It's late....

...and I am tired...

I have been knitting and watching Pride and Prejudice (the 1995 BBC version that started Darcymania as well as re-popularised Jane Austen) and am somewhat surprised (and slightly unnerved) that I can actually pay attention to my knitting (only 4 mistakes tonight! lol) and not have to look at the screen to know exactly what is going on.

Do you think that perhaps I have seen it a few too many times???

Work was busy and there were no students. Perfect :)

They will be back tomorrow. But I won't! It's my day off!! What a great way to start the week!

I had better go to bed so that I can enjoy it as mucha s possible...

Goodnight!

xx J.

Work

Yes, it's that four-letter word again...

Tomorrow it's back to alarms, routines and actually paying attention to said alarms and routines.

So, today, I did those few little things that I could no longer put off until another day...

• planted the poor pot-bound hydrangea that's been sitting by the back door all January (kris kringle present from work)
• folded a mountain of washing
• cleaned up the kitchen COMPLETELY
• decluttered half the dining table
• vacuumed the carpets (actually I HAVE done this a few times these holidays - just not last week...)

I still need to mop the floors and mow (again *sigh*. Does it never end???) but apparently doing puzzles with small child is more important...lol

I have done lunches though - so there's one bit of routine I am following already.

TG is asleep in her bed rather than mine - so there's another... lol

And I am about to head off to bed - only 15 minutes late :O - wonder how long that will last.... lol

BTW - just a short note - DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT watch Top Gear and attempt to knit a complicated (or even uncomplicated) lace pattern correctly at the same time. I do not think it is possible. It certainly wasn't tonight.... but I fudged it and it looks alright. And Top Gear was very very funny :) So all is well...

xx J.

It's over...

Well, the tennis is now over - and WHAT a finish! Some great new players coming up...

Yes, I will shut up about the tennis now. You know, I'm not really as obsessed as I sound... :)

I managed to get another repeat of the pattern done on my stole - I will take a photo in sunlight tomorrow and post it.

So now I am back to watching Stargate - I am up to season 3. I had forgotten I missed most of the first few seasons of it. Although I will probably go slow on them as I can't knit this pattern and watch at the same time - not without making zillions of mistakes anyway! Might have to listen to music instead.

After Top Gear of course - it's still my first love... lol


xx J.

What the...????

Roger is out of the Australian Open. :O

Oh no.

Who am I going to barrack for now?????

Will TG learn to say GO JO or GO NOVAK???

We shall just have to wait and see...

In other news...

I have been knitting again... I am hoping to get this stole finished in time for my sister's wedding. I think I might be on the losing side with that one too. But I will persevere...


The pattern is by Carrie Griffin and is called Alice's Cheshire Cat Stole. Bear in mind that it is, of course, unblocked - and you will (hopefully) see a lot more of the pattern soon. Yarn is "Moonlight" 2pl merino mohair from The Knittery. ( A good place for lovely yarn and needles...)

I also picked up one of these great magnetic doodads - just LOVE it!


TG is much better today - still has a temp on and off but is talking so can't be all that bad...lol... We went out for breakfast and she told me everything that was happening outside in the street (including the colours of the cars going past). Very Loudly. Thank goodness she is cute is all I can say...

Oh. My. Goodness.

It may have become evident to some of you that I enjoy watching the odd spot of tennis...

I think it just went up a notch... Tsonga def. Nadal in straight sets???? Has that happened before????

What a great match.

And it ended nicely just before 10pm so I can even go to bed on time!!!!

I had better get used to that though - work starts again on Tuesday... yes, that horrible 4-letter word rears its ugly head... :) I have already been in twice to get a few things done - I even tidied my desk today! But I categorically refuse to go near the place again until I absolutely have to.... :p

I seem to be getting better thank goodness. Tg, however, seems to have picked something up. Mind you she is a resilient little thing. One moment she was fast asleep on the floor (after a temp spike and some Panadol) and the next she was eagerly tucking into my chips :O Just shows that chips have magical properties. I always knew they were special...

xx J.

Now I've seen everything!!! :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear sister..........
Happy Birthday to you!

Happy 30th birthday sis - hope you had a great day!

xx J & TG.

Tennis

Well, twice in one day!! you will all be sick of me...

Have just finished watching the marathon 5-setter between Roger Federer and Janko Tipsarevic. It was an AMAZING match. There were moments it was so close that I couldn't even look! It went for 4 hours and 27 minutes so they were playing from 5 pm and finished at 9.30 (ish). Now the 7.30 pm night matches are on. It's going to be a loooooong night at Rod Laver Arena....

Roger eventually won (but kudos to the other guy - it could have gone either way) so all is now right with the world... :) TG was allowed to stay up a little and watch with me. I taught her how to say "Go, Roger!" and she even said it a few times off her own bat. What a quick learner... :)

Still coughing and spluttering, but slightly better...

...but had better head off to bed before I get worse...

note to self...

When one has cough one should go to bed early. One should under no circumstances go out to dinner and talk and then stay up until midnight when one comes home.

Especially if one has responsibility for small child.

Small child will wake one up at 7.30 demanding cuddles and breakfast.... :P

Cough

*splutter*

*splutter*

*cough* *cough*

...your regular programming will be returning shortly...

