Archive for October, 2008

#100 - Carve a pumpkin for Halloween

Elizabeth October 31st, 2008

Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.

I’ve really been looking forward to crossing this one off my list, but came dangerously close to missing the date! October has been a really crazy month in this house, and it’s only because of a reminder from Loobylu that it happened this year. We were lucky to get the very last pumpkin in my local fruit & veg shop.

It was a beauty, too.

We decided to carve it on Wednesday night, and started by hollowing it out. I was surprised how hollow it was to start with, and how disgusting the insides were! It was quickly deemed a “boy job”, and I helped by separating out the seeds.

In a perfect world I’d have had two pumpkins to work with. I really wanted to freeform carve a goofy face with buck teeth, but deep down wanted to try something more ambitious. I found this owl idea on a website full of tacky designs, completely uncredited, and decided that it would be a really good challenge.

It took hours - especially since we only had basic tools to work with. We punched the outline of the design out with a nail, and used a cheap steak knife and a wooden skewer to cut it out. There were some tense moments while we carved out the thin sections, but thankfully it worked out!

I found that by leaving the pumpkin for a couple of days, the insides dried out and made it easier to carve in the details. I was able to smooth out some curves and add a few new touches really quickly.

We put the pumpkin out the front of the house tonight, and were visited by a stack of trick-or-treaters. Halloween has been largely ignored in Australia until recent times, but I’ve noticed increased interest in the last 3 or 4 years. I don’t mind its origins, its American roots or all the hype - I just enjoy it for what it is. It’s a fun occasion for kids to dress up, and an opportunity for me to finally meet some neighbours. It was really fun.

Tim and I roasted the pumpkin seeds tonight, turned off all the lights and watched The Thing. Tim would probably tell you that I jumped when the blood jumped up and attacked everybody, but he’s a filthy liar and can’t be trusted. OK?

OK.

Happy Halloween everybody, especially to those in the Northern Hemisphere who are still a few hours away from all the fun!

The Great Schlep

Elizabeth October 31st, 2008

The Great Schlep aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor. Don’t have grandparents in Florida? Not Jewish? No problem! You can still become a schlepper and make change happen in 2008, simply by talking to your relatives about Obama.

Sarah Silverman is my hero.

Sarah Palin piano duet

Elizabeth October 31st, 2008

A lot of people don’t give Sarah Palin enough credit. Sure she may sound uninformed or silly at times, but she’s a brilliant musician. Being able to serenade Katie Couric has got to be worth something.

Perhaps there’s a career beyond politics? She may get to find out a week from now!

#13 - Renew my Senior First Aid

Elizabeth October 25th, 2008

Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.
Completed in July 2008.

I first did my Senior First Aid Certificate years ago in Brisbane, under the instruction of a Red Cross trainer by the name of Ron McDonald. I found his name somewhat unforgettable!

I remember thinking at the time that this certificate is something that absolutely everybody should do. It’s an opportunity to put yourself into real-life emergency situations, see how you would respond, and then receive advice on how outcomes could have been improved by doing things differently. It really gives you the tools you need to draw upon when adrenaline kicks in.

Despite my best intentions, I let my qualification lapse. I was really happy that my workplace allowed me to do the course again, on their time and money. I remembered a lot of the information from last time, but was amazed at how much the program had been modified. I was very impressed at the simple, consistent messages it delivered and the thorough teaching methods.

So once again I hold a Senior First Aid Certificate. This time it’s valid for 3 years, but I need to update my CPR every 12 months.

I’d encourage everybody to do this course if they have the opportunity - maybe you can volunteer to be a First Aid Officer in your workplace too. Even if you never have to use the skills that you’ll learn, at least you’ll have peace of mind.

And maybe you’ll be lucky like me, and get to spend the two days bandaging up a cute federal policeman!

Sign up online with The Australian Red Cross to get your Senior First Aid Certificate.

Halloween pumpkins in Melbourne?

Elizabeth October 25th, 2008


Photo by Tetramesh.

Can any locals point me in the direction of a big, orange pumpkin? I really want to carve one for Halloween this year (it’s on my list!) but haven’t had any luck finding one.

I’ve been re-inspired by Loobylu, so please help me out!

I’m sorry, what?

Elizabeth October 25th, 2008

Can anybody confirm that this guy can tie his own shoelaces? I am astounded.

Three Things meme

Elizabeth October 25th, 2008

I’ve been sent this meme a couple of times recently, so I thought for once I’d join in!

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Elizabeth
2. Liz / Lizzie
3. Ms M’Liz / Arnie Liz (thanks to the two 5-year-olds in my life!)

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My hair, on a good day
2. The colour of my eyes
3. I’m told that my boobs are pretty nice

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My hair, on a bad day
2. My fingernails are a bit weak, and hard to grow
3. My feet

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. English
2. Irish
3. Welsh

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Big, flying insects like cockroaches and grasshoppers
2. Big, harmless, ugly spiders in my house
3. Heights

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. 3L of water
2. A good laugh
3. One really good cuddle

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. Jeans
2. A cute Collette Dinnigan bra, with a tank top
3. A jade/silver ring

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. Ben Folds
2. Regina Spektor
3. Aqualung

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS AT THE MOMENT:
1. Bon Idée - Regina Spektor
2. Heal Me - Lior
3. River man - Nick Drake

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. Laughter
2. Generosity
3. Spontaneity

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. A great smile, whether cheeky or kind
2. Expressive eyes
3. Masculinity, minus the macho

THREE OF YOUR FAVOURITE HOBBIES:
1. Photography
2. Journaling
3. Reading

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Click my fingers and make my eBay pile sold already
2. Figure out my Christmas gift list, so that I can get it out of the way
3. Book a flight in a hot air balloon

THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING/YOU’VE CONSIDERED:
1. Teacher
2. Interior designer
3. Photographer

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Tuscany
2. Ecuador
3. Maine/Vermont

THREE KIDS’ NAMES YOU LIKE:
1. Nathan
2. Anna
3. Emily

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Travel
2. Raise a family
3. Leave a legacy through something creative

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY LIKE A GIRL:
1. I love shoes and makeup
2. I’m sensitive and intuitive
3. Jewellery is the way to my heart

THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY LIKE A BOY:
1. I can totally appreciate a great set of boobs
2. I will stop mid-sentence to watch a Bonds underwear commercial
3. I believe that some questions can only be answered properly with a really loud burp.

