This is Some Life

Any one want to know how the house hunting is going?

Just want to see me suffer don't you?

Well the first one I looked at which would have been perfect was actually given to someone else before I even looked at it so that one was out. I looked at another one this week which was a three bedroom place with a small flatette downstairs. It would have been perfect as Ms B (17) could have had her own space.

So what went wrong you ask?

Simple the bath was so small that we couldn't even stand in it together. One thing Ms M loves is a good long soak in the bath. I've got to admit, I enjoy spending a good couple of hours soaking in the bath with her.

Try it sometime. Some scented candles, some bath oil and climb into a steaming hot bath (it's gotta be as hot as you can take it or it will get too cold too quickly). It's wonderfully intimate and relaxing. There really is nothing like just "being" with the one you love. No more information here, just try it.

Anyway, I'm digressing.

I'm still looking for the right place. The problem is that there is not a great deal of 4 bedroom places around. If we wanted 3 bedrooms then we would be set. Unfortunately, with 4 children to house a 3 bedroom house will not cut it. I'm looking to see if any of the ones with a sunroom will do. There is another house that looks good but it is not available till 2/8.

Anyone with a 4 bedroom house we can have? Must have a bath big enough for 2 .

Will the fun never end?

Anyway, she's "asked" me to have the children for the week. Not a lot of warning but I'll see what I can manage. In order to make it I'm going to need to get so much done at work this week . Well at least I have the work laptop so I can take half the week off and still enjoy having the children for the week. I'll talk to my boss this week and see what I can come up with.

Tune in next week folks as the saga unfolds...

BTW, any big hollywood executives want the rights to my life story? Would anyone believe it is a true story?

Things happen... slooowly...

And to make matters just a little more complicated, I have received my eviction notice. It was always going to happen as the new owners of my house said I would only have till the middle of the year because they wanted to move in themselves. How very selfish of them...

Still, we were going to have to move anyway as my house would not fit six of us very comfortably. So now I am looking for a place with an extra bedroom to give us the extra space we need. I think I've found a place but I haven't been able to get a look inside yet because the previous tennants left the place a mess. The agent has told me that I should be able to get in by Tuesday. Then it is taking lots of photos so Ms M can see what it looks like. She has seen the agent photos so far which are pretty detailed and she likes it. It is also close to the school for Ms 4 and also close to my children'd favourite park and 20 mins walk from the main shopping centre, which is handy because Ms M does not drive.

Check back regularly folks for news on the house front...

Things move ever so slowly...

We've both had bad childhoods and bad marriages. We know exactly what we want this time around, and we know that we have found it in each other. How do you convince other people of that without actually being together? If someone has an answer please let us know.

In the mean time, we'l ljust keep plugging away and jumping through the hoops...

Mrs Ex is Dying Again...

OK OK, I hear you! What a callous bastard, you're thinking. If you are, I suggest that you go back and read the begining of this blog. Look she was sick last year, I won't deny that. There is very litle probability, though that it was terminal. Anyway she is ill again and will undergo brain surgury at any time and may not pull through.

She seems to believe what she is saying, but then she always did and could never understand why those around her didn't. She even went to the trouble of signing paperwork to give me custody of the children when the doctors declare that she is no longer competent. Now I don't want her to dya and wish nothing bad upon her, but I find myself eager to get the children so i am feeling a little conflicted aboutthe whole thing.

I've discussed this with the beautiful Ms M. We would love to have her two children and my two children under the same roof and build a real family. Show them what a real loving family is.

Funeral notice to follow

Just a quick note

Now where shall we get married?

We have decided that we want to get married in a garden setting. So took the kids to the Botanic garden here in Wollongong to see what was possible. They have a number of sites that they suggest for a wedding so I went and photographed as many of them as possible. Now, how to let Ms M know what I found. Simple, I constructed a web page with them on it. Check it out Our Wedding Page. Caution, page contains our real first names . I'll be updating it as we work things out.

When I was at the gardens, there just happened to be a wedding on in the Rose Garden (the current front runner for me) so I hung around with two very bored children. I caught up with the celebrant after to discuss our situation and make a tentative booking. I'll put it to Ms M tonight when we speak. Christine (celebrant) seems like a nice person and genuinely seems to enjoy here work so she should be fine.

Well it is getting late and Ms M will be off work soon. I don't want to keep the lady waiting

Stay tuned...

I can't tell you how tired I am!

The fight home wasn't too bad. I got nearly 30 minutes of sleep in 3 10 minute snatches. I landed at Sydney at 6:30 in the morning. It took me over an houtr to clear customs. Ms M gave me the roses to take home. She had kept the ones I had sent her in January . Because of our tight quarrantine laws they had to be declared. When they inspected them they told me that I could keep the buds but not the stems so they took them off to be processed. Finally got out and got home. Then it was off to the post office to get the mail fro the last two weeks, do some shopping as there was no perishable food in the house.

