A friends son has almost completed his studies in valuations but needs to get some work experience to get his qualifications.

In a previous working life I had a business that provided property valuations to Local Gov't for rates ( taxation ) purposes and so I rang a guy that worked for me. He is meting the young guy in the new year and with any luck might be able to employ him.

Hope it works out well for both of them but it is nice just to be able to help.

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.

The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.

'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'

Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
' Ryan , you be Jesus !'

At this job today, lifting steel, the site manager asked for a card when I suggested he needs to get a permit to erect the scaffold near the power lines. He asked me my rates - which I told him but said I charged more for the crane comp I was working for knowing they had a mark up.

Any way he rang me when I got home and asked to book me in on Tuesday next week for the trusses.

Now the problem is that the crane comp I was working for at that site lifts trusses into place, so ......... was I replacing the spotter that they might supply? What to do??

Well I decided to ring the crane comp and fess up to what had happened.

No prob he said. They do work for the steel comp not the build comp so go ahead.

Glad I rang them.

Which is really good.

One of my mates I put on to spotting has been getting double booked so he has been giving me some work. I don't charge him the full hourly rate because it is his job, but it is much better than sitting at home on nothing per hour!!!

I have also been getting my own work too so I have been working most days.

One of my jobs has been in one of Melbournes more, shall we say, less afluent areas. The house next to the buiding site I was at would not even be described as a "reo's delight". Several old cars on the front yard and a vine climbing all over the front of this old worn out dwelling. Rusted roof and old peeling paint on the weather boards.

No one has seen any one come or go from the property however the light was on Friday morning and not on Monday morning following. What makes the property a bit more unique than most however is that we could see from a side window that the vine was growing inside the house.

Makes me feel that perhaps my jungle of a garden is not all that bad after all.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCAWkdgbt8g[/url]

Yep I know I am an old dag

Yes I know I seem to winge bitch moan and copmplain a bit so I thought I should share a bit of good fortune.

Working most of the week this week - which is good stuff in itself - so I thought I would get extra at the supermarket to save a bit of time. Usually I buy each night, deciding what is for dinner depending on..........what is on special.......what ever.

Any way because I spent over $50.00 I got a 10% discount. I never new about this and so, together with the fuel discount I will save about $9.00.

It may not be much but I reckon it is great.

A happy little vegemite!!!!

They say it is under control but it seems every time I go shopping I spend more and don't get all that much.

Yes I know I am old and can remember Pounds Schillings and Pence - even getting things for a halfpenny lol.

But damn things seem to have gotten a lot more expensive all of a sudden.

I am sure my son has them.

I understand that when a young boy is growing, and active, like the teen years they eat copious amounts but I had thought by 23 he would have settled.

Last night when he got home he had two eggs on bread. Then a protein drink he has been having.

Dinner was some loin chops ( 6 for him ) done in the oven with an onion and tomatoe sauce. This with cous cous ( ready made packet one ), some baked pumpkin and baked tomatoe to go with it.

After dinner he had some bread to mop up the sauce left in the casseroul dish, then a mango, then a bowl on icecream and strawberries finished off a little later with a few slices of bread with vegimite.

Oh he also had some lollies I had hidden away for ME that he found.

No wonder I am going broke!!!

The 11th hr of the 11th day of the 11th Month. This year the 92nd anniversary of the end of WW1.

i am working out in the middle on nowhere - in a paddock where they are digging a trench to lay pipes for sewerage. They are digging bellow transmission towers so they need to keep some distance away.

We start at 6.30am - wich is no good for me because it takes me about 90mins to get there.

So just before 11 they stop digging and get their food out and I thought "Beauty - smoko"

One of the guys turned on the car radio and at 11 the last post sounded - then a mins silence - then revelle. All that time not a word was spoken. Not a morcell eaten.

They are only young guys but the got my admiration and respect.

Lest We Forget

In memory / celebration of the attempt to blow up the English Parliament on 5th November in 1605.

I remember as a young boy, many years ago now, having a huge bon fire and fireworks ( crackers ). It was such fun.

Sadly those days are gone. Both fireworks and bon fires are no longer legal - least not here in Victoria.

Today kids celebrate Halloween, which I have nothing much against but I just don't understand.

I think perhaps as I grow older I may be longing for simpler times but I would love to be able to have Guy Fawkes day/night each year once again on the calander.

Happy Guy Fawkes NN any way.