Welcome to the Enny-Pen

All is well / come on over

2011-08-01T16:31:00.003+10:00

Baby arrived, safe and sound - so of course I've started a new blog.

Send me an email if you'd like to come along (warning: baby-centric) - EnnyPen at gmail dot com!

Sunday night

2011-03-06T22:26:00.003+11:00

Just popping in to say 'hullo' because it's Sunday night and I will go to bed soon, but ran out of things to read in my reader so thought I'd add in my own.

So far, everything is going well in our continually expanding family!

We went in for a 20 week scan last week and found out our little baby is a little girl - which is just crazy to me but also completely awesome and also a little scary. You see - I'm not a girly-girl (duh) and I never had a younger sister (tho I pretty much treated youngest bro like my own little sister) so I've always thought I'd have two boys. I've always found boys clothes to be cuter (I guess because they look more like adult clothes?) and I think my insecurities make me freak that I'll be a total stranger to a girl but could be a good parent to a boy... or that she'll be a total b!tch or one of those skanky kids you see hanging around an interchange or whoring all over a bunch of gross teen boys. But then, I was about 70% sure it would be a girl, and we only had a girls name picked, and I bet she's adorbs and I totally turned out fine so I must get some of that hereditary parenting skill handed down. Right? Plus it's scary in that The Hun has only ever wanted two kids and the thought of having two girls and no boys really freaks me out.

So yeah, we're working on all that.

I've been quite lucky in that hormones has only brought on two freakouts - one at 10 weeks when I had to start giving myself blood thinning needles (thanks hereditary clotting disorder that was only discovered when I bashed my leg in half!) and had people coming for dinner and a messy house and no food and was shaky from not eating enough because I wasn't hungry and I realised I hadn't given in to a sulk and had a good cry and that I was about overdue for one about 15 minutes before said dinner guests arrived.... the other at 20 weeks when I was driving home from another freakin' hectic day at work and I was listening to Bon Iver (if you haven't heard the album stop reading this drivel and get. It. NOW) and the scan was the next day and I hadn't felt any movement yet and am I even ready to be a mum or did I ever really want kids and oh-my-gawd I'm home already and I haven't finished crying, I better pull up out the front to finish this off good and proper where the dogs can't see me.

Dogs? That's right! We're very lucky to have rescued a long haired chihuahua (who is THE most adorable baby boy hands done) in August last year, and a miniature pinscher x spaniel that we rescued last month to keep him company once babby-pen arrives later this year. She is also adorable and nuggety - we wanted to get a boy looking dog because our baby-chihuahua is probably the girliest little thing you have ever seen - he rocks in at less than 2.5kg fully grown and suffers from IBS.... long hair + weekly stomach upsets = developing quease-battle skills of steel.

Man, this is so scrambled.

How funny that something that I used to do so often is now so totally blurgh to me!

So yeah, hormones = good. I've been told that the only real hormonal difference that was noticeable was that I was tireder and a bit apathetic. Heh. Keep in mind I lost like 3kg in those first 12 weeks because I just wasn't hungry and couldn't get rid of this crazy 'I feel like I've eaten too many lollies' taste and brushing my teeth was a twice-daily battle against the dry-retch and I just couldn't work out what I wanted to eat. Well. That's TOTALLY under control now, though unfortunately the thing I want to eat now is pretty much whatever I can get my paws on , the more chip-like or pure-carb-esque, the better. But still, only 2.5 kg heaver than my pre-preg weight, so I guess that counts for something?

We've only bought a baby monitor and two outfits. No cot, no pram, and no practical baby stuff. No rearranging of furniture done yet, 90% set on a name, and maybe starting to deal with the dawning realisation that I'll only be at work for like another four months and then won't be back until like August 2012. Do you know how far away that is?! Will I still be relevant then?! Will I be keen to go back to work or will I personality-transplant in to one of those mommy's that only lives though their children and bugs the heck out of me?

The Hun and I are also doing very well. We've just passed the seven-years-together mark and are probably in the best place we've ever been. I don't want to go through my archives, I KNOW I was painful (sorry dudes). But maybe it's the hormones that's making me generally happier? Maybe I'm getting wiser? Maybe the fact that I've got everything I could possibly want (except for maybe an iPad)? Not sure. But things are good, things are solid, things are happy and funny and easy and natural.

Anyways, best go get ready for bed.

I hope everyone is doing well - I'm still stalking y'all, so make sure you're giving me things to read!

One year and three days after the last post...

2011-01-06T22:24:00.002+11:00

I was going to keep with tradition and put a yellow smiley face on, but I think it's a little cuter this way... Happy 2011!

(Btw - if we're on fb, it's not yet fb public!)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T10:51:00.003+11:00

Still alive, still kicking around the traps.

2009 was a pretty interesting year for me...

- I got to do some exciting stuff at work that I loved, then I was moved to another interesting (but different) space.

- My fractured leg turned in to a broken leg, I pulled muscles in my thigh and chest (subsequently making me think I was having a panic attack). wore a full length cast for a month and then a half length cast for a month and then had a purple swollen leg for a month before my doctor realised something was up. In October I was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis - an 'old' blood clot running from my knee to my groin, with two 'new' clots growing on that and a new clot growing behind my knee. Where did the old one come from? How old was it? They don't know. But they took me off the pill (51 days wtf) and ran a stack of blood tests, a couple of xrays, a bone density test and an ultrasound (I bet they're cuter when it's a baby on the screen). I've got another xray and ultrasound on Monday because my leg is still discoloured, and perhaps I'll get to stop taking blood thinners soon (side note: I lost weight while in plaster as I was a little down in the dumps, but have put a few kg back on - leafy greens interact with blood thinners, leaving not a lot of options for a vegan who isn't allowed to exercise for fear of a blood clot breaking off and heading north...!).

- I got married and it was hands down the best day of my life! So great to have so many of the people we love there to celebrate with us, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

- I honeymooned and snorkelled and drank and aaaaaaaaaaaate.

- We still have the birds and they're still a squawky and pooey delight.

- Eldest bro got engaged, middle bro met his delightful young lady, youngest bro continued his relationship with his lovely girlfriend (and keeps me hoping for wedding bells!), dadsy took some leave and decided that he could retire one day and enjoy it, and mumsy was diagnosed with a barrage of tumours/cysts/blood issues that are all seemingly 'okay' at this point in time and we're doing quite well for pretending it's not anything serious.

So. What does 2010 hold?

- I'm giving up movie popcorn for a year. This is a Very Big Deal.

- I'm going to try to get swimming lessons (this is mos likely to fall down the list a little).

- I'm going to start writing a book. And I know that sounds wanky and a little bit self congratulatory, but I never said anything about it progressing further than the start or even out of my computer!

I just wanted to drop by to let you know that I am still here, I am still reading all your updates and I am still wishing you all the best!

Progress +2, Setback +1

2009-07-12T17:17:00.002+10:00

Hear me out:

Thu 2nd July:

Trim and colour - hair is looking awesome.
Fly to Queensland.
QANTAS serves non vegan margarine with vegan meal, joke about composing narky weather.
Upgrade rental car to awesome Corolla for free - nice one.
Warm weather, crazy traffic, awesome apartments.
Sleep at 1am.

Fri 3rd July:

Up before 6am for all day martial arts camp commencing at 7am.
7:20am - step off the floor for water (damn nervous upset stomach, not enough sleep and not enough food in the past 24 hours).
Graciously accept compliments on having lost some weight (booyah!).
Feeling pretty confident on scoring and judging skills for tournament the next day.
Social mixer goes well - eat half weight in rice paper rolls, have first McDonals in almost two months, loving new top and heels.

Sat 4th July;

Nervous stomach continues.
Yell at students who forgot to bring my weapon for the weapons round.
Judge with pink and purple striped socks on as it is FREEZING in the hall.
Place 3rd in both form rounds (both by 0.1), place 2nd in weapons between two of my students (by 0.1) - can't really begrudge them.
Get primed for sparring, continue to battle nervous stomach, freak at having not sparred in at least 12 months, but doing my best breathing to psyche myself up.
Kick to the midsection - one point to me.
Punch to the head (no contact) - one point to me.
Kick pull back as she was kicking at the same time.
Hold kick in chamber position.
Kick - in to her knee.
Praise the lawd for awesome hardcore shinguards.
Fall down like a moaning sack of sh*t as soon my leg touches the ground, images flash through head of shattered leg and foot facing the wrong way...
Helped to back of the hall ('Do I have to move?'), icepack delivered, keep listening to everyone saying it's just a bruise, they always knew I had dainty turn of foot etc.
Get a little teary upon realising that I would have placed 1st or 2nd had I been able to continue.
Ask student to get me some crutches.
Back to hotel, all of students spend night with me on floor of lounge rather than attend social mixer.
Call my mum to ask if I should go to Doctor, want to take her advice as mums are always right.
Don't get taken to Doctor as students continue to tell me it's just a bruise as I'd 'be crying if it were broken' and as soon as they saw me 'breathing really heavy, they knew it was worse than it looked'.

Sun 5th July

After taking 45 minutes to go to the bathroom and back to bed, get up for day and nestle on couch.
Visit doctor who charges $60 to tell me they think it's bruising and to come back for an xray tomorrow.
Run into Adam and his little red rockstar in the doctors office - COMPLETELY RANDOM!!!
Go to Sizzler with upbeat students, cringe as waitress walks in to foot.
Go to martial arts event - mopey, headachey, not hungry, continuing to put up with upset stomach and hating having to move.

Mon 6th July

Xray - Doctor says 'nothing obvious, but see a Doctor next door'.
Assisting student tells me he's relieved it's not broken as that's bad, I tell him I'm angry it's not because the pain is unbearable for it to be just a bruise.
See Doctor 'it's a fracture, 2/3 way through, see?'.
Assisting student starts to look worried as he hears what's happened.
Taken to nurses room out the back, tears ensue after they put a prop under my shin right where the fracture is to plaster it, THEN knock the prop out so my shin bangs on to the bed.
Rattled, go back to hotel. Continue to 'manage' upset stomach, watch videos with two students (16 and 20) who stayed back with me so we could have a relaxing warm day of fun holiday. FAIL.

Tue 7th July

Take 45 minutes to get out of bed to keep carrying on with upset stomach
Call QANTAS to ask about getting space to put my leg up, told I can pay $600 to get an upgraded ticket. 'Um, that's completely ridiculous, forget it' 'The flight isn't fully booked, so maybe you can put it up on an empty seat' 'Right. Thanks'.
Call AVIS to work out what we can do about returning hire car to Brisbane (over an hour drive away). 'You can't add another driver over the phone, you need to do it in person' 'How will that happen, I'm the only driver and physically can't drive' 'Well, someone else can drive but you'll be liable for the full price of the car' 'Can we drive to the AVIS in our town and do that?' 'Sure, as long as the driver is over 21' 'No, she's 20' 'No, she can't drive at all then' 'How will I get the car returned?!' 'You can pay extra to keep it longer' 'That won't help!!' 'You'll need to call some friends then'. RIGHT.
Call my uncle who lives nearby for assistance - his wife has the car all day and is out. No help.
Finally get in touch with one of the Qld martial arts students who lets me know about a minibus that can take us to the airport, she returns the car to the local AVIS.
Trip in minibus is terrible, holding leg up in air for over an hour.
Airport wait is a bit tedious, get wheelchaired into a chair and into one of my students. Have bag pulled out from underneath sore leg. Upset stomach continues, made worse by the fact one of the students needs to wheel me there and wait outside. Ugh.
No spare seat on flight for my leg - swells up, throbs, then gets pins and needles. Ask the hostess for a spare seat PLEASE after an hour, she directs one of my students to first class, lady comes out of bathroom and yells at my student sitting in her seat, student gets moved across aisle from me courtesy of lovely lady in next class up with an empty seat between her and another gentlement..

So you can guess how the last few days has gone.

I'm headachey and sedentry, stressed about putting on the weight I lost, clumsy and sick of crutches and just all round useless. I hate being a burden on others, but I also hate falling backwards up my parents deck when I try to be independent and helpful.

I've got next week of work, but not really sure how I am going to manage getting around the office - reckon a wheelchair is out of the question? Though they are setting up a network connection so I can work from home when required...

Should be getting full length fibreglass cast tomorrow, it will be on for 6 - 8 weeks. Wedding is roughly 15 weeks away, so plenty of time.

Reckon they'll let me get my cast in purple?

Hope all is well!

Progress +1

2009-05-26T21:25:00.002+10:00

Ladies! Fellas! Hullo! How's things?

Things are going well with me. Work is good. Martial arts is going quite okay, with a tournament looming in Queensland (eep!). Home is really good. Birdie boys are just lovely. The Hun says hi.

I've been watching my fair share of tv (yay MasterChef - who'd have picked that?!), twittering and facebooking, playing with the birds every day, and continuing to obsessively stalk your blogs. And of course, wedding planning.

Where are we at?

Dress is bought - lovely.
Veil is ordered - cathedral!!
Shoes are bough and propping up the tv antenna - I love them.
Bridesmaids dresses have been ordered - very pretty.
Photographer booked - friend at mates rates.
Celebrant booked in - extended family member, good good good.
Table deco's sorted - three cheers for IKEA!
Hairclip received - you guys HAVE to check out Lulusplendor, she is just fantastic.
Hair appointments booked - v exciting.
Meeting with florist on Friday - can't wait.
Paper flower folding is progressing - oh man.

That's where I'm at! Just wanted to check in and see if this thing was still on, and share the love a little.

TTFN!

Progress

2009-03-11T22:35:00.001+11:00

So, it's been over a month now.

I just wanted to say that I haven't actually missed it. Yet?

But I am doing a lot of Twittering. If you're interested, send me an email and we'll see what we can work out (with the RL name et al). If not? I might come back yet.

And yeah - I found my wedding dress.

SQUEE!!

Lost that blogging feeling...

2009-02-07T23:46:00.003+11:00

... I think I'm due for a break.

There's a couple of reasons.

Firstly, work is busy. I started in a new team a few months ago and I am doing more of the stuff I'm really interested in. I'm starting work earlier, sometimes finishing later, and I have no time in the middle of the day like I used to.

Secondly, I'm enjoying my leisure time. I've started taping a bunch of shows on the media PC and I like to watch then between work and martial arts, or work and the gym, while I get the birdie boys out of the cage for a stretch. This gives me only enough freedom for a quick FB chat, then the computer is off and I'm out of the house again.

Thirdly, a lot of the time on the computer is spent reading a lot of different blogs, but a lot of wedding blogs. I am researching and saving and thinking a whole bunch of wedding stuff, and I don't have much room left in my brain for thinking up stuff for my own.

Fourthly, the stuff that I do write is mostly read by a small bunch of people, most of who I have on FB and keep in touch with anyway. I've noticed it more lately, but I feel like I'm talking to an empty room. The more I sense that, the less I feel like participating, then the more you sense that, and the less you feel like participating - it's a vicious circle.

Plus I could just be getting too old for this. I remember reading a lot of blogs when I first started reading them, a lot of them were in their late 20s at the time, and very few of them are still around here. Perhaps it's just my time.

To be continued...?

Milestones Forever

2009-02-03T22:23:00.002+11:00

Did you see So You Think You Can Dance on Sunday?

Don't let looks deceive you - check out this girl, 'Forever', she is just AMAZING:

I had goosebumps and was a little teary watching it (though, I got teary watching Madagascar 2 on Saturday, so perhaps take the tears with a grain of salt).

There was another girl on there, a lady who was self taught and funded in hiphop because they ddin't have the money for lessons when she was younger. She was 27.

I was looking at her face, and looking at how much older than everyone else she looked. I knew when I look at the younger contestants, like 17 - 21, that I look older than that. But when I look at the 27 year old, I think I look younger than that.

You guys - I turn 27 this year.

So yesterday, the second of February, I bought eye cream for the first time.

Let's see if I can't look as young as I feel for a while more, huh?

Tanty

2009-01-29T22:32:00.002+11:00

I apologise for my tanty the other night.

If you did the maths with the weeks of the month you'd probably get a fair idea why, but I was also cranky because I had free tickets to a show and my guest suggested I bring The Hun (who had been nagging to come) instead and I agreed and thanked them and then when I told him he realised he had something else on and I emailed my family and only dadsy replied replied suggesting youngest bro, and then I tried three other friends and non could make it and then I double checked with my family and finally middle bro agreed but made it sound like it was a massive hassle and I felt grumpy and took it out on the internets.

The show was okay, but then today it's come to light we probably won't be doing anything for our five year anniversary, and I was meant to go to the movies and that fell through, and blah blah blah I'm obviously not feeling myself 100% again yet.

But how about this heat, hey?

...

2009-01-27T21:26:00.001+11:00

... at least middle bro offered to copy me a CD...

FittyPod

2009-01-24T23:29:00.005+11:00

Had a great time in Sydney - I didn't freak on the climb, Bon Iver was FANTASTIC and I wish I lived in a house furnished exclusively by IKEA. I also bought my self an iPod shuffle - there just isn't a case to bring my 30g EnnyPod to the gym (tucking it into my pants really isn't a good way to keep it working) and it was less than $70 to get myself 250 songs onto a cute little pinky-purple clip.

I plan to put my upbeat music onto it so I can shuffle away at the gym, but thought it would be great to do a CD swap, like a few of us did about two years ago. It's easy for me because I made a CD for two people at work and currently listening to it in the car, so I already know how mine will sound.

Interested?

1. Email me your postal address (EnnyPen at gmail dot com);
2. I'll send you a CD with my postal address; and
3. You send me a CD with a CD of YOUR workout songs!

Even if you're not a gym bunny, I'd love a CD of music that makes you feel like moving.

