The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs

I had great notions about working through my stack of books this summer in an elegant, lazy fashion; imagine my lovely hammock, a long, cool drink, and casually reading another book every few days. Well, I've finished my first, but in quite different circumstances. Being sick in bed has had only one advantage: quality reading (and sleeping) time!

I saw The Friday Night Knitting Club (2007), by Kate Jacobs, in an airport bookshop earlier this year and added it to my 'to read' list. It's a classic tale of a group of women, who would normally have led very different lives, being brought together by a common interest, each seeking something different. One thing I like about crafts or other activities is the way they often seem to draw together an eclectic group of individuals, very much like the friends we have made through dancing. I hope to do the same thing with my yet-to-be-started ukulele orchestra.

Well-written, The Friday Night Book Club is an easy, pleasant read. It sometimes threatens to create caricatures of a few characters, but generally they are well-rounded, warm and believable. I will look forward to following up with the sequel, Knit Two (2008), which is set five years after the first story ends.

Super Size Me

Tonight, I finally watched Super Size Me (2004), Morgan Spurlock's documentary about his attempt to eat nothing but McDonald's meals for 30 days. While Spurlock acknowledges that it was never recommended, nor suggested, that consumers eat McDonald's for every meal of every day, this was nevertheless a fascinating experiment.

The segments on the teenage girls who were trying to sue McDonald's for becoming obese were truly mind-blowing; their parents are either very opportunist, or their lawyer even more so. Who lets their child become like that?? While I agree that the power of advertising makes some people more vulnerable than others to certain products (just look at the influence of cigarette and alcohol advertising over the years), there comes a time when individuals have the ability to make choices for themselves. This goes for parents, too.

A couple of key words and phrases kept resonating throughout this documentary. The first is: personal responsibility, ie when are people going to start taking some? The other word is: moderation. Our bodies will largely forgive us even the worst of punishments we can inflict upon ourselves for a while (drugs, alcohol, over-exertion, food - or lack thereof) but, eventually, enough is enough. Why don't our brains catch up with this message and stop people before it's too late? Or is it just easier and more convenient to blame others for our woes?

Christmas roundup

So, the big day has come and gone, and summer remains here in Wellington. (Well, perhaps not all of today, but we had summer yesterday and it was great!) It has been a busy few days and nights.

This morning, my sweetie and I were talking about New Year's resolutions; neither of us make them. One reason why I started the 101 goals in 1001 days project is that I believe one can make changes in their life at any time. I also like the time frame of 1001 days; long enough to achieve some medium term goals, enjoy some short term goals, and also start working towards some long term goals at the same time. So, here is a quick roundup of the past few days:

• I got my purple ukelele and am now on my way to goal #92. It has already had the desired effect; everyone who has picked up my ukulele has done so with a smile on their face. I've managed to retrieve the four guitar chords I learned about 12 years ago and translate them to the ukulele. I'm nearly ready to start my orchestra! ;-)
  
  
• My sweetie bought me a double Mexican hammock for Christmas. He has put it up in his backyard between the garage and house and I spent an hour yesterday lying in the sun reading a book. Absolute bliss.
  
  
• I made two batches of chocolate brownies and they both went down a treat. Yum!
  
  
• I was running late with my Christmas baking, so my sweetie ended up making the mini Christmas puddings to take to our friend's on Christmas Eve. He certainly knows how to impress a crowd!
  
  
• I now have a big pile of books to read over summer, after a library visit on Christmas Eve, a Christmas present, and borrowing a few more from my sweetie's family. I have only just managed to scrape by with goal #1 this year; hopefully the summer holidays will help get me back on track.
  
  
• Despite all her planning and preparation for my nephew's first Christmas, including cooking up a storm, Mum unfortunately missed it due to a terrible stomach bug. She was sent home from work on Christmas Eve, staying there for a few days and unable to eat or drink. My brother and I now both have the same bug and it is NASTY! I haven't managed to get up at all today except to be sick. :-(
  
  
• The Boxing Day sales were crazy beyond belief! Not a shopper, my sweetie and I were amazed at the crowds which had gathered at the shops - busier than before Christmas, even! Admittedly, we also joined them briefly, but were home as soon as we could after buying my bike (see below). So much for a recession ...
  
  
• Instead of just riding a bike (#94), I went one better and bought one. I got an amazing deal from Super Cheap Auto - a brand new bike with disc brakes and suspension for $NZ169. Knowing that there was limited stock at each store, we were the first customers there on Boxing Day. All that remains now is to find a purple helmet (yes, it does need to be purple) and I'll be able to start riding daily. Well, that's the theory ...
  
  
• There is talk of having Christmas next year with family on the Chatham Islands. We'll see ...
  
  
• Goal #48 - see all of the above. There are many things I have to be happy and thankful for (apart from being sick), and I am!
  

Breakfast at sunrise

Yesterday was the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, and the summer solstice. Today, summer well and truly arrived. It is the perfect summer's day today: warm, sunny, clear sky, with the gentlest breeze. I love the time around dawn, when the promise of a new day breaks and all is quiet and calm while the world is bathed in glorious colours. Unfortunately, I'm not a morning person, and thankfully neither is my sweetie, so I don't often get to experience these moments.

This morning, my sweetie and I woke up at 5am, packed up a picnic breakfast, and drove across town to watch the sunrise. Wellington is special in that you can see the sun both rise and set over water, and only a ten minute drive away from each other. We knew we had to be there by around 5.45am to catch the sun coming up over the south coast. Today's goal had a bit more significance, though, and I had someone special to complete it with: #35 - Watch the sun rise.

We were celebrating watching the sunrise (kind of) exactly one year ago, except last year we didn't get up early for it. Instead, we hadn't made it home from a Christmas party the night before. Let's just say that Santa was good to me in 2007 and I got the best present for Christmas: my sweetie!

