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So, I have to do a 5 minute Powerpoint presentation for school on Thursday and I need the help of my non-Aussie friends. Common perceptions/impressions/myths you have or have heard about Australia and Australians - GO!
I have arrived at my parent's new place in Wodonga, I have successfully bribed my nieces with belated Christmas and birthday gifts, and, most of all, I have gotten online with my own laptop! The password took some finding, but finally got there. Yay for me.
The weather is glorious today. Not too hot, wonderfully sunny, and I'm sitting out on the patio with a cup of tea by my side and a protein shakey thing in my belly. Today is a quiet day - I've been on the go since I got here and my voice is starting to fail. Sydney with the Aussie crew was fantastic, and mum and dad are more than okay, they're doing so much better in the new place, it's great to see.
Also, trampolines are a hell of a workout when you haven't used one for 20 years. My back is rather cranky today. But at least Zoe has a new game to play on it. :)
The weather is glorious today. Not too hot, wonderfully sunny, and I'm sitting out on the patio with a cup of tea by my side and a protein shakey thing in my belly. Today is a quiet day - I've been on the go since I got here and my voice is starting to fail. Sydney with the Aussie crew was fantastic, and mum and dad are more than okay, they're doing so much better in the new place, it's great to see.
Also, trampolines are a hell of a workout when you haven't used one for 20 years. My back is rather cranky today. But at least Zoe has a new game to play on it. :)
Fund Raising for Kym';s Asthma Meds
May. 22nd, 2012 08:28 pmOriginally posted by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
just_shai at Fund Raising for Kym's Asthma Meds
just_shai at Fund Raising for Kym's Asthma MedsSo, I need to start this by telling you about my roommate, Kym. She's amazing. She's a photographer, a cook, she practically keeps our house cleaned single-handed because my brother and I are lazy bitches. She's also one of the best friends a person can have.
She also has some pretty severe asthma. As she is a student who works only part time, sometimes she can't afford her medication. With the merciless wrath of the Ohio River Valley this year, she's been surviving on a rescue inhaler.
So, I'm setting up a fund-raiser for her. There will be auctions, but I'm going to start with a donation button.
Kym will be offering pairs of crocheted wrist warmers/fingerless gloves/mitts or scarves. She's flexible! We have a wide variety of yarns which are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Next season of Deadliest Catch might feature her hat-making skills!
Next up are the auctions! Bidding is open from now until 7pm EDT on Monday, May 28th.
I will be offering up for auction, some knitted jewelry. I use crochet floss, 100% mercerized cotton, a key charm, and two small buttons for closure.
The amazing Skyla Dawn Cameron, (OMG, you guys, BUY HER BOOKS), has offered a critique for our auction.
The most excellent Vae has offered up the Worlds of Whedon issue of SFX.
She also has some pretty severe asthma. As she is a student who works only part time, sometimes she can't afford her medication. With the merciless wrath of the Ohio River Valley this year, she's been surviving on a rescue inhaler.
So, I'm setting up a fund-raiser for her. There will be auctions, but I'm going to start with a donation button.
Kym will be offering pairs of crocheted wrist warmers/fingerless gloves/mitts or scarves. She's flexible! We have a wide variety of yarns which are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Next season of Deadliest Catch might feature her hat-making skills!
Next up are the auctions! Bidding is open from now until 7pm EDT on Monday, May 28th.
I will be offering up for auction, some knitted jewelry. I use crochet floss, 100% mercerized cotton, a key charm, and two small buttons for closure.
The amazing Skyla Dawn Cameron, (OMG, you guys, BUY HER BOOKS), has offered a critique for our auction.
The most excellent Vae has offered up the Worlds of Whedon issue of SFX.
