I HATE the NSW road rules. First, I who got my license in August 2006 was on my open license in Qld. If you're over 25, you only hold your P plate for a year before you go onto your opens.
So imagine my frustration when in July 2008, I walk into the RTA down here in Sydney to be a good girl and change over my license, only to find myself being handed a P1 license! No, not even a P2 license, a friggin' P1!
Note - This means I am limited to 0.00 blood alcohol level (not that I'm bothered because I hesitate driving the next day after having ONE drink traditionally anyway), limited to one passenger after 11pm or something equally ridiculous (no DOCS, I'm not neglecting my 2 year old daughter by leaving her at home for 15 minutes whilst I pick up my husband from the train station after he worked late - you see I have a P1 license and can't carry my 2 year old in the car in ADDITION to my husband!), and worse yet, limited to 90kms/hr. Yes, REALLY safe when the speed limit is 110km/hr on the freeway and you're being tail gated by a truck going down a hill!
There is no 'oh you're on an open in Qld so that makes you an open down here'. Because I was 6 FRICKIN weeks short of holding my license for 2 years, the cow behind the RTA counter very smugly laughed at me and told me I had to take a P1 and then sit some computer exam to get my P2 which I'm then stuck on for ANOTHER 2 years? WTF!?!?!
Even better, my license expires in February so I'm going to have to pay AGAIN to renew it even though I got no refund for my Qld OPEN license that was valid until August 2010!
So, my mood over the state of licenses in NSW was not sweetened when I opened the mail on Thursday to discover a 'reminder to pay notice' for supposedly driving in a T-way in June when we hired a car in June to look for rental properties. It got sent to Hertz first who kindly passed on my name and then I got the lovely 'reminder' notice and demand to pay in 2 weeks. It's $250++ bucks AND 3 points!!!!
May I point out that there is no real excuse for breaking road rules, but honestly, we got so lost at times when looking for rental properties (the Hertz we hired from had no TomToms/Navmans available) so it's entirely possible we accidently drove in a T-way. Yes, ACCIDENTLY. In the area it supposedly happened in, it's marked by a simple rectangular sign and we got nailed by the fixed camera. I love that you can make an honest mistake whilst being lost and there is no policeman to explain it to, whom might show a little leniency to the out-of-stater. Nup, just a stupid camera.
Another note - I honestly thought a t-way was a TRANSIT lane. If you have 2 or more people in the car in Qld, you can drive in the transit lane. It actually took a half-an-hour scouring of the RTA website to even realise what a T-way was!
Oh and thanks to my P1 license (even though I was driving on a full Qld license at the time of the offence - thus 12 points), I now have ONE point to last me. There is no way in heck I'm driving in the near future. I'd rather walk.
I'm so glad the revenue raisers managed to catch and penalise the big bad lost tourists. Why on earth would they want to catch the scores of people I see near my house EVERY day, ignoring stop signs, doing 70 in a 40km/hr zone and ignoring red lights.
Vent over!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
When you're gone
If anyone is reading this blog you'll have noticed I haven't posted much lately. To be honest, I'm in a completely unsocial mood and not really enjoying the Sydney experience all that much.
It's been a pretty tough month with illness and the death of my 95 years young Nanna. It wasn't a great surprise to lose her, and she was ready to go. The chapel service was lovely and I was feeling very sombre & reflective about the whole thing. I figured I'd manage to get through the day without crying...that was until I went looking for my Pop and found him sitting alone in the chapel before the service. I touched him gently on the shoulder, to let him know we were there for him, to pay our condolences. His back stooped over, his shoulders hunched, he looked up at me with tears running down his face.
'Oh Becky...I was just lost in my thoughts'
My battle against tears was in vain at this point.
How could you be anything but lost? Pop and Nanna were both 95 and they'd been together since they were teenagers. 76 years. It would have been their 70th wedding anniversary this coming December.
I can't imagine it. Being with someone for that long and then losing them. We all know that one day we're going to be gone; but how do you go on when you're the one left on your own? I hope I never need to answer this question.
