Day 27 - Still in Bunbury

You can tell we are starting to get used to the “Travelling” life, as we are getting itchy feet, or itchy wheels in my case! Been in Bunbury long enough & now time to “Roll Em Out” as they say in the blues brothers.

That reminds me, Ness turned 40 this year & with planning for our trip, Annie only being 5 months old & Ness actually booking me for a job in WA on her actual birthday…… we did not have a BIG 40 for her. But wait there is more……Next year you are all invited to Ness’s 41^st,so put it in your diary now, March 27 2013 is her actual birthday….so it will be the weekend around that date. Really!!

Ok back to where I was….. We are getting a little ready to move on, I have to work tomorrow from 10am till 1230. But then we will be packing everything up & either leaving tomorrow arvo or first thing Saturday morning.

We are heading North, we have work in Kalgoorlie next week…. But along the way we are going to Wave Rock…. That will be cool.

I was in the bookshop the other day, I went to the Australian history section, and what I was looking for was a book on aboriginal history that had information on who lived where & when, and I also wanted to know the significance of the major aboriginal landmarks & the stories behind them. You know like what is the story of the Olgas from an aboriginal perspective, what made Uluru, and the hundreds of other significant sites that we all treat just as tourist destinations. But there was nothing! All I could find was history of European & indigenous interaction, some fancy hardcover history books with very very small sections on aboriginal history….but nothing else! Very disappointed, I would have really liked to have known the aboriginal peoples stories of some of the places we have been to and have yet to go to.

Sue can you ask Bill if there is such a book? Preferably not written by a whitefella!

Hey we have a problem with the Trakmaster, we have this fancy roof vent that is electric & remote control. It opens/closes remotely, sucks/blows depending on what you need it to do. But it is leaking! Over the last few weeks we have had some pretty horrific weather, and the other day we noticed there was water on the floor….not much but enough to be concerned about. Now the worry here is that water gets right into the roof as there is wiring up there & insulation & we don’t want it getting wet. So a quick call to Bunbury Caravan Repairs to explain the situation & he agreed to have a look at it. But…..It is our home, while I am at work tomorrow & the guys are looking at the van… Where will Ness & Annie go? I suggested they go to the shops for 6 hours but I got “The look”

So I went to the caravan park office & asked if they had a cabin the girls could use…. $75 later & they are all set for tomorrow. I’ll take the van to the van place and Ness & Annie will move into the cabin for the day & I’ll bring the van back on the way home from work….. Problem solved. Now for me just to remember what I need for the day and pack it all up.

Don’t get me wrong, the Trakmaster is a classy bit of gear, this is the first real issue we have had with the van in over 3 years! I rang them first & they said they will cover it with warranty even if we have to get someone else to repair it!...Nice.

Reader’s comments

My sister & brother in law commented on a variety of things, but I really liked the suggestion you made Brad, get a pair of swimming goggles while Ness chops onions.

Rob told us the conditions where he is on holiday, 27 degrees, light breeze, clear skies…. But Rob, No horse manure?

And Dave R suggested I get some drops for my eyes as I spend too much time in the dust. Good point Dave. I think he should wear goggles permanently.

We heard from Lorraine today…Your powers are getting stronger Lorraine as only last night Ness & I said “We haven’t heard from Lorraine & Michael this trip”….Spooky!!!!

Annie’s Blog

How much sleep do grown ups need? I mean when I go to bed at night Mum & Dad are awake & when I wake in the morning Mum & Dad are still awake. My morning nap the same, my afternoon nap the same…..Do adults not need to sleep? I don’t even see them rubbing their eyes when they are tired…I do. My Aunty Heather says she is going to sleep the same times as I do when she sees me. That will be fun Aunty H but I don’t think you will fit in my cot. She is also going to buy a Onesy to sleep in….Cool, but don’t buy any nappies Aunty H as you can use mine!

Today when Dad was at work me & Mum went for a walk through the mangroves, they have made this wooden bridge thingy that goes right through the plants & the mud, it is amazing. Did you know that the White Mangroves that are in Bunbury are the southern most mangroves in Australia and are estimated to be 20,000 years old? I got no idea what that means…but Mum was interested in it!

