Dan - school's back

It's the end of our first full week back at school - Dante and Atty were at school all week. We're all exhausted and cranky, and we'll be resting hard this weekend. Hopefully we'll be able to recover despite the cruel and unusual heat the BOM has planned for us.

falsedan - I am a victim of the global credit crisis

My bank won't give me a credit card unless I show them the last few months of bank statements. :(

Shoshe - Sprouted!

The lettuce that I planted on Sunday sprouted today (Wednesday)!

Tancred - It's rather cold this morning

It’s cold today. According to the web it’s -6° and feels like -9°. Last winter the server room AC froze and tore it’s self apart (no one remembered to put antifreeze in the chillier).

This morning our AC stopped working. It’s now 41° in the server room. IT sits outside the server room doors which are open, and all our windows are open trying to make a draft to help get cold air in there. Damm it’s cold. I’m indoors and I can see my breath. I think we should all just get to go home.

Shoshe - Groundhog Day

Sadly, Groundhog Day doesn't mean as much when you know that there will be (way) more than 6 weeks of winter, and that spring is most certainly not right around the corner.

Shoshe - Go my brain!

I got brilliant insight into 2 of the questions on my Celestial Mechanics homework last night at about 2:30am, after finishing a teen vamp novel. I even figured out some stuff that the super-maths officemates didn't get! Clearly I should be doing more...light reading.

Over the weekend we set up the winter greenhouse. I re-potted the aloe and planted six little pots of lettuce, and we brought the bay tree, rosemary, and orchid home from uni. They're all in a bookcase sort of thing with growlights and mylar. The greenhouse is bright!

Tancred - Blizzard

It's not just snowing - It's a blizzard :)

Jaime - rubbing bellies for the win

Last night I won a poker tournament thanks to "Pixel" kicking at the right moments to tell me that it was the hand to play, baby is indeed getting a new pair of shoes.

Guy - First week done...

While I'm woefully unprepared, as always, I'm happy to be back.

The midgets are great and I like what I'm teaching.

In Studies of Religion we were defining religion and one student was very eager to explain to everyone the difference between a ghost and a spirit.

"A ghost is where it's a figment of your imagination and a spirit is real."

Something in my face gave away that I didn't agree with her, and so she asked if that was right.

I said that traditionally speaking a ghost was the spirit of someone who had died, while spirits were a much broader category, including spirits of trees and animals and the Holy Ghost and whatnot.

However, what I was thinking was; Of course it's made up! It's all made up! Everything in this course is a figment of people's imaginations. Ghosts, spirits, miracles, God.

I didn't say it because I probably shouldn't alienate any of the students at this early stage of the course...

David - Boy Howdy Is It Cold

So, I was in Chicago a week or so ago. The temperature was -21 Fahrenheit, -31 if you factored in the wind chill.

To put it in practical terms, the half frozen river was releasing steam because it was warmer than the air. I walked the 6 blocks to my hotel with a jumper, jacket, overcoat, scarf, gloves, beanie, boots and at least 3 hits of whisky. I couldn't feel my legs by the time I got to the hotel. I had to go to the bar for another 3 emergency shots of whisky to stave off hypothermia. How the hell Grizzly Adams managed to survive I will never know...

Kit is tempted...

The second coffee truck man told me today that he can do iced coffee (rather, he offered it to me). Real coffee shot, vanilla icecream, choice of flavoured syrup, whipped cream, chocolate on top.

My one (of many) weakness!!

Dan: Dante's adventures in MMOGs

Dante has discovered his first MMO game - Moshi Monsters. It's a silly thing where you create you monster, and it wanders around this little world, and you feed it and get it stuff, and meet up and chat with your friends' monsters. All pretty simple, and entirely within the browser. But he's so keen that he has decided to spend his pocket money on a 1-month membership. God help us when he discovers WOW.

