Lightening Online

Image via Wikipedia

With only 14 hours until we need to leave, I think I’m ready.

Tickets checked and double checked.

Online check-in done.

Seats allocated.

No idea if they’re good ones due to lack of experience.

BUT, we do have a window seat on both legs of the trip.

So I can choose whether I want to sit there or make Farmboy sit there. 

I’ve filled up an old water bottle so if there’s a problem with it, it won’t matter if I can’t take it.

Thanks for all your helpful advice (although the one about Valium I needed a bit earlier given I can’t see my dr before we leave LOL).

What I was reading was “supposed” to be for domestic flights but maybe Qantas has some general information for both International and Domestic.

Maybe it’ll depend on the mood of security at the time (???).

I’ve weighed our bags and we have over 30kg left for shopping!!!

SQUEEEE!!!!

Whether or not we can fit another 10 or so kg’s in each suitcase is debatable really.

Farmboy thinks we could squeeze all our stuff into his suitcase and then I’d have a whole suitcase to fit my shopping into.

Isn’t he a sweetheart?

That’s because he doesn’t have to balance the budget - I do!!!  LOL.

Budgets, smudgets.  Will deal with that when we get home (isn’t that what an emergency fund is for?).

I’m not taking the laptop so you’ll have to wait until we return to hear all about it.

Unless you friend me on facebook.

Cos naturally I’ll be posting stuff on there - just to make everyone jealous!!!

Only a few more sleeps until we head off on our big adventure to Melbourne.  SQUEEEE!!!

I am MEGA excited!!!!!

All except for the flying bit.

I’ve been deliberately trying not to think about that.

You see, I’m flying phobic.

I’m 36 years old and I’ve flown in a plane ONCE in my entire life.

A small 12-seater plane.

I thought I would be pretty safe because it was a short flight over the gulf.

My biggest fear is going down in the water.  But I figured it was only a short expanse of water so any trouble and the plane could simply glide across and land safely, right?

Wrong!

Less than 2 weeks after my inaugural flight, the exact same company in an exact same model plane I had flown in had an accident.  The plane went down in the water and all onboard were killed.  Including our next door neighbours.

On that day I vowed and declared I would NEVER fly again!

And I haven’t.

Until early next week when I’m planning to conquer those fears and fly again.

Not with the same company mind you.

They went bust after the accident.

But firstly in a small plane from Port Lincoln to Adelaide.

Then a larger one from Adelaide to Melbourne.

All with Qantas (yeah, the company that’s been having all the engine troubles in recent times… at least no-one has died though).

But right now, I’m not even thinking about dying.

I’m too confused about what I’m allowed to take and not take.

Particularly in the carry-on section.

So, help me out peoples who are used to flying.

1.  Can I take all my medications for the trip on board?

Some places seem to be saying only what you need for the actual flight (or in my case I assume both flights given it’s been booked together - basically flying from Port Lincoln to Melbourne with a change of planes in between).  Others seem to say take all your medications on board in case your luggage goes missing.

2.  Am I allowed to take my own bottled water on the plane?

From what I’ve read, you have to restrict all liquids to 100ml and that includes water?  How stupid!  Will they give me water on the plane and will it be nice water????

3. Do I have to put any lipsticks or lipglosses I usually carry in my handbag, into a little clear plastic bag?

Guess I might have to clear the million and one of them out of my handbag and only carry 1 or 2?

4.  Will they offer me a gluten free snack or can I take my own?

They won’t allow me to put gluten free in my special requests on the Qantas website as we don’t get a meal.  But I understand they still serve some kind of refreshment on the plane (?).  The trips are only short (about 45 minutes and then an hour and a quarter) but I like eating when I’m bored and we leave home at 6am and get to Melbourne after 1pm so I’m gonna get hungry at some point!

5.  Are they going to strip search me?

Bwwahaahaaa.  No, seriously.  I’m terrified about all this “security” stuff and I’m not even leaving the country!

6.  What if they lose my luggage?

And what if we think they’re putting it onto our next flight (which they’ve said they will do) and they don’t and it’s left sitting in Adelaide?  Or what if someone else grabs it and I have no clothes to wear?  And what if we get lost in the Melbourne Airport, or worse still, our flight from Port Lincoln gets delayed and we never make it to Melbourne?

Yeah, I’m a worry-wart. 

Please share with me any tips you have for flying, including ways to overcome my fears and relax and enjoy the journey!

I mean, come on, people do this all the time.  I don’t want to spoil the trip by being over-stressed about the flying bit.

P.S.  My kids are SO jealous that we’re leaving them behind AND that we’re flying - we never fly when we have them with us (I did the sums with them to show them the reason we don’t fly when we have all 5 of us).

Many of you will have heard plenty about the recent Blogging Conference held in Sydney.

Australia’s very first “official” conference as far as I know.

Some years ago, when I was more heavily active in the blogging world, I remember reading all about the BlogHer conference in the US and being so incredibly jealous that I couldn’t be a part of it.  I wished we could have something like that in Australia!

Now we do.

And I didn’t go. 

Why?

Money?

…. a little.

Time?

…. a little.

Chicken?

Pretty much.

The thought of hopping on a plane (I’ve only flown once before and in a small plane), flying to a large city I’m not familiar with and meeting up with a bunch of “strangers” was just too much for me to even contemplate.

I will admit that in the days leading up to the conference, I was feeling a tad jealous and disappointed with myself for not being a part of it.

Everyone seemed so excited and I felt somewhat “out of it”.

Over the weekend, I enjoyed following updates on facebook.

