Some Photos....finally

Getting ready to go underground today.

Portal entrance to underground.

Me (in orange) and Richard underground.

Pit wall.

A wirly wind we spotted.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

46 degrees at 6pm yesterday, no power at the camp and guess who had a migrane? I am quite disappointed in myself as I always drive that one home when I am training. I know all the effects of dehydration, stats, symptoms...but it hit me. I drank 2 litres of Aqualite at 6pm (a drink used in the mining industry to rapidly hydrate and replace electrolytes (sp). So got the bus at about 7pm (got the late bus on account of my office had air conditioning and my room's power was off). Went straight down for dinner - had a piece of fish and then went straight to my room.

I just checked the weather and at 5:30am it was 30 degrees.

I think I have lost a little weight - I have been to the gym every night (cept last night when my head was going to explode) and hitting the rowing machine. I did 7 kms the night before last. Another reason for this little weight-loss may have something to do with the camp food. I heard a guy talking the other day about the food and he said that while he is up here he can shit through the eye of a needle. LOL. But he is probably very right.

I changed it up a bit today. I went to the mess this morning and really didnt feel like my usual sultana bran (cause i really dont need bran right now LOL) and so i opted for something more solid-like, so I have vegemite on toast and a coffee.

Another contributing factor could be this damn heat, loosing 8 litres of sweat per day or that i am so goddamn tired. I am feeling very exhausted. I might knock of work early today and go and have a 'granny nap' - yes... I think I will.

Other than the food and weather...work is great. Getting everything done and feeling like I have achieved what I came here to do.

I put a link on here with good 'ol Nifty weather, so y'all can feel really sorry for me! It has Marble Bar on it, but that is the closest post code to here. I checked on Cobar weather yesterday, 26 WTF. There was a town in Victoria that was 0 (maybe there weather station is broken) - Are we in the same country?

Ok, better go have a coffee and a smoke and start my 13 hour day. Is it Sunday today?? 8 sleeps to go!

Oh, sorry I didnt do pictures yet. It's too hot outside :) Will try and get some inside shots today.

Love to yo mummas.

Another Day...Another Dollar

12 sleeps to go LOL. I should keep the 'count down' until next week perhaps! I feel so tired this morning - that could be because I was up til nearly midnight last night then up at 4am. No, I wasnt up drinking or having fun - I went to the gym last night at about 7pm for about 40 minutes then went back to my room and simply could not sleep. My neighbour had his TV up loud watching a movie last night til late and our rooms are only dongers (adco huts) and there is not much seperating the rooms. Thank god he wasnt watching porn - just a regular movie!

I layed awake thinking, thinking - not about anything in particular. So another big day ahead of me. My boss flys in this morning at 9am. I got so much work done yesterday and hope to kick a few goals again today.

Oh, there was a guy on the plane with me on Monday and I thought he looked familiar, and now he is sitting in the same office as me and I was talking to him and I realised that he used to work at CSA too. Small world eh? He was the backfill engineer about 3-4 years ago.

I have a digital camera here now, so I will cruise around today and take some photos and post them later. I dont really know what I will take photos of..... but I know you are dying to see where I am working!!! LOL. Think........desert........think.......barron........think..........mine site........think...........dusty.........think........HOT!!! That just about sums it up anyhow.

The boys are all going good. I am a bit jelous, as Ben gets Friday off (Australia Day) as well as Saturday and Sunday. He and the boys will probably just hang out and Ben said he might take them to the pool as well. It is very rare for Ben to get days off - when I was home last break I think I only saw him of a night tmie and he only had 1 day where he didnt go to work, and that happened to be the day he put me on the plane. Oh well, even though I wont be there - I hope you have a relaxing work-free long weekend! Oooo, I might even get my toilet fixed....... maybe ;)

Have a great Wednesday and think of me when you are organising your long weekend celebrations :( as it will be "business as usual" at sunny nifty.

Ciao baby

Back @ Nifty

Hiya,

I had a big day yesterday. I left Dubbo at 6:30am, arrived in Sydney a little late so I was in a bit of a rush to catch the Perth plan. I arrived in Perth at 11am (Perth time) and basically went straight from one airport to the other. I caught the Nifty flight at 1pm and arrived at work about 4pm. Phew.... I think I got all that. The flights were pretty good. I sat next to a couple on the Perth flight and they both stank of alcohol and looked a bit seedy. They both slept most of the way. The kids sitting behind me surely let me know that they were there - kicks in the back of my seat the whole way. I was keen to watch Borat but it wasnt showing...I ended up watching Open Season (how old am I) LOL. That was pretty funny.

