Members' News

it looked like it had snowed here overnight, but by the time i waded to the doors at work it was slush. i'm now sat with cold feet and trainers that squelch

randywine, love the pic of your dog

 

Yeah Mazekin, I saw the snow on cars visibly coming into Dublin from out of town, wow !!

 

WHOOOOOHOOO! Avgi, bring us some nice weather and an appetite, since we were just talking a few days ago about how we should have brought you to a 50's-style cheeseburger place just down the road from us! (it has wicked burgers and a million kinds of milkshakes/soda floats!)

So glad for you, ::knocking on wood::! :smile:

 

Well, it was pretty while it lasted. Cold, but pretty. We are now being rained out and I am officially in my Bah, Humbug, I wanna cigarette! mode. God I hate withdrawal.

 

It's so good to hear good news! Congrats.

Snowed here too, about an inch n a bit. Hardly any in the town where I work, all gone at home time:sad:.

R your dog reminds me of my old puppy dog - gorgeous, ('cept Ben was a tricolour).

 

So, I'm at the airport with hours to spare, another day in Limbo, waiting around, and I won't be home until 7pm this evening... Sucky sucky...

 

Hurrah - gained entry to the nursing home!

Dearest Granmother was 'asleep' (leave me alone), and didn't want to waken even for the usual 'tea break'. She did pop one eye open - the evil eye! Grumbled, hit my mother - 'no don't want...'

The care staff had said that she hadn't been eating, or drinking much, so we managed to get 2 or 3 wee mouthfuls of tea down her, before evil eye managed to do its work.

So we left her to it, and took down her Christmas decorations, cleared out her cupboards and drawers. Whilst we were there Granmothers Care Nurse reviewed her care plan with us.

Uh huh... (Wee Rant...). Now the carers do do a wonderful job, but where's their initiative/intuition? Granmother has now been in the home for 4 years, only thing that has really changed in that time, is that she is frailer and stubborner! They should know her by now!

Do we really need to say, what to me seems obvious, you need to do this, you should be doing that, I would like to know that you are doing this....

Where's your common sense?!? Mum and I have no training for these things. Just what we've picked up through time, and most of it is plain common sense.

Or do they have to follow certain rules & regs as laid down by the government or great EU? I think its probably the latter!

Anyhoo we all ran through the care plan, a few notes were made, and please please please, get her hearing aid fixed! I'm tempted to ask mum to keep a diary - she stops by most days, even if its for 5 minutes.

Mum and I then went to lunch - Children size portions of lasagne & chips! Then food shopping.

The weather is quite wild, large heavy icy cold rain drops, and quite a fierce wind. Bit awkward shutting the car door - so groceries still in boot - its probably colder in there that the fridge anyway. I'll probably rescue them later tonight. Fortunately I have plenty of chocolate in the house, otherwise I'd be struggling against the elements...

So after the festivities things are almost back to normal. Monday will almost be a full house at work. The phones will ring again. It was a bit quiet Thursday Friday, thankfully - allowed me to get all that was needed done, with a wee bit of help. So on Monday I will begin the filing of all the past months guff. A boring job, but a vital one... At least its only on average 2 days out of each month. Well 3 once you take into account all the interruptions (am I too late? Could you just...) etc.

Psycho Budgie has decided to start squawking - ah she's out of millet - will see to it, as I've one of those lovely headaches and cant be arsed annoying her tonight. Have to admit her timing is good - ran out of things to say!:smile:

 

Am home. Shower, couch, TV, bed. Oh yeah and hug Reg.



Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

So nice to hear about the weather up north... I just got from the coast where it was into the 30s and I went for swims and fishing and then ended the day with a nice cold beer on the back deck. It was good while it lasted. I'm now back in Canberra where its into the 30s but with no beach or fishing to make up for it.

 

Meh, whatever, when we're baking you'll be freezing, what goes around comes around, especially the weather.

 

Or we could just go and visit Spiky en masse :wink: That'll teach'er to gloat about the weather!

