Bah, humbug

Bloody new bloody technology.

Does anyone know how to make my broadband work with Vista?

Anyone?

Update: Have been given advice from the Broadband provider. Guess we'll see tonight....

Observations of a slacker

1. I'm not really a slacker. I'm really actually the opposite since I've been too busy to post much of interest
2. I'm changing roles after Easter. Really lots and lots to do before then.
3. Currently training replacements. Also an excellent excuse.
4. I'm trying to do a bit of a health-kick "be good" thing at the moment. Mostly made up of nights at home, eating salad, studying computer manuals to prepare for the new job. Very boring, even for me, I'm pretty damn sure nobody wants to hear about it.
5. My laptop situation has meant that I can only write posts whilst at work. And there's only so much of that one can get away with without losing one's job.
6. New laptop arrived back from the guru fully built with all the bells and whistles this morning. One less excuse as of tonight!

See y'all soon

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLE!!!!!

Sensational Link

You have to check this out. I especially loved point 8!!!

Go on, money back guarantee if you don't like it.

J.

OK, I'm a nerd..

because I found this really cool

New toy...

My New laptop has arrived...after many delays.

It's going in to my favourite guru to get built and have all sort of nice things put on it for me. I'll get it to really play with on Tuesday.

No more excuses really, after that, for being slack with posting as I'll be able to do so from home again.

Speaking of which, **insert disclaimer here** I have a half-day tomorrow, so if you don't hear from me I'll be back on Monday.

J.

Quote of the Day...part 4

"I wonder how heavy this is?"

[Upon lifting up the prize in the "Win a 10 kilo block of chocolate" raffle]

This is becoming a bit of a habit. Should there be prizes for the best ones?

Check previous entries here and here and here

Update on the evil Corolla...

Not there this morning....

Hehehehe

Smug again

Last Thursday, my first morning back to work after being on holidays, I'm walking to the station.

To get there I walk along a fairly busy road - 2 lanes each side.

Each night, after the rush hour traffic has gone away, one of those lanes closes and becomes parking spots. This is called a clearway.

Very early the next morning, the clearway turns back into a traffic lane.

This is a good thing. Traffic can get through quicker and everyone gets to work on time.

You may have noticed that I'm writing this like a children's story. This is to demonstrate the simplicity of this concept. If you're not following so far, well, I think you may as well give up and go away now. And maybe never come back.

This, however, seems to have been too difficult a concept for one particular person. A nasty, selfish, rusty-red-corolla driving person.

They had remained in the clearway.

Whilst this doesn't necessarily affect me directly, I admit to being annoyed on behalf of the motorists trying to get to work on time, and if I'm going to quite unreasonable about all this, I'm sure it's bad for the environment or the planet or something with all that extra car idling time.

So on Friday the same thing happened again. And it wasn't some abandoned vehicle thing, the car wasn't there when I walked home Thursday night. Some idiot was deliberately blocking the clearway.

Then the weekend came along and I forgot all about it.

Monday morning, and I'm treading the familiar path to the station. The familiar red car's there with a nice parking ticket.

Hehehehehehehe

Not that I would ever laugh at someone else's misfortune.

Hehehe

Tuesday morning it's back again. Cheeky bugger. You'd think he'd have learned his lesson after a nice $75 parking ticket. but Noooo he's still back parking there again!

This morning he was getting towed, just as I was walking past.

I had trouble containing my cheering.

I'll keep you posted....

Nothing's ever easy

Ok, this is going to be a whiny one (if you couldn't tell by the title). If you're not interested in hearing me whinge, feel free to talk amongst yourselves.

This is a story of a bookshelf.

The background is that I've had a really really lot of books in storage in Tassie, far more than my current storage capacity could possibly allow for, and I managed to get a stack of them back with me upon returning from the recent trip back there.

I tried to prepare for this eventuality well ahead of time. Really, I did. The bookshelf was the plan of what Mum & Dad were going to give me for Christmas. I've been shopping around for ages.

Everything I saw was basically prohibitively expensive, or not what I wanted.

On Saturday, I literally gave up. I decided to go and get a flat-pack Ikea special to use in the interim until the fantasy bookshelf could be located.

Of course, nothing surer than, with the pressure off, walking into the furniture store next door to Ikea (actually it was Freedom, because Ikea's moved since last time I was in that shopping centre, but you get the picture), since they had a sale on, and being confronted with said Fantasy Bookshelf. At a bargain price.

