We had a pretty busy weekend just gone, mixed with some good and some bad. Always seems to be the case with us!
On Saturday morning I did the usual weekly washing and then got stuck into my homework now that Uni has started. Unfortunately there's no easing into it seeing as I have to keep working so the weekends are the only time I get to focus for a few hours at a time. Before we knew it, 2:30pm had rolled around and we were off to Ivan and Miyuki's house to meet them before the Pizza Night was due to start. After a chat and waiting for other people, we headed off to Willunga to the Best Pizza Place EVER! This couple has transformed part of their home to host a kitchen, pizza oven and restaurant area and do home made all-you-can-eat gourmet pizzas for $10. Everything was delicious! They grow their own vegetables and make a lot of their own ingredients, with the guy making pizzas of every flavour imaginable and the lady bringing out pizzas constantly so in the end we were all full of lots of delicious pizzas and there were still whole ones untouched. My favourite was the tuna mornay :) But the best thing about the place was the atmosphere. A little family business, really friendly people, and located on a gorgeous property surrounded by rolling hills and views all the way out to the ocean. I can see why Ivan and Miyuki love coming here!
Sunday was the crash back down to Earth. The day started off ok - more homework done, grocery shopping, and a visit to Grandma's. In the evening my Aunt and Uncle from Victoria arrived (they're visiting for a few days) so we had dinner at Mum and Dad's which in itself is a good thing, but unfortunately Dad's returned to the alcohol and wasn't exactly sober. Mind you, he was nowhere near as bad as he has been in the past so that was a blessing I guess. Still, it's hard not to worry (for me, anyway). I already have it in my nature to worry about things I can't control, and so with him I worry constantly. Anyway we'll see how things go in that respect. Despite all that, it's been excellent seeing my Aunt and Uncle, as I always love catching up with them. They were also kind enough to buy us a slow cooker which is awesome as I've wanted one for ages! Can't wait to try it out soon! I already bought a recipe book in my excitement :)
So now it's back to the weekdays and we're plodding along. Tonight we're catching up with the rellies over a cuppa and some cake which will be nice. In other crappy news, I'm not 100% ready to share exactly what's been happening, but we're seeing the Dr about my not getting pregnant yet and news has been mixed thus far, but tests are continuing, so that's been weighing on my mind too. I just want things to work out...
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
Bye bye, free time
We haven't been up to much since my last update aside from going to work and having quiet weekends at home, but it has given me the opportunity to get back into doing some cross stitching. I love cross stitching for something that takes my mind off other things, although I hadn't done any for over 2 years. But when one of the ladies at work was showing me this craft magazine she gets and I saw all these beautiful cross stitching patterns, I was inspired to do some more. I wasn't able to afford a massive pattern so just bought my niece and nephew some little wall hangings and have been working on those during the evenings while I watch TV.
Aside from that, the rest of my free time has been spent quietly reading or watching stuff. Glen and I went to see The Dark Knight Rises last weekend on the spur of the moment. Those who know me know I love comic books and their associated cartoons, TV shows and films, and I love these newer Batman movies. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed. I thought the film was brilliant.
The books I've finished recently are Prohibited Zone by Alastair Sarre and just today on my lunch break I finally finished 11.22.63 by Stephen King. I had started reading this a while ago and then took a break partway through, read 6 other books, and just got back into it on the weekend. I didn't stop reading it because I wasn't enjoying it, just that I'd borrowed some books off other people and thought I should get through those first. I was able to pick it up and keep going from where I'd left off without any hassles. I love Stephen King and this book is definitely up there as his best. What always frustrates me with his horror is an amazingly evil character which is so unstoppable that the endings to those books sometimes feel rushed and disappointing, like he himself didn't know what to do about the monster because he'd made it too powerful. But his recent books seem a lot better, and this one was just fantastic. The pacing and suspense towards the end was done really well, so I just wanted to keep reading even if it meant not sleeping much.
