Catherine’s Blog

58/365 Sleepy

Originally uploaded by LPM

Well, the job at LRC is going quite well, up until Friday I had no log ins for the computing system so that was made of fail. To be honest I was surprised it has taken so long but I have very little experience of large corporate environments. On Friday I was let loose on the unsuspecting customer base and answered phones. Very much the same as renewing books over the phone, take the details and hit the right buttons. I think I did okay, there are a lot of things to remember, although I did huge amounts of data entry last week, I have not really had a chance to explore all the options on a couple of the systems as I can not log into them. I hope that will change this morning.
Due to work, photos have lacked a certain amount of inspiration, I have been very tired when I get home. I am yet to work out how to take photos in the LRC without giving away where I work because the brand is displayed prominently. I have collected the DSLR, took some photos, cannibalised it for removable parts and packed in the box. I have taken some photos of Bato, the older kitten I shared with at Toby’s place. He is a delightful thing and loves to chase paper and purrs very loudly.

Friday night was very thrilling, I packed a bit and the decided transport two bottles of Gin and tonic was a little overboard. So I drank the part empty bottle, finished the tonic and then went onto mixing it with coke zero. Not as revolting as it sounds, rather like odd Dr Pepper. I spent an entire 5 hours chatting with Rikard, it was great fun, we exchanged youtube clips and other links. It was a fun night and was lovely catch up after his trip to Sweden. We are going to have re-evaluate our catch up schedule with my having to be up at 6am and not making much sense at that hour of the morning.
Saturday I managed to pack all my goods into the car and head out to the new place I am living.
I am staying with Aliz and Callum in deepest darkest Werribee. They have a large house out there and have offered me the use of their two spare rooms. I had a lot of fun putting brand new linen on the bed. I was in heaven. I bought myself a cotton quilt, after sleeping under polyester ones in the UK i found the movement of feathers irritating. I suspect the cotton one will be too light for winter but at the moment it is perfect and smells wonderful. I am grateful for Aliz and Callum putting up with me, it is going to make life that little bit easier and gives me somewhere to live whilst looking for a flat of my own.

On Saturday I looked at the unit in Strathmore I tried to look at on Wednesday. The real estate agents were made of fail and had no key and a lot of standing around happened. The unit was run down but not squalid, there is a water leak that worries me but other than that it was fine. It has a fair amount of traffic noise as backs onto Pascoe Vale Road but the bedrooms are away from the noise and considering I generally play music or put the TV on this should not be too much of a problem. There were a lot of people looking, singles, families and share houses. There was one couple and a companion looking which would have been very crowded. For me it is the perfect size, not huge amounts of storage but two bed rooms and pleasant set of units it is in. Will see how that goes later in the week.

Sunday I went into town with Rachelle attended the Sydney Road Street Party. Lots of stalls and people. A pair of excellently decked out stilt walkers. One as a Scots man, resplendent in kilt and hat, walking on well made leg extensions, the extra bend in his leg not being noticeable with his kilt. The other costume was an excellent mascot costume, a dog that walked on all fours with the aid of stilts. Very nicely designed and very anatomically correct with bum hole, balls and willy that the operator could shoot ‘pee’ terribly accurately with. Spraying the crowd to the merriment of the people. I was very impressed with both outfits but the dog from a design point was a wonderful shape but I have no idea how hard it would be to walk in but I suspect the word difficult comes to mind.


All in all it has been all a great deal less stressful this week in many ways. Work, I think will become more interesting, I understand the need for data entry but it is really not for me. Tonight I am attempting to go swimming, this could be either fun or embarrassing as I have put on weight and may not fit into my bathers, oh dear. I am trying to get a handle on the eating, now my head seems a little less crowded I should be better at stopping the craziness of food being the all powerful source.

Ohhh, another achievement is I have hit 60 days of self portraits, I have missed one day, I am rather pleased with that.
Here is day sixty, I went swimming.

