I have come up with the brilliant idea to try and become a runner. Yes. Me. A runner. Why have I thought to do this? Quite simply, I'm fat and tired of being so. My mind deduces that running is probably one of the quickest ways to get to where I am not fat anymore (along with diet changes, of course), and so, I googled. I searched. I found the 8 week Runner's World guide for non-runners who want to become runners. I went out and bought the Nike+ thingamajigger that has the sensor in the shoe and syncs with your ipod. Hey, if you're going to do it, you might as well get all the fun gadgets to make it worth your while, right! I shamelessly using running and I don't care. It's gonna work. It has to work.
How's it going so far? Well, just fine, thank you for asking. I am ending my first week, and all told, I am still alive. I call that a success!! Here's the theory behind this program....what? Don't you want to know? Of course you do. So sit back, open up those ears, well I guess in this case it would be your peepers, and let me spin you a tale of excitement and adventure.
The first week starts off easy peezy. 1 minute jog/run, 2 minute walk, repeat 10x's. Second week, reverse it, repeat 10x's. Third week it is bumped up to 5 min jog/run, 1 min walk . . . are you seeing the pattern. Oh, alright, I guess this isn't that exciting a tale. I tried.
No, I didn't, but I wanted to . . . no, that's not true either -- ugh, I'm a mess.
My goal, small though it may seem right now, is to run a 10min mile (all the way through, no stopping lazy ass!) ((motivational speech from me to me)) and get this...I actually run "faster" than I thought. Yes, I do. How do I know this? Well, the other day I asked Mark to go with me and he brought along his handy dandy Garmin watch and it calculated our pace...SUPER cool, people!
Have you ever noticed that when you run outside it feels like you run super friggin slow! Well, I have. So it was very exciting to see that I am not running as slow as I thought -- THERE, that is the exciting part of the tale! Ha, I knew something would get exciting!!
Oh! Was it only exciting to me? Aw, hell.....
Anyhoo...so yea, apparently on our jog/run portion we averaged a 9'45 pace --- which, if I can just keep it up for 9 more friggin' minutes, will have me beating my goal of a 10 min mile. The thought, right now, of running for 10 minutes straight has my heart rate accelerating, and all I'm doing it sitting at my table typing up this blog about my running program because I think everyone wants to know EVERYTHING about my life.
Don't burst my bubble.
To sum up. At the end of the 8wks I should, in theory, be running the whole 30 minutes....so that is where I am at people. I will keep you apprised of my progress, never fear. You will be in the know!!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Sometimes life is just hard
You know, I think of myself as a pretty upbeat person....usually. I have my days, but then, don't we all. But generally thinking, I like to think of myself as upbeat and nice. So it's always upsetting to me when I have to get mean. Especially to someone I love and care about. But there are times when there is just no other option, you know!
So, yes. I got mean. I told my older sister just exactly what I thought of the stupid shit she is doing and how badly it is affecting my nephews' lives. I didn't pull any punches. I let her have it. And wouldn't you know it, I have become FAMOUS!!! Yes, famous. She has taken my e-mail, yes, I e-mailed her....I have a tendency, when I am really upset, to lose focus during an actual conversation and I cry..it gets me nowhere. So where were we. Ah, yes. The e-mail. Okay, so I put it all down in an e-mail, hit send, and voila, I have become a published author! She printed the damn thing out, slapped it on my Daddy's desk (she works for him), sent it to her priest and took it with her to show her therapist. She told the secretary at work about it, then showed the e-mail to her. I am pretty darn sure the billing clerk, office manager and salesmen have seen it by this point as well, at the rate she is going. Here's the thing.....
Are you friggin' kidding me!!! Who DOES that! I'm sorry, maybe it is just me, but if someone sent you an e-mail basically ripping you a new one, not saying the nicest of things, would you really want to show it to as many people as you could get your hands on? Not me...for one, if there was truth to it (which there was, of course..why do it if I'm just going to make shit up!), I would be MORTIFIED to show anyone, lest they think the same thing and agree with the e-mail. And if it was just a bunch of crap, why show so many people? Maybe one or two people to be like, "Look at this shit!", that kind of thing, but dear me....to show a PRIEST, I just don't know.
I guess I am kind of flattered though. Obviously I hit a nerve. I sure hope (though it is an empty hope, because I know her too well) that she actually thinks about the things I said and gives credence to its validity. That is the only way she is going to be able to make changes and mend bridges/relations with her son.
So, yes. I got mean. I told my older sister just exactly what I thought of the stupid shit she is doing and how badly it is affecting my nephews' lives. I didn't pull any punches. I let her have it. And wouldn't you know it, I have become FAMOUS!!! Yes, famous. She has taken my e-mail, yes, I e-mailed her....I have a tendency, when I am really upset, to lose focus during an actual conversation and I cry..it gets me nowhere. So where were we. Ah, yes. The e-mail. Okay, so I put it all down in an e-mail, hit send, and voila, I have become a published author! She printed the damn thing out, slapped it on my Daddy's desk (she works for him), sent it to her priest and took it with her to show her therapist. She told the secretary at work about it, then showed the e-mail to her. I am pretty darn sure the billing clerk, office manager and salesmen have seen it by this point as well, at the rate she is going. Here's the thing.....
Are you friggin' kidding me!!! Who DOES that! I'm sorry, maybe it is just me, but if someone sent you an e-mail basically ripping you a new one, not saying the nicest of things, would you really want to show it to as many people as you could get your hands on? Not me...for one, if there was truth to it (which there was, of course..why do it if I'm just going to make shit up!), I would be MORTIFIED to show anyone, lest they think the same thing and agree with the e-mail. And if it was just a bunch of crap, why show so many people? Maybe one or two people to be like, "Look at this shit!", that kind of thing, but dear me....to show a PRIEST, I just don't know.
I guess I am kind of flattered though. Obviously I hit a nerve. I sure hope (though it is an empty hope, because I know her too well) that she actually thinks about the things I said and gives credence to its validity. That is the only way she is going to be able to make changes and mend bridges/relations with her son.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Hello Again...Long time, no blog
So here's the skinny. I have been on vacation for the whole of the damn summer with sketchy internet connection AT BEST. Not the most fun for me, who, admittedly, goes through withdrawals if I am not able to get on-line. It's a sickness, I know. And no, I am not seeking help. I rather like my obsession, thank you very much.
So that is why, dear followers/friends, that you have not heard from me in such a long time.....do you forgive me? Oh, of course you do. Who are we kidding.....!
