Eight Goals for 2008

I did mean to post this yesterday, but it ended up a bit of a disaster of a day. We spent the night in the city and left the dogs at home (after giving them dinner, a bone, and one of them some valium). We got back to find one of them waiting for us in the driveway (our front yard isn't enclosed at all, and the dogs had been left in the back) and the other one missing. We spent half the day wandering the streets, phoning animal shelters and councils (which were closed) and then I rang the local emergency center who had seen him (but his microchip hadn't worked! Grrr) but he'd then been taken to the pound. They managed to get him back to them where we picked him up.

Apparently Barney had been picked up at the end of the street and had followed someone home, played with their dog and swam in their pool before the second lot of fireworks started (I think that's why they escaped) when they put him in their cubby and he had a sleep. So Barney actually had a great time. Poor Deefa (who would have only followed Barney) was stuck out in the hot weather all night without water. We've just changed the lock on the gate so it closes automatically, otherwise Deefa would probably have been sleeping in the garage. So Barney is getting a brand new microchip tomorrow. Naughty boy!

Anyway, I thought I better have some goals for 2008, so here they are:

1. Comment more on blogs/projects/images etc. Partly I don't do this because I read Bloglines at work, so I figure the more websites I go to the badder I am, but when I'm looking at stuff at home I'm going to make an effort to comment more. Most of it is just laziness really.

2. Keep a creative journal. I'm not sure how well this one will go, I've tried it before, but I'll do my best. I'm not going to put any pressure on myself for daily writing or anything, but I think it will be useful.

3. Get a shower timer. I should stop assuming I'm having short enough showers and actually measure it.

4. Complete some stuff I started this year - TAST, the 12 inch square CAL (only one of these to do and then combine everything). Also use some of the supplies I have.

5. Challenge myself creatively. This may include large projects, new skills etc.

6. Read another 15 books from my list (see previous post). Read over 100 books in the year.

7. Make some plans for an overseas trip in 2009 and bludgeon politely ask others to join me.

8. Take a bit of time out to think about where I'm going etc.

2007 Goals: A look back

I thought it would be a good idea at the end of 2007 to have a look at the goals I had at the start of the year and how they've all gone.

1. Learn some new crafts (I'm kind of cheating here because I've paid for some classes already, and I also have a new sewing machine and spinning wheel to play with, but it's a goal anyway!)

I accomplished this one. I did a fusing and slumping course, learnt basic spinning (one of those things I wish I could find more time for) and learnt to use a sewing machine. Yay!

2. Get a new job (my current job was just for a year, so it finishes in February so if I don't get a new job I'll be unemployed most of the year, so I pretty much have to do this one!)

Also did this one...about three days after getting back from Adelaide!

3. Only use re-used or re-useable wrapping materials on gifts. I've started doing this a bit, but once I use up my roll of wrapping paper I'm either wrapping presents in fabric or scarves, giving them in fabric bags, or those re-useable gift bags. This also has to be appropriate, so I wouldn't give my dad a gift wrapped in fabric (well actually I might, but I'd steal it back, because he wouldn't use it)

Pretty much did this one. I did wrap a few presents in paper, but most were reusable or reused materials.

4. Try not to get any more plastic bags. I've got lots and I don't need them. I just need to remember to take green bags to places other than the supermarket.

I did really well on this one, I'd say I got less than one bag a month...and most of those were when people didn't listen when I said "I don't need a bag" or "It can just go in here"

5. Organise my craft stuff (admittedly it's not too bad at the moment, but I can see problems looming when I move back to Melbourne in February because I have accumulated over the last year). I think I need to buy a cupboard for some of my stuff, but I'll get to it once I move back and I have everything in one place.

I bought some plastic draws and got everything sorted out when I moved from Adelaide, and I've just had another sort out so I'll go into the New Year with everything tidy.

6. It's a secret, that way if it doesn't happen, no one knows! Plus I think you have to have at least one private goal!

This one was getting my embroidery design published, which I did. Hooray!

7. Read at least 15 more books from the Angus & Robertson Top 100 Books list. Currently I've read the bold books. Books in italics are those I definately want to read this year.

