BrightStar's Musings

Plastic bags. At the beginning of this week, also known as June 1st, Target began using compostable plastic bags, for which the customer is charged 10 cents (20 for a large one)The customer has a choice of paying for the bag, buying a reusable one, using their own bag or going without. As aware as I am that people don't like change, I'm still amused by the varied reactions when I ask the customer if they want a bag. Everything from oh yeah, that's right and I'm all for it, to No way am I paying 10 cents for a bag. Not the mention the Oh yeah since when reaction, despite the saturation ad campaign on TV and all the notices spread around the store. Guess it always takes Joe Public awhile to adapt. But please note: It's not my doing. The decision came from much higher up than the humble register operator. Just sayin', ya know.

We joined a Gym this week. As a family. We have taken the first step towards better health and happiness. BabyGirl can't use the gym equipment for a year or so yet, but she can use the pool anytime and she loves to swim and play in the water. First goal for me is to lose the round tummy in time for the wedding. Ultimate goal, Size 12 by my 50th birthday.

Might be seeing Star Trek tomorrow.

Oh yeah... we have Internet at home, oh yay!!! Have to remind myself it was only a week... felt much longer.

The actual move was exhausting. Being that we were fairly tired anyway, and we both had (and still have) the flu, I'm surprised we managed it at all. We had help and are appreciative of it, but the fit an healthy young people stayed away in droves, leaving two sick and sorry parents (us), one tired BabyGirl, who returned from camp on Friday and was put to work immediately, B's workmate, who helped Friday AND Saturday, one man who can't lift much due to injury, another who suffers various ailments and worked like a Trojan anyway. Luckily we were able to pay a cleaner, who did a more than impressive job, and a gardener, or we might be totally incapacitated by now.

So we are limited in Internet Access until the Telco gets it's act together and connects us. Hope it's not too long or I will be stark raving mad!!!

I think "moving house" is a legitimate excuse for not updating. Only just over a year since the last move and we are off again. This time not quite so far, only a few streets up. Stress has been rearing it's ugly head this week, resulting in the odd screaming match with TeenBoy, and the occasional panic attack as i remember something I have forgotten to organise.

BabyGirl is at a school camp from yesterday until tomorrow. TeenBoy goes to Scout Camp tomorrow night, luckily not too far out of town. We get the keys for the new house at 12 tomorrow and DH and his workmate are ditching work in favour of using their truck to move furniture.

BREAKING NEWS: Just saw Michael Fassbender on the Morning Show. I know it was Michael Fassbender because I saw his name on the table as they focussed on Eli Roth. Still, I wouldn't have seen it at all if I hadn't just read qween_tartii's post about Inglourious Bastards at Cannes.

Back to the moving stuff: Adding to the stress levels is the fact that I have to work tomorrow until 5.30. Still, I'm not doing any of the lifting and carrying this time, just the directing and delegating. I'm even paying someone to clean this house. So there is reason to smile :)

If I don't update for the next week or two, it will be because I have no internet access. The phone company says 7 - 10 days. Will try to get to the library now and then but will only have time to check emails.

The DVD was on the shelf already when I arrived at work yesterday. I picked up my pre ordered two disc version from Sanity and got the third disc with exclusive content with it. So yes, I got to see the Vampire Kiss montage... Edward playing the full Bella's lullaby, and all the rest that I've been hearing about since the US release a month ago. I'm a happy little Twilight fan. Watched the movie twice already and when I head off to bed tonight, I will play it with the commentary... seen all the extra's too.

However, tomorrow, I have a day off and will be driving some distance to another town where they have more stores to purchase the single disc version. Why? Because they have a competition to win a trip for two to the red carpet premiere of New Moon... in LA... and I won't win if I'm not in it... so I'll give the single disc to my BabyGirl for her birthday. But she's not coming on the trip with me lol.

ANZAC Day on Saturday. BabyGirl will be marching for the first time with the Guides, and will be wearing her great grandmother's medals. TheBoy used to march with the Scouts but hasn't rejoined since we moved. I'm looking forward to it, in large part because i used to march with the Brownies when I was a child, down the same streets to the same Memorial. There's a fair chance this march will be better than the Palmerston one, which only once featured a band of any kind (one snare drum, one bass drum and one bagpipe) in the time we were attending. Also, the marching amongst the non-vet's was sloppy in the extreme. Year before last, the Scouts had eight people marching, including one leader who sported a uniform shirt but a pair of blue stubbies and they wandered along as though out for a stroll. I was absolutely disgusted. Looking forward to some good marching music too.

