Its a Willie Nelson moment ....

"just can't wait to get on the road again ....."

Yep I'm moving to Perth :)  Two interstate moves in six months! Hopefully this will be the last for a while.

There are a variety of reasons:

1. Stephen and I need to be in the same place to make this relationship work.  The distance is not helping anything.
2. All recruiters and research say I am more likely to get a good job in Perth than Melbourne.  Perth hasn't been hit so hard in the GFC,
   
3. Until we get two incomes again, it is going to much easier to fund one household without all the duplicate payments of rent, electricity, telephone, ISP etc.
4. Stephen's in IT - his workload ebbs and flows and at the moment its freaking insane.  The sooner I can over there and support him, (emotionally and domestically) the easier it will be on both of us.

We're still yet to sort out the details and timings. I'll keep you guys up to date as things progress but there are practical timing issues, and financial issues, I'm breaking lease, when can we line up removalists, affording bond and rent on a larger place over there, moving both of us, him finding time to view houses and of course making sure this move is easy on Trubs :)

Social Interaction on Blogs

This is the second of a series of blog posts I started typing.  But it wants to be published first :)

What about social interactions that are not with friends?  But more acquaintances or in a blog network?  How does social interaction work here?

I've generally found that blog posts on personal journals usually elicit one of three responses:

1. affirmation and validation (yes you are right)
2. disagreement (well no, did you consider points 1, 2 and 3?)
3. Trolls (you're an idiot, you're a downer, how dare you?)

So what do you do and how do handle it if you are expecting one response and get another?

I never expect trolls.  I tend to post my personal thought on network or friend-only basis rather to "everybody" so the trollish behaviour is kept to a minimum.  I admit I don't deal with trolls well.  I really don't have much tolerance for people who cannot or will not form proper sentiments or constructive arguments so I tend to block them, ban them, and otherwise ignore them.  How do you deal with trolls?

If I'm expecting dissension and get affirmation I personally feel confused, humbled and happy.  Means I'm not as off base or antisocial as I usually think I am.  It may also mean that I am consorting with people who share my prejudices :)  How do you react in this situation?

If you expect affirmation and get dissension ???  Now THAT is what defines you as a person!  The way I seem it there are usually three types of responses to this situation:

1. Ignore them and talk to those who agree with you
2. Engage them in debate (I see your point, but was basing my post on a, b, and c assumptions)
3. Act like a troll (You're an idiot, you're a downer, how dare you?)

Every person has the right to act how they want on their own blog - that's why you have your own blog!  But this is like all other forms of social interaction - how you act is how people perceive you and respond to you.

If you act like a troll, even on your own blog - I will stop reading your blog.  I don't have tolerance for people who behave like that.  I'm sure you can continue even without my scintillating input :) :)

Social etiquette, fear and sometime sheer confusion can allow us to ignore the dissenting reasoned argument.  I've never understood that!

I've always been interested in well thought out considered differing opinions to mine! Sometime I change my own opinion based on this new insight, sometimes we can agree to disagree, but to me the important thing is I have LEARNED something.

And isn't that exciting? Isn't that why we converse ????

So what about you?  Do you post expecting affirmation and behave like a troll when you don't get it?  Do you post simply to see your own thoughts on the screen?  Or do you post in the hopes of stimulating intelligent conversation with your readers?

• Is there a base flaw in my assumptions and arguments ???
• How much do you feel constrained by social etiquette when confronted by these situations?
• How much are you fearful of being judged by your opinions and actions?

Talk to me - let me know :)

2009 Gifts

Received 5 March 2009

This is the infamous September 2008 "lost" gift. It was never delivered, never found in the local Post Office whenever I asked after it and was eventually sent back to the UK.

Kay repackaged and posted it again, this time to my new Post Box in town and (ta da!) it arrived.

I adore the stitched dragon in the frame! This sits next to my monitor every day!

Surprisingly the chocolate was stille dible (urp). The Socks look so kewl and I adore the Devil keyring :)

The cat toy squeaks as well as being filled with catnip and on an extra long string. I can't wait for Trubs to wake up to try this!

Gifts, Random Acts of Kindness etc that I received during the year.

Mel's Sunday Update

OK so its Monday and this is actually the first one I've put up for the year - I'm a slacker :)

Finishes:
Well I've only had one finish so far this year and an almost finish. BoInk is finished a scant couple of weeks ahead of the pack and Moscow I'm waiting on replacement threads from Vervaco in Belgium.

