30. Take Rhys on a Date.
31. Buy Rhys an engagement ring.
For the blog entry about these two goals see here....
Saturday, November 6, 2010
#90 Make Yogurt
I tried once in the midst of Winter- fail! All I got was a saucepan of milk.
I tried again and though there was some thickening at the bottom of the tub it was mostly sloppy milk.
I decided after these two attempts that it was all about how well the mixture was kept warm but not too hot over the span of time it takes for the yogurt to be created.
Ticked off with failure I bought an Easiyo device - essentially a large thermos that is filled with hot water which a smaller flask containing the mixture is set in. The next morning showed me lovely, thick yogurt!
I now make yogurt once a week, or at least once a fortnight. My preference is for plain Greek style yogurt. I love the thickness, the texture and how easy it is to change the flavour by adding a spoonful of honey, jam, sauce or fruit.
One of these days I am going to have a go at making yogurt from scratch inside the Easiyo but for now I'm riding the happy high of perfect yogurt each time.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
#78 Go to Melbourne on a Road Trip
It was after Christmas 2008, only days from the New Year and Rhys and I decided, somewhat impromptu, to jump in the car and head out on the road. Rhys wanted to drive to Melbourne. He was born and bought up there and so has the same kind of tie to it that I do to my own birthplace.
We drove flat out the first day down the Pacific Highway, passing Coffs Harbour easily. We stopped in some small back town in a tiny motel then set out the next morning.
On the second day we stopped in at Gundagai and saw the Dog on the Tuckerbox.
Our car taking some shade under the old Gundagai bridge.
And the Dog sat on the tuckerbox, nine miles from Gundagai
An old lighthouse built not long after the early 1800s:
And of course no Great Ocean Road trip is complete without the obligatory stop off at the 12 apostles:
We drove back towards Melbourne, had a Dominoes dinner then stopped in at a cheap motel just before the city. The next day we drove back up North, passing Sydney again but this time heading inland towards the New England Highway.
We stopped in just short of Tamworth, turned off the car lights and stared up at the stars above, so bold and bright in the darkened, country skies. Then we made the last bit of driving for the night before crashing and Rhys' grandparent's house.
The next morning we dropped over for a visit with Ada and James before heading on our way, stocked to the eye-balls with a packed lunch from Nan.
It was a good feeling to be heading home and I felt so boosted when we were past Warwick, Jessica blasting on the car stereo (Rhys' choice of course!) and a rainbow graced the sky across fields.
We drove flat out the first day down the Pacific Highway, passing Coffs Harbour easily. We stopped in some small back town in a tiny motel then set out the next morning.
On the second day we stopped in at Gundagai and saw the Dog on the Tuckerbox.
Our car taking some shade under the old Gundagai bridge.
And the Dog sat on the tuckerbox, nine miles from GundagaiWe passed through Sydney that same day, getting very lost in the suburbs with no referdex or GPS to advise us how to get out. Eventually we escaped via Campbell Town.
Between Gundagai and Sydney there was some wide open scenery that reminded me of that famous line, "I love a sunburnt country - a land of sweeping plains."
We arrived in Melbourne, in the area of Chelsea, around 11pm on New Years Eve. After driving past Rhys' old house and his old school etc. etc. we looked for hotel to stay in - not an easy task just before 12pm New Years Eve with no referdex, no phone book and an iphone almost drained entirely of batteries. But at last we found one and got a good night's rest.
The next day we headed out early with an aim to travel down the Great Ocean Road.
The weather was with us... then it wasn't.... then it cleared.... then it was jolly cold and rainy again. I began to fully understand the jokes about fickle Melbourne weather.
We stopped off at a few interesting points along the Great Ocean Road.
A pee break for Rhys:
A pee break for me:
Between Gundagai and Sydney there was some wide open scenery that reminded me of that famous line, "I love a sunburnt country - a land of sweeping plains."
We arrived in Melbourne, in the area of Chelsea, around 11pm on New Years Eve. After driving past Rhys' old house and his old school etc. etc. we looked for hotel to stay in - not an easy task just before 12pm New Years Eve with no referdex, no phone book and an iphone almost drained entirely of batteries. But at last we found one and got a good night's rest.
The next day we headed out early with an aim to travel down the Great Ocean Road.
The weather was with us... then it wasn't.... then it cleared.... then it was jolly cold and rainy again. I began to fully understand the jokes about fickle Melbourne weather.
We stopped off at a few interesting points along the Great Ocean Road.
