The Semi, Part I

Like just about everything in my life, this is something I've been "meaning to get to". I'm desperately trying to get caught up, so as I struggle to do so(especially for the next 3 weeks what with the Hermit being Stateside) please enjoy these pictures of Miss Thing from her recent school semi formal:

(not her date... I still don't have the official date photo)

A good time was had by all, and a tear or two was shed by Yours Truly after I dropped her off as I thought how quickly the time has flown. Full details and photo album link to come,

Saturday Skinfest

The 'All is Forgiven' edition.

Before I get to that, I need to mention that the Hermit is gone. Flew out yesterday morning for 3 weeks in the States for work. The good part, at least for him, is that his employer is in the same state as both our families. He'll get to visit them - especially my mother, whom as you may recall works for said company - as well as catch up with old friends. I'm mentally preparing a list for Momma Mooselet of what to gather for the Hermit to bring back. He initially resisted, especially bringing an empty piece of luggage ("They'll give me a hard time at the airport" - the Hermit hates standing out) but was open to the idea of collecting one from MM. So break out the flight bag Mom and I promise I'll send it back again.

"So, what are you going to do with yourself for 3 weeks?" the Hermit asked me as I drove him to the airport. Ummm, pretty much what I do when you're here, except I won't have to kick him to stop the snoring long enough for me to fall asleep. And I can watch football without losing control of the remote to car shows. Huzzah!!!

Which bring me to the Skinfest. Yes the Broncos lost. Again. It's getting depressing. But Darren Lockyer can and will be forgiven and have his ban against appearing in the Skinfest lifted. I'm sure he's quite relieved over this development. You can thank me personally Darren - call me. He's working his finely chiselled ass off out there, trying in vain to lift his team into performing. Locky, you shirtless god, I salute you:

Billy Slater's performance against the Broncos was excellent, but I'm detecting a whole boatload of arrogance and I don't think I like it. It's one thing to be brilliant son, it's another thing to think your sh*t don't stink. Still, I have said the Skinfest is all about the bod and not about the brain, or lack thereof. Her Majesty does this same move in the surf - we call it prancing:

I've mentioned we only got the SciFi channel a few months ago on our cable system, and it's brilliant. Another show I've been able to watch is Farscape and I find myself enjoying the character of Aeryn Sun, played by Claudia Black. Not a classic sci-fi beauty, or a wearer of the skintight catsuit a la Seven of Nine or T'Pol but a kick ass and take no names type. And I find that kinda sexy:

More skin next week!

Photo Friday

I didn't put up the Match Report this week, but the look on Sparky's face says it all:

Once again, we were slaughtered. Welcome season 2007!

My Interview by Harmonica Man

I resisted as long as I could. This Interview meme has been making the rounds faster than Paris Hilton at a bucks night, but I held out. A girl can only take so much pressure, so when Harmonica Man put up his interview I caved and asked to be interviewed. That's how it works - you ask, and questions are sent. What kind of questions would I get from a man who has never meet me, has never spoken to me for that matter and only knows me via our mutual blogs?

Let's find out:

1. How did you and Hermit meet?

The Hermit and my mother work for the same company and she was his boss. Back in 1996 I needed someone to drive to the NC/SC border as I was going to be meeting my soon-to-be ex-husband to swap vehicles. My brother was supposed to come but for a reason I can no longer recall he had to bail. My mother and her matchmaking wiles stepped in and volunteered the Hermit. According to the Hermit he had no idea I would be coming along on this trip - to this day I can't figure out why he would think that and Momma Mooselet denies ever putting such a thought into his head. So we spent Labor Day weekend driving up and down the eastern seaboard and getting to know each other.

Love at first sight? Not quite. We were both coming out of quite horrid relationships and were in no way, shape or form ready to take up a new one. But we liked each others' company so we became very good friends and remained so for the next year and a half. Then in 1998 he spent a weekend helping me to redo my bathroom. It must've been the poor ventilation and the paint fumes, because by the end of that weekend we weren't just friends anymore.

And now you know the rest of the story...

