Friday’s Feast #4

Appetizer
How are you today?
If you really wanna know, I’m tired, and shitty with my boss and one of my “colleagues”. I have never been so damn relieved that it’s Friday!

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
Californication (is love), Heroes, The Bold and the Beautiful (see? am not ashamed)

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?
When I was still working in retail, and there was a bad storm and the building got hit by lightning, and we lost power. That was when Matt and I were still working together, and as it got dark inside we had to split up into groups… Matt and his friend donned paper masks and ran around impersonating the killer from Scream… (Yeah, he was 25 at the time.)

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
Silly question for anyone that reads… I would love to be in the UK and be able to spend some time with my Nan, and my other relatives!

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?
PJs. I always wear PJs. Now that the weathers warming up, it’s a singlet and full length cotton pants. When it gets hotter I’ll dig out my shorts.

Matt’s Mouth #3 (yes, again!)

He’s coming up with a few gems lately, he is.

Tonight I asked my mum if she wanted to come down to the scrapbooking shop with me. Every second Friday night my local scrapbooking shop is open until midnight (!) so occasionally I go down after dinner and have a look at what’s there.

My orignal idea was to get some paper and stuff, because I want to make a scrapbook page of my dad and I while he’s in Wales, frame it, and give it to him when he comes home. I ended up getting lots of other stuff too, for my calendar that I’m making, and ended up spending about $50 (but next time I go in, I get $15 off!!!).

But I digress. Since Matt knew I was going to the shop, he said he would go and see his sister (who I don’t like, and the feeling is mutual). He walked out to his car and then turned back to me, standing on the top step, and he asked if I was going to be putting petrol in my car this week, to which I said yes.

He then offered me his fuel voucher. I said there was no rush to give it to me, because I wasn’t going to fill up my car until the weekend.

Matt then walked up the stairs, handed me the voucher and said:

“Have it now, you’re going to have your wallet open anyway.”

Picking on my scrapbooking! Ha! I managed to slap him as he tried to escape back down the stairs.

Smartass.

Matt’s Mouth #2

Matt and I were down the shops last night, and we were walking back to the car when he says:

“One of my toenails is dying.”

I just assumed he meant it was dying because of his ingrowns or whatever, which he’s always picking at (and driving me batty when I see blood). But no, he says:

“It’s not that, it’s one of the other ones, and I haven’t cut it for awhile. It’s not dying where you cut it, it’s dying from the other end.”

To which I say:

“From the cuticle?”

“Yeah.”

There’s a pause, we keep walking, and I stop at the ATM to check my account balance (yep, still poor).

Then he randomly says:

“You only get two toenails, you know.”

“What?” - me

“Yeah, I knew someone that ripped his toenail out, and my mum said that you only get two.”

“Errr… okay…”

Now, folks, I am… desperate to Google this, but how would I word it? “Total number of toenails person born with?” Oh please. I’d more than likely end up at someone’s blog, and then get laughed at in their Google-age. No thanks.

Anyone that knows about toenails and their lifespans, feel free to enlighten me.

I’m still shaking my head.

(He later showed me said toenail, and pointed out where it’s dying and said “look, it’s squishy!”)

Anniversaries.

Today, as it happens, I have a couple of anniversaries going on.

My granddad passed away two years ago today. My dad’s dad. It’s kind of sad that now Nan is so sick, especially today. Hopefully she makes it through the day okay. Apparently she’s feeling better now, she’s not in as much pain, and she’s put on a little bit of weight. Even having a joke or two with the doctors - although I think the drugs might have something to do with that.

(On another note with this, my auntie is sending the money through today, so it looks like Dad will be flying out in about 3 weeks, on a Monday, and he’ll be gone for at least 5 weeks.)

Another reason to remember today - I’ve been in this job for a year as of today. It’s gone so quick, but at the same time I feel like I’ve been here forever. Ha. I have a hell of a lot more responsibility than I used to, even though I’m in the same position, but it’s starting to wear me down a bit. I feel like I have two separate jobs: being the receptionist and helping all the other staff members, and being my boss’ personal secretary. And they don’t mesh together that well. (Will I be here this time next year? Depends.)

