Busy Weekend

I only spent four hours at the shop today.

The Motivator and The Fisher King were there when I arrived at 10am and only left at 8pm!

Progress today includes all the holes in the walls filled, more skirting boards and architraves painted, one door painted, white walls received their final coat, shelving painted, 30 odd hooks attached to cabinets, one side unit cleaned from top to bottom, some dusting done, 2 logos designed, table and chairs selected for meeting area and all the sheets and covers removed from the furniture.

There is still some painting to do tomorrow including some skirting boards and a door.

The chemicals in the paint are really affecting Adoring Husband and his tremor has been off the charts for the last three days, getting worse with each day, so I am banning him from the shop tomorrow.

We left early to attend Dirty Old Man's 80th birthday party at the club. It started at 3pm and we were home before 7pm. There was no gluten free food for us to eat and the music was so loud, it was impossible to have a conversation.

The entertainment was very good, but too loud. Everybody was up dancing and seemed to be having a fabulous time, but we just couldn't get into it. We chatted with everybody that we knew and there were lots of questions about the shop, so it was fun catching everyone up with that.

We've watched the football tonight and it's only 9.30pm, so I may have an early night. I have some paperwork to catch up on, but I might leave it til morning.

I'd like to stop thinking for a little while - rest my brain. I'm going to start the day tomorrow with some meditation.

Nite all  

Breathless

We've all been breathing in paint fumes for two days. This is not a good thing!

One more day of painting and we should be done!

The name of this paint is 'Good Karma' and the white paint is called 'Love Story'.

How can we go wrong with names like that?

The Motivator and I painted eleven chairs today. Adoring Husband was at the shop before everyone and did stuff that I don't even know about and he and I also painted the yellow wall. The Fisher King painted the white walls, started the gloss on the architraves and filled all the holes in the walls.

I organised cleaners to come in and do the carpets and the windows on Tuesday, because I just can't bear the thought of doing all that myself.

We had visits from five different people during the day, which slowed us down a bit, but it was great to show off what we've done so far and I love that everyone is so interested.

I left the shop at 3pm.

The Motivator and The Fisher King drove into The Bay for supplies.

I enjoyed an alcoholic beverage at the club. Didn't win a thing on the pokies, keno or the raffle.

Adoring Husband had dinner ready when I returned home, which was lovely.

Tonight, I've been writing up some of the course material for the photography course that I'm putting together. I'm quite excited about that, but I'm looking at the time, which, as always, is approaching midnight, so I'm putting everything away and I'm off to lay my head down.

Nite all.

Wiped Out

My body is feeling a little weary and a bit the worst for wear.

End of day two of painting, although I did have a big break in the middle where I went into The Bay with Best Cousin in the World to get more supplies from Bunnings (my favourite shop - NOT).

I also acted as gopher and did a morning tea run and a lunch run, so I didn't do as much physical work as everyone else. I washed the lunch dishes,  put undercoat on four walls, helped paint one wall and then undercoated the treated pine frames with The Motivator.

The electrician arrived today and did the work we needed on the lighting. Thanks to The Motivator who knew exactly where to put lights and which lights to use, the job was pretty straight forward.

The Telstra modem and other paraphernalia arrived by courier today too!

Marco Polo assembled all the flat pack cabinets - because he hates painting lol - but they look fantastic. 

The Fisher King helped The Motivator sand the legs of our training room chairs and then undercoated them all ready for the final coat tomorrow (all 11 of them) plus he did lots of undercoating and sanding walls.

The Motivator didn't stop all day and pushed herself probably beyond her limits.

Best Cousin in the World did lots of undercoating and driving and helped me with the lunch run.

Adoring Husband worked hard, as he always does with paint brush and/or edging tool in hand.

We hope that it will only take one more day to finish the painting.

We will definitely need to have the carpet professionally cleaned before we open the doors and even with sheets covering all the furniture, there is so much fine dust on everything, it will take some cleaning.

So, tomorrow is another day which we will attack full on after a good night's sleep.

Nite all.

Wipe Out!

I had a list of six things that needed to be done today.

