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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Christmas breakfast

Had a nice christmas breakfast today. I prepared by going for a long run. Now I am tired and watching iron chef so you just get pictures.

Christmassy things. You can see me reflected. Arty.

Retro coffee pot, love it.
The cow milk pot wore a profiterole on its head.

And ate chocolate.
Fruit!

The pot again.
Pretty bowl.
The fruit later on.
Banana skins and profiteroles. Secret taste sensation!

Pink champagne and pink plate.

I love Katie's bike. It is awesome. And so is Katie. I would really like to have a bike again but I am loathe to keep it outside as the last one got pinched, but I don't want more clutter inside. My dad has found some fold up ones but I worry they might be a gimmick and not actually comfy to ride. If I lived on my own I would buy one like Katie's and just put it in the middle of the room cos it is so pretty.


Went into uni yesterday, hopefully last time before Christmas, though it is delightfully quiet. Worked on proof reading other people's work when I should have been doing my own. Went to the market with mum and Mark's parents. they get very excited and buy loads of delicious things. Then I caught up with Katie and Elena for drinks at Journal, which was lovely, and ever so quiet compared to the rest of the city which seemed to be filled with baboons wearing suits.

Now I am off to Christmas breakfast at lizey's.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I really need to finish my Christmas shopping, planned to go today but chickened out due to the rain. Though i wasn't completely lazy, I did run to and from uni to go to pilates. Last class of the year, twas good. Stretched my inner thigh muscles so much I could probably put my legs behind my head now.

Watched all the graduating students wandering round. Saw some in bonnets and felt sad as I want my bonnet and I feel I will never get to the bonnet wearing stage. Also sad is the fact that all the soft toys with graduation gowns on wear mortar boards instead of bonnets. No PhD bears.

Also had a monaco bar. Got very wet on the way home and ended up with all my sunscreen running into my eyes. Now I am trying to track downa quote I FOOLISHLY used in my intro and did not properly reference. WHEN WILL I LEARN??

Check out the yummy dinner I had last night at Thaila Thai on Lygon St. SO delicious, even if I was sitting outside in 37 degree heat eating a spicy curry.

Nom nom

I love nectarines. I have been buying and eating a kilo a week from the market. In winter I have to pretend they don't exist or I would be too sad about not being able to eat them.

I also like the cow plate they are on, it has a matching mug.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I feel a bit brain dead today. Spent about 30 hours marking over the weekend and yesterday. I even got up at 6am yesterday and got to uni by 7am and promptly discovered that they don't unlock the outer doors until about 7:45. Doh! Luckily it was sunny so I sat on the steps with coffee and madly marked. Had marking meetings from 10:30 to 12. Then the other tutor and I made up the spreadsheet and entered all the marks for all 6 pieces of assessment for all 70 students. Tiresome, but there is no way around it. Plus you have to be so focused, don't want to write the wrong mark down for someone. Luckily we didn't have anyone insisting we use the world's worst learning software (LMS) and spend forever entering them in gradebook. The other tutor and I had estimated that it would take an hour per student to enter the marks and comments online because the interface is so clunky and it loads like you are using dial up c. 1998. We figured if they insisted we would simply inform them that was fine and were they fine paying for another 70 hours at casual rates? But in the end they didn't care.

We don't need to put our comments up, only respond if a student actually emails us. On the one hand this is quite nice for me as writing comments takes A LOT of time and can be mentally taxing as you try and find 30 different ways to say 'the introduction was too waffly' and avoid saying anything too negative, or accidentally putting an apostrophe in wrong place as you critique their use of grammar. BUT I feel it is a huge disservice to the students, especially the many who clearly didn't know how to write an essay, or even how to write a sentence! These are the students who really need the feedback but won't be the ones who contact us. I think (hope) if everyone gets back some comments that some of it does sink in.

Anyway, I always bring this stuff up but I end up feeling like everyone thinks I am a naive idealist. Or else they just tell me that ''This subject is about opening up their minds not worrying about the little stuff." Well you must have opened up their minds a lot as it is pretty clear from the standard of writing that a lot of their brains had fallen out. Or they tell me that 'this course isn't about teaching them to write they can learn that themselves.'

