Connor was the main focus on Wednesday 4th August because it was the last chance for Mum and Debbie to see him before they left on their Virgin flight the next day.  We had to wait until after school but we managed to fit in Kawana Shoppingworld and Muffin Break before that.  Mum found 2 for the price-of-one T-shirts at Katies while we were shopping and I hunted around for a bluetooth transmitter with a view to syncing sound with my new hearing aids via an add-on accessory which I might buy.  No-one had heard of such a thing but I have ordered one from China for $30 including postage.

We took Connor to Military Jetty for a walk first. 

Next came the tree climbing.

Then it was sundown at Diamond Head

Connor took this photo

Followed by burgers and the Military Jetty store.  Connor had never seen such a huge cheeseburger and he ate the lot.

Let's pick on Witchy Butt GrandNan was the before meal game.  Mum asked for it with her Witch antics - and the false teeth gag.  He and his adopted friends were jumping up and down behind the glass screen calling out names and laughing their heads off.  Just pretend I am not in the photo - it is horrible.

I don't think those pale glasses suit me and soon I will be transformed because I am getting new ones.  Thanks to Mum I have upgraded to 2 pair on a special $100 deal and that is very good for multi-focal lenses.  I have been assured that my current "comfort" lenses are the lowest quality multi-focal lenses you can buy and the curvature of sight generated by them can be disorienting.  Fibromyalgia has enough disorientation problems on its own without adding 2nd rate glasses to the mix so I hope these top-quality lenses make all the difference when I get them in 2 weeks.  I am getting stainless steel frames because whatever I am wearing is being eaten away by the acid in my skin so I am told.  Mind you, Budget Eyewear sold these Linea Roma glasses for around $600 and they haven't even got spring loaded arms but they were an insurance claim so I didn't have to pay for them 2 years ago or so.

I had a life, getting out and about while Mum and Deb were in Queensland.  There was plenty of eating out whether it was so, so scones in Eudlo, scrumptious rice paper wraps in Buderim, egg and lettuce sandwiches in Witta or Tempura Battered Nori Rolls at the Rustic Tavern on Steve Irwin Way.

New top

And shopping - 2 shirts from Rivers, a scarf from a shop in the Cinema Centre and a batwing top from ICE stores at Torquay in Hervey Bay, a hair clip and a new house phone from Home Central - Kawana.

New bra

Mum was happy to buy me a new bra at BigW instead of the non-existent Target store rather than see my boobs hanging down to my waist - but I can make that happen just by slouching.  Do you like my new bra?

We also managed to fit in another car trip after the Hervey Bay trip.
We went to Crystal Waters Permaculture Village aka Commune which is between Maleny and Conondale but I had some idea that there was a short cut through Peachester and that did not work out to be a short cut but provided us with the closest views of the glass house mountains and then later I took the wrong turn on the way home so we did not get a new scenery.

I was not particularly impressed with our reception at the "information centre" because it was closed despite office hours being advertised as a Tuesday and despite me leaving a phone message several hours earlier.  The man from the bakery (which only sells organic breads on weekends or some such) shunted us off to the visitors area and away from this hippie looking village of 4 makeshift buildings.

I would have liked to check out the cafe but I think it is mainly for the inhabitants to congregate except perhaps on market day when the place comes alive with visitors.  This Tuesday was dead quiet except after school pickup time when we saw people about socializing.

The visitors area was also a camping ground and it contained a bunkhouse for the people who are visiting farm workers - the Woofers.  A managers residence, toilet block with stained glass windows, a veggie garden, a bamboo stand and a gazebo style camp kitchen - all looking very rustic were in this area.

There was also a pleasant walk along the side of a lagoon which Debbie and I investigated.

It was all very pretty nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains which meant that we escaped the blustery wind that was spoiling the day elsewhere.

One day, we went to Foote Sanctuary in Buderim which was really pretty even on the showery day that it turned out to be. There were plenty of birds.  The photo below was taken in Manawee Plant Nursery gift shop which we visited after loosing Debbie's brand new sunglasses. Mum bought me another butterfly as a farewell gift and Debbie decided she wanted this one to take back to Melbourne but NOT for use as a hair ornament.

