Books

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

If you have a spare moment, read the first chapter of it. It's charming and quirky. Much like 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time', but longer and better. Same kind of slightly Asperger's, genius child narrator. And pictures! It's the best book I've read this year.

Kind of a hard premise to describe, but it follows three generations of men by weaving young Oskar's narrative with extracts from his grandfather's diaries (who became a mute by choice) and also including photographs and visual clues he finds along his journey.

Oskar's dad was killed in 9/11 as he worked in the World Trade Centre. Oskar has always dreaded the thought that his dad had to jump out of a window. His father left answer-phone messages during the events which Oskar played back when he got home from elementary school. The phone then rang, but he was too afraid to answer... and his father had to leave his final message. To save his mother trauma, Oskar then wrapped the machine in a towel and hid it, ran to the store and bought one exactly the same with a blank tape. He has carried this burden alone.

The final pages of the book are a a series of pictures of someone falling out of the building, but if you flip them the body goes from mid-air, to flying upwards, safely into the window. This gives you some idea of Oskar's journey.

Pub date: April 1, 2005
Related subjects: New York , Silence, War, Invention
Description: Blah, blah, blah
Typefaces: Janson Text
First sentence of book: What about a teakettle?
Last sentence of book: We would have been safe.
Dedication: For Nicole / My idea of beautiful

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

This is his first novel. Not as good as the other one, but still interesting. A bit more of a slog. It has a really nicely made website that goes with it.

It's about a Jewish-American (with the same name as the author) going back to the Ukraine to find out the mystery of his grandfather's past. There are elements of folk-tale in some parts of the narrative, and the other parts are told by Alex (who is a Ukrainian and speaks in an elaborate broken English). It has a nice message about family and history.

I was in the video store today and saw a film entitled 'Everything is Illuminated' starring Elijah Wood. I wondered why it was so darned familiar at the time but couldn't quite put my finger on it! I have to get it out next time I see it now.

I own copies of both these books. I like that the author was born in the same year as me.

My name is Not-Kate and I'm just tryna be a better person....(and other ramblings)

KARMA, YOU FICKLE WOMAN! BE NICE TO ME AGAIN!

I feel like Earl. Karma has it in for me for some reason. I'm trying to think of what I did wrong....... Maybe I need to make a list like Earl did. Anyone wanna volunteer a reason I need to add them to my list? I wanna get on Karma's better side (I am of course only talking about karma in the sense that the wise Earl Hickey understands it. I'm sure those people with philosophy degrees reading this will be shuddering).

I think I'll start by doing something nice for my brother. I bit him when I was three. Then I'll do something nice for a girl from college. I teased her about her speech impediment. At the time, she scratched me and drew blood in retaliation. I thought we were even, but maybe deep emotional trauma contributing to self-confidence issues wins over superficial tissue damage.

I'm also coming down with some kinda cold and we lost our netball. And I've lost my drink bottle again. I'm getting my eyebrows waxed tomorrow - if that goes wrong I'm gonna look like a freak for weeks..... I need to reverse my luck quickly!

***
NETBALL RAMBLINGS

But it was a GOOD game of netball. Clean and winnable, for the most part. And my team is just lovely. I don't think anyone has so much as given anyone else a dirty look all season. off-black gives HIMSELF dirty looks, but I don't think that counts.

I'm leaning towards calling us 'Groosh' next season. It's a word one of my students came up with when I suggested she needed to make up an onomatopoeic user-name that she could always use, 'cause nobody else would know it. That's what I do, I told them! (I like to remind the kids of just how geeky I really am every now and then, just in case they start thinking I'm 'cool'.)

***
BRAINWASHING THE YOUTH OF TODAY USING BLOGS

I have, incidentally, decided to use blogs as a classroom tool. My media classes have set them up now and I have linked them all together so they can post their articles and give each other feedback..... So far they think it's a novelty and kinda silly, but I think they'll warm to it. And it means I can give feedback from the comfort of my laptop without having to collect in work every day and risk losing it! I let them do the '100 things about me' entry as a warm-up post, while the slower girls were still finding unique user-names and choosing templates. We are two or three lessons into it now. Several girls have forgotten their user-names several times and had to start over again.....

We had some lady talk at a staff meeting and she suggested we utilise ontologies more in teaching. She told a story about how some English teacher had used it and it was a great way for that good advice you give one kid to be of benefit to MANY kids, rather than only having an audience of one. I also think peer critique is good and that it's nice to get positive feedback from each other on a frequent basis.

Also, I let them use it as a 'cheats' way to get some early interviews done. I said they could write a few questions as an entry, and people in the class could make comments that they could use as quotes if they wanted to. I think it was really useful.

