Traded in my VW van today...

I haven't been on here all that much of late...just needed a bit if a break, but I feel more like it now...I think I was just going through something where it was simpler and easier to get up on Facebook...whereas it takes more effort in here but as with many of us who have been here for a while the effort is worth it.

Don and I in about 1987 you can see our VW  - green in the background)

Don and I bought a VW Microbus in 1982 - we had ii till 2003 but in all those years it was unable to be air-conditioned because the motor was just not strong enough. This was a disaster often for us in extreme hot weather as Don had no internal body temperature control (peculiar to Quadriplegia) and more than once we came close to having to go to hospital because he got overheated inside the Van. So in 2003 we bought a 2nd hand VW transporter van...it had belonged to Ann and Dennis Hill (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384187/) and (http://ctva.biz/Aus/Skippy1966.htm) Dennis was the producer and director and from what the paperwork which we were given when we bought the van of Skippy...Yes we had a Skippy van! It was a good van but when it did break down it was always $1000...and we had many issues with it. But since I moved to Melbourne I have spent $4000 at least on repairs so thought to sell it... I have never liked driving little cars but surprised even myself by this...trade in buy

the Skippy van

Ali and i with the 2008 Nissan

posing

then i noticed a spot!!!

think the kids wanted to leave after that!

So I bought on trade in of only $4500 of my van a Nissan X trail - yes a 4wd...like those snotty Toorak mums who would rather run  me over than go around...because "yes" they do own the road... But its 1 litre per 100 kms and it goes and after trade in it was $13,500 so have to pay it off...but I got a bit sick of getting towed by RACV and NRMA before them...I will as normal have it for a decade at least... or who knows if it gives no trouble it may even see me out!

Pretty dramatic trip to college this morning...the VW van has been making a lot of noise and had it booked in to get fixed on Thursday... I noticed people pointing to me on the drive down and there was a lot of smoke coming out from underneath...lucky I could get of the busy road...there was an acrid burning smell and thought at first it might be on fire but it was just smoke...lucky I am in the RACV...but an hour of standing in the freezing wind seemed to take a while...its at the mechanics now and as soon as fixed it will be traded in ...it has cost me way too much this year and it never seems to end... I am a bit fond of it but sick of breaking down...hasn't been he same since the VW people down here mucked with it in December - had to go onto Tafe as I am already behind from being away...caught up pretty well today but can't afford to lose any more time... I guess they will tell me soon enough the bad news but feel its going to be pretty big - was a lot of smoke.

Home

Back Home and the cats are still talking to me amazingly. I arrived back here late Friday. I had a wonderful time visiting my daughter - I am lucky as our girls are my best friends as well and am always so relaxed with them and they seem to like me being there. As well I got to meet up with the two best friends from high school. We hadn't all been together for 41 years and it was as if there had been no time in between. We laughed and gossiped for hours...it was wonderful. One lost her husband when he died suddenly at 42, then a few years after that she had breast cancer. Other things which are private and yet she is still the same...has the same heart. I believe you do have a choice, no matter what happens...you can choose to not become bitter and a misery to those around you, or you can choose to grieve but still to be a happy person. When I got home and picked the cats up they were a bit unfriendly as it had been two weeks in the slammer for them...but now back to the normal walking on the keyboard and sitting on the mouse and router at the wrong time...

Melissa and another Handbag

Gwen and Pam two schoolfriends

Enjoying the sun and being waited upon

Early photos of my holiday

Joan and Veronica climbing up the fire escape on a pub  which shall remain nameless

Veronica and Joan...shockers in the morning

and again

Joan, Me and Veronica

Joan Me and Veronica

A devil of a person

looking very suspiciously at our eldest sister who had more vanilla bean ice cream than  us