G'day, folks.
husband & I just got in after a very long day. We left late morning to begin the errand round.
1) Get to butcher to collect meat order (we'd brought Esky with cooler bricks for the job).
2) Collect easy child 2/difficult child 2 & BF2.
3) Head for city to wholseale fabric place. We'd brought the wedding dress and felt very conspicuous carrying this very long garment bag up narrow flgihts of stairs and then through crowded shelves of fabric and rolls of lace, to find the best match. We bought about a metre each of two different wide bands of stretch lace, so easy child 2/difficult child 2 can double-check which one she likes, in daylight. Either will do, though. These bands of stretch lace are about a handspan wide, all she has to do is hand-stitch a strip on each side to turn her strapless wedding gown into one with wide shoulder bands. Angles slightly and gathered in a little, it will make it into a sweetheart neckline. She's coming over tomorrow (todat - it's Wednesday here already!) to do that sewing. We also have some paperwork to finish, as part of her complaint proceedings against her (former) employer. At wholesale fabric place she bumped into an old school friend, was very glad to have the chance to show off her wedding dress!
4) Left the city an hour ahead of schedule but late for lunch. Decided to keep heading out because if we'd stopped for lunch while still close to the heart of the city, we risked getting stranded by peak hour traffic. So we got most of the way out before we found a group of shops with food available. Stopped and enjoyed a break and a late lunch.
5) Met with the celebrant (my oldest friend, who I rarely see because she lives about two hours' drive from us). Talked out the business, then had a lovely afternoon tea chat with her and her husband. Had to go so she could keep her next appointment.
6) While we were driving back to the kids' apartment easy child 2/difficult child 2 got a phone call from the lawyer at the free legal service. The phone appointment had been booked, they'd pushed her booking up because it was urgent (tonight was the last chance for her to get advice before being unavailable due to getting married). The call lasted almost an hour, easy child 2/difficult child 2 talked, I talked, the lawyer talked. The outcome - we've tightened up her application a great deal more. I'm glad we didn't post it today. husband & I sat in the kids' living room and added the extra points the lawyer suggested, while the kids began packing for their honeymoon. We asked easy child 2/difficult child 2 to email it to us. Then we left - 8.30 pm by this time.
7) husband & I noted the time - two hours before we had to be at the airport. Time for a Chinese meal. If we could find a place that was open. Found one. Passable. Food OK, but I won't rush to go there again, unless I want a fast meal.
8) Headed for the airport with an hour to spare. Stopped on the side fo the road, rearranged the car to fit in people plus luggage. Swapped drivers. I dropped husband at the airport and drove to a nearby McDonald's to park until he rang (our airport charges ridiculously large amounts to park for more than 2 minutes). husband found that the plane had landed early (I can ring his mobile phone for free, as long as I keep the call short). Early flight - sounded like strong tailwind form Perth. Here's hoping it didn't pick up another dust storm with it. I went into McDonalds to buy something (I felt guilty parking there without buying something). They had automated the ordering system, but it was a mess. Not impressed. Got my small cake and went back to the car park to wait for husband to call to say the family were all assembled at the bus stop waiting for me to swing past.
9) husband rang then hung up (he can't ring me for free, it only works the other way). I rang him back to get the story - "Come get us, we're ready and waiting at the bus stop where you dropped me off. Be prepared to have to drive round several times, everyone else is doing what we're doing, it was a crowded flight." I swung past and found a spot (you learn to be pushy when you are used to driving in the city). Threw in the luggage and people - husband's sister and her two daughters. Drove up the road a short way then stopped to rearrange people and luggage with a bit more care, say hello, the usual, swap drivers back - then we headed homewards. Got to mother in law's about 11.30 pm. Made some quick plans for tomorrow. Headed home. Now we're trying to get to bed before 1 am because the busy-ness continues tomorrow.
Tomorrow we don't need to leave town. mother in law, sis-in-law and her daughters are going to the city to see "Wicked". I'm cooking a slow-cooked Moroccan beef casserole for dinner (need to start early) then when easy child 2/difficult child 2 arrives, we'll get busy with her sewing and sorting out paperwork. I have to go see my hairdresser and organise Friday morning appointments with her, then call the unemployment people and get easy child 2/difficult child 2 to begin the registration process. We have to finish her unfair dismissal forms and post them, polish the two cars (getting off the bitumen spots from recent roadwork and washing off the dust storm debris) and somewhere in there, help difficult child 3 get more schoolwork done.
And I keep feeling I've forgotten something...
Enjoy your Tuesday. At least mine was productive!
Marg
