Tuesday

Sheesh my blog is becoming rather happy isn't it, this blogpost (which I started yesterday but didn't finish) was titled "irritability".

Ah well... it's supposed to reflect my mood and I guess it does.

Anyway, a thought for the day:

19 February 2008 - Thought for the day

True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable.

(Dave Tyson Gentry)

G and I can often have quiet moments together ♥

At the moment, I'm bored at work. HBBM is away, back on Friday. I have no work - he hasn't left me any... so I'm going to have to move my butt and go looking for stuff to do upstairs - filing, etc. YAY. I hate it. I'm so bored I'd rather be at home cos there's so much to do.

I'm so excited about so many things. Our wedding, for one. G's mom made an invitation for us, it's so beautiful! We have to decide on a font to use in it and on the menu/tablecard things, and also the right wording for it. But it's so beautiful! We have to yay/nay certain things about it, but all in all it's spot on for now!

Thursday we're meeting with the minister guy. Hopefully this weekend we have nothing on, so we can relax and do our own, fun, relaxing things. Maybe go out somewhere. I want to practise my driving - take G's car out for a slow gentle "spin" hehe.

We've still got to contact people with regards to the decor and flowers, hopefully if we have a quiet weekend we can sit down and take stock of what all we have to do for the wedding preparations... we haven't really thought of it in much detail cos things have been so busy. I just hope G isn't too tired, as this week is apparently going to be/is being a biatch! I hope things settle down a little bit enough for us to sort out the things on our "to do" list on the fridge, first, before any wedding plans hehe. So much hanging around waiting to be done and it's small things, just that they've been hanging on for months hehe. Not annoying as individual things, just that it's silly that they're still around.

I'm still so pissed off at the pest control company. We've put Borax down, but what the hell are we supposed to do about the washmachine? We can't spray inside it, I don't know what powder would do to it... I am SO SICK OF COCKROACHES!

My fish are beautiful. I have been reminded about the fact because I cleaned the fishtank on Sunday. Every time, it gets dirty and it loses its appeal, and then I bring myself to clean it, and I'm amazed every time and my wonder and excitement about the tank is renewed. They really are beautiful. When we are in Aus and I set up a new tank, I think I will get silver hatchetfish instead of congo tetras. Congos are nice, but they're far more vigorous than the other tetras I have. It's ended up in 2 of my marbled hatchetfish and a neon being eaten (plus 2 other neons etc who disappeared ages ago and I never found - maybe eaten as well?). I doubt silver hatchetfish would be able to eat anyone else in the tank! Hatchetfish are SO adorable, I am really stuck on them. My favourites though are glowlight tetras. A simple fish but so sweet looking and easy to keep and despite the ease of maintenance, beautiful all the same. Neons are pretty too but a little... silly. They eat far too much and look as if they're about to explode. It's not that I'm overfeeding the fish, just that I have to put in enough for EVERYone and the neons tend to gulp more food than anyone else!

Heremia is coming along gorgeously! I must take a photo and put it up here soon. I want to stitch tonight, so maybe then. She's filling up quite well - her neck is more filled in and she's getting quite a nice bit of mane. Too exciting!

My driving lessons are coming along well... no lesson this coming Saturday, so that leaves me with 11 lessons left. Eeek, I hope it works out! I don't want to have to rebook a test and do more lessons... HOLD THUMBS!

These are going to be really busy 2 years. The wedding plans and arrangements will take up most of this year, December will be back at work and Xmas holidays. Then next year, we are going to be focussing on the move. Getting in touch with migration agents/sorting out things ourselves, sorting out stuff getting ready to move... all that jazz. It'll be a really busy year next year. I think I might have to leave work in the middle of the year or so, to be able to spend time getting things ready. Hopefully I'll have my driver's licence and will be able to drive around organising things/going to fetch paperwork etc... we'll see. I know for one thing we'll have to get everything ready during next year in order to be ready to leave ASAP when G's commitment here ends. I can't wait. To be finished work here, and to get things going in preparation! YAY!!! EEK!!!

G got a lot of new PC games a coupla days ago. So now we have lots of games to play! Sam and Max Hit the Road, another Sam and Max, The Orange Box, Gears of War, Crysis, umm.... Quake 4... um... things like that. I want to play Sam and Max. And I want to carry on playing NFS Carbon: Own the City on the PSP... heeheehee that's so fun and OMG so addictive! Want to get back into Locoroco too, I'm about 6/10 of the way through (I think). Then we have the other PSP games... and of course I have 4 X-stitch designs to do.. Heremia excluded! Too many fun things to do, too little fun time available! Nevermind going out and about... going to the seaside, going out into the country, going out for supper, etc etc etc... *sigh*!!!!!

*sigh*... that XY problem isn't resolved. I haven't heard much, but that doesn't mean anything. I still don't know what to do. And it really affects how I feel about things regarding our wedding... how will I be able to seriously be happy that they're there? Like, gee "thanks for coming guys :)" when I'm like... pretending? I can't do shit like that. Faking things... I can't PRETEND to like something or be happy about something. Going to A+C's wedding, and they had speeches and things and I was thinking... how sincerely will I be able to accept a speech like that...? I don't know. "Thanks for (hardly) enthusing, right from the start, so glad you could come..."? That's how I feel right now.

Anyway, let me post this and go make some tea - I need a bit of warm soothing about now...

On another note: I got 2 CDs yesterday - the last Cardigans album (now I have them all! YAYYYYYY) and a Junior Senior album "Hey Hey My My Yo Yo". I'm so enjoying the Junior Senior CD so much! It's endless happy cheerful music, without being crappy fake unoriginal junky music. Love it! So much! I have to update my ipod now, put all my new music on it, take off the older stuff I don't listen to... ! So exciting!!

Ok teatime now!

Too little time :P

I feel cooped up, stuck indoors, shut in...

I wish we could go somewhere, outside, like sit by the sea, or on a mountain.

I am bored and got sidetracked from this blogpost so I'm going to surf online for pc cases... *dream dream*

IT'S FRIDAY THANK HEAVENS tralalalalalaaaaaaaa!!!!

?Bleh~!

Such stupidity...

We had such a hectic weekend, everything was planned and scheduled...

We spent virtually the whole Friday evening unpacking the kitchen, ready for pest control to do their thing bright and early the next morning.

I had my driving lesson at 8, while I was away G took Dude to his parents' place and fetched his mom - we were going to go invitation-ideas shopping and also to buy material for the bridesmaids' dresses. I got back, rushed and washed up the remaining dishes in the sink, and waited for G to come home. G's mom smsd just before 10, saying they were on their way. No peep from the pest control co. G and his mom arrived about 10:30. Still no sign of pest control.

We eventually got everything sorted out (stuff to take with us to shop around), and I'd just paused to show his mom the wedding dress material and I see the pest control peeps pulling up outside (at about 10:53). G rushed out and they mumbled "is this no 28?" so he said "yes, and you're an hour late".. "mumble mumblemumble" "sorry, we're on our way out, bye" said G and closed the door. They left. No apology, nothing. I'm still waiting for a phonecall or email from them to apologise. This after the woman phoned on Friday to confirm 10:00! They could have phoned and said they were running late. But no. And we had such a lot scheduled for the day. They were sposed to take 30mins and we were supposed to be out the house for 3 hours... so we were going to go shop and stuff in the meantime, then come home and pack everything back. Then drop his mom off, get a security gate quote, come back and get ready for A & C's wedding that evening. And also GO to the wedding (needless to say ;) ).

We haven't packed ANYthing back. We got home rather late on Saturday night (more detail about the wedding in a mo), and Sunday we spent the afternoon at G's folks, they treated us to fish and chips and then G settled down to try sort out the spyware on his dad's laptop. What a persistent little shit piece of spyware that is! All of them except this tiny little flashing icon (with accompanying balloon) were removed.

Saturday was SO HOT! Not sure, but when we were leaving our place to head off to the wedding, G's car was reading 39.5C on the thermometer. I'm sure if we hadn't gone around the mountain but had stayed in the city it'd have hit 40C for sure. It was a GORGEOUS evening for the wedding - couldn't have had better weather for it.

The venue was lovely - a huge wine farm with cricket oval and 2 restaurants, a spa and hotel/chalets (from what we could see!). G and I were the among the first people to arrive, and we started to set up the sound equipment - G was doing the sound/music.

They had the ceremony outside under a kind of wood-stick canopy. All the chairs were arranged facing some steps that A & C stood on as they said their vows. The whole theme was lovely, the colour scheme and C's dress (and the bridesmaids' dresses) went so well together! Such a happy time! After a bit of scrambling around on G's part, we joined everyone else and had some fruit juice and canapes, before the group photo was taken and the bride's father did a speech. It was getting dark by that stage and strangely enough, the venue didn't have proper lighting (they only had tiny lights - fairy lights I think they're called). I went in to ask the guy (he seemed to be the organiser/main dude at the venue) whether they had any lights to switch on and he rather unhelpfully just said (essentially) no, sorry. No offer of a table-lamp or anything, just "no, we don't have any other lighting".

They decided to do the rest of the speeches while everyone was eating. Had DELICIOUS food... funky starter, LOOOOOOOOOVELYYYYY lamb (omg so delicious... wow!), and FAR too rich chocolate tart... too too rich... wow. I met P & his H (since I'm an H too!), and somehow it's as if I'd already met them. It's incredible, the strongest sensation that I've met them already, we've already been to a function like that and met up and chatted. So so familiar... quite freaky really.