2. Rugby or American football? Why?

Before I get to that, understand that there are two types of rugby. There is rugby union, which is what Americans would be familiar with on a very basic 'see it on tv and say hey, that's rugby!' type of way. It's a very free flowing game, with what I call the 'pig pile' style of tackling and lots of kicking. Then there's rugby league, which is what I follow, what Sparky plays and whose players I routinely ogle on this blog. Most Americans wouldn't be able to tell the difference right away. If you so desire, go look up the differences on Wikipedia or your own source of online info. I won't bore you to tears here.

I much prefer rugby league over American style football, referred to over here as gridiron. My parents were huge sports fans, following basketball, ice hockey, football and baseball (preferences in that order) as well as just about any other sport that came on tv. I always found football and baseball a little dull when compared to basketball and hockey. There is just so much standing around doing very little. A good example of this is the length of an NFL game. Four 15 minute quarters and a half time break routinely turn into a 3+ hour game! And no wonder the offensive and defensive lineman are so huge, bordering on fat - they exert themselves for a few seconds and then have a nice break. Dull, dull DULL.

By contrast rugby league is a much quicker game. Two 40 minutes halves plus a half time break equal a game over in under two hours. There is no offensive side, defensive side plus special teams - you keep the same guys on the field for the entire game (with the exception of 12 interchanges that are allowed for the entire game). They run, they tackle, they kick - hence they are all very very fit. There are no time outs - the clock very rarely stops, even for player injury. Guys who are bleeding are often just pulled out of the way and glued up (or in one case stapled up), bandaged and sent back out to play. No padding, no helmets - it is a brutal, physical game.

I know lovers of gridiron point to the strategy that is inherent in that game - a chess match of sorts. But if I want that level of strategy I'll go and play a real game of chess. When I watch sports I want to see action - the more the better!

3. What is the most inaccurate stereotype that Americans have about Australia - AND the most accurate?

Oooo a two-parter. I feel the most inaccurate stereotype Americans have is that Aussies lack sophistication and culture. The image that a lot of Americans have is a country full of Paul "Crocodile Dundee" Hogans and Steve Irwins, where everyone lives in the Outback, drinks Fosters, throws shrimp on the barbie and uses the language found on the menu at the Outback Steakhouse. I can assure you there are no blooming onions Down Under, I've never seen anyone drink Fosters (I'm pretty sure that Fosters is some kind of practical joke Australia has played on the rest of the world), they're called prawns, not shrimp, and I've never seen anyone throw them on a barbie (although they're served whole - eyeballs and all), and there are plenty of people who lives in the cities for whom a trip to the outer suburbs is an adventure. There is plenty of 'the good life' here if you want it.

The most accurate stereotype would have to be that Australian are very laid back people. At first glance this may seem in direct contradiction to the above paragraph, but it's not. You can go out for a night of theatre, have a fabulous meal with award winning Australian wine and drink cat poo coffee for $50 a cup but in the taxi home you'll talk to the cabbie like an old friend. People really do say 'no worries', 'she'll be right' and call perfect strangers 'mate' - and mean it. There are no signs in store windows that say 'no shoes, no service'. Sure there are snobs, but they are few and far between and when found out are taken down off their high horse by their fellow Aussies.

4. What do you miss the most about the US?

My family, no question. Being so far away from them is very difficult, especially with the kids. I wish I would win the lottery so I could afford to fly back more often (I've been back once in almost 5 years), or convince more of them to come and visit.

I did a post some time ago about things I really miss, and I am forever grateful to my mother for sending packages over despite the obscene postage rates. Lately I've found myself missing drive-thru ATMs. It sounds silly, but when you've got babies in the car and you need cash it is a royal PIA to not be able to use your own bank ATM, and save yourself the exorbitant foreign use fees, because you can't park next to it.

5. What's the coolest thing you've done in Australia since you've been there?

Visiting the Great Barrier Reef off of Cairns last year. I only wish I could have snorkelled or gone out on a life ring to the reef, but as I pregnant with Clive those were out. Instead I spent my day in awe of the colour of the water, the size of the coral and the sheer numbers of fish. Totally worth throwing up on the trip out. The GBR is just spectacular and at over 2000 kilometres long there's lots more to see. You can visit my online photos here.

