Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
18 March 2016
Star struck
I've been pondering the mysteries of being a fan this week. I've never really understood the whole celebrity culture. In the main, I'm guessing because we didn't have a TV or a whole lot of choices for movies when I was going through the teenage crush stage. But last Friday night, at nearly 50 years old, I got a taste of what it means to be a teenage-like fan.
Alan Alda, of MASH fame, was in town. He was here for the World Science Festival (#WSFBrisbane), a program to bring science and scientists to the people. A great initiative, and one that he is obviously very passionate about. We attended a play reading that he had written, called 'Dear Albert'. It was a fascinating insight into a scientist I've never paid much attention to. Sure, Einstein's theories have had life-changing impacts, but I don't understand them; I've never needed to understand them; so I've never really taken an interest in Albert, the man—the rather flawed and very human man.
After the play, we were told (Daniel coerced the usher) that we might be able to meet Alan Alda at the stage door. When we got to the stage door foyer, he was sitting with Brian Greene, a scientist. (Prof Greene is another scientist I don't understand. Eleven dimensions! I'm not sure that the fourth isn't just a man-made construct.) I'm sure they were having a quiet chat and enjoying being away from the crowds. There was no-one else there! Thank you, Brisbane, for being too polite to barge in. I know we weren't the only fans in town.
For about five minutes we chatted, he graciously signed our MASH DVD box and one of his autobiographies, and then we left. What did we chat about? I can't tell you. What I can tell you is that it was probably not articulate or intelligent. It represented neither my abilities nor personality. I remember aiming for 'polite' when I asked for his autograph. I suspect I may have missed the mark and hit sycophantic. He would never have guessed that I spent five years as a professional communicator, that I have a science degree, or that I have a Masters in wordsmithing. So many intelligent things I could have said, but didn't.
I've always held that all people, are not just created equal, but are equal, regardless of their current 'status', simply by virtue of them being people. I have high regard for many individuals, but never felt that anyone warranted special attention based simply on their celebrity status. But meeting Alan Alda was not a literary, but a literal, adrenalin rush—I was shaking when we walked away. Ridiculous! I met a man, I shook his hand, I uttered a few idiotic phrases, and I felt like a giddy teenager.
On a more logical level, I have an even higher regard for the man than I did before the WSF. I listened to his speech to the National Press Club after meeting him. For nearly six years, I tried (often in vain) to teach scientists how to 'write good'; how to communicate scientific principles and findings with integrity, but in a way that Joe Public could understand and relate to what they had to say. It often felt like an uphill battle, and I was just working with a small group of specialists in one company. I am thrilled to know there is a whole university school that teaches them before they hit the real world. This week I have purposefully avoided watching MASH. It feels almost like a betrayal to all that Alan Alda has achieved in the past 30 years to relegate him back to 'merely' being Hawkeye. (I'm sure I'll get over it.)
Logic aside, my brush with fandom has bemused me. There are no benefits, short-term or long-term, to meeting Alan Alda, but a week later, the memory still brings a smile to my face, and I have an understanding of why we call it 'star struck'.
03 March 2015
Blog planning
I've been so busy trying to juggle a j-o-b (bit of a dirty word at the moment), commuting (oh to live in a small town), a Year 12 student (I remember how dreadful it was), life, house, blah-blah-blah, that fun things have taken a bit of a back seat. I really want to blog on a regular basis. As an editor, I know that good writing comes with practice, and I'm sadly out of it (practice and good writing).
Last night I was tossing up ideas of what post about this week. I couldn't settle one idea because a) I have a heap of them buzzing around my brain and b) they all seem like hard work right now. I thought I'd cheat and simply list all the things I plan to post about ... soon. That is, I'll list them now, I'll post about them soon ... ish. If you check back occasionally I might have gotten around to which one interests you. I'll try to remember this post is here, and update it as I go with links to the finished post.
Pantry - the new walk-in pantry is progressing. We have shelves on the walls. Last weekend we were slated to build the new internal, divider wall/can rack, but it was postponed. (Previous posts here, and here).
FMQ extravaganza - last year I mentioned to my online quilting group I wanted to improve my free motion quilting. One very proactive lady set up the "FMQ Extravaganza" - a challenge to FMQ something twice a month and post photos. I'm yet to actually start :-( BUT I will.
Zoo - over January, as part of our road trip to Victoria, we spent the night at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. We had the best time and I wanted to share our experiences.
365 Challenge - I've rebooted my 365 challenge efforts. This year I'm aiming for 365 designs or ideas. They don't have to be complete, worked out patterns or designs. I don't have to ever make them. I just have to draw a rough sketch and make a few notes on my thinking and ideas.
Cheryl's quilt - last year I finished my quilt for my SIL. During our holidays, it was on the wall in our room. I kept looking at it, thinking, "Man, that is some quilt!" I was just so impressed, and simply amazed that I'd created something like that.
Wardrobe modifications - I recently spring cleaned my wardrobe. I'm in process of 'renovating' some outfits that never get worn. I thought I might share some of my success stories.
Cooking roster - due to the j-o-b we've implemented a cooking roster in our house, which seems to be working out okay.
Plan to Eat - I love this website/app.
Bullet journalling (or not) and Toodledo - my latest attempts to be organised, efficient, and get everything done.
I think that's all for the moment. I might add new topics to my list as time goes by. First new post due next week (according to my schedule). Still, not sure what I want to write about yet. Maybe I should just put them all in a hat and pick one out.
Last night I was tossing up ideas of what post about this week. I couldn't settle one idea because a) I have a heap of them buzzing around my brain and b) they all seem like hard work right now. I thought I'd cheat and simply list all the things I plan to post about ... soon. That is, I'll list them now, I'll post about them soon ... ish. If you check back occasionally I might have gotten around to which one interests you. I'll try to remember this post is here, and update it as I go with links to the finished post.
Pantry - the new walk-in pantry is progressing. We have shelves on the walls. Last weekend we were slated to build the new internal, divider wall/can rack, but it was postponed. (Previous posts here, and here).
FMQ extravaganza - last year I mentioned to my online quilting group I wanted to improve my free motion quilting. One very proactive lady set up the "FMQ Extravaganza" - a challenge to FMQ something twice a month and post photos. I'm yet to actually start :-( BUT I will.
Zoo - over January, as part of our road trip to Victoria, we spent the night at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. We had the best time and I wanted to share our experiences.
365 Challenge - I've rebooted my 365 challenge efforts. This year I'm aiming for 365 designs or ideas. They don't have to be complete, worked out patterns or designs. I don't have to ever make them. I just have to draw a rough sketch and make a few notes on my thinking and ideas.
Cheryl's quilt - last year I finished my quilt for my SIL. During our holidays, it was on the wall in our room. I kept looking at it, thinking, "Man, that is some quilt!" I was just so impressed, and simply amazed that I'd created something like that.
Wardrobe modifications - I recently spring cleaned my wardrobe. I'm in process of 'renovating' some outfits that never get worn. I thought I might share some of my success stories.
Cooking roster - due to the j-o-b we've implemented a cooking roster in our house, which seems to be working out okay.
Plan to Eat - I love this website/app.
Bullet journalling (or not) and Toodledo - my latest attempts to be organised, efficient, and get everything done.
I think that's all for the moment. I might add new topics to my list as time goes by. First new post due next week (according to my schedule). Still, not sure what I want to write about yet. Maybe I should just put them all in a hat and pick one out.
01 January 2015
2015
So, this is the New Year. Funny, it doesn't feel all that different to the old one. That's the thing about New Years that I don't get. People pin such high expectations on it, endow it with almost magical abilities to transform their lives. But at the end of the day, it's just day, like every other day. The ability to transform our lives lies within us, not in a day.
Anyway, enough of my New Year's bah-humbugging. What have I got planned for 2015? Oo, lots. I started looking at my goals in November. Looked at the ones I missed in 2014, considered why I missed them. Looked at the ones I hit and gave myself a pat on the back, because I think it's important to see what you've achieved more than seeing what you missed. Considered the year ahead and what I want to achieve, and how I plan to do that.
