T*lstra still hasn't got its sh*t together, so I am still without ADSL at home. Ok, so GLen is suffering - but mostly because I am whinging! Maybe tonight......?

Hi all, we’re all moved! However, we don’t have internet and won’t have it until Wednesday and even then, Glen still has to set up his network etc. So, I am going to try and sneak on during the week from work and quickly post.

Saturday was a long and tiring day. I was up at 6am after a late night packing on Friday. The removalists around and were very nice and fast. We were packed up within 2 hours and unpacked within an hour – three hours all told. Not bad. Kittens survived the day, though were very stressed, Zeus in particular. He’s a bit of a tender flower at the best of times. However, we knew he was settled and ‘un-traumatised’ when at 4am the next morning, managed a Houdini and let himself into our bedroom – he had worked on the sliding door to the hallway which leads to our room and pushed it open, bounced onto the bed and purred his stupid head off!! We will have to fix that up!

The agent finally got her act together last week, did I tell you? I put a formal complaint into her manager, who promptly returned my email by calling me. She was very sympathetic, which certainly surprised me. Suddenly, Glen was getting a phone call to say they had organised another open for inspection – I like how he gets the call when I do all the hell raising! Anyways, we had to get back over to our old place on Sunday to clean it as best we could, because they are getting people coming through this afternoon – it better lease! So, there isn’t much to do over there anymore – clean the oven and a few shelves, curtains to be washed, garden to be weeded – does one have to clean the windows? That’s a bit scary!!

One thing I immediately noticed about our new place – there’s no need for a fan – it’s all the one level, so you don’t get hot upstairs like we used to in the old place. Makes a nice change. Also, we have funky window shutters which allows both security and, if you require (which I do), you can roll them down to complete darkness. Mmmmm, darkness is my friend!

A quick description of our place: 3 bedrooms, one large lounge room and front entrance which connects to the lounge, one huge dining area and adjoining kitchen – honestly, there is just so much space to this place. A big bathroom with BATH! Toilet and big laundry. There are many doors to this house! Like 3 doors and various other locks and light switches – I think the former owners were switch-happy! There is a huge backyard with a lot of established fruit trees like lemons, mandarins etc. A huge double garage with an adjoining workshop and a patio area at the back which we have already utilised for bbqs! Just love this place. I could gush for ages – I just think it’s nice to get away from the whole concept of sharing a common wall with neighbours – I was never brought up like that, so it’s a bit cramped when you do.

Anyways, time to get this posted and get into some real work! Thanks to everyone who emailed etc to see how it was going.

Tonight, I think our house started to look like our home. We hauled more stuff over, including some plants and suitcases. It is starting to fill up nicely. I got funky keys today from the Mr Nice Locksmith. Actually, it was Miss Nice Locksmith. She gave me keys and tags for free and told me to come back if I needed something else. We got funky coloured, patterned keys. I'm a bit of a freak like that.

Right now, Glen and I have just collapsed. That's the problem with working all day and then having to race home, load the car up and go over and unpack etc. We never feel like cooking, but tonight we lashed out and bought a ready made lasagna which requires heating up/cooking in the oven - oh we are real chefs in this house!

I spoke to the agent's boss this morning, whinged at her about her crappy employee. Even told her about the incident where I heard the bitch joke about telling me that she was sick, or out. She seemed shocked about that and said she would look into it and would open the place for inspection. So, fingers crossed they get their shit together, though funny how threatening to escalate the issue motivates people to do their jobs, huh?!

Anyways, time to vegetate, eat, relax and sleep. Nighty night all!

Just dropping in to say I am still alive, barely!!

The move is going fine. we have been over at the house eery night this week, dropping things off and exploring. Saturday the removalists will arrive and hopefully we'll be out of here forever - apart from cleaning etc. I'll be pretty quiet until after the weekend. Sorry guys.

One highlight of my week - last night, TIlly sat and stared for HOURS at the wall. It was a bit freaky, as there was nothing there. We thought she was going mad. When I went to bed, she was still staring! She settled in for the evening and this morning, she was basically still there! Poltergeists?

