Bugger!!!!

This weekend Surfer Boy took the kids down to the beach house while I worked at the shop.

The kids have had a ball playing with their cousins and Surfer Boy has been competing in the Boardriders comp, while I have, of course, spent a lovely 2 days watching DVDs, having the girls over and generally feeling 10 years younger. That was until 10 minutes ago!

You may remember I posted about Moondoggie breaking his arm. We went and had the plaster removed the day before the holidays which was perfect timing, and after 6 weeks he has been relishing having the use of both arms again.

Surfer Boy has just rung me to say they are on their way home but... they have stopped off at Geelong Hospital because he thinks Moondoggie may have broken his arm again!!!!!

Pardon my language in advance but ...FUUUCK!!!

Stay tuned...

I'm So Excited

Let me tell you why....

You may remember a couple of posts ago I was having a whinge about Surfer Boy and I having completely different viewing habits - well thanks to the magic of blogging, all my problems are solved.

I rang my parents last night to check in after the Easter break, and during the conversation Dad mentioned that he had a small flat screen TV/DVD that they had bought for their big camping trip last year and had hardly used. He says it is cluttering up their house and could I do him a favour and use it at our place!!!!

Apparently Mum has been reading my blog and passed on my TV frustration to Dad.

In true parental style they are pretending that I would be helping them out to try and cover up the fact that they are, and always have been SUPER GENEROUS.

They are also very sneaky and realise that Surfer Boy can hardly complain when he is doing his in-laws a FAVOUR!!

So this mornings job is to drive to Port Melbourne and relieve my parents of the clutter in their house, poor me!

WOO HOO!!!

Drop In And Visit.

This week I'm loving this house in Huntington, New York.

I would sit on the porch and watch the world pass by my gate.

When I move in the first thing I will do is re surface that utilitarian driveway. Such a house deserves a softer entry.
I wonder what it looks like inside...

Bunny Love

Usually I'm all about this at Easter....

But I couldn't resist this....

Hope everyone has a safe and very happy Easter. See you in a few days.
Jen

More Joy From Amy

It will be absolutely no surprise to anyone who knows me that Gilmore Girls is my favourite show. Before you roll your eyes and click on to someone Else's blog, I'm not actually going to talk about G.G. This post is all about the creative genius that is Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Sherman-Palladino is best known as the creator and executive producer of Gilmore Girls She and her husband wore many hats as the creative forces of the show, writing many of the episodes and also acting as producers.

Mid 2006, it was announced that Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband Daniel could not come to an agreement with The C.W. to continue their contracts. As a result, the Palladinos' involvement with Gilmore Girls came to an end. And some say, so did the glory days of the show.

The reason for this post about Amy is not only because I think she is an amazing creative force, but I have just heard from the 'Font Of All Wisdom' - Whitney - that she has developed a new sitcom!! WoooHoooo!!!

The Return Of Jezebel James

is about two sisters who come together after years apart, when one of the sisters agrees to carry the other's baby. Amy will write, executive produce and direct the pilot. The series will debut on March 14, 2008 on FOX. Parker Posy is the star in the series, along with Lauren Ambrose from 6 Feet Under fame.

As you can imagine I am more than a little excited about the prospect of a new offering from the Sherman-Palladino family but I have an awful suspicion that it will be many years before we see it on Australian TV, if at all. Looks like it's time to upgrade the Internet connection and get set for lots of illegal downloading!

By the way do any Gilmore fans recognise an old friend in any of the photos??

Mars V. Venus

I've decided that the biggest difference between the sexes has to be their television viewing.

Every time Surfer Boy joins me on the couch he pooh-hoos my show choice. If I am stupid enough to leave the room to get a tea, go to the bathroom, check on the kids, I will return to find the show I have been watching for the past 1/2 hour now a black and white documentary (usually with subtitles) charting the history of the worlds best criminals or old men digging up bones in the Kalahari Desert. It SHITS me!!

Mr Smug then informs me that 'I could learn something'.

If I leave the room to blog 'cause I can't stand watching a brain sliced open on R.P.A. I get abused for spending too much time on the computer.

I've tried to fix the problem by suggesting we buy another TV for the bedroom, then he can watch whatever he wants and not be offended by my low-brow choices but that apparently is not an option. 'It's unnecessary. It's a 'want' not a 'need'.

Gggrrrrrr!

I want to watch So You Think You Can Dance.

I want to watch bad rom-coms.

I want to watch Rove.

I even want to watch Biggest Loser if I so choose.

