WOOOHOOO! Five weeks off!
 

Just a couple of hours ago I left the airport. The missus and kids have gone to Japan for 5 weeks to visit family. Right now I don't really feel good, kind of sad they left but also apprehensive while they're in transit. I'll feel better when I contact them on tuesday. They arrive in Osaka tomorrow morning but will stay the night there and continue travelling the next day.

I have already started doing things around the house, mainly to occupy my mind. It feels a little strange not having a time limit to get things done and not having constant interruptions. Of course, the wife had me make a list of 'Things to do' just so she could add to it. I am glad I will be able to catch up on the stuff I need and want to do. A lot will be around the house but of course I plan to fit in more rc :party: Maybe even finish my lst2 :intello:

God, I hope they get there safely. Kids have no idea how much a parent worries until they become a parent themselves.

Honey do list.
 

Yea we all get those huney do lists to keep us busy. That is so our wives think by keeping us busy we cannot get into trouble. Of course you can alway run down to the local Home Depot and hire some illegals for $10 and hour to work on your list, so you can work on your R/C stuff.

Yes it is s a double edge sword. It is always nice to have the house to yourself, but we do miss them when they are far away:whistle:. So when is the big RCM bash at your place????:lol::party::rofl:

Hope the family has a safe trip !

I cant relate to missing kiddies because I dont have any but I do understand where your coming from. My wife and I have ben together 8yrs and when she visits her son up north twice a year for 2 weeks I love the time alone. Yeah I miss her and all that sappy stuff but to have some time alone to do whatever is soooooo nice. I get a little vacation from the constant talking, she never bitches or complains, just constantly talks. Theres no such thing as a comfortable silence in my home.

Oh crap.
 

Oh crap I just noticed that you are totally out numbered there 4 to one. No wonder you have that feeling of relief. Toooooooo much Hormones for my taste. We have 4 boys and 4 girls. My wife and I love it when they are all out with their friends and it is just the two of us home alone.

Yeh, it is a double edged sword. But they are out for the next 5 weeks.... if you can make it to Perth I've got three spare rooms:lol: Hope you like pink. I can relate to the silence thing Bondo. Only happens from one family member at a time so it's less effective. I'm not completely out numbered, me and the dogs! Every night is a boys night out.......for a walk. I've just spent a bit of time cluttering the lounge room with rc gear AND I can leave it there :yipi:

Visit
 

Well I just returned from a 6 week trip of my own, so no traveling for me for a while. It is always difficult being apart from them. We may end up near you next year though. We are shooting for Melbourne or Canbarra for our next posting. We should know something soon. Five of our our kids are already grown and out of the house. We still have three more to shape and mold before we are alone again. The youngest one is nearly 12, so we have about 6 years to go before we have the house to ourselves. Then all we can hope for is the occasional visits with the grandkids. Our five older kids are strewned all over the globe doing their own thing now. It is nice to see them successful, but we do miss them. Life is tough, but life is good.

I just spoke to my wife so I can rest easy until they head home again.:smile:

I've never spent any time in those cities Jerry so I won't make any recommendations. In certain places, aussie people are great. I can understand, however, when some aussies go abroad they come across as obnoxious and or rude. Some of my favourite people are just like that. They are not close friends but I find them interesting people, never a dull moment in their life. Given my wife is from a different culture I am more aware of what gets misinterpreted/misunderstood or taken the wrong way and what is just plain rude to other people. It doesn't stop me from doing the same things occassionally but wouldn't life be boring if we were all the same.:mdr:

Happy for ya.
 

We're happy to hear your family is OK. Well living the kind of life that I have you come to realize that people are people no matter what part of the world they come from. We all do most things in the same manner just because we are all human. People from various places just do them a little bit differently because of tradition, culture, or religion. I have been to and lived in various city's around the globe and all of them have their dirty parts, their poor areas, their filthy rich neighborhoods, their drug dealers, and red light districts. Though each of them have unique buildings, architechture, and momuments they are all metropolis platforms full of people who are trying to survive and thrive. Most of them are also melting pots with people from all corners of the Earth, wich really keeps things interesting diversity wise. This is why when my wife asks me where I would like to go next, or if I would mind living one place or another my answer is always the same. There are certain places I hope to visit in my lifetime, but I will go anywhere as long as we can do it together. We love traveling, and living for a few years in different places, because we both know that we will settle some day in the USA. For now we are just enjoying each adventure with open eyes, and taking in every aspect of this incredible planet we live on.

You still have not answered my question about when the RCM bash is at your empty house????

Anytime in the next 5 weeks was a bit broad was it? How about 8th and 9th of october, that'll give you time to get here and me a few days to clean up before they come home:lol: I don't have too many blankets so if you all bring a swag I reckon we can stuff 30 or so in like sardines. Transportation won't be to bad either, I got a people mover for 7 and the rest can jump on the back of the ute(pick up) like a pack of boongs.

Joke-

An Australian tour guide was showing a group of American tourists the Top End. On their way to Kakadu he was describing the abilities of the Australian Aborigine to track man or beast over land, through the air, under the sea. The Americans were incredulous.

Then later in the day, the tour rounded a bend on the highway and discovered, lying in the middle of the road, an Aborigine. He had one ear pressed to the white line whilst his left leg was held high in the air. The tour stopped and the guide and the tourists gathered around the prostrate Aborigine.

“Jacky,” said the tour guide, “what are you tracking and what are you listening for?”

The aborigine replied, “Down the road about 25 miles is a 1971 Valiant ute. It’s red. The left front tyre is bald. The front end is out of whack and it has dents in every panel. There are 9 fellows in the back, all drinking warm sherry. There are 3 kangaroos on the roof rack and 6 dogs on the front seat.”

The American tourists moved forward, astounded by this precise and detailed knowledge.

“Goddammit man, how do you know all that?” asked one.

The Aborigine replied, ”I fell out of the bloody thing about half an hour ago.”

Go to Melbourne if you can, a lot more interesting in almost every way than Canberra

Sounding like an ugly Aussie there mate...

You know Abo's are the ones that call out 'bxxxk cxxt' down the street for everyone to hear. I've spent time around them when I was little and again when I worked on the stations up north. Myself and another stockman ended up at a party where we were the only 2 white fellas there. Me mate was a cheeky bastard and I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it but he was mouthing off and calling them all 'bxxxk cxxts' and they were just laughing at him.

Maybe things are different in WA but that term & the others are considered highly offensive in the rest of Australia

I've obviously offended you. I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention. I think you are right that things might be different in WA. I have a very small portion of aborigine in my genes. My grandmother was halved with chinese, not uncommon for the Coori area (far north Queensland). There are small differences in the way Coori's and Noongars (Swan river area) interact with white people. I feel the Noongars speak their mind more.

When I was little I had racial taunts (both for aborigine and chinese). When I was older one or two people mentioned I look Spanish or Mexican. It doesn't bother me, I don't think I look unusual.

My father enjoyed telling this story after it happened. He was heading his own commercial building company and took a client to site where my brother was working-

client- that's the hardest working black fella I've ever seen
dad- that's my son
client- $h1z, your wife must be black!

I understand racial taunts in other areas of the world are frowned upon more so than here but they give it as good as they get it. I know that's no excuse. The last street I lived in had 2 different houses with indigines tenants. They were at extreme opposite ends of the scale. One was one of the nicest persons I've ever met. The other was the type to give them a bad reputation. One particular incident the gin threw a brick or rock and hit a neighbouring woman in head.

My intent is not to offend you or bag them out, just give you my perspective.