Monday, September 29, 2008

and now the post you've all been waiting for....


TOP FIVE CHOCOLATE BARS



Come on down:



1. Bounty

2. Moro

3. Picnic

4. Violet Crumble

5. White Knight





any other contenders?

Sunday, September 28, 2008

When I get older...

I'll become a - ?

So what did you want to be when you were/are all grown up?

I never had a burning ambition as a child to 'be' anything in particular - apart from dessert taster (this I am still working hard on) and an annoyance to my father (success!). I did enjoy the thought of archaeology at one point until I realised that bones = dirt = digging = heat. End result equals sweat and not necessarily equal archaelogical achievement of monumentous proportion (unless sweat marks the size of a small wading pool can be called an achievement of modern wonder).

Then with such sustained logic now driving my career endeavours I shied away from the sun and into the shade. The shady bone-chilling world of pathology - forensic pathology. Just call me Kay Scarpetta. Like my grandmother before me, I loved a 'good murder' and was (and am) a dab hand at guessing a 'who dunnit'. With stellar qualifications such as these my career path seemed obvious to even the dumbest schmuck! However again, I overlooked a fundamental piece in this career puzzle - bones = body = scalpel. End result equals surgery and a surgeon/pathologist inserting scalpel into aforementioned body to excise and extract pieces for puzzle. Hmm, did I mention I'm a little squeamish at the sight of operations?

Logical compromise: Plant (no blood and guts) Pathology (mysteries to solve - Elementary my dear Watson!). And it's turned out to be brilliant!

Although, as my friend Adele once asked me - what have you always wanted to do? And I wouldn't say either Archaeology or Forensic Pathology now but these would be my top 5 choices:


1) Photographer:

I spend so many moments (especially after a fabulous photographic foray around Byron Bay on our hols) thinking the immortal line "that would make a wonderful photo". I am in the car and in between clutch, brake, swear at inconsiderate drivers, clutch, ...(notice the lack of accelerator - there's never much use for one on Kingsford Smith Drive between 7.30am and 6pm!), I see the warm afternoon sun playing on the city builidings or the Brisbane river and delight in another gorgeous photographic moment - missed. If not professionally, I'd certainly welcome doing photography (scenic not people) more regularly and certainly with some proper professional equipment (and training!).

2) Writer:

Non-fiction. I've always wanted to charm and delight people as a witty novelist (like the other 49 99999 billion people worldwide) not necessarily extrememely popular a la Steven King but more Bill Bryson - stimulating and entertaining all in one. For someone who's well on the way to stardom in this respect, check out Clever Girl Goes Blog - she writes so well and is endlessly amusing!

3) Restaurant Critic:

This was the one I told Adele when she asked! As another friend Anna, and my husband comment upon, I am already a bit of a self-proclaimed critic. I have a healthy (ahem) love of food, a good set of discriminating taste buds and I err towards pessimist [and humility ;-) ]. Restaurant critic = fait accomplis!

4) Travel Writer:

Love 1 = Travel
Love 2 = Writing
....spelling it out would be humilitating for us all.

5) Aged Care Nurse:

Yes, this has crept in recently to my top 5 displacing but not necessarily replacing psychologist. I have always been quite different in that I relate better to the older than the younger generation. This may have been caused by a lack of siblings and exposure to many adults from a young age. Plus I feel it is terrible to see the treatment of our older generation, especially in western cultures where our traditions do not place as great an emphasis on care for our elders. I know the arguement before with forensic pathology may come up here - and with due cause - I'm still squeamish! However it would be worth working on this perhaps and integrating my psychology background to maybe adapt aged care nurse to social worker come psychologist with senior citizen emphasis?

Anyway - they're my top 5 - how about you all?

Watch this post - my top 5 chocolate bars coming soon....

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Grumpy Old Women...Top 3

Hot on the heels of that controversial little segment from the previous post, concerning essential pointers to be on the lookout for in your nearest and dearest male, comes...

"you know you've become an old woman when...":

1. You're number one gripe is service and the lack of it from most shop assistants.
My big gripe here is that a smile doesn't cost anything (oh my goodness that distinctly sounds like a phrase my mother would use!) yet it is the hardest thing to obtain from an assistant. Is surly now a selection criteria? Gone are the days of customer service and the assumption that the customer is always right (that's how I was raised in my youth - oh those many years ago- when serving at the Newsagency).

