hogmanay

now where is that tall, dark stranger with the lump of coal and a slice of black bun...

the grinch won - i'm staying in tonight. i have a bottle of my favourite rosé and 5 dvds to watch - how to choose between adaptation, amelie, american splendor, australian rules & punch-drunk love...

best wishes for a happy, healthy 2005 to all of my blogging friends and visitors

today's soundtrack:
on the bus - when it's all over we still have to clear up : snow patrol (remind me to change the cd)
tonight at home - dig on abc 702

i cannot believe...

...that this year is almost over!! i'm sure it was only february last week!! i'm working on a little 'year in review' theme for my january 1st post. looking back through the archives, i have to say that despite the occasional lapse into the blahs, it has been the best year for some time. i'm looking forward to 2005.

do you have any big plans for new year's eve? i'm torn between going out and staying at home...

today's soundtrack:
when it's all over we still have to clear up : snow patrol

the magic three day working week

kept thinking today was monday - it made me very happy to remember it is wednesday. the return to work was ok. it was very quiet on the streets, on the bus, in the office.

i'm heartbroken by the news images of the tsunami destruction in south-east asia. my friend lynn in malaysia is ok - she's in kuala lumpur so she is quite safe, if a little shaken by the enormity of such an event on her doorstep. i've offered to send my trauma teddy to her - he used to keep her company in the days leading up to her return to malaysia.

floral orientals

today was the sunday of my long, long weekend. slept in a bit then did some washing. afterwards, i went shopping at beastgardens and bought some much needed, slightly personal items. i was very naughty and bought some new perfume called 'boucheron'. i wont shame myself by saying how it cost but it is really quite scrumptious!! i could have spent waaaaay too much in the perfume store as they are having a sale. sadly (or maybe luckily...), they did not have my absolute favourite available.

today's soundtrack:
a rush of blood to the head : coldplay
parachutes : coldplay

sending prayers to the universe for the survivors and the families & friends of the victims of the tragic events in south east asia. one of my workmates recently moved back to malaysia. i'm hoping to find out tomorrow if she is ok.

home, home...

christmas eve was a good day - we only had to work until 12.30pm. after that we had a barbecue lunch on the terrace area of the new office building and then the kris kringle gifts were distributed. after that, we could go home. i got the train to the 'burbs where my mother picked me up from the station. we braved the christmas crush at the supermarket for some last minute items and then went home for a roast pork dinner as only my mother can make it - yum...

christmas day was ok. only 25°C and a bit overcast, which made it bearable. we had a huge christmas breakfast with my sydney sister, her three kids, their dog, my brother-in-law & his parents. the neighbour and her son made a late appearance also. i had one tiny bottle of pink champagne but no-one else would join me :( after breakfast, we opened up all the presents and everyone went their separate ways. i spent the rest of christmas snoozing, watching cable tv and reading old 'womans's day' magazines. boxing day was pretty much the same (without the big breakfast).

now i'm home, back in my own little bolthole and bathing in the the solitariness.

happy susan :)


otto says 'I want to thank my sister Jan for this week's questions! Enjoy!! =)'
1. Which holiday do you celebrate this time of year? (If necessary, modify the following questions to suit your holiday.) i guess you would call it christmas…
2. Do you begin shopping for gifts earlier than Thanksgiving, looking for the perfect gift? If not, when do you begin? well, no, because we don’t have thanksgiving. i usually start in the last few days before christmas eve...
3. Do you only purchase gifts that you know are perfect for the recipient and if you don't find that gift, do you just get anything? i buy gifts that i know they either want or will like. i never buy just anything.
4. Did you receive or give any "obligatory" gifts this year? it is obligatory to give my nieces and nephews cold hard cash as that is all they seem to want. my father gets lottery/scratch tickets as that is all he wants.
5. Do you decorate your tree as evenly as possible or do you skip the areas that are not visible? just the visible bits...
6. Do you like multi-colors on your tree or do you prefer monochrome? multi – the more, the merrier...
7. Did you bake "traditional" cookies, frost them and decorate them? or did you cheat and buy the ready to bake kind? (like I tried) cookies are not tradtional here, except buying a tin of danish butter shortbread cookie type things... i’ve got mine!
8. Are you the host of a holiday gathering? which one? family, work, friends? no, always a guest…
9. With whom do you spend the holiday? my parents and my sisters, sometimes only one sister. the other one lives 800km to the north…
10. How did the holiday turn out? Perfectly? funny mishaps? miss anyone? pretty average. no major dramas, for once i didn’t eat too much, i had some extra cash to spend, the weather was not too hot… despite grinch-be-gone moments, i just cannot get too excited over christmas...

