the random typings of charlene

31: End of the month!

2012-01-31T23:59:00.143+11:00

I made it! Granted, I have been getting a bit slack in posting before midnight these past few days, but I still made it!

I feel a sense of accomplishment in succeeding in what I set out to do this month. I also feel a lot more motivated to blog than I did before, although I still don't have any clue as to what I should type about.
I never did, that's nothing new.

Now it's break time; it's going to feel weird knowing I don't have to blog tomorrow. You never know though, maybe tomorrow I'll have something important to say...

Wow, I almost made more posts this month than I did in 2010 and 2011 combined.

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Today had some odd moments:

Not one, but two instances of spontaneous travel - we got in the car with one particular location in mind and ended up somewhere else entirely.
We missed the payment window at McDonalds so I had to get out of the car in the middle of the drive-thru, then Mum drove off and I had to chase the car.
A friend, who I hadn't seen or spoken to in a while, called me - trouble was, I couldn't really talk because I was in a cemetery.
Took a random nap. Still tired now.

As for yesterday's pan I got most of the burnt food off with the baking soda. I did a combination of things, not sure which one worked.
There's still some stubborn bits stuck on the pan... but I'm stubborn too.

Next month: the stunning conclusion of

WOMAN vs PAN

30: Just call me Panburner

2012-01-30T23:59:00.002+11:00

Can't spend too long here tonight because I burnt a pan. A pan my mother only bought last week.

I left some rice pudding on the stove for a few minutes; unfortunately for both me and the pan, I forgot to turn the heat down.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to remove the burnt food from the bottom of the pan without completely ruining it. The general (online) consensus is baking soda, vinegar or both together.

I've covered the base of the pan with baking soda and have vinegar on standby. I hope this works...

29: Brain thoughts

2012-01-29T23:59:00.155+11:00

I had an argument with Mum today, and at one point she said, "I wish you knew what it was like to be me, then you'd see how hard life can be!"
And I immediately thought, "I know how movies work. I'm supposed to wish that you were me, and then we'd have a Freaky Friday moment and experience life in the other person's shoes, learn life lessons, yada, yada. Well, that is not happening! I don't want to be you and I like being me!"
There are several reasons why I did not say this out loud.

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Ever get suspicious of someone scratching their ear because they might have been the unwilling host to an alien parasite in their brain?
Then you must have read Animorphs!

I borrowed the first book from a friend when I was 10, and ended up collecting almost the entire series! Still got them sitting in a box somewhere - just missing a couple of the Chronicles books, I think. I was a bit obsessed with owning the entire series, though I became less interested in the books as time went on. Towards the end, I was just skimming through them.

I think some of my favourite books were the ones that weren't ghostwritten (coincidence?) - though I only knew which ones weren't ghostwritten after looking at this.
Offhand, my favourites were: 14 and 15 - I think these two were the first Animorphs books I bought so they resonate with me a bit, they've got some hilarious moments too - 19, 26 and all of the Megamorphs (my absolute favourites).
Ooh, the starfish one was okay too, whichever one that was.
Ants are not nice people.

The show? Eh. I was excited when I heard about it, but it wasn't as good as the books.
I don't remember much about it anyway; I think the Animorphs were in possession of a magical alien CD for some reason...

28: Supermarket

2012-01-28T23:59:00.002+11:00

The price of watermelon in the supermarket tonight was only 99c per kilo! And because I love watermelon so much, I picked up the largest quarter-melon there was! I went to find a scale just in case the quarter-melon was too big and therefore too expensive... but they don't keep scales around the fruit and veg department!
Is that normal? If I think about it I realise I haven't seen a weighing scale in a supermarket for a while now...

The supermarket is also stocking their produce in little baskets (instead of boxes), probably to give it a fresh-from-the-market look.

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I was told to get some chilli con carne ingredients for an upcoming dinner event - the way I've said that makes it seem all swanky but it's really just an ordinary family dinner.
Anyway... we love chilli con carne! It's one of our new favourite dishes. One of my mother's cousins made it back in England and it was so delicious!

I've only made it once but it was pretty good, if I do say so myself! Not as good as my mother's cousin's chilli but I did okay on my first try.

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I bought a can opener!
Our automatic can opener died in the middle of opening a can of rice pudding, and our manual can opener, which I only purchased last year, had inexplicably disappeared. It was a stupid can opener anyway, it used to hurt my hand trying to use it.

This new (manual) can opener is so smooth. Rice pudding for everyone!

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Where can you buy tapioca? I can't find it anywhere!
I wanted the pearls so I could make my own bubble tea one day...

27: Hospital follies, maybe some jollies

2012-01-27T23:59:00.167+11:00

Noooooooooooo!

I got home well after midnight. I suppose you could say I technically missed today's post. But you know what? I'm still awake. It's still the 27th in my eyes. This post still counts, damn it!

I have a perfectly legitimate excuse anyway... and I actually want to write about it. I have had writer's block for who knows how long, and I won't let a minor technicality stop me now!
Hooray for typing!

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Mum and I went to visit my aunt in the hospital this evening. Although we'd been there a few times before, we'd never actually driven there ourselves. Thanks to the GPS and our own navigational skills, we made it to the hospital and parked the car in the car park (as you do).

We did some visiting, headed downstairs to buy some dinner*, headed back upstairs to do some more visiting and then it was time to go.

It was around 10.20. We looked at the parking ticket and discovered we had to validate it, so we asked the nurses where to go. They didn't know, but one of them suggested the lobby reception.
Of course no-one was there, so we went aaaaaaaaall the way to the emergency ward where they validated the ticket and then aaaaaaaaall the way to the car park on the other side of the hospital.

The car park was locked.
A sign we missed on the way in said the car park closed at 10.30. According to the ticket pay machine, we got to the car park at 10.36.

We asked someone nearby if she knew how latecomers could get their cars. She said to try security, conveniently located in the emergency ward.
So we went aaaaaaaaall the way back to the emergency ward on the other side of the hospital and asked security for help. They didn't mind because I guess that kind of thing has happened before; they said to wait back at the car park and a security guard would be there as soon as they could. So we went aaaaaaaaall the way back to the car park on the other side of the hospital.

Guard #1 arrived. He tried to swipe his card on all the car park access doors but nothing was working. "Please wait here another 10 minutes," he said. "Another guard will be here with a working card."

For the sake of a gag, I'm going to guess Guard #1 went aaaaaaaaall the way back to the emergency ward on the other side of the hospital, switched temporarily with Guard #2 while he walked aaaaaaaaall the way back to the car park.
Guard #2's card worked fine and we were out of there! I counted another five cars in the car park, I hope they don't have the same problems as us!

Then we got lost, the GPS couldn't find us for some reason, and someone reminded us to switch on our headlights... but it all worked out in the end. Home sweet home... finally!

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* This is what happened when we went out to buy dinner
I bought some flavoured water from the nearby convenience store, drank a bit and placed the bottle in my bag.
Several minutes later I noticed my leg felt damp. I looked down and found a large wet patch on my jeans that smelt a bit like fruit. My bag was also starting to drip onto my shoes - my new pink Converses too, nooo!

Dinner! I ordered a tropical baked potato with all the toppings listed except for beetroot.
I think the guy who served us got a little flustered because he added the beetroot, almost forgot to give us the change and though he gave the change to Mum, he was staring and smiling at me. I was staring and smiling right back. But that was it, really.
You're lucky I don't hate beetroot, Potato Man.

I hope he wasn't staring and smiling because I had something on my face (or a massive wet patch on my pants), that'd be my luck.
Or perhaps I'm imagining everything... maybe I did take the change, and he was smiling because he was a happy employee handing change to a customer...

I guess I am allowed to interpret things however I want later, but why am I so terrible at reading the signs when it actually happens?
Did it really happen or did I imagine it all? Blargh.

26: Yep, today sure is the 26th!

2012-01-26T23:59:00.083+11:00

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank.
Blank blank blank blank blank.
My mind is empty.

It's not so much a writer's block today as it is a writer's brick repeatedly smashing my head in. Ugh.

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Today my cousin and her family came over. At one point I had to mind the kids while all the parents talked outside. That was different.

And today I walked 3km on the treadmill! Walked 3km last night too!
I don't feel as tired as I did last... fortnight?! I must try to keep this up.

I also started re-reading White Cat by Holly Black, and played a bit of Minecraft.

It wasn't really a day to type about and yet here I am. Five days until the end of the month... I can do this!
Blog, we've come this far! I won't fail you now.

25: A prompt from the experts

2012-01-25T23:59:00.327+11:00

This is probably going to be yet another short post because:

a) I am running low on time... again!
b) I have writer's block... again!
c) It's my turn for an unreliable Internet connection. My fault - I've just gone over my allocated download limit for this month, the consequence of which is a slow connection speed until the end of the billing period.

Because of reasons a and b, instead of wasting my time flicking through The Book for ideas again, why don't I head myself over to the official NaBloPoMo page for a writing prompt?
NaBloPoMo = National Blog Posting Month. The writers on that site must be experts in posting on blogs every day for a month... in a nation! Surely they can help me.

Let's see... what have they got for today?

Wednesday, January 25, 2011
How do you feel about not finishing a book once you've read a few chapters?
Ooh, good topic. Thank you, NaBloPoMo!

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How do you feel about not finishing a book once you've read a few chapters?
It's... not a good feeling.

I love reading! I love getting lost in a good story. Giving up on a book just makes me feel... disappointed. Sad. Slightly guilty.
In the back of my mind I've got a list of books I've yet to finish. I still hold some hope that I'll get to them one day.

A relevant story: in high school my German teacher lent me her copy of Der Kleine Prinz - I gave up on that because it was taking me forever to translate, plus I had to eventually give the book back. However, several years later I bought a copy of The Little Prince and finished that instead.
So one day I could finish reading all those books. It could happen!

Books I have yet to finish that I can remember offhand:

A Wizard of Earthsea- Ursula Le Guin

really

The Amzing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon

The Arabian Nights: Tales from A Thousand and One Nights - Sir Richard F. Burton

There aren't any paragraph breaks!

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother: The Official Biography - William Shawcross

extremely

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That was not short. I definitely went over time too...

24: Macabre note

2012-01-24T23:59:00.199+11:00

This week I learnt a bit about grief tourism - when people visit sites associated with death and tragedy.
I know someone who saw the Beaconsfield mine when she was in Tasmania. Other examples include Ground Zero, Auschwitz, Chernobyl, etc.
I knew this existed but I didn't realise there was a name for it.

This week I learnt a bit about grief tourism - the online version. Same definition, but online (well, yeah) - people visiting websites associated with death and tragedy. Facebook memorial pages, for example.
You know, I don't think I've ever looked at a Facebook memorial page before...

This week I learnt a bit about R.I.P trolling - when people troll Facebook memorial pages with horrific wall posts and images. It's the reason why I was reading about all this grief tourism in the first place.
Speaking of reading, this journal article on the subject is pretty informative.

This week I learnt a bit about mourning sickness and recreational grief - when the public mourns over the death someone pretty high profile - celebrities, high-profile murder victims, etc.
And by "this week" I mean a few minutes ago.

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It's been an unusual week of reading.

23: The times, they have a-changed

2012-01-23T23:59:00.173+11:00

Sometimes I like looking back at my old blog posts (mainly the memes) to see if I've drastically changed over the past four years.

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Taste in music: I still like some of those songs that are listed on the first shuffle meme, but all except three have since been deleted from my iPod. Of the songs that were from here (only two years ago) I've removed 9 out of 25.

When it comes to my playlist, I could be considered fussy. I wonder if other people are like that...

Current opinions of bands whose albums I own, and have mentioned here... somewhere:

Thirsty Merc - yes! Most songs, not all.
Panic at the Disco - liked the second album better than the first. Not interested in buying the third.
John Mayer/Jamiroquai/Gorillaz/Outkast - some songs, not all.
Mika - got bored of the songs soon after buying the album. At least I bought it on sale?

Favourite colour
My favourite colour was sky blue...

...though it isn't to say I hate the colour now. I thought the autumn skies of Europe were beautiful: fluffy white clouds against a striking backdrop of blue. It was so picturesque. I couldn't stop staring at it - when it wasn't downcast, that is.
Tangent, sorry.

I don't hate blue. It's just over the years I've drifted off to the red side of the spectrum. Lilacs and pinks are more my cup of tea now.

Song of the moment: Aaaah! One of these things!
You'd think I haven't had a song stuck in my head for almost three years! But of course that's a lie.

Current Song of the Moment: Let Me Down Easy - Dennis Brown.
It's actually one of Mum's songs - she loves reggae, especially Dennis Brown!

Over Christmas, Mum went on an iTunes spending spree and burnt a bunch of songs onto a CD that, along with a bunch of other iTunes compilation CDs, is constantly playing in the car!
I recently noticed I was singing along to it, and now it's on my playlist. Thanks, ma.

And since that has nothing to do with reminiscing...

Current opinions of previous Songs of the Moment:

Make It Funky - eh. It's okay. Loud.
Mas Que Nada - I still like this, but I have since bought the original Sergio Mendes version. They're both on my iPod!
The Frog - yes.
Time to Begin - still like. I've taken it on and off my playlist several times. Depends on my mood.
That song from We Love Katamari - I can't even remember which song it was!
Thirsty Merc songs - yes.
Bohemian Polka - yes.
My Humanity - wow, I forgot this song! I need to watch that DVD again.
Naughty - heh, yeah.

Can I wolf whistle yet? Sometimes.
Hey! That's an improvement!

22: I shall not fail!

2012-01-22T23:07:00.000+11:00

Going to type this up really quick - I'm not at home at the moment!

I'm at my aunt's house. I've been here since around 3pm and probably won't get home until way after midnight...

Tried to post on my mobile, but it's a bit out of date and took forever to load Blogger... then the battery ran out.
Tried to post on my aunt's PC, but the Internet connection stopped working before I could log in.
Tried to post on my aunt's laptop, but once again the battery ran out even though it was supposedly on charge! (It wasn't plugged in properly)

I called my cousin for troubleshooting help and he got things sorted on the PC - thank you! ♥
I hope the connection holds. If this message even gets on the blog right now, I will consider myself very lucky indeed!

Well, here goes nothing...

21: Stuck in the iBathroom

2012-01-21T23:59:00.008+11:00

Mum's on the computer again so it looks like this'll be my second iPost this month.

Even if I was able to type with more than one finger, I wouldn't have had a lot to say anyway - I've got writer's block again.
I started flicking through The Book again to get another idea when I came across this:

533: Invent a character then describe his or her bathroom.

Have you ever inwardly shuddered while you're reading something that seems... well, harmless? I just did.

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I had a similar writing task in high school; I had one hour to write a page (or was it a word limit? Both?) about my own bathroom.

I can remember writing about the smell of bleach and sunlight glistening on the tiles. Then I think I went into painful detail about the contents of the bathroom cupboard. I was pressed for both words and time.

I thought what I wrote was terrible and dreaded seeing the result.
I got an A+.

I wasn't going to argue with the result because it was for English class, not creative writing - my English skills would have attributed to the mark as well. But I couldn't keep it. I ripped it up and threw it out.

Maybe it was never as bad as I thought it was.
Maybe I was being too hard on myself because that one, quickly written, unedited page couldn't live up to the standard I was used to seeing i.e. a published novel.
Or maybe it really was utter crap. I guess I'll never know...

20: Converse

2012-01-20T23:59:00.008+11:00

I don't have a lot to say today, so why don't you just look at these pictures of shoes?

Converses! I bought my first two pairs of Converses today!

I bet you're reading this and saying to yourself, "Oh, Charlene, you poor, sad individual. I have fifty pairs of Converses in all the colours of the rainbow, and even some colours that aren't."

Well... that's nice. I'm glad you own cool shoes.

As for me, I don't really like spending a lot of money on fashion - I need my money for other things like books and DVDs! And bills, I guess...
Converse shoes here are usually $90+ and I can get an okay pair of non-brand-name shoes for a lot cheaper than that!

Today I found them on special! Top pair were $50, bottom pair were $30! Hooray for bargain shoes!

19: Orange and blue

2012-01-19T23:59:00.005+11:00

I saw Hugo over the weekend! I walked in thinking it was about the adventures of a boy and his robot, and walked out having learnt a bit about the silent film era.
I really enjoyed it!

Was distracted within the first minute of the film because it was set in Gare du Nord! Or at least a set that was heavily influenced by Gare du Nord. In case you don't know, Gare du Nord is one of major train stations of Paris... and I was there just a few months ago! I recognised it!

One thing I also noticed in the film was the colour palette - weird, because I never notice that sort of thing.

It was more or less this:

Look at my awesome Paint skills!

I think there may have been some red too...

Anyway, this blue-orange thing is apparently pretty common. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Et tu, Blogger?

18: This is not a dream

2012-01-18T23:59:00.010+11:00

I've got one more thing to add to The List of Things I Would Like to Do One Day: have another lucid dream.

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A few years ago I was Googling something completely unrelated to sleep when I came across the Dreamviews forum. I like having super cool regular dreams so I thought, "Why can't I have super cool lucid dreams too?"
I spent a lot of time reading the pretty resourceful forum as to how I could go about that.

