My Place & Yours - Blog HQ

Meet me at Mikes has a great theme each week, where they invite people to write a blog post based on a place/perspective. I found all about it through the lovely brownhairblueribbon girl. The theme is suggested by a different participant every Saturday, and seeing it is Saturday I thought I'd give it a go. This weeks theme has been chosen by Ninon and is all about where you read and or write blogs.

I tend to move around and my Blog HQ changes with the season. The yellow house is cold so in winter it is snuggled up next to the heater (usually with the dog wedged in between). But right now I'm writing from the couch in my lounge room. There isn't much natural light, which is kind of nice and the tiny pockets of sunlight are making soft shadows. And for a Saturday it is kind of quiet - I think all the neighborhood has gone down the coast for a long weekend, so all I can hear are birds chirping in the trees outside.

Often when I blog straight after work, I use this little corner of my living room. Sometimes it is nice to just stand after sitting at a desk all day at work - but it is usually because I've forgotten to charge my laptop and thats the best place for the mac and me to be.

My favourite spot to blog when the weather is good, is from the back step. At the end of the day it is a good place to unwind, drink a beer or G&T and throw a ball to that crazy dog.

Deadlock

Something came through the post from the land of Jeremyville. The yellow house voted as to whether the package should be opened. I voted no and that it should be opened on my birthday next month. Barney voted yes. So, as you can see it is a deadlock....suggestions?

Spying

Sometimes I like spying at Barney out the window when he doesn't know I'm watching.

Right now, in the dead of the night, I'm watching him retrieve a bone he has hidden in tall grass...and in the space of writing this he has now found a different hiding spot to snaffle it away for later.

I used to watch him hide bones when he was a pup. He would hide them in the most ridiculous places...behind doors and under pillows. As he grew older he copped on and would wait until I had stopped watching to find the good spots.

I also used to spy on him as I'd come home. I'd sneak inside and watch through the window. He would be chasing bees, or just sitting in the sun. I once caught him throwing the frisbee to himself. That made me so happy, watching that black and white dog clumsily throw a frisbee in the air just to chase it along the lawn.

Barney has really aged the last six months, but every now and then he still surprises me with his puppy ways. I love that dog.

Sneak peak

Invitation about to go to the printers. Hoorah! Virtual friends please email me if you would like an old fashioned invite through the post.

Some days are sadder than others

And this my friends, is one of those days.

LOL!

The irony is this actually made me laugh out loud

Trendy T-Shirt

This photo is taken in Bergen, Norway and comes via a gal who is visiting her boy way over the other side of the world. Thanks Fi for letting me borrow your photo.

Thank you junkies

Walking through civic with boy laser, I said how I felt like breaking something...you know, I just felt like smashing something really hard into a thousand pieces.

We turned the corner, to walk back to Braddon, and someone had done it for me. Out a window, onto concrete, from several stories high. TV. S M A S H E D.

Sydney to Canberra

Meet Lenny

I wish I could get a real Lenny Briscoe, but Barney with all his...how will I put it? Neurosis, means that have to do with this. Barney likes this one just fine.

Got me a Lenny Briscoe!

For the past year or so I've been telling anyone who would listen, that I wanted to get me a sausage dog...and when I got him I was going to name him Lenny Briscoe.

The reason why I so wanted a sausage dog was because of this little guy below. His name was Good Times and I met him in a bar in the Village in New York. His owner just carried him in, in a little case, and for most of the night he got to snuggle with me.

So in the end I thought, you know what? I'm just going to go out and get one. B-Head will just have to get used to a two dog household....

Purple haze

This isn't a great photo, but what is kind of cool is how painterly it looks. Pretty weird considering it hasn't been touched up or enhanced in any way. Just Canberra one random night with the lights pretty and purple.

Assassins 88

Went and saw Assassins 88 at the Phoenix last night. Those of you who think Canberra is all politics and roundabouts - think again.

Spring has finally sprung

Saturday is...

Pupusa day (and dumplings too). Just waiting for that kid Laser to wake up so I can make my way to Gorman House markets...

Journal Series of 15 'Buddha' #6

in sri lanka the girl drew a pretty picture of a buddha. she coloured him yellow and purple with a large green circle around his buddha head "many buddhist ceremonies, peaceful, meditation, reflective, looking inside, evaluating quality of my life - purpose of my life. shown kelinya and many omen temples to get blessings and to have a good new year.."

# 1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Public art for free

You've also got to love public art which is free.

Wall in Braddon.

Public art that is paid for..

You've got to love public art...the stuff that is bought:

On the Staircase by Danish artist Keld Moseholm is being displayed in Petrie Plaza, Civic.

