There is evil and then there is Sylvia Browne.


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How long does it take a Pathology Lab to do a Dipthera and Tentanus antibody test?
A long freakin' time, even longer when they need to be rung up three times to get them to fax the results through.
Santa Vaca, lucky it wasn't life or death....

Got my medical results back..finally. I'm surprisingly normal, Normal...
No apparent defect, disease, or disability
HIV and Syphillis free, sufficent antibody response and normal full blood count.
Its all here in black and white.

That was the final paperwork I was waiting for, so today I sent in my "Application of Readiness" to the US Consulate. They will get back to me with a interview date, where I will be assessed worthy or not.

My new beer monkey job is going well. I'm not working full time which despite the pay decrease is rather nice. No early starts, a few late nights, no stress.
Also it will give me more time to pack all our shit up. Just to make life that little bit more interesting we got a letter from the landlord saying to move out by end of October. Can you say " &%$#%& unbelievably bad timing" cause I have been for days. I have the plan to just squat, keep packing and by the time they send the Sherriff around we will ready to move in December.
Moving twice in as many months makes baby Jeezbus cry.

I started packing today...good gawd where to start? Must get ruthless with books and everything else. St Vincents won't know what hit them. Today I chucked/recycled birthday cards, crap photos, love letters, bank statements from '96, lots and lots of study notes dating back to the early '90s. Ugghhhh.
Some stuff I can't throw out and am happy to box them back up for another 6 years. Things like good photos, some cards, school reports...I can only purge so much.

Seriously if anyone wants books- thriller/sci-fi/history/biology, National Geographics from the 60's onwards, Japanese language texts, etc....please let me know.

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No Nerds Here

My last day at work was yesterday. After six years of helping to make Sydney's water safe and drinkable, I'm gone. I'll miss the people alot, but I won't be too far away and will keep in touch.


This is part of my farewell gift....I really don't know why they got me this...honest...;)

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Lots of people have done this meme. Though I'd give it ago.


1. One book you have read more than once

The Blue Castle - L.M Montgomery. This is such a sweet book. Valancy, our 29 year old spinster living early 1900's Canada, finally shaking off the rigid, stifling social circle and cutting loose. Funny, romantic, pointed social commentary with quite a few "you go girl" fist pumping moments.
(Though I have never read Anne of Green Gables)

Also Dragon Singer, Terry Pratchett, Ian M Banks, Cadfael's, Ray Bradbury....the list goes on and on

2. One book you would want on a desert island

Lots of Shakespeare could be good. Many quotes and cool scenes to act out.
Also "How To Make Alcohol From Seaweed and Seagulls"

3. One book that made you laugh

Three Men and a Boat - Jerome K Jerome

Rob and I read this out loud while hiking the Overland Trail, Tasmania one Christmas. Couldn't speak from laughing. 'Weird hideousness' is a favourite phase for ever more.

Connie Willis's homage to Jerome's book "To Say Nothing of the Dog", is a time travelling Victorian romp.

Also Terry Pratchett, Bill Bryson, Douglas Adams....

4. One book that made you cry

"Paula"- Isabel Allende.

When her daughter falls into a coma, Allende sets out to tell her family history. It switches from her growing up in Chile, jobs, loves, her uncle Salvador and the politics of the time Totally fascinating and I would love to read those bits again. The chapters in the present with the family dealing with Paula's illness I couldn't read in public, and still prickles the backs of my eyes thinking about it.
That and pretty much everything else....uber sook I am.

5. One book you wish you had written

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I wish I could turn a phase like that man.

6. One book you wish had never been written

Bible, is a bit too obvious. There are a few cool quotes in it and has inspired some good gothicy music via the likes of Nick Cave and 16 Horsepower.
Hornet's Nest - Patricia Cornwall. I liked her Scarpetta books but this one farked me off big time and I didn't even look at the sequel. Its the one I'm reminded of when I think of shite books and Ive read alot of crap books.

7. One book you are currently reading

'What You Make It' - Michael Marshall Smith. A book of very clever, creepy, sad tales.
I usually have 3+ books going at once.

8. One book you have been meaning to read

'The Blind Watchmaker' - Richard Dawkins. I been reading blogs and comments about him for a while now, both for and against. It sounds very interesting and would like to see for myself why and how he polarises so many people.

9. One book that changed your life

I've never had a life shattering changing book. There has been several which has helped me give structure and form to random flappings in my brain. Micheal Shermer- 'Why People Believe in Wierd Things' and "How People Believe' and Martin Gardners "Did Adam and Eve Have Navels?"
Many years ago I was saving up to travel, with no firm destination in mind I just wanted to go somehwere. I was reading Douglas Adam's 'Last Chance To See', and when i got to the Rhino section It was 'I'm going to Africa, of course I am' so I did.

10. Now tag five people

You know who you are....

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There is nothing hokey, wistful, girly and/or pensive about this AT all.



There seems to be about gazillion on this theme- who da thunk?. Though most are better oggled with the sound down.


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Way cooler than Jeezbus on toast


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FROM LAB MONKEY TO BEER MONKEY

I gave my notice today. I quit. I'm outta there. Be gone and to not a nunnery. WOOT!1

All that bitchin' and moanin' should stop now, well at least for a while.
Leaving science at the next hick town to pedel itself at skanky truckstops and moving on to a more refined, elegant high class job, otherwise known as pulling beers and encouraging people to put thier pay through the pokies. YAY.

Its at a club freakly close to where I work now. People go up there for lunch so I'm prepared for much pointing and laughing.
My main plan is to use the power of the Accent to get by in the US but new skillz in hospitality may help aswell.

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I not into disclosure posts. Its not my thing, my private life is private and not that interesting and I need lot of red wine to get started, and then its even less interesting.
Anyway I have this friend.
She wants to get Implanon implanted, its a 3 year contraceptive chip than sits just under the skin. It also greatly helps the clarity on the Mothership instructions.
I think she should have done it years ago, but thats niether here nor there.
She had a good chat with her Doctor about it all and he gave her a infomation sheet, prescription and a contact number for Marie Stokes International. The Doc used to do it himself but the insurance company flipfloped over it, so he has to cover himself and stop doing it but thinks its totally dumb.
It has to be implanted during the period, but everytime she has rung they are booked up. Its hard to book ahead a month when the days may be out. They mentioned the Family Planning Clinic, so they were rang and can do it. But she needs to be counselled first and both can't be done on the same day. Mentioned the fact that she doesn't need counselling and has already chatted with the doctor but no, its thier policy.
Seriously, I think that counselling even for abortion should not be compulsory, let alone contraceptives.
Available and offered, most definately. I think it can be very useful- for people who want it.
Made to feel 12 years old and talk about 'our feelings' because we are made to -sod off.

Couselling is not needed when you get the Pill or the Morning After Pill, the checkout chick at Coles doesn't quiz you over the Condoms hidden under the Mint Slices. ( mmm lots of capitals in that sentence).
Plus its bloody inconvenient.

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