Two things

Kevin Rudd is PM, yay! We have a deputy PM (who is currently acting PM) who is a woman. Woo woo! That is all. Please return to your usual daily activities. I will update when I am not sick and not running around doing endless experiments and waiting for science to treat me better.

back home again

I'm back in Canberra. After 7 weeks away, I'm back. It's much warmer and sunnier here than it was back in August. The lab is much the same. My house is much the same, though currently covered in dirt and dust. Everything is pretty much the way I left it. My brain, however, is not. It is fuzzled and useless. I hate jet lag. So because my brain is addled and I couldn't possibly update you on all that has been going on. I present, some of my favourite pictures of my trip. The ones with the funny names and the one with me drinking an exceptionally large beer.

This is from Gothenburg. It's a chinese restaurant.



Spunk wine gums in Copenhagen.



The call button for a lift in Copenhagen.



Chocolate in Sweden.



Beer drinking Kate

Oslo

Hello all. I've made my way from Germany and Austria to Norway. I'm currently sitting in the living/bed room of friend's of the boy's. We are drinking Henkell Trocken and chatting etc. We spent the whole of today travelling. We left my relatives in Delmenhorst, near Bremen, at about 9.40am and made it to Oslo at about 6pm. Our plane was delayed at Hamburg airport for about an hour. So we sat around and made really bad jokes and bought some duty free.
What else is news? My German cousins are the cutest bunch of kids I've met in a long time. Berlin is awesome. My great aunt isn't well, but living in a rather pleasant old people's home. It was rather sad to see her how limited her movement is these days (she's unable to walk) and to see that she doesn't recognise me anymore. But we only met a few times in the last 10 years or so and she is very old.
Hmmmm what else? Not a lot really. We've been having a great time away and I'm really looking forward to seeing a bit of Scandinavia. Then we're off to Munich and Oktoberfest before we come home. Better be sociable now and stop all this internerd nonsense.

Hannover

Welcome to my journey accross Germany. Today is Hannover day. We are really only here for today, we have to leave ridiculously early tomorrow morning to drive to Cologne. It should be fun and scary and all those things that Germany should be, efficient! My English is suffering a great deal from being here. I said something monumentally stupid this morning, something along the lines of 'all of a sudden the sunshine goes'. Very correct grammatically, if I were German perhaps! But not exactly idiomatically English. Bleh! So long as it doesn't continue on my return home then I'm okay.
The boy has picked up some more of these German-English-isms and has said that he has much pleasure in Hannover. So there's his contribution to the blog today. What else? We had curry wurst today, we're debating whether my Australian friend's housemate is German or American. When she speaks English it's with a very American accent. I maintain she's German, the boy thinks she's American. I intend to find out tonight.
Bleh, my brain isn't working, will post more later. I'm off to have a post lunch nanna nap and then take the dog here for a walk. His name is whisky and he still has his nads, as do most of the dogs we've seen here. Weird!

Germanermany

Hello there peoples. I'm currently sitting in the living room of a friend from Australia. But we're in Hannover. I've ended up here instead of in Bavaria, because my host parents are still in China. Danielle is working here as a postdoc and has graciously allowed us to stay with her for a couple of days. I'm looking forward to doing some washing and speaking English with someone other than the boy. We drove today from Dresden to Hannover and didn't get killed. It was an amazing adventure. Scary, scary, scary shit. So many trucks. The fastest we went was about 160km/h. Wheee!

What else? I gave a seminar at the Max Plank Institute, I got taken out for dinner at a fancy restaurant where there was a full sized poodle in the restaurant at the table next to ours. We drank a lot of cheap beer and city itself was delightful. Lovely lovely place. The conference I went to was interesting and really full on science. I'll write more when I can be arsed.

So auf wiedersehen meine Leute, bis bald.

Hi Mum, I'm not dead, just distracted

Well hello there. Today I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Whenever I think of what I have to do, I get a little headspin. I have a lot planned over the next few days and weeks. I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to do it all. But I'll die trying, or something like that. I'm mostly posting this to let my Mum know that I'm safe and sound, just busy and distracted with things like facebook and the boy (who's staying at the moment, yay!) and work and the impending doom that is Canberrang. Well, not doom, but the impending event that is Canberrang.
I have one houseguest coming to stay. He'll be sleeping in the living room, with the dogs. I'm sure they'll get along great. Other than that, I may have a couple of other stay, depending on organisation and the like. I'm going to all the events and also trying to get as much labwork done as I can. I expect to be very tired on Monday. But hopefully, pleased that Canberrang was so much fun. And I'm determined not to get a cold this year.
Okay, so Mum, I'm okay, I'll talk to you next week sometime. Everyone else who has decided to read this, send me and email and tell me what you've been up to. I have been working and gyming and spending far too much time on facebook. Tell you all about Canberrang later.

going to the gym, yay!

