Yep.. it is count down.. Jona has been here nearly a week... it has been interesting...


Will write in more detail but lets just say a few worrying things...

Wears those airline eye masks at night with ear plugs

Went on a snorkel trip and he had TWO noodles  (got to be a first for something.. never seen that before!)

The case of the errant condom in packet found in the car

And in case you are wondering.. .nope.. we never slept in the same bed and only now do I get any type of physical contact

All will be revealed..... hahaa!

Lovely weekend with Justine..

What a lovely refreshing change.

In a small place like Port Douglas every weekend tends to be a bit like Groundhog day. So it was as refreshing as a face spritzer spurting through a fire hose that I had an invite from a new friend that I have made recently (she was the assistant on my film shoots for House Hunters) to join her at her rainforest hideaway.

So that was how you found me yesterday aternoon wheeling a wheelbarrow with our overnight gear along an overgrown path with Justine in front wielding a machete as we made our way up to the 'house'.

The entrance to Justine's jungle des res..

Justine owns half of the mountain and has erected her Robinson Crusoesque abode on side.

It is certainly not a house for the squeamish.  as indoors meets outdoors, not only in ambiance but in wildlife.

Large Huntsman spiders, various colonies of ants, a nest of baby spiders.  When we were sorting out the bedding area (camp beds covered with an all sealing mosquito net) a 'rat' run out with her two young in tow, which on later inspection was only a little mouse.

A scream when Justine when to bed to the shout of 'snake!' had me diving in to her tent to find that the 'snake' was just the hose from the air pump .. phew!

I thought it was initially just going to be Justine and me, but her two sons and their Father rocked up so that made 5 of us.

I didn't really mind - I suppose the more the merrier - but it meant that there was a lot of family communication which made me feel rather peripheral to proceedings.

The bedroom where we put our bedding on the campbeds, was surrounded by glass doors with the jungle right against them.  Two mosquito net tents with camp beds was ideal and comfortable.  Then her son erected a hammock right next to my tent, so I ended up having the noise of an 11 year old recovering from a cold coughing all night and the sound of computer games as he played on his console, which I could have done without.  Considering there were another two tents in another room and the Father and the other son were in the main living area I didn't quite get the logistics of that one.

But in the morning, after a fitful sleep due to coughing fits of Justine's son (sorry, I know I should be more sympathetic but I am just recounting) I was awoken by wonderful jungle noises of dawn chorus of birds.

It was lovely to have spent time with Justine and I feel I have a met a similar kindred spirit.  Though must say that she is a little eccentric so does tend to bring out the more wilder (in every sense of the word!) side of me.

The outlook from our bedrrom.. the jungle almost literally knocking on the doors

She calls it her tree house.  When I first arrived I was a bit taken aback on how basic it really is.  Very basic living.  Electricity run by generator, water from the creek via pipes and a flushing toilet (not sure where it flushes to) and two gas cylinder burners (one for heating water and the other one ring stove for cooking.

The world's most scenic toilet.. with a view across the rainforest

The next afternoon on Sunday  I went beachcombing for driftwood.. for another project I am working on... so hopefully will be covered in a later blog.

The creek.. piped further up to the house.  But running dry as another house further down is draining the water for hydro power supply for all their A/C units!

Beachcombing on Kimberley Beach today

Justine and I enjoying the small streams to cool down .. away from crocs and stingers

The two boys and the Father bird watching.  Looking at the appropriately names 'Wompoo' pigeon that really does make a Wompoo sound

Less Aha! more Oooh! Jonas coming to stay! Early Christmas Present!

Jonas (see Blog of March 4th 2012) , my Finnish friend that could cut butter with his chiselled features is coming to stay.

Yep the Finnish equivalent of Morton Harket of Aha fame.. is gong to be gracing my humble abode with his presence from 16th-24th December!

And.. Norwegian Morton Harket of Aha! Where most girls were saying less 'Aha!' and more 'oooh!'

After my invitation when we last met in March he has finally put his money where his mouth is and is coming to stay.  I would like to say it's because he can't forget me and is coming to see li'le ol me.  But no, he has decided to give up his management consultancy role and take a side step from business to follow his heart rather than his mind to come and live in Port Douglas and work as a tour guide.

