Emu with a Clue

QotD: Oh Sorry, Did I Offend You?

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:34 -0700

Who was the last person you offended?
Submitted by May.

Those who have been following my blog will know who this is. I had a major wobbly at work yesterday about this guy's poor quality input to the project I am coordinating. I am probably not on his Christmas card list anymore but I DON'T CARE. He has now been taken off the project and replaced with several competent people. Yay!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Top 5 Break-Up Songs

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:11:23 -0700

What are your top five break-up songs?
Submitted by gt.

Well it has been quite a long time since I have broken up with anyone so this is pretty much theoretical:

1. Go Nancy!

These Boots Are made For Walking Original

2. You tell him, Aretha!

Aretha Franklin - Think (The Blues Brothers)

3. This one makes me think of those awful, long, drawn up break ups that some people seem to specialise in.

Ben Folds Five-Brick

4. And yes, I know this is corny but can't help feeling sad for Karen Carpenter.

Carpenters - Superstar

5. And my fifth one (which i can't find a clip for) is Paul Kelly's "When I first met your ma". I think the chorus is a bit of a give away that he is singing (to his child) about a relationship (with the child's mother) that didn't work out:

Love like a bird flies away
You'll find out the only way
Love like a bird flies away

Ah ... how I love Paul Kelly ...

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Daydream Believer

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:57:50 -0700

What do you daydream about? Is it something far-fetched, or something that might actually happen?
Submitted by lost_in_eternity2207.

The project I am working on magically resolving itself!

Holding Head

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Step into My Closet

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:09:52 -0700

How many pair of shoes do you have? Out of those pairs, how many do you wear more than a few times a year?
Submitted by fightinggale.

Purple shoes

Not sure of how many exactly but the "shoe pile" in my closet probably about 30 X 60cm. I actually wear most of them. I recently went though got rid of all the ones that were mistakes or that no longer feel comfortable etc etc. My favourites tend to be the ones purchased from the children's department (I can just fit into these). They are usually wider so more comfortable and come in funkier colours and styles than adult shoes. My favourites include some brown boots, some pink and orange sneaker type Mary Janes and the pictured purple suede ones (which are getting a bit worn out now but are so comfortable).

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Culture QotW: Rising Gas Prices

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:12:38 -0700

Will the rising cost of gasoline change your summer travel plans?

It is only Autumn in Australia so Summer is still a way off. We have been thinking of taking a Winter driving holiday to the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo in Western NSW but will now have to factor the cost of fuel into our plans. As prices are only going to increase more, it might actually provide a reason to go sooner rather than later though.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: My First Car

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:41:07 -0700

What was your first car?

It was a bright yellow 1977 Toyota Corona with brown vinyl interior. I was 21 years old and couldn't really drive a manual car so had to learn in this one. It had a rotten turning circle and didn't smell or look very nice but was incredibly mechanically reliable. I passed it on to my younger brother when I 'upgraded' my car (to a much less reliable Mitsubuishi Colt - also yellow) and it then went to another family friend many years later after my brother had finished with it. Was quite amazing how it would just keep on going even after considerable neglect. I wonder if it is still being driven around the streets of Melbourne by some poor young uni student. I like to think so.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Happy Friday!

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:22:07 -0700

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Well, I was looking forward to going out for a friend's 30th birthday tonight (it is Saturday here already) but started feeling achey and fluey yesterday so thinking I might just pop by and give her her present rather than stay for the whole Thai banquet dinner and drinks afterwards.

I have also been looking forward all week to getting a chance to clean up properly as the bedroom is still full of dust from the renovations last weekend while I was away. Don't think it occurred to my husband to change the bedding and clean the surfaces etc after someone cut a whole in the wall to put the new door in. As a consequence, I have been sneezing all week (probably what helped bring on this flu). I am also planning to take advantage of the sunny reprieve to hand wash my Winter woollens knowing I might have a chance of getting them dry.

Also planning to make some quiches. I am on morning tea duty at work this Wednesday (our whole floor takes turns at this) so will make one for there and one for home. Will probably also make a curry for during the week, cook up some mince for the kids and do some baking. I really missed not being ahead of the game in my cooking after being away last weekend. Felt like I was playing 'catch up' almost all week.

I have decided, after speaking to a friend who is an aunty to a 9yo, that my daughter is at the right age for me to start teaching her how to cook real food (ie, not just cakes and things). Might also stop her complaining about the after school nanny's cooking if she can do it herself!

My 'real boy' helping make quiche another time:

Quiche

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: House Call

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:11:02 -0700

Whose house (besides your own) were you in last and why?

The home of the kids after school carer (when I picked them up from there last night). Prior to that, my mum's on the weekend.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Road Trip

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:06:39 -0700

When was the last time you drove out of town?

Probably not since my road trip with my son to Canberra in January. See blog entry here. This is what I said then:

What a great kids holiday destination Canberra is! Both my husband and I used to live in Canberra (it was where we met and fell in lerv) and didn't like it much then at all. Once the initial excitement at leaving and moving to exciting Sydney had worn off, I kept experiencing a yearning to go back and visit. In 2006, I took both kids there for a long weekend. We met my brother there and had a great time. This time I just took my son and met up with another friend and her two young sons for a three day 'boyfest'. It was great! There were so many free or cheap things to do with kids and being January, the whole of Canberra was like a ghost town so it was even easier than usual to get around. We re-visited the National Museum on Lake Burley Griffin (this was a highlight last time) and Questacon and also went to the Botanic Gardens (where we came upon a huge water dragon sunning itself on a rock), the Black Mountain Tower and the War Memorial. We also found a few good playgrounds (esp recommend John Knight Park at Belconnen) and went swimming a few times (including once at Dickson Pool). Mostly cooked our own meals but did have one (fairly unmemorable) dinner out at the Dickson 'Tradies' - main attraction of that was the kids could sit and eat their meal in a train carriage - unfortunately this was the best thing about eating at this place!

This is a photo of my son on a previous trip to the National Museum:

J Nat Mus Canb

I have been out of town a few times since then but by air rather than by road and once was a work trip. I have got very lazy about weekends away this year. It is a bit hard to face with us both working full time, ie, weekends seem so much like 'catch up' time. I also hate the thought of getting home with a whole pile of washing on Sunday night and no meals prepared and then feeling behind all week. I feel like I need to take time off work just to make up for being away on the weekend. It is the same this week, ie, have been late in both yesterday and today. This morning, I prepared and put the ingredients for dinner into the slow cooker so I don't have to cook from scratch when I get home from work at 6pm or so. Normally I would have done all this on the weekend.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Happy Earth Day

nobody@vox.com(Emu with a Clue) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:50:18 -0700

What do you do EVERY day to take care of the earth's environment? What could you do more of?

More what we don't do and that is to NOT have reverse cycle air conditioning or all those other 'must have' appliances around the home (we have ceiling fans instead and I love them).

Ceiling fan

Actually I am surprised at how low our electricity bill is compared to other households as we really don't consciously do a lot to reduce our consumption (apart from saying no to air conditioning and things like that). Probably helps that we live in a shoe box and have gas installed for cooking, hot water and heating in Winter.

Gas heater

We also try and reduce, reuse, recycle as much as possible but could probably do much better, eg, by composting the food waste (like we used to pre-kids), buying less in the first place etc etc. Have started op shopping for clothes again recently and amazed at some of the fantastic things I find.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend