Valenti

7:51PM - Writer's Block: Job search

I'm very happy with my job, the only downside being the pittance I am paid. I do believe that there is such a thing as a dream job, but circumstances can often dictate that you don't get to go for that job. You also need to really understand yourself and what you want / enjoy in life to be able to go out and find said job.
In five or ten years form now, i hope to have won the lottery and be doing the same job I am doing now AND be financially comfortable and secure. to some extent I am working towards that goal, but if I am truthful I could get a better paid job in a similar area, but it's not just the job that is keeping me here, it's the people I work with too, and the respect and care that they have for our school and the students.

C

10:23PM - Money wise

Are there any financial wizards out there ( Aussies only, I'm afraid) who can help me out with a question or two?

C

5:47PM - Song search............

Please, this is driving me mad here!

Did anyone hear, about 18 months to 2 years ago, a song by The Police, with Snow Patrol mixed through it? It was The Police's 'Every Breath You Take' combined with Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars' and ended up being called (I think) 'Every Car You Chase'? It was on the radio for a while, but muggins here didn't go and buy it then, oh no, that would be WAY too easy.

I've found it on YouTube, but have no idea how to get it and anyway, my YT cuts out every three seconds or so, probably to stop people like me from copying things off of it!! So, lovely clever wonderful people out there, this is your task, should you decide to accept it. Simply put, you need to stop me pulling my hair out in frustration, and help me find this song.

Anyone up to the challenge? I'll love you for ever and send you virtual red and black Fruit Gums, and anyone who knows me knows what an honour that is.

Yours in anticipation, and sitting staring hopefully at the computer with a sad, pitiful longing look, big blue eyes watering with tiny tears and quivering lips.....

C

7:11PM - Car Insurance

Can anyone tell me why, when I entered the same information each time, I get car insurance quotes ranging between $1266 and $580? What the hell are they playing at?????

C

4:10PM

When I was growing up, I never had tea or coffee. No idea why, just didn't. After Uni, I got a job in a pub where you could have free tea or coffee, but were supposed to pay for anything else - which kind of P'd me off, seeing as I liked neither and objected to having to pay for hot chocolate.

I forced myself to drink coffee ( quickly became black coffee after I added milk one day at my second job, added the milk without really looking at it and as I went to drink it wondered why my coffee looked like yoghurt....) Oddly enough I can drink cappucino, just not white coffee made normaly. Anywho, I am now quite into black coffee, which is not a good thing when you realise you have had coffee at home, when I get to work, at playtime, lunchtime and am then all edgily happy....

And so, to the point of this pointless ramble.

I have always told my tea-adoring Mum that drinking tea is akin to drinking the water that you put in a vase with the flowers, like drinking rosewater or something equally flowery. Thing is, I keep reading everywhere how good tea is for you, especially green tea first thing in hte morning if you have a slow metabolism (it's suposed to kick start it or something like that). So when I saw a 10pack of green tea with lemon for under $2, I thought I shall give it a go. I don't need to tell anyone if it is as horrible as I'm expecting - after all I do live on the opposite side of the world to Mum, and she need never know.

Scary thing was, it's not too bad. A bit like drinking n0n-mediciney Lemsip. Tolerable. Maybe even with hints of being nice...... I shall persever with it and see what I feel like.

And so endeth Le Ramble.

Have a nice Sunday everyone.

C

9:51AM - Note to self....

Note to self -
Do not leave your rain coat in the UK and get your parents to send it back via seamail because it will not rain in Victoria.

It will - note that - W I L L - rain in Victoria.

It will rain when you are dropping your new car - Sadie - off at her first check up at the doctor-mechanic, and have to walk ten minutes to the nearest tram stop, in order to get the tram into town to go shopping. It probably will not rain at any other time ( apart from recess and lunch breaks at school, but we are not at school, it is Easter holidays and this, therefore, does not count at the moment).

Yes, you have your umbrella, but you are still going to get soggy.

This is all.

