Wednesday, March 21, 2007

stomach bugs and broken arms

So I got back from Melbourne yesterday morning. My stomach had been niggling at me on the entire journey, 10 hours on the bus. I didn't think too much of it at the time. When I'm stressed it usually makes itself aparent through my guts. I was just leaving behind my injured boy after three lovely days at home. I was stressed. But when I made it home and the stomach pain got worse, I figured it was actually illness rather than stress. Especially when, well to try and put it nicely, I got to pee through my arse. So yesterday, thanks to my mum (?) I was a stabby stomach pain, watery bummed individual. Thanks be to immodium and rest. Today I am much better. The problem with being sick yesterday was that I was supposed to be teaching dancing and couldn't make class. It had to be cancelled. Bum. But I'll be there next week and they'll have a great class because I won't be disappearing to the bathroom every so often to drop my guts, or doubling over with cramps. Yay!
This weekend was such fun, even though the bus trip was horrible. Saturday saw me arrive in Melbourne at about 8am and by 9 I was in bed with the boy, catching up on cuddles. Saturday night was spent at Mum and Dad's with the Germans (all 5 of them), my brother, his girlfriend and the boy. We (brother and I) made curries for everyone as Mum was not feeling the best, having suffered from her own gastric upset. We made an awesome Rogan Josh, vege curry and a pretty tasty dahl. There wasn't much heat in it though, we thought the chidlets might be eating it and at 3 and 5.5, they probably wouldn't be too keen on chilli. Turns out they had rice and jelly for dinner, so we could have spiced it up a notch. Still tasty though.
Sunday was a lazy day. There was a lot of sleep had. We ended up having dinner with MB and VE at Tran Tran on Victoria Street, then icecream at Brunetti's on Faraday Street in Carlton. We had planned on Gelati on Lygon street, but because of the freaking Grand Prix, it prooved too busy and difficult to go there. Was a good night, with much laughter and silliness. The salt and pepper squid was so tasty.
On Monday the boy and I went to the Jam Factory to see Hot Fuzz. We scored an awesome free park, which I think is impressive in South Yarra. We were two of only seven in the theatre and got to watch the trailers without sound. Fortunately, that was fixed before the feature started. I laughed pretty hard and really enjoyed the film. I now want to go out and see a whle bunch of cop films to work out where all the references are in the film. I've always been keen on Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright/Nick Frost as a creative team. Spaced was an excellent TV series and I loved Shaun of the Dead. They didn't disappoint, and the supporting cast were great too. Lots of my favourite UK comedy folk were there. Then we had lunch at Lucky Coq, $3 pizzas and little creatures on tap.
Monday night I had to catch the bus, so we caught the train into the city, had dinner at Mekong on Swanston and caught a tram down to Spencer Street ( I refuse to call it southern cross station). The bus was full, I was sat towards the front, by the window. I got a bit teary, saying goodbye. I hate going to Melbourne for this very reason. I have to leave again and it is always painful. I'm completely over the whole long distance relationship thing. I just want to live in the same city. I wouldn't even be too fussed if we couldn't live in the same house. Anyway, enough bitching, it's not that bad. It could be a lot worse and I should stop complaining.
The bus trip was painful, not just because of my guts. We stopped a million times, well actually 4. We stopped in Shepparton, Albury, Wagga Wagga and about 30 mins out of Canberra because we were 'going to get to Canberra too early and had to stop for a bit'. My knees ached, my neck ached and my guts poked me. I was most unimpressed with the whole thing. Never again people, never again. I'll walk from Yass at 3am after catching the train in preference.
Anyway, back in the 'berra. Working on a new interesting means of getting my deletion into flies. Trying not to kill my HeLa cells again (silly bastards got contaminated since last week), screening my transformants, dissecting some discs and psyching myself up for lots and lots of fly work to come. Woo! My life is so exciting.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Exciting(?) happenings in the life of Kate

