But it's gonna take money, a whole lot of spending money

I know, its a whole 'lotta' spending money. I just couldn't do it. I mean I'm still adjusting to spelling vacUUM correctly. Baby steps before I start doing slang.

Yes, gonna is okay.

Sooo.. anyway. Now that we've basically paid off our overseas trip we've noticed that we might get hungry overseas. Well I will anyway. So we're trying to save up more spending money.

The man is up at highpoint right now at an interview for a weekend job, his phD scholarship means that he doesn't face the rather hefty tax rates that I do if I get a second job.

Even so, I have a feeling I might get a job at Coles. I did actually apply for one so it won't be a shock or anything. Should clarify that as supermarkets don't actually cold call people asking if they'd like a job. I got an email saying I have suitable skills and that they are trying to find me a position in Moonee Ponds or Essendon. Half of me went 'oh cool maybe I CAN eat pizza in Italy now' and the other part went 'good one, you just destroyed the tiny part of your soul that was still intact after you finished working for them last time'.

But even if I only net an extra $100 a week, that adds up to big bucks for our trip. THAT'S awesome. The way I figure it, we don't do anything on weekends anyway because we're saving money - why not earn MORE money!

Greedy aren't we? At least we'd be working like dogs to earn it anyway. I was going to suggest the man go missing and then I'd just claim the life insurance and meet up with him in London and be all 'oohh the man I totally thought you were dead and stuff, hey now lets go check out Paris'.

Except apparently its been done, and besides then we remembered the man doesn't even have life insurance. There goes THAT plan.

- Jen

'Till the day we come in doing cartwheels - SOTM December 2007

There was no question in my mind that this song would get song of the month for December. I am not kidding when I say that this is the ONLY song I have listened to on the train, for a MONTH. Seriously, the song finishes and then I just hit the back button. I can get on the train in a cruddy mood and put this on, and by the time the doors open at Parliament could almost bounce off the train.

I HIGHLY recommend it.

It is - 'Australia' by The Shins. Catchy catchy catchy.

Incidentally Grammy nominations are out today and 'Wincing the night away' the album that 'Australia' is from got nominated for best alternative music album.

Anyway, you guys be the judge. Hear/See it here. I love this song. I may go spend my last $16 of credit in itunes and buy the whole album.

Awesome lyrics too, could have a field day with them.

- Jen

His looks better than mine..

JenPizza2
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

So we made Tony's BBQ chicken pizzas last night. I made one and the man made one.

You can click here to see his.

Realised I took my photo POST cooking, and while I did remember the bbq sauce mixed with tomato paste on the base, I forgot to cook the chicken in bbq sauce. It was still nice though.

The man murdered about a hundred animals for his pizza, but it actually looked better than mine. See the comments on the pic for his 'ingredients'.

- Jen

A busy day...

My bin
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

You can tell I had a hell of a day when there is TWO empty coffee cups..and a twirl bar wrapper in the bin at the end of the day.

Two large coffees too. Really wish the computer screen would stop twitching.

They don't look 'large'. Its a bit frustrating actually, compared to every other coffee place in the universe they'd be 'medium' but whatever. Its good coffee they can call it whatever they want. The huge-a-magooga size coffee cups are 'jumbo' size. I think my head would explode if I drank one that big.

But anyway. Phew. I'm so glad its the weekend!!!!!

- Jen

Interpoos

Well it wasn't that bad. I've been meaning to blog about the interview I had on Wednesday but never got around to it.

The assessment task was the 'poo' part. Can't blog about what it was.

Interview was actually okay. Its amazing how much better you get at interviews.

We'll see how the assessment centre balances out with the interview though.

Wow. This is a totally nothing post!

Ooh! I forgot to mention where it WAS! My favourite building in Melbourne. Recently decided that Collins St is by far my favourite street too. And 'centre way', don't even get me started. Its Melbourne's Diagon Alley!! Its also supposed to have one of Melbourne's best coffee places according to The Melbourne Coffee Review. Haven't tried it yet though.

Ah ha! Managed to turn this post into something after all.

- Jen

When all you want's one more Saturday

Worked at the election yesterday. I was one of those people asking you what your name was and where you lived and then wincing when you told me you lived in Ascot Vale. Unfortuantely part of Maribyrnong Rd is the boundary for our division. Yes, I said 'part of'. Not confusing for people at all.

As I can only hear out of one ear at the moment, even people with really simple surnames were having to write them down for me, ..'oh, SMITH!!'. Not quite that simple but yeah. Anyway the first few hours were hideous because I hadn't had a coffee and apparently now I just don't function well without one. Also because I was thinking how I had the whole rest of the day and most of the night to go.

But then Bill Shorten and a squillion cameras came in, then all of a sudden it was lunchtime, then it was three o'clock and then it was six o'clock and we were counting. The closing up took the longest, we finished counting about 9/9:30 and I still didn't get home until 10:30 (and its only a ten minute walk away). Slightly hungry but too tired to cook anything much so I had porridge.

The man got stuck in a polling place out at Sunshine (I was in moonee ponds) and HE got home at 9:30.

I walked in the door right in time for a news update to see 'labor wins' flash across the screen, 'Howard rings Rudd to concede'. Sigh. It feels like I'm a part of something I'm old enough to remember which is cool.

So this morning I stumbled out of bed at 9AM. Very very tired. Then I talked the man into* breakfast at the pancake parlour for a treat which was very nice but I ate so much I nearly made myself sick. We finally used our discount movie vouchers and I felt so full I couldn't fit in my usual dark chocolate bullets. Very sad.

Well right now I have to go and prepare for a job interview I have next week. Same job I'm doing now, just one level up. Not very exciting.

- Jen

* 'talking into' went something like, 'want to go to the pancake parlour for breakfast'? ...'aw yeah ok'.

Here comes johnny and he'll tell you the story.. hand me down my walking shoes.

It's no secret that I vote Liberal. Yes there was a brief period of time earlier this year when I thought I might vote Labor (brrr) but then I stopped watching the piece of garbage Sunrise has become, shook my head and remembered that voting Labor would mean change and I don't do change.

I knew Labor would win but I didn't realise how rattled it would make me feel. Remember that I am only 23, I've only been old enough to vote in one other federal election and that John Howard has been PM since I was 11! 11!! I don't know anything else!! I've never experienced this side of a democracy. To me, the party I vote for, or would vote for wins. Ok I don't think democracy is the right word..seeing how everyone votes. But to me, whoever I vote for wins anyway! It's just not right.

So what happens now?

- Jen

Life is good, and the girls are gorgeous

ben&rel_theGirls
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

So remember ages ago how I whinging about not remembering to take any photos at our friends farewell party? Well I still didn't take any pictures and I'm still an idiot. But lucky some people do, and thanks to facebook I acquired some pictures.

You can tell the one in the middle is me because I'm the only girl drinking beer.

- Jen

SOTM November 2007 - Not a hasty decision

Had a really hard time choosing this month. Jase has got me hooked on Paolo Nutini. But which song to choose? I'm SO hooked yesterday I forked out the $26 for his album (came with a bonus live cd). 'These streets' almost made it but considering I've been listening to 'Jenny don't be hasty' for the past few weeks, thats this months SOTM. Tony you did add to the confusion but unfortuantely Paolo > wombats...just.

Here is Paolo singing this months song of the month

You said you'd marry me if I was 23
But I'm one that you can't see if I'm only 18
Tell me who made these rules
Obviously not you
Who are you answering to?
Oh, jenny don't be hasty
No, don't treat me like a baby
Let me take you where you'll let me
Because leaving just upsets me
I'll be around again to see the other men
They're more adequate in the age department
I did not think you cared.
There'd be no problems here
But now you're looking at me like you're disgusted
Then I'm definitely waiting for you to smile and change your mind
Then I'll say I'm sorry and I'll wrap my arms 'round your body
I really hope that you forgive in a hurry
And don't just ask me to leave
Oh, jenny don't be hasty
Don't treat me like a baby
Let me take you where you'll let me
Because leaving just upsets me
Oh, jenny you are crazy!
First I'm perfect, then I'm lazy
And I was calling you my baby
And all the times that you just left me
And it kills me!



- Jen

Its the stupidest time of the year?

dumbCars.jpg
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Saw this in the car park when were out doing some Christmas shopping yesterday. At highpoint of course.

How does someone park like that and then think its okay? Especially when the car on the right of them was within their own lines?

Best stupid thing was in toys r us when I lined up. Queue was moderately annoying not that many people but people with LOTS of stuff. So anyway I line up and there is a kid probably four-ish lying on the floor. Thinking he belonged to the people in front of me, I ignored him. Then this lady pushes past me to reclaim her place in the queue. She used her KID to mind the queue. Her little kid. Yeah okay do it if your kid is a bit older and you forget something but don't put someone that little there!! Then, in contention for mother of the year, when the kid starts whining buy him a sugary drink. That'll work. Guaranteed peace and quiet if they're hopped up on sugar.

Lucky we don't have too much more shopping to do. The man and I aren't buying each other presents this year. Maybe after Christmas at a sale or something. He can buy me a pizza in Italy.

- Jen

and its 4 5 6 7 grab your umbrella

Rain.jpg
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

This is what I woke up to this morning. Rain, rain rain!

Big pelting rain. On that tin roof you see there. It was cloudy and so nice and dark in our bedroom for once. Usually everytime you wake up its like getting punched in the face by the sun. It hurts and its not good for your eyes.

So it was difficult getting out of bed.

