Update on L.I.F.E.

This is going to be a post chalk full of updates on what we've been up to, so I'll just put the disclaimer on now that it will probably not be witty, interesting or at least have a visual appeal to distract you into feeling entertained.  It has been ages since I last wrote, and it has been a pretty busy last couple of weeks so here goes.  I'll take you back:


The week of March 7-11 was a big one in the Beasley household.  I lost both my boys on Tuesday, as Archie was finally at the top of the list to donate his balls to charity, and Chris was off to Brisbane for firefighting school.  I was busy too, as I had my area manager and sales coach in town from head office to watch me doing, whatever it is that I do at work.  Yes, believe it or not, I do more than drink coffee and make jokes.  How much more, well...the jury may be out on that one (Ellie, you got my back!?)


Chris will be in Brisbane for the next 4 months, which is 522.45 km as the crow flies southward.  If you are crazy enough to want to drive, the Bruce Highway will supposedly take you there taking around 7h 41m according to google.  The reason I say crazy enough to drive, is that this sorry excuse for a highway is pretty much 1 lane each direction the whole way.  Of course it is not just cars you're sharing the road with, you better factor in all kinds of heavy vehicles and trucks bearing loads WAY too optimistic for the width they're allocated, as well as wild beast-including kangaroo, wombat, and the infamous cane toad.  I think I should stop talking about 'said' road trip as it weighs heavy on my soul, but just be aware should you be bullied along the highway until your 1995 Ford Fiesta and roof rack end up in the ditch, don't say I didn't warn you.  (that is a story for another day, apparently I had a little too much attitude behind the wheel?).  


Anyway, Chris is really enjoying being down there and learning a ton.  The firefighters here in Queensland are para-military, so he is required to march, put up the flags and spit shine his boots on a daily basis.  Aside from the military bit which has some getting used to, he is learning a lot and is already practicing some hands on skills like driving the firetrucks around town, and gettin some hose time.  Whoa, something about that doesn't sound right.  I hope he comes back to me!  hahaha.  From the sounds of things, he is also working hard on his ironing skills, I guess meaning that he has developed some.  You see, we don't iron in this house, point blank.  Unlike France, and some of the other iron-obsessed countries I've lived in, it just doesn't have the same feel to me-and, well, I just don't like doing it.  Sure I can appreciate a crisp, well pressed business shirt, but I had volleyball teammates telling me they iron their COTTON T-SHIRTS!!!  They, and anyone else who irons items like that, along with pajamas, underwear and the like, have ENTIRELY too much time on their hands, or they are OCD.  And also, I'll say it, it's going unnoticed to these eyeballs.  All that said, seeing is believing and I guess the military doesn't go for a loose thread, much less the look of a business shirt with the "crackled" look.  Rosemary (Chris' mom) would be proud, as she is the ironing queen.  I'm sure Chris is channelling her technique when he's hittin the ironing board.


Man, I must REEEEEAAAAALLLY not want to work on my homework since I have managed 2 lengthy paragraphs about road conditions and ironing.  What can I say, if you want to get your house cleaned, lawn mowed, or even develop a new hobby, take a university course.  It does wonders kickstarting all the other jobs you've been procrastinating on.  Florence Nightingale and 'Nursing History 11146', you're bustin my chops!!  


In light of school, I have been able to transfer (ONCE AND FOR ALL) my prior learning (yes, all 5.5 years of it) over here and have received some credit so that I can get on with actually completing a nursing degree.  Being on the nine year plan never felt so good...until you come out the other end with a nursing degree instead of a PhD in Medicine.  Oh well, I've lived AND learned so I am taking the delay in stride and getting back into the swing of things.  I am taking 2 courses at the moment and really enjoying being a student-despite the procrastination.  I love learning, and feeling like my brain isn't "dumbing down" on a day to day basis.  I do NOT love essay writing though.  I used to be a good writer, and over the past 5 years, and countless email and facebook type messages have been cramping my style.  Not sure how my profs are going to react with the ?!? ...  -- :) of my everyday writing, so it might be a harsh reality after assignment 1.  I know you are all sitting on the edge of your chairs so there will be an update available. ;) 


At the end of our crazy week I came down with a chest infection and a fever.  What am I, 7 years old?  I haven't had a fever in SO many years, and if it was mustering up all its strength to hit me while I was down, it certainly did the trick.  I was literally horizontal for 5 days.  It was terrible.  With nobody to take care of me and bring me chicken noodle soup, Archie and I were left to recuperate on our own.  To make matters worse, I had been to see the naturopath earlier on in the week, and she discovered that I have a gluten intolerance.  SO, not only was I sick, but I was freakin STARVING OVER HERE!!!  The comfort foods to fill your belly, peanut butter and honey sandwich, spaghetti, even the cornetto's I bought...all have gluten! :(  In any case, it was a rough few days but I pulled through and am better for it.  Or at least that's what I'm going to go with.


