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March 24, 2008

curses

This afternoon The Squeeze arrived home with his backpack chock-full of groceries. "There're joobs in there"
"Cool!"
And then I scampered into the kitchen to find the joobs.

"There aren't really joobs."
"WHAT?!"
"I just said that to get you to unpack the groceries."

Curses.

"curses" was posted by dogpossum on March 24, 2008 9:40 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (4)

December 14, 2007

seasonal rhinitis

Argh. These allergies are killing me. Snot everywhere, sinuses aching, dizzy and confused, itching all over, shaky, sneezing, coughing... Is it the weather (I've been taking antihistamines every day for ages, so surely it's not that?), or is it the semi-annual going-through of boxes of old crap that are drowning in dust? Argh. I'm not tough enough for this.

"seasonal rhinitis" was posted by dogpossum on December 14, 2007 11:39 AM in the category domesticity | Comments (0)

May 10, 2007

i know...

It's 16 degrees and I know it's winter because the papers are steaming as they come out of the printer.

"i know..." was posted by dogpossum on May 10, 2007 4:30 PM in the category domesticity

April 26, 2007

totally badass

I've just carried a very heavy, three-shelf shelf-thingy. Sort of 50s style, where each layer of shelves is a bit shorter than the one below.
It's white, but solid wood underneath - I will liberate it.

I saw it on the side of the road, on Victoria Street as I was going down to the butcher. I had a good squizz, couldn't see anyone, and legged it, giant, heavy (solid wood) shelf over my shoulder. In the butcher I asked if anyone knew who owned it (or the four nice red-seat, black-leg 50s chairs it was standing with). No one did. I decided it was ok to take it, if I was quick.

After buying some stuff, I nipped across the road to the bus stop and spent 5 sort of worried minutes waiting for a bus. Thank goddess it was the 508 - they lower themselves to let old people and people carrying shelves climb up.

Then I carried it home. A ten minute walk extended. It's a good thing I'm very strong and with a low, wide centre of gravity. I'd like to think I'm terribly badass, but I'm not sure taking abandoned furniture qualifies me.

"totally badass" was posted by dogpossum on April 26, 2007 5:06 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (2)

April 10, 2007

Right now

Right now it's 2am and The Squeeze and I are sitting on the bed in the front room peeking through the blinds at about 3 thousands cops. Periodically a bloke on a megaphone asks 'Paisley' (Painsley? Ainsley?) and 'Joseph' at number 4 to come out the front door, down the path to the front gate with their hands up, where the police will give them more instructions. Apparently, this is the police, and they want to talk to them about a police matter. The house is surrounded. They will not be harmed.

Like I said, there are about 3 thousand police all over the intersection outside our house. But it's quiet, except for every other dog in the neighbourhood barking and then not barking and then barking again. Every now and then the police give instructions and a car siren goes off. I hear a couple of bangs that I imagine are gun shots (as if I'd know what a gun shot sounded like), but are probably people throwing things around.

It's a quiet Brunswick area, and while we have quite a few households of noisy teenagers in our street, there are far fewer problems in this area than others I've lived in. I've never had to call the police, not even for late night noise. My family used to live in a now-very-swish part of Brisvegas next to a boarding house with a few blokes who really scared me. We called the cops nearly every weekend because they were fighting and scary. I've lived in quiet suburban areas where I've called the cops while a frightened woman hid in our loungeroom from her abusive partner. When we lived in Fiji our house was broken into and we were scared quite a bit at night, until we left, and then there was a coup.

But this isn't a noisy area. Which is kind of the point, I guess.

So there are all these cops on the street. The Squeeze went out a little while ago to have a sticky beak and was asked to return to the house. It's kind of bizarre. We made jokes about the Victorian police and the promise that no one would be hurt. But they're all out there now, very serious and square-shaped, and it doesn't really seem all that funny any more. I have put on clothes, just in case. I'm not sure what the in case will be, but I want to be ready.

"Right now" was posted by dogpossum on April 10, 2007 4:00 AM in the category domesticity | Comments (4)

March 29, 2007

anyone need a thesis written?

Ok, I'm bored.
This whole no-job, no-study thing has palled.

Writing articles? I've tried, and now I'm bored.
Job? Can't get one. Well, not an academic one (it is kind of a quiet time of year - and that fancy job in the US didn't work out. :( ). I'm not ready to work at JB just yet.... though I could handle Basement Discs. But please - fourteen years of tertiary education to return to my retail roots? I don't think so.
Domestic maintenance? I have to be bored - our house gleams. But that hasn't helped our mouse problem.
Sewing? Done a lot, kind of over it.
Quilting? Yeah, same.
Crocheting? Well, it is pretty much crocheting season again - I can bear to have a lap full of wool once more. But really - this isn't high brain stuff.
Compulsive dance practice? I'm looking for high brain stimulation, thanks.
Compulsive cooking? Getting there.
Compulsive shopping? Stalled by my lack of solvency. But encouraged by the proximity of good grocery shops and my renewed interest in eating-for-interest.
Fillums? Yes, many.
Television and DVDs? Yes, even more.
Gardening? Quietish, but on the horizon.
Ob-con laundry? Oh yes - ask The Squeeze about his drawers. Both types, actually.
Webbing? I'm just about to sort out the site for MLX7. And the MJDA site needs to go to a blogging program. But I've lost interest in FSP. Though I'm tempted to take it up again after some stooge thought that Frankie Manning story was for real. God, never heard of satire?
Reading? Reading (and read) far, far too many books lately. All fun books, and no productive 'work' books. But reading lots and lots of articles (I am pillaging the databases with my new, sneaky back-door access).
DJing? Boring. Bored. Like a drill. Sigh. That's so 1939.
Yoga? Twice a week and thinking about a third session. Flexible? √ Strong? √ Calm? √ sort of. Bored? √

I think I should make my thesis into a book. I have no idea where to start or how to do it, though I have had a look at the MUP help guide. It's not all that helpful, though. But really, what else am I going to do? I have 5 articles (or so - I forget exactly how many) coming out soon, and it's only March. Even I'm sick of me and my articles. And I'm running out of journals to hassle. I need something challenging.

Anyone need a thesis written?

"anyone need a thesis written?" was posted by dogpossum on March 29, 2007 5:35 PM in the category dogpossum and domesticity | Comments (4)

March 11, 2007

this is a great weekend

Right now I'm supposed to be midway through a day of workshops over in Prahran (or wherever they are). But a water main has burst and I am trying to get a plumber to come fix it. Why can't I find a plumber willing to rip me off for a few hundred bucks on a Sunday? I could leave it, but then it wouldn't get fixed. :(

This is the exact same problem we had before - the bung pipe in the veggie patch. The owner had his bullshit 'plumber' (ie some stooge who isn't a qualified plumber) 'fix' it last time and, well... I thought someone was hosing down our house, went outside and discovered where Melbourne's water was going. Up into the air, over some laundry, and all over the back yard.
The emergency plumber will cost a bomb, the landlord will try to make us pay it and I'll get so angry I'll try to kick the shit out of him write angry things on the internet and frighten The Squeeze with some shouting.

So now I'm sitting here TRYING to find a fucking plumber. The Squeeze is off doing stupid moomba shit and doesn't have a mobile, and I'm seriously sleep deprived and dehydrated. The classes yesterday were in a really overcrowded, hot hot HOT room and I haven't been able to drink enough to stop feeling thirsty since. We also had to suffer through two classes with a few bullshit American hot shot teachers and I'm more than a little shitty about being ripped off.

This is a great weekend.

"this is a great weekend" was posted by dogpossum on March 11, 2007 12:17 PM in the category domesticity and lindy hop & other dances i have known | Comments (5)

March 6, 2007

speculation

The neighbourhood kids are playing on the road, pulling some bmx bandits action. They're all boys and about 10 years old. One of them just asked another: "Hey Costa, have you ever actually been in a real wrestling match?"
He's not the only one who'd like to know.