I was very spoilt (again) this morning; these were hiding in my sweetie's car overnight:

I have now finished work for the year. I have a project to complete once someone sends me the content, and will potter away at it gradually, but I am looking forward to the next 2 1/2 weeks like you wouldn't believe. I went to the library this afternoon and am now armed and ready for the holidays. We are going out for dinner tonight. Life is good.

Happy anniversary, sweetie. xxx ooo

Jumping in puddles

We had another great weekend away. This time, it coincided with my sweetie's final motorsport event for the year. We left in the race car on Saturday afternoon and stayed with friends of his in Marton. (Yes, Marton.) They bought a lifestyle block a few months ago, with plans of renovating the house, planting a vege garden, and raising some cattle. We were introduced to their ten calves, hand-raised from four days old and four of whom had names, therefore probably won't be destined for their freezer. Ahh, country life.

Sunday morning and we were up early(ish), heading to Feilding(!) for the first of the day's events to begin. I know what you're thinking: how could we handle the excitement of two small rural towns in one weekend? ;-)

Both events were held at Manfeild, on different sides of the park. The first was an autocross, which coincided with the rain that threatened overnight. And so it rained. And got sloshy and wet for a bit. At least it was relatively warm and not too windy.

In the afternoon, the event moved to the track on the other side of the park. That's when the sun started coming out sporadically. When the rain finally went away, it left some huge puddles that were begging to be jumped in and sloshed through. How could anyone resist a sight like this? And what better way to let loose the inner child in us all?


And so I did it: #33 - Jump in a puddle. I also sloshed, skimmed, and stomped a bit for good measure. Next time I'll wear gumboots and make a bigger job of it. Running jumps, here I come! ;-)

What crappy Christmas gift are you?

... cos it's the season for them.

You are a Christmas sweater!

Over the top, colorful, and totally flashy. You're not afraid to be a little tacky.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

Wow, tacky and flashy! Not everyone gets called that on a Monday morning ... :-P

Go on, try it for yourself and let us know your results. Ho &%$# ho!
http://www.blogthings.com/whatcrappychristmasgiftareyouquiz/

Strawberries

December is strawberry season in New Zealand. I just can't get enough of them at the moment. They are so perfectly ripe and delicious, and incredibly yummy eaten on their own, sprinkled with icing sugar, dipped in chocolate, or drenched in limoncello. My sister-in-law ate so many strawberries while she was pregnant this time last year; I think she was pleased with how well the timing of her move to the southern hemisphere worked out. ;-)

Apparently strawberries are a superfood, and amongst one of the 20 best foods for health. Great news! I know they will double in price next week for Christmas (how cruel!), so I am enjoying my daily fix while I can. Yum!

Iris and the Friends - John Bayley

Earlier this year, I read the first part of the Iris trilogy, written by her husband, John Bayley. Iris and the Friends (1999) is the second book in this trilogy. More contemplative and reflective in style, this book is a mixture of childhood memories (Bayley's) and a more insightful look at life with Dame Iris Murdoch during her final couple of years, as Alzheimer's disease truly set in and manifested within her.

The 'friends' are not people, as such; instead, they are the personification of various symptoms of Alzheimer's. Bayley likened these symptoms to 'friends' who would visit from time to time and, on occasion, some would stay longer than others. Before the final, most difficult months, some of the friends were considered a reassuring part of the disease, returning for a while before being replaced by another. The friends visited in different orders, and not necessarily within rhyme nor reason.

These kinds of tales are more endearing than any romance athor could ever dream up; the ongoing compassion and love shown by Bayley as he cared for his wife right until the end of a difficult and tragic illness is beyond anything these stories try to portray. Bayley was honest: there were times when he lost his patience, got angry and shouted at Iris who, in turn, sat looking at him expectantly, and seemingly appeared not to notice his frustration. Then, he was back to it again, ever-patient and caring. Amazing.

I hope to read the final book in the trilogy, Widower's House (2001) over the summer break.

It's A Wonderful Life

I've been told that It's A Wonderful Life (1946) is the perfect movie classic to watch at Christmas time. In the midst of all the fuss and headaches of what Christmas has become, it's good to be reminded about what's really important in life; how we act does not always show this. Enter goal #52 - Watch It's A Wonderful Life at Christmas time.

The movie centres around George Bailey, whose ambitions and dreams of travelling and seeing the world are constantly postponed due to one 'situation' or another. George watches others living his own dreams and stays behind in his home town, constantly putting others before himself and slowly becoming more resentful along the way. Everything finally goes belly-up one Christmas Eve, and along comes George's guardian angel, who needs to show George just how much his life has affected all those around him, and what life would have been like if he had never been born.

Lessons and reminders:

• Always keep sight of your dreams. Even if they seem impossible to pursue, and things get in the way, don't forget them.
• There are good people in the world. Seek them out and stick by them; they will do the same for you.
• Greed is all around us, but good can prevail. Make the right choices and decide what's important to you; it might not be what you think. Money isn't everything.
  
• Take some time to appreciate friends and family; they might not be there or wait around forever. There's only so much those closest to you can endure.
  
• Never underestimate the effect you, or your life, has on others, even those you don't know.

Retrospective mini-golf

I realised, as I was looking through my list of 101 goals, that I'd inadvertently completed one of the activities without realising it - several times, in fact! #27 - Play mini golf; I can retrospectively tick this off my list. Wow, if only some of the others were that simple.

While we were on holiday on the Gold Coast, we spent a morning playing mini golf at Putt Putt. It seems to be something we do while we're away; we've had fun on the mini golf courses in Nelson and Hanmer Springs, and keep meaning to play at one not far from home ... yet never quite make it there.

There are three courses at Putt Putt and we started out on the jungle trail. They have the cutest animal sculptures hidden in and around the course:

Next up, it was the waterways course, and finally the fun run, which was undergoing maintenance when we first arrived. The settings for each course are gorgeous and the grounds are really well maintained. It turns out I scored the bonus hole in one for the day, giving me a discount next time we play there, but that's unlikely given we live in New Zealand ...

