Forecast: 8-14
Attained: 6-13

In the next house I'd like to have a nice, wide, sunny window ledge for the cat. Not that I could put anything else on there - unless it was glued down - cos, you know, cats... :)

~=o>
Went to Penny's for dinner. The plan was to have homemade dumplings but circumstances conspired and it didn't eventuate. We did however feast on leftover pumpkin soup, and dahl, and roast lamb sammiches. Nom.

~=o>

'k!
Tee hee hee...
(By rocket-typo, nicked from Deviant Art)

Forecast: 15-20
Attained: 14-19

Proper Friday, finally! Holiday! [happy dance]

~=o>
Saw this at the supermarket this evening, nestled amongst the rest of the xmas stuff.

This wasn't saying to me 'Buy me, I'm keeeewt...!. No, I was hearing, 'Grant me a swift death, I beg of you...!'


~=o>

Hee. Loki clips from Thor. Which I haz now. :)

Forecast: 16-27
Attained: 18-26

Every day this week has felt like Friday, which means that I've been having a 'oh, what...?!' grumpy moment every morning I've had to get up for work. Eh well, tomorrow actually is Friday so all will be well. :)

~=o>
Dreaming last night I was at my parents' old house. I discovered that the back-door didn't latch and that anyone could've let themselves in at any time. This made me very uneasy.
I found a bunch of old, mixed keys and carefully sorted through them for the key to the back screen door. I thought that while it wasn't that much of a barrier it would at least be something.
Having done that I looked further and found the key to the back door! At first it looked like the door could only be locked from the outside but I checked again, and lo, I could actually lock the door from the inside as well. The house was safe again, and I felt I'd done my duty or something, considering I really don't like the place...

Forecast: 8-23
Attained: 7-22

Cubs are off to their dad's for a few days. Party time for me an' the cat!
Not really, I still have to go to work, for the next 2 days at least...

~=o>
Joules found this tumblr for me. Little Loki Lost. It's wonderfully distracting. Hee. :)

~=o>
This made me snorfle.
It's a panel from a First Dog on the Moon cartoon (which is behind a paywall, sorry, so can't share.) But this bit says so much.

(That's Mr On The Moon's depiction of our Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Tony Abbott, the Oposition leader, is a rabbit in speedos... [snicker]

Edit: Joules asked me to explain 'sooking'. It's basically whinging and complaining like small, tired children. :)

Forecast: 6-18
Attained: 6-18

Cubs and I went to see Hotel Transylvania this evening. It was fun, if not capital F fun. A few really funny bits, and the rest was amusing. Won't lose anything on dvd.
(We had sort of planned to go and see The Bourne Legacy, or rather that'd been my suggestion, cos Jeremy Renner's in it, but the cubs decided they'd rather see something else...)

~=o>
Wallpaper on my phone.
Srsly, I haven't fangirled this hard in a very long time.

Forecast: 8-15
Attained: 8-15

Took the cubs to the dentist today. Their first visit in far too long. One cub is doing all right, only one filling needed and there's not going to be a problem with his wisdom teeth. The other cub has a few more holes and one of his wisdom teeth is growing sideways. Eh, we'll deal with that eventually.

~=o>
I had some excellent dahl today at Penny's. The secret was the herby/spicey stuff had been cooked seperately to the lentils then mixed in for a couple of minutes at the end. Delicious! Coriander is best herb, yes it is...

~=o>
[happyburble...!]

Forecast: 13-18
Attained: 14-20

Napped this afternoon. Had a very intense and detailed dream where my procrastination brought me regret and guilt but also that odd sort of relief that comes from it being too late to do anything. Still shaking off the tendrils of that one.

~=o>
Hee, funny :)

(From Snarky Little Stitcher on Etsy.)

Forecast: 11-23
Attained: 12-21

I have one more week of work then I've got a week off. Unfortunately, I'm already in holiday mode which doesn't bode well for the amount/quality of work I'll be doing next week. :)

~=o>
Watching the Avengers, it took me a little while to start seeing Tom Hiddleston as Loki and not Magnus Martinsson from Kenneth Brannagh's version Wallander. When did I start seeing Loki? When he smiled like the devil incarnate.

Forecast: 13-18
Attained: 15-18

... I really just want to witter about Loki.

Have an Avenger's gag reel instead.

And a screengrab.

Forecast 19/9: 12-23
Attained: 11-17
Forecast 20/9: 13-18
Attained: 12-22

Tonight after work I trotted along to a Library meet-up thing with ex classmates and teachers for snacky noms and drinks, and lively discussions about library stuff. :)

Last night the cubs and I met up with Aaron at the Astor to see The Avengers. Fun movie, very quotable! ("Dost Mother know thou wearest her drapes?" :)
I find myself slightly obsessed with intrigued by Loki. Not sure why; like most of those 'beyond reason' he scares the daylights out of me!
And, he called Black Widow a 'mewling quim'! I gasped. No one else did. I wondered if I was the only person there who knew what it meant. That, or I was the only person there who hadn't seen the movie yet...

(My current desktop)

(Little tiny bit obsessed.)

