Word Nerd

I think I may have mentioned previously that I receive word of the day. From that you may have surmised that I am a bit of a word nerd.

Well, that may be true, but I think I've really only shared the tip of the iceberg. The true level of my word-nerdism has not yet been revealed. I truly love words and language.

So firstly, I do subscribe to Dictionary.com's word of the day email. Every day a new and exciting word arrives.

But it gets worse! I have a whole method for making sure that I actually learn them. I know, totally daggy. But there's no point reading the word and its definition (and it being used in various sentences and its historical derivation) and then promptly forgetting the word altogether. So the trick is to leave the email in your inbox, and every day when a new one comes in I'll see if I can remember what the previous ones mean. Sometimes it sinks in for the next day, and sometimes it takes ages, but I always get there in the end!

I also have my favourites. And I keep them in my inbox.

In case you're interested, here's my list:

• pleonasm
• pandemic
• importunate
• triskaidekaphobia
• philomath
• segue
• ostensible

If you don't know what they mean, guess you'll just have to look them up! ;-)

Passiona

Do you remember passiona? That fizzy passionfruit flavoured drink from when we were kids? Do they still make it?

Actually, a quick google search revealed that not only do they still make the stuff, there is also now a new product available - Passiona flavoured jelly!

I'd like to know who named that particular drink. Pure genius! Creative, innovative, and very descriptive.

I have a bit of an idea. It's top secret, but I'll share it with you, my trustworthy readers. What do you think of the idea of.....(wait for it)........................................(drum roll please!).............
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Passiona cocktails!!!!!

Farewell Sunday Mug

I'm a little sad this week and feel as though something is missing from my life.

Remember the Sunday mug? Well it came to a sad end last weekend. Every morning this week I've had to make myself 2 cups of tea and come back for the second one halfway through my morning ritual. It's a really unsatisfactory state of affairs.

I spent part of my weekend last weekend trying to track down a new one, or something similar (maybe a touch bigger?). I tried House, Kmart, Bayswiss, Tek (the local $2 shop) and a couple of little homewares shops at my local shopping centre. All to no avail. Can't find anything like it.

Any ideas? Short of taking up pottery and making one myself I'm facing life without a Sunday mug! Aargh! The horror!

This week

So I'm off doing training at work for pretty much the rest of this week. It's very exciting stuff...correlation coefficients and regression analysis...geek heaven!

But unfortunately it means posting may be a bit limited over the next couple of days. Never fear, though, I have a stack of half-written posts ready to run with next week. And let me tell you how funny and interesting they are....well, I've got to try and get you back next week somehow!

But I really do have a stck of stuff coming up. You can decide for yourself whether it's funny or not.

Back soon.

J.

Karaoke

On Saturday night it was Simon's birthday (one of those scarily rounded-number ones too). In celebration he organised a little get-together at Karaoke World.

It was a bit of an education for me. My previous experience with karaoke was more along the lines of tragically deciding it's a good idea to get up and sing in front of numerous strangers at the pub after liberal amounts of dutch courage.

This was another thing altogether. Far more like that scene from Lost in Translation. except with cheesecake.

So we had our own room and table and remote control and dodgy film clips. Yes, it's true. The karaoke videos don't use the proper clips, they actually hire actors to make new clips for them. Doesn't that sound like a fun job?

Anyway, the night was hilarious. There was lots of singing and multiple microphones and lots of Whitney Houston.

Thanks for a very funny night Simon, and happy birthday!

**Photos will be published soon!**

J.

Words you just can't type

Does anyone else have words they just can't seem to type? That just come out as some weird alternative, no matter how many times you type them?

I certainly do. A couple of them are...(gulp! Just realised now I actually have to try to type them all!)

• Training
• Inflated
• Exercise

I'm sure there's more, I will have to update this post over the next couple of day's typing.

What words does everyone else struggle with?

Update - Add "Myself" and "forecast" to the list!

Well, I'm usually friendly...

As you may remember from a previous post of mine, I'm generally quite a friendly person. quite sociable, in fact. I could possibly even be considered likely to talk to any given stranger at any given time.

However, I'm here to tell you that that is not entirely true. The "any given stranger" part is pretty close, but I can tell you that the "any given time" bit most definitely is not.

