Thursday Thirteen

Because I have no ideas of my own, here are thirteen (multiplied by 3 minus one) recent faves from other Flickr photographers. (And because I couldn't blog this straight from Flickr - don't know why - you'll have to go to my photostream to see who the pics all belong to.)

 

Last night....

My brother's birthday, so we all went to a little Italian restaurant/pizza joint near their place. Good food and plenty of it. I decided to have pizza and have the half I didn't eat in the fridge here for lunch :)
It was a bloody noisy place though - one of those places where the sound just bounces off the walls, getting louder and louder. I really don't like that. It really gets to me after a while. So I stood up and said "I'm going outside for a smoke." Outside I went. Peace and quiet. Georgia came charging out, "What are you doing!?" "Having a smoke" I said and popped a piece of gum into my mouth.
I just had to escape the noise.
After dinner we went back to Pete and Denise's for coffee and cake.
Pleasant.

Yesterday....

Clare has started her new uni course in the city. She doesn't finish till 9pm on Tuesdays so I've agreed to pick up Georgia from her school and babysit her till her mum gets home. (which was about 10:30 last night.)
We went for a stroll along the river, cameras at the ready. I tried to teach George about long exposure and stuff like that. I haven't seen her pics, apart from on the cameras display, so don't know how successful the session was.



We did see a clutch (is that the right word?) of the cutest baby ducks swimming about at one stage. Very cute! They took off down the river and obviously didn't have the power to stop themselves against the current. Some of the adult ducks formed a sort of line and stopped them going too far. Kind of herded them off to where they were meant to be. Sweet.



I took heaps of river shots which will no doubt end up on Flickr over the next few days.

It's an hour's drive from here to Warburton. That's the longest smoke-free drive I've done so far. Wasn't so bad on the way out there because of the stop to pick up George and then having her to chat to. The drive home was a nightmare. It was well after 11pm by the time I left their place. Long and dark. Thank goodness for Led Zeppelin CDs!
(Note to self: Must wash car - the windscreen is filthy. Made it hard to see with oncoming headlights shining at me. Of course, due to water restrictions, cars can only be washed at a commercial car wash that uses recycled water.)

Another night out tonight too. My brother, Peter's birthday today. 51 he is. Gawd, we're all getting old. Paula will be 50 next year too. That'll just leave Clare yet to reach the half century.

Speaking of old - poor old Tash. She was really wheezing and pottering about even slower than usual last night. Made me a bit teary watching her.

Why don't we have a third arm and hand?

Because I need one.
One to hold a stack of books, one to place books from stack into space provided, one to stop other books already on the shelf falling into that space first.

And a fourth one to pick fallen books up from the floor would be handy too.

Monday morning and grumpy

I didn't sleep well at all last night. Tried reading, which usually does the trick. And it did in a way but I had to keep waking up to remove the (big hardback) book off my face, take my specs off, turn off the light. Then I'd be awake again. Toss, turn, toss. So I resorted to the television. Haha, ended up watching an episode of The Avengers at 3am. I used to love that show; the whole family would sit around and watch it together. (Which gives me an idea for T13.) God, it's corny now, especially all the highly choreographed fight scenes. Quite risque for its time though - picked up a lot of innuendos (some not so subtle either) that I obviously missed when I was a thousand years younger. I think I got some sleep after that because it was 5.30 the next time I looked. Then 7.30, which meant I had to get up. Did not want to. If there'd been any ciggies lying around I think I probably would have had one this morning. Fortunately, there weren't.
So, I'm struggling today, mainly because I'm very tired. Got that head full of cotton wool thing happening.
It's a bit chilly here today and I put a jumper on this morning. As soon as I did I thought "what's that smell?" Haha, people always say that smokers' clothes smell of cigarettes but I'd never noticed before.

We finished off the Moroccan chicken last night. Bit of a hit with the rest of the household. Of course, I'm eating way too much - going back for seconds instead of the after-dinner smoke. Will have to stop that! Come to think of it, that's probably why I couldn't sleep.

And now to work - got 75 Agatha Christies to process, price and shelve. Which means I'm going to have to rearrange the whole A-C section of crime fiction to fit them in. The trials and tribulations of bookselling. The good thing that they will sell so it won't be a wasted effort.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Protocol :: Kyoto


2. Girlfriends :: boyfriends


3. Shoulders :: arms


4. Coming home :: from work


5. Let it in :: or out


6. Honor :: has a u in it - honour


7. Tyler :: Steve


8. Thriller :: novel


9. Angela :: 's Ashes


10. The winner is :: The Saints!

from here

Sainters!

