Stash!

I've been doing a bit of online shopping (splurging)... I think it's about time since everything has been geared towards saving for the wedding and honeymoon.

Work has been so unbelievably dull lately, so I've been checking out ebay.  It's quite fun - there isn't much I'm looking for but I've found a Breyer horse I've been 'wanting'  for the past 10+ years (at the time I saw it first I was 14 and it was a case of ONE DAY IN MY DREAMS).  The model is Gem Twist.  Also bought Milton, a dressage saddle & bridle (yes, I know neither Milton nor Gem Twist were dressage horses!) and a palomino Morgan mare and foal from an online shop.  Really excited - they should be on their way now as I type.

On ebay I found a set of 6 keyrings (LocoRoco), as well as the LocoRoco soundtrack.  I'm basically looking for any LocoRoco merchandise as I saw some pretty funky stuff while googling.  I've seen:  an umbrella, a PSP pouch, a carry bag, keyrings, keyringthing+screen cleaner, inflatable LocoRoco (very big!!), a beanbag, footrest/chair, stickers, soundtrack CD (and other CDs)... a guide book with stickers, notebooks/addressbooks (not sure - the text on the site was in Japanese), little stuffed toys, PSP skin... that's all I can remember right now!  I'd love all of these... but they are nowhere to be found really.

I can't wait for Locoroco2 to come out... :D

I've also 'splurged' musically:  bought the Chembros' albums (they were on 1/2 price sale) and also their brand new Brotherhood album (the one I'm getting has the bonus disc with Electronic Battle Weapons).  I REALLY cannot wait for it all to arrive..................

Things are on a go-slow regarding the wedding.  The main things are now sorted - I had the fake tan (it looks really good, very natural and subtle!)... now it's just the finer details (like discussing with everyone what exactly we require)... and dressmaking.  A lot still to do but there are 56 days left... time is ticking!

I'm so tired right now.  It's Casual Day today, so I'm wearing jeans and takkies.  It's one of those beautiful days outside, but as per NORMAL I'm irkedly cooped up at the office bored out of my mind.  I really wish I could just... GO HOME EARLY... open the back door, take a couch out into the garden, crack open a nice cold coke, pour out some chips and have some chocolate.  Just soak up the sun... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH like that'd ever happen!

%!@#&@*&~!# stupid work!!!

Welcome to the BoreDome

Right now I am exceptionally bored.  I am having one of those Office Space moments where you wonder "what the f- am I doing here".

It's lunch time, and I'm having cottage cheese on toast - again.  It's the same every day.  I'm not complaining about having cottage cheese on toast many days in a row, I'm just fed up and sick of having the same DAY every day.  It's the same every day:  bored, lazy, disinterested workday, same old dull lunch every single day, home and then catch up on some fun stuff if possible in the evenings.

I am so sick of the dullness, the same boring non-existence at work.  Where the bosses don't give a fuck (except when something is bothering them personally), where no one actually enjoys their job, or wants to be there.  Sick of getting phonecalls about shit I DON'T CARE ABOUT!  Honestly, I really couldn't care less if invoices never ever happened ever again and all the companies working on this project didn't get paid.  Woopdefriggindoo!!

And honestly, why should I care about this, if our bosses don't actually care about us (robots/workers/employees).

Example:  when I got here 4.5 years ago, the fax machine was a decrepit piece of shit.  It had to be serviced about every 6 months, it took 1hr&10mins to send 9 pages.  It was only replaced about 2 months ago, despite numerous complaints and problems.  Yet things like a table or photocopier squeaking must be attended to INSTANTLY because the sound bothers the boss too much.  Or we now have to use the photocopier/printer downstairs to print anything A3 because A3 print jobs make the print-queue slower... so the boss complained.

GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!  The print-queue is slow... it doesn't take 15mins!  The microwave is busy dying (has been for about 6 months AT LEAST), it takes about 15mins to do anything remotely like warm food and it makes the most horrendous noises I have ever heard coming from a kitchen appliance, but it isn't being replaced.

Anyway, enough of that.  I actually don't care.  I'm sick of having to come to this place and having to pretend I give a damn.

I guess that's my point for this post:  I'm tired of trying to pretend I give a damn.

Powerless rant

I don't really know for sure what it is exactly that I'm feeling.  I will just let my thoughts run now and see what I find.

I am angry.  Or at least that's the closest I can describe it.

Two of my colleagues leave on Friday, another leaves the end of next month.  I feel so restless because of it because now that they are leaving, they feel freer to share with the rest of us the crap that they had to put up with.  It's not very pleasant.  I have ranted about it here in the past, but apparently one of the bosses was talking to a potential re-employee (he left a few years ago) and basically going through the staff list, listing everyone's faults, along the lines of "x doesn't know what she's doing, y doesn't have a clue, z just blabla" blabla dissing everyone.  Apparently he disses us to clients, co-working company's people, etc.  Another colleague says "don't think that any of us is spared of that 'treatment' by him!".

So now they are having interviews.  And for some reason that just makes me feel so angry.  The false-civility, treating them like normal people, when in reality we all don't *get* treated... we just aren't really there.  The fact that we are so not-there that the boss can just in a fit of anger and frustration threaten someone's job, without actually GIVING A F&&K that it is a person that he's getting angry at.  It's a goddamned person who would actually, when you get down to it, LIKE to enjoy their job!!  But no, that's only part of it.  The fact that your needing time off after an OPERATION is so begrudginly acknowledged/allowed, or like the one occasion: a pregnant colleague tripped down some steps, nearly bashed her head open on a sticking out bit of ex-wallshelf (the metal bracket) and the only response the one boss had was "she's been here, what, since the beginning of the year? she should look where she's going!".  A) she's pregnant, you septic goat-testicle, and B) how bout just asking "are you ok?" maybe if you feel like it add "you should be more careful!".  Asshat.

Anyway, I'm sure I've ranted about all of that before.  But right now I feel so angry and fed up (again).  This makes me feel so restless and itching to bash them across the faces with a brick and yell at them and kick them and jump up and down on them and kick them into the dirt.  Or something.  Something that feels satisfying.  Not the greatest sentiment/mood/state-of-mind but that's what I feel like.  And then I'd say "toodle-doo, *@&#^&$^&$!" and leave.

But realistically I shall go make myself a cup of tea and keep calm.

Unexpectedly relaxed weekend

Apart from my laptop crashing quite a few times this evening. Going to run a memtest next time I'm on. It just bluescreens and that's it.

Friday evening G and I watched Darjeeling Limited. It was a very strange movie. Completely opposite to what I'd expected. Thursday evening we watched Enchanted which was brilliantly entertaining. I LOVED the curtains with the dress-panel holes!

Yesterday morning we popped in at S's work to drop off the visa application forms. Just a couple of things we must send through to accompany the application but that's ticked off our list. We had brunch with G's folks too and then we walked around while G's dad shopped for shoes for the wedding. He was successful too, and G's mom and I both laughed and shared the sentiment of "if only shoe shopping was that simple!!". We also went into the music shop and I picked up The Cardigans Live in London DVD. I'd phoned the day before to find out whether they had it in stock and also how much it is, and the lady had kept it aside for me. I also bought the Chemical Brothers' Push The Button. The other albums are on their way (online shopping rules), so in a few weeks' time I will have all the Chembros' albums! I've also added the Loco Roco soundtrack to my wish list... something completely frivolous and indulgent but the game is just so insanely adorable!

G and I hung out at the mall for about an hour while we waited for my nails appointment: I'd made an appointment (a sort of trial run) for a nail-do for the wedding. Basically the lady gave my nails a file+paint and also put extension/false nails on my little fingers so that I could see whether I'd like them for the wedding. I don't. HAHAH, they are SO WEIRD, typing with them now feels very odd. I just can't get used to the slight change in sensation and they don't look so good to me. It looks as if the finger under the nail is too large and is pushing at the nail making it bulbous. I really love the french manicure though, so that's what I'm going to have on the day!

After the 'manicure' G and I bought ribbons for the wedding car. I also splurged a little and bought some manicure tools (emery board, buff+polish stick, cuticle sticks and some clear nail polish). I think it's about time that I indulge in a little self-TLC. Things are so hectic with wedding preparations that I feel quite cosmetically (health&beauty) neglected. It's surprising how revitalised something like a good filing and painting of your nails can do!

