especially one with a largish prize...
One of our neighbours has started an auction site. Yeah I know online auction sites aren't as easy as they look or else everyone would be doing it. And there are several about but only one in NZ could call itself successful.
I had a bit of input into the initial testing - unfortunately I didn't get a go at the site and feature design (cos I reckon I could set up a brilliant site - as long as the programming was possible for what I would set up - I've been skulking round other auction sites for long enough to know exactly what people want). I think they found this themselves, the further they got into it the more ideas they had and they are now planning on a complete site redesign somewhere down the track should it survive the first months.
They went live yesterday at 12 noon check it out www.ezytrade.co.nz. Not a lot is happening on there yet, but have a look at that prize - 10 grand for the first person that gets 1000 positive individual feedbacks. There are some more prizes along the way, half price fees and bits and pieces if you are the first to get to various levels. As with all new things it has some undiscovered technical hitches but bear with them and they will fix these as they arrive.
So watch out - I'm clearing out, I'm listing everything! Actually if we do sell this place in the next few months we will need to have a clear out since the plan is to live like gypsies for a month or three while we build. (still looking for the perfect piece of land, guess we'll know it when we see it)
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Big softie husband
It's pouring down with rain, husband can't bear that the horses might get wet and went down to cover them.
The neighbours graze a horse for someone else, she's a neglected horse who's owner shows up once a month, rides her and clears off again (usually avoiding the neighbours as she's a bit behind in her grazing) The farrier is overlooked too as apparently the owner owes him money as well. Her feet are going to be an issue soon and I guess that is when something is going to boil over. Lucky for the horse the neighbours look her over every day and make sure she has enough grass etc. They are a bit concerned about what would happen if she injured herself or something as the owner is not easy to contact (probably due to the unpaid grazing thing) and as they don't have a halter or anything should they need to catch and restrain her - though they know where to come for horse gear should they need it.
Anyway husband looked over at this horse standing dripping wet in a paddock with no shelter and felt sorry for her. So he got a cover out and went over to the neighbours to see if he could cover her. They personally didn't care if he stole her. So he was going to catch her, take her into the neighbours garage to towel her off, put a lightweight cover on her and put her back out. He reckoned without the horse. No way is she coming to him when he's holding a halter. He's a bit offended - he thinks she should be more grateful that he cares.
The neighbours graze a horse for someone else, she's a neglected horse who's owner shows up once a month, rides her and clears off again (usually avoiding the neighbours as she's a bit behind in her grazing) The farrier is overlooked too as apparently the owner owes him money as well. Her feet are going to be an issue soon and I guess that is when something is going to boil over. Lucky for the horse the neighbours look her over every day and make sure she has enough grass etc. They are a bit concerned about what would happen if she injured herself or something as the owner is not easy to contact (probably due to the unpaid grazing thing) and as they don't have a halter or anything should they need to catch and restrain her - though they know where to come for horse gear should they need it.
Anyway husband looked over at this horse standing dripping wet in a paddock with no shelter and felt sorry for her. So he got a cover out and went over to the neighbours to see if he could cover her. They personally didn't care if he stole her. So he was going to catch her, take her into the neighbours garage to towel her off, put a lightweight cover on her and put her back out. He reckoned without the horse. No way is she coming to him when he's holding a halter. He's a bit offended - he thinks she should be more grateful that he cares.
Friday, November 25, 2005
It's a month until Christmas
and I have the shopping well in hand, but already the family feuds are rearing their ugly little heads again.
That complicated tangle of inlaws and their relations (etc) is twisting itself into a tighter knot with A not going to B's place under any circumstances (and I can understand that having heard the reason), so B doesn't see why the suggestion is that everyone go somewhere else and it might get ugly if someone explained this to B (who is married to C who would probably get very unhappy and refuse to go anywhere, which would be a shame as their children J, K, L, and M enjoy a family Christmas). In addition D is unhappy with E again for something else... and you know S and R have never got on so you have to be careful that one doesn't feel the other is being favoured...and you have to invite G but he's such a pain. Though at least Uncle H isn't around anymore because he was shocking with a bit of drink in him and poor Aunt Z used to get so embarrassed.
