Wednesday, March 31, 2004

woo hoo...

a 16 dog wednesday. i got to the city early, so i got off the bus 2 stops before my normal one and visited to petshops in centrepoint and midcity centre. very cute little puppies in both. the one in centrepoint also had the cutest kittens and bunnies - just in time for easter! one of the boys at 'i'm starving' where i get my coffee has some of his bunny drawings around the shop. he is going to do one for me. he is a very good artist. can't wait!

not a bad day at work. the late shift was nowhere as busy as it has been lately. things are finally winding down.

Wednesday Whatevers

1.) What noise bothers you the most? screaming children
2.) Which emotions seem to take the best of you? all of them
3.) What do you take pride in the most? um, i don't know...

better late than never... chick chat

My Name Is...
1.) What's Hubby's Nickname For You?: not every woman on this planet has a hubby...
2.) What Does Your Mom Call You?: little pattie, susie, susie fay
3.) What Do Friends Call You?: smee
4.) What Nickname do you Have for Your Kids?: or children...
5.) What Nickname would You give Yourself?: none

i have a new musical obsession - the reindeer section - they sing a divine song called 'you are my joy' which has the most wonderful film clip. i have played the cd twice today and i will continue to do so for a few days i think. i urge you to listen to them!!

la la la...

i went down to coogee for a blood test this morning. just the usual, sugar, iron, cholesterol.

the sea was looking it's glorious early morning, sun drenched best. the trip there and back yielded a tally of 6 dogs before 9.30am. i'm currently scoffing my yummy breakfast of a large soya mocha and an almond croissant and chatting online to colorado tim - a great start to the day - life is sweet.

gotta go to work now, but i'll leave you with this - sent to me by ho - ha ha ha ha...

the end of an era

tonight, after 3.5 years i had my last tnt session with jt. not an easy decision to make. it is more than likely a temporary thing and done for economic reasons. i will probably restart once i knuckle down and sort out my financial mess. i have learnt a lot about myself and managed to disentangle myself from a lot of inappropriate lifetime habits. i will see how i go - if things get a bit ragged around here, please be patient...

anyway, on to more urgent matters... the 2000th visitor will shortly enter the home of the 3rd daughter. please let me know if it is you!!! welcome! make yourself comfortable, have a look around.
Click this thumbnail to see the kitty.

another picture from the grand european tour of 1999. ths lovely ginger cat lived in the hillside village where we stayed in castello, above valdottavo, near lucca, in tuscany. he was quite happy sitting on this sliver of rock, watching the village dogs with a glint in his eye. i love ginger cats and i want one!


good night. it's nearly 1am. lucky i've got the late shift tomorrow...

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

totally tuesday

TV Tuesday!!
it's tv tuesday
many thanks isabella
a fun game to play...

Reality TV is everywhere, love it or hate it. From Survivor to My Big Fat Obnoxious American Idol - Oh, sorry, there are too many to keep track of!!! So do tell- what's your take on the topic???

1.) Do you consider yourself a "fan" of reality TV?
not really, but i do get sucked into watching them. i refused to watch the first series of 'big brother' and even told off a girl i worked with for spending her day rabbiting on about it to me (there was no-one else for her to talk to, so i copped it constantly.) i started off with the same dogged determination not to watch series 2, but a guy at work organised a sweep - $10 in, draw a name, whoever held the winners name got the pot. i started off watching the eviction shows only, just to make sure my investment was safe. before i knew it, i was addicted... come celebrity big brother, you couldn't keep me away and by series 3, i accepted my fate and just watched it. i watched joe millionaire, only because i had to see just how stupid some people could be. occasional glimpses of popstars and australian idol but apart from that, i would say i'm not a "fan".

2.) What's your "can't miss" reality TV show (or shows)?
i'd have to say big brother - series 4 is underway - i'll watch it.

3.) What reality TV show do you suppose the devil plays on the TV in Hell as punishment?
temptation island - what a load of bollocks.

~Bonus~ If you were given a free ticket to be on any reality show, which one would you choose?
big brother but i doubt i could make it through the first hour. i avoid cameras like the plague at the best of times. there is no way i'd allow myself to be filmed in the shower!

more later!

Monday, March 29, 2004

mad for monday

apart from being an 11 dog day, there is nothing terribly exciting to report.

monday madness!

1. Describe what you believe is a "good" driver.
anyone who gives way to pedestrians on zebra crossings, doesn't speed, doesn't drink and drive, indicates when turning.
2. Describe a "bad" driver (your opinion of course).
anyone who doesn't follow what i wrote for q1.
3. Which category do you fit in? Please back up your answer. Feel free to use examples!
neither because i don't drive, but if i did, i'd be 'good' because i'd hate to have people thinking the awful things that i think about 'bad' drivers, about me.

let's go bowling!

erk... tonight i bowled 82,129,95 - my average went up to 122 after last weeks efforts and will probably go back below 120 now. better news is that we're still at the top of the table and despite only 2 points from 10 tonight, we'll still be number one next week. go us!