 

Damn the weather. We've always had a saying here, "If you don't like the weather, just wait ten minutes and it'll change." We have had in the past two week: freezing temperature with rain coming in, hot temperature and dry, freezing temps with no rain, and now hot temps with rain. No shit, most of last week was in the high teens, not getting over mid-twenties. Today? It got well over seventy degrees with more to come tomorrow and Wednesday.

This might not affect people that work indoors very much, but I work outside all day and when my scrawny little butt is freezing one day and the sweating like a horse the next it just throws my whole system in a tizzy.

 

I want to see Red in a tizzy... I'm sure it'll build to a hissy fit.

 

The weather has been like that on the east coast of Australiain the last few weeks, 18 degrees one day 28 the next. The humidity is the killer.

 

At the moment it is cold, wet (icy rain) and very windy - gale force winds. Ah nuts - just heard the wheelie bin tip over - I've just rescued one. I ain't going to look, cause if its the blue bin, then I'll have shredded paper all over the garden - oh yea artificial snow :sad:

Anyway good news...

In the midst of all this unpleasant weather, me being me, have planned a camping trip.

Okay its not till May. But I'm quite excited! Trip down memory lane...

I am going to a camp site near Leuchars, which is a village (possibly small town by now - don't know, it's been over 20 years since I was there). It is near St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland (famous golf course there).

There is a RAF base at Leuchars, and they have some great air displays there, but May is not the right time.

Any way I will take a wander round the village, look for my old home, school, regular haunts. I wonder if there is still a hole in the fence near the old house - it was a short cut to the train station. If any one had any sense they would have made it into a proper gate.

I had checked out the prices of travelling by train, but then thought...

I'd have to carry the tent, sleeping bag, clothes, cooking stove, wellies etc, etc. All this weight would seriously compress my spine, and I feel short enough as it is. (The sales clerk at the local DIY shop did not endear himself to me - I was wearing heels. Shame he was cute).

I tried finding an inexpensive tent, suitable for one or two. Alas none. Instead bought a tent that will sleep three for £10.00!

So I've two wee holidays this year! Two long weekends anyway - making up for the lack of holidays the past 18 months or so. Tis a bit bad of me since it's going to cost quite a bit for the DWcon later on. Ah but I'd not feel right if I wasn't skint!

So two big countdowns...:smile:

 

I'm on winter break from school and I don't want to go back in 4 days. At the moment it doesn't seem like the middle of winter though. It's January and the pouring rain melted all our snow and it's sunny out today. It feels more like spring. At school I'm not looking forward to calculus and my financial aid is messed up so I'm not getting the large refund I was hoping for and I'm not looking forward to paying for school when I haven't had to for two and a half years. I didn't do horrible gradewise last semester but that is probably the cause of losing some of my financial aid. Hopefully calculus will be better this semester.

 

Calculus...what people do when they can't add.

ANyway, the weather here has turned unpleasantly hot. We don't have aircon in our new house and of course work has decided to upgrade their system in the middle of summer so everyones sweating like a pig in small flourescent lit rooms. I have my laptop, a fan, and the tennis to keep me occupied but the heat of the room and the laptop combine to make it a bit icky.

On the upside I'm going down the coast again this weekend so will be near the beach to cool down soon... Probably not soon enough though.

 

This week things have taken a turn for the crazier.

For starters, my grandmother is getting scheduled for a catarrhact operation. Or rather, more accurately, after having a 3/10 vision for the past 7 years, she finally agreed to go ahead with the surgery.

Even this by itself would stall my going to America since a)I suspect that she wants to matchmake me to her ophtalmologist and her getting better eyesight would help those members of the family that live in the constant fear that she will go in the way of a moving truck (that is, everyone but her) b)when the push comes to shove, I am the only one in the family that can go in the OR and sit on her until her eyes are fixed.

Second, some last-minute training posts have opened up in the UK and I am applying for them. I would be perfectly content to do the applying later, as it is I don't have much of a chance of getting a post anyway, but because I have cauliflower for brains I had showed my mother how to access th BMJ Careers website and she lives under the misapprehension that I will be flying in from England for the weekends.