Goal Types
My goal setting process has multiple methods. It's all very well to say, "You should set SMART goals", but some things I want to achieve don't fit the SMART mould. And some things I want to achieve are not goals as such, they're habits I want to develop. My goal setting methods are:
1. Set a specific SMART goal: run a 5km fun run some time after August (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely). These goals then get broken down into monthly chunks and then weekly chunks and then daily chunks. Every month I look at my yearly goals, consider what I need to achieve in the month. Then each week I look at that monthly chunk and work out what I need to do this week on a day-by-day basis.
2. Set a "list goal". I have a lot of projects I want to finish, for example a dozen or more quilts. A list goal is to focus on one project every month from the list that I keep with my goals. My lists grow as the year progresses, as new projects are added. Each month I choose the focus from my list, and decide how much I want to achieve, which depends on what stage that focus project is at, and what sort of a month I have ahead of me. Project lists include quilts, other sewing, holiday scrap booking, house renos, garden projects. I also have a list of people to write to (the goal being one per week); friends to catch up with (one per month) and similar activities.
3. Set a "percentage" habit. Habits are tricky goals to set, particularly for perfectionists. We feel if don't hit them 100% of time we're failing and (more often than not) might as well quit. This year I've come up with the percentage target. I want to develop a habit of taking my vitamins every day. The perfectionist me would say 365 out of 365 days is goal achieved, anything less is not. Reality me knows that just isn't going happen. I track every day that I take my vitamins. Each week I record how many days I 'hit'. Over three months I calculate my percentage hit. My habit goals are to hit 25% in the first three months, 50% in the second three months, 75% in the third three months, and 90% in the last three months. This gives a stretch goal, it gives me a target, and it keeps me realistic.
Putting it on Paper
I mind-map my goals. This year, I've gone back to Stephen Covey's concept of 'roles'. I have four roles: artist, community, care-taker, worker.
I have the year in the centre and a branch for each role. Each 'sub-role' is on a smaller branch. Under 'caretaker', for example, I have 'finances', 'spirit', 'body', 'house' and 'garden'. At the end of each sub-role I list my goals, whether SMART, list or habit.
I keep this yearly mind-map in my diary. Once it's created, I scan it and remove the goals at the end of the branches and the year from centre. I print out the remaining basic structure and use it each month to set my targets for the month.
In addition to setting goals for the year, I picked up an idea from a fellow quilter a couple of years ago, of assigning a word to the year. The word I've chosen for 2015 is "harmony". I want to develop as a musician, I want to find balance with all my pursuits, not focussing on any to the detriment of others, I want to develop strong, healthy relationships with people who are important to me. Using a tool I found on-line (http://www.wordle.net/create) I created a word cloud (also kept in my diary).
That's a basic overview of my goal setting process. Although, at the end of the day (even New Years Day) I think there's just three things that are important for reaching a goal:
1. Write it down. Research shows if you write it down, you're more likely to hit it.
2. Review it. If you write it down and ignore it, you won't hit it. Review each month and each week, "What do I need to do in order to achieve this goal?"
And then, the third important step is simply "Do it".
Anyway, enough of my New Year's bah-humbugging. What have I got planned for 2015? Oo, lots. I started looking at my goals in November. Looked at the ones I missed in 2014, considered why I missed them. Looked at the ones I hit and gave myself a pat on the back, because I think it's important to see what you've achieved more than seeing what you missed. Considered the year ahead and what I want to achieve, and how I plan to do that.
Goal Types
My goal setting process has multiple methods. It's all very well to say, "You should set SMART goals", but some things I want to achieve don't fit the SMART mould. And some things I want to achieve are not goals as such, they're habits I want to develop. My goal setting methods are:
1. Set a specific SMART goal: run a 5km fun run some time after August (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely). These goals then get broken down into monthly chunks and then weekly chunks and then daily chunks. Every month I look at my yearly goals, consider what I need to achieve in the month. Then each week I look at that monthly chunk and work out what I need to do this week on a day-by-day basis.
2. Set a "list goal". I have a lot of projects I want to finish, for example a dozen or more quilts. A list goal is to focus on one project every month from the list that I keep with my goals. My lists grow as the year progresses, as new projects are added. Each month I choose the focus from my list, and decide how much I want to achieve, which depends on what stage that focus project is at, and what sort of a month I have ahead of me. Project lists include quilts, other sewing, holiday scrap booking, house renos, garden projects. I also have a list of people to write to (the goal being one per week); friends to catch up with (one per month) and similar activities.
3. Set a "percentage" habit. Habits are tricky goals to set, particularly for perfectionists. We feel if don't hit them 100% of time we're failing and (more often than not) might as well quit. This year I've come up with the percentage target. I want to develop a habit of taking my vitamins every day. The perfectionist me would say 365 out of 365 days is goal achieved, anything less is not. Reality me knows that just isn't going happen. I track every day that I take my vitamins. Each week I record how many days I 'hit'. Over three months I calculate my percentage hit. My habit goals are to hit 25% in the first three months, 50% in the second three months, 75% in the third three months, and 90% in the last three months. This gives a stretch goal, it gives me a target, and it keeps me realistic.
Putting it on Paper
I mind-map my goals. This year, I've gone back to Stephen Covey's concept of 'roles'. I have four roles: artist, community, care-taker, worker.
I have the year in the centre and a branch for each role. Each 'sub-role' is on a smaller branch. Under 'caretaker', for example, I have 'finances', 'spirit', 'body', 'house' and 'garden'. At the end of each sub-role I list my goals, whether SMART, list or habit.
I keep this yearly mind-map in my diary. Once it's created, I scan it and remove the goals at the end of the branches and the year from centre. I print out the remaining basic structure and use it each month to set my targets for the month.
 |
| Blank mind-map for ready for monthly targets |
In addition to setting goals for the year, I picked up an idea from a fellow quilter a couple of years ago, of assigning a word to the year. The word I've chosen for 2015 is "harmony". I want to develop as a musician, I want to find balance with all my pursuits, not focussing on any to the detriment of others, I want to develop strong, healthy relationships with people who are important to me. Using a tool I found on-line (http://www.wordle.net/create) I created a word cloud (also kept in my diary).
 |
| Harmony word cloud |
1. Write it down. Research shows if you write it down, you're more likely to hit it.
2. Review it. If you write it down and ignore it, you won't hit it. Review each month and each week, "What do I need to do in order to achieve this goal?"
And then, the third important step is simply "Do it".
03 October 2014
Job Hunting Ironies
For every job interview I prepare thoroughly. Research the company; if a recruitment agency I check their website for clients or industries they work with. I have a list of questions to ask, my references on hand. I dress up - skirt, heels, make-up, hair. I leave myself at least 1/2 hour more than I think I'll need for travel time.
Today is Friday. Hubby's day off, school holidays. My de-facto dad asked if I could track down a grave site for him and take a photo. Something to do with tracing ancestors. We planned the outing for this morning. Not being sure how much trekking through the cemetery would be required, we prepared for walking - shorts, sneakers, hats, t-shirts. Thankfully, being spring, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a shorts sort of day, so I wore long pants.
After hiking all over the cemetery and finally deciding the grave site didn't have a marker, we headed for home. On the way, the phone rang. It was a recruitment agency who I had applied with about a month or so back. They have a 6-week temp position, starting on Tuesday. Would I be interested and could I come in for an interview?
"Um ... I'm actually 5 minutes from your office, but I'm not really dressed for an interview." (Hot, sweaty, trackie bottoms, sneakers, old company t-shirt, no make-up, hair doing who knows what.)
"No problem. Come in anyway."
Went to the interview, sat an Excel test, started for home. Got a phone call on the way home. As long as my references check out ('cause I didn't have their details on me) the position is mine.
All that wonderful advice out there on how to impress in an interview and land a job? Well, it's all great, I'm sure, but at the end of the day, life will be what it is, and sometimes it just wants to mess with your mind.
Today is Friday. Hubby's day off, school holidays. My de-facto dad asked if I could track down a grave site for him and take a photo. Something to do with tracing ancestors. We planned the outing for this morning. Not being sure how much trekking through the cemetery would be required, we prepared for walking - shorts, sneakers, hats, t-shirts. Thankfully, being spring, I wasn't sure if it was going to be a shorts sort of day, so I wore long pants.