Sunday, March 28, 2004

i saved another hour of daylight...

silly susan forgot that daylight saving had ended and didn't put the clocks back an hour... woke up an hour earlier than i needed to. luckily, when i heard the news i realised the error of my ways and went back to sleep for that precious extra hour.

last night i settled on the couch to watch 'shallow grave'. just as the movie started, the phone rang. it was my old housemate, julie. another blast from the past who was trying to get in touch with me through the schoolfriends site. i've known her since i was 16 - she used to go out with (and almost married) a friend of 1977 crush. we shared a house with 2 other girls when i first left home back in 1981. boy oh boy, did we have some fun! we lost touch some time ago and last spoke about 15 years ago. she has done great things with her life and i'm so proud of her. we plan to catch up next weekend. i'm very much looking forward to seeing her. we spent 2 hours last night laughing over the things we used to get up to. we could easily spend a few days giggling about more.

this afternoon i went to see 'love's brother' with miss shell. sadly, i got a bit bored and nodded off (luckily i didn't snore!!) i missed the main bit so when i woke up, everything had changed and it was almost over... shell enjoyed it very much, it's a pity i didn't.


it's time for...
  1. Pitbull:: nasty
  2. TD:: tracey diane
  3. Carter:: jimmy
  4. Japan:: sushi/sashimi
  5. 50:: half a century
  6. Streak:: naked
  7. Rifle:: range
  8. Trap:: shooting
  9. Easter:: egg
  10. Mitt:: mitten

happy birthday to you

birthday wishes to eg in nz and moi

Saturday, March 27, 2004

from blah to star...

i had a fabulous time last night. the transit lounge at the metro is a tiny venue with a few tables/chairs, some comfy old couches and a small bar. the first band were a bit ordinary but the second support band, 'the morning after girls', were fabulous (and cute!). the panics were brilliant. worth the wait to see them live and they have a new cd coming out soon - yeah! i had a few drinks and a bit of a dance and am a bit deafened - i've forgotten how loud live music can be. miss e and i have decided to try and see some live music more often. the m.a. girls are playing next friday at the hopetoun, so we might just go along and see them again (for the music of course, not just because they are cute young men...)

today has taken a very interesting turn. 1977 crush man called this morning. we talked on the phone for an hour and then he dropped in to visit me on his way home from work. i know it might seem a bit odd to allow a relative stranger into my house, but as soon as i heard his voice, i knew it was the same sweet man i had a fabulous relationship with 25 years ago. it was so nice to see him and catch up on what has happened in all those years. he is 50 now but has aged well. i can still see the handsome young man he was back then and his voice is pretty much the same. at first, we were both a bit nervous but ended up sitting on my couch for 2.5 hours gasbagging and reminding each other of people and places and things. i felt like the years had slipped away and i was 17 again. he was even kind enough to say that i didn't look any different from when we went out together - he always was a sweet talker. we've swapped email addresses now and will definitely keep in touch.

anyway, i'm off to have some breakfast/lunch - it's nearly half past four and i've been too nervous to eat but now my stomach is grumbling...

Friday, March 26, 2004

don't panic!

i'm off to see my most recent musical obsession tonight! yippeeeeee!! definitely no blahs about that!!

the final post for the day might be late or even tomorrow.

i hope you're all happy out there in blogland!

Thursday, March 25, 2004

posting frenzy!!

join me in a bloghunt... found this at starbucks. could be a lot of fun.

another gem from shirl

Who's Your Inner Artist?

Your inner artist is Gustav Klimt!
Whether incurable romantic or caring optimist, your style is undeniably Klimtian. Like all romantics, you tend to think with your heart. And why not? Great things often come with a healthy dose of passion attached. When it comes to matters that matter — whether love, or injustice, or freedom — you’re rarely one to follow the crowd. In fact, you possess the rare gift of courage, along with the self-confidence to stand up for your convictions. We’d guess you’ve swum against the current once or twice before. And where something you care about is concerned, we’ve no doubt you’d do it again.

half the blah!

feeling generally happier today. a 9 dog trip to work with a total of 12 dogs for the day. not much else to say.

i must find a thursday thing to post here. i might even take a leaf from isabella's book and start my own... give me a few days to think about it... anything is possible!

have seen this at shirl's and bryn's... cute...

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

double the blah

had a bad night's sleep with an attack of the gallstones at some ungodly hour. a couple of panadeine forte and a maxolon and i managed to get some more sleep. glad i had the late shift.

went to see my doctor about the blahs. we're going to work on something to try and fix it.

my first caller of the day was a right bitch, i ended up in tears after i hung up. at least the day got better. kt and shell worked overtime so i got the bus home with them. kt gave me a lovely big hug while we were waiting at the bus stop. he really should hug for australia - we'd get all the gold medals!

all i can say is Wednesday Whatevers
1. What are your views on pornography? i don't have any views on it because i don't view it. each to his own, as long as it does not involve children or degradation of women.
2. What would you like done to your body when you die? cremation followed by scattering of my ashes off a ferry into sydney harbour.
3. Would you rather eat your tongue or your hand? neither but forced to choose, my hand.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

blah blah blah

a very blah day. better left unsaid.

happy birthday to j, daddy of the jjj family.

me.me. it's time for some memes...

chick chat

Live The Dream Girlfriend!!!

1. What's Your Dream Car?: one driven by someone else with me as a passenger. i don't drive...
2. What's Your Dream Job?: running my own cafe/bookstore
3. What's Your Dream House?: a big one, on a hill overlooking the ocean
4. What's Your Dream Vacation?: to constantly travel around the world
5. What's Your Dream Town to Live In?: paris

TV Tuesday!!

Calling Dr. Bombay... Calling Dr. Bombay... Emergency, come right away!

TV doctors from Kildare to Kovac have been healing our ills since way back when. (Remember Steve Martin on the original Saturday Night Live, as Theodoric, Barber of York?! A good blood-letting always cured what ailed ya!) Yep, from leeches to CAT scans, we love our TV Docs!

1. Which TV doctor would you choose to remove your appendix?
dr nick riviera
2. Which TV doctor would you not let touch you with a 10- foot pole?
dr who
3. Which TV doctor/hospital would you choose for the best medical care?
st swithin's

~Bonus~ Everyone knows nurses run the hospital. Who was/is your favorite TV nurse?
nurse mildred ratchet

Monday, March 22, 2004

mostly monday...

not a bad day for a monday. the work day went pretty fast, which is a good thing.

eg in nz called again tonight to make sure i was still laughing. he made me laugh again and you've got to love that.

monday madness!

