Offline tonight...
[The following journal entry was made largely offline.]
Damn, nothing on the teeve tonight, and I can't go online because I need to keep the phone free - I'm expecting a couple of calls. An otherwise-perfect night for watching TV and doing the stack of ironing in my basket, except there's nothing worth watching. I suppose I could always wander down to the corner shop and see what their video selection is like... Or I could always do a spot of writing. :)
I'm going to have to call BRM tonight too, on his mobile. He's been in Albury all week at a science camp - great experience and kudos for the teaching thing - but we're planning on joining a couple of his school mates bushwalking on Mt Bogong this Friday, and I need to know if I should be doing a freeze-dried food run during my lunch hour tomorrow. The usual instant pasta and rice meals, plus the bushwalker's timeless favourite, porridge. That's oatmeal for the Americans watching. ;) Nothing like it on a freezing cold morning in the mountains.
It's strange. When I was younger, in high school, you just about had to stick an electric cattle prod up my butt to get me to do anything active. There was the usual farm chores - wood chopping, getting hay for the cows and sheep and the goat, digging holes for various projects and herding animals being the ones that used the most energy - but apart from that I spent a lot of time either in my room, reading, or under my tree on the hill behind our house, also reading. Sometimes writing. And angsting. I could have angsted for my school, if it had been an event. ;) Any way, once I started university, I suddenly developed all this energy, and a tendency to exercise. I started cycling (although that was probably BRM's influence!). I joined the karate club in my third year. I swam, not just fooling around in the local river, but proper laps. I even went to a couple of aerobics classes. Almost all the things I do now I didn't start until I was out of my teens; rock climbing probably when I was 23 or 24, karate at 21, mountain biking at 30. ;) The only things I continued from my early years were the bicycle touring and the swimming, and it's been a while since I did much of either - I only commute to and from work, and the last time I swam was at karate camp last November, I think.
I just find it really odd that I should be so damn... sporty. I never was in school, hated competitive sports, especially team ones, because no-one wanted me on their teams, was average a a lot of things active. But I find that I actually enjoy pushing myself. I was trolling through Melbourne Uni Karate Club's website, and finding myself itching to train. Which is odd, since I was actually thinking to myself the other day that my martial arts days were conceivably over, a possiblility that didn't overly worry me. Tonight I found myself running through kata in my head (and in my kitchen, in a very abbreviated form!), and wondering if there was enough space in the lounge room for me to go through some warm-ups. *shakes head* Must be a mid-life thing. ;) But I will search out that phone number for the Goju Ryu club in Albury - they seemed to be one of the less thuggy ones.
On a different note... Can I kill Pauline Hanson? Please? Honestly, the woman is destroying what little overseas reputation we had left intact, after the efforts of the Gnome (alias John Howard, the PM Who Would Not Get A Clue) and the third Crocodile Dundee movie. Between the three of them, people are going to see us as conservative, backwards-looking bigots with stupid hats and an obsession with the 1950s. Watching the news tonight, with the latest Pauline gaffe (she said in an interview that Australians disliked Asian enclaves and the way Asians are taking over our suburbs), I despaired for my country. How this woman not only continues to run for governmnet, but actually receives votes, is beyond me. She is uneducated, xenophobic and politically short-sighted, yet she has taken advantage of her status as a 'ordinary working woman' and plays on the fears and resentment of those like her, to the point they will vote for her solely because they hate the existing parties, not because she has good policies, or policies at all, for that matter. *shudders* Thank goodness for the Democrats, at least. With Natasha at the helm, I feel I can vote for them again. *scowls at the departing back of Meg "In Bed With The GST" Lees*
Okay, enough on the mysteries of Aussie politics. Was just working out my Dexcon leave time - I couldn't actually apply for it today, since Pete decided to take until Tuesday off now. Bastard. It means a) I have to work tomorrow, which I didn't want to do, since Michael was planning to stop by on the way back from Canberra, and now I'm going to have to wait another week for wild monkey sex *grins unashamedly*; and b) I have to work by myself on Monday, all day, since Paula has been kidnapped by Wangaratta Court that day. (gotta love the local area place names!) Actually, b) isn't all that bad, since it means I don't have to work on Thursday (back to part time that week), and since Wednesday is ANZAC Day (another public holiday!), I can catch the train down to Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon. So Yas, brace yourself, we're going out on Wednesday for your birthday. My shout, Ms 21. ;) (unless you already have plans, of course *grins*)
I also have my weapons camp that weekend, so I'm sorta planning on staying at Michael and Adam's (who is another karateka) place until Friday, and risking death by getting a lift to camp with Adam. (not a joke - the last time I was in a car with him, we were doing 140 km/hr at one stage) The fun part will be taking my bo and my jo on the train - no worries getting a seat, I'd say. :) The escrima sticks just slide down the sides of my pack; I'll take my pristine new ones, as well as the extremely battered, mushy-under-the-electrical-tape old ones. So next week is a two-day working week for me. *big grin* Only problem with getting all your public holidays in one lump is the five months from June to November with nada. Raph, you'd better be getting Queen's Birthday off so you can come visit before Christmas.
