Communication

Today's example of 'dumness'. I rang the people who are installing our new built in wardrobe tomorrow to ask about payment methods. They could find our book. Eventually we worked out because they had the surname COMPLETELY wrong (OK the first letter was right). Then they weren't able to find the quote and plan (lets hope it with the men that actually MAKE the wardrobe). Finally they told me a bout the deposit I have to pay before the men will actually come out and install it!! Lucky I rang really! Any way, alls well now. Deposit is paid, they will be there on Friday, and we can pay the balance by cheque.

Sewing Weekend

I have had a very productive sewing weekend. I have finally finished a pair of pants I have been sewing for about 5 years, I have replaced the zips in two other pair of pants and I have sew an shawl/scarf type thing!

The pants perhaps didn't go quite as well as I was hoping, but then I did skips heaps of the instructions. They look OK. The zip replacing was a challenge, and now I have the pants back to where, the most exciting part of that is that they still fit me!

My scarf/shawl, again not following the instructions quite correctly, has also turned out very successfully, I picked blues for mine and I am amazed at how warm it actually is, even though it is completely see thought.

Look at my yummy dinner

Isn't Neil clever. Look at the dinner he has made for us!
Before cooking:
After cooking:

What to do?

Last night I had organised tickets for Opera Burlesque, for myself, my other half, my sister and a friend. I had had a big day and a bad nights sleep. In fact I nearly forgot about it entirely I was so tired.
Anyway we made our way into town and were sitting in a Thai place having dinner (which was very yum) when the phone rang. It was the sister ring to say that she was too tied to come in to the show. "Of course I'll still pay you for the ticket, but I'm too tired to enjoy the show". On the surface, this sounds perfectly reasonable. But when you remember this is a girl of 28, who is an opera singer herself and who a few years ago wouldn't have missed a show like this for the world; I personally begin thinking "What’s going on here?".
I am very concerned for my sister. She seems to develop a new persona for every person she hangs out with, she develops interests, looses other interests, gains friends, looses others etc. Last time she did this, she got a point where it was all too much and said "I need time on my own to find myself!!" I am concerned she is doing it again. What if she gets to 40 before this realisation happens again?
My main question for today is I seem completely unable to communicate this to her in any way that would sounds some or all of preachy, bitchy, knowally, older sistery, or generally CRAP. What do I do????

P.S. The show was great!

Sewing for other people

For the last two weeks I have been helping a firend make her daughters formal dress. We went to look at an over priced dress that she wanted, had to work out what the young lady in question wanted from her dress, went shopping for a pattern, worked out that she really wanted a skirt and top, found a pattern, found the material, got zips and a button. We picked silk, something I have never sewn with before. We made some practice versions to make sure the silk would work out fine. Today was our third session and it's finally finished. Working with silk was an interesting adventure, the bloody pattern pieces can change shape after you have cut them out, and even while your sewing them, even if it's pinned!

One the whole I think it has turned out very well!

Relationships 2: mutual use

This is a situation I have found myself in before. I thought at the time it was not really a good place to be, for me. But is this an OK sort of relationship? I am concerned that by writing all this stuff I am going to sound all preachy and like: “Here I am in my happy relationship and I am try to say that everyone else should be in the same place”. I am not trying to say this. I am simple concerned for my friend and am trying to understand her position. I want to support her, but at the same time I have in the passed been accused of agreeing with everyone on everything, so I am trying to workout what I think of her situation. A difficult tight rope to walk. Still thinking........

Relationships

I would like to muse for a while (hopefully intelligently) on relationships. A freind of mine, who hopefully won't be offended by this, is having a few issues with her relationship. She is very obviously keen to be in a good relationship, which I can completely relate too. At some stage she also hopes to have children, which some days I can also relate too.

Where do you draw the line? When are you able to say "This is good enough" Should you have to compromise like that? If you are asking that question, does that mean it isn't good enough? For me, I have asked my self that question in a relationship twice, and each time I was so disgusted at myself, that with in days/weeks I had ended the relationships. I get the feeling that a relation of mine has far more objectively discussed "good enough" with herself more than once and decided that yes it is. Am I to awful for not being able to understand this? What happens if one day you turn around and decide that it's not? Is it a good way to be in a relationship?

Obviously I am desperately trying to sort out my head here and I think the main reason I am having so much trouble is that, being a very black and white thinker, and this being a rather gray area of life, it will probable never fit well with me. Sounds like I'm giving up doesn't it? I'm not I promise, I'll revisit this topic, after a few drinks and some discussion with some people.

9am meetings........

Who invested those? What a stoopid idea. It's been a while hasn't it? I have missed you, but (I know it's awful) work has been a bit busy! How rude!! Getting in the way of my social time! I have even retired my pirate game account as I haven't had time to play. I think I can blame Neil for that too. Since he has moved in properly, I have felt bad spending hours on the computer, instead of chatting and hanging out in the main part of the house. Well life is full of changes and stuff and things. Better run to that yukkie meeting now!

Yummy chocolate badness

We all know chocolate is yum. It's just a fact. We all know that sci-fi is good. Again, it just a fact. So what happens when they are combined? Well now I know! You get a chocolate Dalek Cake. Now my birthday is in October and I expect one of these on the day! Better get cooking!