Next year I'll have them set it up from week one, and get them used to expressing their ideas about media issues once a fortnight maybe, about something topical. Not worth any credits - but a good critical exercise and sometimes I think that's more valuable. We are, after all, trying to produce 'good citizens'.

****

QUIZ, ANYONE?

Me and off-black are possibly going to forge a team for a pub quiz on Thursday night. While he is amazing, we may need more than two people. Anyone keen? (Chiphead, you live far too far away - so you can't play.)

Four useful quiz in-joke terminologies:

1) 'to pontiac' (verb) is to steal someone else's glory by publicly pretending a correct answer or idea was yours, when in fact it wasn't.
History - It comes from an incident at The Office where Nicky, upon finding out that the brand of American car named after an Indian tribe was in fact 'Pontiac', pumped her fists and said, 'Yeeeeah! Pontiac!' loudly and did that 'look' to the group which means, 'Didn't I do well, team? Give me some recognition!' In a kind of delayed reaction, about ten seconds later and after everyone had said 'Well done, Nicky!' I said rather quizically, 'Nicky.... YOU wanted to put 'Cherokee'.... Pontiac was MY idea!'. She then shrugged and said, 'Was it? Oh well, too late sucker! Everyone in the pub thinks it was ME now!'
Example - You can also just use it as a general exclamation in such a situation eg - Point your finger accusingly and say, 'PONTIAC!'

2) 'loomis' (noun) is the largest fry in the bowl.
History - Nicky once stopped an entire pub quiz by, when the quiz-master made a comment about having found the biggest chip, raising her hand and saying, 'Um, excuse me Dean, but did you know that's called the 'loomis'?' He didn't hear her the first time and got her to repeat it. He then kinda frowned confusedly and said, 'Uh, moving on....question eight....' (apparently finding that hold-up totally pointless and not worth reacting to).
Pronunciation - To properly pronounce the word, you have to speak out of the side of your mouth with a mock-American-geek accent. Much like when you talk about 'giant lasers'. It helps if you are wearing 'smart glasses'.
In general, it can be used as a term to imply someone has said something very dorky in order to show off to the group, but been SHOT DOWN.

3) 'veto' (noun) is something you can earn by having been over-ruled by the group on an answer that was in fact correct. It means that in the future, at your discretion, you may over-rule the group and dictate your own answer. It is a way to placate righteous people.

4) a 'Micheal Buble' (noun) is an answer that comes from an inspired place deep inside of you, and you have no idea quite why you knew it.
History - It comes from an incident where, just AFTER we had handed in our picture round, Ken yelled out, 'Michael Buble!' as he suddenly remembered why that sultry faced brunette man in picture #8 was familiar.
Alternative - In a similar vein, in my family that is called a 'Macho Grouch' after a Pictionary incident where, as a youngster, my father had just started drawing the outline of a face and I had randomly yelled out, 'MACHO GROUCH!' Everyone on the other team suspected cheating, but to this day I say it was an act of God. I don't think I even knew who the man was, as shown by my butchering of his name........ (it was really 'Groucho Marx', but I hadn't given Dad a chance to even get to any distinguishing features).

***
THE SUN'LL COME OOOOOUT.....

Tomorrow is gonna be GREAT! I have a lot of clean clothes and a nice new bed. As one of my nicer flatmates said, rather philosophically, when I broke the news to him about the not-so-nice flatmate - 'A change is as good as a holiday!'. I get to have BOTH!

PS - no progress. I have not seen the not-so-nice flatmate since this morning, at which stage I hadn't run my decision past the other flatmates (which I thought would be a courtesy). We really are ships in the night sometimes, so the nicer flatmate has offered to tell her himself if he happens to see her when I'm not around. Gallant of him. He was really great last time we had to look for a flatmate too. I should be more appreciative of him! I'll put him on my Karma list.

Girly Shopping Day

Today we had a girly day of eating, shopping, eating, shopping and eating.

Five of us met up at Cafe L'affaire for brunch to kick it off. De-lightful!
We had:
- Many moccachinos (they serve them with Sante bars in them!)
- A berry smoothie (far too healthy, not enough cream or icecream for my liking)
- poached egg on toast with hollandaise
- bagels with cream cheese and salmon/jam (not together)
- a railway pie with gravy
- chips and aioli

And we gossipped about many a thing.

Then we went to
- Miss Wong
- Magnolia
- Popup (two of us bought T-shirts)
- Rex Royale (a sale was advertised, but we found nothing reduced)
- Farmers (two of us got underwear and others got mascare, tissues, pjs and jeans)
- Wild Pair (two of us got pairs of Sketches, I got a dotty-top)

Then it was lunch at The Dixon St Deli. I was busy still trying stuff on at Wild Pair, so only caught the dregs of Ange's satay chicken filo and chocoloate brownie. Not sure what else was consumed.