Where was I? Oh yes, Dexcon. Looks like I'm going to have to fly out either the 26th or 27th of July, and return around the 10th or the 11th of August, in order to make the most of the three-days-a-week work thing. Anything else involves using up more than six of my nine leave days, which I could do, I suppose, but I'd prefer not to. What would work out best would be if I could fly into Vancouver, drive to Toronto with Lise etc (she's planning to arrive early any way), do the Con thing, and then fly out of Toronto. Of course, that depends on Lise's plans, and Dex's plans, and air fares. But if it could work like that, I'd be happy. I'll mail Lise and see what she thinks. As it is, it looks like I won't be able to sort out leave until next week, and tickets not until the first week of May.
***
Later... much later. About three hours later, in fact.
Well, I might not have been online, but the phone has been busy any way. :) Michael called and arranged lunch for tomorrow - and we are NOT going to the park again. I can't handle another afternoon like last time. ;P As it is, I'll be seeing him next week for a few days, plenty of time to get up to whatever.
Then I called Yas, and let her know I was coming down. I was tempted to just turn up on her doorstep, but doing that usually backfires. ;) No set plans, but I have three days in Melbourne where I'm not doing anything much (although she does have class!), so we'll catch up. :) It was great just chatting to her, especially since I was feeling... not lonely exactly, but in need of company. Yas is good company. :)
Once I got off the phone to Yas, I checked the message bank and found Greta (one of BRM's friends originally, but becoming one of mine) had called about coming walking on the weekend. After scrabbling around I found her number and called her back, and we ended up talking for about two hours. :) So no, Yas, I didn't get around to phoning Amanda. It was good, talking to Greta pretty frankly, about as frankly as I talk to the ficcers, really. But the difference being online I'm 'safe', protected by distance and the impersonal screen, while talking to Greta was going out on a limb, in a way. I have to be able to face her in the daylight, so to speak. :) I found that BRM hadn't told her the real extent of the situation between us, which pisses me off - I feel like an outgrown toy, something that you can't throw away, but you hide in the closet so your friends won't see it. But I can understand why; he wants to have a fresh start here, reinvent himself without the old baggage, but he's deluding himself in a way. Pretending stuff doesn't exist, that our relationship didn't exist, is only going to bite him on the arse.
But Greta was great. I think she actually likes me as a friend more than BRM, especially since she knew he wasn't being entirely straight with her. Greta's one of those very open people, who will always be honest, and who seems genuinely interested in people. In a way she reminds me of Heatherly, always willing to see the good in people - they both work with troubled kids, too - and able to see the magic in ordinary things. I think I could be good friends with this person.
So that's it from me. It's getting late (almost 11.30pm) and I didn't sleep well last night. Kept waking up and then got annoyed with myself for doing so, which only made it worse. At least work was quiet today. Hopefully this law-abiding streak will continue. ;)
Must remember: Tape the David Bridie special next Thrusday night (11pm) on ABC.