Thank goodness I am going to the Essendon DFO on Thursday.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

C

6:13PM - Noise, noise, noise - and silence....

Woo Hoo!
I should post more often. It seems that the cars have stopped - might be a 6pm deadline or something, and now something very large and fast is flying around up above. Could be the jets I saw practising lst night, 6 of them flying in formation, quite scary if you think about it. Anyway, one loud noise replacing - wait.......wait......IT'S STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace - - bugger, talk about speaking too soon, there go the planes again. I am going to turn my iPod up and send a prayer of thanks to whomever it was that talked me into buying one last year.


Whisper it very quietly......it's stopped again, and this time it's stayed stopped for at least 5 minutes so far....

Be Happy.

C

5:59PM

Just wanted to say that I am most definitely, completely and utterly, 100%, never been more sure OVER the GrandPrix. Three delightful days of hearing cars roaring round and round in circles, loud enough for me to have to wear headphones inside my own house to drown out the noise. Yes I'm sure it's wonderful for Melbourne ( even if we are losing money hand over fist each and every year) and yes, I'm sure it's a wonderful thing for those who like it, but I'm going to get all grumpy and be thoroughly pee'd off with it all.

So there.

Happy Friday to you all.

Cath.

6:48PM - Merv the Not So Magnificent

So. Merv the Magnificent is not so magnificent any more, and due to his need for expensive repairs, he is going to go to the Great Car Yard In The Sky. He is driveable, if I top him up with water before each and every trip (to prevent the alarming prospect of his engine blowing up mid trip!), but I am having to face up to the fact that I need a new car - or rather a new second-hand car.

Everyone is telling me to go for Toyota, and I quite like the look of them anyway. An Echo, or yaris - something small anyway. Hatchbacks are nice, probably a three-door.

Anyway, you knowledgeable lot out there - any suggestions? Any 'You must be out of your mind if you get that?" or any "Buy this sort of car now!!"

Believe me, I need all the help I can get. Both of the cars I have 'owned', I have inherited from Mum, and while they were nice cars, I've never really had to weigh up the pro's and cons.

So - bats eyelashes furiously and tries to look as appealing as possible - any ideas for poor old me?

C

1:57PM

Happy Australia Day everyone. My Grampa would have turned 96 today, so Happy Birthday to him too.

C

10:38PM

So....what to do, what to do......

Keep the windows open and have to listen to the scary whoop-whoop wings and screechy bat sounds that the damn fruit bats are making as they feast on the fig tree outside

- or -

Close the windows and suffocate due to no air-con and stupid free-standing fans being not-put-togetherable, seeing as I wasn't exactly careful about cataloguing where I put each little flaming nut and bolt last year...........

Yay........( am finding that banging head aganst desk is making me see stars and forget about everything)

C

6:10PM - A Very Theraputic Full Stop

Twenty years ago, my wonderful Grampa died, and his ashes were taken to one of his favourite fishing spots, near to where he used to work as a chef in the 60's. Eighteen months ago, my lovely Nanny died too, and it wasn't until last week that we could get the family onto the same continent to repeat the journey and reunite Nanny and Grampa.
We set off on Wednesday morning, and drove for six hours before staying overnight in the smallest cabin ever known to man. We eventually got there late on Thursday afternoon, and trekked out to where Grampa is on Friday morning.

I'd copied some photo's of all of us, and my sis in the UK, and laminated them, so before we put Nanny with Grampa, I put the family there too, so they would remember us. We all ( Mum, me, and my Uncle and Step-Aunt, which was the most of the family we could get together), said some words and put Nanny with Grampa, and then covered them over so they could be at peace together. I'd also collected some shells from a nearby beach, exactly the same set for me, my sis and Nanny, which I put in, so my sis was 'there' as well.

