OrganiSed Chaos

Mel and Steve.
Tomorrow will be hard for you.
Very hard.
Inside is fear that clutches your hearts as your tiny little boy has his surgery, I know.
Please know I’ll be there beside you every inch of the way, and I can only hope that will help in some small way.
In an another small effort to help you, I found the Fairy of Hope.
She is there look over you all, and hopefully give you strength through what will be a difficult time.
Take hope over fear.
Please?
Hope is much warmer than the cold, icy fingers of fear.
Hope is the sweetest feeling of all.

To anyone who visits, please spare a thought and prayer for these guys tomorrow.
Lucas is only 2 1/2 months old and he’s off into hospital for surgery.
Anything you can send their way would be much appreciated.

Can
.
.
.
hardly
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type
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.
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nearly
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.
unconscious
.
.
.
Christmas
.
.
.
decorations
.
.
.
in
.
.
.
local
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.
.
shopping
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.
.
centre
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.
.
***faints clean away***

Many have been waiting for this post, I know, however life has been kicking my butt since we got home, and I’ve had a lot on my mind, but slowly, I’m getting there.
Onwards.
It was time to be gone to the Cape once showers, coffee and donuts were had.
Found the house, got the tour, time for lunch.
What else but seafood??
Damn it was good! Every word you hear about New England seafood is 100% accurate.
Plus I had my first root beer!
Interesting to say the least.
A cross between creaming soda and sasparilla if I had to describe it.
After lunch {and me being presented with my first souvenir, by Pam..thanks sweetie!} it was to the market.
Another eye opener for yours truly.
How bloody cheap are groceries over there???
I was like a kid in a lolly shop, all bug eyed and not sure where to look first.
Get the shopping done, onto the bottle shop, where we promptly gave the credit card a bit of a nudge {no surprise there I guess??}
Food? Check
Alcohol? Check
Full bellies? Check
Back to the house, unpack the groceries, unpack clothes, and finally…time to plant our arses and pour a drink!
Fast forward to midnight, by which time we were almost deliriously tired.
After extracting promises from everyone to NOT let us sleep beyond 8.00am, it was time to fall into bed for our first nights sleep under northern hemisphere skies.
I vaguely remember getting to bed, and whilst I have no recollection of my head actually hitting the pillow, I can just about guarantee you, I appreciated that pillow more than any other I’ve ever put my head on!
Promises were kept and promptly at 8.00am, we were woken up.
My first thought, even before my eyes opened?
Evyl arrives today!!!! Most exciting.
Soon we would be 4.
Now, Evyl had a plan where the destination was Hyannis, on the Cape, thus making it quite easy for Michael to collect he and Joyce.
The best laid plans of mice and men….
First plane was late, thus they missed the connecting flight.
Eventually, after much toing and froing with phones calls between he and Michael, we ended up at Hyannis airport around the time we worked out the plane was due.
Evyl, being the details man he is, omitted to give us a time the plane would actually LAND.
{Yeah goodonya mate!!}

Now, you have to remember here, none of we 3 waiting at the airport have ever met Evyl.
Seen pics yes, but pics when he had hair, and these days he has a nude nut.
The obvious thing to do was {drum roll please} LOOK for the nude nut, of course!
Damn, do you know how many fucking men in Hyannis airport have nude nuts????
SHIIIIIIIIIT!
1 plane, 2 planes, 3 planes, more planes!
From around {I think} the 5th plane emerged a large, bald man with a wrist brace on.
Knowing he had recently broken his wrist, we look at each other, raise our eyebrows and one of us says “Mac?”
We were greeted with a HUGE smile, and the words.
“How you doin’”
Well, that’s what people told me he said anyway, because he has a broad Texan accent, and I mean BROAD, and let me assure you, Joyce is just the same.
I spent most of the first couple of hours saying “FFS you 2, speak English, because I can’t understand a damned word you’re saying!”