After hiking all over the cemetery and finally deciding the grave site didn't have a marker, we headed for home. On the way, the phone rang. It was a recruitment agency who I had applied with about a month or so back. They have a 6-week temp position, starting on Tuesday. Would I be interested and could I come in for an interview?
"Um ... I'm actually 5 minutes from your office, but I'm not really dressed for an interview." (Hot, sweaty, trackie bottoms, sneakers, old company t-shirt, no make-up, hair doing who knows what.)
"No problem. Come in anyway."
Went to the interview, sat an Excel test, started for home. Got a phone call on the way home. As long as my references check out ('cause I didn't have their details on me) the position is mine.
All that wonderful advice out there on how to impress in an interview and land a job? Well, it's all great, I'm sure, but at the end of the day, life will be what it is, and sometimes it just wants to mess with your mind.
21 August 2014
Right of Way
A couple of weeks ago I was slowly (thank goodness) working my way through a shopping centre car-park, when a man stepped out in front of me to cross the road. We were three car spaces from a marked pedestrian crossing, but it would seem he couldn't wait. Even though I came within mere inches of him, he never acknowledged me. I can only surmise that he'd spent some time in Asia, where I first learnt that to meet a driver's eyes is to grant them right of way. If you never look directly at the driver, you, as the pedestrian, have full immunity. (Although I'm not sure how well that goes down in court after you're hit.)
Last week I was driving down our back streets, taking the Teen to school. There were several groups of children - primary school aged children - walking to the various bus stops. They were walking down the middle of the road. The road doesn't have paved footpaths, it only has grassed verges. And I know, if it's let grow too long, the grass can be a bit wet and cold this time of year in the mornings - but I did expect them to move out of the path of my oncoming vehicle. But no. Apparently they believe they have right of way and I (and my car) are required to change lanes to go around them.
Tonight, driving home in the gloom of dusk, I spied movement on the road ahead of me. Two people, wearing dark clothes, were having a discussion (it seemed reasonably calm and normal - not a drunken brawl) in the middle of the street. Again, I expected them to move out of the path of my oncoming vehicle. Silly me. These two adults have apparently learnt the same road rules as the local primary school children.
Sadly, I suspect from other events going on around me, that this disregard for rules designed to protect people, is not limited to pedestrians and the roadways. I see a growing "I'll do it my way" movement, that has little or no consideration for anyone else. I just wonder what happens when they meet a driver with the same attitude?
12 August 2014
Bagels and Bread
Yesterday The Man brought home bagels. Real, boiled bagels. If you've never had bagels, you won't understand the fuss. If you live somewhere where bagels are as common as bread, you won't understand the fuss.
I was introduced to bagels in Asia, and even though I love super soft (super bad for you) white bread, the chewiness of bagels really appeals to me. Unfortunately, for many places in Australia, bagel simply means "flatish bread roll with a hole in the middle". If you've ever eaten a bagel (or two or three) you'll know that just doesn't cut it.
So, when hubby said he'd found real bagels, would I like some, I said, "Yes, please." This morning I had a blueberry bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. Mmmmm.
And the best news is, even though the bagels were found at the Ekka (the city's huge annual show or fair), they come from a regular shop, meaning I can buy them locally all year round. Well, semi-locally. They're based on the other side of town, so it means a bit of a drive. Probably not a bad thing.
The shop is "The Bagel Boys".
I was introduced to bagels in Asia, and even though I love super soft (super bad for you) white bread, the chewiness of bagels really appeals to me. Unfortunately, for many places in Australia, bagel simply means "flatish bread roll with a hole in the middle". If you've ever eaten a bagel (or two or three) you'll know that just doesn't cut it.
So, when hubby said he'd found real bagels, would I like some, I said, "Yes, please." This morning I had a blueberry bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. Mmmmm.
And the best news is, even though the bagels were found at the Ekka (the city's huge annual show or fair), they come from a regular shop, meaning I can buy them locally all year round. Well, semi-locally. They're based on the other side of town, so it means a bit of a drive. Probably not a bad thing.
The shop is "The Bagel Boys".
The bagels are available from a bunch of markets and shops in Stafford, Teneriffe, Paddington, the Valley and around that sort of area. The boys do plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, soy & linseed, onion, garlic, jalapeno, sunflower rye, everything, blueberry, and cinnamon & raisin flavours. I'm kind of hoping that "everything" does include a mix of garlic, onion, cinnamon and raisin ;-)
11 August 2014
ANZAC Girls and TV Ratings
We just started watching a new mini-series from the ABC, The ANZAC Girls. It's about the role of Australian Army nurses during the First World War. The first episode was ... I want to say enjoyable, but there was a lot of human suffering and 'enjoyable' seems inappropriate.
As an Australian you grow up with the ANZAC stories, legends and myths, but I don't know that I've ever really heard much about the nurses. There's been a few stories about Aussie nurses in Asia during the Second World War. This story has so far focused five nurses, two more so than the others. They are a diverse array of characters, which hopefully will become even more three dimensional as the series progresses.
This show had a warning about violence. I didn't notice any violence. Being about war, I'd braced myself for scenes of the battle fields. But there were no scenes of the actual fighting. Not even any punch ups in the camps or cat fights between the nurses. However, there were plenty of scenes in hospital rooms of horribly mutilated bodies. Bayonets are nasty business, even before you add bombs and bullets. And there was lots of bloods. Lots of blood. I think "blood" should be a warning.
An Experiment in Blogging and Music
Of course, a blog post feels like it should take longer to write and have a bit more care put into it than a Facebook post, but we'll see how I go.
This morning I'm off to choir practice - if I can get the address and time. It's a once off choir to perform for Seniors' Week, and silly me deleted the email with the details. BUT, I do have the lyrics, safely filed away in my performance folder and sitting in my new choir tote.
It's sad that choirs have gone the way of the dodo bird. Singing is such a natural and instinctive part of what it is to be human. In our modern, busy society we think that only experts or those 'good enough' should be allowed to sing, or least to be heard. (Unless, of course, you're a little tipsy, in which case you are invited to make an absolute fool of yourself at the local pub karaoke.)
I think the advent of recorded music inadvertently destroyed many of our avenues of community singing. Why gather around the family piano listening to Uncle Albert belt out songs with no sense of tune or timing, when you can listen to Buble sing the same songs with true expertise? Why indeed. Because music is not just about the listening, it's about the participating.
We used to be able to participate in church, but by and large, that has also gone along the wayside. In recent history, church music has become "popular" and is now written for the professional, trained singer, not the ordinary Joe.
I once had a run in with someone about whether I sang well enough to lead singing in church. A friend commented to me, "Maybe they should see you as a canary. If, with the training you've had, you cannot sing the song well, then chances are that ninety percent of the congregation can't sing it either." But, sadly, too often the focus is no longer on ensuring the church body gets to sing the song wholeheartedly. The focus on the team at the front sounding brilliant.
28 July 2014
Idul Fitri
Like most Westerners, I don't know much about Islam. Unlike many, I don't think what I see on the nightly news or read in the paper qualifies me to claim that I know a lot. From the media I gain a very biased view, regardless of which brand of Islam we're talking about. Unlike a lot of my cultural compatriots, I have lived side-by-side with Moslem families, I have attended school with Moslem students, I have shared in their celebrations, including Idul Fitri.
Idul Fitri is the Indonesian (and possibly the Malay) spelling of the name of the feast that ends Ramadan. Ramadan is the Moslem holy month of fasting. Like Christmas in the Christian tradition, Idul Fitri is celebrated with a mix common themes and unique traditions throughout the world.
In Indonesia, where I experienced Idul Fitri, one of the common traditions is for individuals to greet each other with the phrase "mohon maaf lahir dan batin", which literally means "Please forgive (me) outwardly and internally". I was told it was a request for forgiveness for the intentional and unintentional hurts of the past year.
One of the things I appreciate about Ambon, where I lived, is that it is not only the Moslems who offer this phrase on Idul Fitri. Others who are not Moslem will offer Idul Fitri greetings to their Moslem friends, including this request for forgiveness.
