Another piece of the jigsaw filled

What a great week it's been.

Blackwood Golf Club

Last Thursday I made the short trip up to Blackwood Golf Club at Cherry Gardens and played my first round there with a lovely Gent called Rod. He introduced himself to me the week before as I hung around the hallway looking very lost. He is the social secretary and he did a fantastic job making me feel welcome last week, and even more today as I played with him and his lovely wife, (the ladies Vice President!).

The course was in great nick, actually very green, with beautiful rolling tree lined fairways and very fast greens. Two things I noted whilst playing. It was a warm day circa 26c and the flies were really active, really hard to concentrate when putting or playing shots with these useless insects all over your face and body. The other was a constant buzzing , but away in the distance. It was bees/wasps doing what they do, but thankfully away in the distance. God knows if they came at us in a swarm, we'd have no chance. In the bar afterward, Debi Georgia and Jamie also joined us, as they are very relaxed and sociable and Thursdays are all about "twilight Golf" with a meal after if required. I met a few of the members (including several ex pats) who again went out of their way to welcome us, asking us to join them at their tables and join in the banter. Of Course G & J started acting up as it was obviously not their scene at 7pm on a Thursday night, so sadly we couldn't take up the invitation to stay for a dinner. Debi though was invited to take part in the Ladies "try Golf" - designed to get the Ladies out with a Pro and meeting other ladies, with the view to getting them all playing regularly and future members of the club. As first impressions go it's everything I would want from a Golf Club and very much in the mould of Brookmans Park, which I have to say I am missing big time.

Adelaide Christmas Pageant - Sat 9 Nov 08

Boring item this, for many but I could not write a piece this week, without giving it a mention as it was the official opening of the Christmas period - well here in Adelaide anyway. Over 180 floats in the procession in the City and over 400,000 lining the streets to watch it pass by. Quite an atmosphere. Kids are invited to chalk names and pictures on the streets before the procession arrives. There was an attempt on the Guinness World of Records for the longest Mexican Wave, not sure if it was successful. We all went in to town by train from Coromandel to Adelaide City with our new Geordie friends; Andrew and Ashley; and Lorraine, plus various kids. Debi is actually trying to fix Georgia up with Lorraine's son Jack as a good looking boy in her class!!! Some things never change... After the show we noticed loads of houses have put up their Christmas lights, weird as we still have 6 weeks to go...

New Job, a gentleman's agreement - Monday 11 Nov 08

Had a second meeting today with the travel Company in Glenelg by the coast today. We have shaken on a basic agreement, with a full contract and terms to follow, so I am absolutely delighted. Great company, people, office, location and a role to really get excited about. I won't reveal more until I have a signed contract in place and I have started with them. Don't wish to pre-empt anything. If it all goes to plan a real major piece of the big jigsaw has been filled. So much flows out of this as I have found it a real difficult process, all the job hunting, applications, interviews and soul searching. I must have applied for over 100 jobs, leading to just 8 interviews, 3 phone interviews and numerous kickbacks. I am so pleased this has come off . More details in due course.

Stressed about the house build.

We were concerned no-one at the company building our new house, knew anything about the retaining walls on our new plot. It's being built on quite a slope and split levels so there is quite a lot of earth to manage. Slightly important as the pool company were about to start their dig and create the pool shell. Anyhow a potential problem was nipped in the bud by a good round table meeting with all concerned, finding the way forward. "it pays to talk". They have hit rock on the site, so now await some rock breakers to come and do their worst. The concrete footings however will go down before Christmas, so a major part of the job will be (fingers crossed) completed by the year end. Of course its steaming hot here over Christmas and the schools take off about 8 weeks as their main Summer Holiday. Building companies and many other business's shut down for nigh on 3 weeks.

Debi's tan coming on

Not having to rely on St Tropez for the moment Debi has been making the most of the great weather recently, by breaking in our 2 new sunloungers. She is still telling me she doesn't know how she finds time in the day to do everything!! Yeah Right....

The new Barby

Had to be done. Surprised it's taken so long actually, but with the better weather comes the chance to spend more time outside especially in the early evenings. We had a 34c day last week, with several other days in the late 20's c. So we've invested a new barby, with wok burner and all. I suppose I'd better learn how to use the darn thing. Not my forte that - cooking...

Darn Flies

One other downside we've experienced here is the amount of flies about. So much so that if you're not careful a veritable swarm follows you about. They hound you from every direction. They were definitely not as bad as this last year when we were here. Now we know why all houses without exception have got fly screens, around all opening windows and doors. Maybe they'll die off as the weather gets hotter, let's hope so. What possible good do flies do anyway??? Answers on a postcard please.