Notes from a Padded Cell

Kiwi Movies

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:55:23 GMT

http://www.blacksheep-themovie.com/BlackSheep.aspx I know it's only been a day and a half since my pledge, but surely just posting a link to a new Kiwi movie doesn't count as being nasty...does it? Check out the joke section on the web site, I'm thinking that maybe(?) they aren't taking themselves seriously *grin*.

Kiwis Mk II

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:46:31 GMT

I've just realised that I've managed to be nasty about New Zealand in at least three different places on the internet within the past three days. This is wrong and I don't want to be known as the one who constantly bags Kiwis (sorry Russell), so I am taking a pledge, here and now, to behave myself and just stop it!!! It's only ever said from a place of love, 'cos if you can't bag out the ones closest to you, who else can take the punishment, but it still isn't nice to constantly be nasty. Promise to be good from now on *grin*.

Kiwis...??

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:13:54 GMT

http://au.news.yahoo.com/080327/23/16a0p.html?f=mv I'm not sure there is anything more I can say about this...although I did like the mention that alcohol "played a part" in his life

Birthday Report

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:31:53 GMT

The children were still hyped up on sugar from Easter so they were a little trying (in a "I have a million words to use in my lifetime and I want to use them all NOW!" kind of way *grin*). Hubby earned big brownie points by clearing ALL the computer and life crap off the dining table and serving up dinner, with wine even, and a birthday cake. He did make the requisite crack about not being able to afford enough candles, but as he is three months older than me I just smile and kick him in the shins! All in all a good day.

Happy Birthday to me....

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:52:53 GMT

It's my birthday today, I get to choose my favourite dinner tonight. Honestly, it would include leaving the kids with someone else and going out with my husband, but that ain't gonna happen! Looks like it will have to be lamb chops with bocconcini salad - at least I won't have to cook (bet I still have to wash the dishes though, heh!).

Arthur C. Clarke

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:09:27 GMT

I recently re-read a collection of Arthur C Clarke's short stories, all published in either the 1950's or early 1960's. They reminded me of just how "blow your mind" good he was. There have been very few who could combine spirituality with good science and his like will not soon be seen again.

Coffee

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:24:07 GMT

Well, I'm back (briefly). Is it just really sad that merely looking at the pictures of coffee cups on the front of my journal makes me want a cuppa?? Nothing new to report except illness - I've had an upper respiratory tract infection which is causing a chronic cough that drives me insane and causes all around me to enquire as to my imminent demise.

According to the advertisement on my page one of my friends has a crush on me... Kinda hoping that isn't LJ friends 'cos I only have three and only one is male (and he's from New Zealand). It's OK, I DO realise that this is an advertising ploy to encourage me to subscribe to some stupid dating/flirting service, but a girl can dream that somewhere out there is someone who has a crush on me, can't she??? Not quite sure what the husband would have to say to that though, heh, heh!!

Cheers,
Jo

blogging

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:52:25 GMT

By the time I finish reading the blogs of all the other people who's blogs I read, and commenting (because never let it be said that I let an opportunity to provide my opinion go by) on said blogs, I have nothing left in my head to put in my own blog.

Admittedly, my life, not so exciting! We went to a major theme park yesterday, spent some good quality family time on the dodgem cars trying to run each other over - nothing brings the family together like random violence committed in mechanical vehicles *heh* *heh*!!

Oh, my sister-in-law gave birth to another baby girl, now my brother is simply surrounded in women, one wife, three daughters, and loving every minute of it!

OK, that's it, school tomorrow, must sleep sometime.

Rain

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:35:24 GMT

It has been raining like nobody's business today - our rainwater tank is full to overflowing. Good for us, bad for my friend who's house has been flooded because it's a rental and the landlord can't be bothered to make sure it's weatherproof. Any time there's heavy rain, they are inundated and have to mop up the downstairs area. This time, lost lots of toys and some work related stuff. Friend very.....shall we say....annoyed? (this is a family blog, after all *grin*).

For anyone who may be interested, the boy survived his first week in year 2! Just! If he doesn't pull his finger out and get himself ready in the mornings a little better, the outlook for week 2 is not so promising!!

Backyard cricket

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:13:25 GMT

Have been very busy using the labelmaker today, 12 pencils, 12 crayons, 12 textas... assorted books, lunch box, drink bottle, glue sticks, you name it, it now has my son's name on it!!! Did I mention that school starts tomorrow?? Can you tell by the sense of suppressed excitement in my typing??

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids dearly and miss them when they are not around, but my brain just needs a rest occasionally from the constant demands. My boy asks the hardest questions too. When it comes to religion, I'm an aetheist who has done my time with organised religion and decided that it's not for me. Last year, the boy wanted to do religious education 'cos his friends were and it looked more fun than the alternative. Bad move, at least for me. Today he asked me if Jesus and God were dead!! I ask you, how do I respond to this question? He's too young for Nietzsche! I have found that a good way to deal with the curly questions is to turn them back on him... "Do you think Jesus is dead? What did your teacher tell you?" Doesn't always work though.

They tell me it's only going to get harder from here, and I have a very unquiet conscience that won't let me just give him the easy (for me) answer, but doesn't want him going to school and telling his religious education teacher that Mummy told him that religion only exists because the human mind cannot grasp the concept of infinity!! 'Cos you just know he's only going to turn around and ask me what infinity is, and that's a whole 'nother ball of wax *grin*.