You see, I'm not exactly a morning person. Back when I was at uni and working nights, the only time I saw morning was at the start of it (i.e. from midnight onwards). I had a well-documented talent for sleeping in.

When I first started working full time with the company I work for now, I had the option of doing shift work. I know a lot of people hate this, but for me it was great! I was getting paid extra to sleep in and come to work late!! My favourite shift was 1.30pm to 10pm. You could get a bit done in the morning, and still be finished in time to get to social events (albeit fashionably late if it was a dinner party)

Later in my career, and as it has progressed, I had to move to working more conventional hours and have been doing that for years. It has its advantages and the routine does kind of work for me, even if I push the definition of the 9am start on occasion (although I'll have you know I've been in at 7.30am the last 2 mornings). I even tend to get up fairly early on the weekends these days, as otherwise it's too hard to get back into things on Mondays.

One thing, however, that I just cannot deal with, is talking to strangers first thing in the morning. Particularly on public transport. Here's why...

a) Regular users of public transport to get to work do just that. They want to get to work. A respectful silence should be maintained. Eye contact should be avoided.
b) My little commute to work (and back, for that matter) is my time for my daily meditation. Reflect, read, so a puzzle, listen to music. It is my buffer between my work life and my home life. Intrusions are not welcome.
c) I'm a little grumpy in the morning. I can pretty much guarantee that if you're talking to me about something while I'm still on my way to work I don't care.
d) Public transport is Sydney is crowded. As a general rule, I have to put up with people in my personal space. Can't be helped. But seriously, I don't need them talking to me as well.

So please, please, if you happen to be on the bus or the train with me in the morning, just leave me alone!

Haloumi Kebab Recipe

by popular demand (OK, one request...it doesn't take much to make me feel popular) here is the haloumi kebab recipe - so easy and yet so delicious!

Ingredients:
Haloumi cheese
Mushrooms
Capsicum (preferably red)
whatever other suitable veggies are in the fridge - In the past I've used onion, garlic cloves (for the brave), quartered yellow squash, green beans, or wheels of corn on the cob.

Method:
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes prior to threading so they don't burn. Pre-heat grill (oven or BBQ) to about 200 degrees (Celsius).
Pat haloumi dry, chop into cubes. Chop all veggies into cubes, square pieces, or threadable kind of chunks.
Thread alternate chunks of veggies and haloumi onto skewers, sprinkle with a little dried rosemary, thyme and pepper. Grill until veggies look cooked and haloumi turns golden, turn once and serve with salad.

What's Hot and What's Not

In the world of Jacki....here's what's hot and what's not:

HOT
Asparagus being in season
30 degree temperatures in Sydney in September
Sandy coming home tomorrow
Haloumi kebabs
Cracking open the summer wardrobe early this year.
Nikki going to be a mum again!

NOT
Peta leaving
The amount of hours I've worked this week.
Bigpond wireless broadband which refuses to work for me

What a month!!!

Whew! Whilst I've been carrying on about my birthday, I may have neglected to mention a few of my fellow Virgoans (or Librans), so here goes...

Happy birthday to Daryl & my Dad for Monday (just gone)
Happy birthday to Kogi for yesterday
Happy birthday to Nikki for Sunday
Happy birthday to Carla for Monday next week
Happy birthday to Trent for Next Wednesday

Hope your birthdays are all full of love and friends and good times, just like mine was!

Fireman Sam

Well, I'm not quite fireman Sam, but I am now officially qualified Fire-Warden Jacki.

Yep, believe it or not, when it comes to getting people out of a burning building from the 31st floor, apparently the duty falls to me.

But don't worry. there is hope for my fellow office workers yet. This very morning I underwent a 2 hour training session. Yay me.

Actually, I've been a fire warden in the last 4 offices I've worked. somehow once you've been one, every time wardens are required, your name comes up. I was even chief warden once upon a time, so I guess that makes me a particularly desirable conscript volunteer.

I am being a bit facetious here, and probably without good reason. I'm the sort of person that has freaky stuff happen to them, and therefore am faced with the distinct possibility that at some point in my career I will be involved in some sort of office emergency (apparently burnt raisin toast is the most common culprit!) , and in that event, I think it is best to be prepared.