On Sunday it was Sandy's birthday lunch. Armed with the-person-we're-not-calling-the-boy and his van, I thought it would only take a few minutes to duck to the warehouse (literally around the corner from my house), pick up the bookshelf, get the thing from the car to the lift and straight through the door. All leaving ample time for me to get to Sandy's lunch on time.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

Well, all went perfectly according to plan...until the bit about ducking up in the lift.

Of course the bloody thing was about 3 inches too big to fit in, no matter how many angles and different ways we tried. So, sweating, cranky and running late, the bookshelf was stowed back into the van.

Later that night there was some serious furniture wrestling (I don't mean that in the euphemistic sense).

Up the fire escape stairs.

To my apartment on the 4th floor.

Around all the pipes and turn-y thing-ys whose purpose I don't understand beyond getting in the way of my lovely bookshelf.

Thanks to Ronene who jumped in and helped along the way.

We did finally get there...but you've got to admit, that these things are seriously never as easy as they're supposed to be.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDY!!!

Observations of a bald woman

1. Being bald feels funny. Especially when the wind blows.
2. My head actually feels heavier rather than lighter. Not sure why
3. I get a lot more attention when I walk into a room full of strangers than I did before.
4. My super-size shampoo and conditioner bottles are going to last me a long long time
5. My hair doesn't feel like boy-hair at the same length. It's definitely softer.
6. I really need not to make my cranky-face. I look a bit scary when I do that with no hair.
7. I'm actually quite liking it now that I'm over the shock.
8. I do keep shocking myself when I catch myself in the mirror

Quote of the day...seriously!

"Have you shaved your head yet?"

Going.....

.....Going.....

GONE!!!

Today's the Day

Gulp.

4.30 this afternoon the whole shave is happening. My hairdresser has had to cancel on me so I was asking around this morning who I might get to substitute.

Steve sits a few seats down. His reply: "I can shear a sheep, I'd give it a go."

If you're going for the last minute donation, I'm over $1800 now and it would be nice to make a round 2 thousand....

Click here to sponsor me.

Another one of those moments

Another friend's comment just now....

"I didn't get to Maria Island when I was in Tassie. Isn't that where they make King Island Cheese?"

My response:

"No. That would be King Island"

A few things...

1. Yup, we're back.
2. Yup, I'm back at work and drowning under a sea of emails and work
3. Yup, I'll get on here and write something decent very soon
4. Thanks to everyone in Tassie who made the holiday amazing
5. Tomorrow is D-Day for the World's Greatest Shave. If you haven't donated yet, what are you waiting for?

Howdy from the Apple Isle

A quick hello from the happy traveller. Been totally off the grid for the duration of the tavels so far, but popped in to see friends Nic & Mick and Mick was using the internet.

Jacki: Oooh...the internet
Mick: Yep. Would you like a go? Do you know how to use it?

So here I am. Its a public holiday in Tassie so everyone's having a bit of a chilled out day. We were scheduled for a trip to Cradle Mountain, but have been on and off the road for several days in a row and have decided to add that to the rapidly growing "Next Trip" list.

Anyway, we've been having an absolute ball and catching up with lots and lot of people. The person formerly known as the boy (he apparently doesn't like that, but I just asked what he wanted to be called and he couldn't come up with anything better than "the shag") has done very well, but I think is a bit bamboozled with all the new names and faces.

The list of stuff we've done so far....

• Arrived, checked out Anne & Rossco's new pad in Evandale
• Lunch with Rossco and Anne
• Tour of the Cataract Gorge including the chairlift
• Pizza night with Nick & Mick
• Lunch with the Pom
• Dinner at the train with Julie & Richard and Nic & Mick
• A trip to Hobart
• Dinner with Derek & Jo
• Salamanca Markets
• Stopping at numerous midlands towns
• A visit to Maddy & Jon at Ross and dinner at the Ross pub
• A night out on the town in Launceston
• A trip to Seahorse World with Louise and Bruce and a lovely lunch
• A roast with Rossco and Anne
• And lots of other stuff in between

So we've been busy bees and having lots of fun. Back on Wednesday. Please feel free to talk amongst yourselves until then.

The archives are over there ---------------------------->

Almost there....

One thing left on the "to do" list!