Just thought I would blog about this because I haven't seen rain like that for ages.

We have noticed a weird parallel between it raining and us going out for Japanese. That's not until tonight but still. Everytime we are going out for Japanese it drizzles. There is no scientific research to back this up. Going to check out Fuji teppanyaki in Mt Alexander Rd. We've given our regular Japanese place the flick because the man has noticed his beef teriyaki getting smaller and smaller...and smaller. The price is the same though. Maybe they're getting tips from Kraft because the new vegemite jars are a scam for sure.

Right now at 11.41 it looks like its about 40 degrees outside and the sun is winding up for a nice right hook. We're off to see 'lions for lambs'. I'd take a lamb over a lion only because I'm not sure how lion would taste. I'm guessing thats not what the movie is about. Does this mean I'll eat Skippy but I won't eat Simba? Interesting.

- Jen

Tonight.. I'm going to have myself a real good time

So Saturday night (at home by ourselves as per usual). The man gets a call from his friend who was supposed to be coming over to ours to ask whether we'd like to come over to someone elses house in Camberwell. Where's Camberwell was my first question, apparently its near Hawthorn, which didn't help much.

I was dead keen to go, and the man had his 'if you want to go then we'll go' attitude on. Which is code for, 'I don't want to go, its far away, there are new people there, and did I mention its far away'?

So we went.

I'm so glad we did. Hung out with some really awesome people, had some fantastic pizza (apparently not as good as Crust..but I haven't had Crust so I can't judge). Played lots of wii, Excite truck really is buckets of ..excite.

There is another wii night on this week, 'wii' will have to go I think.

So awesome to get out and meet new people.

Pretty sure the man enjoyed himself too. Good pizza helps.

Is Crust really that good??

- Jen

Its only the 1st of November...isn't it? And I updated on...

Seriously the 12th of November? Not cool. I knew the last time I updated was 27th of October, 5th November, 6th November...still respectable.

Again its the old lots has happened, but its lots of little things and I forgot to write them down.

Like how we kind of got into a teensy fight with a neighbour. Surprisingly it wasn't with stampy or high heels harry upstairs.

We also booked and paid for our overseas trip. Whats that we're having for dinner the man? Gruel? Awesome. Looking forward to the one pizza we will be able to afford in Italy.

Oh, lots of wedding plans. Weddings are still expensive. But we've found a place to have the reception that won't break the bank and was surprisingly awesome. Need to get quotes for photographers and flowers...and music and cake. But its all good. We totally forgot to budget for wedding rings. Pretty important part of the wedding you would think.

I'll get around to filling in the blanks hopefully later. But dinner...lamb chops and salad calls. Okay okay we're not eating gruel yet.

- Jen

Hey! It will be alright, just find a state where everything's passing by

Had a...not great week at work. Getting paid extra is great...but I'm feeling very stressed. The work I can handle, I actually really enjoy it but...I don't know. Although I didn't think I was feeling the pressure, it kind of just hit me this week.

Most of our team has left..or is even on stress leave and while I'm working with some awesome people, its just tough sometimes.

Funnily enough the way I was feeling, when I thought about it was more to do with the lack of sleep I got this week. Ever heard that saying 'never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear'? Yeah, its true. Cotton buds are such a no-no. I've done something to my left ear where if I lie down when I yawn I get a stabbing pain in my ear. It seems to make me yawn too. After being upright for a few hours it gets less painful and then goes away. So sleeping hasn't been working out too well.

Oh well, I'm sure next week will be better. We have a morning tea on Monday, those are always good.

- Jen

Why I wouldn't make a good criminal

Melb United v Newcastle Jets
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Last night we went out! Didn't spend a cent either.

However I did have to masquerade as one of the man's mates girlfriends, but that was okay because he was pretending to be his mate.

Confusing I know, but his mate has members seats for the soccer and couldn't go so he offered us the seats.

There I was in the queue when I read the little swipe card thing that said 'identification must be produced'. This presented two problems for me. One, I don't have a concession card, and two (probably the more obvious problem), I'm not the person the card says I am. I start to feel a bit anxious. Then, I look up at the head of the queue and a girl I went to high school with (in Albury mind you) is the staff member on the gate. Damn! Obviously she's going to know I'm not who this card says I am! She might even know I don't have a concession card! Oh geez!

I casually switch lines. I'm almost at the head of the queue, checking to make sure I'm ready to quickly scan my card (like I've done it before). If I really were a member, I wouldn't screw this up.
The guy in front of me goes to scan his card, the machine beeps - the staff member starts paying attention (damn!), stops to look at the guys card. I'm done for now. They're checking cards.

My turn. I expertly scan my card and the guy waves me through the barrier, still concentrating on the guy before me. I'm free! I'm such a risk-taker!

We go to find our seats, bay 40....bay 40...ah! bay 40. Oh geez! There's another one on the entrance to the bay. Far out! Is THIS where we get asked for ID?? No, no its apparently not. I'm actually pretty sure I could have shown my RACV membership and got through. That or my frequent sippers card from gloria jeans.

What a rush though. Phew. Such an adrenaline junkie.

Soccer was good too. Nice Friday night out!

- Jen

Weird things you see on the road

LlamaCar
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Look closely. I apologise for the filthy windscreen.

Its a llama! In a car!!

Went to Canberra for the weekend. Was really nice. LONG drive, so the llama helped.

- Jen

And in case you didn't hear....

How GREAT are Christmas carols!!! I don't know if its the years of setting up Nan's christmas tree to Burl Ives but I really like Christmas tunes! Its 7:54am in OCTOBER and I'm tapping my feet merrily to 'Have a holly jolly Christmas'.

Ah...but...it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas.



- Jen

Nobody likes you when you're 23

Going to Canberra this weekend (driving) with a mate, to see a mate. Should be good. Long trip though so I've fired up Pinky (4GB ipod mini) who is looking a bit..worse for wear. I swear the thing grunted and then coughed when I tried to turn it on. It may have hocked up a loogie too. Okay I'm exaggerating. It did beep menacingly at me though.

But anyway, I reset it and had to restore it and it seems to be okay now. The battery is shot though. Lucky for the in car charger.

So now I'm putting lots of road tunes on there. Getting all...awww blink 182!! I'll hate them again in three hours but oh the memories! The sweetness of 'Josie'. The awesome-ness of 'Dammit'. It IS alright for me to tell you what I think about you!!!

I have lots of songs that I associate with things/events so it always makes me feel good when I hear them. I haven't been to that many funerals so...wow only two I think. So I don't have that many sad songs. But for instance 'penguins and polar bears' by Millencolin always reminds me of jases and my 'touring' in his green beat up corolla. How much did you sell that for Jase? $100??

See 'Eagle Rock' by Daddy Cool always makes me feel bouncy and happy - but I also associate it with the start of Wolf Creek. You know where you're sitting there with your hand in your mouth rocking back and forth going 'ooh they gonna get killed'. Or was that just me? For the record - they do have Eagle Rock playing in the movie.

'Rise' by Daryl Braithwaite always reminds me of my sister. I'm sure that was her favourite song when she was about five. I think one year for Christmas I got a walkman and she got a tape player. WITH A RECORDER IN IT! So we both got tapes. I got hits of the 90's and she got a similar one with 'Rise' on it. Mine had new kids on the block, guns and roses and Tom Cochran (life is a highway) on it.

A lot of songs just remind me of 'times' in my life. Like songs I used to listen to driving to Melbourne all those times. 'This years love' by David Gray, 'Sunday morning' by Maroon 5 definitely.

Dire Straights reminds me of Dad particularly 'money for nothing' and 'walk of life' - I think I remember vaguely a trip to Wagga, we must have been really little where we went to a zoo and a goat got one of my sisters gloves. Musn't of been a good zoo is what I'm thinking now. Not if goats were an attraction.

Sniff, 'All these things that I have done' by the Killers reminds me of running because I'd use it to get up that blasted hill near the moonee ponds racecourse.

I can't even get STARTED on the songs of Woodstock Crt. The burnt cds with various punky tunes down in the garage which was always playing if some pool playing and beer sinking was occurring. Oh wow!! 'Hey ya' by outkast - The O-week with the americans!! Best toga party EVER!

'Ride with me' Nelly/John Mayer remix reminds me of opening the lan mine on a Saturday morning because I'd crank that up.

I could be here ALL DAY doing this!!! But I won't. I did think the goat story was funny though.

So everyone, what songs do you associate with things/events? Or, what songs make you happy? What songs do you hate!



- Jen

We went to look at kittens.....

And spent $600 odd dollars on stuff for our overseas trip. Nowhere in the $600 dollars were tickets to GET overseas. But by gosh when we do get there we will be well and truly equipped to carry our STUFF. I really wasn't sure how the big green garbage bag idea would pan out and now we don't have gigantic backpacks!

See the pet shop is across the way from Aussie Disposals and while kittens are cute, they can't carry 20 kilos of stuff around Europe. We know because we've discussed it with our cats and I think Schroddy actually stuck her paw up at me. And hissed.

So into Aussie Disposals we went and the girl was so nice and helpful and showed us the most awesome backpacks (75 litres!) that we bought two...and a sleeping bag for me. Sorry Mum but the metre long sleeping back at home that looks like a big smurf poo will not cut it. Oh and we bought protective sheet thingers for the revolting hostel mattresses we'll be sleeping.. on. I do mean protective for us, not protective for the mattresses. So yeah thats how good a salesperson she was. Not only that but she alleviated our concerns about maybe buying from a place like Kathmandu by telling us how their stuff is the same only called something different, and theirs has a lifetime warranty (they'll fed-ex us a new one if it busts o/s!).