I used to go down to see Nanny every weekend (she was an hour's drive away from me, so I couldn't go after work) and it hurt me so much when she died, but she had been so ill, and in so much pain that in some ways it was a relief. She had been in a morphine induced coma for a few days before she went, but as she did, she opened her eyes, and smiled at me and Mum, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, before she smiled again and then she was gone. I've missed her so much, but doing this, and especially last weekend, which was my birthday, as like I was finally letting go, safe in the knowledge that she was with Grampa again, in a place that they both loved, and that they would be happy - which in turn made me happy.

And if you've read this far, well done and thank you.

C

6:47PM

500 words to go
500 words to go
Eeee Eye the merry-O
500 words to go.

Have cut and pasted, written, re-written this essay all afternoon.....am SO SICK OF IT ALL@!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem. Feel better now I've got that off my chest.

Aaaand back to the grindstone in exactly 12 minutes.

C

10:54PM

I've been doing a sculpture / ceramics class during the school terms this year, and tomorrow is the show where the lecturer gets us all to put our efforts on display for everyone to see. Scary, but exciting at the same time. If my stuff has come out all right, I'll try to get some pics for you.

C( who may have melted before she gets the chance, it's supposed to be 31 tomorrow!)

5:32PM

So. My rental agents sent me a letter, telling me that they have scheduled an inspection between the hours of 10 am and 12 lunchtime. I ring them back, and tell them that I am working, and there is no way that I can get there at that time, so they say when would I like them to come? heroically refraining from saying 'Never', we decided on 4-30 today.
I have spent the last week making this place presentable, even doing a last minute vacuum at 7 this morning, so that my flat was sparkly clean and shiny.

At 4-25 this afternoon, I get a phonecall saying that 'something has come up, and they will have to reschedule.'

4-25?? Five minutes before they were meant to be here????

I know it's entirely possible for 'something to have come up', but still, I feel the need to vent and to scream out loud.

They're now coming on Thursday at the same time - which means that I shall not be moving a single thing until then, to keep my flat all shiny and happy.

C

PS. I bought a new cd the other day, 'So Many Nights' by The Cat Empire. Most excellent, and i advise you to go and buy it!

10:41PM

I love my Mum. Really I do. She's the best Mum in the world. She does all sorts of little things for me and my sis, treats us to things, sends us small surprises in the post just to make us smile.

She just rang me up to say she'd just got home from the Op-Shop where she works, and someone had come in with a whole load of CD's. Mum had rifled through them, and was all gleeful when she told me what she'd found. She's apparently told the people in the shop that I wold love this particular CD.

Mariah Carey.

Oh yes, you read right. My Mum thinks I wold love Mariah Carey.

Now, no offense to any of you out there that love her, but let's just say that me and Mariah are not the best of mates, and I would rather eat my toenails than voluntarily listen to Mariah Carey. I think I was sweet and lovely to Mum though when I told her she didin't have to send the CD all the way to Aus, and that Mariah Carey music was the music used by the Americans to bombarde some Southern American Dictator into surrendering in the 1980's or 1990's, when ever it was. That listening to Mariah Carey was banned by the Geneva Convention as a cruel and intolerable method of punishment.

So there you go. I think a crash course in my tste in music will be happening in November when she comes to visit.

C

6:18PM - Canon Pixma MP210

I have just bought a new scanner/printer/copier/ thing that could make my breakfst and serve it to me with a smile......Ok, so maybe not the last thing, but a new printer theing anyway. It's all installed, and set up, but won't print. Now, this, I do believe, is because it appears that you need at least six Masters degrees to figure out how on earth the ink cartridges are supposed to be installed. Honestly, the instructions are clear as mud, it's too dark to see, and somehow, I don't think taking a hammer and some glue to it would work. That was my last option, one that I thankfuly stopped myself from doing, but I was THAT close.....
I'm going back down to Officeworks tomorrow to see how they install the cartridges in the display one, and if there aren't any there, I shall lie down on my back and scream VERY loudly.

Just thought you might like to know all of that. It was either write it down or go and find that hammer again......

C

12:58PM

All is well here. Don't tell everyone, but the sun is out. I have this theory that if it is either acknowledged or spoken out loud in any way, then said sun runs and hides. Happens every time. You say, "what a lovel.......oh. It's started to rain."