"speculation" was posted by dogpossum on March 6, 2007 7:05 PM in the category domesticity

February 21, 2007

she who dies with the most fabric wins

Bravery report
Ok, so I survived the dentist yesterday. The appointment took about 10 minutes, was absolutely painless and very effective. The dentist was all "Why didn't you come in? There was no reason to suffer that pain for so long for such a little thing?" and I was all "I was scared," and then he was "but I'm not scary, am I? You can talk to me" and then I went "it wasn't rational. If it was rational I would have come in."
But it didn't hurt, he didn't charge me and it doesn't hurt any more. It was just a bit of sticky-out filling that was bumping out into my bite and needed filing down so it didn't echo impact up into my jaw. So now it's all nice and I am much braver about the dentist. He had to remind me: "But that last time was a root canal. That's the most painful thing you can have done. Nothing else will hurt like that." I can't help these things.
I was pretty brave all up. I only teared up a bit when I told him I was scared. I don't know what my problem is - I can get up in front of a few hundred people and do a bit of strutting and telling of shit. I can get up in front of zillions of people and dance like a fool (with authentic chicken steps and all*), do the worm and so on. I can deal with aggressive bullying blokes. I can teach groups of surly teenagers about the internet. I can run massive week-long dance events. I can play music to ensure a room full of picky dancers have a good time. But I can't handle a bit of pain.
Sigh. Something to work on, I guess.

So I go back in a year for a regular check up. I'm sure I'll be back to my pre-surprise-root-canal bravery by then.

Yoga update
On other fronts, I went to yoga again today. That's two weeks since last time. I suck, because I love yoga, it makes me feel so good (though it's hurting at the moment), it helps me avoid injuries and muscle strain in dance and it's fun and social with lots of nice nannas. But I went, and that's what counts.
Then I went to Sugardough and had a nice salad roll and a cup of tea followed by a nice brownie. Then I bought an olive bread thing (like a skinny french loaf, but not as skinny as those Italian bread stick things - help me out here, Galaxy, will you?) which I love eating toasted with fetta cheese on top.

Sewing news
Then I went to the-fabric-store-whose-name-we-cannot-speak and bought too much fabric. I will blog images if I can ever get them off The Squeeze's camera (I have a backlog on there). I bought:

• some black stuff to make a dress for The Squeeze's sister's wedding (two weeks away or something). It will have straps, a high waist (sort of empire-lined, but A-line skirt), a bodice that's in three bits (I've forgotten the proper name, but it gives a more fitted look) and I'm going to make some little flower petals or some sort of shaped pieces to sew onto the front to add detail. I have a nice purple version I should also blog - I'm too fat for it these days, but it's still one of my favourites. The shaped bits will be like petals (two pieces sewn together to give a bit of a 3D look) and are a black-on-purple paisley-esque print. Very tasteful.
• some cream background craft fabric with nice green crocodiles printed. This will be a bodice for a dress with a high waist (again - it makes my body look longer), with the sirt made out of an interesting greeny patterned craft fabric. All crocodiles would have been fun, but perhaps a bit too unflattering. I like interesting prints, so I wouldn't have minded the crocodiles all over. Just not the cream background. It will have the green as bias binding around the top of the bodice, and maybe the straps will be the green as well. I'm thinking a crocodile pocket as well. But I haven't decided on the pattern yet. If I love this dress, it may be the wedding outfit. But it's my first green dress ever and I usually don't like any colour that's not black, purple, pink, red, maroon or some other warm colour. I look shit in blues and greens and whites and yellows and oranges (because I am 'olive' coloured. Which means I look yellow when I don't have a tan, which means I look a little jaundiced. I also have dark eyes and eyebrows)
• two big pieces of white voile with black prints. One is a nice rose sort of pattern (like a line drawing - I know it has a real name but I've forgotten it). The other has a stronger black print and is William Morris-ish. I doubt I'll ever make anything from them but I like looking them. And as we all know, she who dies with the most fabric wins.

Quilting news
Come on, summer, get over yourself. I have a new project to finish and it sucks to have to put the fan on so I can bear to work on it.
Remind me to post some pics of my latest (divine) job, will you? I am all about quilting using found or remnant fabrics, so most of my quilts are quite small, but also quite beautiful**. It's nice to see vintage fabrics from which I made favourite dresses (which died ages ago) all matched up in one quilt.

Cinema review
Yesterday I saw Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man and really enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of Cohen's music and I really liked all the music in the film. It's a doco, but a pretty arty farty one (not much useful knowledge in there), and it's mostly footage of other people at a concert singing Cohen's songs. Rufus Wainwright does a freaking amazing version of Everybody Knows which blew my brain and made the whole film worth the entry cost.
It does, however have fucking Bono and The Edge talking about Cohen and performing with him. I wanted to scream profanities at them. I fucking hate U2. I fucking hate Bono. He sucks arse. And can't sing half as well as he thinks he can. And the Edge? Shit, I could play guitar better than him. It was so pathetic to see them playing with Cohen after people like the Wainwrights, the Handsome Family, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker doing these wonderful, interesting versions of Cohen's music. And Bono is suck a wanker. I mean, Hallelujah is a wonderful song, but so freaking obvious.
But aside from thaose nasty little Irish moments, the film was neat. Go if you love Cohen, but don't go if you don't like him. It'd suck if you didn't like him.

*the peck is a very Frankie Manning move. These days I am saying "what would Frankie do?" whenever I want to spice up a basic step. So I imagine I have a giant, 90-year-old-man arse, an interest in boobs and a really low centre of gravity. It really helps me get down off my toes and work it. Just like a dirty old man.

** not in a 'man, you're so talented! what a fabulous bit of patchwork/quilting!' way, but in a 'aren't they nice fabrics?' way.

"she who dies with the most fabric wins" was posted by dogpossum on February 21, 2007 3:12 PM in the category domesticity and fillums and old sew & sew | Comments (3)

February 18, 2007

i have yet to put on clothes

It's currently 38 degrees, the house is all dark because the curtains and blinds are trying to keep the heat out, and The Squeeze is still asleep - I think he's just not recognising today as a proper day at all. He went to bed at about 1 or perhaps a bit earlier and has just slept right through. I did get him up to change beds earlier because he was drowning in his own sweat in the other bedroom. In fact, I think I need to go wake him up to force some water into him.

I, however, have done some fiddling on the internet, mucked about with an article I have to get back to the journal eds by next week, wished I had access to a couple of nice DJing books (they're not even in the library so I can't go check em out this afternoon), listened to a bunch of music and thought about buying this, worked out it would cost me $189 or so, revised my stance. Reviewed the bands/band leaders on the set (the Chocolate Dandies, Henry Red Allen, Mildred Bailey, Fletcher Henderson, Teddy Wilson, Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday) and decided that I might just have to have this after all. It's seven CDs for $189. That's twenty or so dollars each. For awesomely re-mastered loveliness. Still, there is the whole being poor thing.

Yesterday I didn't do a very good job of coping with the heat. Usually I'm pretty tough, but yesterday I ended up having to go home and lie down. After quite a few hours at the pub in the air-con. But riding about in 38 degrees is a bit rough. Especially if you spent the night before dancing and sweating like a fool.
It's still hot. The house is hot. I'm sitting in front of a fan and trying not to let my metabolism respond to the exciting music I'm listening to - no elevated pulses!
I think I'm going back to lie on the bed and read some more.

I have yet to put on clothes today.

"i have yet to put on clothes" was posted by dogpossum on February 18, 2007 5:17 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (2)

February 15, 2007

i am a complete baby

Ok, so I've been trying to pretend that I haven't been having any trouble with that tooth that I had the wonderful surprise root canal in last year.
I thought it was just me being picky when it continued to ache and ache in December. In January. But now, in February, it actually hurts a fair bit more, and aches up into my jaw.

Needless to say, I've discovered I have a new dentist phobia, and making an appointment to see the dentist has been ... difficult.
But today I did make an appointment, and I'm going in next Tuesday to have my head cranked open again. Yay for brave me!
I am pretty freakin' scared. Like, scared in a crying way.

I can't even say that I'd much rather have them dig it out and fix it than continue to suffer through it. There's something much worse about going in and choosing to lie there while they dig around and hurt me a fair bit than just suffering with an ache. I know it's not rational or logical talk here. There is no ration. There is no logic. Just scaredness.

But the dentist lady said that what's probably happened is that the crown 'sits a little too high in the jaw' and that my 'bite is affected'. So they'll just 'take it down a bit' (a couple of milimetres at most) so that it sits a little lower. Basically, the top bit of the root filling is sticking up and getting bumped a bit too much when I bite down and that this is causing pain that feels like nerve pain. It really does feel nasty.
But that's all speculation. I'm actually going to believe the speculation because I'd much rather a bit of tidying up than having the whole thing dug out and done again.

I really wish that the anaesthetic had been more effective last time. I think, if I had to have another root canal, I'd choose a general anaesthetic. All the joking of my previous posts aside, that was some pretty scary stuff. And some pretty nasty pain.

