Fifteen years

Friday:

Today is my/our fifteen year wedding anniversary. Fifteen years!! Just over a third of my life, married to my lovely Tim. We're going out to dinner tonight. Last weekend a family member looked up that 15 years meant crystal was the traditional present, and Tim mentioned that he wandered into the Swarovski store this week but not if he bought anything! I won't reveal my present to him as I haven't given it to him yet, but it's not crystal.

The replacement oven was delivered yesterday and works fine so yay for that. I've cooked a few things already but the real test will be big Mother's Day dinner on Sunday.

Our tiler was making good progress on the paved area outside, but Friday lunchtime last week he said he needed to pick up more tiles and left with his two assistants. And didn't come back. On Tuesday I sent a slightly cranky text asking what was going on. Turns out he had been hospitalised on the weekend and was still on bed rest with a ventilator four times a day! Asthma exacerbated by allergies I think. He had been very wheezy carrying tiles around - I thought he was just unfit! I feel bad for him and hope he feels better soon for his own sake, but there were three of them working you'd think one of them could have called to tell me what was going on. Anyway, no sign of their return so far. I just try to suspend all expectations of when the pool will be finished, nothing has gone as planned. More than nine months now.

Eurovision starts tonight, or at least the Australian coverage of it does (actually I think both semi's have already finished). If we wanted to watch it live from the Ukraine it would be 5am, so we wait for primetime viewing. We'll have people over Sunday night (also Mother's Day) to watch the final. Love the Eurovision Song Contest!

Oven

Thursday:

It's been a day of ups and downs.

Firstly the tilers were here all day and got a good portion of the tiling done and it looks great.

Actually it looks darker and dirtier in the pictures than in reality, maybe because I took the photo when the day's light was failing. The tiles are actually a very pale blonde.

Then the oven was delivered. Not great news about whether it would fit in the space, the previous (old) wall oven was an odd size that we couldn't find an exact replacement for. This one is close, but a little too tall and too narrow. So we might need a carpenter to do a little cabinetry, at present there is a gap down the sides and the doors of the cupboard above had to be taken off. But I was very excited about having an oven again. Until he turned it on and there was a loud pop and the element blew or something. They have another one in the warehouse and at first said they will deliver that tomorrow. So I did the grocery shopping and took a chance on hoping I would have an oven from tomorrow! Bought ingredients for roast chicken and BBQ pork ribs. ... and then they called in the evening to say they couldn't deliver until next week. Which, with my schedule, means next Thursday. I can use the top part of this one, I wasn't going to if it was just one day but I will since otherwise I won't have an oven at all for another week.

Finally in up/down news, I got the final cheque from mum's solicitor, the last payment from her  estate that he had been hanging on to until he got the tax returns done. It's been more than two years and I had to get the executor to give the solicitor a nudge. Anyway, it came in the mail today so I was feeling that finally I didn't have to deal with that side of her death any more, everything was finalised. And also we need the money for the pool, which is like a cash-sucking vampire. But when I was at the shops today I was surrounded by Mother's Day cards and flowers and present ideas - it's only a week away. And I realised that mum's death will never be "finalised". Well, I'm still glad the money side is done with.

Discombobulated

Thursday:

I'm feeling a bit cranky and discombobulated. Bloody tradesmen.

The oven repair guy who couldn't find anything wrong with my oven a couple of weeks ago came back today now that it is completely dead. He was supposed to come "morning" so we sat at home all day, at 2pm I called the company, he turned up at 3. He poked vaguely at the oven and told me it would be cheaper and easier to get a new oven. He barely looked at it. I couldn't stand his cigarette reek, I only got him back because with a new company I'd have to pay the exorbitant callout fee again. I know the oven is old - the whole kitchen is old - I was hoping to not need a new oven for a few years until we'd recovered from paying for the pool, and get the whole kitchen remodelled then. Replace the lino countertops as well as the ancient fixtures. But looks like we'll have to get a new oven now. It's a wall oven, too, so we have to get one that fits that space... very restrictive... Arg!

Oh and the pool - we finally got the side fences raised to the required height. But the site manager came by and looked at them and he's not sure they will pass council safety inspection! Double arg!

And I went to order a skip bin for the weekend only to find they are about twice as expensive here as I remember from Canberra only two years ago. I was so horrified at the price of the place that advertised "cheapest in Sutherland Shire" I said I'd get back to them, tried elsewhere but it was even more expensive. I suppose I'll have to call back. I feel like we're haemorrhaging money.

Broken oven

Saturday:

My oven seemed to be working ok, a bit hotter than usual maybe, since the repair man came and did nothing. Until this morning, when Tim noticed the oven clock wasn't lit up. So we tried the oven, the grill, checked the powerboard outside, checked other appliances -- just the oven unit (including grill) not working. Completely dead. With Easter dinner for 14 (not including babies) to cook tomorrow and no chance of getting a repair man before then.

