New travel blog

I've just created new blog (linked over on the right, and down below) that I'm going to keep updated while I am travelling over the summer. Please check it out during December and the beginning of January to see what I get up to while I'm abroad!!

http://jemimaoverseas.blogspot.com

s'pose I could post something...

I've been sitting at my computer for the last hour and a half avoiding doing study. I should do some, but... yeah... can't be stuffed... So I've been trying to find other things to do that don't just involve sitting listening to Triple J and playing solitaire. After reading two blogs, checking eBay, and looking the the price of tickets for The Chaser's stage show, it popped into my head that I could blog something. So, yeah there's not really a point to blogging today, it's just something to do.

I haven't been very busy of late. The housesitting is going really well. Except for the fact that Macon (the cat) wakes me up sometime between 4am and 5am every morning when I leave my bedroom door open. I shut it last night, but I still woke myself up at 5.30am... Although, like every other day, I went back to bed once I'd fed Macon and let him outside. Other than that little inconvenience everything's going smashingly! I've been so social - I've had people over for dinner, and I've been to other's houses for dinner. It's been great! I do miss having the dirty dishes clean themselves (by someone else, or in the dishwasher) and the dirty clothes clean (mostly) clean themselves (by someone else in the house...). But that's just my lazy nature coming through. I have kept the house clean and tidy (mostly..) which I am proud of. I know, ridiculous thing to be proud of, but, seriously, if you'd the state my bedroom at home gets into sometimes you'd understand how much of an achievement it has been!!

Ooh, exciting thing! I found a DVD I have been looking for! I watched it in year 11 Philosophy (so 2003) and I hadn't been able to remember the title. I knew it was sort of arthouse(ey) about sleep stuff. I have been wracking my brain for ages about the title, asking people, but no one knew it. Then I bought a(nother) gorgeous t-shirt on Threadless. A, oh-my-goodness and blow-me-down-with-a-feather, the title of the movie WAS ON THE T-SHIRT!!!!! I was gobsmacked! I've now discovered it is called Waking Life and I'm currently bidding on eBay for it! Fingers crossed I win it!! But, come on, it was on a t-shirt from the USA I bought because it looked cool... what are the odds???

I've discovered a new favourite sandwhich filling. Odd topic I know, but it rocks! You have Philidelphia Cream Cheese with lettuce and chicken - yum-o!!! I've been having it nearly every day while I've been housesitting. And because it's only four ingredients (when you include the bread) it's really cheap! I know cheese sandwhiches would be cheaper, but it's nice having something more substantial - and healthy with lettuce!!

I've already sort of done my timetable for next semester. I have to do another science and another maths subject so that leaves two subjects to choose. I've decided to continue with Children's Literature and I'm doing a Communications subject about new media. I'm really happy to leave Identity (which I've dubbed 'Big and Scary Lit') behind. And my sister will be doing the Communications subject too which will be cool. The bugger is the lecture for it is one hour on a Monday at 4pm... Yuck in my opinion. And I have to be there four days a week, unlike this semester where I'd organised my timetable so I was only at uni three days a week. Oh well, it might motivate me to use my day off more wisely. Unlike this semester - for example I went clothes shopping and grocery shopping on my day off this week, and did no study whatsoever. But I had a nice day and now have nice new winter clothes and yummy food. Ooh, and I got a gorgeous scarf too - it's a burnt-orange colour, knitted, so soft and really warm!! It's awesome!!

Hmm, it's really odd listening to Super Request on Triple J - it's such a crazy mix of music! My favourite program is Roots 'n' All on Thursday night!! That's the best. Case in point, last week (I think) they played a Liz Stringer song!! Awesome!! And you can stream it after it's aired. Actually that's how I listen to it. I'm really sorry Triple J but I can't stay up and listen to Roots 'n' All from 10pm til 1am... I have uni on a Friday and I wouldn't want to get up...

Ooh, I just thought of fun study I can do that won't actually feel like study but will be doing something useful! Yay!! *heads off to make up a table for an Ecology assignment*

so, first night?

First night of housesitting was great! I had a poke around the place reminding myself of where certain things are, and how to open doors/windows, etc. I settled in by unpacking all my clothes and putting my food in the cupboards and fridge. Then I went and got KFC - haha. I couldn't bring myself to buy proper groceries for the first night. I ate junkfood in front of the TV and then watched a video. Nice and relaxed. My sister dropped around wireless broadband which was awesome!!

