The Lucky Shag... shag

So my first weekend in Perth...

Arranged to meet up with Josh (been texting him as he lives in Perth!) .. contact through Plenty of Fish!

We arranged to meet up at a pub called the Lucky Shag Waterfront Bar.


Aptly.......... called!!

He bought me dinner and before I knew it we were chatting and then we went back to his place.

He so reminds me of a good friend of mine in mannerism. A smart guy... and very endearing.. not to mention a hot body (he is a personal trainer as well as a mine worker.. he supervises drilling) !

Though a little concerned when he said that I was 'much older than him'... he is 32 (does he guess that I am really 49.. or does he think I am the '40' that I put in my profile details) and also a bit concerned that the lights were left off - had this awful feeling that it was either him covering up for something on his part.. or that he didn't want to look at me! Anyway the next morning it was all fine .. though trying to not roll on my back and not to snore all night made me a bit tired in the morning! We decided to go for a civilised breakfast (complete with newspapers.. that we both stipulated) which we did back in Fremantle and then we went to visit the Maritime Museum with a 1.5 hour tour round a submarine... yes, my idea as it had an interesting exhibition of history of diving equipment which Josh surprisingly seemed to be keen to see. Though my eyes were glazing over as the person showing us round loved the sound of his voice. I have just had a week of lectures non stop.. so it was a little too much for me.

I joked that I bet he never thought when we met up last night that he would be walking round a submarine the next day! Oh yes.. I am one for surprises!

I dropped him back home in Perth in time for him to watch rugby.

He thanked me for opening his eyes up to diving and seems keen to come up and see me in Port Douglas.

Well, we shall see...!

But a lovely night and great way to spend my first free day here!

The First Step to Living

February 21, 2012

in Inspirational, Life, Quotes

0tweetsretweet

116Share

The first step to living the life you want, is leaving the life you don’t want. Taking that first step forward is always the hardest. But then each step forward, gets easier and easier. And each step forward, get you closer and closer. Until eventually, what had once been invisible, starts to be visible. And what had once felt impossible, starts to feel possible. -Karen Salmansohn

Back to School for 3 weeks..

Welcome to my new school.. for the next 3 weeks....


So here starts my first days at TUCF - studying my first level Commercial Diver Licence . Definitely where the big boys are!

What strikes me most is this is serious stuff... elements of some of the courses cover 'submarine escape' and 'explosives' (that's level 2.. I am only doing 1)

We even have a chapter in the course notes 'Appendix J Female NATO N1079 Flange'... I bet all the guys can't wait to find out about Female Flange!

There are 12 of us on the course with one other girl (dive instructor from Bahrain) and the rest guys. A bouncer from Adelaide (who looks like someone pressed the button too long on the inflate button), a German guy, Mike (who I live with, aged 27 and every few moments asking where the party is), an archaeologist, a truck driver from France..... will find out about the rest, but they are the ones that stand out.

I live with three guys, Tristan (French truck diver, and VERY French), Mike and Josh (married guy from Gold Coast..). We all seem to get on well at the moment.. Tristan is typical in his Frenchism, Josh - laid back Ozzy, Mike with his German intensity (watching the space between Tristan and Mike... waiting to see if any sparks fly) and me the one of the lads.. but a girl.

I went to the charity shop at lunch and bought some more dive gear.. yep.. overalls .. steel toed work boots.. oh yes.. we are talking glamour with a micro sized 'g'.

Sign on the back of the toilets so you can check the colour of your urine to see if you are hydrated

Very tempting .. put some in my BCD pocket and blow up the Japanese Whale Ships!

A bit unfortunate angle.. but when I first arrived.. this got me a little bit worried Looked like a James Bond advertising sign " A global licence to die!'

Start of dive course... other side of the country

See if you can spot Ayers Rock....

Just arrived in Fremantle... 5 hour plane journey across Australia.. and looks exactly like I have driven around the corner. Yep... here for a 3 week commercial diving course.. more to be revealed when I start tomorrow!

