Don't disturb ... I am absorbing reality.

Have I told you about my love of certain Reality TV Shows? The ones that mix reality TV with renovation?

I am soooo excited that The Block will be airing it's new 2012 season on Monday night. There will be no guessing where I'll be @ 7pm. Actually, just in case of unscheduled catastrophe, I will be setting to record so I don't miss it, and can even watch it again to get me through to the next episode.

When 2011 season of The Block ended last year, it was like saying goodbye to old friends. My friendships have continued online though, having discovered the Facebook page of Polly and Waz , Rod and Tania, Josh and Jenna, Katrina and Amie. Even more exciting was discovering part-way through 2011 that Katrina is an avid blogger, and I have been following her ever since. She is one cool chick that has many talents.

So, this season will introduce 8 more couples, whom, no doubt, I will welcome into my lounge room each week and grow to love.I will get inspired by their passion and drive, their skills and sometimes lack there of. I will get sucked into the game of reality TV, and take sides in disputes. I will have an opinion on the style and design of each couple and eagerly agree, or dispute the judges weekly pick. I will marvel in the transformation of each home before my eyes, and the growth of each personality.

Scott Cam and Shelley will greet me as each episode opens, and I will settle back in the cushions, and exhale deeply. Nobody dare speak, walk in front of the TV, knock on my door or call my phone. Committing such sins during me viewing an episode of The Block 2012 will incur harsh consequences.

I hope you enjoy it too.

To whet you appetite I will leave you with The Block 2012 promo.

Sell me the item, not yourself.

I am all for people trying to improve their customer service skills. I did my traineeship in retail, and worked in the industry for the next ten years. I enjoyed it for that ten years, but then felt I was heading in a different direction, and needed the change.

Retail is not everybody's cup of tea, in fact, some people should not serve people at all. They just do not have the interest or the respect to do so. Some people are born to sell, and just seem to have a natural knack and gift of the gab. I have worked with a few that could sell ice to Eskimos.

Some though, seem to be confused about what good customer service involves. They seem to be getting confused about meeting the needs of the customer in a friendly, but professional manner, and just being overly friendly.

I had once such fellow today. He was very friendly as he assisted me with my pet supplies. By the time I left the cash register, I had learned of his bad back, his renovating skills, his love of Bunnings, his dancing hobby, the area where he lived, that his dog has allergies and can not eat chicken, and that his girlfriend doesn't know how many cars he actually owns. All of this was very interesting, but completely unrelated to the sale. Eventually, I felt like saying, that's all very nice but I just want to go home to my family, and you are wasting my valuable time. 

I left with the items I required, a little frazzled after being privy to so much personal information from a stranger. I give the assistant credit for being very knowledgeable of the products I required. I also agree that it is good customer service to be friendly, and relate the customer's needs back to your own experience, as it shows you are listening and understand.

I do not think it is professional or necessary to turn the conversation away from the topic. In fact, unless it relates directly to the topic, then do not talk about your personal life at all. It is, after all, about the customer and their needs.

What is your peeve about customer service? I would love to know.

Painfully obvious

This week I took a big step that I have been working towards for 8 years. I wish I had taken this leap sooner, as the longer I waited the harder it was.

There are several things that I have learned from my little adventure this week.

1. Don't put things off! The sooner you you jump back in the less daunting it will be. It's amazing how we build things up in our heads the more we are away from something.

2. I move around a lot in my day.  This became PAINFULLY obvious after I first sat down. I played my first Netball game in 8 years this week. My muscles let me know how long it has been and that I am that many years older now.

3. Warm-up and cool down are crucial. I already knew this. My Netball career ended with a ruptured Achilles tendon. I was aware that I should take extra measures to warm up this area of my body. Somehow, I forgot about the rest. I was also so keen to get home and collapse in a heap, that I didn't do a cool-down. Big Oops! Today is the 4th day after the game and I am back to walking properly now.

4. If you enjoy doing something, keep doing it. I had played Netball since 1983 until 2003. I really enjoyed it. The running, the skill, the teamwork, the friendships. Giving it up after 20 years was just plain silly.

photo source

I know ... I have spent money wisely

I remember learning to swim as a child. Today swimming is just a natural, automatic thing I do when I am in water. My body takes over and knows what to do and how to move. It's not something I need to think about.


Living in an island state, which is part of a bigger island, I think knowing how to manage, should you come into contact with water is important. As much as you might think that the drowning stats would be on the improve, the National Drowning Report which can be viewed on The Royal Lifesaving website has some pretty startling figures. Some of which are:

315 people drowned in Australia between

1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011.

241 (77%) were male and 71 (23%) female.

Sex was unknown in three cases.

107 (34%) drowning deaths occurred in NSW,

93 (30%) in Queensland.

38 (12%) people drowned in the Queensland

floods throughout December and January.

114 (36%) drowning deaths occurred in River /

Creek / Stream locations.

16% (50) of drowning deaths occurred while

Swimming and Recreating in water.

15% (47) of drowning deaths occurred as a

result of Falling or Wandering into water.

Drowning deaths occurred all year round

with 129 (41%) occurring in Summer. There

were 2 cases where season of drowning

I know that I have had a lifetime of enjoyment from swimming. As a recreational activity as well as a physical activity I have benefited from knowing how to swim.

As a parent, I think it is money well spent to have my kids attend Learn to Swim classes.

Both of my children have already experienced swim classes. Miss 7 started in the pool as therapy for her post hip dislocation treatment. It was just natural that we followed on from these with classes. She has always been hesitant around water, and sometimes, you could say she was full-on freaking out. I feel much more confident when she is near water now that she has a better understanding of the risks and what she can do to help herself.

Master 4 entered the pool with water orientation classes when he was 6 months old. I must say, the parent and baby time in the pool is a great bonding experience. Unlike Miss 7, Master 4 is over-confident around water. It was just as important for him to gain swimming skills.


After a small break from classes, they are both back in the pool. From the first lesson I can see the joy on their faces from the enjoyment they get out of swimming, I can see the boost in confidence and  I can feel the reassurance as a parent.

Joining yay for home 

Grateful for ... being a Winner

Have you ever taken a chance? Are you the gambling type? Well, I'm not. Not usually. Mostly because I suck at it. If you are a fan of the TV show Winners and Losers, you will be familiar with the four girls who went to school together, who always referred to themselves as Losers (along with their fellow schoolmates). That is until they win the Lotto the night of their school reunion. I relate to these girls.


 I usually buy a ticket to help fundraising, or play the pokies because we are child free and can do so, or bet on the Melbourne Cup to make up the numbers. I don't actually expect to get a prize. So when our friends invited us to join their AFL tipping group, I said "why not". I have done AFL tipping before, even though I am not a huge fan of AFL. Unless I am in the tipping, I have no idea which are the top teams or who will beat who. I go for Hawthorn, if anybody asks, 'cause someone always asks, so I followed in my brothers footsteps.

The odds for this tipping group ended up being really good, as only 6 people joined our group. I must say, that even though I don't expect to win, if there is a bit of skill required and not just chance, I will give it my best shot. So I studied the ladder and made a couple of risky choices that paid off, and WON. Woo Hoo!

Hubby did his best to bump me out of 1st place. Cheeky bugger! As a result, he ended up in third.
And it was such a small cosy group, with a little competitiveness between us and some ribbing ... and one happy Winner!

This week's  is being hosted by Brenda @ Mira Narnie