The Truth About Cats & Dogs

So, in case you haven't worked it out yet, I'm going on holidays tomorrow. 8 days in Tassie with my partner who's never been.

I'm a bit of a planner and an organiser when it comes to these things. My Partner is not.

So here's how the preparation has gone...

Me:

• Track down cheap flights and suitable dates, months in advance. Book and advise everyone we need to catch up with of dates well in advance so they'll be free.
• List clothes and other necessities and plan all laundry to be complete 3 days before. Only wear clothes that aren't coming on the trip for the last 3 days
• Run down stock of food in the fridge so as to not come back to anything gross and mouldy
• Call all people we need to see in advance. Organise accommodation for each night and a car to drive around in.
• Create a colour-coded spreadsheet for our itinerary. Specifically build in flexible arrangements and alternatives so as not to be too regimented
• Pack 2 nights in advance. List of everyday items that need to be put in at the last minute compiled.
• Cancel the newspaper subscription.
• Web check in the day before, with careful selection of seats to allow for my small bladder and my Partner's long legs.
• Book taxi to get to the airport a day prior to ensure they're free and on time.
• Stock up on snacks, books, magazines and puzzles for the flight, and ensure all gadgets are charged.
• The day of the flight - get up, put on pre-selected clothes, leave.

Him:

• Agree to proposed flights.
• Refuse to look at itinerary and insist that not everything be planned - even if it means sleeping in a homeless shelter.
• Start packing the night before.
• The day of the flight - get up, run around looking for lost socks, shove everything within reach into the bag at the last minute because the taxi's arriving, leave.

Ahhh...fun and games!

Did I mention....

I'm going on holidays tomorrow?

One sleep to go

Until I'm on holidays!

Guest Writer - Lesson 1

My friend Bec, who you may remember from various posts about her wedding last year, the baby shower I'm currently planning, and other exciting adventures, is having a baby. Last night she had her first class...and at lunch yesterday we were speculating abut exactly what might be involved. This morning she reported back for the amusement of me and my readers....


Ok you wanted details, here are the details....

I arrive early due to being anxious about the whole thing. I don't want to pant in a group, practice positions for the 'big show' or have to kneel on all fours in front of anyone. I have been thinking about this as a milestone 'must get to the Birth and Beyond session and then we will be ok'. Its down hill from here and I am now worried. I work myself into a sweat waiting for Luke to arrive. He arrives late, looking dishevelled after being caught in the rain. Not a good start.

We walk in and the teacher greets us and gives us paper work to complete, one for Mum and one for Dad. As I go through the paperwork some of the questions are 'What tests have you been for?' to 'Drs Name'. Now for some people this might not be to difficult to answer but for me with the dreaded 'Baby Brain' I had great difficulties answering these questions. So I put the broad answer of 'Scans' and 'Kent St Medical Centre' just to fill the gaps. The teacher came and took our paperwork and actually marked it off. I saw ticks flying everywhere much to my delight 'we passed!' even ran through my mind....

We start to browse through the brochures and workbooks. I come across some painful looking diagrams and feel myself getting flushed as my heart rate rises. I show Luke the diagrams and then look at him and start to giggle like a 12 year old in the PE van at school. I then mutter under my breath 'I don't think I can do this....'

The teacher then moves us into the other room, I charge off. Firstly wanting to get out of the claustrophobic room and secondly wanting first pick of the seating arrangements. I find that there are mats, bean bags, pillows, towels and chairs arranged in a circle. I pick the off centre position and plonk myself down on the bean bag and Luke parks himself in the chair and we wait for the games to begin.

I eye off the other bellies and feel strangely comfortable in this group. They all look different but there is something strangely comforting being in a room with people that are going through the same life changing event. We do the ice breaker and I successfully remembered peoples names. There are some people - a young couple, that live right near us which is nice to know. We finish the ice breaker and then start the learning phase of the class.

We are confronted with a life scale female pelvis and shown how it moves about. Now really, do we NEED to see it changing shape? Then we see how the baby (yes again to scale) passes through the pelvis and also how it can get stuck if it comes out the wrong way. The room is rather quiet during this show and I look around at the fearful faces, the brave faces and the red faces. Its good to see that there are all sorts of reactions, means I am 'normal' in this group.

We then stop for a break which gives us a chance to mingle with the other expecting parents. It seems that we share the same fears, thoughts and questions which is good. I think that we will be able to find some support in the group.