After a while (don't ask me how long that "while" was, I don't remember) I actually succeeded in becoming lucid a few times! My non-lucid dreams also seemed more frequent and a bit more logical. I would sometimes even question the impossible, weird stuff!

Unfortunately in the few dreams where I did become lucid, it would barely go beyond that moment of realisation. I was usually so fascinated by how real everything looked that I'd spend the rest of dream time staring at my hands or a brick wall in wonder before I lost lucidity again.
Couldn't have been that lucid, I guess...

Real life soon got in the way and I stopped doing all the things that could have helped induce a lucid, e.g. dream checking and journal writing.
And I've gotten to the point where even remembering a dream is a sight for sore, sleep-filled eyes*... sigh.

So yes, one day I would like to have another lucid dream.
...preferably the kind where I don't stare at brick walls.

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*I've just learnt the technical term for that is "rheum".

17: Symbolically lacking

2012-01-17T23:56:00.002+11:00

My dictionary and my... synonym book sit on standby as I commit to writing a post with a particular task in mind. This task is fairly famous but, in my opinion, slightly difficult to accomplish within an hour (that is, by midnight tonight).
Can you spot what I'm doing?

Did I want to discuss anything at all today? Not particularly, no, so I thought I might try this.

Now that my vocabulary has shrunk - do you know why? - I sound as though I was transforming into a linguistics robot today but got stuck half-way. Now I'm just a half-human, half-linguistics robot hybrid with awful grammar and odd phrasing... so nothing that unusual!

I shall now grind this post to a halt and go off to watch Daria DVDs again. My marathon must carry on!
Good night!

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What was my opinion on trying this task tonight?

I found it fun! But I also found it unsatisfyingly short on account of both a lack of topic to discuss and my midnight limit so I can post this today. If only I wasn't stuck with this chronological limit!

16: Mer-fish

2012-01-16T22:57:00.008+11:00

I can't believe I've never written about this! I thought I had...

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Many years ago Mum bought a doll on clearance at Big W or somewhere. It wasn't for anyone in particular, and definitely not for me because I would have been in my late teens around then... but when I took a closer look at it, I realised I wanted to keep the doll for myself!
Well, kinda. You'll see what I mean...

I think Mum eventually gave the doll away and I was so disappointed.

A few years later I was in the garage looking through old Disney Adventures magazines when I found a poster of the doll (and all of her friends). I thought maybe I could write a post about it one day... then I forgot about it.

I found the poster again a couple of days ago so here we are!

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Meet Karma, one of the six Magic Merbabies (by Hasbro) featured on the poster!

Sorry about the large gash across her forehead. There used to be a staple there.

Each Merbaby hails from a different part of the world and comes with their very own Mer-Pet! We've got mer-cats and mer-dogs... and Karma here has Angel, her pet mer-fish.

Mer-fish.
MER-FISH???

I understand how mer-cats and -dogs work (not biologically, of course); they don't naturally live in the sea so give them a mermaid tail and hey presto, mer-pet! Toys for everyone!

But a mer-fish? It's a fish with a mermaid tail. It's half-fish... half-fish.
I didn't really want the doll, I just wanted to keep the mer-fish that came with it, the weird fish/fish freak of nature that it is.

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Today I learnt mer is French for sea. I think I always knew that though, but kept the knowledge in the back of my head. Mal de mer!

The mer-sea horse on the poster therefore seems a bit redundant, but it looks cute.

15: The magic number

2012-01-15T23:40:00.005+11:00

Was going to post something else but I just noticed:

It's the 15th of January
It's my 15th post this month (well, yeah. One post per day...)
This is my 150th post overall!!!

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My birthday's also on the 15th, but not today.

Fill in the gap: 4 8 __ 16 23 42

Did you know that O is the 15th letter of the alphabet? It's true!

XV

All the rows, columns and diagonals of a 3x3 magic square add up to 15.

1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 15

Jamie Oliver's restaurant is called Fifteen.

It's what came up when I checked for "fifteen" vids on Youtube.

If you would like any more information regarding the number 15, feel free to consult your local Wikipedia.

14: The lady or the tiger?

2012-01-14T23:35:00.006+11:00

I'm still in the middle of my Daria marathon! I've just finished Season 4 so I should be up to the movie "Is It Fall Yet?" now.

The final episode of Season 4, "Dye! Dye! My Darling", starts with Jane showing off her new art piece that finally answers the age old question of "The lady or the tiger?"
When I first saw this a few years ago, I was pretty confused because I didn't realise that was a question people wanted answered in the first place. But apparently it is.

Well, what could happen in the end? We've got options:

The man chooses the door with the tiger...
- ...and is ripped to shreds. The princess is of the mindset "Better to have lived and lost than to have some woman steal your man."
- ...but the tiger is asleep! It's only a matter of time before it wakes up and he needs to come up with a plan fast!
- ...and tames it! Didn't you know he's a certified animal trainer?
The man chooses the door with the lady and is forced to get married to her...
- ...The princess is heartbroken and leaves the man alone to live his new life.
- ...The man and the princess have an affair. As long as he's alive, they'll find a way to be happy.
- ...They get divorced later. The lady isn't exactly happy with this arrangement either.
The man chooses neither door and just sits there until something else happens...
The man runs at the wall between both doors and ends up at Platform 9 and 3/4. He's going to Hogwarts!
Okay, now I'm just talking nonsense. Everybody knows the entrance to Platform 9 and 3/4 is at King's Cross Station, not at some arena! :)

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On a related note, I think I am finally beginning to understand the logic behind the Monty Hall problem - that three doors, two goats, one car problem.

When you pick a door, there's a 1 in 3 chance you've chosen the car but a 2 in 3 chance you haven't. This still holds true regardless of whether the goat gets shown to you or not...

...I think. This problem really confuses me.

13: Friday the 13th

2012-01-13T23:57:00.020+11:00

Superstition
It's unlucky if a black cat crosses your path... it's especially unlucky if the reason you're on the path in the first place is to bring the black cat inside.
The black cat will probably make you play chase for five or so minutes until he rolls on his side and you can pick him up, or he'll hide in a thick, prickly bush or under the car... you've tried to tell him that's cheating but he never listens!

I love my black cat. He's not unlucky at all! ♥

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Marathon
I got the entire series of Daria on DVD for Christmas so I'm having a marathon right now! Well, it's on pause while I'm on the computer (but you knew what I meant).

Mum's also having a Lost marathon while she's on holiday!
She just left the room for a moment and missed a funny bit where Charlie chases Sawyer with the baby.
When she came back a couple of seconds ago, I told her to rewind:

"You have to go back, Mum. You have to go back!"

I couldn't help it! The opportunity to say it was right there!

I also did 2km on the treadmill today. There was some running involved so it's like a marathon (kinda).
Also One Marathon (by Reverie Sound Revue) came up when I did my music shuffle meme three days ago, which reminded me of the treadmill then...

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This reminds me of a puzzle...
Two other things I got for Christmas:

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
Professor Layton and the Last Spectre (DS)

I finished the storyline of Unwound Future last week - which should be called Lost Future in Australia, but my version isn't for some reason - but I don't want to start Last Spectre until I've completed as much as I can.

What does any of this have to do with today?
Well, I checked the mail about an hour ago (I know it's late, I forgot) and found my DVD of Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva!

Is it supposed to come before or after Last Spectre? I'm assuming after, because that new assistant is on the cover and I'm not supposed to know who she is. So I probably shouldn't watch it just yet...

I wonder if it will be Luke's UK or US voice actor? Or an entirely different cast? I hope not.

The reason why I'm wondering about Luke's voice in particular is because I'm suffering from what is commonly known as "Luke's voice whiplash". So far (for me, at least) it's been:

Curious Village - US voice
Pandora's Box - UK voice
Unwound Future - US voice
Last Spectre - I don't know yet!

I like the US voice better, I think mainly because it was in the first game. At first, hearing the voice in Pandora's Box was a bit jarring because I'd become accustomed to the voice of another actor in the previous game, but you get used to it.

Ultimately it doesn't matter which voice actor plays Luke in the movie... just so long as there isn't a third voice actor.
Please, please, please let the movie star the voice actors from the games!

Wait, has it even been dubbed into English?

12: Stuck with words

2012-01-12T23:59:00.013+11:00

I was going to write a diary entry but I didn't want to go into too much detail.
I was going to write a to-do list but I never finished compiling it.
I'm only 12 days into this and I'm suffering from serious writer's block.

There was only one thing to do now: consult The Book.

The Book is Everything I Know About Writing by John Marsden. I still read it every so often - it's a pretty informative and funny book!
I think I bought it during high school with the intention of writing a book one day. With my current writing skills, that book will not exist for a long, long, loooooong time.
I still like writing things down though, no matter how stupid they are! It can be fun! Hooray for random typings!

At the back of the book there are 600 writing topics that are supposed to get the hypothetical pen flowing, so I just asked Mum for a number between 1 and 600. She chose 420. Let's see now:

420: What are some things that have grossed you out?
Ew! Mum! Pick a better number!

...oh well.

---

I've only watched Shaun of the Dead a couple of times (but not in a while) because there is that one scene that makes my stomach churn every time I see it.
Once I even kept rewinding the scene over and over to try and desensitise myself. Didn't work.

Hey, my first spoiler tag! Look out, spoilers below!

Dylan Moran (can't remember his character name) gets dragged out a window by an entire mob of zombies. He gets his stomach clawed open and his intestines ripped out... while he's still alive and screaming.

And it's right after Shaun and friends kill some zombies in time to Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. That was pretty cool.

Begone, spoilers!

It's weird because I am fine with the rest of the movie. It's just that one scene... blergh.

That reminds me, Ghost used to freak me out when I was younger too!
It may be sweet and romantic and be all about life and love after death... but Whoopi Goldberg is getting possessed by ghosts!
And that cranky man at the train station used to scare me a bit too...

---

It is official. I have written as many posts this month as I did in the whole of 2011.

EDIT: There have been a lot of blog entries posted at 11.59pm. I'm not altering the time so I can make the deadline, I'm just posting what I have typed before the day ends and editing later.
I have been blogging every day like I wanted to. I don't want to fail because the blog itself can't prove otherwise...

11: Two weird dreams

2012-01-11T23:58:00.007+11:00

I had this dream in Germany last October

There is a pandemic that's causing people to turn into zombies. These are the things you need to know:

Zombies are attracted to the smell of raw fish.
To zombies, human blood smells like raw fish.
If you are infected with the zombie virus, one of your eyes will start secreting white tears.

Some businessmen are holding a conference in a really small room; they are seated around a large table that's taking up most of the space. Geena Davis is a flight attendant standing to the side.

Two businessmen look at each other and both see the white tear streak running down the other's face. They start to panic as they realise the virus is coming through the air conditioning vent. It won't be long now before the entire conference is infected.
And is it starting to smell like raw fish in here?

Geena Davis picks up a phone and starts to call someone while she plans her escape before the bloodbath begins. I don't know who she calls, or if she even makes it out. The scene then cuts to a dog show.

I think this is supposed to be a movie...? That would explain some things...

The virus has spread to a very large and popular dog show. There was a lot of screaming.

That's about the point where I woke up.

---

This dream happened a couple of nights ago (maybe Monday?)

Mum and I are sitting in the lounge room, when I happen to glance at the back door and see a large dog. I'm confused - it looks like the dog my aunt owned before it died many years ago.

I shake my head and look at the door again; there's a slightly smaller dog standing there. It looks like the other dog my aunt owned before it died a few years ago. Now I'm really confused.

I open the back door and see three strange dogs: small, medium and large. They're apparently lost dogs who have somehow jumped over our 2-metre high fence and ended up in our yard.

Mum and I think we should try and contact all the owners, so we check the dogs' collars for phone numbers. We start with the medium-sized dog; we think his name is Chrome before we realise that his tag is made of chrome.

Whoa, chrome! That's the material they use for purebred dog tags!

The dog's real name is something like: Dedredfedgedledmedfered (last bit pronounced fuh-red).
He's apparently a German dog and that was the English translation of his real name, which is: Dedredfedgedledmedferedgesehen.

I was explaining the dream to Mum the following morning. I didn't realise how stupid that last bit sounded out loud until Mum burst out laughing.

10: City Love - another music meme

2012-01-10T23:59:00.013+11:00

Wow, I'm tired today. Stupid treadmill. Not sore though. Just tired.
Thought I'd take it easy tonight and do yet another music meme, although the last one I did was two years ago so it's not like I'm doing them all the time.

The music meme I found today was more or less like this one but with some different questions.

---

Put your iTunes on shuffle (or mp3 player, or whatever you use). For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
You must write that song name down no matter how silly it sounds!

If someone says "Is this okay?" you say:
Dare
Uh, sorry... I meant to say "Yeah".
What would best describe your personality?
Stitched Up
I like to think of myself as a bunch of things, all stitched up to make an original me! Kinda accurate!
What do you like in a guy/girl?
Put Your Records On
I have a thing for DJs?
How do you feel today?
Round One
I've been in a fighting mood, apparently...
What is your life's purpose?
The Lonesome/Gregarious Cowboy
Heh. Tripod song. At the moment: oddly accurate!
What is your motto?
L.E.S. Artistes
Even after checking what L.E.S. stands for (Lower East Side), whaaaa?
What do your friends think of you?
Bruised but not Broken
You think I'm an emotionally strong person! Awww! Thank you!
What do you think about very often?
Rock with You
Oh yeah!
What is 2+2?
Got To Give It Up
This question is too hard!
What do you think of your best friend?
Club Can't Handle Me
Really? How can you be "handled" then? With a frying pan? A baseball bat? (No, not really! She does like dancing though!)
What do you think of the person you like?
Unsheath'd
Is that a euphemism?
What is your life story?
Dog
Oh. That's really sad when you think about the lyrics...
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Hell yeah, I wanna be a wizard! :D
What do you think when you see the person you like?
Plastic Jungle
This'll be an... interesting relationship.
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Imma Be
I didn't even know this was still on my iPod! Also, that'll be the weirdest waltz ever.
What will they play at your funeral?
Play That Funky Music
Yes! My other meme said Little L. Funkiest funeral ever!
What is your hobby/interest?
Sunsetter
I. AM. APOLLO.
What is your biggest secret?
Just Friends
Sorry, strangers. You don't get to find out :P
What do you think of your friends?
No One
I'm not sure if this means I'm a loner or a bit of a bitch. Bit of both, to be honest.
What's the worst thing that could happen?
Doncamatic
Oh no! I don't know what that is! I bet it's awful! Ahhhh!
How will you die?
In The Summertime
Cause of death: Tried to be Apollo and failed.
What is the one thing you regret?
Hey Jude
Lies. I regret nothing.
What makes you laugh?
Because We Can
I laugh because I can and nothing can stop me! Ha HA!
What makes you cry?
Bulletproof
Wouldn't the bullets hurt more? Is that why I now have protection?
Will you ever get married?
Zebra
Well, that answers that then!
(EDIT: the bridal couple traditionally wear black and white, and on that day they're united together as one... animal... I'll put that down as a "maybe".)
What scares you the most?
Coin Laundry
So many washing machines... *shudder*
Does anyone like you?
Home Entertainment System
The TV and I are really good friends!
If you go back in time, what would you change?
If I Was Your Woman
Aw :(
What hurts right now?
One Marathon
How appropriate. Stupid treadmill.
What will you post this as?
City Love
And so I did.

9: Did I break the heart of my DS?

2012-01-09T23:59:00.014+11:00

I don't know how long I've had my DS for. It's been at least four years, as this post from back in 2008 indicates.
The touch screen is finally acting up and I don't know how I can fix it (without paying an exorbitant amount of money on it).

Did I break the heart of my DS? Or did I poke it too many times in the eye? Have I killed its nervous system? I don't know what the equivalent of a touch screen is on a human!
If I was comparing it to a Teletubby, I'd say I'd punched it in its TummyVision one too many times.
I am too old to know what TummyVision is.

Anyway... we've had some good times with DS. Let us reminisce.¹

---

DS

I remember putting my blue Nintendo DS (+ free Nintendogs game!) on lay-by at Target, and getting excited because it was my first ever lay-by! I was going to pay it off! Just me! All by myself!

The day I actually picked it up was the same day we attended a funeral. It was for one of my mother's friends, someone who I was surprised to find my grandmother also knew. I hadn't seen her in years but, from the little I remember of her, she seemed to be a really lovely person.

For some reason we went out to the shops afterwards - probably so my mother and grandmother could have a coffee and chat. Since we happened to pass by the Target where I had the lay-by, I went in to put in a deposit on it... but my grandmother said, "What are you buying? I'll pay for it!"

Despite me saying, "No, thank you! It's okay. I don't mind not picking it up today!"² she paid the rest of it off for me anyway.
And though I am grateful to her for buying it, now I have some strange memories attached to it.

---

3DS

I bought a 3DS today from JB! It's pink! I bought it with Xmas money! I think that was going to be the point of today's post, but I got a bit too wrapped up in memories...

I'm glad my DS isn't completely broken though. I can at least play GBA games on it - you don't need a touch screen for that!
Okay, I only own one Advance game - Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - but I can play it! One day I'll get you, Marluxia!³

---

1. Don't worry, reminiscing about recently broken electronic devices has a long-standing tradition here at random typings.
2. I'm paraphrasing. I don't believe I was rhyming on the day itself.
3. Yeah, like that'll ever happen! Did you click that link from 2008 and read the bit about KH:CoM? I'm still up to that point... I haven't played the game in almost four years!

8: Resolute

2012-01-08T23:59:00.007+11:00

Ah, the New Year has arrived! Time to make a fresh start in your life! Time to set and achieve all those goals! Go on! You can do it!

Then normal, boring, old reality kicks in. Nothing really changes. Resolutions are forgotten... at least, until the next New Year.
Isn't that the way it sometimes goes?

---

Now that I've written those motivational, moving paragraphs... I have set a minimum of two resolutions for myself.

They're not really New Year's resolutions - they've been on my mind for a little while. This post being in early January is more of a coincidence.

Learn to sew: We got a sewing machine for Christmas! Sewing is something I've always wanted to learn (I like getting crafty sometimes!) and after yesterday, it's something I thought about again. But how and where do I start?
I suppose I could get a book and teach myself... it's how I learnt to knit, after all...
Lose weight: This one is important. I've been trying on and off for a long while. It's time to lose all this weight permanently now. (Damn it, how long have I been saying that?! Argh! Go away, fat!)

Deadline for completion: whenever.

I consider these more... long-term goals.I don't care when I complete them, just so long as I do them in the end.
Should I join 43 Things? Something to consider...

Other things I could try in my lifetime: try archery? Try to... find love?
That was actually the order I typed it in. Priorities!

---

Is that... is that... an actual comment on my last post? From a living, breathing person? As in, not spam? Really?!
Someone's read my ramblings? Should I be embarrassed?
Hi there!

7: iMelon

2012-01-07T23:25:00.007+11:00

Dear Mum,
Get off the computer! I'm running on a deadline here!
Love Charlene

No, I can't kick Mum off the computer for this! It's not that important. So it's the return of iPost!
...I should make a tag for that.

---

Anyway... what can I talk about that doesn't involve me going into great depths because I'm only typing with one finger?
Watermelon!

I know watermelon wouldn't usually warrant a blog post on it's own (though I did write an entire post on fruit salad once) but at the moment I cannot get this fruit out of my head!
Sorta...

I just came up this weird idea for a watermelon-themed costume. It's an idea that's slowly coming into fruition - intended pun!

I don't have the knowledge or resources to create it - I can't design, I can't sew, I could barely even draw the thing if I tried! - but this stupid costume idea is stuck in my head and I can't get it out! Help!

---

...on second thought I should have just kicked Mum off the computer. It wouldn't have worked, but I could have tried.
I can hear Skype drama going on in the next room. I could have stopped that from happening... Sigh.

6: Dancing Through Life (A Wicked Tale)

2012-01-06T23:56:00.010+11:00

There was a request for more lava cake tonight! Success!

---

Until recently, I'd never seen a musical before.

One musical I always wanted to see was Wicked. I remember seeing the ad for the first time and getting shivers upon hearing the final note from Defying Gravity. Plus, an alternate retelling of The Wizard of Oz seemed like my cup of tea.
I wanted to see Wicked but I kept putting off buying tickets, until one day I looked it up and found it had moved on from Melbourne...

In 2009 I flew to Sydney to see the Umbilical Brothers! We stayed at some hotel near a theatre -and what was the theatre playing? Why, Wicked, of course!
I thought about seeing it again but I really didn't have the time; I should have been back in Melbourne working on my "final" year uni projects.

Then I kinda forgot about it.

My friend went backpacking last year, came back and told me she saw Lion King, the musical! It was apparently really good, and I should go see it when I get to London. We started talking about musicals. I probably mentioned Wicked at some point.

A couple of months ago, the same friend sent me a link to a flow chart of NPRs top 100 fantasy and sci-fi books. I'd only read 8 of them (7.5, technically. One was an entire series).
But you know what I hadn't read that's on the list? Go on, guess.

Finally taking a hint from the heavens, I bought Wicked by Gregory Maguire in Canterbury, England, during my holiday.

One day my mother's cousin saw me reading the book and asked if I'd ever seen the musical. She'd seen it twice!
When I said no, I'd never seen any musical at all, she got this look on her face. It was a weird look, a mixture of shock, surprise, horror and pity.
"Never seen a musical?! That's it! We're going to see Wicked."

On Saturday, the 19th of November 2011, I finally saw Wicked at the Apollo Victoria!

It was... Awesome. Wonderful. Brilliant. Spectacular.
I want to fly back to London so I can see it again. I loved it!

It was so cool seeing the end of Act 1, when they're about to sing Defying Gravity. It felt like the whole audience sat up because it's the song. The final note at the end... it's coming.

Favourite songs?
No Good Deed: absolute favourite song.
Popular: I've looked at other versions on Youtube, but none can beat Louise Dearman's version... which I saw live! Maybe I'm a little biased now.

5: Blog Cooking REDUX (aka Tonight's Dinner)

2012-01-05T23:48:00.007+11:00

I'm only on Day 5 and already I feel like I'm running out of things to say. How do regular bloggers do this?

So... um... I made dinner tonight.
Lucky for me, everything I cooked had been previously mentioned in the blog before. Relevance!

---

Menu

Spaghetti bolognese

Chocolate lava cake

---

Spaghetti bolognese
It's not like I haven't cooked this before. Not quite old hat, but I'm getting there though.
I still get a little worried over cooking with oil but I've learnt my lesson. I now chop everything beforehand and never get too cocky. Start the oil on a low at first, then turn the heat up once the first lot of ingredients are in. That works for me!
I hope no-one is reading this for cooking tips.

On a related note, we should really invest in a fire blanket.

Chocolate lava cake
Yeah! I bought ramekins today! Ever since I made these cakes the last time, I've always wanted to own some little ramekin dishes. I got four from Target today - they were only $1 each!

I found the recipe this time from Noob Cook - I liked the instructions on this one better because it didn't involve any egg folding.
It made four cakes, not three - very convenient, since I only have four ramekins. I added a tiny bit more flour because my batter seemed a little runny.

While I was typing this, the alarm went off so I just took the cakes out the oven! (It was a late dinner tonight.)
They were definitely in there longer than 10 minutes but I couldn't give you an exact number.

The general consensus was that they were delicious and didn't even taste like egg this time! I might have one more once I'm done here...
I wish I took a photo but Mum ate the good-looking cake, and I didn't take as much care getting mine out the ramekin... so it kinda flopped out.
There are still two to go though. We'll see...

---

I wonder if I'll ever use the "cooking adventure" tag again...

4: Pottermore identity crisis

2012-01-04T23:57:00.024+11:00

PREVIOUSLY on random typings:

I took three different online Hogwarts sorting tests and was sorted into three different houses.
I discussed the reasons why I may ultimately be a Hufflepuff.

And then, thanks to Pottermore, I was "officially" sorted into the fourth house, the one which always scored the lowest for me on every single test...

---

The only Pottermore question I remember answering was: do you choose black or white?

My theory was that white, symbolising goodness, would represent brave Gryffindor or loyal Hufflepuff. Black, the darker, more mysterious colour would be for wisdom-seeking Ravenclaw or shrewd, cunning Slytherin.

I chose black anyway. Screw the theory, I went for personal preference instead.

What is up with some of these Pottermore questions anyway? Black or white? Left or right? Heads or tails?! Is the Sorting Hat resorting to chance now?

"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin..."
"Not Slytherin, eh, Potter? Hmmm. Why don't we make things interesting? Heads or tails?"
"Pardon?"
"You heard me! Heads for Gryffindor, tails for Slytherin."
"How would this even work? Do you have a coin? How would you flip it? You're a hat."
"I'm a magic hat. You haven't even started Hogwarts yet, and you think you know what I can do? Just pick a side, Potter."

Never mind the tangent I just went on.
The Sorting Hat has spoken. Slytherin is what I be...

---

Slytherin traits and me -

I can be ambitious, it depends on the circumstances. Sometimes I'm not.
I can be full of determination, it depends on the circumstances. Sometimes I'm not.
I'm a pretty honest person but I have employed my cunning to try and get away with stupid, minor stuff. Doesn't always work though!
I am a little competitive. Sometimes it's nice to have a challenge.
I take pride in the things I achieve but usually because I've worked hard in getting there.
I don't think I'm manipulative at all! These tests have been proof of that!

I can see how I'm a bit of a Slytherin. It's just... I didn't think this was the dominant part of my personality. I honestly thought I would end up in any house but Slytherin.

Maybe... this is really me. Is this how others see me? Is the Pottermore Sorting Hat showing me who I really am?
And there's that Ravenclaw introspection coming to the forefront! Get back into my psyche, damn you! I be Slytherin now!

---

Introspection over. Short answer: of course not!

I don't really believe a few simple questions about the moon and the sky, or whether you like going to the beach or not, could determine your overall personality or what house you'd be sorted into.
...what's the beach supposed to symbolise anyway?

Yes, there are aspects of the Slytherin house within me. There are aspects of all the houses within me - it's hard to narrow someone down into only one of four series of traits. But I don't think Slytherin represents the biggest part of who I am.

To conclude - I choose to embrace my own personal fanon! I'm still a Hufflepuff at heart!
Plus I'm not knitting another scarf. That thing took me two months. Go Hufflepuff!

3: Giving up so soon?

2012-01-03T20:02:00.006+11:00

Nuts! I have to go out now and can't guarantee that I'll be home before midnight.

I really want to continue on with yesterday's post, but if I don't write something right this minute I may miss my own set deadline.
And then I will have failed.

Nooooooo!

My aim is to write something in this blog every day this month. Today's post is not what I imagined in terms of content, but it exists. I have succeeded in that sense.

I will get through this month without failing... somehow.

2: The Sorting Hat and I

2012-01-02T23:58:00.019+11:00

It's been a few months since I've taken one of these online Hogwarts Sorting tests. Let's see what I get this time!
As a note, I'm taking the tests while writing this post. I'm being honest and I'm not trying to skew the tests towards any particular house. So let's go!

---

Quiz 1

Hufflepuff: 13
Ravenclaw: 11
Gryffindor: 11
Slytherin: 8

---

Quiz 2

Ravenclaw: 57%
Hufflepuff: 57%
Gryffindor: 48%
Slytherin: 43%

When it asked me in the final question which house I wanted to be in, I said Hufflepuff, and despite getting the same percentage it put me in Ravenclaw. The Ravenclaw description is pretty accurate though...

---

Quiz 3

Gryffindor: 71
Hufflepuff: 70
Ravenclaw: 67
Slytherin: 59

---

Right. Great. No wonder I never aligned myself with any particular house until a couple of months ago.

For a long time I thought I could be a Ravenclaw. I think I've got intelligence and creativity. I love learning and expanding my field of knowledge.
Then Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows came out and we discovered how Ravenclaws gained entrance to their common room - through correctly answering philosophical riddles. I love puzzles and riddles but not that type (I prefer a logic-based puzzle), and after Book 7 I was fairly sure if I was in Ravenclaw I'd spend many a night sleeping on the floor outside the dorms...

Perhaps another house?

Slytherin's automatically out. I don't think I'm ambitious or cunning at all.
Look at the proof up there! It came last in every test I did!

Maybe I'm a Gryffindor. If I feel passionate about something, I'll try and fight for it. I can think of a couple of examples where I've shown bravery.
But is that really me? I don't think bravery or a sense of adventure are my defining traits. Then again, neither did Neville Longbottom.
Maybe I need to be pushed or gain some confidence before my bravery shows, but at the moment I don't think it's my defining trait...

The last time I did these tests, it was because I wanted to take my knitting skills to the geek level and make a Hogwarts scarf. But which one?
I only took quizzes 1 and 3 last time and ended up with Hufflepuff in both results. Hufflepuff?! The ones Helga Hufflepuff took because there wasn't anywhere else for them to go? The... leftovers? Who wants to end up in Hufflepuff?

If Hufflepuff is the place for the people who don't quite fit anywhere else, then this could be the place for me... look at the results today. You tell me where I'm supposed to go!¹

According to Quiz 1, there's more to a Hufflepuff than just being a "leftover" too. There's also being loyal, dependable and hardworking.
I am definitely loyal towards my friends and family. Dependable and hardworking? Not all the time, I'll admit, but for the most part I am. Perhaps this house sorting is more accurate than I had previously thought...
And the common room seems so cosy and friendly! It's got little armchairs and possibly throw cushions too!²

The more I thought about it, the more sense it made and the more comfortable I was becoming with being defined as a Hufflepuff.
Who wants to end up in Hufflepuff? ME! I do, I do! I made a scarf and everything!

---

Then Pottemore came along with its Sorting that many fans are considering final and canon. When I took this test back in September, what happened?

Oh, for fu---³

Of course that's what happened.⁴ To be continued...

---

1. If you look at the numbers, it could indicate I'm a Hufflepuff anyway. It came first in one test, equal first in another and second by a point in the last. Hmm.
2. I'm not saying furniture and throw cushions were what swayed me towards Hufflepuff. It helped though :)
3. Just watched The Umbilical Brothers' Heaven By Storm DVD last night! You'd think this fact has nothing to do with what I said up there but you'd be wrong.
4. My reaction on Twitter to this news.

1: December 2011? Where are you?

2012-01-01T22:30:00.001+11:00

When I believe the clock struck midnight to mark both the time and the start of a new year, I was fumbling around in the dark for my front door key, wondering if I'd make it inside on time. I was also wondering if my mother's friend's watch was wrong. It might have been. How would we ever know?
In any case when I finally got the door open and switched on the TV, the fireworks at Sydney Harbour were already on full display. So it was after midnight, then. At least we knew that, if nothing else.

It wasn't until a few hours later when I realised December was missing. I'd thought about it earlier in the day, but I thought I'd be home by midnight! That would have left me plenty of time to make a quick post wishing everyone a Happy 2012... and remind them not to jumpstart the Apocalypse^*.

A quick post...

Oh, blog. What's happened to us? Am I so busy with my life now that I don't have time to write in you? Have I succumbed to the Twitter temptress? So short, so scandalous, so convenient and easy! That microblog! Mmm!
No, wait! I didn't mean anything by it!

I... thought about deleting you the other day. Are we... drifting apart?

I couldn't bring myself to do it, though.
Yes, I feel there's been a hint of blog neglect over the past couple of years. The passion that was at the beginning of this blog-writer relationship has faded to the point where even writing once a month here seems like a chore. It's not a nice feeling, especially when I know I've had some post ideas floating around and just can't get myself to type them.

Enough is enough! It's time to be more proactive! It's time to produce more random typings.

But how could I go about this? Write a post every day for a month?
Nah. That'll never happen!

... we'll soon see, in any case...

---

* Yahoo Answers: is there a question no-one has ever asked you?

Jetlagged to oblivion

2011-11-30T18:47:00.004+11:00

I wanted to write something a bit more substantial this month. After all, I just had one of the greatest experiences of my life - God, I loved it so much! - but all I want to do right now is sleep.

I hate jetlag.

Before I left, I thought I could sleep on the plane (or at least relax) during Australian night time so my body could adjust... well, I thought wrong. I assumed I'd be able to sleep (well, for more than one hour out of 10, anyway).

Mum seems fine. She's annoyingly awake and loud right now...

I hate jetlag so much.

---

Once again, apologies if this made no sense at all.

iPost from Roma!

2011-10-19T14:53:00.005+11:00

Whoops! I forgot that trying to post at least one a month means I'd have to write something during my holiday! And since this may be my only opportunity to do so, then I'd better post now!

I'm in Rome! It's almost 6am and it's raining. In a few hours I will be on board a train to Florence!
Rome: it's a beautiful city. So much history! I think I was a bit overwhelmed seeing attractions like the Colosseum. It was like it finally hit me: I'm actually here! Whoa!

The traffic here takes some getting used to. I'm used to waiting at a zebra crossing, a driver seeing you and politely stopping his car to let you cross (for the most part).
Here? You'll stand at the crossing and wait. And wait. And wait some more. Nobody's going to stop.
The best course of action is to just cross the street and hope the cars notice you in time for them to not hit you... then get the life frightened out of you because there's a car you weren't expecting slamming to a stop from the wrong side of the road (at least to me. Australians drive on the left).

Well, that's about it for now.
Arrivederci! Au revoir! Auf wiedersehen! See you next time!

Quick post: remember that meme I did?

2011-09-30T22:30:00.000+10:00

Three years ago:

A place you'd like to travel?

I'm heading off to EUROPE! Less than two weeks to go!

A whole new world

2011-08-19T04:17:00.012+10:00

So... um... Minecraft. It's a game. I play it occasionally.

Discovery
I remember reading blogs or whatever about people enjoying Minecraft, but I didn't have a clue what they were talking about and couldn't be bothered finding out. I just knew it was a thing.
Then the guys from Video Games Awesome released a few videos (here's the first), and I thought it looked fun and creative... and affordable! Of course I bought it!
And no, I never did anything about my graphics card.