I am a complete baby. But at least I'm tough enough to get myself in there for another appointment.

"i am a complete baby" was posted by dogpossum on February 15, 2007 10:57 AM in the category domesticity | Comments (3)

January 2, 2007

once i've learnt something, it sticks

I am having a lovely time tappa tapping here at the computer, but there's a knot of anxiety deep in my belly. It's the 'I should be working on my thesis not screwing around on the internet' anxiety.
Talk about learnt habits dying hard...

I should be writing articles, but really... there's no rush.

I also have a bunch of fabric calling out for me to go sew (you should SEE it - there's some really pretty stuff there).
And I should pop up to the shops to do a bit of grocery shopping.
And I really should think about the set I'm doing on Thursday night (I amn't DJing as regularly as I was, so I need to practice every now and then to keep my music fresh in my mind).
And we spent some time working on that Tranky Doo yesterday afternoon, so I should put some effort into learning it (I was, as predicted, the slowest learner. And I'm so unfit I really couldn't hack the pace. But I will get better - and once I've learnt something, it sticks. I hope).

But, you know - that internet, she is like a black hole. And what's my rush?

"once i've learnt something, it sticks" was posted by dogpossum on January 2, 2007 12:49 PM in the category domesticity

December 14, 2006

best work christmas party story

Last week The Squeeze's bosses hired a magician for the christmas party.
One of his mates, having hidden the magician's gear, declared "Let's see him do some fucking magic tricks now."
Hilarity ensued.

"best work christmas party story" was posted by dogpossum on December 14, 2006 10:14 AM in the category domesticity | Comments (1)

November 30, 2006

pathetic sicky bub posting

Ask me what I've done this week.
I've been lying in bed all day everyday since Monday. Sleeping, or drowning in goob. I am weak, pathetic.
But I've had the internet to keep me company. That and a few good books.

I have to get it together for the Canberra trip (if I have the Bad Ears, I'm not flying. No way).
But I've just discovered a good friend is doing a paper on dance in my session at the CSAA conf, and I'm keen to hear that and talk nerdy dance with her.
Plus the papers for the cultural transmission in dance seminar arrived, and I'm interested. I've heard they're also doing a workshop day. I'm pretending that will involve dancing of some sort (which is exciting, considering there are papers on capoeira, indian dance, contemporary dance...). But I bet it doesn't. Unless I'm still pretty crook, then it will definitely involve actually dancing.

Oh dilemma, dilemma.

I've also ditched tonight's set at CBD (thankfully) - I'm finding walking to the clothesline pretty difficult still. Man I HATE this stupid cold.

...and that's enough of that rubbish. I'm off to read something on paper.

"pathetic sicky bub posting" was posted by dogpossum on November 30, 2006 4:49 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (1)

November 16, 2006

perhaps a decoy lamp

We have ant problems at the moment.
The coffee table is COVERED in them. They're busy making trails to the giant bunch of (lovely) waratahs and banksia and protea Crinks gave me for my birthday (one of the birthday highlights I forgot to mention in that last maudlin, birthday sook post). Some of them have made it to the dining table where I'm marking. The ants, that is. Not the flowers. Unfortunately. I have to keep brushing them off the students' papers. Or blow them off my laptop. Every now and then one gets under the keys. I wonder how they're all doing in there.

Bugs freak out The Squeeze (or should that be freak The Squeeze out?). But not me - I'm from Brisbane. There are very few bugs in Melbourne. It's cold. And it's urban. I have almost completely lost my leap-out-of-bed-when-you-feel-something-in-there-with-you reactions. And my super-fast-removal hand flick. When we're sitting on the couch watching Kerrie in the evenings, I just pick up my glass and tuck my feet under me while The Squeeze shrieks and tries to wipe the table clean (again). He is obsessed with Ant Rid (which I don't even think about, ever).

It's difficult to care about a few busy ants when you've slept with giant cockroaches and had to type with the lights off and the computer monitor on a low glow, with perhaps a decoy lamp on in another part of the room because you had no flyscreens.

"perhaps a decoy lamp" was posted by dogpossum on November 16, 2006 6:02 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (3)

October 30, 2006

this surprise root canal experience has had repercussions we are yet to enjoy

Well, after dentist appointment #4, I have a little dentist trauma to deal with. Now that the local has worn off, my face hurts and I'm a little upset. I don't know how much more of this I can take. But I have one more appointment scheduled. So that will be four sessions on this one fucking suprise root canal. Today we filled the canals (3 of them, no less). We attempted it without local today, but one good jab in the hole with the pokey thing and I shrieked in agony, and the dentist decided we needed local. He doesn't understand why it hurts as much as it does. I try to be brave, but mostly, there's some crying.

The tears just sort of roll down my cheek and into my hairline (because I'm upside down, flat on my back in the chair), and then the snot sort of trickles down inside my throat and makes me cough. And big, long strings of cry-saliva attach themselves to the dentist's rubber gloves as he reaches for another pointy thing, and then flick off to slap my chin. As he rubs his rubbery fingers around inside my mouth, the cry-saliva - sort of thicker and goobier than normal, watery saliva - adds a new layer of interest to the whole experience, and I can't help but think about vaginas. And how your vaginal mucous changes when you're ovulating. So I can't help but associate this whole thing with hot sex.

So, you know, this surprise root canal experience has had repercussions we are yet to enjoy.

Beyond the delight of post-probing jaw pain, impending (massive) debt and disturbing thoughts about bodily secretions, all this dental work has at least given me an excuse to see a fair few films. Word Play = good stuff.

"this surprise root canal experience has had repercussions we are yet to enjoy" was posted by dogpossum on October 30, 2006 8:17 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (6)

September 8, 2006

Gastropodry: bunny and Jay

Right now I have a bunny (on) the oven... oh, look, I'm sorry. That was far too desperate.

To restart: I've finally succumbed to the temptation and am cooking my first rabbit. It's the perfect opportunity: The Squeeze (who loathes meat on the bone, and finds the thought of eating bunnies distressing) is out, it's Friday night so I can stop worrying about all the things I have to do - until tomorrow, and my new Jay McShann album arrived today. Gotta love that Kansas City action.

I'll report back later on the bunny.

"Gastropodry: bunny and Jay" was posted by dogpossum on September 8, 2006 8:12 PM in the category digging and domesticity and fewd and gastropod and music | Comments (3)

July 17, 2006

it's ok - don't panic

To all those who've checked up on me after the sicky bubs post:

thanks

and

I'm ok.

Status report: as per usual, the second wave of serious head cold (which, incidentally, also struck down my father this week - in two rounds - no doubt an indication of the vulnerability of small-nostrilled people to this sort of thing) has settled in comfortably, and almost a week later, while I have now been out of the house all of 3 times, I now have the horrible ear thing again.

While it mightn't sound so terrible to have blocked ears, it's kind of awful for someone who relies on their ears as much as I do. It's difficult to dance when your balance is screwed and your awareness of your surroundings stuffed by unreliable hearing. It's bloody difficult to judge sound levels when you're DJing through an ear's worth of goob. And riding your bike is terrifying when you can't hear approaching cars or balance properly.
But I have a doctor's appointment booked for tomorrow, so either she'll look inside and be frightened enough by what she sees to syringe me to blessed unimpededness, or she'll see nothing and I'll have another day on the kick-you-on-your-arse decongestants. The latter is always a joy for someone as responsive to these sorts of drugs as I am. I am sure The Squeeze is looking forward to mildly-psychotic and scarily insomniac speed freak girl as much as I am.

On (un)related fronts, Angel and everyone else are dealing with the Darla/Drusilla fallout (don't you just LOVE those episodes?) and Buffy is freaking out under a pile of narratively excessive dramas: Glory's nabbed Dawn/the key, Spike is hot for Bot-love (and yes, he is kinda small, but pretty compact and well-muscled, Xander), Tara has been brain-drained by Glory and of course, Joyce has just passed away.

"it's ok - don't panic" was posted by dogpossum on July 17, 2006 1:48 PM in the category buffy & angel and domesticity and television

July 12, 2006

poor sicky bub

I am terribly unwell. Well, not terribly, if I can still type.
But I have massively sore and swolen glands, a nasty sinus headache, a sore throat, lots of snot, some coughing, horrible aches and pains in my joints and a recurring temperature.

