Hey! Little things like writing up your Cellar encounters.
Sheesh, wasting time meeting favourite authors... do you think if Neil Gaiman had walked past when... hang on. Okay.

The day is almost over!?

pm from Tink.

:biggrin:

rain

Got Hot Fuzz back.

Ali I envy your rain.
We're sposd to have storms on Friday. I'll certainly welcome them.
Too hot for me. Too humid mostly too.
25 degrees by my bedside clock this morning, same again tonight. That's not sleeping temp when all you have is a skylight.

it's bloody freezing here. Although I suppose you lot wouldn't say 17 degrees celcius is freezing, but I hate it.

The rain is good though. Where we live now, we live on tank water alone. No town water, so every time we get rain is good as far as I'm concerned. :)

I wish it was warmer here.

17 celcius is about ideal for me! Lower inside of course. Which is why 25 inside is so grim.

25 is just nice. Overe here in summer most people only set their air con to about 23 or so.

Maybe we should trade places. lol

Have you moved, Ali? Or has Brizzie actually run dry?

Only to Jacobs Well, which is technically the Goldie, but it's not that far from Bris of course.

It's great here though. If you're ever up this way, be sure to look us up. :)

Down this way, shurely?

Nah...Zen is one of those nasty southerners with the funny accents. We talk proper ozzie up here mate. ;)

Blimey - I had Adelaide confused with Darwin.
Good job I found out here rather than having my boss laugh at me!

My screen is too big and bright to read up this close. :(

:D

SG, I am so glad you have resolved the issues with your housemate. I think the studying idea is great, too, and I was very dismayed to see it shot down in flames so soon.
Hugs'n'all-that.

Got up early and did 14+ miles on the bike this morning. Woohoo! I also saw a mama turkey and a chick while I was on the trail. A nice way to start the weekend.

Cool start to the weekend Choco:)

I got an email yesterday notifying me that my new computer will arrive with me on the 28th:) Yey! I am very excited about this.

Also, have discovered huge back catalogue of classic Doctor Who dvds in my local library. Yey again! Caves of Andozani here I come:)

Oh joy! My Doctor Who audio play (cd) arrived this morning. Bought off Ebay. That and I am generally feeling pretty groovy today. Just woke up with the sun on my shoulder today:)

We made new friends today.

Shut up, maybe it's super-easy for the rest of you, but I have lived my life being torn in two directions--the extrovert's desperate social needs, paired with the introvert's inability to step up and introduce myself. I've always relied on having one best friend who is a social butterfly and makes all my arrangements and introductions for me. But now my best friend has four kids, I have between two and four depending on the day, and we live 30 miles apart.

I have lived in my house for over a year, and I know no one in the neighborhood. I have met the people in the houses on either side of mine twice each, and I couldn't tell you their names, nor could I be certain to recognize them away from their house. But today we met a couple who live maybe a half-mile from us--he's a sysadmin like Mr. Clod, and she glazes over when her husband talks shop like I do. :) And she's pregnant with a little girl due in September, just 5 months younger than my baby girl. She mentioned future play-dates for the kids, and I managed to enthusiastically affirm rather than finding my throat glued shut (thus convincing her I must hate her, and even if she weren't convinced, I'd be so terrified that she were that I'd never speak to her again.)

So anyway, that's what's making me happy today.

When she calves take her a casserole, then wait awhile, and retrieve your dish. That gives you two shots at hooking up. ;)

:D
A new friend is always a good thing. I don't have any friends whithin a half mile. It's a big deal to me too. All my friends right now live a long way away. In fact, I was just bitching about this to my notebook. It's easy for me to talk to anyone. I just don't have any friends.

A guy I like called me super intelligent, amazing, underestimated by myself, and said I make him a happier person! Yea! I usually distrust compliments but I'll happily accept his with a blush. He's very good at making me blush. Oh and said I'm cute :p.

Jimmies

kiss him! grab his tits!

Was Friday actually. Taken me this long.....

On Monday, swim/dive championsips started. 13 and ups started warm up at 8, meet starts at 9. 8and under dive is in the afternoon. I'm cool, my kids are 10 and younger, I just have to deal with dive, but the eldest wants to go and support the big kids at their meet, so I'm awake before 7. she's getting a ride, tg -the pool is half an hour away.

just out of the shower and brushing teeth at 8:30, phone rings.
We didn't bring the results from the last dual meet. Can you bring them?
Um, no, I gave them to you.
I forgot them. They won't let us swim.
There's a copy in the pool house
Can you bring them?
I guess so, but they boys have to get to practice...
They won't let us swim otherwise...
OK

So I make babysiiting arrangements for they boys (TG for banana-lady aka MIL) and dashover to the pool. Is too early for anyone else, but I have a key. I unlock the door. But the damn thing won't open. it's so hot, the new paint is sticking badly and I can't pry the doors apart. It's a neighborhood pool, so I go up the road and knock on all the doors of people who have swim team kids. nothing. go back to pool. The mom I hate most in the world turns up way too early for practice. We still can't do it. We get a crowbar from the tool shed. While she's working out the best way to whack me with the crow bar, I manage to prise the doors apart and runin, grab the results and head off for the pool.