Last night, I was surfing the net after coming home from tennis, having thrashed the opposition, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3. I stumbled upon a website which I read fairly infrequently, but can always rely on this chap writing something either very eloquent or very witty, or both. Last night, it was something very amusing. I strongly suggest you read Fred's story and then click on the link here or later in his story. Either way, read his account first, it'll help get you in the mood, so to speak!

Good old Van Morrison knew it. Ok, so today was possibly one of the best i've had since beginning my job. THe best for different reasons, as it hasn't been bad in general working where I now work. However, yesterday I received my Performance Evaluation. My boss and I sat down and evaluated my work. We talked and I told her how I felt about things etc. She said I was too hard on myself and upped my evaluation scores. It must have been sent to HR, because today, low and behold, I received a raise! Hurrah babbbby! Very spiffo! So, I'm pretty pleased with myself!

Off to tennis tonight. It's my first time back since late last year. Looking forward to it, but could have done without it tonight, given the move and the fact I am still feeling quite worn out from that almost all-nighter. Hohum.

Also, is anyone as thrilled as I am to have Easter looming? I'm not so much enthralled about the Christian element of it, because I'm not particularly religious anymore - yes, I used to be, that might be a whole other diary entry? Maybe I should discuss this with Diana? No, the reason I so look forward to Easter is simple and very selfish - the new choc chip Hot Cross Buns they now make! I was never a fan of the old fruit hot cross buns, so I only enjoyed the easter eggs. So, now it's double the fun and yes, double the calories, kilos and zits!

On a completely unrelated note, I am fed up with our current agent. We have made every effort to be available and flexible to moving out, including allowing them to show people through. They showed people through oN Tuesday and it was indicated that someone took an application form. So, it's Thursday and I havent heard boo from the agent. I tried calling, I've left her email and nada!! Tomorrow is Friday and no advert has been placed to say our place is open for inspection tomorrow. I don't know when they think they are going to let people through again, but it certainly wont be next Saturday - we're moving that day and they can go jump. I'm really pissed at them, not to mention the sudden influx of cleaning and carpet steam cleaners sending junk mail to us - no, I'm not talking about junk mail, I'm talking about mail which is specifically addressed to us! The agent is so going to hear from me about this once they rent this place. I am seeeeeething!

Now I shall go find my tennis racket and bounce around at the thought of my raise - what can I spend my money on??

The last 24 hours have been rather hectic. I'm rather weary and tired - looking forward to having a complete sleep, rather than a few stolen hours.

We worked last night, or should I say this morning, until 2.30am - I got home at 3am! However, I have had today off. Yipppeee!

Never trust traffic lights. I waited for a good 3-4 minutes last night to catch a green light - I finally decided to hop off the bike and run over to press the pedestrian button - I run back to the bike and low and behold, a police car comes around the corner and stops, asks me what I am doing - I explained and guess what? She laughed hard at me and said, "Fair enough!" and drove away. See, sometimes they surprise me.

Today, kittens went to their day spa again - yeh, cause they love it so much! I cleaned a little more and moved my eye appointment forward form Friday to today - got good news about my eyes. It has been two years since they were tested etc and only one has changed marginally. So, in light of the fact that I lost my convertibles sunglasses attachment a couple of weeks ago during, or should I say before, the Dawn Fraser incident - I wouldn't want anyone to think she was involved - contrary! I decided it was time for a new pair of frames too! I picked the most expensive - of course! Titanium light weight frames, basically the same bluey purple colour I now have, but a different shape - flatter and squarer than I own now. To top it off, they are mirrored bluey sunglasses - because I desire to be so coool as to have mirrored sunglasses! I'm talking shit now. Sorry! So, though I have not paid for them yet and even now, as I sit and type this, it occurs to me that I havent even paid for the consultation?? Hrm. I will be hit for not $100, not $500, but $850 for a complete set of glasses. Don't ask, I am severely shortsighted, astimatisms in both eyes and require the thinnest possible lenses they can make. Also combined with the fact that I have expensive tastes in frames - they cost $330! Thank god for health insurance which will allow me to be reimbursed to the total of $150! Yay. That'll help - better than a smack in the teeth!

