alive and brilliant

wait... what???

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:55:21 GMT

You know how sometimes people on your friends-list post about stuff going on in their life, and all of a sudden you think "Wait a minute? Since when were they working THERE? Since when were they dating HIM/HER? Since when???" And then you wonder how you could have missed all that seemingly pretty standard information, but somehow you feel too ashamed to ask for clarification because it seems like info you should already know? It happens to all of us sometimes.

Please copy the topics below, erase my answers and put yours in their place, and then post it in your journal! Please elaborate on the questions that would benefit from elaboration. One-Word-Answers seldom help anyone out.

1. Name:

Ange. That's the shortened version, and the one I much prefer - longer versions sre for people who don't know me well, for work, and for when I'm in trouble! :p

2. Age:

36. When did that happen? Last I remember, I was 29.....

3. Location:

Warwick, UK, since January this year. Before that, 32 years in Canberra. Yes, I know, that's not the same length of time my ratbag brother mentioned - that's because somebody has their numbers all arse about. We moved to Canberra in November 1977 - for some reason I have a stupid memory for dates and numbers. Can't tell you what day it is most of the time, but numbers I'm good at. :D

4. Occupation:

I have recently re-entered the working world. Since I arrived in the UK, I have been a) waiting on a work visa (which came through in July), and b) enjoying a life of leisure - days filled with t'interwebs, tellybox, cuddling cats, lazing about, and the odd bit of shopping/cooking/cleaning. Loved it.

Now, I'm a receptionist/general admin person. Can't say that I like it, but it's bringing money in, which we now desperately need. And the boss is OK, I s'pose. :p Did I mention that I'm working at my wife's law firm?

5. Partner?:

The lovely candleshoe and I have been a couple since March 2007. We registered our civil partnership in March this year, and have abjectly failed to remember our 'monthaversary' every month since. We suspect we will actually remember in March, when it counts. :p She is a lovely, wonderful, kind-hearted woman, who I love a lot. A lot a lot.

6. Kids:

Hell, no! Nasty, 'orrible, dribbly things. They leak. From both ends.

7. Brothers/Sisters:

The irrepressible prosto_neba is my brother. And he will just hug me to bits in January, see if he doesn't! I miss hanging out with him, though.... miss games nights!

8. Pets:

We has two kitlings - Benny and Jasper. See previous posts for further information about those two. The most gorgeousest kittehs in the world, they are!!

9. List 3-5 biggest things going on in your life right now:

1. I'm still adjusting to the huge changes in my life in the last year. I'm in a different country, I'm enjoying spending everyday time with my wife (it's the little things that matter), yet still getting used to sharing my space with another person. I'd lived alone for so long, and got very used to not having to discuss anything, or compromise on anything, or consider anyone else's opinion at all about living arrangements - it wasn't unusual for me to cook or do housework at 2am. Now I'm adjusting to doing things differently... but with all my quirks, it's taking some time.

2. Planning our Oz trip in January/February. Trying to figure out how to fit all the things we want to do into a very short space of time. And trying to figure out how to pay for it all....

3. Dealing with my ongoing health issues, and getting medication sorted. Constantly.

10. Parents:

Mama-bear and Papa-bear are both retired. Dad is nearly 70, but kinda stopped aging at about 50. Mum's a battler... she's had all sorts of medical ailments, but she doesn't let it stop her - go Mum! I miss them a lot since moving over here... no doubt there will be much hugging and tears (from Mum) in January.

:)

Horsey!!

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:18:03 GMT

I's did manage to win $15 on the Melbourne Cup - I actually backed Shocking!!

On the subject of horseys....

Thought I'd post this for prosto_neba, since he does like horseys - it's an ad that's running over here currently.

2009 update... part the second

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:15:30 GMT

OK, so I realised that my last post was somewhat confusing. I posted back in January that candleshoe and I had arrived safely in the UK.... then I posted the first 2009 update, mentioning that Benny had healed well, and we were chasing JetPets for money.

To fill in the interim gap: the bite on Benny's hindquarters turned out to be several bites, and the supposed check and cleaning of the wound by the Sydney Veterinary Hospital was superficial, if it happened at all.

Both cats were tired, filthy and unhappy when we finally picked them up from Heathrow. After a meal and a bath, Jasper was back to his usual self within a day or so - if more clingy than usual. Benny, however, was not... she looked decidedly unhappy and uncomfortable, and had trouble moving around and sitting down. The reason for this became clear a day and a half later when the abscess that had formed around the wound on her leg burst all over the bathroom floor. Miss Shoe had just gone to church, so I went fully into panic mode... sent a panicky text and left an even more panicky voicemail message for her. By the time she got home 20 minutes later, I had found my brain, found the number for the emergency vet in Coventry (as this was at 7pm on a Sunday night), and made arrangements for us to take Benny there for treatment.

We took her in, and within about 30 seconds of examination the vet was able to tell us that there were multiple bites down her leg, that the abscess had burst, and that we would need to leave her there for a couple of hours for treatment. When we returned at 10pm, her leg was shaved, the abscess had been drained and cleaned, the vet had inserted a drainage tube and given her strong antibiotics, and we were instructed to take her to our own vet first thing on Monday morning for follow up.

We were at the vet's every day for the first two weeks, then every second day for the following two weeks. The first couple of days were tough... I was tired and jet-lagged, and poor Benny was obviously in a bit of pain. I was in tears a lot of the time... but I have to say, Paula, Sam, and the team at Hugh Duffin's Animal Hospital in Warwick were absoutely wonderful, and took fantastic care of her.

Over the course of that month, poor Benny had the wound drained repeatedly, put up with being handled by strange women (although they did their best to win her over), had more injections than any cat should see in a lifetime, and had follow up surgery which saw the removal of a lot of necrotic tissue, as well as a section of leg muscle.

