Go go gadget arms

When I was a kid I was totally addicted to the Inspector Gadget cartoon show. I loved it to the point that if my mum told me that I wasn't getting any dinner if I didn't come to the table and stop watching Inspector Gadget there would have been no competition - Gadget would win every time.
I'm a little older and (arguably) wiser now, but I find that I still have a fascination with gadgets. I don't pretend to be any great inventor or designer (despite my whinge about mobile phone chargers a while back), but I have managed to retain a fascination and great amount of respect for inventors and designers when they do a good job.
There are some fantastic things out there, Dyson vacuum cleaners spring to mind as a beautiful fusion between function and form (doing both exceptionally), my LG fuzzy logic washing machine (top loader but with no agitator) is another, and my Fisher and Paykel double dish drawer dishwasher (dishwashers?) is another. Great ideas, well executed, intuitive to use and they just do a good job! What more can you ask for?

But I guess what really gets me every time is a really good gadget. An honest-to-god gadget that is really designed for a very specific job…preferably one that is something you’ve never thought could be done better before, but once you’ve tried it, you can never go back.

I think the best recent example I’ve come across is the Microplane. If you’ve read this blog before, you’ll realise that I fancy myself as a bit of a cook. So I’m sure it won’t surprise you that the first gadget I discuss is a kitchen one (given the abundance of kitchen gadgets in general too). So my favourite gadget at the moment is the microplane. Essentially it’s just a grater. It’s really not that much more expensive than a regular grater, however, trust me on this, it’s truly in its own little category. If the story on the packaging is to be believed, it came about when some woman was baking and happened to go into her husband’s shed and found some tool then (of course) tried it out on her lemon rind. Well, great story and all, but the thing is amazing. I’m a huge fan of grating fresh grana padano (it’s a type of cheese, kind of like parmesan but better, in case you’re wondering) on top of my pasta dishes. The only down-side used to be that the stuff starts out roughly the consistency of a lump of concrete. But never fear, the microplane is here! No effort at all and the grana padano goes from concrete to feathery slivers of finely grated fresh flavour with barely the flick of a wrist!

I also love the weird feathering tool that my hairdresser uses to give my hair a bit of a “choppy” look at the end. And the ceramic hair straightener (love that one!). Just quietly I love my Braun epilator and extra-long battery life electric toothbrush. And especially at the moment I’m loving being one of the clan-MP3. Another kitchen gadget that I’m finding great is my adjustable measuring thingy (yes, that’s the official term). It is kind of a spoon attached to a magnet (so it can hang on the fridge) and it has an adjustable lever thing and markings, so you can use the one gadget for anything between a teaspoon and a cup when you’re cooking. And it’s purple.

So cheers to the gadget! And may there be many more!

I really am still here

and I miss you all. I know the last 2 weeks have been a bit light on posts and for that I humbly apologise. Things have been utter madness.

Anyway, I'm going off on holidays for 2 whole weeks from Wednesday morning. I'm still hoping to be able to check in and do a few posts here and there, but I'm not making any promises.

I'm just hoping that my faithful readers will stick with my through the dry period. I swear I've got about 27 half-formed posts running around in my head or in my drafts and I'll have a go at getting some of them written for you all very soon. As a sneak peek I can promise a couple of guest writers...maybe even one that's not work-related (how novel!). I also seem to have a whole lot of posts half written about public transport. Hmmm, maybe a holiday really is in order!!

so keep checking in and I'll see what I can do to keep you all amused!!! (Lots of holiday stories and photos when I get back, too!)

J.

p.s. I'm starting Bollywood dancing classes the day after I arrive back, so I'm sure that I can manage a few amusing stories about my lack of coordination once that gets going!

Word Nerd Part II

Oooh...It was a good one today! Bloviate!!

Miracles of modern technology

Does anyone remember this old post?? The one where I had a whinge about how hard it is to charge my mobile phone and how someone should come up with a better solution?

Well, I'm very excited to announce that my musings have come to fruition. Last week my better half was on a conference and returned with various goodies. Amongst them was this little beauty:Yep, it's a USB phone charger with attachments for Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, Simeans, Panasonic, Alcatel and (most importantly for me) Samsung mobile phones.

As he was kind enough to trade me this outstanding item for an old Nokia car charger I no longer need, I now have this wonderful box of goodies on my desk at work. No more running my phone flat at work!! And if you happen to sit near me and need your phone charged, chances are I'm your girl.

I am seriously impressed with this. I'm just a simple girl, easily pleased.

Long weekend update

I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend. Umm, for those of you who didn't have yesterday off, well, umm, that's a bit of bad luck, isn't it?

Well I managed a great one. Well, in spite of a little drama over an injured wrist that I managed to hurt on Friday in typical Jacki style (ie freaky event that you wouldn't believe in a million years). Anyway, it's not too bad and only gets a bit sore now when I'm using a lot or tired.

Totally loving the weather at the moment in Sydney. I had a very active weekend with a lot of park time put in. A big walk in Sydney Park was followed by a relaxing afternoon playing Scrabble in Centennial Park (although I did actually manage to get a bit sunburned as a result of my outdoor activities...must pack the sunscreen earlier in the year this year). Also made it to the gym a couple of times which is giving me a bit of a head start on summer already!