I have absolutely no idea what will happen in the next three weeks. Frankly, I doubt I will even be shortlisted. Just get back to me in February

 

I am going mad. Madder. Whatever.
Things are, obviously, absolutely crazy here. Reg and I are both hoarders, we keep everything, all the time, and for the last few months, we have been throwing things away, giving them away, selling the expensive stuff, sorting through heaps of junk... And now I know that over the next 2 or 3 weeks tops we are going to have to get rid of at least 50% of our stuff, plus the car, and move to a new country, and it's freaking me out. Not the moving bit, just the organisation !

 

Good luck Kat

P.S. Any capable friends/relatives/strangers you got alcohol-ified into submission that you can shanghai into helping you with the logistics stuff?

 

sure, for carrying boxes, but not for sorting out what we want to keep/store/chuck out and packing carefully into boxes, that's the tough bit...

 

Saccharrisa, you never know - you may get a position. The worst that can happen as you've mentioned is that you'll not get one, or you'll get one and be struck by indecision. Nothing to lose, plenty to gain. Good luck.:smile:

Hope your grandmothers operation does not interfere with your plans. It's great that she's getting it done. My dad had it done, and now only needs to wear glasses for reading. I'd never seen him without his glasses and being wide awake at the same time - weird. Yeah he looks weird!

Is the ophthalmologist cute? Is you coffee getting stirred?

Katcal - good luck with clearing out - I'm a hoarder too. It can be quite painful getting rid of some stuff. 'Okay I haven't used it for years, but...'

As you say the packing is easy, organizing the move is a nightmare. Good luck to you too. The last time I moved, it was just me.

My boss was in a weird mood today - (his sidekick was on holiday). He posed a question:

A man is standing in a fast moving vehicle (bus, train, plane), and jumps straight up, when he lands he is on the same spot, why? Why does he not land further back in the vehicle?

My answer was that its something to do with being in the vehicle... Of course he wasn't satisfied with that answer. I said that it's a science thingy, and I don't know science.:question:

Do any of you intelligent folk know? If not what answer would you give?

 

It all relative. He's in the train so is actually moving at the same speed as the the train and maintains this speed for the brief time he's in the air so landing back where he started. To actually move backwards he would have to stay in the air for long enough for some other force to affect his momentum. He might notice an effect if he stood on top of an open-top bus where wind resistance might move him, but he's unlikely to find a sufficient force inside the vehicle.

 

Thanks guys - I'm not as fick as I fort!

I was in the middle of a time consuming and fiddly calculation when he approached me with that one, and I said it's to do with being inside the vehicle, and moving with said vehicle...
I hate having to change state like that - takes a while for the brain to change gear and start chugging along again. I sound stupid, ummm, okay, er, ...

he still won't like the answer, 'cause he's being awkward (he thinks he's being funny, and smart). I'm just glad he didn't start spouting the Bard's works - he did manage to squeeze a bit of Latin in though:question:

 

Phillystine should work.

 

Okay, I think I mentioned my friend Tim before, well he moved in with me this week. He has been helping me clean the mess from the last year of bad times, plus we celebrated my birthday with a game of Illuminati and chocolate stout cake at the launderette. Here is the recipe: Butter three eight inch round cake pans or two nine inch round cake pans, put a circle of parchemnet on the bottom of metal pans, heat in a large saucepan one pint of stout and one pound unsalted butter, when the butter is melted and the mixture is simmering add 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, let cool. In a large bowl mix 4 cups flour , 4 cups sugar,1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon baking soda. in a larger bowl beat 4 eggs slightly and add 1 1/3 cups cultured sour cream, whisk until smooth, add the stout mix and beat until well combined, then add the flour mix and stir just until well mixed. Divide into the prepared pans and bake at 350 F until the cake springs back, cool ten minutes in the pans then turn out. cool completely. while the cake cools, warm 2 cups whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat and add one pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate finely chopped, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, cool in a freezer and stir occasionally until it is stiff enough to spread. use 2/3 cups frosting between the layers and frost the cake with the rest. I'm not going to make this cake too often and never when I don't have 8 or more friends to help eat it.
We bought a new computer table today, moving the furniture around made a big difference, plus we have discarded the brokedown recliner. This summer we'll probably paint the livingroom, I have to find ways I can let Tim put his stamp on the decor, this is going to be a bit of a sacrifice but I know it is important.

