I received a very nice present on Saturday 12th March 2005!!

A beautiful gold-Topaz bracelet

From my landlords

They have been away on holidays and I have been "looking after the house"
And there had been a few problems!!!

I had been on the phone to them about the heating in about January and Joe asked if I liked gold or silver
I said gold...and thought that would be the last I heard of it
They are usually all talk!!

Anyway...they came back on the Saturday and I was the first one up and the heating was off
I popped upstairs to let them know that and Mary gave me this bracelet

It was lovely and surprising because I didn't think that I would hear from them

Then she said that they are waiting on a valuation to arrive for me...another likely story I thought!
Then early this week it arrived.
And believe me I nearly fell off my chair when I saw what it was worth - $720.00 Australian dollars!!
As a present from my landlords!!

I can't even really call them friends!!
I will admit to feeling quite bad about the fact that I don't particularly like them very much

They are control freaks and treat the house and us like we are in a boarding school for girls

Remember the dramas when Brett wanted to stay ("it's a girl's house only")
No overnight visitors (boys or girls) - guests must leave by midnight, etc etc etc

Anyway...I guess you just have to know how to treat them

I am always polite and make sure it seems like they are coming up with extremely helpful solutions to my problems and that I am very greatful for all their help - whereas other people just ark up at them

If anyone has stayed (like Amanda) she would get dressed and we would head out for brekky at about 10.00am and if they asked, she had just arrived - not like the girls who have brekky in their pj's so it is obvious she didn't just arrive - little things like that

One girl at the moment isn't allowed to have her boyfriend even come in the house because a few weeks ago he rocked up at 2.00am (very quietly - they have to go past my door) to see her before she left skiing at 4.00am
He didn't stay but Joe saw him leaving after curfew and now he isn't even allowed in the house
Michelle wanted her parents to say in May but because of his visit Joe and Mary have refused to entertain the idea

I don't have a boyfriend nor many (any) overnight guests so these "rules" don't really bother me at all

I feel sorry for the other girls (particularly Michelle cause Charlie can't even come in the house) but they all signed a contract

I like the fact that we don't have heaps of people coming and going because eleven girls plus Mary and Joe is more than enough but I think that each case should be looked at on its merits

I think they are generally good people and we get a good deal - £70 a week including all bills and a cleaner three times a week - but they really don't know how to manage a house with eleven twenty/thirty-year-old female travellers

We all already have parents and are all old enough to look after ourselves

I can see the point that it is their house and they live there too but if they can't handle it they should forgo the £3,100 a month they get for having us there

Anyway, I don't care
I have a lovely new bracelet (that no one in the house knows about except Tamara) and by complete accident - it is my birth stone!!
I asked them whether they picked it because of that but they didn't and just thought I would like it

I had a such a hard time while they were way with heating and hot water and washing machine problems and hassles with the cleaners etc that it is really really nice to be appreciated with such a lovely present

Tanya

Michelle whose boyfriend is not allowed in the house has actually been given two weeks to move out!!
She had another fight with Joe and Mary and she has to go