Aahh, kids, here's hoping the girl turns out to be more of a doer than a thinker!

Decluttering, Pt II

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:22:14 GMT

Something about this story just spoke to me... http://au.news.yahoo.com/080123/2/15m2y.html. Unfortunately, here it's not just one or two rooms, it's the whole house!!

Decluttering

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:08:13 GMT

Have started the decluttering process of the house in preparation for selling. Finding things I'd forgotten I'd own. I wish the kids would leave things alone, I found one of their numerouse toyboxes today and they took great delight in going through it and playing with all the toys they didn't even remember getting. Which I wouldn't mind if they then put them back in the box, but I suppose that would be asking too much *grin*.

Watching "The West Wing" on DVD (again). Foxtel have been running ads showing a montage of events from the entire show because they're going to be showing it from the beginning. When I can look at a one second shot of Stockard Channing and tell you exactly what scene it's from, does that mean I've seen it too many times???? Can't wait for my favourite scene where Jed Bartlett confronts God, in latin, in the National Cathedral. I love this show. I was thinking about why it has been so popular and decided that it is wish fulfilment, the American public (and the rest of the world) wish that the real President and White House staff could be as intelligent, dedicated and honourable as on the TV show. Aaahh, if wishes were horses... *sigh*.

The Label Queen...

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:22:54 GMT

I have bought a labelmaker. This is, of course, not earth shattering, but I have to say, I'm pretty excited! Naturally, the labels are for useful things, like school books, pencils and other school paraphernalia. I even have iron-on ones for the school uniform. I might even get organised and label containers in the pantry (at the moment the only way to tell sugar from salt is to taste it before use).

I am trying to resist the urge to label everything in sight... wait, there goes the dog, don't go away!!!

OK, back now. The fact that each cartridge costs $13.00 will probably slow me down after a while. I have been wanting one of these forever, so that's another one of life's goals I can cross off the list (hey, if you keep the expectations low, you are rarely disappointed).

We started looking for a new house today, we want to graduate from three bedrooms, one bathroom to four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Having only one toilet in the house was OK when the two youngest members were in nappies, but now that all four of us are toilet trained, the pressure is on. The best part of looking for a house is getting to peek through other people's houses. It always amazes me that some people will put a lot of thought into presenting their house for sale, cleaning up, de-cluttering, and some people really don't!! You'd think they'd at least mow the lawn before an open house, wouldn't you?? It's just the beginning of a long (and probably tedious) process, but when we bought this house we had no kids and a lot less furniture! Something has to give and Husband won't let me give the kids away!

Buying chairs

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:40:15 GMT

We had a family expedition to Ikea yesterday. Sunday is definately NOT the day to go there, people everywhere! Fortunately, they have a brilliant supervised play area for the kids, unfortunately you can only leave them there for an hour :-(.

We went because we had to buy new dining room chairs. Over the years we have managed to destroy all our chairs bar one, which was hanging on by the skin of its teeth. After sitting on anything that stayed still long enough, we finally found some that fit our exacting standards (i.e. cheap without feeling like they'll fall apart in five minutes). We then proceeded to find plenty of other ~~junk~~ valuable and interesting items to enrich our lives! The kids were happy, they bought new alarm clocks ($0.95 each), I wish it was always so easy and cheap to amuse them!

Absolutely exhausted after going round in circles at Ikea, came home and put the chairs together, wondered why we hadn't paid more money for chairs that came assembled... We were going to go to the movies as I'd won free tickets to "National Treasure, the second one they made because they made so much money from the first one", but decided snoring in cinema not friendly thing to do! Watched two episodes of "Dexter" (love the DVR) instead. Amazing how a show about a serial killer can be both funny and touching. Wasn't sure if I would like this before it started but it's excellently done so far!

Fantasy illustrations

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:50:23 GMT

I know that most illustrations for fantasy novels (graphic or otherwise), movies, cartoons, etc, that portray women are created either by adolescent males or fully grown men who have never managed to form a meaningful relationship with a woman and so are therefore still at the adolescent stage, but.....

Do you not understand that body armour is a trade-off between flexibility and safety? That it is supposed to protect the vital parts of the body??? I suppose it doesn't matter if the breasts are practically bare because there's nothing vital under them is there?? That pesky heart/lung combination not really essential to continuing life and happiness is it??

Sorry, but it's my blog, and I'll rant if I want to :- b.

Pretty pages...

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:35:09 GMT

Have discovered the wonderful world of LJ Themes! The look of this page may be changing a few times, just to give you fair warning!

Spaghetti and meatballs tonight, yay!

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:50:23 GMT

I'm a stay-at-home mum with two kids (boy 6, girl 4) and my days tend to run into each other. I've decided to start blogging 'cos I figured that: a) if I don't write down the things that happen I will forget my whole life; and b) there's so much other mundanity on the net, my little bit more won't make a shred of difference. To be honest, there is a small part of me that is interested to see if anyone would actually read this, let alone comment...

We went to the cricket last night, 20Twenty match between Queensland and Tasmania. Qld won, first time this season, so that was a GOOD thing!! Taking the kids to a cricket match was probably not such a good idea, but after they were fed their behaviour improved markedly - funny that!

Today, nothing much, kids are tired after a late night, and grumpy! Mummy too, if truth be told, so best we stay at home (school holidays and all) and not push too much.

Wow, first entry, truly boring. Very sorry to anyone who may have searched for cricket and found themselves here *grin*.