Category: A Whine

Technology can be a bitch

/ Renae / 2 Comments

So as you know, I’ve had my run-ins with various technological gadgets and gizmos, with mixed results. I think I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to trying new programs, e.g. for our music and photos, and if I’m shown how to use something once or twice (sometimes 3 or 4 times) I can usually pick it up pretty easily. And out of all the gadgets in my life that were going to be the next to potentially cause me grief, the last thing I expected it to be was my mobile phone.

I like my phone. It’s a slidey Nokia that I acquired off Hubs when I gave him the iPhone I got with my plan 2 years ago. I didn’t think I had much need for an iPhone and I knew Hubs really wanted one, so we swapped. This phone has been so good to me. I can use it with my eyes closed it’s so simple.

So yesterday I decided, for some reason, (maybe cos I have all this time on my hands) to make my phone more “adult”, particularly my contacts list. Instead of having contact names like “Hubs Mob” or separating “Mum & Dad Mob” and “Mum and Dad Home” I grouped all the numbers together and got rid of duplicates. I also changed names like “Erika Med” (hello!!!) to her full name, and for some people, if I thought I would wonder in a few months who on earth they were, I put a little note with their contact. Like for our Real Estate agent, I put “Real Estate” in her notes section. I also made sure all the mobile numbers were listed as mobile numbers, and home numbers as such. It took about 2 hours all up and I was so happy with my work.

As I was going to bed last night, I thought about how all my contacts are stored on my phone, and how if I lost my phone, the contacts would be lost too. So I decided to move them over to my sim card instead, as Optus backs up your sim card for you on their database so if you lose your phone, you don’t lose your data. Great idea right? RIGHT??? Wrong.

What I should have done is told Hubs what I was about to do and he would have said “sim cards can only hold 1 number for each contact so if you do that, it will split them all up again.” Why oh WHY did I not tell Hubs I was about to be clever and do this! I pressed “OK” thinking I was so clever, only to be horrified 5 minutes later when I browsed through my contacts. Instead of having, for example “Mum & Dad” I had “Mum & Dad1”, “Mum & Dad2” and that was for everyone with more than 1 contact detail, including the notes. All the mobile phone numbers had been changed to general numbers. All my notes were attached to contacts separately. I just couldn’t believe all my hard work had been tossed out the window.

In my despair I told Hubs I wanted a new phone. This may have been a little over-dramatic, but it was late and I was annoyed. I think the worse thing about this situation is that I thought I was being really clever, you know? I thought I was making my life easier. I should have known better.

Technology 1, Wifey 0.

The loaded question

/ Renae / 1 Comment

Is it just me, or do mothers-to-be get asked more loaded questions than the general public? Here is an example of a question that I don’t mind being asked:

“Are you riding your bike to work, Wifey?”

Here is an example of the “question” that I have been asked about 30 times since moving to Wangaratta and, shock horror, have been riding my bike to work:

“Your not riding your bike to work are you Wifey?”

“Well yes, is a matter of fact, I am. Wanna make something of it?”

Shouldn’t I be being commended for wanting to keep active and fit during my pregnancy instead of being told I should be driving the 1.8km to and from work every day?

Now, granted, I did blog recently about how I’m a bit unco on a bike, so when Hubs and I found a commuter bike at The Ceres Bike Shed a couple of weeks ago in Melbourne, I was in love. I’ve been meaning to blog about Ceres for AGES – ever since we bought our bikes from there 18 months or so ago, in fact. Ceres is basically a hippy farm (sorry, no offence) and amongst other things they have this totally awesome bike shed. Basically, you rock up, pick a bike that you want, which may be in good condition and just in need of a bit of tweaking (my first bike just needed a new seat and adjustment of the breaks) or at the other end of the spectrum, you can build a bike from scratch out of all the recycled bike parts. Cool hey?

This is what the “bike shed” looks like:

There’s also more of a “shed” looking thing where all the tools are kept. There are volunteers on hand to help you out, but the idea is, they give you some guidance, and teach you so you can learn how to do it yourself. The first bike Hubs chose only needed the gears replaced (or so we thought) but after 2 hours they realised it was actually beyond repair, so he had to choose another one which just needed some minor adjustments. That was our first encounter with Ceres, and we walked away with 2 bikes and a 12 month membership for $100. Not bad hey?

This was our second trip to Ceres about 6 months later when my peddle broke and I needed a new one. I replaced them myself and it cost me a whole $5. I felt very clever indeed.

So our third trip was a couple of weeks ago when I found my new little baby. Her name is Daisy. This is not the best photo, but how cute is she???

Hubs spent about 2 hours putting in the gears and new brakes while I just stood around and looked pretty. I can’t believe I didn’t take any photos of him working on the bike!!!

