I've started an online dream journal. It is here if you'd like a look!

Ahh, what a lovely weekend it was. On Saturday we went out with Andrew to play laser war games and mini golf and pool and arcade shooting games - none of which I'm much good at, but I still enjoy! And Sunday I sat in the sun - yes, the sun shone!!! - and did cryptic crosswords, then watched The Wedding Singer with my dinner while Aidan was out. But now I have to return to the real world and go to work.

As I watched the microwave countdown to my breakfast this morning, it struck me that everything occupies Time. I felt Time almost as a tangible thing, marching onwards no matter what small and trivial thing I did. You wouldn't think that you could measure the tiny amount of Time taken up by getting a spoon out of a drawer, but it was four seconds. That's four seconds of Time which will never happen again, that Time is gone. And yet, upon further consideration, Time is a concept dreamed up by humans to keep track of our mundane lives. What time is it? Do we have time? Time is running out! The world has it's own measurements, ignoring our little seconds and minutes and hours. The world has day and night, and seasons, and these seem to have no relationship to the seconds ticking by on my microwave. However you measure time, use it well. It will not happen twice.

I just wrote a lovely long rambling blog post, and then I deleted it.

My favourite appliance is the electric heater in the bedroom. I especially like when Aidan has to work an early shift - the earlier he gets up, the earlier he turns on the heater, and the warmer the bedroom is by the time I get up!

Yesterday was my wonderful husband's birthday! It's always hard to know what to get or do for him, because he always just says he doesn't know, doesn't care, or suggests things he doesn't actually want such as going on a ferris wheel! However, I got him a pump for his bike tyres and a t-shirt with Gumby on it and we smoked a cigar together last night. I've never done that before, it was kind of nice although I couldn't finish the whole thing - a bit too much! Maybe next time. So he's a quarter of a century old, and I'm not too far behind (March 8th, make a diary note). That makes me feel old!

I feel even older since I've decided to stop or limit my drinking. Again. I've given up drinking a few times in my short life, but I think this time I mean it. I invariably end up having a little too much, and the illness and dizziness just aren't worth it! I'm a person who doesn't hold alcohol very well - female, for starters, with a small build... whatever it is, my system just doesn't handle it as well as I'd like.

For me, the dizziness associated with excessive alcohol consumption has sinister overtones: several years ago I suffered with a virus which I probably can't spell - labrynthitis. It effects the inner ear, the little hairy things which control your balance and co-ordination. The upshot was, I spent a considerable amount of my time dizzy to the extent of being unable to move or even stand up. So now, being dizzy is something to be wary of, or almost scared of, with the ever-present possibility of recurrence. It's been quite a while since my last episode, but believe me: once you've had something like that, you never forget it!

Anyway, I have digressed. Happy birthday to my beautiful wonderful fantastic sexy husband! May the next 25 years be 25 times as happy as the first 25!

I just went for my first scoot! Round and round in circles for most of it - we have a big loop near my house, like a very large square roundabout, so I rode round that a few times, then out by the industrial estate and stuff and then home. Just a short ride, nothing taxing, a little traffic to deal with of course... Actually I was surprised how easy and comfortable it was. It felt a lot better than the scooters I rode during my training. Here I am, coming round the corner, look!!


Photo courtesy of Aidan, thanks honey! In my dorky but oh-so-safe helmet, and my father-in-law's old motorbike jacket! It's a good thing I don't ride for vanity. Actually the helmet's pretty cool. Here it is on the couch. I know it belongs on my head, but I find it hard to photograph my own head, it was easier on the couch.


So anyway, I had fun and now I know I can ride my scooter! (I mean, I can scoot!) I was a little nervous - since it's been a good few weeks since I've ridden at all, and that was in a supervised training environment, and I've never ridden this scooter at all. I was kind of supervised this time - Aidan got on his pushbike and came along with me! We'll have fun fun fun till my baby takes my Bella away! (Sorry, Beach Boys!)

Me and my scooooter!!! It got delivered this afternoon! Yay!!!

Ok, I've been tagged by Jewel to do something called a meme. This has never happened to me before, so lets see how I do:

8 Random Things About Me

I drink my tea strong and black and with no sugar. This gave waiters in English cafes heart attacks while we were over there.

