Day 72 Newman once more

Ok I’m gonna come right out and say it, do you reckon that aboriginal people tell each other they smell?..... well they bloody well should!

 I’m not a racist person, I mean if Ness smells I tell her & she tells me, I wonder if our indigenous brothers and sisters do the same....... just asking the question.

 Today we decided to get a lot of work done, Ness had emails & phone calls, I had to do my monthly newsletter, on top of this we both exercised, I rode my bike, Ness went for a walk.

 Then this afternoon we went up the local shopping centre to grab some groceries. A couple of things happened that you might be interested in, firstly we looked in the real estate window, a 3 bedroom one bathroom house with a crappy carport, no grass & not much going for it is for sale for $680K..... A bargain!!!! And a flash house (not really) with 4 Bedrooms and a bit of grass is for sale for $785K..... you have to be joking!!!! People are really buying these things. I mean sure they are on big money, but to pay this much for a basic no frills crappy house is just ridiculous!

 I went to the bottle shop to grab a few beers, Ness went to the post office, on the way back to the car I was harassed by a few of the locals, they asked me for a beer & I told them I was taking them home, there was a woman who started yelling jibberish at me & I just kept going. A couple of them were walking behind me and I was only about 20 meters away from the car when a big bloke that had Hi Vis mining gear on came over and walked next to me, he turned around and told the locals to F#@* off! And then walked to the car with me, he said that they often grab cartons off trolleys and even out of car boots as people are loading them. Sad hey?

 Did you know that you can only stay in this caravan park for two weeks per year? It can be done all at once or 14 separate visits but you can only stay here 14 days per year! It is to stop people from working in the area and staying at the caravan park (Cheap) and also to free up space for genuine travellers, because if the park was full of workers there would be no spots for travellers.

 Hey for those of you who are feeling the cold, just want to let you know that it was 36 degrees here today. And just up the road it was 41...... we slept with the air conditioner on last night. But you will get your own back because when we get home it will be freezing at Saltbush!!!!

 Ness bought more cans today! I have slowly been eating tins of tuna & baked beans, but she replaced the lot today!... Bugger.  But you also got lots of low fat goodies!!

 Looks like I have opened a can of worms by asking my mum not to say too much about me to Sandy & David... Because now my lovely sisters have decided to share things that I have done when I was younger! Be careful girls..... I have my stories and I can share them with everyone!!!!

There was an earthquake in Kalgoorlie today!..... What the!!! We were there just a few weeks ago, some of the buildings that we saw on the news we drove past when we were there! See I told you..... wherever Ness & I go, natural disasters follow! Not sure I want to go home.... I like where we live! Would hate anything to happen to it!

 Ok I have to go, time to cook dinner...... using my super dooper BBQ. I now have a BBQ light for it, ill just grab one of my beers that I nearly had to fight for & go sit next the Barby! Will take photos for you all...

 Hey Heather, get onto Rob’s facebook page, he will tell you all about the facial, Nikki Ness has started the article about easy access rooms in hotels, Brad A.... so another week doing stuff all!..... What’s new mate you should be used to it!

 My youngest son dan went to the footy last night to see Manly beat Melbourne...... but if you look at his facebook page there is a photo of him with the cheerleaders!..... Dan..... David Suleiman would be proud of you.... hope you had your good shoes on!

 James & Ness

Day 71 Back to the Pilbara

Hello again Bloggies, firstly thanks to those of you who shared your weekend with us, it is good to hear what some of you have been up to. Rob your weekend sounds great, good to see that you are scouting out things that you can show Juan when he comes to visit.

 Meredith, sorry for the withdrawals, I might have to stockpile some blogs for days when I don’t feel like writing one or when we are busy! Speaking of which..... we are not too busy this week as the client we were meant to work for has cancelled!.... Ness & I have 3 spare days in the Pilbara! We are going out to a gorge on Thursday and will take the camera, its funny that we have been in the Pilbara for a month but have not had much of a look around. I want to go to Weeli Wolli Springs, find a private pool & go skinny dipping! Not with me!!!

