Category Archives: Modern Life

Extracurricular, Fashion Victim

The Dress Project – part 1

8 Comments

Inspired by Project Runway, a colleague and I are determined to learn how to sew and even – you know – make something.

So today I went to a fabric shop in Subiaco and picked out a pattern and with the help of the shop assistant got all the bits I need to make it (talent not included).

I found a whole list of patterns and this one was set aside as being a little more difficult for a rusty seamstress but hey what’s life without a challenge eh?

I also chose a slightly stretchy fabric called… well it sounded a bit like Bangalore but I don’t think that’s it.  Stretch makes it a bit harder.

And after the fabric was cut I realised I also needed a lining fabric and that’s not stretchy so it will probably all end in tears.
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At the moment though I’m quite excited by the challenge  – I haven’t sewn a dress from a pattern for years, probably since university, which would make it about 1987!

I’m the sort of person who loves to do the odd crafty thing but rarely stick at it.  So I have knitted one jumper, made two teddy bears, that sort of thing.  I also get bored easily so the task has to be challenging which is why it wasn’t just a jumper but a jumper in a dinasaur pattern.

So far this project has cost me $56.

Not sure if it’s the most economic way to get a new dress but we’ll see.  🙂

Etiquette, Fashion Victim

A dress a day

10 Comments

I’ve come to a fashion decision.  

Well, it’s not so much a fashion decision as a clothes decision.  A practical, “Bloody hell! Nothing to wear again!” decision.

I’ve decided I’m going to give up on separates for work and instead buy five dresses which will end up being my uniform.

Okay five to start with.

I’ve already started – not with the dress pictured.

The other day I was flicking through the David Lawrence sales rack and came across a belted black dress marked down.

It fitted well and is perfect for work.

It washes easily and is a snap to iron.

I don’t have to match it with anything, and it looks smart.

I tend to wear it on Mondays.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I stare gormlessly into my wardrobe and try and patch together something that looks okay.

The dress is so easy I reckon it’s the way to go.

However finding a source of perfect dresses is not proving as easy as I hoped, and then my colleague turns up yesterday in a dress I would have bought in a snap (from Cue) had I seen it first but of course now I can’t because we sit next to eachother and wearing the same dress would be naff.

Groan.

I’m a bit fussy.

First of all I have winter colouring so all those nasty shades of yellow and brown are OUT.

Secondly I prefer V necks on me.

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And finally – it can’t be too expensive.

These conditions do seem to knock out most of the stock I’ve seen in shops.

In fact it’s proving so problematical I’m thinking of making one myself.

(although Mum, you know it is my birthday on Monday…)

Have you seen anything out there?

Speaking of sitting next to someone in the same dress, years ago, when Groover worked in Sales and had a box at the Hopman Cup, I experienced this first hand.

The box was small and seated four.  

I was wearing a peacock blue fitted dress – a stunning dress – not a dress you could ignore – I felt thin and special in it (actually I was pretty thin at the time) and as I sat there – I watched this lady ascend the stairs to our grandstand.  She was wearing the same dress.

“Ha ha I joked to Groover, I hope she isn’t your guest.”

“No she’s not.”

“Oh phew… how embarrassing to have to sit here all afternoon wearing the same dress…”

“She’s his wife.”

At the first break I excused myself and drove home to change.  

Groover to this day, thought I was over-reacting.

The wife thanked me.

Has that ever happened to you?  What did you do?

Club Half As Small As You

A group half as small as me

13 Comments

One of my new bloggy finds is a blog called Half As Good As You by Casey.

She was moaning about how hard it was to lose weight and somehow in comments a bunch of us decided that maybe online motivation would work. Well why not? Nothing else seems to… for me anyway.

So Club Half As Small As You was born and it’s free – bar a little commitment.

It’s about finding a group of peers who will encourage you to get fit and maybe in the process lose a little of that excess weight… you know, the saddle bags, the love handles, the bingo wings… etc.

To start with – like any old fashioned 12-step program – an acknowledgement of the problem is in order:

My name is Cellobella and I need to get fit and lose weight.

Next – the answer’s to the Club Half As Small As You questionnaire:

1. What motivates you and why do you want to do this challenge? It may be that you’re training to run a 10K or merely just to be able to walk to the mailbox and not break a sweat (don’t worry, I fall on this end of the spectrum).

What motivates me?  Plainly not much. 🙂  However the only success I’ve had is peer pressure.  That is exercising with a group.  I’m doing this challenge because I’ve tried other stuff and it hasn’t worked and who knows… it might even be fun.

2. What is your long term goal? Do you want to lose weight or just tone your body. Are you trying to fit into your old prom dress for your upcoming reunion? Do you want to want to “pump yourself up” like Hans and Frans? Spill it.

I want to want to exercise – and I’m hoping that feeling those endorphins rush around my body from physical activity will become addictive.  In the process losing some weight would be a good thing.

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10 kilograms would be nice.

4. What tools are available to you? Treadmill, elliptical, jogging stroller, ThighMaster, Trampoline. Maybe a rabid dog to chase the weight off?

Sandshoes.  Bathers.  Goggles. Running shorts.  And I could go to the gym.

