I had a haircut the other day. Apparently my shoulders are halfway up my neck. Now the hair length itself is fine. Don't look like any more of a freak than usual. However it's just too short to reliably tie up, and too long to leave out without getting annoyed.
I find this a bit irritating.
Also as well as being vertically displaced, my shoulders seem to be unevenly located in a horizontal plane. According to the hairdresser.
Somehow, despite hating shopping for clothes, I manage to accumulate an awful lot of them. I have just done my semi-regular sort and the discard box (roughly same size as a milk crate) is full. Where does it all come from?
I now have to find somewhere to put the stuff that's on my ikea $5 stool so that I can put my fan on it. Fan weather has arrived.
I think it's interesting that when you are a student, being on "holidays" is a prompt for people to ask you to work more. Which is reasonable in some circumstances. But my work seems to imply that I'm lazy because I'm not ok to do every weekend while I'm at uni and many days when I'm not. I'm usually at a hospital of some sort more than full-time work hours. Why is it so bad that I value my holidays when I get them (for the first time since January)?
Answer: it is not bad at all dammit!
I will know I've finished uni when I say "I'm on holidays" and am not met with "oh could you cover some shifts then?"
So it sounds a bit ambitious but I'm thinking of participating in NaNoWriMo (try asking google, but the official site is having server issues.. I'll link when things are working).
50,000 words in a month. Obviously it CAN be done. I don't know that it's wise for me. But then maybe it'll be fine and helpful.
The time it is taking to write these sentences indicates that it's time for me to go to bed.
Yesterday I watched the South Park episode where the internet breaks, resulting in mass panic and other things.
I think I have a bit of an internet addiction. So tomorrow I'm going to have a break. I'm not announcing this in case anyone is concerned about my lack of internet presence for a day, I'm just saying it because this is a blog and people announce mundane things like that on blogs. As well as really interesting things like "I cut my finger on a tin of corn tonight and it bled a lot" (true!)
So a whole day. Tonight I will have to extract my to-do list from my computer so that I can continue to hack away at it.
Tomorrow I will ponder how pathetically attached I am to a lump of plastic with a shiny screen and magnetic power cord socket. And probably some other things too.
A conversation held this morning on MSN with my friend KT. It's actually more of a monologue on my part with KT occasionally replying to indicate that she's listening to my waffle. She's good like that. You're not allowed to mock my ignorance on such weighty topics however you are permitted to provide bullet point summaries for me :).
Yay says: (9:53:38 AM)
could you tell me what all this bank crashing stuff means for me?
KT says: (9:54:03 AM)
i dunno
KT says: (9:54:19 AM)
it means that my managed investments are going backwards :(
Yay says: (9:54:23 AM)
hmmm
Yay says: (9:54:42 AM)
does it mean that it's a good thing i didn't put any extra money in my super because it'd probably get lost?
Yay says: (9:55:10 AM)
will this mean that lots of people will lose their jobs and the cost of commodities will rise?
Yay says: (9:55:15 AM)
or is that unrelated?
KT says: (9:55:21 AM)
yes to your first question
KT says: (9:55:28 AM)
dunno about the second question
Yay says: (9:55:39 AM)
when big things happen they need to put a bullet points summary for those of us who weren't interested before
Yay says: (9:56:10 AM)
inflation
Yay says: (9:56:13 AM)
it might mean that
Yay says: (9:56:21 AM)
which means my hecs debts will go up
Yay says: (9:57:52 AM)
i just gave pooka a bath and got thoroughly soake
Yay says: (9:57:52 AM)
d
KT says: (9:58:03 AM)
yes bullet points would be good
KT says: (9:58:16 AM)
my eyes glaze over whenever finances are discussed
Yes says: (9:58:18 AM)
yes
Yay says: (9:58:30 AM)
i know that something has happened but i don't know how or what it means
Yay says: (9:58:36 AM)
but it sounds like it's bad. for someone
Yay says: (10:01:54 AM)
but, for example, what does it mean that the dow index has lost 778 points
Yay says: (10:02:01 AM)
? how many did it have to start with?
Yay says: (10:02:05 AM)
how many does it need?
KT says: (10:02:45 AM)
no idea
KT says: (10:02:53 AM)
perhaps wikipedia would be of assistance?
Yay says: (10:02:59 AM)
hmmm perhaps
Yay says: (10:03:03 AM)
but it will have lots of words
Yay says: (10:04:35 AM)
i find it fascinating that money simply disappears. implying that it never existed to start with
Yay says: (10:04:57 AM)
which is sort of true really
Yay says: (10:05:07 AM)
it is merely a construct
Yay says: (10:05:47 AM)
once upon a time a coin had value and was exchanged for goods of similar value
Yay says: (10:06:08 AM)
then currency became symbolic of what it represented
Yay says: (10:06:27 AM)
and virtual currency took over from real currency
Yay says: (10:07:07 AM)
i don't THINK that the value of all the virtual money in the world could be exchanged for goods. and there is definitely not enough currency to represent it
KT says: (10:07:20 AM)
no way
Yay says: (10:07:30 AM)
so it just appeared
Yay says: (10:07:45 AM)
it reminds me of a bible verse actually
Yay says: (10:08:57 AM)
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."
Yay says: (10:09:43 AM)
today is philosophising about the stock market day
So car registration is due in the next few weeks. Add in comprehensive and compulsory third party insurance and it comes to over $2000. Ouch. I haven't added up all the numbers yet but a cursory glance can tell that it's more than 2K.