The cold that tried to ruin my weekend in Tasmania, the weekend before, which had quietened down, was obviously kicked into gear by my preemptive weekend of dancing the following weekend, and yesterday I started getting crook.

I woke up at about 4am with a massive temperature, all confused and distressed. I was freezing, but also burning up like the sun. I went to find some cold water to drink (of course it was a success - a confused, feverish person walking around a dark house looking for the fridge), then I decided that the only person who could help me out at that exact moment was The Squeeze. On my way to find him (cleverly hidden in bed), my sore right instep started hurting again (it's a recurring dance thing - like fallen arches, but actually a hamstring issue) and made me cry.

So the poor Squeeze had a snotty, feverish crying person startle him awake as they tried to climb into the bed without putting any weight on their sore foot.
Then there was some more crying, as he carefully placed me back into bed, and applied the tried and true Squeeze Method for calming distressed Hams and confused sick people - the clamp. This really means that he rolled me up in the blankets, wrapped an arm around me and exerted his full weight of Sleep. It took a bit of clamping, but eventually I calmed down a bit, stopped crying (what was with the weeping? Man, those feverish confusion thingies make for some weirdness), stopped having strange, confused half-hallucinations (which could only be solved by rolling about in bed, from side to back, to front to side and back again... eventually actually solved by some serious clamping) and fell asleep.
I feel a bit strange now, but those panadols took the edge off my temperature (that was another issue - I couldn't figure out how to get warm. Blankets and pajamas seemed too complex) and I'm not feeling quite as terrible as I did.

But I'm definitely not getting out of bed today. I'm going to lie here and read and wipe my nose all day.

"poor sicky bub" was posted by dogpossum on July 12, 2006 2:10 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (3)

July 4, 2006

fate consipres against me. again.

So you guys all know that I'm in the middle of some serious last-round thesis editing, right?
The supes is back in about two weeks, I have a conclusion to (re)write, an introduction to (re)write, etc etc?

Well, this weekend past, we decided to pop down to Tasmania to see my ps and coincide with a visit from my nieces to my parents. That was all cool. Except for the bit where I do as normal and get sick. We did no walking, I sat on the sidelines like a nanna at a dance in Tasmania, I piked on a bunch of social engagements, and the only parts of the beautiful Hobart I saw after Saturday was through the parent's lounge room windows (which is actually quite a lot, really).

RIght now I'm trying desperately to understand the written word (and to produce it too), and it's not really working. I've been full of goob since Friday, though at least I've not napped all day today (as I did yesterday and the day before - hell, I even fell asleep during Angel the day before).
I thought I might do some work.

But I'm finding it really difficult to hold thoughts together. Reading is easy - it's the comprehension that's getting me. And I don't think it's such a great idea to try to edit/rewrite in this state.
Yeah, so that sucks, seeing as how I have the rest of this week (today, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) plus next week to do these little jobs, but we have this big dance thing on this weekend, which I think I'll actually skip. I'm not particularly interested in the Evil Empire's third (or is it fourth?) 'national competition' weekend. Particularly not when they can't seem to run even one social dancing weekend. But we will have a lovely houseguest, which will be nice, possibly two. Then my parents will be down next week.
So yeah, thesis work?
Why is it that on the one fortnight when I really want to work my guts out, before the semester begins and teaching with it, when I really want to get this motherfucking* thesis out of the way, fate consipres against me?

Should I panic? Perhaps. But I can't really manage to work up the energy. Plus it's hard to breathe, and it's not worth panicking if you're not going to wail while you're gnashing your teeth. Well, I could manage some wheezing (what with the lovely congested chest/sinus thing**) and a bit of moaning...

Yeah, so, ok, I think I'm going back to bed. Pick up some veggies and milk for our empty fridge on your way home, will you?

*sorry about that cuss.
**packed sinuses and blocked ears on a plane: interesting. Not as painful as I'd thought. But to feel the pressure inside my head shifting and popping and oozing was kind of unsettling.

"fate consipres against me. again." was posted by dogpossum on July 4, 2006 1:40 PM in the category domesticity and thesis and travel

June 9, 2006

crossing my legs and letting the plumber get on with it

The plummer has been here since 9am (which was rough after my late night), all the water is off and my bladder is screaming. But I daren't interrupt him - he's replacing all the taps in my bathroom and kitchen (which is exciting, especially if you know our taps).
It's not too bad, really - I learnt a lot about our landlord. Apparently he's a hairdresser who owns lots of houses and a factory and a shop(s ?). He's also a tightarse.

All this is kind of upsetting, seeing as how it took months and months for him to do little, inconsquential things like:
- fix the leak in the roof that steadily trickled water down our wall and ceiling and left a very pretty water stain
- fix the wiring in the bathroom so that we actually had a light in there. And an extraction fan that wouldn't set the house on fire
- fix the toilet that leaked from the outflow pipe. Yes. Imagine that wonderfulness
It's a little bit shitty that someone with so many assets fucks his tenants around. But as the (Italian) plumber said, "people who have money chase it."

There are other things that need fixing around our house, but we don't think about them unless we have to. For instance, the wiring in our house is a bit of a home job. Our first night in the house a plug point caught on fire. The electrician was afraid to work on it, and when he came to install a trip switch (the safety switch that clicks the power off automaticaly when something blows - it stops a gajillion vaults flowing through you when you do something silly) he said he couldn't as the wiring was so crap. In fact, it's illegal wiring.
We blessed our landlord when our power failed a summer or two ago and we had no power for 24 hours in two periods. Just long enough for all our frozen food in the fridge to defrost, and for us to die in the heat.

Yeah, renting rocks, but heck. We can leave any day. Not that we want to - our house is actually quite great for the price, and in the best location. And I've been renting for over 10 years now, and never lived in any house as long as this - 2 or 3 years now. So I'm just crossing my legs and letting the plumber get on with it.

"crossing my legs and letting the plumber get on with it" was posted by dogpossum on June 9, 2006 12:54 PM in the category domesticity

May 9, 2006

could this be cabin fever?

It's cold and windy (ah, the downside of Melbourne in the autumn - overcast skies, endless Antarctican winds, rain. rain. rain),
I have some serious muscle tension in my right shoulder/back/neck which is trying to become a headache,
I'm worried about an article I have to submit on the 20th which isn't re-edited yet (because my supervisor(s) can't keep up with my prodigiously productive brain. hell, my productivity is scaring even me at the moment),
our lounge room is full of drying laundry that smells odd,
I'm in that difficult blanket - quilt interum period, where it's too hot for a proper quilt, but too cold for less than 6 blankets (whose weight no doubt contributes to my muscle tension, seeing as how I can't roll over in bed as I'm pinned to the mattress by 60million blankets) so I'm not sleeping properly, or having weirdo, too-hot dreams about superheroes (all sans cape),
I'm sewing obsessively (they're nice camel needle cord trousers. why thankyou, but it's not camel - it's sand. only $4 a metre),
I can't face cooking or doing the washing up (Saigon City, you are going Down - no more home deliver for US, thank you very much),
mysterious boxes keep arriving (as per usual - I see the parcel guy nearly every day), but they're never for me (seeing as how I can't afford to buy anything more often than once every couple of months - and then only cheap CDs) and they're never worth opening as they're always cords or bits of computer and boring if you're not an uber-nerd,
did I mention the muscle tension? ow! Dang, I need more exercise, but anxiety-induced malaise and autumn weather are not condusive to long bike rides or step-step-triple-step practice,
I love my yoga mat, especially now it no longer smells weird. Was it wrong to hose it in the backyard?
I've just read some fascinating articles on the phenomenology stuff, but half of me is distressed because it's way too late in the thesis progress to discover important articles and I'm not sure I'm buying this bullshit phenomenology crap,
I think I have that thing where 9months pregnant women suddenly aren't sure they want to go through with this. What will I do without my thesis? You know you have to give it away as soon as it's done, don't you?
I'm partway through a crazed Buffy re-veiwing obsessession. Somewhere in season 3 (best season ever), and I'm still getting at least one good scare (though usually 2-3) for each 2 episodes we watch a night. I get startled/scared easily. I think it's because, when we were young, my brother and I went through a prolonge phase of scaring the bejesus out of each other. We'd wait behind doors or under beds and then jump out at the other, yelling "YAH!" to scare the other. And it worked. Thing is, the more scares you get, the more easily scared you are. Plus there's the whole anticipationn-of-a-scare thing. I mean, we both thought it was neat, even when we were scared and angry-laughingly chasing the other round the house for retribution. But still. I'm still a trembly leaf person. And I've noted that (having just leapt out of the larder at our p's house, after huddling silently in wait for ages, fleeing from my life from my hulking younger brother, both of us giggling like fools, leaping cats and ignoring shouted 'stop shouting! calm down!' threats from the ps) that he's just as susceptible to the scare as I am. What have we done to each other? Made it impossible to watch scary films? Or perhaps made scary films that much more exciting for ourselves?
I'm dancing like crap. Like real, terrible, awful crap. I need to work on my dancing to get better, but it's just not a priority in my life at the moment (not when I have trousers to make).

could this be cabin fever?

yoga. I need yoga. Thank god class is on tonight!