I am currently not enjoying a bout of insomnia and so you have become my exercise to tire my mind out. Let us hope it works.
So. My summer. Well, you are well caught up on Australia. I am sure you might scream if you hear another word about Australia, right. No? Well, it doesn't matter because I have exhausted that trip, lol. We are on to California. That's right, I returned to my old stomping grounds, Bakersfield, California! Where all my family lives . . . and is involved in EVERY aspect of one anothers lives, ha! That is what comes from having such a close family....and full of girls. It can't be helped. We are busy bodies to be sure. But honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.....
We stayed with my parents, as we always do (they spoil us IMMENSELY!) and as they had just moved to a new house (HUGE!), we were even more excited to be staying there. Think, 5 acres . . . think, outdoor riding toys like quads and rangers . . . think, a track out back with jumps . . . you see where the excitement stems from? That's right, good old fashion FUN! Our first day there, barely after we put our bags in our rooms, the boys and I were out with my nephew, Ryan (he is 17 yrs old and all that THAT implies...) riding like crazy people, whooping and hollering, and choking on dust. It was fan-bloody-tastic! Pretty much set the stage for our outdoor activities for the rest of our trip, lol.
But, as these things do, there is always a glitch somewhere, right? Right. Well, remember what I said about being in each others business....yea, well, the cons of THAT blew up about mid-way through our vacation. My older sister and I (no, not my oldest sister, the other one) had a ROW of epic proportions in my parents kitchen. She fair to flew at me in her anger. Though she didn't. She looked more like a flapping chicken, truth be told. However, she sure threw around the mother of all curse words, which, I cannot be a hypocrite here, didn't bother me all that much as I can sure fling those 'round when they are needed. And let's be honest, when they aren't! No. What bothered me was that my oldest son was sitting on the couch in perfect listening position. I am not saying that his hearing such foul language bothered me, though it should have, but again, let's be honest, he's heard it before...no, what bothered me was that he heard it said so violently, angrily and loudly shouted AT his Mom (moi). After she stormed away (man, we are dramatic people!), he pops his head up and says, "Man, what is wrong with HER!? She sure lost it!!" It's bad isn't it? Yea, I laughed. I know. It's bad. I couldn't help it though.....
Well, the kerfuffle drew in Daddy and my brother in law, Gregorio. Before you knew it there was shouting going on all around with brother Gregorio saying, "Barb's going to be calling you...!", as he rounded up his kids to head home. Barb is, of course, my oldest sister, and second mother to us all. She is also my partner in crime for passing along juicy tidbits of information, ie; gossiping! She and I have had a HOOT this summer, let me tell you. But to that the credit must go to Alicia, who gave us so much material! Damn, I'm bad.....sorry (kinda).
Suffice to say, the dialogue from then on out between Alicia and I was somewhat, um, strained, lol. But you know what? I don't regret a thing I said. Have you ever had that? Where there is just something you feel you need to say and you sit on it, stew on it, push it to the back of your mind. Then it is one thing, one comment, one look, and it all comes forward like water from a damn that has burst. Anyone ever have that? Well, that is what I had. THAT moment. And everything I had been holding in for the past 6+ months came spewing out of my mouth in a great rush....and damn me if I don't feel so much better for it. Am I mean? Am I wrong? I don't know, maybe, but I think we all get to a certain age where pussyfooting around the problems, people, and situations in our lives just gets tiring. And old. And ridiculous. That's what I think anyway......
I am now stepping off my high horse . . .
Our trip wasn't all drama and utopia, though. My Papa passed away while I was there. I have to tell ya'll, I didn't make it a priority to visit my Noni and Papa last year when I was home. I was too immersed in my own drama, being totally selfish. I promised myself that this time around I would see them...I would make a point to take the boys and get over to see them. And I did. Our first week there. We went over in the afternoon and my Papa met us at the door. He looked wonderful. More frail than I have ever seen him, but still wonderful. The boys and I enjoyed a wonderful visit with them. When we left I promised my Noni that we would come by again before we left. The next time I saw both of them it was to say good-bye to my Papa as he lay dying in his hospital bed, never having woken up from surgery. I left my boys in the ICU waiting room with other family members and I went in to say good-bye to my Papa who had smiling Irish eyes. I stayed. Two of my sisters stayed. Amy just made it, which I was so grateful for. My Papa passed away surrounded by love. My Noni watched her husband of 61yrs leave her, surrounded by love. That is not how I would have chosen to have my second visit, but you know what, I am eternally grateful that I have the first visit to remember, that my boys have that visit to hold in their hearts.
I have to tell you all, though, I didn't have the boys come in to the room, thinking that they wouldn't want to see Papa that way. After he passed away and I went out to tell them and gather them up to go, John says to me, "Why didn't we get to say good-bye to other-Papa?" (They call him other-Papa because my Daddy is Papa)I looked down at him, slightly astonished, and said, "Well, I didn't think you would want to go in there. Do you want to go in and say good-bye?" He looked at me and said, "Yes, I want to say good-bye to other-Papa. He was my other-Papa, after all." I asked Matt and he declined, which I understood perfectly. I went to my Noni who was standing with my Aunts and Uncles and I asked her if John could go in and say good-bye. You should have seen her face. I know it mirrored mine. Perfectly astonished. She asked if I was sure. So I asked John again and again he says, "I want to say good-bye." Noni takes John and I back in to ICU to Papa's room and she walks John over to one side of the bed and I take up position on the other. She tells him to go ahead and talk to him, that Papa can still hear him, and that it was alright to hold his hand, just not to be surprised at how cold it was. I stood there, across from my 9yr son, and watched as he put his tiny hand in his other-Papa's lifeless one. I listened as he said in this soft voice, "Hi, other-Papa. It's John. I love you." He squeezed his hand and whispered, "Good-bye." Then he looks over at me, smiles a tiny smile, and starts out of the room. I stood there and knew I had just watched an angel at work. I cry as I type this, remembering that moment. What he did, what he chose to do, meant so much to my Noni, I don't know if I can properly express it. All I do know and all I can say is, I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. It resides in my heart as one of my most precious memories.
Life is precious, isn't it!
So that is why, dear followers/friends, that you have not heard from me in such a long time.....do you forgive me? Oh, of course you do. Who are we kidding.....!
I am currently not enjoying a bout of insomnia and so you have become my exercise to tire my mind out. Let us hope it works.
