(Early this morning at Chez Lutra:)
Me - to dawdling cubs: Come on, vivement!
Cubs: Is that German?
Me: No, it's French for 'Get a bloody move on...'
<g> We laughed.
I had a serious 'screw the rent' moment a couple of days ago. In the manga section of my local Borders I saw Megatokyo Vol 1-4; and Volume 3 of Absolute Boyfriend. <grump> I was restrained; I know that if I get myself into financial straits no one's going to bail me out. Essentials have to come first or life'll just get messy.
The school camp is at the end of this term. Up until Monday afternoon the cubs were determined they weren't going. I told them they had to tell their teachers - knowing full well that their teachers would try to talk them in to changing their minds.
Cubs are enthusiastic about the camp now. I hope it's fun for them; they did kinda sorta have fun last year, despite some teasing and bullying. <sigh>
Better make a list of stuff I'll have to buy...
I know the end of term is approaching cos my, at best, half-hearted organisation is slipping even more. Some mornings I really do have to give myself a stern talking to once the alarm's gone off. The idea of staying in bed and just letting the day slide is too tempting. :)
I don't have the same sort of problems with numbers as Joules but I do have my moments. For example, I've been very conservative with the music on my phone - deleting stuff so I can put more on... Until it dawned on me that 50000ish kb isn't 5 megs, it's 50. <shakes head> And that's just what's left on the memory card, there's almost the same amount free in the phone's memory as well. D'oh!
I've been thrashing my anime playlist recently, too. Wonderful! I've got a few tracks from Noir, including my song-of-the-moment Salva Nos. It's the 'action' theme, operatic techno sung in Latin. Marvelous stuff. There's something very poignant about 'Save us, God; Give us peace' being sung over vicious gun battles. Makes me shiver.
What else have I got? Opening theme to Excel Saga, Akira, Gravitation and X; 'Sound of Life' and 'First Donuts' from Trigun; the CCO 808 theme from the dubbed version (it's got more balls than the original); a pure percussion track, 'Tatakai no taiko' from Mononoke Hime; 'Shinma no Kodou' from Vampire Princess and 'Gessekai' from Nightwalker, both really atmospheric tracks. I did have 'Eden' (Yami no Matsui) but it conflicted somehow with the phone software. It would play the track... and then shut down. But I deleted the file and everything seems to be back to normal now. And <sobs> unfortunately 'Cloud Age Symphony' from Last Exile, and 'Gravity' from Wolf's Rain won't play! Which is distressing cos combined they're 12 minutes of teh love. Ah well, I might be able to find another copy of them someplace.
Thank you Joules, and Onna, for the various additions to my music library. <g>
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
I know the weather's beginning to warm up cos I'm able to spread the butter with relative ease.
<grumble> And the countdown's on. September 1st is only <counts on fingers> 3 days away. I'm expecting to see xmas decorations appearing for sale any day now...
The school library was officially opened this morning, after the weekly assembly. Fortunately I had the foresight to boot up the 'puter before the entire school trooped in cos the principal wanted to have a little 'first book borrowed' ceremony. (<g> Actually, the borrower was about the fourth person to use the system, but I didn't think there was any need to say so...)
But, the library is operational now, I even wrestled the database software into a headlock until it did what I wanted! (Gosh, that makes me sound butch [like 'hutch'] but no, really I only read the manual.)
And I definitely don't want to take credit for it all. Had lots of help from other volunteers, shifting the books over from the portable school and getting them on to the shelves. Let's face it, if that'd all been left up to me I'd still be wading through boxes! Yea, for I am a work-shy wee mousie...
The school concert wasn't as traumatic as I'd feared. We had the junior and senior school brass bands (from now on to be one combined band); the junior choir and the middle-school choir. The preps - wearing afro wigs - did a little dance to 'Blame it on the Boogie' and were naturally well-received. We were also treated to a Road Safety display from another grade - which made me giggle cos one of the songs was from a television commercial here years ago and I remembered the cheeky version my friend Jackie used to sing.
Both the cubs' grades performed plays but unfortunately the stage's sound system sucked and it was hard to hear what was going on. All the kids did very well, though, especially the lead in the Sherlock Holmes play. He would've had to have been the gayest Holmes I've ever seen, and performed so unselfconciously. <g> I foresee a future NIDA graduate...
The evening wound up earlier than expected, thank all the gods; it'd been a long, long day for the children. It was good to see that the weeks of rehearsal had been worth it though. The hall was packed - I'd be curious to know how much money the school made from the event. Not just from ticket sales but from the tea and coffee and snacks as well. That's one thing you can't accuse our Parent Committee of, being shy of making the most of a fund-raising opportunity.
(And, oh bother, I miscalculated. It's three weeks 'til the end of term, not two. <pout> Eh well, they'll be here before I'm ready for them anyway.)
<grumble> And the countdown's on. September 1st is only <counts on fingers> 3 days away. I'm expecting to see xmas decorations appearing for sale any day now...
The school library was officially opened this morning, after the weekly assembly. Fortunately I had the foresight to boot up the 'puter before the entire school trooped in cos the principal wanted to have a little 'first book borrowed' ceremony. (<g> Actually, the borrower was about the fourth person to use the system, but I didn't think there was any need to say so...)
But, the library is operational now, I even wrestled the database software into a headlock until it did what I wanted! (Gosh, that makes me sound butch [like 'hutch'] but no, really I only read the manual.)
And I definitely don't want to take credit for it all. Had lots of help from other volunteers, shifting the books over from the portable school and getting them on to the shelves. Let's face it, if that'd all been left up to me I'd still be wading through boxes! Yea, for I am a work-shy wee mousie...
The school concert wasn't as traumatic as I'd feared. We had the junior and senior school brass bands (from now on to be one combined band); the junior choir and the middle-school choir. The preps - wearing afro wigs - did a little dance to 'Blame it on the Boogie' and were naturally well-received. We were also treated to a Road Safety display from another grade - which made me giggle cos one of the songs was from a television commercial here years ago and I remembered the cheeky version my friend Jackie used to sing.
Both the cubs' grades performed plays but unfortunately the stage's sound system sucked and it was hard to hear what was going on. All the kids did very well, though, especially the lead in the Sherlock Holmes play. He would've had to have been the gayest Holmes I've ever seen, and performed so unselfconciously. <g> I foresee a future NIDA graduate...
The evening wound up earlier than expected, thank all the gods; it'd been a long, long day for the children. It was good to see that the weeks of rehearsal had been worth it though. The hall was packed - I'd be curious to know how much money the school made from the event. Not just from ticket sales but from the tea and coffee and snacks as well. That's one thing you can't accuse our Parent Committee of, being shy of making the most of a fund-raising opportunity.
(And, oh bother, I miscalculated. It's three weeks 'til the end of term, not two. <pout> Eh well, they'll be here before I'm ready for them anyway.)
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
I'm feeling justifiably smug. I managed to find the cub a costume coat, scarf and waistcoat for $7. I love op shops.
I also got another couple of fistfuls of attractive cutlery for next to nothing and I paid $7 for a dictionary that's the size of the combined Melbourne phone books. I'm a happy woman...
It's a neat dictionary, too. Circa 1968, Webster's (which is American, I think, but it spells colour, honour and centre correctly, with notes on the American spelling) and illustrated in colour. <g> There's hours of browsing amusement here.
Next week is the final Bollywood Dancing class for the term and our teacher suggested that we might like to dress-up for the occasion. Hee, I won't be going so far as a sari but I do have a set of ankle bells. There should be another class next term and I'll be signing up for that as well, I've really enjoyed this. Plus I continue to be pleased with how quickly I pick up the steps. :) That decade or more of dance in my youth obviously hasn't been wasted.
I also got another couple of fistfuls of attractive cutlery for next to nothing and I paid $7 for a dictionary that's the size of the combined Melbourne phone books. I'm a happy woman...
It's a neat dictionary, too. Circa 1968, Webster's (which is American, I think, but it spells colour, honour and centre correctly, with notes on the American spelling) and illustrated in colour. <g> There's hours of browsing amusement here.
Next week is the final Bollywood Dancing class for the term and our teacher suggested that we might like to dress-up for the occasion. Hee, I won't be going so far as a sari but I do have a set of ankle bells. There should be another class next term and I'll be signing up for that as well, I've really enjoyed this. Plus I continue to be pleased with how quickly I pick up the steps. :) That decade or more of dance in my youth obviously hasn't been wasted.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Look! ↑ ↑ ↑ I can do arrows!
No no no, I jest, that's not what I'm excited about.
Joules has coaxed the blog template into accepting a link to my Flickr account! Neat, eh? <g> Thanks, Joules!
I admit that being lazy and procrastinative [eh?] can sometimes get me into difficulties. I'm not sure, though, if the latest aggravation is entirely my fault.
The cubs' school is having a Concert [andthere were groans there was much rejoicing]. The Concert is this Thursday night but I've known about it for weeks. I discover today that one of the cubs doesn't have a costume...
Being lazy and procrastiwotsit I tend to take a laissez faire attitude to school. I rely on written notification - or failing that, a quick word from a teacher - to let me know if there's anything I should/need to see to. If I don't get a note then I assume there isn't a problem. I understand that teachers are busy and shouldn't be expected to micro-manage everything but still, I had no idea about the cub's costume. The other cub had his costume provided so I assumed...
Anyway, tomorrow after Bollywood Dancing I'll be trawling 'round the op-shops looking for a codger coat and hat/scarf. <sigh> I could really be doing without this last minute franticness.
And I suppose needing to go costume hunting tomorrow is another reason I can't accept a free ticket to a (matinee) dress rehearsal of Camelot. I was offered one today and it was very tempting but I had to decline. Not only was it very short notice but it would've meant reorganising a doctor's appointment after school plus running the risk of not getting back from the city in time to pick the cubs up from After Care if the thing ran overtime. <sigh> Too much like hard work, alas. Eh, I'll placate the fluffy bunny by dragging out the DVD and having a good sniffle.
Had a surprise visit from Soulsis on the weekend! And she came bearing really cool gifts! A pair of scissors with goldfish pics on the blades; a crab/lobster apron with matching serviettes (hee); a copy of a Bumper Book of Fun!! thing I put together years ago as a joke; and a 1983 issue of National Geographic that has an article about an artist using eclectic trash in his work. (Inspired? Oh yes.) <g> Now I have a reason to hang on to the crap I find...
No no no, I jest, that's not what I'm excited about.
Joules has coaxed the blog template into accepting a link to my Flickr account! Neat, eh? <g> Thanks, Joules!
I admit that being lazy and procrastinative [eh?] can sometimes get me into difficulties. I'm not sure, though, if the latest aggravation is entirely my fault.
The cubs' school is having a Concert [and
Being lazy and procrastiwotsit I tend to take a laissez faire attitude to school. I rely on written notification - or failing that, a quick word from a teacher - to let me know if there's anything I should/need to see to. If I don't get a note then I assume there isn't a problem. I understand that teachers are busy and shouldn't be expected to micro-manage everything but still, I had no idea about the cub's costume. The other cub had his costume provided so I assumed...
Anyway, tomorrow after Bollywood Dancing I'll be trawling 'round the op-shops looking for a codger coat and hat/scarf. <sigh> I could really be doing without this last minute franticness.
And I suppose needing to go costume hunting tomorrow is another reason I can't accept a free ticket to a (matinee) dress rehearsal of Camelot. I was offered one today and it was very tempting but I had to decline. Not only was it very short notice but it would've meant reorganising a doctor's appointment after school plus running the risk of not getting back from the city in time to pick the cubs up from After Care if the thing ran overtime. <sigh> Too much like hard work, alas. Eh, I'll placate the fluffy bunny by dragging out the DVD and having a good sniffle.
