I know you don't believe me...

...but I'm still here. I think we have finally settled into or new digs here in Sydney. It's kind of nice to be back. There are a lot of advantages to living in a big city. At the same time there are drawbacks. I am trying to acclimate to the weather. I loathe hot weather when it includes high humidity. We of course have had nothing nut hot days with humidity in the 85% + range. I told myself if I can just get through the end of summer I will be just fine. Technically there are only have four more weeks of summer so I'll just see how I go. I mean I lived here for six years before we moved to Tassie so I know I can put up with the weather. Probably the other big difference is the amount of people and traffic. We moved from Sydney with over four million of people down to Tassie with only 500,000 for the entire island of which Hobart only had a little over 200,000 people. So getting used to the buzz of the big city will take some time especially seeing that one of the reasons we left Sydney in the first place was to get away from all of the hustle, bustle and noise.

I begun the job search in earnest up here and I hope I have a more positive experience than I had in Tasmania. I at least have more options and more job opportunities available which will hopefully make looking easier. All I can do is try and as the say in the lottery "you have to be in it to win it" and so I have to apply for things as they won't just come to me.

Anyway, there isn't much else to tell at the moment. As I said we have just now settled into our new but temporary living space. We started house hunting and plan on taking our time in order to get just the right place. We are grateful to have our current lodging which allows us to take said time so we won't feel so rushed and pressured to buy quickly. Now, don't get me wrong if the right place came along this afternoon we would definitely take it but I don't think it will be that easy. We shall see what comes our way. I hopefully will now pick up on my posting. As usually I am also always on over at Facebook if you want to keep up with me that way. Okay, until next time, take care and try to enjoy life and the world around you.

Moving in a forward direction....

...or at least moving back to Sydney for me/us that is. Yes, the move is still on. The days are counting down with only fifteen more days before we fly out of here and on to the beginning of new adventures albeit on familiar territory. We have a huge to do list that we have to get through before the movers arrive on the 21st and begin to pack. I'm happy to say that we have made considerable progress on that list, in fact I'd say that we are almost 3/4 of the way through the list. Hopefully by the end of next week and the beginning of our last week here all we will have to do is wait for the movers to arrive and let them do the rest. In a sentimental turn we made reservations at the same hotel that we stayed in the first night we arrived here five years ago as we waited for the movers to arrive with our stuff from the mainland. Now five years later the same movers will be moving us up to the mainland. It all seems to have come full circle except that we have grown since then.We have changed a lot over the past few years and we learned a few things also.

We look forward to our move and what a better way to begin that move than with the start of a brand new year and an entire new decade ahead of us. We are excited about looking for a new house and more so the fact that we will be able to take our time while looking so as not feel as if we have to grab the first place we see. The same holds true with the work prospects. I plan on checking with a few of the local non-profit organisations to see if I can do some volunteer work while hubby will start looking for his first job outside the medical field since he got his Masters degree in Education. There are all sorts of endless possibilities and it is great feeling as we begin another greater chapter in not only our individual lives but also of our life together.

I will miss our little house. We both really love this house and as I may have mentioned that is one of the reasons we will be renting it out instead of selling it. We never say never and we don't know what the future holds and maybe the right time will come along when we will be able to move back here, although I don't see that happening for at least a good 15-20 years. I'm sure that if this house can make it for 115 years a few more won't hurt it. I'll miss the quiet that living in a smaller city provided and will admit that the noise of the big city is not something I look forward to but the way we will get around that will be to move to a place that is not right in the city like the apartment we lived in when before we moved here. We still rent that place out but I have no intention of moving back there as it would be defeatist and would feel as if we had made a huge step backwards when it is so very much the opposite. We have made huge strides in our lives over these past five years and a lot of things have happened over that time. We have had many good times but also a few sad times. There is no guarantee that all will be a bed of roses once we settle back in Sydney but then again I would worry if everything was too perfect. I think we'll just take it one day at a time just like we did when we first moved down here.

So that is what is happeneing around here. I'm not sure if I'll get in another post before we leave and get set up in Sydney but if not remember that if you want to also keep tabs on me until then I'm over at Facebook. I will resume regular posts here once we get settled and will be able to share our new adventures with you. I will try to do my 12 of 12 this month but other than that I'll just have to see. So until next time, I wish each and everyone of you the very best for the coming year. Stay safe, take care and enjoy (life that is)

Far too long...

...in between posts that is. Life has been extremely hectic in my part of the world. We of course like everyone else are in the middle of the holiday season. Although, we aren't really in the celebrating kind of mind set. Hubby is still healing from his mum's passing. Money is tight with all of the moving costs etc. I'm usually flat this time of year as it is the anniversary of my late partners passing. in fact that would be today the 21st eleven years on and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Then of course I just spent ten days in the hospital including 3 days in the ICU. I was really sick, but I am home and on the mend. I would tell you what happened but it's long and complicated. As I said I was really, really sick. So with all of that and with all of the moving activities I've not had much time to write.

I can't promise I'll do any better for the next couple of months until we get settled back in Sydney which won't be until the first week in February. We will be in this house until the last week in January. We have not even started looking for a new home yet but since we have made temporary arrangements in Sydney. Those arrangements will give us a few months to look for just the right place. Then of course we both will have to start the job hunt. I plan on volunteering for some non-profit agency like the Cancer Council or alternatively the state library or art gallery/museum. As soon as we get settled I'm sure I'll have a lot of new things to write about and all of our new adventures back in Sydney. Until then posts will be few and erratic.

