Time for a catch up and a Mars landing

Have had a really really really (or 'tellement' as the French would say) busy few weeks. I've been completely exhausted for the last week and a half, leading to dry eyes and bed times of 8.30pm.


Have finally got a day off, and being a weekday have got it all to myself. Bring on the multiple cups of tea, the knitting and Phryne audio books.


Relaxing as I'm planning my day to be, I've also got a dentist appointment this arvo to get a couple of little fillings - oh the shame!

So, what's news? Well, mos tof it isn't news any more. Niina has joined the smug marrieds club (well, is engaged). A most pleasant engagement party followed closely on the proposal. I must admit I'm a little bit glad the trays of Tall Blonde vodka weren't going around or I wouldn't have been feeling quite so chirpy the next day! Not that I was feeling all that chirpy - late night, singalongs and a ride home from perhaps one of the scariest PE teachers I know was followed by a day of sloth as husband and I watched DVDs all day.

I've been to Brisvegas and back for work (lets not talk about how much I'm NOT loving engineers right now) and I think that really tired me out last week, so didn't really recover enough for my seven days straight that has just passed.

The L word has recently blossomed for a deliciously lovely friend for whom I am extremely happy.

Am thinking of Fitzie-girl who is scheduled for a c-section this week. Wishing I could be back home to be there.

There have been murmurings of a ten year high school reunion - facebook turns up so many random things doesn't it? I'm looking forward to it as it means an excuse to visit home.

Cher maman is working hard to finish her thesis before trundling off to Canadia avec papa et petite soeur - all I can say is you had better be delivering all my lovely presents in person! Bon chance with the thesis maman - you always wanted to be the world's leading expert in something, and you are so very very close now! Just think of all the lovely papers you'll be able to publish over the next year and the book you'll be co-authoring - you are so very clever.

Husband's birthday was a week ago. I was sooo excited about giving him his pressie - a lovely official Luke Skywalker light saber - so I gave it to him two days early. It went down very well! Although he isn't really all that keen on sharing his toy... (^_^) We had dinner with BB and HP at Jim's Greek Tavern, and I left feeling full but not physically ill as I did last time.

Here is a little video of the man himself wielding said pressie. It has motion sensors so makes all the right noises when you swish it around and hit things.

Cooper and BB have been joining us on our morning walks with HP, so it is doggie central down here at the moment. Buster had a little doggie seizure resulting in a trip to the emergency vet at Essendon (all is fine now), and Beans had a swollen eye, so a pleasantly expensive vet week. Ah me. Who can afford to buy a house when you have dogs?

Have been house hunting on the net, but not been to any inspections as things have been slightly out of control. Finding it quite depressing knowing what I can and can't afford, and looking at the pretty pictures of houses I can't have.

I've got my three month review coming up for Big Brothers Big Sisters, I'm recruiting new staff, I've got a stint of higher duties coming up at work, and had a weird weekend at work which reminded me of how much I dislike people sometimes. Work-wise I'm also a bit panicky about how busy I am going to be over the next few months. I had a look at my calendar, and I won't be freed up until October. I'm hopign to take some time off then as I really need a break.

Some actual news today, Phoenix landed on Mars this morning - hurrah! I'm excited about Phoenix - one of the problems working in a Planetarium I suppose. I spent the weekend telling visitors how exciting and important the whole thing is, so I guess that has made me interested too! So sucked in to you, here's what I know about it:

The Phoenix mission is different to the Mar Rover expeditions which explored the surface of Mars, sampling different rocks (they were ‘scratch and sniff’ missions according to NASA). The Phoenix mission is more specific and is closely related to water. Mars’ surface is too cold and the atmospheric pressure too low for water to be liquid. Water is integral to life here on Earth, so finding it on other planets (or evidence of it in the past) may help find out whether there has ever been life, and whether there could potentially be life.

The Phoenix has landed close to Mars’ North Pole which has a polar ice cap of water ice. The Phoenix is not highly mobile so will be closely examining its landing site. It has a robotic arm which will sample and test the surface soil around the landing site. It will also (most importantly) be digging into the first metre of soil, which they believe has about 80% water content. This will (all going to plan!) be the first time we (meaning something we made) will touch water on another planet.

The mission is looking to answer these questions:
Can the Martian arctic support life?
What is the history of water at the landing site?
How is the Martian climate affected by arctic dynamics?

For more info on the science objectives see: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/science03.php

The Phoenix took seven minutes to move through the Martian atmosphere before touching down on the surface. It used the friction of the atmosphere to help slow down, followed by a parachute. When the parachute opened it began radar transmission and to locate itself. At about 1km above the Martian surface the Phoenix underwent free fall, finally using rocket engines to slow and then touch down.

Communication between Earth and Mars takes 10mins, so the Phoenix had actually landed by the time mission control got first transmissions of its descent.