1.) What was your favorite TV show as a child?
too hard!!! i cannot remember... the monkees is the first on to come to my mind.
2.) What show did you hate?
i don't remember hating any...
3.) What show did your family gather around the TV to watch?
happy days, m.a.s.h.
4.) What show is currently your favorite?
don't really have one but like to watch this life on tuesdays if i remember
5.) What show do you hate now?
most reality tv shows

let's go bowling!

i bowled a respectable 138, 137, 113 tonight. i'm happy with that. woo hoo!! we were top of the league after last week's effort! 16 points ahead of the nearest contenders. another 8 points tonight has guaranteed us a another week at the top, at least!! go us!

yawning so bad that i might manage to swallow my own head. i'm off for a kind of early night...

Sunday, March 21, 2004

mid life crisis

all these blasts from the past have sent me into a downward spiral. they have brought up a whole lot of memories, good and bad. i'm probably giving away too much here but it helps to put it out to the universe. i have to accept that i'm no longer young, gorgeous and carefree and that i can never go back to those days. i'm older (and hopefully wiser), still gorgeous and careful - the here and now is what is important. i may yet try to make contact with the 1977 crush, but i will let the universe look after it for now. thanks to eg in nz for the 4hrs of conversation that have helped put things back in perspective and put me back into a positive mood. the *wicked* laugh even made a very rare appearance.

enough rambling, how about some

  1. Wife:: trouble & strife
  2. Criminal:: element
  3. Campaign:: manager
  4. Infection:: fever
  5. Portland:: oregon
  6. NASCAR:: boring
  7. IMAX:: dizzy
  8. Martian:: marvin the...
  9. Nike:: no logo
  10. Trial:: and error

Click this thumbnail to see the doggy.

i found this picture today. i'd forgotten about this lovely little chap - he used to be my computer wallpaper. he is just the dog that i want. he lives in provence in the south of france. we were at the market in aix-en-provence and his owner spent ages at one stall chatting with the stallholder. this beautiful dog was so patient, he just stood there waiting, watching the world go by. such a gorgeous dog.


the cd player got a work out this weekend. singing along at the top of my lungs helped (who cares what the neighbours think!)
it's my life : talk talk - the version of "it's my life" by no doubt is ok, but the original is best!
trax australian made - just the best tracks i.e. russell morris:the real thing, eleanor rigby:zoot, one:john farnham, gonna see my baby tonight:la de das (this last one so reminds me of the 1977 crush...)
the very best of 10cc : 10cc
colour blind & galleon : richard pleasance (i'll say it again - a very underappreciated aussie talent)
california dreaming : the mamas & the papas
the very best of : elvis costello - twice

good night

Saturday, March 20, 2004

Friday, March 19, 2004

ticket

not much to report today. walked down to the metro after work and bought tickets for the panics. miss e and shell are going with me. i'm really looking forward to seeing them live!

friday 5

If you...

1.) ...owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve? yummy modern stuff with an italian slant.
2.) ...owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell? 2nd hand books or a new age one with incense, candles, gemstones, beads etc. (but no freaking whale music!)
3.) ...wrote a book, what genre would it be? even though i read a lot, my writing skills are negligible and could never match those of my favourite female authors. i'd probably write a modern girly tale like the ones written by marian keyes.
4.) ...ran a school, what would you teach? oooooh, too hard! i know a little bit about a lot of things but not a lot about any one thing. i guess i could teach keyboard skills - i've been banging away at keyboards since 1977. i even learnt to type on a typewriter - does anybody remember manual typewriters? whizz, ding!
5.) ...recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it? ooohhh, again too hard!! with my singing/musical skills i doubt i'd get the recording contract in the first place. if i pretend i have those skills, i'd like to join new order and record with them.

enough already...

Thursday, March 18, 2004

omg!!!

my sister called me 4 times today at work - i couldn't check my voicemail until my break and then i could not get hold of her... i finally managed to catch her at about 3pm - she wanted to let me know that my old housemate, julie, had tried to get in touch with me. she had sent my sister an email via a 'schoolfriends' website. my sister also said there were some messages on this site from someone called bob... i asked if there was a surname and she said 'oh, it's something russian sounding' and thought he was a school friend... nope, he just happens to be an old boyfriend from when i was 16. i went all strange and shivery - i knew he was registered on the site but did not think he would remember me - it's been at least 25 years since i've seen him... i have just checked it out for myself and the messages have been there for a year!! i have replied and hope that he has a look at the site occasionally. if not, i will find some courage and call him (yes, i have already checked the online white pages...) this is a man i adored. we had a lot of fun together and i still have photos of him (despite throwing away a lot of photos in a mad junk purge a few years ago). i hope he gets in touch - it would wonderful to find out what he has been up to in all these years.

anyway, back to real life. one of my favourite workmates left today. she is one of the nicest people i've ever met - very sweet and gentle. we went out for some farewell drinks after work and as usual my plans to stay for one and be home early were scrapped in favour of having about 5 ciders and getting home at 10pm. i had fun and that is what matters...