Runner ups in this category include - visiting the Syndey Opera House, getting up close and personal with the kangaroos and koalas at the local zoos, dining on a nice 'roo fillet, hopefully not from the same zoo, and seeing humpbacks breeching off North Stradbroke Island.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me." If you desperately want to participate and don't have a blog (Miss WTF, Mumfies) you can use mine - I'll post it here for you.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

ANZAC Day

Today, April 25, is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. Wikipedia has an excellent article that can be found here, but for those lacking the time I'll give you a brief summary.

On 25 April 1915 members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) landed at Gallipoli, Turkey as part of a major Allied offensive to knock Turkey out of WWI. It was a spectacular failure. Eight months and over 8,000 Australian causalities later the Allies were evacuated. Yet the spirit of the ANZACs, the bravery and courage of the soldiers was not forgotten. The following year commemorative services were held in London, Egypt and of course Australia.

Since then the ANZAC legend and by association ANZAC Day has continued to grow. Some 60,000 Aussies were killed in WWI - a massive number for such a low populated country - and ANZAC Day was used to remember their sacrifice as well. Following WWII and subsequent military actions in which Australian troops took part, ANZAC Day became a day to remember not just those young men who died during the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign but anyone who was killed in the line of duty. There are dawn services (to coincide with the timing of the original assault), parades, and ceremonies at various commemorative sites here and abroad - the most well known being the Gallipoli service in Turkey.

As an American, I'm fascinated by ANZAC Day. There is nothing like it in America. Sure we have Memorial Day, and I leave Veterans Day out because it's simply a rebadging of Armistice Day (in case you're clueless - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month treaty ending the fighting in WWI) which many countries, Australia included, have. But Memorial Day's origins are nothing like ANZAC Day. Let's be honest, the ANZACs were like lambs to the slaughter. It was a defeat, and nothing like the Battle of Bunker Hill in America's Revolutionary War where the colonists were defeated but at enormous cost to the British (over 1,000 casualties vs over 400 for the colonists) and is little remembered outside of Boston. Americans don't celebrate defeats. We hide them quietly in corners and when they are discussed it is in a "lessons learned" type of way. Vietnam is a good example of this - see the phrase "Iraq is another Vietnam". Can anyone name any battles in Korea? Sure the individual solider is embraced, at least now, but on the whole we'd rather tout our victories. And we certainly don't base our national holidays around an ass kicking.

So the concept of ANZAC Day was very foreign to me at first. I have since come to understand it's not about the failure of the military operation, but instead it embraces that unique and intangible Aussie quality of 'mateship'. No where is that on display more than under fire, and that is why ANZAC Day is the most important, most solemn and most revered holiday on the calendar, even outstripping Australia Day. When Her Majesty and Clive are a little older I'd like to take them, as well as their older siblings, to a dawn service so they can better understand what their new country sacrificed for them. Nothing is more sacred than blood shed in service of your country.

Please Stand By...

Computer troubles... blah blah family driving me insane... blah blah no sleep.... blah blah jam packed schedule... blah blah teenager hogging the computer now that it's working properly again. You get the idea. Busy+ exhausted = little time to blog. And I hate that, because blogging really does help keep me sane and grounded.

Then this morning as I'm about to finish up a post I've been working on since Sunday - "MUMMY, CLIVE'S AWAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" If he wasn't before he is now. Thanks sweetie.

It's all coming, I swear. Just be patient.

Saturday Skinfest

The Holy Pecs Edition.

I had this post done earlier this morning, but then my computer went all wonky on me. I hate it when it does that. It's been playing up quite a bit - I think it's time to call someone in to have a look at it and get it running normally again. So between my computer issues, my incredibly busy weekend and Miss Thing hogging said computer in order to search out photos of herself on MySpace from her semi-formal Friday night - boy am I tired of hearing "Mum come look at this picture. You can see me way in the back" - I haven't had the time. I'd offer myself up for a flogging with a wet noddle, but I'd probably like it.