Just since communication has been tricky this weekend - I'm at [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]'s house, have been fed, tea'ed and my bed is made up and looking comfy. :) We have a Plan to get me to where Mum's staying (she and some golf friends are at the Australian Women's Open this weekend), with a Backup Plan should the first one fail and another Backup Plan should we be late. ;)
Tomorrow is driving back to Wodonga, which takes about three and a half hours, time with the nieces and then Catching Up With All The Things Online. I may even post about my trip so far. ;)
Oh, and organise dinner with my auntie Leanne, uncle Phil and my cousin Aden, before I leave next Sunday. :)
Tomorrow is driving back to Wodonga, which takes about three and a half hours, time with the nieces and then Catching Up With All The Things Online. I may even post about my trip so far. ;)
Oh, and organise dinner with my auntie Leanne, uncle Phil and my cousin Aden, before I leave next Sunday. :)
I saw this film Sarah in the Dark on the plane from Vancouver to Sydney. It's a ten minute short, but if you ever have the chance to see it, I highly recommend you do.
It's the story most of my friendslist will recognise. A woman, bullied by her own fears and insecurities, finds herself too demoralised to do think she can ever be successful. She's in a job she hates, she's too afraid to talk to anyone for fear of appearing stupid and socially inept and every moment is punctuated by abuse from her inner voice, in the film portrayed as a kind of invisible friend that no-one else but her can see and hear. It would be a hugely depressing film, only at the end, she faces her fears and she fights back, telling her version of Captain Paranoia to shut up - and amazingly, he does. And from that moment, her life changes for the better.
It's a regular staple on the short film circuit, so keep an eye out. Sarah in the Dark. It's awesome.
(also, as of today I have officially paid off the Aussie credit card and I am now going to put it with the passport and use it only in Dire Emergency, which, for the record, doesn't include any kind of shopping. ;) )
It's the story most of my friendslist will recognise. A woman, bullied by her own fears and insecurities, finds herself too demoralised to do think she can ever be successful. She's in a job she hates, she's too afraid to talk to anyone for fear of appearing stupid and socially inept and every moment is punctuated by abuse from her inner voice, in the film portrayed as a kind of invisible friend that no-one else but her can see and hear. It would be a hugely depressing film, only at the end, she faces her fears and she fights back, telling her version of Captain Paranoia to shut up - and amazingly, he does. And from that moment, her life changes for the better.
It's a regular staple on the short film circuit, so keep an eye out. Sarah in the Dark. It's awesome.
(also, as of today I have officially paid off the Aussie credit card and I am now going to put it with the passport and use it only in Dire Emergency, which, for the record, doesn't include any kind of shopping. ;) )
Not one, but two snowman cookies appeared on my profile page. So much for the assumption it was one of those freebie giveaways from LJ... Thank you, anonymice!
Also, there is nothing so humbling as people's faith in you, especially when sometimes you have trouble having that faith in yourself. Thanks, XP folks, for believing in me again. I'll do my best for you and the game, as always.
Also, there is nothing so humbling as people's faith in you, especially when sometimes you have trouble having that faith in yourself. Thanks, XP folks, for believing in me again. I'll do my best for you and the game, as always.
The Year in Review
Dec. 30th, 2011 01:54 pmMeme grabbed from [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], in lieu of thinking content since my head is stuffy.
( 2011 thoughts )
( 2011 thoughts )
Things. And other stuff
Oct. 19th, 2011 01:15 pmI'm kind of brain dead today, owing to a late night (a combination of [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] visiting, Band Night and the lid coming off the pressure cooker that is my personal stress right now). My thought processes are kind of fuzzy and random. To whit: I had pancakes for breakfast. Soon Mel will be here to go have sushi with me. Yay Twitter for mindless distraction that requires no effort on my part. For someone on vacation, Alvin has been calling about work stuff a hell of a lot. Coffee is the most awesome thing ever right now.
Dave's memorial is on Saturday. We're getting a ride with Johnny and Mindy, because they are fantastic people. It's kind of sinking in - I didn't have the resources to process things emotionally before now, what with the death flu and all, but yeah, it's hitting me now. I expect to cry like a hungry angry baby at the memorial.
