Weekend Update… and it isn’t over yet!
Three-day weekends are so nice. Yesterday the Snook and I went to Newtown to meet up with Steve (visiting from London), Kenya, and Sal. Most places were either closed for the ANZAC Day holiday or packed with people playing two-up, so we ended up getting lunch at Kelly’s on King. It was good to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in a long while.

Today was a busier day. I talked to both my parents on the phone, and my Dad mentioned how impressed he was with how far I’ve been running. I was so tickled I went right out and did five miles! Then I headed to Newtown for SSK, which featured the usual bunch of great folks. I finished one Twisted Flower Sock heel and got started on the second. On my way home, I stopped in Better Read Than Dead and picked up a new copy of American Gods (in preparation for Neil Gaiman’s visit next week). When I got home, the Snook and I headed over to Broadway to look at digital cameras. My old Canon had finally given up the ghost and I was looking for something small and light to carry with me. An hour later, I walked out of Harvey Norman with a brand new Fuji Finepix Z20 in cherry red. It’s so tomorrow! I love it. We also picked up a new litter box for that cat. You know how she likes to hang her butt over the edge? Snookums has finally gone for the nuclear option, purchasing a giant plastic storage tub that she has to jump in and out of.

Finally, there was food. I made homemade pea and ham soup from a Rick Stein recipe in delicious, and it was very tasty. I started by boiling a ham hock to make some stock. (Quoth the Snook: “Hot ham water? YUM!”) For dessert, the Snook cut up the pineapple I bought at the markets last weekend and created a from-scratch pineapple upside-down cake. We had it warm from the oven with ice cream. SO GOOD, PEOPLE.

And the best part of the weekend? That I’ve still got one more day of it left. Ahhhh…

Indie FTW
My sister just had her first day alone with the new baby… and Indie broke her within one hour. Yikes. I feel really bad that I can’t do anything to help. At the same time, though, I’m really grateful that she’s giving us the warts-and-all look at life with a newborn. (Which reminds me, it’s time for my next Depo Provera shot.)

An Engineer’s Guide to Cats. Another video link? What is WRONG with me? In my defense, that little movie is highly amusing. I especially enjoyed the section on “cat-yodeling,” which I’m going to have to try out with Dr. Amy Jones today. (Link courtesy of Christopher.)

While I’m sure that the Snook would LOVE to take a bath in beer, I can’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t be bad for the ladies. I mean, lukewarm unpasteurized beer with active yeast? Seems like a recipe for all sorts of, uh, unpleasantness.

Aussies: Can any of you recommend a white noise machine? It’s odd; despite our bedroom being farther from the street in the new house, I get woken up by noise a LOT more than I used to. (I think it’s because we have a window now, and the sound bounces off the outside wall of the old place.) During the summer it wasn’t so bad because we kept a fan running, but I’d prefer not to do that in winter. Any suggestions?

Also, nothing makes you feel older than bitching and griping about the sound of the neighbours’ party — and then realising it’s only 9:30pm. On a Saturday night. Which is a perfectly reasonable time to be having a party. A party that sounds pretty fun, actually. Grumble, grumble, grumble…

“Crocodile came up, bit my guts out!”
I know I don’t usually do YouTube links, but you guys HAVE to watch this insurance commercial currently airing on Australian TV. It’s my favorite and it makes me laugh and laugh. It’s little kids telling stories about being eaten by monsters. And I don’t know who that third kid is, but he needs his own show now.

We’re up to 12 days of rain. On the upside, I do like the photo accompanying this story. Can you spot the Harbour Bridge?

Heh. Dan Carbo will appreciate this. Kevin puts the blame for Obama’s loss in the Pennsylvania Primary yesterday squarely on Philadelphia. Why? Because “the City of Brotherly Love broke from the rest of the state and went 2-1 for Obama. And, as every sports fan knows, Philly always loses despite themselves. You can’t fight the curse.” HA!