It was quite the source of amusement for those around us let me say!
If you’re an Aussie and you’re reading this, don’t ever let anyone tell you we’re hard to understand.
I’ve spent a week with 2 Texans and it’s like a whole new freaking language.
We may speak fast, yes, but we are understandable.
Eventually {read, after about 2 days} I could catch 99% of what was being said, with just the odd blank look at someone to say “What the hell did he/she say???”
Cannot begin to tell you how good it was to finally meet, and hug, the man who has been one of my most staunch supporters in not only blogging, but is there every single time something goes wrong and a shoulder is required in the quiet way he has of doing things when a person is in any type of distress or has something troubling them.
Next to Michael, which is how I found him, no other man has been as loyal, and I freely admit I love him to bits.
This is THE most laid back man you could wish to meet.
More than willing to go along with anything suggested, happy to do anything anyone wanted to do, and let me add, this man CAN cook!
He did some chicken on the barbie {sorry guys…grill!} that is like nothing I’ve ever eaten before.
It was to die for.
As laid back as he is mind you, urban legend has it that when the Evyl one drinks tequila, he climbs trees!
Yes, trees, and if he didn’t have a broken wrist, something tells me we would have actually seen just that happen.
And damn, can he drink!
There are few people I’ve come across that can give Mark a run for his money, but I met him here.
One stubby as an appetiser, chase it down with a shot of tequila then settle with another stubby every 10 minutes, and tequila chasers in between.
Every female in earshot is darlin’ in that damp inducing Texan drawl {may be hard to understand till you get used to it, but shit it’s good all the same!!}
Mrs Evyl is quite the woman, let me tell you.
Many say she deserves a medal being married to one of the biggest pistols in the blogosphere, and in some ways, yes, she does, but overall, she gives as good as she gets, and damned well let me say!
I can say, with all honesty, I’ve seen our Evyl quite stuck for words.
Quite the thing to see.
There is more to come on this remarkable man and his {long suffering} wife including an experience NOT to be missed in this life {playing The Red Neck Game of Life} plus Celebrity Heads, fire pit stories, mini golf and more.
Once we were 4, it was time to start the fun and games that was our time on Cape Cod.
Photos are to come yes, and the minute I find time to scan them in, they will appear on a page of their own with links to each post.
I’m trying hard to get these posts done quicker, but as I said earlier, life has been mad.
3 stocktakes {the first being Tuesday} in 2 weeks is not helping my cause either.
It’s taken me 3 days to get this done.

More to come people.
Much more to come.

That’s the amount of time each of us has to live life in a full week.
Now, many would say that’s a lot, but for those of us who live in the real world, we all know, it’s nowhere near enough.
There are some people who are, seemingly, of the opinion they’re entitled to a chunk of my 168 hours, regardless of the circumstances in my life.
They don’t just want apparently, it seems they seriously consider they’re entitled.
This has been driven home in the last couple of weeks, not by things that have happened, more it’s those that haven’t, and things unsaid.
Silence is sometimes much louder than words, I’m sure you would all agree.
This post is to assure everyone other than my husband, family and employer, that you are absolutely not entitled to one more thing than I have time to give, or indeed, I’m inclined to give.
My employer pays me to work.
That’s an entitlement.
My husband and family, purely because they’re my husband and family, have an absolute 150% entitlement to me at any time of the day or night, even above and beyond my employer should push come to shove.
My landlord has an entitlement to have their house {our home} neat and tidy, right down to the lawns, which of course falls to Mark and I.
Noone else, and I mean noone, is entitled to any part of me and mine, regardless of their thoughts, expectations, or even their desires.
One of my favourite expressions is to have an expectation invites a disappointment.
I’m a person who will do anything for anyone, and never ask for a thing in return, and I’m damned proud of it.
However, when it becomes an expectation, and there is no give and take, I’m not doing it.
Not any more.
Deal with it, don’t deal with, either way I really don’t care, but know this.
I’m done with trying to keep all of the people happy all of the time, no matter the cost to me and mine.
After work, husband, family, and I’m done with shopping, banking, eating, sleeping, getting to where I need to go and back, doing housework, and even peeing, then I’ll fit in everything and everyone else, and not before.
If you’re sitting here reading this and have a clear conscience, good!
I’m pleased, and you know I’ll get to you when I can yes?
If you’re reading this and squirming, thinking it relates to any one person, or any one thing, then you need to take heed of the paragraph a little above this one.
First word of that paragraph is “noone”
I will do as I need, and indeed, please, with my 168 hours, so you’d best be getting used to it.