1. holiday:: ...in cambodia
   
2. fault:: ...line
   
3. beep:: ...beep, beep beep, yeah
   
4. bubble:: jane horrocks
   
5. needle:: ...s and pins
   
6. fare:: ...well to arms
   
7. treat:: ...s from home
   
8. express:: ...bus
   
9. webcam:: interesting
   
10. capital:: ...letter
    

soundtrack since we last met:
kicking the national habit : grand national
the definitive anthology : richard clapton
dreams : evermore
parachutes : coldplay
a rush of blood to the head : coldplay
the last broadcast : doves

back soon...

i'm off to the ancestral home tomorrow and won't be back again before monday at least, maybe tuesday. i'd like to wish all of my visitors a very merry christmas and/or a happy * insert whatever you celebrate here *

please have a safe and happy holiday!

special wishes to my blogroll family - you've made my year a lot of fun.

grinch be gone

for the first time in many, many years, i'm not so worked up about christmas. i'm even kinda enjoying the silly season. i'm blogging by christmas light - i've just got the tree lights and the ones in the window on. it is very pretty.

tonight i had dinner and a spot of bowling with mrs jane and her husband, mr jim. we had dinner at the local vietnamese restaurant and then had a browse through 'go-lo' - bought 2 shower curtains for $10 each. i don't really need a new one right now but they are very colourful and pretty and i can never find one when i need one. as usual, my bowling was crap - 106, 85, 106 but it was a lot of fun, especially as there was a very cute young red-headed man bowling in the next lane...

today's soundtrack:
the best of : new order

fudging it - part II

i'm fudging this one by changing the post date... just pretend that i posted this on wednesday...

went to the labour club for a drink with miss e this evening. we stopped in at video-ezy on the way home and i bought an ex-rental copy of 'big fish' on dvd for only $17.95 - i lay down on the couch to watch it when i got home and promptly fell asleep. woke up at 1.10am... oops!!

today's soundtrack:
the best of : new order

fudging it...

tonight i made some of my yummy fudge. luckily the people i work with like it very much. it is too easy to make and eat and i would be quite sick if i had to eat all of it.

try it out!!
500g dark cooking chocolate
1 400ml can skim condensed milk
50g butter
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

chuck all of the above into a saucepan and stir over low heat until all nicely melted together. (i find that when the mixture stops sticking to the sides of the [teflon coated non-stick] pan, it is ready...) pour into a lightly greased slab tin and refrigerate for at least an hour (i leave it overnight). cut into squares. gobble it down. share it around. make some more!

it is interesting that my communication channels, that have been so blocked for some time, suddenly seem to have reopened with a huge amount of contact happening, far & wide...

a chat with baby g's mum last night - first time in a while.
a response to an sms i sent yesterday to my old bowling buddy & friend, adam - yeah! he's off to germany for january so we'll hopefully catch up next week...
thought of jules today and decided to call her tonight. she beat me to it...
reminded myself to respond to kt in kent's recent mail - there was an email from her waiting in my inbox with the best news - they are moving to oz!!! ok, perth is on the other side of the country but it is better than 17,000km away!!! yeah!!!
a while ago, miss shell gave me some cds to copy to minidisc for her. this morning i put them on the dining table to remind myself to do it tonight. during the day, she called to say she'd pick them up tonight and that there was no need to copy them - she has bought a mini i-pod on ebay (and the cd cases she gave me were empty anyway - doh!!)
sick to death of trying to chat via email, i got mlb in london's work number from him and had a proper voice chat and a very fine laugh. he is a good man and a good friend.

today's soundtrack:
get ready : new order (must remember to put another cd in the discman)
the definitive anthology : richard clapton (again mostly disc 2 to obsessively play angelou... )

monday mail...

the mail boxes (real and virtual) were overflowing with goodies today... two christmas cards, a fabulous gift from the divine shirl, some documents that will help me begin to sort out my woeful finances (or lack thereof...) and an email from someone i wanted to hear from... sending up thanks to the universe...