So yay for us. We also bought a vortex (one of those balls with a tail that goes weeeeeee) to throw around in the sunlight. A very fun day.

Also, afterwards we did get to the pet shop windows and they only had doggies. In the window. In the petshop. With waggly tails.

- Jen
p.s we really did just go to look at kittens

SOTM - October 2007

Although I'm about done with this song it well and truly deserves Song Of The Month. My ipod will actually cry if I play it again. I'm sorry shuffleapagus but it really is the perfect song for staring moodily out of train windows to, while watching the building you work in grow closer and closer. It's also the perfect song to listen to after stepping off a train into the dwindling sunlight at the end of the day.

Its ALSO featured in a tv show I'm fond of* (heroes). For those reasons, 'Eyes' by Rogue Wave gets SOTM for October. California by Rogue Wave was also on high rotation this month along with Long Road to Ruin by the Fooies (a catchy tune!).

Eyes - Rogue Wave

Missed the last train home.
Birds pass by to tell me that I'm not alone.

Well I'm pushing myself to finish this part,
I can handle a lot,
But one thing I'm missing is in your eyes.

In your eyes

Have you seen this film?
It reminds me of walking through the avenues.

Washing my hands of attachments yeah,
I can land on the ground,
but one thing I'm missing, is in your eyes.
(Cause I find love),

In your eyes.

- Jen
* Fond of or addicted to??

Oh, well, I fell. You know, it was so... undashing.

Saturday mornings I usually go to a pump class at the gym, and this week I felt like I really had to go because last week the instructor spent a while after the class showing me how to improve my form.

Anyway I got up at 8am after sleeping on the floor in the loungeroom half the night because the man was smacking his lips in his sleep and me smacking him and telling him to shutup had no effect, so I relocated.

The man was taking the car to go to work so I said I'd walk to the gym (up at highpoint). I really had to get my skates on to get there in time and not having any skates it was a jog and hope I saw a tram effort. I was tracking well and was cutting through a park when I got to a tiny little fence, one my long legs could easily bound over. Or one my long legs could easily catch on and tip me onto the ground. Yes, I fell.

It wasn't like I just tripped, still embarassing but not as bad as flying through the air mid-jump only to be thrown back to the ground from a height.

So undashing. If girls can be dashing. Probably not. Either way, incredibly embarrassing. Worst of all there were witnesses. Luckily they were nice and didn't laugh - to my face. I mostly landed bang onto my knees/chest. My knees which are in great shape and can take a battering. Not to mention I still had a few k's to go.

But I made it. I looked like a five year old when I arrived with my dirty bruised knees. Knees are fine just bruised! Lucky it was grass/dirt.

Sigh. Still a jenu.

- Jen

No not me, it's 'I'

I'm upset. Last night the man and I had an hour to fill before spicks and specks and ended up watching some of 'Are you smarter than a 5th grader?'

Well. I am NOT smarter than a 5th grader. I'm not smarter than a 1st grader! I got the one about the St Bernard dog and I knew what 10-3 was so obviously I was feeling cocky. Then I (and most of Australia by the sounds of it) got the following question wrong.

1st grad* grammar too!

Max talked to Darcy and ____

a) I
b) me
c) my

EVERYONE knows its 'I'. Well everyone except kids in year one who apparently get taught its 'me'. Seriously, after my misspelling of 'VACUUM' the other day I'm not feeling too happy. Spelling and big words are my thing. Bad at maths, good at English, thats how its always been. Clearly I am not good at grammar. I just cannot fathom how it can be 'me'!! Now I'm not good at anything!!! I just will not accept that all my life I've been spelling vacuum wrong. The DICTIONARY is wrong. Rove is wrong!

What's worse if a kid said to me 'Max talked to Darcy and me' I'd correct them! Well..I probably wouldn't. But if I they were my kid I would*. So, this poses an interesting theory. What if, kids get taught at school its 'me', then they're going home and getting corrected by their parents!! I really think this is a possibility because all the kids on the show chose 'I', the child of the contestant on the show chose 'I'...everyone chose 'I'.

I rest my case. It's 'I'.

- Jen
* if they were I kid me would..
* I KNOW...IT'S A TYPO AND I'M NOT FIXING IT!!

If you really like carparks..

If you really like carparks..
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

You use them in your wedding photos. I dunno, maybe there was going to be some major photoshopping done to erase the awful yellow wall behind them....we can hope. I can see how the grass and the railing might have inspired them. But still! It's a carpark!

- Jen

Sunset via phone

PhoneSunset
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

I thought this looked pretty nice so I snapped a shot of it. On my phone!!

Still enjoying my new toy.

- Jen

Kanga Bangas and GF BBQs

Last Saturday (yes I know, I'm the last person in the world to blog about it) was the Annual Grand Final BBQ put on by the Malloy's. I went last year and despite my best attempts to convince the man to join me I went alone again.

Where as last year I undercooked the cake I made, this year I slightly overcooked the brownies. Brownies are not cake!! Some were still a bit fudgy in the middle though. Not like the picture in the women's weekly cookbook though!

Took 'Kanga Bangas' - roo sausages I found in the supermarket. They're supposed to be better for you than regular snags. Mashed up roo screams road kill though...
I thought they were pretty good so we're thinking of making them a staple. I think 'Skippy Snags' would be a good alternative name though! Not that Kanga Bangas isn't pretty good.

Anyway, the game wasn't that interesting but it was nice to watch Port get trounced.

Again I had a great time, met some new people and caught up with people I'd met last year. Also determined I AM a geek. Wasn't sure I still was but nope, I've still got it.Speaking of new people I got to meet! Got to have a good long old of the quietest baby ever - little Henry, and saw his sister Kennedy for the five minutes she was awake. Babies sleep a lot!!

Thanks Rae and Tony!! I'll work on the man for next year...but no promises. Yes I mentioned the enormous tv!

- Jen

Bye Bye Broadie

This week has been the first week of the new Craigieburn rail line extension. So now, instead of living on the 'Broadie' line, we live on the Craigieburn line!

Woo!!! I wonder if that will do anything for our property prices? Probably not, but still. It's nice to be able to tell people when they ask that I catch the Craigieburn line not the Broadmeadows line. There was always that 'oh' after I mentioned the 'B' word. Of course now it sounds like I live in Craigieburn so it sounds like I might as well live in Albury.

Of course its too hard to have the words 'Broadmeadows' changed to 'Craigieburn' on the tv displays so it just says 'Information Pending'. Grreaat. I freaked out the first time I saw it because I thought all the trains were cancelled (oh GOD I'll have to catch a tram!). Lucky I asked a helpful Connex guy at the station what was going on. He looked excited to tell me they were running as normal. Mind you, now the trains arrive a minute or two earlier. Go figure. I did catch a very nice City loop/Nth Melb to Moonee Ponds express tonight. Desk to door in 15 mins.

- Jen

We move like cagey tigers

You've heard of facebook, now meet - Catbook. Oh yes, the facebook application thats making me giggle. Uncontrollably. I wonder if it interacts with Dogbook? Probably not.

Also..I just realised I totally misunderstood some of the lyrics to 'love cats'. I always thought it was 'so one flea, one flea, one flea, one flea - pretty'. Yeah. No. It's 'We're so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully pretty! Usually when I mishear lyrics the real ones make more sense. Like Mum's classic for the song 'I try' - somehow 'Though I try to hide it, its clear - I wear goggles when you are not near'* was never going to be right. I think my love cats lyrics make total sense.

- Jen

* Try, my world crumbles when you are not near

They call me Early Worm...Good morning how are you?

Went out for dinner last night and my stomach was feeling rowdy when we got home so I stayed up and had some water and didn't end up in bed until 12. Content in the knowledge I'd worked extremely hard in the gym and at work all week and I could have a well deserved sleep in. 7am the man gets up and disturbs me in the process..well I decided to sleep diagonally. Then the shower started and I groaned and realised I couldn't go back to sleep. Then I realised that 7am is a sleep in for me anyway so I got up. The man went to work and I went mad dusting, vacumning..is that how you spell..vacumning? It's vacumn right? Oh god. I have no idea. So anyway. I cleaned. Did all our washing - even the annoying HAND washing I put off and put off until I have no nice clothes. Even THAT.

Completely ready for the day by 9am!! On a SATURDAY!

Then we went to the movies, went to harass more travel agents and bought the new fooies album (its so-so right now). Didn't get home and eat lunch until almost 4.

Also, damn the 'pies! Good on them for not giving up and I'm stoked at how close it was. But shattered about how close it was as well. Who would have seriously thought they would have come so close to getting in the GF! At least at the bbq next week I will be able to talk instead of being chewing my lips nervously.

- Jen
p.s. I'm not a real worm but I am interested in things :-)

New phone

new phone
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Nokia 6120. It's awesome.

Perfect size, not too big, not too small (so I don't have that constant 'oh my god I think I've lost my phone' feeling). 2MB camera so hopefully now I can do some snaps when I see people doing stupid stuff or those awesome sunrises over the city on the way home from the gym. Yeah I know its only 2MB but my last phone was .5MB and the photos on that were..ok. So this should be good.

Haven't put songs etc on it yet. Came with a free 256MB card too, and its perfect timing as my old phone was having..issues and the plan was about to run out. And its costing me only an extra $8 a month for data for two months while I work out if I'll even use it enough to warrant paying more.

We'll see.