So whose weakness is a lovely chest? Some like nice legs, or a firm tush... I'm a shoulder gal myself, but today we have on offer some lovely chiselled pecs. I have to admit I giggled like a schoolgirl when Braith Anasta got bitch slapped last week by Neville Costigan - yes it was wrong and Costigan is a dope, but I still giggled - but I'm woman enough to admit he's got some f-i-n-e muscles on him:

A live shot - meaning not one I picked up from a "questionable site" or a news service - of the tasty Kiwi and Tigers player Dene Halatau, courtesy of Miss WTF. Definitely drool worthy:

I've used this photo before, but I don't think I'll get any complaints. This well built lass from Manly definitely wins the best girlie chest competition, hands down. Or should that be boobs down? Yeah, not these perkie puppies:

More skin, less busy (I hope), next week!

MyPicks

Man, I just suck at this. While Miss WTF and myself tied last week, Sparky nearly pipped me at the post, with only his faith in the Cowboys saving me, and even Mitch McDad - whom I'm not sure would recognize rugby league if it was played in his backyard - got the Manly pick right. Dammit! But what's important is that I'm still beating, by 1, Miss WTF in our local tipping competition.

Joining me in this weeks picks is guest tipster, frequent commenter and good mate Mumfies.

Mumfies: All very researched reasons! No need to study the "form guide", it's all pot luck anyway! Well, isn't it?!

Australian Kangaroos v New Zealand Kiwis:
Mooselet: Are they really called the Kiwis? I know a kiwi is a small bird, but it's also the nickname for anyone from NZ. Anyway I heartily disagree with several of the selections on the Australian team and Willie Mason is still a massive boofhead, but none of that matters on the field. Australia will win this one, although I suspect many (myself included) will keep a small bit of their heart open to the Kiwis.
Mumfies: AUSTRALIA, it's my country.

Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers:
Mooselet: I still can't get it right when it comes to the Panthers. I'll just rely on the strength of the Storm to get me through this . Even though they were looking shaky last week, they're still strong enough to notch up another win.
Mumfies: STORM, Billy plays for Storm and I like the colour of their uniform (the purple home one not the white away one).

Cronulla Sharks v Canberra Raiders:
Mooselet: Still hate the Sharks - can't we use their fins as soup? And while Canberra won last week against the luckless Roosters, they very nearly gave it away in the end. I reluctantly tip the Sharks.
Mumfies: hmmmm, tricky one here, I like both these teams. SHARKS, I like the colours of their traditional uniform, and Miss 9's coach in U7s played for them.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles v Gold Coast Titans:
Mooselet: Manly is undefeated thus far and while they have 2 players in the Test match Friday night it won't be enough to fall to the plucky Titans. I don't think it'll be a blow out, however; I look forward to this one.
Mumfies: TITANS, new Qld team.

Paramatta Eels v Canterbury Bulldogs:
Mooselet: Eels have 2 players in the Test match, Dogs have 4. Neither team has been very convincing thus far and so neither team is a strong favourite here. My intense dislike of the Dogs in general, and Willie "I like to make girls cry" Mason in particular, paired with my girlie love for the pudgy Nathan Hindmarsh force me to pick the Eels.
Mumfies: EELS, can't stand Bulldogs or that thug, Willy Mason.

Newcastle Knights v Brisbane Broncos:
Mooselet: Are the bookies on crack? Sure one group has picked the Knights to win at $1.87, but Brisbane at $1.95? Pass the bong, will ya? Over on the NRL tipping site, the Broncos are at $1.85 and the Knights $1.90!!! You've got 6 Broncos players backing up from the Test Friday night, the poor bastards have only managed to win one out of five and the Knights are having their "Andrew Johns is a God" tribute that day. I love my Broncos, but no freakin' way.
Mumfies: BRONCOS, they're our local team.

North Queensland Cowboys v South Sydney Rabbitohs:
Mooselet: The Bunnies find themselves in a position of having players actually be chosen for representative football and it will hurt an already shaky team. Matty Bowen of the Cowboys will be on fire after being overlooked AGAIN for the Kangaroos (Ricky Stuart, you suck big fat donkey balls. Love Mooselet). If the Cowboys loose this one it spells big trouble for them.
Mumfies: COWBOYS, another Qld team.