Anyway, it was a really lovely evening, and hopefully A & C are well on their way to a wonderful honeymoon (if they haven't arrived already) :)

Hmm... what else is news... nothing much. We got the bridesmaids' material, G's mom and we came up with good ideas for the invitations... just was a good creative session hehe.

Let me post this blogpost now... I'm sure more will come to me at some stage.

*grr* we have such an untidy home now, THANK you pest control company!!!! >.< no we haven't packed anything back yet... we just didn't have the strength to yesterday!

A blog post

I haven't blogged significantly for a while... things have been too busy, or hectic, or insane for me to even think about what I would blog, even though I have had a desperate need to pour out all my thoughts and turmoil.

I am tired. Things are too hectic, tiring. Exhausting. I would love to sleep late at least a little on the weekends, but I can't. My driving lessons are at 8 every Saturday, and then Sundays I can never sleep past about 9 (I think), being so clockworkly trained into getting up before 8. I WANT to sleep late, but can't. And I am having driving lessons up until 13 May... so no sleeping late until the 17 May! I have 14 lessons left.

I'm tired. I'm tired of this job, this place. Tired of the same people day in day out, I hardly care to be here. I just have no energy, no interest in this place. I want to leave and never come back. I am looking forward to the time when we start applying for Aus and I can leave this place in order to prepare everything for the move. Not having to see these people, and do the same thing, over and over. Tired of it. Just too tired.

I'm so confused about something. It's that person X and person Y thing again. Still. It never ends, never changes or stops. I'm so mentally strained by them, they drain me and exhaust me. After such a huge palava just a few days ago, things seem back to normal again. Bafflingly so. I'm too tired even to react. Y phoned me 2 nights ago, and blabla bla blethered on about the same old usual minutae boring unbelievably detailed, UNINTERESTING nonsense as always. She KNOWS that it is uninteresting, this minute detail, down to the letter, about every single little thing that happened... it's mindwarping. It is painful to listen to. I can't listen anymore, all I end up doing is going "mmm" on the phone. It's awful. Half an hour (often more) of going "mm" and getting an endless STREAM of words in my ear the entire time. Then "do you have any news?". No "how are you?", "how are your driving lessons?" or "how are the wedding plans?", just "any news?". Sheesh, I feel so cared about, thank you for asking... NO I DON'T HAVE ANY NEWS. I have a lot of things I would LOVE to tell her about, but can't. I don't want to answer the phone when it rings because it is always the same. But now, so things are back to normal, after the HUGE fight and stuff, and Y said that she'd come home and X had opened the door and smiled and said hi and Y felt so over the moon. So, after my feeling utterly ill and sick with stress, being The Ear for all the world's shit to be told to, all is well and back to normal as if nothing had ever happened. I can't believe it. Now things are normal. After everything, after being so shocked and the ground shaking around making me giddy, nothing is the matter... it's all normal. I am so pissed off, I can't even begin to explain. WTF... am I THAT insignificant, do I matter SO LITTLE that they can just offload all their psychologically imbalanced, mind-killing BAD MOOD and ANGER and FRUSTRATION onto me, and then just walk away? Do they NOT CARE how it affects me? YOU PEOPLE ARE FUCKING FREAKS!

I'm so pissed off. I can't wait to emigrate and be away from all this, but nothing will change. The only thing that will change will be the visits (or lack thereof). The phonecalls and MSN chats will be the same. Exhausting, endless shit. I just... can't take it anymore. Really. I would love for Y (and X too!) to be NORMAL, so that we could just, go out for breakfast together, go for lunch, go shopping, do WHATEVER, do normal things together, have fun and know each other... but we don't. Y knows hardly anything about me anymore, hell I doubt she knows who the hell SHE IS even. No one does. Running around busy with NONSENSE, not dealing with anything and taking stock of who and what she is... all she is is flurry and chaos. I'm tired. I do not enjoy the phonecalls, but that's all "we" have. It's almost like a duty, the phonecalls and sms's and stuff. I am so tired.

X is no better either. Such trouble, and then I'm sposed to be friendly with her, as if nothing's wrong. As if Y is normal and X hasn't been making it worse by fighting with Y. It just gets worse and worse, Y has a problem and I'm fed up with X making it worse every time. Y is not normal. I'm tired of X too, I don't matter to her either. How many times in normal conversation, just chatting, have I tried to say something, and it's almost like I'm not there. You know, that "a-" or "h-" when you can't even finish the first syllable of the first word of whatever you are trying to say, and the other person resumes talking... their sentence is finished, there's a break, and then it just starts up again along the same line as their previous sentence that you were trying to respond to. It's even worse in a group... I'm so tired of that. I am paranoid that I do that, I'd hate it if I did that... I hope I don't.

I'm TIRED of you X. You just never think about anyone but yourself. It's been a fact, ever since I can remember. Won't consider anyone else. If it'd improve A's situation, but inconvenience you, you will not do it.

I feel like I'm in a river, being bashed along by the current, and if I could just stand up I'd find that it's really only 4cm deep.

Why am I discussing our wedding plans with friends overseas who cannot make the wedding, and I can't discuss it with X and Y. They're sposed to be part of it, surely? And yet, there's nothing. X seems hardly interested at all, Y is too mentally busy and distracted (chaotic) to even CLICK, HELLO, she's getting MARRIED! The whole WEDDING THING is going to happen in a few months' time. Helloo, hellooo, anyone OUT THERE! You two are such freaks, X and Y. I hope you know that. Maybe one day I will tell you. But it wouldn't make a difference. You would not hear.

Will not hear.

Unheard.

I don't know

I just don't know.

My mind will not help me with this, it won't allow me to even think about it...

so I don't know.

I stitched!

Heremia as of tonight:



I wanted to blog about stuff, earlier, just rambling on about thoughts... more like dumping my thoughts into the blog... but I'm tired now after stitching instead. It's nearly midnight, we have work tomorrow so I think we're going to bed now.

*night y'all*

Restlessness v. 2

I'm sure I have many blogposts titled "restlessness" or something.

Hbbm is out now... he was due to come in at 11 and probably would have given me more work. I have finished the work he gave me, and now I feel too restless for my own good. I have tried to see what I can do about a particular job's accounts for this month but I'm already stumped and don't want to try go further in case it's messed up already and I make it worse.

Yesterday evening we met up with A&C, they're in the country for their wedding - next weekend. So exciting! Makes me realise that our own wedding is getting closer! So much still to organise and things are just getting more and more busy, at G's work mainly.

The problem I was going on about previously is still going on. Person X is in the wrong, but person Y is not in the right... or isn't alright... and it just compounds the problem. I don't know what to do. Person X needs to grow up/take responsibility for themselves and leave person Y alone. Give person Y a bloody break already... person Y already HAS so many problems, so so many problems... last thing they need is person X getting stuck into them for NOTHING! Bullshit!

I am tired of pretending, seemingly tolerating person X. Being friendly with them, spending time with them, because they are friendly to me and confide in and "commiserate" with me about person Y's problems... that is essentially condoning their behaviour. I am tired... I don't want to anymore. But will it cause more trouble if I say "I won't spend time with you"? I get "confided in" by both X and Y. It is exhausting. Y is angry with X so I get all the angst and depressed outpourings. *sigh*

On a totally separate note - and only really thought about since I just got the phonecall now - we're going to get our unit pest-controlled soon. It's not too expensive, and for the relief it'd bring, I'm SURE it is worth it. NO MORE COCKROACHES!!!!!!! The lady just phoned me now and we had a rather in depth conversation, I wrote down most of what she said, I'm going to discuss it with G later and hopefully they can come around soon and BUST SOME ASS!!!! I wonder if I can slip them a $ to take care of the kid next door HAHAHAHA!!!!

Heehee, another amusing happening: G got a parcel-note in the letterbox on Tuesday. He wasn't going to be able to get time off work to go fetch it, so I collected it during lunch on Wednesday. I said to him that morning that I'd be very tempted to open it but would control myself as it's for him and not me ... When I got the parcel at the post office, it WAS for me... otherwise it was G's "craft frame". It was my Qsnap frame extension set that had arrived. Very impressive! I still recommend www.123stitch.com if you need ANYthing to do with crafts/needlework/cross stitch, etc. Prompt service, reasonable prices, assistance with things that they don't stock but will get in for you... Just... THEY ROCK!!

Can I go home now? Heremia is calling me........

This weekend we're going to get a quote for the security gate to give to the owners of our unit. Then we can get it and install it. They're going to transfer the money for it to G at a later stage. Can't wait! It'll be so good to feel safe with a functional security gate! YAY!!

I've been thinking more and more about Aus... and I must say that I am rather excited about it and impatient and very eager to make moves! I'm still (deludedly?) holding thumbs that by the time we move they will have amended the import rules so that we can take Dude with us.

Can't wait - S&L and I are going to have a stitchathon in 2 weeks' time! I'm really amped to finish Heremia... things are just so busy lately... AAAAAAHHHH Maybe this weekend I can get some stitching done!

I have a problem

No, nothing major, like a drinking problem or a disease...

I have too many blinkies and buttons that I want to put on my blog... GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH................