So, have communicated some science, some news, and am now going to communicate with my CD player and knitting needles (and possibly pat the dogs) all in my big red dressing gown.

It's been a whole year

Can't believe it has been a year since we went to Perth!

I miss youse crazy bee-atches!

Hope you are having fun OS Sherdles. I hope you are having luck making your decision Albs. I hope you are getting the bank to give you lots of money Lan. And Miff, I hope you stop having laryngitis.

The end, love me, kiss hug kiss hug.

Winter has arrived

And fuck me if it isn't getting cold. As one would rightly expect. The dogs have been sporting rather cute doggie jumpers that husband's sister knitted for them for Christmas. Not sure if they like them, but they haven't torn them off or chewed them, so I'm taking it as a good sign.

Beans has once again taken to laying over the heater vents, although I found him hiding under the pile of doggie bedding I'd shoved together when vacuuming the other day.*

I've proudly knitted husband a rather lovely beanie which I think he looks very spunky in. I've been looking at my colleciton of random wools trying to think what I can start making for myself, but then I look at my coat rack which is full of beanies and scarves I've knitted that I don't often wear. Perhaps I need to give them away and start anew?

One bad thing with thecold is that it is really starting to put me off getting up at six in the morning to go walking with HP. As if getting up at 6am wasn't punishment enough! However I'm sure it is doing me good - I'm starving hungry by 12pm because my metabolism has gotten a good kick start. My knee has been playing silly buggers, but apparently that's my fault for refusing to do exercises I was supposed to (do care of a physio) when I was in yr6. Damn my parentals for letting me make my own decisions in life and giving me responsibility and trust!

But the worst thing about it getting cold is that people are getting sick. Unfortunately I work with people - well, children mostly - and when they get sick, I get sick. Lucky me had laryngitis last week when little sister** Nellstar was in town for a visit.

We bravely soldiered on, bought new Cons each (mine have ladybugs - so cute!), tried on hats at Scally andTrombone and did enough shopping at Dangerfield to satisfy any young woman sporting a skull, star and wings tattoo (not me, the sister). We vegged out on the couch, watched movies, had a lovely crafternoon, drank lots of tea and talked about boys (and how lovely they'll be in Edinburgh and wouldn't it be nice of her to bring one back).She obviously practices 'blue steel' far more than me - hers is way too convincing.

Anyway, we had a lovely week, which I treasured greatly.

I had a little cry at the airport when I realised I probably wouldn't see her before she jets off around the world in June for four months. Although I've survived stretches of four months without seeing family since we moved south of the border, somehow knowing she isn't going to be in the same country makes it a bit harder. It's also knowing she'll be having a fabulous time doing something I'll probably not get to experience!

Well, all I can say is she'd better come back with a Scottish boy in tow, or my missing her will be all for nothing. So there.

Still feeling croaky this week, but I've still carried on the good name of science and have been presenting science shows (much to my joy). Can't wait for the weekend!

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* you heard it here first - I vacuumed the house. the domestic goddess is not dead yet!

** the biological one, not the mentoring one

So you think you can botox

Have been meaning to post this for a while, but our computer has been having sleepovers at the repair shop and I've only just reloaded the program to download pics from my phone...

A woman I work with had a face lift last year - well, I'm assuming she did because she had crows feet one week, had a couple of weeks off, and now just has smooth cheeks with what looks like ironed-out fold lines.

If you feel you need to have a face lift to look beautiful or feel good about yourself, no problems (who knows how I'll feel in 20yrs time). Hopefully it was to make her happy and not to please her bogan (I'm assuming again here, but it's a pretty safe bet) husband. And hopefully it did make her happy. But obviously not enough or not for long enough. Who would have know that one keeps ageing evena fter a facelift? Damn that time passing business.

A couple of weeks ago this woman was off work for a week and then came back with a very puffy face. This was no allergic reaction to a facial, as someone tried to tell me when I tried to subtly ask what was wrong with her face. She had little red marks each side of her eye that looked like injection sites to me - the woman has had botox. Mmm, botulistic...

It just seems so weird to me to think that paralysing facial muscles using a botulism toxin is a good idea. Was bemuses me most of all is that actors seem to invest heavily in it - the stuff stops your face from being able to move or convey any expression, possibly an important part of acting? Good old 'bat face' Kidman springs to mind.

And then, there's Natalie Bassingthwaite.

So, in my opinion she is just a bit crap. Totally my opinion. I'm sure other people think she is lovely and great.

She was a dreadful host on 'So you think you can dance' but I think that is mostly due to having such an insincere face - everything she said seemed fake because her face stayed still, which I'm attributing to botox. The woman's face barely changes when she talks. Plus I reckon her left eye (so the one on the right in the pics) is a bit droopy. Which I think is suspicious.

How much do you want to bet that in 20yrs time I'll be the queen of making myself look younger?

Not likely, but you never know!


OK, mini bitch over. And out.