Photo Friday

Will be posting MyPicks very soon - am just waiting for my guest tipper to send me her tips again, as they were eaten by a hungry cyberspace creature earlier today. That's my story as they aren't in my inbox. Until then, please study the following photo and answer the question below:

Why does Clive look so darned petrified as Miss Thing snaps this photo? We're taking your comments below...

Power and the Passion

While I try to find the time to write a real post about the nightmarish 24 hours I've had with this group of insane asylum inmates my family, please enjoy the following Midnight Oil video clip that I happened to catch this arvo on VH1's 20 Top Albums of the 80s:

If all it took to be rich and famous was the ability to dance like Peter Garrett, I'd be a millionaire many times over. Also, I like to amuse myself my picturing the Honourable Member for Kingsford Smith dancing about Parliament this way during Question Time. Is that wrong?

Do We Have a Problem?

I've had two people email me today and tell me they have been unable to leave comments on my blog. Both Mumfies and Hermit's L'il (and occasionally evil) Sis are regular posters so they know what they're doing. I've been able to post both as myself and anonymously on my own blog and other Blogger blogs, and according to Blogger there are 'no known issues'. Typical.

Is anyone else having trouble on this blog? Please email me (as obviously you may not be able to comment) so I can continue tracking it down and beating it over the head with a blunt object. Cheers.

Contact

I'm the victim of poor genetics when it comes to my eyesight. While not as bad as the one half of my gene pool who gave me my poor peepers - I'm pretty certain Momma Mooselet is very close to legal blindness - I've needed glasses since I was 11 years old. First it was to see the blackboard, then to see the TV, then to see road signs and finally to see what was in front of me without running straight into it.

When I was 16 or so and the awful truth of that last sentence was beginning to dawn on me I begged for contact lenses. I hated my glasses so much that despite really needing them to see properly you won't find many picture of me as a teenager wearing them. This explains the abundance of wrinkles that are now making a permanent appearance around my eyes and nose as I spent a lot of time squinting. When I turned 18, MM finally agreed and my Christmas gift that year were contacts. I haven't looked back in nearly 20 years.

Contacts have come a long way since then. About 2 years ago I was prescribed a set that were not only disposable but I could keep in while I slept for a week at a time. I was flabbergasted. You mean I would wake up in the morning and be able to see without feeling like someone has left glue in my eyes? I would be able to read the paper, see the clock or see that I was about to grab the tzatziki dip instead of the butter for my toast? Joy! Rapture!

Then 3 months ago when I went to reorder my faithful lenses I was given devastating news. The brand I use had been recalled - not permanently but just the latest batches. What was I supposed to do? I was told the company would substitute daily disposable lenses for the same price as my usual pair for a 3 month supply. I took them up on it; what else could I do really? Daily disposables cost twice as much as my regular monthly disposables, and I have to admit to feeling a little decadent at the thought of being able to throw something away that, 10 years ago the mere mistake of dropping one would send me into a panic. Just chuck them in the bin and pop in a fresh pair in the morning. No solution, no cleaning, no rubbing, no cases - no worries!

My three months are nearly up and I can safely say I've tried them and I hate them.

Sure they are very comfortable as they are ultra thin. I don't feel them at all in my eyes and not once in all this time have they shifted around, causing my vision to go wonky at inopportune times. But because they are so thin I have a lot of difficulty taking them out at night. Perhaps it's my technique but in 19 years it's never been an issue. Now I often struggle, particularly with the left one as my left hand is fairly useless at delicate maneuvers. My eyes end up sore and bloodshot after all the poking about to get the damned silicone out. They are also rather fragile - yesterday I tore one trying to get it out.

And of course I can't sleep with them in. I've done it a few times, either fallen asleep on the couch or simply forgot to take them out and have become reacquainted with that glue-on-your-eye feeling. It also sucks when you have to get up during the night to feed a hungry baby and you resort to holding the bottle two inches away from your face so you can see how much water you're pouring... or that you're actually pouring it into the bottle and not straight onto the counter.

