Retail therapy

My eye is still sore but the doc can't find anything wrong with it.  They (yes she called in another to look at my eyeball too) suspect that the recent infection has left the surface of the eye slightly scratched and it will remain sore until the eye heals itself ......

So what does one do, when faced with depressing news?  Especailly after waiting nearly an hour to said doctor?  I go shopping.

Below we have Nurk by Ursula Vernon, surrounded by his friends: Toxic Mold, Flesh Eating Disease, Martian Life and Heartworm.

I read Nurk on the train on the way home.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It reminded me very much of me doing storytime.   No smut, not even a whiff of "adult concepts", this is very much a kid's book - but there are elements that make the adult in me smile.

And of course there is the requisite Ursula weirdness sprinkled throughout.

If you have a kid aged 8-12 around, or someone who even acts like a kid that age, buy them this book !!!!!

Doctor Who

Just watched the second last episode of the current season.

All I can say is:


OH.    MY.     GOD !!!!!!




This season is a *must watch* !!

Awwww ......

I finally get off the computer and this is what I see when I step out onto my balcony (this is the untidy end near my bedroom and neighbours that I rarely photograph).


And the close up ......

Gail

Inside the chart pack that Gail sent me, was also this letter. I presume she is going to include this with all of her charts that she sells.

And yes although this was a freebie to me, I believe she is intent on selling her work.

Even if her work was such that I would buy it, this letter would leave me cold enough never to spend money on her wares again.

I want to politely tell her that she will be limiting her market and that a cross stitch pattern pack is not the right venue in which to preach her religion but I don't really wan to offend her. Apart from the religion she is a nice person.

Any thoughts or ideas? 

And let me know if you can't zoom in on this picture enough to read the letter.

Mel's Sunday Update

Well what a week - eye infections, job applications, adverse reactions to the antibiotics for my eyes.  My Director and the University Librarian being very kind to me.

Very little stitching got done.  However I did make a lot of progress yesterday last night and this morning.

I have finished Part 5 of BoInk.  I have finished Part 6 too but pics in a couple of weeks.  It is a very fun part - my favourite so far.

I also finished off Something in Red.  Pics in my finished folder here.  And in its own folder here.  I've decided that I will re-start Black Beauty completely and have already ordered another skein of GAST Black Crow and cut more fabric.

Only other stitching news is that I got all excited about my eyesight returning so I started Lyne's RR last night.  This morning I discover I'm off by one one row so three hours of stitching will need to be frogged and redone ......

Finally I received a wonderful RAK this week.  Gail sent me this chart which she so nicely named after me.  Actually she included two versions.  The original and a variegated

I'm partial to the variegated version but I'm not sure - any thoughts on which version I should stitch first?  Variegated on the left and original on the right.

Hope everyone else has had a happy and productive week - I'm off to frog Lyne's RR.

Marriage - a ramble through my thoughts ....

Most of this drivel was written on Wednesday while I was trying to feverishly write a job application while I couldn't see and out my head with agony in my eyes due to not being able to touch them while in pain.

So this is not going to make much sense but it was something in my head that just needed to be let out.  It is a ramble - it does any an ending place or a finish. I wasn't going to post it where anyone but me could see it, but well if I can't share my thoughts and neuroses with my friends, where can I share them for free.

that being said - feel free to delete without reading :) 

I am posting it now because I saw the above cross stitch pattern in the Hoffman's New Arrivals this morning and I think it is one of the few wedding samplers that has ever really really appealed to me. And that reminded me of these fevered scribblings .....

POST:
My eyesight is too blurry to drive and I'm supposed to be home resting my eyes and hoping the antibiotics work well enough to return to work tomorrow.

Instead I am at home, on the computer writing a job application for a position that closes Friday afternoon (it is Wednesday afternoon here).

I can't stitch, I can't read and I can't sleep.  So by raising (lowering?  making everything as big as I can stand it) I can actually read my monitor.

So while I'm battling through my application I take a break every time my brain gets stuck and read a few emails.

Stephen forwarded this to me this morning:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marriage-state-sex-2073700-marriages-people

Two things stood out for me from this:

From the article: As a practical matter, however, the government has so entwined itself into our daily lives that state recognition is important. Filing taxes as a married couple or as individuals makes a difference, as does the ability to own real estate, make end-of-life decisions or adopt children. Considering all this and the importance of equality before the law, the high court's decision was justified.

