Monday, November 27, 2006

All stations go

So much has been happening in the past few days. I guess it's as the old saying goes - when it doesn't rain, it pours.

Firstly, let me begin by saying you lot are an expensive bunch. I went to post four Christmas presents today and postage alone cost me $75. Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much on the gifts themselves...and I still have more to post!
Hmm, maybe next year I'll take a leaf out of the Dursley's book and send you each a tissue...

We had our doctor's appointment today to find out the news of our test results. They were actually as good as we could have expected - maybe even better as they found nothing wrong with either of us. I can't say from experience, but if I were a man I'd be pretty pleased with myself if the doctor informed me (before we'd even stepped through the door!) that I had enough sperm to father an entire football team in one go.
'This is what the average man's count will come back as, and this is your result. It must be nice to really excel in something eh?'
My doctor is so laidback!
Anyway, the next step is a referral to an infertility gynaecologist and because we don't have private health cover we'll be on a waiting list for about five months before that visit. So, I guess in the mean time we just need to practise, practise, practise!

My Dad received his letter from the Canadian authorities today requesting his passport to be sent to them so he's almost ready to go. It should all be finalised in about two or three weeks and he'll most likely be gone before Christmas :(
That's not going to be a happy chapter in my life so I won't dwell on it too much here.

Lastly I finally got around to buying season 2 of Atlantis so I've been pretty much laying around doing SFA all weekend watching all the special features, listening to the commentaries and drooling over Joe Flannigan. I can think of worse ways to spent the weekend :)

And that's about it for now. Catch you all later.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Pottering about

Monday just gone I was really rather ill. I felt like crap, was in a lot of pain and really didn't want to go to work.
But I did anyway and regretted that decision all day. I came home, went straight to bed and slept until the next morning when I promptly rang my boss and informed her that I wasn't coming in.

And so began a typical sick day for me.

First I felt sick from the phone call. My boss isn't one of the ones that make these calls easy. She immediately gets a 'tone', speaks in short, sharp sentences and never says 'hope you're feeling better soon'.
Then I felt guilty and started worrying if we'd get relief to cover me. I imagined the thousand ways my colleagues would suffer because a) no relief was sent or b) the relief that was sent was a newbie (as they inevitably are) and they would suffer just as much as if they got no one.
Then I tried to have some breakfast. No good - I felt too sick to eat.
After that I moped about as Christian got ready for work, following him about the house and giving him 'cows eyes'. Whatever I was trying to accomplish failed however and he eventually left for work.
Then I jumped on the net and said a quick mid-week hello to Boo, a rarity. I only ever really get to chat to her now on Saturdays.
Following that I did a load of washing for Christian and pottered around the house doing a bit of tidying. I felt that if I wasn't at work, I may as well do some work, even if it is just picking up dirty laundry. I just can't physically relax when I'm at home sick, I just feel too guilty.
A nap followed and then I managed to hold down a bit of lunch before napping again. I was absolutely exhausted even after sleeping for 15 hours straight the night before.
That afternoon I was feeling rather sorry for myself so I put up my Christmas tree*. Putting up Christmas decorations always makes me feel better for some reason...
Then I had another nap and woke up when Christian got home that evening.

I'm feeling much better now though, I must say. And at least my weekend will be a little easier on me as I'll have less washing to do :)

*Let me just point out that putting up Christmas decorations isn't part of a 'typical' sick day. I know that most of you wouldn't put it past me to rip out the old tree and tinsel in the middle of April just to amuse myself, but trust me, I don't go THAT far...

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Look, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's superma... oops, no, sorry, it's just a plane

It's the end of another weekend. Already. *sigh* Please excuse me while I open a vein...

I guess it's not that bad. The weekends are flying by unbelievably quickly, but then again, so are the weeks. So tomorrow may be Monday but before I turn around twice, it'll be Friday.

This weekend was fairly eventful. Friday night we had my sisters and their kids come round and we walked up to the park so the kids could look at the stars. My niece Chiara got all excited a month or two back when we were sitting outside one night at her place and she saw some stars. I promised she could come up to my place one night where there aren't as many lights so the stars are much brighter and there are so many more of them. It would have been a great night is it hadn't been just slightly overcast...

Saturday came knocking and I decided to dye my hair. I got tired of my natural brown, am sick of red at the moment, black looks shocking on me and I can't go pink or blue because of work, so blonde it is. Here's a crappy photo of it.

I told you it was crappy...

Anyway, we stayed the night at Barb's so Christian could catch up with some mates and Barb and I sat around eating columbines and twisties and watching Love Actually. It was a great girlie night.

