The youngest is getting braces on Monday. She seems very excited, which I find odd, as there's nothing fun about braces. I’ve suffered one glued to the back of my four front teeth for 35 years. I was one of the firstguinea pigs for permanent braces in Australia. My orthodontist saw the idea at a... Continue Reading →

You know how the universe specialises in sending crazy stuff my way? Well ... I thought it had totally outdone itself a few weeks ago. I was too paranoid to tell you about it until I was sure I was in the clear. Sooooooo, DD and I had lunch recently with a friend who is... Continue Reading →

I got two emails from Revenue NSW on Monday. They both said: "Your penalty notice is due on 07 May. To avoid $65 in late charges, pay $673 by one of the below methods by 07 May or for other options to finalise your fine visit our website http://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/fines/pn." Geez it riles me that Revenue... Continue Reading →

Yesterday was beyond harrowing for Kathleen Folbigg and her supporters. Kathy took the stand during the third week of the judicial inquiry into her convictions. I couldn't be there after a week away up the coast, a holiday booked long before the inquiry dates were announced. But my friends have been keeping me up to... Continue Reading →

I promised you the glossy version of my holiday. Here goes ... A year ago, I decided to book a family holiday to Byron Bay for Bluesfest. I figured it had a little something for everyone: good food, great beaches, nice shopping, a music festival ... Then I researched the prices for accommodation in Byron... Continue Reading →

DD declared our ocean dip yesterday the "swim of the season". After fielding my miserable texts for a few days he suggested I immerse my whining butt in the sea, so I got in the bloody car AGAIN and drove to the Northern Beaches for a quickie visit. Bilgola Beach put on a sensational show:... Continue Reading →

It hit me at 2am yesterday that I'd driven to Lennox Head with two people and their luggage in the car, but would be returning to Sydney with four people and their luggage. And a pretty compact car at that. It was a fairly fitful night’s sleep after that. On the plus side, I got... Continue Reading →

I had a bit of a weep on the couch yesterday because I felt like such a holiday failure. I sent maudlin texts to DD and he reminded me that there were lots of good bits: Bluesfest, swims, sunrises ... That’s true, but it’s still a bit of a killer when your kids spend most... Continue Reading →

Family holidays are tricky at any age. I remember jamming a cot into a hotel bathroom in Singapore so we could watch a bit of tellie when the toddler went to sleep at 7pm and the night yawned ahead of us. Fast forward 14 years and I’ve gone road tripping to Byron Bay with teenagers.... Continue Reading →

Geez it’s a long way to Byron Bay, but we finally made it. We turned the key on one of the many, many locks at our temporary new home late yesterday afternoon. I spent 500 million hours listening to the youngest’s favourite music in the car on the way. It was a novelty at first,... Continue Reading →