Think I'm turning into Mrs Grumpy!

Been a while since I posted up here - been working a lot more than normal to supplement family income and kids have been off school for last two weeks for the end of term break.

Spent most of today at son's soccer club presentation day. Now the season's finished it's nice to catch up with the team parents again, and good for the lads to catch up - plus of course it gets him away from the Playstation which is the bane of my life!!

The team's coach was away on hols at the end of the season so we had a standin and boy, what a difference! This guy was encouraging of the kids, focussed on what they were doing right, made good tactical decisions during matches, and several of the lads noticeably bloomed under his coaching! Real shame we can't persuade him to take over the position next year. The usual coach was almost the exact opposite, always focussing on what they'd done wrong in a game, constantly demoralising them, and frequently making some baffling decisions during matches which often seemed to mean the difference between winning or drawing a match and losing, such as taking off the strongest defender at a vital point, taking off two or three players at a time and replacing them with others with different playing styles, thus losing vital time while the team readjusted. I even started staying to watch training sessions after my son complained that the coach was swearing a lot and using languge that I really don't think is necessary to a team of 11 and 12 year olds.

Anyway, he's coached the team for three years now, and several of the lads are having second thoughts about coming back next season if he's going to be the coach again.

How do we tell him it's time for a rest?

At the presentation today, while we were waiting to go in for our turn, he asked all the lads who was coming back next year: one said - I'm doing AFL instead, another said he was a 'maybe' and my lad said "I'm a maybe too". This guy turned to my son and said "Don't be daft, you'll be back, no other team would want you!"

Now maybe this is his idea of a joke, maybe not, but I really think it was totally out of order. What a thing to say to a kid, in front of all his mates! It's really tempting to leave and find another club solely because of that comment, if it weren't for the fact that most of his mates all play here, and it's a great group of lads really, just let down by this total tosser of a coach.

OH said I should have said something but I'm never good of thinking of the right words at the time - later, sure, all comes to me, but never on the spot!

Need to think of a way to tell this guy he's totally out of order, without having to 'cut off our nose to spite our face'. Anyone any ideas??

Anything that can go wrong...

Had one of those days last week where everything I did - or tried to do - turned out wrong! Been working much more than my normal two days a week to top up the household income while OH is contracting, and on Friday was looking forward to going to a Business Class Corporate lunch in the City. First thing that went wrong that morning was as I got out of the car, I laddered my tights - huge gaping hole that made the damn things very uncomfortable to wear (temps hit nearly 30 that day and couldn't wear my usual 70 denier opaques, had to put on something a bit thinner, couldn't go without as my winter skin is horrid and pale and couldn't inflict those on the world just yet!)

Ok, so leave the office to get to the lunch, stopping at KMart en route for a new pair of tights. End up queuing behind a couple who only had one pair of kids shoes to pay for - should have been in and out of there in minutes, but they wanted to quibble over the price, manager has to be called.... I ended up changing queues but eight minutes of valuable time has been wasted! Pulling back out onto Port Road, I needed to turn right, sat for another five minutes behind white van man who obviously wanted there to be not another car in sight before he pulled out! Finally I gave up, turned left and threw a quick U-ey onto Port Road...... only to find road blocked by jack-knifed lorry! Arrrggghhh... now have just 20 minutes to get into City! What should have been a quick diversion was slllloooowwww as ended up stuck behind some tourist driver who obviously doesn't know the back roads (more arrggghh), finally end up on Port Road, heading for the City. Making fairly good time when I get a call from the colleague I'm meeting there saying the car park opposite hotel is full, suggesting turning in at the Casino and parking in that one instead. Did this. Parked. Now dead on the time I should be there. No worries, just need to cross the road.

Come out of wrong door of carpark, end up by the river, can't find my way out to North Terrace. End up (in heels, still with hole in tights as not had chance to put new ones on) walking what seems like miles, ending up on bridge OVER North Terrace (with no bloody parachute when I need one!) Ten minutes to find my way back to the bit of North Terrace I need, giving up on finding hotel, finally ask passer by - he points to the building we're almost outside of, looking at me like I'm total idiot!

