|
|
8 November 2006
|
Mail Bag!
Wednesday 8 November 2006 - 8.47pm
|
Monday was one of those rare days when there was something in my mail box other than junk mail and spiderwebs...in fact there were six, yes six items! Something of a record for me I think, and yes, all were addressed to me and not the previous tenant (8 months on and still getting mail for her  ).
The first item was a power bill, but sorry Genesis Energy, you went right to the bottom of the pile 
Number Two was a large envelope from our own dear Ms  heather with a lovely handwritten letter (I don\'t know how long it has been since I physically put pen to paper and not typed something - I think my hands would seize up from the effort!) and the most adorable cross stitch patterns of kitties - destined to become a UFO I am sure though I pledge to try my utmost not to relegate them to that category! 
Item Three was a dvd I purchased on Trade Me for the bargain price of $11.00 of Wet Wet Wet. I distinctly remember when their first big song in NZ came out - Angel Eyes - I was five years old and I loved them to pieces. I used my Christmas and Birthday money from my grandparents that year to buy their first album (coincidently also the first cassette I purchased) and thrashed it, and thus began a long running  affair with all things "wet." The dvd I bought is of their "Playing Away At Home" concert in Glasgow (their home town) in 1997 which I desperately wanted to buy when it was first released only we didn\'t have a dvd player then. 
Items Number Four and Five were also TardMe purchases; "The Sound of Butterflies" by Rachel King and "My Friend Leonard" by James Frey. My book buying is slowly coming back under control as Christmas present buying time approaches (I really need to begin my shopping  )
Item Number Six was a package from my dear friend Inge (pronounced like Inge the winger  ); the loveliest Belgium chick, married to a divine kiwi bloke who are both currently living in Japan! Inge keeps a very fascinating and well written blog on her life in her the land of the rising sun and I highly recommend a squizz at it: http://www.ingechan.blogspot.com She kindly sent me some gorgeous little presents from Nippon as a totally unnecessary thank you for a small task I did for her (but thank you anyway Inge!!!). The little goodies included a beautiful pen with a Geisha on it, a hand mirror and scent bag, a little shoulder bag, postcards of Belgium and one of a Geisha, a hello kitty charm (not totally sure what one does with it, any hints Inge? It's gorgeous all the same - I Hello Kitty!), and a post card with the "In Flanders Fields" poem which I very much love and which never fails to move me. It was written by Major John McCrae in 1915 in Ypres, near Inge's home town (which looks to be a totally stunning - breathtaking photos can be found on her blog - and one I am definitely going to visit someday).
Of course, since then my mail box has been on complete famine status but I am sure it needed a few days to get over the shock of so much mail in one hit 
Music: Wet Wet Wet - Morning
Mood: Sick but happy I have so many wonderful friends :)
|
3 November 2006
|
It's 9.30am on a friday morning...
Friday 3 November 2006 - 9.59am
|
...and I am drinking coke and writing a journal entry. No, I dont have the day off, I am just being exceptionally lazy here at work. I am not in the mood for work today at all. What I am in the mood for is my upcoming crazy/fun/busy weekend. Plans include:
Tonight: A&P Show (mmmm, hotdogs on sticks and scary rides!)
Sat: visiting sister and her family (havent played with my neice and nephews in ages!), putting the go kart back together
Sat night: Halloween party which I will not be drinking at (still not quite over last weekend yet!)
Sun: go karting all day with the boy at our local track
Okay, so not quite on the scale of busyness of our Ms heather but compared to how lazy my weekends have been of late, I will be knackered on Monday morning
*******
I just came back from my morning tea break (yes I have been so productive this morning that I needed one  ) and found an artichoke sitting on my desk!
One of the guys here at work is a bit of a gardening fanatic and has all kinds of interesting things in his vege patch ( chrissy would probably love to explore it sometime I imagine). Apparently NZ is the perfect climate for growing artichokes (phil reckons we could be the artichoke growing capital of the world) and because I am have only ever had them marinaded out of a jar, he brought me in a fresh one, cut from the plant this morning, to try - complete with cooking instructions so I have no excuses not to broaden my culinary horizons.
