Friday Night - Nothing to do

I was wandering aimlessing around the top of Courtenay Place last night (as I often do) when, quite by chance, I ran into Morgan. I followed him to the Welsh Dragon. As chance may have it, there were more people he knew. One of those fortuitous random events! As it turns out it was recently Morgan's birthday, so everyone was glad to have run into him.

I bet Sam at pool. That very rarely happens, so I will be reliving it for a while now. He will be reminded many times. I do believe there were three of his balls left on the table when I finished. SAM IS USELESS - KATE IS THE BEST! (I never said I was gracious in victory.) He made the old excuse of small tables favouring the weaker player, but I refuse to accept that reasoning. You're only as good as your last game.

Some cranky old fella scolded Sam for having started a game of singles (on a long-empty-at-that-stage pool-table). He seemed a little strange. I briefly thought he was one of Morgan's friends..... and was questioning his judgement.... But it turns out he was just a publican, unconnected to us.

I reacquainted myself with the lovely Svend as we formed a formidable guard at either side of the door. We talked about his mammoth encyclopaedia collection and quilting. I caught up with a few Ultimate players who remembered me from my four game stint last year. I was reassured by Sam The Second that Ultimate is the only sport where you have a 'hammer-throw'...... That harks back to a question at pub-quiz that I was vetoed on. People never listen to me! And there was wee Fraser too.

For some reason I like to write Ultimate with a capital letter. It seems fitting.

Evidently their Ultimate club has expanded to three teams and has plans of dominating the world. Their tentacles are spreading.....

Richard had on a lovely shirt with a funky stripes and paisley thing going on.


I will make the next bit small type because very few (if any) people will be interested. Michelle pointed that out last night after we'd talked about 1980s basketball players for long enough..... While remembering people like Andrew Toney and Danny Ainge is fun for us basketball fans, it's somewhat dull for others.

I was unimpressed by Ben and Jono's ignorance about things basketbally :) For those of you unfamiliar with Michael Cooper, one of the all-time great defenders, here is a picture of him. As I said last night, he used to wear long socks so that his almost-blind grandmother could pick him out on the TV screen. Awwww! Nowadays it's trendy, but back then it was original.
In his 12-year NBA career, he was named to eight NBA All Defensive Teams, including five First Teams. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. In the 1983-84 season Laker Michael Cooper ranked second in the league in three pointers made with just 38. (wikipedia). That is the best 3-point statistics I could verify, but I'm sure he was right up there in terms of 3-point shots made in playoff games (in the late 80s anyhow - before they moved it in and small children and grandmothers could start shooting them).

In my research to find those things I realised that Scottie Pippen actually is one of the greatest players ever (statistically - not just in my honest and biased opinion). He's in the top ten all-time stats for heaps of things. Good on him! I totally missed the end of his career due to not having Sky and not caring about a league where boxing-out was a thing of the past and refs seemed to have forgotten the intricacies of the travelling rule (as long as the three or four steps ending in a dunk).

What else.....

* * *

Norfolk and Chance is becoming a pub-quiz team to be reckoned with. Anchored by Sam the Trivia Man, we have developed a good wee crew. The quiz-master gives us our props as a weekly contender. This week we came second, though only by a few points.

We were only beaten by a team that's anchored by a fellow from my school. He was dux the year before I was. Smart people from Levin seem to be the common link.... LEVIN IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!

* * *

My impulse-buy-blue-dress is getting excellent use. I estimate that I've won it over half a dozen times. I wore it last night to a function at school and tonight Ange is borrowing it for a cocktail party. My goal of wearing it until I get it down to $10-per-wear is within sight.

* * *

I went to Borders today, the new bookshop on Lambton Quay. Ange said it's the Starbucks of bookstores. Sam pointed out that Maori language books are filed with 'Foreign Language' books. A series of the Gilmore Girls goes for $59.99 (you can usually get the early serieses for $39.99 from the CD Store).

I do, however, like the range of notebooks and stationery. Funky colourful little numbers. I bought a notebook that has black and red and green pages in it.

And after that I got a banana-java-chip-frappachino from Starbucks.

I AM A CONSUMER! And it was a damned good frappa.