Now, though, she's all healed. The vets said that she did much, much better than they had expected, given her age - she's a fighter, all right! She doesn't even seem to have any trouble moving around anymore (well, a little bit on the stairs, but in general she's fine).

So there's the saga of Benny and the Vets... the poor little mite. But she's OK, and more importantly, she's happy, and that's all that matters.

More updates soon!!

it's that time again... 2009 update, part the first

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:05:44 GMT

OK, so, because I've been ever so slack since I've been in the UK, I shall now endeavour to try and fill in a little of the void of the last 6 months or so... but there's a lot of it, so I shall do it in stages.

First up: cats. Benny has healed well, and is back to her usual self. After a month of almost daily vet visit and about 1000 pounds, we decided to try and recoup costs from JetPets (as the bite happened whilst she was in their care). They passed the matter on to the Sydney Veterinary Hospital (where the incident happened), who denied all liability and refused to pay. I am now in the process of writing up yet another letter for JetPets, asking them to pass the matter to their own legal department for follow up.

In recent months, the hellspawn that is Facebook has been sucking me in again. Games!! So many games! I blame Shellie... she got me playing Bloodlines (vampire game). That led to me playing Vampire Wars, and expanding into Pirates, along with a little Texas Hold'Em Poker. Damn you, Facebook!

Actually, I read a quote somewhere ... I think it was from Conan O'Brien? Anyway, it was something along the lines of: In the year 3000, Twitter, YouTube & Facebook will merge to create one time sucking website called YouTwitFace... :p Made me giggle.

More to follow soon. :)

'tis the season to post memes...

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:58:10 GMT

OK, since I've been tagged by both butchlybear and kevswitchau...

A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blog and replace any question that they dislike with a new, original question.

B) Tag eight people. Don't refuse to do that. Don't tag who tagged you.

1. Make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up.

- video camera
- fireplace
- sheepskin slippers
- TV
- cat futons

2. What is the last movie you watched?

Fantastic Four

3. What are you wearing now?

khaki sweat pants, white t-shirt, sheepskin slippers

4. What's your occupation?

Apparently I'm candleshoe's kitchen bitch... *grin*

5. The best thing to happen to you as of late?

I moved to England to be with my partner

6. Do you consider yourself a good friend?

Hmm... yeah. Maybe. Sometimes. I can be really slack at keeping in touch. *sheepish look*

7. What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

unique

8. What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?

Um... I think I'm back on Star Trek at the moment, since they screen it every day here. I'm revisiting Voyager, and watching all the DS9 eps that I missed when it first screened.

9. What was the last thing you ate today?

some Darrell Lea soft liquorice. I can't believe that they have it in Sainsbury's and Tesco!!

10. What would your perfect day consist of doing?

a nice lie in, followed by a good breakfast (pancakes), and a relaxing day spent with loved ones. Good food, good company. :)

11. What websites do you always visit when you go online?

LJ, 49 Rainbow Road, IMDB

12. What was the last thing you bought?

aside from today's groceries? A shirt to wear to my wedding. :)

13. What are you listening to right now?

Miss Shoe going tappity-tap-tap-tap on her keyboard.

14. What do you think about before you go to bed at night?

How nice it is to cuddle; money; wondering when all my stuff weill get here.

15. What was the last CD you bought?

The Dissociatives

16. What is your favourite weather, and why?

Spring or Autumn. I don't like being cold, but I don't like being too hot either. Spring is nice... just the right temperature.

17. What is the last book you read?

erm... I don't remember. Might have been Transit, by Ben Aaronovitch.

18. What is the one single wish for life?

I think I'm with both Kevs and bear on this one... to be OK, and content.

19: What is your biggest regret in life?

Hmm. At times, I regret not doing any further study when I was younger, and my brain wasn't so fuzzy. But then... everything that's happened in my life has led me to where I am now, which is a pretty good place. :)

19. What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?

I'm doing OK, and I'm not as broken as I used to be... but you're one of the main people who made me broken way back when, and I don't think I want to let you in again.

20. What's one of your favourite movies?

Josie and the Pussycats. Don't laugh... it's a good, fun ride. Easy to watch, decent soundtrack, and I love all the satirical pokes at our modern, consumer-driven society. It's something that's easy to watch, and takes my mind off things.

TAG: prosto_neba, spyderlily, brokenimage_1, zenoflemuria, zhyan, dynigirl, barb6227, heilun_coo

random interlude

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:53:27 GMT

I know, I haven't updated for a while. There is much, much more to tell in the saga of Benny And The Vets (Elton John, forgive me), but I'll save that for another day when I have more energy.

On a random note: it snowed today. Proper snow. Not that wussy "is it snow, or is it sleet, or is it just really camp rain?" - proper snow. *bounces a little* It's not that I haven't seen snow before - I have, at least 4 or 5 times. It's just that every time I've seen snow, it's already been there when I arrive... blanketing the ground, with nary a fluttering snowflake in sight.

Today was proper snow. It was a bit windy, and the snow was heavy enough that it did start gathering on the ground in the middle of the day. Unfortunately it didn't keep snowing long enough for it to stay there... but, for me, to actually be outside walking when it was snowing was kinda magical. I've never seen a real snowflake up close... never seen its amazing crystalline structure in anything other than pictures. And they truly are amazing. I know, it sounds a bit ho-hum to those who see snow on a regular or semi-regular basis, but it was a very new experience for me. :)

Snow!!

wherever I lay my hat...

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:00:22 GMT

Well, we're here. It's been very stressful - and, in the last few days, very eventful - but we're finally here. Finally home. :)

Although things had been busy and stressful, up until Monday it had all pretty much gone according to plan. This week, though... *shakes head* I'm amazed I didn't lose it and collapse in a sobbing heap.

On Monday, a garbage skip was supposed to be delivered in the morning, so we could finish cleaning out the house. After 4 or 5 phone calls to the company, it finally turned up at about 4.30pm.

