At Last Neil you must be impressed i"ve actually found your sight to email you-have read all your jourbnals to date all sounds awesome and I'm so so happy you decided to go for it. I miss you at work -not so many laughs-but a couple of new staff-very nice. Have just returned from 3 weeks in England including a Trip to Scotland-Aberdeen and Edinburgh-saw friends -lots of lovely countryside-only downer saw a big decline in my parents health in a year. Continue to enjoy and look forward to hearing more.
great news We tried to call a week or so ago when we just had the mobile number and could not get through. I think I missed to 0 in front of the 7 as even after noodling on the net to get Cairns area code we could not get through. Hopefully the new number will work. Glad to hear that you are employed and making friends. I hope too that your schedules allow you some time together!!! Married bliss and all that! ANd for sure Heather can give up going to tanning salons! Not much new on our front. Millie grows ever bigger and Fred is accomodating her. We are planning my retirement and I have left my job at the airport after 13 years! What an amazing amount of time and events that has been. I am now a sort of hatchet man so no too popular but it will get worse when I actually start recommending changes rather than just talking about them. Finally have the motorcycles on the road and had a great long trip with a fellow BMW rider this past weekend. And saw a musician from Owen Sounda at the Sheep on Sunday, part of a country string band called the Backstabbers. One of our favourite groups. We talked of OS but did not play the do you know game. Occasionally I get some type of messenger mail box that people think you are on line. I let them know that it is not you but have not figured out, nor even tried to figure out, how to remove the service. If people are not getting to you it may be me putting them off. Jo has sent her schedule and Marilyn is thinking of a trip. As I am going to go on a contract from January until the end of March or maybe into April, I do not know if I will be able to get to go. They are dangling big bucks so it is worth it for me to retire and then just go back to work on a contract. Would pay for a few renovations, shush don't let Marilyn hear as she will start planning, or a newer motorcycle or trips. Or pay off the rest of the debt on the house-boring! I am on a retirement course and the financial advisor said to stop saving and spend. Music to my ears! Marilyn was a littel less excited as she can see me scourring Value Village or Ragtime etc. for days on end! Scourring the tub is more in her plans for me! Stey well and remember the cancer rate in Oz as you are tempted to get nut brown!
hi again Heather I am so blue that I missed your call. I saw the number on the phone when I got in from shopping, and had no idea who it was. It comes up differently then Canadian numbers.
It's good to hear that you two are doing well. What jobs do you have? The address you gave, is that where you will be living all year long??
Oh, and thanks for my post card. It was adorable!
Anyways, I've gotta go.
It was great to hear from you again, and hopefully next time I'll be home when you call.
Miss Ya (including Neil)
Siobhan
MISS YOU GUYS SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME. AND I AM REALLY SORRY WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SAY GOOD-BYE. BUT AT LEAST THIS WAY IT FEELS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE STILL IN OTTAWA BUT NOT VISITING FOR AREALLY LONG TIME.(NEIL I AM YELLING AT YOU JUST IN CASE YU HAVE TROUBLE HEARING ME. SIOBHAN LET ME BORROW THE WEDDING PICS CD TO MAKE A COPY. THEY ARE GREAT! GOOD LUCK WITH THE JOB SEARCHING. AND I WILLL TALK TO YA SOON! WENDY
phone number your phone number is incomplete. We tried to call just it, 0431155138, as set out in your blog and get a not in service. I then tried the 011+61 to get to Australia and then your number, again to a not in service. I then did the 011 61 7 ( i think 7 is for Cairns) and your number and again "we're sorry..." etc. So I am not sure how to get your phone to work. Any help would be appreciated! I'll keep tryig to find out the right city code as I suspect that that is the issue. We are having a super long weekend and almost want to call in sick tomorrow to my first day in a new job!
Good News It is great to hear from you ! and with good news too! It must feel good to be setting down at least temporary roots and out in a real job hunt. Good luck on that to both of you. I have left my job and start a new one onTuesday with plans to fully retire next March or April. Millie growing like a horse. I am growing like a pig. Marilyn is growing to be more like Shrek's girlfriend Fiona! Ask her why next time you write or speak to her. By the way actually write an e-mail to me or Marilyn as I am sending stuff to your hot mail account but not sure if you are using it. I will drop you from my joke listing if you are not using it and just use this blog site to write. We saw Dolly on Wednesday and she did Jolene and I Will Always Love You. I am sure the woman beside me was wondering why I was bawling and Marilyn was singing at the top of her voice and waving her hands in the air! Ah well, only we were there for the event that inspired the tears and song. Jo must be missing you terribly so make sure to keep in touch with her. She is the pitts in returning e-mails calls etc. so do not take it personally. I do not! Well 1230 Am here so of to bed. Hoist a few for us!