Ok, so the bold ones are one's I've read previously, and the underlined ones are the ones I've read this year. Some of the ones from this year I have read before.

1. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
2. The Lord Of The Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
3. Pride And Prejudice – Jane Austin (2006)
4. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
5. Memoirs Of A Geisha – Arthur Golden (2007)
6. Angels And Demons – Dan Brown
7. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold (2007)
8. My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult (2007)
9. Tomorrow, When The War Began – John Marsden
10. Magician – Raymond E. Feist (2007)
11. The Bronze Horseman – Paullina Simons (2007)
12. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire – J.K. Rowling (2007)
13. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
14. Bridget Jones’ Diary – Helen Fielding
15. Cloudstreet – Tim Winton (2007)
16. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling (2007)
17. The Power Of One – Bryce Courtenay
18. April Fools Day – Bryce Courtenay
19. Tully – Paullina Simons
20. Across The Nightingale Floor – Lian Hearn (2007)
21. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho (2007)
22. The God Of Small Things – Arundhati Roy (2007)
23. Ice Station – Matthew Reilly
24. The Pillars Of The Earth – Ken Follet (2007)
25. Tuesdays With Morrie – Mitch Albom (2006)
26. Perfume – Patrick Suskind
27. The Bible
28. The Bride Stripped Bare – Anonymous
29. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix – J.K. Rowling (2007)
30. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling (2007)
31. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis (2006)
32. Cross Stitch – Diana Gabaldon
33. Looking For Alibrandi – Melina Marchetta
34. Mao’s Last Dancer – Li Cunxin
35. The Secret History – Donna Tartt (2007)
36. Year Of Wonders – Geraldine Brooks (2007)
37. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell (2005)
38. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Series – Douglas Adams (2007)
39. Jessica – Bryce Courtenay
40. The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks
41. The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
42. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
43. One For The Money – Janet Evanovich (2007)
44. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
45. The Shadow Of The Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon (2007)
46. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
47. Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason – Helen Fielding (2007)
48. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom (2006)
49. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (2007)
50. Life Of Pi – Yann Martel (2007)
51. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver (2007)
52. The Poet – Michael Connelly
53. A Child Called It – David Pelzer
54. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson
55. On The Road – Jack Kerouac
56. Tell No One – Harlan Coben
57. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
58. Almost French – Sarah Turnbull (2007)
59. An Equal Music – Vikram Seth
60. The Ancient Future – Tracey Harding
61. The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood
62. The Day After Tomorrow – Allan Folsom
63. Desert Flower – Waris Dirie
64. The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje (2006)
65. The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde (2005)
66. Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk
67. A Fortunate Life – A.B. Facey
68. Girl With A Pearl Earring – Tracy Chevalier
69. The Godfather – Mario Puzo
70. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets – J.K. Rowling (2007)
71. The Horse Whisperer – Nicholas Evans
72. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte (2006)
73. Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
74. The Pact – Jodi Picoult (2007)
75. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (2007)
76. Wild Swans: Three Daughters Of China – Jung Chang
77. Animal Farm – George Orwell (2005)
78. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy (2007)
79. Atonement – Ian Mcewan (2005)
80. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
81. Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier
82. Crime And Punishment - F.M. Dostoevsky
83. Emma – Jane Austen
84. Enduring Love – Ian Mcewan
85. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (2007)
86. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
87. Interview With The Vampire – Anne Rice (2006)
88. It – Stephen King (2007)
89. Like Water For Chocolate – Laura Esquivel (2006)
90. Not Without My Daughter – Betty Mahmoody
91. Plain Truth – Jodi Picoult
92. 1st To Die – James Patterson
93. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
94. Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood
95. Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
96. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand (ok, so I didn't finish it but it still counts!)
97. The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay
98. The Redemption Of Althalus – David Eddings
99. Retribution – Jilliane Hoffman
100. River God – Wilbur Smith

So I did this one too, although I didn't manage all the books in italics on the list. Overall this year I've read 142 books, and it surprised me that this was more than last year (121).

I'll have a think about some goals for 2008 overnight and probably post a list tomorrow. I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years Eve and a fantastic 2008.

Podgy Puppies and Curvy Cats

I'm bringing up a non-craft issue today, which is work related for me, but may affect some of you guys. If it does, don't take it personally, but it is a bit of an issue that's got me riled up at the moment and I figured since it was getting close to Christmas, it's probably something worth thinking about.

Overweight pets. They're a common site in vet clinics, ranging from the podgy to the massively obese. I've seen a number of animals, both cats and dogs, recently which have been double their desired weight. It is a joy to see a labrador of normal weight, and rare to see underweight animals (normally due to a health problem, rather than malnutrition).

Obesity in pets can lead to a number of health problems, many similar to humans. As well as the visible fat under the skin, fat surrounds internal organs and obesity can lead to diabetes, liver disease, cancer, heart and respiratory problems, and joint disease. Excess weight can lead to worsening of some diseases such as arthritis. Individual fatty meals can lead to pancreatitis, which not only makes pets extremely sick, but can be fatal.

Surgery and anaesthesia is more risky in overweight pets, as in position their lungs may not expand as much. Fat surrounds blood vessels, making them slippery and difficult to tie off. Suture material becomes greasy and slippery which can make knots less secure. This means surgery takes longer, which again is less than ideal for the patient.

So how do pets become overweight? There are a couple of medical reasons, but the most common causes are too much food and not enough exercise. Lack of exercise tends to be less than a problem in dogs (this is a wide generalisation and obviously doesn't apply to every case) than cats, who are obviously quite difficult to exercise. Indolent cats are also at an increased risk of urinary crystals.

Excessive calories is a more common reason for weight gain and often snacks and scraps are a big part of this. Many dogs in particular are very food responsive and food is a common reward when training. If you give your dog treats when it begs, you are rewarding this behaviour and training them to beg. Rewards given randomly are an excellent means of reinforcing behaviour for long term training as well.

The question is then, how do you get your pet to lose weight?
Increasing the amount of exercise can help, and activities such as a getting the cat to chase a torch beam around can help. If your pet is getting enough exercise, or for one reason or another they can't be exercised more, you have to concentrate on the diet. There are a number of restricted calorie diets available for obese pets. These have increased fibre and bulk to make them feel full, but don't have the calories. In less obese pets cutting down the food given, feeding a lower calorie dog food or substituting some of the meal with grated carrots can help. Pets should be fed for their desired weight and marking a cup rather than eyeballing the amount will help. Switching to a smaller food bowl can also make it look more full. Cutting out treats and scraps from the table is also key. One very important factor is communication. Everyone who feeds the pet needs to be involved in the weight loss plan so their is consistency in the diet and exercise.

Unfortunately, like in people, weight loss in animals is hard once they've put the weight on. One of my dogs was 42 kilograms and is now down to a healthy weight of 36 kilograms. This has involved persistence with diet and a lot of yelling at other family members. However he suffers from arthritis and so the little treats, while giving him a brief pleasure, are ultimately more harmful than helpful to him. At 11 years old it's far too late to stop him begging when food is around (he's been trained too well) but it's something we do our best to ignore now.

In the end our pets weight is our responsibility, and any preventative health care we can give them we deserve.

Bali

I had a wonderful trip to Bali. We spent a few nights in Kuta, then went to Ulawatu, which is at the south of Bali, and is a lot quieter, and very relaxing. Then we went back to Kuta, finished our shopping and came home.

This is a picture of the plunge pool in the backyard of our room at Ulawatu with lovely ocean views. The first room we were in, the air-conditioning didn't work, so we got upgraded to the presidential suite (the hotel was pretty empty), which was lovely.

This is a photo from the hotel next to ours in Ulawatu, looking towards our hotel. It was a bit of a hike down to the beach (down lots of narrow steps) but the pool was lovely. It was more of a surfing beach than a swimming beach, although I'm not sure how people managed to walk down with their surfboards!

And finally, a gorgeous sunset in Kuta.

