Windows

In order to preserve our sanity, E and I have been trying to give each other little windows of time out on the weekends. A couple of hours to yourself can go a long way when you've got little kids.

On Saturday I used my 'window' to wander up to a cafe with a book and a note pad, and quietly enjoyed a nice flat white. Just what the doctor ordered.

No Wet Shoes and Socks Today Baby

Bye, Opes

Oprah finished up her whole talk show thing the other day, after 25 years. We watched a little bit of the final show, it was weird and cringey in some ways, but also felt strangely momentous at the same time. Even a little bit touching.

That is one seriously powerful woman, the sway she has is massive. The expression on the faces of the women in the audience was just this complete idolising 'tell me how it is, guru' kinda look, they were hanging on every word. Gotta say though, she is a pretty good orator. So comfortable on stage, the words just seem to come without any obvious cues.

She said some interesting Christianish spriritualish stuff as well, though it was hard to decipher really where she was at. Some talk about God, a mention of Jesus, but also a fair whack of mumbo jumbo thrown in there as well. A lot about the Self, and energy and fulfilling your destiny and whatnot.

Anyone else see any of it?

Sometimes I'm pleased to see vandalism.

The Quiz

1. If I could turn back time..
2. I wish I could get the hang of..
3. Something to be happy about today
4. The worst thing about blogging
5. The best thing about blogging

Traces of Wire

So E bought this box of Coles Frooty Rings a week or so ago. Think no-name Fruit Loops. Not something we'd usually buy (honest), but as an activity for Little e's party last week, the idea was to thread them on some string or something and make necklaces.

Now thankfully we ran out of time to run that activity, because E was contacted yesterday about a recall of Frooty Rings, due to 'traces of wire' in the product. Wire?! Come now, Coles, the kiddies need iron in their diet and all, but steady on.

Just a quick aside here- what sort of crazy Orwellian society are we living in where your Frooty Rings purchase can even be traced? Chilling.

Anyways, post-party but pre-recall, I saw the box of Frooty Rings sitting on the bench, just pretty much going to waste. How often does a grown up get to satisfy his cravings for Fruit Loops, be it cheap no-name version or not. Rarely. One must take these opportunities when they arise, obviously.

So I had a big bowl of them the other day. They were good. So sugary that my eyeballs were tingling and I started trembling a little. In a good way of course.

But now I'm worried. Have I ingested Traces of Wire? What is to become of me once said traces make their way into my bloodstream? What sort of lonely cyborg existence am I in for? Tell me that, Coles. Tell me that!

Human Pendulum

It's amazing what 24 hours, some prayer, some small improvements, a bit more sleep and a bit of perspective can do. Feeling a lot better about things than yesterday morning.

Boo, But Yay

Bummed that my current favourite show, Party Down is now over. But chuffed that taking it's place is another fav, Arrested Development, starting right back at the beginning I presume. Great!

Tonight at 8:30 on ABC2

Thursday Peanuts

Swamped

Things have been really difficult lately. Really hard. So many worries and junk to try and get through, I just feel swamped. I'm trying my best to cling to God, but it's hard to not just feel tossed around by the waves. It all gets compounded with night after night of baaad sleep. You get into bed at 10:30 not envisaging that you'll somehow be up at 2:30am watching the Love Boat on tele with one of your kids because they just won't sleep. I'm hanging for this 'season' to be over.

The Halfway House For Clothes

After a great deal of thought, I've reached the conclusion that there needs to be some kind of halfway house for my clothes. There is a definite missing link in the chain between drawers and dirty clothes basket. A gaping chasm, actually.

I won't hide the truth. I wear clothes a lot before I wash them. T shirts need to get at least a second wear. I often even give socks a round two. Be disgusted all you like- I have very sweet smelling feet. You could hang one of my worn socks off your rear view mirror and fill your car with a lively pine scented, um, scent. And jeans, well, that can get a bit out of control for me. Weeks. At least.

So the question therefore arises. After I've gotten a clean item from the draw and worn it once, where does it sit while it awaits its' encore performance? It's certainly not going anywhere near the dirty clothes basket. But it would feel a bit gross (see, I do have some standards)to put it back in the drawer. I don't want to leave them on the floor or they'll get dusty and make me sneeze.

So where? This is where the need is great. I have always resorted to the Big Pile. Be it on a box, or on top of my drawers, or on a chair. There will always be a Big Pile. I'm okay with this, but it is a bit unsightly. To be honest, it can anger wives. They may resort to spitefully washing your pile painfully prematurely.

