in's and out's of [e]

Random Musings.

2008-04-28T14:11:00.003+10:00

So I find it somewhat ironic that I come back to the blog when I again find myself unemployed, though not for long thankfully.

The new job starts on the 8th of May so I'm making the most of the fact that I have two weeks to just enjoy my time. Spend a little time on myself and do things that I want to do. Pretty much this means I'm doing a whole lot of nothing, but I don't mind. I can keep myself entertained.

I am a little nervous about the job but I guess that is to be expected. I don't have any clue really what it is exactly I will have to do but I'm sure once I've finished my 5-6 weeks of training I will be capable of making an impression on the company. I am looking forward to finally having a fulltime job again, with the benefits of sick leave and annual leave. It's been so long I can barely remember what it's like to actually have a paid sick day. Not that I care too much about that. This new place I'll be working has incentives and bonuses for you to aim for. One of the incentives is something like if you don't take a sick day for 30 days you get a $200 bonus. Suits me just fine. Having not had paid sick leave for so long, I don't take them anyway. I'll be looking forward to taking advantage of that perk.

I'm glad I finally got out of retail. As much as I loved the job it was no longer a challenge. I could do it with my eyes closed and I was just aimlessly wandering through life. I need routine and stability to make my life seem normal but at the same time I like to use my brain. I wasn't at the last job so it will be nice to have new things to work through and get my brain cranking.
I don't really have anything important to say and I'm just rambling now so I might leave it at that. I just wanted to get something happening on here to give me an incentive to get back into it properly.

Peace.

Urge!

2008-04-27T17:02:00.001+10:00

I have the urge to start writing on this thing again. I am not sure how successful this will be and how regularly I will maintain it but I shall have a crack anyway.
See what happens!

Desperately Demure: Feminism and Television.

2005-12-21T01:03:00.000+10:00

When Robert Adams, former secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, first added television memorabilia to the museum’s collection in 1985 he was noted as saying, “Television probably has become the most evocative, widely observed signpost we have.” Family life has been a common storyline for all genres of television programming, from sitcoms to soapies. In many ways these programmes can reflect the shift in social acceptance and gender roles over time. In particular, the portrayal of women on television is vastly different now to what it was five decades ago. Or has it really changed all that much?

“The only thing I've ever successfully made in the kitchen is a mess. And several small fires.” Carrie, Sarah Jessica Parker's character in Sex and the City, uses her oven to store random bits and pieces that don’t seem to belong anywhere else in her apartment. Carrie never cooks at home, preferring to live instead on the convenience of take-out, provided by a big city that never sleeps and a flexible income. Carrie, along with her friends Samantha Jones, Miranda Hobbs and Charlotte York, are ‘new women’. They are independent, both financially and emotionally. Successful, sexually liberated and determined. What every modern woman aspires to be… supposedly.

During the 1950's, when television became a form of popular entertainment, women actually used their ovens to cook! The kitchen was the central hub of the family home, where all members congregated at least once a day. Not extra closet space. Families on television in the fifties and early sixties were typically white middle-class, nuclear families living in idealized suburbia. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is a prime example of the television family during the 50’s. Well-dressed, devoted Harriet Nelson represented the wholesome housewife of the 1950’s.

In reality during the late 50’s, the second-wave feminism was imminent, the first-wave feminism slowed down somewhat after the 1920’s. Suffrage was the number one concern for first-wave feminists, and with persistence of women such as Susan B. Anthony, the right to vote was granted. Whilst women in the 50’s were still domestically driven and family orientated; they had gained a political voice and legal entitlements, such as the right to own property.
As divorce rates grew in the 1960’s, the portrayal of families on television programmes changed; single parent families emerged. Two that come to mind are My Three Sons and The Partridge Family. Strangely enough, despite divorce growing in frequency, it wasn’t until in the 70’s when the programme Maude was first broadcast, that divorce was actually used as an explanation for a missing spouse. Until then these families were “broken” as a result of fatality.

Second-wave feminism had begun. Second-wave feminists burnt their bras; they paraded the streets with placards. The second-wavers were without a doubt the most vocal of the feminist movement. They focused on causing social and economic changes. Sexual freedom, gender equality, birth control and abortion were all high on the agenda for second-wave feminists.

Employed and independent women were being portrayed more frequently throughout this era, albeit not without controversy. Cagney and Lacey, a show about two female detectives, wasn’t broadcast on network television until eight years after it’s conception! The Mary Tyler Moore Show was popular for its portrayal of Mary Richards, a single woman going it alone in the city and working in a man’s world. Moore was a role model for many women, yet she still faced situations in the work place that saw her as subservient to her male colleagues.

In 1972 Number 96 aired on Australian television. Number 96 pushed every boundary and broke every taboo of the time; sex, nudity, drugs, abortion, it was scandalous and it was popular! The Australian public took to the mix of drama and comedy, making the show a hit despite the shock factor.

20 years along and we have Samantha Jones telling us, “If we could perpetually do blowjobs to every guy on earth, we would own the world. And at the same time have our hands free.” The value of the shock factor is still used to draw an audience and keep them entertained. In the case of Sex and the City, elements of controversy are used in dialogue more so than visuals. The effect is the same, just vaguely less blatant.

There was a backlash against feminism in the 80’s stemming from political influences. Feminism had become a dirty word. Despite characters such as Roseanne and Murphy Brown continuing the 70’s trend of strong women on television, they were criticised for their unconventional maternal ways.

It wasn’t until the mid 90’s that women began to regain some of the feminist motivation, perhaps inspired by the ‘Girl Power’ craze. Third-wave feminism takes hold and women are once again pushing for gender equality and freedoms from patriarchal society, whilst maintaining a sense of the feminine. Embracing the right to be a mother, a wife, to have a career or all of the above. Recognising domestic roots yet valuing the path paved by women generations before.

Contemporary women often dismiss the term feminist. Rebecca Walker, a prominent voice in today’s women’s movement says, “I still do not believe that the use of the term Feminist galvanizes, unifies, or inspires at the moment. I think it did at one time and that was fantastic. But not now.”
Certain second-wave feminists have seen this rejection of the feminist label as being detrimental to the cause. The movement has become individual rather than collective. "I don't hear strong, clear feminist voices today," Brownmiller comments. "I don't see women coming up with new theories."

"I'm surprised by the amount of people who were really innovative in their youth and refuse to see innovation in the youth." Jennifer Baumgardner, co-author of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future, hits back at the deprecation of the second-wavers, reproving them of being unable to see the vibrancy of today’s feminist movement.

Whilst Sex and the City has delivered many feminist plots, offered “male-bashing” moments, and grand accomplishments for the four friends, they remain at the end of the final season wanting little more than to love and be loved by a man. The women have shown they are capable; they can manage on their own yet success won’t bring true love. In this respect, women are no different on television today than they were 50 years ago. Coveting the security that a stable relationship can bring to a woman’s life, and the chance of motherhood. The white picket dream they secretly long for. As Carrie laments, “The fact is, sometimes it's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun,” all she’d really like to do is retire those single gal’s shoes to the opportunity store.

© [e] - 2005. Reproduction in part or full without express written consent will result in a breach of copyright.

Stan "Tookie" Williams.

2005-12-04T00:20:00.000+10:00

~!~DISCLAIMER~!~ This post is long, but humanitarian in nature. Please read it and act if you feel so inclined. I do not normally do this kind of thing and I don't want to cause arguements so if you disagree with me and my opinion here, please feel free to leave my blog and we can keep the peace. I don't condone violence, gangs, murder, et al. However I don't condone capital punishment either.

I don't know if this name means anything to you so I will try to shed a little light. Stan Williams was the founder of one of the meanest, nastiest gangs in South Central LA, the Crips. He is infamous there for being a gang boss.

Right now he is sitting on death row, as he has been since 1981. The year I was born. That's nearly 25 years ago he was sentenced to die. He was convicted of murdering 4 people after his gang terrorised it's own neighbourhood for years.

The date of his execution is 13th December. 10 days away.

You might be asking yourselves now, WHY the hell is Elle telling us this? I spread the word for a few reasons. I strongly oppose the death penalty, I give thanks often for it not existing here. I also want to tell you about Tookie because of the changes he made to his life since his incarceration.

He spent his time in jail looking at his life, realising where he went wrong, noting the mistakes he has made, and eventually trying to stop others following the same path he has. Tookie has become an advocate for peace, writing childrens novels on gangs, and the effects on communities, and a whole bunch of other educational stuff to try and stop the cycle of gang members continuing further into younger generations. This educational material covered everything from gangs to racism. It is educational for so many reasons and it has prooven to have made a difference already.

He HAS made a change to gang warfare, he HAS opened some kids eyes and he IS working towards building a better community. He DOES show remorse for his actions in the past. He is REGRETFUL of the hurt he caused everyone during his time as the Crips boss. I could go on. I truely believe people deserve a second chance, particularly when they go so far out of their normal selves to change the things they implemented. To try and fix the damage they caused. Tookie has done just this.

Still he has been rejected appeal after appeal. Now he has only one hope left. Clemency. This can only be granted by one person. That one person is the Governor of Los Angeles. None other than Big Arnold Schwarzenegger. Celebs are rallying around Tookie more and more as the 13th approaches thanks to one Jamie Foxx. Foxx played Tookie in a movie about his life and his incarceration, called Redemption. That film was how I first heard about Tookie. It's a powerful film, with fantastic acting from Foxx. Other celebs, such as Snoop Dogg, have joined Foxx in this appeal for Tookie's life. They are doing all they can themselves to plea for clemency and have started a petition to put to Governor Arnie.

I don't know if it's considered null and void since we are in Australia but I urge you to please sign this petition. It will only take you 5 minutes and it may just help to save a man's life. For more info on any of this and to sign the petition please visit: http://www.tookie.com/

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS!

2005-12-01T17:50:00.000+10:00

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

I have just gotten home from seeing this and I feel dejected, disheartened and a bit lost for words, though I won't let that stop me having a rant.

I feel vital concepts from the book were missing from the film. The whole start of the year up until they take the portkey to the quidditch world cup is missing, except of course the dream Harry has of the old man and Voldemort. The world cup is fleeting and if you blink you will miss it and the ensuing mess from the death eaters at the world cup is non existent. The mess with Winky and the dark mark, elevated muggles, Harry's wand, the whole lot - nothing, zip, nada, not an iota of any of it.
Same with Dobby, he is no where to be seen but if memory serves me correctly was the one who gave Harry the Gillyweed for the second task in the Tri-Wizard tournament. I could go on and on here.

We briefly sighted Ludo Bagman at the world cup amplifying his voice to start the game. Other than that he is AWOL from the film despite being ever present in the novel. Bagman bet with the Weasly twins and duped them with Leprechaun gold. He kept trying to help Harry in the Tri-Wizard tournament, offering him tidbits of information. I'm sure he played other roles in the novel which escape me at the moment, I just remember him being there a lot.