Why can't we find anything we enjoy watching together? Is it that hard? Spics & Specs and The New Collectors are the only times we find ourselves on the couch together. That makes ONE HOUR a week!!

What happened to the days where the family sat around the idiot box together? Long gone I fear.

I want to be this family....

By the way, it is still frigging hot here!!! Thanks for caring.

42c / 108 f

Question - Do your eyeballs shrink when they dry out?

Thank you for the picture.

Drop In And Visit...

This is my dream house today...

It is so fabulously hot in Melbourne today that I thought I'd show the vista I'm enjoying in my dreams, and the pool I'll be taking an evening dip in later.

James, fetch me another lemon, lime & bitters while I finish my book on the chaise...

Melt With You - Modern English 1982

I wish I had remembered this song when I got married. It is such a lovely song. In 1982 'Melt With You' made me want to fall in love. I was 14 years old and couldn't wait. Melt With You was also from the soundtrack of Valley Girl which I watched over and over again. There are definite shades of 'Depeche Mode' in Modern English, another reason this song resonates with me. For those of you who don't know it - please give it a listen, it's worth it. (Perhaps close your eyes though as the film clip is nothing to get carried away about.)

It Very Well Could Be A Cult!

I am no longer a TUPPERWARE virgin! I know! Seems there are not that many of us left. Who knew? I have fought off invitations for years, positive that something so middle aged and suburban was not for me. Well surprise, surprise, it turns out I am in fact a middle aged woman from the burbs.

I was determined not to purchase anything and couldn't for the life of me think why I would need any more containers, let alone ones that cost roughly the same amount as my car. Turns out that I do in fact need HEAPS of new Tupperware and I actually will not be able to live a fulfilled and prosperous life without it.

Now that a few days have passed and my mind is starting to clear I realise that I have been very successfully fleeced and may in fact have been possessed throughout the evening. No one can sell that effectively and not be a master of mind control...

I feel a strange love for my 'Forget-me-not' bowls and my 'Rock and serve' containers that is not entirely natural. I even spent this afternoon trying to find a recipe that required separating eggs so I could try out the nifty little egg-separator I was given by the Tupperware Master for attending my first ever party.

When they arrive I'll be able to give my verdict as to whether I'm a soft touch or whether I am in fact a very discerning shopper who is ensuring a long life for my produce.

Did you know that when using capsicum, always use the stalk end last, as this end lasts longer than the other? Neither did I, but the Tupperware Master did!

Did you know that if you use boiling water in your ice-cube tray, your ice will be clear, not cloudy? Neither did I, but the Tupperware Master did!

and so on, and so on.....

What Will Baby Do??

I have only just heard that Patrick Swayze is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer!

Here's hoping that 'Johnny Castle' has many more dancing days ahead of
him.

You Shouldn't Go Away For Work Or Your Family Might Forget You

I am a fabulous wife, truely spectacular. I just know there are many men out there just kicking themselves that they didn't propose when they had the chance. I don't think anyone holds a candle to me -
Tonight I started on dinner - vegies progressed well, then Surfer boy discovered the chops he had gone out to BBQ had a slightly sinister smell to them. 'No worries' I called - the kids can have very nutritious skinless cocktail franks with their mash and peas. Problem solved.
I sat down to my deliciously tasty beef and black bean meal for one.

Surfer Boy sat on the couch and quietly ate a carrot.

Seems I had forgotton about him and he didn't like to mention it.

So you see, wife of the year!!

Keep Them Coming

One of the best things about having a blog is the wonderful comments and recommendations I get from regular readers. One of the best parts of my day is opening up my email and finding comments left on my blog. It still gives me such a thrill.

This week I have been following up on a couple of suggestions from fellow bloggers and it has been well worth the effort.

First up Lou from Totally Innocent was astounded to find out that I had never experienced the joy that is 'Stand By Me'.

She had watched it with her boys recently and told me I just had to see it. A couple of days later I stumbled across it in K-Mart for $8.00 and knew I had to get it. That was a couple of weeks ago I it was only last night that I finally got around to watching it.

Well Lou, you'll be pleased to know that I loved it. I found it an absolutely delightful movie and can see why it enjoys such 'classic' status. The performances were spot on and it was a very poignant tale told with grace and humour. It's now on my 'must see' list for anyone else who is yet to see it.

Last night I received a message from Whitney in America who had been looking at my book list and wanted to know if I had read 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer. This is part of the message she left me....

