Good news is I only have 3.5 working days left before I take off for some well deserved holiday. Not doing alot. Heading over to Kay's place to spend Christmas with Glen's family. Then back to M*elbourne to show mum around and relax. The final week of my holidays will be spent learning to ride a motorcycle! I can't wait to get my learners so I can purchase a scooter/moped and ride to work - I hate goddam public transport. It drives me up the wall, more so now because the prices are to go up by 10-freaking-percent!

I'm usually more reflective come the end of year, but this year, I honestly swear, I just haven't had the time to think about my year. The year has gone with the blink of an eye. One minute, I was flying back to M*elbourne from Christmas holidays at mum's place, the next, she is coming down in two days to spend two weeks with me. Wow factors!

As soon as my mother leaves home tomorrow, her friends will be rallying around to make some nice additions to the house, and remove some NOT SO NICE features, such as that horrible padding around the breakfast bench - hurrah! My childhood nightmare. I wish I had a photo. Actually, I digress, but I really need to get myself sorted, so that I can drop some pictures onto the site so you can peer!

Anyways, the point of the previous paragraph was to say that mum phoned last night and Mr Wonderful Man Plumber had been and gone. He had fixed various thigns, including giving my mother a new cistern, which now entitles her to half and full flush - miraculous wonders! Also, she has been without hot water for months because of a leaking hot water system - turns out that the valve or whatever which was fitted some 29 years ago, was the wrong type of valve, so no freaking wonder it was leaking! Stupid father of mine who built that house with seconds and mate's rates! So, my mother has taken some pride in her place again and hopefully, it'll be something better than it has ever been and maybe she'll be more inclined to take care of it.

7 more sleeps until Santa comes!

I think the biggest news is that last weekend, whilst painstakenly stripping wallpaper from the walls of the loungeroom, my mother naturally fell from her chair and broke her arm in three places. Nice going mum! Apparently they are only fractures, but regardless, for a woman well into her 50s, it isnt a good look. She now sports a cast and in less than a week, will be making the journey down to Melbourne, on nothing less than a bus! What creature comforts she has!

Other than that, life is pretty average. Glen and I have been christmas shopping and cleaning up, getting ourselves ready for the mother in law's visit! Tee hee. They get along like a house on fire and generally pick on me.

My mum's friends back home have been sneaky and have been hard at planning a house renovation for mum whilst she is away with us. Starting with the kitchen, they'll fix up all the problems, paint the walls and get a few other things sorted for her - I guess it's a nice Christmas present. I hope she aprpeciates it. They really do love her a lot and I often wonder whether she really gives them credit for it. Ho hum.

Work is ticking along fine. I'm taking off a little under three weeks. That is to be with mum, spend time with Glen and get my *gasp* motorcycle licence! I've had it with public transport, so I'm going to get my learners so I can hop onto a scooter - no motorbikes for me and commute into the city. I think this will be a much nicer way to get there, I'll be more relaxed becuase I can pace myself and it'll be cheaper. I've had mixed reactions to this news, but really, it's my decision and Glen is comfortable with this idea.

anyways, that's it from me!