Friday morning (apologies for chronologically hopping around!), G and I went to the attorney to sign the marriage contract stuff. Then we went through to visit the wedding venue. Had a very good 'brainstorming' session with the co-ordinator. So many things to think about and decide on and plan. YAY!!

I also got to work on the little horse cross stitch. It really doesn't take that long to do, just that it's such intense work that it actually gets exhausting. The stitches are small and it's over 2 so I become temporarily shortsighted after a while of working on it. After the 2nd one, I don't think I'm going to do any more over-2 or small count cross stitches again.

Yay, it's nearly payday! And, unrelatedly, hopefully the washmachine will have finished shortly! It's bedtime!

Hectic week/end ahead...

and it's gonna become busier and busier as the wedding day draws nearer.

Success!

Just a report back on those boots I mentioned in my previous post: I phoned the shop. They cost R4500. There goes that idea!

Today G and I went to the HUGE mall nearby at about 1pm. We got home again at about 7pm. Somewhere during the afternoon we had lunch so it wasn't as if we went shopping for 6 hours straight. It was a very fruitful shopping trip.

G found a shirt for the wedding and some jeans. I found 2 t-shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 4 pairs of track/pyjama pants and a 2 pack of vests. AND we found vacuum bags - we've been looking for them for months.

I feel very much more inspired now. New pants which I can keep for at home/going out, instead of just jeans. I will keep those black pants for work (that reminds me - I have to sew the buttons back on some of them - tumbledrying evidently weakened buttons' stitching). I just wish that they weren't pants needing ironing. I HATE ironing but *sigh* what must be done must be done!

I saw boots like the ones I had my eye on, but they were cheap ones (for a few hundred) which wouldn't last more than about 6 months if I were lucky. Not worth buying because the excitement at having such nice boots wouldn't outweigh the disappointment when they inevitably break. And yes, 'break' is the word I use here because if the cheaper boots give in, they are not repairable. Decent, well made ones you can get restitched or re-heeled (what's the right word?). One day, I will have boots like that.

G is currently playing Patapon. I had the PSP out yesterday afternoon and played a bit of Patapon. Then I switched over to LocoRoco (man I love that game!) and played for HOURS and eventually 'finished' the game! Yay!!!

Odd day today

Today I feel so unbelievably restless and unsettled.  G is having problems with his net so we're hardly able to chat during the day.  Somehow that makes me feel unsettled, as if I'm cut off with the outside world.  I feel it helps us keep up to date with what's going on with each other during the day.  Also it is useful for just ranting into because both G and I have stuff we NEED to just offload about, such as DUMB COLLEAGUES!

At this very moment, the receptionist is busy cleaning.  Gawd knows why, she's just got a bee in her bonnet this morning and has got a little bowl of water, a scourer and some general purpose cleaner and has scrubbed the entire cupboard, her desk, her keyboard, the printer, dunno what else (I've been overhearing her cleaning so I can only identify the items by sound).  I saw her cleaning the printer - cleaning it with a SCOURER!  And SOAP!  So that the surface is all matte with a soapy layer like you apply when cleaning a kitchen counter or something.  That's gotta be good for it!  Presumably she subjected her keyboard to the same treatment.  You gotta wonder sometimes.  I just... don't care... can't be bothered to tell her that it's not such a good idea.  She doesn't listen anyway.

G and I watched Stardust last night.  SUCH a good movie!  Fun and lighthearted entertainment... I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Tonight we're going to watch Little Miss Sunshine.  When we went to the movieshop last night to take the movies out, their system had 'lost' our details.  Apparently if you don't hire a movie once every 5 months, it deletes your info which seems a bit dumb considering that not everyone gets to or feels like watching a movie every single weekend or even month!

I've printed out a calendar for the next 3 months and pencilled in all the things we have to do.  The next few weekends are going to be very busy!  We're going to pop by at a ribbon shop and someone who hopefully will do my nails.  We're also going to the mall nearby so I can take a closer look at some boots I've had my eye on.  Calf-high leather boots.  I'd really like a pair but I am seriously doubtful whether those would be even remotely reasonably priced.  A similar pair in the US costs $200 which is +-R1500, but I doubt a good pair like that would cost anything less than R4000!!!!  HAHA so yeah, it's more a shopping trip to see the real price so that I put that idea out of my mind!

Dude is so cute and such a sweetheart.  I took him out of his cage last night and let him have a bit of playtime.  Clipped his nails as well - while he was sitting on my finger I fiddled around with his nails and clipped a bit and at first he was a bit annoyed because it was as if I were biting his feet myself (budgie to budgie behaviour) but then he seemed to realise I was doing something not as a budgie and he sat quite still and seemed tense but kept calm.  I gave him a neck scratch afterwards and must have accidentally caught one of his quills (baby feathers) under my nail and tugged it because he gave quite a squeak and jerked away - but still sat quietly and let me hug him and give him more head scratches.

I read up on the Aus immigration/quarantine website yesterday that they are now allowing pet birds in from NZ subject to strict quarantine and analysis.  Hopefully in the next while (before we move) they will allow other countries to bring in their pets.  I'm going to check back regularly... if we aren't able to take Dude I will be MOST upset because he's really like 1 of the 3 members (excluding the fish!) of our family.

3 people at the office have resigned.  2 are going the end of this month and the other the end of next month.  I'm not surprised.  Just this morning the typist told me what the boss had said of the messenger guy "if he doesn't go around this office every day checking that none of the lights have blown, he won't be working here for much longer!"  Shit like that REALLY demoralises everyone because although they might not hear it to their faces, they can sure as hell SENSE that type of sentiment and attitude.  Hell *I*'ve even had that type of thing said to me by that boss.  I don't recall the details (thank heavens) but I do recall being threatened that unless I sorted it (some mess-up) out, my job would be at stake.  Charming.

Anyway, enough for now - I have work to do (yay *rolls eyes* so interested in it right now)...

~*~

High school reunion

Apparently there's going to be a high school reunion for my matric year sometime next year.  I read about it on Facebook a while ago and recently checked on the group again.  Reading the Wall comments everyone is pretty much feeling the same way I suppose - "10 years have passed?!?!?!?".

One thing that made me go ! was someone's comment saying "yes! and we must bring our hubbies and wifeys and kiddies!".  If you think about that for a second, you'll realise why I'm so ! about it.

There were approximately 150 of us in the year.  If you double that it's 300: student + partner.  And if you were to include 'kiddies', estimating that I'm not alone in my childfreedom and that some classmates have probably popped out 4, you could say there'll be 2 kids per couple.  SO that totals 300 adults and 300 'kiddies'.  It sounds horrible...

Firstly, all that a reunion is really is a parade of how successful everyone is now, how lovely they still look, how well they have (haven't) aged, how great their partner is and how cute/clever/etc their children are.  To me, that doesn't sound like a great deal of fun.

Add to that 300 kids.  I don't think I need to go into detail here.  300 kids.  If the adults behave themselves (hopefully they have grown up a bit since matric), there will be 300 kids running around the entire time.

I dislike it enough when I'm forced to be surrounded by kids by being seated near the kiddies section in a restaurant, so I am not *willingly* going to go surround myself with 300 kids...!

Ugh.  No thanks. 

Sushi

As you can see, sushi has become a regular meal for us! The california rolls (uramaki) came out better than expected! The 2nd pic is pretty much "the usual" when we make sushi for supper.

Excerpt from Letter of Notification of Appointment of iPod

I hereby notify yourselves that I shall heretofore become thereby frustrated whereby I shall with immediate effect anull my interest therein, whereby I shall hereinafter go postal, which, on behalf of myself, I trust is acceptable to yourselves.

The aforementioned iPod, without which I would go postal, is hereby appointed as maintenance manager for my sanity.

Wedding to-do list

I thought it'd be good to type up the 'to-do' list, so that a) I can see what still needs to be done and b) it'd be a record of where we were at this point with all the planning.  There are 88 days left!

August

Nails/tan/beauty treatment

Travel insurance

Contract

Exercise!!!

Favours

September

Visas

Forex

Vows & ceremony

Ring cleaned

Seating plan

Menu, cashbar, canapes

Menu, seating plan card stationery

Music

Transport to wedding

House-sitting/someone to feed the fish and water the plants

Confirm everything with everyone!