Some rugby player guy from the Bulls tried to push in front of me in the line at Starbucks. The line was obviously going back out the door, and he tried to sidle in through the side..... I stepped very pointedly in front of him when it was my turn. I'll not be bullied by tall Seth Efrican rugby players! Starbucks is the great equaliser - his fame means nothing there. We all pay $5.80 for our coffee and that's all that matters to them.

* * *

I might have a nana-nap now. We stayed out til 2.30am last night. That's way past my bedtime! It reminded me of my youth............ Back when I walked 10 miles in the snow every day just to buy a 1cent lolly at the dairy. Those were the days.

Go....

...mez are apparently coming to Wellington some time in about a month. I'm dead keen to go to that concert! It's at the Bath-house. Snug wee venue. $48 or so.

Sounds good to me.

Can someone else organise a posse to go?

* * *

I helped Paul carry a couch up to the sleep-out today. If you have seen the location of the sleep-out (or 'love-shack' as he calls it) you will know that is a feat worth reward. I got me a beer for it.

He's calling it the 'love seat'. It is intentionally small so that any girl unfortunate enough to have to 'crash' at his shack will say, 'Excuse me, Paul. This couch is not comfortable for sleeping on - can I share your king-single bed?'

If that tactic fails, he says he will tell them he has no spare linen and throw them a towel.

The dude is a smoooooth operator! The worrying thing is that he may in fact score using those tactics. Life is unfair.

* * *

While watching Target tonight with my flatmates and discussing real life incidents of tradespeople doing dodgey things in people's homes I realised something.

Bloody tradesmen must've stolen my favourite bra last year. There is no other logical explanation. Damnation! I'm not like Ange; I don't just lose underwear. I always wear it home with me.

Rats.

I watched 'The Departed' tonight with my two xy-chromosome flatmates. One of them asked me, 'Are you gonna watch it?' and I replied, 'Yeah - as much as I can handle,' knowing that Scorsese movies usually bore me.

One of my students had the misfortune of doing an assignment on him last year in Media and realising that she hated his films. Something about every single female character being either a wife they fucked around on or a whore. This movie did not change that image.

But I liked it. It had a clever plot running through it. And my goodness, Leonardo has filled out well! Plus he can act. Anyhow... I really liked it. I found myself looking at the timer on the DVD player and being sad that there was only 20 minutes or so to go. I was enjoying getting to know the characters. So there's an earnest recommendation for the non-Scorsese fan out there. Watch it anyhow.

My big question is what did the ending mean?

I think it was simple. The dude who shot the dude in the last scene (names omitted in case anyone hasn't seen it and doesn't want it ruined) was doing it out of revenge. Plain and simple. It had to do with what was in the yellow envelope.

BUT my flatmate thinks it's some kind of conspiracy theory and that because there was a rat on the banister outside that was symbolic of the dude who lived being the ultimate rat.

I think he's reading too much into it.

* * *

Our flat is literally full of rats. But they've taken the bait. We are now sitting back and waiting for the sweet sweet smell of rotting rat corpses to waft through the kitchen....

* * *

The guy Morgan was defending tonight at indoor thought he was in a Scorsese movie, I think. All that, 'You wanna start something? If that's the way you want it to be.... I'm just warning ya that I'm bigger than you.... But if you wanna start something.....'.

Another example of someone being a jackass within the contexts of social sports. It's just not cricket. I hate that they won. His reaction woulda been precioius if they'd lost.

Now and Then. Have we changed?

Top Ten ....

Feel free to chip in ideas.

1) Top Ten fashion disasters of my teenage years
2) Crayola crayon colours
3) Vegetables to use as weapons in a fight
4) Unlikely names for a Super 14 rugby team
5) Flavours to combine with peanut-butter on toast
6) Things it is impossible to do quietly when drunk
7) People you would not want to have to sexually pleasure
8) Habits you have dropped over the years
9) Things you have done once and will never ever do again
10) Items of 90s fashion you hope will come back 'in' soon

My answers:
1) The Fringe.
2) Periwinkle
3) A marrow
4) The Blossoms
5) NOTHING. Other than butter. Only freaks and loonies put things like cheese or banana or jam with it. GROSS.
6) Take off your high heels (they must be throw across the room and bang noisly against things)
7) Paul Holmes. He is a yucky yucky little man.
8) I used to have to tuck the bottom of my sheet in before I went to bed. Now it's all over the place. My standards have dropped.
9) Ange knows. We discussed it today.
10) Slip dresses

* * *

The top photo is me and Chrissie cutting Fish's hair at t-coll. We were both drunk. She was insane to let us near her hair with clippers. It ended up being a #4 all over. Oopsie! Below that is a picture six years later of me straightening her hair. Much safer.