BIG RIG!

We have an oil rig in our port. It's attached to the breakwater which means lots of fishermen have had to go elsewhere. Mind you, it has been reported that htey are catching bigger fish so I don't think everyone is complaining! It will be here for the next month or so at least while they refurbish the galley and quarters and do safety checks.

And it is HUGE. This photo doesn't really do the size justice so you'll just have to take my word for it.

We went yesterday to have a nother look at it and so I could take some photos. It is well within sight of most of the town (which gives you another idea of how big it is!) including the playground. So, of course, TG had some fun too.



xx J.

mowing....

I would just like to point out that I HATE MOWING. I love a nice garden but since I am not very good at it I very rarely have a nice one myself. I can even kill mint. Although the climbing geranium is proving a bit more of a challenge.

So, when a friend arrived with petrol and a trimmer I knew what I had to do... I had to get out there and MOW. Cause I sure was NOT going to weed.... lol. So I mowed the whole garden. All my friend did was cut down trees... sheesh... lol (And what a good friend she is too!)

While it does not look as good as a professional job (the trimmer decided not to start) it's still an amazing improvement on what it was. And we even found a rose. Hopefully it might even survive. I might have to learn how to prune...

And the crowning glory?? When TG came home she said "Oh, the man has come to do the mowing!!!" It took a while to convince her that it was actually her mother... Just goes to prove to you all that mowing really isn't my thing.

xx J.

Changes

Regular readers to my blog may have noticed a slight change today.... Yes, I have gone away from the more usual PINK!

A certain acquaintance (yes, you know who you are, Cameron!) refuses to read my blog with the excuse that the pink makes his eyes bleed (or his brain, I can't remember which!)

So, in the interests of gaining another blog reader... maybe - he does have a mind of his own after all, as his wife and children can attest! - I have altered my template.

And a change is as good as a holiday....

xx J.

A day at home...

And my child wonders why I wouldn't go out today....

You too can do Manly things....

I fixed my kitchen tap.

Yes, me.

It has been leaking for ages and when the plumber came to fix my blocked kitchen exit pipe just before Christmas (it was a looooong job and will be expensive. I am NOT looking forward to that particular invoice!) he told me how to fix it. So today I went to the local plumbing suppliers, bought a tap/outlet/whatever, took the old one off and then put the new one on. (Yes, I did remember to use Teflon tape!) And it doesn't leak.

Woohoo!!!!!

So, to celebrate, I went off to a friend's place this evening to use my new-found plumbing skills to fix some leaking poly pipe. By replacing it.

Unfortunately, all the enthusiasm in the world does not make up for a rusted and obsolete too-small connection. *SIGH*

Thankfully we were able to patch (mostly) the old poly pipe and get it all back together without getting too wet. And with it only coming off twice....

BTW, I ran into an old student while I was at the plumbing shop. He said "Hello Miss". LOL. I don't think I have seen him for at least 3 years. So very funny when they go back into student mode...

Busy day

Took TG to the naturopath today. A long trip in the car on a hot day (not to mention a lot of money) to be told that "there is most likely an imbalance of bacteria in the bowel. Give her these supplements and take her off dairy..."

Hmmmmm..........

Oh well, it may just work...

Let's hope so anyway.

Because chocolate is hard to give up....lol

After the naturopath we went off shopping! Stamper markers went down very well, as did a new car seat. Yes, TG is now going into a booster seat. We chose a pink one - yes, I know that it will get grubby in about 5 seconds flat, but a) she loved it, b) it will wash and c) the dark one was velour and very UGLY!

I also bought some clothes, some Christmas ornaments some scrapping bits and pieces and the new DVD of TOP GEAR!!!!! Woohooo, I am very much going to enjoy watching Jeremy Clarkson sink his Toyboata over and over again. The look of shock on his face in that challenge is priceless. (If you have no idea what I am talking about check out SBS at 7.30pm on a Monday. Irreverent, funny and fast cars. What else do you need?????)

Have also recently been 'flying' a bit with the Vic FLYladies!!! And I have even been getting things done! To my great surprise I have a tidy lounge and a clear sink and I have even folded some washing! (Shhhh, don't tell my mum!!!! She'll expect me to do it at her place too..... :) )

xx J.

SUFM photos

As you can see she had a GREAT time!!!! Thanks SUFM!!!

xx J.

random photos

Just a couple of photos to keep you going... :)

xx J.

Happy New Year!!

Well, I know what you are all saying - where HAVE you been???????

Sadly, nowhere much.... but I have been playing on Facebook rather than posting.... :O

But never fear - I am now back with a vengeance!

I have also been invited to Ravelry and have posted a few bits and pieces there. It is a a great site to display knitting and crochet projects (and get inspired to add even more to one's stash!) They are still only accepting additions to the waitlist at the moment but feel free to go check it out!

TG and I have spent a nice quiet (but HOT!) New Year with some friends. We jumped on the back of the ute and headed up to the hills to watch the town fireworks. They were VERY far away but it was still a lot of fun.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a New Year. I look forward to sharing a little bit of my life and librarianness with you this year!

xx J.