we were flown over Australia, down from Singapore, right down almost to the bottom of the continent, turning East and flying over Adelaide to land in Sydney.  The air was so clear, the land was so massive... this expanse, disappearing off into the distance.  The land was dry, uninhabited by much plantlife, but patchwork farms clearly evident.  I was listening to this album, looking down at the land, feeling this sensation of peaceful suspension... elevation and elation.

Today hbbm is back in office.  It's been another quiet day - I haven't had much to do at all.  I've been ogling my diary some more... thinking about my options.  I can work until end of this year, which gives me more time to prepare everything before the move, or work until end of Feb 2010.  It all depends entirely on the visa application.  Hopefully G's nominated occupation can make it a priority.  Maybe I've blogged this already... if so I will edit this post.  Today has just been exceptionally uninspiring work-wise.  I'd like to finish end of this year.

Reassessing, reconsidering, replanning

I am rethinking my plans.  G and I were reading the newspaper yesterday, and re-agreed that we should leave before the 2010 Soccer World Cup.  BEFORE, because we don't want to be caught up in the chaos that it will bring, nor want to get caught in the tide of people leaving once it's all finished.

Which means we'd leave in May or June 2010.  Hopefully, if all goes right, G's application will be prioritised because of his nominated occupation (it's a skill that they have a HUGE demand for... so they'd speed up the application process *hopefully*).

If May or June it is, then I doubt my resigning and finishing work end of Feb will give me enough time to prepare everything.  Cleaning, packing, fumigating/treating, giving stuff away, throwing stuff away, closing accounts, etc...

EEEEEEK now my mind is all fired up, and I can't research on the internet because *sulks* we aren't allowed to use the internet anymore...............

 

BLAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

 

EEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that would mean... I'd resign and finish work at THE END OF THIS YEAR!!!! yayyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LocoBlobs!

They have arrived!!

ROFL

An email, sent to a national bus company (XYZ) by our receptionist:

 

Hi there

I would like to book a bus for 20th December 2008, please advise me whther there's any bus available and much does it cost.

Regards

 

The bus company's reply:

 

Dear Passenger

Due to the geographical area that XYZ operate answering your question may prove to be a bit difficult. XYZ require your Arrival and Departure point

Hope this is of assistance

BORED!!

I'm starting to think I will be blogging A LOT in the following year and 2 months.

I've worked out that I have a grand total of 269 days left at this company, minus the day already worked yesterday and today (can't count the day you're currently in).

I'm actually not really able to count down the precise days on a daily basis as I'm not certain yet when I will take my 8 leave days (I can't plot them on my calendar yet)  We earn 11 leave days a year, 1 per month for the months Jan to Nov.  December we close for 2 weeks, so we don't earn a day that month.  I am finishing here in Feb 2010, so I will have earned another 2 days during Jan+Feb 2010.  I've already plotted 5 of my 11 for 2009 (I'm taking the 'gap' day between a public holiday and a weekend, for eg), then I'm left with 6 for 2009, total for 2009 and 2010 being 8.  Bla blabla, bla bla... yadda yadda blah.  I have 269 days left!!!  I'm not keeping my leave days for a specific event, in fact I'm actually going to have to use them up before 26 February 2010!!!

Ok, so I'm bored, and I have 269 days left of this nonsense.

I'm extra bored because we've been told not to use the internet at work AT ALL except if we want to check our personal emails.  No Facebook.  I believe some people were sitting looking at pictures for hours... I really don't find FB that enthralling - I used to log on occasionally to check people's status messages and to change my own.  The only dumb thing is that although I didn't 'use up the internet' I don't want to even go anywhere apart from my mailbox because they have a website-tracking program on the server now.  HAHA apparently in Nov (that's me off the hook cos I was away for 3 weeks in Nov!), the co used not the usual 5gb but 20gb.

I'm the receptionist this week.  It is so damn boring.  I brought a book, which I will read shortly, but the past while I've been plotting stuff in my diary.

I've run out of inspiration now.... that's all for now.

Kickin' ass!

Ok... I've been going through my stuffs, like banking and medical aid and stuffs and stuffs, and It's Time. My medical aid monthly premiums are going up, and yet I'm getting 1/3 of what I got last year. WTF? So their ass is getting kicked.

