It was my first Australian birthday today. I have decided that you need to take a year off each birthday on this side of the world, not add one on. One of my ancestors did a very similar thing in relation to the Antipodes! If it was good enough for her, it's good enough for me and she got away with it.
Jeremy took over Pickle duty for the morning and left me lounging in my bed awaiting my birthday phonecall from mum and dad. We have no Internet at the moment and you know what that means. No skype, no facebook and no emails. So I didn't get to see them but it was nice to talk.
I am developing twitches and tics. I keep going to look things up on the Internet and getting as far as loading the browser before I remember. I am like a sniffer dog when it comes to wifi hotspots, I can smell them from 20 paces and I am there armed and ready with my iPad at all times! It is the only way to get through the withdrawal symptoms. I am having to write my blogs offline and then upload it when I find a hotspot. I am an Internet Nomad. No fixed Internet abode.
Anyway, back to my birthday shenanigans. Jeremy made us breakfast on the barbecue and we ate it on the deck. How Australian was that? Even better because it is actually winter here.
Then we went out into Brisbane CBD. Jeremy was going to buy me something shiny in Tiffany but the shop assistants did not Even acknowledge that we were in the shop so we stomped out in high dudgeon, pretty woman stylee. We stomped all the way around the corner to the Pandora shop where I had to take over the shiny shopping for two reasons. 1) Mr Pickle does not like to shop and he had reach critical mass and 2) Jeremy was taking work phone calls (on my birthday of all days and it was a Saturday). So I chose some locking beads and a peridot (birthstone) charm from Jeremy and a tiny Babooshka charm from Gran.
I was then rushed out of the shop and frogmarched to the other side of the river, my attempts to pop into the library thwarted! All the while Jeremy is taking what I thought were work calls (some were) and I am fuming thinking that this is pants on my birthday.
Little did I know that Jeremy had planned a surprise picnic for me in the Southbank parklands with Heidi, Nigel, Nicky, baby Sophie and Ewa. As we were marching to the playground I noticed a baby on the ground and thought, why is Sophie lying on the grass?All of the grownups had looked away so I wouldn't see them and then they all turned and shouted surprise. it was completely unexpected and a lovely surprise that was very well organized by Jeremy and kept secret by Mr Pickle, who for the previous two days had kept telling me that he and daddy had bought me two birthday cards and a small triangle.
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Monday, 1 August 2011
The longer you animals bark, the colder your lunch gets....
Yesterday, Jeremy and I escaped for the evening!
Our friend Heidi kindly offered to babysit Mr Pickle so that we could go and watch The Goonies at the cinema.
We sneaked off at five o'clock and caught the train from behind the house. Having the train station two doors up is very handy. We travelled to Roma Street Station and walked to the cinema from there.
After grabbing a subway sandwich each we got to the cinema about 10 minutes before the film was about to start. We bought tickets and went into Screen 1. We were the only people in there.
Sadly, there was no balcony for Jeremy to climb up to and make fake puking noises from! Three minutes before the film was about to start two more people came in, they were very shocked to see us sat there.
At six o'clock the projectionist walked up the stairs to start the film rolling, the lights dimmed and the film began without trailers or adverts. We were very excited as the giant skull was projected onto the screen. It was at that point that we were expecting the flood of late comers, as is the norm in Indonesia. We weren't disappointed. A stream of four people rushed in, doubling the number of the audience!
We sat back and enjoyed the classic that is The Goonies. The truffle shuffle is a sight to behold on the big screen! Jeremy took some sneaky photos of the classic scenes for posterity and my blog. I will post them up when we have found the camera cable.
Our friend Heidi kindly offered to babysit Mr Pickle so that we could go and watch The Goonies at the cinema.
We sneaked off at five o'clock and caught the train from behind the house. Having the train station two doors up is very handy. We travelled to Roma Street Station and walked to the cinema from there.
After grabbing a subway sandwich each we got to the cinema about 10 minutes before the film was about to start. We bought tickets and went into Screen 1. We were the only people in there.
Sadly, there was no balcony for Jeremy to climb up to and make fake puking noises from! Three minutes before the film was about to start two more people came in, they were very shocked to see us sat there.
At six o'clock the projectionist walked up the stairs to start the film rolling, the lights dimmed and the film began without trailers or adverts. We were very excited as the giant skull was projected onto the screen. It was at that point that we were expecting the flood of late comers, as is the norm in Indonesia. We weren't disappointed. A stream of four people rushed in, doubling the number of the audience!
We sat back and enjoyed the classic that is The Goonies. The truffle shuffle is a sight to behold on the big screen! Jeremy took some sneaky photos of the classic scenes for posterity and my blog. I will post them up when we have found the camera cable.