So. My summer. Well, you are well caught up on Australia. I am sure you might scream if you hear another word about Australia, right. No? Well, it doesn't matter because I have exhausted that trip, lol. We are on to California. That's right, I returned to my old stomping grounds, Bakersfield, California! Where all my family lives . . . and is involved in EVERY aspect of one anothers lives, ha! That is what comes from having such a close family....and full of girls. It can't be helped. We are busy bodies to be sure. But honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.....
We stayed with my parents, as we always do (they spoil us IMMENSELY!) and as they had just moved to a new house (HUGE!), we were even more excited to be staying there. Think, 5 acres . . . think, outdoor riding toys like quads and rangers . . . think, a track out back with jumps . . . you see where the excitement stems from? That's right, good old fashion FUN! Our first day there, barely after we put our bags in our rooms, the boys and I were out with my nephew, Ryan (he is 17 yrs old and all that THAT implies...) riding like crazy people, whooping and hollering, and choking on dust. It was fan-bloody-tastic! Pretty much set the stage for our outdoor activities for the rest of our trip, lol.
But, as these things do, there is always a glitch somewhere, right? Right. Well, remember what I said about being in each others business....yea, well, the cons of THAT blew up about mid-way through our vacation. My older sister and I (no, not my oldest sister, the other one) had a ROW of epic proportions in my parents kitchen. She fair to flew at me in her anger. Though she didn't. She looked more like a flapping chicken, truth be told. However, she sure threw around the mother of all curse words, which, I cannot be a hypocrite here, didn't bother me all that much as I can sure fling those 'round when they are needed. And let's be honest, when they aren't! No. What bothered me was that my oldest son was sitting on the couch in perfect listening position. I am not saying that his hearing such foul language bothered me, though it should have, but again, let's be honest, he's heard it before...no, what bothered me was that he heard it said so violently, angrily and loudly shouted AT his Mom (moi). After she stormed away (man, we are dramatic people!), he pops his head up and says, "Man, what is wrong with HER!? She sure lost it!!" It's bad isn't it? Yea, I laughed. I know. It's bad. I couldn't help it though.....
Well, the kerfuffle drew in Daddy and my brother in law, Gregorio. Before you knew it there was shouting going on all around with brother Gregorio saying, "Barb's going to be calling you...!", as he rounded up his kids to head home. Barb is, of course, my oldest sister, and second mother to us all. She is also my partner in crime for passing along juicy tidbits of information, ie; gossiping! She and I have had a HOOT this summer, let me tell you. But to that the credit must go to Alicia, who gave us so much material! Damn, I'm bad.....sorry (kinda).
Suffice to say, the dialogue from then on out between Alicia and I was somewhat, um, strained, lol. But you know what? I don't regret a thing I said. Have you ever had that? Where there is just something you feel you need to say and you sit on it, stew on it, push it to the back of your mind. Then it is one thing, one comment, one look, and it all comes forward like water from a damn that has burst. Anyone ever have that? Well, that is what I had. THAT moment. And everything I had been holding in for the past 6+ months came spewing out of my mouth in a great rush....and damn me if I don't feel so much better for it. Am I mean? Am I wrong? I don't know, maybe, but I think we all get to a certain age where pussyfooting around the problems, people, and situations in our lives just gets tiring. And old. And ridiculous. That's what I think anyway......
I am now stepping off my high horse . . .
Our trip wasn't all drama and utopia, though. My Papa passed away while I was there. I have to tell ya'll, I didn't make it a priority to visit my Noni and Papa last year when I was home. I was too immersed in my own drama, being totally selfish. I promised myself that this time around I would see them...I would make a point to take the boys and get over to see them. And I did. Our first week there. We went over in the afternoon and my Papa met us at the door. He looked wonderful. More frail than I have ever seen him, but still wonderful. The boys and I enjoyed a wonderful visit with them. When we left I promised my Noni that we would come by again before we left. The next time I saw both of them it was to say good-bye to my Papa as he lay dying in his hospital bed, never having woken up from surgery. I left my boys in the ICU waiting room with other family members and I went in to say good-bye to my Papa who had smiling Irish eyes. I stayed. Two of my sisters stayed. Amy just made it, which I was so grateful for. My Papa passed away surrounded by love. My Noni watched her husband of 61yrs leave her, surrounded by love. That is not how I would have chosen to have my second visit, but you know what, I am eternally grateful that I have the first visit to remember, that my boys have that visit to hold in their hearts.
I have to tell you all, though, I didn't have the boys come in to the room, thinking that they wouldn't want to see Papa that way. After he passed away and I went out to tell them and gather them up to go, John says to me, "Why didn't we get to say good-bye to other-Papa?" (They call him other-Papa because my Daddy is Papa)I looked down at him, slightly astonished, and said, "Well, I didn't think you would want to go in there. Do you want to go in and say good-bye?" He looked at me and said, "Yes, I want to say good-bye to other-Papa. He was my other-Papa, after all." I asked Matt and he declined, which I understood perfectly. I went to my Noni who was standing with my Aunts and Uncles and I asked her if John could go in and say good-bye. You should have seen her face. I know it mirrored mine. Perfectly astonished. She asked if I was sure. So I asked John again and again he says, "I want to say good-bye." Noni takes John and I back in to ICU to Papa's room and she walks John over to one side of the bed and I take up position on the other. She tells him to go ahead and talk to him, that Papa can still hear him, and that it was alright to hold his hand, just not to be surprised at how cold it was. I stood there, across from my 9yr son, and watched as he put his tiny hand in his other-Papa's lifeless one. I listened as he said in this soft voice, "Hi, other-Papa. It's John. I love you." He squeezed his hand and whispered, "Good-bye." Then he looks over at me, smiles a tiny smile, and starts out of the room. I stood there and knew I had just watched an angel at work. I cry as I type this, remembering that moment. What he did, what he chose to do, meant so much to my Noni, I don't know if I can properly express it. All I do know and all I can say is, I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. It resides in my heart as one of my most precious memories.
Life is precious, isn't it!
Friday, July 16, 2010
It's been an age, hasn't it? No. Well it feels like it!
Okie dokie....so we are yet again on vacation!! But this time, thank the good Lord, we are stationary and not having to hop and bop from place to place. Plus, it's my parents house...you can't get much more comfortable than at your parents house, right!? I love being home. Seeing my family, having NO other responsibilities but to mind my children, it is the best of vacations!!!
