"YOU built it??"

The last time I built something, I was probably about 14 years old

and it was with Lego.

So imagine the delight I felt when I made this trellis

fence/rail on the edge of our little back deck.

Previously the deck had a few steps going down from the middle, about

where the green trellis ends. But a foot and a half drop is too big a drop

for any child and with Boo starting to take off and explore everywhere,

we thought it time to fence the rugrat darling in.

Bumper Sticker of the day.

One small step. . . . .

For weeks Boo has been teasing us with one or two steps.

Then one day just got up and walked...and walked..and walked.

Clicky here for a the YouTube link to our video of

Tiger and I playing "Boo tennis" across the room.

The tiny CareBear in the mouth is a bonus and not for balance.

What the . . . ?

In what is surely the strangest advertising of their programming schedule.

Channel 10 has been blasting us with ads about a marvelous upcoming "event". 

A quote from the ad in question. 

"20 years in the making....don't miss the unveiling of the new Simpson's opening credits....in high definition."

Um, does this sound stupid?!?! Forget biting social commentary, forget "celebrity" guests, forget that it may still be funny with top quality writing. Get viewers because of 15(?) seconds of a few scene changes in the opening credits.

Talk about desperation. 

I know there are chumps out there, but please, don't treat us all as idiots.

Life. Mesage to my kids.

Hey kids, when we are in the food court of a crowded mall and I 

take a bit of your "So thick it wont go up the bloody straw" shake and

it leaves a tiny speck on my lip. Don't, and I mean don't, carry on about it.

Because I will put a much bigger blob on my lip and I will leave it there

and I will turn around and I will talk loudly and I will get attention and 

I will embarrass the hell out of you.

I win!

Life. At war and two spoons.

Hi folks, been a bit busy for the past several days.

Work is always a necessary evil but other distractions have 

added to the mix of life. Boo turns 1 in just over a week and what a

wonderful delight she is. There are2 bottom teeth & 1 top tooth 

are through which means the worst of teething has passed. So now

she is showing independence when feeding by, well, not letting us feed her.

She refuses, and I mean refuses, to be fed unless she holds the spoon.

So a two spoon feeding method is in place. Get a spoon, dip it

in the food and hand to difficult delightful child. While she tries

to eat from that spoon, feed her with another spoon. Her spoon 

usually will be wiped on hair, arms, chair and the person feeding her.

Last week was Tiger's birthday. She was at her mothers for that time

and although we have spoken much since, this weekend will be the first time 

we have seen her since turning 14.  So, like many(?) at that age, when she

is here it will be locked on the computer chatting to her "fans" as we call them.

For me, the other big distraction is this game. So what you will about it.

I don't care. Its fun. Hot wiring a car and going fast through the town

then driving/flying Dukes of Hazzard style through a billboard is fun.

There are missions to complete that range from stealing a cab and taking

passengers, high jacking trucks and delivering the goods, buying and

selling drugs, setting fire to restaurants, following rival gang 

members. There are many more. It's not a game to show your

Grandma and it helps to keep the sound low as I found that the

swearing and the police sirens annoy those in the room.

Life. It can stink!

The other night Evey made a totally wonderful meal of Chorizo Pasta Bake. I had never heard of Chorizo but it is a spicy sausage from Spain and is quite popular. This dish Evey made had Chorizo, penne pasta, diced bacon, onion, capsicum, pasta sauce, cream and grated cheese.

But folks, let me warn you, it gives you wicked farts for the next 24 hours! Not just me, but everyone that ate it. Paint peeled from walls! Indoor plants wilted! Household heating requirements dropped. Lets just say that when I saw people approaching my desk at work I quickly got up and went to them. When Evey went shopping she quickly changed aisles.

This has been a public service announcement.

Life, in tangled HD

Australian TV is mostly dire at the best of times. There are 5 free-to-air channels.

SBS = the multicultural channel, ABC = equivalent to the British BBC

And Networks 7, 9 & 10 which are like the American ABC, NBC & CBS.

But now they are all building up second and third channels each to go free-to-air/digital.

So on the weekend we got a set-top box. And now I have headache.

With a TV, DVD/video player, a Wii, a Playstation2 and now a set-top box, it all makes for 400 cables, power leads and plugs hiding behind our shrine of entertainment. I got the set-top to work and show up on the TV, good it works and we have improved recepetion on all our previous channels and can now watch the extra channels. Now to get it to go via the video recorder. D'oh! 3 hours later I think I have it. Time to relax and play a game, I turn on the Wii, press buttons on 2 (yes TWO) different remotes and start crying! The colours have shifted. It now looks like a hand coloured picture from 1902. Grrrrrrrrrrr! "No, stuff it! Play it like that today. I'll look at it tomorrow." 

**glancing again at the manuals I realise my best option is to go out and buy another cable.

I can get either a HDMI or an S-video cable. Oh great, unwire everything and start again.

Life. D'oh!