Three Worlds
1. After learning some basics from the VGA guys, I thought I was ready to conquer the Minecraft world!
Unfortunately I never found any coal on the first day and spent the night slowly expanding my house in the dark in an attempt to find a vein. Unsuccessful. Found some gravel though! Didn't realise how pointless it was but finding a new type of block was exciting at the time!
I only ventured outside to chop down trees for wood otherwise I spent my first few Minecraft days hollowing out my base looking for coal, using only wooden doors for light. I wish I'd known about charcoal.

A creeper materialised inside my base eventually and blew me up. The end.

Yeah, I eventually found coal and started afresh but I was always worried something would get me from the shadows and take it all away again. I decided to play on Peaceful - what a relief! I could go out at night! I could build and explore without fear!

I built a bridge to a tower. I made a giant glass sphere in the sea. I went exploring and got extremely lost on some faraway island, mined enough materials to make a compass and returned home with sugar cane and squid! I constructed a railway line between my tower and the island:

Here's a passenger!
You may also think it's pointless to wear armour on Peaceful but it's not like I could do anything else with that leather.

But I was getting bored - there wasn't a challenge any more. I wanted mobs... yet I didn't want creepers blowing up my stuff (that first one really set the tone of the game for me).
I eventually found a flat, sandy area (dubbed Monster Island) where I'd turn up the difficulty and kill for materials. How else did you think that wolf got tamed? But again, no challenge.

I deleted the world. Bit extreme, maybe, but I knew I wouldn't play it again. The structures I built weren't that impressive, plus I can always build them again if I feel like it.

2. Typed in my name as a seed (all lowercase, if you care) and kept it off Peaceful. I thought I'd build a structure (simple two-storey wooden house) but I started it too early and didn't have the resources or patience to finish it.
It also felt like every time I tried to dig a hole there was gravel in it. I even had gravel beaches! DELETE! That world was not my cup of tea - liked the semi-flatness of it though. I didn't get that in the first world.

It's the only screenshot I have of this world :(
I'd just died - it was awesome! Look at the monsters! :D

3. Current world: A different seed this time. I've kept it off Peaceful, except during the construction of my first mob trap - that was my first dungeon in three worlds! I didn't want to ruin it!

My current house is a hollowed-out hill with a bunch of 1x1 peepholes around the walls. I often feel like a crazy hobbit waiting for the right time to strike:

Minecraft in a nutshell

I'm not aiming to make anything big until I'm ready. At the moment I'm just expanding my territory around and within my little hill, and doing whatever the hell I feel like. I think it's my preferred method of playing!
Do I want to build an observation tower on top of the hill? Sure thing!

Do I want to turn that unexpected creeper crater into a room of peace and contemplation? Why the hell not?

I keep my wolves there now. Not exactly peaceful any more.

A creeper blew out a big chunk of my house the other day! The challenge has returned!

It might not be the most creative way to play the game - just building whatever, whenever - but I'm enjoying it.

---

It's 4.15am - I can't tell if this post makes a bit of sense. I need sleep now. Good night.

Why do birds suddenly appear on The Simpsons?

2011-07-30T13:37:00.009+10:00

I was watching one of the newer episodes of The Simpsons a couple of nights ago, the one where Homer and Marge discover they were each other's first kiss, when suddenly this pops into my head... despite it not actually playing in that episode:

It's been in a few other Simpsons episodes though:

When Marge was dancing with Artie Ziff at the prom
At Apu's wedding (in Hindi)
That episode where Marge buys a doorbell

And I forgot about this - thanks, Google! - but it even appears in The Simpsons Movie, during the video that Marge left for Homer.

I wonder why it's been featured in all these episodes. Is it because it has some significance with someone in the crew?
It might be a song that suits Marge's character and her views on romance.
Or maybe it's just a romantic song that The Simpsons have the rights to play...

---

Edit: I originally posted this in July at the time and date specified but I changed something in the blog settings, noticed it looked stupid and couldn't get rid of it afterwards. So I deleted the original and reblogged a few days later in August...
It just bugs me that I lost evidence of my "at least one post per month" status. Now there are numbers in the URL. Sigh.

The first song I ever downloaded

2011-06-13T02:23:00.000+10:00

The first mp3 I ever downloaded was definitely Senorita by Justin Timberlake.

From my previous post
The first single I ever bought: Wannabe - Spice Girls.
The first album I ever bought is still a mystery.

I still can't remember my first album... yet I can easily remember my first single and my first mp3. I remember my individual song milestones better because I like singles better than albums.

Ha! In your face, awkward conversation musician! See, if you'd asked me something about the first single(s) I ever bought (instead of making me feel bad for not knowing my first album) we might have had a better conversation!

---

The conversation may have been bugging me a little bit. That's why it was time for another Emotional Outlet Blog Post!

The first album I ever bought

2011-05-26T04:39:00.009+10:00

What was the first album you ever bought?
I hate this question.

There were a few musicians working at my old temp job (oh employment, how I miss you and your money) so music was quite often a topic of conversation. One day I happened to be sitting near one of the musicians when he started asking me about whether I'd heard of/liked certain 90s boy/girl bands. My answers of "Sometimes" and "Not really" did not make for a compelling conversation.

So once that topic ground to an awkward halt, the musician filled the silence by asking The Question. It got slightly more awkward when I responded that I didn't know. He didn't believe me. He thought I was too embarrassed to say.

I told him I'd bought a lot of singles first, though. I'm a singles gal through and through - I just prefer to purchase individual songs over entire albums. But apparently singles don't carry the same life-altering, music-defining, awe-inspiring momentum as buying an entire album.

Hey, I've got albums. If it turns out I like a lot of tracks by one artist/group, I'll usually go out and buy the whole thing. Occasionally I'll take a risk on album I don't know much about (especially if it's on sale) - sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn't. You win some, you lose some.

It's a shame the musician didn't ask me about the first single I'd ever bought. I could have answered that...

First Single
If he'd asked, I would have said either Wannabe (Spice Girls) or Barbie Girl (Aqua). But since Wannabe was released a year earlier and I remember buying both singles fairly soon after the release date... we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen!

First Cassette
I was alive when tapes were around. I owned a couple - didn't buy them myself though and I don't remember what was on them. I could have sworn I had a few from McDonalds...
I had to check the old cassette box after I wrote that. Yes, I am still the proud owner of McDonalds Hot Hits Vols 3 and 4, each containing "4 hit singles on one cassette and a $10 discount from Brashs" (offer valid until 30 April 1994).

First Album
Strangely enough, I can remember the first album I ever bought... except it wasn't for me; it was a Christmas present for my mother. I bought an imported R&B album (can't remember artist) from the HMV that used to be on Bourke St; the only reason I can remember that is because it was so damn expensive.

As for the first album I ever bought for myself, I think it could have been:

John Mayer's Room For Squares.
Thirsty Merc's self-titled first album.
A Fever You Can't Sweat Out from Panic at the Disco.

I think I bought the first two together with an I'M CHEAP! BUY ME NOW! sticker (Thirsty Merc's album was released in 2004).
And I bought the Panic album soon after its release date (2005).

So... I bought my first album around the time I started university? I don't know if that feels right or not. Maybe I'm missing a piece of the puzzle here. Another album, maybe?

And this is why I can't answer that question.

---

Now if you'll excuse me, all this talk about 90s music has got me reminiscing some more...

I loved that clip! I have that single too!

I also bought Sing-A-Long, the less famous follow-up single, many years later from a Big W bargain bin. It's in my iTunes playlist! I would have linked to that video but I couldn't find it - not the official clip anyway. It had grass in it... a lady sitting in the park? On a sidewalk? A hill? Somewhere? It's been a while since I've seen it.

Sorry if this post stops making sense after a while. It's 4.30am and I am tired. I need to learn to type faster.

---

Edit (27/5): Two more contenders for my first album:

Demon Days - Gorillaz
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - Outkast

More knitting - addendum

2011-04-24T00:42:00.001+10:00

I said I would add pictures to my last post... I lied. The time for pictures is now.

S is for Scarf!

Here is the hat looking flat on the mat...

(on a piece of fabric on the mat if you want to get specific)

...and here is the hat stuffed with... something.

The scarf? Some wool? I don't know!

And here is the hat wearing the scarf.

It's got a better view of the scarf pattern too.

I got the scarf instructions from The Complete Idiot's Guide: Big Book of Needle Arts and Crafts though instructions were just for one colour - not that it matters, the scarf pattern is pretty basic so you can get as inventive as you want.
It's essentially K4 P4 for the first four rows, P4 K4 for the next four rows, wash, rinse, repeat.
I made it for Mum but I think I'll be wearing it a lot :)

The hat pattern was from some beginner's knitting book I'd borrowed, mainly for pattern comprehension. It used single-pointed needles instead of circular. The seam looks a little rough and I don't know if I've closed the top properly... I still love my hat. My hat is awesome! ♥

Both the hat and scarf are definite improvements over the bag so I'm happy! It's a shame that they're not really a match because of the different patterns, though that probably won't stop me from wearing them together!
The hat did have a have a scarf pattern to go with it, now that I think about it. Hmmm...

More knitting!

2011-04-20T22:54:00.002+10:00

I've learnt how to purl since my last knitting post. Now I can make a whole bunch of things!
I made a scarf last month and I finished a hat on Sunday!

~~I'll edit this with some photos later.~~ I need photographic evidence of how much I've improved! Less holes, for one thing.
Still a couple of holes though...

Edit (23/4): There were relevant things I forgot to write about here, and it's probably too long to be called just an "edit" so I'm going to add the photos to the next post...

Freak of nature

2011-03-28T01:13:00.001+11:00

It's true. I've discovered I'm a freak of nature. An anomaly, if you will. A deviation. Not quite the norm.
And why?

Because I had all four of my wisdom teeth out last Friday (18th) and I didn't think it was that big of a problem.

Maybe it was because I only had one impacted tooth - it was starting to hit another tooth because it was growing sideways inside my gum and yeah, that hurt a LOT.
Maybe it was because the dental surgeon did a good job.
Maybe I'm just lucky.
Or maybe it's because I'm a big ol' freak of nature.

I mean, before I got the teeth out everyone kept feeling sorry for me when I told them - even that lady who sold us some boxes at the storage warehouse - but I woke up just fine. A bit hyperactive when the painkillers kicked in though, but fine.
And yeah, of course there was some pain. But I would choose the No Wisdom Tooth pain over the Wisdom Tooth pain any day of the week!
And nothing got infected (yet... touch wood) and I was back to eating solids within a few days.

So the moral of the story is: each wisdom tooth surgery is different so there are probably a number of factors that determine the healing rate of the person involved, and people shouldn't try to scare me about it all beforehand!

Bear and the Flash

2011-02-23T05:01:00.006+11:00

I took the photo below with the iPod Touch I got as a late Christmas present!
But what is going on? Let's take a closer look at the photo for clues:

Bear is wearing the black and gold academic dress that one wears when their major is within the same faculty as mine (what a coincidence).
However, unlike me at my ceremony, Bear is wearing a mortar board. The obvious conclusion is that Bear has his Master of Engineering.

Bear gained his ME in Environmental Engineering; most of his research focused heavily on the Implementation of Alternative Energy Sources in the Households and Environs of the Ursine Population in North America. It was really specific research.
You see, studies have shown that North America has more electricity-consuming bears than any other continent. But in addition to this, a bear's natural... crankiness and inability to adapt to change^* makes it all the more complicated to convince them to consider more renewable resources.

As a part of his research, Bear got to visit various parts of the USA and Canada, where he spent an uneventful few months reading electricity gauges, jotting down notes, drafting up feasibility studies and talking to the local townsbears about the benefits of geothermal energy or solar power - not that they'd listen to him but he would certainly try.

He met Flash^** at a bar in New York City one night and they've been lifelong super friends ever since.

---

The Flash has a bow on his head and is in his superhero costume while Bear apparently hasn't changed clothes since graduation. Why?
Some sort of party, probably. Of course. Makes complete sense now.

Flash was taking a vacation with his girlfriend in NYC. But one night, on their way to visit Times Square, he sped off to stop a robbery - just one! I wasn't even gone that long! - which led to yet another argument between them about their usual arguing topic: Superheroism vs. A Normal Life.
While she stormed off to the hotel room, Flash went to drown his anger at the first bar he could find.

There was a bear in there and a chair as well. People playing games with stories to tell.

Flash ordered a beer, took the chair and tried to tune out the sound of a bear talking to him about wind farms. Bear was fairly used to sentient creatures not listening to him though, and didn't stop.
Eventually Flash got up in the middle of it, bought himself another beer... and one to shut the bear up too. While Bear was drinking, Flash took the opportunity to change the topic. And so Bear and The Flash spent a good few hours drinking and having idle chit-chat, until Flash decided it was time to face the music.

Flash went back to the hotel, where he and his girlfriend had another discussion on Superheroism and A Normal Life but this time with an extra sub-topic on Finding The Right Balance.
And that's when Flash realised: this woman was probably The One, and he could only achieve the right balance in his life if she were a part of it. It was probably a weird time to propose, so soon after an argument, but he did it anyway...

To celebrate, Flash and Una (The One - get it?) went back to the bar the next night - and even though Flash had to stop along the way to rescue a child from a burning building, Una was slightly more accepting of him running off this time.
Bear was there too in his academic robes - he'd just finished presenting his findings to some of the best researchers in his field, and one of them had offered him a place on her research team. So they all decided to celebrate their good news together with a lot of drinks...

- Bear got the impression that he was half-pirate so scowled and growled at people... but only through the left side of his face.

- Flash took Una's giant hair bow, put it on his head and pranced around the bar for most of the night, only stopping long enough for Una to take the picture that led to this whole story in the first place.

- And Una? She didn't have any alcohol that night, but that was something she'd talk to Flash about another day...

---

This got progressively weirder and weirder as the night went on. And that theory about the length of my posts being proportional to the length of night still holds.

* I don't know if bears can adapt to change easily. I didn't exactly research this. I am just spouting nonsense, as per usual.

** I know less about The Flash than I do about bears (and that isn't saying a lot). Please don't come into this expecting Flash mythology from me. Please?

Attraction

2011-01-26T03:24:00.004+11:00

Attraction and Repulsion (or My Life as A Magnet)

- two stories from the life of Charlene

There just needed to be an Attraction story as a contrast to the Repulsion post from a few months back.

Granted, this sudden need may have made more sense if I'd done this a few months back... but I'm known for procrastinating when it comes to my blog. We wouldn't want to break with tradition now, would we?

---

Attraction
At a point in my lifetime I was just sitting down doing something (as per usual), when I started developing these... feelings...

I would love to leave the story hanging there just because it seems like such an awkward place to leave it.
But I did not mean the hormonal, teenage, sexual discovery types of feelings that you probably did not want to read about in the first place. I meant actual physical feelings in my chest.

Every so often I was getting these little chest twinges and kept feeling the need to take large, deep breaths. I was naturally a little concerned, and yet I wasn't associating it with a heart attack or anything like that.
In fact, to me it felt more like... stage fright. Nervousness.
Wait, what? What did I have to be nervous about? I was just calmly sitting down doing whatever it was.

So instead of consulting a doctor like a normal person would do, I looked through the medical encyclopedia for possible causes of chest pain. "Anxiety attack" was one of the first things to pop up. It seemed to fit the symptoms and yet it seemed so very, very wrong. I had nothing to be anxious about!

And then the next day I saw him. And my heart practically lifted. And I realised I'd been thinking about him a lot (but not really thinking why I was thinking about him a lot).
Suddenly it all made sense.

---

But nothing happened of it... so I think I'll shut up now.

Christmas circle

2010-12-30T02:07:00.000+11:00

Ron Weasley left the Hogwarts courtyard in his usual style - riding on the back of a magical plunger.
Do plungers even have backs?

While we're on the topic on plungers, the sink got clogged with vegetable peelings on Christmas Day so I tried to unclog it with a non-magical plunger. I think I did a pretty good job of it (if I do say so myself).

While we're on the topic of Christmas Day - Seasons Greetings to All, whatever that Season may be!

I felt it was of utmost importance to let the blogging universe know that I received a Wii for Christmas!
I received a number of games with it - Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Just Dance, etc. - but strangely there weren't any games to prevent me from looking like an uncoordinated nutjob (i.e. they were ALL party games). Luckily I implemented Contingency Plan A: using the Wii points I'd bought a few weeks back.

Game bought: Bit.Trip Runner.
It's rhythmically, frustratingly, addictively tough. My kind of game ♥

Contingency Plan B could not be used until a day when shops were open and I was at them. And that plan was simply: Buying Another Game.

Game bought: Lego Harry Potter Years 1 - 4.
From what I understand, the general idea of this game is to break everything you can see.
I also like casting Transfiguration spells on Quirrell on Diagon Alley just to hear his little scream of panic when his turban turns to flowers - I believe that's the same noise they all make but I'm especially targeting him.
Ha, in your face, Quirrell!

And while we're on the topic of the little things I like in Lego Harry Potter...

In the nick of time

2010-11-30T23:29:00.000+11:00

*huff huff huff*
Whew! Made it with less than an hour to spare!

Once upon a time I made a promise to myself that I'd update this blog at least once a month, but I feel like I'm posting less and less now. Perhaps I just don't have anything to say any more - but then again I don't think I was saying anything that interesting in the first place...

