I'm still around...

I've written a post about our weekend at Superbikes but it's all over the place, so I've saved it as a draft for now. I've been editing the thousands of pix hubby took for me and trying to burn them to dvds for everyone. I also had some medical appointments and stuff today, so was a bit busy too sit and rewrite.

Anyway, test results are back

1. No more steroids for a while. YAY!

2. Am allowed to restart physio. YAY!

3. My eyes are fine, the problem was my glasses. They were overpowered [L side x 2 & R side by 5] and the imbalance caused the blurry vision, headaches etc. So, new glasses YAY!

4. Got the bill and paid for new glasses and sunglasses [prescription] OH!

5. Still got a squillion boxes to unpack. Sigh.

Home Again, Home Again

We're back from the Superbikes at Phillip Island, had a great weekend. I got sunburnt/windburnt as usual. We were planning a leisurely drive back and lunch with the Daughter left behind and visit some friends. Just as we were packing, got a phone call to say Yoda was sick. Oy.

So, power packed and flew straight home on the freeways. If you ever need to know, it takes 3 and a bit hours from there to here on a direct flight. Oh and a headache and  a sickening feeling that you abandoned one of your babies in their time of need because you know no one here that could pick him up and the school don't have a sick bay and OMG he's sick! I was freaking out as I couldn't tell exactly *how* sick he was and the grandparents had already left to go home, so....

He's fine.

So today I am painting and gilding before my head explodes. Have to get the pix off the camera and choose some to upload. I'll tell all later tonight.

How Rude!

This magazine

http://www.euromoto.eu/news/Sport/737/Max-Biaggi-ritorno-in-MotoGP.aspx

pinched a photo my daughter took of Max Biaggi at the 2007 WSBK races at Phillip Island. No one even bothered to email and ask. I would have said it was okay but they should have asked first.

I posted it in my blog at the time as well as putting it into my Google Photo's. I had to dump it when the server got hacked but it's still in google photo's as a private album, so I have plenty of proof.

Obviously she's good enough if people are pinching her pics. She used that series of photo's in her portfolio interview to get into her course. We moved here so she could do her course because she wants to become a sports photojournalist. Now, what would have happened if the Lecturers happened across that same image and thought she'd pinched it?

Not Nice! especially as they've added their copyright to the pic. So, I've emailed them nicely to credit her or remove it.

We'll see what happens.

Still unpacking boxes.

oops..

sorry! been busy unpacking. No kangaroos to be seen but we do have a lot of kookaburras that you can hear laughing early morning and dusk. A lot of other birds as well, so far no kangaroos though. We have bushland directly behind our house and across the road is a small creek that runs through another lot of bush. Very similar area to our house in Townsville.

Kookaburras are good, means no snakes. There's also a walking trail in the bush behind us, so will have to go have a squizz.

The house is nice, former miners cottage extended and renovated with heaps of power points and data points. A lot smaller than the McMansion but everything looks like it will fit. Luckily we're down to 4 people though or no way would everything have fitted. We're on adsl here which I set up as soon as the stuff was delivered and Austar is on in time for the start of the racing season YAY!

My server host had a massive power failure while I have been offline. Apparently they are getting new parts in to repair it all. Wonder if the new construction behind their data centre caused it? Bit of a bummer as there are lots of unhappy people screaming in forums about it. Lots of conspiracy theories being concocted as well. A lot are jumping ship but I haven't really had many probs with them, so I'll stick it out. Pretty much, shit happens and the same thing can happen any host you use.

Mia starts her course tomorrow and Yoda goes back to school on Tuesday. His whole school uniform here is gray, he is not impressed LOL The day we started moving he stacked his scooter and landed on his knee on bricks. Ouch. So, off to the Dr, xrays and he's on crutches. No break but torn ligaments and a wicked bruise. He grazed his knee as well and it was the size of a balloon for a few days but has gone down pretty quickly. Every time we move one always gets sick or damaged.

Random update is done. Nite.

On the move

I'll be offline for a few days as we pack'n'go.

Don't do anything I wouldn't! :-)

What day is it?

Spent 4 hours at the hairdressers today :-) Well, not just me but the 2 youngest daughters as well.

