I've solved my house renovation puzzle. The plan is DONE. It only involves expanding an existing toilet into a hallway to become an ensuite and getting some new windows to replace the current crappy aluminium ones ... oh and some plantation shutters from my brother-in-law's Choices store at St Leonards. No walls to remove, no... Continue Reading →

Do you remember my colleague James? He looks a bit like Jason Momoa crossed with The Rock (see below, left) ... which is pretty impressive for a vegan .. and has taken care of my dogs a few times when I've been on holidays. Today is his last day at work because he's moving to... Continue Reading →

I was all set to write yeah, nah, five days without power isn't my favourite  when ... the power came back on yesterday afternoon! I'd just hit Woolies for the makings of spag bol and was steeling myself to light the gas cooktop with a match and cook the sauce while I waited for the... Continue Reading →

I’ve officially entered day four without electricity. The kids were due home from their dad's place last night, so tough decisions needed to be made. While I was adapting to candlelight, scant mobile phone reception and showering at the gym, I figured that wasn't going to fly with teenagers. The latest word from Ausgrid: "Customers... Continue Reading →

Sometimes you lose sight of the bigger picture. One of my blog followers reminded me yesterday that while there’s no power at my house following Sydney's cyclonic storms, at least I’ve had rain. She lives in a country area that’s still facing Level 5 water restrictions. I was also admonished by a workmate for moaning... Continue Reading →

I thought I was fine with being alone in the dark, but I was feeling pretty crap about it when I went to sleep last night. Thousands of people lost power in my suburb yesterday, after two huge trees fell and took the power lines with them during a cyclonic storm. My ex took the... Continue Reading →

I am obsessed with the cruise ship that’s gone into quarantine with 3700 passengers on board in Japan. Completely and utterly obsessed. It's believed the virus was brought on board the Diamond Princess by an infected 80-year-old Hong Kong man, who joined part of the 14-day cruise, then tested positive for the virus after disembarking... Continue Reading →

Facebook reminded me that it was my friend Nic’s birthday yesterday. Not that I could forget, as we had dinner with him last night to celebrate. Coincidentally, Facebook served up a meme showing what society perceived 50 to look like in 1985, compared to how it looks now … via photos of Rue McClanahan in... Continue Reading →

I forget where you're up to with my renovation saga. Did I tell you that the latest plan is to stay put and make the place a bit more liveable for myself? DD reckons my house is really well located, close to the city, and keeping it means we have a beach pad AND a... Continue Reading →

I was really, really, really late for work yesterday. I finally bolted through the office door at noon. Noon! The youngest needed to go to the orthodontist at 9am and the dermatologist at 10am. The dermatologist was running late, then injected anaesthetic into the youngest's hand for a procedure, then we had to sit in... Continue Reading →