Looking forward to the Long Weekend.....

Wow a four day weekend and we want to achieve soooo much.

I am working in the morning which will be the first Saturday since February. I wouldn't actually call it working - infact I am driving the front end loader at Lysterfield to gain experience loading trucks. I will spend a few hours loading the bin truck! I am really looking forward to it as I am enjoying the new experience of sitting behind the wheel of a huge tonka truck

Saturday afternoon will be some grocery shopping. Oliver is off to a birthday party and Alex has invited a friend over (but we haven't heard from her yet). If her friend cannot make it we may just take Alex to the movies or something else nice.

Sunday I want to finish planting all the seedlings we purchased so not quite sure what else we will do - hopefully some relaxing and quality family time.

Both Noel and I have Monday off work. The kids still have school so it will be a day for the two of us to enjoy each other.

Tuesday is then the day that a horse race stops the nation. It is Melbourne Cup Day and we are off to a bbq at Pete and Tanya's. The team is Aussie so we are going to dress up. I am taking a salad and dessert and champas!! Should be a great day.... I hope Alex is in good tipping form - like she has been for the last few years.

The main thing I want to do however is NOT argue with Noel. We have spent much of the week arguing about one thing or another and have wasted so much time by doing so.

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Melbourne Cup Day 2009

Well that time of year has come and gone again ~ the Race that stops the Nation ~ the Melbourne Cup, part of Melbourne's Spring Racing Carnival.

For those living in Melbourne we are blessed with a public holiday to celebrate the day and also many people manage to get the Monday off from work ensuring that they had a long weekend. Noel and I both had the Monday off work and decided on Sunday that the kids could stay home from school also. Naughty of us but honestly we don't spend that much time with them at the best of time!

We had a great day yesterday, even though my emotions were all over the place due to what time of year it is. Although my dad passed away 16 years ago, I miss him so much and with all the family turmoil this year it was just harder than it has ever been. With the way I was feeling or should I say not coping very well we decided that we would just have a family day although we had been invited to several wonderful people's places to celebrate Melbourne Cup Day. I am glad that we made that decision as I wasn't really in a social mood and afterwards considering an intake of 3 bottles of champagne I still wasn't in a social mood!

Before the big race we popped into Anaconda for a look. Anaconda is a huge outdoor shop (camping, hiking, canoeing, etc). We didn't go in there to look at anything particular but we knew that we had some gift vouchers that needed using ($140 worth of vouchers). Browsing around we came accross a gazebo (3 x 3 metre shelter) that was reduced from $359 to $179 and we needed a new one for when we do go camping or to the Balnarring Picnic Races so we bought it. It was such a bargain - a saving of $180 plus using $140 in voucher we only paid $39 for our new gazebo!!! Tell me we weren't happy shoppers yesterday.

As for making a fortune on the nags..... it wasn't to be for me, Noel or Oliver. As usual Alex managed to pick the winner - just like she did last year. And yes we all heard about it! She went to the TAB to pick up her winnings with Noel. A $3 each way bet rewarded her with $40.50 and the beaming smile she had when they returned home was priceless but I could see the cogs turning in her head about what she was going to do with all "her" money until she was disappointed by being told she had to share it with her brother and us! I told Noel that Alex should put on all future horse racing bets for all of us!!!

This is 'Shocking' crossing the finishing line riden by Corey Brown
(photo courtesy of The Herald Sun)

Overall a good weekend was had by the Murray family but unfortunately it's all back to normality today - work, school and routine.

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Melbourne Cup Long Weekend

Yes us lucky people who live in Melbourne get a public holiday on Tuesday for the "Race that stops the nation" ~ The Melbourne Cup. It is always on the first Tuesday of November. While the public holiday is the Tuesday most companies are shut on the Monday also... generating an extra long weekend. Noel has an RDO and while I can work I the Monday I have elected to have an annual leave day and spend time with the crew. Sadly though this year, the kids will go to school on Monday (which has never happened in the histoy of the Murray's attending Kananook as the school has normally elected to have a ciriculum day). Unless of course we decided they too can have the long weekend. I will work Saturday morning as usual but that's only until 12.30pm.

It's hard rubbish time in our area (where you get to put old unwanted items on your nature strip and the council comes, collects it and takes it to the tip for you at no cost). So most of this weekend will be focussed on cleaning/sorting through the garage and house turfing things that we no longer use or need that's not good enough for the upcoming garage sale we are planning to have. We threw out a lot of stuff last year so there shouldn't be too much but I am sure we will find enough to pile high outside.

Saturday afternoon we are off to a BBQ. It's Erica's 30th birthday so it should be a nice get together and local for us! We haven't seen anyone for awhile so it will be great to catch up and have a drink together. I have had my usual Crunchy Asian Salad requested and I might just take some spooky treats for the kids as well...