Then it was off towards Lambton Quay
- Glassons (cheap gloves - a few silly hats tried on)
- James Smith Market (a gift was bought at Mr Thank You, fairy-lights - many silly hats tried on)
- Surf and Skate (one beanie purchased)
- The Vault (one more beanie and a fancy silver laticed ring)

There was then a coffee break at Starbucks. Again, my shopping stamina was superior to the others so I went on a detour to the Levi's shop, Ruby and Riccochet, but found nothing to my liking. The others had creamy looking frappachinos. I had water to keep up my amazing stamina and not dehydrate. People were starting to wane. There was less gossip.

Then it was on down the Quay for real.
- Small Acorns (adorable stripey stretch-and-grow with pictures of pirates on it was bought for a baby shower, many lipsticks tried on)
- Cue
- Nest (a nifty magnetic spice rack, a sugar disperser and some mega-strong magnet dots)
- street vendor (earrings - I'm assuming, again I was off on my own mission)
- The Body Shop (men's shower gel as a gift, free sample of coconut exfoliator gained)

I think that's it. Phew.

We should do that more often!

Prizes
Most purchases: Savage (six purchases)
Most expensive single purchase: Ange (four purchases)
Most restrained: Holly (two purchases)
Least bossy: Lauren (two purchases)
Most bossy: ME! (four purchases)

I am going to an engagement party tonight and will wear my new dotty-top. It will make me happy. And cold. But mostly happy.

Bring back the Dance Halls

I think Boogie Wonderland is a great start. Enough of this hip hop free styling grinding beeboppping young people's music. 'Hip Hop' they call it.

I like Boogie Wonderland because it has old-school music and you can shamelessly do your John Travolta finger-point. That's the only dance move I've ever learnt to do well. It's my signature move! And there are usually some good cheesy group moves you can incorporate (Sunshine.... Moonlight.... Good Times..... Boogie).

Even better would be if some brave entrepreneur opened up a good old fashioned dance hall. I'm sure it's been attempted and failed by someone.... but I would have supported it if I'd known! What a great excuse to wear a dress and heels. There's not much sexier than dancing with a guy who leads well and holds his hand firmly on the small of your back. Live bands are good too. And punch. Partner dancing to a ballad at Molly Malone's with some sleazy Catholic guy while the embarrassingly tipsy 30-something women elbow you in the back and jostle for position is just not the same.

I was one of the minority who was sad when the 'set dances' finished at the school balls. I liked the Gay Gordans and waltzes and foxtrots.

*Note: I cannot show pictures of school dances because I had The Fringe. Also I had teenage body image issues and shuddered at the thought of a figure-hugging dress or going strapless. I'm so much cooler now! I have four cool dresses I never wear. I have my 'date dress'. Never fails!

*****

I was of course inspired to make this post by Dancing With The Stars. Go Beatrice!

I say someone should host a group-watching of the grand finale next week. The boys I flat with are not exactly keen on the show.... I need more sensitive girly pals to watch with! Men in touch with their feminine sides will suffice. You know who you are.

******

When I have kids I am going to give them freaky toys. I was inspired by the HARM bunny I saw at Popup (my aforementioned new favourite shop). It's freaky looking. I will also encourage the reading of 'Where the Wild Things Are' and other scary stuff. Scaring children is surely part of the privilege of parenthood.

ROLLER DERBY!

So we went to the roller derby last night (me, Michelle, Sam and Cassie - Jon and Malcolm were there with their Creature buddies - evidently Malcolm has finally lured Jon over to the darkside). If you didn't hear about the derby you were in the wrong time at the wrong place - seems to be an element of luck in having got a flier at the Cuba Carnival. But enough people knew that it was a sell-out and many people (including Morgan) were turned away. We estimate several hundred were in attendance (high estimate was 500).

I liked it! There were a fair amount of tactics at play and the costumes added greatly to my enjoyment. My team were the 'Brutal Pageant' while Sam and Cassie were going for 'Smash Malice', which had a skater nicknamed 'Savage', hence Cassie's loyalty.

My team kicked ass.

I think despite all the carnage of people falling over, there were no major injuries, though I'm guessing they were fairly bruised afterwards. I like a sport where the first two rows have a serious risk of being bowled into at some point! Adds to the drama.

Good night of entertainment - though sitting on the floor for two hours was a bit not-fun. The 2/3s time entertainment was awesome. It was a disco-skater guy who did all these cool tricks.

If not for my inability to skate, I'd wanna be in the derby.

* * *

I was most impressed with Cass's self-discipline with the food and drink. She must be in The Zone!

