Life in Chippendale
Did I mention that we’re moving into the new house NEXT WEEKEND? It’s exciting. I told the Snook the other night that I find myself a lot more interested in Chippendale issues now that we’re buying here. Which is silly, because we’ve been here for four years already. Somehow I guess I never really felt attached to the neighborhood before. When everybody was going nuts organising meetings about the CUB site redevelopment, we kinda just shrugged our shoulders, thinking, “We don’t have any property values to worry about. And we can always just leave.” I could count on one hand the number of “neighbors” I actually knew. Now I find myself stopping to say hello to people. We haven’t even moved into our building yet, and I’ve already introduced myself to half a dozen tenants. It’s fun. I mean, we could’ve gotten a lot more “house” for the money if we’d bought out in the suburbs, but being a part of this vibrant, connected community is the whole reason I wanted to stay in the city.

On a related note: I’ve just been invited to contribute to Life in Chippendale, a neighborhood blog I think I’ve mentioned a few times before. Steven assures me that even my mundane observations of life in the city will be welcome!

Knitted, felted olives. Those are adorable.

Meme
I was just about to fill out this big quiz from Andrew’s site… when I remembered that my Grandpa Harter made it onto the Internet this month (Hi, Grandpa!), and I sent him my URL and now I have to think about what I say lest I give him another heart attack. So I may skip some questions. Read into that what you will.Have you ever?

1. Taken a picture completely naked?
   Wait, as the photographer or the photographee? Well, the answer is “no” regardless, unless you count naked baby pictures.
2. Made out with a friend on your MySpace/Facebook page?
   Sadly, yes.
3. Danced in front of your mirror naked?
   Well, sure. I haven’t, like, done a whole routine or anything, but I’m sure I had a jiggle once.
4. Told a lie?
   Well, duh.
5. Had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back?
   We’ve discussed the number of boys that I fell for who are now A) gay or B) priests, right?
6. Been arrested?
   Nope. A couple speeding tickets and that’s it.
7. Redacted.
8. Seen someone die?
   Nope.
9. Slept in until 5pm?
   Hmm. College was the only time I was ever so slothful, and I never would have slept in til 5. I’d have missed Days of Our Lives!
10. Redacted, but no.
11. Fallen asleep at work/school?
    Never fallen asleep, but I’ve had to fight it really hard sometimes.
12. Held a snake?
    Not held one, but touched one. I seem to remember petting one at a zoo once as a kid, and I touched one on the Harry Potter train trip.
13. Ran a red light?
    No way. I have a fear of car crashes.
14. Been suspended from school?
    As if. I was valedictorian!
15. Totaled your car in an accident?
    Nope. My only accident was when I rear-ended somebody, and that was just some minor cosmetic damage.
16. Pole danced?
    Where am I, Vegas? No.
17. Smoked?
    Well…. yes. Way in the past. I can only admit this because my Grandpa is probably spitting out chewing tobacco as we speak.
18. Been fired from a job?
    No way. I was the valedictorian of jobs.
19. Sang karaoke?
    Yeah. I’ve done Singstar a couple times at Eva’s, and a couple years ago I convinced the TC staff to hold our Christmas party at a karaoke parlour. The Snook and I were, like, the only ones game enough to sing.
20. Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
    I got married, didn’t I?
21. Laughed until a drink came out your nose?
    Don’t think so.
22. Caught a snowflake on your tongue?
    Sure. It snows a lot in Indiana.
23. Kissed in the rain?
    I kiss the Snook every day. Sometimes it rains. Ergo, yep.
24. Sang in the shower?
    Oddly, I think not. I sing all over the rest of the house though.
25. Given your private parts a nickname?
    Girls don’t do this.
26. Redacted. Too gross.
27. Sat on a roof top?
    I climbed all over the roof of a cathedral in Milan.
28. Played chicken?
    No. Contrary to popular belief, kids in Indiana are not like the kids in Footloose. We do not play chicken on tractors.
29. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on?
    No. I would hate that.
30. Broken a bone?
    Not officially. I’m clumsy though, and I’m certain I probably cracked a toe at least once SLAMMING it into something.
31. Mooned/flashed someone?
    No. I have too much respect for my bottom.
32. Shaved your head?
    No… and I actually think I’d like to. Maybe when I’m a kooky old lady. I think it would be liberating.
33. Slept naked?
    Dude. Well… yeah.
34. Played a prank on someone?
    Best. Prank. Ever. In high school once, I had to go pick up my sister from her crappy waitressing job at night. My boyfriend happened to be over, so we formulated a plan to scare the crap out of her. I took my Mom’s minivan to pick her up, and he hid in the back. She climbed in the passenger seat, oblivious to what was about to unfold. As she chattered away, he slowly crept up behind her. Then he yelled and grabbed her. She screamed in fright, then did a 180 into righteous anger and proceeded to beat the ever-living crap out of him. I nearly crashed the van I was laughing so hard.
35. Had a gym membership?
    Yep. In London, and then here in Sydney. Don’t have one at the moment though.
36. Felt like killing someone?
    Every kid whose parents have divorced has felt like killing someone.
37. Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry?
    Oh yeah. It’s a specialty. (Except for the Snook. I think the only time he’s ever gotten remotely teary was when we got married.)
38. Cried over someone you were in love with?
    Yep. I was such an idiot.
39. Redacted. But, no.
40. Had Mexican jumping beans for pets?
    No. I have caught lightning bugs and put them in a jar though.
41. Been in a band?
    Yep. I was 2nd trumpet throughout most of junior high and high school.
42. Subscribed to Maxim?
    *snort*
43. Taken more than 10 shots of alcohol?
    No, I’ve never liked shots. It’s entirely possible that I’ve had the equivalent alcohol in other forms though. My friend Nora was famously present on the night sophomore year I drank a liter of Gallo red wine and puked in a trash can. Yeah, I don’t do that anymore.
44. Shot a gun?
    Only a BB gun and those sweet light guns they have at Cedar Point. I think I’d like to shoot a real gun once someday.
45. Redacted. But if you’re counting the past 24 hours…
46. Played strip poker?
    Nope. In college we much preferred Asshole or euchre.
47. Tripped on mushrooms?
    Blurgh. No way. I can’t stand regular mushrooms!
48. Donated Blood?
    Yep. Although the last time I did, I ended up puking on the London Underground afterwards.
49. Redacted. God, no. Who am I, Paris Hilton?
50. Eaten alligator meat?
    Yep. Just this past April, in fact.
51. Ever jump out of an airplane?
    Yes. I went skydiving on the day after my last day of college classes. I was extremely hungover at the time and my only goal was not to puke on my jumpmaster.
52. Have you been to more than 10 countries?
    Well technically I have, as long as you count layovers in airports. If you mean actual visits, then it’s more like 8-9.
53. See question 2.

