While the screen was not cracked, the LCD was totally rooted and the dead phone sat in the cables/devices box totally unloved for many, many, many months.

And so, after those many months, it came to be that Bessie’s phone would no longer recharge, her ipod touch was utterly inoperable and I’d noticed and iTelephone repair pop-up stand at World Square.

There was nothing for it but to take ye olde DonPhone along and see what they could do with it.

$90 and only ONE HOUR later and it was as in the pre-dropped state. Utterly and completely amazing – truly, we live in the future and it is totes awesome.

We presented the device to Bessie and INSISTED that she choose a protective case from the vast selection of Joe/Frank’s (bought as a giant, multi-coloured job lot at a bargain price on eBay).

Now I very, very rarely bust out my SpootPhone in the presence of The Babies (it is so horrid, why would I bother?), so it was not a little amusing to see Bessie’s selection …

matchy!

Interior photography in ThePalace(Of Love) is still proving a wee bit of a challenge – way too many reflective surfaces!

Exciting for the most part (like being on holiday!) but sometimes it would be rather nice to know where the best independent bottleshop is, or the best takeaway, or closest place for emergency groceries – why yes, I am an old lady.

I’ve used this unfamiliarity as an excuse to explain my complete lack of exercise (other than climbing the very many, many internal stairs) since … consulting my beloved sportstracker … 8 May when I ran 4.02km.

For the past 2 months sloth has been my watchword. My fave yoga teacher has a class early enough on Thursday evenings to impede my ability to attend, and running? – with no excellent harbour view? Please! Excuses, excuses.

Today I was totally over my sloth, busted out the running gear and the most excellent Prodigy and set out.

I am so accustomed to running on the flat that I found the gentle hills (some being >45^o) a little confronting and was compelled to walk for a wee bit on occasion, but hey: 4.23km is nowt to be sneezed at.

The shins are a little achy, but I feel as though I may be able to keep this up.

So lacking in bloggering ability that it has taken a week to move from the sentence above to this one.

I’ve taken to photographing householdly happenings with the SML (ev)i(l)phone because the superior camera cannot cope with the halogen lights and the flashy granite benchtops in the Fabulous Living Space.

Unfortunately poor Gertie (the very aged macbook), who is currently acting in the capacity of Fabulous Living Space Computer, cannot detect the (ev)i(l)phone is connected and so I am forced to repair upstairs to the horribly cold room which doubles as Bessie’s occasional bedroom and my occasional office and grab the photos and upload them – freezing all the while.

It speaks to my dedication that I share these pix with you.

Kitty loves footy:

best. photo. ever.

I have some flu-like thing, a flu-like thing that makes my brain resemble mush. Thinking is hard.

That doesn’t explain the lack of postering, I blame that on the endless trips to Bunnings and the other endless homely tasks (such as the endless cooking) that come with owning The Palace (Of Love).

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In the spirit of the title, I leave you with the following:

Why did I leave it so very long to discover the excellent Dalziel and Pascoe? Now discovered I am devouring the novels. Thank TheUniverse for kindle-y – which gives me the series at a button press (or 17 presses. Still, better than tracking them down in shops)!

Why do stores have tons of toys for doggies, but none for kitties? Our precious lovely kitty needs toys and we have money to spend!

kitty readz

The Palace (Of Love) is no exception. While we have super-thick walls, seals on the external doors and double glazing, it still gets very, very cold inside and we huddle around the column heater and imagine the dollars we are spending to miserably huddle (we tend to leave the heater on because by the time it heats the room, it is time for bed).

We’ve a gas outlet in the living area which we’ve been eyeing since we moved in. Today Don was working from home and Took Action!

We are now in possession of a gas heater and ZOMG! it is positively balmy all over The Palace even on the lowest temperature. Bessie is lounging about a summer dress!

Now I know why Heather has been pleading with the owners of the property he is renting to let him have a gas outlet installed at his own expense.

And, because it is much cheaper to run, hopefully the billz will be down!

I was overcome with goose-bumps and then I shed a silent tear or two.

At the beginning of the year the target was set and, as part of my new role, I stepped up to manage a company-wide process that had always been within the purview of DishyBoss. DishyBoss was all “we will never, ever meet this target”, “the target is preposterous” and “I stake my professional reputation on failure”.

Mr T had me demonstrate how we could achieve it and my analysis caused not a few ructions (and rending of papers in meetings). And for the last 11 months all I have heard is “it is your job to make sure we do this”. It has all been very harrowing in the extreme – especially when things went terribly awry on not a few occasions – and many, many times I have wanted to throw in the towel.

And yet here we are – all achieved.

I am so very glad I saw this through because despite the extreme dysfunction, ridiculous hours and the total hellish insanity, I have never felt more professionally satisfied, some might say smug, in my life.

I’m celebrating with a quiet champagne.

Our pitiful entries for May are below:

There was a good deal of take-away and running down of the leftovers stash from the freezer for a few weeks, but fortunately we’ve recently managed to claw our groove back – particularly with the purchase of a giant chest freezer. So! Very! Exciting!

Becoming accustomed our new oven has been a bit of a challenge too. Convection is involved which was not a little confronting. Once we did a little research and practice, ZOMG!, the new oven is so, so superior to the previous one! Unfortunately it is also a little smaller, so we’ve been forced to purchase some fabulous new oven trays.

Methinks we’ll have to make our Xmas turkey chicken-sized. Yes Xmas will be celebrated at The Palace (of Love), no foreign climes for us this year what with the indebtedness to WhichBank and all.

With the fabulous new kitchen we’re really motivated to expand the cooking repertoire, so expect many tedious cooking photographs and new items on the list.

one day, when I am rich beyond my wildest imaginings, I will convert an electrical substation into a home (well, okay, I’ll probably have someone else do the converting)

am rather in love with these crazy trees

Don was quite excited to discover a baseball game in progress

though the scoreboard was still stuck in cricket season

must get down to the the pbc, just the sort of venue we like

the ‘hood is full of rather gorgeous enormous hauses

We finished our meanderings with a nice pale ale at our local.

Must meander moar.

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And what would a blog post be without the ubiquitous kitty! shot:

sleepy

Our removalists were most excellent and terribly efficient – but we saved a ton of cash by moving a good deal ourselves beforehand (to the extent of hiring a van for a couple of hours [less than $200]). We were astonishingly well organised, but if we ever move again we are handing the removalists the keys and departing to tropical climes until it is all over.

And a tip for those who are moving – just pay for a cleaner. Really, so very, very worth it. Don was unconvinced and I had to quite firmly insist that we had cleaners through The Palace (Of Love) before we moved in. It was so utterly sparkling afterward that Don was persuaded repeat the process in Old Haus, which we were originally planning to do ourselves. I am so very, very glad because by the end of it all I was so tired that I could have hardly-barely lifted a scrubbing brush.

Unfortunately, things are so utterly insane at SML at present (almost at year end! almost meeting ridiculous, un-achievable target!) that I’ve had little chance to relax and discover the new surrounds, or experience daylight. Nonetheless I realised today that have not had the slightest pang about leaving the old ‘hood and am insufferably pleased with The Palace (Of Love).

The thing I was worried most about was leaving our wonderful view:

final shot

But I suppose we can tolerate this (at a pinch, of course):

day time

foggy morning

clear night

Also, we have a kitty!

Internet? What is that?

Really, I am desperate to get back into good habits for I have been drinking far too much wine and have yet to find an exercise routine and we all know where that ends.

But still, kitty!!