Mrs Ex, in a fit of magnanamity decided she would drop the children off to me. By the time I hacd done everything I needed to it was nearly 5 so I though I would grab an hour's shut eye before the children arrived at 7. Guess what time she arrived. Yep, 5. I hadn't even had time to drop off. Of course not having seen them for a couple of weeks there was news to swap and the obligatory, "what did you bring me?". Can anyone tell me why, when you go away, you have to buy other people presents? Anyway, they were late to bed. I thought I'd get a bit of a lie in in the morning but what do I get. Master T sanding in his sister's door at 6:45 in the morning yelling at her to shut up or she'll wake dad . Too late buddy.

When I finished this I am going to bed. Will I sleep, nope. Ms M finishes work about 10pm my time so I'll lie in bed and talk to her on the phone for a couple of hours. I've found a nice cheap calling card so each nite it costs me about $1 to call her. She's worth at least twice that .

Well the devils, I mean angels, are in bed so I am soon to follow as soon as I finish tidying a few things up. Then I'll watch a bit of tele till my baby texts me to let me know she is home.

I'm miserable but elated

Ok first the misery. Why am I miserable you ask? Simple answer.

Today I left the beautiful Ms M. I think it was the hardest thing I can ever remember doing. I was so choked up that I couldn't even speak. I think I shed tears most of the way back to my mother's. Even sitting writing this the tears are threatening. I can still feel her pressed against me holding me tight not wanting to let go. I didn't want to either. After I pulled out of the driveway and saw her standing there, I almost stopped and ran back to her. I don't remember when I've felt such pain.

The elation? Even simpler.

She is my perfect woman. She is everything I could ever have dreamed that I have wanted in someone. Funny thing is, I didn't even know what it was until I met her. If you had asked me a year ago what I was looking for in a woman I probably would not have described Ms M. Everything about her just fit with me. I know to the very core of my being that this is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and she wants to spend the rest of her life with me.

And for those that are wondering, yes I did get that ring on her finger

Want to see?

Funny, I still felt slighty nervouse putting the ring on her finger. I had to ask her again when putting it on. Just to make sure you know . It was easier the second time round but my heart still skipped a beat when she said yes.

Well tomorrow, it back on a plane and back home to Oz. Then the real work starts. We have so much paper work to fill in and documentation to collect to get her visa sorted. We will do what we must to make sure that she can get here as soon as humany possible.

More on that later...

Ms M meets my family!

Who is in the photo? Well from left to right: My step father R2, me (R), the lovely Ms M, youngest brother R3 (so many damned people in my family with names starting with R), my neice C, her mother and my sister A, little brother J and my mum.

A lot of the tension was taken out of the evening by the sheer incompetence of the restaurant. Here's how it went.

• We were told not to book as there was always plenty of tables. We had organised to meet at 7-7:30. It was well after 8 before the table was ready.
• R2 had asked for a scotch while we were waiting for the table. He was served it in a tumbler. When asked if he could have it in a scotch glass, he was informed that they did not have any. It was beer glasses or the tumbler!
• The first table they gave us was an extra table added to a booth. That meant that half of us were sitting in the corridor with every server excusing themselves as they squeezed past.
• They finally realised that this was a bad move and put us somewhere else, the table you see in the picture.
• A bottle of wine was ordered and glasses duly delivered. When we got the glasses, they were wet and each had nearly half an inch of water in the bottom. When questioned we were told that they had just come out of the dishwasher. R2 suggested that it might have been a good idea if they had at least been emptied before they were deilvered. Whilst explaining this he was tipping the water on the carpet and drying the glass with his serviette. Rather than take the glasses to be dried properly, she simply grabbed some more serviettes and delivered them so R2 could finish his drying. She made no comment about pouring the water on the floor.
  
• The meal itself was actually served properly, although our waitress did appear confused throughout the procedings. It was her that took the picture. She seemed to have a little difficulty working out how to push the shutter button.
• We odered coffees after the meal and they were dutifully brought. Ms M and I were given no saucers to go with the cups. When we asked for them, we were given the reply "oh, if you must" . She then ran off claiming that she had to go and find some. I don't think it is unreasonable that if you are served a cup of coffee in a restaurant that you get a soucer with your cup. Fair enough if it comes in a mug but really, it's simple serving etiquette.
• R2 asked for a cognac after the meal. It was delivered in a brandy snfter as you would expect... with ice! Horrified J took it back to the bar to ask why the ice and get it replaced properly. They explained that it was standard practice to put ice in all spirits. When J explained that you never put ice in cognac they could not understand why. They did replace the cognac though.
• R2 decided to have a second cognac. It was dutifully delivered in a tumbler, just as the scotch had been. Once again the waitress was summoned and she went to get a proper glass. She returned to inform us that the restaurant only had one brandy snifter .
  

Now despite all of that, we did have a good time. Ms M and my family got on beautifully. She was made very welcome.

When we got home we fell asleep in each others arms. Another perfect moment

Well it's officially official

Anyway, last night I asked Ms M to marry me. I won't go into the details as I do like to keep somethings private.

It's funny you know, I knew what the answer was going to be but I still cannot describe how nervous I was when I asked. There was a pause before she answered. She told me that her heart skipped a beat when I asked. We both knew that we were going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together but the actual asking had both of our hearts fluttering. I think my heart stopped while I waited for her to answer.