Anyway this week Uni went back so I daresay by time to read will diminish a bit. Just another 18 months of Uni to go! So apart from seeing some friends for a pizza night on Saturday, the rest of my weekend will be spent doing homework. Joy!
Aside from that, the rest of my free time has been spent quietly reading or watching stuff. Glen and I went to see The Dark Knight Rises last weekend on the spur of the moment. Those who know me know I love comic books and their associated cartoons, TV shows and films, and I love these newer Batman movies. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed. I thought the film was brilliant.
The books I've finished recently are Prohibited Zone by Alastair Sarre and just today on my lunch break I finally finished 11.22.63 by Stephen King. I had started reading this a while ago and then took a break partway through, read 6 other books, and just got back into it on the weekend. I didn't stop reading it because I wasn't enjoying it, just that I'd borrowed some books off other people and thought I should get through those first. I was able to pick it up and keep going from where I'd left off without any hassles. I love Stephen King and this book is definitely up there as his best. What always frustrates me with his horror is an amazingly evil character which is so unstoppable that the endings to those books sometimes feel rushed and disappointing, like he himself didn't know what to do about the monster because he'd made it too powerful. But his recent books seem a lot better, and this one was just fantastic. The pacing and suspense towards the end was done really well, so I just wanted to keep reading even if it meant not sleeping much.
Anyway this week Uni went back so I daresay by time to read will diminish a bit. Just another 18 months of Uni to go! So apart from seeing some friends for a pizza night on Saturday, the rest of my weekend will be spent doing homework. Joy!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Our trip to Tasmania
Well this update is well and truly long overdue but I still wanted to post up something about our holiday in Tasmania at the end of June/early July. The trip started off quietly as we had a stupidly early flight to Melbourne and then Hobart on the Thursday morning. After a short delay in Melbourne, we finally arrived to a cold day in Hobart (4 degrees C!) although thankfully at least the sun was out. We were greeted by my sister and my nephew and she then took us on a bit of a scenic drive on the way to their home in New Norfolk. South Australia is definitely a very flat place to live in comparison as we had beautiful mountain views during the whole drive, and the Derwent River was absolutely gorgeous (puts the Murray to shame). We had a quiet day and night apart from playing with my niece and nephew, since we were so tired after getting up at bullshit o'clock, so apart from checking out the town of New Norfolk we didn't get up to very much.
On Friday my sister kindly let Glen and I use her car so in the afternoon we took a drive into Hobart to the Cascade Brewery for a late lunch and some yummy beer. As we walked around the gardens taking photos, dark clouds started to roll in but we decided to still attempt to reach the pinnacle of Mount Wellington given we were only a short drive from there and didn't know if we would get another chance. We had been warned about the narrow and winding road but honestly, after driving around New Zealand, it was nothing to worry about. As the car made its way up the mountain, we saw more and more patches of snow and the rain really came in. We made it to the top without any problems but then proceeded to freeze our arses off as we got out of the car and dealt with the blustery winds and freezing rain. But I just had to touch some snow! For some reason that escapes me, I thought I'd be able to walk on a patch of snow without trouble and forgot that it's soft, so I managed to escape an ankle injury as my foot dropped deep into the snow and Glen and I had a laugh at my expense. Can't take me anywhere... Anyway, after a couple of very quick snaps and a quick admiration of the scenic views, we headed back down the mountain and home to warm up.
On Saturday my niece had her 5th birthday party so there were about 8 kids in total over. We had so much fun though! The kids were all great and played nicely, and we (the adults) had set up some games for them like balloon popping, pass the parcel, and the very popular pinata. The best thing about kids parties seems to be that you get the kids all hyped up and full of sugar, and then after a couple of hours their parents take them home. Win! Saturday night was a quiet one as we cleaned up after the party and watched some movies.