Yes! For the first time in ages, I had a 'to do' list!

How much of my 'to do' list do you think got done?

Well, you are all very clever aren't you? You are correct! Zip!

Adoring Husband phoned me quite early in the day and asked for some help. I got ready fairly quickly, but one of the Psychotic Dogs had a pooping accident and required bathing immediately! As you can imagine, that delayed my arrival at the shop.

I checked the mail first and then stopped at the Butcher to see if my usual order of chicken was ready, which it wasn't.

I walked into the shop and all was quiet. I called out to AH, but there was no response. Then I heard some hammering coming from the Treatment Room, so I waited until it stopped and then called out again, louder. No response.

I stood for a minute or two expecting him to leave the TR, but all was quiet and there was no movement.

I looked across to the older counter and saw 3 bells. A blue bell with a plastic ringer, a brass bell with it's own ringer and a little chrome shop bell so I stepped across and hit the shop bell.

I waited.

Nothing.

The reason I did this, is because AH is VERY jumpy and if he walks around a corner and I'm there, he jumps in fright and grabs his heart, so I didn't want to scare him - especially since he is working with tools!

I rang the bell again, louder.

Nothing.

*sigh*

Just as I was trying to figure out my next move, AH came out of the room. He saw me and said "Oh you snuck in didn't you?"

Um ... well ... no actually lol

Anyway, from there, we went into the training room and he showed me what needed to be done. I had to sand the lumpy putty where the nail holes were filled, so we attached the sandpaper to the electric sander (a very tricky job that one), and then I spent about an hour climbing up and down the ladder and sanding all the lumpy bits.

I also had to sand the architraves and AH suggested that hand sanding with the little manual sander would be easier, so that's what I did, but thought it was pretty stoopid advice!

After the sanding was done, I got the big brush and once again, climbing up and down the ladder, brushed all the dust away from the wall and architraves.

This is what was left when I headed off to 'A Taste of Burrum' to order some fish and chips and salad for lunch.

We sat down to enjoy lunch before getting stuck into the work again.

Two undercoats later, with a roller on a long handle, but a paint tray too narrow for my roller, I was absolutely done!

All that climbing and arm lifting and muscle using and being down on my knees. My stomach muscles are hurting (who knew I even had stomach muscles????!!) and the rest of my body is seizing up. I can't remember the last time I performed manual labour!

So, as you can see, it's only 8.30pm. Adoring Husband has been in bed since 6.30pm! I have to clean the kitchen and do a couple of things before I can climb into bed, but I'll be there as soon as I am capable of doing so!

Tomorrow will be a big day on a working B at the shop with a few people who have generously volunteered their time for the cause. I have also posted a shout out on Facebook with the hope of recruiting some more help. There is a LOT to do.

So I'm off.

Nite all.

Voluntarily There

I voluntarily went to Bunnings today.

It was a long and very expensive visit!

Aside from the usual tools that you need for painting ... of which we needed little, because between us, we already have some of the tools of trade ... we got a lot of undercoat, a lot of white paint, a little yellow paint, some gun metal grey for the chairs in the training room and some gloss white for the doors.

Unfortunately, we were served by a young girl new to the paint section, so she had to ask her work buddy lots of questions. We asked her work buddy a lot of questions too!

By the time we got the paint, the belt for Adoring Husband's sander and unsuccessfully sourced some metal hooks, we were in that painful store for about 90 minutes! Ugh.

We drove to Stocklands where the Motivator had her eyes tested while I picked up my new glasses that I ordered last week! I bought some new knickers and put Ozlotto on (I've won twice on the same ticket!).

We had a light lunch at The Coffee Club.

We went to Office Works for some printer ink and some pretty new desk decor - a pen holder, some pens, a notebook and a book/folder holder.

I got some new new shoes.

We visited Go Natural where I stocked up on my ice cream, milk kefir, fresh fruit and veg and some wild caught salmon.

I purchased some beautiful sunflowers from the nearby florist.

Before we returned home, we managed to secure the last appointment for the day at Shine Nails at Stocklands. I selected gold for my nail colour - to reap in abundance!