Brett and Stacey's New Location

Cohen was filthy and so was the yard because of that dog Barney I will say.  Brett was having a beer and Stacey was in bed and there was no special preparation for our visit.  I would not expect anything for me but I thought Mum and Debbie deserved a bit of an effort.

Brett seemed pleased to see us thank goodness but he was not keen on the idea of us hauling him to Roger's place as Roger had instructed us over the phone so we didn't go. The house is great for the family but I can see that dog has caused havoc with the garden.  It is only a pup but this border collie cross has grown so big in a month and Cohen was hitting him really hard which I thought was a bit risky.  Stacey got up out of bed but not before Cohen had dragged Debbie into her room with Debbie following only because she thought it was Cohen's bedroom he was showing her as she had asked. For the most part, Stacey just let us be and said she wasn't feeling well.  I thought it was funny she used my request to keep away from me when any of them were sick because I usually have some sort of long-term immune response to germs way out of proportion to normal people who do not have CFS. The reason it was funny to me was that she has never let it stop her coming to my place to stay overnight when it suited her or ask me to babysit Cohen with a cold (via Brett).  They usually just don't tell me and let me find out from the obvious signs of runny noses and tissues.  Stacey is the last person to have any consideration of my health problems.  Brett is not far behind if he wants a night out but he will accept a no for an answer these days. None of that has been a problem since they moved to Gympie a month or more ago.  I have not seen them.  I had not been well enough go all the way to Gympie and Brett does not have a car right now.

Debbie seemed to be having a lot of fun with Cohen and she kept him well entertained but that's not hard if you are willing to follow him around.  And the shoe game worked for a while until Cohen threw the shoe away.

The only time Cohen cried for his own way was when he was restrained from running away out the front.  I am not sure if it happened also when Barney escaped out of the front door when we first arrived.

Cohen was very amused by what he saw on the screen of our cameras.

Cohen is also very good at saying "cheese" for the camera too.

Trip to Hervey Bay

I had my new hearing aids fitted on Wednesday (July 28) and then Mum, Deb and I headed for Hervey Bay but it was dark and wet before we could drive very far after such a late start to a trip (4.30pm).  We stayed at Tiaro however because things were not working out right for a Motel at Gympie.  The next morning was still damp and drizzly as we tried to find Petrie Park but we got a better view of Tiaro and the Mary River on our way back from Harvey Bay.

The sun was shining by the time we got to Hervey Bay and the weather was warm and humid for our stay at Lucienne Apartments.  We lunched at Torquay along the foreshore after an extended stay at the information centre and we were happy to note that we were in a sun patch with clouds right around Hervey Bay but not over the top of of us.

  

We had a barbecue lunch the following day too but there were no photos taken by me.

The Apartment was perfect for us - 2 bedrooms and just over the road from the beach at Scarness. $100 each night which was cheaper than the Motel in Tairo. After sightseeing from Eli Point to Urangan and the wharf, we headed to Auntie Dawn's latest house and then went to the Boat Club for a not so great tea and Auntie Dawn came too.  Probably just as well Marina did not accept my invite to join us for tea in a totally different part of town. She was busy so may be I will get another trip to HB again one of these days to catch up with her.

  

We saw the last of the Harvey Bay area when we drove to [the Mary] River Heads after looking for downtown Hervey Bay which didn't exist.  The CBD is mostly spread alone the main Habour Drive Road. 

It was morning tea time by then and we had already visited the Botanical Gardens and it's Bush Chapel before that again (which we did straight after vacating the unit.  Number 5/338 Esplanade if you're interested.)

River Heads is the place to catch the barge over to Fraser Island in this area - Wide Bay and the Fraser Coast.  The closest land is actually Woody Island -seen in the seagull photo above too.  The fog had been bad in the mornings for 2 days running.  It had closed the HB airport but on the first morning the sun and blue sky arrived before the fog blew in and away again.  This day, it obliterated the Bay from sight so that we did not see the water from our unit that day before we vacated and the fog was still visible at River Heads in the photo behind the barge, hanging in front of Fraser Island.