There are times I feel guilty, I guess. I so often leave my husband behind, lol. But you know, though it is NOT at all the same thing, he deploys and leaves us behind, so I guess it all comes out even in the end. At least in my mind it does ;-)
We are coming up on a week here and I tell you what, I cannot believe a week has already gone by. Time sure does speed up when you are in a happy place! My parents recently moved out to the friggin' north 40 of town, but damn me, their house is beautiful! Daddy has purchased all the little, well okay, not "little", toys he has always wanted to have....quads, rangers....things that go "vroom", you get the idea. And Momma has created a haven for imagination, child or adult, lol. The boys and I have been having nothing but good old fashion fun! Racing in the ranger, flying over jumps, whopping and hollering while the wind whips our hair and dirt flies in our face . . . can anything really beat that? No. I think not!!!
We have yet to make our way out to the horseshoe pits in the corral....we'll get there, it's just so HOT standing out in the baking sun, it kind of dissuades one from doing it! It is much more inviting to hop in the pool for a game of Marco Polo or grab the keys to the ranger for a wild ride behind the house . . . but never fear, I am a mad horseshoe player and we WILL play!!! By jove, we will!
Back to vacationing from ones real life. It really is the best way to go. Staying here with my parents I don't have to worry about dinner (unless I feel like cooking), I don't have to think about when I am going to clean the house, I don't have to write up grocery lists ...... can it be any more PERFECT! A true vacation in every sense of the word. Would that all vacations could be so peaceful, ha....
You know what. I wrestle with how personal to get on this blog. I really do. Should this be a true blog about my life than I would be 100% personal, right, but I don't know that that is the correct way to go. There is such a thing as TMI and I am honest enough with myself to know that I really don't see where those lines are drawn, lol. Give me a hot second and you will know more than you ever wanted to know about me, my family, and every other aspect of my life that I can think of! Dangerous. Very dangerous.
What I am really driving at is, there are things going on, things I could and want to write about, I just don't know if it would be appropriate for me to do so. How's that for a teaser!? So, I guess I will just sit on it for awhile. Allow it to simmer in my head and heart......we'll see. Maybe before too long it'll square right in my mind, hahaha.
In other news. I have enrolled in 4 on-line classes at the college in NC. It is funny, I am much closer to being finished than I thought, lol. Which is a good thing, but it just cracks me up how very out of touch I have been with the direction and progress of my studies. I have finally decided...FINALLY, that nursing is where my heart is truly leading me. It is what I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember, so now I am buckling down and hoping that I can apply to the nursing program for next fall or spring. It is WONDERFUL to finally just know what I am going to pursue. I have spent so much time waffling, wasted time really, and to now have my direction, I can really attack the process! Yay for me, right, lol :-)
School starts two days after we get back from Cali. Nothing like hitting the ground running!!! I wrestled with taking on-line Vs. in person classes. I decided on the on-line because I could get more of the classes I wanted, not to say that the classes at the college were full, no, just that I would have been there at all hours all throughout the week. That dog just isn't gonna hunt, folks! No-can-do-skies! I have kids, dogs, house, husband (this is in no particular order of importance), myself and a myriad of other things I WANT to do (like lunches with friends!), that need to be taken care of. I can't be in class, 30 minutes away, all day, all week long. Nope, not gonna do it. So, until I absolutely MUST be in a class physically, it's on-line classes for me! I hope it goes alright. I have only ever taken one on-line course and it was so flippin' boring...read this chapter, answer these 2 questions from this section, write 2 papers on these questions from that section, turn it in by this date, make sure it is in this format....ugh. That was it. No interaction beyond checking blackboard for the assignment. It wasn't hard. No. Just boring.
Well, my little sprite has just woken up. We have a 2 mile walk ahead of us and than a day of pool time! Happy Summer days :-)
There are times I feel guilty, I guess. I so often leave my husband behind, lol. But you know, though it is NOT at all the same thing, he deploys and leaves us behind, so I guess it all comes out even in the end. At least in my mind it does ;-)
We are coming up on a week here and I tell you what, I cannot believe a week has already gone by. Time sure does speed up when you are in a happy place! My parents recently moved out to the friggin' north 40 of town, but damn me, their house is beautiful! Daddy has purchased all the little, well okay, not "little", toys he has always wanted to have....quads, rangers....things that go "vroom", you get the idea. And Momma has created a haven for imagination, child or adult, lol. The boys and I have been having nothing but good old fashion fun! Racing in the ranger, flying over jumps, whopping and hollering while the wind whips our hair and dirt flies in our face . . . can anything really beat that? No. I think not!!!
We have yet to make our way out to the horseshoe pits in the corral....we'll get there, it's just so HOT standing out in the baking sun, it kind of dissuades one from doing it! It is much more inviting to hop in the pool for a game of Marco Polo or grab the keys to the ranger for a wild ride behind the house . . . but never fear, I am a mad horseshoe player and we WILL play!!! By jove, we will!
Back to vacationing from ones real life. It really is the best way to go. Staying here with my parents I don't have to worry about dinner (unless I feel like cooking), I don't have to think about when I am going to clean the house, I don't have to write up grocery lists ...... can it be any more PERFECT! A true vacation in every sense of the word. Would that all vacations could be so peaceful, ha....
You know what. I wrestle with how personal to get on this blog. I really do. Should this be a true blog about my life than I would be 100% personal, right, but I don't know that that is the correct way to go. There is such a thing as TMI and I am honest enough with myself to know that I really don't see where those lines are drawn, lol. Give me a hot second and you will know more than you ever wanted to know about me, my family, and every other aspect of my life that I can think of! Dangerous. Very dangerous.
What I am really driving at is, there are things going on, things I could and want to write about, I just don't know if it would be appropriate for me to do so. How's that for a teaser!? So, I guess I will just sit on it for awhile. Allow it to simmer in my head and heart......we'll see. Maybe before too long it'll square right in my mind, hahaha.
In other news. I have enrolled in 4 on-line classes at the college in NC. It is funny, I am much closer to being finished than I thought, lol. Which is a good thing, but it just cracks me up how very out of touch I have been with the direction and progress of my studies. I have finally decided...FINALLY, that nursing is where my heart is truly leading me. It is what I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember, so now I am buckling down and hoping that I can apply to the nursing program for next fall or spring. It is WONDERFUL to finally just know what I am going to pursue. I have spent so much time waffling, wasted time really, and to now have my direction, I can really attack the process! Yay for me, right, lol :-)
School starts two days after we get back from Cali. Nothing like hitting the ground running!!! I wrestled with taking on-line Vs. in person classes. I decided on the on-line because I could get more of the classes I wanted, not to say that the classes at the college were full, no, just that I would have been there at all hours all throughout the week. That dog just isn't gonna hunt, folks! No-can-do-skies! I have kids, dogs, house, husband (this is in no particular order of importance), myself and a myriad of other things I WANT to do (like lunches with friends!), that need to be taken care of. I can't be in class, 30 minutes away, all day, all week long. Nope, not gonna do it. So, until I absolutely MUST be in a class physically, it's on-line classes for me! I hope it goes alright. I have only ever taken one on-line course and it was so flippin' boring...read this chapter, answer these 2 questions from this section, write 2 papers on these questions from that section, turn it in by this date, make sure it is in this format....ugh. That was it. No interaction beyond checking blackboard for the assignment. It wasn't hard. No. Just boring.