October

Get rings made

Hair highlighted

Make-up trial

Sound equipment

Meet photographer & decorators to finalise details

Buy favours-contents

Make copies of all vital documentation for honeymoon

Go to dentist and hygienist

Arrange payment and return of items hired

 

Apart from the above list, G still has to sort out outfits with the bestman, we have to chat with his parents and my mom about proceedings, have to book some things to do on the honeymoon.  We've already booked all the flights, the hirecar, accommodation as well as a tour-card.  Also, I have to buy nice clothes - suitable for an Aus summer!

 

SO MUCH STILL TO ORGANISE!  So exciting!!

 

*disclaimer:  I'm blogging via email, so the layout of this post might be WONKY.  I will have to patch it up some other time.

Inspired

I have been reading old posts on S's blog - reading about her wedding preparations and stuff and I'm inspired!

Yesterday we went to visit 2 jewellers. We've picked out ring designs but aren't 100% sure which metals we'd like but I think we're sorted now!

The first jeweller was recommended by my boss's daughter who got married last year sometime. He seems nice enough and gave us quotes for different metals for the ring designs we have chosen. We were intending to go to a factory-shop place (set of factory shops - not quite a mall!) afterwards, but decided against it because it was the last Saturday of the month (after both paydays!). Apparently this place is busy enough on a NORMAL Saturday so we decided instead to go visit another jeweller who was recommended by an ex-colleague.

This guy looked at the other guy's prices and told us that they were wonky - also when I told him I was considering platinum because it won't scratch, he told us that platinum isn't as hard/scratch-resistant as it's made out to be (it's a sales-pitch). He gave us prices for both our rings in white-gold (18 and 9ct for mine and G's respectively) and they are much better than the other guy's prices. So it seems we have found our jeweller!! I'm so relieved. He says he can make them in 1 day for us, so we aren't in a rush now to get them made. It would be nice to get it done and ticked off the list asap but it's good that we don't have a cut-off rushrush date.

So it now seems that everything is on track. The huge things have been organised, now it's smaller things which must take place closer to the time. The invites have (99%) been mailed off. The bridesmaids and I went to meet with the dressmaker. She said if we wanted we could use this next month as a get-fit/lose-weight month so that she can take our measurements again. It's all so exciting! And I probably mentioned about 5 times already but I have my shoes and jewellery sorted!

It's 21:35 now, and G is busy playing an 'escape game'. Dude is chattering away to himself and the fish are chilling in the tank. Altogether a happy home :D This weekend has been rather relaxed - after we met with the 2nd jeweller, we went for lunch at a nearby restaurant. It was empty apart from us for the first while - we'd evidently 'beaten' the lunchtime rush - but after a while other people came in as well.

After a YUM lunch, G and I went for a stroll on the beach across the road. It was GORGEOUS on the beach, the wind was icy but otherwise it was really relaxing and so enjoyable to be there with nothing 'on the cards' to be done that day which we should rather go do than waste time on the beach. We usually end up doing 'necessary' stuff (like meet with jeweller/wedding plan/stuff like that) and then spending the rest of the weekend doing chores and wasting the rest of the time sitting on the internet. It was so nice to get out of the house and be 'timeless' for a moment! I hope that we can do more of that kind of thing from now on - wedding-rush is on track so we should have time!

Anyway that is all for now - last week was really stressful and I'm so glad it's over! I am going to re-count the days left til my last day at work here... I really can't wait O.o

GI Joe!

Strange bossman

Hbbm is funny at times... I think he is becoming more soft as he gets older.  Apparently he used to be very scary and would shout at people a lot (including in front of people in a meeting in the boardroom)...

Yesterday was an example of his oddness:

He called me into his office saying "... I've got a problem... there's some brown on the screen... dunno... how to get rid of it or something?"

It was the stationery/background of the email he was replying to.

"ahh, so nothing sinister... I was just worried".  At least he found the reply button this time!

He also has a biscuit on his table next to his keyboard... it's from Friday teatime.  Yum. %-)

A bit later on, he called me into his office to ask me to help - he's got himself into a bit of a loop.  He'd evidently replied to a sent item instead of a received item and merrily emailed himself!

And then, the best bit:

He appeared at his office door (perpendicular to my desk), and showed me his trousers stitching had come apart below the one pocket, saying that he'd have to sticky-tape it from the inside.  He goes into his office, and I hear him moving stuff, probably looking for the stickytape.  He comes back and says "don't come in here now, else you might see something embarrassing..!"... he goes back in, comes out again and laughingly says "just letting you know that there's no lady coming in through the other door, ok??".."ok give me about 3 or 4 mins" and goes back in, closes the door and I soon after hear that RRRRRRRRKKKKKKK sound of a longggg piece of stickytape being pulled and torn.  Eventually he comes out and shows me his handiwork (he seemed rather chuffed with himself)!

Today has been quiet.  I think I overheard hbbm and the other department's not nice boss chatting, and I think hbbm said that he's thinking of retiring because the money just isn't worth it anymore.  He's nearly 70, so that's completely understandable!  I'm really holding thumbs that he retires next year or after, so that I can safely work here until it's time for us to make our moves!

Our wedding + honeymoon plans are coming along nicely!!!  Can't wait!

Contemplation

I think I'm a sensitive, reactive creature. Emotionally sensitive and things affect me which really shouldn't have any impact on me at all.

I will blog about 'usual' stuff now and see if it inspires me to blog more 'thoughtful' stuff hehe... I have so many thoughts in my head right now, and they just don't want to come out!

Things have been busy. The invites are almost 100% sorted - gotta get addresses for a couple of people and then send them off in the post. A few we will hand-deliver. They really do look lovely :)

I have been BORED out of my MIND at work lately. For the most part, all I have been doing at work is filing. I am so bored and frustrated because (as always, where filing is concerned), it is never-ending! Just when I see the end in sight which would be when that dude's filing cabinet is empty, HBBM has urgent (shit) emails to type to people in Mauritius "BLAAAAAAA BLA BLA it's urgent they leave work 2 hours before we do blablabla hold-my-hand-I-can't-TYPE! wahhhh... " and then other work which prevents me from maintaining the upper hand on that filing and then it goes awful again. WHY THE HELL AM I STRESSED OUT ABOUT FILING - jees, is that my sole purpose in life??

All day, at work, I think/mull about the things I COULD be doing at home, useful, NOT-pointless stuff (unlike what I get to do at work)... and every evening, after spending the entire day doing 'nothing', I can't even do those things I had been wanting to do because there's always SOMETHING. Always washing up, or washing, or SOMETHING. Every evening. Same thing on weekends. It's Sunday afternoon now, and almost the entire day yesterday was spent doing chores. So - when is there time to have fun hey? Yes I've griped about this before, but it never changes.

I went through my clothes yesterday, doing a cull, if you would call it that. A long overdue sorting through of clothes. Removing clothes that no longer fit or things I just haven't ever worn in the past CENTURY. It was quite strange. I now have a rather incomplete wardrobe because nothing much is left. It was so strange to dig out the old stuff. Old tank tops, button-t-shirts, quite an assortment of tops basically. They were such a reminder of certain timeperiods, and I felt such a sense of loss. A time which I can't get back, a time which wasn't fully experienced, or not quite fully "lived". Such vivid reminders of particular days, things I would wear with the outfit, feelings and expectations and moods of that time. I guess life is a series of periods, each with their own expectations - and they are rarely fulfilled. Or is it just me? I wouldn't actually know, but it always feels that way.

I suppose it's that problem of reaching +-25 and wondering "so what have I achieved?"... or how much have I grown and changed in the past 10 years. I don't really know. If I think back to those times, in a way, nothing's changed. In another way, so much has changed. I guess I'm still the same person, just living in different circumstances.

I'm not sure what I'm feeling, disappointment perhaps. I guess a person is excited about what is coming, future things, plans, but when they happen, they aren't as huge as they were supposed to be. Being 'grown-up', not that big a deal now is it. Now I get to worry about my hands, how dry they are and wrinkly and stress about how old they are already looking when they really shouldn't! Or how none of my clothes really fit anymore, how they fit me 100% for such a brief time for about 6 months about 2 years ago. It feels so unfair. So when am I going to have that 'carefree' time, where I'm at my best, most beautiful, most impactful, most lovely? Most up-and-coming, perfect? Has it passed already? Why?