And the result? That's not important. (OK, my sweetie won, and by quite a bit.) It's great fun in the sun.

Marlborough wine tasting

On 6-7 December, a group of about ten friends got on the morning ferry from Wellington to Picton, then on to Blenheim for an overnight stay. A friend of ours is a climate consultant for a number of vineyards in Marlborough's wine growing region, and had suggested we join him for a weekend of wine tasting at some of the wineries he consults for. Great idea!

As a non-drinker, I was still keen to go along and enjoy the experience. Bubbly Grape Wine Tours were our hosts for the afternoon. Our driver informed us that there are 101 wineries in Blenheim. Given how tiny Blenheim is, that is a huge number! We had four chosen for us to visit. Given that it's been about four years since I stopped drinking alcohol (and hardly drank much before then anyway), here is my uneducated opinion of the wines we tasted.

First stop was at Wither Hills. Their tasting room building features stunning architecture, a lovely cellar, and the most comfy bean bags you can imagine right on their front lawn! If we didn't have other wineries to go to, some of us might have finished our afternoon right there. Our host explained some of the nuisances of the wines they produced and we got to sample a selection.

• 2008 sauvignon blanc - this had a passionfruit taste and was incredibly yummy. I didn't realise it at the time, but it was my favourite wine of the day.
• 2008 Rarangi sauvignon blanc - this is the same sav, but only using the harvest from a specific vineyard (Rarangi). It had quite a lemongrass taste, and I didn't enjoy it as much as the first sav, but friends liked it and bought a bottle, their first of many.
• 2008 pinot gris - this is the only aromatic wine I usually enjoy.
• 2007 chardonnay - I found this quite oaky in taste.
• 2006 pinot noir - this had quite distinctive cherry and plum flavours.

Cloudy Bay was our next destination. Most people recognise Cloudy Bay as having a widely-accepted good name; its name is synonymous with quality. I can see why: pure class, all the way. This is the selection that greeted us upon arrival:

Wow. Ten miniature glasses of wines, all laid out, with water at the end, and a printed list. Our host was Australian, with questionable pronunciation of Maori words (at best), but she was very knowledgeable about the wines Cloudy Bay had produced. Here's their selection:

• Pelorus NV - Pelorus is the sparkling wine label for Cloudy Bay and features the Pelorus dolphin insignia. This non-vintage bubbly was very fruity, and I think someone in our group bought a bottle or two.
• Pelorus Vintage 2004 - this had a more subtle flavour (and also made a sale or two).
• 2008 sauvignon blanc - this was also very fruity and delicious. My pick from Cloudy Bay.
• 2005 Te Koko - this was a more subtle sav, named for the region. Not quite as tasty for me.
• 2006 chardonnay - I found this really oaky. Not sure I could finish a glass of this one.
• 2007 pinot gris - this was the standout pinot gris of the day for me. Delicious!
• 2005 riesling - this was incredibly sweet.
  
• 2006 Gewurztraminer - I wasn't keen on the oily texture of this wine.
• 2006 pinot noir - this was light and quite pleasant to taste.
• 2004 late harvest riesling - I couldn't cope with this; it was far too sickly sweet for me, so only made one sip. My friend bought a bottle, though, and finished our samples, too, along with everyone's leftover bubblies ...

Our third winery was Nautilus Estate. We were given a tour around part of the vineyard and found out a lot about the process of commercial wine making and the importance of frost protection. A decent frost can set a vineyard back 3-4 years overnight!

Nautilus's alternative label is Twin Islands. Apparently most wineries have an alternative label of B-grade wine (although some, like Cloudy Bay, only allow A-grade wine to be accepted) and each vintage is tasted and assessed by samplers who determine whether or not it is fit for sale under their label. Some which don't make the grade are sent to other wineries for bottling and branding under a generic label, and the really bad stuff gets discarded.

• 2008 sauvignon blanc - we got to pour ourselves some of this straight out the vat. It was unfiltered, so quite cloudy, and containing some impurities like seeds and pith. It tasted really fruity and was much-enjoyed by our group. Lovely!
  
• 2008 chardonnay - this was very subtle in flavour and my favourite chardonnay of the day. We got to drink it straight out of the barrels, poured from a large syringe.
  
• 2008 pinot noir - a very smooth flavour, and my favourite pinot noir of the day. Way to go, Nautilus! Again, sampled directly from the barrels and poured from a syringe.
  
• 2008 pinot noir clone - the cloning process was explained, but I don't recall most of it. This clone had a stronger taste than the original pinot noir. Neither will be ready for bottling for another year or so (I think!).
• Twin Islands pinot noir chardonnay - this is a sparkling wine. I enjoyed its light taste.
• Nautilus cuvee brut - and the sparkling just kept getting better. This was my bubbly pick of the day. Yummy!
  
• Twin Islands 2007 pinot noir - very light in taste and delicious.
  

Our final stop for the day was Fairhall Downs. They are a bit further off the beaten track and very much a family affair. They opened their cellar especially for our group. (It pays to know the right people.) Fairhall Downs Estate is set amongst rolling grounds, and with the sun at just the right angle it was the perfect way to end our day of wine tasting. Their alternative brand is Torea, or 'barbeque wine', as our host explained.

• Torea 2008 sauvignon blanc - very fruity 'barbeque wine', ie its purose is not necessarily to be the toast of the town.
• 2008 sauvignon blanc - this was far more subtle than the Torea, and I preferred its flavour.
• 2008 pinot gris - this was partly hand-harvested, which is unusual for white wines. The taste wasn't particularly memorable for me.
• 2007 chardonnay - also not very memorable; I'm not sure why.
• 2007 pinot noir - a bit too oaky for me, but friends bought a bottle. Overall, I enjoyed Fairhall Downs wines less than those we tasted at other wineries.
  