On Sunday morning we all piled in the car and went to the markets held at the Hobart Showgrounds. The markets themselves are fantastic and a great place for people to go who collect things, with heaps of comics and toys on sale. I somehow managed to escape there without buying any second hand books though. After that we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to Mount Field National Park, predominantly for the Russell Falls walk. It was the first time I had seen a pademelon before and we saw a total of 3 running around in the wild. It was also great to see such massive and old Australian trees in the rainforest and it was a gorgeous walk. There were a couple of other walks nearby that sounded like they'd be great, but by the time we finished seeing Russell Falls the kids were pretty tired so we headed back to the car and got home in the early evening.
Monday was our last day in Tasmania so my sister let us use her car again. This time we went to Pulpit Rock lookout which gives amazing views of the Derwent River and valley. We then headed off to Bonorong Wildlife Park, definitely my kind of trip as I love animals. We randomly picked a good time to go, too, as the keepers were feeding the Tasmanian Devils, so we got to see them eat and fight over food and other behaviour I hadn't seen before. Was very cool. By the time we got back the sun had set and it wasn't long before we went out to Glenorchy for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Before we knew it, Tuesday had arrived and we were flying back home again.
While I loved Tasmania I have to admit I've been spoiled by visiting New Zealand which was much more beautiful, but it is still a gorgeous place to live and travel. There are definitely some places I'd like to go that we didn't get a chance to during this short visit, but next time we won't be travelling in winter. It was too damn cold! Being home now I really miss my niece and nephew. I loved playing with them, getting lots of hugs, reading to them before bed and being greeted with their excited smiles and hugs in the mornings. Ah well, we will see them again soon I suppose :)
On Friday my sister kindly let Glen and I use her car so in the afternoon we took a drive into Hobart to the Cascade Brewery for a late lunch and some yummy beer. As we walked around the gardens taking photos, dark clouds started to roll in but we decided to still attempt to reach the pinnacle of Mount Wellington given we were only a short drive from there and didn't know if we would get another chance. We had been warned about the narrow and winding road but honestly, after driving around New Zealand, it was nothing to worry about. As the car made its way up the mountain, we saw more and more patches of snow and the rain really came in. We made it to the top without any problems but then proceeded to freeze our arses off as we got out of the car and dealt with the blustery winds and freezing rain. But I just had to touch some snow! For some reason that escapes me, I thought I'd be able to walk on a patch of snow without trouble and forgot that it's soft, so I managed to escape an ankle injury as my foot dropped deep into the snow and Glen and I had a laugh at my expense. Can't take me anywhere... Anyway, after a couple of very quick snaps and a quick admiration of the scenic views, we headed back down the mountain and home to warm up.
On Saturday my niece had her 5th birthday party so there were about 8 kids in total over. We had so much fun though! The kids were all great and played nicely, and we (the adults) had set up some games for them like balloon popping, pass the parcel, and the very popular pinata. The best thing about kids parties seems to be that you get the kids all hyped up and full of sugar, and then after a couple of hours their parents take them home. Win! Saturday night was a quiet one as we cleaned up after the party and watched some movies.
On Sunday morning we all piled in the car and went to the markets held at the Hobart Showgrounds. The markets themselves are fantastic and a great place for people to go who collect things, with heaps of comics and toys on sale. I somehow managed to escape there without buying any second hand books though. After that we grabbed a quick lunch and then headed off to Mount Field National Park, predominantly for the Russell Falls walk. It was the first time I had seen a pademelon before and we saw a total of 3 running around in the wild. It was also great to see such massive and old Australian trees in the rainforest and it was a gorgeous walk. There were a couple of other walks nearby that sounded like they'd be great, but by the time we finished seeing Russell Falls the kids were pretty tired so we headed back to the car and got home in the early evening.
Monday was our last day in Tasmania so my sister let us use her car again. This time we went to Pulpit Rock lookout which gives amazing views of the Derwent River and valley. We then headed off to Bonorong Wildlife Park, definitely my kind of trip as I love animals. We randomly picked a good time to go, too, as the keepers were feeding the Tasmanian Devils, so we got to see them eat and fight over food and other behaviour I hadn't seen before. Was very cool. By the time we got back the sun had set and it wasn't long before we went out to Glenorchy for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Before we knew it, Tuesday had arrived and we were flying back home again.
