Possum trapped in vine

Possum trapped in vine
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

It's been kind of a strange day. Started out being rather agro & grumpy (some guy was driving 45 in a 70 zone in front of me for most of the way to work). Boss didn't come in because both him & wife are sick (different sickness). Heard that we're in the red so we can't really afford to buy some new but rather expensive ($8K, ouch) data that would be really useful. Couldn't find some other data that I needed on server (probably lost during the big crash 3 months prior). Home late 'cos needed to do groceries. It was about dinner time when the dog started barking at the trumpet vines at the backyard. So we roped him in to the garage. Let him out 10:30-ish after LOST and Amazing Race, but he was still barking at the same spot. So I sent my brother out to check it out while I proceeded to do my own work. That's when we found out this possum was trapped in between the vines. Called WIRES (rescue service) but the volunteers won't respond until business hrs tomorrow. Parents came home & after a bit of looking & poking (literally) about we concluded that the possum had, alas, passed on. More poking around before the possum was finally released from the vines & bagged. Poor little thing. What a sad end to the night.

Crap, dog still barking. Can't be another 1 can it?

Happy birthday to me :D

d 001
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

Yes, it's happy birthday to me & not many others. I've been told at my (new) age I should be considered to be officially in my late 20s. It's not THAT late. But anyhow, here's a sneak peek @ what I got this yr. I've been promised more to come, so stay tuned :P

Been a pretty full-on weekend. Not that I achieved much per-se, but it feels like I fit (fitted?) a lot in. Got my usual sat morning shopping done (just a handful of things this time). While had whole sat arvo planned rewriting Chapters 1 & 2, had my usual ways of procrastinating & ended up tending pot plants, changing aquarium (1) water, changing aquarium (2) water, walking dog to donate old clothes, & TV. Sunday was worse. Almost did not wake up in time to go to Wendy's to catch a ride with her - W to work at Ikea, me bumming a ride to Olympic Park for Houses of the Future display/exhibtion. Innovative some, but plain unrealistic & impractical others. Much smaller display than I thought also, so only ended up spending less than an hr there. Proceeded to patrol the nearby sales (leather, books, cds, dvds, shoes, manchester, etc) without buying much. DFO was a much better choice, but bloody long walk it was. By the time I caught the train back to Rhodes/Ikea I was beat. Procrastinated more to end up not rewriting anything at all over the weekend. Yet there's still a pile of things from my travelling awaiting filing. Wonder how I spent so much time doing so little...

War wounds

B 94
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

For those who have not been formally introduced, this is my dog Bobby, or B for short. While normally he's considered an immensely cute dog by everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) lately he's been putting a few more things on his face than the usual grass stain make up that he's so used to wearing. First there was the fight with a local possum that happened before I came back from my trip(s). Over the weekend while out walking he acquired more war wounds from a fight with another Dalmatian. Maybe he'll need to be wearing real make-up soon to cover up them wounds. Powder anyone?

What a crappy day

What a crappy day. It starte out quite ok actually - got up on time etc etc. Even on the way to the train it was relatively smooth, despite the extra traffic because of the 1st day of the new school term. Then it all happened from the train ride onwards. It wasn't the most terrible thing, but almost (yep, only almost) ran into a former co-worker (who shall remain nameless for now) who quit over rather unhappy circumstances just months ago. I actually had already stopped talking to him ages before he quit given his wrecking record (he had been asked to be removed from projects no less than a handful of times by different clients). I was sitting, facing the back of the train, happily reading the magazine that I brought with me. 3/4 of the ay to Central & I had finished flipping thru & started looking around. Who did I see but this guy, sitting 5-6 rows back facing forward. Didn't think he spotted me, or at least our sights never crossed. He got off a station earlier than I did, from the doorway on the other end, so didn't have to face any akward moments either. Phew! Then got to Gowings looking for beanie without finding anything suitable. Bused back to uni & began day of work. Trolled thru interlibrary loans. Crap, recalled. Had to finish going thru & copying by end of day (& did). Worst still, another submittant, which means photocopier priority. Wonder when will it be my turn (to copy & the submit thesis). Then realised I either never had (not likely) or have lost the copy of a book which I need to write more about in my lit review. Had to quickly redownload (thank god it was also published as a journal special edition), reprint & probably reread too (who has the time). Had to do all that, plus get organised for moving, next wk's start of teaching, put away new photocopying, ended up 15 mins late for the bus. AND I had to be stopped by these Save the Children ppl near bus stop. Luckily the (unfortunately not the express) arrived a couple of minutes after so I could make a quick exit. Rushed thru dinner after getting home. fed the fish, fed the dog, got changed, & went out & played 3 bad sets of tennis. When will it end!?!?! Must ZZZ to change me luck. Ok, signing off.

