Life in Yarraville - 2mths on...

Well things are going well for us all.

Casey has a job in Williamstown and is looking at doing her Pool Lifeguard certificate thing as she's keen on doing outdooredsy stuff.

Issy has settled in well at school. She's made friends easily and even has a boyfriend - who I'm yet to meet but she's keen for me to meet him. :) She still keeps in contact with her friends back on the Island. She got the VLine bus back there last night and stayed at her friends, then got the early morning bus back here. Tonight she has a friend from Inverloch staying here and it's nice to hear them talk and laugh in the next room.

Audrey is the same. She has settled in well at school and in fact is more motivated to do well with her schoolwork. She puts effort into her work, she is asking the teachers for clarification of what she doesn't understand and she's more committed to organising herself and her homework.

She too has made lots of friends and there are a few in particular that she gets on especially well with. I met two of her friends the other day and tonight she is staying at one of their houses. She's happy about this. I am too, but even after meetng the Mum, I'm wary of Audrey staying at others houses. Prob cos I haven't known these parents like I knew all the past parents of Audrey's friends. Hopefully that will change. :)

Yarraville Village is pretty nice. Esp. on a warm summery night. We're yet to go to the Sun theatre (the girls always have plans for other things!) but I'm keen to go. Perhaps I'll drag Marty along to a movie. Or just go by myself....or not.

Tonight Issy and I headed into Footscray to find something yummy for tea. We came across a restaurant with writing on the windows that we couldn't understand. Issy said 'no way - for all we know it could say 'cat'....I said 'live a little' and so we went in and asked the guys behind the counter - what's this?? What's this? And Whats this? There were only three dishes....

First one was curry chicken.
Second was curry lamb.
Third was curry goat. Issy nearly gagged at the last one.

She got the lamb, I got the chicken.

We came home. I stuck my fork in the wrong container - realised it was the lamb, and licked two grains of rice off the fork. Mouth instantly burned.

We got through about half the tub - sculling glasses of milk - cos it was so hot. It was actually really nice, but just too hot. We think that the writing on the windows said "Hot curry dishes...really hot curry dishes....hottest in town...blow your head off hot"

We'll try Thai next time. Or Ethiopian. Hell I'm keen! It's there so why not!

**

Also, when we got back to the car I noticed a used syringe on the ground by my door. It was right where I would have put my foot when stepping out of the car. Not sure how I missed it, but kicked it away into the middle of the carpark next to me...at lest if a car pulls up noone will step out onto it. Was not picking it up to dispose of.

**

So yeah, the girls are good and I'm good.....life in Yarraville is going great.

We like it lots.

Too busy to blog and when I do get the time to, I don't know where to start....soo I'll summarise instead - life is busy & life is stressful but life is good. Will come back later - once everything's organised and done and write something better out.

The move....

Well I am sitting in my backyard writing this - Sam's playing with a toy and I've no idea where he got it from but he looks very happy with it.

Since my last post we have moved most of our stuff to the new house. The old place still has lots to sort through - most of that is crap which will be thrown out or given to Vinnies. It's all clutter stuff and we don't have room for clutter here...uh-uh.

Moving was a massive effort - those who helped have been an absolute Godsend. There's no way we could have done it without them and I want to thank them here for it:

Bren - for use of his van/packing blankets and trustng me with it all. We used this not only to move stuff, but to transport my bike around pickup/drop off points and from the Island to here of course. The fact Bren lent me this van absolutely blows me and the girls away. Bren, I consider you a good person and a good friend and if there is anyway I can ever repay you - not only for the van but also for everything you've done for us in the past - all you have to do is let me know and I, like you, will drop everything to help.

Faye - for showing up. For pulling apart my couch. For the laughs. For driving Casey down here. And then for coming back the next day to help out again. That plant in the front yard is so definitely yours. lol. Last weekend was perfect weather for riding. Faye rides. Faye did not ride last weekend. She swore instead. Lots. Inside a couch.