But damn it, I made that promise! And I will do my best to keep it!
Update, here we come!

(Oh, and if you are really craving for incoherent rambling, there's always my Twitter. Feel free to look at my ramblings there if you want)

Repulsion

2010-10-26T00:35:00.001+11:00

Wow! An update!

I've been getting a bit lax on the blog posting because I have a job now!
It's a temp job (til around March) and it isn't related to my degree, but I'm enjoying it so far: the people are nice, the work is interestingly mundane and it's a lot more money than what I was earning before!

---

Begin Rant

Speaking of jobs, did I ever mention the call centre?

Back in April, while I was studying, I found an ad looking for part-time appointment setters. The hours were good, the pay was okay, I thought, "Why not?"

I quit after a week.
I also developed a weird aversion to sales scripts.

Because I am an idiot I didn't realise that "appointment setting" was warm call telemarketing, and I didn't realise "warm call" meant a previous call had taken place within the past few years, meaning that the person you were ringing most likely had no idea who you were.

---

I didn't speak to a lot of angry people and for that I say thank you.

*One lady was really smug and arrogant because I didn't pronounce her name right (it looked like a D; it may have been a really large lowercase N):
"Ohhhh nooooo, D doesn't live here. You can't possibly be looking for D (heh). I have to hang up on you now because you are an idiot, and I will tell this story of the idiot telemarketer to all of my friends and we will laugh at you, hah hah hah!"
(slight exaggeration)

*One lady listened to the script, told me she worked a company relating to the product, thought it was utter crap, and gave me a list of reasons why.

I made more than two calls but it's almost November, I've forgotten a lot.

---

You know how there are occasionally competitions in shopping centres to win cars or holidays? And all you have to do is fill in your details and tick a few boxes regarding your age or househould income?
I will never enter one of those competitions again.

Some of the telemarketing calls were along the lines of: "Hi, do you remember entering a competition to win a car? Well, you're still in the draw but you are also eligible for this lovely blah blah script blah..."

Awful. Awful awful awful.

End Rant

And after six months of bottling that in (text-wise only), we will never mention it in this blog again.

From E To You

2010-09-15T03:48:00.002+10:00

From E To You - Chris D'Lacey & Linda Newberry

Along with The Hippo Summer Bumper Fun Book, this was one of the other secondhand books that I'd ordered via mail (and one that I'd mentioned before).
All I could remember was the book was a series of emails between two teenagers, they start to fall in love but something in the book makes them think they're related (AWKWARD), and at some point they email each other about anagrams because I remember one after the story ends.

I was wrong about the anagram-related email (though there is one at the end for some reason) but right about everything else. Except, you know, forgetting about the rest of the book and all.

Some things I noticed after re-reading it in 2010:

Technology

Guy and his father share an email account.

Was this common back in 2000, considering that nowadays most teenagers don't want their parents nosing in their business?
I used to help my mother out with emails but I don't remember sharing her account. I don't remember wanting to send too many emails either until I was about 14, maybe 15.

Teens back in 2000 apparently didn't know about emoticons, because why would you need to explain them?!

" :P (that's Internet jargon for 'I stick my tongue out and waggle it at you')"
Oh, come on now! :p

"Guess what this is? :* A kiss, in Internet speak"
I'll admit, I don't know if I've seen this one before. I usually xxx when it comes to online kissing.

Teens back in 2000 apparently didn't know what video clips were either:

"It's something called a video clip... you need your media player to view it (don't ask me)"

References

I saw a few familiar-looking subject headers that I wouldn't have recognised the first time around:

Life, The Universe and Daniel-Day Lewis
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Toilet
Waiting for Laura (okay, chances are this isn't a Waiting for Godot ref, but you never know...)

"And who's Elvis Presley?"
I remember this bugging me because I was around Annabelle's age when I first read the book. How could you not know Elvis?!
I didn't think people thought Gen-Y teens were that out of the loop.

The Books I Will Never Forget (Part 2)

2010-09-15T03:31:00.003+10:00

Some of these books I will treasure forever.
Others weren't that good but I still remember them for some reason.
But whichever the case, these are The Books I Will Never Forget.
(Cue Days of our Lives theme)

This isn't even a list of my favourite books, though a few of the others in the other post have sentimental value.
It's just a list of books that I liked when I was younger, most of which I don't own but I'd consider buying so as not to forget them OR just to remember what I enjoyed about them in the first place. Something like that.

I think I'll just stick with "Books I Will Never Forget" for now.

---

That Dragonlance book
Status: library book
This is the exception to the above. I probably wouldn't buy this book. At the time I was just branching out into reading fantasy and sci-fi when I borrowed this (so I would have been 10, maybe?) but I couldn't get into it. I've never been that interested in that epic, sword-and-sorcery type of fantasy anyway.

What I remember: blue-skinned lady (magic user?) and a dwarf fall in love. That's it.
I've looked up Dragonlance books but their descriptions aren't as simple as "blue lady and dwarf have relationship". The title shall remain a mystery for now.

From E To You - Chris D'Lacey & Linda Newberry
Status: library book, bought
Because I bought and re-read this book recently, I seem to have a bit to say about it. So I cut-and-pasted everything into another post. Stay tuned!

Countdown series - Daniel Parker
Status: library books
Teen series, like most of the books in Part 2. There were twelve books, each named after a month of the year (though I only read eleven, one wasn't in the library).
A virus has wiped out everyone over the age of 20. Someone's found a prophecy for the upcoming year: evil's approaching and only the Chosen One out there who can save us all. Two teens feel a connection and now there's a baby on the way.
Beware false prophets.
###

At the start of every book, there was a piece of the prophecy relevant to the titular month. It was interesting to see how events panned out in relation to it.

Confess-O-Rama - Ron Koertge
Status: library book
Memory fuzzy. Can only remember certain images:
* Teen boy with a surname like Candelabra, has problems, calls titular hotline.
* Artsy teen girl with artsy bras, one made from traffic lights?
* Art exhibit or museum, mushrooms, possibly magic ones.

Translations in Celadon - Sally Odgers
Status: high school library book
What I can remember: Some students enter another world where their names define who they are. For example, Sari, meaning "princess", turns into a princess in this world.
The protagonist is a horse.

Aurora - Sally Odgers
Status: high school library book
What I can remember: Aurora was found near a UFO crash site? She and her family live somewhere very secluded (island off the coast of Queensland?) and her cousin comes to stay.
Aurora can't swim, she's quite dense.

Sasscat - Paula Boock
Status: high school library book
What I can remember: Sasscat (real name = ???) has a sister who goes to England to search for her biological parents. Sasscat's forms a friendship with Jonathan, the new neighbour. His mother is a witch.
Someone needs an ambulance. Don't ask me who. I don't even know if it was a character in the book or they were just driving behind one.

Word of the Day: titular.

The Books I Will Never Forget (Part 1)

2010-08-16T03:21:00.006+10:00

Some of these books I will treasure forever.
Others weren't that good but I still remember them for some reason.

But whichever the case, these are The Books I Will Never Forget.

(Cue Days of our Lives theme)

---

The ~~Happy~~ Hippo Summer Bumper Fun Book - Deborah Manley.

Status: owned, lost, rebought

When I was six or seven, this was the best book ever! Activities, puzzles, games, jokes, everything!

But then that all faded out of my mind and all I could remember was the punchline "Theresa Green" on a Knock Knock joke. I didn't get that joke for a long time - stupid, silent "H"...

I somehow lost the book, went online to buy it again and couldn't find it anywhere! Did I just imagine the awesomeness?
It turned out I'd mistakenly remembered the title as The Happy Hippo Summer Bumper Fun book when there was no Happy at all!

The book came in the mail a few months ago and I was so excited! While flicking through the book, I was sad that it wasn't quite as cool as I'd remembered... until I saw my favourite limerick from when I was a kid!

There was an old man from Bengal,

Who went to a fancy dress ball.

He said, "I'll risk it,

And go as a biscuit"

But a dog ate him up in the hall.

Theresa Green = trees are green!

I missed you, Happy Hippo.

Five Minute Faces - Snazaroo
Status: library book, own
I liked to borrow it to stare at the creatively painted faces. I think I was in that phase where I wanted to be a professional face-painter because, despite having no aptitude for it, I wanted to be in the arts and creative industry - face-painter, photographer, dancer, author, you get the idea.
I still occasionally get the urge to make something but I wouldn't do it as a full-time job... but I digress.

I later saw the book in Spotlight and finally bought it outright. Then I got the brilliant idea of sending Snazaroo a letter about face painting. Despite using a 45c stamp to send a letter to the UK (price now is about $1.50), they eventually got it, though many, many months afterwards.
They sent back a few of their catalogues, which I still keep in my book to this day.

Julie Hasler's Fantasy Cross-Stitch - Julie Hasler
Status: library book (that someone decided to keep?)
Another book I used to stare at for the pretty pictures, but this time for zodiac- and mythology-related cross-stitches. I was dying to make one (this was during my cross-stitch phase) but it seemed an impossibility because I'd never seen Aida cross-stitch fabric on its own before (as opposed to it in a cross-stitch pack).

The last time I tried to borrow the book, it was out on loan so I put myself on the reserve list. That was about ten or so years ago. I'm expecting a call any day now...

That origami book
Status: library book
During my origami phase, there was this book in my school library. I think it had a red cover, was a few hundred pages long and had easy-to-understand instructions. I wish I could remember the title.

That kite book
Status: owned, lost
I used to own this book all about kites: the history of kites, how to make your own kite...
But I lost it before I had the chance to develop my kite phase.

Math for Smarty Pants - Marilyn Burns

Status: library book

While I had a few books to enlighten my creative side, this was the book that stimulated my intellectual side. Plus it had brain-teasing pigs!

If A=1 cent, B=2 cents, etc, then what words are worth a dollar?
4! = 24. I remember being smug knowing what a factorial was when we started that topic in high school - though not smug enough to remember the word "factorial". Oh, it's that exclamation mark!
6 and 28 are perfect numbers. A perfect number is one whose factors, not including itself, add up to itself:

6 = 1 + 2 + 3

28 = 1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14

I'll probably end up buying this book one day. Good memories. ♥

Hmmm... needs more bee pun.

2010-07-25T01:12:00.004+10:00

I just noticed a common theme between the movies on Channel 9 tonight:

24 July 2010
7.30: Bee Movie
9.30: Be Cool
12.00: Not the Bees! Not the Bees! (i.e. The Wicker Man)

Coincidence, or coolest TV programmer ever?

---

I shall soon receive my BE at a ceremony where my official graduating colours are black and gold, and so I feel it is my duty - no, my honour! - to post slightly bee-related music videos!

My first knitting project!

2010-07-22T18:12:00.003+10:00

Because I'm in that stage of life where I have nothing better to do, I bought my first pair of knitting needles last month and, using my Knitting for Dummies (Pocket Edition), taught myself to knit.
I know a total of one stitch: the knit stitch. I can't get the grasp of purling yet.

And with my one-stitch repertoire, I made this (finished 3rd July):

Isn't it beautiful?

There are a few holes (including the massive one that's now the button-hole) and the handle is way too long, but I made it and I love it.

I forgot the result horoscope!

2010-07-09T04:08:00.000+10:00

The result is in: I passed my final subject and am due to graduate in August... I think. I haven't received my offer of graduation yet but it's still a bit early for all that.

But oh no! How on earth did I manage to pass without consulting my newspaper oracle, as per tradition? Unfortunately I forgot to buy one but let's consult the website...

9th July 2010

Pisces (Feb 20- Mar 20)
They say good things come to those who wait. It may be true but it doesn't follow that bad things come to people who are impatient. It's fairer to say that, if you've had to hang around for some while, hoping that something will happen, when the event finally takes place, you're likely to feel so pleased that you'll make every possible effort to appreciate the development. Whereas if something occurs suddenly and easily, you may fail to see how special it is.
You've waited a long time for what's about to occur.

...!

A relevant horoscope, finally! Today is such a good day!

I suppose I should be looking at the 8th, the day I actually got the result, but it's not like they keep a horoscope archive, plus I was going to check my results today anyway.
Horoscope VALID!

The result is in

2010-07-09T03:46:00.001+10:00

On the morning I took my exam this year, I was a little bit - a teeny weeny bit, miniscule even - nervous.
After all, this was the only subject I had left to pass. This exam was the only thing stopping me from getting my degree. Failure sure isn't an option; what am I supposed to do, wait around idly for yet another year to repeat this subject for a third time?

No PRESSURE or anything, Charlene.

The usual butterflies in the stomach turned into dry-retching*. That was... different.

So I went into my exam, did what I could in the three hours and tried not to think about it ever again. The end...

My university results have always been released on the Friday two weeks after the end of exam period. So for this semester's exams, that would mean Tomorrow (or In A Few Hours From Now if you want to get technical).
I was so nervous about seeing the final result that I planned to get Mum to look tomorrow morning before she left for work. I was going to leave some instructions by the computer on logging into and understanding the results page: if good result, wake me up. If bad result, let me sleep, I'll cry about it later.

But that meant I had to look at the results page to work out what to write...

Hey, I'd better check on my online usage, and the results page too, I guess... oh look, Dannii Minogue had a boy!
"Hey, Mum! Dannii Minogue had a boy!"
"Aw, that's lovely!"
Back to results page tab, damn it all to... shit, uni's changed the website again, explaining that will be too complicated, don't want Mum getting it wrong and waking me up so I'm forced to look instead, no no no no no...
Okay, new plan! I'll log in, leave the computer on all night and get Mum to refresh the page in the morning! That should work, right? Well, what's the results page look like now? That better not have changed...
Now scroll down verrrrrrrry slowly. I know there's usually asterisks in place of scores before Friday but I'm so nervous even being on this page and it doesn't hurt to be carefohmygod... oh my god. OH MY GOD! whatWHATWHAT. WHAT?! What?

I think I went into some state of shock seeing my result so unexpectedly. Tears literally burst out of my eye sockets - normally tears run downwards, not forwards, and you should have seen the tear splatter on my glasses afterwards!
I yelled out for Mum, who caught the sob in my voice (which obviously wasn't there when we spoke one minute ago). "What's wrong?" she said.
"Come here. I need to show you." I couldn't say it out loud yet.
Mum was very apprehensive about approaching the computer. Due to my unexpected mood swing, she thought I'd read about the death of a close family friend on Facebook, or something.
"Look..." I said and pointed at the screen.
"What?"

"I... I passed..."

I PASSED!

I'M FINALLY GOING TO GRADUATE!

And we hugged and I cried for another ten minutes and I couldn't stop talking about how shocked I was (but Mum didn't mind).

* I always thought it was pronounced (and therefore spelt) "dry-reaching". Mistake likely due to not using the word "retch" in place of "vomit". Good old "vomit"!

I'm more emotional than political

2010-06-24T22:28:00.018+10:00

Woke up today to find Australia suddenly has its first ever female Prime Minister!
It's just...

Okay, I'm not really interested in politics. I only paid attention to the 2008 USA election because of:

1. The hype, and
2. I was watching live updates of the results on some American news website; they had this map of the USA and the states would change to red or blue immediately after the votes were tallied. I thought the map was interesting.

But today, after watching Kevin Rudd trying not to cry as he made his farewell speech? Well, I'm still not that interested in politics, but it was sad to see him leave like that.

Those pasta boys

2010-06-02T14:57:00.007+10:00

Nick Mallory: Deep Secret/The Merlin Conspiracy - Diana Wynne Jones
Guy Woodham: From E To You - Chris D'Lacey & Linda Newberry

I'm reading From E To You at the moment (more on that later) and just came up to a bit where Guy says he only knows how to cook pasta, which made me think of Nick Mallory from some of my favourite DWJ books.

What is up with the cooking skills of fictional British teenage boys? Why can't they cook anything except for pasta?

Harry Potter may have cooked bacon and eggs for the Dursleys in the first book (I just checked) but he was only 10 years old (no, he hadn't had his 11th birthday yet) - so he is not a teeanger. Since I can't remember him cooking in any of the other books, I can only assume that Harry's culinary skills in the following books have drastically declined since The Philosopher's Stone.

If it wasn't for the kitchen elves making all that food every day, there probably would have been a scene where Harry and Ron attempt to magic up some fettuccine.

Shards of dishonour: a mystery

2010-05-13T22:05:00.004+10:00

I'm not sure if this is because I just ordered my Problem Sleuth book (yeeeeeee!), but humour me here.

Case 1: Shards of Dishonour

Loosely based on a true story that occurred on Monday

Let's say you're a complete stranger.

That was easy!

Let's say you're a complete stranger and you're in my house.

Some questions have been raised, including "Who are you?" and "What are you doing here?"

I hope you get that Simpsons reference, complete stranger.

Let's say you're a complete stranger in my house, I'm the only person home and I'm currently in the shower.

Several more questions have been raised, a bar of soap has hit you in the chest (I was aiming for your head, damn it!), I've grabbed that dowel rod from my room and you're about to get hit with it really hard.

Oh dear, this isn't going well for you at all... Let's start again!

-----

You are a detective specialising in non-crimes that no-one in their right mind would solve, let alone hire someone to solve them. Your phone rings.