"could this be cabin fever?" was posted by dogpossum on May 9, 2006 2:50 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (2)

April 28, 2006

back to the endless I-did-this-today story....

I find that drinking black tea (or digger tea as it's known in our house) after lunchtime makes it difficult to sleep at night. Yeah, yeah, call me pussy caffeine intolerance girl, but there you go. I don't even try to drink coffee any more - it makes me nuts (though not as nuts as gelati made me on the ride into town last night ... is it wrong for The Squeeze and I to take such great delight in riding through the crowd of seagulls in the parking lot of the Markets, yelling all the way and praying we won't hit a bump in the dark and break a leg?).
So there's some illicit pleasure in sitting down to a cup of tea at 5.53pm. But hell, I say, if you can'ty drink caffeine after 12 on a Friday night, you're not really living!

Anyhoo, one week later I go in to Uli to have the experimental mass removed from the middle part of my head. We're not just talking fringe here, we're talking girly bits... no, wait, the girly bits are mostly there still, but smaller. Tidier. Anyhoo, after a week of deliberation, experimentation and consumerism ($15 for hair product? That's crazy talk!) I decided a long fringe was not for me. Long as in longer than half a centimeter. I exaggerate not. Both The Squeeze and I had decided we much preferred the 'pixie fringe' as he calls it - I discovered it years ago when it was actually fashionable, and now I'm aiming to look like a serious feminist academic til the day I die. No fringe shall be longer than 2cms. No jewellry shall not be silver. No shoes should not be practical/comfortable, unless teamed with a hideously expensive handbag and black-rimmed glasses.

[diversion] Which reminds me. At a very interesting seminar on Thursday, I decided that breaking an icing sugar-coated biscuit with a spoon to make smaller nibbling pieces was a good idea. Of course, both pieces went everywhere, luckily not during the paper itself. Now, I didn't freak as this shit happens to me all the time (let me repeat - all the time. I don't fall down all the time any more, but I sure as shit drop stuff, knock things over, etc etc. And please, let's not talk about the very public too-long-held-down-click-button-on-the-laptop-while-DJing-so-causing-a-song-to-begin-midway-through-another-song-on-multiple-ocassions thing). But the best bit was watching white powder fly out in all directions. Not so great a way to win friends in a room full of cultural studies types.* I apologised, giggled irreverently and perhaps shouldn't have proferred a used hanky.

*this is a joke utiilising the stereotype that all cultural studies types wear black turtleneck sweaters, black rimmed glasses and black trousers. While they mostly did in the 90s, now most of them seem to have passed into the 'comfortable' fashion bracket. At LaTrobe, anyway. Phew - I wasn't sure I could manage the dress code.[/diversion]

At any rate, I now have awesomely excellent super-short hair. With minor girly bits but major pixie fringe. All free and included in my original haircut price. Phew. And double phew for DJing - I dropped $60 on a fabulous colour - dark marooney red (which will lighten, I was assured, as the colour sets... which is hairdresser word for 'fade' I suspect). And boy did I score the gossip. Mostly restaurant related.
Apparently Bali Bagus (said Bar-goo) is ace. La Paelle (Spanish/Moroccan) is great for small groups but crap for large groups. There's an Ethiopian place in Fitzroy called Lalla/Lulla/Lilla something or other and is amazingly wonderful.
I also met a local artist type person who does interesting ziney stuff (that one's for you, Skirt).

I popped in to Spotty to get something for a subdued winter jacket/jumper. While I adore my bright pink and red micro-fleece hoody (Hello Kitty hood lining - pics will follow), sometimes it's not really the go for a more conservative colour scheme. I can't really wear bright pink with plum cords and a cream blouse. Well, I can, but it's kind of.... vivid. So I got some blackey/grey stretch denim (no, don't worry, I'm not tempted to make some low-riding tight, straight legged jeans... I was THERE in the late 80s/early 90s when that shit was cool the first time. And I am NOT going there again) and some black micro fleece to line a very basic jacket. It will have a metallic zip (ie black tape, but silvery teeth), and either a hood or a collar. I like hoods because they're practical in this godforsaken climate (esp if they're water resistant), and I'm tempted by the idea of a fleece-lined hood, but it could all go tragically wrong. We'll see. The whole jacket will probably be like my waterproof, red, quilted one (sort of box-shaped), esp with the layers and all, but I love that red jacket (could be a little longer though - esp on the bike) so who gives a fuck.

Speaking of which, bike jumpers and jackets have a little lowered 'saddle flap' (is it just me who thinks of those curves on the bottom of men's shirts as being like the flaps on a saddle...? Go horsey girl, go) to cover your lower back and crack. Because, of course, you bend over to ride your bike. Those low-riding trousers are awesomely obscene on bike riders (though very entertaining on the novice bike-kid - ha-HA I strike another blow against the horrid teen-groover invasion of B'wick!). The high-waisted trouser is very pleasing, as are stretch fabrics. In fact, the three quarter tracksuit pant is perfect.

...

yes, I think I had mentioned the importance of practical clothing for active lasses before. Whatever.

Back to the endless I-did-this-today story....

I picked up some of those FUCKING AMAZING sausages from Nino and Joe's for dinner tonight. Is it wrong to drop in to a butcher just to browse? Is it wrong to be delighted by the close proximity of hairdresser to Spotty to butcher?

I declare Friday culinary day. Wait for pics. And will endeavour to start a meme. Can you start a meme if only, like 3 or 4 people read your blog, and only about 2 of them blog themselves? I reckon you can. In fact, I think you're even cooler if you don't start memes for other people. I think a meme can be cool with just one person in it....

Anyway: on Gastroporn* Friday (whichever and whenever Friday you choose), you have to write a post about a meal you have recently prepared or consumed. Photos are optional but certainly preferable. It doesn't have to be great food. I will try to do this later today...btw, ignore the times on this blog as they're a bit out of wack.

*I really wanted to type 'gastropod' there.

"back to the endless I-did-this-today story...." was posted by dogpossum on April 28, 2006 6:51 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (2)

April 26, 2006

um... no, nothing to say

Finally the sun has come back, after far too long of dreary, overcast greyness and cold.
And of course, with the drear goes my recent - and somewhat startling - spate of super-productivity. In a week I edited two chapters quite aggressively and wrote two articles.
And now, of course, I'm left wondering whether or not I should go to the cinema. I think perhaps I shall, as the Nova, our local cinema has something wordy and all about human relationships on this afternoon that I'd like to see. Don't much care what, so long as it's got some nice cinematography. No, no, I've already seen Water (and yes, it was wonderful - I liked Fire and Earth, but this was probably the best). Something else, thanks.

On a side point, yesterday was ANZAC day, not something I care much about, but my attention was briefly caught by a little story on the news about how the RSL had 'forbidden' family members to march with photos of servicemen in the parade. Which I thought was strange - it seemed appropriate to me, and perhaps emphasised the fact that the march should perhaps be about memorialising loss as well as 'appreciating' soldiers... but then, I don't know much about the issue, so...

...and I have nothing more to write. Seems I've used up all my words for the week. Oh well. Will go sew something in hot pink cordurouy instead (!!).

"um... no, nothing to say" was posted by dogpossum on April 26, 2006 11:59 AM in the category domesticity

February 28, 2006

not sure i want to go rollarskating, but you know.

