New job...Days 1 and 2

So I started my new job yesterday.

It's.....different ;)

Different because where I was working was a large open plan office, with heaps of other chicks (yeah, that's right CHICKS!!) and lots of interaction between everyone.

My new desk is in a small 'pod' with four cubicles - only three of which are occupied - where we all have our backs to each other.

Instead of open plan, we have 7 foot high walls surrounding us - with an opening at the top, so that you can hear everyone around us...but can't see them.

::sigh::

Any the other occupants are two guys.

::sigh::

It's just not the same.

They don't really get the gossip. The talk about shoes. The talk about clothes. The whining about Mr WKDN. The quirky news articles I like to share with my co-workers. They don't understand my need for my George Clooney and Daniel Craig ::drool:: pictures. There's no sharing of sweet, sugary snacks in the afternoons, nor 3pm smut talk.

I suspect that they would not notice if I had my head shaved.

::sigh::

Oh well. I'll get used to it. I suppose. Eventually.

::sigh::

Wacky iPod Shuffle Wednesdays

So, I have very umm, eclectic music taste. Eclectic would be the polite way to put it!

In the vein of www.noappropriatebehavior.blogspot.com 's devotion to music (I heart how the blog post titles are song lyrics and although I could never pretend to even remember most song lyrics, I tewtelly dig it!!), each Wednesday I will post a selection of 10 random songs that appear on my iPod when it's on shuffle. Obvy, there will be some duplication from time to time, so, because this is MY blog, I will use my discretion to substitute any previously mentioned song for the next song.

Without any further ado (::drumroll::):

1. Fire Water Burn - Bloodhound Gang
2. Dirrty - Christina Aguilera
3. Who the F**k is Alice - Torpedos
4. You're So Good To Me - The Beach Boys
5. Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation
6. Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye) - Cold Chisel
7. She's Like The Wind - Patrick Swayze (cringes slightly...)
8. Head Over Heels - ABBA
9. Complicated - Avril Levigne
10. The Rose - Bette Midler

Yeah.

Eclectic.

Busy as a bee ......bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

Whew!!

::wipes sweat from brow::

I had a HUGE sewing weekend. Started off Saturday with a 70km round trip. Just. To. Get. Some. Yarn.

Yep, seems that the yarn I was using for my afghan blanket is a Lincraft proprietary brand. There is now only one Lincraft store in the Perth metro area. In Whitfords. Which is approximately 30 kilometres from my place.

::Sigh::

So I set out on my intrepid journey, thinking that I would be super sneaky and pop into two other craft / fabric chain stores on my way home. Ones in different suburbs than I would usually go to. Northern suburbs (I'm a SOR - South of the River - gal). So, all is going well. I get what I need from Lincraft, and set out back onto the freeway to Osborne Park / Innaloo (stop yer sniggering...it's pronounced as it looks and it is a real suburb. For the people from the US of A who are unaware, a 'loo' is a bathroom. That's right In-A-Loo...or In-A-Bathroom if that works for you).

Anyhoo, I CANNOT FIND THE STORES I AM LOOKING FOR!!! One appears to have been razed to the ground and is now a construction site, but the other...::poof::... gone. WTF??!?

::rolls eyes::

So after circling the block three times, I throw in the towel and head back SOR to safe and familiar suburbs where I know where the stores are. Success!!

No pics of my spoils as MR WKDN is away visiting his family for a family reunion, and hence has taken 'HIS' camera with him. Pfft.

But, I got my yarn...plus more contrasting yarn...plus a cable needle...plus some fabric for more Sergei's (Sergei's recipients older sister has put in a special request. We'll see what Santa can manage, shall we!!)...plus some letter stamps...plus a zipper...plus the extra fabric for the MIL's bag...plus some cool Moda Sock monkey fabrics...plus a couple of stray fat quarters. That is all ;)

Well, I sewed and sewed and sewed....and then sewed some more! Broke one needle and two nails ::sigh:: oh well, that's what you get.

I made a small bird stuffie as a gift for a work friend (from www.spoolsewing.com), one large and one small bags WITH ZIPPERS!!! (from www.dragoknit.blogspot.com) I should just point out that this is an EXCELLENT tutorial. I only had to refer to it for the first bag I made. For the second I did it from memory. That is how simple and easy to understand the tute is. I finished the MIL's bag. It turned out quite a bit larger than I was imagining, but I am still quite pleased with it (she's only a little lady and she could near on use the bag as a pup tent, but I figure with 7 grandkids and another on the way she's gonna need a big bag!!). No pattern for the bag as I just made it up as I went, but it did have a crewel embroidery panel I did myself a few years ago as the front panel.

Then onto the papercrafts for birthday cards to go with the gifts I'm preparing for the October-birthday-a-thon we are experiencing here.

Plus I knitted about 6 afghan squares. Which, whilst it might not sound like much, I do have RSI so have to take things real careful (it's a bummer when a work inflicted injury takes such a toll on your leisure time...), so 6 whole squares is quite an achievement!!

Wow. That is a LOT of stuff (for me anyway) as well as getting in a short run on Sunday, grocery shopping on Saturday, cleaning, washing, dishes, general household maintenance etc and a swim on Sunday.