12 inch square CAL - March easy square

With all the other things I've been crocheting and having fun with my sewing machine I've ended up getting behind on the craftster CAL.
This is the March easy square, and while the colours are pretty tacky, they do make me smile (so they can't be that bad!). I've probably got enough squares for a blanket now but I'm not sure if I'll make a couple of big blankets or a number of little blankets.

The pattern for this is here.

I've also been tagged for the seven random things by Librarylass so here goes:

1. I have this weird oesophageal spasm thing where I get food stuck in my oesophagus and I've had to have two gastroscopes to push stuff into my stomach. It's not just big things either, I've had cereal stuck (although that eventually moved by itself).

2. When I was little I was being a smart-arse and was reading a book upside down (out loud) to a teacher. She then hung me upside down by my ankles. It may have been inappropriate but I still think it's funny!

3. I may be a vet but I'm also a little bit allergic to cats. Although at my current job they've only just found out so it can't be too bad.

4. I learnt to tie my shoelaces through a dream. I was struggling with the whole rabbit goes into the burrow thing (that could be wrong because I still can't tie my laces that way) and ended up having a dream with a pair of shoes tying themselves all night.

5. I have almost no sense of smell. Sometimes I think that's a good thing.

6. When I was young I could have been an elite gymnast, but due to my short attention span I was already fed up with gymnastics (did anyone else infuriate their parents by starting sports, getting the whole uniform and stuff and then quitting after a couple of terms) and ended up giving the whole thing up. I don't regret it.

7. I don't drink alcohol. I think it taste yucky and while people tell me I just need to drink enough to get really drunk and then it'll taste fine that sounds a bit dumb to me. Anyway, it saves me money and makes my parents happy (because they have a driver - they drink)

There we go, seven things you may not have known about me. I'm tagging anyone who hasn't been tagged and wants to be. Have fun!

Looking for a goat

I probably won't be posting any more this week, because I'm working late most days. But I did want to ask if anyone has any, or knows of any (on etsy or wherever) goat toy patterns. One of my friends from uni is getting married, and she has a thing about goats, so I thought a little goat bride and groom toy might be cute. They can be crocheted, or sewn (but not terribly complicated) and I'm willing to pay or swap for a pattern.

Thanks!

And the first purchase to arrive is...

My new car!

Last year, because I lived at work (which also helped me save all the money I've just spent) I didn't have to drive much, but now that I'm driving half an hour to work each day I wanted a car with things that worked...like the radio, and the air conditioning.


Anyway, I think it's lovely and it should be much more pleasant driving now. You can just see the end of my old car in the front, it's going to a new home tomorrow.

Someone take my credit card off me...

I've been spending money lately like it grows on trees, and some of it is just dumb. Apart from the new car (which I did need to upgrade to, but it is a big expense) I went and spent loads on beads the other day. All I needed to get was some bails and some beads for my sisters birthday, but I ended up getting a lot more than that (I'll post some pictures of my spree when they arrive), and then my dad wanted me to help him buy something off ebay, and after that I went and bought two lots of yarn (pictures also to come). Admittedly it looks like nice stuff, and one lot I've got a definate project planned.

But hopefully, because I've at least got a job (and it pays more than my last one-although I only get paid monthly) I won't have issues when my credit card statement comes...

Moving

I've just got one and a bit more days in Adelaide. On Saturday morning I'm driving back to Melbourne (and hoping everything fits in my car!). I was going to get help moving but my mum and dad are both overseas (separately) so I've got a long drive by myself...without airconditioning - although the current weather report my computer is giving me is 26*C, so it doesn't sound too bad. I also dropped a few boxes off to get put on the train back to Melbourne the other day, so I'm not trying to take everything I've accumulated over the last year back.

So I'll probably be posting next from Melbourne, and I'll get to play with my sewing machine. Lots of fun!

Look what I borrowed from work

Alright, so actually I got asked to look after it overnight, and unlike the normal overnight things where I go into work to check stuff, I'm just putting this little puppy in a crate once I go to bed next to me (so hopefully I'll get some sleep - if it doesn't whine too much!), but until then I'm giving it lots of pats and cuddles.

It's an eight week old puppy and it's only 1 1/2 kilos, how tiny is that!

