cyberspace junkyard

Interstate
Getting ready for my second business trip to Adelaide next week. Just two hours on a plane and I'm in a city where the pace is slow and the air is dry. Okay, so I didn't pick up much info from my overnighter last time. I'm staying for 4-5 days this time, so I'll be enjoying night walks around the terraces (as in North, South, East, West Terrace that ring the city centre) and waking up early one morning to have breakfast at the East Continental Cafe which I'm told is to die for. Of course, I'm willing to go almost anywhere for food that's half decent, so I guess squeezing in some work in Adelaide while sampling the food won't be too bad. Just don't expect any postcards!

Friday Five around the house
1. What is your most prized material possession?
In terms of practicality, my diary and my mobile. In terms of sentimentality, Matt (short for Matthias), my MIA seven foot matt black grand piano, my black leather NIV bible with concordance and my photos.

2. What item, that you currently own, have you had the longest?
I think I still have my Christening outfit.

3. Are you a packrat?
Oh yes. *nodding fervently* Yes! I keep everything until it is time for an annual spring clean (usually in winter) where I single-handedly keep the garbage bag manufacturers in business.

4. Do you prefer a spic-and-span clean house? Or is some clutter necessary to avoid the appearance of a museum?
The person asking this question has obviously not seen my house, which tries to pass itself off as a display home. If I could spell it any differently, clutter would be a four letter word.

5. Do the rooms in your house have a theme? Or is it a mixture of knick-knacks here and there?
Well, not really a theme, but more a co-ordinated feel. For example, there is the family room (cozy, with black furniture, blue cushions, rug, vases, flowers and bean bag), mum and dad's room (all beige, sandy, white beach chic) and my room (co-ordinated chaos - magenta highlights everywhere).

Dreams
I usually have rather dreamless nights so have been a bit surprised at the number of dreams I've been having in the last few days! I wonder what that means? Hmmm... here are some excerpts:

• Recurring nightmare about completely stuffing up at the recent Forbidden Broadway. This one was understandable performance anxiety


• Dreaming I could do a triple turn. I even have muscle memory of it and can literally feel what it was like


• This is the weirdest one. I dreamt I married someone for some bizarre reason that involved saving someone else's life but then when I brought up trying to get the marriage annulled as it hadn't been consummated and the life-saving was no longer a driving factor, we got married for real. Very strange.

Any budding dream interpreters out there?!?

Another language?
Was having a conversation with someone over the weekend and realising that my life is being overrun by acronyms!

Here's an email I sent to a fellow ISBNer, (my little book/adventure club) HoPSCy, about the activities of the remaining two ISBNers (VoDaR and HoMITH) and another friend. If you can make it out the other end with your head still screwed on - well done!

VoDaR and HoMITH met up at 4.05pm in the glass-walled reading area of 383 Kent St. It would have been 4.00pm had HoMITH not spent 5 minutes wandering around King St trying to find 383 on the corner of King and Kent when it obviously wasn't. Suitably impressed at the afore-mentioned glass-walled reading area, VoDaR and HoMITH (hence forward to be known as the BH (Bargain Hunters)) proceeded to Ashwood to browse through the 2nd hand books. This was HoMITH's first trip to Ashwood and so she bought 2 books for $2 each, just for experience. HoMITH also searched for the musical Xena episode on video, but to no avail. VoDaR ran her expert eye over some CDs and books but held a copy of "Beauty" in her hands as a symbolic resistance against purchasing any books. It worked. She didn't.

BH then went to Galaxy. They looked through the books, and HoMITH got distracted by all the LOTR merchandise, temporarily putting on the HoP hat. Episode 1 of Season 6 of Buffy was also screening. BH spent several minutes there, then were making their way to the exit when they spotted the TTT 2003 desk calender. Looking at the price, they wondered if $24.95 was good. Then, HoMITH spotted a sign that said all calenders were half price. BH excitedly debated the pros and cons of buying it for $12.50. Exemplary display of VoRing. BH resolved not to buy dinner. Or lunch. Or something to that effect.

While BH took the purchases to the register, HoMITH received a call from AC, who was joining us for TTT. While they were talking, VoDaR proceeded to pay using credit card. Whether through some misunderstanding, distracted eavesdropping or time-space continuum, VoDaR ended up putting both calenders on her credit card. HoMITH promised to buy dinner in return.

BH walked toward Hoyts to meet AC before dinner. They made it to within 2 buildings, when VoDaR spotted a discount book sale. BH being extremely competent, they stopped at the outside display and gasped in shock as they saw a few TTT 2003 desk calenders. Wordlessly, VoDaR reached over and revealed a sale price sticker of $4.95. Sick with confusion and despair, BH began the long, slow process of further VoRing with regards to returning one or both Galaxy calenders and purchasing the bargain to end all bargains (BTEAB). They could even afford dinner now.