So if I have to drive tomorrow I must go to bed now...

So I went from doing an easy three hour afternoon shift to a long long 7+ hour shift on the door. Lots of standing, strolling around the front when the legs or back hurt too much, occasional relief on the register. Now I'm so tired i can barely think. The problem is, I didn't get to hand my form in to the dole office, and I could use this time to apply for more work. But I need to go to bed and get my beauty sleep. Or at least snuggle up and watch a dvd. I always feel like I should be "doing" more, instead of getting needed rest and relaxation. This is because the Australian tax payer gives me an allowance on the proviso that I spend time searching for work so that "They" don't have to pay me any more. Hang on, though... I AM an Australian tax payer and have been for a long time. So why do I feel guilty that, having worked all day, I need to rest rather than trawl the net on the off-chance that tonight might be the time I find That job.

So I'm off to bed and will update when I am slightly more coherent.

Seriously, at this point, I really wouldn't mind if Jasper Hale wanted to suck my blood out through a paper cut on my finger. My shoulder and wrist hurt from two five hour shifts in a row. My house is a mess. I have to pay my fortnightly visit to Centrelink in the morning to hand in my form and pretend I actually enjoy applying for jobs and getting rejection after rejection. In perspective... my life ain't so bad... but watching Jasper suck on my finger would provide a little adventure, to say the least.

New Moon casting: Graham Greene *woot* as Harry Clearwater. Daniel Cudmore (Colossus, for X-Men fans) as Felix *phew* that man is Built. Christopher Heyerdahl, Michael Sheen and Jamie Campbell-Bower as the three Volturi leaders. Charlie Bewley, an unknown, is playing Demetri. I will give him the benefit of the doubt but I really wanted Ben Barnes to play that role.
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One thing I enjoy about working at Target is being in the right place at the right time to snap up the bargains. The markdowns are usually done by the ladies at the refund counter, which is, naturally, right where the registers are. So we get to see what is being marked down, and the refunder usually lets us know if there's anything of major interest. The trolley full of items also gets left by the counter for a while and we get to poke and pry when it's quiet enough. Today I picked up a silicone square cake pan and a silicone strainer for $5.87 each, plus I found two stationery packs reduced from $19.99 to $5.86. I bought them to put away for the start of school next year, when the kids always need new stationery. I did miss out on some very cute and cheap Hello Kitty stationery tho, as I wasn't working there yesterday. Wonder what fabulous bargains tomorrow will bring my way...

I found a lovely dress for my wedding anniversary party. I'll post a link later. I'm also nearly paid up on my dress for Nyssa's wedding. Just have to get on to the lady who is making the jewellery with some design ideas, and find some suitable shoes.

Oh, by the way... yes, I'm talking to you, the customer... it is not my fault if your pram with the extra wide wheel base doesn't fit down my register aisle. We provide a wide aisle for that purpose - Use. It. It is not my fault if a product does not have a price on it, near it or if the product is not in its rightful place. I'm here, at the register. I do not work out on the shop floor. Also, it is invariably another customer who has picked up an item and then discarded it in another location. If the assistants out on the floor spent all their time returning stock to the correct place, there would be no prices on the shelves... right, I see you're beginning to understand. There's hope for you yet.

have you ever had a job that you would have done for nothing? For me, being a tutor was the best time. I think I learnt (or relearned) as much as the kids I tutored. I was happy, active physically and mentally, and felt that I was spending my time in a worthwhile occupation. And then, there's now... two casual jobs that I'm doing for the money and no other reason. I enjoy working at Target and tolerate working at Macca's, but I'd much rather be a stay at home mum, even though my kids are at school. I'd love to be at home, the house would be clean, we'd eat proper home cooked meals, my scrapbooks would be up to date, I'd be writing every day, I would volunteer at school...

But, it cannot be, not while the world economy, and therefore our own financial situation, continues on its downward slide. I find myself thinking more often that we should have stayed put in Darwin, with our house and the affordable mortgage, two secure jobs, mostly happy kids and my place within the school community... not to mention my grandson and watching him grow up. It's so easy to say now, a year on from the move, that it was a mistake. Maybe it was, maybe it was the best thing we could have done at the time. I am enjoying being able to drive off to see my Mum any time I want. I enjoy being a part of our tiny branch of the Church, and being able to head off somewhere for the weekend if we so desire. So it wasn't a mistake, was it? It was a choice between one good thing and another.

