Spent the morning dealing with Police report and insurance claim. The other driver called me back and I was able to get her address.

When I called the Police the operator said that we don't need to make a report, by law but we wanted to be safe not sorry. The damage to the car looks minor but you need to make report for damages over $500, I don't know what that amount of damage looks like. I did notice last night that when I tried locking the car it didn't lock properly and the interior light stayed on. On the dash the boot open light was on and I tried closing the boot 3 times before making sure everything in the boot was away from the lock and slamming it closed. The only thing near it was some paper.

I am so glad that the car is fully insured, we bought it new in April. I drove my old car around for 10 years, much of that time unknown to me uninsured, not an accident in 10 years.

Having the accident brought to mind that earlier this week driving home from work I suddenly thought about a car accident. Oh and as I drove up to the roundabout it seemed I got the message to go straight through without giving way, a car had just entered the roundabout and I decided not to risk it. If only these messages were clearer - I would have left the car at home or even changed lanes.

Fender Bender

Was well enought to return to work today, all be it with a croaky voice and no sense of smell, even though my breathing was clear. I stood in the shower trying to get anything off my shampoo and soap, the only thing that had the slightest scent was toothpaste. Eating was interesting I registered sweet, sour, salt but no flavour. Tonight I could just smell my neem soap.

Had a minor bingle in the car on the way home tonight, I had stopped at a roundabout to give way to car coming from the right when my car was hit from behind. No major damage, there is an impression of the other car's number plate surround on my bumper, I hope it's all there is. I got the driver to write down her details but didn't double check, she didn't write her address only her phone number and lic. no. I did take a shot of her car for the number plate, so glad I did that because she didn't include it. Will admit she was in state, very shaky and told us that she had a call that her daughter was in hospital. I still have to report it to the police, have tried ringing but there's no answer so will go into the station tomorrow morning.

As it was I was in state of my own, luckily I have a very level headed passenger as a witness. When I got home I tried looking for the details the woman had given me and couldn't find it. I couldn't remember what I had done with it, wasn't in my bag or purse. I just about ripped everything out of the car and still couldn't find it. An inner voice told me to be calm, that it was there and to remember when she gave it to me. I remembered that she handed me back the pen as well and I found the pen in the centre console, but the card wasn't with it. I don't know what made me look in the tiny gap between the handbrake and console but I could just see the business card the details were written on the back of. The gap was only a couple of milimetres, my husband told me to get the repair guys to see if they could get it out. Not wanting to give up I sent my son in to get a couple of knives but they could only just reach the car enough to move it. Sent him back to get longer bladed knives. While he was at it I put one of the knives in from the side of the console and noted it went under the card, feeling around I realised I could just get my fingers jammed under the console and managed to get a corner peaking out the side. Just as my son returned with the knives I held up the card with a flourish.

Sick.

This year was the first Boxing day I have not had to work in years, was looking forward to 2 days off in a row, but my body had other plans. It decided that 2 days off meant that it could get sick with a flu or a cold (just how do you tell the difference?). I had a sore throat on Christmas Day and then spent Boxing day mainly in bed, went to work yesterday and lasted less than 4 hours. Spending today in bed, hoping I"ll be right for work tomorrow.

A lovely way to end the year.

A letter to Santa.

Dear Santa,
Thank you for the gifts I received, I do have a few requests for next year.

Please, Please do your shopping a little earlier than a week before Christmas so that the one thing I asked for doesn't sell out. It was on the shelves in November when I asked for it.

Could you please deliver a few gifts earlier for me? What I'd like is 2 pairs of handcuffs or 2 sets of restraints in suitable sizes to hold a 50 year old man and a 16 year old boy firmly in their beds complete with an unpickable timed lock. Something we can set to 6am or later.

And bring lots of coal for those who think that 4.40 am is a good time to wake their parents up on Christmas morning, especially when the mother was up at 3 am mopping the floor.

Thank you

Lots of Love

Cheryl

Well it's only 12 minutes til Christmas. By the time I finish typing this it will be Christmas. Hmm what inspiring Christmas quote can I come up with * rifling through Completely Lost for Words.

This one sticks out, ' It's a busy time of the year, make sure you take the time to stop and enjoy'

Takes me right back... to yesterday. I took myself out to the shops, was supposed to buy the fixings for breakfast and for making Gingerbread Houses, instead of heading to our closest grocery store I decided that I'd head to a local mall. Cars filled the carpark, all vying for spots as close to the door as they could get, I pulled into a section on the other side of the carpark from the door and had my choice of spots, the section was half empty. Once inside the mall I headed to a cafe for a cup of tea and a mince pie. I felt so relaxed and listened to the roar hum of frantic shoppers, a spruiker spruiking and tossed in for good measure, a howling child. I sat calmly drinking my tea think I was glad it wasn't my child.

Eventually did go to the grocery store bought everything I needed - eggs, bacon, muffins, ready made pancakes and hash browns. I am cheating on the pancakes and hash browns, I usually cheat by buying a packet mix for the pancakes. Cooked Hash browns the other day and they turned out good but couldn't see myself grating potatoes in the morning while trying to cook a dozen people's breakfasts.