I don't think that word means what you think it means

Becstarr : Emerging from a kid hurricane to an empty nest

Just got back from visiting a full house of kids (5, 7, 9) and 6 adults up the Central Coast to an eerily quiet house. That's right: Matt and Zoe have flown the coop over the weekend, and Joel and I are empty-nesters! For the first time in my life I am savouring owning every shelf in the fridge (and pantry, and bathroom) and so on. Come to think of it, that's not quiet true as I was in that studio in Camden St for a while. OK, forget that particular rhetorical flourish, but it's still Very Exciting!

Ben - a productive use of my time

I was watching TV, and I saw an ad for Valkyrie.

So I made this picture.

I love the holidays.

Dan - back at work

After 4 delightful weeks of holiday, I'm back at work this week, and very tired. Looking forward to the long weekend.

We went to the Olympic Park pool this afternoon - kids had lots of fun, but the lifeguards seemed to be in a bit of a mood.

Jaime - First Kendo class

Rocked!

Shoshe - Warm! (er). and then cold again

Yesterday it got all the way up to -4C! The hottest it got between Wednesday (when we got home) and the day before yesterday was -9C. Now it's -10.5C. The coldest it's been since we got home was -20C, which is even negative in Fahrenheit.

Today was the first day of the semester, and tomorrow is the first day I have class. I haven't felt as unenthusiastic about a semester starting for a long time, if ever.

Kit: internet curfew

I have decided to give myself an internet curfew on weeknights. Except that I've just broken it. Time to sign off!

Jaime - only a few more hours

Until I leave for Las Vegas. Go for the training, stay for continuous party.

Becstarr : Goggling (under the sea...)

Hot weather is beach weather and the Christmas presents of flippers (half-length training fins, thanks) and snorkel mask are calling to be put to good use. Clovelly yielded lots of hot and cold currents and a giant blue grouper. Manly's Shelly Beach had a giant seaweed forest and penty of stripey fish, but not the weedy sea dragons we were hoping for... yet!

falsedan - IT SNOWED IT'S SNOWING

IT'S SNOWING DID YOU SEE IT I SAW IT

Shannon - So I says to Jaime...

"Hey, let's go swimming". What the hell was I thinking?! Now I'm too exhausted to get off the couch to make dinner.

Becstarr : A new!

Something ineffable happened overnight with the changing of the years, and I now feel like I'm on holiday at last. The garden and the beach call, and I am heeding no others!

Dan - Happy New Year!

Happy 2009, folks! It's been ages since my last post, a lapse I humbly apologise for. Enjoying 4 weeks off work, seeing lots of friends and family. Spent the day putting together and painting chairs, and taking the munchkins off to see the fireworks (or, as Elora has been calling them, spiderworks).

Jen - Kaboom!

Happy New Year everyone! We took the kids to the 9pm fireworks - watched them from Glebe Island Bridge. They had a wonderful time. Can't wait until they're old enough to stay up for the midnight ones :)

Jaime - Living in a Snowglobe

We live in a snowglobe. Or at least the blizzard outside makes me think so.

Shannon - A Blizzard - For Real!

It's like one day Vancouver woke up and realised that its actually part of Canada. 20cm and another 10cm to come today! And its supposed to snow until Christmas :)

Youse are all awesome

I just wanted to say that this Hive One Sentence Journal has been a great success, thanks to all of you wonderful contributors and commenters. I am so grateful to have such a terrific bunch of friends - so supportive, caring, funny and geeky :)

Thanks, guys :)

Becstarr : Back in Black

Grinding through the last two days before closedown. Everyone is on edge and there have been a few blowups. Acca Dacca and Pump will get me through!

Jaime - C'mon

You're telling me seriously Falsedan doesn't write and draw xkcd?!

Anna : Old man 2008 is about done ...

Bring in young man 2009 I say!

Becstarr : A-carrolling

Went to the Epping Carols by Candlelight with the fam on Sunday night. We had a picnic. There were fireworks. We chatted rather than sang this year, but it felt quite unexpectedly fantastic. Despite the rush at work, I'm really enjoying this Christmas. :)

Shoshe - Snow with bad timing

My qualifying exam was supposed to be yesterday at midday, but it was delayed due to boot-deep snow (the top of the boot, not the bottom. The kind of snow that, for example, closes multiple airports and flight paths so half of your examination committee can't make it to town before your exam should have been halfway over). We postponed it till 3pm, and eventually until this morning. Saturday morning! It's an oral exam, where your committee members get to ask you whatever they want that might be remotely related to your research project or (very loosely defined) field of study. For 2 hours. Except that mine ended up taking 2 1/2 hours. It went okay though -- they weren't as mean as I expected.

