10 Things I won't Miss

Apart from the obvious......weather, cost of living, etc etc, here is a list of 10 things I won't miss about England.

1. Not having a power point in the bathroom. You are not by law allowed a power point in the bathroom so I have to blow dry my hair in the bedroom without a mirror. I hate it. The only point you are allowed is for an electric razor. Oh and you have to have a pull down light switch as well which I hate.
2. Having to pack your own groceries into shopping bags. I can't stand it especially when your struggling with a baby. Now that the Aussies use the recycled bags a lot more, they probably have to pack their own now as well but the supermarkets here never ever pack for you recycled bags or not and they will even sit there and wait for you to finish unpacking your groceries on to the conveyer belt bfeore they start scanning so they don't have to help.
3. Driving a manual car. I hate it but most cars here are manual. I can't wait to get back to driving an automatic and I don't have to have a panic attack everytime I need to do a hill start. I did learn in a manual but the city driving in Sydney convinced to me to convert to an automatic.
4. Having a small house with small rooms. Most houses here are older then Australia so understandably, the rooms are very small. We are lucky to have parking, most in my area don't have off street parking so I am looking forward to having bigger open plan rooms and a garage. I even think hubby is secretly looking forward to having a garage.
5. The horrible bins or lack there of that the local council provide us for rubbish collection. Up until now, we were given a half a years supply of black garbage bags to use. Now we get nothing. It sucks big time and I can't wait to get my wheelie bin back.
6. Going to a Westfield shopping centre or similar and having everything under the one roof. Here, everything is on the main streets outdoors so if it is cold or raining, then it is not very appealing to go out. The other thing that a big shopping centre provides is a food hall, oh I love those. Everyone can eat what they want and all sit together.
7. Swimming indoors even in summer. The pools are always indoors and always heated. I can't wait to go for a swim in an outdoor unheated swimming pool or better still in the sea. I have only managed to get in the sea here in England 2 times (both in the same day). I forced myself to go in this summer as it will be our last and even though it was a hot day, the sea was so cold.
8. Not having a laundry room. Most houses here have the washing machine in the kitchen which is horrendous. So there is no where to do your hand washing, it really is a nuisance.
9. Driving on fast motor ways. I know the highways can get fast but the police don't enforce speed here as much as they do in the Australia and people do drive at least 5 miles faster over the speed limit.
10. Working in pounds, miles, stone really get up my goat and I am always trying to convert into what I know - kilometres, kilograms, and dollars!!!

The 10 things I will miss about England is posing a little bit more of a problem, but I will get there. I promise

Highlights and Lowlights for 2008

Highlights

1. Seeing the Year 2008 in with my husband, son and family.


2. Avoiding most of the winter in England because I was in Australia until February


3. My Mum flying back with me so I wasn't alone


4. Meeting some wonderful and lovely friends with wonderful sons that Oliver loves dearly


5. My husband agreeing to move to Australia with me


6. My eldest sister visiting me


7. Seeing Oliver turn 1


8. Having Oliver learn to crawl, walk and talk, kiss and hug


9. Have my youngest sister visit


10. Finish our home renovations finally


11. My husbands spouse visa getting approved


12. Booking airfares to Australia

Lowlights

1. Returning back from Australia


2. Being reunited with hubby after 3 weeks apart as I was still visiting family.


3. Turning 35.


4. The renovations costing a lot more then budgeted.


5. The recession hitting


6. The cost of living due to the recession


7. Husbands job taking a bit of a diversion


8. Being homesick and craving family and friends


9. Falling out with my husbands mother, things will never be the same.


10. Having our house valued for £40K more then it was this time last year.


11. Husband telling me that he doesn't want to move until mid February (6 weeks after our agreed date)


12. Dealing with another miserable English winter


13. Being flat broke
14. Sick on Christmas Day

Making a List

I have seen this on quite a few blogs so I thought I would join in on the fun.