While I loved Tasmania I have to admit I've been spoiled by visiting New Zealand which was much more beautiful, but it is still a gorgeous place to live and travel. There are definitely some places I'd like to go that we didn't get a chance to during this short visit, but next time we won't be travelling in winter. It was too damn cold! Being home now I really miss my niece and nephew. I loved playing with them, getting lots of hugs, reading to them before bed and being greeted with their excited smiles and hugs in the mornings. Ah well, we will see them again soon I suppose :)
Monday, June 18, 2012
Couch weekend
This past weekend, with the weather being extremely ordinary, we decided to spend most of the Sunday on the couch watching movies and catching up on TV shows. Thank goodness for the internet in these times when we're trying to save money!
On Saturday night I watched a film called Take This Waltz which was surprisingly good. I was expecting the same old formulaic romantic comedy and it refreshingly wasn't. Michelle Williams was the main character and she was fantastic. As the audience, I was able to feel everything her character was feeling simply by her expressions. When she smiled, she really made you feel her happiness, and when she was melancholy you started to feel that way too. I don't remember her having that impact on me in her other roles so I'm thinking it was the way she played the character so well, even when the character is sometimes unlikeable. Was a surprisingly good film, although probably one only the female audience will enjoy (although there is a delightfully raunchy sex scene ans some full frontal nudity for the male viewers!).
On Sunday Glen and I finally watched Snowtown. I loved this movie and highly recommend people see it. It isn't a gory serial killer movie, but instead it looks at the psychology of the killers and, in particular, Jamie Vlassakis's upbringing. It is actually really sad. Such a great movie, can't recommend it enough.
The other film we watched on Sunday was the Ridley Scott Robin Hood. It was a bit 'meh' although I'm not sure if it's because we'd just finished watching a fantastic movie, or if it was just a little ordinary. Wasn't crap, but not a keeper.
All in all, a nice relaxing weekend. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else has seen Snowtown though, and if so, what you thought of it.
On Saturday night I watched a film called Take This Waltz which was surprisingly good. I was expecting the same old formulaic romantic comedy and it refreshingly wasn't. Michelle Williams was the main character and she was fantastic. As the audience, I was able to feel everything her character was feeling simply by her expressions. When she smiled, she really made you feel her happiness, and when she was melancholy you started to feel that way too. I don't remember her having that impact on me in her other roles so I'm thinking it was the way she played the character so well, even when the character is sometimes unlikeable. Was a surprisingly good film, although probably one only the female audience will enjoy (although there is a delightfully raunchy sex scene ans some full frontal nudity for the male viewers!).
On Sunday Glen and I finally watched Snowtown. I loved this movie and highly recommend people see it. It isn't a gory serial killer movie, but instead it looks at the psychology of the killers and, in particular, Jamie Vlassakis's upbringing. It is actually really sad. Such a great movie, can't recommend it enough.
The other film we watched on Sunday was the Ridley Scott Robin Hood. It was a bit 'meh' although I'm not sure if it's because we'd just finished watching a fantastic movie, or if it was just a little ordinary. Wasn't crap, but not a keeper.
All in all, a nice relaxing weekend. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else has seen Snowtown though, and if so, what you thought of it.
Friday, June 15, 2012
I'm a reading machine
I seem to have finished a lot of books lately. It probably helps that they were all really short, but still, it feels nice to get through a few books quickly. This month so far has seen a lot of non-fiction which is a bit unusual for me. I don't mind non-fiction, but I usually find that after reading one, I can't wait to sink my teeth back into some good fiction to lose myself in.
I started off the month reading True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris by Lucinda Holdforth which would have made a fantastic documentary series. She basically visited key sites in the lives of many famous women in Paris throughout history. The most interesting parts I found in the book were where she was talking about Napoleon and Josephine, and she quoted some of Napoleon's love letters. Wow!! Those letters were amazing. Love letters like that are definitely a lost art. So it got me interested in reading more about Napoleon, someone I haven't read about since high school's Modern European History.
