My Day in Numbers – Part 4

4 - the number of days I have worked as a volunteer, thereby missing out on paid days at work
8 – hours standing with a cracked heel
2 – curly wurly’s
3 – volunteers turned up
7 – alpacas on display
30+ - ladies with more facial hair than their husbands wearing trackie daks pulled up to their boobs
6 – rain showers
60 – lucky dips, dipped
1700 – closed the tent
1720 – stopped to take some pictures of wild spring flowers and misty views
1740 – home
500+ - dollars taken, the alpaca organisation may actually make back the money it spent on the display.
2200 – the time I plan to be in bed by tonight!

My Day in Numbers – Part 3

3 – the number of days I have spent at Mount Panang Gardens, so far
3 – bales of straw that had to be carried to the tent from the car, that was
3 – volunteers that didn’t bother to turn
2 – of us manning the stand all day
30+ - ladies with more facial hair than their husbands
100+ - school kids with sticky finger touching fleece
12 – skeins of alpaca wool sold, finally!
6 – minutes to eat my lunch
1 – fleece sold, to a spinner who was demonstrating
1700 – jumped in the car and drove to Sydney
1815 – walked into uni class (thanks Apex for a clear traffic run, no speeding required)
2100 – left class
2115 – picked up raffle tickets in my letterbox
2125 – dropped off hubbies mail and saw a rather unstable hubby crossing the road, had a chat and discovered he has no sober friends.
1 – less bouncing bunny in the world :(
1 – quick and happy wallaby
2325 – pulled under carport at Bucketlike
867 – dollars later, fully cashed up for the first trading day
0047 – fell asleep before head hit pillow.

Yeah, but No But!

Gotta love this Video. Do Not watch if you are from England and are offended by stereo-types. Actually, sod it, watch it anyway, it's great!

ANTM - 8: 11 – Season Final

Guest Judge : The Sass and Bide Designers

Three of Them : Cover Girl ‘My Life as a Cover Girl’ True Shine photoshoot and advert

Went Home : Renee ‘I would rather have wisdom in my eyes than be blank and stupid and have nothing there.’

Going through to the Fashion Parade : Jaslene and Natasha

What Renee said about Natatsha – ‘She walks like pigeon toed duck with a piece of poop hanging out of her ass.’
What Nigel Barker said to Renee – ‘You photograph old.’
What Jaslene said about Natasha - ‘If Natasha wins this competition I’m going to pull off all of her hair.’

Fashion Parade : Evolution by Sass and Bide. It started as early woman and got more elegant as the show went on. Natasha’s skirt fell off and the judges commented about how it looked like it was supposed to.

Final Judging Panel : Twiggy, Miss Jay, Tara, Nigel Barker and Jay Emanualle

and Americas Next Top Model is

JASLENE

My Day in Numbers – Part 2

‘Cause I really don’t want to be here, I’m going to cronical my involvement in the Flora Fest display in numbers.

839 – the time I got up
900 – the time I was supposed to be at the marquee
35 – minutes late for setting up the display
4 - helpers, three from Taree and Macksville
1 – major downpour
1 – wet passenger seat when I couldn’t wind up the car window
123 – dollars to buy a new car battery, when the old one died
1 – time down Kariong Hill
1 – trip to Bunnings (for tarps and cable ties, don’t ask) and Officeworks for sugar
20 – bales of straw
10 – fleeces for sale
8 – mannequins dressed in groovy Alpaca outfits
3 – males mannequins without pants with everything hanging out (well they would have done, if they had any genitals)
135 – kilometres to pick op the 2008 Alpaca Hmmm… calendar
500 – hot looking calendars
1940 – the time I got home
2 – pairs of trousers of Hubbies that will be on mannequins tomorrow

A Question about Equine Flu

So, is the massive entourage of seventeen black limos that is currently rolling around Sydney and closing roads, the American's way of protecting it’s very own horses arse?

Don't Drive Tired

- 450 kilometres
- One trip from Sydney to Morpeth, via Gosford and Tuggerah
- 4 times up Kariong hill
- 3 times into Mount Panang gardens to find the marquee missing one side
- 3 phonecalls to the marquee people to fix the tent
- Twice into Officeworks to get ripped off for printing
- Twice into Spotlight to buy ‘display materials’
- Twice into the petrol station to fill up (I will be claiming petrol)
- Once into Big W to buy sweeties, if i have to stand in a cold marquee for four days I want carbohydrates.
- 8 alpaca outfits for mannequins
- 1 occurrence of having the phone put down on me ‘cause I had the nerve to ask if someone had sent the raffle ticket back in the SSAE provided.

8.30am start, 9pm finish.

Cosmo of Shame

There is much talk in the media and around the water coolers at the moment of Sydney’s ‘Wall of Shame’ that is being erected to protect the APEC summit that is happening later in the week. At this rate the protesters aren’t going to give a damn about the Summit, just the fact that they are being told off for even taking photos of the five kilometre, three metre high fence.

Yesterday in my hung-over stupor I took a walk thinking the fresh air would do me good, I ended up having a little barny with a policeman when he told me to delete the amazing arty shot I took. I was very disappointed as I was surprised I could even see after all the Cosmopolitans I drank at Todd’s place on Saturday night at his 70’s Karaoke night. The worst thing about the party was that I went out wearing a fuchsia pink polyester jump-suit with a yellow sash and a blond afro wig before I had even consumed any booze. Worst still, I had to stop off at a petrol station to get ice!

Apart from my little trip out, I spent the rest of the day trying to do the ironing and watching Sex and the City.

This week I will be braving the alpaca industry for the last time and putting on the display at the Australian Springtime Flora Festival in Gosford. It looks like it’s going to suck due to lack of volunteers and stuff to display! ;-)

Good Viewing

Just got in from the movies where I saw The Bourne Ultimatum with Trixy and Rachel. This little movie from the Basic had been uploaded while I was watching the other movie, and I liked this one more. (wasn't keen on the hollywood blockbuster for it's vomit making camera work that kinda blotted out large pieces of the story, which from what I could tell, was quite good).

You wait boys, when you get home, a schooner will look like the babies glass of beer.

Mmmm...Trifle

I was called a ‘neurotic fusspot’ today. So I looked up the words just to confirm that it wasn’t me this person was talking about and this is what dictionary.com had to say;

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary
Main Entry: 'neurotic' Function: noun
1 : one affected with a neurosis
2 : an emotionally unstable individual

American Heritage Dictionary
Entry: 'fuss·budget' Function: noun
1 : A person who fusses over trifles. Also called fusspot.

Now, In the current climate I think I would have every right to be ‘emotionally unstable’ but I’m not and never really have been. As for fusspot, yes, I do have my moments, but then who doesn’t.

And in my defense, I wouldn't fuss over a trifle, I'd eat it, especially if it was the sherry type with cream and glaze cherries.

All those that think I’m a ‘neurotic fusspot’ say I.

ANTM - 8:10

Guest Judge : Carissa Rosenberg, entertainment director at seventeen magazine

Challenge : Tell their story by body painting and dancing aboriginal style. Renee won with her tale woe as a child.

Photoshoot : The girls had to learn aboriginal dances and then represent them in the photos. Food Gatherer, Red Breast Robin, Dance of the Butterfly, Willy Wagtail

Judging Panel Question : Who do you think has the most/least potential?
Natasha was voted as the least by all the girls, only Dionne didn’t vote for herself as the one with the most potential.