Music: the clickety click on my nails on the keyboard
Mood: Lazy
|
31 October 2006
|
Pushing up daisys
Tuesday 31 October 2006 - 10.34pm
|
Mark your calenders Ladies and Gentleman, for http://www.deathclock.com says I will die on Monday 24 March 2055 at the ripe old age of 74
Music: Eve 6 - Here's to the Night
Mood: Blah
|
29 October 2006
|
Alcohol and the C word
Sunday 29 October 2006 - 10.34pm
|
I am currently feeling like the biggest pile of turd but no sympathy please; it is totally self inflicted misery at the hands of far too much gin consumed at my first ever Halloween Party last night and resulting in the beginnings of a painful UTI. I went as a witch - boring I know but since I was a Halloween party virgin I thought I should ease my way in slowly...and also I lack imagination and funds. I did learn however that:
- Drunk people + BBQ = lots of burnt meat
- Gin is an evil master but one I think I obeyed well
- Drunk people + sharp knife = scary! But the resulting Jack-o-Lantern was awesome!
- Some people have much wilder imaginations when it comes to dressing up than I could ever hope to have particularly the guy who came as a member of the band KISS, another as Captain Kirk and the prize for the worst taste costume; the guy who came as Steve Irwin complete with paper mache stingray protruding from his chest
- Drunk people + fireworks = wide spread panic and running for cover as they did not always go up as intended...
But my self induced misery and drunken stupidity kinda pales in comparison when I think about my Dad. Tomorrow morning he has to be at the PN hospital at 7am for surgery to have a large patch (roughly palm sized) of skin cancer removed from his chest and skin grafts to "patch" the cut out area. I love my Daddy-o heaps and am really worried; he must certainly be an anesthetic risk as he is such a heavy smoker (though there really is no point in wasting your breath trying to tell him to quit puffing on his beloved cancer sticks...it does not compute because he does not want to hear it - pfft, males!). He is making light of it all which I know is a good thing, no point worrying over what you cant control right? so I think I must be doing all the worrying for him. His surgery should be all over by lunch time so fingers crossed it all goes smoothly and he will be driving the doctors and nurses (and my poor mum!) mad - I cannot imagine he is going to be a terribly good patient as he cannot stand sitting still for more than 10 minutes before he starts fidgeting...either that or he falls asleep and snores loud enough to make herds of buffalo take fright in Africa (and damn it all if it isn't a hereditary trait - much to my boy's dismay ).
Music: Brooke Fraiser - Deciphering Me (AWESOME song playing right now on the radio, cant wait for the album!)
Mood:  Worried
|
27 October 2006
|
Alright!
Friday 27 October 2006 - 6.59pm
|
The Pitama Road bakery has Vanilla Coke in cans back in stock
Yehar!
I got my sugeray goodness, caffine hit at lunch time
Oh and a gingerbread man (I can never resist them )
Music: Icehouse - Your God, Not Mine
Mood:  Excellent
|
26 October 2006
|
Nation States
Thursday 26 October 2006 - 10.58pm
|
I have just joined the most awesome online internet game, Nation States which I imagine Miss  notsojaded…, being our resident Political Science, Political Economy, Marketing and Governance guru will enjoy.
I could try and describe the concept myself, but why bother when the site's creator does it so well:
NationStates is a free nation simulation game. Build a nation and run it according to your own warped political ideals. Create a Utopian paradise for society's less fortunate or a totalitarian corporate police state. Care for your people or deliberately oppress them. Join the United Nations or remain a rogue state. It's really up to you.
The Canadians amongst us will be thrilled to know I have moved my country to belong in your region (odd but true), mainly cos they asked me the nicest to join them..and they have a very cool forum page
And my Nation State?
The Kingdom of Paddy_tat (in honour of my delightful caramel cat, Paddington)
"Love me, love my cat" (our nation's motto)
Civil Rights: Rare
Economy: Strong
Political Freedoms: Excellent
The Kingdom of Paddy_tat is a small, pleasant nation, notable for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 7 million are highly moralistic and fiercely conservative, in the sense that they tend to believe most things should be outlawed. People who have good jobs and work quietly at them are lauded; others are viewed with suspicion.
The medium-sized, moralistic government devotes most of its attentions to Law & Order, with areas such as Social Welfare and Commerce receiving almost no funds by comparison. The average income tax rate is 17%, but much higher for the wealthy. A large private sector is led by the Beef-Based Agriculture industry, followed by Soda Sales and Door-to-door Insurance Sales.
Voting is voluntary, the nation is ravaged by daily union strikes, nudity is frowned upon, and Animal Liberationists are regularly jailed. Crime is moderate. Paddy_tat's national animal is the ginger cat and its currency is the paddy.
Music: Filter - Welcome to the Fold
Mood: Giggly
|
|
Heather - the girl of my dreams?
Thursday 26 October 2006 - 6.50pm
|
I had the oddest dream last night, and yes Ms heather you had a starring role!