I then moved onto another non-fiction book called A Leg to Stand On by Oliver Sacks, probably best known for writing Awakenings. It was a bit too intellectual for me to be honest. He turned his knee injury into something far more philosophical and most of the time I had no idea what I was reading. I'm sure the more intellectual of my work book club will have much more insightful observations on the book.
After frying my brain on that, I thought I'd return to some fiction so read The Rest of the Robots by Isaac Asimov. This was the first Asimov book I'd actually read despite meaning to for quite some time. It was fantastic. I really, really love the way he writes and have been raving about this book on Facebook already so won't repeat myself too much. But honestly, so well written and written in a style that will never date. Loved it.
I'm now halfway through Adelaide by Kerryn Goldsworthy, probably only of interest to those who grew up or live here because it goes through the city's history, key historical figures and some spots around the city that bring with them some nostalgic moments. I'm enjoying it as a trip down memory lane and also for learning some more about my own city, but limited readership obviously.
Karen has loaned me a book on Napoleon for my next read. Looks like more non-fiction for the time being!
I started off the month reading True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris by Lucinda Holdforth which would have made a fantastic documentary series. She basically visited key sites in the lives of many famous women in Paris throughout history. The most interesting parts I found in the book were where she was talking about Napoleon and Josephine, and she quoted some of Napoleon's love letters. Wow!! Those letters were amazing. Love letters like that are definitely a lost art. So it got me interested in reading more about Napoleon, someone I haven't read about since high school's Modern European History.
I then moved onto another non-fiction book called A Leg to Stand On by Oliver Sacks, probably best known for writing Awakenings. It was a bit too intellectual for me to be honest. He turned his knee injury into something far more philosophical and most of the time I had no idea what I was reading. I'm sure the more intellectual of my work book club will have much more insightful observations on the book.
After frying my brain on that, I thought I'd return to some fiction so read The Rest of the Robots by Isaac Asimov. This was the first Asimov book I'd actually read despite meaning to for quite some time. It was fantastic. I really, really love the way he writes and have been raving about this book on Facebook already so won't repeat myself too much. But honestly, so well written and written in a style that will never date. Loved it.
I'm now halfway through Adelaide by Kerryn Goldsworthy, probably only of interest to those who grew up or live here because it goes through the city's history, key historical figures and some spots around the city that bring with them some nostalgic moments. I'm enjoying it as a trip down memory lane and also for learning some more about my own city, but limited readership obviously.
Karen has loaned me a book on Napoleon for my next read. Looks like more non-fiction for the time being!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Books, writing and gaming
Well again I'm not too sure where the last three weeks have gone. This time though I haven't been doing much exciting because Uni finishes on June 8th and I have had assignments to work on (and looks like that's all I'll be doing for the next two weeks too). I've had to write and submit another short story which I'm super happy I got another High Distinction for, and am hoping my final story due next Friday also ends up with a good grade. It's so nice to be able to write and I guess I'm not too bad at it after all which is nice. Next step is to try and get published somewhere I guess!
The long bus trips mean I still have time to read and I recently borrowed and finished a couple of books from the library. I recently read Three Dollars by Elliot Perlman which I really enjoyed, and Play Abandoned by Garry Disher which, although well written, I didn't think was that great. I think I just find it difficult to get into a story when there isn't a single character I like.
Glen and I are also frantically trying to use up some free movie tickets we got for Christmas which expire on June 30 so we've recently been to see The Avengers (which I LOVED) and Dark Shadows, which was better than I thought it would be.
And my free time is very limited at the moment which is killing me because Diablo 3 has finally been released and I have only been able to play a little bit of it! Looking forward to the end of semester so I can sink many, many hours into it lol.
Hmm I think that's pretty much been it aside from a quiet Mother's Day with the family, not that it matters as I think my readership has dried up!
The long bus trips mean I still have time to read and I recently borrowed and finished a couple of books from the library. I recently read Three Dollars by Elliot Perlman which I really enjoyed, and Play Abandoned by Garry Disher which, although well written, I didn't think was that great. I think I just find it difficult to get into a story when there isn't a single character I like.
