Took the car for it's annual rego check today. It's quite handy - the shopping centre down the road has an Ultra-Tune which does the e-checks (and then emails your pink slip to the RTA, so you can do all the rest online. Hooray!). So I took the car in, thinking it would cost me $35, plus a little more for new headlight globe.
Hah!
Put a one on the front and a zero on the back and you'd be a bit closer to the truth. Needed new front shocks, shock capping thingies, two new tyres and about six globes, and then $35 for the rego check. Bugger. Still, the car is seven years old and has done over 100 000kms, and I really haven't had to spend a lot of serious money on it yet. Compare this with the Hyundai Excel that I bought mumblemumbletwentymumble years ago, that needed a new clutch at 3 years and all of the gearbox bearings replaced at 60 000kms (it had a 3 year/60 000km warranty, but you could see that coming, couldn't you?), both of which were quite pricey. It was nine years old when I sold it, and in much, much worse condition than the Astra, even taking another two years into consideration.
So, in summaary, I spend 1300 bucks today, and didn't even get something shiny for it (the car doesn't count - currently, it's really not so much with the shiny...)
Pout.
Of fail and win
So, it seems that I suck at Hollandaise sauce. Tried a couple of times - fairly epic fail. Poo.
However, I did manage to poach a couple of nice googies to perfection*, with lots of oozy egg yolk. Nom. Just a pity they didn't have lovely home-made Hollandaise on them...
* You may be wondering why this is blog worthy - I haven't actually poached an egg in more years than I can remember, so it is an achievement, albeit a smallish one.
However, I did manage to poach a couple of nice googies to perfection*, with lots of oozy egg yolk. Nom. Just a pity they didn't have lovely home-made Hollandaise on them...
* You may be wondering why this is blog worthy - I haven't actually poached an egg in more years than I can remember, so it is an achievement, albeit a smallish one.
I'm having trouble with my digestive processes - again. Hoo-bloody-ray. Some biting stomach pains and last night a bout of rapid expulsion of everything that wasn't nailed down. (sorry - TMI I know).
So, fast forward to this morning - a reasonable nights sleep and not having whatever it was that was poisoning me in my system any more putting me mostly to rights - and I am feeling a lot better. I was sitting here on the 'puter looking up times for the days activities, (and watching R wrestling with the cat, who seems determined to "help" R play Warcrack), and I got one of my tummy hurts.
"Are your pains hurting you" himself asks with concern...
Yes honey, that's what pains do best. We had a good giggle over it though.
So, fast forward to this morning - a reasonable nights sleep and not having whatever it was that was poisoning me in my system any more putting me mostly to rights - and I am feeling a lot better. I was sitting here on the 'puter looking up times for the days activities, (and watching R wrestling with the cat, who seems determined to "help" R play Warcrack), and I got one of my tummy hurts.
"Are your pains hurting you" himself asks with concern...
Yes honey, that's what pains do best. We had a good giggle over it though.
Ugh. Bit over the heat. Over 40 degrees is boring. I was interested to note, however, that according to the BOM , at ~3pm this arvo the temp in Sydney City was 41 deg, and the temp in Penriff was 41.7 deg. That is actually quite unusual - poor old far western Sydney is usually 3 or 4 degrees hotter (on a hot day). Nice to see that the suffering is being a bit more evenly distributed today!
Still, bring on the cool change!
*In case you haven't noticed, I am really not a hot weather person. The higher the temp, the more whinging. It's a hard life being a cold climate girl in Sydney. Really need to move back to England...
Still, bring on the cool change!
*In case you haven't noticed, I am really not a hot weather person. The higher the temp, the more whinging. It's a hard life being a cold climate girl in Sydney. Really need to move back to England...
I want to move now please...
I am starting to get really tired of hearing the Bogan Queen across the street screaming "Fucken fuck fark, fucken fucken wanker fucken" at her kids all the bloody time. It's really, really distasteful, and I just don't want to hear it. I'm not a prude about "fruity" language, and goodness knows I can turn the air blue at times, but there is a time and a place, and the whole street doesn't have to listen to me swearing.
I think we are going to have to move. I wish we could do it now, but I think we are still going to have to wait a couple of years.
All I want is a quiet neighbourhood, is that too much to ask?
I think we are going to have to move. I wish we could do it now, but I think we are still going to have to wait a couple of years.
