Good Eating

Lately I’ve been trying new and exciting foods.  These include:

• The other night it was too hot to cook and the only place open was the Middle Eastern restuarant down the street.  I always say I want to try it but never make it there, so finally did.  Yum.  We had a few different things to try and was most impressed with the salad of beetroot in pomegranate dressing.  I am going to try making this one at home.  I got some pomegranate molasses (concentrated pomegranate juice) now I just need beetroots.  Also did some web research and found a few recipes that combine it with goat’s cheese.  Too good.
• Another awesome meal for hot nights – cold soba noodles.  I had these a while back at a Japanese place in the city and loved them.  And too easy – just soba noodles cooked and rinse with cold water (got get in there and do it with your hands) and dipping sauce (I put it over the noodles cos I didn’t have a dipping dish) and toppings – spring onion and sesame seeds.

Food – it’s awesome.

I’m Melting…

Seriously, being all cheerful and positive thinky might be all fine and dandy but, on the third day of 40+ degree days, I declare it Grumpy McBitch-a-lot Day!

To make matters worse, we have a bug infestation!  Big ugly cockroaches.  I couldn’t sleep last night so I was dicking around on the nets and felt something on my leg… oh yeah… I screamed.  They say it’s impossible to kill cockroaches but my philosophy is ‘if you bash something with your shoe hard enough and often enough, it’ll die’ – words to live by!

You can be all zen or budhist or whatever about killing things sometimes, but if you’ve watched enough flesh eating bug episodes of the X Files, you know it’s a case of kill or be killed.  Although I did stop to ponder how much weight a flesh eating bug could help me lose.

Other things that bug me (ha ha pun fully intended):

• people who call the US president ‘the leader of the free world’… WTF?  Since when did the US become boss of the free world?  I want to hit anyone who says that over the head with a meat mallet until they pass out (see life rule above).  I bet if you asked the rest of the free world who they want as leader, every single person would say “NOT AMERICA”.  I’d take even New Zealand over them.   At least NZ hasn’t completely screwed up the entire world economy.
• the sun – stop being so hot.  Seriously. 
• People who won’t give me a job.  You don’t have to pay me much, just let me sit in your air conditioning.
• Connex.  I can’t even cruise around on air conditioned trains on account of the entire train system in this city not coping with temperatures over 35 degrees.  Why does this happen?  Why does this happen EVERY summer?  Why don’t you learn?  BTW Connex are giving free daily tickets to all monthly, weekly or yearly ticket holders as compensation – nice one since all the train services will be cancelled on the day you go to use it.  I guess I should be grateful I don’t have a job since it means I don’t have to take public transport to work.
• Vicroads.  Did you know you can’t re-register your car now if you have outstanding fines?  Does that mean parking fines?  Cos that means it will cost me $1,000,000 to register my car this year.  Hopefully I’ll be not in this country by then. 
• Everyone who drives their big, hot, stinky cars blowing out maximum hot air while I’m trying to cross the road.  It’s hot enough without you arsehats!
• Everyone who has contributed to global warming!
• Every single one of my friends who lives in the other hemisphere and says “at least it’s not snowing there… at least you have warm weather..blah blah blah”.  I hate you.  I especially hate my “friends” Tim and Simon who have moved to England therefore making it impossible for me to visit them and their air conditioning.  I sent them a message yesterday telling them exactly what they are – it’s a word I won’t repeat here.
• Being bored out of my skull but too hot to even move a finger. 
• Have irritated skin from too many showers/face washer hats!

Just to finish on a happy note, things I love:

• Centrelink.  I decided to register for the dole since I hate living in cardboard boxes and eating garbage.  They have been efficient beyond any concept founded in reality.  Amazing.
• Watermelon. 
• Watermelon.
• Watermelon.
• My son and his amazing chocolate ripple cake variations.  At the moment he is working on one using nutella and another using home made turkish delight.  When it comes to chocolate ripple cake, the boy is a genius.
• Watermelon.
• Cheap fruit at Preston Market.
• Being able to sit in the cafe at Borders and read manga in the air con.  In fact I might go do that now.

Air conditioning: it’s for wimps!