So many icons, so little erm... time... patience... webspace....?

My new house

I have got my new house!!!!!





G went and fetched it yesterday morning...

It's so lovely! It's got secret spaces ♥♥♥♥♥♥ !!!!

And G got me a window! Since the house doesn't have any ;)



And once again, I took photos of Dude:




In the last one, he's blinking - as so many people do when photos are being taken!

Thought for the day... and more

I got a Thought for the Day this week, which made me think:

24 January 2008 – Thought for the day

Everybody always says “I don’t have enough time” or “ There is not enough hours in a day”

Well, look at it mathematically!

You have 24hours in a day right, times 7 days a week
24 x 7 = 168hours
from which you sleep an average of 7.5 hours a day, average travel 1-1,5hours a day to work and back, & work time of 8 hours a day.

Thus
7.5 x 7 = 52.5 hours of sleep.
1.5 x 5 = 7.5 hours of travel to work.
8 x 5 = 40 hours of work.

So
168 -52.5 -7.5 – 40 = 68 hours of free time!!!!
Remember sleep has already been counted!!!
So what does this mean… you have 1.7 times more free time than when you are at the office!!
68 hours!!!

People, this is a serious wakeup call!!!
Manage your time properly!!!
You DO have enough free time!!!
Stop complaining & MANAGE & USE IT WISELY!!!

I sat and thought about it quite a bit, and did some calculations of my own:

The problem is that you have to take off eating time, cooking time, bath time, chore time, “homework” time if you have a job like that, which if you take it as 1hr per day and not including homework time takes off another 35 hours...

= 33 hours per week... divided by 7 which = an average of 5 hours per day...

Bear in mind that most of those hours would happen in the weekend, say 12 hours per weekend day (for people who sleep late/take naps/etc), and you’re left with 9.

That works out to about an hour of free time each work day. Not really much time to do anything. Also, bear in mind that some of that daily hour will be eaten up by getting up and getting ready for work.

Ok so, on weekends you have 24 hours. That’s the only time you can do things, and even then it gets eaten up by catching up on weekly chores and doing things you can't do during the week (banking, shopping, doing more intensive cleaning, washing etc) Also take off time that you spend doing more infrequent chores like cleaning windows, mowing the lawn, cleaning the car. It doesn't leave you with much time.

And people wonder why they get so fed up with working their entire life away, and don't get to do the things they really want to do.

Now for the rest of this blog post. Hopefully more cheerful things...

I'm currently on medication for h. pylori... a bacteria that causes ulcers. The doctor asked whether I would like to try the medicine first and if there's no improvement go for a scope or just go for a scope. I decided to try the medicine, because a scope sounds a bit... hospitaly. Don't particularly enjoy it. Anyway, I'm enjoying the side-effects of these medicines... or I would be, if I liked such things as an upset stomach, no appetite, exhaustion and a horribly bitter taste in my mouth. It tastes as if I've let a painkiller dissolve in my mouth... really gross. There are 4 days left of my treatment, hopefully this sorts everything out and I'm back to my old self because I can't remember what that was like. I hope it is the same as the way I felt when I was on the acid-pump inhibitor medicine... that was utter bliss.

Tomorrow at 07:30 I am having a driving lesson. It is inhumanely early, but that's the only way the driving instructor can get to me, his other lessons in the day are elsewhere and where I am is pretty out of his way. I will be starting to learn the parking/yard manoeuvres... they seem quite daunting but I'm game to give it a try. I just am a bit annoyed by his car's indicator lever, it just makes this irritating, timid sound as you push it up/down/off. It might just be that I'm annoyed with myself for repeatedly indicating BEFORE doing observations, which would be quite an issue doing the test. I hope I get it right and keep it that way!

Tomorrow we are going to get my house. I will post pics once it is mine.

Right now I am really enjoying a comic strip: www.metro.co.uk/nemi. Love this strip! She's so unusual, I really love it! I also admire the way the artist draws, her facial expressions are classic!

All the bosses are out of the office this afternoon. It is a GORGEOUS Friday, and they're all going to the cricket. Least they could do is say we could go home early, but no. They really don't care about staff morale and happiness and earning loyalty from the staff... whatever.

I'm so tired. I want to go sleep, lie down and rest... shouldn't be sitting or standing upright... do... not... want..........................

How

How does a person know how to deal with things... I will not go into detail. I seriously don't know what to do. I don't know whether to be angry, to be sad, to be upset, to withdraw, to engage and argue, to put up a defensive shield, to try help, HOW even to help. I just DON'T KNOW!

I don't think there IS any way to help. No way of "curing" it, or fixing things. Can't try demonstrate solutions so they're easier to picture and attempt. I can't keep being the ear. I can't keep being the one on the receiving end of all the SHIT and outpourings and ranting, I'm not CAUSING such upset, why am I subjected to the full blast of vented anger/frustration/hurt, when I am not the one causing it?

I'm tired. I don't know what to do. I tried to help. It's exhausting being the sensitive, patient, tolerant one. I suggest things to try, but it can't work. It's not working. There's always grief and shit flying inwards from the other side and it flies out and in my face.

I don't know what to do. I didn't sleep last night because of it. Slept maybe 3 hours. Not even, more likely 2.

I'M FINISHED! FUCK IT I'M FINISHED!

And you, bitchnextdoor, your KID IS A FUCKING BRAT! Grow the FUCK UP AND DISCIPLINE HIM! Fuck sake, what is wrong with you, ALLOWING your BRAT to scream the fucking neighbourhood down FOR NO FUCKING REASON! You're BOTH IN THE FUCKING KITCHEN! WhereEVER we are, we CAN HEAR YOU goddamnit! Give him a bloody good smack! Bastard.

Yes, I ranted. Woot. Whatever.

I feel like I have something to blog about,

but I'm not sure what that might be.

I'm really enjoying the new CDs I got. The Cure is awesome! Love Beck's Odelay CD, as always I'm enjoying the Cardigans. A Camp hasn't grown on me (yet) and the Chembros' AmericanEP is more like a set of remixes.

Had another driving lesson on Saturday. The instructor says my driving is coming along well. He asked whether I'd done any driving during the week and I had to come clean... but I didn't tell him about the snapsnap incident! Next week I'm learning the yard-manoeuvres. During this lesson past, I was driving in a rather wooded shady area, and the sun reflecting on the window from the dashboard was dreadful. I could hardly see a thing.

G and I raced through to mom's to pick up a parcel note - Mo had mailed me something for Xmas. A funky car calendar, a card and some plastic sheets/sleeves used to keep paper money in files (to protect them). Then we raced to the mall to meet G's mom for coffee. Walked around a little bit afterwards and I found replacement sunglasses. Polarised Raybans! There is just about NO reflection from the dashboard in G's car (remains to be seen in the instructor's car!), it makes the sky look a little moody because the sky looks darker and everything is brightly lit against this darker blue sky. Anyway, I'm enjoying those. Then I found 2 work shirts and a pair of black pants for work. So pleasant wearing pants that fit!

Then we met up with a girl from college, haven't seen her apart from in passing a year ago while G and I were waiting for the ride to start on the swings at the carnival! Had a yum lunch, caught up on a lot of news and just had a great time.

The rest of the afternoon G worked and I caught up with stuff online. Then rather late we watched Fantastic 4 (the first one). I'd seen it before but it was still very entertaining! Friday evening we watched Hairspray! It was very unusual but also rather fun to watch! John Travolta in drag - 'nuff said!

Sunday we slept late - or tried to. Someone must have given a kid in the complex a basketball for Xmas. Yay. Things like that should be illegal in complexes. Things that deserve to be banned are net- and basketballs, plastic ride-on motorbikes, anything else that makes a disturbance. It doesn't go on for a long time - and for that I am MOST GRATEFUL! But it is really quite a nuisance because the sound carries for the entire complex. The whole complex is joined by tar/concrete paving, so it bangs in your head wherever you are. Not the nicest wake-up but not as bad as that little shit next door.

On that note - I AM SO GLAD WE ARE CHILDFREE! It's so weird how almost every day yet another reason why not to have children is brought to our attention and we are thankful every time! The poor woman next door CANNOT EVEN TAKE A CRAP IN PEACE! This little swine brat went ABSOLUTELY INSANE this morning, bashing furniture/banging things/dragging things/going MAD (woke me up!), then I heard their loo flush, and then silence. Lovely. What a charmed life this poor woman must have.

On THAT note: Thought #1 for the day

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS AND YOU’LL SOON LOSE COUNT.

Count your many blessings money cannot buy.

Don’t brood over the riches of your neighbors but focus on the many blessings you actually do possess.

So let’s focus on the wonders of grace, training ourselves to make a spirit of gratitude pervade our lives.

That’s the way to experience joy and to be forever joyful.

(Vernon Grounds)

After taking the movie back, we headed off to G's folks' place. We'd invited them to lunch, at Tibet. A very inspiring restaurant/gallery along the coastline. It was rather busy (with a very noisy birthday party). I got to see something there that I've been keeping my eye on, more out of admiration and appreciation than with the plan to buy it, but it's really grabbed me now and I've decided. I sent an email off this morning to the gallery owners, asking if they can keep it aside for me, I'm just waiting for the reply. *holds thumbs*

EEEEKKKKKKKKK I guess I'm obsessed with it now but I really have fallen for it ^.^

*breathes*

*obsessively checks email...*

Ok while I wait for the mailbox to open I shall carry on.

