Since we don’t live by politics alone (I sincerely hope), what else did people get up to this weekend? Join in, share some tales, regulars and lurkers all!
Since we don’t live by politics alone (I sincerely hope), what else did people get up to this weekend? Join in, share some tales, regulars and lurkers all!
I’m about to finish my thesis (I’ll be formatting the conclusion and bibliography today)! But both kids were up all night (6yo with a fever, 2yo with 2yo-ness) and so it’s not going to be pretty.
Hope the 6 yr old is okay and that the two yr old finds something to take out their 2yr oldness on that doesn’t include you too much today. Sounds like you are really at the pointy end of this!
I just spent a couple of hours writing up a blog post on how to tackle the incoming idea of a “big society”.
http://wp.me/pb4Hp-b0
Not so lazy for me
I’ve got the week’s washing to do, esp shirts for next week, a shitload of dishes from last night, I’m having lunch with two of my sons (that’ll be a welcome break from the drudgery), and I got hold of a heap of cheap limes and jalapeno chilies which need pickling.
I have a big cauldron of stuff on the stove and I’m going to have some of it for lunch.
I might watch a DVD or do a bit more work on chapter 10 of my book. Or just do nothing. Haven’t made up my mind yet.
I went straight from an ‘in conversation’ gig about Don Dunstan at Flinders U late on Friday afternoon to bolt down a glass of sparkling red in the Festival Theatre foyer before seeing Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Hoy at the Adelaide Festival, which was as much about the music as about the dancing, was very contemporary and globally influenced and really quite wonderful, but the rest of the weekend is about working, so no lazy Sunday for moi. Am doing Stella Prize stuff as we speak and that’s quite fun as well as fighting the good fight, so at least it’s not All The Work While Crying.
I’m gonna roast something. Pork I think.
And I’m going to write a note to drop in letterboxes up and down the street asking that people stop using mouse/rat poison, so no other kitties die in pain and distress like mine just did. Vale Stevie Nicks.
Anyone wishing to go on a rant about how cats are evil killers who ought to be eradicated can take it to the overflow thread where I can ignore it. Or just cram it up their backside, as preference dictates.
Oh no, not Stevie Nicks! I’m so sorry, FDB, how awful!
The cool kids in the sharehouse next door came round in tears, with a big bunch of flowers and a photo they’d taken of Stevie sunning herself on their wheelie bin. A very popular kitty she was.
Thanks PC. I’m pretty miserable, hence seeking solace in roasted meats and other distractions. Putting off throwing out her bowl, vacuuming up her hair… all too sad.
That sucks FDB, sorry to hear it.
FDB,
Just have a good cry. It helps.
Their spirit stays with you forever, you know, even when you move house. (I presume cats are the same as dogs that way.)
Very sad to hear the news FDB.
Sorry to hear about your cat, FDB. Poison is a particularly horrible way to kill creatures. A curse upon the poisoners who took your lovely pet away from you.
I’m very glad that you have some photos of her, though.
Sorry to hear it FDB. Cant believe its even legal to leave rat poison anywhere but your own premises.
Roast it, amigo.
Me, Im two weeks in to some 15 weeks of long service leave and rediscovering certain threads of my life left behindd in pursuit of a career 12 years ago. Writing music, learning other languages … exercise :p
DI(nr), this one’s for you as a belated response to your New Years’ resolution to lose a few pounds
Here’s an easy and tasty side dish you might want to give a go:
Cannellini Mash (serves 2)
1 can of Cannellini beans
1 clove of garlic
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Drain the beans, but not completely. Leave a bit of juice for flavour and consistency.
Add a decent amount of olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat, and add the beans. Too little oil, and, again, you’ll find it turns out a bit dry and bland. Grate or mince the garlic, and add that too. Stir and mash the beans with your wooden spoon as they’re cooking. Salt and pepper to taste. Done in 5-10 mins!
A quick and easy sauce you could make for it would be say a tablespoon of sweet soy, a dash of chilli sauce, or some finely chopped real ones, and maybe some finely chopped coriander or spring onions and some ginger, if you have them too. Stir up in a bowl or glass with a little bit of water to thin. You can drizzle a bit over everything else you’re having too – Chinese broccoli/snow peas/spinach, meat, tofu steaks etc. Not too much, of course. Tut tut.