- Jen

Song of the month - September 2007

Kaiser Chiefs - 'Everything is average nowadays'.

Yeah, song of the month. Its a new thing. Don't say we're old and tired here at jentopia. Heck no.

So anyway. Kaiser Chiefs - great song. Of course, had I thought of 'song of the month' I probably would have awarded 'Everything is average nowadays' SOTM* a long time ago. Yes. Some abbreviation right there.

But anyway. That song gets me going to the gym, at the gym, on the way home from the gym, on the train on the way to work while I smirk at the people falling asleep and feel smug in the knowledge I've been up from 5am and oh my god my legs hurt and I wish I could sit down. Worst thing about being fit is that no-one will offer you a seat. Old ladies, crutches and unhealthier women beat jelly legs everytime.

The song wins on its upbeat-ness and also the line that I love singing and hard as it is to 'rewind' well on an ipod shuffle I repeat all the time:

"All I need is a ball and a wall
Or a sledge and a hill in heavy weather
All I need is a ball and a wall
A sledge and a hill in heavy weather"

Be a good person^ and download it from itunes.


- Jen

* I've checked, its not an abbreviation for anything dirty. I found Satellite Communications On The Move (what happened to the 'C' I wonder?) and Site of The Month.
^ Be a guilty sucker like me.


p.s. Will I remember SOTM for October?? We'll see.

Superbad

Saw Superbad this morning. Yes, movies on a Saturday morning. I know. Don't worry last night I went to a 30th birthday party for a friend of mine. I have friends who are 30. Anyway, the movie. Went in expecting it to be literally Superbad. It's by the guys who did Knocked Up which I (and I'm apparently the only person in the world) hated. Really didn't like it. But I actually quite liked Superbad. Had some funny bits in it and I found it a sweet movie. Like aww sweet. Which anyone else who sees the movie will probably find weird I guess. Could be working at the lanmine, has given me some kind of feeling of affection for hopelessly geeky teenage boys. That last sentence is going to be taken the wrong way for SURE. I mean..I identified with the characters.I wonder now if the reason I didn't like Knocked Up was that the swearing in it was so annoying because I'm sure people my age don't swear that much!! But teenage boys do so I found it less..offensive.

- Jen

13.15 (93) to 10.14 (74).

And THAT is why I don't like watching football.

Extra time?? EXTRA TIME?? Lucky I don't have any nails otherwise I'd be really dirty because I certainly wouldn't have any now.

Go 'pies though!

How good is Dale Thomas!!!

- Jen

Bored of breakfast

So this morning I stared blankly into our pantry and probably for the first time in my life considered skipping breakfast.

Might not sound shocking to people who don't know me well but I LOVE breakfast. Easily my favourite meal of the day and this morning- I could have taken it or left it. We're in training at work all this week though(8.45 - 4:51pm) everyday and not being able to just go and eat if I needed to meant I had to eat SOMETHING.

I had porridge as usual. But I wasn't happy about it! Didn't go to the gym or anything though so I wasnt ravenous as usual. So I'm well and truly over porridge. I've run out of cereals I haven't done to death like Uncle Toby's Fibre Plus, Oat Flakes, Sultana Bran...I'm just stuck!

I have banana on toast for lunch at the moment so I'm not keen on toast for brekkie and plain fruit won't fuel me up enough!

What does everyone else eat for brekkie?

- Jen

Conn-iving

The connex ad in today's mx showing Shane Wakelin traveling via connex to matches.

Apparently its true though..

He must be leaving pretty early to make sure he gets there on time!

Actually SOMEHOW today my train was 5 minutes quicker. Normally I swipe through the security door at anywhere between 8:15 and 8:20 if I catch the 7:53 express to Flinders via city loop. Today I swiped in at 8:10!! I was shocked.

Damn! This post was supposed to be bagging connex!!

-Jen

Eye of the tiger?

boxingcat1
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Went to pump this morning, finally worked out why squats weren't hurting me anymore. Not enough weight and not going low enough. Now there's a deep burn which was great.

One of the tracks was a remix of "eye of the tiger "and our instructor had me twitching with laughter. Full on laughter would have been painful I think, given the weight. First of all its eye of the tiger which is always such a cliche when I hear it at the gym, second he asked if anyone had any cats and I pictured (see right). Also last week when the man and I were buying weights there were these TINY little weights maybe a few grams and I had an image of the cats weightlifting using those. Didn't help when the man started pretending to be a cat weightlifting and added a small meow instead of a grunt at the end of each rep. Much giggling ensued.

Yes we are stupid.

THEN, at the end of the track when I'd finished getting over the image of our kittenats boxing and weightlifting - the song finishes with a vehement MEOW!

It was too much!

- Jen

Coming down I'm coming round, this time I think I'm waking up

Today we went and saw Rell off at the airport. I didn't cry. Think I'm improving at saying goodbyes seeing we've just finished the olympics of farewells.

We got home and started planning out our trip. I know. Pick yourself up off the floor. We figured a couple of kidneys would get us a ticket easy. Maybe even a ticket back. We actually have enough saved to get us there, just not to eat or sleep..or actually do anything. The internet, for once proved useless as our trip is to far into the future to work out tickets. So we went down to Highpoint and spoke to an awesome guy at the student travel place. Yes I know I'm not a student, but the man is and hopefully we'll get a hot deal. Like some free tickets hot. So far we're thinking, fly Melbourne to San Francisco, then to New York, over to London. Then travel around Italy and France using London as our base, also going to Ireland to see Baz! Then going to Egypt because I just love donkeys.

Joking about the donkeys. Camels are awesome though. Then going back to Australia via Thailand for a week, do some diving, scootering and Thai beer shopping.

Sounds like the start of a plan I reckon, this time next year hopefully.
Finally feel like it might ACTUALLY happen. Good news is we've made some more decisions on the wedding. In light of the overseas trip we've decided to elope.
Ha. No just kidding, we've really decided that the menu for the wedding is rice. Just rice. With an option of soy sauce because we want it to be pretty elegant.

Oh you WISH I was kidding about that.

- Jen

And you play your card, but its kinda cute.

Had a moment today when I looked at the man and basically said how revolting and feral he is. It's okay. It's sometimes very true.

In this instance he was showing* me the pus that was leaking out the side of his ingrown toenail. Then he farted. Loudly.

Married life will be great though.

- Jen

* waving his pus laden foot around

What if I say I'm not like the others?

Interview today. Was happy with my confidence levels, there was much smiling and even some laughing, nice smiley handshakes. As for the actual questions - I was a bit iffy. To be fair, I couldn't have done ANY more preparation that would have done any good. If anything I'm just lacking experience. Hopefully, they'll be nice and give me a chance. One of those catch 22 things, need experience to get the job, but need the job to get experience.

See how it goes. As a famous certain someone says 'as long as you did your best then there's nothing more anyone can ask'.
You know, I'm not sure that applies to the work I do. I get the feeling they want more than 100%, which would irritate the man to no end because YOU CAN'T GIVE MORE THAN 100%! Hmmm.
- Jen

It's not paradise but I'm home again.

I have to start by saying thanks to the man because someone has to. He's worked day and night for the past few months sorting out the shambles that was our body corporate. When we moved in we were told we'd be paying between $1600 - $1800. This turned into about $2600 and our CHARMING body corporate couldn't tell us why. So we sacked them. Then we had so many problems getting another body corporate that in the last month or so I've been hinting maybe we should just sell and get out of this mess.

But the man has persevered and managed to organise a new body corporate and they've taken us on board. Big relief!! the man won't know what to do with himself after work from now on!

It's spring so its warming up and we haven't had the heater on all week. The curtains are open, letting light into the place and its beautiful in here now. It was so gloomy in winter! We're on the second level so with the glass windows and sliding doors I can look outside at the nice leafy peppercorn tree and the blue sky. Actually now its sunset and thats nice too. The man's cooking a roast for dinner. All is well in the world.

Now if only stampy and the herd of elephants upstairs would rack off it WOULD be paradise.

- Jen

It's easy when you don't try going on first impressions

I've been slightly nauseous and have had the runs for about six days now. Thats when I found out I have an interview for a job I really want. The only thing is, its..'only natural' to be nervous for an interview, but for this job - I have to exude confidence. So hopefully I'm getting all the nervousness out now. In my head I'm looking smart and brimming with 'youthful enthusiasm'...but I'm shaking slightly as I write that. The interview isn't until Wednesday but I'm pretty sure I've lost any weight I managed to put on in the past year.

It's either nervousness or food poisoning. The thing that is also bugging me is that I've done a lot of research..probably more than I need to and I still have two nights to prepare...so what to do? Blog, I'm friends'd out on facebook...we're out of tv shows and I already ate too much chocolate. Debating about trying to go for a run...its pretty nice outside. Might do that after I finish blogging.

It's just unfortunate that I KNOW I can do the job I'm just not that great at interviews. I'll probably be okay unless they throw some kind of 'scenario' style thing at me. Phew...big breaths.

But anyway...wish me luck.

- Jen

Yes it does

I wonder if a google search for Commissioner of Taxation will turn up jentopia.

Of course I had to google Commissioner of Taxation and jentopia. But y'know. Its there. What's the deal with google being so bang on the mark these days. It used to take ages for anything to update. This was instantaneous!

Now if you google '(my surname) for Commissioner of Taxation'... Very interesting.

- Jen

Funniest thing I saw on the train this week

A girl crying while reading a Danielle Steele book.

Come on. Harry Potter ok (Tony are you done with it yet or WHAT!) but Danielle Steele??