* * *

Much time was spent debating what constituted a 'power ballad', as the U-Choose Top 40 seemed to have no idea (Ronan Keating most certainly does NOT count). I was reminded of Jon's penchant for singing Bonnie Tyler songs. And also was reminded of how truly random power ballad videos are.

* * *

The Moo's team spirit drinks were drunk. And Jon's MPVness trophy was nibbled at. He is going to frame the tin-foil wrapping.

Taking Advantage

Nicky Update: For the record, I have been for a weekend jog up Mt Vic almost every week since holidays. That's an exercising record - I have never done it less sporadically! I ran into Ed yesterday, on my way down. More accurately, I walked into Ed (he was biking up, I was walking down, having just gotten the stitch and being at one of my predetermined 'rest' spots where I don't have to jog). He looked at me and said, 'You look buggered.' I said, 'So do you.... but then, you're biking up a hill..... I swear I was actually jogging until very recently......' and felt a bit embarrassed at looking so very red and sweaty.

I possibly made a lost Asian tourist even more lost when they stopped me to ask how to get to the look-out. I pointed and gave vague directions, then watched them drive right past it.....

I went for a jog today too, even though it was starting to drizzle (usually that is more than ample enough reason to pike on going for a jog). My hair is, as of today, officially long enough to put in pigtails (though not in a ponytail, yet).

If I lose one kg I will be the same weight I was somewhere near the beginning of third form. I remember this weight, because I found weighing myself in a group situation and then having to chart it on my PE record so traumatising that every term after that for the next two years I refused to actually weigh myself again. Instead, I kinda cheated and just added a tiny bit onto that initial weight. I have no idea what I actually weighed by fifth form, but on my official fitness chart, it was about 2kg more than when I started college.

I don't think I actually weighed myself again until I was about 23 or 24 - around the time me and Nicky and Rebecca decided to have a two week weigh-off to see who could lose the most weight. Since then, I have not been 'afraid of the scales' again.

Anyhow, while that is confirmation that I was nowhere near being a 'petite' child (I was already almost as tall as I am now - early grower), I kinda like that most people will never again weigh what they did when they were 13. Being a tall, 'big-boned' child had to have a perk at some stage!

What a pity I wasn't wearing cool clothes then that I could pull out and wear again...... Stone washed jeans, baggy sweaters and cheap tourist T-shirts just don't appeal these days......

* * *

Am taking advantage of having the flat to myself. I have my music up really really loud. I haven't done that in ages - it's very liberating! No matter what you're doing, it is more fun with overly loud music. I have been tidying up my room, and jiggling about to Liam Finn while doing it. I even looked under my bed and found all kinds of things. I found two bits of paper ripped from a notebook, which I have no recollection of at all. Apparently they're snippets of things I wrote to myself while living on Hanson St in Newtown. Kinda interesting to read back on. Faux poetry. Makes me want to start keeping a proper diary.

* * *

Nicky is coming back.... some time soon. I may have jumped the gun when I said she'd be in Wellington last week. Sounds like it'll be more like the end of this week. Stay tuned. Nicky never was very good with dates (ask her about the time she got AM and PM confused and had to cry her way into getting a ticket back to English because she'd missed her plane in Auckland). Though, she has an uncanny ability to know what time of day it is by looking at the sun. To within five minutes, usually.

She's on a tight schedule, so it'll be a one-off opportunity to catch up with her, with late notice...... Not even sure if anyone who reads my blog (other than Fish and Sam) know Nicky ..... Actually, not sure if anyone actually reads my blog, more to the point......

Not that Sympathetic

Ok.... so newspaper articles have to take an angle.

But I got a little annoyed reading this one about the guy who got hit in the bus-tunnel. The article is completely sympathetic to him and his herioc recovery, even allowing him to be gracious about the police not having found the baddie that hit him in the tunnel.

My thoughts are
1. Not once does it mention that you are not ALLOWED to walk through the tunnel - there are clear signs that it is not legal. Everybody knows this. The guy was drunk. When you walk through there drunk, you know you're playing chicken with oncoming traffic. If you're doing something dumbass like that, you shouldn't then play the victim (and you should probably hide your head in shame and not court more media attention).
2. He had 20 operations, so his little drunken short-cut cost our health system a bloody lot of money. I'd much rather those doctors had spent time fixing people who didn't deserve to get hurt or sick.

I thought the journalism on that one, making him out to be some kind of hero for recovering from being a drunken idiot.... was a little 'generous'.

And yes, I sound a little whingey and righteous.... but I don't care. I live quite near the tunnel and I have had two boyfriends who drunkenly texted me after midnight bragging about having walked through it and both times I thought, 'You idiot' and had serious moments of doubting my own taste. Maybe you do that when you're in your early 20s, at uni. But these guys were both well into their late 20s and mid 30s. I guess I'm personally not that kind of thrill seeker and I tend to try to avoid ending up in hospital or dead.

