Monday, June 25, 2012

Winter! You have arrived!

Winter seems to have arrived. I can tell. 'Tis the season of the Lukewarm Shower. Yes, that's what I said. By law, it seems, our State Leaders have decided that we are too sheep-like to be able to determine how hot is too hot. It's law to have a temperature regulator attached to your plumbing. Y'know, just so your water doesn't get above a certain temperature and you don't scald your little self. Or the little selfs you might have cloned and have running about the place. I mean, geez, surely you can keep your little selfs away from the bath/shower taps?

I have no idea if that happens to all or is merely a quirk of my hot water system. It seems to be affected by the temperature outside. In winter, hot water in my shower is a couple of degrees above body temperature. The only time I get hot water for a shower is ... SUMMER. Yes, right when I need it. Unless I choose to bathe in the kitchen sink. THAT tap gets hot enough to scald.

Wait ... haven't I mentioned this before??

I decided to go via the motorway to work today. Traffic was better than I expected. It was still down to a crawl in the usual spots but not as bad as it could have been. I seem to have missed the delay as I go past a five vehicle end to ender. They are all off the road and traffic is moving slowly but smoothly. Good timing!

The weekend rolls around again and I'm looking at the floor. Again. I really should do something about that. I have visitors coming during the week but I walk on by. Again.

I have other things to think about. Like taking up the hem of MOTH's jeans. Why do I hate doing that so much? But he's dressed and ready to go out so I don't bother him with it. We head out to the shops and join up with the oldies at the corner table. John has one of this sons with him. I'm sure we've not met before but he has one of those faces that look familiar. We discuss plans for our group outing next weekend. We've decided on a venue but some of them aren't sure where to go.

MOTH is up and dressed and out again. Ah well, maybe those jeans will have to wait.

I suppose I should make the cheesecake. Thank you Sparklingmerlot, he LOVES that recipe. Wait. First I have to let the cream cheese soften. I wonder if it will set in time? Ah well. If it doesn't it just gets to wait another night and we don't have it with the lamb shanks tonight. Off to play with Facebook while I wait. I like making cheesecake. I've finally found something I like using the food processor for. Crushing the bikkie mix is great! And so fast too.

Pop the cheese into the mixer and switch it on. WHOA! The bowl and the bit it sits on to make it spin jump off the base. I KNEW I didn't like this mixer for a reason. It looks kinda flashy, costs heaps considering where it's made and purchased. And could certainly function a whole lot better. There is no dial to tell you what speed you're at, only minimum and maximum. And a turbo button. And I had this set on minimum! It spins way too fast, but settles down a little once the cheese becomes creamy. Wish I could afford one of those Kitchen Aids! Anyway, cheesecake finished. I've added extra juice and a tiny dash of pulp instead of rind. I take to the tester. He doesn't want to wait for it to set!

A voice calls from the kitchen. I look and he's got the jeans on. I need to pin it. I do both legs. But you only need one pin he says. I tell him I do both legs cause you just never know if one of the legs is slightly longer than the other. I measure and pin the rest of the way around. One of the measurements comes out at 6.5 cm from the existing hem. The other has been pinned at ... 9.5cm. What? I fold the jeans and note that the legs seem to be the same length, and pin them both at 6.5cm. MOTH then begins to tell me a huge story about how he would have put the pin in and measured them down the outside leg to make sure they are the same and ..... so on. Sheesh. Maybe I should have left him to do it himself?

Anyway, they are now pinned and I just have to get myself motivated to hem them before Wednesday...

PS. The cheesecake is set and extra tangy. I'm not permitted to bring any to work. Success!


Monday, June 18, 2012

Rain. The end.

Sometimes I think Blogger is getting weirder every time I look at it.

A very quiet week this week.

Queen's Birthday Weekend. The first of the year. We get two this year as they transition to October for next year. Why can't we transition every year? I, for one, could do with more Public Holidays each year. We are invited to a bbq. The invite came over Facebook. MOTH comes to me. Do you want to go to a bbq on Monday? It's at 11 o'clock. Well, I say, you can go. I'll be working. Ok, he says. I decline the invite telling the hostess I will be at work.

