Dodging divorce

May 9, 2012 By in Life 2 Comments

Mr Ambition with a soon to be ‘Peru’ t-shirt

Do you remember my boss? The one who was going to trek Peru? That’s him on the left.

Mr eyes bigger than belly.

Well, since I last wrote about his impending South American adventure, he has raised over $25,000 to help deaf kids learn to speak. An admirable effort, however I think I deserve some credit on this fundraising effort: for he stole my line. I wrote in my first post that he needed to help people dodge llama spit. Next thing I know, his email signature has a picture across the bottom of Peruvian mountains, a llama and in big letters ‘help me dodge llama spit!’ Certainly not the usual tagline you expect from the CEO of an Organisation.

Last weekend, mister eyes bigger than belly, ventured out on a fitness walk – part of his preparation for the early June trek. Come dark, mister bite off more than you can chew, was not home.

A squirrel and his nut

Come dark, mister ‘ready, fire, aim’ had a mobile phone with a flat battery.

Come dark, mister ‘do first, think second’ was somewhere in one of Sydney’s national parks. Without a torch. Without a map.

Fortunately, there’s a bloody big bridge nearby and he followed the path to the bridge and emerged from the bush, several hours later than he anticipated.

Instead of dodging llama spit, he is now perhaps dodging divorce.

The best thing about all of this (beside him getting out of the bush embarrassed but unharmed) is I now have an insight into his personality that I can use against him; that I can possibly employ to ward off any more work. The next time he bounds out a new idea, I can remind him where ‘do first, think second’ sometimes leads!

Parallel Play

April 27, 2012 By in Art Tags: , , 1 Comment

Two interpretations: one picture

A friend of mine gardens with her husband in an exercise she describes as parallel play. They are both in the garden; side by side; yet each is doing their own thing. It wasn’t until recently that I heard that term used in respect to child development. I now understand that children develop play through various stages and playing together but separate is just one of those.

I agree with my friend that parallel play could be the secret to a happy marriage. Not that I’m married… but you get the idea. Tonight Andrew decided he wanted to draw. We were both looking at the same picture. At the same time, he switched a random itunes playlist on. My picture took a quick turn. In fact the word Berlin is in my picture, which, in case you hadn’t guessed, is the weird coloured looking thing on the left. Why Berlin? It was a word in the song that leapt out. Why those marks? It felt like the rhythm of the music combined with something of her face. I like this impromptu style exercise.

Andrew on the other hand has demonstrated his enviable ability to draw hair. Anyone who knows my art work will know that I generally don’t do hair. Or two eyes. Or lips. Or chins. In fact I generally do one eye and part of a nose. In the case of the hair, it’s because I know I can’t draw hair. My hair always looks crap. Hence ‘enviable’ ability. Next time we draw from the same source I’m picking a bald dude!

Enough with the painting Gesso

April 25, 2012 By in Cats Tags: , , , 3 Comments

White Gesso wearing his new patch of black Gesso

Yup. Regular readers will know what this ones about. The little furry bugger did it again.

This time, he’s opted for black paint not red. Actually he’s chosen more wisely. This time it is acrylic not oil paint. Why the cat has such an obsession with paint, I do not know. All our cats have done it at one point or another but not to the extent of this little guy.

Perhaps when we named him Gesso, after the white chalk-like paint used as a ground in art, we cursed him to forever have a fascination with paint.

So once again tonight, white Gesso met black Gesso and ended up as grey Gesso (after I washed him that is). He’s remarkably tolerant when being washed. I know many a cat who would tear me to shreds. He protests and tonight he bit me once but I escaped with no scratches. Evidently he bore no grudge against me, for about 30 minutes later he came and sat in my lap.

Perhaps we should rename this guy so he stops thinking Gesso is a good thing! Hmm… what would you call him?

Answer Gilly’s 11 questions

April 21, 2012 By in Life, Waffle and Nonsense 1 Comment

Gilly has put 11 random questions on her blog for anyone to answer. Here are my responses:

1. Is there an item that you never leave home without, if so what is it?

I was going to say something predictable like my keys. Wrong. I’ve locked myself out a few times in my life. My wallet? Um… done that maybe once. My mobile phone? Yup, forgotten that a few times too.

So I started thinking about what I absolutely never leave home without. The answer was obvious. Clothing. I’ve never walked out the door nude.

2. If you were given a free holiday is there a destination you would refuse to go to?

I think my worst nightmare would be a desert. Hot with no trees sounds like torture to me.

3. Did you have a school uniform? describe it!

I had not one but 5 school uniforms. There was the primary school one; and then in high school a summer and winter uniform for 3 years and then a different one for the next three years.

The worst of these was like a giant sack. Mine was a giant and very long sack as my mother, using her frugal wisdom, bought a large one so that I wouldn’t outgrow it in three years.

It came with a shirt and a tie you wore underneath. Halfway down it had two ‘pockets’ only they weren’t pockets. They were a bit of fabric which covered up the top of the pleat; disguised as pockets. So we called them ‘dag flaps’. There was one handy thing about the dag flags though. In mine at least, there was a small hole under the flap and above the pleat. I’d put my fingers through the holes and pull up my stockings discreetly in winter.