A whole month to get through before it's over...
That complicated tangle of inlaws and their relations (etc) is twisting itself into a tighter knot with A not going to B's place under any circumstances (and I can understand that having heard the reason), so B doesn't see why the suggestion is that everyone go somewhere else and it might get ugly if someone explained this to B (who is married to C who would probably get very unhappy and refuse to go anywhere, which would be a shame as their children J, K, L, and M enjoy a family Christmas). In addition D is unhappy with E again for something else... and you know S and R have never got on so you have to be careful that one doesn't feel the other is being favoured...and you have to invite G but he's such a pain. Though at least Uncle H isn't around anymore because he was shocking with a bit of drink in him and poor Aunt Z used to get so embarrassed.
A whole month to get through before it's over...
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*sob* no one is commenting. I know you are visiting cos the stats counter says so. Would love to know who you are, so feel free to introduce yourself.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Taking back my life
A quick health entry then I see no need to talk about it until March - so I won't be.
After a 9 months of being cut open, systematically poisoned with various nasty drugs and shuffled round the health system the outcome is..... (this isn't worth a drum roll)... no change. That tumour is exactly the same size as it was in February. Apart from one scan that showed it smaller it has been the same size in all other scans right the way through.
Which leaves two conclusions really - the oncologist favours the various drugs are holding it in check theory. I subscribe to the nothing is actually working and it isn't a fast growing tumour anyway theory.
Actually there is a third conclusion which my mother feels has merit - she goes with the maybe it isn't actually cancer anyway theory. (and since the slackarse surgeons were late for afternoon tea or something and didn't actually biopsy it there is slight potential that Mums theory is the correct one - but I don't place a large amount of belief in the possibility - my family and personal history would suggest that if I believed that I would probably need the counselling they are falling over themselves to give me)
Anyway the upshot, after a careful discussion, is that I am going to ignore the whole thing until March.
I will take no more drugs that make me feel sick and subnormal, I am not going to be mucked around by the health system that attempts to ignore me and when it can't ignore me treats me like a number, (so unimportant that they can actually cancel an appointment and forget to tell me) until March. And then if things are going well I am going to bury my head in the sand for another three or four or maybe six months. The oncologist does not actually approve of this approach - in fact he didn't quite go as far as suggesting I needed mood enhancing drugs but he came close - but does agree that I am unlikely to change greatly for the worse in that time. And though I don't blame him at all I do feel that everything he has come up with to date hasn't been exactly a roaring success, so my plan has (to me anyway) as much chance of a positive outcome as any of his do.
I used to wonder why on earth anyone would refuse treatment. Now if I had the chance to live this year again with the knowledge I have now I would refuse treatment too.
After a 9 months of being cut open, systematically poisoned with various nasty drugs and shuffled round the health system the outcome is..... (this isn't worth a drum roll)... no change. That tumour is exactly the same size as it was in February. Apart from one scan that showed it smaller it has been the same size in all other scans right the way through.
Which leaves two conclusions really - the oncologist favours the various drugs are holding it in check theory. I subscribe to the nothing is actually working and it isn't a fast growing tumour anyway theory.
Actually there is a third conclusion which my mother feels has merit - she goes with the maybe it isn't actually cancer anyway theory. (and since the slackarse surgeons were late for afternoon tea or something and didn't actually biopsy it there is slight potential that Mums theory is the correct one - but I don't place a large amount of belief in the possibility - my family and personal history would suggest that if I believed that I would probably need the counselling they are falling over themselves to give me)
Anyway the upshot, after a careful discussion, is that I am going to ignore the whole thing until March.