I arrive 10 minutes after the start of the meet, but 5 minutes before our first swimmers are due on deck. I have to park far away and sprint across the parking lot and through the school. They allow us to swim. They say thanks, I cool down (took a while, on-deck temps were 120ish) and head home

Now, I ain't shy here, but I have my moments in real life. I despise unexpected spotlights and mushy shit. But I felt safe at awards night. Mostly because the gits got me last year with the "Woody Ziegler Swimmer of the Year Award" -the only one adults get and never given two years in a row. But this year the evil sods did a one off "Winged Deliverer" award - a golden angel on a plinth. I coulda killed them. But they fessed up they only did it cause they knew how embarrassed i'd be and thought it would be funny and -now I've got over it- I have to agree it was. andI'm flattered that they did it because at the time i was pissed that they seem to think I had a duty to deliver the damn results. So, in hindsight, It's making me happy. I feel appreciated and loved. If they just wanted to appreciate me, they could have given money, but they made the effiort to embarrass me ;)

Yeah that used to be my trick too.

I am happy for you clod ..for being brave.

Peace and quiet for an entire week! Hall- F*%cking- lujah! No lectures for one whole week!

Loooooooooooong weekend of travel is over! Now I can focus on my house projects for a bit.

Happy stuff from this weekend: Friday, Lil' Pete got the girls 2nd place at the Penn State fencing camp and some really nice words from a coach there we have big respect for. Saturday she got the womens bronze and 8th overall in the Keystone Games Open Foil. Sunday she fenced the junior foil event getting the Jr. Womens Gold and overall bronze. She finished above the young lady who got the previous days gold, but they never got to fence due to the vagaries of a combined event. She fenced two brilliant bouts on Sunday which I may upload at some point so I'll hold off on describing what went down...

I started the day by being pulled from work to retrieve Mrs L who found a flat tire upon coming out of the gym. It turns out the tire was irreparable and the other 3 would need to be replaced soon. As I thought about it and did the math of the impending maintenance needs quickly approaching and the price of gas... I decided a new vehicle was in order. So I filled the flat tire up and went to the dealership.

After carefully considering all of TW's wisdom I purchased a little Ford Focus. It's cheap, it's new, and it gets double the gas mileage of the truck I got rid of. Mrs L will drive my FJ so it will get fewer miles and I'll have the little runner.

Kind of a fun day.

Most excellent, lookout.

I recently bought a Wacom Bamboo Fun digitizer tablet and I'm hand-writing this post.

It's a bit of a slow process, but I'm getting better.

Wow.

Honey, I've got a flat tyre [tire].

That's ok, sweetheart, lets just buy a new car.

Ka-ching!!!!

Well there's that, and there's also, Why couldn't she change the tyre herself?

She'd been doing lat pulls and was too tired to operate the jack.

oh right. I understand now.

My computer arrived yesterday:) I am now waiting on J bobbing over and installing the OS. Might be today might be tomorrow. Gosh this exciting. The last time I bought a new computer was four and a half years ago:)

a) her last tire was flattened on 9/11 at the WTC, you insensitive bitch :cry:
b) nobody can change the tyre, it must want to change
c) (write in your assumptions here) ________________

:D

c) she was two-tyred.

What? And miss out on a new car? Are you nuts?

BTW, I wouldn't call a Focus "little". I appreciate things are very different over there.
If I find I've won the Lottery this weekend I'll be getting either a Smart Car or a Nissan Micra!

I'm happy today because I've been bargain shopping on eBay clothes. Some arrived today, the rest I'll get this week sometime. Not party clothes. Clothes for working in the office in the heat. I've been having to wear my one vest top and a top with spaghetti straps. Quite respectable, but not quite ideal for the face of the company.

Picked up a couple of lightweight dresses and city shorts and blouses. I've paid approx 10% of what I would in the shops (was very ruthless in my bidding, let some lovely stuff go).

Yay me! New clothes and appeased conscience and not spending all my money immediately after payday!

PS - I really did need them, I'm washing and wearing the same four items at present.

She could have changed it. Having two kids in the car would make that slightly less than ideal, though. My office is only five minutes from her gym. the real reason she didn't change the tire though is because a number of years ago, she had a flat tire in her truck, took it to the dealer for repairs and came home with a new Limited 4Runner. Impulse buys are definitely a big thing for her.

The Focus is something we'd talked about for awhile but hadn't pulled the trigger. Tire replacement was merely the catalyst.