Every time I ride Daisy I feel like a clown in a circus (in a good way!) and have the circus tune in my head. You know the one. Just imagine a clown on a little bike with a honky-honky horn and it’ll come to you. I’m going to get Hubs to take a video of me riding this thing. I just love it! It’s so easy to ride and I feel so much more confident than I have on any other bike.

Now. There was a point to this post. Aaaah yes. The loaded question. Our neighbours, God bless them, are very concerned about me and Littlefoot, and worry when they see me walking to work each morning. And don’t even get them started on me riding my bike. “I don’t believe women in your condition should be riding bikes.” I actually waited until one of the drove out of her driveway this morning before I left so I wouldn’t get a lecture! I felt so naughty!

So yes, I am riding my bike to work, kind neighbour; I did ride my bike to work, concerned colleague; and I will be riding it home again this afternoon, for anyone who wants to ask.

Oh the Saints

/ Renae / Leave a comment

I don’t want to talk about the game on Saturday. Which is a shame since there are so many Collingwood supporters at work wanting to rub it in. It was so disappointing, especially after the previous weekend’s efforts. Oh well. There’s always next year.

(In case you haven’t heard, Collingwood belted St Kilda in the Grand Final rematch over the weekend. And I don’t want to talk about it.)

What part of “NO THANK YOU”…..

/ Renae / 2 Comments

….don’t you understand?

I filled one of my asthma med scripts yesterday at the Chemist Warehouse, hoping that I would “save up to 50% on prescriptions” but it turns out that that particular med isn’t on the list. I don’t even know what “the list” is or who determines what gets on said list, but I know that my meds felt like a social outcast, and my purse felt lighter after the transaction than I had hoped.

Anyway, as I was signing the script and picking up my drugs, the Pharmacist told me that I had been “selected” to participate in the Asthma script reminder program and all I needed to do was fill in my mobile number on the form and sign it. I asked what it was about and he again said all I needed to do was fill out my mobile number and sign the form and I would get an SMS telling me when I was due to come in and get another script filled. I said I didn’t think I needed the service and AGAIN he said “Please, all you have to do is fill out the form.”

This is when I informed him that I have had asthma since I was 7 and that I had been filling my own scripts since I was 18 and assured him that I didn’t need reminding. Yet he still persisted! I was getting so annoyed. I felt like they just wanted my details so they could harass me and that I should have felt privileged that I had been “selected.” I politely refused once more and as I turned to walk away, I saw him make a face like “Okay crazy lady. Whatever.”

It just really annoyed me. I’m quite sensitive when it comes to matters of privacy, and I feel that he just expected me to hand over my details for no good reason, AND he got all weird when I wouldn’t. I’m sure Hubs thinks I was being paranoid or whatever, but I just feel like we are asked for our personal details so often that we rarely question it anymore. Well not this little asthmatic. No siree. If you want my name and number you’d better
a) have a good reason or
b) be trying to pick me up
…in which case you will have my Hubs to answer to…

Those pesky magpies

/ Renae / 1 Comment

It’s been over 2 years since I’ve worried about being attacked by a magpie, but it looks like those fears are about to re-surface. In Melbourne, I never got attacked, and apparently it wasn’t that common for people to be swooped, for whatever reason. Growing up in Brisbane, spring was always a stressful time for me. I could hear the magpies calling out in the weeks leading up to their nesting, and my ears would prick up, my hairs would stand on-end, and the sweats would begin.

I had a few terrifying magpie experiences walking to school. One in particular that I remember was when I was about 16 and I was carrying my bass guitar to school along Herston road. I heard it coming and I turned around as it swooped past my head, so I started running. I ran all the way to school and had a massive asthma attack. As you can imagine, I walked a different way home.

If you’ve never been swooped, it’s really quite traumatic! My Dad cut out black and white cardboard eyes to put on the back of our hats or helmets to try and deter them, and I think it may have worked. I’m going to make some for my little hat that I wear to work each day cos I pass HEAPS on my walk to work. Apparently if you look them in the eye they are deterred, but I have no intention of trying to stare one down as it’s shooting towards my head.

Here’s hoping they’re too busy looking after their eggs to worry about little old me. Otherwise I’ll have to find a different way to get to work…

Sorry Jodi, it’s over

/ Renae / 5 Comments

I’ve read a few of Jodi Piccoult‘s novels in the last 12 months, but I’m afraid I won’t be coming back for any more. I’ve given her a few chances, and I’m afraid she just doesn’t deliver. I gave her a go with Nineteen Minutes and she disappointed me with her inability to get me to relate to the characters. Then I picked up Vanishing Acts in South Africa for ZAR30 and I ended up skipping parts of it that were so boring, but I had to find out what happened in the end. A complete disappointment – I have to say, one of the least appealing books I’ve ever read.

