Paperwork for Permanent Partner Visa finalised
I should be in bed, but I’m not feeling sleepy. Tonight we finalised the paperwork for the Permanent Partner visa. This is the final step to my family being granted Australian permanent residency.
Why can’t I sleep? Because the waiting begins again. I think I am just over all the waiting. I’m not unrealistic: I know the department has a lot of work and I know they are under-resourced. That is my head, my heart and emotions are a different matter.
We went down to the police station and swore the two statutory declarations and had the copies of all the passports certified. Mr O still gets stunned when we go to the police station and we don’t have to pay any money. 
Tomorrow I will photocopy everything and send it off the Partner (Permanent) Processing Centre in Brisbane. This seems to be a streamlined process from what I have heard about from others in the past. I believe the old process required more Form 888 submissions, for example. We were not asked for Form 888 but Mr O’s statutory declaration asked for names and addresses of two people who could be contacted. I initially thought I had to supply two names too, but I was mistaken.
Homework and the facts of life
Homework assignments in a new country can be challenging. Mr O Jnr 1 is nearly 14. As any parent knows, this is an age where sex probably features overly prominently in a young man’s thoughts, let alone doing homework assignments on related topics! He comes from a culture where issues such as pregnancy, sex, masturbation and contraception are not openly discussed. This week he had an assignment and was able to choose from the topics as listed in the Health Workbook (see below).
Both boys started off finding the whole thing rather hilarious. I think it was more embarrassment than hilarity, to be honest. Embarrassment at suddenly talking openly about such things. I’m not the sort that finds such discussions at all embarrassing, which is probably a good thing!
Assignment
50,000 approaches
50,000 page views is just around the corner. I am sitting here reflecting and wondering where to now with Love versus Goliath. We’ve come a long way and the book is coming along. Maybe not as fast as I’d like, but I have a full-time job and a large family. There are only so many hours in the day and strangely enough I like to sleep for at least a few hours out of 24.
I’m now gleaning writing tips from anywhere I can. Thank you to our readers who gave me links to some very valuable resources! I try to spend Sunday mornings writing and aim to get 3,000 words done. This isn’t as little as it sounds, as my writing is more about revising, editing and expanding much of this website text, which runs in at well over 100,000 words. I am not starting from scratch. I have the characters, but I have to paint them on paper to our audience. The plot is factual, I don’t have to make it up, but I do have to construct how I relate those facts.
I have learnt that authors need to have a social media presence: thankfully Kristen Lamb says a web site and Twitter are sufficient (see the comments)! Just as well, because as much as I probably shouldn’t say this and I am sure Raincoaster will chastise me, I find some other social media platforms VERY HARD WORK! Is that an age-related perspective, or just because there are not enough hours in the day? I thought Google+ might be a more mature platform than Facebook (the people, not the technology) but I am yet to be convinced!
www.qatarsex.com
There are some things in life I do not understand. Ever since February I have been getting search terms reaching our site involving Qatar sex in some way or another.
http://www.qatarsex.com (As far as I know, there is no such site! WP keeps putting a hyperlink here, as did Twitter when I shared!)
qatarsex
search qatarsexx (The double “x” is very common.)
qatar sex.com
qatarsax (I guess they play the sax in Qatar?)
The above are just a few of the search terms that arrive on my dashboard!
Yes, I did visit my husband in Qatar. Yes, I have written about sex!
Finally, a normal life
Image via Wikipedia
But what, exactly, is a “normal life”? As many friends have said over the years, indeed as I have asked over the years, define “normal”? Normal will mean something different to each and every one of us. Normal will mean something different to, I am sure, each and every one of my family.
I looked back at my article of yesterday. Compared to last year, we are now normal, or as close to normal as I can assess normal to be. We are all together in the one house. The kids go to school every day. Yes, we have the “normal” family issues. Read more 
Tired, broke, but relieved
It is 5:50am as I start writing and I’ve been up since 5:15am! Melanie couldn’t understand why I wasn’t “jumping and yelling”: I think I am just too exhausted, it has been a very difficult time and despite the joy at the visa finally being granted this isn’t over yet. Lack of sleep is now a problem for different reasons (over thinking all the things I have to do)! Melanie was making more noise than I was: I think perhaps I’ve been making so much noise over the last 13 months, being quiet was actually a relief.
The reality is I won’t feel safe until I know my family are actually en route and that isn’t happening instantly! So there is still a degree of anxiety and uncertainty. There is so much to accomplish yet. I have to juggle the already stretched finances to ensure the last of the school fees are paid there. I have to finalise my legal account. Organise airfares. Pay the overdue electricity bill I overlooked! Must do that today. Contact the schools here.
Sex – a lock and a key
Back in early January when I wrote Hypothetical question, Tegan of Not found, but made commented that she found it refreshing to see someone speak so openly of sex.
It’s great to read someone being so upfront, honest and completely open about something so personal and intimate. I’m thinking of you and your situation – I hope you guys are reunited soon (and not just for the sex!)
To me, sex is a part of being married. I didn’t get married to be celibate! How does one cope for nights, weeks and months on end?