G’night Y’all….. Hehehe just practising my accents for when I can talk!

AnnieInAVan…XXX

Day 26 - Work in Collie

Raining here….What’s it like where you are? Last night we heard the pitter patter of raindrops on the van roof….. That’s a funny word, do you ever wonder where words come from or who used a particular word….One that I always think about in this context is dickhead….I mean who would have thought to combine those two words to describe someone that was maybe previously described as a goose…. Or an idiot! I reckon my brother in law Brad has come up with a few unique words in his life…his brain works that way, it is sort of two dimensional…he can think on two planes at the same time….trouble is no one else is on the same planes as he is & they just don’t understand him!... except me mate, I understand you.

Anyway I’m getting off track…. It has rained all day & night & as I went to work today Ness had no car so she got caught in the rain on the way back from the shops. I think it is good to get soaked occasionally…..and I’m sure Annie will enjoy playing in puddles & rain many times in the next few years. Reminds me of one day when me & Ness were in the lounge room watching TV when it was pouring with rain…and out on the front lawn we saw the footy flying through the air. My son Dan had put his raincoat on and was kicking the ball in the pouring rain! Good healthy fun!

My eyes are really sensitive to onions…. Tonight when I came into the van Ness had been chopping onions, now we are in a fairly enclosed space so some of the onion gas got into my eyes. It was soooo painful; I was rubbing them & crying. This has happened to me a few times in the last 12 months, are there any eye specialists reading this? Can you give me some hints? I never used to have problems with onions…..now it seems to really get to me…Car air con has a similar effect, not as stingy but still red & sore. Anyone got any eye tips for me?

Hey we just got back from a drive around town….just saw the funniest thing. Bunbury is a nice place, beautiful beaches a well laid out CBD & the outlying housing estates seem to be fairly nice….. Until today, we drove past the most hideous entrance to a housing estate we have both ever seen? There were these two oversized concrete naked chicks at the entrance! They were disgusting….I said to Ness “I couldn’t drive home to this every day” have a look at the photos Ness posts & you will see them…. It’s Gross!!!

Butter chicken for dinner tonight……Not bad for trailer park trash!

Go GWS on the weekend. I think I’ll join Annie up to the Giants. I don’t think so….

Reader’s Comments

Sue advised us that Melbourne had an earthquake, its funny because Ness just happened to be checking her Facebook page & it just went crazy with messages…so we sort of experienced it “Live” And Sue…Not sure why the post delivered that package…Must have been Annie’s Magic Flying Fairies. But glad it made you smile.

Heather told us that she threw out her favourite flannel Jammies last year!!! About time if they were the ones you went to hospital to have Sydni in….. she is now 16! Those Jammies are well & truly done.

Annie’s Blog

To all of my Mothers group friends I have a question. How many colours does your poo have? Mine has heaps….and guess what, Mum tells me every time what colour it is…. She says “Good girl Annie, that is a nice beige one with bits of carrot in it” or “Oh Annie, that is a Pumpkin colour poo” what do your parents say when they change your nappy? I am not so sure I am that detailed James…

I freaked Mum & Dad out tonight, Mum dropped a disposable nail file on the floor today & I found it and put it in my mouth & then pulled it back & forward over my teeth! It felt awesome…..but Mum & Dad both got this horrible look on their faces….. Mum said “No Annie…that is terrible” but guess what, she took it off me & put it in her mouth just to see what it felt like…… Adults just confuse me!

My teeth are growing, dad keeps saying I look like Bugs Bunny….Dad told me that Bugs is a cartoon from the prehistoric days. Dad tells me lots of other things that he used to watch on TV….. Do you know they had a show called Looney Toons a long time ago? I’m so glad I live in the future!

Ok goodnight to all my friends & family

Love from AnnieInAVan…XXX

Day 25 - Bunbury

Hi blog people, firstly thanks to all of you for your messages on the blog, Facebook, calls & texts, it is great to keep in touch with all of our family & friends.

