Continuing on the renovation work around the house, well I started them over three years ago now and it’s about time I did a bit more and maybe finish. A lot has happened in that time and the reason for the delay is down to the flooding that took place over two years ago, it put me in a very bad frame of mind to the point where I just wanted to up sticks and leave but the house didn’t sell thankfully.

Circumstances and the gods railed against me and so here I still am in the same house which I happen to like. Your mental health is very important and mine took a tumble after the rains came. A few months later when I took the house off the market I went on an adventure travelling through five countries and nearly killed myself in the process, life has a habit of making you focus.

I had to go the brew the other day and the young lassie is asking me what job do I want to pursue because they need to find me a full time job, they are not happy that I work part time and get a top up of the dole, Big Brother is not liking my lifestyle.

I told the young lassie that I live a very simple life, she said “That’s great, I wish I could” I tell her I live from week to week and don’t have the money to do what I want and I do want to work because I need money to do a few things. My car is nearly older than her for Christ’s sake.

Like many people at the moment you have to make choices on how you spend the money you get and budget as best you can and give up on those little luxuries that you might indulge in on a regular basis. My simple life is good at this moment but I do worry about the future.

In the meantime I’m back working downstairs in the garage. I’ve started painting the workshop and laundry side and once that is done I’m going to gyprock and insulate the eastern wall because in the summer the heat is intense and in turn it floats through to the rest of the house and I’m also going to install a small air conditioner in the rumpus room because last summer was so hot and humid, so I’m hoping that this will make a difference. How am I paying for all this when I’ve just said I’m skint? Well the Queensland government has given electricity rebates and I’m using that to cover the expenses which is great and it will make the cooling of the house easier when the insulation is installed. Win win..

I still have a small amount of paint left and I have plenty of architraves in the garage, so all I really need to get quickly are a few brackets and shelving to finish off the workshop.

Sunday morning a bike ride was in order and I went a bit further than last week, just under 30 km. I didn’t do much for the rest of the day, finished off my library book and watched a bit of TV. Oh I cooked up some chilli and it was pretty tasty.