Category: Stuff

Farewell old friend

/ Renae / 2 Comments

*sigh*

Last night Hubs and I watched the final episode EVER of Boston Legal. And it was a goodie. We actually did quite well to make it last so long for us, considering at one stage, we would watch 3 or 4 episodes straight on a Saturday night. (Oh yeah. We party HARD!) Overall we were very satisfied with this TV series. It seemed that whenever we didn’t like a character, they just seemed to disappear! I was okay with that. But then some characters we did like, would also disappear, without explanation. That was a little annoying. There were a few loose ends that were never quite tied up, but on the whole, a very enjoyable viewing experience.

So, what next? We may give Dollhouse a go, since we have season 1 already, and we’re also keen for The Wire. Decisions decisions.

In the mean time, I think Hubs is keen for a bit more Blackadder action, so we’ll see how we go.

And yes, I know I still haven’t blogged about our Tassie trip yet, but I haven’t downloaded the photos yet! They’ll be here soon, I promise!!

The value of money

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Why is it that I’ll happily spend $7 on a pint of beer that gives me less than an hour’s pleasure (and then a bloated feeling), yet I get cranky that my favourite BONDS undies have gone up from $5 per pair to $7 per pair in the last 2 years? Surely a $7 pair of undies is going to give me more pleasure (and use) than a pint of Carlton Draft??

This battle in my head happens quite frequently, especially when it comes to food/drinks vs anything else. Do I spend $7 on a Hungry Jacks meal or $7 on a second-hand top I’ll get a few years wear out of? What about a night out on the town? Back in my young, foolish, carefree, well-paying-job days, I wouldn’t be too concerned about spending $100 on a night out including dinner and drinks. Although, back in those days, I also wouldn’t think twice about spending $100 on a new pair of shoes.

I suppose my view and value of money has changed in the last couple of years. Hubs and I have been living off only my wage (with monthly bonuses from Hubs’ tutoring), putting all of our money aside for overseas holidays, and now a house, so I’m much more aware of where all of our money goes. And this isn’t a bad thing – it’s good to know that we can budget and prioritise. But we do miss being able to go out to dinner with friends and at the end, saying “this one’s on us.” Or going to a restaurant and picking a favourite meal instead of the most economical, or going to Woollies and not having to buy home-brand cheese. Gosh my life is hard 🙂

Valkyrie

/ Renae / 3 Comments

Hubs and I had a date night last Wednesday evening and after watching an episode of The Black Adder while we ate, we settled on watching Valkyrie. I wasn’t overly keen as I didn’t really know much about it and it sounded like a movie I’d have to think about while watching it. But it turned out to be a great film.

I actually kept forgetting that I was watching Tom Cruise, (who I’m not entirely hating right now) Eddie Izzard, (I knew I knew him but didn’t recognise him without the outrageous clothes and make up!) the old drunk musician, Billy Mack, (“Don’t buy drugs kids. Become a rockstar and you get them for freeeee”) aka Bill Nighy from Love Actually, and the old, straight guy from The Full Monty. I think this suggests some kind of success and achievement in a movie – for the story to be so engaging, that you forget you’re watching one of the most highly-paid actors in Hollywood.

I got so caught up in the story and became immersed in the characters’ lives. Although I knew how it was going to end (well, how it wasn’t going to end) it kept me in suspense the whole time. And I do love a movie based on (however loosely) a true story. I was also concerned that it would focus on the grotesque nature of war, but it didn’t have to – the story was good enough on it’s own, that it didn’t need that shock value.

I’d give it 4 stars out of 5 and highly recommend it.

Things I believed when I was a kid

/ Renae / 1 Comment

I’m a fairly gullible person, and my dearest darling father and dearest darling brother used to take advantage of that. Here are some of the more memorable things they convinced me of:

  • If you’re sleeping on the beach in a swag on Tryon Island, make sure you keep your mouth closed, otherwise turtles might mistake your mouth for a hole that they can lay their eggs in. 

I spent the whole night with a pillow over my head and hardly got any sleep at all. I was 9 years old! (And not very bright, clearly!)

  • At KFC, they chop the heads off the chickens in the kitchen.  

My brother told me he saw a chicken with it’s head cut off running around the kitchen and I totally believed him and started telling other people that. It wasn’t until they looked at my strangely that I knew I’d been had.

  • If you stand still in the back yard while you’re hanging out your washing, a big lizard might mistake you for a tree and try and run up your leg.

I used to make sure no one was home and I’d hang out the washing while marching on the spot. I’m not sure when I realised that my Dad was joking.