Bottom Two : Dionne and Natasha

Went Home : Dionne ‘cause I know I could’a did a better job’

Notes : They went to Crystal Bar for a night out and left Natasha (she was fluy) at the hotel then bitched about her all night. Classy!

Season Finale next week when we’ll find out who Americas Next Top Model will be.

Bonnie Would be Proud

- 7.54pm
- 8.36pm - you can see the stars to the right if you look close

- 9.25pm - 9.46pm
- 10.41pm

There was a total eclipse of the moon. The technical details are all in Eastern Standard Time. I tried to take a few pictures but mucked it up by allowing to great an exposure so a couple are a bit hazy, but you get the general idea.

5:53 - Penumbral eclipse begins (Moon begins to dim, very slightly, as the Sun begins to shine through our Earth's atmosphere)

6:51 - Partial eclipse begins (curvature of the Earth becomes visible on the Moon)

7:52 - Total eclipse begins

8:37 - Greatest eclipse

9:22 - Total eclipse ends

10:23 - Partial eclipse ends

11:21 - Penumbral eclipse ends (Moon gets bright again)

Clean T-Shirt

The Basics left Australia to embark on an eight week world tour (Japan and UK) eleven days ago. They have been posting a video diary on YouTube roughly four times a day and it looks like they are have a great time. A bit of business, a bit of sightseeing, a bit of catching up with friends and most of all, a bit of playing of the music.

My only concern is, and this is apart from the haircuts; did Wally only take three t-shirts with him?

Californication

So I went over to Trixy’s place last night for pasta, cheese and a glass or five of wine to watch a new telly show on channel 10. It called Californication and starred David Duchovny. It’s about a writer called Hank Moody…blah blah blah sex.

The opening scene was HM getting out of his car in a church yard smoking a cigarette, he walks up the driveway and puts his fag out in the holy water at the church door. He then walks up to the statue of Jesus on the cross and asks for his advice about his writers block. Out of nowhere a nun appears and says ‘how can I help Hank?’ He says something like it a guy thing to which she replies ‘well clearly only a blow job with help,’ and gets down on her knees.

Later, a friends says (referring to the dream, yes it was a dream but only 'cause his lover was waking him up with a blow job) ‘you’re attracted to unavailable women,’ to which Hank replies ‘Can’t it just be that it’s naughty?’

I loved it, it was witty, sharp, refreshing and it has David Duchovny in it. Strangely though it also had Madeline Zima as a femme fatale who gave DC a black eye during a sex, I’m sorry but it may take a bit of getting used to, isn’t she little Grace from The Nanny?

Anyway I must get a telly arial so I don’t always have to watch at Trixys’ after she going home to the States in November.

APEC

Has anyone else noticed that this also stands for
American President Evacuates City?

What Part Don’t They Understand?

A few weeks ago I did a silly test and as a result have ended up with a profile on a free dating site. As you can image it takes all sorts and I’m sure there are some very fine people on there, but I’m having issues so far. I can’t seem to find a way to take the profile off, so I decided to make it as fool proof as possible.

I haven’t done a very good job so far. Clearly.

I have received eight emails from interested parties and seven of them have failed to take into account a key point in the main body of my profile. I have stated ‘if you don’t like cats, don’t bother as mine is very important to me.’ And in the short notes I ticked ‘likes cats and dogs’

So, seven of them have ‘don’t like cats’ ticked on their profiles. D’Oh!



- Maybe pictures of Puss will help clarify the situation a little.

And She Scores

So we have four months left in the year and I have reached my goal of 30 bands to be seen in 2007, in fact it stands at 30 bands seen 44 times.

But I shall endure and continue my quest, so I have a figure to beat next year! ;-)

I Will Go Out Alone

I walked the few blocks from my house to The Hopetoun Hotel just as I have many times in the past, only this time I was alone, not meeting anyone and going to a see a random band. Okay, so the random band thing wasn’t so new but the rest was. I was kinda nice though, the punk with attitude was on the door and welcomed me, as did the owner and a couple of regulars. I wasn’t alone after all.
__________

I walked into the Hopetoun blind. You can image my surprise and pleasure to see Des Miller on the bill. I had already missed Berkfinger and the curiously named If It Bleeds It Can Be Butchered. Shortly after my arrival the Melbourne based Plastic Palace Alice began to play. A six piece band that had driven ten hours to play a forty-five minute set before turning around and going home again. Lead singer Rob wore braces for the occasion and Emily one of the two girls in the band and the percussion queen wore a paper clip to hold her belt in place. They opened their set with ‘Murakami’ followed by ‘Karaoking’, an early Bowie inspired song with Emily also showing her vocal range. It was such a shame she looked so bored.

After the fifth song ‘Carrion’ they finally decided it would be a good time to talk to the audience. It may have been a bit late to admit that they had brought too much stuff with them, we could see that. On the small stage were six people, eight guitars, a drum kit, a harmonica, two keyboards, a xylophone, a tambourine, one of the little shakers that looks like a seedpod and the biggest brass triangle you have ever seen. Despite the over profusion of instruments the music was surprisingly simple with a heavy emphasise on guitar and Bob Dylan sounds. It was an extremely likable set that ended with the very catchy ‘Girl Who Cried Wolf’ and a well deserved and loud round of applause.

After the quickest turn around I’ve ever seen Des Miller came on stage. Now despite the name, none of the band members is actually called Des, unless you count lead singer and guitarist John ‘Desmond’ Miller. With short curly hair and a red cowboy shirt under his jacket, he soon lost his Cat Stevens look in the heat of the room and took on a look of sweaty pop idol, as in fact did the entire band. A full house meant the temperature in the room had shot up to the late thirties and it became very clear to me as sweat dripped from the end of Johnno’s nose why so many performance artists wear those awful sports headbands. The only one looking cool was keyboard player Robbie Moore in his Ziggy Stardust t-shirt while everyone else struggled with western style.

The set started with ‘On the Surface of Solitude’, as soon as it was done they took the time to thank the support bands and praise the talent they were following. It gave the crowd something to relate to and even if Des Miller hadn’t been in full favour before, they were now. ‘Lucy’ and ‘3pm’ showed the bands country Travelling Wilbys style crossed with a little Pink Floyd mixed in with a splash of Buddy Holly. It’s a confusing sound that pulls you in with it hypnotic sound, the lead singer being down on one knee praying to the gods of rock and roll doesn’t hurt either.

The set continued with ‘Borderline on Fire’, before they pulled Lucy from the audience to help them out with a little feminine vocal on ‘Time’. Is this the Lucy they told to ‘close your eyes and make it go away’ earlier? They wound-up the set with ‘Sorry’ and ‘OK’ before playing the finale, ‘Knife Edge’ a really catchy if slightly disturbing tune that had the entire crowd bopping in the aisle. Okay, so the whole place is one big aisle, with everyone dancing and generally having a great time. An encore was requested but kindly declined due to the shear amount of water that had to be drunk to stop the guys turning to dust and I don’t think I’m the only one who doesn’t want that for a very long time.

8.45 Saturday Morning

Not even a month in my new home and I had my first visit from a Jehovah's Witness this morning. Good job I hadn't been out last night or I may have said more than, 'No point talking to me bud, I give blood every three months.'

The look on his face was a picture. It was as if I had opened my robe and flashed him.

