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Post by corinne11 on Oct 24, 2014 23:44:52 GMT
Doctors in Australia often charge for a script. It does take their time, they have to check your records etc. It helps to prevent people from doctor shopping just to get scripts without a consultation. It assists in people not getting prescriptions to sell on the drugs. I certainly don't have an issue with it. I take several medications and when the repeats run out I need to make an appointment to see my doctor. It is usually a very quick visit but gives him a chance to just check that everything is still going fine, whether I need further referrals etc. Because I have several repeats this really only happens a few times each year. I am pretty sure we HAVE to make an appointment, I've never been able to ring and order a script to pick up.
I'd be happy with $10. I currently pay about $60 for a doctor's visit and get refunded $38 from our Medicare system, so it costs me $22 per visit.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 22, 2014 6:16:51 GMT
I grew up with mice in our house because we lived next door to a wild paddock and they always came in during winter. Many, many years later I moved back in and the house was pretty old and there were lots of gaps between the skirting boards and the floorboards. We couldn't keep up with trapping them, so we decided to put down Ratsak poison.
NEVER, EVER again! The mice ate the poison and went away to die- just like it said on the box. However, a few days later this awful smell starting drifting up from the floorboards. Did I mention it was summer and over 40 degrees Celsius! While we were sitting in the lounge room, horrible blowflies starting coming up from the depths of our floor. The mice had obviously died and flies had laid maggots in their bodies and now their little offspring were hatching.
Truly, it was like something from a horror movie. The flies were all sluggish and flopping on the floor as they were being born. I was screaming and my husband was hitting them and spraying them with flyspray. When we scooped them all up in a dustpan, we counted well over ONE HUNDRED!
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 19, 2014 10:51:16 GMT
My school starts at 8:50am and we have recess from 11- 11:20 where the students eat fruit or snacks and run around. We then have "eating time" at 12:50-1pm (in class with teachers) followed by 30 minutes play time. To counteract some of the problems that may arise during play we have at least 2 different lunchtime activities each day (teachers do these as part of their weekly yard duties) such as games in the gym, board games in the library, supervised soccer games etc.
The activities are suggested by the students during class meetings, taken to the Student Rep Council and voted upon. Teachers keep track of how successful these lunchtime activities are to see if they are continued.
We then continue with lessons until 3pm. We have a specialist PE teacher who provides lessons, teachers do fitness activities several times a week and we offer after school sports programs.
If I understand correctly, does this mean schools that cut it, have lessons from early in the morning with no break until lunchtime? We could never cut out recess, our teachers would complain, never mind the kids!Many of our teachers wouldn't cope well without their mid morning coffee. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 18, 2014 4:45:08 GMT
I'm another one who would prefer to know I'm pronouncing it wrong. I read a lot and have an extensive vocabulary as far as comprehension and context of words, but because I'm not reading out aloud there are definitely words I have never pronounced and have trouble pronouncing. If I'm not sure I go to an online dictionary to hear how it is said.
Once upon a time, at a dinner with friends at an Indian restaurant, our friend kept asking her husband to pass her the ry-ee-tah. (raita) A little while later I mentioned that this ry-ta was quite different from our local restaurant as a gentle way of correcting her. She knows I was born in India, but she kept saying it her way anyway. I actually think she repeated it more often than she needed to- I think she thought I was wrong!
After reading this thread, clearly I'm the annoying person and should probably stop doing it. I'm a teacher so I'm going to use that as an excuse. I spend my days saying "COMputer" not "pooter" to small children.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 16, 2014 9:32:00 GMT
Thanks for taking the time to write this all out! I am hoping to buy this mat soon as I would really like to cut out shapes for my stamps. I'm going to save your instructions because I am hopeless with following instructions on technical things.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 13, 2014 9:13:33 GMT
So sorry for you.
Nearly 4 years ago we needed to make this choice for our little staffy who had prostate cancer. He was nervous at the vets, so my daughter chose to have a special service provider come to our house. I have some beautiful photos taken that morning as he sat on the couch with us before he arrived. I chose to leave the room but my daughter, grandson and husband chose to stay with him till the end. We already had his favourite blanket out so he was wrapped in that and taken to the van. He was cremated and his urn still sits on our hallway entrance unit.
It was quite expensive here, about $600 altogether with the urn, but after 10 years of happy memories with our little Conan it was certainly right for us.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 12, 2014 2:57:21 GMT
When I saw this story, the first thing I thought should have happened, was that the judge should have ordered her to have the tattoo removed. How on earth did she even explain that tattoo to her husband?
