Tuesday 27 June 2006

Not even a couple of chicken breast...

OMG!

We've had a bit of a rollercoaster today.

Zeus and Tilly were coughing last night - in fact, they were dryreaching. It was concerning.

Glen took them all to the vet this morning, including Miss Aella. Turns out she has brought in a respiratory infection and they are all showing signs. Tilly and Zeus are lethargic and cold, grouchy and whatever. Aella was shivering last night, goopy eyes and sneezing. Anyway, today they are on various forms of antibiotics.

The reason for the title of this blog?

Aella was weighed.

She weighs in at a whooping 850grams.

Amazing.

Monday 26 June 2006

All Natural...

I know I said yesterday that I would write a blog entry, but to be honest, I was too knackered and again tonight, I am buggered, but I will write my entry because it's important to me.

I don't think I've really spoken about it for a while, I know I mentioned frustrations with my birth control in the last few months, but the last couple of weeks have really drained me. I've been trialling a certain birth control pill, which hasn't been working for me. About 7-10 days before my period began, I was getting what I termed a rollercoaster headache. One which you would constantly medicate, but would never fully go away. I always felt that the headache was lingering in the background. It was draining and upsetting me. I lost hope of getting rid of it until my period broke.

Anyway, I was told to perservere with this drug for three months, at which point I was told, it would settle down and things might get better. It hasn't got better and after seeing the doctor last week, I made a critical decision. Well, what I hope was a critical decision.

After about 8-10 years of taking the contraceptive pill, I have decided to stop taking it. This is hard for me, as I didn't have any other true options apart from stopping the pill and things like a diaphragm, coils or condoms. So, this is it for me. Condoms. Solely relying on them is scary.

At the same time, I really want to know how my body survives without these synthetic hormones running through my system. I want to know what my body truly does during a cycle. I'm hoping that maybe it will settle down and perhaps in about a year, maybe less, I might be able to explore my options again. Who knows.

Right here, right now. I'm happy with my decision and I feel rather free. I feel hopeful, as it used to be with trepidation, I would approach my period, knowing I'd get these stupid headaches.

It's new territory for me.

Sunday 25 June 2006

Settling In...


Oh Come on!, originally uploaded by Sams76.

Due to popular demand, I have got off my rear end and uploaded the remaining photos of Aella from Friday, Saturday and this morning. They are on my flickr page, so you shouldn't have too much issue locating them - see link to the right ------>

Anyyway, she is settling in nicely. Tilly and Zeus are very curious and sometimes you catch them playing with her. She sleeps on our bed, right up close to your face and purrs at you all night. The other morning I awoke to find a very sharp, teeny tiny claw up my nostril - suffice to say, she got her claws chopped yesterday!

She runs like the wind around the house and is a very odd eater. Makes these very primitive sounds like while eating, like she's saying, "Thank god for this food! I was bloody starving! This is sooooo good!". It's very odd. However, because Flickr is a bit backward and hasn't jumped on board the Utube revolution, I am not able to post it on flickr. So, if you wish for a copy, just email me or leave a comment and I'll be happy to send it to you. It's a very small file, of about 200kb at the most.

Ok! Must god. We've gotta put the cat enclosure together, have some lunch, do some washing and clean the house, not to mention continue putting the kitchen together!

Be good everyone :)

I'll post something more tonight, as I have a few topics in mind - yes, I shall remember them!

Wednesday 21 June 2006

One more sleep...


Aella, originally uploaded by Sams76.

Aella is coming home with us tomorrow night!

YAYAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

Very exciting.

Can't wait!!!

Sunday 18 June 2006

Something to talk about...

I must be the most boring blogger right now. I keep whinging about my kitchen and the dramas of it. But you know, when I am out and about, daydreaming or even riding the scooter, I think of interesting blog entries. When I get home, and begin an entry, do you think I can remember what the hell I was going to write about? Alzheimers! I swear.

Anyway, it's the end of another weekend, progress has been made in my kitchen and I shall forthwith download some photos I took. We picked up the three pieces of kitchen that were incorrectly made and have managed to put the rest of the kitchen together today.

