Spring has sprung in Canberra. Its beautiful! The weather is divine - cool crisp mornings, and sunny days.
But there are traps to spring. Suddenly dawn breaks so much earlier, flooding my bedroom with searchlight strength brightness at an unholy hour. Plants erupt with flowers, triggering horrendous hayfever for those sensitive to it.
But for me, the worst is the wildlife.
If you haven't heard possums mating, then you've missed a true Australian experience. But at 2 in the morning in the gum tree outside my window, it is a very unwelcome sound. As are the shrieking birds at 4 am (well before dawn). The dog that barks up the road. And the neighbour who gets picked up at 5 am by a large truck......
I think I want winter back.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Out of the mouths of babes
I haven't had much to say lately - I've been too busy, too tired, too distracted... Or just plain haven't had much to say! Tonight I am playing bedtime troll to 6 children under 6 and as such am sitting quietly, waiting for the next outburst and taking advantage of some quiet time to catch people up on where things are at.
Exactly nowhere more exciting than they have been for months. I have my own place, but I haven't found the energy or cash to do anything more to it. The onset of summer will probably encourage me to bother with blinds and curtains to keep the heat out, and hopefully by next winter I will have bothered to organise better heating, but otherwise, I probably still wont have got to painting the bedrooms, installing new flooring or ventilating the bathroom!
I still have no love life - and I admit I'm not making much of a push towards getting one. Funnily enough, sitting around in your own living room doesn't afford many opportunities for meeting eligible men.
I'm still frustrated with my family, in particular the ones who live nearby. I did not appreciate getting a lecture on 'loving god' from a five year old this evening. Mostly because I am quite offended by the 5 year old being told that I don't love god. There are those that will argue that it's true, but the person who told the child doesn't actually know what my stance on god is - never having bothered to actually ask me, just assuming based on the obvious - that they haven't managed to convince me to drag myself to church with them every weekend. For the record - I vowed never to go back into that particular church after attending a service in which the main subject of the sermon was how great martyrdom is.
I admit I have a problem religions which focus on how great everything will be once you are dead. It kind of makes me wonder how they get through the living bit at all.... Its frankly morbid, and I believe that whatever else you may believe in, it the living bit that matters - what you do with your life and how you acquit yourself as a thinking, feeling human being. What matters is how you would be remembered here, not how the scales of divine justice play out after you've gone to feed the worms.
Anyway - so rant over. I'll just chalk it up to another 'we are just totally different people' moment and let it slide on by.
Back to being the bedtime troll - there are distinctly suspicious noises coming from bedroom number 1........
Exactly nowhere more exciting than they have been for months. I have my own place, but I haven't found the energy or cash to do anything more to it. The onset of summer will probably encourage me to bother with blinds and curtains to keep the heat out, and hopefully by next winter I will have bothered to organise better heating, but otherwise, I probably still wont have got to painting the bedrooms, installing new flooring or ventilating the bathroom!
I still have no love life - and I admit I'm not making much of a push towards getting one. Funnily enough, sitting around in your own living room doesn't afford many opportunities for meeting eligible men.
I'm still frustrated with my family, in particular the ones who live nearby. I did not appreciate getting a lecture on 'loving god' from a five year old this evening. Mostly because I am quite offended by the 5 year old being told that I don't love god. There are those that will argue that it's true, but the person who told the child doesn't actually know what my stance on god is - never having bothered to actually ask me, just assuming based on the obvious - that they haven't managed to convince me to drag myself to church with them every weekend. For the record - I vowed never to go back into that particular church after attending a service in which the main subject of the sermon was how great martyrdom is.
I admit I have a problem religions which focus on how great everything will be once you are dead. It kind of makes me wonder how they get through the living bit at all.... Its frankly morbid, and I believe that whatever else you may believe in, it the living bit that matters - what you do with your life and how you acquit yourself as a thinking, feeling human being. What matters is how you would be remembered here, not how the scales of divine justice play out after you've gone to feed the worms.
Anyway - so rant over. I'll just chalk it up to another 'we are just totally different people' moment and let it slide on by.
Back to being the bedtime troll - there are distinctly suspicious noises coming from bedroom number 1........
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The interweb is awesome!!!
I finally got proper internet installed this week! After a month with limited connectivity through a Wireless USB modem, I now have unlimited, high speed internet. In fact, this connection is significantly better than my old cable connection, despite the fact that it is over an aging single pair cable that should be pretty crap.
I love the internet.
I love the internet.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Home sweet home
I have now been in residence for 2 weeks. I think I have settled in pretty well. I've got the living space sorted out, the bedrooms are still largely in boxes. But as I spend most of my time in the living space, that's not really a problem.
I recieved my first housewarming gift last night:
I now have parsley, thyme and chives. I just hope they cope with the frosty temperatures on the balcony, if not, I'll have to find somewhere inside for them.
Next weekend I am going shopping for a new bathroom vanity. Then I'm getting the plumber in to fix all the dripping taps! Once that is sorted out, I'll start on the bedrooms. I expect to spend most of my free time over the next few months patching, plastering and painting!