Yesterday evening we did a little sorting in the study. It's not quite a proper study as yet, it still contains a bit of unsorted boxes, so it's a jundy room... half junk-room half study-room. Heehee! Threw out some boxes, packed things a bit better in the wardrobe, but there's still a good deal of stuff to go through. It'd be good to go through it and find better places for it but we don't really have the storage space/cupboards for it. We have to get rid of the junk-junk which is under the stairs, that'll free up space where we can store stuff like the bicycles, the weights (which would be more easily accessible there for our to-be daily exercise session) etc. That would in turn free up space in the jundy! I still have to fetch stuff from mom's place to sort through. *sigh* we'll get to the end of it yet! It will not beat us, we will conquer it!

On THAT note, here is Thought #2 for the day:

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.

(Mark Twain)

Anyway, let me leave this post at that for now. 45mins til work's over for this day!

Excitement

Our oven is coming into its own - G made a first for "us": banana bread!



We had no vanilla essence but we used vanilla fudge syrup (which can be put in coffee) instead.

And here's a pic of Heremia at present:

No News

Just blopping in to make my presence felt in the blog-world.

My head is fuzzy and my sinuses are burning up. All I want to do is go sleep. And I can't. Yet. Soon though! ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'm in the Audi, hogging your rear-view mirror!

More like I'm in the Audi, driving at roughly 70 for most of the trip!

Yesterday morning, I had my 2nd ever driving lesson. I drove around a tiny bit at the station, and then onto the open road! I'm not sure where all we went, I just drove. I'm not very good at pulling away from a stand-still (like at a robot), I stalled a couple of times and at one particularly short-lived green light, I missed it completely and had to wait for the 2nd green... apparently that'd be an instant fail for obstructing the free flow of traffic. Uh-oh. Got to drive home from wherever we were, on the freeway and all the way to our front gate - I managed to drive fine on a particularly infamous bit of road called "Hospital Bend" (so named because of its proximity to a hospital but I'm sure it's quite appropriate considering how many accidents happen there!) But other than that, I think I'm doing ok. Billy the instructor says I'm doing fine... I'm sure it'll all be revealed when I do my test!

Had only a short bit of time at home after I got home, G shaved his hair quite short! And then we were off to G's folks' to have brunch with his family from Durban and to say bye, as they are leaving (today) after their week-long holiday. Went for a lovely drive all around, even on Chapmans Peak. The weather was stunning, perfect for an outing like that.

Got home, chilled a LITTLE bit, then headed off to mom's for her birthday (supper) and to watch a movie.

G drove up our road, and stopped the car. We swapped places. He said if I felt fine driving down the long road linked to our road, I could drive. I got to the robot and somehow was stuck... we couldn't change places NOW, so I ended up driving all the way to mom's!

I drove G's 2l turbo Audi all the way, averaging about 70kmph. The drive was luckily uneventful in a hazard-related way, but it was quite eventful otherwise! I stalled quite a couple of times when stopped at robots... One of the robots near home changed as I was quite close to it and I wasn't sure whether to stop or go through, and because my mind was full with remembering the steps to take when coming to a stop (brake+clutch+handbrake+neutral etc) I didn't actually accelerate when (we) decided I should just go through. So I got snapped by the camera for going through a red robot... HAHA erm... I got my first traffic fine... or to be more precise *G* got one.

Later in the drive, I managed to wheelspin... I'd managed the DREADFUL main road along the coastline without any problems, and then the 2nd robot out of the tricky part of the main road went red. I stopped and when I was trying to pull away the wheels SHRIEKED and the car stalled. It felt so crazy!

Pulled away alright the 2nd attempt, and got to the road to get off the main road, managed to turn right across fine. Trundled along, got to the circle at the corner at mom's place, turned sharply left, didn't straighten up enough and mounted the pavement and promptly stalled. It was as if I'd intentionally parked across the road from mom's place! The mag wheel wasn't too scraped - there were scrapes already. But GAHHHH hahahah... I got from our house to mom's house! A 30km trip, averaging 70kmph, taking 45mins to get there. What a trip! Literally and figuratively!

Today is going to be pretty busy. Gotta do chores, then going to mom's - we're eating out at a steakhouse. I'm gonna post this and then get to it! Vacuum, where AAAARE YOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!

As promised!

Heremia, as of tonight:

Kussingkussingkussingkussing

If you say that ^^^^^ fast without really saying the vowels much, it sounds a bit like percussion ^.^

Last night I had rather strange dreams. They were angry dreams, I ended up shouting and swearing at and hitting people who had dome horrible things which had shocked me.

In the first dream, the dude I went out with in high school had met G and written something down which really really upset G. I'm not sure what that was, but it really made G very upset and I went up to the two of them (G was sitting at a small table and this guy had approached the table and put a hand-written note on the table), and started seriously shouting at this guy! I flipped my lid and was swearing and cursing him to hell and gone, and then I started slapping him and hitting him in the face, basically I was trying to beat him up.

The second dream was also weird. In reality, Mo (in the US) posted something to me, to mom's address. It hasn't arrived yet which is weird but not out of the ordinary for the postaly system here. Anyway, in this dream, I went home to visit mom, and when pulling up in the driveway, noticed the next door neighbours' dirtbin was overflowing. And in the rubbish were envelopes tied together. They had my name but the neighbours' address. Like 43 instead of 45, so it was delivered to them, not mom. I started pulling out these envelopes, to find quite a lot of them were mine, just addressed to no. 43! And these bastard neighbours who have lived next to mom had just tossed them in the bin, despite the fact that they KNOW our surname (sis and I grew up there), have known us for nearly 30 years and would definitely know it was a mistake and should have put the envelopes in mom's letterbox, and not thrown them away like "receiver unknown"!!! I grabbed all these envelopes, and went into mom's. The neighbours were visible over the fence, all of them out in their garden and stuff so I started yelling at them and cursing them and shouting and swearing and just going OFF at them about how horrible they are and that I'd been waiting for these letters for ages and surely they could have had the decency to give them to mom etc etc etc. I was practically lunging at them over the fence trying to hit them.

I don't know whether I was lying in a strange position and wasn't able to move, causing me to get subconciously angry, but I certainly would have been pissed off if the neighbours had done something like that.

What else is news. Can't think of anything right now. I've been working on Heremia again, I took a pic the night before last but didn't upload it for some reason... will do that tonight most likely :D

Can't think of anything else right now - I will blog again when things come to mind.

New pole

I have a "scratching pole" now, I doubt it'd take over from my clawing post, but we'll see.

I know there's something wonky with the layout of this page, it's going to be sorted out - G and I have to tweak it a bit so everything fits!

's all for now folks!

Belting up my armour and heading off to the salt-mines tomorrow

So much has happened since I blogged newswisely - I had my first driving lesson yesterday morning. The instructor fetched me from home, drove to a quiet, residential kinda area and then explained a whole LOAD of stuff about the drivers' test. The pre-trip inspection, the manoeuvres I'd have to do and other things. Then I got to drive! Very funky, I didn't stall or jerk the car cos he showed me the right things to do. My steering isn't as great as it could be but hell - it's my FIRST LESSON!! Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! He said afterwards that he usually tells his pupils to drive home, but he didn't feel I was ready yet - no kidding, I haven't driven before at all apart from around in circles in an empty parking lot outside a supermarket one Sunday evening!

I bought Dude some new toys - a set of "Olympic rings" and a car. He loves both of them. His favourite toy, however, is a piece of string! He will sit for HOURS on end, silently munching it. It's very strange. Whenever we want to watch a movie and he starts babbling and translating into Budgie, we just give him his ball+string. Here's a pic of his car(sports model, please note!) with his cat ball-toys in the passenger seats, his Olympic rings (they aren't as clear - there is another toy behind it) and a pic of him doing his pre-trip inspection.







While I was snapping happily I took some blackmail shots of my fish:





I will most likely blog some more tomorrow (hopefully work is quiet), but for now, I'm gonna sign off as it is 23:24 and I still have to go sleep before the Saltmine Shift begins!

Great article!

Ann Landers' famous "The Childless Couple" (http://www.childfree.net/potpourri_annlanders.html)

There is nothing sadder than a childless couple. It breaks my heart to see them relaxing around swimming pools in Florida, sitting all suntanned and miserable on the decks of their boats -- trotting off to Europe like lonesome fools. It's an empty life. Nothing but money to spend, more time to enjoy and a whole lot less to worry about.

The poor childless couple are so wrapped up in themselves, you have to feel sorry for them. They don't fight over the child's discipline, don't blame each other for the child's most obnoxious characteristics, and they miss all the fun of doing without for the child's sake. They just go along, doing whatever they want, buying what they want and liking each other. It's a pretty pathetic picture.

Everyone should have children. No one should be allowed to escape the wonderful experience that accompanies each stage in the development of the young -- the happy memories of sleepless nights, coughing spells, tantrums, diaper rash, debts, "dipso" baby sitters, saturated mattresses, emergencies and never-ending crises.

How dismal is the peaceful home without the constant childish problems that make a well-rounded life and an early breakdown; the tender, thoughtful discussions when the report card reveals the progeny to be one step below a moron; the end-of-the-day reunions with all the joyful happenings recited like well-placed blows to the temples.