You didn't think that we actually finished all of the kitchen, did you? Nope. The kitchen place fucked up again, and another piece requires replacement. I swear, the sheltered workshop could do 100% better with no guidance and no computers. I shall be composing an email to them shortly.

We also painted this weekend. Compared to the ceiling, you wouldn't really know that we chose a colour for the walls as opposed to white! I swear. Hrm. It does look darker than I first thought though, so hopefully it'll all work out.

We just have to save up $3500 for our appliances, call for a trademan (yeh, right!) and attach our cabinets to the walls, install the benchtops etc etc. ARGH@! I get overwhelmed thinking about all the things to be done before I get a kitchen back - amusing, I typed bitchen - hrm!

This week, my old boss, soon to be my new boss, Phil begins his life at his new employment. It's all good and I am stoked. I'm looking forward to understanding everything and feeling more at home than I do. I can't wait. I have enthusiasm and excitement about going to work tomorrow :) It's great.

Thursday 15 June 2006

First Day Impressions...

I've been completely fine about my new job since I got it. Until last night. I went to bed and I started thinking, and thinking and thinking. Until I got desperate and couldn't sleep, taking a mersyndol because I had tensed my neck so much I had given myself a headache. I'm such a moron.

Anyway, caught the train to work today. I had forgotten why I sometimes liked catching the train - freebies! People were giving out free papers, free food, free tissue samples. Yay! It was opportune because my nose was running :)

Ok, so you wanna hear about work. It was fine. My manager, who is temporarily my manager until Monday was very nice, helped me settle in and conducted my induction, before I was sat down in front of a not-so-nice CRT monitor, blinded by its not-so-brilliance and undertook my self-paced induction learning. Yay for me!

Having said that, my manager took me and the rest of the team out for a morning coffee, where we talked and got to know each other. I discovered that both my colleagues are working as temps. One is Welsh, just passing through waiting for her partner to finish his assignment as a consultant. The other is an older lady, who seems to enjoy her job and is hoping it turns perm. My old colleague used to work with her, so it's a pretty small world. I discovered that my Welsh colleague likes to drink lots of coffee and tea, so we chatted a lot whilst getting our tea fixes, whilst the older lady is a bit of a cat fan, so that was our starting point.

The organisation looks like a good fit for me, the people are friendly and seem to be keen to offer any assistance they can. We are located in a small office, smaller than I have worked before in Melbourne. The head office is in Sydney, so it's nice and non-political, I guess you could say. There's still some GMs floating around, but generally it's pretty quiet. You know what I mean? It's just more relaxed because there's not a need to maintain a corporate spectacle.

So, my day was pretty good. I am knackered and have been spoilt by working 30 minutes drive from home. I think it took me almost an hour to get home tonight via train and then drive. Even though it's a bitch to get to and from work, I wouldnt have it any other way. I am close to all facilities, cafes, Glen and friends. Yay! I feel comfortable in this new job, partly because it's an industry I am very familiar with, I've been there before, I've worked in it before and did it well. It's like coming home. When my manager was going through the process, he kept asking if I was overwhelmed and I kept telling him it was fine that I was very familiar with their processes. I feel like it'll take me no time to get used to it.

Anyway, as I didn't sleep too well last night, I am off to bed with a sore head and neck. I need to not tense up! Grrr.

Wednesday 14 June 2006

Soapy goodness...

Today was my last day of freedom before I venture back into the working world tomorrow, starting my new job.

I was at a large supermarket/general supplies store today, buying my pretend socks (work stocking socks) and was standing in line at the counter waiting to be served. Usually, I nod off into lala-land and just daydream, but something struck me about the transaction occurring in front of me. The customer was a woman in her 30s with a squirmy toddler trying to disengage herself from her mother. The cashier was a middle/late aged woman with not-so great dyed hair and a little too much makeup. When the harried mother tried to hand the cashier her money, the cashier seemed to refuse to put her hand out to receive the money. This left the mother with only one option, which was to dump the money on the counter and wait for her change and goods. The cashier picked up the money and placed the mother's change on the counter again, with her receipt and goods.

