Forecast: 20-29
Attained: 20-19

Ye gods! Petrol is currently at $1.59 a litre! That makes the $1.41 the other day almost a bargain. [grump]

~=o>

Was reading a rather sad news piece online the other day...

But one of the attached adverts made me laugh.

Targetted advertising. [snerk] Always appropriate.

Forecast: 17-28
Attained: 14-28

I was at the work campus with the pond yesterday. :)
The baby fish are noticeably bigger. I've only managed to count 6 of them, but I think there's more.
It was lovely sitting out there at lunchtime. The sparrows were bathing at the edge of the pool, while the swallows swooped and flitted about after the insects. [happy sigh]

While I was eating lunch, one of the sparrows came and perched on the edge of the chair next to me and inquired about crumbs. I told him he could have some when I was done. And then I smiled cos that's the sort of conversation mum would've had with him.

Forecast: 14-26
Attained: 12-26

Happy birthday, Mum!

~=o>

Got pummelled awake by the horrible, raucous secondary alarm this morning. The primary alarm was on, I'd just managed to sleep through about five prompts.

~=o>

I think it's adorable, and a bit slashy, that Captain Blue calls Captain Scarlet 'Paul' in moments of stress. :)

~=o>

Less than a fortnight 'til I'm away up North and the fretful 'zomg, what if...!' thoughts have begun. Perfectly normal - I've been worrying myself like this from the moment I was old enough to realise that shit can happen. :)

Forecast: 14-24
Attained: 14-23

Parent-teacher interviews this evening. All in all they went quite well. Teachers are happy - even enthusiastic in some cases - about the cubs progress. There's a couple of small homework concerns but nothing like the universal grrrness of previous years. Just goes to show what a leap in maturity, and actually liking the subjects you're studying, can do for you. :)

And after the interviews was the now traditional trip to the icecream shop! Yayy! I had a sundae with a scoop of choc/caramel and cookies and cream. Mmmm. I'm only really in it for the hot fudge chocolate topping, though...

Forecast: 12-22
Attained: 13-20

Well, the preying mantis turned up dead yesterday, and I watched the spider sneak out of the corner this morning...

~=o>

Cubs have a day off school tomorrow but as usual I shall be shouting 'good morning' through their doors as I leave for work really early. Mwhahaha
(7 working days and I get a holiday!)

Forecast: 10-21
Attained: 10-20

Kojak was in my dream last night. He even said 'Who loves ya, baby...'
I woke up bemused.


~=o>

Two of the major supermarket chains here routinely have a 4c a litre discount voucher for petrol if you spend $30 or more. I look forward to the few times a year when that goes up to 8c. As expected it's come in for Easter but this time it's only 8c a litre if you spend more than $50! [grump] Cheapskates.

And speaking of cheapskates, the 'frequent flyer' program I'm signed up with has a fabulous offer for 2 points (double the regular amount) per doller spent at the supermarket... if you spend more than $150 in one transaction.
[splutter] Even if I bought all the months groceries in one go it still wouldn't add up to that amount. [scowl] I'm ready to point the finger at the cynical promotion of rampant consumerism, I am.

Forecast: 11-20
Attained: 13-18

I have discovered the secret to excellent home-made pickled beetroot (which is what I had for dinner tonight. Just that. It was nom). Soak the cooked beetroot in a diluted apple cider vinegar. Mmmm... No extra salt, no extra sugar.

~=o>

Yesterday I txted the cubs to remind them they needed to do some washing. Here's what happened:

Me: Washing!
Cubs: Aaargh! Where?!
Me: Behind you!
Cubs: Nooooo! *om nom'd*
Me: My babiiiie!

:)
This is actually a fairly normal type of conversation hereabouts...

~=o>

Mouse murderer.

Not that that's a bad thing, per se, I just don't like having to clean up the carnage. Especially not first thing in the morning.

Forecast: 12-18
Attained: 12-18

Well, the spider's scrunched back up in the corner and the praying mantis has gone, so I'm not quite sure what's going on...