Tuesday was a busy day. The cats were picked up at 7.30am. It was all so rushed, I didn't even really have a chance to say goodbye to them properly. :( The cleaners got there at about 9, and were done by about 1... while they were working I took abut 3 carloads of stuff to the charity shop. The pest guy came to do the required end-of-lease flea treatment on the carpets, we went to the post office and shipped off a couple of boxes of stuff that we'd forgotten to give the removalists (and some boxes for da bear!!), and we then went back to Mum and Dad's for a well-earned rest.

Then at about 6.30 I got a call from JetPets. The cats had made it to Sydney OK, but there had been a slight problem when the vet tried to examine Benny. Now, I had emailed and asked JetPets to let their vets know that she is a bit of a special case.... she deals with uncertainty and fear by just lashing out, and does NOT like to be handled. Unfortunately, that email wasn't passed on in time.

To sum it up... when they tried to examine her, she was pretty worked up and stressed anyway. They tried to use a 'restraining tool' to get her out of the crate, but she apparently chewed through it... she then bit the vet and escaped though a door that had been left ajar... straight into a room that contained a dog. It seems there was a bit of an altercation... Benny has a puncture wound and a graze on her right side, but apparently she gave as good as she got (the dog is OK, apparently). Once they managed to separate them, they had to throw a towel over Benny, jump on her, and sedate her.

They needed to wait until Wednesday morning to see if she would be OK to travel... unfortunately, come Wednesday morning, they couldn't get close enough to examine her, so they wanted to put off their flight for a week. Add to this that I had my final inspection by the real estate agent (which took much longer than expected, and failed, because the cleaners did a crap job), and wasn't able to post an additional parcel due to customs restrictions. After all this, I was a bit of a wreck by the time I got back to Mum and Dad's to pick up the luggage and Miss Shoe.

As always, though, she calmed me down. We repacked most of the stuff from the parcel into our luggage, spoke to the real estate agent about the house, and made arrangements to go and see Benny at the Sydney Animal Hospital after we arrived in Sydney (They were hoping that I could a) calm her down a bit, and b) confirm whether or not her aggressive behaviour was 'normal', so that they could decide whether she was fit to travel). All vital items were packed, the real estate agent was happy to follow up with the cleaners for me, and we made it onto our flight to Sydney with about a minute to spare.

When we got to the animal hospital, Benny was much better than I thought she'd be. She was cranky, growling, and decidedly pissed off - but nothing that indicated she was really unwell. Unfortunately I wasn't able to touch her or hold her (the vet wasn't game to open the cage in case she went ballistic again), but I was happy that she's OK, just a bit sore and sorry. They weren't willing to release her for the flight the cats were originally booked on (which left about an hour and a half after ours did), but they were hopeful that she would be able to travel the next day (Thursday) instead.

After we arrived at Heathrow (and were met by the lovely dynigirl ), I called JetPets and they confirmed that both cats definitely flew out on Thursday on flight BA16, and should arrive at Heathrow at 5.30 tomorrow (Friday) morning.

I'm feeling very relieved that I'm here now, and most of the stress is over. I'll only really relax and settle in once the cats are here safe and sound.

movie meme thingy

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:48:24 GMT

gakked from zhyan and babs6227...

Supposedly if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. There are 270 films on this list. Copy it, paste it into a new post and then put an 'X' next to the films you've seen. Add them up and post at the bottom. Have fun!

[ ] 13 Going on 30
[ ] 21 Grams
[X] 28 days later
[ ] 28 weeks later
[ ] 50 First Dates
[X] A Beautiful Mind
[ ] A Bronx Tale
[ ] A Cinderella Story
[ ] A Walk to Remember
[X] Airplane

Total so far: 3

[ ] Along Came Polly
[X] American Beauty
[X] American History X
[X] American Pie
[X] American Pie 2
[ ] American Wedding
[ ] American Pie Band Camp
[X] AnchorMan
[ ] Anger Management
[ ] Animatrix

Total so far: 8

[ ] Army of Darkness
[X] Bad Boys
[X] Bad Boys 2
[ ] BASEketball
[ ] Bedazzled
[ ] Best Bet
[X] Big Trouble in Little China
[ ] Blazing Saddles
[ ] Blood Diamond
[ ] Boogeyman

Total so far: 11

[ ] Boondock Saints
[ ] Bourne Identity
[ ] Bourne Supremacy
[ ] Bourne Ultimatum
[ ] Bride of Chucky
[X] Brokeback Mountain
[X] Butterfly Effect
[X] Calendar Girls
[ ] Catch Me If You Can
[X] Chicago

Total so far: 15

[ ] Children of the Corn Damn
[ ] Child's Play
[X] Christine
[ ] Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
[ ] The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
[ ] Club Dread
[ ] Coach Carter
[X] Crash
[X] Cruel Intentions
[ ] Cruel Intentions 2

Total so far: 18

[X] Cujo
[ ] Curious George
[ ] Darkness Falls
[X] Dawn Of the Dead
[X] Deep Impact
[ ] Devils Rejects
[X] Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
[ ] Dumb & Dumber
[ ] Dumber & Dumberer
[ ] Eight Crazy Nights

Total so far: 22

[ ] Elf
[X] ET
[X] Event Horizon
[X] Ever After
[X] Evil Dead
[ ] Evil Dead 2
[X] Fight Club
[X] Final Destination
[X] Final Destination 2
[X] Final Destination 3

Total so far: 30

[X] Finding Nemo
[X] Finding Neverland
[ ] Flubber
[X] Forrest Gump
[X] Freaky Friday
[ ] Ghost Ship
[X] Gladiator
[X] Gothika
[X] Grease
[X] Grease 2

Total so far: 38

[ ] Hannibal
[X] Harry Potter 1
[X] Harry Potter 2
[X] Harry Potter 3
[X] Harry Potter 4
[X] Hellboy
[ ] High Tension
[X] Highlander
[X] Highlander II
[X] Highlander III