I learned a lot over the weekend. If you are planning on doing a wine trail yourself, I'd highly recommend booking ahead and asking for a tasting for your group. While many wineries will accommodate people off the street, the ones who were expecting us gave us really interesting tours and were better equipped to deal with groups, and they were all free. Keep an open mind, even if you think you only like certain types of wines. I was surprised how the sauvignon blancs ended up being my favourites, as I'd switched to chardonnay several years ago (before stopping drinking at all). We're keen to try another tour, either in the same region or closer to home in the Wairarapa or Hawkes Bay. It also pays to bring someone 'in the know', if you can; we think our connections helped at Cloudy Bay. ;-)

An almost perfect weekend (I would have liked my sweetie to have been able to join us), and what I thought was a near-impossible goal was achieved: #83 - Have a computer-free weekend (all of Sat/Sun).

Christmas cheer

We are going to a birthday barbeque shortly. Being the festive season, I thought I'd have a go at making sweet Christmas puddings.

They are unbelievably easy to make. There is a recipe of sorts here, but basically you just melt some white chocolate, then stick in a jaffa and two spearmint leaves to make the shape of holly.

I'm not sure whether you can get mallowpuffs or jaffas outside of New Zealand or Australia, but there must be something similar you can use. I bought a whole bag of spearmint leaves (lollies) thinking I would use one for each holly leaf; I cut them in half, then half again, so now I have plenty left over to use again when we go out on Christmas Eve. Green jubes would also work. Yum!

Getting to know others at Christmas

Here's another meme of sorts, this time with a Christmas theme ... you know the deal: Café Chick reveals all, then you follow suit. As always, 'stolen' from another great blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper, although I often use gift bags for friends if I'm taking a gift to a Christmas party.

2. Real tree or artificial?Real pine, all the way. We always had one in our home growing up and there's something about the smell of pine, and all the pine needles getting stuck in the carpet, that signifies Christmas for me. Our family had an artificial tree last Christmas; we haven't thought far enough ahead to know what will happen this year!

3. When do you put up the tree?Sometime during the week before Christmas, depending on whether it will be a real tree and if we can find a suitable fresh one.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Early January. Depending on how fresh it is when it goes up (and how early we got it), it sometimes makes it until 6 January.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Never tasted it, but am keen to try, if anyone knows a good recipe ...

6. Favourite gift received as a child?
A double swing set when I was five. I'll never forget the thrill of opening the back door and seeing it set up on the lawn. We played on it until we outgrew the swings years later.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Geez, where do I start? Probably my brother: Mr Practical. If it doesn't have a direction function or use that immediately relates to his life here and now, he's not interested. Some may say that would make it easy to buy for him; perhaps, but it doesn't allow for much creativity.

8. Do you have a nativity scene?
No, but I loved them as a child. (Never had one then either.)

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail two to the UK because theirs always arrive in early December (and I haven't sent theirs yet). Email a few. Facebook will hopefully do the rest.

10. Favourite Christmas movie?
I'll always remember A Christmas Story (1983), from when I was young. Who couldn't love Ralphie in his ever-determined quest for a BB gun?

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Hmm, when is the week before Christmas? I think it's coming soon ...

12. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?Maybe ... ;-)

13. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas?
I don't know how to write it in Italian. It's our version of Christmas mince, with a hard pastry, sultanas, nuts, and other assorted goodies.

14. Lights on the tree?
Yes, definitely. Delicate, coloured, and sometimes flashing.

15. Favourite Christmas song?
I love the original tune for Away in a Manger. As for pop Christmas songs, The Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy's Christmas always brings a smile to my face, even after playing it with my band for ten Christmases in a row.

16. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Always at home at my parents' place, and in recent years we've joined extended family afterwards for lunch. Always.

17. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Maybe not all twelve, but I could probably get eight ... and I'm sure I can name all of the seven dwarves. Does that count?

18. Angel on the tree top or a star? I think we've had both over the years. Either is fine.

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Always on Christmas morning at my parents' place. This is usually followed by chocolate for breakfast (because someone always gives someone else chocolate), real Italian coffee and an Italian Christmas sweet.

20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The craziness of what has become 'Christmas'. I raise an eyebrow (or more) at people who profess to love Christmas and everything about it, yet say they are not religious at all. Why bother, then?

21. Favourite ornament theme and colour? Probably silver with white fairy lights.

22. Favourite for Christmas dinner? Homemade ravioli. Being Italian, we've never done the 'traditional' Christmas dinner. In fact, I was in my mid-twenties before I'd even tasted turkey! No great loss ...

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? A purple ukulele. ;-)

24. Who is most likely to respond to this? Others who read my blog and are also suckers for quizzes (just like me!).

25. Who is least likely to respond to this? My sweetie. :-P

Your turn ...

Ukulele girl

I've been a good girl this year. ;-)
I've decided what I want Santa (or anyone else) to bring me. Are you ready for it ...?

I want a ukulele. A purple one, naturally. (Pineapples and coconuts optional.)

I've decided to replace one of my 101 in 1001 goals. I'm not sure whether I'll be needing to use a graphics editor in my future career (whatever that may be), and I wasn't overly inspired to get into Photoshop Elements like I'd promised myself. But I know I'll always be wanting to smile, and I've been assured that no-one can possibly play a ukulele without smiling. Ukulele orchestras are all the rage at the moment. Sounds good to me!

So now I have a replacement goal: #92 - Learn to play the ukulele. I can't wait! :-)

Wandering down (video) memory lane

I'm not a big tv/video/movie fan. My idea of an ongoing nightmare would be being made to watch episodes of Funniest Home Videos, or the cutesy-pie videos which get emailed to me by my aunt. Still, here are a couple that I do like and have on my hard drive. I thought I'd share them with you and hopefully make you smile. :-)

(And, before anyone asks, I don't have copyright or permission to use them ... but I'm not claiming them as my own either.)

