Well it's after midnight, and i can't sleep.

Found this recipe today, and am itching to try it:

Lemongrass and Prawn Broth

1 Stalk of lemongrass, peeled, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
5 green prawns, peeled and de-veined
2 cups chicken stock
100g rice stick noodles
Pinch of salt and pepper
Olive oil
Thinly sliced red chilli and basil leaves to garnish

1. Combine the lemongrass, garlic, salt, chilli and parsley and rub over prawns.

2. Pre-heat a char-grill pan on medium high. Add prawns and drizzle with oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side.

3. Bring the chicken stock to boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the noodles and prawns. Simmer for 2 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into a bowl, top with red chilli and basil leaves.


Sounds like Pho-y goodness! Yum.

First day back at the gym today since some time ago in may. Went to a pilates class with my mum, then hung around and did some cycling and weights, to kill time before my mum's 'personal training' session.... sheesh.  She's taking this more seriously than i am... considering that i am currently sitting infront of this computer eating a breakfast of skittles and jelly beans in the afternoon. 
Stupid gym had not been taking their cut of my hard earnings for about 2 months, so to get in today i had to backpay it all.  Bah.

Well i have been sucked in by the face book addiction....

I got me a vibrating hamster.

Alright!

Saturday:

*   Buy the 4 white wooden cubes i saw @  $15.88 (reduced from $50) per cube
*   Buy more grout and bisazza glass tiles
*   Sand back each cube to mosaic in bold colours
*   Assemble to form a giant rubics cube for storage made up of 4 separate cubes

I hope it works....

Now, back to bed.

(why is it you always get your best ideas when falling asleep?)

I really want a puppy. So i can abuse it with giggles and schmooz.
(fractured sense of dignity optional....)

What a week.  It has been interesting, busy, tiring, and crap.

Long hours recovering departments after the toy sale which pulled $15m nationally on the first day (last Thursday).  So i've had the long task of re-building my kid's and adult's fashion departments that were dismantled to accommodate all toys, with a fashion launch starting next week.  Bah.  Tuesday saw me very much on the green side of things, with a drugged-up chick defecating in a fitting room cubical, then wiping her arse with the curtains (YES, it *does* happen).
I drew the short straw, and had to get the cleaners extendible dust-pan and re-name it the pooper scooper.  Meanwhile, the smell permeating from it, causing me to throw up in my dusk mask before i could whip it off.  So, even more mess to clean up.  I mean the sight alone was enough to make me gag (green, with clumps of blood, and a massive solid mass).   There was no way this could have come out of something living... but au contraire.
Half a can of air freshener, a full bottle of disinfectant and boiling water splashed all over, curtains removed, and oneself cleaned up but still slightly shaken, a trip down to Dusk (that nice smelling darkened candle shop) to get the smell out of my head later, resumed the a fore mentioned duties.

And so my week continues.

I suppose it that literally brings new meaning to having a "shit day". 

I wouldn't wish that on anyone.


On that note, i leave you with a pleasant image...

Wow. 

It's begining to feel like party week now.  we've done the grocery shopping for nibblies, and i have put together a small menu of warm finger foods.  I have hired a helium gas tank for 100 balloons, and bought an assortment of other balloons to fill the back room with (and i mean FILL). Tor and Marcus picked up and started preparing the materials for the awning we are building for warmth and comfort.  Couches have been rescued from the side of the road for ample comfortable seating.  Pallets have been eyed off for burning.  General house cleaning has begun, and to-do lists flood the house.  First completed mosaic awaits grouting after i finish this entry.  The lawn has been mowed, and missing machette has been located without the loss of limbs. 
I'd send out SMS reminders about the party, but i have been barred for not paying my bill, and can't be arsed paying the re-connection fee yet (stretching the budget).  The fruit punch is awaiting assembly. 
Alcohol is still needed to be bought.  There will be fruit punch that packs a punch.

So, please, join us in general rucus and shinanigans for this saturday night!  All welcome!  If you need location details, just holler.

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

DON'T FORGET OUR 777 PARTY

When:   7th July, 2007
               7pm onwards.
Where:  Our place.  And if you're lucky, there may be added protection from the weather, if we can build a simple structure out the back.
               (Transcripts of said discussion to follow at a later date)

Why: Because it's been ages since our last party, and it seems like a good idea for drinking and catching up. And 7's a lucky number.

One request is to come bearing a packet of fortune cookies, and a couple of packets of sparklers.  I think there's plans to build something out of sparklers and then set it alight.
I don't know what the fortune cookies are for...
But i am filling a spare room with inflated balloons, just for the sake of it.
And there will be poker.

Y'all invited.
Let me know if u are interested and/or require details.

Well, i took on and off attempts all day, but i got all functional things in my manager's office shrink wrapped.  Including all her pens.





The cupboard, not in any shot, has slowly been filling with bean-bag balls with the door closed all day, pouring down from the shelf inside, and is estimated to be sitting at about knee height.

