Saturday, August 18, 2007

Jen - Late night for the kids

Left Atti next door while we went to the shops for lunch after soccer. Dinner at my brother's place to celebrate my niece's 8th birthday. Got home after 10pm - all three kids still awake. All went to bed without complaint. Also gave Atti's dog a much needed "bath" today.

Bez - the best offence is a good defence

Made my parents breakfast in bed, then worked on the fence all day.

falsedan - Bearlesque

I told Tancred, Evelyn, & MD that I was happy to go to any shows they book me into, but if I end up with front-row seats to Big & Beardy I would have words. So early Friday morning I am sitting in the second row of Bearlesque with Tancred & Evelyn and it is great. Apparently I am an 'otter'.

Becstarr : Mountain time

Up to the Mountains with Joel, Zoe & James for a Tarling day. Bushwalked, made pizza, watched Bill Bailey, focus-grouped J's new website.

Yen Li - outside a hermit's world

Fri evening at pub : hearing great news from everyone. positive teaching experiences, new jobs, shared stores about tears at jobs, old jobs, jobs that pay $10 per finger (lol Bec).. Oh and made promises to go to boxing on Mon >< . Also still re-addicting to Harry Potter - HP RPG anyone?

Today, refused to go to Italian class in morning. "I really dont care" was my excuse. Ironic since I voluntarily signed & paid for class. Will pay penance by listening & "repeat after me" to Italian on ISpeak/iPod instead. (Funky system btw. Language displays on scrolling screen text of iPod so you can see words & learn speech. only $19.95 from CoOp/before discount. Other languages available.)

Went to see my wonderful gay asian hairdresser who read my mind and delivered beautiful hair to my head. Layers, colours, movement, twirl! Had discussion about how wonderful gay clubs are for not getting groped esp if he dresses as a girl & I am a girl. Twin miniskirts!

Realised that most stupid medical students are straight as chopsticks & no wonder we hardly ever have fun. When will they realise the wonders of Star Trek & bunnies?! ^..^* Also learned from fashion magazine that most popular thing for chopstick shaped women from China with no boobs or bum ... was to get butt & boob implants!! Hence feeling better about self and non-chopstick shape!!

Shannon

Finally received my Permanent Resident Card. This means in can now leave Canada AND get back in the country again. Beat my personal best at work today: 110 artifacts entered into the database. Saw Romeo and Juliet tonight at Bard on the Beach.

MrE - So Baaad it's Good

So after a day spent mostly installing the Adobe Creative Suite at work, catharsis was achieved, first with an 'admin meeting' where about half a bottle was drunk followed by dinner with 'other' uni firends, Duncan, Liz, Jane and Richard before heading off to Black Sheep.

The movie is excellent and well recommended to all. The country couple of Duncan and Liz made it a thematic evening starting with the lamb dishes at the D&S whereas me and Kim warded off the evil sheep with some mint choctops.

As an addendum, apparently there as a man missing a leg in the seats in front of us and Duncan did ask after the film whether the man had been to New Zealand recently.

Jaime: Stress lowering, cautious optimism returning

Finally found a place to live and have movers organised. Also received news that my Labour Market Opinion is complete and now can send in my work permit request. Cross your fingers and wish me luck.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Dan: Sleepy

Super long meeting day - spent half of it on long long meeting showing off stuff for a museum (which was kinda fun). Used Keynote for the showing - it's pretty nifty, so I'm gonna get the '08 one.

Jen

Just a day at home with Atti and Elora. She didn't sleep much today. He ate the contents of next door's pantry. Watched "The Terminal".

Becstarr: Fardels of the heart and other Bioethical fancies!

Spent all day in the MFB lecture theatre recording audio to use for teaching & learning activities in the Bioethics elearning sites. We started with the good old vagina dentata and ended up with "Fardels of the heart: the unbearable weight of obesity", personal accounts of muscular dystrophy (heavy...) and recitations from Byron. Overtired but very happy indeed.
When eating, drinking and dancing with Bulgarians, it's best not to have any plans for the next day.

Anna : New day, new job

It's official, I've quit the Library and as of the 17th of September will be working for ICT as a "Support Specialist". The virtual milky bars are on me!

Furtiveness

Furtive. OMG!
Have logged in furtively to blogger at work. Don't expect to be able to do so for long - Am surprised it hasn't yet been blocked (or flickr yet for that matter).
Was late to work yesterday and today because I just got up to "exciting" bits in HP. Have finished it all now. At one point I cried.
I am looking forward to the pub today.