otto says 'More questions submitted by our fellow Monday Madness participants........Have fun! I may post the final set of participants' questions the week AFTER next. Thank you everyone for playing my meme! Have a blessed Christmas! =)'
1. From Becky... How did you learn about computers? Were you self taught? i started out working in 1977 as a data entry operator and kind of fell into becoming a computer operator. the first machines i worked on were the size of a truck and had less power than my desktop pc...
2. From Tom... What is your favorite color and why is it your favorite color? purple or red. i don't know why, i just love them.
3. From Olivia... What one thing going on in the world right now, has the most effect on you personally? this will sound very narrow-minded and selfish but it is my own personal financial situation...
4. From Barb... If you were going to develop your own meme, what kind would you create? something to do with music, words or movies.
5. From Sherle... Why do you enjoy answering memes? it is fun to make the old brainbox work and fun to see other people's responses.
6. From Teresa... What is your wildest dream? to have unlimited funds and live around the world... mmm... i think i'll go to paris this weekend... mmm... the movie i want to see has already been released in the states, i might just pop over there to see it... a girl can dream...
7. From Mz. Em... Why do you answer these questions? because i want to...

today's soundtrack:
get ready : new order

plum - yum!!

christmas dinner mark II was far more successful. no hijacking ex-bfs, just some prawns, salad, bread and plum ice cream (which was totally divine). i think the ice cream maker will stay out of the cupboard for a while. there was also a brief appearance by a bottle of strawberry champagne but it disappeared very fast. it was given to me on my 39th birthday and i just had not got around to drinking it before - it was very, very nice.

sunday update: i forgot to tell you that it was 38°C here today - 12° above average... to escape the heat, i used my filmink freebie and went to see 'a very long engagement' - despite some very graphic war scenes, it is a lovely film - audrey tautou is just gorgeous.

i also forgot to mutter...

1. Perfect Gift:: some postcards, bookmarks an a beautiful wind chime that came in the mail today... thanks!!
   
2. Santa:: ...fe
   
3. Lucy:: judith...
   
4. Buckets:: keeping up appearances...
   
5. Recital:: ...hall
   
6. Stamp:: terence...
   
7. Teacher:: ...i need you
   
8. Matchbox:: redheads
   
9. Spit:: ...bridge
   
10. Feeling:: more than a...
    

today's soundtrack:
o : damien rice
the optimist : turin brakes
the definitive anthology : richard clapton (mostly disc 2 to obsessively play angelou... the change in mood had definitely brought about a change in musical tastes...)

the girl with plum coloured hair...

i'm sitting here with a plastic bag over my head while the colour i have just put through my hair takes hold and banishes those naughty little silver threads for a few more weeks... while the box claims that the colour is rich violet, the lotion that i put on my head (and all over everything else) very closesly resembled the plum syrup that i made to pour over the plum ice cream that i made on thursday...

...speaking of that ice cream, it has not yet been consumed as our christmas get together was hijacked by a very drunk ex-bf. therefore i was home much earlier than planned and we had not even got as far as the prawns, let alone dessert. luckily my social calendar is in it's usual empty state - we're going to try again tonight.

today's soundtrack:
abc 702
jjj

more later, maybe...

a different kind of saturday...

just for something different, today i got up at 7.30am ish and had the washing done by 9.30am. the kitchen is clean, the loungeroom is neat. i've been down to the shops to get the finishing touches for miss e's christmas present. i've sorted and hung all the clothes in my wardrobe and tidied up my bedroom. a much more productive day than my usual saturday slugdom!

i'm posting early as i'm off to miss e's for our christmas catch up. we will drink some champagne so i might not be in a fit state to blog later...

i'll let you know tomorrow how the plum ice cream turns out!

today's soundtrack:
22-20s : 22-20s
dreams : evermore
substance : new order - both discs
soundtrack : he died with a felafel in his hand (only selected tracks)
the definitive anthology : richard clapton

a plum job

tomorrow night, i'm going over to miss e's for our christmas get together/prawn dinner/gift exchange, so tonight i have made some yummy cardamom plum ice cream. it is churning away now in my dinky little electric ice cream maker and the sugary water that i poached the plums in has been boiled down to a syrup and is cooling on the bench - yummy!!