And then I look at the actual date. It's not till Queen's Birthday weekend, and not the coming Monday. Sheesh! *facepalm* Back to accept the invite. It's a BYO meat and drink affair, salads supplied. The hosts are neighbours from our previous residence; we usually only see them out at the shops. It's raining. Of course. The bbq is outdoors. The weather is abysmal. Rain. Wind. But hey, we're under a cover and snuggled up in our winter woollies. Nice and dry and comfy .... and will you look at that. The roof leaks...

It leaks on to the glass topped table in front of me. And splashes. I'm not moving though. Lunch is eventually served. The company is good, the food plentiful. Eventually someone puts a cup under the splash where we watch it slowly fill, one drop at a time.

Around mid afternoon the family with the tiny babe decides to go home. The hosts son and daughter in law leave not long after. It's funny but once one group leave it doesn't take long for others to follow. That left MOTH and I as the last remaining guests. As the hostess leaves to take the son and daughter in law home, she checks to see if we will still be there when she gets back. Sure, why not. And we are. Lunch started at 12noon, we left after dark around 5.30pm. A great afternoon. We should do it again. But when the sun is shining....

A day off sick this already very short week. Lack of sleep, headache, cramps, joint pain. I wonder if maybe there is a virus going round.

A lazy weekend planned. Well, actually I toy with the idea of vacuuming the floor. It's something that needs strong consideration before I go ahead with the task.

I decide to play WoW. I haven't devoted much time to it lately. Too much reading, facebooking, Diablo 3 going on instead. I'm getting into the quest and suddenly BOOM! No more game. It's thrown up and error and it's my fave toon! Now it won't let me back to this game. Looks like I have to submit a ticket. Hope it gets resolved soon!

It's dark and I'm thinking of prepping things before work tomorrow. I walk past the lounge and realise... it's the weekend gone and that vacuuming didn't get done after all.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Sleepy Kitteh

Though this update really has nothing to do with kitties, I think. Actually if I think about it at all, it's probably more a week of lunatics and oddballs.

Driving to work today and I seem to be caught behind a bus. A 428 to be precise. Hey. It's going the same way I am. That's a bit odd but nothing more. Suddenly I realise ... as it starts going around the round about. It's missed it's turn and has to go back. No wonder I was confused. Wonder if that will set the tone of the day??

The traffic homeward bound is a little heavy. I see two lanes and two rows of cars stretching out in front of me. Suddenly a motorcycle in the right lane PASSES THE CAR it is following, thereby passing the car to the left. Sheesh! Idiot! No wonder so many of them get killed and they wonder why motorists don't respect them?

I turn the corner and in short order come out under the bridge. I'm startled to suddenly find a pedestrian in the middle of the road, hidden from view behind the bridge pillar. It seems he's ... directing traffic! Luckily he's not in danger of being hit, but I wonder how the drivers who are stopped feel about it??

Whoo! Walmart has come to us. Well, the Walmart-ians anyway. The sharp wind blows down the city street and she's standing at a bus stop. A solid girl, wearing a lightweight piece of black frippery cleverly disguised as a dress. Her skin has that golden orange tint and brings out the brassy tones of her bleached bed hair. Her trout pout is somewhat understated as the nude colour of her lippy blends in with the colour of her skin. Her breasts hang unfettered beneath the dress. I can tell cause it's either exceptionally low cut or slipped below her cleavage. Sometimes I wish I had that level of self confidence!