So what do you do? Do you do the Big Pile, or are you too well adjusted and wholesome to re-wear your clothes?

The Quiz

1. Something that's grown on you
2. Afternoon naps. Do you wake up refreshed or groggy?
3. Something you secretly like
4. A celeb your sick of hearing about
5. Best thing to spread on toast

Rounds

You know what I miss? Singing songs in rounds. There are very few things as good in life as singing songs in rounds. I think what is primarily wrong with modern Christian music is that they think they are too cool to sing/write songs in rounds.

Yesterday I was nostalgically thinking about that song Behold What Manner Of Love, and how great it sounds in rounds. It reminds me of childhood: church, Sunday school, school and also Summer School, that terrifying yearly trip where I'd be shuttled off in some bus with a horde of strange children I'd never met to some place for the day. There were tears. But at least there was singing in rounds.

I was trying to remember other good songs we did in rounds but couldn't remember. Anyone from my generation remember any?

Happy Birthday!

The Little e turns 4 tomorrow.

Happy birthday, beautiful girl.

Cloudstreet

Aww, very bummed that Cloudstreet is only on pay TV.

One of my favourite books ever getting it's first proper screen treatment, and it sounds like it's really great. I saw the play years and years ago and it blew me away.

Rats.

Alert: Please Shut Down Soon

I have fond memories of this foreign thing called unbroken sleep.

It's quite a distant memory, but I remember it being pretty nice.

Thursday Peanuts

Thursday Peanuts is back, at least for the time being.

And in colour too!

Pinata Hunting, or The Aldi Bum Rush

Wow, I just experienced a phenomenon I hadn't witnessed before: The Aldi Bum Rush. I knew this stuff happened with fancy ladies clothes shop and stuff, but Aldi?

So I'm outside the shop five minutes before opening time, and there's this horde of women, and a smattering of men, all huddled around the closed doors, catalogue in hand. E warned me of this last night and I scoffed. Pff. Queues to get into Aldi? Say what, sister? But she was right.

I was there for the kids party gear we'd seen in the catalogue. It's Little e's birthday this weekend, so we wanted to get a pinata. Anyways, I'm suddenly stressing. Could all this people be after that sweet pinata? Who knew it was pinata season. I'm going to have to do the bolt once I get in, and barge through a few of these determined housewives. I looked at my competition. That oldish limping one I reckon I could take. At a pinch. The fit looking one with the bike pants, maybe not. She looks like she could have me in a footrace for sure.

The doors open and I scramble in, eyes frantically searching for signs of pinata. My heart sinks as I find nothing. The women stampede by. They know where they're going. Off they trot, but I smile with relief as they all settle upon a stack of women's jarmies, socks, tops and what not, like ravenous vultures huddled around a corpse. They are merciless: pushing each other out of the way, 'accidentally' clipping each other with handbags. Their eyes are on the prize. Who knew Aldi clothes were in such high demand?

Anyways, long story short, I eventually got the goods, after asking a guy to go and get one from out the back. And I got this sweet 'adventure set' as well, which is like these tents joined up with a tunnel.

The crowded commute this arvo is going to be interesting with arms full of fairytale castle pinata and adventure set. Maybe I didn't think this through.

Book Review Wednesday by Crazyjedidiah

The Scarlet Trefoil
By L.A. Kelly

Review by Crazyjedidiah

Tahn Dorn is finding God's grace toward him a new comfort after living his whole life as one of darkness. Having finally put his past behind him he is looking forward to a peaceful future with his bride to be. However the past returns to haunt him, putting all he loves at risk. Lady Netta's carriage is attacked on the eve of her wedding, by a group of rogue bandits hired by Tahn's enemy Baron Lionell Trent. Than is lured into a trap so that he cannot claim his birth right. Will he lose his dream or will he be able to free his true love?

The final in the trilogy about Tahn is another one worth reading. Although it still leaves some things up in the air. I feel like their could have been an epilogue that briefly spelt out certain things that were alluded to or briefly mentioned as happening in the future. But it was a good book to read.

Thanks for reviewing this trilogy! Check out Crazyjedidiah's blog, Gibberish.

Scar Tactics

A friend of mine recently had an accident with some kind of power saw. It jumped up and cut his cheek, and he had to get several stitches. It was a miracle that it didn't do more damage- get his eye or ear or something. He was left with a pretty decent scar.