But I was saving the best for last: My Sister’s Keeper. That was supposed to be her best so I had it transferred from the Ballarat Library, and borrowed it from the Wangaratta Library a couple of weeks ago. Now, to give you a bit of background, I actually went to see the movie when it came out last year, and spent around 2 hours being manipulated by Hollywood, and basically blubbering like an idiot. But I quite enjoyed the story, and I could really get in to the plot and characters. Unfortunately on my way out of said movie, I overheard a fellow movie-goer exclaim “in the book, it finishes this way ____________ blah blah blah.” Thanks lady. No really, that was a great piece of information to share. (I’m not going to be a jerk and spoil it for the rest of you.) But as we all know, the book is ALWAYS better than the movie.

Or so I thought.

I finished it up last night, and by that, I mean I forced myself to read the final 80 pages in one go, just so I could get rid of it. And I’m a slow reader, so that took me about 2 hours. Of course it made me cry in the end (damn manipulative writing) but I had no sense of peace or justice. It’s like she drew this story out for over 400 pages and then got bored and thought “I’m just going to wrap this up right here and now.”

BAM. It’s over.

And there is no WAY I’m going to be looking out for her books any more. I understand that there are quite a few JP fans out there, and you’re entitled. I’m not trying to make enemies here. My main criticisms of her books that I have read are as follows:

  • She researches certain topics and just seems to show off with a bunch of information that really isn’t necessary to the story. It’s just distracting and a little obnoxious.
  • She writes in short bursts – paragraphs that you could have taken out of, or could put in to any book. It’s like she comes up with this really powerful paragraph, writes it on a big sticky note and puts in near her computer, waiting to fit it in somewhere.
  • The endings to her books are abrupt and unfulfilling. Everything gets wrapped up in the last chapter and I never feel any sense of resolution.

Good on her for making a great career out of writing – I think it would be a very hard road. I’m just not a fan.

Next on my “to read” list is The Other Boleyn Girl. Let’s hope it’s much more rewarding.

I don’t need this!

/ Renae / 1 Comment

Drama drama drama. I remember the days when things were simple. When ice cream cones from McDonalds cost 30c, when previews for movies only went for 30 seconds instead of practically showing the whole movie, and when you applied for a rental property and the Real Estate Agents actually returned your calls.

I’m not going to go into it right now, but all I can say is NOT. HAPPY. JAN!! And the people I’m dealing with had better come through with the goods, otherwise they’ll be hearing from me.

Why, oh why?

/ Renae / 2 Comments

Dear Channel 9,

I am a Queenslander living in Melbourne. I have embraced AFL and watched many games, and have attended several live matches as well. But like I said, I’m a Queenslander, so I’m a Rugby League supporter at heart. I was so excited when Victoria embraced Rugby League and was positively elated when they had one of the State of Origin matches at Etihad last year, which I eagerly attended.

I think you know where this is going.

I watched the first State of Origin match of the 2010 series from the comfort of my home, and I’m sure you can imagine how pleased I was with the result. I unfortunately missed the second match due to a Melbourne University function (only Victoria would book an event on State of Origin night), so for the last 3 weeks, I have been so looking forward to watching game 3. I know it was a “dead rubber” but when you love a sport, these things don’t matter. Plus, both teams still had a lot to play for – Queensland were looking for their first clean sweep since the 1995 and New South Wales were looking to regain some pride.

So, perhaps you can imagine my utter dismay when I turned the TV on at 8pm only to find Daryl Somers staring back at me. “It must be a mistake”, I thought. So I turned over to Foxtel to see if they were showing it live. And then I noticed the delayed telecast to start at 9:30pm.

Are you for real? You want Victoria to embrace Rugby League, so you delay the telecast of one of the biggest matches of the year? This makes no sense to me. Especially considering that there are a few Melbourne Storm players in the competition. I just can not fathom it.

Can you please tell me why you chose to do this? I noticed in today’s paper that you have axed Hey Hey because of poor ratings, which is even more frustrating, since I’m sure you would have had a number of Victorians wanting to watch the State of Origin over Hey Hey. I hope I don’t have to write another letter like this, this time next year.

Regards,
Wifey

NOTE: FYI I stayed up for the delayed coverage and watched Queensland win 23-18 in an absolute CRACKER of a match, and I’ll be posting this letter to Channel 9 today.

