the fifo wife

I woke this morning needing an extra blanket on my bed and as I headed out the door at 530am for my walk with the puppies I contemplated getting a cardigan. The weather has started to cool summer is on its way out and my favourite season autumn is on its way in. It’s been a funny summer weather wise for us we had just the one week of real rain that caused those horrible floods south of us and I can count the number of thunder storms we had. The furious heat of the day was not broken unlike previous summers by the set your watch by afternoon thunder storms. This year I can count the number of thunder storms it was just three. It was a summer unlike no other I have experienced before.

Yet here we are seasons are a changing, it’s Monday a brand new start to the week and here are the few things running through my head.

1. Husband is home tomorrow. Excited much. Yes as always. I stand by the fact if these butterflies for pick up ever disappear is the time sadly this FIFO gig is over.
2. Charlie Sheen has made a plea for the rouge ex police officer gun man that is on the loose in the united states to call him. Charlie Sheen. Really? If the world has resorted to Charlie Sheen to bring calm and stability we are in seriously in deep crap.
3. I recently read about a woman who met her boyfriend in an online chat room then 24 hours later allowed him to tattoo his name across her face. They are now getting married thank goodness for her (my opinion not hers I’m sure she ‘knew’ they were destined hence why she tattooed his name because of course they will also remain married until death do us part). However seems her boyfriend now fiance has a penchant for tattooing women’s faces.  Seems he tattooed a galaxy of stars across an 18 year olds face after she fell asleep in his tattoo parlour. Which forgive how does one sleep through a galaxy of stars being tattooed across your face? Read more about that here
4.  An asteroid is hurtling towards earth although is expected to skim past us around Thursday night. If it did hit (there is no chance apparently its 17000 km’s from us) could possible destroy a city the size of London if not the earth. Seems to be legit, it can be seen and proven yet I haven’t heard of any one making dooms day plans or resorting to a bunker. Perhaps because the warning has been issued by science as opposed to a book that was written 1300 years ago or wasn’t endorsed by a by a race of people that mysteriously disappeared hundreds of years ago. Read more about that asteroid here.
5. So if this was my last week on earth I would still clean my office to an inch of its life and would make more of an effort on Thursday to wear matching underwear. I would hate for them to walk through my house and say to each other she was a messy thing wasn’t she and to find me wiped out only to say she couldn’t even match her tops to her bottoms? There is a lot to be said about how matching underwear make one feel. I want to go out feeling like I have my crap together and matching my underwear can do that for you…truly it can..
6. I love how even though he is seven and a big boy now (his words not mine he will never ever be a big boy he will always be my baby) and almost as big as me will still come and sit on my lap each morning for a cuddle.
7. I cleaned my laundry over the weekend. I vacuumed my dryer and scrubbed my washing machine with a tooth brush whilst cleaning it with car polish (car polish is perfect for cleaning white goods- not stainless steel) The last time I got this enthusiastic about cleaning I was pregnant however given I’m ‘fixed’ I’m putting this ‘episode’ down to an endorphin surge of thank goodness for school and all the time it’s given me.
8. Its valentine’s week. Does any celebrate it? Once upon a time when I was a teenager I had a love /hate relationship with the day. Now I will use any excuse whether it’s over commercialised or not to have a date night with the handsome fifo husband.
9. If you have a little girl and want to make some cute hair do’s head here . Just let me know how you manage to get your toddler to stay still for that long because I’m still trying to get the dirt out of my boys hair after a mud-slinging match they had at the dam a week ago.
10. I put my knickers on inside out yesterday (don’t tell me you have never done it) so obviously it is a sign I must buy a lotto ticket. I heard somewhere that wearing your clothes inside out by mistake is lucky but then I don’t believe in luck but when you’re facing another week of rice because you just received another insurance premium for the year and its increased by $1700.00 making it $2700 and its amongst the cheapest you can find I will try anything. Kimchi rice anyone?

So that is what’s running through my head. Yes I know I have too much free time on my hands never thought I would say that but I just did. Ah hard work really does pay off.