I know some may roll their eyes and say, "Oh, it's just phrase. It doesn't mean anything." blah-blah-blah. Maybe, maybe not. The individuals I know offer it with a sincere heart that genuinely seeks to let go of the past and move forward.Wouldn't it be nice if just once in a while we could all put aside our religious and philosophical differences, ask for forgiveness of real and perceived hurts, and move on?
Idul Fitri is the Indonesian (and possibly the Malay) spelling of the name of the feast that ends Ramadan. Ramadan is the Moslem holy month of fasting. Like Christmas in the Christian tradition, Idul Fitri is celebrated with a mix common themes and unique traditions throughout the world.
In Indonesia, where I experienced Idul Fitri, one of the common traditions is for individuals to greet each other with the phrase "mohon maaf lahir dan batin", which literally means "Please forgive (me) outwardly and internally". I was told it was a request for forgiveness for the intentional and unintentional hurts of the past year.
One of the things I appreciate about Ambon, where I lived, is that it is not only the Moslems who offer this phrase on Idul Fitri. Others who are not Moslem will offer Idul Fitri greetings to their Moslem friends, including this request for forgiveness.
I know some may roll their eyes and say, "Oh, it's just phrase. It doesn't mean anything." blah-blah-blah. Maybe, maybe not. The individuals I know offer it with a sincere heart that genuinely seeks to let go of the past and move forward.Wouldn't it be nice if just once in a while we could all put aside our religious and philosophical differences, ask for forgiveness of real and perceived hurts, and move on?
14 August 2013
Preferential voting in Australia
It's at about this point in the election campaign someone says to me, "I don't understand preferential voting. It's a waste of time. Why can't we just elect the most popular person and leave it at that?" Preferential voting is not difficult. And it ensures that the most popular candidate is elected.
Come the election is it crucial that voters understand our preferential voting system. It’s actually not that hard or confusing. It simply means that your vote is influential regardless of who you vote for. Without preferences, minor parties and independents wouldn’t bother standing; they’d rarely, if ever get in.
Our system says a candidate must have an absolute majority of the votes, that is fifty percent plus one vote. If more than two candidates are running for a seat, you can be almost certain no-one is going to get a majority straight up. In some countries they solve this problem by having multiple elections. Round 1 - every one votes, lowest candidate is eliminated from the race. Round 2 weeks or months (and lots of dollars) later - everyone votes again. And so it goes until its a race between just two candidates. Preferential voting does the same thing - in a single election so we don't have to have endless election campaigns.
Here’s how it works:
My electorate of Lah-Lah Land (where lots of pollies live) has four candidates standing for a seat.
To keep the maths simple, there are 100,000 formal votes (informal votes – those that are incorrectly filled in or defaced – obviously are not counted).
How voters are required to vote is different for different elections (local, state, national). It’s important you check the rules as stated on the paper. In some cases, it is sufficient for you simply put a ‘1’ against your top candidate. Alternatively, you may be required to number every box OR number a certain percentage of boxes.
For ease, in this election we have assumed that candidates must number every box (1 through to 4).
In the first round of counting, the only thing considered is the "1". Votes are separated based on the first preference of every voters. In our electorate that's four piles of papers - one for each candidate.
Of our 100,000 formal votes we get the following results from the first round of counting:
If a candidate had gained a clear majority – 50% plus 1 (50,001) – they would be declared the winner and we stop right there. However, as no-one has a clear majority counting goes to preferences.
The candidate with the lowest number of votes (Christine, our tree hugger) is eliminated and her ‘preferences are distributed’. These means that her 16,000 papers are distributed according to the number ‘2’ votes marked on them.
For example: I voted ‘1’ for Christine and ‘2’ for Bob. When Christine is eliminated my vote will now count for Bob. Why? Because I decided if I couldn’t have tree-hugging Christine as my representative I’d prefer to have odd-ball Bob rather than the either of the two major parties.
The results of our second round of counting are:
We still have no clear majority. Again, the lowest candidate is eliminated and their next preference is distributed. That is, Joe (our leftie) is eliminated. The 21,000 voters who placed Joe as ‘1’ will have their second preference counted, and the 4,000 voters who originally voted for Christine will have their third preference counted (their second preference having been Joe). My vote was Christine, then Bob – so it’s not involved in this round of counting. Only the votes that have either gone directly to Joe or have been distributed to him in the second round of counting will be affected.
Our third round of counting results are:
After the third round we have a clear majority, Bob, the slight odd-ball with no clear policy, is now our sitting member.
Why do we do this? Why is it important to understand how it works and use it wisely?
The preferential system means that the candidate who is ‘preferred’ by the most number of people will be elected.
A lot of people who voted for Christine ‘preferred’ Jane over the other candidates. However, in contest between Jane and Bob, they actually preferred Bob.
Why not just count my first candidate?
The other option is a ‘first past the post’ system, rather than a majority. In a first past the post system Jane would have been elected, even though she’s not the candidate that most people would prefer to have.
Party preferences
Often the parties will allocate their preferences. You, the voter, simply put in a ‘1’. If additional rounds of counting are required, your vote is distributed according the preferences nominated by the party. This is all very well IF (big IF) the party’s preferences match your’s. Unfortunately, a lot of voters use the party preference because a) they don’t understand the system and b) it saves them time and effort – particularly on the Senate vote, which can have dozens and dozens of candidates.
How to mark your preferences
Still not sure how to use your preferential vote? It’s really very simple.
1. Put a ‘1’ against your absolute top candidate. ‘If everything goes the way I think it should this person will be elected.’
2. Think ‘Okay, if number one wasn’t running, who would I vote for out of the rest of these geezers?’, because (essentially) that’s what preferential voting is about. Put a number 2 against that candidate.
3. Continue the process until every box is numbered.
http://www.eca.gov.au/systems/single/by_category/preferential.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_system_of_Australia#Preferential_voting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting
Come the election is it crucial that voters understand our preferential voting system. It’s actually not that hard or confusing. It simply means that your vote is influential regardless of who you vote for. Without preferences, minor parties and independents wouldn’t bother standing; they’d rarely, if ever get in.
Our system says a candidate must have an absolute majority of the votes, that is fifty percent plus one vote. If more than two candidates are running for a seat, you can be almost certain no-one is going to get a majority straight up. In some countries they solve this problem by having multiple elections. Round 1 - every one votes, lowest candidate is eliminated from the race. Round 2 weeks or months (and lots of dollars) later - everyone votes again. And so it goes until its a race between just two candidates. Preferential voting does the same thing - in a single election so we don't have to have endless election campaigns.
Here’s how it works:
My electorate of Lah-Lah Land (where lots of pollies live) has four candidates standing for a seat.
 |
We have Jane, ultra conservation, right major party. |
 |
Joe, blokey, left major party. |
 |
Christine, ultra left, hippy, tree-hugging independent. |
 |
Finally, Bob, a little odd and we’re not really sure what he or his party stand for, but he has a winning way with people and they seem to respond to him. |
To keep the maths simple, there are 100,000 formal votes (informal votes – those that are incorrectly filled in or defaced – obviously are not counted).
How voters are required to vote is different for different elections (local, state, national). It’s important you check the rules as stated on the paper. In some cases, it is sufficient for you simply put a ‘1’ against your top candidate. Alternatively, you may be required to number every box OR number a certain percentage of boxes.
For ease, in this election we have assumed that candidates must number every box (1 through to 4).
In the first round of counting, the only thing considered is the "1". Votes are separated based on the first preference of every voters. In our electorate that's four piles of papers - one for each candidate.
Of our 100,000 formal votes we get the following results from the first round of counting:
| Candidate | First Round |
| Jane | 33,000 |
| Joe | 21,000 |
| Christine | 16,000 |
| Bob | 30,000 |
If a candidate had gained a clear majority – 50% plus 1 (50,001) – they would be declared the winner and we stop right there. However, as no-one has a clear majority counting goes to preferences.
The candidate with the lowest number of votes (Christine, our tree hugger) is eliminated and her ‘preferences are distributed’. These means that her 16,000 papers are distributed according to the number ‘2’ votes marked on them.
