The entertaining area is ready to go

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commercial shed builder TamworthMy elderly parents had spent the last few years building their dream retirement home. The family had been living in a small caravan while the house was being built. At first it was terribly cramped and having everyone in each others space was causing friction within the family. It didn’t take long to get used to the temporary arrangements and I started to enjoy having my parents and siblings so close with me. It was like camping but after many months we were happy once it was finished. The house was massive and looked like it would be great for entertaining. The one thing that was really missing was an outdoor entertainment area. Dad had put down a concrete slab but never got around to finishing the barbecue area. Mother had decided it was time to get the area finished because she wanted to have a bit of a house warming party. It was scheduled for two weeks time, Dad wasn’t sure if they’d be able to get it done in time but  Mum was determined. Mum called a local company based in Tamworth for commercial shed builders. She wanted to find out the prices for a covered little entertaining area.

Dad had picked up our new barbecue which made my mother even more eager to get a roof over the entertaining area. I was impressed at how quickly the team were able to finish the stable construction, Tamworth really does have some dedicated tradesmen and women. They were even able to give Mum a great price on an awning for the area. They were even able to get the awnings installed in less than a day. There was plenty of time for the family to get ready for the party. The house was looking fantastic, no wonder my parents wanted to show it off. It was finally complete and I could see the relief on my mother’s face. It  had been a long time in the works but now we had the chance to celebrate with our loved ones.

My Experiences Learning to Skate

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Some people may roll their eyes at team building days at work, but last week our team participated in an event that was actually fun. The company booked a private function room in Melbourne at an ice skating rink. We did some activities, had a bit of a laugh, and then it was time to get on the rink and have a crack at skating. I was a little daunted at first because I have no experience with any type of skating, but once we got into that cold rink area, I couldn’t wait to have a shot. The first step was putting on the skates and practicing to walk on a rubber mat. This helps you get used to the feeling of the skates on your feet and getting your balance. I felt a bit like a clumsy penguin but it was a good laugh.

When we finally got onto the ice, I was eager to start doing laps like those graceful figure skaters on TV. The reality was nothing like that. As soon as I tried to stand on the ice I slipped and fell backwards. The team erupted in laughter. Then the instructor came by and showed me how to practice walking along the edge of the rink, holding onto the fence until you get the hang of it.  Soon my confidence was building again and I was able to release my hold on the rails. I was wobbly, holding out my arms like an unstable aeroplane, but finally I was skating! The trick is to bend your knees a bit and lean slightly forward. It’s also important to keep your body loose and relaxed, because when you’re rigid you quickly lose your balance. I never thought that I could learn ice skating as an adult but I was wrong. It was a rewarding experience in which I learned a new skill and had a boost in self-esteem. I also had a great time bonding with my fellow team mates through laughter and games. It was such a fun day, and my body had a good ache afterwards!

From hag to princess with dermal fillers

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It had been brought to my attention by my sister that I had been neglecting myself for too long. My hair colour had faded to a horrible shade of grey, my ends split, my leg hairs were starting to spike out through my leggings and my skin was looking puffy and old. I had been so run off my feet at work over the past few week that I hadn’t had time to focus on anything else. I hadn’t noticed things had gotten so bad until one morning I rushed past a work colleague who inquired if I’d been ill. When I got home that evening I made the time to really look at myself in the bathroom mirror. I am normally a person who takes care of their body really well but I could see why others might think I was unwell. It had been far too long since my appointment for anti wrinkle injections, Melbourne CBD was only a short tram ride from my home so there really wasn’t any excuse. I decided something drastic needed to be done so the following day I decided to call in sick to work. Considering how haggard I was looking lately nobody would question my absence. When I phoned my manager the next morning and let him know I wouldn’t be coming in he told me to take the rest of the week off to recover. The minute I hung up the phone I dialed the number for my favourite cosmetic treatment centre in Melbourne. I warned the ladies that I was not looking my best and was in desperate need of some TLC. I had my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t be judged for taking so long to get my dermal fillers, Melbourne socialists do tend to talk. I myself never participate in the gossip but I can’t say I’m averse to listening. I was really looking forward to looking young and beautiful again. Everyone at work will be floored by my sudden princess transformation.

Getting beauty treatments for the right reason

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dermal fillers MelbourneI seriously need to get a makeover for this big date that I have a great guy that I met online the other day. I met him on one of those dating sites that they advertise on tv. He seems perfect in every way and we really connected over chat. There is just one slight problem, the photos I used for my profiles are 10 years old. I didn’t want to use any newer ones because I looked so much prettier when I was in my twenties. Now he think that I look twenty five and has commented many times on how great I look in the photos. It’s not that I look completely different, just a few years older. I haven’t gained all that much weight, I can hide most of it with the right clothing. What I can’t hide is my wrinkles unless I do something drastic. I haven’t been on a date in a really long time and I don’t want to lose this guy. I’ve decided that I’m going to try my best to make myself look ten years younger by getting anti wrinkle injections. Melbourne has many cosmetic centres where you can go to get a few touch ups done. I have a week before my date so hopefully I will be fully healed by then. I don’t want him to think I’ve had any cosmetic work done, I want him to believe that I’m naturally youthful. I am putting a lot of faith in these rejuvenation professionals. After a bit of research I’ve decided that I’m going to get some dermal fillers to plump up my face and some lip fillers. Melbourne is only a short tram ride from my home so thankfully I won’t need a lift from anyone to get into town. If all goes well my date will fall in love my personality once he isn’t put off by my age. I hope he likes me for more than my looks but I can’t take that chance.