There was also a family dinner with the in-laws, and time for a bona-fide spring clean (thanks Cath - I finally got around to using my marble paste and my shower doors have never been so clean!). Uh Oh, I think that may have made me sound a little like a grown-up there. Gulp.

So hope you all enjoyed the extra day!

Now. Countdown to holidays....8 sleeps to go!

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/

17 Sleeps to go!!

It's the little things that get you

OK, so it's another whinge post.

The new building's all very lovely and the views are great blah blah blah. But it's possible someone skimped on a budget somewhere, as one of the electric blinds doesn't work. ie All the blinds around it close, but this one is forever open.

Now this may not sound like such a big deal. But seriously, you should check out what happens at sunset every day.

the offending blind is behind me and slightly to my left. So at a very special time very day, the sunset comes blaring drectly onto my computer monitor, and then reflects directly back into my eyes. I physically cannot see a single thing on my screen and end up having to turn it around sideways and len forward and turn my head to keep working.

Great for OH&S non?

Taste

I've always wondered about how people like and dislike different flavours.

I mean, I assume we all have basically the same equipment for tasting, and if you're a Darwinist the basic theory is that taste developed to indicate what was good or bad to eat from a survival point of view.

So why would it be different for different people? Apart from allergies, foods that are good for one person are good for another and the same with poisons.

But, I'm willing to wager, if you turn to the person next to you and ask them what their favourite food is, and which foods they dislike, they will not be the same choices you would make.

Today I wandered down to one of the local food shops to get some lunch and ordered a pre-made salad. There were a lot of ingredients I like, and just a little bit of beetroot.

I don't like beetroot. Never have since I was a kid and first eating solids. this was much to my Mum's dismay, since she grew and pickled her own and I think it may have been a source of pride (not without good reason, mind) that her beetroot is pretty sensational. Regardless, I've never been able to stomach the stuff. As a side note, this may not be such a bad thing given my natural clutziness and the apparent ability of beetroot to permanently stain anything it comes into contact with.

Since I like to think of myself as open-minded and I also know that my tastes have changes as I've gotten older, I decided to give it another go. It was only a small piece after all, and mixed in with the rest of the salad stuff.

Well, I guess my tastes haven't changed. Yuck! I'll give that a miss for the next 10 years thank you very much.

So, now you may or may not be wondering what else I don't like. Regardless, I'm gonna tell you!

1. Number 1 by a long-shot is Vegemite. Not very patriotic of me, I know, but the stuff literally makes me feel nauseous. Can't even handle spreading the stuff on toast for someone else because it smells like it tastes.
2. Peas. OK on their own or raw in coleslaw (mum's secret ingredient), but I don't like peas mixed in with other stuff. It's just somehow wrong.
3. Carrots. Love them raw. Not so good if they're cooked. I don't hate them, just rarely do them for myself.
4. Tomatoes. Love them cooked, not so big on them raw. I used to refuse raw tomato altogether, but have conceded to not picking it out if it's already in a salad. Also I'm OK with them if they're home-grown.
5. Bananas. Can't stand the texture. Don't mind if it's banana cake or something.

so yes, I'm kind of specific with the things I'm fussy about. My sister says I'm weird. but then she doesn't like garlic. she must be mad.

J.

18 sleeps to go

The Winds of Change

There's nothing like a new look to liven up things up a bit. I've updated by blogger tool and so now have all sort of new bells and whistles to play with!

Hope you like the new look. I've also been toying with the idea of changing the name. Too much? Good idea? Any suggestions? You could end up going down in the jacki's Blog hall of fame (tempting, I know).

Submit your thoughts via the comments.

J.

Count down...

I have started the countdown. Actually I started ages ago, but its kind of not cool to draw attention too far out. So anyway, now I've broken the 20-day barrier, expect constant reminders.

It's my birthday in 19 sleeps!!!!!

Guest Writer - A Night At the Phoenician with a Dash Extra

Some creative writing from Albert....

Here’s full account just as it happened, nothing more, nothing less. Well, perhaps I exaggerated a little, perhaps I made up most of the story, you the reader get to decide.
Last week I was at a restaurant called “The Phoenician”, with a group of friends. To be sure the food wasn’t all together intolerable. In fact it was quite adequate, one might even say it was tasty if one’s palates didn’t know better. However, one’s palates by no means gave an inkling to the sort of warped twilight zone one was about to make a wrong turn into. Suddenly, the music got louder. It sounded like the dance of the seven veils from the ancient royal courts of Jerusalem. The lighting dimmed, and in the back of my mind, I expected Salomé the daughter of king Herod Antipas to materialise from nowhere and start to provocatively sweep the dance floor. I was at least part right, for a Salomé look alike did indeed appear, followed closely by a male belly dancer, dressed in florescent green bikini-like top, and what looked like either a very large belt or a tiny skirt made entirely of golden tassels. He also had a green head garb, bejewelled with imitation rubies and emeralds, bestowing upon the observer many a far flashing, thus dazzlingly confounding.
“Keep an open mind”, I thought to myself, “for this is bound to be outlandishly entertaining”. The voice in my head was right on the money, no sooner had it stopped, the male belly dancer burst into serious dance, shaking his hip machinegun style. Had he artificially motorised his arse, it still wouldn’t have gone far enough to explain this unsightly scene. The hip oscillating at no less than 1000 RPMs, the stomach rippling like a pile of jelly on top of a jackhammer.