Fingers crossed, this is the move timetable :

Prepack 11th

Uplift 12th

Delivery 13th

As this is our final defence removal, which btw is Number 8, we still get hotel accommodation and allowances for prepack and uplift days. I have to leave everything switched on here as No2 daughter is staying here until the 17th, then is staying with her bf for a few days until the girls can move into the house they've rented. Very convoluted. We're going up to get the keys on Friday and transfer the youngest to the Secondary College down the road from where we'll be living.

So, house is full of boxes and stuff to get rid of. So much fun. With any luck we'll be unpacked and settled by the 15th.  Then back down to Phillip Island on the 28th for WSBK weekend.

Oh yeah... Shrek toothpaste tastes nice. LOL Don't ask and you won't get a silly answer.

Hugs Bunnies, Catchya tommorrow!

Well, THAT was fun! NOT!

I'm going to remove the pwprotect and the hotlink tonight. And we shall see *g* Think I'll leave the blog at blogspot until it's all sorted though. If you don't want it to happen to you, don't post about namesofcontentmanagemts or they think you use one and try to attack it. If you do have one, read the forums to find out how to protect yourself.

2 hours of my life I won't get back waiting on the phone for tech support.

So, I've been learning the new laptop and Vista while I have been having my sabbatical. Doing the inventory. And redesigning my logo and site. Twill all be shiny and new. And painting and working. So, busy. and tired. and whatever.

Do you know how tiring it is to spend money? Never would have believed it, but there ya go. New fridge, dryer, lounge etc The child about to be kicked out of the nest a second time is in heaven as she gets all the old stuff. House is crammed as we have 2lots of furniture. We will be there by the 17th or earlier.

So hopefully...

this works. I've just switched back to blogspot and redirected the feed to feedburner so at least I'm partially back. Maybe.

Grrrr

I apologise for my sudden disappearance and locking everyone out. My server was kiddyhacked and I am currently offline as a result. Hopefully the attack will soon stop and I can reload.

Mia got accepted to do Visual Art, so we will be moving in 2 weeks. The house we have rented is very quirkily laid out, but we can make it work for 12 months until we decide if we like the city and want to buy. The house has just been renovated and painted etc, looks very nice although the picket fence is pale yellow, not white *g*
The 2 kidlets begged us to find a house in Jackass Flats, alas, we could not, so are living in Kangaroo instead LOL I kid you not!

Got our corp tickets for WSBK, so we move then come back 2 weeks later to Phillip Island. I am spray painting some tshirts to wear as I only have fan stuff in the old colours.

Got the new laptops yesterday, so have been setting them all up, it's been like a production line adding anti virus, firewalls, spyware etc. Everyone wanted a Logitech mini mouse like mine, so we trooped off to Officeworks. No mice were bought but came home with an LCD HDTV for a really good price *g* 34" so it fits into the wall unit nicely. The company has made really good computer monitors for years so we shouldn't have any drama's. It was even cheaper as someone bought it and returned it because it didn't have a digital set top box. They didn't even take it out of it's box. Bonus!

Anyway, I am off to get some sleep. Nitey nite, don't let the bed bugs bite *g*

OMG! Oh the Dramaz!

A big sorry to those who read in a reader. I have been having my images & bandwidth [amongst other stuff] pinched by people. Leeches. I thought that it would be better to put images back up but they were swooped upon again. So now I am trying the Ban Hotlink method. Which, has the obvious drawback of images not showing via the Readers. Le Sigh.

As I said, OMG the Internetz Dramaz!

So, Oh Wise One's... What do you recommend I do?

A/ Remove the hotlink protection and just go with the flow?
B/ Leave it and see how many people complain bitterly that they had to click through?
C/ Give up and don't worry about it?

I've been buying on Ebay for 7 years and never had a parcel go missing in transit until now :-( Bummer. I've never seen this particlar item before either, a miniature replica racing helmet. Seller was great though and refunded straight away, so no probs apart from not getting it. Oh well, maybe I could just buy the helmets blank and paint them to suit.

