Pretend like its the weekend now, and we could pretend it all the time

Thank you to all my Happy Birthday well wishers. Wish wellers?

Anyway, I had a really nice 24th birthday, didn't go to work so I slept in until 7:30am when the future in-laws rang to wish me happy birthday. Then the man decided as he was late for work already and he was still snotty he'd stay home. So I got my present - a whiz bang heart rate monitor early. It does all kinds of cool things. Mostly I just stayed in bed for three hours looking at it. I burned a whole 200 calories doing that.

After that tough workout we went to the pancake parlour for breakfast where I had my favourite bavarian apple buckwheat pancakes with ice-cream. And a hot chocolate.

Then we went to see a movie and stupidly picked 'be kind, rewind' - worst movie ever. It is in negative stars, star debt. Next time I go to the movies they should give ME money. When will I learn about Jack Black movies. Mind you the only other two we had narrowed down were Drillbit Taylor which is probably awful (when will I learn about Owen Wilson) and Vantage Point, which could be good but probably isn't. I'm a movie pessimist.

This afternoon we went and checked out a place for rent, along with half of the western suburbs. There was at least twenty people there. It was like a really boring house party. We'll still apply and see what happens. Do we mention we own Super Furry Animals? We're not sure.

Thinking about building. But lack of public transport would kill us. I'd get so fit though, walking from somewhere like Caroline Springs. I could give up going to the gym and just walk to work.

Anyway I'm still feeling rotten, but definitely better. I'll take another day off but then have to be back on Wednesday because I'm going down to Gippsland for the day. Will be a big day out on the road.

After the lamb roast the man cooked me for dinner he brought me out a little chocolate mudcake for dessert. Very nice!!

See, look how sick I look. I should email this into work instead of getting a doctors certificate. All pale and sickly looking I am.

....Schroddy has eyes only for cake.

- Jen

I had 15 people telling me to move, I got moving on my mind

So circumstances as they are we will be renting. Its only just through the hours I've spent trawling through realestate.com.au that I realise how awful real estate ads are. I do mean hours too...

Phrases like 'affordable in todays market' or 'previously a takeaway shop' slap me in the face as I write down phone numbers and agents names. Some are in such a good location and are so ridiculously cheap that you just have to click on the ad to check it out. Oh yep there we go, charming place with mysterious stain on the wall..and carpet. Lack of roof makes this villa with surrounding swamp irresistible. Well I made that up, but I'm sure I could find it.

Our problem is that we have to be close to (within walking distance of) public transport, has to be able to take pets and has to be less than $350 per week. Preferably, no actually this is not negotiable - it cannot be a suburb ending in the word 'meadows'.

I've got a huge list now to work with, lots of okay places in Brunswick actually, and Coburg. Few in Phlegmington and Pascoe Vale. One in Essendon.

I do regret forgetting about shiny new things like bathrooms and kitchens but after the man and I had to sleep in the lounge room last night because someone was having a party and it kept us (..well me) up, I still think we're doing the right thing. It would also be really really cool to build a house someday.

Besides like one of my friends said rental places are nothing a bottle of bleach won't fix.

I have only been looking west though, not east Melbourne at all. Although I am looking into Coburg/Brunswick so I'm getting there. Sort of. At least I'm getting good with my suburbs. I'm still hanging out to try Crust pizza so maybe if we moved close to one of those..

I would be happy if we got a place where the cats could go outside, even if its only while we are home. They fight all the time now, and while it is fun to watch and even though they're just playing (there goes Schroddy hissing now) it would be nice for them to be able to run around outside. Schroddy hisses so much its like living with a particularly vocal viper.

Anyway I'm off to bed, I am pretty sure I am taking tomorrow (my birthday!) off because I feel rotten with this cold and last time I went to work sick they sent me home anyway. Of course I'm due for my flu shot next week.

- Jen

He ain't heavy he's my brother

Like I mentioned in my last post Jase got me the Juno soundtrack for my birthday, along with a book and a card which he posted to me. Something he went to all the trouble to do, even though now he's probably living off the mushrooms in his hair because he can't afford to eat.

I was so surprised that I cried, because its nice to come home after a rough day at work to find someone has been thinking about you.

The worst part is I felt awful because I didn't get him anything for his birthday! I have been thinking about it and Jase I still don't know what to get you. What do you get someone who just acquired a Macbook?

It was while I was back in Albury just before Easter that my Nan defined exactly what Jase and I's relationship is. We were talking about one of my sisters friends and how they aren't in a relationship but they spend a lot of time together and care about each other. Nan said 'you know, its like you and Jason, like a brother'.