This morning we got up lovely and early and headed into the city for the Red Bull Air Show which was pretty good, public transport and crowds aside. I managed to get my cleavage a nice shade of lobster but apart from that escaped the sun's wrath quite well. Jo and Darcie, who came with us left early as Darce was pooped, and we didn't do very well meeting up with out mates. The only people who we actually found were Mike and Julie, and this was after the race had actually finished. Mike and Kat didn't end up coming as Kat hurt her knee and our mate Anil didn't realise the whole thing only went for two hours and was about to leave home just as it was finishing. So we caught a bus and the train with Mike and Julie and that was about it sadly. But it was a good day nonetheless and I'm sure if we ever do it again, we'll make sure we all meet up beforehand.

Rightio, so I seem to be rambling now so I guess I'll bring this to an end. Goodbye.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

The streets are lined with purlple carpet

I love this time of the year.
Sure it's starting to get muggy and the thunderstorms we're promised fail to eventuate, but summer is on it's way and Christmas is just around the corner.
Also, the Jacaranda trees are nearing the end of their bloom which means almost everywhere you look are bright purple trees with a carpet of fallen flowers laying below.
It's just so pretty.
I must admit, I've only recently discovered that they aren't a native tree (which would explain why they don't grow in the bush next to the gums...can you tell I hadn't given the issue much thought?) but we have such a love affair with these trees that they may as well be.
My step-mum Di hadn't seen them before and was captivated when she flew across from Canada for my wedding. She's always getting my Dad to send her pics when they're flowering.
We have a small tree growing in the front of our new yard that will need lots of TLC for it to start growing properly. I'll need to dig around the base and replace the soil with mushroom mulch I think, and also make sure it gets the water it needs.
Hopefully when you lot finally get to come and visit me, it'll be around this time of the year so you can see this wonderful display :)

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Anniversaries, Parties, Anything...

Yesterday was a special day. First, it's Remembrance Day when Australia remembers those who have served to protect our country.
Secondly, it's our wedding anniversary. Three years ago it was stinking hot (42C), I was wearing a heavy lace dress and Christian and I exchanged vows...

This was taken shortly after said vows

We didn't do a hell of a lot to celebrate. We went for dinner and a movie on Friday night and bummed around at home for most of Saturday.

Thirdly, yesterday was my friend Tash's birthday. I always remember sending her an sms early on my wedding day wishing her a happy birthday and her sending back 'Are you insane? It's your wedding day, forget about me and concentrate on getting ready!'

Tash had a party at her place last night which was great, until kareoke started and then we made a hasty getaway. Here are some pics of the night.

Three little teletubbies...


Tash and I

Christian pushing two little teletubbies

Jon, convincing us it's time to leave...

Saturday, November 04, 2006

6.1% Term Deposits on Daylight!

I know that the majority of the world assumes daylight savings when summer comes knocking, but WA has shunned it for years.

We had it trialled for a year back in the late 80's (I think - I was about 10 or 11, or even maybe 12 so around about the change of the decade anyway) and it didn't do much for the people of the
west because in three consecutive referendums it was shot down.

Now, why do we need to save daylight? Electricity I can understand. That comes from valuable resources that are for the most part non-renewable and so we need to conserve them. Water, pretty much the same thing - there's only so much of it to go around. But sunlight? Heck, the sun's pretty big and with the hole in the ozone layer sitting pretty above this little island of ours, well let's just say I think we're getting our fair share. Do we really need to put a little bit of daylight away each day, in our little sunshine piggy banks, for a rainy day???

Now however there's been a call by politicians to bring it back (most likely because the businesses want it). They 'say' that enough time has passed that we have a new generation now that deserves the chance to experience daylight savings for themselves. This generation were just babies last time we had it, so why not give them a choice?

And herein lies my biggest issue. I'm not even really that dead set against daylight savings itself (it doesn't particularly faze me). What does bother me is that the pollies want to give this new generation the chance to mess with nature and conform it to humans expectations, but we don't actually get a say in whether we want it or not.

You see, the way it's going down is that the clocks get turned back come December 3, and every summer after for the next three years, and then, and only then will we go to a referendum to see if the people agree. Even though there has been a consistency in the past to let nature do what it intended to do, the politicians are going to walk over our right to a vote and force us into a three year trial.

Gah, it annoys me!

If they're so sure that this is what the people want, why not just let us have our say? Hell, trial it for a year and then let us vote, but don't force it on us for three years!

But, what's this? Do you see that? Oh my God! It's the big businesses that fund the election campaigns! *gasp* Who would have seen that coming?

Obviously not me.