The guy who actually got hit, from the newspaper article, he was 42. Idiot. If that was me, I'd be hanging my head in shame and trying to get name suppression, rather than prancing around on the front of the paper in my hospital gown saying, 'Look at me! 20 expensive operations later, I have wasted the time of many many health workers and the police officers who had to try and tidy up my drunken accident scene and find the car! I am a role model and inspiration!' Grr.

OK... again, I am aware I sound like a crackpot who calls up talk-radio at 3.30am in the morning to moan about something minor. But that one really bugs me.

I know people can be dumbasses, but should we celebrate them on the front of our capital's newspaper?

Still at school....

At almost 7.30pm. There's a course selection night. Without car use, I decided to stay and force myself to do a bit of work. Went out for Chili-Jam rice-burger with some of the senior management (and Sam). Saw Ed. He was also getting a Chili-Jam burger.

Will not be able to leave school til after 8.30pm. Stink one.

Was so cold last night that I had to sleep with my head under the cover. I don't remember doing that last winter at all......

Wasn't planning on just staying at school tonight (was going to go home and come back).... so have not got 'fancy' clothes on. Truth be told, I had a couple of periods off to work on the website so I have on trainers, jeans and a hoodie. I have a vest, necklace and boots in my bag to slightly jazz up outfit (was going to change into them when I taught my two afternoon classes.... but flagged it). Still wearing jeans though...... all the others have on their power-suits. That's just how us Media teachers roll, I guess. Pushing the limits. Rebels.

Busy Busy Week

Am doing a last-ditch effort to fix my eczema rash that has refused to go away for a good month now. I am using Aqueous cream generously every day (they now sell it at the supermarket, who knew?).

Must be something to do with the name, but it always makes me feel like I'm applying something to my body that should be put on a horse. The fact that it comes in this industrial sized 'tub' possibly contributes to that feeling also.

* * *

This week at school has been real busy for me. One of those weeks where I don't think I had a proper sit-down lunch at all. I grabbed two big crackers on my to pick up my laptop from the staffroom in the middle of a lesson, and was telling a kid that was my 'lunch' and I think she felt sorry for me. I'd been in a computer room all lunch with a) a bunch of kids I'd made stay behind to finish homework b) a bunch of kids who were trying to finish Media assignments and kept asking me for help (I had a four person deep queue of people to see) and c) random kids who saw there was a computer room open and jumped in to do some work. There were no computers free and kids sitting on the floor doing their detention. It was my self-made chaos!

And no lunch for me :( My single goal of the lunch-hour had been to check my emails for the first time all day..... and I literally didn't get time to do it. The speed of our computers doesn't help (but that's a whole nother issue).

Anyhow..... Those busy days are good. I kinda like the adrenaline. I always know when I'm in that busy-busy zone when I find myself kinda tapping my foot constantly when I'm sitting down. Probably look like I'm actually 'on' something..... It's how I feel at magazine-time when I know I have to get a million little jobs done in the half hour slot I have free. It's oddly energising. But you get pretty hungry.

I like the quiet times too... .when you actually get to sit down and make toast (instead of eating the bread raw while you're walking between classes) and read the paper and do the 5-minute quiz.

Medal Night

Me and Cass were thinking of getting a group together somehow to watch the Olympics on Saturday night. It's medal night (hopefully) when the rowing finals are.

Figure we could watch it round my place and get pizza and nibbles or try to get a booth at The Four Kings or something. Most people have the two-for-one meal vouchers from the Entertainment Book.

Just a vague plan, but let us know if you wanna come along.

[Answer] Sam wants to be a millionaire!

Go Sam! That kicks the ass of Grand Champion: Olympic Challenge (the worst game show ever!).

* * *

I am becoming an almost-regular at The Four Kings. Mainly 'cause my flatmate works there, but also 'cause they offer some good stuff. They have enough decoders that they play the minor sports, not just the rugby. So Cass and I were able to get a booth on Saturday night and watch Olympics stuff, rather than the league or rugby. And today I popped in and rather than having to watch Ultimate Fighting, I could watch the little screens, which had Olympics soccer and gymnastics on them. Sweet! And the $10 brunch is pretty decent.

* * *

Am overdosing on Year 9 Poetry at the moment. My mind is swimming in metaphors and alliteration. Help!

Little Fluffy Clouds.

I remember one of the first techo mix type songs I ever heard was a loop called 'Little Fluffy Clouds' (or possibly 'Fluffy Little Clouds') that my brother played for me back in the 90s sometime. It was cute. It had some electronic thing in the background with this repeated bit of a little kid describing clouds.