Note that Sam managed to get a double-ass shot in there. Nice one! Note also (for those of you unlucky enough to never have seen the inside of my bedroom) the ridiculously expensive but beautifully flat screen on my TV. I am wearing my aforementioned fat-top - the luxury of never having to pull it down over my midriff!

* * *

Me and Ange had a self-indulgent day (becoming a trend). We went to a cafe and mused about the world over iced coffee and scrambled eggs. Then we got out five DVDs (three of them utter crap, thanks Ange!). Shaun of the Dead and Jackass: The Movie were good, of course.

We enjoy angsting together. We had similar moments of weakness last night which we regret in hindsight. Instantaneous technological messaging devices are dangerous things when used with improper intentions. There were incidents of a fake-accidental text and an unanswered msn message. *Cringe*.

We were simultaneously happy and depressed by the news that yet another of our school friends is engaged. It seems to be the year of the engagements for my age group (there were a crop about three years ago, another crop now). First my friends Clint and Lu in Levin, then Cass and Ant, a couple of people at work and now my friend Fifi in Levin.

Good thing is that it's another party coming up soon. Venue: The Loaded Hog in LVN, baby.

God - that all sounds negative. It was a fun day! Wallowing and angsting is fun when you do it together! And there were good times ..... We had licorice. And we saw the cutest spaniel puppy ever. Seriously. It was one of thoes copper coloured ones.... and it was little and fluffy and it had a special drink-bottle.

* * *

Well done to Fishy on completing her triathlon! You are a legend!

* * *

I want to marry Johnny Knoxville and Ange wants to marry Bam Magera.

* * *

My flatmate borrowed my alarm clock for a project today. I made him reset it 12 minutes fast when he put it back. Always has to be 12 minutes fast. Not sure why. It just does.

* * *

The war against the rats/mice is continueing at my flat. We have laid out the rat poison gel-pellets and they have been consumed. Let the carnage begin! I had no real bones with the mice until I left a loaf of bread on the bench last week and awoke to find one of the bastards had eaten through both ends of it. I still ate some of the middle pieces it hadn't quite reached.... was that wrong of me????

* * *

I still have issues with how Ang Lee made the new Hulk film. Paul tried to convince me it was fine..... but I have my questions.

* * *

One of my guilty pleasures is that I think I'm the only person at work who uses the elevator to get down and up the two flights of stairs from the car park to the staff room. On mornings where someone happens to be walking up the drive at the same time as me I have to walk up the stairs with them because they give me funny looks if I turn off to use the elevator.... it seems lazy................... But lap-tops are heavy and awkward to carry................................................. And I still have fantasies about being stuck in the elevator and having to get people to relieve my classes while I sit in there and wait to be rescued. It might happen one day.

* * *

The song in my head right now is 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen. It was in Shaun of the Dead.

* * *

I missed the Gilmore Girls today. I am trying to ease off that addiction. I was having to watch four or five episodes a day last week. And each one ended on such a cliff-hanger that I couldn't walk away......... Some people have cigarettes or alcohol. I have the zany crew of Star's Hollow. I really wanted to buy the 1st series when I was in town, but I held off. I have a lot of work to do this week............

I am LOVING that fat-lady tops are in at the moment. I just admitted defeat and bought a couple. They are SO comfortable. You know the ones I mean - they come in a bit under the bust (kinda princess line) and then flow out to the hips, quite long. They hide a multitude of sins :) And they'd be great if you were pregnant...... as well as just to hide a paunchy tummy and that muffin-top above your jeans. That is my fashion speil for the day.

I got a stripey one. I almost got red and white stripes... but if I buy any more red and white striped stuff it's going to become comical. I really have almost turned into Wally. So I got turquoise and brown stripes instead (very similar to a long sleeved one I've got - but short sleeves and looooong). Stripes rule. I now have about seven different stripey tops.