I'm exhausted all over again just thinking about it ;)

ZOMG! October birthdays = crazitime...

Good lo'....

What the heck is it about birthdays in my & MR WKDN's families in October.

We've got (count 'em) my aunt (1), Mr WKDN's Mum (2), Nephew (3), my niece (4), Mr WKDN's godson (5), my friend (6) and, and, I'm sure there's at least one other one in there...maybe another of Mr WKDN's nieces?

So 7. Approximately.

::wipes sweat from brow::

I am going to be ker-azy busy making stuff for gifts.

I've already sorted a set of fabric coasters for my aunt (which are finished); a tote bag for the MIL (partially finished - I ran out of fabric...); you've met Sergei who will go to the nephew and of course Sadie the monkey and her clothes for my niece.

Hmmmm, who does that leave? My friend; the godson and the remaining niece. And to finish the tote bag. Eeeep.

::wanders off muttering about cold autumn nights spawning springtime babies...::

We'll always be together....together in Electric Dreams...

Woot!!!

You may have noticed the change to the general decor of the blog. I am VERY PROUD to announce that whilst I was sick I actually managed to insert some HTML (I'd like to thank the very lovely www.leniandrose.blogspot.com for some pointers) and I even had to fix some of the HTML I inserted (thanks Google...). I rawk!!!

Considering that I am only mildly computer nerdy (and damn proud of it!), and most of my nerdiness has to do with Excel, I am pumped that I managed to do all of this without bringing the world to a crashing halt :)

Oh. And I got a new job. Still with the same company I have been with for the last 12 or 13 years (I forget exactly which. All the days merge into one, so it feels like about a thousand years), and still on the same pay (bah!) but much better for my career! Finally, after 14 unsuccessful applications over the course of the last 12 months someone LOVES ME!!! And not only does someone love me ...THREE someones love my work, as I actually already had another, different, top-secret job which I then had to (politely) kick to the kerb to take up this other new job PLUS I was also approached for a THIRD position. Phew! It never rains but it pours I tells ya!! (QUite frankly, after the masses of rejection, hell, I needed the damn ego boost!!!)

Day 4...welcome Kylie back to the land of the living!

Well, I still feel a bit shitty, but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy better than I have for the last three days.

It appears that I may live after all ;0)

This cold would have KILLED a man, I tells ya!

Sadly, in my extremely weakened and undernourished state (have subsisted on nothing but Orange Juice - WHICH I DONT EVEN FRICKING LIKE - since Friday...so have handily lost one and a half kilos) have been almost incapable of crafting ::frowns:: which is irritating as I had such productive plans for the weekend ::whining::

I did manage to finish one Feather and Fan Dishcloth in Cleckheaton Natural Cotton Yarn. Although I now have a rash on both my hands that I suspect may be an allergy to either the yarn or pesticides used to grow the cotton? Either that or I am allergic to some of the meds I have been taking, but the allergic rash is only manifesting itself in the skin of my hands...

::hmmm::

Dishcloth turned out quite cute. Is blocking up nicely at the moment. Started another using a bamboo/cotton yarn, but I am not sure how successful this will be as the yarn is quite thick. Time will tell.

Also finished one swap and posted off my parcels to 4 partners for another postcard swap I entered into. I feel a bit bad as they were supposed to be sent out on Saturday, but (a) I was hardly compos mentis on Saturday. In my weakened state I was crying because I could not get the cap off my OJ... and (b) my post office does not open on Saturdays... Anyhoo, I posted them all out today and put a little note in explaining my tardiness, so hopefully noone will hold it against me too much :/

In the absence / void / dearth of other completed crafts, heres some pics of a little fella I finished a couple of weeks ago....

Introducing ........

::drumroll::

Sergei the Soviet Kosmonaut

Here he is peeking over the strange and unusual foliage of my broccoli plants...

And below, he's besporting himself in one of my indoor plants...

And finally, scaling the giddy heights of the sweet pea stakes...

(I secretly think Sergei prefers the sweet pea flowers to the other locations. After all, they do show off the redness of his delightful space suit).

Of course, the cat just cannot believe anything that the others get up to...

If it had eyes, they would be rolling at the others behaviour...

Days 2 & 3 of the cold from hell...(and introducing someone special)

::hack-hack-hacking cough::

Hmm. Nice.

Tewtelly over being sick. Need a new pair of lungs :(

And *sob* I'm home by myself at the moment, so IDONTEVENHAVEANYONEHERETOTAKECAREOFMEEEEEEEEE....

::sigh::

Altho', I am feeling a leetle better today. A little. Not much. But a bit.

So to celebrate my (hopefully) impending return to health, let me introduce you to Miss Sadie (drumroll please!)
As you can see, Miss Sadie is a cheeky little monkey who enjoys a (non-alcoholic, of course) Banana Daiquiri. She especially enjoys the cocktail umbrellas that come with these drinks.

Here she is, by my lucky bamboo, imagining that she is in some wonderful tropical location (rather than on top of some tupperware in my kitchen...)

Miss Sadie is wearing delightful mini apron (to match her future owners apron) and a cute, hot-pink woollen cardigan. Some other clothes and accessories are currently in the pipeline, as at the moment, the entire world can see her monkey butt through the back of her apron. And that just.will.not.do.