Today's Kveta's birthday.. Born in 1957, so that makes it her Her 52nd.. I think we'll go get a durian (or 2) for it later.. It's still early in the day here.

Kveta on Congwong Beach May 24th 2009

We've been going through a bit of a soggy wet spell this past week or so. Fortunately nowhere near as serious as many places along the east coast has..There'sbeen a few towns flooded and declared disaster zones..Lismore, Grafton, and other places around the Northern Rivers area (An area both Kveta and I have lived previously).

Touch wood, this area we're in now is not proned to floods or other diverse weather conditions.. Any such threat here would most likely come from the sea, being as close as it is..

Kveta on Congwong Beach 24th May 2009

Anyhow, quiet, mostly indoor days here. No one's golfing so no point in looking for balls just yet.. - Looks like the market will be off again for tomorrow.

Only another 5 days before Kveta flies off to Europe, and only about 3 months left before I know whether or not I get to stay!

not much else to report, I'll add a photo or 2 later [Just added them. 26/5/09]..

Hugs Kveta!!
mango.

My dad was born on this day, in the year 1926.. That makes him 83 years old, and embarking now on his 84th..

He and mum, who normally live in England, have gone to Spain for a few weeks holiday, and staying in our bungalow near Campello (half way between Alicante and Benidorm).

I think they left the UK just 2 days ago.

I'll likely give them a quick call later today.

Anyhow, even though I know you'll likely never read this message, happy 83rd dad! (they no longer have a computer/internet connection in either the UK or Spain).

Mum & dad in Spain in March 2004

Back on Ozzy shores, the latest and greatest news is that Kveta has just passed her driving test (this morning - Well done Kveta!!), and now holds a full ozzy driving license.. I'm still driving on my UK one as I'm under no legal obligation to get an australian one until at most 3 months after I get my permanent residency visa (IE not until toward the end of this year) - In fact, until I get my permanent visa, I can only get a provisional australian driving license, which'ld be a waste of money.

Anyhow, Kveta has already been driving for many years, as she took her test, and passed, back when she was still living in the Czech Republic, but the bureaucracy here makes it compulsory for czech drivers to retake the test..

That white one is ours..

Our car is a toyota camry, especially equipped with hand controls for kveta, so that she can steer, indicate, brake and accelerates with her hands alone..

Touch wood, it appears to be running quite well, but does have some rust issues, and at this very moment, Kveta is visiting a friend of hers called Sunny, who is doing some work on repairing rust damage to the roof (just above the windscreen) of the car. I think the infection is worse than we first thought, and the windscreen has been slightly cracked as a consequence of the work being done on it, and will have to be replaced..

Photo taken in 2007 while on vacation in Northern NSW

We're hoping that it'll see us safely relocated to the tropics, so it'll have to knock up at least another few more thousand kilometers..

Hi Amelia!

Happy 4th Birthday, and May the Fourth be with you always!!

Sorry I can't be there to give you a hug.. Not easy when I'm on the other side of the world and have long since forsaken the traditional 9 to 5 working/wages..

I hope you have a pleasant day, and that mum takes you somewhere nice for the day! (I believe today is the first day that your dad starts work teaching autistic children, so I'm guessing you won't see him until he gets back from work!)..

Anyhow, sending you lots of love!

From Uncle Mango..

I think I'm feeling to  take that back what I wrote yesterday, about Denni not exactly being a friend..

It's not true, he is definitely a friend, as well as a neighbour. I do appreciate how he's helped me getting started with the balls and all, and despite his being needy, and suffering from depression, he is on many levels a very kind person.

Free Spirited Denni, with his habitual cigarette.

Like I said, he is on a terrible diet, and it truly surprises me that he has managed to survive this long.. I used to tell him all the time that he needs to change his ways and eat more fruit, but I soon realised I was fighting a loosing battle there, his lifestyle, sadly, like most other peoples out there, is immersed in addiction.

Denni with his golf balls..
He's been in the business for many years already

he lives in the building opposite ours, and has 2 big dogs that he calls his babies.

Just came out from the bushes with a rucksack full of balls.

peace to you denni,
mango

As always, time is flying, and life is being good to us..

Kveta and I have been for a couple of nice walks together recently, that hasn't happened enough in the past, and I'm hoping that we may make a regular thing of it..

I'm still getting out most mornings of the week, either in search of the golf balls, or to do a spot of gardening.

Kveta and I, out for a stroll along Congwong beach

Kveta will soon be leaving me for a couple of months, as her planned vacation in the Czech Republic draws closer. I'll be home alone, and just enjoying my time doing what I do, and will no doubt be hugging the hotwater bottle again as the temperature is dropping slowly.

I'm still hanging out with a neighbour called Denni. I wouldn't exactly call him a friend as he is very needy, and clearly has mental health issues from long term alcohol abuse.. He's also on the worst diet I've witnessed for some time, and seems to eat little other than chicken wings, chicken liver and bread with salami..

He's the guy that introduced me to the golf ball thing, as he has been selling balls for many many years already..

We go looking for golf balls together sometimes.

A view of Kveta from the sea (I enjoyed a quick swim)

It's Amelia's birthday tomorrow. I made her a short video of myself as a present.. Honestly, I think I've been a pretty lousy uncle so far.. My brother has so many children I've lost count of them and would have trouble remembering their names, although I might succeed... I've had little to do with him, or his kids (most of who are adults already, and one at least has children of her own) for many years already. I sometimes wonder if we will ever really see each other again.

I'd certainly like to keep in touch with my sister and her family, and see them again soon, but this whole present, birthday, card thing I am not at all good at.

In fact the only people I keep in touch with on a pretty regular basis are my parents who I try to call once a week..

Zoomed in on Kveta

The pictures above were all taken yesterday.

Peace and hugs,
Mango.