5. How often can you exercise? Be realistic here but try to make as much time as possible. This might include stepping AWAY from the blog for a couple of nights a week. I know, *gasp*. I’m crying on the inside too but it needs to be done. Fatty. Ok, that was mean and it won’t happen again. I promise.

3-4 times a week is probably realistic.  I theoretically could exercise every day if I got up early enough.  I find that it has to be in the morning or I don’t.

6. What do you plan on doing? Beer curls, switch the remote to the other hand for a few days, start smoking more. Maybe you want to actually exercise and start eating better? I hear that never works but go ahead and try if you want.

Reduce alcohol intake.  Take salads to work for lunch.  Get up at 6am and go jogging (gasp!).

7. What has worked for you in the past? Let us in on your secrets, what has worked for you before and how you went about it. We won’t tell.

The last time I lost a LOT of weight I was breastfeeding and had managed to contract Giardia… I was also following the “Fit for Life” food combining principals.   Given the first two are out I guess I’ll try healthy eating and exercise.

There. That wasn’t so hard. Want to join us? Head over to Casey’s to find out more.

Etiquette, rant

A taxi rant – it’s all about service people!

10 Comments

This is her problem not mine and yet… and yet…

Let me tell you the story.  I flew into Perth today from Geraldton where I’ve been the last couple of days – stories coming soon – I met so many interesting people – but anyway…

The queue for a taxi was exhaustingly long but I had my book and was quite happy to read it as I shoved my bag with my foot.  

As we waited a voice apologised over the PA system and said that taxis had been called.  

Fine, whatever… I’d got to a good bit.

Anyway eventually I’m at the front of the queue and I have a woman driver who looks friendly, she pops the boot and helps me load my small case and laptop.

“Where to love?”

“Please take me to work in the city.” I had to pick up my car.

Was it my imagination or did she sigh?

Anyway I settled back and read my book and sooner than I wanted – I’d got to another good bit – we were pulling up outside my workplace.

I hand over my cabcharge.

These days they are those little cards with a magnetic strip down the back – thinnish cardboard.

“Do you have another card?”

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“Thanks, I hate these cards, they never work in my machine – even when I use two together.”  She swipes the cards repeatedly.

“Dammit I’m going to have to use a slip.”

So making conversation – as you do in the awkward silence while waiting to sign the slip – I say “Are you just starting your shift?”

“Yes just started.  And I came all the way down Dianella for this.”

As if it were my fault.

I was speechless.

“Can you get your own bag out of the boot?”

“Er yes… of course.” I say and scoot out of the cab.

And I’m SO angry.

Angry at her for making me feel bad because she didn’t get a big fare to, I don’t know, Bunbury or something and even more angry with myself for feeling bad!

And the ironic thing?  As she drives off I notice that she’s the driver of a Silver Service cab.

Yeah.  Right.

Hugamuga, Parenting, Travel

First Job

7 Comments

My boy started his first job today.  Yes.  A proper job requiring a bank account, commitment and well… work.

He’s doing the paper round.  

He’s being paid 10 cents a paper and delivering about 130 papers.  He has 24 hours to deliver them.  So far he’s done half and spent nearly two hours doing it.

You do the math.  He’s not being paid much but he is being paid and not by me.

I’m so proud of him.

He’s still to work out the most efficient way of delivering papers.  At the moment he has a satchel which can only carry about ten papers – and he’s on his bike – so he has to continually come back and forth to the paper depot – read house – to stock up.

But I have confidence he will.

So what has brought on all this industriousness?

Well he has the opportunity to go on a trip with World Challenge, a trip which will cost $7,000.  That’s a lot of dough but fortunately (for us) the team at World Challenge believe that part of the challenge is to raise the money yourself – by working.
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Oh and he wants to buy – and build – his own computer.

The paper round is a first step.

Can you remember your first job?  I worked in Dad’s office for my first job – photocopying in the library.  There was a tea lady who remembered what you liked to drink – in those days for me it was white tea with two sugars – and left a couple of biccies on your desk in the morning and in the afternoon.

Brilliant.

The other thing I remember is getting my pay in a little brown envelope – in cash – down to the cent.

It was SO satisfying.

I think kids miss out a bit on that these days with everything going electronically.

Mind you… it will be easier to save that $13!

rant, Work

Knobs on it!

15 Comments

Warning: Rant ahead.
What is it with young people these days?  Do none of them learn to drive properly?

Twice this year so far I’ve come up against people – both in their early 20s – who can’t drive the work car because they don’t know how to drive a manual.

When I was a young lass everyone learned manual gear changes.  

In fact, I’ve never owned anything other than a manual car.

Now I don’t know whether manual 4WD’s are better than automatic ones – possibly it makes no difference – but that’s not the point… 

It’s just laziness!

And it’s soooo irritating.  
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Honestly it’s not that hard to learn – my 13-year-old can drive a manual car – and it means that you can drive any car.

It’s like never learning to ride a bike when you were young. What’s up with that?!  I did in fact meet someone who had to hire an enormous tricycle on Rottnest Island because they couldn’t ride a bicycle.  

Yes.  They did look like a big knob.

