Safely home

Got home safely today without being hit by any giant gusts of wind. Good thing the weather forecast was not too accurate :P.

The wind is less powerful today - didn't hear it in the stairwell at work. But it has turned quite cold again. The current temperature is 10 degrees but it really does feel colder. Just before I went home, I spotted a big rainbow in the sky :). Sort of helped me feel that it couldn't be too scary out there to venture home myself...hehehe! So much for the end of winter. It looks like it is going to be cold the next few days ahead.


A big rainbow 

Scary kind of windy

Phew! It was a rather scary walk home. I am still shaking a little from the effect of the strong winds. I was sort of bracing myself at each crossing when I saw effect of the wind on the people in front but when I crossed Exhibition Street just now, the strength of the wind shocked me. I could really feel being blown away and I almost wanted to cling to a post in the middle of the road. I saw the person coming in the opposite direction struggling to walk straight and I guessed that was probably how I looked too. Luckily I was carrying some groceries which probably added a couple of kgs to my weight.

Just read the news that "gusts of up to 100 km/h were being recorded in and around Melbourne". Yes, I think I forgot to indicate in my earlier post that wind gusts are about 93kph. Yikes! Look at how that compares to Katrina slowing down.

Living here really does make you read weather forecasts a lot more. And now I know there is a difference in just wind speeds and wind gusts. In Singapore, it is just sunny or rainy. Nothing really extreme at all. Now I see that tomorrow is forecasted to be "heavy t-storm; very windy", and wind gusts are up to 117kph!!! Arrgh! I don't think I will go home on my own...have to wait for Darlink. :S It would be better if I don't have to go out at all!

Windy!

Although less cold these days, they are windy. I can hear the wind whistling in the stairwell at the office. When I cross roads that are across the direction of the wind blowing, I sort of feel a bit scared at being blown off-course. Just as a comparison, wind speed now is about 59kph here. It is 4kph in nice balmy Singapore.

Of course this is nothing compared to Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast. The wind speeds were something like 240kph at its worst!!! It is now around 96kph - classified as a tropical rainstorm. I think it is terrible that these things happen. We were just imagining last night how it awful it is leaving everything behind and just running away for your life.

I am reading about the devastation left by the hurricane in the places it hit last night. It is hard to imagine how these places will get back on their feet after all that damage and destruction. We can only pray that most people get out of this safely.

End of winter

It is officially going to be the end of winter at the end of this month. Weather-wise, it got up to 21 degrees over the weekend :) People are starting to dress like it is summer already. Saw mini-skirts, gypsy skirts, slippers and singlets over the weekend. It's going to be a great change to be able to not wear layers of clothing and jackets! I haven't been in open-toed shoes for a long time! In a few weeks, we will probably be able to put away most of the jackets and take out the Singapore stuff to wear...hopefully :P

Ignored?

Bobbi bunny & Mr Carrot 

I put Mr Carrot in Bobbi's cage...hung like a carrot bait...hehehe! But probably because he does not smell like one, she is largely ignoring him...I have pictures of her at her water bottle, at her food bowl here but none where she actually bothers about her new toy :(

Suburb visits

We went to Glenferrie and Camberwell today. Just wanted a change of things to see. Although I guessed there might not really be anything to shop at these places, just thought it would be a good change to do some exploring instead of going to the same places all the time. You never know what you might find in visiting different places.

Well, we didn't really find anything superbly interesting but there is a Sunday market at Camberwell we might try to go to. It ends at 12.30pm (which is so oddly early) so we will try to get there earlier next week.

A companion for Bobbi

Mr Carrot! 

Looky looky! I actually managed to squeeze in some time to complete my second little stuffed toy - Mr Carrot! :) He is going to be Bobbi's companion. Hopefully she will be nice to him...

Can't wait for the day I can get a photo of Bobbi carrying Mr Carrot around!

Another first!!

Today our company announced their financial results for the year and it was quite stellar - a record profit for any Australian company! For the people involved in getting the announcement out, a giant milestone was reached and so at this point in time (which is 6pm!!), everyone has gone home (or gone out to celebrate with drinks). Amazingly I am still here (it is so quiet!!). So there is another record for the books.

I was just trying to clear out some half done stuff for today so that I can start on a new area tomorrow.

Better be going home now. Feels so weird being all alone here...:P

A record for today

Ooooh! I sent 13 emails at work today! This means that I am properly occupied :) Not too busy, but just enough to get all the balls on the other side of the court at the end of the day...Hehhehe!

Now it is time to go home! Hooray!

Phew! A tiring weekend

We went to Chadstone Shopping Centre today with Charli. Did so much walking that we all felt really worn out even before 5pm (which is when all the shops close). I didn't really get anything much this time except for a bag of stuffing in the event I have time to make more little stuffed toys :). Can't shop too much after the damage to the pockets with the giant dental bill.

