One of the things that makes me smile here in Oz is the lovely way the locals abbreviate words and names. Ambulance crews are "ambos", firemen are "firies", swimming costumes are "cozzies" and of course, the ubiquitous barbecue is a "barbie".
The names things is great fun too - DD and I were reading in the International Express the other day about an (australian) motorcyclist who had performed a stunt jumping over the half open Tower Bridge - his name was quoted as Robbie something (sorry if he did it for fame and so people would remember his name - I can't!). DD pointed out that surely if he was an Aussie "Rob" he wouldn't be known as "Robbie" but as "Robbo"! Anyone called Jon here ends up being called "Jonno", Steve become "Stevo", James becomes "Jammo" and so on! Actually, thinking about it, this seems to be a purely male thing! Can't think of any female names that get shortened/lengthened in the same way, although I have to admit that Bonny the Devil Dog does often get called Bonno.... but then she also answers to Bonzo, Bons, and several unmentionable names as well!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I can see - it's a miracle!
Well, had laser eye surgery today, and so far, so good!
Really thought I was going to come out of there with great padded dressings on both eyes, so expected to have to be guided home by the lovely friend that kindly drove me there and back. However, came out of there already able to see better than when I went in, and apart from some slight dryness in the eyes now (7 hours later) all is good!
After doing the paperwork and handing over the credit card, I was taken into a small room and talked through the eye drop routine, given a tamazepan to calm me down and make me feel a bit sleepy (it didn't!) then sat in a very comfy chair to wait my turn. Nice nurse came and took me into the surgery room, where I was kind of expecting to be given some sort of sedative, but no, just some anasthetic drops in the eyes, which stang (stinged? stung?) very slightly, laid down with head in a little hollow (I thought they might put some kind of keep-still brace on, but no, just the hollow), surgeon (opthalogist?) came in, chatted with him about last night's tv (an eye op, would you believe it?), he lined up the laser, made a little flap in the eye (I didn't feel a thing, just kept looking at the green light!), told me the laser would take 10 seconds, slight smell of burning, counted to 8, and all done! Moved on to next eye, repeated procedure, ten minutes later walked out of there, already seeing better!
My wonderful friend drove me home, four hours lying in bed with my eyes closed, woke up when the kids got home et voila! Can't believe it's been so easy - most painful part was the paying for it!
Still early days obviously, and must concentrate on putting drops in when due, and resisting urge to rub eyes at all but all being well, so far so good! Got to go without a shower for 72 hours though, so hope the deodorant is up to the challenge!
Really thought I was going to come out of there with great padded dressings on both eyes, so expected to have to be guided home by the lovely friend that kindly drove me there and back. However, came out of there already able to see better than when I went in, and apart from some slight dryness in the eyes now (7 hours later) all is good!
After doing the paperwork and handing over the credit card, I was taken into a small room and talked through the eye drop routine, given a tamazepan to calm me down and make me feel a bit sleepy (it didn't!) then sat in a very comfy chair to wait my turn. Nice nurse came and took me into the surgery room, where I was kind of expecting to be given some sort of sedative, but no, just some anasthetic drops in the eyes, which stang (stinged? stung?) very slightly, laid down with head in a little hollow (I thought they might put some kind of keep-still brace on, but no, just the hollow), surgeon (opthalogist?) came in, chatted with him about last night's tv (an eye op, would you believe it?), he lined up the laser, made a little flap in the eye (I didn't feel a thing, just kept looking at the green light!), told me the laser would take 10 seconds, slight smell of burning, counted to 8, and all done! Moved on to next eye, repeated procedure, ten minutes later walked out of there, already seeing better!
My wonderful friend drove me home, four hours lying in bed with my eyes closed, woke up when the kids got home et voila! Can't believe it's been so easy - most painful part was the paying for it!
Still early days obviously, and must concentrate on putting drops in when due, and resisting urge to rub eyes at all but all being well, so far so good! Got to go without a shower for 72 hours though, so hope the deodorant is up to the challenge!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Harry Potter
Went to the drive-in on Saturday to see Ice Age 3 and the latest Harry Potter film. Had never been to a drive-in cinema before moving to Adelaide, but it's a great thing to do. It's much cheaper than the 'normal' cinema - quite an expensive family night out on any night other than cheap Tuesday - and it cost just $40 per car for the two films. The night was fairly mild, but we loaded the back of the Territory up with pillows and bedding, put the back seats flat, and arranged the four of us in various positions with reasonable views of the big screen. You then tune your radio into a particular frequency for the soundtrack, and you're away! We always take snacks and drinks with us as well, as the stuff on sale there is pretty average at best.