Saints won again yesterday. Beat Geelong (the team that won everything there was to win last year) by 5 points. Yeah!

Still smoke-free. Seems to be getting easier to resist now. Practice makes perfect as they say. It's still a struggle though so I'm not getting complacent or anything.

Made a big pot of Moroccan chicken last night - chicken, eggplant, zucchini, red capsicum, tomato, onion, dried apricots, raisins, pine nuts, chicken stock, garlic, black pepper, cinnamon sticks, coriander, cumin and turmeric. Cooked the onion, garlic and spices a bit first then browned the chook pieces in the spice mixture and just threw the rest in, mixed it all together then added the stock and let it simmer for an hour or so. Served with couscous. Delicious!

I think I've discovered the drawback of Nicabate gum.

Toothache.

Hahaha, I'm falling apart at the seams!

Saturday Photo Hunt

This week's theme is "wooden". Can't get much more wooden than a tree...

Made it

through day 3. Yay!

Busy fingers/Not worth reading really

I just very nearly went next door to bot (ie, get one for free) a smoke. Purely through boredom. Nothing much is happening here today and I've had enough of putting books on shelves for now. Everyone seems to be still at work or gone off travelling so there's no flow of emails to distract me either. So I'm just going to sit here and waffle about absolutely nothing just to keep my fingers busy. There is absolutely no obligation to read any further.
I added a few of my Woolomai sunsets to the Australian sunsets and sunrises group on Flickr when I got back from Phillip Island. They have a link on the front page of the group that shows the most interesting shots in the group according to a thing called flickriver. Two of mine are in there. I'm a bit chuffed by that. :)
The supermarket where I get my Nicabate has run out. Haha, I bought all they had when I saw they were running out. They better be getting more in and soon.
Crappy weather today. We had a couple of very hot days earlier in the week but, in general, it's heading towards Autumn in a hurry now. Very grey out there. :( Not that I like it hot but I do like a bit of sunshine.
G-Man dropped in for a visit yesterday, instead of the usual daily phone call. Gawd, he's so full of shit. He's quite happy to make all sorts of suggestions and promises but if I even hint at calling his bluff he suddenly has to rush back to work. Don't start if you're not going to finish, matey.


The pic is from a trip we did around Tasmania - sometime in the early 80s. I was still a learner then but managed to ride my little Honda all the way without incident. It was cold though, I remember that. Fun though.

Okay, I think the crisis has passed. You can all wake up now.

Friday Fill-in

1. The open road, the new places, the opportunities for great photographs is are the best thing about traveling. I can't think of a single bad thing about travelling.
2. I love a good scotch when I'm cold.
3. I often use my camera, this computer, garlic, coffee, Nicabate gum.
4. I'm reading Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough right now; I am immersed in the detail and scope of it.
5. Sad things is something I dislike talking about.
6. When I visited Phillip Island I most looked forward to seeing the beach and the ocean.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing at all. I have to hide away from all temptation, tomorrow my plans include watching and/or listening to the Saints win and Sunday, I want to finish off a smoke-free weekend!

Go here to play

Meme time

Saw this at Shirl's

You Are a Seeker Soul

You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges. You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions. Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist. Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!). Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others. And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you. You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically. Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas. Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

The dreaded day three

And it's a Friday too. So, no pub after work. That's just too dangerous. I'm just going to pretend that it's a day 2 'cos they're easier to deal with.
Another crappy start to the day with another dirty great spider in the loungeroom. Fortunately Laurie was still home and dealt with it. Then Sylvia fell down the stairs and hurt her back and elbow, nothing serious though but she'll be bruised and stiff for a while. Smashed a couple of glasses too. So far no-one's rung to tell me we owe them money so that's a positive.
I feel like I've been doing this forever but it's only been 2 weeks. So, although not completely to plan, I reckon it's going okay so far. Could be better, but could be a lot worse too. This is further than I've ever got before without giving in and not bothering at all. So woohoo me.

Quitters Inc.