All I want is a quiet neighbourhood, is that too much to ask?
The week that wasn't
This has not been a good week for me. In fact, I would be so inclined to say it was one of the most god-awful weeks I have endured in a long time.
Why? Simple answer: stomach flu.
I woke up on Tuesday morning not feeling myself at all - nauseous, grumbly tummy, feverish. I had a very small, plain breaky to see if that would calm things down a bit, and debated long and hard as to whether I should go to work. In the end, I did, and part of me is glad that I went, because everyone got a good look at how well I wasn't, before I proceeded to take the rest of the week off.
So I came home and crawled into bed. I know I had a fever by this time, because I was freezing, even though it was hitting the high twenties outside. I think I slept most of the rest of the day. At about 8pm I realised I was burning with fever, and asked R to take me to the doctor. Over an hour later (and $75 - my Medicare card had expired, and I hadn't realised this.Bugger.) I finally got to see the doctor. Money not well spent, I am sorry to say. He talked over the top of me, asked the same questions 3 times, really didn't listen to what I was saying. My symptoms were pretty simple - temperature, nausea and vomiting and ... er ... other gastric symptoms. He looked at my throat (no inflamation) and took my temperature. It was 39.4, which is pretty high, but not alarming. He basically gave up on me then and there - high temperature is out of his league, and he would write me a referral to Westmead Hospital. Oh, after he told me it might be Swine Flu. WTF? Since when are gastric symptoms part of H1N1, huh? And I had a distinct lack of a sore throat, (which is a SF symptom). It's a good thing I am not a panic merchant or hypochondriac. What a moron. So, we tootle off to Westmead, where the triage nurse takes my temperature again (39.3) gives me two Neurofen, and tells me to see her again in an hour. So we went home. And came back in an hour. She took my temp again (38.7) and told me to wait for the doctor. After another hour, I overhear someone else being told that there is a minimum FOUR HOUR WAIT. Again with the WTF. So we went home. And stayed there. I wasn't going to sit for 4 hours (it was nearly midnight by now, and R had work the next day) to be told it is a stomach virus, go home and keep my fluids up, which is all that they could have told me, and what I did anyway.
So Tuesday was bad, but I think Wednesday was worse.
My fever waxed and waned, but never came down far enough to give me any real relief. And now was when the really heavy duty nausea and vomiting kicked in. All day, and well into the evening. I have a ring around my midsection where my diaphram joins my trunk, which HURTS! Like fire. Ow. But far worse is the misery of feeling constantly like being sick. I don't know how women who get morning sickness that lasts all day cope - I would go mad in a millisecond. Also by this stage I am starting to get thoroughly sick of rice crackers, even though I have only eaten about nine - but that is all I have eaten. Make it stop, Mummy!
Thursday - my temp came down! Hooray! So not feeling like a miserable, sweaty space cadet any more. Now about those stomach cramps...and the continuing vomiting and diarrhoea. Can stop any time. Any time, now. Aaaaaany time...
Friday - almost feeling like a human being. Almost. REALLY sick of crackers. I went down to Parramatta to go to the Medicare office and renew my card. There were a couple of moments where I thought I was going to crash into people, fall over or pass out. Or perhaps crash into people, fall over and pass out. Not out of the woods yet. I ate my first food at 3.30pm (and that was only a couple of mouthfuls). I have completely lost interest in it. I really only ate because I know that I have to. You know I'm really sick when I have so little interest in food...
Saturday - I ate real food! A whole cheese sandwich and a couple of peaches. And one piece of pizza.
Today - almost back to normal. Almost. Still eating bland food, and not a lot of it. But getting better.
The silver lining to all this (cos there's got to be one, or I would be VERY CRANKY) - I have lost 6 kilos! It's not all fluid - I never actually got all that dehydrated, but i will have to be careful to not pile it back on again.
So, that was my week. Hope the next one doesn't suck so badly...
Why? Simple answer: stomach flu.
I woke up on Tuesday morning not feeling myself at all - nauseous, grumbly tummy, feverish. I had a very small, plain breaky to see if that would calm things down a bit, and debated long and hard as to whether I should go to work. In the end, I did, and part of me is glad that I went, because everyone got a good look at how well I wasn't, before I proceeded to take the rest of the week off.
