Where the Grass is Greener

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    29 January 2007

    Alfalfa Head

    In other, less distressing news (see teeth difficulties below) I have started growing an alfalfa head at work.

    This is going to be our term 1 activity at work, so we've been making a few demo ones to make sure they work and so the kiddies can know what to expect.

    Mine is a little sexy nerd alfalfa head. He is sporting sexy nerd glasses and I've even made him a sexy nerd pink plastic tie (he is sporting the school boy knot at the moment cos its the only one I know how to tie).

    I'm very excited about my little nerd growing hair, although looking at the hessian, I think some will be sprouting between his eyes, so he may be a mono-brow alfalfa head (which is OK by me, it all adds to the effect).

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      Yokel Miff

      Today I managed to break a cap off my tooth by biting a nectarine seed. Obviously this was not done on purpose.

      This war wound is about 20 years old now - I chipped it by banging my bottom jaw on my brother's head when I was six. It is the second time the cap has come off - first was biting into a chewy lolly I got in a show bag when my grandparents took me to the Melbourne show about 15 years ago.

      Not the most flattering pic of me, but I wanted you all to see how terrible I look! I want sympathy! Husband had a hard time giving me much initially as he is very sensitive about teeth and was a little grossed out at the thought of broken teeth. He was much better by the time I picked him up from work, but doesn't want to see the chip (which I found in my nectarine afterwards).

      I've thought about putting it under my pillow and seeing what the tooth fairy brings me. I've also offered to send it to my mum to keep in her Miff Memorabilia collection (which I'm sure she has been religiously adding to over the years, however unlikely that may seem) but she turned me down for some reason. I think it brought back bad memories for her when she knocked out her teeth diving into a pool. Is that right maman? And does the Miff Memorabilia collection really exist? I know you probably can't work out the whole commenting thing, so I'll only cry a little bit when you don't answer.

      I'm convinced I look like a yokel when I smile. I'm fitting in nicely with the Preston Safeway crowd, but this isn't really very comforting. Husband assures me I don't look terrible but it feels so weird! He managed to get past his personal teeth fears and even touched the sharp edge (at my insistence, cruel, I know).

      Luckily I was presenting in the Planetarium today, where it is always nice and dark, so I didn't have to talk with my top lip covering my teeth.

      I can't get an appointment at the dentist until next Tuesday so will have a whole week of feeling paranoid about looking like a bumpkin with a broken tooth. Bloody Summer fruits.

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        25 January 2007

        Towerblaster

        Just another little game to while the day away... Towerblaster

        Now I don't want anyone to think that I'm wasting my morning - I'm just putting off doing anything too much until after morning coffee at 10.30am.

        Only 20mins to go...

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          Knit Pro

          Yay! A way to turn your favourite pics into knitting patterns! So clever! So cute! So Knit Pro!

          I think its better for needle point/cross stitch stuff, but still - how fun!!

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            Two day working week

            Due to my bizarre rotating roster, this week is my two day week at work. I worked seven days straight last week, had Monday and Tuesday off, am working Wednesday and Thursday, have Friday and Saturday off, then back to work on Sunday for a six day week.

            This is the week in which one is able to get absolutely no productivity happening. Being school holidays, I spent yesterday on the floor, setting up solar telescopes, presenting rocket shows and running activities. So a big fat ZERO in terms of actual work done.

            Today I'm presenting in the Planetarium, but only for an hour in the middle of the day. This will make it challenging to start or complete anything much today.

            Not that I'm complaining... I do like having a short week, but I feel a little bit like what's the point in coming cos I don't get anything done!

            Hmm, I think I will spend the day writing the show for Autumn holidays which will be about Foley Art in the movies. Have downloaded a 1940s Superman cartoon form a site with lots of movies and cartoons which are out of copyright, which I plan to write the show about, getting kids out of the audience to make the sound effects.

            Although I could have a no brainer and collate some stats.

            Oh, decisions, decisions.

            Looking forward to Sherdie arriving tonight - yay!!!

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              15 January 2007

              New car and no sleep

              I'm the kind of girl who needs her eight hours sleep every night to function properly the next day. Last night I managed a grand total of five hours. So few hours I could count them on one hand. So not surprisingly I'm feeling a bit shit this morning. And I'm on the floor at work today running the programs and presenting rocket shows. Gah.