I will take no more drugs that make me feel sick and subnormal, I am not going to be mucked around by the health system that attempts to ignore me and when it can't ignore me treats me like a number, (so unimportant that they can actually cancel an appointment and forget to tell me) until March. And then if things are going well I am going to bury my head in the sand for another three or four or maybe six months. The oncologist does not actually approve of this approach - in fact he didn't quite go as far as suggesting I needed mood enhancing drugs but he came close - but does agree that I am unlikely to change greatly for the worse in that time. And though I don't blame him at all I do feel that everything he has come up with to date hasn't been exactly a roaring success, so my plan has (to me anyway) as much chance of a positive outcome as any of his do.
I used to wonder why on earth anyone would refuse treatment. Now if I had the chance to live this year again with the knowledge I have now I would refuse treatment too.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
That darn cat
Yesterday husband cleared out the cats dead animal stash at the back of the walk in wardrobe. At that point it had one dead sparrow in it.
Just about asleep at around midnight and there was rustling and meowing from the wardrobe. Investigation revealed a dead rabbit that the cat was attempting to make play with him. That disposed of the next find was a live rabbit in the bathroom. Having finished off the bunny - a grisly task at that time of night we were further interrupted throughout the night by rustlings and the rushing round of said cat. Last live bunny was removed from under the dressing table this morning....
He's out hunting again now. I guess he feels a bit insecure with his pantry empty.
Just about asleep at around midnight and there was rustling and meowing from the wardrobe. Investigation revealed a dead rabbit that the cat was attempting to make play with him. That disposed of the next find was a live rabbit in the bathroom. Having finished off the bunny - a grisly task at that time of night we were further interrupted throughout the night by rustlings and the rushing round of said cat. Last live bunny was removed from under the dressing table this morning....
He's out hunting again now. I guess he feels a bit insecure with his pantry empty.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Hic
After a last minute mini crisis at lunchtime today the crisis is now officially over. So I went to help sort the new mini crisis out, sorted it, and it was drinks time. "What do you want to drink?" they asked me. Guess what I said...
So we sent one of the guys down to the bottle store and he came back with lotsa beers and no wine. Thanks. (I suspect that is payback for me losing my cool in the last week or so) So I had two beers and went home. But it wasn't right, so I had two wines when I got home. And I think I was a bit generous when it came to glass selection (ie I picked a big one)
Somewhat more relaxed I recalled that there is a family lunch tomorrow at our place so I weaved my way out to the kitchen to do something about it. That involved tipping a couple of kilos of potatoes into a pot for boiling to make potato salad in the morning. Lucky they were washed potatoes because I couldn't be bothered washing them... And I mashed a couple of avocados with a couple of cloves of garlic. It's interesting how far a ripe avocado can spread itself round the place when it wants to.
Then it seemed a likely moment for a wander down the paddocks. That's when I realised that the wine had really gone to my head - I seemed to be seeing two of one of the cows - I could count three black ones not our usual two. But I could only count one black and white one, so that was okay... Most odd though, squinting and peering out of one eye didn't seem to fix it. Come to think of it (squinting a bit harder) one of those cows didn't seem to be a cow. In fact we appear to be offering free lodging, and probably sex on demand, to the neighbours bull.
Some time later with the bulls return to his rightful place organised for tomorrow I found the potatoes had boiled dry.
I guess the next dilemma is guessing which cow is possibly in calf and attempting not to put her in the freezer when the home kill man comes out.
So we sent one of the guys down to the bottle store and he came back with lotsa beers and no wine. Thanks. (I suspect that is payback for me losing my cool in the last week or so) So I had two beers and went home. But it wasn't right, so I had two wines when I got home. And I think I was a bit generous when it came to glass selection (ie I picked a big one)
Somewhat more relaxed I recalled that there is a family lunch tomorrow at our place so I weaved my way out to the kitchen to do something about it. That involved tipping a couple of kilos of potatoes into a pot for boiling to make potato salad in the morning. Lucky they were washed potatoes because I couldn't be bothered washing them... And I mashed a couple of avocados with a couple of cloves of garlic. It's interesting how far a ripe avocado can spread itself round the place when it wants to.
