Sudokuaholics Anonymous 9A

Hi folks.
After a few weeks of only being able to post periodically it is quite refreshing to be able to post.
Didn't think I would ever catch up with the reading... No comments to make because brain is suffering information overload...
Nola keep up the good work. Well done.
Ciao for now.

Planning a trip down memory lane tonight.
'Romulas My Father' is on the ABC tonight. The author was a regular visitor to our farm... he went to school with my brothers. They were in high school by the time I started Primary school. I am not at all surprised he became a world reknown scholar. I have a photo of him with Lachie at our primary schools centenary. I found the book a very enjoyable read...particularly as it filled a few gaps in my knowledge and memories. I am sure Eric Bana is going to be as good as all the reviews quoted him as being.

Today the family [Pete's side] got together to celebrate MIL's 90th birthday. I had a reprieve from all the organising. I discussed what I had planned with my sister in law at Christmas and left it with her to organise her adult kids & grandkids as to a date that suited us all. To cut the story short my nephews wife volunteered to provide the venue and host the affair. All I did was make some ribbon sandwiches.. win win all round. Suited her as it meant she didn't have to organise her young kids [not easy] and it meant there was a pool just dying for them all to jump in and cool off...

Took lots of photos and I'm going to put an album together for her. Should keep me out of mischief for a few days. WILL endeavor to drop back in occasionally. Promise.

Ciao for now.

Is your computer or connection fixed, Bean????

Evening all!
I can't find my glasses so have skimmed but not read properly...

The BBQ went well and we all stayed dry - once we got there anyway.

Best wishes to your MIL Bean for her 90th. I am glad the celebration is done and dusted, WITH the guest of honour present.

Today was another hot and slightly windy day, never a great combination in a fire danger area. I hadn't even thought about it until we got a phone call this afternoon from our neighbour saying she was evacuating as there was a fire in the next town, with the winds in our direction!
It certainly put the wind up us and got the adrenaline flowing. Our evac boxes are packed again, and we are ready to go at a moments notice.
According to the new guidelines, we probably should have left the area this morning...
Since then though, we have had a very cooling wind change and LOTS of beautiful rain.

We got wet Suzy! Trying to unblock the downpipes into our two new (quaintly tiny) rain water tanks... gutter mesh, here we come!

So glad you posted Gail. I saw the fires in the news and wondered how close they were to you. Luckily by the time I saw the news they were already under control. That's too close for comfort. Soooooo glad the rain came!

Great game of tennis to watch. Now hubby is watching the cricket so I think I will go to bed.
We have been at Belinda's today so I am way behind in what I should have done!!!

Pleased that natural fire fighting happened for you Gail, not sure that it put the fire out as we don't hear about small fires over here but the rain will have lowered the risk a lot I hope.

Bean, belated happy 90th birthday to your MIL. Pleased that your idea for a celebration was taken on board and that you didn't have to do the majority of the work.

We had a night out last night. For the last three years we have been organising a quiz night for one of our friend's kid's school. Took us (along with the friends) 4 weeks to sort all the questions out and download print everything off. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. There was 24 teams of 8 people.

Good Maen friends!
Having fun with Ali, Lis and Jeff. Absolutely LOVE Jeff (Ali's long time beau)
We had Dungenous Crab with fresh sourdough for dinner and Mike made a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing for Ali's birthday (Jan. 17th)
Don't know what we'll be up to today, but it looks like the sun might peek out for us.
Brenda - your night out sounded fun...a very large group!

Broni - say 'hi' to the gals from us! I'm so pleased I had the opportunity to give you all hugs in person (except for Susan - but give her one for me when you see her).
Gail - love that you posted your fortnight menu. Did I tell you that I cannot find that Turkish bread for the life of me? I can purchase a packaged Nan...but it is not as large as the Turkish breads you could purchase at the store. I make those gyro lamb roll-ups on a regular basis. The lamb is actually from Oz!

June - hoping our friend had a lovely birthday.
OK - going to hang with our visitors. Sending out big hugs to you all.

Vici, your dinner sounds fabulous. Reminds me of my honeymoon. We spent a week and practically lived on Fisherman's Wharf. Even carried several loaves of sourdough home on the airplane. Luckily it was before 9-11 and travel was easier.

all. COLD here 10℉ / -12.2℃. I am not a happy camper.

Tami - weren't those the days? I remember when I use to love to travel by air - so romantic...now it's just a real pain in the patootie.
YIKES Heidi - that IS cold!

Good Morning All, popping in without reading so hope you are all well.

It is raining cats and dogs here, thanks Susan for sending it down our way!
Had a lovely time last night meeting Susan and family, chatted away like we all had know each other for ever.
Up early due to a bad nights sleep, sweats/freezing and nightmares so gave up and sitting here with a cuppa.

