Monday, January 27, 2020

Too young to be old

Tuesday:

I hadn't really expected to hear from my workplace until the start of school term (it's a library at a TAFE, adult learners, so they only have a few permanent staff during the quiet holiday period), but I was getting a bit worried regardless that I wouldn't get much work (I'm a casual) and I'd have to start applying for jobs again -- further away from home, new systems, less congenial. But they contacted me to offer a couple of weeks, then today updated that to 8 weeks of this 10 week term... so I can relax knowing I will still be getting plenty of work, they still like me, I still seem to be top of their list.

Jasmine returns to school tomorrow (Year 11!) and Aiden the day after (Year 8). Jasmine turns 16 on Thursday!! I can't believe I have a nearly-adult daughter. I'm too young to be this old. She claims to be taller than me too, but I always deny it. She could learn to drive now! She's not that keen though. I think she'll wait until a convenient holiday break and we'll get her professional lessons. Tim would love to teach her but I think she'd be more nervous with daddy watching.

We didn't do much these holidays. We have at least got a bit more use out of the pool with a few hot days when the air wasn't full of bushfire smoke. Today is warm enough, but the sky is a nasty brownish orange.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

South Coast

Sunday:

We decided to go to the South Coast on a little holiday after all, the weather was cool and rainy so we didn't feel in danger from the bushfires which are everywhere - but actually they are closer to our home (8 kilometres away) than where we went in Kiama. We hesitated a lot about going - it seemed frivolous somehow - but decided that as long as we weren't being a nuisance to firefighters then our holiday dollars would be helping a town that relies a lot on tourist trade. And we would leave at the first sign of danger.

We walked around the town a lot, the coast and the lighthouse next to the famous blowhole (not blowing much while we were there). A lot of the eateries were closed because it was Monday/Tuesday, or because of the bushfires. It was incredibly humid despite being mostly cool, so it was kind of unpleasant to be moving around. On the third morning the air quality was so bad from bushfire smoke that we couldn't go outside at all - so we decided to drive home. Oh well, we had a couple of nice meals and got a lot more exercise than I am used to.

I haven't heard anything from work yet about this year. I'm hoping I get enough casual work that I don't have to look elsewhere. I don't really feel motivated to do more study yet.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

No-junk January

New Year’s Day:

Happy 2020 everyone. 2020? Seriously? I can remember when 2000 was still years away - from the other direction!

I had a mostly nice Christmas, we hosted dinner as usual plus BBQ and leftovers on Boxing Day. Unfortunately I was not at peak health, just a cold but that was enough to make cleaning and cooking for 18 even more exhausting than usual. I stayed home the day after, when everyone else went to Star Wars, and that helped my recovery. I’m fine now. We hosted a NYE party last night (I say party... we played board games. Wild!) Sadly, I didn’t get to see Poppa and my side of the family a few days before Christmas, I was at my sickest then and didn’t want to infect a 101-year-old. I’ll have to organise another trip over there.

I ate in a very unrestrained way over the past month or so, and haven’t exercised for months, and my weight reflects that. 76kg on the first day of 2020. So I’m making this ‘no junk January’ (chocolate isn’t junk!). I turn 50 this year! I know keeping control of my weight is going to be an ongoing job, but a very important one. I still have another 50 years to live in this body!

The bushfires continue all over my state, the sky is orangy-brown more often than blue. Several people have died and many homes destroyed. I’m lucky to have had only the relatively minor inconveniences of staying inside on the worst air pollution days, being unable to put washing outside, and being unsure if we’ll be able to get to our beach holiday as the roads have been closed a couple of times and it might be safer to just stay home.

Both children will be learning Spanish at school next year, so Jasmine and I have started practicing on DuoLingo. And I’ve started playing World of Warcraft again. Aside from that, some intensive resting.