OTOH, I did just grab a wooden plan cabinet for $31- that matches the new drafting table top and work desk tops that Hubby just made for me. The others were either too large or too small. So,that's worked out well. It has wheels too! I can also plonk my lightbox on top of it and free up some space as well. Bonus!

I also got an invitation from an online Artist gallery which is local, so accepted that. Hopefully we get the new digital camera next week and the photogs in the family can take photo's of artwork to upload.

Well, best get going, I have to get dolled up and go meet a client.

Luvya's!

Zentangles

Here are my first couple of Zentangles. Sorry 'bout the image, my digital camera spat the dummy, so I used my phone.

Absolutely Amazing...

the things you find when you open boxes that haven't been opened for the last 4 moves! [pre 2000 at least] I was just going to chuck them but then thought I'd better see what treasure I had buried in the shed. Wayne Gardner and Max Biaggi stickers and stuff from ages ago as well as some mags that had Wayne Gardner, Kevin Magee and Daryl Beattie articles in them. I can't believe how young they all look. A black leather jacket I wore when I was in my Madonna phase LOL  A pink holden jacket we got in Ballarat while we were visiting friends.

Also in there was a menu I pinched from a restaurant that Zamm and I ate at in Burbank while I was there. I did tip well though *g*  Mickey Mouse ears I got at Disneyland and Lord of the Dance programmes. Weird badges I bought for Gawd knows what reason at the Star Trek casino in Vegas. Along with seventy billion keyrings. The snow goggles I bought immediately after getting off the ski lift while I was still in a state of panic. Because OMFG I can't see and I was in the air and Dad grabbed my backpack tilting me forward and I thought I was going to be a freaking news story. Mum & Dad still laugh at me about that, it's the $200- Impulse buy story.

From my childhood a ten pin bowling badge and softball trophies along with ribbons for 100m and the 4 x 100m relay. Along with photo's of me wearing the neck brace, 12 months of living in the tropics with long hair and a neck brace still makes me shudder.

A kookaburra [stuffed toy] that a friend gave me at least 30 years ago and my treasured Tenderheart Care Bear that I thought I'd lost in a move. I even bought a replacement on Ebay not long ago :-) My wetsuit I always wore while waterskiing[ never gonna fit in that again! LOL] and my gloves from speedway.

So, basically my whole life in a box.

So not chucking that kind of stuff out!

There's a few more boxes to go through now before we move.

Yes. We are. Tomorrow it's official. Hubby got upgraded today and gets out tomorrow TG!

Defining my focus

Sacred Geometry and Sacred Numerology is involved in what I'm working on now as a series. Basically. It's a bit more complicated than just saying it flippantly though. My biggest problem last year was defining what direction I wanted to go in. I got stuck in a loop of my making.

Some pieces will be on kangaroo vellum. Some on modern paper vellum from Spicers and some will be on Arches watercolour paper. All will have gold or palladium, silver sometimes but that will be sealed. Gouache or watercolour depending on the image. I always use watercolour pencils first to do the base image.

A lot of people asked if my art was religious and that had me a bit freaked. Not particularly, but I'm drawn to Iconography and Art before the Renaissance, Byzantine and Gothic to be specific as well as Celtic. I also love Art Noveau and Art Deco works. I love tattoos and in another life probably would have been a tattoo artist.

I'm not discussing my spirituality or religious beliefs through art, that wasn't my focus and I struggled with that. I also didn't want to be seen disrespecting any religion as I am not a political artist either. So, feedback good or bad is welcome, I don't get offended easily as long as it's honest. Art is subjective.

Anyway, images and wip's and parts of my paper process journal will start appearing here again now that I have defined what I'm doing in my head. Once I have it more solidified I'll put it here. I'm redefining myself and moving away from web design, which while more lucrative doesn't call me as much as traditional art. I have one large corporate client site to finish then I can move over completely.

Probably why Zentangles appeals to me as a relaxation tool rather than the scrunched paper method for inspiration. I doodle all the time anyway but Zentangles are more structured.

I tend to perfectionism especially in my artwork. Lines and colours etc have to be right and some pieces have been ripped up and/or done multiple times before it's right enough for me. A lot of people express horror if an artist rips stuff up but a process journal can only hold so much LOL 

Life has been chaotic with all the comings and goings and people's perceptions of me. I am not a cookie cutter Mum. I connect with my kids with the exception of one. I don't know why, but I just don't meet what she thinks a Mother should be. And that makes me sad.

