I have gone and bought a pair of cordless headphones so I can actually hear the tv without disturbing the extremely sharp eared neighbour from below.
They are taking a bit of getting used to (the headphones that is) and are not that comfy in this extrememly hot weather.
Still we do what we must to maintain the peace.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
In Library and/or in Work
My boss has been on leave for the past week so I have been 'acting up' (as in higher duties, not as in doing evil).
This has meant that I have been busy (yessssss) and, because I have had plenty to do, my brain has been working and I have been thinking.(uh oh)
I now have a blog dashboard full of draft 'idea' posts about things I could be doing, about things my library could be doing, about things I'd like to investigate doing, and so on and so forth.
Most of you will be able to guess what the most challenging thing will be (or what will be the biggest obstacle for me to overcome!)
With the exception of Wednesday (I received an email that upset my equilibrium somewhat) I have been thriving on the challenge of lots to do.
I have seldom been so organised, so productive (Polyxena - ignore this sentence!) - my flat has never been so tidy - it's great.
So what happens next?
Hopefully I can maintain the enthusiasm and the drive and enjoy the challenges.
Whatever happens I should point out that I have started watercolour painting lessons - and I am absolutely crap. It's fun and I'm enjoying it but it's fairly obvious to everyone that I won't be giving up my day job to become a painter.
This has meant that I have been busy (yessssss) and, because I have had plenty to do, my brain has been working and I have been thinking.(uh oh)
I now have a blog dashboard full of draft 'idea' posts about things I could be doing, about things my library could be doing, about things I'd like to investigate doing, and so on and so forth.
Most of you will be able to guess what the most challenging thing will be (or what will be the biggest obstacle for me to overcome!)
With the exception of Wednesday (I received an email that upset my equilibrium somewhat) I have been thriving on the challenge of lots to do.
I have seldom been so organised, so productive (Polyxena - ignore this sentence!) - my flat has never been so tidy - it's great.
So what happens next?
Hopefully I can maintain the enthusiasm and the drive and enjoy the challenges.
Whatever happens I should point out that I have started watercolour painting lessons - and I am absolutely crap. It's fun and I'm enjoying it but it's fairly obvious to everyone that I won't be giving up my day job to become a painter.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Libraries & the Community
Last week I had an epiphany (or a nightmare) - I woke up in the middle of the night and decided I wanted to learn watercolour painting. (I should point out that I have the artistic talent of an old boot). I let the thought sit there for a few days -reminding myself I failed painting by numbers - before addressing it once again. Yes I am still keen.
Next step was to finds somewhere to take lesons. I, of course, first turned to 'expanding your horizons' a six monthly guide to what's on at the local neighbourhood houses, put out by the City of Boroondara.
As I was reading through the course offerings I came across one, at the Canterbury Neighbourhood Centre:
"Calling all bookworms.
A friendly group that meets the first Tuesday of the month, 2 pm - 3.30 pm. Books supplied by the local library when possible. No cost." (Emphasis is mine).
Now I suspect I work at their 'local library' and I know nothing about them. If indeed they do get their books from us (informally obviously) then it seems to me that there's a community partnership waiting to happen.
A simple phone call from us -along the lines of - we've heard about the book group, how can we help?
I'm not envisaging or intending that we take over the group or anything like that. I'm thinking more along the lines of helping suggest books that we have multiple copies of, or maybe even go so far as to set up a 'bookclub in a bag program' with them.
I think this is a great community opportunity and (sticking my neck out here) I'd be prepared to take it on.
What do others think?
P.S. I've narrowed the watercolour classes down to either Balwyn Community Centre or Camberwell Community Centre.
Next step was to finds somewhere to take lesons. I, of course, first turned to 'expanding your horizons' a six monthly guide to what's on at the local neighbourhood houses, put out by the City of Boroondara.
As I was reading through the course offerings I came across one, at the Canterbury Neighbourhood Centre:
"Calling all bookworms.
A friendly group that meets the first Tuesday of the month, 2 pm - 3.30 pm. Books supplied by the local library when possible. No cost." (Emphasis is mine).
Now I suspect I work at their 'local library' and I know nothing about them. If indeed they do get their books from us (informally obviously) then it seems to me that there's a community partnership waiting to happen.
A simple phone call from us -along the lines of - we've heard about the book group, how can we help?
I'm not envisaging or intending that we take over the group or anything like that. I'm thinking more along the lines of helping suggest books that we have multiple copies of, or maybe even go so far as to set up a 'bookclub in a bag program' with them.
I think this is a great community opportunity and (sticking my neck out here) I'd be prepared to take it on.