"I was reading your list of books you have read and what you are reading and I have to say YOU NEED TO READ Twilight http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html It is right up your alley. It is a teen romance . It is one of those that make you want to have that giddy, just met the perfect boy, does he notice me, should I drive by his house feeling again."

Needless to say after that introduction I literally rushed to the Sun Bookshop to see if Deb could get it in for me. Just my luck, a shipment was arriving that afternoon and she promised to call me as soon as it arrived. Apparently she is just as big a fan as Whitney and can't believe I haven't experienced the joy. At 5.45 my phone rang with the good news and I now have books 1 and 2 of the Twilight series in my hot little hands. Stay tuned for my review.... I can't wait.

So THANK YOU to Lou and Whitney and all you other bloggers and Lurkers please feel free to send me your recommendations - share the joy around.

Oscar turns 80

Here are some Red Carpet beauties from today's ceremony.

Who gets your vote?

Hillary Swank

Marion Cotillard
Nicole Kidman

Renee Zellweger

Anne Hathaway

Jennifer Garner
Katherine Heigl

Jessica Alba
Cameron Diaz Helen Mirren
Cate Blanchett
Penelope Cruz

Ellen Page
Keri Russell

The Lindt Bunny

I've been busy printing out copies of this photo I took in my local supermarket.




I figure if I stick them up in enough places I might actually get a Lindt bunny for Easter. I unsuccessfully dropped hints for a Lindt Reindeer for Christmas with no luck.

So far there is one on the fridge, above the toilet, under Surfer Boy's pillow, in his diary, and in the fridge near the beer!

Surely he will remember, instead of waiting until they have all sold out like a certain Easter in the not so distant past.

Ali's Birthday Present

As a very special treat for the delightful Alison on her '25th' birthday, here is 4 wonderful minutes of footage of 'PLOUGH GUY' who holds a very special place in her dreams. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

I Hate Cooking

I do, I hate cooking. I think if it wasn't compulsory I wouldn't hate it so much. It's a little like those novels you had to read at school. No matter how fabulous they were you always hated them just for the sin of being compulsory. Take Wuthering Heights for example. I knew deep down that it was a book worthy of my love but thanks to Year 11 Lit it took another 10 years for me to acknowledge the love.

I digress...
Cooking - Yuk. Something that I do because my family would slowly wither away if I didn't. On the odd occassion that I get enthused it is usually in someone elses immaculate, modern kitchen not my own pre 1930s disaster.
Therefore I was rather surprised yesterday when the cooking bug struck. Not only were the conditions far from optimal, it was 36 degrees celcius (97 f) outside which means it must have topped 40 in my windowless hot box, and did I also mention I hate cooking? Undaunted I somehow managed to produce a rather yummy Javanese curry ('cause curry is so good on a hot night) and a jammy, coconut slice that will grace the lunchboxes of Moondoggie and Gidget for the next month!

It wasn't until I washed up the last dish (did I mention we don't have a dishwasher?) and stowed away the tupperware that I thought - 'What the F_CK am I doing - it's stinking hot and I hate cooking.' I figured the heat must have adversely affected me causing weird domestic tasks to be undertaken - Surfer Boy is hoping it happens again real soon.
Here are the fruits of my labour because I sure as hell won't be a domestic goddess again in the foreseeable future so I thought I'd better capture it on film to show the kids when they are older, or the Department of Human Services.

And this is what they were supposed to look like..

Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy

"Candy on the beach, there's nothing better - but I want Candy when it's wrapped in a sweater" This song, and that line in particular bring back so many memories. Hot sand, salty skin, peeling noses, kissing in the sand dunes, and a certain young surfie boy...

SORRY

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998 - one year after the tabling of the report, Bringing them Home, which was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

One of the recommendations of the report was that a National Sorry Day should be declared. Sorry Day offered the community the opportunity to be involved in activities to acknowledge the impact of the policies of forcible removal on Australia's Indigenous populations.


On Sunday 28th May 2000 more than 250,000 people participated in the Corroboree 2000 Bridge Walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge. This walk was in support of Indigenous Australians and was organised by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (now known as Reconciliation Australia), a Federal Government initiative to promote greater understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The event highlighted the issue of a lack of an apology by the Commonwealth Government to the Stolen Generations.

FINALLY....

On the 13th of February 2008, the new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, tabled a motion in parliament apologising to Australia's Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws and policies which had 'inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.' The apology included a proposal for a policy commission to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in 'life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.'

I too say Sorry, for injustices that break my heart.