Now I have't told her this but I am hoping to have a ring on her finger before I have to leave.

One thing I haven't mentioned about our meeting. I expected there to be a little bit of awkwardness over the  first few days as we got used to each other. Well, there was none of that, we just fit together perfectly. I have never felt so comfotable around someone.  It was as though we had been with each other the whole time, not just online. We were exactly what we had expected from each other.

We've Met! We've Met! We've Met!

I phoned her as I was approaching and we agreed to meet at the end of her street. Her Ex was there picking up her eldest daughter (she does not want to come to Australia so she is moving in with her gradparents). We decicded that our first physical meeting was a little private. We didn't really want an audience.

Now before I tell you about that meeting, let me fill you in on my state of mind at the time. I had a three hour drive and my mind raced most of the time.

What if she didn't like me? What if the pictures she had sent weren't her? What if the person I fell in love with wasn't the person I was meeting? What if when we first saw each other, there was no connection?

so what does my brain do? It starts looking for an exit strategy . About an hour out I pulled up to fill the car up and had a cup of coffee whilst I mulled things over. In the end it all came down to one thing; I loved her and she loved me. It was that simple. The rest of the drive wasn't too bad.

Sometimes, too much time to think can be a bad thing.

That's all for now more later...

...

Oh, you want to know how the meeting went . Oh if you must.

Well I pulled up at the end of her street and parked just around the corner. I quickly peeked around and saw her walking up the street. At this point all I could make out was that she was coming. She was too far away for me to make out any details. Satisfied that she was actually coming. I went and leaned on the car to wait.

A minute or two later she walked around the corner. As she came around the corner and saw me she smiled. At that instant, I "knew" we were meant to be together. My heart melted. I don't think it is possible to describe the feeling of pure joy when I first held her in my arms. We clung together like we were never gong to let go. Neither of us wanted to. I don't know how long we held each other. Possibly only a minute or so, but it felt like forever. A pure moment in time. One that neither of us will ever forget.

I think John Michael Montgomery sums it up nicely:

I've never seen blue eyes filled with so much love
I never thought I'd find out what I found in your touch
Someone up there must like me 'cause I'm
Lookin' at the proof there's no doubt about it
Heaven sent me you

I'm here for another week. I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave...

A quick stop over in Hong Kong

The flight here wasn't too bad. I had a set of 4 seats to my self so I could stretch out. Didn't get any sleep though. I wonder if I will on the next leg. I'll be knackered when I get there if I don't.

Watched Casino Royale, Rocky Balboa and half of flushed away on the trip. We got to HK 45 mins early so I couldn't see the rest.

I bought myself a watch duty free. It has multiple time zones so I can keep track of what time it is with my baby . It was less than half price than at home and my last dual watch had died a week before I left.

Well I have 12 hours of movies ahead of me for the last half of the trip.

Boy I'm gonna be stiff and sore when I get there.

I'm off... wish me luck

I fly out tomorrow for the Old Dart. At this point I will be spending 4 days with my family. It will be a bit difficult being that close to Ms M and not actually be with her, but I havent seen my mother for 18 years. Ms M understands.

I've packed reasonably lightly as Ms M has informed me that she will be loading my bag for the return trip. I've got some cash, my passport, the tickets, care hire organised and all the phone numbers and addresses that I need. Now what have I forgotten?

Come on, help me out people. I always forget something. I don't want to get half way around the world and then realise in up the creek.

Anyway I'm off to bed. I've spent far too much time texting Ms M tonight and I don't want to oversleep and miss my flight.

Wish me luck...

Every cloud has a silver lining

I've also found cheap car hire through them. I still can't really afford it but I both need and want to go so I'm going.

The first few days will be spent with my family and then I will head over to Ms M's. I can't begin to tell you how both excited and nervous I am about the meeting. She is too.

Stay tuned folks, this is getting interesting.

OK, problems are given to us to be solved.

Just found out that Ms M will not be arriving on said date . We were hoping to have her come out on a tourist visa and then convert it to a spousal visa, but that just won't work for now. It's a huge pain I can tell you.

Well, it seems that I will be going there instead. I've already booked the time off work in preparation for her coming here. Now I just need to work out how I can afford it .

Time to do some research...

Together soon!!!

We are busy organising for MS M to come out here. The we can be together forever . Well after we get the spousal visa we will that is.

The date is set for April 27.

I cannot describe how much we are looking forward to the meeting.

Stay tuned for more details...

ARGH!!!

Ms M has lost her phone line and internet!!!!!

We are now reduced to texting each other. How can we conduct a relationship by sms? We're not 14 yo school girls. Hopefully, it will not be gone for long.

A big day really

Poor Ms M has a nasty appointment today. I've sent her some roses but it is not the same as being there for her . One thing is clear though and we both realise it, we want to spend the rest of our lives together.

We have talked about marriage but it is not official yet. I'm kind of old fashioned. I won't officially ask her until I can do it in person. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

It's a fresh new year!