Quietly Bitter

The end of March has come and that is the end of yet another fast month.. if only my next week would go as fast as the last 3 months then Emma would be back home in a blink of an eye. She left on Saturday and my days have totally dragged ever since.. even Nemo is over just hanging with me.. I can't really blame him as I am a boring sod. At least the weather hasn't been too bad.. we have been going for extra long walks to fill in the time and this morning I did a bunch of cleaning.. and we can now see out the windows! lol ok they weren't that bad but they were pretty dirty.

Nems and I have been snoozing on the couch but that is gonna stop now coz well.. I cleaned up and made the couch a couch again lol I must say tho he has been a good boy and hasn't barked at all.. altho a few times a night he decides it a good time to do his rolling on the rug.. which is highly amusing to watch.. just not in the middle of the night!

Last night we had roast veg and sausage for dinner.. which made Nemo VERY happy and oddly enough he didnt scoff it down like he usually does.. he calmly ate it and then sat in the kitchen when he finished.. he can be such an odd dog at times.. but that is what makes him so lovable.

So there really isn't much to say.. altho I am annoyed that my boots don't have the green colour now that I have waxed them! Hopefully it will come back when they are broken in a little? If not.. then I guess shit happens and I will just have to deal coz afterall.. nothing ever goes my way. I will just be quietly bitter about the fact that I paid too much money for a pair of boots that now don't look like the boots I wanted.. and its not like we weren't meant to wax them! so yeah I will go the quiet bitter route..

Weather!

I woke up this morning and looked outside and it was wet and miserable.
About 15mins later I looked out the window again to see that it had actually started snowing.. the ground had not yet turned white so I just knew that I had not just missed it when I looked out the first time.
Another 15mins went on by and I look out the window again and the ground is well on its way to being white.

I leave the house to drop Emma off at the station and to start off on Nemo's walk and as soon as we get outside we are met with a harsh wind.. as the wind whipped past me it started to freeze my face.. I was starting to think it was going to cause my eyeballs to pop.. ok maybe not that bad but it was pretty freaking cold.. it was so cold in fact Emma said I didn't have to wait with her until the train came.. which I wasn't about to argue with coz.. well one would have to be bloody mad to want to stay out in that weather longer than one needed to.

Nemo and I headed off on the walk.. I had decided to cut it a little shorter coz the wind was horrid.. and like I already said one would have to be bloody mad to stay in that weather longer. Nemo did his business.. we walked and as we walked the shards.. now I say shards coz that it is what the bloody things felt like.. the shards of snow would hit my frozen face and it would sting like I have never felt before.. I thought for sure my face was being attacked with little shards of glass and that when I got home and looked in the mirror my beautiful face would be all deformed and I would look like some kind of crazy monster.. however this was not the case as it was just little bits of snow and wind and they can't do that much damage lol

I think even Nemo didn't mind being home.. as soon as we got in the door he shook himself up.. and then I had the fun task of getting the clumpy snow from his paws.. which did not make him all that happy.. but you know what.. it didn't make me all that happy either!

As I get all settled and comfy and happy to be in the warmth I once again look out the window to see that the snow was whipping past the window almost horizontal! I think to myself how happy I am to now be inside and I hope that it doesn't stay this way all day.. as it turned out it did not stay that way for long and the sun started shining and the snow started melting and the day was starting to look up.. I was thinking it was safe to walk Nemo and figured I might take him for a little bit extra of a walk coz the sun looked so inviting.. from inside I might add.. coz it was a totally different story as soon as I set foot outside into the freezing freaken wind! It was horrible.. the wind made my eyes water and every time I looked over at Nemo his little furry face looked like someone had a fan right in front of him on full speed.. his big droopy ears were flying back and he would give me little looks like "get me outta here"

There was still some snow about and it was nasty.. several times on this walk I had to stop and try and remove the snowball clumps that attached themselves to Nemo.. and once again that did not make him happy but he knew it had to be done.. and it was hurting him to try and walk.. I know this coz usually nothing stops him from walking.. but today he just stopped, before I realised what was wrong I just tried to pull him which made him walk all funny like so of course that is when I noticed how bad it was.. poor little fella.. nasty nasty snow! Snow should always be nice and pretty.. nasty snow should be banned!

Currently the sun is shining so bright and it looks so very lovely and inviting.. but I am not going to be fooled again! I am stupid but not that stupid.. no fooling me twice... in one day that is! lol After seeing how miserable it looked this morning, I really would not have thought the sun would be shining bright at all today.. now if only the sun could be shining and the wind could be warm.. then I would be happy and it would be summer.. please summer come now, I need you! I kid you not..

New Boot Smell!