Wifey’s World Cup

/ Renae / 4 Comments

I wasn’t going to say anything, but as most of you know, I find it hard to keep my mouth shut sometimes. I’m talking about this. I didn’t actually watch this game, but a friend of ours at college has been watching most matches and was telling us about it the next day. After he gave me a run down of what happened, I had to check it out for myself. Here’s the story:

It was Ghana vs Uruguay in the quarter-finals. The game was being played with the usual amount of theatrics, as well as a lot of skill. At full-time, it was dead-locked at 1-1 (as so many soccer matches are) so they started extra time. Towards the end of extra time, it happened. (if you’re looking at the video link, it’s about 1 min 22sec in) Ghana were attacking and took a shot at goal, which was saved, then they had another shot, which was deflected, and on their third attempt, the ball was in. At least, it would have been in, if a Uruguay defender hadn’t used his hand to save the goal. Note I used the word defender, not goalkeeper. This defender took it upon himself to cheat to save the goal. It was so damn blatant and it has made me so mad. He cheated and that’s that. There’s nothing more to it. It was a certain goal, and he knew it, and he decided in that split-second to “sacrifice” himself (knowing he would miss the next game), use his hand to stop the goal, get red-carded and sent off, and give his team an opportunity to save a goal in a spot kick. (Incidentally, Ghana missed the spot kick – the player hit the crossbar. This is not the point).

I cannot tell you how much this has upset me. How it has taken the fun out of watching the World Cup. If this was a Rugby League game, and a player committed a professional foul to prevent a certain-try, the team would have been awarded a penalty try. This should be a rule in soccer. Now before you get all up in arms about how hard that would be to police, give me an alternative. Do we just let teams win any way they can?? Any way they want?? And you know the worst part about all of this? That cheater has been hailed a hero.

Yeah, well done for being a big fat cheater who cheats his side into the final. Nice work. Bravo. Three cheers for the big cheater. And the comments left on one of the forums really paints a sad, sad picture:

“congrats uruguay. you deserve this. the sacrifice made in this game shows you have true passion for soccer. sorry ghana, not a good day. GOO URUGUAY!” 
Passion is no substitute for fair play; for being a good sport; for not being a lousy cheater. (Or for bad spelling).

“Well, Uruguay played well and deserved to win. Suarez (the dirty cheater) made a wise move and paid the price for it.”
A wise move?? Paid the price?? Missing a game?? Aw the poor cheater misses a game. Waaah waaah waaah.

Seriously! What is this teaching young kids who want to play professionally one day? Winning is everything? Win at all costs? “Sacrifice” yourself for your team’s glory??

If Uruguay make it past the next round (I’m not going to watch their game) or if worse comes to worst, they make it through to the final, I’ll never watch another world cup game again.

Note: The Netherlands knocked Uruguay out in the following round. Justice has been done.

Goodbye Woolies

/ Renae / 1 Comment

I had always been a Coles shopper – the closest Coles to where I grew up was always nicer than the Woolworths – which was just across the road – and parking was easier as well. So I got to know the products and was happy to be a Coles shopper. Even when I moved houses, I would always look for the nearest Coles and choose it over Woolies. Then we moved to Melbourne and the closest supermarket was a Woolworths (or “Safeway” as they call it down here!!!!) so I switched. It wasn’t easy to do, but I made the transition and was quite happy about it. I got to know their products and days when things would go on special etc, and was a convert. I started looking for Woolworths/Safeway when I needed to do a shop. And the funny thing is, the Coles and Woolies near my parents house (the ones previously mentioned) did a bit of a switcheroo on me; the Coles is now dodgy and rubbish and the Woolies has been renovated and is totally awesome.

So I figured, that was it. I was a convert. I figured when we moved to Wang I’d find the nearest Woolies and continue being content. Alas, this will not happen. I will no longer be shopping at Woolworths. The reason? Woolworths is no longer accepting our CommSec Credit/Debit card. It has to be a savings account. Our card won’t work. I went to pay for my purchases and they told me I had to press the “savings” button, even though I told them it wouldn’t work. And what happened? It didn’t work. They said it was the bank that had changed, so I called the bank ready to give them a piece of my mind (albeit, a small piece!) but they assured me the change had come from Woolies.

So I went back to Woolies (the dirty, filthy liars) and asked the check-out chick about it and she told me the truth – that the powers that be at Woolies had decided it cost them too much to process the Credit/Debit card as a credit card, and so they had stopped accepting them. She also thought it was ridiculous. I can’t even change our account to a savings account, so now we’re stuck with a card that won’t work at Woolies.

So they’ve lost a customer. I know I know, I can get money out and pay cash, but it’s the principle. Why should I give them my business if they’re not going to make it convenient for me to pay? So now I have to convert back to Coles; I have to get to know their products and specials and the way they operate. And hope that they accept my card.

Actually, I’m hoping to do all my fruit and veg shopping at markets, and getting meat from a local butcher, and just odds and ends from Woolies Coles. Or maybe Aldi. Hee hee!

Has anyone else been inconvenienced by this?