The How Are You Today Meme

Okay, it's weekend. I'm still waiting on paperwork so that I can start work, but I have called in somebody who might be able to set this right very quickly (I will owe him a beer if he pulls it off)

The sun is shining, it's not too hot and I pick up my Tupperware tomorrow. What more can a girl want?

The Sunday Stealing meme, maybe.


Okay, here we go. How are ya today?

I'm fine, thank you very much. Just about to go out and buy Blarney a birthday cake.

 Have you ever been so happy you felt invincible? 

No. I've been happy, just never felt invincible

Would you ever refer to something as ‘bitter sweet’? 

Yes, I love that word and use it a lot. Love the song as well.

 Is there a person in this world you don’t think you could ever figure out? 

There are a lot of people I can't figure out. Donald Trump, Cory Bernardi, Tony Abbott, pretty much any conservative politician...

When was the last time you were freaked out? 

Most of January I was pretty freaked out. Grief will do that to you.

 Do you learn from ‘every’ mistake you make? 

I try to. That's why you make mistakes.

 Do you sometimes think that you’re too nice? 

Hell yeah. But I'd rather treat people with courtesy and respect than go the other option. I'm also aware that being assertive and making sure your boundaries are firm is a good thing. It's nice to preserve your own wellbeing.

 Is there something you’re dying to tell someone? 

Yes, but that's not for public consumption.

Do you think you have a unique name? 

As I went through primary school with six other girls of the same name in my class, I don't think so.

 Do you usually try to find the good in people? 

Always. You do meet the odd duffer, but most people have a redeeming feature or two.

Do you look back on embarrassing moments and laugh about them? 

I try to do that. It can take time. I'm a Leo, we have this issue with pride, but the humour will win out after a while.

Have you ever laughed just to save yourself from humiliation? 

Regularly. It's better than the alternative.

What are you doing in 2 hours? 

Going around to give Blarney her birthday cake.

What is the last thing you ate? 

Eggs on Fire with Turkish toast at Breakfast. That was five hours ago - no wonder I'm hungry.

 Do you love your job? 

My paid work job I like - I wouldn't say I love it, but I don't dislike it either.

When is the last time you showered? 

About an hour ago. I tend to do that after I've been to the gym.

Who is the last person you texted? 

Blarney - to ask her when she was going to be home.

When is the last time you were in a hospital? 

About two years ago - I had some abdominal pain they thought might be appendicitis. Thankfully it wasn't.

 The last time you went out to eat, what did you order?
 

Breakfast. I ordered eggs on fire (Scrambled eggs with chilli and green onions on toast) and a mug of skinny cappuccino. That's my normal Sunday Breakfast order after the gym.

Do you tend to have a lot of those moments where you forget something that you wanted to say?
 
They happen regularly. It happens when your mind runs at 100 miles an hour.

 How long have you known the last person you text messaged? 

That would be Blarney and that would be about 16 years,

Will this week be a good one? 

Absolutely. This is the week I go back to work I say very resolutely. Bloody better be!

 Anything happen to you within the past month that made you really happy? 

I reckon going for a session with Shervin the Sound Healer in Bali was the best thing I've done in years. It made me very happy. http://soundhealingbali.com/

 Do you prefer to take showers at night or in the morning? 

I shower morning and night. The morning one is a bit more thorough than the evening one. The one at the end of the day rinses off the day and settles me for bed.

Have you been to New York City?

Yes. Twice. I want to go back and do the city properly. I've only been there for a few days each trip and both times I had brutal jet lag.

The Puzzler Meme

Well, I'm knackered from White Night - a very wonderful, but rather intense evening of wandering around the streets of Melbourne looking at some wonderful light and sound installations. Home at 2, in bed by three, I've had it. But it was worth it. Especially when you got to see some stuff like this. It was very cool indeed. (This was installed at the City Baths - I used to love swimming in that pool)



Right, now to this week's meme - as always, supplied by Sunday Stealing.

What time is it? 

According to my computer it's 12.18 pm.

