Amongst my many accomplishments this week, it has to be said that attempting to burn down my Aunty and Uncles house has to top them! I am not a fantastic cook at the best of times, but as part of my boarding arrangement with my Uncle, I have to cook one night a week. The first attempt could have gone better - I acquired the recipe for macaroni cheese from my Mum thinking that it would be a nice easy dish to do. It was a stodgy monstrosity (at least I did manage to avoid making lumpy sauce). The second attempt with grilled aubergines was more successful, almost edible. However, it is always a good idea to make sure you have switched the grill off afterwards! A lesson I learnt when my Uncle exclaimed "What's that smell of burning, and where is all this smoke coming from?!". Other than that, the past week has been lovely. For the first time in a long time I have taken the opportunity to do nothing, to relax and enjoy the weather. I am getting a little browner (Australian sun is notorious for burning so I'm doing so cautiously), my Uncle took no time in telling me I looked pale and far too 'European' and would have to do something about it. So on Friday, having driven the girls to school, I accompanied my Uncle and Aunty down to the Uni and while they worked, I sat merrily outside in the sun, wearing a flowery vest and shorts and read! Bliss!

I know that I ought to get off my behind and do something but to be honest, I don't want to. Not just yet anyway. I am being of some use around the place, doing the washing up (don't gasp Dad), cleaning the pool in the garden and looking after the girls. Aunty and Uncle went out to a Ronald MacDonald Charity Ball the other weekend and I spent the night with the girls doing all sorts including karaoke (Fang the cat didn't think too much of my singing; she moaned repeatedly). Today we put the cat outside and the whole family proceed to karaoke - great video of Uncle dancing, one person whose voice may actually be worse than mine!

I was in tears this week - MY car has gone!!! The heap of junk that has (just about) got me from A to B since I passed has finally been sold. I think the tears are ones of happiness rather than sadness due to the fact that by the end, I had to remove the battery and manually charge it every time I wanted to use the car! So Mum is committed to cycling and Dad is on his BRIGHT YELLOW scooter - sooo cute! Over here I have the Mini! Its fab - a tad more sensitive on the brakes than the Rover, might have something to do with the fact that it actually has some. However, driving with the roof down does require that you keep a hairbrush constantly by your side! Again, like with cooking, my first experience of driving the Mini on Adelaide roads did not go quite to plan when I promptly started driving down the wrong side of the road - oops!

This weekend Graham, the two girls and I all went to Belair National Park. It was a foul day, cold, spiting rain - not what I came for. I had, expecting fabulous weather all the time in Australia, bought just the one jumper with me. Having forgotten to bring a jumper to the park at all, Colleen decided she wanted mine. That left me in a vest, shorts, an oversized hat and plenty of goose-bumps! I had hoped this outing would be a chance for me to see some native wildlife of which I have seen very little so far. Due to the weather there was little activity to be seen in the bush; no kolas, emus or kangaroos but we did manage to spot an Echidna (the spelling of which was corrected by Megan because my spelling is awful) - a very adorable but very spiky hedgehog/porcupine type creature with a snout. Australia once again had to suffer my singing as all four of us, to pass the time, broke out into a chorus of 'ten green bottles'.

I have my bank account, I can pay tax now :-(. The bus system is sorted (though driving the Mini is far much more fun) and I am slowly studying for my theory test. My jet lagg is almost fully recovered (I had a bit of a disaster last weekend when I stayed up, wide awake, to watch the last F1 grand prix at 2.45am to find myself woken up the next day by Josie at 2.30pm! Needent have bothered, it was an appaling weekend for British sport! This week I have no definite plans. I have no excuse not to look for a job now - so I 'might' see what I can find. Dont hold your breath though.

Hope everyone is well, missing you all.

Kathryn xXx

P.s. You may notice the chicks in the photos, two of them are making 9 Goldsack Avenue their new home on Friday - should be fun!