The drama that follows one Ms. Rita Skeeter through the entire novel is condensed into about 5 short minutes. We don't see much of the Quick-Notes Quill doing it's nasty tale-telling and the effects this has on Harry, Ron and Hermione. We see nothing of the problems Skeeter causes between Hagrid and Madam Maxine, the Beaubaxton Head Mistress. Nor do we see Skeeter being outed by Hermione for being and animagous. Shame that, she really does resemble a pesky fly the few times you see her on film.

And what of Percy? The Weasly boy so dedicated to the Ministry he turns his back on his family. A disowning that lasts throughout not only GoF but also Order of the Phoenix and into Half Blood Prince. You see nothing of Percy in the film, which detracts from the Barty Crouch Junior, Winky debacle. The Percy element begins way back at the World Cup. Percy also emerged in the novel at Hogwart's as an acting judge for Barty Crouch when he went missing. Not so in the film.

In skimming over the world cup and the occurrence of the dark mark, I feel the film has overlooked important factors of the story that tie all the loose ends together. Whilst I understand that GoF was a HUGE book and to put it all into film would mean the end result went for something like 5 hours (as it is it's over 2.5 hours). However I think that there really are vital plot points missing from the film that left me feeling a little empty. If you've never read the book you will NOT be disappointed. If you have, like me, no doubt you will feel the same as I do right now.

The character's development throughout the film is interesting to watch, they are all growing up and they look so much older than the first film all those years ago (obviously!) but it's good to watch because you also see this aging in their personalities and mentalities somewhat too. Puberty has most definitely kicked in there! (By the way, take note of the size of Ron's biceps towards the start of the film. Has he GROWN or what?! )

Don't get me wrong either though! For what it was, the movie was good. It kept me entertained, it kept me laughing, gasping, sighing, almost had me crying. Admittedly I was keen to see this film over a lot of the others due to the amount of action. The adventure Harry and his friends embark upon in GoF is bigger and more action packed than anything they have done before. The World Cup and all it's excitement. The Tri-Wizard Tournament and the dangers faced. The drama with Voldemort (who I must admit was fantastic! They did a great job rebirthing the Dark Lord on film). It was missing the OOMPH and the POW that I had anticipated. I had hoped to see a lot of amazing flying, near misses and edge of the seat adrenaline. Unfortunately I saw mere glimpses.

What they did with the film, they did it well, I just don't think they did the book justice.

..!..

2005-11-07T13:11:00.000+10:00

...Hitting back with a vengeance...

....soon....

Oh The Humanity..

2005-08-11T18:30:00.000+10:00

Public transport.. what a contradiction it is.

Convenient? Sometimes, when they are running to schedule and will get you to and from the place you need to be at and not somewhere in the 10km radius.

Pleasureable? Definitely not. Especially in peak hour. When school lets out and work is starting to end for the day is probably the worst time to venture onto public transport.

There is nothing like the feeling of having some sweaty old man breathing down your neck with his groin in your back whilst thrusting your breasts into the face of some poor unsuspecting high school student.

Not to mention the lack of things to "hold on" to. Whoever designed these new buses on the Coast needs to take a hard look at themselves. Really. Lets stick a bar here, maybe one there and then we can sit back and laugh as they all try not to fall over! Brilliant! Bus surfing is a sport I'm beginning to master. It's great for developing strength in your ankles and does wonders for your biceps!

The attitudes of some of the people working in the public transport field need to be readjusted too.
Yes you drive a bus, but no that does not make you a God! Sitting there all high and mightly on your comfy chair watching with a glint in the eye as we all pile in like sardines. Then you take the corner at 60km an hour. Yes fantastic! You laugh as we all hurtle to one side, shopping goes flying and people are nursing their weary bodies.

We live in a tourist destination, you drive a bus. It is a given that people will ask you for help regarding where they are going and how to get there. Don't look at it as a nuisance. It's part of your job. If you didn't like dealing with all of this why didn't you drive a truck instead?! Don't growl at them because you don't speak the same language as them. At least they are trying to make an effort.

Without public transport we would have problems, and I think for the most part it's not too bad. There are places in the world where it is far more unbareable than here. I just hope I get my licence when the time comes first go so I don't have to worry about or rely on it anymore!

blink

2005-08-05T10:56:00.000+10:00

And I missed it. Someone messaged me on yahoo. They said they'd read this blog of mine, which is sorely neglected as of late. I closed the window and didn't get a chance to respond. It was an oops moment. Could that someone message me again please?!

The Days Are Long And Very Much Alike.

2005-07-03T16:12:00.000+10:00

Thank you for your application. The response to this position was overwhelming and we regret to advise you that at this stage you have been unsuccessful. We thank you for taking the time to apply for this position and wish you well in your further endeavours.

Well, bugger me. It’s getting a lil old hat already and it’s only been two weeks. On Thursday I watched with amusement as one of those cutting edge current affairs programs did a story on how “The youth of today are unmotivated” It irks me that does. Unmotivated my arse. Don’t generalize here, just because y’all had to walk 45kms to go to school and 72kms to get fresh eggs. I want a job. I want to be working. I want to be earning money. I want to be out there mixing it up with the rest of the employed world. I am motivated. I have applied for over 30 jobs in the last 8 days and I have made more of an effort than most people would. I have not approached the government as of yet to try and get handouts. Though unfortunately that time might be nearing. I am willing to push boundaries to further myself and no, I don’t own a Playstation.

...---...

2005-06-20T11:34:00.000+10:00

I was sacked.

Hiccup.

2005-06-12T09:59:00.000+10:00

So they never arrived on Friday and I'm still sitting, scratching my head and wondering whats going on.

Apparantly there is a problem with the lease, and since I don't know all the details I won't bore you with the mundane talk of it all, but this means they won't be taking over on Tuesday. I don't know when it will be settled now. My boss seems to have a sinking feeling that it won't happen at all. Pooey for him, great for me. We will see.

I went to work on Friday morning itching to find out the news and fired up for a round of "hahaha, you'll be stuffed" but it never came to a head. So come Tuesday I am still gainfully employed by my current boss with no clue as to what will happen next.

My colleague went on holiday this week and is away until next Monday so I've told her I will text her any important progress reports. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to text her and tell her it's all systems go as per normal and there will be no return of the Krunts!

Whilst I feel sorry for me boss because he is so keen to sell and very stressed about all this craziness... One can dream.

Sigh.

2005-06-09T20:06:00.000+10:00

Things aren't looking good here on the work front.

I met the new people this week and it has been an interesting, drama filled time. I feel nothing but apprehension and tomorrow is THE day.

For the sake of my humour and their privacy I will refer to them as the Krunts.

Monday the Krunts were supposed to arrive and meet the team and get a crash course in how the shop runs. They never showed up. We had a happy day at work on Monday with a lot of laughter.

Tuesday they arrived. The tension in the shop was palpable when they walked through the door. None of us knew where we stood and they were playing their cards close to their chests. Things were amicable. The Krunts seemed friendly enough, although a little mindful of what they said in our company. We got through a few hours before they decided to start holding "interviews". The lady I work with talked to them for over an hour, telling them right there and then that she didn't want to come back full time, she was ready to start retiring but would help them out a couple of days a week if they so desired.
Then it was my turn. I went out to the office and was asked some casual questions about what I do and the Ticketek system, what I'd done before I was there and if I bought my CV. I told them no I hadn't as I wasn't aware that I would be needing it (Bullshit Elle but hey it's my job damnit!) They seemed placated by that response, then they hit me with it. "Would you be willing to work part time?" I said to them, "No, actually I wouldn't as I am the only one who brings home money. I am single and I live alone. I can not afford to work part time." They exchanged a glance and told me they would talk to me later in the week. With that I was dismissed.
My colleague later told me they had mentioned to her that they were not wanting full time workers. Immediately I was on guard. They could have told me this to my face. The suspicions grew.
The Krunts only stayed a few hours more and then left. Things were great for the rest of the day despite my being upset at this knowledge.

Wednesday. The day went on with the Krunts hanging around watching us, asking a few questions and learning a little. This was to be expected. What wasn't expected was the sideways looks, the standing in the corner of the shop whispering. Feeling awkward and uncomfortable. And they barely spoke to me. Only talking to me when there was no one else in the shop or when they wanted to know what I was doing. I was printing labels for magazines in the back office and Male Krunt came down to sus it out. He was all paranoid about maybe I was surfing the internet. I shortly informed him that the only computer hooked up to the net was the main on the server and it was also a register on the counter. Stress less mate I'm not sitting here browsing! I am actually WORKING.

The routine for those two days was totally out of whack and I got nothing normal done. I hate that. Also things like lunch breaks were pushed back nearly two hours because of endless questions so I was starving and narky as hell!

Today was the pretty much horrible. My current boss who is selling wasn't at the shop today and that meant they felt like they could walk around like they owned the place already. We were trying to do some things to finalise for my boss before the sale went through, things that had nothing to do with these people and was none of their business. Things referring to the current accounts with suppliers etc. They were trying their hardest to get the information but I was shifty when needed and managed to thwart them as much as I could. Their attitudes completely changed. It was my colleagues birthday today and her brother in law rang to wish her a happy day. When she hung up Mr Krunt said to her "No private calls here!". We both just looked at him. I think my jaw hit the floor and sat there for about 15 minutes. I was in shock. My boss has never had an issue with us using the phone because we don't abuse this. Particularly when the call is incoming not outgoing. I didn't know what to say so I said nothing at all.
Then came the lunch break saga. My colleague said she was off to have her break, so she headed out the back to the office/kitchen. She remembered something she had to do so she turned around to do it. When she went back to have her lunch break the Krunts were in the office. Mrs Krunt heard her coming and came out and shut the door behind her telling her that Mr Krunt was on the phone and that she couldn't go out there. HUH!? IT AIN'T YOUR SHOP YET! Mrs Krunt acted like a bouncer in a strip club and was adamant that she had to stay out. We both just looked at each other. I felt like telling her that since he was on his mobile and it was time for lunch perhaps he should conduct his business outside. I bit my tongue. My mate got lunch and they did the cagey whispering again. I had the pleasure of having to teach them how to use the EDI and import the magazine invoices. Needless to say they didn't learn a thing thanks to my quick run through. (HAHA!)
Soon after they left again without mentioning anything to us about working and having jobs. A guy who works early in the morning asked them straight up today if he had a job to come back to and all they would say was that they would talk to him tomorrow. Doesn't sound good does it?
If they were going to keep us they would just say "yes of course you do!". Surely they would. They'd have nothing to hide then.

So tomorrow is the day and what an interesting day it will be. Considering Monday is a public holiday so I won't be at work they have to let me know tomorrow what is going on. I'm at the stage now where I could just tell them to go jump and not go back. I don't need to be treated like that. I don't wish to work for rude Krunts. And I know since I have seen them in action that without at least one of us there they are going to sink so far they won't recover without a lot of hurt to the hip pocket. They know nothing about how the business runs and they are up the creek for that reason. They thought "Oh a newsagency! Great! read some mags and rake in the cash!" Little do they realise how much work is involved. And they know how to do none of it.