What do others think?
P.S. I've narrowed the watercolour classes down to either Balwyn Community Centre or Camberwell Community Centre.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Years Resolutions
"New Year's Day - Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."
Mark Twain (via the quote on my literary calendar for Jan 1.)
I will be making NYR's - I won't be blogging about them!
Mark Twain (via the quote on my literary calendar for Jan 1.)
I will be making NYR's - I won't be blogging about them!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
A very tappy Christmas
Christmas Day 2008.
The day startd earlyish (in fact I haven't been up this early on CHristmas Day since i was a kid and tappingbetty & son-of-royboy, used to wake everybody up at 6 am to see what santa had brought us). Tappingbetty and Tapmum picked me up at 7.30 am and we headed off to Viewbank to Son-of-Royboy's (aka brother #1)for our first Christmas meal of the day.
KT (almost 9 yr old niece) was cooking pancakes with raspberries & whipped cream, tapmum had made Bircher muesli, & son-of-royboy had burned some croissants, for our breakfast.
I had to 'sing for my supper' as KT had got a download card for her nintendo ds and it wasn't working so my tech skills were called upon to find out what system file was missing and to install said sytem file (which I did).
My time in front of the pc did not end there. 11 yr old nephew was having trouble downloading to his new ipod nano - so I sorted that out for him - I am definitely favourite aunty there at the moment.
BollocksPants (aka Brother #2) rang from England to wish us all a merry xmas and catch us up on his news, and Be-There-With (aka brother #3) rang from NZ where he, s-i-l, and the feral cherubs, are spending Xmas - got a merry xmas from 3yr old nephew (as well as a detailed chat about dora the explorer!).
We exchanged family presents before TappingBetty, Tapmum and I headed for Southbank for our Christmas lunch.
This year's venue was La Camera and it was a great choice as we had a superb 3 course meal.
It was a set menu - choice of 3 entrees, 3 mains, and 3 desserts. TappingBetty had won an excellence award from her work - which was a $100 restaurant voucher - and she very generously put that towards the meal.
Now it's home, feet up, relaxing with my xmas presents, and not feeling like eating again today.
Merry Christmas everyone.
The day startd earlyish (in fact I haven't been up this early on CHristmas Day since i was a kid and tappingbetty & son-of-royboy, used to wake everybody up at 6 am to see what santa had brought us). Tappingbetty and Tapmum picked me up at 7.30 am and we headed off to Viewbank to Son-of-Royboy's (aka brother #1)for our first Christmas meal of the day.
KT (almost 9 yr old niece) was cooking pancakes with raspberries & whipped cream, tapmum had made Bircher muesli, & son-of-royboy had burned some croissants, for our breakfast.
I had to 'sing for my supper' as KT had got a download card for her nintendo ds and it wasn't working so my tech skills were called upon to find out what system file was missing and to install said sytem file (which I did).
My time in front of the pc did not end there. 11 yr old nephew was having trouble downloading to his new ipod nano - so I sorted that out for him - I am definitely favourite aunty there at the moment.
BollocksPants (aka Brother #2) rang from England to wish us all a merry xmas and catch us up on his news, and Be-There-With (aka brother #3) rang from NZ where he, s-i-l, and the feral cherubs, are spending Xmas - got a merry xmas from 3yr old nephew (as well as a detailed chat about dora the explorer!).
We exchanged family presents before TappingBetty, Tapmum and I headed for Southbank for our Christmas lunch.
This year's venue was La Camera and it was a great choice as we had a superb 3 course meal.
It was a set menu - choice of 3 entrees, 3 mains, and 3 desserts. TappingBetty had won an excellence award from her work - which was a $100 restaurant voucher - and she very generously put that towards the meal.
Now it's home, feet up, relaxing with my xmas presents, and not feeling like eating again today.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Noisy Librarian - rant alert
Well Friday was one of those days - it started out brilliantly then went steadily downhill.
For the first time ever we used an online booking program (eventbrite) for out school holiday program tickets. And it worked - it worked better than we could have imagined.
Accusations of catastrophism were made (in the light of our evident and profound relief at the lack of problems) but given the volume of bookings - staff, software, and patrons all coped brilliantly.
The high was soon replaced by disbelief(and many other D {and f} words) at news of a colleague's misfortune.
Then the ice cream van ran out of ice cream a the work Christmas party.
Could the day get any worse? Well yes it could.
When I got home there was a letter from the Body Corporate Manager waiting for me.
Apparently he has received 'numerous' complaints of loud music coming from my flat (the music, not the complaints), and of loud music being played (by me) outside of the hours prescribed by law.