I went back out later to avoid the agent who had scheduled an Open for Inspection on our place and ventured to Chadstone - oh joy. I walked and walked and couldn't find my Wheat Heat Pillow anywhere - I have migraines, so I like to have some heat on my neck - it helps relax etc. COuldn't find one anywhere. Gave up. Tried to find something nice for Glen for a belated Valentine's Gift and of course, couldnt. Doesnt help that he is difficult to buy for and probably wouldnt wear a fine necklace or anything. Hrm. Might have to trade him in for some guy who does! Anyways, settled for the one thing that will win his heart - FOOD and CHOCOLATE MRS FiElDs cookies - sorry, I felt the need to alternate the casing on that - apologies.

Two things whilst I was out - as I was going up the travelator, I heard a child scream, I looked down and there was an unsupervised child being trampled by two grocery trolleys coming down the other travelator. THis child was playing on the travelator and mother wasnt watching. Typical. It gets better. She finally twigs that her child is becoming run over by said trolleys, runs over and tries to extract her child from under the trolleys piling up on her child. She screams at this poor elderly lady, who is struggling with her trolley to keep it from running the child over. Is she a kfuncking dickhead, or what?? Some people need to pass a stringet test before getting a certificate in Being Allowed to Procreate. Hrm. Poor child could be heard screaming for ages after - yeh, I'd be screaming too if I knew I had a DUMB FCUK mother like her. Second thing, an elderly lady asked me in Safeway if I knew where the nearest phone was. This was after the stupid checkout chick, otherwise known as checkout boy mistook her request for a request for a PHONE CARD! Hrm. I pointed out to her that I didnt know where one was, but there might be one out on the street. It then occurred to me that I have not seen a public phone in a very long time. Or is it that I just have not noticed?

Finally, arrived home and found agent still pottering around my house. Even worse was her hide to actually park in MY PARKING SPACE! How rude! Anyways, I finally got inside and she had left me a message - they had one group of people through and they had taken an application. Fingers crossed that they apply and the agent/landlord accepts their application. Though, I did see the chap walk out and he looked like a pencil neck accountant, so he should be able to afford the rent and will probably have an exemplary record, fit for Buckingham Palarse. Har har. I crack myself up. I'm tired.

I was so overjoyed when I saw the first of the advertisements, advertising Battlestar Gallactica. That was probably a couple of months ago. I have been waiting in great anticipation ever since. This week, I viewed the first episode and then the second lot tonight - yay for set top boxes and the wonders of digital recording. So, who else was just slightly disappointed with this fabulous debut of an old classic? I know I was and I am really sad to admit it. Maybe I have become a little too Star Warsy for my own good. So, the first episode was a little too boring for me, there were no lovely sound effects and the storyline was a little depressing - why was it depressing? I dont remember this show being depressing when I was a child. I remember lots of space war action, I remember Apollo, I remember a MALE Starbuck - not a friggin female! What gives there?! I especially don't remember them saying the phrases, 'Don't frack around guys!' - was I the only one who caught that poor attempt at including the F-bomb in a tv show? I think they should have left well enough alone.

Thankfully, the second episode I viewed tonight was a little better, though there were sprinklings of boring bits - like the challenge to the madam President's authority - tell me, is there some history there?! Hrm.

So, I am hoping this show gets better and better. I can get over the whole female Starbuck thing - though, I don't know how! But, I can't get over it if the whole show is a depressing flop!

My weekend has been good, productive and busy. We have boxes everywhere and many empty cupboards - it's good. A little unsettling. Tomorrow will be a huge day, big deadline to meet. Doubt I'll be home early. Bugger that, huh! Hope you all have a good week - I'll be around eventually.....

Haircut - check

Boxes - check

Glen found new moving boxes for $2 each! Baaargain.

Dry clean carpets - not so check. Will get to that one.

Packing to be done today, not looking forward to that idea. Have to also clean for our inspection on Tuesday afternoon - well, it's really an open house, but I betcha the agent will be poking around. They always do.

Will update later when I have more to say, but didn't want you to think I had died from panic attacks about packing, crap jobs and other splendid thoughts....hrm...

