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like sand through an hourglass

These are the days of our lives.

A lot has happened in this past week.  And I mean a lot.  Heaps, too much.  Some of it good, but by and large most of it was bad.

I did write a lovely, bitter post on Sunday about it all - but motime hiccupped and it disappeared.  When the post wasn't  published I took it as an omen that I had dealt privately with my vitriol and didn't need to publish it for all to see.

I made stuff on the weekend, and plans are going well for Second String.

Tomorrow the kids and I are making snowflakes for xmas - proudly and blatantly copied from Beki at artsycraftsybabe.  We're also making 3D christmas trees and bells.  Scott loves xmas and all the decorations so he's going to be thrilled when we start hanging everything up on December 1st.

Since the kids are old enough this year, we're going to have a Santa's mail box, advent calendars, decorations and even a tree.  The tree is a bit of a conundrum - because of the pets.  I'm pretty sure Romeo won't be able to resist "moving" it, or trying to take bits off it to drag to his bed - so we'll have to see how long a tree lasts.

Given the impending date of the audit, Smartie, Scott and I took Muppy to the "Doggy Daycare" for a tour and a short interview.  Given Muppy's temperament, socialisation and general high maintenance issues, he's going to spend the day in the day boarding facility.  But it looks like Romeo might spend some time there socialising and having a ball in the large dog section.

over and out.

posted by: blytheswideshut at November 29, 2005 22:25 | link | comments |

Second String

A swap for those who can't or won't get into the next round of Back Tack.  Second String will take place prior to Back Tack III, so they won't clash if you are going to participate in Back Tack III.  I'm thinking Second String will be a great opportunity to use up some of your crafty Christmas presents.

Second String Rundown...

Open to 20 participants.
Anonymous.
Ring style, a lá backtack.
Suggestions for swap theme accepted from participants up until 2 weeks before start date.
Low Cost swap - use what you've got in your stash.

Second String Important Dates:

Signup: from 20th November, 2005
(by email second_string@mail.com)
Matchup announcement:  2nd December 2005
Commencement:  2nd January 2006
Conclusion:  28th February 2006


Second String Nitty Gritty...

*  All participants must have successfully taken part in at least three swaps. (a swap is successful if you have met your part of the bargain.)
*  You must have a blog, and you must update regularly (like more than once a month).
*  Be prepared to swap internationally.
*  Be prepared to communicate with your partner.
*  Meet the minimum requirements for the swap - extra is always welcomed, but not required.
*  Complete the pre-participation "survey" - this will then be forwarded to your partner to provide information to assist in the swap process.
*  Participate for the experience of creating and giving - not for the chance to get something.

posted by: blytheswideshut at November 14, 2005 15:44 | link | comments |

I'm having a totally shithouse day today.  Really crap.  Like couldn't get any worse kind of crap.  Some days I'm just sick of my life.

Everything is on top of me at the moment.  Tax, work paperwork, validation audit preparation.  I just don't know where to start, and it seems that whatever I do isn't enough.

Something one of the co-ordinators from my scheme said to me today really pissed me off.  She said - "When you do some study then you'll understand all of these things".  I found that to be insulting and somewhat condescending.

I have grown very tired of their "We want to nurture you to undertake all the tasks in a way that suits you" words - which in reality masks their "our way or the highway" standpoint.  I come up against it time after time, and I'm just so sick of it.  I wish they'd just say - "Do it this way, and just get on with it."  But instead we have to go round and round in circles, only to get to "just do it this way".

I am feeling antsy because I haven't made, sewn, created or crafted anything for a few weeks now - every time I feel like sitting down to do something, the fierce stab of obligation to complete my tax or qality validation work bears heavily down on me.  Today I sat down and did about two solid hours of work, then we had a little dip in our power and the safety switch turned off all the power, and with it went some of what I'd done.  Frustrating.  Luckily I had print outs.

I'll be glad when 17th December rocks around.  It'll all be over then.

posted by: blytheswideshut at November 10, 2005 18:14 | link | comments (2) |

[A is for age of first kiss:]13
[B is for booze of choice:]vodka, with fruity mixers - cranberry, grapefruit juice
[C is for career:]Family Day Care Provider
[D is for your dad's name:]Barry
[E is for essential items to bring to a party:]food
[F is for favorite song at the moment:]Pyramid Song - Radiohead
[G is for favorite game:] pictionary
[H is for hometown:]Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
[I is for instruments you play:]Cello
[J is for jam or jelly you like:]blackberry
[K is for kids?]not possible with my or my husband's equipment
[L is for last kiss?]this morning
[M is for mom's name:]Cathy
[N is for name of your crush:]John Mayer
[O is for overnight hospital stays:]too many
[P is for phobias:]height. spiders.
[Q is for quotes you like:]Life is short.
[R is for relationship that lasted the longest:] 15 years - with my husband Scott
[S is for sexual preference:]varies
[T is for time you wake up:] 5:45am
[U is for underwear:]uh, I wear it, yes. It never matches though.
[V is for vegetable you love:]asparagus, spinach
[W is for worst habit:]procrastination
[X is for x-rays you've had:]teeth, hands, feet, lungs, jaw, shoulder, knee, head
[Y is for yummy food you make:]carrot and orange soup, rib eye steak, pasta carbonara
[Z is for zodiac sign:]virgo

posted by: blytheswideshut at November 09, 2005 19:41 | link | comments (2) |

the parental unit visits

My parents came to stay this weekend.  Due to the disastrous issues we have had with our deck builder, we've been calling in all sorts of favours in order to get it finished.  This time is was Barry and Cathy's turn.  They flew up from Melbourne on Friday night, and back home again this evening.

It was a good visit.  No fighting, grumbling, moods or ill feeling.  My Mum and I got along handsomely, Dad and Scott got heaps of work done on the deck, and my Mum and I went shopping. Alot.

posted by: blytheswideshut at November 07, 2005 20:43 | link | comments |

sleep...must sleep...

Lately I've been so tired early in the evening.  It's 9:30pm, and I'm almost falling asleep I'm so weary.  It isn't mental tiredness, it's entirely a physical thing.

This process happenes to me a few times a year.  I will be for months staying up until 3 or 4 am, working long into the night, productive and energised.  Waking at 7:15am in time to dress and let the kids in in the morning, sleeping for an hour in the early afternoon when the boys have their nap, then staying up late again.  I love those times.  The solitary evenings alone, wandering around the house, writing, reading, creating.

At the moment I'm going through eactly the opposite process.  Rising and ready to go at 5am, not having a kip during the day, then falling down tired at 9pm.  I have an erratic body clock, that goes in cycles, and it is only now in my 30s (how I hate to say or even write that) that I have come to an understanding, and productive working relationship with my sleep/rest/wake times.

I have always suffered these problems, even as a small child, but never knew how to deal with them - only to wrestle and fight against them - force them to fit into some kind of "normal" pattern.

I think it was when I was diagnosed as bi-polar II, that I began to come to grips with who I am in terms of mood, sleeping, energy and personality.  Before that, everything was a big mystery.

posted by: blytheswideshut at November 07, 2005 20:40 | link | comments |

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