Golden Ice - framed

I LOVE how the thin border goes so well! It smooths the colours and makes them blend better. The frame-example they used on the chart's packaging really doesn't do the cross-stitch design ANY justice!

I'm taking him back to the framing shop though, as there is a speck of cardboardfluff under the glass, as well as a white speck or two which are distracting... I know it sounds finicky but when you're paying almost R500 for the framing, it's not insignificant!

Apache Wedding Blessing

Easter weekend 2010

The past (long) weekend has been nice and relaxed.  Managed to finish Golden Ice (see blogpost below), spent time with both sets of families (had a nice time both places), got lots of chocolate (no, we haven't even half-finished it - we're being good and not scoffing like mad)... and I borrowed the suitcase which contains all of Dad's slides.  He took thousands of slides, all dated +-60s/70s.  I'm not yet 1/3 of the way through, and there have been some incredible pictures. 
There are a whole lot of photos of his side of the family, including Grandpa and Grandma H, in COLOUR, no less, and loads from his travels through game farms as well as photos from plane windows while the plane was in the air.  He must have spent quite a good portion of his time taking photos, as the photos that have been turned into slides are (mostly) clear, steady, well-composed photos which must have taken time and effort and a tripod!!  I'm considering buying a scanner which can capture from slides (and negatives), because it'd be a damn pity to 'lose' these photos due to them being slides (and us not having a slide-projector), and I reckon it'd cost a small fortune to have them scanned by a photo-shop.  So... let's see.  Maybe a further project for me (but not sure yet).
I've been working on the Wedding Blessing - it's got such a different 'feel' to the other 3 cross-stitches I've done, as the fabric's holes are quite small and it's a light colour fabric.  The needle they included with the kit is too large so I'm using the only smaller one I have but even that one is 'pricking' its way through.  This morning I went to the framing shop (it's moved, now it's right near to where I work!), to get Golden Ice framed.  Took a while to decide, but eventually settled on a black frame with a thin strip of yellow backing/boarding... pics to follow!  I really can't wait, he's going to look STUNNING!!!!
I counted (yes, already), and there are 80 working days left til our holiday.  It's a HOLIDAY now, not merely a trip.  Hotel's booked, flights are booked, just gotta hire a car.  I'm thinking we should take it easy this trip, instead of rush around sightseeing.  We did a bit of sightseeing when we were on honeymoon, this time we've got a bank account to open and I want to get a simcard, other than that, we'll probably just drive around and see what the place is all about.  It'll be nice to go on drives, exploring further out.  Not FAR far... but still, not restricted to the CBD and immediate surrounds.
I CANNOT WAIT!  There isn't really much happening between now and then, apart from G's gran coming to visit for a month in May!  Looking forward to seeing her again!  Other things on our 'to do' list are:  G's license needs renewing, we have to get the washmachine serviced, got another dentist checkup and... oh and surviving SOCCER WORLD CUP woot.  That's going to be VERY interesting... not looking forward to the chaos and mayhem...
The weather's taken a definite turn... since 21st March (equinox), it's suddenly got a coolness in the air.  I've thrown another blanket on the bed... so winter's definitely on its way.
Man, now I (once again!) want to be at home stitching.  The winter morning/midday sunlight really streams in beautifully at home, and I wish I was there now lying on the couch lapping it up!  The place where G's aunt+uncle+cousin are staying currently gets a LOT of late afternoon sun, and when we were there on Sunday I was so envious of their dogs - lying stretched out absorbing all the warmth!  Hopefully one day when we have our own house, it'll get good sunlight.  Maybe Brisbane'd be too hot, and we'd be glad NOT to have any sunlight in the house... !
Nearly lunchtime, got a magazine to page through in the meantime - work is still so quiet.

Finished!!!

2 years in the making, and he's done! Jeepers, talk about shoulder ache (it's past midnight now).