I find it to be much more satisfying than mashed potato. As a vegetarian, you notice quickly that veges alone won’t cut it due to their lack of protein. As a meat-eater, it means you could have a much smaller serving of steak or chops etc, and still be full!
Kids really like it too, btw, for anyone else who wants to give it a try.
So sorry to hear about Stevie Nicks FDB. Do you have to throw her stuff out? Maybe just put it away in a cupboard somewhere, just in case another fluffy decides to make you their staff?
Good idea about the note too.
Thanks all.
PB – don’t worry, I’ve been letting it all hang out crying-wise. For the last 3 years or so, the song I use to tune up PA systems has been Dreams by FM. I can’t quite bring myself to change that, which has made for some interesting moments at work.
LE – Stevie wouldn’t have eaten the poison herself. Secondary poisoning from a rodent she caught and ate is likely the cause. The lethal dose per unit of body weight is pretty low, and the commercial baits are very potent. It takes days sometimes, which explains a couple of innocuous-looking but uncharacteristic clumsy episodes her last few days.
Mindy – You’re right. I’ll hang onto the litter tray and accursed vet-box.
*sniffs*
I’m sorry to hear about your cat, FDB. It’s always hard to lose an animal, but particularly in such an awful way. We lost a couple to deliberate poisoning years ago (snail bait on chop bones), and I think there’s a special place in hell for people who do that.
Thanks for the recipe, Nick. That sounds pretty good as a potato substitute. I’m actually losing weight (6 kg since mid-Jan, although it’s a bit up-and-down), mainly by eating almost no carbs, and cutting back on the piss a bit.
I’ve just got back from Newie and opened up LP – very sad to hear the news about Stevie Nicks, FDB.
My weekend was spent with my siblings planning who will be spending what week looking after our parents for the next month or so while we get placements and medical appointments sorted out. It hasn’t been fun.
Me? , enjoyable game of golf, a flag on my handicap .
I must say golf ( apart from those sexist, condescending forward tees that belittle us all ) is the least discriminatory sport/game that one can indulge.
FDB, have you ruled out a venomous bite ?
Wandered Sydney with Miss 6. Bought a FujiFilm X100s camera + a Camelbak water carrying thingy for training to do the Oxfam Walk in August from Brooklyn. We had a nice lunch at Wagamama near our fav. bookshop, Kinokuniya. Pretty good Sunday and my daughter liked the sea of green for St. Pat’s Day.
Hubby and I went out househunting on Saturday. The landlord put the rent up by 10% not because it was fair, but because she can, and we now expect that this will be the norm each year — it used to be 5%. That fixed our minds on bringing our 22-year stint as tenants to an end.
Needless to say, the decision to purchase is by no means an easy one. We are used to living where we are and find the neighbourhood congenial but there is simply no way we could afford to buy within about 4 km of where we are now, so some hard choices need to be made.
As we would be borrowing about 95% of the purchase price we need to find stamp duty (allow $20-27k) and Mortgage insurance (allow another $27k) out of cash. Ouch! That means that effectively, the most we can possibly pay for a property is about $665k — which means buying somewhere considerably farther from work than Epping. {sighs}.
We had identified a cute little place in Northmead — $560k — with “landscaped lawn” and “potential in-law accommodation”. The street wasn’t too busy and the neighborhood looked pleasant. The parts of the house in the photos at Domain looked promising. Sadly, when we got there, the “landscaped” was only landscaped if one counts tossing down some pebbles in one corner as landscaping. The “potential in-law accommodation” was really a DIY-built fibro shed the smell of which reminded me of a similar shed at the back of my home in West Ryde c. 1965. The guttering would have needed immediate replacement, the fences were in need of repair if our dogs were to be kept away from others and there was a tiny bathroom and laundry.
Off we went to a place in Tempe. This had the promise of a much shorter trip to work (for me) but one much longer for hubby. The place was a little above what we knew we could afford, but we fancied that if it was immaculate perhaps we could negotiate them down a bit. There was no parking off street and it was quite a narrow street in any event. One of us would have to give up a car — probably I would — but even then hubby might find himself parking two streets away and carrying all his marking to the car before driving 1 hour or more to work. Sacrifices would have to be made.
We fought our way through the traffic but missed the open house time after getting stuck in a series of bottlenecks between Drummoyne and Petersham and had to arrange an unscheduled look at 2.30. What to do?
