"...I'm gonna swing this song...just one more time...when I come by..."

Buying my first house was one of the very best, yet scariest things I ever did.

Owning a house to my mind was just the best thing a person could do.

To never be homeless? To never have to think "I guess I could just sleep in my car." was a safety net of incomparable measure.

Although I hit my very lowest point in life while I still owned the house, I still credit that act as helping facilitate every decision I made after.

I think in Zok's life plan owning a house was always a 'given'.  Somehow even though our lives were so different, many of our values are the same.

So we like to play the 'Let's move to the bush (country). Let's invest in land. Let's get a place and rent it out.' game.  This is a marvel, like the 'winning the lottery' game, and idea that we could invest outside of our house. But, I have to say that my time of life and place where I live has changed my outlook.  I have seen huge changes in the world and the cities that I have lived in.  Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and even here in Hobart.  People keep multiplying, cities keep growing, industries I could have imagined are thriving and the zombie plague has yet to arrive.

By playing this game, I, of course, am also constantly realizing some truth or another I had over looked. 

A block of land in the middle of very little here means taking out your own garbage, digging your own water source or living off rain water, paying to bring in power or living off the grid.  Creating and/or paving your own road.  A 2+ hour trip to get to a movie theater or large store of any kind.

Also of course by spending so much time in Stockholm, Hobart no longer seems crowded the way it did when I was here all the time.  Also the attraction of not having streets lights, or people on all sides, and more wildlife and bird life is strong as well.

And yet...I am attracted to this development we went to look at- not up the coast but down the coast.  It is a bit of a peninsula, so in fact the area looks back to our area, but it is about an hours drive.

The area is called 'Sloping Main' which is not nearly as cool as Pirates Bay or nearby 'Doo'ville which has all 'Doo' names like the food truck 'Doo-liscious'.

It has large blocks but already has a road and power poles. Of course I like the high lots because really if the Zombies do arrive there is a tactical advantage to having the high ground.

 

the girl I want to be

Zok and I still are suffering from this horrid, lingering, cold that is going around (as we know from gossip in line at the pharmacy).

The weather is not helping, Hobart continues to be dominated by wind, rain and an average of about 65 Celcius.

This is to my opinion, lovely.  I like to sit on my porch, read, and watch the rain fall but warmer weather for swimming would not be unwanted.

We are all about projects, Zok is on his own chopping down a tree, so there have been lots of trips to the tip.

We also ordered firewood, which is now stacked and we are stocked up.

I have been tenatively routing out a road trip in the U.S., although all plans are subject to change.

I also (mostly) went through all my CDs.  When you own as much music, know of as much music, and love as much music as I do, this whole digital age is a bit of a pisser.  I can't put all the music I want in one place or even on one player.  It's a constant balancing act, made harder each time by Apple updates. 

Meanwhile I try to remember this girl: because she believes that happiness is just a choice and perspective.

 

"...I'm going to live on a mountain...way down under in Australia..."

I can not put into words how much I love the East Coast of Tasmania.

Zok and I talk about moving out that way.

The land prices are not exactly inexpensive, and I had a moment of clarity when the woman we rented from near Bicheno, mentioned that she hadn't been to see a movie in a cinema for five years.  As the closest one was about a three hour drive.

But of course, the quiet and the glorious night sky is very tempting.

 Sadly, the iPhone is not exactly able to capture Jupiter rising over the ocean.

 But here are some photos from the daylight hours.

"...you are not the only choo-choo train to be left out in the rain...the day after Santa came..."

Call it an evil plan or just call it Christmas, my engage Zok via baking into a Christmas activity was a success.

 If you want the recipes, tips or details look

Gingerbread Take One

I couldn't decide if I wanted to make another batch of gingerbread right away or never again.  The process was a mess, and our first try was a bit wonky around the edges of each gingerbread piece.  But we both had a lot of ideas for the next time around.

This house is for our neighbor, and actually I think the will always have to be gifts as I am positive I ate about five tons of gingerbread mistakes, cut off, and oven test cookies.

This was a template, a hard plastic template from IKEA, but it really is more barn than cottage so next time we are going to just draw the pieces ourselves.

(with some help from Martha of course).

I hear even Seattle has snow and although it is chilly enough today for a sweater, it is not chilly enough to keep the garden from growing wild, which is a sure sign that it is coming on to Summer not Winter.

 

 

 

"Christmas just aint Christmas without the one you love..."

Zok is home!

A week went by at the speed of one day from the previous week.