For example: I voted ‘1’ for Christine and ‘2’ for Bob. When Christine is eliminated my vote will now count for Bob. Why? Because I decided if I couldn’t have tree-hugging Christine as my representative I’d prefer to have odd-ball Bob rather than the either of the two major parties.
The results of our second round of counting are:
| Candidate | First Round | Second Round | Total |
| Jane | 33,000 | 7,000 | 40,000 |
| Joe | 21,000 | 4,000 | 25,000 |
| Bob | 30,000 | 5,000 | 35,000 |
| - | - |
We still have no clear majority. Again, the lowest candidate is eliminated and their next preference is distributed. That is, Joe (our leftie) is eliminated. The 21,000 voters who placed Joe as ‘1’ will have their second preference counted, and the 4,000 voters who originally voted for Christine will have their third preference counted (their second preference having been Joe). My vote was Christine, then Bob – so it’s not involved in this round of counting. Only the votes that have either gone directly to Joe or have been distributed to him in the second round of counting will be affected.
Our third round of counting results are:
| Candidate | First Round | Second Round | Third Round | Total |
| Jane | 33,000 | 7,000 | 6,000 | 46,000 |
| Bob | 30,000 | 5,000 | 19,000 | 54,000 |
| - | - | |||
| - | - | - |
After the third round we have a clear majority, Bob, the slight odd-ball with no clear policy, is now our sitting member.
Why do we do this? Why is it important to understand how it works and use it wisely?
The preferential system means that the candidate who is ‘preferred’ by the most number of people will be elected.
A lot of people who voted for Christine ‘preferred’ Jane over the other candidates. However, in contest between Jane and Bob, they actually preferred Bob.
Why not just count my first candidate?
The other option is a ‘first past the post’ system, rather than a majority. In a first past the post system Jane would have been elected, even though she’s not the candidate that most people would prefer to have.
Party preferences
Often the parties will allocate their preferences. You, the voter, simply put in a ‘1’. If additional rounds of counting are required, your vote is distributed according the preferences nominated by the party. This is all very well IF (big IF) the party’s preferences match your’s. Unfortunately, a lot of voters use the party preference because a) they don’t understand the system and b) it saves them time and effort – particularly on the Senate vote, which can have dozens and dozens of candidates.
How to mark your preferences
Still not sure how to use your preferential vote? It’s really very simple.
1. Put a ‘1’ against your absolute top candidate. ‘If everything goes the way I think it should this person will be elected.’
2. Think ‘Okay, if number one wasn’t running, who would I vote for out of the rest of these geezers?’, because (essentially) that’s what preferential voting is about. Put a number 2 against that candidate.
3. Continue the process until every box is numbered.
http://www.eca.gov.au/systems/single/by_category/preferential.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_system_of_Australia#Preferential_voting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting
07 August 2013
Creativity Journal - Inspired
Yesterday I was suffering from a bad case of "unemployed blahs". These come and go through the weeks. I have never, ever been out of work for more than a couple of weeks. Now four months and counting. sigh The really disheartening thing is that I am (supposedly) so much more employable than I ever have been. Since the last time I went job hunting, I have gained a Bachelor's degree, I have gained a Graduate Certificate, I am half way through a Masters degree. double sigh
You read these inspiring articles online or in the magazines - if you're not doing what you love, make some changes, get a new qualification, start again, blah, blah, blah. Well, I did that and at this point in time, it's not working out so well.
Which isn't to say I regret it. I don't. I am very proud of my qualifications. Not the end result, the bit of paper, per se, but that I actually stuck it out - through all the stress, the illness (yes, studying made me seriously ill), the never-ending-ness of it. I'm starter, not a finisher. I love new projects. I love shiny. I love potential. I get bored with the day-to-day of things pretty quickly. Dishes, laundry, filing, timesheets - blurgh. But I stuck it out for six long years and I actually finished it. I proved to myself, in a grand way, that although I don't enjoy the blah, I can see it through.
The irony of my unemployment is not lost on me. Most jobs in my post-grad field are Sydney based. If there is one place on the planet that I simply do not wish to live (and neither does the family), it's Sydney. We're not really city people; we 'cope' with Brisbane living. I think Sydney would send us all around the bend within a week. Most jobs in my grad field,for someone with my limited experience, are site based. Which would be wonderful, if I were the standard graduate with five years experience - mid 20s, young, unattached, footloose and fancy free (I have vague memories of those days). The 'fly in-fly out' or 'drive in-drive out' lifestyle gets very old, very quickly even if you are in the right age bracket. For someone fast approaching, ummm, twice that age bracket, with a teenager, with a husband, with a life - it gets old even before you start. And my pre-grad field? Well, I'm too qualified and no-one's even nibbling.
Some days I really enjoy staying home, getting up late, pottering about in my PJs, baking in the middle of the day, not stressing about how to fit my studies into 5 minute blocks of time. But some days the budget and boredom and the lack of mental challenge and, quite frankly, the rejection, all pile up and this feels like a big pile of poo. double sigh.
And yesterday was one of those days. I thought I'd check the next creativity journal challenge. I got thinking about it. I worked on something that meets the challenge. And then I was inspired. I'm still thinking it through. I'm not sure how it's going to pan out. I'm not convinced it the answer to my unemployment blues, but I'm going to take the first step or two and see what happens.
One thing's for certain, today will be too busy for the blues to stick around for long. I'll let you know how it all pans out.
You read these inspiring articles online or in the magazines - if you're not doing what you love, make some changes, get a new qualification, start again, blah, blah, blah. Well, I did that and at this point in time, it's not working out so well.
Which isn't to say I regret it. I don't. I am very proud of my qualifications. Not the end result, the bit of paper, per se, but that I actually stuck it out - through all the stress, the illness (yes, studying made me seriously ill), the never-ending-ness of it. I'm starter, not a finisher. I love new projects. I love shiny. I love potential. I get bored with the day-to-day of things pretty quickly. Dishes, laundry, filing, timesheets - blurgh. But I stuck it out for six long years and I actually finished it. I proved to myself, in a grand way, that although I don't enjoy the blah, I can see it through.
 |
| Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, oh, look at that ... |
The irony of my unemployment is not lost on me. Most jobs in my post-grad field are Sydney based. If there is one place on the planet that I simply do not wish to live (and neither does the family), it's Sydney. We're not really city people; we 'cope' with Brisbane living. I think Sydney would send us all around the bend within a week. Most jobs in my grad field,for someone with my limited experience, are site based. Which would be wonderful, if I were the standard graduate with five years experience - mid 20s, young, unattached, footloose and fancy free (I have vague memories of those days). The 'fly in-fly out' or 'drive in-drive out' lifestyle gets very old, very quickly even if you are in the right age bracket. For someone fast approaching, ummm, twice that age bracket, with a teenager, with a husband, with a life - it gets old even before you start. And my pre-grad field? Well, I'm too qualified and no-one's even nibbling.
Some days I really enjoy staying home, getting up late, pottering about in my PJs, baking in the middle of the day, not stressing about how to fit my studies into 5 minute blocks of time. But some days the budget and boredom and the lack of mental challenge and, quite frankly, the rejection, all pile up and this feels like a big pile of poo. double sigh.
photo credit: f1uffster (Jeanie) via photopin cc
And yesterday was one of those days. I thought I'd check the next creativity journal challenge. I got thinking about it. I worked on something that meets the challenge. And then I was inspired. I'm still thinking it through. I'm not sure how it's going to pan out. I'm not convinced it the answer to my unemployment blues, but I'm going to take the first step or two and see what happens.
One thing's for certain, today will be too busy for the blues to stick around for long. I'll let you know how it all pans out.
07 July 2012
Tuesday - Friday : where does the week go?
Well, so much for posting a photo of my dinner every night! That lasted all of a day. I did take a photo on Tuesday - Indian. Wednesday we ate with friends (little rude/odd to take a photo of their table)! Thursday was a bit hit-and-miss for dinner. Friday we ate out at a restaurant (again, a little strange to take a photo).
So, the good stuff this week:
- I'm finally feeling like I'm over the brief course of steroids.Why anyone voluntarily takes the things is beyond me. They have a list of possible side-effects a mile long and none of them real fun.
