What's happening in your world?

[Farseer]

It's 3am and I have not long returned home from yet another long, long day of driving. My eldest son and his girlfriend are not too far behind and I am looking forward to seeing him for the first time in about a month and a half.

Off to a friend's wedding tomorrow so it's shaping up to be a nice day (after a bit of a sleep in! ).

Oh, we had fifty points (1/2 an inch) of rain the day before yesterday. It put a halt to trucking cattle for a while (a semi got stuck here overnight and half of yesterday) but it was lovely to see the first fall of the wet season. If all forecasts are correct, we should be in for a big one here in NW Qld.

[Farseer]

My husband and I are terrified. We've created a monster...

After picking up our son from the coast from his week of work experience in a gym, he has decided to create some cardio etc programs for us, with the idea that we will be 'ripped', 'toned', 'sculpted' and 'have lost 5kg' (for me) and 'at least 10kg' (for my husband) by the beginning of next year.

It begins today. Our son will expect results...and now he has the bug, he will worry us with this like a pit bull worrying a leg...until he gets the said results. *shivers with fear*

He's also decided to take control of our food consumption (no more potato??!! ) so I made sure I went back for a second helping of wedding cake last night where I wouldn't have otherwise. A caramel mud cake concoction enveloped in white chocolate slats and curls...who could resist?!

If you don't see me around much, it's because I'll be busy dying from a lack of carbs coupled with an overload of exercise...

[fool-ish]

Farseer, I'm feeling your pain already!

[Farseer]

Pain? Yes, fool-ish, there is that...and yesterday was only the demonstration, not the 'work-out'!! And here was I, thinking I was being funny running out to him in a bit of a 'Rocky' sequence wearing gym gear and a headband...well, he got the last laugh!

Thankfully though, I have the pleasure of taking him back to boarding school today (yup, still another long trip in the car there and back today/tonight/early hours of tomorrow morning). I have missed him terribly while he's been away this year, and often travel to visit throughout the term, but, in this, I will be glad he'll be gone for a few weeks so that I can rotate through these nightmare exercises at my own pace! He's even given us a measurement sheet where we are to do a weigh-in and take measurements every two weeks so that we can email our progress to him...hail (son's name)!

Still, I am happy to fully commit so that he sees some firm results of his (our?!) hard work in six weeks, when we attend his final Speech Day and Valedictory Dinner. EDIT: My husband is not so happy to commit. END EDIT. Though we will be driving over to see him a couple of times before then, this is the 'day of days and night of nights' where he will be able to show us off in style to the public.

In good news, as opposed to the bad news of work-outs, his application to live on-campus at university next year has just been accepted so there is much excitement as he heads toward this next stage in life.

[fool-ish]

I'm far too lazy to exercise. I figure I do enough with walking to and from work and while I'm at work too..that's my excuse anyway!

I used to threaten my two with boarding school when they were going through the demon teenager phase, not that I could ever afford it but they didn't know that My daughter has just applied for university. Her chosen uni is very close to home so it's doubtful she'll be moving out any time soon. Though she's no longer a demon teen (she's lovely really) and I'm not trying to shove her out, I do fear she'll miss out on stuff by coming home every night. I want her to have the 'uni experience' as they'd probably be some of the best years of her life. Ah well, we'll see.

[joost]

Just finished a week long volunteer work for 'De zonnebloem', a Dutch organisation that helps handicapped people. Last week was a holiday for people whose disabilities and the need for constant care make it hard to go on holidays, so De zonnebloem helps them. A lot of fun, a lot of gratitude and a lot of lack of sleep, but it was great.

[Farseer]

Sounds great, joost, and I'm sure the carers enjoy the break as much as those who are cared for do. A wonderful venture all round - good on you!

Well, my working out and getting fit thingy lasted two sessions (which almost killed me!) and then I've just spent so many days and nights driving since that it's all been a bit pointless really! I might start again once the school holidays begin... ...lucky for me my son has been far to busy too notice I am not looking a buff as I should be a fortnight or so into 'the program'.

Tonight I am manning the phone and two-way radio and scanning the immediate landscape for fires, a number of which are presently and glowingly ringing the entire horizon to the west. All very daunting sometimes, living in this flat and open region of the country where things appear to be much closer than what they truly are - a fire a few properties away can seem like it's just over the fence in the next paddock at times...

My husband is out helping neighbours fight the fires with our fire-fighting unit as they are not all that far away from us and, while he is away, I hope the lightning does not decide to touch down anywhere in my vicinity, otherwise I will have to fight the subsequent grass fires with spit! Hmm, reminds me of a line from a Garth Brooks song, The Change: "It's like trying to stop a fire with the moisture from a kiss..."

Gotta love the wet season.

['thul]

Yesterday afternoon, these beings put in an order for "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini. Only 6 days till its official release. Hopefully the book will arrive thenish.

[fool-ish]

I'm nearly done packing for our trip to 'Dracula town' otherwise known as Whitby! Anyone would think we were going for 3 weeks, rather than 3 nights judging by my lists! And then I'll forget something! Ah well, rambling on about nothing on here isn't gonna get it finished, so I'd better get back to it

['thul]

It is a rule of packing that one will always forget something. Making sure that the forgotten item(s) is(are) inconsequential is the challenge...