The training, also, was far better than any previous training I've been given. For a start, there were goodies provided. Also, there were lots of films and sound files (of the sirens etc) and photos from other events. The presenter was knowledgeable and very entertaining (previous warden trainings tend to have been run by people who take these things just a little too seriously). I now actually understand why you're not supposed to use the lifts in a fire and other interesting facts. On the down-side, they changed rooms at the last minute and I didn't read the email this morning, then when I finally found it I was late and there weren't enough chairs provided for everyone, so I had to stand through the whole thing. In uncomfortable shoes. And then walk all over the place checking out red phones and fire escapes and exits and such warden-y things. Well, you win some, you lose some, I guess.

So, if you're reading this and you don't work on the same floor as me in the same building, then wish me luck. If you do...well you might want to wish me even more luck!!

J. Fire Warden Extraordinaire. (official title)

In alternate universe...

Given my love of dodgying photos, it's no suprise I couldn't resist this

364 sleeps to go!!!

ha ha! Just kidding. I wouldn't actually do that to you, don't panic.

The birthday was sensational!!! I had pancakes made for me for breakfast...a very good start to the day! Then people arrived and I received a very special present that took a bit of time and effort to set up. Then we headed over to Sydney Park for EarthDance where we sat on a hill in the sun and drank wine all day. Good weather, good company, good music, and a good vibe. What more could a girl ask for?

Thanks to people who gave me lovely gifts (Ronene, Jonathan, Bec, Ceri, Nikki, Nic) and thanks to everyone who helped make the day wonderful...Nic & Mick (who dropped in all the way from Tassie), Jonathan, Ronene, Bec, Ceri & Anton, Marti, Sarah, Bridget, Eva, KT, Dave & Angelica, Jess, and anyone I'm missing out because things got a little hazy towards the end of the day...

Photos from the day can be found here

2 Sleeps to go!!!

OK, this is the last time you have to put up with a countdown post. Since I'm not online on the weekend, the whole thing will be over and done with by the time I post on Monday.

A big thanks to Nicole for the e-card, and Adam for the amusing picture (which, unfortunately, I'm not able to upload for some reason, but you can view here if you're interested). BTW, are you impressed with that little link? Just bragging because I've figures out how to add them in all neat and attached to a word like that.

A HUGE thanks to Ronene, also, who is responsible for getting my butt into gear and getting me to The Boy From Oz last night (the tickets are each other's gifts for this year).

How bloody sensational is Hugh Jackman?? If I didn't already have a crush on him, I would have had one by the end of the night, and since I already did, it's now an even bigger one! Plus the show itself was even better than I imagined, and Hugh was fantastic in the role (as well as being totally gorgeous). Woohoo!! although I still have Time is a traveller...Tenterfield Saddler...turn you head.... stuck in my head.

so everyone, hope you all have as good a weekend as I intend to!

J. (aka the Birthday girl)

Update: And thanks to Bec for the very appropriate e-card!!!

I'm off to see the...

Well, not quite the Wizard of Oz, but close.

This evening's entertainment involves going to see Hugh. "Hugh who?" I hear you ask. sounds like a knock-knock joke...

-Knock Knock

*Who's there?

-Hugh

*Hugh Who?

-Yoo Hoo to you too

OK, I didn't say it was going to be a good joke.

"So what the hell is she actually babbling about?" I hear you say (I have very acute hearing today, apparently).

Tonight I'm off to see Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz. Australia's favourite entertainer, every bloke's best mate, and every woman's drool-spiration (Yes, I know, I just made that word up).

Updates tomorrow with how it was...although I have to admit I'd be happy with Hugh walking up and down the stage muttering like that weird guy on the bus a few weeks ago. I'm sure he'd make even that entertaining!

J.

3 Sleeps to Go!!!!!!

4 SLEEPS TO GO!!!

It's getting extra exciting now!

Are you all getting sick of the countdown yet? Never fear, as there's only 3 more times you're going to have to read about it (I'm not posting on Saturday)

Thanks heaps to Nikki, who's clearly been reading along and who sent me a lovely card and gift...which I think I've been very restrained in not opening yet. I'm definitely saving it for Sunday, as this year I already know what all my major presents are, so I'll need something left as a suprise for Sunday.

