Sunday, January 30, 2005

I am going to WORK!

Yep yep, tomorrow is THE day, the first official day of work. As the first week is the induction week, there may be more meet-and-greet stuff going on than actual work, but I'm sure there are plenty of activities planned, and it will be a jam packed-week for all the new employees. As I've said a couple of times before, I'm feeling excited but also a little jittery, I just hope that all will go well. Hmmm...well, this is going to be a fairly short blog, my mind's kinda blank at the moment, I think any spare thought has gone straight to tomorrow's events, LOL. It's going to be an early night for me, I want to make sure that I am refreshed and have plenty of energy for a long day. I hope I don't get tempted to stay up if the Australian Open men's final turns out to be a long battle, hee hee. Alrighty, I'm off to make sure I'm all ready for my first day, I'm not going to bed yet, but I'll be sure to have enough zzzzzzzzz...... Wish me luck!

Friday, January 28, 2005

4 My Boys - Needle and Thread (Bitty Bud Kit)


Another finish for January! :) Definitely the last one for this month, after stitching on 3 exchange projects consecutively, I just wanted a quick one for me before I started full-time work, and I chose this one. I bought this kit sometime last year, but never took it out from its pretty wrapping. I opened it yesterday and started on it, and here is the finished result today! I'm really really really pleased with it, I love how this has turned out! I hated the fabric that was included in the kit, it was SO MUCH darker than the fabric used in the photo, and I think the design would have been lost in it. So, I chose my own pretty fabric, and I think it was a great decision on my part, LOL. I used hand-dyed fabric from Sugar Maple Fabrics, 'First Snow', which was included in a 2004 collaboration pack. There you go, my last finish of the month, and it's all for ME ME ME! *big grin* Posted by Hello

On other fronts, the big major event coming up for me is starting my first ever proper full-time job this Monday. WOOOOOO.....very excited, but I'm also feeling a bit of anxiety. It's like the first day of school, but a million times worse, LOL. I feel both prepared and unprepared; I've got all of my stuff ready, at this point it may just be clothes and accessories, but I think feeling and looking good will definitely add to my confidence, and I've been reading up as much as I can about the company and gathering other relevant information. At the same time, there's only so much I can know from external research, without actually being IN the company, I'm not going to know about the inner workings, and it's still difficult to know what to expect. Well, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that all will go well, and despite feeling a little nervous, I'm definitely looking forward to Monday (so strange to actually want Monday to come, hee hee) and I think the induction week at HP will be a great one.

I'm also looking forward to the Australian Open men's final on Sunday night. I was cheering Federer on and was really hoping to see him in the final, but I think the Safin-Hewitt match should still be a ripper. I'm sure most Aussies are feeling a surge of pride at the moment and Lleyton is going to have MASSIVE support, I wonder if the burden will become too heavy. Will see what happens on Sunday night. I know Terrence definitely wants Safin to crush Hewitt, cos he doesn't want an Australian to win, LOL. He's a big meanie! :p The women's final should also be one to watch, I hope it will be a thrilling one, as the semis have been. Anyways, that's it from me tonight, have a great weekend everyone!


Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Little House Needleworks - Home of a Needleworker


YAY! Another finish in 2005, I think having two finishes in January isn't too bad, considering that both were fairly big projects. Anyway, this one is the last of my secret stitching projects, but uh, this one isn't so secret huh?! LOL. Oh well, I don't think Trish reads my blog *keeping fingers crossed* so hush-hush everyone! Trish isn't a big fan of the sampler style with the alphabets, so I took out the alphabet and the numbers, and I quite like the end result! I think whenever I stitch this for myself, I will do the same thing. Stitch count for this design after modification is 193 x 75 and I stitched it on 16-count aida. If you have any comments about my latest finish, I would love to hear it! :) Posted by Hello

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Irregular Choice shoes


People who know me will know that I'm HARDLY a funky or fashionable person, but these shoes were too cute to pass up! They're so not me, but hey, I thought I'd take a ride on the wild side and at least own a couple of pairs of out-there shoes, LOL. The cat shoes I bought last year in January when I was in Portland, and I have already worn them a few times. Since they are still predominantly black, they're not that outrageous. The hot pink ones, I won those off eBay and they just arrived today. Don't actually know when I will wear them, IF I'm brave enough that is, but I still think they're cool! *grin* Posted by Hello

Good and Bad

I've got two moods today: grouchy and happy, LOL. Actually, by now, they've merged into a neutral mood, hee hee. I was in a real pissy mood earlier this morning. The pair of earrings that I bought last week broke and I had taken it back to the shop for repairs. Well, I got a call from them saying that it could not be repaired but they would not refund my money. I was really annoyed at this cos this is what is stated on the receipt: "Any return is subject to repair replacement or refund in that order if item is deemed faulty through manufacture." Their excuse is that they could not determine for sure if it was a faulty product. AS IF!! I was planning to be this total bitch and demand for a refund no matter what, or I would report them, dispute bank charges and whatever else. It isn't the money, but their attitude was horrible and I really hated how they totally disregarded their own responsibilities towards the customer. However, by the time I reached the store, I changed my mind. I was still angry and pissed off at them, but I really didn't want to work myself into a frenzy and ruin the rest of my day for good. Instead, I chose another pair of earrings as an exchange. The sucky thing was, there were few choices that would would be suitable for work, so the only good one I managed to find was not on sale, meaning I had to pay extra for this pair. Blech. Oh well, that's all done, and I will never go back to that store ever again.

The good part about today was that I received my pair of shoes that I won on eBay! :) This was the first time that I purchased shoes online, cos I don't really trust shoe sizes and prefer to try them on in person, and I was proven right cos this pair was a little too big, but that can be easily fixed. Anyways, they arrived today, and they are so cute! This is my second pair of 'Irregular Choice' cute and funky shoes. I don't know when I will be brave enough to wear these, but it's still good to have them! LOL. I will share a picture later, together with my first pair, the only 2 pairs of shoes that I own that are cool, hee hee.

