It's been two days and a lot has happened. You'd think with Jamie away that there'd be  less going on, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all.

Jamie had C call me a few minutes ago. She's been back in the room about five minutes and she's doing well. Says she hurts a little but not too much and she's feeling quite fuzzy.

It's late and it's been a long day. A short update for you all.

Jamie goes off to surgery about 7.30 Thai time tomorrow. Surgery will start between 8 and 9 and she'll be done between 3 and 4. I'll drop a post here when we hear the outcome.

Night all.

A Quiet but pleasant day with the kids. I was lucky to have a sleep in until 7.30 this morning, then Rhiannon woke me up.

She played Dora on the PS2 while I puttered around taking care of chores and doing some cross stitch in between helping her with her game.

Around 12 my folks came and picked us up (they had Vince overnight) and we went to see their new investment house which I am now completely in love with. Ideal floor plan, love the position and the yard. Really tempting. We wandered next door to look at the single story house there and ponder its layout, which is similar, but not as likeable. The kids had a great time playing on the site, digging in the dirt and finding 'treasures'. They made a band out of stuff they found just lying around. It was great to see them just free playing and enjoying themselves.

On the wya home we drive around Runcorn Heights School which is just a few minutes away. We figured out the local layout and figured how we might get from the house to the school. Tomorrow I will meet with the principal and teachers there to discuss Vince.

In the afternoon we just chilled, playing games and watching movies. I restarted Zelda, though didn't get very far as I had to remember how to use the controls and interface. The kids watched Inspector Gadget II which is becoming a firm favourite. Vince played a small amount of Lego Star Wars I and I helped him with Avatar on the DS.

Dinner was creative frustration, wanting something different from my normal roast chicken. I brushed the chicken with Golden Syrup, sprinkled on poppy seeds, freshly ground salt and garlic powder. Somehow the chicken almost steamed as it roasted and came out crispy, tasty and melt in the mouth. I also conned the kids (primarily Rhiannon) with Treasure Pasta - wide macaroni cooked with corn kernels and peas. The kernels and peas get inside the tubes and Rhiannon actually ate some of the vegetables with the pasta.

Finally heard from Courtney and Jamie after bath and putting the kids to bed. She checks in tomorrow and sees Suporn late in the afternoon. She's starting to feel quite nervous.

I said goodbye to Jamie and Courtney, today, as they stepped on the plane for Sydney, onwards to Thailand. After a mostly leisurely morning of packing, Mum came and picked up the kids and we got on with the last of the getting things together.

Courtney was getting nervous with 30 minutes to go, so I suggested a game of Speed Carcasonne. This is played with only 30 seconds to complete a turn and turned out to be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, we didn't get to finish the game (we were using three expansions plus the River I and II) and I have just, sadly, packed it up. I'm going to miss those games.

Jamie was madly doing something with the laptop and cables so we left her to sort that out and managed to get deeply involved in the game. Despite the distraction (or maybe because of it) we left on time for the airport and with nearly everything, except for a quick trip back home for the Sam the Bear.

Checking in was easy, in fact, we had the queue to ourselves, as people with International connections get their own line. After a short delay while they issued the tickets, we were off to try and find some lunch, and overseas power accessories, in the terminal.

Jamie was optimistic and upbeat, Courtney seemed more nervous. I think she is not looking forward to the surgery, which is very close, really.
However, they both got on the plane. I even got a call while they were waiting for the plane to leave Sydney for Bangkok.

At home, the kids and I just puttered around. Rhiannon played Dora on the PS2 while Vince and I puttered around the backyard, trimming the trees.

Then dinner at G&Gs, both kids very tired. Vince and I tried Effalex (fish oil) and decided we have to do something to hide the texture. After that, Rhiannon and I came home and she's now asleep, leaving me to put the finishing touches on our Thailand blog.

Marriage of the Minds - 30% 30% complete on Marriage of the Minds. Lots of speciality stitches already plus a lot of work on the continental stitch for the grass. It took 1 1/4 skeins of Luminesence, which I hadn't anticipated. Received the second skein this week and finished it. I'm looking forward to completing the row of trees, more interesting specialty stitches in there. 10/02/2007

When I go in to wake up Vince this morning there's something strange on the sheet next to him. When I look closer it's the mangled and cold body of a house gecko that Sai has obviously left as a present for him.

So, after some computer headaches which resulted in Misty building me a new system, I am able to upload first day of school photos.

Once in his uniform he was so together - proud and excited. He loved posing for photos and the drive there.

( All behind the cut. )

On Saturday we went to a class party for Vince to welcome him to Prep. He had the chance to meet Miss Hourn, Mr Gammy and hs classmates.

( Pictures behind cut )

Conversation I had with my daughter this afternoon about my son's peanut allergy.

Rhiannon: Vince has a penis allergy.
Rosie: He does?
Rhiannon: Yeah, a penis allergy. I don't have a penis allergy. I have a shiny allergy.
Rosie: A what?
Rhiannon: A sagina allergy. In my butt. *Rhiannon squirms around to point at her naked butt*
Rosie: You do?
Rhiannon: Yeah, there in my butt. *shoves her butt in my direction*
Rosie: Oh! A vagina!
Rhiannon: Yeah!
Rosie: *dies laughing*

So my spouse, Jamie, went full time two weeks ago and in the last few days we have been out a lot together buying girly things like underwear, clothes, shoes and makeup. I've had the chance to watch her interact with a bunch of people around the place and firm up some of my ideas about human behaviour when meeting strangers. I thought I might share this with those of you who have been through this in various ways and those of you who don't live in Oz and see what else you thought about it.