So I came home and crawled into bed. I know I had a fever by this time, because I was freezing, even though it was hitting the high twenties outside. I think I slept most of the rest of the day. At about 8pm I realised I was burning with fever, and asked R to take me to the doctor. Over an hour later (and $75 - my Medicare card had expired, and I hadn't realised this.Bugger.) I finally got to see the doctor. Money not well spent, I am sorry to say. He talked over the top of me, asked the same questions 3 times, really didn't listen to what I was saying. My symptoms were pretty simple - temperature, nausea and vomiting and ... er ... other gastric symptoms. He looked at my throat (no inflamation) and took my temperature. It was 39.4, which is pretty high, but not alarming. He basically gave up on me then and there - high temperature is out of his league, and he would write me a referral to Westmead Hospital. Oh, after he told me it might be Swine Flu. WTF? Since when are gastric symptoms part of H1N1, huh? And I had a distinct lack of a sore throat, (which is a SF symptom). It's a good thing I am not a panic merchant or hypochondriac. What a moron. So, we tootle off to Westmead, where the triage nurse takes my temperature again (39.3) gives me two Neurofen, and tells me to see her again in an hour. So we went home. And came back in an hour. She took my temp again (38.7) and told me to wait for the doctor. After another hour, I overhear someone else being told that there is a minimum FOUR HOUR WAIT. Again with the WTF. So we went home. And stayed there. I wasn't going to sit for 4 hours (it was nearly midnight by now, and R had work the next day) to be told it is a stomach virus, go home and keep my fluids up, which is all that they could have told me, and what I did anyway.
So Tuesday was bad, but I think Wednesday was worse.
My fever waxed and waned, but never came down far enough to give me any real relief. And now was when the really heavy duty nausea and vomiting kicked in. All day, and well into the evening. I have a ring around my midsection where my diaphram joins my trunk, which HURTS! Like fire. Ow. But far worse is the misery of feeling constantly like being sick. I don't know how women who get morning sickness that lasts all day cope - I would go mad in a millisecond. Also by this stage I am starting to get thoroughly sick of rice crackers, even though I have only eaten about nine - but that is all I have eaten. Make it stop, Mummy!
Thursday - my temp came down! Hooray! So not feeling like a miserable, sweaty space cadet any more. Now about those stomach cramps...and the continuing vomiting and diarrhoea. Can stop any time. Any time, now. Aaaaaany time...
Friday - almost feeling like a human being. Almost. REALLY sick of crackers. I went down to Parramatta to go to the Medicare office and renew my card. There were a couple of moments where I thought I was going to crash into people, fall over or pass out. Or perhaps crash into people, fall over and pass out. Not out of the woods yet. I ate my first food at 3.30pm (and that was only a couple of mouthfuls). I have completely lost interest in it. I really only ate because I know that I have to. You know I'm really sick when I have so little interest in food...
Saturday - I ate real food! A whole cheese sandwich and a couple of peaches. And one piece of pizza.
Today - almost back to normal. Almost. Still eating bland food, and not a lot of it. But getting better.
The silver lining to all this (cos there's got to be one, or I would be VERY CRANKY) - I have lost 6 kilos! It's not all fluid - I never actually got all that dehydrated, but i will have to be careful to not pile it back on again.
So, that was my week. Hope the next one doesn't suck so badly...
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Sigh.
My husband has discovered the delights of World of Warcraft.
I'm only ever going to see him briefly and in passing from now on.
Oh well, it was good while it lasted...! He is watching me write this, and seems to think that this is some kind of joke...
On the plus side, he is getting in plenty of quality time with the cat (who gets squished between lap and keyboard a lot of the time), as he is a captive audience. I think that this means that sometimes the "bad guys" don't end up the the sword in the head as they are supposed to, and instead "Hamcrusher" (Oh. My. God.) hares off in totally the wrong direction as Mysterious Forces (conveniently covered in fur and with pointy ears) interfere with the workings of the keyboard.
On a slightly different note, I had to (I can't believe I'm about to say this) slap a chicken in the head this morning, for attempting to defend the cat food bowl against, you guessed it, the cat. Grrr. The level of out of bounds-ness here is astonishing.
Cats who try to play WoW and chickens who think they are cats - that's what keeps life interesting around here.
I'm only ever going to see him briefly and in passing from now on.