Changes

G fetched our passports, and the visas are so pretty and snug in them.  Too cool for words.
Our $ was released yesterday, so yesterday evening we wanted to book flights.  Except, Singapore Airlines' site bombed out after we'd put in the billing details.  No seats on the itinerary.  So this morning I phoned the local office, only to be told by the lady that the online system and her system *are* different, but she can give us the tickets for R12 xxx, which was R1 000 more than the price we had been trying for.  She says the error happened because the flights back are full or something.  Our other option is to 'try and play around with dates til you find something suitable'.  Yes, lady, that's a GREAT IDEA, seeing how the thing only throws up the flipping error once you've clicked 'PAY'... think about that for a second:  the only way to know it HASN'T failed, is after you've already PAID for it.  Not a very smart idea.  So Singapore airlines can get stuffed, especially since their airfare is ALL now R13k+, regardless of what date you choose, when just yesterday, they were R10k etc.  Nice one.  We're thinking of flying on Qantas, with local domestic flights here just to get us to the departing airport.  It saves us R2k on the ORIGINAL Singapore airlines price (which is now not available).
It also allows us to choose different dates, which is better.  Our flights (for now) are closer than we'd originally planned, which is great.  Also, we miss out a public holiday lumped right in the middle of the holiday, which would waste a 'business' day there for us to sort things out.  The hotel rates are the same.
Today is BORING!!!!  Hbbm's not in today, it's a long weekend this weekend, so I'm ... waiting to go home.  Want to stitch stukkend this eve... and tomorrow... and and and...

Amped-a-lamped!

Just phoned the visa evidencing company and apparently our passports (with visas stuck into them) are READY!  That's not even 3 days!  Super fast, I'm impressed.
Can't wait to get them back... what it also means is that we can book our tickets as SOON as our $ comes through!  Yay... can't wait for that EITHER!
I started the Wedding Blessing x-stitch yesterday.  I haven't gridded it, but at least started the design - luckily it has stitches right in the centre so I can count from there outwards when I do grid it.  Going to be so glad once Golden Ice is 100% though...
No other news that I can think of, for now.  Once our tickets are booked, I'll put in my leave already.  87 working days left!!

Restless

I'm feeling excrutiatingly restless now.  Got an email about the road closures during the SWC and I'm NOT looking forward to it.  An entire month of chaos in the city... yay.  I won't go into detail but I'm dreading the entire thing.
Apart from that, I'm restless because I'm so nearly done with Golden Ice.  The framing shop is moving (around the corner now!), so I'll have to wait til they've moved before I take Golden Ice there.  This evening we're going to the mall to buy the thread I still need.  I already put the new xstitch fabric into the Qsnap frame, want to buy white cotton thread to grid it so that I can start!  Can't wait, it's going to be quite fun.  I still can't believe how beautiful Golden Ice looks... out of the frame, stunning.  Hopefully the Wedding Blessing won't take TWO YEARS...
We're waiting for our passports to come back from having the visas stuck into them, then we can buy airtickets.  They should be ready next week sometime.  Once it's done, that's the last thing visa-related we'll have to do, apart from go on holiday to have the visas activated.
I've been thinking how at the moment we're waiting for the passports before we can book, after that we'll have to wait for the holiday, then after that it's waiting for the Xmas holidays, and then waiting til I resign, and after that, waiting until we move.  It's a bit crazy... but what else can it be called other than waiting?  It'll be nice when we've moved, and we can settle in.  No more *waiting* waiting, just being.  For now the holiday seems too far away.
I really am looking forward to the day I'm finally finished here.  If, that is, the company doesn't have retrenchments.  Chatting to the accountant, apparently if we don't get the big job that's pending/still in discussion-stage/etc, we're going to be in a bit of trouble.  The current jobs we have aren't very big, and if that one doesn't happen, they might have to retrench people.  No one has said anything yet, but that's the accountant's impression.  Soo............. we'll have to wait and see.
I'm feeling a bit blah though, thinking about leaving next year, leaving Dude behind.  He'll be only 4, in Feb next year.  Still a youngster, really.  The fish will be 4 years old later this year... leaving them all behind... :(  Can't stay here til they've moved on to the fishtank in the sky... and too sad thinking about Dude.  They still aren't letting in birds from any country apart from New Zealand.  I feel worse because of being at work all day, every day, leaving him alone at home, only to leave him behind when we move... when I could be spending time with him keeping him company, doing stuff at home.  But who ever stayed home, not working, to keep a pet company?  But I wish I could.
I suspect my blog repeats itself all the time... I guess I type things over and over and over.  I reckon it's a symptom of my boredom at work - I sit thinking the same things over and over, dwelling on them because there's nothing to do.  Another 209 days of this... wooot!

