00038/10/17/10

That's 38 days 10 hrs 17 mins and 10 secs and counting... 'till the plane leaves Tulla at 1:35AM on 3rd of Dec and we land in sunny and Bird Flu stricken Thailan. Poor little birdies all coughing and having runny noses - those bad chicken farmers should get them their yearly fluvax. *wadga wadga*

MasterCard-like summary
- Shed from 'Shed City' - $4000
- Ground flattening thingie - $150
- Cost of missing screws, washers, steel crossbracing - $300
- Time wasted due to crap plans and the above point - 20 hours
- Improving my knowledge of German swearing with the term 'Scheiße' mentioned every 30 mins by my Father in Law - Priceless!

Also on the upside is the fact that we found a home for Marvin and Unix... Marvin with my cousin *fingers crossed* and Unix with Grandma... ahhh family - you're the best!

So secure!

I'm working out at a client site at the moment and they've recently upgraded the physical security of the building - you now need to have a pass to activate the lifts as well as the doors (so you can't get upstairs without a pass).
Well this morning the security guard was stopping people on their way into the building and asking for "do you have a pass". I proceeded to make a face and reach into my backpack - where upon he said "okay that's fine". This is well before he has been able to determine if:

1. i actually have a pass
2. the wires coming out of my bag are some kind of nasty device
3. i am about to recreate that scene out of the matrix
4. i am not some kind of cyborg killing machine

Doesn't it make you feel so secure...

Destruction ... the evidence

So shed demolition it was...




1) shed is there - Jack in the shed







2) shed is gone

3) big manly 'sandwich non-making' things

Something funny you say...

So the demands for something funny increase... (not sure if this counts but at least it's smth)...
not to mention our slackness in updating this blog...
so here goes...

We are packing up all our stuff and having investigated the astronomical costs of storage places we have decided to invest that money in replacing the small garage (7m x 4m) with a larger one (11m x 4.8m). This seemed like a great idea, the money will actually go to something real (and not just as hire of space), we get more storage space than we would otherwise, parents get a new shed, etc... then various realities come into play:

1. council - if we want to build the garage right up against the existing carport we have to build a brick firewall between thegarage and the fence to the neighbour. This is odd as there is a) nothing on the neighbours side of the fence to burn, b) both thegarage and carport are made entirely out of steel - which last ichecked took a lot of effort to get to burn. So we either pay more $$ to get the plans re-assessed or live with the 90cm gap. Gap it is...
2. old garage demolition - seems like something that could be veryc athartic, Polina, some friends and I; an axe called Brenda; a sledgehammer; a couple of 15" two stroke grinders and some crowbars. On the whole though we hadn't accounted for the "parent" factor where as we arrive my old man says words to the effect of "Polina you can't help, go and make sandwiches", and along with removing tools from her hands and generally interfering - risking having a jemmy bar inserted in his forehead. Things come to a head and Polina decides to leave before committing murder, and I find myself with much more tension to release than just before - good thing there is an old garage to demolish...
3. general interference by parent like person - anyone who has ever met / heard about my old man will understand that he likes things his way, even when he has no idea about said things and as such comes up with pearls like:
   "careful with the power lines" - to the guy with the crane truck delivering the shed, who as i point out to dad, may have just possibly DONE THIS BEFORE

*sigh* it really is too hard sometimes, and if we hadn't already paid for the garage at this point I would have pulled the plug on this whole exercise...

Anywho must get on with doing some actual work while I'm here - so I'll leave it there for now - not to worry though the great shed adventure continues next weekend with the hopeful result of a big rectangular erection...

Ooooo shared blogging

It feels like I'm writing in someone else's diary, kinda sneaky and wicked or something like that. Anyway this is just the obligitory test posting to see if this really works...