I don't want to trivialise my friends' near miss, but, to be honest, I've always kind of wanted a cool scar. One that would make me look cooler and tougher than I look now. (Did you see what I did there? Not sure if I'm being big headed or self deprecating are you? That's how intricate the web that I weave is to the naked eye).

Back on topic, I wouldn't want the scar to be too drastic and disfiguring, just a cool nick here or there. Like I've been in a dangerous tussle and lived to tell the tale. But only just.

A prerequisite for a scar to be cool is that it can't be too symmetrical. I only have one decent scar, but it's silly looking and symmetrical, so it in no way qualifies as being cool. It's a shiny round circle on the back of my head. Very circular, very pink, very shiny, very symmetrical. According to legend, it occurred soon after I was born, when the nurses took me away to be weighed or something or other. Maybe they swung me by the legs and accidentally clipped a passing trolley doing the rounds or something. Hard to say. They denied any responsibility. But look at me now, nurses. LOOOK AT MEEEEEEE! Avert your eyes, children!

Because of it's perfectly formed symetricalityness, it doesn't even look much like a scar, let a lone a cool one. I once had someone mistake it for a USB port and try to plug in their thumb drive there. Another person treated it like a miniature pregnant belly and patted it, cooing, "Awwww" lovingly. Still a third person gave it a rub, before standing back waiting for a genie to come out.

Not cool.

Life and Death According To Stephen Hawking

"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

Ahh, I feel all warm and fuzzy.

From here.

After You, Laptop

Sorry, Lady on the bus with three big bags, standing in the aisle trying not to topple over. That guy would have really liked to have given you that vacant seat beside him, but his laptop really needed the seat.

Laptop has been working pretty hard lately, and has also just started working nights, getting a second job unpacking boxes in a supermarket. To be honest, Laptop's dog's are really barking. As you know, laptops get pretty tuckered out and need a good sit down at the best of times.

So, Lady, no hard feelings, and thanks for understanding.

The Quiz

1. Dinner last night
2. Been reading anything much?
3. Favourite restaurant
4. Most memorable movie character of the past decade
5.If you had to compete on a reality TV show, which one would you choose?

Good Morning

I'm feeling good today after a hard couple of weeks. Lots of hard personal stuff on top of having the flu and feeling pretty run down. But it's a lovely sunny day, and there's lots to be thankful for.

Oh, So You're Working Now?

Ahh finally Blogger is working again. I was trying to post for a couple days but it wouldn't let me (that's actually a good excuse for not posting- I'll have to remember that one..) Seems like lots of you guys were having the same problems? I couldn't post or comment here or on any Blogger blogs.

Blogger. Seriously cruising for a bruising.

Winter In May

Back at work today, but only in body, not really in spirit. I'm still pretty knocked out with the flu, but couldn't really keep taking days off. Don't you hate that?

And it's too cold. Not even winter yet and I'm freezing. Urgh I long for spring already. I wish I was a bear so I could toddle off to my cave, put up a 'do not disturb' sign and just sleep for a couple months. that's the good stuff.

This morning on my way to work I wore five layers on top- singlet, t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, jumper, jacket. Plus scarf and beanie. Can anyone beat that?

Sick.

Back tomorrow hopefully.

Amen, Brother.

Copyright B. McLaughlin 2011

Does anybody know anything about copyrighting something?

Say I wanted to use a certain name for something, and didn't want anyone to sue me, or nick the same name for something else, do you know whether it would be expensive or how you go about it?

It's Like The Power Of The Wind

I know it's horses for courses and all that, but I don't get Christians who don't like Keith Green. It's like Italians not liking spaghetti. Staple. I love these lyrics I was listening to this morning--

'All my life I've been searching for that crazy missing part
And with one touch, You just rolled away the stone that held my heart
And now I see that the answer was as easy, as just asking You in
And I am so sure I could never doubt Your gentle touch again
It's like the power of the wind.'

No Photos

I just heard that the US government have decided not to release the photograph of Bin Laden's body, the reasoning being that it would be too inflammatory.I'm sure this will only fan the flame for the conspiracy theorists out there who think the whole thing is some kind of hoax or lie.

To be honest, I'd like to see a photo. But probably more out of morbid fascination than for needing to see proof. And I don't think I should necessarily be granted that, so I'm okay about some sort of authority deciding whether or not I get to.

I'm sure motives will be questioned, but for the sake of safety, and for not wanting to wave the picture in front of the noses of his followers, who frankly are probably as dangerous as he was, I'm okay with that.

What I'd like to happen, is that a whole bunch of leaders from around the world go to some private viewing of the pictures, and then statements are made to confirm it. I'd be satisfied with that.