- I've handed over my baby at work. I'm really looking forward to work on other projects, but it is really hard to let go. I just have to say "It's work; it's not personal. It is not my responsibility if the person who has been given it doesn't live up to my high standards." Similarly, if they exceed my high standards, I have to still let go!
- My next package of uni has arrived. Not sure this is a "good" point for the week, but it means I am one step closer to my Masters; one step closer to finishing this crazy journey that I swore I'd never start.
- My girl comes home from art camp today.
- I've just made a big batch of pumpkin, sweet potato, ginger and lemon grass soup. Hope it's good 'cause I'm supposed to be eating it for lunch for the next week or so!
On another note, my old (former) toxicology lecturer posted a link to research this morning. Apparently, meditation can create new brain paths. Article. In looking for info about the integrative body mind training mentioned in the article, I found this very interesting post by Jonathan Fields.
I was caught by his paragraph:
My instant thought was "this is what reading does". When I read I am highly focused; barely aware of anything going around me, but at the same time I am completely relaxed. Later in the post Jonathan actually lists some everyday activities that can induce this "Attentional Training" - running, playing music, art. When I sew I do reach a level of focus and relaxation, but not to the same extend as reading.
My conclusion - I need to read more. I haven't read (or sewed) a lot recently because of the competing demands on my time. And because I do so easily get lost in a book and it can chew up whole days. But maybe that's not such a bad thing.
 |
| Indian - beef madras, prahata, carrots and beans ('cause the Man can't do 'no vegetables') |
So, the good stuff this week:
- I'm finally feeling like I'm over the brief course of steroids.Why anyone voluntarily takes the things is beyond me. They have a list of possible side-effects a mile long and none of them real fun.
- I've handed over my baby at work. I'm really looking forward to work on other projects, but it is really hard to let go. I just have to say "It's work; it's not personal. It is not my responsibility if the person who has been given it doesn't live up to my high standards." Similarly, if they exceed my high standards, I have to still let go!
- My next package of uni has arrived. Not sure this is a "good" point for the week, but it means I am one step closer to my Masters; one step closer to finishing this crazy journey that I swore I'd never start.
- My girl comes home from art camp today.
- I've just made a big batch of pumpkin, sweet potato, ginger and lemon grass soup. Hope it's good 'cause I'm supposed to be eating it for lunch for the next week or so!
On another note, my old (former) toxicology lecturer posted a link to research this morning. Apparently, meditation can create new brain paths. Article. In looking for info about the integrative body mind training mentioned in the article, I found this very interesting post by Jonathan Fields.
I was caught by his paragraph:
Done right, AT (Attentional Training) induces a psycho-physiological state where your heart-rate, blood pressure and levels of stressor hormones all drop precipitously, while your attention becomes highly-focused. And, inducing this state on a regular basis not only helps your mindset, it dramatically lowers your risk for heart-disease, diabetes, and various other life-limiting conditions. It helps you sleep deeper, longer and wake fewer times at night and it can lower anxiety, stress and depression. That’s where the focus has been in most of the research.
My instant thought was "this is what reading does". When I read I am highly focused; barely aware of anything going around me, but at the same time I am completely relaxed. Later in the post Jonathan actually lists some everyday activities that can induce this "Attentional Training" - running, playing music, art. When I sew I do reach a level of focus and relaxation, but not to the same extend as reading.
My conclusion - I need to read more. I haven't read (or sewed) a lot recently because of the competing demands on my time. And because I do so easily get lost in a book and it can chew up whole days. But maybe that's not such a bad thing.
01 July 2012
The last two weeks
I'm not even going to pretend to remember what happened every day for the last two weeks. The good stuff - celebrated my nana's 90th birthday with her; started a new project at work; went clothes shopping with my 14 year old ('cause I'd rather going shopping with you mum than my friends); starting seeing the naturapath again.
The not so good stuff - got a viral throat infection. I actually didn't feel all that sick. Just had a sore throat and no voice. No other standard 'cold' symptoms. Went to the doctor in case it was tonsillitis (which is often bacterial and therefore treatable with antibiotics). He gave me the week off so I didn't spread my germs about. I felt like I spent most of the lolly-gagging about for nothing. Until Thursday night. During the wee hours of Thursday morning my feet were a bit itchy. Thursday night my right shoulder blade was itchy, and my feet, and behind my left knee. Friday morning I was covered in hives.
Hives are incredibly annoying, but they are (in my case) actually a sign that I'm on the mend. The way it was explained to me - my body ramps up white blood cell production to take on the virus (that's normal). When the virus is defeated the extra white blood cells are supposed "stand down", mine don't. They look for something else to attack. There's no more virus, so they attack me. Therefore the hives are a sign that the virus has been defeated. Doesn't actually make they any more pleasant.
In fact this time, the hives took it out of me more than the blasted virus. I've spent most of the last three days sleeping. Partly hive induced, partly steroid induced. The steroids relieve the inflammation, but they nasty blighters and I'm guessing not performance enhancing.
I have provided amusement for my Facebook friends, however. Saturday I did my impression of a botox experiment gone wrong. Everything swells up and is really tender. Thankfully my feet didn't swell too badly this time; walking is agony when they do. My hands did swell and using a knife and fork to eat was out of the question. My charming man has a warped sense of humour. He gracious poached me eggs for breakfast and did his best "feeding the toddler" impression, complete with airplane noises. I think it was my most liked status update ever.
I don't mind the hives, the itching, the swelling quite so much as I mind the indignity of not being able to do for myself. Not sure how well I'm going to deal with old age.
The not so good stuff - got a viral throat infection. I actually didn't feel all that sick. Just had a sore throat and no voice. No other standard 'cold' symptoms. Went to the doctor in case it was tonsillitis (which is often bacterial and therefore treatable with antibiotics). He gave me the week off so I didn't spread my germs about. I felt like I spent most of the lolly-gagging about for nothing. Until Thursday night. During the wee hours of Thursday morning my feet were a bit itchy. Thursday night my right shoulder blade was itchy, and my feet, and behind my left knee. Friday morning I was covered in hives.
Hives are incredibly annoying, but they are (in my case) actually a sign that I'm on the mend. The way it was explained to me - my body ramps up white blood cell production to take on the virus (that's normal). When the virus is defeated the extra white blood cells are supposed "stand down", mine don't. They look for something else to attack. There's no more virus, so they attack me. Therefore the hives are a sign that the virus has been defeated. Doesn't actually make they any more pleasant.
In fact this time, the hives took it out of me more than the blasted virus. I've spent most of the last three days sleeping. Partly hive induced, partly steroid induced. The steroids relieve the inflammation, but they nasty blighters and I'm guessing not performance enhancing.
I have provided amusement for my Facebook friends, however. Saturday I did my impression of a botox experiment gone wrong. Everything swells up and is really tender. Thankfully my feet didn't swell too badly this time; walking is agony when they do. My hands did swell and using a knife and fork to eat was out of the question. My charming man has a warped sense of humour. He gracious poached me eggs for breakfast and did his best "feeding the toddler" impression, complete with airplane noises. I think it was my most liked status update ever.
I don't mind the hives, the itching, the swelling quite so much as I mind the indignity of not being able to do for myself. Not sure how well I'm going to deal with old age.
16 June 2012
The week that was
The perfectionist in me says I 'should' post a separate entry for each day this week. The woman in charge, however, isn't listening to the perfectionist.
Monday - we very briefly visited my nana. Crazy really. We drive 3 hours there and 3 hours back; spend so much time stuffing around that we barely manage to squeeze in half an hour with her before lunch. However, she turns 90 in a week, so we're going back down to see her next weekend.
Tuesday - was not well. Saw little silver stars while having a shower. Last time I saw those, the doctor had given me some prednisone (a steroid) to get my hives under control. Didn't ask me if I'd eaten before I ripped it out of her hand and gobbled it up (I was a bit of a mess and pretty desperate). Spent the day lying on the couch, generally feeling sorry for myself and moaning about how little the ABC had on iView that was worth watching. I'm pretty sure I remember thinking at some point "this is something positive I could blog about", but I left it too long and it's disappeared.