15/8/07 Work Stress

Part 1:
Drove to work. Missed the coffee off the coffee truck because I was late. Walked past the work kitchen, and got tempted by a box of fundraising *dark* chocolate maltesers.
Part 2:
Had a bit of a distressing teary moment when I realised one component of my project had slim to no chance of achieving deadline. We've been farting around for 7months with nothing to show for it.

Ben

Nothin' yesterday, classes today, assignment this evening. I'd better get back to class before they notice I'm gone.

David - Tasty Tasty Chinese Food

Probably a bad thing when the highlight of your day is the tasty, tasty Chinese food that you pick up in the 400 metres between your office and home. On the plus side I have a suspicion that the low-key political guerrilla war I have been in the midst of for the last six months is going to explode into a scorched earth battle on Monday morning...

falsedan - ice cream

Haircut was yesterday—today I watched the Simpsons movie with Tancred & Evelyn while eating chocolate-chocolate ice cream with hot chocolate sauce & chocolate sprinkles on top.

falsedan - haircut

I had a haircut—£8 & no charge for bleaching since the Polish hairdresser had to use 2 loads to get me to an appropriately ludicrous shade of blonde. The haircut was successful: I went to see Bacchae with Tancred & Evelyn and a rude Scotsmen almost picked a fight with me afterwards, also a 13-year-old hit me up for drugs in a shoe store.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Jen - Reading frenzy

Thursdays are MY day - Atti goes to child care and I only have Elora at home. Wasn't feeling too crash hot and spent the day reading the final Harry Potter book. Finished it tonight. Yay!

Evelyn - death, nudity and mime

We went to the Bacchae: its hard to consider the tragic nature of a death when you're glad he died; and the Cave of the Golden Calf: the burlesque performer - very good, the mime - eh, the drag queen - lame, the accordion player - not bad, the other thing - what the fuck?

Bez - Ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti.

Worked on the fence, drove to the shops, went to the dentist, rode around the lake again. Did some packing, and looked at how I'm getting back to Sydney. (Next Thursday?)

Joe - I'm too tired for Latin...Remember when John Hurt did the Dance of Dawn? That was messed up, yo.

Did work. Have tomorrow off! Have great weekends, all:)

Anna : Home Sick, Serenity and Chicken Cooking

Home sick again, slept until 12 and then watched Serenity to round off my mid-year Nathan Fillion kick (watched the ill fated "Drive" last weekend). Now got a chicken roasting in a made up recipe the oven, it smells good already!

Marina - Lindt cafe

Finally made it to the lindt cafe. Hot chocolate is decadently decadent. Cake is far smaller than the ad led me to believe. Still yum though - chocolate cerise -

David - Dreaming of Weekend Nothingness

It turns out that Rome Season 2 has just been released. It also turns out that this Friday is payday. I can see an appropriately Epic (with a capital E) Rome Season 1 & 2 weekend marathon hurtling in my direction. Now all I have to do is survive Thursday and Friday....

(THIRTEEENTH!)

Jaime: Bringing home the saber toothed Tiger

After a stress filled week we have successfully found and put a deposit down to rent an apartment. We have also found a mover. Now I only need to get my work permit sorted out.
36 hours between beds - Paris is rainy and Mat is sleepy!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Evelyn - More Festival

Joined the audience of the BBC Radio 4 Just a Minute - despite not having managed to collect tickets for the free but ticketed event; and a Midsummer's Night Dream in the Botanic Gardens

Jen - Folks home at last

So happy that my parents are back from their overseas trip. Spent the day reading the last Harry Potter book and ate too much fairy bread. Helped Dan translate some Latin using my trusty high school dictionary, with fond? memories of Sr. Philippa.

Ben - Cives Noviomagus Reginorum Sum

Teaching 3d geometry to year five students. Totally got them with the "If a rooster is on the roof and lays an egg" trick question. That's Cap'n Ben: 1, 10 year old girls: nil. Later had meeting for helping judge the regional Tournament of Minds competition, which should be fun

Dan - Sick at home

Spent the day at home with Flu (well, except for dropping off kids and coke at school and work, picking up kids, going to shops, taking Dante to piano, and picking up dinner). Also, ben et joe meus res tangerunt. Tactus rutilum vexillum fuit.