They haven't endeared themselves to any of us and I don't think they realise how much they will need us. They also haven't built any trust or loyalty from this start and that is the reason why I don't want to work for them, they could have tried a bit harder to be nicer. Instead all they did was cause dissention and mistrust. They will put so many customers offside if they do get rid of us too. Already had people commenting that they won't come back. I just laughed. I know they are serious.

I will use them for whatever I can until I find something better for myself. When that happens I wont have any qualms saying Sayonara and laughing all the way to the next job whilst they cry all the way to bankruptcy!

Really...

2005-06-05T19:59:00.000+10:00

It's not hard to be honest. To let people know where they sit. And not play games.

YOU failed to do this and for that reason alone I feel nothing but pity for YOU.

YOU promised me something and YOU couldn't hold it.

YOU promised me to tell me the truth at all times.

YOU failed.

YOU could have saved YOUrself a lot of bother by just being straight with me. I don't appreciate the head funk. In the time it took YOU to come up with the lame, hole filled excuses and the sappy, shallow apologies YOU could have set it right and be done with it.

Shame on YOU.

Random

2005-06-02T21:15:00.000+10:00

Is it just me who finds it ironic that the colour for both jealousy and luck is green.. hmmm.

When Will It End?

2005-06-02T20:34:00.000+10:00

The date for the take over at work has been changed yet again. Actually twice this week. It started as the 23rd May, then got pushed to the 6th of June. This Monday just gone it was supposedly the 20th of June and today I found out its definitely the 14th. Right, I will believe it when I see it.

I am oh so over it already. Conspiracy theories are running rampant and despite all my efforts to not form an opinion I am coerced into souring before it starts. I want to keep an open mind over the new people and what the situation will be like when they own the business and are my bosses. It's proving to be hard though since I still haven't actually met them yet and I found out today they plan on bringing "some" staff with them.

Admittedly though there are a few current employees they will be much better off without, so hopefully someone has given them the heads up on this and this is the reason for the "some" staff.

What this means I do not know so keep your fingers crossed for me and hopefully I will still be gainfully employed in a few weeks time.

Thank You

2005-06-02T20:30:00.000+10:00

You know who you are and why you deserve to be thanked. Your generosity helped me get through the week intact and despite falling apart at certain times, I knew you cared enough to help without asking too many questions.

I appreciate it.

Crazy Mad World.

2005-05-29T20:22:00.000+10:00

When it falls apart it really goes to pieces.

So much going on. The changing of owners in my work place has caused massive amounts of belly aching from the staff. Some more than others. It seems no one likes change. The take over date is 6th of June, so one week away. I personally can't wait now, whilst it will be sad to see some people leave, I'm getting tired of listening to the drama people are making it into. We can't change it, we cant fight it, we just have to roll with it and see where it takes us. Onto bigger and better things I am hoping.

I have been learning to drive properly. Every Wednesday afternoon at 4pm I venture out onto the roads and into the frantic peak hour traffic on the Gold Coast. I can see improvement each week that goes by so hopefully soon enough I will be prepared to take the test and feel the freedom it will bring. My Big Red car will love it too!

This weekend has been a disaster and I am about ready to lock myself up for a week and not touch/do/say anything else that could get me into trouble. Things were going well for me with a certain someone but now it seems that is not the case and things are not going at all. Bit sudden, bit unexpected but again, I can't fight these things. Just blah in general. Shame really, I was enjoying the time shared and feeling comfortable with him. Unfortunately his demons are my downfall and I miss out on getting to know a great guy even more because he can't let go of his past.

These things have been playing on my mind a lot and I feel myself becoming really dopey as a side effect. I have been losing concentration, not paying attention or simply being dumb. Yesterday morning I was all set to go and get my new phone, since I was out of the current contract and they were offering the Samsung E310 on a $0 up front plan. Nothing wrong with my trusty little Nokia but since this was free I decided what the hell!
I did the morning ritual, shower, coffee, bit of a quick chat to a good mate. I pick up the essentials, wallet, phone etc and walk out the door shutting it behind me. The minute I heard it close I knew. I swore very loudly and quickly checked my pockets. Nope, no keys! I looked through the window and there they were sitting on my desk. I swore even louder. I have bars on my windows and only one entry to the unit so I was pretty much stuffola'd. I rang my real estate agent only to be informed that they didn't have a spare set of keys for my place. They suggested I call the locksmith to come pick the lock. They told me it would cost me about $30. Upon calling them I was informed it would actually cost me $75 since it was a Saturday and considered after hours. Blah. $75 I didn't have to spend on this mess but what choice did I have? I waited and he turned up after about 10 minutes. At least they are prompt.
He fiddled with the lock for what felt like an eternity, using a whole range of gadgets I was starting to feel that old sinking feeling. He told me that the handle on the door was in the way, preventing him from getting the little gun thing in to turn the lock. He then told me he would have to drill out the cylinder and replace it. Another $15 bucks. I sighed and agreed. What choice did I have? It took him about 10 minutes to do this and I nearly cried handing over the moolah. There goes eating this week. I started out doing okay financially and ended up broker than broke from this moment of idiocy.

Headed to get my phone, and a little something for my god daughter. Then it was home to change and make my way to her house for a BBQ. An enjoyable evening to take my mind off the crazy goings on was what the doctor ordered and I had a nice night there with them all.

This morning I woke up feeling pretty empty knowing that I should do the mundane housework etc. I still haven't got to it but tonight I just don't care. The essential thing was washing. The bloody washing machine has been broken since Wednesday. I had called my real estate on Thursday to complain about it but since it's up to the body corporate to do something about it it's now out of mine and their hands. Today I got fed up and found a phone number on the machine. Got an answering machine so I left a message telling them that it was rooted and I would appreciate it if someone would come and look at it. We will see how effective this is since I am not Body Corp.
I put my clothes in a bag and took a walk into the CBD to a laundrette. I felt a bit weird doing it but at least it solved that problem. Bloody expensive wash though. The main thing is I will have clean work uniforms and wont stink through out the week. Thankfully the laundrette was empty when I got there so I just did my washing as fast as I could and high tailed it back home to dry.

I had a nasty headache when I got home so I lay down for a bit and drifted off to sleep where I was confronted with some very strange and very disconcerting dreams. I got lost by crossing the street. I don't think we are in Kansas anymore Toto. I woke before I knew whether I made my way home or not but here I am so I must have done alright.

Enough from me for the now, I am going to have a glass of wine and try to stop my mind from ticking over and over with this endless train of thought.

Politically Correct To Silence The Thinker.

2005-05-08T14:07:00.000+10:00

Apparently this is true. You think?! Well! Shame on you. Stop doing that!

You have an opinion? You naughty, naughty girl.

You want to share that opinion!? How dare you?! Silence!

We concentrate so much these days on being politically correct that we all seem to be stunted when it comes down to having an opinion. Should you be obnoxious enough to actually express your views you may find yourself shot down in flames and put out to pasture. To much emphasis is placed on whether a certain type of person might be offended or take umbrage and what you have to say. So we think yet we don't speak out.

What happened to; opinions are like arseholes, every body has one.

If I have certain views I will express them, not in the hope of offending someone but to provoke thought and perhaps open other peoples minds to what I am trying to say. If you happen to be offended by my opinion then the polite thing to do would be to disagree and then state why. Not to censor. Not to abuse. Not to get defensive over. Who knows, you might even change my thinking if you can come at me with a reasonable and mature counter.

I'm tired of worrying whether my thoughts are misconstrued. I'm worn out from deliberating with myself over tiny little opinions and whether I should speak out or not. I am a pacifist, I do not like conflict. I will not argue the point just to argue the point. However does that mean I don't have the right to speak my mind?

Yet to blow caution to the wind and say what I feel makes me appear arrogant for not considering another persons feelings. I speak to provoke thought, not to merely provoke.

Happiness Is A Dish Best Served Warm And Fuzzy.

2005-04-24T12:41:00.000+10:00

How lovely it is to spend some quality time with people who understand the meaning of family.

People who can laugh together stay together. Or something like that anyway. These people seem to have the ability to share all the good things in life and they do it with a smile. I've had the pleasure of spending a weekend with them and loved every minute of it.

Thanks to them all for having me! Hope to do it again sometime.

P.S I might steal your son but you can come and visit. ;)

Cheers!

But I Dun Wanna Grow Up!

2005-04-20T19:53:00.000+10:00

What's going on in this crazy world of mine?

To quote the Skyhooks - All My friends Are Getting Married.

Well sometimes I feel like I'm left behind
And sometimes I feel like I just left school
Wonder if I'll ever grow up
Maybe I'm the only fool
But I'm all caught up in this magic
Yes I'm caught up in this fun

My mate's have decided it's time to grow up, and make happy families. My siblings are doing the same. What's wrong with these people?!? They are stuck in my mind as young, carefree, and innocently lacking responsibility. Seems like I'm the one in lala land! Apparently it's normal to do all these mad cat things!

Even scarier things are afoot though.

I'm getting clucky. Yes, you read that right and you heard it here first. Elle is going gah gah over goo goo! Babies are pushed in and out of my shop all day long by doting parents and I find myself constantly Ooohing and Aaahing over their little toes and their big eyes. I just wanna ask "Can I hold it?" (I can't tell half the time if it's a boy or a girl and I'm reluctant to distinguish between the two incase these feelings grow stronger!) I resist asking for fear of seeming like a mad woman. I don't even know how to hold a baby. The thought of giving birth, breastfeeding, changing nappies, not getting any sleep, mess (that's not my own), and most of all being called Mum is a little on the bizarre side. I'm told though it's all mostly great despite all of the above.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

This is not meant to happen. This is not me! This is freaking me out man!

I sat down the other night and I wrote a little list about being an adult. Just one of those word association exercises.

Rent. Babies. Proposals. Marriages. Bills. Career. Families. Insurance. Loan Repayments. Credit Cards. Voting. Responsibilities. Relationships. Dramas.

These are not normal thoughts for this little duck. Maybe I'm dreaming.

Good Friends And A Bottle Of Pills.

2005-04-15T22:00:00.000+10:00

You know you've made a connection with someone when after talking to them for five minutes it feels like you've known them for years.

I've that connection with a few people and funnily enough none of them live here.

Why?!

I've spent many years online and in that time built friendships I liken to those of our older generations who had penpals. My Nana has a few she's been writing to for over 10 years. It's no different.

The people who know me best and know more about me than anyone else reside in my life via the internet.

There are people I've known for 7 years online that I talk to on a regular basis, exchange birthday presents with, send Christmas greetings to and share milestones with.

I consider these people to be my best friends.

Sure, I have friends "in the real world" and they are very dear to me. They share moments with me that these online peoples could never and for that I have a different sort of friendship with them. We do the holidays and we do the birthdays and we do all the fun tangible things that mates do best.

Still, I'd like to be able to get all my online buds together in the one place and share some of these moments with them too. What a happy existence I would lead then. I'd be surrounded by people who know me for me and like me for me, those who appreciate my sense of humour, those who know how to take me better than any one else.