I've just suddenly been caught by a strange [insert smartypants theory word here like 'existential' or 'postmodern' or whatever here] moment:

How does the touch pad on my laptop work? No, I mean really, how does it work? How does it know that I'm touching it?*

Meanwhile, back in the concrete, undertheorised, Pragmatic Feminist world:
today I had chuckguts. It started at 6.30am (which is more considerate than starting at, say 10pm and continuing on for 12 or so hours, a la Taswegia (do NOT eat at a restaurant called 'Blue Skies' in Hobart. It will make you vomit until you bust eyeball blood vessels)). It meant that I couldn't go to my first yoga private today, which I was quite looking forward to. It meant that today I couldn't eat the chochy we made last night (that's chocolate brownies to you - last night The Squeeze brought me a mug of milk and the hot chocolate powder in a moment of confusion. I guess it's kind of the same as a chocolate brownie and a glass of milk. There was also some comment about our old couch, but I forgot what exactly). I guess I could have eaten it, but I kind of like to keep my saturated fats/gross sugars in my body for more than, say... 3 minutes.

But I'm pretty much ok now, thanks. Not sure I want to go rollarskating, but you know.

*I want to make a joke about playing "I'm not touching you", but I can't. I can, however, make a mental note to make Clever and Witty Joke Entry about Dave's Riki massage joke some day soon. It makes us both laugh and laugh. Which is perhaps more an indication of how much time we've spent at home over the past couple of months, but I like to think it's because we're witty and also carefree and lighthearted.

"not sure i want to go rollarskating, but you know." was posted by dogpossum on February 28, 2006 6:09 PM in the category domesticity

February 24, 2006

i experiment with style

As my girth steadily decreases, it occurs to me that increasing my weekly exercise would make it possible for me to eat more.
I can think of nothing more perfect.

At the moment I do dancey practice at home twice a week for an hour. Step-step-triple-step, step-triple-step and very little else - so dull it's almost frightening. The dullness has not deterred Crinks from declaring - regularly - that she'd like to join me. I'd like to think that it's my scintillating personality that attracts her, but I'm actually sure that it's more a combination of extreme dance nerdery and a lack of daytime occupation. I say no to her pleas because I'm not sure I want anyone else to see me jiggling up and down like a fool, determined to keep my hips parallel and ankles strong. It's not even something I can share with The Squeeze.

Beyond that, I also go to yoga twice a week for an hour and a half, onesies and bubs. I love it dearly, have a smarting crush on my teacher (it's an alignment thing), and have discovered that my Ankles Are Weak. I dread the thought of being thought weak ankled, or having anyone notice my less-than-stable ankles, so I am working on them. Both my Down Dog and my 20s Charleston basic have improved imeasurably since making the ankle discovery.

I also social dance three times a fortnight, from 8.30 til 11.00 and 9.30 - 11.30 or thereabouts. I ride to dancing on Thursday nights (half an hour each way) and ride my bike everywhere. The new bike is truly Built for Speed. And I am increasingly looking as if I too were designed in a wind tunnel. So to speak.

On other fronts (no, that wasn't a clever way of moving on to further discussion of my physique), I DJed for the first time to a Melbourne audience. It seems I've completely reneged on my previous decision to abstain from DJing, and have suddenly decided I like it Very Much. The $25 for a 1.5 hour slot has in no way influenced my thinking, nor has the contribution it will make to my private yoga class next week.

And I am sure that my new interest in entertaining the swing dancing masses has absolutely not a thing to do with my new found love of the stage. New found in that the stifling stage fright of my teens has been replaced by a definite interest in standing in front of a large group of people and doing exactly as I like, sure that it is all about Me for anywhere between 5 and 95 minutes.
If I do seem in danger of becoming a crazed megolamaniac, limelight-grabbing glory hound, be sure to step in, will you?

To round off this week, it seems the Ps have discovered the previous post about their house and the included accusations of mental instability. I have not denied it. In response to my father's comment that "all our friends have said they like it" I could only respond: "all your friends are polite."
I'm sure he's now sure that I am the most conservative member of the family.
This does not mean that I am ashamed of my parents. It's far too late for that - I would never have survived adolescence if I was that delicate.

On the topic of familial decoration, my brother has acquired his first ink.
While he is 29 this year (4 years younger) I don't doubt that my father is still imagining he's 14 and somewhat in shock. I'm sure my mother, however, is secretly terribly excited and has already broadcast full details to all of Hobart, Brisvegas and now Melbourne. My father did concede that though he wasn't comfortable with the thought of the pain involved, he did think that it was a very nice piece of art. I will post photos as soon as they come to hand.

I, however, remain undecorated, and offer only this post as my contribution to the family's Experiments with Style.

"i experiment with style" was posted by dogpossum on February 24, 2006 9:12 PM in the category domesticity | Comments (1)

February 2, 2006

brown. browner. brownest

Having my scholarship extension approved has resulted in an immediate downing of tools. Don't tell the Supes. No, I'm not telling off chauvinists in the shopping centre, though I did almost get into a fight with a guy in a big red car who nearly killed the cyclist in front on me on Sydney Rd last weekend.
Though I've exchanged keyboard for sewing machine.

I scampered out to Brotherhood* earlier this week to find a new couch to replace horrible old Brownie. Last time I was at Brotherhood I picked up Reddy (formerly a Brownie, as all good rental/sharehouse couches are) for about $20. Prior to that I picked up a nice three piece (also a Brownie), covered the cushions and all for $90 including nice fabric. This week they had nothing under $100 and I was a bit shocked. Goddamn teenage hipsters moving in the 'Wick and pushing up prices. Go back to Brunswick Street.

Yesterday, prompted by a late night drive-by on Sydney Rd near Bismi, I drop in to the Salvos and find us a new couch. $65 seems a bit much, but heck. It's a score. Only parts of it are brown. It is (was), for the most part, mushroom pink and a lovely velour (and a 3 seater). I then scooted down to Fabric Central further south on Sydney Rd and bought 8m of nice fabric which looked burgendy with goldy stripes. Got it home and The Squeeze decided it was a ghastly shade of brown. He is colour blind, so I ignored him. This morning, checking out the three cushions I covered last night (I am a couch cushion covering DEMON), I decided he might be right. Oh well. I'm hoping a couple of red and gold cushions (made from fabric from the sari fabric shop) will make it look like a hippy couch rather than a brown sharehouse couch. There are some bits upholstered in pink, but I'm considering covering them (either with a cover or getting jiggy with a staple gun). Either way, the pink matches the fabric so it's ok.

But the new couch is very nice. It's actually quite well made, and is comfortable. It feels soft, but has structure. The Squeeze declared that he liked the way his feet didn't touch the ground when he sat in it. A definite improvement on Brownie, where your knees were at chin height owing to the fucked up base.** I'm fairly sure he also liked the feel of the pink velour against his bare skin, but didn't mention it, seeing as how I'd probably be a bit short, considering the whole covering-cushions project.

I go back to the fabric shop to get the rest of the fabric today (which, by the way, was a great upholstery fabric for only $10 a metre - 140cm wide).

Right now the potato lady is driving past in her truck. She calls out "Potatoes, potatoes. Fresh and new". They come in from the farm and drive around Brunswick selling potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, melon, etc. All of the locals who'd troop out to haggle (this is the 'Wick - this is what we do. There's not much else for us stay-home-types*** to do otherwise) thought it was a bit pricey.

It was only a month or so ago I discovered they sold organic stuff. And today was the first time I'd heard them advertise that fact. Their sales have improved, but people still try to haggle.

*the charity shop on Brunswick Rd - Brotherhood of St Laurence
**Brownie now lives in the shed. Soon I will have to buy a couple of Bob Marley 'fabric posters', a couple of bottles of Orchy juice and take a bucket out there. Then, when I've lured in a few of those goddamn teenagers, I can start culling.
***mostly Greek widows, Italian poppas and phd students who're kind of cabin feverish and delight in long, complicated discussions with strangers. And haggling.

fyi: there is a Brunswick Street (in Fitzroy/Nth Fitzroy), a Brunswick Road (running perpendicular to Sydney Road, and pretty much the point at which Carlton Nth turns into Brunswick) and the suburb Brunswick (and Brunswick East, Brunswick North, Brunswick East). They're all in the same general part of Melbourne, just not in the same suburb. Think that's tricky? I catch a bus on Victoria St that runs east til it hits Victoria St which runs Nth/Sth. That's where I get off. It then crosses another Victoria St further Nth. None of these are the Victoria Pde or Victoria St which runs East/West across the top of the CBD from Nth Melbourne to Collingwood.

"brown. browner. brownest" was posted by dogpossum on February 2, 2006 9:24 AM in the category domesticity

January 26, 2006

those kisses-and-kisses had better be good

In our house there are complicated rules about when to speak and when not to speak in the morning.
Most of these rules are not written down, or even vocalised. They also tend to vary, according to the day, the night before, the temperature, the amount of thesis conducted, the scholarship extension progress and so on.

