Guess What???

In three weeks - 21 short days - we'll be at the footy! YAY!!! Also, 6 Hawks Premiership players will be at MBF Launceston on Thursday February 5th 2-3p.m.

Where else when the mercury hits 40???

There were a lot of reports that it hit 40 degrees here today! It certainly did in some parts of Tassie, and we've been breaking records all week with this hot weather. It's crazy - right now it's 31.7 degrees but feels so much cooler than earlier. This time last week, 31 would have felt like a heat wave for us! We met up with Lisa, Jalen and Harri at Riverside pool again today. Lisa was very brave and went on the huge slide with the kids!

Lauren - she's in there somewhere!

Jalen - cool and laid back!

Mr Cool staying cool!

Jalen running on water!

Superfish!

Too hot for icecream!

It got to 39 degrees today and look what happened!

A dog of a day!

I just washed Beau, and the hose water was hotter than I have my shower in the Winter! It stayed hot to warm for about 5 minutes, and after that, wasn't cold! She is now brown as she rolled in the dust bowl that is our back yard - but at least she's cool! Even my "kitchen hands" (soap on tap) was hot this morning - stop laughing you mainlander's - this is a novelty for us - and one we don't much appreciate so TAKE IT BACK!!! It dropped to 23.1 degrees at midnight after the rain (yucky muggy-making storm with specky lightening though!), and then rose again mostly throughout the night and was 29.9 at 10a.m!!! We are off to the pool this arvo after the worst of the UV rays have moved away (not naming names, but a couple of us are a little pink after swimming MANY laps yesterday!) Oh, and can you hear that??? No? My kids who can't sit still for 5 minutes, and have spent half the holidays fighting, are sitting on the couch in a heat induced stupor and not saying a word!!!

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*Please excuse the use of a "file photo" - this is one Snaparazzi who is NOT going back out there until I'm heading to the cool pool waters! I wasn't going to mention it, but I thought that the lush green lawn might just be a giveaway that it is an old photo - that and the fact that the dog is clean and not in her current brown and matted state!

Too hot!

Poor Sassy! It's way too hot for us all!

The coolest spot on the only remaining patch of green - under the trampoline where the guttering leaks on to the lawn when it rains!

We had our highest recorded Launceston temp ever today of 36.9 degrees - but that was only up until 3pm when they take the "official" temp.- I heard it got up to 39! It's still 33 at 6.30pm, and going for 35 tomorrow! Hey - you lot in Perth, Adelaide and Queensland -ENOUGH! Take it back PLEASE!! We went to Riverside pool again, but I didn't take my camera. Lisa and four of her five boys were there - Jalen (who is Paddy's age), Harri, Kobe and little Aaron - the biggest kid of all! Lisa and I worked together at the Women's Shelter years ago, and we all did CEA (childbirth education) classes together pre Paddy and Jalen! Patrick and Jalen know each other more from our blogs than from being together recently, but they hit it off and went on the slide together and talked non-stop Nintendo! It was good to catch up, and a great place to be to avoid the worst of the heat! Us being forecast 35 degrees is previously unheard of - especially as we've been far exceeding the predicted forecast lately! Phew - we'll be back there the next couple of days too by the sounds of it!

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*For those of you who watch it - I don't think Angelo killed Jack!!!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

...it's off to work I go!

I'm doing some relief work for Lady Gowrie Child Services over the next few weeks, starting today. Just my luck to pick the hottest day of the Summer to be surrounded by 30 little overheated bodies in a small space! Thanks Mum for having Paddy and Lol - hope it's not too hot for you - you can always hop in the clam shell pool!

it's beginning to look a lot like...

EASTER!

Shayne had a four hour manager's "session" at Kings Meadows today to learn how to make Hot Cross Buns! Apparently a VERY important skill for Woolworths managers to have! As you can see, he made personalised buns for Paddy and Lol - none with "W" for Wifey though!

A good result (aka "chick magnet" part two)

Just as I was beginning to think they'd forgotten me, Ingham sent me a $20 Wish card today and a letter from the state general manager apologising for the "matter"! Last month I found a small piece of hard blue plastic deeply embedded in a frozen chicken product. It pays to let manufacturers know when you find a problem with a product - whether it be plastic in chicken, or a roll-on deodorant that wont (roll - that is). They can't do anything about it if you don't let tell them!

Summer Sprinkler Fun!

Not the safest Summer past-time (especially with slippery sunscreen)

....but a whole lot of fun!

Aussie Day Fun!

We went to Riverside pool again today - it was so hot!

Unfortunately it's going to be hotter on Wednesday when I have to work!

I think the slide pool water was a bit chilly though!

Mid air antics!

Cousins chatting!

We have 33 degrees predicted on Wednesday - hotter than you lot in Perth,

but not as hot as poor Amanda and family in Adelaide 41 degrees tomorrow!!!

Birthday Girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!

Bad Dream Bear.

When Lauren has bad dreams, I let her have my old bear "Humphrey"

I got Humphrey as a toddler, and as you can see, he's seen better days!

He's in pretty good condition considering he's close to 40, and that he survived a house fire (after some TLC from Mum). Humphrey was on the top of my wardrobe in the house where we had the fire. His hard plastic nose was melted and ran down past his chest, and had hardened in a solid piece when the firey's hosed the room down! His red mouth ran (looks like he has lipstick on), he had to have his singed fur trimmed (bald patches!), and it took ages before the smokey smell was gone, but it was worth it! He seems to help Lauren settle. I loved him and took him everywhere.

"Humpy" and I in the garden at Riccarton, Campbell Town

Simon and I aged 5 and 6

As usual, Simon is being silly!!!

Birthday Barbie!

