Long time....

...no blog/websites/emails etc.
4 days after my last entry, my laptop totally died on me. Lost everything. Pictures (I do have the 'proper' ones, only they're still in England as MIL didn't send them over, boohoo), digi-kits for scrapbooking and a lot of lovely fonts. Although I have saved alot of the stuff to disc, there were some things I didn't get round to. Still, I can only be GRATEFUL that I do have some of the stuff. I can download other/same fonts again. No point crying over lost bytes, eh? (Of course, when I got home, DH was already on my laptop; I then spent an hour and a half on it before he, once again, took over it, claiming he's having trouble on his own laptop to get online!!! Didn't seem to be an issue 2 nights previously when he was wirelessly gawping around ebay. So selfish.)
In other areas- work, visa-related included!!- I've had stress to deal with; most importantly to me: eldest twin DS is having a tricky time again and I do think he has some ASD traits that are not officially recognised. I think we need to get some more help for him but DH thinks "he's just a normal little 6 year old boy". Bit tricky when we're not singing from the same page.
(Bit like this morning: the gas canisters 'expired'; I rang up to order some, thinking they'd be delivered today. I wasn't clear to the gas-man, fair enough, and now DH's acting like it's my fault the gas has run out, that I didn't get them delivered today(they don't deliver w/ends!)as well as forgetting to find out how much it would be!!. The fact that he was there when I rang and, if I was on the phone to a friend, he wouldn't have bothered about putting in his twopenn'orth.) Still, another criticising-opportunity for him, I s'pose. Angrily, he has taken one of the canisters to get it filled!!
I have spent the last 3 evenings doing chores so that, this w/end, I don't have to work my butt off here and then feel guilty for 'relaxing' i.e.scrapping. That cheeky DH says last night, "How much a week would we have to pay an au pair?" ! ! ! ! ! ! What I should have said was something like, "We don't need an au pair; she wouldn't be here to do what I do anyways. If you just got off your arse and helped me, it would be a lot easier and cheaper" I bottled out. Silly me. Now I'm bubbling with that resentment feeling- again....
...I am trying to relax and, in spite of it all- the interruptions, criticism, uncertainty- there have been some high points over the past weeks' being 'laptop-less!:
1) it was my birthday on 14th Nov. I'd bought myself an old school-style desk, y'know, witht he lift-up lid to put stuff in. $35. Bargain. And I now have my own space. Not that I get the chance to use it often but I'm persisting and have managed a few LOs!!
2)I was able to order Ali Edwards' book- finally!! Ordered Thurs 15th, got it yesterday and have even had a chance to sit down with it on 2 occasions
3)I've been to the library, got some cracking books and just finished 1 last w/end and the other today!!I also bought a trilogy(see GRATEFUL for No.6!!)...
4)I managed to get my hair trimmed the other w/end(the 1 after the laptop died!)Mind you, it was $30!!
5)Laptop's been mended..........yaaaaaaaay!!! It wasn't the motherboard, just the HD; I could retrieve the data but it would cost alot of dosh!!
6)I've been to work (once) and come back (twice) on the bus! Takes 3 buses (but one trip-cost!!) and it means I have an hour to read(see point 3!) on the 2nd bus! Whilst we only have the one car, I'm going to get the bus from now; though it means DH will have to do the school run, I'll get to work earlier- and thus can finish earlier for DH to pick me up!- and DH gets to work alot quicker and earlier than when he has to drop me off! Works all round.
7)Applied-and withdrew from interview!- for another job here in our town. Transpires that, when I asked DIAC for proof of lodgment to show possible future employers etc, my current employers hadn't even submitted it!! Nightmare/panic then ensued getting them to sort it and culminates in me taking it by hand into DIAC itself. 1 week before expiry of current visa. I've been reassured that all is OK and it will be OK but we still don't have that letter saying it's being processed etc. Hey ho. GRATEFUL that, although I didn't even go to the offered interview(and poss missed out on a good chance of getting the job!), at least I was able to sort out a potentially risky issue!!! If I hadn't, we would have been ignorantly blissed out to our (potential) unlawful status. So, so GRATEFUL.
8)Although DH hasn't told me (???why not?;I discovered it doing an online bank check!), we have his tax rebate so we can now pay my friend back her $3K.(loaned to help tide us over until our bond was repaid!)
No doubt my next stressor will be talking DH out of immediately spending this on a car for his DD overseas......still, GRATEFUL, so GRATEFUL for an end to financial worries!! All the bills are paid!! We can afford Christmas, bus fares, OSHC fees etc.

My absolute main thing to be (more than)GRATEFUL for is DD's recovery from a bike injury on 8th Nov. 24hrs in hospital, she came back home after GA for lip repair! Very brave. Horrible thing for her- and us! So, so, totally GRATEFUL. All the other listed things are relatively insignificant and almost trivial really.