Well super dooper, but if unis don't teach them how to write who the hell will? How are they meant to teach themselves? Of course students have to work on it themselves, I had to do that, but it was greatly assisted by lecturers who took the time to spell out what was expected, show us common mistakes, remind us we didn't need to 'thesaurise' every second word, explain why and how we should use foonotes and really just let us know why we got the mark we did. Otherwise, especially for students who are not good at writing, the reasoning behind an essay mark can seem all a bit mysterious.

Anyway rant over. Marking is done in record time, which was my plan as I have a tendency to let it take over my life and brain for far too long. I am pretty pleased with myself. Now I just need to cross some other stuff of my not very long but super urgent to do list.

1. Finish my Kent article. I confess it is a few weeks late, and this is after asking for more time.

2. Send Chapters 4&5 to supervisor, I finished them literally months ago, why haven't I sent them? Probably some deep seated mental block to do with fear of criticism.

3. Re-draft Chapter 3 after having it rather demolished by supervisor a few months back. All valid criticism I am just SICK of the damn thing.

4. Write draft of Chapters 6 & 7.

5. Get back to compiling my image catalogue with my ye olde worlde photo editing software.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Weeel I haven't started a new blog as I realised the impetus came partly from the desire to procrastinate. I might start one post thesis, I could call it 'Dr Kat knows best' or something.
I have decided to write here a bit more often, though I have decided that a lot this year. We will see.

I can't write much today as I must get down to my article which is woefully overdue. It is giving my email phobia, I keep expecting to see angry emails in my inbox each morning.

I woke up nice and early today and went for a run to get the brain cells going, it was a really gorgeous morning too. Warm enough that my legs didn't seize up angrily after the first 100 metres, but not so warm that I spent the whole time wanting to crawl under a nice big tree and roll in the cool grass. I have ambitions for new fitness goals now that semester is over. My first is to run more and to stay interested by doing a different run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Friday will be my usual quick 20-25 mins around the Fitzroy gardens, Saturday will be my long run to South Yarra and back, and Sunday, well I haven't decided but this week it might be a run to Eliza's new place in Fitzroy for breakfast.

I would also like to get back into swimming, maybe Mondays and Thursdays at uni, should be easier now it is warm.

xxx

Sunday, November 01, 2009

I have been pondering whether to start a new blog, obviously I have my other blog but I want to keep that about just art/architecture/garden stuff. I would quite like to have another one where I write about more random stuff, and pretty fashiony stuff. I guess I could do that here but it feels funny tacking it onto the end of a long personal blog. But then I don't want to get rid of this one, hmmm dilemmas.

P.S. I really like this photo from The Guardian, apparently the model went mssing after the shoot *spooky music* link.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009


Poor blog. I think I should revive you somehow except I don't know what to write about. I feel my day to day life is a bit meh and same old same old. I have no energy to rant about stuff that outrages me, I keep forgetting to take photos of the delicious food I have made. Then I feel this blog has baggage and I should start afresh, but then I quite like how long this one is already.


Anyhoo I guess I should just write something.

I have spent today trying to write my catalogue essay about this fellow to the left. Good ole William Kent. Have been having serious issues as it is a commissioned essay on something specific, but I have already published an article on this topic and I feel I can't write the same thing again. It hopefully doesn't matter that it is on something very similar, and this chapter will be longer with more discussion (and frankly we all know of many academics who write the same article over and over and over again). But whenever I try to write it the already written article comes back to haunt me. I am actually making a little bit of progress this evening. Though I am frustrated with people who don't specify what dating they are using. England was one of the the last countries in Europe to adopt the Gregorian calendar. So until 1752 the new started in March, so a letter dated January 1720, in fact refers to January 1719 according to the modern calendar. however, it is never clear whether republished letters have had their dates adjusted. Of course a writer should specify but many don't and I am left wondering if they even realise the issue. Also if someone is writing a letter from England to continental Europe you can't be certain whether they are using their date or the date of the person receiving it. SO CONFUSING. These are my troubles. Anyway back to it.

BYEEEEE.xx

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Urgh for some unknown reason I agreed to go to reunion with a couple of primary school friends this arvo and I desperately do not want to, but it is only like 6 people and it shit me when people pike at the last minute on stuff like this so I will go. I just have no energy for any type of socialising today, let alone slightly awkward reunion socialising. Sigh. Stupid friggin facebook. Plus I actually have a mountain of work to get done and should be it doing it now but I am just worrying instead.