I go back to my friendly Optometrist this weekend and after finding out how much more my eyes have deteriorated I will beg to have my old lenses back. New and improved is not always better.

Saturday Skinfest

The 'Two-fer' edition.

Broncos are still banned from the Skinfest after their poor overall performance Friday night. More dropped balls on the field than could be found in the Broncos showers. They'd best turn around their performance soon else I'll loose my number one 'Darren Lockyer shirtless' standing on Google.

Melbourne posted an unimpressive win last night, so let's have a double helping of Storm players:

The luckless Roosters are yet to play, but the drool-worthy Craig Wing is worth the double shot:

I swear it's a rule in Manly that all cheergirls must be a D cup or above. See for yourself in this extra helping photo:



More skin next week!

Photo Friday

The itsy bitsy spider came in to Mooselet's house
Mooselet screamed, "Hey get the f*ck out!"
Out came the Raid and poisoned all the air,
And the itsy bitsy spider dropped dead.

So who's still coming to visit?

MyPicks

Didn't make these public last week, and it's probably a good thing as I, well, sucked. Joining us this week is guest tipper Sparky! Yes, my 12 year old is becoming immersed in the Aussie betting culture. Let's see who does better:

Penrith Panthers v Paramatta Eels: I've yet to tip Penrith correctly - I tip against them, they win and vice versa. I'm 50/50 with the Eels. I'm going with Penrith this week, only because I giggle when I say the name 'Puletua' (pull-a-too-ah)... but not to his face. Sparky's pick: Penrith.

Gold Coast Titans v Brisbane Broncos: I'll still love my boys the Broncos, but I'm still not over their loss to Penrith a fortnight ago. At least they've dropped that piss poor excuse for a winger Darius Boyd and with a win I may return them to the Skinfest. Broncos in another close one. Sparky's pick: Titans.

St. George-Illawarra Dragons v Melbourne Storm: How embarrassing were the Dragons on Monday night? Sucked donkey balls, they did. Melbourne may not have been all that impressive either last week, but I think they'll lift and mop the floor with the hapless Dragons. Sparky's pick: Storm.

Canterbury Bulldogs v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles: My heart screams at me to go against the Dogs. My head tells me that the loss of key players due to injury will finally catch up with Manly this week. I will reluctantly tip the Dirty Doggies but will be cheering for Manly as I watch from the couch. Sparky's pick: Bulldogs.

New Zealand Warriors v North Queensland Cowboys: Another head v heart contest for me. The Cowboys are my second fav team but they were damned lucky to win over the Tigers last week. The loss of Luke O'Donnell with that nasty hamstring injury - not your typical strain or tear but literally torn off the pubic bone - and playing in NZ will bite the Cowboys on the ass. Matty Bowen won't be able to save them this week, even though I'll be hoping he will. Sparky's pick: Cowboys.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights: How will Andrew Johns' forced retirement affect the Knights? Are they still the gay rock band Momma Mooselet accused them of being without media tart Johns? And who comes out on top - the gay band or cute fluffy bunnies owned by phone-thrower Russell Crowe? I say the cute fluffy bunnies. Sparky's pick: Bunnies.

Wests Tigers v Cronulla Sharks: Cronulla was impressive in its ass kicking of the Dragons Monday night and I'm tempted to tip them. The Tigers keep shooting themselves in the foot, all but handing the game gift wrapped with a purty sparkly bow over to the opposition. But Ricky Stuart still bites big Twinkies and I think the Tigers will finally get it together. Please, for Miss WTF sake, win a friggin' game already! Sparky's pick: Tigers.

Canberra Raiders v Sydney Roosters: The only thing more pathetic than Canberra's piss poor performance last week against the Eels is the entire season of the Sydney Roosters (sorry Anissa) to date. Put the Raiders back in their eye blinding green jerseys and pluck the Roosters. Sparky's pick: Raiders.