I also want to know how she managed to take the child to her house? On the rare occasion I have had to take students home I ALWAYS take another adult in the car and the child sits in the back. I have also taken 3 children to a nearby school event, but once again, all of them sit in the back seat. As a teacher, being alone with any student is something you try hard to avoid.
I am pretty sure she will not teach again or gain any employment that involves her being around children.
We are having enough trouble finding male teachers prepared to teach in primary schools ( where so many kids need positive role models) and then cases like this occur. Children should be able to trust their teachers, male or female.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 9, 2014 0:20:54 GMT
The article I read said she had recently had some heart issues and passed away in her sleep. I can't find the link as it was one linked from the other Seventh Heaven news stories.
I actually didn't watch the show but read the stories because his face was so familiar. I was going to check and see what other shows/movies he had been in.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 9, 2014 0:12:42 GMT
Many years ago a boy I knew in high school, got a lawyer and handed himself into police after police sketches of a man wanted for several rapes were splashed all over the front pages of our newspapers. He was married (with kids too) and I often wondered if his wife or maybe friends mentioned the likeness or whether his guilty conscience just kicked in. I had run into him only a couple of years earlier and there is no way I would have picked it. As it turned out it became a landmark case where his sentence was HALVED because without his confession, the police said they would likely have never made a conviction.
I don't know how to link but there is a youtube video of a news reporter (in the USA I think) who is reporting on a news story about a rapist and the picture is right alongside his head and he is the spitting image of the sketch!! Little bit awkward. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 8, 2014 3:13:46 GMT
Last year we dressed up as Drew Carey and Mimi (my avatar!) My husband wore a white t-shirt with a checked shirt over the top with jeans. He already wears glasses and we did dye his hair a lighter colour and had it cut in a crew cut! I made my dress, cheap wig and lots of makeup!
The year before we went as Reagan from the Exorcist and my husband was the priest. I made a nightie, tied material to my hands and ankles, put broccoli and pea baby food down the front of me and used makeup to look like scars. We bought his costume from a costume shop.
No couples this year- we are going as song titles! Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 4, 2014 1:35:29 GMT
I'm in Australia. Definitely this!
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 2, 2014 0:32:50 GMT
Declawing is banned here in Australia too, so we just put up with sharp claws. Our cats are all strays so there is no way we would ever been able to clip their nails. We give them scratching posts and they have a big log outside as well as the pine logs edging our garden which they use all the time. Now the inside one- she has made a lovely hole in our lace curtains so she can see out into the front yard and is forever scratching our lounge. We spray her with water or yell, but have accepted that our couch looks a little ratty.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 1, 2014 12:17:41 GMT
Gee, I wish our schools allowed us to hold parent/teacher interviews during school time. We have an interview week and we schedule parents in from 3-5 most days and one late night till 7. We contact parents if they don't reply to the note sent home and record if they do not turn up. I have been saying we need to do this for years! I remember a parent sending me nasty notes regularly, but she would not turn up to meet with me no matter how hard I tried. I believe that it should be recorded on their file if they do not attend. Obviously I am talking about parents that deliberately choose not to come. I have always offered extra times in the morning before school and even the week before or after official interview week to accommodate parents. I always kept scrap paper/pencils in a corner for siblings to keep them occupied, although sometimes conducting an interview while 4 or 5 ran around the room was interesting. Most students here attend the interview. If parents or teachers have private things to discuss they usually make another time. At the end of the day, I was just glad parents took the time to come see me. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 1, 2014 4:46:12 GMT
I can't walk past drains, the ones in gutters. We live in a cul de sac and have one right in front of our house. The other day there was a stray soccer ball just left there, by the drain for over 3 days. My daughter and I refused to go pick it up, just in case Pennywise was waiting!!
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Oct 1, 2014 0:31:04 GMT
Who thought it would be a good idea for a teenage boy to prop himself up on a pedestal with a lace brolly and fan??? And yes, the cheerleading one is wonderful, just imagine that photo framed and in your house!!