It was 7pm by the time we pulled into the driveway and it took ten minutes to unload all of my purchases from the back of the car.

After we exchanged pleasantries, I cooked up one of the wild salmon steaks for Adoring Husband to eat with a fresh salad and then we ate fresh strawberries and chocolate coconut ice cream for dessert.

As the time rapidly approaches 11pm, I'm pretty much done in, so I'm off to bed.

Nite all.

Hammer Time

I did a bit of hammering today. Cleaning up Adoring Husband's mess with the nail gun haha. All my fingers are still intact, no breaks, no bruising!

The Motivator and I put together an Office Works chest of drawers on castors. That was interesting and much less stressful than doing the same thing with a male ... in my experience! Sorry AH.

We discussed the different logos that have been provided by 4 different designers - none of which are close to perfect, but we have learned a lot and know exactly what we want now. We just need to find a designer who can see our vision.

AH measured the walls, so we know how much paint to get tomorrow ready for the painting on Thursday.

A list was made so that we can make the most of our trip into The Bay tomorrow.

I covered all the furniture with sheets so that when Adoring Husband is sanding the walls tomorrow, the dust doesn't land on everything.

The Motivator contacted Telstra, who were supposed to connect our landline and internet last week (surprise surprise), to find out that they can't find a port for our address. They were supposed to get back to us by close of business today, once again, surprise, surprise, they haven't.

We left a message for the Real Estate Agent to come into the shop to discuss the dirty carpet, the holes in the walls and the signage that should have been removed by now. She came and went without a word ... she has to walk right past our door and didn't even have the decency to say "I'm too busy, but I'll catch you tomorrow".

I picked up some crab from The Motivator's house on the way home .. you can guess what I had for dinner. For Adoring Husband, I cooked up some duck breast with orange sauce (which surprisingly, he loved!) with a salad.

I can't believe that it's already 11pm! Far out, time flies when you're having fun.

Nite all.

A Perfect Ending

It was a perfect ending to the day...

Lady Lynn, Happy Harry, Rebel Mardi, The Lifesaver, Adoring Husband and I met at the park for fish and chips at sunset to witness the beautiful light on the still water and enjoy each other's company. Just like old times.

Love you guys so much.

I worked in bed this morning until Adoring Husband came home for lunch, so I prepared some food before he returned to work at the shop and I continued with my work on the couch.

At 3pm I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, so I reclined my chair right back and napped for about 20 minutes.

AH came home and sat watching TV with his earphones on, while I continued to work until it was time to get ready for our date at the park.

It's a bit tricky now that I don't have an office at home to work in!

So, it was quite uneventful. Nothing to brag about. Nothing to report.

I've written up a story to go into the local newsletter ...


“The Happy Abode” is coming!!

“The Happy Abode” will soon become a favourite drop in point for residents and visitors of Burrum Heads.

Roz Griffin and Tracey Hemmy will be opening this space, which is located on Burrum Street (behind Elders) and they hope to provide a variety of services to benefit the community.

A bit about the girls …

A lot of you know Roz from her photography, her red trike and her hat! Roz has lived in Burrum Heads for 9 years with her husband Barry, who holds the position of Deputy Local Controller for Fraser Coast SES.

Roz exhibited her photography at Gattaker’s Art Space in Maryborough in 2012 with local celebrity artist Jackie Brennan. It was a record opening night, many in attendance being supportive Burrum Heads locals.

Roz’s work history includes conducting public seminars and in-house training within government departments, but the last ten years has seen her being more artistic and creative with jewellery creation and photography.

Roz brings her love of photography, social media, shopping, personal development and Burrum Heads to the table in this venture.

A lot of you know Tracey from her fiancé, Tony Simpson’s seafood operation out of Riverview Drive, but not many of you know that she is very accomplished in lighting, styling and design, with 27 years experience behind her.

Leaving her busy and well-established business in Sydney, her impressive resume includes massive projects like Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney Theatre Company and the Presidential Suites of the Portman Ritz Carlton in Shanghai China, as well as a number of hospitals including Westmead and Concord in Sydney.