From the comments: marriage, from its earliest days, was not about love nor was it about reproduction. It was and largely is about property rights. Originally, marriage was the legal vehicle for a man to transfer ownership of his daughter to her husband. Along with any other rights of inheritance that might go along with her. And this transfer of property often too the form of an outright sale, with the family of the female paying the family of the male to take the burden of ownership from them.

And that is I always have and always will support between fully consenting adults, heterosexual marriage, same-sex marriage and even polygamy.  Religion is actually irrelevant to the debate!

But marriage is more than just a legal institution isn't it?

When did religion get involved?  When did the State get involved?  When did marriage turn from a couple announcing to their village "hey we're going to shack up for a while - be exclusive" and then when they change their minds later down the track it is again just a general announcement to the village ....

When did that turn into the fossilised, institutionalised, emotional, religious, and legal minefield that it is today ???

The religious aspects of marriage have never interested or concerned me.  Even when I was married it was a civil ceremony with nary a mention of God anywhere.

When people ask me why I wont marry again it is the legal aspects I cite.  Never again will I have my credit rating tied to another person. Never again will I spend all of my pay packet for years at a time on the bills because someone else wasted all of theirs.  Never again will I "go without" because someone else's needs and wants were judged to be greater than my own. Never again would I be forced into a situation where I have to carry a burden of financial and legal responsibility for someone else's actions.

Yes I am aware I am bitter over this :)

But recent events have reminded me to never say never.  That there actually may be people who I could trust to not allow me to become their doormat.  That perhaps I could enter this fossilised institution again (with all its attendant tax breaks and laws favouring married people) without a sense of impending doom.

But regardless of the legal ramifications, marriage is about more than tax breaks and law changes ....... if it were that simple then same-sex marriage would not be outlawed.  If it were that simple do you think more or less people would be getting married ????

Hard to tell - because marriage is emotional.

Marriage, in the culture I grew up in is where you said to be "giving yourself" to your partner of the opposite sex.  Where the gestalt is greater than the parts.  Where you lose your individual identity and become part of a greater whole. 

OK so that scares me - lets come back to me in a minute.  But viewing that objectively ....

Why does it have to be between people of opposite gender?  That statement is irrelevant of gender.  And as for polygamy - it favours polygamy!  Surely the gestalt would be greater again the more people you had in the marriage, the more people that gave of themselves ....

But again it doesn't work that way.  Nor is it any where that easy :)  So what *is* marriage*?  WHY do people get married?  What emotional/intellectual benefits to you get from being married?

Or is it simply cultural?  Do people feel superior if they are married?  Look what I have!  Hands off this one is mine!  The rate of divorce and adultery in this country makes that attitude laughable.  Also considering your spouse as a thing to own and show off as a trophy or prize should be laughable and you need lots of therapy.

However, we are a society of ownership and status.  I have a mate - I am better than you?  That is the way our politicians speak ..... after all there is only one demographic that matters for the politicians ... working families ....  {shudder}

Our society is geared towards feeling more favourable and jealous of those in marriages - look at he whole popularity of Bridget Jones and that type of humour.  Does society consider us a failure if we are not married?

Does it matter to us what society thinks?  Well actually yes it does.  No man is an island and all of that.  So we must be *aware* when we live a lifestyle that society does not approve of: single, same-sex marriage etc etc.

But will knowledge of what society thinks make us behave differently? In these cases I hope the answer is no.  We need to be aware of what society thinks, but we should still live our lives to what makes us happy.  We should be in relationships with people who make us happy and we make them happy - and society be damned.

So is that then what marriage is?  Is marriage simply an acknowledgement that this person makes me happy and I make then happy.  And we want to world to know that.

Or again is that tooo simplistic .......




So what do we consider as marriage today?

Is it a father selling his daughter? No.
Is it changing our legal status? Yes.
Is it giving up of ourselves to become something greater - depends ....

On an emotional level marriage is what you make it - and I guess the thing to do is to find out whether the other person or person's believe in the same emotional level that you do.  And given that most people lack the introspection and forethought to discuss these issues (generalised statement) then is it a wonder that people make bad decisions?

However I still see nothing here that treats same sex and opposite sex couples differently.  They still have to face the same issues and the same introspection.  Polygamy is more difficult as you needs more than one person to have the same emotional responses to the introspection that you do.