We're having a morning tea to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee this morning. It has been arranged for a while but just the other day they have decided to turn it into a fund raiser for an ex workmate. His little boy has been diagnosed on the Austism Spectrum and they are trying for an assistance dog. I'm off to the shuttle with one of the GTs. Well, I would be if he weren't running late. From the corner of my eye I see I've disturbed a butcher bird. I'm about to step off the curb and - oh wait no, maybe not yet. Regain my balance and look at the thing wriggling madly in the gutter. Ooooh. A legless lizard. I bend for a closer look and it flicks its tongue. WAIT! That's not a lizard! I was about to step over a small snake! I think discretion is in order and I wait for it to move before I step down and go for a photo.

I ask the shuttle driver to wait. He says he can, as long at it's only a couple of minutes. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later he closes the door and heads off. No GT. Ah well. I shall be going by myself. I glance to the right and see the GT running down the lane. Wait, I call. GT gets on and a couple of the other passengers cheer.

The morning tea goes well as it's good to catch up with people. And we get a visit from the Queen to boot.

The traffic home today is horrendous! I've left my usual time and it's like everyone else has as well. I want to turn left at the corner but I can't see what traffic is coming over the hill. Pedestrians block my view, milling all over the footpath. I nose out a bit further. Nope, still no good. By the time I have some view, the nose of the car is well out into the lane. Round the corner and I'm in the right lane. A bus is in the left blocking traffic that way. No one in my lane is moving and finally I see why. EVERYONE is wanting to turn right across oncoming traffic. That NEVER happens and I'm stuck. A postal van blocks the view behind me so I can't change lanes. A few cars get through and I've edged left. Now I can see, I'm beyond the end of the dotted lane markers but no one is letting me out. The nose of the car is poking way out but no one slows to let me out. I grit my teeth and take a chance. I can't move with the rest of the traffic if someone at the front finally makes it around the corner. Stupid inconsiderate people. There isn't even a bloody second lane there, technically speaking.

Same corner. Different day. Today I have time to notice that one of the pedestrians crossing in front of me has the most amazing shoes. Wingtip brogues with Doc Marten style chunky heels. Silver and metallic sapphire blue. Very distracting!

MOTH has told me of a woman who had approached the group while they were chatting around the table. She began to ask them about their religious beliefs. MOTH was debunking her 'Jesus loves you' spiel and laughing along with her. Today I have joined them and Wombat arrives later. One small reference to the woman from MOTH and Wombat is away ranting. "You shouldn't have done that." blah blah blah "If you're so STUPID to talk to them you deserve what you get." So nasty with his tone. What a pompous arse! I stood up and told MOTH I was going to the supermarket and stalked off. If I had stayed there any longer, Wombat may have been punched in the head. Luckily we need supplies for a bbq lunch on Monday.

It's raining this weekend. And cold. Sigh.

MOTH goes up to the shops without me. One of the daughters will be there but I send him with a message for her. I would love to come and chat with her but the siren call of warm flanny jammies calls louder. She laughs.

Monday, June 04, 2012

Argh! Turn it off! Turn it off!

I think I need new sunglasses. These have always been a little slack but they are getting worse. Or my eyes are getting more sensitive. Today I had to sit on the wrong side of the bus. The sun shines directly in my eyes and I have to close them for a little ... they say falling asleep on the bus on the way to work isn't good for you, don't they??

The week is ultra quiet. The conference is over and with it my work load has dropped drastically. So drastically that I am a little worried that I might need to justify my existence.

C and the GM are out of the office for three days. C has left me a couple of tasks that she wants done by the end of the week. But I've managed to do them before she leaves. Froggy tells me that I'm just too efficient.

I've not caught the bus this week, so not much to tell by way of tales. Actually, even when I do there isn't much to tell lately. The general public is becoming rather slack methinks. It's also been a week and Cupcake hasn't come to collect some of the things she's left behind. I think she still also has a set of our housekeys. I should get MOTH to remind her *again* as I can envision 'babysittig' that stuff for ages like I did the last time one of Teen's friends left stuff behind.

My avon finally arrived this week. Exciting life I lead, hey. I spent about $46 for a makeup bag which contained a foundation, blush, mascara, eyeshadow, lippy. Would you believe to just get the foundation *the product i was actually interested in* is $30 on its own.