Glen and I are also frantically trying to use up some free movie tickets we got for Christmas which expire on June 30 so we've recently been to see The Avengers (which I LOVED) and Dark Shadows, which was better than I thought it would be.
And my free time is very limited at the moment which is killing me because Diablo 3 has finally been released and I have only been able to play a little bit of it! Looking forward to the end of semester so I can sink many, many hours into it lol.
Hmm I think that's pretty much been it aside from a quiet Mother's Day with the family, not that it matters as I think my readership has dried up!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Non-stop madness
Wow it has been a busy 3 weeks since my last update! A quick run down of what's been going on follows.
First off my sister and her family visited for 5 days at the end of April. It was so fantastic to see them all! My niece and nephew were, ofcourse, gorgeous, and I absolutely loved all the hugs I got from them and getting the chance to play with them again. They had quite a few people they wanted to catch up with though, so I only really got to spend Friday and Monday with them, and before we knew it Wednesday morning had rolled around and they were headed back to Tasmania. In that time though I got to take them to the park, have a 'party' with them, read to them, paint their nails and play a whole lot. And, as I mentioned, get awesome hugs! Was so fantastic to see them :) Glen and I will be going over to visit them on Jun 28th for a few days so I'm looking forward to that already.
Since they left my studies have gotten crazy busy again since the end of semester is only 4 weeks away (eek!) so not much free time at the moment. Glen and I went to see a couple of live podcast recordings both of which were fantastic and hilarious! Kevin Smith came to town and seeing as I love his movies and have been listening to lots of his podcasts for a while now I didn't want to miss him coming to Adelaide for once. So the night started off with him and Scott Mosier doing Smodcast, and then him and Jason Mewes doing Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. Loved, loved, loved the night!
The other thing that's been happening is we've had my aunt and uncle from QLD staying with us since 3rd of May and they leave this afternoon. They were here for my Grandma's 86th birthday so Gran was very happy to see them and we went out to lunch as a family to celebrate (well, all except Dad but that's another story).
I think that's been about it really! At the moment work is crazy busy so that makes the days fly, and at nights I'm trying to get my homework done. At the moment I'm in the midst of writing my next short story. I was heaps happy because my first one, the fairytale adaptation, earned me a High Distinction so I hope I do well in this next story too :)
First off my sister and her family visited for 5 days at the end of April. It was so fantastic to see them all! My niece and nephew were, ofcourse, gorgeous, and I absolutely loved all the hugs I got from them and getting the chance to play with them again. They had quite a few people they wanted to catch up with though, so I only really got to spend Friday and Monday with them, and before we knew it Wednesday morning had rolled around and they were headed back to Tasmania. In that time though I got to take them to the park, have a 'party' with them, read to them, paint their nails and play a whole lot. And, as I mentioned, get awesome hugs! Was so fantastic to see them :) Glen and I will be going over to visit them on Jun 28th for a few days so I'm looking forward to that already.
Since they left my studies have gotten crazy busy again since the end of semester is only 4 weeks away (eek!) so not much free time at the moment. Glen and I went to see a couple of live podcast recordings both of which were fantastic and hilarious! Kevin Smith came to town and seeing as I love his movies and have been listening to lots of his podcasts for a while now I didn't want to miss him coming to Adelaide for once. So the night started off with him and Scott Mosier doing Smodcast, and then him and Jason Mewes doing Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. Loved, loved, loved the night!
The other thing that's been happening is we've had my aunt and uncle from QLD staying with us since 3rd of May and they leave this afternoon. They were here for my Grandma's 86th birthday so Gran was very happy to see them and we went out to lunch as a family to celebrate (well, all except Dad but that's another story).
I think that's been about it really! At the moment work is crazy busy so that makes the days fly, and at nights I'm trying to get my homework done. At the moment I'm in the midst of writing my next short story. I was heaps happy because my first one, the fairytale adaptation, earned me a High Distinction so I hope I do well in this next story too :)
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