hi guys

my advice was automatically reported (and cleared) for using a word that automatically gets a report .

i have been explained that there are a group of words that attract an automatic report .thats ok i understand that (PLEASE NO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK ON ADVICE REPORTING ) im ok with that decision

what i would like to know from minti members is this coincidental that people are shying away from voting?

people have read the advice so they could vote not to delete the advice and i thank you guys for it.

is this just coincidental ? i know there are other factors like busy life schedule and you just cant read everything! i know all that but i usually get at least a handful of votes. i also give votes to people when i get the chance to read their asvice.

i just thought i would "throw this out to you all" because thats where my answers will be.

thank you all i advance

cheers annie

i know im going to moan and groan about this. but im sick of the chocolate drives sick of reaching hand in pocket. but i still do

why/ because i feel for the people.

i just drove home from work got into my drive and saw 2 doors down a mother with her daughter and a box. i knew what that meant!

i usually buy at work but no sooner one box is finished another appears!

well i thought about saying no but i told myself that mother and daughter were putting a lot of effort into this.

after all they didnt live in my street. so i had  money still in my pocket, as i had just stopped by on the way home to buy bread from the bakery.

when i got in the door i gave my "boys their freddo frog.

my boys being hubby and our 27 year old . our youngest son was at uni then soccer training.

i know fund raising is a good cause but there are far too many to even keep up

cheers annie

yesterday i went to see my neice who has just given birth to her first baby.

i got to nurse her.she is only a month old. i also saw the video of her the day she was born and my nephew (my neices husband) got to cut the umbilical cord.

there are some positives happening these days.

soft music was played to her in the background and it was fascinating watching her first hour outside the womb.

her facial movements her closing of her eyes then opening them wide her lips moving . her eyes looking up or down . her whole face it was so innocent watching a new born.

its great that they have this video to treasure.

unfortunately in the 80s videos wernt allowed and the technollogy was just forming.

i have to rely on the video "in my head" and unfortunately my two children  dont have all this to view.

cheers annie

hi everyone!!!!!!!!!!

i made it!!!!!!!!! it was the best. it was magical i was in awe of it. ever so peaceful tranquil and spitirtual.

the beauty of creation. where do i start?

we met at the hilton. our company had 3 balloons going out for launch. the launch took place in bundoora (north apparently it depends where the wind is because the pilot needs to go with the wind)

there were 3 balloons plus another 2 from another company.

we could see the frost on the grass. it was still dark when we unloaded the trailer with the balloon. (6.30am) the basket was upright and  cold air was blown into the balloon . then the hot air (like a blow torch ) was blown into it.

by the time this procedure all occured and we were ready "to climb into the basket" (there is no graceful way of doing it) day was breaking

it was spectacular to watch not only your "own balloon" but the other 4 around you

we started to "ascend" and what a smooth ascend it was!!!!  what can i say.

watching the city buildings from afar and the cloud formation and the mist and then the first glimpse of the sunrise

all the time 10 very eager people watching and observing from our upright positions. the basket itself came past my waist closer to my chest(im only tiny 157cm)i felt secure and had faith in the pilot.

apparantly we went up 1500 feet. it was warmer up in the air than down. we had awoman holding her toddler in her arms watching from her backyard. i waved  as did the others and when she realized we could see her too she waved back.

the dogs were going crazy barking. we could see a lot of backyards swimming pools and  neat vegetable gardens . we saw lots of greenery not much of "concrete jungle" in the north.

then the sun rose to its "maximum glory" it reached its peak coming up behind a mountain. what a sensation.

i sms my boys to "thank them " for such a beautiful gift and to tell them "how cool it was" all the while in the sky.

where did our hour go? we were coming back for the"descend" one of the young victorian girls was a uni  student at the dentistry college and she could see her dorm from there. telling us how many windows away she was!!!!  we flew over "princes park" carltons old footy oval and we descended behind "royal park"

we embraced ourselves and took the stance that we were explained to us before "take off" the basket actually lands on the ground side on so we are finding ourselves from a standing position to a "lying position" and we crawl out

this is the best way to land. we had one guy celebrating his 50th today and one lady celebrating her 40th this tuesday and there was me. the rest of the 7 people were relatively young all in their 20s or 30 s 

we helped "pack away the balloon " jumped in the four wheel drive and buses that were provided and headed to the hilton for our well deserved breakfast

i now have a certificate saying that i "ascended the hot air balloon " that will be added to my "air walk" in tahune in tassie (tasmania)

hi to all my friends in tasmania!!!!

it was such a buzz. im still on a high!

im already thinking what will be my next adventure!

im pretty much tired so i will tell you about my "great neice " in another blog 

thank you to all that gave such a positive insight to friends and family who had been "hot air ballooning" and helped me to feel "positive". i feel this has been a very positive direction in conquering my fears of heights!!!