(much of this text is courtesy of The Government's culture.gov.au)

Serendipity

Ever have one of those days where the universe seems to be trying to tell you something? I had one the other day and although it wasn't momentous, it still struck me.

Two days after the death of Heath Ledger I had been sitting at the computer, looking at some old footage, and having a cry when a friend rang to discuss his death. Over the course of the phone call we moved on to general things and ended up having a conversation about the struggles he still faces being a gay man in the teaching profession.

An hour later I was in the Village and decided to have a look in the bookshop to cheer myself up as so far the day had been fairly bleak. I came accross this book which seemed to leap out at me.
I've been reading quite a few books lately set in rural Australia so the cover immediately appealed to me. On turning it over I read this ---
'When Hollywood actor Heath Ledger finished reading the script for Brokeback Mountain - a film about a love affair between two American cowboys - he thought of his friend Adam Sutton, whose life was reflected in many of the film's themes, and told him, 'I've just read this script and it sounds a lot like you.'
I don't know if I've been living under a rock but somehow I missed hearing about Adam Sutton who was on Australian Story soon after Brokeback Mountain was released. All I knew was not only had I been thinking about Heath Ledger all day but I'd also been ruminating on the issues my friend had brought up about coming out. FREAKY!!! Needless to say I bought it straight away and hugged it to my chest all the way home.
It is a wonderful book and is told with humour, amazing personnal insight and courage. His journey is fascinating and will stay with me for a long time. It is also poignant in the light of recent events which were of course unknown to Adam at the time. ***** 5 stars from me for what it's worth.

Corey Hart, Sunglasses At Night

Here is another gem from the "So Bad They Are Good" section of my record collection. Apparently this song really gets Krissa going so this is for you my dear. Enjoy.

One boy going cheap.

O.K. now he's just annoying!

Our first day home from the hospital and Surferboy and I talk to Moondoggie about the need to be careful now that he is carrying around about a tonne of plaster on his left arm. We impress upon him the need to be careful as 'you broke your arm!!!' and your balance will be off for a while. He looked at us with those tangle-lashed orbes and assured us he understood...
Fast- forward to school pick-up and after reminding him not to jump off the retaining wall he so loves, he proceeded to get up said wall, fall off, and badly graze his knee. "But I didn't jump off it Mummy, I was climbing up."
Fast-forward again and I am busily working away on the computer (googling Lorelai Gilmore) when I hear Moondoggie run up the hall, chased by his sister, fall, smack his broken arm into the floor and split his lip open!!! Of course blood gushes everywhere and we assume he's knocked every tooth out of his mouth which luckily wasn't the case and he came away with a fat lip and very sore mouth.
At this juncture we decided to cut our losses and pack him off to bed before I had a nervous breakdown.
The thing that amazes me about the last couple of days is that it is all so out of character for Moondoggie. For a boy he is very placid and has rarely had any sort of accident, let alone ones of the magnitude of the last couple of days - maybe our run of luck is well and truely over!
He's damn lucky I think he's cute 'cause I'm this close to putting him up on ebay.

My Brave Boy

It was my little Moondoggie's first day of 3 year old kinder today but instead of tripping off to meet all his new buddies he spent the day here......

Because he did this.... (warning - this is a little off) (LEFT arm for those of you who completely missed it)

Due the the random nature of the universe Moondoggie launched himself from the 3rd step of the bunk ladder in a bid to defeat the enemy of all Power Rangers and instead of landing with a flourish as he has done a

dozen times before, he landed with a snap!

Needless to say he did not make it to kinder today.

Although 24 hours spent in emergency at a public hospital is hideous it has provided me with enough musing to write posts until Easter. Until tomorrow .... this wrung-out mother is off to bed with a hot cuppa and to have the cry I have been saving up since yesterday morning at 8.15am!

Y.A.F.

Don't forget to drop into the

Yarraville Arts Festival

this Saturday.

Soft Cell - Tainted Love

I don't know if anyone else owns the Soft Cell album but it's worth buying for the fabulous 'Sex Dwarf'. This album is only second in 'Aceness' to Kagagoogoo's 'Erganomics'. (Now if you own both of those albums you can join my gang!)

Get Your Arse Back Home

Surfer Boy is off doing this again...

And although he was due to fly in yesterday for Gidgets first day of school, bad weather and technical difficulties have meant that the chopper can't get them off until today (fingers crossed) . As much as I love having the house to myself and get excited at the bad T.V. viewing opportunities, I'm really starting to miss him now.

Sick of being a single-mother, need some lov'n from someone over 4ft.

What are the odds they really let him do this ...

To this....?