Computer Woes (again!), Wheeling & Dealing and Bananas

I'm still having problems with broadband dropout! After not having a computer all weekend, I finally was able to get some sort of resolution today. Because I have to wait who knows how long for Telstra to 1) check the line from the exchange or, 2) actually come out again, my IP has temporarily switched me over to dialup. Compared with broadband, it's slow but it's a connection! Also, AAPT (my IP) have very kindly not charged me for January's broadband service - which is fair enough, because there hasn't really been much service for me. So that is why I haven't been around the last two or three days.

Yesterday, I did a really good deal with Jane. My daughter, whom you know as Flossy, had a garage sale on Saturday but Jane and I went on Friday and had a sticky to see what was on sale. I did well with some Tupperware (one can never have too much Tupperware!) which Flossy used to sell a few years ago. I also picked up some coffee mugs and some spice and herb containers and came away well satisfied. Jane had a wonderful time and came away with books, fabrics, wool and stuff for scrapbooking. Anyway, Flossy had her breadmaker for sale and she only wanted $65 for it. I have always wanted a breadmaker but couldn't really justify buying one at the moment. But both Jane and I were very happy with what we got.

Yesterday, Jane asked me how the garage sale had gone and I had found out that Flossy had sold most stuff, except for a few things one of which was the breadmaker. I mentioned this to Jane and she told me to tell Flossy she'd buy it. I duly did so and Flossy told her she could have it for $50 plus a lovely hardcover bread recipe book. Of course, Jane was most happy with that. Then Jane told me to come and have a look at her breadmaker. I must have looked confused because she then explained she had one which made smaller loaves of bread and that she bought Flossy's because it made the bigger loaf.

To cut a long story short, I paid $35 for Jane's breadmaker, which meant that she got pretty near a new breadmaker for $15. Is that good business or what? I bought some breadmix and yeast yesterday, but haven't made any bread yet. I've been reading all the "destructions" and finding out the best recipes for this, that and the other. I can even make jam in the thing if I wanted to!

I went out to get some fruit and salad stuff yesterday and to my absolute joy, bananas were $1.68 a kg. So three large bananas cost me $1 rather than $5 each, which they were about four months ago. There are even banana chips available and yippee! we'll be able to make banana cake again. I had my absolute favourite lunch yesterday. Toast some bread, mash up banana as the first layer, then ham, then cheese, then place under the griller until golden. Yuuuummm!

Back to work tomorrow - that's going to be a shock to the system after three-and-a-half weeks off! Then at the beginning of February I have two weeks of full time in the city as the prickly lady I work with is going to New Zealand for a holiday. I won't be worth knowing by the time I finish that stint!

Well, that's the last few days...hopefully my broadband will be online again soon, this dialup is really sloooooww.

Update on broadband - AAPT are sending me out a new modem - free of charge, even though this one is a month out of warranty. Well done, AAPT and thank you!