Copy the list and highlight all the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited The Great Barrier Reef.
5. Stood under the stars in the outback, the real outback – think Uluru.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to the Gold Coast’s theme parks – anyone, you take your pick.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sung a solo.
11. Bungee jumped, jumped out of plane, been paragliding or hang-gliding, hot air ballooning – you get the idea, you’ve been hundreds of metres about earth in a seemingly flimsy contraption.
12. Visited Melbourne.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Had a child. Raised a child. Worked with children.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Been to the Snowy Mountains. (I’d say climbed Uluru, but the Aboriginal custodians would prefer you didn’t.)
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Visited the Brett Whitely studio in Surry Hills, Sydney.
20. Slept on an overnight train or bus.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Been packpacking.
23. Taken a mental health day.
24. Been buried in sand with just your head and toes sticking out.
25. Held a possum, kangaroo or koala – or any other native Australian animal.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Been in a fun run.
28. Been on the Blue Mountain cableway.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Played, or watched, summer cricket.
32. Sailed, kayaked or canoed our beautiful waterways.
33. Seen the Daintree.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Visited an Aboriginal settlement or mission.
36. Learned a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Toured the Sydney Opera House.
39. Tried rock climbing (indoor or outdoor), abseiling or just simple bushwalking. 40. Visit Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.
41. Been to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
42. Sunbaked at Bondi.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Broome.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone fishing.
49. Seen Tasmania’s old growth forests.
50. Been to the top of Q1, on the Gold Coast.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Driven the Great Ocean Road.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Norfolk Island.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Guide biscuits.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone jet boating.
66. Visited Port Arthur.
67. Bounced a cheque.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favourite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Australian War Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Federation Square.
74. Been on the Murray River.
75. Been fired from a job. (well redundant)
76. Travelled, or climbed, over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Three Sisters at Echo Point, Katoomba.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited St Mary’s Cathedral, in Sydney.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Been to Hermannsburg.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited Parliament House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life. - sort of
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Saved a pet.
95. Been to the site of the Eureka Stockade.
96. Swum in The Whitsundays.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a mobile phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Now your turn.

Six Things

Here are 6 things you might or might not know about me.

1. I have never ever had my hair permed. I remember when I was 13ish, I wanted to be like all my friends and get it done but my mother would never let me. I have a natural curl anyway so it would have been crazy for me to get it done but you know the feeling at that age and you want to copy everyone else. It was the mid 80's and everyone had the spiral perms.


2. I like to read magazines and newspapers from back to front. I don't know why but I usually scan all the pictures and then go back and read the articles.


3. I have never had my legs waxed. It is bad enough getting my eyebrows waxed. It always hurts so I don't want to put myself through that with my legs. I much prefer shaving them, it is quicker and cheaper.


4. I started drinking coffee when I was about 15. I never had tasted it before. I used to play tennis most Wednesday and Friday evenings and sit and drink tea and coffee in the breaks with all the older women. Now, I can't go without my morning tea or coffee. It is weird, if it is a working day, I normally drink coffee. If it is a home day with Oliver, it is tea.


5. I love eating lambs kidneys. It is a Christmas tradition of my Dad's family where they eat this for breakfast on Christmas Day. Dad also makes it every now and again throughout the year and always when I go home to visit, it is on my menu list. Kidneys and rissoles.


6. I bite my finger nails. I always have. I have grown them twice. Once for my year 12 graduation and the other time for my wedding. I have tried a few other times but failed. I had them long for a while after our wedding, until i fell pregnant. As I am a born worrier, I started biting them as I was constantly worrying that the baby was going to be OK.

Then & Now

Then: It was nearly November 2006 and I was almost through my first trimester of pregnancy and then able to tell everyone. Alastair and I didn't tell anyone until we had the 12 week scan.
Now: It is nearly November 2008 and we have a 17 month old son who is the light of our lives. So many people said to enjoy it as time goes so quickly and it is so so true.

Then: We were living up the road in a 2 bedroom flat. It was on the market though. There are some pictures below.
Now: We are living in our house and have just about finished doing it up and hopefully it will be on the market soon too.

Then: My sister had just been over to visit, we went to Croatia with her which was lovely.
Now: There are no plans for anymore family to come over to visit which is sad.

Then: We had no immediate plans to move back to Australia.
Now: We have plans to move back to Australia within the first few months of 2009 and I can't wait for that day.

Then: I was having full nights sleeps and was even getting sleep ins and afternoon naps on the weekends.
Now: I hardly ever get a sleep in and never have an afternoon nap and the full nights sleep are pretty rare lately.

Then: I was drinking non alcoholic wine when hubby had a beer.
Now: I am able to drink alcoholic wine when hubby has a beer.

Then: I was working full time and it was really busy leading up to year end and a new system so it meant a lot of mistakes for me to fix.
Now: I am working part time, probably 10-15 hours a week. It is hectic when I am trying to do the work with Oliver around.

Then: I wasn't getting excited for Christmas
Now: I am getting excited for Christmas because it means we will be closer to moving and Oliver although not completely understanding of it, he will be more into it.

Then: I couldn't imagine myself as a mother and it worried me if I would be able to cope.
Now: I want to have another baby and then I can worry about being a mother of 2.