Bez - Still in the country

Dug post holes. Had "discussions" with travel agent about fares. Rode a bike around the lake. Confirmed dentist appointment for tomorrow.

Joe - Omnes viae Noviomagus Reginorum ducunt

Much more proactive day at work - actually got stuff done. And finished setting up Elle's mum's new machine. Boxing in a sec and then on to evening class. Really have to make a start on an essay tonight...

Anna - Home sick

Feeling under the weather ... and it's an excellent rainy day to do it. *cough* *cough* *sniff* *moan*

David - Craptacular Just Keeps on Keepin' On

You guessed it - craptuclar day again. Am I the only one that thinks Bens' "Buck Privates" is another kind of movie? Worked all day. Working all night. Repeat ad nauseum for the next 6 months.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Good day, but exhausting. Being responsible for the autistic kid is a bit of a worry. However! Last night when we thought we were all going to die we fought a giant palm tree with big pointy teeth and whupped it. We have no idea how!

MrE - You break the instructor's nose ONE time...

Have just returned from the first Kickboxing class in HK Ward in a long time. Class is much smaller than last time I saw it but then the instructor, CL, has been away about as consistant as I have in attendance. So small class meant more one on one time and less slacking off. A lot less girl friendly than it use to be with the attendance of one and she was a walk in.

Was starving by the end of class but forgot to bring money so had to hold it until I got home. 1 hour later (god I hate commuting) I make it home and mum has colonised the kitchen for the moon cake empire. The fridge is hardly bare but I was told that 5 pizzas had been consumed by the remaining members of the household which meant none for me. After dinner I find this is a gross exaggeration and continue gorging on cold carbs long after my hunger had been sated.

So what, two weeks before I'm back in Chippendale...?

Jen - Tuesday blues

Tiring day doing naught. Atticus got busy with the scissors ("cutting thing") and a box of tissues. Tried to teach him about packing away. Not very successful. Elora went to bed without crying or being rocked. This is a milestone! Looking forward to tomorrow.

Ben - Dei Gratia Noviomagus Reginorum Princeps

Classes and more classes. Then Abbott and Costello movies. Early ones too; Buck Privates and One Night in the Tropics, in which they don't even get top billing. I hadn't noticed before, but in their early films, they're good comedians but not very good movie comedians; their funniest bits are when they forget about the story and go into one of their old radio routines. This leaves some very dull actors to carry the plot.

That has nothing to do with my day, does it?

Becstarr : Just one more thing, just one more thing...

Today has been a "just do this, and just this, and before COB just add this, don't be unreasonable- it's only a few clicks! it doesn't take long!" kind of day. Just do your PMD writeup. Just write a summary for the course accreditors. Just organise podcasting for this Friday when the Media Office decides that contrary to what they've been saying since June, they won't be recording the seminar. Just do a skills audit. ...!

Joe - One True Prince of Chichester

Complete waster of a day. Too long meeting. Too long class. Some work done but nothing of any great merit. Elle's sister staying over tonight...Er...Which isn't part of the waster aspect of the day...Seriously:)

Marina - almost birthday blues

Does one celebrate getting significantly old or rejoice? I've usually gone for a big party to forget the misery. But this year, for the significant one... I am uninspired. so sad...

Anna : Fishy News

Chuck Norris is making a nest, his first since we've got him, so maybe he's finally settling in. Listening to Amy Winehouse "Rehab" ... now listening to it on repeat!

Jaime: In need of much booze

Spent most of today looking at apartments in person and online. Also looked for a mover which seems hard to find.

David - Craptastic Day

So today started off spectacularly cromulent with a 2 hour meeting at 7am. It then plummeted further downhill from this rather dodgy start by way of a series of back to back meetings that resulted in me accumulating 9million things to do and no-one to offload them to. Am now heading of to the gym before I get back on the pone for a couple of hours of calls with Asia Pac. Oh Joy and Rapture unbounded!

NEED BEER!!!!!!!!!

Monday, August 13, 2007

cooking lunch

Just finished making fishburgers for Tancred, Evelyn, & Moondiamond—they were delicious but I touched the grill element and I have an interesting burn mark from index knuckle to thumb.

Jen - Quiet day at home

At home with Atticus and Elora today. Went for a walk with the new double pram but Atticus didn't want to go to the usual playground so just went around the block. Made wontons for dinner.