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 30, 2014 1:02:48 GMT
Thank you. No I don't have the Designer edition, I only ever use designs from the Silhouette store so I'm not sure if I need it. I have looked up a few youtube videos and think I have worked it out. I am going to give it a try today- wish me luck! Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 29, 2014 14:12:58 GMT
My answer really depends on how you think your mother will act towards you. My older sister decided she no longer wanted my younger sister and I in her life after a disagreement. My nephew (brother's child) invited us all to his engagement. We went as a group with all our children, she attended with her daughter. While her daughter greeted and engaged with us, she sat in one spot all night so we easily avoided her. I was a bit uneasy at first, but then realised she was not brave enough to confront us in person - all her nastiness towards us had been on Facebook.
Fast forward 2 years- my dad died. We contacted her children, organised flights and even offered all of them a lift in our car at our destination. 12 family members on a 30 person plane and two trips in the car so we weren't in close contact. We invited them to lunch and she chose to sit behind us during the service. One of the most stressful days of my life (doing the eulogy) and my younger sister and I made it through a very long day - 9am till 6pm without speaking to her once.
We were not rude, we just talked to others. Our children talked to her and once she tried to reply to something I had said but I just casually turned away.
Be prepared to walk away if necessary without explanations. Focus on celebrating with your aunt. Good luck, I hope the party goes smoothly for you. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 29, 2014 7:26:40 GMT
I purchased some sketch pens and would like to use them for drawing images or titles. Do I need to have sketch files or can I use the normal files I already have? I'm still finding my way around the new Silhouette format and thought maybe there is something I need to click on to change cut to sketch?
Hope this makes sense! Thanks Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 23, 2014 12:31:36 GMT
Just thought I would update. First, she says to thank you all for taking the time to comment and give suggestions for a stranger.
After much consideration they have decided to stay on here for now. It certainly seemed that getting a job for her was going to be quite complicated and she really didn't want to start from scratch all over again or not work at all. But most importantly, they felt that their lifestyle here was great and they were very happy, so they will take their chances on him gaining a new job in the next 2 years. (He currently works for a major car manufacturer who are closing down then)
I'm secretly happy with their choice- our school would miss her too much and so would we- her friends! Thanks again.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 22, 2014 11:20:27 GMT
We are planning our 4th Halloween party. I get lots of ideas from Pinterest for decorations - huge spider made from garbage bags, ghosts made from muslin and hung over balloons with a glowstick inside them, lots and lots of decorations from the cheap shops and I even make lots of stuff with my Cameo. Halloween fabric for tablecloths, black cutlery/plates, punchbowl with floating hand, tombstone chocolate (used moulds), scary cake with graveyard and fingers....pet sematary(gravestones made from cardboard with crows attached) zombie hands reaching from the ground, even had a fake crocodile head floating in our pool!!
We usually just have a dress up theme, but this year are asking guests to come "dressed as a song title" If they tell us what their costume is going to be, I'll download the song from ITunes so that they can parade to "their" song! I have a playlist which is primarily Halloween/horror songs that we play on the night.
My husband is going as "Rock Lobster" and I'm going as "It's raining Men" Oh and my avatar is last years' effort so we don't always go scary. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 22, 2014 10:35:14 GMT
I spoke to her today and will be forwarding all this information to her. She said she is looking at a place called Warren? near Michigan that looks nice. Her husbands' employers will provide a green card for her to work. They are making a decision within the next day or so. They were brave to make the leap to move to Australia from Ireland, so know they could do it again - although of course this time around they have two small children to consider as well. She was expecting lower salaries for teachers, but the cost of living in the US is also a lot lower than here so they are taking that into account. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 21, 2014 22:08:44 GMT
Thank you all for your helpful replies. I will pass it all on to her. I don't think she will want to do further study - she is an Advanced Skills teacher here which is the highest standard of teacher already, so perhaps private schools may be her best bet.
It is so interesting to read about the way your system works. Here, if you are a qualified teacher you can teach anywhere once you have submitted your registration. She can hold on to her permanency for 2 years so if she goes and it doesn't work out she will have a permanent job to return to. Although it's not all about the money, here AST's are on a salary of just over $90,000 a year so it is a big decision for sure.
Once again, thank you all for taking the time to reply. I will update with her final decision within the next week.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 21, 2014 2:05:46 GMT
A close friend has the opportunity to move from Australia to Detroit as her husband has been offered a great job there. She is an Early Years teacher- Reception to Year 2 mainly. She has found limited information on the Internet concerning availability of jobs, pay etc.
She is concerned that she may not get work as she is coming from a very different teaching system. She is originally from the UK and taught there before coming to Australia. So, if you are a teacher in Detroit, any advice or information would be much appreciated. OR, are you a teacher that has moved over from Australia? If so, have you found it difficult to find work.