Hot, sweaty, late - rush in, grab seat, slowly manage to relax over nice meal and speeches (some better than others!) - do the 'networking' thing and recognise a neighbour and friend there. Find out he came in by bus and offer him a lift home. All good.

Walk across road to car park with said neighbour/friend.... spend next fifteen minutes searching for my car! Getting really embarrassed now - he's too nice to say anything, but keeps sending surreptitious texts (can imagine what they say "stranded in underground car park with complete ditz, home in 20 minutes"..... "still looking for car, make that 30 minutes"..... "still looking for her car, maybe 40 minutes"....) Why are so many cars in Adelaide silver? Why don't I have one of those keyrings that makes the car beep at you from a distance? Why do all floors on a car park look the same?

Finally realise we're in the wrong car park!!!!! Manage to find way out of there, and into another one, and thank god, there's the car. Thank you God! Poor guy must now think - with good cause I admit - that I am total and utter dizzy hopeless bint! Instead of a 20 minute bus ride home, it's taken him nearly 30 minutes just to get into the car! He's the parent of one of daughter's best friends - never again can I call her a dizzy blonde - or if I do, he's going to straight away know where she gets it from! I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole! Must have hurt his ears with my embarrassed chatter all the way home! Why can't I just shut up?

What a total bloody disaster!!!! Shouldn't have ever got out of bed!!

Winter Weather

Well, in the midst of our South Australian winter, the forecast for today is someehing like 27 degrees! And tomorrow, it's back to 16 degrees.....,

It's amazing how a bit of sunshine affects people's moods, just waking up to a blue sky makes it easier somehow to get out of bed, and DD went happily off to her last school soccer match of the season this morning at 8:30, while we have DS's match later on today at 12. Once we've got those activities out of the way, it's tempting to head for the beach for a walk with the dog to make the most of the weather.

One of the great things for me about living here is the knowledge that we will definitely get a summer every year - perhaps it's a uniquely British thing to obsess so much about weather, but I have to say it still gives me a small boost to read in the International papers about the English summer being a washout again...sorry, if you happen to be reading this in the UK, but I can't help a small gloat!

Adelaide - unlike (so I'm told) places like Queensland - does actually have a distinct Winter season, although of course 15 degrees here feels cold now, and we very rarely have frost (although it does happen occasionally, specially in the hills), but in my opinion, that just makes it so much better when Spring does arrive. And of course, the sun and the heat themselves can be negatives: many's the time at the start of the soccer season here when kids' practices have been cancelled because it's too hot. As someone whose fingers go blue at the slightest hint of coldness though, all I can see about the summer here is "Bring it on!"

Off now to soak up some heat....

Am I a bad parent?

While OH was away recently on his family visit to the UK, I got chatting to the parent of one of DS's friends, and she mentioned that a series called TrueBlood had been made based on the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris.

Well, I've read the books: they're fairly light reading as far as vampire stuff goes, good characters, nothing too highbrow, and certainly not anything I'd hesitate to let my 14 year old daughter read. So I trot along to the video hire shop, ask if they have the series on DVD, get handed Series 1, Disk 1, and head home for some escapism viewing.

What I didn't do (and should have, I guess!) is check the rating. After sitting down with 12 year old son and 14 year old daughter to watch the first disk, I could quite easily see how this series was given an R18+ rating!! Not being greatly into censorship, and believing that actually violence is more damaging than nudity and sex scenes, I didn't leap up and turn off the TV; in fact the three of us had a good laugh about some of the graphic "vamp sex" scenes, and I discovered that my 12 year old son probably already knows an awful lot more than I'd have guessed!!