Evelyn - festival

Tancred, Moondiamond and I (and local friend) discover that the free cabaret day at the festival dies a terrible death when the sound goes out and the performers are replaced by ill-prepared stand-up comics. Then FalseDan turned up and we went for beer.

Long day here, too

Disappointing day at work not hiring; once home the lads were fighting all evening; did piles of dishes and filing. 10:45 and I'm just sitting down to rest. I need to work harder on my slacking.

Long day

Classes; researching Frank Hurley for an assignment; Dungeons and Dragons (no magic missile) and cooking - curry, pickled eggs, sauerkraut (not for eating all at once). Still have a ton of washing up and about three hundred words of essay between now and bed.
Sitting on the beaches, looking at the peaches, nah-nah-nah-nah.

Surprising discovery

Weekend trip to the slushy snow. Camped at a caravan park in Jindabyne, discovered that the "lazy thai dinner" option attached to the caravan park was actually very good thai. Tried to restrain myself from drinking all the sauce on the "Mhoo Nam Tok" (Grilled beef salad).

Lesson #194,975,046

A student who I thought of as... impish I just discovered that she reads very, very badly. Stuff like confusing "is" and "was". I have to reassess my attitude towards the idea that kids who can't do the work misbehave. I don't want to give them colouring in, but having only a few at this level in a full class with more advanced students is tricky.

Becstarr : Hot and cold and dinner with Dave

Recovering from the first really big sun exposure of the season meant I was a bit dazed today, but apart from tired feet, no other aches from the c2s. Much better than last time! Dinner with Dave & bf Wei at Big Boys' Thai in Darlo and checked out their new flat... wow.

Sweet Jimmy Smits!

Heh, check the guy who doesn't check his mail over the weekend. Had a busy day today. Trying to organise the last of the network hardware coming into building F here at BMRI. Had two hours of class - Roman archaeology of the Near East. About to head off to boxing, home for a quick dinner and then to Al's place for D&D where I will, no doubt, cast Magic Missile. At the darkness.

Shannon

Jaime, Mum and I caught the ferry to Vancouver Island. Spent some time in Victoria. Drove to Nanaimo for BBQ at family friends' farm. Camped in a tent in their 57 acre backyard! Beautiful ferry ride back.

City to Surf - A Leisurely Forced March

Kim and I also did City-2-Surf. I kind of marched it so subsequently so did Kim. Made it in at 2:55/175 all up. A friend of Kim's tried running it and made it in a half hour before us but complained about soreness later.

David

Engaged in a mini rebellion and decided not to go into the office on a Sunday. Spent 2 hours wandering through a 5 storey bookshop. Then retired to my local with a haul of books to while away the afternoon hours with beer and the wonder that is the English language...

Now panicking about the 7am Monday meeting I am ridiculously unprepared for.

Anna : Post City to Surf

Sore calves, time = 213 minutes, best bit? Lamb burger at the end of course! Photos

I am using a computer is it stupid >:|

I am copying a bunch of stuff from a EXT3 drive to a NTFS drive with a mac and it is boring.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Evelyn

Too much beer, so tired, so tired

mmmm...beer gardens

no baseball, as i stuffed up my back ... so was forced to go to the union for beer and lovely sun, what a hard day!

Dan

Certainly got my monthly Decibel quota today - 12 kids and 8 adults tearing around the house. Played some tennis, some settlers, swapped music, ate heartily. Dante is now reading the second Harry Potter book.

Becstarr : c2s!

City to Surf in the super-sunny balmy August air with Annazon, tastiest Morroccan lamb burgers ever afterwards, very kind car rescue by McGuyver, then crashed out on bed at about 4pm!

Jen - Noise + chaos

Sunday morning tennis, 20 for lunch (including three babies) - just our immediate family + 2. Geeking out with brothers in the afternoon. 12 kids = noise + chaos.

David

Caught the train from Boston back to NY - passed by the NY School of Trapeze artists on the cab ride down from Penn Station http://newyork.trapezeschool.com. Pretty cool seeing them practice on top of a 4 storey building. Started my own blog at http://contstantwombler.blogspot.com/.

Doh! That's 3 sentences...

Jaime

Got rid of stinky relatives. Celebrated by watching many episodes of Arrested Development. Got up early to catch ferry to Vancouver Island. I get to be number 37.