Tonight I have a problem with politicians, I was listening to the ABC yesterday while on the way to get my new tyre pressure gauge & an opposition politician was criticizing the state government for stealing one of its policies. Apparently a member of the opposition introduced a private members bill to the house & it was laughed at by the government & voted out….but a week later the government introduced a very similar bill (with a few changes) & the opposition were calling them hypocrites! Well actually they are all just big kids…..I know I rant a bit when it comes to politics but are these people real? I get so frustrated when a reporter asks a politician a question and then they get a bagful of waffle for an answer…. Answer the questions please!!!

Ok glad I got that off my chest!

Mrs Flannelette 2012….Ness will kill me for this…. But she has this daggy old pair of pink floral flannelette jammies & she wears them to bed most nights! When she puts them on I call her Ms Flannel 2012….she tells me to get stuffed or words to that effect. Do any of you have partners that wear anything to bed that you like/hate? Feel free to share with the blog.  All I have to say is…’Who bought them for me??’

Jamie in the van with us. Ness loves to cook, she has a great collection of cookbooks & uses them regularly. When we were packing I told her she could not take too many with her, so she decided just to take one….Jamie’s 30 minute meals by Jamie Oliver. Man we have been eating like kings! Tonight we had a cauliflower macaroni bake & it was magnificent, cup of hot chocolate to wash it down & maybe some fruit for dessert… this van life is excellent.

Oh and a footnote to the Dream Pot I raved about earlier this month…..we have had to cut back on our Dream Pots…. Let’s just say that too many meals made with packet soup mixes leads to loose bowels!!! (for both of us) and the last thing a guy in a wheelchair needs is a bad case of the runs! (too much information you think???) We call that Overshare James!!

Today I went for a ride on my bike, when we got this van built we had a winch installed on the top of the van, I can take my bike with me & get it on & off the van easily. So I dusted it off today, set it up & then thought I’d go for a ride around the caravan park just to make sure it was ok. But then I went onto the bike path and before I knew it I was almost in the city. I turned around & rode back but then made another stupid decision and rode past the caravan park on the bike path for another few kay’s. Came back & I was buggered! It’s been a while since I rode my bike.  

To my mates Dan & Rodney who are also wheelies……I’ll show you how the winch setup works when we see you next…..but don’t ask me to show you how to ride the bike….I’m getting too old for that!

Today I had to write my monthly newsletter for work…..it’s kind of like the blog but it is safety related information. If any of you are interested in receiving it monthly please let Ness know and we will send it to you.

Reader’s replies

Rob reckons I have no idea about horse poo! Actually Rob some people have told me that I am a manure expert! And Ness has even told me once or twice I am full of manure....So there!

Suzanne backed Ness in the battle of front seat passenger drivers! Suzanne a bumper sticker comes to mind for both you & Ness & any other passengers that like to give advice….it reads “Get in, Sit down, Shut up & Hang on!” Thanks Susanne, I loved your comment it made perfect sense and is exactly why I say what I do!

Annie’s Blog

So I was thinking…..When is it ok to crack it with your parents? I was in a bad mood today, I don’t know why but I just didn’t feel as happy & I was a bit Grizzly……Well that’s what mum called it, she kept saying to me “Why are you so Grizzly darling?”…. well I’d answer you mum if I knew what Grizzly means! Mum and Dad think we know why you are grizzly…putting you to bed tonight Dad noticed two bulges either side of your two top teeth…thinking No. 5 & 6 are on their way.

I found a new fun thing to do today, my crawling is getting faster every day. Today mum put me on my rug outside & she told Dad to keep an eye on me…. But Dad is not real good at that. So while he was writing his newsletter for work I sneaked away and nearly made it under the caravan…. It looks like fun under there! Every time dad took me back to my rug I would crawl back to under the caravan! It was great! Oh and Dad gave me his brand new tyre pressure gauge and I put it between the tyres but in a place that dad couldn’t reach it……I’m going to enjoy playing tricks on my Dad.