Had a surprise visit from Soulsis on the weekend! And she came bearing really cool gifts! A pair of scissors with goldfish pics on the blades; a crab/lobster apron with matching serviettes (hee); a copy of a Bumper Book of Fun!! thing I put together years ago as a joke; and a 1983 issue of National Geographic that has an article about an artist using eclectic trash in his work. (Inspired? Oh yes.) <g> Now I have a reason to hang on to the crap I find...
Thursday, August 17, 2006
ASIMO. <hissss>. And the cubs won't bloody stop talking about it, even after their father advised them that I really, really don't like robots. They were quite put out when I said that come the day - as they prophesised - humanoid 'bots were freely available to the masses, I'd be off up to the mountains as far away from 'civilisation' as I could.
"But what about us?" they asked, eyes wide (cos, remember, they're planning on living with me forever and ever).
"You can visit just don't bring your robots."
"Oh..."
<g> Their faces were a picture - I think that was the first time they'd ever contemplated a life away from me...
Moving right along.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2. (Did I really need to include a link?)
I was prepared to enjoy this movie and so was just a little bit disappointed. It's not that it was worse than the first but like other blockbuster sequels there seemed to be a reliance on references and in-jokes from the first, and a lot of these seemed gratingly contrived. (Except for one, which had me cackling). Plus, while there were some cracking new characters, and some gratifying character growth for the old ones, Captain Jack was just more of the same. It really felt like Depp was simply rehashing what'd worked previously.
It was a very long movie, as well, with not a lot of substance. It's not a good sign when I keep checking my watch instead of becoming immersed in the world.
There were plenty of good bits, however. The CGI was t'riffic - I'll never trust an octopus again - and the hint of angsty plot there at the end made me prick up my ears.
I'm glad I saw it at the cinema but I have no desire to see it again. I'll probably get the DVD when it's released, though that'll probably be more for completeness sake than anything else.
One DVD (and soundtrack) I will be actively hunting down, however, is Triplettes de Belleville.
Wow, just... wow.
The story is so simple you don't need subtitles for the (sparse) dialogue to follow what's going on, but even so it's hard to describe. It's quirky, but not light, and definitely sinister in places. The animation is astonishing but the 'wow'ness of it sneaks up on you. It's a - I dunno - fairly loose style, I spose you could say? The little bit of CGI incorporated stands out but not in a bad way. People and places are caricatures - this is in no way trying to replicate reality - but there is a wonderful subtlety of expression. Especially on the dog. My gods, that's a dog. <g>
According to the blurb on the back cover, Triplettes was up against Nemo in the 2003 Academy Awards. The fish won, and I can see why, even though Triplettes is a much better movie. Technically, Nemo was a marvel with an easily digested, brain-candy plot. Triplettes is thought-provoking and emotionally engaging in a way that goes right to your soul.
... Or you'll hate it. <g> Either way, it's an experience.
Hah! I've signed up for the The Lupin/Snape Lurve Community Snupin Santa. Already started my super sekrit assignment but I'll actually have to do some research if I want to do it justice. <g>
The cubs' school is putting on a concert next week.
Help me... heeelp meeee...
It probably won't be that bad, really...
And just in case I'm being too subtle about my feelings for my camera/phone (I take waaaay more pics than make calls) - I've recently updated my Flickr account.
"But what about us?" they asked, eyes wide (cos, remember, they're planning on living with me forever and ever).
"You can visit just don't bring your robots."
"Oh..."
<g> Their faces were a picture - I think that was the first time they'd ever contemplated a life away from me...
Moving right along.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2. (Did I really need to include a link?)
I was prepared to enjoy this movie and so was just a little bit disappointed. It's not that it was worse than the first but like other blockbuster sequels there seemed to be a reliance on references and in-jokes from the first, and a lot of these seemed gratingly contrived. (Except for one, which had me cackling). Plus, while there were some cracking new characters, and some gratifying character growth for the old ones, Captain Jack was just more of the same. It really felt like Depp was simply rehashing what'd worked previously.
It was a very long movie, as well, with not a lot of substance. It's not a good sign when I keep checking my watch instead of becoming immersed in the world.
There were plenty of good bits, however. The CGI was t'riffic - I'll never trust an octopus again - and the hint of angsty plot there at the end made me prick up my ears.
I'm glad I saw it at the cinema but I have no desire to see it again. I'll probably get the DVD when it's released, though that'll probably be more for completeness sake than anything else.
One DVD (and soundtrack) I will be actively hunting down, however, is Triplettes de Belleville.
Wow, just... wow.
The story is so simple you don't need subtitles for the (sparse) dialogue to follow what's going on, but even so it's hard to describe. It's quirky, but not light, and definitely sinister in places. The animation is astonishing but the 'wow'ness of it sneaks up on you. It's a - I dunno - fairly loose style, I spose you could say? The little bit of CGI incorporated stands out but not in a bad way. People and places are caricatures - this is in no way trying to replicate reality - but there is a wonderful subtlety of expression. Especially on the dog. My gods, that's a dog. <g>
According to the blurb on the back cover, Triplettes was up against Nemo in the 2003 Academy Awards. The fish won, and I can see why, even though Triplettes is a much better movie. Technically, Nemo was a marvel with an easily digested, brain-candy plot. Triplettes is thought-provoking and emotionally engaging in a way that goes right to your soul.
... Or you'll hate it. <g> Either way, it's an experience.
Hah! I've signed up for the The Lupin/Snape Lurve Community Snupin Santa. Already started my super sekrit assignment but I'll actually have to do some research if I want to do it justice. <g>
The cubs' school is putting on a concert next week.
Help me... heeelp meeee...
It probably won't be that bad, really...
And just in case I'm being too subtle about my feelings for my camera/phone (I take waaaay more pics than make calls) - I've recently updated my Flickr account.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
You've gotta love a camera that'll let you take a dozen photos before getting out of bed. (Camera was to hand cos I use my mobile as an alarm clock. The question is, if I had a separate camera would I take that to bed with me as well? Sadly perhaps, the answer is probably yes. <g>)
Cubs and I went to Penny's for dinner last night. Virtuously, we walked there, too, it only took half an hour. Nice afternoon for it, sunny without being hot and mostly downhill.
Even though the cubs viewed 2/3's of the food with suspicion they did at least try a taste instead of refusing outright. Wasn't too embarrassing as I'd warned Penny they'd do this.
What did we have to eat? A hearty cabbage, bacon and tomato soup; a potato, salami and egg bake; and apple and blueberry crumble for dessert. Mmmmm...
Heh, we had three hyper sprogs last night, and that was without the benefit of sugar. Just the normal high-pitched, frenetic energy of children being creative and having fun together. :) It helps that there's really cool toys at Penny and Sarah's, like a trampoline, and digicam/video. There was an entire saga unfolding - and being filmed - in the lounge room; something about a mad scientist, his assistant and the cat who tries to stop him...
There were protests all 'round when I declared it was time to leave but the cubs went to bed without a fuss when we got home. <g>
Thanks for inviting us, Penny, and thanks for the lift home. I really didn't fancy catching the bus that late.
When I got home last night I found the big black spider (that normally lives on the kitchen window) trapped in the sink. What was she doing out of her web? As far as I know from observation this species don't move at all. So anyway I gingerly helped her out of the sink, (twitching all the while cos she really is big and fast), and nudged her towards the window. I figure I'll give her a day or so and if she hasn't moved back into her web I'll take it down. Absolutely brilliant for keeping European wasps under control but it's not very pretty.
Our weather seems to be warming up slowly <grumble> but it was so cold in the kitchen the other morning that the jelly I'd made the cubs for dessert had started to set without being refrigerated. :)
Can't say I'll miss the cold but I'm not looking forward to the heat. But, some of the trees are starting to blossom or come into leaf and the port wine magnolia down the road has flower buds. Now that lovely smell is something I'm definitely looking forward to.
I went to see Confetti last week and loved it. A British mockumentary about a wedding magazine hosting a competition to find the most original wedding of the year. The contestants chosen (from a right bunch of weirdos) are Naturists, a 'Tennis' couple, and a pair who want a Busby Berkeley style musical wedding. (The dialogue was all improvised, apparently, I'm even more impressed.) Great characters, especially the Wedding Planners. I was sceptical at first - two gay men? Hadn't that been done before - but these two were so well played, tiptoeing the ragged line between the magazine's and the couples' frequently unrealistic demands. I loved these two outrageous but still believable queers and felt like cheering when they (quietly) took a stand against the magazine to give one of the couples what they most wanted. <happy sigh> The fluffy-bunny loved that bit.
And here was something I found interesting. The Naturist couple spent a lot of their screen time nude. I blinked at first but the nudity was so unsexual by the end of the movie I wasn't really noticing it any more. Which is, I suppose, the aim of naturists. <g>
This movie is quirky UK fluff and won't lose anything on DVD compared to big screen. It's another on my list of films to buy.
Some more fanfic snerks:
Infactuated - she knew all there was to know about him?
And - 'the vaulted Marauders'. <howling> I think she meant vaunted...
Cubs and I went to Penny's for dinner last night. Virtuously, we walked there, too, it only took half an hour. Nice afternoon for it, sunny without being hot and mostly downhill.
Even though the cubs viewed 2/3's of the food with suspicion they did at least try a taste instead of refusing outright. Wasn't too embarrassing as I'd warned Penny they'd do this.
What did we have to eat? A hearty cabbage, bacon and tomato soup; a potato, salami and egg bake; and apple and blueberry crumble for dessert. Mmmmm...
Heh, we had three hyper sprogs last night, and that was without the benefit of sugar. Just the normal high-pitched, frenetic energy of children being creative and having fun together. :) It helps that there's really cool toys at Penny and Sarah's, like a trampoline, and digicam/video. There was an entire saga unfolding - and being filmed - in the lounge room; something about a mad scientist, his assistant and the cat who tries to stop him...
There were protests all 'round when I declared it was time to leave but the cubs went to bed without a fuss when we got home. <g>
Thanks for inviting us, Penny, and thanks for the lift home. I really didn't fancy catching the bus that late.
When I got home last night I found the big black spider (that normally lives on the kitchen window) trapped in the sink. What was she doing out of her web? As far as I know from observation this species don't move at all. So anyway I gingerly helped her out of the sink, (twitching all the while cos she really is big and fast), and nudged her towards the window. I figure I'll give her a day or so and if she hasn't moved back into her web I'll take it down. Absolutely brilliant for keeping European wasps under control but it's not very pretty.
Our weather seems to be warming up slowly <grumble> but it was so cold in the kitchen the other morning that the jelly I'd made the cubs for dessert had started to set without being refrigerated. :)
Can't say I'll miss the cold but I'm not looking forward to the heat. But, some of the trees are starting to blossom or come into leaf and the port wine magnolia down the road has flower buds. Now that lovely smell is something I'm definitely looking forward to.
I went to see Confetti last week and loved it. A British mockumentary about a wedding magazine hosting a competition to find the most original wedding of the year. The contestants chosen (from a right bunch of weirdos) are Naturists, a 'Tennis' couple, and a pair who want a Busby Berkeley style musical wedding. (The dialogue was all improvised, apparently, I'm even more impressed.) Great characters, especially the Wedding Planners. I was sceptical at first - two gay men? Hadn't that been done before - but these two were so well played, tiptoeing the ragged line between the magazine's and the couples' frequently unrealistic demands. I loved these two outrageous but still believable queers and felt like cheering when they (quietly) took a stand against the magazine to give one of the couples what they most wanted. <happy sigh> The fluffy-bunny loved that bit.