~=o>
Disturbingly catchy song with bothersome lyrics. Interesting clip...

Forecast: 9-18
Attained: 9-17

... I have 'db' noted on the back of my hand. I have no idea why. So much for reminding myself to do something.

~=o>
The monitor on one of the library computers was playing up today. Both myself and a colleague carefully checked for air-gaps and concluded that there might be a problem with the powercord.
Of course, when the IT guy came down to check it was an air-gap, dammit! [headdesk]

Forecast: 10-18
Attained: 11-17


KittenKong, tucked in to the crook of my arm. This is where she is most of the time I'm on the computer.

"Oh good, you're home. Noms and/or cuddles, please..."

~=o>
Awww... :)
If I had a little bit more room I could do something like this for KK. I've still got a bunch of boxes left over from moving.

Forecast: 10-16
Attained: 8-16

2nd anniversary of Mum's death.
Still miss the madwoman :)

December 2009. Hanging on for dear life 15m above the ground at the Warburton Rainforest Gallery.

~=o>
Been having fun with the laptop. I was going to call it (him) lappy, and said as much to the boys, at which Badger said: "Odd, I thought you'd call it something like Nigel, or Edward..."
So, Nigel it is. Nigel Coriolus. :)

Current desktop.

Forecast: 7-16
Attained: 10-16

From Penny. This made me giggle. :)

Tony Abbott looking at things.

~=o>
It took five hours for the software to d/l last night. Five flipping hours for slightly less than a gb. It was like the bad old days of dial-up modems. [shudder]

~=o>

Clouds and puddles. Two of my favourite things.

Forecast: tba
Attained: 6-16

I'm currently sitting at the cubs' father's place, hooked in to his wifi with my laptop. I bought a copy of Office 2010 from work - very cheaply, under staff perks - but it's taking a ridiculously long time to download.
On the plus-side, I've now got Firefox and AVG loaded as well, so I don't feel quite so vulnerable sitting online for hours on end. Still grumpy though...

Forecast: 9-15
Attained: 9-14

Browsing online for books and this cover caught my eye.

Egad! It's Snape!
His dinner's the wrong gender though...

Vampires, a very peculiar history. Fiona McDonald, 2012.

~=o>
This is an oddly unsettling clip.

Forecast: 13-23
Attained: 11-22

One of the things my tax return went on was renewing my flickr pro account. At last I have all my pics there available to view. All 1000+ of them. There's a big gap though, between 2007-2011. That was a busy, uncomfortable time full of things. Will at least have to get some of the 2009 Qld trip up there. I'm sure the cubs would like to see them. :)

My photostream.

I had a pro account a few years ago but it lapsed. Hopefully this time I'll be able to get some sets etc sorted out. Organising that should keep me happily amused for hours...

Forecast: 8-22
Attained: 8-21

'twas interesting at work today. The new library management system is coming online soon and we've had to shut down the old to transfer data across. Unfortunately, we're not able to use the offline version of the new LMS yet - that problem is 'being looked in to' - so a spreadsheet is being used temporarily to keep track of loans and returns. Cataloguing, updating records and registering new users will just have to wait. Hopefully it will be sorted by the end of the week.

~=o>
I haz anti-virus software on my phone now, thanks to AVG. I feel a bit safer browsing. :)

Hee, and oddly enough, my laptop picks up our neighbours' - on either side - wifi thingies. This makes me think we might be able to use wifi in our concrete house. Still not sure how I feel about that, though. I haven't poked the tech with a stick for long enough yet to be sure of it.

~=o>

Forecast: 9-19
Attained: 8-18

I went here today - Reboot-IT - after the cubs' father sang their praises. I now have a refurbished, 2nd hand laptop for less than half the price I was willing to spend retail!
It's not terrifically interesting just at the moment, except to the cat, who wants to sit on it, but will be once I've loaded up the software I need. Soon.
(Lucky I spent some time this weekend clearing off the kitchen table, eh, cos now I've got somewhere to use the thing. There, and on the fold-down writing desk in the bureau in my bedroom.)

~=o>
Bought the cubs some clothes tonight, then we had dinner at the Piggy Place... and that's about it for my tax return. It's been mostly well spent. :)

Forecast: 10-18
Attained: 10-19

Spring. :)

~=o>
I'm wondering what did this. At first I thought someone had kicked the shit stuffing out of it but now I'm not sure. Could've been a critter after the termites...
Possum? They're insectivorous, apparently.

~=o>
I had to go in to the shed this afternoon...

I was not alone.

~=o>

Pics from last weekend's jaunt to the NGV up at flickr.

(... apparently I've shared them on blogger. Not sure how... Here's the link in case something's gone awry.)

(Ok, clicking the share link of blogger meant they were posted as a seperate post. Didn't want that. Let's try something else.)



Not ideal - couldn't work out how to post a link to the set the way I have before - but clicking on the pic will take you through to flickr.

Forecast: 10-16
Attained: 10-16

The interactive googledoodle today celebrated Star Trek's 46th anniversay. Loads of fun!



The crew.

Uhura in soft focus.