I've already emailed my bank, because seriously, taking a month to change my SURNAME?? Hell no. If I'm late with anything, penalties to pay, m'dear! So I'm annoyed at them.

A local clothing shop has been being dumb too - we got a 'rewards card' from them sometime last year, and the card kept giving us grief because nobody at their shops ever told us that our address details on the card was 'wrong'. This in turn meant that we'd have to wait like morons while they each and every time had to call the manager to 'allow' the transaction. We were promised gift vouchers for the hassle (after I'd emailed them complaining about this stupidity), and haven't heard anything since. Honestly, a rewards card that is more NUISANCE than it is worth (although I must admit that's my opinion of ALL of these damn rewards cards - more plastic making a person's wallet bulge and swollen so it doesn't fit into their pocket/bag).

This year is going to be one cracker of a year. I have 226 working days to endure, after which I have just 40 more the following year and I am FREE!! I've counted them, blocked off the public holidays and the leave days I'm going to be taking, and I've decided to resign in Jan 2010 so my last day will be 26 February 2010. That, of course, depends entirely on whether I have the patience and tolerance and ability to keep emotionally detached and uninvolved (ie don't let the shit get to me too much) for that long. It's best if I end work in Feb 2010, because that way a) I'm still earning money b) it's only 40 days ffs c) I won't miss out on any Xmas bonus by resigning so my last day is end of work 2009 because I have a sneaky suspicion that the bosses would 'hold it against me' that I'm resigning and not actually pay *me* a bonus. I've heard stories and I'm not playing that.

So anyway, G's work will likely wrap up someway through early 2010... my finishing that time gives us time to pack stuff etc... oh and also, if I stop work end of Feb 2010 I have a solid 6 years' work experience to my name (yay CV!)

There's so much to do this year (same procedure as EVERY year, James!). G has most on his plate, and the most I can do is support him, and keep things calm at home (though that is very difficult cos it's SO DAMN EXCITING!!). I certainly have more than enough cross stitches to do.

Ok so on G's to-do list:

English test
Skills test
Get all paperwork like birth certificates, marriage certificates, copies of everything etc
Apply for visa

Then, once he's applied for the visa, we have to get a health-check and a police clearance certificate each.

I have to still:

apply for new drivers' license
apply for new passport...
both of which depend on my receiving my new ID soon.

Things I have to do this year:

scan photos and make CDs for each family (need to get RAM first else I'm seriously going to lose my mind)
scrapbook our wedding+honeymoon
stitch my ass off
DRIVE MORE so I get PRACTICE
sort through stuff and get rid of junk
fetch stuff from mom's place, sort through and get rid of junk

Things we have to do:

Sort stuff and get rid of junk
Start researching stuff like company to give our stuff gamma-irradiation/other treatment
Company to move our stuff
OMG so much... lemme think
Decide on stuff to sell/give away, stuff to keep, stuff to throw away
Hectic. It's hard to think of all these things
Also, our financial stuffs have to be concluded (like my pension/life insurance/whatever).

Ok I'm not going to RACK MY BRAIN now thinking of EVERYthing, I have other things to do as work starts tomorrow *cries*.

226 days left of this shite! 266 total EVAR!!!!!!!(eleventy).

Right now, however, I want to get on with emailing my medical aid. *rolls up sleeves*

More to be blogged later........ XD

In the meantime, here's a picture to keep you occupied for a while (I have to say it cracks me the hell up every time I see it...!!).

Sorry, I changed my mind. Can't put it up else I'd laugh too much.

My stitching corner

This is my stitching corner. As you can see, I at times have a view out the window. I keep the blind closed when the neighbours are home... it's a kinda psychological wall I prefer to have up - they seem less THERE when it's closed. Heremia is up for inspiration. That wall is the 'display' wall of sorts because there's a nice spotlight pointed at it and my newly framed projects go there. Warpony was displaced by Heremia and Heremia, in turn, will be displaced by Golden Ice once he is finally done.

At the moment Golden Ice is being neglected. Still. I sent off the 1st of the 2 horses for framing. It'll only be ready on 4 Feb... late for mom's birthday but I'm sure she won't mind TOO much. If I finish the 2nd one soon and send it for framing it might be ready in time for G's mom's bday.