The last time I found myself in such surreal scene was at John Samaha’s party at Vaucluse Bowling club. We started by watching the sunset across the bay, that red fire goblet dips beyond the blue, indicating that the time was ripe for the loonies to make their appearance. Yes, I lucidly recall the provocative jazz singer named Edwina, dressed in a cat suit, swinging her tail left and right, all the time confessing to the beauty and simplicity of self-administered pleasures. So much was she into her theme that she may well have been a short 3 verses away from reaching for a cigarette.

Meanwhile, I stood across the room, with one martini in hand, totally immersed in her music. That voice, pure yet smouldering, like a nun with a shadowy past. It soaked the pleasure centres of the soul like a long shot of morphine into a fresh vein. What an indelent partie de plaisir she is, perhaps a tête-a-tête would be in order (the overuse of these French clichés could not be helped), by Jingo, yes, let’s do precisely that!

After some lapses and loses common to such dreamlike sequence, I fast-forwarded back to the present time, where the maitre d’ of the Phoenician had just brought us a complimentary dip. He proceeded to recite to us a certain legend about the Sumerian hero Galgamesh , that when he sought the bull of heaven, Humbaba, in the cedar forest of Ballabek, he consumed this very dip to gain miraculous powers, and thus triumph over his prey. I tried this “Hocus-Pocus” dip, it was rather good.
Given that it was so delicious, I thought I’d follow in my ancestral hero’s footsteps, and consume generous amounts of the stuff, in the hope of experiencing miraculous transformations myself. Alas, there was nothing to speak of, no overflowing reserves of wit, no superhuman strength. Perhaps the bowel movement the next morning was remarkably pale and coherent, like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube, now that’s hardly a miracle. All the same, pray to the good god this madness will never end.

Quick Update

• The weekend was great
• Welcome back Ronene!
• Welcome back Adam!
• Happy birthday Bridget!
• How good is Spanish food?
• Trip to Tassie for me and the boy booked for March
• Still don't have the bloody clothes-dryer fixed!

Hope you all had a good weekend too.

J.

20 Questions

I've always been a fan of blogs. I read a couple of them regularly, and thought quite a lot about the whole thing before I started this one. During this time there were a few things I was interested to know, so I thought I'd put together a list of questions and my answers to them. I know I only speak for myself, but at best it may help demystify the whole blogging thing somewhat, and at worst it will bore you silly and you can skip it. So here goes. Jacki interviewing Jacki.

Why do you do it Jacki? Well, Jacki, It's fun for me and a creative outlet. I was a bit stale with the whole newsletter thing because it was too inflexible and I felt like I wanted to something a bit different. I consider myself a bit of an "open book" kind of person, so don't mind putting myself out there. Plus, as an added bonus, my friends & family who live far away can still keep track of what I'm up to.

What's the best bit Jacki? Definitely the comments and the feedback. Makes it all feel worthwhile. Especially when people tell me I make them laugh. My favourite posts to write are the ones where I get a bit silly and let my zany side out for a run. (It's a large part, OK).

What's the worst bit? Really can't think of too many worst bits. Only when I go to tell a story to one of my friends and they've already heard it because I put it on the blog.

What's the hardest bit? Trying to be honest about myself, but still respect the privacy of my friends and relationships. I have to remember that anyone could google me here so it's not fair to be too explicit about other people.

Where do you get your ideas from? funnily enough, that's never a problem. I actually keep a list of things as I think of them and can refer back to it on days when i have a bit more time on my hands. Usually it's stuff that happens in my life, stuff that annoys me or stuff that makes me happy or stuff that I have an opinion about.

Is everything in all of your posts true, or do you make it up? It's all true. Mostly. Let's just say I don't exaggerate any more than I usually do and leave it at that.

Where do you find the time? Usually I try to put up a post and do a bit of writing during my lunch break at work. If I've got a lot of ideas on the the go I'll sometimes do them at home and then bring them in and post them during my lunch hour. I deliberately (and mostly successfully) try to keep the posts themselves pretty short and manageable so as not to bore my faithful readers. Fridays are usually a bit quieter for me work-wise so I tend to do more.

Do you do drafts or just sit and write and post? A bit of both, actually. I always have a few half-written posts on the go which tend to be the longer, more general-opinion pieces (this particular post has been sitting in draft format for about 3 weeks). I'll usually spend a bit of time on them. The "what I've been up to" kind of posts I tend to just fire off. More often than not, though, I tend to have thought through what I'm going to write about and the basic structure of how I'm going to present it well before I sit down to write, so I just kind of bang away at the keyboard in a frenzy, read through once, spell check and then publish.

Do you have many readers? Not really sure. This particular blog host doesn't have counter or stats functionality so I don't know. Apart from one random comment from a random visitor a few weeks back, the only people I know who read are close friends or family. We could do a survey...If you're reading this, scroll down immediately to the comments link and raise your hand (electronically speaking). You don't have to say anything meaningful or witty. "OK, I read your bloody blog, OK?" will do.