Kirk and crewman Redshirt encounter tribbles.

Kirk and crewman Redshirt beaming down.

A Gorn! Kirk uses the highlighted items to battle the enemy. And inflict collateral damage on crewman Redshirt.

Victory!

Back on board. Crewman Redshirt has had a bad day...

:)

Thanks for pointing this out, Mike!

[Edit: of course, I should post a disclaimer. Images are copyright to Google and used without permission. No intent to defraud, etc....)

Forecast: 9-15
Attained: 8-15

Found this today, MorgueFile, a 'public image archive for creatives by creatives'. Basically a place to pick up copyright free images, they just ask that you don't claim ownership of the original images.

(Why MorgueFile? They explain...

"A morgue file is a place to keep post production materials for use of reference, an inactive job file... The term "morgue file" is popular in the newspaper business to describe the file that holds past issues flats. Although the term has been used by illustrators, comic book artist, designers and teachers as well...")

So, a place to store the dead stuff, essentially. :)

~=o>
I'm really enjoying having ebooks on my 'phone but they're not terribly social. I can't share them with anybody, or drop them off at the op-shop when I'm done.

~=o>
Not only will we be signing another lease for the next year, there's no rent increase!

Forecast: 12-18
Attained: 13-18

Adorable pasta. Ridiculously expensive.

Srsly. $12 a 250g box.

Yesterday's forecast: 13-24
Attained: 14-23

Today's forecast: 16-21
Attained: 16-20

Yesterday was kind of weird. Got home from work about 6 then mooched around for a couple of hours trying to work up the enthusiasm to eat something other than toast. Eventually realised I just wanted to go to bed. So I did, nice and early, to the cubs' surprise. Mostly slept all the way through - except for a stumble out to the loo about 11 - and managed to get up early enough this morning to beat the secondary alarm.
Felt better today but it took most of the day to reorient myself to the 'now'. The weather didn't help, my spirit always feels wispy and scattered when the wind is up...

But, one of the things that's been niggling at me has been resolved. Spoke to the estate agent today about staying on for another year and apparently the owner is fine with that so I'll be signing a new lease soon. Woot.

Forecast: 9-19
Attained: 10-22


Cubs and I went to see the 3D version of Finding Nemo this afternoon. Wow, if any movie was made for 3D it's this one. I remember how astonishing the animation was when it was first released, now it's even better.
(And the sharks' teeth are really scary in 3D! :)

Amongst the previews was this trailer for Epic.



The fabulously atmospheric music is 'What if this storm ends' by Snow Patrol.
I want to see this...

~=o>
Haven't got 'round to uploading the pics from yesterday to Flickr yet but here's another one to fill things out...


The 'Tim Burton' cradle. (Manufacturer, J&J Kohn, Vienna, 1878)

Forecast: 6-19
Attained: 6-19

Gorgeous sunny day today. It only got to 19 but it felt much hotter in the city, where I was this afternoon gettin' sum culcha.

I went in to the NGV to see the Light Works exhibition. Unfortunately it wasn't as fab as I'd anticipated. Twenty-ish works in total; a couple of beautiful Bill Henson skyscapes and one of Hiroshi Sugimoto's 'Theaters'* were the highlights for me. I'd particularly been looking forward to seeing a selection of HS's work. Eh well.
So, only spent a little while there then skipped over to the 19th/20th century rooms and got very squee-y.

My favourite painting was back! The last few times I'd been in the gallery it hadn't been on display.

Saison d'octobre; Jules Bastien-Lepage, 1878.

Big canvas - almost 2m x 2m and the light is just luminous...


Also finally got a good pic of this little ceramic horse. Previously it's always been in a display cabinet and I was never able to get close enough.

Horse; Michael Powolny (designer), Wierner Keramik (manufacturer), c1910.

I'm eternally enchanted by the life and roundness of this piece.

Wandered around outside in the sculpture garden, somewhere I haven't been for years, then decided to treat myself to an afternoon tea at the posh cafe on the first floor.

Was elegant and delicious an' all but really not worth the price. Still, was glad I was able to do something nice for myself with my tax money.
Before leaving I visited the gift shop and spent considerably less.
Picked up some lovely postcards, including one of my fav painting, andandand a poster of the same! Going to have to give some thought in how I want that framed...

There's more pics, naturally, but I'll put those up on flickr tomorrow.


[* The official spelling, not the correct one.]

Forecast: 7-16
Attained: 9-15

Watched Batman Returns today. (Watched it twice, sort of, cos I fell asleep half an hour in to the first time viewing, waking up to the end credits so had to put it on again...)
I like this movie now more than I did when it first came out, not least cos my Batman canon-fascism has mellowed somewhat. Was still very impressed with Tim Burton's vision of the world-frame and this time I liked both versions of the Penguin and Cat Woman. Found them a bit cringe-worthy initially but now, yep, I get them.
I still think Michael Keaton made an excellent Batman and the 'unmasking' scene at the party is still one of my favourite heartwrenchingly poignant scenes.

~=o>
Portrait of a lady (cat).

The lens flare is deliberate. :)