I'm off to the gym in a minute. I haven't been in about a month. I am rather excited. I will no doubt be in agony on Saturday. But I don't care, because I'm going to have super scary strong muscles. Fingers crossed the absence from the gym won't mean that I'm completely useless at lifting weights, but there are no guarantees.
In other news, I might be going to the reception of a wedding this weekend, specifically to dance. No eating, no drinking, no knowing the couple getting married. Just dancing with a guy from Tassie to a jazz band. I hope it works out, I have a lovely outfit I can wear.
I'll also be dancing tonight at the regular social dancing gig here in Canberra. I'm quite looking forward to that one too. Man I hope the music is good.

erm, stuff

So the cold is finally retreating, not quite gone, but mostly. Other than that, there's not much going on that I care to share. I've been a little bundle of stress and worry in the last few weeks. But I think that I've got myself a resolution that works for me and I'm happy about. More details to come later, if they become relevant to people other than me.
Canberrang is coming up very soon. I have a few potential house guests during that time. Should make for a fun weekend. JJF is hosting our dear friend chelle at his place. It should be a blast. I'm getting a little excited about all the fabulous dances that I intend on getting over the weekend. Some of my favourite dancers are coming to the event and I will have to stalk them and get myself some dancing goodness.
What else? The virgins have started emerging that will give me the babies that should be the right thing to finish off the thesis. That's pretty exciting. Other than that, woa, I have three bags full. I stole/borrowed it from Mum on Sunday. I'll have it back to yourself or your lovely daughter soon. That's the book I mentioned a while ago that my cousin got for her birthday. It's a detective novel, with sheep.
Right, those virgins will turn into hussies if I don't get there soon, so I'd best be off. Talk later and stuff.

snot central station

Yep, I'm still as snotty as a girl can be. And it's moved to my chest. I think that a trip to the doctors this week is in order. Other than that, experimentation is still going on. I've been teaching lots and dancing lots and generally having a bit of fun. Just not being able to stay up very late or sleep particularly well. When I'm well, I'll be more inclined to write something interesting here, and will most likely have something to write too. So, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and get rid of the vast amounts of snot that have accumulated in my sinuses.

I'm not dead, just sick

Today I have a stuffed up nose, a sleepy expression and a lot of work to do. The blog has suffered as a result of all this work and cold-ness. I will resume telling you all the fascinating details of my life when things get less hectic. So what's news you ask? 6 weeks to go until Europe, 4 weeks to go until Canberrang. I'm in the lab every day, twice a day, two hours at a time, doing the big experiment that should give me the results that will allow me to write up my PhD. I need a haircut to trim my fringe (I think it might end up being a home jobby). It's fricken freezing in Canberra and I really need new winter gloves for the scoot. I've taken off the P plates on my scooter. I'm still restricted but I don't have to display them anymore. I've been DJing at dancing (last night in particular). I've been teaching on Wednesdays the last couple of weeks and loving it. I've been hanging out with mates and introducing people to the TV series coupling.
So yeah, not a lot going on. Much of it is the same old, same old stuff. When things get interesting (like around Canberrang time) expect photos and fun and stuff. Until then, I suggest that you do something fun, eat some chocolate for me.

Found again

So I found my access card. It was on my bed. Why I didn't find it on the previous search is beyond me. I found out something useful today, spectrin doesn't work on prostate glands. It works on testis, just not prostates. Which is annoying, seeing as that is what I am looking at. But you get that. Looks like I'm stuck using the stain that works, most of the time, and avoiding the muscle layer.
No more nerd speak now, says I. Onto more interesting things. I'm going dog walking tonight. Taking the puppies on an outing. We'll be checking out all the trees and poles around the local area, they can pee to their heart's content. I'm going with JJF so that if there are dodgy types around I'm unlikely to be attacked. And also it helps to have someone else around to walk the other dog. Two very big husky Xs is hard work. Actually, one is hard work, two is unthinkable.

What else you ask? Today is 8 weeks until I leave for overseas. I have a lot of work to get done in that time, but I should just about manage it. All things going well. It's the boy's birthday on Sunday. He's coming for a visit, yay! Four days of fun for me, with work chucked in for the hell of it.