At some time during the night I heard Boo make a noise or two. I thought she might sleep a bit more as the cry was more of a sleepy dream noise. I rolled over and squinted at the bedside clock...5:59am. OK, I'll get up now. I usually get up around this time. So I thought nothing of it.

I got up, went in and gently patted Boo on the back. She made a few noises but then settled and went back to sleep. I was glad she settled down and I didn't have to get her up to feed her just yet. I then came out and sat at my desk to check the computer and emails. As I sat there doing whatever, I glanced at the time on the computer. OMG! 2:05am!!! WTF! I went over and looked at the time in the kitchen. Yep, 2:05am! Apparently, as I squinted at the bedside clock I saw 1:59 but in my head saw 5:59. 

D'oh! I very quietly and gently climbed back into bed.

Life, party of the next part....

Last night we went out to dinner to celebrate Dazzie's (brother of Evey) birthday. It was a nice local Chinese restaurant that he chose for the occassion. For a Wednesday night it was only a quarter full, or 3/4's empty if you see it that way, so getting service was very easy. We ordered a banquet which, according to Cinta, MUST include fried ice cream for dessert.

It was a very nice meal that was aided by a beer or two and some bottles of wine. The selection of foods that came out were so yumm! Evey tried to convince her Dad that the schezuan beef was actually sasquatch beef. You know, I think she might of pulled it off.

Little Boo sat in the high chair for some time then we changed to the pram when she started to get tired. But that didn't stop her from wanting to join the party. I sat on one side next to her and fed her using chopsticks. She was so slow and gentle as she took the food. Nan said it was like watching a baby bird getting fed.

Finally the fried ice cream came out. It had a flaming sugar cube on top. Success!

With bellies full of food and drink, memories of laughter and conversation, we spilled out to the carpark, wished him happy birthday again then went home.

MMMmmmmmm Sasquatch beef...........

Life, the next part.....

Monday, the public holiday, was a total relaxing, passing time kind of day.

Which meant on Tuesday I couldn't be stuffed working hard at all.

And judging by my co-workers, they had the same attitude.

We earnt our pay, just in a ....mmmm.... slower tone to the passing hours.

Meanwhile, Evey was out "stimulating" the economy.

Wonder if swimmer Michael Phelps would like this for Easter?

Boo gives smug judgement on our massively out of date kitchen decor.

Pics of Boo

Boo in traditional Australian attire.

Evey "Everyone will think she's a boy! Put these pink socks on her."

Scarlet "AC/DC tshirt and pink socks? 

Bon Scott will be spinning in his grave!!"."

Ready to ROCK!!!

Boo "ooops I broke it. Mom will have to use the car instead to get around."

Life

Ahh the weekend. And it is a long weekend as Monday is a Public Holiday.

We don't have anything big planned to do on a 3 day break but I'm sure stuff will be done (or not).

Maybe spend some time on vegetable patch and tidying up the back yard. During the week we had a wild and very windy day and a neighbours tree decided to drop in for some shelter. There is no damage to the fence or surrounding area. That happened Tuesday, it was Friday afternoon when the neighbour was home again. I guess it will be a few more days until we can tackle the tree and clear it away.

Saturday: Yep, not a great deal was done. A tidy up in the morning, a bit of shopping after lunch. Cinta got a jacket and Tshirt, I picked up a Tshirt for Tiger's upcoming birthday (she doesn't read this blog so its ok to say it...). Cinta has a friend staying over. I spent some time chasing then dealing severe punishment to zombies that invest the Wii game Dead Rising. 

After dinner Evey & I watched a movie in relative peace. All is well........

Photobombers

Photobombers, Photobombing

What is Photobombing?

Friends? Peh!!!

Pefect reasons as to not fall asleep in the company of friends.

Oh, the humanity!

Possible side effects:

Riots at the mall.

or

No one under the age of 25 will enter the mall

or

Next years Gay Pride Parade will be the biggest on record.

Boo hoo

The two bottom teeth came through so smoothly compared to a top tooth 

breaking through! It's still not through completely, but oh the drool, squeals and tears.

We try gel, teething lotion, plastic frozen teething rings & pain medication.

I'm even tempted to give some to her.

Oh my eyes!!!!

Sorry I have not posted for a while.

I have not been well and only now feeling better.

What caused this "unwellness"???

THIS!!!

We rented it earlier in the week.

11 minutes. Yep, we lasted that long.

I know it was one of his early films but MY GOD IT WAS AWFUL!

The cover with a photoshopped head on a crap graphic should

have served as a big clue, but hey, early Sandler was funny, right?

The trivia section on IMDB.com (Internet Movie DataBase) proudly states

"The camera crew forgot to bring a box of lenses on the ship,

so the director of photography was forced to shoot with the wrong lens."

After watching just a little of the film, I wish they had forgot the fucking camera too!

I am ....oh? Am I?

I am free.

Say what you want, but millions would kill to have this freedom.

Pic of the week.

It can't be good for their self-esteem if we constantly remind them.