After I've finished the 2nd horse, I have a tiny bit of metallic thread stitching to do on a small bookmark, and then I have a small purse to make. G's mom gave it to me for (if I recall right) Christmas last year, and it's been waiting. I think it may just queue-hop and jump ahead of Golden Ice.

I must say that this past while of being at home, even while G works, has made me extremely reluctant to go back to work. I know I have to, but it really seems even less appealing than it ever did. It makes me very eager for the end of 2009 when I'm in my home-stretch of working here and can think seriously about resigning.

G and I went through a bit of Aus immigration stuff last night. We'd chatted to Sis's bf (who has a visa to emigrate to Aus), and he was telling us about the application procedure, what we'd have to add to the application such as skills assessment/police clearance certificate/medical report. Ugh, a bloodtest. Not looking forward to that (yes, I'm already feeling squeamy about that!) but I'm really excited and amped to DO THIS!

Most of the 'application stress' is on G, but I'm sure I'll be more than 'stressed' by having to prepare stuff to move.

As we are 5mb away from being capped this month I will post this and leave it at that... To Be Continued!!

Christmas contemplation

Why do things have to be difficult. Sometimes you really just don't need things to be difficult... they don't HAVE to be difficult, but they just are.

Tomorrow is xmas eve. The tradition in my family* is to wait up until midnight on the dot and THEN open presents. It has been that way ever since I can remember, and when I was small it was a serious ordeal, getting through the DAYtime, to be able to stay up late; midnight would take its precious time in getting there. It has been like that the past few years, it's remained a tradition. It's been kept up, even after dad died, after me and sis got boyfriends (and now husband!), but this year, I'm not sure.

<* family = mom, dad, sis and me>

It actually makes me a bit emotional, thinking about it. It usually is at mom's place, but this year, mom's more 'busy' than usual. By busy, I don't mean busy in the conventional sense. She's rather... unfocused... I don't want to go into detail, but she's overwhelmed by stuff sometimes and can't focus on what is REALLY actually important/priority. It leads to clutter at home, and her being distracted and stuff GENERALLY being a crisis/chaos when it really is in fact nothing at all. So she's not keen on xmas eve. I've said we'll have it our place this year (like last year), so that she doesn't have loads of cleaning up to do. She said, however, that she wasn't really feeling up to the 'xmas mad show', ie festivities. We also have (since I started going out with G) had xmas lunch at his folks' place (cos their tradition is opening gifts 1st thing in the morning), and then boxing day lunch at my mom's place. That way we get to open gifts at mom's on xmas eve, then we get to open gifts at G's folks on xmas morning and have lunch there, then a '2nd' xmas lunch on boxing day with my mom. So in that situation, there's no rushing between the 2 places, cutting short a lunch/brunch with either because of having to go to the other place. Also, it sort of cuts out a bit of driving when the roads are probably maddest.

But now, it seems that it is a no-go. Xmas eve, mom sms'd me saying she doesn't think she'll come.

I don't know why it upsets me. I'm not crying... but I feel... hollow. It's almost as if things are really (again) falling apart. Mom isn't focused, and things go wonky (stuff at home, the house/garden etc), and sis complains and fights with her. Sis doesn't help at home at all (she's always had an attitude of not wanting to help because a) she can't be bothered and doesn't even think of offering to help... doesn't notice that you may even NEED help... and b) if you ASK for help, she's got this attitude of it being a HUGE undertaking, that if she did even 1nanometre more work, she'd be bearing the entire workload (which is so far from the truth it's actually pretty lame and her 'tone' as she says that kinda thing really pisses me off).

So we have mom, not 'coping' in a way, and sis, not helping but complaining and fighting.

And then there's me. The whole situation drains me. Mom's not in a state to sort herself out, and anything I try to say or do (like encourage mom to do stuff herself - a person can't 'rescue' someone in this situation... it's a behaviour-change issue), is completely cancelled out by sis's negative input and complaints and criticism. And then mom calls out for help and encouragement... which I find so hard to give, because the things she prioritises (to sort out) are completely pointless and DO NOT SOLVE ANYTHING...