today's soundtrack:
get ready : new order - loud!

goodie goodie yum yum

my fabulous friend, mr, has got two tickets for 'the goodies' at the state theatre next march! one of those tickets has my name on it! thank you!!!!!!!

a very busy day at work, where i spent the day running about like a chook with it's head chopped off and trying to do everything at once. i still fronted up for 2.5 hours of overtime in order to plump up the christmas coffers...

still relatively happy!!

today's soundtrack:
the best of : new order - the mood lift appears to have returned me to the old obsession. it may stay in my cd player for a long time.

some christmas silliness...

via ldh...

my special secret christmas names are...
using my real name
lucky floppy-elf
or
using 'third daughter'
smiley brandy butter-tummy

and via shirl who found it at ldh...

You Were Mostly Nice This Year!

Sure, you had your naughty moments... but guess what? Santa was probably sleeping when you were living it up. As far as he's concerned, you've been on your best behavior. So cross your fingers, and you might score good presents.

Were You Naughty or Nice This Year?

existential crisis

courtesy of the always welcome filmink freebie, miss e and i went to see 'i huckabees' tonight - a great film but i needed to stay focused for fear of missing or misunderstanding something - definitely one for the dvd collection. if anyone can explain existentialism to me in simple, single syllable words, i'll be happy.

speaking of being happy, i think i am today

new places, old faces

i got in the lift after leaving work today and saw a face i recognised. 4 years ago, i was retrenched/laid off/downsized/made redundant from my last IT job. we were given the services of an 'outplacement' agency to help us along in our search for a new job. my consultant was a divine lady named gwen - she was so lovely & positive and a pleasure to know. i last saw her just before i didn't move to melbourne (that is another story...) and it was soooo nice to see her again today. she is off to hawaii for 3 weeks (lucky duck) but we're going to catch up again when she returns. on top of that, from the bus on the way home, i saw a guy i used to work with about 10 years ago. he was walking along albion street so he did not see me.

they say things happen in threes - who, when & where is the next blast from the past???

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national

stormy monday...

what a relief! i didn't embarrass myself at the christmas party on friday night - other people were in a worse state than me...

there was a huuuuuge thunderstorm just as i was leaving work this afternoon - i got drenched just crossing the road to the bus stop.


otto says '8 more questions submitted by MM players! Thank you!! Please consider paying a visit to your fellow participants' sites...(links provided)'
1. From Mel... Do you have a favorite 80's song? west end girls : pet shop boys
2. From Luzja... What’s the biggest event in your life to date? being born...
3. From Amy... What's one more thing during your lifetime you would like to learn how to do well? love...
4. From Susan... what is your earliest childhood memory? when i was about 4 years old, my mother took me into parramatta to have a photo taken with santa. we had lunch at coles cafeteria & somewhere, somehow i ended up with a balloon. on the way home, my balloon burst when it hit the hot concrete at the railway station and when we got home our dog, boxhead, had gone to doggy heaven...
5. From LDH... What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? um, $0.15 per pound???
6. From Beverly and Rosie... Where, When and What is your most favorite memory? the one that comes to mind - visiting my grandparents in lismore when i was about 10 or 11. my grandfather came home from the supermarket and told me he had bought a surprise for me. my grandfather had a cleft palate so his speech was often hard to understand. i usually had no trouble understanding him but that day i could only work out that there was a surprise but could not decipher what the surprise was. i had to wait until the groceries were delivered to find out he had bought me some ice-cream and it was all for me - i did not have to share it with my sisters. my grandfather and i had a very nice mutual admiration society thing happening.
7. From Shirl... Do you fit in? never, i'm the eternal round peg in a square hole, the blacksheep of the family & always the odd one out.
8. From Sherle... Tell me your favorite recipe then go to Recipe Swap and share it with all of us!
chicken scaloppine with herbs from antonio carluccio's italian feast:
4 skinless chicken breasts with bone (i've never seen them with a bone but if you can get 'em, use 'em!)
2 tablespoons seasoned plain flour
75g (3oz) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon each of the follow fresh herbs (finely chopped - i use double this amount)
chervil, dill, parsley, chive, basil, mint, rosemary
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped (being a garlic monster, i use 2 cloves)
1/4 fresh red chili pepper, finely chopped
grated rind and juice of 1 lime
4 tablespoons of chicken stock
4 tablespoons dry white wine (i just chuck it in without measuring...)
sea salt
cut the chicken pieces into an 'octopus' (slice it, leaving the bone end intact so it looks kinda like an octopus) and dust it with the seasoned flour (i chuck it all in large freezer bag and shake it all about)
heat half the butter and the olive oil and fry the chicken until it is browned on each side. remove from pan and keep warm.
in the same pan, melt remaining butter. add the rest of the ingredients. return the chicken to the pan and poach for about 10 minutes until cooked. season with sea salt to taste and then gobble it down. yum!