I'm so tired. Feel like sitting up on my cliff-top, alone. I'm so sick of ... everything really. Getting home, and there are things to do. Getting home, and hearing the neighbours and their F***ing KID! Like, ENOUGH! ENOUGH damn it. I'm TIRED of hearing them slam their front door EVERY SINGLE TIME they leave or come home. SICK of seeing their car pull up after they've been out, hearing that DAMN CHILD singing BARNEY theme or HAPPY BIRTHDAY...!!!!! Sick of having to constantly be aware of things, like "the washing basket is full/the washing up needs to be done/the bin is full and needs to be taken out/the house needs a clean/things are needed from the shop/the windows need to be closed cos it's dark or raining/my hair needs a wash/my nails need to be cut/WHATEVER!!! I'm so tired of everything now. I'm SICK of doing PERSONAL work for hbbm. Typing up letters regarding the PAVEMENT plants outside his HOLIDAY HOME!!!!! Damn it, damn it all.

I feel fed up... people. I'm fed up with everyone it seems. Mom told me about aunt+uncle, how they fight, argue and taunt each other enough to get themselves into a rage, enough for the one to hit the other because the other challenged them to do it. Their kid stands by and witnesses it. Sick of it... mom not being home, running herself into the ground being OUT of the house when the house needs sorting out and getting into order - she told me how excited she feels when going out on mobile-home holidays and how sad and upset she feels coming home... And people...! I'm tired of it all. I'm tired of how it upsets me. I can't not be affected by it but it's driving me mad. A friend of mine in the US says I should 'change what you can, but things you can't change, forget about'. Easy, it should be. I'm tired.

There's too much to do. I have so much I WANT to do, for fun, recreation, but there's always something else that *should* be done instead. I want to stitch or play games, but I SHOULD go through old magazines and toss them out. I should scan photos in, I should finish the other x-stitches (gifts), I should EVERYTHING. Too much. I'm tired.

News from another planet

Friday was funky! I phoned the PC shop and they'd got their delivery of RAM and so we were able to go buy 1gb each of 667MHz laptop ram! YAY!! When we got home after going out to buy the ram, we plugged in the ram chips and voila! They worked first time! :D I'm now sitting happily with my spiffed up perky laptop. Love this thing! :D

Friday rocked too because I phoned the traffic dept, held on a while and got put through to a cheerful sounding guy at 'collections'. Bang on time, my license was ready, 8 weeks after my test just as they said it would be. Yesterday morning G and I went to fetch it and it's a 100% correct, *my* driving license (my photo, name etc). Just a pity that I'm going to have to apply for a new one in about 4 months' time!!!

Yesterday we also popped in at the aquarium shop. I bought a heater (but found out that the one I thought was broken is in fact still fine), some yum (HURLICIOUS) mealworms for the fish (HURL HURL they're so revolting!!! not freezedried, just kinda... dead in the tin).

Cleaned the tank a little while ago. Still love my fishtank! Gorgeous little fish! It's going to be sad leaving them behind when we move. I will be able to look forward to buying a whole new setup though, and once we get fully settled down I'd like to try my hand at a marine aquarium.

We're busy with the invites now... there's still quite a bit of stuff to organise. I think we're on track though. Later this month the bridesmaids and I are heading off to meet with the dressmaker for measurements and stuff. Eeek!!

I really wish weekends were 3 days long. I don't see what's wrong with an 8 day week. I don't mind working 5 days, but the weekend being 2 days is too short. I'd love a 2nd Sunday so that I can just relax and NOT do anything I HAVE to do, because all that would have been done the day before. *sigh*

I stitched a bit a couple of nights ago. Here's GI Joe as he is now:



I don't really have much else to blog about. My head was full of thoughts and inspiration the past few days and now that I sit down to blog, it's all gone.

I just looked at the fishtank from where I'm sitting and I can see the male congo tetras showing off how manly they are, puffing and prancing and challenging each other. They're such narcissists! :P I think the reason everyone in the tank is showing off is to redefine *their* space. I moved all the floating plants around so I probably changed the "territory boundaries". The hatchetfish are probably going to 'fight' with each other until the plants grow/move back to where they were.

Cosmic imbalance

Strangely enough, this year seems to be one of imbalance or dischord.

It's unfortunate because our wedding is this year and a lot has been achieved already this year so far.  I got my drivers' license, got moles out, etc... long-term things.  The wedding plans are going well, the honeymoon plans are going well too.  But then other things are going wrong.  Very wrong.

Some occurrences this year:

My budgie (living with mom & sis) died earlier this year.

Sis bumped mom's car with her car - broke the headlight on mom's car - expensive to fix and it's still not 100% sorted. 

Sis & mom's arguing/situation.

Sis's work shit:  govt dept did a job-satisfaction survey and no one is happy. Solution?  Tighten the contract wording so that no one can change jobs. Sis's library has 4 members of staff (including the cleaning/book-repair/non-counter working lady).  1 of the 3 counter-working ladies is resigning.  HOW THE HELL CAN YOU RUN A LIBRARY WITH 2 MEMBERS OF STAFF??  Sis is stressed to the max which affects everything.

G's sis's dog was kidnapped by her ex... from her new home (rented).  Luckily she had bought a puppy just a short while before.  She moved back in with their parents and then G's parents' dog passed away (on G's bday).

G's sis was in a car accident (no injuries), car was a write off but insurance paid out.

G's folks have to move again.

My sis was in a car accident (no injuries).  Car 1 slammed on brakes, car 2 slammed on brakes, sis slammed on brakes but didn't stop in time and hit car 2 which hit into car 1.  Bad enough?  Sis's insurance writes the car off (it's an old citi golf)... and will not pay out because one of her tyres had a bald spot which "would have been the cause of the accident".  Her insurance will not pay for car 2's repairs either.  What now?

I dunno. Just felt like blogging that.  Nothing much is going on these days (bloggable)... Work is the same, driving me crazy with lack of stimulation and excess of boredom.  Wedding preparations are taking place.  Honeymoon plans.  Sorting through old junk.  But I'm not feeling particularly restful or "happy".

Dude

Such a beautiful Little Dude! ♥

131/361

My countdown as of today stands at 131 and 361.  131 days left til the wedding, and 361 working days left for me here.

The weekend was fun - went to the house that M&J were housesitting.  The dog + cat there are weird.  The dog doesn't play with a ball or toy like that, she plays with PEBBLES.  Large driveway/plant bed pebbles.  And she plays with the cat - biting him around his entire head.  Very strange.  It's a very nice house though and we had yum pancakes.

Saturday G and I caught up with the chores, and then G read and I sorted through my box of papers.  Getting there, slowly but surely!

On Sunday I drove to mom's house and G and I hung out a bit with sis and got stuff down from in the ceiling.  A whole box of teddies, my box of cars, my luggage set and some other odds and ends.  It's going to be fun sorting through them,  I will clean all my cars, probably wash all the teddies but it might have to wait til summer for me to do that because they will need a long time in the sun to dry!

I then drove from mom's place to G's folks' place.  Was very enjoyable.  I felt a bit "eek" at first but it went very well.  On the mountain pass I took (on both trips) I drove at about 50kmph because of all the tight bends and my not being so used to the car... but then when we went on straight bits I went faster and left the cars behind me way behind! 

I had my first road-block too!  There was a road-block near G's folks' place, in front of the police station - there are a few bays along the road there and I was directed into the front one and I was trying not to hit the traffic officer or mount the kerb and I must have tipped the brakes a little hard coming to a stop.  I grinned like a doofus at G and wound the window down and the traffic officer said "hi there license plskthx" so I handed my big goofy temporary licence paper out the window.  She looked at it and said "you just passed your license recently...:)" probably wondering wtf I was doing driving an Audi... buahahah!!  She walked around the car, probably checking the numberplates, came back to the window and handed my licence back... said "have a good evening - and next time a bit less hard on the brakes".  Hehehehehe!!