 

I thought Philadelphia residents were called "those crazy Eagles fans"

By the way, where can I keep track of the NFL? I found an article a week ago on News Google saying Westbrook saved the day (quelle surprise) but after that, nothing. How are the Eagles doing? Do the Patriots still have a perfect season?

Tamyra, thanks for the recipe! I will definately try it!

Rewr, I know the operation will work, I was actually in the OR when my other grandmother had her cattarhact fixed and I know the difference it made on her eyesight (namely, she returned home and said "why didn't you tell me the curtains were dirty?")

As to whether the opthalmologist stirrs my coffee, I don't know, I fall for guys that say or do something that leaves me stumped for words. Plus, the fact that I have uncles younger than him doesn't help his case. Or the fact that by the end of the month I will leave the country one way or another.

 

or a quick version of that : for the same reason as cars need airbags.

 

Thanks guys!

Hopefully us gals will have a bit of revenge on Monday....

 

Just thought I'd let you guys know the boss appreciated the answers!

Thanks again.

Just hope he doesn't come back with anything else!

 

Fell and dislocated my shoulder

 

Ouch:sad:

Has it been relocated or whatever they call it? (even ouchier I think).

Hope you're feeling better soon.

 

Ouch Sunna, that sucks... although I guess it's better than broken, but still ouch... Take care of yourself

 

Just sweeping by. Uni fall semester ended Friday. Uni spring semester starts Monday.

Two days of not having 'I need to read this', 'I could have studied this a bit better', 'I should be writing that essay' -thoughts

wooo.

Not so very much.

I need a longer 'vacation'

 

The Iggles failed a while ago, but at least McNabb is healthy now. The Patriots did indeed end with a perfect season, although the Giants made them earn it during the last game. And, right now, the Superbowl is on February 3rd between the Patriots/Giants.

Official Site of the National Football League and SI.com - News and Scores from Sports Illustrated would be good places to keep up with American football.

Obviously we'd like to be greedy and have you in the area, but a paying gig in the UK would be pretty cool. So we'll be rooting (minds out of the gutter, Australians) for you to get the paying UK job. And, Ed has promised Basil lemonade.

 

Still unemployed....

I Want To Work.

Apologies - it Sucks.

Arg.

 

I have a dodgy shoulder.It got dislocated first when I was four and from the age of 10-15 I had it fall out 15 times but always pop back in if I performed a certain movement. When I was 16 they botched the operation to fix it and since then it has happened 5 times.I'm waiting for the right time in my life to have the second and much better operation on it as my doctor recommends.It will probably be late autumn,hopefully....Oh and thanks for the wellwishes

 

Brad, I think that the Patriots played San Diego last night. It was Green Bay that got defeated by the Giants.

Or are you talking about the last time the Patriots played the Giants? If that's the case, then yes, the Giants most definitely made the Patriots earn it. I really hope that the Super Bowl will be a good game. We'll be celebrating my dad's 60th birthday that day.

 

Shame about the Eagles, especially since the 76ers play like girls. Or rather, not even like girls. When I was in elementary school we had quite the girls' basketball team and we never EVER collided with each other under the hoop trying to catch the rebound. These primadonnas have to learn how to play like a team.

I saw McNabb in the first game with the Cowboys, which was, if memory serves right, the first time he played after his latest injury. I really felt for the guy and I am amazed he can still play, let alone finish the season healthy.

And of course Ed would promise basil lemonade, I come up with the best extortion plans.

 

::drinks in advance to Avgi's extortion plans:: :wink: *

*Explanation for everyone else: we have a friend in in New York City, who introduced Avgi to basil lemonade. Since we weren't around at the time, she came up with a plan to get him to share the wealth. It was a good plan. Ed caved in. I'm only slightly sorry that I can't carry out the plan anyway, because it would have allowed me to embarrass a newly-officered officer on his graduation day, and when else do you get a chance to do that!

