Tuesday 24 February 2015

Washing the dishes...


We ran out of soap for the dishwasher on Saturday night... There may have been an attempt at using regular dishwashing liquid, with mixed results, on Sunday night - it's not something I recommend...

So, in a bid to reduce the amount of washing up to do after dinner, I washed the breakfast and lunch dishes, along with anything that wasn't clean after going through the dishwasher. I was hesitant to do it because the last time I did any serious dishwashing, Jimmy asked for a hug about 2 minutes in and by the time I got back to the dishes the water was cold.

Granted it's been 8 months since then, and Jimmy has become more independent. This meant that while I washed the dishes, Jimmy mucked around in the kitchen, and was happy to just hang out. The whole thing was relaxing: happy boy, warm water, clean dishes...

It was soothing, almost meditative. Possibly because of the novelty of the whole thing, but it was calming.

You see, we're not the happiest bunch at the moment. We're in a state of limbo... Michael's contract finishes soon, but there is a possibility that it will be extended. We just don't know how long that extension will be. But staying here for another year is better than going back to Australia and being unemployed. Only there are basically no jobs for requiring the skills Michael and I have.

It's depressing.

Other than applying for lots of jobs there is little we can do. Just wait it out and hope that something good comes up. Ideally in Australia. A few weeks after we return. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, there is chocolate.


This particular "bar" of chocolate suffered during its adventures to our place, all the way from Australia, in the Christmas package from Grandma. There was little that could be done other than turning it into a chocolate cake.


There is also talking to loved ones back in Australia. Poor Jimmy is so used to Facetime and Skype that he doesn't really know what to do with a phone and a voice. Daddy did a good job trying to get Jimmy to chat to Grandma, but the poor tired possum dug his heels in and wouldn't talk. One day he'll work it out...


Chocolate cake... Using milk chocolate, with a little cocoa, instead of dark chocolate, and icing sugar instead of caster sugar, I turned the previously mentioned chocolate into a lovely cake - thanks for the chocolate Grandma!


Yes, there is chocolate cake in the house. Ok, there is about 3/4 of a chocolate cake, and it's 10:45 pm...


And when there is no chocolate cake, and no loved ones to call (because they live on the other side of the world), there is a cupboard to hide in, doonas to crawl under, and tea to drink, all in an effort to forget about uncertainties, insecurities, and the prospect of packing up everything and flying back across the Pacific ocean.

It's all a bit daunting. A bit like a big pile of dirty dishes. Only getting through this patch is less meditative than having my hands immersed in warm soapy water,

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