Just discovered the ‘Archive’ section of the site is no longer working.
I reported it to the host service support section in case it’s a database problem, but I know the posts are there because I can get at them via the management page. But of course I want them onsite.
Currently we can’t even get to the September archives on the page itself… and were still *in* September!!
I was relating my tale of dislike for the new shopping centre to my father and telling him I’d bought a shopping trolley bag thingy so that I could walk to the local shops to buy day-to-day necessities. He suggested that in keeping with my ‘shopaholic’ tendencies I ought to rename myself under the new regime to ‘Trolleyholic’.
Not sure this is entirely appropriate as I’ve not actually *used* it yet. But it’s there ready for the off!
Not sure entirely what to go and buy yet. The wife has been doing the cooking so I need her to decide what she’ll be making so I can be sure we have the ingredients. It’s starting to warm up now so it’ll be a bit of a strain… but hey… you can’t keep us us Trolleyholics down! 
Ok, as I said earlier, The New Rouse Hill shopping village (yes it really *is* called that) has opened up for business and we went over today to have a look around.
First impressions? I don’t like it. Not because it isn’t finished, or because it hasn’t enough shops. Not because it’s crowded or expensive. Mainly it’s because despite being brand new to me, sadly, it had an unmistakable air of… ‘tackiness’.
Perhaps I’m being a snob somehow but this place gave me the immediate feeling I’d gone downmarket. To give you some way of gauging just how awful I felt the place was, when I visited the new local branch my favourite supermarket, Woolworth’s, I decided within minutes I’d not be using it unless I *had* to go there for something essential. If I should need to shop at Woolworth’s, I’ll travel to one slightly further away.
Why did I dislike it? The concrete floors, the utilitarian designs looked like something thrown together to imitate the impersonality implicit in Orwell’s 1984 rather than a bright new *clean* store that reflected Woolworth’s ‘family’ appeal. Basically I thought the whole ‘town centre’ was a planning and design disaster. It’s within walking distance, but so are a number of small local shops.
The local shops are more expensive yes, and there are some things they don’t do well… or even sell at all. But I can get good quality meat from the Butcher, great fruit and veg from the Fruit Barn, fresh bread from the baker, and most odds and sods from the IGA (in the UK think ‘Spar’). Sadly no fresh fish shop, but I didn’t see one at the new ‘village’ either but I can get that at the specialist seafood shop at the old mall.
So do I *need* to go to the new town centre? Currently the answer is no. By next March the second phase of the place will open with cinemas and more ‘general retail’ shops (in the UK think Tesco Home ‘N Wear’) so maybe we could be tempted back then… maybe; but for now I have neither the need nor desire to return to shop there.
I was *very* disappointed despite the billions they’d spent developing it. Yes I have photos… but I can’t be bothered uploading them.
Got the wife’s present sorted out eventually. We went into the jewellers in the mall and they took out 6 links. It now fits, and I think looks, beautiful. Well so does she which makes it all ok either way 
On the way through the shopping mall I passed a little watch repairers and because the daughter wanted a new battery in her watch I stopped to get them to fix it.
While there I looked around, as you do, and noticed a Timex ‘heart monitor’ watch which looked ok. I’d seen this sort of watch before and wondered if I should get one. However, the Timex offering didn’t have much of a ‘look’ about it so decided against it. However, further down the counter they had a Casio model which had a heart monitor and *this* one I thought looked great. There were two models, one was black… the other… a sort of light blue and white.
This one is ‘basic black’… I couldn’t find a photo of my colour online and I’m too idle to take my own so imagine the same watch but where the one in the photos is black… mine is white.
So, bearing in mind my 60th will be in a few weeks I figured I’d go and nag the wife a little to see if she’d be interested. The thing was $199 so wasn’t a *huge* amount, but even so, it still cost. Anyway, to cut a long story short… I’m now the proud possessor of a watch that will let me know when my heart rate reaches excessive levels and that *will* be useful. The one thing the treadmill won’t tell me is my heart rate and there have been times when I’ve been a little concerned about the way my heart has been thumping.
Now… no more worries. When I collapse I can do it knowing exactly what my heart rate was when I passed out
Oh yes… the face had fallen out of the daughters watch so I couldn’t fix it. We bought *her* a new one too.
The Rouse Hill Town Centre opened it’s doors last Tuesday. I was so impressed I’ve not yet been for a visit.
I was told it was very impressive and ‘high tech’ so when we go I’ll be taking a camera to publish a few pics of the insides. The outside is a bit iffy… only half the multi-billion dollar project is complete and there is building work everywhere. Still, it’ll be good when it’s finished and only a short walk from the house… 20 – 30 mins I think
We might go today when we get back from dropping off the youngest at the ferry ready for her trip to Brownsea Island with the Guides.
If we *do* go… I’ll report back.
Strange sort of day yesterday. Spent the morning at a meeting which lasted from 10:00 a.m. til 1:00 p.m. though it was fairly productive in its own way so was worth going to.