Oh well, it was good while it lasted...! He is watching me write this, and seems to think that this is some kind of joke...
On the plus side, he is getting in plenty of quality time with the cat (who gets squished between lap and keyboard a lot of the time), as he is a captive audience. I think that this means that sometimes the "bad guys" don't end up the the sword in the head as they are supposed to, and instead "Hamcrusher" (Oh. My. God.) hares off in totally the wrong direction as Mysterious Forces (conveniently covered in fur and with pointy ears) interfere with the workings of the keyboard.
On a slightly different note, I had to (I can't believe I'm about to say this) slap a chicken in the head this morning, for attempting to defend the cat food bowl against, you guessed it, the cat. Grrr. The level of out of bounds-ness here is astonishing.
Cats who try to play WoW and chickens who think they are cats - that's what keeps life interesting around here.
"Gift" ideas...
I think Sunbeam and Kambrook (and Breville, to a lesser extent) must have teams on the payroll who brainstorm ideas for the most useless, crappiest small appliances known to humankind so that they can corner the market at christmas. There was a large spread in the latest round of junk mail devoted to "Gift Ideas". Some of them were reasonably useful - personal grooming products like hair dryers and straighteners, but the rest...
Sunbeam have got such gems as the "Slush Magic" slushy machine, "Moooooon Shaker" (give or take a couple of os) milkshake maker, "Avalanche" ice shaver, the "Sprinkles" doughnut maker (oh, for crying out loud), the "Cornelius" popcorn maker (I also know a Cornelius that blows hot air, and I wouldn't pay 45 bucks for him, either), the feckin' chocolate fountain (for which there are no words), and my personal favourite, the "Pattie" cupcake maker. What the...? I am at a complete loss as to how I have managed to make cupcakes on so many occasions before this without this wonder of modern technology. Buy a fucking patty tin, fer chrissakes, and donate the difference (which should be substantial, as "Pattie" is $90) to some starving kids in Africa. Geez.
Kambrook don't seem to have taken the crazy stick and run so far with it, but they do have a "Snacks and Fun" category, which includes another doughnut maker, a cookie press (why does this need to be an appliance?), and a Rotating Stone Pizza Oven. There was also a picture of a hot dog centre, but it doesn't seem to be available - I am desperately disappointed by this.
Breville is not quite as ridiculous either, but still have pancake and omelette makers (surely, surely, a frying pan would do an admirable job here!)
I know that all of these brands also produce many useful, labour saving devices. I am eternally grateful for my food processor and stand mixer, toaster and kettle. I would have thought, though, that consumers living in the rich, industialised nations of the West would have leaned their lesson after the bread maker debacle. Alas, it seems that we are devoted to spending $90 on a dozen cupcakes (and remember, you still have to make the batter!) or $45 for 5 slushies.
Well honestly, do you really think any of these will get used more than twice?
No, me neither.
So tired...
I really don't know why, but it's all I can do to keep my eyes open today. Didn't go to bed too late last night, slept well, was up at a reasonable hour this morning, did some stuff, then had a huge three hour nap, and I'm still really tired. I'm coming to appreciate how precious weekends are again, and yet all I want to do is go back to bed.
Maybe it's the weather.
The new job
I was going to post this at the end of last week, but, you know, didn't...
The job so far:
The Good
The job so far:
The Good
- The people there are really nice. I have been made to feel very welcome.
- It's less than 4kms from home. Gotta love 10 mins to work.
- It's also really close to a shopping centre, which is handy for groceries and lunches.
- The little things, like a decent coffee machine in the lunch room, and actual morning and afternoon tea breaks.
- As of Monday afternoon, I still didn't have a computer, which is going to make doing any actual work difficult. I have been doing a fair bit of filing.
- It's a six month contract, so there's a real chance that there will be no place for me after that.
- I am as sick as a dog. I had to go home at lunchtime on the first day of my second week, and was off today. Just a cold, but a bit of a doozy.
Creepy
This is what I was talking about the other night...
Creepy, fake, plastic and very two-dimensional. The world is a bit fucked up when the primping and preening and hair and make-up isn't enough for the child pageant entrants, and they have to get photoshopped to within an inch of their lives.
Yuck.
It's a good thing they've all got different hats on, or I wouldn't be able to tell them apart!