Open Letter to Floriade Petting Zoo

Dear Floriade Petting Zoo

This years petting zoo was a little disappointing for a number of reasons.

a) The petting zoo was under a tarpaulin and was not very farm like;

b) A cat in a run is kind of creepy;

c) If Laser Boy wants to feed a goat a bit of hay, you should let him. There was no need to admonish him in front of the entire fake farm and tell him not to. Laser Boy is a guest of our country from another universe, and those mean words are irreparable. Your claims that every child in the petting zoo would now poke the animals in the eye with hay were unsubstantiated. I'm sure being a petting zoo supervisor is very important work, but you pulling rank like that -well frankly it was insulting and an embarrassment to petting zoo employees around the world. You should be ashamed;

d) There was no baby hippo; and

e) When I commented that the chicken eggs were very small (in fact quail like) there was no need to be so defensive and go on with a three minute monologue about the value of very small eggs. I DON'T CARE.

Journal Series of 15 'Pongall' #5

a colourful card appeared in our mailbox, all bright with sprinkles of glitter. "to andrew + karin, a very happy pongall - whatever the fuck that is" the card went on, and had this inscription in english...

PONGAL SIGNIFIES

PROSPERITY, WEALTH,

LET EVERYDAY THIS YEAR BE AS

GOOD AS PONGUL DAY.

BEST WISHES FOR A

HAPPY PONGAL

#1

#2

#3

#4

Journal Series of 15 'trinket' #4

from singapore, the girl flew away - away to sri lanka, land of tea and all things exotic. at the airport she bought a pretty trinket for her long brown hair, a sparkley band with a rainbow of colours...red, green, yellow and blue. The customs receipt stamped the 30th of december - number 001159...

#1

#2

#3

Journal Series of 15 'broken heart' #3

that night the girl wrote in her diary..."first days in singapore. chinese, nice food, controlled, conservative, good comic store, expensive good transport system, very organised, poor and rich side by side, clothes hanging from window, cramped, rushed, market, poor women without men, no-one cares for each other singapore..."

#1

#2

Journal Series of 15 'Sonic Youth' #2

the girls first stop was singapore, and this letter arrived by airmail from the amora hotel. "Last night we went to karoke with a friend of peters, j.k, who is chinese. peter sand 'carwash' as it seemed this was the only song that suited his voice range. he says next time he will sing it like thurston fro sonic youth"

# 1

Journal Series of 15 'Xmas' # 1

once upon a time there was a girl, a pretty girl who was going on a big trip. we had a pretend christmas for her in december 1994? and gave the girl a travel diary with gumby's girlfriend on the front cover, (not too many people know that gumby had a girlfriend...) we also gave the girl a fortune fish with psychic powers. it turns out that fish told lies......

The Fighting League new songs

The Fighting League have uploaded two new songs. You should go listen.

I really like Teenage Violence, though I keep on singing Teenage Riot in the chorus. That is mainly because I'm an idiot, but also because I love Sonic Youth's Teenage Riot.

I'm going to play it on repeat until I start singing Teenage Violence when I hear the Sonic Youth song.

I ♥ the internet

Do you know what? The internet has impeccable timing.

It was only this evening that I was trying to explain to a friend how I felt about...well pretty much everything. And let me tell you, it wasn't positive. I wasn't very good at articulating it to her - so to clear things up here, lets just say I pretty much felt like everything was fucked.

I could not put my finger on it, but there were tears throughout the last week. Stupid ones out of nowhere. Like on the way to work. All of a sudden I'd be crying, and I wasn't even playing Do You Realize. All week people were telling me I looked tired, I looked terrible, I looked like I had a mullet. I don't think I was sleeping well and I was reminiscing about every person in my life who is living outside of Canberra, just so I could punish myself more in what was already a precarious emotional situation. Plus I thought a lot about my dog dying. Have I painted the picture for you?

And tonight - out of the blue, the internet gave me a wonderful gift. In my little inbox was a beautiful, and generous email from a person who had not only taken the time to read this blog from start to finish, but also take the time to write me an email. Not just any old email, but one full of encouragement and kind words.

I'd like to thank that person for the email, and also thank whoever is reading this blog right now. I like to write stuff and draw things, but it makes it better knowing you are there to read and see it.

Thank you ♥ the yellow house in the U

Happy Birthday Message to Amy

Brought to you by a brunette Bonnie Tyler

I love working in a cosmopolitan neighbourhood

People around the world use their lunch hour for useful things. In New York, some folk might do a spot of shopping at Bloomingdales, in London friends might catch up for a lunch in Hyde Park, in Tokyo a business lunch at a noodle bar. I don't often leave the office for lunch. The other day I was reminded why.

Open the door, get on the floor

Everybody walk the dinosaur

Boom Boom Ackalaka Boom

Boom Boom Ackalaka Boom Boom