So, I chuck a tanty and suddenly, Haloscan gets it shit together and finally works? I see the previously entry has a comment showing. Am I dreaming?

Today, Glen and I signed the lease to the new place. Very happy. Tonight, we got home and our neighbours were as noisy as all hell - far worse than normal. I cannot wait to get the hell out of here. There is no measure for how happy we shall be when we move away from the stupid ditzs next store who have a habit of saying at the top of their lungs 'But seriously!!!'. Hrm. I was once that age. Why do I feel so much older?

Much to do this weekend, hair cut, plan removalist, where to get boxes, who to dry clean the carpets.

I've had it. It's been a long day and still Haloscan has not got its shit together and I've not changed anything about it, so I'm onthe hunt for a new comments host. Anyone got any ideas? Who do you use? I'm keen to know. Email me at sammers76 at gmail dot com

As they say, we are going the way of the Muppets and 'movin' right along' to our new house...We got confirmation this afternoon that our application was successful for the house I was talking about in the previous entry. This is fabulous news for us, as we can finally have the cats recognised on the lease! Hurrah!!! We go in on Friday to sign the lease and then we're set. Moving day is about two weeks away, but we don't get to leave here for four weeks. It works out well because we can overlap the leases and move at our leisure almost. I'm so excited.

More later, as we are cooking dinner and I am absolutely knackered from my day at work. If I can, I'll take some photos of the new place when we get access etc and then I'll try to work out how to upload them!!!

God, what a day. After GLen and I cleaned last night, I went to bed a bit weary. Woke up this morning and I had a migraine and couldn't really drag myself to work. To top it off, I was sitting on the lounge feeling sorry for myself and drinking my tea when Whoooooosh! Zeus came bouncing over the lounge this morning and as he departed, his back claws raked over my skull and drew great amounts of blood. I.COULD.HAVE.KILLED.THE.LITTLE.SHIT! I was pleased to send him and Tilly off to the vets for a 'day spa'. So, off they went and we came back home, Glen toddled off to work and I tried to nap in between frenzied phone calls from my boss and others. So, I napped and worked a little and then waited for the agent and valuer to arrive. An hour later, I phoned the agent and she didn't have a clue, didnt realise the landlord had't arrived and didnt know when he was turning up. She informed me that she had the keys and not to worry about waiting, they would jsut let themselves in. That pissed me off big time. It turns out anyway, that the landlord is going to do extensive renovations tot he outside of the place, a new garage situation and pulling down our front courtyard fences. Though, they will be replaced by a garage type situation. Anyways, the whole crux of the situation is this - we can't live here with the cats if they are going to have free access to the front of our property and be able to see into it. So, by providence or whatever, I logged onto a realestate page looking for rentals and found one I had been looking at a couple of days ago which just by chance had an inspection in 30 minutes - 3.45pm. So, I drove over and collected Po and we looked. We liked. The agent was really friendly - god, that's a shock! So, I took photos and then Glen came home and we looked at it again on the outside. Glen liked it a lot, so we're putting an application in. Fingers crossed, because we must now move out of necessity rather than because we want to. The other amusing part is this. It's in a cul de sac one small block away from Po. It's a large three bedroom house, two car garage, large backyard, dining area and lounge room. From what the agent said, there was a married couple renovating it, but in the middle of it, they decided to get a divorce and it's only half renovated. A new buyer purchaswed the property and wishes to tear it down and put flats on it. So, they are offering a 12 month leease. This is perfect, since we're looking to buy end of year. A few extra months won't kill us.

So, Glen and I picked up the kittens. They weren't particularly interested in leaving the vets, so that was a complete turn abotu for them! Now, I sit and reflect on my crap day, which turned out to be a bit promising. Hopefully. The hosue I described was nice, so fingers crossed. So much happening in my life, I'm really sorry if I am neglecting everyone. Hopefully it'll get better soon.

PS: I'm sorry my comments dont appear to be working, but Haloscan isn't cooperating. I'm endeavouring to rectify the problem.

I haven't really said much to anyone in the last few weeks, but I've been thinking about this nutty venture.