My menu included roast lamb with roast vegetables, garlic bread cooked in the oven, roast tomato soup, lemon tart (cooked in the oven)... I went into a bit of a panic. I knew the shops were open today so I could buy all new stuff, but catering for 14 isn't easy with just frying pans. Luckily Tim remembered we have an outdoor BBQ! We only use it a couple of times a year, but tomorrow will be one of those days! It's not one I can do a lamb roast on, unfortunately.

So I'll be off to the shops soon to stock up on meat and a pre-made dessert.

We decided not to go to the Royal Easter Show this year. It started life as an agricultural show but it's huge now; show animals, rides, sideshows, showbags, show jumping, pig races, best fruitcake, best quilt, dress made entirely of rose petals, petting zoo, alpaca wool fashion show, motorbike trick riding, giant robot dinosaur that eats cars, fireworks, more rides, food pavilion with lots of tastings, cooking demonstrations, shearing demonstrations... it's fun but exhausting. I now understand why my mum would only take us every second year - and it was a lot smaller then! Anyway, instead last weekend we went to a little "family show" with my brother-in-law's family, it's in competition with the Easter Show and apparently isn't allowed to use "Easter" in the title after a fight with the big Show; it was tiny and mostly sideshows unfortunately but there was a petting zoo and a Lego exhibition and a little circus so it was an ok day. I'm kind of wavering a bit about still going to the real Show, no one else cares but I still have happy memories of it.

It is school holidays, I took the kids to see Beauty and the Beast last week, it was pretty good. We've been having lots of treats, I think I've put on a kilogram and it's not even Easter yet. The Easter bunny is usually pretty generous in this house!

Fence

Thursday:

The pool fence is in!

The oven repairer also came, that was less conclusive. He turned on the oven, horrible burning smell again. He didn't seem to be able to smell it - but he was obviously a heavy smoker and emitted a horrible burning smell himself! He said I must have a very sensitive nose. I was quite annoyed about that - how can he do his job probably? I felt quite ill from the stench (from both sources). He left the oven on very high for a while, it did heat up successfully and the smell stopped after a while (still filled the kitchen, but no new fumes being generated). He thinks it was probably just something spilled on the element (it didn't smell like food burning to me) but it is a very old oven and it could be a loose wire somewhere that will require replacement parts - if he can find them for a 20 year old oven. And to call him if it happens again. I suppose he can't fix what doesn't seem broken but it was frustrating. I guess I will try using the oven and see what happens.

Not tonight though. I'm still feeling quite sick and I think Aiden has come down with it too. I'll grab take-away when I pick up Jasmine from gymnastics. I made her walk there so I didn't have to go out twice but I'll pick her up as it will be dark then.

It's been weird sitting at home doing nothing all day. Felt very purposeless. Computer games are boring when you are just killing time. Nothing on TV. I did manage to have a nap after both tradesmen had gone. I must be really be enjoying my studies if I'm lost when I can't do them! Of course feeling sick doesn't help my mood.

Tim has been away all week, home this evening. I hate when he is away. Be glad when he is home and I can just crawl into bed and sleep.

I haven't told him about the fence being in, they only called on Tuesday to say they could install it this week. I thought it would be a nice surprise. Except it will be dark when he gets home... maybe I'll tell him in the morning.

Rain and more cake

Monday:

Well I've put on about 1.5 kg since I last weighed myself, and no wonder. This morning we had another morning tea at work, cake and biscuits. Luckily it was another cake I didn't like (coffee and walnut, this time, I hate coffee) so I wasn't tempted by that but I did have a couple of chocolate covered biscuits. I feel like my workplace if full of unexpected hazards! But I can't blame it all on work, I also had a chocolate éclair when out shopping with my family yesterday.

The more junk I eat, the harder it is to stop.

To help make sure I actually do it, I've told lots of people that I am going to take time off and write a novel. I've belonged to a writing group for a few years but only faffed around, of course they were all very supportive. When the big boss at work called me this afternoon to say they could extend my contract for another month, I told him I had other plans. I'm excited but also scared, I know it is going to be really hard work. But I also know from experience that getting started each session is the hard bit, once I start writing I don't really want to stop. Kind of like exercise.

I didn't walk to work today, only the second time I've driven, because it was pouring rain. Still is, probably will be raining all day tomorrow too. I don't mind a sprinkle, especially on a warm day, but this is bucket-loads and it is freezing here. Canberra does tend to get its rain in winter.

Last Thursday it wasn't raining but it was very cold, and I got home late after ferrying children around to their activities looking forward to a hot and tasty casserole. It was lukewarm, the cooking process barely started after more than three hours. So our oven is broken. And I'd just done the grocery shopping and included a roast and two more casseroles for the week ahead. Luckily we have a slow cooker and the stove-top still works. The slow cooker is great for casseroles, but didn't work so well for the lamb roast. It was falling apart but with no crispy bits or golden potatoes.

Maybe I think too much about food.