How strange it's been.

It's been a week full of nothing much and yet everything. It has just flown by so quickly.

On back to work Monday I found out that one of the managers has resigned. This manager is the one who looks after that new task I was assigned. I'm a little worried as she will be taking quite a bit of knowledge with her about the project and anyone who replaces her won't have that since she has been with the project from the beginning guiding it through it's various phases. On the other hand, she's very happy to be moving on to manage a multimillion dollar project elsewhere in the University.

The Teen and Skywalker are still here and still panicking about purchasing their ticket home. She was expecting her allowance into her bank today but it's not there. Apparently Centrelink have changed her reporting but failed to notify her. She goes into the office and has that fixed. It means though, that she can't buy the ticket home until Wednesday, the day before they are due to return.

And as they are still here, there still seems to be people in my house most every night. Is that right, or am I just imagining it because that's the way it feels?

Wednesday night is their last night here. And I'm not busy doing home stuff so I am thinking I would be able to spend some time with them. But no, one of her friends and the boyfriend are coming over. And later on, another. DAMMIT! So not happy. Later Skywalker comes to me to tell me that he is taking the others for a walk so the Teen can spend some time with me. We spend a little time talking and laughing and then I go to bed.

I'm restless and can't really sleep. It's after 1am and there are still people out in the back yard. On a week night. I put my head out the window and tell Teen to send them home. That's when I find out they intend to stay up all night and sleep on the train. I think my head exploded then. I take her to task about being inconsiderate to both MOTH and I, not to mention the neighbours. They aren't exactly quiet. She begs me to let them stay all night, and I eventually allow it. On the proviso that they be gone before I get up at 6.30 in the morning.

Thursday morning early and I'm surprised to see them still awake and also fully packed! MOTH is taking me to work *no public transport this morning!* and he won't be back in time to get them to the train. They will have to come with me and catch the train to the city from a different station.

Uh oh. I'm working from home again on Friday and .... I have to find a way to get the laptop home with me. Trying to handle two bags on public transport is no fun. I dunno how those ladies with multiple bags do it. For me, if it doesn't fit in the handbag it doesn't come with me. I end up taking the backpack with a special space for the laptop. It's heavy and bulky but at least I don't have two bags.

And I rock up to the office on Thursday morning .... and I've forgotten to transfer my work keys over. *dang* And not only that, I'm the FIRST one in the office. Great. I head downstairs to get someone with a master key to let me in. She's gobsmacked that at 9.12 in the morning I am the first one in.

She opens the office and leaves and I settle in at my desk. Then of course I realise that I am stuck in my area because all the connecting doors to other parts of the office are still locked. No coffee for me yet.

I catch the bus home that day instead of the train. I'm waiting at the city stop and watching the people going by at the end of their day. A group dressed in business suits hurries past; they're all wearing rubber masks of American Presidents. Most are Nixon but I think I spy a Carter or two *or is it meant to be clinton? i can't see the teeth so possibly the latter* and definitely Obama. I hear Obama giggling and muttering to her mate that anyone would think they were going to be robbing banks....

The temperature has been slowly dropping through the week to a maximum daytime temperature of around 17C. That's about 62F. Friday I have a doctor appointment so I can lay in bed a little longer. *geez i hate winter* I'm working from home so I run the heater most of the day. I was aiming for a couple of hours but it just didn't seem to want to warm up.

MOTH finally tells me that I've actually got it set on cool. *facepalm*

Saturday is still cold. The house is certainly NOT warm and cozy, having big rooms, tiles and 9 foot ceilings. It's hard to keep warm. I spend the day in my flannie jammies and dressing gown. This day I also add sheepskin slippers.

Sunday is much the same, although a little warmer. I don't need the slippers.

This afternoon there is a thunderous crash that sets Jerome and Sheldon on edge and startled MOTH and I.

*side story: the elder told one of her skype friends the names of said felines. jerome pronounced jeremy. no he insisted. jerome is jerome. a big black man's name. she said the other cat's name was better. sheldon. ha he said. that just sounds like a redneck name. we lol'd big time. jerome is indeed black, and sheldon is ginger*

MOTH ventured out to check. *brave brave man. unless it was a spider* He reported that a palm frond had come down. Some time later the cats were still unsettled. I glanced out the glass door ... to see a big brown pheasant standing on the railing of the gazebo.

I'd have taken a photo but my only camera *phone* is redlining the battery and wouldn't function as such. Darn. What's for dinner again MOTH asks. The bird stays there for a while then disappears.

So it's 4.30pm Sunday afternoon. Thankfully it's a long weekend. Queen's Birthday weekend. No sleep in for us though. The Elder is headed out to the airport and has to be there by 5am. Guess who gets to drive her??