A short (thankfully) story by Stephen King. I knew I didn't like him. Sorry Janet, but that is just a dumb story.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I can buy with $12.

1. 8 or 9 litres of petrol, depending on what day it is.
2. 6 litres of milk.
3. 2 packets of Scarborough Fair, Fair Trade organic coffee.
4. Half a new book, or one third if it's trade size.
5. 36 pieces of Nicabate gum.
6. One kilo of free range, chemical and hormone free, chicken breasts.
7. A movie ticket.
8. 5 or 6 kilos of bananas.
9. A whole bunch of vegies, although as the drought persists the bunch is getting smaller.
10. Almost half a CD.
11. A decent bottle of red wine.
12. One 80th of a Canon macro lens.
13. A packet of cigarettes.
T13

Yesterday and today, a tale of two moods.

Yesterday I was pretty miserable, questioning my resolve and all that. I was beginning to think I wasn't capable of carrying this thing through. But, a little chat with Madame Snape and things have changed around again. Today I feel much more positive and on top of things again. Thanks bud. :)

Of course, today has started badly. The bank's been on the phone - not enough money in the account to cover the rent cheque. *sigh* So I had to run (figuratively) down there and deposit most of the cash sitting in the till (cash register) to appease the financial masters. I just hope the first customers don't have big bills 'cos I won't be able to change them.
Customers? Ha. Seems the majority of people who wander in these days want to sell their books, not buy mine. *bigger sigh*
Speaking of books, Phone today is basking in the light of THE BEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN. And that's the truth.

oh yeah, I forgot.....

Yesterday I ran into a friend who gave up smoking a couple of years ago. She told me that she did a course. It's one day, costs about $500. It's guaranteed to work or your money is refunded - you have to prove that it hasn't worked of course. The only drawback, to me at this stage, is that you have to take a packet with you and smoke it all during the day. She told me that when she did it she was like me - in the process of giving up already. Apparently, the two groups who are most likely to fail are those who've already started to give up (damn!) and those faced with amputation. (I'd have thought the latter wouldn't need any encouragement to give up whatsoever.)
Anyway, my friend did the course and now feels sick when she just catches a whiff of cigarette smoke.
So, if it's getting towards my deadline and I'm still pissfarting about I might investigate this course more closely.

Also, I worked out that the macro lens I want is equivalent to about 80 packs. So, provided I save that money and don't spend it on other stuff, I should have a macro lens in 80 days. :)

And Janet, this is for you:

*sigh*

I just can't seem to get through the three day barrier. It always seems to be the third day when I slip up/weaken/give in. So today is back to day 1 again. I didn't weaken too badly but just once is bad enough. Fucking hopeless I am.

Yesterday, as a whole, was pretty unexciting. I did a lot of running around for minimal return. No photography either, except for Phone. :(
I did finish typing up a paper for a customer. He's an older gentleman who still hasn't progressed beyond the biro. I said I'd type his paper for him. (He's a regular customer so why not? He wants to pay me for the typing but I don't really want him to.) Anyway, "The Meaning of Apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2:3" is typed. Oh my gawd, what an effort. To say it was not my cup of tea is a bit of an understatement.

Today's Phone photo was with Odinn's Child by Tim Severin. I had a quick look and decided that I'll start reading it.



I need a new shop book as I finished Dangerous Lady by Martinia Cole on Monday. That wasn't a bad book. British crime thriller. Quite gritty, as they say. The central characters are all crooks so I didn't feel a lot of sympathy for them. I was pissed off with the 'happy ending' though.

Question

Do used tissues go in the recycling or the ordinary bin?

Where to go next??

Man and boy., originally uploaded by jsarcadia.

I think I've finished uploading pics from the William Ricketts Sanctuary up in the hills. I've got plenty more but enough is enough. More than enough probably.
Day off tomorrow but I have an appointment at 2 so that cuts down photo trips a bit severely.
I keep thinking I should get up early and go up the mountain for some sunrise shots. But, you know, I'm old and my bed is comfy.

I really have nothing of any interest to write about. I'm just doing this to keep my fingers busy. And just at this moment they need to be busy.

I need to go get some more gum. I noticed the other day that they have lozenges too. I might try them as, with the chewie, I keep biting the inside of my cheek. That hurts.

Rivetting stuff huh?

Day ?