I recieved my first housewarming gift last night:
I now have parsley, thyme and chives. I just hope they cope with the frosty temperatures on the balcony, if not, I'll have to find somewhere inside for them.
Next weekend I am going shopping for a new bathroom vanity. Then I'm getting the plumber in to fix all the dripping taps! Once that is sorted out, I'll start on the bedrooms. I expect to spend most of my free time over the next few months patching, plastering and painting!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The mystery of other peoples standards
So this week I settled on a two bedroom unit. Exciting right? It is amazing though, how disappointing these sort of things can be. On Monday I had an appointment for the pre-settlement inspection, and I was shocked by the condition of the place. It had been rented out, and the tenants clearly hadn't bothered to clean anything when they left. Also, their standards were obviously way under par by most peoples standards (I hope anyway).
The two bedrooms were heavily infested with mould. The window frames were absolutely covered in thick black slime and the walls peppered with grey-black haze. The carpets hadn't been cleaned and the mould was clearly evident around the edges of the floor.
The bathroom hadn't been cleaned either, more mould, specks of toothpaste, soup scum on the shower screen that clearly hadn't even been wiped.
The rest of the place wasn't much better, the floor clearly hadn't been mopped, and in the kitchen, it was obvious that they hadn't been cleaned properly for some time. While the top of the stove was clean, all the surrounding surfaces hadn't been touched. There were oil spatters and food spots all over the cupboards wall beside and the splashback and adjacent bench. The floor around the stove was covered with a thick layer of grease with dirt and grime set into it.
The windows and balcony sliding door hadn't been cleaned, and the surrounds were full of dirt and grime, with more mould and general filth.
Its disappointing on a number of fronts. First, that people can live with that without noticing. Second, that tenants leaving a property can walk away from it like that. Third, that the vendors response was not to take the tenants bond and get a professional cleaner in, but to pop in that night and wipe away the more obvious mould from the bedroom walls but otherwise do nothing.
My solicitor was less than impressed - the standard for selling a home is 'clean and tidy', and as the agent commented - it was 'way below par'. But with the options being, delay settlement and hope that the vendors managed to get it to just acceptable by the end of the week or accept it and clean it myself (which lets face it, I was going to do anyway having seen the state it was in!). I expressed my disappointment through the solicitor and took it on the chin.
I have since ripped up the bedroom carpets exposing the bare concrete beneath, used 4 bottles of mould treatment, 2 cans of Glen 20 (also an effective mould killer according to the government factsheets) a large packet of chux clothes, and half a bottle of sugar soup. The walls are now paint coloured, the window frames almost look ok, and my hands are peeling and sore. But I managed to get in yesterday as planned.
Thanks to the boys who provided muscle, and the girls who provided food. Special mention to the man who knows how to tie knots, whose expertise meant that we could haul the vast majority of the stuff over the balcony and not have to carry it up 4 flights of narrow stairs. Watching your microwave float up through the air is a little disturbing, but everything made it up unscathed and we managed not to take out the downstairs neighbours on the way up.
Today I am returning to the old place for what should be the last car load of stuff, and to clean up. But not being a grot, that means I need to vacuum, mop and wipe down the flat surfaces, because I actually keep things clean - including regular cleaning of windows and surrounds, all kitchen surfaces and actually opening windows now and then to let the fresh air in and keep things like mould at bay!!!
The two bedrooms were heavily infested with mould. The window frames were absolutely covered in thick black slime and the walls peppered with grey-black haze. The carpets hadn't been cleaned and the mould was clearly evident around the edges of the floor.
The bathroom hadn't been cleaned either, more mould, specks of toothpaste, soup scum on the shower screen that clearly hadn't even been wiped.
The rest of the place wasn't much better, the floor clearly hadn't been mopped, and in the kitchen, it was obvious that they hadn't been cleaned properly for some time. While the top of the stove was clean, all the surrounding surfaces hadn't been touched. There were oil spatters and food spots all over the cupboards wall beside and the splashback and adjacent bench. The floor around the stove was covered with a thick layer of grease with dirt and grime set into it.
The windows and balcony sliding door hadn't been cleaned, and the surrounds were full of dirt and grime, with more mould and general filth.
Its disappointing on a number of fronts. First, that people can live with that without noticing. Second, that tenants leaving a property can walk away from it like that. Third, that the vendors response was not to take the tenants bond and get a professional cleaner in, but to pop in that night and wipe away the more obvious mould from the bedroom walls but otherwise do nothing.
My solicitor was less than impressed - the standard for selling a home is 'clean and tidy', and as the agent commented - it was 'way below par'. But with the options being, delay settlement and hope that the vendors managed to get it to just acceptable by the end of the week or accept it and clean it myself (which lets face it, I was going to do anyway having seen the state it was in!). I expressed my disappointment through the solicitor and took it on the chin.
I have since ripped up the bedroom carpets exposing the bare concrete beneath, used 4 bottles of mould treatment, 2 cans of Glen 20 (also an effective mould killer according to the government factsheets) a large packet of chux clothes, and half a bottle of sugar soup. The walls are now paint coloured, the window frames almost look ok, and my hands are peeling and sore. But I managed to get in yesterday as planned.