I still hate cancer. It's still not me personally, it's people I care about, but yeah, I really hate cancer right now. Weren't we supposed to have cured this already?
Dave's memorial is on Saturday. We're getting a ride with Johnny and Mindy, because they are fantastic people. It's kind of sinking in - I didn't have the resources to process things emotionally before now, what with the death flu and all, but yeah, it's hitting me now. I expect to cry like a hungry angry baby at the memorial.
I still hate cancer. It's still not me personally, it's people I care about, but yeah, I really hate cancer right now. Weren't we supposed to have cured this already?
My first Christmas in Canada, the roomie's mum and stepdad welcomed me into their home for the holiday.
At one point Dave told me to leave my shoes out for him to polish. He liked doing it, he said.
Immediately, I remembered growing up watching my father spit polishing his Army boots, and teaching my brother and I how to clean our school shoes. It became a Sunday night ritual and Dave reminded me of it so strongly I choked up a little. I explained and he nodded, understanding.
Every time I visited, he'd polish our shoes. That's the sort of person he was.
Dave died this morning after a several-week battle with cancer. In one sense it's a relief - he was in a lot of pain at the end. But on the other hand, the main one, is the sense of loss. We've barely had time to adjust to the idea of him dying. Now he's gone.
Goodbye, Dave. Thank you for making me feel part of your family.
At one point Dave told me to leave my shoes out for him to polish. He liked doing it, he said.
Immediately, I remembered growing up watching my father spit polishing his Army boots, and teaching my brother and I how to clean our school shoes. It became a Sunday night ritual and Dave reminded me of it so strongly I choked up a little. I explained and he nodded, understanding.
Every time I visited, he'd polish our shoes. That's the sort of person he was.
Dave died this morning after a several-week battle with cancer. In one sense it's a relief - he was in a lot of pain at the end. But on the other hand, the main one, is the sense of loss. We've barely had time to adjust to the idea of him dying. Now he's gone.
Goodbye, Dave. Thank you for making me feel part of your family.
Writer's Block: Operation Giggles
Sep. 30th, 2011 06:48 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Back around the time my relationship ended, I was, understandably, not a happy bunny. But there was one person who knew how to make me laugh, every time I logged onto IRC.
Dex: "Guess what?"
Me: "What?"
Dex: "I'm not wearing any pants!"
After a while he didn't even need the guess what part. I knew the joke, and it still make me giggle every time, no matter how bad I felt.
Of course, now we're roomies and I can see when there are no pants for myself. ;)
Back around the time my relationship ended, I was, understandably, not a happy bunny. But there was one person who knew how to make me laugh, every time I logged onto IRC.
Dex: "Guess what?"
Me: "What?"
Dex: "I'm not wearing any pants!"
After a while he didn't even need the guess what part. I knew the joke, and it still make me giggle every time, no matter how bad I felt.
Of course, now we're roomies and I can see when there are no pants for myself. ;)
It's been a [insert time period here] of bad news, I can tell you. Lots of ups and downs, including a total meltdown on Friday. I've been focusing a lot on the downs (as is the wont of a depressive mind, bah), so I'm going to try and focus on the ups today.
1) Roomie has a job starting on Wednesday, and it's the one he wanted. Yay!
2) Saturday; I had brunch in the sunshine at one place, and then a pint of cafe latte at another place, whilst reading Moneyball, a book on the shift in baseball management philosophy back in the early 2000's. Sun good. Coffee even better.
3) Upon returning home (and cleaning out the kitty litter and taking out the trash), I watched The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan, in honour of it being Jim Henson's birthday on Saturday. Something about Muppets makes it really difficult to mope.
4) Saturday evening was spent at the pub with Mindy, [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], who had been in London with his stepdad that day. We made tentative plans for various things, and Mindy announced her birthday will have a Pirate theme. [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], bring something pirate-y when you visit. ;)
5) Sunday we went out for lunch in the Annex and found a really yummy Japanese place.