On other countdown news, it's only 10 sleeps until Sandy is back (fleetingly), 32 sleeps until my sister Mel's wedding, 38 sleeps until my friend Karen's wedding, and 103 sleeps until Christmas!

Woohoo! Bring on the weekend!

5 Sleeps to go!!!

BIG Cups of Tea

It's funny, but doing something like this can really work as a bit of a mirror for a blogger such as myself. I've noticed that there are a number of themes that keep recurring, that I wouldn't have really thought that I spent that much time considering. I'm thinking about this, because I'm going to write another breakfast-oriented post now. And I thought a disclaimer might be a good thing. Because I'm really not obsessed with breakfast. It's true, I do believe it to be the most important meal of the day, however I don't necessarily consider it one of the most important things in my life.

Well, not breakfast in general. What I do, however, consider one of the most important things in my life is related to breakfast. It is in fact the beverage that I consume before breakfast, with breakfast, and fairly solidly throughout the day - Tea.

I love Tea.

Especially good tea. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to these things. I'm not the sort of girl who will drink any old Tetley's tea-bag bought in bulk and stocked in the office kitchen.

I prefer a mild start to the day with a pot (not a tea-bag) of loose leaf English Breakfast. I should warn anyone who ever stays with me that attempting to speak to me prior to the consumption of the magic elixir does so at their own peril.

Once I get to work, and throughout the day, I switch to a slightly sturdier brew of Irish breakfast. In the evenings I try to cut down the caffeine intake and tend to go herbal - chamomile or peppermint usually does the trick, although I'm trying Calendula at the moment.

With Chinese food I'll always have tea. Jasmine or Oolong, of course. And for those cold winters nights, curled up with chocolate and a movie, a spiced chai with hot milk and honey is truly divine.

Over the years I have experimented with various other concoctions. Madagascan Vanilla, Lap Sang Souchong (couldn't get into that one, sorry), fruit teas and plunger teas.

Of course, like every tea affictionado, I am also quite picky about what my tea is served in. At the top of the tree is a really, really big mug. I have one at home, affectionately known as my "Sunday Mug", that fits 3 normal cup's worth of tea. It's great. Keeps me going for a decent length of time. At work I have a very sentimental mug. It was made for me at an offsite on 2002 with my workmates - we went and did an activity where you sat around a table and took in turns helping decorate each other's blank mugs. First you painted the person's outline, then passed mugs to the left, and painted the hair of that person, then passed left again...and so on and so forth until a masterful portrait emerges from the combined talents of your workmates. then you paint what you drink and how you have it (hot drinks, ok? I know what you were thinking) on the back, so that everyone can make each other drinks back at the office without getting the orders confused.

What I really HATE are those stupid tiny tea cup things that they have at hotels and conference centres. They fit 2 mouthfuls of tea in them, and you can't fit your finger through the handle, so you end up precariously holding on for dear life. hardly worth the effort really.

So, tea lovers of the world unite!

J.

New Toy

How good is it when you get a new toy? Especially when you get a new toy and it all works just like you thought it was going to.

I went and bought myself an MP3 player on Saturday. And spent a large part of the weekend downloading music onto it. Yay! It does such a good job. I took it to the gym this morning and listened to it whilst cycling away on the exercise bike and didn't have to listen to Kyle & Jackie O breakfast radio. And then I listened to it on way to the train, and on the train...

I love it! My life now has a soundtrack!

J.

The Home Straight

So it's finally less than a week until my birthday! Plans have been made (small as they actually are this year), and I've finally made up my mind what to do (kind of...it's a loose plan, OK?).

6 Sleeps to Go!!!!!

The dreaded lurgy

...has had me in its clutches for the last couple of days. Not fun at all.

Lots of daytime TV has been watched. I'm up to date on Days of our lives. And did you know that they're showing repeats of really early episodes of Sons and Daughters at 10am every day? What a treat!

I promise I'll be back next week with some witty posts or something exciting, but at the moment I'm feeling all fuzzy from the Codral and all the soldiering on and all, so have a great weekend everyone, and watch this space!