It was in Rome that I originally fell in love with scooters - over 18 months ago, and I finally went and paid for mine today and it will be delivered tomorrow!

Aidan says I'm cute.

I still want Hagrid to knock down my door, tell me I'm a witch, and bring me to Hogwarts. Either that, or some old friend of my father could tell me I'm a Jedi Knight.

I wear hiking boots almost everywhere, including to work.

Every time I see a giraffe I think of my mother. She collects them - statues, pictures, clothing, you name it.

I can't stand using a damp towel. It can't dry me if it isn't completely dry!!!

I like Marilyn Manson and Emmylou Harris. Can you get any more eclectic?

Ok, now I'm meant to give the names of 8 more people to post 8 Random Things About Them. Aidan, Within Without, and I really can't think of anybody else who would actually do this! How about I tag everybody, and then you can all do it if you want?!

One of my favourite words in the English language is draw.

To draw tea is to steep it.
To draw the curtains is to close them.
To draw lots is to select an item at random.
To draw a race is to finish at the same time.
To draw close is to get nearer.
To draw money is to take it from the bank.
To draw water is to take it from a well.
To draw out is to extend.
To draw a picture is, well, to draw!

What kind of mongoloid language has that many meanings for one tiny little word?

This is about to be my scooter! My father-in-law procured it and got an extremely good price for me, through his numerous (seemingly never-ending) contacts! Is there anything this man can't do? I'm so excited! I'm going to be a scooterer! Now I just need a helmet and gloves and some practice, yay!

I was looking at finance options last night, and I couldn't believe it: my credit card has a better interest rate than any loan I could get from anybody. To get a decent interest rate on a personal loan, you've got to borrow about $30,000. No good, I only wanted to borrow about $3000, and nobody gives a good rate on low loans! Who'd have thought that a credit card would turn out cheaper?!

Anyways, I'm really hungry. I just got back from my jog - I didn't do so well this morning, I had to stop to tie a shoelace near the end and I just couldn't start jogging again after that. So I walked about 200m further than usual. I've got to find something to eat.

I have started jogging. Saturday, Sunday, and today, I ran 4km and walked 1km. That's in addition to my usual walk to and from the train station and whatever else I do. Let me tell you, I should have started small. My legs are killing me - but I'll be doing it again tomorrow! It's kind of fun.

Well, I've put up a few of my earrings on Ebay - click here to have a look! Unfortunately Ebay's picture uploader didn't work for me, so I had to upload my pictures elsewhere. It meant I couldn't put the pictures in the search results, so a potential buyer has to actually click on the item to see the picture. Not so good, but there's not much I can do about it. Incidentally, if any of the items shown take your fancy, or if you want anything specific made, let me know and I'll have a crack at making it for you - and I'll even do "mates rates" if you promise to spread the word on where you got it! (Hey, it was worth a shot!)

I finished the Deathly Hallows in about seven hours yesterday. Boy it's good! Couldn't put it down. I queued for an hour to get it, and midway through my queueing I was joined by Andrew who went to a quieter bookshop and got his in under ten minutes. Then we went and drank lots of tea and read together! I won't tell you anything about what happens or who dies, and I'll try not to gloat too much that I know.

However I am now feeling somewhat lost. There is a profound sense of having finished with something the like of which I will never see again. I now don't know what to read, as very little seems to have the same appeal anymore. It's odd that I was so easily satisfied before, knowing the last Harry Potter was still to come, and now no other book really seems worth reading. I'm sure this feeling will pass - it must simply be the realisation of the event anticipated for so long. For months it was "on the way", for seven hours it was "reading it now", and now it's "all over".

In the aftermath of Potter, I picked up something I haven't read for a long time: Isobel Carmody's collection of short stories, Green Monkey Dreams. I had forgotten how intriguing and otherworldly her stories can be. I sometimes think she is like me: the world as it is isn't enough, or is too much, and must be pushed away in favour of fantasy and dream worlds. She often writes of events supposed to have taken place after some great apocalyptic catastrophe, the world wiped clean of the scourge of humanity as it is, and started anew. She writes, too, of human nature and the ways in which we delude ourselves. Poor Poppy, who pretends to be a monster and chases her siblings, runs the fastest to escape herself. Rian, who learns anguish through loving and losing. Matthew, who sacrifices happiness for the chance to fit in. And Noah. Noah embraces his different-ness, uses it as a defence, is proud of it. Noah knows he has fairy blood, even though he's an orphan. I like Noah.

