Why does it always rain on me?

Ok I did lie when I was 17 (didn't we all) but please weather gods that is no excuse for bad weather when all I ask is to be able to lie on a beach for a few days.

This is our 3rd attempt at a beach holiday in the last 5 years and the third time the weather has failed us dismally.

Attempt one: 10 days in February at Surfers Paradise in QLD - now you know the selling point of Qld is "Beautiful one day, perfect the next" ahem, you may need to revise Queenslanders. We got 2 out of 10 days which were beach worthy weather and the remaining days were cold and windy, therefore we had to amuse ourselves shopping and at the amusement parks. Home - minus tan.

Attempt two: 10 days in December in Perth (WA) generally 30 - 40 degree days perfect beach weather. The first day we arrived a hot 35 and promises of days languishing in the sand, book in hand. Woke up on day 2 - rain, wind and coldness, it remained around the 20 degree mark for the remainder of the holiday, leaving us stuck in a little flat, no sun, no sand and not enough jumpers - no serious Australian unless they are southerners considers packing a jumper in December.

Attempt three: 5 days in late November at Terrigal on the Central Coast NSW, the first day we had the heaters on, and snuggled under a doona watching movies, we got some sunshine but mostly rain, we made it to the beach for about 2 hours in total and came home with our tail between our legs.

We now have a week off at home and Im certain - because we have plans to work outside in the garden that the sun will beat down all week, sending us scampering off to the local pool to cool down, wishing we were sunning ourselves by the ocean.

Ive given up. I will from now on, plan for a ton of indoor activities when we holiday, my dreams of being beautifully bronzed are shattered.

Holidays

At last....well soon anyway. We have tried to organise a break away for months now, and generally I have to change the date because of work. Im sure it frustrates my husband to no end. We gets dates, and then I call him guiltily wondering if it would be possible to leave a day later, a week later, a month later....and so it goes on.

Eventually I decided enough, and I blocked out two weeks in my diary - next week and the week after. And NOTHING will get in the way. No matter that my manager now want to meet with me for strategic planning - sorry, unavailable. No matter that we are currently in the middle of a review, sorry, inavailable.

So we are leaving at the end of this week, we will start by dropping Ollie at our sister in laws for the night and luxing it up at a swanky hotel. then we will pick poor deprived Ollie up on our way up to the beach for a week. A whole week of playing in the sand, getting a tan and being responsible for nothing and noone apart from my family.

We will finish the holiday at home, hibernating, pottering in our garden and enjoying being home, something we seem to miss out on so very much these days.

How can I be mad....

While I was off on my girls weekend my darling hsuband decided to help me out by doing all the washing- there was lots, it would have taken him ages and I appreciate his gesture and thoughtfulness.

HOWEVER and its a big HOWEVER, my dearest darlingest decided not to sort.

I am pedantic about sorting - whites with whites ONLY - soaked for two days and then washed.

Lights washed at 40 degrees

Darks washed at 30 degrees.

Its my system and it works.

Now I know why, all my lovely white shirts are now a dull grey colour. My lovely stark white - soaked after each wear shirts, all unstark.

They are soaking in napisan at the moment and I am praying for a miracle.

So my dearest (as I know he peeps here from time to time) I love you dearly and I appreciate you doing the washing - don't feel despondent....PLEASE JUST SORT!

Speaking of old friends

Im off on a road trip this weekend. My Mp3 is stocked full of driving songs, and the car is serviced and full of fuel.

Im off for a weekend of girlyness with some of my girls from school. There are 5 of us in all, 2 I haven't seen since I left school 12 years ago.

We are all staying at a friends place with plans to laze by her pool, drink, eat and generally be merry. And of course catch up.

So Im sporting a new haircut and a tan - nothing wrong with wanting to look fabulous all this time!!

But Ive got packed the wedding album, the baby photo's and the camera in readiness.

Im thinking it will be like nothing ever changed, Im expecting gossip, silliness and well more gossip.....

Bring it on!

Other people's friends

I trotted off to my Hens party yesterday with much anticipation and excitement. I arrived at our meeting place, said hello to the girls that I vaugely knew and allowed myself to be introduced to the ones that I had not met before, some faces were familiar and I thought to myself, this should be ok, these girls seem nice. Plus as the hen is a workmate, I thought perhaps I would have the security of some other workmates to get me through the day.

Now anyone who know's me will tell you I am far from shy, I get along with most people and am known to be talkative, but what most people will not know, is that sometimes I can actually be incredibly shy. I tend to push past that to make an effort but I do at times find it extremely hard.

So the day progressed and off we trotted to the Races, I looked pretty special and felt pretty good too. I didn't worry too much about not knowing the others participants too well - a beverage or two would sort that out and I was sure my workmates would turn up eventually.

Meanwhile my workmates did not turn up and alas, my security blanket was yanked away from me. I made an effort mingled, chatted, did all the right things, but as I sat there during the day I couldn't help but wonder how my dear husband was faring - you see he was at a BBQ with our real friends, people I dearly love and really wanted to see.

It occured to me halfway through the afternoon that I really couldn't care less about other people's friends. I'll talk the talk, be polite, even dare to have fun if need be, but the truth of the matter is, I love my own friends so very very much, that I really don't need other people's friends, and I really am flat out making time for my own friends, let alone someone elses.

So with this realisation, I allowed the afternoon to finish and as murmurs of the pub started to wander around the group, I excused myself with the excuse that we had visitors I hadn't seen in a long time (This was true - thankfully, and a perfect excuse), took myself home and changed into my jeans and favourite top, so that I was comfortable and made my way to the place where I could finally be me - at my most comfortablest.

The evening was wonderful and as I sat with my visitors who are dear dear friends at 1am watching Sex and the City Episodes, I felt pleased with my decision.

Other peoples friends might be great, but my own friends are greater. Im a firm believe that: "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves".