Forecast: 6-19
Attained: 6-18

Yucky dream last night. I was staying at someone's place and had to go from there to the airport to go... somewhere. At the airport I couldn't find my backpack, with all the important bits of paper in it. I also couldn't find my 'phone so I couldn't ring the people I'd been staying with to ask them to check for my bag. Had to go back to their place and look around, all the while with the horrible thought that I was running out of time and was going to miss the flight...
I found my bag, after the third frantic hunt through the same areas. There it was, in plain sight. Everything was in it except my 'phone. I was checking to make sure I had the tickets etc. First bit of paper I pulled out was a voucher for a pre-flight photo! Oookaaay. The ticket itself was difficult to read, couldn't quite make out the flight details. When I woke up I remembered that I'm rarely able to read things in dreams. Wonder if it's cos I don't have my glasses...?

~=o>

Day 2 of the road trip, as my brother and were heading towards Sydney (this was r/l, not a dream. Just clarifying) Kester said he saw a someone dressed as a stormtrooper pushing a cart or something. I didn't see it so I couldn't say, but browsing the 'webs today I stumble across this:

Stormtrooper Jacob French completes 5,000km charity trek across Australia.

Well, I think that might've been him K spotted. :)

Forecast: 9-16
Attained: 12-17

Happy Birthday, Soulsis!

Forecast: 10-20
Attained: 9-21

Today I've mostly eaten chocolate and bacon. Not the best nutritionally. I'll probly pay for it tomorrow. :)

~=o>

I'm making a point of watching the dvds I have that haven't been viewed yet. In theory this will help me cull some of the collection. (Not sure if I've mentioned this before. Anyway...)
This afternoon - while cutting up old t-shirts for material - I watched Plunkett & Maclean, about a pair of highwaymen in the 18th century. This was lots of fun, if a bit gruesome in places. I loved the tagline from the trailer: They rob from the rich... and that's it. It's light enough to be background noise, will probably hang on to it for a while.
I also, finally, got 'round to watching the extended version of Chronicles of Riddick. Love this movie! A very rich world frame. Not enough Vaako but Judi Dench is great in it, andandand there's apparently a sequel on the way. :) I also really enjoyed exploring the behind-the-scenes bits, getting an idea of just how much work went in to the sets and costumes. Definitely a keeper.

~=o>

Part of a dream I had the other night:
I rescued a small furry animal - sugar glider, perhaps - from three large cats (one looked like a lion, another like a mangy lion, and the third was just a cat.) It bit me! Then escaped outside where it again became the centre of predatory attention. I couldn't work out if the wee thing was more scared of being captured and brought inside by a human than it was of the cats, or it was just addled from being attacked.

Forecast: 11-19
Attained: 11-19

I trotted off after work tonight to JB to look for a copy of TF3:DOTM (no, I couldn't be bothered typing it out in full.) They had it but at $28, down from $35, it wasn't what I'd call a bargain. However I had promised the cubs I'd get a copy this week so...
The girl at the check-out helpfully pointed out the 'buy one get one free' sticker on the dvd, then even more helpfully pointed out the stand with the other BOGOF titles.
So I picked up a copy of Cowboys & Aliens, too. Now that's what I call a bargain. :)

~=o>

This time last year I started moving mine and mum's stuff out of paid storage.

Forecast: 11-17
Attained: 12-17

Akshully, I think cats hear voices in their heads telling them evil things all the time, but cos they're cats they couldn't be arsed following through.
(Though I have known one or two cats who've had 'issues'. Not my moggies, of course...! My kitty companions might be excentric but they've never been evil. :)

~=o>

I was at the campus with the fish pond today. Couldn't see any of the baby fish but that doesn't mean they're not there. It was cold and wet, and I wondered if that had anything to do with the non-appearance? Everytime I've spotted the tiddlers it's been sunny...

~=o>

I'm not sure if it's an actual allergy/reaction or not but I've more or less stopped eating wheat bread, cereal and pasta and am feeling much better for it. For quite some time there's been a gluey feeling in my innards when I've eaten wheat-based products. I was able to eat wraps and flat bread for a while but even they started making me feel meh. I'm going to give couscous a try but won't be devastated if I don't like that either. There's alternatives to wheat. F'rinstance, I've rediscovered cellophane noodles! Delicious!

Forecast: 9-15
Attained: 11-16

Mmmm... Happily full of trifle. And pork chow mein, but mainly trifle.

Anzac day holiday! Slept in, then dagged about most of the day in my trackie-dacks watching dvds and sorting through boxes while the cubs were visiting a friend. When the cubs got home I cooked dinner - the aforementioned pork chow mein and trifle - and we sat down to watch Stardust. Was a good day. :)

~=o>

And here are the pics from the few days I spent in Qld, after the road trip.

Here's a highlight:

Forecast: 8-15
Attained: 8-15

It's chilly. How do I know this? LimpetCat... Perhaps I should get a heater this year?

~=o>

Eww. [shudder] Noticed movement in my peripheral vision. There was a moderately big (2cm) shiny black spider crawling over my shoulder!
Flicked it off without freaking out. It's disappeared under my desk...
(Oh look, and LimpetCat wants up again. [sigh])

~=o>

These are the easter things the cubs and I got from Soulsis et al this year. :)

The steggie was mine.
Detailed, and delicious!

Forecast: 13-19
Attained: 15-19

While we were up at Soulsis' on the weekend I dragged out some more of the boxes stored under her house. A few of them turned out to belong to the cubs. Cubs brought the boxes inside and dumped them in their rooms.
"Nononono!" I said, knowing full well that if they disappeared in to rooms they wouldn't be seen again until we moved. "Bring them out to the kitchen, we'll go through them now..."
We went from 4 boxes down to a box and a bit. If we can maintain that sort of ratio with the rest of the stuff the cubs will have loads of space in their rooms. :)

~=o>

Not sure if I've said this before but it's very liberating knowing that I don't need anything more. Lots of stuff I want, naturally, but I have everything I need.

~=o>

Watched The Young Visitors today. Funny and poignant movie based on a book written by a 9 year old girl at the beginning of the 20th century. I wasn't sure it wasn't a clever spoof but apparently it's not. J.M. Barrie's introduction is a hoot!

Forecast: 17-23
Attained: 16-23

Well that was exciting!
Cubs and I went up to Soulsis' today to give Miss Raven her birthday present. It had begun raining as we headed home but by the time we'd come down out of the hills it was raining so hard visibility was down to about 5m. Could barely see the traffic lights let alone the road lines.
Wasn't going to drive in that so crawled in to a supermarket carpark to wait it out.

Through the windscreen:

Through the back window:

Three minutes later it was clearing up.
Probably could've pushed on, slowly, and driven out of it but didn't want to risk a bingle.

It more or less stopped raining then and the only thing we had to worry about was the moderate flooding where the drains hadn't managed to cope with the sudden downpour. Watching a bus throw up a 2m sheet of dirty water made me very glad I wasn't a pedestrian just then. :)

Forecast: 14-26
Attained:14-23

First batch of the road trip pics are up on Flickr. :)

Other than that, a quiet day. Had a lovely long nap this afternoon...

Forecast: 16-22
Attained: 15-22

New blogger interface. Let's see what happens...

~=o>

Went for a follow up ENT appointment this morning, to get the results of my scan.
The surgeon is certain I have otosclerosis and that we can confidently expect a favourable result from a stapendectomy. Not that I've decided yet to have it.
According to the surgeon, 95% of the procedures performed have excellent results, a return to full hearing. 4.5% have little or no improvement, and .5% end with a total hearing loss. Hm. It's only a tiny chance but it is there, plus, my hearing isn't going to get any worse anyway if I do nothing, so...
I have a couple of months to think about it. If I decide to go ahead I could be on the waiting list for a year. Plenty of time to change my mind. :)

~=o>

I like having a wide-screen monitor...