Wednesday - decided I was well enough to go to work. On the train on the way in I wasn't so sure I'd made the right decision. Then when I thought I was going to faint while waiting for the train to pull into my station, I decided I'd made the wrong decision. Still, I left the platform, thinking if I took some painkillers I'd be fine. After buying the tablets and some breakfast and getting half way out of the station, I had a flash of "you stupid woman", at which point I turned around and caught the next train home. When I got home I put MASH on the DVD player and promptly slept through an entire disc. I do love MASH. We've watched it so often that I don't need to "watch" it to be able to "see" it. I don't sleep during the day, but I find MASH keeps my mind occupied enough to allow it shut off (if that makes sense).
Thursday - thought I'd give the work thing another go. Survived the day, albeit exhausted by the end. Went to my singing lesson. Almost didn't, but decided it is a bright moment in any week and I needed a bright moment. My singing teacher has given me a lovely piece to prepare for Christmas. Yes, I know, it's only June. But unlike Glee, and a few other groups I've been involved with, she recognises that new material takes some time to prepare. You can't just have a dress rehearsal and then put on the show. I'm really looking forward to learning this piece.
Friday - another day at work. Today I got to send the email to the 'powers that be' on my current project, saying I would be handing over my role to someone else.
Which brings me up to date. Today I'm off to buy new winter sheets, a new cat flap (she broke it going like a bat outta hell through it), a water tank, and possibly a car. Variety is the spice of life.
Monday - we very briefly visited my nana. Crazy really. We drive 3 hours there and 3 hours back; spend so much time stuffing around that we barely manage to squeeze in half an hour with her before lunch. However, she turns 90 in a week, so we're going back down to see her next weekend.
 |
| Mum, me, nana and The Girl |
Tuesday - was not well. Saw little silver stars while having a shower. Last time I saw those, the doctor had given me some prednisone (a steroid) to get my hives under control. Didn't ask me if I'd eaten before I ripped it out of her hand and gobbled it up (I was a bit of a mess and pretty desperate). Spent the day lying on the couch, generally feeling sorry for myself and moaning about how little the ABC had on iView that was worth watching. I'm pretty sure I remember thinking at some point "this is something positive I could blog about", but I left it too long and it's disappeared.
Wednesday - decided I was well enough to go to work. On the train on the way in I wasn't so sure I'd made the right decision. Then when I thought I was going to faint while waiting for the train to pull into my station, I decided I'd made the wrong decision. Still, I left the platform, thinking if I took some painkillers I'd be fine. After buying the tablets and some breakfast and getting half way out of the station, I had a flash of "you stupid woman", at which point I turned around and caught the next train home. When I got home I put MASH on the DVD player and promptly slept through an entire disc. I do love MASH. We've watched it so often that I don't need to "watch" it to be able to "see" it. I don't sleep during the day, but I find MASH keeps my mind occupied enough to allow it shut off (if that makes sense).
 |
| From our USA trip; we visited the MASH location |
Thursday - thought I'd give the work thing another go. Survived the day, albeit exhausted by the end. Went to my singing lesson. Almost didn't, but decided it is a bright moment in any week and I needed a bright moment. My singing teacher has given me a lovely piece to prepare for Christmas. Yes, I know, it's only June. But unlike Glee, and a few other groups I've been involved with, she recognises that new material takes some time to prepare. You can't just have a dress rehearsal and then put on the show. I'm really looking forward to learning this piece.
Which brings me up to date. Today I'm off to buy new winter sheets, a new cat flap (she broke it going like a bat outta hell through it), a water tank, and possibly a car. Variety is the spice of life.
10 June 2012
Friday 8 June 2012
Not sure I did much today that I wanted to do. The Girl hit her head at school and ended up with three stitches in her forehead. Not on my bucket list.
After the excitement, spent the day driving out to Dalby and back, stopping to identify various trees and culverts along the way. Again, not on my bucket list.
Avoided my assignment, watched some TV, and went to bed early.
I did cook chicken soup for dinner. The Man had planned chicken and chips but that just didn't appeal. I took his BBQ chicken, pulled it apart. Sautéed some onion, added some veggies from the fridge, the chicken and a litre of chicken soup. Wah-lah, chicken soup.
(not my photo)
After the excitement, spent the day driving out to Dalby and back, stopping to identify various trees and culverts along the way. Again, not on my bucket list.
Avoided my assignment, watched some TV, and went to bed early.
I did cook chicken soup for dinner. The Man had planned chicken and chips but that just didn't appeal. I took his BBQ chicken, pulled it apart. Sautéed some onion, added some veggies from the fridge, the chicken and a litre of chicken soup. Wah-lah, chicken soup.
04 June 2012
New Beginnings - Saturday 2 June
Long story short - letting things get me down that really need to be shrugged off. Lost my motivation; not eating right, not exercising, not enjoying life. Being a great believer in starting over from where a body happens to be, I decided on Saturday afternoon to do just that. My basic plan is - give up coffee (sigh) and do at least one thing a day that I truly enjoy. Although I started on Saturday afternoon, it is easier to track using full days, so I'm counting '1' from Sunday. However, as a 'catch up':
Saturday 2 June - bought some "Detox & Cleanse" tea from The Tea Centre. It's a pleasant enough drink; not sure what it's supposed to do.
I also fixed a lamp. It's bugged me for, quite literally, years. It's got a long flexible 'neck' with two prongs going into the base. One prong always comes out of the base and causes the light to droop. I finally decided I was going to replace it, but first, I'd pull it apart and see what was what. Inside the base the prong is supposed to screw into a nut; it was unscrewed. I screwed the nut back on; tightened up the nut on the second prong, and the lamp is as good as new. So simple, so rewarding, so annoying that I left it for so long.
Saturday 2 June - bought some "Detox & Cleanse" tea from The Tea Centre. It's a pleasant enough drink; not sure what it's supposed to do.
03 November 2009
Birthday
My creative effort for today involves getting older. I manage to do it without thought 364 days of the year, but today requires a little more effort. I have been spoilt with Wild Raspberry jam (yet to be sampled) and a beautiful necklace and earrings.
We saw these at a little gift shop while on holidays way back in September. I've had to wait all that time to be allowed to see them again and wear them. I don't wear a lot of jewellery but I just love the colours in these.
I didn't win any Melbourne Cup sweeps :-( Not to matter. I entered five fabric sweeps, and risked receiving 23 FQ if I did win. Since I say I'm trying to thin out my stash, it's probably a good thing I didn't win. Instead of a net gain of 19FQ, I get to just give away five.
Off to dinner tonight. If we can find a restaurant with a spare table; The Man isn't exactly a forward planner!
We saw these at a little gift shop while on holidays way back in September. I've had to wait all that time to be allowed to see them again and wear them. I don't wear a lot of jewellery but I just love the colours in these.
I didn't win any Melbourne Cup sweeps :-( Not to matter. I entered five fabric sweeps, and risked receiving 23 FQ if I did win. Since I say I'm trying to thin out my stash, it's probably a good thing I didn't win. Instead of a net gain of 19FQ, I get to just give away five.
Off to dinner tonight. If we can find a restaurant with a spare table; The Man isn't exactly a forward planner!
22 November 2007
Life, but not as we know it
Well, I thought it might happen. End of semester rolled around and writing more than a single sentence became near impossible. I've spent the best part of the last month avoiding studying and achieving very little.
I have gotten older. A whole year older in fact! Just one more year to the "big four oh". Funny thing age. I feel so out of touch with most people under 30. Haven't a clue what they're talking about a lot of the time. But I don't feel much older than about 25. Age! I said to someone it was all just in your head. And they said nope, it's all just physical. I think I like Mark Twain's take - it's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter.