I know I missed 12 of 12 for December but I was still in the hospital but I will definitely try to do January's and then of course February's will be the first one from Sydney. Anyway, thanks for your patience and if you can be a little more patient I will try to get back to regular posting soon. I am still also available on Facebook for those of you that are that interested. Until next post, take care, stay safe, stay well and enjoy...

A day to remember...

Today is a day that plays close to my mind and heart. I have now lived for 23 years with HIV and I am grateful for everyone of those years. I can remember back in 1986 when I first found out I was positive and the doctor told me I had six months to live. There were no medications available to help fight this disease at that time and I believed that my life would be over before I could explore and enjoy it more than I already had. Some how I got lucky because those 6 months came and went and then it became years. Through the years I went from surviving to being very ill. I lost many friends and acquaintances over those years. Somehow I kept going. I lost my partner of six years in 1993 just before the new miracle drugs were introduced in 1994. I have been on those medication ever since they became available. Every day is a constant reminder that I have to keep on going and that every day there is a battle being fought inside me. I lost another partner in 1998 even after the new drugs were introduced. I am very aware that this disease only wants one thing and that one thing is something I'm not willing to give iit.

At the same time millions of people around the world have and are facing the same day by day existence some doing it better than others. This disease is not going away and with no vaccine still to this day and on going newly diagnosed individuals occurring every day I am concerned that we have forgotten what this disease can do. How it can destroy lives, tear families apart and bring pain to so many. I don't mean to preach I just want people to remember that we still need to talk about HIV and to respect ourselves, our partners and one another. Respect yourself by using protection and keeping your self and your partners safe and well. Respect others and open your hearts and minds to lend someone a helping hand if they need one. Most importantly don't be afraid to talk as we need to keep the conversation going so we can continue to fight and maybe just maybe we will eventually win.

You can find out more information by clicking the World AIDS Day picture below. As I said be safe, take care and stay well and don't be afraid to talk about it.

Hectic is as hectic does...

As the title implies things around my world are just plain hectic as all get out. We are into full swing with our moving plans. The moving people will be here on Friday to give us a quote for the move. We have set a date and we will officially be moving back to the mainland the last weekend in January which will make the house ready for rent as of 1 February. We still have to get the rental agents out here to also give us a quote as to how much rent they think we can get for the house. We would like to get at least $400.00 a week but we will wait to see what they have to say.

There is a whole list of things that need to be done, like getting painters in and buying a new dishwasher, which I'm bitter about as I have been hand washing our dishes for months and now as we are leaving we are going to get the new one for the tenants. It's not fair but that's life. We also need to have some light fixtures in the hall replaced. All of these thing will make the place more appealing and at the same time when the time comes to retire and if we are still going ahead with the current plans the house will be all ready for us to return.

The main reason we are leaving is because we can not get adequate work here. Hubby has finished his Masters in Education and wants to change fields unfortunately that won't happen on the island as there are limited opportunities. I have had no lucky finding work for over year now. So we will head to the mainland and there will be ample choices for new employment. It will also give us a change of pace in our life. We haven't decided rather or not to buy another house or not. If we do the payments will have to be the same as the rental we are getting from the house or possibly a little more as we also get the rental from our apartment in Sydney and could add that to a repayment for the new house. I know a lot of you would say why not move back to your apartment and the reason we don't want to is that it would feel as if we had somehow failed in out venture down here to the island. We also don't want to be right in the middle of the hustle an bustle of Sydney, which unfortunately is where our apartment is located. I hate to think we will have a new mortgage since it's been over three years since we became mortgage free. We will just have to wait and see what come our way.

Well, that's what is going on in my neck of the woods and it's my excuse for not posting as much. I will try harder and as usual I will always do my 12 of 12. As a matter of interesting facts it will be fives years ago to the day 1 Dec that we moved to this island. Funny how things change. Well until next time take care, stay safe and enjoy...

And the answer is....

Well, I've given you all a few days to have a look at the picture I posted to see if you can tell me what is wrong with the photo. It's great that several of you tried to figure it out. So to those of you that did, here are my responses and the answer. I will say one of you got close and one of you was on the right track.

Larry - I take some bad photos but this ones not that out of focus and that's not what I was looking for but a worthy answer none the less. It just means that I need to practice on my focus.

rjjs - Now you just didn't even try....

Brett - Nice observation but not the answer although at first I wasn't sure what you were talking about and then I saw what you thought you saw. For the record the flowers are not outside they are in the room but I can see how you might have seen that.

Torn - You are correct that there are no people in the picture but in this case they were not necessarily supposed to be in the picture. Alas not quite what I was looking for.

Janelle - Last but not least you were at least on the right track. First, the table in question belongs that way. Secondly, the large coffee mug is actually a water pitcher. However and thirdly the point of having too many flowers was what I was looking for. You see as in the picture I have too many flowers and not enough vases. As many of you mentioned in the most recent 12 of 12 photos that you really liked seeing bits of spring especially with winter on your doorsteps. So I decided to go out to start collecting some flowers seeing that you were right I might as well enjoy it while I can. Well the next thing I know I'm over run with flowers.

So there you have it that is the answer to "What's wrong with this picture?" I know that the answer is a bit anticlimactic but maybe I'll do another one at a later date and the next one will be something really tricky. Thanks to everyone who commented and made a guess. Until next time take care and enjoy...

What's wrong with this picture???

I took this picture the other day and realised something a bit odd with this picture. So I'm posting it here and asking the question of you of "What is wrong with this picture?". I'll give everyone (all 2-3 of you) a day or two to have a guess and in the next post I will reveal what is actually wrong with this picture. You will also notice that this is my lame attempt at making a viable post. Anyway, have a look at the photo and leave me a comment as to what you think is wrong with the picture. Until the next post as always take care and enjoy...