In related news, one of the local coffee companies will give you a half-gallon of coffee in a nifty thermos/urn for $10 if you give them 24 hours notice, and apparently just trusts that you'll return the urn (they don't actually ask you to). Another local coffee company charges $24 for the same amount of coffee in a box, and a third charges $14 for a box of coffee, a variety of sweeteners, cups, and milk.

Jen - A very merry Hivemas

A very pleasant Hivemas was had by the Sydney contingent today at our place. A little quieter than usual due to Dante's absence (at a friend's pool party). Atti relished his chance to be "the rowdy one", Elora ate her weight in chips, baby John snoozed and suckled and was incredibly cute! Excess food, water pistol fights, chicken wings and trifle.

Thanks to Evil for cooking, Elle and Al for helping and Red Bec for her delicious pavlova and excellent salad making skills, and everyone else that helped out! And thanks to Joel and Jed for entertaining Atti so amusingly!

Tancred: Egg nog

Inspired by the Colbert christmas special I made egg nog last night. I used
cognac and spiced rum for the alcohol and it was so so tasty :)

Egg nog needs to be made more often in winter in Australia!

Kit says this is getting ridiculous

I know that everything gets super-busy in the lead-up to Christmas, but this is getting ridiculous. You end up putting in the extra hours, which would be fine if you are catching up, but it's not so fine when you're still falling behind. ARGH, paperwork!!

Becstarr : Smidgeon the pigeon

On Saturday I rescued a homing pigeon who had become demagnetised and was sitting on a roundabout ignoring the cars about to run him down. From his legbands it seems he was from WA (or SA according to Euge - it was an 08 number). Fed, watered and rested, he has since resumed his journey, but it was fun to have a pet for a few hours. I wonder if WIRES needs people in the middle of the city?

Guy : Need more backup plans

I really need specific "heat stroke" lessons for when the temperature in the room goes over 30.

Two lessons I thought would fly crashed dismally because of it.

EC - Jaime's the Cyclon!?!

Recently picked up the Battlestar Galactica boardgame and have trying to rustle up a crew of 6 and the time to give it a run.

Finally happened last night and after a bribe of myself providing dinner for all.

Game was fun though long (~4 hours), with a bit of the Werewolf-esque mechanic that runs in Shadows Over Camelot but can be more influential. Basically took until the final run to the end of the game for the Cylons to be revealed even though the humans were pretty much screwed from very early on in the game. Much finger pointing and recriminations had Anna reveal herself before firing off the final nuke that took out the humans.

I was fortunate to reveal myself as the 'dirty skin job' just in time to the mostly unsuspecting humans, laughing all the way to the resurrection ship.

Guy : Maybe they do learn...

I think I did okay explaining the Global Economic Crisis in ten minutes to a bunch of year 8s. I'm surprised.

Becstarr : Big out, big in

Went out dancing for Anna's birthday on Friday (yay IM) and spent most of the rest of the w/e sleeping it off at home and in the garden. Sleeping lots rather than pushing on appears to have made an incredible difference - who knew? I wish I'd discovered this years ago!

Anna : AHA!!!!

!!SPOILERS!!

So you know the end of King Kong right? This bit ...



... where he's standing on the top of the building. Well that building is the Empire State Building. BUT the top of it looks nothing like the Empire State Building ...



This has been annoying me for some time, enough to distract my attention from time to time but apparently not enough to take the time to find out what's going on. Then today I go to a Metafilter post about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and I see this ...



So what has happened is that in 1933 when they made "King Kong" the top of the Empire State Building did look like that, it was a mooring post for airships, and that the extra bit that obscures the art deco spire is a broadcast tower added in 1953.

!!/SPOILERS!!

