You Learn Something Every Day

Luddite

2011-10-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

While editing today I came across the term Luddite and didn't know what it meant, so looked it up on Wikipedia:

The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life. The movement was named after General Ned Ludd or King Ludd, a mythical figure who, like Robin Hood, was reputed to live in Sherwood Forest.[1]

The article was actually very interesting. In modern terms a Luddite is someone who is against technology; in the manuscript I was editing it was used to describe someone who didn't know how to use a computer for a particular task,

Bowers

2011-10-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

According to my Macquarie Dictionary, the term bower (from card games like euchre and 500) for the jack is derived from the German Bauer meaning peasant.

And the joker is "often" called the "best bower" -- can't say I've heard that one.

Mosquitos and what a man is worth

2011-08-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Stephen Fry says that more than half of the people who have ever lived were killed by mosquitos.

And the ones that give you malaria don't hum.

And if we sold all our body parts a person would be worth more than 400,000 pounds -- but if broken down into component chemicals they would only be worth about 10 pounds, 50 pence of which would be from gold.

The Golden Screw

2011-07-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

I put this in my 3BT blog as well, I just enjoyed it so much I had to share it.

In The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, Kvothe tells a story around a campfire. Condensed: A boy is born with a gold screw in his belly button. No one knows what it is for -- not his parents or grandparents or the wise folk of the town or anyone he meets in his travels. Eventually he meets with the most powerful king in the world and asks him about the gold screw in his belly button. The king opens a gold box on a gold platter and behold, there is a gold screwdriver. He takes it out and turns the gold screw in the boy's belly button. Once, twice, three times. And the boy's ass falls off.

Funny

2011-07-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/2011.htm

These are the hilarious results of a competition for the funniest first lines of imaginary novels.

Initiation

2011-07-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

This is my response to a flash fiction challenge on unicorns proposed by Chuck Wendig at http://terrible minds.com

Initiation
Gerald polished his pearly horn on his flank and then checked his reflection in the lake.

“Looking good!” neighed Simon. “They won’t be able to resist you.”

Gerald straightened his neck. Was the horn really big enough? Sure, it gleamed in the moonlight and all that, but he’d feel a lot more confident if it was just a little bigger. He knew Simon was admiring, but he hardly counted. Simon was still practically a foal. He wouldn’t get his initiation night for years.

The other stallions were watching from the nearby trees. Magnificent, every one of them; with noble necks and shiny hooves and glowing white coats. And big horns.

Gerald grimaced a goodbye to Simon and trotted towards the other males. They spun in perfect unison and led him away through the forest. Like the ghosts of horses, they flowed through the warm night with an elegance no other creature had ever attained. They cantered through burbling streams, wove between ancient trees, and galloped across moonlit glades until at last they reached the edge of the forest. A human town lay across the fields, lit by the huge bonfire that marked the midsummer festival.

“The festivities are well underway,” said James, the eldest. “They will all be drunk by now, relaxed and lusty. Go, find your virgin.”

Gerald nodded to them, and started to make his way around the edge of the field, staying in the shadows. He was looking forward to his initiation, but he still wasn’t sure his horn was big enough.

The finger

2011-07-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

Stephen Fry says that the legend about flipping someone the finger deriving from British archers showing the French (who threatened to cut them off) they still have their bow-drawing fingers is just rubbish that started circulating in the 1970s. It is more likely that the gesture is a two-horned cuckold.

He knows everything, doesn't he.

Methane

2011-05-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

More from QI - apparently cows burp out their methane, not fart it out.

Hiccups

2011-01-21T03:34:00.000-08:00

A friend told me today that he read somewhere that hiccups originated from when we had gills, it is an automatic movement to make the water pass over the gills so we could get oxygen. Babies in the womb hiccup so much because they are still in that physical stage. I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds interesting.

OCD at Christmas

2010-12-23T00:38:00.001-08:00

Today I learned that maybe I do care a little bit for my brother. Who I despise. And sometimes hate.

He has OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder. He washes his hands all the time but the rest of himself only about once a month, because once he starts he can't stop. He hoards, food mainly, he has cuboards full of out-of-date food. He is 42 and still lives with my mother and is ruining her life. He has no life. No job, no girlfriend. He sleeps and eats and watches TV. I personally think his problems are half OCD and half lazy-bastardness. Other people with OCD have some kind of life. He won't take the drugs that help his condition because he doesn't like the side effects. What could be worse than the life he has?