Children are worth it. Every moment of anxiety, every sacrifice, every complete collapse pays off as a fine, sturdy adolescent is reached. The feeling of reward the first time you took the boy hunting -- he didn't mean to shoot you, the lad was excited. Remember how he cried? How sorry he was? And how much better you felt after the blood transfusion? These are the times a man with a growing son treasures -- memories that are captured forever in the heart and the limp.

Think back to the night of romantic adventure when your budding daughter eloped with the village idiot. What childless couple ever shared in the stark realism of that drama? Aren't you a better man for having lived richly, fully, acquiring that tic in your left eye? Could a woman without children touch the strength and heroism of your wife as she tried to fling herself out of the bedroom window?

The childless couple live in a vacuum. They fill their lonely days with golf, vacation trips, dinner dates, civic affairs, tranquility, leisure and entertainment. There is a terrifying emptiness without children, but the childless couple are too comfortable to know it.

You just have to look at them to see what the years have done: He looks boyish, unlined and rested; she's slim, well-groomed and youthful. It isn't natural. If they had had kids, they'd look like the rest of us -- worn out, wrinkled and exhausted.

And another one: http://www.childfree.net/potpourri_selfish.html - questions to make you THINK!!!

HAHA erhh.... hah.. ah.. ah... uhh

Such retardation, all under the guise of trustworthy, "for me" banking.

I finally closed my account with A BSA yesterday. The consultants there were not particularly interested in greeting me or speaking to me more than "card..." and "don't want your card...?"

The teller gave me the money that was left in my savings account, right down to the last cent. Literally. Despite the fact that a 1 cent coin (and for that matter a 2 cent coin) is no longer legal tender in this country. I gave the coin a rather odd look and said "what must I do with 1c?" the woman said "you must take it". WTF? They couldn't round it up to a 5c? Which would only be reasonable since they enjoy ripping you off with bank charges wherever you look. 5c back would hardly be a tip on the iceberg of what they've deducted from my account.

Stupid moronic bank. I am so glad I am free of them... or am I? I checked back onto my internet banking, and lo and behold, my SAVINGS account is closed, but my non-existent CREDIT CARD account is still there! I closed that, what... almost 2 years ago? Yet it still shows there as an "account number". What now? Go back to the bank, and ask them to close a non-existent account? Only in this bank's world does that make sense. If you read my previous blog posts (from a few months ago) you'll recall my horror at going into the branch upon their request to (compulsorily) confirm my phone number/details, to which the moron behind the customer service desk responded "ohh, right, thanks for informing us" (of the compulsory change - she had NO IDEA about this request for details.... uhh, right, whatever, assholes!)

Anyway, I am now happily with another bank, am waiting on an application for another facility on my account, but all in all, happy.

I forgot to mention something funky G and I got for Xmas... 2 matching bar-stools from his parents! They look so gorgeous in our place, matching the floor + decor perfectly.

In other news: I PASSED MY LEARNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Booked my drivers test for 13 May, and if I pass first time, it'll be a sort of birthday present for G! :D *holds thumbs* I think I'm being taken for a lesson tomorrow... WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE erhh.... eeeek? Is a very spiffy, sporty car, y'know! Eeek! My first lesson with an instructor is on the 5th. Weehoo!

Anyhow-a-low-low! Today is hot and I'm going to go lounge somewhere - the PC is boring me right now!

Update-a-late

I haven't blogged in AGES, things have been so busy.

I'm going to catch up by talking about things as I remember them...

This morning, after sleeping latish, we headed off to the traffic dept. I was going for my learners. It was very simple, 28 questions on signs, 28 questions on rules of the road and 8 on controls of the vehicle. I got 27/28 for signs, 26/28 for rules and 8/8 for controls = I PASSED! I got my learners!!!!

Went to the car after getting my license, and then G and I went in to queue while I applied for a drivers' test appointment. It took over an hour! But I made an appointment, my drivers' test is at 8:15 on 13 May! Eek eek! My first driving lesson is on the 5th, I hope I can learn soon enough to pass my test first time!!! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What else is news... I don't remember whether I blogged about M's bachelorette's party... ok I did.

I haven't blogged about their wedding though, which was on the morning of the 8th. G was the driver for the bride, and sis's G was the driver to the bridesmaids (sis and M's sis). I caught a lift with mom. Was a small intimate wedding, not a long ceremony at all (but it was in Afrikaans so I found it a little hard to follow at times). A lovely reception in the hall next to the church. The photos were taken in the garden (Garden of Remembrance) a short walk down the road. She's the first of my close friends (ppl I've known for around 10 years) to get married, so it was rather special!

Just on a side note, I've been looking at car galleries while I think of things to blog, and the Chevy Aveo (sedan), the Citroen C3, the Merc C63 AMG, the Proton Satria Neo, and others, are rather cool. I don't like the Satria Neo though for one reason: the handbrake has a "finger guard" which looks like it'd be VERY ANNOYING. Other than that it's quite a nice car. The Aveo sedan is quite nice too, but it's a sedan and would be a bit big for me, being a new "driver" (ok not yet but would be). The Merc C63 is rather sexy and super-powerful... 'nuff said. So all in all, the C3 seems the nicest option for me. Pity about the price of cars... I'd be paying it off over 60 months, putting down nearly 90% of the car price as a deposit, and STILL paying it off with maybe R5 to spare each month. Uhhh....

Our office lunch was uneventful. The restaurant was practically down the road from our place, it just felt rather bleh to have to come back to work for a week afterwards. I survived being the receptionist for the (4-day) week, well, rather I survived a gastro-enteritis and was the receptionist for 3 days. The Tuesday hbbm was still there and it was insanely busy. The Wednesday I was off sick, the Thursday and the Friday I dragged myself to work out of sympathy for the typist who is next in line to stand in as receptionist (she does everyone else's work, not just typing).

We had a yearly review session too, I got called in on the Friday and told about my annual pay increase (yay!!), a small bonus (YAY!! I've already put most of that into my savings account... good me!), also feedback about the year. They said basically I'm not only hbbm's PA (har-di-har... I'm not a PA at all!), I must also do work for other people, ppl have been noticing a rather negative attitude about doing work for them - erm, no kidding? How am I supposed to do other people's work/help in their offices when I CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE LOO IN PEACE?!?!? Nevermind working in SOMEONE ELSE'S office... jees. I told them that. I doubt it registered though. Whatever. A change would do me good!

The office closed on Friday... we got to go home at 13:00! G fetched me and dropped me off at home. It was LOVELY weather, very enjoyable to just blob at home. We had Synd at M&J's place, we just chatted and had waffles.

This weekend was quite busy, doing last min things and cleaning up at home. We met up with G's folks and his gran for brunch... at that stage the mall wasn't insanely busy but I'm sure it got insane!

I vaguely remember studying this weekend, I'm not sure what else we did. Chores, mostly. Monday evening mom, sis and sis's G came over to celebrate Xmas eve. Had KFC for supper, and then had some snacks while we waited for midnight to open presents!!!

Tuesday we went for Xmas lunch at G's folks, and exchanged gifts too. Was such a lovely lunch! Very yum food.

Wednesday we went to mom's for 2nd Xmas lunch. It seems to work out best going to the one on the 25th and the other on the 26th, that way there's no rush and "we've got to go else we'll be late". That way, Xmas lunch happens twice and no1 feels like they've been forgotten/discarded. Or at least I hope it's like that!

Lunch at mom's was nice too, yum food too, Aunt+Uncle and cousin, M & J, sis and sis's G, mom and G and I were there.

I can't believe I passed my learners. Ok I'm not surprised, I just didn't know what to expect as in how hard the questions would be. YAY!!!!!! I don't have to bother with that book again - at least not the same way, I might use it to refresh my memory in preparation for the driving test in case the examiner asks me any trick questions!!

I got a plasma sphere for Xmas! It's so funky. A Kelly Clarkson CD too, and a little horse, from G. Lots of other lovely special things from everyone else!

The washmachine finished about half an hour ago, but I'm enjoying these Kelly Clarkson songs so much I don't wanna go fetch the basket upstairs to unpack it. *Sigh*

I'm gonna leave it at that hehe, I think I've blogged up a storm for today!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE (if I don't get to wish you all closer to the time).

Quoted for truth

"Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly" Louis Ginsburg

Update

I am receptionist next week. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY >.<

Thank HEAVENS it is a 4 day week because the Monday is a public holiday.

I am SO FED UP. Out of those 4 days I will only get ONE lunchbreak. The rest of the days the people who would be standing in while I go for lunch are ON LEAVE so I will just have to STARVE.

I hate

Today I feel very hateful.

It has been bloody busy all day. I was at work earlier than usual and I still didn't get to finish my oats. They went cold (as did my coffee but I gulped that down regardless) so I had to dump them in the bin.

It's basically just gone downhill from there.

I haven't had a break until now, 13:10 (no teabreak, hardly even a chance to breathe!)... the tealady buggered off somewhere so the receptionist had to stand in for her so I had to stand in for the receptionist! As if I wasn't busy enough. Hbbm kept dumping more and more things on me, rearranging their priority so I had to stop in the middle of things and do whatever he said I have to do right then.

