(no subject)

[freyakitten]

Been meaning to update properly for weeks now, and been too tired, busy, and/or low on life-dice to do so. So here, in no particular order, is some of what I wanted to say, cut because there's a lot of it:

• Thankyou to everyone for their kind thoughts on my birthday. It was a contented day this year, what with Bastard both remembering and waking up enough to mumble his rememberance when I left for work, everyone at work either remembering or having been briefed, reverancepavane dropped past with nummies (He-Boss, She-Boss, rowlirowl, lindra and I all say thankyou for the nummies), messages from various people through the day, birthday cake from work, then going to bridge where the parentals remembered (I will say I prefer having my birthday on a bridge night as opposed to a non-bridge night when it comes to interaction with les parents on my birthday - they are more likely to remember), then coming home and being able to chat with Bastard for the first time that week (only needed to be somewhere at 10am the next morning, so I could stay awake for a little bit - btw, anyone who gave their birthday wishes to Bastard to give to me, I may or may not have got them, it was 1am by the time we got around to that, but thankyou for thinking of me, anyway)
• Les parents gave me the model of mobile phone I wanted for my birthday - the Nokia 5140i, 'designed for enhanced durability and rugged use', splashproof, and drop-resistant - just in time, for the old one was refusing to hold charge for more than a couple of hours at a time. I may now answer the phone if you call or send me a message that both requires an answer and is answerable. As long as you don't call when I'm playing bridge, in a meeting, or in a different part of the building at work from the phone. Or before 10am. You call me before 10am, or lunchtime from Friday through Sunday, I keeeel you!
• As of yesterday mornings' 8am podiatry appointment, we now know that my feet are pretty well stabilising. Last time, they were 11' & 14' kinked. The most recent X-rays showed they are now 12' and 10' kinked. Normal range: 12'-18'. Appointments will continue to taper off over the next 3-6 months.
• Was too ill to sing last Friday, so rang up and arranged a basic guitar lesson instead. Suitably enthused. Anyone looking to get rid of an old practice guitar (electric)? I'm looking to spend $80-$100 for guitar only, and up to $150 with accessories such as amp, picks, bag, strap, etc. I basically need something that can hold its tuning through an entire song, with intention to upgrade when I can both afford it, and play the instrument well enough to justify the expense.
• Ran out of antihistamines three weeks ago. Haven't had time to get to a pharmacy during business hours. Nursing many scratches inflicted in my sleep, and unhappy respiratory system from all the artificial fragrances around. It has forcibly occurred to me (again) just how much like exhaust drippings air 'fresheners' smell. The ones in the bathrooms at the bridge club are supposed to be lavender, but quite frankly I'd rather smell only the leftovers.
• Got home on Monday from work, and was preparing to go to the bridge club (Yay! Coaching! More information below), when I heard a rustle and thump from the loungeroom. Cautiously entering the room, I turn the light on, and cause the Noisy Miner (my family calls it a Soldierbird for reasons unknown to me) to panic and begin to fly around the room, thumping itself on the ceiling and walls. Subsequent attempts to remove the bird resulted in little feathers going everywhere, until I turned the lights on and off in the right sequence. I have a couple of photos of the poor bugger sitting exhausted on the far side of the front porch from the front door to be downloaded off of my camera.
• Yay! Bridge coaching! The womens' team got their act together and asked for and organised coaching for themselves. They saw no reason why this could not be attended by any woman who wants to, so, for as long as it lasts, I'm not doing dance classes on Mondays. I have nothing to do with the organisation of the Youth Team, so, AFAIK, nothing has been organised and the requests I have made for something similar have been put in the too-hard-or-can't-be-bothered basket. Angry about this. I want an NPC, as the team discussed, not a PC by default because the person put in charge of it either couldn't get anyone or was too busy interstate to delegate anyone to do it.
• We got Team Jackets last Sunday. As usual, they've picked a style I will never wear. This time, it's bomber-style jackets (the ones that are huge in the shoulders and so boofy you can't fit a coat over the top). If the arms were 4-6 inches longer, the Small I ordered would fit Bastard. Perfectly. I'm seriously thinking of swapping the arms with the one from two years ago, or adding a panel at the elbows, and making him wear it to the bridge club to pick me up. It would be way too much work for the time I have available, so I'm unlikely to do it, but if I did, we'd get at least some wear out of the things.
• When I got home last night from bridge, Bastard had made me birthday cakes, and I got my sore back muscles rubbed. He good boy. All praise the Bastard!
• Spiral Dances' last concert was v.good. Except for the (non-paying) DJs' doof-doof in the main room, that is. The move from flautist to violinist has, IMO, changed the sound in a not-bad direction. Considering my extreme aversion to change, the fact that I like the new sound, instead of hating it, says just how good the sound must have been. A few miscues, as is to be expected the first time a new lineup plays live, but good vibes. You know it's going to be a really good night when you walk in, and one of the first people you see is a 60-ish gentleman, comfortable in his sparkly gold costume involving knee-length skirt, headdress, and matching large jewellery. Partway through the first set, they played 'Black Annis'. I was very chuffed, having danced the song through, to the end of the race, at which point I noticed I was trembling and probably shouldn't have done that. Having done that, however, nothing I can do would make the lactic acid buildup worse, so I hydrated and kept going, dancing to every single song. Didn't go into muscle meltdown, fortunately, but despite drinking two litres of water from the moment I got to the venue to the moment I collapsed in bed, had lost half a kilo by the next morning. Was walking normally again by the subsequent Wednesday/Thursday.

And a reiteration for those who didn't look behind the cut: I'm looking to purchase an electric guitar to practice on. If anyone has one they're looking to divest themselves of and can get it to me, I'm interested and can be contacted.