Total so far: 46

[X] Hook
[ ] Hostel
[ ] House of 1000 Corpses
[ ] How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
[X] Hulk
[ ] I Am Sam
[ ] I Spit on Your Grave aka The Day of the Woman
[X] I, Robot
[X] Ice Age
[ ] Ice Age 2: The Meltdown

Total so far: 50

[ ] Ice Castles
[X] Independence Day
[X] Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
[X] Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
[X] Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
[X] Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
[ ] Indochine
[ ] Jeepers Creepers
[ ] Jeepers Creepers 2
[ ] Joe Dirt

Total so far: 55

[ ] Joy Ride
[ ] Just Married
[X] Kill Bill vol 1
[X] Kill Bill vol 2
[ ] King Kong - The original
[ ] Kingdom of Heaven
[ ] KingPin
[ ] K-PAX
[ ] Krippendorf's Tribe
[ ] Kung Fu Hustle

Total so far: 57

[ ] Layer Cake
[X] Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
[ ] Lilo & Stitch
[ ] Little Black Book
[ ] Lone Star
[X] Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
[X] Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
[X] Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
[ ] Lucky Number Slevin
[ ] Magnolia

Total so far: 61

[ ] Maid in Manhattan
[X] Mars Attacks
[X] Meet The Parents
[X] Meet the Fockers
[ ] Million Dollar Hotel
[ ] Miracle on 34th street - The original
[X] Monsters Inc.
[X] Monty Python and the Holy Grail
[ ] Mortal Kombat
[X] Mothman Prophecies

Total so far: 67

[ ] My Bosses Daughter
[ ] Mystic River
[X] Napoleon Dynamite
[X] Never Been Kissed
[X] Neverending Story
[ ] Night Watch
[ ] Nightmare on Elm Street
[X] Ocean's Eleven
[ ] Ocean's Twelve
[ ] Ocean's Thirteen

Total so far: 71

[ ] Old School
[X] Orgazmo
[ ] Passport to Paris
[X] Pay it forward
[ ] Phantasm
[X] Pirates of the Caribbean
[X] Pirates of the Caribbean 2
[X] Pirates of the Caribbean 3
[X] Practical Magic

Total so far: 77

[ ] Predator I
[ ] Predator II
[ ] Re-Animator
[X] Red Dragon
[ ] Reign of Fire
[X] Remember the Titans
[X] Resident Evil 1
[ ] Resident Evil 2
[ ] Robots
[X] Rocky Horror Picture Show

Total so far: 81

[X] Rush Hour
[X] Rush Hour 2
[ ] Saw
[ ] Saw II
[ ] Saw III
[ ] Saw IV
[ ] Scary Movie
[X] Scary Movie 2
[ ] Scary Movie 3
[ ] Scary Movie 4

Total so far: 83

[ ] Scream
[ ] Scream 2
[ ] Scream 3
[X] Secret Window
[ ] Seed of Chucky
[ ] Shaolin Soccer
[X] Shaun Of the Dead
[X] She's All That
[X] Shrek
[ ] Shrek 2
[ ] Shrek 3

Total so far: 87

[ ] Sideways
[X] Signs
[X] Silence of the Lambs
[X] Sixteen Candles
[ ] Sky High
[X] Spider-Man
[X] Spider-Man 2
[X] Spider-Man 3

Total so far: 93

[X] Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
[X] Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
[X] Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
[X] Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
[X] Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
[X] Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
[X] Starsky and Hutch
[ ] Surviving X-MAS
[ ] Swimfan
[X] Taxi Driver

Total so far: 100

[ ] Team America: World Police
[ ] The 40-year-old Virgin
[X] The Cider House Rules
[X] The Day After Tomorrow
[ ] The Deer Hunter
[ ] The Departed
[ ] The Fog
[ ] The Godfather
[ ] The Godfather II
[ ] The Godfather III

Total so far: 102

[ ] The Grinch
[X] The Grudge
[ ] The Grudge 2
[ ] The Hills Have Eyes
[X] The Hot Chick
[ ] The Insider
[ ] The Jacket
[ ] The Last House on the Left
[ ] The Last King of Scotland
[ ] The Life of David Gale

Total so far: 104

[ ] The Lizzie McGuire Movie
[X] The Mask
[ ] Son Of The Mask
[X] The Matrix
[X] The Matrix Reloaded
[X] The Matrix Revolutions
[ ] The Notebook
[ ] The Passion of the Christ
[X] The Piano
[X] The Princess Bride

Total so far: 110

[X] The Princess Diaries
[ ] The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
[X] The Ring
[X] The Ring 2
[X] The Shawshank Redemption
[ ] The Skulls
[ ] The Terminal
[X] The Terminator
[X] Terminator 2
[X] Terminator 3

Total so far: 117

[X] The Usual Suspects
[X] The Village
[X] The Wedding Singer
[X] The Whole Nine Yards
[ ] The Whole Ten Yards
[ ] There Will Be Blood
[X] Titanic
[X] Top Gun
[X] Universal Soldier
[ ] Waiting for Guffman

Total so far: 124

[X] Walk The Line
[X] War of the Worlds
[X] Waterworld
[ ] White Chicks
[ ] White Noise
[ ] White Oleander
[ ] Willard
[X] Wizard of Oz
[ ] Wolf Creek
[X] X-Men
[X] X-Men 2
[X] X-Men 3

Total: 131

Really? I have no life? Hmm. Funny, I thought I did... it just happens to involve watching films. :)

love, joy and chocolate abound...

