Balloon girl

My entry to I heart faces this week reminded me that we had some video.

Ohhhh my kids were so cute!

(They still are… just a bit spottier and teenagery)

I heart faces – Balloons

This week’s theme  is balloons and when I think of balloons I always think of my dad’s 60th birthday.

We held it at my place and blew up about 200 helium filled balloons with long ribbon tails to cover the ceiling.

Then we all waited with the lights off in the lounge room for him to arrive.

It was a new house, with no curtains and we had windows letting in the moonlight.

We didn’t surprise him.

He could see the silhouettes of the guests through the windows not hidden by the wall.

The next morning, the balloons had started to fall from the ceiling and floated at every height.

The kids (aged about 4 and 16 months) were elated.

They captured them in enormous balloon bundles, crocodiles and ran through the house. [see video]

You could hardly see them for balloons.

Check out some of the other entries for some more balloon magic.

21 Up South Africa

I was watching the South African version of 21 UP on SBS tonight.

Three of the original 11 children have died, two of AIDS.

At first I guess I wasn’t too surprised.

But then I thought how amazing it was that none of the original kids in the UK series have.

Shocked that I care

I was in two office sweeps this year at a total outlay of $7.

I feel I got away lightly.

I was a bit bah humbug about the cup today. 

It felt like an interruption.

I resented the distraction.

Of course I tried to contact someone in Melbourne for work and it was a public holiday.  Sheesh!

I’m sure my horses did their best.

The highlight?

Watching the trainer realising he’d won.

It brought a tear to the eye.

Maybe I do like the Melbourne Cup after all.

Hand me the new Dick Francis novel and a champagne darling!

All grown up

My baby is 12.

Where did the time go?

Images from my birthday

I have this big wall calendar on my pin-up board and hopefully my colleagues noted my reminder!

The date jumps out at me from everywhere.

My colleagues have bought me a present but it doesn’t arrive for a few days… intrigued?  I am.  So one of them bought me some earrings – just to tide me over.

And my boss bought me flowers.

The clouds were gathering over the city as I sat in the carpark otherwise known as the entrance to the tunnel.

My sister-in-law made me this cute sunhat!

And a matching bag, delivered with charm by my God-daughter.

My nephew wasn’t too sure about it.

My darlings bought me chocolate and a book voucher.  Noice.

Mum popped in for a visit (and to see if I’d used my massage vouchers…).

And then Groover took me out to Pata Negra for dinner.

I am no food pornographer.

It was a delicious day.

It’s my birthday

Sigh.

Why is it that birthdays are less exciting the older you get?

Groover was sweet.  He knew I wanted to take choc chip cookies to work rather than a cake and so he made some for me.

Unfortunately they didn’t work out so well – dud recipe with no baking powder.

But I love that he tried.

Luckily I had bought extra ingredients and the result you see above.

And maybe next time he’ll go to redsultana.com for the best choc chip cookie recipe of all time.

We don’t call them nom noms for nothing!

Birth of an elephant is risky business

Go and watch this video – it is quite amazing.

Film of Elephant Birth

That’s all I have for you today.

An expensive perch for one seagull

The Cottesloe Pylon has been fixed, just in time for summer.

Not sure what the final cost was but it was quoted at $170 000…

I like the way the colours reflect those of Cottesloe Surf Lifesaving Club… or maybe they reflect the paint on the pylon?

I heard talkback callers saying they were going to jump off the pylon no matter what the authorities say.  I guess the authorities have to say you can’t but I kind of wished they had put a ladder the side and a little jumping platform.

Bloody lawyers put paid to that no doubt.

It was a much cooler weekend this weekend…

Here’s the difference at the same time last Saturday:

New habits are hard to make

About a month ago Property at work changed the swipe point to gain access to the building.

It used to be right next to the door, now you have to stop about 3 metres before the door and swipe your ID card.

But old habits are hard to break.

Every day this week I have walked up to the door only to have to double back to swipe in.

Arghh.

Even today – after taking this photo – for the sole purpose of THIS post, I walked to the door to swipe in.

Double Arghh!

I know we are talking four years of habit versus four weeks but when will it become second nature?

And do you have any tips to make it sooner rather than later?

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