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

bankrupt

being payday, i went to get some money from the bank. insufficient funds - what the fuck! called the payroll girly as soon as i got to work. the usual bullshit. someone else's error. they did a manual pay and it better be there tomorrow before the rent goes out... i think the universe is pointing it's boot directly at my butt and telling me it's time to bail out of this place. seek.com.au here i come!!

this was followed by one of those days that you just wish would be over. got stuck on a call that came in at 7.55pm for 15 minutes, which took me ten minutes past my log out time. there was another call waiting and he had waited the entire 15 minutes so i was kind and stayed on to take that call. the member was very nice about it and luckily i sorted him out very quickly. i didn't get home until 9.00pm and ended up having toast for dinner - no money, no supermarket visit... i really gotta get me a new job - one that pays more $$$$$$... i'm sick of being perpetually poor.

enough ranting!!!

things to be thankful for today:
miss e and her ongoing support
a mid week chat with colorado tim
a call from my old mate sb - we're going to catch up soon
the boys at i'm starving who trust me enough to let me have my coffee on credit

what are you thankful for on this thursday?

and yes, i am obsessed with the pretty colours...

whatever...

Wednesday Whatevers
1. What do you do to enhance your looks?
not a lot. i dye my hair to hide the grey. that's about it. very low maintenance girl.
2. Why do people rape other people?
i'm not a psychologist, but i think it would be based on anger, hate and a need to feel powerful.
3. If clothing were optional would you still wear it?
definitely.

chick chat

The Secret is Out!: Name 5 Things People Don't Know About You

1. how many people i've slept with
2. why i don't speak much to my family
3. where i go on tuesday nights
4. what colour undies i'm wearing
5. the real me

and you still don't know!

Tuesday, March 16, 2004

"YES !! WE'VE GOT A VIDEO !!!"

Here is a new meme set up by Isabella... My first time participating in the first release of a meme!

It's TV Tuesday!!
In honor of the TV Land Awards going on Wednesday evening, this week's questions will be about "Classic" TV shows! (Any show counts, as long as they are not still making new episodes.)

1. What is your favorite "Classic" TV show?
easily 'the young ones'.
2. What character from a "Classic" TV show would you like to be?
vyvyan basterd of 'the young ones'
3. On which "Classic" TV Show would you have loved to have a walk-on role?
any one of these parts.
~Bonus~
Can you remember a line you liked from a "Classic" TV show?
"Right. Hands up, who likes me!"

do i appear obsessed??? i think i am.

we will now return to our regular blogram...

a mostly ordinary tuesday. the good news is that miss e is back from her wee holiday visiting with her granny who is out here from scotland. i havnae seen her for a week! tnt with jt tonight just kind of consolidated my reactions to the recents changes and the letting go of some of the bad stuff. again, it's all about having more space.

not much else to say, so i'll say goodnight.

Monday, March 15, 2004

fishy fishy!!

click on the thumbnails to see the bigger picture!

Click this thumbnail to see the fishy.Click this thumbnail to see the fishy.Click this thumbnail to see the fishy.

an ocean of thanks to mandarin design daily - who needs a textbook when they have all the answers (for me at least!)

the  monday madness!  continues!

1. What is your solution for cabin fever - you know that feeling of being penned in the house all winter?
i get cabin fever any time of the year... just getting out of the house and going for a walk, whatever the weather.
2. Who are the people in your neighbourhood...in your neighbourhood, in your neighbourhood.....?
well, it's a bit of a soap opera.
flat 1: relatively new tenants so i don't know much about them.
flat 2: e and her son, k - they look after my budgerigar whenever i have to go away and when the bugspray man came. e's fiance, pm, is often there. he works at the estate agent that manages the building. e's sister also works there.
flat 3: h lives here. she has been in this place for 10 years. i've only got to know her recently as we occasionally get the bus home together - a nice girl.
flat 4: this one is full of uni students - they come and go.
flat 5: the funny old lady lives here - her vicious little dog is quite cute but growls and barks at me.
flat 6: s & t - the parents of e in flat 1. s knows all the gossip but is a lovely lady. she has two lovely cats. one is very scared and hides in the cupboard when visitors arrive.
flat 7: f lives here. he is a bit of a loner. s from flat 6 says that 'he drinks'. sometimes he coughs so much, i think he is dying. he has set the smoke alarms off a few times by leaving cigarettes burning and falling asleep...
flat 8: i used to live in this one but moved to the smaller cheaper one across the hall when i realised i was happier living alone. a girl called m moved in when i moved out. she has had a lot of people sharing the flat with her. when her brother was there, they used to fight like crazy. glad he's gone - it's a bit quieter.
flat 9: again, relatively new tenants. i think they are also uni students. i've not seen much of them.
flat 10: a bunch of youngsters. i think they were students but have now finished uni. they've been a bit rowdy lately, but the place is pretty well sound-proofed.
flat 11: not sure exactly who lives here. there appears to be a core of 2 but people come and go all the time (and i mean alllll the time - all night & day, people are at their door...)
flat 12: that would be me! i've lived here for 3 years (after 6 months in flat 8).
there is also the 7-eleven store, the flight centre and the estate agent on the ground floor.
and don't forget the lovely miss e who lives just across the road!
3. What's the best thing about spring?
it is my favourite time of year. the weather is perfect, the lovely spring flowers come into bloom. it always makes me restless as i seem to have made most of my house moves and job changes in spring. september has always seemed to be a month of change for me (i started blogging in september last year!)
4. Any Easter traditions?
no. i sometimes visit my sister and her family in ballina on the north coast, but not this year. i'm going to stay home and do 'me' things. i might even go to the royal easter show.
5. How old were you believing in the Easter bunny?
what do you mean? of course there is a an easter bunny! the tooth fairy showed me a picture of him... (seriously, i don't remember...)

let's go bowling!

bowled 116, 126, 135 - yeah!! my average has gone up by two points to 119. wont know about points until next week as the other team has a new player with no average or handicap. we're hoping for 10 points. we made equal first last week but the other team is ahead on pinfall. being equal first is good enough!