We had a birthday barbie for Mum today. It's her birthday on Monday, but Head Chef Shayne is working tomorrow and Monday, so we had it today. There were 18 of us so I marinated what seemed like 100's of kebabs with my free Masterfoods Hometyle Marinades.

It wouldn't be an Aussie Day (early) BBQ without prawns!

The birthday girl posing! Luckily she doesn't have tonsils or they'd be skewered!!!

Nanna's little boys love their food!

The "test run" lemon cake from yesterday - that's all that's left!

Mum and I have recently read "Salvation Creek" and "The House at Salvation Creek" - memoirs by Aussie Journalist Susan Duncan. All through her books she talks of her "melt in your mouth" lemon cake, and "the smell of lemons drifting through the house" as she cooks it, so I got the recipe (had to buy the new and improved version of the book, photocopy the recipe and take it back to the bookshop - I thought I might look a bit sus taking a photo with my mobile in the bookshop!). It was worth it - its vey moist and lemony, not too sweet and can be eaten as is, with no icing or cream. It has a lemon glaze, and you serve it warm - YUMMO! I'll be making that again - it's so easy as you throw everything in the food processor and it's very quick. Let me know if you'd like the recipe - especially those lucky people with lemon trees! Anyway, a fun day was had by all! For those of you relies who wanted photos of Mum - you got them, but I forgot to get a group photo. Will do that next time!

Pity the Poor Peacocks!

We are off to a Karaoke party for Alana's 40th at the Basin Cafe tonight

(she is much older than me)! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALANA! Thanks for "testing the water" for the rest of us who get to celebrate the big 40 this year (oh joy!)

*Photo credit to Lauren M.G. Lithgow - The Basin June 2007

!!!

PS Thanks to Megan, Mike, Georgina and David for having Paddy and Lol for a sleepover. The boys were still awake talking at 2am!!!

Life on Mars

I got a DVD of the first episode of "Life on Mars" in the mail today through Vibe Village. It's a new series that starts on THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5 on Channel TEN (so those of us in Tassie need a set top box). Click on the Life On Mars link above to see a preview, and let me know if you'd like to see the first episode on DVD before it comes on. I really like the cast - Jason O'Mara reminds me a bit of a young Mel Gibson (sounding old aren't I???), and plays a cop who gets hit by a car and sent back from 2008 to 1973. The music is great - Bowie, The Who, the Rolling Stones and of course - THE SWEET - the fashions are funny, and it has a lot of familiar faces. It's easy to watch, and I'm already looking forward to the next episode (I'll have to wait until Feb 12th to see it though!). If it sounds familiar, it is the US version of a show by the same name done by the ABC a couple of years ago. Well worth a look!

Can a bee sting you when it's dead?

Apparently it can!

Patrick got his first bee sting tonight - from a bee that looked VERY dead! He trod on it out near our sand pit and it looked like it had been wrapped in a cobweb, but it still managed to sting him under the toe - ouch! Perhaps he'll listen to his "nagging Mother" who continually says - "put your shoes on outside"! I know its fun to be bare foot, but now our grass is so dry and prickly, and the kids are running down the side of the garage where there's rocks and goodness knows what (bees apparently!), I prefer them to wear their crocs or sandals.

bzzzz

Dad was VERY allergic to bees, so I'm keeping a close eye on Paddy just in case he has a reaction! The joys of Summer! I was forever getting bee stings as a kid - I must have had close to 20 in my life, so it's pretty lucky this is the first. Hmm, sounds very much like the lice of last week....

I need your help!

I went back to the Dr. to get my blood test results yesterday, and I have low iron stores (again). I also have borderline bad cholesterol - although my HDL (good) Cholesterol is good! I am also in the risk group for diabetes if I'm not careful (NOT GOOD)! So, along with a bottle of my favourite (NOT) iron tablets, and a not so subtle hint to lose weight, I am armed with a new attitude and plan to lose LOTS of weight and get fit! I have lost 3 kilos in the 3 weeks since New Year's Day, and hope to continue on the better eating, more exercise, more water path that I know is good for me, but have trouble sticking too (especially the exercise part)!

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The good news is that my thyroid is fine and I haven't had a headache since THE BIG NEEDLE, so that helps - I feel MUCH more like exercising without headaches, and the iron tablets should help that too! My blood pressure was also normal after being nearly off the charts last week - possibly due to the horrible headaches!

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I have set two goals - to finish the 5km walk in March feeling good and like I could keep going, and to be feeling heaps better, healthier and lighter by my 40th in June. Both easily achievable - I've set goals too high in the past, so am taking things easily (but not too easily!)

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Anyway, where do you come in? I need your experiences in "keeping on track" and the handy hints to make this whole process as painless as possible. The Doc. thinks that wayward hormones are the problem, and has a few solutions, but I want to try and get back in control of my own body my way! I'm hoping that by blogging about my journey (sounds like a lovely trip and NOT the fun it's really going to be!!!), I will be more likely to stay on track! If I don't mention how I'm going for a while - leave me a comment and say "What's going on??? Are you being good??? Have you lost weight" and generally any encouragements along that theme!

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Oh, and wish me luck...

Freebies! Freebies! Freebies!

I received two free "Masterfoods Homestyle Marinades" in the mail yesterday. I joined up through Vibe Village and was selected to host an Australia Day BBQ. It's Mum's birthday on Australia Day, so we are having a BBQ on the weekend with the added bonus of some new marinades to try - YUM!

Get your tickets!!!

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the NAB Cup game...

Hawthorn V Melbourne at Aurora Stadium Saturday 21st February at 3:40p.m.

Monkeys in a cage!

Paddy and Lol enjoyed being on Clea's big new trampoline together!