So I arrived at work, unpacked my bag, rang Ben, had dinner and went to bed by 6pm (I repeat: how old am I?) he he he I was pretty buggered.

I woke up at 4am this morning keen to get back to work. I arrived at work only to find that I dont have the computer or the log-in that was promised...and I did not bring my laptop with me - Arghhhhh! So I have been running around this morning trying to chase up my log-on. Meanwhile, I text'd my boss and got his password in the meantime.

My break was pretty good. Went far to quick, but I really enjoyed my time at home. Riley is walking flat-out and Lewis is just plain flat-out. I did a bit of housework and washing clothes etc. I didnt get to visit anyone while i was at home. I just didnt feel I had the time to, you know!

I couldnt get on the computer while i was at home either. I am married to Mr. Fix-it! Everytime I have problems Ben just casually says "I will fix that for you babe" but....nothing EVERY TIME. I have a toilet that wont flush, but he did rig up a rope and a clip thing so you pull it to flush, a phone line that only works occasionally and the list goes on. But, I dont complain because I love him and I know he works hard and doesnt have the time to do much! LOL. So, I might ring up Telstra today and get them to go up home and fix the line and install a new outlet as well (so my computer is not on the kitchen bench).

I miss the boys already - Ben would disagree, as he thought that I was looking forward to coming back to work! So Ben - I do miss you all.

Jen, I want photos of the new house! How are you settling in etc.
Beck, how did B travel? Did you enjoy your time in Brisbane?

Better hook in. My deadline for my project is the end of the month and I am semi on track!

Have a good week y'all and think of me at sunny nifty!

Going Home Tomorrow

Last working day today for me!
I was going to put a happy smiley in here, but I have lost the smiley toolbar and can't find it. So if you see it, can you send it home? Thanks.

We are having a BBQ lunch today, then I will finish work at about 5:30pm, have tea, do some washing and go to bed. I get a sleep-in tomorrow and catch the bus to the airport about 8:30am.

I will get to Perth about lunch time. I don't fly out of Perth until 12am (midnight) so I will go and do some shopping, get the kids some presents, catch a movie, go out for dinner etc.

I will be able to get on the net tomorrow night from the Qantas lounge in Perth - so I will be able to get my daily blog dose! I will arrive in Sydney at 6am Tuesday morning and then arriving in Dubbo at 9am. I have left my car in Dubbo, so I will drive it home, after I get some pizzas that is.

I am so excited about going home! I have butterflys just thinking about it.

I probably wont post here when I am home, but I will be back here Tuesday 23rd January - so check back in then.

So have a good week and make it count!

Day 11 - 3 Sleeps To Go

Well, I have been sticking to my plan for 2 days now. Last night I cought the bus home from work and got the bus driver to drop me off straight at my door so I could get changed and get to the gym early. I was in the habbit of just getting off the bus and walking straight to the mess - then I couldnt go directly to the gym because I had just eaten. So finally - I think I have my new routine, and I have 4 days to stick to it (today, sat, sun, mon).

So I got changed and walked straight to the gym. The instructor was there today, so that was a bonus. Her name is Kate and she is the same age as me and we went through my history, what I wanted to acheive etc. I cant believe they hire people out here to make us better! So then we walked around the gym and she made up a schedule for me for fat burning, toning and de-spare-tyring! So I spent 20 minutes on the rowing machine and did some weights and stuff. They give you a little book where you can record all excersize you have done for the day and they go through that with you the next time. I couldnt believe all the guys in the gym getting around with their little books and they were writing everything in them. LOL - I suppose we are not all that different.

So, happy new me!

What is going on here?

Can someone please help me?

My computer was working fine yesterday, and today I have no sound. I checked in Control Panel and it said that I had no sound devices. What tha!

All I remember before I turned the computer off yesterday was an Automatic Update or some shit.

Why wont it just work?

Desperately seeking sound

On another note of What's going on here?

I read in the news this morning that a man in Perth shot his two children, then himself. Reportedly the children are aged 2 years and an infant.

So this guy shoots dead a 2 year old and a baby after a domestic with the Mrs. What a fucking gutless peice of shit! After tears where welling up in my eyes I thought about why someone would do that and why children have to suffer from people's psychotic-ness.

Like the person that left the 2 year old in the car and it died, and the woman who let the pram roll into the river killing her 5 month old baby and the man that punched his 2 month old baby in the stomach killing it (these things happened in the last couple of months) and list goes on. Yeah, sure I know accidents happen - but murder!