 We left Perth this morning, had to go to the airport to fly back to Newman, now some of you know that before we did this trip I spent my life flying to & from different locations. One of the worst parts of flying for me is getting through security. You guys just plonk your stuff on the x ray machine & walk through the scanner, I however get my own personal body search every time I fly. Today it was some guy that just did not want to be there, & he had the worst body odour! Just the sort of thing you need early in the morning! I felt like telling him that he smelled like a camel & if he did not want to do the job then go & find something else!

 I heard from my son Dan yesterday, we watched the footy together.... well actually he watched It from Melbourne & I watched it in Perth, but we made several phone calls to each other saying “Did you see that!” Go St Kilda is all I can say. Dan is at the footy tonight (Rugby League) where Melbourne will win and reclaim top spot on the ladder!

 Have any of you flown over the Pilbara in a plane? It is awesome! The patterns & rocks just look amazing, Ness & I were looking out the window on the way down to Perth and just wondered how these patterns were formed. We took some pictures through the window and will load them as soon as possible. You really understand how the aboriginal paintings are inspired from the earth, from the air the Pilbara looks like and aboriginal artwork.

 Special mention to my brother in law Brad Atkins, he starts work this week after a few years of doing stuff all! Good luck Brad, I look forward to catching up with you in a couple of months when you are in bed with a crook back from using cheap office chairs!

 hen we were on the plane today Ness had my headphones on, because I used to fly so much I treated myself to a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones, they are awesome, but I had to remind Ness that you can’t sing with them on as other people can hear you!  But you can still mime and dance...I don’t care what I look like!!

 Sarah made the comment that she hopes my friend Hugh does not read the blog! I hope he does Sare! Might make him clean the place up a bit. Actually he is well aware of it as after we sat in the dog pee area for an hour he suggested we move to somewhere less smelly!

 Welcome home to Pete & Mary, they have just been in Singapore for 3 weeks, Mary has been on a food extravaganza eating at Michelin rated restaurants (I had to ask too..... but apparently to get a Michelin rating you have to be really really really good!) I just find it ironic that Pete actually works for Michelin.... and it has nothing at all to do with food!

Pete we will catch up next month for your birthday..... set up the trailer cause I’m not driving home! How do you propose to get in to the bed on the trailer...especially after a fex beverages?

 Hey another thing that happens with me a lot is that people recognise me! Especially in airports, this has been a constant source of amusement for Ness as I am not very good with faces and names..... so when someone comes up & says “Hey James” she smiles as I squirm and try to remember who they are and where I met them! Today I met two former clients in the airport! Luckily I remembered one of them! You all know me...I just introduce myself and ask them their name anyway!!

 Another thing that has happened recently is that Ness’s Mum & Dad have called in to see my Mum & Bert..... not sure about this one, Sandy and David think I am ok, my mum could change that very quickly with a few stories from my past!..... Don’t tell them too much mum!  Don’t hold back Granny!!  But it does not go the other way...no stories from my Mum & Dad to Granny.

 Ok that’s enough for tonight’s waffle, but before I go I better admit that I bought 2 pairs of shoes this week! I know I bag Ness because of her growing shoe collection..... she now has 12 pairs of shoes!!!! But at least I will throw my old ones out.... She just keeps adding to her collection!!!!

 Speak to you soon.

 Nikki & Rob..... you guys are quiet! Mr & Mrs Box? How was the Pyramids? Arama.... Where for art thou Arama! Hey Hardo.... you read the blog every night..... how about a comment or a question, it’s hard work not having anyone to give crap to! Lorraine & Michael..... no fart questions! Thanks to Shayne for her first blog post too.... welcome aboard!

 James & Ness

Day 70 Perth West Coast won on Friday!

Good evening, well the last couple of days I have not written a blog, have you ever had one of those weekends where you just want to do nothing? This was one of those weekends!

 Friday night we went out to Japanese for dinner, great food & restaurant but no liquor license so Ness had tea & I had some fruit juice stuff. The annoying thing about this is that they have a drinks menu on the menu, but when I ordered a beer they said they did not have a liquor license yet! It’s a bit like when you think you have a chocolate hidden away somewhere but when you go looking for it someone has eaten it! Bummer!