Penultimate photo

Thoughts for a non-Monday

Yesterday was a public holiday - YAY!! Had a pretty busy long-weekend actually. Apart from the usual chores, I cleaned the fishtank, and we visited Sis for Synd on Friday, went to ex-her-G's place as a farewell (he's moving to Aus tomorrow - WOW seems unreal) on Saturday, then Sunday we popped in at G's parents for tea. In between all of that, I stitched like mad. I'm so nearly done with Golden Ice. I just hope I don't run out of this colour thread, but I'll just have to wait and see. Can't wait to be done now. I'm so eager to 'free' him from the Qsnap frame, looking forward to having him back, framed, put on the wall.
We've got to get our visas placed into our passports, G's going to drop the passports off tomorrow... can't believe it, this is the last visa-related thing still to do! Can't believe it's done, finished, granted. Everything else, from now on, is activation-trip related, and once that's done, MOVE-related. Waiting for payday to happen, then we're going to book our tickets. Gotta also hear from Sis whether she IS or ISN'T coming with us on the trip. Just gotta know soon so we can book our flights and accommodation. 92 working days til the trip! Can't wait!! After we get back from the trip, I'll have only 122 working days left... phew... what a countdown!

Golden Ice progress

I have 1 colour remaining :D

Progress and pausing

I've been making steady, slow progress with Golden Ice.  I'm almost done with the 2nd last colour, then all that's left is knocking myself out on the last colour!
It's so thrilling and I'm already eager to have finished and want to be busy starting the Wedding Blessing while Golden Ice is away being framed.  The Wedding Blessing is going to be so much smaller than Golden Ice, I'll (hopefully) be able to sit on the couch and stitch, rather than be restricted to sitting at the table the whole time (my poor shoulders are so tired).  It's a quicker design, as it's not an entire expanse of stitches, it's more spaced out and empty, and I'm hoping to do it in the time before we move.  It'd be special since it's linked to the wedding, and would be nice to keep stitching in this time before leaving.  All the other designs I have lined up - 100%-of-the-fabric-is-stitched Gentle Strength, more-than-50%-of-the-fabric-is-stitched Motion (which still needs threads), the others which still need both fabric and threads - can all wait til we've moved.  Also, if I'm not half-way through stitching something when we arrive in Aus, there'll be loads of time free (as opposed to 'busy' stitching) to explore the place and learn about where we will be.
It's way in advance to be planning stuff linked to the move, but it's better to be prepared than arrive and regret not organising something ahead.  I've enquired about opening a bank account, I've asked about getting a PO Box, want to re-research cellphone service providers, because all these things we can do when we activate the visa (not entirely sure about the postbox though).  The simcard we'd get in August would last a year before going inactive, and we'd definitely be in Aus before August 2011, so we could at least have an Aus contact number in order to arrange things and have a 'fuller' profile with the bank, for example.
But, as always, my daydreamy mind wanders and I think about things that we CAN'T do yet, like find a place to rent, or a suitable car.  And of COURSE I'd want personalised numberplates on my car (my car BUAHAH... that isn't happening ANYtime soon but it's a nice daydream), but these things must wait - I need to focus on more 'immediate' concerns like what can and can't be taken with us, which removal company to use, etc, and even THAT has to wait quite some time before it becomes pressing.  So, I'll keep my head down, prepare for the holiday in August (and, don't forget, river rafting in October!), and try CHILL OUT!!
The pausing I refer to in my subject line is:  KELLY CLARKSON!!  We're going to see Kelly Clarkson live!  I can't wait!  Going home and straight there, so that we can have supper early and BE THERE ready.  Really can't wait.  I think I should rename myself Kit-Can't-Wait.
YAY!!

Still can't believe it!