Edited to add: The reunion was actually lovely, not at all awkward and had fun reminiscing!

Friday, August 28, 2009

I just emailed the coordinator of the course asking whether my contract was ready, got an email back and hour later "just had a meeting with [school manager], might be ready by Monday but I'm not sure. Jacquie has been ill for a few days." Honestly who cares if she has been sick for a 'few days' I have been working for 6 weeks and therefore the contract should have been sorted out 7 weeks ago. I am so cross. We sat down and worked out my hours 2 weeks ago and he has just sat on it and done nothing till I prompted again. Now I will not get paid till at least week seven, which means I will get taxed a lot. When I do sign the contract I will ask if they can pay it in increments, which I think is frankly the least they can do considering how long it has taken. But past experience tells me this will be a huge issue and FAR TOO HARD. I go out of my way and fix all sorts of things up for this course and do hours of unpaid work they can't even be bothered to put in the one hour it would take to make sure I get paid. I am even on the system already, *MASSIVEGRUMBLE*

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

So glad to only be teaching two classes this week. Today was pretty straightforward, the students are great except that because I give them group work I'm not always sure what to do while they work, I sort of wander around asking how they are going but trying not to watch them work over their shoulders, then I usually sit and make doodles on the roll for a few minutes. Sigh.

Now I should really go and do some photocopying but feeling too lazy.

Also I am thinking of going up to Sydney in a few weeks with Dad, need a break from good ole Melbourne. Just for the weekend, he has meetings for gliding and I will go to the galleries.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Busy-ish day today. Trying to get my image catalogue sorted, I have hundreds, hundreds and hundreds and it is so horribly painful. But I think I made some decent headway today. I feel a bit like it is the image version of never really doing any footnotes till the end of the thesis. But then when I started I didn't have a scanner or even a computer that could handle much in the way of image files, or a digital camera so I guess things have evolved and arrangements for images have been constantly superseded so I never settled on anything and now it is a mess. But on the upside a lot of my images are now available to download from galleries which have digitised their collections. Making life a lot easier. I LOVE YOU BRITISH MUSEUM.

`

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Just had a meeting about with the Save Lonsdale House peeps. Went well, we have had some good publicity and hopefully we will have a decent number for our protest on Saturday. I think we are all a bit amazed at how it took off. I remember when we started our facebook group ages ago and we were about 15 people for ages, now it is nearly 1500. Crazy.

Had to teach all the classes again this week, not that much in hours but just boring teaching the same thing again and again. Plus I hate the feeling that it is probably everyone's least favourite subject as it is compulsory breadth. Hey ho, I am probably being over sensitive. Also in one of the classes a few students have so much attitude. They ask if they have to come to stuff, ask if they can go early when we are in the middle of discussions. So rude. Honestly if you don't want to be there just leave, but don't expect me to give you permission to leave. Anyway we actually had quite a good discussion and the mouthy students are in the other tutor's class so I don't have to worry about them any more. Spent a while looking at this lady, she can be seen to spin in either direction. Fun.


Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Hello blog, sorry I neglect you so much at the moment. Very tired tonight. Had to teach all the workshops, so six hours straight teaching. It isn't too bad really, mostly it is the repetition of the same ideas again and again for each new class. Trying to write a lecture for Friday now. So glad I don't have to write a lecture every week. So time consuming, no wonder I got no thesis done when I taught at La Trobe.

Seem to have a lot on at the moment. I am helping out with the Save Lonsdale House protest. Visit the website here. We have over 1000 signatures now, which is great. It is partly just good to know there are so many other people out there who love Melbourne's architecture. Have met some lovely new enthusiasts who know so much more about Melbourne than I do.

Making slightly slow progress on thesis this week, but, I think, good progress over all. Though it is hard working on so many bits simultaneously. I am going through the edits on Chapter 3, making an image catalogue for Chapters 4&5 (150 images eek!) and re-writing Chapter 6. Funny how disjointed some of my old writing is now when I look back on it, and way too much explanation, like i am hitting people over the head with my ideas sometimes! But that is good as I need to cut words as it is currently 14 000 words over.