We sauntered down to the Valve Hotel in search of a quiet cider and perhaps some food. Apparently though this place specialises in grunge and death metal bands. Heavily tattooed Willie Nelson look alikes, someone with a mohawk but otherwise looking like Bruce Willis, someone painted like the joker seemed to be doing their best to contribute to industrial deafness in anyone within 25 yards. There was a chap there — a regular apparently — with a very well-behaved chihuahua but otherwise it was all moans of pain. We grabbed a couple of tofu burgers and headed outside just barely out of range of aural injury. The music seemed angry — I hoped they were complaining about capitalism, but couldn’t really tell what the lead singer — who seemed to have the cadences of Darth Vader — was saying.
Needless to say, when we recomposed ourselves and headed back to the house inspection at 2.30, it likewise proved unsuitable. It had a poor excuse for a kitchen and this time the shed out the back did not quite meet the descriptor “studio”. Apparently, if you were to believe the agent, someone’s teenager lived there “for extra space” (and presumably asthma). Suddenly the need for grunge music became obvious. Perhaps if I lived there, I’d want to share my pain and stick pins through my nose. I always wonder why agents lie like that. For the life of me I can’t see that anyone benefits. The only result was that he, we and some other couple all wasted our time, and my opinion of him declined.
So we were off again, to Castle Hill. The place again seemed nice but apparently, it had already been sold. The street, unlike that in Tempe, was superbly leafy and the house did seem inviting. We received the news of the sale from some chap hovering in a commodore out the front, who couldn’t believe someone had paid $700k for a property on the market at $650k+. Look at all these trees! he wailed. They’re so ugly. They block the view. Australians apparently like trees around their houses!
I pointed out that I was one of those weird folk who likes trees around their houses, but he was not to be deterred. OK, I wouldn’t mind if they were trees like they have in America or Europe but these ones are really ugly and block the light.
I had to suppress a laugh. To begin with, the trees of which he was complaining were non-native — and contrary to his claim about European and American trees, were entirely visible. — seriously blocking the light.
Again, although it occurred to me that while “Darth Vader’s” lyrics eluded me, I could begin to understand his sentiment.
I shook my head and proffered: trees eh? What you gonna do? Can’t live with ‘em — can’t live without ‘em before driving off to allow him to contemplate the unfairness of it all.
Wow 13 paragraphs, well done fran.
There is a bit more leeway on comment length on the social threads, jumpy.
TT @27
Really? OK.
And so there should be too.
Oh, and Fran, I hope you find the home that suites your needs even though it maybe at market rate.
There is always an option to apply for public housing but the waiting list is extremely long.
They vote LNP?
Seriously, Fran, I hope you find something that ticks all the boxes and doesn’t bankrupt you in the process.
Northmead, Castle Hill and Tempe – quite a disparate lot of places to contemplate living in.
Jumpy:
Ta … Perhaps we just need to save a bit more and be patient.
Indeed, although that is, quite rightly, reserved for people in measurably less comfortable circumstances than those in which we find ourselves.
Jane quoted me:
They probably mostly do, but most people who lie, do so in the hope of advantage. I can’t see how even a Liberal could imagine that the flagrant lies agents tell can achieve anything more than to waste their time and that of others. It doesn’t seem like even the most limited and qualified form of rational conduct.
Thanks for the sentiment but we are much too personally conservative to take those kinds of risks. We may end up living a bit less well than we have until now, but we should be OK.
‘Spent today sailing my solo 6.5 metre catamaran on Lake Tinaroo. The wind piped in way too hard early afternoon but settled later.
Highly therapeutic…
FDB – so sorry to hear about your cat.
Wrote a few paragraphs of chapter 10 of book. Progress slow but good. Typed it up, along with some rewriting. That took a few hours or so. Checked LP. Watched news, Cold Case History and Midsommer Murders.
Spent the day sleeping after an 11-hour overnight overtime shift last night.
Sorry to hear about your cat’s demise, FDB.
That’s sad, FDB. I hope your roast and a good bottle of wine can help a little.
I did nothing today, but this evening I’m trying to do an analysis of changes in blooming time of Japanese cherry blossoms (it’s that time of year). It’s a very deep and serious analysis: i’ve already put one time series chart on facebook …
Incidentally, there’s something really weird going on at LP in which my comments take ages to appear. I’m going to assume it’s censorship and decry the hivemind!