Ice Age 3 was great - pretty predictable, but you get what you're expecting - good animation, feel good story line, few laughs along the way. I found the Harry Potter film really disappointing though - mostly filmed in almost total darkness, or monochrome, trying to be all "arty" - and pretty hard to follow unless you've read the books. I was disappointed that there weren't any good mythological animals in this one (apart from a dead 'spidery' one), Hagrid hardly featured, and despite reading a few reviews that raved about the 'humour' in this episode, I don't think anything in it caused me to even crack a smile! I really think the makers are relying on a loyal fanbase to make the film a success, whereas as a standalone film, it would sink without a trace! Luckily DD has read the books, and was able to explain some of the more obscure bits (there were lots!) to us afterwards, although even she said there were loads of bits left out.
All in all, a bit of a disappointment.
On a completely different note, I really wish I could stop caring about this damn Ashes series: found myself feeling quite depresssed driving to work this morning, hearing that the Aussies were only 5 wickets down! It's just a game...it's just a game....I don't care... I don't care.....ohhhhhhhhhhhh I do care, I do!
Ice Age 3 was great - pretty predictable, but you get what you're expecting - good animation, feel good story line, few laughs along the way. I found the Harry Potter film really disappointing though - mostly filmed in almost total darkness, or monochrome, trying to be all "arty" - and pretty hard to follow unless you've read the books. I was disappointed that there weren't any good mythological animals in this one (apart from a dead 'spidery' one), Hagrid hardly featured, and despite reading a few reviews that raved about the 'humour' in this episode, I don't think anything in it caused me to even crack a smile! I really think the makers are relying on a loyal fanbase to make the film a success, whereas as a standalone film, it would sink without a trace! Luckily DD has read the books, and was able to explain some of the more obscure bits (there were lots!) to us afterwards, although even she said there were loads of bits left out.
All in all, a bit of a disappointment.
On a completely different note, I really wish I could stop caring about this damn Ashes series: found myself feeling quite depresssed driving to work this morning, hearing that the Aussies were only 5 wickets down! It's just a game...it's just a game....I don't care... I don't care.....ohhhhhhhhhhhh I do care, I do!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Disappointing reading
Don't you hate it when you get to the end of a book and feel that the writer kind of lost his enthusiasm for the plot? Just finished reading The Lake House by James Patterson, and it really seemed like he got past the middle of the book, having carefully built up the plot, the background, the characters, then got bored with it all and rushed an ending, not tying up any of the loose ends, not resolving any of the issues, and - having got characters into situations - just forgetting about all that, reintroducing them into the narrative with no explanation of how they'd escaped their earlier predicaments! I feel seriously cheated - especially as I wasted serious time when I could have been reading something better - or even doing housework - struggling through to the end!
Shame on you James Patterson! It felt like one of those high school stories you write in an exam, then when you realise you're running out of time, you close it all off with "and then he woke up, and it was all a dream!"
Definitely not one to recommend. Going to have a go at another Jodie Piccoult now - The Tenth Circle, borrowed a while ago from a neighbour (whoops!) Feel kind of reluctant to get started as her books are not the lightest of reading - perhaps I should wait till the kids are back at school for that one!
Day one of eye drops in preparation for laser eye surgery next week - can feel every muscle in my body tensing up with nerves at just the thought....
Shame on you James Patterson! It felt like one of those high school stories you write in an exam, then when you realise you're running out of time, you close it all off with "and then he woke up, and it was all a dream!"
Definitely not one to recommend. Going to have a go at another Jodie Piccoult now - The Tenth Circle, borrowed a while ago from a neighbour (whoops!) Feel kind of reluctant to get started as her books are not the lightest of reading - perhaps I should wait till the kids are back at school for that one!
Day one of eye drops in preparation for laser eye surgery next week - can feel every muscle in my body tensing up with nerves at just the thought....
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Struggling to support the Aussies
Look, I've been here nearly five years now, was born in Australia and am the proud holder of an aussie passport.....but however hard I try, I can't bring myself to support the Australian cricket team! I'm sorry, I've tried, really I have....
It's made harder by the fact that Ricky Ponting - the Australian captain - seems incapable of doing the correct things with his mouth! He talks with it barely open, can't keep it shut when he's chewing, and as for the dribble that comes out of it....or do I mean drivel?...!!! Every time the camera panned onto him at Cardiff yesterday, he was chewing his gum with his mouth agape - made me feel quite ill - and then he spat it out on the floor! What a yob!
Give me Pieterson and Collinwood any day - at least their mothers taught them some manners!