* * *

Me and Cass had one of our adventures last night. We like to form break-away groups when we're out with people. When the rest of the posse we were out with last night (for Ken's birthday) went to the Cambridge we pulled back and reversed direction to go to Mighty Mighty. Can you blame us? The Cambridge isn't somewhere I feel comfortable going to in a dress.....

For a $5 cover charge we got to see Meat-Bix play. I have visions of a man in mis-matching socks, a pregnant singer and Kenny G's long-lost identical twin. The highlight was when they played a trippy version of Dr Who. We hopped up and danced with the man in the pig mask. I think he pointed at me and said 'EXTERMINATE!' but the mask obscured his words a little.

I revelled in getting a jug of sassy-red. I just like saying that. Sassy-red.

The rest of the posse found us and joined us at the primo table we had nabbed right at the front of the room. They didn't seem to like Meat Bix as much as us. We were singing along to our 'favourites'. It helped that the singer often just sang noises rather than words ('Aaaaaa-oooooooooh-eeeeeee'). We think we sounded really good.

We then had to follow Ant to Shakers. It reminded me why I don't like Shakers. It's a ..... young crowd. Though I don't think I ever liked it there even when I was young myself (I'm sure there was such a time..... my memories are becoming fuzzy).

Good old Cass! I enjoy our breakaways. We make a good going-out pair because we have fun wherever we are. If it's a stange band playing, we'll still pretend like they're our favourite...... I like like-minded people. And we're happy in our own company. We need not the excitement of other people. And we like taking pictures of ourselves. This is the picture where I look least like Morticia Adams. Note Cassie's lovely new birthday jewelry.

I can officially recommend the pre-7pm dinner deal at Mt Fuji. It's only $18 for several bits and pieces. You get a little salad, miso soup, tempura vegetables, your choice of meat (a generous portion) and rice. For an extra $4 you get fried rice and the little catching games that go along with that (catch the raw egg in your bowl, the cooked egg in your mouth, the rice in your bowl). Jolly good! And it's all done in front of you!

BUFFETS

I have several buffets strategies. It is essential to get the most out of your buffets.

My first, and most important, rule is that you must start strongly, eating most of your courses in the first 20 minutes. I read somewhere that there's a delay factor between when you start eating and when you start to feel full. Make the most of that small window!

My second rule is that you don't need to adhere to normal rules of sequence. Because you are going to feel sick and bloated after about 20 minutes, it's ok to eat desert at the beginning. My only rule is that the fish course is best if not left until last. Fish on a queesy tummy is not pleasant.

Also, don't fill up on the soup. That is a cheap tactic these restaurants use to try to save money on the good stuff. Same with the bread rolls.

That is all.

But wait - penguins can't fly!

Our netball team has moved into the era of 'I Pity the Fool'. Morgan is to credit (blame) for the name change.

I think it's only fitting that certain players get cast with appropriate nicknames. Who get to be BA, Hannibal, Murdock and Face?

The girl playing defence for the other time was a prime example of 'what-not-to-do' in that she got pissy and lost her cool with us. She even refused to shake hands. Now, I've done that on ocassion myself - but never to a team so nice as US! I still don't quite get why she was such a pissy mood. I sure as heck hadn't mistreated her. I expect right about now she'll be reflecting and thinking 'Hmmm.... might've over-reacted just a tad.....'.

* * *

Pet Peeves - Edition 7

1) When you rip off your toenails and there's a jagged bit left and it scratches on the sheets when you go to sleep so you have to get up in the middle of the night to cut it off.

2) When I can can't get the label off ornamental things.

3) When I wash pillowcases and they don't get dry in time to put them back on before I go to bed and I have to sleep on raw stuffing.

4) Changing the bag in the vacuum cleaner. That cloud of dust and grime that bursts out of the bag makes my glands swell in anticipation.

5) Drippy taps. I have an acute sense of hearing.

* * *

In an interesting bit of work-place developments...... We were ('we' being me and my editor-in-arms) called to see the principal today regarding last year's magazine. The issue at hand seems to be that we edited an article and to make it clearer to the students reading the magazine, we added in a title when the property manager guy was mentioned (the kids having no idea who Mr L_____ is).

Turns out the title we added was below him. 'Groundsmen' are underlings. People must be pointing at him in the line at the supermarket and laughing.

I hate petty complaints.