In the event of my absence

2009-01-20T21:14:00.004+11:00

The Hun and I are in Sydney tomorrow and Thursday - for bridge climbing, Bon Iver, Bondi Beach and IKEA. I mocked up a wedding inspiration board which I love and was planning to show you tonight, but I will leave that for another time because I got an email forward that I thought was pretty cute and hadn't seen before (and wanted to show you before it was everywhere) (ignore that last bit if these are ooooooooooooold) (click to enlarge):

I'm loving them

2009-01-18T15:16:00.002+11:00

Things I'm loving at the moment...

Our birdie boys! Tesla and Seymour are doing really, really, really well. Tesla has learnt to wolf whistle, which delights us beyong what should be socially acceptable. That said, our excitement about getting a handle on toilet training mustn't be socialy acceptable - we get them to step up and up and up on our fingers and then call out 'poop! poop!' and a fair amount of the time they'll hunker down, turn their belies into a little upside heartshape, and do what they're being asked! This gets a lot of praise, because it's showing that they're responding to training, but also we are having to clean less crap off the floor, couch, table and clothes. We're getting much better at reading them, and their personalities are really shinging through!

More birds! An upside of having our own birdie boys is that the blown off seed is bringing more and more other birds into our tiny courtyard - a dozen sparrows seem to be living in the tree by the back door - I plan to buy a little bird bath/feeder to blow the seed in to to cut down on the weeds and make it a little easier for the crazy fellows to get it.

Microwave popcorn! It's crunchy, salty, warming and inherently fun, and technically it's like a veggie, right?!

Wii Fit! Mumsy let me borrow hers, and I can't wait to give it a go once the microwave poprorn has settled.

IKEA! We're stopping off their on our way home from Sydney next week and I finally got my catalogue last night, and read it until past 2am in the morning. I've got my eye on some shelves, some bedside tables, some vases for wedding table decorations and a few hundred other things. It just seems like such a fantastic place - I can't wait to be a home owner and go totally nuts on adorable floating shelves with lighting underneath, and TV units with wall panels to hide cords and attach flat screen TVs to.

Wedding planning! Oh yeah, it's getting close to time to knuckle down and make things happen... I have a groom, half a bridal party, a date, a venue, a celebrant, a photographer, a jewllery designer (Yay Jen!!!) and 20 Google documents crammed full of ideas.

Vegan friendly friends! I have a new work friend that came here from Brisbane and he is completely delightful. He is always so friendly, and upbeat, and fun. AND he is a great cook and loves to make things that I can eat - he made the worlds most FANTASTIC vegan mudcake the other week and shared the recipe with me. I will get his permission to share it with you if you are interested, but I can not WAIT for an excuse to make it and share it with others.

Fun family nights! Last night mumsy, dadsy, middle bro, youngest bro, youngest bro's gf, myself and The Hun went to see a small local theatre production that was starring a family friend and one of my martial arts students. It was a really good peformance that everyone enjoyed, and then we headed out for a fantastic indian meal in Dickson! It was just a really, really good night.

Fun family! Middle bro has made such amazing progress over the last 12 month or so. Not only has he shown amazing mindfulness and self control by giving up alchohol, he has lost close on 50kg, he has a fantastic level of fitness, he is proud of his appearance and he is having a positive influence on many, many people. He is housesitting for some friends for 6 weeks and he is showing even more maturity by maintaining his outlook, and his attitude to everything is just continually improving and he continues to amaze me. I am really, really proud of him.

Me! I've been trying to be more concious with what I'm eating, and I've lost a kilo on average this week. I'm liking the way it's made me feel - cutting down on my portion sizes, keeping my fruit and veggies up, and feeling positive. And I've looked at myself in pics from last night, I've looked at my reflection, and I'm seeing the difference that concentrating on my health is having on my mental AND physical apperance. I'm in a good place at the moment. And I love it.

How predictable

2009-01-15T22:45:00.002+11:00

First trip back to the gym, spent in terror that I might be getting dizzy...

I did 15 minutes at 126 heart rate (fat burn for 26 yo) and 15 minutes at 110 heart rate which felt like a fair bit of work until I realised that it was the fat burn rate for a 60yo. Look at me, going the distance.

It's going to be a tentative crawl back into the gym - my spewaphobia is just that severe. And while I understand the convulsing should be the most terrifying, I technically wasn't there for that so it doesn't seem all that real to me.

In better news I've been watching my weight this week and dropped 1.5kg... hooray for stinking hot weather in Canberra!

Wedding tradition

2009-01-13T19:25:00.001+11:00

From here, and about to be crossposted on Facebook:

Ah ha ha!!!

Unhappy New Year!

2009-01-11T19:40:00.002+11:00

This sort of story absolutely terrifies me...

A Canadian woman rushed to hospital on New Year's Eve for what she believed was a kidney stone gave birth to a baby boy instead, local media say.

"This is some kidney stone, isn't it," the woman, cradling the newborn in her arms, told Canwest New Service. "We're still in shock. We just can't believe it."

Juanita Stead, 36, said she did not suffer morning sickness or put on extra weight during her pregnancy, and continued to menstruate and so she had no idea that she was pregnant.

A hospital X-ray on New Year's Eve for back pains revealed the truth.

"The technician looked at me and said, 'My dear, you're pregnant with a full-term baby.' And I said: 'No sir, you got the wrong woman and you're looking at the wrong screen. There is no way I'm pregnant," she said.

Nicholas was born soon afterwards.

Coincidentally, the birth of the couple's first child, two-year-old Cameron, also caught them off guard.

Stead knew she was pregnant with Cameron, she said, but he arrived two months early.

"I felt like I had to go to the bathroom and out he popped, right into the toilet," she said. Her husband scooped their first-born out the toilet and put him in his mother's lap until an ambulance arrived, she said.

It's like those stories that you read in Dolly - 'I went to the toilet and pooped out a baby!' - that terrified you in school, then amused you in your early 20's, then terrify you once again...

Lisa the creepy vegan

2009-01-08T17:43:00.002+11:00

You might be aware that The Hun and I have been working our way through Six Feet Under (hint: If you want to watch it yourself, there will be some spoilers here now).It's been a bit of an obsession, as in,I came home from work early last Friday just so that we could watch five in a row. We've just finished season three which was a bit of a snorefest. We only half-watched the first few episodes because we hoped it was just a dream. It wasn't. The rest of the episodes in the season can be summed up as: Someone dies, Nata and Lisa fight, David and Keith fight, Funeral, Fin; or Someone dies, Lisa is missing, Nate drinks, David and Keith fight, Funeral, Fin.

While the season wasn't that exciting (which was REALLY dissapointing because the first two seasons had us on the edge of our seats!!!), it was the character of Lisathat bothered me the most.

Lisa is a vegan. And when she was introduced I was REALLY hoping she would be cool... she was on such a cool show! But instead, she came with a whole bunch of stereotypes. She was a bit of a loner, she carried on about food a lot, she was soft spoken and alwasy eager to keep people happy. Then, annoyingly, as soon as she had a baby, she was all like 'oh no, don't worry about making me a fish-free salad, I need the protein'. Nice one, writers. Like us vegans don't get enough of that protein BS without you including it in the script.

(On a side note: check this awesome quote I read here today: "“There is enough protein in plants to grow an elephant, horse, or hippopotamus. Certainly there is enough protein to grow relatively small people.")

So, not only was she a crazy vegan, she was a real doormat for Nate (one of the main characters). They were friends in school but it turns out that he used her. He'd rebound to her and she would just hang on that, she later recalled these moments as some of her happier times "remember when that girl stood you up and you got wasted and then came to my house and we had the best sex of my life....". She kept shirts that he left at her house like decades ago, she was basically stalking him (and I'm pretty sure she was trying to entrap him with that baby of his she had). Basically, she was pretty pathetic.

And yet.

The similarities are a little uncanny.

Hello Enny the crazy vegan. Hello the girl who pined after a boy for a long time, based on the feeling they would be together in the end.

There's some truth to that Seinfield quote about how if there was someone exactly like you in the world, you would despise them.

Update to the previous post

2009-01-05T21:40:00.002+11:00

The doctor said it was nothing to worry about - it would have been overexertion and probably some dehydration.

But if it happens again, then to come back and they'll look into it more. GAWD, I HOPE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

On the plus side, I am officially the most hardcore person I know, so that's something...

Not a good way to start the year

2009-01-04T00:17:00.003+11:00

Do you know what's more embarassing then getting all ready and sweaty in the gym?

Getting red and sweaty in the gym, feeling a little dizzy, starting to stand up then deciding you can't really, then sitting down on the floor near the wall, then trying to get your brothers attention, then him just getting angry because he's already on the next machine and he thinks your telling him to change machines and he has no problem with the machine he's on, then him pulling his headphone out and yelling at you that he can't hear you and you can tell he just thinks your f*cking around, then him finally coming towards you so he can hear you say you think you need some help, then taking your shoes and socks off because it's so hot, and reaching around to maybe losing your bra straps because it's so hot and it feels so tight, then realising you feel sick so you spread your towel out in front, then a staff member comes because your brother told them you needed help, then answering the staff member that your symptoms are that it's hot and you feel dizzy and that you think you're going to vomit, then the staff member fetching you a bucket, then you ask him if you can just lie down and go to sleep, then him saying no because then the room will spin and you'll feel worse and it will pass soon and that you just need to relax, and then you realise that you can't see or hear anything, and then all of a sudden you're aware that someone is holding your headback and you've managed to throw up all over yourself and the floor and not in the bucket, and then you start to feel a lot better even though it sounds like you're underwater, and then you think you hear the girl say that you've shat yourself and the guy replies that it happens, and then there are three staff getting an oxygen mask out for you, then the girl gets you a bottle of cold water, while one guy makes small talk and the other questions your brother so you can fill out an incident form, then you're taking deep breaths through an oxygen mask and feeling it tickle your nose, then you're apologising over and over for throwing up and causing hassle and freaking out that you may have shat yourself, then your bother points out that one of your martial arts studens is walking past, then they give you a tshirt to put on over the new singlet and shorts that you bought just so you could get back in to the new year and lose those 6kg for your wedding, and then you feel a fair bit better and get up to go home and stop in the toilets and find that thank god you didn't wreck yourself and the girl must have been nothing that at least you didn't sh*t yourself and when you're in the car your brother tells you that you passed out limp and started convulsing before you vomited on yourself, then you thank him for helping out and profusely apologise for getting vomit on his towel and promise to return it good as new, then you drop him home and your dad wonders allowed if you have some kind of heart problem, then you get to your house to tell your fiance and he is angry worried because you're just not the type to have the fire to battle through exercise until you make yourself sick, then you assure him you're going to the doctor at 9am on Monday anyway so you will definitely bring it up.

That is.
And I still have a headache and feel funny in my throat.

Last one for the year!

2008-12-31T16:22:00.002+11:00

This one is doing the rounds, so why not?!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Now a whole lot... I got engaged, started a new job, went to a Buddhist initiation ceremony, got IPL, Graduated and became a pet owner.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I usually do the whole 'eat right, look hot' resolution, but it very rarely happens... probably best I don't make any. Here are the ones I made here last year, and didn't do very well at!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Two of my friends had babies this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Not this year, no. Thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit? I stayed in Australia this year - boring...

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A wedding, a bit lest fat to jiggle, a little more money to spend, and a house of our own to live in.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 21, when we got engaged.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Again, getting engaged! Though that wasn't entirely of my own merit... though getting my new job was!

9. What was your biggest failure? My attitude for most of the year, pre-engagement.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major! I the worst flu I've ever had, but there was nothing else (blood results from two weeks ago come in next year).

11. What was the best thing you bought? My iPod stereo and the birdy boys!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? The Hun's!!!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The same few people who make me feel like a doormat, though I'm bit by bit getting better at stopping it, and holding my own.

14. Where did most of your money go? A fair amount went in to my savings account! Other than that, I spent a fair amount on rent and bills, and lunches that I should have packed rather then bought.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Getting engaged!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a) Happier or Sadder? Happier.
(b) Thinner or Fatter? Like 3kg lighter?
(c) Richer or Poorer? Richer!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Celebrating what I have.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Whinging and carrying on like a spoilt child.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2008? The Huns house for presents in the morning, my parents house for presents mid morning and lunch, back to The Huns house for after lunch, back home for the night sitting in front of the TV.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? I stayed in love.

22. How many one-night stands? Why start now?!

23. What was your favorite TV program? Dexter, 6 Feet Under and Harry's Practice.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No.

25. What was the best book you read? Second Glance.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Laura Marling.

27. What did you want and get? A fiance and some birds.

28. What did you want and not get? A house.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Oooh, SATC was FANTASTIC, but I also really enjoyed Iron Man. Nom nom nom.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 27, I worked and had a bunch of friends come to a bar near my house before La Porchetta for tea!

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? A house.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Comfy-lazy. Though I did better with office wear, and am going to keep improving on it.

33. What kept you sane? Opening my eyes to see what I have. And my internet friends!

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Michael C Hall and (slightly less appropriately) Zac Effron.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Live Export and animal treatment.

36. Who did you miss? Max and my friend who passed away last year.

37. Who was the best new person you met? I don't really meet too many people, but I met my new boss which was exciting.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Don't sweat the small stuff.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it"

40. What are your resolutions for 2009? Have the best year of my life.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

December dots

2008-12-28T16:04:00.004+11:00

I am playing a LOT of this game. My highest score is just over 40,000 atm, but I'm thinking I'll be able to beat that tonight.

We've started watching Six Feet Under - something we've been meaning to do since middle bro told us it was the best finale to a show he ever saw. We're halfway through Season 2 and it's REALLY good.

How was your Christmas? Did you get spoilt? The birdy boys were the present for me and The Hun for each other, but I got the Beyonce CD (FINALLY!), this fantastic Dilbert book, a Jade bracelet (still in the mail), the Marly and Me book (which I'm having trouble getting in to because of the way it is written!), a beachy type bag, a Josh Pyke ticket (which I can't use as I'll be in Sydney for the Future Music Festival), some pirate tattoos and a few other things. I got very spoilt and had a great day hanging out with the family and visiting The Huns family after I ate way too much.

New Years is coming up soon! We're planning to go to our friends house - he lives less than 2 minutes walk away, so it's super convenient for us... we're lucky he's offered to host for the last three years!

Jacqui the dog is settling in really well - she only ate a meal for the first time in almost four days the other day - her previous owner was feeding her only minced chicken, so she was refusing the dog food! It didn't do her any harm though, middle bro weighed both the dogs the other day - Pounder was 4kg, Jacqui the dog was 9kg! That's more than double Pounders weight, and they're the same height!!! They're getting along really well though, check out these pictures that middle bro took the other day - I think they're in luuuuurve:

With new years coming up, I'm refocussing my effort back on the gym, with a target to be happier by my birthday (at the end of March). Damn that Victoria's Secret show we taped...

The birdies are going well too - they are starting to learn to wolf whistle (which I think is great!) and are a lot easier to get out of the cage now. They still try to fly which is totally retarded, but now they are much quicker to run back over to your foot to get up higher again. Lovely little fellows they are!

Jacqui the dog for Christmas Eve Eve

2008-12-23T22:14:00.004+11:00

Eldest bro and eldest bro's gf got a new puppy last week - a gorgeous little staffy cross named Galileo. They brought him over to family tea last Monday and we saw a bit of a change in Pounder... it seems that having another puppy around calmed him a little, gave him something else to concentrate on other than his own craziness.

Mumsy and dadsy had done a bit of looking around for a friend for Pounder, and yesterday one of the local rescue people came to check out our house and approve us for this lovely girl, Jacqui:

Jacqui was rescued from a puppy mill, a 2 year old girl who had already been used for litters for the prior 18 months. She was described as follows: ...would love a little doggy friend like her when she goes to her forever home as she thrives on company, both human and dog. Jacqui walks well on a lead, is perfectly house trained and is learning some very important manners from her foster carer who used to be a dog trainer! Jacqui has a delightful personality and would suit a person who is looking for a friendly and very happy dog. So we were hoping she would be a good influence on Pounder.

This is what mumsy and dadsy picked up from Sydney today:

A little bit 'chubbier' than what was in the photos, but you can tell Pounder is very happy about it!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Oh sunny days

2008-12-21T22:29:00.002+11:00

I went to brunch with gf1 and gf2 this morning, and it was the first sunny weekend day here in like a month.

So I got burnt.

You would think the girl who is going back in two weeks to get two more moles cut out would be a little more sensible.

Other than that - not a lot to report. I'll either hear from the doctor this week about the results of my blood tests, or he'll elaborate a little more when I go back on the 5th for some cut-chop-cutting. The hypochondriac in me is kinda hoping there is something going on, so that I sort my health out, the other half is hoping that there is nothing and I'll just wake up to myself and eat right.

Next year will be my year - there will be so much fantastic stuff going on, and I am looking forward to getting myself toight and terrific before my birthday, and maintaining it for the big day.

ZOMG.

HOW. EXCITING.

306 days to go!

Weeeeeeeeeeee!!

2008-12-18T22:40:00.001+11:00

S-M-R-T

I know what birds like

2008-12-16T20:09:00.003+11:00

Keyboard tapping.

Tesla is obsessed with it, and displayed his ability for total adorabless by coming over to my keyboard and tip-tapping at the keys. Squee! Until he started to try to lift them with his beak.
Squaw.

Is it too much to ask to buy them their own keyboard for Christmas?
Considering I dropped $50 on a play pen that they don't really like, plus some clean spray and a Christmas toy...

"We are not impressed."

The big three

2008-12-14T22:40:00.002+11:00

I have an appointment with my favorite doctor tomorrow - the one who cut out a multitude of bumps and lumps and moles for me over the last little while.

My three questions will be:

What is this mark that sits right in front of where I part my fringe that I thought was a burn from my straightener but has been there for months?