It's my mother and she's hysterically upset. Between sobs you think you hear what the problem is: "My house... is... in DISARRAY!"

"Disarray?" you say. "I'll save the day, I'm on my way! Wait, can you pay?" As soon as the payment is finalised, you leave the Happy Gilmore reference in your office and head out the door.

The Case

Apparently when my mother came home from work, she found several items (gasp) out of place. Though I was the only person at home, you are unable to ask me anything at the moment because I'm in the shower.

My mother shows your around the house while you jot down notes into your handy dandy notebook*, customised to hold more than three clues.

Mum's Room

1 x Hammer

1 x Screwdriver (slotted)

1 x Bucket (containing glass shards and an adhesive picture hook)

You also note some indentations in the carpet, like a heavy object had recently been moved, though you can't match them to anything in the room...

Charlene's Room

1 x Treadmill

5 x Articles of Clothing (Jacket x1 [containing receipt], Jeans x1, Bra x1, Shoes x2; sprawled on and around treadmill)

1 x Picture (of a V8 Supercar)

1 x Picture Frame (glass missing)

The receipt says that one (1) item was purchased today, totalling $10.

The frame and the picture are separate, though they look to be the same size.

There's also a dowel rod in the corner. It fills you with unease but you couldn't say why.

Kitchen

1 x Tape Measure

1 x Keys

-----

I finally get out of the shower. You're about to wrap up this case by asking me what happened today, but the irrational thought of me rendering you unconscious with the dowel rod overwhelms you. You feel nauseous, nervous, and you can't seem to get the words out.

Ask me questions that will immediately solve the case and face the wrath of my

DOWEL ROD!

Perhaps you should try and solve this without asking me directly, otherwise what would be the point of all this? Yes, that's a good idea. You feel a lot better knowing you'll solve this case the stupid way.

Instead, you ask my mother and I about V8 Supercars.

"V8 Supercars?" I say. "What, those cars with the parachutes?"

"Isn't that drag racing?" my mother says.

"Oh yeah... then what the hell is a V8?"

"How would I know? Go look it up on the Internet."

My mother only paid you for one hour and doesn't intend on paying you any more, so you have to go.

From the evidence provided, can you tell what happened?

---

* I was looking for something to link to, and instead I found Blue's Clues fanfiction. I know this is the Internet, but for some reason I didn't expect to see that. Huh.

Fupny Brupny II - Remembering the November cake week

2010-04-27T21:27:00.006+10:00

Do you remember how, back in December 2009, I made a Pre-New Year's Blog Resolution about writing a post (before the end of the year) on an inordinate number of cakes I made one week in November?

And do you remember how I didn't end up writing that post, but instead wrote something which seemed to imply I would talk about cake in early to mid-January?

Did you know that it's almost May, and no cake has been mentioned at all?

And did you know I did a meme back in 2008 that stated that one of my bad habits was procrastination?

Dots will be connected. It will all become clear.

Trivia: Did you know that by promising cake but not delivering any, I made an unintentional Portal reference?
I've only ever played the Flash version though.

---

So... cake... trying to remember what was so fascinating about it in the first place...
Best start from the beginning, I guess.

1. Microwave cake.
One of my friends on Facebook posted a link to a cake you could make and eat within 5 minutes. Unbelievable! I must click this link at once!
What you do is mix the ingredients in a mug and pop it in the microwave. Voilà! Instant cake!
Tasted nice, though I shouldn't have used the bland hot chocolate mix. Next time I shall go all out - maybe Milo or Nesquik, chocolate chips, the works!

2. Chocolate lava cake (AKA molten chocolate cake).
Later that week I was in chocoholic mode, so I went Googling for the most chocolate-filled cake I could find. And what did I come across?

Mmmmmmm...

I can't link to the recipe because I forgot to save it, but it did involve (for me, anyway) constant trips to Google to work out how on earth you fold an egg. I don't think I did it properly because Mum and I could still taste the egg in the end.

How to describe the chocolate within a chocolate lava cake?

Chocolate POW!

I look forward to perfecting this recipe in the future.

3. Pancakes! (Yes, they count)

While I was learning how to fold egg whites, I came across a recipe for lemon pancakes (see above link), so I gave them a shot too. Pancakes in our house always have a habit of burning, so it was a bit of a surprise when these didn't.

---

Yep, that's about it. Hooray for cakes!

Annoy a sheep - Aha! Pony seen!

2010-04-26T19:01:00.003+10:00

I Googled this a few days ago, thought it was cute:

Did I mean "nag a ram"? Yes. Yes, I did.

My favourite nag-a-rams of "annoy a sheep" which I saw in this list:

Annoy a sheep

Aha! Pony seen!

A sane phoney

He annoys ape

A hyena opens

Shape anyone

Here's another music meme!

2010-03-25T22:04:00.001+11:00

Another music meme!

---

The meme: Using only song titles from one artist, cleverly answer these questions
Pick a band/artist: Thirsty Merc

1. Are you a male or female: She’s My Brother

2. Describe yourself: Crying In Denial

3. How do you feel about yourself: I Wish Somebody Would Build A Bridge (So I Can Get Over Myself)

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: Everything But You

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation: Someday, Someday

6. Describe your current location: Wasting Time

7. Describe where you want to be: In The Summertime

8. Your best friend: Katie Q

9. Your favourite colour is: Like Snow

10. You know that: The Whole World Reminds Me Of You

11. What’s the weather like: When The Weather Is Fine

12. If your life was a television show what would it be called: Kaleidoscope

13. What is life to you: The Hard Way

14. What is the best advice you have to give: Now Or Never

15. If you could change your name what would you change it to: Claude Monet

---

There aren't too many physical locations in Thirsty Merc songs, so let's just say 6 and 7 are describing my location in time...
Yes, let's go with that...

It's music meme time again!

2010-03-25T21:20:00.002+11:00

I like memes, and yet I haven't done one in nearly a year! Well, that's about to change...

---

The meme: Put your music library on shuffle. Post the first lines of the first 25 songs that come up.
The game: Guess which songs the first lines are from! Google = cheating.

1. Beautiful, I just want to know, you’re my favourite girl.

2. Because we can, can, can. Yes we can, can, can, can, can, can, can, can, can!

3. I used to think I had thick skin, it took a while.

4. She’s got an ass like loaf of bread, you want a slice.

5. Fed up with your indigestion, swallow words one by one.

6. I’m back in Liverpool and everything seems the same.

7. Lady, hear me tonight, cos my feeling is just so right.

8. It’s got a radio, a radio. It’s got a video, a video.

9. It could be ten, but then again I can’t remember half an hour since a quarter to four.

10. This won’t bring our dog back and this won’t unstitch time.

11. You could have knocked me out with a feather.

12. Join our group and you will find harmony and peace of mind.

13. She came to me with her arms open wide, learnt my style.

14. Making the scene, I really mean, you could be there with me and make believe.

15. Here comes the cold, break out the winter clothes and find a love to call your own.

16. Well, can’t you see that it’s just raining? There ain’t no need to go outside.

17. They’re going to clean up your looks with all the lies in the books.

18. I never liked this apple much.

19. And now with the following collection of the swizzy sound (whoo!)

20. If I don’t say this now, I will surely break.

21. All is fair, I’m trying to make you notice me but you don’t care.

22. I could be a lover like that, just give me all the things that you want now.

23. It was a cold and rainy night in Santa Fe.

24. I think I saw your body ‘fore I saw your face.

25. Let me tell a story that was told one time to me.

---

Meme notes:

Soooooo much pop (except, of course, the songs that aren't).
There are a couple of repeated artists in there (What type of shuffle is this?!)
During the "shuffle", two songs were instrumental so I skipped them for obvious reasons.

Twenty-three

2010-03-15T20:13:00.001+11:00

How old am I? 23

Avogadro's Number ≈ 6.02*10²³

Did you know that 23 is a prime number? It's true!

XXIII

Did you know that W is the 23rd letter of the English alphabet? It's true!

11 + 11 + 1 = 23

Fill in the gap: 4 8 15 16 __ 42

If you would like any more information regarding the number 23, feel free to consult your local Wikipedia.

---

Did you know that Julius Caesar died on the 15th March?
Beware the Ides of March, everybody!

Oh, and while I'm still awake...

2010-03-15T02:10:00.000+11:00

Happy Birthday to me!

23 today!

New TV! (So unexpected, still in shock!)

New comedy DVD: Danny Bhoy - Live at the Athenaeum

Comedy Festival tickets!

Speaking of which, the Gala's on Wednesday!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Go to the party's own translation!

2010-03-15T02:02:00.001+11:00

I've recently discovered Translation Party!
Type in a sentence and it will continuously translate between English and Japanese until it reaches equilibrium (unless it can't, that's happened before).
Here's some I prepared earlier (Original English phrase on top):

Let's have ourselves a Translation Party!
Go to the party's own translation!

I'd prefer to keep my pants on, thank you.
As I have my pants I want to thank you.

I fear that you may have mistranslated me.
So I probably you my mistranslation.

Perhaps in time, my good sir, you may one day become an excellent translator.
Certainly a good teacher, May 1 was a great day one day one day be translated into one word.

I should probably go and study instead of typing things into a translator.
I should probably go without having to learn.

Phrases
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Missing information can be good.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
I'm tired of Jack's work.

Faint heart never won fair lady.
The equality of sacrifice was not for women.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Ease of anger and insult women.

Let sleeping dogs lie.
However, sleep, and he is a dog.

Don't put all your eggs into one basket.
One by one, the following two are located in one egg.

It takes one to know one.
One knows this time.

Quotes
Hell hath no fury like the vast robot armies of a woman scorned.
(Futurama)
Giant robot army of angry contempt for a serious woman.

Or are you an optical illusion caused by a woman sitting on a rock holding half a fish?
(Flight of the Conchords)
Half of the women sitting on the rock a big fish?

Never follow a hippie to a second location.
(30 Rock)
Please, under the hippies, the first two, the next morning 2:58 minutes occurs.

What else is on my mind grapes?
(30 Rock)
My heart and other grapes?

He squeezes the sweetest juice out of his workers' mind grapes.
(30 Rock)
Has been attracting good workers in his vineyard in the heart.

A moment for Pa

2010-02-28T22:00:00.000+11:00

It's been four weeks since my grandpa passed away.

That's all I'm writing for this month. Random typings will resume in March.

Fupny Brupny I - Tis the season for shiny, shiny objects!

2010-01-23T19:01:00.006+11:00

Isn't it obvious from the context of my last post that when I said I'd write a post "today" I actually meant "a fortnight from now"?

Obviously...

...uh... change of subject time!

---

A relaxing, do-nothing Christmas this year. Mum had invited one of her friends over and they were outside for most of the night, while I was indoors playing... wait, we'll get to that in just a mo.
Title time!

A partial list of objects acquired during the months of November and December.

"Partial" because I don't remember the mundane things, like milk and toilet roll, that I probably bought at some point. And if I did, would I bother mentioning it in a blog post?

Yeah, probably. Kinda doing that now, aren't I?
Anyway, list time!

November

DVD - Comedy
- Bill Bailey - Tinselworm

Yep, that's it for November.

December

Game
- Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (DS)

As I started to say earlier, I was indoors playing the second Professor Layton game. "The Elysian Box" would have to be my favourite puzzle, mainly because of what you need to do in order to solve it.
Also, Don Paolo? You are a very strange man.

DVD - Comedy
- 30 Rock - Season 3
- Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra:

Sorry for stopping the list without any warning there, I just love that song.
Continue!

- Classic Skithouse
- Danny Bhoy - Live at the Sydney Opera House
- Tim Minchin - So Live
- Tripod - Live at Woodford

I didn't know whether to get the Tripod DVD because I was pretty sure the main feature would contain songs I already own, and it did.
But I really enjoyed the bonus feature, "How to Train Attack Dogs From Scratch" - all new songs to me, so all new funny!

DVD - Movie
- Enchanted

Electronics - GPS
- Garmin eTrex H

So far I have five geocache finds under my belt (4 GC, 1 GCA) and one mini Rubik's cube in a jar (it was my first swap, don't want to lose it).

---

Edit (27 April 2010): Same clip, different video.

Um, about those Pre-New Year's resolutions...

2010-01-09T18:49:00.001+11:00

Welcome to the beginning of a new decade. Happy New Year, everyone!

---

Alas, I only finished half of my Pre-New Year's Blog Resolutions. Damn my sudden surge of non-blog-related activities!
So let's get them out of the way! How dare I let a resolution go unfulfilled!

Today shall mark the beginning of my:

Former Pre-New Year's Blog Resolutions Post-New Year!

Go FPNYBRPNY!

This acronym is now pronounced Fupny Brupny.

And this would be Post 100...

2009-12-28T01:56:00.003+11:00

100th post!

To celebrate the occasion, here is a picture of a cake brought to you by Word ClipArt:

I think it's a wedding cake but beggars can't be choosers.

Speaking of cake... no, it's getting late. I will talk about cake before the end of the year, however.

And in other news:

I passed this semester's subjects! I am only one subject away from completing my degree!

Today (uh, yesterday?) I found my first geocache!
Then 45 minutes later, I found my second geocache!
And later in the evening, I received a congratulatory email from the man who created my first cache!
Now I am hyped up and ready to find some more!

I'll be sitting at about six rows from the back of the theatre on the upper level... but does that matter? No!

Why not?

I'm going to the Gala!

By which I mean The Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010 Gala in Support of Oxfam, or an event with an eerily similar title.

---

To finish off this celebratory post, here's a picture that I took with my phone between caches:

Location: Classified

If I told you where it was, that would spoil the fun!

Commenting on comments

2009-12-28T00:29:00.011+11:00

I decide to reply to every single comment in a blog post. I think I'd barely started this when I woke up.

And now, almost two years after I wrote that, I can actually respond to comments in a blog post!
Because there are comments on the blog! Beautiful, beautiful comments!

I can't remember how I stumbled upon the first comment but there it was, on the post about surprising my mother with dinner:

Thanks for the comment, Sophie! The lemon chicken I made was quite delicious, and I'm sorry I didn't supply the recipe for you to enjoy also. If you want a quick briefing of what I did, I merely rubbed the chicken with lemon slices, allowing the lemon to soak into chicken pores or whatever.
No need to add or buy any sauce whatsoever!

Wait a minute...

I'm sorry, Sophie, I think you may have made a mistake. You see, I wasn't cooking the Asian-style lemon chicken, which is usually served with the sweet and sour sauce you mentioned (at least, it does when I order it).
The recipe actually said, "This really will remind you of holidays in the Mediterranean," which was why a Greek salad (or chips) was the recommended side dish, though I'm sure rice would have been be a nice accompaniment also.
And I had written "ginger" instead of "garlic" so I can understand how the confusion may have occurred. I do apologise, and I have edited the post to prevent further mishaps.

But wait...

I was just wondering what seasonings were in the sauce you bought? How would you know if the sauce was a decent substitute for the herbs from my recipe, particularly since I didn't mention any? Except for ~~ginger~~ garlic, of course.
And why was the website you provided full of ads for Asian packet sauces?

I thought I'd try and visit your profile but it was private. That's cool, privacy is important on the Internet... but I'm still a little bit suspicious.

A quick Google search for your comment brought up the following:

At least 1650 results containing the same phrase, majority of which follow it up with that same bit about Friday after work? Well, I've just got one thing to say to that...

Die, spam comment!

And feel free to reside in the deepest corners of hell, ugly spam.

Bit of an overreaction, I'll admit.

It made me wonder if I had any other comments because I was never informed of that one. And I did find another, coincidentally in the "Blogging Dreams" post I mentioned at the beginning of this post:

Discount prescription drugs! My erectile dysfunction problems solved at last!

Spam comments, meet that mysterious place where deleted computer files go. Mysterious place, meet spam... oh, you've already met?

I'm mainly writing this for posterity. Despite their spammish nature, they were my first comments.

Pre-New Year's Blog Resolutions

2009-12-24T03:16:00.003+11:00

Damn! It's almost the end of the month and I almost forgot to post! Actually, that was a lie. I've been putting it off.
Stupid December and its activities which makes one too busy to blog a bit.

That's it. It's time for Pre-New Year's Resolutions regarding my blog posts (hopefully) within the next... week?! Wow, December went by rather quickly!

However, New Year's resolutions often go unfulfilled. Will I be different? Tune in throughout the week to find out!

Pre-New Year's Blog Resolutions

100 Post Milestone! To celebrate the momentous occasion of 100 semi-random posts (this is my 98th post, by the way), I feel I should mention other nice, happy things. If anything springs to mind, I'll be sure to add it in there. Definitely sure. Sure as sure can be...
November Cake Week: That week in November where an unusual number of cakes (three) were made. I may feel the need to talk about this in excruciating detail. I may even mention the cake I made today... yesterday afternoon... whenever.
Comments! I found comments on the blog! Let us talk about these comments in excruciating detail.
Xmas Haul: Vicious Barbarian. He forges his own weapons. I think he has a preference for giant axes. Though it will anger him greatly, he will probably not get his own blog post in the next week because I was supposed to be talking about Christmas...