The original plan for Christmas every second year when I host was for my family (mother and brother) to visit Christmas Eve and leave after present opening on Christmas Day, then my husband's family (the whole horde) would arrive on Christmas Day and stay for several days. His side is much more fun, but I feel Christmas should include my family too. The first time, my father-in-law invited himself for Christmas Eve. That was ok. The second time, he and my brother-in-law and his girlfriend came early. I think my brother was a bit uncomfortable with that. This year, the third time, when he heard that they were all coming again - in fact four people with my father-in-law's girlfriend - he decided it was too many people and that he wasn't coming. He had already stopped coming to my kid's birthdays. He is retreating more and more from the world.

I feel sad for him. And a little bit resentful towards my husband's relatives who don't ask when it would be convenient for me for them to come. Admittedly, I have never said anything to them about it and this year pretty much just assumed they would come on Christmas Eve. But it still seems wrong that they come for days over the entire Christmas period which means my brother will be at home alone for most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. His choice, I know, but still. He has a recognised mental disorder.

Maybe in two years time I will say something, and ask the in-laws not to come until Christmas Day. I don't know if I can. But I feel like I should.

Slow cooker

2010-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that the slow cooker is ... slow! Don't bother unless you have a whole day. I didn't get the boeuf bourginon on until 1pm, and after 5 hours on high it wasn't close to being ready. I put half in a little casserole dish in a hot oven, and hopefully it will be edible soon. Not exactly how it is supposed to be cooked. I like my casseroles long and slow and falling apart.

Wigwam

2010-11-16T03:11:00.000-08:00

Another nugget stolen shamelessly from QI; a wigwam is not the same as a teepee. A teepee is the upside-down icecream shaped leather tent of the American Indian, a wigwam is the home of the Eastern American Indian and looks more like a giant, squat beehive made of straw.

Mace

2010-11-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently, mace is the ground outer casing of nutmeg. It was on Junior MasterChef masterclass today. Those kids are amazing; 8 - 12 years old and better cooks than me!

Disorientated

2010-11-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Today I learned that disorientated is a real word. I had always thought it was a mispronunciation of disoriented, but apparently it is a valid alternative, and even listed first in the dictionary. Fancy that.

QI: bamboo and hello

2010-10-26T04:10:00.001-07:00

I just watched QI (Stephen Fry on the ABC), I must have learned something... Bamboo can grow up to 4 meters a day - you can actually see it grow. I think I already knew that.

The word "Hello" was invented by Edison, he thought it was a nice clear sound when he used "Haloo" (hunting call) to make his first recording. Prior to that, "Hullo" was a sound of surprise, not greeting. Hullo, what's all this then? There was something about Hello being chosen as the word you say when answering the phone.

Bitches

2010-10-07T20:09:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine had two rescue dogs, both female, of similar ages but she got them at separate times. The first, Jemima, was still quite young (less than a year old) when they got her, and when the second dog, Sally, came along, Jemima became the top dog even though she was a much smaller breed. Both friendly, lovely dogs, but Jemima did have a tendency to bully Sally a bit. They lived together harmoniously for a year or so. Until one day Sally snapped and nearly ripped Jemima's jugular out.

Sally was returned to the shelter and Jemima is recovering nicely. It was a big shock to the family, my friend and her 5 year old daughter saw some of the fight and it was very scary, and very hard to separate them.

Apparently, female dogs of a similar age will fight when they get old enough. And the only way my friend could separate them (the hose didn't work) was to pick up Sally's back legs and pull her away. A dangerous move.

The power of the question

2010-06-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I walked my son to preschool, and then I had the option of walking home again (as I usually do, it's about the only exercise I get) or getting a lift with a friend. I have been down with a bad cold for the past week, and the lift seemed like a nice option. If my friend had said "Would you like a lift home?" I would have said yes. But instead, she said "Are you walking? I don't want to discourage you." So I said "Yeah, I'll walk."