My next post will return to the amazing adventures of Morky and Marky, and, as promised, the Evyl one will make his entrance.
I simply needed to say a few things, and feel much better for having done just that.

I apologise for this interruption to the amazing adventures of Moe and Mark, but I have an important community service announcement.
A new food blog has been born, and we all KNOW how I love new blogs {and food} right??
Mostly we know Michael as just ~m, and we’re well acquainted with Smoke and Mirrors, but this man is like an onion.
He has many layers, and one very close to his heart is his family.
Specifically his 3 daughters {he keeps Pam elsewhere }
After having spent some time with him and his family recently {yes, I can hear you all now “No! You didn’t??? Why didn’t you tell us??? wise arses is what you are} I can tell you, from first hand knowledge, this is a man who loves to cook for his family.
From omelets through to full steak dinners, he simply loves to cook good food.
I’ll add at this point that’s he’s a damned good cook too.
Pam and the girls have many favourites and for some time he’s been trying to find a way to record the many recipes he holds in his head so the girls can carry on the dining tradition when he is no longer able, or perhaps even been cooked himself.
Enter Dad’s Diner.
A food blog dedicated to not only the wonderful food he already cooks, but for any other recipe that may cross his radar and take his family’s fancy.
Please don’t be a stranger over there.
There will be some fabulous stuff to cook, and he won’t mind should you leave the odd comment letting him know how you got on making them yourself.
I’ve tried one of the recipes he has posted already and let me tell you, it was good.
In fact, very good.
Ok, on your way, go find a new recipe for dinner tonight.
Try the Chicken Masala.
Pam and the girls tell me it’s ridiculously good!!
In my words that would be YUM YUM PIGS BUM!!!!!!

