Evil Oddie

The Z has been ready to sell for a while now and I’ve finally had a moment to breathe, so I thought I would blog about it.

When Glen originally bought it (quite some years ago, I think it was 2001 or 2002), he hunted for ages trying to find a 300zx that was in good condition and hadn’t been flogged.  It is really a fantastic car and realistically, I’ve driven it more than Glen.  I used to have this crappy Holden Nova that cost $2500 and when I had to drive anywhere other than work / shopping centres, I’d take the Z.  Since Glen’s gotten into 4wds and I sold the Nova and got the GTiR (since sold),  the poor Z hasn’t really been driven much.

I went up to Bundy the weekend before last and I wanted to take the Z.  I wasn’t allowed to because it would put too many k’s on it.  Talk about baby-ing a car.

 I really want the Z to sell cause then I can get my engagement ring!!!!  So if you want it, let me know…  I think Glen’s got $11 000 on it.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of doing the Real Relationships Course through REAL Education. A close friend of mine has completed all the courses that REAL Education offers and she told me that I would get a lot out of the course on the weekend.

I can’t tell you what the weekend involved, but I can tell you how I felt. On Friday, it seemed that the course was going slow and I wanted it to pick up pace. On Saturday, I found myself chewing quite hard on some of the information that Murray put forward and I had to challenge myself on why I was feeling the way that I was. I would swing between being comfortable / uncomfortable during the weekend. By Sunday, I didn’t want the weekend to finish. The understanding and truth that was in the room was indescribable.

It was a really big weekend. We didn’t finish til quite late (11pm - midnight), so it was big on learning and big hours too.

I did the course by myself, and if I had my time again, I would’ve gone with Glen. If you are experiencing issues with your relationship, I can advise you to do this course. What I learnt, I can use with every relationship I have, not just my personal relationship. I cannot speak highly enough of Murray and his team from REAL Education. What an educator!

I’m looking forward to my next course! Woot!!

Last Tuesday (the Tuesday after the Easter 4wd Comp), Glen came home from work with six red roses for me.  The card read something to the effect of “I couldn’t have done the weekend without you.”  I loved my roses, but initially I thought that I was about to have a bad experience.

When Glen and I were first together (a long long time ago),  I came home from work and Glen gave me a lovely bunch of flowers.  He said that he got them just because… Then about 15 minutes later, he says “I’m going away and I don’t want you to come.” 

I have only received flowers a couple of times and this is the first time that it was for a positive experience.  Plus this is the first lot of roses!!! Yay!!!

Over the weekend, Glen was the navi for Mick for the first time.  It was the first competition for the SSS Winch Challenge at Landcruiser Park- more info here. I think that they will put the results up shortly.

Anyway, on with the weekend. Glen was majorly excited. We got up early on Friday morning and we got to the camping ground at about 9:30am. We set up camp (took us only 30 mins - yay for our instant tent and gazebo). Then we got to watch everyone else set up camp. There was one couple that took over an hour and a half to put up their tarp just to put their kitchen under!!!

I think Mick got to the camping ground at about 11:30am and we helped him set up his tarp and swag. Once that was done, the boys set about getting the last little things done on the Comp Truck. As more people arrived, we started to get some visitors to camp. Jen & Fester rocked up just before the guys had to go for Drivers Briefing at 6pm. So I went with Jen & Fester to their camp (they scored the best site - we got stuck with the plebs on a slope).

Soon enough, it was time for the comp to start. At the draw, Mick and Glen were the first to run on Stage One. Everyone hates having to go first; but for Glen it was his first Navi experience at night and he had to go first. The boys did an ok time, but picked up a couple of penalties. The first one was pretty bad - Glen had stepped over the live winch rope - 30 points and Mick broke the bunting - 10 points. After that though, they didn’t incur any further penalties.

The boys broke the driver’s side CV on Stage 3. It was majorly hard core - the hill that the Navi’s had to climb for Stage 3 & 4 was unforgiving. Glen was stuffed after Stage 3 because they didn’t have any drive, they had to winch everything. Unfortunately, they ran out of time and recorded a DNF.

All the stages were really well planned and I think that organisers did a really fantastic job. The only issues that I had as a spectator was: Parking on Saturday; No Toilets until lunch time on Saturday; Didn’t see much of the night runs and; Having to Pay Extra for the Navi’s car to get to the Comp sites (I’m cheap - so I reckon it should be included).