This was a very odd scene for me. It's not the first time that I've seen people avoid contact with others when transactions have occurred. It's not even that weird to see the cashier put the change on the counter. But what was odd was that she looked like her goal was to avoid touching the mother, like she was a carrier of a rare form of debilitating disease, something which would instantly kill or maim her. The thing is, if you touch the money they try to hand you, arent you going to pick up their germs and everyone else's germs who have touched the money?

I just find it odd and a bit rude. Everything around us is tainted by disease. It's a fact of life.
For most of my life, I have come across people like this cashier who for whatever reason cannot marry up their phobias with their very much PUBLIC facing jobs.

Let's just say this, if you work as a cashier or whatever and have a phobia of such things, do yourself a favour - don't stick your hand in your mouth and lick it, don't wipe the offending hand across your face and dont touch anyone else with it.

And finally, remember the following: SOAP.

Tuesday 13 June 2006

Countdown...

Twas a busy day for me. Didn't get too much sleep last night on account of not realising the time last night and staying up waaaay later than I should have.

Went to the chiro this morning, cleaned out the car and washed it and got some vet products for the dog. Yay for me. Very exciting.

I sugar soaped the kitchen/dining room ceiling in readiness for our paintings tonight. The paint we bought yesterday looked a lot more 'coloured' than it does on the wall. It's meant to be a subtle, light colour to complement the cupboards in the kitchen, but when I put a layer of it on the wall today, it was as if I hadn't painted anything! Hrm! *laugh* Oh dear, doesn't matter.

Anyway, one more day of freedom until I start my new job. I'm both excited and a little trepidatious. I'm sure it will be fine, but the unknown is always scary. I am looking forward to the new challenge and the new bunch of people I'll be working with.

In other news. For the first time since I started riding my scooter, I haven't been able to wear the inside thermal layer of the jacket because I have been too fat. Tonight, I tried it on with the layer inside and it all fit :) Yay for me.

Monday 12 June 2006

Sonday Drive

Amusements all round.

My favourite part? They hopped into the backseat as if nothing was out of the norm!

Sunday 11 June 2006

Making ends meet


Making ends meet, originally uploaded by Sams76.

After busting our balls most of the weekend, Glen and I realised one thing - the machine shopping of woodwork via a computer and template isn't fail safe.

Our kitchen manufacturer fucked up their kitchen to us and as you can see, things just don't meet.

This is the first of about three things about our kitchen which have been ballsed up. On Tuesday morning, I will be phoning the company and demanding they rectify the issue and make it known that they are now holding us up. Although the above pictured part of the kitchen doesn't hold us up - other things will.

Grrrr.

Tomorrow, I am planning to go to the paint store and purchasing some paint for the kitchen walls. As you can see, the colour of our kitchen is like a plummy-brown colour called Raisin. So, one must find a colour which will mesh with it. No mean feat.

Anyhow, enough bitching.

Thursday 8 June 2006

Write Marketing...

There aren't many causes that I strongly believe in and support, but gay civil rights is one of them.

Why?

Because why should we, as self confessed Christians (which I was once more qualified to say than now - hello, living in sin!) pass judgement on these people? What would Christians say if gays and even non-Christian folk judged them for their religious convictions and withheld what is considered basic human right? What is the rest of said population prohibited Christians from marriage and recognised unions because of their religious beliefs?

Just a thought.

I was brought up not to judge others and in some way, it was to do with my wholesome, sheltered and somewhat rural/regional upbringing. However, I never knew to distinguish between a person whose origins were from China or from Vietnam. To date, I cannot tell. I grew up with an substantial Aboriginal population. I knew that difference, but I didn't learn what the other differences were that others believed were there. I had Aboriginal friends, I went to school with them and in some cases, I did not realise that some of my close friends actually had ancestry within the Australian Indigenous community.

The only thing I object to is when some self-proclaimed Christians knock on my front door making me wish every time, that I owned a fully lockable front fence. I hate people who peddle their wares in my life. I have made a choice and although it's nice to advertise, please don't telemarket to me - I am smart enough to know where to find things if I want them.

Wednesday 7 June 2006

What shits me...

Is being told yesterday that my former boss, from said most recently departed job, is pregnant.

