Excitement is an Understatement

Tomorrow we'll be landing in Alice Springs and starting our little outback adventure. I really hope the campervan we're hiring to be our vehicle and hotel room in 1, isn't going to be too squeezy or skanky.

Because accommodation costs are totally over the top out there, we decided to get one of these. It's got a fridge, so we can make tea & cook, and be quite independent. The thought of having to be part of a big touristy group is like hell for us. Of course, with me being a 5 star hippy (quote from brother-in-law), I think dinner at night may have to be in a real restaurant with white tablecloths - just joking JD - a cafe will do. And I've already booked a nice hotel for our last night back in Alice for a nice cushy end to the holiday.

Can you imagine this is the type of stuff I'm going to see? Too wild.

So, back next week guys.

Enough is Enough

I am absolutely no fan of the former Premier or his government, but what has occurred over the past few days is appalling. Obviously what he said about Helena Carr was disgraceful, but why the media kept digging and digging up more dirt on the guy and publicly humiliating him and his family is now the big question.

It seems kind of a no-brainer really for me - public humiliation and embarrassment and the concept of an unsuccessful future - is for most of us an incredible burden to bear. I feel very sorry for John Brogden and his family today, and really hope he can find the immense inner strength necessary for him to carry on.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Self Portrait Tuesday
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

I walked past this little boutique and the richness of the colours within grabbed me. It's quite over the top, opulent, and crammed full with goodies. OK so this doesn't have anything to do with me apart from that it's located in the suburb I grew up in and I'm in the shot. I actually don't like shopping much at all. I rarely buy clothes, mainly because for years now I just don't see anything I like and if I do, it costs over $300.

Why Don't They Pay Up Themselves?

Tomorrow is the beginning of the 5th annual Forbes Global CEO Conference. It's taking place at the Sydney Opera House. Apparently, both the Federal and NSW governments are going to fund the conference. A government source suggested both are spending up to $1million each, although costs aren't being divulged "under contract arrangements". The State government is also providing free police protection at the conference. Security will require 200 police a day, at an estimated cost of more than $500,000. According to the government, the large police presence is required because the event has been assessed "medium risk". A number of Global Justice and peace groups have pledged to protest at the conference.

Sorry, but I don't understand. The people attending this conference are amongst the richest in the world. They are the CEO's of all the world's most powerful companies. The Forbes meeting does not have the official profile of meetings of international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, but it is one of the international gatherings designed to further imperialist hegemony.

Why are we the taxpayers footing the bill for the security? The organisers should be doing that themselves or better yet, be spread amongst all the attendees.

This is SO WRONG.

Un-Australian??

There are so many things wrong with this country right now I don't know where to start really, so this post is just highlighting just one sad aspect, but if our pathetic, fear-mongering, racist, fascist leaders actually somehow pull off this crazy idea of banning the hijab being worn in State schools I am seriously going to have to think about leaving. And hand in hand with that ridiculous idea is the notion that there is this tangible thing called "being Australian". How the hell can "Australian" be identified in characteristics and way of life? There are almost 20 million of us now living here, and who knows how many living overseas - I know that the way I live and think is different to more than 2/3rds of the people in my little street, let alone the whole country. Am I un-Australian? I probably am because I know I am so in the minority when it comes to talking about who should run the country, should we be at war, etc etc. But really, what is being Australian? I think it should be about being open, tolerant, inclusive, respectful. But then again, look at our track history, about 200 years ago we weren't any of those things.

Friends New House

friends new house
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

This is such a cool house. I can't really show you more without infringing on their privacy. My friends have just bought this place - I think you call this art deco - and it's one of the few left in this area. The cactus out the front is almost as tall as the house. The house next door is also pretty cool and looks like a grey curvy bunker. Very groovy. Well done guys!

Sunday Night

Food, family, friends.
Cricket, cool commentary, Clarke just got out.
New Dyson vacuum cleaner, shiny clean floors, dust & allergy free air.
Sore ears, throat feels like swallowing glass, hoarse voice.
That's pretty much the weekend in words.

Monkey's Wedding

monkey's wedding
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

It's been one of those days. Sunny, sprinkling, raining, sunny. A long time ago the very esteemed Richie Benaud and Michael Holding were talking about rain showers and cricket of course. It was then I heard for the first time the term "a monkey's wedding", and it has stuck ever since. In Jamaica when the sun is shining and the rain is falling at the same time, they say: some monkeys somewhere are having a wedding. I think it's a cool theory and saying. And so whenever this happens it really puts a smile on my face and I feel instantly happy.