51/365 needle in a haystack

Originally uploaded by LPM

This week is going to be a bit mad. New Job at large retailer, thank you the fairy who helped me get my foot in the door.
I am in two minds about the job, yes it is a job but it is not in the industry I want to be in and i am very concerned about getting stuck. The retail giant is well known so comments about my job will be kept to a minimum, I am working in the call centre which could be moderately exciting.
I have moved into Melbourne which is very pleasant, I am most likely going to be fairly transient until I find a place to live. Looking at the rental sheets has been very disheartening and I am having to rethink being on the Ballarat/Melton side of Melbourne. Trying to find property in my price bracket is hard. I have found on place, will have to call the estate agent again to find out about it.
i really am not wanting to compromise and take a place to have to take house mates for. I need some space that is mine, for my own mental health.
So onwards and upwards, hopefully a unstable month followed by some stable ones.
Bonus it there is a three month old kitten living in the house I am staying at the moment, he is lovely.

21/365 Victorian postcard

Originally uploaded by LPM

Right, today, went car shopping, think i have found my new car, this is good and bad, more expensive than I thought but I have realistic that small autos are hard to come by and hold their value.
I have another to drive on Monday before I firm this up. I am very nervous about doing this before knowing how much money i will have and the Aussie dollar but I need a car.
So, I also got very sunburnt, I really need to get a grip on putting on sunscreen before leaving the house.
The photo was going to show the sunburn but the sepia looked very cool.
The photo below is because my audience thought I should laugh or was making me laugh. You can see my sunburn, I am going to have a very brown face at this rate.

Rest of me week has been quite up and down, well mainly down. Applying for jobs etc is stressy. I spent a lot of time sewing aprons and getting ready for a market, that we only made $20 so that was depressing.

I am sure things will pick up but a job is a job and blah blah. Oh well, I have to go nurse my sunburn.

Angled LPM

Originally uploaded by LPM

Poor Rikard, it is not his fault that he did not get the reaction he expected when he unveiled his plans recently. I went into a spin, there are a lot of reasons for this and it is going to take some time to work them out.
My main thing to remember is Rikard is NOT Anthony, he won’t do the things he did, hopefully. The ripples and waves from my marriage are going to affect my personal relationships for a long time. More so with my reaction to his news that caught us both by surprise. After a long conversation, talking about time lines, worries and expectations here is the news.

Rickard is coming to visit, hopefully a long extended visit. The reason for the visit is to get to know me a little better than hour chats on Skype. It is a testing visit. Just to see little old me. ME!

I am excited but am not bouncing around like a loon, this cat has been kicked too many times for that, I have promised that I will when he has booked his ticket. Which he intends to do in the next few months.

So 2009 might have a tiny silver lining, which is good considering it has been the most horrible year ever, for me.

I have been told 2010 is going to be “awesome”, considering how excited Rikard was I can not really help but to agree and grin.

12/52 Socks and Toes

Originally uploaded by LPM

We are back. The website has been down as we moved servers.
If you see anything wrong let me know.

Since getting back from Sydney I have been looking for work, sewing and Christmas shopping.

Michael and Nat have gone to a wedding and left me and the boys to fend for ourselves.
Tomorrow we will be looking at a craft market in Williams town to see if our wares will sell there. Lots of fun.
I spent some time purchasing wine in preparation for a skype date. Rikard and I have the same type of red wine. A bit funny but something we can share.

The sever my website has been down so the journal entries have been written up and have been posted on the appropriate day when the server was put back on line.

My trip to Sydney has been really good. I am currently using the down time on the plane to catch up with the blog.

The trip was good with some frustrating bad spots that although frustrating, in the past would have upset me greatly and combiner were stressful but now much less likely to accompanied by blind panic.

First Natalie and I wend our way across to Avalon airport, admiring the the sunrise but we were a little late and I missed the plane. Opps, the first time in my life and an expensive mistake I won’t make again. Natalie the trooper drove me to Tullamarine Airport (which I kept calling Heathrow) and I caught a later plane.

I managed to negotiate the Sydney train system and got myself into Circular Quay, the most stunning view from a train station, I suspect in the world. (Of course if forgot to inquire where I could find locker at the airport and has to take my little suitcase with me.) I took lots of photos of the bridge and Opera House and found some lovely christmassy photos as well. It was hot but really enjoyable and the tramping around in the sun has bleached my regrowth into the colour I was dyed in London, it is looking more natural now. I went around the Rocks and sat in the pub, with the crazy laptop on the bar. I then went to get money and managed to miss the slot and slip my card under the card reader! Bugger. I only had that bank card. Oh dear. I had enough money to get me to St Leonard’s and met Ed. He picked me up and we headed to his mother’s home.