Well, my little sprite has just woken up. We have a 2 mile walk ahead of us and than a day of pool time! Happy Summer days :-)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
What now ~~ not much, that's for sure
Been home now for almost a week and I am still not on the right schedule! Not only am I getting tired of it, but apparently the 'ole hubbsters isn't too happy about it either! Guess he doesn't like my staying up until 4am rather then going to snuggle with him at a respectable hour.......*Sigh*, do you ever feel like no matter what you do, you're doing something wrong? Lol, story of my life right there!
I can't believe that we just celebrated 4th of July! Where has this year gone?!?!? I have to say that I was completely bummed that we weren't in Bako for the festivities. It is always so nice there. Momma and Daddy throw a HUGE shindig with cousins, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents in attendance. Momma ALWAYS bankrupts herself at the firework stands -- yes, standS....she goes to ALL of them. Near her, across town, it doesn't matter, Kapperz G is going to visit and purchase! There is always an astonishing amount of great food, with Daddy heading up the grill (master griller is he!), great music beating the air as we all splash and play in the pool (or work on our tans!). The day just seems to last and last, as those moments of pure pleasure do....it is always just wonderful. This year was just a wee bit different for us, lol. There were no bbq's to head to during the day. No real plans to look forward to. It ended up being nice, though. We went to downtown New Bern and watched the fireworks at the park there. There were soooo many people, it was crazy! But I loved the small town feel of the event....it kind of reminded me of the parade that Julia Roberts is at in the movie, Sleeping with the Enemy . . . lol, always a movie, right!
This week is getting away from me. Here it is Tuesday and I haven't done a THING to get ready for our upcoming trip OR John's birthday. We are celebrating it early (just a day early) so that he can have a sleep-over but I haven't gotten the stuff to make his cake, his present, figured out just what the heck we are going to do with all the kids, etc...my mind is seriously not functioning properly. Ugh...I really need to get my butt in gear, make a list or something, and just get this stuff DONE already!
Ha, funny thing though. So, John walks in to my room the other day and reminds me that I haven't had them work in their summer workbooks yet!
Back story: Every school break I have the boys work in grade appropriate workbooks so that their minds are kept active and they don't lose any of the information they have learned at school. Yes, I am a mean Mom, get over it!
Anyway, John had first asked about working in their workbooks while we were still in Australia, much to his brother's dismay (Matt is not too keen on the whole thing). I assured John that I hadn't forgotten but had decided to let Australia be a "true" vacation, so no workbooks. Do you know, he was bummed about that. Bless his heart, he is a child after my own! Anyhoo, so apparently, since I didn't immediately upon returning home sit them down with their workbooks John thought it necessary to remind me about it. LOL! Love it :-) I gave them, and lets face it, ME, a week to get back into the swing of things (and I have obviously NEEDED it, dear dog!) before buckling down with summer school work. However, it will be on like donkey kong while we are 5 weeks in Bako!!! 4 weeks off, 5 weeks on...not too bad, I guess. Could be better but I am not going to beat myself up to bad . . .
Did I mention how excited we are to be heading to Bako!?!?!? Sooooo looking forward to being there, hanging out at the pool all day, visiting with my sisters (and bro) and niece and nephews, enjoying Daddy's bbq! Yep, yep, yep...can NOT wait! Oh, wait, let me rephrase. Did I mention how excited I am?! Ha, yea, so apparently both the boys, for different reasons, are not too keen on our upcoming travel plans. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Matt wants to be here to start football practice on August 2nd instead of coming in two weeks later (how much could he possibly miss is what I am wondering!) and John thinks that it might be more difficult to adjust to the time change when we get back and since it will be close to when school starts back up, that it might be a bad idea for us to go. A pox on them is what I say!!! We are going and we are gonna have a BLASTY BLAST!!!! Time in Bako, time at the beach, HELLS YEA! I am all over this :-)
I can't believe that we just celebrated 4th of July! Where has this year gone?!?!? I have to say that I was completely bummed that we weren't in Bako for the festivities. It is always so nice there. Momma and Daddy throw a HUGE shindig with cousins, Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents in attendance. Momma ALWAYS bankrupts herself at the firework stands -- yes, standS....she goes to ALL of them. Near her, across town, it doesn't matter, Kapperz G is going to visit and purchase! There is always an astonishing amount of great food, with Daddy heading up the grill (master griller is he!), great music beating the air as we all splash and play in the pool (or work on our tans!). The day just seems to last and last, as those moments of pure pleasure do....it is always just wonderful. This year was just a wee bit different for us, lol. There were no bbq's to head to during the day. No real plans to look forward to. It ended up being nice, though. We went to downtown New Bern and watched the fireworks at the park there. There were soooo many people, it was crazy! But I loved the small town feel of the event....it kind of reminded me of the parade that Julia Roberts is at in the movie, Sleeping with the Enemy . . . lol, always a movie, right!
This week is getting away from me. Here it is Tuesday and I haven't done a THING to get ready for our upcoming trip OR John's birthday. We are celebrating it early (just a day early) so that he can have a sleep-over but I haven't gotten the stuff to make his cake, his present, figured out just what the heck we are going to do with all the kids, etc...my mind is seriously not functioning properly. Ugh...I really need to get my butt in gear, make a list or something, and just get this stuff DONE already!
Ha, funny thing though. So, John walks in to my room the other day and reminds me that I haven't had them work in their summer workbooks yet!
Back story: Every school break I have the boys work in grade appropriate workbooks so that their minds are kept active and they don't lose any of the information they have learned at school. Yes, I am a mean Mom, get over it!