I learnt how to fill a gas tank last night. Kyle made me learn. It wasn't too hard. But it took a while to find a place that actually did it. The places on Adelaide Rd do, if you ever find yourself looking.

I have been watching films from the library. I got out three documentaries. One of them was on the houses of Frank Lloyd Wright. I've always liked his stuff (I guess most people do). This doco was on the three houses he made which he lived in. All so intricate. I had never heard about how his woman (mistress?) and her children all died tragically in the second house. They were trapped by a madman in there, and then he went and set fire to the house, so when they tried to escape they all died. Something rather horrific.

And, thanks to one of Richard's forwards, it is now offical that I am a genius. Thank you Mensa. Ok.... possibly dubious..... but I'll take it :)

Disappeareded.

I blogged before, but I must've forgotten to publish it.... because it's all disappeared into cybernity. It was great stuff too. I think I was getting fairly close to understanding the meaning of life .... and stuff.

1. Shoppaholic

My name's Kate. My friends say I'm a shopaholic. But I needed alllll of it. Ok, I wanted allllll of it.
- $50 pair of Diesel sneakers (that's 80% off!) with yellow streaks down the side. I like yellow! These ones don't make my feet go numb like the last pair either......
- Mossimo skirt. It will be excellent for work and will complement my new boots very well. It has autumn leaves on it.
- pair of pants from Max. Hey.... they fit. I've been having trouble finding pants that fit lately.
- winter coat. It's an Audrey Hepburn swingy-coat! There were cheaper ones but Ange and Cass talked me into this one...... Blame them.
- pair of tartan footless stockings (to alternate with my stripey ones under my pinafore dress)

All essential stuff!

Ange, likewise, bought a pair of cheap Diesels (better than a poke in the eye with a stick) and some work clothes. Cassie got a Care Bear carry-bag.

2. Dancing with the Saints

We went to a Saints game last night and to me and Ange's glee the half-time entertainment was none other than BRENDON PONGIA and Hayley. With all the live shows booked out weeks in advance, that's the closest we'll get to seeing our stars in person. Hayley looked even hotter in the flesh. I wish I had a dancer's body!

3. Beer of Choice

Apparently boys don't like Radlers beer. That's because they suck. Radlers is great and tastes like lollies and lime. Mmmmm! And to say it's barely better than a shandy is not an insult to me! Shandies are yummy too. My flatmate Paul likes them and he's a manly man-whore. So not all boys hate it.

4. Netball

It was another Sunday of netball. I filled in for my cousins' team again. I was buggered and half asleep most of the game, but it was ok. My cousin's kids were there again (4 and 2 year old) and they showed me their jumping skills and said they jumped good 'cause they have a trampoline at home. I said that must be why I'm no good at jumping - no tramp to practise on. They invited me 'round for dinner and to their house to play on the tramp but I had to decline, due to my second game of netball coming up...... Apparently their other nana's out of hospital (seems to be going around at the moment) and they knew a secret, that grandad was going to take her out to lunch for mother's day. They're pretty good with secrets, those two.....

The second game was my proper team, I Pity the Fool. An ironic name in that it turns out we are the fools that need pity. We are in an uber-good grade with two-shooters galore. But I liked tonight's game - it was reeeeasonably close and we certainly didn't look hapless. Justin said he can smell a victory for tomorrow night.... I love his never-ceasing optimism! Maybe to rejig our tactics we should start using Morgan and Michelle at centre and put up some more twos. Give it whirl. Justin's hit 2 out of 3 of his outside shots now.... could be a secret weapon there too.

5. Mothers' Day

Oh yeah, in my disappeareded post I mentioned that this holiday doesn't have much relevance to me these days. It's always a bit awkward when people I don't know that well ask me if I'm doing anything for it. I just say 'no' and they look at me like I'm some kind of bad-seed-daughter or even admire me for making some kinda anti-commercialism stand.

Though I guess, what with lots of other people's parents being ill lately, it's a time to be appreciative of what you've got and what you've had. Most people's parents do alright by them. I don't do anything for Lynne on this day - she has her own kids, and she's more my dad's wife than my step-mum. But I still appreciate her! If there was a Step-Mothers' Day I'd buy her a card :)

Nobody ever replaces your mum though. Dad tried to fill in some of the gaps, but he's a bloody bad mother (not suprisingly - he can't cook or figure out what you want for your birthday, or even remember what day it's on). So I guess it's just one of those days where I miss my mum, even though it's been 13 years since she passed away. It's gonna be weird when I've been alive longer with her dead than alive. That'll be when I'm 32.

Rumpus time!

I am really quite excited.