Feel free to join in the fun by answering these questions on your blog, or leave me a comment!

Terry Tate: Reading is Fundamental

Elizabeth October 20th, 2008

Sarah Palin’s interview with Katie Couric, as you’ve never seen it before!

That will never, ever stop being funny.

‘It’s over’: bookies pay Obama bets

Elizabeth October 18th, 2008

Ireland’s major betting company Paddy Power is so sure that Barack Obama will win the US presidential election next month that it paid out more than 1 million euros ($A2 million) on pro-Obama bets today.

US Presidential hopefuls McCain and Obama may have saved the best till last, but analysts call it a tie favouring Obama.

“We declare this race well and truly over and congratulate all those who backed Obama - your winnings await you,” said a company spokesman, who is also named Paddy Power.

The company explained it was paying out early to reward its customers and acknowledge the inevitable.

Power said the company had been taking “one-way traffic for Obama since the start of the summer”.

The biggest winner: Someone who gambled 100,000 euros ($A206,000) and collected 150,000 ($A310,000).

The most visionary: A 50 euro ($A103) bet placed in 2005 that, because Obama was rated a 50-to-1 no-hoper at the time, paid out 2,550 euros ($A5,275).

Uplifting news care of The Age

Check out this interesting site, If The World Could Vote. The results page is a thing of beauty.

Oh. My. God.

Elizabeth October 18th, 2008

A few weeks ago I realised that my dog, once fluffy and adorable, had begun to resemble a woolly mammoth. It had been six months since his last haircut, and he was starting to feel the heat with Spring suddenly hitting. The time had come.

Normally, I’d give him a haircut myself. The average “terrier cut” always makes him look a bit weird, so I normally just take care of it myself. This time though, I decided that he needed a whole lot of re-shaping by a professional groomer so that his haircut grew out nicely.

I regularly pass Laundrymutt on Bridge Rd, and decided to give them a try. I had to wait almost 3 weeks for an appointment, but decided it was worth waiting for a really nice haircut.

Today was the day. I took a “before” shot of the grizzly bear before we left:

Harry

Then I loaded him into my hand luggage, and called us a cab:

Once we arrived, I had a lengthy discussion with the groomer. Short ears, keep his front feet nice and long to keep the white bits, keep his cheeks a bit chubby and scissor-cut his legs so that they don’t look like sticks. I even provided pictures, such as this little number:

Tim went to pick him up a few hours later, and sent me an SMS on their trip home. “Oh my God,” he said, “you will not recognise him”.

Apparently, this is the closest approximation of that photo that the groomer was able to come up with:

I think that Harry senses my disappointment in his appearance. It might be the way that I just stared blankly at him for an hour straight, as though he was an alien that had fallen from the sky. Or maybe it is because I assured him that we would use an old photo in the “free to a good home” ad.

(Hopefully, he didn’t hear me asking Tim, “Can we please buy a new one now?”.)

Poor little animal. Let’s hope he doesn’t see his reflection any time soon.

Palin flowchart

Elizabeth October 4th, 2008

So close!

Elizabeth October 4th, 2008

Their ETA isn’t until Wednesday, but I won’t be surprised if my new Mac is delivered on Monday. I have just about broken my F5 refreshing the TNT tracking page over the past few days!

04 Oct 2008 08:26:31 Melbourne Shipment Received At Destination Depot.
03 Oct 2008 13:10:41 Sydney Shipment In Transit.
02 Oct 2008 11:59:31 Hong Kong Shipment In Transit.
02 Oct 2008 03:44:00 Shenzhen Shipment In Transit.
02 Oct 2008 02:45:39 Shenzhen Shipment In Transit.
02 Oct 2008 02:41:12 Shenzhen Shipment Collected From Sender.

Just had to share the excitement with somebody. Don’t forget to leave me a comment with your software and website suggestions - I’m finding them so useful!

Hey America: Don’t vote!

Elizabeth October 3rd, 2008

Palin’s Facebook page

Elizabeth October 3rd, 2008

Click to view the fullsize version, it’s worth it! With big thanks to Sophia.

Attention: all Mac nerds

Elizabeth October 2nd, 2008

Shipped on: 01/10/2008 via TNT INTERNATIONAL EXPRESS
Tracking #: 123456789

IMAC 24/SD CTO

Custom Configuration
3.06GHZ INTEL CORE 2 DUO
2GB 800MHZ DDR2 SDRAM - 2×1GB
ATI RADEON HD 2600 PRO W/256MB
500GB SERIAL ATA DRIVE
APPLE MIGHTY MOUSE
WIRED KYBD & USER’S GUIDE-X
COUNTRY KIT,IMAC 24-AUS

Delivers: 08/10/2008

My beautiful new imac is on its way! It’s currently sitting in Shenzhen, and will arrive next Wednesday. I am so excited that I don’t know how I’m going to wait a week!

Help me to dull the impatience by telling me about your favourite Mac software and websites. I need stuff to read, otherwise I am likely to just run to Shenzen and get it myself.

Leave me a comment with your recommendations!

Update: Now it’s in Hong Kong!