It's Friday? Really? I've Needed A Friday Since Last Tuesday

Bullety! (I'm tired. It's totally warranted.)

• I am such a doofus. I've just read back over my Ultimate Blog Party post and realised I haven't given a draw time/date to the House Detox/recipe card file giveaway. Duh. So let's make that Sunday around noon my time okay? That'd put it sometime in the late evening on Saturday for most of the USA. The winner will be chosen by random generator and contacted via email.
  
  
• Two of the Piglets had their school sports day today. Eight hundred screaming children let loose on an oval and encouraged to run. Ears still bleeding. Also slightly sunburned, darn it (me, not the kids - no, I slathered them up good). Used sunscreen but was only just hitting the reapply time when I was due to leave so didn't bother. Least I'm not beet-red, I guess.
  
  
• Talented Hubby on afternoon shift this week. This week leaves me solo-parenting from Sunday night through till the next Saturday morning - TH goes to work before they get home from school, returns while they're sleeping, and is still sleeping himself when they leave for school the next day. This happens every third week. Of course, this time around it would have to be the Week O' Crazy. Back-talkin', limit-pushin' offspring included at no extra cost. Mummy's nerves are FRAYED.
  
  
• The Dog (I refuse to use his real name this week, the little gremlin) has totally ruined at least fifty percent of my socks. While they are still on my feet. He waits until I am engrossed in something (ie, totally ignoring him) then he stealth-crawls under the dining table (where I usually blog) and bites my toes. Sometimes he doesn't let go when I yelp so my involuntary reaction is to jerk my foot away, while he stays stationary. Several torn socks later, I have learned to just go 'with' the attack, swallow the pain and hope he loses interest, which, since he's a puppy, tends to be about twelve seconds later. Oh, and he has bitten a hole through the mesh security screen door. My dog bites through metal. Which makes him totally hardcore. No wonder my toes hurt.
  
  
• I would give my left kidney for a straight 8 hour stretch of sleep. 7 hours and I'd shave my head bald. It would be worth it.
  
  
• I saw my Lovely Lady Doctor recently for my Not So Lovely Lady Parts Visit. If there was such a thing a professional BFF, she would be it. The day I knew she'd be my doctor as long as humanly possible? She swore at me. Over the out of pocket cost for an MRI she thought might be useful for determining why I was (then) having so many headaches (for those not aware, Aussies are all covered by Medicare whether they also hold private health insurance or not. Though most 'extra' procedures require some out of pocket costs, it appears to be nothing like the scary stories I hear out of the US. Here, an MRI might cost you $150 with a $50 Medicare rebate. A trip to the doctor is 'free' if they bulk-bill Medicare or you pay your bill - my clinic charges $45 up front - and then you present your paid bill to a Medicare office for a $25 or so rebate). Anyhow, she expressed disgust at how much I was being asked to pay and told me that was ridiculous for an 'exploratory' procedure and not to worry about it (had the headaches not later been found to be hormonally-triggered, of course she would have re-pushed for the MRI). What impressed me most about Lady Doctor wasn't that she swore, but that she obviously had no 'doctor is the authority' barrier that so many health professionals have - and in the years since, she has expressed such genuine caring toward my family and I that I can't imagine having anyone else looking out for us. HOWEVER - she is insanely popular within the medical practice she works at for this very reason - it is impossible to get an appointment with her with less than 3 weeks notice. Clearly this puts her outside of the realm of most illnesses likely to befall the family. Lady scrapin', however, comes with its own little reminder letter in the mail, LOL - plenty of time to schedule an appointment!
  
  
• On a whim this week, I dropped into this local store. Now the website really doesn't do it justice, but the store itself is filled with french and romantic inspired recycled timber furniture, all really classic solid pieces, as well as country homewares and knick knacks and it is all totally my style. It has been an uphill battle to replace our outdated furniture over the years - we're currently decorated in a mismatched collection of Early Australian Bachelor and High School Woodshop - but we suddenly find ourselves with a small amount of cash to spend this month. I was looking over the Ikea catalogue, mentally adding up components to create the entrance/hall storage combo I need, and really only went into Favourite Store On Earth to drool over pieces I couldn't afford. BUT - I discovered a few pieces in there that (once you take into consideration drawer and cupboard inserts, baskets etc) are on par with Ikea prices so now we're looking more closely at updating to Grown Up Furniture. I spied a hall table that would be awesome but is too long for the space we have. I haven't totally exhausted my options though - and I'll be dragging poor Talented Hubby along with me for another visit this coming week :)

I really, really hope I get a sleep in tomorrow...