You mentioned earlier that you watch a couple of blogs regularly. What are they? OK, I'll share my secrets. It's a rather eclectic mix. You can take a look via the following links...
http://www.meish.org/
http://www.moby.com/journal
http://shauny.org/pussycat/
http://www.slowleadership.org/
http://www.planetthoughtful.org/
http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/
..And lately....
http://roneneonthemove.blogspot.com/

If I'm new to a blog, should I go back in the archives to the beginning and read all the way through, or just start from wherever I come in? Well, I've tried both. Whatever tickles your fancy. With my blog, I'm sure the regular updates won't be enough of a good thing, so of course you would want to go back and read more ;-) Just kidding. Whatever you want.

You sometimes use some weirdo words, Jacki, are you trying to pretend you're smart? Confession time. I'm addicted to word of the day (today's is Denizen). And where else am I going to get to use all these fabulous words? And it's my blog. I'll use big words if I want to. But I do try not to get too carried away all the time.

And do you really think you're funny? Well, sometimes, hopefully. It's possible I inherited the smart-arse gene from my Dad. Why? Don't you like my sense of humour?

No. Actually. I don't think you're funny at all, except for being funny-looking. Now hang on a minute. There's no need to get mean about this. I do my best. If you don't like the blog, don't read it.

Well I kind of have to since I'm you and you write it, which means I write it and...Oh...Well, you know what I'm getting at. Anyway. It's not funny. I thought that you weren't supposed to laugh at your own jokes, so maybe that's normal.

Nope. I think it's just not funny.

Aargh! Forget it. I'm ending this interview now. I don't have to put up with this rudeness!!!

J. ;-)

Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. Answering yourself is the second. I'm clearly well beyond both points of no return!!!

Welcome back Aunty Nene

great to have you back in the country and look forward to catching up and hearing all your tales of adventures tonight (if you don't fal asleep on me in the mean time), and maybe have a couple of glasses of red....

My million dollar idea for the day

Years ago someone told me (I'm reasonably sure I didn't make it up myself, even though it's possible) that the average person has 3 million-dollar ideas a year. That is, 3 ideas that could make a million dollars if they were actually done or invented.

Now necessity is the mother of invention, or so they say, and it certainly the motivator behind my idea.

About 12 months ago I needed a new mobile phone (after having my old one pinched, but that's another story). Like many people, I'd only ever owned Nokia phones. They were good and reliable and easy to use and you could get a decent one on pretty much any plan. But then something happened. The Samsung D500 slide phone had just come out on the market and I was instantly smitten. That very night I took home a shiny new black Samsung and have been very happy with it ever since. It does everything I want it to do exceptionally well and I am very attached to it. It may not have to be quite snowing in hell for me to be seen without it, but I would expect it to be getting towards the chilly side.

As with anything in this world, there's always a trade-off. After years of me and everyone I know having had Nokias, I was always pretty confident that there would be a Nokia charger to be found somewhere pretty easily if my battery should happen to have run down a bit further than I had realised. Plus I had a plethora of Nokia chargers...The ghost of mobile phones past...Of my own, so I could afford to have one in the lounge, one in the bedroom, one at work, one in my laptop bag, and a car charger.

Of course today my lovely sleek Samsung is running a little flat. I should have popped it on the charger last night, but completely forgot, and now it's down to the last bar. And Friday is always maximum mobile phone usage day (people to talk to, Friday night drinks plans to be made...You know how it is). And I'm at work. And I have one charger and one car charger. Needless to say, neither of them is here. And nobody around here has a Samsung charger. And even if they did, it's unlikely they will have had several Samsung chargers in a row and therefore have a spare to keep in their desk.

So you can see my dilemma. My necessity if you will.

Onto the idea. Actually, as I've been typing this it may have mutated into 2 ideas. Either would be a good thing.

Idea #1 - the universal mobile charger. How different can the technology in the batteries be? Surely it's only the attachment that's different. (I may be given a lecture the contrary from the battery-expert bf later this eve, but for now I'm sticking to my theory). Surely you could sell them through the office stationary catalogues? There'd definitely be a market. I know I'd consider investing in a spare charger more if I knew it would work on any future brands of phone I might buy. And if the whole battery thing is different, should there be some sort of regulation? Surely it's breaching some sort of monopoly rules or something (no, not the game. I'm trying to should like I know what I'm talking about).

Idea #2 - the retractable charger. Something like a vacuum cleaner cord perhaps? Maybe snapping open and closed so the bit that goes into the power-point (Yep, most definitely going to be told what the technical name for that is tonight) can actually be stored flat and inside the phone. How much of a competitive advantage would that feature give a phone over its competitors?? Lots I think.

So anyway. I think they're good ideas. And I've decided to be stubborn on this point. Even if I hear all sorts of responses about how neither of these things is possible, I still believe that they should be. And someone somewhere should just damn well come up with the technology to make it happen. That could be their million dollar idea. Maybe we could team up and both get rich. Anyone? Anyone?

Oh well. Guess I'll just have to try to use the phone as little as possible until I get home. A million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to anyway. Do you think I should adjust the saying for inflation?

J.