Can you please check all my moles for me? I'll get mostly nude if I have to because I don't want cancer, but I'm going to feel REALLY uncomfortable.

Judging by the syptoms I'm about to describe to you, what is the likelihood that I have IBS or some kind of food allergy that I am going to hate, but will feel much better for having had diagnosed?

Post your best bets in the answers and I'll let you know how close you are!

Not asking much, just a token, really a trifle...

2008-12-11T22:16:00.002+11:00

Some B2B (brides to be) make outrageous demands.

Do not cut or die your hair until just before the wedding.
I want everyone to be under 65kg.
Your partner is not good looking enough to attend.
You must attend all three of my showers, my kitchen tea, my hens night and girly sleepover.

Me?
All I ask is a select few of us learn this dance.

(if I were leet enough I would have embedded it here, but I can't work out how, so you have to click through).

Review: The Deck at Regatta Point

2008-12-09T21:11:00.003+11:00

For reference: The Deck at Regatta Point.

Waiter: Drinks?
Enny: I'll have a vodka, lime and lemonade.
Waiter: Sure.
Enny: And are you able to ask the kitchen what on the menu is suitable for vegans? We called ahead and the said there were a few things.

Time passes

Waiter: Okay - you can have the salad or the bruschetta.
Enny: Bruschetta sounds great! If there's no tallow in the wedges or chips, can I have some on the side?
Waiter: Okay.

Time passes
Waiter brings out bowl of warm cherry tomatoes covered in vinegar

Enny: Hi. Sorry. Um. Should there be bread with this?
Waitress: Did you want bread with it?

Enny: I thought bruschetta was meant to come with bread?

Waitress: The bread is not vegan. Did you want the bread?

Enny: Um no. He didn't tell me that it wouldn't come with bread...

Waitress: We won't charge you full price, did you want something different?

Enny: He said there was salad or bruschetta and that was it?

Waitress: We don't have any salad.

Enny: What about the pasta with tomato sauce?

Waitress: It has egg and milk in it.

Enny: Isn't most pasta just wheat and water?
Waitress: Our is not.
Enny: ... just forget about it.

I eat the warm tomatoes covered in vinegar. During this time I find out they gave me warm soda water, vodka and an f*load of lemon, and they don't come back to check on us in 2.5 hours, 1.5 hours after the water has run out.

Enny: ... This is ridiculous. I'm thirsty and where's the bill?!

I ask for the bill and sit down.
I go back and ask for water - they point to the fridge and I get my own three bottles.
10 minutes later, still no bill.
I go back and ask for the bill again.
I go to the bathroom.
I go back and ask for the bill for a third time and he gives me a docket.

Enny: Are you kidding me?!

The bill is spelt out like this:
Misc meal $21.90
Misc meal $16.90
Misc meal $24.90
...
...
Misc drink $6.00
Misc drink $7.00
Misc drink $7.00

...
...

Enny: Hi. I'm just wondering how much you're charging me for lunch? I got the bruschetta without bread.

They reprint the bill. One of the misc items has changed from $21.90 to $16.90.
They charged me $16 f*cking 90 for a bowl of warm cherry tomatoes.

Rating/Review for The Deck at Regatta Point.
Fail.
1/10.
Useless service, incompetent waitstaff, zero communication.
Only worth going for the view - you're better off buying a softdrink from their cafe and sitting on the grass to drink it.

Out of blog-fice

2008-12-02T22:11:00.001+11:00

Hey there!

Bonding is going slowly but surely - unfortunately I won't be back here until Sunday night... I'm off to Queensland tomorrow after work for a martial arts camp.

Tesla is the more confident one and also the meanest one - Seymour is the quiet one who is getting a little bullied. Apparently it's all play, but I'm sure we'll all warm up to each other soon enough.

I can't wait to come back and bond with my little boys!!!

Hi friends

2008-12-01T22:33:00.003+11:00

They arrive tomorrow!!

The one on the left is Seymour, he is my little boy.
The one on the right is Tesla, he is The Hun's little boy.
The other one was for us, but the guy was keen to keep one of the yellow ones as they are rarer, and it's easier to tell them apart when they are quite different.

Aren't they beautiful?

The bird man is bringing them over tomorrow and helping me set up the cage. I can't wait!

I got to hold Seymour on the weekend when I went around to visit them - he sat on my finger and looked up and me and made a little noise. He has a spot of green on his face because he was out in the grass and bumped his head.

This may just turn in to a crazy bird lady website, so bear with me.

I did it!

2008-11-28T22:06:00.002+11:00

Guess who got a distinction?

Me!!!

I honestly thought I'd be very lucky to pass... I must have got at least 28.5/40 and I was TOTALLY surprised!

What a great way to finish!!
5 credits, 7 D's and 1 HD later, I now have my Bachelor of Commerce.

So now I can totally kickback at Foreshore tmr - thanks for your support over the years!

Big week!

2008-11-26T22:38:00.003+11:00

I spoke to a breeder today who is going to get back in touch with me tomorrow. You guys don't know how excited I am about this... or maybe you do, it's all I seem to be talking about. I hope Hope HOPE we get them soon!! My cage is waiting empty, although The Hun keeps commenting that I could fit in there... he better not have something planned.

On a side note, today I completed the largest part of a work project that has been going for like three years. And now that's done, there is two days of work before I start with my new team. Interesting times, people. I'm cautious and excited about it - it's definitely a change and probably for the better, but still scary... and I'm going to miss being so close to my curent team mates (if they think they can shake me, they're so totally wrong).

Lets open this baby up - what's on your mind? Spill!

We're up early, we're up with the birds

2008-11-24T22:07:00.002+11:00

You guys!!!
The landlord said yes!!!

I've already gone out and bought a cage, now we just need to find a (nice) breeder with two hand reared boys... HOW EXCITING!!

Whoops

2008-11-22T12:39:00.005+11:00

Almost a week!
I didn't realise.

Let's catch up, shall we?

I'm going to a wedding this evening - one of my martial arts students is holding the wedding at his house, and the dress code is hats. This is partly so it looks nice, and partly because by rights it should be hot and sunny. We're expecting a top of 15 today, with potential snow. Nice work.

We're waiting to hear from our landlord as to whtether we are allowed to have some birds. I would love a cockatiel and I have picked a name for him already, even though we haven't had permission yet and I'm not sure how to go about it in the vegan-est manner.

We spent all last weekend cleaning and gardening for an inspection on monday - technically, The Hun and his parents did the gardening, and I did a lot of the cleaning. It's so nice to have a clean house! We did quite a grownup thing and hopped down to Bunnings to buy our Very First Hammer, some hanging cloth shelves and a wall-cord-place thing. The hammer was to bash apart one of my dressing tables that was falling apart and hogging the wardrobe; the cloth shevles were to hang up all the clothes that were sitting on top of the fallen apart wardrobe; and the wall plate thing was to replace one that was sitting behind our couch that broke when one of our post-it hooks failed and dropped a big picture frame on to the wall plate. We felt very accomplished that day.

I've spend a fair amount of time putting all of my saved links and posts for wedding stuff into Google documents - I just love going back and looking through all the pretty things. I can see how women get all angsty post wedding when they feel like they are missing something after the actual day.

Have you guys seen Puppy Cam? It's so cute!

Work has been a little better - it's odd to think that next week will be the last week I work with the team I've worked with for over 5 1/2 years. Originally, a lot of the stuff I already do was going to come with me to the new team, and I was going to teach my new team how to do it so I could reduce that workoad, and I could learn more from them. Now, most of the work I am currently doing will stay with my current team and I'll be going over, mostly empty handed. I know this is the sort of thing that happens when people change jobs, but it's definitely going to be a change... at least I have three months transition where I hand it over to my current team.

Am up to the Sunshine Coast in two weeks, so I hope the terrible weather clears up! We have two days of Dan Camp, but we get to stay at the fantastic place we stayed at in Feburary. Then I *think* we have a free day, then a 60th birthday party for one of my Master's, then a free day before we fly out that night.

I went back to RPM for the first time in like over two months this week. On Tuesday, I forgot my special padded bike pants. ZED OH EMM GEE. On Thursday, I remembered them, but I could still feel it all through the padding. Still, lots of fun!

Starting next Thurday, one of my good friends is going to come over and we are going to go on a bike ride once a week. This is going to be very fun because she used to ride to and from school as well, but she rode in the opposite direction after a little while, and she was a TERRIBLE rider! Will be lots of fun, and good exercise.

Did I tell you guys I met up with LaLa the other week?! We both went to watch Mick play at the Kingo and I had a great night! She is just SO lovely -we have already arranged to meet up again. FOR SURE.

We went to a Christening the other week, and the parents of the baby had their camera stolen! They left it behind IN THE CHURCH and it went missing! The church hasn't seen it and none of the guests saw it - but there was another bunch of christenings straight after. Can you believe it?

We're booked on a Harbour Bridge Climb in January which should be very interesting - I'm not very good with heights, which I get from mumsy, and I'm a big fraidy cat. But she did it, so surely I can too!

We booked it in for the same day we're going to see Bon Iver - I don't mind him, but The Hun thinks he is pretty fantastic. My favourite thing about him is pronouncing his surname as I read it, because apparently it's meant to be pronounced in a french accent. Heh heh.

In terms of music we're not seeing a whole much else - we're going to Foreshore next weekend which I'm pretty excited about, and Bon Iver in January, and Good Vibrations in Sydney in February, and that's it! Quite a quiet festival season for us.

I think that's enough for now!

Same as it ever was

2008-11-16T21:05:00.002+11:00

Hrm.

Well.

I don't really feel any different.

Studying for your last exam is quite an unusual experience. I could tell I wasn't absorbing a whole lot of it, but I knew I felt like that for the other 12 exams I sat this time around. I was memorising my acronyms, trying to tie everything together in my head, and counting down the hours on FB (sorry for those of you who got notified each time!).

I sat down and opened the paper.
I smiled and rolled my eyes.
I let only a little bit of panic through.

I was confident to the point of cockiness for this final exam. My tutor/lecturer is a pretty easy marker, she told us the chapters to study, she told us it would be four essays from six topics, she told us she was giving us a good idea because we were the students who made the effort to come to lectures.

The questions were long answer short questions, tying in different chapters for each one.

Ugh you guys.

But, I'm sitting on 46.5/60, so I've already PX'd... 4/40 is a pass, 19/40 is a credit.

I'm guessing the relief/excitement will kick in after I get my results in a fortnight.

On the bright side, The Hun and I went halvsies in Guitar Hero 4 for my graduation present. It rocks SO hard. I rock MEDIOCRE hard, but I'm getting better. We both think we're the best at the drums, but I'm starting at level 2 and working my way up, whilst The Hun has jumped straight in to level 3. I'll always be better at guitar than him, so I have myself a backup plan.

Whatever will I whinge about now that I've finished uni?!

Uni!!

2008-11-12T22:41:00.002+11:00

Tomorrow is my final exam EVER*!

At 2pm I go in to the UC hall for hopefully the last time, and write four essays from six questions. I will walk out at 5pm (or maybe earlier!) and probably smile!

If any of my other mature age friends are loitering around we might go to the uni bar, but we have to drive home, so will only be for one or two at most.

Results are announced on 28th of November, my ceremony is on the 17th of December.

From here to here.

How exciting!

* have been talking to one of my old martial arts students partners who is doing psychology/zoology and is planning to live the life I want to live - animal psychology and behaviour consulting for domestic and captive animals. It is so interesting, and something I am actually seriously considering.

Sixth and sixth

2008-11-10T19:02:00.003+11:00

Lulu tagged me!

"The rules are to post the sixth photo in the sixth folder on your computer. Some have done this and others have taken their sixth photo on flickr or in the 6th folder on flickr, or the sixth photo on their phones."

I've used three photos - the sixth photo in the sixth folder of my active photos, the sixth photo in the sixth folder of my pics printed in Feb 08, and the sixth photo in the sixth folder of my pics printed in Sep 07. I basically have an active folder that holds everything, then a subfolder for the ones I've already printed - that subfolder has the two other folders in there, coz I always save up to many photos and it's so expensive to get them printed.

Enough of the fun talk about my file storage, on to the challenge!

The sixth photo in the sixth folder of my active photos:
This was taken at a martial arts camp we ran for our blackbelts in May this year. It was FREEZING but we still like to take the students to the beach for tai chi and meditation at sunrise. Here we are doing tai chi - I'm the one on the left. Magf is in the background with some of the senior students.

From the folder printed Feb 08:
Christmas at mumsy and dadsy's! I'm not sure who took this or why, because we're not doing anything exciting... from L-R is dadsy, me, eldest bro's gf, eldest bro, youngest bro, and middle bro. We're upholding my parents favourite tradition, which involves them demanding we arrive at the house at some ridiculour early hour, only to find they're not even out of bed. Then they have breakfast and try to make us clean while the sloooooowly have a shower and then come back downstairs for the present swap. Good times, gotta love tradition.

From the folder printed Sep 08:
Ooh! This is a good one! This is from a friends house - the guy on the left is one of my first housemates, and this was the night he found out that another friend wanted to go out with him - they're still together and bought a house down the street from us! The girl on the right is the gf of one of The Huns best friends - they've been together like 8 years, and this was as she was getting to know us all better, as he was OS at the time. I've been getting to know her more recently, and she's super fantastic! I also later found out that this night one of the other guys there was spreading rumours about her bf cheating on her while he was OS - how terrible! And I had no idea that he was saying that, or that she heard that!

Anyways, I would love for EVERYONE to do this one - then come back and let me know you've done it!

Fian-say #5

2008-11-08T19:18:00.005+11:00

Following on from this...

"Mumsy - I think we've found the perfect place!"

"Oh good! I was talking to (her sister) and we don't think you can get away with not inviting the cousins."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Well, you're the first (maiden name) to get married."

"Huh? (Girl-cousin) is engaged - she's been engaged for like a year!"

"Yes, but she's not getting married."

"What?... But... we were already going to cut our list of 115 down to 100 to fit into the venue, that's without cousins!"

"Well that won't do - we had 120 at ours!"

Guest list = 162.

So the venue hunt continued today, with the only two larger Canberra venues I could find that hadn't already been used by friends and that didn't charge over $140 per head.

And one of them was pretty tacky - like if it were the 80's and I wanted a Sparkle-Vegas-Winter-Sparkle-Princess-Sparkle wedding.

So at this stage it looks like the ceremony will be held here:

And the reception here:

Respective families have agreed to pay for their respective relatives. Or else it would TOTALLY be held here:

Touring 2009

2008-11-04T18:54:00.002+11:00

NERD.

Pussycat Dolls.

Britney.

I'm one happy girl with one terrible taste in music.

Fian-say #4

2008-11-01T23:40:00.008+11:00

Today we went to look at reception venues.

It's all a bit real how, huh?

Magf, eldest bro's gf and I had brekky at My Cafe, then headed over to the Sculpture Garden Restaraunt at the National Gallery. It was nice enough, and the lady seemed to be very accomodating with the budget, but it didn't really grab me. And to be honest I found the heads in the water to be a little creepy:

From there we headed on to the Hotel Kurrajong - this is my favourite at this point! I've emailed for a quote and hope we can go ahead with it. The room is lovely, there's a great spot for the actual ceremony, and people will be able to hang around there while we go get photos done:

We had a bit of spare time before our next appointment, so we stopped in at the Ottoman - lovely. It fits a good amount of people and wouldn't really need a lot of decoration, but it doesn't really have anywhere to hold the ceremony. Will keep it in mind though...:

We also stopped over at the Hyatt without a booking. I couldn't remember why I hadn't considered it, until they gave us the pricing package! There are a couple of nice places to hold the ceremony, but the reception area was a little perculiar (though still beautiful!) and I think the pricing will be out our range:

We rushed over to The Lobby and hung around until someone in the kitchen finally noticed we were there, even though we had an appointment - the guy told us that the person I was asking after didn't actually work there, so I have no idea what the story is with that. It was a bit small for us anyway.

We had some time to kill, seeing as we thought we'd be busy with The Lobby, so it was decided to try on some wedding dresses...!

There is something very surreal about wearing a wedding dress - it's quite perculiar! The plan is to go to the Botanical Gardens tomorrow, book a venue this weekend, see what date we can get, and then finalise the dress. I've found one I loved and one I liked, so will try some more on and see how we go. The best part is that if we can secure the weekend I would like that is less than 6 months away, I will be able to order in one of the dresses I have tried on.

Sureal.

Back attack

2008-10-28T18:25:00.002+11:00

Back from my work trip - am tired.

Saturday night I got about 6 hours sleep after the engagement party.

Sunday I drove two hours to Bowral to help facilitate an event for my 'new' team.

Sunday night I got less than 6 hours sleep as I was up late clearing, and up early to participate in a walking group thing as a facilitator.

Monday I rushed around all day, set up for a ball, participated in a ball, cleaned up a ball and went to bed for less than 4.5 hours sleep.

Today I rushed around and got to start the 2 hour drive home.
And I would just like to send my LOVE to the POLICE for setting up VEHICLE INSPECTION on the HUME HIGHWAY less than 10 MINUTES from my House. Meaning the last SEVEN minutes of my drive took more than THIRTY.

THANKS.

No srsly.

THANK. YOU.

Leave a message after the tone...

2008-10-26T08:22:00.002+11:00

*Beep*

Hi guys, it's Enny.

Just wanted to let you know I had a fab time at the engagement party, the weather was beautiful and the company was grand.

I'd tell you more about it but I have to leave in less than half an hour and still have to finish packing - I have to drive for two hours to go to a work thing that runs from today until Tuesday evening. I know!

Anyways, will call in again soon - thanks!