The Ugly, the Bad, and the Good

Ugly: I got 3 of 8 for my footy tips this week. Three! And to make it worse, Miss WTF beat me this week in the Wests Juniors tipping competition (tell me one kiddie sporting club in the States that runs its own gambling competition... outside of Vegas). Sure she only got 4 of 8 and she had to bet against her beloved Tigers to do it, but she beat me. I came second to last overall, this after winning two weeks ago. Ack!

Bad: Due to my piss poor tips, I have slipped in said tipping competition from inside the top 10 - well ahead of Miss WTF - to outside the top 20.

Good: I'm still beating Miss WTF overall. HA! Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

We're good mates, honest. We're just determined not to win the overall competition but merely each other. Although I think she's more determined than me as I've actually driven her to tip against her favourite team. I'm pretty sure they'd throw her out of the fan club if they ever found out.

Also on the Good side of life, I'm feeling a lot better. Still sick, but I'm able to breathe without the nasal spray. Sure the plumbing is all backed up due to the narcotics I'm taking to combat the aches and pains, and the meth lab in the shed is without the pseudoephedrine that I refuse to hand over* but I actually had the energy tonight to vacuum the floors. God Bless the pharmaceutical industry.

* for heaven's sake I'm kidding! Don't be ringing the police!

Easter Wrap-up

Once again we are enjoying our 4 day weekend with the Easter holiday. Unlike last year we won't be getting a bunch of shortened work weeks in a row as Easter came early this year. I know there is some formula to work out just when Easter is, but damned if I can remember it. So we have to wait a couple of weeks for ANZAC Day - which is a Wednesday this year so I'm not even sure we'll get a long weekend out of it. Surely we will - Aussies live for the long weekend holidays. This is why we have Easter Monday - can't be denied a day off just because Easter is on a Sunday!

This is the only time when Australian and US school holidays are the same. My brood is home on their first and shortest school break of the year. Miss Thing brought home her mid semester report and I was not happy - piss poor efforts in Philosophy and Computer IT. "But it's really hard!" she wailed. Not so hard that we can't spend hours on MySpace or MSN, is it? She has been warned to get those grades and effort up or face the real prospect of being forced to quit her job or complete loss of computer privileges.

My cold is slightly better this morning, but not due to a full nights sleep - Clive was awake briefly at 1am and for an hour+ at 4am. I'm pretty sure it's due to the drugs cocktail I downed at 10pm on my way to bed. We only have 2 Sudafed left and I didn't want to not have any this morning, but I was very uncomfortable with a fever, muscle aches and throbbing head. I pawed through our medicine basket to see what was available and decided on a combination of 2 Panadeine (Extra Strength Tylenol w/Codeine, readily available over the counter), 400 mg of ibuprofen and 1,000 mg of Naprosyn (Naproxen). Too much? I was pretty happy.

Now this morning I've gone back to my friendly chemist and picked up another box of Spray Tish nasal spray (which I think you can only get as a prescription in the US) as well as the famous Chemists' Own Cold & Flu Day/Night tablets, much raved about by fellow expat Kimmie. Sure I had to fess up my drivers licence just in case I have my own meth lab in the shed, but where else can you get paracetamol (acetaminophen), codeine and pseudoephedrine all in one pill over the counter?? I love this country.

Hope you all had a Happy Easter and didn't OD on chocolate.

Saturday Skinfest

The Nameless Edition.

Humblest apologies for being late with the Skinfest. Between the Easter holiday, a night out with Miss WTF, Mumfies, DarkSideDeb and assorted family members (less the Hermit and Miss Thing) to watch footy - although to be honest watching Miss WTF during the Cowboys/Tigers game was more fun - and a killer cold that Her Majesty brought home from kindy and shared with me I'm wiped out. My head weighs a ton, my nose is raw and my voice is all scratchy.

No rest for the weary however! So while I bless the makers of Sudafed and my nasal spray I will give you this weeks bounty of skin. I will not bother you with names of our studs this week, mainly because I forgot to save the pictures with their proper names. If anyone out there can clue us in, feel free. But honestly, do you come here for the names? Didn't think so:



Guys, this cheerchick for the Newcastle Knights does it all - she's not just a cheergirl, but a professional dancer and finalist in the Miss Surfest swimsuit contest all at the tender yet legal age of 19:


More skin, less sniffles, next week!