It's like this tiny bit of my brain that was constantly worrying about this conundrum has been freed up for other things ... and for that I guess I should give thanks ;)

YL - You know it's Christmas ...

... when you go home to Singapore and find Orchard Road lit up with lights, buildings wrapped up in present-like paper and the sales OH the sales! *almost faints* I'm going to be eating bread and butter for weeks ... gah.

YL - working nights has messed up my sleep

Argh. While working 4 nights in ED was interesting ... 2 days later I am still screwed up from adjusting my clock. I think I am just going to have to bite the bullet and coffee myself through the day today.

Also my bindi from Anna's birthday party made me extra cute!

Evelyn - Aerial Assault Course: Conquered!

After seeing posters up at the gym, I was finally tempted to get myself organised enough to the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena for the Aerial Assault Course. Brilliant fun, and except for the bruises inherent in running into wooden logs, not particularly strenuous. No photos of me, but here is a bbc thing about it.

Becstarr : Applying for my own job (yay!)

Worked for most of the weekend addressing the selection criteria for my own job* and updating my CV (thanks G&A once again - I found your suggestions on Google Docs). Now my eyes are looking far beyond the screen and I feel blurred around the edges... but for the first time ever, I have everything ready almost a day early!

* to move from contract to continuing!

falsedan - before my time

New plan: get up at 6am so I can do all my idiot internetting before work. My immune system has other ideas…

Anna : Blarg is the order of the day ...

Need a holiday ... that is all.

Dan - Single Parent for a weekend

Jen and Elora were away in the Torres Strait for a long weekend, leaving just me and the boys. Had a good weekend, apart from the endless fighting between the lads. Jen's out again tonight, at her sewing class, so I've got three cranky monsters tonight, but I got them to bed nice and early (they're still grumbling half an hour later, though...).

Fortunately, I haven't been attacked by moths.

Jaime - Mothes are jerks

I went to pay for groceries this evening and a moth flew out of my wallet. What the hell moth?! I got paid the other day and my bank account says its fine!

Ben - All done

In the last couple of weeks I finished all my work and did my one and only exam.

On a more interesting level, I built a set of shelves. This took a long time. I finally admitted to myself that power tools are less useful than they are fun, and bought a chisel. This made things go a lot faster.


I've also been teaching in a three day video production course for primary students. The Uni paired up primary education students with film students, and it went pretty well, overall. I've seen my group's film, I get to see them all on Friday.

For now, I'm going home to a plate of spaghetti, three longnecks of Resches and Dr. Who and the Silurians. I think I've earned it.

David - Home for the Holidays

The inevitable has happened - I am gradually turning American. I don't say Christmas anymore - instead it is the holidays. I am driving up to the Adirondacks to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends. And I have been seriously considering buying a baseball cap. Surely it is only a matter of time before I start believing that social welfare people is a pinko commie plot to steal my hard earned money...

Oh and in other news, I am coming back to Australia for Christmas and New Years... nothing like a 22 hour flight to kick start the holiday season.

Kit has Not healthy eating

I am eating Cheetos cheese and bacon balls out of a bowl with a spoon.

Another foot

For those of you keeping score overseas, we've had another foot wash up on shore.

Eugene - Even on Easy, Tool is hard

So Nick just got the band pack for Guitar Hero World Tour and he's solidly going at the drums since setting it up this evening.

I gave it a go but, alas, was not the natural I'd assumed I be.

Anyway, played a 90's medley of Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr and... someone else, first before entering the cheat to unlock all the songs. Played another set including a Tool song and just could not handle it even on Easy. Obviously all that punching of things has reduced my finger dexterity.

C'est la vie.

YL - Fall Out Boy!

Yay! Kim & I are going to Fall Out Boy on Feb 21 08. Woot! My first live rock concert! We are standing (ok dancing/singing/screaming/jumping). I am too excited for words! Here is Thanks for the Memories which some may remember from karaoke.

Becstarr : The sesame fields of Redfern

Last week I found a jar of poppy seeds and a packet of black sesame seeds (for sushi) that had been taken over by moths. I decided to give them a chance at life and rather than compost them, I scattered the lot along the backyard path - currently just dirt and stepping stones. Yesterday morning I went out and found a forest of enthusiastic green shoots arising!