And here was something I found interesting. The Naturist couple spent a lot of their screen time nude. I blinked at first but the nudity was so unsexual by the end of the movie I wasn't really noticing it any more. Which is, I suppose, the aim of naturists. <g>
This movie is quirky UK fluff and won't lose anything on DVD compared to big screen. It's another on my list of films to buy.
Some more fanfic snerks:
Infactuated - she knew all there was to know about him?
And - 'the vaulted Marauders'. <howling> I think she meant vaunted...
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
<happy dance> I got another parcel yesterday! From Joules this time containing a signed copy of Crystal Power (gorgeous!); a DVD (Blow Dry mmm... Rickman...); a cinnamon scented, grape festooned candle; another piece of the lovely salmony silk; a massage octopus (<snerk> 8 thumbs, eh?); a froggy floating pond ornament; 3 packets of strawberry angel delight! (<swoon> mine!); 16 sachets of the Turkish delight hot chocolate; a CD full of music and manga (Raditz, phwoooar! ... just looking!); and a good handful of Cadbury creme egg bars (which are mostly all gone now. <licks lips>)
Thanks, Joules, your Care packages are as appreciated (squeed over) as ever. <g>
Right, The Libertine. Fascinating movie, not pretty at all, despite the glorious costumes - it seemed to view everything through a miasma of mist, and mud and candle light. In the opening frames the Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp) tells us bluntly that we won't like him, and he's correct, up to a point. For me it wasn't so much a case of dislike for the excesses of the 17th century poet, as pity. The movie's tagline 'He didn't resist temptation. He pursued it.' is misleading. It makes John Wilmot out to be a romantic sort of rogue, and he is not. He is a deeply unhappy man who retreats behind moral cowardice to avoid the effort - and perhaps pain - that's needed to realise his potential. It felt like a life wasted. Here was a brilliant man who could've overcome his weaknesses but chose not to, and when his life falls apart with drastic consequences all he can say is 'I warned you not to trust me'.
It was a tragic story with a tragic ending, and yet, he does rally himself for a sort of redemption at the end. It was a small gesture compared to the damage he'd brought to himself and others, but it was a glimpse of what he could have been. And that was when I started sniffling. :) I'd like to read the play now, if not some of Rochester's writings, and I want a copy of the DVD when it comes out. Not just because it's another notch in my Depp collection but because it's an intriguing piece of art in its own right. <shakes head> Who wants to fill up on cotton-candy movies when there's stuff like this around?
Speaking of cotton-candy... I couldn't resist the bishie on the cover of Absolute Boyfriend and so I bought my first ever manga. It was so cute, and so funny, I giggled all the way through. (And of course, being alert to the slashy possibilities didn't detract from the reading, either <smirk>). I liked the style of art, too, simple and clean but very expressive. Volumes 2 and 3 of the translations are available, apparently, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for those.
I've recently been keeping track of the weather, just to see how accurate the forecasts are. I only had 14 days of data to play with for July but even so the results were interesting. On average, the weather bureau underestimated both the low and high temperatures by only half a degree. I'm trying to get a full month's date for August then I'll run the figures again - but I suspect it'll be a similar result.
(Good gods, next I'll be looking into rain gauges for my garden. As long as I don't begin taking an interest in shovels I should be all right...)
Our ABC - which is my default telly channel - occasionally broadcasts some very strange things late at night. For instance, sometime last week I looked up from the 'puter to see a performance by an 'experimental orchestra'. <blink> Music, only by the vaguest definition, enhanced by the orchestra members writhing about while wearing plastic bags and shredded paper. I got the impression of something oceanic but that was only because one man appeared to be acting like a seal. The rest made no sense at all... Oh well, 'art' is only in the comprehension of the beholder, I suppose. :)
After a really good day at Puffing Billy on Saturday, Sunday was very strange. I let myself sleep in and when I eventually opened my eyes at 11 a.m. I felt very bleurgh. Headachey and hungover; very annoying considering it's been months since I had a drink. Anyway, dragged myself out of bed but only managed an hour or so of useful activity before I had to apologise to the cubs and take myself back to bed for another few hours. It was well into the evening before I began to feel better. I really don't like days like that.
(Chatting to Penny about it on Monday we concluded that I must've been channeling her vodka hangover. That, or I just let myself get horribly dehydrated.)
I took 132 photos at Puffing Billy, for a total of 25 megs, and I discovered a lot about my woodgie phone camera. It doesn't handle motion very well, and without a flash I can only rely on available light. Not much of a problem with flourescents but incandescents don't work well at all. The 2 megapixels can sometimes give a surprisingly good picture but I've had to learn to judge what probably will and won't work with the digital zoom, or with close-ups. I probably have more 'failed' shots with this camera than I would with an SLR but I'm learning the media and I love not having to cart around rolls and rolls of film. As someone known to take oodles of photos at the merest hint of something interesting, the cost saved is significant. I do fret a little, however, at the volatility of the medium. One 'puter crash and you've lost everything, without having negatives to go back to. So, I've been very good about burning everything to CD on a regular basis. Ideally I'd like to have hard copies of favoured photos too, but that can wait for the moment. Even more ideally I'd still love to have an honest to goodness darkroom, but again, that can wait... :)
Thanks, Joules, your Care packages are as appreciated (squeed over) as ever. <g>
Right, The Libertine. Fascinating movie, not pretty at all, despite the glorious costumes - it seemed to view everything through a miasma of mist, and mud and candle light. In the opening frames the Earl of Rochester (Johnny Depp) tells us bluntly that we won't like him, and he's correct, up to a point. For me it wasn't so much a case of dislike for the excesses of the 17th century poet, as pity. The movie's tagline 'He didn't resist temptation. He pursued it.' is misleading. It makes John Wilmot out to be a romantic sort of rogue, and he is not. He is a deeply unhappy man who retreats behind moral cowardice to avoid the effort - and perhaps pain - that's needed to realise his potential. It felt like a life wasted. Here was a brilliant man who could've overcome his weaknesses but chose not to, and when his life falls apart with drastic consequences all he can say is 'I warned you not to trust me'.
It was a tragic story with a tragic ending, and yet, he does rally himself for a sort of redemption at the end. It was a small gesture compared to the damage he'd brought to himself and others, but it was a glimpse of what he could have been. And that was when I started sniffling. :) I'd like to read the play now, if not some of Rochester's writings, and I want a copy of the DVD when it comes out. Not just because it's another notch in my Depp collection but because it's an intriguing piece of art in its own right. <shakes head> Who wants to fill up on cotton-candy movies when there's stuff like this around?
Speaking of cotton-candy... I couldn't resist the bishie on the cover of Absolute Boyfriend and so I bought my first ever manga. It was so cute, and so funny, I giggled all the way through. (And of course, being alert to the slashy possibilities didn't detract from the reading, either <smirk>). I liked the style of art, too, simple and clean but very expressive. Volumes 2 and 3 of the translations are available, apparently, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for those.
I've recently been keeping track of the weather, just to see how accurate the forecasts are. I only had 14 days of data to play with for July but even so the results were interesting. On average, the weather bureau underestimated both the low and high temperatures by only half a degree. I'm trying to get a full month's date for August then I'll run the figures again - but I suspect it'll be a similar result.
(Good gods, next I'll be looking into rain gauges for my garden. As long as I don't begin taking an interest in shovels I should be all right...)
Our ABC - which is my default telly channel - occasionally broadcasts some very strange things late at night. For instance, sometime last week I looked up from the 'puter to see a performance by an 'experimental orchestra'. <blink> Music, only by the vaguest definition, enhanced by the orchestra members writhing about while wearing plastic bags and shredded paper. I got the impression of something oceanic but that was only because one man appeared to be acting like a seal. The rest made no sense at all... Oh well, 'art' is only in the comprehension of the beholder, I suppose. :)
After a really good day at Puffing Billy on Saturday, Sunday was very strange. I let myself sleep in and when I eventually opened my eyes at 11 a.m. I felt very bleurgh. Headachey and hungover; very annoying considering it's been months since I had a drink. Anyway, dragged myself out of bed but only managed an hour or so of useful activity before I had to apologise to the cubs and take myself back to bed for another few hours. It was well into the evening before I began to feel better. I really don't like days like that.
(Chatting to Penny about it on Monday we concluded that I must've been channeling her vodka hangover. That, or I just let myself get horribly dehydrated.)
I took 132 photos at Puffing Billy, for a total of 25 megs, and I discovered a lot about my woodgie phone camera. It doesn't handle motion very well, and without a flash I can only rely on available light. Not much of a problem with flourescents but incandescents don't work well at all. The 2 megapixels can sometimes give a surprisingly good picture but I've had to learn to judge what probably will and won't work with the digital zoom, or with close-ups. I probably have more 'failed' shots with this camera than I would with an SLR but I'm learning the media and I love not having to cart around rolls and rolls of film. As someone known to take oodles of photos at the merest hint of something interesting, the cost saved is significant. I do fret a little, however, at the volatility of the medium. One 'puter crash and you've lost everything, without having negatives to go back to. So, I've been very good about burning everything to CD on a regular basis. Ideally I'd like to have hard copies of favoured photos too, but that can wait for the moment. Even more ideally I'd still love to have an honest to goodness darkroom, but again, that can wait... :)
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Dagnabbit. As I'm only using the free Flickr account I can only have 3 photo 'sets'. Pooh, I'd been relying on setting up another one so I could sort today's Puffing Billy pics in some semblance of order instead of the 'fling'em'up'there' method I used. I could delete the lot, I spose, and start from scratch. Not sure if I can swap them around once they've been uploaded...
So, anyway, be warned that this latest batch of photos aren't in a logical sequence. <g>
Yes, the cubs and I went to Puffing Billy today! A belated birthday present for my babies. <eg> I'm so tired, though, and my eyes are stinging. We had to have an early start (out of the house by 8 a.m) to make sure we got to Belgrave in plenty of time to catch the only train scheduled to go all the way to Gembrook. Normally we just travel to Lakeside but today we went alllll the way to the end of the line. Ultimately it's less than an extra hour each way but it was so blinking cold in the windowless carriages! Fortunately there was a cosy fire waiting for us in Gembrook station, so after some hot chocolate and basking for a bit the cubs and I meandered around the tiny township for an hour or so. Let's see, Gembrook has: a motel, a pub, a fast-food place, 3 antiques/collectible/artsy shoppes, a newsagent/post office, a motoring museum (closed today), a bakery, an itty supermarket and 3 bar/cafes. Can we say 'Tourist Town'? <g> There was a very nice park, though, with a gazeebo. At first the cubs were all keen to explore the playground but the siren call of the steamie was irresistible and we spent the remaining time before the return journey poking around the station and the engine. :)
It was even colder on the way back.
We hopped off at Lakeside and dashed up to the Model Railway for a look before dashing back down to the station in time to catch the last train to Belgrave. From there it was a nicely modern (warm) train back to Box Hill to catch the bus home.
We had a great day, despite the soot in the eyes and the frozen fingers, and the cubs are already talking about their next trip. <g>
Onna told me there was a parcel on the way, and that it was heavy...
An understatement! <bouncebounce> I opened up the box and cooed over the huge wodge of charm squares material - and then I looked in the plastic bags. Holy Heck! I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say my quilt fabric stash has doubled. There's some gorgeous material in there, thanks, onna! And that's not mentioning the selection of craft books and magazines. I foresee many happy hour of inspirational browsing...