I hate "receiving" corporate gifts. What it really is is that ppl deliver stuff at reception and she just dumps it on MY desk, regardless of the fact that is SAYS my boss's name. But I still have to get the joy of picking it up and moving it 1ft across onto his side of my desk, behind my computer monitor. It is NOT for me, don't put it on my keyboard/chair/desk!

I hate the way he is so disinterested in them. He gets a shitload of stuff every single year, and each time he gets anything, he's like "oh what must I do with THIS now...." "oh god, not another one" and stuff. He just takes it and puts it in his office. The one time, the receptionist had put a little paper bag of sweets and things on my desk, and I was (disbelieving) a little surprised thinking that maybe someone had got me something. Nope, it had his name on it, so I moved it to his part of the desk. He comes past a while later, and asks whether it's mine, so I say no. He says "god, what is it... (looks in the bag). Do you get gifts from anyone?" "no..." I walk away to take my mug to the kitchen. WHY did he ask that? What for??? To rub it in? Thanks, boss, thanks very much.

I hate the way the accountant dumps HER work on me. Invoicing. It's NOT MY job to do accounts. That's what ACCOUNTants do. But no, I get to do hbbm's accounts. And now, another "task" has been palmed off onto me. Rather smugly, to add to it.

I hate the way hbbm asks me whether I've done something he's given me to do when CLEARLY I haven't had a chance to because he's just interrupted me and made me drop it and do something else. What does he think, I'm siamese and can do two things at once??

I hate this company. I hate it more each day because of the scaly little things they do. I was grubbing around in the shared folders on the network (not private stuff at all) and found a pro-forma employment contract. I never got one. All I did was sign a letter and keep a signed copy for myself. Charming.

I hate the way they use unlicensed software. Surely if they're a decent, profiting company they can AFFORD it? Why install something on my computer and tell me not to register it and then warn me I only have 50 chances to use it else it'll break and they won't be able to reload it on my machine. WTF? Just BUY the goddamn licenses already people!

I hate the way they scummily

**** Ok that was how far I got yesterday (Wednesday) - it just got busier and busier and busier. Today has been damn busy too. Now that I am waiting for hbbm to come back for me to carry on with the work, I am falling asleep. I am exhausted.

I still hate this place. I confirmed last night by looking in my paperwork at home that I never got a letter saying I had been promoted. I just got a "salary package revision" letter. Fuckers. So I was never promoted, ever. The only place it MENTIONS my NOT being receptionist is my payslip.

I am so sick of everything now. Apparently hbbm is only going to be in on Tuesday (not the whole week as I thought) but it's hardly consolation. I am so so sick and tired. I really am so tired. So tired, frustrated I could cry. Except I'm too tired to cry.

Yet again I'm reminded how much I fucking hate being "human". Why the hell am I working? Why am I getting a "salary", which is taxed, then buying stuff with what is LEFT, to pay 14% of everything's price OVER AND ABOVE that as tax, and then whatever the HELL I have left over in my bank account is essentially TAXED just for having anything LEFT! Bank charges!!!! Is it EVER REALLY MY GODDAMN MONEY????????

Why do you have to PAY MONEY to fucking DIE! You die, and woops, now you're owing X amount of money because of it.

What IS THE POINT?!

What honestly is the point.

We have made provisional plans/decisions that we want to take a month off for honeymoon. But if I'm going to be CHANGING jobs, I won't have leave enough by then to TAKE an entire month off. I am SO STUCK.

I don't know what to do. I don't want anything. I don't want tomorrow (fuck them and their "office lunch", bastards), I don't want the weekend because it means the next week of torture is already close. I don't want a holiday because it is too short for me to regain my spirit. I don't know how I will have the strength to come back to this shit hole. I will just have to autopilot myself around.

I don't want anything. I want time out, real time out. I want time out so that I can bloody-well do OTHER things than work and feel depressed because the next day is work again, and closer when I go to sleep. I want to be able to BREATHE the outside air, GO AWAY from cockroaches and shit like that. I don't want to wash dishes, I don't want to wash clothes, I don't want to put things in to take to work for lunch, I don't want to wake up with the alarm because I have to go to hell for the day. I don't want to be in traffic, watching people drive like MORONS. I don't want to be in queues, I don't want to be anything. I want nothing. Nothingness?

Busy time!!

This past week has been hectic. It's already Thursday! Tomorrow is Friday, Saturday is M&J's wedding. Next Friday is our office lunch, and to be quite honest, I'm not excited about it. S's co is giving each of them a day off to do shopping etc, and is just having a few eats at the office. That sort of thing would be much more appreciated than what is essentially forced attendance at a lunch. One can't exactly NOT go. This year the restaurant is basically a few blocks away from our home! So no reason NOT to go. But yeah, a little more thought about it would be cool - what would the staff really appreciate more?

Tonight G and I are going to do some more Xmas shopping. I hope the shops aren't too insane this evening. If we don't manage to get everything done this evening, we're going to have to buy suits of armour to go sometime during the next week.

There are roughly 2 weeks left til I write my learners. EEEKK!!!

Xmas is coming soon. Going to get an advent calendar tonight too, just means that G and I will get to scoff 3 days' choccies each! I think it'd be a cool thing to make a tradition of. We never had advent calendars at home, apart from one we made in primary school. Yay, a Squishy tradition has begun!

We've got a little tree which came with some decorations (including a star!!), some other decorations, some lights... I can't wait to decorate the place! If I remember right, our tradition was to get and decorate a tree on the 16th... maybe we'll decorate ours on Sunday... the reason we waited that long to decorate it was because it was a real tree and if we got it too soon it'd go brown before Xmas arrived! Now we don't have to worry about that - my worry is that it'll get all disturbed a lot whenever we vacuum and stuff. We'll see. It's all so exciting!

What else is news... well at the moment I'm enjoying some LOLCATS

For the record I still don't think much of our co *grimace* won't go into detail here but just yet another indication of staff issues/morale/etc being "superhigh priority"!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our microwave died. I'm sad because it's only just been now recently that we have felt that we have everything we *need*. We'd just got our lawn goodies, got the oven hooked up, and then the microwave died. I'd found out a coupla days before (to my UTTER HORROR) that cockroaches had infested it. They were living in the panel behind the buttons. So when I opened it after making myself a huge bowl of popcorn, there were COCKROACHES all over the door latch mechanism and latch-hole! Needless to say I did NOT eat the popcorn. G had opened the microwave to clean it and apparently the cockroach crap stank very badly. So a good thing that it had died because G got to have some fun nuking it with pesticide. But bad cos we have to buy another one. I want to put it on a tray of water so that nothing can get into it...

I am not happy though because the washmachine is ALSO infested. I found an (empty!!) egg case in the detergent drawer, and almost every day I kill various size cockroaches on/in/around the washmachine. I really am seriously thinking of phoning a fumigator/pest control to help, because cockroaches can really destroy appliances and other things - not to mention my NERVES! I hate cockroaches!!!!!!

Went home recently to pick up the last of my stuff... the house is so morbid without Budbud. Sis was working so it was just me (G'd gone off to J's bachelors).

Saturday was M's bachelorettes and J's bachelors! We were up early for G to go to the breakfast. G dropped me at home to pack some boxes which he took with him home (our home). I stayed at home waiting for sis to finish work and to go with her to the bachelorettes. She'd gone out to plot the route first and got lost!!

It was lots of fun. Sis and I were late cos we stopped at K's place to pick up her gift cos she wasn't going to go... she was still sick with bronchitis!

I won't go into detail here either, lemme just leave it at "M got NICE and wobbly by the end of the day!!" She sms'd the next morning and said that she had quite a headache!

Saturday is their wedding. Feels unreal hehe! G is the driver for M and her dad. Sis's G is the driver for her, M's mom and M's sis.

Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lemme sign off now... otherwise this blog post will be erm.... 100 feet long!

Funky day today

It *seems* like today is going to be a funky day - it's only 11:30 now.

No phonecalls from hbbm so far, I issued the minutes, I'm currently waiting for an invoice to arrive before I can get it approved and send off the batch of invoices. I've done my filing, so that means I can pretty much relax. I'll ask a colleague if he has filing for me to do.

Right now I'm listening to Galaxy Bounce (Chembros!) AWESOME!

What is news. Tonight we're going Xmas shopping. It's insane. Schools close on Friday, when the hell are people supposed to go shopping? The malls are going to be MAD this weekend because it's a weekend, it's just after payday and SCHOOLS WILL HAVE JUST CLOSED!! So we're going to try get all of our shopping done tonight and tomorrow evening.

The oven is now hooked up (had to get an electrician in to install it), and G and I made stuffed rolls last night! Very yum! The oven works!!!!!

Saturday is M's kitchen tea and J's bachelors. I don't know what is happening at the kitchen tea, I've had no info at all from M's sis who is a bridesmaid and who seems to be organising it. My sis who is also a bridesmaid hasn't been given any info either, much to her annoyance. Anyway, I've sent M's sis an sms to ask what's going on and haven't had a reply yet.

Sunday we're going to mow. Hopefully we can get some plant pots, potting soil and stuff like that cos I wanna plant some flowers! We have sunflower seeds and cosmos seeds and I'm dying to plant them! I also wanna plant some little flowers, like pansies and stuff around the garden. Maybe some carnations or something else. The bed looks a bit bare in between the existing plants, maybe some nice flowers in there would go well. Ahhh so exciting! I can't wait to spend some time relaxing in the garden. I think we may just be able to nowadays.

