Sunday, July 19, 2009

14 degrees tomorrow - fo' shiz y'all?!

Last day of holidayzzzz. It's been a meandering one. Lunch at pub. Washing in machine now. I should tidy up my side of the bedroom a bit, decide what I'm going to wear tomorrow....

I'm looking forward to seeing the girls from work again. I've missed Kelsey while she's been in Syd-oh-ney and I always like to see Jacq. I thought I would be a bit more eager for term 3, but I'm not. What is with this funk?

I've found something that may or may not help me save money. Websites with beautiful shoes, bags and jewellery. I like looking at things I would like to buy, but am not allowed to. I'll see how it works out for me in the long one. It might just make me a cranky old maid.

Along with the abstaining from spending, I have created my own alcohol ban. I was particularly pickled on Friday night, which led to a tender Saturday on the couch in front of the telly. It was a waste of a day and my body was really unhappy with me. It made me think about what I should be fuelling myself with and what I react well to. I think my body and I may have become friends again, but only because I've promised to start putting stuff in that it likes. I think my body prefers fresh fruit and veg, the odd bit of seafood and a whole lot less red meat. This is not to say I'm going to become a strict vegaquarian-and-soft-drinks girl, but it is high time I grew up and started eating freshness that doesn't bloat me or make me feel gross.

There's going to be an early night for me, so I don't fall asleep during very important professional development seminars tomorrow. I'm not being sarcastic - they're quite important and I always seem to get super sleepy and HUNGRY during them. I usually take food in with me to quell the loud stomach monster that comes alive two hours after I've had breakfast. I generally like PD days if it's an interesting PD. Especially because I don't have to wear freaking black. It's the one work day I get to wear jeans and a rock t-shirt.

Actually, jeans and a rock t-shirt make any day good. I wish I could change our uniform to that. Christmas bonuses to people with really rad shirts. Like Aerosmith. Ooh, I want an Aerosmith t-shirt now.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wednesday morning, not 3am.

I only have a few days of holidays left. It has gone so super fast.... crazy. Most days have been spent lazing about. I haven't felt particularly proud of this and when I pointed it out to Court, he said that it's the only time I get to do it so I should enjoy it. I guess that's true, but I did have high hopes for fun projects these holidays and I haven't done anything.

Also, I'm trying really hard to save money and being the insane spender that I am, I'm terrified to leave the house and go anywhere near some shops in case my hand hijacks my purse and empties its contents. I didn't even window shop for shoes yesterday at Karrinyup because I was worried I would see a pair I love. I'm sure saving money must be like eating healthy food or going to the gym: once you get into the routine, it's easy. I hope it's like that, or else this whole saving exercise is going to be a drag...

Speaking of saving and spending, I've been thinking about getting a new tattoo. I'm just quietly mulling it over for a while to see if it's a phase, because I've been fairly unsettled with work and whatnot lately and it could just be a seachange frame-o-mind I'm in. I've been pondering it for about four or five weeks now and I'll leave it for a few more months before I see where my head's at..... and I'm saving anyway, so I shouldn't be spending on non-essentials. It could just be an indication of my brain at the moment, but where most people tend to think of tattooing as something that is permanent and therefore you should think about how you're going to look as an old codger with a barbed wire armband etc, I think more along the lines of life not being as long and tedious as we may think so you should go out and experience things and worry about more important issues than your wrinkly, old tattooed bits....

Is it just me being a fucking hippy or is that an okay way of thinking?

Other things: my little sis got into nursing at uni. Go Miss Kate! I'm really happy for her and for the nursing profession, because I don't know anyone better suited to being a nurse. She's the most caring, thoughtful person I know. Actually, she's on par with my husband. But he gets erked by blood and stuff, so she will definitely be a better nurse.

And while I'm on the topic of my sister, I might just briefly mention my trip down south last week. I went for a few nights to say hi to ma and pa and Kate. On the last night, Kate had her usual Tuesday night dinner at a friend's place and she took me along. They wined me and dined me and were so welcoming, even though Heather had flown from Darwin to Perth and driven from Perth to Dunsborough that day AND with her baby too. She's lucky to have such wonderful mates and I was lucky to experience their loveliness.

