where's my mask?

I can't be getting a cold, I just can't! People will think I'm a swine-flu hypochondriac (aching bones, sore throat, wooly-headed).

If you've not read this account of swine-flu quarantine, you should.
I just can't imagine how much everyone at Marie Celeste would fête the employee who came down with swine flu and caused us to be quarantined. There'd be much rejoicing, and, I'm certain, giftage!

============ my cold-addled brain cannot remember what I was using for a spacer, so that will have to suffice.

Don and I ventured to the shops this morning to buy Bessie a new maths set (compass, set square, protractor and the like - you'd think there would be a variety to chose from, but you'd be wrong) and were sidetracked at Dymocks. From not being able to find any books by my boyfriend anywhere locally in January, now there is a veritable glut of Nige at Dymocks! Yay!


I acquired "Eating for England" - which I've been coveting for a time.

After we arrived home, it was time for ...

Sunday brekkie:

Bessie pancakes, Mummy smoked bacon, camp maple syrup.


Happy pancake, by Bessie.

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blake's got a new face1

Don is mad keen on jerky (and once again he's converted Bessie to one of his weird, and some² would argue, grotesque, food predilections) and is mad keen on learning to make his own. His one oven experience wasn't ideal, so this afternoon we ventured out to buy a food dehydrator (awesome because we can also dry herbs and the lovely chilis the babies' step-mother gifts us with).


Looking foward to drying things such as the (what looks to be, but sadly is not) space age, hydroponic basil and oregano (if only the plants outside did so well!)

Anyway, we went to Alexandria and were amazed at the number of heavily pregnant women and couples with small babies in the centre. Honestly, I appeared to be the only woman there that was not currently (or recently had been) with child.

Don has just now noticed the plague of pregnancies that I've been going on about for a while now (several women in his small workplace are currently expecting, as are a couple in mine). We have no idea what is causing it (well apart from the obvious, of course), but it seems of baby boomer proportions. Perhaps it all happened before the GFC? Occasionally, I toy with the idea of adding another wee sprog to the clan (my gynaecologist assures me I have a good 5[!] breeding years left), but it seems babies are just so fashionable right now that I really don't think I could go there.


And as a somewhat tenuous segue ... You've probably all seen this (and I daresay saw it months ago), I tend to be a bit slow on the youtube vids (I still think of the internets for just text and pix - terribly old skool of me, I know). But in the event you haven't ...

Courtesy of my lovely husband:



I laughed (and I was thankful that I was fortunate enough never to experience that sort of thing).

¹song in our heads
²such as Dfkan and myself.

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you know i dreamed about you for 29 years before i saw you1

The iphone photo is such a cop out for a post, but unfortunately, you're just going to have to deal until the novelty wears off.


Adorable wee boat on the way to work.
The wild and crazy plan of living on a boat often battles with the equally unrealistic dream of living on a smallholding and doing the self-sufficiency thing.


Remember that list from a couple of weeks ago? I finally completed the penultimate task (make some sort of wok handle cover [I repurposed an existing oven mitt])! Now Don won't burn his hand or have to wrangle the big oven glove when wokking. That is just the kind of lovely wife I am. I believe I only have one item on the list to go, only 2 weeks to complete a task list (such is my zealous dedication to GTD).



¹One of my very difficult to pick Top 10 love songs a la HB's twitter - so far I have chosen two. As Don says (in between fits of laughter), I just don't *do* love songs. I knew this was true when I suggested Foreigner: Urgent for the top 10. I challenged Don to do a Top 10 love songs, which, when he arrives at the final 10, I shall post (will be easy for him

this is my ... work space

I was a little grumpish and surly today, so cheered myself by getting a whole bunch of icky work things resolved, by reading an Edgar Wallace novel on my iPhone (yay! Stanza!) while riding the stationery stationary bike and by taking iPhone photos while at my desk.

Now you can view just a little of my rock and roll lifestyle ...


My work teapot (actually, my only teapot)


My post-it notes (complete with two-legged orange cocktail monkey)


My keyboard.


My office supplies. I'm a bit fond of the matchiness.


My second drawer. I do like an infusion. If only I could find Tetley Mango and Passionfruit!


My voodoo doll.

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a sunday afternoon on the island(s) of la glebe et annandale

Don and I decided that it was such a marvellous day today that we'd go for a wee stroll and see where we ended up.

We walked through the park ...


This was about the only place in the park where one wasn't in danger of tripping over dogs or children.