Other than that no major plans for the long weekend except, as mentioned, the sorting and turfing of our humble abode plus a flutter or two on the nags on Tuesday!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

It's nearly holiday time....wooooohooooooo!!

Well the trailer is almost packed only a few small things to go in like clothes for us adults plus the food and drinks!! Cross fingers that we will be on our way by 5am like we have planned. May need to get up at about 3 am but it will all be worth it when we get to the camp site, set up and then sit and relax that is after we collect the firewood, get the fire going and work out what is for tea!! But in all seriousness Noel and I are so looking forward to this break. We haven't had a good break since April and that seems like it was so long ago. And I know that the kids are anxious to get there also.

Lots to do in the State Forest besides staring into the fire!! Hopefully I will get to do some walking but there is also four wheel drive tracks to explore, animals to spot, I know that down the road from the campsite there is the Snob's Creek Waterfalls so that will be worth a look. With a bit of luck we will find somewhere to throw in the yabbie nets to get a good feed! Not taking the fishing rods this time but I might just have to use my powers of pleading and venture to the trout farm to catch my favourite fish!! Yummo!! But before we know it it will be time to pack up and come home.

So the next time you will hear from me will be at least next Wednesday evening when we return to civilian life and pry ourselves away from the bush. I will return from my relaxing bush retreat knackered with two feral children that are black from bushlife and who have a large case of television withdrawal symptoms and everything smelling of smoke!! Sounds great and I can't wait!!

Oh before I go - big CONGRATULATIONS to Ms Vicki - great loss this week girl. Keep up the great work. I will definately miss our walks and our chats this week. (I am going to try and be as good as I can while I am away - LOL!!)

Bye for now and I hope everyone backs a winner on the Melbourne Cup!!

Finally - the right camp site

Geez after 3 weeks of driving around various state forests, national parks and basically anywhere that resembled bush and had a river/creek close by we have finally found a camp site. We have been planning to go camping for the Melbourne Cup Weekend for the last 6 months or so but until today unsure about where we were going to pitch the tent.... but today we found the right spot.

Sounds silly I know but there were severeal requisites for the "Right" spot.
1. Near water
2. Fairly isolated - didn't want to be surrounded by people especially yahoo's
3. Grassy not sandy/dirty

Call us fussy if you wish but we like to be comfortable and once we pitch tent we are there for 5 days so why shouldn't we get the right spot? All the truck drivers at my work are picking on us for being "too fussy" and saying "you should just go and camp - campings all about taking the rough with the good" but everyone has there standards. I have been laughed at by blokes that just throw out a swag once they have found their destination to a bloke that although he agreed with the others actually goes to his onsite van that is fitted with a tv and dvd player... right like that is roughing it.

But we are off to Snob's Creek next Friday and will camp there until the following Wednesday. There is the creek running right past the campsite which will provide the water for showers and dishes etc. Not sure if it is drinkable but will take water in with us. The site is not accessable by normal car only 4wd and is set quite a way from the main road. Cross fingers that we will be the only ones heading for the site this weekend. It is big enough to fit maybe two camps on there but it would be nice to be by ourselves.

Well it is now past 10 o'clock and I have been up since 5am as I had to work this morning - so the bed is definately the next thing on the agenda!!

My first day is nearly over.

Just to put an end to my first day as an offical "blog".

The afternoon went quite fast with Oliver going to one of his friend's houses for a few hours to play whilst Noel, Alex and myself did the shopping run. As usual just as we got out of the car in the carpark the heavens opened up and you guessed we were parked so far away from the door.... incidental exercise!! Running to the shops Alex was yelling "it's like being in a big shower!!"

After food shopping we went to a few camping stores as we are looking to buy a new tent for camping on the Cup Weekend (early Nov). There are so many to chose from, so it is a really hard decision. I think we have narrowed it down to 2 designs although there is actually nothing wrong with the tent we have we just want a bigger one. You can actually go mad in those camping stores and buy everything including the kitchen sink if you really wanted too!! Not sure where we are going this trip but it will be somewhere in the bush!!

I have to confess I would never have set up this blog (although I have thought about doing it for some time) if it wasn't for inspiration received from others especially a new friend named Vicki. It is like we have know each other for years but to date we haven't met or even spoken. However we do plan to catch up Monday for a walk in the evening - if this rain ever goes away. So thankyou Vicki! You have already become an inspiration to me and I wish you all the success in your weight loss journey. We can take all those little steps together.

So I will goodnight to you all as I need to get dinner ready so the kids and I can sit down and watch "Wizard of Oz" tonight - yes another musical!!