- Jen

Didn't have a camera by my side this time, hoping I would see the world through both my eyes

So now every man and his dog has gone overseas and I'm left updating my facebook on a saturday night. The updating of the facebook has resulted in great sadness. Because we haven't taken enough photos.

We kicked ourselves that we took our camera to our engagement party where it rested in my handbag. We swore when we left it in the car all day at the snow where it got lonely (and cold) in the glovebox. We lazily resisted actually taking a bloody photo of anyone at Ben and Rell's farewell and then, just to make matters worse decided to leave it behind on everyone's last night in Berrigan.

And now, now that everyone's gone and I'm left madly scavenging for photos off other people's blogs and flickrs I'm really sad I missed so many opportunities. I KNOW there are some great photos out there. But we could have got some beauties. The fireworks that went off-course in the school yard at Berrigan that made me go 'oh, so THAT'S how people lose eyes and fingers playing with fireworks'. The impromptu game of 'celebrity heads' using the back of coasters at the 'Feddie' in Berrigan. The man's classic one guess correct answer using the question "Am I'm gay". The 'celebrity' being Trent. Who isn't actually gay. The failed attempt at sleeping in the back of our car interrupted by a surprisingly persistent and determined Rell who literally dragged us back into their house, so we could sleep in their bed...not with them. The shots of Tequila with a mate of Rell's, the shots of kahula and vodka with Baz, and then with Cam. 'Hey! It tastes like coffee!'...with that sickening after-taste only a shot of vodka can deliver. Kicking the footy on the oval at Bridgett and George's engagement party.

The sad goodbye to Ben and Rell. The goodbye that almost wasn't sad until George started tearing up, which started me up, which started the man up, which got Bridgett going.

Of course now I can sit on facebook and watch them travel the world. I do this while the man is out trying to win tattslotto. Or seeing how much you can get a kilo for cats. We've got about 5 kilo of good quality cat if anyone's interested. Just email me.

We're a bit more determined to get over there now. The way our saving is going we should get over there next year sometime. Fingers crossed. I just need to be Commissioner of Taxation by then. Oodles of time.

I wonder if a google search for Commissioner of Taxation will turn up jentopia.

Someone recently pointed out to me what happens when you miss out the 's' in blogspot and try to go to jentopia. It's not pretty.

Anyway. Enough blathering and blithering. Bedtime.

- Jen

My google meme

From Zucchinis in Bikinis:

The idea is pretty self-explanatory

1. Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search:
a) Jen needs to have a session or two with a therapist
b) Jen needs a break
c) Jen needs to find a self righteous, conspicuous "I'm better than you" charitable
position so she can keep charming the sheep into thinking she matters

2. Type in "[your name] is" in the Google search:
a) Jen is famous
b) Jen is the new blog
c) Jen is a compassionate, loving, fun and caring person. She believes in hard work,
fate, karma and ultimately the kindness in human kind.

3. Type in "[your name] likes" in the Google search:
a) Jen likes to multi task during sex
b) Jen likes pictures
c) Jen likes to dance

4. Type in "[your name] wants" in the Google search:
a) Jen wants thanksgiving with friends
b) Jen wants to make friends with Brad
c) Jen wants an Alan Rickman blowup doll but is not a cannibal

5. Type in "[your name] gets" in the Google search:
a) Jen gets married
b) Jen gets creative with her outfit Big Brother 8 Pics
c) Jen gets glam for the fight

6. Type in "[your name] says" in the Google search:
a) Jen says she is going to vote to evict Dick.
b) Jen Says Ben Affleck Is a Teddy Bear
c) Jen says hi


Funny stuff!! 3(a) ....

I grew up in Australia in the 90's part 2

-You ate Smarties instead of M&M’s.
-You tried Dr. Pepper and hated it.
-Service stations didn’t need space for 4 digits on their petrol prices signs.
-Girl germs! Boy germs!
-Goosebumps.
-You had to actually call your friends rather than send them an SMS.
-Wearing a Chicago Bulls T-shirt or cap. Wearing the cap backwards.
-Paul Jennings’ Gizmo books.
-Matchbox cars.
-The feeling of wonder you got, the first time you were able to see the image in one
of those Magic Eye 3D pictures. – yeah...has never happened to me!
-The Secret World of Alex Mack.
-Talk to the hand!
-Johnson and Friends, Noddy and Humphrey B. Bear.
-You wished you had enough Lego to build those amazing cities they displayed in the
brochures.
-Slap bracelets.
-Roger Ramjet, he’s our man, hero of our nation.
-Good on ya Mum! Tip Top’s the one!
-You could buy more than enough food from the school canteen for only $2.
-Begging your parents to go to McDonald’s for dinner.
-Rocko’s Modern Life, Rugrats and Hey Arnold!
-Noni, Monica and that bald guy named George on Play School.
-Watching The Lion King and feeling Simba’s pain when Mufasa died. Disney just
doesn’t make them like that anymore.
-Soft serve cones were only 30c and they never tried to up-sell a Flake because they
didn’t have it.
-Troll Dolls.
-Thomas the Tank Engine
-You had to get your photos developed.
-Competing with your friends to see who could eat the most sour Warheads in one go.
-The Channel 9 logo had dots next to it and the Channel 7 logo wasn’t a folded piece
of paper.
-No Hat, no play.
-High five! Up high, down low, too slow!
-Watching Round the Twist and getting pissed off that the actors kept on changing.
You still loved it though.
-Cheating in Heads Down, Thumbs Up.
-Watching that game show called Vidiot. Game shows didn't have to be educational
back then, like That's Academic... that show sucks.
-Collecting basketball cards, whether you followed basketball or not.
-Collecting hundreds of tickets from Timezone just so you could trade them for some
crappy prize that you could have bought from Woolies for ten bucks.
-Healthy Harold day was the best because you got to miss class to sit in a tiny
caravan and listen to a talking giraffe.
-Playing handball with Ace, King, Queen and Dunce and making up stupid rules as you
went along.
-Chewing the crappy gum in Bubble-O-Bill's nose and wishing they could just use
Hubba Bubba instead.
-A*mazing.
-The Ferals. Rattus, Modigliana, Derryn and Mixy were cool until they started that
five minute piece of crap, Feral TV.
-Hypercolour T-shirts.
-Who Dares! Who Dares! Who Dares Wins!
-Having your very own Dollarmites account and getting really excited when you earned a tiny bit of interest.

Growing up in Australia in the 90’s was rad.

I grew up in Australia in the 90's pt 1

So I pinched this list from the group of the same name on Facebook. I only included the ones I remember..but aww!!

-You watched the ABC more than any other station. Those days are long gone.
-You made worms by squeezing your Vegemite or peanut butter crackers together.
-The best parties always had fairy bread.
-Blinky Bill, Mr Squiggle and Gumby.
-You always used to see that dried out, white dog poo on the footpath. You never see
that anymore.
-SuperTed, Danger Mouse*
-Going to the Albury* Show with a big group of friends from school once you were old
enough to go without Mum and Dad.
-Doing research for school projects by going to the library or looking up an
encyclopaedia rather than using the internet...actually I remember using Encarta ‘96
-Paul Keating was some guy that ran the country and John Howard became the only PM
you really ever knew because you were too young to care before that.
-Banana Man, Bangers and Mash and The Raggy Dolls.
-Game Boy.
-Agro’s Cartoon Connection or Cheez TV.
-Hey Hey It’s Saturday.
-Postman Pat, Fireman Sam and Lift Off (that show with the dirty, eyeless doll named
EC).
-Birthday parties at McDonald's.
-A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month. No returns!
-Playing GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64
-The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
-Arguing over which was better – Nintendo 64 or PlayStation.
-Don’t push me, push a push pop!
-Nobody made "not" jokes... NOT!!
-Who shot Mr Burns?
-Watching Captain Planet and then driving your parents mad by always singing the
song.
-That's so funny, I forgot to laugh.
-You decorated your room with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
-You played marbles and could name all the different types like blue moon, oily,
candy, red wine, galaxy and red devil. You never played anyone for your god marble.
-Seeing a small rack of DVDs in the video store and wondering if anyone ever rented
them.
-Dolly the sheep.
-Getting up early to watch the Rage Top 50.
-Watching The Simpsons back when it was funny, every night on Channel 10.
-Power Rangers becoming cooler than the Ninja Turtles, even though the Turtles will always be cooler.
-Watching South Park for the first time and being really excited by all the swearing.
-Blowing on the Nintendo cartridge before putting it in the console to make sure it
worked properly.
-Vulcan, Tower, Flame... Australian Gladiators.
-Pokemon! Gotta catch ‘em all!
-Watching Hey Dad! and then seeing little Arthur McArthur go on to star in that
famous Sorbent ad.
-Wolfenstein, Doom and Duke Nukem.
-Downloading music from Napster.
-Chatting with your buddies on ICQ.
-Going to see Titanic.
-The winner is… Sydney.
-Mighty Max and Polly Pocket. Max and Polly always got lost because they were so
bloody small.
-Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
-Waiting for Tony “Plugger” Lockett to break that record.
-Ray Martin hosted A Current Affair.
-Zoopa Doopa ice blocks were only 20c and if you couldn’t afford it, you asked the
canteen lady to cut it in half so you could split it with a friend.
-Listening to boy bands like Human Nature and girl bands like Girlfriend.
-Barbie, not Bratz.
-The Spice Girls.
-Happy Meals were only $2.95 and the toys were simple but actually good.
-Thorpe won lots of gold medals and wasn’t so gay.
-Opposite day.
-Pogs and Looney Tunes Tazos.
-You laughed at the fat kid on the Cottees cordial ad and changed the song to "My
Dad picks his nose..."