They make me want to abuse my new-found knowledge that the photocopier in the library does not distinguish between A4 and A3 and charges you the same for both....... I could go crazy with that info. Giant handouts for everyone.

I'LL PUT OUT YOUR INVISIBLE FLAMES! YARP!

Had a lovely day with Ange (who was avoiding her flatmate's friend and his random score who were 'sleeping' on the floor in her lounge after coming home drunk last night). One of the many joys of flatting - random people fornicating in your lounge when you want to watch crap Sunday morning TV with your cereal.

Saw 'Hot Fuzz' and agree with Morgan's take on it (see his blog). Twas good. Yarp.

I saw 'Tellabega Nights' yesterday and it was fairly average with a few funny moments. The two lines I have managed to get into everyday conversations from it are 'If you're not first, you're last' and 'I'll put out your invisible flames!'.

Someone once told me that Will Ferrell is one of the best steal-sceners and character actors, but can't quite manage to carry a film by himself. This film might evidence that opinion.

Still a pretty cool idea to call your son Power Ranger.

* * *

Have bought Gilmore Girls - Season 5. It is the era of Loralei and Luke finally getting it on and Rory f**king up. Good times in Stars Hollow! Loralei is very skinny this series whereas Rory has finally got some hips. On the whole I think the stylist in this series did a great job with hair and wardrobe too.

I watched one of the new episodes on TV2 today. It has made me confused (having watched one of my Season 5 episodes directly before it, and now another one a few hours later....... I can't remember who Rory is going out with anymore....... ).

* * *

I bought two new plants. That brings my total pot-plant haul to four. I have almost killed one of them, but Reidun nursed it back to life with some tough-love pruning.

One of the new ones is a cactus. It's like a mini version of what you'd see in a cowboy movie. It will be hard to kill (but I will try). The other one has pretty red leaves.

* * *

I have again started my 'Must lose 5kgs so I fit my pants again' diet. Today I displayed will-power by not ordering a sweet treat with my mocha at Starbucks, not buying any snacks to eat with the movie (I just stole some of Ange's) and not having any sweet treats with my eggs florentine at lunch.

I am pleased with my efforts. My pants will fit in no time!

I even exercised with Ange today. We went on a 75 minute walk around the bays and up through Roseneath. We saw a lot of houses we'd love to own if we were squillionaires and mused over how the heck anyone affords to buy a house in Wellington.

HI TRACE THE ACE!

This is my 'clog' as you like to call it, Trace. It's fairly mundane but certainly a slice of life in Kate-land.

Tracey is a girl me and Ange went to school with. She is 'cool' (note my use of inverted commas) and used to let me cut her hair at high school. It looked 'cool' when I cut it.

Ange ran into her randomly at the cricket a few weeks ago but other than that we haven't seen her in donkey's years. Since uni at Massey.... so at least 6 or 7 years eh. Apparently she looks just the same though. We almost sang a song together in the school talent quest, or own comedic genius version of 'You say potatoe'. But she chickened out. Oh oh, I have played Ultimate Frisbee properly, Trace. It's fun! (We used to play our own version at lunchtimes.)

* * *

I've been home alone all weekend. It's nice. As I was telling Sam last night, it meant I could wax my legs in the lounge while watching a Gilmore Girls behind-the-scenes show. Not something you can do with male flatmates home. Or most female ones, for that matter.

And today I watched an all-new episode of The Gilmore Girls. I'm not sure if it's wise for Loralei to be dating Chris again.... time will tell!

Though.... I just realised I haven't made any contact with humans all day (other than through the magic of technology). That can't be healthy in large doses..... I made eye contact with a guy while I was returning a DVD at the library, does that count?

* * *

Kankle has faded significantly. It has proven my wait-two-weeks-before-seeing-a-doctor theory to be a good one. Almost exactly two weeks after I sprained it, I could finally feel an ankle bone in there somewhere. I came home from basketball on Thursday and it had magically shrunken. It was swollen before the game, and afterwards it was miles better..... Mysterious. Does this mean playing sports is GOOD for injuries? I think it does - I will follow that rule religiously from now on....

* * *
I bought a laminator. I will laminate everything possible from now on. Come to me for your laminating needs. Instead of giving out stickers as rewards to kids I'm going to give out small laminated pictures from magazines..... Cool.