But I still don't see where religion comes into it ....

Thoughts anyone?

Mel Offline

I have an infection in my right eye.  I can't focus in that eye and am on antibiotics.

Therefore I will be offline as much as I can without going stircrazy. 

Hopefully it will be resolved by the weekend ....

Blue on Black - or why BoINk is ruing my eyesight and my sanity ....

Well it is definitely dark here now - but I got the blue on black finished . The rest of the colours should go easily now and I should be caught up by this time next weekend ....

Here is a pic without the flash - this is what I was trying to stitch under artificial light ....


And this lower pic was taken with the flash - this is closer to what the project looks like when being stitched in natural sunlight.


You can see the hassles I was having - I'm hoping the addition of the other colours will make this all stand out better.  Hope to have a finished pic of this part up by this time next weekend.

Mel's Sunday Update

Again with the stresses of work, the commute and internet mod duties I haven't done any stitching at home this week.

I did however do quite a bit of stitching on the train - an extraordinary amount when you consider I cat nap on most trips.  Friday was the worst  I had to be woken when the train was pulling into my stop in the morning and I woke myself just as it was pulling into my stop Friday night. First time  I ever almost missed my stop on the way home. Even more extraordinary when there were monster children screaming in my carriage and I could hear drunks further down in other carriages.  I was just exhausted Friday.

The weirdest part was after I came home and started chatting on the email and then watching Eerie Indiana I stayed up until 1am !!!   Eerie Indiana is a kids show I watched nearly 15 years ago now.  You know those times when you are so sick that for nearly a week you just lie on the lounge and don't move and nap and doze and eventually get up the energy to go and make another cup of tea?  I was home sick for one of those for about a week a while ago. Can't even remember where or when.  Anyway this show came on and I really liked it.  Watched a couple of episodes over the week and then went back to work.

I've never found it since although I have looked and looked for it.  Finally found it (and at a reasonable price) at http://www.fishpond.co.nz/  last week.  It arrived Friday and I watch 4 of the 40min long episodes that night.  I love this show !!!  Pity they only made 19 episodes.

At the same time I also finally got myself a copy of the TV miniseries Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.  I have read at least three different novelisations of this and again have been looking for a copy of the original TV version.  I will watch this later - its one of those you have to concentrate a bit on ....

Oh and of course as soon as I rung Stephen to let him know my good news, I discovered he had obtained a copy himself the day before and was planning on lending it to me.  (The amount of times this happens between the two of us alternately amuses and terrifies me).

Anyway stitching.

Jasper. 
All the cross stitching is now done. All that remains is the backstitching. I cannot backstitch over already stitched work on 16ct Aida on a train - so this one will go into the "wait till I get time at home pile". Goodness knows when I will actually get to it - there is a fair amount of backstitching on this one and I haven't stitched at home in weeks.

Something in Red.
Still don't know what I'm going to do with Black Beauty - probably order a new skein of GAST Black Crow and start again. I *think* I have more of this Ivory linen. Its not good quality linen but I do want these two to match - so on the same exact piece of fabric would be good. This is again train stitching with just a wee bit on Friday night ... No mistakes so far and I have finished the bottom half of the dress.

In other news, lots of chatting with my support network and dinner with my best friend last night has really cheered me up and lifted the malaise my emotion's have been under over the last couple of weeks so I am back to being happy.

Now just to force myself to work through the blue on black problem on BoInk and to write a job application.  I detest writing job applications. I wasted all day yesterday because of the procrastination.  I didn't want to write the application, but the guilt wouldn't let me do anything else until the app was written so I cleaned house a little, bought unnecessary items for the dinner party etc etc until 5pm when I finally forced myself to sit down and start the blasted thing - whereupon I realised I need more information.  I need more info on the software packages the organisation uses and the layout of the hierarchy etc etc.  So I will talk to the official contact person for the job on Monday and I will also find out any goss from people at work.  The University Library sector is so small that surely someone knows someone who works there ...

So today I am free from the guilt paralysation and I am determined (Oh I can't used that word without thinking of the Gruen Transfer now!  One of our banks has adopted the new slogan "determined to be different".  Wil Anderson asks "what would the bank say if I went in there and said yes I'm determined to pay of my mortgage".)

