Weed and Feed

Looks like the repairs for the car could be more than a few dollars so I will need to make sure that the family cuts back on unnecessary expenses.

I have made a start by cutting back on Weed and Feed. It comes in a large bottle that you attach to the hose and then spray it on the lawn to kill some weeds and feed others. Seems like a waste of time and money so a good starting point for cut backs. The wife is very keen on the stuff so I need to be careful.

I worked out that if you just don't connect it up properly then it doesn't use any Weed and Feed. So I just stood around hosing the lawn for two hours and ended up with as much Weed and Feed as when I started. So, $1.20 saved so far.

My next step is drinks and dinner with a few acquaintances and I need to make sure I spend as little as possible so time to put in place my shout avoidance strategy. I will let you know about the success of this tomorrow.

Wedding Anniversary

Saturday was the wife's ninth wedding anniversary. Mine too.

Due to financial constraints I decided to make a few cut backs and so I went to a quiz night rather that spend money taking the wife out for dinner. We also saved on babysitting as the wife wasn't invited.

Quiz nights are a wonderful chance to win useful prizes. These can make great presents. This time I won two pairs of socks. I gave these to the wife as an anniversary present once I got home. Judging by her reaction I think I should have got them gift wrapped.

I don't know why quiz nights don't gift wrap the prizes - organisers please take note.

Bio-fuel

The car doesn't work and the wife is not happy.

I have just spent the last two trying to retrieve six nappies out of the petrol tank. This may not be as straightforward as I thought. At least it hasn't cost me anything yet.

I think I will go and feed'n'weed the lawn to relax.

Nappies

It isn't easy being green.

Having a baby means that we use lots and lots of nappies. I thought that the best approach would have been to use my old cloth nappies. I mean, I have been keeping them stored for over 30 years and it would be nice to get a bit of extra use out of them.
Not to be. The wife thought they should probably have been washed a long time and wondered what that smell was at the bottom of the wardrobe.

So we have to use disposable nappies. At approximately 61.5c each this seems to be an extraordinary waste of money to me.

I have been trying to work out how to re-use or recycle the nappies (see - I am so green). Then a couple of ideas just collided - after siphoning petrol from a few cars in the Chickenfeed carpark I went up to the McRobies Gully Tip Shop - and I noticed the methane burners they are trialling. Maybe I can use the old disposable nappies to create methane to run the car? Sounds like a good idea to me and I can't see any financial downside.

I can't wait to try this out on the weekend.

The Olivia Newton-John Mixed Dozen

I would like to offer my personal endorsement for this wonderful person. I took the Farnsy tape out of the car and put on Livvy's Physical instead. Let's get physical, physical, wooo.

Let me quote: "Australian icon Olivia Newton-John has just released her new album Stronger Than Before, a true labour of love, dedicated by Olivia to everyone whose life has somehow been touched by cancer. To celebrate the release of this album, we have put together a dozen of Olivia's personal labeled wines specially made by Gavin Hogg (ex. Chief Winemaker Mildara Blass) in South Australia. To maximise your enjoyment we have included a complimentary CD so you can sit back with a glass of Olivia and enjoy her powerful and uplifting songs."

You should get in quick before this wonderful offer runs out.

Another Hobart Blog

It's wonderful to see that there are other people in Hobart contributing to the great debates of the world.

While restaurants are not really my scene (when will someone open up a real BYO one), this blog is worthy of a visit - Hobart Restaurant Bitch.

Billy Joel

It has just been brought to my attention that there was a story on Billy Joel on 60 Minutes Sunday night. People are asking why haven't I written about it.

I would have thought that for people who know me the answer is obvious. I didn't watch it!

My musical interests are all about quality. Billy Joel is purely second rate when compared to the great man. Billy Joel hasn't even had one farewell concert tour yet! When Billy Joel sang Piano Man, John Farnham was already on his second farewell tour.

I rest my case. Please, no further questions about Mr Joel.

Learning from television

You can learn a lot from Television. On Sunday morning I was watching one of my favourite early morning programs - Creflo A. Dollar Jr. Very enlightening.

As we had a family outing to visit some acquaintances, I decided to try out my plan. The wife was a bit surprised when I insisted on wearing my best suit (90% polyester - not the 80% polyester one I wear to work) but all would be revealed later.

I let my acquaintances know that I was going to church in an hour and they were having a special fundraising for something somewhere, I can't remember what it was. Then we talked about them and I reminded them about the special fundraising. Then we talked about something else and I reminded them about the fundraising.

Then they got the message and gave me $5 to pass on to the fundraising.

Then we went home.

You're the Voice

I can't think of anything to write today.

My head is just overflowing from the words of the great man ...

We have
The chance to turn pages over
We can write what we want to write
We gotta make ends meet before we get much older
We're all someone's daughter
We're all someone's son
How long can we look at each other
Down the barrel of a gun?


Very prophetic. I think that covers everything happening in the world at the moment.

Professional Script Writing

Back to the Thomson Education Direct newsletter - there is another course that interests me - professional script writing.

Let me quote, "This course offers you the unique opportunity to develop a full-time or part-time career writing professional scripts or Hollywood screenplays for film, television and video. You'll be taken through the important business aspects of finding an agent and selling your finished material, that is, writing scripts for profit. Each week, hundreds of scripts are purchased from script writers to satisfy the insatiable demand for film, television and video makers."

How could I lose? This course is only $999 and I am full of ideas.