It was not that I was uncomfortable asking for a lift, it is just that the way a question is worded has a big influence. Because her question was about walking, and implying it was a good thing to do, it made it easy for me to say yes to that. If she had mentioned a lift, and perhaps how cold it was today or how I was looking a bit tired/unwell, it would have been easier to say yes to that option. But I did my walk, I was fine and I quite enjoyed it and felt good about starting the day with a little exercise before getting to my desk.

I remember an episode of "Yes, Minister" (an English comedy about a politician and the civil service he has to deal with) where Sir Humphrey Abbleby (the civil service head of the department) shows an un underling how easy it is to get the answer you want. He talks about conscription: if you ask questions about duty, defending the country etc you can lead people to say they would be pro-conscription. But you can ask the same person how they feel about personal freedom to choose, and how they feel about arming teenage hooligans, and you can get them to say they are anti-conscription. It is all in the way you ask.

I am a somebody

2010-06-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

I am rather excited at the moment, because I have found out that I will be judging the 2010 Aurealis Award for fantasy short stories. There is something in me that says "who, me? are you sure you want me ... not someone a bit more special?" On the other hand, it's not like I actually get paid or anything, so maybe they take anyone silly enough to apply for the job. Nah, I don't really believe that - I am special!

Reversing the cycle

2010-05-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

My ducted gas heating broke two days ago. I say broke; I got home from grocery shopping to find the house stinking of burned something or other. Plastic? Not sure. Anyway, sniffed around every room, the smell was everywhere. Didn't seem to come from the dishwasher (which sometimes smells nasty if a wood or plastic implement falls onto the heating element and burns) or the dryer - in fact the laundry (which does not have a heating vent) was the only room that didn't smell. I turned off the heat and aired out the house. It is nearly winter here in Canberra, and the temperature dropped to 14 degrees C pretty quickly. Just to make sure, I turned the ducted gas on again for a little while, the smell returned. So off it went again.

I work from home, and spent the afternoon huddled in blankets in front of my computer. At first I could only get a repair man out Wednesday week, 9 days of frozen toes!, but luckily they called back after they had a cancellation and can fit me in today - so only 48 hours. If they can fix it right away, of course.

So, we all had a pretty cold night, but then the next morning I was telling my friend Caroline about the broken ducted gas. 'But you have reverse cycle air conditioning as well don't you?'

'Um, yes, that cools us down in summer.'

Um, duh. Apparently, reverse cycle means it also heats. Mainly only warms the lounge, not the whole house, but at least it's not 14 degrees C in here any more.

Ta ta tum tum

2010-05-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I still live.

So, today I learned that it was Queen Victoria who started the tradition of walking down the aisle in a fluffy white dress. My source was the book Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. Some very interesting information about Western marriage traditions in there.

Published by crikey

2010-03-20T02:12:00.000-07:00

I don't really count this as being published, as it is just by me with no one moderating. But I have started reviewing books for Awritergoesonajourney.com and my first review is now online! Yay! I almost feel like a published author.

So where are all the life lessons?

2010-03-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, so clearly I am not learning something everyday and it is really cramping my blogging style. I am going to relax on the theme a bit and just write about anything I feel like. Some days I do 'learn something' and think 'oh I should blog about that' but I forget by the time I am near a computer.

So. Um. Well, I have been working at my new editing telecommute job for a month now. I'm enjoying it but struggle to find the time. The pay is really low but luckily it is ultra-flexible, I just pick up jobs when my kids are at school/childcare. And it's good experience for my CV for when I want to move on.

I had a really bad haircut last Friday. I felt that it made me look so ugly. I cried a few times about it. One thing that has allowed me to cope with gradually getting fatter is that I felt my face still looked ok. A normal mirror (not full-length) was not my enemy. With the new haircut I lost that, and just felt/feel fat and ugly all over. So, I guess I have to lose weight. And let my hair grow out of course.

Sirens

2010-02-14T23:40:00.001-08:00

My daughter seems to have a phobia of sirens. She is 6, and as far as I know (and I should know) she has never had a negative experience with them, and yet ...

One day the four of us were in a fast-food restaurant waiting to order when a vehicle drove past outside, sirens blaring. Jasmine looked wildly from side to side then bolted for the back door, despite both parents standing right next to her. We had to grab her to stop her running out into the car park. We found it a bit worrying, that she was so scared of the siren she ran away from us and potentially towards danger.