Well, this is my last week of bumming, next Monday, I'm off to work at HP! WOOO HOOO! I'm excited, but also a little scared and nervous. I'm not quite sure what to expect, and also a little paranoid that everyone will hate me, or get fired after the first week, LOL. The first week should be interesting, as I will get to meet all of the new employees recruited via the graduate program from around Australia as well as from New Zealand. I'm really looking forward to this new chapter in my life, but probably will also be a little sad to leave behind my carefree student life. And of course all that time to bum, relax and stitch whenever I want! *grin* Anyways, I'm off to stitch now, I'm almost done with this project I'm working on, I'm itching for it to be finished! Laterz!


Saturday, January 22, 2005

Grammar Nazi

Before I start, I just wanna say, I don't profess to be an expert on grammar, I'm sure I make my share of grammatical errors with phrasing and such. However, I do think that I have a fairly solid foundation in the English language and I know my basics well. Having used the Internet for many years now, I've grown accustomed to seeing spelling mistakes and various grammatical errors, I just try not to make those errors myself. And I'm hardly a stickler for the perfect use of English at all times; I don't use capitals when e-mailing or chatting, and I also don't bother with apostrophes sometimes, just typing 'dont', 'havent' etc...you get the picture. Oh, and I also abbreviate some words, especially 'you' and 'your', they just become 'u' and 'ur'. So yes, that really long introduction was to make the point that I'm not a grammar fanatic.

So, what brought on this really boring post about grammar? Well, I was just browsing through a blog set up by the people who run a website about one of the animes I watch. The purpose of the blog was to allow members to get to know them better and not just see their "professional good grammar using side" (the exact words, I swear!). Well, these people with "professional good grammar" can't spell, cos if they could, they would know it's 'definitely' and NOT "definately". That was the clincher for me and that's why I'm posting about grammar. Like I said, I've gotten used to mistakes that I've seen online, but when you say you have good grammar, you better live up to that expectation and make sure that you at least get the basics right! Blech. Since I'm on a roll, I may as well continue.

1. Difference between it's and its

It's = It is, while 'its' is possessive

So, it should be, it's raining right now, it's really hot today, blah blah blah. The other one would be, the dog ate its bone, the cat played with its toy, blah blah blah. It's really simple, and a mistake I've seen so many times.

2. Difference between you're and your

You're = You are, and 'your' is possesive

It should be 'you're welcome' and not 'your welcome', and it should be 'you're next' and not 'your next'. It would be your book, your computer, your piece of cake, but never never 'your welcome', unless you're trying to say 'you've worn out your welcome' or something.

3. Difference between there and their

Their is possessive, and there is just....you know, there.

This is their house, these are their books etc....so it shouldn't be 'there' books. There is no water, look at the tree over there, blah blah blah.

4. Spelling

I know there are differences between American and British spelling, but most words are the same. For example, as previously mentioned, it's 'definitely', NOT 'definately', regardless where you're from. And maybe this doesn't fall under spelling, but it should be 'a lot', and not 'alot'. They're two separate words.

These are just some of the common mistakes that I've come across. I'm sure there's a lot more that I haven't covered but since this isn't an English lesson, I think I can stop, hee hee. Btw, this isn't directed at anyone, after reading that blog, I just got annoyed and needed to get this off my chest. So, please don't flame me, feel free to laugh at me for being so silly, just no flaming please! *big grin* Okay, I'm off to feel really sad about myself for being anal about grammar today, and I will try to get a life, LOL.


Thursday, January 20, 2005

Pet tag


The new doggie tag, as modelled by Banzai (Reuben would not co-operate, hee hee). The picture is quite blurry, but you get the idea of how it looks like, and the details are engraved on the back of the tag. Both of them have the same one, I think it's cute! :) Posted by Hello

Thursday's story


Here is a picture of the necklace I bought yesterday. It doesn't show very well in the photo, but when it catches the light, it's very sparkly, I think it's one of the coolest items I own, for now anyway, hee hee. Posted by Hello

I couldn't take a picture of the earrings cos one side broke last night! Grrrrr....less than 12 hours in my possession too! So, I brought it back to the place earlier in the afternoon, and they will repair it for me, but it's gonna take up to 7 days. I'm fine with that, but they had better fix it good, if it breaks on me again, I will demand for my money back. It's a real pain too, to have to bring it back to the shop, and go back again to collect it when the repair is done. Oh well, as long as they do a good job!

Since I was out again today at the shopping centre, I decided to get some doggie tags for Banzai and Reuben. Banzai already had one, but he's had it since he was a puppy and it has been scratched pretty badly over the years, you can barely see his name on it anymore. Reuben didn't have one, so I thought I would just get new ones for both of them. I was looking around for some nice pet tags while I was out yesterday, but every place only had the ones like Banzai's old tag, which aren't of very good quality and that's why I think they scratch so easily, so I didn't bother to get any yesterday. Found a shop today that had some really nice ones, the tag itself felt much more solid, there's a picture in the front (I chose the ones with a dog kennel that was labelled 'Home') and the engraving is done on the back with their names and both of our phone numbers. I think they look really good, maybe I will try to sneak up on them while they're sleeping and take a picture. I should have done that before I put the tags on for the dogs, DOH! I'm definitely not bothered taking them off just for a photo, LOL.

I also took a few of my watches with me to have the batteries changed. After the guy had fixed them up and gave them back to me, I took one and just put it up to my ear to hear the tick. The guy then says to me, "Oh, you're not going to hear them tick". Okay, I understand that he's the watch guy and probably much more of an expert on the different kinds of watches and whatever else, but I have had these watches for a few years now, and I at least know my own watches, and I KNOW for certain that I can hear the watches tick, that's how I figured out that the batteries were dead in these in the first place (no second hands). Before the guy made the comment to me, I already heard the ticking noise, so I was feeling quite annoyed and I insisted that I can hear it. Then he goes, "Well, you must have REALLY good hearing then, cos these are quartz watches and they're not gonna tick." #1, I don't care for the sarcasm, and #2, I don't care what watches they are, if I can hear the bloody ticking sound, they are freaking ticking! And yeah, they're not as loud as Swatch watches, but they're hardly soft. So, I insist one more time and say that he can listen for himself if he doesn't believe me. He makes a half-hearted attempt, doesn't say anything and makes a face, and just tells me the amount I owe him. URGH! I know it's really trivial, and it's silly of me to be annoyed over something as small as this, but I really hate being spoken to like an idiot (WHEN I'M NOT!) and when I'm obviously right in this case. I know I will be bugging Terrence tonight to listen to all the watches for the ticking sounds just so that someone else knows that I am right, LOL. I'm so immature, aren't I? *grin*

Alrighty, I'm done with my bitching of the day, hee hee, so I will get off my soapbox now. I really should be folding laundry and doing some ironing, but I think I will do that after I watch some TV, stitch a bit and forget about the watch guy, LOL. Anyways, off I go, till the next post!

