Rude Food

Mmmm, comfort food in winter.  This is steak and kidney with dumplings for the Lovely Husband.  He and I eat this alone as the teens want to throw up at the thought of it.  My dumplings (scone mixture) grew to this very suggestive shape in the saucepan and were the butt of many a joke (use your imagination).  Mmm love them dumplings. 

Chickens in Choppers

Well, not really.  This unmarked helicopter was checking the district for home grown drugs.  They use the blades to flatten the long grass/vegetation  by hovering.  Very clever.  They may not have found marijuana on our place but they certainly got our attention.  It was so loud.  I raced out in my very old tracky dacks, oversize jumper and beanie and must have looked a picture of loveliness.

Bruce The Goose on the Loose

The Young Negotiator Rejected!

The Australian Defence Force did not want my baby.  He has been rejected, sob sob.  How can they pass up his devilish good looks, that clever wit, his training commitment (even though that bit was markedly exaggerated) and his obvious desperate need for structure and discipline?  Well, apparently quite easily.   From the Australia wide applications of which there were thousands, there was only 100 positions.  100?  Bloody hell, he had Buckley's.  Oh well he had to give it a whirl Merle.  Poor Young Negotiator is back to square one.  He has no clue as to what to do next year beyond casual work.  The Lovely Husband and I have some jobs for him should he find a spare moment.

Greyhound Freedom

There is nothing nicer than seeing this girl do her big donuts or figure eights in the paddock. She takes off so fast and if she happens to whizz by you, you must stay perfectly still or she will crash into you and all will suffer. Stopping is another matter. She looks so awkward if she tries to stop too suddenly, all those legs gather under her and she looks like her bones/joints will pop out.

The calves think she is top sport and will give chase. Luckily she can outrun them because old Layla is a bit afraid of the cows. Unlike Roger, staffy stupid! He is oblivious to the menacing mother cows if he meanders to close too their calves. Totally clueless! And somehow he gets away with it. The mothers must realise his inability to cause danger and let him slide. Roger will, unlike Layla, actually play with the calves until mother breaks it up.

Gap Year Soldier

The Young Negotiator, as I have said, is having a gap year next year.  And, it turns out, he has applied for a gap year with the ADF (Australian Defence Force).  I had no idea such a thing existed and am totally surprised at his decision.  Don't get me wrong, the Lovely Husband and I think it would be very good for him but I think he is going in to it with rose coloured night vision goggles on.  When the Young Negotiator looked it up initially I don't think he got past the dollar signs before he decided that this was for him.  Yes they pay well, he receives accommodation and food, medical and comradeship.  All that is great.  He gets to leave home but will not run out of rent money, will not go hungry and can afford to see a doctor or dentist. But, the army do get their pound of flesh out of you too, and that is what the Young Negotiator is choosing not to see.  They have to go through the full-on army training both physical and mental.  They may have to be on duty for 7 days at a time, all hours.  They may be deployed within the country or overseas if the Australian Army is needed in an emergency situation; natural disaster or humanity.  All this for an 18 year old who barely gets his school work done, does not have a natural 'hurrying' bone is his body and likes to relax in front of the computer or game consul.  Assuming he gets in he is in for one hell of a shock. 

I have advised him to read the whole story online but you know teenagers, details are not necessary apparently.  "It'll be right.".  It'll be right alright.  He will not know which way his head is.... although I have been known to underestimate my children.  Maybe this is one of those times.  Perhaps in that skinny, sloth like frame is a tiger ready to leap out and take on the Australian Army with all guns blasting.  At the moment the earphones are surgically attached to his ears and the only thing blasting is his music.  Maybe his hours of gaming will transfer to the field and he will be brilliant at tactics and war games, assuming they give him five lives and he gets to choose an exaggeratedly fantastic weapon with the push of a button. 

Aah, sarcasm.  It is my own weapon against worry.  I hope he gets accepted.  I hope he gets something out of it like pride and self discipline, mateship and motivation.  I will, of course, worry about him and miss him and hope that he is happy. 

Teenager Makes Amazing Discovery!

My 15 year old Dynamic Daughter made a miraculous discovery at school last week. 

"I am exhausted.  I have been concentrating and focusing on my school work for the last three days and do you know what?  It actually works!!  I am understanding it, I am ahead in the work!".  Shocker, really?  This from a girl who has written quite nice poetry in her maths class.