Sunday, March 14, 2004

i'm bart simpson, who the hell are you?

got up early today to do some more housework before meeting robyn at central station to go and see nancy cartwright - a part of the big laugh comedy festival at the riverside theatre at parramatta. a very funny lady. i had no idea of the other voices she has done. it was very odd to hear bart simpson's voice coming from the petite blonde lady on the stage. she talks about how she got into the voice character field and every now and then morphs into one of her simpsons characters. a great show!

robyn had bought the tickets at the suggestion of some of her co-workers, some of whom then decided that they did not really want to go (don't you hate that!). the show was sold out and there was a guy there wanting a ticket and as she had one spare, she was happy to sell it to him (no scalping - he paid her what she had paid for it.) at least, that was the assumption. the buyer had a $50 note and because robyn did not have a $10 note to give him change, there was a bit of legerdemain where money was borrowed from one of the workmates who did attend. the workmate only had $20 so the buyer handed over another $10 note to make it $60 and took the $20 in change. i stayed well out of this exchange until i realised that at no point did i see the original $50 land in robyn's hand. i found my voice and pointed this out to her - she checked her wallet and bag and there was no $50 to be found. she chased off after the buyer who at first seemed to feel that he had handed over the money. he eventually agreed that he did indeed still have it and handed it over with good grace. i'm very glad i opened my mouth at the right time and believe me, so was robyn!

enough conscious outbursts for one day. try some

  1. Old Navy:: new army?
  2. Out:: of order
  3. Indecent:: behaviour
  4. UPN:: um, i have no idea!!!
  5. Pupil:: dilate
  6. Toothpaste:: colgate total
  7. 1999:: party like it's
  8. Passion:: fruit
  9. Social security:: a.k.a. social insecurity
  10. Cliff:: hanger

p.s. i forgot to mention that i've been trying to grow old gracefully (at last) and was going to let my hair grow out to it's natural colour; something i have little memory of - i've been dying it for tooooo long. it has been 3 months since i last put a colour through and the regrowth is a scary mixture of silver (the major percentage) and dull brown with darker ends from all the years of colour upon colour. what happened to the lovely dark brown hair i used to have??? i had no choice but to go back to growing old disgracefully. i put a napro live 'chocolate' in this morning - not a permanent colour - it will last for 8 washes, which mean 8 days. it might have to be the way to go until i can grow all the permanent colours out and see just how old and grey i've become... don't worry, i will continue to behave like i'm 16.

Saturday, March 13, 2004

mrs mop

after staying up until 2am watching the amf world cup on the tv, i slept until 10am. despite that, i had a very productive day spent cleaning the kitchen and bathroom - they are now both in the cleanest state they have been in for probably 2 years...the mop had a very good workout. the rest of the housework can wait until tomorrow.

i've cooked a nice batch of spaghetti bolognaise for dinner and put the leftovers in the freezer for lunches. yum.

eg from nz called tonight - he is off on a short holiday to visit his sister. he has suggested that he come to sydney in june to meet me... mmm...

not much else to report today. seeya.

Friday, March 12, 2004

Are you a true blue aussie?

shamelessly lifted from nicole...

You get one point for each one you've done.....

1. You've caught a blowfly buzzing around your head with your bare hands.
2. You've mimicked Alf Stewart from 'Home and Away' - "Push off, ya flamin' mongrel".
3. You have argued whether Fords are better than Holden's.
4. You've done the Hot Sand run from the beach to your towel.
5. You know who Ray Martin is.
6. You call your home "My Joint".
7. You start using words like 'Bloody, grouse and champ'.
8. You stop greeting people with 'Hello' and go straight into 'how're you doin'?
9. You've seriously considered running down to the shops in a pair of ugh boots.
10. You own ugh boots. [used to...]
11. You've been to a one day cricket match and screamed incomprehensibly until your throat went raw. [half a point?]
12. You've had to decide between putting up with mosquitoes and moving the BBQ inside.
13. You've changed your ring tone on your mobile phone to something much more annoying than the one it came with.
14. You kind of know the first verse of the national anthem, but buggered if you know what 'girt' means.
15. You have a story that some how revolves around excess consumption of alcohol and a mate named 'Dave'. [several...]
16. You own a Bonds t-shirt and wear it with pride. (extra points if you own Bonds undies as well)
17. You've attended a music festival on the hottest day of the year.
18. you know the words to the neighbours theme song but still don't know how
19. you've thrown a shrimp on a barbie.
20. You own pair of thongs for every day use, and another pair of dress thongs for special occasions.
21. You don't know what's in a meat pie and you don't care.
22. You pronounce Australia: 'Strayl-ya'.
23. You call soccer 'soccer', not football.
24. You've squeezed Vegemite between Vita Wheat to make Vegemite worms. [oh yes!!!]
25. You suck coffee though a Tim Tam. (Harrah for the Tim Tam slammer!!)
26. You've become deeply cynical of politicians.
27. You realise that lifeguards are the only ones who can wear Speedo's and look good.
28. You pledge allegiance to Vegemite over Promite. [and disgusting marmite]
29. In your CD collection you have at least one: Kylie Minogue, Cold Chisel or Paul Kelly.
30. You understand the value of Public Holidays. [birthright!!]
31. You think that the Crocodile Hunter is just an idiot.
32. You believe that the flavour of any meal is improved by adding tomato sauce.
33. Your weekends are spent barracking for your favourite sports team.
34. You have a toilet dolly.
35. You've played beach cricket with a tennis ball and a bat fashioned out of a fence post.
36. You firmly believe that in the end, everything will be ok, and have told a mate in tough times that 'She'll be right, mate'.
37. You use the phrase 'no worries' at least once a day.
38. You constantly shorten words. For example, breakfast becomes 'brekkie' and afternoon becomes 'arvo', barbeque becomes 'barbie'.
39. You order a $5 steak the size of your head at your local RSL.
40. You've adopted a local bar as one of your own.
41. Wondered why Bert Newton is still pretty cool for an old guy.
42. You can't understand why John Farnham never became an international success.