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Another day of shopping

I made another shopping trip to the mall today to look for a proper handbag for work. Not only did I get a handbag, I also got myself a new wallet, a coin purse, a wallet for Terrence (belated birthday gift), a pair of earrings and a necklace! Weeeeee....was I productive or what?! LOL. Now now, before you think I'm just throwing money away, I have been thinking of getting a new wallet for a while, what I have is a fairly kiddish one and is pretty much about to collapse on me, but it wasn't a priority as it could still last for a little while more. The main focus was to get a nice bag, but if I did come across a nice wallet, I would get it too. So, I did see a nice one, so I got the bag, the wallet and the coin pouch, as well as a wallet for Terrence. Everything was on sale, they were already marked down, and there were further discounts on the items, so I got a really good deal on these. I feel sooooooooo grown-up with my new bag and wallet, LOL, they are so proper and so different from my Paul Frank bags/wallet, I definitely feel like an actual adult! *grin* All I need now is a proper watch! LOL. Nah, just kidding, I can at least wear a fun and funky accessory to work, that will be my little symbol of rebellion against the corporate world, ha ha. The pair of earrings I bought was also on sale, and most likely I will be wearing that on my first day of work. The necklace I got (also discounted) is shaped like a mini tie and made up of Swarovski crystals, it's very very cool, I just need to figure out when I can actually wear it, hee hee. I have been looking for a necklace like this for quite a long time, so I was thrilled to find it today, and it was an absolute steal. If anyone wants to see a picture of the necklace, let me know! Anyways, I think I will stop blabbering about my little shopping spree today, I'm definitely done with shopping this time, and I'm all set for work. BRING IT ON!

Shoe wall


Check out our shoes! Oh, and I should mention that Terrence has MORE shoes than me, LOL. Oh well, at least he gets most of them for free, hee hee. Anyways, our shoes have finally been straightened out. We had 2 Ikea shoe racks before, which pretty much only fit my shoes cos Terrence's shoes are just too HUGE (size 14 feet!) to fit on the racks. And then over the last 2 years, Terrence just started getting more and more sneakers (as well as getting some for me), and 2 shoe racks just obviously wouldn't cut it. We had kept some in a cupboard, and also just lined them up on the floor in the walkway by the front door, but it looked really messy, and it was also difficult to get the pair of shoes we would want to wear. So, Terrence got 3 of these shelves for $20 each at a hardware store (Bunnings), put them together last night, and voila! We now have a fairly neat-looking wall of shoes, and the industrial look is pretty cool. What do you think? Posted by Hello

Monday, January 17, 2005

Reuben sleeping: #1


Sunday was a lazy lazy day for me, didn't feel like doing much, and didn't feel like blogging either - nothing much to blog about anyway! Saturday's dinner went well, Terrence enjoyed the meal I had put together and we enjoyed our time together at home. Not much to blog about today either, so I'm just sharing a couple of pictures of Reuben!

This one was taken a few days ago, Terrence had just come home and put his bag on the couch with some cheapy towels he had bought (as extra scrap towels for around the house), and Reuben promptly climbed onto the couch, collapsed on top of the stuff, and fell asleep! Hee hee....he's so adorable, and this was one of the rare times to see him flipped over on his back like Banzai (he doesn't do this as much as Banzai). Posted by Hello

Reuben sleeping: #2


A close-up of Reuben sleeping, he's soooooooooo cute here, hee hee.... Posted by Hello

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Party time! (^o^)

It's Terrence's birthday today! WOOO HOOO! He turns 25 today, hitting the quarter of a century mark, or should I say, courtesy of Jessica Simpson, ALMOST mid-twenties?! LOL. Anyways, I'm in a much better mood today after feeling reminiscent and nostalgic yesterday, I mean, I can't be feeling blue on my darling's birthday! Hee hee.... We haven't got any big plans for today, he's actually at work right now, but I'm planning to make a "surprise" dinner for him tonight. Uh, well, maybe not much of a surprise since he knows I'm doing that, but he doesn't know what dishes I'm preparing, so that is the surprise! The meal that I'm preparing tonight is a first for me, so I hope it goes well and will be super yummy! :) I'm also going to get an extra something, but in case Terrence is reading this, I'm not saying what! Anyways, I'm off to get all the stuff that I will need for tonight, hopefully my brilliant plan will be executed with no problems, LOL. Have a good weekend everyone!

Animal Rescue!


Thanks P for sharing this game, it's so fun and very addictive, and reminds me of the old Nintendo game I used to play as a kid (and still play on my GBA, LOL). This is my current score, I can get a better score if I try harder or if my mouse decides to co-operate, but it's good enough for me! To check out the game, here is the link: http://www.dumpalink.com/media/1109/. Have fun! :) Posted by Hello

Friday, January 14, 2005

Walking down memory lane...

I was flipping through some old photographs today, ones from my pre-uni days, when I was back in secondary school and in junior college in Singapore. I realise how much I miss my friends, the close frienships we had and how we saw one another almost everyday. Technology is great and I still keep in touch with most of them, but being miles away still is difficult. After coming to Australia, we have drifted apart and the relationships aren't the same as before. I may still know of what is going on with them, but at the same time, I am not part of their lives. Everytime I am back in Singapore, we will meet up and play catch-up, but I miss that closeness we had, seeing one another in school, hanging out afterwards, and our numerous gatherings. I don't regret coming to Australia, and I am truly grateful for the opportunities that have come my way because of this decision, and the way life has turned out for me. Still, I miss those teenage days, when we were carefree and spilt our hearts out to one another, and today, I particularly ache for those times, and I am almost close to tears. I don't know if any of my friends actually read my blog, but if you're here, you guys know who you are, I miss all of you terribly, and I hope we always keep in touch, no matter how far apart we are.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

More Reubanz: #1


Awwww....don't they just look so sweet and angelic here? You couldn't possibly imagine the little terrors they are, LOL. Don't be fooled, they are absolute rascals, hee hee... Posted by Hello

More Reubanz: #2


Getting comfy.... Posted by Hello

More Reubanz: #3


....and now all snuggled up! Posted by Hello

What a morning!