Tim - for showing up. For bringing the ute with those awesome packing boxes on. For helping lift shitloads of heavy stuff - including those awesome packing boxes that are REALLY heavy and hurt like hell when dropped on ones toes. For giving up his Saturday. For helping us out. Thankyou heaps Tim.

Jim - for showing up. And doing the fridge...the dreaded fridge with the dreaded stairs. And for helping with the heavy stuff. And for the trailer. And for the evil couch. And for everything - thankyou so very much Jim.

Jims boys - well what can I say. Thankyou for giving up your Sunday and for not complaining an for being absolutely fantastic whilst your Dad helped us move - it was such a long day and I never heard a single complaint. Icecreams are on me next time I see you both. :)

Jens - for showing up with the biggest brightest yellow truck ever! I owe you petrol/tolls Jens....I haven't forgotten. And thanks for working out how best to get the fridge down the stairs. And for your smiling face even though the weather was so gorgeous outside and the fastest you were going was 80kph...sorry bout that.... ;)

And Loz, Robin, Stu and the other guy (sorry I forgot your name)...thanks guys for helping unload it all. :) As you rode off the old Italian neighbor I was talking to told me that 'those things are dangerous'....I then told him I rode one...haha..

And thanks also to the two people who turned up to help unload..Loz had told them about it and they turned up but we were already done. I can't believe two people I've never met before would turn up to help someone they've never met before. Thanks a lot if you're reading this. Much appreciated.

Anyway I think that is everyone but if I've forgotten it's not because you're insignificant - it's more because my memory is shite atm because I'm so tired and a wee bit scatterbrained.

The girls and I really appreciate all the help we've received so far and will continue to receive this wknd.

And thanks also to those who let me know they couldn't help out but would if they could. :)

Ah well - it's a hot night here in Yarraville and I think I'll go sort tea out and get an early night. I haven't really had much time to absorb life in the city yet. It's all been rather hectic and tiring and just a little surreal. That should change once we settle in though.

The girls have already applied for jobs in Yarraville at various cafes etc. Fingers crossed they get something soon.

The house here is looking quite nice -- most of our furniture is set up and I'm happy with how everything's fit and how it's all looking.

Thanks again everyone.

Why

Why move from this:





to this?

A lot of reasons. Less commute to work - I currently travel 2hrs one way = 4hrs a day. Moving to Yarraville means less time on the rd which means more time being there for the girls, the house, the dog, and life in general. The commute itself doesnt bother me and I don't mind riding it - even in the rain or crappy weather - but the fact it takes me away from things I could be doing such as eating brekky with teh girl or cooking biscuits for them or helping them with their homework etc.....

It also means that I will spend less $$ on fuel - even on the motorbike the fuel costs add up. And less $$ on bike maintenance...it's serviced every 6000km plus the kms on the bike are adding up which means more major work needs doing. The poor bike has a long list of stuff that needs doing...all due to the number of kms on its odometer which currently sits at approx. 89000km - pretty high for an 07 model.

And it means that I may be able to take on extra work to my current job - which means less reliance on Centrelink and more money for us to spend on things we just can't afford atm or struggle to pay for.

The girls are keen to move although they are nervous. I'm scared for them . I''m scared for them starting a new school with new faces. I'm scared for them being away from what they've grown up with...the sea and the country and everything that has been familiar to them so far in their lives. I can only hope that they find more friends (they'll still keep in contact with their current) and that they settle in at school and that they are happy and safe. Once we're settled in we'll be finding out about self defence courses - something we can all go to and learn how to defend ourselves should we ever need to. Regardless of living in the city or Smiths Beach, I think this is a good skill to have and I've always wanted them to do something like this....moving to the city and me having the extra time means we can do this.

And it means they can do afterschool activities - such as music lessons or whatever it is they want to learn/do. And we can walk Sam together. We like that - esp. Sam.

So many fears. So many worries. But I know that if we stay here then things will continue as they do - with us struggling to pay for the basics and me hardly being here for them.

So there are our reasons for moving to the city. For leaving this beautiful place called Smiths Beach on this rather awesome little Island and our friends.

It's a big move but I think we'll be alright.