Other things, before I disappear to the fly room:
-I picked up the tickets for our trip today
-my arse has stopped hurting from all the exercise last week
-I cut JJF's hair and it was shorter than we'd planned, but apparently good
-I drank red wine and vodka on Sat night, ate chocolate and watched a girly movie on SBS with my housemate
-I've been teaching a couple a dance for their wedding (can't remember if I've mentioned it before) they are doing splendidly and are a lovely couple. They let me stick around and chat and they also let me play with their pets
-I saw frankie wants out! last Friday night, they were great, check them out on myspace (myspace.com/frankiewantsout)

Okay, time to go to the fly room.

spazmo

I've lost my access card. I'm pretty sure I lost it at the gig I was at last night. I've searched my house, I've searched at work (I got someone to let me in). It's not anywhere that I could imagine it to be. I'm pretty sure that I took it with me, it's the only thing that makes sense. I've called the venue and given them my details. But I doubt I'll see it again. I'm going to have to get it cancelled and get me a new one. I hope that the security guys don't get too shirty with me. Fingers crossed they'll be fine. I'm going to go and search for it again. Gives me an opportunity to tidy up my stuff anyway. I've cleared out some of my drawers already today. Might as well continue.

Meh, I'm such a spaz sometimes.

the vending machine is broken

Today, I feel like eating some chocolate. Nothing swish, just something sweet and fatty to get me through my afternoon. The vending machine is not working. Not happy, Jan! (not you woa) I'm going to a seminar in a little bit over at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, I am living in hope that they have a functional vending machine with something tasty in it. Anything to distract me away from my sore legs and arse. My new gym program is great. It's effective, but my oh my does it make my muscles hurt. My bumscles in particular are very sore. My triceps only stopped hurting today, and I worked them on Saturday. I'm soon going to be super strong. Go me!

Made it!

So, hasn't stopped raining, but I'm at work. How you ask? Well, I stole/borrowed my friend's beetle and drove here. It was rather scary and the thing kept on stalling, but it was worth it to come and deal with my flies. I still feel guilty about the day off yesterday, but you get that. Anywho, should do some work now I'm here. No excuses.
I just hope the weather is a little better tomorrow, I have a million and one places I have to be.

update with the weather

This is ridiculous! So, you would think that Canberra being Canberra, it would have stopped raining by now. Nope! I am going to have to brave the weather in a little while, just so I can get some work done. I've been productive this morning though. I've filled in some application forms and detailed why I should be given money to travel overseas and enjoy myself and work hard of course. So onto some lunch, then continuing with the writing and reading. I've looked up a few things on pubmed and have been pretty productive for someone who's still in her PJs.
Yep, give it an hour and I'll have to get a move on. This is craziness. I think all the rain that hasn't fallen in the last six months has decided to turn up today.

fecking rain

It's raining. I've checked the bom.gov.au website. It's going to be raining for a while. I'm actually inspired to go to work, but there's no way known I'm riding my scooter in this kind of rain with Canberra drivers on the road. I think a bit of writing work will have to be done. I've been meaning to update my introduction outline to pass on to the supervisors to get some opinions and start working on it. I also have to write a paragraph about how I will benefit from traveling to Europe to try and wangle some more funding out of the university for my travels. I've $2000 covered already, but that doesn't even cover my airfare, and the registrations for the conferences are quite steep.
Speaking of the rain, I've just looked out the living room window, it's a bit trench-like out there. My housemate has dubbed the front yard the somme. Toren has been digging holes and enjoying himself out there. All the holes are full and it's a big puddly, muddy mess. Hooray! Both dogs are currently sleeping. Tikka next to me on the couch, all curled up with her nose buried in her tail, and Toren in my room, sleeping on my bed. He's a big lump of a dog that one. JJF and I took them both for a walk last night. They loved it! It was rather foggy, but surprisingly, it wasn't that cold.
Okay, working now, wish me luck with the weather and the writing.