I am having wild dreams of wading through a field of flowers on the way out to get the washing.... go little seeds go!

David - Yay Obama

So... Euphoria is the order of the day. Frankly I am going to thank the deity of my choice that there is a faint sliver of a hope that someone has been elected to the Presidency of the United States that stands a chance of looking at things from a new angle. Something this country really needs.

This does of course mean I am off to the temple to sacrifice a bull to the great god Augustus... these things do of course have to be done in style!

Tancred - Indecision 2008, don't fuck this up America!

Well today is the day, Indecision 2008. For us in the UK it will probably be decided about 04:00GMT so we get to wake up tomorrow and see the damage :(

Other issues to watch include proposition 8 in California, prop 2 in Florida and prop 102 in Arizona. (all about marriage discrimination and teh gays *sigh*). Arkansas has a proposition to allow only heterosexual married couples adopting or being foster parents.

In California Prop 5 calls for rehab and not prison for non-violent drug offenders. Prop 5 also wants on the spot fines and not arrest for small amounts of cannabis.

I found Ballotpedia rather interesting/disturbing to see just how many things Americans will be voting on.

YL - mental transit

From one locale and language to another, I leave my woven dreams embodied in the idea of a holiday to return to my reality which glares at me from Monday. Then I make new dreams again. Lento lento. Will the others fade?

falsedan - where did all this come from

I have internet and new computer and lounge chair and a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome. Aija is addicted to Family Guy!

Ben - Nearly there

I had a look today at how much work I have to get done by the end of semester, and how much time I have to do it in. I find that the amount of time I have is more than adequate. Something is seriously wrong here.

Kit faces the traumatic unreality

It seems that in my absence things have changed. There are now two coffee trucks tempting people at work, not just one. I had 457 unread emails when I first arrived this morning. They are still unread

Anna : Interwoven ...

I live, I breathe, I Interwoven. Building test site for Arts Faculty. Finish, submit, take, approve. The harder I work the sooner I don't have to do it anymore. Let it be done! Let it be over!

Becstarr : Peer assessments

Busy time at work as marking gets underway for essays and group assignment and people start asking me about how in the LMS to mark, release said marks, offer peer assessment of group members' contribution to projects, give feedback on the unit or on the unit's site, etc.

The peer assessment stuff is big at the moment, which pleases me, because I remember how incredibly frustrating it was to do group work and have no avenue for comeback to freeriders in the group who didn't turn up to a single group meeting or write a line of code (this was in Comp Sci) and still got the same mark as the rest of us. Utterly unfair!

Typically the peer assessment mark is counted for about 5% of the total unit mark. Personally I think it's fairer when it's used to modify the percentage of the group work mark you get.

Jen - sad

Found out this morning that one of the loveliest people at work (and a dear friend) passed away last night after an 18m battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 33 and her daughter just turned 2.

Kit is sad about End of the holidays

Coming to the end of my holidays in Nevada/California. Have been playing "just staying ahead" of work colleague in geocaching stakes. There is a lack of internet cafes, but quite a few free wifi spots, mainly around the Casinos (Thanks to Bec's old lifedrive). I guess all that "evilness" is good for something.

Evelyn - How I spent my lunchtime

Dan - back into the routine

Dante's back at school, and his extension classes have started again, so we're back into the weekly busy routine. Work's busy - I'm hiring again, and the next six months look ridiculously busy. On the bright side, I'm planning the family Xmas getaway (to Hawks Nest, maybe, this time).

Poor Jen spent all day ill (see her blog for more details), so the kids and I have been pottering about the house all day, actually having a quite pleasant day. Though Dante might be coming down with the lurgy (complaining of illness this evening; we'll see how he is come morning). Squishy also has a stomach bug, and has been chundering around the house.

YL -Getting old

Blargh. I am a total fish out of water. I dont understand this country at all! Up side is that I am learning Spanish and I see that they sell little packets of pot at the local bottle show in my fishing village of Horcon!