122, 100, 133 - over average for the 3 games at last!! tonight was the final game for the year - we only go two points (against a team that did not even show up...) and will stay in 4th place. because there was only 3 of us, we finished before 8pm. the other teams were only half way through their second games, so we wont know who won until we next year... normal bowling reports will resume on january 24th...

sun and rain

up early today to get the housework out of the way. my dear friend and recently transferred workmate, kt and his partner, mm came to visit. we went over to miss e's to check out her chrissy decos and then had some kfc for lunch. we wandered around the shops for a bit and then came back to my place to watch the dvd of 'whale rider' - a lovely, lovely movie. i've just had a quick chat with colorado tim and that was my sunday!

1. Plot:: burial (with thanks to kim...)
   
2. Farce:: stuffing
   
3. Unexpected:: guest
   
4. Siren:: song
   
5. Ben:: lee
   
6. Freshman:: the...
   
7. Quicksand:: doesn't actually suck...
   
8. 24 hours:: 86,400 seconds
   
9. Spunky:: monkey
   
10. Vicious:: sid
    

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national

this is soooooo true!!

You are a double espresso at three AM.

You are the tortured, nail-biting essence of coffee. You see visions. You could change the world if only you were up at the same time as everyone else. You have created a programming language that throws errors if the code is not written in iambic pentameter, and you are infuriated by the typos in the new edition of Ulysses. You practice sarcasm as a form of tantric sex, and your cats have doctorates. You believe in virgin sacrifice in a good cause.

What kind of coffee are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

thanks shirl!

my life is just a crazy round of shopping and parties...

i'm not sure where i'm at right now. not quite the blahs but not quite in the realms of happiness. it might just be the usual christmas cringe creeping up on me - i'm doing my best to pretend it isn't on the horizon.

thursday night i went shopping to look for something to wear to the office christmas party on friday night. instead, i bought 2 pairs of jeans and 3 t-shirts and got change from $60. you've gotta love the big w pricing policy - the jeans were on sale for $14.02 each, the tees were $9.86. miss e came over later in the evening to show off her new haircut and to admire my christmas decos.

friday morning, i wasted too much time fretting about what to wear to the christmas party - should i wear my party clothes to work? take my party clothes and get changed later?? come home first and get dressed here??? decisions, decisions!! in the end, i had a grump moment and decided to not bother going to the party. i just wore my comfy purple jeans and a new cream t-shirt to work (we have dag days on fridays so we can dress down.) there was much consternation at my decision not to attend the party, so eventually i allowed myself to be coerced into it and was going to come home and change (with the option of not going still being open to me...) a combination of bucketing down rain and further harrassment from my co-workers (knowing that i might just go home and stay home) saw me attend the party in my daggy workwear. the party ended up being quite a lot of fun (much better that last year's pathetic effort...) it was held at a mexican restaurant near kings cross. i drank waaaaaaaaaay too much wine and ate not enough food to mop it up and was very inebriated. i yabbered on at lots of people so i hope i didn't embarrass myself too much... miss e says i was very well behaved but just very talkative... i remember walking back up to oxford street and having to stop every few steps because i was weaving all over the footpath... we got a taxi home and miss e accompanied me up the two flights of stairs to my flat because she was worried that i would not make it up here by myself... for most of today i have felt like crap. luckily i had to go to the post office to pick up a parcel this morning so i grabbed a nice big coffee and a 2 litre bottle of vanilla coke and had a very quiet day at home...

step outside the comfort zone...