Loud music -me?
Loud music late at night - me?
Now those of you who know me will know I am uber nerd - when I am at home I watch TV, frolic at the computer, and read.
I seldom, if ever, play music outside the prescribed hours (let alone loud music).
I don't listen to the radio.
If I've got music on it's while I'm doing housework and I turn it up so I can hear it over the vacuum cleaner - but I sure-as-hell don't vacuum after 10pm or before 7am (11pm & 9am weekends).
On the rare occasions I do vacuum it's in the middle of the day! And, as I mainly listen to show tunes, soundtracks etc., it raises the question is it possible to play "The sound of Music" loudly?
I put all this in an email to the Body Corporate Manager - along with mention of my long standing tenancy here, and the fact that the previous owners used me as a selling point for the unit ('ideal, long standing, quiet tenant').
Despite all these protestations what really p****d me off was the fact that the anonymous complainant went straight to the body corporate - they didn't talk to me, or pop a note in the letterbox, or slide a note under the door.
I suspect this is a case of mistaken identity - the guys in the flat next door work nights and they like their 'doof doof' music loud and late.
I also have a prime suspect for the complainant - I know almost all of the tenants in the other flats - except for the people who moved in downstairs a couple of weeks ago - not really sure how I can broach the subject with them - as I haven't met them or crossed paths with them yet. (I suspect introducing myself to them with boombox on shoulder blaring out selections from South Pacific would not be the way to go!)
Stay tuned for further developments.
If only I used my power for quiet instead of evil.
P.S. Everybody I have told this tale has laughed hysterically at the thought of me playing loud music late at night - should I be insulted or offended?
For the first time ever we used an online booking program (eventbrite) for out school holiday program tickets. And it worked - it worked better than we could have imagined.
Accusations of catastrophism were made (in the light of our evident and profound relief at the lack of problems) but given the volume of bookings - staff, software, and patrons all coped brilliantly.
The high was soon replaced by disbelief(and many other D {and f} words) at news of a colleague's misfortune.
Then the ice cream van ran out of ice cream a the work Christmas party.
Could the day get any worse? Well yes it could.
When I got home there was a letter from the Body Corporate Manager waiting for me.
Apparently he has received 'numerous' complaints of loud music coming from my flat (the music, not the complaints), and of loud music being played (by me) outside of the hours prescribed by law.
Loud music -me?
Loud music late at night - me?
Now those of you who know me will know I am uber nerd - when I am at home I watch TV, frolic at the computer, and read.
I seldom, if ever, play music outside the prescribed hours (let alone loud music).
I don't listen to the radio.
If I've got music on it's while I'm doing housework and I turn it up so I can hear it over the vacuum cleaner - but I sure-as-hell don't vacuum after 10pm or before 7am (11pm & 9am weekends).
On the rare occasions I do vacuum it's in the middle of the day! And, as I mainly listen to show tunes, soundtracks etc., it raises the question is it possible to play "The sound of Music" loudly?
I put all this in an email to the Body Corporate Manager - along with mention of my long standing tenancy here, and the fact that the previous owners used me as a selling point for the unit ('ideal, long standing, quiet tenant').
Despite all these protestations what really p****d me off was the fact that the anonymous complainant went straight to the body corporate - they didn't talk to me, or pop a note in the letterbox, or slide a note under the door.
I suspect this is a case of mistaken identity - the guys in the flat next door work nights and they like their 'doof doof' music loud and late.
I also have a prime suspect for the complainant - I know almost all of the tenants in the other flats - except for the people who moved in downstairs a couple of weeks ago - not really sure how I can broach the subject with them - as I haven't met them or crossed paths with them yet. (I suspect introducing myself to them with boombox on shoulder blaring out selections from South Pacific would not be the way to go!)
Stay tuned for further developments.
If only I used my power for quiet instead of evil.
P.S. Everybody I have told this tale has laughed hysterically at the thought of me playing loud music late at night - should I be insulted or offended?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Christmas whimsy
O Fiona of wonder, Fiona of might,
Fiona of royal beauty bright.
We Three Kings Of Orient Are
from the Christmas Song Generator.
So here it is, merry Christmas,
Everybody's having fun.
Look to the fiona now,
It's only just begun.
Merry Christmas
from the Christmas Song Generator.
On the first day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
A fiona in a pear tree.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
from the Christmas Song Generator.
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless fiona
The silent stars go by.
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
from the Christmas Song Generator.
He sees you when you're fiona,
He knows when you're awake.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
from the Christmas Song Generator.
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