Anyway, once we'd watched the first three episodes on Disk 1, it seemed silly not to watch the rest, so we've now watched all of the first series! Does that make me a really bad mother? I'm actually really adamant that DS can't play Grand Theft Auto on his Playstation, and that's because having seen a bit of it, I felt the whole tone was crass and abusive of women, whereas apart from the sex scenes, Trueblood actually has a fairly high moral level, with strong female and male role models. On the violence front, there's a fair bit of blood spattering around at times, but I think the whole vampire angle makes it less realistic, and certainly it's not glorified in any way (like it seems to be on GTA from what I've seen).

DS's school have just sent home a note saying they're doing some sex education in the coming weeks for Years 6 and 7 - (although I've been told adamantly I have to refer to it as Growth and Development, not sex ed!) - I kind of think it's a bit late! Show 'em all Trueblood, and discuss!!

Beware the Magpies!

Noticed a few magpies collecting grass for nests today, so it won't be long before they turn into Birds to Beware!

When they're nesting, these huge black and white birds, with wicked-looking beaks, turn into ferocious agressive missiles, dive-bombing unsuspecting walkers, cyclists - they even attack the dog! Many's the time when I've been very glad to be carrying the ball-thrower in my hand, as something to wave at them when they swoop threateningly towards me.

You have been warned.....!!!!

Barossa Wine Tasting Tour

With the famous Barossa Wine Region right on our doorstep, it's one of the first places we take visitors. However, that means that despite several visits, I've always had the driving responsibility, and never been able to fully taste and test in the past. Decided to reward myself for 'keeping the fort' while OH was away with family in the UK, by organising a small tour of the wineries - with driver and minibus - for some of us expat girls, so yesterday, on a glorious sunny day after a week or grey and rainy ones, 13 of us and a dog set off to eat and drink our way around a few selected wineries.

The minibus company (Des's Minibus) was a great choice - not only for their prices, but also because Valerie in the office there was such a great help with sorting out the itinerary, suggesting venues, and making all the calls to book us in. We had a vague idea of where we wanted to go, but she pulled it all together for us. Our driver on the day, Sue, was also great - very experienced and knowledgable - and fitted in with the group just fine.

We started with coffee and cakes at Lyndoch Bakery, and then visited Rockford Wines, (love their 'Alicante' rosé) Turkey Flat Wines (great artwork on the walls, and another ex-pom - from Reading - to serve us!) and Langmeil Wines (fantastic sparkling shiraz!) before a lunch stop at the Tanunda Hotel, and then more winetasting at Seppeltsfield (woonderful range of fortified wines), then food tasting at Maggie Beer's. The day just flew: great company, some interesting wines, fantastic weather and scenery - just great fun! And we didn't even get banned from anywhere!! Brontë, Guide Dog in Training, was a hit everywhere and the quietest of all the girls!

Hopefully nobody had a headache at the end of the day - although for the first time in ages, when OH offered me a glass of wine with dinner, my response wasn't quite as enthusiastic as normal (but I still had one....)

Aussie Abbreviations

One of the things that makes me smile here in Oz is the lovely way the locals abbreviate words and names. Ambulance crews are "ambos", firemen are "firies", swimming costumes are "cozzies" and of course, the ubiquitous barbecue is a "barbie".

The names things is great fun too - DD and I were reading in the International Express the other day about an (australian) motorcyclist who had performed a stunt jumping over the half open Tower Bridge - his name was quoted as Robbie something (sorry if he did it for fame and so people would remember his name - I can't!). DD pointed out that surely if he was an Aussie "Rob" he wouldn't be known as "Robbie" but as "Robbo"! Anyone called Jon here ends up being called "Jonno", Steve become "Stevo", James becomes "Jammo" and so on! Actually, thinking about it, this seems to be a purely male thing! Can't think of any female names that get shortened/lengthened in the same way, although I have to admit that Bonny the Devil Dog does often get called Bonno.... but then she also answers to Bonzo, Bons, and several unmentionable names as well!

I can see - it's a miracle!