We spent quite a while at G's folks' place, and when we left it was dark and VERY misty!  So we had a nice slow drive home.  G got stopped at the same roadblock but the guy just said "do you have your licence sir?" and as G began to take his wallet out of his pocket the guy said "no no, don't worry, you do have it?" "yes" said G.  "Are you sober?" "yes, definitely" "Ok have a good evening" and that was it!  Strange...

I really want to finish with those papers now, and get back into stitching.  Golden Ice is very neglected now!

Oohhh, in other news, when we got home from work on Friday, I popped out of the car to check the letterbox.  There was a puffy envelope in it, addressed to me.  A friend in the UK had posted me a cross-stitch chart and some fabric she had left over from when she did the design.  I'm going to stitch one for my mom and one for G's mom :)  Get them framed and present them to them before the wedding.  It's going to be SO FUN!!

Ok I have a PILE of filing to do so I'd better get to it - yay only 361 days left!

Uhhhhh

Once again I have a post titled "uhh".

Hbbm isn't at work til 2pm today, and I'm doing filing which I haven't been able to do until now.  It's quite a lot.  I must admit I've been "taking it easy" and listening to my ipod while filing.  Hbbm didn't leave any work for me which makes it easier.

One small problem though - I don't FEEL LIKE FILING!  I guess I never do :P  Right now I feel like doing other stuff like wedding planning... little things like that.  Hardihar... little... maybe to the company it'd be little but it's our WEDDING for heaven's sake, it's NOT a small thing.  Large enough for one of the bosses to take the day off in preparation for his daughter's wedding tomorrow... will I be able to take time off like that? HAHAHA... ummmmmmmmm well probably not?  Because I'm using my leave for honeymoon... I'd have to put in for unpaid leave for the Friday before the wedding.. yay.  Unpaid leave, my favourite!

Ok anyway, I hope this blogpost works better than the previous one.  It seems that when I put in a blank line in the email it converts it to two in the blogpost.  Will check it out later.

The night before last we clipped Dude's nails again... we haven't played with him much lately which isn't a good thing.  Poor neglected Dude.  He had a lot of fun that night though!  Well, nail clipping was fine this time again, except for his two inner back toes.  They were very long and his foot wasn't positioning properly on the perches.  Now he should be fine.  With those toes G had to hold him in a little blanket (he doesn't like the nailclippers around his butt evidently, but then, who would?)... for the other nails he sat on my finger and allowed them to be clipped.  Brave Dude :D

In other news - my sis had a fender bender yesterday.  She's alright, the car bumper, bonnet, lights and stuff are a bit damaged, the driver's side door doesn't open, but the car she bumped into was worse off - it was between two cars and being bumped from behind by my sis bumped it against the car in front of it.  Not good!  I guess things like that just happen so there's no point stressing about it.  Not that I can talk, not having ever been in an accident. 

I did have a dream, however, about driving off an EXTREMELY high bridge over a rocky river.  It was very freaky - G and I were in the car, driving around a wide sweeping bend and I suddenly realised that *I* was the one driving (I didn't KNOW?!) and that I should be buckled in.  I pulled the seatbelt across and took my other hand off the steering to buckle up and next thing the car hit the barrier and launched into the air.  I think G's words in the dream were "oh fuck"...  I was busy trying to decide whether it'd be better to crash down with the seatbelt on, or if it'd be impossible to unbelt myself and swim out if the car became filled with water... all that time we were soaring through the air.  I woke up before we actually crashed though.  MAN that was a freaky disturbing dream.

What's with that?

Ok this is going to be one of those rant posts :P  I don't recall ranting for a good while now so it's about damn time!

 

Sometimes, you just wish you could bash someone over the head.  Yesterday I had a moment like that.  Scenario =  Lunch time at the office:

 

I come into the kitchen, armed with my lunchbox (2 slices of toast) and tin of hot choc + mug.  I put my lunchbox down by the griller and I  say "I'm next!! :D" to a friend-colleague who is busy toasting her sandwich - she replies "there's no queue! :)" - so I go about washing my cup and making hot chocolate... I grab a knife out of the drawer and put it on my lunchbox, put my mug next to the kettle because it's still busy boiling, and get a plate out of the cupboard and put it next to my lunchbox.  Turn back to the griller area and this BLOB of a colleague from the other dept has jumped the queue.  She's plonked her lunchbox etc next to/around my lunchbox, and already put her sandwich on the griller next to my friend-colleague's sandwich!

 

I was SO annoyed that I just made my hot chocolate and brought it to my desk.  Went back, and it's still the same... like hello?  What is with that... jump the queue?  Surely ANY normal person would SEE lunchbox, cottage cheese, knife, next to the griller and ask "anyone in the queue?" just to make sure...?  But no, f*** whoever is actually waiting to use the griller.

 

I come back after going to the loo, and now my friend-colleague's taken her sandwich off the griller and someone ELSE had stuck their damn sandwich on the griller next to Madame Blob's sandwich.  By now I'm so annoyed I pick up my plate+bread, cottage cheese and knife and go and wait at my desk - I'd rather seethe at my desk than become enraged in the kitchen... but HONESTLY!!

 

After about 10+ minutes I go back to the kitchen and the griller's free.  The lady after Madame Blob is sitting on the chair next to the griller (which interferes with using the griller but that's another story altogether! see below) but thank god she's less than half the size of Madame Blob who usually plonks her ass there and will not move or move her stuff so you have to lean all over her food/awkwardly take the griller-grid off the griller almost tipping your bread out the other side so as not to knock her stuff.  ARGH!!!!!

 

Where the hell is your brain + consideration for other people?  Ok background - Madame Blob has pissed me off in the past by sitting essentially hogging the griller.  Her offering to plug the griller in and turn my toast for me is NOT going to help... to elaborate a little: the griller is like most grillers out there - it does not toast evenly.  To get evenly toasted bread you have to rearrange your bread slices.  So by offering to do it FOR me you just piss me off more!

 

Another rant, also a longterm one:

 

What on earth is the point of finishing the loo roll which is on the holder (not an industrial-style one like you get in shopping malls which are locked), and taking one from the backup-holder and balancing it on top of the empty cardboard still on the holder?  It is *hardly* a strenuous exercise: 1) remove cardboard roll from holder, 2) put new roll on holder, 3) take cardboard roll and put it in the bin when you leave the loo... VOILA!!

 

WHAT IS SO HARD ABOUT CHANGING A LOO ROLL?  No, seriously.  I want an answer.

Clearing out stuff

This weekend has been great. Today is a public holiday. We went to G's folks' place yesterday for Pop-day lunch. I HAVE to get that recipe - chicken + veg on rice... yumMY!!

I've been doing some clearing out this weekend. I finally dragged out the packets of papers+odds and ends and boxes of junk and sorted through them. I now have a box of magazine pages I tore and kept over the years - have to go through them. I have a box of stationery/writing paper/stuff like that, and I have another box of odds and ends like slinkie, HP chocolate frog cards, keyrings and stuff. It is so liberating tossing out such a lot of stuff - for example I'd kept a softcover A4 book which was my matric geography project. Yay... wtf?

Anyway, I now have a clear idea in my mind what all I still HAVE. It is no longer this insurmountable PILE of junk. It's great because now that I have gone through it all, I have a better idea of what all I will have to take with us to Aus.

Next on the cards (after sorting through the box of magazine articles), is fetching stuff from mom's place. There are bags and boxes of toys and stuff that are stored in the ceiling cavity (and possibly, although I doubt it, in cupboards). THAT's going to be a challenge. Toys that have been kept ever since I can remember... games, books, puzzles, teddies, etc. I also have to fetch my dinky-cars (a BOX of them). I have a plan for them once we've moved to Aus. Basically a wall-display, like a printer's tray, with a space for each car, with transparent perspex doors to keep all the dust out. The cars are by no means in good condition, they were played with and left outside and some were even lost in the sandbox for a while, but I'm sure that a whole wall's worth of cars will make a nice, memorable display!

Anyway, there's still a lot of stuff to go through, but I intend on bringing all of my stuff to our place, even if they are in boxes and bags, because then at least I will be able to sort through them in my own time. I can't believe how liberating this all is! Preparing for the wedding is one thing, preparing for the honeymoon is another, and clearing out junk? Now that's a long-term thing but it's great... if I do it all gradually, there will be less stress when we have to move. Also it refreshes in my mind what all I have, and it makes having our own home in Aus more of a goal and not just a dream because I can envision where our stuff will go. I hope that our place will have 'display walls', which I can use to hang up Warpony, Heremia and Golden Ice. At the moment, we only have 1 display wall, so the latest completed cross-stitch goes there. Heremia is there now, Warpony has been demoted to another part of the lounge where he is all but neglected!!

