I finally did my first week with the district nurses, 2 days at head office and one day working with a senior nurse, they even have their own cars with the Royal District Nursing Service logo on them!  They cover a much wider area but the work seems similar, I am working 3 days with them this week so will have a much better idea after that. The pay seems very good, double time for Sat & Sun and long service leave – after 10 years you get 3 months off on full pay, increasing at every 5 year increment. Better than the 25 pounds Argos voucher my mum got after 30+ years in the NHS!

I had a lovely birthday weekend, thanks for all the cards and best wishes. Went for lunch with Maria on Fri followed by ‘bubbles’ at Caroline’s at 5pm. Tried to make it home before  Ste got back from Sydney and pretend I had been sat there in misery on my birthday but he beat me home! Sat went for lunch again with Ste & Ellie then went to explore the beach around Parkdale and Mordialloc, it was a beautiful weekend again – even starting to avoid the sun at times! Had dinner at a restaurant with Michele & Patrick Sat night. We did book a taxi but have now realised that taxi’s around here  are so unreliable, ended up catching the bus, not done that in over 20 years!  No wonder the Aussies drink & drive.

Played tennis again this morning, the other ladies seem really nice and are about the same standard – all beginners. He had us practicing serving also, that was such a laugh, ended up hitting fresh air most of the time. Ellie also went to tennis on Fri then to a ‘social’ at the tennis club Sat night, hard persuading her to continue with it just because she wasn’t born an expert in it!

The weather has been lovely everyday, but along with the heat comes the insects, particularly the mosquito’s. Both Ellie & I have bites so I have bought some repellent. We have fly screens on all the windows but not the doors so have to keep them closed, may have to investigate the options for the doors or even ask the landlord to fit them. He has been informed we are taking him to VCAT and has been in touch all over the weekend coming in to do jobs. The date for the hearing in Oct 25th, so we’ll see how things progress. Still probably go to the hearing as we have put up with over 3 months of hassle and a broken house and would move if the right house became available.