A generally good, all-rounder type of rule:

do not speak unless spoken to

Which is partnered by the rule:

do not touch unless touched first

And just when it seems like these rules are completely crazy and really just a masque for a completely crazy person, who almost seems like they are always in that week before the red zone on the pill packet - the week that should actually be coloured red, The Squeeze decided, because that's the really dangerous part of the month. And red is a good colour for danger. Or warning.

... and wait, what was I saying? Yeah, so ok, so just when you think that all these Alice in Wonderland rules are really just signs that the other person you live with is, actually, wishing they could fit into a teapot, they wake up at just the right temperature after a full 9hours and grab you and kiss you and kiss you.

I know I'd like to think that those are the moments you wait for - the kissing-and-kissing. But do they really make up for the crazed ranting and furious yanking-out of clock radio cords, just as you've slowly woken up out of the deepest sleep, at just the right temperature, and are really quite enjoying that lovely string concerto? Particularly when you flash the little scared wide-eyes response to the insane declaration: "It/you woke me up again! I was asleep! I need to be asleep!"
... it seems like that little rant can happen at any time, regardless of whether or not you've made any noise at all.

I guess some people are just nuts. And don't wake up well.
Those kisses-and-kisses had better be good.

"those kisses-and-kisses had better be good" was posted by dogpossum on January 26, 2006 5:53 PM in the category domesticity

December 14, 2005

truly, the greatest post

Still sick, but definitely improved.
Woke up at 10:30 and went to find The Squeeze. Couldn't. At first I worried that I'd driven him off with my insane shrieking last night: "Go to bed! Stop making noise! You keep waking me up!" It wasn't my fault, I swear - it was the antihistamines in my cold and flu tablets making me NUTS. And kind of irrational. Didn't help that I kept waking up out of a deep sleep, all disoriented and unable to breathe, just because the poor Squeeze had - Goddess help him - opened the bathroom door.
Can I help it if I'm in the grip of a temporary (please, please, let it be temporary), antihistamine-induced insanity?
I've kind of got issues with antihistamines - I love them because I have allergies of various sorts most of the year (cats, dust, melaluca*, general seasonal stuff) - but I'm also afraid of my psychotic reactions to them. They make me NUTS. Kind of furiously, irrationally angry. Like a hormone thing, except chemically induced. They also make me dehydrated. But last night they were putting me to sleep, and with the amount of liquid I had in my head and chest (despite the 3thousandpillow tower of prop) I needed that sleep.
But anyway, I get to sleep, I wake up, and I have no clue where The Squeeze has gone. And I'm not sure I blame him. I find out later that he's off with a nerdmate, doing nerdy things.

Nerd things that The Squeeze does with his nerd mates:
- looking at cameras
- playing with cameras
- eating pide at A1 and drinking tiny cups of turkish coffee that leave them highly, highly strung - like a 4 year old on red cordial
- talking about computers
- looking in camping stores, talking about camera-trips (don't ask), buying hiking shoes (The Squeeze), buying bags (Yames)
- making up stories about computers/cameras/coffee

I'm sure they're having a lovely time.

And while I certainly don't want to be with them (it'd be like a non-dancer hanging with a pack of dancers at an exchange - teeedium), I'm kind of jealous of their mobility. I'd planned to go look at a bike I'm going to buy today - they were going to make it up for me. But I don't know if I could make it over there. In fact, I'm thinking the couch looks pretty dang good from here...

....and that's about all. Great post, huh?

*most-used tree for streetplanting in every city I've lived in

"truly, the greatest post" was posted by dogpossum on December 14, 2005 10:37 AM in the category domesticity | Comments (2)

November 13, 2005

hola amigos!

Yesterday we had many people around for a Mexican Bandidos lunch. We did intend to dress up, but a lack of effort on my part and supreme busyness on the parts of both myself and The Squeeze resulted in a non-effort. Various guests, however, obviously familiar with our high fancy dress standards, did make an effort. We have photographic evidence. There was a little regret on our parts for not putting on the giant mo and firing rifles into the air, but we settled for a pinata and truly awesome food. TRULY awesome food. All Mexican themed (or as Mexican as a couple of gringos in Melbourne - John and I - could manage). I ate so much I thought I'd die. Then we brought out the fruit and brownies.
The meal featured many avocados, mangoes and spanish sausage, a big snapper, pork ribs, an amazing organge and spinach salad, a lovely bean salad, mango salsa, chili con carne, rice, tortillas.... and a million other things.
Then we beat the shit out of the pinata.

You can, of course, check out the photos on flickr in the Bandidos Party set.

"hola amigos!" was posted by dogpossum on November 13, 2005 8:34 PM in the category domesticity

October 26, 2005

You know it's a low-hygiene week...

when you use the vacuum to clean the garlic clove skins off the kitchen bench.

I bend my head in shame.

"You know it's a low-hygiene week..." was posted by dogpossum on October 26, 2005 6:58 PM in the category domesticity

October 10, 2004

lotte reckons we should make it into a sauna

ok, so i'd be going nuts if i wasn't numb. another three years under howard. with free rein in the senate.
oh man.

i guess it's time to jump ship, really. things will get worse. very doom and gloom, but really. i'm ashamed to be australian at the moment, re everything from refugees to iraq.
on rrr this morning the spin people made the comment that it suggests that we're living in a more conservative country now. i wonder if this means we'll start getting more politically active on the left. get into some demonstrating. i'm about ready to get into the rallying thing.

if i finish this thesis (i will, i will) i will quite happily go overseas to work...

i'm working on this lecture for tuesday. still. but it seems under control. now i have to do the powerpoint thing, which will no doubt take heaps of time.

the garden is nice. we have planted a bunch of native shrubs in the front yard, to get a bit more privacy. the squeeze has dug over the back garden patches and planted some seeds (bit late, really). he's also very proud of having recently 'plumbed' his greenhouse. he's added a line from his irrigation system which he's run through his greenhouse and is watering the seeds in there with fine drip attachments. it's all very technical and i know he likes this part far more than the other gardening bits. i gave him the irrigation system and the greenhouse (which is plastic, portable and pretty ace. lotte reckons we should make it into a sauna) as birthday/xmas presents and they were a great success. i'm not sure how i'll top them, so i'd better get thinking...

"lotte reckons we should make it into a sauna" was posted by dogpossum on October 10, 2004 10:24 PM in the category domesticity

August 13, 2004

it's a sad, sad day when you're eating instant noodles for breakfast

but it can't be helped. my first night of proper dancing since i've been back (where i dance like a nut all night) and i wake up feeling a little ill. now, i've been dealing with herrang cold remnants since i arrived home last thursday, but it seems the IT nerd version of the cold which laid The Squeeze low has decided to take up residence in moi. sick again. so i'm feeling tired and rough and a little disappointed in my immune system. i thought we were a team.
at any rate, despite my attempts to eat only sandwiches since i arrived home, there is no decent bread in the house. the only alternative for sick-girl was obviously instant noodles. and i think the milk has gone off.
sigh.
meanwhile, the handyman (who i quite like) is wacking things in another room, attending to 2 of the 10 or so items on our list of 'fix it now you bastards' things. a list we sent to the real estate agent before i left (we're talking at least 7 weeks ago). only now, since i've been home and threatened to kick arse have they done anything about this list. a plumber is promised, but i doubt we'll see him any time soon.
meanwhile, the lease is up, so we're living on borrowed time and with little room to apply pressure to our arsehole landlord. we are trying to decide whether or not we should move. unfortuntately, though, areshole landlords dominate our price bracket, and while we pay too much rent here, it's still cheaper to stay than to pay for all the moving crap.
ah, renting. how wonderful it is.