I’m over it.

Get with the program people and spend the time to learn how to drive manually.  Do us ALL a favour.

Jeez Louise!

And I can tie a proper Windsor knot too, but don’t get me started.

Extracurricular, Film, WA

Mamma Mia! A Kimberley girl

3 Comments

After a long day at work I thought I’d treat myself by forgoing yet another work dinner – hell I’d had a work breakfast – and head down to Sun Pictures to see a movie.

You can probably guess which one.

I’d missed the season in Perth so I was excited to see it showing on the 6.45 session.  I couldn’t convince anyone to come with me but I didn’t care – Mamma Mia at Sun Pictures sounded like something I just couldn’t pass up.

If you’ve never been to Broome, Sun Pictures is an icon.  It’s an old outdoor cinema – 90 years old – basically a corrugated iron shed with rows of those sling back chairs.  These days it sits directly under the flight path for the airport – and by directly under I mean about 800m from the start of the runway.

It’s quite unnerving to be sitting their under the starts singing away (in my head) to Mamma Mia as a plane roars up flashing with lights landing at Broome airport.  Unnerving but exciting.  Luckily the timing was excellent and lets be honest there are not too many moments that are critically quiet in Mamma Mia.

Oh I loved the film!  Sure it’s scmaltzy but in a good way.  The scenery is beautiful, the singing surprisingly good – especially from Meryl – Pierce is more of a worry – the choreography is excellent.  Any flaws in the film you simply dismiss because you feel so damn good.

After the film finished I decided to find some colleagues and see if they wanted to head out to Goolarri media for the finals of Kimberley Girl.

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So while yes it is a model competition it is more about learning to accept yourself and be proud of who you are.

The girls were beautiful and strutted their stuff like they owned the catwalk.  It was empowering just watching them.  The place was packed and the crowd loud and supported.

I had a blast.

The great thing about Broome is that it is so casual… so my – now slightly pink with Pindan – sandshoes can be worn anywhere and with anything. 

People don’t even iron up here.  I think most of the creases fall out with the humidity anyway and boy is it humid!

So you find me lying on my hotel bed, weary yet feeling good, trying to decide whether to go to bed or maybe just read one more chapter of Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer – a book I bought for Dippity at the airport and which I’ve totally become immersed in… Have you read the twilight series?

Okay, I’m rambling now.  Catch you soon, CB xx

Extracurricular, Work

An insight into the Australia Day Awards

5 Comments

This year I was invited to sit on the WA panel to select the 2009 WA candidate for the Australian of the Year awards… filling in for my boss.

I felt completely unworthy to judge such amazing men and women and as I read through the applications – neatly filed for me – I felt even more selfish and callow.  And humble.

Anyway I made my notes and my shortlist and went along to the meeting in which we were to discuss and vote for our candidates.

We were upstairs in a board room at a city hotel and found ourselves with coffee in hand and mints at the ready sitting around a large U-shaped table… cabinet style.

The chairman sat at one end and explained to us how we would select the candidates.  First Australian of the Year WA, then Senior Australian, Youth and finally Local Hero.
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First up we each put forward our top 5 shortlist.  Then after some discussion we had a second vote – this time giving 3 points to our top candidate, 2 for our second and 1 for our third.  Then we looked at the candidates again to make sure we were happy with the way the votes fell.

I was pleased to see one of my favourites make it into the top group.  Maybe I could do this judging thing. 🙂

It was a really rewarding day and I felt proud to be an Australian with all these fabulous worthy extraordinary people really contributing to my society and making Australia a great place to live.

Anyone can nominate anyone else and really, if you know someone who is worthy of recognition it is a worthwhile thing to do.  Next year’s round will open around July 1, 2009.

Extracurricular

Oktoberfest or Ocsober

6 Comments

Ironic really that October is chosen for two “festivals” which have exactly polar opposite objectives.

Oktoberfest – that German celebration of beer – which we celebrated last night at the University Club – complete with German dancers and Oom Pa Pa music, sauerkraut and sausages… and what’s with the cut up socks?

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Which will you take part in?

Etiquette

Text message etiquette – a basic rule

4 Comments

I love getting text messages… that little “beep beep” is a welcome sound.  Somebody loves me I think (unconsciously) as I race to my phone and check it.  Especially after hours when the message is more likely to be a personal one and less likely to be transmitter down or I’m sick and can’t come in.

Today I got a message cancelling a meeting – problem was, the message was not signed.  I had two meetings.  I had NO IDEA who was cancelling what!

Now people isn’t this just basic courtesy?

An initial would be nice if not your whole name.  Some indication of the sender would be helpful.

It’s like you answer the phone and the person starts talking at you without introducing themselves – assuming you’ll recognise their voice, except it’s worse.

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Now I can forgive this more with my friends – most of their numbers are in my phone anyway so their name pops up – but don’t assume this is so.  I have one friend  whose number for some reason refuses to be recognised by my phone – and I continually get bizarre messages which don’t make sense unless I realise they are from him via the number.  Damn technology for letting me down.

So here endeth my lesson.

An initial.  A name.  Some indication of who you are at the end of your text.  It’s just being polite.

CB

xx