Found out I was losing so much more than I knew all along

This weekend just gone was so much fun, but it was also really sad. Most of our friends are going overseas for at least a year and so we had a weekend of farewells and, well lots of drinking.

So with everyone leaving people have been mentioning ways to keep in touch. Facebook kept popping up. And now I'm horribly addicted.

I AM NOT GETTING A MYSPACE!!

- Jen

p.s. more on the weekend if I can scrounge some photos off someone who remembered to a) take their camera and b) didn't leave it in the car

Barbarian Barber

Well hairdresser. Can't deny she did a good job but..well I've never actually had a haircut cause me pain before. It started in the washing of the hair where the scalp massage just stopped at 'scalp'. I was actually trying to lift my head closer to her so it wouldn't hurt so much.

Then the actual cut hurt too, there was twisting and pulling and well... there could have been yanking.

THEN, just when I think my jaw is stuck from gritting my teeth so much, she brings out an actual tool of torture. I have one at home and its never caused me pain except for the couple of times I've attempted to straighten my ears.

Yes, hair straighteners are weapons of mass destruction.

Thankfully my hair looks great, John Mayer was playing in the salon, AND she paid me a compliment. Otherwise...well. I suppose the previous sentence wouldn't be in this post.

- Jen

My, what lovely teeth you have

Today has been a day for compliments. For me.

This morning in our circuit class my boxing partner stopped and exclaimed (yes, exclaimed!) 'wow you have the most beautiful teeth'. My red in the face and out of breath response was 'braces'.

I guess it must be all those regular visits to the orthodontist* That or the braces I still have on the back of my teeth. Or the two times I had braces on the front of my teeth.

THEN when I was getting my hair cut the hairdresser asked me if my hair colour was all natural (it is), because it was such a nice colour.

I believe the term is chuffed.

- Jen

*the orthodontist in ALBURY

Drooling on your keyboard may cause injury or mess

healthySnacks
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Please don't think I'm one of THOSE people. THOSE people are the kind of people who are obsessed with Krispy Kreme, who travel long distances to get it, and who buy it in ridiculous quantities (see picture).

The second box only has half a dozen in there. We're going back to Berrigan this weekend and one of the man's sisters was dying to try KK so I said next time we come back we'd bring some. We're also going to a house party in Albury tonight so the assorted dozen can be quartered and will no doubt be devoured there.

I felt like the biggest dork on the train home from Melb Central with 24 donuts. People were looking at me, some jealously (THOSE people no doubt) and some people with the look of distaste I usually reserve for people carrying ridiculous quantities of the stuff.

But here they are and I have to say, they smell really good. Been good so far. But it IS a 3.5hr trip back. A guy I work with ate a dozen on a flight home from Sydney to Melbourne. Another one of THOSE people.

I still maintain you should never have to queue for donuts.

- Jen

Cheating on your partner good, sleeping in on weekends bad

Yes, this is what I read on the Sunrise news ticker while at the gym on Friday. Why cheating on your partner may be good for your relationship and why you can do more harm than good by sleeping in on the weekends.

I can understand- kind of, the sleeping in on weekends upsetting your body clock but the cheating on your partner? The only thing I could come up with is that maybe it makes you see how good you have it? Or had it, because you'd probably be lucky to still have a partner if you cheated on them.

Didn't get to see what they said in the segments but the cheating one would have been...interesting. Anyone see it?

- Jen

Jono Coleman you're a knob.

I don't get time to watch much morning TV these days as its usually gym, shower, inhale porridge, dive onto train by 7:52 but last week I happened to catch Jono Coleman on Sunrise where he basically gave away the ending to Harry Potter. I didn't think he'd read it but managed to give it away all the same, and then threw in a fake bit at the end to make it sound like he hadn't. I just about choked on my porridge, as I gasped so loudly when he said it.

As they should have Sunrise have suspended him. Forget about the adults, you could hardly expect every kid who is a HP fan to be close to finishing and they'd be the ones sitting there at that time of day. Why even joke about it? Sure its only a book but you don't have to ruin it.

Seriously, pretty low.

- Jen

Review: Lemon Soul

Lemon Soul - Puckle St Moonee Ponds.

Been here for breakfast quite a few times now and this was probably the only time its been as good as the first time we went. The other times we went out of convienience (its almost across the road from us) and we couldn't get a booking anywhere else. My folks were down this weekend and although Dad seemed keen on the boathouse I wanted to try Lil Kitch (also on Puckle St) but they were booked out.

So back to Lemon Soul we went. Nice coffee, nice brekkie - I had the Vegie Breakfast with a side of bacon. That's baked beans, multigrain toast, 2 poached eggs, avocado, mushies, spinach, roasted tomatoes and two cute (although not home made) hash browns. The man ordered the pancakes which were DELICIOUS, three thick, but fluffy pancakes with a mountain of ice cream and berries. Mum had the french toast with bacon, maple syrup and what I think was a creme fraiche type of thing, looked like a very generous serving size too. I tried a bit of that and it was fantastic. Dad and Shell had the garden variety 'big brekkie' which looked good.

Service was okay, but the one thing I can't understand about ordering coffee at places like that and The Boathouse is I need to put two sugars in to make it drinkable. Are my daily coffees (Cafe 201 on Spring/Lonsdale St) that little bit weaker? I usually order a takeaway skinny flat white with one sugar. Where as dine in coffees where you add the sugar to yourself, and I end up putting two in because they taste (and look) a lot stronger. So...coffee aficionados, whats the deal with that?

- Jen

This is the sound of settling

Had a really good day today (well its 6:38pm, I think I can count on the rest of the night being okay). I went to pump this morning, and survived. My 'guns' are looking gooooood. My trainer yesterday even said 'wow! you're getting strong!'. Damn straight I am. Of course my eye now is on looking 'gooooood' but not so muscly that my arms look weird in a dress. Especially a wedding dress. You don't want to look like you're going to dash from the church to the boxing ring. Ding ding ding.

ANYWAY I was getting to the rest of the day, I had to go to highpoint (groan) and find something to wear to our friend's (Ben & Rel) going away party next friday night. Its cocktail dress and its winter so I had to find something HOT....but not so HOT that I'll be freezing. You can see my dilemma.

So I didn't get to Highpoint until about 1:40pm and seriously when I found a park it was 2pm (that wasn't frustrating at all. I browsed through about four shops until I wandered into FCUK and surprisingly found a dress I loved! Took less than an hour. It wasn't until I walked into bras and things later that I thought 'wow, its getting easier to be 'JEN'). Ordinarily I would have screwed my face up at the thought of having to do all this shopping but it was while I was browsing through a bra shop that I realised - wow I've changed.

Then I bought a really nice top to wear to the engagement party we're going to next week in Berrigan (George & Bridge). It was all just TOO EASY! I've decided there is defintely something to be said for living in Melbourne (as far as shopping goes anyway).

Last night on my way home from work (in a work car) I realised I was in the wrong lane coming out of that pesky roundabout at the end of Elizabeth St and Flemington Rd and so ended up going down Royal Pde back to Moonee Ponds. Knew where I was going and everything! No getting lost for me!

Anyway have to scoot we're making lasagne tonight and its already seven and we haven't even gone shopping for the stuff yet...

- Jen
p.s. No crutches for the man, he's too much of a man for them!

Pop goes the..man's foot

Ugly foot...ugly foot..what ARE they feeding you!
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Not-my-foot. The man's foot. Apparently he was just walking along minding his own business (wasn't DANCING or anything) and bam, his ankle exploded.

Three days later when he got it x-rayed its not broken..just badly sprained. Yes - that old chestnut. Now he's sporting a LOVELY bruise right around the bottom of this foot.

Luckily he waved the foot in front of my face before I could demand to know why dinner wasn't 'in progress'.

The Simp...sons!

Saw The Simpsons Movie yesterday. It was..okay but a little shocking. There was at least three times when the man and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. 13 yr old boys would find it hilarious though.

Spider Pig - definitely worth it.

- Jen

Not as bad as the 'pirate' joke but still..

What do you get when you cross a dsylexic, an insomniac, and an agnostic?

Someone who lies awake at night wondering if there really is a dog.

He he

- Jen

It's Harryble!

NO spoilers here folks.

But I DID finish Harry last night. Very sad. Won't say anymore about it though because I know a lot of bloggers reading it.

And now its finished! No more Harry. No more anticipation of opening the book. The wondering - should I read it slowly and savour it..OR - read it as QUICKLY as possible so that no-one spoils the ending for me.

I took the latter obviously. But I'll have to read it again because there were parts where I felt like Bernard Black doing his tax ...'if you live by a river and you...WHAT!'...'what's your mothers maiden name'...'what's her FIRST name..' 'I just knew her as Ma!'

Didn't have to quite go and fold all my socks but yeah.

- Jen

Not really something you would call a skill...but a feat nonetheless.

Getting into a fight in a supermarket. A verbal one. Probably (hopefully) not an everyday occurence for you. Maybe you've gotten angry at a rude checkout woman..actually I've done that...anyway. Today I got into a fight with another customer.

First off all the guy ticked me off because he nearly ran me over with his trolley in the freezer aisle, but y'know - it happens. But then, when I'm looking at nachos sauce he did run over an old lady next to me. Right up the back of the leg, pretty hard too. So hard, in fact that it brought tears to her eyes.