on monday night i was contacted by a young man through one of the dating sites i'm registered on. i have to tell you again, despite my profile showing a preference for an older age range, i'm sure it must subliminally say 'she likes young men, really...' we had a nice online chat and we did so again last night. he lives very close to where i work and had a day off today so he asked me to meet him for lunch. normally i would not meet up with someone so soon but after some convincing, i agreed and spent a very nice hour with this very handsome young man in a nearby coffee shop. now don't get too excited - i doubt that it will be anything but friendship. i'm more impressed with myself for taking the risk, accepting the challenge, jumping right out of my very cosy comfort zone and giving the personal boundaries a good stretch. go me!

met mrs jane for a subway dinner and a spot of bingo tonight - i won a $30 voucher! yeah! janie gave me a christmas gift which is now sitting under my tree. i'm going to be very patient and save it for christmas eve.

still liking the new office. we had the official opening today - the bigwigs from melbourne came to visit, did the ribbon cutting thing and then we had cake to celebrate. it now takes not much more than 30 minutes to get from my front door to my desk and that includes stopping to get coffee!

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national

boring

not a lot to tell today. 11 dogs. slept in and still got to work relatively early. still liking the new office. cleaned up the pigsty that is my loungeroom this evening - a good sign.

i lied when i said more later... this isn't much... just to make it worth your while coming here, i'll post some links to blogs i've enjoyed in my excursions into blog explosion land:

bunny burrow
the zero boss where i found a link to this...
scheiss weekly
the world of jill twiss
workings of the mind

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national
dreams : evermore

tee hee hee...

found this at shirl's - now i'm blushing...


Seven deadly sins
created with QuizFarm.com

more later.

almost like having a new job!

got into work bright and early. the new office is pretty cool. it is sooooooooooo huge and we have so much more space - there are even some spare desks! we have a proper lunch room, with a dishwasher. there is so much more natural light. we've got new chairs. everything worked! it was a very smooth transition. i found a decent enough coffee in the foodcourt downstairs but it wasn't the same as the ones i used to get from i'm starvin'... although i have to say, coffee and food is much cheaper down the this end of town... i guess that means more money to spend at 'paddy's markets', which are about a 5 minute stroll from the building!


otto says 'Thank you, thank you, to all who contributed questions for me!! For the next 4 weeks (including this one) I will post 8 questions; unless I get more suggestions! Each question will be linked to the person who came up with it. So why don't we go visit a fellow Monday Madness participant or 2 (or more)?? Just click on the questions to go to their blogs....thanks again, everyone!! So much appreciated! =)'

1. From Briar... and Sherle... What's your favorite TV show and why? i don't watch enough tv to have a favourite. two shows that i have loved are 'cracker', with the fabulous robbie coltrane and 'this life'.
2. From WickedSway... What's your sign? crabby old cancerian
3. From Beth... Why is common sense so uncommon? because people today just don't care. it's 'me, me, me' and commonsense is ignored...
4. From Bug... What are 5 (or 10) great things about your life partner? pass
5. From Elena... Why do you blog? Are you a writer at heart? Is it a passion? Or because it's en vogue? because i can
6. From Lady Starlight... How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? having never met a woodchuck, i have no idea...
7. From tmk... Fiction or nonfiction? both, please
8. From Moody... If you were an animal, which animal would you like to be, and why? an orangutan, because they are just beautiful and almost human.


eek! 114, 81, 86. we got zero points. harryo put his back out on friday, so he skipped tonight. one guy on the other team bowled a 253 and we were already miles behind. oh well, we had our moments of glory and will stay in 4th place. only one week left to go and the we have a break until the end of january.

today's soundtrack:
the runaway found : the veils

where did sunday go?

i have done nothing at all today except sleep and surf the net...

1. Delightful:: a bull called...
   
2. Impact:: environmental...
   
3. Consolation:: 2nd prize
   
4. Donation:: organ...
   
5. Blue moon:: take your pick : astronomical... astrological...
   
6. Grinner:: slender...
   
7. Smoker:: ...’s cough
   
8. Muse:: guiding spirit
   
9. Tweet:: ...y bird
   
10. Guitar:: air
    

while looking for a link to my air guitar answer, i found this - there are some very stupid people out there...

at last!

a saturday morning with purpose. i had to drag myself from the arms of morpheus and get to the post office. ooohh!! my new tom bihn bag is soooooooooooooooo fabulous. i've already stuffed it with all the usual crap that i carry about and there is plenty of space for more!!!