What a wonderful weird world

A couple of years ago I came up with a little bit of a theory. I came to believe that for someone like me, living in Newtown and working in the Sydney CBD, you manage to see something freaky pretty much every single day. At the time I was inspired by the fact that there was a loose crowd of people walking in random directions around the plaza next to my bus carry giant papier mache vegetables (didn't know then, don't know now. That experience has been relegated to the 'probably never will' category).

For a while I started writing them down, in order to prove my theory, but since I never really did anything with them and nobody else was interested, I stopped after a while.

The last couple of days, however, I do seem to have had a few stand-out freaky things cross my path.

On Tuesday night I was heading home, to find an iron sitting forlorn and alone under the dark footbridge near my house. Out and about looking for a nice lady iron perhaps?

On Wednesday night I was out for a few drinks to farewell Sandy. My taxi driver on the way home was an interesting fellow. He had all the speakers blaring and was singing along in that particular way that only a true fan can. To Boney M. He was also clearly wearing a Ray Martin Style wig. Although I'm not sure that I should really include this. It's almost normal for taxi drivers to be a little odd in Sydney.

Yesterday's actually happened outside of my usual observation zone, and might not actually be a strange thing for most people. See I actually have an uncommon surname. So I was very surprised last night to be ordering pizza and order it from someone who said they had the same surname. Not as surprised as him. Still, it obviously was a pleasant surprise for him, as he threw in a couple of free orders of garlic bread!

This morning has been all a bit strange as I was facilitating for a workforce management discussion group in North Sydney. First was the earlier than usual start, second the extra fuss involved in extra train tickets, third having to change trains without going outside to have a look at the TV screens and find out what platform I was supposed to be on, fourth, not having the address and directions on me so having to make a bit of a guess, fourth it being a bit of a longer and uphill walk than I expected, and the weather being far warmer than forecasted so turning up nice and sweaty and a little flustered.

Hmm. I guess I was my own freaky thing to observe this morning!

P.S. Tried to upload a stunning picture of Boney M in their hey-day to complement this posting, but the upload thing seems ot be on the fritz again. Feel free to imagine the stage performance complete with skin tight glittering lycra, capes and afros. And the backnig singers with weird cape kind of things coming down from their afros.

Quick Update

It's ridiculously busy here with impending deadlines all over the place, so I'm afraid this won't be lengthy. In fact, you may have to put up with a dot-point posting....

• The cold wasn't as bad as first thought
• The weekend was pretty good - first one I've had at home without visitors for ages
• I have a new flatmate...How that came about is another story so will have to wait
• Good luck to Sandy, who's off to Cape York for a month to work with the indigenous communities there. You'll be great, have a great time, and I'm proud of how brave you are (and how little you actually packed after all the angst!)
• This week is complete craziness work-wise. There are literally not enough hours in the day at the moment!
• Thank God for Cecilia! Despite being given only a sketchy, rushed and piecemeal introduction to the role, she's doing a great job already, and actually doing a pretty good job of understanding me as I ramble and mumble my way through trying to explain what I'm doing.
• Yay! Ronene's back on Friday. Well, yay for me, but probably not for her (and not just because she's bringing me duty-free!) Can't wait to have her back - it's really not the same if one of my girls is away...
• Welcome Daryl who is visiting from Melbourne for a few days. It seems they'll let anyone into the building these days... ;-)

J.

That impending sense of doom

My throat isn't sore yet, but it does feel like it's coated with dirt

I have taken off and put back on my jacket about 20 times today

My nose is starting to run.

All my joints are feeling a bit achey

And my head is pounding.

I've dosed up on vitamins and echinacea and have moved onto mild painkillers, but I have a suspicion this weekend is going to involve staying in bed with a cold.

Bugger.

Update to Humble...

Although I'm still eating Humble pie, apparently I'm not in too much trouble since the accident of height has meant that only inordinately tall people can tell.

Gulp. Whew. (almost relieved)

Cheers to...

...Who chose to replace my broken bag today, even though I was one day over the 30-day return period. flexibility and a committment to customer service are great to see in this day and age. I'll be a long-term customer for sure.

J.

What the???

OK, I just don't get it. We managed to get away for a lovely weekend in the small town of Berry (down near Nowra) for the weekend. Having been there before, we dutifully headed off to our favourite pub. I really like this pub. It's quirky and interesting, and the staff are always willing to have a chat and all the locals who frequent it are just as friendly.

I'm really just not sure what the deal is with people who put dead and stuffed animals up on their walls and ceilings as decorations. This place is filled with them. All sorts of them. There are deer and cows and a formidable looking bull.
Our noble national animals (never got that concept of having national animals and flowers and stuff, but that's another story) appear stuffed side by side in all their splendour. And there's a monkey dressed in red pants and shirt playing the banjo up next to a moose head (I think, it wasn't one of the taxidermist's best jobs, that one).
On the roof (sorry, my picture of that one didn't work out due to the lights on the ceiling) was a mighty black bear-skin. Resplendent king of the woods reduced to the indignity of a rug that's not even on the floor.

Can anyone explain? Is this as ridiculous as it seems, or am I being an oversensitive free love & mung beans hippy vegetarian on this one?

Pros and Cons

So the new building is now a reality, the boxes are unpacked and the dust has settled.