There I met the delightfully elegant Margo, Ed’s very stylish mother. Having met Madeleine, Ed’s sister it very easy to see where the good looks come from. It was really good see Ed. He is looking great and very, very happy. I suspect the relationship with Maddie has something to do with that. I met the other woman in Ed’s life, the very beautiful and fluffy Boo, a long haired tabby.

Ed and I napped and then got ready for dinner before launching to a trek across town with Margo, along the way having some really great house porn moments. I really like the Californian Bungalow look, one day I will buy one of them. We crossed the bridge on the train and I discovered you could walk across it. This is something I have tucked away in my memory banks.

We found the restaurant and although the service was a little slow and the food heavy for the weather it was a great feed and good company.

In the restaurant I received a text that my flight had been cancelled and to call Jetstar. Not good news but I dutifully called and the amount of time on hold ate my phone credit! Grrrrr. I did not get through, very annoyed to say the least. Then I discovered a very bad thing. I had dropped my DSLR camera at Circular Quay earlier in the day and thought there was no damage. Nope, I had cracked the base plate on the opposite corner to the battery door. This is not good. I will be looking into the repair when I get home. Seeing the LCD screen from the inside of the camera is scary.

We then moved to a cocktail bar to met more of Ed’s friends and there was a time, even after a coke and gin and tonic that I ended up napping before we headed back to a friend’s of Ed’s. Getting a taxi in King’s Cross after chucking out time was akin to the melee that is Camden or Trafalgar Square in London, except the dresses are much skimpier and the heels high producing many clones that border and go over the whore line. There was some more drinking and catching up at house before collapsing on the couches. I had used Skype to find out about the flight and was not going back on Sunday but now Monday.

Sunday started off with people arriving to construct steampunk outfits. I can not say how much of a big yay, that was. Even though it felt very early. A yummy breakfast was supplied and it was a relaxed start to the day.

Ed and I headed to the station which was a long and hot walk. The Bureau of Meteorology said it was about 27 degrees but it felt much hotter and by the time we reached St Leonard’s. We waited for a bus but decided that even though it was decked out in tinsel inside and out that we did not want to do the walk and we took a cab. The proceed to crash and burn with regards to doing anything more. More naps were taken and then delicious pizza consumed.

Sydney has a different feel to Melbourne, Sydney leaves you in no doubt you are in a large city and it is Australian. Unlike Melbourne many of the trees are indigenous and there are huge swathes of bush in the middle of suburbs and of course there is the harbour. The feel is big busy city and not the slightly more laid back feel of Melbourne with its European feel.

Today was really just catching up on sleep and getting to the airport. Ed drove me which was very cool. We chatted about many things, life, relationships, London, Australia and stuff. We are in quite similar situations and it helps that Ed knows Rikard quite well. This proved for some enlightening conversations. I think my view of Rikard and what ever we have has shifted ever so slightly with bits and pieces of news from London and a bit of eye opening from Ed. Still taking things slowly though. Getting my feet back on the ground and getting back bits of me I have squished is the order of this month.

It was great to see Ed, hear about London and generally feel a little less disconnected from a life I worked hard to build there. It was great to see a different side of him and met his family and friends too as well as well as see a bit of Sydney.

I am appear to be sitting at the bar of the oldest pub in Sydney, with the lap top and a schonner of Carlton Draft beer with the condensation condensing into little rivers of liquid. The pub is tiny, there is a leaning towards men seated around the rectangle shaped bar. The lines are Victoria with the tiles on the wall showing their age as well as the local trade in yesteryear. (Front bars were tiled high due to men peeing in the pub during the six o’clock swill.)

I am in Sydney for Ed’s 30^th round the world celebration. More on that later, time to catch whilst looking like a dork in a fairly old school once filled with dock workers pub with a lap top on the bar.

The last week or so have been a little round about like some quite depressing times and some great times.

Friday last I had job interview that I suspect went badly as I have not heard anything yet, I would have liked the job but I doubt if I am qualified enough. Cataloguing would be a skill I would have liked to hone a bit. Oh well, those are the breaks.