Thanks to the boys who provided muscle, and the girls who provided food. Special mention to the man who knows how to tie knots, whose expertise meant that we could haul the vast majority of the stuff over the balcony and not have to carry it up 4 flights of narrow stairs. Watching your microwave float up through the air is a little disturbing, but everything made it up unscathed and we managed not to take out the downstairs neighbours on the way up.
Today I am returning to the old place for what should be the last car load of stuff, and to clean up. But not being a grot, that means I need to vacuum, mop and wipe down the flat surfaces, because I actually keep things clean - including regular cleaning of windows and surrounds, all kitchen surfaces and actually opening windows now and then to let the fresh air in and keep things like mould at bay!!!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Mondayitis (PG for bodily functions)
It turns out that this weekend is a long weekend and the week a short week for me.
'Yay' you say? Well, not really. After a couple of weeks of bad sleep, this weekend it spiralled out of control and culminated last night with being woken up just as I was dozing off at 11pm by the people next door coming home. Loud car music, loud voices, doors slamming....... There was no going back, I tossed and turned for hours.
My body has an interesting physical response to lack of sleep. It suddenly decides that the only way to make me stay in one place long enough to get a couple of hours sleep is to turn my bowels to mush. That's right. My body thinks that a bout of gastro is the perfect way to get me to sleep.
It is of course not that simple. To start with, I have to get out of bed at regular intervals. Also, its pretty cold here at the moment, and every time I dash out of bed, my body loses 8 degrees and I have to shiver manically for 15 minutes to return to a normal temperature, often just in time to get out of bed again. And of course, its really not that easy to sleep while you worry about whether you'll make it out of bed in time.
So, after being hit with my body's 'you need to sleep' response at about 2 in the morning, I finally managed to get to sleep sometime after 4am. And then the alarm went off at 6:20. I seriously considered just getting up and staggering into work. But when I tried to sit up, the muscles refused to function and I nearly brained myself on the bedhead. So I reset the alarm for a more civilised hour and dozed off.
When the alarm again pulled me through the vortex of pain, I called my boss. She had her phone turned off. So I left a message, and thanks to the joys of the web enabled phone, wrote an email to her work address without having to move more than about 15 inches in total. Then I passed out. Literally. I dont remember hitting the send button, or putting the phone back (which actually, it turns out I didn't).
Its ok though. About half an hour ago I rose out of the haze following a soft buzz from said phone (vibrate alert for incoming email) and the boss says 'all good, sleep well, see you tomorrow'.
So - a long weekend. Sort of. I'm marooned on my couch, tossing up whether if I go back to bed now I'll manage any more sleep before the miracle hour of midday when daytime napping becomes a disaster waiting to happen. And as for the short week, I now have 8 working days instead of 9 to prepare for a week off. Which wont actually be a week off as I will be engaged in hard physical labour moving boxes around. But hey, so I have about 4 weeks of work to squeeze into that time. If I pull it off they can continue to underestimate how much work I do, and if I don't they might see they should hire someone to help.
PS. Louise - please note the efforts I made to include all apostrophes in the appropriate places (I think).
'Yay' you say? Well, not really. After a couple of weeks of bad sleep, this weekend it spiralled out of control and culminated last night with being woken up just as I was dozing off at 11pm by the people next door coming home. Loud car music, loud voices, doors slamming....... There was no going back, I tossed and turned for hours.
My body has an interesting physical response to lack of sleep. It suddenly decides that the only way to make me stay in one place long enough to get a couple of hours sleep is to turn my bowels to mush. That's right. My body thinks that a bout of gastro is the perfect way to get me to sleep.
It is of course not that simple. To start with, I have to get out of bed at regular intervals. Also, its pretty cold here at the moment, and every time I dash out of bed, my body loses 8 degrees and I have to shiver manically for 15 minutes to return to a normal temperature, often just in time to get out of bed again. And of course, its really not that easy to sleep while you worry about whether you'll make it out of bed in time.
So, after being hit with my body's 'you need to sleep' response at about 2 in the morning, I finally managed to get to sleep sometime after 4am. And then the alarm went off at 6:20. I seriously considered just getting up and staggering into work. But when I tried to sit up, the muscles refused to function and I nearly brained myself on the bedhead. So I reset the alarm for a more civilised hour and dozed off.
When the alarm again pulled me through the vortex of pain, I called my boss. She had her phone turned off. So I left a message, and thanks to the joys of the web enabled phone, wrote an email to her work address without having to move more than about 15 inches in total. Then I passed out. Literally. I dont remember hitting the send button, or putting the phone back (which actually, it turns out I didn't).
Its ok though. About half an hour ago I rose out of the haze following a soft buzz from said phone (vibrate alert for incoming email) and the boss says 'all good, sleep well, see you tomorrow'.
