I'm in love . . .

and its name is Gerni.

Ok, well that's not technically it's name. It's just what they were called when I was a kid. It's a high pressure water hose and it's the latest present Coparent and I have given ourselves.

We've Gernied the fences, the paths, the stepstones (which are actually a lovely terracotta shade - we thought they were beige!), the house, the pergola, the cafe blinds, the windows and occasionally by accident, ourselves. So far the children have been spared although we have considered it for next time Mr Cheeky decides that using the toilet is not for him and lets loose in his pants.

So it's been springcleaning time in the resilience household. We've cleaned, we've mowed, we've weeded, we've hedged, we've tidied, we've gernied. We've repaired, we've installed, we've replaced and we're now completely knackered.

Anyway, to show off my new love, here's a pic of Coparent attacking the birdbath in the front yard. Who knew it was white?!?!

Electrical Appliances are evil

Evil I tells ya!!

Now, I know some of you will be shocked but I have an admission to make. Some times, I can ever so slightly, be just a little, well, OCD.

Sadly my particular version of OCD had nothing to do with fastidiously cleaning. Or my bathroom wouldn't look the way it does and we wouldn't be currently running through the pros and cons of hiring a cleaning person!

I tend to be a little weird (hard to believe, I know!). A chronic insomniac, I can't sleep unless I am either holding the TV remote or know exactly where it is. It has to be on the bed - across the room just doesn't cut it for some reason. Plus, the TV has to be on.

Yes, yes I know. Oprah has gone on and on about the evils on TV's in the bedroom, but something has to go on in there and quite frankly, Oprah doesn't do it for me.

Oh and what's on the TV? It has to be good. Something I would want to watch. Otherwise I stay up shooting dagger looks at the TV for not entertaining me enough to sleep. Yes, as I said, weird.

So last week, I turned on the TV for it to shut itself off and give me the black screen of death. Mmmm. Not great.

Imagine my disgust when two days later, the TV (tiny, but still within my OCD guidelines) I replaced it with died in front of me. This one, which had lasted 20 years, turned itself off and refused to play again. Yes, two in a week. Don't tell anyone but I had to borrow Mini-me's for the night to get some sleep!

I have a brand spanking new one. 26 inch. Flatscreen. I'm in OCD heaven.

Although Coparent has strongly suggested I don't touch it and stay right away given my track record this week. Particularly after I simultaneously blew three energy saving light globes in the kitchen by flicking the switch.

Birthday

Happy Birthday to me for yesterday!

Amazingly I'm now 37. It seems almost incredible because I don't feel 37. Part of me thinks that I don't feel really different from 10ish years ago, apart from now having 3 children and a mortgage. I suppose a lot has happened in 10 years.

Children, mortgage, loss of family members and loved ones, serious illness in the family, jobs, study, job again. Just thinking about it is making me tired!

I've now known Coparent for 20 years, B and J for around 21 years. Where did all that time go?!?!?!!

I think I need another trip to Sydney to remind me of who I was/am again. We'll see.