Working All Week... Well, Four Days

I was dreaming about standing out the front of John G. (dad’s friend who did the guttering for me) (I have no idea where that came from) with Mark and Mark was stealing things from his garden. It was like a display home set on a corner black with a garden that covered the triangle shape of the corner block, set at the bottom of street, which was a steep hill. I was trying to get Mark to stop stealing the stuff, but when he had his hands full, I was encouraging him to run. We ran up the hill to our car, an old Mini parked at the top of the hill. Once we were inside, I saw men running from the garden of the house up the hill towards us. At the same time, a woman who was a member of their group got into a similar old Mini and drove up the hill towards us. As she passed us, the men got to my side of the car. I was relieved that I knew how to lock an old Mini door, as I leant over and pulled the knob upwards, just as one of the men got to the door and tried to open it. His khaki pants and jumper pushed up against the car window.

“Start the car! Start the car!”

Mark pushed the starter in the floor. The little engine fired into life.

I was worried that Mark would stall the car on the steep hill. Then they would have time to get to the driver’s door, which you can’t lock from the inside n an old Mini.

“Are they up to us yet?”

“Yes. Quick! Quick! Drive!”

Mark made a perfect take off and we accelerated away from the menace.

I woke up. What the fuck was that about?

It was just after 10am. I had woken up a few times, 5am, 7am, 9am. I, actually, love that. I can look at the clock and see how many more hours I had to sleep. It makes the morning seem to be luxurious and long.

At 10am, I decided it was time to get up. I had a lot of study to do, I wanted it to be over and done with. But, be that as it may, it was time to get out of bed anyway.

I swung my legs out of bed.

Sam made his cute morning noises.

I sat on the edge of the bed.

Sam made his cute morning noises again.

I stood up.

Sam made his cute morning noises again.

I love those cute morning noises.

I turned to look at him.

Sam made his cute morning noises again.

I tilted my head sideways.

He pulled the doona up to his chin, rolled over and made his cute morning noises again.

He looked so comfortable. So cute. He looked as though he was going to stay there. He could have stayed there, it is nice, after all, to lay in bed.

I pulled on my track pants, I pulled on my red woollen jumper, I looked around for my mummy knit socks, remembering that I had washed them and they were on the clotheshorse, so I was resigned to padding downstairs barefoot. I got our laptops, my glasses and my mobile, at which point Sam sat up in bed, waking up.

Black track suit pants, red jumper, no socks, I headed downstairs.

Brown track suit pants, black jumper, socks, Sam followed.

I made coffee. Sam made Chinese pancakes, to a new recipe, and they were great. I told him we couldn’t have them because they were just fried flour and who has ever heard that fried flour was good for anyone, so he found a new recipe with leaks and bacon and chicken stock and he cooked them in our new Jamie Oliver non-stick fry pan with hardly any oil and they were light and fluffy. Yum yum.

Where the other ones were made like Roti and were, pretty much, deep fried.

I wrote my journal. Sam read his nerd news. I studied my work notes for end of year. Stressing the whole time that I knew nothing. I don’t know anything. I hate this feeling of only knowing so little as to only scrape by with clients. They are sending me out at? What is it? $60 an hour, maybe more, and, really, I feel like I know nothing.

Hey Beck,

How are you on this chilly Sunday morning? I think I am going to light a fire.

I have my first end of year to finalise tomorrow, for the not for profit organisation I have been doing, I have to admit I am a bit nervous. It is a company they took over earlier in the year, which they have little idea about. I will be pleased when that one balances.

Then I have two companies I have never work for before. I can't really imagine what it is that I am going to be doing for them, assisting someone, I assume. Then I have a company on Friday, which I have worked for once, the (Name of company). (name of my company) are sending me out as an expert, I assume, and I have never done end of year with (name of software) and I barely feel like I know anything.

Oh come on Friday afternoon.

I must find myself a permanent job.

How are you? How's your end of year coming along?

christian

We had showers and headed to the city around 2.30pm, aiming for the Japanese restaurant at QV for the afternoon special, which starts at 3pm.