After musing over costumes, me and Reids are going as nurses. How cliched! We really tried to avoid it.

First we were going to go as mental patients. Kinda un-PC, but we had this whole going where we were going to be planning to rendez vous with aliens (or maybe we even thought we were aliens in human bodies).... and everyone we talked to, at some point we'd say, 'Are you one of them???' and look at them intensely.

Then we were going to go as construction workers (from the Wellington City Hospital). But the overalls at the Costume Cave didn't fit very well.

Then I considered being a psychologist and wearing my smart-glasses and a lab coat. I woulda had a notepad and pen all night and taken notes as I talked to people.

But in the end, the nurses costumes fitted really well. I look like a natural - Reids said it looked as if I was just on my way home from work or something (had my handbag over my arm). Put on a bit of lipstick and some fishnets and we're good to go. Single girls out at the coolest party of the year :) Watch out!

One Week To Go

This sentiment will be echoed in the minds of secondary school teachers throughout the country. No matter how long the term is (it varies between 9-11 weeks usually) the last two are always a drag. That seems to be when reports are due, plus about a million other little things. And when you're trying to do one of thsoe million little things, someone else comes in to talk to you about a new thing - or one of their things that they want some help with. Sometimes a cloak of invisibility would be good :) I think that's what i-pods are for.

I have got echzma on my chin, which only ever happens when I'm stressed (and the weather is like it is).

I am not teaching three days out of five this week, because we are trying to get the website up and running. That might sound like a good thing, but it's actually more of a hassle than teaching. So that makes my week even trickier. Bleh.

Must eat more veges. Me and Reidun ventured to the markets today, in the wind and the rain, so I am stocked. Good old Levin produce from the heart of the Horowhenua.

Nothing exciting.

No Tiime

(Not even time to go back and fix that typo)

Marking to do then reports to write. And netball to play.

To focus on the good things, I am looking forward to Dave's 31st with an Olympic theme and Rumpus vs Episode, with a medical theme.

And bagels on Wednesday.

* * *

Evidentally my dad is kinda stalking Yvette Williams (the long jump gold medalist from yeeeears ago). She was apparently dropped off at the airport on the way to the Olympics by a relative of mine (great-great-great something) as someone in her family was married to someone in the Judges.

So my dad's a family tree geek at the moment, and is ringing and emailing people literally all over the world..... so he rang Yvette's son, who put him onto the lady himself. My dad has talked to an Olympic legend on the phone! Go Dad!

I think he is quite chuffed that he is one degree of separation closer to Halberg and Snell and Lovelock and that crew. They were his idols growing up.

Look!

I actually grew something. I have finally found a plant that agrees with me - the mighty succulent! Usually I buy plants that are flowering, and kill them. This time I bought a plant without flowers and have actually grown some. It's lovely!

I like how this plant sits on my windowsill and the flower kinda bends its head towards the glass as if it's peering over the Hataitai valley. Possibly it's really silently pleading, 'Let me out! Before she kills me like she did the others!' But nobody's listening, sucker :)

My herbs are doing well too. My parsley is flourishing. I like this low-maintenance gardening. Just leave the herbs outside and the rain takes care of them... and leave the succulents on the windowsill where it's sunny, and squirt them with the waterbottle every few days......

I am a nurturer.

* * *

Went on a course today. It was for middle-management. I did a Bachelor of Business Studies. I dropped my Management major after second year. I think I'd had my fill of management styles and culture analysis and whatnot. It's all coming back to haunt me...... I guess it's all useful on some level, but Management as an academic course always struck me as rather intuitive stuff. And I don't really like those moments where I see people consciously using 'techniques' they have read about - it's kinda patronising. I guess I am cynical about such things.

Thursday.

Thursdays are always busy. I have either no non-contacts at work, or just one (depeding on the week). Then there are often either department or HOD meetings after school. Then I either have basketball or quiz (or both).

Today was a no-meeting day, thank goodness.

Went to the beginning of the quiz. We started with guns ablazing! 40 points after two rounds - that is the perfect start. I earned my place by guessing that Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas were the parents of two named children and that kedgerie was a breakfast dish and that the ponderous puzzle was 'the cell phone' (on the first clue!).

After that we stalled a little bit, but still came in a solid second place.

The trouble was that we had an $80 tab to spend from the previous quiz win. So I had nachos, chips, pizza, coffee and an oreo-sundae...... THEN went and played basketball. Not smart, Kate! My tummy is still unnaturally protruding right now.

Basketball was lumbering and painful (mostly emotionally). We played a Chinese team who were mostly small and quick and could all dribble and shoot well. Then they also had a few big girls whose Chinese heritage I would like DNA tested. Anyhow, they were pretty solid and killed us with a full court press (aided by having about four subs to our one) and good outside shooting. They train!