I had a few things to say about The Libertine, which I saw earlier this week, but I can't keep my eyes open. The sibilant wit will have to wait for another time. <sleepy yawn>
So, anyway, be warned that this latest batch of photos aren't in a logical sequence. <g>
Yes, the cubs and I went to Puffing Billy today! A belated birthday present for my babies. <eg> I'm so tired, though, and my eyes are stinging. We had to have an early start (out of the house by 8 a.m) to make sure we got to Belgrave in plenty of time to catch the only train scheduled to go all the way to Gembrook. Normally we just travel to Lakeside but today we went alllll the way to the end of the line. Ultimately it's less than an extra hour each way but it was so blinking cold in the windowless carriages! Fortunately there was a cosy fire waiting for us in Gembrook station, so after some hot chocolate and basking for a bit the cubs and I meandered around the tiny township for an hour or so. Let's see, Gembrook has: a motel, a pub, a fast-food place, 3 antiques/collectible/artsy shoppes, a newsagent/post office, a motoring museum (closed today), a bakery, an itty supermarket and 3 bar/cafes. Can we say 'Tourist Town'? <g> There was a very nice park, though, with a gazeebo. At first the cubs were all keen to explore the playground but the siren call of the steamie was irresistible and we spent the remaining time before the return journey poking around the station and the engine. :)
It was even colder on the way back.
We hopped off at Lakeside and dashed up to the Model Railway for a look before dashing back down to the station in time to catch the last train to Belgrave. From there it was a nicely modern (warm) train back to Box Hill to catch the bus home.
We had a great day, despite the soot in the eyes and the frozen fingers, and the cubs are already talking about their next trip. <g>
Onna told me there was a parcel on the way, and that it was heavy...
An understatement! <bouncebounce> I opened up the box and cooed over the huge wodge of charm squares material - and then I looked in the plastic bags. Holy Heck! I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say my quilt fabric stash has doubled. There's some gorgeous material in there, thanks, onna! And that's not mentioning the selection of craft books and magazines. I foresee many happy hour of inspirational browsing...
I had a few things to say about The Libertine, which I saw earlier this week, but I can't keep my eyes open. The sibilant wit will have to wait for another time. <sleepy yawn>
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tch, I've had access to a camera for two weeks already and only just remembered I have a Flickr account. Anyway, I've put up a handful of pics here - more to come when I'm better organised. <g> (And have a look at my 'buddy icon'. Dormouse! Squee! Not a photo I took myself, obviously, cos there's no dormice in Australia, but nicked from the 'net somewhere.)
I have numerous, non-urgent side quests and picking up a copy of Ned Kelly (very cheaply) was one small step closer to fulfilling one of them.
Now, I'm not an aficionado of the Ned Kelly myth though I've been marginally aware through the years about the arguments over his character. To some he's simply a murdering crinimal, to others a valiant freedom fighter pushed into outlawry through the prejudice of the police. Right, whatever, I have no real opinion but it was pretty bloody obvious within a few minutes just where the film's sympathies lay, which was firmly within the 'ordinary man forced into crime' camp. It was dissatisfyingly obvious, in fact, almost Marty-Stuish. Add a spurious romance to the clumsy attempt to gain our sympathy and it wasn't a significant film at all. That's not to say that the cast were crap, cos they weren't. Most of the characters were very well played and believable, and Heath Ledger in particular did well with what he had. What did annoy me, though, was the melodramatic aspect of some of the police (and the beards, dear gods, the beards!). As instruments of Kelly's perdition one in particular was overplayed and just irritating. Yes, yes, the authorities had it in for the Kelly family, we know that, there was no need to highlight it so strongly it became farcial. Sheesh.
What I did really like about this movie however was how well it portrayed the landscape. Outback Victoria is not especially hospitable but it is striking.
... and Orli-squee's Irish accent was soft and gentle and just darling! <squinch>
I had a dream the other night that my father asked me if I'd seen his bowtie. I had to think hard but I vaguely remembered seeing it in an ornamental brass box of my mother's. Problem was, Mum had packed most of her stuff away and I spent nearly the whole dream rummaging around in cupboards and cardboard boxes looking for the stupid thing. Tch.
And speaking of looking for things. I heard a snippet of classical music last week and it drove me mad! I knew it from somewhere but couldn't quite place it. I knew - or rather, my body knew - it'd been used regularly in the ballet barre work exercises I endured years ago, and I was almost certain I'd danced to it as well.
I finally remembered what the piece was just before I went to bed that night - the opening stanza from Carmen. As it happened I hadn't danced to it but the impression I had of particular steps and swirly skirts was because I'd seen it danced numerous times. It's always good to solve a puzzle, I went to bed feeling very smug.
It was announced at assembly this morning that the cubs' school is getting (has bought with Government funds) one of the cabins built for the Athletes' Village in the recent Commonwealth Games. Neat! We're acquiring a piece of history, a building that's been imbued with the desperate hopes and determination - yea, perhaps even the very sweat - of world class athletes. That can't be anything but inspirational, ne? <g>
<sigh> The broadband limit ran out very quickly this month so I've had an enforced absence from eBay of two weeks.
Which honestly probably isn't a bad thing.
More delights of my new phone: having the music piped directly into my ears has in some cases enabled me to hear the lyrics more clearly. Outkast's Hey Ya, despite the cheerful tune and peppering of 'love', 'together', 'forever' words is not a nice song. And I've discovered that my favourite ever Kylie song is spookily appropriate for the project I've just started.
Finally...
Spotted cloisterphobic in a fan fic. <snerk> The fear of monasteries?
I have numerous, non-urgent side quests and picking up a copy of Ned Kelly (very cheaply) was one small step closer to fulfilling one of them.
Now, I'm not an aficionado of the Ned Kelly myth though I've been marginally aware through the years about the arguments over his character. To some he's simply a murdering crinimal, to others a valiant freedom fighter pushed into outlawry through the prejudice of the police. Right, whatever, I have no real opinion but it was pretty bloody obvious within a few minutes just where the film's sympathies lay, which was firmly within the 'ordinary man forced into crime' camp. It was dissatisfyingly obvious, in fact, almost Marty-Stuish. Add a spurious romance to the clumsy attempt to gain our sympathy and it wasn't a significant film at all. That's not to say that the cast were crap, cos they weren't. Most of the characters were very well played and believable, and Heath Ledger in particular did well with what he had. What did annoy me, though, was the melodramatic aspect of some of the police (and the beards, dear gods, the beards!). As instruments of Kelly's perdition one in particular was overplayed and just irritating. Yes, yes, the authorities had it in for the Kelly family, we know that, there was no need to highlight it so strongly it became farcial. Sheesh.
What I did really like about this movie however was how well it portrayed the landscape. Outback Victoria is not especially hospitable but it is striking.
... and Orli-squee's Irish accent was soft and gentle and just darling! <squinch>
I had a dream the other night that my father asked me if I'd seen his bowtie. I had to think hard but I vaguely remembered seeing it in an ornamental brass box of my mother's. Problem was, Mum had packed most of her stuff away and I spent nearly the whole dream rummaging around in cupboards and cardboard boxes looking for the stupid thing. Tch.
And speaking of looking for things. I heard a snippet of classical music last week and it drove me mad! I knew it from somewhere but couldn't quite place it. I knew - or rather, my body knew - it'd been used regularly in the ballet barre work exercises I endured years ago, and I was almost certain I'd danced to it as well.
I finally remembered what the piece was just before I went to bed that night - the opening stanza from Carmen. As it happened I hadn't danced to it but the impression I had of particular steps and swirly skirts was because I'd seen it danced numerous times. It's always good to solve a puzzle, I went to bed feeling very smug.
It was announced at assembly this morning that the cubs' school is getting (has bought with Government funds) one of the cabins built for the Athletes' Village in the recent Commonwealth Games. Neat! We're acquiring a piece of history, a building that's been imbued with the desperate hopes and determination - yea, perhaps even the very sweat - of world class athletes. That can't be anything but inspirational, ne? <g>
<sigh> The broadband limit ran out very quickly this month so I've had an enforced absence from eBay of two weeks.
Which honestly probably isn't a bad thing.
More delights of my new phone: having the music piped directly into my ears has in some cases enabled me to hear the lyrics more clearly. Outkast's Hey Ya, despite the cheerful tune and peppering of 'love', 'together', 'forever' words is not a nice song. And I've discovered that my favourite ever Kylie song is spookily appropriate for the project I've just started.
Finally...
Spotted cloisterphobic in a fan fic. <snerk> The fear of monasteries?
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Heh, had proof positive today that the new school library was designed by an architect and not someone who actually works in a library. The front desk is very nice, wide and long, lots of space, but all the cords and cables from the 'puter and peripherals hang down and across the drawers underneath the desk. Opening a drawer without tugging on a cord and pulling something vital off the desk is a challenge. The drawers are integral to the desk, so they can't be moved, likewise the 'puter is anchored to one spot and can't be moved. Tch, eh, we'll sort something out, no doubt.
The library's coming on, though! All of the boxes of books have been emptied and the majority of the items are on the shelves with only a waist-high pile of odds and sods left over, mostly stuff that's escaped being processed, or been catalogued incorrectly. Of course, that's not counting the other waist-high pile of new stuff that's come in since the holidays. Going to be busy. :)
The second Bollywood class was even more fun than the first. I still feel like I'm a heffalump with delusions of grace but it doesn't matter. It's a challenge, and tiring, and I'm enjoying myself immensely. I'm remembering the steps and the sequences without too much trouble, and while the transitions continue to be awkward and my fingers look like claws cos of the unfamiliar positions, this is satisfying on a very primal level. <g> I'm not kidding about my hands, I've never bemoaned quite so much my lack of long, graceful fingers. Some of the movements are very subtle and they got lost in the stumpiness. <giggling> Which in itself is quite funny...
Oh yes, my phone. I have a new phone, have I mentioned? <smirk> I've been playing with the camera, seeing just what it can do. It's pretty basic, and what works one time might not work again in almost identical circumstances, but I'm sure we're reaching some sort of amicable working relationship.
The itty screen in almost useless for viewing, though, and I generally have to wait to see what a pic looks like on the 'puter monitor before I know if it's worth keeping.
It's all good, though, yes. :) I definitely need a memory chip so I can lug about more music. Never realised how marvellous headphones are for shutting out the world.
The library's coming on, though! All of the boxes of books have been emptied and the majority of the items are on the shelves with only a waist-high pile of odds and sods left over, mostly stuff that's escaped being processed, or been catalogued incorrectly. Of course, that's not counting the other waist-high pile of new stuff that's come in since the holidays. Going to be busy. :)
The second Bollywood class was even more fun than the first. I still feel like I'm a heffalump with delusions of grace but it doesn't matter. It's a challenge, and tiring, and I'm enjoying myself immensely. I'm remembering the steps and the sequences without too much trouble, and while the transitions continue to be awkward and my fingers look like claws cos of the unfamiliar positions, this is satisfying on a very primal level. <g> I'm not kidding about my hands, I've never bemoaned quite so much my lack of long, graceful fingers. Some of the movements are very subtle and they got lost in the stumpiness. <giggling> Which in itself is quite funny...
Oh yes, my phone. I have a new phone, have I mentioned? <smirk> I've been playing with the camera, seeing just what it can do. It's pretty basic, and what works one time might not work again in almost identical circumstances, but I'm sure we're reaching some sort of amicable working relationship.
The itty screen in almost useless for viewing, though, and I generally have to wait to see what a pic looks like on the 'puter monitor before I know if it's worth keeping.
It's all good, though, yes. :) I definitely need a memory chip so I can lug about more music. Never realised how marvellous headphones are for shutting out the world.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Hee, Freddie Mercury sang about being in love with his car - I think I'm in love with my phone! I spose it's not quite new technology but even so I'm surprised at how quickly I've taken to it. <thinking> Perhaps it's the colour? Grey is serious and intimidating while pink is a happy-fun consequence free toy. :)
So anyway I've been having fun with my new toy - taking photos, downloading music - and the alarm has a snooze button! How cool is that? With my old phone, which I've been using as an alarm clock for months and months, I had to reset the alarm if I wanted a snooze but now it's just one button. Hee.