Fishy Photos

When I was at university I had to do lots of work experience during my holidays (so I didn't really get that many holidays!). Anyway, I managed to go to the aquarium quite a bit which was lots of fun, particularly when I got there before it opened and I could go behind the scenes and everything. Anyway, here are some of my favourite photos.




For some reason, I've always thought sharks were really cool and misunderstood. This little one was cute, and I kind of wanted to pat him, but I didn't.

My Boys

So these are my boys, and I miss them a lot when I'm in Adelaide, although last time I went home they initially ignored me because they weren't very happy with me for going away for so long, luckily after a day they forgave me.


This is Deefa and this photo was only set up a little bit. He came and lay on all the sheets in the laundry and then I tucked him in a bit, but as he was still like that 10 minutes later I then took a photo. Deefa is a big softy.



This is Barney and he's a bit more naughty, but just as loveable. His favourite game is sneaking out the house if someone has left a gate or door open. He just goes across the road, but if you don't notice he gets bored and comes back, and he manages to have a specific "I've been on an adventure" look, which lets us know that he's very proud of himself for tricking us, and that we have to go and check all the gates. For some reason Deefa never goes on those adventures, we're not sure if it's because he's being good, or he just doesn't realise the possibilities for escape (he's not the smartest dog around!)

An amusing tale of mistaken identity.

Yesterday I was walking into the city to have a bit of a break from my flat (after lying around doing nothing all day Saturday because I was very tired), and walking past a massage centre, thought I might see if I could book myself in for the following week. I'd been past this place a few times, but never actually been inside.

Anyway, I walked in, and it just smelt a bit smoky and seemed a bit dingy, but I waited for a few seconds and a woman came to the desk, so I asked if I could book in for a massage for the following week. She looked at me a bit strangely and said "We only do adult massage.". Not completely getting it, I looked at her blankly thinking "But I'm an adult.", she then asked what type of massage I thought they did and I said "A back massage", she repeated "We do adult massage, and we get mainly male customers". At that point I realised I'd accidentally walked into a brothel. Oops.

Anyway, I was telling this story to people at work (because I think it's pretty funny) and one of the vets said "I'm surprised they didn't ask you if you wanted a job.". I wasn't quite sure how to take that one!

Seven goals for 2007

Happy New Year everyone. I thought after re-capping 2006 I should do a post of my goals and plans for 2007. There are no real resolutions here, just stuff I'd like to happen.

1. Learn some new crafts (I'm kind of cheating here because I've paid for some classes already, and I also have a new sewing machine and spinning wheel to play with, but it's a goal anyway!)

2. Get a new job (my current job was just for a year, so it finishes in February so if I don't get a new job I'll be unemployed most of the year, so I pretty much have to do this one!)

3. Only use re-used or re-useable wrapping materials on gifts. I've started doing this a bit, but once I use up my roll of wrapping paper I'm either wrapping presents in fabric or scarves, giving them in fabric bags, or those re-useable gift bags. This also has to be appropriate, so I wouldn't give my dad a gift wrapped in fabric (well actually I might, but I'd steal it back, because he wouldn't use it)

4. Try not to get any more plastic bags. I've got lots and I don't need them. I just need to remember to take green bags to places other than the supermarket.

5. Organise my craft stuff (admittedly it's not too bad at the moment, but I can see problems looming when I move back to Melbourne in February because I have accumulated over the last year). I think I need to buy a cupboard for some of my stuff, but I'll get to it once I move back and I have everything in one place.

6. It's a secret, that way if it doesn't happen, no one knows! Plus I think you have to have at least one private goal!

7. Read at least 15 more books from the Angus & Robertson Top 100 Books list. Currently I've read the bold books. Books in italics are those I definately want to read this year.

1. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
2. The Lord Of The Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
3. Pride And Prejudice – Jane Austin
4. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
5. Memoirs Of A Geisha – Arthur Golden
6. Angels And Demons – Dan Brown
7. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
8. My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult
9. Tomorrow, When The War Began – John Marsden
10. Magician – Raymond E. Feist
11. The Bronze Horseman – Paullina Simons
12. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire – J.K. Rowling
13. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
14. Bridget Jones’ Diary – Helen Fielding
15. Cloudstreet – Tim Winton
16. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling
17. The Power Of One – Bryce Courtenay
18. April Fools Day – Bryce Courtenay
19. Tully – Paullina Simons
20. Across The Nightingale Floor – Lian Hearn
21. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
22. The God Of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
23. Ice Station – Matthew Reilly
24. The Pillars Of The Earth – Ken Follet
25. Tuesdays With Morrie – Mitch Albom (2006)
26. Perfume – Patrick Suskind
27. The Bible
28. The Bride Stripped Bare – Anonymous
29. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix – J.K. Rowling
30. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling
31. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis (2006)
32. Cross Stitch – Diana Gabaldon
33. Looking For Alibrandi – Melina Marchetta
34. Mao’s Last Dancer – Li Cunxin
35. The Secret History – Donna Tartt
36. Year Of Wonders – Geraldine Brooks
37. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell (2005)
38. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Series – Douglas Adams
39. Jessica – Bryce Courtenay
40. The Notebook – Nicholas Sparks
41. The Catcher In The Rye – J.D. Salinger
42. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
43. One For The Money – Janet Evanovich
44. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
45. The Shadow Of The Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
46. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
47. Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason – Helen Fielding
48. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom (2006)
49. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
50. Life Of Pi – Yann Martel
51. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
52. The Poet – Michael Connelly
53. A Child Called It – David Pelzer
54. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson
55. On The Road – Jack Kerouac
56. Tell No One – Harlan Coben
57. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
58. Almost French – Sarah Turnbull (I bought this for my mum for Christmas)
59. An Equal Music – Vikram Seth
60. The Ancient Future – Tracey Harding
61. The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood
62. The Day After Tomorrow – Allan Folsom
63. Desert Flower – Waris Dirie
64. The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje (2006)
65. The Eyre Affair – Jasper Fforde (2005)
66. Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk
67. A Fortunate Life – A.B. Facey
68. Girl With A Pearl Earring – Tracy Chevalier
69. The Godfather – Mario Puzo
70. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets – J.K. Rowling
71. The Horse Whisperer – Nicholas Evans
72. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte (2006)
73. Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
74. The Pact – Jodi Picoult
75. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
76. Wild Swans: Three Daughters Of China – Jung Chang
77. Animal Farm – George Orwell (2005)
78. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
79. Atonement – Ian Mcewan (2005)
80. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
81. Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier
82. Crime And Punishment - F.M. Dostoevsky
83. Emma – Jane Austen
84. Enduring Love – Ian Mcewan
85. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald I've got a copy to be read!
86. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
87. Interview With The Vampire – Anne Rice (2006)
88. It – Stephen King I've got a copy to be read!
89. Like Water For Chocolate – Laura Esquivel (2006)
90. Not Without My Daughter – Betty Mahmoody
91. Plain Truth – Jodi Picoult
92. 1st To Die – James Patterson
93. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
94. Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood
95. Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
96. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand (ok, so I didn't finish it but it still counts!)
97. The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay
98. The Redemption Of Althalus – David Eddings
99. Retribution – Jilliane Hoffman
100. River God – Wilbur Smith

Sixes for 2006

So, it's almost the end of 2006 and what have I accomplished this year?

6 Things I've learned
Don't turn down any invitation (you can meet some wonderful people and it gets you out)
How to live on my own
Jewelry making
VERY basic knitting
That making blankets takes a long time and can be pretty frustrating
Good medicine practices

6 New People I'm glad I've come in contact with
Rosie - a wonderful Bookcrosser/Backpacker who has taken me to plays in Adelaide and who I've had lots of fun with
Meshell - a wonderful crafty blogger, it's been great reading her blog but
we've also exchanged birthday gifts (you get to open yours soon) and
postcards.
Dr House (name changed for privacy!) - one of the doctors at work. Can be a bit of a grump but he's taught me a lot.
Dr C (name changed for privacy!)- introduced me to a lot of new people and got me involved in various things. Always has time to help.
D (name changed for privacy!)- made me welcome in SA when I was feeling loneliest.
S (name changed for privacy!)- makes me laugh at work!