P.S. Congratulations to Kristina who apparently had a healthy baby boy last night!

Guest Writer - That Place called Lebanon …

an article from our safely returned Cecilia...

That Place called Lebanon …Hello avid readers of Jacki’s Jabbering,
As you all know this article is a bit overdue. My excuse is that I found it really hard to write an interesting and entertaining article about my visit to Lebanon because of the war that was happening there. Eventually I have decided to write a general article about Lebanon and it’s main attractions. Here it goes…

Lebanon is officially known as the Lebanese Republic. It is small country, which is represented by a dot on the global map of the world. Located in the Middle East at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, it is bordered by Syria to the North East and Israel to the South, with a narrow coastline along the western edge.

The flag of Lebanon features the Lebanon Cedar in the green against a white backdrop with two quarter-height horizontal red stripes on the top and bottom. The red stripes represent the blood of the martyrs that dies for Lebanon’s independence from French Colonialism. The white backdrop represents the snow on Lebanon’s mountains and the Cedar is the native Lebanese tree.
The capital of Lebanon is Beirut and it is the largest city in the country. Prior to the Lebanese Civil War (1975-2000), it was known as “Paris of the Middle East’. The city had undergone major reconstruction in recent years:
· It had largely regained its status as a tourist, cultural and intellectual centre of the Middle East.
· It is also the centre for fashion, commerce and media.
· The city was host to the Asian Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Championship.
· Beirut also successfully hosted the Miss Europe pageant twice.
· The city is home to numerous international organizations. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is headquartered in Downtown Beirut while the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
The city is bustling with restaurants, beach clubs, centres for performing arts, music venues, movie theatres, a casino, and a number of night clubs, pubs, and bars.

Lebanon is a place of many attractions from fresh green valleys and mountains, historical sights, fabulous entertainment, great shopping destinations to a laid-back country/village life. In honour to my fascination with history, the remainder of this article will discuss the historical attractions (which I didn’t get to see, but I am determined to see next year)
The main attractions listed below, are in my opinion part of the “1001 places you should see before you die”
Tyre: Ancient Queen of the Seas - is over 5,000 years old and as such constitutes a historian and archaeologist's delight. Although there are remnants of Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, Greek, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman civilizations in the city, it is the Roman ruins that are most prominent in Tyre today. Highlights include the largest Roman hippodrome in the world, an enormous triumphal arch, and an extensive Roman necropolis.
Aanjar: Commercial Hub of the Umayyad Dynasty – Mainly renowned for its graceful stone arches and wide arcades, the ruins of Aanjar offer a unique opportunity to step foot upon an ancient Islamic trading hub connecting Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea. It is among the world's few known ruins of the 8th century Umayyad dynasty and is one of the region's only examples of an inland commercial centre.
Baalbek: Roman City of the Sun – is home to awe-inspiring temples and city ruins, which are among the largest and finest examples of Roman architecture in the world. Located in the fertile Békaa Valley, the city of Baalbek originated in Phoenician times as a place of worship to Baal, the Phoenician Sun God. During the Hellenistic period (333-64 B.C.), the Greeks named the city Heliopolis, or “City of the Sun.” However, Baalbek entered its golden age in 47 B.C., when Julius Caesar made it a Roman colony. Byblos: Ancient Crossroads of the Mediterranean - Historians believe that the site of Byblos dates back at least 7,000 years. It is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The modern port city of Byblos is built upon multiple layers of ruins, dating back to as early as the Stone Age and extending to the more recent Ottoman days. Byblos offers annals of Lebanese history through its great age.
Qadisha Valley & Cedars Forest: A Natural & Spiritual Sanctuary – Quadisha Valley is known as the “Holy Valley.”It has been a place of refuge for those fleeing religious persecution since the 5th century, and it houses some of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Rock-cut chapels, grottoes, and hermitages, many painted with frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, are tucked into the steep walls.
The Qadisha Valley and Cedars region is a prime destination for nature enthusiasts, with abundant opportunities for hiking and trekking, mountain climbing, caving, and other natural exploration. In the wintertime, the nearby Cedars Ski Resort, along with the other resorts in the northern Mount Lebanon region, are popular destinations for skiing and winter sports.
Be sure to make this lovely country one of your future destinations ;)

Great Quote

Just read this quote from Edward De Bono and really liked it.