*clunk*
*clunk*

*dial tone*

Vegan point scoring

2008-10-22T18:05:00.002+11:00

I made the famous vegan loaf for a work morning tea today, and it was gone before the official start! I think that he first contributing factor to the popularity is that I actually cooked something - a lot of the ladies in the section gave a shocked look when word got around that 'Enny cooked! She baked a loaf!'. The second contributing factor was that it was vegan - a lot of people wanted to know what it was made of, how is made without eggs and milk, and is it healthy? The final contributing factor was probably that it was dissapearing fast... 12 pieces for 50 people! I had totally figured I'd be eating half a loaf for lunch, and The Hun was very dissapointed to hear I wouldn't be bringing any home after he came home last night to the smell of it baking in the kitchen.

It also lead to another potential vegan conversion! A guy at work who has moved down from Queensland has been asking me questions AND making suggestion for vegan food, as his culture (Serbian?) goes through fasting periods where no animal products (excluding seafood!) are consumed. He doesn't know why seafood is okay either. Anyway, he indicated that he loved the loaf AND that he had some questions about becoming vegan - he's putting together an email to send me. I am SO excited! That will be one work convesrsion, I count Deb as my internet conversion, I've been in email conversation with one of my martial arts students gym customers (we're planning a breakfast meetup!) and one of my martial arts students is halfway there (though young, and not allowed to become vegan until she is 18, according to her parents).

The young student forwarded me a note the other day that a friend of hers had posted on Facebook and received over 100 comments. Basically, a young girl had indicated all veg*ns are ghey and that they were endagering the human race because if everyone was veg*n we'd have a population of weak, iron deficient palies that would die out. From there, a whole lot of intelligent debate followed (and a whole lot of caps and typos and exclamation marks) and it was really empowering to see that there are young people becoming educated at such an early age on their impact in the world and the results of their actions. It was also infuriating to see that same girl that started the conversation state that she'd happily string an animal on a hook to watch it bleed, then get really upset when people starting personally attacking her. It is terribly sad to see the level of ignorance that some people have, the level of disrespect they have for living creatures, and the disgusting level that people will go to to 'fit in'. Then again, when I was omni I never would have considered becoming vegan - I considered myself a meatatarian (mind you, I would NEVER have even considered joking about torturing animals) and I honestly didn't understand the connectin between the animals that I claimed to love, and 'meat'.

It's similar to a conversation I've had with some friends over the past week or so - two of my friends are considering getting laying hens, and eating them after a year or two. They don't understand why I get so upset during the argument, and they don't believe that I would actually steal their hens from them were they to plan ahead to murder them. Their response is that they won't tell me before they do, but it will be a very upsetting day when it happens, if it happens. I already know how it will play out in my head, so I hope they were only saying it to rile me, similar to how I hope they were only riling me saying they would do the same with a pig, or the other friend that said he happily shoots roos and rabbits. I would steal the hens, and I would do my very most to steal the pig as well. Otherwise, I don't know how I could begin to overlook that the friends that I love are the same people that murdered the creatures they had raised and loved (ignorant the inherent cruelty in purchasing hens in the first place). To me, the fact that they wouldn't do the same to a cat or a dog, that they would be jailed for doing the same to a cat or a dog, should make them realised that through the eyes of their morals and through the eyes of the law, they are commiting an act of cruelty.

There's no real point to this post, just that as it seems that things are looking up, things are also looking down. Just different levels of intensity I guess.

Fian-say #3

2008-10-19T13:58:00.005+11:00

The engagement party is next weekend and I'm very excited, so I thought I'd share a little of it with you.

I realised I hadn't shown you the invites (although some of you might have seen the terrible pics dadsy posted on his facebook of mumsy and I making them!)

I know you don't get too much of an idea of it from there, but I love them! Youngest bro helped me pick out the paper, and we basically identified what I hpe will be the theme for the wedding: purple, green and birds. The writing is on a lovely ivory paper with a swirls and birds patten in the background (ignoring the fact that the ink didn't stink so much to the shinier swirls and birds!), and the side border was made of this paper:

It looks lovelier in person, you'll have to trust me!

*** If Magf, gf1 or gf2 are reading this, stop now! Check back in after the party!***

My engagement party is on the same day as gf1's sisters 18th, so she's coming and leaving a little earlier than the others, so I thought it would be nice to catch gf1, gf2 and Magf togeher - we're having famliy come over from 1, and friends over from 4.

I've been reading a LOT of wedding stuff online, and thought it would be nice to formally present my bridesmaids to be with a little gift, seeing as I haven't 'officially' told or asked them.

Here's what they get:
And now you know what the initials of my party will be! Shh!

They're little sparkly keyrings that I thought were cute, and I bought these little boxes to put them in:

They were less than three dollars each, and cute, and kinda purple. So I HAD to get them. You undertand, right?

I handwrote a little note on some of the leftover side-strips from the invites - you can tell I am destined for greatness via my terrible handwriting.

Ooh! I wrote them with the spiffy new pen that The Hun's parents brought me back from jolly old London!

I shoved the keyrings in the boxes on top of some green crepe paper and covered it with scatter confetti hearts before I put the little note in on top:

And then?

Ta da! I'm not a good ribbon tyer, but whatevs.

I also wanted to show you the lovely wedding planner that one of my ex-first-housemates bought me!

It may not look like much, but it is so lovely inside - I had a cheapie one that came with a magazine, but I wasn't very excited about that one. This one, I love - see:

And it wasn't until I took the photo of my covering up the names (that I've already written in) that I realised I may not have shown you my beautiful ring until now?

Ta-da!

Wordy rememberies

2008-10-16T19:08:00.002+11:00

The LaLovely LaLa tagged me a little while ago, in a Roborant* effort to preserve words falling out of everyday use.

*That was my word! Hooray!

So. Instead, I'm going to nick the next 'meme' type thing that she posted.

Here’s how you play:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

SO PLEASE leave me a memory……..PLEASE REMEMBER ME!

I hope y'all will play along!

Come here! Go there! Eurail tale, follow her trail!

2008-10-14T21:54:00.003+11:00

Hi!

I'm in the middle of procrastinating my last assignment ever (WOAH!) so just wanted to drop in to let you know that my lovely friend Melbourne Train Girl has started a new blog, as she gets ready for a big Europe trip.

I'm the original fangirl, so I strongly recommend you check her our out, or add her to your feeder, and then we can meet back here or on facebook and swap injokes and live vicariously and stuffs.

Go there!
eurailtale.blogspot.com

Sighs of relief

2008-10-12T22:33:00.002+11:00

Dot point!

The deadline? Pushed back a month or so. I was so happy that I nearly happy cried, at the meeting table, at 4:30 on Friday afternoon. So I have weekends back to do uni, clean my parents house for the engagement shopping, and buy something for The Hun to wear...

... because I took middle bro shopping the otherweekend and bought him the nicest outfit in the shop! I promised him as part of his more-than-50kg-weight loss that I would buy him something to wear to the party, and he didn't want to let me, but I talked him into accepting the shirt, pants and shoes. And when he came out of the dressing room I nearly happy cried (I seem to be getting more emotional in my old age!) because he just looked so great. Thing is, I have no idea what to get The Hun to wear because I think middle bro will be wearing the nicest thing at the party! Although, I do love to shop...

... as I showed mumsy when she came enagement party dress shopping with me! I bought a beautiful new dress (pics will be up after the 25th) AND shoes AND a box clutch. Because, yes, the party is at my parents so it doesn't matter WHAT bag I have as I'll jus chuck it where I normally put my bag so I don't need a new one, but, as mumsy put it "when has it ever been about need?". Plus, it's TOTALLY cute. Speaking of cute...

... did you guys watch The Nanny all those years ago? Remember Gracie? The youngest, ugly one? Do you watch Californication? Have you seen the bit where David Duchovny is banging that girl? THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON. How much did Gracie change in eight years?! Eight years is like ages ago, and not long ago at all - in fact, 8 years ago I'd just started uni for the first time...

... and now I'm almost finished for the first time! I have one assignment, one presentation and one exam to go. The assignment isn't due until Wednesday and I got a lot of great advice from a classmate, the presentation isn't due until three weeks from now and my partner has volunteered to do most of the work, and the exam should be fine as my lecturer/tutor marked the one I did last semester and got a HD for. HOW EXCITING! Another exciting thing I'd been looking forawrd to was...

... Floriade! We finally found a time when mumsy, dadsy and I were all free and headed out early on Saturday morning. Floriade always seems to become a shopfest when we're together - I bought salted cashews, that nut mix that tastes like vegemite, two jars of curry, four straps of vegan flavoured licorice and 2 bars of vegan fudge that I was VERY keen for! One of my friends told me they saw it there, and by the time I got out there, only vanilla and caramel were - but the lovely lady at the stall told me about the five other flavours they have that I am VERY keen to try! On top of this, mumsy and dadsy also bought a sweeper thing that is VERY awesome, four jars of curry, cinnamoned cashews and macadamias, coffee, soap and a weeding tool. We would have spent less than five minutes looking at the flowers, five minutes in the bonsais and five minutes looking at the professional garden displays. I love Floriade! I also love...

Pounder! Since Mumsy and I attended the training weekend, his behaviour has improved dramatically. He's been hanging out upstairs which is completely new for him - he even climbed the stairs for the first time on the weekend. He went for a long walk and acted like a normal dog (including giving up just after the halfway mark and laying down for a rest - all of our dogs have done this at one time or another!), he spins less and when we left the house on the weekend there was no spinning or crying! He loves to play, but you have to be very careful not to bump him with the toys because he takes it very personally, and he is still somewhat intimidated when you reach down to pat him - I think he's just getting used to all the human interaction, and getting used to all the love. Speaking of love, The Hun and I...

... checked out the church where both sets of our parents got married! And, we've decided against a church wedding. Basically, The Hun is an atheist and he shouldn't have to lie to the priest, I'm not sure what I believe in exactly, and the priest was pretty churchy. As you would expect, I know, but he wanted us to go to our own parish and chat to the priest there after mass - we told him it's been a looong time since we've been at church, and he told us it was a good time to start. That, and about how marriage is as much about giving yourself to God as much as it is giving yourself to each other... it just didn't sit right. After attending The Hun's ex gf (the one I lived with that's been mentioned various times!)'s wedding yesterday, I realised that to me, marriage is not really anything to do with God. To me, it's about committing yourself to one person for life... but while church weddings are very "God, God, God", non church weddings always seem to be "Law, law, law". In what may be a bit of a middleground, Dadsy's cousin is a celebrant, and if she can practice in the ACT (I don't know what the rules are), I reckon we could wangle a ceremony that is a nice balance. Wish me luck!

Working woman

2008-10-08T21:50:00.002+11:00

Work!
Grrr.

Anyways, I told you I didn't get the job, right?
They called me in the moment I got back to work on the monday (after being sick) and told me I hadn't quite made it (though I was the best communicator of the applicants!) but there were 'options'. Later in the week I got called into a meeting where it was announced my position would be moving to the team I applied for anyway!

Long story short, things are a little emotional about the change. There's some things that need to be cleared up, and a Very Important Deadline that looms at the end of this month. Did I mention that this month is also my engagement party? And my last month of uni (before exams)? And that I've got two work trips planned with the new team?

I just got back from two days in Melbourne as part of the new role. I felt like a noob, like everyone knew I didn't really know what I was doing there, but I got a lot of positive feedback from them on the work I've done over my 5+ years there and my contribution to the couple of days.

So yay me.

Anyways, I'm going to be working crazy mental hours this month, and basically freaking out about uni too... so you're just going to have to bear with me on this one. Hecktober, here it comes.

Happy 600!

2008-10-04T11:30:00.009+10:00

It's been a while hasn't it? Since my last post, and since my first post... so, seeing as I'm looking back on old times, I'd like to share with you some photos from old times!

*share*
You should have known I'd not be one of those tidy prissy girls, right?
I'd also like to give a shout out to the bro's, who so kindly offered to not be yellow faced here - I'm figuring we're not exactly identifiable at such a young age... but we'll see, I guess!

Myself, middle bro and eldest bro.
When I told my parents that I was planning on growing my hair long from now on, my dad told me I should cut it short like it used to be... I think I look like a boy (particularly in this one). I remember I went with mum once when I was in high school to get my medium length hair cut in Manuka and the hairdresser thought I was a boy - so perhaps I'm doomed either way.

(Dadsy), (mumsy), Myself, middle bro, youngest bro, and eldest bro.
Check out those long legs! I was destined to be tall, I tells ya.

Eldest bro, myself, (dadsy), middle bro and youngest bro.
This is one of my favourite photos. When we had to do a poetry project for year 9 english, I remember looking at this photo and writing all emo about how we used to be so happy blah-blah-blah... I just wish I could look at it without remembering that!

Middle bro, myself, (dadsy), youngest bro and eldest bro.
This was a Christmas tradition in our house. Dadsy had a special Christmas book that we weren't allowed to touch, that he would read it to us on Christmas Eve after we'd been to mass. It was hard covered and red, and all the photos had gold ink on them - it was a very pretty book!

(Mumsy), youngest bro, myself, eldest bro and middle bro.
Speaking of Christmas - one year we got bikes and stackhats (well, youngest bro got a bike seat and a stackhat) and mumsy told us that Santa had moved them around. I was so excited by that.

Eldest bro, middle bro, myself and youngest bro.
One thing I did notice is that we were very good at making our own fun. Surely we weren't the only kids who had great fun running through the bindies with shopping bags...?

Eldest bro and myself.

Playing in soot also seems to have been a fun past time...

(dadsy), myself, middle bro and eldest bro.

This was DEFINITELY funtimes - standing one the wood while dad sawed through it - just thinking about it makes my feet tingle!

Myself, Nana, youngest bro, Pa, eldest bro and middle bro.

Here we are with my Nana and Pa - I still have that stuffed dog, her name is Little Lou, named after the neighbours who had a dog called Lou that looked just like it.

Pa and eldest bro.

Here is one of my favourites of my Pa - I don't know if it is just the camera angle, but he looks totally huge!

Eldest bro, myself and eldest bro.

Shout out to the girls with Cabbage Patch Dolls! Desiree Venora and Holly Violet.

Middle bro, myself, (mumsy) and eldest bro.

Another favourite to finish it off - we're doing our best chicken impresonation in front of our chicken pen - check out middle bro's moves... tee hee hee!

Anyway - hope you enjoyed the post, I'll be waiting for my 600 bunny-winks from each and everyone of you!

It only got worse

2008-09-28T21:11:00.003+10:00

I think I have just come out of the worst flu I've ever had.

There was a time like 5 years ago when the infamous 'flu of death' went through our house - it only struck one person at a time, and all you did for 3 days straight was sweat, shower, sleep and sweat.

Tuesday I was feeling pretty bad, right? I then developed a massive headache and then slept for 14 house straight, then wasped around the house all Wednesday. Went to The Huns parents for Family Tea, felt okay and then got up on Thursday and went to work.

Buh-bow.

It was so draining. I was tired, coughing, blowing my nose and getting hot and cold sweats. I left work at 2:30 and slept for three hours then woke up with ANOTHER migraine. I managed to sleep most of it off, but then spent all Friday coughing and blowing my nose and feeling worse. It was around this point that I wondered if I would never feel better - which of course made me feel worse (and yes, I worked half of one day the week after I interviewed for a promotion... nice work, me).

Anyways, I think all the extra nose blowing helped out and I perked up enough to actually be sociable with The Hun. Saturday I went back to the DFO with mumsy and played out a kitchenware version of Pretty Woman with her - the kitchen is being renovated and she'd never furnished a kitchen with proper stuff from the get go... it was SO much fun! Saturday night I hit the movies with gf1 and gf2 for gf2's birthday because my illness lamed me out of cocktails and dinner - which we'll be doing next weekend.

Today I went to a bbq for The Huns touch team and then cleaned my room - I have some EXCITING PLANS for it, hopefully this week.

Anyways - the whole point of this was to say.... NEXT POST = 600th POST!

Down and Out

2008-09-23T17:20:00.002+10:00

Oh you guys, seriously. I am UNDER the WEATHER.

That sore throat from my interview day just kept getting worse and worst.

Saturday morning it was killing me to swallow, Saturday lunchtime I lost my voice, Saturday afternoon I thought I was going to pass out, Saturday night I was freezing.

Sunday I was croaky and snotty and sore headed all day, and Monday was much of the same but with a foul dip in the middle of the afternoon.

So that should be enough, right?

NO.

Today I've felt my worst - like five days later!! How rude!!! It's all up in my head. I have a certificate to also have tomorrow off, and Thursday if I need it, but I'm out of drugs and the doctor was not my usual one, so I think she thought I was a junkie as I kept saying I was out of pseudoephedrine and needed the real stuff, not the fake stuff.

Damn.

Here are some dotpoints for you:

We passed the one month engaged mark - it has been a fantastic month for the both of us! What a difference one moment can make in one persons attitude, affecting all facets of life.

I'm really loving Antique Roadshow. I thought I was set in my ways, clicking on to the news as soon as I got home, all grown up like. But no, now I'm a nanna. I just love hearing the stories the oldies tell about these things they've picked up along the way, and their unadultered shock and delight when they get the value explained to them! It's so lovely.

We finally found some of the Woollies home brand garlice bread that is vegan. Oh man. I tell you -it is DIVINE.

We took Pounder to his behaviourial class on the weekend, and it was great. I have definitely found what I want my 'next' career to be - they really knew their stuff! We learnt a whole lot about the theory of different behaviours and conditions and drivers in dogs, as well as some methods and solutions to try to remedy these. The Sunday we brought our pets along and Pounder was very well behaved, other than his new habit of grinding his teeth - odd. We got some one-on-one time with one of the trainers to get an idea of what we can do to help his walking, his spinning and his anxiety, and we've noticed a little difference in him already.