The Week that Was

Got to see my favourite girls a few times this week, including a nice sushi picnic today with my Mum and sister and niece at my favourite harbour beach.

Caught up with a friend who now lives in Brisbane for dinner during the week. So now I'm planning when I'll go up to see her. Another friend in Melbourne has also invited me down. So the next couple of months may see a bit of travelling going on.

Had an interesting time at the German Embassy yesterday - JD needs a new passport - and like all embassies (I remember the one in Bonn and Washington DC) the people are kind of officious. Hopefully all goes well because he's taking off in 16 days.

And the vacuum cleaner broke. It has been testing our patience for a while now, we've had several exploding bags which left us and the whole house gasping for air and covered in dust and grit (JD had been excavating the fireplace) but this time I was changing the bag and opened the lid and then the hinge just bent out of place and broke - meaning it cannot be closed anymore. Great. Therefore the house is so dusty and our new rug still molts it's furballs. Makes me feel icky. So we're probably going to get one of those bagless Dyson's tomorrow. How exciting.

This is Bad

So apparently those white wrist bands we all bought for Make Poverty History are actually made in sweat factories in China. This article via Antipixel is appalling news.

New Purchases

I don't know about anyone else, but for the past few years I'v been finding it really hard to buy a pair of jeans that fit right, don't show off your undies when you sit down, and aren't like wearing a pair of tights. I did that last look in the 80's and I just can't go there again. So after many shopping trips and I am not kidding, probably something like 80 pairs of jeans later, I found a pair that I like and fit all my criteria for purchase - except the price was so OTT - but I just had to ignore that and now I have a nice new pair of jeans. For women over 30 I can highly recommend this style and brand.

And our other new purchase arrived at the end of last week and only yesterday did I get to start using it. It's lovely, and our new provider is making surfing the net unbelievably fast. Now I'm going to be more inclined to having a better look around and have more time for other stuff.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Self Portrait Tuesday
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

Nothing much more to add in words to this photo really except that this is me enjoying the sun on a nice piece of quiet harbourside - something I do quite often at different points around town. I find it grounding, relaxing, fun and necessary.

I started painting a few years ago and actually became obsessed with it for a while and painted every day. Right now I'm finding it hard to even pick up a brush as I don't think I have anything to say in this way. I hope my inspiration comes back soon.

Weekend Report

Friday afternoon we hit the road and ended up in a sleepy little town 3 hours south from home. The rest of my family were already there, the fire was blazing, the house was cosy, the girls were excited to see us, we had a mini violin concert from Jindi, and then a delicious dinner was on the table. A few bottles of wine and many discussions later we were off to bed with the anticipation of the next morning and what the day would bring, especially considering we had no idea of what anything looked like as it was well dark when we arrived.

We woke to rain, and it ended up hanging around alot of the day, but it didn't matter. A range of Australian native birds are backyard residents, and as soon as we put out the birdseed they came flocking around.

The little enclave we stayed at is surrounded by national parks on all sides. Just amazing. We got soaking wet and cold but it was well worth seeing this country in this weather as it added a whole new mood.

The wet weather as most Aussies know tends not to hang around much these days, so we had a blue sky sunny warm Sunday. We hit the coast and did a long walk and every one swam except me because I thought it was way too cold. One sad thing was that we saw 2 dead turtles and a sting ray on the beach, but I guess that's just nature.

The pace of things was very relaxing, and the house was really nice. It had everything we needed and we all can't wait to get back there in summer.

And lastly, we had a visit from these locals.

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Info Request for a Dummy

Does anyone know how to (or even whether or not you can) copy the thousands of bookmarks of your favourite websites so you can dump them in your new computer? OK that was badly said agreed but I am kind of technoed out right now and just not thinking straight.

We got a new laptop on Thursday and finally today I've started playing with it. And we also got broadband at the same time so I've been installing that. Basically I am feeling very scared at the amount of typing that might be in front of me because I have hundreds of bookmarked sites in loads of categories and I just can't believe that there isn't going to be an easy way of exporting this info.

So please if anyone can help - let me know soon.

THANKS!!!