Then this weekend we were in the change rooms at the indoor pool after her swimming lesson, and an alarm went off. Not many people paid it any attention, but I had a hard time stopping Jasmine sprinting for the door. I was dressed enough to be decent, so I grabbed my bag and shoes and we left - she powerwalked (she knows she is not allowed to run near the pool) all the way through the complex and didn't even want to stand near the front doors once we got outside. Poor thing was trembling with fear. A fire engine arrived almost immediately, and we heard the staff tell the fire fighters that there was no fire, but she wasn't much comforted. Has she been drilled about fire safety too much at school?

Today she was playing Sims 3 when her character's oven caught fire and the house fire alarm went off. I only let her play Sims because there is no violence - I didn't know something like that could happen. Not that it would worry most kids. She leapt off her chair and came running to me, almost in tears, shaking and stressed. I tried to reassure her that it was just a computer game, I couldn't work out how to do anything to stop it but a fireman arrived and put out the oven.

I really don't know why she has this extreme reaction. At least she came running to me this time and not straight out of the front door!

So is it the threat of fire, or the loud noise itself? I am thinking it is the siren, as she is also scared of the air hand dryers in public toilets, she says they are too loud. A loud noise phobia?

Preserved Lemon Pants

2010-02-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I learned not to open a difficult jar of juicy preserved lemon while wearing freshly cleaned clothes. You know how it is ... you can't open it any other way so you brace the jar between your thighs and use all your arm-muscle strength (such as it is) to wrench it open. And then lots of juice goes down your pants. At least preserved lemon juice smells rather nice.

I also learned that prawns, sambal olek (chilli paste), tomato and preserved lemon are an interesting combination for a pasta sauce. Odd. I'm not sure how much I liked it, but my husband said he did. He suggested it as a casual yet impressive dinner party entree. I do enjoy trying new recipes, but many are outright flops or are similar to but not quite as good as something you already make. This one was at least very different.

I think a real gourmet chef would be both impressed and horrified by my fridge and pantry. I have lots of fancy things like those mentioned above, jars of anchovies and capers and sundried tomato pesto, tins of crabmeat, garlic and ginger and olives and camembert and parmasen and pinenuts and seasalt and all that stuff. But also ultra-processed cheese and 2 minute noodles. And I think the fluffy orange cupcakes would be popular anywhere.

Speaking of which, one on-line gaming guild I was in used to call me 'cupcake' because I always seemed to be baking when I was chatting to them. Ahh ... teasing people half a world away with tales of rasperry muffins warm and fragrant from the oven, choc chip cookies still gooey in the centre, tart passionfruit curd in light pastry.

I wonder why I am a bit overweight.

Weddings

2010-01-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

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!

I got the job!

2010-01-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

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.

3D induced nausea

2010-01-12T23:37:00.000-08:00

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.

Time Flies

2010-01-08T20:50:00.000-08:00

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!

You Learn Something Every Year

2010-01-01T01:40:00.001-08:00

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.

Forty-two centimetre tongue

2009-12-30T00:49:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that a giraffe can pick its nose with its tongue, and even clean out its ears. The tongue can be up to 42 cm, about the length from fingertip to elbow on a biggish man. A giraffe's tongue is blue to make it resistant to sunburn, as it is used so much in leaf collection.

I spent nearly three hours today at the zoo with my husband and two children. I have never seen it so busy - I am usually there on a non-holiday weekday - but the zoo seemed prepared for the crowds with extra parking on the grass cordoned off, lots of talks by the keepers, and a kiosk that I had never even noticed before open selling icecreams and pies. The animals were very obliging, nearly all visible and active which is not always the case.

There isn't nearly enough shade at Canberra zoo, but luckily the day wasn't too hot considering it is nearly the middle of summer.

My favourites today were the giraffes (with zookeeper talk and hand-feeding carrots which we didn't do because it cost $10 but was fun to watch) and the red pandas which were very cute. One made a slow way down from the top of a tree to his bamboo lunch, he was so hesitant and careful maybe he was scared of heights! A big drawback in a tree-dwelling creature. I always wondered what kind of creature 'Master Shifu' from Kung Fu Panda was, after today I think he was a red panda. That cute little face!