Archie.  What can I say other than he is onward and upward.  He was with me all week, and is 98% an AMAZING pet.  We love him.  However, he has springs in his paws, and takes it upon himself to jump our fence and go trouncing around the neighborhood in search of more interesting things, while we are at work.  If we're home, no problems.  We go out, he becomes the canine version of MJ.  Friday, March 11th I get a call from the RSPCA.  I don't really think twice about it until I get home, and Archie is nowhere to be found.  The story was that he went down the street and was frantically jumping someone else's gate to play with their 2 dogs, and the owner called the pound.  They came around to do an inspection and weren't terribly happy with one side of our fence so they took Archie back. :(  


Originally they mentioned that when we solidify that few meters of fence, we can have him back.  But Chris informed me that he can jump ALL of our fences and we just cannot and will not be replacing all of our beautiful fencing, full stop.  So, they are going to give him to another more suitable home, and we are going to carry on fostering other dogs (probably in 2's so they have a buddy).  I love Archie, but we tried dog training, dog appeasing pheromones, toys, bones, and we had sort of exhausted all our avenues so it is for the best.  He will make some young family very happy, but we are sorry to see him go especially since he was my little sidekick while Chris is gone.  :*(


That is pretty much us for right now.  Chris will be back once a month, and will graduate on July 1st (OH CANADA!!).  I am working away, and trying to keep the house/pool in working order.  It's hard work!!!  


N'Importe Quoi:
-the news from EVERY other country gets an appearance on Aussie television, along with Degrassi reruns.
-I'm still baffled with the people here that get around with NO shoes, NO shirts (or bikini tops), and NO clothes on their babies.  Sometimes I feel like the odd woman out...weird!!
-Does anybody actually know what "cross-check" on a flight is?  I always wonder that...
-Krispey Kreme donuts here are NOT hot upon purchase.  Donuts are also at a premium here where people are paying upwards of $3.75 for a chocolate dip!!  Can anyone say HORTY'S?
-I absolutely despise the show "2 1/2 Men", and was relieved that somebody had a breakdown in order for airing to stop.  "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" anybody feeling particularly mentally volatile? come ooooooon.
-you can tell a lot about what kind of a person someone is by what they do on an escalator.  Stand, speedy walk, lean, ride the hand rails...
-writing in italics really makes me feel like I'm talking to ya

A Tribute to Technology

Last Saturday was one of a few times, that I have been able to hop online and watch my little bro play volleyball.  It is so amazing that you can just hook up 12000 kilometers away, and practically feel like you are sitting in the crowd with your foam finger on.  Al's team has been doing great this year, and just won the gold at the Canada West Final Four tournement in Edmonton.  They will progress to the CIS national championship and are seeded first in the country!  They won their first game, and play again tomorrow night.  It is always great to watch him play, but I was extra grateful for technology today as it bridges the gap between here and the homeland.  I know people complain about computers screwing up, or the anti-social robotic side of technology...but it does make our lives easier sometimes and today was one of those days.

Along that theme, we also three-way skyped with the sisters connecting Canada, Australia and Hungary together in one family reunion "extravaganza" as Colette affectionately called it.  We missed the rest of the fam, but as usual dad was on the road, Heidi was napping with baby M (who had her first needles today, or "jabs" as they call it here-that hurts just saying it like that!), and Mom and Al are at the CIS tournement.  In any case it was fun to see and hear everyone at the same time, and of course get a little look at the GROWING nephews!!  It was funny because every once in a while a book would float up in front of the camera, or a playdough "cake", etc as Andrew wanted to show us every little thing he was doing.  So cute!!

Aside from that, things at the Beasley household are going well.  We are both gearing up to put our 'student caps' on again as we undertake the beginning of a new term.  Chris will be taking an accelerated bridge course to get his teaching certificate.  He is also at firefighters school starting on March 9th, so that will definitely be keeping him busy, hopefully he can keep up-as both are supposed to be pretty intense.  As for me, I have decided to transfer my education once and for all so that I can finish this freaking nursing degree.  I guess the product of playing and traveling means that the school priority takes the back burner.  Although, that being said, I am relieved it's not the other way around.  I will be working full time still, so it will just be part-time studying for now.  I'll keep you posted in 9 years when I actually graduate...keep your fingers crossed...hehehe

That is pretty much it on our front.  I am LOVING this new dog still, and we are getting in a good groove of plenty of exercise...and some play time.  He is just the incentive I need to get active again since we have been walking twice a day!! :)

N'importe Quoi:

• Chorizo is the business.
• Sydney's coldest day in 61 years was +4.3 Celcius.
• I don't like when people use the term “hubby”, I also dislike when ppl here use the term "righty-o".  It sounds as if it is a really easy going saying, but really it seems to be used as a bit of a snotty disagreeance.
• I think the sound of farts are absolutely hilarious…always have.  Ask my mom, I used to get disciplined for "bathroom talk".
• what's good for the goose is good for the gander. this saying cracks me up, and I had to look up what a "gander" was.  (apparently it is a male goose, so the expression means: what is good for a woman is good for a man.  I like it!)
• You know you have hit an all time low when you're selling a used urn in the bargain finder.
• Miley Cyrus looks like a cabbage patch kid.

MARA!!!

I was looking back through my posts and realized that I hadn't posted my draft about my little niece joining the family!!  On her 2 month birthday, I am finally cracking the whip...how's that for procrastination?!  I am a disgrace.

Little mara was the first girl "ahem" grand-girl to grace the family with her presence and I love her already.  It sucks being so far away because I just want to snuggle her and measure her wingspan against mine.  You might think that I would just do that to "have an easy win" but with the parents she has, she could give me a serious run for my money, even at that age.  She is long and skinny, and looks just they way the meek babies have always looked.  She was born on January 4th (it was the 5th here already so I might wrongly celebrate her birthday for the rest of time.  Jonny Hudson will sympathize as I have continuously called to wish him happy birthday about 2 months from the actual day).

Here are some photos of the little princess:

I'm headed back to N. America this summer and CANNOT wait to meet/snuggle this little monkey.  I love her!!!!!!