Wow, there was so much drama for me this morning, not that I couldn't handle it, but still way too early for such eventful episodes, even for Her Drama-ness, LOL. First, let me share the drama from yesterday. I needed to return the 2 shirts that I didn't like, so I thought, it's just gonna be a short trip to the shopping centre, and I will be really quick while I'm there, why not bring the 2 dogs with me, it will be a little car ride for them, and they won't go psycho while I'm gone. Now, my little car is parked out on the street, so first I had to get the 2 dogs out of the house, down the driveway, and hopefully get them into the car without too much difficulty. Both dogs have these 'Halt!' or 'Gentle Leader' thingys, it's not a muzzle, but it's this thing that goes round their.....uh, nose/mouth area, it's like a head collar. So anyway, these things prevent them from pulling and choking themselves to death, and it has been so helpful in controlling Banzai during walks. Well, of course, even with these things on, with 2 very excited dogs, it's still a handful, plus I was holding a bag with the shirts in it and my other stuff like wallet, phone, etc. Even just walking down the driveway to get to the car was already crazy enough. Thankfully, I could get the dogs in without too much trouble, so off I went!

The car ride itself was pretty much uneventful, I had Banzai sitting in the front with me, and Reuben was at the back. Reuben was quite excited at the beginning and kept trying to stand on my shoulders, which is not very good, cos uh, I need to look at the mirrors! LOL. So yeah, I had to keep telling him to sit for a while, but he did calm down a little in the end, so that was alright. Got to the shopping centre, had my shirts returned, probably didn't take me longer than 5-10 minutes. So off I went again, this time back home, and again another uneventful drive.

Well, here is where the fun begins. I get back, I park along the street in front of my place, and now I need to get the dogs out of the car, back onto the driveway, and into the house. First, I need to put the Halt thingys back on, so I did that for Banzai first, and it went on with no problem. I tried to do Reuben next, but I must have become stupid for those few minutes, suddenly, I couldn't put his back on! It's a different brand from the one I use for Banzai, so I'm not too familiar with it, but I mean, I did it fine in the house! I have no idea what happened, maybe I was too flustered, but I got quite frustrated, so I gave up, and just hooked the leash to the collar. I thought, hey, I just need to make it to the house right? I should be fine. RIGHT. Big mistake. So, got the dogs out of the car, bag with my stuff in one hand, dogs in the other, and now I'm trying to close the door. I have an old car, so I don't have a fancy remote locking system, the lock needs to be pushed down inside, and I have to hold the handle down while I'm closing the door. I'm trying to do this, but the dogs are pulling, especially Reuben without his head collar on, and they're wrapping around me, I'm still struggling with my bag, and the damn door won't lock! Then Banzai starts whining, I tried to see what's wrong with him, and in all the commotion, Reuben goes loose! ACK! I call him, but of course, he doesn't listen to me, and is just happily exploring away. Thankfully, he isn't a fast runner like Banzai and was exploring at a leisurely pace, so I managed to catch him in about 5 minutes, while still trying to control my other psycho dog. By the time I stepped through that front door into my house, my hands were shaking and I felt so sapped of energy. NEVER AGAIN am I taking the 2 dogs on my own, I must have been mad. And I really need to look into training them when they're off-leash, they only listen to me in a contained environment! Tsk tsk, not good at all.

Wow, that was a long story huh?? Anyone fallen asleep yet? *grin* I will try to keep this morning's story as short as I can. We brought Reuben for his check-up at the vet early this morning, we also took Banzai with us so he wouldn't feel jealous about being left at home. Things went well at the vet's, so no dramas there. After the vet appointment, Terrence needed to head to a place to do something for his work, I went with him as a navigator and to provide directions, so since we were already out, we thought we'd just go straight, and it will be a car ride for the dogs. Now, we already know that Reuben gets carsick (experience from the first time we brought him home), but this time it would be fairly straight roads, no bumpy windy roads like the last time, so we thought he should be alright. Plus, I had brought him out yesterday and I had no problems. He also hadn't eaten in the morning, whereas the previous time, he probably had a full dinner at his old home before we had taken him. Terrence was also driving more carefully, going slow when there are any bends, making sure there are no sudden jerky motions.

Everything was going well, Reuben showed no signs of being carsick, and we had driven for a while already, so we thought we would be in the clear. When we arrived at our destination, Terrence got out of the car and went to do his stuff while I waited in the car with the boys. Terrence had just walked off, and Reuben started making the funny puking noises, and I thought, Oh no! I wasn't quick enough, and he got sick in the car. He started doing it again, this time I managed to get out of the car, get Reuben out of the car, and at least kept the 2nd mess out of the car (did splash a little on my foot and jeans though, NICE).

When Terrence came back and found out that Reuben puked in the car again, he was not very happy and got cranky. He had just washed his car, and I guess his car being his latest obsession, I do understand why he was upset. I know I would go absolutely bonkers if Reuben had puked over my stitchy stuff, not that it would happen cos they're kept out of reach for them, but I would go crazy if it did. This time, it wasn't as big a mess as the first time, it was contained on the left side, so got Reuben to lie down and relax on the right, and I popped Banzai in the front seat with me. I know he was upset, so just tried to get the dogs as calm as possible, and then get everything fixed up when we got home.