So - a long weekend. Sort of. I'm marooned on my couch, tossing up whether if I go back to bed now I'll manage any more sleep before the miracle hour of midday when daytime napping becomes a disaster waiting to happen. And as for the short week, I now have 8 working days instead of 9 to prepare for a week off. Which wont actually be a week off as I will be engaged in hard physical labour moving boxes around. But hey, so I have about 4 weeks of work to squeeze into that time. If I pull it off they can continue to underestimate how much work I do, and if I don't they might see they should hire someone to help.
PS. Louise - please note the efforts I made to include all apostrophes in the appropriate places (I think).
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Time drags when your not having fun....
In three weeks, at about this time, I will be in my own place. In just over 2 weeks, I'll officially take ownership. This is exciting.
I have however been just a little stressed lately. This week I developed dermatitis on my hands, and today I chipped a tooth - probably because I've been grinding. Its going to be a very long 3 weeks.......
I have however been just a little stressed lately. This week I developed dermatitis on my hands, and today I chipped a tooth - probably because I've been grinding. Its going to be a very long 3 weeks.......
Sunday, May 8, 2011
An outpost of the world
Every now and then something happens to remind me that this country really is a tiny little outpost of civilization that no-one else really pays much attention to. Today it was one of the usual culprits. TV.
For some reason, the powers that be in the major TV producers in the US and the UK think that they can justify not giving us HUGE tv shows anywhere near the time they are played 'at home' or for that matter in the 'U'.
Season 3 of Merlin premieres here TONIGHT. For a minute I was really excited. Until I remembered that Season 3 is now something more than 6 months old. Excitement became a mixture of depression and anger.
Its an old gripe. And it is getting better - Dr Who for example is only a week behind the UK now. But seriously folks, its not like it take weeks to get it here anymore. If you don't want people illegally downloading things, then make the damn stuff available in a reasonable timeframe.
OK - rant over. I'll go and distract myself with a book......
For some reason, the powers that be in the major TV producers in the US and the UK think that they can justify not giving us HUGE tv shows anywhere near the time they are played 'at home' or for that matter in the 'U'.
Season 3 of Merlin premieres here TONIGHT. For a minute I was really excited. Until I remembered that Season 3 is now something more than 6 months old. Excitement became a mixture of depression and anger.
Its an old gripe. And it is getting better - Dr Who for example is only a week behind the UK now. But seriously folks, its not like it take weeks to get it here anymore. If you don't want people illegally downloading things, then make the damn stuff available in a reasonable timeframe.
OK - rant over. I'll go and distract myself with a book......
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Good news and bad news
On Tuesday I exchanged contracts on a nice little 2 bedroom apartment. In about a month I'll be in almost poverty. This is in fact a good thing - because I wont have to pay someone elses mortgage, or put up with the silly restrictions and rules that landlords apply (think, the walls have to be falling down before we fix anything).
In other news, a good friend has had some really bad news about a family member. To them and everyone else dealing with serious illness, there are people who care and will help in any way we can. Hang in there.
In other news, a good friend has had some really bad news about a family member. To them and everyone else dealing with serious illness, there are people who care and will help in any way we can. Hang in there.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Mad Hatter's Tea Party
Today I caught up with a friend over tea at one of those 'artsy' places. You know the type, a conglomeration of various arty shops and cafes, strung out around courtyards and gardens. Beads, homewares, clothing, a bit of everything. And a pretty cool hat shop.
It had quite a lot of other stuff too of course (because those sort of places can never stick to one thing). Scarves and coats, knick knacks and ornaments. But hats were clearly the main offering. Everything from fake fur caps with ear flaps to akubra's and 'going to the races' jobs. Fedora's and top hats, clouche hats and the classic 'volvo driver' caps, sun hats and fascinators. It was a lot of fun trying them on and seeing how ridiculous they looked.
I think I shall have to go back with a camera.
It had quite a lot of other stuff too of course (because those sort of places can never stick to one thing). Scarves and coats, knick knacks and ornaments. But hats were clearly the main offering. Everything from fake fur caps with ear flaps to akubra's and 'going to the races' jobs. Fedora's and top hats, clouche hats and the classic 'volvo driver' caps, sun hats and fascinators. It was a lot of fun trying them on and seeing how ridiculous they looked.
I think I shall have to go back with a camera.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Too busy to think.....
It turns out that being busy is much more exhausting than being bored..... I have been in my new job for just over 2 months, and I honestly haven't stopped running since I started. By about 3:30 in the afternoon my brain starts to get a bit fuzzy, and by that time on a Friday, its completely given up the ghost. I have just enough time over the weekend (if I don't do anything intellectual at all) for it to recover enough to start the process again on Monday.
It turns out that I am pretty good at my job. and its really very interesting. But with so many things going on, I don't have the energy to think after work. Turns out that you need think to write a blog...... Don't expect too much from here for a while.
It turns out that I am pretty good at my job. and its really very interesting. But with so many things going on, I don't have the energy to think after work. Turns out that you need think to write a blog...... Don't expect too much from here for a while.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Happy Birthday to me
I think it says something about your Facebook friends, when even the reminder on the page that its your birthday doesn't generate a birthday message.....