What do you think?

Just Saying

Seriously, how gross are those supposedly 'gourmet' tins of flavoured tuna. They look kinda good on the picture but you open it up and get a slimy tin of fluorescent slurry. With capers.

Book Review Wednesday by Crazyjedidiah

Return to Alastair
By L.A. Kelly
Review by Crazyjedidiah

After leaving his life as a feared mercenary Tahn Dorn is building a new life. However he still has a heavy heart, he has made peace with God but is still not fully at peace with himself. Tahn continues to be haunted by confusing dreams and is uncertain of his feelings for Netta, he knows he must confront his past before he can face the future. This means he must return to Alastair where his earliest memories are, memories of torture and pain. He must face deep seated fears, as well as old adversaries, deadly threats and the mistrust of an entire town. There is danger around every corner and without divine intervention the hope of being free from the past could be lost forever.

The sequel to than another recommended book although this one is more violent than the first. It was enjoyable though, it was a little harder to read, that maybe because it is the second in a trilogy and so is not really finishing or ending but just continuing the story.

Thanks for the review! Check out Crazyjedidiah's Gibberish.

Banana Feedback

Bananas has gotten off to a strong start- on it's first morning it got 200,000 viewers, which is pretty high. It beat Sesame Street and a lot of other shows that day. It got a little write up in the SMH Guide which was pretty positive.

The expectation is that they may be some negative reaction at first, with the revamp and the shift to animation, but the hope is that the parents will kinda stop worrying about all that, and the new generation of kids will enjoy it. One comment I read on a thread of an article about it said, They're just scary sell outs... Poor form ABC!!

Youch. Can't win 'em all.

The Pursuit of Holiness

I've just started reading The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. I'm finding it helpful, and pretty easy to read. Here's one bit that really struck a chord with me-

'Why do so many Christians feel constantly defeated in their struggle with sin?

...Our first problem is that our attitude towards sin is more self-centred than God-centred. We are more concerned about our own "victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve the heart of God. we cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success-oriented, not because we know it is offensive to God.

...God wants us to walk in obedience- not victory. Obedience is oriented towards God; victory is oriented toward self... This is not to say God doesn't want us to experience victory, but rather to emphasise that victory is a byproduct of obedience.'

Wet Wet Wet

Just popped the two paintings I did the other day up on my painting blog if you wanna have a squiz..

Big, Big News, Huh.

Wow.

Relisted

Well, I had a really nice week off work. It was tiring in a lot of ways, but in a nice way. I feel pretty rested. I aimed high with my list, but managed at least to do some of the stuff. Here's how I fared. The highlighted ones are the ones I got to.

-lie on a picnic blanket under the big gum tree in my back yard
-build an 'empty tomb' and a 'stone' out of clay for the kids
-do an Easter egg hunt in the back yard
-listen to Keith Green's Easter Song
-visit the tram museum down the road and go for a tram ride into the national park
-go painting with my mate at dawn on Anzac Day
-use the slow cooker a lot well, a bit
-bake a cake with the girls something called 'snickadoodle' actually. Sort of like a bland slab of pretzel.
-buy/build/obtain a compost bin just made a dodgy short term heap
-go to Bunnings
-get back into a more structured Bible reading routine
-get back in to speech practice
-go to Toastmasters
-paint some skirting and architraves a token amount, but a start anyway
-work on my new veggie patch weeding mostly
-work on my comic strip
-re-read through my old Bone comics
-watch a period drama with E
-read on the toilet for ridiculously extensive lengths of time
-watch the Godfather trilogy
-go for a bush walk with the kids
-paint a still life at night when everyone's asleep
-research about keeping chooks and building a chicken coup
-make soup
-cook a lamb roast a chook actually. Lamb is ridiculously pricey these days.
-convince E to play Super Scrabble with me
-go to a library

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking B1?

Bananas in Pyjamas, the show I've been working on for the past couple of years finally goes to air today. It feels good, as it's been such a long time in the works. 104 episodes worth! Funnily enough, I finished storyboarding episode #104 last night.

It's a re-jigged, completely animated version (not strange men in fruit suits). So, the first ep was aired this morning at 8am on ABC2 and then I think there's another episode at 1:30pm.

I'm hoping it goes well so that we can get another series up, and I can keep my job.

The Quiz

1. So. Did you watch The Wedding?
2. I can't believe I used to..
3. Your ideal Sunday afternoon
4. Are you more a details or big picture person?
5. I'm glad I decided to