September 26, 2007

Lately I've been downloading music that I used to listen to a million years ago, or so it seems. Music helps me focus on a particular scene that I might be writing at the time which needs a certain background note to it, whether it to be a crucial turning point to a character through losing a loved one, or being separated from a life that they once knew so well, or just a simple scene which I am having difficulty bringing to life from my head to the keyboard. When I need to bring some type of emotion forth, there is always a song I can listen to which will inspire me. And lately all I have wanted to do is write. On the way home I will have the stereo blasting whilst I play and replay scenarios inside my head and when I stop, all I want to do is to write them all down. If money wasn't an option and I had enough to get buy, I'd be a writer full time. It's one of the few dreams that has stuck so true within me and I just don't feel like I have enough time to explore it.

September 18, 2007

The nice thing about living in the hills is the fact that it is always a few degrees cooler than it is in the city and you definitely notice the difference if you have your window wound down when you begin to climb the mountain. When we first moved out here it was in the middle of Summer and as humid as Hades unfortunately. Fortunately for us though we didn't feel much of it except when it was still outside and no breeze could be conjured up no matter how much we cursed pleaded to the skies above. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a verandah in the near future though because having somewhere cool to sit on a hot afternoon is a definate. It would also do nicely to have somewhere to entertain guests. Well after we do some renovating, add on an extra room and build a shed. Maybe then we can have a verandah.

Not much longer now and I'll be on holidays (nine work days left to be exact) and I have no idea what I will be doing in this two weeks I have asked to be away but as long as it means I won't be at work, I don't much care. It will probably be utter chaos for me when I return but isn't that normal?

September 15, 2007

Aafter browsing through old folders, I came across a few random photos that I pulled off my camera that never did get published, like I previously promised. Like for instance the piece of dragonfly artwork I purchased, and I also wanted to show off this gorgeous fan I received from Japan, probably the last gift I will see from there (long story) and of course pictures of Zac and Richard, my adorable family, enjoying the outdoors.

September 15, 2007

Are you ever nice to someone at work only because you have to interact with them on a daily basis? I'm not usually the sort, if I don't like a person I sort of avoid them and if I have to speak to them, it's half hearted so they get the hint to leave me alone, but it's different when this occurs where you work because you just never know who's ear they might have, like for instance the boss, and so I've counter acted all my hostility these days to being overly nice and sickingly sweet to whoever rubs me up the wrong way. In private however I carry on with the usual eye-rolling and the wishing to eye gouge their sockets out.

EBA negotations have ended. The company refuses to bend anymore to our whims and have refused to negoiate any further. Like us they know this will have to end at some point. I must admit I didn't fair too bad out of the whole deal because the company decided to bring my pay up so that it more reflects the work that I do, least that is what I am hoping it means. The rest of the workers in our department didn't get anything special other than a pay rise with some benefits. It's not all bad but the pay rise could have been a little bit sweeter is all.

I've taken to playing the music in my car as loud as I possibly can stand before my driving is effected. It's deeply satifying having the stereo cranked to a favourite song whilst driving the long way home and entertaining I am sure to all the other drivers who get to witness a crazy girl bopping along to the beat.

September 02, 2007

Before anyone else had jumped on the 'save the environment' band wagon, I was turning off appliances at the wall, turning the lights off when a room was not being used and forever nagging The Beloved to follow my example and to do the same. Not because I wanted to do my little bit to help reduce carbon emissions into the earths atmosphere– although this is now a bonus – but because I was tired of looking at our electricity bill after a 3 month supply and wondering how on earth does one use close to three hundred dollars in electricity when they are only home at night and on the weekends. It bothered me enormously so now, before I leave in the mornings, I go around and turn off all the appliances which don't need to be in standby mode. It's turned into such a regular routinue now that I don't even have to remind myself to do it and it's reduced our electricity bill enormously.

However, Ergon (our electricity company) is going to raise it's rates by 11%, as approved by the government. I'm not sure exactly what this will mean for us just yet, apart from the fact that I will be receiving less of a saving on my electricity bill I am sure, but we won't know the full effects till November, when I receive our next quarterly bill in the mail.

Between reading about rising interest rates (which dont effect us yet), rising food costs (which does effect us) and our failing public health system (which effects everyone) I am beginning to really dislike the government who is running this country and who is obviously misusing my tax money. I'm tired of reading about farmers battling to stay afloat because they aren't paid enough money for their produce and not because I don't care but because I do care and yet even with media support, the government does nothing but keeps allowing foreign imports into our market which in turn hurts our local farmers, and then they turn the other cheek and give themselves a pay rise.

All of us Australians need to become smarter by doing our part to be less reliant on supermarkets by either growing our fruit and vegies or buying local produce, by using the sun's energy and storing the energy to power all our gadgets around our homes and having a few rainwater tanks, so we use less water that goes through pipelines that goverments and councils tax.

We as a country have been far too laid back and lazy for far too long.