Category: Random

Fee Writes

A Snapshot Look At Me?

Here’s a repertoire of what makes me frown or smile:

What gets me pissed off:

The incredible abuse we do to the environment – well that’s just ongoing.
The blatant sidestepping of the government so issues don’t have to be addressed.
The fact that something else comes along to take the short attention span of the media and the public away from something else.
The TPP – which currently seems to lie dormant in the minds of the majority due to the fact we’ve got the Panama Papers to keep us busy … my view? The stopping of the TPP is more important.

What saddens me:

The terror, the hatred, the pain that innocent people around this world face because of the incessant greed both for wealth and power of a few.
The destruction our species has done and continues to do to this stunningly beautiful and kind planet.

What makes me proud:

My children as they are all exceptional adults who care about others, never judge and care about animals and the environment
The work that is done by people for the underdogs of this world – both human and non-human.
Those who actually give a damn about the world.
My friends/family who succeed on their chosen path – more so if I’ve lent a helping hand.

What makes me laugh:

The calamity that is happening to the Republican party now that it seems like The Don is all they’ve got.
The jostling and the playing of games our politicians do – pretty much regardless of which party they’re from.
Most of the Gifs and Memes on FaceBook – now they’re clever
Cats
And pretty much anything – I seem to find amusement in the oddest places and the smallest thing = I just love to laugh.

And if you don’t know where this is – it’s the check in area for AirNZ Auckland Airport where I’d like to be right now

What I love:

Having a coffee with a friend or friends/family – and it doesn’t necessarily have to be coffee!
Muck around on the internet or my computer.
Making graphics (see all images on this blog) – one day I’ll get into Gifs!
Airports – means I’m either going somewhere or coming home!
So let’s put travel in this category.

Obviously, there’s lots more, but that will give you a bit of a look into my world…. perhaps I’ve had one glass of wine too many!

Fee Writes

Random

Change Of Address

A nice, easy house-sit this time with slightly different “pets” to look after.

Well, fingers are crossed that it will all be smooth sailing and there’ll be no hiccups.

I’m back in the burbs. Different burbs this time. These ones are older …. wiser? …. maybe, but I doubt it. Burbs are burbs wherever located. But these ones are “tree-lined” “established” “ even now possibly some of the homes could be “great potential for renovation” – now I’m being facetious, it’s not really like that. Although some I passed on my walk last evening were questionable.

I had met the lovely couple whose house it is but I had a final meeting with them a couple of days before the move which had one incident worth telling you about.

It had been several weeks since I had been to this particular place. Now I had written down the details, you know, name, address, phone etc. Rather than totally rely on my “getting older” memory, I decided to put the address into my Google maps so I could get the right street. I had an idea of the basic layout of where to go, just not the exact location of the street except that it was some-where off a particular road.

Not looking at the map properly, I just clicked the navigate and headed off. For those who know Tauranga – my destination was Papamoa.
So over the causeway and onto the motorway – no problem. I knew I had to take the first exist.

First mistake – listening to an interview on the radio – overshot the exit. No problem, get off at the next one, up, over, down, back onto motorway and get ready to exit again. GPS lady telling me to “go straight for 2 Kms” – mistake #2 listening to her – overshot the exit again. Crap.

Now she told me to take a left at the end round-about … and that was when it hit me that there was something not quite right about where GPS lady was taking me.
This motorway is nothing like the ones in Florida (nod to my friend, Bobbi ), heck, not even like the motorways in Auckland, as there is pretty much no traffic which makes this is a motorway so easy that one tends to lose focus. But it was third time lucky.

Again I was reminded that something was goofy with the GPS when I wanted to “take the first exit from the roundabout” and not the 2nd as I was being instructed to do. So, once off the ramp I pulled over to check it out.
Yup, I’d put in the right street – “Close street” but it was taking me to Papamoa Beach road. C’mon, Google, this is an old suburb – you should have maps.

It was at this point I decided to pull up an actual street map, zoom in and see if I could find it. I had an idea where it was and then suddenly there it was – Peachtree Close (street name changed for obvious reasons, but the “close” is correct)! As soon as I saw it, I recognized the name. Duh, all this time I hadn’t had the actual name recorded in my diary only the type of street!!!!
See, not used to the jargon of the burbs!

Give me an apartment above a cafe, in the village/city any day.

Which brings me to my apartment goal. Yes, I’m still on track – still not quite at the first step yet, but should be there in about three weeks – had to delve into the savings for Trev (car), but all good.

Fee Writes

Animals | Random

It’s Over ….

My life without Ginge won’t be the same.

Well, of course it won’t – duh. But have to admit here is another cat who stole my heart. I left the burbs yesterday and returned to my digs to wait it out for 5 days before heading off into the sunset for another house-sitting stint.

So here’s what happened when I left. Of course, Ginge knew that I was going, he’d known the night before when I had started to pack up. That’s when he disappeared. Oh, he did wind me up something bad. I called and called, went outside in the dark and looked up and down the street …. nothing.

It was then I had a flashback to when my oldest was a toddler and went missing – the absolute dread of any parent. We had the packhouse staff out looking all over the orchard. Found him – under his bed asleep!

So, Ginge wasn’t flat on the road, wasn’t around the property that I could see, he must be in the house. And it’s not the biggest house on the block, so not a lot of places to hide. Found him – behind the T.V. asleep!