G string

2009-12-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

I've been looking through my posts, and there are comments from three different people. My husband also reads this, so that means I have AT LEAST four readers already. I'm not being sarcastic, this is really exciting! I am not just blogging to myself. Keep reading, and making comments please.

What I learned today is how to play G and A on my guitar (third string). My husband gave me an acoustic guitar for Christmas, I sing and I want to learn how to play guitar so I can accompany myself. I always love it when other people strum on their guitars. Tim also gave me a beginner's lesson book. So, counting Christmas, I have had the guitar for four days and I can play eight notes: G A B C D E F G. With this, I can play bits of 'Song of Joy', 'Skip to my Lou', 'Aura Lee' (Elvis stole the tune for this for 'Love Me Tender') and 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore'. I am so proud of myself!

The only thing holding me back from practising a lot more is the pain in my fingers. I have a pick in my right hand but the left fingers push firmly on metal strings and that hurts more than you would think. I can only do a couple of very short sessions a day, I need to build up calluses.

When I have finished this book of 10 lessons, and know where all the notes are, I will move on to chords.

Oh, another problem I have is with my right breast. It gets in the way. I am very short and the big body of the guitar (acoustic is much bigger than electric) takes up nearly all the space between my leg and my armpit when I am sitting down, I need to hold it tucked close to my body but my bosom pushes it away. Not sure what to do about this, I refuse to do the whole Amazon thing and cut off my breast.

Just a Trifle

2009-12-26T02:44:00.000-08:00

Due to some bad planning and lack of communication, three different people brought trifle to Christmas lunch. For those who have never heard of it, trifle is a dessert that is made of ... well ... they vary a bit but it has cake and jelly (jello) and custard and cream and sometimes brandy or some other alcohol and probably some other things I don't know about. You soak the cake pieces in one or some or all of the wet ingredients until it has sponged it all up, and layer the other things, and put cream on top.

So I got to try three trifles and guess what! Just as I thought. I don't like trifle. The only other dessert was plum pudding. I don't like that either. Luckily I brought gingerbread.

Merry Christmas!! I had a great couple of days with the family and hope everyone else did too.

Mouse foreskin trials

2009-12-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that scientists have been able to turn mouse foreskin cells into 'brown fat'. Unlike white fat, which makes you fat, brown fat actually helps you burn calories. Amazing. Some more mouse foreskin, anyone?

Who thought of using mouse foreskin cells for this trial, anyway? I suppose you could carefully circumise the mouse without killing it. All in the name of humane research. I don't recall ever seeing a mouse penis, but I imagine the bandages would be very very small. And what do the girl mice think when their partners are returned to them, sans foreskin. Maybe they prefer the look.

Luckily, you don't have to actually eat the mouse foreskin. In the trials, the converted cells were injected into a mouse (the same mouse? or a different mouse? I can see some butch mice out there denying another mouse's foreskin came anywhere near them) where they helped burn off sugar which would otherwise have been stored as fat. Lets push for human trials!

Washing and vomit

2009-12-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

Hmm I seem to have missed quite a few days/weeks lately, what with the Christmas bustle and also the fact I am not learning anything ... well what I learned today is to not let the washing get so far behind. Somehow I didn't do any clothes washing all week so there were huge piles of dirty clothes, sheets and towels in the laundry, and the baskets were all full of clean clothes from the weekend before that I hadn't got around to putting away. Then this morning my three-year-old Aiden started throwing up. Suddenly clean sheets, towels and clothes seem much more important! So as well as looking after my sick little boy, I am trying to dig through the clean baskets for necessary items and run about seven loads of washing today.

I've been receiving emails from FlyLady.com all year, she helps you organise all your housework by sending reminders to, for instance, run a load of washing in the morning and stack your dishwasher in the evening. I read the emails every day but don't actually do anything about them. Somehow this system isn't working. Maybe I have to actually do the work? I need a system where I just have to read the emails/book/magazine and magically all the cleaning/dieting/exercise happens without any further input from me. My house would be cleaner, and I would be a lot thinner and healthier. Anyone out there got a system like this?

Eggs and more eggs

2009-12-06T01:45:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that truth is almost as strange as fiction.