(Let's forget about about the fact that the Australian Red Cross won't take my blood because I might have Mad Cow Disease)

Coming Back

My first attempt at embedding a YouTube video is the video for Gotye's Coming Back. I love this song and the video rocks! I first saw it at the gigs late in July, but now you can all see it ;-)

ANTM - 8:9

Guest Judge : Priscilla Leighton-Clark, director of Priscillas Modelling

Challenge : Go Sees being judged on personality, catwalk walk and portfolio.

Photoshoot : A combination of two. First up was a shoot for a woman’s magazine with a male model with soft girlie poses. Next up was a raunchier shot for a men’s magazine.

Bottom Two : Dionne and Brittney

Went Home : Brittney ‘I never been the emotional person’

Notes : The cab driver got blamed by Brittney for her being late back from the challenge and for once a Sydney cab driver wasn’t at fault. She had a tantrum.
Episode 8:8 was a recap episode.

Pictorial Trip to Work

I like my new home, so I thought I’d share a few pictures from my trip to work each morning. I cheated yesterday and got the bus most of the way, as I have most mornings since I moved in because it was raining AGAIN!

Will this Winter never end?

- My Street, I'm sure it looks much nice in sunshine

- These tree seedpod are everywhere. I have still to identify the tree.

- Crawford Place, Is this the most boring street in Sydney?

- The Bike, someone was brave enough to leave their bike outside chained to a fence.

- An innocent row of terrace houses? I'll give one guess who lives behind the door of 99.

- Shot from the hip, and example of the cafe on my way to work.

Geeks and Nerds Rock!

This morning Edna sent me a link and asked;

How many do you fancy? And be honest! ;-)

My response was six, with one of them being a girl. But I was horrified that Tom Cruise is now being listed in Geek halls of fame. How can they lower the standard so much.

Tom Cruise never has and will never be a geek or a nerd. He is and will only ever be an actor that happened to have an amazing scene in a reasonably good movie a long time ago and only ever plays Tom Cruise. He just happens to be ‘good looking’ (if you’re into that kinda thing) with the charisma of a snake (although I think that’s being unkind to snakes)

I shall step off my soapbox now and give you my list of six;

David Tennent
Louis Theroux
Daniel Radcliff (although not that picture, it’s not good)
Alyson Hannigan
Jack Black
Paul Rudd
Finally, I ask you the same question Edna asked me. How many do you fancy and who?

House Guarding

A few months ago I agreed to housesit for the Alpaca Lady that agists Wispa, Arabella and Bertie. She had to take a business trip to Perth and it is the least I could do seeing as she is so good to us.

On Monday I left work at noon to drive up to the Central Coast. It was raining, so I drove with my usual care through showers and pelting rain to the road that was to take me to the house I was due to sit in. The rain was still hammering down and a phone call to the Alpaca Lady told me that the road was blocked and that she couldn’t get out, so I had little chance of getting in. So I had time to kill. I went shopping. I got a nice little nest of tables that could double up for stools. Anyway I digress.

- a bird rests on a cows back on the way to the house

- What can I say, I like cows.

I drove in and came across the water she was talking about. Rain had burst the banks of the Ourimbah Creek and flooded paddocks on either side of the road. The water was flowing in a torrent across the road to the lower paddock. Looking at it I would guess the water was about four to six inches deep, nothing my Subaru Outback Bessie couldn’t handle, but I wasn’t happy about how fast it was flowing. I’ve seen pictures of cars being swept sideways by rushing water so I took a picture and turned the car around. After killing four hours it was decided that it wasn’t going to stop raining anytime soon, so I drove back to Sydney.

- The Flooded Road

After an early start on Tuesday I got to the Alpaca Ladies gaff just after 9am. She showed me how to mix the alpaca feed, how many biscuits of hay the boys got, where to collect the eggs from, how to stop the alpaca breaking into the hen house and nicking the food and how to and when to feed the dogs. She has sixty odd alpacas (including my three), thirty odd chooks and three dogs. The dogs are Bonnie, an aging Golden Retriever that shuffles around but rarely leave the house or porch. Pepe is a little grey poodle thing with really sharp toenails that doesn’t seem to understand ‘Down!’ Cossie is another small dog, in fact he looks like a Labrador who’s been put in a dehydrator and shrunk to two thirds his original size. He’s very cute and does understand when he’s being told off. He gets that look in his eyes that could melt butter and the stoniest of hearts.

- The Cockerel that woke me at stoopid o'clock for a couple of mornings

I spent the morning reading some stuff for work (after all I was ‘working form home’) before falling asleep on the sofa at one. I woke at three and turned on the telly. There was something on about digging up bones in the West Country and Baldric was hosting it. I pressed the up channel button. Snow, snow, snow, red snow with a foreign accent, more snow. So I went down through the channels. Snow, snow, blizzard, more snow. I ended up back with Baldric and his Roman bones before realizing she only had ABC. I was stuck in a house with three smelly damp dogs in a house that only received the ABC, had no DVD player and no internet access!

I turned off the telly and started reading again. When I woke up at six, it was dark and I had no idea where the light switches were. After a brief hunt the house was illuminated and I decided to cook dinner. Mushroom and Spinach Omelette. I was in the country with fresh eggs, I had to have an omelette. Only I couldn’t find any pepper or tomato ketchup, so I had a rather bland dinner while watching The Bill surrounded by the eager faces of begging dogs.

- Cossie, not a good model, he doesn't keep still for long enough

The second night I couldn’t bear the idea of more ABC. So I went to the movies and saw I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry. Not a bad movies, but not a good one either. It’s typical Adam Sandler with a serious underlying message about gay rights. It did of course have a plethora of men in fireman uniforms so it wasn’t all bad. I would say see it, but don’t rush to see it on the big screen.

When I got back to the house, the dogs all decided they had been missing out on some affection. Cossie and Pepe climbed all over me on the sofa and Bonnie curled up at my feet. I tried to read, but arm movement was severely hindered, so resorted to the final option. Yeap, you got it…the ABC. At ten thirty I went to bed and the dogs followed me (unlike the night before). They watched me do my nightly abolitions, then curled up around the bed after I turned of the light. I drifted to sleep.

I was awoken by the most god awful smell five times in the night. Each time I ushered the dogs out, and each time they snuck back in to wake me up again. I swear these dogs could power a methane power plant.
- Feeding happens in harmony down on the farm

The whole experience reinforced that I am a city girl really. I like to think I can do country, but I can’t really. I like my city comforts too much and even more I require outside stimulus to keep my brain firing. I’ll house sit again, but I will make sure I take more entertainment and an industrial sized can of air freshener!

ALPACA ULTIMATIUM

After a great night out on Friday/Saturday morning I dragged my butt out of bed at 8.30 to drive up to the Central Coast and mingle with alpaca people in order to get them to volunteer for a display that I have ended up convening.

I’m not quite sure how it happened but it did, and being a woman of my word I find myself in a position that I have been in at other times, but this time, for some reason it seems to be worse. It was a beautiful sunny, winter day but I found myself feeling physically sick, deep in the pit of my stomach. Despite not having a lot of sleep, I wasn’t suffering a hangover, so it wasn’t that. I feel like, for the last two and half years I’ve only spoken to these people to ask for stuff.

Will you advertise in the newsletter?
Will write up that great story you just told me?
Will you be a volunteer at this and that display?
Will you host a meeting?
Will sponsor a month on the calendar?
Will you sell/buy a raffle ticket?

Granted, most of the time they’ve said yes. I seem to have the magic touch and I’ve been told I could sell sand to the Arabs, but I hate being like this. It all started as trying to do good marketing for a growing industry, but I am well and truly picking up my ball and going home. I’ve had enough!