What I always seem to do with dates, is think back to where I was on that day. Like when my granddad passed away, I was working the night shift, and got into the car just after 9pm to hear the bad news… I was 17.

This day last year, was my first day in this job, in any office job for that matter, and I was crapping myself. Everything was freaking me out, and I remember thinking “well, this better work out because I’ve already quit the retail crap, and I don’t really want to be unemployed.”

I’d also been with Matt just over 6 months, and everything was still pretty new and exciting where he was concerned. We were comfortable with each other, he’d just moved in, but it was still new, and I was still adjusting to being in a relationship after not quite two years of singledom. Now? Well, beat me with the sentimental stick, but he’s as much a part of me as an arm or a leg - you don’t know how the hell you’d live without it. And you don’t want to think about it. We’re that close now it would probably make some people sick - I can tell him things I wouldn’t even consider telling my closest girlfriend. Even the girly, icky stuff (and you girls know what I’m talking about). Which is slightly weird, yes, but it works. At least my man is willing to talk about that sort of stuff, and actually has an opinion on it, like when I changed from the pill to depo.

In short, today is a very sentimental day for me. September 28 for me, means a lot of growing up was done. I had to deal with my first family death, and I took a big step and quit my high-school job for something more adult (and better paid).

Maybe next time I pick my lotto numbers, I should pick 28…

Woo!

Okay, so a few of you will probably remember how I had a bit of a rant a few days ago… saying that I didn’t really believe in myself and what not. I also said I didn’t think I would lose any weight this week.

Well, I don’t know how I did it (I better find out!) - but I got on the scales yesterday, not really paying attention to the number, and then my trainer says “wow!”… and I was like “what?”

I looked down, and folks? Biggest. Loss. Ever. To. Date. 1.7kg in a week! I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, went to the gym 3 times, did some weights, watched what I ate. I didn’t go on a crash diet or anything. But I sure as hell didn’t go out of my way to do anything different.

A loss like that is exactly what I needed! I now have full-blown belief in myself, and hey, my end of year goal is now 1.7kg closer. Wahoo!

So, that’s my big news for today. Oh, and I’m now 6 weeks into the challenge. This time next week, I’ll be halfway through! That has gone quick…

More of my scrapbooking stuff has been arriving in the mail, too. Yesterday I got my page templates! Just what I needed to start my calendar. I bought a blank calendar a couple of weeks ago and figured I’d have a crack at making my own. I’ve got the first page layout for January done, and stamped the dates out. I just left a couple of spaces for photos. I’m going to try and get snap-happy in the next few weeks, because I’m going to give my dad the camera to take with him when he flies out. I’ll clear off the memory card, and he can take as many pics as he wants (well, a couple of hundred anyway).

Speaking of Dad, he is actually looking at getting a suit. For the UK. My dad is definietly not a suit wearer, but I think he wants one to wear for his mum. Well, it turns out the pants he wore to my engagment party still fit, so I’m going to give him some money and he can buy a jacket.

That’s about it for now, I think!

I’m going bald…

Because today, everyone wants everything NOW and I’m ripping my hair out!

Believe me, today is one of those days. One of those days that drags and seems to last for-bloody-ever.

People, stop calling the office. Staff, stop asking for stuff. Boss, stop asking me to send faxes when the machine is dying and refuses to cooperate. Oh, and buy a new fax. Please?

I know, I’ll do what you want, right now, and not enter these invoices. Then, the subcontractors won’t get paid on Friday, get angry, and walk off the job. Then we won’t have anything to do.

I really need a holiday. I am asking for two days off next week. To finish college assignments. And to help my mum with grocery shopping. And help out the Salvation Army on stall day, like I used to. And maybe scrapbook. But mainly to finish assignments.