If you've been reading this with a tinny in your hand yelling out "Too right mate", you're a True Blue Aussie.

tttb

last night i was doing my usual pre-post blogtour - checking out my favourite blogs - when i started to nod off at the computer... an emergency early night was in order. i had seven hours of uninterrupted sleep. we'd better call the man from guinness!! (although i did have a rather weird dream where i met colorado tim and also paid off my credit card...)

there was nothing terribly exciting to blog about yesterday anyway. today was equally unexciting...

on second thoughts, it was quite a good day:

1.) it was an 11 dog day.
2.) i found out that the panics are playing at the transit lounge at the metro on march 26th and the tickets are only $10! i'll be there!
3.) it was quiet enough at work that i spent most of the day off the phones and managed to catch up on the call centre stats for february.
4.) miss e's friend, robyn, called me this morning. she has some spare tickets to see nancy cartwright on sunday and invited me along. i'm very much looking forward to that.
5.) this afternoon my letterbox contained an invitation to baby g's 1st birthday party and the best part is that her divine parents will also celebrate their 'non-traditional' wedding... yeah!!

how can i possibly say that today was not very exciting. i will now take this opportunity to have another personal thanksgiving day!! i hope everyone who reads this has something to be thankful for today.

with 5 things to be thankful for, i think it is appropriate to play friday 5 for the first time:

1.) What was the last song you heard?
temperamental - everything but the girl - on channel [V]
2.) What were the last two movies you saw?
mystic river [crap] & ghost world [good]
3.) What were the last three things you purchased?
a freddo frog & caramello koala (a guy at work is helping to raise money for the pre-school that his son attends)
a yummy salad & the best soya mocha from i'm starving for lunch
a bunch of stuff from the supermarket last night - cheese, crackers, tsatziki, hommus, craisins, aluminium foil etc.
4.) What four things do you need to do this weekend?
clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, run the vacuum over the entire flat, about 4 loads of washing
5.) Who are the last five people you talked to?
myself, my friend mlb in london (via yahoo messenger - does that count?), scott k, tara s, jane p

i think that is enough for tonight. see you tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

gone fishing!

i have my fish - he is beautiful - blue/purple/pink - his temporary (but maybe permanent) name is kris kringle. my team leader at work has a camera phone, so tomorrow she will try to get a photo of him so that i can post him on here. he is a lovely fishy and i spent a lot of the day just watching him flash around his little tank. it is so true about watching fish being a very relaxing pastime. i might have to get a second one to keep me and the budgerigar company here at home.

Wednesday Whatevers
1. What is the most useless thing ever invented? cigarettes
2. Press CTRL+V and we'll see what interesting thing comes up. http://www.dribbleglass.com/posters/seabiscuit.htm
3. What do you think society will achieve before your death? world war three

this week's    questions weren't posted when it was tuesday in my neck of the woods, so they're a bit late...

List 5 Freaky Weird Things About Yourself...

WARNING: possible tmi situations might be found here!!

1. if i drink alcohol and eat any sort of melon within about the same 3 hour period, i become violently & disgustingly ill - luckily i'm not a big fan of melons. for this reason, i have never tried midori...
2. i am a total freckle face and even have one just inside the row of eyelashes on my lower left eyelid
3. i once got the fluffy end of cotton bud (q-tip) stuck in my ear and had to go to the hospital to have it removed (i was 39 years old at the time - the doctor laughed at me and asked 'didn't your mother tell you to never put anything smaller than your elbow into your ear??? she did tell me that but i didn't listen...)
4. i like watching 'the jerry springer show' but rarely make it all the way through to the end. it confirms for me that my life is nowhere near as bad as it could be...
5. i once used to own about 100 pairs of undies and i used to sort them by colour when putting them away in the drawer.

p.s. forgot to mention, the weather today was far more civilised - about 23C/73F today. yeah!!!

good night!

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

hot and bothered...

today was the hottest march day in sydney for 21 years and about half a degree off being the hottest march day ever... 40C/104F at it's peak and it is still 36C/97F at nearly 10pm. there is no breeze at all which makes it uglier. it is supposed to drop to 19C/66F overnight with temps of 23C/73F tomorrow - back to something more humanly bearable. the man on the weather channel has just said that the cool change is on its way - it can't get here soon enough!!! (all temperature conversions come from here)

something fishy this way comes!

i'm going to spend my christmas kris kringle voucher on the way to work tomorrow and buy a siamese fighting fish. a story that goes something like this - miss shell has a siamese fighting fishy (called nemo) on her desk and i keep talking to it and saying i want to get one. shell drew my name in the kris kringle last year, so to make sure i finally bought the fish i keep talking about, she gave me a voucher for the pet store where she had bought hers. i will have to make sure i get a gorgeous one and it might just have to be purple. whatever, i'm sure the one i'm meant to have will attract my attention. the hard part will conjuring up with the right name... all suggestions welcome (that's suggestions for an appropriate fishy name, not lewd or crude suggestions of any other nature!!!)

i'm off to try and get some sleep - i hope that cool change comes in soon... good night!!

Monday, March 08, 2004

just another monday

not a bad day as mondays go. a public holiday in victoria so it was very quiet. quiet enough that i spent the day off the phones, catching up on the call centre stats. i managed to get 99% of january done. being upstairs without the distractions of the circus rest of the call centre made it much easier.

the  monday madness!  continues!

otto has another diabolical plan to exercise our grey matter this week...