Disney on Ice

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Last nIce skating Melbourneight we went to Disney on Ice with our kid. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty standard, money-making tactic on behalf of yet another big corporation, exploiting their fans and their fame to sell us more things we don’t need. I understand all of that, and in an act of rebellion make a point of any watching pirated films (my own small, revolutionary move) but try explaining the problem with capitalism and consumerism to a six year old. The only thing he was interested in was seeing Goofy on the ice, not sitting through one of my lectures.

The show was fine I guess, which basically means that Ralfie seemed to be having a good time, but on the way home we ran into an entirely different problem. The first thing he said when he we got into the car to go home was “Daddy, can we have my birthday party there?” I was stunned.

Ralfie’s birthday is about a month away but I didn’t even register he’d gotten old enough to notice that kind of passing of time. Geez, they just grow up so fast, you know? More than that, though, I was taken aback by his (relatively) simple request. I mean, I have been looking at kids party venues for the past week or so, just trying to work out how to deal with as many children as he wants to invite with minimal effort on the part of me or my wife. But I hadn’t even considered having it at an ice skating rink. I mean, I’m sure there’s an ice skating rink in Melbourne that probably do acts as kids birthday party venues in Melbourne, but I have no idea where they’d be.

That can be easily fixed, though. I can ask around a bit at work, I know one of the guy’s kid had a birthday at an indoor soccer centre, maybe they had a look at ice skating. If not, I can always just Google it.

Gardening leads to sewer repair

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drain clearing MelbourneI get the feeling that it won’t be too long before I can call myself a real man. Every day I make sure that my eco friendly house and my loving family are safe and taken care of the best I can. I even do what I can to take care of the planet. I’m a big recycled and encourage others to be the same. I don’t waste water and always turn off appliances when I leave a room. My family get annoyed sometimes when I flip a switch and they are still in the room. It’s happened when my wife is in the bathroom a few times, you can hear her yelling from next door. When my wife and I were looking at houses to buy we couldn’t find one that was satisfactory for a number of environmental reasons. In the end we decided it best to take the plunge and build our own sustainable house. Melbourne gets a lot of rain so having a very large water tank under the house was a no brainer. We picked a location that got plenty of sunlight so we could cover the roof in solar panels. We had a lot of help from our sustainable home builder, Melbourne has a lot of environmentally conscious folk who care about the world we’re leaving behind. If everyone put more effort into energy efficient house design when the world could half it’s power consumption. My wife thinks that it’s cute when I get on my soap box about world issues. I’m just doing my part, like most decent people out there are doing theirs. I still don’t really feel like a man though, I mean I’m  not sure how to describe it.

The first real test for me begins when the drain cleaning team arrive to fix our plumbing problems. My wife has been saying we’ve got back plumbing for years but nothing seems to fix it. From what I’ve been told, they’re professionals and real experts in drain clearing, Melbourne is home to many skilled residents. They are coming to fix the broken pipes leading to the sewer system. I was doing a spot of gardening when I accidentally hit a pipe with my shovel. I was planting mandarin trees and wanted to get down nice and deep into the soil. At first I think that I had only just dented the pipe, but then the hole started to fill with foul water and I had to run away. I’m sure It won’t take them long to fix the problem, I figure there will be a lot of digging involved. I’m sure I could help out with a shovel, I feel bad paying someone else to dig up my lawn when I was the one who made the mistake. My wife is glad we decided to get an expert to repair the blocked sewer, Melbourne has rules that dictate what you do with sewer pipes. I wouldn’t know the first things about drain repair, except that it involves pipes of some kind. Perhaps I’ll be able to do some gardening while the drain team are outside so I can get some inside tips on what they do.

Silky smooth legs for graduation

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laser hair removal MelbourneThis is going to sound crazy but It took me like three whole months to chose the right deb dress for school. There was no way I would settle for a basic off the rack ball gown. I demanded from my parents a unique dress that would allow me to shine. Growing up I have always been given the very finest in life. My friends call me princess and I’m quite happy with that nickname. I had a fitting with my dress designer in Melbourne recently and I made a lot of changes. They may be the designer but I’m the one that has to wear the gown. I have an appointment booked in at the local laser hair removal clinic, Melbourne is getting ready to break out the hot weather and I want to be shorts ready. Look, I don’t exactly have a ton of leg hair or anything, I’m blonde so it’s not something I have to worry about much.