Though it's only been very recently I even realised I could actually have two browser windows open so I can do two lots of stuff. [shakes head] I'm very intelligent, yes, just not that bright sometimes...

Forecast: 16-23
Attained: 16-24

I dreamt last night that I was pregnant. Far enough along I could feel distinct movement, and see the outline of baby bits against my skin. I'll be honest and say it did promote a sort of nostalgia for me. :)
Also in the dream was another, much younger woman, also pregnant. She was really pissed off with me being pregnant cos I was stealing her thunder, or something.

~=o>

I was flicking through a book at work today, idly musing on how much I'd like a copy, when it occured to me it would be very easy to steal cos I know how to circumvent the security. Shocked myself!

Forecast: 12-24
Attained: 12-24

[sigh] Really should resist reading synopses [sic?] for episodes I haven't seen yet. Just found out what happens to a favourite character...

~=o>

I was doing some vacuuming then suddenly the vacuum cleaner stopped sucking!
I did some investigating and found this inside:

I'm no expert but I reckon that dust bag is full...

Forecast: 13-24
Attained: 11-23

Back to work today. Was all good. Bit tired though. To be honest I didn't get much of a chance to sleep in during my week off. 7am starts for the driving then similar times for being up and about with the children of the house...

But anyway, finally the cafe in our building has reopened and I can get a newspaper for the library from there of a morning instead of having to go traipsing hither and yon. That's a win in my books. :)

Forecast: 14-21
Attained: 15-21

New keyboard!

After being away from my 'puter for a week, I sat down at it last night and wondered why the hell we were still using the crap keyboard we'd been struggling with for months...

Most of the letters had been rubbed away - not such an issue when you touch type but still a dashed nuisance - and the spacebar had always been wonky. You had to really thump it to get it to work.
So, nice new keyboard - with a properly springy spacebar. A cheap model so the letters may well rub off again at some point but eh.

~=o>

Had a CT Scan today of my ear. The info sheet I was given for the procedure said there may be contrast used so I shouldn't eat or drink for 4 hours beforehand. Scan was at 11.15 so I only managed a few mouthfuls of water when I woke up.
As it happened, I didn't need contrast anyway so I probably hadn't needed to fast! Oh well, could've been 12 hours without noms. That would've been really annoying :)
So, got to the appointment early, and was taken in to the waiting room early... then had to wait while patients from the Emergency Dept were put through first. Not a problem, it was a possibility I was prepared for.
I was only in the machine for 2 minutes - fascinating thingy - but the most discomfiting part of the procedure was having to take out my nose stud. I've never done that in the 11 years I've had it. Had planned on practicing at home first but never got 'round to it before my holiday. It was a trifle awkward as the stud isn't a straightforward post with a simple angled bit at the end. No, there's a curved bit that sits at right angles to the post. Fabulous for not being accidentaly dislodged, but awkward to get in and out, especially with the low dexterity that comes with carpal tunnel. But I managed it, and now I'm looking at more decorative studs to buy. (Oooh, bat symbol!)

I've got an ENT appointment on Friday so I'll hopefully find out then if anything can be done to recover my hearing...

~=o>

Odd dream last night, kind of a mash-up of Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. Or rather, my interpretation of those as I've neither seen nor read either.

Coming soon...

My Roadtrip Adventure: Pt 1.

And so I'm back, from outer space...
Well, back from Queensland at least. :)
Hopefully there'll be more detailed updates as I process the pics (and memories) from the past week but for now, here's my impression of the road trip:

Crossing of borders...

7am starts...

Roads cutting through mountains...

Big Things loved...

... and neglected.

Numerous toilet stops, mostly in places nowhere near as congenial as this!

Glad to be home, though. Looking forward to my own bed!

Forecast: 10-21
Attained: 10-19

Packing for a trip. Wot fun!
I made a pile of stuff I thought I'd need, then compared it to the size of my case...
'k,I'm only going for a week and they do have washing machines in Queensland. :)

~=o>

I was a little concerned about the cubs being on their own while I was away but their father will be staying with them for a few days now. Is all good.