A picture for no other reason than that I like it. From the V&A, I keep getting distracted when making my catalogue.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Groundbreaking author Gordon Burn dies aged 61

Cancer kills celebrated explorer of the boundaries between fact and fiction

Gordon Burn

'Far ahead of the rest of the literary world' ... Gordon Burn. Photograph: Sarah Lee

The writer and novelist Gordon Burn, whose work explored the boundaries between fact and fiction, has died aged 61, his publisher announced today. Burn died on Friday 17 July, having been suffering from cancer.

Burn examined the contemporary obsession with celebrity in a series of books spanning three decades, including an account of the Yorkshire Ripper, a study of Fred and Rosemary West and a Whitbread award-wininng novel which imagined an alternative life for the British singer Alma Cogan.

His editor at Faber, Lee Brackstone, hailed his work as "far ahead of the rest of the literary world", and lamented the loss of "one of the great literary innovators of these times".

"Gordon's subject of choice was often trauma, spectacle and dysfunction," Brackstone said. "He was drawn to the dark side of celebrity ... his literature and impulse always represented to me an attempt to find comfort, meaning and compassion in the most appalling or baffling of events."

For the author himself, the central role of fame and mortality in his own work was clear. "Almost everything I have written," Burn said last year, "has been about celebrity, and how for most people celebrity is a kind of death."

Born in Newcastle on 16 January 1948, Burn began work as a journalist, writing for publications such as the Guardian, Rolling Stone and Esquire and remained a prolific interviewer and feature writer, making a name in recent years as an expert on contemporary art. Deliberately following in the footsteps of In Cold Blood and The Executioner's Song, his first book, Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son, was an attempt to tell the story of the Yorkshire Ripper from the inside out; he spent three years getting to know Peter Sutcliffe's family after the killer's conviction in 1981, turning up night after night to hear stories of the murderer's early life. He turned next to the world of professional snooker, at its zenith during the era of Steve Davies and Dennis Taylor, following the circus for a year to research Pocket Money, published in 1986.

His first novel, Alma Cogan, revisited questions of death and fame, entwining the case of the Moors murderer Myra Hindley with an imaginary post-celebrity existence for the popular singer, who died in 1966, in a meditation on artifice and obscurity which won the Whitbread first novel prize in 1992. Novels of Fleet Street and showbiz followed with 1995's Fullalove and 2003's The North of England Home Service, but it was with his most recent novel, 2008's Born Yesterday, that Burn's fiction reached its logical conclusion. Hatched in a discussion over dinner with the CEO of Faber, Stephen Page, the book was an attempt to bring the non-fiction novel into the era of 24-hour rolling news.

"The idea was to find a story, and the moment the news explosion happened to go there and write about it, turn it into a novel in the way that happens all the time through rolling news, newspapers, blogging," Burns explained. "And to turn it around fast, so that the novel came out while the news coverage was still fresh in people's minds."

For Brackstone, Born Yesterday was "an experiment as brave as anything attempted by Pound, BS Johnson, or Foster Wallace". "Having worked as a journalist with a sharp eye for a story in the 70s, Gordon understood, questioned and celebrated, more than any of his peers, the advent of 24-hour news on loop - the pornographic, compulsive intensity of it," Brackstone said. Written in a burst of just over a month at the beginning of 2008, the novel shapes the extraordinary events of the summer of 2007, including the resignation of Tony Blair and the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, into the dream-like vision of an insomniac version of Burn himself. As a cast garnered from the blaring headlines of 24-hour breaking news – Kate Middleton, Carol Thatcher, Jacqui Smith – crosses the boundary between fact and fiction, Burn confronts the subject which governed his writing life: the limits imposed on fiction and non-fiction alike.

"The news is always holding out the promise that we will know more and more and more, but we don't," Burn said. "With the West case, I had everything: I had access to their belongings, to the police interviews – everything, basically, that you could possibly wish to get – and you spend three years writing a book, and you still don't know what made these two people do the kind of things that they did."



Tuesday, July 21, 2009

At home today, hoping my sore foot will recover. Has been sore for a while now, but I have had to be in at uni or somewhere most days that requires walking.



Just baked some biscuits.

Now time to drink more tea, file articles and listen to PM on RN.

Not much else happening.