It was a bit rocky to start with but, you know, putting the SIM card in the right way round works wonders. <g> There's still a couple of things I need to suss out, but I think I'm pretty comfortable with my phone already. And music, yay! I've been listening to things I've not heard since the last 'puter melt-down. :)
The school library has finally got its shelves so I spent a couple of hours today hefting boxes of books around. It was very satisfying. <g> Managed to unpack probly 10 boxes, and there's at least twice that much left cluttering up the storeroom. Should keep me busy for a little while...
So anyway I've been having fun with my new toy - taking photos, downloading music - and the alarm has a snooze button! How cool is that? With my old phone, which I've been using as an alarm clock for months and months, I had to reset the alarm if I wanted a snooze but now it's just one button. Hee.
It was a bit rocky to start with but, you know, putting the SIM card in the right way round works wonders. <g> There's still a couple of things I need to suss out, but I think I'm pretty comfortable with my phone already. And music, yay! I've been listening to things I've not heard since the last 'puter melt-down. :)
The school library has finally got its shelves so I spent a couple of hours today hefting boxes of books around. It was very satisfying. <g> Managed to unpack probly 10 boxes, and there's at least twice that much left cluttering up the storeroom. Should keep me busy for a little while...
Monday, July 17, 2006
Ahh, the sound of a free-flowing drain is a thing of joy, especially when your shower's just been interrupted by the feel of water pooling around your feet. Ew. I know it's not clean and sweet-smelling stuff that clogs drains and I don't want to be standing in the residue. So, water off, pull on clothes then go and find the unclogging potion.
I poured out a generous dollop then watched attentively for several minutes until bloop-gurgle the standing water suddenly drained away. Hah! I enjoyed my shower after that.
Couldn't help wondering though; in this house do blocked drains only happen to me? Or do others just not give a damn?
Odd dream last night. I was visiting a prostitute at her home, and what a gorgeous home! A Californian Bungalow in beautiful condition and chockers full of decorative items. I noticed my friend had a thing for chrysanthemums; her dress was patterned with them and the theme kept recurring in furnishings and artwork. The back door opened out onto a patio and I bet to myself there was a pool in the back garden. I woke up briefly then drifted back to sleep and - unusually - went once again into the dream. This time I went out through the back door and sure enough I found the pool. It was smallish and in need of a good clean but there it was. I asked my friend how many bedrooms her house had and she said 4 (I'm fairly certain that and the pool had something to do with our conversation yesterday, Joules), and then suddenly the house was full of people partying. Not a problem, except I had to go to the loo and it was a bit awkward trying to wee when there's distracting sexual activity on either side of you... <g>
(And while checking the spelling of 'chrysanthemum' I found 'clapperclaw': [archaic verb transitive] to scratch or hit; abuse or criticize spitefully. Neat!)
So, the second episode of the new-new Dr Who and we had another Darth Vader Redemption. Tch. Why, after a few firm words from the Doctor, did she essentially suicide when previously she'd been utterly ruthless about living? I remain unconvinced.
And why were the experiments clothed? Okay, fair enough, BBC guidelines might have had something to say on the subject but still...
I do like this new doctor, though. A lot.
If you fed a coffee soaked cockroach to a spider, would the spider get a caffeine buzz?
I've got a new mobile phone - though it was done reluctantly. The network used to have this marvellous system where the handsets acted as landlines in the home range and as mobiles outside of it. However, that network is closing soon and the customers have been encouraged to switch over to the standard mobile network. <sigh>
On the plus side, my new phone is hot pink metallic!
On the minus side, it's new technology I have to poke with a stick until I'm comfortable.
But on the plus side again, the phone's incorporated camera is really neat - 2 megapixels.
... can't think of another 'minus' though that might change when I get my first bill for it. :)
I poured out a generous dollop then watched attentively for several minutes until bloop-gurgle the standing water suddenly drained away. Hah! I enjoyed my shower after that.
Couldn't help wondering though; in this house do blocked drains only happen to me? Or do others just not give a damn?
Odd dream last night. I was visiting a prostitute at her home, and what a gorgeous home! A Californian Bungalow in beautiful condition and chockers full of decorative items. I noticed my friend had a thing for chrysanthemums; her dress was patterned with them and the theme kept recurring in furnishings and artwork. The back door opened out onto a patio and I bet to myself there was a pool in the back garden. I woke up briefly then drifted back to sleep and - unusually - went once again into the dream. This time I went out through the back door and sure enough I found the pool. It was smallish and in need of a good clean but there it was. I asked my friend how many bedrooms her house had and she said 4 (I'm fairly certain that and the pool had something to do with our conversation yesterday, Joules), and then suddenly the house was full of people partying. Not a problem, except I had to go to the loo and it was a bit awkward trying to wee when there's distracting sexual activity on either side of you... <g>
(And while checking the spelling of 'chrysanthemum' I found 'clapperclaw': [archaic verb transitive] to scratch or hit; abuse or criticize spitefully. Neat!)
So, the second episode of the new-new Dr Who and we had another Darth Vader Redemption. Tch. Why, after a few firm words from the Doctor, did she essentially suicide when previously she'd been utterly ruthless about living? I remain unconvinced.
And why were the experiments clothed? Okay, fair enough, BBC guidelines might have had something to say on the subject but still...
I do like this new doctor, though. A lot.
If you fed a coffee soaked cockroach to a spider, would the spider get a caffeine buzz?
I've got a new mobile phone - though it was done reluctantly. The network used to have this marvellous system where the handsets acted as landlines in the home range and as mobiles outside of it. However, that network is closing soon and the customers have been encouraged to switch over to the standard mobile network. <sigh>
On the plus side, my new phone is hot pink metallic!
On the minus side, it's new technology I have to poke with a stick until I'm comfortable.
But on the plus side again, the phone's incorporated camera is really neat - 2 megapixels.
... can't think of another 'minus' though that might change when I get my first bill for it. :)
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Last night's trifle had pink cream... It was sposed to be red but there's only so much you can do with pink food colouring.
Penny made me a hat! It's pink and purple and furry - kitty ears will be a perfect addition. <g>
And we (Penny and I, not the hat and I) had our first Bollywood Dancing class on Wednesday. It was hard work admittedly but so much fun! Hee, unfortunately I still have all the muscle memory of 10+ years of classical ballet, which didn't quite mesh with what I was learning this time. I kept wanting to point my toes. I don't think it's going to take too long to get into the right headspace though, despite feeling as graceless as a lumpish, tight-sinewed Westerner could possibly be. <g> Eh, it was my first time trying a completely new artform, I can expect to be clumsy.
<snerk> Smart Bitches recently had a 'mad libs Romance Title and Tagline' thingy. (Scroll down to Tue. 11th July).
Here's what my carefuly selected words produced:
He rogered his gaspacho when he saw her bouncing her chin. Now, can he stride her rigid pinkie? Find out in...
Love's soft couch.
<rolling around laughing> That's so silly...
I make a point of avoiding things like commercial (or stupid) television but I can't always avoid it when I'm at mum's. When the cubs and I were there last holidays I found my eyeballs assaulted by snippets of the most recent Big Brother. (I hasten to add that Mum doesn't watch the show at all but there were promos and commericals ad nauseum.) Was it just me, or were all the 'contestants' orange? I know it wasn't the telly's colour balance cos everyone else looked normal, but that lot? Will there ever be a fake tan that looks real?
The next best thing to travelling and collecting your own tacky souvenirs is finding them in op shops. I've got a faux bronze mini colosseum! Wonderful! Actually, it's been a good time for op shops. I've also acquired a decorative pickle jar (for all your decorative pickle needs); more forks (muahahahaha); a pretty little painted fan and a 'mounted fish' key holder. Happy now...
I was sort of watching a history doco yesterday and discovered that a couple of George I's mistresses had the nicknames "The May-pole" and "The Elephant". What a great name for a pub! The May-pole and Elephant. I'd drink there. :)
Right, American Gods. Wow, just wow.
I'm quite proud of myself, I managed to pick up a lot of the clues but there were still "d'oh, of course!" moments at the end there. <g> It was an enthralling read, very enjoyable if decidely squicky in places. But then, that's what I've come to expect from Gaiman
Penny made me a hat! It's pink and purple and furry - kitty ears will be a perfect addition. <g>
And we (Penny and I, not the hat and I) had our first Bollywood Dancing class on Wednesday. It was hard work admittedly but so much fun! Hee, unfortunately I still have all the muscle memory of 10+ years of classical ballet, which didn't quite mesh with what I was learning this time. I kept wanting to point my toes. I don't think it's going to take too long to get into the right headspace though, despite feeling as graceless as a lumpish, tight-sinewed Westerner could possibly be. <g> Eh, it was my first time trying a completely new artform, I can expect to be clumsy.
<snerk> Smart Bitches recently had a 'mad libs Romance Title and Tagline' thingy. (Scroll down to Tue. 11th July).
Here's what my carefuly selected words produced:
He rogered his gaspacho when he saw her bouncing her chin. Now, can he stride her rigid pinkie? Find out in...
Love's soft couch.
<rolling around laughing> That's so silly...
I make a point of avoiding things like commercial (or stupid) television but I can't always avoid it when I'm at mum's. When the cubs and I were there last holidays I found my eyeballs assaulted by snippets of the most recent Big Brother. (I hasten to add that Mum doesn't watch the show at all but there were promos and commericals ad nauseum.) Was it just me, or were all the 'contestants' orange? I know it wasn't the telly's colour balance cos everyone else looked normal, but that lot? Will there ever be a fake tan that looks real?
The next best thing to travelling and collecting your own tacky souvenirs is finding them in op shops. I've got a faux bronze mini colosseum! Wonderful! Actually, it's been a good time for op shops. I've also acquired a decorative pickle jar (for all your decorative pickle needs); more forks (muahahahaha); a pretty little painted fan and a 'mounted fish' key holder. Happy now...
I was sort of watching a history doco yesterday and discovered that a couple of George I's mistresses had the nicknames "The May-pole" and "The Elephant". What a great name for a pub! The May-pole and Elephant. I'd drink there. :)
Right, American Gods. Wow, just wow.
I'm quite proud of myself, I managed to pick up a lot of the clues but there were still "d'oh, of course!" moments at the end there. <g> It was an enthralling read, very enjoyable if decidely squicky in places. But then, that's what I've come to expect from Gaiman
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Uh oh. It's chocolate drive fund-raising time again. We have a box of assorted bars to eat sell. <hand to forehead> The things we do for the school...
Small furry animals have been popping up in a lot of my dreams recently, however, Alan Rickman featured last night as a runaway prince in a sort of 18th century farce. He was running away because he wanted to study Science. His family disapproved because by tradition the royal family learnt circus arts; juggling, trapeze, high wire... all in gowns and wigs. <g> The prince was living in happy poverty in a city, and the plot - what I saw of it - seemed to centre around him staying out of his parents' clutches. Oh, yes, and there was a poor but honest city girl involved as the object of his secret affection - but then that's to be expected in such a Moliere-esque caper. I woke up wondering if I could write this play. :)
I don't normally comment on politics but the Johhny and Pete show is just silly enough to catch my interest. Pete wants Johhny's job - everyone has always known this despite his protestations of loyalty - and now it's come to light that when Johhny first came to power he apparently agreed to serve for 2 terms then hand over to Pete. Johhny's now saying that he doesn't remember the specifics of the meeting and Pete...? Pete is facing the cameras with the look of a woman wronged. "He took my virginity. He said he'd marry me..."
<rolls eyes> Honestly, it'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.