Last night I went to see 'New Moon' which I enjoyed (for the movies I am in camp Jacob but for the books it is Edward all the way) and they had an ad before the show which involved someone eating 50 eggs in an hour. Urg. And impossible. Anyway, my brother was visiting this weekend and for breakfast he asked for soft-boiled eggs. Six of them. I thought he was joking, but no. So he ate his six boiled eggs with five pieces of toast, and then ate my 3-year-old son's mostly-untouched egg. I didn't even know it was possible to eat seven eggs first thing in the morning. But there you go.

Pyjamas, pajamas, let's call the whole thing off.

2009-12-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that - according to my spellchecker - Americans spell pyjamas as 'pajamas'. How odd. How silly. It just looks wrong.

I also learned that if you accidentally put a toddler to bed with no nappy on (wasn't me!), in the morning the bed, the pyjamas, and the toddler will be soaked in wee. Euw.

Uni results

2009-11-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I learned by Uni results - I achieved a Distinction in Editing and a High Distinction in Writing Short Narratives. Yay!

I can exercise

2009-11-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

I just started back at the gym last week and I have been going to exercise classes but taking it pretty easy - partly because I haven't exercised for nine months and partly because I've just got over being sick for the past two weeks. Today I was expecting a fairly relaxing class, when I used to attend this one it was billed as being for the unfit, the elderly, the injured etc - usually a bit of aerobics and using the fitball and those stretchy elastic things. But they seem to have completely changed it, it is still a varied mix of whatever the instructor has come up with for the day but it was HARD. Half aerobic step, half pump weights; lots of lunges (ow) and lifting (ow) and running up and down on the step (collapse).

But you know what? I did it! Lower step and lighter weights than some others, and I slowed down a bit at the end, but I got through the class. I sweated and went all red in the face and my thighs went all wobbly but I DIDN'T DIE! And I didn't give up and leave. So today I learned that I can do it after all. I am rather proud of myself.

Pizza

2009-11-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that half a pepperoni pizza has nearly 1000 calories. Oh dear. And I was going so well this week.

Worst Shoes Ever

2009-11-18T23:58:00.000-08:00

Today I learned that, yes, they can make women's shoes even uglier than the previous award winner; those ones with the high heel bit coming from the middle - the arch of the foot - rather than the back. Looked very precarious and uncomfortable. Today I was flicking through a women's magazine and saw a picture of some actress or whoever wearing blue shoes that defied normality by leaving the pinky toe sticking out sideways. It made her feet looked deformed. Like someone who needed special shoes with a hole cut in the side because her weird little toe can't be contained by a normal shoe. By the caption, this seemed not to be the case. If I was forced to wear something like that by my sponsorship agreement I would be scared of always catching my poor toe on everything I walked past.

Maybe this is the exciting new thing in shoes. I am certainly no fashion expert. But somehow I don't think it will catch on.

Holding back the tide of fat

2009-11-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

When I was going to the gym, I often felt it wasn't worth it. I dragged myself there three times a week or whatever, get the toddler into the creche and leave him crying and trying to hold on to me, get changed into gym gear, exercise, shower, change back into normal clothes, pick up toddler, go home. A huge chunk of my day and for what?

I wasn't losing any weight, although that was my goal. Waste of time. And then this year I was really busy and wasn't often making time to go to the gym. So I cancelled my membership.

And put on 8 kilograms (more than 16 pounds) in nine months. And feel completely unhealthy and rotten and tired all the time.

So, even if you think that bit of exercise isn't doing anything, it is. It is stopping you getting worse, if nothing else! I am going to rejoin the gym and lose this extra 8 kg and then some more. My short term goal is 5 kg by Christmas. 5 kg in 5 weeks is a big ask but I can do it. I believe in me!

Capsican

2009-11-11T23:00:00.001-08:00

Today I learned that the thing about not touching any sensitive areas after chopping chillis applied to capsicum too. Probably not as badly. But the skin under my eyes is currently stinging and burning.

Anyone in America, I think you call them bell peppers. The big red things.

So I am going to wash my hands very very carefully before I do anything else with them.

Pasta sauce

2009-11-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

I have often thought it a shame that there are only two base pasta sauces (that I like, at least), tomatoey ones: lasagne or bolognaise or with chilli and olives for example, and creamy ones: well, anything where you add a big pour of cream. I find an olive oil or butter based sauce a bit bland no matter what bits you toss in. But today, reading through a pasta recipe book from the library, a whole new world opened.