We have also decided to try to live healthier by getting a juicer yesterday. So today we got lots of carrots, apples, oranges and celery to make our own fruit juice at home.

With so much fruits and vege at home, Bobbi bunny also gets a share of the spoils. Here is a video of the cute bunny guzzling salad leaves. The video sort of keeps veering away because I am trying to feed her and record at the same time :S.

A rabbitto_bunny first! A video clip

The first video clip on my blog! I got inspired by Le-Anne's National Day videos and so I decided to take one of Bobbi bunny's daily evening dashes on sofa when we are home. Now everyone can get to share in the funny binkys that she does. Look out for more! :)

Dental trauma

Had a large filling in one of my back teeth which I knew was going to fall out because I was getting a weird feeling in the area for a few days. This morning, just before I went to work, I looked in the mirror and IT WAS GONE!! That would mean two terrible things for me. One, I swallowed a load of poison (mercury) and two, I had to get the big hole patched up or I would not be able to eat.

I hate going to the dentist! Anyway, I managed to make it to work in a rather disturbed and dazed state (yes, that is how it affects me). After lots of calls to various dentists I managed to find one in Malvern with an appointment for 12 noon.

I will not go through the "gory" details of what I had to go through but I was so stressed out in the dentist chair, the dentist offered me Happy Gas (complimentary - which I did not want anyway because I think it would give me greater stress feeling like I am being gassed or put to sleep). She was really nice though and applied some relaxing ayurvedic balm to help me feel better. I don't really know why I was so panicky in there though. It is probably due to the fact that it was all unfamiliar and I already got used to my dentist in Singapore.

One and a half hours later and $485 (SO EXPENSIVE!! I have never seen such a large dental bill) poorer, I was out with half a numb face and well, at least a nice fixed tooth. It looks great! On the whole, I don't think I can complain about having to pay so much because I was almost thinking of crowning the tooth which would have cost more still and involve lots more appointments. I got a composite resin filling this time so it looks just like the rest of my teeth and not the ugly normal filling. In fact, I might consider changing the filling in other teeth so they all look nice and white...oh but the cost...:S

I am still having a headache from all the stress today and my half numb face just became normal a while ago. :(

Nice day

Sunset

The weather has returned to something more normal these days after last week's drama. Even the weather forecast stated "Sunny and nice". Anyway, the nice day ended with a nice sunset so I took a pic.

On second thoughts...

My stuffed bunny!

Hehehe! Look at the stuffed bunny I made! :) It looks a little bumpy because I didn't buy the stuffing they usually use in stuffed toys and used cotton instead. I didn't want Bobbi to eat any synthetic materials if she tore it up.

I am thinking maybe I won't give her this one - it is historic :P. I think she will tear it up in no time given how she was biting at my fleece coat just now. I will probably have to do something that does not have ears sticking out to prolong its life.

Inspired!

Was looking through the craft blogs (that I have at the side bar) today and all the related blogs that they link to and I got really inspired to try sewing something too! I don't have a sewing machine (although now I really wish I had one) so it will just have to be by hand. For starters, I am going to make Bobbi bunny a toy since I have actually been meaning to buy her one but couldn't find anything suitable. She had better not chew up my work! :P (What are the chances? But I am going to try anyway).

I am quite amazed at the people who maintain these craft blogs. They are mostly mums with kids and they have time to do these things! I think that looking at kids books really help provide inspiration to do all these cute colourful stuff. I love looking at kids books too for the pictures and colours but I don't really have any chance to get into the thick of things without a real reason to be doing so. Why would someone my age be reading such books?

Anyway, I have already gotten myself all geared up to do my first sewing project in a long time. I went to the craft shop at lunch time to get some felt and thread and with the help of the inspiring blogs I think I already have an idea of what I will do. Stay tuned!

Another wonder of nature

Fowl with "fur" coats!

Had this pic for a while but didn't get to put it up until now. I saw these funny looking birds at the chicken and duck stall at Queen Victoria Market a few weeks back with feathers that give the impression they are wearing stylish coats :)

Really hard to imagine eating something that dresses up like that as well. They look so proud and uppity.

Massive nature

Watched a documentary on TV last night called Massive Nature, charting the perilous journey of African sardines to warmer waters to feed and the gigantic proportions of food chain activity that arises from that migration. It was so fascinating! Hundreds of millions of sardines swimming in a giant shoal, giving rise to thousands of dolphins tracking them down, and thousands of sharks tracking the dolphins down. Also thousands of some sea birds following the dolphins looking for the sardines too and thousands of sea lions waiting for the sea birds. In any case, when they all find the sardines, everyone goes for sardines instead of each other (whichever the prey-predator combination usually) and everyone has a feast of sardines. Poor sardines! I don't really feel like eating sardines any more after all that stress they go through.

But anyway, there are so many of them to go around, many still make it back home finally to do that crazy journey again the following year.

It's so amazing how nature orchestrates all that!