It’s hot here in Melbourne.  Damn hot.  And it’s going to stay hot for the next few days.  But since we have no luxuries like air conditioning or even an electric fan, the only choice is to tough it out.  These are my heat-coping tips:

• fill the bath up with water and paddle.  A kiddie pool is better but since our landlords haven’t mowed the lawn in forever, I’d rather not risk the snakes and other critters (mountain lions, wildebeasts etc) in the yard.
• supersoaker fights
• singstar – it makes you forget you’re hot
• going to the local bar (with air conditioning).  The cinema is good to but you can only stick around as long as the movie, at the bar you can stay until closing.
• lemon sorbet!

The worst thing to do is complain about the heat.  It just makes you hotter.

I had to put on my suit and go to a job interview today.  You can pretty much guarantee every Summer on the hottest day of the year, I will have a job interview.  Oh yeah wearing a suit in the heat is so much fun.  It was a weird interview and I don’t think I got the job but on the way home I bought an awesome dress reduced from $129 to $30.  Will post pic later.

Must go… I need to make myself a facewasher hat.

Monday

I started a Happy Australia Day post yesterday but didn’t get it written and now it’s Australia Day no longer.  Hope you had a good one.

Since it wasn’t just Australia Day but also Chinese New Year, I thought I’d do stuff to give me luck.  I read that you should clean the house but since I was going to the Big Day Out figured I didn’t have time.  I thought I’d at least tidy up my desk area so I get good work/creativity luck.  Did that then swept out all the cobwebs from the ceiling, hoping that is kinda symbolic – but if it isn’t, at least I won’t be thinking about how cobweby the ceiling is every time I do exercise on the floor!  Then I got stuck into my big bookcase and got everything organised – I’ve been meaning to do that for ages.  All up, I did a heap of cleaning + tidying without meaning to.

Then I got ready for the BDO. It’s also lucky to wear red on the Chinese New Year so I wore my red fishnets and red cat’s eye sunnies.  Go me. 

You’d think after this many BDOs, I’d have it all going on but no.  I showered then realised all I’d eaten all day was a little quiche thing.  Nothing quick to eat in the house so I got dressed and figured I’d buy something there.  I had $40 on me which I thought was ample, except I had to get stuff at the servo then I parked in the official carpark.  That left me with just over $10.  I ended up getting a bratwurst and it was yum.

The BDO was fun.  I went to Tex Perkins and his Ladyboyz… omg they were beyond awesome.  Then lazed around until Neil Young come on.  He was fantastic but I wasn’t really feeling it.  I stood just near the D barrier but everyone around me was so lacking in energy (I think they were either stoned or wishing they were).  It really lacked something.   I ended up moving back in the ground where there were some guys dancing around like crazy things and having a good time.  Very small crowd though.

Anyway, I also heard that what you do on Chinese New Year determines your year.  Does that mean I’m going to spend the year cleaning and hanging out with stoners?

Goals for today:  go for a run before it gets too hot, writing, sorting out the sock box (which I meant to do the other day), apply for temp work.

Oh yeah, and it’s Tuesday today… I thought it was Monday.  Oops.

Random Photos

I felt like taking photos today.

Other tasks for the day – changing my resume so I can apply for temp admin work (I hesitate to say I’m dumbing it down because that sounds so patronising), going through the box of junk near my door that I think is nearly all odd socks – and trying to pair them (shucks, I’m such a matchmaker), writing and maybe cooking something.

Saturday

I got out for another run today but it was hard going.  I could really feel my quads all tight and sore from the last run.  Funny beause I never usually have any problems with my quads.

I had to rush around and get ready after that so didn’t get a chance to eat.  After Japanese class, I was so hungry.  Decided to go to the sushi train but I’d left my wallet at home!  Oh noes… my poor belly!

I’ve been doing more cleaning, sorting and throwing out (well the stuff isn’t out yet, but sitting in bags ready to go out!). 

Despite all my best efforts, I’ve been feeling a bit down lately.  Last night especially.  I wanted to punch someone or something.  Sometimes I wish I had a punching bag!   Then this morning my mum started talking about how my Japan plans might fall through…blah, blah, blah…

But, you know what, people get shitty circumstances thrown at them all the time by the world.  Stuff so horrible that we can’t even imagine it just by being born in the wrong place or wrong time.  What’s a shitty little financial crisis compared to that?