What you do is, you cook your roast or steak or venison-stuffed partridge if you are that way inclined, and then you use the meat juices to roll your cooked pasta in. How excellent is that! I usually avoid wasting delicious meat juices (and fats) by cooking some zucchini or spinach or something in the pan, but I never thought of using pasta to sop up the flavour.

Of course on the down side you now have two meals to deal with at once. The book suggested using the pasta as a entree and the meat in the main course, but that sounds like a recipe for massive overeating to me. Good if you have visitors I suppose - except then the entree and main would taste the same ... oh I'm hard to please I know. Just have to be strong, I guess, have small portions with lots left over for lunches the next day.

Sickness and Health

2009-11-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

Did I read somewhere recently - or maybe I saw it on Oprah or similar - that you shouldn't marry someone until they have looked after you while you have gastro. Yuck but true. It's important in a partner that they love you enough to look after you while you are all gross. This weekend, as I lay sick in bed, my husband looked after me and our two little kids and cleaned the whole house ready for the carpet cleaners coming tomorrow morning. Amazing.

You may say; well, of course, wouldn't every husband/wife? Apparently not. My mother has often complained that my dad wouldn't even cut her toenails for her when she was nine months pregnant with twins and couldn't even see her own toes, let alone reach them with scissors. (They are divorced now, by the way.)

So lesson for the day, don't marry someone until you know that they really will be there in sickness as well as health, in adversity as well as happy times.

Word of the day

2009-11-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

I couldn't think of anything that I had learned today, so decided to fall back on the faithful dictionary.

nucha - the back or nape of the neck

Lets all remember that one shall we?

To Get Well - See a Doctor

2009-11-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

Well, obviously, you might say: to get well - see a doctor. But I mean it in the sense that no matter how long you (or your child) have been sick, no matter how obvious and revolting the pus, rash, laboured breathing, rapid heartrate, whatever - the moment you sit in front of the doctor all symptoms disappear. What rash? Um, see this kind of faint pink dot here? A moment ago that was a pox covering my whole body. My child who is currently jumping up and down on the examination table looks quite well to you? But I promise he has been bed ridden with a hacking cough for a week!

This rule also works with getting plumbers to come and look at your faulty dishwasher (nope, looks like it working just fine to me ...) and techies to check your computer which miraculously works the moment they come to look over your shoulder.

I'm not sure what the lesson is from this. If you don't go to the doctor, you will stay sick; if you do go you have the expense and embarrassment but walk out cured.

Weird Families

2009-11-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to post yesterday because I got home so late, but what I learned was that there is nothing more interesting than other people's weird or tragic family stories! I was at dinner with a group of ten people I had recently completed a months-long work project with, we all got along very well and the chatting was loud and congenial. It was a long table, so it was hard to talk to everyone at once; there were always between three and five conversations going on at any one time. Until, that is, someone near me mentioned obsessive behaviour and I revealed that my brother has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Suddenly I had everyone's undivided attention. All other conversations stopped as I was questioned about the manifestations of my brother's disorder and what caused it and how it affected me.

I used to think that I was the only one with a weird family and tragic childhood, but the more you get to know other people the more you find out that just about everyone has something. A mother lost to MS after years of slowly losing control of her body and mind. A cousin dying at 24 of anorexia. Years of sexual abuse by a family member. A father who threatens to shoot you if your mother leaves him. A father who turns out to be not your father after all. Most people have had something strange and horrible happen in their family, and I think it is quite normal that other people are fascinated by it. It makes them feel not so alone.

WoW

2009-11-03T03:04:00.000-08:00

Well today was a public holiday here in Canberra. Nominally 'family and community day' or some such, but in actual fact so that we can all be home to watch the Melbourne Cup on TV. It's only been a public holiday for a few years (used to be just Melbourne city itself) and the caterers are all complaining that they are losing money because there are no big work functions for the race any more as everyone is home. So the public holiday is being discontinued. Oh well, hope everyone (other than the caterers) enjoyed it while they could.