Did anyone hear about the Emirates plane which dragged its tail at Melbourne airport a few weeks back? My (second)cousin (once removed) was on that plane. She was flying back to England to visit her son, which she does every year. That it was pilot error (they input the incorrect fuel weight, apparently) is extremely scary. That the passengers were put up in a hotel at the airport at the airline's expense, but left without food and access to their luggage is an example of extremely poor customer service. My cousin is diabetic and needs to eat at regular intervals to keep blood sugar levels where they should be.

Today's Statistics:
Km's walked - not many
steps taken towards becoming an Australian Citizen - none
cards made - none (yet)
days until Twilight on DVD - 7

Chocolate... for any reason! Chocolate is my biggest downfall in the eating healthy plan. I try to eat only dark chocolate, with all its wonderful antioxidants and other benefits, including the feel-good factor. But eating half a family sized block of dark chocolate in one sitting kind of defeats the purpose. I love Easter chocolate too, but have managed to limit myself to one small size egg this year. I still remember the mostly sickly, sinful, gluttonous Easter I had. A friend had bought me a huge, and I mean HUGE Easter Egg, all prettily wrapped in pink foil and a pink bow, and I had a jar of rum butter left from Christmas... so I sat alone in my lounge room, TV for company, and broke of pieces of chocolate, dipped them into the Rum Butter and ate the lot! It was delicious, it felt sinful and it seriously improved my mood, but I paid for it twice... through the night when I began to feel sick and when it all ended up on my hips and thighs and refused to leave!

Ah, Easter... for some it's about chocolate, and I can't fault that. For some Christians it's about mourning the crucifixion of Christ, for us, it's about remembering his sacrifice and rejoicing in his resurrection and all it means for us. Today, we were blessed to hear the words of our leaders at the April General Conference, which happened last weekend in Salt Lake City. We drove to Traralgon and that gave us the chance to meet up with friends old and new. There was a nice lunch served between sessions too which meant time to chat and exchange news.

On the spur of the moment we asked the elders to stay for tea, since they had traveled with us. It's always fun having them around, and uplifting too, they have such a special spirit with them.

Can't have too many wins without a fail or two... I had arranged to visit some friends tonight to show their visitor our wedding album... which is of interest to her since she was at our wedding. Having asked the Elders to stay, we promptly forgot our plans, and I remembered a few minutes ago, far too late to be calling them.

We have to start some serious house-hunting this week. Our lease is up in May and the owners will be back mid-July. I'm really not ready to move again, but this place is too small for us anyway. It was good to have somewhere to move into immediately but we all need a bit more space. things haven't happened as we'd planned, i.e. neither of us has permanent work, therefore no one will lend us money to buy a house. Although most of the proceeds of our house sale are invested and untouchable, the money we do have available is slowly slipping away and not being replaced by weekly income. It's not all bad, however, there are still good prospects.

I miss my grandson, and am anxious for August, when we visit Darwin for Nyssa and Glen's wedding. I feel guilty for having moved away from them, yet I needed to be closer to my mother.

I'm also planning a big celebration for our fifteenth wedding anniversary at the end of this year. Stay tuned for details.

Ah, Easter... for some it's about chocolate, and I can't fault that. For some Christians it's about mourning the crucifixion of Christ, for us, it's about remembering his sacrifice and rejoicing in his resurrection and all it means for us. Today, we were blessed to hear the words of our leaders at the April General Conference, which happened last weekend in Salt Lake City. We drove to Traralgon and that gave us the chance to meet up with friends old and new. There was a nice lunch served between sessions too which meant time to chat and exchange news.

On the spur of the moment we asked the elders to stay for tea, since they had travelled with us. It's always fun having them around, and uplifting too, they have such a special spirit with them.

Can't have too many wins without a fail or two... I had arranged to visit some friends tonight to show their visitor our wedding album... which is of interest to her since she was at our wedding. Having asked the Elders to stay, we promptly forgot our plans, and I remembered a few minutes ago, far too late to be calling them.

We have to start some serious house-hunting this week. Our lease is up in May and the owners will be back mid-July. I'm really not ready to move again, but this place is too small for us anyway. It was good to have somewhere to move into immediately but we all need a bit more space. things haven't happened as we'd planned, i.e. neither of us has permanent work, therefore no one will lend us money to buy a house. Although most of the proceeds of our house sale are invested and untouchable, the money we do have available is slowly slipping away and not being replaced by weekly income. It's not all bad, however, there are still good prospects.

I miss my grandson, and am anxious for August, when we visit Darwin for Nyssa and Glen's wedding. I feel guilty for having moved away from them, yet I needed to be closer to my mother.

I'm also planning a big celebration for our fifteenth wedding anniversary at the end of this year. Stay tuned for details.