Creepy, fake, plastic and very two-dimensional. The world is a bit fucked up when the primping and preening and hair and make-up isn't enough for the child pageant entrants, and they have to get photoshopped to within an inch of their lives.Yuck.
It's a good thing they've all got different hats on, or I wouldn't be able to tell them apart!
What am I going to do now?
Not so long ago I would never have dreamed that I would utter the following:
"No! Bad chicken!"
Needless to say, they didn't listen. I got up this morning and was walking through the dining/kitchen area, when I realised that the creature at the cat's dish was saying "bock, bock, bock" and not "meow". Yep, the chooks have discovered that they do fit through the cat hole in the back door, and seem to think that since the food people are in the house, they should be as well.
They don't seem to have done too much exploring, and I only had to clean up a couple of chicken poos on the kitchen floor...
I really don't want to have to think of new ways of chicken control.*
*Yes, we could keep them shut in the coop all day, but I think that's a bit mean. I just never expected the chooks would want to come inside.
"No! Bad chicken!"
Needless to say, they didn't listen. I got up this morning and was walking through the dining/kitchen area, when I realised that the creature at the cat's dish was saying "bock, bock, bock" and not "meow". Yep, the chooks have discovered that they do fit through the cat hole in the back door, and seem to think that since the food people are in the house, they should be as well.
They don't seem to have done too much exploring, and I only had to clean up a couple of chicken poos on the kitchen floor...
I really don't want to have to think of new ways of chicken control.*
*Yes, we could keep them shut in the coop all day, but I think that's a bit mean. I just never expected the chooks would want to come inside.
Come on in, the water's fine
It's going to be hot again tomorrow (Sunday). If you are at a loose end, feel free to come over for a jump in the pool. The water temp is juuuuust right for lounging in for many hours at a time. Bring your Aeroguard and sunscreen, something to drink and something for the barbie. Give me a hoy if you need the address.
Orange - a rant.
What is it with all the orange, fashion designers? Eh?
Have you not realised that not everyone has the yellow-toned skin that allows them to wear this colour? No?
Wake up to yourselves, morons! Significant numbers of people will not be able to buy clothes this season, because you fuckers have decided that all the clothes need to be orange, goddamn you! I have no desire to look sallow and ill because there is a worldwide special on orange dye. Even the pinks are orange. I don't care if you call it mango, paprika, coral, melon, spice or euphemism - it's still bloody orange.
Oh, and while you're at it; no, I don't think that $80 is a reasonable price for a nylon top with four lines of stitching in it. All of those floaty, deconstructed tops that you are churning out by the truckload* - they look good on angular people. On girls with a healthy appetite they just make the wearer look softer and rounder. How about some nice tailored tops, please? At least that way I feel a little more like I'm getting my money's worth (not, but getting closer). I'm not paying up to a day's wage for something that you've folded in half and cut a hole for the head**.
Fashion - it's completely broken***. The sad thing is that it's getting harder to shop for style, because everything seems to be following the god-awful trends.
* in orange
** and also made in orange
*** and much too orange
Today I ...
- had a moment of panic where I thought all the chooks had got out. Turns out they had just gone back to bed. Stupid chooks.
- spent far too long reading blogs and emails.
- had impromptu and nommy noodles with JD.
- discovered that Castle Towers shopping centre is MUCH better than Parra Westifield. Much.
- stayed in the air-con nearly all day. Ahhhh.
- actually found some tops that I like and that don't make me look like a sallow doughnut. Score! I now do not need to go to work naked. Wins all 'round.
- had a look in two pet shops at the puppies and the kitties. The kitties in the CT pet shop were awake - so I watched the cutest wittle fwuffy kitties SAVAGING each other. Much nomming on each others tails and ears.
- wished this stupid hot weather would bugger off. It's not even summer yet!
Hooraaaaaay!
And about bloody time too...
I have a job! It's only a six month contract, rather than an ongoing job, but it's a good start. It's also less than 5km away from home. Gotta love that.
Mind you, I am still a bit nervous - it's been more than seven years since I started a new job. It's going to be weird being the new person and having to get used to a whole new bunch of people and systems.
Wish me luck!
Laugh? I almost shat...
If you haven't seen it on the telly, you've got to have a look at the new ad for Baby Love nappies, designed to handle a "poo explosion". You will have to click on the "view our new ad" button.
Ow. Teh laughing, it hurts.