Well, had laser eye surgery today, and so far, so good!

Really thought I was going to come out of there with great padded dressings on both eyes, so expected to have to be guided home by the lovely friend that kindly drove me there and back. However, came out of there already able to see better than when I went in, and apart from some slight dryness in the eyes now (7 hours later) all is good!

After doing the paperwork and handing over the credit card, I was taken into a small room and talked through the eye drop routine, given a tamazepan to calm me down and make me feel a bit sleepy (it didn't!) then sat in a very comfy chair to wait my turn. Nice nurse came and took me into the surgery room, where I was kind of expecting to be given some sort of sedative, but no, just some anasthetic drops in the eyes, which stang (stinged? stung?) very slightly, laid down with head in a little hollow (I thought they might put some kind of keep-still brace on, but no, just the hollow), surgeon (opthalogist?) came in, chatted with him about last night's tv (an eye op, would you believe it?), he lined up the laser, made a little flap in the eye (I didn't feel a thing, just kept looking at the green light!), told me the laser would take 10 seconds, slight smell of burning, counted to 8, and all done! Moved on to next eye, repeated procedure, ten minutes later walked out of there, already seeing better!

My wonderful friend drove me home, four hours lying in bed with my eyes closed, woke up when the kids got home et voila! Can't believe it's been so easy - most painful part was the paying for it!

Still early days obviously, and must concentrate on putting drops in when due, and resisting urge to rub eyes at all but all being well, so far so good! Got to go without a shower for 72 hours though, so hope the deodorant is up to the challenge!

Harry Potter

Went to the drive-in on Saturday to see Ice Age 3 and the latest Harry Potter film. Had never been to a drive-in cinema before moving to Adelaide, but it's a great thing to do. It's much cheaper than the 'normal' cinema - quite an expensive family night out on any night other than cheap Tuesday - and it cost just $40 per car for the two films. The night was fairly mild, but we loaded the back of the Territory up with pillows and bedding, put the back seats flat, and arranged the four of us in various positions with reasonable views of the big screen. You then tune your radio into a particular frequency for the soundtrack, and you're away! We always take snacks and drinks with us as well, as the stuff on sale there is pretty average at best.

Ice Age 3 was great - pretty predictable, but you get what you're expecting - good animation, feel good story line, few laughs along the way. I found the Harry Potter film really disappointing though - mostly filmed in almost total darkness, or monochrome, trying to be all "arty" - and pretty hard to follow unless you've read the books. I was disappointed that there weren't any good mythological animals in this one (apart from a dead 'spidery' one), Hagrid hardly featured, and despite reading a few reviews that raved about the 'humour' in this episode, I don't think anything in it caused me to even crack a smile! I really think the makers are relying on a loyal fanbase to make the film a success, whereas as a standalone film, it would sink without a trace! Luckily DD has read the books, and was able to explain some of the more obscure bits (there were lots!) to us afterwards, although even she said there were loads of bits left out.

All in all, a bit of a disappointment.

On a completely different note, I really wish I could stop caring about this damn Ashes series: found myself feeling quite depresssed driving to work this morning, hearing that the Aussies were only 5 wickets down! It's just a game...it's just a game....I don't care... I don't care.....ohhhhhhhhhhhh I do care, I do!

Disappointing reading

Don't you hate it when you get to the end of a book and feel that the writer kind of lost his enthusiasm for the plot? Just finished reading The Lake House by James Patterson, and it really seemed like he got past the middle of the book, having carefully built up the plot, the background, the characters, then got bored with it all and rushed an ending, not tying up any of the loose ends, not resolving any of the issues, and - having got characters into situations - just forgetting about all that, reintroducing them into the narrative with no explanation of how they'd escaped their earlier predicaments! I feel seriously cheated - especially as I wasted serious time when I could have been reading something better - or even doing housework - struggling through to the end!

Shame on you James Patterson! It felt like one of those high school stories you write in an exam, then when you realise you're running out of time, you close it all off with "and then he woke up, and it was all a dream!"