Anyway, John had first asked about working in their workbooks while we were still in Australia, much to his brother's dismay (Matt is not too keen on the whole thing). I assured John that I hadn't forgotten but had decided to let Australia be a "true" vacation, so no workbooks. Do you know, he was bummed about that. Bless his heart, he is a child after my own! Anyhoo, so apparently, since I didn't immediately upon returning home sit them down with their workbooks John thought it necessary to remind me about it. LOL! Love it :-) I gave them, and lets face it, ME, a week to get back into the swing of things (and I have obviously NEEDED it, dear dog!) before buckling down with summer school work. However, it will be on like donkey kong while we are 5 weeks in Bako!!! 4 weeks off, 5 weeks on...not too bad, I guess. Could be better but I am not going to beat myself up to bad . . .
Did I mention how excited we are to be heading to Bako!?!?!? Sooooo looking forward to being there, hanging out at the pool all day, visiting with my sisters (and bro) and niece and nephews, enjoying Daddy's bbq! Yep, yep, yep...can NOT wait! Oh, wait, let me rephrase. Did I mention how excited I am?! Ha, yea, so apparently both the boys, for different reasons, are not too keen on our upcoming travel plans. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Matt wants to be here to start football practice on August 2nd instead of coming in two weeks later (how much could he possibly miss is what I am wondering!) and John thinks that it might be more difficult to adjust to the time change when we get back and since it will be close to when school starts back up, that it might be a bad idea for us to go. A pox on them is what I say!!! We are going and we are gonna have a BLASTY BLAST!!!! Time in Bako, time at the beach, HELLS YEA! I am all over this :-)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Home Sweet Home
Gosh, it feels good to be home! I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed sleeping in MY bed last night.....I LOVE my bed!!! Lol, I really do, I'm not joking...
We arrived home yesterday just after 3pm, and let me tell you, it was the end of a very long journey. Our last few days in Australia were spent with more exploring, lol. Of course! Except for Saturday...Saturday we had a lovely mild day. We hung out at the apartment most of the day, Matthew wasn't feeling well, he had a bit of a head cold and we had plans to meet up with Joy and her family later in the afternoon. Joy? Ah, yes. Who is Joy? Joy is the lovely swim instructor the boys had two summers running in Bakersfield. She is from Australia, Brisbane actually, and only recently moved back to the area with her husband and adorable little boy. It was truly awesome to be able to see her and meet the two men in her life :-) We had a lovely time of it with them; meandering along Southbank, watching a street perfomer (who was HYSTERICAL!), taking the CityCat river boat, having a beer, and whole-heartedly enjoying the conversation and company.
On Sunday we went to the Glasshouse Mountains, which were beautiful. Oh! And guess what!? We saw wild kangaroos!!! Yes, we did! Not a single one was to be seen in the Outback, but by jove, they were in the Glasshouse Mountains a hour north of Brisbane......go figure. But it was so cool...we stopped at this little cafe on the way to the mountains that was situated on a lookout overlooking a mango farm, and there they were, laying on the grass beneath the mango trees. Ha! It was too cool! There were 4 of them all told. One had to be the male -- he was HUGE! I didn't have my camera with me, nor did Mark, so unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, but trust me, it was awesome :-)We took our time at the cafe, having lunch and just watching the kangaroos -- the owner of the cafe stopped by to tell us how much he appreciated our taking the time to just enjoy the area and wildlife. That so often people just zip in, get a picture and zip out . . . lol, if he only knew how MUCH I loved just sitting there (my poor aching feet).
Monday we headed north, up the Sunshine Coast, to Noosa Head Beach. It was stunning! The whole drive up I kept laughing at myself for the misconceptions I had about Australia. Lol, I thought it all would look like the Outback ~~ HA! Nope. The area we were driving through was seriously tropical looking....I've never been to Hawaii, but it reminded me of what Hawaii would look like --- trees everywhere, vibrant flowers, beautifully colored birds flitting to and fro, white sandy beaches, and the gorgeous blue of the Pacific sparkling in the sun. It was just lovely. Mark and Matt brought their suits and braved the cold water....they said that a few feet out in the water there were a ton of fish swimming around, like "Dory", from Finding Nemo...those kinds of fish. Crazy!
We left on Tuesday morning and it was a LONG way home. I was thrilled that our sits were all together this time. Mark and I took the aisle seats and it was HEAVEN to be able to get up whenever I wanted without disturbing anyone! My legs still swelled a bit, but not as bad, I don't think, as on the way there. We had a 6hr layover in LAX and both Mark and Matt slept most of the time. I wanted to sleep, boy, did I want to sleep...my brain was tingling and I was going numb, I was so tired, but John was up and rarin' to go so I didn't get a chance to nap. By the time we landed, got our car and got to our hotel room, we had been up for over 25hrs. Exhausting!! We crashed by midnight and I don't think I moved a single muscle until almost 10am, lol. Our poor boys, we had to drag them awake, they were so exhausted!
When we got home yesterday afternoon, I had the boys unpack their clothes and get their stuff put away while I went to the commissary -- I had emptied the fridge and cupboards before we left so we had NOTHING in the house, lol! It's funny how you can miss the familiar....normally I do not relish heading to the commissary, especially the day before payday (or on payday, lol!), but I sure did have a spring in my step yesterday. I think it was the overall pleasure in being home ~~ Dorothy sure did have it right, There's No Place Like Home!!
So yea, we are all home now. ALL of us....I just picked the dogs up this morning! Gosh, we missed them!!! They look so big, I just can't believe it. They were groomed today or yesterday which I think is one reason why they look so changed, lol. They are truly gorgeous puppy loves!
It's good to be back.
We arrived home yesterday just after 3pm, and let me tell you, it was the end of a very long journey. Our last few days in Australia were spent with more exploring, lol. Of course! Except for Saturday...Saturday we had a lovely mild day. We hung out at the apartment most of the day, Matthew wasn't feeling well, he had a bit of a head cold and we had plans to meet up with Joy and her family later in the afternoon. Joy? Ah, yes. Who is Joy? Joy is the lovely swim instructor the boys had two summers running in Bakersfield. She is from Australia, Brisbane actually, and only recently moved back to the area with her husband and adorable little boy. It was truly awesome to be able to see her and meet the two men in her life :-) We had a lovely time of it with them; meandering along Southbank, watching a street perfomer (who was HYSTERICAL!), taking the CityCat river boat, having a beer, and whole-heartedly enjoying the conversation and company.