Just realised I haven't been keeping count of the days. Probably doesn't matter 'cos so few of them have been completely smoke free. *sigh*
Haven't had one since that one at the party on Saturday night.
I went to bed early last night to watch the cricket on TV. No-one else was home so I figured I might as well be comfortable. It was a hot night so I just lay there with the fan blowing and watched Australia defeat India in a one-day game. Not very exciting. Anyway, I woke up later, about 1:30am I think. Could not get back to sleep. Normally, in those situations I'd have a smoke and go back to sleep. I ended up pacing the room for about 20 minutes. Read for a bit but that didn't work. McCullough requires a bit more concentration than half asleep grumpiness.
I must have fallen asleep eventually though. Otherwise I wouldn't have woken up again this morning.
Feel a bit blah today. Not having much success getting motivated to do anything constructive so far. Job 1 is to turn the fridge off so it can defrost.



Job 2 is to sort through the 4 (four!!) huge boxes of books that came in yesterday to see if there's anything in them worth paying for. One is full of Agatha Christie books so that's a keeper.

Job 3 is to deal with the day in some sort of acceptable manner. I think Laurie's organised people to come over for a bbq tonight. *sigh* more smokers.

I really think the hermit option is becoming more and more the only option.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Passport :: need one


2. Small world :: isn't it.


3. Radio :: rrr.org.au


4. Marine :: biology


5. Wall :: The (Pink Floyd double album)


6. Wanna be :: yes I do


7. Pigtails :: childhood


8. Hyphen :: hymen dash


9. 9.99 :: just call it 10 and be done with it


10. Unrated :: not up to scratch

from here

Saw this at the Snapery too

Click here to create your own painting.

I initially chose blue as the colour but it came out as a blank sheet of blue. :( So I changed to gold and got this.

And then I went back and did another one, with blue :)


Click here to create your own painting.

Desktop meme

Saw this at the Snapery

 

Tag yourself if you want to play...
Here's how (copy/pasted directly from Janet (ta) 'cos I had no clue how to do it.)
Capture a picture of your computer’s desktop.
Post it on your blog along with a link to who tagged you.
Tag some people.

*Here’s how you can do a screen capture:

1- View desktop and press the Print Scrn key (located in the upper right corner of your keyboard on the same row as the F12 key).
2- Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).
3 - If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it, but it is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun.

Last night.....

So I went to A & C's birthday bash, dressed as a chili (it was a Mexican theme party). Actually I had a red plastic poncho style raincoat on. It has the education union logo across the front but I covered that with a bit of paper with "jalapeno" written on it. I only wore it for about three minutes 'cos it got a bit hot inside the plastic. A was all dressed up as a flamenco dancer - Spanish rather than Mexican I know, but she looked stunning!
All the food was Mexican, yum! Sylvia made a chili con carne which was tasty but HOT! She doesn't eat it and didn't know how much chili to put in it. Half a packet of dried chili flakes and seeds. Bloody hell!
I had one cigarette - one of Syl's menthols after I'd eaten the chili. I was tempted a few times but only gave in the once. I didn't drink too much so that helped I think.
I think the temptation came more from wanting something to do with myself rather than actually wanting to smoke as such. There were a lot of people there that I didn't know - A's teaching work mostly. And of course, the people I did know are smokers. I need new friends!!
A's mum was there, an old friend from years ago - she lives up in central Victoria these days so I don't see much of her. She's a recovering alcoholic, been dry for 8 weeks now. That is a huge, and I mean HUGE effort on her part. I think the doc told her to quit drinking or die in a hurry. So she quit. I'm impressed. Inspired even.
If J can give up the booze then I can certainly give up the smokes.

This guy, however, is not free.

Yet another possum trapped in the house over night. They just won't learn, keep coming inside. It'll be released somewhere a fair distance from home. It has to be far enough away that they can't find their way back because if they can, they will.
They may look cute but they're a mighty pest. They jump from the trees onto the roof and then run around looking for the way in. Sound like a herd of bloody elephants. A large herd of large elephants. Often they'll take up residence inside the walls. Then you can hear them, scratching away. I hear them every night outside my bedroom. If you've never heard a possum before it's the scariest sound.

 

Saturday Photo Hunt

This weeks theme is "free".