Getting close to the 600th post, and I have a pretty good idea of what's to come - excited?

I - day

2008-09-19T21:33:00.002+10:00

Today was my interview.

Today was also the day I woke up with a sore throat as part of my first cold of the year. NOICE TIMING.

I'm unsure about how it went - in retrospect, I could have answered at least one of the questions better, but I focused on my body language, tried to stay cool and made use of the opportunity to make a statement at the end to talk up what I could bring to the team if I were chosen.

Something that did go well was my brand new chemist strength deodorant! I had to go see the doctor last week for a pill renewal (and managed to get onto the one that also improves your skin) and decided I was tired of always being so self concious about my stank, so picked up some super-super-super strength stuff. I tell you - this stuff is AMAZING. Not one damp/stanky spot on my shirt all day! My poor stockinged feet were another story.

So again, I'm not sure how I went... Chances are that most of the other applicants were more qualified, but I've received some really good feedback today (that I can't really elaborate on!). It would be great if I got it, but if I don't then it's also fine - I will be travelling soon, I've been promised more development, and my interests have been noted by other senior members so I'll be sure to be able to get involved in the areas I'm more intrested in shortly!

Will keep you updated... now I'm off to bed to hopefully get better before a weekend of dog-behavioural-training for crazy Mr Pounder.

Yay/AGH/Woah

2008-09-17T17:32:00.003+10:00

So - remember this post? I got a call last week saying that I had been shortlisted and they wanted to phone interview me. And they did. And I had NO idea how it went, but it seems it went well because I got told yesterday that I have an interview - this Friday morning. EEP!

Positives:

If I do get it, it's a promotion. It's the area I want to be in, I will be able to actually 'do' something, rather than giving other people the tools to 'do' something.

If I don't get it, my boss has said I will get more training so that I can eventually get into the same area.

If I don't get it, I will get feedback on what I need to do better next time.

If I don't get it, it's not like I'm unhappy where I am anyway.

Negatives:

If I do get it, it's scary. It's harder. It's all new and a change from what I've done here for the past five years. And I'm hearing a lot of things from my big boss that indicates she doesn't believe I can do it, damn self doubt.

If I don't get it I will have to keep working with someone who perhaps didn't believe I could do it anyway. Damn self doubt AND shame.

Unsure:

I bought a belt to go outside my shirt and I'm not the kind of girl who accessorises so I'm not going to know if it looks dumb. For example, it doesn't seem to have a second loop on it (to catch the end) so should I buy a different one? I don't know how high to wear it. I don't know if it's even one you're supposed to wear on the outside (EDIT: Retried my shirt on and it doesn't need an outside belt. Problem solved!).

I've always been a fan of the 'rock up and see how you go' style of interviewing, but all signs seem to point to this being one where I have a fair chunk of reading to do beforehand.

Bring on Friday lunchtime, I say.

DFO Opening

2008-09-14T19:27:00.003+10:00

The long-awaited Canberra DFO opened earlier this week - I was very lucky to get a pass in the mail (they sent out only 3000 invites for the opening night) and rocked up with middle bro, eldest bro and eldest bro's gf at 5:30 and found a spot in the line closer to the door with magf (who got a pass at the last minute after gf1 dropped out). They opened the doors early to try to manage the crowds, and quickly realised that people weren't going to stay in their orderly line as people started surging up the stairs (the security guard got a big cheer when he arrived). One of my workmates was out in line and she wasn't in there until 6:30pm.

But.

I. LOVED. IT.

It's a real shame the food court was blocked off (they held some VIP thing in there) so there was NO food - they had 3000 Canberrans in there from 6pm - 9pm, it would have been a guaranteed money maker for them!

But I still managed to buy:

Table 8 work pants ($40)
Table 8 work shoes ($20)
6 x Cotton On singlets ($36)
2 x Converse Singlets ($30 from $80)
Jag Jumper ($25)
6 x over-door hooks ($7 - and crazilly they don't let you close the door when they're on... how ridiculous!)
3 x work shirts from Jacqui E ($93)
Fila shoes ($60 from $120)

The great thing about it was that it had current styles in mostly decent sizes - the Brand Depot we have here is totally useless. I will definitely go back again - in fact, I'll be taking middle bro out to buy him an outfit for the engagement party! He has done an AMAZING job dropping close to 50kg now and he is keeping me motivated for my workouts too, so I wanted to give him something for that.

And perhaps I'll run into Mick there again (how random was that, Mick?!).

Shoe and other photos coming shortly!

Fian-say #2

2008-09-09T21:28:00.002+10:00

Um yeah, wedding - obsessed much?

We're thinking September/October next year for the big event. I mentioned to The Hun last night that we could probably do it in February if we wanted, and he retorted that with the current wedding blitzkrieg I've got going, then yeah, it could totally happen. I think we'll stick with later in the year though.

I was so stoked to get the ring back - as soon as she put it down on the counter it was right back on the finger. "Oh, you're right to just wear it then?" Um yes. Yes I am.

My folder has come in handy - that's for sure. I've drafter and re-drafted and final-drafted the engagement party list, made myself a spreadsheet and checked and re-checked and final-checked. I enjoy very few administrative things, but I HEART making spreadsheets.

Youngest bro was a great help and a good sport to come along to look at paper with me on the weekend. He helpded me work out how to make them and which paper I liked best - so he can take a lot of credit for the invites I am making this weekend. The 70-something invites I am making this weekend.

We haven't officially worked out the bridal party yet either - poor ol The Hun has two groups of very close friends, 3 or 4 on each side. So I've selected who my three would be... if I can't have more than three, I'll definitely be asking my 'fourth' to get involved in as much as they like - I just wish I could tell them!

I have picked out colours and a theme though. How exciting! I can't wait to start shopping!!

I've also been building up a playlist of songs on my iPod that I love, to use at the engagement party and at the wedding. I am spending a lot of time looking goofy over the top of my screen as I listen to lyrics and wonder whether or not it can be used.

Things got a little more real and grounded last night as I was drafting the invites - I wanted to set up an email address to manage the RSVP's and stuff and I finally settled on HisSurname.MySurname.Wedding@gmail.com. Woah. I just... woah. It finally seemed real. How exciting!!!

Crossed paths

2008-09-07T20:43:00.002+10:00

Life is full of them!

The Hun and I lived in two adjoining suburbs.

We went to the same primary school, same high school and same college.

The girl he was dating in year eight is (now) one of my best friends - our friendship started that same year.

The girl he dated after her lived in my first group house with me.

His younger sister was in the same grade as middle bro.

His dad went to the same gym as middle bro.

His mum works at a uni, as does my mum.

His dads cousin appears to have worked with my Pa...

So on and so on, until the weirder ones:

He is exactly eight days younger than me.

His mum is exactly eight days younger than mine.

Both were married in the same year, less than six months apart. In the SAME church.

Folks - I think we've found our wedding venue.

Putting myself through the wringer again

2008-09-04T21:39:00.002+10:00

I applied for another job this week.

A promotion, so that it doesn't look AS bad if I get it and leave the team when we're short staffed and reaaaaaally busy.

Each time my big boss stands up to talk to me, I'm sure she sees the flicker of panic crossing my face in an oh-my-gawd-she-knows kinda way.

Chances are slim, but I guess I had nothing to lose. Well, except my bosses respect.
*sigh*

Does it ever get any easier?!

Fian-say #1

2008-09-02T18:19:00.002+10:00

I figured there is likely to be a lot of wedding-type chat, so I'd call them all the same thing. And I'd like to point out that's efficient, not lazy.

The ring is getting resized at the moment. I took it in the day after I got it to get it resized (because I can shake it off my hand) but the guy spent so long stroking my fingers and 'hmmm'ing that I got anxious and sweaty and my hands got puffy, making the ring a better fit. The lady who served me yesterday resisted the urge to fondle my fingers (and resisted the urge to chuckle when I said 'I do' as she tried on a better fitting ring). I get it back Friday.

To deal with the ring-less-ness I dropped $50 at Officeworks. I'm such a woman. I got a pink binder, some pretty seperators, some plastic sleeves, some new pens, some plastic sleeve envelope things, a lecture pad thing that clips into the folder and 2009 planner for my organiser.

There has already been some dramas with the families. Greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

PS - Still v excited!

Link Lovin' Meme

2008-08-31T18:13:00.003+10:00

Lulu tagged me - and y'all know I can't resist being tagged.

Here are the rules:

1. Pick one of your favorite blogs leave a comment on their blog telling them about the meme, then write about how you found them, why you keep reading them, and what they blog about.

2. You pick a blog from their blogroll, YOU HAVE NEVER READ, give a small blurb about what you liked about their blog…. comment on the blog to let them know about the meme (if you have nothing nice to say PICK ANOTHER ok.. this is all about the love baby!)”

Before I get onto this, you must go and check out Lulu's site - I have met her twice now (while The Hun and I were in Japan last year, and then again last weekend in Brissy!) and she is just so lovely! She is so friendly, and always good for a chat - and willing to put up with my new-fiancee-ness (you all know I'm gonna be picking her brain). Her blog covers a lot of different things - talking about her family, fiance and wedding plans, as well as developing her writing and other projects through listing and encyclopedia-ing. You can go back and read about her time in Japan - it's very cross-cultural!

So - my step one is D'jen. As soon as I see she has an update I am there STRAIGHT AWAY. I'm pretty sure I found her when she commented on my site, but I could have this totally backwards - my memory is shot! I met her at the first group nerdfest I ever attended, one that she organised, and one that made a completely awesome night for me. Not only did she arrange everything and get people to meet, she bussed to my hotel, picked me up in the lobby, bussed with me to the meeting place and we sat and chatted for an hour whilst spying on poor ol' Adam (all wrapped up here). She is just one of the easiest people to get along with, she is totally accomodating, she is upbeat for others even when she is feeling down and she is always more than 100% fun. Although we've only met in person three times, I really do consider her a good friend of mine - although people just gravitate to her, so I'm sure I'm not alone in this statement. At the moment she is totally living it up in Japan, applying for jobs in Tokyo (to escape her loving legion of fans from all around Aus) and doing a great job of wrapping it up for all of us stuck back here at home! She also write about her work, her (now completed) study and just her everyday life - she is one of the few people who can write post about ducking down to the shops that will totally enthrall you. I'd be surprised if there are any of you here that aren't already reading her, but if you are like the only 3 in Aus, then I suggest you skip over there quick smart!

My step two is J-Money - I can't believe I hadn't come across her before! From what I've read (and what made me add her to my reader) is that she writes well , she's a great story teller and she's funny as all heck! I can't wait to catch up on the backposts and really get into it.

~Don't forget - ideas for post 600 would be Very Much Appreciated~

Qld wrapup

2008-08-28T22:25:00.002+10:00

I can't believe it's Thursday and I didn't get another romantic proposal!

I do, however, believe that I promised to tell you about Jen's farewell.

I had a FANTASTIC time! People - if you get the chance to travel interstate to catch up with friends, then you just have to do it.

Weekend Summary:

Gf1, Gf2 and I got no more than four hours sleep each the night before - I guess one of the things we have in common is a habit of procrastinating our packing.
Saturday started at 4:30am - it was dark, but still a mild 5 degrees. Which may sound cold, but it was -2 when we were near Lake George with the windows open (Gf1 gets travel sick).
Gf1 was accused of being a bad friend on the flight up, as she sat next to me while I cradled my head in my hands. I am not a good flier. By the end of it, I was the one looking like a bad friend - Gf1s travel sickness was kicking in, and I was casually flipping through the wedding mag we picked up at the last minute.
The DFO was okay, but nothing too spectacular - that said, I got a pair of Oroton sunnies for $70, reduced from $200!
We got into a cab that was sitting out the front of the DFO, and were greeted by a, ehm, friendly old cabbie. He had lived in Canberra and was full of the type of peculiar jokes that only a lonley old ex Canberran can make. This culminated in him asking for one of our numbers and Gf2 was deemed the one 'lucky' enough to hand over her name and number - he confirmed he'd meet us out the front of the hotel at 11am the next morning.
BTW - F*CK QANTAS. Those guys canelled our 3:15 return flight and offered us only a 10:15 or 6:15 return flight with ZERO apology. They later called back to let us know there were 3 free seats on the 12:15, but seriously. I hate you guys.
We bummed around for a while, and just as I was starting to feel left out (Gf1 and Gf2 were sharing a room and getting ready in the other end of the apartment) they surprised me with choccies and champagne!!!
The Oaks Margaret is VERY highly recommended! Kristy met up with us there and she also gave it the thumbs up (and showed me some Tupperware I need to get my hands on!).
The party itself was great! It was so good to catch up with Jen, Jey, Deb, Jac, Laura and Lee. It was also nice to meet Andy and Shun for the first time - go boy power! The food and bar service was also super fantastic and everyone had a great time. I wish everyone lived closer!!! There was a lot of drinking, a lot of squealing, a lot of catching up and a few (unsuccessful)photos with Jen's fingerstache. Somewhere along the line I bumped the settings on my camera, so most of my pics are blurry and/or dark and/or discoloured. Wah!
Also - SECRET SPEWER - WE ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!
PS - vegan cupcakes? NOM NOM NOM. Even though I don't know if they were the best, they were still the tastiest thing I've had in quite a while - the third piece of 'cake' I've had in just over 2.5 years.
We finished early-ish (roughly midnight I think?) but that was to be expected after a full day of travel and only 4 hours sleep the night before! We figured everyone was going to party on, but I think everyone left not long after us.
The next day we popped down the markets near where we were (for a CD and an envirobag) and then got a call from our cabbie - who was early. When we got there, he announced he would take us on a housing tour, seeing as we had time! Well. I have never been more mentally prepared to bash an old person - I was fully alert that he may be trying to kill us, driving up in the hills - it was all very suss! Luckily for him the fare turned out roughly the same as it cost us the day before to get to the airport to the DFO and then the DFO to the hotel. But still. Highly innapropriate.
The flight back was bumpy and long. And I broke a headrest. And we were right up the back. But then, we found the car fine and we made it back home by 8pm - a great weekend had by all.

So there you are - a pretty awesome 40 hours. I can't wait to catch up with all you guys again!

There's new love through the door...

2008-08-25T22:15:00.003+10:00

For something I have thought so much about, over so long, in so many different ways - I don't really know how to start.

Last Thursday was the mine and The Huns 4.5 year anniversary.

Last Thursday was the day he surprised me more than I had ever expected.

Last Thursday was the day he became my fiance.

I walked in the door, holding on to some anger from earlier in the day. He greeted me and I grunted a hello and headed straight for the shower. I flicked on the bathroom light and exhaust fan to get ready for my shower and I heard music coming from the other room - the song a few months ago I had suggested could be our wedding song one day. I flicked off the light and exhaust so I could listen.

"Did you look on the bed?" he asked, hopefully.
"No" was my gruff response.
I turned, and on my pillow was a single red rose and a gorgeous little stuffed bear.

"Thankyooou" I called as I turned around.
And he was in the doorway with a box. I look inquisitively and turned and opened it on the ironing bored.

A bottle of Brown Brothers Moscato.
Two wine glasses.
And a ring box, perfectly wrapped with a little bow.

He held me and he asked me.
And all I could respond with was tears, and 'did you wrap this yourself?' and 'can I open it?' and 'really?' and 'really?' and 'really?'.

And it wasn't until the song almost ended that I remembered I should tell him 'yes'.

It was so perfect.

And I am just so happy.

Choose your own adventure!

2008-08-24T19:44:00.001+10:00

Do you guys want to hear about my exciting Thursday OR about Jen's farewell on the weekend?

Majority Rules!

(Also - let me know any ideas you have for #600, yeah?!)

Humbly shot dots

2008-08-20T23:00:00.003+10:00

Okay. I'm a bad blogger. Let me try to break it down here.

The diet blog stopped - I was enjoying it, but there's only so much talking to the wall one person can do. I was writing there everday, writing here less, stopped writing there, and didn't write here any more. It could make a comeback, so jam it in your feeder and we'll see what happens. And FYI, I haven't gained that weight back... I just haven't lost any more either!

I've been in a bit of a funk lately. It's roughly 50% my fault, and because I shirk responsibility, I won't take any more of it than that. Knowing that I worked myself into it doesn't mean it just disapears, it just means that I came very close to breaking point, and willed myself away from that. It can be so exhausting in my head, and my manic extremes exsaberate it to no end. But all is good. I just needed some down time.

600 posts is drawing near. Any suggestions for how to celebrate? I know that RSS has eaten everyone's souls, but at this stage all ideas are welcome.

I'd like to send my thoughts to the Dave Matthew Band - the amazing saxophonist LeRoi Moore passed away today. I have a bunch of live CD's and he is just so talented, and all the fans love him ("Happy Birthday LeRoi!") and I'm glad I got a chance to see him in Sydney. The DMB instrumentals can drag on when you listen through headphones, but they were fantastic live, one of my top five shows of all time.

Gf1, Gf2 and I are leaving Canberra at 5am on Saturday to drive to Sydney to fly to Brisbane. Not only to go mental at the DFO, lounge about in an apartment and spend strange amounts of time together while ducking down to the foyer to use the loo, but because they are good friends who agreed to come with me to a farewell for someone they have not met. And may never meet again. Yup - we're off to Brissy for Jen's farewell! I'm trying to think of it as just an awesome party, because thinking of it as a farewell makes me feel sad... even though she's interstate and we only met twice! I'll do my best to bring back some yellow-faced piccies.

Also - any Canberran's heading out to the opening of the Canberra DFO? I am SO keen for it. I was one of the 3000 to register for the opening night which is going to be crazy insane - we're so tight down here, so all the crazies will be out - but still, can't wait.