The weather seems to be turning solidly towards Summer.

The tree is up and sparkling in the sun.

Latino baby jesus is on the mantel.

Sunshine and festive Cocktails!

(Cocktails are listed on the 'Dinner with Zok' blog)

Yoga classes are available straight through the holidays (thank you bamino jesus) so I have had classes while Zok competes in yet more Croquet matches.

Our IKEA order arrived and we are rearranging the front room.  Tasmanian doesn't have an IKEA, but you can order now from the mainland, and pick up your order from a warehouse.

I had another day weeding in the reserve.

I basically tackled blackberry bushes, they are very easy to identify.

I have to say that my new gloves were worth every cent I overpaid for them.

Sadly I have to say my love for blackberries started to wan within the first hour of battling them.

I have included another building from town.

I have to turn on this corner each day I go to Yoga classes.

 

"...Your life is so lonely like a child without a toy. -Then a miracle-a boy..."

I survived through more pouring rain and navigating the bus system from my home to town.  I have been feeling my age through the current prices of things.  $4 to ride bus one way?  $2.55 to post a Christmas card?

My first taxable income in 1983 was $2.45 an hour, student wage.  I still have pay slips.  This fact makes me feel as if I have truly lived through the start of a new century.  

I went into a couple of churches between bus stops.  I think it is strange that in a foreign city I will almost always go into a church, but I forget to at home.

Although in Seattle I did make a point of it, but in Seattle there were author readings and symphony performances that you could attend.  I have never seen anything listed in Hobart to go too. 

I tried to put up our Christmas decorations while Zok was on tour, but I only managed the mantle piece and putting up wreath of bells on our front door.

As usual, the weather at this time of year is very unstable, pouring rain one day, cloudy and 70 degrees the next.  It truly turns to summer after Christmas or even the New Year.  But, the sun rises around 5 a.m. and sets about 9 p.m. which leaves little room for Christmas lights and decorations.

I always feel as if I am putting up lights in the middle of summertime like some lonely, lost person who has no one to tell her that it is not Christmas yet.

Plus of course the garden is going crazy with all the rain- so where I should be is out in the garden which again is not in my mind, associated with Christmas.

 

"...I think I could like you...if you let me drive your car..."

 

 

I had a trip planned- especially so that I could write a blog post about it.

Surely, that is a bit lonesome-that my incentive would be about putting a brave face to the world?  But I was interested, an open day at a historic building I am curious to see inside.  But alas I was thwarted in more ways than one.

But no one would know that was what I was doing, unless I mentioned it- and I only am because my plans were dashed.

 

Apparently our car does not need a new fuel filter- but it definitely needs something done to the fuel system.  What is left? A fuel regulator and a fuel pump.

Isn't that interesting?

So my great plans that dealt with Christmas, making sure there was food in the house, and the rearranging of the house have all been stalled by the Jeep's third trip to the mechanic (who I trust and adore by the way-sometimes machines break and it is hard to chase down what is wrong).

 

I could have rallied- I could have brought up holiday decorations, I could have walked to the grocery store, today, the first solidly warm day in about a months time.

But I didn't.

I ate cheap flavored ice (think otter-pop if you are an American), and salads from the garden (seriously that is an apt example of my eating habits: condensed as much as they can be condensed- sugar-raw vegetables-more sugar-(think wine or beer)-tofu-).

I also read an entire book, a Zombie book if you want to know- recommended by a friend of a friend.  I thought about eighty-pages in, that the main character better die or the book had no redeeming qualities.  She did die, but unfortunately not until the very end.

Here is the rub- Why is the premise that society completely collapses under the Apocalypse?  Why do all the smart and educated people die off first?

Honestly?   Wouldn't there be a mix just as there is now?  I was very perplexed by the authors choice of language- bad grammar mixed with sort of random, archaic words.

Also, are there Zombie (of the modern times not you know Haitian/Voodoo Zombie mythology) stories outside of America and perhaps England (28 days that is English isn't it)?

Because it is always about 1980s vinyl, junk food and how people miss picnics.

Seriously? Picnics?? Because I can't remember getting anyone to a picnic (with the exception of a few Easters) unless it was a boy that I was still "dating".

Also what is the real turnover of products-in places like Wal-Mart because why is it 15 years on after some collapse and yet all that stuff is still left?

 

So here you have it, a record of December 1st, when I worked on my tan, ate trash and read trash.  I just thought there should be a document that couldn't be glossed over.