Not happy Jen!

OK, so the title is lost to all non-Aussie readers, but there is simply no better description! Yet another weekend came & went, which meant that I've been home for 2 wks (& counting). Been relatively productive - drafted Ch.1; prepared for uni office move; helping with organising uni office move; spent $$ (un)necesarily on Snoopy Monopoly board game ('un' optional); spent more $$ on new fish tank, heater, other accesories & tropical fish; washed dog; watched Phantom of the Opera for 3rd time. All seemed pretty ordinary tasks, so why the outrage? What else but da dog! It is understandable to conserve water seeing that we're still in what seems like a drought with no end, but to not wash the dog at all the whole time I had been gone!?!?! Now that's a cause for outrage! If it had been a brown mutt it wouldn't have looked any different with or without wash, but to a predominantly white Dalmatian!??! No wonder it was coloured ivory (some say beige, some say ivory. I at present prefer half full) pre-wash. Not happy Jen indeed.

How much d'you say!?!?!

Square water-melon - SOGO
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

At least I saved some $$ by NOT buying this!

Hey big spender!

Peanuts Monopoly - front
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

Crap, spend $150 today! While most of it was spent on 'educational' items such as a language kit & a reference book, I simply couldn't help myself but to give in to this Peanuts Collectors Edition of Monopoly. A little pricier than your normal monopoly (thus the 'collectors edition' bit to rip ppl off), but considering that I was able to restrain (yes, restrain, not refrain) myself from buying the Peanuts chess set in NYC, I think I fully deserve this. Just take it as an early bday present for self. Yeah, I'll do that!

Holy mother of a risotto

Serving of Funghi Porcini Risotto
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

Here's the risotto as wheeled out in a cheese barrel.

Rectangular dinner

Rectangular dinner
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

Ok ok, so the dinner itself wasn't actually rectangular, but seeing that we were sitting in a rectangular format (like most of the times) I couldn't actually call it a round-table dinner now could I? Anyhows, Anne kindly organised her own going-away dinner party to celebrate 1: her own going-away; 2: my coming back; and 3: Shahbakhti's submission. A lovely time was had by all of course, as per usual. The Funghi Porcini Risotto was wheeled out in a mother of a cheese barrel (see next blog). No wonder it was called the gratest cheese risotto there is!! Have a great time in Jap, Anne, a great time in Poland & around for Will, & a warm welcome and great time in Bangkok & Jap for Marianne. Cheers everyone!

Wombat

Wombat
Originally uploaded by ragde2507.

Yes, finally got it! Required some outside help, but am finally posting photos as well. Geez, that took some undertaking... Thnx Becks

Don't u just love this? Took this at Taronga Zoo a few months ago.

Boredom

Incredibily bored. The server is once again down at WESTIR and thus I'm unable to check the old files on the server to see what needs to be saved and what requires deletion. Have already spent the morning going thru LJ Hooker & Domain.com.au to try & find a space for us to FINALLY move out of this dump; or at least continue talking about moving out of this dump. But seeing that the move will signify the cohabitation of 2 orgs it looks like yet another long and arduous process that will once again be dragged on for months. (Was twice close to signing new lease in Parramatta, but both times fell thru becos of small little things.) While continued to be bored by the lack of a server I trolled thru Domain.com.au myself for some fun. Didn't realise mezzanine and studio apartments in Broadway/Ultimo and Darlinghurst can be so cheap! Don't know if it's a good time to buy still seeing that I'm, umm, 'studying'. Plus the whereabouts of my post-studying future is still a big fat unknown, so better not to buy until the clouds of boredom have cleared a bit.