Other than that, its a pretty good day. Quiet, a few nice presents. A few messages and a phone call or two. Nothing too exciting. I'm going out to dinner with a few friends and will try KFC tofu (which friends of mine rave about) at a local Vietnamese restaurant.
I hope you all have an excellent day too! Now I'm off to take an afternoon nap :D
Other than that, its a pretty good day. Quiet, a few nice presents. A few messages and a phone call or two. Nothing too exciting. I'm going out to dinner with a few friends and will try KFC tofu (which friends of mine rave about) at a local Vietnamese restaurant.
I hope you all have an excellent day too! Now I'm off to take an afternoon nap :D
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Working on the run
This week I got to travel for work. Its a concept that has an interesting mystique. It sounds exciting. A free trip out of town, and while you have to work through the day, you think 'I'll have time to do some poking around, or shopping, or something.
So I got up at 5am on Monday, got on a plane at 7, took a 45 minute taxi ride which took me under Sydney Harbour and walked into the office to be confronted by a classic 'us vs them' tirade. I then spent 6 hours entering numbers into a computer before another taxi-ride through crazy traffic to a hotel where I crashed only to get up at 6:30 the next morning to spend another 8 hours entering numbers, another night at a hotel and 6 hours of numbers before I started the treck home through the start of peak hour traffic.
Thankfully I managed to get on a commuter flight on the way home where you get a free mini bottle of wine......
Somehow when you actually do the work travel thing, it really isn't as exciting. Although I did manage to get several hours of flex to spend when I want to...... Mmmmmmm flex day........
So I got up at 5am on Monday, got on a plane at 7, took a 45 minute taxi ride which took me under Sydney Harbour and walked into the office to be confronted by a classic 'us vs them' tirade. I then spent 6 hours entering numbers into a computer before another taxi-ride through crazy traffic to a hotel where I crashed only to get up at 6:30 the next morning to spend another 8 hours entering numbers, another night at a hotel and 6 hours of numbers before I started the treck home through the start of peak hour traffic.
Thankfully I managed to get on a commuter flight on the way home where you get a free mini bottle of wine......
Somehow when you actually do the work travel thing, it really isn't as exciting. Although I did manage to get several hours of flex to spend when I want to...... Mmmmmmm flex day........
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Remember Me
I admit that I'm a bit of a snob about somethings. One of these things is a certain class of so-called 'actors' who appear in popular teenage movies because they look pretty, but dont actually have much in the way of talent or depth. Robert Patterson is one of those I have relegated to this category. What I have seen of him has not impressed me, and for this reason I have largely avoided watching anything he is in because I figured with such a one-dimensional actor, it wouldn't be worth the effort.....
Well, thanks to being stuck at home sick with nothing else to do, and through the urging of a couple of friends (one of whom I would normally NEVER take movie advice from), I watched Remember Me.
I cant say that it has improved my impression of the pasty vampire, but the role didn't have a lot of dimension anyway, so a better actor wouldn't have added that much. But thanks to an excellent script and excellent performances by the rest of the cast, I give the following verdict: Oh. My. God.......
For a while it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.... Just a mix of tortured family lives and youthful revenge tactics. But somehow it pulls you in, you look for the resolution, wondering how its going to pan out, then you get hit in the face by the last 5 minutes. I stared at the screen saying NO! Oh God NO!!!! as a teacher writes on a chalkboard. And I cried. Rather a lot.
If you haven't seen it. You should. Ignore the pasty vampire, he is by far the least important reason to see this film. His one dimension performance just highlights how good everyone else is. Although Pierce Brosnan also does a good job of being less than impressive...... Surprise, its the small names that make this movie so good..
Well, thanks to being stuck at home sick with nothing else to do, and through the urging of a couple of friends (one of whom I would normally NEVER take movie advice from), I watched Remember Me.
I cant say that it has improved my impression of the pasty vampire, but the role didn't have a lot of dimension anyway, so a better actor wouldn't have added that much. But thanks to an excellent script and excellent performances by the rest of the cast, I give the following verdict: Oh. My. God.......
For a while it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.... Just a mix of tortured family lives and youthful revenge tactics. But somehow it pulls you in, you look for the resolution, wondering how its going to pan out, then you get hit in the face by the last 5 minutes. I stared at the screen saying NO! Oh God NO!!!! as a teacher writes on a chalkboard. And I cried. Rather a lot.
If you haven't seen it. You should. Ignore the pasty vampire, he is by far the least important reason to see this film. His one dimension performance just highlights how good everyone else is. Although Pierce Brosnan also does a good job of being less than impressive...... Surprise, its the small names that make this movie so good..
Monday, February 28, 2011
Public transport isn't all bad......
Now normally, public transport is one of those things that like everyone else, I complain incessantly about because it doesn't go where I need it, it never runs on time, and is largely populated by rude, ignorant people who dont care that they shoved you out of the way when you are getting off at the same stop, stepped on your toe, coughed in your face, had excessively loud and obnoxious conversations on their phone which you had to listen to....... Etcetera.....