Anyway I'm determined to make progress son BoInk today.  and watch a little more Eerie Indiana ....

Oh and finally - my backyard is "finished".  I've uploaded pics into here.

Saturday Night

Jane (Alison's daughter) gatecrashed tonight's festivities so it was three for home made pizza and salad, followed by Buttered Pecan ice cream - and as they were both heading home, no drinkies.

Its a good thing we didn't have drinkies, we got in enough silliness.  I shared some blog silliness about Cabana boys and Black Velvet thrones.  Jane adored my new syphilis, so I gave it to her.  Alison borrowed one of my medieval cookbooks.

Jane was heard speaking to one of her friends on her phone "No I can't go clubbing tonight, I'm over at Aunty Mel's and she's given me Syphilis.  Yes seriously !!!!  I can show you tomorrow, it all pink."

Alison looked at me and said "I raised her right Mel, she turned out alright" and then we both dissolved into giggles.

Alison later enquired if HIV was here or still at work so I went and dug it out for her.  Jane made the comments "yes we acquire STDs easily in this family".

I ended up giving HIV to Alison, as we reasoned, it is a very sharing disease after all.  I can imagine that conversation at the coffee cart on Monday morning:

"Sean, remember how you gave me HIV when I got engaged to that guy, well I passed it onto my girlfriend on Saturday night.  You don't mind do you?"

Alison was saying she needs a good friend in her life in the next few months so she has someone to pass HIV onto to continue its journey around ....

We also listened to some Santana music, chatted with Stephen over email - don't know how he took it, but there was much hilarity by all three of us on this side of the keyboard .... and he helped find a copy of Uriah Heap's Magician's Birthday - a song that Alison has been trying to obtain a copy of for the last 35 years!

Watching her dancing around my lounge room on a Saturday night brought a tear to my eye.  Either that or my brains were leaking out my orifices because she turned my stereo up so loud .....

Both ladies have gone home now and Alison and I both made the comment that our cheeks ached because we laughed so much and so hard.  With our work situations and the commuting wearing us down, it was a night we both needed.

The scary thing was that Jane had more fun here than she would have had at the party she was supposed to go to ...

So much fun and I'm wired and awake now .....

Reputation reputation

Oh Iago my reputation ...

a very good stitching friend described a scenario thusly today:

I can see Mel sitting over there in her well padded, black velvet throne, 3 young, blonde gods chained on each side and 2 more kneeling in front of her to fetch anything her little heart desires. She smiles benevolently at them all but there is a spark in her eyes that insures a couple of them won't be sleeping much tonight.
Sisu

I can just hear Offspring's "Self-Esteem" as the musical accompaniment to the image ....

I don't want to know what this says about me psychologically.  I really don't.  Sisu - you are a bad woman - insightful - but bad !!!!

Now where are said Adonis' for real ????

Once Cadburyland fell to the White Supremicists .....

I adore this new Television Show.  Its the only thing that will capture my attention completey away from my email lists, blogs and txting :) :) :)

And yes the title of this post is a comment made by one of the panelists on tonight's epsiode.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/gruentransfer/

The blurb from the website: "The Gruen Transfer (TGT) is a show about advertising, how it works, and how it works on us. Hosted by the inimitable Wil Anderson, TGT will decode and defuse the commercial messages that swirl through our lives, with the help of a panel of ad industry experts.

Each week, Wil is joined by some of the best and brightest minds of the advertising industry, experts prepared to share the ideas and insights that drive them.

Guests on the program face a series of challenges designed to show the thought processes - and, often, the brilliance - of advertising, as well as its understanding of who we are and what we want. Each week we examine the tactics used to sell a particular product; it could be cars or chocolate or cleaning products.

In a segment called 'The Pitch', agencies compete to fulfill an impossible brief. For example, 'make Brendan Nelson a winner'. Elsewhere, 'Consumer's Revenge' allows our audience to participate in the show by making their own ads on this website. The best ads will be played during the show."

Life isn't fair

As most of you are well aware from my whinging and whining - I get up at 4:30am every morning because I live rurally but work in the city and have a 2 hour commute.

Monday morning I was at work for at least 4 hours when I receive a txt from the other side of the country saying in essence: Its pelting down rain here, I'm staying home snuggled up warm in bed.

I think I was justified in txting back one word:  BASTARD!

The next morning I was up at my usual 4:30am.  Had a shower and came back into the bedroom to witness this.