When I got home I went to the hot but clean kitchen and thought nope that I wasn't going to mess it up by making gingerbread either. Before that the stress meter had been starting to rise and then plummented, it's been that way ever since. Except for a 2 hour period between midnight and 2 am last night. I headed to bed around midnight and looked at the gifts stacked by the bed I realised that my brother's gift wasn't there. Searched every spot I could think of, wondering whether I had left it in the car or worse at the store. I even did the lost item numerology, the answer was that it was between layers of soft fabric. I was despairing I was becoming my Grandmother who usually told us that she had another gift for us but had put it away somewhere safe and couldn't remember where. I tried picturing where it was and got the image of the bag hanging from our dining room chairs. I had asked my daughter to tidy the dining area and remembered her version of cleaning is to pick things up and dump them elsewhere. Yesterday her dumping spot was on the floor in the hallway, a quick search and I found it. By then I was so worked up that I couldn't sleep, put a hypnosis cd on to relax myself. I fell asleep during the cd waking when it finished, worried I might not get back sleep, then the next thing I knew was the alarm going off.

Well would you look at that, the clock is now at 12.27am, it's Christmas! I need to go wrap a few odd gifts and will get to bed at a reasonable hour this Christmas - usually we have a whole 3 hours sleep.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight. - stole that too.

Almost

I am officially almost ready for Christmas!

Gifts have been bought, there were some mind changes so some were rebought. Later today the house will smell like Gingerbread, YAY! I really didn't think I'd have time to make houses this year but have pared down how many will be made.

Yesterday I bought my Christmas present from my mother, she had no idea what to buy me. I don't like knowing what I am getting so I'll whisper it so I don't hear .... just don't tell me ok. *Lowers voice and not looking at what I type, looking around to make sure I am not looking over my shoulder* Faking it cookbook and a Creme Brulee set.

Both were bought at my work - the book much cheaper than it is in the link. shop at Victoria's Basement. I pretty much stuck to Mum's budget, she said around $50, I spent $4 more but is she had bought it herself it would have cost $63, a lot more elsewhere.

I am nice and relaxed today, which may not last if I don't get off this computer, get dressed, work out what I need to buy for house building and Christmas breakfast then get to the grocery store before coming back to bake.

We host breakfast on Christmas morning for our family, David's brother Ben has a standing reservation to stay over on Christmas Eve, he loves to watch the kids open their presents, just as long as I supply Bacon and Egg Muffins. He is a 50 year old kid, he is first up on Christmas morning, usually with a bell waking everyone in the house, he does let David and I get at least 2 or 3 hours sleep - really quite nice of him.

Living so close to family, our yard sides onto my parents, my niece and David's nephews houses so we have an open house for breakfast. As well as eggs, bacon, muffins, I am cooking pancakes and Hash browns, for the healthy minded there will be a fruit platter.

Ok better get to it.

Chris Isaak - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

So much for devoting today to gift making, my daughter broke her glasses on Sunday night, I had to find a way of repairing them so the lens would stay in, used hot glue. It worked ok, but only lasted til the next day, when I got home she had the lens held in with 2 rubber bands. Glued it again but it only lasted til we got to the Optometrist this morning, they sticky taped it up. She was overdue for a check up anyway, her left eye was a little worse. Has to put up with the broken glasses for a little longer, they may be ready as early as tomorrow, it depends on whether anyone is available to pick them up. I may be able to do it before work on Thursday. I thought about getting my eyes checked but will leave it til after Christmas. I did buy a couple of $20 sunglasses to leave in the cars, fed up with squinting.

I am so tired right now, I had to pull over to get a drink and a break because I like I was going drift off.

We got home to a little drama, Cassie took the cat outside to comb her, she raced back inside yelling that something was buzzing. She was frantic swiping at her hair, I checked and found a bee in it, All we had handy was the cat's comb, I used it to comb the bee out. The bee flew around the house for a little while until I managed to shoo it out. In her haste Cassie had thrown her glasses off and left them outside, as I opened the door the bee was back buzzing in my face, before it flew off. I had to ask where the glasses were and Cassie came to the door asking where the bee was, when it flew into the house and straight back into her hair. Took me a few moments to locate it in Cassie's ample hair, didn't help that she was frantic before I again used the cat's comb and flicked it out. This time it hit the floor and my first instinct was to step on it, I hate killing things especially bees but it seemed that this one had it in for Cassie. I've noticed the bees lately have been acting a little strange, they throw themselves at our bathroom window at night and a couple of weeks ago, my son and I were chased around the yard by a bee when we did yardwork. I've never experienced anything like it, I've been stung in the past but that's when I trod on a bee, have never been purposely chased by one.

The new bed and bedside tables arrived on Saturday, in love with it. I love the look of actually having a bed head and end as well as being able to use the under bed area for storage. Am looking for baskets or boxes to fit, will be glad to get rid of the junk that lays around our room, especially husband's clothing, the man has more clothes than I have. He rarely wears a lot of it and has so many jackets from soccer and his favourite football team. For my side of the bed the baskets will contain my shoes and excess bedding.

With Christmas fast approaching gifts have been on my mind, I am trying to stick to a budget for nephew and nieces. Was hoping to make a lot of my gifts this year but have ceded to the fact I just won't have the time. My new job has been full on, until a week ago it was between 10 and 12 hour days, six days a week. With opening last Saturday it's down to 9 hour days over those 6 days. I am exhausted and with all the physical work very achey. I've asked to be cut to 5 days for my sanity. So this week Tuesday will be devoted to gift making and on Friday am going out with a friend for a well earned sanity day.

Am starting with a Pirate set for my Great Nephew, I found some pirate themed fabric and thought about making a back pack for him. Then realised he will need a Pirate hat and vest to go with. Not a moment too soon either, I found a photo my niece posted of him playing dress ups with his sister and cousin, he looked stunning in a tulle fairy outfit. It's claimed that he put them on himself but I remember his mother dressing up my son in his sister's floral swimsuit when he was the same age. There's a picture somewhere of that, I did find a picture of him at age 6 dressed up for a pirate party.