I was trying to remember how bad things were during the last recession and I couldn’t.  Not because I’m too young to remember it (I wish) but because I can’t remember it even impacting my life.  I’ve been through some bad times, I’ve had to struggle but it’s been personal circumstances that have effected me much more than external events.  In fact, during the last recession I think I was better off financially than I was in the boom times that preceded it. 

Things are even easier for me now – I no longer have a child to support, I don’t have a mortgage or any debt.  I know how to live cheaply and make the most of what I have.

Worst case scenario – I’ll take what work I can get and put my plans on hold for a few years until times get better.  Hopefully it won’t come to that.  I’m tough, I’m a survivor.  I’m skilled and resourceful.  And I’m not going to let some gloom and doom merchants erode my slice of the happiness pie.

It’s been a good week

Last night I read this while surfing blogs.  Great advice.  I’m all down with the keeping busy.

I’ve had two interviews this week.  Well had one, got one today.  I don’t really want either job but I keep thinking that I *need* money and nothing else might come up.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but then again, I’ve not been offered either job so it might not be an issue.

I’ve got stacks of cleaning and throwing out down this week.  Jaykay suggested having a day where we can all swap our unwanted stuff – clothes, bags, etc.  Sounds like a good idea to me.  Anyone else interested? 

I went for a run last night.  It was a struggle.  Just getting motivated to get out the door was struggle!  I struggle every time I run lately and that’s because I have no consistency whatsoever.  I run regularly for a week or so then I stop.  I’ve been doing this since way before I went away last year.  No more.  I’m committing to a minimum 3 runs a week. 

On Monday I’m going to the Big Day Out… on my own!  Yikes!  That’s kinda scary.  Because, you know, some random stranger might see me and think “omg, that person is at the bdo on their own – loser.” Or even worse, I might get bored!  Still I want to see Neil Young and it’s the only way to do it so off to the BDO alone I go.  It’s not scary, it’s an adventure!

Tasks for today:  job interview, writing, organising dressing table and getting rid of crap makeup, gym.  Oh and it’s my mum’s birthday today.  I haven’t got her a pressie yet.  Was going to send flowers but she’s going away for the weekend, maybe just cash?

Random

• I have been lazy, lazy, lazy with my exercise lately.  My excuse is “it’s too hot”.  Every day I think I’ll go for a run when it cools down but then it’s too dark or too late or too something.  Today is NO EXCUSES day.  I’ll go for a run…. later.
• My sister got accepted into uni.  Yah! 
• Even if Breakfast at Tiffany’s is your favourite movie, I bet you $20 that if you were friends with Holly Golightly for a week, you’d punch her in the head.  Flaky people drive me nuts.
• I love hiragana!  For those not familar with the Japanese writing system – there are three kinds of writing.  Katakana is used for foreign words.  I learnt some of that last year but even when you work out the word, it’s a Japanese version of a (usually) English word so you have to keep muttering it to yourself like a madwomen until it makes sense.  That’s how we managed to read “vodka shots” in squiggly in Japan!  Kanji is very complicated and makes my head ache to think about – I know like 2 kanji characters and there are around 1,000,000 (more or less).  Hiragana is used for Japanese words and that’s what I’m learning at the moment.  It’s awesome.  I can’t stop translating stuff.  Even though most things have a combination of the three and I can only make out random words.  I’ve (kinda) translated all the receipts I got in Japan and magazines and all manner of things. 
• Why is it that the econony is rooted and everything is uncertain yet all my job possiblities at the moment are for permanent work?  Surely in these crazy times, employers should want casual staff? 
• I’ve lost my passport!  I’ve been waiting for my (other) sister to get back from Thailand in case I left it at her place but she hasn’t found it.  Damn it.
• Excitement on the list for today:  sort through my bags and other accessories.  I’m not a girlie girl with a handbag for every outfit but I seem to have amassed a huge collection of bags – mainly gym bags etc.  Plus I have a terrible habit of never throwing out shopping bags.  It’s getting out of hand!  Seriously, a backpack with a broken zipper will NEVER come in handy some day.
• Looking for work atm has made me realise how narrow my skill range has become.  That was fine and dandy when there was heaps of work around, now it’s really limiting me.  If I head off o/seas for a few years, I think I’m really, really going to need to do some post-grad study when (if) I get back before I even think of working in IT again.