[The spam filter finds you particularly tasty for some reason ~ Mod]
Happy St Patrick’s Day! Sydney is full of staggering drunks wearing the Green. Saw a man wearing a vile green Dr Seuss Cat in a Hat tophat bearing the logo for Heineken beer; that’s be the O’Heinekens from the wrong side of the Liffey. Faux Irish these desert Irish who don’t know the real history of the wearing of the green and that the way to celebrate Irishness is to get drunk before blowing up an English Lord:
A song then, and a(nother) drink in honour of rebelliousness:
FDB, I’m so sorry to hear about Stevie Nicks. Have you buried her somewhere nice? I passed what was obviously a pet grave in the park yesterday – flowers and a fresh little dirt patch.
I have an old dog who has numerous skeletal challenges who I’m keeping happy and healthy with much hard work. Trying not to think about life without her.
FDB, that is the most awful news, what a terrible way to die. I am so so sorry.
Aw, thanks everyone.
Helen – she’s in my front garden bed under a lump of bluestone, next to aunt Tina Turner.
Suz:
As housing is inevitably a choice between price/cashflow and functionality we were trying to ensure that at least one of us got serious advantage out of the move in reduced travel time to work. I travel a long way east to work and Hubby gets to travel about the west. Tempe is more expensive per sqm but could have made it practicable to sell my car (given that there was nowhere to park that’s just as well.)
The western locations would have been bad for me but good for Hubby. In practice, I’d probably have had to leave the car at home and cycle or perhaps drive to a station) and take public transport in. Either way though I was going to be spending a fair bit more time in transit. OTOH, you get more space out in the west per dollar and we’ve accumulated a lot of stuff.
The usual. Booze, adultery and art.
And FDB, so sorry to hear about Stevie Nicks. You always made her sound far more intriguing than her namesake. Sorry I never got to take her out for sushi.
Hey moderators, is there something you can do about my spam-tasticity? I am finding it really hard to join conversations here!
[Head Cat Herder is looking into it, hope we can resolve this soon ~ Mod]
Very sorry to hear about Stevie Nicks, FDB. It’s awful when one of our pets dies.
Wow, cool, so you fuckers really are back. Good to hear it, in one way, since this gang is always rather a delight to listen to, even though of course you’re wrong about pretty much everything. OTOH, the site was given an honorable Viking funeral; just be careful you don’t turn into a bunch of those feckin frozen zombies at the end of season two of “Game of Thrones.”
GOOD NEWS: Hey, the best running conversation on the intertubes is back in town! Hotcha!
BAD NEWS: Stevie Nicks has sadly left FDB’s household. Sorry mate. Even worse, [redacted ~ Mod] is back in town, too.
Personal to Liam: Aw, dude, I was just warming up to deliver my Grand Unified Theory of Pizza when you closed the comments!
Too much Guinness and red wine and general carousing in beautiful Katoomba for the BM music festival. Laughed with the Spooky Men, Luka Bloom and Arlo Guthrie while being impressed and moved by the talent and generosity of all the artists that we had the privilege of watching.
Special mention to Red Molly, three very talented women.
japerz, your grand unified theory of pizza was never going to fly. Shit! They’re just flatbread with topping.
Visited Sydney to escape the screaming F1 event.
The Alexander exhibit is excellent. I was surprised to learn how far the Hellenistic world spread into Russia.
My old Atomic espresso machine died so bought a new one in Oxford Street.
The other night I went to a live Q-n-A with the filmmaker Danny Boyle. He was witty and insightful and informative, plus I was unaware he had a deep theater background. Attention was drawn to his recent National Theatre (London) adaptation of Frankenstein. I looked it up on youtube and it rocks like you wouldn’t believe. Filmed version available on DVD it appears. Run, don’t walk. I don’t say that often, and I know a LOT about these things, so… (makes scary threatening face) don’t miss it.
Not so lazy Tuesday, either. I’ve just finished making a kickarse batch of homous. (Well, once you’ve soaked the chickpeas, you’re committed.) Now it’s way past bedtime.
Not quite a lazy Wednesday, although work was rather leisurely, and allowed me to finish reading Coorparoo Blues.
It’s not a bad yarn, all told, and a fair bit of the action in the novel takes place within an 800m radius of my living room.
I also marked quietly that my father died 16 years ago today — cancer can be a bugger of a thing to have — and that I got married (and inherited two children) just over eight months ago (during LP’s hiatus).
Late congrats, Terangeree.
Congratulations on your marriage Terangeree. Sorry to hear about your Dad. Cancer sucks.