After the interview I headed out to visit Adrienne and Bill in Kyneton. Driving there I had to contrate on watching for kangaroos. Bill cooked up a lovely meal, stir fried beef. Adrienne and I then hit the gin and tonic and generally chatted about very little but also a lot. We spent a bit of time wandering around the property both in the dark as well as in the light. Bill is into short wave radio in a big way and has an array of boxes and wires that look a touch arcane and are attach to large antennae outside the home.

I headed back to Melton on Saturday morning, managing not hit any kangaroos again. Driving early morning and evening is a little fraught when you are unused to watching for kamikaze kangaroos.

I pottered around the house Saturday, sending the roomba around and doing a bit of washing. Saturday night I dressed up in my new skirt from Japan and headed off to Toby’s house warming.

Toby’s house is modern and in Brunswick West, very nice. I am quite jealous. I chatted to Toby and some of his guests. It was very odd only knowing Toby and I appear to have lost a little socialising knack. I suspect this is from generally feeling down. I was missing London, mainly the fact that socially London was just easier. There was more on and I knew what was on. I have very uncomfortable feeling of being homesick for a town I spent time being homesick in! I am sure this limbo will right its self.

I general I spent most of those days feeling quite down, the combination of fish out of water with the interview and Toby’s party as well as having to mess about on public transport and negotiating use of a car taking its toll.

Sunday I popped down to visit Adrienne’s house in Faulkner and helped her pack some books and admire her home. It is lovely, a slice of time warp of kitsch and scientist.

I was in need of a little not down time but brain reorganisation. There were a number of things poking in my brain and not helping with my mood. I need to sort out some stuff and called Rikard in London (I think this is the first time this blog has heard of Rikard, I knew him in London and when he discovered I was leaving and the circumstances for the departure he decided to act on the feelings he has had for me for a long time.). We chatted about many things including travel plans, up until now his coming trip to Melbourne had been couched in terms of if and now it is when. We both have our reservations. I really need to settle and adjust to my failed marriage status. I still miss Anthony terribly but recent circumstances have hardened my heart and it is time to recover and go forward. This very long discussion was much needed we talked about many things and sorted out a number of things. It was really good, and a weight I had realised I was carrying was lifted. I gather he was very happy as well.

Monday saw me sewing, a lot, aprons. We contacted a craft market for the Thursday and were hoping to do it but need to build up stock.

Tuesday was fabric shopping followed going out to visit Jack and Tracey. I am going to admit to avoiding this meeting, I knew it would be tough. Jack has grown so much, he is now 2 cm shorter than me. His body shape is changing and is going to be fairly stocky. He thought I was going back to England even though he knew about Anthony. His response to it all was, I am really sorry to hear that. Frankly the best response anyone can give, heart felt and to the point. He had not realised that I was here to stay and declared my return the best present ever. I may have done very well not to cry at that point.

Tracey I caught up over pizza and wine, it was lovely to chat and generally catch up. Tracey and I seem to fall back in the old patterns pretty quickly and that was comforting.

I ended up on the last train the Melton (9.55pm), an enlightening journey. I now suggest people who use TfL and complain should try Melbourne for a bit.

Wednesday was again sewing and more sewing. We had a craft market for Thursday and we had to prepare for that. Arnie dropped over some of his had turned pens to sell as well.

Thursday was an early start and heading to Bacchus March Village for the craft market. I set up and waited, Nat bought down some plastic bags we had forgotten and I waited. I sold a pen. I waited more, people admired the aprons. Some stall holders to a point of sketching our design in plain sight of me. Not impressed and annoyed I did not say anything at the time.

All in all the market was an experiment and we know now to scope the market before hand. The goods we were competing against were made by people doing it for a hobby and therefore not out to make a profit. Also the market was a little old style and there really was not enough people coming through. I am glad that we did take Dad’s pens because they saved us. We sold 5 of them for more than Dad normally sells them. It was a step learning curve and although disappointing we know what went wrong.

Thursday night I visited Dave for a very important job, to buy underwear. Dave is on night shift and because I am not working then shopping trips to the 24hour K-mart are only moderately insane. We pottered around a bit before I went to sleep, leaving Dave to do the nocturnal thing. I got up in the morning as he went to bed and after a little friendly housework headed back to Melbourne to pack for Sydney.