So this trip is purely a fact finding mission to look for work and see what is here.  Free accommodation with me would seem to be the for the convenience rather than any emotional journey.

He is staying for 8 days... so at best we could hit it off, have a wonderful time and skies the limit, medium.. we develop a good platonic friendship or lastly, we end up being totally incompatible to live together and  we both count down the last 8 days to Christmas faster than an advent calendar on speed.

So quite excited.  Looking forward to showing him around and having a companion to share things to do together.

Ex for Ex-sense of humour!

After seeing my Ex in Sydney when he dropped the bombshell that his new girlfriend was expecting a baby boy in January - amazing what can happen in 18 months!

I sent a friendly email, which I attached a joke email about art therapy and tourettes.. which used to appeal to his sense of humour.



So lovely to catch up with you when I came via Sydney on my way back to UK.  What wonderful news about you expecting a little bub.  Can only wish you all the best for January and for both and you Mel entering into Parenthood.

It was, as always lovely to catch up with everyone and managed to catch up with Pete and Craig quite a few times.  Didn't see Andy.. but did manage a rock night at the Unicorn pub in Camden Road certainly threw up a lot of familiar faces all looking a bit older but with the same clothes and great for a bit of a head bang!  Never made it to Metalworks..  So funny.. being like in a timewarp.

It was lovely to catch up with my Father, who is noticeably weaker, but inside is still the same humorous person, just much slower and he didn't manage to make it to coffee on his birthday lunch and wanted to be taken home as he was tired.  But he had a lovely 80th surrounded by close friends so that was good.  

I hope that all goes well with your prospective house hunting and house purchase.

Your business certainly seems to be flourishing off the back of your hard work, so you bloody deserve everything good on that one! (Now that Allans has gone under.. I bet you are sweeping up!).

Well, I saw this ad thought of you... and thought it would be wasted if I didn't forward this to you.

All the best with everything, regards to your Parents and 'Hi' to Chris




Email reply:

Nice one. I will forward to Piers. Glad it was good seeing Denis. Hard when he is getting older. I guess we are all getting older……Metalworks & the Unicorn??? Surely too old for that. 

Thanks for the wishes. 

Do you think he could have made a more curter, shorter, less interesting, humourless and utterly cold reply.  One can only conclude that Fatherhood has gone to his head.  What happened to the laughing, happy man that was full of joie de vivre and sparkle with that cheeky glint.  I think I lost him when I moved to Sydney.. very slowly.. from the man who used to wave dangerously whilst single handedly riding on his motorbike to everybody along the road when we lived in Costa Rica with a 'buena dia'.. to getting in his car in Sydney and shouting 'wanker, idiot' at other road users in his citified lifestyle.

When I saw him in Sydney his comment was 'you can't be properly living in a place if you don't have a job'... so that was a bit of a side swipe.

Well... good luck to his new girlfriend and his new life... I am glad that I am out of that one! He is obviously losing his Peter Pan complex and turning into a an Alf Garnett complex..
 

   

So what's the next step

Since I have returned from the UK from my Dad's Birthday in October I haven't really got any work.

It's a situation I actually love! It is amazing how days whizz by and I still have lots of projects and ideas that I would like to fulfil, but it does boil down to the old spondoolics... so I need to keep my head above water.

The last year has really eaten into my savings and though I have money invested it's not accessible so I have to earn my liquid currency!

On my return with my long term tenant in my house in Costa Rica gave in his notice after only 8 weeks of a 1 year rental agreement!  I had no holiday lets in Port Douglas lined up so income was a little scarce.

Luckily I had done some work before being a snorkel guide on my friend's yacht.. so since I was back and they needed someone.. I am now working on their boat.  So far this month I have worked 6 half days at $90 for half a day.. so that has helped.

It's good work not stressful and with only 3 crew (Jackie and her husband) and me and a maximum of 25 guests it makes for a lovely half day.

Going to the Low Isles which is a turtle haven means that one regularly sees turtles, sharks, giant batfish and it's beautiful.

I have applied for various jobs in diving and behind desks.. so it will be interesting to see where the next turn takes me!

The yacht I work on - my office at the moment.. all 91 ft of it!

Texy Sexy

Went to see Tex Perkins in concert (see Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon)

I put out a request on Facebook - anyone want to accompany me and Melissa contacted me to say that she would come.

