On holiday in Spain will bé black soon if my kids don’t kill me. 
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That’s if you can get back.
Oh no! I hope you get your family out safely. You are such a big hearted person helping your ex. I remember years ago, you mentioning (on TIA), she put you through hell. I can understand why your sister is protective of you, any sibling with do this after what you have been through.
Safety is paramount for your family. Best of luck.
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It was one of those moments when I couldn’t belief what I was reading. I have heard about such vile creatures only in News and it was very unnerving to hear that from someone I know. I salute you for the compassion and calmness. I pray that your ex and daughters have the courage to put this behind them and live a full life.
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@Maria thank you! Yes this is the very same ex-missus who did cheat on me with this bloke. But regardless of past grievances, their safety is top priority as you say
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@Iftikhar thank you mate. Yeah I’m mentally blocking out any emotional reaction for now so that I can get the job done. There are shitty people in this world, that’s for sure.
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I am with your sister on this, we had a family member who went through an awful time with the now ex, it really upset us, but, you got to do is what is right for the family.
My family are quite ‘clannish’ in certain circumstances, if one person gets hurt/ hit the whole clan comes out to protect/defend them and sort out the perpetrator.
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Yeah, same, I initially hesitated to tell my family but did so (my parents have a right to know, they’re their granddaughters) and everyone is helping out. My cousins in Sydney are ready to help however is needed.
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Argentinian Ants Ate My Internet
Returned from holiday a couple of weeks to discover , joy of joys , that we had no internet. Yesterday a technician eventually turned up and after confirming everything was as it should be in the house , went outside to continue his investigations.
He came back ten minutes later and told us that Argentinian ants had infested the connection box and ate through the fibre optic cable. I’d never heard of the blighters before but apparently they are a big problem ;
"Argentine ants are one of the world’s most problematic ant species. They are aggressive and territorial, so while they are not poisonous, they can bite people.
Unlike other ants, Argentine ant nests cooperate with each other and can build ‘super-colonies’. They form these by connecting their nests through cooperation between worker ants, enabling a high density of nests which can grow to huge numbers.
The colonies have massive appetites, making them more aggressive and destructive because of their sheer numbers.
Besides being a major household and garden pest, Argentine ants pose a serious threat to our natural areas and biodiversity because of their aggressiveness and appetite.
Argentine ants kill and displace native invertebrates that many indigenous species depend on. They will eat lizards, bird eggs and newly hatched chicks, potentially threatening endangered populations."
Also once in the house they have been known to destroy electrical conduits and , obviously , outside internet connections.
Anyway , since our internet provider is not responsible for the cables outdoors , we now have to wait for the relevant contractor to be notified of , and rectify , the problem. At least another week we’re told , so that probably means a fortnight.
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Back on my trusty computer, so no auto correct just my dodgy typing.
Madrid, Torreveija, Valancia and Alicante, not bad for a 1st excursion out of UK and France.
Very tiring and stressful though not the best conditions when with son and daughter and daughter is driving.
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We just got back from Zaragozza before the heat hit.
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The sun is shining in Sheffield
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It was freezing last night and this morning just 15°C in Madrid. Arrived in Marsielle and that heavy heat hit us in the face.
Only 24°C in the house after over a week all closed up, lovely as outside it’s frightening after Spain where there was air!
What was Madrid like ? (Thinking of going next year.)
Update from Sydney. Ex and the girls are safe and well. The ex’s soon to be ex husband is behind bars and AVOs have been set for him. Liaising with police domestic violence officers for next steps. Ex has been through a lot so trying to be patient with her.
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Thanks for the update.
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Valencia is an incredible place for 5 days a year. It basically explodes and burns to the ground. Epic stuff.
There’s some churches and culture and shit too.
Realise it’s a bit late…
And do empathize with the fact that kids have schools etc to go. But is there a realistic plan which involves getting the kids back ?
Yeah, ex knows she can’t be in Oz without her village of support. This guy isolated her and took advantage of her. Eldest can either go back now and restart GCSEs (there’s still time because she was a yeah ahead on her exam timeline compared to her peers in the UK) or repeat a year, whichever she feels will give her the best results. She’s very bright and I’d hate for this turmoil to mess up her ambition to study something in the sciences at uni.
The other two (12 and 9) should be much easier in terms of school transition. And they’ve all been in Oz since just before the pandemic (early 2020) so it should be fairly straightforward to be back home.
As part of our agreement I got a lump sum from the sale of our primary joint property and the sum ex got she used to pay off our then-rental property so that’s mortgage free and ready to move into. She’s not the biggest fan of it but it’s a start.
I have to go back to London for work this coming weekend. Her elder cousin and his wife are coming over after I leave to provide a presence at the house.
We have joint custody as we split amicably. But I am not going to leave it up to chance next time. I will politely ask her to legally make me the primary parent. I don’t want to enforce it through the courts but I will if I have to and given all this officially recorded craziness I’m more than likely to get sole custody if it comes to that.
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I think you have your priorities sorted. Keep venting out the problems that you face here mate , it will help you out surely. If atleast people who can empathize with.
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