She didn't move even after I'd gone and gotten the camera and took about eight different shots.

Methinks I'm the stupid one this week.  I keep voluntarily leaving the bed and going to work ...

EDITED to include a close up :)

I amuse myself

Coming home on the train today I had a young man sitting next to me with his iPod on sooo loud I could easily sing along with the lyrics.

After 10 mins or so I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "excuse me, could you please turn your music down a little?"

He sneered!  Sneered ????  and said "wassa matta with decent music?"

Deadpan I responded:

The album you are playing is The Arockalypse by the band Lordi.  You are just finishing track 6.  Track 7 is their most famous song Hard Rock Hallelujah.  It contains lots of screaming and I have a splitting headache.

He looked at me {standard corporate black work clothing}.  The he looked at what I was stitching - the oh so cute Jasper above.

I saw his brain freeze.

He turned his iPod completely off for about 15 minutes.  He later turned it back on but very quietly and I believe he had changed albums .....


PS as you can see I've got a lot of the background on Jasper done this week :)

BAPXS

BAPXS no longer feels like my home on the web.

I feel like I'm being attacked (or at least put on the defensive) becuase I'm a non-Christian, non-child friendly single woman who prefers to live with her cat than humans.

As you know I've have kept most of my recent ups and downs off the group completely. I've barely posted to BAPXS except to respond to something written specifically to me.

I just don't feel that that the group and I mesh anymore.

Has the group changed or have I?

I've handed over WW to Kay and as you've seen I haven't bothered with a Monday enabling update for a few weeks.  Seriously considering leaving the group as I don't feel I belong anymore.

I'm *not* posting beause I want a flurry of "Mel we love you, Mel please stay".  That's not the purpose.

The purpose is to let you know that I am seriously considering leaving.  But I do want to ask - has the group changed or have I?

I can't answer that myself - so I would like to hear other people's opinions. Serious answers please .....

YES !!!! I am vindicated !!!!

Decided to prove a point today and leave work at 3pm (because I still *can* for the next 10 days).

Hopped on the 3:30 train home and was merrily stitching away when the train pulled up tot he next stop and a bunch of young men got on board.  Late teens early 20s - reminded me in mannerisms of the lovely bunch of dickhead's mates on Friday night that taunted me to the car. 

I scrunch down further in my chair and chide myself for negative stereotyping and then I hear the following.

Oh shit its her!  The one in black with that embroidery crap - its her from Friday night!
{murmur murmur}
Shit no! She's cold!! She'll call the ghosts!
{murmur murmur}
Nah we tried that - she weren't scared - she blew us off - I tell ya she's COLD!  Leave her alone. Go near her and the  ghosts'll never leave us alone!

Wheeeee !!!! So these *were* some the arsehole's mates that taunted me up to the car.  Only the young ones, the followers.  Well - I could be wrong, it could be some other 5'2" corporate black-wearing stitcher who lives in Gosford !!!

{snicker} {snicker}

On the way up the platform one of them was jostling an old lady, pushing her up the stairs.  She smirked at his mates and then looked over at me.  I gave him my patented librarian stare, (the one with the raised eyebrow that works on five year olds) .... He blanched and backed off !!

YES !!!!!!   Had to strut from the car down to the house and ring mum !!!  Truth always has a cultural context but baby I didn't realise I scared them as much as they scared me :) :) :)

Backyard cleanup 12 months later.

Yup first working day after the June Long Weekend 2008 the workmen finally arrive to start putting the backyard back together. Kinda.

Backyard - finally.

Ok some of you remember these pics I took when I first moved in to this place.  The right side of the back yard. Note the fence at the bottom corner of the photo.

More of these pics here.


Then during the June Long Weekend in 2007 this happened.


More storm damage pics here:



Now literally twelve months later they are finally starting to clean it all up.  Not properly.  Rather than clearing away the landslide, the owner has decided to simply tidy it up where it is and move the fence there.  Hector will *never* be unburied and I've lost a whole section of two metres wide by six metres long of daffodils and jonquils.



See the mud at the bottom of the picture?  Last weekend that was the remaining tiny section of the bulb garden that remained and there were bulbs growing .... were ....

More current pics of the work in progress here:

THANK YOU !!!

I've received some RAKs in the mail lately and I just want to say THANK YOU !!! to three lovely ladies:  Ellen, Claire and Tina.