~=o>

Aaaand the cat's been bringing in mice to play with. [sigh] Really don't want the house smelling like mouse pee.

Forecast: 13-17
Attained: 13-17

Not sure if you can see what's going on here...

What we have is an insect/arachnoid standoff.

That's the big spidey that's been lurking about the house, making me nervous. It disappeared from the lounge room and turned up in the kitchen - that's the very top of the kitchen cupboards it's crouching on.

Anyway, arachnid of doom had squished itself up in to the corner there for the past day or so: this morning, as I was getting ready for work, it tried to move. Problem was it's surrounded by daddy longlegs who have no hesitation in tackling something that size that strays in to their webs. Spidey was sidling this way and that, trying not to attract attention, but couldn't seem to get out of the corner. I almost felt sorry for it. Almost.

Came home this evening to see that the spider had managed to move a bit, but a preying mantis had joined the fun. Now... spider can't move cos both p.m. and d.ls will pounce. P.m. can't move cos d.ls will pounce. d.ls can't move cos the p.m. will pounce. I'll be interested to see what the situation is tomorrow morning...

~=o>

My preeeciouuus...

This is season 1 of Original Star Trek (tacky Trek) in the special release container from several years back. Seasons 2 & 3 were in blue and red containers. Awesome! Alas, I couldn't afford them when they were released, and had to resort to standing in the shops, stroking the boxes and crooning...

Ebay! For about a sixth of the original price! Bit pleased about that. :) Seasons 2&3 were up for auction from the same seller as well, but I was well and truly outbid on those. Eh well. I have season 1, and now I can subject introduce the cubs to a classic bit of sci-fi.

Forecast: 11-21
Attained: 12-20

Yay, got through my first day back at work!
Finally dragged myself to finish the minutes from the staff meeting. They only needed a few, very slight changes. Pleased. :)

~=o>

I realised this morning - as I was making my way through my muesli - that I only really enjoy breakfast if it's later in the day and involves bacon.

~=o>

Chicken adobo was delicious. It smelt very vinegary to begin with but the vinegar cooked out and we were left with a lovely, tart and sweet sauce. Even the cubs liked it! Plus, there's some of the sauce left over: that's going to make an awesome gravy tomorrow for my chips. Mmmm...

Forecast: 17-21
Attained: 12-20 (temperature lurked uncomfortably around the mid 20's all night before dropping to 12 at midday. And then there was rain, yay!)

2000th post! (Not too bad given I didn't post at all for almost 2 years... Should probly do something about the comments, though. They haven't worked properly for weeks. Suspect I've lost the ones already posted.)

~=o>

Definitely feeling better. Once I can sleep through the night I'm on the mend. Back to work tomorrow.

~=o>

Marinade base for chicken adobo. Smells divine.

There's a squillion versions of this Filipino dish but I'm trying out the recipe I recently nicked from the foodie section of a local 'paper. It has apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, fresh ginger, onion, garlic, bay leaves and brown sugar. I've left out the chillis and peppercorns.
That's dinner tomorrow night. :)

Forecast: 17-28
Attained: 17-27

Feeling better, I think. By this evening I wanted to do more than just lie on the couch feeling sorry for myself. :)

~=o>

Odd dream last night. But I can't remember the details now. Annoying...

Forecast: 13-27
Attained: 13-28

Ok, so I'm having a couple of extra days off work this week. I've got a doctors certificate and everything. Feel a little twinge of guilt about not going in, but I seriously need to rest or the lurgy will get even worser!