Now, I have a tendency to talk to myself (I know, I'm a nutter, LOL). I don't have full-on conversations with myself, but I ocassionally mutter out my thoughts. I do this, even when people are around me, I guess it's become almost of an unconscious habit. So anyways, this happened while we were in the car driving back. Some other guy had changed lane and squeezed himself between us and the car in front of us, and I voiced this thought out loud, using 'you' as though I was having a conversation with the person. Terrence, already being cranky and in a highly irritable mood, thought that I was talking about HIM, and he snapped at me. Of course, I then got upset, cos I didn't like being yelled at and I wasn't even directing the comment at him! We didn't talk to each other on the way back (I was sulking, LOL), and I ignored him until we had finished doing our own stuff when we got home (me washing the dogs, he cleaning up the car). We have kissed and made up, and I'm no longer upset, but man, that was one shitty start to the morning. Hopefully the rest of the day will be more uneventful!

Hmmm...I sure was being long-winded huh? Sorry, hope I didn't bore anyone too much, but this is the blog of Her Drama-ness after all, so it is to be expected, hee hee. If this post is too wordy for you, just check out my latest stitched finish below, or look at the doggie photos above (will be posted shortly), pictures are always more fun to look at. If you did make it this far, KUDOS to you, and thanks for reading my trivial little stories. Such is my life. Anyways, I'm off to potter around the house, get some chores done, then some stitching, and hopefully some rest. I definitely did not get enough sleep last night, so I'm feeling tired and lethargic. No more drama for me for a while, Her Drama-ness needs a break!

Stitchy Kitty - Frost on the Pumpkin


First finish of 2005! WOOO HOOO! Ok, going to try to be as quick as possible, it's late, I'm tired, I need to go to bed, and I have to be up at 7.30 am to bring Reuben to the vet! So why am I doing this now? Cos I just HAD TO show my finish, LOL. Sorry about the scan too, it's a hurried one, so it's kinda slanted, hee hee. Anyways, this one is an exchange project, so it's not going to be for me, which is a shame, cos it's so pretty, I love it! I will stitch this for myself eventually, definitely, for sure! It looks like a small design, but it isn't, it's 77 x 154 stitches, but it would actually fit on the scanner cos this was done on 32-count Belfast linen. I used Australian hand-dyed fabric from Stitches and Spice, 'Pacific Dreams'. A whole range of threads were used, there were WDW, GAST, DMC, Kreinik, Needle Necessities, The Thread Gatherer, I simply love all the pretty colours. I had quite a few firsts with this one, first Stitchy Kitty ever for me, first time using silks, and first time doing the turkey stitch for the scarf and hat. I did struggle with it a little bit, and I don't think I did it perfectly right, but all in all, I reckon I did okay and it turned out fine! It's missing the pom-poms the snowman is supposed to hold in his hands, I did get those, but as I need to fold the piece when I mail it, I didn't want them to get squashed, so I will just enclose them and leave it for the receiving person to stitch them on. There is also a snowflake button missing from the top right-hand swirl, couldn't get the button locally, so gonna have to leave that for the receiver as well.

Ok, gotta go, before Terrence starts complaining - actually, he already has, LOL. If you're from my yahoo group, please don't post on the main group about it cos it's supposed to be a secret stitching project (don't think the receiver reads my blog), so if you have any comments, kindly leave them here, I would love any feedback! Alrighty, good night everyone! :)
Posted by Hello

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Oopsies

I hope not too many people read yesterday's post. I said I was really determined to get a finish in yesterday, but unfortunately, my determination lost out to my aching and sore arms, LOL. Yesterday's shopping was a real workout, carrying around my suits and all those shirts really made my arms ache, and they really hurt after a while, hee hee. Well, today, I have no excuse, and there should be nothing to distract me from reaching my goal. I just need to head back to the shopping centre to return the 2 shirts that I wasn't sure about (which did get the the thumbs-down from Terrence), and once I get back home, it will be just stitch stitch stitching away. I will not blog until I have a finish! Yep, that's the goal. GANBARIMASU!

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

I went SHOPPING! :)


The 2 pairs of Nine West shoes that I bought today (on sale!), and the 3rd pair on the table is the one I bought about a week ago (which was also on sale). Posted by Hello

Ok, I was supposed to go shopping yesterday, but because of the sudden addition of Reuben, I thought I would watch them for one more day, so I only went on my shopping trip today. And boy did I shop! I really love shopping alone, it's so much more productive, and I think I covered all that I need for work, so I don't have to do this again! Anyways, first off, I got 2 pairs of shoes (as seen above). I know, how boring, all black, but as they say, you can never go wrong with black, and I really don't want to worry about colour co-ordinating, so I stuck with sensible black. Now I have 3 pairs of flats for work, which I'm sure will serve me well. I do have other shoes, once i'm more comfortable with my work environment, I'll break out the heels *grin*

I also got 2 complete suits, both black (how boring again, LOL, but there weren't any other colours for me to choose from!), one is a pants suit, the other was with a skirt. They are both quite different styles, so I'm quite happy with that, plus I do already own one suit, which is pinstripes, so with 3 different styles, I don't have to dress boring for work, hee hee. NOT that I was fashionable in the first place. I also got 6 shirts, my sis said I was silly to get so many, but oh well, these were fairly nice shirts, and all in different styles and colours, so I think it's ok. Some of these I can also wear out, so it's not just limited to work. There are 2 that I'm not very certain of, so I'll let Terrence have a look tonight when he gets home, if he doesn't really like it, then I'll return them and get my money back. Even if that happens, I am sure 4 shirts are plenty for now, and I still have a couple of other decent tops that will be alright for work. It was funny, when I went to pay at the cashier, the lady said, "Starting a new job huh?" LOL. I replied, "You can tell, can't ya?" We both just laughed, and she was really nice, wishing me good luck and all that.