Case in point: I've just had a run in with a woman at Kmart yesterday about poor quality photo reprints who was determined to talk over me at every single opportunity. Hence, what could have been sorted out quite easily and quickly, if the right attitude was taken to start with, escalated quite rapidly as my temper simmered then reached boiling point beneath my calm exterior (well let's hope that poker face was serving me well for once). I couldn't seem to get a word in edgeways with the Kmart lady and we reached a stale mate with her line "the machine prints them" - from which I wasn't able to move her. Today - Holster loaded (with reprints of the same photos from other stores) I then marched myself up to the photo counter in Kmart, mind brimming with possible scenarious she may counter with from her ammunition belt, and prepared for an all down show down (think guns of Navarone). Outcome: boy with pleasant attitude sorted it out in 2 seconds, refund took 5 mins, lady wasn't to be seen. All OK at the OK Corale!

2. You utter lines your mother/father would have uttered at you in your youth:

a. Is that a belt or a skirt?!
b. How does that keep her kidneys warm?!/ She'll get kidney disease with all that exposure?!(referring to short shirts with short skirts - for those as slow as Andrew out there)
c. Would a smile kill her/him?! (that's my own addition)

3. You get overwhelmed by crowds:

There is no longer joy associated with a Saturday spent shopping. Instead I find myself tired before I'm even there and once there turn into a grumpier old woman with every passing minute. Goodness knows why considering the:

a. struggle to get to the shopping centre as the rest of Brisbane goes shopping at my particular mall
b. struggle to get a car park with the rest of Brisbane because of the lack of public transport options and the lack of car spaces at shopping centres in general
c. struggle to tolerate the throngs of pre-teens/post-teens and teen-teens who swamp in their twittery groups every travelator, shop entrance and walkway that you need to get through.
d. struggle to comprehend once you've reached each store, as you madly cross off chores (no longer do you pleasure shop), where the day has gone?!
(Amendment: Andrew would like it to be noted for the record, that I am a great participatant in the 'pleasure shopping' category - bah!)
e. and don't get me started on the customer service ;-)

Friday, September 12, 2008

J and A to the rescue..

Have you missed me? Us?


The collective 'we' of the Hargorrisons?!




Oh I see, it's like that is it!


I'm away for a few days and suddenly it's the silent treatment. Well, as I learnt from my cat -once I bang the tin you'll come a running again! Hmm or else just let sleeping cats lie?!..


Alternatively, I'll take the humming silence as your collective indrawn anticipatory breaths...


and release.



Jazzy Cat is back.


It's been, goodness me, nearly four days since we've returned from our Bryon Bay escape and I've been remiss in not reporting in to my cyberspace minder. But what I truly have been remiss in doing, is filling you (my stalwart cyberspace bloggees) all in on a few more classic conversations between my beloved and I.


J and A to the rescue! So without further adieu:



1.
Andrew: "Is that a recruitment place?" - (referring to a building with the sign: "Extra Staff") - Me: "that or a chinese"


note: I'm so glad I chose the alpha male?!



2.
Andrew: "..didn't recognise you" (as I 'surprised' him one day in the house)
Me: "yeah 48secs can do that to you"


note: that and removal of prescription lenses at close range



3.
Andrew and I were watching the crap movie, (Crap with a capital C), "Something's Gotta Give" the other night. As the two main octagenerian's begin to get it on in the movie, (while I cower), Andrew pipes up from the opposite couch:

Andrew: "..my polyps are up!"
Me: "ah that's great?...." (and collapse into paradoxies of laughter)

note: Andrew has polyps in his nose, large obstructions basically, which cause him and thereby me grief. He can't breath quietly, and I have to try and sleep beside a rasping jet engine each night.

and for a new segment:

"You know you've married an old man when...":

a. he can't walk in a straight line
(He says I was going in the wrong direction - the direction we had both agreed on - but he seemed to want to pursue the path of most resistance ie. direct into me!)
b. he collects soap in his ear and takes great delight in telling you about it each day
(we've taken economising to new lengths)
c. he can't hear you when you're right beside him
(He says I'm a mumbler - I say that's true - to an extent. TO AN EXTENT ANDREW!)

