Still here...

Well just a quick note to indicate that I am still alive and kicking!  As you may have noticed I've got a little bit quieter on the posting front as I was sans Mac Book since the water spill... and in fact I still am.  I currently have, on loan, provided I let no water near it, a 4 year dinky little Mac laptop (I've given up trying to remember what it's official name is!) .  Needless to say I'm well confused as the keyboard is the Irish keyboard unlike my Mac Book which has the antipodean keyboard with some keys in the wrong place... but which I'd got used to  nonetheless!  

Nothing exciting to report really.  Last week was busy - bookcrossing, psychology class, Sex and the City movie (disappointing shoes to say the least!).  Weekend was a day of viewing Pride & Prejudice with  some of the girls.  Poor Deirdre, she has never read the book let alone seen the BBC adaptation so Jill and myself had to make special effort to stop reacting in anticipation on oncoming scenes and I had to stop myself quoting lines from it!!

Work is different.  I've moved on to a new project and hence have had to move floors.  Not overly excited by that as i've lost my desk with lovely view.  And this floor is what I call the overfloor... doesn't really have the same buzz or atmosphere that I've got used to over the last 10 months.  Hopefully it'll improve...

Hmm... I'm sure that I did have lots to say but eh, well, can't think of anything.  So I'll just go with hello and hope you're all keeping good :)

Mondays...

Rant begin.
What a start to Monday... especially have such a lovely weekend.

4:45am particularly noisy bin rubbish collection outside my window.
7:30am I wake up again. Mac Book broken.
Got ready for work. Got to lobby of apartment building and go "Shit" (apologies to that young boy heading out to school) as I realise that my keys are still in my hand bag on dining table. This means that I can't even get up to my floor and once I left building I can't even get back in to building itself.
I swear, I kept expecting to spill my coffee on the walk to work. Amazingly it didn't spill (thank God for small mercies).
Luckily the apartment building manager was in her office so after a quick call I nipped home and she let me in to my apartment to collect my keys. Thank you Glynnis!!

Morals...
1. Do not do last minute switch from hand bag to backpack.
2. Be nice to Mac Book. And find insurance policy. And hope.

Am I in mood for psychology class this evening? No, definitely not! What I will be in the mood for is a large glass of wine! Not arriving home to a cold apartment at 9pm tonight. Dear Lord, why do the Kiwis not put central heating in to the buildings? Someone might want to point out to them that it gets pretty damn cold here in the winter!!

Rant over.

Writers Block: Funniest Thing Ever....

A bunch of my friends back home post on Live Journal which is more of a community based setup than blogger. Personally I prefer blogger as I just like to keep ye up to date on the interesting and not so interesting events in my life. However, when I post here on blogger I normally post on LJ with my post just being a link to the blogger entry. LJ have a daily thing called Writers Block where they ask a question with general question where anybody can post a comment. When I logged in the other day I read that days Writers Block and thought I'd answer, and well I think some of my blogger readers might find this amusing too so here goes...

Out of all the funny things that have ever happened to you, which experience still cracks you up?

In between visits to national parks in Africa in 2000 we paid a visit to a sanctuary for old and injured lions. There was one enclosure that had this rather moth bitten old lion who was a permanent resident of the sanctuary as there was no way he'd survive if they released him back in to the wild. I went right up to the edge to watch this guy and was thrilled when he started to slowly amble over. About 2 feet from the fence he just turned around. I assumed he wasn't that interested and was about to walk off. What I didn't realise was that what he was really thinking was 'Oh great, another one!!!" and he promptly released a jet of pee out through fence that managed to get me in the face (seriously!) and down my torso and arms.

Actually as I write this I'm not sure I find it funny rather than cringeworthy! But having said that, the others in my group thought it was hysterical so I guess it was funny :) I mean seriously, how many people can honestly say that they've been marked by a lion??

And as I pointed out in a response to a comment made

After it happened one of the guys who works there said to me, "Oh yeah, he does that all the time to people"!!! Wouldn't you think they'd have mentioned that in advance of the event rather than after!