So the boy was mugged on Saturday night. 3 guys punched him to the ground, breaking his wrist as he landed, and he has a cut lip and a swollen jaw. He managed to get away from the bastards and into a taxi and made it home. They didn't get any of his stuff, so that's good. But man, did it shake him (and me) up. As a result of this, I am going down to Melbourne town this weekend. It's Canberra Day on Monday and so I'll be coming back to the 'berra on Tuesday morning. I already have plans for Saturday dinner, if anyone wants to invite the boy and I around for Sunday lunch, I'm sure we would consider the invitiation. Rules are though, you can't make us travel too far. The boy needs the rest, and I don't know if we will have a car.
Other exciting things, and far more pleasant things, are the following : I got a compensation cheque yesterday. I am considerably richer. It's more money than I've ever had in one go. I intend to bank/save most of it. But I will be getting my pole dancing pole out of that money. I'll also be having drinks tomorrow with my workmates to celebrate. Champale for everyone!
And lastly for today, I really should be dissecting some larvae, I scored a try in touch footy today. For a girl who has no team sport skills, I did good. We still lost, 5-7, but I helped a little bit in not making it 4-7. Yay!

Thursday, March 08, 2007

I played touch football

Oh dear! I've turned into a Canberran even more. Today at lunchtime I played my first game of touch football. I ran around, in the rain, trying not to get touched by people who had very obvious skills in the sport. I also ran around and tried to touch them. But only when they had the ball, otherwise it's just inappropriate. But the endorphin kick was good and I didn't completely make an arse of myself. Pity then, that lab meeting is now Thursday lunchtimes, starting next week, and I'll miss quite a few games. Oh well! It was fun while it lasted.

I be a spaz pt2

I'm not really coping well today. I can't stop thinking about how I fucked up. I know what my problem is, I get worried about time pressures and rush through things. When I rush, I fuck up. Truth is, if I didn't rush so much, I wouldn't make those mistakes and I'd get things done right, more often than not. So why rush? Why panic? I think it's the knowledge that I only have months left of money, and lots of stuff to get done in that time.
Anyway, now I have to tell the main supervisor that I've gone and killed those flies. I told the other supervisor yesterday. She didn't look pleased. I hate disappointing people. The only good thing about this is, I'm the one who gets most affected by this fuck up. It adds time onto my being in Canberra, which sucks. But hopefully it doesn't adversely affect anyone else too much. Except that the members of the lab have to suffer my presence a bit longer.
Buh, so the only thing left to decide, do I mention the fuck up now? Or wait until my meeting on Monday? Nothing is bringing those flies back, so I can't see how a few more days might hurt. But I can also see how saying something now would get it out of the way and maybe make it a little less crap on Monday. So, people, pain now, or pain later?

On another completely unrelated note, it was my Oma's birthday yesterday. I called but was only able to leave a message. So happy birthday Oma, I hope you were having a lovely night out last night and I'll call you later.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

I be a spaz

So the flies that are dead. Yeah, apparently I should have remembered not to kill them. Fuck! I really should have kept them. I, now, even remember the meeting where we discussed keeping flies even if they weren't quite right. Beh! Muh! Feh! I am having a "kate sucks" day, where I feel useless and stupid. Fortunately, I have done positive things rather than wallowing in my stupidity. I have worked and made plans and organised shit. It is all going to be fine, I'm almost convinced of that.

In other news, I ordered a pole to go in my living room. It'll take several weeks to turn up, but it's going to be fabulous. My corsetry supplies arrived today (I'm sewing a corset), and I'm going to walk up Black Mountain in half an hour and get me some endorphins. Endorphins are the shit, they make me less mental.

I read something on someone's blog today. A message that they got from a friend, I think it's fabulous:

Today is international spaz day. Please send an encouraging message to a retarded friend, just as I've done. I don't care if you lick windows, interfere with farm animals, use your strong hand to wipe your arse, can't talk or occasionally shit yourself. You hang in there sunshine you're f***ing special.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

I have a new plant

As the post title suggests, I have a new plant. I usually suck at the care and maintenance of plants. Don't know what it is, but it's just not my thing. But I've decided to give it a go. Here is my lovely new venus fly trap in a self watering pot. I have christened her Daisy and she has already caught a bug, yay!
fang

That's all for today, I have a list as long as my arm to get through!