In the days since, I’ve been eagerly trawling my reader for posts about the conference.

And, of course, photo’s of all those bloggers. 

It’s one of those wonderful things about the blogging world.  Even though I wasn’t there, I can still experience at least part of it through the eyes of other bloggers.

And feel like, in some small way, I WAS part of it.

You never know…. I might even go next year (????)

I’m taking yet another step in my netball journey this year.

I’m coaching our youngest grade.

I’m REALLY excited about it.

I had a wonderful coach for a year when I was a child.

A lady who treated everybody like they mattered.

She was tough but fair.

And it’s always stayed with me.

So, deep down, I’ve always had this longing to coach netball.

A dream that’s hard to realise when you don’t even play.

But, of course, now that I’m playing, it’s a dream I’m actually getting to fulfill.

To begin with, I didn’t tell anybody that I was coaching the F-Grade.

I was scared they’d find somebody “better” and I wouldn’t get to coach after all.

Just my personal insecurities playing out there.

After all, everybody has to start somewhere.

So, last night was my first training session.

And it was SO.  MUCH.  FUN!!!

And I had very little voice by the end of it!

I really hope the girls enjoyed it.

I’m guessing by the fact that they didn’t want it to end that they did.

And when it was time for senior training, I had my own little cheer squad calling out my name when I ran past.

SO CUTE!!!!

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re anything like me, grocery shopping has become a budgetters nightmare!

Bit like the cost of living in general eh?

So, I’m feeling particularly thankful for “free food” right now.

Even if I am up to my armpits in tomatoes.

I’m busy trying to freeze as many as I can to use throughout the year.  It should really help our budget.

Recently, some friends of ours gave us some pears from their tree.

Beautiful, juicy pears.

I feel so thankful as our trees are not at the production stage yet (and our poor pear tree is looking rather sick at the moment).

There are too many to eat before they go squishy so I’ve also been trying to blanche and freeze a few serves of those.

Then on Saturday, I had to go into town for a couple of things.  I rarely shop on a Saturday.  Add on to the fact that it was a Saturday of a long week and I got a big score in the bakery section of our supermarket.

Our supermarket rarely marks things down and when they do things are either already out of date or they’re only marked down a small amount.

So to walk out with half a dozen packets of cheese & bacon rolls for 99c, as well as 3 packets of pita bread and 3 bags of other rolls, all for 99c (instead of the usual $4-$5) was wonderful.  The kids were in 7th heaven.  Things like cheese and bacon rolls are a rare treat around here at over $1 per roll.

All of this “help” with our food costs got me to thinking.

Last year we had a terrible “blow out” when it came to spending.  In all areas of our budget.

This year, I’ve been trying to do better.

And all of a sudden stuff happens that helps me out?

Is it coincidence?

I’ve had this happen before.

When we take care of our finances, we seem to be blessed in ways that help us to do so even more.

When we get slack and have a “don’t care” attitude, money seems to fly out the door even faster than before.

Is it just me or have others had a similar experience?

I cannot believe we are actually going to do this!

A week or so ago we decided to do something a bit “out there” for our 15th wedding anniversary and fly to Melbourne for a few days.

Our Wedding Anniversary is later this month so it’s pretty much a last minute thing.

I’m so excited I hardly know what to do with myself!

We found a good deal on accommodation here:

Doesn’t that look like a castle to you?

It’s called the Hotel Windsor and it’s 5 star!!!!

5 star!!!!!!

I hope they don’t expect big tips!

I’ve NEVER stayed in anything close to 5 stars before and wasn’t thinking I ever would.

The deal was almost 1/3 of the “normal” price AND includes breakfast (I’m sure “normal” prices on those last minute places are on the inflated side of “normal”).

Still more than we would normally pay but for 3 nights, it’s doable.

One of the reasons we decided on Melbourne (other than the fact that I LOVE the place), is so we can go and see this:

I’ve always wanted to go to the theatre with Farmboy.  It’s not really his “thing” but I’m hoping Hairspray will be a good choice that both of us can enjoy.

I’ve also always wanted to go on one of these:

I’m hoping to book one to pick us up from the theatre and take us on a short ride (about half an hour) around the city before dropping us back at our hotel.  It’s the one thing I haven’t actually booked yet but I have started making enquiries and we should be able to get one.

You’d think that would make for a lovely anniversary wouldn’t you?  But that’s all happening the day BEFORE our wedding anniversary.  For our actual anniversary, we’re going on this:

It’s a restaurant on a tram and I always wanted to go on it when we lived in Melbourne.

3 hours and a 5 course meal while we enjoy the night lights of Melbourne and inner suburbs (when we’re not busy gazing lovingly into one another’s eyes of course LOL).

Other plans include a cruise down the Yarra River (just a sightseeing cruise), a visit to the Lindt cafe, SHOPPING and generally just hanging out together.

We’re spending as much on 4 days as we’d normally spend on about 2 weeks holiday but hopefully we’re going to cram at least 2 weeks of fun and memories into those 4 days!

At the very least, I’m going to have a few things to add to my “101 Things I Thought I’d Never Do” list.

Hi Everyone,

It would seem that an old blog of mine (Lightening’s Blogworld) has been picked up by someone else.  I haven’t used that domain for a while now but I’m guessing that it still has some “google juice” attached to the domain name.

If you were so kind as to add this blog to your blogroll at some time, could you please remove it so that you’re not passing on a link to what essentially appears to be an attempt at making a “quick buck”.

Thanks,

Lightening

Or am I hinting at something?

The epitomy of Romance don’t you think?