mental meltdown

Hello. I'm suffering today from what I've decided to call a mental meltdown. Actually suffering isn't really the right word. I'm fine. I just took today off. First day I've spent at home, all day, since April. It's a rather exciting state of affairs. Admittedly, I've spent the day watching TV and doing dishes. Nothing exciting, but enough to give me a mental break from work. I've been a busy bee, in the lab every day, not all day every day, but every day. But I'm going to be fine, because tomorrow I'm going to go into work and be more motivated than I've been in a while. Hooray!
Going to work every day for three months isn't good for you I've decided. I should re-instate my one day off a week rule. Maybe one day a fortnight, or month? I'm still feeling exceptionally guilty that I didn't go in today. But it's cold out there now and it's dark too, so I'm staying in.
Blergh, anyway, other things going on you ask? Well, I've choreographed a wedding dance for a lovely couple and have been teaching it to them Sunday evenings at their house. Yesterday I had a lovely time showing them all the moves. I got to play with their cockatiel as well. It's a very cute little bird, I'm looking forward to maybe meeting their dog. They take the dog to her parent's house while we're dancing. Apparently, she'd want to join in a little bit too much.
Hrmm, what else? Nothing much. Plans have been made for the europe trip, the balance has been paid off and in 9 weeks from today, we'll be jetting off to lots of interesting places and meeting interesting people. We've got accommodation in a whole bunch of different place with friends of the boys and relatives. I'm rather looking forward to it. Apart from that, I've been working, sleeping and running around Canberra. I could tell you stories about my new gym program, but I don't want to be that boring. I'll leave it here for today and go and do something productive. Yay, I'm going to bathe.

the countdown is on

They boy arrives sometime this evening. He has to go to Brisvegas for work again and is coming here tonight and staying until early Monday morning. I'm pretty excited. Two days of lovely hugs and snuggling and enjoying the simple delight of staring at each other until one of us pukes. Woo!
This will be the first time since March that I will have seen him sans cast. Apparently when he takes off the arm stocking thing they have for him his arm is 'ribbed for her pleasure'. I look foward to seeing that and reveling in it's bumpy nature. Apparently it's a tiny arm now too. I guess not moving it for 10 weeks will waste muscle like nobodies business.
Anywho, still haven't made it to work yet, it's raining and I'm cold. I'm going to leave soon though, to brave the day and collect me some virgins.

busy, cold, tired and the like

Yeah, so today I'm a little tired. I had the house to myself last night, so after getting home late (10.30pm after tango and laksa) I made my way to bed pretty swiftly. But because I had the house to myself, I might have had the company of two large dogs in my room. That's great, except Tikka decided at 4.30am to go and pee. Not in my room though, in the front yard. Seeing has she hasn't learned how to open the door yet, I had to get up and let her out and then back in again. That mucked with my sleep a little. So today I'm a little tired.
It's freaking cold in Canberra, no surprises there. But I have a car for 10 days, LJS is in NZ with her parents, so I've been given the keys and told to drive to my heart's content. Woo! Go heated vehicle, go!
Hmmm, what else am I bitching about in the title? Oh, busy, yeah. I am doing an in situ hybridisation today as well as an antibody stain, trying to update my labbooks and collect lots of virgins and get my application for money into the office asap. I'm getting some help to go to the conferences I'm going to in September. All this and I want to go to the gym today to do some squats, I didn't get a chance yesterday to do squats because there were people on the Smith machine the whole time I was there. I'm hoping to get there around 4 today and squat until my legs are tired and then maybe go for a bit of a run to get the heart pumping.

In other news, I ate some SPC pineapple in passionfruit jelly for a post lunch treat today and it was jelly-rific. Food is good at the moment, especially my porridge with golden syrup. Yum!

sewing and seeing

Why hello there. Welcome to the blog post of me, from today. I'm going to show you photos of the dress I'll be finishing sewing in the next few weeks (depending on when JJF gets himself set up at the new house), and I'm going to tell you about waking up and being able to see the other side of the room.

So, I'm sewing this dress:

ouf of the following fabric, main fabric is this:
and the middle panel in this (because I don't have enough of the main stuff)

I bought the orange stuff from the bargain shop in Queanbeyan about 2 years ago, maybe even more. I had vague ideas of making a skirt. It was a bargain, $5. The other stuff I got at Lincraft a month ago. I realised I didn't quite have enough of the orange, so tried to find something to fill in the gaps as it were. The dress pattern is care of my Mum's collection of patterns that I raided sometime in the last few years. I'm quite looking forward to having it finished. And wearing it with my boots, woo!
Okay, onto the seeing, I have breakfast waiting and I can't be arsed doing this in two phases. On Friday I got some contact lenses. Today I'm wearing them, I slept in them last night. I'm allowed to sleep in them and I think it's great. I could see the other side of the room! Woo! Doesn't get much better than that. Will post photos of me with my new hair and my new glasses-less eyes some other time.