6) And then we went and saw Moneyball the movie. Brad Pitt was very, very good and for a movie about baseball, there wasn't a huge amount of the actual game, which was an interesting way to do it. And it was Aaron Sorkin writing, which meant fantastic dialogue.
7) I'm going to go to my sushi place for lunch today. Yes, I had sushi yesterday, but damnit, I want some today too!
1) Roomie has a job starting on Wednesday, and it's the one he wanted. Yay!
2) Saturday; I had brunch in the sunshine at one place, and then a pint of cafe latte at another place, whilst reading Moneyball, a book on the shift in baseball management philosophy back in the early 2000's. Sun good. Coffee even better.
3) Upon returning home (and cleaning out the kitty litter and taking out the trash), I watched The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan, in honour of it being Jim Henson's birthday on Saturday. Something about Muppets makes it really difficult to mope.
4) Saturday evening was spent at the pub with Mindy, [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] and [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], who had been in London with his stepdad that day. We made tentative plans for various things, and Mindy announced her birthday will have a Pirate theme. [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com], bring something pirate-y when you visit. ;)
5) Sunday we went out for lunch in the Annex and found a really yummy Japanese place.
6) And then we went and saw Moneyball the movie. Brad Pitt was very, very good and for a movie about baseball, there wasn't a huge amount of the actual game, which was an interesting way to do it. And it was Aaron Sorkin writing, which meant fantastic dialogue.
7) I'm going to go to my sushi place for lunch today. Yes, I had sushi yesterday, but damnit, I want some today too!
Given certain news from the roomie's family viewpoint (it's a locked post and I don't know who's on the filter, so I'm keeping vague), I'm probably going to be a bit stressed and out of sorts for a bit. There's good news in the form of the roomie getting the job he wanted today, but there's still plenty of bad, and it's going to be tough for us on Bloor Street West for a while. Especially since the roomie's family is kind of my adopted Canadian family and I'm trying to cope with my own reactions as well as support folks.
So if I get tetchy or annoying, that would be why.
So if I get tetchy or annoying, that would be why.
So, I've booked my flights for my trip back to Australia next year and handed in my leave request. The itinerary is:
January 23, 2012, depart Toronto at 6:00 p.m.
Toronto-Vancouver-Sydney-Melbourne - 27 hours. Arrive January 25 at 1:35 p.m. (gives me time to catch the train back to Wodonga)
February 19, 2012, depart Melbourne at 9:00 a.m. (I'm probably going to need a place to crash the night before so I can get to the airport on time!)
Melbourne-Sydney-Vancouver-Toronto. Arrive February 19 at 4:20 p.m. February 20 should be Family Day and a day off, I hope!
I have just under 4 weeks in Australia, all of which will be paid leave. Good price on the tickets, even if I have to fly Air Canada (bleh) - $2,106.00. I'll organise visits to people closer to the date, obviously!
Next step - renew my passport, since it expires in December. I already have the paperwork, just need to get the photos and make the appointment. And pay for it. *sigh*
January 23, 2012, depart Toronto at 6:00 p.m.
Toronto-Vancouver-Sydney-Melbourne - 27 hours. Arrive January 25 at 1:35 p.m. (gives me time to catch the train back to Wodonga)
February 19, 2012, depart Melbourne at 9:00 a.m. (I'm probably going to need a place to crash the night before so I can get to the airport on time!)
Melbourne-Sydney-Vancouver-Toronto. Arrive February 19 at 4:20 p.m. February 20 should be Family Day and a day off, I hope!
I have just under 4 weeks in Australia, all of which will be paid leave. Good price on the tickets, even if I have to fly Air Canada (bleh) - $2,106.00. I'll organise visits to people closer to the date, obviously!
Next step - renew my passport, since it expires in December. I already have the paperwork, just need to get the photos and make the appointment. And pay for it. *sigh*
Travel plans
Aug. 30th, 2011 12:03 pmSo, having talked to my folks at last, I have a rough plan for Christmas. That being, I'll be spending the actual holidays here, and visiting Australia mid-January to mid-February. Probably about three weeks' worth, which will give me time to see my family, coo over the new baby, play with Zoe and visit the Aussie peeps. That way I get two Christmasses and don't wind up spending a fortune on airfares.