I use it because the process of finding and paying for a carpark in the city is both painful and ridiculous expensive. I drive as far as possibly can, park for free and take the bus for the absolute minimum distance (one stop - but its a long walk particularly if the weather ain't great, and today it is raining!).
But today, having been sent home from work because the coughing, sneezing, pasty white face and general germiness of my appearance was making people feel uncomfortable (plus, I actually do feel like crap), I climbed onto the bus to confront to of the nicer elements of public transport.
1. The ticket machine was out-of-order so free transport! and
2. there was some really nice eye candy sitting in just the right position that the 'staring vaguely out the window' bus attitude was a perfect cover for enjoying the view. The best possible way this happens is when you get a particularly taught backside in well fitting pants standing 6 inches from you while you have a seat, but today, I just got a perfect view of some great shoulder, arm and back muscles in a not too tight shirt.......
Before someone else says it - yes, I was objectifying the strapping young lad on the bus. But I wasn't obviously ogling him, did nothing insulting or annoying and if we are at all honest with ourselves, we all do it - the important thing is that you do it discretely.
So despite being remarkably full of snot and phlegm, and feeling pretty miserable, its not such a bad day.....
Oh - and public transport isn't always hell - just about 99% of the time!
I use it because the process of finding and paying for a carpark in the city is both painful and ridiculous expensive. I drive as far as possibly can, park for free and take the bus for the absolute minimum distance (one stop - but its a long walk particularly if the weather ain't great, and today it is raining!).
But today, having been sent home from work because the coughing, sneezing, pasty white face and general germiness of my appearance was making people feel uncomfortable (plus, I actually do feel like crap), I climbed onto the bus to confront to of the nicer elements of public transport.
1. The ticket machine was out-of-order so free transport! and
2. there was some really nice eye candy sitting in just the right position that the 'staring vaguely out the window' bus attitude was a perfect cover for enjoying the view. The best possible way this happens is when you get a particularly taught backside in well fitting pants standing 6 inches from you while you have a seat, but today, I just got a perfect view of some great shoulder, arm and back muscles in a not too tight shirt.......
Before someone else says it - yes, I was objectifying the strapping young lad on the bus. But I wasn't obviously ogling him, did nothing insulting or annoying and if we are at all honest with ourselves, we all do it - the important thing is that you do it discretely.
So despite being remarkably full of snot and phlegm, and feeling pretty miserable, its not such a bad day.....
Oh - and public transport isn't always hell - just about 99% of the time!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
A short lesson in history....
Well, really, its just a catch up on where things are at seeing I've been too busy and too tired and too lazy to fill you in on whats going on.
So just over a month ago I started a new job. Its turned out to be a really interesting role, which has real implications for other people. Its also quite intense and after 7 1/2 hours at work, I'm pretty exhausted.
Added to this, I'm house hunting. I've done the sums, and finally have the cash available for a deposit, and for the same money I'm currently paying in rent, I can actually buy a place a few k's down the road. It's actually in a different state, but its relatively cheap compared to the city and there are some really quite nice places around. Its just a matter of waiting for one that I like to come along.
This week, I've been sick. Three days at home in bed feeling miserable on what I am convinced are the last days of good weather we will see here this year. I have a real conviction that as soon as I'm healthy enough to actually get back outside and enjoy the sunshine, it will run away and the 8 months of winter will descend.
Anyway. I still feel pretty blah, and its time to try and force some sustenance down so I'll leave it there. Hope everyone elses month has been great!!!!
So just over a month ago I started a new job. Its turned out to be a really interesting role, which has real implications for other people. Its also quite intense and after 7 1/2 hours at work, I'm pretty exhausted.
Added to this, I'm house hunting. I've done the sums, and finally have the cash available for a deposit, and for the same money I'm currently paying in rent, I can actually buy a place a few k's down the road. It's actually in a different state, but its relatively cheap compared to the city and there are some really quite nice places around. Its just a matter of waiting for one that I like to come along.
This week, I've been sick. Three days at home in bed feeling miserable on what I am convinced are the last days of good weather we will see here this year. I have a real conviction that as soon as I'm healthy enough to actually get back outside and enjoy the sunshine, it will run away and the 8 months of winter will descend.
Anyway. I still feel pretty blah, and its time to try and force some sustenance down so I'll leave it there. Hope everyone elses month has been great!!!!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Be prepared. For the vultrues
It does seem that when it comes to the furies of mother nature, the best bet is to be prepared. In the recent floods, those who had warning and took precautions faired the best. The poor souls who didn't make it were either caught by surprise in the flash flooding, or ignored the advice and went into flood waters.
Yasi seems to have left much less destruction in its wake than was feared. So far no fatalities have been reported. The people of NQ took the warnings seriously and barricaded and fortified and evacuated.
What disappoints me the most is that the media seem to be taking it very poorly. By sheer luck, Yasi missed the major centres and took out small towns instead, meaning that the damage and potential for death were much reduced. And the ravening wolves of the media packs seem disappointed.