Then came bedtime... The bed is great - big, comfy, awesome blankets and pillows are fabulous! The cat wasn't so fabulous. Macon, the cat, decided he would wander around the house for a little while. So I heard this tinkling bell for about 30 minutes. The he decided to come visit me. I was laying there, with the light on very dim because I wasn't sure about having no light in a strange house... He jumped onto the bed, and walked around and around. I had my eyes shut. When I opened my eyes I discovered a little face peering down at me. Macon had decided to sit on me and watch my try to sleep. Once I noticed him I moved a bit and he got spooked so he ran away. I closed my eyes again. About five minutes later I opened them and somehow Macon had got back onto the bed without me noticing and was peering down at me again. I moved my hand and he pounced on it. Then I moved my foot and he pounced on it. I decided that I couldn't sleep if he was going to appear every few minutes and pounce on me when I moved so I shut my door... He was really well behaved. No meowing outside my door or anything.

But I think I am now on his good side - I feed him!! And he's realised that I am the one who feeds him so he likes me now.

Tonight has been a good night, as night number 2. I did proper shopping and cooked my dinner (chicken stirfry with noodles). Now I am listening to Triple J and Macon is asleep under the blanket on the couch - he's relaxed! Should be a good rest of my night too - Gordon Ramsay on TV, and then I get a sleep-in tomorrow morning because it is ANZAC Day so there is no uni. But tomorrow and Saturday are get-stuck-into-the-assignment-that-is-due-on-Monday-so-EEEK days. Hmm, should be nice!

official house-sitter...

Yes, my house sitting duties began today. I'm here. I'm unpacked. And it isn't too weird. The cat seems to know exactly what's going on and doesn't like it, but otherwise all is good. I even figured out the Mac computer (hence why I can blog). I think it's going to be lots of fun actually! The biggest problem so far is that I don't have an alarm clock. Well, I can use my phone but I like to wake up to the radio in the morning so I think I will have to go home sometime and steal my own clock radio to use here. The house is great. They have heaps of CDs and oh my god sooooooo many books. Well, what do you expect from an English teacher and a person from a bookshop? But all the books are alphabetical by surname!! It's awesome! And there's some that I've wanted to read so hopefully I'll have time to raid the shelves.

It just occurred to me this morning, which is really lame I know, that although I'm fine about being here 8 weeks it hadn't actually sunk in that that is the rest of the uni semester! It's mad!! It just put it into perspective.

And the computer had Bomba in iTunes!! Love it!!!

"one by one we overcome"

Well, actually the correct quote that is the title of this is "One by one, we all become undone" which is a lyric from a Wishing Well song called One by One. But, the theme of my past couple of weeks really has been if I take each day and each uni assignment one by one I will conquer them! And it's happened. I was so nervous last week handing in my first uni assignment for the year - one which, after I handed it in, was announced we had an extension on, but oh well... It was an Ecology and the Environment assignment reviewing the coverage of environmental issues in newspapers - oh so very enthralling (no sarcasm...). But it was completely slowly but surely and handed it. Then my second assignment was handed in the following day - so that's two down and it feels great! It's been so strange getting back into the swing of uni. I actually have to remember that when I get home I can't just blob on the couch or in front of my computer. I actually have to read articles and chapters from text books, answer review questions and read novels that aren't my choice. But it's been awesome. I really can't speak highly enough of it. It has been the most amazing thing getting back into study. I'm enjoying it thoroughly, even when I do have a whinge about how boring Maths is. So, uni = good!!

Life actually equals good also which is probably why I've not written anything on this blog. I just can't think of anything to say. Well, that's not true. I have, in fact, had a social life recently which is awesome! Really the highlight of that "social life" was having cake with Sam. We arrived at the cafe at 7pm and was kicked out at 11pm because they were closing. We talked that entire time - it was awesome. Mostly we chatted about our families and stuff. Told some childhood stories and had each other in fits of laughter through mouthfuls of delicious cake!! And no, I couldn't resist a chocolate cake option - it was called Triple Choc Mousse Cake and it had a sort of shell of mudcake with three layers of choc mousse in the middle - dee.lic.ious!!

And the other two awesome social life things were going to Prahran for the day with Megs, and seeing The Wishing Well one Saturday night.