So, aside from getting older and greyer (it's study and kids that do that to you) what have I been doing? Precious little. Today, being between exams, made The Girl a pirate's outfit for the end of year play. Actually, it was pretty easy. Take one picture of a sword off the net, print it out nice and big, trace onto thin ply. Use electric jigsaw (love my power tools) and cut out. Paint silver, wrap handle with wadding and leather (glue in place), stick cheap glittery rocks on the rest of the handle. Next, take one hubby sized white business shirt (its okay, it was in the Sallie's bag). Use pinking shears - cut off the sleeves at wrist length of child, cut of the bottom to suitable length, cut from the 2nd button up and around the neck to remove the collar. Next sew elastic to inside of the shoulders to gather; sew elastic to sleeves just below the elbow; add pleats or tucks to back to gather it up a bit. Hey presto, one lovely big baggy, but fitting pirate's shirt. Add black leggings, a red sash and gold belt, and pirate's hat (cheated - that came from Crazy Clarks) and you're in business. I'd love to find her some spats so it looks like she's wearing boots. Might Google it later.
Aside from that, hmmm. Discovered Facebook. What a disaster! Great tool for procrastinators. I spend most of my time in the TV trivia application. And I only watch one or two shows - both oldies. MASH and Northern Exposure. We own the entire 11 seasons of MASH on DVD and we've watched them about a dozen times. Think I've earnt myself nearly 80,000 points answering MASH questions, at 30 or 40 points a question. Sad, sad life.
And that is about as exciting as life has gotten in the past month. Seems I named my blog rather aptly!
I have gotten older. A whole year older in fact! Just one more year to the "big four oh". Funny thing age. I feel so out of touch with most people under 30. Haven't a clue what they're talking about a lot of the time. But I don't feel much older than about 25. Age! I said to someone it was all just in your head. And they said nope, it's all just physical. I think I like Mark Twain's take - it's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter.
So, aside from getting older and greyer (it's study and kids that do that to you) what have I been doing? Precious little. Today, being between exams, made The Girl a pirate's outfit for the end of year play. Actually, it was pretty easy. Take one picture of a sword off the net, print it out nice and big, trace onto thin ply. Use electric jigsaw (love my power tools) and cut out. Paint silver, wrap handle with wadding and leather (glue in place), stick cheap glittery rocks on the rest of the handle. Next, take one hubby sized white business shirt (its okay, it was in the Sallie's bag). Use pinking shears - cut off the sleeves at wrist length of child, cut of the bottom to suitable length, cut from the 2nd button up and around the neck to remove the collar. Next sew elastic to inside of the shoulders to gather; sew elastic to sleeves just below the elbow; add pleats or tucks to back to gather it up a bit. Hey presto, one lovely big baggy, but fitting pirate's shirt. Add black leggings, a red sash and gold belt, and pirate's hat (cheated - that came from Crazy Clarks) and you're in business. I'd love to find her some spats so it looks like she's wearing boots. Might Google it later.
Aside from that, hmmm. Discovered Facebook. What a disaster! Great tool for procrastinators. I spend most of my time in the TV trivia application. And I only watch one or two shows - both oldies. MASH and Northern Exposure. We own the entire 11 seasons of MASH on DVD and we've watched them about a dozen times. Think I've earnt myself nearly 80,000 points answering MASH questions, at 30 or 40 points a question. Sad, sad life.
And that is about as exciting as life has gotten in the past month. Seems I named my blog rather aptly!
21 October 2007
Favourites
I've been thinking about favourites. There's a little box somewhere on the blog where you can make a list of your favourite things. I think that's what started me thinking about it. I have so many favourites, I don't think a single list would suffice. So, today I'm going to start with a list of my favourite email newsletters.
Over time I have managed to get myself signed up to dozens of email newsletter. Many of them I don't even open, they go straight to delete. Some however are firm favourites, and I read them whenever they turn up. So, in no obvious order, here they are:
Over time I have managed to get myself signed up to dozens of email newsletter. Many of them I don't even open, they go straight to delete. Some however are firm favourites, and I read them whenever they turn up. So, in no obvious order, here they are:
- Simple Savings, http://www.simplesavings.com.au/, weekly, Australian. There are two newsletters come out. One is a top tip savings for the week, the other is a compilation of bits and pieces. I actually have a membership to the "vault" for this site. The vault is a collection of savings tips from readers and has heaps of interesting ideas. The reality of my life that when hubby and I get our budgetting act together we will do much better at saving.
- Cheapskates, http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/, daily, Amercian. Mary Hunt sends a variety of tips each day, including both time and money savers. Some of them are interesting; some of them not very relevant to Australia.
- World Wide Words, http://www.worldwidewords.org/, weekly, British. Michael's newsletter is has a combination of a modern phrase or word and some older terms that may have fallen into disuse. He also has a wonderful section "Sic!" where readers contribute grammar mistakes they've seen, often in quite illustrious publications.
- Word a Day, wordsmith.org/awad/, daily, Amercian(?). I believe Anu is Indian, but lives in Amercia. He often picks a topic for the week and sends out an obscure word each day. Sometimes just for fun he picks on more common words - or maybe it's just they're words I'm familiar with. At the end of each newsletter is a quotation, totally unrelated to the word. I love quotes.
- My Daily Insights, www.mydailyinsights.com/, daily!, Amercian. This is a quote a day service (told you I love quotes). They cover a whole range of issues, but are positive, motivating quotes. Friday's newsletter is a longer story, often very pointed.
My favourite newsletter of all is Philip Humbert's "TIPS for Extraordinary Living" http://www.philiphumbert.com/. Philip is an Amercian life coach. I often find "success" newsletter have a strong focus on making lots of money, gaining lots of tangible assets and generally being wealthy. Philip has a wonderful balance. Whatever your definition of success - HD student, sports star, business genius, great mum - his weekly tips are applicable. If you're a business person he has a separate section in the newsletter that is just business tips; but the main section is general lifestyle tips.
For example, just recently he looked at perfection, excellence and good enough. Only very rarely should we (can we) aim for perfection. And often the reality is that good enough is enough. We need to weigh up our priorities and decide how much effort something is worth to us. The example he used was mowing the lawn. If our garden is not our supreme priority, than maybe good enough is enough when it comes to spending time mowing the lawn.
And talking of priorities, I've promised my study accountability buddy that I would achieve a certain amount of study today. Guess I better get to it.
17 October 2007
Cheap Fun
I found my blue food colouring, so I've had some cheap fun this afternoon. I've done my assignment, so I'm technically not really procrastinating. Except for all that other study I have waiting for my attention.
You take nine containers all roughly the same size and food colouring in the three primary colours (red, yellow, blue). Mine are all motel shampoo type bottles. Set up your bottles in a triangle:
In "R" put three drops of red, in the "2"s next to "R" put two drops of red, and in the "1"s put 1 drop.
In "B" put three drops of blue, two drops in the "1"s, 1 drop in the "2"s.
And finally, repeat for yellow - three drops of yellow in "Y", two in bottles closest, and one in the next lot out.
Shake well and you end up with a spectrum of colours. Some of my bottles show the colour better than others. And I suspect my blue is slightly more 'powerful' than the red and yellow. But still, it's a cheap fun way to make a colourful bathroom display.
I picked this technique up off a DVD by Michele Steele, a well known Australian quilter. She was demonstating how to dye fabric. I really can't justify the time or effort to play with fabric at the moment, so I'm content to play with my little bottles. I have fabric dying on my list of Christmas holidays things to do.
The things normal people do to fill in a half hour!
You take nine containers all roughly the same size and food colouring in the three primary colours (red, yellow, blue). Mine are all motel shampoo type bottles. Set up your bottles in a triangle:
In "R" put three drops of red, in the "2"s next to "R" put two drops of red, and in the "1"s put 1 drop.
In "B" put three drops of blue, two drops in the "1"s, 1 drop in the "2"s.
And finally, repeat for yellow - three drops of yellow in "Y", two in bottles closest, and one in the next lot out.
Shake well and you end up with a spectrum of colours. Some of my bottles show the colour better than others. And I suspect my blue is slightly more 'powerful' than the red and yellow. But still, it's a cheap fun way to make a colourful bathroom display.
I picked this technique up off a DVD by Michele Steele, a well known Australian quilter. She was demonstating how to dye fabric. I really can't justify the time or effort to play with fabric at the moment, so I'm content to play with my little bottles. I have fabric dying on my list of Christmas holidays things to do.The things normal people do to fill in a half hour!
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