Quick. What’s the first green thing you see? 

There are a couple of green candles on my coffee table. Good for attracting money and abundance. (Reminds me, should go light them to try and expedite this contract I'm still waiting on.)

Do you like those Sudoku puzzles? 

Yes. When flying, I try and get the easy one done by the time the plane takes off. One of my little rituals when flying.

Do you own a plaid shirt? 

No. I threw the one I had out when I had a big clean up.

What’s your favorite kind of pie? 

My mum does a killer blackberry pie made from blackberries that grow on the property.

Have you read a book today? 

I've read a few chapters of my current book, Rush, Oh. Really enjoying it.

Do you like going to museums? 

I adore museums. They're the best thing about going to a strange city.

Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? Or your nation's capital? 

Never been to Washington, but would like to. I've been to Canberra many times. (For those out of Australia, the capital of Australia is this place called Canberra, which was once a big sheep station halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. Some might say it is still not too far removed from a big sheep station, just with more crap coming from the inhabitants.)

Have you ever been to the state of Washington? 

It's another place I'd love to go. I've heard great things about Seattle and its surrounds.

Do you like apple juice? 

It's okay, but I don't drink much of it. Apple cider, on the other hand, is fantastic stuff. I do drink a little bit of that.

How cold is it outside? 

It's summer. It's not cold. According to the weather bureau it's 22 degrees centigrade. That's a bit cool for summer here.

Have you ever taken a course in Chemistry? 

Yes. I did Chemistry in my leaving year at school - and did pretty well in the subject. Love that sort of thing.

Do you like to draw?

It's something I wish I could do. I prefer to paint.

What do you put on your french fries? 

Tomato sauce or Peri Peri mayonnaise are favourites.

Do you like everything to match? 

No. How boring would things be if everything matched?

Do you like mustard? 

Yes. Wonderful stuff - but not overly fond of the yellow stuff that Americans put on hot dogs. Hot English mustard on ham sandwiches are the go. Or Dijon mustard in chicken dishes - or seedy mustard with steak... yeah, I like mustard.

Would you ever work at a movie theater? 

In some ways, working in an art house movie theatre would be a dream job of mine. I love film, so would love to be able to see a lot more films for free.

Do you have a phone charger in your car? 

Of course. It's not a part of the car, but sits in the cigarette lighter. It's a very handy thing to have.

Have you ever slept through an alarm? 

No, but I've forgot to set the alarm on a few occasions. I tend to wake up three minutes before the alarm goes off.

Do you like pineapple on pizza? 

Only sometimes. Hawaiian pizza is a nice soft option sometimes - but I'm more your Mexican Hot sort of pizza lover.

Do you like to hold hands? 

I do. Can I remember the last time I held hands with somebody - I cannot.

Do you want a tattoo? 

I have one very small tattoo, which is out of public view. I've though about having the World Wildlife Panda stamped on my body somewhere, but I don't know where that is. If   I work this out, I might have it done.



When is the last time you ordered from a catalog? 

A hair straightening brush. Going to try and make an effort with my appearance when I go back to work (which will hopefully be this week - just waiting on paperwork)

Do you know anyone who has a collection of old records? 

A couple of people. Vinyl lovers are a subset of their own.

What’s the name of the gas station you last stopped at? 

I bought petrol at the Seven Eleven on Barkers Road last weekend.

What was the first song you heard today? 

Walking home from White Night last night, a band at what used to be the Portland Hotel on Russell Street was doing a cover of this. I will always love this song. I sang along for a bit. Probably irritated Jay, but that's okay. It was 1.30 in the morning.

Have you ever gotten a magazine subscription as a gift? 

No, but I gave myself a copy of copy of The Monthly for Christmas last year.

What was the last video you watched on YouTube? 