Public sentiment seemed to be captured by a tweet from a Cairns local saying that if the cyclone wasn't enough, A Current Affair and Today Tonight had arrived early yesterday morning in force. I have to agree. There are local, experienced reporters who went through it all. And they are doing a great job. The descent of media packs from elsewhere, digging for dirt, pulling people back into the memory of the fear, well..... It makes me sick. We dont need that. There were enough mobile phones and video camera's capturing it live. And if you didn't live it, you wont ever understand.
But so far so good. Everyone seems to have made it through. My folks caught the edge of the destructive winds, and made it through with just a couple of nearby trees down and the power out.
There will be other cyclones. There will be more damage. There will be lives lost. But its a beautiful part of the world, and when you prepare, you have a good chance of enjoying it for ever.
Yasi seems to have left much less destruction in its wake than was feared. So far no fatalities have been reported. The people of NQ took the warnings seriously and barricaded and fortified and evacuated.
What disappoints me the most is that the media seem to be taking it very poorly. By sheer luck, Yasi missed the major centres and took out small towns instead, meaning that the damage and potential for death were much reduced. And the ravening wolves of the media packs seem disappointed.
Public sentiment seemed to be captured by a tweet from a Cairns local saying that if the cyclone wasn't enough, A Current Affair and Today Tonight had arrived early yesterday morning in force. I have to agree. There are local, experienced reporters who went through it all. And they are doing a great job. The descent of media packs from elsewhere, digging for dirt, pulling people back into the memory of the fear, well..... It makes me sick. We dont need that. There were enough mobile phones and video camera's capturing it live. And if you didn't live it, you wont ever understand.
But so far so good. Everyone seems to have made it through. My folks caught the edge of the destructive winds, and made it through with just a couple of nearby trees down and the power out.
There will be other cyclones. There will be more damage. There will be lives lost. But its a beautiful part of the world, and when you prepare, you have a good chance of enjoying it for ever.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
A land of drought and flooding rain....
Of course, the whole world knows that right now its the later that is plauging the citizens of Australia. 2/3 of Queensland and large chunks of NSW and Victoria went underwater just days ago, and now Yasi is taking care of the only dry bits of Queensland.
Lets not forget that at the same time, parts of Victoria are burning.
For those of us familiar with cyclones, being in Canberra last night was quite interesting. Ex-cyclone Anthony swung by on his way out of the country after touring the western regions of southern Queensland and NSW. He was still backing a punch too. Unpredictable winds, rain, lightening.
Of course, not even a patch on Yasi, which according to the experts was stronger than Hurricane Katrina when it hit the coast, though thankfully smaller - but not much!! Yasi is a monster compared to Larry or Tracey, and frankly leave Anthony looking like a squawling child having a tantrum while a war rages outside the window.
Thankfully people in QLD know that cyclones are a serious threat. Even little ones can do a lot of damage. So hopefully Yasi will leave a path of destruction, but be relatively fatality free.
Lets not forget that at the same time, parts of Victoria are burning.
For those of us familiar with cyclones, being in Canberra last night was quite interesting. Ex-cyclone Anthony swung by on his way out of the country after touring the western regions of southern Queensland and NSW. He was still backing a punch too. Unpredictable winds, rain, lightening.
Of course, not even a patch on Yasi, which according to the experts was stronger than Hurricane Katrina when it hit the coast, though thankfully smaller - but not much!! Yasi is a monster compared to Larry or Tracey, and frankly leave Anthony looking like a squawling child having a tantrum while a war rages outside the window.
Thankfully people in QLD know that cyclones are a serious threat. Even little ones can do a lot of damage. So hopefully Yasi will leave a path of destruction, but be relatively fatality free.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Id10t
This is a classic IT acronym. Dont ever let the geek at the other end of the phone tell you that you have an I.D-ten-T problem. Just in case you missed it in the title, they are calling you an idiot.......
It is important to note however that sometimes, the user really is a bit of an idiot - its just that its rude and unprofessional to say that out loud. Lately I have spent quite a bit of time dealing with issues that could well qualify for the above mentioned tag. But I wont stoop that low. Instead, I will just say that there are some people who should not be allowed to operate a computer without a 10 year old child in attendance.
It is important to note however that sometimes, the user really is a bit of an idiot - its just that its rude and unprofessional to say that out loud. Lately I have spent quite a bit of time dealing with issues that could well qualify for the above mentioned tag. But I wont stoop that low. Instead, I will just say that there are some people who should not be allowed to operate a computer without a 10 year old child in attendance.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Back to the begining
I am officially back to pre-christmas weight. In fact, I'm actually a little lighter than I was for a while before christmas. Now I just have to keep it up for another couple of months and shift a few more kilos!
In other news, after 3 days in my new job, I have actually managed to be helpful and to achieve a few things. I'm exhausted though, learning new stuff is surprisingly taxing on the body.
In other news, after 3 days in my new job, I have actually managed to be helpful and to achieve a few things. I'm exhausted though, learning new stuff is surprisingly taxing on the body.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Ahhhhh..... Sunshine
So far we have had 3 days of sun in a row. I'm kind of over it actually. Its hot in the afternoon, and I get sweaty and smelly.......