Once on the plane to Boston, we decided to try and sleep.
Fat chance!
I was wide awake and jumping out of my skin, as I had been for some days before we left, on the plane to the states and the whole time we’d been in LA.
The chances of me being able to sleep were slim.
Mark on the other hand could sleep through a nuclear holocaust, and pretty much slept all the way.
I managed about half an hour, but the rest of the 6 hour flight {that seemed like 26 hours BTW!} was spent thinking about what, or more the point, who awaited us in Boston.
More on this shortly….
Once we eventually landed at Logan airport {quite late I might add} disembarking was reasonably quick, yet still not quick enough for me!
I wanted off, I wanted our luggage, and I wanted in the car Michael had booked to take us to his place, and I wanted it R.I.G.H.T N.O.W!!!!
I was a woman on a mission!!
Suitcases and bags were reasonably prompt.
Annie got hers, we got ours, and the only thing we were waiting on was the didg as it had to come though special luggage.
I went around to the collection area just as the guy was closing the roller door after putting everything out where it could be collected.
“Hang on” says I, quite innocently, “Ours is missing”
“What was it” he says.
“A cylinder about 4ft long, it has a didg in it”
“A what???”
“An indigenous Australian musical instrument. It’s not here”
“I’m sure I got everything off the plane, let me go check”
{small amount of nerves are creeping in at this point}
Waiting, waiting, waiting…
Eventually, he’s back.
“Sorry ma’am, there’s nothing left on the plane. That’s it. You sure you bought it with you?”
Well no, fuck knuckle, because of course, I’m a dick wad who has no fucking idea what she did and didn’t bring 10,000 miles!!!!
As I shot him a withering look, I headed to the customer service office, telling Mark and Annie what the problem was as I went past.
Mark got “that” look on his face, and decided to leave it to me.
Wise move I thought.
Enter one condescending, patronising airline employee.
Whislt I’m in there explaining the situation, Annie has rung Michael and let him know we were in Boston, but there was a small problem.
{~m did a post about it here, to get his perspective}
I explained the problem to the woman in the office, and at this point, I was quite calm.
Her reaction was indifferent to say the least.
She had the whole “I really don’t want to be here, and really don’t give a shit about your luggage, but I’ll do what I have to in order to shut you up” look on her face.
Even after explaining the importance of this luggage to her, the fact this really is irreplaceable, and I’m quite distressed by it’s absence {all quite calmly} her reaction, as I said, was quite indifferent.
“Ma’am, I understand your concern, but it’s really not THAT big a deal. This happens all the time….” in that condescending, patronising tone that seems to be par for course with any type of airline employee.
Mistake, lady.
Big mistake!
“Well no, I don’t think you do understand, and I don’t really like your “I don’t give a damn” attitude. If you put a million of these instruments side by side, no 2 would be the same. It is U.N.I.Q.U.E. Do you understand the word unique? Never mind that we had it custom made, don’t even mind the monetary value, it’s fucking unique!! Do you get that??? It C.A.N.N.O.T be replaced. Not E.V.E.R! Now would you please explain to me the process you’re going to follow to find my damned luggage, and how long you think it will take, or even if you have any idea of how freaking important this thing is now????”
This as I’m starting towards the desk to rip this woman’s head off and shit down her throat.
I’m not calm anymore…..
Enter Annie.
She stepped between me and the desk {read the cow I was going to murder} and bought a level of calm to the situation that I simply wasn’t capable of at that time.
In what seemed double quick time, our details had been given, phone numbers taken, descriptions written down, and we were assured that once it was located, we would be notified, and it would be delivered by courier to the house down the Cape.
By this time, I’m in tears, Mark is pissed because I’m upset, and a driver is still waiting patiently out the front to take us to Michael and Pamela’s.
I guess having been up for over 24 hours and the anticipation wasn’t helping my cause.
Nor was the fact that if they had lost anything else, it wouldn’t really have been that bad.
But not the didg.
It was THE one thing we could never replace.
Eventually we’re in the car and headed to the burbs.
I’m still in tears, close to inconsolable, Mark is telling me it’s going to be fine and Annie is trying to bring some semblance of normality to what is, a rather tense situation {to say the least}
The driver is telling us all about Boston, pointing out landmarks, giving us some history, Annie is talking to him, and things are starting to settle down a little.
After what seemed like hours, and many windy roads, the car stopped outside a quaint little house.
We’d been waiting 15 months for this remember.
For different reasons, once again a small amount of nerves were creeping in here.
The first time face to face with someone is always nerve wracking, no matter how well you get along with them.
I’ll struggle to describe the emotions that ran through me as I stepped out of the car, so I’m not even going to attempt that one.
Pamela.
Not only a gorgeous woman, but the most amazing person you could wish to imagine.
Her patience in relation to mine and Michael’s friendship will never cease to amaze me.
Cannot begin to put into words how good it was to finally meet her.
I’m thinking she was just as happy to see me though, because she came close to fracturing a rib hugging me!
Hannah.
I was told she would be the welcome wagon, and she was.
What a fabulous kid she is! Turned out to be quite the little surprise package in more ways than one!
Finally, Michael.
As I said, we’d been waiting for this for 15 months, and what did I do you ask?
Well hell, I burst into tears like a 2 year old of course!!!
I hung onto him like someone possessed and sooked all over his shirt {I think I managed to avoid snotting on his shirt though}
What else could I do??
Watching Michael come face to face with Annie was quite something too.
These 2 have been friends for close to 10 years and never met.
How could this meeting in suburban Boston be anything less than special in more ways than one?
Mark was as emotional and teary as the rest of us were, and given I spend almost as much time talking to Michael as I do to him, his patience too has been nothing less than remarkable, for which I thank him more than I can ever say.
Once we settled down it was inside to meet Sarah and Jenna who are both as gorgeous as their mother, and just as welcoming.
I have no idea how our luggage got inside, but it did, and apparently Mark tipped the driver {he deserved it after waiting as long as he did}
Damned if I saw either of these things happen.
A shower and clean clothes were the first order of the day.
I was heartily sick of the ones I had on let me tell you.
Above the window in the kitchen are blocks with letters on them.
Someone had fashioned them into the following:
Welcome Mark, Moe, Annie
Next to those words was just one other word.
Australia.
It was as close to coming home as a person could ask for, and it felt like home too.
The next chapter in our little adventure will see us at the Cape eating some wonderful seafood, drinking lots of bourbon, getting some much needed sleep, and the one thing many have been waiting for, I know.
The introduction of that hunk of spunk we all know and love…Evyl!!
Stay tuned folks, we’re just getting warmed up.
Trust me!