It still doesn't feel real.  Woke up this morning, and it felt weird NOT having to instantly check the visa application status!  Still doesn't feel real.
Last night we watched the 3rd Back to the Future movie.  While we were battling with a scratch in the dual-layer switching section of the disk, I noticed something small moving across the floor.  It was a TEENYTINY little CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE baby gecko!  It was so adorable!!  I quickly moved the couch away and herded it towards the wall, managed to 'capture' it in my hand and took it outside - there really is nothing for them to eat indoors, we've already had one in the bedroom die after a couple of days due to starvation.
I've been stitching again - spent most of the weekend stitching.  So exciting looking at Golden Ice, picturing finishing the colour I'm working on, having only 1 left.   Guh I wish I could stay home and stitch!!
MAN I wish that stupid widget still worked - the countdown that I had on my blog.  Anyway, this is my countdown, I can't remember if I posted the link or not:

http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/customcounter.html?day=28&month=02&year=2011&hour=17&min=00&sec=00&p0=56

Basically, I have 219 working days left til the end of Feb 2011, and 95 working days left til our trip - provisionally.  I still have to find out stuff from the bank we want to go to, like how long it takes to activate the account once it's opened and we go there.  If it's a week, we'll have to rethink our holiday dates.
219 DAYS LEFT OMG!!  And G only til the end of this year!!
Ok, that's all for now - gotta go make hbbm tea cos the tealady went off to the doctor.

OMGGGGGGGGGGG

WE GOT THE VISA!!!!!

I used my phone and logged onto the status checking webpage first thing this morning, as I have done every weekday for the past 4.5 months.

WE GOT THE VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It says 'applicant approved'.... OHMYGAOOOOODDDD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENED!!  I can't believe it's real!!

The whole application took 4.5 months, and it took 1 month after G's medicals were finalised to be approved.

We have to enter Aus (either move or activate the visa) by 1 Feb next year.  So we have plenty of time... but now it's time to book flights and accommodation for August - our trip!  I can't wait!  My savings are only being released later this month, BOY is that going to be a long wait til it happens!  OMG SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now Sis just has to apply for her tourist visa, we gotta book flights, accommodation, get travel insurance... and WAIT AND OMG exciting!!  I CAN'T WAIT!!  Gotta put in leave... 4 months til the trip... it's only a short trip BUT I CAN'T WAIT!!

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I can't believe it's real!!!!

Quote for the day

There's something adolescent about it, the theatricality of anger.  It's definitely a juvenile thing;  I think if you're still indulging it beyond that then you start to become reminiscent of Basil Fawlty.  I think that was a fantastic portrayal of high-level histrionic, ineffectual rage where you want to create an impact but you just seem shrill and ludicrous.

- Colin Firth

Thought for the day

Those who do not create the future they want must endure the future they get.

 (Draper L. Kaufman, Jr.)