Being around people who could have once been called friends now makes me feel ill, drained and exhausted. The negative energy that emits from a certain few (those mentioned in other posts mostly) effects my well being to such a degree that it starting zapping my lifeforce before I even get close. I feel the Carnations eyes boring into me. Now, I understand that this in purely physocologically, but you know what? I don’t need this type of shit, ever!

I have just one more thing to do (because I said I would, actually I never said I would, but it’s only two weeks away so a bit late to bale) and that is take a week of work (without pay) and run the alpaca display at the Australian Springtime Flora Festival in Gosford on the weekend that George Bush is turning Sydney into his own little fortress aka APEC. Then I will have nothing more to do with the alpaca industry except to enjoy the beautiful majestic animals it claims to want to promote.

Wish me luck!

Muppet Mad!

Whilst looking at Wikipedia today I happened upon a link to the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while, except ice cubes and the condensation on a champagne bottle of course.

Kermit T. Frog has got a myspace page!

Gotta love the green one.

School Dinners

Why do people insist on bring leftover dinner into the office for lunch? I can understand if there is a kitchen with a bench for you to eat at, but I have a guy who sits over the barrier from me who’s wife must work for the airlines.

Everyday he comes in and heats up what smells like a long-haul flight meal. It always smells the same, unappetising and old. I’ve never actually seen him eat, but I can visualise the grey plastic tray with a miniature glass, wrapped cutlery and little rectangular bowl full of something that resembles food, be it chicken of fish.
And the smell always appears at 12.30 on the dot. This is OK if I don’t have a lunch date, but when I do, like today, I have to sit here until 12.55 when I will run from my desk to flee the smell.

Yes, it will still be here half an hour from now!

Maybe one day, I’ll get him back…but I have a hard time thinking what I eat that could possibly smell that bad the next day.

Husband for Hire

So, those that read on a regular basis will know that I have moved into a new place and last Tuesday I brought some new bookshelves from Ikea.

Yesterday, I Hired-a Hubby to come and put them together for me. Not because I couldn’t do it myself, you understand, but because these buggers are so heavy they broke the trolley in Ikea by flattening out the wheels.

Anyway, he came round late last week to price the job up and put up a few picture hooks. When I went to the website I was presented with this image.
You can image my surprise, actually not really surprise but disappointment when man in his sixties turned up with an arse wider than mine and more sweat than a man who'd just run a marathon.

False advertising I call it.

On the plus side I do now have three new bookshelves so I can finish unpacking.

Why Oh Why...

…won’t Puss let me do this?

If I don’t get a full night sleep soon, I’m going to go mad. He wakes me by pawing my face, my shoulder and by biting my toes should they dare peek out from under the covers.

What I don’t understand is that he seemed to hate Newk, but now that Newk is not there to harass, chase and persecute, he’s turned his attention on me!

He looks so angelic…don’t let his cuteness fool you!

Sosumi Sushi

I had to go to Martin Place at lunch today for a couple of reason so I decided I would sample the wears of Sosumi Sushi, downstairs in No1 Martin Place. It’s been there a while and for one reason and another, this sushi monster had never got to eat there.

So I sat down on the tall small topped metal stool which is not ideal for my wider than average backside to a train that seemed to chuffing around with plenty of black plates ($7.10) a few blue plates ($5.50) and no white plates ($5.10). I ordered Miso Soup and green tea then helped myself to wasabi and soy sauce. Then I waited for just the right thing to come around which took a hile due to the plates being spaced fifteen centimetres apart.

The first plate was a black with a Crab and Avocado Big Roll, very nice. The second a blue with Seaweed Salad (aka carrot and lettuce with a little seaweed on top) then the only white plate that had Deep Fried Bean Curd (didn’t have batter on it and looked like all Inari but smaller) finally the California Roll I ordered arrived on a black plate and seemed to be made with salmon rather than seafood stick. I have NEVER had a California Roll made with salmon before and worse, it was smoked salmon.


In total my four plates, green tea and miso soup cost me $31.70. At the Sushi Train in Oxford Square on Oxford Street I could have eaten 10 plates, plus the extras. And you know what, despite the fish being Brain Spike killed (apparently it reduces stress and makes the flesh more relaxed) I would rather cram myself the corner in Sushi Train with the plates piled high and take my chances on whether my favourite was going to come round. And you know what…the Miso’s better too.

Weekend Review

The last couple of weeks have been very full on and pressure filled. So this weekend I cancelled plans (Swannies on Saturday and City2Surf on Sunday) and kept it to myself.

But things still had to be done. On Saturday, Ikea finally decided they would deliver my bookshelves (after I’d paid again) between ten am and two pm. Of course, as usual with a time window such as this, they turned up at 1.55. After they had gone I caught a bus (yes Edna, you read right, a bus) into town and walked into JB HiFi were I procured myself a complete set of Sex and The City.

Then I wandered over to Oxford Street through Hyde Park and got my hair cut at three. The hairdresser took a bit too much off my fringe, but as Grandad Pops always said ‘the difference between a good and a bad hair, about two weeks.’ It’ll grow back and hair gel works wonders.

After that I went home and tried to plumb in the DVD player. Turns out I didn’t have the right cables. D’oh! Hubby saved the day by raiding his cable collection and plugging it all in via the Foxtel box. It seems I have an old DVD player, but a new telly, who would have guessed.

I spent the evening reading with the telly on in the background.

Sunday I spent with Hubby putting the finishing touches to the 2008 Alpaca Calendar, even if I do say so myself, it looks pretty good.

I did the ironing while watching Alias Season 4 before going to bed nice and early to read my book.

All in all my weekend was a tad relaxing.

Congratulations to Edna and Sally for completeing the City2Surf in two and a half hours!

I'm A Hieroglyph

So a little bit of bowsing and I came across a site that give you a little test to tell you what ancient language you would be, after twenty questions it came up with this;
You are Egyptian Hieroglyphics! Monumental, ornate and even in technicolour! Your users contributed virtually all ancient knowledge on inks, dyes and writing surfaces - to the point where the popular reed of Papyrus became the universal name for organic, manufactured writing surfaces in the western hemisphere for thousands of years. Proud, upstanding and dignified.

Test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 53% on Ideogramatic
You scored higher than 59% on Syllablic
You scored higher than 21% on Logogramic
You scored higher than 17% on Alphabetic

4WD

How good is this entry about 4WD's in suburban Sydney?
Personally I love it so much I had to comment.

What an Odd Day?

So I’ve had an odd day at work, what with the Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment workshop, how to prevent it rather than do it. Somehow the teacher thought it would be a good idea to reveal that a group of people had been caught having group sex at eight am in one of the offices. I was traumatised! Not by the thought of group sex in the office, but they were going at it at eight am…what kind of a sick pup does that?

Then I had lunch with my boss, a lovely man whom I some very odd conversations with. Don’t get me wrong, it’s just that I'm fairly sure he shouldn’t be discussing some of the sensitive information he does discuss with me. But, I know how to keep my mouth shut, so all’s good.

After lunch I got a phone call from the Ikea delivery guy saying he had tried to deliver my furniture, where was I? I explained I had booked it for Friday. Turns out that message didn’t get through, so should I ‘work from home’ tomorrow morning or not? Maybe I should call them first thing to find out?