What I want to do this evening is go through some pc games we have. I have Captain Claw, LOTR (seems to be the first one that came out), we have Sam&Max Hit the Road. I want to install them and give them a bash :)

I'm very frustrated about my laptop though. I'd kept a ripped copy of all my CDs on it so that I was able to listen portably, and now I'd burnt almost all of it to DVD so that we could play them in the car. ALL of it except for about 3gb has been successfully burnt and deleted off my laptop. The last 3gb for some reason refuses to be burnt. I don't know whether my DVD drive is giving trouble or whether it is Nero itself, but it burns perfectly until at the end it says "burn failed" (at the lead-out). I'm SO fed up because all I want to do is get rid of that 3gb of music! I cleared a lot of stuff off my laptop (pics, videos, music, docs etc), so it's all but empty now... but ARGH that 3gb..................................

I also want to buy more RAM for it. It's such a great laptop, but now as the programs update and everything gets suited to super-specced machines, the RAM is showing itself to be insufficient (512mb). I still love this laptop though, everything else is 100% with it :D

I think that's all for now... I'd love to do some stitching but I don't know how likely that is what with these games.. ;)

Sushi!

I tried and succeeded to make inside-out california rolls (uramaki). They were quite a bit larger than I'd intended, so we both were rather full afterwards.



No other news for now... ;)

Progress

This is what Golden Ice looks like now. He is definitely equine now!



At the moment I am at home, sick, kicking the last bit a cold in the butt. My boss is away, I was very sick on Monday but had to go to work because he was there that day before going on a business trip. Yesterday I went to work because he was going to leave me work to do which wouldn't have been fair to leave for the (also sick) typist to do. So today I am at home, keeping warm, getting better.

Last night G and I went to the huge shopping mall (not so nearby). Were sposed to do odds and ends shopping like getting vacuum bags and chopsticks but do you think in a mall with 400 shops in it you would find them? Ok granted we didn't look in every single shop... but still. Sheesh...

We did however pick up a 2nd copy of Diablo II's expansion pack. Now G and I can go on missions together :D We tried it out last night and it was VERY fun!

I had a lot I was going to blog about but now after reading stuffs on teh internetz, I am uninspired.

And now

I am sick with a cold. W00t!

I'm feeling all stuffy-headed right now... and not being up for much means I can finally do some housekeeping on my laptop. I've just cleared out an emailbox and still have some more to do. It's all old stuff I've just left lying about and I think it's time to clear it out. Just like having the study upstairs tidier than before, this feels uplifting too.

Friday night, we went to Synd and had soup and chilled and chatted. Sat morning bright and early G and I headed off to FH for me to have my hair highlighted. Didn't take too long (2hrs total), and then we popped to Mom. She impulsively bought a budgie on Friday, and he's very cute but at such a young age we can't tell yet what he's like. Or in fact whether it IS a he. The whole story of how mom bought him and then went shopping (leaving him in the box in the car!)... just brings it starkly to my mind that mom's thinking is not really clear and logical, and well... will it ever be? Her response to my exclamation and saying it was not right to keep him in the car while shopping (she could have dropped him off at home and THEN gone shopping!) was to say (basically) that after that experience he must be enjoying being in the cage! *sigh* I don't know... if she can't see what's wrong with that, then I dunno.

Anyway, he seems a cute enough budgie... and we hung about and had a bit of lunch and then came back to our place. Yesterday night S & L and I were going to a restaurant/wine bar for a bit of fun, but at 13:40, when we got home from mom's place, I was already feeling that all too familiar feeling in the back of my throat/in my nose that means I am getting a cold (or something like it). As the afternoon progressed I felt worse and worse, and headed to bed for a nap. Woke up at about 4pm and felt so rotten I had to sms S and tell her that I just wouldn't be able to make it. I'm very disappointed. Murphy is a real tool... grr. *sigh*!!

This week HBBM is away again (TueWed+Thur). I'm very glad about that but it doesn't mean I won't be busy. He's probably going to leave a TON of work for me, and if he doesn't, the other guy who I do filing for will more than likely have a lot of filing for me to do.

I still can't believe I passed my drivers. I keep having 'flashbacks' or things prompting my memory, and then the re-realisation that it's over and I don't have to worry about that "pre-trip inspection test" again! It's done! Finit! Yay!!

Things are coming together for the wedding. At the moment we are organising the invites and stuff. I'm still waiting for the coffeeshop/bakery to send through their quote. I'm disappointed but she did reply to my query saying that she'd send it, they were just hectically busy this week. I shall wait and see. We're going to email the venue about catering shortly, that really will be a huge load off our shoulders.

I'm so excited though, seeing how things will fit together. I can't wait to see everything finally ready! The colours and everything will look WOW!

Dude is so cute. He really is a special little thing ♥

And that is all I feel like blogging about for now. I'm not exceptionally inspired right now, what with having a head full of cotton wool...

Sushi 'n stuff!

I'm really sleepy right now so I'll blog a proper blog some other time, but I just wanted to post a pic of the fashion sandwiches we had tonight. The avo we bought a few days ago hoping for it to get softer didn't in fact get softer. So our sandwiches were sans avo. But they were tight enough for me to cut up AND eat with chopsticks!



And my progress with Golden Ice.

California Rolls version 2

2nd attempt: FAR better than the first attempt:

Google erm, maps

Sushi making part 2

We tried our hands at making maki (california rolls). Came out alright - needs a bit of work but I'd say a good result for a first try!

Stuffs

The pic above is from a photocopied page, from an artbook. Something else on the page must have been photocopied for some shit art project in high school and thankfully I kept this pic. It is so lovely, and now I'm on a mission. I want to find out who the artist is and/or what the artwork is called... I would love to get a print of it, or have it charted for cross-stitch. If anyone happens upon my blog and knows (unlikely chance!) or if you know of anyone who may know or can recommend a website to submit it to/web-group I can ask PLEASE let me know.

Ok what's news this past while. I'm still in disbelief that I've passed my drivers' test. I keep thinking of things, like technique approaching an intersection, and realising "hey!!! It's over!". I'm so glad.

We made sushi again - the 2nd night - we used up the 2nd half of the salmon we got. It was just as delicious and neater than the first attempts:



It's definitely a "keeper" recipe!

I've been in blitz-mode lately. I've basically kicked my boss's ass and cleared up his office. Now that's no little task: he has 3 bookshelves FULL, he has his desk, a table (4 seater) and a 2 couch+coffee table. And the floor. Originally basically ALL of them were covered with piles of paper (except for the bookshelves - the 2 were "recent additions" to his furniture. He now has a virtually clear carpet (apart from a few apple-boxes worth of old/personal/non-work related stuff (his own stuff, I'm not going in there) and his work satchels. His couch+table set is clear, and on his 4-seater table, there are piles of paper which are for ONLY 2 projects. Not 580, but 2. It is quite an achievement I think. And "his" area of my desk (basically a landing area for all his incoming paperwork) is whittled down from about 40 separate overlapping piles to 6. I feel so relieved. The 2 projects on his table in his office... well let me just say that there is a LOT of paper for him to go through.

And then at home, too, I've been blitzing. I've finally tackled boxes which contained my "stuff". Slowly but surely I went through them and unpacked stuff that could be unpacked, and went through some stuff. Threw away quite a lot of stuff. I got rid of a lot of school diaries (who needs to know what they needed to remember to take to school for home economics on 23 April 1995?)... etc. I have SUCH bad hayfever from it, and I am only now realising/remembering that that's how I woke up every morning when I was still living at home: all that paper and junk was in my bedroom. DIE PAPERJUNKRUBBISHCLUTTER, DIE!!

It's also very soul-lightening. Getting around to tackling these seemingly huge obstacles. It seems like a 2' x 2' x 2' box, but inside it is maybe 2 shopping bags of papers. So much easier to tackle like that! It's all for a good cause - not just for weight shedding, but also it's good to slowly prepare for the big move like this. That way, when we do eventually have to get down to it and start packing/throwing away, there's less stuff to wade through and decide about. SO DAMN EXCITING!

