Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Weddings

The most expensive known wedding day, apparently, involving an Indian steel magnate (if it was in India I guess it was a wedding week) was $65 million dollars. That's right, $65 million. I hope the wedding lasted!

Monday, January 25, 2010

I got the job!

Today I learned that I got the job! Yay. Not bad, considering it's only the second job I have applied for since I finished my post-grad degree (and I came second in the other one). The pay is rubbish, but otherwise it is just what I wanted. Flexible hours, basically I just take as much work as I can handle from the employer's website and edit at home. I can choose what genres I want to do and everything. So I am very happy. My youngest child will be in childcare a couple of days and preschool a couple of mornings, my daughter goes back to school next week. So soon I will be rejoining the workforce. Of course there will be no actual human contact ... oh well.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

3D induced nausea

I had previously assumed that my nausea during 3D movies was only because of the ones I had seen were roller-coaster types (I couldn't understand why other people weren't nauseous!). But I saw Avatar last night, and from less than half an hour in I was clutching my stomach wondering if I could make it through. Two more hours of queasy. Urg. Did somewhat spoil an otherwise excellent movie.

Of course there were some 'roller-coastery' bits; pteradactyls swooping and the like, but I don't think it was that. My husband suggests that my brain is too smart to be fooled by the 3D technology and is struggling the whole time trying to fight it off. That's me, the smart brain girl.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Time Flies

I've been away at the beach for the past week which was great. Nevertheless, I have been diligent about practising my guitar - I took it with me and practised every day except one. That is every day (except one) since Christmas when I got it! Not bad eh?

This afternoon, when my husband took the kids to the playground, I decided to do my daily session early (I usually do it when the kids are in the bath) and when my fingers were getting a bit sore I looked up to find I had been practising nearly an hour. I was amazed, I thought half an hour was my limit. My fingertips aren't nearly as sore now as they were in the first few days after only 5 minutes. I wasn't fingering (if you will excuse the word) every moment of that almost-hour, I am learning some new songs and wasn't sure how they were supposed to sound so I was listening to the DVD that came with my lesson book and then playing. I find it much much easier to play when I know how it is supposed to sound.

I have done the first six lessons now, in 2 weeks, covering E through to top G (10 notes). I still can't play along with the DVD, except the first couple of easy lessons, it goes too fast and if I make a mistake I get lost. But I am getting there.

So, what I learned today is that time doesn't just fly when you are having fun (although I suppose I was, in a way) but also when you are deeply immersed in work. And that I can do more than I thought.

Sorry if this post is a bit dull, it is what was on my mind. And I thought I had better write something every once in a while!

Friday, January 1, 2010

You Learn Something Every Year

2009 was a big learning year for me. I went back to Uni and did a Postgraduate Certificate in Editing, and got the Dean's Excellence Award (for a high grade point average) - yay! I learned a huge amount of technical stuff about editing, and I'm ready to set up my freelance editing business now. I was the stereotypical mature-aged student, there to work hard, very unlike my undergrad days! I enjoyed it so much. Learning, seeing other adults without children in tow, getting out of the house, feeling the satisfaction and pride of great results. A great year.