If I could I would set up a charity - DONATE YOUR KIDS TO ME IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM, at least they would get to see the Wiggles, and have their first day of school - you get the picture. Ok, I am sitting at my desk blubbering now.

So: before you get angry at your children and have an urge to put a pillow over them, or shoot them, or hurt them in any way - remember that they are inocent and have the right to live, take your rage out at the gym eh?

Day 10

Amazing - I thought I would be ravenous by tea yesterday, but I wasn't. I drank heaps of water all day and I guess that filled me up (but I was pissing like a.....pisser all day LOL). I had some stir-fried beef and rice for tea last night, a small portion. I was going to have fruit, but it looked pretty good. I did some excersize yesterday - so all in all I stuck with the plan (cept for dinner). I have done the same routine today - had my cerial for breakfast and didn't pack any lunch.

4 sleeps now!

So work is going good. I haven't had my meeting yet as the main fella didn't turn up - perhaps it will happen today. I spoke with my boss yesterday afternoon and he thinks there is lots of work here if I want it. Do I want it? Hmmm, will have to ponder that one!

I am missing the boys a bit more now. Apparently they are being wittle angels (said in the voice of the babysitter from Cat in the Hat).

Didn't sleep real good again last night. Woke up at 12 midnight and 3am and with my alarm at 4:30. I hope I am tired enough after work today to hit the gym, have a shower and go straight to bed! Ok, better start my day!

Love Life

Day 9

Onyl 5 sleeps to go now... look out!


I have a bit on today - my boss and another colleague flew in today, so they are currently doing a changeover and I have a meeting later on today.
I have decided to go on a "gastric bypass diet". I am not getting gastric bypass surgery - but I was thinking last night why I never loose weight and basically it is because I eat and spend most of my days in front of the compter working. So I was thinking about eating way less, then I had the moral delemah in my head "you can't eat like a rabbit, that is bad for you" then I thought about the people who have gastric bypass surgery and thought "well it is the same thing, only the surgery is not-negotiable with the eating like a rabbit and the 'diet' is using hard core will power. As far as I see it - I am in the perfect situation here at work to eat less & excersize more. So I had a bit breakfast this morning (sultana bran and light milk) and I didnt pack any lunch and when I return to the village this afternoon I will go to the mess, grab some fruit and head to the gym (eating my fruit after the gym). I will see how I feel tomorrow morning, starving no doubt.

I know the formula (less in & more out = weightloss) but I really dont do much in a 12 hour day except sit in front of the computer, so less food for me. I am not looking at dropping 10 kgs in a week, but something would be a start at least.

My spare tyre is getting me down lately and at the moment is the only thing in my life that i have not got in control, so time to take charge - and if that means turning into a sparrow for a few days, so be it! I will have to grab some vitamins when i get home too, because i am definately not getting them here. My hair is falling out, my skin is shit and i feel a little deflated. I feel good most of the time though! See how I go.

Day 8

"If you can't find time for fitness, you will have to find time for illness"

I like this quote. I read it in the mess while having breakfast this morning - and is so right.

6 Sleeps to go. I finished my book last night. Wow, what an ending - it had more twists than...well a game of twister! So the good news is I can go to bed early tonight.

My boss arrives at work tomorrow and we are having a meeting with management to present what I have been doing and what the plan of action is - so I might be unemployed tomorrow...no, should be right.

Wishing you a happy Tuesday.

Day 7

7 Sleeps to go - I am at my halfway point. Work is going well, getting heaps done. I am so tired.

I havent finished reading my book yet, so no doubt I wont get a good nights sleep until the book is finished. I went to the gym last night and had a go on the bike, rowing machine and the treadmil. I was only there for half an hour because I got a stitch - I think I went too soon after dinner.


I am really looking forward to going home (in 7 sleeps). It will be nice to have a sleep-in and spend my days with the kids.
No doubt Ben will work long hours when I get home (because he can't do that when I am away).
Have a good Monday!

Day 5

9 Sleeps to go! It doesn't feel like a Saturday here. It is hard to keep up with the days and the time - mainly because my body clock is two hours difference and I am working everyday. They usually have a BBQ lunch on Sunday's. That is nice - actually having a lunch hour. I am prone to sitting at my desk and having a bite rather than taking the full hour, or whatever it is.

Apparently lewis has a black eye - poor bugger - he slipped over in Riley's room and hit his face on a box or something.