The romantic idea of spending my birthday in another country is just that - an idea. The reality is a bit different. I am now one year older in a place I cannot comprehend and no amount of Neruda poetry is going to help me now.

Guy - What a relaxing GUGS...

I didn't win even one game, so ner to people who say I always win. :-p

Jaime - Just got kicked!

I got to feel my kid kicking. I predict a strong Soccer career. Exciting times.

Shoshe - new windows!

We got new windows yesterday! It was particularly exciting because we'd been told that we wouldn't be getting them. Also, on our old windows, everything that wasn't glass was metal, meaning that there was a direct thermal contact from the outside (which last year got down to about -22C) to our attempting-to-be-cosy apartment. So the double-glazed glass part wasn't horribly cold, but the frame sure was. The new ones have plastic frames and extra-wide double glazing.

Mostly though, it's nice to not be offended by my windows' very existence. Who the fuck makes windows that have a direct thermal contact to the outside?! In a town where it gets down to -22C?!

Guy - That's not the answer I was expecting...

I ask, "So what is poverty?" hoping one person in thirty will think to say "Is it not having enough food?" However, one girl said "Oh oh, I know this! Public wealth, or the lack of it. It's when the government doesn't have enough money to build infrastructure like roads and hospitals." That's a pretty good answer for a thirteen year old.

Evelyn - Back to Scotland

Well, after having to sit on the plane for half an hour in Sydney while we waited for the bags of passengers who didn't make it through customs to be unloaded; then waiting the extra three hours for our delayed plane in Kuala Lumper; then waiting the extra four hours for the replacement connecting flight to Edinburgh - we are finally home!

Evelyn - Back to the UK

So all packed and ready for the family to pick us up for one more family brunch before heading to the airport, and then back to cold, rainy Scotland.

Evelyn - The Dumpling House that wasn't

Tancred and I met up with Jo, V and Lachlan, as well as a couple of other friends (Rachel and Maris) to eat dumplings at the supposedly great dumpling house in World Square. Turned out to be less of a dumpling house, more of a standard restaurant with less than quality service and only OK food. Fortunately, the company made up for it :)

YL - Box Wonderland

I'm channeling the "Box Wonderland" theme for my apartment. lol. There are all kinds of boxes everywhere. They seem to have multiplied like tribbles (which I also found!).

I wont get everything unpacked before I leave on Thur for South America. But over Nov/Dec it'll feel like Christmas everyday as I discover stuff I completely forgot about!

Gah must remember to do my tax before I leave ....

Dan - busy week

It's school holidays, so we've been shuffling Dante around various activities; on Thursday evening Jen and I went out for dinner and a show (!!!). Yep, we actually got to go out by ourselves! We saw Risky Lunar Love, while Bec looked after the kids (having borrowed Dante for the afternoon for experimental education).

Friday I took the day off, flamboyantly overslept, and Dante and I went to the Olympic Aquatic Centre for a swim.

We spent today kind of exhausted and lethargic.

Evelyn - More Holidaying Goodness

Finally managed to get to the beach - went to Clovelly yesterday for a swim. Then had several meetings - for lunch/coffee/drink/dinner lined up - good day in all. Now spending the next few days with family getting ready for my parents 60th birthday celebrations

Becstarr : Pump-ing Bondi J

Dave got me a 2-week free pass to FitnessFirst so we can train together while it's school holidays. We hit Pump at Bondi Junction on Sunday and despite restricting myself to the lowest of low weights (1.25 per side on all but lunges and shoulders, on which I used only the bar), I am feeling it today. Youch!

Kit has 3.5 Days of work to go..

and then it is 1 day of packing, and 2 million years on the plane and I visit California/Nevada this time.

Postcard call! (addresses via email please)

Anna : All tomorrow's parties ...

Weekend of PARTYING DOWN like Slurms MacKenzie (the original party worm) ...

Friday = End of Term Teacher Sock Hop
Saturday = Say "HELLO!" to Tancred and Evelyn Party
Sunday = Nap-Fest! and some videos with a few friends (stuffed toys count right?)