Once again Monday has rolled around a little too quickly off the back of the weekend and soon enough it will be a whole new weekend but this time it will be an Emma-less weekend as then some as she is off to California for workies.. a whole 9 days she will be leaving Nemo and I.. no doubt Nemo will simply just hate the sight of just me and will be over the moon when she returns.. I know I will be sick of him! I'm sick of him and she hasn't even left yet! lol

Nemo had his first official walk with his backback on yesterday and it went... well.. he still tried to stuff around but he eventually tired out and just walked.. and boy did he look cute! lol Emma also got to try out her new hiking boots.. which also went well.. at one point it looked for sure that she was going to fall flat on her face but some how she managed to stay upright.. I reckon the boots are what saved her as Nemo cut her off and she a tumbled! Super kick ass boots they are! I didn't get to try mine out because a) I didn't have any socks for them & b) they needed a different wax to the one we had bought! so mine are sitting there with the new boot smell.. ahhh nice! lol

Sunday afternoon.. we all had a little rest and a bit of a snooze on the bed.. Nemo thought he was in heaven.. we put a couple of towels up on the bed and he made himself right at home.. it was all very nice and cosy and a lovely family affair lol

Another little Nemo bit that was wicked funny.. was watching him play with a pringles container.. he has loads of toys but toilet rolls and pringles containers are the things that make him wanna play and play and play some more.. it was ace! Nemo can really be quite an ace dog.. and other times not so much.. like listening to him being a complete sook coz he was having a bath.. it was laughable!

Hmm what else did we do on the weekend.. well Emma chopped her hair off and now has a very spunk hairdo.. I have never seen her with short short hair and I must say its pretty ace.. it makes me wanna chop off my mop! It took ages.. she was gone like 90mins.. I was starting to think that maybe instead of chopping just her hair that they had chopped her all up!

We also went and had a little looksie around the clothing stores for a spunk pair of pants for Emma but would you believe that they had like nothing!! It was highly frustrating.. all the cool clothes are kids clothes.. which brings me to this pair of jeans.. for newborns!! omg they were adorable.. I just wanted to buy them.. but then I would need to have a new born to put them in ya know.. and I don't have one of those.. nor are there plans for any in the near future.. so I just admired and moved on! Story of my life really.. admire and move on.

Death to iTunes!

Totally glad its Friday and its a beautiful day outside to boot.. however it is just a shame that all freaken morning I was inside at the computer fixing up stupid iTunes. iTunes all of a sudden decided it wanted to punish me and it deleted my library.. without even an explanation at that! It wouldn't allow the iPhone to sync without erasing it and starting fresh coz it belonged to another library.. I eventually worked out how to turn it back a little to the older library through a saved file but it didn't have all the music so I had to re-add loads and then fix up all the album art etc and then just as I was nearing the end of that I discover that my playlists are empty! argh! but hey I guess that makes for a good excuse to make up new playlists.. hassle all the same.. and then I notice that it has put all the play counts back to nil.. wtf? So after several hours.. around 4 actually I had managed to get iTunes looking tidy.. or well as tidy as iTunes can be.. and full of music.. the iPhone sync's fine now so all is good.. now all there is left to do is the dreaded playlists.. which I might leave until next week as I don't need music on my iPod now.. coz it deleted my playlists from there as soon as I plugged the flucker in! nice huh? So right now I am kinda annoyed with iTunes.. even more so than usual. Poo@you Apple! Poo@you!

Umm what else is there.. well we finally found out that we have to go back to the drawing board on the whole tent issue.. yay! *straightface*
Good news tho.. my espresso machine will be homes in the next few days so I can have a yummo cup of coffee.. now for a real YaY!

A little something funny that happened to me this morning.. I nearly peed myself from laughing about it.. so what happened was I went into the freezer and got the bloodworms out to cut a piece off to feed Sal.. all goes smoothly and I do the cut, grab the bigger piece to put back into the bag and then ziplock it up and chuck it back in the freezer.. all in once clean swoop and then I whip around after closing the freezer door to grab the little piece of bloodworm for Sal to discover that it not where I left it.. so of course I cock my head to the side but even that doesn't make it re-appear so I do a little eye search around the area.. then on the floor.. as I think maybe I knocked it off.. I move things around.. you know just in case.. but nope.. nothing.. still missing.. so I figure.. maybe I will find it when I tidy up later and go back into the freezer to get the bloodworms again so that I can cut off another little bit.. and of course there it was.. in the bag! You see what had happened was I had cut managed to not cut through one single bloodworm so it was still attached to the bigger bit and when I picked up the bigger bit to chuck into the bag the little bit went along for the ride.. so i pulled it off and continued on my way while laughing the whole time.. now that sort of thing is what makes my day complete.. if only there had been someone else here to enjoy it with me.. Nemo didn't see the humor in it you see.. but then he is a cranky sod at the best of times!