Left-Handers Day

Just found out that yesterday was International Left-Handers Day, meant to promote awareness of the inconveniences facing left-handers in a predominantly right-handed world. I have always been rather proud of the fact that I am left-handed and that sometimes I can actually cut using the scissors with all four fingers (or less than that) stuffed in the smaller hole for the right-handed person's thumb. Hey and I can cut in a straight line quite well at that!

The Official Left-Handers Day 2005 Website provides lots of interesting facts on being a part of this group that forms appromixately 13-15% of the population.

Bored to tears

Work is currently going at snail's pace as people are not replying as fast as they should. I am literally bored to tears because of all the yawning :S

Have 3 hours more to go before the weekend starts!! I can hardly wait - counting down by the minutes...

Many bunnies

Many bunnies!

Here is a pic of Bobbi on her evening out on the sofa, surrounded by more bunnies, quite unlike herself :)

It's a big ad

Saw this on TV recently and I thought it was fabulous! In the style of the unforgettable long ago British Airways ad.

See it here! http://www.bigad.com.au

Lists - Singers I do not like

Since we usually list the singers that we like to listen to, I thought I might do one for those that I don't. These are those that make me turn off the radio when I hear them (so sorry, but that is just how it irritates me). I sometimes wonder why though...it is the voice or the style of music or the key they compose their tunes in? It doesn't help that the radio here plays Missy Higgins and Anastasia every hour!

* Missy Higgins (and I had to wake up to the one song I cannot stand the most this morning - The Special Two - AAARRGGH!)
* Anastasia
* Britney Spears
* Faith Hill
* Taylor Dane

Chance of snow in the city!

Just heard the weather forecast on the radio which said that there is a 40% chance of snow in the city today!! There hasn't been any for 20 years! Yikes! This morning was really quite cold at 5 degrees! My eyes teared at the cold wind while walking to work. Apparently there might be hail as well...:S Stay tuned! But at this point, everything looks fine - the sky is blue and sunny. So hard to imagine but very exciting!

On the note of lemon myrtle bread which I am going to have for lunch today, I really like the lemongrass smell! Darlink thinks it tastes like dishwashing liquid....:( To each his own...

Weather update 1:
It is now 12noon and I can see big clouds rolling in. But I still don't see any snow. Apparently it might melt before reaching the ground (aww!) but up here on the 25th floor, I might be able to see something.

Weather update 2:
It is now 1.50pm. The sky looks bright and sunny. How could there be any snow? Hmph!

Weather update 3
It is now 6.15pm. I am at home now. The wind outside is biting cold but luckily not too strong so I made it home with all fingers attached. No sign of snow in the city today. Apparently people gathered on the observation deck on top of one of the tall buildings in the CBD hoping to spot some but there were none. Some suburbs around seriously did get snow though but there are also warnings as the roads become slippery and dangerous.

The temperature now is 3 degrees but feels like -4 degrees!

Look what I found!

Just when I was talking about irresistible food words, I found lemon myrtle bread in the supermarket! Per the description, this has a hint of lemon, lime and lemongrass!!! Just perfect for me! :)


Lemon Myrtle bread! 

Lists - Favourite food words

Was talking to Charli last night about favourite food words that never fail to catch my attention when spotted in any food/ menu description. Thought I would list them here. Feel free to leave your lists too!

* Lemongrass
* Lemon
* Lime
* Garlic
* Rose
* Vanilla
* Irish cream
* Cherries

Oooh...feel like having Tom Yum soup and a nice dessert already!

Another new week!

Another weekend quickly passes and it is Monday again! Pity we won't be celebrating National Day tomorrow over here :(

Had some fun this weekend playing Taboo with Charli & Johnny. It was really funny seeing how different people are wired up when it comes to associations they have with words. We were still laughing about some weird ideas Charli has as of yesterday night involving fat bears, grizzly bears, brooms and mops.

We also had fun watching Bobbi bunny "go crazy" running on the sofa. She binkies a lot and when she gets all soaked up in the moment, she sort of forgets where she actually is and "flew" off the sofa in a giant leap twice in an airport runway take-off style.

Cannot wait for the next weekend when we will probably go to the Olga Berg warehouse again for the last chance to get any nice handbags! :)

Said too soon

Oh dear...I think I might have said too soon that I was surviving the cold weather well. Sort of caught a cold recently :(...and the weather these days are quite chilly again.

More pets

We actually got goldfish two weeks back, one week after we got Bobbi bunny but I sort of forgot to post some pictures on that because Bobbi bunny was getting all the screen time, being the cutie that she is (she is getting cuter every day :)). Yes, we also have 2 goldfish now in a giant round fishbowl. Our pet status is beginning to look like it used to before. But fish here are expensive, so I don't think we will be getting as many as we used to have. Sort of miss the fish farm visits we used to have when we were in Singapore. Nothing like that here.


Fish tank number one