We're having an interesting time here at the moment as there is a Royal Commission into Child Abuse and the Catholic Church's role in hiding all of this. The fellow who used to be Archbishop of Melbourne, then Cardinal of Australia, one George Pell,  is now ensconced in a very senior role in the Vatican. He has been asked repeatedly to come back to Australia to fact the commission and tell of what he knew and answer questions as to how much of this was covered up. (If you haven't seen Spotlight, I highly recommend it - similar topic set in Boston - fantastic film)

Anyway, the Cardinal is citing poor health is stopping him boarding a plane from Italy to come back to Australia. Many cardiologists have said they'd go over to Rome, at their own expense and fly back with him First Class to monitor him. The Commission have said that he can give evidence by video link, but still - this all reeks of something rotten.

Pell's refusal to come home and face the commission is pretty crap.

Here's one paper's editorial on the matter.

This is also a great rundown on the matter at hand if you have the time.

It stinks of something rotten. That's its all over the newspapers that the police are investigating the guy for sexual abuse doesn't help matter. Okay, he's innocent until proven guilty, but he's showing himself to be a coward - and a bully.

Anyway, one of our comedians and satirists has got on board with this. Tim Minchin is a legend in my books. He's just saying what most of the country are thinking.

Personally, I can't get this song out of my head.

This is what we do to cowards in Australia. Beware.

Have you ever sacrificed something for someone you love? 

Other than self-respect and a bit of dignity in my early years, I'll say no to this. I will willingly sacrifice my time  for my friends when ever they ask. That's what you do for friends.

Have you ever had your picture in the newspaper?

No, thank goodness.

The OLOGY Meme

I've just got back from Adelaide after a lovely weekend there with family and friends. I'm very tired. There are a few things I'd rather be doing than this blog, but I have my silly pride.

I will say that I'd rather be writing my novel and enjoying what looks like will be my last few days of holiday.

Oh well. Questions (and lame ones they are at that) are from Sunday Stealing.


MOUTHOLOGY

What is your least favorite salad dressing?  Not fond of Blue Cheese dressing.

What is your least favorite fast food restaurant?  Never seen the point of Red Rooster - a Melbourne thing.

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? There used to be a South African place in Caulfield that I adored. It closed. Love Cumulus Inc in the city.

On average, what would cause you to flirt with the server? He's have to be pretty cute - and be holding ice cream. I don't flirt with people.

What food could you eat every day just to "get along"?  Baked beans on toast. Love them.

What pizza toppings would make you hurl?  Banana

What food is likely to get you "in the mood..."?  Mood for what? Oh that. Lobster - actually any seafood.

What is your favorite type of gum to get off your shoe? None. Ew.

TECHNOLOGY 

Number of contacts you'd never let your significant other see on your cell phone? I don't have a significant other but there is nobody that dodgy in my phone list.

Number of contacts in your email address book that are exes? Two. But they are now friends so it's fine.

Do you judge others about the wallpaper on their computer? Yes, but I don't say anything about it.

What is your favorite technology from the past that is now obsolete? Very fond of my DVD player. Still use it.

Do you have stuff on your computer that you'd never want someone to see? Yes, but we're not going to talk about that. Lots of very dodgy writing.

BIOLOGY 

Are you right-handed or left-handed? Ambidextrous with a tendency to use the right hand a bit more.

Do you like your smile? No. I look like Grimace.

What's your best feature? Ankles and eyes.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Yes. Far too many sebaceous cysts from my scalp, two wisdom teeth and a large cyst from my fallopian tubes. Not doing too bad really.

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? All are pretty keen but my hearing is good and I've got a keen sense of touch.

When was the last time you had a cavity? About ten years ago.

What is the heaviest item you lifted last? Deadlifted around 80 kgs (about 200 lbs) in the gym a few weeks back.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No, thank goodness.


BULLCRAPOLOGY 

If you could, would you wanna know the day you were going to die?  No. That's one of life's great mysteries.

Is love for real? I hope to find out one day, but I do believe, yes, love is true.

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? I'd love to be an Elizabeth or something exotic like a Jayanthi or Serendipity.

What color do you think looks best on you? Red. Bright red.

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? The odd fly. Trap of living in Australia. Consider it protein.

Have you ever saved someone's life? No. Thank goodness for that too.