On the emigration note, apparently (according to Migration Expert), Aus has increased the visas available to people going to Aus. Which is great - will mean we have more of a certain chance of moving there. We're probably going to get started with the application mid-next year. According to a book we got on migrating to Aus, you get about 9 or 10 months to migrate after the visa has been granted. So if we apply in say July, if it's granted during 2009, we will be able to migrate ASAP after G's commitment is fulfilled. Very exciting stuff! I am however keeping it all out of my mind (as best I can!), while we concentrate on wedding + honeymoon plans.

This blogpost is turning into quite a long one, but my blog is essentially my ramblings so... :P

Ok so yes... emigration is looking more and more like a YES FOR CERTAIN, and I'm so excited about it. BUT... I must focus... wedding... honeymoon. We're going to go to Sydney+Brisbane, via Singapore. I really cannot wait. Essentially it's going to be a honeymoon + scouting out the place, all in one. It's going to be so awesome seeing both cities, knowing that we'll be living near or in one of them not long after the honeymoon (about 1.5 years). It's going to be fun experiencing the different climates. Brisbane sounds nice, less hectic than Sydney but the humidity might be murderous. Sydney sounds great, with lots to see and do and a lot of buzz, but it is a very expensive place too. We'll have to see. Hopefully Brisbane isn't too humid and we can live there!

I'm so excited to see Singapore too... I really saw nothing of it (apart from meeting May and having a light supper with her and her Mom). I really can't wait to venture out of the airport (with my new Hubbie!!!! ♥) and explore. According to Uncamo, Singapore has DELICIOUS sushi - YAY!

Today we went to S's work and discussed travel plans (she's a travel agent). We've got tickets now, G just has to make payment and then they can be ticked off on our list. We need to get travel insurance - probably with G's bank... also visas (I'm going to phone the visa company I used for my India + Aus trip to find out how much it costs through them). I can't wait to get the Singapore+Aus dollars - something about that makes everything super-exciting and REAL. I still have Singapore$50 from my Aus trip - will probably keep that for special though - for when we move to Aus?

EEEEEEK now everything's getting too exciting. With regards to wedding preparations, we're pretty much in step with what should be done this far in advance. I've got a time-line checklist and we're good. We're going to look at cake makers in a moment, and then all that's CRITICAL to arrange is catering. That's a biggie, and then we're just about in the homestretch! Too exciting, as I said.

Anyway, let me post this and get on with cake-maker-choosing with G. Then I want to STITCH cos I haven't stitched since BEFORE the drivers' test... and that was A LONG TIME AGO ALREADY!!! GI Joe is wailing at me "stitch MEEEEEEEEEE" hehe.

Kthxbye!

Culinary adventures!

These are pics I've taken of recent exploits into the world of cooking:

Chicken Ratatouille:



Chocolate cake:



And SUSHI!!! Fashion sandwich:



The ratatouille was a surprise supper for G's birthday - I recruited him for manning the frying pan (browning the chicken and stirring everything as it cooked). Then after supper, he made a chocolate cake, as well as the icing. I spread the jam & cream between the slices and added the cherries and vermicilli.

And the sushi? Well, I'm a relative newcomer to the delight called sushi, and have pretty much become addicted to what is called locally "california rolls" and "fashion sandwiches" (with salmon). I've been craving it INSANELY for the past while but it being far away from payday, we can't really afford to go out for supper now (we're fine, just paying for wedding stuffs!). So I read up online and found some sushi recipes. This evening we stopped off at the local grocery shop and bought ingredients! The only thing we got which differed from the recipes was smoked salmon instead of raw salmon. First of all, we don't really want to risk getting sick from bad fish, and also you can't really buy small quantities of frozen fish. Now we have some salmon + avo left over for MORE sushi, tomorrow night! Can't wait! Think we may try our hands at making california rolls - will post a pic of those too! I'd say this was a pretty good result from a first try EVER!

AMPED

That ^ is currently one of my FAVOURITE emoticons!

Why on earth am I so amped... well lots of reasons. This has been a fairly busy weekend, Friday night we went to M&J's place and had vetkoek, mincemixture and cheese for supper. Sat morning we actually slept late, and then jumped up and took Dudelbum to the vet for a checkup. He was so well behaved and unperturbed. The vet evidently had quite a good understanding of birds (when I phoned beforehand the receptionist told me that he's the one they send all the birds to!)... Dude was so brave, even though he had a stethoscope held against his chest - it was bigger than his head and he did struggle but he didn't go frenzied. Sweet Bumble!

When we left the vets', there was a hatchback car parked next to G's car, with a HUGE dog in it (might have been pyrennese mountain dog?). The window about 10" open and the dog was barking out the window and foaming so much the whole door was splattered with drool. I was worried G's door would be flecked with drool as I opened it to buckle Dude's cage into the back seat but it wasn't thankfully. Wow but that dog was HUGE! That's obviously the dog's car!

Then we drove to G's folks' place - took Dude with us to their place else we'd have been late cos we were going out for lunch to celebrate G's bday. Had DELICIOUS lunch in perfect weather outside on a deck at the harbour.

Their huge Rottie passed away the night of G's bday, sadly. When we went there on Saturday their boxer seemed sad still but at least she and G's sister's Jack Russell had become friends so she had company at least to take her mind off it.

RIP Tristan

Sunday we went out to Sis's G for a birthday lunch! I drove to his house - quite a fun drive. I just need to get the hang of such a completely different car to the instructor's car! Lunch was very yum and it was a very enjoyable afternoon/evening :D

Tonight we are going to do a lot. On our way home we're going to the shops to pick up bread+icecream (G has a plan), and a scale. We are going to get back into our exercise routine and get FIT! I want to be slim and toned for the wedding (and for after that too!), and it's going to be so fun to do the exercises and increase our energy levels. Generally, exercise is a good thing!

We've worked out an exercise timetable (basically every 2nd night), which gives us a set routine to get used to and it also gets our minds into gear to do things effectively. We will be less likely to waste 5hours sitting in front of the computer - because our time will be a little more structured, we will fit more in. On the off-nights, we will be able to do other things, like make wedding arrangements, relax and pamper each other, or just do the things we do as hobbies for a longer time than on the exercise days. Tonight will be a bit hectic because it's Kickstart day! Gotta do chores too as we didn't really get to on the weekend and they can't wait until the coming weekend. So tonight we won't really be able to blob around much.

Ok that's all for now - hometime!!!!!!

I am now...

...A LEGAL ROAD HAZARD!!!!

I passed my drivers' test!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so relieved, I can't believe it's over already! I'm SO happy - and now I can focus on the wedding plans, without stress of juggling between lessons and planning!

YAYYYYYYYYYY :D

To blog or not to blog

Luckily I don't have to make a decision like that - I can just blog!

So much has been going on lately! It's really been a hectic 4 weeks. It isn't finished yet, I think only by this weekend will it be "finished".

Tomorrow morning is my driving test. I have no clue whether I'll pass or not, I'm not speculating and getting my hopes up, but I am really wishing and holding thumbs that I pass because I really want it done and finished so I can start focusing on other things now (and not spending so much money!!). I'm pretty much worse than broke at the moment (owe G some $)... so I really want this done now.

About 2 weeks ago I had 3 moles cut out of my neck. It WASN'T pleasant at all, but I'd decided I wanted them out (after having 2 others out and NOT MISSING THEM AT ALL!!! - and relishing the fact that I don't have them anymore), so despite being a total WUSS and terrified, I went and had them done. I'd taken off that Friday (to have the surgery), the Monday, Thurs and Fri were public holidays, and I'd taken the Tues+Wed off so I basically had quite a few days to recover. It wasn't so much that it hurt a lot, just that had I come to work those 2 days, I'd have had to be receptionist, which entails taking phone messages for everyone who is on leave, cradling the phone in my neck and I DOUBT that that would have been very good for stitches/fresh wounds. So anyway, I had a nice long time to recover and relax. One BIG hurdle overcome!

At the moment Dude is at the 'grandparents', we had arranged for pest control to come in one last time just to ensure that NOTHING could have survived. They had to cancel so I've been missing Dude since Thursday night. Pest control is coming this evening, so we'll fetch Dude afterwards.