"it's a sad, sad day when you're eating instant noodles for breakfast" was posted by dogpossum on August 13, 2004 11:19 AM in the category domesticity and lindy hop & other dances i have known

May 15, 2004

ikea is its own punishment

so we went to ikea. even though we hate going there, we hate victoria gardens and we were both sleep deprived.

but we finally managed to buy a couple of chairs to let us seat 6 round the dining table. at $28.50 each, the only ones who luck out are those chinese kiddies who sacrificed their eyesight for our bullshit entertaining priorities.

we also purchased...

a lamp (The Squeeze loves lamps, and i must say i encourage this love: i am obsessed with Light since i started fussing with the cameras that litter our house);
a desk for me (mine is too high and causing shoulder ache), which will need to be exchanged tomorrow as it lacks a keyboard drawer - 100% essential, i feel;
a cheap-arse mat for our loungeroom floor;
a huge pine coffee table - not the chic 50s inspired (or preferably 50s original) i had envisioned, but bought, goddamn it. The Squeeze is wondering how he could have lived without a coffee table prior, and has moved everything he owns to the loungeroom, where we are camped for The Duration;
4 super-large glasses;
a new cutting board to replace the skank-ridden one i'd carted through four sharehouses since i moved to melbourne;
some fancy halogen light bulbs (more Light);
um...
and The Mother bought some useless crap, in keeping with her role as crap-magnet.

we have to go back tomorrow to exchange the desk. it will no doubt be another awful experience.

we also bought a vacuum cleaner. from godfrey's, not ikea. and from a very nice man who was sorely disappointed by our complete lack of interest in Features or Heads. we only wanted a reasonable Suck, though we quibbled over cloth v paper bags (The Squeeze, in his charming ignorance, felt that no bag at all, or even a cloth bag would be best. prior experience encouraged me to push for the option of paper or cloth). now our house will be cleaner, though using a vacuum cleaner will not by any means involve saving labour - everyone knows that white goods (and their lesser, greyer brethren) are designed to prolong domestic tasks, and so reduce the amount of hours spent Sewing or Working or Looking at the Intynet.

our trip to victoria gardens was as hellish as ever - a mass of fukked up transport issues, bullshit service, confusion, frustration, physical exhaustion and sensory overload from all the bright colours, the horrid acoustics in the foodcourt and the abba overdose.

we were further enshitted by:
- the ikea lady stopping us taking photos of The Mother in her red shirt in various chairs, or of each other (oh, ikea is lovely for Colour);
- by squeezing all this shit into a hatchback;
- by having to leave the carpark to get to the ikea pick-up, and then returning to the carpark to go buy some lunch.

at one point i had to get out of the car (i was driving), lower my head and use all the dirtiest swears i know as my sleep-deprivation, sensory overload and over consumption caught up with me, making it impossible for me to untangle my seatbelt from the flatpackages which had The Squeeze pinned in the backseat.

we felt we had to stop off at Filou's on lygon st for amazing french pastries and berry pie. so we did. there was no other way of salvaging the afternoon. Goddess bless Filou's, Goddess bless.

when we got home The Squeeze went into a construction frenzy, assembling chairs, table, lamp et al, and the house now smells of plantation beech/pine. i've varnished the chairs and arranged our new purchases attractively throughout our home.

can i just state, for the record, that victoria gardens sucks, and that ikea sucks. majorly.
despite it's helpful little community service display pushing the trams in the foyer (as you leave the damn place), the arsholes won't let you take trollies outside their little cordoned off area. nor are there any taxi ranks at vic gardens that we've yet found. so good luck getting your humourously named, flat packed, plantation whatever back to brunswick on the tram, kiddies. it's really only feasible to go buy shit at this place if you have a car. a car with a large, clear space in it.

so the display in the foyer is no doubt designed to install a little warming glow in departing middle class tossers (and dinky young groovers) who are left feeling that it's terribly nice that the tram is so handy, and isn't ikea wonderful for encouraging us to use it? all this as they toddle on out to their saabs or vw golfs.

the lack of bags nearly brought The Squeeze to fisticuffs, when, faced with 2 chairs, a table, another table, a lamp and a whole slew of little bits of crap, the check out chick refused to give him a free bag to pack all said little shit in, despite the ridiculous amount of dosh he'd just handed over. if i'd been there, i'd have suggested the check out chick get her arse out there to help him carry all that crap out to the car (sans environment-destroying, yet handily revenue-generating plastic bag, of course) one by bloody one. but i was fukking around with the car. and the bullshit pay-parking system.

while i am all for reducing (recylcing, reusing et al) and am infuriating compulsive about keeping and reusing plastic bags, jars, boxes, etc, avoiding buying stuff that needs lots of packaging, and SCOFFING at the little plastic bags in the fruit shop, while i lug my backpack of veggies to my bike (and panniers), there are times when i feel selfrighteously smug swedes totally need a big fat kick up their socialist arses.
especially after they've taken pains to stifle The Squeeze's creative instincts not only with the camera thing, but also with pointed comments about his interpretive dance response to abba in the shelving section.
arsholes. fukking arseholes.

i am not buying all this lefty good will. all these low prices are not (despite the friendly little signs everywhere explaining that the lack of useful staff to carry fukkinheavy flatpacked shit is part of Keeping Costs Down) a result of carefully managed labour and packaging decisions in-store, but are actually the direct result of assembly and production operations in countries that do not have child labour legislation.

and i have to add: don't think you can make it round that goddamn rat-maze without going to the toilet at least once. and don't think there's a shortcut through all that shit to the toilets. there's not.
nor should you be foolish enough to believe there is a way to circumvent all this consumer frenzy encouraging store layout - all instructions from smiling swedes will be useless, all helpful signs will be wrong.

ikea sucks.
but god, there's no way a dink couple like us will escape without buying something in a primary colour, or a plantation wood.

"ikea is its own punishment" was posted by dogpossum on May 15, 2004 7:04 PM in the category domesticity

some updates

i feel that i should extend my fashion palete from only red, pink and purple, to include blue and green. with the help of my lovely assistants ikea and spotlight.

work: delivered the paper last thursday and it went swimmingly. minor problems:
1)too long. thought so, but supes said it was ok. will now follow instincts in this matter
2)lack of dvd player was a poo. hard to talk about dancing when people don't have a clue what it looks like
3)lack of purpose-specific footage was irritating

craftiness/expressions of obessive-compulsiveness:
bought some primary colour cotton fabric to make small, quilted seat cushions. mmm-mm. also bought some green and blue wool (not acrylic, for once!) to make sexy crocheted things using the book of stitches The Mother bought me yesterday. also considered beginning embroidery sampler at 11pm, but vetoed in favour of 100% attention for Kill Bill.

domesticity:
the p's are here and this too is going swimmingly. suprising, really, when you consider the fact that our two bedroom house is now sleeping four, none of whom will sleep with any of the others because of Snoring. NB - i am the only non-snorer. my loss, obviously.
we have been out to dinner a few times (including Growlers last night, where i saw People i know and had a nice dinner), been to ikea (which is shameful, but the p's had hired a car), so we could buy some crap.

"some updates" was posted by dogpossum on May 15, 2004 6:48 PM in the category domesticity

April 22, 2004

shop-a-docket haircuts - just desserts

I’ve just remembered this excellent story.

When I was living in the share house in Enoggera in Brisbane (with Paul and Jase), Jase was really really poor (living on Austudy at $120 a week, I’ve noted in another entry). He also had really big hair. But he was too poor to be able to afford a reasonable hair cut, and he certainly carry on with all that big hair. He was overjoyed when he found a hairdresser shop-a-docket deal after shopping one week. He went off and got his hair cut, came home and asked, somewhat mournfully, if I could help him fix it up.

Seems the hairdresser had taken one look at his shop-a-docket, entitling him to a $5 hair cut and given him exactly five dollars worth of grooming. Took her about 10 minutes, all up. And it was a work of inestimable beauty. Sort of uneven, with big chunks cut out here and there. So I tidied it up and he looked a damn site better.
And Paul yelled (because he always yelled everything, and sounded a bit like Seinfeld), “ah, you dickhead!” and then laughed his “ah-HA” highpitched laugh.

Moral of this story?
It’s better to get a household member to cut your hair than to take a punt on a $5 shop-a-docket hair cut.

"shop-a-docket haircuts - just desserts" was posted by dogpossum on April 22, 2004 5:39 PM in the category domesticity

The Squeeze is sick

he started off in bed with his lappy, with a strict one-hour limit from me, but wandered in here where i'm 'working' a little while ago, looking decidedly the worse for wear. he's been asleep now for about an hour and half, after a big 10 hour sleep last night. he's not well at all, and took the day off to rest. he's got a nasty temperature, sore throat, achey head, goobers. just like a bunch of swingers and at least one of his workmates.
i have preliminary goobs in my sinuses, but i'm pretending they're just allergies, or left-overs from pushing myself dancing last night (those whole 5 or so songs).
i will be strong.

"The Squeeze is sick" was posted by dogpossum on April 22, 2004 3:41 PM in the category domesticity