Uni started at six, so off I trundled to class. I get asked about an email I sent out to a friend of mine from class. So I have to sit there and explain a couple of things about my current personal circumstances to the sounds of sympathetic ohhs and ahhs. Class then got a little weirder when the lecturer turned up with a bottle of Blue Sapphire gin saying, ‘it’s water really, I just didn’t want to throw the bottle away.’ I’m guessing that she was telling the truth because after two tumblers she still hadn’t fallen over.

During class I got a text message from a mate telling he had taken a new job and was celebrating. I sent back I was in class til nine and I would catch him after maybe. He then said he was going to go to a movie and it would be Die Hard 4.0, being a bit of a Die Hard fan I asked what time it would start and soon found out it started fifteen minutes before my class ended. But I made it, only thing was I had no idea were he was sitting in a packed theatre. So I guessed. I ended up sitting alone one row in front and about six seats to the left. So I went to a movie, with a mate but sat alone.

That just about sums up my day, want do you think?

PS. You have to see Die Hard 4.0 on the big screen as it’s full of the usual Die Hard blowing sh*t up and moohosive car chases. It ROCKS!

ANTM - 8:7

Guest Judge – Erika Heynatz, host of Australia’s Next Top Model

Challenge – Interview skills and they got to do ‘on the street’ interviews incorporating as much Aussie Slang as possible in the foreign location that the rest of the season will be filmed in. That location? SYDNEY! We got to see Hyde Park, Bondi Beach, Circular Quay and fountain next to the QVB. Their apartment is in No1 Martin Place.

Photo Shoot – Actually a Cover Girl advert shoot with a thick Aussie accent.

Bottom Two – Jael and Brittney

Going Home – Jael ‘it’s been such a learning experience and I’m so thankful to have had it.’

Notes – Sydney always looks so beautiful on film.

Soirée

So as I was saying, I was on the bus this morning and the there was this girl on there talking on a mobile phone. She was the spitting image of Paris (a girl I used to work with at Stateside Speedy) but without the passion for Burberry. She was talking about a tasteful soirée next Friday that was only for interesting people and she asked her friend if she knew any.

Obviously I couldn’t hear what the friend was saying but her answers were priceless;

‘Ohh no, not her. I’m sure she’s very interesting but I find her dull.’
‘I think he’s a very nice person, but I don’t like him.’
‘I really like her, but I find her very consuming.’
‘He only talks about production units; I don’t find him interesting at all.’

Unfortunately she got off the bus before I got to find out if she managed to know, like, feel comfortable with enough interesting people to rustle up the 10-12 people she wanted at her exclusive Friday night soirée.

I suppose buses do have their uses.

Forty Minutes

This morning I had a little lie-in and finally dragged my butt out of bed at 8.50. Whilst in the shower I realised that I had to be at work for 9.30 and no later ‘cause I had to be in a Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment workshop which was due to start at 9.30.

Crap!

For once, the worlds smallest hot water tank was a blessing in disguise (four and half minutes of hot water) I whizzed through the shower before the hot ran out, slapped on my face paint, threw on my clothes, fed Puss, picked up my Uni books and left the house at 9.05.

I started speed walking down the street. Towards the end of the street I decided to get on the bus that had just overtaken me so a quick jog and $1.70 later I was sat next to the guy on the mobile talking about his finances and in front of a Paris looky likey talking about her tasteful soirée only for interesting people (see entry called Soirée for further detail).

Isn’t it funny how the world slows down when you’re in a hurry? I swear the bus stopped at every stop, every traffic light and every twit crossing the road when they shouldn’t be. Finally I go toff the bus and trotted along the road from the bus stop to the office. The lights on the pedestrian crossing took an age, then the damn revolving door seemed to go even slower than it normally does (which is pretty slow) then all four lifts where in level 8 and still going up.

I dumped my stuff off on my desk and went to the workshop. It was 9.32 when I walked through the door and I wasn’t the last to arrive. Phew!

So now I know I can make it to work in 40 minutes from bed to desk. A very sweaty and profanity filled forty minutes but it is doable.

Plastic Giant

He must have been trying to escape from Lego Land.

Nerd Attack

Once again I have more time on my hands whilst at work than strictly necessary. So I’ve been designing my own business cards and had a quick surf. I went to XKCD again, ‘cause I love these cartoons a found this

Not sure why it’s funny when I generally love nerds…it just is!

I Just Work Here Man

Last weekend feels like an age away because of the events of the last week but I feel like I should revisit a part of it. Namely the parts were I went and saw Gotye on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at the Metro Theatre on George Street in Sydney.

On Saturday I went with Edna. We saw queued outside for the doors to open, the man himself said ‘Hi’ as he was on his way to grab some food before the gig. We waited in the foyer by the door and then we grabbed a spot on the front railing to the left of the stage. We had a great view. We could practically see his nose hair (if he had any;-).

But first we had to get through the support band that we had neither heard of nor seen before. Mountains in the Sky were a two piece band that came out onto stage wearing white hoodies. One sat behind a drum kit the other stood at a keyboard and proceeded to explain that a technical hitch meant he was using a strange keyboard and any odd sounds that emitted were not meant to happen. Edna and I looked at each other and said a sarcastic ‘Ohh goodie!’ As it happened there were no odd sounds (I think) and their entire set flowed seamlessly from one track to the next. I wasn’t sure it that was because they all sounded the same or because of clever playing. It was kinda hypnotic though and brought the CD for further listening.

- The Only Way

After a forty-five minute break and a chance to buy merchandise (yes, I got a t-shirt) the lights dimmed again and the first beats of ‘The Only Way’ saw the crowd roar and me melt. I love this song! The next one up was equally as loved, off his Boardface album ‘Out Here in the Cold’. Considering the way he made the album Like Drawing Blood (all sampled) I was interested to see how this would be done. The poster boasted a mini orchestra and there were indeed violins, cello, saxophones, flutes and more drums than you can poke a stick at. Gotye himself (Wally de Backer) was seated up front centre (unlike at Basics gigs were he’s hidden at the back) behind a drum kit. But didn’t I hear him say in interviews that even the drums were sampled? It appears that he has sat down and written out all the music. Of course I know nothing all about music, except what I like and what I don’t, so please correct me if I’m wrong. If this is what’s happened, what a clever little bugger he is!

- The drums get a beating

The stage was back dropped with a giant screen and the data projector suspended from the roof was giving me the jitters but I relaxed once I saw the quality animation and films that matched perfectly with the music. Ink in water, cartoons of boys with balloons and the mostly black and white (there was a bit of red in there) alien abduction fitted perfectly with ‘Coming Back’.

- Singing 'Thanks for you Time'

The time that he was on stage passed in a flurry. He introduced those playing on stage with him one at a time and thanked the audience at least three times for coming to see him. I get the feeling that he is still surprised that he is getting to play the packed houses of over a thousand at a time. Edna and I left the theatre on a high and with the feeling that he does this for love and nothing else. I also get the feeling that the lyrics of ‘Thanks for your Time’ will never be issued while he’s working.

Sunday was very much the same except for the company. Syms Covington was there, as was June and Hubby. Once again we were front row but to the right this time, different angle for the photos. Mountains in The Sky had a different energy from the night before, maybe less of whatever then had to give them bounce, after all it was only three in the afternoon. With a daytime crowd, the audience had a younger feel and the screaming proved the crowd was very much younger. It gave the concert a glow it hadn’t had the night before. Both concerts were great and I would without a moments hesitation go and see this exceptionally talented and rather strikingly good looking fella play again.

I Predict A Riot

Kaiser Chiefs
Hordern Pavilion
5th August 2007

So I went to see the Kaiser Chiefs. I won’t say they are my favourite band in the world I certainly wouldn’t shed clothing for them as some of the girls in the audience seemed to do, but I do quite like their music.