As with every change in life, there are going to be some advantages and some disadvantages, as well as a few hiccups during the transition. I thought I might share a few things and you can decide which category they fall into (some may depend on your perspective).

1. The Queen of clumsy apparently can't even be at her new desk for half an hour without spilling a glass of cranberry juice all over the place (OK, this one's a hiccup, whichever way you look at it)
2. The new desks are substantially smaller and storage space is at a premium.
3. The view is sensational (not so good if you're afraid of heights, though, I'd imagine)
4. You're pretty much right in the thick of the weather (except not actually outside). So the huge thunderstorm / lightning storm / hailstorm that happened this afternoon (see http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/winter-suddenly-wallops-sydney/2006/08/15/1155407798255.html for more details) and was then followed by this:
5. I know not everyone likes storms, but it was pretty amazing. The sunset afterwards was also spectacular, but I managed to fill up my camera memory and didn't get the photos cleared off in time to capture that particular moment. I'm sure there'll be other opportunities
6. Hi to Karen from Melbourne (originally Tassie) who has been one of my best mates since I was 12. She was in Sydney for a rare stop-over today and caught up with me for lunch, reminding me how close we are to the Slipp Inn (no Princes there today, unfortunately!)
7. I'm sitting back close to my old team. Good news for me as they're a funny old bunch. You'd have to ask them what sort of news it is from their perspective!
8. I still haven't got the whole food thing sorted. Being a committed veggie (no, not committed that way, even if I arguably deserve it at times!), having to change my regular eating spots can be quite daunting and I've kind of chickened out so far.
9. The kitchen is awesome. Actual matching crockery, cutlery and glasses. Plus Fisher & Paykel double dish-drawers (the same dishwasher I just had put in at my place because it is, without compare, the best dishwasher in the world today), plus big fridges (yes - plural!) and proper recycling facilities and 2 microwaves (that aren't so ancient that the display is in roman numerals).
10. The removalists leaving behind our magnetic sasco year planner. How can we possibly plan our year without it???
11. Having to learn how to use the new printer...Closely related to the definite bonus of having a printer that has had new toner at some point during the last decade, and doesn't chew more paper than it prints. (ditto for the photocopier)
12. Having to get used to the whole train thing again. Somehow getting off at the wrong station on my first morning - a station I've never actually used regularly instead of one that I used to get off at every day. How does that work? I even make myself wonder sometimes. Plus rail tickets have gone up in price recently and are more expensive than bus tickets. Grr.
13. The cool new mobile phone holder that came in the welcome pack that flashes pretty colours when my phone rings (I think it's supposed to encourage people to put their phones on silent). OK, small things amuse me.

So all in all, not a bad trade. Ask me in a couple of weeks when I've had a chance to rearrange my desk. It's become painfully obvious that my first attempt at optimal set-up has failed miserably (shelves behind the monitor not such a good idea in hind-sight), but moving all those cables and laptop locks etc is kind of daunting. I'll wait until a nice quiet Friday afternoon when procrastinating seems the best option.

J.

Humble pie.

Yep. I'll publically admit it. I'm most definitely in the girlfriend bad-books.

There may have been a slight incident on the weekend. It may have involved me helping trim around the edges of newly clippered hair.

It may possibly even have involved me slipping a little and it could have resulted in a tiny bit of a bald patch.

Oops.

Sorry!

In my own defense...who lets someone as clumsy as me near them with sharp objects?? Did I mention I managed to spill cranberry juice on my desk within about 30 minutes of occupying my new office?

The dog ate my homework

OK, so I've been absent from the blog for a couple of days. Sorry. I have some really good excuses.
First my Grandma passed away and I had to go to Adelaide for the funeral (yes, I'm from Tassie originally, but that's only because my parents are where I got my nomadic genes from). It was a lovely day, celebrating the life of a strong and determined woman who had a good innings (so to speak) and passed away peacefully at the age of 89.
Then I got back to the shenanigans of moving office. Friday involved putting all the rest of my stuff (and the absent boss's stuff too) into boxes, then having to be out of the old office by 1pm so going off to have a lovely lunch in the sun.
Then today was unpacking, trying to get everything to work, trying to work out where the bathrooms were, and contemplating how much fun fire-drill are going to be when you sit on the 31st floor.
So with all that going on, I'm possibly a little behind in my work and not necessarily finding time for a quick post on my lunch-break. I promise to be back soon.

In other news - Yay!!! Cecilia's back. Primarily a good thing because she's been kind of stuck in Lebanon for the past 6 weeks, and secondarily because she's joining the team and giving me a well-needed hand over the next couple of weeks. (I promise those are in that order, truly they are!)

J.