Jaime - .... why oh why

I was horrified when this came on the TV.



Heres the wiki entry

Terrifying!

Jaime: Sick day

Last night was feeling crash hot, some stupid Canadian bug is making me feel sick. Yay, just in time for my parent's visit on Sunday. Woo!

Becstarr : Class taught!

Hooray! The first run of my new workshop "Beautifying your elearning site (WebCT CE6)" is now over. I timed it pretty well at 2hrs... but of course, there are tweaks required and that's what I'm off to do now, before tomorrow morning's run.

The workshop has been my major focus recently, but in other news, I've moved! Or rather, I'm in the process of moving - but am now resident in Redfern. Details on Hive shortly.

Ben - Exhausted

I had 5000 words worth of assignments due this week, which I just finished. Not one 5000 word assignment, that would be too easy, no, two 1500 wd essays and two 1000 wd. There is now just one short online German quiz between myself and some well-earned beer.

If I learned nothing else, I learned that that I hate referencing. Fortunately, when actually working as a primary teacher, you can steal all the ideas you want and nobody cares.

I also cooked up some homemade marscapone on Tuesday. It's very nice, and surprisingly easy to make.

YL - reno almost done

Reno almost done. Looking at moving over the long weekend. Blargh. I dont want to pack anymore! I feel like I've been packing non-stop since Sept last year. Grrr. But on the up side, the apt is looking great!

p/s : being sick is the suck. Night shifts are going well.

Dan - scootin'

Figured I try a new way of getting Dante to school on time - riding the razor scooters from Redfern up to school. Figured I'd save 5 minutes or so, and thus get to school on time. But, no dice. Not only did we get The Slowest Train Ever, once we got scooting, Dante had to stop every couple of minute for a rest or a drink or because the Moon was in the Seventh House and Jupiter was aligned with Mars.

So, we got to school late anyway, and I think taking the scooters saved us about 30 seconds. Don't think I'll bother with that plan again.

(Guy) They'll be fiiiine.... right?

The year 11s do their Preliminary HSC exam tomorrow. I'm going to be pleasantly surprised, right? Right?

Kit needs to read the fine print

I went to see Bill Bailey yesterday. Except that I thought it was at the Sydney Theatre (like last time), and not the State Theatre. I only found out after having dinner at the Lord Nelson, and with 20 minutes to go to the show. Oops!

Becstarr : Packing

On Thursday the plan for me to move into Joel's place got a bump forward by about a month as another flatmate heads out much earlier than exected. Started packing on Sunday and am realising once again just how much Stuff I have. Luckily Karinne is in "ruthless" mode as well and is spurring me on to chuck! recycle! and generally clear the decks.

I'll move my clothes and stuff next Sunday, and the "real" move will be in a few more weeks. Meantime the hall is going to be Box Central again!

Big brother taxman

Have started doing my tax for this year, and one thing you can do now is get the etax software to pull all your bank account interests and pay details off the net. Efficient ... yet also a bit spooky.

Anna : Panic!

It's been a long week, one thing after another is going wrong and apparently all the problems have a website. The good news is that all I have to say is "Make a tag cloud!" and Eugene will do it!

YL - discovers rock climbing

I can now say I have conquered the vertical walls. (But not the upside down ones.) It so rocks! Can't wait to go again.

My arms also say owie.

Kit discovers iron, emus ... & a little science

On the weekend I bought a new iron & discovered that there is a place called "Emu Heights" at the base of the Blue Mountains. Why do the newspeople say: "at the weekend"?

In other news, the particle accelerator has been turned on, and the world has not ended.

Guy - Huh, serendipity...

I just took action against "Shine" today, and here I get home and read this.

Ben - Been a while

Hmmm, I hadn't realised how long it's been since I posted last. Well, in the last two months, I've been at Uni, I've made and consumed beer, sauerkraut and mozzarella (not at the same time) , I've pulled up noxious weeds in the bush and I won the coveted Poo Lit Surprise! award on Uncyclopedia.

Jen - Happy Father's Day

to Surly - your first one!
to Dan - your seventh!