1. Me: smoke-free, on the way to being at least.
2. Free as a bird.
3. Cockatoos roam free wherever they feel like it.
4. It costs nothing to smile. (My sister Paula)

 
 
 
 

I think this is getting easier....

Except for this morning, while I was on hold for an eternity, I really haven't had much in the way of a craving. That's not to say there haven't been moments when I've thought "gee, a smoke'd be good now". But they've just been thoughts, not all-consuming, mind-crushing cravings.
However, complacency will destroy me so I'm not taking this as a sign that the battle is over. Far from it. Once more unto the breach dear friends....


Another, completely unrelated, thought: Who decided that 'dude' should be spelt that way and not 'dood'?

Friday Fill-in

1. Snowdrops are a sure sign of Spring.
2. I'm going to beat this habit!
3. Atmosphere by Joy Division is a song whose lyrics have meaning to me.
4. Just one sip and I'm there for the duration.
5. Behind my camera is where I'm happiest.
6. I believe that reading and music are a necessary part of life.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching the Saints play their first game of the season, tomorrow my plans include Annie and Corey's b'day bash and Sunday, I want to be able to say I've had a smoke-free weekend!

The Playground

Faaarrrrkkkkkk!

If ever there was a morning designed to drive a person to smoke, this morning was it. Internet/phone bill was due so I got on the phone to pay it. Nearly two hours on hold. TWO HOURS! And then, because the bill hadn't been paid by 10am the account was suspended. Hello! I'm on the phone, trying to pay!!!
The automated payment system doesn't work because it kept rejecting my customer reference number as printed on the invoice. Turns out the reference number they require has an extra digit on the end. How am I supposed to know that for Chrissakes? Bloody hell.
Anyway, it's paid now and the account's unsuspended. Jeeeesus.

So, it's been one week. Even with a couple of bad days I've smoked less in a week than I normally would in a day. I'm taking that as a positive. It's probably not good enough but, right now, I don't care. I've had two smoke free days leading into today. This third one will be difficult if the day keeps going as it started. Thank you iinet.
Got a party to go to tomorrow night. I'm undecided about whether to go or not because it'll be a big drinking affair. My resolve seems to slip away under the influence of alcohol. Go to a party and not drink? Hahahahaha. Easier to stay home. I'm thinking about it all.
Current mood - filthy!

PS. Nearly forgot. HOW COULD I FORGET???? Saints play their first game of the year tonight. NAB Pre-season Cup. Up against Richmond, the Tigers. My brother's team :)

I wonder why.....

..... there are no detox clinics for smokers?

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen reasons to quit smoking:
1. Lungs
2. Breathing
3. Circulation
4. Save money
5. Taste
6. Smell - my sense of
7. Discipline
8. Unsmelly clothes
9. I might live longer
10. Fresh air
11. Less litter/rubbish to inflict on the planet
12. Health in general
13. Because I want to.
T13

This is hard!

Smoke free yesterday, the first time. I had to go to bed early to avoid the after-dinner temptation though. But that wasn't too bad 'cos they were watching an absolutely crap movie. So I read for a while. Did I mention I'm reading a new book? Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough. It follows on pretty much from where her Caesar series left off. Huge book, as the others all were. I loved the Caesar series - the research that she's done is amazing. This is promising to be more of the same. Antony and Cleopatra have just met and decided to make a go of it - she because she needs a daughter to marry off to Caesarion, her son by Caesar, and he because he needs her money. Not a love story in any way, shape or form. Meanwhile, Octavian, Caesar's adopted heir and the future first Emperor of Rome, is waiting in the wings to enter the story. Fascinating stuff.
It took me ages to get into her first Rome book, The First Man in Rome, because the detail is immense. Romans, the noble variety who ran the show, came from a few select families so they all had the same names. Very confusing at first. Women don't get their own name at all. (For example, all women from the Julian family were called Julia.) But once I got the hang of it and concentrated on the flow of events it turned into compulsive reading. I don't know if there are any more planned after Antony and Cleopatra. Perhaps she'll stop with the end of the Roman Republic. I'd be quite happy for her to continue into the Empire.