If I ever leave this job, and have a boss who knows how to use their own computer, and can send their own emails and faxes, I will be in heaven.

My boss isn’t a bad guy, he just has a knack of interrupting you and making you do his unimportant stuff instead of the urgent stuff that needs doing in the next 2 hours or so.

Just… ARHHH!!!!

10 Things I Like About Me

Okie dokie. I pinched this from Laurel, and to be honest, it’s probably going to be a stretch for me to finish it. But, I guess that’s the whole point of it, because in a split second I could give you a list of 10+ things that I don’t like. So we’ll see how I go.

1. I like my eyes. They’re different. First off, they’re blue, which isn’t the most common eye colour. Sometimes they look quite bright, other times, grey. Also, they’ve got a bit of a slant to them. They slant up a little at the outer corners. Very cool when you’re experimenting with eyeshadow.
2. I can make people laugh. I have a witty sense of humour, and can usually spit out a comeback that will make you stop dead in your tracks, if you dare to have a go at me. If that doesn’t work, I usually stoop as low as self-depreciative humour to get a chuckle out of you.
3. I finally made a good choice for myself and decided I was sick of carrying all this extra weight. I joined a gym, stuck to my guns, and so far, I’ve managed to get rid of 8kg, which converts to what, 17.6lb. Not bad! Still have a fair way to go, but I will get there!
4. Underneath all this flubber (which will be gone by December 2008, I swear) is actually quite a bit of muscle. Not ugly muscle, but good muscle for toning. As soon as I went to the gym, my legs toned right back up again, especially my calves. It makes walking in heels easier (a rare occurence, but a nice one when it happens). And, I can now leg press 109kg! That’s 240lb, folks. More than I weighed to begin with! Phwoar!
5. I’m stubborn. Which can be bad, but in my case, it’s good. I always used to give in to what other people wanted for me. When my parents disapproved of Matt, I put my foot down. Too bad, I said. I love him and I want to be with him. And here we are, nearly 19 months later, I have blingage, and I love him even more today than I did when I said I’d marry him. I went with my original decision (much to the dismay of many who don’t want the relationship to work) and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
6. I can drive a car. A manual, at that. And I’m good at it. Nuff said.
7. I’m not afraid of hard work. Right now I’m working full time, studying, getting ready to make the first move into my own house, AND working on self-improvement. A lot on my plate. But, you know what they say - By mile it’s a trial, by inch it’s a cinch! I’m getting there!
8. I can write. Really write. I’ve turned out poems and short stories and people have loved them. My old English teacher once set us an assignment in school - a 500 word short story. I got a bit carried away, and did 2000 words. I apologised when I gave it to him, because it was so long. He said not to worry, because he loved my writing. I got an A+, and it was published in the yearbook.
9. I love taking photos, or paperwork, anything really, and turning it into something nice to look at. I love colour. At work, I have to put pictures on labels, smiley faces on sticky notes, and a splash of colour wherever I can. Heck, I even put yellow paper in the fax machine once, but got told off…
10. I am a calm, placid person. It takes a lot for me to lose my temper. And when I do lose it, watch out! It doesn’t happen often though. I have a pretty strong hold on my emotions.

Nan update

Well folks, I think you’ll have noticed I avoided the topic for a day or two, it was just too upsetting for me, but there is a little bit of good news now, so I thought I’d share.

First of all, on Sunday we went to the local church and got some rosary beads. My nan’s a practicing Catholic, so we got the beads and had them blessed by the priest. Dad loves the idea, and he’s taking the beads with him when he flies out. Mum got purple ones, because that’s my favourite colour. How cool is it that there are purple rosary beads?

As for him flying out… we’ve got a bit more time. My auntie called last night and said that she’d visited Nan at the hospital, and she’s feeling a bit better. She’s not in as much pain, and she’s eating a bit, which is good. Unfortunately though, all the medication has given her thrush and ulcers inside her mouth, so now she’s getting treated for that. My auntie said that if Nan holds steady, my dad won’t need to fly out for about 4 weeks. So, we’re starting to relax a little, because it’s not all rushing to get dad to the airport.