Other things I should mention about the weekend. I met heaps of fantastic people. Everyone is really nice and helpful. The drivers & navi’s got to know my face, so they’d stop and have a chat and talk about their run. The families of the other competitors all look out for each other too. It really is like a gigantic family that catches up at every comp.

I also got to meet the photographer who goes to most of the comps. Her name is Sam and she posts the pics here.

Sorry for the long delay in writing another post.  We just got back from New Zealand.  It was the trip that initially motivated me to do the Photography Course.  Glen’s sister’s (Viv) wedding was really good and the photos look pretty good too (even if I do say myself).

It wasn’t so much a holiday, it was more of visiting family.  There was only one thing that really cheesed us off.  It was really hot and humid over there.  Why did this bother us so much?  Because New Zealand (we were only at Auckland and Northland) is not equipped for hot weather.  They don’t have ceiling fans, pedestal fans, air conditioners or even fly screens!  As soon as you opened a window, mozzies would eat you alive (which we experienced several times).

After all the trips that we have gone to NZ, this has been our best travelling experience.  We flew with Emirates, the food was fantastic and they actually know what service is!  I think we’ll only be flying with them in the future.  For the flight back, Glen’s olds shouted our upgrade from Economy to Business Class.  It was the best!!!

Glen is on call over Christmas & Boxing Day and has to go to work the days in between then and New Year’s Day. Quite a pain in the bum. Glen and I went up to Bundy on the weekend to see my family as I wouldn’t be seeing them for Christmas.

We left early on Friday morning. I woke up at 4:30am because I was extremely excited. Glen was still comatose so I drove up. On the way up, there was heaps of roadworks (GRRRRR!!) and there was one that had a sign stating to expect to be delayed for 15 minutes! We ended up getting to Bundy at about 10 ish and we were starving. It felt like lunchtime to us, but nothing was open. The only place that we could get food from was KFC. We had to wait for them to get the fryers on. Only in Bundy.

Because the people that we were going to be visiting had to work on Friday, we cruised around and had our KFC in a park and drove past our old places. We went to where Glen would be staying (Mick & Shaz’s) and set up. We ended up having a nanna nap cause we were still tired.

I went around to my sisters in the arvo for a visit but they were going out for dinner, so I went back to Mick & Shaz’s for the night. On Saturday, us girls headed out for our usual shopping trip - I bought up big again at the Op Shop - and we got Busy Bee chips for lunch… mmm yummo…

On Saturday night, it was my sister-in-law’s 40th birthday party. I got her a little crystal bowl & my sister’s family got the big matching bowl. It was really good to go. I caught up with quite a few family members from my Brother-In-Law’s family. We were going to go out after the party, but my sister’s going out outfit was still on the line, so we couldn’t go.

On Sunday, Mum came down to see Glen and I. So we had Lunner (its like Brunch only between Lunch and Dinner). I have definitely had my share of BBQ’s over the weekend. Glen and I decided that we are going to buy a house in Bundy as soon as we can.

Monday, we left early to get home. There was an accident on the Gateway and they totally closed the motorway. It took us about 7 hours to get home. It normally takes us about 4 - 4.5 hours… When we were unpacking the car, I bumped my leg on the back bumper and it really hurt. I looked down. My left side of my body looks like its from a cooked lobster!

Thank god for Aloe Vera. I have been putting it in the fridge so it’s nice and cool on my sunburn.

On Sunday, Glen decided that we needed to clean out the gutters. He asked if I could drive the ride on mower with the trailer attached, so that he could drop the leaves and gunk straight into the trailer. Glen knows that I am not good with heights, so he didn’t even bother asking if I wanted to get on the roof.

I haven’t driven the ride on mower much, but after a quick lesson, I was right to go. When Glen got onto the roof, he discovered that we only have one gutter. We have a flat roof and it slopes to the back of the house. Seeing that there has been a verandah attached after the house was built, Glen couldn’t dump the leaves straight into the trailer. So I parked on the side of the house and Glen did trips with the leaves. I was collecting stray leaves and gunk that missed the trailer when Kaos (my cat - approx 7 years old) came and visited.

After a few pats and smooges, Kaos had had enough. She walked down towards the back when something caught her eye. She turned when she got about 2 metres away from me and started stalking something to her left. I was scared it was going to be a blue tongue lizard, so I threw a bit of gunk from the gutter at her. It didn’t interrupt her concentration. I was watching her to see what she was chasing.