RIP Annie...I hope you're dancing with the angels. Or, as your three children suggested at the funeral, you're likely looking down and wishing you could boss them around! :)
Edited to add: Crazy Sister's sweet reply reminded me of the fresh air and delight that Miss M was at Nanna's funeral. In all of their innocence, sometimes it's the children that act in a way you never expected. She's 2.5. I haven't broached the subject of Nanna being in heaven with her, but somehow in the sombre atmosphere she understood the gravity of the moment.
As we all filed past to leave, we all placed a flower or two on her coffin. Dressed in her little white dress, Miss M gently placed the flower at the head of the casket and after I had done the same; she gave a little smile and waved at the coffin with a 'bye Nanna'. Somehow, she just knew.
Outside, she was full of smiles and giggles, the silence and reverence of the ceremony forgotten. She played, danced around and in all of the tears of the family & friends, she was a bright little spark of joy. I lost track of the wavering smiles and laughs she enticed out of people on Thursday. :)
It's been a pretty tough month with illness and the death of my 95 years young Nanna. It wasn't a great surprise to lose her, and she was ready to go. The chapel service was lovely and I was feeling very sombre & reflective about the whole thing. I figured I'd manage to get through the day without crying...that was until I went looking for my Pop and found him sitting alone in the chapel before the service. I touched him gently on the shoulder, to let him know we were there for him, to pay our condolences. His back stooped over, his shoulders hunched, he looked up at me with tears running down his face.
'Oh Becky...I was just lost in my thoughts'
My battle against tears was in vain at this point.
How could you be anything but lost? Pop and Nanna were both 95 and they'd been together since they were teenagers. 76 years. It would have been their 70th wedding anniversary this coming December.
I can't imagine it. Being with someone for that long and then losing them. We all know that one day we're going to be gone; but how do you go on when you're the one left on your own? I hope I never need to answer this question.
RIP Annie...I hope you're dancing with the angels. Or, as your three children suggested at the funeral, you're likely looking down and wishing you could boss them around! :)
Edited to add: Crazy Sister's sweet reply reminded me of the fresh air and delight that Miss M was at Nanna's funeral. In all of their innocence, sometimes it's the children that act in a way you never expected. She's 2.5. I haven't broached the subject of Nanna being in heaven with her, but somehow in the sombre atmosphere she understood the gravity of the moment.
As we all filed past to leave, we all placed a flower or two on her coffin. Dressed in her little white dress, Miss M gently placed the flower at the head of the casket and after I had done the same; she gave a little smile and waved at the coffin with a 'bye Nanna'. Somehow, she just knew.
Outside, she was full of smiles and giggles, the silence and reverence of the ceremony forgotten. She played, danced around and in all of the tears of the family & friends, she was a bright little spark of joy. I lost track of the wavering smiles and laughs she enticed out of people on Thursday. :)
Monday, September 15, 2008
When we win Lotto....
This beautiful county (Meath) in Ireland is where we're going to live.
:) Well, I can dream...there are days when I feel like I left a bit of myself in Ireland when I was there back in March.
So, until our finances suddenly change, I'm going to dream about the 3 bedroom semi-detached home in Ballivor, Co. Meath that I saw the other day when pricing how much more real estate is over there.
Yes, a purely selfish post but there's nothing exciting going on here otherwise! *L*
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Power to the people! :)
A quick note to say 'YEESSS!!!!' More than 1000 people signed the petition to ask the powers-that-be to reconsider their decision to deny little Ivy her treatment.
Apparently the paed called Tiff earlier and the decision has been reversed. Ivy will enter hospital tomorrow for treatment that could possibly change her life.
I just can't say enough thanks to anybody who read our link to the lovely petition and chose to go sign up and appeal Ivy's plight. It's made the world of difference to a little girl who now has a chance of a normal childhood like her twin brother Noah.
So, so, SO thrilled for Tiff, Dave & their family :)
Apparently the paed called Tiff earlier and the decision has been reversed. Ivy will enter hospital tomorrow for treatment that could possibly change her life.
I just can't say enough thanks to anybody who read our link to the lovely petition and chose to go sign up and appeal Ivy's plight. It's made the world of difference to a little girl who now has a chance of a normal childhood like her twin brother Noah.