Sunset sky and cotton wool clouds

What an unbelievable sky there was at sunset today. Sitting at my desk I spent alot of time just staring out the window at these fantastic soft cotton wool like clouds against a blue sky with these amazing colours of organgey gold, bronze and a bit of light gold putting in an apperance at random intervals. By far nicest sunset I've ever seen while still in work, even if it was a tad distracting as a result :) I sooo wish I'd had my camera with me!

Well...

it's coming to the end of a rather lazy and relaxing long weekend here in Wellington. Had a lazy start on Fri evening with some pizza and DVD (that would be the one that I had to watch the end of on Sat because I needed to go to bed) and then a relaxing breakfast/brunch in the Aro Cafe on Sat morning. Before heading up to brunch though we caught part of the parade/arrival of Kiwi Vietnam war veterans arriving at parliament. Last week the New Zealand government made a formal apology to these veterans for the treatment that they received (or didn't receive I guess) on their return from Vietnam. A bit like in the US this was not a popular war but unfortunately that was reflected in the lack of welcome that these soldiers got on their return. As far as I know there were also issues around pensions as well. And on Sat morning there was another event on in the grounds of parliament as well.





I guess one of the advantages of living right across the road from parliament is that I don't have to go very far to see this sort of things!

Today, the forecasted rain did arrive and it was bucketing down this morning. But it didn't actually last all day so it wasn't too bad. I had leisurely morning reading and doing bits and pieces about the place before heading out for a long brunch (and chocolate brownie) in The Olive Cafe. After that it was a case of very slowly (about 2 hrs slowly) making my way back home via book shops and music stores.

Oh, for those of you who remember me writing about my attempt to finish Sacred Games, well I think I've given up. I took another break a while back to read another Henning Mankell book. Then last week I read Embers (Sandor Marai) and I'm currently racing through One Good Turn (Kate Atkinson). Oh but now I've got to go as Bones is on :)

The Lives of Others

I went to see The Lives of Others when it came out in Dublin last year. I thoroughly enjoyed it at the time thinking that it was/is a great film. So when I got my 30% off DVD voucher from Borders I bought the DVD which I watched this weekend. Like the first time around I believe that this is a truly great film. The acting, plot, dialogue, everything about it. For anybody who hasn't seen it yet all. Unforuntately my literary critic skills are somewhat lacking so all I can can say is get you hands on the DVD and watch it! You won't be disappointed!!

On a less world movie front, I got two DVDs today for $22; not bad, eh? They're Flatliners and The English Patient. I really enjoyed Flatliners when it came out and watched it again today and definitely enjoyed it again. Not quite in the same league as The Lives of Others but obviously I knew that. It's a fairly enjoyable easy to watch hollywood movie. Perfect for a bank holiday Sunday later afternoon after a morning and early afternoon of walking, shopping and lugging home too many bits and pieces.

On a total change of subject, that last few nights I've woken up in the middle of the night (well no change there of course!) and while I've got back to sleep on some of those nights, it happened again last night. Again I got back to sleep but the thing is, each time I wake up I feel horribly unsettled as if something is wrong. The first night this started was the evening I started on these antibiotics and the unsettled feeling has been each night I've been on them bar one night when I was awake for too much of the previous night! Any chance this could be because of the antibiotics d'you think? Just a thought...

Thoroughly enjoying my relaxing long weekend even if the rain is due tomorrow :)

Grumble grumble...

Feeling somewhat disgruntled and tired today. Started to feel unwell last night (trust me I know there's something wrong when I go to bed rather than watch Boston Legal!) and no better today. Got up, phoned doctor to get appointment for this afternoon and then went in to work. Day didn't get any better in there so when I headed off to doctor I left the office for the day. Tonight I will be starting my 5th course of antibiotics since last October. Oh well, if that's the worst that's wrong with me I shouldn't be complaining really should I?

Now for the weather. What the hell is going on??! It's been raining lots since last Friday and it was v cold last night. This morning there was some lovely blue sky and a bit of sun so hopes lifted. That didn't last long, by midday the sky had got theateningly dark and of course, not long before the rain arrived. Please please please... can we have some nice sunny rain free weather for the weekend? Pretty please....?