8/52 The Hills are Alive

Originally uploaded by LPM

This week has been fruitful but a little mad with procrastination.
The very hot weather has rung me out like a wet rag, I have really struggled with the heat. It hit 37C yesterday and at one point I was in the arm chair with Ewan piling plastic food on me and I really could not move. The night before it had not dropped below 29C, not good for sleeping. At midday it was 39C and I was lying on the bed dozing, generally being a little pathetic. I roused myself enough to head out to find caffeine and sewing supplies.

When I got outside the sky was red brown, dust storm. It last a good half and hour, not as impressive as the ones before the Ash Wednesday fires but still gritty and blowing.

The temperature mercifully began to drop.
Later in the evening it began to rain and I got Natalie to be the shutter clicker for this weeks picture. The weather forecast indicates there is going to be some respite from the heat for a few days. The concept of a cool change is something I really have only encountered in Australia, the drop of 10C in an hour is something to behold and be grateful for. Enough to dance in the rain.
The rest of me week has been quite slow with highlights. Wednesday I spent with Joyce, we went fabric shopping and spent a really good day just finding fabric and chatting. I get the impression she may have missed me. I know she did and it is these days I have missed so getting back into them was lovely.
I then went to a photography group and had a lovely night. I am reserving judgement for the moment and will go back to see how I feel.
I have also started making aprons, children’s aprons with a clever cross back strap design, to sell on etsy as well as craft markets. Today I cut out and overlocked about twenty of them. It was a good day. We are looking at trying to get in some markets before Christmas.
I have been looking for work. There is not much out there and I am looking at some school photographer work as well. I am not sure how I will go but we will see.
I am not going to get concerned until January as this is when uni’s and schools will be recruiting. I think mentally and emotionally I have been in need of this sort of break and making the aprons should bring in some money too.
I am aiming for more social type things this week and tomorrow I start with catching up with Dave and Andrew.
From Monday to Thursday I will be in Ballarat, cat and house sitting whilst Joyce and Arnie are in Queenscliff.

Today is a total fire ban day. It is not a catastrophic fire warning day. The warning for these days are “if you are in the path of these fires you are likely to die”. Welcome to Australia post the Black Saturday Fires.

A catastrophic fire warning day means that schools in the areas affected will be closed. The reason for this is if the schools had been in operation when the fires earlier this year burned, we would have lost many more lives as schools would have been full.

Today it 37C here in Melton, I have been melting because I have not been here for ages and have not worked my way into summer. My nephew’s school has been added to at risk list which means he does not attend school on catastrophic day and we discussed our fire plan. Who is staying and fighting and at what point people leave. Slightly scary.

Summer in Australia is something that can be wonderful, long days, blue skies, beaches, pools and the life style attached but the reality of the heat and sun is fires, and with a decade long drought…

It is a reality check that is more reality slam.

Fergus

Originally uploaded by LPM

The last few days summed up in few words hot, frustrating, disheartening, giggly and reverse culture shock.

Summer has leapt on me and is slowly squeezing me into a drippy mess. No slow working into summer, no pretending summer will turn up next week and then drizzle for a month. This is a real summer and it is armed to the teeth. It hit 37C today, oddly not as bad as Sunday were I really was not expecting to feel like a wrung out rag. I am thinking I could be in danger of Dave syndrome. I have had to buy some new dresses because I have lost the ability to wear jeans in 30 heat. I am wearing a pair of Nat’s thongs (shoes, people) and they are white, I think I can’t wait until my boxes arrive as they have not left yet! At least there are a reasonable amount of comfortable summer shoes here.

Looking for work but there is not much around. I really don’t want to think too hard about that.

I have wrangled a phone, well a sim and a phone on Friday, pay as I go until I have a job and can have contract.

Dealing with government can frustrating. At least Vicroads made getting a primary piece of ID easy.

Monday night I went swimming with MJ and the boys, we tested out the water proof camera and the results were fun. It was well worth the money. The next camera experiment will be with my holga!

Tomorrow sewing I hope and finishing Ela’s dress.