I feel like I'm talking myself into a circle. Downward spiral. I don't know what to think about it. The only solution I can see is that mom GETS HERSELF OUT OF THAT SITUATION. Puts her goddamn foot down and kicks sis to the kerb... because sis is in a way 'sponging'... and then takes charge and sorts herself out from the ground up. I can't buy mom a new house. Even if I did, there's so much junk and STUFF in the house she has that she would never be able to move in time. I can't explain. It's a problem that I can see but can't put into words... I dunno.

I'm tired. I'm actually now not feeling very xmas-spirited either. It's not the same. Why can't things be normal? Why... can't... my family... be normal...

Why.

Ex-jeweller

The saga of the ex-jeweller gets more complicated as time goes on.

Basically, he didn't finish the rings in time. He phoned G the weekend before the wedding (while G was at his bachelors!), to say the ring is ready for fitting. We didn't contact him, because it's ridiculous and unacceptable that wedding rings not be finished and ready AT LEAST a week before the wedding, ESPECIALLY since we first approached this guy in August. We decided that we would give the ring that was meant to be mine to G's dad to drop off at the jeweller's place, *at his dad's leisure*, and his dad would tell him that the wedding has passed and he can keep the rings.

We also decided that we'd use my engagement ring + G's dad's wedding ring (which no longer fits him but happens to fit G perfectly) as the rings for the ceremony - that way we use special rings and there's no mad rush to find a replacement in 1 week.

This moron tried to phone G at 4pm on the wedding day (!) to say that the ring is ready to be fitted. Gee, thanks, dude. That's really erm, useful to us... thanks (?).

According to G's dad's email after dropping the ring off, this guy was apparently VERY upset that we didn't have the proper wedding rings for the ceremony. He apparently told G's dad to tell G to contact him when we got back so that something could be arranged (ie we still pay for those rings, no doubt). Needless to say, G didn't phone him back.

About a week after we got back from honeymoon, this guy phoned G, basically to find out whether the rings are still happening, and G told him, "sorry, look, you didn't finish the rings in time, we've made another arrangement, we're no longer interested in this any more". He got so upset with G on the phone, basically saying "you should have kept reminding me of the wedding date, how am I supposed to remember all these things in my head????". Dude, that's why the fuck you TAKE NOTES. The whole damn point of wedding rings is for them to be used as WEDDING RINGS on the WEDDING DAY.

We thought that was the end of the saga. Sadly, not.

He phoned G this afternoon: what is happening about the rings, are we going to take them, the whole thing could have been handled better (no shit, sherlock!), etc etc. G told him that the rings weren't finished in time, that we're no longer interested, so this guy starts saying that we 'used' the ring (the ring that was to be my ring) and then gave it back after the wedding... that there was 'stuff' on the ring which proves it was used, and that I wore it at the wedding but gave it back. G told him it wasn't, and he persisted and so G repeated that it wasn't. He repeated, so G asked him "are you saying I'm lying?" he says "no, the ring was worn at the wedding"... G says "are you saying I'm a liar?" then he says "yes, the ring was worn at the wedding and given back". G, at that point fed up with such immaturity (and surely insanity?), told him to piss off and hung up on him.

What is wrong with this guy? Clutching at straws, for sure. Maybe he made no money this year (would serve him right, if he does business in this manner!) and he has no money for christmas?

Dude, that is the way the world goes. You fail to deliver, you don't get paid. It's a WEDDING RING, you make it in time for the wedding SPECIALLY if the people approach you 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE, you've REASSURED them that these rings 'won't take long at all to make..' and you've told them to come back in a month. Also, dude, TAKE NOTES. If you measure the people's fingers, WRITE IT THE FUCK DOWN so you don't have to KEEP CALLING THEM to try the damn rings on every single goddamn weekend. Oh and if you say you'll call someone back? CALL THEM! And finally, if someone has told you they no longer need your services... back off GRACEFULLY, don't fight like a petulant child when you were CLEARLY in the wrong.

What a damn ass-hat. Hopefully this is FINALLY the end of THIS saga.

How weird

This has been a rather interesting past while. >>> warning LONG BLOG POST<<<

Ok... first of all - the story about the bird.