Your next netball draws will be laminated. With stickers. On coloured paper. Any advances on 'I Pity The Fool' as our name? (I'm not gonna be fancy and insist they put foo' - so much could go wrong with that as I learnt with 'Chickens in Choppers', or 'Chicken Choppers' as we became.....)

* * *

I also bought a dress made out of merino wool. Time will tell if that was a wise purchase or not...... So much potential for disaster, and yet so pretty..... And it has pockets. I have never owned a dress with pockets! Genius!

* * *

Went to Sam and Fish's House-warming Part Deux. This one featured origami and icecream in cones. What will Part Trois bring us?

There was a cat on the lawn and a Damon in the kitchen and a Sam at the BBQ. Fish was all over the place.

On the way home rather than say 'Who the heck is that weirdo in the car next to me wearing a cheese-cutter hat?' I was able to say 'Oh - it's Damon!'.

* * *

I really am an old lady. My latest ailment was allergies-that-turned-into-something else. After having to carry a tissue box around school all day, I spent Friday night curled up in my duvet in front of the TV, with my hand pressed against my forrid to verify to myself that I did have a temperature...... Grandma would be proud of me. Though she still has many many more ailments. I have years of practice before I get to her category of complaining.

Lynne has been diagnosed with about a billion things after being rushed into hospital one night last week. Pneumonia is one of them. COPD is another (something about chronic and pulminary and disorder) which means she'll be on a nebuliser or two from now on. She doesn't do things by halves!

* * *

I am looking foward to school camp this week. It brings about another return to the scene of my flying-fox accident. I still have the scar on my thumb. I'm hoping I'll also get to ride a horse for the first time in years. I wasn't a horsie girl or anything, but they're fun.

I am enjoying the power-trip of getting to play God and choose the groups all the girls are in. I could help form friendships..... or destroy them...... THE POWER! I'm leaning towards putting the cliquey-loud girls all in one big group and letting them fight it out for dominance, and having the quiet nice girls in the other group.

* * *

Janine told me when I saw her the other day that my name had come up in conversation halfway across the world.

Some young lasses from Wellington were staying at her hostel in Edinborough where she works, so she says 'What school did you go to?' Turns out they went to the school I teach at. So she says, 'Do you remember Miss J____?'

And they reply, 'Yes! She's the one that was getting it on with Mr Ball.'

Hilarious! Me and Ken have permeated a rumour that has literally spread across the world. The power of teenage girls and their gossip! Do not underestimate it.

To this day I will swear to any girl who is forward enough to ask that nothing went on between us - but they think I'm just trying to put them off the scent. It's too good a rumour to NOT be true! Let them have their fun, we say.

A grab bag of goodies.

A colleague of mine who shall remain almost nameless (for those in the know he is The Model) made one of the biggest faux pas I have heard of in a while.

He has a mysterious on-again off-again relationship with his girlfriend and today he may well have nailed the lid of the coffin.....

His ex/gf had a wee drama queen display and stormed off after some mini argument...... then tried calling him several times. At this point he composed a text to someone mentioning something about his 'psycho girlfriend'.

He decided to delete it.... but on auto-pilot instead of deleting it he sent it to the first person in his phone book.....

.... who happened to be his 'psycho girlfriend'.

Woopsie. I suspect she's gonna show him what pscyho really looks like now! And half his clothes are still at her flat...........

* * *

Kankle seems to respond well to sporting activity. I experimented with indoor netball tonight and was not inhibited. My shoe was very 'snug' over top of Kankle. It is becoming an entertaining experiment. I like the theory that it could be some kind of fracture.... but after my severly-bruised-ribs I refuse to set myself up for such disappointment........ The heartbreak and disappointment is not worth building yourself up to thinking you have a real injury.................. I'll have to settle for strange-sprain.

* * *

It was meet-the-parents night at school. Year 9 students were to bring along their families to have a sausage and meet their teachers.

The aforementioned Model had mustard on his chin most of the time..... I didn't tell him :)

* * *

My Lynnie (Dad's wife) is in hospital after a miserable night of pain and not being able to breathe. That's stink. She's had an awful time of it healthwise the last few years. In constant pain. Nothing life-threatening but definitely detrimental on quality of life. Not fair at all.

Spelling B

I took part in the Year 9 Spelling Bee today.