I used to love the sun. Now I miss being able to walk out the door without feeling my skin shrivel up! Stoopid high UV rating!
I used to love the sun. Now I miss being able to walk out the door without feeling my skin shrivel up! Stoopid high UV rating!
Friday, January 14, 2011
A week in the life
This week has been something of a mad whirl. I'm sure you've all been in the same position as I have, for i have a new job to go to. As of Thursday next week, I will be in a new Department, and performing a completely different range of tasks.
So this week has been madness. Trying to tie up loose ends (which have been proving quite difficult to find, let alone tie). Today, because of the miracle of flex time, I did not have to go to work. Having built up a whole 8 hours of flex over the last several months, and flex not being portable, I took today off. Instead of working, I did three loads of washing, cleaned the laundry (which I admit hasn't had a good clean out since I moved in 9 months ago) cleaned half the bathroom (having cleaned the other half on Wednesday), weeded and cut back the jasmine in the garden and cooked. So to be honest, I think I worked harder today than I normally do at work!
But on the plus side, my place is much cleaner (less a bag of miscellaneous mould which may at some point have been oranges) and I did not spend the whole day in front of a computer screen so I can actually focus on distant objects tonight!
So this week has been madness. Trying to tie up loose ends (which have been proving quite difficult to find, let alone tie). Today, because of the miracle of flex time, I did not have to go to work. Having built up a whole 8 hours of flex over the last several months, and flex not being portable, I took today off. Instead of working, I did three loads of washing, cleaned the laundry (which I admit hasn't had a good clean out since I moved in 9 months ago) cleaned half the bathroom (having cleaned the other half on Wednesday), weeded and cut back the jasmine in the garden and cooked. So to be honest, I think I worked harder today than I normally do at work!
But on the plus side, my place is much cleaner (less a bag of miscellaneous mould which may at some point have been oranges) and I did not spend the whole day in front of a computer screen so I can actually focus on distant objects tonight!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Cake..... and chopsticks
Thats right folks, yesterday I attempted the challenge of eating cake with chopsticks. There were 6 of us poised around the gooey chocolatey goodness of supermarket mudcake with assorted styles of chopstick. It turns out that I'm pretty good at it. It also turns out that attempting to spear a piece through the middle with one stick isn't particularly effective - but IS very fun to watch (great show B!).
I even managed to steal a piece out of the sticks of another cake fiend!
Three things to note:
It is very messy - kudos to the person who thought to lay down a tablecloth that could be taken out and shaken.
Lining your sticks with a layer of gooey icing helps the cake to stick
Chocolate cake is not good for your diet - so do not attempt this too often if you want to stay thin
I will have to be very good for the next fortnight to make up for last night - but thanks Louise for all the fun!
I even managed to steal a piece out of the sticks of another cake fiend!
Three things to note:
It is very messy - kudos to the person who thought to lay down a tablecloth that could be taken out and shaken.
Lining your sticks with a layer of gooey icing helps the cake to stick
Chocolate cake is not good for your diet - so do not attempt this too often if you want to stay thin
I will have to be very good for the next fortnight to make up for last night - but thanks Louise for all the fun!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Success
Today is official weigh in day. I chose Sunday because its much easier to remember to jump on the scales before I've done anything else (washed my hair, got dressed for work, eaten breakfast etc). This means that its a pretty static measure. I get up in the morning, and before I even have a drink of water, I get on the scales. And this week, I've done pretty well! I'm 2 kg less than last Sunday. I dont expect that that will continue for long, but If I can get rid of those first 5 quickly, I'll be happy, and then settle in for the long haul to get rid of the other 10 I want to shift.
I am still hungry though....
I am still hungry though....
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday morning consolations
Like most people I know, Christmas had the unfortuanate effect of adding to my body's padding this time around. In fact, I beat all personal records and managed to pile on 5 kg in 3 weeks. This morning, My scales told me that one of those kilos is gone again. Yay! It seems that the constant hunger of the last 5 days has paid off.
I love food. I would say that in most ways, I'm pretty good - I dont have a sweet tooth, I dont eat emotionally, and I dont snack. But I do like food, and if its on my plate, I tend to eat it. So the excesses of christmas are a problem through sheer volume. But the tum got used to it, and now being good is leaving me with a permanent feeling of hunger.
Le sigh.
I love food. I would say that in most ways, I'm pretty good - I dont have a sweet tooth, I dont eat emotionally, and I dont snack. But I do like food, and if its on my plate, I tend to eat it. So the excesses of christmas are a problem through sheer volume. But the tum got used to it, and now being good is leaving me with a permanent feeling of hunger.
Le sigh.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Back in the swing of it
Well..... Not really.
I'm back at work after 3 weeks away, and it has been a real struggle.
Maybe next week I'll have hte energy to work - and to write something meaningful or interesting here.......
I'm back at work after 3 weeks away, and it has been a real struggle.
Maybe next week I'll have hte energy to work - and to write something meaningful or interesting here.......
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