Photo Friday

From 2006, I give you Her Majesty on a huge sugar rush:

Happy Easter Everyone!

More Changes

With the Toddler's birthday rapidly approaching, it has occurred to me that I need to change her blogname. Coming up on 4 and not really a toddler anymore. Come to think of it, the Tween is at the tail end of his tween years and then what do I do? Teen 1 and Teen 2? I think not.

Since we're redesigning the blog, let's make some more changes. Allow me to reintroduce you to the renamed members of my family:



Miss Thing (formerly the Teen): Of course you must give it the proper pronunciation, so it's more of a street creed than something you'd find under the dishwasher. Although there are times when her behaviour makes me wonder...








Sparky (formerly the Tween): Comes from a nickname bestowed upon him by the Hermit when he was 3 or so, because he always had a "certain spark". Spark of what these days I don't know, but I think it still fits.








Her Majesty (formerly known as the Toddler): I was going to call her the Princess, but brother Gabe refers to his daughter as such. I thought about Little Princess, but when confronted with such royalty, only a lofty title would do. Besides she is named after an ancient Irish Queen in RL, so it's fitting all around.

Please Excuse My Appearance

I've been after a designer for a new template, but he hasn't answered my last email so I'm trying to tweak a freebie on my own. So if things look funky, a thousand apologies.

So, what do you think so far? Like? No like? Back to the old? Start anew? Any tips?

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That...

... now shake your hips! At least that's how I remember The Chicken Dance song going.

Heh. Now you have that stuck in your head, don't you?

Since Miss WTF isn't doing the match report today - if she doesn't do one for this week, I'll clue you in on the score tomorrow - I thought I'd throw a few things out there.

Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe has been put under a cloud after a test last May returned unusually high levels of testosterone and luteinising hormone. Since Thorpie has been a vocal critic of doping in sport, this comes as quite a shock to the sporting world and Aussies in particular. Quite frankly, I don't think he's guilty of using performance enhancing hormones. Sure he's got a killer bod:

But testosterone??? Thorpe, the original metrosexual? The man can't even grow a proper beard for heaven's sake:

We had an official tsunami watch (or was it a warning? The lesser of the two, in any case) here in Brisbane this morning after a large earthquake in the Solomon Islands. Everyone was a little nervous, waiting to hear word from Cooktown up in FNQ, one of the first areas that would've been affected. Nothing happened... and then people started complaining about being chased off the beaches for 'nothing'. Morons. Next time, please stay on the beaches. And I will hope that a tsunami really does come and wash you away, thereby cleansing the gene pool of your particular genius.

A lot of people have been worried about Clive, and his effect on Yours Truly, as I haven't blogged about it in a while. It's an improvement of inches, not leaps. I took him to the GP two weeks ago, just in case, and as I suspected he's fine. Just 'unsettled'. Huge thank yous to the girls at footy training, especially Miss WTF, Mumfies and Mrs. T. They give me the break I need so I can retain my sanity for the next go round. I don't want to blog about it all the time because then I become a whingebag that no one wants to read anymore. I will vent now and again, and then feel better enough to move on to other things.

Finally, this little gem from the Brisbane City Council as to how to deal with cane toads. The mental imagery cracks me up:

Humane euthanasia

Council knows that the most humane method of euthanasia for cane toads is chemical injection or emersion. However, as the public don’t have access to the required chemicals, stepped hypothermia (chilling followed by freezing) is the most practicable, humane technique for use at home.

Straight out freezing of cane toads might painful due to ice crystal formation on the skin and in the organs. Therefore:

1. First chill them in a refrigerator at four degrees Celsius for an hour to induce a state of unconsciousness.
2. Place them in the freezer for a minimum of 16 hours.
3. Remove the toads from the freezer and either bury them or put them in a compost heap. They are a good natural fertiliser but make sure pets cannot get to the compost heap.