Has someone ever saved yours? No, but some people have thankfully got me back on track.


DAREOLOGY - Stupid questions.

Would you walk naked down a public street for $100,000? Probably.

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Why not?

Would you cut off one of your little fingers for $200,000? No. That would make typing hard.

Would you never blog again for $50,000? Dunno, could I blog under a pseudonym?

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?  No - sod that.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Probably not.

Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? Probably not, though if I could watch stuff from the web, then maybe.

DUMBOLOGY 

What is in your left pocket? No pocket, so nothing.

Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house? Carpet.

Do you sit or stand in the shower? Stand - we have real showers in Australia, not English showers where you sit in the bath.

Could you live with roommates? Not again. Maybe with a partner.

How many pairs of flip flops do you own? Three. One black, one white, and one with sparkles on the top.

Where were you born? Adelaide, Australia.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? A few years ago, I was in the car, my friend was speeding. Also had to go see the cops after some arsehole ran into my car three years ago.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A writer.

LASTOLOGY 

Friend you talked to? I'm talking to a friend on messenger as I write this.

Last person you called? The parking people at the airport to pick me and Teddy up to take us back to the car. Oh, and my brother in law for his birthday yesterday.

Person you hugged? Mum as I was leaving her party this afternoon.

FAVORITOLOGY 

Number? 64 - because of this.

Color? Bright Red, Cobalt Blue, Teal Green.

Season? Autunm, followed closely by Winter.

CURRENTOLOGY 

Missing someone? Yes, but we're trying hard not to.

Mood?  Level, but a bit tired.

Listening to? The hum of the air conditioner and the telly.

Watching? Friday's episode of Dr Blake. Phwoar!

Worrying about? Lots of things, but I don't want to articulate them. Don't want to give my worries too much energy.


RANDOMOLOGY 

First place you went this morning? To breakfast in Victor Harbor with Teddy and my uncle. It was lovely.

What can you not wait to do? Go back to Bali.

What's the last movie you saw? Brooklyn. Great film. Saw that Friday night.

When was the last time you got caught cheating? Never. I don't really cheat unless it's at Monopoly.

Are you a sexy person? I don't think so.

Now that the survey's (or meme) done what are you going to do? Have a shower and go to bed.

The Carry a Tune Meme

Still between jobs because of a paperwork delay, I'm enjoying this time off - started a new project which makes me happy. Life is good.

Questions, as always, from Sunday Stealing.


Do you own a tablet of any kind? 

Yes. I've got an iPad. I don't use it much but it's great for travelling.

What’s something people always assume about you that isn’t true? 

I have a few people who assume I'm tidy. That one always cracks me up.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do elevators scare you? 

About a 2. I remember not liking going up to my office on the 42nd floor the day after September 11. Other than that, they're fine, Escalators, however, are another matter.

When you’re upset, do you vent to people or do you keep to yourself? 

Mostly I keep it to myself. In trivial matters I'll take it to other people

Have you ever watched a meteor shower? 

Yes, but not for many, many years.

Do you tend to put things off until the last minute? 

Depends what it is. When it comes to school work, I like to keep on top of things.

How do you react to random strangers suddenly trying to make conversation with you? 

Depends what they look and smell like. If they're friendly enough, I'll engage. Weirdos I tend to look away and ignore.

Do you have a lucky number? 

No, though 19 and 64 are good numbers.

Would you go out to dinner with Oprah? 

Why not, could be fun.

Did you ever play sports? 

No, I wasn't allowed to. "Weak legs" - and lots of operations and stuff on my legs as a kid. Put me off sports. But now I like gym and yoga.

Do you feel guilty if you throw food away? 

Always. Hate throwing out food.

Do you think you could make it as a baker? 

No. They have to get up too early.

Are you one of those people who are wearing scarves with everything? 

No. I will only wear a scarf occasionally.

Have you ever been in a castle? 

Yes. I travelled Scotland and England a few years ago. That was a great holiday.

When you were little, did you ever play with Playdoh? 