cheers annie 

 

i stumbled out of bed 4am not risking falling asleep. my thoughts turn tio everything . im nervous and excited at the same time. i will kiss my boys even if they are sleeping.

hubby is working away so a quick kiss and i love you was the best we could do over our mobiles

what am i thinking yeah ive got good undies on (just in case i get run over by a bus) what stupid thoughts

anyway i have the same feeling on the morning we were getting ready for our overseas trip. the night before  i was watching hubby shaving he appeared calm to me i ever so nervous.

well i lived to tell that tale didnt i?

but seriously it hasnt hit me. before going on the "ranger" which is a ride for those not aware i watched 2 women on it screaming. my feet were firmly on the ground. i was laughing to my friends how scared hey were.

well my friends son at the time coaxed me on going on the ride(our children were not old enough on the ride and it was forbidden) well i screamed all the way i had my eyes shut and at one stage i was game enough to open them "i saw the ground coming at me" so i quickly closed them again

he then tried to get me on the"zipper" no way

i would love to go on and on but i cant prelong this any longer

all my love best wishes

annie

hi everyone just rang pilot for balloon flight as instructed. recorded message says we meet before 6 so we step out at 6am we still have to give a call agian in the mornat 4.45am. just to confirm that the weather hasnt turned nasty.

after the ballooon flight im having breakfast at the hilton which was included in my birthday voucher.!!!! after breakfast i  have arranged to go to my neices house to see my great neice he was born in april!

so i wont be blogging til the afternoon.thought i would let you all know!

its going to be early to bed for me as i will be leaving home 5 am!!!!

cheers annie

hi guys

the butterflies in my tummy are getting noticeable and bigger!!!

i rang global ballooning today to see how saturday morning is looking. the weather looks fine and they said that todays went ahead and tomorrows is going ahead at this stage so every chance that saturday is fine

they said its not that windy (thats usually there main concern)

apparently you do stand up for about 1 hour and we are to work as a team and as an adventure which means we help the pilot pack and unpack the ballooon!!!

ive got to make sure the digital camera and video cameras are charged up ! keeping myself occupied with this might help!

oopsies what have i done!!! oh well no backing out now!!!!

(see my earlier blog on 3 days to go countdown.................)

cheers annie

congratulations to manchester united beating chelsea in penalty shootout

im neutral i tend to lean to man united

my youngest son is a man united fan he has their top scarf and when he went to england last year he toured the man united ground

hubby is a a chelsea fan

my oldest son is a liverpool fan

so where does that leave me? i have a little soft spot for man united but i really am neutral to it

chelsea was down to 10 men as one of their players copped a red card and was sent off.

well now i just have to wait for the euro cup as my household are soccer crazy and we have setanta sports channel

cheers annie

i got stopped in the supermarket today , mind you not my normal supermarket and a lady asked me , out of the blue if i had attended a certain high school. mind you i was there for only one year and this was almost 40 years ago.

to be precise 38 years ago !!! how astounding is that. anyway she told me that she was telling her husband "i know that lady" apparently she doesnt forget faces very easily.

he was telling her not to ask me because she most likely would be wrong.

i mean what are the chances . i was meant to be working today but due to lack of work my shift got cancelled. so i had arranged with my neighbour three doors down to go aldis. i hardly go but she likes to shop there.

she doesnt drive so i took her. but we also stopped by factory outlets first so what are the chances!

i was astounded !!!

cheers annie

 

3 days to go i cant believe it!!! its been over a year and yes finally i get to use my voucher

turn back the clock to may 2nd 2007. my big "50" hubby went all out with a lavish night at a 5 star hotel on the banks of the yarra in melbourne.  enjoyable evening awoke on my birthday with a beautiful sunrise. we had the city view. after a beautiful dinner brought to ensuite the night before. breakfast in bed.

we get home and go out to a greek tavern that night with our 2 sons who presented me with a voucher for a "hot air ballooning" experience over melbourne.

why that? because the boys asked me for a list of things i would like.

just to fill you in im scared of heights. why then would i ask for this?

well it all started one morning back in march. i had woken up but i lingered in my bed just that little bit longer before having to get up to go to work.

i kept hearing this hissing noise getting louder and louder. at first i thought it was my adjoining neighbour. he is a tradesman and sometimes works from his shed. then it was so persistent that i went to my bedroom window which is on the second level.

lo and behold!! i see 2 balloons sailing on the low side!! i cannot describe this feeling i had inside! i have seen so many balloons flying over melbourne but none so low.

i had this strong urge to go on one!!!!

til this day words cannot describe it. it was like something guiding me and gently telling me that i should go on one. i even took a photo from my mobile phone camera that i havent downloaded but every now and then i would look at this photo

i have always had the gift to embrace life like this. it is such a paradox. considering im scared of heights!!!