Speaking of books, I finished Magician by Raymond E Feist last week. I read this because it's a huge seller in the shop and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Just don't get it. It was okay but not the earth-shatteringly fantastic story that I'd been led to believe it was. I don't like the way Feist writes. He doesn't develop his characters beyond the superficial. Then, when he needs to show some deeper emotion or whatnot, he throws in a sentence or two to explain. To me, a properly developed character shouldn't need these asides to explain how/why a character reacts to a situation. It should just flow.
I've started Silverthorn, the second book in the trilogy, but ditched it as soon as I saw the McCullough. I may go back to it, but probably only if there's nothing else around to spark my interest. So it could be a while before I finish that trilogy. :)

Oh yeah, before I forget - happy Valentine's Day to those who give a damn about yet another commercially driven spendfest.

I'm starving!

I really am. It's way past lunchtime, nearly 2pm. But I can't go buy anything because I really really REALLY crave a ciggie. If I go anywhere near them I'll do something I'll regret. I just know it. So I'm staying put. And I'm hungry!!

Note to self: bring lunch tomorrow!

The struggle continues.....

Monday night and Tuesday (morning mostly) were pretty disastrous in the smoking department. So far I'm clean today and have pretty much decided that it's NOT okay to just have one or two. One or two can too easily become half a dozen. It's difficult (extremely) when I'm surrounded by smokers, even at home. It was obvious, I think, that I was a bit disgruntled this morning and Sylvia (Laurie's current squeeze) practically shoved one in my face. "Go on, just the one, you know you want it." Thanks for nothing pal! I resisted which is good because yesterday I didn't. So I'm back to being bad tempered and grumpy today. Almost like starting again, although not as bad because I know what to expect. I'm annoyed at myself more than anything.

Anyway, yesterday I went up to the William Ricketts Sanctuary in Mt Dandenong. (I had to get out of the house and away from smokers!) William Ricketts was an artist/sculptor and his place is truly magical. It's just a looping walk through what were the grounds of his home (I think). The grounds are completely native vegetation, mostly gum trees and tree ferns, and are dotted throughout with the most fascinating sculptures of Aboriginal figures that just seem to rise out of the rock. Amazing, truly. I took heaps of pics of course and they'll appear on Flickr during this week.
Appropriate really given the momentous occasion that today is. See the post below this one for an explanation of that. Please read it.

Sorry

Today the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, acknowledges and apologises for the past injustices meted out to the Aboriginal people of Australia. It is a huge step towards reconciliation and long overdue. The previous Howard government dithered about this issue for eleven years and, effectively, did nothing. It's interesting to note that John Howard is the only living former leader not attending today's speech and ceremony.
Today is an enormously significant day in the history and development of this nation.

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Score :: drugs


2. Luxurious :: 5 star


3. Party :: animal


4. Limited edition :: book


5. Security :: code


6. Betty :: Boop


7. Under construction :: website


8. Pest :: nuisance


9. director :: film


10. Express :: post

from here

Day 4

Pretty much more of the same. The headache seems to be diminishing but the concrete is still there. I had one cigarette yesterday. Just one. Woohoo! That was after dinner. A friend was over and she smokes, of course. They all do. So I had one of hers. I have to tell you that nicotine gum and red wine just don't mix well!
Anyway, said friend left a couple on the table in case I got desperate. So I had one this morning. I don't really know why 'cos I didn't really want it. I was just being weak. But I'm at work now and there's nothing to tempt me here. Usually, by now, I'd have had probably at least 4 so I don't think I'm doing too badly.
Time for coffee and a Phone photo......

Day 3

Yesterday wasn't too bad. After work I went straight out to Ma'n'Pas's for family dinner. Driving was a bit hairy I must admit. I don't think I'd ever really thought about how much I smoke while driving. I had to force myself to concentrate on the road yesterday. It was quite unnerving in an odd sort of way. I felt a bit like I was driving in a fog. I'm hoping it won't stay like that.
Anyway, dinner was pleasant as always. Denise and Rosie liked their pressies - I'd printed and framed a couple of sunset shot for each of them. Well, they said they liked them anyway. I had two cigarettes after dinner - roll-your-owns that I scabbed from James. So that was it for the day, just 2 rollies. I can live with that at this stage. Driving home wasn't nice. The brain fog was still there and it was dark too!