She pounced at the garden bed and out slithered a SNAKE!!!! I was back on the ride on. It was the quickest I’d moved all day (it was really hot in the sun too). The only other snake that I have seen while we have been in this house was a DEAD green tree snake. Well, this one was a brown snake. It was probably the same size as a 10 cent piece in diameter. I was peaking. I was scared that Kaos was going to get bitten and there was no way I was going anywhere near the snake. I grew up on a farm and I have had too many run ins with snakes. I do not like them at all!!

I yelled out to Glen to tell him about the snake. Glen wasn’t too worried, the cat is a hunter and she is very quick. I was considering actually getting on the roof to get away from the snake.

The snake rared up a couple of times and Kaos just swatted it away. It wasn’t too long before kitty had killed the snake.

Now I have a whacking stick that I take with me when I walk out the back…

It was Cameron’s birthday during last week. He called to see if he could arrange a Guitar Hero night at our place on Friday night. It was supposed to be a boy’s night, but apparently, I am pretty much one of the boys. So I got to stick around, seeing it was at my house and all…

It started later than I assumed it was going to, so I cooked dinner for Glen and I. Seeing Pete was still in the office and he was also sticking around for the games, I made extra for him.

In the end, there was Pete, Cameron, Stinky, Glen and I for the games night. Some of the other guys who were supposed to come got sick or forgot. Guitar Hero was a pretty good game, but it wasn’t a spectator game. We got bored quickly, and changed to Ping Pong. We all had no idea what you had to do. Pete was kicking everyone’s butt. When I played, I just mashed buttons and hoped that the guy would hit the ball. It sucked cause Pete had been drinking and he still beat me 11 to 1!

After Ping Pong, the guys got excited about some crashing game. I remember this from ages ago. Seemed like the same game from years ago.

I was starting to get tired. Yes, the jobless bum who can sleep whenever wanted to go to bed first. It wasn’t long after that everyone decided to call it a night. Cameron wanted to go home and because he was smashed, Glen drove him home. Glen didn’t know where Cameron lived and the funny part was, Cameron fell asleep on the way home! So Glen had to keep waking him up to get directions… It was ages before Glen got home.

We finally got to bed about 3am. As usual, Glen and I woke up about 7am. Pete stayed over in the downstairs room named “The Oddie Box”. Apparently that’s where I’ll get put when I’ve been naughty. Check out his blog about the night - Click Here.

Last Sunday I decided I was going to put up the Christmas Tree. I cleared a spot in the Lounge Room and went into the garage and fished out all the Christmas Stuff.

I got out the tree and remember that its not a very big and it was really cheap. Meh, its still a Christmas Tree. I love Christmas!

I got the tree up after much struggling and slamming my head into our DVD tower. I put the tinsel on and most of the baubles.

Then I remember that it was my nephew, Corey’s, birthday. So I downed tools and called him to wish him a Happy Birthday. I had sent up his present, long cargo pants, during the week. He said he liked them, but I think he’s just a polite 17 year old. Honestly, I’m probably really biased, but Corey is just a fantastic young adult. And he’s a spunk too!

My sister, Sally, got on the phone after Corey. She asked me what I was up to and I told her I was putting up the Christmas Tree. She told me that it’s apparently bad luck to put up the Christmas Tree before 1 December. Doh.

So I haven’t finished putting the tree up… hopefully I’ve bent the back luck rules!

Glen has been complaining about our old TV. It’s not big enough. It’s old (6-7 years). It’s not HD. He’s been researching to find what the best TV for us would be. He ended up with wanting a Panasonic 50 inch Plasma.

I haven’t been so keen on purchasing a new TV. The old one works fine & I don’t have a full time job. I am working for Ingenuity, but it isn’t the long term solution.

An ex-colleague’s brother works at JB Hifi, so Glen went to see him about getting a price on the TV.  I think Glen would’ve bought one while he was there, but they didn’t have any in stock.

When Glen got home from work, he asked if we could go to the Good Guys to see what they could do.  After my hyperventilating about the price and I walked away, Glen bought it.  Oh my aching wallet…

The TV got delivered on Friday.  So we’ve watched a lot of movies over the weekend.  It is quite a good TV.