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:28:03 GMT

Picked up my honey from the airport last Friday, safe and sound. There was much hugging and goofy grinning and holding of hands. :)

We spent the night in Sydney... stayed at the Hilton, which was lovely... shopped at Lush, JB Hi-Fi and Haigh's, then headed home on Saturday. Lunch with mama-bear and papa-bear on Sunday, and most of the time between then and today has been spent in a sorting and packing frenzy. Thankfully, the removalists were here today... my recliner, coffee and side tables, desk, blanket box, rugs, guitars, and about 35 other boxes of stuff are now on their way to England.

Now we can breathe, for a few days at least. *happy sigh* Tomorrow is my last day at work, and we're supposed to finish at lunchtime - but apparently there's a farewell morning tea on for me, so it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that no work will get done!

Miss Shoe is lying beside me, sleeping peacefully. It's Christmas in two days. I'm flying to the UK for good on January 7th.

Life is good. :)

a good day!

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:27:07 GMT

It's been a Not Coping week this week. So many things to organise, and there just never seems to be enough time to get everything done...

But today was a good day. I awoke this morning to a call from candleshoe, who was at Heathrow waiting for her flight. We talked and texted right up until she boarded... not long now til I finally see her again!!

Then work was fairly non-eventful... and because today is mama-bear's birthday, I went out to a lovely lunch with my family and kevswitchau's family. Good food and conversation, and Mum said she had a lovely day. :)

Then, while we were at lunch, I got a call from the British High Commission!! My visa was granted, and I picked it up this afternoon on my way home! YAY! And WOOT! And various other joyous exclamations!!!

Now I'm having a Girly Cleaning Frenzy, then I must head to bed early, since I need to get up at about 3am and drive to Sydney to pick up Miss Shoe at the airport.

*bounce*

and the beat goes on...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:31:49 GMT

OK, so.... here's where we're at:

- selling everything I own is going OK. I think I've sold about half of the main items, and I still have 6 weeks or so to play with.

- making progress with my back problems. Ian is doing great work to keep the status quo, and I'm being fitted with orthotics at the podiatrist tomorrow... over time, this should minimise the impact the problem with my feet is having on my lower back, and the issues with my back and neck will be more easily addressed (pilates, mostly, to improve my core strength, along with more massage therapy).

- 23 days!! 23 days until my beloved candleshoe arrives! *bounce*

- still waiting for word from the British High Commission about my visa. 8 weeks down...

- I'm entering panic mode about the move. Worried that I won't get everything done in time.... wondering what I've forgotten. *worries a bit* Our flights are booked for January 7... and I have every intention of being on that aircraft, next to my partner, flying to my new home... our home. *goofy grin*

In other news... heard from an old high school friend a couple of months back. He's doing well... living up north, enjoying his job. I'm so glad that we got back in touch... I've been too slack in keeping in touch with people. Been trying to rectify that this week... sent emails to a couple of friends in Sydney. I've got a couple more to send in the next few days... there's a good friend in Brissie that I've been neglecting, and I should get in touch with him before he writes me off completely... *blush* *sheepish grin*

bring on the weekend!!

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:47:43 GMT

Random fact for today: a brand new Dell Optiplex 755 desktop PC, still in the box, weighs 17.35kg.

How do I know this? Because it's written quite clearly on the outside of each box - and I had to move 72 of the fuckers on Wednesday. Three pallets of the bloody things, and I had to unload them, asset them, records all the details, then pack them on the pallets again. I think, all actions included, that I moved each of them three or four times.

Now, it's not that I mind doing it. Really, I mean that - it's a part of my job (albeit not my primary focus), and I've done the same thing many times before. What pissed me off about it this week was that:

a) my manager basically ordered me to do it, because we had no PC stock whatsoever, needed them urgently, and there was no one else to do it; and

b) I'm still wearing a brace on my left hand, and am still technically on 'lighter duties' (and not allowed to lift more than 5kg).

We've been bugging our procurement team for months about our low stock levels, and the fact that we want to try and avoid situations just like this - but no, they wait and order everything at the last minute, so my team then has to scramble to get them ready for deployment.

People suck. And not in the fun, kinky way.

what a week!

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 05:04:16 GMT

Happy to say that Jasper improved greatly during the week. The antibiotics helped a lot, and he was almost back to his happy self by Thursday - so it was back to the vet for a checkup and a dental clean.

The blood screen they did before they put him under indicated an elevated white cell count, and a urine sample they took while he was out showed a mild urinary tract infection... on top of that, the poor little sausage had to have 3 teeth removed (one of them was actually broken! How on earth did he do that??). Dr Matt thinks all three are related, so it's soft foods for a week and another course of antibiotics, and I take him back for another urine test in about a month. He's doing well, though - he's eating well, seems a lot more comfortable, and he's very snuggly!

My thumb hasn't really gotten much better. Working last Saturday aggravated it no end, much as I tried to favour it. Had to file an incident report with the OH&S rep at work on Monday, which was followed by a visit to the doctor and x-rays. Nothing broken, luckily, but the doc suspects soft tissue damage, which could take longer to heal than a break would anyway. For now, I've been put on light duties for two weeks - I'm not allowed to lift anything over 5kg, and I'm to take frequent breaks from typing as well. The doc also recommended resting, and physio of some kind. I've invested in a thumb/wrist support to limit the movement, and I'll talk to Ian when I go for my massage on Wednesday, to see if there's anything he can do.

And now, I'm going to go and attempt to mow the lawn. Yay.

knackered

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:40:04 GMT

Everything seems so busy lately. Another hectic week this week. Lots happening.

Jasper's been unwell. He was very quiet last weekend, and was off his food earlier in the week. He has periods like this from time to time; generally I just give him a day or so, and make sure he gets plenty of fluids, and he's right as rain. This week, however, he couldn't seem to shake it, and he's dropped a bit of weight, so yesterday I took him the the vet.

Dr Matt checked him over... his ears were fine, eyes were fine, no unexpected lumps or pain on his body, but he did have a fever, and the scale indicated that he'd lost an entire kilogram. Dr Matt confirmed what I was already thinking - Jasper's teeth need a good clean, and there's a big buildup of tartar, so we suspect that he has a gum infection.