Before I could take a second to think, I said "hey I think you should watch where you're going!", he turned around and said defensively "I said sorry!" "ah yeah well you just about ran me over there and now you've really hurt someone" - pause to look at old lady in tears.

"I SAID I was sorry". The guy was getting pretty angry and was now joined by his skanky partner (there really is no other word to describe her). 'Yeah HE SAID he was sorry'. So I replied with the never-failing-to-annoy* "okay, whatever". Then he just started shouting at me "its not my fault its the pram" (trolley?).

I was pretty shocked now, "um well all I'm saying is that its a bit of a coincidence you hit two people in five minutes". Then he came out with this gem "you'd better watch out or I'll really run you over", so I threw in another "uh uh okay whatever...psycho" ..and added a 'thats pathetic' headshake for good measure.

He turned around and left with his wonky trolley and partner in tow but kept shouting, as in loud, screaming about "that woman down there yelled at me! that ..'ing woman yelled, 'snot my fault its the TROLLEY".

I just picked up a can of refried beans and studied the nutritional content on that until everyone in Coles stopped staring at me. I saw the old lady in the deli section and she thanked me for standing up for her. When I got to the checkout (luckily I had less than 12 items and could go through express) the cashier asked me if I was the one that guy was yelling about??" I explained what happened and then noticed him approaching the back of the express line...so I got out of there pretty quick.

Seriously though. A 'bung' trolley is fair enough but the supermarket is not that crowded that you hit people. I mean, I'm sure parents can understand kids ramming them in the back of the legs..occasionally but not strangers!! Not twice in five minutes.

Well. An interesting trip to the shops anyway.

- Jen
p.s. He said I was a woman. I'm not a woman! I'm a girl!!
* Thanks to Shell for the never-failing-to-annoy whatever

The world isn't split into good people and death eaters

This afternoon the man and I went and saw the new Harry Potter flick - Harry and the Order of the Phoenix. It wasn't bad, just missed bits I liked out of the book. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it but I just felt bad for people like the man who haven't read the book. As the man pointed out, it'd be a very long movie if it had everything in it. We actually saw it in directors suite which was pretty cool. We shared a wedges and some kind of chicken bits and then had 'dessert' halfway through with chocolate mousse and apple strudel. Pretty nice way to spend an afternoon!

- Jen

Don't wanna be the one

I've been wondering about getting caught downloading music for awhile now. I've never really had much success downloading movies and I suppose I've been lucky because if I really wanted something...I have 'people' who can get what I want for me. But music, I've downloaded. In comparison with everyone else downloading music, I'm sure I'd be a very small fish but..still.

Its gotten to the point where I can't do it anymore! I feel too guilty. So today, I spent $1.69 and bought my first song off iTunes (Fluorescent Adolescent by the Artic Monkeys).

I've heard of lots of students in the US being given the option of paying about $500 USD for each song they've downloaded or settle out of court and pay about $2000-$3000. Ouch.

It was pure coincidence after buying my first song that I stumbled upon this article in The Age .

Despite the fact that MIPI figures show a whopping 18 per cent of Australians are downloading illegally, there seems to be safety in numbers - for now at least. "It's not within anybody's capabilities to be suing 2.8 million people," Ms Heindl says".

Yeah but I don't want to be the first! Someone's going to get done eventually.

- Jen

Review: The Boathouse Maribyrnong

I've been hanging out to go to the boathouse for breakfast since I started running past it, and since Jamie Wodetzki reviewed it on thebreakfastblog earlier this year.

You cannot get a nicer location, unless its a sunny Sunday afternoon and you're across the other side of the river at Angler's enjoying a beer. Inside in winter is cosy and the four of us sat almost directly in front of an open fire. We received our menus immediately and a nice waitress took our drink orders promptly.

Having already scoped out the menu online, I was hoping that there might have been some kind of specials menu that..expanded on the menu contents. There is in fact 10 items to choose from, but three of these I wrote off as 'I'm out for breakfast and I'm not ordering toast, fruit or cereal (even if it is with a hazelnut crunch)'.

I'm not sure why I had such a hard time deciding, I just wasn't sure about the pancakes and although my stomach said 'breakfast pizza - YES', my brain said, breakfast - not pizza time. So in a hurry I ordered the boatbouse breakfast (with crispy bacon, your choice of eggs and wood roasted tomato). I neglected to see there was no mushroom included in that (my fault!). The man ordered the same with fried instead of poached eggs, Mum had the green eggs with ham on crumpets and Dad had an omelette with tomato, potato, onion and ricotta.

The omelette was the biggest meal, the green eggs and ham were of a size you'd expect them to be but in my opinion for $14.50, the boathouse breakfasts were...meagre.

One piece of toast (albeit very nice wholemeal bread), two slices of tomato, two eggs and some extremely fatty and definitely NOT crispy bacon. Being health concious I tend to cut the rind and fat off my bacon but this was impossible with this stuff (streaky bacon I guess). Not impressed. The eggs were very nicely poached though.

I really wished I'd ordered the breakfast pizza. The atmosphere was so cosy though. The coffee was good but again..small. Could be the cups. They could be deceptively small cups.

- Jen

Ebay's holy grail?

Friar
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Ever seen one of these? Perhaps you have one sitting on your kitchen bench? Maybe you've seen a neighbour with hundreds of them? There seems to be a lot of these around but they're pulling big bucks on ebay (at least according to my mother).

If you're reading this Jackie5560, stop buying all the nuns. What would anyone be doing with so many nuns?

If you don't stop buying them there will be Nun left for the rest of us.

Sorry Mum, couldn't resist.

- Jen

A thumping good fight

So last night upstairs were at it again. Well I thought they were having a party or something because there was a lot of voices coming from the balcony although there was one girl I could hear repeatedly saying a word I'm not going to say on here.

After crashes and thumps from above (this is 1am) I got dressed and went up there. I wasn't impressed. Is is SO hard not to run around? Who runs around their house anyway? I mean maybe if you're running late for a train you 'nip' around but it half the time it sounds like the state of origin is going on above our heads.

So I knocked on the door, a sharp knock too. Like my knock meant business. No-one answered. I knocked again, little firmer this time. No answer. I can hear voices but they're angry voices not 'party voices'. I knock but a little hesitantly this time. Finally the door is opened by the guy I voice my usual 'stop running around' complaints too but this time he looks upset (not guilty as normal) and his eyes are all red. I noticed that its only him, and the girl. How can two people make so much freaking noise!

The first thing he says is 'the noise will stop now' and I said 'look again, its just the running.....' and then for some reason I said 'alright well..have a good night'. Have a good night?? Have a good night? No..DON'T have a good night. I am not having a good night! I had to get out of my nice warm bed, get dressed - in the dark and my bra is probably on backwards. Have a good night?

The guy looked a bit confused and then said 'uh..ok..well see you tomorrow'. Which was his version of 'have a good night'. I mean, see you later, sure. See you tomorrow implies that I'm going to see him today. The only reason I'd see him today is if him and his girlfriend start playing british bulldog at some ungodly hour. If they play it at a not ungodly hour I stand on the kitchen bench and punch the roof with my boxing gloves.

I'm not even sure if they hear it, but it makes me feel slightly better! And this is not a nothing post!

- Jen

The unlucky tale of Scratchy and Snaggletooth

ZorroCat
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

The reason I didn't go to work today is because I was attacked last night. An unprovoked attack mind you. So unprovoked I didn't see it coming. So it was also an unprovoked cowardly attack.

The man didn't escape unscathed either but his injuries are not as..obvious.

Basically I look like I've either had a run in with an out of control fork or stepped into the path of a very angry tiger. The second is closest.

So there we were, watching a movie. When out of nowhere I hear the man shriek (without the use of expletives) "ahh my back!!", and before I had time to register why the man was in pain, I was shrieking about my face..and my neck. I think what happened is that a noise startled one of the cats who was sleeping on the man who 'cat zorro'd' his back before moving literally onto my face..and neck.

That is why I didn't go to work today. I mean, really I should of gone because the deep red cuts are not just going to be gone by tomorrow. But I was hoping that a day might have been enough time to come up with a better story than 'my cat is a bully'. We're not even sure which cat it was, neither one will rat out the other.

So thats the tale of Scratchy. Now onto Snaggletooth.

The man has had a wobbly tooth (one of his second/third from the front ones) for awhile now. I've been sporadically nagging him but not enough to actually get him to go to a dentist. The tooth is actually false and last night it got so loose he was able to unscrew and screw it back in. Then this morning it actually fell out. You would think (you would, wouldn't you) that if this happened to you, your PRIMARY concern would be getting that tooth back into your mouth as soon as possible. But no, the man's concern was purely fiscal.

But he is - wisely going to get it looked at tomorrow and cost be damned..well mostly damned.

It actually doesn't look too bad. Kind of Ginger Meggs looking. Except as I've just noticed Ginger Meggs isn't missing any teeth, nor (as the man pointed out) does he have a five o'clock shadow.

- Jen

- Jen

That's the way Wii like it.

Nice to see more Wii's being sold than ps3s and xbox's. I've been having a mild craving to play some kind of computer game lately, which is unusual as I've grown to detest them what with working at EB, working at an internet cafe and sometimes losing the attention of a certain young man to the latest release of anything with the word 'wars' or 'battle' in it.

Last night though I couldn't sleep and knowing that I wouldn't be going to work the next day (post on why that is to come) I was lying in bed thinking..I could play the Wii. I could! I could play that tiger woods game! yeah I feel like playing golf! The wii isn't set up but I could plug it in, how hard could it be! Yeah! Golf!