But, I am who I am and 3 think I'm a great Mum. It's taken a long time for me to accept that she'll always be looking for the perfect Mother ideal she holds. She got imperfect me who just doesn't behave the way she wants and I have to stop trying to be that fictional person.

I wrote this to focus myself  and make sure I don't forget the direction. I don't like a lot of chaos, some I can handle but the jumble of life and what other people want me to be or think was too much for me in the last couple of years. So, please excuse the rambling while I redefine and sort my life back out. Thinking about how I feel instead of what I'm expected to feel, say or do.

Anyway, I have to go put my Mummy cape on as D3 is having a friend drama!

The Holiday.

We got to here [ Bridge between San Remo and Phillip Island] and smelt sea!

We stayed here [well, in a cabin to be precise!]

 

and ate breakfast with these every morning

while this lurked looking for his breakfast. Also every morning LOL

 

Then we spent a lot of time watching these guys

 

and these came to say Hi when we went to get lunch at the Visitor Centre.

We freaked out when this guy slithered out of the grass, a couple of feet away from us. [ Eastern Brown]

Which led to this.

 

We also went here

and saw this

as well as this [Blowhole in action]

followed by this sight when we had dinner.

 

and saw this friendly guy

We also went to the Penguin Parade and watched the penguins come in but you're not allowed to take photo's. We came home yesterday and just about melted from the heat!

Now, back to work!

Home Again!

Air conditioning YAY! We just got back from Phillip Island, talk about stinking hot. Had a good time though, took the kidlets to the Penguin Parade and to the Nobbies. Saw lots of motorbikes, penguins, seals, rabbits and a brown snake EEK! Photo's tomorrow as I am hot, tired and sunburnt.

Sigh....

Ok,changed to blogspot temporarily until the drama with the server gets sorted. It's been a couple of weeks already...

So much for my New Years resolution LOL

If anyone wants me, I'll be at Siberia...

well, the corner known as Siberia at the track at Phillip Island anyway LOL

I has been a busy bee. After a loooong time of having lots of people here we are finally down to 5 people in the house. So, I decided that before we go on holiday and then move in a month or 2  to have a huge spring clean and rearrangement of living space. We moved my workroom back to it's original room now that we have space. Ahhhhh, I feel like I can breathe again.

I've been feeling much better recently as I feel comfortable in my own home again and don't have to hide upstairs in our bedroom to get away from everyone. D2 is looking for a flat with her mates, is settled at work and has a new bloke.  I feel much better about leaving her here by herself. She hasn't had any major seizures since she's been on the medication, so one relaunched from the nest successfully.

There's been some developments with the eldest but not in a good way, I am not happy about that. I can't fix it, so I have to let it go. Working on that. Think Britney.

We had the Grandsons come to visit for 5 days, we had fun. Entertaining little boys, they are *g*

Also, the friend that screwed me over last year and to whom I have not spoken too since, sent me a happy happy text message for the New Year WTF??????  Righto mate. Yeah, like I'm going to let you back into my life to be used all over again. No.

We're taking off for a week to Phillip Island to stay in a cabin to recover from the holiday season. I haven't stayed at this place, so hopefully it will be nice. Pretty much the last spaces available due to summer, test days etc

We're doing the penguin parade and stuff like that, I'll get to do the girl on car bonnet pose watching the testing. Sea air, sunburn and windburn all at the same time. Fun.

I have some work to finish off and my Server Host has had some issues over the last month that when I get back late next week I'll  have to go through and repair each client.

I've had time to make some necklaces and beads from polymer clay. It's very therapeutic to knead the clay instead of someone's head. LOL I've learnt a lot of techniques from one lady's blog in particular. She has great video tutorials and her necklaces are easier for me to work out how to make with my stiff joints. If your interested in clay go here I'm mucking around with a variation of her Mokume Gane technique. very pretty.

Thankfully my creative block has lifted and I am painting again as well. Phew. This is the longest period I have gone without being able to finish artwork. Some have been tossed in the bin but I still have a pile that will work and be able to finish them.