On Sunday we went to the Glasshouse Mountains, which were beautiful. Oh! And guess what!? We saw wild kangaroos!!! Yes, we did! Not a single one was to be seen in the Outback, but by jove, they were in the Glasshouse Mountains a hour north of Brisbane......go figure. But it was so cool...we stopped at this little cafe on the way to the mountains that was situated on a lookout overlooking a mango farm, and there they were, laying on the grass beneath the mango trees. Ha! It was too cool! There were 4 of them all told. One had to be the male -- he was HUGE! I didn't have my camera with me, nor did Mark, so unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, but trust me, it was awesome :-)We took our time at the cafe, having lunch and just watching the kangaroos -- the owner of the cafe stopped by to tell us how much he appreciated our taking the time to just enjoy the area and wildlife. That so often people just zip in, get a picture and zip out . . . lol, if he only knew how MUCH I loved just sitting there (my poor aching feet).
Monday we headed north, up the Sunshine Coast, to Noosa Head Beach. It was stunning! The whole drive up I kept laughing at myself for the misconceptions I had about Australia. Lol, I thought it all would look like the Outback ~~ HA! Nope. The area we were driving through was seriously tropical looking....I've never been to Hawaii, but it reminded me of what Hawaii would look like --- trees everywhere, vibrant flowers, beautifully colored birds flitting to and fro, white sandy beaches, and the gorgeous blue of the Pacific sparkling in the sun. It was just lovely. Mark and Matt brought their suits and braved the cold water....they said that a few feet out in the water there were a ton of fish swimming around, like "Dory", from Finding Nemo...those kinds of fish. Crazy!
We left on Tuesday morning and it was a LONG way home. I was thrilled that our sits were all together this time. Mark and I took the aisle seats and it was HEAVEN to be able to get up whenever I wanted without disturbing anyone! My legs still swelled a bit, but not as bad, I don't think, as on the way there. We had a 6hr layover in LAX and both Mark and Matt slept most of the time. I wanted to sleep, boy, did I want to sleep...my brain was tingling and I was going numb, I was so tired, but John was up and rarin' to go so I didn't get a chance to nap. By the time we landed, got our car and got to our hotel room, we had been up for over 25hrs. Exhausting!! We crashed by midnight and I don't think I moved a single muscle until almost 10am, lol. Our poor boys, we had to drag them awake, they were so exhausted!
When we got home yesterday afternoon, I had the boys unpack their clothes and get their stuff put away while I went to the commissary -- I had emptied the fridge and cupboards before we left so we had NOTHING in the house, lol! It's funny how you can miss the familiar....normally I do not relish heading to the commissary, especially the day before payday (or on payday, lol!), but I sure did have a spring in my step yesterday. I think it was the overall pleasure in being home ~~ Dorothy sure did have it right, There's No Place Like Home!!
So yea, we are all home now. ALL of us....I just picked the dogs up this morning! Gosh, we missed them!!! They look so big, I just can't believe it. They were groomed today or yesterday which I think is one reason why they look so changed, lol. They are truly gorgeous puppy loves!
It's good to be back.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Funny little things
Today, Saturday, we are taking it super easy, lol. Matthew is back in bed, having succumbed to a nasty cold yesterday, Mark is out running (egads!), John is glued to his D/S and I am here, on the computer, as usual!
I have been sitting here running through the past few weeks in Australia, thinking about all that we have seen, the differences, the similarities....and it got me thinking. I need to share it all with you, lol.
One of the things I love the most about going to different countries, not that I have been to a great many, but still, one of the things I love is seeing the small changes to something familiar. For instance, when I was in Ireland I bought a back of Starburst....they had all the same flavors except one, it was purple and, I do believe, was a huckleberry flavor. Or something like that. The same is true here, not regarding Starburst, I haven't actually seen any, but you know what I mean.
We bought a bag of nacho cheese Doritos and the bag they come in here is yellow. Yea, yellow...and the chip is totally different. Thicker, more, not stale, but it has a very different taste than in the states.
French fries are chips and chips are crisps....lol, telling John the difference between what they are to Americans Vs. Aussies was too funny ~~
"Brekkie" is breakfast, and, from what I can ascertain, is served all day long at any and all food establishments. They have this sausage roll ~~ okay, seriously, it tastes like Thanksgiving stuffing and is wrapped in puff pastry. Delish! Matt has been going gaga over the meat pies...these tiny little pies filled with different kinds of meat; lamb, beef, chicken -- whichever you desire, and a gravy.
They have a fast food joint called Hungry Jack's, which I swear is Burger King. Mark got their Aussie Brekkie sandwich while we waited for our plane to Alice Springs and it was LOADED. It had a patty, sausage, egg, carrots, beets . . . you name it, it was on it. Lol - very interesting.
The Aussie paper money is almost to pretty to spend. The texture of it is so different from ours, with ours you can really feel the paper and its thickness. The Aussie money is almost, silky, I guess would be the word. And very thin. And VERY colorful! The paper money begins at $5.00, anything less is in coin. And it is funny, their dollar coins, which are gold, have the $2.00 coin being much smaller than the $1.00 coin. But the cent coins (they are silver) are reversed, with the .50 cent being the largest. I don't know why we thought that was interesting, but we all have commented on it. I also over-heard an American woman talking about yesterday as she was checking out of the gift shop at the zoo...hahaha, so I guess we're not the only ones!
The toilets have two different flushing buttons. I think it might be due to their water crisis, but I am not sure. Anyway, so yea, two different buttons. One is a small flush and the other is a great gush of water, very powerful. Mark instructed the boys that the light flush was for "light jobs" and the heavy flush was for the "BIG jobs" only --- dear dog!
So far we haven't found a coffee shop yet that makes drip coffee. It's all press. They have terms for coffee that we had never heard of; long black, short black, flat white, etc....Mark actually googled it two nights ago after I ordered a short black thinking it would be just a regular cup of black coffee. Nope. It wasn't. It was basically a double shot of espresso! But now we know, lol.
Things are very expensive here. I think I have mentioned that before. But it really is staggering. Gas is charged by the liter here. We spent $100.00 to fill up the Ford Falcon....I never paid that much to fill up my old Expedition ~~ it pierces the heart, it surely does ;-) We haven't had a single beer out at dinner that was less than $6.00 a bottle. Which is why we limit ourselves to one drink each, lol, dear dog the bill racks up quick when you add a beverage! And the meals are EXPENSIVE. No dish, not even the nachos John got last night, has been less than $25.00. Crazy expensive, at least, to me.