To do:
1) Book tickets before September 6;
2) Book leave with work (it's far enough ahead I shouldn't have an issue);
3) Renew passport before December;
4) Collect gifts of various sorts between now and January;
5) Organise tribal type gathering - anyone up for a party? ;)
To do:
1) Book tickets before September 6;
2) Book leave with work (it's far enough ahead I shouldn't have an issue);
3) Renew passport before December;
4) Collect gifts of various sorts between now and January;
5) Organise tribal type gathering - anyone up for a party? ;)
I'm something of a zombie this morning. Late night, unsettled sleep, really weird dreams (seriously, it was a cavalcade of all my Issues) makes for very fuzzy and brain-dead me.
The parts of my brain that are functioning are summed up in two words: "Fuck cancer."
Really not impressed with the Powers That Be right now.
Edit: That wouldn't be me with the cancer, by the way. Sorry if there were heart attacks.
The parts of my brain that are functioning are summed up in two words: "Fuck cancer."
Really not impressed with the Powers That Be right now.
Edit: That wouldn't be me with the cancer, by the way. Sorry if there were heart attacks.
Giant Meme o' Me - Days 17 and 18
Apr. 8th, 2011 03:10 pmDay 17 – Your favorite memory
It's not my only favourite memory - it's one of several, all equally treasured for different reasons:
One night, while I was a summer camp counsellor at a girl scout camp in Iowa, back in 1996, I was walking back from the shower block to the camp ground I was living in. It was a perfectly clear summer night, with the sky full of stars and the air just the perfect temperature - not too warm, not too cold. There was a low hill covered with grassland about half-way, and I remember pausing to look up into the sky, a slight breeze rustling the grass and the trees nearby, feeling a moment of perfect clarity and content and for a moment, I wondered how it was I kept my feet on the ground; I felt like I could just exhale and let go and I'd drift up and away.
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
My first birthday in Canada. We had a Pretty Night, withindiana_j and ferox combining their birthday celebrations with mine. We had tiaras and Cajun food at Big Daddy's and then cocktails made by Marlena at the Griffin (sour apple - they were awesome!) and everyone was having a great time and I felt so loved and accepted and welcomed. It was wonderful after years of my birthday going by with not a lot more than a call from my folks (which wasn't bad, in itself, but the doofus didn't tend to be very active in celebrating my birthday and I lived lived with him. :( )
( and the rest )
It's not my only favourite memory - it's one of several, all equally treasured for different reasons:
One night, while I was a summer camp counsellor at a girl scout camp in Iowa, back in 1996, I was walking back from the shower block to the camp ground I was living in. It was a perfectly clear summer night, with the sky full of stars and the air just the perfect temperature - not too warm, not too cold. There was a low hill covered with grassland about half-way, and I remember pausing to look up into the sky, a slight breeze rustling the grass and the trees nearby, feeling a moment of perfect clarity and content and for a moment, I wondered how it was I kept my feet on the ground; I felt like I could just exhale and let go and I'd drift up and away.
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
My first birthday in Canada. We had a Pretty Night, with
indiana_j and ferox combining their birthday celebrations with mine. We had tiaras and Cajun food at Big Daddy's and then cocktails made by Marlena at the Griffin (sour apple - they were awesome!) and everyone was having a great time and I felt so loved and accepted and welcomed. It was wonderful after years of my birthday going by with not a lot more than a call from my folks (which wasn't bad, in itself, but the doofus didn't tend to be very active in celebrating my birthday and I lived lived with him. :( )( and the rest )
Giant Meme o' Me - Day 6
Mar. 27th, 2011 05:33 pmDay 06 – Your day
Oops. If I'd remembered I was up to this question, I might have done more with my day!