I found it hard to believe that crocodiles were this far South but the locals seem to think it was nothing but a single tourist report which had to be acted on. I wonder what she really saw? There are plenty of dolphins and Humpback Whales in this area. And Mackerel that day because we were told about them from our young fisherman gazebo sharer.  

This photo is not looking at the Mary River exit but back towards HBay proper.  The bright sun in that direction made it hard to do the colours justice.  The sea was lovely clear blue-green when the sun was not obscured momentarily by drifting clouds.  In contrast the green sea in Hervey Bay was slightly milky from the recent rain.  Our seas turn reddish brown after rain in Caloundra so it was different....probably prettier....but no milky sea can beat a clear sea.

We had our morning tea of thermos and ginger cookies in the shelter and doubled back the way we had come because it was the only way out of River Heads.  It is a dead end place really and a place full of sandflies when there is no breeze according to Rob who turned up on the doorstep last night on his way back from buying birds (superb parrots) in Toowoomba and testing his new Mitsubishi 4x4 van which is to be used for a campervan.  It rained up that way but our drive home was dry and quite hot and humid.  I was feeling uncomfortable with the heat which was unseasonal for this time of the year. My car seems to throw out a lot of hot air from the engine unless the heater is stuck on or something.

Debbie was wearing sun glasses bought from the op shop from where we started our trip to HBay. The op shop next to Apollo Medical Centre, where Connect Hearing was located. This was the second pair she bought on the Sunshine Coast this visit because she left a pair behind in Piccolo's of Buderim we have to assume.  They were not back at the cafe when she went back though.  We didn't even eat there because they took so long to serve us and as it turned out the little cafe bar next to Gloria Jeans provided me with an opportunity to try and rice paper wrap with chicken, avocado, grated carrot and vermicelli inside.  It was so yum served with Hoisein sauce but it did not beat the Roasted Chicken and Avocado Sushi rolls covered with tempura batter and served with sweet soy and wasabi mayo and a bit of plain cream that I had today when the three of us went to the Rustic Tavern for lunch.  We had planned on going back to my place to see Connor after than but Scott didn't seem to be able to cope with even organizing it so my day with Mum and Debbie ended on a bit of a sour note as far as Mum was concerned.  I've been too tired to care that much.

The hat Mum is wearing in the photo is the one she bought at the markets down town in Caloundra last Sunday.  We did not go again today.  The top Debbie is wearing came from Shazayne's of Torquay, HBay and she like the style enough to buy two.  I chose another batwing top from a shop called ICE and these top purchases covered 2 days of shopping in HBay although Debbie added a handbag on the second day. A Frill necked Lizard high relief plaque was purchase for Mum by Debbie for Christams on one of their shopping outings last week that I did not join.  I was not feeling too good last week but I made it to the Botanical Gardens followed by Eudlo on one day and Foote Santuary (Buderim) followed by lunch and the Manawee Nursery another day.

We did not waste any time in Maryborough on the way back to Gympie like we did on the way up to HBay looking for petrol, a toilet stop and the elusive lagoon that turned out to be not so much elusive as a map reading error.  We actually managed to bypass most of Maryborough this time and I drove on to Tiaro where we bought lunch at a takeaway store.  My bowels timed things nicely at both River Heads and Tiaro thank you very much and once again we visited Petrie Park but this time it was just about full of motorhomes and vans.

  

The main attraction for lunch apart from meat and pickle sandwiches and Apricot slice was this kookaburra who was also hoping for a feed. It was getting more overcast the further South we went so it was good driving weather apart from the humidity.  We were a bit later than 3pm arriving at Stacey, Cohen and Brett's place but not by much. We skipped the idea of visiting Roger's new house which he was still moving into but we still had to drive after sunset but not for too long.  Nevertheless, I let Debbie drive that last leg as per the first night's driving.  Her eyes are better than mine.