Dr Matt gave the little guy a penecillin shot and an anti-inflammatory shot, and I have some antibiotic drops to give him. If he's no better by Monday I have to take him back to the vet then; otherwise he's got a follow up appointment (and possibly a dental clean) next Thursday. The good news is, he's picked up significantly since last night... I daresay he'll be fine by Thursday, so the dental should go ahead with no problems.

Lots of physical stuff at work this week. Had to box up a heap of PCs for dispatch yesterday; today involved disposing of a server rack (to the garage of one of my co-workers), detouring by my house and taking a sofa bed to my friend Lucy's house, then back to the warehouse for an afternoon of assetting - 60 HP servers, 15 Cisco switches, and about 50 Dell PCs and monitors. We barely dented it today - only got through about 15 of the servers - and we're recovering equipment from a decommissioned site tomorrow, so it looks like Monday will be another busy one.

It doesn't help that I very nearly broke/dislocated my thumb today, too. We were lifting one of the server boxes off the top of a pallet, but they were stacked two-high... my grip slipped and my thumb got snapped backwards. I think it's just bruised, maybe sprained. Hurts like hell, though... not sure how I'm going to strap it up to get through tomorrow. Fun, fun, fun...

it's irritating, but it's progress

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:17:30 GMT

It's been an interesting few weeks. Busy. Hectic. Stressful.

Work has remained pretty full on... the new service tool has been implemented with minimal fuss, which is good. We still, however, have a lot of equipment to deploy in the next month or so. Also, another section has been trying to cover their own errors by blaming my team, so I was required to supply a report of all laptops and printers ordered since March, with asset details, and confirmation of where they ended up. This was on top of my regular workload, so there's been quite a bit of overtime in the last two weeks - not to mention that I had to get it done before the old service tool went offline last Tuesday.

The other stressful event was that Wednesday before last, Miss Shoe and I found out that the British High Commission had given me incorrect information, and told me to apply for the wrong type of visa. The one they advised me to apply for initially (a visitor visa) only takes about 2 weeks to process, and we were planning on submitting the application in the next month or so. Turns out that I actually need to apply for a settlement visa, which takes 12 weeks to process - and since our flights are booked for 07 January, which is only about 14 weeks away, Miss Shoe and I had to scramble and get everything we needed together in about 4 days. Thankfully I managed to submit it last Monday, so hopefully everything should be OK.

But there are some positives.

I went to a naturopath about a month ago. I've been meaning to go and see one for a while, and finally got around to it. The guy I went to see has a very good reputation, and I must say I was quite impressed. He identified many of my issues, and tells me that I'm very low on magnesium, my blood sugar is out of whack, and my liver's not happy. He also mentioned that I seemed to have some musculoskeletal issues, but we decided to attack the nutrition levels first.

Started on a course of treatment: changes to my diet, more regular meals, and some vitamin and mineral supplements to help get my nutrition back on track. It did make a noticable difference... my energy levels improved, I started sleeping better, and was able to concentrate much better at work. I was, however, still getting very tired, and still suffering from severe headaches (every day for months, with a bad migraine paying me a visit at least once a month).

During my follow up visit, he did some massage work on my neck and shoulders. He was unable to get one of the muscles to release, and told me that I need to have some "intensive soft tissue work" done, because the muscles are so tight that they're compacting the vertebrae in my neck, but they're compacting awkwardly, which may be contributing to my headaches.

I went to visit an old friend of mine, Ian, who runs a massage therapy clinic, and had my first ever massage last week. Not what you'd really call pleasant - it hurt like hell. But then, it was supposed to. Ian tells me that the problems in my neck are related to the problems in my lower back - my lower spine is actually slightly rotated from where it should be, my core muscles aren't as strong as they should be, so the muscles in my lower back are taking on too much strain.

First step - a course of massage treatments to try and free up the musles in my back. Second step - taking up Pilates or yoga, to improve my core muscle strength. It'll take a little while, though... the current state of the muscles is really limiting my movement. At one point, while working on my lower back, Ian commented that he was surprised I could even walk...

Next session is tomorrow... strangely, I'm looking forward to it.

what's in a name?

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:43:50 GMT

It's been far too long since I updated. I know this because a) I don't remember the last time I updated, and b) I keep getting stern looks from certain people.

It has been an eventful few months. The buyer I had lined up for my car fell through at the last minute, but several weeks later I finally sold it... The Beast has gone to a happy new home in Wangaratta with someone named Renee.

After doing the bus/rental car roundabout for a few weeks, I managed to find a decent little runabout to get me around - a 1997 Nissan Micra LX. In great nick, paintwork is immaculate, and only 105,000km on the clock. And it's red! I've never had a red car before!

I don't know its name yet, though. My last Nissan Micra (a white '95 LX) was named Eric. This one... not sure yet. Any suggestions?

In other news, work has been very, very hectic. We're implementing a new service tool, so we'll be in a transitional period for the next few months. There'll be training shortly; we have a whole new Service Desk team who are just learning the ropes; and we'll have to keep using existing systems til the bugs are worked out. Add to that, we have to complete about a year's worth of work in the next three months, because we have about 600 PC kits to deploy to sites across Australia, and we need to get them delivered before the Big Wet up north (a lot of the sites are in remote QLD, NT and WA).

On the plus side... I'm in love with an amazing woman, things are moving forward with my plans to move to the UK in January, and we'll be getting married in March. *happy sigh*

It's all good. ;)

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:19:23 GMT

302 WATTS

made my day...

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:27:17 GMT

Two lots of good news today....

First, Small Friends called this morning... the cats' blood tests are back, and the rabies vaccinations have taken, so as of December, they're all set to become Jetsetting International Playcats!!

Also... I got confirmation that someone wants to buy my car. They're intending to fly in on Monday morning and give me a lovely bank cheque....yay!!

everybody's doin' it...