I turned the computer off, so it would all be OH&S. I hope shrink wrap is not expensive.  Because i used a lot.

I also put a sign on the staff entry: 'In my persepective, it's all black and white, really'....

As i predicted (according to my scientific calculations...) this *IS* war.

After having friday off work, as i am working the weekend, i came to work and was greeted with this sight...  (the cleaner almost cried when he saw it)

following a note on the  staff entry door: "It's really cold, don't forget your jacket." (Which i was a little confused about and thought it was just some innocent friendly advice!


 

That shrink wrapped contraption is my filing cabinet... with an invoice.




NOW!  Revenge is scheduled for tomorrow.  I have a great plan of putting all the bean-bag balls into the top shelf of Tracey's (Store manager's) cupboard (she's a shorty). Blocking that off with witches cones, to attract attention and when she opens the door, the wind rush sends balls flying everywhere.  Before she reaches this point, she will have been stunned my EVERY SINGLE LARGE OBJECT in her office being shrink wrapped, AND her office being re-arranged (Although i'm thinking of holding off on that incase i need more ammo for another day).  I'm talking computer, computer chair, desk, lounge, phone, store mobile phone, her office door, being shrink wrapped. 

I am lucky to get away with this, as my retaliation was very well received by Tracey, but unknowing staff on friday morning were a little shocked with what they saw walking past her office.  She told me today that she left the toilet paper up and worked in it for the morning, but got annoyed when people kept grabbing pieces to blow their noses with....

I will take photos of my efforts tomorrow. Stay tuned for the results!

Till then, fluffy and i are signing off.

(i'm a little excited about this... i love a good practical joke!)

Last night at work, i forgot to delegate another member of management to close the computer system, which logs off each day our final cash figures and the likes. It's usually done routinely by another member of management who went home and didn't bother to do it. So of course because i was the senior member on last night, it was muy fault blah blah blah. It's really no biggie, because after a certain time, the system closes itself, to ensure yesterday's figures do not roll onto today's figures. But all the big wig managers kick up the biggest stink about such matters. And so this was passed down to me. I got text messages throughout the day from my store manager, constant phone calls, and any time we were in conversation, she would verbally remind me, all in good jest, to close the system tonight. Then before she left for the evening, she left me a reminder on my desk.



So in return, once the system was closed, i decorated her office... due to time constraints, i'm not overly happy with the limited degree of toilet papering result. It this was done properly, it would have been impossible for her to enter her office.



Stay tuned incase this turns into war...

26 April 1980

Your date of conception was on or about 4 August 1979 which was a Saturday.

You were born on a Saturday
under the astrological sign Taurus.
Your Life path number is 3.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 2, 5 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 7, 8 & 22.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2444355.5.
The golden number for 1980 is 5.
The epact number for 1980 is 13.
The year 1980 was a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/16/1980 and ending 2/4/1981.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Monkey.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Beaver; your plant is Wild Clover.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Epipy, the third month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 10 Iyyar 5740.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 11 Iyyar 5740.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.6.15.11 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 6 tun 15 uinal 11 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Saturday, 10 Jumadiyu'th-Thani 1400 (1400-6-10).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 6 April 1980.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 6 April 1980.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 20 February 1980.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 25 May 1980.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 1 June 1980.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Thursday, 11 September 1980.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 1 April 1980.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 19 February 1980.

As of 6/7/2007 7:40:50 AM EDT
You are 27 years old.
You are 326 months old.
You are 1,415 weeks old.
You are 9,903 days old.
You are 237,679 hours old.
You are 14,260,780 minutes old.
You are 855,646,850 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Jon Lee (1982) Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins (1970) Kane (1967)
Jet Li (1963) Michael Damian (1962) Bobby Rydell (1942)
Duane Eddy (1938) Carol Burnett (1933) I.M. Pei (1917)
John James Audubon (1785)

Top songs of 1980
Lady by Kenny Rogers Upside Down by Diana Ross
Call Me by Blondie Starting Over by John Lennon
Another Brick In the Wall by Pink Floyd Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
Rock with You by Michael Jackson Magic by Olivia Newton-John
Funkytown by Lipps, Inc. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.87592954990215 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!)

There are 324 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 28 candles.

Those 28 candles produce 28 BTUs,
or 7,056 calories of heat (that's only 7.0560 food Calories!) .
You can boil 3.20 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1980 there were approximately 3.6 million births in the US.
In 1980 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile.
In 1980 in the US there were 2,406,708 marriages (10.6%) and 1,182,000 divorces (5.2%)
In 1980 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1980 the population of Australia was approximately 14,807,370.
In 1980 there were approximately 225,527 births in Australia.
In 1980 in Australia there were approximately 109,240 marriages and 39,257 divorces.
In 1980 in Australia there were approximately 108,695 deaths.


Your birthstone is Diamond

The Mystical properties of Diamond

Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire


Your birth tree is

Walnut Tree, the Passion

Unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egoistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromises.