A pee break for Rhys:
A pee break for me:
And of course no Great Ocean Road trip is complete without the obligatory stop off at the 12 apostles:
We drove back towards Melbourne, had a Dominoes dinner then stopped in at a cheap motel just before the city. The next day we drove back up North, passing Sydney again but this time heading inland towards the New England Highway.
We stopped in just short of Tamworth, turned off the car lights and stared up at the stars above, so bold and bright in the darkened, country skies. Then we made the last bit of driving for the night before crashing and Rhys' grandparent's house.
The next morning we dropped over for a visit with Ada and James before heading on our way, stocked to the eye-balls with a packed lunch from Nan.
It was a good feeling to be heading home and I felt so boosted when we were past Warwick, Jessica blasting on the car stereo (Rhys' choice of course!) and a rainbow graced the sky across fields.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
#64 Create a Budget
Three small little words changed my life a great deal and though I won't say too much about the achievement of this goal, it really had one of the greatest impacts on my life over the last 900 days.
I created a budget. A very simple act, a bunch of numbers and comments in an excel spreadsheet.
I first worked out what expenses I had, using historical data to determine an amount for non-fixed expenses (such as electricity).
Then I worked off a reducing tally like this:
income for the fortnight: x
less amount for bills paid through Rhys each fortnight: x
less amount for other bills (money to be put into a sub account) : x
less amount for food and $100 spending: x
figure I can save (money to be put into saving sub account): x
Originally I started with a food allowance of $200 and spending of $100. Slowly I reduced the amount I spent on food, mostly by starting to take lunch, cutting out junk food and not buying take-out until it was sometimes less than $75 a fortnight. This meant that the remainder of that I could use as spending allowance.
I've been saving at least $320 per pay for a few years now. A lot of that money went into the wedding but now there's a happy little nest egg put aside.... all thanks to the budget which helped me work it all out!
I created a budget. A very simple act, a bunch of numbers and comments in an excel spreadsheet.
I first worked out what expenses I had, using historical data to determine an amount for non-fixed expenses (such as electricity).
Then I worked off a reducing tally like this:
income for the fortnight: x
less amount for bills paid through Rhys each fortnight: x
less amount for other bills (money to be put into a sub account) : x
less amount for food and $100 spending: x
figure I can save (money to be put into saving sub account): x
Originally I started with a food allowance of $200 and spending of $100. Slowly I reduced the amount I spent on food, mostly by starting to take lunch, cutting out junk food and not buying take-out until it was sometimes less than $75 a fortnight. This meant that the remainder of that I could use as spending allowance.
I've been saving at least $320 per pay for a few years now. A lot of that money went into the wedding but now there's a happy little nest egg put aside.... all thanks to the budget which helped me work it all out!
#14 Take an Optometrist Appointment and purchases Glasses.
It took all of three years and a bit of eyestrain from heavy use of the ipad in the dark before I got moving on the matter of improving my eyesight.
I chose my optometrist in a very unorthodox fashion. I decided on the frames I wanted (ones that Mel L. has had since I'd first met her) then tracked down which places in Brisbane sold frames from that company.
I ordered them in, made an appointment and a few days later was sitting in the eye-doctor's chair calling out letters and getting puffs of air in my eyes!
It was another few impatient days before I got my completed glasses but I was so happy with them!
I chose my optometrist in a very unorthodox fashion. I decided on the frames I wanted (ones that Mel L. has had since I'd first met her) then tracked down which places in Brisbane sold frames from that company.
I ordered them in, made an appointment and a few days later was sitting in the eye-doctor's chair calling out letters and getting puffs of air in my eyes!
It was another few impatient days before I got my completed glasses but I was so happy with them!
Monday, November 1, 2010
#98 Learn to Play Whist
I first learned to play whist under the dodgy tutelege of Laura at History Alive 2009. It was a great deal simpler than I had imagined it would be though I seem to have no luck at it, especially when playing against such card sharks as Donna and Kerry!
A refresher of the entertaining game was had when we attended the ACG's Annual Regency Picnic this year.
However, as you can see from my face in the photo above, a lack of luck abounds!
#99 Go Barefoot Bowling with Friends.
For her birthday party my sister-in-law Nikki decided to have a barefoot bowls party at the Newfarm Bowling Club.
A number of us were there, including my cousin Jen, Nikki and her friend Donna. Though none of us were any good at bowling we had a lark.
The wording of this goal says that I go barefoot bowling with friends... but I'm going to count this party as satisfaction of the goal!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)