6 New Things I've done
I've moved out of home
I've got my first real full time job
I've moved interstate
I've started using ebay
I've taken part in two craftster.org swaps
I've given several talks to vets who were paying to listen (Yikes!)

6 Numbers
128 - the number of books I've read
121 - the number of blog posts I've made
60 - the number of projects (According to this blog) I've completed. I think there are a few more things that I haven't photographed though so I'm going for about 65. I'm pretty impressed with that, especially as it included 3 blankets.
13 - the number of times I've been on a plane
3 - the number of things I've won(roving, yarn and a book/DVD pack)
1 - the number of times I've watched all Angel episodes

So that's a bit about my year, I hope everyone else has had a good one, and I'll post some plans for 2007 in the New Year!

Birthday Surprises

It's my birthday today and it's been full of surprises. First my dad rings at work and lets me know that he and mum are coming to stay tonight and then I got a lovely package from MissMeshell. Yay!

I'll post pictures of all my goodies later, because right now I have to get back to cleaning up. Later I may have to explain the presence of a large spinning wheel in my bedroom.

Toilet art

WARNING: This post may seem a little odd.

Last night I went to a play (Translations by Brian Friel) which was very good, although that's not actually my point. After the play, I had to use the toilets and they were really cool. On all the toilet doors and some of the walls they had pasted vintage magazines and newspaper images and pages from the 50s and 60s. I could have spent ages in there looking at all the pictures...except that it was a public toilet, and that would just be weird.

But if anyone wants to see the toilets, they are at Higher Ground theatre, 274a Rundle St. I'm now ending this odd post. The next one may be odd too though!

Postcardy Goodness

Ooooh, look what I got! Pretty vintage postcards from MissMeshell. We did a personal postcard swap (my first swap, ooooh!) and I got these lovelies.




I'm not quite sure where they're going to live at the moment. I don't have a cork board or anything and I don't think I can stick them to the walls here so they might go on my fridge.

The Case of the Escaping Mice

I went home to Melbourne over the weekend and my sister (in a terrible display of irresponsibly pet ownership) had bought a mouse at the Melbourne show during the previous week, with one of her friends. By the time they got back my sisters friend had realised she couldn't get a mouse so my sister ended up with two, which she was keeping in a cage which she bought with the mice.

On the Sunday night I was reading a book in bed when I heard a 'scritchy scratchy' noise behind my head. I carefully pulled back my pillow to discover one of the mice underneath. Unfortunately it disappeared underneath the bed before I could grab it. Having a secret mean streak within me I took great delight in waking up my sister to get her to help me catch it. Eventually, following the trail of poo we realised it had gone into my cupboard...not the best place for a mouse with all the stuff on the floor (shoes, books, a box of fancy dress stuff, a box of stuffed toys). We managed to find it and trap it in a corner but then it got away and disappeared. So my sister decided to sleep downstairs and I went back to bed.

The next morning the second mouse had also disappeared (I think they managed to fit through the bars, mice can do that!) so we kind of assumed the mice were lost but left the cage door open 'just in case'. A couple of hours later the mouse that had been in my bedroom was back in the cage. While I was catching that one to put it in a new house I saw the other one run under my sisters bed and managed to catch it (all by myself as my sister was at university). By this time my sister had decided she no longer wanted mice and her friend picked them up later that afternoon, having found someone else who would have them.

The moral of the story - pet ownership is a serious responsibility or a lesson in how to annoy your older sister.

Sleep deprived.

This last week has been crazy at work. I've been there everynight until 7 or 7.30, then back at 10 pm (for at least an hour every time), 12 (half an hour to forty-five minutes) and 4 am (for at least half an hour). I've been starting late, but unfortunately due to early morning noise I haven't been sleeping that late. So now I'm so tired I could cry. Actually I did that last night when I couldn't get a muzzle on a dog. I was tired and frustrated and I reverted to toddler mode. At least it's the weekend tomorrow and I don't have a midnight check tonight. The 4 am one shouldn't take as long...I hope.

I've just kind of re-read this and it's probably obvious that I'm tired by the way I've
rambled.