Definitely not one to recommend. Going to have a go at another Jodie Piccoult now - The Tenth Circle, borrowed a while ago from a neighbour (whoops!) Feel kind of reluctant to get started as her books are not the lightest of reading - perhaps I should wait till the kids are back at school for that one!

Day one of eye drops in preparation for laser eye surgery next week - can feel every muscle in my body tensing up with nerves at just the thought....

Struggling to support the Aussies

Look, I've been here nearly five years now, was born in Australia and am the proud holder of an aussie passport.....but however hard I try, I can't bring myself to support the Australian cricket team! I'm sorry, I've tried, really I have....

It's made harder by the fact that Ricky Ponting - the Australian captain - seems incapable of doing the correct things with his mouth! He talks with it barely open, can't keep it shut when he's chewing, and as for the dribble that comes out of it....or do I mean drivel?...!!! Every time the camera panned onto him at Cardiff yesterday, he was chewing his gum with his mouth agape - made me feel quite ill - and then he spat it out on the floor! What a yob!

Give me Pieterson and Collinwood any day - at least their mothers taught them some manners!

And what's the idea of holding the first test at Cardiff? Did the English (English, you note, not British) team decide the home team advantage didn't apply to them? And isn't God Save The Queen the national anthem of Great Britain? What's the idea of some chesty welsh bird singing the "Welsh National Anthem" before either of the others?? Just hope the Barmy Army are suitably represented in the crowd.....

What with the Torchwood special and the Ashes both being in Cardiff, I must have missed the point when it was declared centre of the universe! Silly me....

The Ashes

What can I say? First day of the Ashes today (if it's not rained off by the English summer) - fingers crossed for Freddy and the boys!

And what about old Lance last night? Sooooo close to wearing the yellow jersey - go, boy, go!

The kids' favourite restaurant

Out for dinner last night to the kids' favourite restaurant, and - on a Tuesday - mine too! On Tuesdays at The Buckingham Arms, Walkerville Terrace, kids of 14 and under eat free, which means that for four of us the bill comes to around $50.

The Buckingham Arms has what is known here as a "smorgasbord" - or open buffet. There are a few places around that do a similar thing, including the Civic Park and Settlers at Ingle Farm, but what makes the Buck stand out for me is the civilised surroundings: some other places have a kind of "canteen" feel, but at the Buck the restaurant is comfortable, carpeted, really quite "grown-up"!

The food is good too - a great salad bar with small bowls of salad that get replaced and refilled often so everything is fresh, lots of sliced cold meats, fish, prawns (in and out of their shells), mussels and calamari, as well as the usual potato salad, tomato salad, pasta salad, and soup and rolls. Main courses have a choice of carvery roasts, casseroles, curries, stir fries, as well as things like samosas and spring rolls. Desserts have hot and cold choices and - and this is the reason it's the kids' favourite - freshly made doughnuts in cinnamon sugar, and an ice cream machine! And there is always a plate of cheeses with crackers and fruits. Coffee and tea are free, and there's a water cooler for when we are feeling really cheap and don't want to pay for drinks for the kids!!

Always come away from there feeling totally stuffed, because I can never choose between the main courses so end up having about three different platefuls!

Hah!

LOLOL Call me a pathetic creature who takes pleasure in small things, but have to admit it made my day yesterday when I heard that the lad who had been selected over DS to play goalie for the district team (see May entry about nepotism) apparently got red-carded in the first match of the tournament for arguing with the ref! Hah!! Bet they wish they'd had a spare goalie now!!!

Shoe Demerits

Just inside our door we have a large pine cupboard, full of shoes. There are only four of us (well, four that wear shoes, as the dog and cat haven't got that civilised yet) but there always seems to be lots of shoes!