Riley is walking flat out now. I have only been away for 6 days and feel like I have missed so much. Ben said that he has been an absolute angel and walks nearly everywhere (except when he is in a hurry and crawls like a bat-out-of-hell).

I mentioned that I was reading a book.

Angels and Demons (I think that is what it is called) by Dan Brown. This book is a bit weird but I cant seem to put it down. My eyes are litterally falling out of my head; on account of me staying up late (10pm LOL) reading.

Now I was christened, did my first holy communion etc and both my kids have been christened - but I dont believe I am a religious person. God, Shmod - we will never know the truth. Anyway, this book is all about religion, god, illuminati, science and to tell you the truth - I can barely understand a word (lots of italian and other languages are quoted often) and the scientific words. But I am enthralled. I am completely in suspense every time I pick the book up - right until I put it down. I have this sense of urgency (regarding the plot) and by the end of it and am thinking "is this a true story?". I have never known any religious goings on i.e. the vatican, pope stuff, artifacts, stories or factual information - so I am learning a bit about this, wether it is true or not. I am only about 1/3 of my way through the book and I dont think it will take me long to finish it. I feel like skipping to the end to see if the Vatican actually blew up with the antimatter container! Do I sound smart LOL.

Anyway - better get cracking - lots to do today. Not before I make a coffee and have a smoke!

Have a good day and remember: Today may be your last. Wear your favourite perfume, tell your loved ones how much you care, take a photo (or two), be happy that you are alive, don't sweat the little things & have fun!

Day 4

Nothing much to report on today, so far. I worked about 15 hours yesterday, so I took to my bed like a duck to water.


10 Sleeps to go!

Day 3

Well, talk about an anti-climax! We didn't get the cyclone, bit of rain last night but definately no winds - thank god! 11 sleeps till I go home. Once you get past the halfway point...it is a down hill run. The time seems to go quicker. My halfway point is Sunday - 3 sleeps away. I had a terrific sleep last night. Spoke with Ben on the phone (sorry Ben I think I woke you) and read a little bit of my book (Dan Brown: Angels & Demons) got a few pages in then couldnt keep my eyes open. I woke up at 4am...snoozed til 4:30am then I was up ready to battle another lonely day away from home. My boss doesnt fly in until next Wednesday (weather permitting) so I can just work away at my own leasure until he arrives. Getting a fair bit done which is good.

I spoke with Ben yesterday and he said that Riley is flat out walking now - you cant keep him down. That to me is a little bit sad. Yes, I saw him tottering around when I was home for a month, but it kind of haunts me that I could be at home watching all of this unfold. CHOICES.

I must take some photos of the camp etc on my camera phone to post - yes, will do that this afternoon.

Every night when I get home to my little 'adco hut' (room) I think-think-think about life really. What do I want to be? What do I want to do? What am I doing here? Who am I? You know, the usual shit that runs through your head when you are bored, lonely, tired, alone. I still havent figured it out yet - will let you know though.

I saw this yesterday and it cracked me up! I laughed to myself more times yesterday, than I could imagine. Laughter is definately the best medicine. I feel so relaxed - thanks Jen. There was heaps of these smilies that farted - and nothing beats a good fart! I dont know anyone that would not laugh at a big, loud, squeeky fart!

Better go do some work. I will leave you with some good smilies.


That will do - I hope they work - I love smilies!

Day 2

Wow... there is a cyclone brewing at Port Headland - expected to arrive here today or tomorrow morning. Apparently going as far as Telfer! The rain doesnt worry me, as i only flew in this week. There are plenty of people shitting themselves this morning as they are due to fly out today - not bloody likely. I was talking to a girl this morning who said she only got 1 hour sleep last night because the power was out in Q block and was too hot to sleep. I had no worries - had an excellent sleep and didnt sleep in like i did yesterday! However, the wind bothers me... 145km winds can do a bit of damage, i hear. Well, I will have to wait and see how it panns out.
I was in bed early last night (about 8:30pm) so I feel pretty good today. I joined the gym yesterday - yes, you heard right! I had to do a 'gym induction' where she took my BMI, weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate etc and I am pretty healthy - except for the spare tyre of course! So I will go back today after work and she will organise a circuit routine with me to battle the buldge - I am very excited, as I stayed up here for 2 weeks the last time and did not go to the gym once. Hopefully I will get this into my routine to go to the gym directly after work, then have dinner later etc. 12 working days to go... perhaps I shouldnt start the countdown just yet!