Anyway, as soon as I have put the last humungous load of washing out and procrastinated in a thousand other ways, I am going to start really getting down to my Uni work. I love my Uni............NOT. We were supposed to have three lectures this year to prepare us for the project we are supposed to do during TP. I am doing my TP now, and there has been no sign of these lectures. What's more is that no-one is even sure if the lecturer who is supposed to have given them is even in the country....
Joy.

Anyway, onto something much more interesting and snagged from almost everyone, methinks.

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
My sculpture tools and my trainers. I WILL go for a walk around the Tan one of these days, really I will.


2. When was the last time you threw up?
Can't remember, which is a good thing!


3. What's your favourite curse word?
Pants!!!

4. Name one person who made you smile today?
My Mum

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
It's Sunday - I was most definitely asleep!!


6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Hanging out the washing


7. If you could marry any celebrity today who would it be?
Patrick Dempsey


8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
I went on a bus tour around Europe with my sister and we went to Amsterdam. We went to a club to see what all the fuss was about.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
La-la-la-la.....does singing in the shower count?


10. What is the best ice cream flavour?
Chocolate mint or coffee

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
A bowl of my very own homemade soup

12. What are you wearing right now?
An old t-shirt and some cropped tracky bottoms

13. What was the last thing you ate?
The aforementioned soup and toast


14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Unfortunately not

15. When was the last time you ran?
When I realised my class had gone down for their swimming lesson while I was chatting to another teacher. I'm in charge of the boys changeroom while my co-teacher is in charge of the girls

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
Collingwood versus the Swans last night on television

17. Last movie you saw at the cinema?
Happy Feet, in Ealing Common with my sis at Christmas. The ultimate 'walk out of the cinema with a smile' movie.


18. Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on myspace?
Never used it


19. Ever go camping?
Once. And that was most definitely enough.


20. Were you ever an honour roll student in school?
No

21. Do you like sushi?
Some of it, chicken teriyaki and avocado rolls

22. Do you have a tan?
not really

23. Do you drink your soft drink from a straw?
No


24. If your house caught on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
Way too tricky to answer. Every time I think of something, another thing becomes more important. Photo albums I suppose, the ones with my Nan nad family in them.


25. What did your last text say?
A friend started a new job this week, and got chosen for jury duty two days in. The text was about how she was doing.

26. Are you someone's best friend?
I'd like to think so.


27. Where is your mum right now?
Hopefully fast asleep, I'm in Australia, and it's 1:16pm. Which means that, for her in the UK, it's 4:16am!!

28. What color is your watch?
Silver

29. What song don't you want played at your funeral?
You are my sunshine. We played it for Nanny, and Mum loves it, and so me and my sis grew up with it. Makes me smile every time.

30. If there were 5 famous people living or dead you could invite to dinner, who would they be?
Nelson Mandela, Belinda Emmett and Rove, Anthony Browne (author), and Patrick Dempsey. Gee, that took me ages to decide!!

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Home, sunshine, far away from my family, happy ( not because of being away from my family, more because moving back here was the right thing for me)

32. Ever ridden on a roller coaster?
Once - and that was enough. When we got to the front of the queue, they put the temporary barriers up and announced they were going to do some quick maintenance. My sis nad her mate had a real battle to get me to stay in the queue.....


33. What is your birthstone?
Not sure

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through?
Go in on the reare occaison I actually go there. I used to take Nanny to Macca's for a treat, and she liked to go in and sit.

35. What is your favorite number?
42

36. Do you have a dog?
Not likely mate!

37. Your favourite internet site?
Yahoo mail

38. When you were a child what did you want to be?
A teacher - and that's exactly what I turned out to be!

39. How many times did you sit your driving test?
3

40. How many speeding tickets have you had since you got your license?
1

41. Have you ever been arrested?
No

42. What was your first job?
Paper round


43. What does your first memory of your sister involve?
Being picked up and looking through a glass window ( one of the ones with that wire running through it) to look at her in the hospital. She's fifteen months younger than me, so I'm not entirely sure if I really remember this or have been told, but I can see it in my mind.

44. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Not having put the fly screen up at my back door and as a consequence asphyxiating myself with flyspray at least once a day.


45. Last phone call?
A random telemarketer


46. Are you allergic to anything?
Amoxycillan ( however it's spelled). One of the penicillan family. That and Palmolive shampoo - my head itched like mad after I tried that.


47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Much prefer to be in bare feet, but if I must, my Primark Ugg boot slippers that stopped my feet becoming ice blocks over winter.

48. What is one thing you've learned about life recently?
That my bosses think I'm good at my job - which has boosted my self confidence no end.


49. Are you jealous of anyone?
If I'm truthful, much as I love her, my sister. She has the strength to get ahead in life, the strenght to stay slim, and a man she loves and who loves her, even if he drives her mad.

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Not that I know of

51. Do You Own an iPod?
No, but I want one. Don't NEED one, but I want one......(that's my reasoning when I look at the price)


52. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes, lots of them. Lots of my friends, not lots of children.


53. Do you have any secret talents?
Depends on what you mean by talent. We had a leaving 'morning tea' for a friend, and we sang a song for her. A couple of friends standing next to me said I had a good voice, and my mum has always said I should get singing lessons. Oh, and I can pick things up with my toes.


54. What do you work as?
Integration aide


55. Do you hate anyone right now?
No

56. Do you use the word 'hella' daily ?
No, no idea what it means. Unles it's a version of 'hello', in which case, yes I do.

57. Its a bit daggy but you love?
Neighbours


58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
38

59. Have you ever been to Disneyland?
Does Disney World count? We went to DisneyWorld on the way to the UK when we emigrated in the late 70's.

60. How did you get one of your scars?
Standing on a bed shaking the doona out and forgetting the fan was on. Thankfully it was only on slow, but I have a scar on the back of my hand to prove what an idiot I am.

7:27PM - Getting better...

Thanks for all of your kind messages ( except you, Helen, banana's helping me get better??? You cruel, cruel woman!!!! LOL)

Anyway, I now have my voice back, and am not almost falling asleep on the job. The thing was, apart from my voice, I was fine in the day. The nights, however, drove me mad. My asthma flared up, and I was waking up coughing about twice a night, and was also all bunged up ( aren't you glad you decided to read this post???).

Anyway, waking up so often meant I was tired during the day - and joy of joys, the night I slept the least was followed by our schools Open Day. Yes, some insane person had decided that we should open the school to prospective parents, who could wander around the school (chaperoned by some confident and brave Year 6's), but there were groups wandering in and out of the classrooms as we taught, so you were constantly on edge, and trying to be the best teacher you've ever been.....in my case while sleepwalking at the same time!!

Anyway, I am once again human, and can talk without getting wierd looks from everyone.

So, have a great weekend everyone, and as my gorgeous Nan said, 'Keep Smiling!'

C

10:19PM - Poor me!!

I'm siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!!!

I have laryngitis - if that's how you spell it. There's a horrendous cold / flu like hting going round school at the moment, and most of my class are either coughing all over me and Pen (my co-teacher) or sneezing all over us. What a lovely image that is, sorry about that.

Anyway, they are so miserable you just want to give them a hug, but it's much safer to wear full body armour and carry an industrial size box of tissues at all times. But back to my distinctly croaky voice, and their delight in making me try to talk. Don't worry, my throat isn't sore or anything, which is why I forgive them, but the little darlings grinb like mad things each time my poor frog voice is heard.

Worst of all, they are now bringing that evil fruit known as a banana - but which in reality is the most noxious thing known to man and should be banned POSTE HASTE - for me to open at fruit snack time. So not only do I have to give them a mock glare, but when they ignore that, and wave the offending item under my nose, they then wait until I croak at them to find a friend to release the banana. They then giggle and run away (thankfully).


I love my job (really, I do)

C