That last point came out of nowhere. I'd just typed the title and thought, "Xmas Haul... sounds like a name... barbarian!"

Not the recommended way to prep for exams...

2009-11-20T14:28:00.005+11:00

Exams are over! It's time to blog again!
This semester I only had to take one exam, and then the dreaded oral presentation. Of course, because I'm a procrastinator with zero time management, I gave myself hardly any preparation...

I pulled an all-nighter the night before the exam, and still found the exam to be quite easy. It's strange, I would have definitely failed it if I'd slept that night... though I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch and other assorted clichés, because the results don't come out for a few weeks.

I kept putting off oral presentation preparation off for as long as possible - a stupid idea when you know a lack of preparation will result in massive stage fright! But alas, I am a procrastinator with zero time management, so I started about two nights before.
The stomach twinge started at about midnight Tuesday - oral presentation was later that afternoon. I tried to comfort myself by scrawling positive affirmations in my notebook. And I think it worked! At least, the stomach twinge eased up a bit.

By "positive affirmations", I mean things like:

This oral presentation is not going to kill me
This is only 15 minutes of my life, and afterwards I will be on holiday.

And so on and so forth.

It went okay! I had a demonstration and a video and everything!

I was sweating a bit by the end (though the weather was in the mid-30s, so that may have had something to do with it), and I noticed I said "um" a bit (presentation no-no) but I didn't freeze this time!
In fact, I got a bit carried away because with about three slides to go, my examiner said, "Charlene, you've been talking for over twenty minutes now". Whoops...

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Because it's tradition, let's see what today's horoscope has to say. I haven't bought a newspaper today but let's check their website:

Pisces (Feb 20 - Mar 20):
Let's pick up the theme we were exploring yesterday, involving imaginary levers and invisible control mechanisms. Today, let's imagine you are now sitting in an "ejector seat" which, at the push of a button, will catapult you out of a difficult position and will provide you with a parachute that lets you drift to a safe landing. Do you really want to use it? It's enough, this weekend, to know you have an option to escape. That alone should provide all the support you need to remain (and to thrive) in a tricky situation.

Okay, I don't see how I can twist this to be related to my exams at all. Way to help me out, horoscope.

Actually, I don't really see how this is related to astrology either. Shouldn't the positions of celestial objects be mentioned in there somewhere? Isn't that the definition of a horoscope?

The position of Mars indicates there will be a great ejector seat in your life this weekend...

New computer melancholy?

2009-10-12T18:47:00.000+11:00

My computer decided to crash two weeks ago. Took it to the repair shop.
A week later, they realised what the problem was: my motherboard had fried!
I only bought it last year! Old Computer lasted six years before crap like that started to happen!

But it's all well and good now! I was stressing a bit because of looming major assignment due dates. Speaking of which, I'd better finish up now.

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Clockwords Prelude update: Level 136! Can confirm there are at least 160 levels of word typing fun!

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Okay, I'll play one level. And then back to study.

Customer of the YEAR!

2009-10-12T18:08:00.002+11:00

I recently received what could be The Coolest Confirmation Email Ever:

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Charlene-
Thanks for your order with CD Baby!

The name of the CD went here. Can't tell you because it's a Christmas present. What if they see this?! It will spoil the surprise!

Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.
A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing.
Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.
We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved "Bon Voyage!" to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, October 7, 2009.
We hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. In commemoration, we have placed your picture on our wall as "Customer of the Year." We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sigh...
We miss you already. We'll be right here at http://cdbaby.com/, patiently awaiting your return.
--
CD Baby
The little store with the best new independent music.

And some other little things...

2009-09-28T20:35:00.001+10:00

I couldn't seem to stop repeating, "Smoooooooth. Ow, spicy!" It's a Puzzle Pirates thing, never mind about that. As a result, my cousin tried to shut me up by saying it at the same time, jinxing me and rendering me unable to talk...
But for a moment, I overpowered the jinx that was upon me and said, "Doesn't matter anyway. I've been watching the Umbilical Brothers DVDs and I am now an expert at mime!"

I am not an expert at mime. I have shamed mime artists all over the world. Sorry about that.

I think I was polishing the walls of the invisible box I was trapped in?
It was stupidly hilarious though!

---

Clockwords Prelude: I'm on Level 106! There's at least 120 levels...

'Quandry' is apparently not a word, so why do I insist on typing it all the time?
Just learnt there is a 'quandary' though. Interesting...

The other Sydney

2009-09-28T20:02:00.000+10:00

I thought I had forgotten something in my last post! I'm a cat owner!
He's a little black kitten that Mum has called Sydney. We've had him for three weeks now, which would make him just 7 weeks old, I think.

I'm just a walking scratching post to him.

Pickin' up the ashtray

2009-09-20T20:24:00.003+10:00

It's the 20th already?! What happened to this month?! It's gone by so fast!

I blame my major university projects.

Speaking of my major university projects, I screwed up yet another oral presentation. Lucky it was just a practice run and wasn't worth anything.
But it was never this bad in high school... little stomach twinges of nervousness, sure, but never as bad as how I've been in the two oral presentations at uni (one was back in 2006. The other was on Thursday).
I wish I knew how to get over this little old fear of mine.

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Oh, and about the title. Some high school students were speaking Pig Latin on the train the other day. I just wanted to use the word ashtray because of its double meaning in both languages.
Did I just drop an ashtray or do I hate litter? You decide!

August aftermath 2

2009-08-30T23:15:00.002+10:00

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Melbourne
The 27th was my Pod August Night!
I met up with my friends about 45 minutes beforehand and picked up the tickets I'd ordered. We sit in the room and wait. An unfamiliar band is onstage, warming up. We've still got a while to go, so we head outside to catch up.
It's about ten minutes before the show starts; my friends and I return to the room and find a spare table. The other band is still onstage, and it suddenly occurs to me that we might not be in the right place.
We were close though, it was the room next door.

The show: Most excellent night of awesome musical comedy!
They played their Paranoid Android cover! I love their version - it's at the end of my Pod August Night DVD. And they played some songs I'd heard before, and some songs I hadn't, and there was cool audience interaction, and I just had a really good time!
Did you know that Scod also plays the piano? I didn't, until Thursday night.

During the intermission I noticed people with merchandise, so I excused myself from my friends and went out to buy some. One poster, and a comedy DVD:

Tripod - The Adventures of Tosswinkle the Pirate

Or if you prefer the title in its entirety, it's "Tripod tells the tale of the Adventures of Tosswinkle the Pirate (not very well)"

After the show, Tripod were signing things near the merchandise table.
I now own a signed poster by two out of three Tripod members! It's on my wall right now! By the time it was my turn, I'd just missed Gatesy...
Then one of my friends asked them an odd question (in my opinion) and there was this strange, silent moment. An awkward silence, if you will. I'm not sure if this was due to the question, or the fact that we didn't really have a lot to ask to fill in the gaping hole that was the awkward silence...

But then as we left, Yon said "Thanks for coming," and I replied with "Uh, thanks for performing?" and he laughed. More of a light chuckle. Ha-hah. Perhaps it was the type of laugh that meant "I've heard that a million times before, but I'm laughing just to humour you." Nevertheless:

Charlene: makes comedians laugh

Sounds cool, if you ignore the fact that it also sounds like they're laughing at me and not at my witty brand of humour.

About five or so minutes later I'm facing a flight of stairs, leaning against a wall and twirling my poster around, waiting for my friends to get out of the bathroom. I look up and see Yon at the top of the stairs, heading towards that room where they weren't performing. He waves. I wave back. And that was about it...
If I could sum up my night in one word and a symbol, I would say:

Tripod ♥

Please also refer to the "Yeeee!" at the top of the post for any subsequent feelings regarding Thursday the 27th.

---

Sydney
I'm just looking at the photos on the camera. We have (to list a few):

Friday, on the bus.
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from a street with some nice, old-looking buildings (The Rocks?)
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from just under Harbour Bridge
- Opera House, as seen from just under Harbour Bridge
- Opera House, as seen from peeping under the safety railings on top of bus
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from Opera House tour bus stop
- Opera House, as seen from Opera House tour bus stop

Saturday, looking around.
- Harbour Bridge, close up of bridge climbers
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from The Rocks
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from plaza (?) near Opera House (day)
- Opera House, as seen from plaza near Opera House
- Opera House, on steps of Opera House
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from Opera House (night)

Sunday, water taxi:
- Harbour Bridge, as seen on the harbour
- Opera House, as seen on the harbour
- Half of Opera House, half of Harbour Bridge
- Opera House (far away), half of Harbour bridge
- Harbour Bridge, as seen from almost underneath Harbour Bridge

August aftermath 1

2009-08-30T20:09:00.002+10:00

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sydney
On Friday (21st), we arrive in Sydney. Mum and I checked into the hotel, then went to George St and bought some lunch.
Did you know Sydney also has mX? I did not, until that Friday.
We took a walk to Darling Harbour (I can't remember where we were trying to go, but it wasn't Darling Harbour). There we bought a 24 hour pass on the red double-decker tour bus that went around the city, and we managed to catch sight of all the tourist destinations that we'd missed the other three times we'd been there... like the Sydney Opera House. Yeah, one of the biggest attractions in Australia and I'd never been that close to it before.
Then more shopping on George St - grocery shopping though.

We looked around Paddy's Market for a bit on Saturday. Then, as the pass was still valid, we jumped on the tour bus again, this time jumping off at some of the stops:

The Rocks, and The Rocks Market. We had lunch/breakfast at an Irish pub near there. And corn.
On the bus between the Rocks and our next destination, Mum and some old man get in an argument, because we were apparently talking too loudly and he couldn't hear the loudspeaker - though he was practically sitting on top of it.
Sorry, I did not like that man. He could have at least tried to be polite instead of screaming at us, which in turn made Mum angry...
But oh well, onto the next part of the tour!

Sydney Opera House! At this point, we realised most of the photos we'd taken were of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge... more on this later. In the next part, I think.
Yes, August was such a cool month that I need to split this blog post in twain, and then use cool words like "twain". Back to Sydney now...
King's Cross. We'd stayed near there before. Just like the last time I was in King's Cross, I buy an ice-cream from the shop across the road from the fountain (it used to be a New Zealand Natural but it's something else now).

And more George St!

Just as a warning, if you're ever on that bus: watch out for trees.
Sitting atop the bus, not paying attention to trees, and suddenly this palm leaf slaps me across the face! And then, while I was looking at Mum (who is in hysterics), it happens again!

And of course Saturday night was the Umbilical Brothers show, Heaven by Storm, at the Sydney Opera House! I had been looking forward to this for months, as shown on this very blog via the occasional post or countdown.
We took some shonky night photos of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, before going inside and buying an Umbilical Brothers shirt.
Second row!

The show: Most excellent awesome brilliant show of comedy! Sorry, I've never been a decent reviewer. I just know what I like.
Shane's wrist was bandaged up - which I probably wouldn't have noticed, what with all the physical stunts and backward somersaults and whatnot, until the people behind me mentioned it. Or at least I don't think I would have noticed until that point in the show when Dave didn't get punched in the face with a bandaged arm (I bet that makes no sense out of context).
So.. hope your wrist heals up quickly, Shane, though it's unlikely that you're reading this but the thought's out there!
Another really out-of-context thing that I want to type down before I forget:

"Which part was Daddy? The toilet? The Flashdance?"
"All of it, because Daddy is a sick, sick bastard."

After the show, Dave and Shane signed the shirt and tickets!
Which was the icing on some sort of brilliant day cake, I think.

Sunday, we went back to Paddy's Market for a bit. Then we took a walk to Darling Harbour to find a harbour cruise for our final day. Instead we found a water taxi - I don't think this is the same thing, because there were a number of uninterested non-touristy looking people.
There was this man standing behind me holding his camera phone out and laughing. "This is gonna be brilliant!" he said to no-one in particular.
I thought he was talking about the water taxi, but no, he was talking about the man who just decided to jump in the harbour and swim to the other side... he made it but the harbour patrollers (or whoever) tried to get him to turn around.

On the boat, even more photos of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House!
May I just say, coolest water taxi driver ever.

Finally, a quick loop around the monorail before heading back to the hotel.

Monday, 5am. Phone alarm goes off. The room spins a bit as I wake up.
I've got class in five hours - back in Melbourne.
Taxi picks us up at 6, to get us to the airport for 6.30 check-in. Flight was supposed to be at 7 but it was about 10 minutes late.
Reach Melbourne airport at about 8.40, baggage and taxi by about 8.50.
Not the coolest taxi driver ever.
Get home at about 9.15 and leave for uni at about 9.30.
I was a few minutes early to class, surprisingly.

And that ends the Sydney portion of this blog!
Next up: Melbourne!

Notes 'n' things

2009-08-21T01:51:00.001+10:00

Haven't posted anything this month yet - I hate it when I do that.
So here's some stuff. Thoughts from my head. Head bubbles, if you will.

---

On the 10th of August 2009, I had written the following in my diary:
- a list of animals
- chips & sauce?
- veal, not deer...
- go, team seagull!
- thursday pencil (which was actually written in pencil)

This is what I think I meant:
- One dog, one seagull (x2): a list of animals that I saw defecate today. At least I thought it was the same seagull. Poor bird.

- I'd just finished eating my McDonald's chips when I saw some packets of tomato sauce in the bottom of the bag! Woohoo, unintentional free stuff!

- I just wanted to type this to remind myself that veal is not deer. Venison is deer. Veal is baby cow.

- I was sitting near Queen Vic market eating my chips (see above) and a few seagulls were hanging around, nothing unusual.
What I did find strange were the two seagulls that seemed to be working as a team. One of them would chase the other seagulls away, while the second bird would... shout words of encouragement from the sidelines? That's what it looked like to me.
My guess is that they were married. Bird-married.

- On Thursday the pencil I was using fell into the row in front, and I couldn't reach it. When I looked up about 10 minutes later, the guy in front of me was using it. I think he kept it.
That just struck me as weird at the time, probably why I wrote it down.
Luckily I have an endless supply of pencils from overbuying at the Officeworks back-to-school sale.

18th August 2009
Man's shirt: You just wasted five seconds.
Me (thinking): Ha! I was speed-reading! I wasted less time than that, you stupid shirt!

21 August 2009 (technically...)
Flight to Sydney: 9 hours to go!
Heaven by Storm: 41 hours to go!
Pod August Night 2009: 6 days to go!

August used to be such an uninteresting month...
I bet August 2009 is going to be the best month of the year!

♥ Hooray for comedy! ♥

We twit, we tweet.

2009-07-25T22:50:00.004+10:00

We twit! We tweet! We twit, we twote, we twy! And now I've got that song from The Sound of Music stuck in my head... (116)

I always thought it was "We flit, we float. We flit, we float, we fly," but it's actually "I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly." (131)

I had the right amount of syllables but the wrong number of people. Ah well. (76)

For some reason I feel compelled to write short sentences and then count the number of characters. Will I deem myself Twitter-worthy? (133)

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I saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last Saturday. While Dumbledore's writhing in agony from the bad water, I thought I heard someone in the theatre laugh. Seemed a bit sadistic at the time. (199)

---

I thought I saw a swan in the shopping centre today - it was just a little girl dressed in black lying on the floor with her arm in the air. Her hand was the beak. (163)

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There's a Tripod song with the word bain-marie in it. I wasn't sure how to spell it at first, but now it's popping up everywhere. I've seen it twice this fortnight. Weird. (171)

Why is it that something you only just noticed seems to pop up everywhere? Is it because you're more fully attuned to it, or because it's fresh in your short-term memory? (170)

Why, Essgee, do you make your G&S plays so cool? Biding my time, I'll see one eventually. In the meantime, I've been enjoying reading The Savoy Operas. (151)

Kingdom of Paramithi opening theme = 'The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring'! It's so cool that I recognised it! I saw the ad this morning, in case you're wondering... (167)

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Project Tweet completed.
Results conclusive: Not yet Twitter-worthy.

I was going okay at first, but I kept going over that 140 character limit. I can see where I could have shortened things though, e.g. HP6 instead of the whole title.

It's an interesting experiment in editing, I guess. Taking out the unnecessary to get a concise message across.
I am a rambler, however, and this is why I'm not yet a twit... or (more likely) a twitterer? Twitterist? Tweetarian?
Microblogger. I am not a microblogger...

I'm a macroblogger! Or maybe the term is megablogger?
Mega-giga-tera-blogger!

Urban Dictionary meme

2009-07-10T23:54:00.002+10:00

I've seen another Urban Dictionary meme where you answer a series of questions. Maybe later.

The meme: Type your name in the search bar at Urban Dictionary and see what definitions come up.

Charlene:

1. A person that is absolutely magnificent in every aspect a human being can be. Someone that is an excellent friend and a fantastic lover. Someone that is trustworthy and honest. Attractive and absolutely gorgeous. Charlene is a person that is unselfish and understanding. Someone that may get lost in the darkness, but once in the light can make a person grin until their cheeks ache. Charlene is someone that has the ability to soothe and calm a person in distress. Someone that deserves everything she desires without second thoughts. She deserves the best of the best and nothing less.

Charlene is a unique name for an incredibly special person. Someone that cannot be found anywhere else and no one can mimic. Charlene is the one and only.

