Problem solved

Is it a splayd, is it a spork, or perhaps a foon?

No, it's a fork-spoon. As created by BallFiend during a tax-payer funded primary school art class.

It's good to know that youngsters are encouraged to think about the big issues in this world and solve those wicked problems once and for all.

And so FreeloadingPhill, that's that. We need debate the matter no more.
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Fanning the Flames, Flaming the Fans

I think I have just been drawn into combat... drawn into my very own, first ever, personal flame-war, by an evil parrot-troll hybrid.

As a show of good sportspersonship, I shall extend my now-nemesis the same courtesy that he/she has shown me by preserving his/her anonymity and hereafter referring to him/her only as "Phil" and not once shall I refer to Phil as FreeloadingPhill (despite the fact that Phil is, by Phil's own decree, a free-loader).

I will not endeavour to fan the flames by making any derogatory remarks regarding my opponent's character.

Nor do I deny that, in the course of reclaiming this, my blog, I adopted a certain naming convention when referring to the subjects of my posts, which may or may not have originated from freeloadingphill.blogspot.com, and I hereby declare that this was done purely with the intent of copy-catting (imitation being, as we well know, the sincerest form of flattery). 

In the interests of resolving this matter amicably I, Stompy, declare and affirm as follows: 

1. I don't really like parrots. However, as with most creatures, they can - under the right circumstances - provide a certain amusement to help one pass the time. 
2. I don't really mind trolls, especially those ones with the long fluorescent hair that people used to have on their keychains in the 90s. I'm fairly certain that the very manly and virile drummer in a band I used to be in used to have one in his car for good luck. And apparently those trolls-dolls were "My Little Ponys for boys", so maybe he had a whole collection... I never actually opened the [Pandora's] glove box to check.
3. In order to create stakeholder engagement, whilst achieving productivity benchmarks, moving forward, the necessity for blog-owners to "additionalise the content of [one's] communications" (provided properly-credited reference to the originating blog is made) is acceptable in the context of strategic practice.
4. Ner-ner-ner-ner-ner. No backs, no refunds. 

Now, if you would be so kind as to pass me a drumstick, I have a marshmallow waiting to be toasted.
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Now that is manly!

I've been learning to crochet. Scream daggy all you want, I don't care. It's giving me something to do, something that gives me a tangible result at the end of the project. Unlike caring for two kids all day... the only tangible result from that is the pile of soiled nappies waiting to be washed and overflowing basket of clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away. (Although I suppose, technically speaking, the fact that the two kids are still breathing at the end of each day could be counted as a tangible result. But it's not quite the same, and let's face it, if I failed in this regard, the authorities would be turning up at my doorstep.)

I've been amazed by how easy crochet is (ie. compared to knitting). I tried to learn knitting, under the instruction of Gran, and although I learned the basics - made a few scarves, etc. - I could never fix up mistakes, so if I didn't actually have Gran right there beside me, projects tended to stall indefinitely.

Crochet is a different story. So far, I have made several practice-pieces - just trying out different stitches, then I made my first project - a beanie for BallFiend: Now I am 90% of the way through my second project - a matching scarf:
I've also been amazed and excited by the range of things that can be made using crochet. Then I found Ravelry - an online community of knitters and crocheters with free patterns galore! My enthusiasm escalated. At last count, I had about 20 items 'queued' for future projects. When it comes to crochet, it seems, if you can think of an object to make, then someone has probably created a crochet pattern for it.

So I'd come to the conclusion that crochet is not at all daggy and that many of the things that can be crocheted are practical, and often truly beautiful... then I saw this one: Manly Tank-Top. Think I might need to make one for FreeloadingPhill to help him on his latest quest.
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Return of the drummer

Following the birth of Thumper, and as soon as I could get near my computer (the following day), I issued the obligatory email announcing her arrival to family and friends. Amongst the many replies was an email from FreeloadingPhill:

Hooray!
Now I have to harass you with visits again.
Just have to wait until you're ready... or not. hehe

Well, today he made good on his promise and visited us. Well sort of... since he waited to be invited, I'm not sure that it counts as harassment. Regardless it was good to catch up again, after a long time... a long, long time... a really long, long time!

I was out at a physiotherapy appointment when FreeloadingPhill arrived, and as Thumper was with me, BallFiend ended up stealing the limelight. However FreeloadingPhill and DeepSpice were able to snatch a few moments to chat in between an excited BallFiend demanding attention: "Feel! Feel! Come here Feel!" came the cry from deep within the 'ball tent' when BallFiend keeps his stash.

BallFiend reveled in the attention, and FreeloadingPhill demonstrated exceptional skill in keeping a three-year-old entertained. So much so, that I think he shall have to be added to our list of baby-sitters.

My late return also meant that FreeloadingPhill didn't get to see much of Thumper or hold her for long enough for me to capture photographic evidence. Nevermind, as FreeloadingPhill said, one baby is pretty much the same as the next. And with that, he was gone... off to a one-year old's birthday party on the promise of cake.

Sorry Thumper, you'll just have to try harder to be cute...
though I reckon you're plenty cute enough!
--

Memories...

Today is our anniversary - DeepSpice and I, that is. Since I am too tired and pregnant (38 weeks tomorrow!) to be bothered going out for a fancy dinner or even to make a special night in, I am taking a trip down memory lane instead...

On this day 14 years ago, DeepSpice and I were just young, foolish, idealistic lefties, mucking about together at my sharehouse in Helen St, Northcote. It was August 21st, 1995 and one week after the La Trobe Uni student protest when we occupied the administration building for a couple of hours. DeepSpice and I were sitting on FreeloadingPhill's sofabed (which I should point out he obtained for free from his grandmother's estate... he was a freeloader even back in those days) watching TV, when the magic began.