Hmm, there was a lot more “puking” in there than I anticipated.

McDonald’s Pizza. I think that’s the best Frankenstein food I’ve seen yet! And yeah, I’d probably eat it. You would too.

What I will NOT be doing tomorrow: making homemade candy corn. That’s nuts! I’d sooner make homemade Peeps (and you know how I feel about those).

Wake Up Cat. Hahahahaha… This is exactly what Dr. Amy does in the morning. Actually she’s added something new to her repertoire as well: she tries to eat my bedside lamp. I don’t understand it. The Snook has the exact same lamp on his night table, except his is black and mine is blue. She apparently only likes the blue ones. So she sits there next to my head chewing on my lamp until I get up and toss her to the floor. Stupid cat.

Apparently my Grumpy-Old-Womanness does have its limits. I was serving a real G.O.W. in the shop this morning when, apropos of nothing, she decided to share some outrage with me.

Me: Just the single skein? That’ll be $1.20, thanks.
Old Lady: I was just walking up York Street, in front of the Grace Hotel, and I passed a man and a woman walking. And he was very tall, and she was very small. And he had his hand RIGHT DOWN HER BACKSIDE! Right down there! I couldn’t believe it!
Me: (just holding my hand out for the money)
Her: So I slapped him on the wrist! I told him that his behaviour was DISGUSTING, and that he should get a room, and how would he like it if that was his daughter, and someone was FIDDLING WITH HER PRIVATE PARTS in public? Don’t you think that’s appalling?
Me: Well… I can think of worse things. I mean, I find spitting or littering in public really annoying because they directly affect me… but two people who are in love…
Her: HE WAS FIDDLING WITH HER PRIVATE PARTS.
Me: I get that, and I’d probably go home that day and say, “You wouldn’t believe what I saw this morning,” but I don’t think it’s the worst thing.
Her: Well, I’m AUSTRALIAN, and I was raised with–
Me: I’m Australian.
Her: (confused) But–
Me: I’m Australian.
Her: You sound like you’re from North America.
Me: I’m AUSTRALIAN, with an Australian passport.
Her: Okay, fine, you’re Australian. I just mean that I was raised here, and I was taught that certain behaviour is wrong.
Me: I was raised in the Bible belt, and I was taught to mind my own business.

She got me outraged all right, but not in the way she expected! I mean, I can think of lots of stuff I find more objectionable than PDA. Smokers. Public urination. Golf umbrellas. The existence of leggings with zips. Two consenting adults making out on the street is pretty low on my list of triggers.

The TV gods have finally come up with a way to get me to watch Grey’s Anatomy: They’re putting Pacey on it. DUDE, I’M THERE. (Link courtesy of Jenny.)

Attention Sydney Sock Knitters: I have seen the future, and it is Araucania. Specifically, Araucania Ranco Solid and Ranco Multi. Both are 75% wool, 25% nylon. Both have over 340m per 100g skein (compared to a miserly 267 on Jitterbug). And both were in my hands this afternoon in the shop. I actually GASPED when Albert pulled them out of the bag. They’re beautiful. I told him they’re going to be a massive hit, so he should get a couple packets of every colour. Get ready!

Oh, and also coming: the breathtaking Mirasol Hacho (a 100% merino 8ply) and Mirasol Cotanani (a 60% cotton, 40% wool 8ply). Yes, you read that correctly. A wool/cotton blend READILY AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA. I swooned.