....any connections here. Connections?

Friday, September 5, 2008

Holidays are for..


..planning lots and doing nothing! aka: Pampering and Eating!

Well that seems to be how mine are going thus far!

As Min so rightly suggested, it is time for an update on my holiday 'to do' list and to share with you what exactly has been happening this past week. I'm sure everyone is dying with excitement to read of my ever-so-thrilling adventures at Bunnings, with Bpay and with the dreaded dusting - but I'll save you that excitement, alas, to another day.


Holiday Highlights - Part I

1. Pampering!

My goodness my skin has never been so well cleansed, exfoliated, rubbed and buffed for many a year! Even the toes got a look-in, with a pedicure to make them look pretty-in-pink. Then to round out the week, today the girls (Helen, Anna and Elizabeth) and I went to the Korean Bath House for some spa action. I bought the necessaries - aka: togs, champers and chocolate and Apollo Day Spa provided the hot and cold spa pools, sauna and naked women!!

This spa is not for the prudish! Hence we four swimwear-clad girls, stood out amongst all the nakedness, like a pimple on a nude bottom! Our rather feeble excuse was that we didn't want to scare the other spa devotees with our rather 'womanly' bodies! If we too had had flat abdomens and well sculptured thighs, then it would have been a free for all ;-) In another 10kg....

2. Eating!

And what a seemless segway that was!
Yes, it has to be said, eating and pampering seem to have rated equally highly in my accomplishments for this week. Who would have thought?! After all, the stomach is the furnace, fueling me and my well-manicured feet as they tirelessly pound the pavement crossing off the essential 'chores' on my 'to do' list. So I must stoke that furnace at every available opportunity!
And what better places to refuel and restoke than:

1. New 'chocolaterie' in Paddington - this new chocolate place is next door to my favourite shop on La Trobe Tc. My favourite shop being the Antiques Market in the old cinema, which I also took much delight in scoping out this week (and may have made a purchase or two).


2. French Patisserie in Fresh on Melbourne, South Brisbane - Oh my goodness!!!!! I have a new love! The delights of the cabinets here made me swoon in a rather loud way the other day when I went there with Sal. Andrew had talked about taking me here, but alas we had never discovered where it was hidden....until this week. Oh my! I was in heaven at the sights and sounds of this authentic francophile cafe! I will be returning next week!!! (avec camera and beret).

3. Swiss deli cafe in West End - I must have walked past this before and never seen the wonderous delights of this heaving deli! Helen recommended it for lunch today so we all had a scrummy time there and I would love to return to buy a few deli items for a rather decadent picnic hamper!

4. La Belle Journee Cafe on Gladstone Rd Highgate Hill - have driven past numerous times and exclaimed at the sight of a new place which looked 'just me'. So, with no other reason than I wanted to try it out, I had a cuppa there one arvo. Lovely service and good coffee but it's location and limited menu were detractions. Don't think I'll return in a hurry.

5. Cafe/restaurant precinct in Martha St, Camp Hill - this is relatively close to us and where I had my 21st dinner infact! However, I haven't returned to this quiet surban street since and it was to my surprise when Mum suggested going there one day because it had quite a few eateries! I also realised when we got there that it was where Andrew and I had come one other night recently for dinner at Rapide (very good modern Australian). So in daylight hours I discovered that it indeed is quite an eating mecca for the suburbs, with two lovely cafe's (we only tried one), three or more restaurants and a GREAT art place! This art shop has classes and displays of the locals handiwork - well worth a visit! I may even enrol in an art class ....

Anyway enough for one day - I'm going to cook dinner and continue on 'scrapbooking' all my pictures and ideas for decorating/renovating our house (which is waaayyy in the future). This way I can fool myself into feeling organised, if all my scrambled ecletic thoughts are colourfully represented by cut out images from numerous mags and rags in a collection of scrapbooks. One day some poor salesman is going to have such a book shoved under his nose with the ominous words "something like this! is what I'm after "....

Let's see - what day is it today? Oh, two more days until we're NUDE, totally newd! ;-)