Put some photos up of the buildings I looked at on Sunday on my other blog, click here. (please do I get despondent when no one reads it, after all I spend valuable procrastinating from thesis time upon it, which could be used to bake wonderful cakes, tidy the house, arrange my hairclips by colour, catalogue my novels.....)

Sunday, July 12, 2009

I hate bra shopping so much. I managed to turn my favourite (only) white bra grey the other week by soaking it with something black. Clever. So I went to Myer today to buy a new one as they had 30% off Elle Macpherson, which are pretty much the only style I buy these days. The plain ones all trumpeted that they went up to an E, but they were ALL PADDED. Thanks, but no thanks, I'm more after day to day wear than porn star. Then most of the styles don't even come in my size, then when I do find what I what I find myself stuck between fitting the 10s in the back but busting out of the cups and feel a little loose in the 12s. Anyhoo. I didn't find what I needed but I did find what I didn't need but decided I wanted.




I am now considering buying online, though that seems a little scary as I find they fit varies even between different styles within the same brand. Hmmm.

Anyway Myer was also so damned hot, how are the staff not all raving mad? So I was grumpy by the time I left only to be held up by the Harmony Walk, which made me feel all violent instead of harmonious. Home now and attempting to work on thesis.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Anna Mouglalis

Just, you know, indulgent pretty stuff.


Don't know, some ad campaign I guess...

In Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009)

In J'ai Tourjours Reve d'Etre un Gangster (2007)

Monday, June 29, 2009

Second Hand Delights

I have nabbed a couple of lovely bits and bobs lately. Some glasses and a saucer at a antiques shop in Daylesford, photos below, and some new frocks from the Retrostar Warehouse sale on Saturday, photos once I finish washing drying and smartening them up.


New plate with delicious cake that mum made.

These reminded me of some glasses I inherited from my Nanna, they had some others in a slightly different pattern that I am tempted to go and look at next time I am up in Daylesford.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Running

Just went for a late afternoon run. It was pleasant, apart from having to dodge the hordes of footy fans spilling across the gardens from the MCG. I felt more warmed up than when I run in the mornings, no achey ankles. I also managed to run for 20 mins, then walk for 3 then run for 7, nearly ran 5k in total. I am kind of amazed. At the start of this year I absolutely struggled to run any longer than about 90 seconds at one go. I am so glad I finally managed to persevere and learn to run properly and to run regularly. Apart from the obvious (vain!) side of losing weight, it has also helped enormously with depression and anxiety. I always used to read that exercise helped but never really believed it. It is also great as I can just go out the fron door and do it for free.

Now I just have to learn how to do push ups and get upper body strength and I can be wonder woman.

Running fun times in Chicago c. 1960.


ps had fun at retrostar sale today buying frocks will put some pictures up soon.

Went to an art exhibition last night at Gertrude Contemporary Art. The main room has work by the artist Manuel Ocampo, who I have met a few times through J&T. It is a great exhibition, the main room is painted with monochrome murals.You can even have a tattoo of one of the works if you like.

The front space has an installation by Newell Harry of bottle and sort of pots, which made me think of a shipwreck. Then me and Greer got wine at the Enoteca, which was nice, except they only have one thing on the snack menu that doesn't have meat! Well two if you count the cheese platter but it was very expensive, so i don't. Still nice though.

Now I am off to the Retrostar warehouse sale to hopefully pick up a cheap frock and then back to the city to buy new sunglasses as mine broke and I can not bear the harsh light of day. Then I have to do a few hours work.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Nice threads


A fashion advertisement from the British Library c. 1880.

Back at uni today and feeling ok. I had though I might be getting sick but it seems not, which is good. Maybe I am just run down, I feel very tired lately, finding it very hard to get out of bed and to feel motivated. Blah. I have less than a month to the date I said I would have my whole thesis draft done and it is, of course, once again looking highly unlikely. Clearly I will never finish this stupid thing. The end.

My latest knitting project

Another scarf, I should try something else really. Though I don't really feel up for the challenge, and I have been wanting a scarf like this for absolutely ages. I think it needs to be twice as long, so I need some more wool. I like the colour combo of my magenta needles with the golden wool.

Mmmm cosy.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Print of the day!