Ellen sent me a lovely cat chart.  Ellen I hope you don't mind but I'm going to forward this on a RAK to someone else.  It would languish in my stash for years and I know *just* the person who would squeal with delight as soon as she sees it :) :)

http://gothtigger.multiply.com/photos/album/69#27

Claire our lovely List Mum and one of my best friends sent me a lovely little care parcel hidden inside the current RR rotation parcel for this month.  She sent a lovely black-work butterfly chart, a beautiful Herb Goddess art-to-xstitch conversion, a very very pretty card and a diary - thank you sweetheart.

http://gothtigger.multiply.com/photos/album/69#28

Tina, otherwise known as Voldeminion also RAKed me out of the blue !!!!!  She sent me two Brittercup Charts, four GAST threads and a beautiful packet of tiny Kelmscott thread rings.  Thank you so much for the presents Voldy and the sentiment behind why you sent them.  All of these items were straight out of my various Lust Lists and will definitely be used !!!! Hopefully soon!

http://gothtigger.multiply.com/photos/album/69#29

The picture above is a beautiful present Stephen bought as a surprise for me from the chocolate factory tour last Sunday.  I think the sentiment is appropriate here.  Thanks and I love you guys too.

Mel's Sunday Update

Yes I have one - well actually its last Sunday's ....

With everything going on and all the ups and downs I haven't done any stitching at home for over two weeks now.

He's a picture of Jasper.  I've been stitching him on the train and did a tiny little bit in Perth last weekend.

Off to dye my hair and hopefully get some stitching in on BoInk.  Who on earth was the bright spark who decided that stitching dark blue on black would be a good thing to do in Winter .... oh that's right - me.

5'2' fat women should never open their mouths (warning language)

On the train on the way home a man was getting very drunk and increasingly abuse towards other passengers in the carriage.  Everyone ignored him and hoped he would shut up and fall into a stupor.

Half way along the trip the Inspectors came onto the carriage and asked to view our tickets (looking for fare evaders).  I asked if they were the people we reported drunk and abusive behaviour to.  They asked who? I pointed him out and gave a description of the amount of his drinking and his antics towards the other passengers.

He denied it all in a small sweet voice saying he'd been drinking before he got on the train and he was sorry if he upset anyone.  He got off with a warning.  They left the carriage.

He was quiet for another few stops and then just as we were pulling onto the platform of the next major stop he got out of his seat and started yelling at me, calling me bitch, cunt, lag, prude. Was I fucking jealous because I didn't have any booze? How much time on my hands does a cunt like me have anyway?  etc etc He stood over me with his right fist raised in the air.

I pushed past him, fled down the carriage, nipped out the door and back in the door of the next carriage just as we pulled out of the station.

As I was hurrying down the carriage I saw all the older women looking at me in sympathy, all the men in business suits didn't look up from their papers and the teenagers were laughing and giggling.

I assumed the inspectors had gotten off the train at that stop and that's why he felt brave enough to attack me.  I was wrong, the inspectors got off at my stop, where the journey terminates.  I told them what had happened and got told "no it didn't we were watching you both the entire time".  Right! So when we were on X platform and he was standing over me with his fist raised, yelling at the top of his lungs, you saw and heard that?

We went down the other carriages for just a few minutes, he must have done it then.

Right! So you at least noticed that I was no longer in the same carriage as him?

Well he's left the platform now there's nothing more we can do.. I suggest if you know his name and address you could report him to the Police.

Right! And have them tell me the same thing you did - that because you didn't witness the incident there's nothing you can do.  No wonder the rest of the carriage didn't bother speaking up.  I'm obviously the only idiot here.

As I left the train station he and his mates we waiting for me.  Taunting me as soon as I left the station.  Did you have a good ride love?  did you enjoy your trip love?  Are you jealous because we had all the booze love?  Fucking cunt. Fucking bitch. We'll fucking do you bitch - next time you're in a carriage by yourself, we'll fucking do you.

(As an aside *why* do they always say "we'll fucking do you!"  Hmm?  Why is whenever I get threatened its always the same phrase) ...

As we had left the platform the Inspectors couldn't do anything.  There were commuters streaming past and they all studiously avoiding getting involved.  They taunted me all the way to the edge of the car park then left.  By the time I stopped shaking long enough to start the car and exit the car park they appeared to have left.