Think of words beginning with each letter of your name (real or screen name; you choose) to answer the following question. I think you get the idea!

*Ok, using the letters in YOUR name, list words to describe yourself.

Shy
Unique
Silly
Australian
Noisy

*And as a bonus question, using the same letters, make a list of things you would like to do before this calendar year is over.

Sort out the mountain of junk in the spare room
Upgrade my computer
Sort out my finances
Act my age
Not spend so much time worrying about monday madness answers...

i leant how to make the pretty colours over at mandarin design - a great place to learn new stuff

let's go bowling!

bowled 159,118,96. our team got 8 of the 10 points up for grabs - if we're very lucky, we might go to the top of the league!! go us!!

Sunday, March 07, 2004

23 years of blogging left...

according to this, i will breathe my last on september 25, 2027 at the age of 66 years, 3 months & 1 day...

and furthermore they tell me that on that date i will most likely die from: [my comments]

Cancer (25%)   [always possible but luckily it is not common in my family]
Heart Attack (13%)   [definitely possible as there is a history of this in my family]
Alcoholism (13%)   [not if i continue to drink very little, unless of course life gets so bad that i hit the bottle...]
Suicide (12%)   [not planning this one]
Homicide (7%)   [not planning on this one either, but who knows?]
Contagious Disease (6%)   [always a possibility with all the nasty bugses getting around these days...]
Alien Abduction (6%)   [ha ha ha...]

Interesting stats from the DeathTest:

15897189 people have taken the DeathTest.
Of those, 55% were female and 45% were male.
The average life expectancy of test takers is 67 years.
10% of test takers have hairy nipples.   [not me!!]
4% have had team sex.   [not me!!]
8% work in the porn business.   [not me!!]
And 325355 people claim to have leprosy.   [not me!!]

Their disclaimer: We, despite being proficient with the human anatomy, are not doctors. Keep that in mind before calling your lawyer as you're clutching your left arm moaning "Damn you, Spark, Damn YOU!" on September 25, 2027, as you slip silently into the night.

of course, i do not take any of this at all seriously. my time will come when it is meant to and not a moment before and the way i go will be the way i am meant to go...

weekend omnibus edition...

it's pretty obvious that explorer was created by a man... if i have too many windows open, poor old explorer gets lost, wont ask for directions, craps itself and crashes - usually when i'm just about to preview my post, i end up losing anything i had typed. when it happened last night i couldn't be bothered starting again, therefore today we have a bumper saturday/sunday bloggy issue.

saturday was a very lazy day. i slept until almost 11.30am despite my best intentions of getting up early and doing the washing and the housework... most of the afternoon was spent napping on the couch. i did manage to drag myself from my slumber to go to the supermarket with miss e and then back to her place for a lazy dinner and to watch ghost world on dvd. a very strange little movie. i just adore steve buscemi.

sunday was an altogether more active day. i did manage to drag myself out of bed early and get 3 loads of washing done before the rain started again. even though it was bucketing down miss e and i kept our plans to go down to coogee for brunch. instead of walking down there, we got the bus. after our coffee and toasted turkish bread with hank's peach & strawberry jam and ricotta (YUMMO!!), we walked along the beachfront and up to the headland where the memorial to the victims of the bali bombings stands. it really is a beautiful monument - almost art nouveau with it graceful curves. the view from the top of the hill up there is amazing. the waves crashing on the rocks were the most gorgeous aquamarine, even though the water beyond was quiet grey. the wet weather meant that coogee was not it's usual hive of activity so it was very peaceful wandering along watching the brave souls riding their surfboards out in the grey green surf.

anyway, it's time for some

  1. Dogma:: edward norton
  2. Spirit:: guide
  3. Voodoo:: doll
  4. Demon:: devil
  5. Digital:: camera
  6. Ceremony:: pomp
  7. Research:: assistant
  8. Career:: path
  9. Penis:: envy
  10. Film:: canister

i have subscribed to the top five newsletters for a few years and they always have some fabulous links - here are two i've found in recent issues...
this one cracked me up. it is entirely pointless but a lot of fun...
this one requires a little more concentration - i'm still trying to work it out...

i'm off to cook some dinner now. seeya...

Friday, March 05, 2004

aaahhh friday...

the weekend is here! yeah!

a very quiet day at work. it is sooooo much calmer up on the 4th floor. i could get used to the peace and quiet... poor old cjk is not enjoying it as much me - he normally sits well away from me and now has to put up with me talking to myself all day... it's the only chance i get for interesting conversation...

the only bad thing about being upstairs is that i miss out on the gossip... went to the rugby club for a few drinks after work. found out that two of the temps disappeared today - one found another better job, the other got found out lying by saying he was sick when he is actually somewhere on the north coast having a little holiday, stupid boy. one of the permanents leaves next tuesday, not that his sleaziness will be missed. it's not looking good - starting the statement send out period with 3 people down... oh well, not my problem.... i'll just keep plugging away...

tomorrow night is the mardi gras parade so won't be going far from home unless i want to go around the world for sixpence to avoid oxford street. there is a party on at kt and shell's place. you can see the end of the parade from their house but it will be a nightmare trying to get home...

i will say thanks for a 10 dog trip to work this morning and send up some universal wishes and hugs for cs and her sister, who has had some bad news today. universes of love and hugs to all who come here. i'm feeling generous tonight.