Pounder went in for the snip today, and the vet also found a rotten tooth he is pulling out. Of his mouth, of course. The vet said that his teeth indicate he's actually only 2 or 3 years old, which gives him a few bonus years, and is good news for my family that is trying, unsuccessfully, to house train him. Hopefully his new subtraction will severely cut down his urination fascination, and perhaps even cut back some of the crazy.

In other Pounder news, mumsy and I are attending this workshop (that Jey told us about - thanks Jey!) to try to delve into the behavioural issues. Even if it doesn't work, I think it will be great to learn what they have to teach, and uber-great to spend the Sunday morning surrounded by dogs!

Uni - zomg. 10 weeks to go. That's 8 classes. 7 if you exclude the test next week. It's a boring unit and it's run TERRIBLY but I am that keen to finish and be graduating. I'm thinking of buying myself one of these as a graduation present - thoughts?

The house hunting has cooled a little - prices are dropping, and are expected to sit roughly 5-10% in 6 - 12 months time. This may not seem like much, but we have awesome rent where we are atm, so we are in a better position to save and have a better deposit when we do find the 'perfect' place. If we get budged out, we'll look to buy. But if not, we'll stay here while we can and make some savings. Fingers crossed.

I am SO over the olympics. The Hun has been up until 1am most nights and it is tiring being woken up when he wakes up on the couch and goes to bed!

Speaking of bed - we have hit jackpot. Instead of constantly playing tug-of-war over the two doona's that only seem capable of being on one side of the bed at a time, we have put the doona's UNDER the blanket and ABOVE the sheets. INGENIOUS! You would not BELIEVE what a difference it has made. Random CAPS worth of difference!!!

My martial arts trip for Darwin next year has been canned, but I will instead be heading up to Maroochydore. I will be heading up there this December too. Oh! And all my work travel (to Brissy, Parramatta, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth) looks to be happening in October - nerdfests ahoy!

I think that's all I have for now. Please forgive my past indiscretions, I promise to make this little window of time more worth your while.

Have a great weekend everyone!

What's wrong with the world?

2008-08-17T23:11:00.002+10:00

I read this over at Zenhabits and saved it in my reader. Then I emailed it to some friends. And now I'm posting part of it here so that you will read it too:

How to Love the World as It Is
So let’s say that you’d like to try this world-view. You’d like to love people, and the entire world, as it is, and not as you’d like it to be. How do you go about doing that?

There are six things I recommend doing:

1. Stop looking for perfection and ideals. Realize that you have an ideal in your head, and that it is probably incompatible with the world. It might be an ideal about a person, or about how things should be. The world, and people, are not perfect. Stop looking for perfection, and realize that it is already here.

2. Observe. Instead of looking at this ideal picture in your head, look at what’s really there. What is the world really like? What are people really like? The only way to know this is to observe. Listen to people. Look at the world around you. Gather data, from reality.

3. Understand. Now that you have this data, start asking questions. Why are people the way they are? Why did someone do what they did? Why does this problem really exist? Don’t stop at the first answers you come up with — dig deeper, and deeper, until you really understand something. Seek to understand before you judge, in all situations. Sometimes that will require imagination — you won’t be able to really know the root of something unless you personally investigate everything, but instead sometimes you can try to imagine what made a person the way they are, or a situation what it is.

“To understand everything is to forgive everything.” - Buddha

4. Accept. Once you’ve observed and begun to understand, accept that this is the way the world is. This is who the person is. The world isn’t going to meet any ideal — it is what it is, and while it will always change, it probably won’t change to meet your ideal. The person in question is exactly the same — they won’t meet your ideal, but are who they are. Accept this as fact.

5. Love and compassion. Once you’ve accepted things or people as they are … try to find it in your heart to love them, as they are. The way to do this is to see the good in everything and everyone, and if you’ve sought to really look and understand, you will find good in everything. When you see bad things, understand that this is because of suffering, and have compassion and seek to end that suffering.

6. Enjoy life. The world is a wonderful place once you’ve accepted it for what it is and sought to love it. People are wonderful creatures, full of life and creativity and messiness and uniqueness. Accept this, understand it, love it. And enjoy this gift we’ve been given, for it is incredible. And perfect, just as it is.

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” - Buddha

I think it's a lovely little reality check - I find myself so easy getting caught up in ideals that are not even necessarily my own, and constantly comparing it all.

It doesn't do anyone any good.

Boy or Girl?

2008-08-15T18:21:00.002+10:00

Came across this via Lifehacker - simply go to this site, click the button, and find out if your site history indicates you are male or female.

My results:

Likelihood of you being FEMALE is 41%
Likelihood of you being MALE is 59%

Site Male-Female Ratio
facebook.com 0.83
gmail.com 0.9
smh.com.au 1.2
ebay.com.au 1.08
evilbeetgossip.com 1.44

Is this saying more men go to SMH, eBay and EvilBeetGossip?!

What were your results?

Shock and Awe

2008-08-12T17:53:00.003+10:00

!!!SHOCK!!!

For those who were a little concerned at my last post - don't be distressed. Everything is fine, I had a little blip on my big radar, and decided to put my thoughts to 'good' use.

!!!AWE!!!

My 600th post is looming - blagh! If you have any, Any, ANY ideas for me, I would lurve to hear them. Heavens know what I am going to do...

Got to get through this

2008-08-09T19:10:00.002+10:00

I will be restrained, I will show how well I can control the bigness that this has become.
And how quickly it is repaid.

Four days of thoughts, of images, of dreams and smiles.
Singing alone, hoping they can see.
This is it. This is that girl. This is the moment.

Laughs and jokes.
Empty threats.
Reaching for you hand, finding it clammy.
Push it down, push it back, cover it up.

And yet.
You didn't need to say that.
Not here and please not now.

Your eyes shift to the sides.
I try to stay to calm, to suggest a work around.
And we leave.

No, we don't need to wander.
No, I don't need to eat.
But I will. I will reach for the hot.
Find solace in keeping my hands busy and my eyes focussed.

I don't want to sit down.
I don't want to sit under the fluorescent light.
Features lit up, born bare for all to see.
I don't want to sit in the darkness.
Emptiness rising from the edges, above and below.

I don't want this to be happening, but it is.
Please don't think it is to hurt you.
And I don't think you are to hurt me.
But I know that this is not the way it should be, that this is something I need to process, that this is something that is going to escape from me.

I cannot hold on.

Focus and breathe.
Pacing back and forth.
Knowing that what I want should not happen like this.

In the dark, cold space where it started.
The tears begin before I've even turned the key.
Gasping sobs, shuddering chin, the wrinkles in my eyes no longer a favour of mine.

It rises and grows.
Heavier and deeper.
Lounder and more torn.

The lights turn to stars turn to suns.
The brightness stings to comfort the pain.
The gasping providing the air that I need, the air I need to take in and heave back out.

The air that we both breathe.
Together.

Hair cuts and Hair cats

2008-08-07T18:52:00.004+10:00

So - the ever lovely Pounder finally got a trim this week.

We've always taken our dogs to the same place, a good feature of which was the report cards - it was always hilarious to read Elvis' report cards, tracking his devolution to his crotchety old man behavior.

Whilst they still tie the same little bows into the dogs fringes, they don't do the report cards anymore. We did hear that the crazy dog did go into a bit of a frenzy when he was in the cage, biting at his own leg. And he did it again yesterday. Interesting.

BUT - here are the gratuitous shots, courtesy of Youngest Bro:

The little jacket used to belong to Max, I think it's doing a good job of keeping him warm AND making him look like a smart little man.

Also (for Deb!) here is bossy Mr Cat harassing Youngest Bro:

*MROW!MREOOOOOW!MROW!*

Times there me some truth to your partners cleaning martyrdom...

2008-08-04T17:34:00.001+10:00

...when 48 hours after scrubbing the shower you're still experiencing severe tightness in the backs of your legs that you've never (NEVER) felt before.

BrisVegan + Vegan = meetup

2008-08-02T18:15:00.003+10:00

Am sitting on the couch waiting for the arrival of the ever so lovely Jac and her bf as they they are picking up some form of car-thing from Queanbeyan - Jey rightly masterminded that they'd probably be more comfy in my townhouse than in a tent in freezing Canberra, so tonight I have houseguests!

First blogmeet I've hosted - think I'll get too keen on the grog and blabber at this one too?

I'm Pretty Lithe

2008-07-31T18:59:00.002+10:00

Aw yeah baby - I have found the secret to living a confident and happy life, and it involves Intense Pulse Lasers in your pits and on your patch.

If it were socially acceptable to peel off the layers necessary for a Canberra winter and shove peoples faces into my pits, or drop my pants and point at my hooch, I would TOTALLY be a hit at all the parties.

Ladies - I can not recommend this enough.

On grieving

2008-07-27T20:59:00.002+10:00

Every few months I have a dream about JCM (more here). They all seem to follow the same sort of story, but I described the one I had last week to gf1 and gf2 so I remember it a little better. In my dream, I was in the loungeroom at my parents house and answered the phone - it was him. I answered, he said hi and asked how I was, I told him I was good and asked him how he was and then asked if this was a recording of a conversation we had had earlier. "No, why?" he asked, and then he listened as I explained that he had passed away in December last year.

I can't remember his reaction, but we both now understood that he was not meant to be able to talk to me, that we had found a way to communicate, and that if the phone call were to end then we would not be able to talk anymore because we'd been very lucky to cheat his death in this way.

And then I woke up.

All of the dreams I have with him have to do with talking to him, usually in person, and him not realising that he has already passed. And while I'm pretty sure it's just my brain tricking me because I've seen shows on tv where people can communicate with the dead, so why the heck not. And I'm also sure he knew he was going to pass away before he actually did, even though he was so adamant that he was going to beat it when I saw him. But I do get some comfort from these dreams.

It's odd, because we had fallen out of touch for like five years before he got sick. While we were close in school and uni, we weren't ever super close. But he was always fun, always entertaining and often annoying in the way that guys in their twenties you are catching up on missed years are.

I think I hold on to my grief for JCM as much for him as I do for me. I think about the pain that I felt at his funeral, the manner in which he won't get to do so many things, that he doesn't get to be here for so many of our things. I think about the loss itself , how is it that people can keep losing people and still stay afloat.

I remember being pretty distraught at a work function after being given the news about Max, how a workmate asked me if he lived with me and then dismissing that it wasn't so sad because he lived with my parents.

I knew then that the feeling of absolute grief was important, that grieving leads to healing. But I wonder what I am grieving for... how much is for JCM and how much is for me.

I often think of loss of him when I am driving.
And I always think of the loss of him where I hear this song.

The food that I’m eating
Is suddenly tasteless
I know I’m alone now
I know what it tastes like
So break me to small parts
Let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
There might be some good ones
Like you might make a dollar
I’m inside your mouth now
Behind your tonsils
Peeking over your molars
You’re talking to her now
And you’ve eaten something minty
And you’re making that face that I like
And you’re going in, in for the kill, kill
For the killer kiss, kiss for the kiss, kiss

I need your money, it’ll help me
I need your car and I need your love x2
So won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out, out, out, out, out?

So break me to small parts
Let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
You might make a dollar
Dollar, might make a dollar

So won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out?
Won’t you help a brother out, out, out, out, out?

So break me to small parts
Let go in small doses
But spare some for spare parts
There might be some good ones
You might make a dollar
(There might be some good ones)
There might be some good ones
(You might make a dollar)
You might make a dollar
(There might be some good ones)
There might be some good ones

Pounder some more!

2008-07-24T22:48:00.004+10:00

So! By all accounts, Pounder is settling in well. Dadsy worked from home yesterday just to keep an eye on him and so that he could take him to the vet later in the day. He is not spinning as much, but he's still dead keen to lean behind your knees and smell your butt.

We got an email in the middle of the day from Dadsy, telling us that he thinks he's a lovely little dog, just veeeeery dumb. Dadsy took him into the fenced off pool area to have a bit of a sniff around, and it may just be that Pounder has never come across a pool before - he walked straight into it, stood there, then walked straight back out. Unsure of what had happened, he walked right back in. Then right back out. Then right back in a third time. Then right back out and he coughed and spluttered from swallowing a moutful of pool water.

We'll be keeping him out of the pool area methinks.

The vet estimated him between 5 and 8 years of age and in good health, apart from being underweight. She said that his spinning is behavioral rather than neurological, which is what we suspected but it was some comfort for the family that couldn't bear another lovely dog with another brain tumour, although it's hard to understand how the behaviour can make him feel better. While she was pretty useless in telling us what to do about it, Dadsys workmates sons girlfriend (or similar) is a vet and told him that we just need to turn our backs and ignore it and eventually he will stop - Jey and Desci have both been very reassuring about his behaviour and I really appreciate it. Dadsy went to work today and he's still alive, so that's a good sign.

I visited him again this afternoon and he came when I called him, put up with some patting and chatting and even chased the ball a little - have we found ourselves a real dog?!

Can't wait to stop past and see him again on the weekend - The Hun is heading up to Sydney to watch the rugby after we go check out another two houses (different ones to last time) so I plan to hang out with the parents and Pounder.

Here are some more poor quality pics for those of you not on Facebook!

He ain't nothin' but a pound dog

2008-07-22T21:14:00.004+10:00

Only a few days after Elvis' passing, mumsy and dadsy were already in talks with ARF about adopting a new dog or two - they fell in love with one and asked about him, then fell in love with another and also asked about her, then got told both had found news homes but that there was a shih tsu at the pound that needed a home.

Dadsy called in the deposit over the phone.

We were trying not to get ahead of ourselves (having gotten excited about the other two that we didn't get) but middle bro had already given him a name and family tea night last night was all about our dog to be: Pounder (yes, because he comes from the pound).

Until today, all we had of him was the pound website photo:

Awww. I know, right?

So I flexxed off from 12:20 today to buy a new collar, a new bed, a new food bowl and a new water bowl for the new pet. Then it was a short drive back to the pound to pick up the newest addition to the family.

The pound guy got me to fill out all the paperwork and then let me out to the yards - such a terrible place, the crying howling dogs in their cages.

He took me to gate 20 and I saw the poor little fellow at the gate, he timidly came towards the pound man as he opened the gate and then bolted to the far fence. The pound man carried him to the car for me and he was pretty well behaved until he decided to growl while I clipped him in to the harness. He sat at full attention for the drive home, letting me coo over him, talk to him and pat him for the whole 10 minute drive. As we pulled into the driveway he climbed up my arm in his haste to get out and was happy to be out on the lead. Until I tried to lead him toward the house and he flipped out, rolling and twisting trying to get out of his harness.

On Monday night mumsy and dadsy told us that he didn't like being on a lead and that he didn't like being picked up. After spending the afternoon with him, I can add that he doesn't always like pats, he doesn't like you approaching him with two hands, he doesn't like toast or tuna or cheese, he doesn't like a collar being put on and he hates baths (my left arm is now proof of this).

He does like cat food, he does like dry puppy food, he does like chicken strips, he does like liver strips, he does like Scooby Snacks and he does like Home Brand carob biscuits.

He is really knotty, he pants a lot, he sniffs constantly, he is really thin, he is learning how stairs work, he is marking EVERYTHING, he will sometimes chase a squeaky ball, he sits when you're in the kitchen or moving plastic bags of food, his spine is curved up and back and you can feel each of his ribs.

He is always on the move - if he is not sniffing he is walking, if he's not walking he is pacing, if he is not pacing then he is spinning in circles. On the upside, he circles both to his left and to his right, so it's unlikely to be a brain tumour - we just couldn't handle that. However, he freaks out if you go into a different room and shut the door - this includes going to the toilet. It's not just any freak out - he spins and spins and spins in fast cirles and he cries and whines and barks - it is a stress attack of sorts.

The plan is hopefully to have dadsy stay home from work tomorrow, just to help him relax in to the place. He needs a haircut, he needs to be desexed, and he needs a vet check to determine his age, to determine if there is something wrong with his spine, to determine if he needs some kind of medication - I honestly don't know how they are going to leave the house to go work. Tom used to do something similar - if we walked him to the shops and then someone went in to the shop, he would squeal and cry and whimper and shake. Something about us being seperated would set him off.

Because poor Pounder was a stray, we can only assume what could have happened to him before now. His pacing seems to indicate he was in a pen or a cage, or somewhere with limited space - the cage theory seems to be reinforced by his stress attack when he may feel he has been shut in or out. His lack of interest in sitting on laps or having constant pats or sitting the comfy couch or seat would indicate he was an outside dog. His frenzied manner of eating would indicate he was kept with many other dogs where he had to eat as much as quickly as he could. His dislike of being picked up (he will roll and make what dead weight he has) would indicate he was handled roughly. His spine curves up at the back, indicating he may have been backed up in the corner for some time.

Poor little guy - I hope he can settle.
He has a very good life ahead.

Ask Metafilter

2008-07-20T21:09:00.002+10:00

Have you guys heard of Ask Metafilter?

Dadsy actually told me about it, heaven knows how HE found it but it was one of the first sites he added to the Feeder that I set up for him.

Basically, people write in with a question and the random masses (the 'hive mind') respond - It is VERY easy to lose an hour or so in it!

I mainly skim through using my feeder and only read the full post and response to one in every 20. BUT. There are some good ones.

This person experiences one of my social drawbacks and gets some great responses.
This person reads books the same way I do (and I'm going to read the responses once this is published!).
This one could give me some great ideas for martial arts/work exercises.
This one could help me recapture the books I never read in my youth!

Off you go!

Oh man

2008-07-17T21:14:00.003+10:00

If there's a way* I could get married** in this dress, I would.

* Including marrying her - she's on my swing list.
**No, not getting married any time soon***.
*** Unless someone can hook me up with the lovely miss G****
*** AND HER HAWT BROTHER!