Today my car is having its final service under full warranty. All under control, no need to panic, free service and all. They just called to say that the brake pads and discs are quite worn and will only last another 4000-5000km (which is not far for my car - it gets around!). So I'm getting those done - $585!
But you know, safety and all.
In other news I have found out where I am going for the first three weeks of my next rotation (starts in 2 weeks). One whole suburb away. Hurrah for that! I can walk there if I'm running on time enough (unlikely)! The four weeks after that will be somewhere rural and that remains a mystery. Because we don't like to plan our lives or anything...
It is very hot and windy today. It is possibly a good day to take Pooka swimming. But can I be bothered? I don't know.
I am in a bit of a quandary about my cherry tomato plants. They are in pots, because in the garden they get mowed, Pookered or eaten by possums/cockatoos/snails/tigers. The pots are currently in my portable greenhouse. The plants are looking good (except the ones that didn't survive transplantation - they look dead) but not thriving. I don't think this model of tomato is one that needs to be staked (it said something like that on the packet I think) but I'm not sure where to put them. It's very windy at the moment and because they are in pots and have been transplanted, I don't think their root systems are good enough to withstand a gale. But they are reaching the top of the greenhouse and I can't move the shelves around.
Obviously I need to build a proper greenhouse. But that may not occur before the tomato season.
I have become sufficiently bamboozled by my schedule that I have started using iCal, and I have anchored it in my dock (Mac people will understand. For those not familiar with Mac, this means that my calendar software is now permanently open and sitting in the panel at the side of the screen).
What is cool is that it will sync with my ipod. Isn't that exciting? I can listen to music AND see where I'm meant to be all at once!
I'll be away for three out of the next five months. Namely most of November, most of December, some of January and all of February.
Some time in October could work! Or March! Or possibly a bit of January...
In other news, I can see why Charlotte Bronte's The Professor is not as well known as Jane Eyre. It does go on a bit. And there's too much French. What am I? Some sort of French person?! I get the gist of about half of it, but other bits - bah!
So I have to go to a wedding on the 4th. And will quite possibly be working on the 11th due to me working tomorrow and being rostered for every second Saturday.
That makes things a bit more complicated!
What time would people be able to do a Sunday daytime thing?
1. I haven't thought about BalderdashFantaZeroMeet yet, however it will not be this Saturday because a) I'm working and b) it's not much notice. What is the availability of people on next weekend or the one after? I think our church times are all different so Saturday is probably more feasible...
2. I passed the clinical exam with the patient etc. He was an excellent patient and told me everything I needed to know and everything I'd forgotten to do ("what have other doctors/students asked about/examined that I haven't?" = good question). So just need to pass the exams from this week and it's fourth year ahoy.
And hurrah for that. Dunno if I'm going to pass or not. It wasn't a particularly pleasant set of exams. But not to worry. Can't do anything about it now.
My toothbrush with "non-replaceable battery" has had its battery replaced. Take that toothbrush people!
All it took was a coping saw and a little bit of cardboard. It now turns on by twisting the bottom instead of pressing the button. But I consider it a win!
It wasn't really a photo-worthy achievement but I'll see what I can do about illustrations in case anyone else wishes to replace their batteries.
I have a pair of dog park trousers. ie. trousers that I wear to the dog park each day. Normally I would say "pants" but I am aware of the different meaning that may have for my British readers, hence I am using a more universal term.
So these trousers are in the "cargo pants" style. I don't think "cargo trousers" sounds quite right. They have a number of pockets, as garments of this style tend to. I only use three of them. The two normal pockets where I place my hands, and the one near my left knee. Each pocket has a special function.
In the right pocket I keep my phone, my camera, some post-it notes and a pen. It's amazing how many times I have to write things down at the park. For example the other day a woman I'd never seen before came up to me and said she'd been trying to contact my big brother who was going to housesit her son's flat and she needed to talk to him because she's going to Italy at the weekend.
In the left pocket I keep a handful of Pooka's food. This is for when she does something good. It actually happens quite frequently. Then the left knee pocket is for items I find on the ground that are likely to be eaten and choked on by Pooka if she found them (for example 12 marbles a few weeks ago).
Whenever Pooka is in my room, she searches for my dog park trousers. When she finds them, she goes straight for the treat pocket. First she tries to get everything out. Then she sucks the pocket from the other side, then she makes sure I haven't left treats in any other pockets.
I try to leave them out of reach. But sometimes I forget. Like today.
1. I actually do have a saw suitable for performing surgery on my toothbrush. I just have to find it.
2. I have to get my car serviced before its third birthday (= end of major warranty)
3. Must water surviving tomato plants. They didn't enjoy being transplanted much. That was my fault. I left it too late.
There are so many things I'd rather be doing than studying (or pretending to study)
1. Finding my hacksaw and replacing the "unreplaceable" battery in my toothbrush
2. Cleaning the aforementioned room
3. Sitting on the balcony with Pooka
4. Sleeping
5. Cooking something
6. Watching The West Wing
7. Taking photos of something
8. Washing my car
9. Tending to my plants
10. Doing nothing with a clear conscience.
Tonight is the first summer pyjamas night of the year. However I know I will wake up freezing at around 3am. But if I wear warmer things then I will not be able to sleep in the first place.
I love spring but I hate dressing for transitional weather.
Just took Pooka to the beach. After throwing the ball in the water, it suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea if she could swim.
Turns out she can. I knew she could frolic in shallow water, but she can do dog-paddle in deep water.
We still lost two projectiles while there, but she had an absolutely marvelous time. Note: don't take expensive toys that float to dog-friendly beaches. Unless the tide is coming in.
Tales of Variable Yayness 
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