 

Yep, talking about the end of the regular season game. I'm conflicted on the Superbowl though. I want the NFC to win, but not through the Giants!

 

I'm trying to stop myself jumping up and down with excitement... I have just had a lovely phone call from an Irish landlord, who has the prettiest little house in a town by the sea, just north of Dublin, in our price range, it looks amazing. I am so freaked out about finding a place (or rather about not finding a place and sleeping in a box somewhere), it's nice to think I have a few leads to follow.

 

Sounds good. Did he say what area? Some parts you don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole (not saying anything bad about Dublin, but as with any City, there are Twilight Zones....)

 

yey yey - that's great news!

Hopefully its in a nice area too.

In the area I stay we have Twilight Villages:shock:

 

That's good news Kat... And i see from a lot of posts on the board you are really looking forward to the move. Or should I say to programming not in French with that 'orrible dubbing. Give me subtitles any day (but I think we've had that discussion).

i don't have a huge amount of news. My crazy uncle has come out of hiding in a big way. After not seeing him for 10 years he turned up the week before my pop died to say good bye. He then arrived on my dad's doorstep Sunday morning to say that he's quit his job in Sydney and will be moving into my dad's garage while he looks for a place to live in Tuross (pop.1500) and for something that resembles paid employment (unemployment on South Coast 20%).

Talk about out of the blue. but hopefully it helps him sort himself out not being in a big city any more...

 

Oh, we gots them too! Get within fifty paces and you start hearing banjo music...you have now entered...Deliverence Country.

 

See Below...

 

Oh, we gots them too! Get within fifty paces and you start hearing banjo music...you have now entered...Deliverence Country. It can completely creep you out! Everyone coming out of their houses to stare at the funny people in horseless carraiges. Buck teeth, and mah sister is mah cousin!

 

Quite so. Her house is in Laytown, right up north out of the city, on the coast. it's a bit of a commute, but then it's perfect for us and in our price range, plus they sound like nice people... Fingers crossed...

 

I have a phone interview with a hospital tomorrow.

AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa!

 

Yes - good luck!

 

I had written this huge rant about being treated like shit this morning by the DSS. But I've deleted it out of good taste. I'll leave the last lines in though...

'Arrogant heartless fuckers.
Sorry but I really just needed to vent. Thanks.'

On a brighter note- good luck Saccharissa - I also have a telephone interview tomorrow for a company in Mad-chester.

Rewr- I stay in one of the Scottish Twilight Villages near Livingston. It's great entertainment on a Friday night as long as you're not afraid of loud noises or blood...

Regards,

R.

 

I gather there's still no joy on the job front R, if you have had to deal with the DSS?

I dread to think what your full rant would have read like if that was your closing comment!

But can understand where you're coming from.

Good luck with your interview too.

The wee village (near Ayr) that I stay in has grown considerably over the years - a lot of new builds, so I'm not the only interloper! 'Tis rather a quiet area, pubs have closed!:shock:

We are getting even more new houses at some point in the coming year - yey more dust:sad:.

Just googled the Livingston area - the nearest I've stopped to it is Corstorphine in Edinburgh. Had (might still have) relatives there.

That wee bugger - bloody budgie! I gave her cage a damn good clean, tidied up around cage area, and beyond - chasing feathers. And what's she doing - throwing grit everywhere! Her head's right down in the container - gawd knows how much she's chucked to get that far down. She'll be doing a head stand in a minute. She's ignoring me! Where's me teatowel? The wee shite. Think I'll just sook her up with the hover when I get it back out.

Well that's it - she doesn't like a bath, so uses the grit to clean herself. NOT ANY MORE. She will be getting showered whether she likes it or notirate:

Did that on purpose, she did. Swapsies anyone ,I'm offering one Psycho budgie...

*away to tidy up...

 

I've been extremely busy with the writing of a Lit. Review and making a poster for a stupid student conference one of my supervisors is a organiser for.

Much stress.

Yesterday however, my day was made.

My University is giving me a free laptop.