After the break we go back to our places to find a sheet of paper for Mum and a sheet of paper for Dad. We have to complete it without discussing our answers or questions. They are questions about the birth, pain relief and roll of support person. I go through and answer the questions. I then sneak a look at Lukes page and see that its similar questions but designed for him. To my delight he answers the same way as I do. I don't know why but I feel like I have passed an exam. We had never really talked about the 'birth' bit and how we would cope and knowing that he is thinking along the same lines makes things allot more easier to deal with. Feels like safety in numbers.

Over all, the class was good and informative. I think that it really helped Luke to understand the whole roll he will play in the process. It helped me to know that we are not alone and are not in isolation going through this. We have 6 more weeks of learnings and I am sure they will get even more confronting then last night but hopefully it will help for the grand finale - Meeting Mr Baby Bean.

Bec

Bob's your Uncle

Well, Bob's my uncle at least.

And he was in Sydney this weekend and he was very sweet and took me out for dinner last night (just for the record, I didn't cook because I'm going on holidays and have been runnign down the food in the house).

Thanks Uncle Bob!

Faster than a Speeding bullet

Recieved a call from my friend Nic in Tassie today. I was in the middle of a conversation so asked if I could call her back.

I tried serveral times over the next couple of hours, but all I could seem to get was a busy tone. Given that I didn't really think she was quite that popular, I emailed her. Here's an abridged version of the exchange...

(email)
J : Trying to call you but can't get through as your phone's engaged.
(phone)
N : What number are you trying to get me on?
J : xxxxx
N : you've got 2 of the digits around the wrong way. How have you managed to get that wrong all morning??
J : I've obviously got it wrong on your speed dial.
N : I have a speed dial? Nice to know I've made it to the speed dial list.
J : We have these new VOIP phones. You get 100 of them.
N : I don't feel quite so special anymore.
J : Well you're pretty high up the list.
N : How high?
J : Number 19.
N : 19? That's not very special!
J : But I obviously have to put the everyday work numbers on first. They take up 1-7.
N : So I'm, like, 12th then?
J : ...Plus most people have more than one number on there. You're actually both 19th and 20th...

The rest of the conversation takes place.... A few minutes elapse.

(email)
N : RING ME! I need to talk to you again and now you're on voicemail.
(phone)
J : Sorry, I just logged out of my phone to get your speed dial to update....

If you can hear it, you're already in danger...

I had a very enlightening day yesterday.

Actually it was a very lightning day.

I watched a documentary on lightning that I'd taped from earlier in the week yesterday morning.

Then last night we got this.

I'm a bit of a fan of a good lightning storm, and this was one of the best I've seen. I was also very lucky to have a sensational panoramic view of some of the best bits of the storm. I spent yesterday evening sitting out on my balcony oohh-ing and aahh-ing at every big flash and boom.

I wasn't, however, prepared to go as far as some storm fans, who could be seen climbing to the bare top of the hill in the park across the road from my balcony. Especially after having just watched a documentary replete with lightning-strike victims....

Fundraising Update

Woo Hoo!!

A huge day fundraising!!

I've not only made my target of $1500, but have raised almost $200 above and beyond!!

Thanks to everyone who has been so generous!

Another Countdown

I'm going on holidays next Wednesday.

That's 5 more sleeps.

Or two and a half work days.

Yay! Trip to Tassie with the boy. Gonna go do all the tourist things that you never do when you live somewhere (ever notice that?)

Bet my laptop arrives while I'm away. Go on, I'll bet you anything. guess there might be a bit of a hiatus for Jacki's Jabberings...still hate that name. Might go do something about it right away. Let me know what you think...

But I'll only be gone for 8 days.

So that makes it...12 sleeps until my holiday is over.

that is a far more depressing countdown.

Technology breaks the speed of light barrier...

So my new laptop is apparently obsolete before I've even received it.

Them: "Bzzzt!! Try again!"

Me: Grumble, grumble. Grumble grumble.

Them: "Ok, we'll give you a better one for the same price"

Me: "OK. Less grumbles. Not a bad solution"

Them: "You have to fill the form in all over again"

Me: "Grumble grumble"

Them: "And you're back to the start of the queue for delivery"

Me: "GRUMBLE GRUMBLE!"

Why is nothing ever easy?