I love her for she is Charlene.

2. Replaces the traditional slang word for cocaine charly, charley and more commonly ching. The feminine term gives it a more affectionate edge when referring to cocaine and can also be used discreetly during telephone conversations; Is charlene going to the party tonight? is one way of communicating whether the person you are talking to will have cocaine.

got any charlene?, is charlene going to the party?

3. A cold sore around the oral area caused by herpes type 1 or type 2.

When someone is looking at you and you have a Charlene, all they see is Charlene.

---

I remember seeing some different ones a while ago. None of them were as beautiful as Definition 1, though.
It seems pretty impossible to have a definition better than Number 1. Maybe equal, but never better.

Bits of June and July

2009-07-10T22:36:00.012+10:00

I thought I would cut down on the DVD buying after I ran out of birthday money... Nope!
What can I say? I just like to laugh. Also I received a voucher in the mail after doing some surveys.
So bring on the comedy!

Grouped in chronological order, we have:

Adam Hills - Live in the Suburbs
Tripod - Fegh Maha (CD)
30 Rock - Season 1
Comedy Box (CD x 3):
- Lano and Woodley - Sing Songs
- Tripod - Middleborough Rd
- Dave Hughes - Whatever
30 Rock - Season 2

And today there was:

The Mighty Boosh - Season 3
Whose Line Is It Anyway? - Season 1

...making it a grand total of 21 comedy DVDs and 4 comedy CDs in the past four months...
I have almost finished my 30 Rock marathon! Whatever shall be next?

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Song of the Moment: Naughty - Lano and Woodley:

I steal the mini soap, yeeeeeaaah!
Mini soap! Yeah!

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Nuts. Got my results back today, failed one subject. On the plus side, I passed the rest!
However, when (positivity!) I pass all of next semester I will still have to return to uni next year just to do that one subject, and that is really annoying. Just have to deal with that when it happens, I suppose.

~~Unless I fail again...~~ Optimism! Positivity!

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Heaven by Storm: 43 days to go!

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For the past few days I've been trying to wolf whistle.
Whistling status: I can occasionally make a whistle but only when I breathe in. I don't think that's how it's supposed to work...

You just don't lick furniture...

2009-06-08T13:50:00.001+10:00

A few minutes after I woke up this ~~morning~~ afternoon, I heard the following:

"It is salty!"

I was fully awake in an instant. "You licked the lamp!" I yelled out, and then I had the giggles for about five minutes.

This has made my day!

Rock crystal salt lamp.

2009-06-07T19:53:00.004+10:00

I told Mum I'd thought about licking the lamp to see if it was salty, so all day long Mum and I have been making jokes about it. Mum's been yelling, "Don't you dare lick my lamp!" and I've been making all these slurping noises near it and pretending to lick it.
Pretending. Because it's a lamp. You just don't lick furniture.

---

Must digress a moment.

There are two smoke alarms near the kitchen.
The first one is an old, weak chipmunk. It makes these annoying, high-pitched noises every time we open the oven. Not really the alarm we rely upon in case of danger. Not any more.
Back in its prime, No. 1 used to be just as loud as any of those other newfangled smoke alarms you get nowadays. But now... not so much.
It would probably be in retirement if we could get it off the ceiling.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, we change the batteries in it all the time. It's just really old.

Now when the second alarm goes off, just behind it, that's when you know there is some serious smoke in your house. If there's a fire, No. 2 is the one to wake you up and warn you.
I'm sure No. 1 will be going off as well, it's just that we won't be able to hear it over the booming voice of Smoke Alarm Number Two.
SANT for short. Or maybe SAN2.0? Santoo?

---

Back to the lamp now.

We just had dinner, and Mum says, "Did you notice how the kitchen was all smoky before but the alarm didn't go off?" Smoke alarm 1, Mum means.
And yes, now that I think about it, it didn't go off.
"That's because of The Lamp," Mum says. The lamp's in the kitchen by the way, if you didn't know.
Which you don't, obviously. But now you do!

I heard it from Mum, who heard it from the guy who sold it to her, but apparently this lamp has magical healing powers.
And, as we have recently discovered, it also attracts and purifies smoke before releasing it into the atmosphere in the form of harmonious energy.
Or however it's supposed to work. I'm not a lamp expert.

After dinner, I get permission to touch The Lamp. Not that I asked to or anything, but why squander an opportunity?
So I go off and touch the lamp. Or to be a bit less bland with words:

I placed both of my palms on the surface of the crystal and felt the warmth emitted by the light bulb, located somewhere within its many-faceted depths.

Feels a lot like a rock, as rock crystal salt lamps are apt to do.

Then I had one of those stupid thoughts. And licked my hand.
My hand. Because you just don't lick furniture.

Holy crap, the lamp is salty!

Crash! Bam! Little bit of random in your face!

2009-06-07T17:20:00.002+10:00

Song of the Moment: My Humanity - Tripod.
Of course it's going to be comedy DVD related, duh.

I would so put that on my iPod if I knew how.
Come on, Tripod, release that song on an album so I can download it from iTunes! Or I could just buy the album. Whatever.
Tripod on my iPod, ha ha, rhyme!

Also, le gasp! Song of the Moment! I haven't done one of those in six months!
I could add a tag for it! My tag list is looking quite short and sad at the moment...

---

Mum went to the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival yesterday and came back with this lamp made of rock crystal salt or something.
And I've been having this weird urge to lick the lamp, just to see if it tastes like salt.

Campanology

2009-06-07T17:04:00.003+10:00

I was fast asleep on the couch after having a really good time the night before. Doing what? I don't know.
I woke up to find Noel Fielding standing in front of me. He'd made this "thing" - it looked a bit like two shoelaces tied to a CD - which he then proceeded to shake. It made some sound, and Noel realised he'd made a makeshift bell.
I thought that I might try and get a job as a bellmaker. After all, they appear to use physics.

That was a dream, by the way. In case you hadn't figured that out. Yes, Noel Fielding flew all the way from England just to wake me up. I am so special...
Adam Hills and Tripod DVD references also made a cameo appearance in the part of the dream I didn't type.

Ahhhh! The comedy DVDs are infiltrating my braaaaaain!

---

Campanology - the study of bells.
I don't know how I know that word but I've been itching to use it. Because I don't talk about bells that often, you know.

Nobody cares about your comedy DVDs except you, Charlene

2009-06-04T19:35:00.002+10:00

I think I spent the remains of the birthday cash on Black Books (Seasons 1 - 3) at some point last month.
With regular money yesterday, I bought:

Adam Hills - Characterful and Joymonger
Tripod - Pod August Night

Sixteen DVDs in almost three months. Go me!

Quick post -

2009-05-27T15:31:00.005+10:00

This was from two posts ago:

Umbilical Brothers = absolutely hilarious... and I must see them live now.

And now I am! Yeeeee!

Wow.

2009-04-30T23:54:00.002+10:00

Wow.
That man was the nicest, cutest guy to ever almost run me over on the footpath with an out-of-control Vespa.
And then the poor guy nearly hits a pole, knocking over one of those shop advertising signs in the process. To me, it seemed the shopkeepers were more worried about the sign. Gah!
Actually, I don't know if he was nice. He asked me if I was okay, even though he'd hit that pole, so that was technically a nice thing to do.
As he tried to tame the vicious Vespa beast (getting late, have tendency to type odd things), I asked him if he was okay. He was.

Then I went and bought some shoes. I was 15 minutes late for class.
The end.

---

Hey, first ever post typed at uni! Just thought I should let everyone know!

Procrastination and ponderation

2009-04-27T13:45:00.008+10:00

I've got a mid-semester test tomorrow that I should really study for, but I'm not in the right mindset yet... so blogging time!

DVDs:
Arj Barker - Balls
Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (2007 - 2008)
The Umbilical Brothers - Don't Explain

More DVDs? Exactly how much money did you get for your birthday, Charlene?
Uh, some of it was Christmas money too... and plus, stand-up comedy DVDs are pretty cheap for some reason.
Umbilical Brothers = absolutely hilarious (und ze clap! Und ze shimmy...) and I must see them live now.

---

I was browsing the fantasy/sci-fi shelves of Borders (as I usually do) for something new to read. What caught my eye that day? The Ingenious Edgar Jones by Elizabeth Garner, probably because I was thinking about Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell again.

Now that I've read it and had a couple of weeks to think about it, I still can't work out how it classifies as a fantasy novel. Without spoiling too much, the only fantasy elements I could see were the ending and possibly the beginning (unusual boy heralded into existence with a meteor shower). The rest of the book? Not so much.

I'd say that it was closer to Girl With A Pearl Earring - that type of "background character plays a small but meaningful part in a moment of history" book. Of course, Girl With A Pearl Earring didn't have such a fantastical ending and so isn't found in the Fantasy section...

How fine is the line between what is classified as fantasy/science fiction and general fiction?

I don't mean sword-swinging, magical wizards and such. We all know that's nowhere near the line...
I mean something like The Time Traveler's Wife, for example. Mainly general fiction but with elements of sci-fi e.g. the time travelling.Where would you put that in your bookshop?

Okay, I know The Ingenious Edgar Jones was probably shelved wrong. I was just thinking about it, that's all.

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Enough blogging now. Study time, yay.

It's that book meme again...

2009-04-01T12:45:00.000+11:00

I was just looking through my posts and I came across this.

I believe I didn't choose Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell as the closest book because I had just written a post about it and the bookshelf was, at the time, an equal distance away from the computer.

But now I'm curious.
What are the next three sentences on page 123, disregarding the first five sentences on the page?

He looked at Sir Walter rather wistfully. "Would your friend know of such a spell, Sir Walter, do you think?"
Sir Walter did not know but he said he would ask Mr Norrell.
-- Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke

At least, I think it's those three. There's a lot of semicolons on the page and I may have missed something...

More DVDs!

2009-04-01T00:34:00.003+11:00

More birthday money was spent on the following DVDs:

The IT Crowd - Season 2
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Collection (6 Disc)

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I bought The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya today. It's the first anime series that I've ever bought! It seemed a bit expensive, but hey, that's what birthday money is for: to spend on stuff that you can't afford otherwise. And plus, I really liked the series.

The collection has both chronological and broadcast order (fancy) plus special features that I haven't looked at yet.

I don't understand why the girls are each holding a lemon on the box. Did I miss something?

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Speaking of melancholy, my counter told me that someone had searched for digital melancholy on Google and had come across this page on the results list. And then I discovered that if you're Feeling Lucky and type digital melancholy, you'll arrive here!

I'm at the top of the list!

Charlene: currently World #1 in digital melancholy.

Now I feel like my blog posts should sound sadder so I can live up to the melancholic standard that Google has suddenly set upon me... sigh.

01189998819991197253

2009-03-25T00:33:00.002+11:00

Bleh, haven't posted anything in nearly a month. I hate it when I do that... and I never even got to the point of my last post. Oh well, maybe one day...

It was my birthday last week! Didn't do much. I received DVDs and money, some of which was spent on more DVDs. All comedy. Here's the list:

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TV Comedy
Scrubs - Season 5
Scrubs - Season 6
The IT Crowd - Season 1

Stand-up Comedy
Carl Barron
Lenny Henry - So Much Things to Say
Ross Noble - Randomist
The Mighty Boosh Live
The Umbilical Brothers - Speedmouse

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Aha! Now that you've seen my list of birthday DVDs, that number in the title makes complete sense! And if it doesn't, you should watch this.

Excuse me while I have a slight fangirl moment.

2009-02-28T03:10:00.000+11:00

Let me tell you a tale. A tale whose beginning spans back to many a year ago when I did not own a Playstation 2.

In the beginning, I saw a commercial for a game. After it had finished I said something along the lines of: "Holy crap, I need a PS2!"
Several years later, I finally got my PS2. And then one day, I saw the game. It had been a while since I'd seen the ad, and since then it had gone platinum.
I bought the hell out of that game.

And that game was called Kingdom Hearts!

The animation at the beginning blew me away. The cutscenes! The characters! The story... was a bit confusing, but I still loved the game anyway.
I even bought the sequels, and I am a bit annoyed that not all of the subsequent sequels will be available on consoles I currently own (That means you, Birth by Sleep!)

Then came Christmas 2008 (mentioned briefly here).
We'd set up a TV and the PS2 so all the kids would have something to do... towards the end of the night I was trying to convince the kids I knew how to pass a certain level of The Simpsons game - after all, I'd already clocked it.
Gah, boys are stubborn! But I digress.

I'm packing things up a few days later and I happen to see the state of a certain game. One of the kids didn't put it away; it's covered in dried-up cordial and there's a huge crack in the middle. I am not happy.
I've currently put a ban on kids playing my games - still in effect because we haven't really had any kids over since Christmas...

I decided to buy a replacement Kingdom Hearts. The problem was it's an old game and was hard to find. I finally bought a secondhand copy for $30 in EB Games.
I've been playing it again and I realise why I love the Kingdom Hearts series in the first place.

"No frowning. No sad face. Okay?
This boat runs on happy faces!"

I love it when Donald says that. It's so cute! Actually, I like that entire cutscene. And there's a Wonderland cutscene that I like too. I should look for them on Youtube...

But not right now, it's getting late.
And I'm not sure if I even got to the point of this post...

More on scones

2009-02-27T17:54:00.003+11:00

Dear Television,

Please stop making scones. The scones I made on Tuesday are looking terrible in comparison.

Thank you
Charlene

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I made my scones on Tuesday.

Tuesday night: We're eating my delicious scones with cream and jam. Aussie Ladette to Lady just so happened to be on, and what are they making for morning tea? Scones.

Today, about an hour ago: One of those afternoon shows for children is on, and what is one of the hosts making? Scones.
And she's using the same ingredients that I did.
And she used a scone cutter.
And her "These are what I prepared earlier" scones don't look like bread rolls.

Television is trying to show me up. You stop that right now, television!

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Must... stop... writing posts... about food.

At least all these food posts are giving me a good excuse to try Blogger's tag thing that I keep ignoring.

Scones!

2009-02-27T01:21:00.001+11:00

I made some scones! Check 'em out!

Psst! My secret ingredient is following the recipe!
Can't cook without one!
Well, I can't yet...

I got the recipe from the 4 Ingredients cookbook. Ingredients were self-raising flour, cream and lemonade.

Nine courses of evolution

2009-02-16T17:19:00.002+11:00

To celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, Melbourne Museum held a nine-course dinner where each course represented a point in the evolution of life on earth.

It started with arancini to represent a lifeless earth.
The dinner evolved to oceans forming on the earth, then life in the oceans, and then life crawling onto land.
The sixth course was dinosaurs. As the dinosaurs are too extinct to eat, they were substituted with chicken drumsticks and quail eggs.
Mammals and the plant kingdom were then eaten.
The ninth and final course was a chocolate fountain with dinosaur-shaped fruit and other bits to dip in - to represent the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs!

And at the end of the celebrations, Darwin's great-great-grandson cut a cake shaped like a tortoise.

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I've been fascinated by this ever since I read it in the paper on Thursday (which was also the date of the dinner). The idea of telling a story through food is just so cool!
Here's another article I found, in case you care...

One year!

2009-02-05T23:00:00.002+11:00

The Random Typings of Charlene has been around for one full year! Hooray, obligatory celebration post!

70 posts of complete nothing! Yeah!

That's all I really wanted to say...

Guess what? It's hot.

2009-01-28T18:19:00.000+11:00

The Windows Vista weather gadget says the temperature is currently:

That's in Celsius, by the way. For those who like Fahrenheit:

And that little sun in the background means the weather is hot. Who'd have thought?

And according to this website, the following is the temperature for the next week: It's apparently going to be Very Hot.

Summer's finally here. Yay.

Dance Dance like you've never Dance Danced before!

2009-01-19T18:51:00.002+11:00

A few years ago I got a dance mat for my PS2. Unfortunately I couldn't use it very often because I didn't own a dance game.
Despite not owning a dance game, I have used it a few times: I borrowed my cousin's dance game a few times, and once I tried to play Spyro.
Note: when playing Spyro, use a handheld controller. It will make things easier, trust me.

But now we finally have a game of our own!

Dance Factory generates moves so you can dance to your own CDs. It works out pretty well, except in a couple of instances where the timing was a bit off.
Another bit of weirdness was the hold-those-two-arrows-for-longer-than-usual-and-then-do-nothing-for-about-ten-seconds move that I've only found on one song in one mode of difficulty: Dare by Gorillaz on Normal mode, in case you're wondering.
With regards to my level of expertise, I'd say I was pretty good on Normal. I do struggle on Pro but it depends on the song. I must work my DDR reflexes for a while yet before I feel fully confident on Pro mode.

I also borrowed my cousin's game again for a bit. He has Dancing Stage Megamix, which, according to Wiki, is officially part of the Dance Dance Revolution family.
I'm good at Normal and a few Difficult dance moves. Again, it depends on the song.

I must digress now.

I Googled "officially" because it just didn't look right (it was) and the first page that comes up is about elf sex in Lord of the Rings! It's actually pretty informative. It even cites references!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:22:00.002+11:00

Just wanted to quickly type the first post for 2009!

Inaugural post for the year, yeah!