Morning all!
I have my glasses on now so I will go back and see what I missed...

Bean, glad the party was a success. 90 is a lot of years! Wow about the author! You can say you knew him when...

June, it was great tennis wasn't it? I wanted Murray to win one set and it looked like he might during that tie breaker.

Gail, I must have missed the rain water tanks. Now you can water your vege garden guilt free! I'm glad you got wet rather than covered in soot...

Brenda, I love the question about the formula for the number of dominoes in a set! Did anyone get that one?

Vici, hubby really misses 'proper' sourdough bread. I've even thought, gasp, about looking into how to make some!

Broni, so jealous that you got to meet up with Susan. Sorry about your bad night, hope the day is better. Do you have to go to work today?

It's warming up here. It's up to 29℉ / -1.7℃. The sun is actually melting some of the snow!

It's nice seeing the sun again.

That doesn't sound warm to me Heidi!

Hubby's niece is very ill. She is probably around 40yo and has been a heavy drinker for ever. She drank through both of her pregnancies etc etc. Now she has multiple system failure and has a 15% chance of survival. Her step father has offered to take in her 2 children, now 14 and 9. Family have flown in from CA to TX to be with her and them. I hope she makes it and I hope it helps her to stop drinking.

Not going to work today Zusy, but still lots to do.
Hope all goes well for Hubby's niece.
Heidi, that doesn't sound warm to me either.

It doesn't sound good, Suzy. This is why alcoholism is a serious disease. If she does survive, I hope it scares her sober. If not, I'm glad the kids will have some family support. This may scare them into never drinking.

Hi all, quick pass through without reading. Just had to turn the puter on to get directions. Heading out for a three hour cruise (oops, meant drive!) to a funeral of a friend's father. She has gone back to the country town where he lived and
there will be a large family contingent, but I know I felt honoured at Mum's funeral that some friends had come purely as a support for me.
Catch you later.

Suzy, healing thoughts are winging their way to your husband's niece. and to her family.

Safe journey Gail

Suzy, fortunately all the dominoes question ask for was the total number of pieces there are in a set of double 9 dominoes. Richard gave them the formula to working it out when telling the answers. It is that sort of formula and maths which interests him.

Brenda, hubby would have known the answer to that one - he's a dominos fiend. Favourite game is Texas 42.

Gail, I have been to several funerals like that, but never so far away. Good friend points to you today!

One of the US family has asked me to email them our phone number. I'm dreading what that could mean. It could be 'just in case' though. My SIL is also an alcoholic, though she is older, the same age as my mother. Health problems over the years, especially recently, have not deterred her from drinking - she just gets better at hiding it. It's an awful addiction!

Good morning lovely SA people.
As Broni said, we had a lovely evening last night with Susan and her family, we even got some much needed rain and it's still been raining overnight.
Next time Susan calls in here for a chat - someone ask her how she likes Greek coffee!! I'll post a picture of her reaction when I can download it - hilarious to watch. (She didn't know it came in such a small cup!)

I know. IH's father and brother are alcoholics. His father is finally on the wagon and attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings 3 times a week. A bunch of years ago, IH's brother Jon hit rock bottom, lost job, home and family. He was living in the streets, getting attacked by sickos regularly. He was near death before he finally would agree to get help. It was a world class nightmare getting him to a hospital that could handle him. I spent 24 hours on the phone begging and pleading with airlines to allow him on to a plane to get to the one place that said they would take him. His brain was so saturated, and he was in delirium tremens pretty badly. They were afraid that he would disrupt the plane. He spent 2 weeks hospitalized... his organs were shutting down... and nearly 6 months in a rehab center. He finally did the halfway house bit for a while, got a job and started having a life again. When IH and his mother died last year, he started drinking again. He is now without a job again, and descending back into alcoholism. I have threatened to kill IH when he buys his brother alcohol. He doesn't understand that if you care for an alcoholic, you don't give them alcohol. But then, I have reason to believe that IH is a secret drinker. I occasionally find empty and near empty bottles hidden in his office, and he acts like he's been drinking frequently. He denies it when I bring it up.

The "I know" was a response to Suzy's post.

That's scary stuff Heidi.

I need to make a quick trip to the store.

Nope, not going. The roads just turned to ice.

Morning everyone.

Happy 90th Birthday to Beanie's MIL !!

Glad to see that another Sudoku Meet went well. I have met with Susan and her Family, (2 years ago when they were here holidaying in Perth)like Broni said, like we have known each other for ever !!!

Another HOT day here in the West.. heading for 35C.