Halfway peoples

Ok, I’ve been slack. Not just a little slack, but on an epic scale. Since semester finished I’ve been spending more and more time away from my laptop. Time that has been channelled into far more pleasurable activities, like seeing my friends and reading. Always reading. This slackness has meant that I didn’t print my reading list for May or June, something that I have now rectified.

With the countdown to my final semester I have started getting things into order. I’m in front for my reading, which is a good thing. Today being the 1^st of July, and day 183, I am quite pleased that I am currently reading book 187. It’s all downhill from here. I realise that in lots of way this challenge has taken over this blog. The last few posts have been little but my reading lists. It would be easy to think that it has taken over the rest of my life too. But it hasn’t really. 

I don’t go out any more or less than I would if I wasn’t reading. I can honestly say that I haven’t missed out on doing anything with friends, or going places with Miss R. I don’t entertain any less, or see fewer movies (though there hasn’t exactly been a wealth of stuff worth seeing). In fact the only thing I do less of is watch tv. Which, in the grand scheme of things, I can’t take that as a bad thing.

On the baking front I finally sourced chestnut flour for my wheat/gluten free baking. It’s first outing as part of a vegan chocolate pumpkin cake was a success. I plan on consuming the last of it with a bowl of warm custard after dinner.

I’m running a second photobooks class on Tuesday morning, and have managed to pick up a few extra shifts, so the bank a/c is slowly recovering from the chunk my rego took out of it. Work also paid for my first aid course. I expect my certificate in the mail any day now. 

The quest for full time work continues. There are possibilities with the opening of the new library in September, but council is still looking over the positions. In the end what they decide will come down to money. I don’t want to leave my library, but it’s hard to live on only 17.5 hrs a week.

Maybe Miss R and I should open that dessert home delivery business …

Still living …

Yep, I’m still alive. I apologise for any worry or concern I’ve caused. I’m fine, really. Mostly. Just the physical giving me grief. I’ve spent the last six days not touching the laptop, or much of anything really. Apart from going to work I have only left the house to go to the blood bank, and a trip to the market for more sugar (the cupcake ladies took pity on me and gave me a free cupcake). The rest of the time I have been on the couch, cradling my defective arm, consuming large amounts of sugar and painkillers, watching lots and lots of Dr Who.

I know I was leaving my box set until after I had finished with uni, but when you can’t use your dominant hand without shooting pains (even with enough drugs in you to down an elephant) then there really isn’t much else you can do with your time. Miss R is completely over Dr Who. She was even happy to let me watch some of the rugby. You know I’m not myself when I am willingly watching sport.

I am feeling better today. Pain is at a manageable point, so I am trying to get as much done as I can before my arm/hand packs it in again. Frustrating, but such is life. The last assignment isn’t due until the 21^st, but I’m trying to get as much done as possible. Don’t want to end up in a position where it’s due and I can’t physically do anything. Which is why I spent the weekend doing nothing. Plus, cranky Hawm is nobody’s friend. So I channelled my inner couch gnome, and tried to relax.

While I’m not 100%, I managed to get through work and most of the day on minimal painkillers. I even managed to catch up on everything I’d left going on the laptop. Well, after I had to completely reboot it (twice), upgrade the anti-virus software (which had apparently disappeared after being corrupted), and ran a total system scan (which meant I couldn’t actually use it for two hours while it sorted its shit out).

I’ve got another appointment with the torture merchant on Wednesday. I always feel better (once the screaming stops). If I still feel like crap by Friday then I’ll go off and see the doc. Won’t be a great deal he can do, but I’ll go anyway. Ah, the joys of getting old.

Uni break

I have done very little this past week. Other than work I’ve left the house to go out to dinner a few times (once with the in-laws, and the other to a friend’s place), to the blood bank (got my special 100 donations pin last time), and to the book sale at the showgrounds. 

Not terribly riveting stuff, but that’s the speed I’m happy with for the moment. There have been the extra shifts at work, which are always nice. There have been more resignations at work too, so I imagine that will also mean more work. Ms M got the uni job we both interviewed for. I haven’t seen her, or had a chance to congratulate her yet. I’m glad she got it, even though it means I have to keep job hunting.

Now that I no longer have assignments I’ve been spending less time on my laptop. The few times I do get on I play Oblivion for a few hours and then turn it off. As much as I love my laptop I’m enjoying not being tethered to it.

While I hate the idea of any bookstore closing (even as much as I have good reason to hate A&R), I will admit that I profited from their death throes sale. Twenty books later and I’ve got plenty to read. When you include in the last lot of items I liberated from the withdrawn bin I’ve got a lot of cataloguing to do.

