Sea Green

Ephemera etc.

Friday, April 15, 2005

I am sitting here at my local video store nibbling peanuts (balsamic vinegar flavoured!) out of the palm of my hand like some epicurian horse, tip tappy typing away like an absolute nerd - after all it's Friday night and who sits at their video store doing their emails? me, as it turns out. I am wearing my new Springwood op shop cardi, where I snuck a little bit of winter wardrobe rejuvenation shopping in after my dentist apointment yesterday before returning to work. You are (not) looking at the girl who just got herself a brand new winter wardrobe for $43!! Yes, princes and princeses, I bought: 1 cardigan (beige, cotton, zip up), 1 polo (black, sleeveless, saucy), 1 red cordurouy casual skirt suit (said syoot, K n K style) (I'm serious - think red riding hood themed flip skirt with funky matching jacket), 1 grey pant (nice brand, funky flat front and cute pocket zips), 1 v funky zip up jacket in some kind of bunny colour (cord family, also funky zips, almost new) and one pair of brand name almost new patent leather funky toed work shoes that actualy fit. Bonanza. Oh and a crocheted white sarf circa 1960's with silver fleck. Reuse has never been so funky yet good value. Must say though, the op shop in question is not somewhere to go to learn parenting skills. I would elaborate but it would just make me sound (even more?) bitchy and out of touch with Aussie battler parents. And who am I to critique right? I wasn't even responsible enough to be a cat mum and gave mine up for adoption! Sheesh.

No other news to report (why would there be? As previously disclosed I'm at a video shop internet cafe on a Friday night). Just bought some vegies at [insert name of local chain supermarket here] and had the strange experience of the chat with the checkout dude.
Him: "That's a strange looking eggplant"
Me: "But hopefuly still tasty!...." (said way too chipper(ly) as if defending the eggplant, then with awkward pause as I realise that i sound a bit stepford wivesy)
Him: "So what are you doing for the rest of the wekend?"
Me: "Oh you know, finishing a job application and then studying - doing an essay" (ho ho - now the whole queue knows I'm a complete social-life less dag, weehee)
Him: "That sounds like my idea of hell"
Me: " " (um, no really, say what you really think)
Him: "Well I hope it goes quickly for you"
Me: " " (Look mate, the eggplant and I don't need your sympathy!!)

Aaaah. Breathe in that crsip dark mountain air. Off home now to console the dog about her having spent the last few hours at home alone. (See there's always someone worse off!) Oh, and watch my vid. Finaly got Shaun of the Glenn - yah. Will let you know how it is. BTW has anyone got the christmas special of The Office? My flatties and I keen to watch and can't find it anywhere and too stingy to buy.

NB Balsamic peanuts are nice but result in sore lips and hot flushes - is it possible to be too vinegary?

Monday, April 11, 2005

rainy day in the mountains. Left work early because I couldn't pretend that I was doing anything useful anymore.
Post weekend I have a few general observations to share

newsflash - straight boys in gay bars who try to pick up girls are all gross and barking up the wrong tree. Sorry paul the turf manager whose business card I promptly lost from whence it was tucked in the intimate depths of my atire, it is probably now vodka soaked and trampled and stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe as it deserves to be.

if you ask queeny little hairdressers from brisbane to give you hair advice in Taylors Square at some hour of the morning that people wake up and go jogging at then you deserve whatever you get. As in 'well first I'd wash it'. Oh fuck off, it's product, it's meant to look like that. Truly.

blind dates are not actually dates where you turn up blind drunk, apparently. Not that I did, I was just so hungover I couldn't speak or eat until late in the afternoon. Nice look. Classy.

blind dates that stay the night on the sofa bed because it's a long way back to anywhere - a good idea? Not a good idea? Jury is still out. All the goodness of being seen with bed hair on your way to the bathroom in your 'it's too cold for anything but flanies' saucy ensemble, without any of the warm inner glow of having shagged like bunnies all night. Worst of both worlds? Was that too much information?

friends who come out to the scary eastern suburbs to catch up / donate their sofa beds (miss friday night and mr saturday night) - worth their weight in golden chardonnay. Thanks guys, nice to see you all. Stay tuned for winter magic plans - I've looked into that stall....

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

my date with data
No not the uptight one from Startrek, the actual real deal. Tonight - me, my desk, crap, randomly selected data sets to trawl through and make some strange meaning out of. Yes we have bar charts, but what is the actual point, what is actually happening?? So - wanting to be solutions focused (natch), I have come up with a few new sets of trend data for my report: the number of times I've had to go get tea (on average, per hour) just so I wont scream with frustration at the sheer annoying pointlessness of the plodding lumpish text that I have to play with, the number of times I've longingly thought about the moment it will be finished (as a function of the total number of thoughts I've had, with natural seasonal/ temporal variation factored in), the volume of stern words I will hurl at any staff member I can corner about the intracacies of my frustrations with the process and context of my reporting project (ml/second). And so on.

On a high note - I am currently wearing my black thermal long johns under my sensible workpants. You may know these particular long johns from such outfits as last nights pj ensemble. Mmm cosy and vaguely subversive feeling.