Stories make me wish there was something different about me. Why don't I have fairy blood, why aren't I a witch, or a gypsy, or the daughter of a god? I guess that's escapism, pure and simple. I'd rather be anything rather than the painfully normal person I actually am. I still want Hagrid to knock down my door and say, "You're a witch, Stacy!" Silly, I know. The only person likely to knock down my door is the landlady, and she'd only say "Clean up the back yard, Stacy!"

Well, here are a few very early efforts...

As you can see, two pairs of earrings and a bracelet... nothing spectactular or out of this world, but some fun. I'll probably even wear them! I'm not really a bracelet person, but I'll wear it just to prove a point. I'd like to get into more "real" jewellery - setting precious stones and things, rather than just wire and glass beads, but this is some entertaining experience in the meantime!

Well, the weekend was lots of fun and I'm not yet sick of Harry Potter. I'm still hanging out for the book this Saturday - We have it on pre-order, so I'll be lining up outside the bookshop waiting for it to open...!!! I think Harry's going to die, so I'm going to buy a big box of tissues before I even start reading!

We saw my parents on Sunday, and we're seeing Aidan's parents tonight. It turns out that our fathers' birthdays are within days of each other, which is just another eerie similarity in the lives of Aidan and myself.

I've started to make jewellery. Nothing fancy or flash, just little simple creations of wire and beads, but it's fun. I'm thinking of trying to do an apprenticeship and becoming a real jeweller, but it's still just a grub of an idea so far.

Anywho, some of us have got to get to work... Take care!

I have a feeling that I'm going to be very sick of Harry Potter by Sunday! Andrew, Chantell, Aidan and myself will be watching the first two movies on Friday, the third and fourth on Saturday, then heading out to catch the fifth at the cinemas on Saturday afternoon. Although reviews have been somewhat scathing, I'm still looking forward to it. The weekend promises to be lots of fun!

There's nothing wrong with doing cryptic crosswords in the bath!

I passed on my second try! I am now officially able to ride a scooter. Pictured is the V Moto Montego 125, which is probably my first preference to buy. Would anybody care to donate to the Stace Needs A Scooter Fund?! Never mind, my father in law reckons we can get it cheap through his contacts, so we'll see what eventuates!

Not much time right now, I have to get to work. More later!

I survived my first motorbike lesson! Actually I got to ride a scooter instead of a geared bike, because I told the guy I was looking at buying a scooter. I didn't know I'd be able to choose, so it's great that I'm able to learn and practice on a machine so similar to what I will eventually own. Anyway, the lesson went really well, I was scared and nervous about a few things, but managed to complete all manoeuvres successfully! I fell once - and this is embarrassing - I wasn't even moving at the time! I was straddling the scooter, both feet on the ground, then I tried to kick the stand up... I couldn't find the kickstand, lost my balance, and fell! Not to worry, Scooter and I are both fine apart from a small graze on my knee! So tonight I have my theory class and test, and then next Sunday is the practical skills test, back on the scooter. I'm now confident that I'll pass just fine!

It has been a very busy few days, I feel quite the little socialite! Went to a Rotary dinner in Rye on Wednesday, then just the two of us went out for dinner on Thursday, then Andrew and Chantell came round last night which was lots of fun, then Russian class this morning, and later this evening I've got my first motorbike lesson!

Speaking of socialites, I see Paris Hilton has claimed to be a changed woman since her time in jail. I sincerely hope so. For her own sake, and for the sake of all those who want to emulate her, I hope she will settle down. But I confess I harbour my doubts. I will wait and see if she gets up to more shenanigans, and if she does you can all tell me I was right! For once, I don't want to be right.

I have nothing more to say. I'm a bit tired! Brain working isn't properly! I might have some caffiene before motorbiking...