So, guys, if you're reading, pack your bags and head for the Gold Coast. It's about time you made yourself a reality!

Cheers.

Shoo Fly. Don't Bother Me.

2005-04-07T07:21:00.000+10:00

A big cheerio to the idiot who decided to call me at quarter past 2 this morning, hide their number and not actually say anything.

3 friggen times.

Let's just say I was most impressed with your sense of humour and wit. How proud you must be of these great things you do!

The first time I said "Hello" twice and hung up when I didn't get a response. The second time I answered with "Do you think this is funny?" and then sat on the line costing YOU money. The third time I'd decided you weren't worth the effort and the cause of me being pissy today so I put the phone on silent. Just for you. Yet you still cost yourself more moolah by leaving a message on my answering service. A blank one at that yet it's all dollars and cents baybee.

I don't care how much you value your money to spend it on annoying others when you should be sleeping child, however next time pick some other bunny to call.

Oh, and do something a bit more interesting than just breathe into the phone. There are always the classics like "Is your fridge running? Yes? Well, you better go catch it then!"

Take A Breath.

2005-03-28T13:04:00.000+10:00

Hectic weekend.

When it rains it pours with things going on. Spent the weekend in Sydney catching up with family and meeting my new nephew. That was an utter delight.

Had a lovely afternoon with some funky people on Friday sharing a few laughs and good times in general.

Flew back home last night. Whilst wandering Sydney airport I found a Dave Matthews DVD. Live in Central Park. AWESOME. Of course I had to buy it. Just put it on there and the crowd is mind blowing. I can't imagine what they must have thought playing to the tiny crowd in Brisbane when you compare it to the size they get at gigs over there in the US. Must have been pretty intimate for them.

So Jetstar was alright, I can't really complain. They didn't cancel the flight and I managed to get there in plenty of time to check in so no dramas to report. The service was good, the flight was smooth and I don't have an issue with the whole find your own seat thing, so for the sake of $70 odd dollars it was worth it. I'd consider flying with them again if the savings are significant.

Pretty boring post this, I don't really have much to say. Thought I'd better write something though to make you think there is actually something worth reading here.

Cheers!

Dave Matthews Band. - The Concert.

2005-03-24T01:52:00.000+10:00

My head is reeling.

I just got home from the gig. This will be a brief post and I will go indepth more later when I have calmed down some, and slept a little.

WHATTAFUCKENGREATNIGHTTHATWAS!

ahem.

Excuse me.

I just had to get it off my chest.

There will be no pics I am afraid due to the Nazi style security guards. Surprised to say the least, I didn't expect this to be the case, but the memory lives in my head at least. The downfall of being in the front row I guess.

I owned a drumstick for about a minute. Carter handed it to me and I smiled gleefully until some degenerate arsehole snatched it out of my hand and proceeded to piss off right quick. Lucky for him he did too or I'd have snotted him one bigtime. Not happy Jan. Again, the memory is in my head.

Quick highlights from the night before I TRY to get some sleep; So Much To Say & Too Much. Massive shaking going on during those songs. Watchtower - always a winner.
Watching Stefan and Boyd play off against each other. You can tell they really dig playing live. All of them in fact!
Dave's impersonation of the Aussie accent. If he doesn't make it as a muscian, he certainly could do voice work! HAHA.
Boyd in general - what that man can do with a violin!
Carters drumming leaves little to be desired - I could shake it to his beats all night long!
Best of all, being positioned right infront of LeRoi. That man knows how to play sax! I was in heaven watching him work his magic. If only I could have succeeded in getting him to smile. This is a mean feat though and one I didn't expect to pull off. At least I got him to take his sunnies off at one point!

Enough for now. Bed is calling me as I know I have to work later today.

HYPED.

Cheers!

Attitude Can Make A World Of Difference.

2005-03-16T16:33:00.000+10:00

Even when you are on the phone!

[rant]

I just had the pleasure (?) of having to phone Telstra TWICE to complain about receiving overdue notices on my account. I got one on my new bill that I received yesterday and today I received a "Pay immediately or we will cut you off and strangle you" notice.

I rang them the first time and got a complete cow on the other end who flatly told me my bill was overdue I needed to pay it and I should ring them if I am having money problems. I told her I PAID IT. I PAID IT ON THE 4TH. Well we haven't got it she says and she hung up.

HRMN. I don't think so!

I got online, found out all the relevant information to do with my BPay of this amount, and rang them back. Got a lovely girl this time. She looked at my account, looked at a couple of other things on the system and realised the mistake was at their end. Not mine. They had the money. She was a pleasure to deal with compared to the other bright spark. "Sorted!" she says. She immediately took the overdue amount off my account and wished me a nice day.

See that wasn't so hard now was it?!

Smile when you deal with people, even if you are on the phone, especially if they are a little trying. It doesn't hurt you any to be nice. It might even make their day some.

[/end rant]

AAAAArrrrgh!

2005-03-16T06:52:00.000+10:00

Tainted Love is back!

Driving me freaking insane!

When will the madness end!?

Too Much Of Not Enough.

2005-03-14T14:40:00.000+10:00

So now you all know why I live alone. Those of you that read it anyway!

Not long after moving into my place alone after the hell of sharing, I had a friend come knocking on my door.

"Elle, the missus kicked me out. Can I crash on your couch for a week or so until I sort this shit out?"

Being the generous, caring and concerned friend that I am I readily agreed. I'd hate to think my mates wouldn't help me out when I needed it the most. Just been through all that, good way to show you who your real friends truely are.

Anyway, he bought a bag of clothes and came to stay. It was pleasant. Good to have someone to chat to for a bit. We get on well so there was general harmony in the house.

Three months later I'd had enough. What was only supposed to be a "week or so" turned into a painfully long time. In the hope of saving our friendship I gently reminded him he was supposed to be "sorting shit out" and suggested he find somewhere else to live.

He did and we remain friends to this day. He ended up getting a place across the road from mine and we continued to hang out frequently. Don't see half as much of him as I used to but we don't live in the same suburb or mix in the same circles anymore. When we do catch up we have a good old chat and walk away smiling. I doubt this would be the case if he continued using my couch as his home address.

The downside of living alone is of course financial. There seems to be an endless trail of bills lying about my house and forever appearing in the mail box. If I could get someone to share the bills without actually living here that would be the perfect situation.

Today I received yet another phone bill. I seem to pay one, turn around and another has arrived. I combine my mobile and home line on the one bill and today I looked it over properly, (normally I glance at the figure, wince and pay it.) I realised on a bill that totals $59.33, the cost of service charges for both my home line and mobile total approx. $54.33. There's the cost of the line rental, message bank and the cost of my mobile contract. I make $5.00 worth of calls a month! I get a lot of credits due to having so many products with the same company, which cover the cost of my dialing into the internet (OH for ADSL again!) and I get cheap sms, which helps a lot. Even without these bonuses though my call costs wouldn't be through the roof.

However I'd be stuffed without both of them, so there isn't much I can do but wince and pay each month! That, and relish the freedom which comes with living alone.

John Birmingham, Eat Your Heart Out.

2005-03-06T00:30:00.000+10:00

Back to 18 Cronin Ave and the nightmare continues..

Wazza was next to move in. Wazza was a lost cause. All of 17 and not a hope in the world. Self subscribed depression and the mythical Attention Deficit Disorder. Wazza had an incredible attention span, one like I'd never seen before. I can't recall anyone in my experience that could get as stoned as Wazza and sit for as long as 12 hours in front of the television. Not even budge to go pee. His arse left a permanent imprint on the couch in that house. I think the fastest I ever saw Wazza move was when Mr DRED would ocassionally come around to check up on his kooky little project and Wazza had to make a mad dash to hide the bong and pull out the ever faithful Glen 20.
Another scandal from the wonderous Centrelink, for you see, Wazza was being paid to do exactly this. He was receiving a disability pension, which served only to pay for his weed and VB tallies. (Maybe I need to be a 16 year old, pierced nipple, runaway with an imaginary affliction!) Wazza came and was in for the long haul. Occasionally his parents would drop by and bring him food and clean clothes. What a life! Who needs to work? A classic Wazza quote; "The ocean is my office." The only problem with this pearler was that Wazza couldn't surf. The closest he got to the water was passed out on the beach after a big night.
Wazza was a very emotional guy. He'd get pissed, and tell you all about his poor, poor life. Where nothing ever seems to go right. Then he'd start to cry. Sob in fact. It would take a mammoth effort to get him to calm down, usually involving a trip next door to the local 'Green Grocer' for a little pick me up. Sometimes I think if he could have taken a step back and looked at himself on one of these nights from the outside he would have an epiphany. A moment to truly see how pathetic HE was making HIS life, and realise only HE could fix it.
He lived constantly on tick. He'd get through the week by putting it "on the (fictitious) account" and come pay day, he'd be broke again. One thing he always did was pay his debts. Can't fault him for that. Only then the cycle would start again. Come to think of it though, he owes me 10 bucks from a bet we had, though I knew it would be an easy win for me so I think I'll write that one off as a good laugh. I bet him that he couldn't go for 24 hours without swearing. Starting now. He enthusiastically agreed to this bet and had a look of determination plastered across his smashed face. He nodded his head triumphantly and said with a passion, "You know, this will be the easiest fuckin ten bucks I've ever made in my life." BZZZT. You lose mate. It took all of 90 seconds.
For all his faults he has a good heart, he would give you the shirt off his back, but the kid never had a lot going for him. Didn't seem to make him want to pull his socks up and get on with it though. Wazza attracted trouble and it followed him where ever he went. He once got caught driving an unregistered car with stolen plates, on an expired learners permit without a fully licenced driver to accompany him. In true Wazza style, and believe me when I say this could only happen to him, he was pulled over by police on foot patrol. Stopped at a red light and busted.
He hung around the wrong sort of people. He thrived on being 'Wazza controversial'. To fully understand this concept you'd have to know Wazza, suffice to say what he thought was out there was merely painful for others to listen to. "Smoked a whole twenty in an hour today!" or "Spent my last ten bucks on a scratchie today, but I didn't win anything!" He was proud of his accomplishments though, and one could never take that away from him. I could write for an eternity on Wazzaisms, loads of little anecdotes on ways not to go through your life, but I think you'll be getting the drift of Wazza about now. Wazza was still there doing his thing when I decided I'd had enough and for all I know is still living there now.

So that makes two people in the unit now. Still the third bedroom rotated more than the back door to a brothel. There were a few relatively normal people, whom I can't even remember much of now, that stopped by for a time. However I do remember one fellow, Andrew. A South African who'd come to Australia to chase his long time girlfriend. She'd come to Australia to escape him and the relationship altogether. He seemed like a genuinely nice fellow, and I don't know why she was running from their lives together. I never got to find out. He didn't stay very long. About 4 weeks if I recall correctly, most probably was a lot shorter than that. 24 hours in that place felt like a week. He returned to South Africa minus the girlfriend but bearing a new found lease on life, due to spending too much time talking to Wazza. God only knows what happened to him, but it wouldn't surprise me if Wazza now has a doppelganger in South Africa. Living the Wazza life. Doing what Wazza does best.