Went thru the new Blacktown Westpoint again today & was again lost in amongst the boarded-up shops under renovation and school holiday kids and mums. Must bring along map next time.

Speaking of getting lost and bringing maps, started writing my travel reviews in this post before deleting it becos I realised that there isn't actually that much that you can say about the American West Coast and the Mountain Zone (or at least the bits that I've been to). I was about to say San Fran was blend and grey, while Denver felt a bit too much like Adelaide to evoke any gd memories/feelings, but those are the things that you've already read in my emails so nothing new. East Coast and Europe are far more interesting for visiting and writing about, so maybe I should start on eastern Canada & NYC on next post...

Learned how to add new emoticons to MSN last nite. Wondering how I ever lived without such knowledge before!

Week in review

Been almost a wk since my return and a few things have happened. For 1, I've duely returned to uni & work & continued with my old daily grind. Uni office in particular is a mess - packages that I sent back, mails I received while away, things boxed up awaiting move, essentials missing 'cos I took 'em home before trip, etc. Work office haven't been that much better - light in hallway went dead, which meant we were bascially in the dark for the whole time (for an office without windows, didn't think we could be more in the dark than before, but we were). Again, a promised move never eventuated so I cleared my spot for nothing. Worse still, computer crashed before I went on leave & whilst it's been 'revived' nothing could be salvaged and/or saved. It's like having a face lift (not that it looks any better than before) without fixing the cellulite. On going projects continue to be on going and with no new projects coming in in the foreseeable future we're urged to start producing occasional papers (short research papers) again. Great, time to get creative!

Speaking of creative, am LOVING my Creative MuVo TX FX at the moment. Haven't put that many songs/files on it thus far, but am carrying it everywhere I go. Probably should spend less time playing with it & actually finish clearing out the stuff that I hauled back from all over the world and eventually left scattered in & around my room (and various other parts of the house). Would show pic of disaster zone, but still haven't worked out how to go 'round the pic-attaching bug yet, so won't. Maybe I'm just slow. Maybe I'm just a computer wiss instead of a wiz (not that I ever was a wiz). Anywho, I digress.

Was ICQ-ing with Sa when drafting this post & she thought I was recounting my travelling days online (hmm, recounting. Sounds so serious...). Might end up doing that bit by bit, city by city, or country by country. Have not decided what I liked/hated most about the trip, so have no idea where/how to start that string of posts. Might save them for a rainy when I have absolutely nothing else to write about. And in the mean time, I'll continue to moan about my daily bores, and not being able to find out what time slots my shows have been moved to (missed OC 'cos I set the timer wrong, and LOST is not on this wk. At least I watched Desperate Housewives, even though I'm a bit messed up with the plot...)

Official opening address

Like most things these days there is always an official opening address at the beginning of the thing, whether it be a state dinner, portrait unveiling, or something that I have gained a bit more experience in recent months - conferences. So, seeing that this is my first blog entry to anything, it feels only natural to also have an official opening address. To kick off the procedings, shall I just say that this attempt of mine at blogging is spurred on pretty much by the fun I had writing my update emails while on my recent trip. But knowing myself, I'd probably be bored of it in no time at all and leave it to collect dust (hmm, should clean out keyboard vaccum cleaner...). 1st fore-warning.

2nd, unlike while on my what seemed almost endless travelling, the daily grind of uni, work and TV would probably (edit 'probably', insert 'most likely') not have as many fun things to fill the pages. Yet another reason to leave this wayside for entended periods. But I suppose I can always make things up every now and then to self-amuse. That's number 2. (Ha, number 2 :D)

Have lost train of thought trying to attach the pic of a wombat and again without success. Must learn how to use this thing properly soon.