Actually the magic really began two years earlier in 1993, after I asked DeepSpice to help me with a Music assignment. With about 3 hours until the assignment was due, I went to his room at college and demanded his help because he had done the same Music subject the previous year and I didn't like the subject anyway, so just wanted to get through it as quickly as possible. I should point out that in the end, DeepSpice was no help, as (a) he couldn't find his old assignment, (b) he was hung-over and still asleep at midday, and (c) he failed first year entirely. Anyway, this non-musical interlude led on to an increased degree of 'hanging out' together. Until, a few weeks into our fledging 'thing', I got glandular fever and was sick for about 5 weeks. Then life just sort of moved on. I got caught up in all the bigger, better things to do as a second-year uni student, and although I stayed friends with DeepSpice, I held back on getting too involved with him, lest a serious relationship interfere with all the other possibilities that are open to a second-year uni student!

Anyway, two years on and there we were, somehow both in the right place at the right time, unencumbered by romantic commitments to other people (DeepSpice more recently so than I, having just been dumped by someone about a week before). And the rest, as 'they' say, is history.


Also on this day 5 years ago, DeepSpice and I had a wedding ceremony with about 100 of our nearest and dearest family and friends. I should point out that we chose not to get married (much to StompyDad's disapproval) because we didn't see the need. We are both atheists, and we didn't see any reason for a civil marriage either: we already had a sizable home loan together which we considered was enough evidence of our commitment to each other. What we wanted was to celebrate our (then 9-year) relationship, and to ensure that all of our relatives understood that we were in a relationship for life, and not that we were just the boyfriend/girlfriend of the moment. (It gets really annoying after 9 years, when extended family invite one of us to a family-do, like a wedding, but not invite the other because they just didn't remember/recognise our relationship). Oh, and we wanted to have a party, of course! And by cleverly scheduling our wedding on the August 21st, we ensured that we wouldn't have two different dates to remember.

So anyway, we did the wedding thing, and although there were quite a lot of good things that happened in the course of the big event, I can honestly say that I would never, ever do such a thing again. It became a Frankenstein's Monster, turning into something that was completely not what we wanted. It seems that as soon as one ascribes the word 'wedding' to an event, it becomes loaded with generations of social meaning, layered with ritual and is quickly taken over by others, who are eager to relive (or perhaps re-enact) their own weddings... and this time they get to do so from the position of being the ones to slather-on the meaning and ritual, rather than being the ones subjected to it! (I guess if BallFiend or Thumper ever have a wedding, DeepSpice and I will have the chance to get our own back! Mwah-ha-ha-ha!)

The choice of date didn't really work out so well either - despite organising our wedding for the date of our relationship's anniversary, I still get mixed up anyway and think that our anniversary is August 15th. I am also hopeless at remembering how many years it has been. Thereby putting an end to the idea that it is always the male in a relationship who forgets the anniversary.

However, all that really matters is that DeepSpice and I are still happily and lovingly together after all these years, In addition, we have spawned progeny, thereby contining the over-population of the planet... and that should make those religious freaks happy. And even if it doesn't who cares! We are happy... BallFiend is a delight -- more so every day as he develops -- and I am sure that Thumper will be too. I just hope that this time next year, we are dining out somewhere special, with a nice bottle of plonk on the table and the kids safely home with a babysitter!
--

The Reclaimation

Welcome to my second attempt at this blog... seeing as I lost interest in it (many years ago) after about 10 posts. So, I hereby reclaim my blog. This time, there is no specific focus. Just going to write about my life and stuff that interests me. PS. Thanks to FreeloadingPhill for the inspiration.


Here goes... what's happening with me at the moment:


Bun in the oven

I'm pregnant, for the second time. Expecting my next "bundle of joy" in September. I was really 'morning sick' (from morn till night) until about 5 days ago. Then it just suddenly stopped. Same happened last time, except not till I reached the 14 week mark. This time, it stopped around 9 weeks. Yippee! (Still utterly exhausted though).

Me (and my tree) in the oven

I nearly died in the recent heatwave: three days in a row of horrid, awful, unfathomably hot weather: 43, 44 and 45 degrees respectively. (OK I exaggerate a bit on the 'nearly died' part, but I did nearly collapse when waiting for a tram home from work on Friday in 45 degree heat - pregnancy and heat waves do not mix).
The tree in my back yard died in the heatwave. It was planted in March and had been growing so well... then a few days ago, I watched as its leaves turned from green to brown over a few hours.

Cake in the oven

I've just had a birthday, so even though I've just aged another day in the past 24 hours, I feel like I have got a whole year older, *sigh*
Still, it was one of the best birthdays I have had in a long time. StompyDad's birthday is two days before mine and usually I have to share the occasion with him, but this year he is overseas so I got to have my birthday all to myself. Deepspice, BallFiend and I had crepes for brunch with Gran and GrandPaul, then BBQ for dinner at DesignerSis and Wigward's along with CutLuce and DesignerMonkey for some excellent company. I even got a birthday cake, store-bought courtesy of my sister though - not from her oven. (It is still way too hot for baking! Though I suppose some poor sucker somewhere had to bake it.) Unfortunately it was too windy to light the candles, but it was good regardless.
The only disappointment was the distinct lack of presents. I love getting presents! I received a necklace from Deepspice, and a book from my StompyDad. Hopefully something else might be forthcoming... my sisters did hint.