sugaryfun

Dear LJstan,
Long time, no post, eh?
I know I cheated on you with Facebook, but I miss your fandomy goodness. Will you take me back?

What's new in mah world? Running around after a very active little toddler who wants to pat strange dogs and eat random things she found on the ground, growing my hair out (it's almost through the annoying Long-Enough-To-Get-In-My-Eyes-But-Not-Long-Enough-To-Put-Up phase), tried to watch the Da Vinci Code but found it was not funny-bad but just plain bad, have become addicted to T2's Geisha tea (green with strawberries), and am finally really truly getting into learning Auslan (though so far just via a teach yourself at home course). That's about the size of it.

***

I happened to be awake in the wee small hours this morning to hear a chorus of kookaburras going nuts in the backyard, and reflected on the fact that I don't mind the birds, but if I heard say, a car alarm, that loud I'd be annoyed. I suppose it's mostly conditioning, since I have grown up in a green leafy suburb (hur hur) and come to regard birdsong (or in this case bird cackling) as normal background noise, but I think it's also that I have an attitude that natural sounds are good and manmade ones (except for music and speech, and the latter only sometimes) are not. It always throws me when I meet people who don't think that way. A guest who stayed at my parents' beach house for the weekend once complained that the ocean was too loud and kept them awake and I thought "what the Hell?! But it's pretty relaxing ocean noise!" I used to try and pretend that the sound of cars on a busy road near my house at night was the ocean. Then there are the nutters who phone the Council to complain that a frog in the neighbour's yard is keeping them awake (quite what they expect the Council to do about it I don't know).

So, anybody who actually reads this, my question for you is, do 'natural' sounds bother you at night? Do man-made sounds bother you more? Would you rather the whole bloody universe shut the Hell up and let you sleep?

***

Current Reading:
Between books, but thinking of starting The Well by Elizabeth Jolley. She's awesome. She started her writing career in her 70s and still managed to write about 10 novels before she died. So there's hope for me yet, right?

I've thought of some more.


Moving

"Are you unpacked yet?" No, we bloody well aren't and I'd feel better about it if you'd all stop asking. You try unpacking a whole house full of boxes on your own while minding a baby!

"Weren't there better located/nicer/cheaper places available?" Yes, there were but we decided to leave those for somebody more deserving. The Dalai Lama needs somewhere to stay when he's in town.


Employment

"Do you have a new job yet?" Just don't.

"Have you tried looking in the paper?" No, are there job ads in there? Fancy that! I get all my information about the outside world from the radio waves I pick up through my fillings.


Babies/pregnancy

"When are you having another kid?" Here, mind this one while hubby and I pop into the other room and get cracking on that.

"Are you pregnant again yet?"

"Is he/she a good baby?" No, she's an evil baby.

"Is he/she sleeping through." No, which is normal at this age.

"Doesn't she ever cry?" Of course she does. Want to keep her overnight and see what I mean?

"Why don't you just wean her?" 'Just' wean her !??! Because there's nothing easier than denying a hungry baby the one thing she really wants, which happens to still be the best form of nourishment for her, while putting up with aching boobs and mastitis. Why don't you just mind your own damn business?

"Have you got your weight back down yet?" Oh fuck OFF!



Got any others to add?

That's mah bloke right there.


I wish more people would come back to LJ. Facebook sucks on toast.

"Violence seems to have risen since people stopped going to church and reading the Bible. Society needs to get back to timeless values of doing to others as they would like others to do to them" ~Margaret Knights, Nundah
Letters to the editor, Sunday Mail (I should know better than to read it, I know).

Er, no. Violence has been pretty prevalent for thousands of years, including (maybe especially) among church-going, Bible reading (or Bible listening before literacy rates were high) folk. Religion doesn't stop violence. It's one of (not the only- I think folks like Dawkins are totally wrong on that one and demonstrate a lousy grasp of human nature) the CAUSES of violence. Sigh. I could write in to the paper but I don't think they'd print it.

Apparently young women are wasting time getting a tertiary education when we should be having babies. At least according to the PM.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/poli…

It has long been a source of annoyance to me that the government won't support me to study or look for work (while dependent on my parents I could at least get the dole, but apparently since I became dependent on my spouse instead I don't need it anymore even though he doesn't earn as much as they do- what the?) but they will pay me to have babies (and yeah, that is what I'm doing now, but because I want to, not because the government says I should). I also hate the way people act as though there is something wrong with a woman who doesn't want to have babies, or wants to have them but not stay home with them. Nobody looks down on a man who makes the same choice. It's the the 21st freaking century and we should have moved past this outdated sexist rubbish by now!

I hope you all had a good time on New Year's Eve. We had a quiet one this year, just hanging out with my parents, watching tv, then a glass of champers at midnight. New-parenting and partying don't mix too well. We're tired all the time, like a couple of old people. Ah well.

So my exciting life lately has been mainly trying the bub on solids. It's a whole new level of messy, for which I wasn't really prepared. Fortunately thus far bub is a very adventurous eater. She'll have a go at anything. It doesn't even have to be food. :/

I enjoyed having my better half home last week to spend some time with the baby and give me a chance to get some housework done and actually do some reading (of an actual paper book, not just audio! It so rarely happens these days!). There are some other amusing stories I could post, but I'm afraid they're all about poo.

What else...? Um...My bloke and I have been watching Veronic Mars on dvd. It's a great show! We've just started Season 2. Other than that life is mostly kidwrangling and early nights. Gotta try and get some more writing done on the weekends. Life is peachy. Looking forward to catching up with some more of you in the coming year.

***

Current Reading: I'm between books. What to start next? *ponders* I'm thinking maybe some Raymond Chandler.

***

Quote of the Day:

Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. ~Red Buttons

Hello peoples!

I'm still alive. November was a big month. I walked 10km in a night for charity and wrote a novel. Yep, I won Nanowrimo! My novel is absolutely terrible, though it may be fixable with substantial editing. The main thing is that I have proved to myself that I can do it. I have a lot of ideas for other stuff I want to write now that I know I can actually make the time even with the baby and everything.

December is going to be full of me rushing around trying to get done everything I was putting off in November, plus Christmas shopping and baking etc. I still haven't decorated the flat. I'll try and get on that tomorrow. Then there's parcels to send off (already late) overseas etc., etc. It's a busy life, but a happy one.

Bublet has almost cut her first tooth. Any day now. There is a razor sharp little bump in her gums. This does not bode well for me.

In other news, I have ordered a new hat, which comes with it's own theme song. You will understand if you see it. And if you see me, you will see it because I am going to be wearing it EVERYWHERE. It's just that awesome.

Here's hoping all you LJstanians are also alive and well. Take care!

***

Current Reading:
Slow Decay ~Andy Lane (a Torchwood book. These and the Doctor Who books are good for listening to when I want something that doesn't take too much concentration).

***

Quote of the Day:

But there's no sense crying over every mistake
You just keep on trying 'till you run out of cake

That is all.

Once again, long time, no post. I hope all you folks in LJ-stan are well.

I'm still baby-wrangling. My little one is teething already, which makes her a little cranky from time to time, but all in all she's getting easier to deal with now she understands the world a bit better and can entertain herself a bit more. She is utterly fascinated by the ceiling fan, and will stare at it for ages. Funny little thing.

I'm in a bit of a creative frenzy at the moment, busily trying to get in some writing while the bub's sleeping and working on various new projects I'll probably never get finished. At least I'm never bored.

Oh, she's waking up, gotta fly. Peace and love and hot strong tea to all!