So anyway when I woke up this morning...I was kind of bleh about the whole thing. But, for a few seconds there, I really wanted to play a game. I think it'd be good to find a computer game I like, but I don't think I've seen anything out there. Any suggestions anyone? And no, I'm not playing world of warcraft. I don't have the time or the patience. Help me get back into computer games!

- Jen

Congratulations!

To Tony and Rae on the birth of their twins! Yay!

-Jen

How unbelievable is this...

Actually it is kind of cool. 11 of the 6000 7-Elevens in the U.S were turned into 'Kwik-E-Marts to promote the simpsons movie. Read here

I only hope all the funny parts of the movie weren't in the trailer because that (well, spider pig) was hilarious. See spider pig here

- Jen

There's a moment in my mind I scribbled and erased a thousand times

I have a lot to report, I think. The trouble with not blogging for awhile is that you have all these great things to blog about but can't remember them. I KNOW there is something I'm supposed to be writing about because I was somewhere with the man the other day and I remember actually saying 'I am so blogging about this'. I cannot for the life of me remember what it was.

I do think about blogging regularly. I really wish I had a better camera on my phone because I regularly see weird things in the city, like a wombat the other day. Thats right, corner of Lonsdale and Spring Sts, a wombat. I also see Tony's old signs all the time (I'm telling you Tony my side of the city is a goldmine). Plus coming home from the gym, I see the sunrise and the skyline of the city which is always nice.

But anyway, to be fair after staring a computer screen for ten hours, the last thing I want to do is come home and blog about how I stared at a computer screen for ten hours. Well ten hours is the exception usually. I mean I'm not an assistant commissioner.

In a couple of hours, when the man gets home from work (I hardly think its appropriate to hurry him along when he's researching cancer) we're heading off to Mansfield for the weekend to see his family and maybe squeeze in a bit of snowboarding... I figure it will be a good test for the knee. Can't run, can snowboard out of control down a mountain.

But anyway, I have a couple of mini posts up my sleeve.

- Jen

It's the end of the year..

Well the financial year. So I'm flat out at work. Updates to come....soonish

Can go over it, can go through it

Sugarloaf / Mt Piper
Originally uploaded by trojen_hoarse

Yesterday we went mountain climbing. Sounds way cooler as 'mountain climbing' than 'walked up a big hill' The man and I went to Broadford to see some family (including my 75 year old Nan) and to climb what we know as Sugarloaf, but what is apparently "Mt Piper".

I've climbed it before - maybe 10+ years ago and remembered it being hard work but not too bad. So I wasn't sure whether it would be harder or easier being 'grown up'.

Anyway there was about 15 of us (at least) and the man, nan, one of our cousins and I set off together until we got to a break in the path. Some of the group had kept following what looked like the right way to go and some had gone up what looked like a fire trail (wide but straight up). We hesitated and Nan decided to go the 'normal' way with our cousin, while I bullied the man into going straight up. None of this walking AROUND the mountain for me. I found it pretty easy and I was disappointed until I saw the man gasping for air about 20 metres back. Yay!! Now I KNOW I'm fit. Although I still wouldn't take him on in a race or anything. At walking speed though - I'm queen.

After lunch at the top, us younger ones decided to head down the opposite side and try and find the mines (there are two we know of). After walking/sliding down the rocks and loose dirt (I had a particularly painful fall onto my arse) we found one of them but it was blocked up by a metal door a couple of metres in. The second one though we got about, well I estimated 100 metres in but I think it was more like 20-30. There was about 9 of us that went in and I was second from last so the torch light at the front of the line was non-existent for us. Today when I googled it I saw they've done a study on bats living in those things.

We finally meandered our way back to the carpark expecting to see everyone waiting but only half the group was there. Most noticeably missing (for me at least was Nan) - did I MENTION she's 75?

Apparently they decided to come and look at the mines as well. Did I MENTION the slipping and falling? After about 20 minutes and after I'd thought about whether I'd be able to carry Nan down with her probably broken hip, they turned up. I asked Nan how she got down there and she said 'oh we slipped and slid down'. Good one Nan.

Pretty fun day though - then afterwards it was back to Aunty Maureen's (for all you family out there) for some freshly made scones with jam and cream.

- Jen

For poorer or poorer

So we've recently come to the conclusion that while we have enough money to keep ourselves fed, clothed and watered - and moderately entertained - we don't have enough money to do things we want to do. For instance, we were planning on going overseas next year which is starting to look doubtful. We're also supposed to be getting married in 2009, which is yes, ages away but if we're going overseas it leaves considerably less money for a wedding.

I've come to the conclusion that the wedding business is the business to be in. Not only do you know who's who and what's what, you'd be making some serious pocket change as well. I have heard if you tell the flower guy that the flowers are for a funeral you get them cheaper. By 2009 you'll probably have to give a death certificate with your flower order though.

Another five seasons of friends will keep us entertained, and we can afford to pay our power bill and the new car saves us money in that we won't need to start having expensive services and even though we eat the same meal two (or three if we're especially thrifty) times a week - there's not a lot changing in our bank account balance, although its not going down either. My salary is up a bit at the moment while I'm on a 'temporary promotion' but soon I'll go back to my old moolah. The man's talking about getting a part time job but as I pointed out, he couldn't work in retail - he's too Bernard Black for that, and besides no-one would hire a 26 year old check out guy for a saturday shift at safeway.

I know that at our age and time in life things are supposed to be tight - well maybe not at our age but I suppose not many 23 and 26 year olds own (ok have a mortgage on) their own place. We're not eating any red cabbage yet but still deciding if we're really hungry or if we could save that piece of (home made) pizza for lunch tomorrow? Before sneaky cats try to swipe leftovers they're carefully secured in the fridge or freezer for lunches or dinners and there is nothing like hanging onto your expired monthly ticket in case Connex offer compensation.

Of course I guess we're not about to extend our family by 2 + persons and our things we want to do are just that, wants. We don't need to go overseas but we really really want to.

As the man says, clearly we just aren't trying hard enough to win powerball. My suggestion is that he goes on a game show, I think he'd win. That's game show not reality tv show - although he'd be pretty good on survivor.

- Jen

Carparks, Coffee & Cittens.

Couldn't resist, ...kittens with a 'c' - ew.

I'm back in Albury for work and boy is it weird. W-E-I-R-D. I was driving through town at about 3pm and as I was going past the uni I looked at the carpark and still felt the same ..'aargh it's full'. Then I remembered I don't go to uni anymore.

Then I drove past my old high school and there were all the year 12's cars in the carpark with their P plates...and that was weird too. I used to park there too y'know!..well I don't know if I'd call it parking. I stored my car there.

This post isn't going the way I anticipated...it seems to be about educational facilities and their carparks...

Anywho. I went and visited my nan which was good. I proved my theory about instant coffee tasting nice when other people make it for you. It is SO true. When I make that stuff it tastes like rubbish but when anyone like my mum or nan make it, its a different drink!

Now here I am at the lan mine and guess what Jason...I got to see Elspeth first and I got to hold her and EVERYTHING! Nyer to you now! I'm also sitting here on a pc (entered the secret code..) eating two killer pythons and thinking that somethings don't change. Although how I ever managed to eat two killer pythons in one sitting is beyond me. The sugar plus the instant coffee = brrr. Not even attempting a lanmine coffee. I think if I tried to make a jenlax I'd probably kill myself - drinking the coffee not in a horrific milk scalding incident (although I wouldn't rule that out either).

Anyway now I'm off to dinner with Dad and my sister. I'm missing out on my friday session at the gym tomorrow but thats probably a good thing as I need a bit of a break, my dogs are barking (kittens meowing etc).

Speaking of kittens I'm currently 'training'* Schroddy to walk with a harness on. Thats going...well. Number of angry kittens: 1 , number of successful walks in the harness: 0

- Jen
* training consists of squeezing the cat into the harness while it meows pitifully and then trying to convince the cat to walk while it sits awkwardly and refuses to budge.

Tell me its cool, I just don't believe it.

On Saturday the man and I went to a house party for our good friend Nicoli's 23rd birthday. Thats right - out on a Saturday night. Believe you me, not staying in and working our way through another season of Friends was strange stuff.

There was alcohol involved. Myself, I was behaved I only had three beers, a vodka shot (I can do that now!) and...some ghastly cognac.

That is awful, awful stuff. I was waiting for this brilliant warm flavoursome thing that would make me cultured and dignified 'here I sit...drinking cognac' - perhaps (if I smoked) I would have had a cigarette, on a long stick. I could have talked politics and moaned about those vile creatures watching those insipid sitcoms instead of watching television programmes like 'four corners'.

Instead I made a face and thought 'oh my god there is a whole shot glass of this stuff'. One of our other friends took the 'easy' way out and simple shotted it Which is apparently NOT the right thing to do. Just smelling this stuff hurt, there was no way I was digesting all of it.

The other thing to not do apparently is 8 + shots of vodka, + a shot of cognac and whatever other drinks you've had before that. Don't do that. It is messy and when your friends don't know the location of containers in your house, the only empty vessel they will find is the saucepan containing remnants of dinner. Good luck eating that dish again soon.

But nevertheless, a very fun (and social) night! We should do that (socialise) more often. Talking to cats and one other person all the time and you run out of things to talk about. 'How about those people upstairs'...'yep', 'stop biting my ponytail cat', 'hiss'.

- Jen