I think we actually had the measure of their half-court offence and I managed to plug up the middle and stop a lot of their drives. But we gave them the ball back a lot of times with sloppy passing. Oh well. We'll get em next time!

I had one of those satisfying teacher moments today when one of my girls said, 'Miss, I think Macbeth would be really easy to write about in the exam! There's lots of metaphors and stuff that had deep meaning.' My class were looking fairly blankly at me for the most part while we read the play and giving me the old ,'I actually don't understand a word of what he just said!' reaction. Seems to have sunk in a bit since then. Repetition and using OJ Simpson, Tonya Harding and Mugabe as real life examples hammered it in (though I warned them not to mention any of them by name in their essays - I hear it's a marker's pet-hate when those 'real life' examples are tagged on in the conclusion).

Not sure how I feel about Obama finally (officially) getting the nomination. Was talking about it with Sam tonight and he likes Obama better and thinks Hilary is a bit shifty and untrustworthy. Good point. I'd like to see her and Helen having an argument. I don't think either of them would give an inch. That'd be a good celebrity death match. I do like that when Obama did a speech for the WCW crowd he said, 'Can you smeeeeell what Barrack is cooking?' (ala The Rock styles). Politicians with cheesy pop culture catch phrases are fun!

Yum. Winter tastes good and warm and hearty.

Reidun is feeding us steak and kidney stew and baked apples for pudding.

Good for the soul!

(Not to mention the date-loaf I had with my cup of tea.)

* * *

I have been listening to the sound-track to Juno for about a month now. I tend to put a CD on in my car and leave it playing for a good few weeks before I move on. I now know every song intimately and subconsciously and will anticipate the next song correctly. Perhaps time to move on.

I am a vampire, I am a vampire, I am a vampire, I am a vampire and I have lost my fangs again.

And now it's time to go back.

Yesterday I made a small child cry. That's not a nice feeling.

I had been sharing my Grain Waves (most generously) with my nieces and nephews. They'd come over, get a handful and then go back to their play. Ruby, the 2 year old, had got a tiny little plate off her mum and had come back for a plateful. I poured them in (accidentally giving her almost all that was left). The toddled away happy. Then, by the time she got back, they were all gone. She held her plate up to me with expectant eyes, but I said to her, 'No more!' in a rather expressive voice.

She misinterpreted that as some kind of scolding and ran away. She actually hid behind the curtain, she was so upset. Oops.

We made up later on and played a game where I pointed at pictures and she told me who was in them (I think she did, couldn't really understand her). Then she walked around with a Sponge Bob poster that had come out of the magazine I'd given her sister, and kept trying to press it against the wall.... She looked most perturbed that it would not stay there. I tried to explain she needed 'sticky stuff' but I think it was lost on her.

* * *

I observed her sister, who was turning 10, being a typical older-sibling. She'd gotten a hand-held game of some sort for her birthday. She sat happily playing it most of the time I was there. Her cousin joined in every now and then.... Meanwhile her younger brother sat forlornly on the other side of the room, every now and then saying, 'Can I have a turn?' He got the whole raft of excuses and put-offs from her, most of which started with 'I just have to.....' (insert an aspect of the game, which seemed to change every time he asked).

The adults didn't want to tell her off on her birthday, but they tried every angle in the book to try to get her to share with her little brother, who as they pointed out had been waiting 'very patiently'. She defended herself with '... but he had a turn this morning!' (it now being 3pm).

Eventually I, being a more impatient secondary-teacher, sat watching her and ensured that once she had 'just' done the level she said she wanted to finish, she handed it over. None of this PC crap of waiting until she realises it's the right thing to do on her own.... I'm a younger sibling too! I felt Finn's pain.

* * *

Then it was night-flying. If you drove past Lyall Bay and saw a few crazy people running around the beach at 8pm last night flying a kite..... it was us. We had flasks of hot chocolate. It was fun. I am now good enough to mock and laugh at the new flyers who nose-dive poor bumble into the ground seconds after takeoff. I am most unkind and mocking. Last night it was Kyle and Marty, neither of whom (being athletic men) liked not being experts straight away (and having mere girls show them up).

* * *

Have had lots of cups of tea and coffee and hot chocolate this weekend.

1. Coffee at a cafe in Plimmerton to wake me up on the way to Saturday morning kite-flying (my eyelids were very heavy)

2. Coffee at Raumati en route to the beach to kite-fly (the other coffee had almost worn off)

3. Cup of tea at Hannah's birthday

4. Hot chocolate on the beach in a flask

5. Cup of Jarrah's coffee for lunch (with a Whittaker's bar dipped in)

6. Cup of tea after dinner (with sugar)

I have missed a few.