              I'm hoping I don't get a migraine out of this, but then you never know your luck. Especially seeing as I bought some more migraine drugs on the weekend to keep at work , which I promptly left at home.

              On the plus side, I had a lovely drive to work in our new little car, who is still nameless, cruising along in the 'big boys lane' (remember that Lan?) all the way here. So smooth, so speedy, so cute!

              So here are some piccies:

              She (yes, it's a girl) is a lovely gold colour with crazy yellow and black trimmings inside. It is in great nick for an eight year old car.

              There are soooo many Golfs on the road - I'd never really noticed before.

              Is there some rule about waving to people who have the same car as you? All the VW Bug owners I've known always wave to other Bugs, should I be waving at Golf drivers?

              Anyways, I'm looking forward to driving home. Already. At 8:58am.

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                09 January 2007

                Goodbye to Pinkie

                I don't, as a general rule, tend to make new years resolutions. Like most people I have a great track record of not bothering to do anything about them once I've decided what they are. Admittedly once I did type them up and save the word doc onto my desktop, placed it right in the middle of the screen and named it 'Evil Reminder' in an attempt to guilt myself. Didn't work, although not surprises there.

                This year I haven't officially admitted any, but thinking about it I suppose I have made a couple.
                I'm only going to admit one because I've actually carried through on it - buying a new car.

                Recently I took my car 'Pinkie' (after Pinkie & the Brain) to get her wheels re-aligned. The nice mechanic told me this was the 'least of my worries' and that I need to get myself off to Pedders quick sticks. He didn't even charge me for whatever he did to make it drive straighter (although the wheel is sitting at a permanent angle now). I already knew that Pinkie was in need of a new drive shaft, but new suspension was beginning to sound expensive. And once she was being properly checked out I just knew that costs were going to go up, and up, and up.

                I made the mistake of telling my mum, who has since been having nightmares of me braking down on the highway on the way to work.

                I've had Pinkie since 1999 - a pretty god run. She stilll drives nice and fast!

                So, long story a little bit shorter, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new car. Last weekend husband and I wandered down to the local car dealer to check out the VW Golf's that I have been driving past every day. I didn't really think we'd be buying a car that day, but we did!

                (Finance pending) I am now the proud owner of a gold 98 Golf! huzzah! It has A/C! It has a CD player! It has air bags! It has cute yellow and black trimmings inside! The drivers seat goes up and down for any short arses who need to drive my car! Too much excitemeent adn exclamaiton marks!!! Technology has certainly come along since Pinkie's day (1989). Just waiting to get the loan approved, so fingers and toes are all crossed...

                Most importantly is the name for my new little baby - I'm thinking 'Caddie' as in Golf Caddie, but am open to suggestions. I may need to drive around in her a bit before I can officially name her (its definitely a girl, she's so spunky).

                The dirivng will take a bit of getting used to as the indicators and wipers are swapped around. I get the feeling I'll be doing a lot of changing lanes using my wipers. Also the who 'wheels aligned' thing will be nice.

                Guilt is starting to creep in about Pinkie though. I haven't really broken the news to her yet, and when I filled her up yesterday I only put in $25 worth as I'm not sure how long it will be before Caddie is on the scene. Pinkie will probably be going straight to the wreckers (it'll cost more to fix her than she's worth) - I feel like I'm sending a horse to the glue factory.

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                  05 January 2007

                  Microbes can be your friends

                  I'm sitting here at my desk, earlier than expected because every other lucky bastard is still on hollidays so ther's no one on the roads. Ordinarily the 45mins leading up to 9am would be quite lonely, but today I have four very special friends with me: Halitosis, Mono, Flesh Eating Disease and Head Lice.

                  Yes, Melbourne has been treating me well...

                  Actually these four little guys were part of my farewell gift from Questacon when I left Canberra, and I thought what better place to have them then at my new (much more fun) job to keep me company on early mornings! They are 1,000,000 times the size of the real microbes (well, except the head lice, cos that would be totally scary) and are so soft and squishy!

                  I'm not sure which shops stock these little guys other than at Questy, but you can order them through a lovely company from the States called Educational Innovations which have the best sciencey toys. Delivery is only a few weeks, just don't spend over $300 in one order or it gets caught up at customs.