Cabin Fever (or how I got a job in the sticks and had to live with it)

My first pay cheque made the 99 almost 100 hours worth it. As I sit here with a nebuliser mask on (old school compressor) writing this and thinking how I am going to escape this place for 48 solid hours tomorrow. Tthe only reason for that is that I have a hospital appointment back in Perth and can't be fobbed off with a local "doctor".

My iNeb has decided not to charge any more I can't get the fucking thing working for love nor money so that's when I got the idea to go back to Perth on my almost day off and well wouldn't you know it people seemed to be conspiring against me getting away for a few measly hours to sort this thing out and I am now using a compressor that is easily older than Justin Bieber and takes forever and a day to finish my TOBI but it's better than nowt.

Well this is the view from the social hub of Cataby pub well it's one of them there are 360 degrees of view but I doubt you want to see the toilets, wash room or a dusty carpark.

And now a view of the pub, it'd be a shame to not show you this and it's not a great snap I was quite far away but I'll get a new one and update ASAP soon.........ish.

Work is pretty much all there is to do around here so glad of the pub at the end of the site, I don't dirnk any more but they have pool and darts and I like socialising even if it with bladdered miners when they stop making sense I just come home which is no longer an open plan tin box but a real bricks and mortar building with a living room, bedroom and bathroom it feels almost civilised apart from the fact that it's attached to work so I'm, as one cook called it, "on call" unless I'm out for a walk or down the pub. People seem to do a 3month stint here to get their regional work done. That means you qualify for a second year working holiday visa which is nice to get it out of the way early and not be scrabbling around for anything and everything with our last three months to go. This means that my new 'family' consist of Cookie (she's the cook), Mark (he's a labourer on the farm most days), Dawn (front counter/ part time drama queen) so you'll probably read a bit about them over the next few months it's a pity the current bar maids are leaving as they are a great laugh. There has been a lot of chitter chatter surrounding the new bar staff, they arrived yesterday and I'm not sure how good their English is but they may struggle in a loud, busy bar environment. Apparently one has managed a bar and I'm not being funny but I don't think a bar on Facebook counts as "managing" a bar they were watching everything in awe even asking how to measure a shot of spirits from an optics bottle what the fuck. I mean there's working in a bar and not knowing how to change a barrel but to not know how that works after watching someone do it is dim in the Tim Nice But Dimmest of ways. We shall see how they fare over the next few days of supervision by the two that are already here, real bar maids I might add but they don't seem to think they'll last.

What else?....................... Oh yeah "skimpy" night I forget if I mentioned it's not a glamorous or highly entertaining night down the pub. It is basically a barmaid wearing very little who collects glasses and fucks up the takings cos she doesn't know how much anything costs. But it keeps the miners happy which is all the boss wants to do isn't it. Apparently the one on last week does do a "show" but I was far too knackered after a half five start to go watch any of that crap.

I'm quite sure there was more to report but.... Wait yep yep there was a few big spiders near the pub the other day (the first I've seen out here) I got a few photos then took a few of the surroundings I'll try n get an object near them next time don't think the photos show a good sense of scale.

It's one of two that seem pretty established until Mark (who insists on calling me 'Son' all the time) jumped or fell on to the webs. I wasn't there I just heard about it.

Anyway gonna try n enjoy what I hope is the rest of the day off.

See you after the break

Remember, Remember..... To Write this effing Thing

Yet again I have let my adoring public down. I am so very very sorry to do that to you (anyone who knows me who reads this, no I am NOT being sarcastic)

Well it looked like things were on the up when I got some casual work packing in a bakery. Heavy work but not a long shift and @ AU$20 an hour it was the best paid job I ever had but casual is casual out here and did hear about some work on Monday but after stating what I was looking for (which is full time work) I haven't heard a Dickey Bird the bastard he is well it turns out that it doesn't matter that I didn't find full-time employment, even after doing a trial shift as a "chugger"* well half a shift I really didn't like the restriction of the table I'm a free spirit don't chain me to a desk (well it was a table but it had chairs we could sit at, so kinda like a desk). Anyway where was I?........ That's right RahRah's ad on the gumtree attracted some responses but only one was of any interest (for the blog anyway) so without even having to interview for the positions. That's right positions for we are now both gainfully employed and gainful it will be although when I say we are paying more than we were doing and we are being payed less than we anticipated yes we will manage to gain here.


And here is where I'll tell you how, it's not rocket science really. We are paying more here but the job/accommodation includes food that's correct we don't have to buy any food at all well not meals but snacks/crisps/stuff like that we do but food is a massive expense we don't have here another expense we had budgeted for which will be saved is commuting. We live approximately 0 feet from work, we live in a house attached to the back of work along with another worker but that's no dange. So let the saving begin and this work can count towards our 2nd year visa you know what that means. That's right TWO birds ONE stone, earning, saving and becoming eligible to stay here and earn for another year.

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM


HAHA! The work is not great but what do you expect in the arsehole of nowhere with bugger all apart from this roadhouse and wait for it another one a mile or two down the road. At least this one has a pub attached which every Wednesday has "Skimpy" night and for all of you who don't know what that is you'll have to stay tuned to find out what one is (I want to witness another before I tell just so I'm 100% sure what the deal is)

So all in all things are finally on the up it'll be hard going here for a while, we are peoples "replacements" I don't like being referred to as the replacement. I'm sure it'll wear off and if it doesn't then I'll have to do something outrageous to inspire a new nickname (suggestions on a comment please). No one seems to know what the recent departures did wrong but it all seems a little dodge and as with any and all small workforces there are squabbles, politics, and general bitching and snitching going on. Just keep me head down, have a laugh, do me job n BOOM it'll all be over soon like a wet weekend in skeggy.

So seeing as I have had nothing to occupy my time apart form #JobHunt I still have neglected my self appointed blogger duties but now I have a schedule of sorts I can plan ahead and put a few moments or 7 to write this thing a little more consistently.

You can find out what a "Skimpy" night down the bar on a Wednesday is next time and send in those suggestions and I'll hold a poll of the top ones if I am still known as the replacement in a week or so.

P.S

I hope all you guys in the UK had a good bank hols n all that. My oldest mate got married and I missed it, I did call them but everyone was a little bit pissed by then but still good to hear them all as I am pretty sure I won't hear many of them for a good long while.