There are 201 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 214 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing gibbous.

Nibbler is quite a graceful cat. Always well groomed. Doesn't require nor appreciate pats or human contact except on her terms. Will be the first to scratch your eyes out if she doesn't like you touching her. But always well groomed.






But i just looked out the kitchen window and saw this...




There were bits hanging off her too. It's funny when cats get caught in spider webs. And the webs get suspended between their ears, like an animated electrical signal buzzing between the two. It was funny when Nibbler walked into the house with this scenario, and the web continued trailing down her back. Attached to the end of it, about 2 body lengths behind, was a small spider hanging on for dear life while Nib's made a bee line for the cat food! Hillarious.

Well, i'm feeling better now.  Went out to dinner at Parramatta last night, starting off at Montezume's Mexican Restaurant, then finding our way via destroying the shoe department in Myer (literally, we left no shoe unturned, AND played up to the sales assistant that we were both after beige comfort shoes like that of a lawn bowl shoe, or Berkinstock (?) and tried to go as granny as their stock range would allow, without laughing) up to Max Brennan's Chocolate House.  This place serves nothing but chocolate inspired dishes.  Kinda like Death by Chocolate, but no certificate at the end, and MUCH better quality. 

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmeh!

Tuesday i doshed out $500 for a brand new carburetor for the Bug.  Took both the car and the carby into get it fitted yesterday, only to be told that i'd purchased the wrong one.  I had a twin barrel webber carby, 34 pict (?) <-- apparently this makes me sound like i *actually* know WTF i'm going on about... and i had purchased a single barrel one. 
Long story short, the original carby is rare and i can't replace it, so i had to fork out another $366 to buy the appropriate gasket and manifold and air filter to accommodate the much needed new carby.  Tomorrow i have to part with another $130 for them to install it. 
At least my car will be more fuel efficient and run smoother, and i needed to replace this sooner or later.

On tuesday i got served with papers from lawyers regarding my accident way back last november.  He's sueing me for $18,000.  $11,000 for hire car charges, $6,500 for repairs, and then some admin fees. 
So anyhoo, the past has been dredged back up, just as i jinxed myself for thinking to myself 'Wow, haven't heard any more on this .... let's assume everything's AOK.'  Faxed papers off the insurance company, but just have this dreaded feeling that something, somewhere will not go as planned.... and i'll end up in court.  Touch wood.

Also.  The giraffe charm broke off my phone. AND i broke a nail.  Double crap.

Today is a Shit Day.

More later when hindsight kicks in and makes it seem not so Shit.

<Insert Buddhism Here>

WELL!

The boys have FINALLY headed off on their much anticipated trip up the coast to some grass festival.  They drove off at 9.30pm.

To sum the night up, they tried to leave.  But then while sitting in their mobile home they hired, eager to go, i had to break the news to them that Tor had just jumped in the shower, and hasn't yet packed (even though he had the entire day off work), and Marcus was sitting glued to a chat room like a teenager.  I suggested they turn the engine off.  I removed myself from the house for a while, heard a lot of stomping and clattering, and sat outside for probably a good 40 mins.
Then once they thought they had their act together, had photos infront of the bus, almost got everyone in and were on their way, they then ran off to collect various forgotten things.  
I don't know how serious they were about driving back to someone's house to collect ashtrays (????)...

But i can safely say (*runs to front window and peers out*) they are no longer sitting infront of this house!

Hurrah for boys planning stuff!

http://www.toiletmap.gov.au/

found this site looking up where Berambing is....

What a day.

Morning started cleaning the fish tank.  Then as i was about to leave to go to work, Tor called and said that there was a black and white cat in the gutter on the main road, and that it may be Nibbler. I dropped the phone and ran up, to find Buckwheat stone cold. Buckwheat was my neighbour's cat. He was the equivalent of Gerald, the one eyebrowed baby that's arch nemesis to maggie on The Simpsons.  we occasionally fed him, and i had very much a soft spot for him.  He was about a year old.  That was still sad.  I had to fend cars off from running over him (more).  Ran back to my house to get a towel to pick him up off the road.  Picked him up and offered to bury him, but the 'Owners' said they'd do it.
It's the 4th cat they've lost in about 3 years. They named them all Sam. Nibbler was originally theirs, but they fucked her off when she was a kitten, so i claimed her.  The other 2 got ran over.  I think it should be illegal for such irresponsible and serial animal killers to be able to own animals of any sort (except fish, that's trial and error really...).
They didn't really give a shit that Buckwheat was dead.  He was a character.

Then at work i had the cops called to the store by irate customers that i was following through the store because i didn't trust that they were intending to pay for the pram that they placed their kid in.  They swore at me and are apparently going to take the matter of me 'accusing them of stealing' further.  It felt good not to retaliate to their fowl language and behaviour, and let them make absolute fools of themselves in front of a store full of people.  It was kind of funny when they wanted to talk to a senior manager, and i turned up.  But purple hair is bad at work - easily recognisable and describable.