Her achievements are too numerous to mention here and since moving to Burrum Heads 10 yrs ago, she has designed and run Interior Styling courses in Hervey Bay and in Sydney.
She also has 12 yrs experience in Natural Healing mediums such as Reiki, NLP and Journey work.

Tracey brings her love of lighting, design, styling, personal development and natural healing to the table in this venture.

At The Happy Abode, there will be a training room where courses and fun workshops will be available.

In the pipeline are beginner’s workshops in photography, photo editing, social media, journaling, meditation, creating dream or vision boards and mini courses in using devices such as tablets and smart phones.

Other courses include an 8 week Interior Styling course (with homework!).

If you have any ideas about workshops that you would like to see and do, your suggestions are welcomed and encouraged.

A treatment room has been built in The Happy Abode space, where Reiki, Journey work and other healing treatments can be accessed.

For your shopping pleasure, a wide variety of jewellery, purses and handbags, journals and notebooks, Roz’s photography and other bits and pieces will trickle in over time.

Finally, a small comfort area. Grab yourself a tea or coffee from one of the nearby shops - Foodworks, Burrum Heads Bakery or A Taste of Burrum - and head over for a relaxing chat about what’s happening with the girls.

Roz and Tracey’s friendship has flourished in the past three years, and they decided when this space became available, to combine their skills and bring something new to the community.

This space will be filled with love and friendship and kindness to hopefully strengthen the community bond that currently exists.

The girls are aiming to open the doors around 28th August.

So now you don't have to get the newsletter to read it haha!

I'm off to bed.

Nite all.

In The Dark

It was a funny way to start the day.

Just as I was about to walk out the door, I received a phone call from Adoring Husband who was already at the shop.

"Where are you?" he asked.
"I'm just about to walk out the door" I replied.
"Good!" he sounded relieved.
"Why?" I responded.
"Because I've shut myself in the treatment room and I can't get the door open." there was an almost frantic tone in his voice.

Adoring Husband is claustrophobic.

I laughed.

"It's NOT FUNNY!!" he shrieked.

I laughed again.

"Hold tight. I'll be there in a minute." I tried to sound reassuring.

My ride was uneventful until I was about 2/3 of the way there.

The markets were on this morning and there were people strolling along the path that I was trying to ride along. The road was busy with market traffic, so I couldn't detour via the road. So I had to ride at walking pace for a good portion of time .. all the while wondering if AH was climbing the walls yet!

Suddenly I saw Rebel Mardi walking quickly towards the path and saying "Look at you go!"

I called out that I couldn't stop because I was off to rescue AH from his prison, so she waved me on calling out "I'll see you tonight then!"

Finally, I reached the shop and as I opened the door I hear AH mutter "Hurry up!"

I gave the door a nudge and he pulled it from it's position and took a deep breath, almost like he had been holding his breath since he called me!

Considering his fear of enclosed spaces, he did very well to remain so calm. Later, I changed position with him so that he could see how well the door closed from the outside. There is no light in the room yet, because we are waiting for the electrician to do some work for us, so the room is completely black. Even 'I' felt my heart flutter with just a touch of fear and I don't even consider myself claustrophobic.

Because I left the house in a hurry, I didn't take any work stuff with me so no work got done.

I assembled The Motivator's yellow chair, played tradies assistant for a bit, then rode to The Motivator's house to buy some crab and spend a bit of time ... always enjoyable.

At lunch time I returned home, where AH had already arrived and I made some lunch. We watched a movie and then some football, until it was time to get ready for Tweedle Dee's birthday party.

We were running late ...  because of me ... but it was ok. Everyone was there and we were sitting at the best table, with all the funniest and most beautiful people! It was a fabulous night and AH got to dance the night away with Rebel Mardi, while I laughed my butt off with Tweedle Dum who tells the most hilarious stories with her cheeky accent. My cheeks are still aching from laughing and smiling so hard.

Happy Birthday was sung. Candles were blown out. Speeches were made. So much love was shared. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and we left a bit after 10pm.

Here it is after midnight again and I need to sleep.

Nite all.