I had a good day on Sunday. I got stuck into cleaning the kitchen, though not all of it. I had to leave the troublesome corner - you know the place where all the miscellany gets dumped - but the rest doesn't look quite so verminous now. When I'd had enough of industrious domesticity I took myself off to the lounge room for some peace and quiet. The cubs were in their fathers' room, leaving the telly free, and I had been considering sitting down to watch a DVD. I decided instead to switch off all the electronical doodads and read a book in blissful silence. An hour, a whole hour of uninterrupted reading. Lovely. I should do that more often.
Glancing in the bathroom mirror the other night I noticed there was a subtle but decidedly silverish sheen to my hair. I hadn't noticed before, I'm used to my hair glinting in strong light but this was the first time I saw it glinting something other than gold. After the initial 'blimey!' I found myself rather pleased. I've never been interested in looking 25, or even 30, for the rest of my life. Dammit, I've earnt the silvery hair and the less-than-perfectly-elastic skin and if anyone is going to think less of me for not persuing eternal youth then they can kiss my saggy arse!
Be cool if I went silver though. Mum hasn't gone grey so much as her hair's just faded, but my dad went silver. Be nice if he gifted me with something from his genetics other than mad-scientist eyebrows. :)
And now some amusing Blogger spell-check suggestions:
Ice cream - isochronal. (Isochronal with what though?)
Soulsis - slouches. (Sit up straight, girl! <smirk>)
Sprogs - spores. (makes sense)
Fruitcake - britches. (... the mind boggles.)
Xmas - smash. (speaks for itself)
Fistful - festival. (... still boggling.)
Small furry animals have been popping up in a lot of my dreams recently, however, Alan Rickman featured last night as a runaway prince in a sort of 18th century farce. He was running away because he wanted to study Science. His family disapproved because by tradition the royal family learnt circus arts; juggling, trapeze, high wire... all in gowns and wigs. <g> The prince was living in happy poverty in a city, and the plot - what I saw of it - seemed to centre around him staying out of his parents' clutches. Oh, yes, and there was a poor but honest city girl involved as the object of his secret affection - but then that's to be expected in such a Moliere-esque caper. I woke up wondering if I could write this play. :)
I don't normally comment on politics but the Johhny and Pete show is just silly enough to catch my interest. Pete wants Johhny's job - everyone has always known this despite his protestations of loyalty - and now it's come to light that when Johhny first came to power he apparently agreed to serve for 2 terms then hand over to Pete. Johhny's now saying that he doesn't remember the specifics of the meeting and Pete...? Pete is facing the cameras with the look of a woman wronged. "He took my virginity. He said he'd marry me..."
<rolls eyes> Honestly, it'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.
I had a good day on Sunday. I got stuck into cleaning the kitchen, though not all of it. I had to leave the troublesome corner - you know the place where all the miscellany gets dumped - but the rest doesn't look quite so verminous now. When I'd had enough of industrious domesticity I took myself off to the lounge room for some peace and quiet. The cubs were in their fathers' room, leaving the telly free, and I had been considering sitting down to watch a DVD. I decided instead to switch off all the electronical doodads and read a book in blissful silence. An hour, a whole hour of uninterrupted reading. Lovely. I should do that more often.
Glancing in the bathroom mirror the other night I noticed there was a subtle but decidedly silverish sheen to my hair. I hadn't noticed before, I'm used to my hair glinting in strong light but this was the first time I saw it glinting something other than gold. After the initial 'blimey!' I found myself rather pleased. I've never been interested in looking 25, or even 30, for the rest of my life. Dammit, I've earnt the silvery hair and the less-than-perfectly-elastic skin and if anyone is going to think less of me for not persuing eternal youth then they can kiss my saggy arse!
Be cool if I went silver though. Mum hasn't gone grey so much as her hair's just faded, but my dad went silver. Be nice if he gifted me with something from his genetics other than mad-scientist eyebrows. :)
And now some amusing Blogger spell-check suggestions:
Ice cream - isochronal. (Isochronal with what though?)
Soulsis - slouches. (Sit up straight, girl! <smirk>)
Sprogs - spores. (makes sense)
Fruitcake - britches. (... the mind boggles.)
Xmas - smash. (speaks for itself)
Fistful - festival. (... still boggling.)
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Mmm... Fruitloops...
Watched the first episode of Tennant's Dr Who this evening. Frankly it was embarrassing - until our hero finally made an appearance, then it got immeasurably better. Could've slapped Rose; whiny bloody cow. Tch. Not fit companion material. I like this Doctor though, he's got that mercurial temperament thing - that thing that's both appealing and off-putting - shaping up nicely. And he's prettier than Eccleston.
However, interesting alien prosthetics aside it was a story of cliches. But then Dr Who = cheese. It has since the beginning and yea, even unto the last episode it will reek of the dairy. Even if it's a particularly English dairy... <g>
I was reading a drivel recently (don't ask) and I stumbled over a couple of things that gave me pause. Both from the hero's perspective.
The first was him musing about how attractive the heroine was. Quoting loosely: she was the sexiest woman he'd ever met, even without make-up. <growling> Because of course, rule: 1 in the book of being a girl is that you can't possibly be considered attractive without enhancements. <swearing>
(Aargh, no, leaving that there. I can already feel myself sliding into incoherency. Where was I? Oh yes...)
That first made me cross, the second just made me boggle. Again the hero was musing on the heroine and how her proximity was a torment because for reasons of paperthin plot bonking her was inadvisable. Again quoting loosely, he mentions, casually in passing, that he hasn't jerked off since college but now, given the heroine's irresistible speshulness he might just have to resort to it to stay sane.
<blink blink> 'kin' what?!
My first thought was 'He doesn't wank? What's wrong with him?'.
What was the author trying to say here? That masturbation is something that grown-ups don't do? Bullshit! Not that I'm in the habit of questioning my male friends about their forays into self-love but over the years, as the subject's come up, the evidence seems to suggest that even with a perfectly amenable sex partner to hand - so to speak - wanking is a normal activity.
Or is that just Australia? Are we a nation of degenerate wankers? I'd rather that than live somewhere that thinks masturbation is something to be shunned. Pffft. Stupid story.
Not a stupid story, however is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I'm about a third of the way through and well and truly hooked. Gods above this man can weave a cunning thread.
(And I can't think of anything else intelligent to say cos it's end of the day and the fruitloops have worked their soporific magic. Mmmm... Fruitloops...)
Watched the first episode of Tennant's Dr Who this evening. Frankly it was embarrassing - until our hero finally made an appearance, then it got immeasurably better. Could've slapped Rose; whiny bloody cow. Tch. Not fit companion material. I like this Doctor though, he's got that mercurial temperament thing - that thing that's both appealing and off-putting - shaping up nicely. And he's prettier than Eccleston.
However, interesting alien prosthetics aside it was a story of cliches. But then Dr Who = cheese. It has since the beginning and yea, even unto the last episode it will reek of the dairy. Even if it's a particularly English dairy... <g>
I was reading a drivel recently (don't ask) and I stumbled over a couple of things that gave me pause. Both from the hero's perspective.
The first was him musing about how attractive the heroine was. Quoting loosely: she was the sexiest woman he'd ever met, even without make-up. <growling> Because of course, rule: 1 in the book of being a girl is that you can't possibly be considered attractive without enhancements. <swearing>
(Aargh, no, leaving that there. I can already feel myself sliding into incoherency. Where was I? Oh yes...)
That first made me cross, the second just made me boggle. Again the hero was musing on the heroine and how her proximity was a torment because for reasons of paperthin plot bonking her was inadvisable. Again quoting loosely, he mentions, casually in passing, that he hasn't jerked off since college but now, given the heroine's irresistible speshulness he might just have to resort to it to stay sane.
<blink blink> 'kin' what?!
My first thought was 'He doesn't wank? What's wrong with him?'.
What was the author trying to say here? That masturbation is something that grown-ups don't do? Bullshit! Not that I'm in the habit of questioning my male friends about their forays into self-love but over the years, as the subject's come up, the evidence seems to suggest that even with a perfectly amenable sex partner to hand - so to speak - wanking is a normal activity.
Or is that just Australia? Are we a nation of degenerate wankers? I'd rather that than live somewhere that thinks masturbation is something to be shunned. Pffft. Stupid story.
Not a stupid story, however is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I'm about a third of the way through and well and truly hooked. Gods above this man can weave a cunning thread.
(And I can't think of anything else intelligent to say cos it's end of the day and the fruitloops have worked their soporific magic. Mmmm... Fruitloops...)
Thursday, July 06, 2006
I made a trifle the other night. It had green cream - and with the 'rainbow bright' sprinkles it was a very colourful dessert. Yummy too. :)
Had a good day today. Penny and I went trawling in Box Hill for material and... stuff. Picked up some really neat stuff in an op shop - a chunky green glass goblet; an elephant shaped glass jar; and a pretty little notebook. Unfortunately whoever priced the thing had whacked down a piece of sticky-tape to write the price on, and despite my care, removing it lifted and tore some of the (handmade paper) cover. Ah well, the notebook doesn't have a clearly defined front/back - the damaged bit can be the back, I spose.
I also found an interesting souvenir from Israel, at least I think it's a souvenir. What it is is a couple of intriguingly prickly seedpods encased in a 5cm square perspex cube. Beautifully done, the plastic is absolutely clear and there's no bubbles at all, but... what? Is Israel renowned for a particularly spiky plant? Something historical/biblical? I know the cube's from Israel cos there's a sticker on the base that says so. I almost didn't pick the thing up - it's a dried seedpod and therefore brown - but I'm glad I did. The more I puzzle over it, the more fascinating it becomes, if only because I don't have any other perspex paperweight things that are so wonderfully clear...
I also grabbed another handful of mismatched dinner forks. I'm going to have to watch myself; if I'm not careful I'll end up collecting forks. But then, some of the designs on the handles are so pretty.
Heh, following Joules' example I'm making an attempt at finishing up some of my outstanding fics. 'Outstanding' as in 'not finished yet', as opposed to 'blimey, this is fantastic'. <g>
The second part of 'Cathouse Ellis' is almost done, then I might think about completing the 'Elgar' series. Perhaps. What had been a vague idea for a crime novel has suddenly flared into life and I want to make a start on that while I'm enthusiastic.
One of our big retail chains here started its annual Toy Sale today. (I ignored the 'buy now for Xmas!!' signs.) The cubs - clutching the cash and gift-vouchers they got for their birthday - ventured in after school to have a look. (Actually, their hands were free; I had the goodies carefully stashed in my purse. Anyway...) The S cub was specifically looking for RC cars cos they've recently become very popular at school, and lo and behold he found some well within his price range. Bonus, the set had 2 cars in it, so he and his brother could play together. <g> The M cub found a Halo figurine he wanted but there was some problem getting a price on it. Eventually a very helpful salesperson hunted out a barcode we could use at the checkout, at the same time quoting a price that was half retail. Hee, happy cubs. We also started a couple of lay-bys (no deposit and 6 months to pay). The M cub now finally has a Darth Vader Voice Changer helmet to look forward to while the S cub found a cuddly Garfield plush. And they have a big Lego 'plane kit put away as well. Alas, there was nothing there that I wanted, which is probably a good thing, what with needing the cash for my incipient fork obsession...
Had a good day today. Penny and I went trawling in Box Hill for material and... stuff. Picked up some really neat stuff in an op shop - a chunky green glass goblet; an elephant shaped glass jar; and a pretty little notebook. Unfortunately whoever priced the thing had whacked down a piece of sticky-tape to write the price on, and despite my care, removing it lifted and tore some of the (handmade paper) cover. Ah well, the notebook doesn't have a clearly defined front/back - the damaged bit can be the back, I spose.