So yes, that was my shopping spree for today! I usually really hate shopping, but today wasn't too bad, I didn't get depressed, and there weren't too many people around to bug me, LOL. All I'm missing now is a nice bag (all the ones I have are too kiddy and casual), I do have one which is like a document bag and it would work, so I'm not too fussed. Unless I see something nice, I will probably just stick to what I have. It would be good to have a proper handbag I suppose, but it's not a priority of mine, I really wanted to get the clothes and the shoes, so now that's done, if I do find a nice bag, that would just be an added bonus. Well, now that I've got the "hard" stuff out of the way, I'm off to bum now! LOL. I am DETERMINED to get this stitching project I'm working on at the moment finished today, so hopefully I will be able to share a picture soon. Thanks for dropping by! :)

Monday, January 10, 2005

Reubanz


Weeee....actually managed to get Reuben to stay still long enough beside Banzai for a fairly good picture. Aren't they cute?! I love my boys :) Posted by Hello

What I've learnt...

about Reuben:

#1 - Reuben is a sticky dog

I never thought we would actually find a dog more clingy than Banzai, this boy is almost glued to my side! Reuben follows me everywhere, the minute I move, he's there. Banzai used to be like this, but these days, he usually just looks where I'm going, and then he's fine, but Reuben just has to follow me. He's also very attention-seeking, I try to play with Banzai just to make sure he doesn't get jealous of Reuben, and Reuben comes running, forces his way through and plonks himself down on my lap, and constantly paws my hands and noses me to get me to stop what I'm doing with Banzai and focus on him instead! LOL. It's kinda funny, and I am glad to know that Reuben adores me, but I still want to make sure that Banzai is alright. Oh well, at least Reuben is settling in!

#2 - Reuben drinks water funny :)

Ok, maybe it's normal, but it's funny to me, cos Banzai never does what Reuben does. When Reuben drinks, he plonks himself in front of the bowl and has to drink lying down. He's also a very messy drinker, he kinda stick his whole nose in there and drinks very noisily, and drips water everywhere, LOL. I have now put the water bowl on a towel, hoping to catch some of the water that Reuben dribbles everywhere, hee hee. When Banzai drinks, he looks so refined compared to Reuben! It's really funny, I laugh everytime I see him drink, he's so adorable!

#3 - Reuben has legs like a frog

Ok, not like a frog, but he looks like a frog sometimes. The way he lies down, it's different from Banzai. He likes to lie flat against the ground, and his back legs will be spread out frog-legged style. Again, very funny and very cute. That's the way he lies down to drink water as well, which of course helps to crack me up. It's not just me, Terrence thinks it's funny too, hee hee.

#4 - Reuben is a kisser

Yep yep, Mercy, he is a kisser! So is Banzai, in fact, there was once when Terrence banned me from kissing Banzai and Banzai from giving me wet kisses cos he was jealous, LOL. Well, Terrence now has to do the same with Reuben, cos he's a kisser too! Actually, he only kisses when he's really excitable, so he's not as much of a kisser like Banzai, maybe he needs warming up first, hee hee. But yeah, I'm sure we will get in enough kisses to make Terrence jealous again! *grin*

#5 - Reuben likes to walk in circles

I have no idea why he does this. I've noticed him doing this a lot and it's quite strange to me. I will let the dogs out into the courtyard to play and do their own thing, and when they're done, they will wait by the door for me to let them in. Banzai will just sit there pretty still, but Reuben will keep walking in circles! He's also done that when he's hyper, when he first got here, when he was exploring the rooms in the house, he would be walking in circles, maybe it's just his behaviour when he's excited or restless, but it was kinda funny for me to see cos I have never seen Banzai do that.

and about Banzai:

HE'S NAUGHTY!! Ok, I already knew that, he's cheeky, can be mischievous, but otherwise, usually a very good boy and doesn't cause toooooo much trouble (excluding puppy days). Last night, we had a little experiment, I wanted to leave the dogs alone at home to see how things would go, but I didn't want to go for too long either, so we just headed out for dinner. Terrence set up a spycam of sorts, he used the webcam and set up a program on the computer that would be recording. We had the camera focused on the living area, so we could see what's going on in that part, and a little bit of the walkway at the front door. I was more worried about them fighting a lot, and also worried that Reuben may be destructive since I have no idea how his behaviour is like when he's left alone.

Well, guess what, it was Banzai being naughty!! We saw the dogs having a few scuffles, but nothing really serious and usually didn't last more than a few minutes, so that was alright. But we also caught Banzai on camera chewing up a cushion of mine, and uh, also humping it, and basically being pretty violent with it. Now, this cushion has been around on the couch for weeks, and usually when we come home, we just find Banzai lying on it, so he has never done this before. When I got home last night and found the cushion on the floor all banged up with a very wet chewed up corner, I assumed it was Reuben cos as I said, Banzai has not done such a thing before. Of course, the recorded footage proved otherwise. Before I actually viewed the recording, I had said that maybe it was Banzai, and he's trying to set Reuben up. Who knows, I could have been right! LOL. But I guess it may be more of Banzai trying to establish his dominance or something, in our little "movie", when Reuben goes closer to the cushion to sniff it, Banzai will go back to the cushion and resume his "activities". I'm so glad that both dogs are desexed, otherwise the testosterone fights may be too much for me to bear! For now, the cushions will be moved to the bedroom when we leave the house, and monitoring will continue. Tsk tsk, Banzai, you're supposed to be the one setting the example for Reuben! *grin*

Anyways, that's my story about the dogs. Sorry if I've bored anyone, but right now, these two are such a source of amusement for me! Everything's definitely going well, so I'm happy about that. Banzai may not be crazy about Reuben, but he definitely doesn't hate Reuben, and I think in time, the two of them will get used to each other. As long it's just scuffles and harmless doggie play, we're all ok! They do keep each other company in a way, in the video, they do a lot of walking together, more like one following the other, so that's company right? LOL. I will stop for now, if I have any more funny stories to share, I will be blogging about them. Meanwhile, enjoy the new week! :)

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Banzai and new friend


Here's another pic! The previous owner gave us Reuben's basket, and I put in new Ikea blankets and a pillow for him. Reuben likes his basket, I guess it's something familiar for him and is a source of comfort while he gets used to his new surroundings. That's Banzai being nosy in the background, LOL. Posted by Hello

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Banzai has a FRIEND! :)


Meet Reuben, the latest addition to the family! :) Posted by Hello

OK, here is the story! Terrence and I have been thinking for a while about getting a 2nd dog. We have always wanted more dogs, and also, thought it would be good to get some company for Banzai. We didn't want to start from scratch with a puppy, because it is very time-consuming, and I wouldn't be able to give it the time it needs because I'm starting full-time work so soon. So, we were toying with the idea of getting an adult dog, we were looking at RSPCA's pet adoption programs, we get to help out RSPCA and take in dogs who have been abandoned or stranded for some reason, and we pay a fee of $170, but the dog will be desexed, vaccinated and microchipped, which is good. We headed there to have a look on Thursday, but didn't find any dog that may get along well with Banzai. We did consider this female beagle there, but a family came along and took her, so that wasn't an option anymore.