Round Robins:
Well the International Round Robin is off to a good start this year.  Mine is now with Laura and I've just finished my part on Kay's.  Kay's was quite fun because its all speciality stitches. Not a standard cross stitch in sight!  Of course I shouldn't have tried to stitch it with a head cold .....

Chatelaine's:
Well thanks to the vagaries of International mail (and an incompetent nincompoop who actually delivers the mail)  I've only received one of my Christmas presents this week.  So Chatelaine Workshop 1 will start at some point in the future even though the actual group is now closed.

I have however started Vienna Ball.  I'm still not 100% happy with my fabric.  But I'm using it anyway.  Part One is the border and I'm less than half way through - but I've got a while to catch up, we're only on Part 4 in the group ....

Black Bloomers:
You've all seen Tracy's pastel masterpiece Bloomers?  Well Tracy has sent me a variation to stitch called Black Bloomers.  I hope to be starting this tonight.

Gifts:
Speaking of International mail, a gift Kay sent back in September 2008 arrived this week!  I had been sent here, never delivered, never found by local postal staff, eventually sent back to the UK, repackaged by Kay and posted to my new Post Box and ta da! it is here. 

I adore the stitched dragon in the frame!  This sits next to my monitor every day!  Surprisingly the chocolate was still edible (urp).  The Socks look so kewl and I adore the Devil keyring :) The cat toy squeaks as well as being filled with catnip and on an extra long elastic.  I can't wait for Trubs to wake up to try this!

After Tracy showed a computer mock-up of Black Bloomers I decided I had to stitch it.  I begged Tracy for the conversion and put in an order for the chart (and the Celtic Ice ornament kit also fell into my basket),

Tracy added the fabric, all the threads and a copy of the Twisted Heart chart to my package.  Isn't she the sweetest!



Stitching wise that's about it from me so far this year - I know I'm a slow stitcher :)  The picture at the top of the screen is a type of pigeon that I'm now getting to my feeder station.  Sorry for the blurriness of the picture its taken through a screen door and a glass door.  The little things are still fearful and fly off as soon as I poke the camera out the door.

OK time for dinner and then to prepare my clothes, resume etc for an agency interview tomorrow morning.

Just another Friday night

Its Friday night - you've got the lurgy, so instead of going out to a friend's place with her awesome cook of a husband, you stay in.

You curl up on the lounge with a cup of soup, huddle under a handmade shawl your best friend from England made you, you turn out the lights and settle down to watch F. W. Murnau's Nosforatu.

Half hour into the movie, we see the vampire. You're all alone, the cat is curled up with you and suddenly the stairs shake madly like someone has just pelted up them.  The upstairs creak and groan like there's someone walking around up there.

Holy SHIT!  Who's in the house with me and when did they get in !!!!



An hour or so later I find out we had an earthquake.

For those who don't subscribe to Gift of Stitching Magazine ...

I hope no-one minds, but I am reprinting this small snippet from Kristen's editors page regarding the bushfires here in Victoria.

If anyone wants to subscribe to Gift of Stitching online magazine their details are here: http://www.thegiftofstitching.com.au/

A few cross stitchers have come forward to create something special for the families affected.

Carrol Nielson, an Australian cross stitch designer, is donating the sales from two charts, Hang in There and Koala and Flag to the Help for Wildlife organisation. This charity is helping the wildlife affected by the fires. Please see her website: www.carrolsx-stitch.com for more information.

Lee Willis from Little Wolff Designs has designed a chart which she hopes to stitch and give to every fire station involved in the rescue operation. She needs help! If you would like to contribute to this project, email Lee at LeeWills@westnet.com.au The design is pictured above and Lee will be dying threads especially for the project.


I do not personally know the two designers mentioned here - but I thought I would contact Lee and join her effort.  Just looking through her website thought, I get a bit of an iffy vibe.  Has anyone bought from her or can recommend her work?

Diary of a Jobseeker Part 1

I think today's Dilbert is very appropriate for my first day job hunting.  Yes I know I was officially laid off last Friday, but I decided to take the weekend to rest and recover. 
So far I've been having a good Monday.

Slept in until 8am.  Showered. Came downstairs. Checked email and read blogs for over an hour.  Got cold.  Went upstairs to get dressed.  Remembered why I was downstairs naked (I hadn't put away the washing pile yet). Came back downstairs.  Got dressed. Ate breakfast.

Ready to start the search and start contacting agencies.  Need to update resume with final details too.

So time to start the grand adventure !!!




(And for those of you who read this and don't know me so well ... don't bother lamenting the fact I am blogging instead of just getting on with it.  I do my things in the way it works best for me.  If you don't like it - stop reading!)