Because my husband was home I got a bit more free time than is usual on a weekday and this afternoon I learned how to do ToC (normal, not heroic). Seems easy at first, then you realise it is a death trap. At least, it is if you get Paletress the Confessor. If you get Eadric the Pure it's a doddle. And if you don't know what I am talking about well ... I'm tired and going to bed. I'll explain it another day.

Don't Shop When You Are Hungry

2009-11-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

Today I learned - or rather I was reminded - that you shouldn't shop when hungry! I found myself doing the grocery shopping just before lunchtime after a busy morning with no morning tea. I filled the trolley with lovely fresh fruit and vegetables. Still hungry. Chucked in a packet of scrumptious-looking apricot delight. Hmm, still hungry. Added a packet of Corn Chips to the pile. That's odd ... I'm still ravenous! Better grab a packet of Tim Tams as well. Why isn't this working? No matter how much lovely food I put in my trolley, I am still starving. Went through the checkout and there is a bread shop. Oh the delicious smells. Time to buy a cheese roll. And shovel in handfuls of grapes and a couple of Tim Tams on the way to the car. Finally I get home, right on lunch time, with plenty of healthy left-overs in the fridge. Funny, I'm not hungry any more ...

Finally spring

2009-11-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Today I learned that you can wait for six months for warmer weather, and then whine when you get too much of a good thing! 2/3 of the way through spring we finally got our first hot day here (28.5 inside my house, not sure what it is outside) and I am hot hot hot - but not in a good way. I am rather worried about summer if I can't even truly enjoy the first day of real spring. Having the oven on for a couple of hours for a pre-planned roast doesn't help.

But it's not really true that I didn't enjoy it. Picnic in the park (in the shade) for lunch was lovely, and I know I have air conditioning I can turn on if I need it. The backyard is in bloom, the lawn is looking neat and a little shocked after its haircut, the windows are open to the fresh air. It is spring!

Word for the Day

2009-10-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

I have been rereading a lot of P.G.Wodehouse lately, particularly enjoying Jeeves and Bertie, and he uses the word 'blench' a lot. I always assumed this was a variation on 'blanch' - ie to go white. It seemed to fit, someone would get a shock or bad news and would 'blench visibly'. But apparently it means 'to shy away, quail'. That is, quailing of the shying away kind, not the bird kind.

I also learned, no matter how many times you check something, CHECK IT AGAIN! I had 15 copies of a book I had edited delivered to me today, to distribute to authors etc, and found that I had in the end sent the printer the wrong version. I had sent the 'final' version for a different purpose, not the 'final' version for the printer. So I spent a few Saturday hours fixing that mistake.

But maybe I learned something today.

Learning about weeds

2009-10-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

Is it even possible to learn something on a Friday? Or is the brain too exhausted by then? Day two ... I can't be struggling yet. Lets see, I learned that the prickly weeds I have in my herb garden don't care if you are wearing gloves, they just scratch their poison into your bare arms, leaving red spots and welts. One downside to gardening on a gorgeous spring day is the fact you are not as covered up against thorns, insects and sunshine. These particular weeds, I don't know their name (common OR botanic), have a very shallow root system. They don't need to anchor themselves particularly firmly in the ground when nothing can brave the poisonous spines to yank them out. Other weeds I faced, dandeliony things (probably actual dandelions, but I wouldn't like to gamble on it), have no protection and the stems and leaves break off extremely easily - leaving the entire root system still in the ground to grow again. A bit annoying really.

The day I learned something

2009-10-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

I was chatting to a musician the day before emceeing an event she was to provide the music for. I had never emceed before (I only agreed to it after a glass of champagne) and I was rather nervous. I asked her if she would be selling her independant CDs at the function, and what it was called so I could advertise when I introduced her.
'Oh, it's eponymous,' she breezed.
Epony-mous, I started to write.
A nearby friend tactfully pointed out that the musician actually meant the CD was self-titled, not that it was called 'Eponymous'.
Really? I always thought eponymous meant something like 'most important'. Definitive perhaps. But apparently it is a person after whom a literary etc work is named, or a work named after its central character. So there you go. I learned something. And I wondered, do I really learn something every day? So I started this Blog, to find out.

Well, that was a few days ago. Did I learn anything today? Maybe I learned that I really shouldn't keep Cadbury's Mint Bubbles chocolate in the house. Or maybe I knew that already.