Prahran rocked - we walked up and down Chapel St and had a ball! So many cool shops, including this big handcraft shop with wicked paper and cards. And an great little bookshop where I bought two books I had been looking forward, both by Jeanette Winterson, one of who's books I am studying at uni. I just love her way of writing! Pretty much all of her books are on love or relationships but she twists and turns the stories and weaves other things throughout them - poetic!

And The Wishing Well. The poor guys were only half there - the other three of their group got stuck because of a car breakdown. But they were awesome!! The CD hasn't stopped playing on my CD player! And now that it's on my computer it hasn't stopped playing in iTunes. I love it to bits. I even took to work and Sam has fallen in love with it. She was so annoyed when I reminded her that I had invited her to the gig and she decided not to come.. haha.. But yeah, if you get a chance definitely check out their website.

If I'm talking about music I should probably mention the other two artists I've been obsessed with over the past couple of weeks. Firstly, Martha Tilston. Awesome! I saw her, by chance, at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. She in completely enchanting to watch, and the music is intoxicating (I reckon!). She's from the UK and performs sort of folk-pop with some awesome lyrics, eg (thinks these are correct, but they are just from listening to the song).

We said we didn't want the seeds
But they blew in
We said we didn't want the cars
What you doin'
We said we didn't want the war
But they threw in
That one for free. Two corruptions, you get one free.

See, awesome!! That's from her song Good World which is, to be thorough, on her Of Milkmaids and Architects album.

The other artist I've been listening to is Yael Naim. I've no idea how you are meant to pronounce her name, but she rocks! Her song New Soul is the song on the Apple Air ad on tv. It's such a gorgeous song! And her CD rocks too.

Hmm, not much of a review there more just "these rock" haha. Oh well, that's my opinion!

Oh, and the other thing I'm so proud of is that I baked the other day. I made awesome yo-yos, even I do say so myself. Well, they must have been pretty good because the were all gone on the day I baked them. I have to admit I did burn the first tray of them, but not too badly so they still tasted great! Yep, yum!!

start of week zero (formely o week)

Today was the first day of Week Zero (Deakin's renamed Orientation Week (aka O Week)). I went to a terribly boring Welcome to the University talk, and sat on the grass and read a book before going to a not so boring Welcome to the Arts Faculty talk. It was good to get back to uni. Weird though. Good weird, though, I think. I didn't know anyone, except my sister who is starting first year too. I think that will be a huge change from my year off. Other than, you know, the obvious study thing, the fact that I will be interacting with people I don't know will be different. And the interaction that takes place with fellow students is completely different to chatting to a customer at work. I feel far more self-concious at uni that at work. I suppose it's the whole "little fish and a huge, massive ocean" thing again. But it will be good. I am definitely looking forward to getting back into study. Definitely.

But I am freaking out about what I am going to tell my work colleague on Friday. She asked my to housesit and cat-sit while her and her partner go on a 10 week holiday. I said yes. Now I regret it. That cat has a routine - it goes out at 7am and comes in at 7pm. I didn't really think of this when I said yes. I don't know how I could manage being so routine for 10 weeks. The last time I had a proper routine was in high school - I just don't want to go back to boring. This past year has given me such freedom, and even though I will be at uni again I don't want to go back to being boring. That seems to be a bit of a general statement about uni, but I'm mostly worried about the 10 weeks. I don't want to have to make sure I'm up every morning at 7am, and home by 7pm. I'm not 40. I'm 20 and I want to know that if a friend calls me up and says "hey, let's go get dinner" I can go without having to pop home to let the cat in at a certain time. But I don't want to be a complete shit and let her down by pulling out now. I don't know what I'm going to do. And it's Megs birthday around that time too. How can I not visit her in Melb for her birthday because of a bloody cat. ..... grrr ..... My aunty said the other day to be very apologetic but just pull out completely because 10 weeks was far too much responsibility for me. Mum said I should point the problems then cross my fingers that she decides to find another option. But she is kind of my boss at work. What if by doing this she hates me at work. And apparently she has been bragging about having someone that she trusts so much to take care of her house and her cat. I'm horrible if I pull out, aren't I? On top of that, I've only ever stayed in a house on my own twice - both times were at home while people were away and both times I kept freaking myself out when I thought I heard things. I ended up not having much sleep. I'm a sook, apparently. But 10 weeks! It's huge. I've just got to have the guts to talk to her. I have to. Otherwise I'm going to be really disappointed with myself. Maybe I do like to please people, particularly at work, but making myself miserable in the process is not good. Damn, I have to figure this out soon...

such a long long time...