Took a plane from Cairns to Ayers Rock.. yep, finally seen that icon of Australianess... but sods law I was sitting on the wrong side of the plane .. so I passed my mobile over to some people on the other side to take a photo of it

Why is it the iPhone has the disconcerting feature of making everything smaller... so my picture of Ayers Rock now looks like a dog turd and you can only see it if you squint!

Learn from my mistakes....

Thought I would write a list of things to look out for ...

Cars:

• When the car dealer says that a car comes with any length of warranty... get it in writing
• Take out an extra extended warranty
• Don't park under any trees when you hear a lot of birds squawking above in the branches
• Don't leave your car out on the road without protection over the windscreen
• Make a list of all the problems with the car when you buy it.. if there are any and email it to them. Give them also a hard copy with a checklist to check off when done.
  
• When you take a car for a test drive, turn the radio off.. listen.. and make sure you turn the wheel to the extreme left and right of the turning circle
• Don't be in a hurry.. ask for it to be fully valetted before you buy it.
• Always check the levels of oil and water/coolant even if you think you don't need to...
• But whatever one does.. there was no way I could have foreseen bits of foam being ejected through the ventilation blowers!
• Take the car out on hire purchase.. see if you can make full payment without any penalty later.. that way you can withhold payment if the car has major problems and only pay when you are ok with it.
• Ideally, of course get someone you know who knows about car to test drive it also for you and to look over it.
  

Buying a house

• Make sure that you advise the lawyers that any debts on the property are to be settled by the buyer and make sure they put a clause to that effect in the sales contract.
• Make sure the property survey checks not only the property construction, but also make sure that showers and taps work. That the swimming pool holds water and that the machinery for the pool works.
• Legally make sure that all appliances are in working order so put a clause in the sales contract.
  
• Also.. yep... make sure that you can get hot water.. and run the hot water in both the kitchen and the bathroom.
• Make sure that you get pictures of the inventory.. funny how that luxury double doored fridge with ice dispenser gets changed to a single door one without. How the large screen TV suddenly downsizes to a 32"!
• If the property is near trees, make sure that a survey is done to check on the health of the trees...

Well, that's a few tips from me... tips that I will take on board ... next time!

The Day of Lovers... or virtual ones!

Valentines Day.... I went to bed on the eve of Valentines day with a chink of unrealistic hope that there would be a big bouquet of passionate crimson roses to greet me in the morning, sitting there on my doorstep.

Then I thought ... no one knows my address... and let's face it hell has more chance of freezing over than me getting a bouquet of flowers.

We are talking from a woman of 49 who has had 3 bouquets of flowers from men in her whole life totality. A figure that would make Interflora blanche!

The day did go on ... I was working and diving on the boats.. and so did quite forget about it. When I pulled into shore (we have no signal out on the Reef) 3 messages bleeped up.... from Dean - (boxer,) P - Wildchild and



Matt, a new man on the horizon..... yet to be divulged to you.. and very early stages.. we had only chatted on the phone, so had never met till today. He seems to be a real sweety, but not in such a sickly way. He messaged after our meeting "Was great to meet you Penny! You are quite the diva aren't you? I just wanted to give you a big kiss! :) Drive Safely, chat soon x" - now that's a first for me.. never been called a diva before.. I hope he meant it in the best possible way (and not like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion way!). We are meeting up again on Friday.. so more will be revealed after Friday!

So who invited me out for a romantic dinner? None of them.... but that was OK, I had already put up my middle finger in rebelliousness of the day by organising to meet with my friend Louise (whose partner was away). So we went to Watergate and supped on Strawberry Mohitos, left at 10.30 and was tucked in by myself by 11.00!

Last remnants of my 'old' life

2 cardboard boxes and a bag addressed to me arrived on my doorstep from Sydney.

'S' (my ex boyfriend of 6 years) said that he was going to send my stuff up as he didn't want to move my stuff when he moved in with Belle into their new home.

Sorting through..... the odd pair of knickers (not used), some chinese paintbrushes of my Mothers, a couple of pictures, bras, belts and one of those electric gas lighters.

Now one has to think .. an electric gas lighter... how bizarre was that?