My Dad has to go to work tomorrow….. I wish I was going with him, I think I could teach the guys & girls about safety too…. Maybe that will be my job when I grow up? Nah I think I want to drive a bulldozer!

Love from me

AnnieInAVan  

Day 24 - Bunbury

I know some of you that read the blog have small children, Vanessa’s mother’s group friends, & other parents…..Well if your child has any sleeping problems we have found the solution!

Buy a caravan & take your children with you! We can’t believe how well she is sleeping. We put her to bed at 7pm & she wakes up between 6am & 7am….How good is that?  It certainly hasn’t always been the case and I am very aware that many of you still have struggles.  As my saying has always been, ‘It will all be different next week, not much stays the same for long with a child.’  Fingers crossed Annie is not reading this part of the blog.

Hey guys……back me up here! How many of you are bad passengers? Now I’m not picking on Ness here but how many of you when you sit in the passenger seat constantly give advice to the driver? I believe that the driver has enough information to digest so the last thing they need is me telling them that they are doing something wrong!

Ness does it!...now in her defence she rarely sits in the passenger seat, I mean when I am away for work she drives herself around & even when I’m home sometimes I just jump into the passenger seat & she drives, I don’t say a word….she is in control of the car. But on this trip I have been doing most of the driving with the van on.

Since our trip started there have been a few occasions (Just a few) where she has said to me “James you are too close to that car” or “How far over the line are you” or she grabs the Jesus bar & I can tell she is stressed….. Just let the driver drive!..... if any of you can back me up on this I’d appreciate it! Or if you would like to back me up, I would appreciate it!!

Farting machine!.... last night Ness & I were lying in bed, Annie had been asleep for a couple of hours and all of a sudden we heard these huge farts coming from Annie’s cot! Now these were incredible farts, ones I’d be proud of!.... we chuckled as she kept making noises for quite a while as we were watching the Moto GP.

We went for a walk/roll today, the caravan park we are staying at is only a couple of kilometres from the centre of town, so we decided to leave the car at home & get some exercise. It was a lovely walk to & from town….. but one of the things that Ness mentioned to me tonight is that most towns over a certain size have either a Coles or a Woolies, or both! We are becoming experts at Coles & Woolies shopping, Ness knows where everything is & the layouts are pretty much the same in each town…. It’s only the size that is different. Bunbury Coles…is a winner.  The baby section is amazing!! 

Have any of you seen our PM at the G20 summit over the last couple of days? Gee she is not an attractive woman! And that voice! Dunno how Tim copes waking up with that voice in his ear each morning!..... and I know this has nothing with our trip or the blog, it just came to my head!

Reader’s comments

Sue gave us the lowdown on Adenanthos sericeum , we will be putting some of that in the garden when we get home! Thanks Sue

We made Marg & Norm miss their caravan, they sold it recently and are house sitting in the UK, they had a stint in a multi million dollar mansion near Ascot racecourse but reckon a free camp near a river is just as good. Thanks for the shoe photo….love it!

And my sister Heather lied to me! We rang her yesterday on Facetime (Like skype but for Iphones) and it took her a while to answer, I asked her if she had been sleeping but she said no! But on the blog she admitted that she was snoozing in the afternoon!!! Ha!

Egg said we need 2 TV’s in the van….Ha, we have! I know a bit of overkill but it is our home.

And Rob sent through some pictures from his trip to France…. I am a bit confused though Rob, the picture you sent through that said “My Favourite” was a picture of a pile of horse manure? Do they sell edible manure in France? Or is that a Collingwood supporter thing? Rob, you can so tell that I did not fall in love and marry my husband for his cultural pursuits or knowledge!! For everyone else information it was a photo of truffles(not the chocolate kind) at a market.

Annie’s Blog

I’ve been noticing that my Mum & Dad put things away from me. I mean if they put me on the bed or the floor or anywhere they will quickly gather up all the fun things & move them to a place I can’t reach. What’s the point of putting me somewhere if you are going to take all the cool stuff away? I reckon the rule should be if you put me somewhere I can play with whatever I find!