Terrence had also been checking out the trading post for ads where people had to give away/sell their dogs due to various reasons. I rang a few of the ones he gave me, but they were all taken. Then I rang the last one, and hey, this one was actually available! It was a cocker springer cross spaniel, and we thought this may work out because Banzai is also a spaniel, and they should get along right? That was our theory anyways. So, we made the trip up there to have a look, bringing Banzai along to make sure they would get along fine. Got to the house, and everything pretty much went well! Banzai was a little snappish, cos Reuben would try to jump him at times, but I think once they get used to each other, he will be alright. I guess Banzai is trying to show who's boss! LOL.

So yes, it was a go-ahead from the owner, we brought Reuben home, and he's here now! All the excitement has only just about died down. Reuben probably wasn't used to the long car ride (the place was REALLY far away) and got sick in the car, Banzai was trying to get as far away as he possibly could, so yeah, that was fun, NOT! *grin* Once we got back, we got both dogs into the bathroom, I washed them, while Terrence cleaned up the car. That was another experience as well, first time I had to wash 2 dogs, had to make sure one stayed calm in the bath tub, and the other not going psycho on me while I was washing the one in the tub, LOL. And then I had to swap them around! Weeeeeee.....but well, I made it in the end. After drying them, getting them to calm down yet again, I finally got to making dinner, and believe it or not, only just finished eating not too long ago.

As for Reuben, he's a real cutie, and seems to be getting along well with Banzai so far. He's 2 years younger than Banzai (who is 4+), but according to the previous owner, he is pretty obedient, at least he's "toilet-trained", which was more important for me. He is still trying to jump Banzai, and Banzai has had a few snips at Reuben for doing that, but hopefully within the week or so, things will settle down. The owner said that he's either a pure-bred cocker spaniel or a cocker springer cross, doesn't really matter to me. I will be bringing him to the vet soon for a complete health check, so maybe he can clear things up. His ears are MASSIVE to me, I already thought Banzai's ears are huge, Reuben's are even bigger! LOL. And his furry feet are so cute, kinda looks like he's wearing slippers or something, hee hee. Actually, Debbi, if you're reading this, Reuben reminds me of your Jake, so maybe Reuben is a cocker spaniel. Whatever he is, he is one HYPER spaniel, actually makes Banzai look like such a calm old man, LOL.

Anyways, I think I am going to make myself shut up now, LOL. I could go on forever about the excitement that happened today, but I really shouldn't. I hope everything goes well with these two, it would be great if they both settle in before I have to start work. These few weeks will be their supervision period, no trouble boys, please! Geeez, now I have 3 boys in the house, what did I get myself into?! Oh well, wish me luck!
(^o^)

Friday, January 07, 2005

A day in my life



Hee hee....as you can tell, I'm still very much in love with these kao-ani smileys. You'll probably see them around in my posts for a while! Anyways, it's Friday, and wooo hooo, I actually went out for once. I met up with a friend at a nearby shopping centre, she's currently on leave and goes back to work on Monday, so today was a good day to meet up. We had drinks at a cafe, and we were just chit-chatting away and catching up. After that, we watched a movie, we saw the Jim Carrey flick, 'Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events'. My friend didn't really like it all that much, but I guess it wasn't too bad. I loved the sets, they look stunning, I think it was a pretty good film visually. Story-wise, I guess it was alright, I may need to read the books to find out more about the overall plot. Like when I watched the first Harry Potter movie, I thought it paled in comparison to the book, but I suppose it's a real tough job to fit everything in, and with all things considered, it's a fair attempt. So this may be the same with the Lemony Snicket movie, but I still did enjoy it though. After the movie, we just walked around and window-shopped, and now I'm home! I will probably go back to the mall on Monday by myself, and start shopping for work stuff. I don't want to shop over the weekend, I'm pretty anti-crowds, so hopefully it won't be too busy at the mall on Monday!

As for the rest of the evening, nothing much else is planned. When Terrence gets home, it's either take-out for dinner or go somewhere cheap for a quick meal. With me bumming until I start work, Terrence is the only one bringing in the money for this month (I will only contribute $280 from tutoring, LOL), so we have to watch our expenses. It's then back to stitching, I'm pretty close to a finish on one of my exchange projects, but there's still a few bits and parts that need to be done first, it's one of those things, so close, but yet still so far away! LOL, don't know if I made any sense at all, but basically, I hope to get a finish as soon as I can. Oh well, that's it from me, more chillin' at home for Her Drama-ness, see you tomorrow!

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Ohayoo Gozaimasu (^o^)

That's good morning in Japanese. I learnt it when I was in Singapore, but stopped my lessons when I came to Australia. I'm haven't totally lost touch, I watch a lot of Japanese anime, so in that sense I'm still in contact with the language, and I mutter some phrases when I'm in the mood. But I have forgotten quite a fair bit, and I certainly have forgotten how to write a lot of the words. I really hope I can get back into learning Japanese again, I really enjoyed it, and it certainly help me in watching anime and reading manga, and will also come in handy when I go back to visit Japan! But anyways, I'm in a Japanese-y mood cos of all the kao-ani I found on the web yesterday, they're Japanese smileys (super super cute!), so to speak, and I'll put one up at the end of my blog for those who don't know what I'm talking about.

As for me, I'm definitely feeling a lot better today, not quite 100% yet, but getting pretty close. Yesterday was not so great though, I mean I was better, compared to the mess I was on my "pukey" day, but as I had mentioned before, I was still kinda woozy. And I've come up with a new motto, never stitch when woozy! LOL. I was stitching on one of my exchange projects, and I had counted wrongly for the border on the right side, and I didn't even realise it until I started on the left side, and I was like, ARRRRGH, it doesn't match!! So off I go to frog my border on the right side, boooo hoooo. Apart from that, it's coming along very nicely, and if I do say so myself, it's turning out very pretty, hee hee. I need to be self-disciplined, and make sure I don't get tempted to keep it for myself when it's done! LOL. Nah, just kidding! *grin*

Anyways, that's about it, nothing much else to blog about, I'm off to bum and stitch. Hopefully I will have a picture to share on here pretty soon, I don't like my blog being so bare! Meanwhile, everyone take care, the weekend is almost here! Till next time!