Then it seemed a likely moment for a wander down the paddocks. That's when I realised that the wine had really gone to my head - I seemed to be seeing two of one of the cows - I could count three black ones not our usual two. But I could only count one black and white one, so that was okay... Most odd though, squinting and peering out of one eye didn't seem to fix it. Come to think of it (squinting a bit harder) one of those cows didn't seem to be a cow. In fact we appear to be offering free lodging, and probably sex on demand, to the neighbours bull.
Some time later with the bulls return to his rightful place organised for tomorrow I found the potatoes had boiled dry.
I guess the next dilemma is guessing which cow is possibly in calf and attempting not to put her in the freezer when the home kill man comes out.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Nice weekend?
I worked. As in work work. Due to a crisis of major proportions occuring last Tuesday I have just finished a very long week - as in Monday to the following Tuesday, at least 12 hours a day. I am absolutely shattered. But if the crisis isn't over it is definitely not my fault.
Lack of anything resembling a life has made me downright bitchy. Last night was definitely the lowest moment - I was sitting in the office - alone because everyone else had decided they would go home for an hour or two - feeling absolutely furious. This wasn't my fault, someone else had made the mess, I wasn't in charge of the project, why was I working longer than anyone else to fix something that I didn't even have any responsibility for, and when it is fixed probably won't get any credit for. Being alone in a building has some advantages though, I kicked a couple of filing cabinets, threw a bit of stuff round the room and swore loudly and it got a bit better.
Tomorrow I am getting up whenever I feel like it - and not a minute before.
Lack of anything resembling a life has made me downright bitchy. Last night was definitely the lowest moment - I was sitting in the office - alone because everyone else had decided they would go home for an hour or two - feeling absolutely furious. This wasn't my fault, someone else had made the mess, I wasn't in charge of the project, why was I working longer than anyone else to fix something that I didn't even have any responsibility for, and when it is fixed probably won't get any credit for. Being alone in a building has some advantages though, I kicked a couple of filing cabinets, threw a bit of stuff round the room and swore loudly and it got a bit better.
Tomorrow I am getting up whenever I feel like it - and not a minute before.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
I'm fickle
I'm over the love affair with the small farm this morning. Logically it is in a price range we haven't looked in and there might be all sorts of nice stuff out there if we decided to spend that much.
Gone back to believing in Kismet, what is meant to be will be and we will know it when it happens. Noisy neighbours had a party last night and wandered down the road at 11.30 to trash a neighbours letterbox. I still love the original Kismet Farm but we really do need some pest eradication.
Gone back to believing in Kismet, what is meant to be will be and we will know it when it happens. Noisy neighbours had a party last night and wandered down the road at 11.30 to trash a neighbours letterbox. I still love the original Kismet Farm but we really do need some pest eradication.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Same collegue as yesterday
showed me a property not too far from where he lives that is on the market. I'm in love (with the property not the collegue - just in case you have any grubby little thoughts in that direction - the collegue is really not my type, but the property is exactly what attracts me in a small farm).
I soooo want to live there. The trouble is I think it is within the realms of possibility that we could afford it, but we would have to desist from our laid back consumer lifestyle for the rest of our lives, and I'm not sure we would like that. Which is quite irritating, if we couldn't afford it it wouldn't be an issue and I wouldn't be agonising over it and raving on to very patient husband about lovely house and gorgeous land and views and... (you get the picture). And if we could easily afford it I probably would have put an offer in already (and been grateful very patient husband is very patient)
Hoping, but scared to check, that that lotto ticket I haven't checked yet is actually a good one. I think I'll wait and dream for another day or two.