Yesterday was Mother's Day and we spent the day visiting the mothers. We spent the morning at G's parents' place, had delicious cake+biscuits and stuff. The gifts we'd given her were PERFECT! I have a feeling we should go back and buy 2 more similar things for next time!! Then we went to my mom's place, and had KFC for supper! A nice treat and a nice time spent at the Moms.

I'm so bored at work today - my boss is away, I've got drawings to sort out and some other stuff to do but I really don't feel like it. I wish I could go home and study the driving stuff (memorise the pre-trip inspection test etc), AND go wash up (we have a small pile to do before pestcontrol comes by... it was late, we were tired.. washing up blallllaaahhh)... would like to go tidy the place a bit and ALSO go STITCH! I haven't stitched for such a long time now and I really want to make some headway with GI Joe (nickname for Golden Ice). I'd also like to play a bit of Need for Speed or Patapon or Locoroco... haven't played games or done much FUN stuff for such a long time because we've been so hectically busy! I think this weekend will be declared Relaxation Weekend. I think we should stay home, stay warm and do our own, fun things the entire time.

*sigh* there are so many things we still have to organise for the wedding. First priority on the to-do list is caterers. I think we might go with the venue's caterers, but we'll have to discuss menus and things. Next will be cake. We have a clear idea of what we want, we just need to find someone to make it. I want to get my hair dyed this weekend coming up - a pre-view of the colour I want for the wedding. I think it'd be a better idea to get the dyeing done a week before the wedding, and have the hairstyling done on the day. I've found a hairstyle.

Ok... as far as wedding preparations are concerned... what is already decided/booked is:

photographer, minister, musicians, venue, decor+flowers, dressmaker, dress designs for wedding dress + bridesmaids' dresses, materials for dresses have been bought, my jewellery is sorted, we have a design for a cake, G's mom is doing the invites, menus+table layout cards, we're going to be doing the favours ourselves.

What we still have to arrange/organise/etc:

caterers, cake-maker, need to get shoes, make-up + hairstylist, would I need a fake tan (very light!!), need to sort out the marriage contract, arrange transport etc, um... that's all I can think of at the moment.

It's just TOO exciting, and I'm really impatient to get started. Also, we have the honeymoon to plan too! We've decided we're going to go to Singapore, Sydney and Brisbane. It is all too exciting and will be a lot to plan + organise.

This past weekend was busy - but fun. Met up with S & L to windowshop, have cake/supper and see a chickflick. We saw Made of Honour which was VERY cute! Had the most delicious pasta for supper before the movie - SO divine!

Ok I think I'll post this before it turns into a huge long unending block of blog-text!

Golden Ice is taking shape

Yay!



Things have been so hectic lately!

I've been having loads of driving lessons - my test is Tuesday at 8am. I have a driving lesson that same morning, at 6:30. EEK! I'm just holding thumbs and praying that it doesn't rain. I've been watching the weather reports online and have had no reassurance at all because they keep changing Tuesday's weather. Argh!

Anyway I'll blog the rest tomorrow maybe... bed time!

Golden Ice so far

He's taking shape!

GI

Heremia!

The frame choice and framing board colour came out PERFECTLY!!

Golden Ice

This is the pic I took last night but never got round to posting:

Monday....

Today I'm satisfied.

Happy. Things are going well.

This weekend was busy, but good. We got Dude back on Saturday afternoon. Man, did I miss him! It was almost a whole week.

Friday evening sis, her bf, me and G went out for buffet chinese/sushi. Very yum! Saturday morning I had my lesson - there are only 4 more until my test (excluding the one the morning of the test) EEEK!!!! But I'm not really stressing. I have to memorise the pre-trip inspection... but apart from that, it's not really under my control. If I do everything perfectly but the examiner is an asshole, I will fail. If I usually do everything perfect but make a single (bad) mistake, I will fail. It's not really something that I can do myself, it depends too much on the circumstances and the examiner. I will try my best but that is all I can do. If I fail, I still have plenty of time to do a re-test. I will just have to wait and see.

We went out for lunch with G's folks and long-lost cousins of his dad! Long story there but basically long long long lost cousin of his dad retraced his family and found them here. Very nice people, the cousin and his wife. From the UK, they're visiting the country for about a month I think.

Sat evening we went to W&S's place for a braai. Muahahah that was an entertaining braai! :D I even got to see guitar hero in action - G gave it a try hehe.

Sunday afternoon we had stitchathon. G and I had gone to the mall to get medicine and brunch, and we got a scanner too (I've been meaning to get one)... I'm going to sit down for about a year :P and scan every photo from G's folks' and mom's photo albums and burn them on CD. There's no point in our making reprints of them all, just to lug them overseas when we emigrate. So we will have them burnt on CD - that way we get just a CD or 5 to take with us, and we can give G's folks and mom a CD of their photos for backup. A lot of them are already badly faded.

On the emigration note - I've added a countdown widget to the side of my blog. I figured that G's committed to his company until the end of March 2010, so we can take 1 April 2010 as our earliest emigration date. It seems so far away, but then if you think: the wedding is 200 days away, by the time the wedding day has arrived there will be 200 less days til we leave! At the moment it's 716, and it will be 516... it's just so fast!

I've started on Golden Ice. We had stitchathon yesterday, I got quite a bit done then and also later that evening. It's going to look STUNNING!!!! The bright, clear tones against the black fabric. Wow! So exciting and envigorating!

What else is news.......... not that much... I'm currently folding about 12830kgs of architectural drawings... at least I get to listen to my ipod while I'm busy. I have some filing to do upstairs, but all in all hopefully today will be nice and stress-free. Hbbm comes back tomorrow - yay!

Laterzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!

And now...

Golden Ice - by Kustom Krafts

My next project. He is HUGE... compared to the ones I've done before. I've sent Heremia away to be framed, I'll post a pic of her when she comes home (Wednesday).

I've already started to plot Golden Ice: I've glued the copied chart pages together to make one big chart, and now I'm in the process of stitching a grid on the fabric so as to accurately follow the chart. It is such a large design and it isn't entirely stitched, so there is more margin for error I think. I decided to do Golden Ice first rather than Gentle Strength because GS is bigger and the entire design is stitched.

Tonight we're fetching Dude. We were supposed to go fetch him Monday evening, but the pest control company messed up. They were supposed to be at our place at 14:00 and G went home to meet the guy, but they never pitched. I phoned in and the woman said they were running late blablabla so basically it was sorted out and done yesterday at 17:30. Our place is now 100% roach free (as far as we can gleefully tell), and we can fetch Dude! Man I have missed him like mad!

Today feels bleh. Why are Thursdays always so bleh? It's aggravated by the fact that I have to do switchboard duty on Thursdays. I'm getting the feeling that I need to be solitary now, sitting on a mountain top, looking out over the ocean... free and alone and peaceful. Quietness.

Heremia Finit!

Here Heremia is. Warpony's had his eye on her for quite some time, I have a feeling they're a match made in heaven!

Heremia, last night

Stuck

I'm uninspired right now. I have a lot on my mind, a lot of ideas and things I want to do. Things to organise, things that are only to be organised in the future and things that I want to finish.

Heremia is one thing I want to finish. It is time now. I want to try this evening, and hopefully by tomorrow she'll be done.

Some things are reaching breaking point. I don't know what the outcome will be. I can't see... I don't know where it's going. I'm almost afraid, scared of the outcome. It might tip too far over.

I'm stuck at work right now. My boss left at about midday, he's on leave until the 15th - a skiing holiday. I have work to do but I don't feel like doing it. It's a Friday afternoon... who feels like doing any work? It's not urgent work either, but I cannot go home. That's all I want to do. As I type this I'm starting to feel sleepy - a nap would be good.

I think I have found my wedding ring. I've printed a pic off the net - want to have it made up because you don't find this style in the shops at the moment - it's not in style right now. It's a nice simple ring, but it matches my engagement ring. G has to find his now, hopefully we can get them made up soon... we still have a lot of time but if we get things done sooner rather than later we have more time to enjoy ourselves closer to the time.

OH YAY so he PHONES IN and DICTATES MINUTES!!!!!!! It's 16:30 for fuck's sake!