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:11:44 GMT

gakked from candleshoe...

Anyone is free to answer this one, even if you're not on my Friendslist - just make sure you sign your name so I know who the hell you are, 'k?

I want to know 36 things about you. I don't care if we never talk, or if we already know everything about each other. Short and sweet is fine...You're on my list, so I want to know you better! Be as honest as you want - you can post the answers as a comment to this post, or in your own LJ, or comment here and repost the empty questions in your own LJ!

1) Are you currently in a serious relationship?

2) What was your dream growing up?

3) What talent do you wish you had?

4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?

5) Favorite vegetable?

6) What was the last book you read?

7) What zodiac sign are you?

8) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.

9) Worst Habit?

10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?

11) What is your favorite sport?

12) Do you have a Negative or Optimistic attitude?

13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?

14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?

15) Tell me one weird fact about you.

16) Do you have any pets?

17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?

18) What was your first impression of me?

19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?

20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?

21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?

22) What color eyes do you have?

23) Ever been arrested?

24) Bottle or can soda?

25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?

26) Come in number 26, your time is up!

27) What's your favorite place to hang at?

28) Do you believe in ghosts?

29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?

30) Do you swear a lot?

31) Biggest pet peeve?

32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?

33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?

34) Ahem... there appears to be no number 34! Tut!

35) Do you believe in God?

36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

little moo!!!

Wed, 21 May 2008 06:26:40 GMT

I spoke too soon... the Dreaded Lurgy - Part Deux has put in an appearance. Mucus is my friend once more...

Benny's trip to the vet didn't turn out quite as well as Jasper's did. It turned out to be a somewhat traumatic visit... in fact, I'm not sure who was traumatised the most - Benny, me, or Dr Matt. Given that she spent half her time under the table growling, Dr Matt spent half his time standing on the other side of the room, and I spent most of my time on the floor trying to coax Benny out (and then ended up with a healthy chunk bitten out of my finger - by Benny, not by Dr Matt. He doesn't bite. Unless you ask nicely, I suppose.), I think it was a fairly even finish.

See, Benny doesn't like to be handled. As a kitten, I believe she was taken away from her mother too young, and wasn't weaned properly - as a result, she doesn't have some of the social skills that most cats learn from their mother: she very, very rarely purrs; she only meows occasionally, usually when she's agitated or distressed; she doesn't know how to retract her claws once she's hooked them into something; she's always had problems with her teeth and gums; and she has trouble grooming herself properly.

One thing she does do fabulously well is growling. She's got that one down, and practices just about every day. Needless to say, she was quite vocal whilst in Dr Matt's surgery... growling, snarling, and at one point making a sound that would make anyone listening think that her paws were being forcibly removed from her body. I don't think she was actually in pain... it was only when she was getting her F3 vaccination and rabies shot, and again when the microchip was put in. Dr Matt was quite gentle with her... well, as gentle as he could be... I think it was more that she really doesn't like not being in control - especially when that involves a stranger touching her.

She squirmed free after the F3 and rabies shots, and spent 10 minutes under the table growling and hissing. When I finally managed to get near her and coax her out, we gently wrapped her in a towel, to try and hold her more securely while Dr Matt put the microchip in. It kind of worked... it kept her paws secure, but she still growled and yowled and squirmed, and managed to bite down fairly solidly on my finger. Another 10 minutes of sitting under the table growling, then I was able to get near her with the microchip scanner to make sure it had gone in properly (Dr Matt wasn't even game to try, the poor man).

At any rate, we managed to weigh her, and then we left it at that. She weighed in at 4.9kg, which is a good weight for her size and age... I forget to mention that Jasper weighed in at 5.6kg - also a healthy weight for his size and age.

Dr Matt has agreed to sedate her when I bring her back for blood tests (in three weeks), and while she's sedated he'll finish her initial phhysical exam, check her teeth, and clip her claws. Thankfully she's not the first 'special needs' cat that he's encountered, so he's very patient and understanding... he was more concerned that she bit me! I was just glad that she bit me, and not him! At least I'm used to it.

Dr Matt also gave me some medication to try Benny on for what we suspect is arthritis in her hips (not that he's been able to examine her properly yet). I'll trial her on it over the next three weeks, and if there's a marked improvement, and I want to keep her on the medication, then Dr Matt will also run blood tests to check her liver and kidney function - apparently the medication is non-steroidal, and would put additional strain on her liver and kidneys.

But even with all the above drama, we're still on track for everything to be done and documented in time for my planned move to the UK. And Benny seems to have recovered nicely - when I got home from work yesterday, she snuggled up beside me on my chair for most of the evening. :)

jazzy pickens!!

Mon, 19 May 2008 03:36:19 GMT

I'm feeling much more human this week... the dreaded lurgy is finally passing. I'm not so tired, I don't hack a lung up every time I laugh, and I've ceased expelling more mucus than I thought the human body was capable of producing. All of which is most definitely Of The Good.

My first fortnight as a public servant has been relatively uneventful - unlike every other place I've ever worked, they got my details in the system correctly the first time and didn't fuck my pay up. Considering the way I know this department operates the rest of the time, I consider this to be some form of minor miracle.

In other news, it's only 12 days until Miss Shoe arrives for another all-too-short visit. *happy sigh* Two weeks is better than nothing, though, so we'll cherish every second of it.

In preparation for my move to England next year, I have to take the cats to the vet for a series of vaccinations (so as to avoid quarantine in the UK). It was Jasper's turn today... we went to visit Dr Matt at Small Friends for an initial consultation.