"If you have an obvious problem and think you have a solution, what is the need for creative thinking? Actually, there is a real need, because an adequate solution is not necessarily the best solution. Too often, the adequate blocks the best when it comes to problem solving."

I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you?

J.

12 Sleeps to go!!!

Anyone interested in my birthday wish list yet?

;-P

The Breakfast dilemma

For those of you who have been listening to me whinge about my unsatisfactory breakfast options since the move tot he new office, I promise this is the final one. I've admitted defeat and and taking a new tack.

for those of you who haven't been subject to my ranting about my breakfast, the background to this story is as follows:

Back at the only office, there were many problems. Lack of views (of anything other than the sides of other buildings), crowds, things falling apart, grotty chairs and desks, minuscule kitchen cupboard (meaning the kitchen was effectively in the cupboard) dodgy air-conditioning, and dodgier lifts. what it didn't lack, however, was excellent food options. In particular, I was a fan of the MLC centre breakfasts from the L.A. Grill. Lovely fresh rolls, fluffy scrambled eggs, and plump fired mushrooms. The ladies there were lovely, and looked after their regular customers. They'd have my order ready for me by the time I got the front of the line. Mmmm...delicious.

So the move to the new building came along and I realised I'd have to find an alternative. the first place I tried has quite nice eggs but no mushrooms. I did try to suggest that they would have a good and regular customer if they were to add this item to the menu, but to no avail.

The second place I tried found me some mushrooms and cooked them up for me along with my egg. I gave them an "A" for effort. Pity that both the eggs and the muchrooms were overcooked, salty and rubbery.

I found a third place. Not bad on the eggs front, and I liked the rolls they use. They gave me raw mushrooms. Hmmm...n0t bad, but also not really what I was after. Also, after asking for no butter, and then confirming that when the fellow who was preparing my roll asked again, I still ended up with a heavily buttered roll. And they charged more than anywhere else. Strike three.

I've walked through all the various areas of the station entries and exits, and all the streets between there and my work, and all the places surrounding, and these are the only options I've been able to find.

So I've given up. I've arrived this morning with a grocery bag full of supplies. I'm giving cereal a go. And I have bread with various toppings to try toast. This morning, I had quite a good toast experience, although I've discovered that the kitchen nearest me doesn't have a toaster. I have to walk all the way around to the other side of the building. Fine for this morning, but I'm sure that will get old very quickly.

So wish me luck on my quest to find the perfect working breakfast solution!

J.

the weekend

Just want to have a bit of a brag about my weekend.

Spring sprung with a vengeance and the weather was balmy and divine.

Saturday consisted of a swim, Lunch with Cecilia, an acupuncture/massage appointment, a bit of shopping, some new (well, second hand, but new to me) books, then a few pints of cider at the Irish pub with Trent and Ronene.

The evening was a quiet one at home on my own cooking up a feats and watching movies and having an early night (after drinking cider in the sun, it was probably the prudent course of action!)

Sunday was more beautiful weather, a trip to the supermarket and greengrocer, and then off to the Spanish festival! Sangria and salsa all in the same place...what more can you ask for???

Dinner in Chinatown with Marti (mmm...salt & pepper tofu, at least as good as the version from my favourite Chinese restaurant) and then home for another early-ish night.

Only one complaint...it just wasn't long enough!

13 sleeps to go!

Bring on the birthday!!!

I've had a good day

I've had a good day. For many reasons....

1. It's Spring!!!! the winter of my discontent is over. Summer is coming!
2. It's now 17 sleeps to my birthday. AND I can now say that my birthday is this month.
3. It was a beautiful day
4. It's no longer winter
5. It's Friday, and I have a glass of red next to me as I type this
6. They finally fixed that stupid blind I was whingeing about yesterday.
7. Work was good and very productive.
8. It's the weekend tomorrow

How can you go wrong with all that happening?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

J.

P.S. Photo diary updated: http://hotoiary.fotopic.net/