A guy came to fetch something from me (from hbbm). The receptionist called me and I took the parcel to the frontdesk... and saw the front door open but the guy crouching near the door. He called 'there's a baby bird here' and I went to see what was going on. True enough, there was a baby bird - a baby witogie/Cape White Eye. It was just sitting by the front door, calling out, while its parents were calling and calling at it. I suggested we leave the bird there because he obviously was learning to fly, but the guy refused and said "I can't be cruel, this is the middle of the city" so I got a paper-box and we put the bird in it. I put the box aside, helped the guy and reassured him that I'd take care of the bird.

A while after he'd left, I popped my head out the front door, because I could still hear the bird's parents calling for him. They were perched on the branches closest to the front door, staring intently at me, calling very loudly. They seemed to know that I was the one who took their baby into the building. I went back in, still hearing them calling. I decided to take the box outside and let the baby bird out as there was far more hope for him in the care of his parents than with me hand-feeding him, living in a complex with cats etc. Plus, the whole reason he was on the ground is because his parents are trying to egg him on and encourage him to fly, much like an antelope mother makes her calf stand and run very soon after birth - survival behaviour.

I took the box outside, and crouched down by the door, opened the box to take the baby bird out. I hadn't even scooped him up yet, and one of his parents had flown down to about a metre away from me, waiting with an insect in its mouth. No fear, just politely keeping its distance, but so definitely waiting for its baby to be returned. I put the bird down on the porch, put the box inside and stood in the doorway to watch. He bumbled around a bit... but his parents were very much in attendance. They kept encouraging him and urging him to try and fly. The one instance I saw him plop off a bar of fence and onto the step, he'd hardly even touched the step before his parents both flew down to check on him and as soon as they saw he was fine they buzzed away, to keep encouraging him.

I kept peeping out the front door afterwards to see how he was doing and he was still there, hopping and buzzing around. I heard chirps from the tree outside the front door when I left at the end of the day, so I reckon he managed to get up there in the end.

Work finished yesterday. Thank heavens. It nearly killed me.

Usually on the last day of work, we get pizza (cos one of the bosses' birthdays is near to the end of the year). For the last 2 years, we closed at 1pm. This last day of work, the pizza was scheduled for teatime (10am), so everyone assumed we'd close at 1 again (if the pizza was at 1 we'd assume we'd close at 5). So everyone rushed to get their work finished ready to leave at 1. But then, we all got an email from the bosses, saying that the internet usage has been high and not work-related and that we mustn't use it anymore. And no one was told when we were closing. 1pm came and went, and still nothing. So it seems that they were 'punishing' us for using up the internet. In the end, there were only 4 of us left (excluding the bosses) as everyone else left early, in a sense 'rebelling'. The people left? Typist, accountant, admin assistant (me) and a guy whose last day it was so he didn't HAVE anything to do. The receptionist left at 3 because she was getting a lift upcountry at 5pm so she HAD to leave then. So I was receptionist until the end of the day. Boy was I pleased.

How mature is it, to 'punish' the staff in this way? Way to go, ending the year on a 'positive' note. Only at probably 4:30 did the boss/es find out that no one was left but us 4... so presumably the rest are going to be shouted at next year. That would only be fair, seeing that the bosses were being childish.

I've been rather comtemplative of late. One thing that I've been thoughtful about is hbbm. He is seeming very old nowadays... and it bothers me for some reason. He recently had a minor surgery, and has been complaining about the discomfort related to it every now and then. He's 70 now, and it appears that he is getting old and is also feeling his age now too. I'm not sure whether it's because of dad's condition etc that it's making me feel strange, but I feel almost anxious/uneasy for hbbm. It may be because everything related to what happened to dad I've sort of put away in a mental vault, never thought about (not sure whether it's voluntary or involuntary).

I counted, and I have officially 237 working days next year. Yay!

On the emigration-side of things, G and I are looking to apply early next year. The application process takes about 15 months, by that time G will be finished with his work commitments and hopefully we will be ready (pretty much) to leave. The application itself seems pretty straightforward, just the practical stuff that will be tricky, such as packing our stuff, getting it all treated, finding a place to stay, getting our stuff sent over, etc etc etc. We are so keen to move though, even though it'll be a seriously hectic change.

I will definitely miss Dude :(

It's quite late now. I'm rather tired - so I'll say "to be continued" and publish this post.

I'm tired

... the sleep-bedtime style tired. Which is expected as it's 3 mins past midnight right now. 1.5 days left of work.

