Just Nicky

Days Six, Seven and Eight - and I’m not counting weekends November 24, 2005

The last few days haven’t been particularly busy. I just haven’t felt like posting on my blog.

On Monday Finn & I played in the garden. We (well really I) cleaned up dog poo, weeded and put some marigolds in the ground. Then we did Finn’s favourite part of the job and watered them … and the sandpit … and the concrete … and Finn. Finn also ‘helped’ me put the covers back on the couches after I’d washed them.

The big red car came home on Tuesday. It’s all nice and shiny and clean and looks like a new car. Which is what it is, since it’s only 3 months old. I don’t recall what I did for the rest of the day, other than being very flustered at the end of it to realise that I hadn’t done all the stuff I was going to do.

Yesterday was Mavis Wednesday. I went to my folks’ place ostensibly to help The Mavis update some of her shirts. They were too long and made her look like an old lady - she’s 78… We did a bit of that - we pinned them up at the correct length - but then she suggested that we go over to DFO near Moorabbin airport, so we did. I bought some winter clothes for Finn, but didn’t feel much like looking for stuff for myself. We’re going back next week.

The CSIRO diet is going really well. I do get a bit hungry leading up to lunch and dinner, so I might need to tweak that a bit, but the food has all been nice and doesn’t feel like a diet at all (not that I would know really - this is my first actual diet). A lot of it is not stuff I would think of making for myself, so it’s also a bit of an education for me. And the other good thing is that Finn can eat the food, so we don’t have to cook seperate meals for him. We just add extra carbohydrates (pasta, rice, etc.) for him.

Day Five - Gone to the dogs November 18, 2005

Today I went off to the K9 Force dog training workshop I booked into a couple of months ago. It was out at Beaconsfield, which felt and looked like light years from here.

The trip through the morning peak was slow but no slower than I expected. The place itself was like being on another planet. A planet where it’s green and hilly and there are really big leafy trees with pretty birds singing and flitting through them. It was a lovely spot and I’m very jealous of the woman who lives there with her 4 (2 black & 2 yellow) labs.

K9 Force, the guy, was very good. Most of the day was really just him talking and that was very interesting, but you really got to see how good he was when he handled a couple of the dogs. He didn’t do anything spectacular - there were no doggie epiphanies to be had - but he was sure footed and confident and seemed able to put them at ease and have them happy to work with him in no time.

I’ve learned a great deal, which I’m still processing and I’m very aware that I have a great deal more to learn too. I’m hoping that this has been the kick start I needed to get me back into working with my dogs seriously.

Day Four - Sleeping my way to the top November 17, 2005

Well no, not really…

Foozley & I have had a quietish day today. Just a couple of trips to the shops and lots of telly.

My expedition to Ikea yesterday wasn’t as successful as I would have liked and I ended up making a mess trying to find a workaround for what I’d bought. I failed so today we headed of to Howard’s Storage World at the Plaza to see what they had. They’ll have just the thing in tomorrow, so I’ll be going back to pick it up tomorrow night or Saturday. Then I still have to find a use for the thing I bought at Ikea yesterday.

I haven’t walked the dogs yet today. I’ve been very sleepy and kind of tired all day, so I thought I’d walk the PuppyDeluxe tonight after Finn goes to bed and Mark can take the PaddleDog out on her own.

Tomorrow will be a big day. I’m off to Beaconsfield for an all day dog training workshop. I was going to take the PuppyDeluxe, but it’s going to be quite warm (29) and I’m taking the Mazda which is not ideal for puppy transport, so I’ll leave her at home. Bit of a pity because I think I’d learn better with her there to practice on, but at least this way I won’t have to worry about her behaving like a peanut or overheating herself.

Day Three - Already out of catchy titles November 16, 2005

I didn’t go to Ikea yesterday. My feet were hurting from walking from Nth Melbourne to the CBD so after my haircut I just wanted to get the hell out of the city.

I’m not sure about my haircut (as usual) … I’ve got long ‘femmy bits’ (that’s what Matt the hairdresser calls them) at the sides again. I’m not sure if I like them or not, but I’d feel kind of mean getting them cut off. I like my hairdresser & I would like to trust his judgement, but I think they look wrong. They’re supposed to come down around my jawline & frame my face. When I style my hair, though, they twist & curl and end up looking like those locks that orthodox jewish men have and that’s really not good.

So far today I’ve taken Finn to childcare & walked dogs. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, other than some washing. The Mavis is having a biopsy this afternoon to find out if she has bladder cancer and I want to stay close to home for the morning in case she feels the need to ring for a chat. She probably won’t, but you never know.

I think I might go to Ikea after lunch. Mum will be at the hospital by then and I’ll need some retail therapy to keep my mind of it.

In terms of the unbloggable, the announcements yesterday were no surprise at all. Ultimately the monolith will be better for all of this, but it’s going to be very painful. Much that is good about the traditional monolith will be lost, but I really don’t see any viable alternatives. Another thing our government has destroyed…

As for my employment, I don’t think I’ll know for sure until I go back to work. My boss’ role is staying the same so that suggests that his team will too, but it’s not definite. There may be someone much better qualified for my job, in fact I’m sure there is. I just can’t imagine anyone else agreeing to do it.

You gotta fight for your right … November 15, 2005

I should have gone to the rally this morning and I feel a little bad that I didn’t. I thought about it last week, but the logistics of organising myself to have the Foozle off to childcare and me into the city in good time just did my head in. No excuse really, but the only one I’ve got. And I missed out on seeing DC play into the bargain!