The fact that we had to wear stockings to keep our legs warm was because the school clung to its traditional uniform for a few decades too long. Finally several years after I left school, girls were at last permitted to wear trousers.

4. Do you still have friends from your school days?

A couple. A social butterfly I aint.

5. Have you ever tried any extreme sports?

Given my appalling athletic skills you could call riding a bicycle an extreme sport for me. The chances of my being able to do it with my uncoordinated ways are extreme.

6. Whats the longest you have slept in one go?

I’m sure I’ve gone at least 12 hours. Whatever it is, my cat beats me I’m sure.

7. From what you know about me is there a book you would recommend?

11 questions you must answer before you die?

8. Could you ride a skateboard for a hundred metres without falling off?

Refer to earlier answer about extreme sport ability. Absolutely not.

9. Favourite breakfast?

Poached eggs, crispy bacon and toast. It’s a favourite because I don’t have it often and when I do my partner cooks it for me. It also reminds me of being on holiday.

10. Can you navigate on a journey to a strange town a few hundred miles away?

Absolutely! I’m a woman who can read a map.

11. Is there something you cook really well?

Something that involves the instruction, insert in microwave for 5 minutes, then serve.

 

And now, predictably, I have 11 questions for you? There’s something fun about setting questions. That’s why I’m sure that people would rather be the people making the trivia night questions up than answering them. Anyway, here goes:

  1. You have won a competition which will supply you with clothes for the next year. The only catch is the clothes are in the style of one of the following ‘eras’. Which do you choose? 1920s? 1940s? 1950s? 1960s? 1970s? or 1980s?
  2. Do you eat olives?
  3. If you could have a superhero power (go invisible, fly etc), what power would you want?
  4. Your health is failing and you have to move into a nursing home. What 3 things can you not live without and you want to take with you?
  5. What’s the one thing which would make your job better?
  6. You get to build your dream house; unlimited money etc. What’s the quirkiest feature of your house?
  7. If you were on a limited income and you had $30 leftover this week, what would you spend it on? (Presuming you have already got enough food, paid the electricity bill etc).
  8. When did you stop believing in Santa Claus (if indeed you did)
  9. What household task / chore do you hate most and why?
  10. Do you nap during the daytime?
  11. When you pass away, after you have allowed for your family, which charity would you leave money to and why?

Disabled ingenuity

April 20, 2012 By in Disability Tags: , , 8 Comments

15 days on the top floor without the call button on the lift. You cannot walk down the stairs, although someone who is downstairs can send the lift up for you. What would you do?

Tonight, I’m setting my readers a challenge. What is the most imaginative way you can think of pressing the lift button on the first floor when you can’t leave the second floor.

Here are the constraints of this challenge. You must imagine:

  • your walking is so impaired you use a wheelchair to get around
  • you have limited muscle strength
  • you only have what you have in your home now as materials
  • there is an open balcony between you and the first floor lift button. (If you were able to hang from the balcony like a bat, you can see the call button on the lift)

My first suggestion was a slingshot propelled from a long pole with a mirror attached so you can see.

My second suggestion is to train the cat to walk down the stairs and leap at the button, hop in the lift and return to the top.

My first suggestion is far more likely to happen.

Ok, let’s hear it! How would you send the lift up?

Vintage Clothing article: Sydney Morning Herald

April 16, 2012 By in 1940s, Dressmaking, Fashion, Sewing, Vintage Clothing Tags: , , , , , 4 Comments

Photo by Jon Reid, Sydney Morning Herald

I am absolutely delighted for my dressmaking teacher that the Sydney Morning Herald decided to do a story on the rising popularity of dressmaking in a vintage style. I’m sure there are many dressmakers and many sewing teachers out there in Sydney but I doubt any of them could rival Bev. As she says to me, if I re-told half the stories she’d told me, or some of the things I’ve seen her do and say, no one would believe me. To top it off she’s an excellent teacher. Some people teach you how to do something. Bev teaches you why and that I think is much more valuable as you can learn to adapt it. Best of all, she knows my likes and dislikes so well that if I come to her with a pattern – vintage or otherwise – and a concept; if she thinks it will look awful, she’ll tell me! I’ve watched her be diplomatic with other students. It’s only us lucky long term ‘permanent fixture’ students who get the warts and all version.

Lastly – because I know Isobel will say it – I’m not looking at the camera because we were instructed to pretend the photographer wasn’t there.

Related Links:

http://busybeesewing.com.au/ 

SMH Article: These Dedicated followers have vintage fashion all sewn up

Painting whale song

April 8, 2012 By in Art Tags: , , , , , , 4 Comments

1 art helperI got up this morning and thought I’d paint. Then I checked my art table.

There was a furry obstacle.

So I walked up the street to buy bread instead.

Then I worked for a bit.

Followed by a bit of garden pruning.

Before re-checking the art table to see whether I could finish my piece.

2 art helpers
Nope. Double trouble.

So I had a power nap.

Then considered doing some more work.

Opened and the file and felt overwhelmed at where to start.

Walked to the bottle shop instead for some cider. (I had a craving for it. I’ll have a drink once every couple of months, so this is not a regular coping strategy!)

Finally, my art friends had evacuated and I could conclude painting the piece Andrew has named Whale Song. I’ve got no idea why. I’m not really sure what it is, so I’ll go with that title!

Whale Song

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