The details are getting a little faded around the edges as the day has worn on but it went something like this:
For whatever reason, you invited my boy and I to come visit you in Adelaide were you lived (don’t ask me why there and not Perth!). I am sure we had a lovely time though have no idea what we did, all I know is that we arrived on a Friday and we left to go back to NZ the following Monday. We had a hire van when we arrived but when we left it morphed into a sedan car which we loaded with my luggage plus an ironing board, bicycle, laptop and bird cage. We drove off and went around a couple of corners before I realised we hadnt said goodbye so I made Michael turn around and go back and you and every single person you were related to came out to farewell us with hugs and tears like we were the most precious people in the world to you all. We drove off a second time and stopped for breakfast on the way to the airport at this truly bizarre cafe where you sat on toilets at the table so that if you got too full you could "make room" as it where without having to leave your food behind. While I was contentidly eating at this unusual eatery, Michael pulled out the laptop we had packed in the car and suddenly a hoard of teenage skank girls surrounded him and ooed and ahhed over his ability to fly a plane on it, like it was the most tricksy thing in the world. I was just about to get into an awful sulk about all these tarty girls showering him with attention which he was lapping up when the alarm went off and I woke up.
I am sure a pyschologist would have a field day with all the absolute rubbish in that dream.
But thanks heather, I had a lovely time visiting you!!!
Music: R.E.M - Orange Crush
Mood: Weird
|
24 October 2006
|
Long weekends and landlords
Tuesday 24 October 2006 - 6.59pm
|
Ahhhh, long weekends are bliss aren't they?  Never long enough of course, or often enough (in a perfect world every weekend would be a long weekend...no wait, in a perfect world I wouldn't have to work!).
So Saturday, a nice day here in PN I understand, but was an absolute scorcher in Napier where the boy and I went to visit my best friend for the day. So hot infact that I was gravely in danger of overheating in my grossly inappropriate winter wear. A good excuse for shopping if ever I saw one! So after a delicious lunch at "Jaffles" we hit the shops and I purchased a lovely peasant style white top...which of course showed off my lime green bra nicely so a further shopping mish was called for followed by a third to buy sun block so we could go play minigolf in the blazing sun without fear of turning lobsterish...though the boy forgot to spread any on his ears and they were so red they blended into his hair 
After an afternoon of lazing around and eating ice creams we had a lovely dinner out at a local Taradale restaurant before heading for home and crawling into bed after an ill fated attempt to watch Star Wars Episode I when we got back (I fell asleep in the first 10 minutes and apparently snored louder than a bandsaw...but I dont believe it )
When we did watch the rest of the movie on Sunday morning, I thought it was pretty good (though what on earth was George Lucas thinking when he created Jar-Jar Binks??? God that is an annoying and totally pointless character!) and quite true to the spirit of the originals even though they were created a good 20 odd years apart. Am looking forward to the next two which we will probably make a start on this Friday night.
I came home Sunday afternoon to a rather grumpy discovery. Someone had obviously been in my flat and my washing was missing from the clothes line. I went to pay my rent and my landlord told me she had gone into my place on Sunday morning to make sure my roof hadn’t leaked again after all the rain overnight and had collected my now sopping washing, rewashed it, put it through the dryer and folded it for me. Now, I know that this is a very nice thing for her to have done and that her intentions were good – but it pissed me off beyond words. She might own the property but I am the tenant and it is my home which now feels like its been invaded, esp when she passed comment on the fact I hadn’t done my breakfast dishes which will attract ants (they were actually my dinner dishes – like I eat breakfast!). Maybe I am not justified in feeling this grumpy about what is essentially an act of kindness, but I do. I just feel I am being watched over now and my flat is no longer my little haven - it is not a feeling I like too well.
In other news, we tried the recently opened Burger Fuel in PN last night – quite tasty though not as good as our first choice for dinner Burger Extreme would have been (they were shut so they don’t have to pay their staff more on a public holiday or charge a surcharge). We also went and saw “Out of the Blue” which was very good, very respectfully told and very poignant. Must admit to shedding a tear or two – hard not to when people, esp children, are being remorselessly gunned down by a madman.
Music: Minuit - Djordj
Mood: Neutral
|
|
| The weather in.... |
Hamilton (where I live)
http://www.hamiltonweather.co.nz/
Palmerston North (where my heart lives)
http://www.pnairport.co.nz/faq14.php3
|
| Entry Archive |
< 2009 |
2010
- No entries yet; why not write one?
|
|