Jobs for today: shower, washing, make a roast pumpkin salad for dinner tonight. It's going to be a grand day because this list is easy and the weather is wonderful.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

My house is asleep.

Good morning, sunny Sunday.

Everyone is asleep here. Court tucked up in bed. Shaun and Kes tucked up in the back room. Charlotte tucked up outside. I promised I would make breakfast for them today - a caramelised onion, silverbeet and goat's cheese quiche, as Kate and I did last week. They all went to bed about 6am, so I have plenty of time to chill before I get cracking.

I love Sunday mornings. It always seems to be sunny and still. Full of opportunity, until I realise it's 3pm and I've been sitting around in my PApjs all day. At the moment, it's 9.32am and still full of promise. And I'll be going to the shops soon for baking ingredients, so I'll have to get out of my pajamas.

Right now, I'm going to have a sniff around my veg garden and see how everything is coming along. I know one beetroot and one snowpea who should be almost ready.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Things I am grateful for.

... in no particular order.

My family and friends. I'm extremely lucky to have them all and sometimes I forget that.

Where I live. The 'Wood, Perth, WA, Australia --- all good. Beautiful weather, people and freedom to do and think whatever I want and work wherever I want.

My husband. Technically he comes under family and friends, but special mention to the one person who knows me very well and continues to love me and live with me.

The vegetable garden. A place to weed and contemplate. A place that produces fresh food.

My upbringing. Ma and Pa Price did a wonderful job with all three little Prices.

My body. It all seems to work well together and keeps me walking and talking and thinking and feeling.

Music. And the joy it brings. Love Is Free by Sheryl Crow is making me jump up and down with all it's goodness at the moment.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

first day of holidays

Because I work in a school, I only ever have ten weeks of work between holidays. I do remind myself how lucky I am and I think I could go longer without a break if I had to - everyone else seems to do it in their office jobs. However, I have come to the realisaton that I get awful cranky towards the end of the ten weeks. I BARELY lasted the whole ten this time.

We went and saw Simon & Garfunkel the other night with a select few from our family and I'd been looking forward to it for so long. It was a truly wonderful evening, but I just felt so tired and rundown. All I wanted was to be tucked up in bed.

And so, I'm sorry to my lovely family and friends. I'm glad y'all still put up with me.

I've woken up this morning to the first day of a two week break. There's a sun muted by clouds outside and I'm sitting in my pjs writing a much overdue blog because there is nothing good to watch on Lifestyle Food. I'm not a Masterchef fan.

Court is fast asleep, but I can smell that he was hard at work last night: there is a slow cooker full of ribs bubbling away on the kitchen counter. I am excited about lunch! Court seems to have a renewed interest in cooking, which fills my heart with joy. Last night we made pizzas together. He made the dough and it was the best pizza base in the entire world - crispy AND soft.

I sort of coerced Court, Kestin and Shaun into entering an audition tape for a family cooking competition show. I got a call yesterday to say that we're in the WA final audition. I think I was the only excited person in our team. The audition is next Saturday in the middle of a shopping centre and if we get through that I think we go into the national competition in Sydney. I think it will be lots of fun - I love cooking with these people - but the others seem a bit apprehensive.

Soooo.....plans for these holidays?

I thought about going to Yalls to visit the mama and the papa and the lovely Kate, but I'm feeling like I may need to chill out at home and potter around here. The vegetable garden is coming along (we used some spinach on the pizzas last night) and I'd like to spend some time in it, doing some weeding and contemplating. Maybe I'll plant some of the deliciously spicy salad leaves that Kestin has.

Immediate plans are ribs for lunch with Court and Dan (they had a sleepover last night), breakfast tomorrow with Kim and Norma, Kieran and Jill and maybe I'll jump in the kitchen and cook a vegetable soup.

Oh, and I need a shower.