After Andrew left it was pretty quiet for a time. What with me working shift work and Wazza glued to the television set in a smoky stupor. There were three other units in the block and all three were experiencing the same thing as Unit 1. Some of the people from the other units I got to know on a say gday basis, some of them I steered well clear of. For the most part I was the only female in the block and it seemed, the only one who actually worked. Wazza befriended the blokes directly upstairs from us who also had a penchant for smoking copious amounts of weed and watching fuzzy images on the shitty little television set. They all got along like a house on fire. Mr DRED would pop in to make sure the place was still standing, sprout some crap about the big plans he had for the units and then bugger off again. He wasn't a welcome presence and you could cut the air with a knife when he was around. Or at the very least, cut the marijuana smoke.

I was somewhat relieved when Tina moved in. Finally some more estrogen to break up the now pungent testosterone. She seemed perfectly normal. A little highly strung perhaps and definitely in need of some meat on her bones, but certainly nice enough. She worked late hours. I later came to know she was a prostitute, it takes all kinds to make the world go round, I didn't hold that against her. At least she was working! Her and Wazza would smoke dope together and get all stupid during the day whilst I was at work, then she'd only be around for a couple of hours after I got home in the evening. If I was on the late shift I could go days without seeing her at all. We'd have some pretty decent chats when we did manage to catch a few hours home together and I'd thought things were going okay.
One evening she asked me to come with her whilst she did some business. By this time I knew what she did for a living and was a little skeptical but she assured me it had nothing to do with "working it" and so I agreed. We were headed to Coolangatta, an area I love on the coast. Always up for a night time rendezvous, and a little adventure I went along with her plans. Not quite sure what they were but caution to the wind, live a little.
We drove to Coolangatta and stopped in this tiny, darkened park not far from the McDonalds there. I looked at Tina with a question mark. She said she had to meet someone. It would only take five minutes once he arrived. Feeling a little dodgy now, I smiled at her none too convincingly and started rambling all manner of crap from the weather to the footy scores. A car pulled up next to us, headlights blaring. I couldn't see a damn thing. Tina jumped out and straight into the passenger seat of the other car. Sure enough within 5 minutes Tina was back and we were on the way home. Deciding it was best not to know, I didn't ask a thing. I just kept on with my ramblings. We got home and headed to bed and things went back to normal. Or so I thought.
At about 3am that morning I was awoken by her banging on my door, talking all sorts of gibberish. I went out to see what was going on and found her in a crumpled mess on the lounge room floor. I pulled her up to her feet and stuck her under a cold shower. I returned to my room and locked the door. She wasn't exactly with it when I put her in the shower and I didn't know her that well. Better to be safe than sorry. Figured if I heard a loud crashing noise then I'd probably better make sure she was okay. None came though, I heard her turn the shower back off eventually and stumble into her room. I didn't see her for days after this bizarre night. I didn't want to know what was going on, so this was probably for the best.
Until about three or four days later, I arrived home from work one evening and started to get myself some dinner. I was just about to sit down to eat when Tina's door opened. She came out and we started talking. Half way through my meal she got up, went into her room and returned with what appeared to be a cosmetics bag. I was just about to put a fork full of pasta into my mouth when she removed a syringe from the bag and promptly stuck it into her arm. Now I know what we were doing in Coolangatta and why she was so out of it when we got home. Disgusted, I got up and left, making sure I returned home only after she'd have left for the night.

That was it for me. I enlisted the help of my mates, found somewhere to live all on my own and moved my shit the hell out of there. It was definitely an eye opener and as they say, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. There is only so much I can take though before I seek the comfort of my own normality. I set myself up in my own little pad and lived comfortably there for two years or so.

There is a lot to be said for share accommodation. It can save you bucket loads and can give you one hell of a good time in the process. For all those considering it make sure you have some say in who you flat with, because without that control you never know who or what will walk through the door and say "G'day, I'm ..."

Cheers!

Ever Thought About Share Accommodation?

2005-03-05T09:20:00.000+10:00

I was asked this question this morning. Simply put, the answer is no. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt to prove it.

It got me thinking about when I did share. Ah, the characters I met. It was an interesting 9 months. An amazingly dodgy set up. More like a boarding house with little regulation. It was cheap and at the time that's all that mattered to me. Convenient too, since it was around the corner from where I worked at the time. Thinking now about some of those people I shared with has made me laugh. To ensure their privacy I will change names, but for those of you that read this (does anybody?) and knew me in this time, you'll know who I am talking about. I spent a lot of time in the place by myself which suited me fine, I knew it wouldn't last though...

Ben waltzed in one day, backpack slung over his shoulder and said hello. Slight hint of an English accent. After introducing ourselves (yes, I told you. It was a strange set up!) I went to work and left him to unpack and settle in. Got home that night, shared a drink with him and found out a little about him.
He was English and had just got to the coast after travelling around some, leading a nomadic lifestyle. His brother lived a few streets away and was here purely to catch up with him. The living situation suited him because due to the no lease no bond offer, he wasn't tied down. Ben also had an interesting profession. He made adult web sites for a living. Wanna buy some dodgy porn? Ben was your man! Cheap too, as he so proudly boasted to all that would listen. I declined his invitation to share in the flesh fest. Besides at that stage we barely had a television, let alone anything to watch it on!
About two weeks after he arrived, Lisa showed up to stay with him. Another backpacker, another nomad. Lisa had arrived from England not long before she came to the unit and was an interesting chick to chat to. Friendly girl. We spent many nights drinking and talking. One day I got home from work to find them both mysteriously gone. This was after about 4 weeks of being there.
The next day Dodgy Real Estate Dude (referred to from here on in as Mr DRED) rocked up on the doorstep, posing in his wanky way and jiggling the keys to his BMW 4WD. He was an important man, didn't you know! Turns out Ben never paid him any rent apart from the first week down, and the key deposit. He'd also taken off with the key. Mr DRED was not very impressed and pushed me for ideas as to where he'd gone. I didn't have a clue and promptly told him so. I lived with these people for a few weeks but knew very little about them. I informed Mr DRED I wasn't anyone's mother and perhaps he should find other ways to locate his missing money and key. Apparently he didn't even know Lisa existed. Nice one Ben, love your work!

Glenn came next. To this day I could put all I know about Glenn on a postage stamp. He was like that though. He was quiet, kept to himself and didn't venture out much for socialising. He was an introvert and would spend hours in his room behind locked doors doing all sorts of things. I wouldn't have a clue what it was he did in there, whatever it was, it sure made some interesting sounds. Now that I think about it, Glenn was a bit of a worry. He'd get this glint in his eye. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he was psychopathic. He sure fits the mold. He too left after only a few weeks, I hardly even noticed he'd gone. It was only that the strange noises from his room stopped that I realised he'd left.

I was in the kitchen one day making myself some lunch when the door opened and in tumbled Amber. Amber was a drama queen. All of 16 and ready to tackle the big bad world. Amber had decided she couldn't live with her mother anymore. "She's a slapper" she said with a little giggle. So Amber had trotted down to her local Centrelink office, informed them she was leaving home and was handed a $500 emergency payment, and put on youth allowance. Amber was a boisterous wild child. She had two pierced nipples and showed them off for the world to admire. Amber lasted all of two weeks at the unit. She thought it was great being so flush with cash that she went out and had her hair and nails done. She bought some new clothes. "Aren't these cheeky shorts just darling!" Neglecting the essentials like food and rent, Amber soon found out that money isn't an endless source unless of course you are an Australian politician, which obviously she wasn't. Her supply of the mighty dollar ran out sooner than she expected it to, and after her short stint out in "the real world" and a government funded shopping/primping spree, Amber moved back in with her mother.

Hypocritical bastards at Centrelink. When I genuinely needed help they wouldn't touch me with a ten foot barge pole. They gave me the run around for weeks before flat out rejecting my pleas for assistance. I guess all you need to do is be 16, have pierced nipples and leave home for them to pay any attention at all.

Stay tuned for more of the motley crew from 18 Cronin Ave, and the straw that finally broke the camels back. It's a killer...

Cheers.

Wake Up Singing.

2005-03-04T08:09:00.000+10:00

The jukebox in my mind goes mental. 5 days out of 7 I wake up in the morning with a song going around and around my head. Sometimes it's a song I'd heard just before going to bed. The strange ones are songs that I haven't heard recently.

Don't touch me please. I can not stand the way you tease.

This morning it was Tainted Love. The last time I heard this song was at the pub last Saturday night. Where did it come from and why has my mind been infected?! It's a great song, and definately one well played on the pub circuit. How the hell did it get into my mind on a Thursday night though?

And I've lost my light. For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night.

Usually it's just the one refrain repeating over and over. It'd be nice if my mind played the whole song from start to finish. Particularly in this instance since I actually know all the lyrics to Tainted Love.

Well, work calls and I can't seem to get rid of it. So I'd best trundle off, singing no doubt.

Sometimes I feel I've got to. Run away. I've got to. Get away.

Cheers.

Devoid.

2005-03-03T07:26:00.000+10:00

(d-void)adj.

Completely lacking; destitute or empty: the internet.

I use the internet as my main tool of communication. Friends and family alike. It's an empty vessel though. I can have whole conversations with people and never know exactly how they are feeling simply because there is no tone. No depth.

Are you laughing at me?

Sarcasm is the hardest to grasp online. There is a need to realise that fonts are not sarcastic. Therefore everything is literal. I definately can not tell that you are being sarcastic when you use the Comic Sans font.

Are you mad at me?

It's difficult to ascertain when people are being serious or when they are taking the mickey. It is a situation I often find myself in when conversing with people over the internet. I finish the conversation and scratch my head. "What just happened there?"

Am I annoying you?

I am an open book. Anyone who knows me, knows this. Just by reading this blog you can work that one out for yourself. I say it like I mean it and I like to play around. This is hard to communicate sometimes. Often need to lighten up on the internet. Learn to laugh. It won't kill you. Evasiveness certainly doesn't help the situation. You might enjoy being an enigma but it doesn't make my life easy when I am trying to talk to you! If you don't want to talk to me, then tell me to shut up. Simple eh?!

So, now that you've read this. How am I feeling?

I typed this with a wry smile on my face and now that I am done, I wonder if any of this will change.

Bloody Hell. It's 3am!

2005-02-28T07:29:00.000+10:00

[rant]

A little consideration can go a long way, and it's not all that hard to come by if you just try a smidge.

I am surrounded by highrise buildings which means a lot of holiday makers for most of the year. This is great. Without tourists my job would be borderline. We need the business and they bring a wonderful atmosphere to the coast. Most of the time.

For the past week or so there has been a trend from one unit in one building next door to party on until the wee hours of the morning. I don't begrudge anyone a good time, not at all. Timing is the key though. Wanna make a ruckus on a Friday or Saturday night? Go right ahead, and have a good time!