Is anyone else experiencing the change from summer to autumn? I’m so looking forward to slow cookers and roast dinners. Are you going to celebrate Valentines Day or will you be to busy getting your office and finding matching underwear for Thursday night?

Have a great day lovelies,

Deb

Every one needs a hand to get where they need to go in life and there is no shame in having some support, some guidance its …how we learn grow and get places.

So each will be posted to the blog under Resources also.

So if you know of any groups that will make a positive difference to someone’s life message me and I will post the details.

This Sunday support is for FIFO families and particular the Victorian groups.

FFO families is a Perth based orgainisation but Australian (and now internationally wide) that helps bring Fly in Fly out and Drive in Drive (out of all sorts not just the resource sector) families together through support network groups.

Check out their events page in your state for meetings and get togethers.

xx Deb

I have a confession. My name is Debbie and as a woman, I can’t multi-task.

For years I thought I could in fact multitask. If we met on the street, I would have probably told you I can, but it is not true. As I grow up I realise I have lived that ruse for too long. I cannot any longer. I have tried but I can’t clean the house, write a blog, cook a cake, dress my children, teach them to read, do my taxes, be a wife, find myself and manage a share fund all at the same time. I can’t. Its why I am not Instagram worthy and so why I gave it up; it told my dirty secret.

As a woman, I know we are meant to be the multi-tasker queens. It’s what we often have upon our more testosterone-fuelled counterparts, but my brain can’t handle doing more than one thing at a time. I either can’t get it done or it doesn’t get done well, and I hate that. You either do it well or not at all- it’s that simple.

Now establishing the fact I’m not a multi-tasker I amd must say with great emphasise do get stuff done. I must, I’m the only one steering this ship six months of the year. Yet how does one get stuff done if they can’t multi-task?

I should point out that I am talking the big stuff, not the little stuff, the little stuff like putting on your shoes getting dressed that comes down to routine and only you can form one that works for you. However, here is a couple of tricks I learnt whilst working for one of Australia biggest travel agencies when I was just a young whippersnapper the place; where the lowest price is guaranteed. What they don’t tell the demanding public is the lowest price guaranteed also means lower commission for the poor travel agent working her booty off multitasking to stay in the hot seat.

Being a travel consultant is a career that teaches you the art of getting crap done because quite frankly your paycheque depends on it; along with Fred and Mildred’s honeymoon. Frank and Mildred’s happiness depends on your ability to get the big stuff done along with Joe and Rachel’s dream holiday as well as handling Mikes predicament of landing in Greenland without a valid visa because he said he could do it alone. It’s a bit like Motherhood badly paid full of promises and everyone else emotions depends on you.

Tips for the none multitaskers just wanting to get the big stuff done.

* Write it down. Don’t rely on your memory. If you’re a mother your memory is going to be shot anyway so, write it down or find a good free app but I find writing it down is more helpful.

* Don’t put too much on your list. Be realistic about what you can and can’t be done in a day.

* Outsource when you can and don’t feel guilty about it.

* Just bite the bullet and get the big job done. Don’t put it second on the list or third get it done and get it out of the way. You will feel better after. Stop procrastinating. It’s a long word I know. Don’t waste your time looking it up I will tell you: it means to think about doing stuff instead of doing it. So just do it. Write that list.

* When you write your list break it up into two sections an A, B, C. then a 1, 2, 3. The ‘ABC’ are ones that are the most important items, ‘A’ being the most important. The “123′ less so and are the reason you have that extra slice of double chocolate mud cake at the end of the day when you cross 3 off the list.

* Do one thing at a time. So just do the ‘ A’ on your list, once it is done completely (or almost don’t let something small stop you from going forward, use your common sense) then move on to the B then C. Finish one job before moving on to the next.

*  Follow the Japanese rule of 50/10 work. Work for 50 minutes then step away for ten minutes.

* What you can’t get done on the one day transfer it to the next day and get that done first. Also, don’t beat yourself up otherwise, you will be known as that OCD woman mowing her lawn with the headlights on at 730pm at night. Not that it matters but there is always tomorrow. You must stop at some point otherwise you will get burnt out and that brings joy to no one.

Tell me how do you get the big stuff done? Are you a list maker? Or procrastinator?