I helped mum to cook dinner tonight, Dad went out to buy a tyre pressure gauge at Supercheap Auto and didn’t come home for 2 hours….. do they have to make them for you dad? Mum says that Dad can spend hours in car shops just looking. Anyway mum gave me a wooden spoon & some pots, I didn’t cook anything but I made some great noises!

I teached myself to stand up tonight. I held onto the little step that mum uses in the van and I pulled myself up onto my feet. I had to hold on to the step but I thought I was clever, Mum & Dad did too because mum said to dad “Look James….Look James…..Look James” I thought the place was on fire she was so excited! Parents are so overrated, so far I’ve taught myself to roll over, crawl, stand up. When do they start to teach me stuff?

I’ve decided I don’t like inside things, today we went for a walk, I loved it, the magic flying fairies were following us, the sun was out & it was great, but then Mum & Dad took me into these shops, and they were exactly the same as shops we have been to in other towns! Why do we go to the same shops just in different places??? So I started to cry & make noise & guess what? It worked, Mum & Dad took me outside….. Cool huh, I love how simple my parents are.

Love Yous All

AnnieInAVan

Day 23 - Back to the box on wheels

This morning we woke up in Perth, looking forward to going back to the Van. You know that is probably something that some of you might not really understand. I mean we were in a nice apartment, close to the city, all the conveniences nearby….transport, restaurants, supermarkets but I really like the Trakmaster. For a start it has a real “Homey” feel to it, and the other thing is that it just “Works” with us all in it. Ness does her thing, I do my thing & Annie even has her own spaces & routines in the van. So we are glad to be back!

This week I have work on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, at a power station near Collie, so I’ll just drive to work each day & Ness & Annie will stay at the van. Today we checked out the paths that run along the beach so Ness is looking forward to taking Annie for walks on the days that I work.

We picked up our mail today, let me share this with you. Before we arrived in WA we arranged for DG & Sandy (Ness’s parents) to collect our mail and send it to us. Well we thought we were staying at Collie for 2 weeks & told DG to send it to us there. Well you all know what happened when we got to Collie & decided that we just couldn’t stay there for 2 weeks…. But the mail had already been sent! So we asked the park owners to ring us when it arrived & we would come over & pick it up.

They called us on Friday & said it was there so we went to get it today. (Good thing we left on good terms…. Or they may have “lost” our mail)

We made it back to the van in time to watch the second V8 race of the weekend, I was sitting outside the van with Annie just relaxing & Ness said “Aren’t you going to watch the V8’s?) I said yes but I’ve got plenty of time. Ness reminded me that we are 2 hours behind the eastern states! Doh!!! And the race had already started. Got to see most of it though & Lowndes won! How cool is that!!

I’m turning Annie into a petrolhead, while we are the apartment I took her out onto the balcony & we watched cars go past and I would tell her what they were. And today she watched most of the V8’s with me. Rob & Juan if you see a cheap Ferrari over in Italy can you send it back for Annie? I promise I’ll look after it until she is old enough to drive.

Fruit & nut update…. Today I went into the centre console to get some chewing gum & guess what I found? Yep an unopened tub of fruit & nuts! I think Ness put them there so I’d forget about them!

Uneventful day today, Thanks to Rob & Juan for the pics of their market in France….Now that is a market, Thanks to Marc H for the message & also to Arama for her message to Annie.

Annie’s Blog

I slept for 12 & a half hours last night? Or that’s what dad said to me….. What’s an hour? And what is a half of an hour…. I sure wish my mum & dad would stop telling me things that I have no idea about!

Tonight I saw my cousins Anika & Archie on the computer, wow they have grown up heaps since I last saw them. I think you guys should get your Mum & Dad to buy a caravan and go travelling, it is fun as! Tell them they can store the van at our place!

Tonight Mum & Dad took me to this big bath again, it was like the one we saw in South Stralia, but it had big waves coming in. We can hear the waves from the box on wheels, I hope we go back there I saw a lot of this white dirt I want to play in.

Speak to you all tomorrow.

AnnieInAVan

xx