Not these people though. On the weekends they are as noisy as the sound of one hand clapping. Come Sunday night and they're fit to go. They stand on their balcony and yell. Nothing coherent, it's just noise. Or they sing. Fancy waking at 3am to the sounds of Footloose? I certainly don't yet this is constantly their song of choice it seems. At least sing something a little less annoying!

Their parties last for most of the week. They start at about 1am and go all night. Does the manager of the building not hear this? One can only assume said manager is deaf, or a drunkard for only by passing out, due to inebriation, can you avoid this craziness.

I decided to hit the sack early last night. Well, early for me anyway. I was just about ready to put down the book, roll over and sleep sweet dreams when they started. I could have strangled myself in frustration. It's not like you can just go knock on the door and ask them to tone it down. Their door is 3 floors off the ground. No access to the building without a key at that time either. I don't know their unit number so the fancy schmancy intercom is out of the question.

I have been tempted to go to the last resort and call the police, or someone, anyone that could help me. What can they do though. They don't have a magic key to get in and tell them to shut up. One can only hope that these people aren't staying all that much longer and things will return to normal.

If not, I will have to find some alternate way to deal with this. Where is a Billy Ray Cyrus CD and some massive friggen speakers when you need them?

[/end rant]

Wanna Root?

2005-02-27T12:14:00.000+10:00

Bucks parties add a different vibe to a night out on the town.

There were two of them in full swing when I arrived at the pub last night. Much different atmosphere last night than there was last weekend. I think I preferred it last weekend but never mind, let them have their fun.

I got there and it was packed to the rafters. Literally. First time in a long time I've seen upstairs there crowded too. Made my way to the bar for a glass of the good stuff and headed over to survey the action. Had a pointless call with a mate. I have no idea what it was about since I couldn't hear a word he was saying. I managed to catch that he's be back in town on the 15th before I hung up. The rest of it sounded like this;
"msnemsn meosueh uehares teoswasatslas."
"Oh yeah? That's great!"
"WNEOWUWA OWOQI"
"Oh, not great then, sorry!"

Yeh, no idea what was going on there. Be good when he is back though, I might have a partner in crime one weekend!

After downing the amber goodness I navigated my way through the throng of people onto the dance floor. The band was on fire tonight. Not literally of course, because that would have created havoc. They were in fine form, pulling out some great tunes and playing up to the crowd. Danced for what felt like an eternity before needing to replenish the liquids, quick stop for another beer and I was back out there. That's when it happened.

"Wanna root?"
I look up to see this guy, swaying infront of me with an I'm-pissed-and-should-be-passed-out-in-a-gutter-somewhere look on his face, grinning stupidly. Excuse me? I asked him, thinking I am not hearing rightly.
"Do you wanna root tonight? I wanna root!" He insisted. I couldn't resist playing with him some. "Hi, how are you?" I asked him, completely ignoring the dire look now on his face.
"Good, where you from?" He asked. Wow, he didn't use the word root!
"Here, and you?"
"Sydney. SO! Wanna root?"
"No thanks, not tonight."
"But I wanna root!!" Now he was looking like a 3 year old throwing a tanty. I wished him luck and he staggered across the dance floor to ambush some other unsuspecting lass. With a giggle I watched him approach another chick there, and try the act on her. She nodded at first, and then walked away in disgust. He musta started with another line first then brought out the big guns. Hilarious.

I went back to my dancing, and generally having a good time. Danced for another hour or so before needing refreshment. Whilst standing at the bar I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turn around and there is Root-Boy, stupid grin still fixed to his face. "No luck then eh?" I asked as I walked away, drink in hand. Maybe he found what he was looking for, maybe he didn't. He needs to rethink his approach though.

That's the second time that's happened to me. On New Year when I was wandering the streets of Surfers I was asked the same question. "Wanna root?" What ever happened to the "Do you come here often" line? Or even "How you doing?" I'll never know I guess. Maybe I just need to adapt! Or perhaps not.

I danced the night away until the pub closed and then came home to fall happily into bed. It was certainly a different night out when compared to the adventure of last weekend and I wouldn't rate it as highly but I got out there, danced to some good music, laughed at some drunken people and drank some good beer. Can't argue with that.

Cheers.

New Pretty.

2005-02-23T19:52:00.000+10:00

I made this last night in a fit of girliness. So unlike me.

Swarovski crystal 4mm bicones in a variety of colours. Bali Silver components and beads.

Dead Tired.

2005-02-22T07:46:00.000+10:00

Yet I can't sleep.

I go to bed with good intention. Earlier than normal. I find myself lying awake until 2 or 3am. I don't understand.

Fatigue kicks in and you think you'll get a good nights sleep.

Then it starts again.

Lying there. The brain ticking over. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking. Stop thinking.

Nope, didn't work.

Eventually fall asleep yet awake knowing you'd feel better if you'd not slept at all rather than the measly three hours you managed to scrounge up.

Blergh.

Time For A Little Crazy.

2005-02-20T22:25:00.000+10:00

Last night I bit the bullet.

I decided enough is enough. It's time to get out there and have some fun before I become a fully fledged boring piece of work. I hadn't really been out on the town since before the accident so enough was enough. I was heading out.

Alone.

I'd had much debate with myself over the past few weeks about the whole going out alone. There is a certain stigma attached to a single woman who enters a nightclub alone. They snicker behind their cocktail glasses at the poor desperate. Nudge, nudge. What choice do you have though? Stay at home and be bored and boring, or go out and maybe enjoy yourself. Either way you are alone. Might as well have some fun with it.

After gaining some Dutch courage (read; nearly two bottles of the good stuff) I put on my dancing shoes and headed off into the night. I walked casually into Surfers as if I had not a care in the world, despite being a bit unsure on the inside of what to expect when I got there. I'd decided to head to Gilhooleys. A great little Irish pub that usually has a decent crowd, a decent band and most importantly decent drinks.

The pub was at it's prime when I showed up. People were shaking it on the dance floor. Slamming shots at the bar. Living it up in the grandest of fashion. I grabbed a beer and surveyed the situation. It didn't take long before the first drunken come on. I politely smiled and slid away. Sure, I was there to meet new people, but sometimes a little tact can do wonders! I found a friendly bunch on the dance floor with whom I shook it a bit and goofed around to the band. Headed back to the bar for some refreshment and bumped into some funky people.

I had a nice young fellow approach me at one point, we had a bit of a laugh at some things then he started jigging around! He did a hoedown right there in the middle of the pub. Kudos for your gregarious attitude mate, but when you nearly kick people in the process it's time to tone it down. Slid away from that one, as usual, smiling politely.

Spent the rest of the night with said funky people, partying on until the wee hours and staggered home at 9am.

There's a lot to be said for going out alone. Think I might just venture out again sometime soon.

Cheers!

Pizzled.

2005-02-18T00:25:00.000+10:00

yes.

pizzled.

I have taken lessons from ping.

Bring on friday. Bring on pay day. Bring on the weekend with nothing going on. Sleeeeep in.

I got a credit card. Are they nuts? ANZ are the shitznitz. Virgin the bastards told me to come back "when my circumstances change." Ok. What the hell does that mean?

Two days after applying for ANZ I get a card in the mail.

Cheers!

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND!

2005-02-08T20:17:00.000+10:00

Well it was a toss up. Do I spend money I don't have and see a band I have waited so long for, or do I not go, be money wise and regret it?

I made a deal with myself today. If I could score front row tickets I would go. So just before 9am I lined the system up ready to go and BANG right on 9 I hit the switch... low and behold FRONT ROW. It's an omen! I bought on the spot and now I can't wait until the 23rd March to see this awesome band!

My birthday is the 20th of March so I am considering this my birthday present to myself. I am glad I didn't wait to see how they sold because I would have missed out altogether. Will have to make sure I have my batteries charged and ready to go!

PSYCHED@!

If you don't have a clue who Dave Matthews Band are check out their site here. They are a funky rock group who differ from the norm by adding strings and wind instruments into the mix. They have their own unique sound. Dave Matthews has a distinct voice which suits their style of music to a T. I JUST LOVE EM!

Cheers!

The Art of a Lazy Weekend.

2005-02-06T13:34:00.000+10:00

Once in a while it's nice to do simply nothing. This weekend has been dedicated to the Art of Lazy. Apart from the usual must do chores like washing and the dishes (blergh) I have done little else but watch movies and surf the internet. It's been relaxing and just the ticket.

Movies I hired this weekend; Mystic River, Lost In Translation, Anger Management, Thirteen, The Butterfly Effect and Spun.

I enjoyed all of them a great deal. They made me laugh, they made me cry, they made me horrified. Some were better than others but, all in all, entertaining and easy going.

I am having a brain-fart due to such little activity and have nothing of interest to report or witty tidbits to share. Hopefully I will regain the use of my mind at some point before having to go back to work. I doubt it muchly though..

I don't like the layout of my blog at the moment. The sidebar content is now sitting at the bottom of the page where it used to be at the top. It leaves an unsightly big blank spot at the bottom of the posts now, so I am thinking a redesign is in order. I went searching for templates outside of blogger since I am far too lazy to create my own, and I found a few funky ones but nothing that really blew me away. I will just settle for another of the blogger templates at this point and will be changing it over sometime in the near future. I would prefer to stay with this one since I am having a pink girly time of it lately, but I don't like the way it is acting up. I emailed the creator for advice and got no reply so them's the breaks I am afraid.

Cheers.

Anger Management.

2005-01-29T09:46:00.000+10:00

Got this from one of the lovely ladies on the forum. Made me laugh so hard I just had to share. Oh, to do this on certain days would be killer!

When you occasionally have a really bad day, and you just need to take it out on someone, don't take it out on someone you know, take it out on someone you don't know.

It all started one day when I was sitting at my desk and remembered a phone call I had forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered, saying, "Hello." I politely said, "This is Chris. May I please speak with Robin Carter? "

Suddenly, the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't believe that anyone could be so rude. I tracked down Robin's correct number and called her. I had transposed the last two digits of her phone number.

After hanging up with her, I decided to call the 'wrong' number again.When the same guy answered the phone, I yelled, "You're an asshole!" and hung up. I wrote his number down with the word 'asshole' next to it,and put it in my desk drawer.

Every couple of weeks, when I was paying bills or had a really bad day, I'd call him up and yell, "You're an asshole!" It always cheered me up.

When Caller ID came to our area, I thought my therapeutic 'asshole' calling would have to stop. So, I called his number and said, "Hi, this is John Smith from the Telephone Company. I'm just calling to see if you're interested in the Caller ID program?" He yelled, "NO!" and slammed the phone down. I quickly called him back and said, "That's because you're an asshole!"

One day I was at the store, getting ready to pull into a parking spot. Some guy in a black BMW cut me off and pulled into the spot I had patiently waited for. I hit the horn and yelled that I had been waiting for the spot. The idiot ignored me. I noticed a "For Sale" sign in his car window, so I wrote down his number.

A couple of days later, right after calling the first asshole, (I had his number on speed dial), I thought I had better call the BMW asshole,too.

I said, "Is this the man with the black BMW for sale?"
"Yes, it is."