~=o>

Finally got 'round to watching Billy Elliot. It was as gorgeous and soppy-making as expected - loved it. (And my goodness, [should there be a spoiler warning here?] grown-up Billy (Adam Cooper)... phwooaar! I do so... admire ballet boys... :)

~=o>

This is fantastic!
Blurb from the yootubes page:

Australian band Skipping Girl Vinegar sent a hobo monkey (Baker) to the edge of space, in a low rent spaceship made from foam and gaffa tape. On the morning of Sat 27th Nov 2011, attached to a giant weather balloon, Baker and the onboard camera soared to 110,000 feet (4 times higher than Mt Everest) capturing the rolling image that is now part of this new film clip. Reaching speeds of over 200kmh and experiencing temperatures as low as -50 degrees Baker carried an Mp3 player beaming out the new SGV single 'Chase the Sun' and messages to the Universe from the people of Earth.

Enjoy... :)

Forecast: 14-23
Attained: 14-23

Considerably miffed.
I was s'posed to go and see my favourite movie this afternoon, at my favourite independent cinema, with some of my favourite people. Unfortunately, the 'mild' lurgy got worse overnight and I couldn't go. [grump]
I did however have a good afternoon with the cubs, watching Real Steel and eating comfort food. (Thanks for the rec, Joules. As luck would have it, one of the cubs' friends had a copy, which he borrowed for me after reading your post. Being that it's about robots an' all, I had an interesting reaction to it... :)

~=o>

Oh gods! [gasping] Just found this on regretsy.com.
Read the post all the way through, and then the comments.

LANGUAGE WARNING

Wesley Crusher, Teenage Fuck Machine

... can't breathe! Laughing and coughing not a good mix!

Forecast: 13-22
Attained: 13-21

I made a thing!

And I was able to make the thing cos I knew where - and was able to reach - all the bits that I needed. (The green cloth is some calico - organic, if I remember correctly - that I dyed years ago and recently unearthed. Heh, akshully that calico was part of the 100m or so I bought to use at my wedding. Wow, I felt so wealthy, being in possession of so much cloth. :)
The actual sewing took 2 evenings. All hand done cos that was the least effort compared to clearing the sewing desk/setting up the sewing machine.
Path of least resistance, me.

~=o>

[snuffle] I has a mild lurgy, so for the moment it's all mint tea and honey when what I really want is lollies. But, I still have a sense of smell and that's good.

~=o>

[edit: Cubs have just come home from spending a day at their dad's. They saw me on the 'puter, in basically the same position I was when they left this morning, and asked: 'Have you been there all day?!'. Irony. That's usually what I'm asking them! :) ]

Forecast: 20-24
Attained: 18-23

Well, that was a week of procrastination - aside from the birthday stuff.
Wonder if I'll get anything done this weekend?

~=o>

Fascinating site.
Dictionary of medical eponyms.

Forecast: 22-29
Attained: 21-27

There was a fight in a house just around the corner from us early this morning, leading to a serious assault. End of last year there was a murder several streets away.
Can't say I live in a boring suburb...

~=o>

D'aww... eww!

The 6 deadliest animals too adorable to run away from...

[warning for language and ick]

Forecast: 18-31
Attained: 18-32

Happy Birthday, Penny!

Forecast: 13-30
Attained: 14-30

Well, after all the happy fun tiems yesterday I don't really haven't anything else to say today. Hm...

Forecast: 13-24
Attained: 16-24

Facebook is telling me it's my birthday today so, Happy Birthday Me! :)

Had a really good day. Penny and I took a drive to the Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton, where we ate tasty noms...

(Mmmm... Chicken and Mushroom quiche...)
And then went for a stroll along the Yarra...

Penny bought me a present! A pattern for the most adorable needle keeper evah.

The motto stitched on to the underside of the front leaf says: 'Oh to be a dragonfly and dance amongst the lillies...'. I won't be using that. Mine will more likely say something like: 'Daleks. They're like weevils.', or 'Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!' [snicker]

The cubs had a huge box of chocs waiting for me when I got home this afternoon (they weren't awake when I left this morning. It being a public holiday an' all) and eventually, a card they'd drawn. D'aww...
Was too full to consider dinner but the cubs' father turned up a bit later in the evening with chocolate cake so ate that instead. :)
Was all good...

Thanks for the birthday wishes, y'all!