Other Stuff

A sunset & I have changed my theme.

Hello people. This sunset is from the other night.  We’ve had heat, we’ve had rain, and a coldish day while Sydney sweltered.

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I’ve changed my theme back to Twenty Fourteen, but ditched that nasty black sidebar. I found myself missing my ‘in-your-face’ photos, and still scrolling to the top of the post to click-through to comments, so I figured everyone else probably is used to doing that, too.

I’ve managed to add a few words to my novel. I know how it is to end, just having a few problems getting from A to B.

I’m still catching up on my other blog –  way behind on writing up my online learning experiences. A few of the classes have fizzled out, just not enough to hold my attention.

Back on the treadmill. I’m not doing much there, having a bit of bother with either numbness or pains in the feet and legs. Time to talk to the doc about it, I suppose. It’s happened before, years ago.

Aren’t these revolting things! Seen on my daily morning walk. I missed three or four days last week when Vika was sick. It was like having a baby – but without the nappy. She chewed on an old bone, I think, and ended up leaving little puddles of mess (from both ends) all over the lounge room, including the rugs! Talk about stink!

WP_20141031_011Are they ‘spit-fires’?

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Bite Size Memoir

Bite Size Memoir: Crazy!

BITE SIZE MEMOIRBelatedly, this is for Lisa’s Bite Size Memoir: Crazy! (in 150 words). I thought of some really crazy stuff, but decided to play crazy-happy – instead of crazy-stupid or simply crazy-crazy!

 

As the Footloose Bus approached Queenstown, New Zealand, I rashly declared my intention to Bungee Jump. Only a few weeks before, at home, I’d scoffed, said I wasn’t that crazy.  Apparently I was.

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Lined up on the platform to the right … try again, shall we? 5 – 4- 3 – 2 – 1 … …

The waiting was the worst, queuing seemed hours of being deaf and denture-less.

Eventually I moved into place; my ankles wrapped in towels. I didn’t like the way the little frayed hat-elastic ends swirled in the breeze on the sides of the elastic they bound around my ankles.  When I spoke, the attendant laughed and said he would be expecting a huge Australian scream from me. He counted backwards, twice, before I found courage to launch myself into space.

Jumping off

Jumping off

 

Heading straight down

Heading straight down

Jumping off that bridge, 143 feet above the river, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I heard my scream echoing off the sides of the ravine.

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coming back up, still screaming

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flicking back up under the bridge, second freefall

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Getting lowered down to the inflatable, to be deposited on the bank for the climb back up – to a point a bit lower than the bridge level.

 

I still can barely believe I did it!

1989 - aka The Ouzo Lady - New Zealand.

1989 – aka The Ouzo Lady – New Zealand.

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One Word Photo Challenge

One Word Photo Challenge: Scarlet

I’ve fished through the albums on my PC for some scarlet colours for Jennifer’s One Word Photo Challenge.

Me in Sept 2009

Me in Sept 2009

petunias

geranium

geranium

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grandson 2012

Me in 2012

Me in 2012

scarlet

scarlet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you like my photos – I’m comfortable with taking selfies, now. I hated it at first. 🙂

I’m pleased to report a break-through with my novel. I know exactly how it is going to end.

Last night, while sweeping out a couple of toilet cubicles at work, the finale suddenly came together in my head. Excited, I  started packing up the car. Then I remembered I still had to clean the workmen’s wash-up sink. I mentioned this to Mr R, and he expressed surprise that I’d cleaned the toilets already. Oops, forgot those too! As soon as I could, I jotted down notes in my phone – not likely to forget, though.  Now I’m confident that I will have my novel ready to publish by the end of the year.

I wonder if I will weaken and try the traditional submission process first – just to see what it will be like to get knocked back. Stephen King racked up lots of rejection slips before he made it. I shouldn’t deprive myself of the experience.

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