The Endless e-tag Epic

Another thing I did with my day off was to finally get around to organising a e-tag for my car. For my non-Sydney based readers, an e-tag is an electronic gadget that you hang in your windscreen that you use to pay tolls, rather than having to go through the slow booths and hand over coins. I've been meaning to do this for some time, but it kind of became more imperative after my fist experiences with the new M7 freeway on the weekend. The M7 doesn't have toll booths at all. If you don't have an e-tag you have to ring up or go online within 48 hours and pay via credit card. As I don't have the internet at home and also only have a mobile number, this can become a very expensive exercise, plus I use the toll roads just enough to make it worth my while having a tag.
So anyway, after paying my M7 tolls from the weekend, I asked the operator about e-tags. She told me to go into my local post office and they would fix me up with one.
Given that it was a Bank Holiday (did I mention that it was a Bank Holiday on Monday?) and therefore everything was still open whilst I had the day off, I decided to get it over and done with right away.
So off I trotted to the Annadale Post Office.
Well, you'd think I'd gone in there asking the woman behind the counter for directions to Batman's secret bat-cave. I don't know about you, but I generally expect people to know how to do their job. Clearly there were a lot of things left off this particular postal worker's induction training. Including how to set up an e-Tag account (amongst other things).

After searching and finding a form in the rack, I dutifully filled it in, reading all the questions thoroughly and making sure I knew what I wanted. I then returned to the counter.

Well, the whole process seemed like it should have been fairly straightforward to me. The questions on the computer screens she was filling out seemed to align perfectly with the order of the fields I had completed on my application form.

So why, I ask you, do you think she felt the need to ask me every single question??? Wasn't that kind of the point of completing the form?? Plus given that she was now receiving all information from my spoken responses, rather than reading them off my form, I now had to spell my name, the street name from my address, my suburb, and my mother's best friend's guinea pig's maiden name. All the whilst having to listen to her tell me about 15 times during the conversation how she hadn't done this before (you don't say????). You have no idea how long this went on. Actually I'm not sure I really do either, as it felt as though I had been sucked into a time vortex for the agonising period of time I was stuck there.

Then, after me completing it on the form, and the employee-of-the-month asking me at the start or the form, she double checked which option I had chosen (there are 3 choices - 2 automatic debit ones, and a manual payment one - and I had opted for the manual payment plan) by making sure it was the automatic direct debit I had selected. AAAAARRRRFGGGGGGHHHHHH!!@!!!!!!!! Isn't automatic the direct opposite of manual???????

Anyway, I eventually got it sorted. Although I have a strong suspicion I could have taken control of her PC and completed the whole process far more quickly and far less painfully.

Surely it's not rocket science?? I'm not vain enough to think that my intellect is so far in exccess of that of the generaly populace that something might seem simple to me that is actually quite difficult for most people. I'm pretty sure any reasonable person should have been able to manage the task of typing the details from completed fields on a form into a computer.

What planet was this woman raised on?????

Grumble, grumble, grumble.

J.

An evil conspiracy

Does anyone else get the feeling that some things are really a lot more difficult than they should be?

My dryer hasn't been working properly. I hardly ever use the thing, but on occasion it would be handy to have it working. so when Dad was visiting, he pulled it down off the wall, undid the back and discovered the problem was simply a broken belt. Easy to fix...or so I thought.

So off we trundled to Bunnings. The home of all things fix-it...or so I thought. Apparently they don't stock large appliance repair items.

Then off to do some grocery shopping, where we think it might be a good idea to stop into Harvey Norman, where they sell large appliances, including the same brand dryer as mine. Surely they have an idea of how to service what they sell...or so I thought. Apparently not. The helpful salesman did refer me to a repair place at a particular address on Parramatta Rd in Ashfield. He couldn't actually tell me what it was called, but he looked like he knew what he was talking about so I believed him.

I didn't get a chance to go to Ashfield for a week or so (I'm a busy person, OK) but thought that I'd take advantage of the bank holiday and head on over. The mission started quite well, and the place was easy to find and even had its own parking (although using the same narrow ramp as both entry and exit to an underground car-park seems a little risky to me).

So in I go, clutching my broken dryer belt tightly in my hot little hand. Surely these guys would be able to help me. All the signs say promising things like "appliance repairs", "washing machines, dryers, fridges and freezers" and "Simpson, Hoover, Electrolux". Well, I was wrong about this one too. They told me to call the manufacturer directly.

So I left it a couple of hours, since I didn't really have a phone book handy and nobody at that place offered me the number. During a stop off at the post office a bit later that day (ooh...I left that one off the previous post. And actually I think its probably worth its very own post for the dramas that took) Sandy was waiting around whilst I tried to organise an e-tag, so she looked up the phone number for me.

So I rang up, during the middle of the day on an uncapped mobile (I no longer have a land line due to the fact that I almost never use on these days). Tangent - did you know that Simpson, Electrolux, kelvinator, chef, dishlex, westinghouse & hoover are all the same company???? Talk about the illusion of choice! and waited on the line for over 5 minutes before giving up and deciding to ring on Tuesday.

I rang today and the lady was very helpful. "Yes, you can order a new part. You can get it from one of our spare parts suppliers" of course, none of whom are conveniently located for my neck of the woods. The alternative was for her to order it for me. The part costs $15.99. The cost of sending it out to me would be $15.00.

Guess I'm up for another drive on the weekend.

J.

The beauty that is a Bank Holiday

Bank holiday has got to be the best public holiday around (assuming you work for a bank, that is). I love it. It has all the advantages of a regular public holiday such as:

• Not having to go to work
• Being able to sleep in
• Not having to go to work
• Doing whatever you want

Plus, it also has added advantages such as:

• Other people still have to work (am I being smug in yet another post?)
• Everything is still open (apart from banks, of course)
• Nothing is closed
• No public holiday surcharges on menus

What more can a girl ask, really?