These IR changes push us back into the feudal times where the worker (aka serf) is utterly dependant upon the boss’ (aka lord of the manor’s) good will. If you and your boss are reasonable human beings and you can communicate well, you’ll be fine. If your boss is a prick, or you’re prone to being a bit of a dickhead (and we all are, particularly in the early years), or you don’t get on well, you’re in deep poo.

The federal government claims that they’re just levelling a playing field that was tilted unfairly in favour of the workers (and, therefore, was an impediment to business success - why would that be?), but surely there should always be a bias toward those with less power and more to lose in the relationship? How else do we ensure that exploitation does not occur?

I’m certain that, at least in part, the introduction of this legislation has come about because so many of our parliamentarians have never worked in a ‘real’ job, or it’s been so many years since they have that they’ve forgotten what it is to be an employee. They have no idea what it is to be working for a large corporate where you are more readily identified by number than name, where you need to have every tool and support possible available to defend yourself in case of discrimination. They have no idea that a lot of the positive messages that business puts out about being aware of diversity, family friendly, caring for their staff’s wellbeing is just rhetoric and sees little or no action on the front line.

I really should have been there to add my voice to the 200,000 ‘predictable‘ protests.

Day Two - It was a dark & stormy night

I’m a wee bit tired & bleary this morning thanks to last night’s storm. The dogs are crated at night these days, so there’s no dog on head action, but there can be quite a bit of barking.

Usually it’s the PuppyDeluxe that starts, but last night the PaddleDog was leading the chorus. They were quiet until the storm was right over us and then Indi started cry and yap and Em joined in. I think Indi was concerned because her crate is in the loungeroom and she couldn’t get to Mark for comfort. Em stopped barking once the storm started to move away, but Indi kept going until it was completely gone.

The PaddleDog has poked and prodded at the front of her crate so much in her efforts to get out that it now has a distinct lean on it. I’ll have to try to fix that at some stage. I’m hoping it’ll just bend back into place.

Finn’s at childcare today so I’m on my own. I’m seeing the chiropractor this morning, then having my hair cut at lunchtime. I really should have done it the other way around, since the hairdresser always gives me a headache with the way he pushes my head around (good thing I like the way he cuts). After that I’m thinking of choofing off to Ikea to pick up an Antonius frame & drawers for Finn’s wardrobe. His clothes are too big now for the hanging thingys we’ve currently got.

Day One - Off to a Cracking Start November 14, 2005

Well my first day of holidays has gotten off to a cracking start!

It’s barely 11 o’clock and I’ve taken each dog on a 40 minute walk and played out in the backyard with Finn for the better part of an hour. It doesn’t sound like much, but it feels like heaps.

I took the PuppyDeluxe out on her own as soon as I got up. We walked for 20 minutes along the creek, which took us to just past the end of our estate, and then turned around and came back. She’s pretty easy to walk on her own. She bounced a little when she saw bunnies and had a moment of peanutness when we passed a cattle dog going the other way, but behaved perfectly otherwise.

After Mark left for school Finn & I took the PaddleDog out and did the same thing. She’s an absolute dream to walk by herself. She stays far enough to the left of the pram not to tangle her lead and barely pulls at all. We didn’t see any other dogs so there were no opportunities for peanutness, apart from a bunny who ran right across in front of us.

When we got back Finn & I had a bit of a drink and then went and played out in the backyard. We watered all the pot plants and played in the sand pit. We only came inside because the sand in Finn’s sandals was starting to bother him.

We’ve had a bit more of a drink and some fruit (not fresh, but fruit all the same) and now Finn’s going to watch a bit of telly before going down for a sleep. After that we’ll have some lunch and then I’m not sure.

I think I need to do a little bit of shopping for foody bits & pieces for the week. If it’s not too hot, we might go outside and do some weeding. And, of course, there’s always houseworky type stuff I could be doing…

Wake me when its over November 9, 2005

I have only 2 more days of work before I go on leave to fill in as housekeeper, primary caregiver and dog walker while Mark’s on teaching rounds. Those 2 days can’t pass quickly enough. It probably sounds perverse, but I’m really, really looking forward to cooking, cleaning and changing nappies for 3 weeks.

By the end of my leave my fate with the monolith will be sealed one way or another. I will either be employed or I will not. And I don’t much care which it is and I’m really glad that I won’t be around for all the horse trading.

Dad’s Christmas Socks

For the last little while I’ve been knitting gifts for my Dad. He’s difficult to buy for because he does nothing except read & play golf and, with 5 children buying for him, that doesn’t afford a lot of scope for avoiding doubleups. He also tends to feel the cold because of the medication he’s on, so they’re practical gifts. And he seems to like the knitted stuff more than other things I’ve given him.

So far he’s got a vest (loves it, but it’s too big - I knitted it in the smallest size on the pattern), a hat (haven’t had a comment on that yet, but I think it might be too small) and 3 pairs of socks (loves them, but 2 pairs are too big and the third pair fit because they got shrunk in the wash , but they’re too tight around the ankle). He’s getting a fourth - and, hopefully, properly fitting - pair of socks for Christmas.

I knitted them in the hand dyed yarn I used for my little lunch bag and some grey yarn I’ve had for years. The hand dyed is from Highland Cottage Crafts on ebay, but the grey’s origins are lost in time. I think it might have come from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

Roses are red November 4, 2005

I just had to take some pictures of the first roses I have out.

Here’s one of my David Austins. It’s Pat Austin - named after his wife I think.

And here’s the climber. It’s called Sympathie.

Having trouble with the non-blurry thing again (see bag entry below) and, probably because of the light at this time of evening, the colours have come out pinkier than they really are. Pat Austin is actually very coppery and Sympathie is a much darker, velvetier red than the pictures show. My attempts to adjust the colour ended up like this:

Nice, but still not actually the colour…