Thursday, March 04, 2004

a change is as good as a holiday...

the work environment took a good turn today. i've moved up to another floor for the next few weeks so that there is space in the call centre for the temps who have come in to help out during one of our busy periods. it's nice and quiet upstairs and i'm on the same floor as miss e, so we can have proper chats when she has to collect stuff from the printer, rather than e-conversations. this will go a long way to relieving some of the stress. hopefully by the time i get back to my old desk things will have quietened down. if not, i start looking for a new job...

i forgot to mention my parcel news earlier... a while ago, i posted a quizzy thing on my blog slut page about what book i am (allegedly). the result was 'a prayer for owen meany' by john irvine. i've never heard of it and posted a comment that i must find it and read it. the divine shirl at the the other side then offered to mail her copy to me as she was looking for good homes for her old books. of course, i gratefully accepted the offer. anyway, i'll stop meandering... the book arrived yesterday after only 6 days in transit from michigan to randwick! bless the US & AU postal services, they are looking after me.

not much else to say, so i'll say no more... nudge, nudge, wink, wink...

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

let's pretend it's wednesday...

my poor old computer crashed mid blog last night. couldn't be bothered starting again so will cheat and change the post date for this one... my wee bloggy, my rules... ha ha ha...

my dear friend kt in kent sent this link to me - please go here - i believe you can make a difference by going here and clicking on the button to help provide free mammograms...

Wednesday Whatevers

1. Is there a such thing as stupid questions? yes, and for every stupid question there are an infinite number of stupid answers...
2. Should teen magazines maintain a neutral view on most subjects? yes. perhaps even an intelligent view would be a start...
3. Who should become President in 2004? some honest politician who has a clue... oops, not possible on many counts. not that it's going to make a difference to me...

more later..

Tuesday, March 02, 2004

tuesday chick chat...

i almost forgot this!! the questions are much more my style this week.

chick chat   Favorite Girlie Stuff...

1. Favorite Shampoo/Conditioner Brand?: pantene or l'oreal
2. Favorite Make-Up Brand?: don't wear enough to have a favourite. love clinique black honey lip gloss
3. Come on, spill it, what do your pit's smell like?: not much thanks to rexona 24hr intensive hypo-allergenic low fragrance with aloe vera anti-perspirant deodorant...
4. Favorite Perfume?: boudoir - vivienne westwood
5. Favorite Candle Scent?: anything with natural scent...

gotta go now, 'this life' is on uk-tv - it's in my top 5 favourite tv shows...

brave tuesday

today i decided that i'd had enough stress at work... no one appears to be willing to say anything, they just witch and binge and say nothing to the people who need to be told. i went to see the hr lady and dumped all the crap that was bothering me on her poor head. i was very proud of the fact that i managed to do it without a) crying and b) blaming. i just told her the facts - 'i've had enough and i'm not going to take it anymore!!!'. about two hours later, my manager said to me 'we need to speak - let's go out for coffee.' 'mmm...' i thought, 'the grapevine is well greased today...' historically, in this position, i would have immediately frozen up, shut down, felt sick and thought 'oh dear, the shit has hit the fan, i've said/done the wrong thing... i'm in it up to my ears...' and panicked. the new susan just thought 'mmm... so speaking your mind can make people sit up and pay attention...' it turns out my manager knew nothing of my hr dump as she had been in a meeting all morning... she got the same story in the same manner. both of them, being managers, tried to make excuses for the under staffing, training issues, staff favouritism etc., etc., etc... but... they appeared to hear what i said and agreed that things need to improve. i know there are things i can do to improve my lot but a lot of it has to start at the management level. later on, the admin manager stopped me and expressed concern at the fact that i was thinking about leaving, so perhaps my dump will have some positive repercussions... the universe also rewarded my bravery and my clarity as the hr lady gave me a little wooden ladybird that she had been hanging on to for ages but forgetting to bring to me whenever she came downstairs and my manager bought me a coffee. i will wait a few weeks and see if anything happens and then reassess my position. i do quite like the job and most of my workmates but i'm just not prepared to be so stressed.... go me!!!

in the spirit of sharing the spoils, i'm rewarding my blog visitors with this link - go here and check out the condensed version of lotr:tfotr/t2t/rotk - fabulous stuff.

it was also a ten dog day and i started to read another book at last today. i finally finished the book i've been reading for the last 10 months! it's amazing what can happen when you release your internal pressure valve in a positive way... go me again!!!

1500!!

the 1500th visitor was from the ncsu.edu domain (via monday madness comments) at 11.47pm on march 1st (sydney time). i tried to work it out from the timestamps in the mm comments, but i have no idea what the time differences are...

thanks for your comment about the meter, otto... it gave me an excuse for a bit of blog tweaking... the site meter is now at the top of the sidebar... any excuse is a good excuse...

Monday, March 01, 2004

perfectly average

let's go bowling!

bowled 106,134,111. happy with that. our team got 6 of the 10 points available which makes us equal 2nd - go us!!

watching the oscars - damn the early news for blabbing the winners. i'm still going to watch it. i don't know all of the winners but i think lotr:rotk got all it deserves. yeah!!

*1500* update - the second visitor from now will be the one!!!

ooohh!!!

only 5 more visitors and i hit 1500!!! who will it be??

if this is monday, i must be mad
monday madness!

How many hours do you spend per week doing the following things?
1. Watching television
actually watching the tv? not many
having it on as background noise? too many
talking back to the idiots on there? lots
2. Sitting at the computer.
waaaaay too many
3. Reading a book
not as many as i used to
4. House work
not enough
5. Cooking
just enough so i don't starve
6. Eating
as many as it takes
7. Driving
a car? none at all
driving people mad? as many as i can
8. Working outside of your home
40 (or 38 when i'm not having a rostered day off)
9. Blogging
as many as i can fill with dumb things to say
10. Sleeping
never enough

i'm off to bowl now. more later!!