i spent the better part of the morning & early afternoon chatting with colorado tim. my requests to the universe on his behalf appear to be working.

the rest of the afternoon was spent blogcruising via blog explosion - it is very, very easy to waste an afternoon in this manner... there are some fabulous blogs out there in the world wide whatever. i'll eventually post a few links to the ones i've enjoyed and will visit again.

today's soundtrack:
son of evil reindeer : reindeer section
kicking the national habit : grand national
diorama : silverchair
when it's all over we still have to clear up : snow patrol
the final straw : snow patrol
dreams : evermore
the runaway found : the veils
garden state : soundtrack

coincidence...

mmm...

i've been dragging all my stuff around in my huge leather satchel type handbag for months.

today the strap on it came apart and i had to stuff it under my arm to get it home.

tomorrow morning, i'm going to the post office to pick up my new tom bihn bag...

mmm...

i have to remember to get the right bus on monday morning. the old office looked very bare when i left this afternoon. i think i'm looking forward to the new surroundings. shirl commented that i seem quite calm in the midst of such a major move. from my point of view, my only responsibility is to be at my desk on monday morning and do some work - the logistics of the move are for other people to worry about. if they have planned it correctly, i will be able to meet my end of the bargain. it they haven't, well, that is their problem.

had a long chat with colorado tim tonight then watched the dvd of 'pirates of the caribbean' tonight. please add johnny depp and orlando bloom to my christmas wishlist.

today's soundtrack:
dreams : evermore

pack it up

we're moving to a brand new office next monday. while it has been a known thing for months, the day of reckoning is almost here and there was still a lot of crap to be discarded. a fair chunk of the day was spent chucking stuff that had sat under desks and hidden in drawers forever and packing up what was left. all the boxes packed today will be moved tonight. we've all kept the bare essentials to get through friday & tomorrow afternoon we'll pack it into one other box per person and it will magically appear on our nice new uncluttered desks on monday.

had another final lunch with miss marina. i am blessed to have been given the chance to renew our friendship. i will miss our regular lunchtime gossips but we will definitely stay in touch.

went with miss e to the village shopping centre on the way home from work. i wanted to get one of those lanyard things to hang my new photo id card from and some mushrooms for my dinner. i ended up both of those items and some small purple disco balls and gold bell decorations for the tree, a pretty beaded 'thing' to hang in the window, some headbands (brightly coloured thin stretchy ones), some cadbury 'elf' chocolates with those silly 'pop rocks' in them and a new washing basket. all for under $25!! i was also very naughty and bought the 'evermore' album 'dreams'. it's very good! they were the support band when we went to see snow patrol and keane back in july.

right now, i'm treating myself to a yummy mincepie (the woolworths own brand 'premium' ones - really yummy and very cheap - i know it's a bit early but i have to make sure they are ok...) and some very fine, very expensive 'grand marnier' - just a small glass.

today's soundtrack:
the runaway found : the veils
dreams : evermore

baked potato

despite the 40°C temperatures, miss e and i braved the elements and went on a lunchtime adventure to hmv to get the 'garden state' soundtrack - 2 for $44 - what a bargain. the soundtrack has two songs by the shins, who just happen to be playing at the metro theatre next february 6th, which just happens to be miss e's birthday and we have tickets - yippee!! the shins remind me very much of the panics so of course i'm enjoying them.

i got the better of my scrooge tonight and put up my christmas tree and lights. preeetttty...

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit - grand national
garden state : soundtrack

you must see this film!!!

tonight miss e and i went to see 'garden state'. it has gone straight to number one in my all time ever top five favourite films. GO SEE IT!! i want zach braff for christmas. natalie portman is soooo gorgeous. it is just a fabulous film - it has laughs, love, sadness, forgiveness, friendship and best of all, moments of original thought - something that is sooooo missing from most things these days. GO SEE IT!! i'll be seeing it again.

it was forecast that today's temperature would get up to 42°C - ugh... it would have been the hottest november day in sydney, ever, if it had got that high... so glad that it only made it to 34.7°C in the city but in the outer suburbs it did get up over 40° - please send some snow!!!

my tom bihn bag arrived today - i just have to be patient until saturday, when i can go to the post office to pick it up. even better, my mother has chipped in with some money towards the cost, so it will be my first christmas present! yeah!

what a top day!

mad, mad, mad...

yeah! i've got a banner - thanks to dizzy-girl!!