 "The Fibromyalgia Letter"

I didn't write this but I could have.  It is from http://www.patientslikeme.com/forum/show/41933

 "The Fibromyalgia Letter"

Hello Family, Friends, and Anyone Wishing to Know Me!

How do I explain this to you my family and friends? This is very difficult to do as my illness is "unseen." So allow me to begin by thanking you for taking the time out of your day to spend some time with me and get to know me better. A person's time is their most valuable asset and yours is appreciated

{{{Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points - places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic form of muscle pain. The pain of Myofascial pain syndrome centers around sensitive points in your muscles called trigger points. The trigger points in your muscles can be painful when touched. And the pain can spread throughout the affected muscle.}}}

I want to talk to you about fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS). Many have never heard of these conditions and for those who have, many are misinformed. And because of this, judgments are made that may not be correct. So I ask you to keep an open mind as I try to explain who I am and how FM/MPS has assaulted not only my life but those whom I love as well.

I cannot show you a physically open wound to show how much pain I'm in. If I could you would take one look at that, tell me to sit right down, get me a pillow, offer me something to eat or drink and have that concerned and understanding look on your faces. However with Fibromyalgia, you will hear from many people that they would rather have a broken leg any day than suffer the kind of pain these disorders inflict. To me, a broken leg is even a poor example to compare suffering to these disorders and an insult to those of us with those disorders.

You see, I suffer from a disease that you cannot see; a disease that there is no cure for and that keeps the medical community baffled at how to treat and battle this demon, who's attacks are relentless. My pain works silently, stealing my joy and replacing it with tears. On the outside we look alike you and I; you wont see my scars as you would a person who, say, had suffered a car accident. You won't see my pain in the way you would a person undergoing chemo for cancer; however, my pain is just as real and just as debilitating. And in many ways my pain may be more destructive because people can't see it and do not understand....

You must see with your ears and your heart what your eyes cannot see. You must listen carefully to what I am telling you. What I describe to you may not make much sense to you and may be difficult for you to understand. Sometimes it may seem to you to be a different universe that I discuss. Know that it probably is. You don't have to fully understand my universe and you cannot possibly. However hear my pain, listen for red flags always of any danger signals where you may need to help with added assistance. I like to call it "sending in the troops." Anytime I do not seem in touch with reality.

Please don't get angry at my seemingly lack of interest in doing things; I punish myself enough I assure you. My tears are shed many times when no one is around. My embarrassment is covered by a joke or laughter, but inside I want to die. You will hear many things from me that to you seem as easily resolvable. You may wonder why I make the same "wrong" decisions over and over again. Why haven't I learned by this time? Why can't I see the senselessness of my behavior? I may seem to be getting my life together and them bottom out all over again.

Please understand the difference between "happy" and "healthy". When you've got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I've been sick for years. I can't be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you're talking to me and I sound happy, it means I'm happy. That's all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker than ever.  Please, don't say, "Oh, you're sounding
better!"  I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy.

What is happening here? Am I lazy, stupid, etc? Nope. My physical brain and body is very different than yours. I experience life different than the way you do. I feel different than you do. Most of my "friends" are gone; even members of my own family have abandoned me. I have been accused of "playing games" for another's sympathy. I have been called unreliable because I am forced to cancel plans I made at the last minute because of the burning and pain in my legs or arms and shoulders. The pain can be so intense that I cannot put my clothes on and I am left in my tears as I miss out on yet another activity I used to love and once participated in with enthusiasm. Do I experience mood swings? If I am hurting I may be angry, sad, depressed, or any of the hundred moods in the world. I'll never know what mood I will wake up with? I may treat you cruelly and say horrible things to you; I may ignore you completely, or cry on your shoulder unstopping when I'm in Fibro Flair. You may wonder what you said or did that made me this way. Well you did nothing it's the Fibromyalgia and all its underlining factors causing this.

