Work-a-holic

Due to a series of poorly planned swaps and my over generous nature today is the first day off work I've had since the weekend we moved into our new house.  This is where holding down two jobs (even if one is only two shifts a month) is becoming a real strain on my quality of life.  Yet I cannot risk giving up my work in Epping all while I continue to lack any job security at the Alfred.  This may be about to change as another permanent position has recently been advertised and so once again I applied, the interview for which I had on Thursday.  Like last time however, I did not find out I even had an interview until the morning of the day it was to be held, only this time it turned out to be a couple of case studies rather than a full blown interview.  Plenty of other people have applied, and it is only one position, so I am not getting my hopes up, but this is the third interview I have had since I started working at the Alfred, so if I don't get it this time I need to seriously start to reconsider my future there.

Anyway, for now I am still at the Alfred and one of my biggest problems is to sort out my new longer commute.  Barnadi has taken it upon himself to drive me, originally to Northcote station but more recently all the way to work in the mornings, but I still have to make my own way back.  The options are:

1. Tram then Train (+/- Bus)
2. Tram then Tram
3. Bus then Tram

The first option worked quite well at first, with an express train to Watsonia that arrived just in time to connect with a bus to take me the last little bit of the Journey home.  After the first couple of days I found I missed the express train and so missed the connecting bus, rather than wait for the bus the only option is to walk the remaining distance.
Option two takes a lot longer as the tram is frequently held up by traffic and has more stops than the train.  The tram does come a lot closer to our house and stops just outside Narai Thai so I can pop in to see Barnadi on my way home, and for that reason I am preferring this option for now.
The third option is one I haven't tried yet, but the public transport Victoria journey planner website does indicate it is the quickest.  The downside is that buses are very infrequent and so although the journey itself may be the most direct it will actually take longer with the amount of time I will waste waiting for the bus.

Still work and getting to and from it were the last things on my mind today, today was all about enjoying the new home.  Barnadi has been very busy these past couple of weeks getting everything set up to his own unique tastes.  He is quite keen to get some new furniture to replace some of the IKEA items we purchased when we first arrived in Australia, so today we invested in a new dinning table and chairs as well as some new shelves for the 'Library'.  As well as inside the house we also have lots to get for the outside, with a big front and back garden to look after so a trip to Masters later and we now have a spade, a rake, a saw, shears, secateurs, a step ladder and a hose pipe.  What we still don't have but quite desperately need is a lawn mower.

Our most exciting purchase for the day was Lili and Lilo our two new goldfish.  We haven't dared get any fish for a while after the tragic short lives of Bronzefin and Coppertail, but it seemed right to get some new fish now we are settled in the new house, lets hope they have a longer and fuller life than their predecessors.