The crap started with her about 3-4 months ago. Guess when she started going psycho mental? yeh.

I'm so pissed off. Her shit made me leave a job where I enjoyed the people I worked with. I am also told that once she has the baby in December, she's going to work 20 hours a week mostly from home. Can you imagine the freedom and joy of that?

It shits me so much, beyond belief.

Because of shit like that, I've developed a strong aversion to working for another woman. And you know what the ironic thing is? I don't think every woman manager acts like this, but out of the three female managers I've ever had, all were power hungry, control freaks.

Having said that, I'm pleased to be going to a new job with my former manager (now new manager). The organisation called me today and told me that it would be bedlam for me to start next Wednesday, so asked for me to begin on Thursday instead - however, I would still be paid for the Wednesday. What a crying shame! And then he asked me whether I was happy that they had hired my former manager! Yeh, I am devastated...

Amusements...

I've seen this before, but given that I am living in devastation and disaster (see flickr photos), I needed a bit of a laugh.

Monday 5 June 2006

The week (and a bit) in review...

You know how you leave something so long that you put it off too long to do it justice? This is one of those times. I've got about 10 days to catch up on; 10 days where lots happened, and yet, I can't capture it, do it justice. Grrr.

Animals
Glen dropped the animals off to the boarding kennels. This was such a sad affair and we spent the week missing them, wishing the week would pass quickly. The boarding kennels were a bit disappointing, after such a promising song and dance they performed. When I phoned, they were emotionless, wouldn't tell me how the animals were and were very unhelpful. So, I expect we may not bother with them again. Honestly, who tells you your animals are 'fine' when you ask how they are etc. And who tells you 'Oh, we haven't bothered' when you asked whether they had paired your dog up with another (one of their big selling speils upon inspecting the kennels). Stupid fucks.

Work
This did not go well. Because we were staying with a friend who began work at an earlier time, I asked my manager if I could also start early and finish early. My theory was reasonable - who's going to really be a shit about my hours when I was leaving and therefore not really expected to do heaps of work? My manager would be that shit. She gave me such a hard time, to the point where every morning, she would call me dead on 8am and call at 4.00pm to make sure I hadn't left early. Such a bitch. By mid last week, I decided I'd had enough and stopped answering her calls and stopped giving a shit about what she said. I documented everything and at the end of my tenure, I submitted a rather lenghty exit interview document, explaining my anger.

Right up until my last day, she was demanding I complete work and was shocked when my colleague told her I had not done things - as if I was doing any work after my farewell lunch? Yeh right. I've never known a manager like that, though the previous manager was god-awful in many other ways. I feel sure neither would have liked each other.

House
We moved back into the house on Friday night. The house looks terrific and shortly (when I can locate my cable) I shall upload some photos :) We are slowly unpacking and living in shit until then. The new kitchen (in it's natural flattened form) arrived this morning and is currently stacked up in the garage. We have managed to pull the wall tiles off in the kitchen, the wall cupboards are now gone and the exhaust fan is gone. Glen has patched the holes in the walls and tomorrow, god knows what we'll do. Glen's hoping that by the time he goes away in mid July, the kitchen will be ready - har har!

New Job
I am currently gainfully unemployed. I begin work on like the 14th June, so I have a few days left. I am feeling pretty good about it. It's like getting the band back together working for my old manager. It feels familiar, like I never left. I am under no delusions about what to expect. I know it will be hard work and that I won't be getting any favours. Looking forward to working in the CBD again. yay for life! Just have to organise my scooter again and make sure it's all kosher.

Family
We learned late last week that Glen's uncle Ron passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. This sort of thing makes you appreciate the things you have and puts perspective on the things you have. I think it was his last uncle alive on his dad's side, which is very sad and another piece of 'history' is lost.

Anyway, that's it. I had a whinge, I've recounted and I've recorded. Sorry it took me so long, it's just hard to get into the rhythm again.

Saturday 3 June 2006

Don't get too excited...

This is a short update, to let everyone know that I am alive, I am with internet and we are back in the house.

Having said that, I am knackered and wish to go to bed!

I shall update as soon as I can. Although, it's been one of those weeks, so I'm going to struggle to recall everything.