More to come when it becomes known…

Matt’s Mouth #1

My other half says some pretty whacked stuff… funny, cute, and whacked.

There’s a new Pascall’s ad airing while Australian Idol is on - and the chick in it, I noticed, is wearing my favourite dress. That I own. That is hanging up on the back of my door.

I pointed it out to Matt, who had to wait until it aired a second time, and when he realised that it really was my dress, he exclaimed:

“Skank bitch!”

So there.

More excitement…

To go with the excitement of the past week (ie, the accident, and now finding out about my Nan) there’s even more!

When my Granddad passed away (two years ago this week, the 28th, to be exact), my Auntie Denise sent money over for a return flight for Dad, so he could fly over and be with the family, and help arrange the funeral etc. He was gone for two weeks. So, now that it’s not looking too good for my Nan, we knew that he’d be flying out again, relatively soon.

But this time, it seems that Dad wants to fly out sooner, to be by her side, which is fair enough. And stay there until she passes, and the funeral’s over.

My Auntie will be calling on Monday night our time, to see what arrangement she’s been able to come up with. This could mean… that my Dad could be flying out as early as this week.

And he could be gone for a couple of months.

Woah.

Mum and I are upset about this, but we know that we can’t make him stay here. Honestly, I wouldn’t want him to stay, if he had the chance to go.

It’s just that my Dad isn’t a very well man. He’s a cancer survivor himself, and he’s on a hell of a lot of medication, especially painkillers. He takes Codalgin Forte, one of the strongest painkillers there are. He gets printouts from the chemist sometimes, and he roughly goes through 600 of those tablets in a few months. He gets the painkillers, in boxes of 5, and they usually last about a week.

The thing is, he’s never pain free, but the tablets make it slightly more bearable.

At the moment, he’s in a real physical low. His pain is unbearable, he can’t do much, and we’ve been worried about him for awhile. But now, we’re worried about his emotional state as well, with the events that are taking place.

So, if he flies out this week, and is gone for a month or two, we are seriously going to be freaking out. To be able to fly, his doctor needs to write several letters, so that he can take all his medication through customs, and so he can get the medication overseas if he runs out… a lot of paperwork.

Combine this with the fact that we’ve never been apart for 3 weeks, and we’re upset and worried about his mum, and you can get a rough idea of how frazzled we are at the moment.

Ed Harrys (a men’s clothing store) had a sale on today, and my mum and I picked up some winter tops for him while we were out, since they were marked down. We told Dad they were for next winter, but he knows why we really got them.

I’ve already decided that I need to sit my boss down on Monday and explain everything, so he knows what’s going on. If my Dad ends up flying out on a weekday, I’m taking the day off. When I get news of my Nan passing, and if I don’t feel up to working, I’ll be asking to have a couple of days off then too. I have nearly 2 weeks of holidays up, so I’m entitled to it, if I need it.

I am now more grateful than ever that I am lucky enough to have Matt in my life. I was a mess last night, and he just held me. And even though the situation reminded him of when his dad passed away (3 years ago in June), he managed to hold his composure and comfort me. Which means more to me than he’ll ever know.

Something else that means a lot to me: the wonderful comments and virtual hugs from Aly, Katie and Laurel. You guys, just by reading and dropping a note to say you’re thinking of me and my family, means so much!

In the meantime, I’ll keep everyone in the loop as to the crazy goings-on around here.

It would be nice to have just one year where something doesn’t go haywire. Just one, peaceful, happy year. Maybe 2008.

I almost forgot. If Dad flies out this week, I want to have a letter and some photos ready, so he can give them to my Nan for me… a goodbye from her only granddaughter. Thing is, what should I write? Is very delicate. If anyone has some suggestions, I’d really appreciate it.

Okay, am stopping now, because writing that last paragraph made me burst into tears.