20 22 dogs. not a bad day for a monday... nothing else exciting to report.


otto says 'It's a sort of 'pot pourri' this week. Since I'm moving in a couple of days, I'm inviting everyone who participates this week to offer a question for next week's MM. I know I've done this before, but I really appreciated all the wonderful suggestions. I will use them if they've not been asked in the recent past. Thank you all for playing, and I wish you a wonderful week! =)'
1. How did you choose a name for your blog?
i am the youngest of three daughters and i have this print hanging over my fireplace. i also have a photo of myself that is a summer version of the print - a sleeveless dress, same hairstyle, same scowl.
2. How many times have you changed the name of your blog?
about 4 but only in theory. it was before i actually started the blog. i can’t remember the other names that i had considered.
3. How many blogs to you update regularly? two
4. How many times have you moved in your life? 15
5. On a scale of 1-10, how stressful is moving (in your opinion)? 15
6. When moving, do you/would you rent a moving van/truck?
yes and some men to move all the stuff!
7. Do you wear glasses? If so, how old were you when you needed them?
yes, i needed them long before i got them at 15...
8. What one question would you hope someone running a meme, would ask?
what is your earliest childhood memory?


134, 103, 110 - 4 pins under average for the three games. we only go two points and are languishing down in 4th place. unless we do really well and the other teams bowl like crap, we'll probably stay at 4th.

hot to trot

38°C in beautiful downtown sydney today - too bloody hot!! i wish it would snow...

i stayed awake until 4.38am this morning, finishing the book i was reading. i still managed to get up early (8.15am) and get the washing done before the real heat kicked in. spent most of the morning talking to colorado tim and blogcruising.

1. Limited time only:: while stocks last
   
2. Voluptuous:: buxom
   
3. Nutritionist:: dietician
   
4. Belt:: orion's...
   
5. Star crossed:: lovers
   
6. Snakeskin:: boots
   
7. Athlete’s foot:: icky
   
8. Boom:: boom!
   
9. Freezer:: ice
   
10. Store hours:: daylight saving
    

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national
jjj

another saturday slug

i really must stop wasting my saturdays. as usual, i slept most of the day and spent way too much time on the net. i did come alive after the sun went down and went over the road to visit miss e for dinner.

i have to drag my butt out of bed early tomorrow. i want to get my washing and housework done early - ha ha ha...

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national

that was painless...

this week has disappeared so fast and now the weekend is here - yippee!!!!!!

today i had my last lunch with miss marina for a while - just when all my oldest and dearest friends are working nearby, i'm moving to the other end of town. i will miss the boys at i'm starvin' too. i doubt that i will find a coffee/sandwich shop even half as good at the new location.

during my excursions through the land of blog explosion, i came across a link to this site where there was an offer for a free banner in exhange for a link to this site. being the freebie freak and linkwhore that i am, i've put in a request. i have no idea how to make banners, so i'm glad there are people out there who are willing to do it for me!! thank you dizzy girl!!

i'm off to the couch to watch 'notting hill' on the tele now - have a great weekend!!

today's soundtrack:
kicking the national habit : grand national - ah... bliss!!

i forgot to say...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE IT!!!

i will have my own personal thanksgiving, right here, right now...

things i am thankful for today:
a roof over my head
the rent has been paid this week
i have a job
my very dear friends - in both real and virtual time
all of my five senses work
my tom binh bag is on it's way home
i'm having an early night

brrr...

very soon it will be summer, so why am i sitting here with in my favourite winter red polarfleece jumper and a blanket around my knees - it's bloody cold!

another day where not much happens. the most exciting thing to happen was an email telling me that my tom bihn bag was despatched yesterday - yippee!! i loooooooooooooove this bag!!! the only problem is that it wasn't supposed to be sent until late december... my poor bank balance is looking a bit sad so i will have to be very, very frugal until next pay day. at least the aussie dollar has improved against the almighty greenback. when i ordered the bag, the conversion put the price at AU$120. with the current exhange rate it was only AU$96 - bargain!!!

today's soundtrack:
no cds but i've been singing songs from grand national in my head - i'll have to play it soon...