I went along to support the girls in my classes, but was the only spectator there. So I thought I might as well get out pen and paper and have a go at the words.....

And I got 17/20. The winners got 19/20 and another girl got 18..... So I came fourth. I was quite happy with that! That's out of about 25 of the top spellers in 3rd form. I only got hallelujah, erudite and synonymous wrong (I put hallalujah, errudite and synonomous).

I got some really tricky ones right like 'paradigm'.

If the other three girls pull out I am the official reserve........

* * *

Kankle is going strong but raising it up seems to work a bit. I made myself a luxurious pile of kankle-raising-cushions on the couch after school and sat there while consuming my packet of crackers with pesto and cheese. How decadent!

* * *

I have revisited a supermarket carpark. It was traumatic, but I drove extra slow and anticipated people doing dumb things. I escaped unscathed.

* * *

Home & Away is pretty good at the moment. I say I watch it just to keep up with the kids.... but sometimes I secretly watch it for my own enjoyment.................... I'm glad Sally is still alive.

On my feet.

I seemed to be standing up all weekend. My kankle did not like it. It is now swollen to the tips of my toes. When I poke it, there are waves that ripple down my water-retaining balloonfoot. I suspect that I could artfully turn it into a fountain by poking it with a needle in a few places.....

Dancing for a couple of hours last night probably did not help. Clumsy drunk girls standing on my feet with their stilettos definitely did not help. Here is a mandatory drunk photo of me with Neenie (who is, by the way, looking great - not that you can tell 'cause I cut half of her out of the photo - there's only enough room for MEEEEEE). Me and Neen did our patented dance moves - Stir the Pot and The Rib Extension. Hilarous fun (for us). Note my hair is much shorter due to my haircut. Ahem. I went to Ange's hairdresser so we are now hair twins.

I actually conceded to icing it (my kankle, not my hair). Seems a little drastic! And all that did was direct the swelling from my ankle to lower down in my foot. I wonder if it will disappear out the end of my toes if I move the ice-pack lower.....

I understand what pregnant women go through in those final weeks. A tiny bit, anyhow. Water retension sucks. Much.

* * *

Me and Cass went to a wedding expo out in the Upper of the Hutt. The most amusing thing was the doll they put on the bonnet of the limosine. It's slightly demonic. Look closely. And I don't think the guy was switched on enough to be displaying it for intentionally comedic purposes. I guess there is a niche market for that kinda thing out in the Upper Hutt......

And for anyone crazy enough to think I was browsing the expo for myself (plan ahead - I say!) I will clarify that it was for Cassie and her next-January nuptuals. I was bridesmaiding. Not that the people trying to sell me stuff realised in time - they'd already given me the free samples and lollies..... Good deal!

* * *

For those of you keeping track, I have now broken a fair few rules I wrote about here. Do as I say, kiddies, not as I do! It's ok - I still think I'm cool and that's all that matters.

* * *

I'm sure there was something else I thought I'd mention.... Hmmmm........ What was it? Oh yeah - car stuff.

I have (sub)consciously avoided supermarket carparks since my accident. I have only been to the New World in Newtown - because it's a different suberb and under cover it doesn't count. Hence I have very little food left. I have been buying my lunch at school and going out to dinner as often as possible. I still have cereal and bought milk at the dairy, so breakfast is sweet (luckily I stocked up on Hubbard's the week before accident).

This accident may turn me into a supermarket-phobe. Or give me a strange eating disorder where I always have to eat-out. DAMN THAT LADY!

* * *

Paul has moved into the sleepout (as of an hour ago). He and Reidun are bonding over cigarettes. I am again the only non-smoker in the flat. What're the odds?

It's not fair that us non-smokers miss out on all that bonding time due to sitting inside by ourselves........... I was busy icing my kankle anyhow, so I couldn't go outside with them. I think they know each other's life stories now..... I'm OUT OF THE LOOP! I see why people take up smoking now..................................................... So I limped up the stairs to ice my kankle in private and blog about it. I blame the accident for my anti-socialness. I'm a shell of my former self..................................

* * *

Not sure what the effect of the lane changes around the Basin will be. Good or bad?

* * *

I might do a photo essay of drunk shots of me. I have a lot of them. Dating back to t-coll days. Digital cameras did not exist before that.