  • There are birds that have a very distinctive call, and it sounds like they’re saying “storm” with an up/down/up inflection. Dad convinced me that it was called a “storm bird” and that it was telling us when a storm was coming

I’m still not so sure about this one to be honest, as there often is a storm on the way when I hear them call out. I tell people the same story now 🙂

So there you have it. There’s a few examples of how my brother and father got their kicks out of messing with my head. I’d like to say I’m a bit more cluey now, but we all know that’s not the case. Or maybe I just pretend to be this gullible, just to make them happy 🙂

S Flat smells like my childhood

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Whenever I walk into S Flat here at College, I’m teleported back to when I was 5-years-old. I think it’s the combination of smells from cleaning products. It’s so comforting and lovely actually. It reminds me of honey sandwiches and nap time in the middle of the day. And sandpits. Ooooh and the Nativity play.

All good things. In fact, I think I need to pay S Flat a visit right now! You know, just because…

The final 3

/ Renae / 3 Comments

So since I blogged about choosing my own adventure, some new options have been introduced! And I’ve narrowed it down to these 3. I’m going to make my decision very very soon… Maybe…

Abseilling Forward Run – this sounds CRAZY fun and a little terrifying!!
Day Spa Pampering – a little more indulgent and I am in great need of a massage
Pasta making equipment – now this is a gift that will keep on giving!

Now I REALLY don’t know which one to choose, but it will definitely be one of these 3 as they are all so very appealing. Are these any more enticing than the last ones??

A numbers game – Melbourne

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6 – the number of times I’ve gotten caught in the rain without an umbrella
4 – the number of times I’ve been asked by tram inspectors for my ticket
0 – the number of times I’ve been busted without a ticket (cos I’m a good little girl)
3 – the number of $15 hair cuts I’ve had at Pivot Point hairdressing school
3 – the number of $15 hair cuts I’ve LOVED
3 – the number of pairs of Mary Janes I’ve bought down here
2 – the number of times I’ve almost been hit by a tram (I felt it was “almost” but I’m sure it wasn’t that close)
7 – the number of parmas I’ve had (not all at once)
12 – (at least) the number of marinara pizzas Hubs and I have consumed at Papa Gino’s
6 – the number of times we’ve vowed we’ll try somewhere new to eat, and ended up at Papa Gino’s
10+ – the number of places I’ve been to that I’ll never be able to find again, in the maze of alleyways that is the Melbourne CBD
20+ – the number of times I’ve complained about the weather since moving here
15 – the number of grapes I’ve eaten while writing this post 🙂

Choose my own adventure

/ Renae / 6 Comments

My dearest darlingest cousins and Aunty and Uncle bought me a Red Balloon experience for my birthday. Basically you get a whole lot of experiences to choose from, to do at your leisure and I’ve narrowed it down to a few options, depending on availability

Yoga Classes – 10 yoga classes at a studio in St Kilda
Sea kayak adventure tour – along the Mornington Peninsula
Coffee Tasting kit – although, I AM trying to reduce my caffeine intake…
Tea sampler gift box – now that sounds like my cup of tea!
Dolphin and Seal watching for two – just off Sorrento where we’ll be for Easter!
Stand up paddle board and sunset penguin tour – this sounds like SO much fun!!
Horse riding on the beach – might be a bit far from Melbourne, but how fabulous!

Decisions decisions! Deciding is half the fun! Which one would YOU choose?

Wifey 1. Bank 0.

/ Renae / 3 Comments

Well, I should give the bank a point as well. Let me explain.

I’ve been with the Commonwealth bank since I was 6 years old, when my parents opened a Dollarmite Account for me, and, in fact, I still have that account (without all the fun colouring-in stuff I used to get!) I used to take $2 in to school every Thursday in my deposit book, and watched my total slowly creep. (The I blew it all on kit-kats and Ekka show bags when I got my key card! Ha!)

Anyway, I also have a Credit Card with them that I’ve had since I was 22 and have NEVER missed a payment and NEVER EVER had to pay interest. So when I looked at my statement today to see a $25 late fee, I was gob-smacked. Then I had a look and realised we had been overseas at the time and I had gone over my interest-free period. I wasn’t really annoyed at the bank, per se, but I thought banks should work like car insurance – if you don’t claim in a year, you get rewarded. So having ALWAYS paid on time, I thought I should be rewarded.

So I called them.

Although I had to wait on hold (twice) and was on the phone for 15 minutes (not too bad, really), I presented my case to the customer care representative and she took a minute to look over my history and told me the following:

“I’ve just looked over your history and see that you are an exemplary customer, paying your credit card off and never missing a payment. I’ve refunded that $25 to your account now, and you’ll see it in the next couple of days.”

HOORAY!! As my mama always says “It never hurts to ask.” It wasn’t really about the money, more the principle, and it was a victory for me.