I made new cushion covers from felt  and blanket stitch even!

While I'm away I'm working on a new design for the blog to match my site but be different. Yes. I know what I mean. In my head that sentence is fully formed and coherent. Obviously my fingers need to work on their translation skills. heh.

My New Years resolution is to not stress about stuff, Let it go. Relax. Chill. So far it's been working.

I hope 2008 is a great year for everyone!

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

Smile at a stranger, Hug a friend, feed the ducks.



Back in a few days.

Christmas meme

I got sent this via email, so anyone who wants can consider themselves taggee's! leave a comment though so I can see your answers. Yeah, I'm a sticky beak LOL

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper. Lots and Lots. Think I was a cat in a former life, love wrapping paper and hate water.

2. Real tree or artificial?
Fake. We had real one's when I was a kid and then the mad bomber bombed the place we bought them from and it's made bad associations with real trees. Plus they're messy. I have kids to make mess if I want mess.

3. When do you put up the tree?
December 1st, without fail. One year before I had kids to do it, I speed decorated at 11.57pm. Best job of decorating the tree I ever did LOL

4. When do you take the tree down?
January 1st. I can also speed disassemble too. Although it does mean that before I got the new fibre optic tree this year that the lights were always so tangled that I had to buy a new set every year.

5. Do you like eggnog?
No. Raw eggs. Enuff said.

6. Favourite gift received as a child?
My crystal radio with earphones! I dragged that thing everywhere for years until it expired from overuse.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
No, but I have been eyeing off a Santa train track that goes around the bottom of the tree. And a 2 foot high Santa that says Ho,Ho,Ho and flashes his lights at you.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Parentals. GAH! One mob is easier  than t'other mob though.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
The granddaughter. heh. She's 7 months, anything she can safely gum to death is a winner!

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Lime green washing basket.

11. Mail or Email Christmas cards?
Errrr, well, I have to say I normally mail Christmas cards as I am a very competitive person and a friend and I try to beat each other every year. BUT, this year I was a bit cranky and Bah Humbug due to the sudden change of plans until I kicked myself in the arse and so it will be a mix this year. El won this year I'm afraid, so next year I'm sending them out at Easter to be sure I win.

12. Favourite Christmas movie?
The Santa Clause 1, 2 and 3. There was a cartoon I loved to watch every year but I forget what it was called and it hasn't been on that I know of.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Tomorrow. I think.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
heh. yep, but so far I have resisted the temptation to recycle the lime green washing basket. And, so it sits. And mocks me.

15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas?
Leg of ham. Ham thinks it's a bit kinky though *g*

16. Clear lights or coloured on the tree?
Both and with lots of flashy stuff happening.

17. Favourite Christmas song?
Good King Wenceslas.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home?
While we have been in Melbourne we only travel on Christmas Day across Melbourne. It's not a good thing. In previous years depending on where we have been in Oz it can take from 1 hour to 3 or 4 days.

19. Can you name all of Santa�s Reindeer?
Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Cupid, Dixon, Rudolph, Comet, Dasher and my personal fave, Prancer!

20. Angel on tree top or star?
Depends on who has the starring [snerk!] role of putting the ornament on top of the tree. Usually the Star wins as the kids think it's cruel and unusual punishment for an Angel, although sometimes poor Santa gets the honours *g*

21. Open all the presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Due to travel as previously mentioned and me being stressed on Christmas Morning because I have to go over the Westgate Bridge in particular, we are toying with the idea of Christmas Eve being our Christmas Day now the kids are older. They all still assure me they believe in Santa though. Right. LOL

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
All the PC nuts. So, Merry Christmas everyone and I hope Santa brings everyone some happiness. Lime green washing baskets.

23. What I love most about Christmas�
Myer windows.Wrapping paper.Happy excited kids.Summer. No cyclones.

Bloody Hell!

Going on some of the recent search terms people have entered and found my site by, all I can say is....

Your computer needs to have it's cache washed out with soap.

I have some pics to put up but the usb cable is in hiding.  And I'm tired. And now gobsmacked after looking at my server stats. So later. Promise!