And that's exactly what he is. For a brother I think he's exceptionally nice. We've only had one argument over the doing the dishes which for a brother I think is pretty good. If he was a girl he'd be a bridesmaid at my wedding - and I still haven't ruled out putting him in a dress.

Even if we hardly see each other anymore, and we keep missing each other online, and we can't talk on the phone because we're both hopeless at it, we're still best mates.

So Jase, thankyou for my birthday present. I hope you aren't living off the mushies in your hair for too long.

- Jen

We sure are cute for two ugly people - SOTM March 2008

Phew. Cutting it a bit fine this month, luckily Jase helped out by sending me the Juno soundtrack for my birthday (tomorrow).

The song is 'Anyone Else But You' by the Mouldy Peaches

See here for the clip.

Can't wait for this to come out on DVD...maybe its out already! Jentopia's movie of the year for sure...


- Jen

p.s. Apologies for the short post but I have the flu (blaming the man) and I feel awful. The couch calls. Also Mum the man is making me soup for dinner.

Wombo no!

When I first caught sight of this article in The Age (online) I assumed that some dirty person had been 'interfering' with a wombat. Apparently the New Zealand man's complaint was that the wombat had 'interfered' with him. See here for the article.

The thing that made me burst out laughing at work was the picture attached to the article.



Oh dear.

- Jen

Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity..

Not quite. But it was a lot of fun. We went back to Berrigan (well the farm near Berrigan) for Friday and Saturday. Nice to get away even if it was just for a night. Zeke, the man's nephew got the bike for his 9th birthday and he kindly let me have a go on it. Perfect size really. When I put my feet on the footrests my knees just about came up to my ears. First time I've ridden a motorbike too so it was very much a learning experience.

Don't worry I didn't go very fast because a. I didn't know how to get it out of 1st gear and b. when the man told me how to get it out of 1st I was too scared. Especially because the helmet wouldn't fit on my head.

Came back this afternoon after lunch when 'the talk' re-commenced. Stay or go, buy soon or rent? Rent close or far?

Anyway life is fun. I do think that a motorbike is just about the best present you could get a nine year old boy though. Zeke wouldn't let me bring it home though, I figured I could ride it to work and park it next to my desk. Hmmm

- Jen

Under a wing and a prayer

Travelling back to Berrigan on Good Friday we saw two accidents. Well we think we did. The first looked pretty minor with a trailer losing its load of kids bikes just near the Craigieburn turnoff on the Hume. The second we came across was near Shepparton and we had to actually drive under the rotor of this:

Which was 'parked' in the middle of the highway. Apologies for quality of picture but the man took it through the car windscreen. The bugless part. Don't know how serious it was but the air ambulance chopper was there as well as about three ambulances and of course police. Didn't actually SEE an accident though which was a bit weird. Trucks were banked up on both sides of the road because as well figured out later they couldn't fit under the chopper.

Hope everyone was okay though.

That was the most eventful part of the trip considering we spent the rest of the time talking about what we are going to do now that we are homeless and all.

- Jen

But we can start again, you can depend on it

As I mentioned in my last post, big changes are afoot in the Unsworth/Fankhauser household. Namely that we don't have a house. This afternoon we sold our apartment.

I know. We also only have a short amount of time before we are homeless and I have to start picking people on my blogroll to live with. You guys all like cats right?

Basically someone offered us a 'tidy sum' for the place and its enough to pay off the mortgage, the brand new car we bought last year and solve our body corporate issues. Oh and still have more than enough left over to build savings for our next property adventure.

We're not sure what that is right now. Maybe we'll build, maybe we'll just save like the devil and buy again. We don't know where or when. It will involve property though.

We don't have to worry any more about body corporate problems and VCAT, I can sleep at night without thundering hooves overhead or the Moonee Ponds Cinema Centre on the other side of our bedroom wall. We also don't have to worry about interest rates.

It wasn't an easy decision. Almost everyone we asked hinted we shouldn't sell while at the same time saying 'its up to you guys though'. There were so many tears, firstly about which decision to make and then after I'd said 'okay I think we should sell', which came out like 'blubbblubbokayblubbblubbsniffthinkweshouldblubbsell', because I felt so sad because as much as we don't like living in an apartment its our home. The home we brought the little kittens back to, that I finished the grad program in, that the man proposed to me in, that the housemate used to live in... alright well it is just a home. But still.

In the end we decided that we can make a profit, we'll be happier without being so stressed about money (already I feel better), and we're so young. I'm not even 24 for another thirteen days!

The cats are going to freak out. God help us when we have a backyard.

Haven't signed the contract of sale yet, still organising section 32s etc. But it seems to be easier than I expected*.

Right now though I can't think anymore about it because I'm too tired...