While we were in Alice Springs we saw many of the Aboriginal people of the area. While it might not be fair to say, and I admit I am not knowledgable in the slightest about the plight of the Aboriginies, or if there even is one, but I was reminded of the Native Americans in our country. There seemed to be many that were down on their luck -- I don't know if they have been pushed off their land or what, but from what I could see, it didn't seem like they were thriving. Mark heard on a public radio segment that there is quite a bit of mental health issues within the Aboriginal people, but there is not enough money in the healthcare budget so they are left untreated. Australia has public healthcare/government run --- it struck me when we were talking about the plight of the Aboriginies with the mental health problems and the lack of funding for proper treatment, that, yes, with public/government run health care everyone is allowed care, but if there isn't enough money in the budget to cover the needs of all of those people or even just a particular group of people with needs that are expensive to treat, the care isn't there. I don't know, maybe that wasn't worded right -- and I didn't come on here to get on any kind of soap box. It was just an observation.
I noticed this in Ireland, and Australia is not different in the slightest....ice is apparently not needed in drinks, lol. The boys have gotten many a soda that had 3 lonely ice chips floating in it, or none at all, ha! The soda is cold, which is great, but it's just funny, especially coming from the states where we usually get a glass half filled with ice. Also, unlike in the states where the waiter/waitress will put the bill on your table, or come 'round and see if you want refills or anything else, here we have noticed that pretty much as soon as your main entree is delivered, you are left alone. They don't hover AT ALL. We've had to track down our server a handful of times to ask for our check, dessert, or another drink. It's nice, though, to not have someone hovering around your table.
I know there is more.....but I'll leave it for another time, lol! I'm going to go check on Matt (who is still sleeping) and try to convince John that he wants to watch a movie with his Mom :-)
Until later, then . . .
I have been sitting here running through the past few weeks in Australia, thinking about all that we have seen, the differences, the similarities....and it got me thinking. I need to share it all with you, lol.
One of the things I love the most about going to different countries, not that I have been to a great many, but still, one of the things I love is seeing the small changes to something familiar. For instance, when I was in Ireland I bought a back of Starburst....they had all the same flavors except one, it was purple and, I do believe, was a huckleberry flavor. Or something like that. The same is true here, not regarding Starburst, I haven't actually seen any, but you know what I mean.
We bought a bag of nacho cheese Doritos and the bag they come in here is yellow. Yea, yellow...and the chip is totally different. Thicker, more, not stale, but it has a very different taste than in the states.
French fries are chips and chips are crisps....lol, telling John the difference between what they are to Americans Vs. Aussies was too funny ~~
"Brekkie" is breakfast, and, from what I can ascertain, is served all day long at any and all food establishments. They have this sausage roll ~~ okay, seriously, it tastes like Thanksgiving stuffing and is wrapped in puff pastry. Delish! Matt has been going gaga over the meat pies...these tiny little pies filled with different kinds of meat; lamb, beef, chicken -- whichever you desire, and a gravy.
They have a fast food joint called Hungry Jack's, which I swear is Burger King. Mark got their Aussie Brekkie sandwich while we waited for our plane to Alice Springs and it was LOADED. It had a patty, sausage, egg, carrots, beets . . . you name it, it was on it. Lol - very interesting.
The Aussie paper money is almost to pretty to spend. The texture of it is so different from ours, with ours you can really feel the paper and its thickness. The Aussie money is almost, silky, I guess would be the word. And very thin. And VERY colorful! The paper money begins at $5.00, anything less is in coin. And it is funny, their dollar coins, which are gold, have the $2.00 coin being much smaller than the $1.00 coin. But the cent coins (they are silver) are reversed, with the .50 cent being the largest. I don't know why we thought that was interesting, but we all have commented on it. I also over-heard an American woman talking about yesterday as she was checking out of the gift shop at the zoo...hahaha, so I guess we're not the only ones!
The toilets have two different flushing buttons. I think it might be due to their water crisis, but I am not sure. Anyway, so yea, two different buttons. One is a small flush and the other is a great gush of water, very powerful. Mark instructed the boys that the light flush was for "light jobs" and the heavy flush was for the "BIG jobs" only --- dear dog!
So far we haven't found a coffee shop yet that makes drip coffee. It's all press. They have terms for coffee that we had never heard of; long black, short black, flat white, etc....Mark actually googled it two nights ago after I ordered a short black thinking it would be just a regular cup of black coffee. Nope. It wasn't. It was basically a double shot of espresso! But now we know, lol.
Things are very expensive here. I think I have mentioned that before. But it really is staggering. Gas is charged by the liter here. We spent $100.00 to fill up the Ford Falcon....I never paid that much to fill up my old Expedition ~~ it pierces the heart, it surely does ;-) We haven't had a single beer out at dinner that was less than $6.00 a bottle. Which is why we limit ourselves to one drink each, lol, dear dog the bill racks up quick when you add a beverage! And the meals are EXPENSIVE. No dish, not even the nachos John got last night, has been less than $25.00. Crazy expensive, at least, to me.
While we were in Alice Springs we saw many of the Aboriginal people of the area. While it might not be fair to say, and I admit I am not knowledgable in the slightest about the plight of the Aboriginies, or if there even is one, but I was reminded of the Native Americans in our country. There seemed to be many that were down on their luck -- I don't know if they have been pushed off their land or what, but from what I could see, it didn't seem like they were thriving. Mark heard on a public radio segment that there is quite a bit of mental health issues within the Aboriginal people, but there is not enough money in the healthcare budget so they are left untreated. Australia has public healthcare/government run --- it struck me when we were talking about the plight of the Aboriginies with the mental health problems and the lack of funding for proper treatment, that, yes, with public/government run health care everyone is allowed care, but if there isn't enough money in the budget to cover the needs of all of those people or even just a particular group of people with needs that are expensive to treat, the care isn't there. I don't know, maybe that wasn't worded right -- and I didn't come on here to get on any kind of soap box. It was just an observation.
I noticed this in Ireland, and Australia is not different in the slightest....ice is apparently not needed in drinks, lol. The boys have gotten many a soda that had 3 lonely ice chips floating in it, or none at all, ha! The soda is cold, which is great, but it's just funny, especially coming from the states where we usually get a glass half filled with ice. Also, unlike in the states where the waiter/waitress will put the bill on your table, or come 'round and see if you want refills or anything else, here we have noticed that pretty much as soon as your main entree is delivered, you are left alone. They don't hover AT ALL. We've had to track down our server a handful of times to ask for our check, dessert, or another drink. It's nice, though, to not have someone hovering around your table.
I know there is more.....but I'll leave it for another time, lol! I'm going to go check on Matt (who is still sleeping) and try to convince John that he wants to watch a movie with his Mom :-)
Until later, then . . .
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