By the way, had the BEST weekend down south. Absolutely breathtaking country - reminiscent of Byron or Noosa. Photos will follow soonish but there is much to do with the new computer until then.

ICE

ICE the only way to travel
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

Doesn't this just remind you of Cityrail? Not!

Because so many of our friends and family are spread out all over Germany, we need to travel as fast as possible over these long distances. The ICE trains are extremely fast, I think I've seen speeds on the digital screen in the carriages reading over 200km an hour. Pretty much equivalent to the speeds they reach on the Autobahn but without the hassle and stress. And we usually tend to go the restaurant as seen here for a nice refill. All of this and more to be enjoyed in a couple of months.

Little Angels

I've had the very great pleasure of seeing alot of my nieces this week and it's going to continue this weekend. Realising that I'm going to be away from them for a long time at the end of the year when I go to Germany I want to spend as much time as possible now with them. This week Jindi had her 1st athletics carnival. Hard to believe really. I briefly dropped in. The highlight was seeing my sister run in the Mother's race.

My Luthier

guitar
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

Well done & excellent work again! JD has almost finished guitar 2. This one is a beauty as well - with a cedar top and classical bracing. It looks amazing and it sounds pretty amazing too.

Puff Monster

If I weren't so vain I'd be showing you all how I look this morning. But it's too awful. I shouldn't eat cow dairy. It doesn't really agree with me. It makes me get blocked up, and my sinuses swell, which means on waking I am totally puffed up. So why have I been blowing the restricted cow dairiness this week? Because I just had to. I bought a smallish can of Milo, and have been having 2-3 cups of it a day with goat milk, but the Milo itself is full of things I can't have either - and I bought some nice cheese, Danish Blue and a vintage cheddar, and they're pretty much gone as well. Every now and then I just can't ignore these cravings, but how I regret it when I look at myself in the mirror right now. Dumb.

Must Have

Found this via Treehugger & Land+Living. Out in a couple of weeks by Marta Serrats and Universe Publishing.

"In an age of "McMansions," this international survey of the latest in residential architecture proves that small is beautiful-and responsible. The houses profiled are designed to make maximum use of the smallest possible footprint in order to protect the environment. The houses profiled here prove that efficiency as well as beautiful, thoughtful design can be had in a tiny setting. Each project includes a case history describing its design challenges and how the architect overcame them, a detailed blueprint for each house, full-color photos of the interior and the exterior, and plans of the layout."

Can't wait to get my hands on this. Living in a tiny little terrace house in almost downtown Sydney I know too well the need for excellent design of small spaces.

Having grown up in here, seeing this city grow and become a full metropolis with all the good and bad trappings of modern existence, witnessing pollution increasing and suburbs sprawling out into the bush I know that I won't probably be growing old in this city. So we're already thinking about buying some land and building ourselves a little eco-house with as small a footprint as possible surrounded by lots of trees and land near the ocean but with a view. Not too much to ask really is it?

Huge Respect

Whether it's a vote winning policy or not - you've got to hand it to Gerhard Schröder for standing up for what he believes in and telling the world and Mr. Bush that he and his government are totally against any military action being used against Iran and will not partake if that's the next course of action. On Saturday he spoke in Hannover (where I lived for 4 years) at his (SPD) political party's election campaign launch. I hope the Red-Green Coalition can hold power. This Schröder-Fischer combination has proven after 2 terms it has what it takes and represent both Germany and Europe brilliantly.

On The Road

2 New Years' ago we headed north for a few days to Hawks Nest and it's nearby beaches. I hadn't been to that part of the coast before, despite how close it is to Sydney. These sand dunes are amazing, and so is the whole of the Myall Lakes National Park. We only skimmed the surface of what's on offer up there and definitely need to go back and spend longer next time. On the way home we stopped at a house on the side of the road and bought 3 dozen delicious fresh unshucked oysters - they were awesome. I just came across these photos and had to share them with you all.

I Don't Like Cricket.... I Love It !!!!

I think the most obvious thing that has come through to everyone this tour of England is how much cricket is alive, and just how damn fine the 5 day game is - as it's namesakes goes - it's a real test of the players tenacity and skills. I've been fully off the 1-Day game for years now, even though it was probably the reason that I fell in love with cricket in the first place (oh and Kim Hughes had a tad to do with it as well).