So tired

Yesterday was, to put it simply, was KAK.
Except for watching Back to the Future last night, the rest of yesterday was pretty much shitty.
First of all, ants.  At home, ANTS!!  Monday evening I went to have a haircut, G popped in at the shops while he was waiting and bought us a box of chocs.  Since we got home late and had stuff to do, we didn't open the box of chocs that night.  Tues morning, first thing in the morning, I notice the box of chocs was swarmed with ants.  IT WASN'T EVEN OPEN YET!!
Got to work, it was ok at first, in the morning I got my paws on a magazine that the typist brings sometimes (highlight of the week, pretty much), and since I'd packed in some chips to nibble, I was looking forward to having a nice break at lunch with magazine+chips.  Hbbm kept me busy the morning, then went out to a meeting leaving me with work to do.  Once I was finished, I took the opportunity to do filing which I hadn't been able to do for a good while because of being busy/at switchboard/whatever.  5mins to 1pm I'm NEARLY done filing, receptionist calls up to the office I'm filing in, saying hbbm's looking for me urgently, need to finish the document we were busy with the morning.  It's got to be ready by 3.  FIVE MINUTES TO LUNCH!!  He gives me drawings and says the pencil marks are to be rubbed off, the numbering redone, copies made, while he's busy reading through the stuff I've typed up so that he can make changes while I'm busy.  Lunch fuckingwell comes and goes... and I'm stuck, starving.
MADAM, on the other hand, is sitting at switchboard for lunch (it's the typist's week not to sit on Tuesday - DON'T EVEN BOTHER asking what the logic is in the timetable, there is none), so she asks if she can go to the toilet... she says she's sorry, she can see I'm busy but it's her time of the month (THANKS for sharing... really).  I look up from the drawings with a O.o expression on my face and say "I actually can't... " so she huffs and mutters something like she's going to ask the typist.  I carried on with the work, next thing I hear the doorbell go.  I ignore it, and it goes again.  I get up to see where she is, and she's DISAPPEARED.  She just abandoned the frontdesk.  Bitch.
I really don't understand why she can't just ASK SOMEONE ELSE!!!   Of all the times she asks, I NEVER SAY NO UNLESS HBBM IS RIGHT AT MY DESK DICTATING STUFF - because I'm NOT usually BUSY, AND because I, wonderfully, am first in line to stand in!  But no, she doesn't ask tealady, fuck, she doesn't even bother tealady to make coffees for meetings (tealady's JOB) sometimes even though tealady is upstairs, she asks me to listen to the phone while SHE makes it.  No, she doesn't call anyone ELSE, she just disappears.
I was so angry.  Fuck my lunchbreak (again), thanks hbbm, and FUCK YOU receptionist bitch!
It was busy ALL DAY, so I didn't get to eat anything ALL DAY.  Cornflakes in the morning, then a nice FAST the rest of the day til hometime.  Lovely.
I did send an email to the bosses, telling them of her disappearance, considering they're PAYING her to do her job!
222 days left of this?  I dunno hey... I guess I can try to keep myself sane by remembering that (hopefully) the Aus trip is in August, only 4 months away, and then, after 1 month, is the river-rafting trip, then 2 months after it's end of year holidays... THEN I have only 2 MONTHS LEFT EVER in this dump.  Putting it like that, it sounds semi-tolerable... but to think: 11 months left...?
On 1 of the Aus/SA forums, someone who applied (for the same visa as us) in Nov has already got their visa.  Damn!  When's our turn?  On the forum, with our particular visa application type, it's just us in Oct and now only 1 other person in Nov.  Our turn pls!!!  PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!!
It's still so hot here now... muggy and overcast/hazy, and humid!!  I guess it's preparation for Brisbane weather :P

AWESOME BIRTH(DAY/WEEKEND)

Wow... is all I can say!

Ok, let me not be coy/corny and actually elaborate :D

First of all, Friday was my day, and despite having to be receptionist ALL DAY, it wasn't insanely bad, it was thankfully quite quiet. Hbbm wasn't in a mad tizz, so it was ok. Friday evening G and I went out for supper at an Indian restaurant. We shared a reshmi tikka (chicken) starter (mild) and aloo tikka (vegetable) starter (medium!), and for mains we shared korma lamb and makhani lamb (both mild). It was very yum. I preferred the makhani lamb, but the korma was also good.

Saturday morning we slept late (ahhhhh bliss), I read up a bit on camcorders (or carried on, I'd been trying to find out as much as I could for the past few days) then we popped out to the shops (got a quote for a cam). We headed over to G's parents' for birthday tea, and wow there was a delicious spread of sweet treats - carrot cake which we brought, plus chocolate cupcakes, caramel cupcakes, an apple-pie G's mom made (with the letter H on top!), plus shortbread biscuits. G's aunt+uncle and 2 of the 3 cousins were there, 1 of the cousins and aunt+uncle have moved to CT and it was so lovely seeing them again, and even more so, knowing that they're here, closer and a more tangible part of our lives.

It was very hot yesterday, as it has been for the past I'd say 2 weeks+. Yesterday evening, sis, M+J came over for Syndicate. Just a chatting, catching up kinda evening.

This morning I resumed my camcorder-research stint, comparing the quote I'd got with prices I could find out online, and decided to buy! G told me (very cryptically) on Friday about a surprise he'd organised for today... I worked out what it was during Friday evening and decided I NEEDed a video camera for it. The camera I bought is a Sony Handicam DCR-SX40(E), which seems pretty decent and seriously small. It fits in the digital camera bag PERFECTLY. So, it'd finished charging for only a few minutes and we rushed off to the V&A to the heliport. G had reserved seats for us on a Huey helicopter on a 'combat style' trip. OHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYY WORRRRRRRRRRRRRD IT WAS AAAAAWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was so incredible and wonderful, experiencing the sensation of flying in a different way to normal aeroplanes. It was quite noisy, being an open-sided Huey, but it was WONDERFUL. I filmed the entire flight (30+ mins), which because of the camera having an LCD didn't hinder my ACTUAL enjoyment at all. WOW!!!