The morning dawned and I began the final push towards departure time. House was clean, car was packed, check was done …. wait, better check again. All boxes ticked except for Ginge. As I came out the door I spotted him – I thought cats were discreet at where they pooped …. this is a fine example of Ginge and his attitude. I’ll let the photos tell the rest.

ginge 1 — “Oh, what? Thought that’s what the neighbour’s front lawn was for, besides, I’m ‘sitting discreetly'”

he was literally meowing as he was running across the road

cd_5711439e360f2 — “the sitting isn’t working…..I’ll circle her instead?

I did eventually get into my car, taking special care as I went down
the drive looking out for him. I finally spotted him …….

cd_571143d8d8c2e — “Well, bugger off then, I’ll nick over to the neighbour’s”

And here’s the aside ….. It’s not all peachy in the burbs!

Fee Writes

Random | Rants

The Phenomena That Is Donald Trump

Love him or hate him – you have to concede that “the Donald” has made a huge impact on the political scene in USA.

Thing is – it could happen here, and, in fact, could happen in any country that has a global capitalism mentality.
The way I see it the plebs are just simply over it. We, yes I put myself in the plebeian group, are over the large corporations, the big banks and the mega wealthy who have managed to re-organize the way the money flows.
What they have done in their bid for mega wealth is undermine and deplete the middle class. The middle class gap has shrunk so much that we no longer have the lifestyle I remember growing up in.

Robert Reich, who was Secretary of Labour in the Clinton administration, knows a thing or two about capitalism. He’s all for it, but done in the right way, not where the rules have changed in favour of the top 1%.
I bring him into the post ‘cause he’s written a very fascinating book ‘Saving Capitalism’, where in it he defines reasons why the Trump phenomena is happening – actually you can put Bernie Sanders in this equation as well because it all boils down to people being totally fed up with they way life for the majority is.

Now it relates to USA – but have a read ….. you can see N.Z. and any other capitalist country in there as well

   •   In the 1950s a schoolteacher, baker or mechanic could earn enough to buy a house, purchase two cars and raise a family but this is no longer possible unless they are willing and able to borrow substantial sums of money.
   •   CEOs of large corporations now earn more than 200 times the average worker’s income compared with 20 times 50 years ago.
   •   The richest 1 per cent of Americans now receive more than 20 per cent of the country’s income compared with 9-10 per cent in the 1950s and 1960s.
   •   Politicians pay more attention to the needs of large corporations, compared with individuals, because these corporations are successful lobbyists and make huge political donations.

So why couldn’t there be a Donald Trump here in N.Z.? Personally I can’t think of anyone who would fit the bill – but that’s not to say that he’s not out there.

I’m not naive, I realise we can’t go back in time, but we should be able to do something that will get the numbers of middle-class built back up, get the working class paid better and get more of a balance so more people are able to get ahead.

And just to put it into the N.Z. perspective – the average CEO remuneration for 2015 was $2,868,300 and the average N.Z income was $52,800.
It’s time that the ‘free market’ actually had some rules that gives a fair go to everyone who wants to get ahead and prosper and get the middle class back to having a combined wealth that makes it the richest of all.

It’s going to be interesting what happens in USA – If neither Trump nor Sanders get in (which is very likely), then it will be business as usual, but if one of them does, then, I believe, there will be a change – be it good or bad, but there will be change and it will affect N.Z. one way or another.

Source: BreakingViewsNZ

Fee Writes

Animals | Random

The Burbs

My time with Ginge is about 1/2 way through, so thought I’d give you the low-down on how he’s been.

More to the point – what I’ve been up to aside from when I’m at work.

Like Millie before him (About Millie), Ginge took a liking to my suitcase. A-ha! learned from the last cat, suitcase lid is down. Didn’t stop Ginge though and practically every day I found him curled up on top of it. Perhaps a psychological reflex on his part that “if I get on top, she won’t be able to use it and won’t leave me” ?????

And, if you’re wondering what the sticker on the suitcase says …. “I’m touring around spending my children’s inheritance” one of a few sassy stickers that I have on my bag.

I came home one day to find Ginge on my bed. Now I’m not sure if he’s supposed to be there or not, but hey I wasn’t going to argue with him.

So on the bed he stayed and when he did get off his fur stayed behind!

I will say this for him – he’s a good watchdog and growls at anything odd that comes onto the section. Quite often find him guarding the front door. Hahaha – more like asleep at the front door.

One last update for you. I’ve traded in the bike for walking shoes. Didn’t use the bike very much this summer and now that I’m moving around – well, I don’t do hills anyway and as you can see by the feature photo at the top, this place is pretty hilly. Plus, it would mean leaving it outside in some places. Oh who am I kidding – it was time, o,k?
I’ll think about getting another one when I’m settled in my apartment, yup, that’s still the goal!

But, I have to be careful, oh yes, I sure do – this “walking” lark and “hula hooping” business just might make me a bit fitter. And woe betides if that happens as I would then have to concede my sedentary lifestyle to the annals of history and accept a new me.

Wait a minute – isn’t that what I’m attempting this year? A new me?

And my parting shot for this post? Cooking last night and I can categorically say that the fire alarm works!!!! Oh why, oh why, did I not turn on the extractor fan??? It took me F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to shut the thing up.

Category: Random

A Snapshot Look At Me?

Here’s a repertoire of what makes me frown or smile:

Change Of Address

A nice, easy house-sit this time with slightly different “pets” to look after.

It’s Over ….

My life without Ginge won’t be the same.

The Phenomena That Is Donald Trump

Love him or hate him – you have to concede that “the Donald” has made a huge impact on the political scene in USA.

The Burbs

My time with Ginge is about 1/2 way through, so thought I’d give you the low-down on how he’s been.

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