And what's the idea of holding the first test at Cardiff? Did the English (English, you note, not British) team decide the home team advantage didn't apply to them? And isn't God Save The Queen the national anthem of Great Britain? What's the idea of some chesty welsh bird singing the "Welsh National Anthem" before either of the others?? Just hope the Barmy Army are suitably represented in the crowd.....
What with the Torchwood special and the Ashes both being in Cardiff, I must have missed the point when it was declared centre of the universe! Silly me....
It's made harder by the fact that Ricky Ponting - the Australian captain - seems incapable of doing the correct things with his mouth! He talks with it barely open, can't keep it shut when he's chewing, and as for the dribble that comes out of it....or do I mean drivel?...!!! Every time the camera panned onto him at Cardiff yesterday, he was chewing his gum with his mouth agape - made me feel quite ill - and then he spat it out on the floor! What a yob!
Give me Pieterson and Collinwood any day - at least their mothers taught them some manners!
And what's the idea of holding the first test at Cardiff? Did the English (English, you note, not British) team decide the home team advantage didn't apply to them? And isn't God Save The Queen the national anthem of Great Britain? What's the idea of some chesty welsh bird singing the "Welsh National Anthem" before either of the others?? Just hope the Barmy Army are suitably represented in the crowd.....
What with the Torchwood special and the Ashes both being in Cardiff, I must have missed the point when it was declared centre of the universe! Silly me....
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Ashes
What can I say? First day of the Ashes today (if it's not rained off by the English summer) - fingers crossed for Freddy and the boys!
And what about old Lance last night? Sooooo close to wearing the yellow jersey - go, boy, go!
And what about old Lance last night? Sooooo close to wearing the yellow jersey - go, boy, go!
The kids' favourite restaurant
Out for dinner last night to the kids' favourite restaurant, and - on a Tuesday - mine too! On Tuesdays at The Buckingham Arms, Walkerville Terrace, kids of 14 and under eat free, which means that for four of us the bill comes to around $50.
The Buckingham Arms has what is known here as a "smorgasbord" - or open buffet. There are a few places around that do a similar thing, including the Civic Park and Settlers at Ingle Farm, but what makes the Buck stand out for me is the civilised surroundings: some other places have a kind of "canteen" feel, but at the Buck the restaurant is comfortable, carpeted, really quite "grown-up"!
The food is good too - a great salad bar with small bowls of salad that get replaced and refilled often so everything is fresh, lots of sliced cold meats, fish, prawns (in and out of their shells), mussels and calamari, as well as the usual potato salad, tomato salad, pasta salad, and soup and rolls. Main courses have a choice of carvery roasts, casseroles, curries, stir fries, as well as things like samosas and spring rolls. Desserts have hot and cold choices and - and this is the reason it's the kids' favourite - freshly made doughnuts in cinnamon sugar, and an ice cream machine! And there is always a plate of cheeses with crackers and fruits. Coffee and tea are free, and there's a water cooler for when we are feeling really cheap and don't want to pay for drinks for the kids!!
Always come away from there feeling totally stuffed, because I can never choose between the main courses so end up having about three different platefuls!
The Buckingham Arms has what is known here as a "smorgasbord" - or open buffet. There are a few places around that do a similar thing, including the Civic Park and Settlers at Ingle Farm, but what makes the Buck stand out for me is the civilised surroundings: some other places have a kind of "canteen" feel, but at the Buck the restaurant is comfortable, carpeted, really quite "grown-up"!
The food is good too - a great salad bar with small bowls of salad that get replaced and refilled often so everything is fresh, lots of sliced cold meats, fish, prawns (in and out of their shells), mussels and calamari, as well as the usual potato salad, tomato salad, pasta salad, and soup and rolls. Main courses have a choice of carvery roasts, casseroles, curries, stir fries, as well as things like samosas and spring rolls. Desserts have hot and cold choices and - and this is the reason it's the kids' favourite - freshly made doughnuts in cinnamon sugar, and an ice cream machine! And there is always a plate of cheeses with crackers and fruits. Coffee and tea are free, and there's a water cooler for when we are feeling really cheap and don't want to pay for drinks for the kids!!
Always come away from there feeling totally stuffed, because I can never choose between the main courses so end up having about three different platefuls!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Hah!
LOLOL Call me a pathetic creature who takes pleasure in small things, but have to admit it made my day yesterday when I heard that the lad who had been selected over DS to play goalie for the district team (see May entry about nepotism) apparently got red-carded in the first match of the tournament for arguing with the ref! Hah!! Bet they wish they'd had a spare goalie now!!!
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