Blue falls the rain...

I've had several people ask me today about whether I'll be at Caulfield tomorrow with the Famous Pony.  The answer is still a curt negative.  I did manage to buy the last remaining copy of The Age on this side of Canberra it would appear, so that was great, and means I'll have an extra copy to go along with the copy my sister kept for me.

My lovely colleague Gerard Whateley, whom I worked so closely with on his wonderful "Black Caviar" book emailed me to ask if I would be at Caulfield tomorrow, and I put my head in my hands in despair when I read his email and replied sadly no.

I have had a number of lovely emails and messages lately, saying how much they admire and love the work with the Famous Pony and how they have been following my work for a long time.  They always help to make a tough week feel a little easier.

Blue falls the rain..  Heath and Jessica before we run for cover and the "Dan" the car.  I know, I know, not a real photograph, not taken with a 'real' camera..  I am ever the camera snob, they just don't rate!

This afternoon we went out doing errands.  The kids had wanted to go to an indoor play gym/centre called "Monkey Mania".  Jessica is in disgrace though for refusing to clean up her bedroom.  Heath was terrific and did his, so not going felt unfair on him, but he did get a couple of hours on the computer earlier today as a reward.  We have to be ruthless about tidying up and beginning on house inspection tasks, given that we have the unfair burden of house inspections.

First we dropped off the broken and stricken microwave to be repaired under warranty.  It will be great to get back going again.  There's only so many days that a girl can cope without an operational microwave in the house.  And it's amazing how many times you go to open the door even though you know that the wretched thing is broken!

Then it was a trip to Officeworks.  My nice new red portable hard drive I bought during Melbourne Cup week is full because I've been so busy and had so many photoshoots on.  I can't complain about that, only the cost of another $99 hard drive!  And in my 'for goodness sakes get your life and world in order' I started sorting out the piles and piles of paper (which I tend to let go and turn to chaos before having a big tidy up).  This tidy up revealed a definite lack of proper storage and record keeping supplies, so the trolley was pretty full when we finished.  Heath and Jessica got some new paint and craft supplies, so they are happy.  

On the way home, we stopped at the local shopping centre for milk, bread, a chai latte and a milkshake for the kids.  I've stopped drinking coffee altogether, is terrible for anxiety apparently which is why I was drinking the chai (although I think I find them far too sweet), and while we were there I suddenly realised I have only eaten on a solitary slice of bread today, so we had a cake too.  I am, alas, eating and sleeping terribly again.  

While we were inside a sudden storm hit, and when we came out it was raining cats and dogs and the temperature had dropped sharply (no complaints there!).  I took the image (above) just before we ran for the car.   

Once we were shivering and wet inside the car, Jessie suddenly commented about a much nicer new car we'd been driven about in during a recent ice skating adventure late last year which we'd all loved.. Both kids had liked that day and thought that the car was fancy, because it had vents in the back.  

Her comment caused me to wince, and Heath sharply rebuked his sister.  Deep down Heath's always defended me.  He used to do it in a former life too, no matter how scared we both were (or how little he was). I have spent a fair bit of time reflecting on things, particularly today, and telling myself next time I won't be so prone to believe untruths.

I mouthed a silent "sorry Dan, we do love you, with or without the back venty and cuppy holder things",  took a deep breath and drove home, where I started unpacking all the new office things. Plus also having to do an emergency retrieval of the Bad Ass Kitty who escaped just on dusk via a crazy kitteh flying leap at the dodgy screen door which flew open, releasing the little bad ass... He vanished underneath Dan, who I'd left in the driveway. I managed to just grab a hind leg, and refused to let it go and dragged him back towards me, despite his shouts of "Objection!!!!"  Losing our precious kitty is the LAST thing I need right now...

Time to get back to filing and sorting paperwork out...  

ps - in another little attempt at self improvement, this afternoon at Officeworks I spent a whole $8 on a small globe (not the light bulb type, but the planet type) in an effort to improve my geography. I have been reliably informed that I am terrible at geography, along with my truly appalling inner compass.   Oh, that's right, I forgot, I actually have NO internal compass...   Which explains why I can get lost so easily, and end up going upside down and back the front.  Which explains my effort of trying to back onto Punt Road from the Nepean Highway and why I ended up out the back and other side of Caulfield Racecourse, in a panic, and heading goodness only knows what direction..