How Italians tell the time



Sooooo very southern Italian. I love it!

Greek construction workers



This one came out in the lead-up to the Athens Olympic Games, when there were concerns that the stadium might not be finished in time.

IT history



This one is for anyone who has ever had to be in a training role, be it in ICT or another field, and have tried their best to remain patient even in the most frustrating circumstances!

Proof the Irish discovered Africa



These fellas dance better than a lot of people I know, and they come cheap, too - just $5 each and a bunch of bananas!

Enjoy :-)

Famous failures

I know this is not a very positive title, but I came across this video today. I'm feeling a bit like I'm on the cusp on this, although I'm not pretending in any way that my current predicament is on the same scale.

The byline reads: "Don't be put off achieving your destiny, even if you have experienced failure in your life. This video mentions well known people who had failed, but kept pressing on until they became successful." I know I'm not 'failing'; I have actually achieved quite a lot and enjoyed many successes in my career. It's just good to be reminded that others have also faced challenges, but still successfully navigated them.

Famous failures

What kind of reader are you?

Thanks to The Well Read Kitty, I have taken yet another online quiz that generates an embeddable HTML code for results! (Small pleasures ...)

This time, it's about one of my favourite subjects: books. Find out what kind of reader you are by taking this quiz.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I'm pleased to discover that Café Chick is neither a non-reader, nor a fad-reader. I think I have just enough book snob in me to be discerning about books, and I'm quite happy with the diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive bookworm and literate good citizen. Gosh! If only I had more time to read ...

So, how do you score? Take the quiz and leave a comment to let me know!

Christmas lights

I have just got home and noticed my neighbour's house. Every year, they are one of a few houses in the area who really go to town with decorating their home at Christmas. Christmas lights are growing in popularity here, but are not as big a tradition as other countries. I loved the streets full of beautiful lights when I was in the US just after Christmas several years ago. A few local families decorate their houses each year, and some have donation boxes collecting for local charities. A family friend put out a donation box a few years back and was surprised to find hundreds of dollars of donations building up during December; the wonderful thing is that anyone could have helped themselves to the money sitting there, but no-one did.

I took a quick photo using my mobile phone, but it doesn't really do the house justice. Still, I think it's pwetty and might go for a drive to other streets where I know the houses are lit up.

The Nutcracker

Christmas is coming. The shopping malls are playing cheesy Christmas muzak over and over, and it's only 4 December. (For the record, most of them are Christmas songs, not carols, but anyway ...) However, this also means that it's time to start listening to Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. Ahhh.

A Christmas ballet, it annoys me somewhat to hear Waltz of the Flowers, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Dance of the Toy Trumpets used to advertise cleaning products all year round. (I'm a purist; I can't help it and no longer apologise for it.) A delightful traditional children's story about Clara and various toys coming to life at Christmas time, the score also stands alone as a timeless and complete work on its own. I've yet to see a live performance of The Nutcracker but hope to change that one day.

I've had a traditional wooden German nutcracker since I was about 15, when all of our music group received one as thanks for playing for their Christmas concert. While it's a bit too small to crack actual nuts, it's one of my favourite ornaments.

I've been listening to The Nutcracker today while working, for the first time this Christmas season. I thought that listening to instrumental music would be a good way to take my mind off things at work, without the risk of getting myself caught up listening to lyrics. Turns out I was wrong, as I've really enjoyed listening to all the orchestra parts, but it's made me feel a lot better about some things. :-)

Summer days and nights

This is my favourite time of the year. Summer has officially started now, and we have been promised a good one this year. The silly season coincides with warm weather here in New Zealand, and there are Christmas parties and gatherings gradually filling up my diary. It has started well; we went away with a group of about 20 friends to Himatangi Beach, two hours north of Wellington, for the weekend. The weather was scorching hot and the sky was clear; perfect conditions for a relaxing time away.

We got into a bit of mischief on Saturday night. We had lots of marshmallows to toast after our barbeque at the campsite finished, so headed to the beach and climbed over the sand dunes, stopping on the way to collect large bits of driftwood. Yes: a bonfire! The driftwood was really dry and we quickly had a roaring fire for our marshmallows. Bliss.

It turns out that lighting open fires in the area is illegal, though. We knew there is a fire ban in cities, but this beach area is out of the way and no real risk. Well, that's what we explained when the volunteer fire brigade traipsed over the sand dunes saying that they were going to put our fire out along with the four they'd already done further up the beach that night. Apparently we needed a permit, and then could have lit one right on the beach at the high tide mark. Bureaucracy, geez! So, like going down with the Titanic, we stayed sitting on our deck chairs and watched our bonfire being put out by a grumpy firewoman (not even a hot fireman to keep us happy!). More than a little naughty, and even more than a little fun while it lasted. :-P

Last night, we had a girls' pamper night at a friend's place. Ok, so it was a Nutrimetics demonstration, and we all bought a few bits and pieces in time for Christmas, but the highlight of the evening was the girl talk which followed. Three of us finally said goodnight around 11pm (on a school night!), after solving the problems of the world. (Kind of.) Evenings like this are always so good for the soul. And what did we talk about? It's girl talk, sweetie, so don't bother asking!

Oh, and I saw the first of the new Goodnight Kiwi ads on tv tonight. For us over-25s, nothing will ever really beat the original Goodnight Kiwi, but it was great to see our old friend back in action on the small screen once again. I'm also looking forward to the other two ads in the series, one to be played between Christmas and New Year, and the other in January 2009.

All is good on summer days and nights like these. :-)

Café Chick turns 1!

It's been a year since Café Chick started blogging. On 28 November 2007, in a moment of weakness, I set up a blank canvas and wondered what I could write about, and whether I'd be able to maintain anything I started. Still slightly hungover from the pressures of blogging in my professional life, I decided this blog would be different: totally self-indulgent, and simply about things I like, dislike, or just felt like blogging about. And so, Tales from a Café Chick was born and Café Chick said hi.