I was feeling a bit crap before leaving home and wasn’t really in the mood for the Mosh Pit, but Edna, my fellow concert goer and die-hard fan was determined to get as close the front as possible. We ended up in the middleish of the stage about five metres back. We were squashed, stood on and pushed. Edna was jumping up and down with the thongs on people, I was giving dirty looks to the Jack Russel next to me who had bricks in her bag and kept wacking my in the hip and elbow, I’d move and she’d follow. The music was great though and the lead singer (see I don’t know his name) made plenty of attempts to interact with the crowd. He talked, asked questions and even invited us all to take part in the filming of an advert for the BBC Electric Proms.

They started with ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ and moved on through the hits and the not so well know. I don’t know all their song titles, but I do know they also played ‘Angry Mob’ and ‘Ruby’ and I even knew the words to some, that surprised me. Also, and I have to confess this before I get outed by Edna…I wore earplugs. Well, I’d had a headache all day and I didn’t want to make it worse. Poor excuse I know, but tough! ;-)


After it was all over we tried to get backstage. I have met the manager before at a friends party and I thought I push my luck for the benefit of Edna (I’m sure if she’d been closer it would have been her shirt on stage) But it was not to be. My name wasn’t on the list despite being told by the brother’s best friend’s cousin (or whatever) that our names were on the list. The beefcake at the door in the yellow shirt was not to be budged and he didn’t know were the list was. We left autograph-less.

Anyway, I had a good night. The walk home was nice too. I flopped into bed feeling relaxed and ready for the sleep ahead.
___________________________

I won't be sending this review the Brag 'cause we missed support band Operator Please and listened to Wolf and Cubs from the lobby.

Leading Lady

I saw The Holiday on Saturday morning, you know the one were Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap houses to get away from bad relationships. Anyway there is a line in it that I will remember for a long time. Kates character, Iris is having dinner with the old bloke who lives next door and he say to her (in response to being told about her bad relationship);

Arthur Abbott: Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend.

Iris: You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god's sake! Arthur, I've been going to a therapist for three years, and she's never explained things to me that well. That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.

And so should we all!

The Week that Was

So it has been a full week since I moved out into the big wide world on my own. I’m exhausted and just want to sleep because the last seven days have been full on.

Monday – Moved out taking with me most of my clothes, the fridge (we had two, don’t ask) and Puss.
Tuesday – Work in the morning then went to Ikea, where I purchased some furniture and a few bright shiny objects. Spent the evening putting together the newly acquired furniture.
Wednesday – Went to work in the morning then ‘worked’ from home in the afternoon while the man from Foxtel did his bit. Spent the evening unpacking.
Thursday – Went to work all day then to Uni between 6 and 9. I went straight home got into bed and read a bit before falling asleep before 10.
Friday – Worked all day then went home. Spent over an hour on the phone to various concerned buddies before putting books on shelves and DVDs into unit, then moving to sort out my wardrobe (aka more unpacking).
Saturday – Spent the day with Hubby and a trip to the house for more division of assets. All was disturbingly calm and amicable. Spent the evening with Trixy and Rachel at a gay disco dancing to ‘It’s Raining Men’ and other classics.
Sunday – Woke with a bit of a headache. Did some washing and hoovering before sorting out a little bit more unpacking. Went to see the Kaiser Chiefs with Edna in the evening
Monday (today) – I’m in work but really want to be in my bed, curled up with a good book (unfortunately I have to read Lolita for Uni, so the chick lit will have to wait) and Puss.

Growing Big and Strong

I have set new rules with regards to the rubber band ball. I can only add to it when I’m on the phone. I really do need to find something more useful to do with my phone time.

Not as Addicted as I thought!

67%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

The Three Rs

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

Forgive me for being picky but doesn’t the correct spelling make it the RWAs? And we are looking for the correct spelling when teaching aren’t we?

Travel Options

For the last few days I have been walking to work, the weather has been fine and a new found freedom has brought about a desire to sashay. It’s a rather pleasant twenty five minutes walk if I dawdle and window shop, fifteen if I power walk and take in nothing of my surroundings. I’ve only power walked it once and that resulted in sweat which is neither pretty nor elegant, so I won’t be doing that on a regular basis.

This morning it was raining so I caught a bus from the stop just across the road from my house. The 303 from San Souci to Circular Quay. It took a grand total of five minutes to get down Crown Street then another five to walk from Campbell Street to work. So all in, all I didn't get as wet as I could have, nice! It wasn’t too bad an experience despite the driver giving me dirty looks for having the audacity to ask which way the bus went and then sending me flying through the air as he pulled out of the stop.

I think I prefer to walk if it’s not raining, but the bus will suffice for rainy days and longer trips.

Semester Commencement

I started back at Uni last night with my Writing Seminar class. There are fifteen people in the group with a fifty/fifty mix of girls to boys. I have worked with five of them before in previous classes including the Mad Folk Singer from Theory last semester.

It’s a mixed group of weirdos and people who consider themselves intellectual. There’s the lady in her fifties with two kids and about eight degrees who has dispensed with her surname and simply goes by her Christian name (ala Prince, Madonna and Jesus), the American who looks like he’s been hit with a frying pan who is really hard to understand ‘cause his accent is so thick, the older lady who has had many natural history books published but can’t make up her mind about anything and the girl in her mid twenties who is clearly the smartest in the room and is living on a shoe string.
Should be a fun semester!

Gotye High

What with moving and everything, I haven't written my review for last weekends shows yet, but I'll try and get it done very soon!

ANTM - 8:6

Guest Judge - Matthew Jordan Smith, photographer

Challenge – The Acting One. The girls had two hours to memorize three short scripts and then play Melodramatic Model, Diva Model and Perky Model

Photo Shoot - Matthew Jordan Smith. The girls had to pose in re-staging of events from with previous cycles. A fainting, dental work, lesbian kiss, food stealing, the twins, spot breakout, naked.

Bottom Two – Whitney and Jael

Went Home – Whitney ‘it’s becoming evident to me that, maybe, modelling isn’t exactly the avenue I need to be going down.’

Notes – Natasha had a mini breakdown when Renee and Dionne won visits from their families for the challenge. Dionne had issues with the photo shoot, she had to portray a lesbian but ended up enjoying it. Both the Plus size potentials are gone.

Shop & GO!

I’m not sure why but I’ve wanted one of these for ages, and now with the lack of car, I will have to walk too and from the shops, it became a necessity. Mine is neither red nor navy but a yucky powder blue with a section of stripes around the bottom.

I was surprised to learn that even thought these thing make carrying your shopping home easier, when it’s fully loaded you still get a decent workout. By the time I got home today with my new bed covering set and lovely new fluffy towels, my arms where hurting as if I’d done fifty press-ups.

Fargo, Spargo, Embargo

Spargo with Dead Letter Chorus and John Columbus
The Hopetoun Hotel, Surry Hills
Thursday July 26

As the five-piece John Columbus started to play their Dylan and Radiohead inspired songs I was forced to ask myself why are three of them wearing hats. There was bowler on the bass player, a cloth cap on the guitar player and what can only be described as JR Hartley inspired trilby hat seated neatly on the noggin of the keys. Despite the odd number of head adornments the sound coming from the stage bathed the audience in a cross between The Animals and Nick Cave, if he were on anti depressants. With titles like ‘Einstein’, ‘The Toll’, ‘Supermarket’ and ‘Absolutely Frozen’ I was left with a feeling that the next time I see these guys they would be topping the bill.