What really gets me though, is that everyone comes in the door, takes off their shoes by the cupboard......but doesn't put them inside! Every time I tidy up the kitchen (ok, I'm not the tidiest of people so it doesn't happen all that often!) I end up picking up pairs of shoes from all over the house, returning them to the cupboard, putting them away, and just doing that makes the whole place look so much tidier - although vacuuming up the dog hair helps too.....

Well, I've had enough of clearing up after everyone. I have drawn up a chart on our whiteboard, and for every pair of shoes I find not put away, the responsible person gets a demerit point on the board! At the end of the week, the person with least demerit points gets a bar of chocolate.

And guess what? It's working! OH was most put out to get back from a trip out somewhere today to find he'd been given a demerit point. Kids thought it was hilarious and OH even tried erasing his point, but for the rest of the day, everyone has put their shoes away!! Yippee..... will it last? Time will tell.....

Girls Night Out

Great girls' night out at the Golden Grove Tavern last night - for the first time we weren't the last to leave either - which either means we're slacking, or we've managed to drag some of the locals down to our level!!

Nice to meet some old friends, as well as some new ones. I really enjoy getting the views of Adelaide through a newcomer's eyes, kind of helps to remind me of what's so special about this place. Got to get cracking now on organising some ideas for a winery trip at the start of August to the Barossa! Hello to any of my fellow drinkers from last night who might be reading this, and don't forget to let me know your favoured date (between 2nd and 9th August) and any favourite wineries to visit - we need to find a nice place that does great lunch platters, then we can plan the rest of the stops around that!

Back to work today and the office is planning a 4th July American Independence Day morning tea next Friday - hot dogs and doughnuts - and there's a poster up for a Bastille Day dinner on 14th July. Why is England the only country in the world that doesn't seem to celebrate any sort of National Day? It's a real loss I think: perhaps we should plan on having a British expats' party next year on 23rd April for St George's Day or something! In the meantime, I'm happy to celebrate every other country's milestones with them!!

Let the music begin

Just wanted to post up about the great standard of music teaching at primary school level here in Adelaide.

Spent Sunday afternoon at a concert organised by the Primary School "Instrumental Music Service", featuring various musical groups: the Primary Schools String Orchestra, the Primary Schools Wind Ensemble, the Primary Schools Guitar Ensemble, and a group called the Fleurieu Flutes. Had to keep reminding myself that all these kids are no older than about 13 - most younger than that! They were absolutely fantastic, the concert was a sell-out, and it was a pleasure to watch and listen to.

DS has guitar lessons once a week at his state primary school - this costs us the huge sum of $50 a year, and that covers the loan of a guitar too! The school also has a choir, which DD was a member of when she there, and every year in September the various state primary school choirs from across Adelaide get together for a massed performance at the Adelaide Festival Theatre. Again, the standards are so high - especially considering they only get to rehearse altogether maybe once or twice before the concert - and it's quite a sight, seeing all these kids up on stage in their bright-coloured t-shirts, choreographed and in time.

As a totally non-musical type myself, I am in total admiration of what can be achieved with, and by these kids. Long may it flourish!

Fun in the Hills

Had a great night last night up in the Hills at a tiny village called Mylor. Each year the primary school there puts on a fantastic family fireworks night, with a huge bonfire, homemade soup for sale, music, and best of all, a wonderful fireworks display.

As a kid growing up in England, we always celebrated Guy Fawkes Night - us kids used to make a guy, build a big bonfire in the woods to burn him on, and all the families in the street used to get together to drink mulled wine, or whisky (the adults, obviously) and eat baked potatoes in their jackets with lots of butter, whilst pooling our fireworks stocks, which one of the brave dads would set off for our "oohs" and "aahs"!

Later, we took our own kids, well wrapped up in scarves, hats, gloves coats and wellies, to a local Essex Village - Woodham Mortimer - every year on 5th November, where they had hot soup for sale, a big fire, and a fireworks display! It's one of those things that you remember well into adulthood, and something that most born and bred aussies have never even heard of. Oh, there are fireworks on New Years Eve and a few on Christmas Eve that you hear, and occasional displays at the end of an open air concert, but as these things tend to happen in Summer, there's always the thought at the back of your mind that it's kind of irresponsible in the middle of such a dry country at its driest time...