I might have mentioned the meeting with the neighbours. Since then, things have quietened down incredibly. It's wonderful. We are so much more rested now. Everything's happier now because of it.

The weather outside is gorgeous. I wish I wasn't at work today - I'd far rather be able to be somewhere else, relaxing, walking on the beach or something *sigh*

Today is payday - my salary should be in tomorrow. YAY... can pay G off for the clothes I got. YAY.

I can't think of anything else to put in this blog post even though there is so much going on hehe. We now have a rough timeline for our big Move. G's co is giving him a 2 year contract so he'll finish in March 2010. Hopefully he can negotiate (around that time) that he can leave earlier, then we can already apply for the visa and arrange everything before then. But regardless. We should be moving mid-2010! So exciting! That gives us time to arrange all our other stuff before moving. Like changing my name after we get married. Getting a new passport, new ID, etc etc etc. Next year entails wedding plans and learning to drive (and hopefully doing a drivers test and passing!!).

Eeeeek!!!!!!!! so much to do and plan and so much excitement. Oh and also I'm considering putting my CV out... a change might do me good!

Right now I'm starving

SuperG is making supper, and it smells so good my stomach is aching with hunger!!

I'm going to study after supper - I signed up on an online testing site, I'm not doing too badly. I'm going to check how much I've retained and study some more.

This weekend was rather eventful! Friday evening we had Synd, felt like I hadn't seen the gang for a LONG time. Saturday morning was hell, being woken up at about 5:45 by the brat (as you can tell from my previous post).

Saturday afternoon and evening we didn't do very much. It was nice to relax and spend time just being us, not doing any stuff. We got Mr Delivery to make supper - I had a seafood pasta and G had Chinese.

The entire time I'd been dreading the "meeting", with the neighbours who have been causing such trouble. Sunday morning we actually got to sleep really late and peacefully.

BRB need to eat!!

Ok back... YUM!!

The meeting was actually alright... found out that they'd got emails regarding the noise from what I am guessing is the board... and that it was the woman's sister who was so unbelievably rude the door-slamming time, and other stuff. It was good to actually sit down and be in a room with the other person and stuff. We'll see.

We went shopping after that ......... SHOPPANGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Got a CUTE lawnmower, a gardenvac and a weedeater (I put most of the lawnmower together - they were "ready to assemble" toys hehe).

Then we went to the main mall in the area and I went to find shoes... G tagged along *hug*

The first shop I went into, I found shoes. They were so comfy I didn't want to take them off. Then we strolled around in that shop and I found a SALE SECTION! A coupla racks which were sale items. Mostly size 8 of everything, but I found 3 nice tops and a cool pair of jeans. So a rather fruitful trip to the mall. We had supper afterwards, some yum steaks!

Straight after we got home we sat down and unpacked the lawn goodies hehe!

Hbbm's out of the office until Friday! Yay! Ipod time!

I took some photos of Dude earlier, he's such a cute little clown!

GOOD MORNING *insert twitching, forced smile here*

Hi everyone.

As you may (or may not) notice, I'm blogging on a Saturday morning (I was going to say "far earlier than I usually do" but then noticed blogger's timestamps are seriously wonky - there is no way in hell I'd be up at 3:20am blogging even if I did have something urgent to say). "Why?", you may ask. For a list of reasons:

a) we have a neighbour

b) the neighbour is a moron

c) the neighbour has a child

d) the child is a moron

e) the child has tantrums every morning from 6am (yes including weekends)

f) the neighbour DOES NOTHING to stop the tantrums

g) the child drags or pushes (does it matter??) his furniture around on the tiled floor as part of his performance

h) the child bashes things (probably furniture) against the walls as part of his performance

i) the child scrapes things along the walls as part of his performance

j) the child bangs things which sound like bowling balls or bricks on the tiled floor as part of his performance

k) the child wails and screams and whines loudly as part of his performance

l) a tantrum performance such as detailed above can go on from anything like 15mins to 2.5hours

m) once you have been woken up by something like this which is a shock to your system, you are not likely to fall asleep again

n) after a while of persevering in bed, tossing and turning and sighing and CURSING like hell, you can't stay in bed anymore

o) since you can't play music loudly or make your own noise (because of complaints from OTHER neighbours, who actually are very nice) to drown out that bastard unwanted shit son-of-a-bitch child, you have to sit quietly in the lounge ENJOYING the performance from below it

p) you then have to decide whether you are going to:

i) find a knife and slit your wrists,
ii) run out into the street and beat up random litterboxes (or dirtbags),
iii) find a spade, knock on their door and use spade to kill aforementioned neighbour plus child,
iv) use aforementioned spade to bash your way through the wall and kill the aforementioned neighbour plus child,
v) use your head to bash through wall and spew blood on aforementioned neighbour plus child before you kill them with aforementioned spade or knife which you unsuccessfully used to slit your wrists,
vi) anything else which comes to mind once you have happened upon that merry colour red which appears before your eyes.

Mood: can 't tell what it is

It's raining

Why?

My CDs arrived... "Emmerdale" and "Life" by the Cardigans and "Breach" and "Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs" by Shivaree. G's parcel also arrived - 5 PSP games: Exit 2, Lumines II, Wipeout Pure, Mercury Meltdown and Need for Speed Carbon. I haven't played all of them, but N4S is cool, Exit2 is hard.

The weekend was pleasant enough.

Why the hell am I reciting my timetable for the weekend past?

My damn bird died!

Budbud, Porkalork, Fatboy. Today.

He'd been sick again, with the usual bronchitis that he kept getting. Mom had taken him to the vet and was treating him with the medicine they gave her. He was chatting and fine and perky... then he was wobbly and went to the cage floor and crouched and stumbled around. Then he was dead.

Mom's extremely upset because he was basically my echo after I moved in with G. When we visited, it was so sad to see him all depressed. I wanted to take him to our new place, but Dude might have caught the same infection.

Miserableness...

Weekend time again!

Boy am I glad it's weekend! Well, almost weekend. Still 1hr and 45mins to go *sigh*.

We've postponed Syndicate tonight - everyone is just so exhausted these days and M is recovering from flu. Tomorrow morning I want to sleep late. Tomorrow evening we're going to a party, so the afternoon we have free to do other stuff. I wanna go price security gates, so that when the owners come on Sunday, we can sit down with them and give them prices and stuff, even if they pay us back over a few months at least our stuff is safe. The security gate that's there is just ridiculous.

Yesterday after work, we got home to find the back doors wide open again, with papers blowing out as we got in the front door. It was hellishly windy yesterday, and I know for a fact that the latch has been up the entire time, the door rattling in the wind must have caused it to work its way down. G "fixed" the lower latch (the little guiding part for the actual latch just snapped off - he was trying to straighten it because it was blocking the latch from going all the way down into the floor - so essentially it "broke" but it works so it's "fixed"). Poor Dude had been left to fend for himself the whole day... luckily no cat had come into our garden and found the doors open and a little dude all vulnerable!

Today has been pretty busy, but it's alright.

I'm going to the doc on Tuesday afternoon - to have my heartburn checked out. I'm tired of having heartburn more often than I don't have it. I feel so lethargic and weakly lately and I really want to know why!

I'm so impatient to go home now... I ordered CDs online about two weeks ago, and they arrived first thing this morning. I'm DYING to play them ASAP!!!

I can't wait to go home and just relax. Sit out in the garden, listen to the outside air, enjoy relaxing OUTside for a change. I wish work would end early on a Friday, because when you go home at 5, the sun's already going down and there's no chance to enjoy yourself outside. If we could leave just 2 hours earlier, it'd make such a difference.

1hr and 10mins to go.

So so tired *rant alert*

I am so tired.

Exhausted.

I'm so tired of this BITCH next door. I am seriously going to go MAD, waking up every goddamn morning to her FUCKING high heels CLACKING all over their BLOODY TILED FLOORS!!!!!!!!

But right now, it exhausts me. I am TIRED of being PISSED OFF every morning. I'm TIRED of HAVING TO THINK about that bitch. Tired of THINKING about her FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!! Having to LISTEN to her and WONDERING what the hell is wrong with her.

I'm TIRED of even LOOKING AT G with an "I hate that bitch" expression on my face. I'm tired even of feeling that way and trying NOT to show it.

I'm tired of waking up with her noise, and then not wanting to go to the loo even though I need to go, cos then she might hear the loo flushing and feel glad that her NOISE WOKE ME UP!!!!!!!

I'M TIRED of having this SHIT to COMPLAIN about. But who, honestly, wouldn't be fed up with this?

I am SO TIRED!!

Reslisnis

It is nearing the end of the year. It's nearly midway through November, and I feel so restless, being stuck in the office with nothing much to do. There's so much I could be doing at home. Doing NOW so that the end of the year (when the office is closed) isn't so insanely hectic and busy. It's hardly a holiday if all you're doing is rushing around busy all the time.

The owners of our place are visiting on Sunday to pick up post and stuff. I'm looking forward to it, we're going to chat about the neighbours who are retards...

But now I want to tidy the place up in preparation. I don't want them to get a bad impression of us and think we aren't looking after the place. We're going to get rid of the junk we've been meaning to, gonna get the moldy jackets+bags+blanket+mat washed, possibly put the curtains up in the bedroom (but that entails buying and putting up a curtain rail - no hurry though so probably won't).

