The drama with the house was over, the next installment begins! We got a new airconditioning unit installed the Friday before Christmas! Hooray! Fortunately the weather continues to be a bit cooler and drier than typical for here. Thanks above for that! So, to continue the drama, the gray water tank behind the house burst a pipe with water gushing and spraying everywhere! Good thing we were home when it kicked over, between Lyle and the neighbor, they got it shut down and I got to call the emergency number for the unit. It connected with the lady who has been overseeing the aircon drama and we both got a case of stress giggles out of it. What do you do? The plumber is here today to see what he can do and in the meantime, I had switched the laundry over to main lines and he showed us where the toilet tank valve switch was too. It was a pain flushing by bucket!
Christmas was a success here all around. We always get the kids new pj's for Santa. This was the first time they were NOT flannel! Summer shorts and tanks for the kids, maybe the warmer stuff for July and "winter" in Queensland. Mom and Dad sent a small Christmas box and Alex, Lyle, and I have matching Vandal t-shirts with the fight song on them-awesome! Ian has a dinosaur sun shirt that makes a huge toothy mouth when the arms are held to the shoulders and elbows together. He LOVES it. Annika got a button clutch purse that she puts in the handbag Santa brought her. What a little lady! Ian also got a large box of regulation size Lego blocks. Great fun building things around here this week! Alex is in heaven-Santa brought her a Kindle, so she has been in book heaven and is amazed at the battery life. Mom had to give her an IOU for a case for it as the store's inventory has been out since the middle of November. Aunt Megan sent the kids each a movie, which we have all enjoyed. We had Christmas dinner with a lovely family whose daughter was in the same class as Annika. They have 4 kids, and with our 3 it was a lively time. Holiday meals here tend to be pretty light and avoid using the oven whenever possible, which is a nice change. We enjoyed a breezy evening laughing at the kids play Harry Potter outside. Every time someone was hit with expelliarmous the "wands" went flying!
Lyle will be on vacation until Jan 4. The Aussie basic vacation allotment starts at 4 weeks and goes up from there. Most places accrue an extra week per year for about 10 years, then you can use the 10 weeks all in a block! They are not available until all 10 have been accrued though. Still, rough!
Notes on my new favorite desserts-Australia has a yummy confection called a Pavlova. It was apparently named for Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina who did a series of performances early last century. It is a merengue base topped with a light layer of vanilla custard and then topped with fresh fruit. Soo Yummy! I mad a lemon custard from a recipe I got from a college friend. It was also yummy and will be added to my list to make again, and soon. I have ingredients for another 2 batches in the fridge already . . . If you want the recipe, email me, I'm happy to share!
We're taking off for a trip up to Bundaberg and I'll write when we get back, and hope to put up a few pictures as well. Have a great week, and Happy New Year to everyone! Lyle turns 42 this week, and claims he is feeling every year now. Creaky old man!
Christmas was a success here all around. We always get the kids new pj's for Santa. This was the first time they were NOT flannel! Summer shorts and tanks for the kids, maybe the warmer stuff for July and "winter" in Queensland. Mom and Dad sent a small Christmas box and Alex, Lyle, and I have matching Vandal t-shirts with the fight song on them-awesome! Ian has a dinosaur sun shirt that makes a huge toothy mouth when the arms are held to the shoulders and elbows together. He LOVES it. Annika got a button clutch purse that she puts in the handbag Santa brought her. What a little lady! Ian also got a large box of regulation size Lego blocks. Great fun building things around here this week! Alex is in heaven-Santa brought her a Kindle, so she has been in book heaven and is amazed at the battery life. Mom had to give her an IOU for a case for it as the store's inventory has been out since the middle of November. Aunt Megan sent the kids each a movie, which we have all enjoyed. We had Christmas dinner with a lovely family whose daughter was in the same class as Annika. They have 4 kids, and with our 3 it was a lively time. Holiday meals here tend to be pretty light and avoid using the oven whenever possible, which is a nice change. We enjoyed a breezy evening laughing at the kids play Harry Potter outside. Every time someone was hit with expelliarmous the "wands" went flying!
Lyle will be on vacation until Jan 4. The Aussie basic vacation allotment starts at 4 weeks and goes up from there. Most places accrue an extra week per year for about 10 years, then you can use the 10 weeks all in a block! They are not available until all 10 have been accrued though. Still, rough!
Notes on my new favorite desserts-Australia has a yummy confection called a Pavlova. It was apparently named for Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina who did a series of performances early last century. It is a merengue base topped with a light layer of vanilla custard and then topped with fresh fruit. Soo Yummy! I mad a lemon custard from a recipe I got from a college friend. It was also yummy and will be added to my list to make again, and soon. I have ingredients for another 2 batches in the fridge already . . . If you want the recipe, email me, I'm happy to share!
We're taking off for a trip up to Bundaberg and I'll write when we get back, and hope to put up a few pictures as well. Have a great week, and Happy New Year to everyone! Lyle turns 42 this week, and claims he is feeling every year now. Creaky old man!
No comments:
Post a Comment