I also found an interesting souvenir from Israel, at least I think it's a souvenir. What it is is a couple of intriguingly prickly seedpods encased in a 5cm square perspex cube. Beautifully done, the plastic is absolutely clear and there's no bubbles at all, but... what? Is Israel renowned for a particularly spiky plant? Something historical/biblical? I know the cube's from Israel cos there's a sticker on the base that says so. I almost didn't pick the thing up - it's a dried seedpod and therefore brown - but I'm glad I did. The more I puzzle over it, the more fascinating it becomes, if only because I don't have any other perspex paperweight things that are so wonderfully clear...
I also grabbed another handful of mismatched dinner forks. I'm going to have to watch myself; if I'm not careful I'll end up collecting forks. But then, some of the designs on the handles are so pretty.
Heh, following Joules' example I'm making an attempt at finishing up some of my outstanding fics. 'Outstanding' as in 'not finished yet', as opposed to 'blimey, this is fantastic'. <g>
The second part of 'Cathouse Ellis' is almost done, then I might think about completing the 'Elgar' series. Perhaps. What had been a vague idea for a crime novel has suddenly flared into life and I want to make a start on that while I'm enthusiastic.
One of our big retail chains here started its annual Toy Sale today. (I ignored the 'buy now for Xmas!!' signs.) The cubs - clutching the cash and gift-vouchers they got for their birthday - ventured in after school to have a look. (Actually, their hands were free; I had the goodies carefully stashed in my purse. Anyway...) The S cub was specifically looking for RC cars cos they've recently become very popular at school, and lo and behold he found some well within his price range. Bonus, the set had 2 cars in it, so he and his brother could play together. <g> The M cub found a Halo figurine he wanted but there was some problem getting a price on it. Eventually a very helpful salesperson hunted out a barcode we could use at the checkout, at the same time quoting a price that was half retail. Hee, happy cubs. We also started a couple of lay-bys (no deposit and 6 months to pay). The M cub now finally has a Darth Vader Voice Changer helmet to look forward to while the S cub found a cuddly Garfield plush. And they have a big Lego 'plane kit put away as well. Alas, there was nothing there that I wanted, which is probably a good thing, what with needing the cash for my incipient fork obsession...
Monday, July 03, 2006
First day of the new school term and it was two extremely underwhelmed cubs I chivvied out of the house this morning. <g> But it wasn't too bad, they had their ice-cream vouchers to look forward to redeeming after school and it was the first day in the new school.
I've decided that our principal has an overdeveloped sense of occasion. Not that finally moving into the new building isn't a cause for celebration - we've been waiting for two years after all - but having the school's brass band (marching behind the Aus flag) lead us in a parade from the old to the new? Seemed a little cheesy to me, but then again I think the children appreciated the dramatics, so...
After raising the flag on the new flagpole the students filed inside, followed by the parents etc. We were given quick tours around the new building and I have to say I'm impressed. The classrooms all lead off from a large central space which is much more community minded than consecutive rooms linked by a corridor. The library/computer room looks good, too, with lots of light and space. The teachers'/admin area is like a warren, rooms leading into rooms leading into more rooms. <g> And there's a good, solid door separating that from the students' area. The canteen, however, is tiny: as one of the volunteers good-naturedly pointed out the space will very quickly go from 'cosy' to 'claustrophobic' if the workers are on the large side. :)
I like the new building, I don't doubt there'll be teething problems as we settle in, but on the whole I think the design will work well, even if the exterior could possibly be likened to a shearing shed...
In honour of the cubs' birthday I unwrapped the fruitcake I'd made at the beginning of the year. It's very yum, perhaps a little dry, but rich and heavy nonetheless. Hee, delicious, but all the dried fruit gave me some ferocious wind.
I'm going to make another cake (perhaps two!) in the next couple of weeks for xmas. A slight lessening of the cooking time and a more liberal use of brandy should help smooth out the dryness. <g>
Speaking of xmas... We're halfway through the year, and if previous observations are anything to go by, in 8 weeks time xmas merchandise will start appearing in the shops.
Found something odd in the supermarket the other day - Caviart. The taste was reminiscent of dill pickles, and the wee balls were firm and didn't pop between your teeth like real fish eggs do. Good to try it but I don't think I'll be going back.
The cubs had an early start to their birthday this year. The day before the hallowed event we trotted off to the local op shop where they found a fistful of 00 scale model railway tracks and a compatible 'iron' bridge for just a few dollars! Happy cubs, and it revitalised their enthusiasm for model railways.
On an impulse I bought a boxed set of season 1 of Deadwood. It's set in an American frontier gold-mining town in the late 1800's and while it's brutal and gory - I wouldn't want to eat any of the pork in this place - I really enjoyed it. Even despite the casual violence I got sucked in to the lives and trials of the characters, and the characters are, generally, compelling. Not always pleasant or attractive but they feel like real people. For example, at first glance I thought Brad Dourif had been cast yet again as a creepy weirdo but as the series progressed and the character was allowed to develop it was revealed that there was a lot more to him. It was intriguing to watch it all unfold.
The cubs' father watched some of it with me and he queried the sense in using historical figures (Wild Bill Hickok, calamity Jane) in the story. Didn't bother me at all, I thought it gave the series an easily recognisable frame of reference. I knew where I was right from the start.
Heh, I have this thing though, where if I watch a lot of something I'll begin to mimic the speech - at least in my internal monologues. When I was indulging with Taggart there was a pronounced Scottish lilt to my thoughts; after watching Deadwood I find the voice in my head has affected a ponderous mode of speech with a frontier-town drawl. <g> It's probably just as well I never got into Lernsom' Durve cos I would have been incomprehensible even to myself!
So anyway... loved Deadwood and I'm going to get the second series. And I'm delighted to see there's a third season in production now. Woohoo!
I've decided that our principal has an overdeveloped sense of occasion. Not that finally moving into the new building isn't a cause for celebration - we've been waiting for two years after all - but having the school's brass band (marching behind the Aus flag) lead us in a parade from the old to the new? Seemed a little cheesy to me, but then again I think the children appreciated the dramatics, so...
After raising the flag on the new flagpole the students filed inside, followed by the parents etc. We were given quick tours around the new building and I have to say I'm impressed. The classrooms all lead off from a large central space which is much more community minded than consecutive rooms linked by a corridor. The library/computer room looks good, too, with lots of light and space. The teachers'/admin area is like a warren, rooms leading into rooms leading into more rooms. <g> And there's a good, solid door separating that from the students' area. The canteen, however, is tiny: as one of the volunteers good-naturedly pointed out the space will very quickly go from 'cosy' to 'claustrophobic' if the workers are on the large side. :)
I like the new building, I don't doubt there'll be teething problems as we settle in, but on the whole I think the design will work well, even if the exterior could possibly be likened to a shearing shed...
In honour of the cubs' birthday I unwrapped the fruitcake I'd made at the beginning of the year. It's very yum, perhaps a little dry, but rich and heavy nonetheless. Hee, delicious, but all the dried fruit gave me some ferocious wind.
I'm going to make another cake (perhaps two!) in the next couple of weeks for xmas. A slight lessening of the cooking time and a more liberal use of brandy should help smooth out the dryness. <g>
Speaking of xmas... We're halfway through the year, and if previous observations are anything to go by, in 8 weeks time xmas merchandise will start appearing in the shops.
Found something odd in the supermarket the other day - Caviart. The taste was reminiscent of dill pickles, and the wee balls were firm and didn't pop between your teeth like real fish eggs do. Good to try it but I don't think I'll be going back.
The cubs had an early start to their birthday this year. The day before the hallowed event we trotted off to the local op shop where they found a fistful of 00 scale model railway tracks and a compatible 'iron' bridge for just a few dollars! Happy cubs, and it revitalised their enthusiasm for model railways.
On an impulse I bought a boxed set of season 1 of Deadwood. It's set in an American frontier gold-mining town in the late 1800's and while it's brutal and gory - I wouldn't want to eat any of the pork in this place - I really enjoyed it. Even despite the casual violence I got sucked in to the lives and trials of the characters, and the characters are, generally, compelling. Not always pleasant or attractive but they feel like real people. For example, at first glance I thought Brad Dourif had been cast yet again as a creepy weirdo but as the series progressed and the character was allowed to develop it was revealed that there was a lot more to him. It was intriguing to watch it all unfold.
The cubs' father watched some of it with me and he queried the sense in using historical figures (Wild Bill Hickok, calamity Jane) in the story. Didn't bother me at all, I thought it gave the series an easily recognisable frame of reference. I knew where I was right from the start.
Heh, I have this thing though, where if I watch a lot of something I'll begin to mimic the speech - at least in my internal monologues. When I was indulging with Taggart there was a pronounced Scottish lilt to my thoughts; after watching Deadwood I find the voice in my head has affected a ponderous mode of speech with a frontier-town drawl. <g> It's probably just as well I never got into Lernsom' Durve cos I would have been incomprehensible even to myself!
So anyway... loved Deadwood and I'm going to get the second series. And I'm delighted to see there's a third season in production now. Woohoo!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Hee, cubs turned 11 today. They've been bouncing off the walls for a week in anticipation of their birthday. I'm not quite sure what time they went to sleep last night but they were still awake at 11.30 when I tried to sneak into my room to haul out their presents. Tch. However, all was quiet in their room when I dragged myself off to bed at 2...
Cubs have had a great day - and it's not over yet cos I'm letting them stay up 'til midnight. <eg> Doubt they'll make it that far, to be honest, they're both flagging noticeably.
By the time I'd managed to wake up this morning the cubs were already well into a game of Halo 2, a present from their dad. He also gave them a couple of action figures from the series, a copy of the Trainz software, and two plastic kits of WWII 'planes. From our housemate they received another couple of H2 figures - and from me they got a Spongebob Squarepants xbox game, a gift voucher from Trampoline Icecream each, a Mars Rover board game thingy and a couple of little spy games kits. They were very pleased with all that but the fun didn't stop there. Their cousins (with Soulsis, naturally) came 'round and gave them a set of toy weapons each, and a Dr Robotnik figure to share. And Becca showed them her gorgeous new pet mouse - Belvedor - but I was probably more thrilled about that than the cubs were. <g> (He's so cute! Soft dove-grey fur and ruby eyes...)
The cubs' father had organised a party for them at Darkzone where they (and their guests) had a ball. It started with tearing into even more presents (more games, more 'spy'ware, gift vouchers, stuff from Cars...) then a 15 minute 'free play' session in the arcade followed by the first of the laser-tag maze games. I didn't join in, cos I'm a wuss, but it sounded like loads of fun. :)
Then we trooped upstairs to the party room for pizza and ice-cream cake, (and sushi, which Soulsis had bought for me) then back down again for a second free-play session and a final run through the maze. <g> Soulsis joined in for that one.
Said goodbye to the friends - except for their cousins, and Sarah, who stayed with us for a little while - and went home where the sprogs played more or less cooperatively on the xbox, then had fish and chips for dinner (thank you, cubs' dad!).
And then they all went home and I passed out on the couch for a couple of hours. Heh.
Despite the snooze I don't doubt I'll have any problems getting to sleep tonight, and I know for a fact the cubs won't! :)
Cubs have had a great day - and it's not over yet cos I'm letting them stay up 'til midnight. <eg> Doubt they'll make it that far, to be honest, they're both flagging noticeably.
By the time I'd managed to wake up this morning the cubs were already well into a game of Halo 2, a present from their dad. He also gave them a couple of action figures from the series, a copy of the Trainz software, and two plastic kits of WWII 'planes. From our housemate they received another couple of H2 figures - and from me they got a Spongebob Squarepants xbox game, a gift voucher from Trampoline Icecream each, a Mars Rover board game thingy and a couple of little spy games kits. They were very pleased with all that but the fun didn't stop there. Their cousins (with Soulsis, naturally) came 'round and gave them a set of toy weapons each, and a Dr Robotnik figure to share. And Becca showed them her gorgeous new pet mouse - Belvedor - but I was probably more thrilled about that than the cubs were. <g> (He's so cute! Soft dove-grey fur and ruby eyes...)