I had been meaning to write a deep-thoughts post, but it's so late now that all my brain is saying is ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Maybe I'll blog it tomorrow as hbbm's not at work until 12th Jan. I will, however, be busy for the week 5th - 10th Jan as our LURVELY receptionist has taken leave (which I only hear about today). Boy is my 'sick of work' feeling back as strong as ever.

I will say this now though: I hope that 'Spud' is fine. A tiny baby bird, learning to fly, in the middle of the city. I will elaborate next blogpost.

*night!*

At work

I'm quite bored now.

Work has been quiet lately, things are all being wrapped up for the end of the year closing.  I've been working on invoices and stuff (the usual).  Hbbm's been busy but is more mellow these days.  I think he's feeling his age, to be honest.

Being bored at work, as always, gives me time to think of all the things I could be doing.  I've begun stitching again (at home, not at work), and Golden Ice is so beautiful that I want to stay home all the time and work on it.

The only other "problem" (due to being bored at work!) is that I've happened to find a cross-stitch kit which is quite pretty, and has wording on it which is very special.  It is called Apache Wedding Blessing, and it was encorporated into our service for the wedding.  I'd like to stitch it and frame it, to be hung in pride of place in our home.  I could add the wedding date to it, and maybe our names too, to personalise it.  Since I'm blogging via email, the pic I attach will probably come at the end of this post.  The kit is from Janlynn Corporation.

I will blog about the wedding some time, it's just that it was such a big thing I don't want to just type up bla bla quickly about it.  Let me just say everything went perfectly.

Tonight G and I are resuming our exercise schedule.  We haven't 'worked out' for such a long time now, and it feels a good time to restart it.  I am feeling fighting fit now, with excess energy ready to be put to good use.  It's great what a good long holiday can do for a person.

I know it's an old topic of grumbles of mine, but right now I actually feel (a bit only!) sorry for the woman next door.  Her kid (brat) has begun to have THE WORST TANTRUMS in the history of mankind.  They last for the most part of an afternoon, every afternoon.  It sounds as if he stands in the middle of their unit (open plan kitchen/lounge like ours), and BELLOWS.  That kind of wail/cry/yell/howl/bawl/bellow that makes your head vibrate and gives you a headache after a while - I remember it from when I was really small.  She shouts at him in response "TRISTAN I SAID STOP IT!", which he does not take notice of in the slightest.

Of course, we get to 'enjoy' it along with them.  It really is bullshit that because of their cigarette smoke we have to keep our back door and windows on the garden-side of the house CLOSED, AT ALL TIMES (unless they are out which is when we grab the opportunity by the balls and FLING our door+windows wide open, only to have to run to close everything up again on their return), which doesn't even help because the smell still comes in.  And now, yay, our kitchen window on the opposite side has to be closed too because of their tantrum/fight noise spilling out their kitchen window and deafening us.  Charming.  What is a person honestly to do.  The woman is struggling, but there's only so many afternoons in succession that one can listen to LOUD music (to drown out the neighbours) as soon as one gets home.  I really feel that if only they didn't smoke, things would be (a bit!) better.  If we actually got a chance to use and enjoy our garden once in a bloody bluemoon, their tantrums and noise wouldn't be quite as bad.  But it's just salt in the wound - no, you cannot use your own garden, AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOUR INDOOR LIVING UNPLEASANT TOO!!  YAY!!!!!

Ok, enough ranting for now.  There are happy things going on too.  Despite the above seeming like a rant, I'm not ANGRY and raging about it.  It is however quite... accumulatorily draining having to live with a situation like that.

I need to buy more RAM.  Before I do, G and I are going to swap RAMchips to try work out whether it is in fact my laptop or the RAMchip that is faulty.  I hope and pray that it's not my laptop, because it doesn't bode well for the future.  I want to carry on scanning photos from G's family and my family albums.  That will be a truly exhausting task if I have to work on 512mb RAM.  I tried, and it nearly was the end of me.  I got to scan some pics with 1.5gb RAM, and it was bliss in comparison.  So hopefully the RAM scenario will be sorted out soon.  It really is a colossal task, which I'd like to tackle and try finish as soon as I can.

I think I had better call this a blogpost and press 'publish'.  Til next time ^.^