what a stupid week

I really don't know where to begin... How about with last Saturday when we were sitting on the back deck in the sun, and I decided to ring mum cos I hadn't spoken to her for a couple of weeks. Mum is over 80 and 'forgetful' .So I ring up 'oh hi mum it's me! How are you?' and I was met with 'oh how long have you been back?' I am a little confused as we saw her 2 weeks before and gave her a present... anyway I told her that we had been back for 2 weeks and she told me off for only ringing her then. Oh dear. I just kept  on with whatever I wanted to talk about and hoped she hadn't noticed. The Perils of a Dotty Parent!
Then back to work to do battle with the financially insane trying to get them to understand that if they don't pay their bills, it ain't my fault. 20 years and I'm still struggling with that. I love the way everything is someone else's fault. Mostly mine. So I have instituted a new policy in the workplace - called Blame the Temp. Seems to be working. And it is terrifically popular. The 'tropical moments' 5 cent tin is coming along a treat - we will soon be able to afford a battery operated personal fan to cool us down when things get hot.
Now to the funniest thing this week. On Thursday I walked into work, to find my chair and desk covered in streamers, balloons, party lolly bags and a metre or so blow up man with a fake hairy chest and a sign that said 'Old Spice Guy'. But it isn't my birthday yet I said! It's NEXT Thursday. I was accused of lying for some time, then Karen the boss moaned 'but I bought you cupcakes!!!'. So down came all the party decorations for a week, but we ate the un-birthday cakes anyway. And ever since every time someone walks past I get wished Happy Un-Birthday. Gee thanks everyone.
I had to bring the leftover cakes home on a delayed train that had the air con set to 'Stun and Suffocate' so they looked a bit sad by the time they got here, but they still taste GOOOOOOD.

I now get to spend the weekend helping to write a chapter for the guide book about staying long term in Kathmandu doing logistics for someone doing the Great Himalaya Trail. Oh joy!!!
And here is Nonna, Robin and Billi at our very classy wine and cheese party at our place in Kathmandu, but why is there Sprite on the table???

CHEERS!!!

winter is so much fun...not

I even had to resort to gloves yesterday morning, and when I got to work my reading glasses were so cold I had to wait 10 minutes before I put them on. Brr.
Robin did presentations in Sydney and Brissy this week about the World Ex GHT trips next year. Very enjoyable, and there are now 4 people signed up for the whole thing, and good on them.
So what else has been happening? Well, Tri Nations rugby has started so we are about to head across the road to the house of foxtel to watch NZ hopefully thrash the cheating thugs from South Africa.. And of course we don't hold much hope for the Wallabies next week but we will watch it nevertheless. We do love our rugby and dinner!
Work is still good - no idea how long that will last but it keeps me off the streets.
There are 2 of us now in Collections at work who are 'women of a certain age' suffering 'tropical moments' where we have to rip our cardies off while we sweat for a bit. So we are putting 5 cents in a jar every time it happens and will buy ourselves a treat in a few weeks. How stupid.
Still missing Kathmandu, but the other day as I was on the train to work I was reminded why, despite all the things about Sydney that annoy me, I love Sydney. The train came out of the tunnel at Circular Quay, and there was a big cruise ship, the Opera House and the ferry pulling under, all under a steel grey sky with fluffy clouds. And then the next day it was clear bright blue sky and green water. Just gorgeous. 
So who will be the new PM of Nepal next week? I'm putting my money on it NOT being someone form the maoists, even though that is probably just hat the country needs. I think it willbe some old fool who has no idea about anything, just like all the rest of them.

Here's a pic of me and Robin in the Everest region a couple of years ago when he started on the GHT project.

Bye for now.

It's SALE time in Sydney

And thank goodness for that. The state of my smalls (well, mediums actually) after being washed in the water from the not very clean Bagmati for months is quite deplorable - I certainly wouldn't want to get run over and be taken to hospital in some of them. Good thing it's stocktake sale time and it's bargains bargains bargains!

So I made it back to work with hearty hugs and greetings, and sat down at the desk to reacquaint myself with the same old debtors.  After 4 months they still aren't paying! Makes me feel like this...

Going to Leichhardt Marketown makes me feel like that too. OMG had to go there with Robin yesterday because Target (also known as Red Spot Boutique) had socks and jocks on sale. The Target undies dry heaps quicker than so-called travel undies, and are miles cheaper too. Anyway, we aren't really mall people, and there we were stumbling around on a Saturday morning trying vainly to cope, when we heard a mother yelling "Atticus come back here!" ATTICUS??? What were they thinking? And they then called their other kid, whose name we misheard as 'Mucus' - surely not. Why do people so such awful things to their kids.
So now Robin is starting his tour of Oz for World Expeditions to publicise the WE GHT treks starting next year. If you are interested in going to one of the presentations, or even signing up for a trek, click on GHT treks and info nights.
Meanwhile, Lakshmi the Wonder Cat has dodgy guts and is on the dry food diet, our nephew Miraj got 89% in his SLC in Nepal, and the weather here is cold and wet. I am enjoying being back in the kitchen cooking up all my favourites, and of course being able to enjoy wine is a real plus.
We still aren't sure what our plans are for the rest of the year, so if anyone has any bright ideas do let me know. Robin might go to the UK to see family and I would love to go to a Thai beach.
I am missing Nepal heaps, especially the crazy traffic, potholes, noise, dodgy lettuce, Sams Bar, Northfield Cafe for breakfast, and of course all our friends and family there.

Here's our family in Sydney: Princess Lakshmi the Wonder Cat (I wonder were she's leaving landmines now?) who is always happy to see us (well in fact anyone who might feed her). She's too cute AND she knows it.

Right then, time for a bit of ironing and then a relax methinks.....

There's no place like home

but I'm so cold I'd rather I was still in Nepal.
Well, what a busy week that was. As always there was a mile of last minute stuff to do, then on the morning we were leaving we realised as per usual that we had too much luggage and the bags were way too heavy, but luckily the hotel had a spare tote bag so we could spread the load a bit. Didn't make the total any smaller though! We managed to get away with 81 kilos of check thru all the way to Sydney. Mostly blasted books and maps....
After a 6 hour stopover in Bangkok it was back on the plane at midnight to get back home, where at least the sun was shining even though it was way too cold for me. And I don't think  I've warmed up since. Had a disaster with the home computer as well as the laptop so Robin spent the last 3 days trying to get them fixed - all better now thanks to the Apple man and a lot of persistence.I have no idea what happened to mine, but the IMac had a complete loss of all functions, and even the outside backup went missing. Too weird.
Princess Lakshmi the Wonder Cat was very pleased to see us and has been sleeping in bed or squeaking at us whenever we move  for the last 4 days. She might even be more annoyed than me when I have to get up early tomorrow and head for work.
God my hands are frozen just from typing this!
Robin now has a week to get organised for his talking tour for World Expedition, I still have junk to unpack, ironing to do for work and we're off to visit my family this arvo.
I miss Nepal already (especially the lovely warm weather) and we are about to start planning the next adventure.

This is our friend Theo with his lovely dog Elle. Theo has lived in Nepal for many years and always owns Bichon dogs. Our friends call him 'dogman'. Elle is cute as can be and loves to play with everyone.

Right then I'm off to try to warm up and get organised. I'll let you know this week how our nephew in Nepal went in the SLC exams, and how much fun work is!

See you later...