What's Cairns like Great to hear the news of you guys settling in in Cairns- great to hear about the bars, but WHAT'S CAIRNS LIKE? I've been watching the temperatures in Oz and it looks like it's great summer weather there. Did you rent the condo from someone who will be needing it when it's summer there? or is it a week by week rental? I assume it is furnished?
What kind of job is Heather doing? I know it's a trial job (whatever that is) but is it in retail, waitressing or what? These are the kind of details I'm interested in.
Joanne has given us her busy time schedule- in other words she has a conference to organize that takes place in June and for the 6 weeks leading up to it, she can't take time off. Well I wasn't interested in going there during our summer any way, and not before Christmas, so all this info helps me narrow it down. Ron isn't sure he is going because of new project he is starting at the downtown office on Tuesday, either that or because of Millie but I am quite willing and able to go myself, probably for 3 weeks. Haven't been to Cairns but I may be more interested in going to Perth and Brome on the west coast and of course spending some time in Sydney. Have't started to work on it yet. Last time Joane wanted to rent a beach house for a week and we didn't see ourselves staying in one place that long but perhaps if we all did that (at the same house) it would be great fun and would give us time to visit with each other.
News here? Well Millie is still the apple of our eye and we aren't the crazy uptight parents we were when she was first arrived. She now having an afternoon nap with Ron- it's Saturday of the long weekend. We just came back from Hudson (almost to Montral) where they have a big feamarket every Saturday. We had never gone so we took Millie and away we went. Ron bought a print from an Ottawa artist. When we got home, Ron looked him up on Canada 411 or whatever, turns out the old guy lives up the street at The Highland apts on St. Laurent and we are going over there on Wednesday!
Oops, Ron is calling me as we are going over to friends place for dinner and I have to wash my hair...I will continue this another day. We are going to Lorriane's- the artist who did the man drinking the wine that is the dining room
Love to you both- you are having the trip of a lifetime!!
Glad to be able to keep in touch Hi Guys,
Isn't it a shame that you have to get jobs. I was watching a documentary the other night and they are always looking for people to clean up the road kill .... apparently the pay is good too! Never know if really fresh it could make a cheap meal .... yuk!!!!! All joking aside we are glad that your trip is everything you wanted it to be. There is not much news from this end. About the only thing worth reporting is that our sweetie little Nicholas had his tonsils and adnoids out this week. He bounced right back and is doing fine. Likely better than his mom and dad. We will be heading to the trailer this weekend ... not many left so we want to take advantage of the good weather while we can. Mom was over for supper last night. I have been printing out your journal for her. She thinks that is great and I am sure everyone at John Joseph Place will be kept informed about your excursion. Well must go now .... remember you are always in our hearts.
Love ya bunches
Linda and Doug
aarrgg Jealousy rising, RISING, lowering, RISING !!!
I hate you all...
and by hate I mean love..
and by love I mean miss
go see the Brisbane Lions Aussie Rules football...you will ove it !!!
and bring back a jersey !!!
lol
Leafs do indeed SUCK !!!
First Reply Good to hear (see) that you arrived safely. I will be watching for more news now that I have found out how ! My old Windows 98 kept rejecting your page - so I finally tried on my laptop that has XP. Will remember you to the Lodge - we are having a BBQ and micro-golf tournament on Aug 29 in my back-yard.
Lorne
Good to hear from you Will write more later. Just got back from Cape Breton- it's Aug 13th. We left on July 30 so that's why we weren't around when you phoned. Your plane trip didn't sound that great but what the heck you made it...crocs and poisonous snakes and spiders won't seem soo bad now! Jo's family are wonderful aren't they? Hope you get to see them periodically as they are bound to give you a laugh and some fun...try lawn bowling there (seriously)with them. What a hoot! Can't wait for the next dispatch. Love, Marilyn
Cairns So can't handle the kelly clan and so escaping to Cairns. Lucky you as it will be a blast to be beach bums, working bums that is! Remember that the Ozzies have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and thatt hey have cool cozzies and sunnies to protect you!
What an exciting time for you both. I was so glad when Carrie told me that I can keep in touch. Love you both and will look forward to reading your journal.
Love always
Linda and Doug
where? Please give a couple of major cross streets close to your new tempory home so I can locate it on themap. For some reason mapquest does not ot link me to the location just to Manly
G'day mates! All I have to say is that I can't believe you TWO! I HATE YOU!! (kidding of course!) I can't believe you saw dolphins swimming already!!!! :-(
I'm jealous....but very happy for you! Can't wait to read more!
Mich
Jnae
non-member comment
At Last
Neil you must be impressed i"ve actually found your sight to email you-have read all your jourbnals to date all sounds awesome and I'm so so happy you decided to go for it. I miss you at work -not so many laughs-but a couple of new staff-very nice. Have just returned from 3 weeks in England including a Trip to Scotland-Aberdeen and Edinburgh-saw friends -lots of lovely countryside-only downer saw a big decline in my parents health in a year. Continue to enjoy and look forward to hearing more.