I soooo want to live there. The trouble is I think it is within the realms of possibility that we could afford it, but we would have to desist from our laid back consumer lifestyle for the rest of our lives, and I'm not sure we would like that. Which is quite irritating, if we couldn't afford it it wouldn't be an issue and I wouldn't be agonising over it and raving on to very patient husband about lovely house and gorgeous land and views and... (you get the picture). And if we could easily afford it I probably would have put an offer in already (and been grateful very patient husband is very patient)
Hoping, but scared to check, that that lotto ticket I haven't checked yet is actually a good one. I think I'll wait and dream for another day or two.
Huh..
Was telling a collegue this morning about the noisy neighbour wondering about the reasons I do the things I do. (lets face it it's just insanity)
He said "Huh you've got a ride on - what a yuppy" Coming from a man with three times as much land and a house twice the size of ours I had to giggle.
I do however have the later model car... though his is a turbo
He said "Huh you've got a ride on - what a yuppy" Coming from a man with three times as much land and a house twice the size of ours I had to giggle.
I do however have the later model car... though his is a turbo
Monday, November 07, 2005
Mowing the lawn and things
Took two small trailerloads of horse manure off the paddocks this morning and dumped it on the shelter belts to help them grow (hopefully) use the ride one with it's little trailer - very handy the ride on. On the way back to the shelterbelts I mowed a few weed patches too. Husband reckons it is a bit silly to mow when towing the trailer but hey what does he know. I either mow with the trailer or I get off, detach trailer, get back on, mow patches of weeds, get off, reattach trailer, get back on. Nope, sounds like too much exercise for someone just finished a heap of poo picking.
Anyway I had finished that when the noisy neighbour leans over the fence and asks why I pick up horse manure. The obvious answer is I put it on the shelter belts to make them grow. The fact that said shelter belts are situated between his place and ours doesn't really need pointing out. (Willing the trees to grow very fast - two or three metres in the next couple of months would suit me fine).
Anyway he accepted the explanation - maybe he thought I was mad, who knows - and then asked why I had cut that nice long grass, I should have let the cows eat it. So he can't tell grass from dock and buttercup, and I thought those pretty yellow flowers were a dead giveaway - obviously a townie. Wish he'd go back there.
Anyway I had finished that when the noisy neighbour leans over the fence and asks why I pick up horse manure. The obvious answer is I put it on the shelter belts to make them grow. The fact that said shelter belts are situated between his place and ours doesn't really need pointing out. (Willing the trees to grow very fast - two or three metres in the next couple of months would suit me fine).
Anyway he accepted the explanation - maybe he thought I was mad, who knows - and then asked why I had cut that nice long grass, I should have let the cows eat it. So he can't tell grass from dock and buttercup, and I thought those pretty yellow flowers were a dead giveaway - obviously a townie. Wish he'd go back there.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
There is a certain repetitiveness about life
Saturday, weed glasshouse, wonder why the weeds are growing so well and the tomatoes aren't. Groom horses. Plaited up the little grey mini to see what she would look like as a leadrein pony. Pretty good actually. Unfortunately by the time I had gone to get the camera - leaving her in the yard - she had rubbed my half hour of hard work out again. Hmm maybe she lacks aptitude for being a toddlers pony. Lunged her for a while and that definitely confirmed she has attitude. Stupid me didn't wear gloves so she hauled the lungeline out of my hand and proceeded to trot perfect circles round me running free. Tartlet.
I think, sometime in the last 48 hours we decided we are selling here, as soon as we have finished painting a couple more rooms and stained the deck. Thoughts are turning to building. We have long known what we want to build, the right piece of land has just never turned up. Fingers crossed it does now.
I think, sometime in the last 48 hours we decided we are selling here, as soon as we have finished painting a couple more rooms and stained the deck. Thoughts are turning to building. We have long known what we want to build, the right piece of land has just never turned up. Fingers crossed it does now.
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