The cubs' father had organised a party for them at Darkzone where they (and their guests) had a ball. It started with tearing into even more presents (more games, more 'spy'ware, gift vouchers, stuff from Cars...) then a 15 minute 'free play' session in the arcade followed by the first of the laser-tag maze games. I didn't join in, cos I'm a wuss, but it sounded like loads of fun. :)
Then we trooped upstairs to the party room for pizza and ice-cream cake, (and sushi, which Soulsis had bought for me) then back down again for a second free-play session and a final run through the maze. <g> Soulsis joined in for that one.
Said goodbye to the friends - except for their cousins, and Sarah, who stayed with us for a little while - and went home where the sprogs played more or less cooperatively on the xbox, then had fish and chips for dinner (thank you, cubs' dad!).
And then they all went home and I passed out on the couch for a couple of hours. Heh.
Despite the snooze I don't doubt I'll have any problems getting to sleep tonight, and I know for a fact the cubs won't! :)
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Interesting dream last night. There was a kitten, lovely wee ginger thing that had spent most of its time asleep. Not the way kittens normally spend a great deal of time asleep but only able to stay awake for a few minutes at a time, just long enough to have some liquids spooned into its mouth so it didn't die. Sounded grim but I found the longer I stayed with the kitten the more awake it became, the more it behaved like a normal cat though weak and uncoordinated. The little cutie was gaining animation and confidence as I watched...
Good gods the holidays are almost over. <pout> Don't wanna go back to normal.
What have the cubs and I been up to? We saw Cars again - yay! - and Over the Hedge. Not the most original or intelligent of movies but entertaining nonetheless. You can say one thing for William Shatner, he's not afraid to mock himself.
Cubs and I spent a few days up at Mum's as well. Took the traditional ride on the Healesville Trolley, and found out the company has just got hold of one of the original diesel engines that ran on the line. There's some work to be done but hopefully it'll be running before too long.
Mum wasn't feeling the best the next day so she didn't come with us to the Sanctuary. It's been a couple of years since we were there; lot of good changes including a hospital centre that's open to the public. Had fun looking at microscope slides and browsing the interactive displays; watched a kookaburra being operated on... That was fine until the vet started trying to remove the pin that had been holding the bird's fractured leg together. The thing was solidly wedged and the vet was tugging, tugging, tugging. That I couldn't cope with. <g> I don't know how the operation panned out, the cubs and I left soon afterwards.
I misread the information at the front gate so when we trotted 'round to the Birds of Prey display we discovered we had an hour and a half more to wait than anticipated. Wasn't time wasted though, in the meantime we sat in on the Free-Flying Parrot display. That was fun, and relatively new apparently; that was the first time we'd seen it. The keepers talked about several types of parrots while their charges zipped over and through the audience. Dang some of those birds are noisy! But sooo pretty!
The cubs and I didn't hasten to leave the arena after the display so consequently we were amongst the few that were asked if we'd like to stay and watch a training session for another galah. It was her first time in front of an audience but she handled it well. :)
The Birds of Prey display was as wonderful as ever, even though they couldn't bring the wedge-tailed eagle out cos of the wild eagles in the area. The osprey was being a prima donna as well, gliding between the trees instead of diving into the pool after the fish like she was sposed to. She was teasing her keeper, I'm sure; almost doing as requested, once, then equally ignoring his command to go home. It was quite funny. <g>
The following day, the Friday, I took the cubs swimming while Mum was in her exercise class, then we piled into her little car along with a friend and drove out to Powell Town for lunch at the milk bar/pub/post office/general store. Nice little place - I can always get crunchy cabana there.
After lunch we continued southwards to the heritage-listed Trestle Bridge. Cubs had fun rollicking about on that for a while, then we went back to Mum's.
Last day at Mum's we drove out to Warburton and the Patchwork Teahouse for morning tea. Picked up some nice Japanese influenced material, then the cubs insisted on exploring another old bridge across the road. We found our way up on to it - it's part of the walking trail - then came back down. :)
Had a quick lunch at Mum's, or rather the cubs had something else to eat - I didn't need to, the scones at the Teahouse were huge - then Mum drove us out to the train station and we came home.
It was a fun few days, and not exhausting. Cubs loved their early birthday presents from Nana - a home made heat bag (wheat filled) each, and a selection of 'Australian Light Railways' magazines. Oh, and a pair of bendy pencils, which are bizarre. I can't see how the lead can't be broken and useless, not when you can tie the sheathing material in knots... <g>
Joules has had a quick read through of the SFSG rewrite and still managed to find several boo-boos. Was-were, loose-lose, it's-its, and those pesky commas. Tch. I take heart at least that there's a lot less of those things to find now than when I first started writing.
Good gods the holidays are almost over. <pout> Don't wanna go back to normal.
What have the cubs and I been up to? We saw Cars again - yay! - and Over the Hedge. Not the most original or intelligent of movies but entertaining nonetheless. You can say one thing for William Shatner, he's not afraid to mock himself.
Cubs and I spent a few days up at Mum's as well. Took the traditional ride on the Healesville Trolley, and found out the company has just got hold of one of the original diesel engines that ran on the line. There's some work to be done but hopefully it'll be running before too long.
Mum wasn't feeling the best the next day so she didn't come with us to the Sanctuary. It's been a couple of years since we were there; lot of good changes including a hospital centre that's open to the public. Had fun looking at microscope slides and browsing the interactive displays; watched a kookaburra being operated on... That was fine until the vet started trying to remove the pin that had been holding the bird's fractured leg together. The thing was solidly wedged and the vet was tugging, tugging, tugging. That I couldn't cope with. <g> I don't know how the operation panned out, the cubs and I left soon afterwards.
I misread the information at the front gate so when we trotted 'round to the Birds of Prey display we discovered we had an hour and a half more to wait than anticipated. Wasn't time wasted though, in the meantime we sat in on the Free-Flying Parrot display. That was fun, and relatively new apparently; that was the first time we'd seen it. The keepers talked about several types of parrots while their charges zipped over and through the audience. Dang some of those birds are noisy! But sooo pretty!
The cubs and I didn't hasten to leave the arena after the display so consequently we were amongst the few that were asked if we'd like to stay and watch a training session for another galah. It was her first time in front of an audience but she handled it well. :)
The Birds of Prey display was as wonderful as ever, even though they couldn't bring the wedge-tailed eagle out cos of the wild eagles in the area. The osprey was being a prima donna as well, gliding between the trees instead of diving into the pool after the fish like she was sposed to. She was teasing her keeper, I'm sure; almost doing as requested, once, then equally ignoring his command to go home. It was quite funny. <g>
The following day, the Friday, I took the cubs swimming while Mum was in her exercise class, then we piled into her little car along with a friend and drove out to Powell Town for lunch at the milk bar/pub/post office/general store. Nice little place - I can always get crunchy cabana there.
After lunch we continued southwards to the heritage-listed Trestle Bridge. Cubs had fun rollicking about on that for a while, then we went back to Mum's.
Last day at Mum's we drove out to Warburton and the Patchwork Teahouse for morning tea. Picked up some nice Japanese influenced material, then the cubs insisted on exploring another old bridge across the road. We found our way up on to it - it's part of the walking trail - then came back down. :)
Had a quick lunch at Mum's, or rather the cubs had something else to eat - I didn't need to, the scones at the Teahouse were huge - then Mum drove us out to the train station and we came home.
It was a fun few days, and not exhausting. Cubs loved their early birthday presents from Nana - a home made heat bag (wheat filled) each, and a selection of 'Australian Light Railways' magazines. Oh, and a pair of bendy pencils, which are bizarre. I can't see how the lead can't be broken and useless, not when you can tie the sheathing material in knots... <g>
Joules has had a quick read through of the SFSG rewrite and still managed to find several boo-boos. Was-were, loose-lose, it's-its, and those pesky commas. Tch. I take heart at least that there's a lot less of those things to find now than when I first started writing.
Monday, June 19, 2006
I did something last night that I haven't done for years. I stayed up stupidly late to watch a soccer match. If it hadn't been the holidays it wouldn't have happened - I fell in to bed at 4.30 a.m! <g>
So anyway, Australia vs. Brazil in the World Cup Soccer. It started slowly, seemingly - to my untrained eye - to be more about defence than goal-scoring. Lots of near misses by both teams but I think there were more too-high/too-wide shots than actual saves by the goalies. I could be wrong, I'll check the stats later perhaps. At half-time the score was 0/0 and the Aus commentators were enthusing about how the 'Roos were holding their own against the best team in the world. Really? It didn't look to me like either side were playing particularly well. There was a lack of follow-through, I thought, a fair few missed opportunities for goals because there were inexplicable holes in the attack. Doesn't matter how skillfully a shot is set up if there's no one there to pass the ball to...
Early in the second half Brazil scored a goal and the energy and pace of the game picked up. Lots more near misses, including some excellent saves from both goalies. Brazil scored a second goal in the last few minutes of the game though it wasn't because of skill - more a case of someone being in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a fumble. There was no need for them to be so smug about it. <grump>
Listening to the commentators afterwards, the consensus was that Australia did very well, considering. There was some very skillful play, I have to admit, and the goalies certainly earned their fees. If we beat Croatia in the next round we could go on to the next level.
Speaking of Croatia... before the Aus/Brazil match I caught the second half of the Croatia/Japan. Now that was entertaining. :) Neither team scored but they were both playing hard. I was impressed too, by the camaraderie and politeness between the opposing sides. There was none of that in the Aus/Brazil match. If someone went down they were on their own, and Aus racked up a huge amount of fouls. Hm. Not sure I could be bothered with catching another 'Roos game but I'll keep my eye out for Japan. <g>
(And chips [crisps] are great for keeping you awake, but only while you're eating them.)
So anyway, Australia vs. Brazil in the World Cup Soccer. It started slowly, seemingly - to my untrained eye - to be more about defence than goal-scoring. Lots of near misses by both teams but I think there were more too-high/too-wide shots than actual saves by the goalies. I could be wrong, I'll check the stats later perhaps. At half-time the score was 0/0 and the Aus commentators were enthusing about how the 'Roos were holding their own against the best team in the world. Really? It didn't look to me like either side were playing particularly well. There was a lack of follow-through, I thought, a fair few missed opportunities for goals because there were inexplicable holes in the attack. Doesn't matter how skillfully a shot is set up if there's no one there to pass the ball to...
Early in the second half Brazil scored a goal and the energy and pace of the game picked up. Lots more near misses, including some excellent saves from both goalies. Brazil scored a second goal in the last few minutes of the game though it wasn't because of skill - more a case of someone being in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a fumble. There was no need for them to be so smug about it. <grump>
Listening to the commentators afterwards, the consensus was that Australia did very well, considering. There was some very skillful play, I have to admit, and the goalies certainly earned their fees. If we beat Croatia in the next round we could go on to the next level.
Speaking of Croatia... before the Aus/Brazil match I caught the second half of the Croatia/Japan. Now that was entertaining. :) Neither team scored but they were both playing hard. I was impressed too, by the camaraderie and politeness between the opposing sides. There was none of that in the Aus/Brazil match. If someone went down they were on their own, and Aus racked up a huge amount of fouls. Hm. Not sure I could be bothered with catching another 'Roos game but I'll keep my eye out for Japan. <g>
(And chips [crisps] are great for keeping you awake, but only while you're eating them.)