During this past year, coffee buddies have come and gone; some pop in for the occasional sip, while others regularly join me for virtual coffee dates. I started my 101 in 1001 project and have enjoyed connecting with others also working towards achieving their lists of goals. Tales from a Café Chick has found an international audience, and I have never failed to get excited by the buzz from finding another little red dot appear on my Clustr map. Here's how my map looked at the end of last week:


The map was archived over the weekend; my lovely little red dots have all disappeared and now I have a blank slate once again. It's the start of a new blogging year. I hope you will continue to join me on my blogging journey and help repopulate my Clustr map. It's been great to have your company, and to also get to know so many others all around the world via glimpses into your own blogging lives. Here's to the blogosphere - long may it continue to connect people around the globe!

A stitch in time

This goal was a 'must do', rather than a 'want to do', and it's no surprise that a stitch in time might have saved the nine I did tonight (so to speak). We didn't go dancing, and for some reason I felt the desire to attack the minor mending pile. (Similar to my urge to purge last week, I'm guessing.) Here's what I fixed tonight:

• a ribbon on a keyhole top (not for the first time either)
• the cuff on a pyjama top (which I won't be using again until next winter, but at least now it's done)
• various patches on my wheat pack (ditto)
• a flowy chiffon skirt, which fell apart after only washing it a few times
• a negligee strap (ok, technically I did this one last week). I had only worn it a few times, too!

Here's hoping that's all for now, and that more items of clothing don't mysteriously fall apart in the next week while. Yay for goal #41 - Fix/sew up my clothes that need minor mending.

Paul McCartney - In Red Square

I've been loaned some music DVDs and am in the process of putting some onto my iPod, whenever Handbrake behaves itself.

One DVD I have particularly been looking forward to watching is Paul McCartney - In Red Square. Paul has always been my favourite Beatle (everybody's got to have one), although I firmly believe that The Beatles were strongest when they worked as a single unit, instead of as a group of individuals. Tonight, I sat down with Paul and was transported to the excitement of Russia, beneath the former Iron Curtain.

Wow, what a concert. Not only was it a wonderful celebration of Beatles and McCartney music, with the band staying faithful to the original keys and solos, but the commentary in between each song genuinely added to the full concert experience, rather than serving as a distraction. Despite the hype, there is no doubt that the influence The Beatles had on Russian youth rebellion was phenomenal, evident in the huge crowds at the concerts in Red Square and St Petersburg.

Nineteen songs are included in the first concert, with eleven played during in the second. Naturally, "Back in the USSR" made some repeat appearances, but I was also pleased to hear some of my favourites: "Penny Lane", "Got to Get You Into my Life", "Get Back", "Live and Let Die", and a rare performance of "She's Leaving Home".

Really enjoyable, if you're a Paul fan like me. I've added him to the list of musicians I'd try to see even if they only came to another New Zealand city.

Value every minute

I love this poem. It's so true and incredibly inspiring. The author is unknown, so I'll plagarise it here:

To realise the value of one year: Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realise the value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realise the value of one week: Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realise the value of one hour: Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realise the value of one minute: Ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realise the value of one second: Ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realise the value of one millisecond: Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

OK, enough of the sentimentality. Café Chick's motives here are actually quite cheeky ...

Yesterday, I experienced a twist to this poem. I was invited to a friend's daughter's christening. It wasn't exactly something I was looking forward to; their first daughter's christening had its share of family dramas, which I'm thankful are mostly resolved now, but that's not the reason I was hoping to wrangle out of the invitation.

I really wasn't looking forward to facing the judge, jury, or any other members of the So have you sorted your life out yet? No? Well, you should just ... otherwise it's all your own fault Squad. This honorary society was formed a number of years ago and is made up of mostly school-friends, along with a collection of other acquaintances, some of whom know my family (and barely know me), but each have in common one or more (or a clean sweep!) of the following (none of which I have):

• a husband
• child/ren
• a picket fence and matching lifestyle in suburbia.

I had already planned to get my sweetie off the hook by saying he was at motorsport that day. (I actually thought he was going to be, but kept to the story even after we realised he wasn't.) I was trying to manufacture a way to put in an appearance, then leave as soon as I could after the service. My 'reason' turned out to be genuine; I was all set for the christening at 3.30pm.

Except it started at 3pm. Arriving at what I thought was ten minutes early, I gritted my teeth and prepared myself to walk into the onslaught, only to find everyone vacating the church and heading downstairs to the hall for afternoon tea. The service had finished; apparently it went well. Hmm, now what to do?

I was naughty. I popped downstairs, chatted briefly to various people from the squad (as well as the baby's parents and grandparents), then said my goodbyes and quietly slipped out. So far, I don't think anyone realised I missed the actual service; they just seem to think they didn't see me at the church because I was sitting at the back, or something! Talk about the value of twenty minutes ...

And that's the way it's going to stay. ;-)

Tag!

I saw this on Sab's blog Seeds of the Heart and thought that she did a cheeky job at tagging by saying "If you read this, TAG! You're it!". But, Café Chick is a sucker for quizzes and things like this, so here goes.

