Happy New Year!

I got in just in time to wish you all a very happy new year. I’ve been very slack this year with the seasons cheer. Although for the first time since moving to Australia my Christmas cards reached their intended recipients in time for the big day.

I don’t know what you all have planned to do to bring in the New Year, but I pretty sure that what I have planned will blow you away.
NOTHING!
For the last couple of years I have tried to celebrate in a spectacular way. It has fizzled each time. So this year, I’m gonna do nothing. I’m gonna try again next year, but for now, I plan on watching a bit of telly, reading my book and sleeping.

I hope you all get to celebrate new year in a fashion that makes you happiest!

Here’s a run down on the last few years of New Year celebrations!
2005 – Luna Park, Sydney. Went to watch the fireworks from under the bridge, we went with a large group, we got split up, the beer was expensive and took an age to queue for, as did the ladies loo. Had picture taken with Policeman! By 12.30 everyone was bored, so we went our separate ways.
2004 – Taronga Zoo, Sydney. The first attempt to watch the Fireworks from a ‘Vantage’ point. This place was WAY to family friendly. Should have known it was my own stoopid fault!
2003 – Home, Bucketty. Watched telly.
2002 – Echo Point Motor Inn, Blue Mountains, NSW. Crusty mildewy motel room, bad telly, no alcohol!
2001 – Home, Teringie, South Australia. Watch the Adelaide fireworks from the balcony of a neighbour. It was OK, but I had to remember it from the deepest recesses of my mind, so not that memorable!
2000 – Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Wasn’t too bad, but there wasn’t enough people. Had Lobster for dinner, followed by wine, wine and more wine. Had picture taken with Policeman! Went on a GBR cruise and snorkel trip on New Year Day, was horribly hung over but they were only about 12 others on the cruise. TIP: if you want to cruise GBR, do it NYD, there is no one around ;-)
1999 – Waymouth, Cornwall UK. Went dressed as Poison Ivy from Batman Returns. Great time!
1998 – Waymouth, Cornwall UK. Went dressed as a Hooker in black PVC dress, red wig and long red boot. Had my picture taken with policemen. Heaps of people, great time!
1997 – Waymouth, Cornwall UK. The first year we went to Weymouth. The whole town goes out in Fancy dress. All the pubs have a competition, and you can go from pub to pub and meet lots of like minded funky, happy people. That year I went dressed a 50’s chick, with pink skirt, with poodle on front, white fluffy jumper and pink tie in my hair. It was -35 with wind chill. Alcohol deadened the pain of cold. Great time! On New Year Day went to Seaworld (still not legal to drive) and became a Shark Cadet!

Cigarette Smoke

I like to think I am a tolerant person. I'm not a racist, I admire anyone who lives a life that some consider 'abnormal' and I generally don't mind people doing things in public that impact on my enjoyment of life.

But today, I came to the conclusion...smokers suck!

I was minding my own business, walking at lunch time when the woman in front of me lit up. My already mildly polluted air (I was walking along Castlereagh Street in Sydney, city) was replaced with a cloud of white cigarette smoke. The sun was shining and many were out for walks, so I was unable to get around her, so every few seconds, another puff of smoke filled the air around me. This is not the first time this has happened, but for some reason it really got to me and made my blood boil.

Finally, I was able to scoot around her, dodging the oncoming flow of people. I got to a set of traffic lights and waited with many others to cross.
While I was stand there, a man came to a stand still next to me (invading me personal space, somewhat). He lit a cigarette. After a few puffs, he put his hand to his side, then side stepped to get out of the way of a slimmer, taller, blonder woman.

Where did he side step to? I hear you ask. Well, right into me, burning a hole in my trousers. When I moved and exclaimed a massive 'What are you doing?' He looked at me as if I was mad. When I further explained that he had burnt my trousers, he shrugged and walked away as the traffic lights turned green for pedestrians.

I was left gapping like a goldfish on the sidewalk, with his fellow smokers parting around me like a stream around a rock.

I would like to offer my apoligies for this post to those smokers out there that are aware of the distress their habit causes others.

Online...

…Part 2

As mentioned last, I been an online chatter for quite a while, but I had a first time thing happen today. I was the victim of a potential crime. Yes… you heard right, I wasn’t actually taken for any money, but I could image a more innocent person would fall for it.

This person chatted casually for a while before telling me he had a new job in Aussie. But he needed me to cash a cheque for him and wire him the cash. I told him I wasn’t an idiot… for some reason he drifted away ;-)

I reported him to the Aust. High Tech Crime Center (www.ahtcc.gov.au). Hopefully he will be caught.

Online...

...chats are fun, but time consuming.

I have been a Yahoo messenger user for getting on ten years. I enjoy meeting new and interesting people, and over the last few years I have met allsorts. Yesterday I met a new fellow who live fairly close to me. The conversation was kept clean (surprising but refreshing) and we talked about sick relatives and a desire to explore the unknown, both physically and mentally.

Over the years I have met a wide and almost scary amount of people and talked about everything from the love of God (I won't talk religion anymore...too fraught with the dangers of being misunderstood) to politics and mild toe sucking to hardcore BDsM scenes. I have over fifty contacts in my Yahoo list, some I speak to on a regular basis, others once in a blue moon. All I enjoy speaking to as I always seem to learn something new and I'm not afraid to step out of my comfort zone.

However... it is amazing how hours rush by when chatting online. One second it is 10am then the next time you look it's 2pm, you've missed lunch and done no work for the last four hours! This happened to me not two days ago when I was 'working' from home.

So be warned... I love chatting, but if I cut you off, it's not 'cause I don't like you (I'll tell you that) but it's 'cause I'm supposed to be working ;-)

You can find me at jodiesorrell2000 on Yahoo Messenger.

Puss...

…is fine and dandy. He has now been home for three days and is back to his usual grumpy self. He nips toes when he wants feeding, Scratches legs when he wants a brush and buggers off outside when he want to be alone.

But we love him and am really glad he didn’t die.

Paralysis Ticks…

…What is the point of them?

I spent many hours last night in hospital with my good friend and vet Miss Eudoxia (misseudoxia.blogspot.com) and my pussy cat ‘Puss’. He had a nasty case of tick poisoning and just as a nasty reaction to the anti-serum (rare).

Today he is in a stable condition, but has to stay in hospital for a while longer. I’ll keep you posted.

Anyway, back to my point:

Paralysis ticks are unique to the middle and northern part of the east Australian coast. There are nasty little bastards that climb the grass in damp warm weather (most of the time) and latch on to, then suck the blood of passing mammals. Whether it is a cat, dog, possum or human (I’ve had a few). The trouble is, native animals rarely react to the poison they pump into a victim, cats and dogs however, and in fact most livestock, can react very badly. Symptoms include wobbly legs, laboured breathing, increased heart rate and even death.

During our time watching, making sure Puss was going to be OK, we talked about the point of Ticks. They don’t eat carrion or decaying matter, we couldn’t think of anything that eats them. All they seem to do is kill mammals and breed.

So as you see we couldn’t find a decent reason and thought, maybe, just maybe, someone who knew about ticks could enlighten us to their purpose in this world of ours.