The Mylor display is perfect, it's cold(ish! the hills always feel colder and damper in the winter than the other suburbs), slightly muddy, dark, so the gloves, hats and scarves can all come out. There was mulled wine for sale (we took our own, non alcoholic version in a flask so the kids could have some too - with a hip flask of rum to add to the adults' cups!), pumpkin soup, the ubiquitous sausage sizzle, a roaring fire (firies on hand just in case....), and a big field for the kids to run around in. Everyone up there is so incredibly friendly - this is our third year there so we knew to take our own marshmallows for toasting in the fire, but the first year we went we didn't have any and people who did have were so kind - letting our kids have some of theirs, offering use of their "toasting sticks", and just generally chatty and happy. There is a great mix of young and old - everything from the smallest toddlers, through groups of teenagers with their friends, parents, groups of friends, grandparents... To prove what a small place Adelaide is, we even bumped into a friend of my daughter's from her old Adelaide City soccer playing days!

The fireworks themselves managed to go on for just the right length of time, not too long so you start getting blase, and not too short so you feel slightly disappointed! Everyone "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" dead on cue, there was plenty of noise, loads of rockets, the occasional Catherine wheel and golden fountain - I loved it! Definitely one for the diary to look out for around this time next year - it's a little bit of a drive up the freeway, but well, well worth it!

My recipe for alcohol free mulled wine: Buy a bottle of "alcohol-removed" Shiraz from your local supermarket. Pour into a saucepan. Add a generous pouring of orange juice, a cup or so of water, couple of spoonfuls of sugar, and some cinnamon sticks. Take a large orange, slice thickly and stud the slices with cloves. Add these to the saucepan. Heat until almost boiling, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, allow to cool slightly, and pour into glasses, removing any stray lumpy bits like bits of cinnamon stick or escaped cloves. Wrap hands round glass and sip slowly, preferably in the open air, whilst warming your behind at a large bonfire! For added buzz - and adults only, add nip of brandy or dark rum, either at the heating stage, or straight into the wine in the glass before drinking!

Easydata Indicators

Went to the official launch last night of a new application giving access to all sorts of statistical and graphical information in the various regions of South Australia. Been involved quite heavily in gathering the information from the various local authorities for inclusion on this site, so good to see it up and working. Really brought home to me how important a bit of networking is in Adelaide - it really is a case of who you know, and my boss is truly an expert at that. The new Easydata tool will be officially available to everyone from 1st July and will be accessible from here, under the Regional SA tab. Some very interesting stuff on there.....

Have to work on my pommie pronunciation prejudices though - it really jars with me everytime I hear the word 'data' pronounced to rhyme with 'carter' (or even 'carder') rather than rhyming with 'indicator'! And while I'm on the subject it's pro-ject not prow-ject and prow-gress not pro-gress!!

Proper little housewife, me!

My solution to these cold winter mornings - a slice of homemade bread pudding and a nice cuppa for Morning Tea!

My favourite bread pudding recipe is adapted from a Delia Smith one - here - except I add lots of cherries, a few cranberries, then any other dried fruit I can find in my cupboards - this time I used some muscat wine instead of brandy to soak the fruit in as well (must have drunk all the brandy!)

To go with that of course you need a nice cup of tea, and that's where my latest craft masterpiece comes in - a "traditional, knitted tea cosy" to keep the pot warm. According to my husband, it's the only thing I've ever knitted that actually fits its intended wearer, and I guess the colours might not be to everyone's taste, but it was really easy, once i'd found some basic instructions here, and I'm now so inspired I might even make another one (in different colours, maybe!)

Final touch a nice tall mug to wrap your fingers around to keep warm, and you're sorted!