but at the end of the day i feel this will certainly cure me.!!!!!!

i remember back in the eighties when we were holidaying in queensland with hubby and our oldest son we went up to a lighthouse. when we went to the top we were standing on the outer  looking at the view.

hubby went to the railing and i wouldnt approach it. in fact i even held our son back. thats when i realised that i was scared of heights. when we went to tassie (tasmania) hubby aand i went to see  a forest we went up this platform "to walk with the trees" so to speak then there was a swing bridge. hubby gets to the other end and starts swinging and running much to my horror. underneath there is a little river.

well im clinging on to the life of me.

saturday morning i go on this "infamous" balloon flight weather permitting, they ring the night before to let you know whether the flight is still on then we are given the mobile phone number to the pilot to call him in the "wee hours of morning" just to get amore accurate weather forecast if he gives the go ahead then there will be no stopping me.

my heart will be racing at 1,000,000 ks an hour oh but the thrill of it!

if i live to tell a tale you will all get to hear about it!!

one reassuring thing is that this company boasts that the most experienced pilot runs the company. so hopefully the safety standards are up to scratch!!!

i have heard of  disasters happening. there was one last year overseas. but so many things happen in the world that im certainly not going to dwell on anything negative

so heres to all the positive thoughts. yeah im very brave now!! with both feet firmly on the ground.

my how its going to be a different picure when im ready for take off. 

once we are up there i feel i will be okay. apparently there are 10 of us in the balloon.

now i have only been on the "ranger" and even then i had my eyes closed and screaming throughout the whole ride. so for those of you that have beenon the ranger and think nothing of it , you have just got  a great insight to how i will be!!!!

yet i still think it will be one of the best "experiences " i will endevour to do.

who knows i then one day i might be game enough to do "parachutting or absailing "

love to hear from others who have experienced or dabbled in dangerous and "thrill seeking adventures"

i have read about some people in their 80s doing a "parachuting jump" with a parachuter as thier guide.

so apparently "its a piece of cake"

i will keep you all informed with an update til then 

cheers annie 

 

i voted on an advice it said member voted on the activity but the vote wasnt added on to the actual article written.

does the vote get added at a later dateor time?

i checked by going back on my computer so i know it wasnt added .

anyone know how system works?

cheers annie

here goes i have such a back log of ironing it isnt funny!!! so many shirts!!! i have 3 men in the house!

by the time i go to work then get home do the shop the cooking the cleaning the washing then the ironing stacks up!!!

mind you we still iron as we go so to speak so the stack wouldve been higher!!

i usually dont mind if i have the music loud hey but its sunday morning the household is still sleeping after all the FA cup was on late last night (for those who dont know its the english soccer and with the time differnece in australia we view it late here)

so here goes ......... a few deep breaths and only the tv to keep me company!!! its not the same when im ironing i want music!!! hey but sometimes we have to settle for 2nd best!!!

wish me luck all

cheers annie

hey guys i have butterflies in my tummy and im not even in canada jess dropped into my lounge earlier saying that it was only hours away

so the meeting would probably be taking place around now as we speak. not sure the exact australian time.

anyone have a clue?

jess is loading up her camera so there should be plenty of pics!!!

i sit here and i feel its all surreal imagine marg janice and jess!!!!

cheers to all

annie

what a fantastic extended long weekend i had it started from friday may 2nd my birthday. it started with a trip to the bank to get  abank cheque to pick up my brand new car that hubby got me for my birthday then i rushed around and did some food shopping and cleaned the house.

then when hubby came home we went out for dinner to volcano joes which is all you can eat. it used to be smorgys in chadstone.

had couple of barcardis came home where we had our traditional celebration with birthday cake and candles

i then baked until the wee hours of the morning (3 am) went more food shopping early in morning  (like 7am) cleaned house cut salads  set the tables. by this stage i was so dogtired i had a stitch. i needed to lie or sit down but i didnt have time.

we were having friends and relatives over for hubbys name day. its a greek tradition for name days and all greeks have name days that are named after saints day. we also had gyro which is placed on a spit.

by the time sunday came around i was so tired but silly me went to chadstone shopping centre to "look around" mind you  may sales havent started yet looks like the shops are holding off for mothers day which is sunday 9th may in australia.

believe me i was so relieved that i didnt have to go to work today because the painter was due to come in and do some renovations to our house that occured during the melbourne storms on april 2nd

i think i will have a spa because as of tomorrow im working in the city for a week or 2 and i have to fight the peak traffic

to top it all off i have a stiff neck either from sleeping crooked or a slight chill

having said all this though i feel like my three or 4 days went well. i knew it would all be over and that i could relax and take it easier again.

even though it was all go go go and hectic i feel fantastic and i feel a sense of achievement!!!

cheers to all annie