They decided to return one and split the difference on the other, then on their way to Galaxy, they decided to return both.
This refund experience was traumatic and guilt-inducing. HoMITH doesn't want to talk about it. Suffice to say that BH managed to blame it all on HoPSCy.

Having completed the refund transaction and purchased the BTEAB, BH finally met AC and purchased tickets to TTT. VoDaR, temporarily borrowing the HoMITH hat, also found a really cool Chicago promotional newspaper. Dinner was at Subway, with AC and HoMITH having Royal Copenhagen ice-creams afterwards to take into the movie and VoDaR devouring an apple.

TTT was, as expected excellent. Some VoDing ensued regaring the exact timing that the ROTK trailer would be released with TTT. BH+AC walked to AC's apartment, where they made the requisite toilet stop and water guzzling. AC then drove BH to HoMITH's place, where attempts at going to sleep before midnight proved to be rather futile. 3 hours after BH finally dozed off, the alarm went off, and off to work they went, on the Rivercat.

Thus endeth the tale.

Brush with fame
Well, well! Barry Otto walked into the florist this morning, and it turns out he's a regular customer! Mum is so funny - she's not really a movie buff, so she said she didn't know who he was when he came in the first time a few months ago and he had to explain it to her several times. Of course, I recognised him straight away from Strictly Ballroom, which I've seen countless times, during my Paul Mercurio phase. He is, quote, not in a movie at the moment, but he's rehearsing a play, unquote.

Ooh, and so now I am only 2 degrees of separation from Lord of the Rings, because his daughter, Miranda Otto, plays Eowyn! She's my favourite female character from the 2 movies so far.

What a strange day! I might give mum my Strictly Ballroom video for him to sign next time he stops by! Summer Hill is turning into a little celebrity village, cos Monica Trapaga has opened a pet store called "Animajingo - Pet Empawrium" just across the road.

Birthday Bonanza
Yay! Cooking a special family dinner tonight. We're having chicken breasts rolled and stuffed with spinach, ricotta cheese, capsicum and bacon, spaghetti (the requisite birthday noodles) and caesar salad. I'm hoping to have it all ready before my parents and brother get home, so I'd better finish up so I can go home early.

Friday Four
I'm sorry, but "what are your plans for the weekend?" is a rather sad excuse for a question, so welcome to the Friday Four! If you really want to know though, it's all laid out in the post just under this one.

1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero/heroine? Why?
Hmmm... I always looked up to Wonder Woman. She was so cool. She could do this twirly thing to change into her outfit. Oh, and the outfit. I wanted to have star-spangled hotpants, a gold headband / tiara and big bouffy hair too. Ah, the misconceptions of the young and innocent.

2. What was one thing you always wanted as a child but never got?
A dog. I came close once, when my aunt gave me a little terrier pup for my birthday one year when I was about 6, but after a week, mum made her come and take it away. =*(

3. What's the furthest from home you've been?
Hmmm, I'm not very good with geography, so I'm not sure which is the furthest from home, but I have been to the US and the UK (which I think is further than Germany). Y'know, those plane trips were pretty hazy.

4. What's one thing you've always wanted to learn but haven't yet?
Figure skating. Fencing. Archery. Skilled horse riding. Well lookey-here and fancy that! Those are all on my list of things to do this year!

I wanna be just like you...
Hoorah for early 90s pop! I was at my church's Leaders' Retreat on the weekend - a few days away from the daily grind to enjoy God's creation, get into God's word and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ who are serving at church this year.

Rev Allan Web (National Director of OMF) was the main speaker and God really used him mightily to open our eyes to the character of a leader. What a challenge to think more about being then doing. Here are some of the main things that stuck in my mind and heart.

• Striving to be W.S.V. - Wholehearted, Singleminded and Visionary in faith


• Being a way-treader and not a way-pointer. We're following in the steps of our Lord Jesus, the greatest Servant and the greatest Leader. I was encouraged to not just stand on the sidelines and direct but to lead by example. Not to just ride along behind and drive people forward but to get out in front and show the way.


• As the song says..." so let us learn how to serve | and in our lives enthrone Him | each other's needs to prefer | for it is Christ we're serving". Humbly serving not because we're catering to the whims of others, but in preference of their needs and in deference to our Lord.


• An effective leader is an effective follower. I was really challenged to be reminded that Jesus' first and last words to His disciple, Peter, were "follow me".


• Our own inadequacy is something to keep in mind as well as rejoice about, for it shows God's supreme sovereignty. Another song springs to mind... "May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win | and may they forget the channel, seeing only Him".

Just a quick snapshot of some of the main things I learnt. I'm sure that you might be able to find out more from Fjord, Kaz, CC or Chromakey!