I'm out at the shops with the Club. You know, the one MOTH hangs with. He's told them I will be there so I've made an effort to accommodate him. We spend most of the morning there and I head back home. Wish it would stop raining. There's washing to do! I want to try using fabric softener but I can't find the manual. I don't know which part of the detergent tray to use. I decide to search online but the product doesn't have an online manual available. Unless I want to download one from one of those dodgy sites that offer them if you do this or fill out that or subscribe in some way. So I look to the forums. It seems the general consensus is not to buy the product in the first place. We've had ours for nearly 7 years and it looks like it should have failed miserably about 3 or 4 years ago. And that's from those with the longer lasting machines. And the noise, sometimes smelly wash, and the walking all over the floor are common too! Better get saving cause I'm thinking it won't be long before we are up for a new one.

I decide to play Diablo this afternoon. I've been so caught up reading that I've not been playing any of my games. But my level is too low to easily beat this foe so have to spend time monster hunting so I can gain a small advantage. MOTH decides to start a batch of pea and ham soup. It's a 2 day process apparently.

It's still raining this morning and the washing isn't drying! This is the only time I lament not having a dryer. I might have to think about bringing some items in from outside. But I had put the lights/whites load to dry in the spare room and MOTH's shorts are still wet too... It's a lose/lose whichever way I go. Sigh.

Today is catch up on viewing day. I watch Grimm and Once Upon A Time. I've only managed to get the first episode of that and missed the next 2. Is it worthwhile trying to catch up with the rest? I can't series link it so I have to make an effort each week to tape it. Hmmm. Never mind, I decide to spend some time watching dvds. But first I have to venture out to get them. MOTH takes me with him to join the lads. I go with him and it's noted that I'm there a second day running. I grin and tell Stan that I'm only there because I had something else to do that way. He laughs.

It's Teen's birthday and MOTH had done the unthinkable and phoned her. Of course, it's too early so the call goes to voice mail. Apparently it sends as a text if not answered. While out that morning I get a text from her to say thanks for the birthday wishes. She mentions that she got MOTH's message as a text. She doesn't know what a HUMPKIN is but she isn't sure she likes it. We all fall about laughing. That's GOLD!

We've chosen the dvds. I've made MOTH come with me as he usually just waits in the car but this time he actually found a couple of movies he wanted to watch. We sit down to watch The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (US version). It's not a bad movie and the scene I was dreading wasn't as graphic as I thought it might have been. It's more graphic in the book. I have read all 3 of them a while ago and since I missed the beginning I was having a little trouble working out where I was in the movie. MOTH heads off to begin part 2 of the soup.

One of the movies I have is Hugo. I didn't get to see it in the cinema but it certainly looks enticing. I put it on and wow. Not even into the film very far and it is visually stunning. The colours! The depth! The cinematography is amazing and it turns out to have a good story line too. But while it was playing I decided I would begin making a lime cheesecake, the recipe supplied courtesy of sparklingmerlot. But since the soup is also going on, I've lost a lot of bench space so I'm not sure how it will turn out. If I'm not 100% comfy while cooking it often doesn't work. Half the bench is dirty utensils. The bench is wide and today I'm having trouble reaching the plug properly *it's in the middle of the bench and hey, with stuff all around...* I have to rearrange the cupboard just so I can get the right size springform pan. I notice there are things put back in the oddest of places. I have to wash up some stuff before I can begin. The dish drainer is full and .. well, you can guess... Eventually I get it done and in the fridge. But I've missed a lot of my movie...

Mouse sends me a text to tell me Horrible Histories will be starting soon. She had mentioned it but I'd never seen it. Yes, I like it. Educational and funny. I settle in for Sunday night viewing - Hercule Poriot. I think I've read the book but I hadn't seen the movie before. And somewhere in there I miss a text from the Teen to tell me to watch SBS1 for a documentary involving Star Wars and technology. That might have been good too. Never rains but it pours....