Domesti-cat-ion

2008-07-15T21:41:00.002+10:00

Dadsy is keen for grandkids, and is not particularly subtle about it, much to the delight of eldest bro's gf and myself (note: also to gf2, of whom dadsy seems determined to set up with middle bro).

He has found his own way to combat this - by adopting random strays from around the neighbourhood. He was on leave at one stage and was wandering around the back yard when he came across a cat in the compost bin (it should be noted that he (and middle bro) are actually allergic to cats - anything with shedding fur) and called out "Hullo, Mr Cat!".

I'm not entirely clear how long this carried on for, but soon enough we were getting regular updates on Mr Cat every Monday night at family tea. How dadsy would spot him and ask him how his day was, how he thought Mr Cat was, how he had gotten closer to Mr Cat, how he had spotted Mr Cat, how Mr Cat talked back to him when he asked how his day was - his meow was the meow-iest he'd ever heard and so he must be a very smart cat.

Then, it was Mr Cat had been near the house, then in the shed, then in the house, then eating Elvis' food, then on the kitchen bench - but he'd always flee when anyone was near.

Then he'd been sleeping on the outside table. Then they bought him his own little cat tent. And his own little cat plate. And his own little cans of cat food and boxes of dry food. And his own worm tablets, snuck into his meals.

Last week, dadsy showed me how smart Mr Cat was, to come when he was called. He walked outside with the box of dry food and called out: "Mr Cat!" *shake box of food* "Meow!" *shake box of food* "Mr Cat!" *shake box of food "Meow!"

And there he was, shiny cat eyes in his cozy cat tent.

Somewhere along the line he has graduated to "Dr Cat" - he worked out that the laundry door doesn't shut properly and that he can let himself into the laundry through the dog door and then into the house by hooking his little hand under the door.

This has been an exciting few days in the developing domestication of Dr Cat. On the weekend one of my cousins was over and gave him a pat (he grew up with cats, whereas we have always been a dog family) and last night we all got to have a pat - he's a thick haired cat, very soft and quite vocal and friendly.

On Monday night, we all headed out and all gave him a pat (some with more success than others) and then tried a few times to let him in through the 'people door' when we noticed him more than once staring through the screen.

Tonight, middle bro told me that he sits in the shed while youngest bro plays internets with one hand and pats Doctor Cat with the other.

I find it quite hilarious that my family have just managed to adopt a pet in this manner - to the point where while we were looking at properties out bush on the weekend, dadsy was musing about how he would have to trap Doctor Cat and build him a little cattery in his new home.

Somebody give the guy some grandkids already!

Sleep well, dear heart.

2008-07-13T17:56:00.003+10:00

In 1989 we got our first real family dog. We'd had two whippets that we'd had to give away, due to their fence-jumping, and a bitser stray that we'd adopted but had to return after he was a bit too aggressive for then baby-youngest-bro.

I remember my parents telling us that we would be getting a one year old poodle, and I remember being distinctly unimpressed that we would be getting a giant snob-dog. In reality he was a miniature toy poodle crossed with a shi tsu, a happy little ewok man who needed a new home because his brother wouldn't let him eat.

He was never very good with sit or stay, he would only play fetch when he felt like it (and would never bring the ball back), he snored and grunted in his sleep and he loved to chase the champagne cork because he knew it meant he'd be getting some blue cheese, caviar and marble chocolate.

He would let us dress him up, he would let us hold him up like a baby, he would humour us and sometimes go a little crazy, tearing up and down the backyard or around and around the loungeroom. We would nag him to sing for us, he ate all of my peas and he loved getting his hair brushed.

He was there when we had the chickens, he was there when we had the rabits and guinea pigs, he was there when we got Tom, he was there when Tom passed he was there when we got Max and he was there when Max passed too.

He befriended the kitten from next door, he visited my Pa and nearly got his bottom bitten by his nasty cranky dog, he came to the beach and would only let his toes get wet. He won the 'smart dog' games by being able to get the teatowel straight off his head (while Tom would sit patiently and wait for you to help him out), he would proudly strut out in front of us when we took him out for a walk, he loved to come for a drive in the car just to be with us and he loved the game where you'd tease him which chocolate then cover it with your body so he had to dig to get it. He had a waggy tail that sat and swung high like a flag, he had one white toe and a patch of white on his chest, a crusty red moustache from where he would lick and relick his nose and around his mouth. He only dug occasionally, usually under the house - he was only a pretend dog, really.

He'd been getting poorer for a while now (eg, the second last point here), and there were a few times in the last six months or so where mumsy and dadsy thought it would be time to say farewell. One morning in particular dadsy and yougest bro took the day off to have him put to sleep - he'd cried in pain, wouldn't lift his tail, wouldn't eat and wouldn't take water. They got him to the vet, understandably upset, only to find that he'd in fact soiled his tail to his butt and was backed up - a quick trim, a squirt of gastro, and he was as good as gold. His kidneys had failed so he was getting straight glucose every so often to perk him up. He was cancer ridden but in no state to go to surgery. He was blinded with cataracts, completely deaf and couldn't get a haircut because he wouldn't have handled the stress. His instinct was to snap at your hands when you offered him food (although he only two teeth left), he battled constantly to stay upright and he would often lean on whatever he could so that he could stay upright. He never made a noise unless the phone rang or the bird screeched, then he would cry and cry and cry.

This choice of when to cry made us think that he was not in any pain - if he were, he would have let us know.

He'd slept in youngest bro's room since he was no longer able to climb the stairs, a giant stuffed gorilla sitting over the gas heating vent. He had the computer or a radio set on for him all the time, and he'd often be hand fed when he wasn't feeling hungry. He had picked up the habit of dropping in to middle bro's room to toilet before returning back to youngest bro's room to carry on sleeping, however he'd more recently just kept it in youngest bro's room. We knew it was getting bad this week when he'd stay on the gorilla and soil himself, no plans of shifting.

Dadsy called this morning to tell me they were going to take him in - he'd let out a cry last night and had been at his worst all week. I got out of bed and into some jeans and headed over to the house to say my goodbye - it didn't seem real, so I accompanied mumsy and dadsy to the vet. They were in tears and he was quiet, wrapped in a towel and looking around. Dadsy checked in so that he wouldn't have to hang around in the waiting room, his least favourite place in the world. We were taken into a room to wait, then were given a few minutes before the vet returned to continue the selected procedure. Dadsy couldn't stay to watch and mumsy didn't want to leave him and I decided to stay as well.

They clipped back some hair on his leg, the knotted fur revealing dry grey skin and lots of dead cells. He found a vein he could use and that's when I broke down. He inserted the needle.

Elvis cried. He let out a call and he growled, his howl slowly growing quieter and then he was gone.

I tried to give him one last pat but he just wasn't our dog anymore. He was a shell. Gnarled, used and discarded.

I pulled it together for the rest of the day until I was almost home and this song came on. The song, the lyrics, the imagery and the sound of his last cry are just too much.

He calls me to the ocean
Takes me wandering through the street
A restless imagination
But for now, I move my feet on the ground
'Cause I feel like going home

I can float above the ceiling
I like drifting through the air
I tend to lose my concentration
But right now the clouds don't appeal to me
I feel like going home

Sometimes late at night
While runnin' from the rain
Running from the voices
Filling up my brain
Now I wish they'd leave me alone
And let me be
To go off on my own
Let me be to go home
I feel like going home

I miss you, Elvis.
Sleep well, dear heart.

House Hunting

2008-07-10T21:07:00.002+10:00

The Hun and I have been eying off allhomes for a while. It was that I would spend a LOT of time looking through the houses (particularly when I was meant to be studying) and then I would obsess and obsess over a place I thought was 'it'. We would see it, we would be disappointed and we would start again. While discussing how obsessed I was with a house last week, The Hun finally popped on to the website himself and found a few that I just hadn't considered.

Meet my latest obsession:
Southside, pre-loved, 3 bedroom, BIR, ensuite, large block, real 'family' style home.

Meet The Hun's latest obsession:
Waaaaaay northside, new, 3 bedroom, split level, ensuite, small block, 'new family' home.

They battle it out on the weekend, one inspection after the other - will be a very interesting day!

Honey, now if I'm honest

2008-07-08T21:40:00.002+10:00

I was kinda hoping for some more feedback on the previous post...

While I guilt you a little with that, have a look at this spectacular image:
I've had this image in my tabs for over a week now (from here) - isn't Emile Hirsch just divine to look at? I love the glasses, the scruff, the crazy outfit and the smirk.

*sigh!*

You're not the only one... to have lost yourself

2008-07-06T16:17:00.003+10:00

I finished the book last night, and I'm looking forward to rereading and rereading to determine my favourites, compare with others, and follow their stories.

There are an amazing number of submitters who have seen such tragedy - I do wonder if we are representative of the general population, or if people of certain experience are drawn to share their story?

In the mean time, here's my story - page 183.

You're not the only one... to have lost yourself.

We had met at a party I didn't remember - the manner in which I swung a broom handle impressed him, even if the speed I could twirl it was greater than my dexterity and I more than once bumped my arm, my leg, the side of my head. We met again at university when he agreed to give me a lift to an assessable excursion, and our fate was sealed the night I saw him across the crowded nightclub, the night I realised my most recent crush was indeed interested in my good friend instead, the night I realised there was some charm to the guy with the good looks who danced like a stereotype.

The relationship can be summarised as three years of stolen moments. I'd sneak into his room at night and sneak out at 3am, he would tell his family he was doing uni work when we'd go see a movie, I took up a job delivering the food of the restaurant of which he was a waiter. His family culture meant that much of our 'together' time was spent completing chores for his family or for one of his many projects - sitting in the passenger seat of his car while he fiddled with the lights, sitting on the bed while he fiddled with a switch, sitting on the garden wall while he dug and weeded and cleaned.

In retrospect, I don't know how it lasted as long as it did.

The girl who loved lyrics and the boy who liked only the bass. The boy who didn't read the news and the girl who always wanted to know the answers. The girl who loved sentiment and the boy whose idea of a great gift was to pretend the box was empty.

But somehow it lasted. And somewhere I lost me. I was happy to become his shadow, merging seamlessly when required or simply trailing behind.

When I got a proper job, I realised how much more there was to life. People were priorities over tasks, chores and traditions. Thoughts and opinions could be heard, absorbed and shared. Cohabitation, long holidays and unknown experience beckoned.

In a phone call on a weeknight I suggested a break, to which he tearfully he agreed. And I was fine for a week or two, whilst he suffered unsilently. Then I realised I didn't know who I was, that he knew exactly who I had become, and that he was no longer sad - almost simultaneously.

What follows next were the darkest months of my life.

A relationship reforged through anger and hurt should never be allowed to commence. A relationship in which one party has no intent other than that to harm should never be given such opportunity. A relationship with a person who has lost themselves should be managed delicately with compassion, but was instead abused to elevate only the most despicably tortured soul.

And this is how I would find myself in tears on his driveway, still trying to be quiet so as not to alert his family of my presence.
And this is how I would find myself in tears in his bathroom, reaching for a kiss on the lips but receiving only direction and dismissal.
And this is how I would find myself in tears in his bed, the only person I felt close to and the person I felt the furthest distance from.

And this what I want to say to you.

You are not the only one to have reached your lowest low, to be so close to and so far from the one you both love and despise the most, to carry the sadness of the mistakes you have made, the mistakes you are making and the mistakes you will no doubt make again.

But please, take heed, you are not the only one to capture that glimmer of realisation that yes, you are above all of this.

And I promise that you are not the only one who will be loved for the beauty you contain, cherished for your delicate calamity and found worthy of sharing the joys and the sorrows of another.

Results are in

2008-07-04T22:17:00.001+10:00

Managing Human Resources = HD
Business Intelligence Systems = D

Woah!
To have gotten that HD, I needed to get at least 91.25% on my final exam.
Hooray!

After all that excitment

2008-07-03T22:04:00.002+10:00

.. I musta run out of puff!

Actually, I just got busy again.

Some of my martial arts students have a pretty big grading coming up on Saturday morning, and there's a certain level of stress that comes with being one of their instructors. There's been a lot of planning and rushing and fretting and thinking and teeth gnashing. I've been at Bunnings getting supplies for breaking, catching up with a visiting instructor from Darwin, writing and rewriting a grading plan, ordering people around, planning fights and board holders, contacting seniors and generally being a stressball.

Tomorrow night I'm being taught a new form, then training for two hours and then having dinner with two (senior) visiting instructors and Magf. Sat morning I'm at the hall from 8:30, doing grading prep and calling and fighting, then I'm (HOPEFULLY!) looking at houses for sale, then going to dinner and drinking a fair volume and dancing to embarass my students. Sunday I'm going to see a movie for martial arts fundraising and then collapsing into a hot mess.

Keep us in your thoughts people!!

(PS - Uni results out tomorrow - ARGH!!!)
(PPS - If I somehow manage 2 HD's, The Hun is going to buy me a new Guess Bag. If I don't get the HD's I will probably buy it myself. IT. IS. TEH. SECKS.)

Pretty much the best day I've had in my life to date

2008-06-30T21:55:00.002+10:00

You may remember in my last dotpoints I told you about maybe finishing uni early? This is what happened over the last month or so:

Enny has three units to complete (presuming she passes the two she just sat exams for) - ISO, PP & BS
Enny enrolls in two units (ISO and PP) for Semester 2, 2008
Enny emails the ISO lecturer/tutor (who she had for previous unit) to see if there'll be a tute on another day (so she doesn't have to drive into uni three days a week)
ISO tutor says 'no BUT you don't need to do the unit anyway because you seem qualified already'
ISO tutor says 'you can probably get credit for BS too'
ISO tutor suggests calling course convener (CC)
Enny calls CC
CC says ISO tutor is probably right
CC says to get ISO tutor to email her
Enny calls ISO tutor to ask him to email CC
ISO tutor emails CC
Enny calls CC two days later to check on progress
CC says will get to it the next day
Enny calls CC another two days later
CC says she is marking and will get to it at the end of the week
Enny receives email telling her she has three units left to complete degree - ISO, PP and BS
Enny emails CC to confirm that she will not get any credit as initially suggested
Enny emails CC after no response for five days to confirm that she will not get any credit as initially suggested
CC emails Enny to say that she can get credit for ISO and BS
Enny emails CC to confirm she has credit for ISO and BS and needs only do PP next semester to graduate at the end of the year
CC says 'Yes'.

WOAH!! That's all pretty awesome, right?

So then I emailed the ISO tutor to say thanks:

Enny emails ISO to say thanks
ISO says 'no worries'
ISO says 'would you like to speak to my students next semester about working in the real world'
ISO says 'if you ever want to tutor, come talk to me'

See? That's the only way my other exciting uni news could be topped!

And after all that, I left work at 4pm to go to the post office to pick up my book - the post office guy was curious about the box and asked what it was (a book) and if I didn't mind him asking, what type of book? 'It's a book to raise money for charity where people submitted stories and mine is in there!' which made him call out 'Wow! Congratulations, published author, congratulations, congratulations!' (without me prompting him) AND I lost 2.2 kg this week!

A Very Nice Day

2008-06-28T20:50:00.002+10:00

Today I have a Very Nice Day. One of those ordinary days where not a lot happens, but it's all just lovely.

We woke up at about 10:30 and I got up just before 2pm. I had some sliced bread that The Hun had bought to go with his dinner last night, then we walked to the shops to buy steak for his tea, then we drove across town to his work to pick up a disc that he needed. We watched some Harry's Practice, he cooked some chips for the both of us while I ate reheated stirfry and he cooked his steak sandwich. We're watching the rugby/Cats and Dogs, each with a drink in hand, and just chilling.

On our walk to the shops he remarked "I'm really enjoying our day together.".

We're both enjoying just living in the now. There is some amount of future talk, but not a whole lot. There is (yet another) understanding about what and when will happen. I am getting a new sense of perspective from realising that a lot of what I perceived as 'issues' is due to my own insecurities.

I am grateful for what I am lucky enough to have.
I am grateful for those things open to me in the future.
I am grateful for having A Very Nice Day.

Dreams...

2008-06-25T22:08:00.003+10:00

"It's quite amazing," she explained "you simply sit the Golden Retrievers up in the bathtubs and pour in warm cheese sauce. They may look like a bizarre pasta dish, but it puts them into suspended animation.

"As I realised they weren't breathing, it just made sense for me to stack them underwater like this. Isn't this pyramid the most beautiful and amazing thing you've ever seen?"

"No! I'm sorry! It's terrible and it's the cruelest and most horrible thing I've ever seen."

I don't know why I felt the need to keep apologising to her for her creation, but the sight of the motionless dogs, cheesy yellow hair shifting in the water just broke my heart.

Whoa baby

2008-06-23T17:37:00.002+10:00

I'm getting better with this whole baby holding thing - I've held three babies this year alone! Three!
Excluding when I was younger (I presume I would have held each of the bro's at least once), my efforts this year have tripled those of the past 25 years of my life.
I'm like 300% productive or something of the sort!

So - Baby Pros and Cons:

Size
Portable.
Breakable and losable.

Smell
Lovely baby smell (talc and rainbows).
The OTHER baby small (rot and misery).

Noise
Adorable cooing and laughing and mewing.
Strangling choking rage, worsens as lungs develop.

Attitude
Easily amused, love to be tickled and play stupid games like putting a bib over their face.
Can be cranky for no reason at all.

Output
Again, hooray for chuckles and giggles.
Well, I think EVERYONE knows how gross they can be.

I think I'll stick to just holding the occassional baby - my popcorn for dinner woke me up on and off for two hours this morning with nausea, and I can't say I enjoyed that all.

Jellybean catchup

2008-06-21T20:42:00.003+10:00

It was going to be a coffee catchup, but I don't drink it... and I AM eating jellybeans....

So, what's being going on in the marvellous world of the Enny-Pen?