{{{While the most predominant symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread pain and persistent fatigue, the resulting cognitive impairment of this condition may be its most maddening. Commonly referred to as fibro fog, this symptom is a conglomeration of cognitive challenges. Fibro fog is understood to be a physical symptom of fibromyalgia, not a psychological one. Just as no two individuals experience fibromyalgia in the same way, fibro fog also has a varying range of indications, including: Mental confusion, Fuzzy thinking, Short-term memory loss, Inability to concentrate or pay attention, and Language lapses}}}

This is why I feel like a child at times. Just the other day I put the egg's I bought at the store in the pantry, on the shelf, instead of in the refrigerator. When I talk to people, many times I lose my train of thought in mid sentence or forget the simplest word needed to explain or describe something. Please try to understand how it feels to have another go behind me in my home to make sure the stove is off after I cook an occasional meal. Please try to understand how it feels to "lose" the keys, only to find them in the freezer. As I try to maintain my dignity the Demon assaults me at every turn.

I have a physical illness and it isn't my fault and I didn't ask for it I don't want it and I don't deserve it.

{{{Occurring at the deepest level of the sleep cycle, individuals with fibromyalgia typically lack sufficient restorative sleep. We know that at the deeper levels of sleep, called delta wave sleep, a person's mind conducts internal housekeeping. During delta wave sleep, newly acquired information is assimilated and integrated into the brain. The inability to get sufficient delta wave sleep impairs the ability to recall information and operate at a normal level of mental efficiency.}}}

Sleep, when I do get some, it is restless and I wake often because of the pain the sheets have on my legs or because I twitch uncontrollably. I walk through many of my days in a daze with the Fibro-fog laughing at me as I stumble and grasp for clarity.

Just because I can do a thing one day, that doesn't mean I will be able to do the same thing the next day or next week. I may be able to take that walk after dinner on a warm July evening; the next day or even the in the next hour I may not be able to walk to the fridge to get a cold drink because my muscles have begun to cramp and lock up or spasm uncontrollably. There are those who say "but you did that yesterday!" "What is your problem today?" The hurt I experience at those words scars me so deeply that I have let my family and friends down again; and still they don't understand.

On a brighter side I want you to know that I still have my sense of humor. If you take the time to spend with me you will see that. I love to tell that joke to make another's face light up and smile at my wit. I am fun to be with if you will spend the time with me on my own playing field; is this too much to ask? I want nothing more than to be a part of your life. I have found that I can be a strong friend in many ways. I am your friend, your supporter and many times I will be the one to do the research for your latest project; many times I will be your biggest fan and the world will know how proud I am at your accomplishments and how honored I am to have you in my life.

All I ask is that you become educated about fibromyalgia. I am someone in your life that suffers from fibromyalgia. You may think you know everything there is to know about it, but there is more information out there than you think. It is more complicated then you think, and it is more life changing then you think.

{{{Lend a helping hand. If you want to be helpful to someone with fibromyalgia, just ask what you can do. Be flexible with invitations and plans that you have made. Understand that sometimes the pain of fibromyalgia is overwhelming. Be active. Accompany them to a doctor's appointment and take an active interest in their treatment. You can take notes at the doctor's office and then review your notes together at home. Don't take things personally. Some people with fibromyalgia suffer from sudden mood changes. Try not to take these mood swings personally as they are part of the syndrome.}}}

So you see, you and I are not that much different. I too have hopes, dreams, goals and this demon. Do you have an unseen demon that assaults you and no one else can see? Have you had to fight a fight that crushes you and brings you to your knees? I will be by your side, win or lose, I promise you that; I will be there in ways that I can. I will give all I can as I can, I promise you that. But I have to do this thing my way. Please understand that I am in such a fight myself and I know that I have little hope of a cure or effective treatments, at least right now.

Thank you for spending your time with me today. I hope we can work through this thing, you and me. Please understand that I am just like you.

So I Need You To Please Understand Me.

It is pretty significant that I am posting this while my Mum and sister are visiting from interstate.  I am missing out on what I looked forward to at the same time as feeling guilty that I have let them down. Meanwhile my son instructs me that I must do something to "make" myself better.  Ouch!

"Oh - when you walked past me just then, one of 'yours' told me to punch you in the head".

Not such a good sign but he won't take any meds. 