15 things I'm not afraid to admit

1. I don't iron clothes unless I really really REALLY have to. I even buy clothes that don't require ironing especially.
2. I don't own a hair dryer. I don't care about hair products. Or makeup. I brought makeup away with me on holiday and forgot to use it. I often do that.
3. I love all things Disney. I don't care if it's for kids, or immature, or over-commercialised. To me, Disney is magical. (BTW, I always wanted to be Tinker Bell when I was a kid.)
4. I hate roller coasters or any speed/whoosh/spinny/whirly kind of ride at theme parks. I hate them.
5. I love ABBA, Michael Jackson, The Bee Gees, and feel-good disco music. I had a 70s disco theme party for my 30th and had everybody dress up for it, then danced the night away to music from the era.
6. I do cross-stitch embroidery of Victorian women/angels/fairies when I have the time. I have completed 20+ (not sure of the total) designs from the Mirabilia range.
7. I hate capsicums. Even the smell of them makes me sick. Red, green, yellow or orange. Euw. I can even taste when they have been included in a dish and then removed, so no use trying to sneak them up on me!
8. I love the colour purple. Always have, always will.
9. I had not one, but three imaginary friends when I was a kid. Shalagessy, Shack and Catha were great mates.
10. I am a huge Muppets fan. I have their wallpaper on my phone and Animal sings my txt ringtone (Mah Nah Mah Nah). Muppets rock!
11. I am an unashamed coffee snob. I don't drink coffee for a quick caffeine fix. Instead, I'd prefer to enjoy a really good cup of coffee occasionally, rather than settle for something cheap and nasty in the name of "needing a coffee". You don't need that crap; learn to be discerning!
12. I gave up drinking alcohol a few years ago. I will have an occasional glass of wine, cocktail, or sip of beer (once or twice a year), but don't miss alcohol at all. I'd never drunk much before then anyway. You can always count on me to be the sober driver!
13. I'm a night owl by nature, but have to work hard at establishing a sound sleeping routine so I can get up in the mornings for work. It's only marginally easier to do this in summer.
14. I always have a song doing the rounds in my head. Sometimes it's a good thing; often it's incredibly annoying having that earworm cohabiting my grey matter. The songs, or song fragments, change but certain ones have been known to visit over and over again. And again.
15. I like the idea of lists, being organised, devising systems, keeping papers in files, etc, but in reality admin bores me silly. Hence, I really need to be in the mood to devise a system and also need that mood to revisit when it's time to update/revise/add to it. After beating myself up about this personality trait for years, I think I'm finally getting over it; it's just who I am.

"Tag - you're it!"
(Hmm, will any coffee buddies take up this quiz on their own blog now?)

Give old clothes to charity

For a week of every year, I go through a phase of wanting to purge stuff. Anything will do; clothes, books, 'junk', work stuff, resources, etc. This phase usually lasts for one week, and one week only, often in January (during our summer holidays) and once that week is up, it's back to accumulating 'stuff' again until the next phase hits.

I missed my annual purge this year while I was travelling around the South Island, and simply didn't have the desire for it once I got back and into the swing of things at work. For some bizarre reason, I think I'm about to enter this phase early (or perhaps long overdue). It may be due to my contract not being renewed next year, and me needing to get things in order before I can move on. It's more likely related to the fact that I got to sleep at 5:15am today, after fretting the night away. Either way, I've made a small start on a few of my goals which relate to this 'phase'.

Today, I went through my wardrobe and filled a bag with clothes I no longer wear but are still in really good condition, ready to give away to St Vinnie's. I could probably do better, and may go through my drawers in a bit more depth, but it feels good to have made a start. I've put some items on TradeMe and might even tackle some of my bigger 'sorting' goals soon. But, in the meantime, that's another one done: #88 - Give old clothes to charity.

Update my CV

I have just found out that my contract will not be renewed in 2009. This is something which I knew might be a possibility, and is the reason why I set goal #97 - Keep CV up to date. Regardless, keeping a CV up to date is something I believe is important for everyone to do, even though my is never usually ready for that magical, overnight, 'million dollar offer' that might miraculously come along. Well, no time like the present!

I dug out my old CV and was quite surprised just how much I had on it, especially in comparison to some others. It's still really strange to see several years' work reduced to 3-4 lines each, and to summarise such a big part of one's life in just a few sentences. Hopefully there's enough substance there to grab a few bites and move me forwards in my career. Becoming quite specialised in a national position has many benefits, but also some pitfalls; where does one go from here?

So, now it's time to start door-knocking (virtually, of course) and hopefully capitalising on the professional networks I have built up in recent years. Who knows what the future holds?!

I sound braver than I am.

High Society

I am in a nostalgic mood tonight. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the moon, or something in the water? ;-)

I'm sitting at home watching High Society (1956) on TCM - something which has surprised even myself. I've started watching this movie before, but never finished it. I used to watch old black and white movies with my grandmother when I went to her house on Sunday afternoons as a child. I never really enjoyed them, and to this day can't remember one we watched, but very occasionally I feel like in the mood to reminisce and watch something from this era. I guess tonight's the night.

High Society stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly (in her last movie), and Frank Sinatra, all in their prime. There are some great musical interludes by Louis Armstrong and his band (playing as themselves). I didn't realise that this movie featured Cole Porter's song "Well, Did You Evah", sung by Crosby and Sinatra, so that was a nice surprise for me. It turns out the song was added at the last minute, once it was realised that there were no duets featuring the two artists singing together. Very enjoyable.

All in all, a pleasant and nostalgic evening.

Lie in a hammock

We got back from our holiday on Friday night and had a very lazy day on Saturday. Temperatures here are about 10 degrees Celsius lower than on the Gold Coast, but summer is definitely on its way. :-)

We went to a friend's housewarming barbeque last night. It was quite windy and cool, so we gave up eating outside. After dinner, my sweetie and our friend challenged each other to a swingball dual on the back lawn and, as the wind picked up even further, I discovered a piece of heaven in a sheltered corner of the back yard: a hammock tied between two branches of a big old tree. So, I achieved an impromptu goal tonight: #74 - Lie in a hammock. Ahhh. 15 minutes of bliss. :-)

Escape

Yesterday, we bought an Escape Pass. This allows entry to two theme parks over three days (a different franchise to Dreamworld). Both days started out the same way: cool and raining. I wasn’t too thrilled with either state, even after we stopped to buy cheap umbrellas. Rain and sun hit us sporadically over the next two days, quite different to the 32 degree heat we experienced during our first day on the Gold Coast.