So I guess what you're wondering now, is what I actually did with my day off. Even if your not, I'm going to tell you.

1. I actually didn't get a sleep in. I started my day early thanks to the efforts of an unnamed someone who did have to go to work so thought I should be awake when he woke up.
2. Lying in bed dozing and watching morning TV until the desire for a cup of tea became all-consuming
3. Lazy breakfast. Lazy getting ready in my own time.
4. Picked up by Sandy to go shopping (yep, that's right. All the shops were open!)
5. Out to Ashfield on a futile mission that I'll have to make a separate post on if I want to avoid going on too much of a tangent in this one.
6. Back to Sandy's so I could borrow a small suitcase as I'm going to Adelaide overnight tomorrow and I thought my huge suitcase was a bit much. Plus, I managed to kind of bend the pull-out handle on it a bit after falling down an escalator on top of it at Melbourne airport a couple of months ago. Don't ask. (I have issues with escalators - "stairways to doom" I saw them referred to on one of those current affairs shows, and I can well understand why)
7. Out to lunch at the Nag's Head (http://www.nagshead.com.au) where I had the most divine goat's cheese risotto - and spotted a number of other highly appealing vegetarian options on the menu.
8. Back to my place for hot chocolate, doonahs and a DVD (and evenpossibly a little bit of napping)
9. Dinner - I invented a new recipe for low-fat vegetarian shepherd's pie which I have to say turned out pretty damn well.
10. Off to bed at 8.30 (it had been a hard day!)

Ahh...I love bank holiday.

J.

Smug

I read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald a while back about traffic and pedestrian crossings in the Sydney CBD and greater metropolitan area.

Apparently, our style of traffic control is biased towards vehicular traffic, rather than pedestrian traffic, especially during the daytime.

So the upshot of this fascinating piece of trivia, is that (unbeknownst to most Sydney CBD pedestrians) all pedestrian crossings are set to automatic in the Sydney CBD between 7am and 7pm every weekday. To spell it out for you, those pedestrian crossing buttons don’t work!!!

I don’t really know what the worst thing about this is. Do you think it’s the fact that we’re all being quietly deceived? Or the fact that I feel smug and superior whenever I see someone futilely (not sure of the grammar on that, oh well.) pushing one of those buttons when I stopped years ago?

What do you think? Does that make me a bad person?

J.

Shock! Horror!

I love horror movies. I know the kind of thing that you're either into or you're not, so if you one of those people who's not, I don't expect you to understand (in fact you may think me a little mad).

But I love them. All the way back to the first real horror movie (in my humble opinion, subjective as it may be), the fist version of Night of the Living Dead, a good old-fashioned zombie movie.
I love all the classics - The Exorcist of course, the Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween series, anything with vampires (but especially Salem's Lot and Lost Boys). I love the old fashioned horror movies, the B-Grade 80s horrors (yeah, especially those) and the modern take on things such as the Scream series and Saw. I love the suspenseful psychological horror movies such as The Omen series and the gory ones with ominous titles like The Dentist.

So the question, I suppose, is why?

I love horror movies because they are at the same time both predictable and random. You can usually amuse yourself by feeling mentally superior over the fact that you can pick what order the disposable characters are going to die in, and at the same time, still be scared into jumping out of your seat by an unexpected cat jumping out of a cupboard at a suspenseful moment (a common red herring trick, by the way).

On that topic, I like those "fright" moments, and the adrenalin rush that goes along with them, making you feel on edge, and therefore enjoying the rest of the movie better.

I love the fact that you can walk out and know (in your head, at least, even if maybe not all of you believes it for a little while) that there really aren't any vampires waiting for me (I hope), and that I'm unlikely to be atttacked by Zombies in my home that evening. Or at least that I'd know what to do if they did.

Bring on the gore!

J.

Updated pictures

I've finally had some time to get a few personal things done with the forecast push today (if you don't know what that is, don't worry, but suffice it to say, it is long and boring and repetitive).

So I've updated my photo and photo diary sites. If you're interested and fancy a look, check them out at the following locations:


http://gallery129166.fotopic.net/

http://hotoiary.fotopic.net/

Hope you enjoy the window into my life

J.

Eggheads

If you check back through the archives to the 6th of June this year, you'll discover that I take my breakfasts very seriously, particularly the eggs, and particularly the cooking of the eggs.

Seems I'm not the only one!

http://www.discover.com/issues/feb-06/features/cooking-for-eggheads/

J.

Thanks to my girls

Sorry boys, tune out now if your eyes are glazing over, but this post is a tribute to my girls.

Every girl's got to have her girlfriends. People to laugh and cry with, to share thoughts, hopes, dreams and disappointments. They pick you up when you're down and hear you out when you just need to get things off your chest. In turn you get to share in their special moments and be there when they need you. They don't judge you, but know you well enough to tell you when you're wrong, and they help you find your way when you're confused and lost.

I don't what I'd do without my girls. Thanks for everything - you know who you are.

J.

Geek Heaven

Found this site today whilst doing some research. Total geek heaven!!!

http://www.techweb.com/