She needs to make a decision within the week, so as you can imagine, she is desperate for any information that may help her make what will be a momentous decision for her family. (it is a dream job for her husband, but ultimately he wants her to be happy so is happy to accept her decision)
Thanks! Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 20, 2014 11:16:35 GMT
I am friends with someone whose husband does not believe man landed on the moon. My husband is a science/space geek and has had quite a few lively conversations with him. When we are going to socialise with them I always say "don't mention the moon!!" I'm off to save this article to show her. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 20, 2014 8:57:11 GMT
I cut out layouts I like and keep them in plastic envelopes labelled 1 vertical, embellishments, patterned paper etc. I used to scan and print them out and keep in folders but find my new way easier to use. I can always ditch ones I decide I no longer want. I'm just about to dump the last of my CKs at our school fete along with all my Australian Scrapbooking Memories.
I do confess that I CANNOT throw out my entire collection of Simple Scrapbooks and in fact do go back and look at them still! And I keep all my Becky Higgins idea books too, some for sentimental value and some still to use. I really miss the magazines but am enjoying the Create online one (from Scrapbook Generation??) and am getting lots of inspiration from Pinterest these days too.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 18, 2014 9:20:28 GMT
I think it's a great way to connect with the kids like others have mentioned. Well, I am one b of the few teachers left in a "competition" to have ice water dumped on me tomorrow at lunch... hoping on someone else winning, but I will do it if chosen. Good luck...... that someone else "wins"! The principal at DS's school did the ice water challenge last week after a little girl in Year 1 challenged him. The kids all thought it was awesome, especially the little girl who got to help do the dumping! I was pleasantly surprised that he went along with it. And even better is that he then decided to turn it into a fundraiser for MND (which is what we call ALS). He has asked everyone (if they wish) to bring in a gold coin donation next week, rather than him having to challenge anyone else. We had 12 teachers, including the principal and deputy do this at school last week. Students brought in a gold coin donation and names were drawn to dump the buckets- one Junior Primary student and one Primary student to help them! The kids loved it and lots of parents turned up to to watch. Our fete will have a sponge throw and a few brave teachers always volunteer for that. But then again, our Book Week Parade last week had 99% of staff dress up. Our principal, deputy and 2 assistant principals dressed up in Mr Men and Miss characters and danced around to Walking on Sunshine and You're so Strong! Our kids absolutely love seeing us all dress up- it's a highlight of the school year. I'm the 50 yr old chubby librarian who dressed up as Max from Where the wild things are. Did I care that I looked like a pregnant polar bear?? No way! Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 14, 2014 3:37:59 GMT
I think of Flamingo Road! Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 13, 2014 11:45:13 GMT
Such a sad and strange story. It makes me think about the 80 something friends she had on Facebook. Did any of them actually know her in real life? No-one ever visited her? And the older children were enrolled in school last year but haven't been at all this year?
What are the laws regarding school attendance there? Here, if an enrolled student is absent for more than 3 days teachers need to contact them and if it continues to be a problem it is referred to an education dept agency who will do home visits and support students in returning to school. I'm surprised neighbours didn't report children not going to school.
And I cannot even begin to understand how her husband/partner didn't know about the other children. And the news article says he may have left the state??? Those poor children, clearly living a very strange life and now likely to head into foster care. Hopefully they can be kept together as they attempt to move on in their lives.
Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 13, 2014 11:09:15 GMT
I don't think it was pre-meditated but I do have lots of questions. If you woke up in the night hearing noises, wouldn't you reach over to the person next to you FIRST to see if they were awake and had heard the noise too? and if they weren't there, call out to them straight away? And the fact that the bathroom door was locked is strange - who locks the door when they get up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet?
I think his sadness/remorse is real, but I think he is more worried about himself. When he walked into court for the first time he wouldn't look at her mother. In my opinion I think it was an impulse thing, he got angry and fired before thinking of the consequences. He didn't shoot her directly, it was through a door so he probably didn't realise he had killed her until he got through the door.
It will be interesting to see what sentence he gets. I read that culpable homicide can carry up to 15 years but can also be a fine. Corinne
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Post by corinne11 on Sept 13, 2014 5:46:03 GMT
Yes, I've had the larger one for years and it is what I use when I stamp. I love being able to set up several stamps at once. I am thinking of getting the smaller one as I am hoping to start making cards. (well, I had better with all the purchases I have made this year from Stampin Up!!)
Corinne
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