So, so, SO thrilled for Tiff, Dave & their family :)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
HAPPY FATHERS DAY! :)
First of all, HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all of the fantastic Daddys out there. From a personal point, it was J's 3rd Fathers Day and Miss M 2.5 was thrilled to be depositing her personalised card on him very early this morning. Also thrilled to be handing him his gift which he'd been eyeing off at the 'Socrates' store for a few weeks. That was, until he unwrapped it and the batteries were put in place. The present were two remote controlled 'sumo wrestlers' which combat. Miss M didn't like them before the batteries were in them, so you can imagine what she was like when they were switched on.
Quite simply, she was PETRIFIED. And furthermore, we now have her 'currency' as my wonderful workmate calls it. Warnings quite often don't work with Miss Stubborn. Today, J tried out a new tactic:
J: 'Go and pick up your crayons'.
When there was a mute failure to comply to said order, out came the new line,
J: 'Hurry up or Daddy will get out the sumos'.
Miss M: 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO' Mission accomplished!
When the camera is up and running again (flat batteries!) I will upload a picture of the sumos for you all. But for now, here are a few of the photos Maddy posed for her 'Papa Ian':
Quite simply, she was PETRIFIED. And furthermore, we now have her 'currency' as my wonderful workmate calls it. Warnings quite often don't work with Miss Stubborn. Today, J tried out a new tactic:
J: 'Go and pick up your crayons'.
When there was a mute failure to comply to said order, out came the new line,
J: 'Hurry up or Daddy will get out the sumos'.
Miss M: 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO' Mission accomplished!
When the camera is up and running again (flat batteries!) I will upload a picture of the sumos for you all. But for now, here are a few of the photos Maddy posed for her 'Papa Ian':
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A moment of your time...
http://somedaywewillsleep.com/
If you have even a few moments, please take a moment to visit a site another blogger has created to highlight my friend Tiff's situation with her youngest daughter, Ivy. We went through our pregnancies together and whilst Maddy is healthy, life is a struggle everyday for her precious little daughter Ivy.
A medical treatment could spell the end to endless hospital visits & pain but she's been denied by a medical board. Please sign the petition to ask them to reconsider their decision.
If you want to read more about Dave, Tiff and their beautiful family, please go and check out her website - http://www.mythreeringcircus.com/
If you have even a few moments, please take a moment to visit a site another blogger has created to highlight my friend Tiff's situation with her youngest daughter, Ivy. We went through our pregnancies together and whilst Maddy is healthy, life is a struggle everyday for her precious little daughter Ivy.
A medical treatment could spell the end to endless hospital visits & pain but she's been denied by a medical board. Please sign the petition to ask them to reconsider their decision.
If you want to read more about Dave, Tiff and their beautiful family, please go and check out her website - http://www.mythreeringcircus.com/
Friday, September 5, 2008
One of THOSE days...
I knew it was going to be one of THOSE days when Gloria Jeans overfilled my very expensive (and extremely NEEDED) large skinny mocha and after adding my sugar, I promptly knocked over the coffee and split half of it on the floor and over J's work folder. *sigh*
Sadly, after a week of high level stress at work, it was the ultimate way to cap off a long five days. I can't believe I'm going to say this but bring on Christmas...I can't wait to have my two weeks holiday and just relax.
P.S - Lesson of the Day: In an overcrowded peak hour train, never stand with your back facing the direction the train is traveling in against the glass partitioning. It gives you no room to combat the inevitable invasion of personal space by some random suit who decides to keep inching backwards with his butt basically pressed against your stomach. If he hadn't been so completely oblivious whilst playing with his mobile and had a friend who noticed his stance halfway through, and promptly began to almost howl with laughter, I'd have thought him to be some random loony looking for a bit of action.
Sadly, after a week of high level stress at work, it was the ultimate way to cap off a long five days. I can't believe I'm going to say this but bring on Christmas...I can't wait to have my two weeks holiday and just relax.
P.S - Lesson of the Day: In an overcrowded peak hour train, never stand with your back facing the direction the train is traveling in against the glass partitioning. It gives you no room to combat the inevitable invasion of personal space by some random suit who decides to keep inching backwards with his butt basically pressed against your stomach. If he hadn't been so completely oblivious whilst playing with his mobile and had a friend who noticed his stance halfway through, and promptly began to almost howl with laughter, I'd have thought him to be some random loony looking for a bit of action.
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