Forecast: 14-19
Attained: 12-19

Packing my suitcase I of course had to clear out the stuff from the last trip. (Wow, the library weekend in November 2010 was the last time I went away.) I found all the trivia quizzes and word games Jay had kept us entertained with on the coach and some of it was quite funny.
F'rinstance, one of the questions on a trivia thingy was:
"If you had a serpent, bones and a vihuela, what would you most likely be doing?"
The answer was playing music, as they're all musical instruments. I'd responded with, "Making a zombie...?"
I didn't get any points for that.

~=o>

And finally, we're getting season 4 of Being Human. (Avast! There be spoilers in the link!)
First episode airs while I'm away so not sure if I'll get to see it. No matter! There is always the ABC's catch-up, iview. :)
In preparation I've rewatched the final ep of season 3.
... Waaaaah! [sniffle]

~=o>

KittenKong 'helping'...

Forecast: 17-30
Attained: 16-28

Happy Man-On-A-Stick day!
No, we're not 'specially reverent around here...

~=o>

Fabulous storm this evening. Sheet lightning and howling winds and driving rains! Probly means that trees and roofs have gone flying elsewhere in the state.

~=o>

Hahah! Dragged my super cute suitecase out from underneath the bed today.

It's always smaller than I remember. :)

Forecast: 15-28
Attained: 14-27

"Never before have I been so calm fearing for my life..."
(comment nicked from YooToob page.)



~=o>

Woohoo, holidays!

Forecast: 15-25
Attained: 14-25

One more day of work then holiday time!

Aaaand now I can't think of what it was I wanted to say... :)

Forecast: 18-26
Attained: 20-26

My sun hat. I love it. I found it years ago in an op-shop in Warnambool. Over the years the rafia thread holding it together has unwound or disintegrated.

I sew it back together with ribbons.

This is the underside of my hat. There's been a number of repairs.

Forecast: 12-26
Attained: 11-25

Met my TAFE friends in the city. We went to see the Love and devotion: from Persia and beyond at the State Library. Beautiful stuff...
Then we landed at the nearest Pancake Parlour for lunch and chat. Was great to catch up! :)

~=o>

Hee, GoogleMaps for April 1st had an interesting view...

Forecast: 14-22
Attained: 17-21

Woohoo! Increased bandwidth from 20GB a month to 120GB! Our godlike download limit, as the cubs put it.

~=o>

Fantastic dream last night...
There was an intricate though decaying/crumbling building set on a beautiful, rolling hillscape. The building was crumbling cos the hill it was built on had an aquifer beneath it, which was disolving the base of the hill which in turn was causing significant - and increasing - subsidence. (At some point it was revealed that the 'hillscape' was essentially islands of dense vegetation.)

Off my own bat I was inventorying the contents of the building, working out priorities for salvage but no one seemed inclined to take the matter seriously even though the building was groaning and listing around us. Looking out of some of the lower windows I could see masses of rotting plants, the buildings foundations, rolling and tumbling against the glass. Fasicnating but disconcerting. I was sure the pressure would cave in the windows before long.

I rode - or flew - along the adjoining waterway and discovered some distance away a series of huge wooden stakes driven in to the bottom of the river. The stakes ranged from brand new through to tangles of black decay. I realised that this was a deliberate acidifying of the aquifer to destabilise not just the building but the entire landscape. It had been going on for some time...

Back at the building, standing outside on the roof, I could see two enormous hover cranes being flown towards us. The purpose of these was to attach to the island, to stabilise it and by means of the hover mechanism, keep it from sinking. I didn't think this was going to work. My exact thoughts were, 'Oh great, more technology to go wrong...'. Sure, it worked at first. I could feel the land/building level out and lift but before long the engines failed and we began to sink again, only this time with the added weight of the cranes...

(While I was watching the cranes come in I noticed a flying tram rise up and take off towards the city. There were people in there, like most public transport patrons, not particularly interested in how they were getting to their destinations. I thought this was extraordinary! You're in a tram, people! That's flying! :)