"Can you tell me where I can see it?"

"Yes, I live at 1802 West 34th Street. It's a yellow house, and the car's parked right out in front."
"What's your name?" I asked.
"My name is Don Hansen," he said.
"When's a good time to catch you, Don?"
"I'm home every evening after five."
"Listen, Don, can I tell you something?"
"Yes?"
"Don, you're an asshole."

Then I hung up, and added his number to my speed dial, too.

Now, when I had a problem, I had two assholes to call. But after several months of calling them, it wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. So, I came up with an idea.

I called Asshole #1.
"Hello."
"You're an asshole!" (But I didn't hang up.)
"Are you still there?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Stop calling me," he screamed.
"Make me," I said.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Don Hansen."
"Yeah? Where do you live?"
"Asshole, I live at 1802 West 34th Street, a yellow house, with my black Beamer parked in front."
He said, "I'm coming over right now, Don. And you had better start saying your prayers."
I said, "Yeah, like I'm really scared, asshole."

Then I called Asshole #2.
"Hello?" he said.
"Hello, asshole," I said.
He yelled, "If I ever find out who you are!"
"You'll what?" I said.
"I'll kick your ass," he exclaimed.
I answered, "Well, asshole, here's your chance. I'm coming over right now."

Then I hung up and immediately called the police, saying that I lived at 1802 West 34th Street, and that I was on my way over there to kill my gay lover. Then I called Channel 3 News about the gang war going down on West 34th Street.

I quickly got into my car and headed over to 34th street. There I saw two assholes beating the crap out of each other in front of six squad cars, a police helicopter, and a news crew.

NOW, I feel better. Anger management really works.

HEH!

2005-01-27T21:06:00.000+10:00

In the year 2005 I resolve to:
Grow some new friends.

Get your resolution here.

Hottest 100 Top Ten.

2005-01-26T22:07:00.000+10:00

What a huge hottest 100 we had this year!

Right off the bat there were great songs. It made it hard to guess what was going to make it into the top ten. I picked Franz Ferdinand and I was right. Proud of the fact that 7 out of the 10 are Aussie musicians!

The top ten for 2004.

1 franz ferdinand - take me out
2 missy higgins - scar
3 eskimo joe - from the sea
4 the killers - somebody told me
5 spiderbait - black betty
6 missy higgins - ten days
7 john butler trio - something's gotta give
8 little birdy - beautiful to me
9 powderfinger - bless my soul
10 the white stripes - jolene (live)

Click here to see the full 100.
Triple J - listen.

Happy Australia Day!

2005-01-26T09:37:00.000+10:00

Happy Australia Day to you all.

Today brings about the Triple J hottest 100 countdown. Starting at 10am and going through most of the day. Will been keenly listening and hoping for an Aussie number one position. After I finish work at 4pm I will sit and enjoy the music with a few cold ones and maybe create some new pieces. My predictions to go well are Little Birdy and Franz Ferdinand to name just two. Hopefully Grinners will get up. The Killers may do alright too. So much great music out there at the moment. Just bring it home with an Australian band!

I will also reflect on how lucky we are as a nation to live in this wonderful country. To have the freedom we do, the lifestyle we live and the choices we get. I wouldn't wanna live anywhere else!

Ping the penguin got into the Australia day spirit early last night, and I managed to catch some sneaky pics of him getting it on..

Poor Ping hasn't moved today. I think he over indulged, but we've all been there before!

My Big Day Out.

2005-01-23T23:05:00.000+10:00

Phew! What a huge day! Me and approx 49,000 other people rocked on for the best part of the day to some pretty groovy tunes. I had a very Australian flavoured BDO this year, which I loved. I am a HUGE fan of Australian music and support the artists to no end.

I got started this morning at 10am. Went to Surfers to jump on the shuttle bus out to Parklands. The queues were huge, but they got through them pretty quickly. Took me all of five minutes to get off the bus and into the gates, which is a huge improvement on years gone by where it can take nearly an hour to get through the gates.

The main arena and the 2 main stages.

First stop was the merchandise tent. I have learnt to go here first whilst; a) you still have $$ and b) they still have merchandise. All net proceeds of the official BDO shirt sales are going to Care Australia for the Tsunami appeal, so I purchased one of those. It's pretty funky looking, purple and gold and stuff.

Headed over to the Cat Essential stage to catch some of Diana Anaid's set. Rocking and funky. She has some pretty groovy tunes! Drew a bigger crowd than I expected there which was good to see.

From there it was Dallas Crane on the Green Stage, one of my highlights for the day. Their music kicks out loud and makes you wanna shake it around some. Good Aussie rock with a loud thumping beat. Loved it!

After Dallas Crane I stayed in the Green Stage area to see what was probably my favourite gig for the day. Hard call to make, but it at least ties with 2 others. Little Birdy. They went off like a frog in a sock and they had the crowd fired up! They have some great tunes and they play them extremely well live. I suggest anyone that hasn't heard their stuff to go and buy Big Big Love as it is a fantastic album and if the chance arises to see them live, jump at it. Very talented musicians, from Perth. Katie Steele, the lead singer reminds me very much of Chrissie Amphlett. In both her looks and her mannerisms. She pulls out a lot of rock poses, which make everyone enjoy the show even more. Good fun.

I caught the tail end of The Hives. Arrived in the main arena just in time to hear "Hate To Say I Told You So" which is my favourite song from them. They are Swedish and a bit zany. The lead singer was coming out with some classic lines, and had a big rock star moment when, after introducing the other members of the band, he did a 5 minute intro on himself. Very funny guys.

Stuck around in the main arena for The Music, an English group. They played well and I enjoyed their set a lot.

After The Music came John Butler Trio. Now anyone who knows me knows I absolutely adore these guys but I was disappointed today. Not by their performance which is always spot on and today was no exception but by the very fact that they played in the main arena. They are an acoustic set and it was not good for them to be out in the open like that in my opinion. They come off sounding distant and weak. They are much better when placed on one of the smaller stages in the big top tents. That being said, I think the Orange stage was having sound issues. Other bands I saw on there came out sounding weak too and they had the advantage of an electric set. Never mind, it's still all good!

Went over to the blue stage after JBT for a hit of Grinspoon. Now there is a band that never fails to impress. I love seeing them live and it was just the hit I needed to pick me up for the rest of the evening. Energetic and full of funk. Those Lismore boys know how to play a rocking set.

I must be getting soft in my old age. After Grinners finished Slipknot started on the Orange Stage. I couldn't even hang around to watch for the comic factor. I don't get it. Four, )or is there five? I wouldn't have a clue!), grown men in stupid masks making a whole racket of noise that is hard to listen to, and even harder to understand. When they appeared I took the cue for dinner. Went and caught a little of the Hilltop Hoods before trotting off to Sultans Kitchen for my annual BDO meal. These guys make the best Indian food and they are usually at all the festivals so it's something to look forward to! Even if the music is crap there will always be Sultans Kitchen.

Butterfingers came next on the Cat Essential Stage. This was one of my other favourites for the day. Brisbane boys who put a lot of humour into their music and make you wanna dance the night away. Loved their set despite the freak behind me who kept elbowing me in the head and trying to push her way onto the fence. ("Hey, back off bitch. I got my possie here by waiting for them to set up for half an hour. You shoulda been here then if you wanted front row!") Got hosed down by security, chatted to some friendly people on the fence and boogied the 45 minutes away!

Last up for me was Powderfinger, also playing on the Orange Stage. Again I found their set lacking in sound quality but as always I am soooo glad to get the chance to see them live. I just love them. Their music is the epitome of my life. Everything that happens to me I can relate back to a Powderfinger song. Probably just because I know their music inside out but still, it's great stuff. Didn't get any pics this time as I was too far back, but danced around and sang my little heart out.

Wandered past the Lilypad a few times to watch the offensive and hellishly funny guys doing their crazy bits. Had a laugh, donated some more money and strolled off to the next on my list. Missed a few bands that I would have liked to see, but this is the problem of the multistage festival. Somewhere acts will overlap and you have to decide which is more important to you. I think I saw some great gigs today so I am happy with my choices. Beastie Boys closed but I didn't stick around for them. Decided to call it a night and head home to have a cold shower and wash 49,000 other peoples sweat off my weary body. I stuck fast to my rule of not drinking at these things, as spending 6 hours in the hot sun and pouring alcohol into ones self is not a good idea. I drank plenty of water and managed to avoid the portaloo's all day! Decided I'd just wait until I got home to my clean toilet. Needless to say I was happy to see it when I finally got home!

Oh, I did get sunburnt too. Despite slathering myself in sunscreen every half hour to hour and avoiding the sun as much as possible this is what I look like tonight...

I swear sunscreen is a farce. It never ever works for me. I put my BDO shirt on half way through the day because I could feel that I was going to be like this when I got home. Imagine what it would have been like if I didn't wear it.

This is what I think of the tube of sunscreen I took with me today..

Great day. Great music. Great vibe. Well worth the hundred n ten dollars it cost to go. Will do it again in a heartbeat!

Cheers!

Big Day Out Checklist.

2005-01-22T23:33:00.000+10:00

Hat - Check!

Sunscreen - Check!

Ticket - Check!

Money - Check!

Phone - Check!

Camera - Check!

Enough Sleep - ...

It's so damn hot here one can't get a decent nights sleep. It's been 30+C for the past week or so with a humidity of about 80-90%. The air is so still there isn't the brief respite of a little breeze.

I am yet to actually sleep under any sort of covers since moving back home to Qld. The worst is the shower situation. Have a cold shower. Get out of cold shower. Need another immediately! YUK.

The air con at work has been out of action for the past week. It is a dinosaur. Presently I have a confectionery counter full of liquid in chocolate wrappers. Not a nice thing! Another lot of stock we will have to write off due to the craziness of the insurance policies.

I love winter here on the Gold Coast. It is the perfect weather and I can't wait for it to come around again. Summer is great for a lot of reasons. It brings all the happy holiday makers, it has it's own vibe and it evokes the great Aussie sense of funtimes we all have. Why then, does it need to bring stifling weather too?!

Tomorrow night I will come home red as a lobster despite all the 30+SPF I will slather on myself. There isn't much shade at Parklands. I guess though if they planted trees and the like there it would only be used as a viewing platform by overzealous fans of some of the acts. Public liability suit waiting to happen.

All in all though I will have a kick arse time and I will listen to some kick arse music, so it's all worth it...

Cant hardly wait!

Cheers.

Oh, The Shame.

2005-01-22T10:02:00.000+10:00

Last night I broke my cardinal rule.

No credit cards was the rule. Last night I applied for one. I am sick of getting the run around from my bank in regard to wanting a Visa debit card. Yup, you heard right. They are making it hard for me to get a DEBIT card. It's my money! I wanna spend it! They won't let me spend it the way I wanna! Rude.