- JR Hartley on Keys aka Ben for John Columbus

Next up were Brisbane based Dead Letter Chorus. After a heavy week of gigs, Cameron, lead singer was feeling the effects of too much of a good thing. His voice was croaky and he had to rely on Gaby, the only girl in the purple crinoline dress and multi-taskier (singing, keys and guitar) to fill in the gaps. To be fair, if he hadn’t of said anything, the crowd would never have known he was suffering. Their set included ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Laces’ which sounded a bit like Counting Crows and Jewel, but guitarist Matt seemed to be jamming in an entirely different band, Rolling Stones maybe. The second to last song was ‘Misery’ which saw Gaby on stage alone with her guitar while the rest of them stood on the sidelines and watched as she suffered just what she was singing about. Don’t leave her there alone guys, give her some support so you can keep up the good work.

- Gaby from Dead Letter Chorus

The evening started with so mush promise and kept on giving. The five lads from Melbourne that call themselves Spargo arrived on stage just after ten thirty. Most of the crowd that had gathered for Dead Letter Chorus started to drift away by the end of their first song of the evening ‘Jack the Blacksmith’, and in the words of Lachlan, the lead singer ‘better a small but appreciative crowd, than a massive disinterested one.’ They continued though their country music inspired set to a new song called ‘Ballad of a Young Married Man’ that made Rawhide and 19 spring to mind, but you know what, it was fun, toe tapping stuff that made you want to dance.

- Spargo.

It was one of the few times I actually thought to myself, these guys are having fun, they enjoy being on stage even if they only get a couple of hours sleep, if any before getting on a plane at 6am. That feeling of joy is infectious and so are the songs they play, maybe because they talk to the audience, maybe because they are just really good and maybe because at the end of each song guitarist Andy said into the mike, in his best Elvis voice, ‘thank you very much’. ‘Loverman’, ‘Live and Learn’ and ‘Sweet Therese’, despite having a distinct blues/country feel inspire you to sing along even if you don’t know the words. These are songs you’d have on you iPod for strolling, relaxing and running and that’s hard to achieve.

- Dancing the night away

The last song on the evening was a cover of the Johnny Cash classic Folsom Prison Blues. They asked everyone to dance and feel the beat, and you know what they did. The folks of Surry Hills got down and bopped along like I have never seen before, they stopped talking and danced. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a few Stetsons and a cry of Yee hah! The small crowd was indeed, appreciative.

ANTM - 8:7

Guest Judge – Bennie Medina

Challenge – Pink a Supermodel name and then go to a high rollers party and impress a group of celebrities, plus Tara’s agent, publicist and a other ‘influential’ peeps. Winner – Dionne

Photo Shoot – by Kareem Black and each girl had to do four sides of her personality.

Bottom Two – Sarah and Whitney

Went Home – Sarah ‘it’s OK to be myself.’

Note – 50Cent pushed Jael in the pool after she annoyed him.

Triple Zero

The other night I had a conversation with my mate Miss Eudoxia about the circumstances under which a call to 000 is appropriate (we also chatted about boys and had a naked pillow fight in the less serious moments). It turns out that a bin in the middle of the road just requires you to get off your arse and move it. A driver hassling you and driving dangerously is just cause, as is having your husband sectioned ‘cause he’s threatened to kill himself or you.

So having had this conversation I was unpleasantly surprised last night as I left the office I had to make a call to 000.

On the steps outside my office were two guys (Caucasian, wearing beanies and other shabby clothes) holding a lighter under a coke can. As I stepped over them to get home I smelt a smell that was decidedly not natural. The hypodermic needle next to them was also a dead give away. It was only 6.30pm.

I rang Miss Eudoxia after and she confirmed that drug taking did indeed qualify as a 000 call as at least four laws were being broken.

Note: 000 is the Emergancy number in Australia. 999 in the UK. 911 in the USA

Gotye Pending

This weekend is a big one! Gotye [Goatee-yeah] is in Sydney for his mini orchestra tour. So whilst having YouTube up and running I looked him up and found a few things you MUST see.

Firstly, a two part mini documentary/interview by AudioTechnology Magazine about how he makes his music – Part One and Part Two.

Secondly, there are the music videos for ‘Hearts A Mess’ and ‘Out Here in The Cold’

And lastly there is an episode (16 at Golden Plains Festival) of Beat TV (yes, those that printed that review I did). For the Goyte bit you need to go to 5 minutes in.

Enjoy!

PS. to get back to me, back out of YouTube. ;-)

VW Ad

After following a link from a random blog to another blog and then to the ‘Ohh so evil, therefore banned at work’ YouTube I found the advert that had sparked my interest.

This Volkswagon advert that was banned from British TV’s for either the use of the word ‘Bollocks’ or that a small child is seen to be reaching above shoulder height. Either way it’s quite a clever advert.

Whilst looking at banned adverts I also found this one. Again, it’s for Volkswagon, but an independently made one that has nothing to do with the Volkswagon Corporation. Not very PC, but funny.

Masters...So Far

I got my results for this semester today. In a weeks time I will be starting the second to last semester of my Masters in Writing and here’s how I’m doing so far. For someone who only did any good at art in school, I’m quite proud of myself.

Advanced Narrative Writing – Distinction
Book Publishing and Marketing – Credit
Non-Fiction Writing – Credit
Writing Poetry – Distinction
Professional Editing – Distinction (got a higher distinction for my last paper)
Theory and Writing – Distinction

Only Writing Seminar (were we write and workshop) and the Professional Writing Project to go. So by this time 2008 I will (all being well) finished my edumacation! ;-)

But... it's not Jazz!

The Charlie Parkers and Modern Life
The Spectrum
Wednesday July 18

After completely missing the first act due to their early start and my tardy behaviour I settled in to watch the substitute support act while Modern Life tuned up. She was small, blond and wearing the highest black stilettos I’ve ever seen. She was also quite clearly hammered!

Just before starting, singer Charlie Smith came on stage and slid the drums slightly to the left, drummer Michael was clearly unimpressed and the set start time was delayed slightly be the rearranging of the drums so he could comfortably sit behind them and play. But all was well with the world because they started with ‘Daffodils’ and moved rapidly onto they own theme song ‘Modern Life’. With the progression of the set I was starting to think they sounded a bit like Duran Duran and Roxy Music, with Michael Hutchins’ brother on vocals (the hair, the low cut t-shirt and the moves), then they played a cover of ‘Love is a Drug’ by Brian Ferry. All became clear, they do sound like Roxy Music. There was plenty of interaction with the small crowd when it was revealed that Charlie knew the blond girl and for a brief moment the show became strictly adults only. They played ‘Sensation’ and ‘Without a Trace’ to close the set, then came back when asked, to wrap up with ‘Monkey’ when it was clear that not all of the headliners had arrived yet.

Watching the complete change of set left me thinking how much harder the drummer has it than everyone else. It took Dug, the aforementioned hard done by, drummer of The Charlie Parkers ten minutes to set his kit up and then another five to sound check. The keys and guitarists all took about two minutes to do both.

They started their set on-time with the rocking guitar riff of ‘Venus’ which had everyone in the now greatly expanded crowd, dancing. As the set continued with guitar heavy ‘Katie’ and the synthesiser dominated ‘Step Back Forward’ the temperature in the room rose as the dancing continued. Bass player, Eben, maintained the look of the cool bass player, even when a change of pace in the middle of the set saw the girls in the audience getting a good look at lead singer Jason’s bare shoulders as he removed his shirt and switched to an acoustic guitar for the slower ‘Something Wry’.