WOW!!!! And super-kudos to the camera for actually capturing the helicopter sound well instead of a grating, overwhelmed crashing kind of noise that you might get with very loud sound. Wow. Wow to the camera and superwowyay to G for the seriously wonderful adventure! We got certificates afterwards saying we'd been on the mission and were 'honourably discharged' hehe.

Afterwards, we strolled around the Waterfront for a while, me doing the touristy thing filming odds and ends. When we got to the car, it said 41C. We certainly picked the HOTTEST day to park the car outdoors for a good few hours. One of the electronic clock/temp displays showed 85C HAHAHA... but I reckon it was maybe 43C, at the hottest, today! A real sweater of a day.

Right now I'm lying on the couch typing with the laptop, got the fan going pointed right at me, and it's still hot. I don't want to KNOW how hot it is upstairs... not looking forward to going to bed at all. Might end up sleeping on the couch ;-)

I hope HOPE HOPE that we get our visa soon - too exciting thinking about filming the Aus trip, and also the riverrafting trip too (just gotta get a waterproof housing for the camera).

Anyway, lemme sign off by just saying:

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Transit lounge

Right now, and these days, I feel like I'm waiting in an airport for an indeterminate length of time.  The only difference is, I'm LIVING that and not waiting FOR someTHING at a specific time... there's just no conclusion, like boarding a plane or reaching a destination... and I'm not even sure if I'm in the right airport anyway, or, why I'm even IN an airport, waiting, anyway?
I'm so tired.  I'm not sure if it's the hot weather we've been having lately or not sleeping properly or something else, but I just am so tired and exhausted.  I know we ARE waiting for something (visa, move preparations, finishing work+life here before moving), but I really... feel like I'm a damaged rowing boat, filled with water, slowly being scraped up a sandy beach by the tide...
I haven't made a LOT of progress on Golden Ice, it's just been so hot and uninspiring.  And I've been trying to research camcorders.  It's just not working.  I don't want to fork out R5000 for a video camera, but each one I read up about (+-R2500 - R3500) has some problem that seems bad.  One doesn't have a pause button, another has bad picture quality, another sucks when shooting in low light conditions, some have file formats that are apparently troublesome to convert to files the computer can read, etc etc etc.  But anyway, Panasonic seems decent, but the one I'd like isn't available here yet.  I want to start recording stuff to chronicle our year.  I don't recall if I blogged this already - probably have.  Anyway, it'll be fun.  Except I don't know what to buy!!  What's extra frustrating is I'm always perky and wide-awake AT WORK, when I CAN'T research ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait for tomorrow.  Switchboard ALLLLLLL day...

Golden Ice progress

March 2010

Today is 1 March 2010.  I have officially started my 7th and last year at this co...
If I can last here, my plan is to stay til Feb 2011.  Not sure if I will last - I KEEP DAMNWELL SAYING that, but I always stay... how irritating.  Anyway, regardless,  I've been here a solid 6 years now, I'm starting the 7th... there are 12 months left... 4months+a few weeks til our (provisional, depends on the visa) trip to Aus this year.  Our visa has been in progress for 4 months now... I am going to email them later to ask whether they've received everything we've submitted, and whether they need anything further.  I don't want to nag, but hopefully it'll make our application move a little bit more.  I'm hoping it's soon!!!
It's already March... how time flies... is my blog turning into a pit of overused phrases?  "time flies", etc. 
I stitched a bit this weekend, not very much though because it's stayed so unbelievably hot here.  I'm really thrilled with his progress.  I took a pic and will probably put it up later... but I'll see! 
Just over 2 weeks til we see Kelly Clarkson!  Can't wait!
Nothing really newsworthy has happened lately.  The cylinder (geyser) broke on Wednesday evening, the plumber came to fix it on Thursday.  We went to the carnival on Thursday, got to eat all the yum treats we'd been looking forward to, and bought some 2nd hand books and enjoyed the lovely evening.  Auntie Cancer was at their place yesterday, showing people around and watering the plants.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can they rent the place out and not move back?  PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?!?!
What else is news.  Not much.  Will post more if/when I am inspired again.