So the series is all squared up with 2 more Tests to go. Even though the Aussies did brilliantly yesterday holding out and nearly getting all those runs needed for victory, they must now surely realise that their invincible days are over. Thank God - they were so boring, they were so not humble, they were so revolting to watch and I was always going for the opposition - but now they just seem more likeable - maybe it's that part of me that always wants to go for the underdog.

Good on the Poms though - they're really making it a summer to remember!

Self Portrait Tuesday

self portrait tuesday
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

Kath mentioned recently that working photos and not just thinking straight portraiture all the time would be a good idea. Yesterday I was meandering through many old files and found this from last year - I was playing with Photoshop at the time and can't remember what I did to this but I quite like the result.

A Long Time Between Drinks

Yes I'm still here. Since getting the flu, having a weird loss of use of my hand, pulling a muscle in my neck and shoulder and now nursing my husband with the same evil flu, I feel I have almost nothing to say, nothing to add, not much new done or seen to share - but I felt I better say hi as I see quite a few of you have been by lately.

Enough of sickness, there are some great things coming up for me.

This weekend my family (husband, mum, sister, her husband and 2 kids) are heading down south a few hours to stay at a beach-house in a secluded little nook. It seems like we may also be in luck with the weather - it hasn't rained now for ages and it feels like the beginning of summer again. It will be a weekend of walks, eating, indulging the kids and relaxing. Can't wait.

And the following Thursday, we're heading to Alice Springs and Uluru and Kata Tjuta for 5 days. For anyone who doesn't know where I'm talking about - I'm meaning the spiritual heart of this country - almost smack bang in the middle of this continent in the red sands that are billions and trillions of years old. That's a picture of Uluru above and probably one of the most synonymous natural images when you think of Australia. It's just a quick visit - we couldn't get more time but we are desperate to feel this place and wanted to do it before JD heads off to work in Germany for 3-5 months.

Apart from that tonight will tell us whether or not the Aussies can actually hold out the Poms and either score the 399 needed for victory or at least hang in there and not lose all their wickets. I've been loving this Ashes series - it's been a great competition and I think it's good for the Aussies to finally know what it's like to lose now and then.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Self Portrait Tuesday
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

This photo represents me in a few ways. This beach is always my refuge. And I wear Birks everyday. As house shoes and these are the ones for outdoors.

Today I am almost feeling fully human again. I'm trying to give my hands a break until I get full feeling again - so I'm avoiding this computer and surfing the net. It feels weird - I'm going to have so much to catch up on. So hi to everyone who still keep coming by, I will be posting again like normal very soon.

Kind of Back

Today is the 1st day since Monday's killer flu attacked that I feel together enough to think about posting. I'm still not 100% though, so again this is brief. What I thought was a quick 24 hr things has turned into something still going at 96 hrs. Apart from the typical hideous flu symptoms, I've also ended up with 1 eye sitting open at half mast that looks and feels terrible, and a weird sensation and lack of coordination in my fingers and hands - it's like all my nerves are on edge. It's horrible. And I've got no appetite and feel nauseaus alot of the time.

Thanks so much to those who wished me well.

Self Portrait Tuesday

mirror shot 4
Originally uploaded by love life live love.

I'm just emerging from the fever and 24 hour flu thing that came on yesterday.
It was incredibly intense.

Look closely, I am in this shot.

Since Last Time

Ok, this is going to be ultra brief even though so much has happened - because I am feeling so sick, a flu is coming, my bones, throat, hea, ears are aching.

20th School Reunion: Yes I said 20th. It was good. Almost everyone looked fantastic. The 2 best moments for me were linking up with 2 girls I befriended on day 1, stayed friends with for a couple of years and then we all drifted away from each other for some unknown reason. Drank too much as I don't usually do at all, and so Saturday was a haze of nothingness and feeling flat - my JD was lovely and doted on me all day so making it bearable.

Yesterday we had the most unbelievable morning at Bondi. We'd gone for our usual walk.
A helicopter and loads of boats were way out and watching it all it seemed like whales
were pounding around but it all seemed so extreme and so we thought it was a little
speed boat. Well we were wrong. As it all kep getting closer, we realised there were
whales, and they were putting on an Oscar type winning performance. They were breaching
and slapping and pounding the surface of the water right in shallow at Bondi for at
least half an hour. JD snapped a few moments. Thank you Universe for putting on this show.





More when I'm back on deck.