With barely a hint of jazz influence and more Kaiser Chiefs and Powderfinger showing through they played ‘Blackheart’ and ‘Dr Zeus’, a song aimed at having a go at the pharmaceuticals companies, but even with that announcement the enthusiasm of the crowd never waned. The multi tasking Joel switched with ease between his guitar and keyboards, all the time keeping up with the backing vocals. The music rapped up with ‘Just a Kiss’. Oddly enough, despite the requests and shouting, they played no encore. They did however, spend a large amount of time with the fans who stayed behind. Which is best, encore or time cultivating fans? I’m guessing by the queues of people being greeted with smiles and claps on the back, the cultivation of fans is all part of the fun for the Charlie Parkers and sod the encore after a twelve song set.
__________________________

Had this one brewing for a while. Went out with the girls the other night and wasn't gonna review, but though that I should even though I missed the first act. Gotta keep in practice never know when The Brag will call and send me somewhere ;-)

Bessy

Bessy is my hard working, kilometre chewing white, old cow of a Subaru Outback. She is four and half years old and has 215,000 kilometres on the clock. Roughly every six to eight weeks she goes and visits the health clinic for a tune up and oil change, she’s had three sets of Yokohama tyres and she has only let me down once, when her cam belt broke on the F3.

She’s just had to have her gear box striped down and a few bearings replaced and a new differential. Not bad when you think that in human years she’d be getting on for 70.

Even the mechanics like her. This time after mending her, they gave her an extra special treat and washed her!

How Excited - Part Three

This week Brag published this one ;-)

ANTM – 8:6

Guest Judge – Cathy Gould – CEO of Elite Models

Challenge – In groups of three the girls had to make a Sears window display with them in it. Sarah, Renee and Dionne won the challenge after another (better) group got disqualified. Sarah won the personal prize.

Photo Shoot – The girls were dressed up as boys and they had to pose with drag queens. There were couples of the; nautical, outdoorsy, glam rock, bohemian, power, rocker, frat, hip hop and red carpet couples.

Bottom Two – Diana and Whitney

Went Home – Diana ‘ehh just ‘cause’

Mans Man

I work in a very male dominated office. Most of them are true blue Aussie blokes on the older end of the scale. None fits this description better than John. He’s worked here for 35years and sits in his little corner doing his stuff and only peeking out when talk comes round to footie, cricket or baseball. He’s a tough cookie that knows everyone in the company and has in the past told stories of the days when swearing, smoking and fist fights were the norm in the office.

Over the last couple of months I have had to replace my tube of hand cream that sits on my desk next to my computer, twice. I’ve been confused by my rapid use of the stuff but this morning I found out what’s been happening.

I caught him ‘cause I got a little earlier than usual. There he was standing next to my desk, pink tube in hand. He looked really guilty…and he made me promise not to tell anyone, then promised to buy me a refill when this one was gone.

John’s been putting it on his hands in the morning and again after lunch everyday. He told me that because he was often around when no one else was he had tried it shortly after I’d started ‘cause his hands felt ‘a bit odd’ one day. He’s been doing it ever since.

I Like...

What with yesterday morning being the coldest since the early 80s it got me thinking this morning (my brain slows when it’s cold, it’s like putting maggots in the fridge (it’s a fishing thing)).

There are a few things I like about the cold and a few things I don’t.

Like being tucked up in my nice warm bed
Don’t like having to get out of said warm bed
Like Puss cuddling up with me
Don’t like the fact Puss paws me to get attention before cuddling up
Like being able to see my breath as I walk
Don’t like not being able to feel the ends of my fingers
Like the low winter sunshine
Like the steam coming of the dams
Like the covering of frost that melts as the sun hits it
Like that i have to wear the brightly coloured scarf
Don't like that I have dress and undress several times a day as I walk from inside to out and vise-versa
Like the amazing light you only get in winter with frost and fog
Don’t like having to get up to see it
Like the clear skies and frosty air, it reminds me of the UK in spring
Love the way the stars look so much brighter in a clear winter sky

The Catholics

So I’m feeling a bit down on religion at the moment, more so than usual. It all started with the World Youth Day interview and it just seems to be getting worse.

Before I go any further I know some very lovely people with religious beliefs, and this is not aimed at you.

Last night I watching the news (BBC World Service, Thank you very much) before going to bed and there was a story about Portugal bringing in a law that allowed abortion up until 10 weeks. Before now, women such as the 40 year interviewed with a black box over her eyes had to either do dodgy back room versions or travel overseas. I’m not necessarily for abortions, but I am pro choice…anyway the reason for mentioning this law in the first place. The Bishop of Whatever town in Portugal was interviewed and his quote was, ‘we must stop women from benefiting from this law.’

Yes, I kid you not, he used the word BENEFITING!

Much bad language was used by me and I think the cats went into hiding.

So it brings me back to WYD2008 (notice no link, there will be no encouragement from me!). This event takes place every four year and moves around the world. It’s a month of bible bashing and this year hundreds of thousands of brainwashed youth will descend on Sydney. If you aren’t interested in meeting any of these people, be out of town for at least 18 – 20th July 2008 ‘cause there’s gonna be nearly half a million of them. Anyway, on the 20th July there will be a closing Mass led by none other than the ex-Hilter youth Pope Benedict at Randwick Racecourse.

Now, consider this…the Catholics believe that gambling is a sin and one of the many actions of the devil, and yet they are asking the NSW government to give them nearly $50m so they can have their Mass on private land that is devoted to and purpose built for the pursuit of Gambling!

Here endeth the rantith

Sex Sells

You have got to love business enterprise and the secret life of women.

News Item from today Sydney Morning Herald

Wind and Sun Burn

After drive all day on Saturday I repeated the experience on Sunday. This time it was just under 500 kilometres and heading north to Gloucester. There was an alpaca meeting, starting at ten. The wind was blowing a gale, but the sun was shining its little heart out. So twenty odd people, including the entire executive committee gathered on a veranda to have the last OGM with the current bunch of work horses (aka committee).

Being outside in the wind and sun for four hours isn’t a good idea in Aussie, even in the middle of winter. I had on four layers of jumpers, gloves, a beanie and sun glasses and I still managed to burn my lips. They currently have that, I’ve eaten too much chilli feel and people at work have commented I look a bit pink. Nice!

I’m at work now and feel like I haven’t had a weekend at all. I’ve driven (or been passenger) for over a 1000 kilometres and sat through several hours of meetings. I been bone chilling, teethe clatteringly cold and got sun burnt. I’ve been roped into doing another year as newsletter and I didn’t manage to offload the convening of Flora Fest in September.

It’s also looking like the next six months are going to be so busy at work that I may have to take a leave of absence from my Masters so I can fit everything in

How am I ever going to get rid of all this alpaca stuff? Ideas gratefully received.

Ammonia

Over 500 kilometres and seven hours in the drivers seat I got home after picking up the girls from Canyonleigh and driving them to Ourimbah. Only ten minutes to go and Wispa, Arabella and Bertie decided that it was time to have a pee.

It was seven degrees outside and I had forgotten my coat earlier so I was driving in shirt sleeves, but still I drove with the windows down!

- Bertie (foreground), Arabella and Wispa are unimpressed by the prospect of a couple of hour in teh back of a van