This week really hasn't been anything special.. same shit different day and still no cake! I did however make some little lemon shortbread cookie bites.. very cute.. very yummy! I am glad I decided to do them as bites instead of normal size coz well it would be too much as a big cookie.. and who doesn't like to eat things bite sized! I love nearly anything bite sized.. just ask Emma!

It is heading into lighter times.. I can actually see my hand in front of my face when I walk Nemo in the mornings now and by the time I get home the sun is usually up and playing nice.. or well when its not gloomy that is.. today the sun has been shining so very nice, yesterday we even got as high as 10degrees.. yeah I know you are jealous! You have every right to be.. every right! lol After work Emma and I are going to go for a walk.. with Nemo of course, and buy an ice cream.. Nemo doesn't get one tho.. and maybe sit somewhere nice and eat it.. Nemo can watch.. maybe I will take a little yoghurt drop for him to have once we finish the ice cream... ooooo that reminds me of something funny that happened this morning.. I know how lucky I am to have 2 funny things happen all in one morning!

So anyways.. I go and get Nemo and yoghurt drop and chuck it.. coz its what I do and then I watch him chase it.. but this time I was a little off and it landed in his water.. Nemo looked into his water bowl and started drinking.. deciding that it was going to take too long to drink his way to the yoghurt drop he thought it was best to stick his nose right in and try to reach it.. but that also failed him and then it was almost as though you could see the lightbulb above his head turn on and he crouched down and looked under his water bowl to which he then realised it was a stupid idea and he looked up at me with this look of "you suck" and then he would look at the bowl and then at me and he repeated this a few times before I came over and reached in and grabbed the yoghurt drop out.. and he gobbled it all up and was finally happy and I was happily giggling my way back to dealing with iTunes.. so as you can imagine my smile from giggling quickly turned into a frown.

Umm Blue Junk?

Friday night Emma and I headed off to the movies to see Watchmen. It was a bit more violent than what I was kinda expecting.. I don't really know what I was expecting coz I hadn't actually read the comic but I was not expecting all the violence and blue junk! However I am so very glad that they covered up the penis for the scene where Dr Manhattan was giant.. coz I kinda think that would be a little frightening.. don't you kinda think? If I never see another blue penis it will be too soon! I walked out of the movie glad that I had seen it at the movies.. coz if it was just on tv then I think I would have fallen asleep or just turned it off. It was nice to go to the movies tho and I am looking forward to seeing Wolverine next. Mmm Hugh!

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key as usual, however we did go and cook lunch for the parentals & co on Saturday.. which was rather nice and I made a cake.. but it wasn't what I was actually after.. so the first cake I have had in months and it was just meh.. so sad! omg actually it was the first piece of cake I have had all year! Now I really need to bake a cake that I really want.. if only I knew what I really wanted! I baked some cookies yesterday.. and they were much nicer than the last time I made them.. this time I cut out 30g of butter.. next time I might cut out another 20g and see how it goes.. if I even remember that is lol I do love baking.. which reminds me I have a few egg whites that I have to use so I might make some meringues.. which I have never made before so it should be a fun experience!

Speaking of fun experiences.. I have a new ecological coffee to try.. and before you start thinking I have my spunky espresso machine back.. I don't and I haven't even heard anything about it coz noone these days has any clue about customer service! no freaken clue! rawr! but yeah anyways Emma and I decided to give this ecologial coffee a go, and it is always handy having filter coffee there for when you need to make a large amount of coffee.. coz the espresso machine can only make 2 cups at a time.. or well.. one cup at a time coz my cups are too big and only one fits in the cup area! haha I miss my machine! On Friday morning I was in need of a coffee but we only had this filter coffee that had a hint of chocolate and the last time I tried it I really didn't like it but I thought I would give it another go.. coz I am all about giving things another chance.. this time it was still yuck but it was much better.. mind you this time I didn't add milk which I think really helped.. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I liked it.. but it was drinkable.

All this baking and coffee talk has got me wanting some.. so I think it is time to put a pot on and then park up and look at Tastespotting.. and Foodgawker!

The Answer.

Well it only took a couple of emails and several weeks to get an answer to a simple question.. the simple question being "Can someone please explain why same sex couples are being discriminated against for this visa?"

...and now the answer...

Dear Jo

Thank you for your emails of 17 and 26 February 2009, concerning your wish to bring your partner to Australia. I regret the delay in responding to you.

Under the current Regulations, the subclass 461 visa is not available to same sex partners.

The Australian Government believes that people, regardless of their sexuality, are entitled to respect, dignity and the opportunity to participate in society and receive the protection of the law. The Government is removing discrimination against same-sex de facto couples and their children from Commonwealth laws and policies. Following these reforms, same-sex de facto relationships will be treated in the same way that opposite-sex de facto relationships are treated for the purposes of Commonwealth entitlements and programs.

