Down to size

So, I'm not sure if it's just me, or if all Grandmas like to cut to the chase and kick you in the guts. Anyhow, my Grandma tells it how she sees it!

1. We arrive to surprise her and she greets me with, 'Hello... You look skinnier than when I last saw you,' in an almost accusing tone. I ponder this and say, 'Really? Two years ago? Hmmm, not sure.' She keeps looking me up and down and says, 'Have you got The Anorexia or something?' I proceed to try and lighten the conversation by telling her about how my scales have been out by 5kg for a few years .....

2. About an hour later out of the blue she says, 'And what happened to that nice boy?' I come back with, 'What nice boy??? He wasn't that nice.' knowing full-well she is talking about my latest ex-boy. She says, 'Well, your dad and Lynne say he was nice.' I disagree. She shakes her head and tells me I need to be less fussy.

3. Later on, she pulls out some photos I sent her ages ago. There is one of me and the ex previous to that one. 'And what was wrong with him - was he nice?' she queries. 'Oh yeah - he was nice!' I say, nostalgically. She pauses and then changes tack. 'Hmm.... maybe it's you there's something wrong with..... not them.' Ouch! I mumble something about 'not being right for each other, maybe'.

4. At lunch the next day she gives me her piece of birthday cake. I'm kinda full, but I know better than to say no to Grandma trying to feed you. I eat the bit with icing and leave the rest. She notices I haven't finished, and goes on to tell the whole table about what a 'greedy guts' I used to be. She looks at me again and swears I've grown taller than when she last saw me (two years ago). I insist I have not, and that I was almost this height right from when I was a teenager. She says, 'It must just be that you were wider then - made you look shorter...... I tell you, she used to eat everything in sight!' Dad tries to deflect by saying that me and my brother must have inherited that trait from him..... I remember Mum telling me that when I went to stay with her for three weeks when I was in J2 she over-fed me so much that I came back and I'd gained a stone. And she always figured I'd lose it again once I was home, eating normally. But I never did! It's Grandma's fault I had puppy fat all those years! Damned ice-cream freezer.

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Anyhow, I do love my Grandma! She means well.

My Favourite Moment

So we'd gone for a walk around the retirement home. It was in the middle of the countryside, which is a whole other story (given that Dad had looked on Google-maps and decided it was only two blocks from where we were staying in town, without a car).

Dad sat on the bench by the driveway. He rested his cane beside him and fiddled around with the calliper on his leg (having walked there the night before, he'd gotten bleeding blisters on the soles of his foot).

I was standing on the other side of the driveway taking photos.

We were expecting my grandma's sister and her daughter to arrive that afternoon, so Dad was keeping a vague eye out for them. He saw a car drive up with a vaguely red-headed lady driving it. It drove into the O'Conor home, right past him.

So Dad gave them a familiar wave, sure it was Aunty Olga finally arriving. They kinda slowed down and then drove on.

I said to him, 'You know that wasn't them, eh? The girl in the front looked about 30 years too young....' And then I had to laugh, 'cause sitting there in front of the retirement home, with his cane, he just looked like some senile old man out for his daily walk around the home..... sitting there waving at random cars...... One of the local 'characters'.

I teased him all afternoon.

[Listening to 'The Breeze', because not many stations get good reception in Hataitai.... It's very hit and miss as a station......... ]

Movies I have Seen

1. [REC]

A horror that was on at the Film Festival and rereleased at The Paramount, this film gave you what you expect from a horror, I guess. It had a seemingly banal start, then things got bad. Then they got worse. And one by one, the main characters ran out of allies and throughout they could not rely on authority figures like the police...... It was a typical zombie film. I have read bits and pieces a out horror as a genre, and I think zombie films represent the enemy within - the recognisable enemy. So, I guess it's appropriate in these rather bleak times where governments aren't particularly trusted and times are getting hard that a zombie film was made. I like this film in that it doesn't have a cheesy ending - it stays true to the situation. And it has a particularly memorable anorexic vision near the end. I would have liked it more if I didn't find the lead female so annoying (she was supposed to be annoying - but I didn't think she ever moved on from that or developed).

2. Wall-E

This was really sweet. It was an 'awww!' kinda film. We like films where inanimate objects or animals take on incredibly characteristics that show great humanity. Wall-E is a lovable little machine who is left alone on earth, continueing to sort out our long ago abandonned dumps. He lovingly sorts and stores 'treasures' such as Rubics cubes and old videos. I remember going to the dump as a kid and finding treasures..... The trunk in my bedroom now is a dump-find, I'm pretty sure. Or maybe my parents encouraged that urban legend at some stage and I believed it to easily.... Anyhow, cute movie. Brave little machine.

3. Earth

1. Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Ever since seeing Mallrats I have been intrigued by these. Finally tried some today. They were pretty good! They weren't melty though, thank goodness.

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2. Jonny Jonny Jonny

Went to Jon's thing last night. Saw his Embezzler video, which was really well done. Makes me want to make one...... Maybe I could be Miss Edukator...... ruining the minds of youth across the world.....

Jon's pad is very Jon. Bachelor pad with leather couch and huge TV. That's all you need! Boys aren't big on ornaments and whatnot, are they.

We may have recruited enough people for an Ultimate team. What to call it???? I need suggestions or else it will just be 'Kate's Team'. Not that I have a problem with that.....

Jon tried to do a head-lock move on me but I countered well and tossed him over my shoulder. YOU HAVE BEEN MISSJUDGED!

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3. It's Getting Hot in Here (much like Jon's bedroom)

Today was sunny again. Feels very summery. I have worn jandals two days in a row! And I have used the fan in my car rather than the heater. All signs of an approaching warm season. I almost slept with the window open last night, too. I almost wore a summery dress today but then redressed and reproached myself for such silly thoughts (though, turns out it would have been fine!).

Me and Reidun went on a wee picnic yesterday, somewhere between Breaker Bay and the nudist beach. It was nice. We had bread and salads from the deli and take-away lattes from a cafe and just sat and chatted for ages while watching the ferries pass by. Her latest motto is, 'There are 6 billion people other in the world - you don't have to limit yourself to hanging out with the same ones if they don't suit you anymore' (said in response to some of my angsting). Very true.

I have enjoyed wearing my new green cardigan. It has owl buttons. And it is not black! It has owl buttons. Owls are the new cool thing (before it was just birds - now it's specificially owls). I have an owl necklace and owls on my bag too.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Thanks, Richard!