Rather than go out to the party I had been invited to tonight, I've just come home.  Once again I get another object lesson to do what everyone else does and just shut my mouth and let them get away with whatever behaviour they like, because they will never be punished for it.  Our society is geared towards them behaving as they wish and I'm just hurting myself by not being part of the huddled masses.

5'2' fat women should never open their mouths (warning language)

On the train on the way home a man was getting very drunk and increasingly abuse towards other passengers in the carriage.  Everyone ignored him and hoped he would shut up and fall into a stupor.

Half way along the trip the Inspectors came onto the carriage and asked to view our tickets (looking for fare evaders).  I asked if they were the people we reported drunk and abusive behaviour to.  They asked who? I pointed him out and gave a description of the amount of his drinking and his antics towards the other passengers.

He denied it all in a small sweet voice saying he'd been drinking before he got on the train and he was sorry if he upset anyone.  He got off with a warning.  They left the carriage.

He was quiet for another few stops and then just as we were pulling onto the platform of the next major stop he got out of his seat and started yelling at me, calling me bitch, cunt, lag, prude. Was I fucking jealous because I didn't have any booze? How much time on my hands does a cunt like me have anyway?  etc etc He stood over me with his right fist raised in the air.

I pushed past him, fled down the carriage, nipped out the door and back in the door of the next carriage just as we pulled out of the station.

As I was hurrying down the carriage I saw all the older women looking at me in sympathy, all the men in business suits didn't look up from their papers and the teenagers were laughing and giggling.

I assumed the inspectors had gotten off the train at that stop and that's why he felt brave enough to attack me.  I was wrong, the inspectors got off at my stop, where the journey terminates.  I told them what had happened and got told "no it didn't we were watching you both the entire time".  Right! So when we were on X platform and he was standing over me with his fist raised, yelling at the top of his lungs, you saw and heard that?

We went down the other carriages for just a few minutes, he must have done it then.

Right! So you at least noticed that I was no longer in the same carriage as him?

Well he's left the platform now there's nothing more we can do.. I suggest if you know his name and address you could report him to the Police.

Right! And have them tell me the same thing you did - that because you didn't witness the incident there's nothing you can do.  No wonder the rest of the carriage didn't bother speaking up.  I'm obviously the only idiot here.

As I left the train station he and his mates we waiting for me.  Taunting me as soon as I left the station.  Did you have a good ride love?  did you enjoy your trip love?  Are you jealous because we had all the booze love?  Fucking cunt. Fucking bitch. We'll fucking do you bitch - next time you're in a carriage by yourself, we'll fucking do you.

(As an aside *why* do they always say "we'll fucking do you!"  Hmm?  Why is whenever I get threatened its always the same phrase) ...

As we had left the platform the Inspectors couldn't do anything.  There were commuters streaming past and they all studiously avoiding getting involved.  They taunted me all the way to the edge of the car park then left.  By the time I stopped shaking long enough to start the car and exit the car park they appeared to have left.

Rather than go out to the party I had been invited to tonight, I've just come home.  Once again I get another object lesson to do what everyone else does and just shut my mouth and let them get away with whatever behaviour they like, because they will never be punished for it.  Our society is geared towards them behaving as they wish and I'm just hurting myself by not being part of the huddled masses.

LiveCam: Lioness and her Cubs

Thank you so much to Stephen for sending me this link:

http://atvs.vg.no/player/?id=16995

Awwwww just watching her breathing ...... and her cubs are soooo cute!

I'm home ...

Back from my long weekend in Perth.

Appetites were satiated.

Sights were seen.

Discussions were had.

Now I'm home and heading off to bed.  Work tomorrow {sigh}

THANK YOU !!!

I need to send out a HUGE thank you to Janine from Colours Down Under.

As some people know I decided on the spur of the moment to fly across the country for the weekend.  I, of course, cannot take my scissors or needles on the plane with me.

I spoke to Janine yesterday and a pair of scissors and some needles turned up in my beloveds Post Box today!

Such awesome service deserve public recognition!

I could go T-Shirt shopping

if I had any money left .....

http://www.despair.com/cuforhoch.html

http://www.despair.com/ironictees.html

Definitely some here for you Karen .....