Am I nuts? Kinda the wrong profession to be getting into if I am, huh? It means a few years study, but the last few weeks of my life, maybe the last few months have really forced me to think about where I want to be and what I want to contribute in life. I realised one thing, I didn't want to work contributing to a big corporation's bank balance and wanted to help people. Anyone who has known me for most of my life, will know that this is probably a good move for me. It might seem out of the blue, but it's jsut the first time I've talked about it here.

Now, I must go clean and wash the car, as a genuine buyer has phoned to look at the car tomorrow afternoon, so fingers crossed. I'll let you know, hopefully I'll have an offer. Which reminds me, I need to get onto a website to check out what one does when selling a car!!!

Hrm. I've had a few comments about how my comments stuff isn't working. I was screwing around with the actual words it would say, like it currently says 'Comments 1', I had it to say '2 people stopped lurking' - but you know, I changed it over a week ago and it suddenly appeared tonight for a brief moment. So, sorry peoples.

In other news, we went grocery shopping tonight - excitement plus, huh?

Oh yeh, this is a good one. Whilst i was away, Glen tells me our agent phoned him (because they never phone me for some reason?!) and said that the owner wanted to get a valuer into the place to have it valued, obviously. Now, what does this mean? To me, it reeks of HELLO! We're going to sell the place and we're going to let people tromp through your place and view it. Which means bad things for us, as we'll have to find alternative locations with kittens and all. The more I've thought about it today, the more it pisses me to the eyeballs. Any ideas?

PS: Yes, I am obviously stupid, as I have posted twice about the whole valuation stuff on our property. I msut have been tired last night. Hrmph!

Hrm. Reminds me of a song. . . . . . never mind.

Sorry for my brief entry, but I know it has been a week, so I thought I'd update and then collapse.

• I flew to Canberra, it was very early
• I worked my arse off until 9pm most nights. I'm exhausted.
• I completed my jobs, but it was a hard slog.
• I met up with an old university friend, we ate at an irish pub outside in the cold and talked for hours before realising the time. I had a really great time and discovered a new friend I didn't realise existed. We made plans to catch up again should one be in the other's town.
• I Met up with another friend from online. We went to a great cafe and ate chocolate cake with some strange name and hot chocolate. Again, we talked for longer than we expected and were sad when we had to say goodbye.
• Both these friends made it a hell of a lot easier to make it through the week. I'm really glad I met up with them, seeing friendly faces outside of work made it a lot nicer to be away from my home. I was homesick, missing Glen and everything familiar.
• I endured the misrepresentations of a 4 1/2 star hotel, which in my opinion was no more than 2 stars. Having to remind room service to replace your face washer, bathmat, breakfast order menu and toast was a bit much. Not that I am a snob, but when my company pays for it so I can be comfortable and work, I'd liek to have at least some basics. Hrm. that annoyed me. Can't you tell??
• I missed all the storms etc that occurred in Melbourne and lived in Canberra with just a polarfleece vest. We flew back to Melbourne through the thickest, darkest storm clouds. An hour after I landed, the airport closed because of electrical storms. Lucky, huh?
• I stupidly lost my $80 magnetic sunglasses which clip onto my glasses. I'm severely pissed. It happened sometime after getting off the plane in Melbourne. I went back to hopefully search the plane or the bathroom I attended when I got off. I did not find them. I did physically bump into Dawn Fraser at the security xray machines. She was very nice. It's nice to see celebrities be ncie to others. It makes me feel like they remember they are real people.
• I got another phone call on Monday night from a woman who claimed to want to look at my car. Funnily enough, I think she was the wife of the dickhead who called a couple of weeks ago and demanded to see the car when I couldn'y get away from work. Amusing, yes? She told me she would call me tonight, I am yet to get a phone call. I'm really rather annoyed with people who dick me around. Don't dick me around and you'll always be a friend of mine :)
• I think the week is catching up with me! I'm sitting here, barely past 9pm and I'm falling asleep - I've been like this all day.
• I missed having assess to the internet at night! I missed you all, honestly.
• Now, I go sleep. I feel that our landlord is sending an evaluation person to our place on Tuesday to obviously have it appraised. This means one of two things - they are going to raise the rent, or they are getting ready to sell. God, we need to get out of here.