It has been an age since I last posted. September 2007! It's already February of '08! Madness...

Well, basically, in a nut shell, I've been working all summer at my bookshop job, I quit Baskin Robbins, I got into Deakin to study Primary Teaching, I got my Ps and bought my first car. It certainly has been an eventful few months.

My bookshop job has been awesome all summer. Heaps of hours to keep me busy, and working on Sunday which is a bonus. I just love working there. It sounds so sappy to say that but it's the truth.

I quit Baskins because I was absolutely sick of it. I had worked there (on and off, but mainly on) for about six years. And I was starting to have a few issues with one of the owners. We had started to butt heads and it was making working there crummy. Plus, I didn't want to be working there through the university semester, so I figured why not give myself some time off.

The Deakin thing is completely awesome! I was so excited when I got my early offer. I actually received the letter just before a driving lesson, so I was just a tiny bit distracted for the start of the lesson - before I realised just how dumb it was as a learner driver to allow herself to be distracted while driving through busy traffic at Christmas time... Not that I did anything stupid! Just that it occured to me that if I was distracted something could happen. Primary Teaching is a four year course, but I am so excited about it that the length is not at all daunting to me. It does freak me out, however, that if I had stayed in my Photography course I would be start my third and final year this year. For first year I have four subjects a semester (like just about every full time bachelor course), two of which I choose and two that are compulsory. The compulsory subjects are a basic science subject and a basic maths subject. The two subjects I've chosen are 'Reading Children Texts' and 'Identity'. I have a stack of novels to read for each, so it's going to be interesting! So far I've read one book for each subject, and both books were awesome, but so very very different.

I was incredibly excited when I got my Ps. Which is kind of a given seeing it gives you freedom and such. But it really was awesome! I had an excellent instructor. She was hysterical and chatted basically the whole way through our lessons which made me feel so at ease. Then I had a great test. About three weeks after getting my Ps I got a car! That was the most nerve-wracking purchase I have ever made. But it was wonderful! I got a little Barina - and old one, but it's reliable and gets me where I want to go. It was so horrible when I had to take it to the mechanic for a couple of days - I felt stranded! Now I know how my mum feels when she doesn't have her car. It never really clicked before having my own, which is a dumb thing to say really but it's the truth, because I was so used to get lifts off other people or getting the bus. But having a car makes such a difference. You can plan things better, and go where you want to go when you want to go there without making sure which form of transport you will be using. Amazingly cool!

So, as I said, that's pretty much been the past few months for me - in a nutshell!

More recently, as in today, I have cleaned my room. Which is kind of impressive - you should have seen it this morning! So dreadful. But it's clean now. I even put some new posters on my cupboard which I had been meaning to do for ages. And I cleared a shelf on my bookshelf for my uni books and folders. Not to mention that my desk now looks like a desk, not a mound of crap. The only thing I didn't do is make my bed, but seeing I will be getting into it soon enough I didn't see the point. I also went on my stationery shop for uni. I had decided to do the whole folders and looseleaf for each subject, but now that they are home and all ready to go I'm not so sure. Maybe I should have gone with the notebooks because they are simpler, and smaller and easier to write in a small lecture desk-things. Hmmm... I hate deciding. I probably should have put it off until I had at least been to one of each subject to see if there was some sort of necessity to which way to do the whole taking-notes thing... But oh well, what's done is done and I'll have to live with it. I decided to go to Officeworks when I was in a hurry so I would be in and out with only the essentials. And it worked! Except for a pencil case I bought for Jess because it was in her favourite colour and her favourite colour is really hard to find. And plus, it was only $2 do I didn't see it as being so bad. Oh, but then they got me at the checkout. I bought a really cute, really small USB drive. It's 2GB, it's red and it was only $17.95. I couldn't resist. But I suppose that's the point - that's why they put them at the checkout. Actually I got caught out with a checkout impulse purchase the other day at KMart. I had gone to just get a top for a party I was going to. And that was all I had in my hand when I got to the checkout. But then they had these cute little plush Care Bear toys and I flaked. I bought a little green one, who's tag I have lost so I have no idea what's his name is. But he's cute, so I forgave myself!

As a final thought, I think you should visit here and download some pretty wallpapers for your computer! I did!!