Melissa is quite a gift to my life here. 

We last met as teenage school girls as we went to the same school in St. Albans in UK.

Through mutual friends I found out that she lived in Australia.. and coincidence on coincidence she lives in Kuranda which is an hours drive away.

We have linked up a few times in the last year and we really hit if off and is becoming a firm friend here.  So I am so lucky to have made this connection and found almost a ready made friend here.

We arrived early as Melissa didn't have a ticket.  So we were there an hour early.  Unallocated seats meant we had our pick of the empty seats. 

So we went right up to the front and plonked ourselves literally right at his feet... yep.. could look right up his nostrils.

The stage wasn't high.. but have to admit that eye level looking up was definitely crotch level!

Tex Perkins was pure charisma.. a man walking down the street that one might look sideways at as he is about 6'4", but despite a slight distended middle aged paunch he was sex on legs.  He oooooozed sexiness... funny how it's not how one looks it's how one carries oneself it's a culmination of assurance, charisma and a spattering of je ne sai quoi!

At one stage he went off and came back on and asked straight to Melissa and me - 'were my flies undone' we said " No,  we certainly would have noticed!'...

When he told the audience he was hot.... I couldn't believe the chorus of girls shouting 'get your top off'... haha.. musical titillation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEB0l6OqLR4


This is how I first heard of them in 1990.. The  Cruel Sea with Got to Get a Lawyer...

What a great entertainer.. and amazing voice

What is it with MEN!!!!

Aaaaargh....


As a follow on from my last blog with Andy...


Simon

(25 year old, rugby player.. who declared his admiration of me via Facebook - see previous blogs)

Was due to meet him this weekend (yep. don't hold your breath on that one!)  I thought after a 5 week break that it might bring him impetus to be more organised.  So Saturday night... was going to be on.. still on.. then on Friday he said he had to work but would be finished by midday... midday I received another text.. he was going to be finished by 4.00.. then there was drinks with his boss.. and then.. he was too tired and he was knackered.  Try again for Sunday.  Agreed we would call each other at 12.30 and meet up in the afternoon.  I find out last minute that I have work .. so text him to say that I can't make the afternoon.. but can make it around 6.30 ........  no response back..  This is the man who has lost his mobile phone more times than I have had hot dinners!  Now it's Wednesday and nothing from him......

Dean

(32 year old boxer.. see previous blogs)

This is the man who offered to put me up the night before I left for the UK and take me to the airport.. at 4.00am! Who took me out to a wonderful dinner on my last night and only this weekend Facebooked me " would love your company right now, so lonely right now being home need a cuddle ".

Hadn't seen him for 6 weeks as he was away on the mines so arranged to go up and see him last Monday.

I said I would call him at 5.00pm.. so pretty clear that I was going to see him on  Monday evening and that I wanted to stay the night as I also had things I needed to do on Tuesday (and also fancied the intimacy of feeling his body next to mine and waking up together in the morning.. and of course a lovely cuddle!).  So bit perturbed when I get a message on Monday at 4.30.. "got dinner at 6-7 when are you coming round?"  Picked up the phone and agreed that I would get round there immediately.. he would go to dinner briefly with a friend and then he would return.  So I meet him at 5.30... we have a bit of a cuddle.. a bit of the 'other' grab a quick drink and then he's off to dinner.

At 11.00pm I am still sitting solo watching TV on his couch and thinking 'WTF!'.  So I go to bed.. in his bed, by myself (so much for my night of intimacy and cuddles).  Get up at 7.30am and decide to go to the gym.  Texted him to say that I had left the key for him under a rock outside.  At 8.30am I get a text "just got home, I'm going into town and then to the tablelands xo'.  I texted that I was 'sorry to have missed him' (just read through the lines on that message).  His reply was 'ended up blind last night so going straight to mums , catch up soon xo'.



So got back home thinking 'what is it with these men!'... when up pops a lovely text from Fred (see Romance in the Rainforest blog) asking how I was.. aaah.. bless him and saying how much he was enjoying the Bill Bryson book I gave him (The History of the World and Nearly Everything).  Good to know there are some men out there with manners and decorum.


Feeling at the moment that I would very much like to be an asexual worm crawling through the grass..