And up to Annandale, where we came across hundreds of people at an auction in progress. Lawsons were auctioning the contents of The Abbey. The building and surrounds were fabulously decrepit, some areas too dangerous to venture into and were blocked off. The prices people were paying for utter rubbish were quite amazing!





















As loath as I am to link to the tele, they have much more interesting photos than I do.

After completing our explorations, we continued down Johnston Street - land of churches ...







And public telephones with phone books!



And home via Forest Lodge ...



One of Sydney's many idiosyncrasies is retaining historical artifacts (read: random bits of old buildings) completely out of context of their original function.



So you'll often see industrial chimneys dotted throughout the landscape in residential areas ...



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i thought twitter was reducing the number of posts, but my posting stats prove otherwise

My adored Harriet received her "winnings" from the first Don and Carol giveaway and had this to say:

I have tried Dr Stuart's tea and followed Dr Stuart's instructions for Extraordinarily Good Tea but alas it did taste quite revolting.

I am extraordinarily pleased to learn that it wan't just me.

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I don't know what to say about the fact that I have been taking dozens of more photos with my iphone than I have with my Expensive Camera. But please "enjoy" some of the fuzzy, artful output ...


Went to grab some chuck steak from our fave purveyor of meat (for a casserole which is currently in the oven) and got a free calendar - we were desperately hoping that it would feature Dave when we unfurled it, sadly there was a dog (just. what?).


Prep for dumplings for the top of aforesaid casserole (parsley, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan). I don't think I've eaten dumplings in this style before.


Oh, darling Nige! I love everything you do, so I am trying Hot Chocolate Puddings (Kitchen Diaries: Page 52,54-55)


Primarily because after hazelblackberry's obsession with Nutella, I had to try some and I really don't think I could stomach it on a sandwich.

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dr orange johnson, please pick up the 6th floor telephone1

Don is immensely delighted with the outcome of the eyeburning.

I won't go into the the graphic details of the procedure, if you are curious you can search for them elsewhere on the internets. The good news is that all is healing nicely and the doctor is very pleased with the progress.


Eyeburning building on Macquarie Street.


Amusing ourselves during the long wait (about an hour) by examining the contents of The Pack. The Pack is chockers with all manner of eyedrops and drugs!


The aftermath - all swollen and hurty. I fussed about with cups of tea and pats of the head.

The plastic shields were taped to his eyes so he couldn't rub them (and perhaps dislodge the flap²) - kind of in the style of those buckets you stick around the necks of doggies. I'll need to tape them over his eyes before bed for the next week.


The new eyedrops schedule - this will be the regimen for the next week or two

I had expected it to be a couple of days for it all kicked in properly, but after being tested, his eyes are already at 20/20 (up from ... I don't know ... complete crap ... on the vision scale). Don donned (ha!) his old glasses today for a couple of seconds and was all, "goodness, I really *couldn't* see!"

Let the eating spicy food without glasses falling off and exercising without having to remember to have enough contacts commence! Well, let all that commence in a couple of weeks when authority has been given.


¹title from The Rockford Files: Just by accident
²Yes, this makes me feel slightly queasy too.

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ein kleines spiel cup perpetual trophy award for excellence: 2009 (weeks 9 and 10)

You may have realised that I forgot to post last week's results, so I've rolled them into a single update.

1. Carol (98 points)
2. Joe/Frank (90 points)
3. Don (87 points)
4. Bessie (75 points)
5. Dfkan (73 points)

Why, yes, I did get a perfect round, thanks for noticing!



I'm polishing the wooden spoon for the lovely and mysterious Nikki in Tip the Tipsterer

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the only lasers i want in my eyes are those heard to the throbbing sounds of eurodisco! 1

It all started at the pub and Don's glasses sliding off from perspiration whilst eating laksa.

Don: whinging about glasses slipping off and pain in the arsedness of wearing glasses in general

Carol: "have you thought about laser eye surgery?"

Don: "No, not really" ... (and books a consultation the next day)

So, after all that, Don is off to have his eyes burned on Wednesday.

I'm taking the day off to ferry him to and from the burning (so yay! for that).

Frankly, I'd not be overly keen to let lasers near my eyes, but then, I'm not almost blind.

Everyone he has spoken to has been amazingly positive about the whole experience, I'm just hoping I can come in and watch. Because lasers - awesome!

Don has to put drops in his eyes over the next few days, so we've made a handy-dandy chart stuck to the front door, to remind him.



He forgot the 4pm because we were having stern words to Joe/Frank about "borrowing heavily" from wikipedia for his geography assigment. Fortunately the timing is somewhat fluid.