All the time. Even better, my mum made it for me - non of the toxic crap they have now.

Would you rather write a mystery or love story? 

A love story. Mysteries are too hard to plot.

Tell me about your worst fashion mistake: 

Far too many to count.Silk shirts in the nineties were one of the big mistakes.

Do you hate it when people smoke around you? 

Yes. I'm a reformed smoker. Really don't like having smoke blown around me.

How are you wearing your hair right now?

I'm just out of the shower so it's still well and hang around my face after being combed. My hair is just past my shoulders.

When’s the last time you were sick? 

I picked up a stomach bug coming out of Bali. All good now, but that was last week.

Would you rather have OJ or milk with your breakfast?

Skimmed milk. As a rule I don't drink orange juice unless I know it's freshly squeezed.

What were you doing thirty minutes ago? 

In the shower and cleaning the bathroom.

Do you own any school related clothing articles? 

No. I left school thirty years ago.

Would you rather call people or have them call you? 

I'd rather them call me. Typical introvert.

Can you carry a tune? 

To a point. I don't have a great voice but I can get a tune out when required.

Who was the last person who unexpectedly texted you? 

An old work mate a few weeks ago. Text is how I communicate with many friends.

Who do you text the most? 

My friends Blarney and Jonella.

February Resolutions - and a January Update

It's the fifth of the month - resolution day. It would have  been a fwedays ago, but I've been struggling with a stomach virus. Thankfully that's all passed now.

But first, how did we go in January.

The KonMari challenge went well. I've still to finish the CDs and get rid of a bit more paper, but I'm really pleased with the effort and the result.

Of the no chip challenge, I faltered on three occasions, otherwise I did okay with that. Don't ask how February has gone with this, but as I told a friend - if it's not in writing, it's not out there.

Gyming - that one didn't go so well, but I was making it 3-4 times a week before I went to Bali, but not more - my headspace wasn't great early in the month. In Bali I was walking and doing yoga everyday. I'm not beating myself up over this.

As for writing every day - managing seventeen blogposts - that isn't a bad effort - and I have been to Bali.

Since coming back, I've had a bout of Bali belly, now gone thank goodness. I'm also getting back into the swing of things. The paperwork for my contract has been delayed so it looks like another week off - I'm not complaining, but it they don't get their bum into gear soon I'll have to get the feelers out. This is okay too. I feel so much better for the breat.

Right, it's a few days late, but here we go with February's Resolutions.

1) Get happily employed again - says it all really. I resolve to do this sooner rather than later.

2) No chips. I've had four days of being a slacker on this one - no chips no more - no even from other people's plates. This is a resolution to continue.

3) Get back into cardio. It's time. I need to get heart fit again. Back to the elliptical, spin classes and running. I have a week or so to tell my body what it's been missing. It feels like a good resolution.

4) Continue with the KonMari process. I've still to finish the CDs and there is still some paper and knickknacks to shift. As I have at least another week off, may as well get this done too. The spare room needs a bit more of a going over too.

5) Write a short story and polish it. Well, school does start at the end of the month, so I really need to do my own stuff. I've got some thoughts about a book being noted down on Scrivener, but I'd like to write a short story that may get some attention. Something came to me today on the train as I was coming back from lunch. This has also been noted in Scrivener (an online tool for managing writing projects).

6)  Up my vegetarian days a week.  I've been inspired by my time in Bali and also by Sarah Wilson of I Quit Sugar fame. It's time to revolutionise the diet and get into some really good habits. Though I'd struggle to ever be a vegan, having at least three vegetarian days a week would be good for me. I want to give it a try. On the stove is a lovely batch of tofu and bean chilli which is nearly as good as the one I had in Ubud. Time to start experimenting with vegetarian recipes. Time to start getting rid of the sugar for the most part. I might need a bit of determination to do this one, but I will give it a go.

These seem doable, timely, measurable goals? Yes.

Well, it's time for me to make my gin and tonic and get my ice cream out (yeah, I know, Friday night amnesty on sugar - it is Doctor Blake night after all)