He has all my furniture, butchers block, bed, sideboards, wardrobe, my white goods, carpets, etc (with no payment for them)... and yet I think why would you package and send an electric gas lighter.. that I can't even remember even buying!

So finally that's my last remnants of me... me supporting and building up a home over 6 years... dumped unceremoniously on my doorstep.. the last little symbols of our life together (perhaps the lighter was saying ... you don't light up my life any more!).

First weekend with Dean...

Barron Gorge

I went to Cairns to get my car on Friday... yep.. after 2 months!! Got my licence back and my car all in one day (minus $1500!)

Since I was in Cairns... arranged to meet up with Dean.

The Dean who only texted me the day before "Quick question, what did u think about sleeping with me, would you do it again, how do you rate me? Lol.....

We met up in the town centre and he took me to dinner at Fasta Pasta (think formica tables, no atmosphere, big open glass windows), but it was a lovely gesture from him - then went back to his place.

He lives about 5 minute drive from the centre with his cousin (distant one), Vernon. Typical bachelor type pad. Bless him, he apologised as he hadn't had time to tidy up.

That night was spent imbibing much beer and wine.. and then fell into bed. Dean was looking at having to get up for work at 5.00 am on Saturday. My work had rung me earlier to say that due to weather the boats weren't running on Saturday so no work. So now I have only worked one day this week.. that's not going to pay any bills!


Low season is LOW..!

So Saturday morning for breakfast, bless him, he went to the shops and tried to make a Dean's eggs benedict. He couldn't find hollandaise sauce but it was a sterling effort and was delicious and made with much love with added avocado, ham, poached eggs, spring onions on crusty bread, with a fancy salad dressing.

Then Saturday night... the purchase of a bottle of tequila and some more alcohol and DVD's to watch (Mr Nice, Planet of the Apes) . I do remember as the night got later and more messier the novel way of salt and lemon served off the end of my nipples.. and after that none of us can remember getting to bed when we woke in the morning.. both with clothes on!

I think, luckily, I might have spewed some alcoholic stomach contents in the toilet, so consequently, felt absolutely fine... though Dean was having the vertical head spins.

After water, pain killers and a shower.. he was right as rain (though don't know why rain is right?). So we went off to lunch at Trinity Beach, beautiful and he took me on a tour of the lookouts and local beauty spots. Must admit Barron Gorge and the views around here are so stunning. It was so hot today, I wanted to go swimming in a creek or waterfall, but we went back to his house and watched a DVD.

After watching Planet of the Apes.. pleasantly surprised on that one.. I thought I wouldn't outstay my welcome and left. I hope that we can be more action orientated when we meet up again.

Not sure what I feel about all this. I mentioned about planning to go Costa Rica in July - not at all thinking about asking him, but he expressed his enthusiasm to come along. We worked out the cost of the airfare to be around $3000. He said he would have no problem to save it. And then goes on to ask me that if he gave me $200 a week, if I could keep the money to put towards the cost.

I just don't know! Yet again I seem to have a man who is looking to me for support, for responsibility, for inspiration, for helping their lives. Maybe he has things to offer me, I know he is actively trying hard to improve his mind.. books abound in his bedroom... Secrets to Manhood, The Psychic's Bible, The Celestine Prophecy, Understanding Spiritualism.. etc etc...

I am concerned about the alcohol side of things.. but I know he can be highly disciplined with his boxing training, so not going to be too judgemental.

I just feel that this is our first weekend together and he's already planning to come away on a major holiday with me! It is making me want to dig my non designer heels in (Haviana flip flops?) as I am unsure if going up that garden path is going to lead to a concrete patio rather than a flowering herbaceous border! I've hinted about just going away for a few days to Indonesia or somewhere in Asia on a special deal, but he seems to have his heart set on Central/South America (Peru is his other option).

It was lovely to spend time with him, and see into his life.. and we do connect sexually very well, which is wonderful, but even so, I think it left me with a feeling that I am not ready to be involved in someone else's life at the moment or ready to commit.. or just to go really slowly on this.












All could be interesting - I am planning to go on a month's training course at end of Feb.. for diving so time will tell me thinks!