Yesterday it was the maniacal cackle and the announcement that the course he is enrolled in is not 'real' so he is going to quit (after making $50 worth of phonecalls on the expensive phone trying to arrange these courses and the study grant - austudy or whatever it is called).

Please Mum, it's S's birthday

I said yes.  I agreed to watch Cohen while they went out for tea and drinks.  They managed to get a ride with someone to my place, dropped him off, went out and Cohen was not happy.  He cried on and off, hammering at the door through which they disappeared.  And this time, he seemed to blame me for it.  Sc, who usually stays out of the way and leaves me to the babysitting, was able to settle Cohen and it was nice watching the bedtime story scene.  Nevertheless, it was nearly 10.30pm before Cohen gave into his fatigue.

The sofa bed was set up and B and St were going to come back in the early hours and join Cohen in the bed.   There is talk that they are going to make a go of it and stop playing around so I gave her a birthday present.  It is hard to know which of Br's women I need to be nice to.  But one of the women in Br's life has reported that S attacked Br when she was there as a witness and she has gone out of her way to report it despite Br actually denying it to prevent S from being taken to jail that night.  If this girl had not been there S would not have flown into a rage that lead to the domestic violence and since B has a DVO against her, strike 2 and you're out..... this time pending a court case so S is in real trouble and now B is wishing he had never got the DVO even if she did deserve it. She is finding it mind blowing that they could jail her because she does not think she it warrants that sort of punishment...so I read between the lines on Facebook.  She said that she wished she could turn back the clock a year.

Sc and I went to bed straight after Cohen did, and I awoke around 4am to go to the toilet and I could smell that the parents were back home.  There was a reek of alcohol in the air. One happy family!

The next morning, yesterday, actually went quite smoothly although Br seemed to be worse for the wear.  Cohen was happy and I could see that he loves his mother very much and she was being a good Mum.  I had agreed to take them home in my car since I still had the car seat from last weekend that no-one came to pick up.  I fancied checking out the shops at Kawana Shoppingtown for a while which I did with the money Br owed me (finally paid). I was also hoping that Bigpond would have connected the line properly so that I would have the Internet when I came back home.  Three days without the Internet just being there to access information seemed to put everything on hold, starting with the banking and bill paying. 

Nevertheless the techies had not done their line check so I phoned again (setting up Bigpond means many, many phonecalls to many misinformed, heavily accented and contradictory customer service representatives.)  This time, I actually got what I wanted before 4pm close of business and finally I am with Telstra Bigpond, paying less for faster access.  Not as fast as I hoped for what they call ADSL 2+ but I think it is OK for a zone 2 exchange.  Bigpond have a lot of unmetered content which I plan to make use of and I will spend some time discovering that.  I also need to get Mum's birthday present organized online but after yesterday's activity, I seem to have toilet issues again and my hip and knee were in a lot of pain after walking the shops. Lovely weather though and the zygocactus that are left after Sc's destructive garden spree ("I did not" he says) last year are blooming and Mum's Camellia still has a few buds left to flower while the Crepe Myrtle thins to a few reddish leaves and the Tropical Birch is nearly devoid of all leaves and did not show much Autumn colour at all.  The garden is actually awash with yellow butterflies which indicates how many grubs I've had eating things.  As far as I am concerned, it is the best time of the year on the Sunshine Coast.  It will be pretty chilly camping at night if we (Jan and family) do actually go next weekend.

Another weird B Weekend


Please come and get me. I'm bored and she is in a bad mood and it's my custody weekend so can I bring Cohen too.  She's going out later.

So why don't you stay where you have a TV and peace when she goes out?

I don't remember the answer to that but he was adamant it was best to come and after the cops saying he should not go back there, I didn't feel like I had a huge choice and I did want to see my grandson.

Oh no, my house and a 2 year old with a cold - not that he told me the truth about that when I asked about his health. But at least I would finally get the money he owed me.  Or would I?

But on the way home in the car, Lauren phoned - his friend.  I'm heading to Mum's, come and visit me before you head out to the clubs. (Yay -No Stacey -, was implied).  But Lauren didn't leave for the clubs, she stayed with Brett on the sofa bed after finally getting Cohen to sleep on the camp stretcher.