Damn, nothing on the teeve tonight, and I can't go online because I need to keep the phone free - I'm expecting a couple of calls. An otherwise-perfect night for watching TV and doing the stack of ironing in my basket, except there's nothing worth watching. I suppose I could always wander down to the corner shop and see what their video selection is like... Or I could always do a spot of writing. :)
I'm going to have to call BRM tonight too, on his mobile. He's been in Albury all week at a science camp - great experience and kudos for the teaching thing - but we're planning on joining a couple of his school mates bushwalking on Mt Bogong this Friday, and I need to know if I should be doing a freeze-dried food run during my lunch hour tomorrow. The usual instant pasta and rice meals, plus the bushwalker's timeless favourite, porridge. That's oatmeal for the Americans watching. ;) Nothing like it on a freezing cold morning in the mountains.
It's strange. When I was younger, in high school, you just about had to stick an electric cattle prod up my butt to get me to do anything active. There was the usual farm chores - wood chopping, getting hay for the cows and sheep and the goat, digging holes for various projects and herding animals being the ones that used the most energy - but apart from that I spent a lot of time either in my room, reading, or under my tree on the hill behind our house, also reading. Sometimes writing. And angsting. I could have angsted for my school, if it had been an event. ;) Any way, once I started university, I suddenly developed all this energy, and a tendency to exercise. I started cycling (although that was probably BRM's influence!). I joined the karate club in my third year. I swam, not just fooling around in the local river, but proper laps. I even went to a couple of aerobics classes. Almost all the things I do now I didn't start until I was out of my teens; rock climbing probably when I was 23 or 24, karate at 21, mountain biking at 30. ;) The only things I continued from my early years were the bicycle touring and the swimming, and it's been a while since I did much of either - I only commute to and from work, and the last time I swam was at karate camp last November, I think.
I just find it really odd that I should be so damn... sporty. I never was in school, hated competitive sports, especially team ones, because no-one wanted me on their teams, was average a a lot of things active. But I find that I actually enjoy pushing myself. I was trolling through Melbourne Uni Karate Club's website, and finding myself itching to train. Which is odd, since I was actually thinking to myself the other day that my martial arts days were conceivably over, a possiblility that didn't overly worry me. Tonight I found myself running through kata in my head (and in my kitchen, in a very abbreviated form!), and wondering if there was enough space in the lounge room for me to go through some warm-ups. *shakes head* Must be a mid-life thing. ;) But I will search out that phone number for the Goju Ryu club in Albury - they seemed to be one of the less thuggy ones.
On a different note... Can I kill Pauline Hanson? Please? Honestly, the woman is destroying what little overseas reputation we had left intact, after the efforts of the Gnome (alias John Howard, the PM Who Would Not Get A Clue) and the third Crocodile Dundee movie. Between the three of them, people are going to see us as conservative, backwards-looking bigots with stupid hats and an obsession with the 1950s. Watching the news tonight, with the latest Pauline gaffe (she said in an interview that Australians disliked Asian enclaves and the way Asians are taking over our suburbs), I despaired for my country. How this woman not only continues to run for governmnet, but actually receives votes, is beyond me. She is uneducated, xenophobic and politically short-sighted, yet she has taken advantage of her status as a 'ordinary working woman' and plays on the fears and resentment of those like her, to the point they will vote for her solely because they hate the existing parties, not because she has good policies, or policies at all, for that matter. *shudders* Thank goodness for the Democrats, at least. With Natasha at the helm, I feel I can vote for them again. *scowls at the departing back of Meg "In Bed With The GST" Lees*
Okay, enough on the mysteries of Aussie politics. Was just working out my Dexcon leave time - I couldn't actually apply for it today, since Pete decided to take until Tuesday off now. Bastard. It means a) I have to work tomorrow, which I didn't want to do, since Michael was planning to stop by on the way back from Canberra, and now I'm going to have to wait another week for wild monkey sex *grins unashamedly*; and b) I have to work by myself on Monday, all day, since Paula has been kidnapped by Wangaratta Court that day. (gotta love the local area place names!) Actually, b) isn't all that bad, since it means I don't have to work on Thursday (back to part time that week), and since Wednesday is ANZAC Day (another public holiday!), I can catch the train down to Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon. So Yas, brace yourself, we're going out on Wednesday for your birthday. My shout, Ms 21. ;) (unless you already have plans, of course *grins*)
I also have my weapons camp that weekend, so I'm sorta planning on staying at Michael and Adam's (who is another karateka) place until Friday, and risking death by getting a lift to camp with Adam. (not a joke - the last time I was in a car with him, we were doing 140 km/hr at one stage) The fun part will be taking my bo and my jo on the train - no worries getting a seat, I'd say. :) The escrima sticks just slide down the sides of my pack; I'll take my pristine new ones, as well as the extremely battered, mushy-under-the-electrical-tape old ones. So next week is a two-day working week for me. *big grin* Only problem with getting all your public holidays in one lump is the five months from June to November with nada. Raph, you'd better be getting Queen's Birthday off so you can come visit before Christmas.
