Thanks for everyone’s commiseration. The work disaster turned out to be not as bad as I anticipated. I still had to re-do everything, but it was easier the second time and I even improved it a bit. The biggest pick-me-up was provided by Mama Snook, who sent me some knitting needles, a ball of yarn, and a groovy kids’ book entitled “Fun With Wool.” As soon as I get the quilt done, it’s time to tackle knitting!

And the fun keeps coming.
Before getting started on the task of rebuilding two weeks’ worth of work, I thought I’d spend a few relaxing minutes in the garden. I watered the flowers and checked on the new baby lemons. I dampened down the worms and observed that another crop of mutant pumpkin seeds have sprouted. Then, satisfied that I could face the day, I replaced my watering can near the worm farm and stood up with confidence… and whacked my head on one of our big hanging ceramic planters full of new flowers, which promptly fell off the wall and shattered before my feet.

The universe is conspiring against me folks. I’ve got some bad karma goin’ on and it’s probably best if I sequester myself for a while til it goes away.

ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!
I just lost the last two weeks of database work I did on the project I’m contracting. “Upset” doesn’t begin to describe my state at the moment. “Frantic and wailing” is more like it. If anybody needs me, I’ll be drinking my face off for the rest of the night before trying to pick up the pieces tomorrow.

Cuteness overload. Check out these pictures of new baby animals born in Australian zoos. I want a baby koala, Daddy!

Weekend Sporting Highlights:

• Notre Dame defeated Stanford 31-7 for their fifth straight victory of the season. All my girls were at the game. Man, that would’ve been fun. Go Irish!
• The Sydney Roosters won the Rugby League Final over the New Zealand Warriors 30-8. I watched the second half and it was awesome. Good on ’em.
• I ran the 5K in 41:50, lopping a full four minutes off my previous time. I know that’s a horrendously slow pace for some of you runner types, but I’m just so happy that I was able to keep moving for that long without keeling over. In fact, I felt really, really great tonight. My lower back strain is getting better, and I didn’t have to stop and stretch it til I hit the two-mile mark. Then I stretched it once more before the final sprint. I won’t be running any marathons anytime soon, but I think I’ve gotten over my hatred of the sport. I can do this!

For any Aussies reading along, have a great Labour Day tomorrow. Unfortunately a day off work doesn’t mean much to us self-employed types. 🙂

On Monday I shall be wearing red panties (if I can find some at Kmart, that is). You should too!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
“I live with my brat in a high-rise flat,
So how in the world would I know.”
— Roald Dahl

My garden is being quite contrary at the moment. The Snook and I are trying to grow basil in a big pot. We bought seeds and special potting mix for it and we’ve been diligently watering them… and the damn things just won’t grow! At the same time, I’ve got huge freaky mutant albino baby pumpkin seedlings sprouting in my worm farm thanks to the damp conditions and the fact that we don’t have enough worms yet to keep up with our vegetable waste. (The Snook says they’ll die eventually from lack of sunlight, but they still creep me out.) Some farmer I am. Next time I plant herbs, I’m gonna plant them in the composter!

Can you identify these computer screens from movies? I only got 6 out of 12 correct.

Friday Five:

1. What size shoe do you wear?
I wear a 9 1/2 in U.S. ladies’ sizes. I’ve given up on knowing what that equates to in any of the other countries I’ve lived in. I find that if you ask a salesperson, they can usually help you to convert.

2. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Let’s see… Combat boots, knee-high dress boots, clompy black oxfords, neat black dress loafers, navy dress flats (I should throw those out; I never wear them), panda mary janes, fake Birkenstock sandals, two pairs of flip-flops, two pairs of sneakers, and my gym shoes. So that’s twelve. I did have some more in London that I gave up rather than ship (and four of the pairs I have are ones I bought here). That’s really not a lot, considering.

3. What type of shoe do you prefer (boots, sneakers, pumps, etc.)?
For comfort, sneakers or gym shoes all the way.

4. Describe your favorite pair of shoes. Why are they your favorite?
Hmm. I’m gonna go with the pandas, just for the novelty factor. I really wasn’t sure when I bought them, but now I love them to bits. Some random girl e-mailed me saying she’d seen them on this site and – as she was the “world’s biggest panda collector” – she had to have them. Unfortunately judging by the manufacturer’s site it doesn’t appear they make them anymore. (They do make some bitchin’ other ones, though, like the cat mary janes, which I also covet.) I told her that, and she then offered to buy mine. I turned her down. Somehow knowing that I’ve got the only pair anyone has ever seen makes them just a little more special. 🙂

5. What’s the most you’ve spent on one pair of shoes?
It would probably be a toss-up between my black leather knee-high dress boots and my Doc Martens. I bought both pairs in England and I think they were each roughly about seventy quid. That’s about $120 US. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum you have my $3 pair of Kmart flip-flops.

School Disco starts in Sydney tomorrow. *shudder* They’re even bringing in a former Neighbours star to promote it.