They were both drunk after promising to pay tomorrow for R's homebrew Scotch and Vodka.  But he is a binge drinker every weekend (except last weekend because he was stuck out at his father's) and his coming to visit me was probably only for the fact that he knew R's grog would be here waiting for his cash.

Cohen might be cute but he breaks everything - toys, a much bigger hole in the flyscreen after expanding the one he started last time, and a dodgy button on the amp, and my flame effect heater no longer works as a heater.  It barely lasted a single season.  I felt like I had to be on guard for my computer non-stop and i was exhausted by an early bed time.  I had also tripped over outside on the clothes basket trolley that I was trying to rescue from Cohen and fell up against the brickwork scraping skin off on the way down because I had no luck in regaining my balance.  I have a sore arm today that must have copped a banging but my twisted foot seems OK.  This finding yourself on the ground is not a nice thing at my age.  P.S  I hadn't been drinking!

The strange thing is that after a night in bed with another woman, and its not the first time, he is going back to Stacey's who has been trying to get him back home ever since he came here.  Maybe she didn't even go out and she said she "missed" Cohen.  I think B lied and he will be doing more lying about who he was with besides me and Scott (who hibernated in the bedroom mostly) but because she is going to cook him dinner, he is once again happy to go back to her or is he?

She seems to have him over a barrel now that the lease is up on her flat next week.  She either goes out to Roger's with Cohen or she goes to her Dad's in Warnambool and Brett will miss Cohen.  She was out of town with B last week because she wants company during the week but then gets bored and wants her weekend entertainment.  But B is the same about his weekends when it's his turn to party. It's just that Stacey get's on facebook and complains about being stuck in the bush.  Facebook has also revealed that Stacey does not want to take Cohen to Harvey Bay where her mother is when she moves out.  Facebook conversations can be pretty disgusting sometimes with Julie and Stacey both complaining about B and B making "I don't care" type comments rather than defending himself in public.

It beats me why they want to give us the expense of microchipped driver's licenses when whoever wants to track your life can get more detail on Facebook.  Anna Bligh is a pain with just about all her ideas. She may not have got her Traveston Dam but it seems she will be sucking water out of the Mary River with a piped network to feed Brisbane.  The Mary is a pretty puny river at our end already.

Anyway, they have gone now, and I still have not been paid.  The ATM at the local shops where they walked to was out of order.

Tomorrow you'll get your money, when Dad comes to pick me up.

I've heard that before.

But in my experience Dad has better things to do than go half an hour out of his way and back again.

ADDENDUM: Nah, they didn't turn up.

Cohen's Second Birthday was lovely. 

This is what I gave Cohen

This is from GrandNan Peters and Terrific Aunt Deb

And then we ate yummy banana cake after some cheerios, party food and singing "Happy Birthday".  But ofcourse that birthday spend up meant that there was no money to pay me or Rob back.











Have a look at the budgie pacing in his cage in the background - it was a present for Cohen from his Mum and Dad but he has had it for a little while and it runs around the house and is very easily handled.  I'm told "Peanuts" loves Cohen.  Probably because Cohen shares his food.

S got a day and a half work through Manpower or Men at Work this week.  He was cleaning up a chimney/exhaust fan which caught on fire in a house.

C was here to stay for school holidays when he was called up so he had to be sent back but he is back again now for a couple of days.  C does not seem to want to stay very long these days and asks to go home quite frequently.  But S is determined to follow through on the paperwork associated with trying to prove A is an unfit mother/environment (with Pauly there at least).  Who knows what S's real reasons are.

The best thing S has done this week is to clean out the mouldy carpet in his boot and through out the underlay with all the "fur"

We have had a bit of a time with Centrelink over the rent and S  trying to tell me what to do and sign on the form.  We are up to form three but S has finally accepted that he cannot get so much rent assistance in a place that has cheap rent to start with and now he has another bill to Centrelink for back pay because he received too much.