Under proposed changes to the Migration Regulations 1994, any visa that is currently available to a spouse as a principal applicant or as a member of the family unit of a principal applicant will also be available to a de facto partner. It is intended that these amendments come into effect on 1 July 2009, together with amendments made to the Migration Act 1958 by the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws–General Law Reform) Act 2008.

Once introduced, these proposed amendments will overcome the issues for same-sex de facto couples that you have highlighted regarding the Subclass 461 visa.

regards

H. Harcourt
Migration and Visa Policy
Department of Immigration and Citizenship

At least I can rest assure that when it is time to make the move things will be a little easier and now cheaper to get the best visa.. whenever that may be.

I have to say that I find it amusing that they ignore my first email and then when they realise I do actually want an answer they then forward it on further and then I get this big long reply.. which is nice and it is good that things are actually being changed and its not all talk.. but I guess we will really see after July 1st!

Now if we could only get an answer about the tent we ordered.. other than "we will call you back later today" and then they never call.. seriously what has happened to customer service in this world? Are we really being that over run by stupids that it is becoming the norm to just accept it and eventually turn into one of the stupids? Well I simply refuse to be a stupid! Call me an outcast if you want I don't care...

Once you pop you can't stop!

Monday has arrived again.. cold and icy! Of course I took a tumble and to be honest, I am totally over this tumbling time! Last week I took a tumble thanks to Nemo cutting me off on the stairs and I fell onto the metal grate at the door and now I have ugly bruised knees.. YaY! So yeah I am totally over all the tumbling and cold and shit!

My weekend was pretty low key.. as usual. We tried again to order Emma's shoes, from a different store this time coz the place we ordered from before didn't have the black in stock, only the ugly brown so we had to go back to the drawing board.. it seems to be one little thing after another with this whole hiking trip and its totally annoying! Hopefully nothing goes wrong with this order and Emma can finally have her boots.. we are yet to recieve a confimation that the order was accepted but maybe they are still in the dark ages and have to do everything manually.. I guess we will find out.. eventually.

My boots arrived but I had to send them back coz they felt like clown shoes so I have opted to go with a smaller size and just wear one sock instead of the two sock system (I wont get started on the socks issue tho) that they suggest/recommend.. coz 2 socks in the smaller size is way too tight.. and I don't wanna trip over my feet in the bigger size! its so very annoying.. if only they had half sizes! Why are there not half sizes? Frustrating to say the least.

Another frustrating and very sad thing that happened on the weekend.. my espresso machine had to be taken in coz its steam function was a no worky! so now I have to go without drinking wonderful yummo coffee! I do hope that we can at least get some decent service there and it is not gone for weeks.. coz that would totally suck ass! I guess I will just be a coffee-less-cranky-jo until its back! or well I still have the other coffee machine.. I guess that coffee will do until then... drinking good coffee is kind of like Pringles.. "once you pop you can't stop!"

Scout Ranger!

We have entered into the third month already of this year.. where is it all going? Soon it really will be time to head off on our little hiking adventure.. which I must admit I am looking forward to.. it will be nice to get away from all the rudeness around me and just get dirty in nature.. I would hate to be sitting next to me on the train on the way home that is totally for freaken sure! muahahaha

I had a pretty quiet weekend.. nothing overly exciting happened. Emma was gone for most of it doing things that I really wasn't interested in doing and so I started reading the latest Dexter book.. which had arrived on Friday.. or was it Thursday.. ack who cares.. it arrived and I have started reading and so far I am liking it.. heaps better than the third book.. thankfully!

Monday was Monday.. is there anything good about a Monday?

Tuesday was a bit more interesting as Emma had the day off.. she had to go to the dentist.. she came back with a numb mouth and sounded alittle spakka like.. but its ok she still made semi sense like normal! *wink@Em* Afterwards we headed off into Malmo to enjoy a look around and some shoe shopping and of course to actually eat out.. we had decided to go to Pizza Hut, we were just going to get a single Pizza to share but it was WAY more expensive to do that than it was to just do the all you can eat.. so we did that and Emma made this wicked yummo salad too.. so it wasn't all badness and we drunk water and not soda.. but I must say I really did enjoy it. It kinda reminds me of home.. coz pizza's here are a little different and that is really all I have to say on the pizza matter lol

Now for the shoes.. the sales dude annoyed me.. but I am so easily annoyed anyways.. but I tried on a few pairs, the ones I wanted and then we headed home to buy them online coz these days you have to save all the moneys you can get.. and it was much cheaper to buy online than it was to buy in the store.. I am happy with my choice.. however I am not much looking forward to getting the blisters that always come with new shoes! but that is why we have them now.. to break them in well and good before we actually go hiking in them!

If you wanna check out our boots..

here are my little spunks.. Ranger!
here are Emma's little spunks.. Scout!
(she totally looks like she could kick some serious ass when she has them on!)