I feel my life is dull at the moment, i.s. sleep, run, thesis, thesis, drink tea, eat biscuit, thesis, watch masterchef, watch British panel shows on youtube, read book, sleep, repeat. So I have decided to put up delightful but irrelevant (to my thesis) pictures that I stumble upon into my blog, possibly I will then also manage to add bits and bobs about what I am up to.

I have no idea what this cartoon is about, just stumbled across while I was researching (*cough* procrastinating *cough*). As far as I can gather, as it is in a Dutch collection (Het Geheugen van Nederland) and the information is all in Dutch, it is a flapper riding John Bull. It says:

Cherchez la femme - De Engelsche kiezerslijsten boeken reeds 11/2 millioen meer vrouwen dan mannen, dank zij het "flapper" kiesrecht - John Bull: "Dat me zooiets nog op mijn ouwen dag moet overkomen!"


Saturday, June 20, 2009

I am reading the various jobs advertised at the NGV, just out of curiosity really. But they have a job for an education officer, which is always something I thought sounded like a job I would quite like. Unfortunately it is very much focused at school children's education and the gallery and requires various teaching qualifications that I don't have. I don't think the NGV has a tertiary education officer, which is a shame, I know most big galleries in the UK do, and it would seem like a good thing to have. But the other frustrating thing is that amongst all the various teaching qualifications and experience they ask for only an 'appreciation of the arts'. How bloody ridiculous. I remember as a primary, and especially a secondary school student finding the galleries educational activities frustrating and boring. Often I knew more than those conducting the activities. Obviously I have always had a very focused interest, but nevertheless surely it is students like me who love art that that should be nurtured by such programs, not left sitting up the back and rolling their eyes.

There have been various studies and pieces of writing in recent years about the fact that just because an academic, or similar, is an expert in something it doesn't mean they are automatically the best teacher. I agree, I think many academics would benefit from training in good teaching methods, how not to send students to sleep in lectures, how not to just talk themselves all through tutes. But the flip side of this is that someone who is a highly qualified and experienced educator/teacher can not necessarily teach well on any subject with just an 'appreciation' of the content. I found this with a course I tutored once where much of the content was developed by an 'educator' and tended to lack any real in-depth information on the topic at hand. We went through the motions of 'good teaching activities' but often neither I, nor the students, really knew what we were meant to have actually learnt. It is sad that the NGV only wants an 'appreciation of the arts'. A good teaching qualification is one thing, but I would have thought a tertiary qualification in art and art history was also essential. This type of narrow mindedness generally leads to educational programs that tend to engage only superficially with the art in the collection.

Anyhoo, that is enough ranting for now.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Some speedy procrastination. I am looking for some prints of Medici performances in the 17th century but one of the prints that came up was of a sleeping puppy. So adorable. An adorable Baroque puppy.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Hahahaha I was reading this article about Country Roads new 'mature label' for the 40+ age group and look at this!


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Short shorts! ROFL. ROFL very much. I showed mum and said she should snap some up.


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And these, and the tight white pants? Not that older women shouldn't wear whatever they want but still....

I love the way that fashion can't even bring itself to put slightly older models in a parade of clothes specifically for the older man and woman. NOOOOO not OLD PEOPLE ON THE CATWALK. MY EYES!!!! I find their inability to use models from an older age group more ridiculous than the suggestion of short shorts.

As an antidote I love this blog with pictures of older people looking stylish.
http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/

The 'Hungarian Palace' from the Great Exhibition in Turin, 1911. From ICCD.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

SO BORED OF MY THESIS. so bored. kill me. I feel so mentally exhausted this week, I can't focus properly. I realised I haven't had a break for over a year, just working on thesis 5 or 6 days a week. You think it would be bloody finished. Grr. Grumble. Grumpy.


We have a retirement party for my supervisor tonight, I spent yesterday making an ace card with funny pictures and witty art historical allusions, yes I am a dag and this is possibly why the thesis doesn't get finished. Have to walk home in the rain now. I feel too lazy. But I have tried snapping my fingers, and wiggling my nose and I even tried to tap my brooch Star Trek style and asked to be beamed up and none of those worked so clearly I am stuck with walking. At least I have some Russell Brand to listen to.