Sundays are literally a day of rest for me. Not for religious reasons, but because it's usually the day I don't have anything on and I can sleep as much as my body wants to, not how much it's allowed to. With the medication I'm on, sometimes that's a bit more than the normal eight hours.
It's also the day after Saturday, which usually involves a late night at the pub with the roomie. It's not about the drinking, it's about having the time to decompress, watch the Food Network and talk about stuff. Important stuff, not important stuff, interesting stuff, stuff that's only interesting to us. Needless to say, however, I tend to need the sleep in the next day.
Okay, enough justification. My day so far has consisted of getting up around 1-ish after having both cats sleeping on me at various points, then watching several episodes of Season 7 of The West Wing. The roomie got it for Christmas and I've been mainlining it when I've been on the couch. Season 7 is one I haven't seen all the way through, so it's been good to catch up on the bits I've missed. I also attacked Spike with the Furminator, since he's still moulting everywhere, washed the dishes and watched the roomie play Bioshock 2. Later, there shall be leftover Chinese for dinner and catching up on online stuff.
Tomorrow, on the other hand, is likely to be busy.
( and the rest )
Oops. If I'd remembered I was up to this question, I might have done more with my day!
Sundays are literally a day of rest for me. Not for religious reasons, but because it's usually the day I don't have anything on and I can sleep as much as my body wants to, not how much it's allowed to. With the medication I'm on, sometimes that's a bit more than the normal eight hours.
It's also the day after Saturday, which usually involves a late night at the pub with the roomie. It's not about the drinking, it's about having the time to decompress, watch the Food Network and talk about stuff. Important stuff, not important stuff, interesting stuff, stuff that's only interesting to us. Needless to say, however, I tend to need the sleep in the next day.
Okay, enough justification. My day so far has consisted of getting up around 1-ish after having both cats sleeping on me at various points, then watching several episodes of Season 7 of The West Wing. The roomie got it for Christmas and I've been mainlining it when I've been on the couch. Season 7 is one I haven't seen all the way through, so it's been good to catch up on the bits I've missed. I also attacked Spike with the Furminator, since he's still moulting everywhere, washed the dishes and watched the roomie play Bioshock 2. Later, there shall be leftover Chinese for dinner and catching up on online stuff.
Tomorrow, on the other hand, is likely to be busy.
( and the rest )
In the spirit of Aisy's List Posts...
Jan. 6th, 2011 10:38 pmSome good things did happen yesterday and today. So I shall list them!
1) [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]'s Christmas card for me arrived yesterday, finally, a full two weeks after the roomie got his. Thanks, Raph!
2) A spot finally opened up for my grandfather in the facility where my grandmother has a supported living apartment, so now she can see him every day whenever she likes again, instead of travelling for an hour and a half whenever someone could take her. In case I hadn't mentioned, my grandfather has dementia, to the point he needs a secure ward. :( But he's always happy to see Nana, which can happy now. And Nan's happy too.
3) It's been snowing all day. I know, crazy me for liking snow, but I do. There's always something about walking in the snow, when it's coming down like little bits of torn-up tissue paper, that brings out my inner child and makes me smile.
4) While I didn't sleep well again, I did dream I was a super hero and could fly. Which was fun. :)
1) [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com]'s Christmas card for me arrived yesterday, finally, a full two weeks after the roomie got his. Thanks, Raph!
2) A spot finally opened up for my grandfather in the facility where my grandmother has a supported living apartment, so now she can see him every day whenever she likes again, instead of travelling for an hour and a half whenever someone could take her. In case I hadn't mentioned, my grandfather has dementia, to the point he needs a secure ward. :( But he's always happy to see Nana, which can happy now. And Nan's happy too.
3) It's been snowing all day. I know, crazy me for liking snow, but I do. There's always something about walking in the snow, when it's coming down like little bits of torn-up tissue paper, that brings out my inner child and makes me smile.
4) While I didn't sleep well again, I did dream I was a super hero and could fly. Which was fun. :)