Then home for an hour and off for the kids. The school broke up for the holidays yesterday for two weeks, which suits the kids down to the ground. Sadly for the eldest, she had to come home and study… her maths marks in no way reflect her ability so the wife is making her study and and do tests to see how she copes.
The youngest had skating to do… and we discovered her coach wants to put her in for a competition in a few weeks so I have to find her ‘membership numbers’ to add to her entry form. Erk… where are they?
Of course the competition *had* to coincide with one of the weeks the wife will be in the UK didn’t it. Who will do her hair and get her looking prettified ready to go onstage?? Err… me I suppose… somehow!
While she was skating I was up in the gym… another hour… another 1,000 calories. Still hurts
Then back to the house in a rush, collect the girls and the wife… and off to rock climbing! Discovered I had the times wrong (as often happens) and we arrived a half hour late. Still, the kids had two hours of fun and we were able to help belay some of the other girls who didn’t have a parent there to assist.
Back home… and the wife had to help the youngest one pack for today. Today? Yup… today she’s off to a Guide Camp for three days.
Like I said the other day… it’s all go lately!
After my exertions in the gym this morning it was almost pleasant to go for a walk around the local Aldi supermarket to pick up a few bits and pieces. Nothing major, other than a new set of scales with some sort of ‘super device’ that will record weights and body changes for the entire family. Might be useful. Ok we have no real need for it at all… we have a solar powered digital scale downstairs. I suppose it would be nice to have a set of scales in our bathroom though (and *there’s* the excuse!) .
After that I nipped into the ‘Fruit Barn’ which is the purveyor of locally grown, and therefore relatively cheap and fresh, fruit and veg. Bought loads and it only cost $50. Can’t be bad!!
The only fly on the ointment was that through all this I could hardly walk. Coming out of the gym after 2½ hours slog, the pain from the arthritis in my hip is almost crippling. Today for the first time I found myself holding on to the trolley and using it almost as a walking frame. Hey I’m getting old!!
Actually, as I think I mentioned before, I’m hoping that as the weight drops, so will the pain level… especially when I cut back the gym sessions to an hour once or twice a week. But that won’t be for another 10 weeks or so, so there’s no point whining just yet. All I have to do is keep repeating the mantra “Pain is your friend… embrace it and all will be well” and I should get through in one piece.
After all, *apart* from the pain I feel *much* better for doing the exercise!!
Another one of ‘those’ weekends coming up. There’s a public holiday on Monday so you might expect us to have some free time to relax a bit and catch up on stuff. Fat chance!
Both kids are going rock climbing with Guides tonight. They need parents to help belay the other kids… so both the wife and I will be there doing our bit. That’ll last til 9:00 p.m or so. Then tomorrow morning the youngest has to be at Guide Camp by 10:00. Not so bad except it’s down near Wollongong so we have to be up and out by 8:00 a.m. *at the latest* to get her there. A two hour drive each way will see off most of the day I think!!
Sunday promises to be a little quieter… tho we might find ourselves doing ‘stuff’ with the eldest since she will now have us to herself for the first time in years. No idea what just yet but I’m sure she’ll think of something. And then… on the ‘holiday day’ itself… we have to drive *back* to camp to collect the youngest. Another two hour drive each way.
And then… the wife goes back to work and the kids are on three weeks holiday. Oh joy.
Youngest daughters birthday today… she’s just 8. She had her party last Saturday at the skating rink with 20 friends and seemed to enjoy it. Today was far quieter but we did get her a cake.
The cake was a really light almost frothy vanilla sponge with layers of caramel fudge and cream covered in more cream and ‘sprinkles’ with white chocolate pieces to decorate it. It looked gorgeous and the wife said it tasted as good as it looked. And of course… true to form… neither child liked it. Flaming kids…..
We still had some chocolate cake left from Saturday so they had a piece of that instead and the wife finished off the remains of the pieces they’d left. Not sure what to do with the rest of the vanilla sponge.
Because of the diet, I can’t eat it… tho I came damn close to succumbing it looked so good. The chocolate mud cake was also waved under my nose for a while until I had to get up and leave the table. I’d *love* a piece of birthday cake… but the weight isn’t moving so I have no excuse at all for trying even a small portion
Excuse me for a while… I’m off to scream a little and bang my head on the wall
After nearly 20 years spent growing up in front of the camera, Australia’s sweetheart, Kate Ritchie, has decided to hang up her bikini and leave both ‘Sally Fletcher’ and ‘Summer Bay’ behind her. Even tho I’ve not watched the show for years her image has always been the one used in the advertising and it’s sad to think we won’t see her smiling face as often as we did.
Still, it’s always amazed me how she managed to survive all this time with her personality intact. In fact I think the secret should be discovered and handed on to other child stars who’s lives have imploded dramatically, and often publicly. Whatever it is, it’s worked for her.
There is hardly a trace in her history of the usual histrionics, scandal or nasty rumours (well there is one but it’s never been proven to be her) and her smile is as appealing now as it was when she started in Home and Away aged 8.
Now aged 29, she’s looking for new paths to follow. We wish her well in both her career and future life.
Well done Sal… you did good!
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