And as I wrote that it got HEAVIER. STUPID RAIN. Now not only will I get wet but I have to rethink my outfit and I think all my sartorial brain cells are dead as yesterday I walked to uni with my fly undone and today I put my top on inside out and didn't notice for three hours.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Had to get out of the house today. Was meant to go to a book launch at uni but it felt too much like work and I probs wouldn't have known anyone and would have ended up getting sloshed on champers in the early afternoon. So I went to Savers instead and got this cool green jacket, a pair of carla zampatti jeans which actually fit and I never find jeans that fit at Savers, a apir of Nine West ankle boots which also fit perfectly, and black high waisted skirt and a pale green pure silk scarf. All for $45. FUN.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

This pic from The Sart makes me want to cut my hair short again. Carefree style.

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I am also so glad he has finished with that ridiculous Australian visit. Honestly, it was like the blog version of Baz Luhrman's film. 'Ohh look at Australia, all sunny, laid back, the beach, yawn.' I want photos of stylish European people!

Jarrod and Tara opened their new gallery tonight, they just moved round the corner. Looks very good. Had a lovely meal of takeaway pizza and good wine afterwards. Now it is 2:05am, on a school night and I should be in bed.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

I am so cold. I need a place to work that isn't freezing. I am in mum's office today and it was ok with the sunshine but now it is seriously shivery. My nose is cold. Maybe I should just start downing shots of whisky to stay warm.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Studied at uni today as I just kept procrastinating at home and drinking endless cups of tea, plus needed to get some inter library loans, one I have no idea why I ordered it at all, the other is very exciting, but only if you are interested in a particular Viennese garden around 1700, which I am *garden nerd*.

I am cosied up on the couch now drinking some wine and watching Father Ted.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I was reading this article on the fact that the names for the north and south islands of New Zealand were never legally registered, and I like this suggestion from one commenter.

Why not pick names from Middle Earth to get the tourist numbers back up?

Gondor and Mordor? Wellington should be changed to Hobbiton, Auckland Rivendell. The English names are ugly anyway.
Stephen McPhillips, Denmark, from New Zealand



Wednesday, April 22, 2009

I know it's immature, but it made me giggle.

I am feeling quite motivated at the moment, got back some feedback on my first chapter, which I re-wrote late last year and my supervisor says it is more or less right to go with a few small changes. And I looked at the draft and for the first time ever they were just small changes not huge re-writes. So one down seven to go!

I am just sitting here waiting for my apartment inspection. The place is so tidy I want to throw some stuff around, it isn't NATURAL. They sent us a letter with a list of things to do before the inspection which I thought was super patronising, but I guess some tenants are pretty hopeless. Though maybe they should consider a lost of things THEY should have done over the past year, like serviced my stove which sparked me and blew a fuse and the washing machine which still won't use hot water. They are meant to be here between 9:30am and 12, which is annoying, I wanted to go for a run earlier but thought they might arrive while I was still getting dressed. Plus I want to go to uni to work and now seems like I won't get there till 1pm-ish. Hey ho.

Monday, April 20, 2009

From Twitter.

darthvader
Note to @Alyssa_Milano - Tony Danza is not the boss. I am.


Haha.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Gustav Klimt, Nuda Veritas, 1899.

A Gustav Klimt painting from the Kunsthistorisches Theatre Museum in Vienna. You can see more of their collections here.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Cabaret Poster, 1907


Erstes Programmheft des Kabarett Fledermaus
Grafiker: Carl Otto Czeschka | Wien, 1907.
From the Theatre Museum of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.


I just ate a cadbury cream egg and now I feel sick. The first half is great, then you eat a little more, then it is more than half gone so I feel I should finish it all. Urgh. Too much sugar.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

I am following Darth Vader on twitter, I wish he would follow me back as I really want to get the email "Darth Vader is now following you."

I am easily pleased.

Hot yellow jumpsuit.

The fashions! Good stuff.



Yes I am having a lazy Sunday watching random things on youtube.



Pizza vending machine?! i can't decide if I think it is excellent or terrible. Hmm.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Made my own hot cross buns

Made my own hot cross buns. Half have sultanas (none of the evil peel) and half have choc chips. Tried one, ever so good. I am ever so proud of myself.

I used this recipe from this wonderful blog http://ironchefshellie.blogspot.com/

Look at em! I know some of the crosses are a bit off, they are the atheistic buns.