 Saturday morning we had to work, but after that we went into Perth city for a look, Perth parking is the worst of any city in Australia!!!! For a start the Red Bull air race is on this weekend so there are heaps of streets blocked, but the ones that are open only have 15 or 30 minute parking limits! Who can shop in 15 or 30 minutes? Especially with Ness!!!!

 We were just about to go home when we found a Factory Outlet, it had a parking area next to it! So we ducked in there & went shopping.

 Got home without any new shoes for Ness, but I did score some new shirts (they were a bargain!)

 We then went out for tea at one of the guys that we worked with up at Yandi, Hugh is a mine manager and he is also South African, he invited a few of his friends and family over too, now he is a really nice bloke but have you ever been to one of those dinners that you could almost go to sleep! And the other thing is that he has dogs, his daughter has dogs & his neighbour has a dog! And they were all at dinner too!!!! Their back yard smelled like dog! Poor Ness is not an animal person and there were dogs jumping on her all night! I love my Panda and would do anything for her but this was just too much! It wasn’t the menagerie of dogs that concerned me( I just coped with that) it was the smell of dog urine and poop everywhere, that is what made me gag all night!!  You can have dogs and not have that smell....I know this as I have plenty of friends and family with dogs and their homes never smell.

 Today we decided we would get out of the hotel, so decided to head down to Fremantle for brekky, this place is busy, most of the cafe’s were full, there were not many empty tables. We found a place called the Freo Bakery Cafe & it was a nice breakfast.

 We then decided to walk breakfast off and went down the beach, I reckon if I had to live in any city in Australia it would have to be Perth or Fremantle, it is a really pretty city with plenty of walking and bike paths.

 Ok enough of the touristy stuff, what have you all been up to? How was your weekend? I have noticed that not many people read the blog on weekends, so you all must be busy? We share our weekend, let us know what you are doing?

 I just realised that we are up to day 70, so that means we have been away for 70 days, man that is a long time to be away from home! There have been a couple of days lately that I have been really looking forward to getting back to Saltbush. But having said that we are still enjoying the trip.  Just missing things like the shed, the garden, the HG, Panda and everything else at Saltbush.

 We had a client cancel some work next week, now we are not really worried as I get to charge them a cancellation fee. But I was more disappointed that this site will miss out on some of the stuff that other sites get. But they do want to get me back later in the year so I will charge them for not going & then get to charge them for coming back later!

 Ness has a hospitality background, and you know when someone has experience in a particular area they can compare it to what they are used to. But she is a bit annoyed that all the plates are in high cupboards, all the appliances (toaster/kettle) are also in high cupboards. Funny thing is I have stayed here before without Ness and it has never been a problem for me!.... Me thinks she is too fussy! But it is meant to be the disabled access room and I can’t reach half of the appliances(no short jokes required).  James reckons I should go into business advising hotels on how to set up there disabled access rooms and facilities properly.  Maybe!!

 Also housekeeping do not come until 3-4pm, she says that it should be done earlier! I say if she has experience & is not happy with it then she should do it herself! (hope she does not read this blog!)

 A couple of readers questions/comments. Lesley asked if I will stop the blog when we get home..... No Les, I am enjoying sharing my life with you guys, I’ll keep it going when I get home because I will have much more to write about (Dan & Brad!)  Heather would you care to share with us your husbands hair removal process? I’m sure there are a lot of readers that have similar problems with their husbands & wives! Granny has been spying on Brad via my blog, she wants to know what he has been up to!..... I was just kidding mum, he is not getting into any more trouble than he normally does!

 Anyway flying back to Newman tomorrow, be good to get back to the van & our own car. Speak to you all from there.

 James

Day 69 Still in Perth

No blog today, partying in Perth. Went shopping at factory outlets today, Ness did not buy shoes!..... She must be ill!

Speak to you all tomorrow.

James & Ness

Day 68 Perth

Hey bloggies just a short one tonight, been out for tea at a Japanese restaurant & it was beautiful.

This morning Ness & I both went for a walk/roll along the path that follows the river, it is awesome. They have really set this city out well.

Tomorrow ill write more, and answer some of your questions & suggestions.

Nighty Night!