I impulse bought a scented candle the other day. Just some perspective. ;)

Scented candles? You lucky bugger :p
Apart from second hand clothes, the the highlight of my week is going to Sainsbury's after work.
On my list are Basics Cat Litter (the Basics range is the cheapo pikey range, but the cats don't mind) and 20 Marlboro Lights for the tuck box - which will be reimbursed by the artists at 30p a time.
Everything else comes under the heading Not Necessary. Not Good For Me. Or both.









The above facts are true but the grumpiness is fake - I love my new clothes and I don't care who wore them before.
And I'm going home this weekend with my new haircut and new-to-me clothes. Yes they're for work, but my Mum loves to see me dressed nicely, so I might wear some of them. And she hasn't seen my new (last month) dress yet, so I'll wear that when we go out to dinner.

Actually, just realised - that has been making me happy all week. Can't wait to see them and celebrate my birthday.

Even happier than fun new car you say? seeing the cost savings in having the smaller, gas sipping car, mrs L was motivated to actually sit down with me and look at our budget. with a little rearranging and elimination i've managed to cut about 20% out of our monthly budget in the last 24 hours. (including the car savings) so you see, the new car actually is a money saving move, not an extravagance, in case you were wondering about my impulse buying habits. ;)

I was just wondering why she didn't change the tyre herself. :)

I had a flat tyre the other day. Picked up a screw outside a construction site. What a surprise. It was a good opportunity to get the kids to change the tyre though. They were surprised how easy it was and did most of the job themselves. I was very proud of them. That made me happy that day.

The thing that's making me happy today is that I feel much better and seem to have stopped leaking. :)

It's tough giving up the hoes, but I think you'll be glad you did.


Until the last line, I assumed you meant that your car had a flat tire.

it did...funny man

I found my camera!
Crikey that was making me mad last night. Trouble is, once I get annoyed I stop looking properly. It was under my bed.

And my ultimate boss really likes my hair. Have yet to hear the immediate boss's opinion - she's been in a meeting since I arrived.

Have been complimented on my eBay dress too.
I feel like a new woman.

We got a nice thank you note for the replacement chickens we took to the neighbors.:)

Lil Lookout's compassion.

The rest of the story.

Lil Lookout's compassion. Srsly.




That kind of attitude is rare - it gives me hope for the next generation.

I last saw Diz at about midnight last night.
Hely came and slept on my bed - when she was there this morning I realised Diz couldn't have been home all night (she wouldn't stay in the room if he was there).

I went and called at the front and back immediately, expected to see him. Then I expected him to have found his way in here (work). Still no Diz. I then checked the cellar. Nope.

Seriously worried at this point. Another missing Singa. Why had I ever let him out?

About 20 mins ago I was really suffering from the heat (it's horribly humid here today). I went into the yard to see if I could catch a breeze and of course called for Diz while I was there. He immediately gave his signature yowling response. I was relived but worried - he'd obviously got trapped somewhere - how badly was he hurt?

Nope. Out he trotted, shouting all the while.
He's fine. I have no idea why he stayed out, except that it really is very hot & humid and perhaps he just fancied a change???

HM should have come and called him in by now, but I'll pop out & check in a bit.
I'm keeping a close eye on him over the next few days.

So relieved.
Stupid cat.

Sweet. So glad you found him...I can just picture him coming out, yowling. Cats crack me up.

Glad to hear Diz turned up, SG.

I'm happy today because I am heading down to see my parents on Saturday. When I told my dad on the phone that I was coming down, he got really excited and then refused to keep talking to me, on the grounds that we'd have plenty of time to talk on the weekend. I told my mom via instant message, and her reply was "oh shit I'm so excited already I can't even type."
I had to frantically coordinate who I was going to see when (they are divorced, and seeing them both at once is usually out of the question) but I think it is going to be a good visit.

I'm home for the weekend and really excited too!
Hope you have a wonderful time.

My Mum asked me what colour my hair would be at the weekend... I think she's worried someone will see her out with me :)

So excited - going to Austin to visit the bro, SIL, and nephew. Technically not till next week, but still excited. It's getting closer!!

I'll trade you Ali, supposed to be 107F here today

It got a lot colder than what I was complaining about on that day. It was even snowing in Queensland! That's the state I live in which is the big one on the north eastern side of Oz. It's not unheard of for it to snow here in one particular spot, but it's very rare. They didn't get much. Just enough to get the locals (and the rest of the country) very excited. My cousin sent me a mms with her kids running around in it. Very cute. Too farking cold for me though.

Roll on summer I say.

I'm happy my surgery is over and I can get vertical for brief stints. It's 101F out there now and since I am mostly housebound it's of no consequence. Otherwise I would feel the need to work in the yard. So good timing, me!

In Texas, in the summer? Good lord...

The trick is, don't water it, and then you won't have a yard that requires work.

True, that! Some of the work is building a patio walk and a 'potty spotty' for the dog. Rocks! Gravel! Pavers! Hmm... how long until winter?