We were 10 minutes early for the afternoon special, so we went and sat on the concrete steps in the courtyard while Sam continued to message his brother about his cousins coming to visit in August.

We ate Ramen soup. Very nice. It had pieces of slow cooked Ox tongue, which was fucken great. Yum, bloody yum!

I bought BreadTop buns afterwards, Sam was displeased. Apparently, one isn’t allowed to have something sweet after a main course. Apparently, that never happens. A sweet course following a savoury course. Unheard of.

He called me fat. Actually, he doesn’t call me fat, he just gazes at my stomach pointedly while pulling that face – open mouthed, slightly shocked.

Sam had a hair cut in Elizabeth Street. $15. Of course, he could have it while I was with him. That is what a boyfriend does, after all. He holds your hand and eats with you and waits patiently while you have a haircut. Apparently.

We went to JB Hi Fi to look at the tablet Sam finally ordered for himself on the internet, which I still say he will never use, but it is the one size tablet he doesn’t have.  And we looked at computer bags. With his new job he has to start carrying a laptop to and from work again.

We went to Myer afterwards to look at computer bags. I love the new Myer, it’s cool. The top floor is fantastic, the windows, the light, all really wonderful. Even if Sam had decided in JB Hi Fi that he could use his existing bag and his existing Mac Air computer case, which would fit inside his existing bag.

We went to the Asian Grocer and bought food and a grapefruit drink and Chrysanthemum tea.

We drank them, me the grapefruit, Sam the chrysanthemum tea, as walked up Little Lonsdale Street to home in the fading afternoon light, me carrying both grocer bags, with Sam waving his arms around, as if to say “look free as a bird” if I tried to give him one of them.

He always makes me smile, even if he is being, smile, hard to get along with.

He put money on his Myki card at the milk bar just before home. He rolled his eyes when he put his hand out for mine and I had to tell him I’d left it in my suit pants pocket. Another example of my slackness.

He registered my Myki card on line as soon as we got home, so I cold check the remaining balance. It was $7.50, just enough for tomorrow. I’m sure he wanted it t be less, just to show me.

According to the residential tenancy act we dont have to pay for water because we dont have our own water meter ,there is only one serving all three units .Consumer affairs has confirmed this .So we are going to send the bill back to (name of real estate agent) to forward to the land lord and see what happens. If he gets punitive and puts the rent up ,they must give us 60days notice . If they are going to pust us around then we are gone , as i have said before , just sooner rather than later. Its all a bugger and has me quite distressed .LOve Anthony 

Well that is interesting. I was basing it on my mother's properties which are all stand alone houses that, obviously, have their own water metres.

I actually wondered if you could dispute it on the fact that you have lived there for 7 years and therefore it is fairly obvious what it is that you are expected to pay. After 7 years is could be said that both you as the tenant and "them" as the landlord have clearly accepted what your payments are. For him to give you the water bill now, is effectively increasing your rent.

One comment on moving to Healesville, you would need to check if it is std phone calls from there.

christian

Shane came home with Tulli. Then they promptly disappeared not to be seen again. But, I am not expecting to be included in Shane’s life when he has a boyfriend, as I never am when he has a boyfriend. I am barely included at the best of times.

Sam cooked noodles.

Hello there

I've been down to Geelong for the weekend, then out for a bite to eat with my nephew and his wife.  It's soooo cold, I'm over it!

I hope your year end goes well, we're doing ours on Wednesday or Thursday. I went to the end of year seminar, it seems straight forward. Hopefully yours balances especially if they took it over... if it doesn't just run it anyway!  I caught up with Barb last week, she overheard the finance manager saying she doesn't know how to do year end in Attar, the poor thing.

Went to Sydney for the long weekend for Cathy's 50th. Had a great weekend, we carried on like we were still all 21 and survived.

Give me a call if you get stuck, I might be able to help you, if not Vanessa has done EOY before on (name of software).  9xxx 4xxx or my mobile.

I'm sure something permanent will come along soon.

Let me know when you're free for lunch or coffee.  Katie is working with us for a few months... I'd forgotten how much she's done everything and been everywhere!!

Good luck this week, you'll be fine. Let me know how you go.

Cheers

Beck