I was a little worried, since Jasper hasn't been to the vet since he was a kitten (he's an indoor cat, so the vet said I needn't bother unless he was actually sick)... no need to worry, though - he passed with flying colours. He is apparently fit, lean and healthy, and in excellent condition for his age - his teeth need a clean, but that's the only negative feedback he got. So today he had an F3 vaccination and a rabies shot, and has now been microchipped; we go back in three weeks for blood tests to make sure the rabies vaccination has taken; and after that we just have to wait 6 months, then have a final vaccination, flea/tick treatment and a final health check, then he'll be OK to become a jetsetting international playcat.

Tomorrow it's Benny's turn, which could turn out to be a whole different kettle of teacups....

meh.

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:12:59 GMT

I is a sickybear. *sniffle* I's does have icky sinuses, and a sore throat, and some numpty has stuffed my head full of cotton wool. *hack* *cough*

Bah.

we likes games, we does!!

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:05:32 GMT

This one's snaffled from a few different people.

SCATTERGORIES!

It's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following... they have to be real places, names, things... nothing made up!
Try to use different answers if the person before you has the same 1st initial. You can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME.......... A name that begins with 'A'

4 LETTER WORD................. Alto

VEHICLE........................... Astra

CITY................................ Adelaide

BOY NAME.......................... Aiden

GIRL NAME.......................... Allison

ALCOHOLIC DRINK................. Amaretto

OCCUPATION........................ Astronaut

SOMETHING YOU WEAR............ a really nice engagement ring

CELEBRITY............................ Amber Benson

FOOD................................... Avocado

SOMETHING FOUND IN THE BATHROOM..... Accessories

REASON FOR BEING LATE............ anything, really

CARTOON CHARACTER............... Atom Ant

SOMETHING YOU SHOUT.............. are we waiting for a different shade of green?

ANIMAL................................... Aye-Aye

BODY PART............................... Arse

50 Odd Questions meme...

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:48:20 GMT

... gakked from kevswitchau!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Nope, not particularly... not fond of eating mould.

2. Have you ever smoked? Never.

3. Do you own a gun? No, but I've always had a fascination for them.

4. What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic? Que??

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I don't feel particularly strongly about them one way or another. Don't mind one with cheese, mustard and onion now and again.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Scrooged.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water or hot chocolate.

9. Can you do push ups? Erm...kinda? Badly.

10. Do you know the secret to a happy life? In the words of Michael Leunig: "Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that."

11. What's your favorite piece of jewelery? My engagement ring.

12. Favorite hobby? Um... don't know. Does sleeping count?

13. Song you're listening to right now? Grace Knight - "Sophisticated Lady".

14. Do you have A.D.D.? No.

15. What's one trait you do not like about yourself? Only one?? My skill at procrastination.

16. Middle name? Oh, no. No, we're not going there.

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?

1) Can I go home?
2) Is it too early to text Miss Shoe?
3) I wish this wanker would hurry up and buy my car already.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? hot chocolate; a ham, cheese and tomato toastie; and a can of Coke. My word, I lead a thrilling life.

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, Coke, hot chocolate.

20. Current worry? Just one? There's a long list. Money, health, Miss Shoe, work, money...

21. Current hate right now? I try not to use the word 'hate'. It's such a strong, violent emotion... why put so much energy into something so negative? There are many things that annoy me, or irritate me, or that I simply don't like... but I can't honestly say that I hate anything or anyone.

22. Favorite place to be? With Miss Shoe.

23. How did you bring in the New Year? At home, on the phone with Miss Shoe.

24. Where would you like to go? Right now? Warwick, UK. After that, the possibilities are endless... Egypt, Peru, Italy (again), Greece, Canada, the U.S. (again)... I could keep this up for quite a while, y'know.

25. Name four people who will complete this: how about four people who have already completed it? That would be easier...

26. Do you own slippers? Yes.

27. Last magazine you read: TV Week.

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Nope... no traction.

29. Can you whistle? No. *pout*

30. Favorite color? Black. Or blue. Or sometimes red.

31. Would you be a pirate? Hell, yeah!

32. What songs do you sing in the shower in the morning? I don't usually sing in the shower.

33. Favorite girl's name? Don't have one, really.

34. Favorite boy's name? As above.

35. What's in your pocket right now? Which one? Let's see... $54.40, 2 x USB flash drives, a pair of nail clippers, and in my back pocket I have a wallet thingy.

36. Last thing that made you laugh? The recording on the ATO number 131550. Honestly, you'd think they'd choose their words a little more carefully. *giggle*

37. Best bed sheets as a child? Stripey flannelette ones.

38. Worst injury you've ever had? Slipped disc, sprained lower back. Repeatedly.

39. Do you love where you live? Yes.

40. Cat lover or dog lover? Can I have both?

41. Who is your loudest friend? Colleen!!

42. How many fish do you have? No fishie-wishies.

43. Does someone have a crush on you? Yeah. *goofy grin*

44. What is your favorite television show? Close tie between Buffy, Farscape and Doctor Who.

45. What is your favorite book(s)? Kaz Cooke - "Get A Grip"

46. What is your favorite candy sweet? Don't really have a favourite.

47. Favorite Sports Team? Wests Tigers (rugby league).

48. What song do you want played at your funeral? That one's yet to be decided.

49. Your favorite poem: Mine would be the same as Kevs' - Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda:

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Dark. Phone ringing. Loud.

Tagged!!

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:02:47 GMT

....tagged by candleshoe

Take the beginnings of these commonly heard phrases and add your own ending. Tag 5 people.

I think, therefore ... my brain is apparently switched on.
All you need is ... good food, a little money, and the love of a good woman.
When life gives you a lemon, ... get some tequila and make margaritas.
Early to bed, ... sounds like a novel idea - I should try it sometime.
The squeaky wheel ... is irritating when it's on a printer that people use every three minutes.
A bird in the hand ... sounds like a bad idea to me. What if it bites me?
The early bird gets ... a smack in the chops if it doesn't stop squawking outside my bloody window!!

I tag heilun_coo, spyderlily, andraste_oz, dynigirl and kinkyhobbit.