Ash's 50th

Hi all, I have a few minutes while dinner cooks and Stuart and Alaine have gone off to rescue Millie who has run out of petrol. She hasn't actually hit the Uni stage yet but I can assure all she has been practicing for years. I don't know haw anyone who has worked for the last 5 years can have saved enough to buy - well nothing for her upcoming uni year. It would seem good old Mum and Dad will have to pay the general service charge, buy the books, pay for the train ticket to Central Coast etc, etc. At least though she has a multitude of outfits from the local op shops that will see her thorugh to the end of March and then a new dilemna will start. Hopefully her extra curricular activities will be severely curtailed and she may be encouraged to do some uni work.

Any chance Annika could have a serious talk to her? We have not heard from Daniel for the past week so we are hoping he is enjoying his tour of Ireland, though I do fear for the sanity of the others on the tour. After 3 days of travel he was over them and was fed up with having to do "ocker talk". Alaine's plans seem to have stagnated as acommodation in Sydney is not as clean, roomy and free as home.

Stuart seems to have a new lease on life and after getting over the computers all crashing and losing the time table on day one and then being told of a very excited naked man on the school basketball court at 8.00am on day 2, his new principal cannot see what all the fuss is about. He does seem to be much happier and far less stressed and I am hoping it will continue. Harry is off at work now and will be working 2.30pm till 11.00pm for the next month. One of the F-18s has been given priority to be whatever and he has elected to work this shift. We head of to Ash and Cathie's on Saturday and are really looking forward to celebrating the birthday in style and having a break away from Newcastle. Will fill you in on our return.

-Marianne