Late Breaking News

Last night I spontaneously decided to be incredibly fiscally irresponsible.  So Tina, Lyne, Cynthia, Karen, Laura and Sisu - your parcels and prizes will be posted late next week (after next pay day).

If anyone is not OK with that, please Private Message me ....

In related news, I will be offline from Friday morning until Monday night. Unless of course Stephen allows me access to his computer on the weekend.

Question on competition etiquette

I've been thinking on this one lately .....

An Online Needlework Store is currently hosting a well Needlework competition.  You submit your pieces and everyone votes on which piece they like the best and there are prizes.  Each piece is listed anonymously on the website.

On one of the email lists, a lurker pipes up and says "my pieces are numbers X and Y. Vote for me".

In my oh so tactful manner I mentioned I thought this was tacky, gauche and not in the spirit of the competition.

One of the moderators (I think) on that group shut the thread down immediately.

On another list that I was part of (and many of you are still part of) there were various non-stitching competitions including, vote for my hospital for an MRI and vote for my dog so I can win an ipod.

Now I gotta agree with the hospital one.  I did vote for that.  But I did it because I thought it presented the best case for needing one.

This is going to sound sooo naive but when did competitions become about "who can canvas the most votes" rather than "which piece is best".

In the first or second year of Big Brother in Australia you had a whole state voting for one person because she was the only contestant from that state. 

A radio station last year was giving prizes to people who voted the most times for a contestant in some celebrity dancing reality show.

I am well aware I am pushing again the tide with this one, but is it really so wrong to go back to "best item wins" especially if the entries are listed anonymously?

Honest answers please people - I can handle the criticism and I know you will give me food for thought on this one ....

Am I being unnecessarily idealistic?  By being so, am I creating unnecessary conflict?

Stephen, this is similar I think to the ethics of cricket conversation we had the other week .... and again I am coming down on the side of idealism I think.

OK people - sling it at me - show me why I'm wrong :) :) :)

I obviously need to work on my poker face

Got on the bus for work this morning and Sean and Todd immediately sat me down between them, hugged me and told me stories about their impressions of the Indiana Jones movies, a role playing game called "Adventure" and they both did Mike Myers impersonations at me for the rest of the trip.

Sean hugged me the whole trip - it was purely platonic but damn it felt good to be hugged ...

Well I'm at work now - time to stop sniffling and put my game face on.

EDIT: Twelve hours later and I'm home again.  I survived. 

Some sleep and then see what round two brings tomorrow - I bet the Union rep will be asking for my dismissal again :)  I had the temerity to not sign a time sheet today because the staff member falsified his times.

Mel's Sunday Update

Well it was a bit of an up and down week this week, especially on a personal and work front. Next week is a new chapter at work so wish me well from tomorrow :)  I expect the knives will be playing noughts and crosses in my back before the day is out ....

On a stitching front it was slow going this week.  BoInk is my focus project but the bit I am working on has a lot of dark blue in it - and dark blue on black is really hard on my eyes in artificial light, so I've mainly been working on it while sitting out in my balcony during the day on the weekend.  Its my own fault, I chose to stitch this one on black and I chose a shade of blue that is very dark and very difficult to see on the black.  Looks kewl when completed though :)

The rest of this week I've been working on Jasper.  Yes my surprise start last week was Jasper in Bloom by Debbie Draper Designs.

Winner of the comp from the list was Cynthia who guessed correctly within seconds of me posting the competition!

Progress pic here.

One of the conversations we had on list this week was prompted when I was asked to explain why I do not art to xstitch conversion pieces.  I was thinking today, why I *do* do the simplistic style as exampled by Jasper. Surprisingly, the reasons I do this are not just the reverse of why I *don't* do art to xstitch.

Whenever I'm thinking hard about a problem or a project, or I'm trying to puzzle out human behaviour (or even mine) or even when I'm stewing or upset or worried - I find it calming to my mind, if I use my hands for repetitive tasks.

Stitching these simplistic charts take very little brainpower but the rhythm of loading up the needle and just stitching cross after cross, line after line and then finishing the thread, starting another and then continuing.  Its like a form of meditation, it clears all the panic and fog out of my mind and let me think clearly.

It also gives me an end product - something cute and whimsical I can hang on the wall or turn into a pillow or whatever when I'm finished.

You can see from my progress pics, I needed a fair bit of meditation time this week.

And probably next week too, so expect another update next Sunday.