The Brand Shiny New Step Children are deeply concerned that Don just won't be the same without the glasses.

¹Best. Quote. Ever. from the lovely James.

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collect them all! neverending story

Just when I think I have seen them all. I was walking past this morning and pulling in was a Brand New Truck!

I could tell it was a Brand New Truck because it was all bright and shiny (that and I have never seen it before and I walk past hundreds of times a year). I was unprepared, so had to snap quickly lest it move on (and I'm thinking all those Glenmore Meats employees might think I am ever-so-slightly unhinged what with all the picture taking).


Dave, looking rather drunk or bemused (not really conveyed well in the pic - need replacement).

I was somewhat taken aback by his back-leg-al area.

Goodness!

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collect them all! bonus edition

No, I still haven't managed to capture the elusive final (and favourite) Glenmore Meats truck. But one day it will be mine ... oh yes, it will be mine.

While walking past, eyes peeled for my favourite truck, I managed to glimpse Igor's other side (being that he is generally parked in such a way that one can see the same side), and was stopped in my tracks with excitment.

Such is the skill of the artist that, while similar, each side is not quite identical...

The original ...


Igor serves Dave for dinner, which we have all come to love.

However on the starboard port side ...


Ricardo Montalbán serves Dave for dinner!

It's like a wonderful spot-the-difference puzzle.

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<edited> to change starboard to port. Ohhhh! Don meant that right.

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i don't know where that week went either, but by golly i'm glad it is almost over

Another pretty picture post in lieu of content.


Building a ferris wheel at Darling Harbour


Dymocks Building elevators, from the stairwell.

and i wasn't really feeling like tennesse williams

Yesterday's outfit was an unintentional homage to one of my favourite songs by The National


I have weird memories of you, wearing long red socks and red shoes.

However, no sinks were pissed in during this homage.


And technically they were stockings.

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random iphone pix

Sans camerabag stylin'


Eating world! Home of super-fabulously-awesome gyoza.


lol_drinks! At convenience store in Ultimo


rowers! if you squint, you can *just* see them all in a row


World Square on the walk to the bus after a day of slavery

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how very boring (sunday evening edition)

I feel as though I have been most productive indeed. Working through this list has lifted my mood a hundredfold, so yay! Nothing like crossing items off a list to give one a mental boost.

Remind me to write a list and work through it next time I have mental issues, okay?

• construct skirt pattern (shame I can't find any decent fabric to actually make the skirt) carried forward
  
• retrieve winter coats from garage and pack up summer dresses for their winter holiday in the garage) complete
  
• grocery shopping that we just could not face on Thursday evening. complete
  
• clean the perfectly disgusting kitchen floor. complete
  
• vacuum (such a rock and roll lifestyle) complete
  
• washing (taking it to the next level) complete
  
• visit Haymarket so Don might purchase Asiany staples (he's on a bit of an asian cooking thing right now) complete
  
• put fab new anti-glare film on my iphone (hopefully that will resolve the ghastly fingerprints issue) complete (as an aside, if you have an iphone, you really should get yourself a packet).
  
• finally hem those pants In progress
  
• yoga complete
  
• make some sort of wok handle cover (like an oven gloves) carried forward
  
• put Bessie's jeans in a place where I will not forget to take them to be altered complete
  
• Make bikkies complete
  
• package Dr Stuart's poison to post to the gorgeous Harriet (winner of the inaugural DonandCarol giveaway) on the table, Harriet, I promise

Things I should add to the list:

• dust complete
  
• buy draught excluder snakey thing for front door complete
  
• colour eyebrows complete
  
• attend to worm farm complete
  
• clean out freezer complete
  
• make breadcrumbs complete
  
• make pumpkin scones pumpkin is steaming as I type
  
• transfer sprouted avocado seed in kitchen into some sort of pot complete

Given that Don is off at golf and it is absolutely pouring, it should prove an excellent time to attend to most of these administrative things.

In addition:

• tidied and swept out the garage (put broken directors chair and chaise in street)
  
• swept deck
  
• cleaned bathroom
  
• scrubbed manky merrell thongs
  

There were acouple of other things, but in the flurry of doing *stuff*, I've completely forgotten what they were.
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collect them all! almost done

Dave, outside his natural environment ...


Quarry Street, Ultimo

And I think I have captured the penultimate in the series!


All the things I'm missing, good vittles, love and kissing, are waiting at the end of my riiiide ...

Cut 'em out, ride 'em in, ride 'em, in cut em' out, cut 'em out, ride 'em in ... rawhiiiide.

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