Today has started badly though. I woke earlier than I needed to so just rolled over and went back to sleep. But then I had THE WORST nightmare ever. It was horrible - all about my car and people I know. One of those really realistic dreams. Just on a sidenote: If I dream later in the morning, after sunrise, I always remember them and they're always in colour.
Anyway, when I woke again I fully expected to be able to feel the tears on my face. Ken was on the back verandah so I had one of his ciggies. Now I feel bad 'cos the day hasn't started well at all. Which means, of course, that it can only get better. Let's be positive here Jules!
Anyway, it's 11am already and I've done nothing yet. Haven't even taken my Phone photo yet! So that's Job 1. Job 2 should be to clear this desk. Job 3 should be to make a dint in some of the boxes of books that have accumulated on the floor over the last couple of days. I think I'm dreaming about that one!
So I'm off now - coffee and a Phone photo, then I'll probably get stuck in Flickr for a while :)

PS. Did I mention the headache? And the neck and shoulders made of concrete? I'm hoping they'll go away soonish.

PPS. I just went to the supermarket to get some more gum. They keep it in the same place as the cigarettes. That's so inconsiderate! I just bought the gum though!!

Quick and easy book meme

Saw this little meme over at Literary Feline.
Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
Open the book to page 123.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the next three sentences.
Tag five people.

There are only about 50 books nearest me at the moment (on the desk!) and this is from the one on top of the nearest pile:

"I only know two sorts of boys. Mealy boys, and beef-faced boys."
"And which is Oliver?"
- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Tag yourself if you'd like to play along.

Friday Fill-in (on Saturday)

1. I'm looking forward to family dinner tonight.
2. Most of the rest of the world is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.
3. I've fallen in love with oh dear, how sad. I can't think of a thing to put in here.
4. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
5. Addiction brings out the nag in Janet. It's a good kind of nagging though.
6. The TV show "Black Books" crack me up!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to birthday dinner for my sister-in-law, Denise, and defacto niece Rosie, tomorrow my plans include not smoking and Sunday, I want to not smoke!
The place to be

While I'm here.... Day 2:
I had 3 cigarettes yesterday. One near the end of work, purely through boredom I think. Scabbed one off the guys next door. Then I went to the pub where everyone I know sits outside and smokes. I had 2 there and then decided I'd better go home or else all my resolve would go rushing down the drain. So I went home and watched TV all on my lonesome :( This could be the problem area. Just about all my social buddies are smokers. I won't see them tonight 'cos I'm off to Ma'n'Pa's for a family dinner. I'll have to think long and hard about how I'm going to deal with this 'cos I don't want to have to become a hermit.
Anyway.... this morning was not too bad. Got up okay, even managed to get to work with no difficulty. I've always smoked most when I'm driving - thankfully it's a very short trip from home to work. Yesterday I couldn't decide which way to turn out of the driveway! Today I was more back on auto-pilot.
I've got shitloads of books to put away - so instead of just wandering outside and having a smoke (which, right now, sounds very appealing) I'd better get to work. Ugh!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

The last one., originally uploaded by jsarcadia.

Get Real indeed

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love. You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Seen at Shirl's

Thursday Thirteen

Bit of shameless self-promotion today. My 13 "most interesting" photographs according to Flickr:
I should point out that the Led Zeppelin mosaic is made from photos by other people, not mine. I wasn't there, more's the pity!



























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35 thousand views

View counts
Yesterday This week Last week All time
Photos 66 299 1,213 28,192
Photostream 29 69 279 5,819
Sets 3 4 47 1,133
Collections 0 0 0 2
Total 98 372 1,539 35,146

Flickr stats. That's a lot of looks!

Suspicious activity

Couple of guys outside doing some survey work. They said they're here for the owner, mumbled something about subdivision.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Humourous

, originally uploaded by broopdon.

Seen on Flickr.

Saturday Photo Hunt

This week's theme is "narrow".

The bookshop has narrow aisles!

IMG_0659, originally uploaded by jsarcadia.

Friday Fill-in

1. Once I was young.
2. Janet is sick of being sick.
3. Today at work I did bugger all, but what's new?.
4. What's the collapsing US economy all about?
5. If I make a mistake I either fix it up or laugh it off.
6. When I woke up this morning, I thought I wanna go back to sleep.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to not much at all really, tomorrow my plans include no plans yet and Sunday, I want to take som snappy snaps!
Go here to play. Go on, just do it.

Thursday Thirteen or Nine, depending on what time of day it is.

Here are 13 of the 45 million sunset shots I took while down at Phillip Island.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

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