A few years ago I spent weeks and months working on my movie script for Knocca, a famous football coach. It was full of wonderful characters (based on me) and drama. I showed it to the wife for comment. She though it was wonderful, but the next day the script disappeared and I have never seen it again.

I see that another course is Romance Writing. Maybe I should try that instead.

Medicare

There's a lot to be said for Medicare and bulk billing. Not only do I get a day off work I get to read the newspaper for free while I sit in the waiting room.

I alway take a bag with me so that I can discretely remove a few magazines on the way out. While most of them are old New Ideas and National Geographics, they contain the occassional frugal recipe. Best of all, I have a friend at Glenorchy market who can sell the magazines for 20c each and I get half the money.

So from today's visit I should be $2.30 ahead. Another fun and profitable day.

Life Coaching

I am very excited, having just received the latest edition of Study News from Thomson Education Direct. I am not sure where they got my name from but the newsletters come in very handy.

There is a new course that appeals to me - Life Coaching. If I can quote from the course description: "Gain the skills and knowledge to coach others about achieving personal goals. You will also learn to develop your listening and questioning skills, and the basic fundamentals of setting up a coaching business." The low deposit is $39, followed by $48 a month for 15 months and a final payment of $40. By my calculations that is $799 and the newsletter includes a $200 voucher so that brings it down to $599.

Now what I need to work out is how many people would want me as their life coach. I am sure that I would be a natural and there is so much information I have to pass on (only last week I charged a tourist a dollar to show him where the mall was). There must be dozens of people out there that want to hear my words of wisdom and cost saving. Hopefully I can do it over the phone during work time.

Any enquiries welcome.

Travel Allowance

Well another busy weekend spent recovering from a hard day at work. I had to travel to Launceston for an all day work meeting on Friday. I get to use the work car and get paid a travel allowance of $180 per day. It works out well because I can travel up on Thursday night and come back Saturday morning to maximise the time spent away. Sleeping in the car is not the most comfortable but at least it is free.

Buy a day old loaf of bread for 99c and then you are set for four meals and a profit of $359.01. Also, don't forget that copper coins are still legal tender so don't hand over a $1 coin and miss out on your change.

Whatever happened to Tang?

I haven't seen Tang in the shops for ages. I was out windowshopping yesterday looking at bananas and grapes when I noticed that oranges were 65c a kilo.

I can remember my calculation from years ago that if oranges were 55c a kilo or less it was cheaper to buy them rather than Tang.

Nowadays it is cheaper to put two drops of orange food colour (or a spoonful of orange paint powder, preferably non-toxic) into a glass of water and give that to the wife or kids.

If anyone finds Tang somewhere and wants to give me some, then let me know.

Back to Richard Marx

I must admit I was a bit disappointed with Torvill and Dean. Where was the passion? Where was the intensity? Where was Shane Warne? I am sure that I read in TV Week (when I was in the library) that he was going to be there. Maybe I am confused by watching too much of Neighbours.

Back to Marxy.

Still having trouble containing myself over his upcoming visit. My voice has gone up an octave due to me singing all of his many hits on the bus in the morning. How jealous the others on the bus must be as they hear me really hit those high notes, particularly when I really rock into a version of Satisfied (don't you know, I won't give up until I'm satisfied, woooo).

If I win some of those tickets to one of his shows, I wonder if he will wait around for autographs ... I guess I could stay for a while and give him one in person.

Torvill and Dean on Ice

Would you believe it???

I was so upset last week when I found out that The Best of Hey Hey It's Saturday was not going to be on any more (even though I do have them all recorded on beta tapes, it's always wonderful to see it on TV).

Anyway, the great news is that it has been replaced by Torvill and Dean on Ice. Does it get any better than this?

I will be glued to the TV tonight at 7:30pm. It takes me back many years when I was a young lad at the Devonport ice rink. I can remember speeding around the rink, the wind whistling through my hair, spraying ice as I glided and pirouetted. I recall meeting a girl there, convincing her to pay for me to get in and then accidentally skating over her hand and removing three fingers. An unfortunate end to a potential romance and ongoing free entry to the rink. Oh well, sometimes you just can't avoid coughing up the cash.

World Cup Soccer

Well, that's the end of another world cup. Certainly a financial success from my point of view. I had several of my closest friends and relatives around very early this morning for the big game. A few mumbles from people because it was BYO food and coffee and I charged $2 a person admission. I thought this was fair deal really because of the extra cost of turning on the two-bar radiator a lot earlier than normal (i.e. July rather than August). Tempers did fray a bit when I asked for an additional 50c when the game went into extra time. All bar one finally paid up (and don't think I won't forget that mum). When the game then when to penalties I contemplated a further 20c a person but thought better of it after I was caught drinking someone else's coffee.

All up, I made $7.50 so a good start to the week.

I think Italy won.

Richard Marx in Concert - woo hoo!

What a big week. I haven't been able to post any messages in the last few days because my hands have been shaking with excitement. One of my favourite artistes has announced a concert at Wrest Point on September 7. Richard Marx, while not in the same league as Farnsey, has alway had a special place in my heart and I can remember buying his first CD and listening to it and singing along to those Endless Summer Nights. I can also remember buying his greatest hits CD the following year and listening to that song again and again.

I have often thought about returning to my Richard Marx hairstyle. I have been sticking with the Angry Anderson one for a few years and it just might be time for a change. If I start now I should be almost ready by the concert.

Not long to go to my wedding anniversary and tickets to Marxy would be a wonderful surprise for the missus (she was certainly surprised by last year's angle grinder). I will be listening to HO-FM even more so that I can win a couple of freebie tickets.