Sea World
I really love Sea World in San Diego. (I should stop comparing, but I just can’t.) Sea World Gold Coast is a teensy tiny version of the real thing and probably takes about half a day to fully explore. Of course, we don’t have kids, so that could be part of the problem.

The underwater aquarium was great, and we shot a few movies. Here is a great one of a school of fish who constantly swam back and forth along the window from one end to another - it would make a great screen saver.



We also enjoyed watching a polar bear playing in the water with a stuffed toy:



The highlight of the day was the dolphin show, where five dolphins strutted their stuff and put on a fabulous display. If I had thought or known about it when planning our trip, I would have loved to book a session swimming with the dolphins; hopefully another time.

(BTW, we checked out Jupiter’s Casino tonight – finally! – and gave ourselves limits of $20 and 1 ½ hours each. After 20 minutes, we were ready to leave, with my sweetie blowing a full dollar on the 2c slot machines and me not finding the right change to do the same. Instead, we invested $2 each on a monorail ride and enjoyed overlooking a beautiful calm night in Broadbeach. We’re obviously not cut out for the gambling business, lol!)

Warner Brothers Movie World
We got to Movie World early, where my sweetie could be first in line for the Batwing Spaceshot and before most of the shops opened. Again, I found it really hard to not feel underwhelmed. (OK, I didn’t do so well with this today, but am trying to get over it.) The whole park is about the size of one ‘land’ in Disneyland or Universal Studios area. There are six rides (apart from the kiddies’ ones), and one was closed for refurbishment with another unavailable for part of the day. Being mostly speed/thrill rides, I found I had plenty of time to explore the whole park several times over. And over. Oh well. We enjoyed the Shrek 4D Adventure show, though.

Upon reflection, we think we did the theme parks in the wrong order. We’d recommend going to Sea World first, then Warner Brothers Movie World, finishing with Dream World. (We didn’t go to Wet 'N' Wild or Whitewater World, so can’t really comment.) And, most importantly, make sure you do the Gold Coast theme parks before hitting Anaheim/LA or Florida etc; it’s hard to not come away feeling underwhelmed.

Dracula's

Last night, we went to Dracula’s. Definitely worth the hype, cost, and time to book in advance, this show and dinner package was amazing. The current show is Beasts of Burlesque, featuring the weird wonders of circus life and freak shows. The costumes, makeup, comedy, and dancing are excellent.

The show takes place in two one-hour sections after a three course dinner. After a set entrée and choice of six mains, the highlight is, naturally, dessert: Death by Chocolate. There is constant table service and a great cocktail menu, with all of the waiting and bar staff also dressed up as Gothic freaks. The in-house trio played clever jazz arrangements of a whole range of music, and also joined the show later on. There was plenty of audience participation, and I’m just glad that we were sitting one table back from the centre catwalk, as that’s where most of the audience ‘victims’ were selected from. Hilarious!

If we’re back on the Gold Coast again, or in Melbourne, this is something we’d definitely go back to and also recommend to family and friends. Plan to make a whole night of it; this is 5+ hours of outstanding entertainment.

Tourists for a day

Today we were tourists, armed and ready with cameras, credit cards, and discount vouchers from travel guide books, but without the matching track suits, walk shorts and golf caps. ;-) We decided to knock off all the Surfer’s Paradise attractions in one go. First stop, though, was Pancakes in Paradise, especially for my sweetie, who is a pancake boy. $A8.95 for all you can eat pancakes and maple syrup and my sweetie was in paradise, managing to devour eight buttermilk pancakes before we moved on. My lemon and icing sugar crepes were divine, and I even manage to prise one of my sweetie’s buttermilk pancakes off his plate to try for myself.

We wandered around Surfer’s Paradise centre for a bit. There is a lot of construction work going on in and around the centre of this suburb, with luxury resorts as far as the eye can see and more on the way. It was quite overcast today and the cooler temperature was a welcome relief. We quickly popped into the Hard Rock Café to look around. There was a small range of memorabilia, with quite a few Australian artists (as expected), but nothing quite like the Melbourne or Los Angeles cafes I’d been to. We spent a couple of hours with someone trying to sell us luxury accommodation for the next 30 years in exchange for a ludicrous sum of money, all in the name of claiming a free week’s accommodation on the Gold Coast which we had ‘won’. (We’re still deciding what to do with this offer – it would be great to come back for another week.) No deal.

The highlight of our afternoon was Infinity, the home of optical illusions. The time sped by as we explored room after room of mirrored optical illusions, each time looking for the door to the next room. Very clever and lots of fun. Directly across the road is the Haunted House, run by Dracula’s. Five stories of scares and thrills and very clever special effects. The strange thing is that neither of us actually found it scary, even the Dare Doors, which were supposed to house the scariest features of all. Maybe we’re getting a bit too cynical (or technical?) in our old age?

A friend had recommended Cold Rock for ice cream. This is where you get to pick the flavours you want, add some ‘mix ins’ (which could be chocolates, confectionery, fruit, nuts, biscuits, or fudge), then watch the staff smash it all together on a ‘cold rock’ to make your very own flavour of ice cream. We tried English toffee and cookies ‘n cream ice cream with a Kit Kat and Tim Tam ... yum!

And, finally, we crossed over to the Wax Museum, the largest wax museum in the southern hemisphere. With memories of the now closed Movieland Wax Museum in Anaheim, I’d looked forward to this. Some of the characters were quite life-like; the others were less realistic. One of the models was one of three created by the famous Madame Toussaud of herself. We were surprised to be allowed to take photos in this area as we tried to overcome low lighting and glass panels. We then went down to the Chamber of Horrors, an historical tour comprising the only display of its kind and featuring human torture and cruelty through the ages, right up to modern day genocide. I found this quite disturbing. I contemplated leaving at several stages, all the while finding myself disgusted at the cruelty of humankind. Unbelievable.

We still haven’t made it to Jupiter’s Casino yet to gamble away our $20 limit. Maybe tomorrow?