Most importantly I have time for baking again. I’m thinking about a chocolate brownie cheesecake on Monday. Will have to see how I feel after we’ve hit the art galleries. Heide have an exhibition of Albert Tucker’s Images of Modern Evil series, and Miss R has been bugging me about their Colour Bazaar since February. Fingers crossed it won’t rain on us while we are outside. I can live with the cold, but cold and wet is rarely fun :)

family trials

So, the universe has decided that my life has managed to get too simple over the last week or so.  When I got home tonight I got the "Call your brother," talk from Miss R.  It seems Miss R and Miss H have been talking. As most siblings will tell you, when your partners start talking to each other there is usually trouble to follow. In this case it relates to our youngest sibling, my little sister.

Now, as everyone is aware we went north for a few days over christmas. Given the duration of our visit we did not manage to see my little sister. They have christmas at my Dads place (where my brother and I aren't welcome), and then usually have boxing day with my step-mothers family. Since we flew home the day after boxing day we didn't get to see my sister. In fact, (and I'm the first to admit that I'm in the wrong), I didn't even call to let her know we'd be there. In my defence, I was about 14 days into my funk, and really in no state to be making any judgement calls.

So, justifiably, her feeling were hurt.  But, having said that, she did not make any effort to contact any of us either. I will call my brother tomorrow and find out what been going on. If my sister has been in contact with Miss H (apparently full of tears and recriminations), then we will need to figure out what we will need to do to fix this. Everything is such a drama when you're 14.

I've also got my new laptop out of the box. Haven't really had much time to play with it yet. Hopefully tomorrow. Maybe after I've finished my long list of chores. Plus I've got the two most recent Buffy comics to catch up on as well. And a trip to JB to pick up the new Adele cd.

Could also do without the random thoughts of Ms L ... Stupid brain.

twilight zone

 

Today was one of these weird days. You know, the one where you're cruising along, minding your own business, and the next thing you know you find you've entered the Twilight Zone. 

Shifts out at AM library have always been interesting. I do tend to throw a lot of kids out of that branch. To be fair I only throw out the feral children, and they do get two warnings first. Being school holidays, I was more than ready for that to be the case today. There was one small incident, but otherwise the shift was drama free. This was weird for AM, but not completely unheard of. No, the weird thing was that after spending a considerable amount of time helping a library patron (not unsusal), this person said thank you. Always a rare experience, but it didn't stop there. This person actually left the library and then came back with a token to express her gratitude. I was stunned. Even now, hours after the event I am still stunned. I've left them on the bench so that Miss R can also be stunned.

Tomorrow I am off into the city to see the Doc, and to also get my new laptop. I need to be back for the staff meeting, so I will have to make sure I don't get sidetracked by any comic book stores on the way. A big ask, I know, but I will do my best. 

I had a momentary funk relaspe today. Nothing major, just a twinge. It's hard when someone you find beautiful doesn't see it themselves. It also sucks when you can't tell them, or make them see it, because they don't want to hear it (or at least not hear it from you). But such is life.

Not everyone can have an ego as big as mine.

play date take 2

Ms Ali and I are going to try and have our play date tomorrow.  Very trashy movie @ The Sun Theatre, followed by chocolate for lunch @ Co'klat. Chocolate waffle, with ianilla ice cream and melted white chocolate all over, possibly with strawberries if I feel the need to be healthy. Wash it all down with a milk hot chocolate (with more vanilla ice cream of course) and I should be ready for my diabetic coma by the time I get home.

I'm still feeling good, if a little tired. I managed to oversleep on Sunday. It's been so long since I had such a solid block of sleep that my body has forgotten how to cope. I'm sure it will revert soon enough.

Last week I was having phone issues. It's playing nicely for the moment, which is good as I still haven't made a decision on what I want. This has been complicated by the fact that new dual-processor smartphones are also due this year. So I have decided to instead focus on the other tech-dinosaur in my life; my laptop. To be fair, it has served me well over the last 5 years. And it would probably continue to do so, if it weren't for a few things. The biggest issue is that I can't move it. There is a lose wire somewhere inside my screen, and it shuts everything down if you bump the screen. I then have to take out the battery each time, otherwise it will not allow the computer to restart. Not much of a laptop if it has to stay open on the desk every time I want to use it. I plan to replace it with this. 

For now I have a lamb roast in the oven, which will keep me occupied for a little while. And I am all psyched for Miss A's BBQ next week. Have got plans for two pav's, so nobody misses out. 

Can't run the risk of anyone going hungry.