There's so much stuff I want to be doing right now, and being at work isn't one of them. I'd far rather be sorting through stuff at home, or mowing the lawn, or planting seeds and stuff.

Apparently the typist is wanting to retire in Aug 2009. I'm going to leave before her. I do not want to take over from her when she leaves, I'm not insane. It's actually good timing, then, because it will be around then that we would be preparing to leave for Aus. So much planned, such a lot of things going on, all waiting for things to happen first! hehehe SO IMPATIENT!

Warpony is HOME!

WARPONY :D finished,and stabled ;)



We fetched him on the way home from work yesterday, brought him home. Put him on the wall straight away. G tried to hammer a nail into an existing hole in the wall, and straight away, the retard bitch next door starts knocking on the wall too. Basically copying whatever knocking G was doing. The nail didn't work so we tried a different one, (and the bitch knocked more), so then we tried one of those hanging things which have 3 little nails and a plastic hook. That worked.

I just CANNOT believe how goddamn childish that bitch really is. I mean HONESTLY. Why knock on the wall because we're putting a picture up? GROW UP!

Retard!

I am seriously wondering about the bitch next door. I am so close to knocking on her door and asking her how old she is because she behaves like a 7 year old.

Basically, they've been making noise each and every weekday morning at 6:45. Snotball brat has a tantrum or something banging furniture against the walls and stuff (not as bad as that Sunday a few weeks ago - but it still startles you awake), so I put a note in their letterbox asking that it please stop.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Yesterday afternoon, we'd just got home from work and I think she had too. She slammed her front door for good measure. Then, when we just got into our place, the kid was outside WAILING and screaming and crying. I looked out the back door and it looked as if she had put him against the fence between our place and theirs, and went inside leaving him outside, to make him scream. He was screaming while standing and looking towards their window near to him. Then, as if nothing was wrong, he stepped away and went back into the house.

Ahh, and then this morning. BANG bang bang. The bitch was evidently pointedly banging things against the adjoining wall, on purpose (this was DEFINITELy on purpose). At 6:20. Followed by more noise basically up til they left at around 7 or so. The entire time, she clacked around in high heels all over their tiled floor. I seriously doubt that she had a reason to go up and down the stairs so many times in succession.

What the fuck is wrong with her? We don't do anything to make noise or disturb anyone else. If we're in the garden, we don't TALK LOUD so that every tom dick and harry can hear us, yet they do. We don't SMOKE so that it goes into THEIR LOUNGE. We don't SLAM DOORS, we don't STAMP around, we don't play loud music, we don't slam the goddamn car doors in the morning. And you know what... IT'S NOT HARD!!

It is NOT HARD to actually CONSIDER other people. Even just a tiny bit. It is NOT HARD.

Moronic Monday

Not as bad as that but still a nuisance.

I logged into my medical aid online account, and it seemed like they were about to have another attempt at the debit order. I immediately got on the phone with them and held for ages. The callcentre moron was not very keen to put me through, asking me what the problem was so I explained. She said my benefits were suspended due to nonpayment. I said I'd emailed and she said "we received your email it will be attended to during the week" (unacceptable... they'd be trying my bank account repeatedly, costing me quite a bit of cash). I asked about the bank fee and she kinda went um... so I asked to be put through to the financial dept and she asked me to hold and put me through to the switchboard. Asked there for financial dept, got put through and it got cut off. I tried again. Explained the story once more, to another callcenre clown who also couldn't help. Eventually I got through to someone in finance, who also couldn't help so I spoke to their senior. This lady was more than happy to help, she listened to my story and said she'd sort out the refunding of the bank charge. As for my details, I just have to fax through a bank statement to prove that the bank account is mine, essentially verifying the change. She also updated my details (other than the bank account details) while I was on the phone. She explained that the system is not supposed to allow changes in banking details and they have to get their IT dept to rectify that, but I had firmly said that nowhere did it say that I had to back up my changes with anything in writing.

Aaaaaaaaaanyway, I just logged into my online medical aid thing, and it shows the new updated details which she had changed. It also, bafflingly, shows my updated bank details which I had updated in the first week of October! I quickly copied and pasted the page into MS Word and emailed it through, as added emphasis that I HAD made the changes and that nowhere on the page did it say I had to send any verification through.

Anyway, it's all dealt with, I just hope that they sort it out promptly so that my benefits aren't disrupted.

*sigh*! Such a HASSLE. I'm not really looking forward to the whole mess when I have to change my name with everyone!

New beebees

I seem to be on an exciting roll - at least when it comes to "at home/getting things" things. My CDs should be arriving later this month, Warpony should be ready by Wednesday, and today I got some marbled hatchetfish (oh and 3 apple snails and some plants). These little guys are so adorable. They are such skinny things, with very deep bodies. Basically all they really do (for now I guess) is "hang out" right by the water surface. They're not gasping for air, they're just chilling. A few of the other brats were intrigued and inquisitive about them, trying to grab a nibble on them a little but they're all rather peaceful and don't seem to mind each other at all. The congos are definitely the hugest of the gang, basically double the size of the others.

Here is a pic of a marbled hatchetfish, from Badmanstropicalfish.com:



If anyone is looking for a framer who has reasonable prices and attentive, friendly service, I recommend Galerie de Lyons. I am very impressed with them. I will post a pic of Warpony as soon as he comes home.

I am not impressed with my medical aid (health insurance). I changed my bank account details with them pretty much in the first week of October. I did this online and their system said 'change accepted, pending'. It has said this up until yesterday. Somehow, their system never updated my details and they tried to take off money from my old account which by chance still happens to be open (I was intending to close it today but now I have to wait until this mess up has been sorted out). The bank obviously charged me an "insufficient funds" fee. I am so annoyed. I gave them PLENTY of time to change my details in time for the new month's payment. But no, they stuffed up. Hell even our accountant screwed up this month, she FORGOT that I'd emailed her my new details and paid my salary into that old account. (yeah whatever, she gives me grief about stuff and yet forgets stuff... pot calling kettle black whatever blabla). Anyway, it's been such a hassle. I just hope that the medical aid doesn't stop my benefits because of non-payment. If they do, MAN I'm going to be so angry. They've already taken half a year to pay something which they claimed there was no benefit for. I basically had to email them saying PAY IT DAMNIT! I asked them to pay it out of my "savings" account with them. Honestly, a scalpel ISN'T related to having a mole removed? What, the doctor used it to trim her potplants? Pfff.

Ok anyway, enough with the complaints. I'm sure I'll have more on Monday when I get a reply from my medical aid. Or if I don't get a reply... >.<

Dude has learnt to make drumtrack sounds. It is so cute. Random drum+cymbal sounds hehe. And when G or I make drumtrack sounds he will strut and prance around on the perch back and forth almost in time with the beat. He is such a cute little clown. He's also taken to doing the splits between his bell and the cagebars, getting right down like he's squatting and putting his ear to the bell as if listening to a track he's just recorded in the studio. It almost looks like he's a DJ in a club, mixing it up while keeping an ear to the record. It is SO funny, I have to somehow take a photo of him doing that. G and I laugh every time we see him like that. Sheer and utter concentration on the sounds in the bell.

Anyway, it is high time or bed time or something along those lines. *yawn* right, I'm off, sleep tight y'all.

Stupid day

I got to work this morning and immediately knew it was going to be one of those days. I hardly even got to sit down and boss dumped stuff on me. And then I jammed my thumb in the drawer.

It hasn't really improved. It's been busy again, which I spose has sort of made the day go past alright, but I've been doing those "fee accounts" again, basically invoices and a spreadsheet of invoices we've sent to the client. Those damn things always seem to have SOMEthing wrong with them and then I get snot from the accountant. Yay. Why am *I* doing those in the first place? She's the accountant, she does EVERYone else's accounts, why am I the only other person to do them? Cos my boss wants me to do them. YAY fuck off. I really don't give a crap, because *I*'m not the one who is a qualified accountant (or at least I'm assuming she is qualified). Whatever.

Anyway, yesterday was a busy day. Anyway, so today I'm upstairs making a hurried photocopy of a document for hbbm to deliver to someone and I basically walk into the typist and the accountant having a nice bitching session. Ok yes, I walked into the conversation/walked past it actually but they didn't stop while I was there. I was making the copy and they're basically saying stuff like when I'm busy with 1 or 2 things, hbbm takes work up to the typist, but when the typist's busy, does anyone help her... or like one of the guys came to ask her to do some work but she was busy so asked him to ask me and he said he had already and I don't know how to do that work and why is she the only one who can do that work... when like NO ONE has TAUGHT ME. Is that MY FAULT? You can't exactly get a "Idiot's guide" to that program.

Anyway, essentially a bitching session, including me in the topics of bitching. Yay. Gossip about me. Whatever. I'm really pissed off. Is it MY FAULT that "my" boss (and really, I'm NOT his PA, assholes!) dumps work on other people. He doesn't TELL me he's doing that, he never says a thing. He just says he's going upstairs to do some work with X, Y or Z. That's MY FAULT? It's MY FAULT that I don't know how to work in X program?

Whatever.

Went to the bank today, I just HAD to get out of this place. Updated my details yay that was fun.

What else is in store for me today? Do I want to know?