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Getting better

Well, Tuesday is a much better day for sure, I actually feel somewhat alive today, so I guess that's good huh? LOL. Thanks Debbi and Petra for the get-well wishes, I'm definitely feeling better. I still don't feel a 100%, my head feels kinda woozy (my brain probably got fried from the fever, LOL), and I feel pretty weak, but at least I'm able to move about, which is a huge improvement from yesterday. Actually realising I was too sick to stitch yesterday, I thought that majorly sucked, and that I must be REALLY ill, cos hardly anything stops me from stitching, hee hee. So yes, the plan today is to just take it easy, and let my body fully recover. I did wash up some dishes earlier, but right now, I'm just going to rest and watch a bit of TV and stitch. If I'm feeling up to it, I will get to the rest of the household chores later. Anyways, I will keep it short and sweet for today, I just wanted to drop a note to let people know that I am still alive and getting better. Thanks for caring! :)

Monday, January 03, 2005

Monday blues

The 3rd day of the new year didn't start too well for me. I probably woke about 5+ am, tried going back to sleep, but I just felt really strange and I just couldn't fall asleep. After lying in bed for a while, I had to dash to the toilet and **gross alert**, I started to puke. There was nothing in my stomach though, so it really hurt when I was vomitting, cos my stomach was trying to churn out stuff but there's nothing. All that came out is some yellow liquid and it was real bitter. Talk about a great start to the morning. I've done that a few times already this morning, and at this point in time, my stomach seems to have settled, but I still don't feel too good, so I'm just gonna stick to water for now, and hopefully this will go away soon enough. I don't know what caused this, I wonder if it's what I ate last night. I'm feeling tired as well cos I got up so early (bearing in mind my usual waking hours are 8+, 9+, even 10+!), but I know I won't be able to sleep until I feel better, so it's either getting a nap later when my condition improves, or just getting an early night today. I'll see what happens...

Yesterday was a movie marathon day for myself at home. I watched Catwoman, Edward Scissorhands, and The Incredibles. Catwoman was alright, I think I expected a lot worse (because of all the bad reviews), so it actually didn't feel too horrible, LOL. It still wasn't a great movie though, but I gotta say, Halle Berry looks damn bloody good in there! Edward Scissorhands was great, I've seen it before, just didn't remember much, and watching it again, I loved it just as much. It's an oldie, but a goodie! :) Last but definitely not least, The Incredibles!!! LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!!! Do I dare say possibly the best Pixar animated film yet? I really liked Monsters' Inc. and Finding Nemo, but somehow, I felt story-wise, they weren't as strong as their predecessors, like A Bug's Life, and the Toy Story movies. But The Incredibles, I think it was fantastic on all counts, the story, the animation, just everything! Even Terrence liked it (I watched this with him when he came home), and that's something since he's not usually a fan of the "kiddy" movies. It was also hilarious for me to "hear" Samuel L. Jackson in this film. What?! An actual child-friendly movie? LOL. It's funny to not hear Pulp Fiction phrases from him, hee hee. But yeah, he was cool as Frozone, the dude's funny *grin*

Anyways, that's it from me. I don't want to push my luck by spending too much time in front of the computer. Just gonna lie somewhere and rest, and hope that there will be no more puking for the rest of the day...

Sunday, January 02, 2005

...and a Happy New Year...

It's officially 2005, and I hope everyone had some great celebrations! :) Our plans for a picnic on New Year's Day was scrapped because it was forecasted to rain at the area we wanted to go to, so instead, we just headed to Chadstone shopping centre for a look-see and a walk around. And I got myself some goodies! I bought my first item for work, a pair of shoes that were on sale. It's a pair of flats, I have been specifically seeking flats, since I have no idea what to expect on the job and how much walking I will be doing, I wanted a nice pair of shoes that I can still walk the whole day in and not kill myself. Once I've grown accustomed to my work environment, maybe I will bring out my heels, LOL. I didn't find anything else though, the range of work clothes was limited, and I did come across an OK suit, but the jacket alone was $350, so NO WAY that I would spend that much money, I didn't even think it was a nice suit. I do have lots of time to shop, so I will keep going back to look for stuff.

Terrence bought me more Monopoly to add to my collection! WOOO HOOO! :) One was a collector's edition and came in a tin box, it's pretty similar to the Nostalgia wooden box one that I already have, but the tin box is so pretty, I just had to have it, LOL. The other Monopoly was the original trilogy edition of Star Wars, I don't really care much for Star Wars, that's more up Terrence's alley, but it's still a Monopoly board, and the R2D2 token was cute, so I'm still happy to have this addition. I also got a book, Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". It's meant to be a teenager's book, like the Harry Potter books, but it looked interesting, so I got it anyway, hee hee.

Well, that's about it. Terrence is back to work from today, so for me, it's back to the usual routine of household chores, TV, and stitching. At least I don't have to worry about work, and can happily bum away, LOL. I will also need to go shopping for work clothes, but I probably won't head back to the shopping centres that soon, probably end of nextt week or the week after. I will also try to do research about my upcoming job at HP, although I don't know what I need to be looking at or reading, but I will definitely try. I don't want to start work and come across to my superiors like some kind of super slacker, hee hee. Anyways, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my day, bye bye for now! :)

About me

  • I'm Leeny
  • From Melbourne, Australia
  • This is where I dazzle you with my wit and fascinate you with my interesting self....but no, it ain't happening. I'm just a normal person, who can be a little nutty at times, but otherwise lead a regular life. Oh, and I LOVE cross-sitching, but I'm not 80 years old :p
My profile

My Unkymood

    My Unkymood Punkymood (Unkymoods)

What I'm Stitching

  • Little House Needleworks - Spot of Coffee
  • Monsterbubbles - Home (freebie)

What I'm Reading