Laser hair removal is just insurance, it’s something I do just in case. I do have a boyfriend after all, and yes it’s getting serious. Still, I like to have regular hair removal to maintain my silky smooth legs. It’s my aim to always look just as good with clothes as without them, it’s why I do yoga four times a week. My mother insists that we attend the most prestigious beauty clinic in Melbourne. We have a day booked in together for a few treatments. Mostly it’s for mum, I’m there to keep her company and provide moral support. She always gets a little nervous before she gets the wrinkle injections, Melbourne ladies are naturally wrinkle free, don’t you know? My mother is 40 but she looks about 35 so whatever she is doing it works. With all the cosmetic treatments and the laser hair removal I had a feeling I was going to be the most beautiful girl at my graduation. Girls like me do have a reputation to uphold.

Carpet stained by volcano

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carpet cleaning MelbourneI had a science project due in a few days time and my partner was at my house to study one afternoon. We were trying to put the finishing touches on the project and get it looking really great so we got a better grade. We had built a giant paper mache volcano that was designed to erupt in class. We’d made colourful lava from basic household ingredients and spent a lot of time decorating it to look real. We’d been given over a month to do our project but we’d managed to get the majority of it done during class time. I knew a lot of people who’d messed around in class and had to spend a lot of time outside of school getting the project done. I thought it was rather silly to leave things to the last minute. I was happy to spend time after school time on the project in order to get it done on time. My friend was putting the final touches on the volcano, adding paint at the base. It had been left to dry for a few minutes before we’d attempted to lift the whole thing up the first time. It wasn’t a big problem, definitely fixable. Everything looking perfect, we decided to move the volcano from the painting table to the dining table because it was more secure. With a loud crash and a loud screech, the volcano went tumbling down folding in the centre under the weight. Stunned and in shock I stood there staring at the pretend fake lava soaking into the carpet. Mum came running out of the kitchen and before crashing through the remains of the volcano.

She yelled for about 10 minutes. I heard her pick up her phone and I knew she was phoning upholstery cleaning Melbourne. I heard her talking frantically to the woman on the phone from the carpet cleaning place in Melbourne. She was desperate to get an appointment. Once my mother hung up the phone to the best carpet steam cleaning Melbourne has to offer she went back to yelling. We were left to try and clean up and mess and start making a new project.

Fear of Lost Keys

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lost keysI’ve had a lot of experiences in the property market, worked a number of jobs and filled a lot of different roles. I’ve seen prices rise, fall, rise, rise some more and then rise again. I used to sell houses to Baby Boomers before they were actually called that, back in my real estate days. When I realised that Melbourne’s conveyancing lawyers needed some manpower, I switched careers to keep things fresh.

Still, in all my years, I’ve never seen anyone who seems terrified at finally owning a home. The handing over of the keys is always an important moment, as you’d expect. It sort of completes the whole process, without paperwork. We do all the conveyancing, everything is set in order, the house is cleaned up and ready to go (not by us, of course) and the only thing left to do is hand over the keys. Everyone else I’ve ever been through this process with has been overjoyed. Some show it less, but even the grumpiest, most un-emotional people seem to have a bit of new life when they get those little shiny objects that mean they no longer have to rent, and an entire house is theirs.

Well, all except this family. There were four of them, parents and two older children. I had three sets, and it took a bit of prodding from the others before the father would even come forward. I offered the other sets to the rest of them, but they seemed to shrink and didn’t take them. The father took the rest like they were about to explode. I asked if something was wrong, and he attempted a laugh as he explained that it was a huge responsibility, owning keys. Anything could happen. They knew the conveyancing process involved this, but perhaps they weren’t ready.

Eventually I got them out the door, after which I realised that he’d dropped a pair in the car park on the way out. And now, I’m worried. Conveyancing solicitors can’t really do much for people locked out in the rain.

Our Houses: Too Welcoming

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welcomeI had the strangest thing happen yesterday. A man came to my door, very sharply dressed, and asked if my house was for sale. It wasn’t, but he said that he was very fond of it and wanted to see if we could make a deal. I usually don’t just chat to any random stranger in a suit, but he seemed like he really wanted the place. And just after that, Martha said to me over dinner that she was thinking of selling the place. How very funny.

The man had some paperwork, and I took it to my conveyancer. Melbourne has a few that I’ve used over the years, what with my family constantly moving. I don’t know, perhaps it’s something in the genes, but we just have to keep moving on. In fact, some of the conveyancing people around here know us by name. I mean, of course, I always GET a conveyancing lawyer to do the paperwork and guide us through the process. You’d think we’d be experts, but it’s just…well, you need a degree to understand all the terms. I suppose that’s why they actually study this sort of thing.

Actually, I’d almost forgotten, but a similar thing happened in our old home. We were in the front garden having a barbecue, and a young couple strolled by and started talking about the house. They said it was really close to schools, which we’ve never noticed because we don’t have kids, had a big back garden for a potential dog and the attic could potentially be used as another bedroom if there were more kids. Then they asked if we were selling the place. That time, we had a Brighton conveyancing place all lined up. Do people just know this about us? Do we move so much, people eye our homes before they’re even put on sale? What a strange thing, how that’s never occurred to me…