Where was I? Oh yes, Dexcon. Looks like I'm going to have to fly out either the 26th or 27th of July, and return around the 10th or the 11th of August, in order to make the most of the three-days-a-week work thing. Anything else involves using up more than six of my nine leave days, which I could do, I suppose, but I'd prefer not to. What would work out best would be if I could fly into Vancouver, drive to Toronto with Lise etc (she's planning to arrive early any way), do the Con thing, and then fly out of Toronto. Of course, that depends on Lise's plans, and Dex's plans, and air fares. But if it could work like that, I'd be happy. I'll mail Lise and see what she thinks. As it is, it looks like I won't be able to sort out leave until next week, and tickets not until the first week of May.
***
Later... much later. About three hours later, in fact.
Well, I might not have been online, but the phone has been busy any way. :) Michael called and arranged lunch for tomorrow - and we are NOT going to the park again. I can't handle another afternoon like last time. ;P As it is, I'll be seeing him next week for a few days, plenty of time to get up to whatever.
Then I called Yas, and let her know I was coming down. I was tempted to just turn up on her doorstep, but doing that usually backfires. ;) No set plans, but I have three days in Melbourne where I'm not doing anything much (although she does have class!), so we'll catch up. :) It was great just chatting to her, especially since I was feeling... not lonely exactly, but in need of company. Yas is good company. :)
Once I got off the phone to Yas, I checked the message bank and found Greta (one of BRM's friends originally, but becoming one of mine) had called about coming walking on the weekend. After scrabbling around I found her number and called her back, and we ended up talking for about two hours. :) So no, Yas, I didn't get around to phoning Amanda. It was good, talking to Greta pretty frankly, about as frankly as I talk to the ficcers, really. But the difference being online I'm 'safe', protected by distance and the impersonal screen, while talking to Greta was going out on a limb, in a way. I have to be able to face her in the daylight, so to speak. :) I found that BRM hadn't told her the real extent of the situation between us, which pisses me off - I feel like an outgrown toy, something that you can't throw away, but you hide in the closet so your friends won't see it. But I can understand why; he wants to have a fresh start here, reinvent himself without the old baggage, but he's deluding himself in a way. Pretending stuff doesn't exist, that our relationship didn't exist, is only going to bite him on the arse.
But Greta was great. I think she actually likes me as a friend more than BRM, especially since she knew he wasn't being entirely straight with her. Greta's one of those very open people, who will always be honest, and who seems genuinely interested in people. In a way she reminds me of Heatherly, always willing to see the good in people - they both work with troubled kids, too - and able to see the magic in ordinary things. I think I could be good friends with this person.
So that's it from me. It's getting late (almost 11.30pm) and I didn't sleep well last night. Kept waking up and then got annoyed with myself for doing so, which only made it worse. At least work was quiet today. Hopefully this law-abiding streak will continue. ;)
Must remember: Tape the David Bridie special next Thrusday night (11pm) on ABC.