I've come to the conclusion that people don't really care that you are trans. They care much more about making a mistake about you being trans.

( Read )

A brief thank you to torquemada for starting an eight year passion for Assassins.

We're going to see it live for the first time on June 18th.

So it has been some time since the last post. Ahem. I promise I'll update today - after my first day at my new job at Suncorp - thanks to everyone who was pulling for me, I did indeed get the position!

Anyhow, I need a favour if people feel like a little harmless clicking. I'm in a competition for digital scrapbooking and I need a few votes to help me make it to the next round. If you're a fan of my kids or of Harry Potter, I need you to show your support!

This is what you're voting for - Vince - Harry Potter.

Votes need to be in by 9 pm EST.

If you go to Voting Page and vote for layout 4 I may get just enough to bump me up to the next round. I would appreciate it and would be prepared to do significant favours for voters, if you post a comment below!

If you'd like to see some of my recent work, you can visit My Gallery.

Thanks guys! Have a great day.

Those of you I've chatted to lately may remember that I was trying to decide whether to leave my current boss, go into business for myself or find a new job ...

Well, I talked to the boss last week and his business is tanking at the moment. He hasn't been approved to deliver the new Training Package yet (nor has anyone else) and in the meantime no one wants to take the course that willl be superseeded once the new one is offered. And he wants to focus on getting himself approved to train it first before me (fair enough). And his son is moving here from New Zealand and he will supposedly be delivering the course too ... all of which means I'll be lucky to see ANY work from him before the middle of the year. Sucks. On top of it, he is so worried about the state of his side of the business he says he doesn't have the interest/time/resources to help me develop any possible delivery of IT courses. So double yay. I wasn't all that thrilled about starting up my own training to begin with and without him interested in doing the IT RTO side of it with me ... that pretty much kills it.

So I'm looking for work. Luckily I'd already started looking semi-seriously just a few days before he told me all this and I'd put my resume in for the perfect job at Suncorp (big, statewide bank here) for a Web Design position in their training department. Spoke to the HR person the same day I submitted my app and she gave me very positive initial feedback. The position is taking instructional design specs and combining them with training materials to make interactive training webpages. The position seems to involve both autonomy and responsibility in addition to combining my adult education and web design interests. Not to mention working for a bank involves a pretty sweet benefits package.

So I've been hanging on tenterhooks for a week and the HR gal called me back today to schedule an interview! I'm totally stoked, but now feeling under pressure because I .really. want this position. (And boy oh boy, do we need it! Gotta start saving for Misty's SRS. Oh and pay rent and eat and stuff like that ...).

If anyone has some positive energy/thoughts/prayers/candles to spare or say or burn to help me out, it would be much appreciated. The interview is next Wednesday, 4 pm. That's 1 am EST USA on Wednesday morning.

Additionally, a smaller positive thought or two for Friday morning, 11 am or 8 pm Thursday EST USA would be super, too. I'm taking my Dreamweaver MX 2004 Designer exam and it would be a nice little confidence boost before next Wednesday, plus a bonus in the interview.

Thanks all!

Make appt for Misty's Dental Xrays
Make Appt for Misty's Dental work
Take Vince's immunsation form to FAO.
Call Kevin and follow up on TNA
all and get quotes for work insurance
Organise health insurance
Check out IPL for Misty
Start pricing replacing goddamn stupid white carpet with laminate Thanks dad!
Make booking for pest control to come next Monday.

Grocery shopping
Play pool at new pool place

It's been a while since an update and although I'm pretty tired tonight I feel like writing some things down, so here they are.

( Tuesday 11th )

( Wednesay 12th )

( Thursday )

( Friday 14th Jan )

( Saturday 15th )

( Sunday 16th )

( Monday 17th )

( Tuesday 18th )

( Wednesday 19th )

Whew! caught up. Missing my online friends muchly. There were a few bouts of excellent sex in there somewhere, but I won't make you jealous with the details!

So I know there are many avid readers on my friends list, so I ask for some suggestions! We've started reading Vince chapter books at bedtime and I'm looking for things he might like. So far we've read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which he liked and James and the Giant Peach which he liked, but not as much as Charlie. I have a whole lot more Roald Dahl as an option, but I'd like to try some different writing styles on him. mistwolf and I thought Charlotte's Web should be good, so I've ordered it from the library. I tried to read him Gobbolino the Witch's Cat but the language was a little difficult for him. I'd like to read him The Hobbit but again I think the language will be challenging (although I read him bits from The Lord of the Rings as a two year old, he wasn't trying to understand the plot at the time, just liked to curl up beside me and listen to the words.

So I was wondering what other books you would suggest as beloved from your own childhoods that you read or had read aloud to you or other books you've come across that you think he might like. Vince has just turned four . The only other things I can think of are the Narnia books, Enid Blyton's Magic Faraway Tree series and possibly The Wind in the Willows.

Thanks all, look forward to hearing your suggestions!

Medium kind of day.

( Just a run down of the day )