Regarding my post about my insurance debacle – I have an update and nearly some closure. I arrived back from my conference and then from picking up my son to have two phone messages on my answering machine from the insurance company I complained to. In the second one she said she was sending me a letter explaining also, but I decided to ring her back on the direct number. Would you believe it I got some guy and he said the phone system was playing up and he then put me through to switchboard. I got the run around and by the time I was speaking to the third or fourth person I was saying I’d be putting in another complaint about getting the run around. I must have some patience as I held on, and I was paying for an interstate phone call. I finally got through to the person I’d been after in the first place so goodness knows what was happening with the phone system but the number I was given was the correct number. She apologised and said I’d been given incorrect information the first time I rang up and thought things were resolved and she’s going to speak to the call centre staff. And if it happens again I’ve got her number I can ring her directly. It had bloody better not happen again.

When I was away last week at the Ausweb conference part of the deal was a quick visit to Sea World to see the polar bears. In fact we only saw one polar bear, Lutik, who was very playful and cute. He put on a good show for us, although apparently it wasn’t for us but for him. I would have liked to spend the whole day in Sea World but didn’t have a spare day unfortunately. I was very glad of the opportunity to see the polar bears and on the way out we snuck a look at the dolphins training. Due to my having a work digital camera I was able to take some photos.

I just had to share this pattern with you. I used to have a selection of patterns and knitting needles etc but they’ve been lost in my many moves during my sharehouse days. I couldn’t find any patterns I liked in any shops I looked in so I went to my local op shop and found a couple. This is one of them. The expression on their faces cracked me up and even if I didn’t want to knit any of the jumpers I had to buy it for the kitch value. This book has these plus a polo neck jumper (or pullover) in different yarns. There’s a 4 ply which I’ve never knitted with before but I’ll give a go. I guess it wil take ages but it’s taken me five to six years to finish off my faux fur cardigan. I’m in the process of sewing it up now.

I’ve been away on a conference in Queensland so even though it was a web conference I only looked at my email once and didn’t even open any. It’s great to get away from the computer for a while and I don’t even really have withdrawals. I had more withdrawals from not watching Big Brother. The only drawback to this conference being held in a lovely resort was that it was school holidays and the resort was full of kids. Normally that wouldn’t bother me as I have a three year old of my own, but I was child free so I resented the other kids being there, mainly when I wanted to be in the spa without being splashed by them thinking it was a swimming pool. I was a bit of an old bag and told a couple of them off for splashing me. One kid did it on purpose I think and the other was kicking while swimming from one side of the spa to the other. These kids were supposed to be supervised and I’d say 50 percent of them weren’t. It was quite annoying cause I wouldn’t want a kid to drown in front of me so I was conscious of where they were the whole time. I guess I’m just a conscientious mother but I wouldn’t let my son in a spa where it specified parental supervision if I wasn’t right there watching over them. I also wouldn’t let my kid put their head underneath the water in a spa – disgusting.

Beside this, the conference was good. It was the first one I’ve been on in four years and it’s also the first time I’ve been child free for more than one day. I dropped my son off at my parents last Friday and as I drove off he was holding mum’s hand waving at me, quite happy. I shed a few tears at the beginning of my two hour journey home but thought I could either cry all the way home, or not, so I chose the or not. Of course I thought of him a lot but gee it was good to have the break. The next time I won’t be quite so apprehensive about the whole thing. He was absolutely fine and even when he got shipped to my sisters, half an hour away from mum’s, because mum had her reoccurring back pain, he was perfect as my sister described him. When we were reunited yesterday it was as though I’d just gone down the street to buy something from the shop, not been away for five nights.

My other sister owes me some babysitting and I’ve primed her that I’ll be booking a weekend to Melbourne so she can have him then. It will be even better to do something like this where I don’t have to work, just party and shop!!!