Thanks for the feedback on the last post, team - don't be afraid to keep it up!

I'm stoked about being in the blog book, but I STILL haven't received my copy in the mail - has anyone got theirs yet? I ordered it as soon as I saw the post about it and I got notification it had been shipped on June 13, but that's been it so far. I really Really REALLY want to see it!

Exams went okay too, I think. Results are out on Friday July 4 and I am eagerly awaiting the date with the usual dose of trepidation. The HR exam was pretty smooth - I was stressed I didn't know enough detail about the topics we were told to study, but I think my understanding was good enough. I wrote for 2 hours and 50 minutes, and didn't get time to go back and clean up all of my handwriting, but it should be legible enough (I hope!) - someone walked out after 40 minutes... I'm guessing they didn't write four essays like they were supposed to. The IS exam did not go as awesome, but it's to be expected in a unit I didn't really like or understand - rereading the lecture notes and textbook highlighted what a terrible unit it was. I wrote for 1 hour and 50 minutes then got stumped on the last part of the question - I wrote an introductory paragraph to make it look like I might have some idea and then sat and rubbed my hand for 10 minutes. You see, my plan is to make it look like I ran out of time.... I'll let you know if it worked or not.

The other exciting news is that while ~~begging~~ asking one of my tutors next semester if there'd be a Monday tute, he pointed out that I should be able to credit for one or two of the units I have left to do. Best case scenario = I'll be doing one unit next semester and graduating at the end of the year; Average case scenario = I'll be doing two units next semester and graduating at the end of the year; Worst case scenario = I'll be doing two units next semester and one at the start of next year, graduating July 2009. Even the worst case scenario isn't that bad - when I first started this degree my end date was meant to be mid 2011, then the end of 2009, so I'm pretty awesome no matter what.

Work has been same-old same-old. There was talk of my role changing but that's gone quiet - I guess all I can do is wait it out (there's a lot of chatter in the PS after the government change, so there is a lot of waiting game being played around Canberra).

Home life is good too - we're house saving, but it's not totally drowning me and I'm getting a thrill out of looking at the numbers. It's been a while since I've acted the part of wannabe-bridezilla and I think a lot of it has to do with how we've been communicating a bit better. I never got up to doing those quizzes, so I'm saving them for a rainy day at this stage.

Martial arts is plodding along nicely - we have a grading coming up in two weeks, so we've spent a fair bit of time training four of our students to grade. It's going to be a great day, but we've still got work to do and are running out of time to do it.

Travel is looking good for the next six months or so - I should be going to Brisbane three times, Sydney twice, (edit: Melbourne twice) and Adelaide, Hobart and Perth once each. How awesome is that!

Right-o, dinner time!

What a ride

2008-06-19T18:43:00.003+10:00

It's been interesting going back and really reading everything on here. Sadly, it's been bad interesting more than it's been good interesting - BUT I can see the way my style has changed over time, and in turn, how the comments have changed over time.

Things are quieter in these parts. So I have a few questions to ask to see if we can't make this all a bit more enjoyable for all involved.

You're more than welcome to be anonymous too:

What do you like about this blog?
What do you dislike about this blog?
What would you like more of?
What would you like less of?
Anything else you want to add?

Thanks team!

Edits - round two

2008-06-17T21:49:00.002+10:00

Am currently trawling the archives and making some edits - this is for a few reasons (TSSH, anyone?!) but mainly to do with the book.

Some people might click through here because of what I wrote, and I want to perhaps show a few RL people what I wrote. Meaning I should really look at what I've written in the past 3 and a bit years and questions whether I'd be comfortable with those words coming out of my face.

Am resisting the urge to delete all the rubbish (ie, 75% of what I wrote) and simply censor some of the total BS I have spewed forth in the past. What a trip down memory lane...!

Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow - Canberra

2008-06-15T19:55:00.002+10:00

Last night The Hun, his parents and I attended the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow - we'd never been before, and I think The Hun's mother only heard about it by chance. They don't tell you who the comedians are going to be, which is a bit odd. On the one hand, it's a good way of not having any preconceptions of what you are going to see, or decide that you don't want to go because you don't know who you are, but it just seems odd to me (and has made it hard to try to remember/find out who we actually saw!).

The host for the night was really funny - I can't recall his name (Dave Williams? Maybe?) and I can't find it online! He turned 22 on the night of the show (so, born 14/06/1986), but I doubt that would help me find out where I can see him again. He told The Huns favourite joke of the night, retelling the story of his decision to scare his 4 year old sister when he was younger. A fantastic MC and not a bad looker to boot!

The first act for the night was (again, I think) Harley Breen. He was good with his 'visitor to Canberra' stories and gave a pretty accurate retelling of what some of our bus drivers are like. He told a few bogan jokes and a few Queannbeyan jokes (he has family there) and he was quite the cack.

The second act for the night was Hannah Gadsby - I have no trouble remembering her name, as my favourite joke of the night was one of hers, a story of how all the members of her family have palindronic names. If I start calling you 'Poohoop', then you can totally just blame her. She told stories of her time in Tasmania hanging out with the elderly neighbours, and a lot about her experience of coming out and pointing to her pubes. I thought she was fantastic (although I thought she was seriously tanking at the start - seems it's just part of the persona).

After the intermission, the third act came on - Mickey D. He was also pretty funny, but a lot of his humour was self-depreciating in a bit of a sad way. He talked about depression, talked about drinking, talked about accidentally making fun of war veterans, the blind and parasailing wheelchaired people. But again, he was pretty funny!

When the MC came on and announced the third act would be a musical trio, I sat forward in my seat. Could it be Tripod?! That would be the best show ever! Unfortunately not, but they were still their own kind of celebrity - GUD! Paul McDermott is all kinds of cute and dynamic, but I've stopped watching him on TV - I'd found it was almost like all his success with the original GNW had gone to his head, and he was always trying to recapture it. I don't know what it is, but he was just unwatchable for me. But. Live? Super-duper! He is so energetic and knows how to work the stage and the crowd and his group and his voice and his moves. The keyboardist was also pretty good, though there was a part where he was wondering around and stretching and we're just not sure if he was stoned or was actually trying to conceal laughter as we saw later. An interesting highlight was when they asked the crowd if there were any vegans there - so of course I had to give a little 'wooh!' for vegan pride, along with a few others in the audience. After voicing their disbelief that 'we' even had the energy to do that, they wanted us to settle something for them that they'd been arguing over dinner. It was at this point I shrunk back in my seat, I KNEW it wasn't going to be totally PG (luckilly we were in like row 'P' so there was no issue): "Can vegans swallow cum? Because, technically it's an animal product...". How delightful, sitting there with The Huns parents for that! I should also point out they were very good with the comebacks after a heckler called out some nonsense - he's very quick off the mark.

Overall, it was a surprisingly entertaining night! We weren't expecting a whole lot and were feeling a bit frazzled on the way there because we'd rushed to get dinner, but I laughed the whole time and I would definitely go again next year.

Grand Designs

2008-06-14T15:18:00.002+10:00

The Hun and I are planning to buy a house in November (de ja vu, much?) and I can't wait.

While he has unrealistic dreams of designing and building his own ("one day, one day") I would be happy to have a house with a toilet that doesn't open off the loungeroom so that I can go to the toilet without worrying that The Hun's friend can hear (anxious performer, some might say).

Plenty of pressure to get back to searching AllHomes...

Exam week!

2008-06-12T20:36:00.002+10:00

One down*, one to go**....

ALTOGETHER NOW!

F*CK!!!
UNI!!!

*I think I did okay in.
** One I am SERIOUSLY underprepped for.

F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!! F*CK UNI!!!

*Sigh*

Erica's vegan banana loaf

2008-06-10T16:02:00.004+10:00

What to do when you're studying and dieting? Slightly bastardize the recipe of a friend and ask permission to blog it.

I present to you: Erica's Vegan Banana Loaf!

Ingredients:
1 cup (115g) walnuts (or pecans), toasted and coarsely chopped
2 cups plain white flour (or 1 cup plain white, 1 cup plain wholemeal)
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 large, ripe bananas (approx 450g or 1 1/2 cups), mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar is best, but white also works)
1 tsp vanilla (extract or essence)
3/4 cup water (or apple juice)

FYI: I used the 2 cups of white flour, the walnuts, the apple cider vinegar, normal sugar and the water. I also added a chopped 100g block of Sweet Williams chocolate, stored near the Naytura section of your local Woolies. I imagined it was listed when I first read the recipe, so it was a sign that it HAD to be added).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180oC, grease & flour 23 x 13 x 8cm loaf tin (I used a square tin - I don't know the size... I'm a hack of a cook!)

Combine dry ingredients (including chocolate and walnuts) and set aside.

Combine banana, oil, vinegar, vanilla and water/juice (I used one of the 100 bananas I have stored in my freezer - I just sat the in cold water in the sink until they thawed).

With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon light fold wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Do not over mix! (I was naughty and used a wooden spoon - works just as well)

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (mine took just over 45 minutes - I have a dodgy oven so it was set to 200 which is probably close to 180. Also - don't worry if it makes a 'schloop' noise when you pull it out - as long as it is clean (as long as you don't hit chocolate on the way through!)!).

Cool on a wire rack then remove bread from the pan (Mine shook straight from the pan onto the rack because I was TOO KEEN TO EAT IT).

Serve at room tempearature (OR - cut yourself a slice and butter it while it's hot, then eat four pieces. FANTASTIC).

Why yes - I am totally a pro food-photographer ... can't you tell?!

A clear bench space is of the utmost importance...

The only thing better than warm banana-walnut-chocolate loaf? Warm banana-walnut-chocolate loaf smothered with vegan margarine!

I found the inside a little crumbly when it was warm (I presume this will settle once it has cooled) and the crust was a lovely chewy texture that tasted similar to gingerbread (note: has been a LONG time since I've eaten gingerbread!). I have been advised the crust will turn softer and that it lasts well.

ENJOY!

You're not the only one. Really, this time.

2008-06-09T12:35:00.003+10:00

Some of you may remember this, a post advising you about a book that was being put together. The idea was to have bloggers from around the world contribute a story about something they have been through from any aspect of their life that they wished to share, then a number of these stories would be published in a book, with the proceeds going to War Child - a collection of organisations dedicated to helping children who have been affected by war.

Peach has kept us up to date with the progress of the book - while it has taken longer than initially expected, it is finally ready for sale.

There were over 400 contributions and 106 entries were selected for the book. When people sent in their contributions, they agreed to buy a copy of the book - whether or not they made the cut. If every contributer buys a copy, over 2000 pounds will be donated to the charity. If contributers can get more people to buy copies, then we can raise any more.

So, I urge you to consider buying this book - it's for a great cause, and may be the only time (or the first time!) that Jen, Sarah, Peach, Steph, Distracted Spunk, Alex and myself(!)(the contributors that I currently stalk) are ever published authors!

Go get yourself a copy and enjoy what I'm sure will be an amazing read.

Galadarling

2008-06-08T13:55:00.002+10:00

I read this on Galadarling.com and just had to share:

“You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure about you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.” — Marianne Williamson

Isn't it beautiful (I tend to skip the God references when I read it in my head).

If you don't visit that site already, I strongly recommend you do (or subscribe!) - Galadarling is an amazing woman and I would love to be her when I grow up.

Where's me gold? (updated)

2008-06-06T17:47:00.003+10:00

Does it feel like this here is losing it's sparkle?

It's harder maintaining two lines of thought that I thought it would be.

So do us a favor and head over/subscribe to Erica & Enny Weigh In (www.w-e-e-igh.blogspot.com) and if it makes you chuckle or think or even look twice, leave us a comment to let us know you're around?

Update: Yes, I am the tool that whinges about subscribing, then posts to the wrong blog, then reposts to the right blog, then deletes from the wrong blog, even though both blogs are referencing each other. Sorry feeder readers!

(Next week is exam week, so you can expect a bit more action around these parts.)

It's so easy being vegan

2008-06-04T22:15:00.002+10:00

Sunday was my two year veganniversary - and I forgot!

One of the first things I thought just before I made the decision to become vegan, was that it was going to be a real challenge to find things to eat. Similarly, a lot of people like to exclaim "What on earth do you eat?!" when they hear that I'm vegan.

Well.

Have you eaten Oreos? Sherbies? Red Licorice? Skittles? Allens Jelly Beans? Jam Fancies? Fairy Floss? Movie popcorn? Those fizzy lollipops that are like yellow, purple and pink?

Do you eat good bread? Bakers Delight Loaves? Turkish bread? English muffins?

Did you have Weetbix for breakfast? Mueslie? Vegemite on toast? Grilled mushroom and tomato? Hashbrowns?

Have you cooked a veggie stirfry with crispy noodles? Boiled up some pasta or gnocchi with diced tomato and basil? Refried beans, lettuce, carrot and salsa in burritos Rubbed garlic and olive oil into white bread and grilled it? Mashed up potatoes with salt and some nuttelex? Topped a pizza base with tomato paste and that fantastic deli antipasto? Reheated falaffels and samosas from the frozen section?

Perhaps you've tried some mock meats? Have you cooked yourself a Sanitarium mock roast? Fry's vegetarian patties? Marinated tofu? Vegetable dumplings or spring rolls? Vegetarian sausages or patties?

Have you had an Ali Baba falafel kebab with hommus and tahini? Have you eaten their chips? Have you had wedges with sweet chili sauce? Have you ordered a vegetarian pizza from dominoes and held the cheese? Seaweed, avocado, mushroom, sweet chili tofu or vegetable roll sushi? Vegetable curry? Dahl? Subway salad roll? McDonalds chips?

Heck - any time you've snacked on piece of fruit or crunched into a veggie.... you've eaten vegan (and that's only the tip of the iceberg)!

Any questions?

Lexington Winter Warehouse Festival - Canberra 2008

2008-06-02T22:35:00.002+10:00

Who made it to WWF on Saturday at the AIS?

RiotACT already has pretty good discussion on it, but here's my rundown on the day:

We rocked up at about 2pm (doors opened at 1pm) to a pretty empty carpark - a bit of a shock to us! Myself, The Hun and one of my friends rocked up to the entry gates, were I was promptly told that there was to be no food, no drinks, no gum, no lollipops, no lipgloss and no deoderant to be brought in to the venue. I told her 'But I'm vegan! What will I eat!' in an attempt to get to keep my falafel sandwiches I'd painstakingly made an hour before (in my effort to keep healthy!) but she didn't care, and told me there was amenities inside. So in went two sandwiches (one for The Hun!), a packet of gum, half a bag of jellybeans (tsk tsk!) and a bottle of water. At least, I thought I chucked out my bottle of water, but when I turned back to the guard lady she barked "no water!" and then I realised it was still in my hand. I chucked it out and returned to her, when she decided that it was now a good time to tell me that if that bottle had not been opened then I could have taken it in. Nice.

The Hun and my friend were a fair bit ahead, but I still had to line up to get my bag searched (I only brought it to hold my sandwhiches!) and then line up to get metal detected. Super strict security for a Canberra show - why can't we have gum?! They paid extra attention to scanning The Hun's pants - my boy must be packing some junk in his trunk because there wasn't anything in his pockets!

We got in there and it was pretty dead, but the music was sounding fantastic - so we headed to the bar line. $9.50 for a Smirnoff! $10.50 for a Smirnoff Black! So doubles it was. There was a sign indicating that the prices were largely due to the RTD tax, but it also made sure to point out that they had generously absorbed as much of the price increase as they could. Oh. How generous.

We caught up with the bro's and their friends a boogaloo'd to Aston Shuffle for a bit, before I got a call from some more of my friends whose tickets I had in my bag. This is where crazy security stayed crazy - there were no pass-outs, so I had to find my way outside to a perimeter fence near the portaloo's and pass the tickets over. I felt totally dodgy but was on my second double, so I thought I was playing it pretty cool (if any of you are Facebookians, you might have seen my 'funny face' photo - taken at that time).

On the whole, we spent a lot of time dancing and having a ball! The music was pretty consistently good - Kid Kenobi and MC Sureshock were faboo (His abs!!! Breathtaking!!! Glistening!!) and I wouldn't mind seeing them again. Mixmaster Mike is hard to classify- he played some amazing stuff, but also some terrible stuff - he was hard to dance to a lot of the time, and I described him as being the shittest and the best simultaneously. You can't deny he has some skills though.

My highlight was definitely Bonde Do Role. I'd only heard of them when The Hun would blast them through the TV while he was cooking in the other room, and I knew they were pretty catchy. Well. NOTHING prepared me for how awesome it was! I admit the atmosphere, anticipation and alcohol probably had a lot to do with it, but more than once during their 45 minute set I thought to myself 'This is one of the happiest moments of my life!' 'I may never be this happy again!' and 'I have to remember this feeling!'. I basically jumped up and down and squealed for close to an hour. FANTASTIC. Go listen to their MySpace now!!

After that I got a bit tired and a bit hungry - as predicted, the only food available was sausage rolls, cold pizzas and chips cooked in beef tallow. NOICE. I felt a little less like the alcohol was burning a whole through my stomach after a packet of Salty Kettles chips, but felt more dehydrated. If they run the event again, they need to get more 'festival' food in - like the Hare Krishna's and the Turkish Gozleme women!

We sat down for about an hour while I rested my feet and tried to decide whether to stay or go. My friend was the dessy and not so keen to stay, but The Hun had 7 drinks under his belt (six of them doubles!) and was ready to tear the damn floor up! As soon as I was back on the floor (8:15) I didn't want to leave - but unfortunately, we'd promised the dessy we'd leave at 8:45 (middle bro later told me he'd told me he had spare seats so we could have stayed! Damn!).

I thought the $55 early bird ticket was well worth it. Hopefully it's back next year with more food options, cheaper drinks and nicer security.