A mate told me about Virgin's credit card with no annual fee's and it's low low interest when you sign up. The low low interest lasts for 6 months then it goes up a fair hike, but I won't worry about it anyway since I will rarely use it and I will pay for the things I charge on it immediately. Unfortunately I can't get everything I want via internet banking and direct deposit, so this is becoming a bit of a necessity. There's no telling whether they will even approve me to get one of these fandangle looking cards - I chose the pink one - but here's to hoping my days of denying due to no cc are over. Cheap internet air fares here I come!

I worked for a time in debt collection. Credit cards and loans scare the daylights out of me, since I know how easy it is to get sucked into the easy money lifestyle. I vow, if I am approved for this card, to leave it at home, to not memorise the card numbers, and to only use it when direct deposit is not available!

Cheers.

Up And Down And Back Again.

2005-01-19T22:54:00.000+10:00

Yes, I know. A great Powderfinger song, it is. It is also a great title for a post on this here blog, so I'm gonna steals it for a while.

Wouldn't the world be so much easier if you could control emotion with the flick of a switch in your head?! I often think this so am working on the prototype. When I get it patented I'll let you all know so you can invest and make squillions with me.

I have channelled some of the Down into the creative and got funky with my singlet (Yes, I bought an iron finally!) and a few more beady pieces.

Have decided to go to the BDO alone this year despite the offer from groups to go along with them. This year I will see what I want to see, when I want to see it. If sonicanimation are there I will be seeing them this year.. I have missed them the last 3 BDO's I have attended. Knowing my luck at the moment, they aren't playing!

Front

Back

Close up of the front bits.

It came out alright I think. Pretty funkafied! Last year I covered a sombrero in blue, green and purple feathers. It drove me nucking futs in the wind. Blowing this way and that all day long. Decided a singlet might be more user friendly.

I had a request for some man jewellery. It was difficult to find things I could use that weren't prettified. This is what I managed to come up with. I think it looks pretty masculine and not prettified at all. Well, not in a girly way at least. I just hope he agrees!

Hematite, white howlite, onyx, red tigereye and Bali silver findings.

I also made this on the weekend. I got these really nice shell pendants from a lovely lady on the forum. Slowly working them into designs. One down, 4 to go...

Green aventurine chips, shell pendant and Bali silver findings.

Would look really nice with a simple summery dress or the like I think.

Working on getting my stuff up for sale online. Hoping to get it into a boutique near work too. Got some issues to iron out (thanks to the taxation dept) but hopefully it will all fall into place soon!. Watch this space...

Cheers.

Tid Bits.

2005-01-15T22:09:00.000+10:00

I have a new dvd player. It works fantastically! I got it home, plugged it in and watched "Down With Love" and "Dirty Deeds". Yay!

I am bored.

I am gearing up for the BDO next weekend. Bring it on! Powderfinger are playing. Joy! I will be a write off on Monday morning, but I think that is half the fun. Thankfully I am back to normal 9-5 hours at work as opposed to the crack of dawn shift I was doing last week. That might make it semi bareable. Got some funky transfers to make a shirt. All I need now is an iron to be able to "transfer" the suckers. Didn't think that over too clearly did I?

The flu has made me stupid for the last week and I can't seem to get into anything. I just want to sleep.

I have made two necklaces today. Am waiting for some lovely cabochons to arrive so I can wire wrap them into pendants. Something new for me, but should be a nice challenge.

Shell pendant, Swarovski 4mm bicones and Bali Silver.

Machine cut crystals, liquid silver and Swarovski 4mm bicones and fuschia heart. Designed for the Valentines day challenge.

heh!

2005-01-13T20:01:00.000+10:00

Today I had 2 tofu cutlets and some steamed broccoli for lunch.

Just for you Dad!

Cheers.

The Great DVD Debacle Mach II.

2005-01-12T23:33:00.000+10:00

I rang them today. I got a helpful person on the line. That often helps. After telling him who I was - they all know of me there now, I get the "Oh the Surfers lady!"- he told me the owner's instructions were for me to post the player back to them along with my bank details and I would be refunded. I doubt I should even bother trying for compensation for postage on the stupid thing. I will just be glad to get a working, fully functional system I can watch my movies on and sloth around the house. It was an expensive lesson but one well learned.

Eagerly awaiting funding now!

Cheers.

The Great DVD Debacle.

2005-01-11T16:48:00.000+10:00

When I was in Sydney I went to this electronic store with my Nana on the advice of my Uncle and she bought a very well known and respected brand DVD/VCR combo for cheap. It was a bargain buy, well known brand and it works a treat!

Before leaving Sydney I decided that I needed to get in on the DVD/VCR combo goodness and returned to said store to purchase one for myself. I left a happy camper knowing I had saved approximately $80 when I compared same product to other big name stores.

I returned home to QLD, eagerly set it up, played some music CD's on there happy as Larry. I then decided it was time to watch my beloved Powderfinger DVD (AGAIN). I put it lovingly into the player and waited.. and waited.. and waited some more. Nothing happened. Eventually it spat the DVD back out and told me "Disc Error". I was confused. Could you wear a DVD out?! I knew it wasn't the disc, so I tried it again. Same thing. I tried another disc. A brand newie. Same thing again. HRMPH.

I got online and did a little searching. I found out that the laser was faulty. I rang the store I bought it from, and was told to send it back and I would be sent a new one. I paid the postage, knowing that they would pay to send it back. It cost just on $30, but I figured I'd still saved $50 so it's not all that bad.

I awaited my new DVD/VCR with anticipation. On Friday it arrived. I excitedly set it up and tested it out. Bonus! It worked!

I went to the video rental and got myself three goodies to watch. After returning home and playing around online for a bit I watched one. I loved it. This was brilliant! I went to bed.

Got up the next morning, decided it was time to blast the beloved Powderfinger DVD. I turned on the TV, and turned on the DVD player. It said "Hello". Then it said "Reading" and I thought, "reading what? There is no disc in there!" It then said, "Open" and I was ready to go with the disc. But nothing happened. It then said, "Reading" again. I frowned. It cycled through these a few more times, and then it said "No Disc". No duh! I want to put one in! But still, the tray didn't open.

I tried this over and over again until I came to the realisation that it was buggered. So here we go again. I rang the store immediately, to be told that the courier may have damaged it. Why then, was I able to watch one movie? And now nothing? I told them that I would send them back the system, but I wanted a refund. It is costing me a fortune, this bargain buy, and I'd rather buy one here so at least, God forbid, if anything is wrong with it I can easily return it.

I was told to call back on Monday when the owner was there so she could authorise my refund. So I waited. And I called on Monday. I was told there hadn't been an opportunity to speak to her about it and she was currently with a customer, can I get your number again and call you back soon? I gave my number and I waited.

I still haven't heard anything. I will be calling again tomorrow. I want a DVD player that works. I want to watch my movies knowing nothing will go wrong. I will not go quietly on this matter and I will be kicking up a stink if they don't come to the party with my moolah.

I will keep you posted.. wait for it...

Cheers.

Sunday Afternoon Earrings.

2005-01-09T21:21:00.000+10:00

It seems like I am working on removing the block my mind has been plagued with for some time. I sat down today with my bits'n'pieces and took some time out from my oh so busy Sunday afternoon (see Lazy Sunday post) to create some earrings. Not sure how I feel about them all, but I created so it's a start.

Shoulder Dusters. Green cats eye chips, silver plated chain, SS ear hooks.

Swirly green glass beads, red tigereye, Bali silver spacers and SS ear hooks.

Green aventurine chips, red coral chips, black quartz and SS ear hooks.

4mm Swarovski bicones in Fuschia, Capri and Topaz, Bali silver dragonfly charm and SS ear hooks.

Cheers.

Lazy Sundays.

2005-01-09T14:20:00.000+10:00

No need to get up at any certain time.

The ability to remain in one's pyjamas until afternoon.. or all day if there is no need to leave the house at all!

Sitting back, relaxing. Taking time out.

What more is there to a Lazy Sunday?

Some cruisy tunes. Maybe a movie or two, to fuel the sloth like behaviour. Laughter.

Enjoying being free to do nothing. No pressure. No hassles.

A walk on the beach in the evening. Strolling by the water's edge. Watching the people play.

Soaking up the last of the day's sunshine. Perhaps with a good book.

Why can't everyday be a Lazy Sunday?

Some work..

2005-01-09T02:09:00.000+10:00

A few pieces I have created most recently.. some pics are crap, so forgive. I can't turn the sun on at night!

Lampwork beads, rose quartz and Bali silver beads and findings. (Sold)

Lampwork beads, turquoise, denim lapis, rose quartz, black quartz, and Bali silver findings. (Sold)

Earrings I made for my Sister's wedding. She chose to wear the smaller pair on the left. Good decision! Swarovski crystals and sterling silver findings.

Green aventurine and amber chips, tigereye and jet swarovski crystals with Bali silver components. (Sold)

Cheers.

Crazy times.

2005-01-09T01:43:00.000+10:00

Welcome to my blog!

I doubt any one in their right mind would be interested in reading this, but I have come to a point where the internet bores me out of my mind apart from the jewellery forum I visit, so I thought I would waste time waiting for posts rambling on here!

I am Elle. I live in Surfers Paradise, QLD Australia. I live alone. I work 5 days a week. I have just come back from the shittiest time of my life to date, but that is another story altogether. I am searching for a little normality, but not too much. I seek craziness and laughter. It's lacking a bit right now!

I want a pet. I am not allowed the stock standard cat or dog due to the difficulties of renting, so I am thinking a siamese fighting fish might be the go. Not the cuddly comforting pet, but a flashy, good to look at kind. Easy to look after too. Just gotta remember to feed it!

Hope you come back to read my in's and out's. I'll try to keep you entertained and laughing, along the way.

Cheers!

in's and out's of [e]

Random Musings.

Urge!

Desperately Demure: Feminism and Television.

Stan "Tookie" Williams.

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS!

..!..

Oh The Humanity..

*blink*

The Days Are Long And Very Much Alike.

...---...

Hiccup.

Sigh.

Really...

Random

When Will It End?

Thank You

Crazy Mad World.

Politically Correct To Silence The Thinker.

Happiness Is A Dish Best Served Warm And Fuzzy.

But I Dun Wanna Grow Up!

Good Friends And A Bottle Of Pills.

Shoo Fly. Don't Bother Me.

Take A Breath.

Dave Matthews Band. - The Concert.

Attitude Can Make A World Of Difference.

AAAAArrrrgh!

Too Much Of Not Enough.

John Birmingham, Eat Your Heart Out.

Ever Thought About Share Accommodation?

Wake Up Singing.

Devoid.

Bloody Hell. It's 3am!

Wanna Root?

New Pretty.

Dead Tired.

Time For A Little Crazy.

Pizzled.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND!

The Art of a Lazy Weekend.

Anger Management.

HEH!

Hottest 100 Top Ten.

Happy Australia Day!

My Big Day Out.

Big Day Out Checklist.

Oh, The Shame.

Up And Down And Back Again.

Tid Bits.

heh!

The Great DVD Debacle Mach II.

The Great DVD Debacle.

Sunday Afternoon Earrings.

Lazy Sundays.

Some work..

Crazy times.

blink