Oh and my big revelation about my life this week:  I need to USE stuff.  If I’m moving overseas, there is no point having 20 different flavours of fancy tea in the kitchen that I’m keeping “for good”.  There is no point having notebooks too good to write in. Everything around me has a limited shelf life now so I’m getting into the “use it or lose it” mindset for all my material goods.

On a similar note, I have a couch and ottoman in my storage unit.  I only used them for about a year.  They are blue/grey and a squarish style from Freedom.  I will prolly put them on ebay at some point but if anyone is interested, let me know.

Oh I have a photo…

It’s a bad photo – the couch doesn’t have stripes and it’s stored on it’s side.  Anyway it’s super comfy but I don’t see myself using it in the near future so it’s got to go.

Thin List

You can bet that every single person who has/had a weight problem has created a thin list – “things I’m going to do when I lose weight…”  They make for interesting reading.

What makes something valid only when you lose weight anyway? 

Sure there are somethings that are stupid/dangerous/ill-advised when you’re considerably overweight – some kinds of extreme sports where you need body strength and security safety gear, stuff like that; things that hinge on weight loss – like buying and fitting into a pair of size X jeans; others that are long term goals like running a marathon.

Other than that it comes down to our own quirks and insecurities.  If there were some kind of social standard stating you cannot do X unless you are under 70 kgs and don’t even think about doing Y until you reach 65, then we’d all have pretty much the same list. 

I’ve never had issues with eating in public, never had issues with going to the pool or the beach (although sometimes I’ve worn the obligatory huge tee-shirt), never worried about going to nightclubs or bars or travelling.  I never even thought these things would be a problem until I read them on other people’s lists. 

And, you can bet your life, other people would do the same with my list.  Years ago, I knew a girl who was obese who modelled for life drawing classes.  That I’d never do at any weight.  I was too scared to go into “normal” sized shops for a long, long time even to look.  I screwed up job interviews (or didn’t apply in the first place).  I had a myriad of rules about what I could and couldn’t wear.  I couldn’t talk to people in some situations.

All these fears!  All those thoughts of “one day, when I lose weight, I’ll do…” It’s stupid, really stupid. 

The way to abolish fear, for me anyway, hasn’t been by losing weight but by doing things.  Forcing myself.  Starting small.  I’m still working on it.  I no longer have a thin list but I still have a list.

Pink

So I followed my advice and got all productive today.  One of the best things about the crappy hovel where I live is the huge bay window in my bedroom but I never made the most of it.  I had all junk stored there and it looked blah.  It took major gymnastics just to open the window.

I wish I’d taken before pics. 

The cost of this makeover – next to nix!

I bought a can of sample paint before Christmas but the dude at Bunnings said I needed a grey undercoat.  The undercoat doesn’t come in sample pots and costs $$$.  Today I decided to just go ahead and paint – it’s a tiny bit of wall and if it looked dumb then I could do something to fix it.  Plus I scabbed the paint brushes etc off  Tim and Simon before they went o/s cos they were just going to throw them out anyways.

The rose fairy lights and cushions I’ve had forever. 

The only thing I want to fix now is the curtain on the window.  It’s a grey army blanket that I got from the red cross ppl when I got sick at a fun run!  I’ve got a sari and some bright pink fabric from Thailand but neither are long enough. 

Anyway, I now have a lovely space to do yoga or meditate or read or do weights.  Space is awesome.

Oh and I did other renos today.  We have been having so many problems with our bathroom being a pigsty.  A big part of that is our housemates who are pigs but it doesn’t help that the bath/shower doesn’t drain (so all their putrid water hangs around).  This has been an issue for months.  The three guys in the house keep saying they’ll fix it.  They are tradies.  They have fancy tools and shit.  It’s never been fixed.  Today I got sick of it and poked it with a bent coathanger.  Oh yeah, it drains like a mofo now.

Conclusion: men are useless and you can fix any household problem with a coathanger, a butter knife and a shoe with a sturdy heel (now I just have to fix the housemates!).