- Jen

* This is going to come back and bite me I can just tell.

It keeps me running

It's just amazing what the threat of 10 burpees can make me do. There are three of us running towards two water bottles in the sand. Obviously last one there gets the burpees. The guy I beat DID have to carry a water cooler bottle with sand in it though.

- Jen

Something fishy about this

This is my Nan's smoked cod which we have every Easter. This weekend just gone I went back to Albury and seeing as Mum and I won't be there for next weekend we had our Good Friday lunch a few days early.

Dad chose( as he does every year) not to join us. Something about his gag reflex. I did very well this year, no bones to Mum's four. Clearly I am the favourite.

It was just about breakfast for me as I went out on Saturday night and also had a late night on Thursday night so a sleep in was in order. Apparently a cinema complex has opened in our apartment building and shows action movies until the early hours of the morning. I could do a whole sarcastic post about how wonderful it is. I'm not sure what other times they show movies but it seems to me that they just show them when I go to bed. I wonder if they have popcorn?

Alright well thats about half a post just there.

I apologise for the lack of posting but I have been very busy and something had to get put on hold, so far its been blogging and exercising. Up until the end of March is just going to be flat out and if I have time later I'll blog about why.

-Jen

Ready or not, here comes the drop - you feel lucky when you know where you are

Another bout of interest rate rises has left the man and I wondering if owning property is all its cracked up to be. We're not as badly affected as some people as our loan is mostly fixed, its just that when our three years runs out (in a year or so) then we might be in real trouble.

There are so many variables though, I might have gotten a promotion, the man might be Australian of the Year or.. I might be Jen and the man, well he might be the man. Interest rates could go up or down and the Melbourne property market might - as our real estate agent so eloquently put it, 'shit itself'.

We don't know whether to hold on to what we have considering there is lots of development happening here (however this also includes new apartment blocks), sell (for a profit) and rent, sell and buy a cheaper block and build in the 'burbs (we could be Rae and Tony's neighbours) or we could sell and move out of Melbourne altogether. Are these turbulent times normal and we should just grin and bear it? It's newspaper articles like this that worry me.

We don't have a clue! Some joker mentioned interest rates go down as well you know. Frog poo I say. Ever since we got a mortgage they've been on the uppity up.

Anyway, suggestions are welcome!

- Jen

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.

Today, 8 March 2008 was our friends Nicole and Rick's wedding. Yep friends of ours getting married. Sc-ary!

They walked down the aisle together which was just the sweetest thing, I almost cried but managed to hold it together. Richards (Nicole) and I have been talking for awhile how we're going to go with the crying thing. She was fine! Obviously its just me we have to worry about!

Anyway the wedding was beautiful, at a really nice chapel in Geelong. Reception was good too, the man was even amenable to bit of a dance. Think he gave up when we remembered I can't dance. Still it was nice.

Now I'm here blogging off too much bubbly before bed. Better to blog than go to bed with the spins.

Also, two posts in a row where I've been drinking...I need to blog more I think. Not drink less..
- Jen

It's biliousness as usual in my corner of the kitchen

Last night was my sisters 21st. Was the most fun we've had on a Saturday night in ages!

It was a nice intimate party in Ballarat and we knew most of my sisters friends except for the alcohol vultures. Also got to meet the new boyfriend who was obviously packing it. He lived though. For now.

Speeches were good and then the man and I had to light the sparklers on the cake. Doesn't sound dangerous. But try as I might I could not get the thing to light! I think it was Dad who pointed out I was trying to light the wrong end. In the midst of the howls of laughter I turned the sparkler around and grabbed hold of the other end. The end I'd just spent five minutes applying a flame to.

It. was. hot!

I got more laughter instead of sympathy though. Everythings harder when tequila is involved. There was lots of shots. Its funny enough doing shots with your mother but even Nan got talked into having one!

We went out after and found ourselves at some pub where we found some articles of clothing someone had left on the floor. Following the rule that if its on the floor its yours* we acquired some warmer garments for our stumble to the next pub. Oh and bouncers still check my ID. Unlike the man who barely gets looked at.

After too many watermelon and vodka slices the man and I headed home. We walked about a block too far past our motel before we realised nothing looked familiar but we found our way back eventually. This morning my sister regaled us with tales of her not quite voluntary removal from the pub. Think there was a tantrum involved.

She also really liked her present of diving with the sharks, which will be another fun weekend. We get to drop her in a tank of sharks and take pictures!!

Now the man and I are back home having a very gentle Sunday afternoon. No sudden movements and we should be okay.

Oh! And good news, we finally used the camera! Pictures are on facebook if anyone is interested.

- Jen