Monday, 25 July 2011
Where are my shipping boxes 2, the return of cardboardiness
They're here!
Update: Jeremy has posted pics of the new house on his blog.
Boxes arrived today as promised in a massive container at the arranged time! I was late as the truck I was driving got stuck in reverse gear!! Jeremy thought that I had driven over to the house. My name is not Mater and I am not the world's best backwards driver. I managed to fix it somehow.
Anyway, Mr Pickle and I arrived and we set to work pointing in directions for the boxes to be taken. It got to the 3 seated sofa coming off the van and there was much concern about it's size and the fact that it would not go through the two turns needed to get it inside.
Luckily Jeremy chose that minute to come for a nosey. It took four grown men, one step ladder and a wheelie bin but it came through the front of the porch (one story up). Phew. At one point we thought we were going to have the most comfortable deck furniture in the world!
Mr Pickle is very pleased to have his Thomas Trains back, along with his building site and Lego. The beds are built and the mattresses were supposed to arrive today too. I was very excited and measured the holes for the mattresses to fit into as we weren't 100% sure they would. They will and I dug out the bedding in preparation. At lunch time I rang the bed company to get an idea of delivery time. It was a very sorry person on the other end of the line who discovered that there had been a mix up and there would be no delivery to us today. They will be with us in Thursday instead.
Everything made is through quarantine and customs, even the mankey seed pod and pine cone decoration that actually belonged to the Balikpapan house. Jeremy has already installed my hanging chair and my giant pod seat is under the deck waiting for us to move in and choose the perfect place for it in the garden.
Mr Pickle had a fabulous day reacquainting himself with his toys and Spongebob Squarepants on the telly. He is now tuckered out and we have had to return to the apartment to sleep following a very yummy barbecue, cooked by Jeremy, to say thank you to our helpers who ably assisted me while he was beavering away in work.
I wanted to take pictures of the grand moving in but the camera got covered up in the kitchen and never resurfaced. Will try and take some pics tomorrow when it is dug out of the Tupperware land slide!
Tomorrow Mr Pickle and I are heading down to Ikea. Smaland awaits the invasion.
Update: Jeremy has posted pics of the new house on his blog.
Boxes arrived today as promised in a massive container at the arranged time! I was late as the truck I was driving got stuck in reverse gear!! Jeremy thought that I had driven over to the house. My name is not Mater and I am not the world's best backwards driver. I managed to fix it somehow.
Anyway, Mr Pickle and I arrived and we set to work pointing in directions for the boxes to be taken. It got to the 3 seated sofa coming off the van and there was much concern about it's size and the fact that it would not go through the two turns needed to get it inside.
Luckily Jeremy chose that minute to come for a nosey. It took four grown men, one step ladder and a wheelie bin but it came through the front of the porch (one story up). Phew. At one point we thought we were going to have the most comfortable deck furniture in the world!
Mr Pickle is very pleased to have his Thomas Trains back, along with his building site and Lego. The beds are built and the mattresses were supposed to arrive today too. I was very excited and measured the holes for the mattresses to fit into as we weren't 100% sure they would. They will and I dug out the bedding in preparation. At lunch time I rang the bed company to get an idea of delivery time. It was a very sorry person on the other end of the line who discovered that there had been a mix up and there would be no delivery to us today. They will be with us in Thursday instead.
Everything made is through quarantine and customs, even the mankey seed pod and pine cone decoration that actually belonged to the Balikpapan house. Jeremy has already installed my hanging chair and my giant pod seat is under the deck waiting for us to move in and choose the perfect place for it in the garden.
Mr Pickle had a fabulous day reacquainting himself with his toys and Spongebob Squarepants on the telly. He is now tuckered out and we have had to return to the apartment to sleep following a very yummy barbecue, cooked by Jeremy, to say thank you to our helpers who ably assisted me while he was beavering away in work.
I wanted to take pictures of the grand moving in but the camera got covered up in the kitchen and never resurfaced. Will try and take some pics tomorrow when it is dug out of the Tupperware land slide!
Tomorrow Mr Pickle and I are heading down to Ikea. Smaland awaits the invasion.
Friday, 15 July 2011
We are special
Mr Pickle's classic quote of the day:
"I am very special mummy and so are you." I asked, "what about Daddy?" Mr Pickle's reply, "Daddy isn't special, he is all funny and silly with big eyes."
Ha ha.
We are off to the park again this afternoon. There will be scooting and pictures to follow.
"I am very special mummy and so are you." I asked, "what about Daddy?" Mr Pickle's reply, "Daddy isn't special, he is all funny and silly with big eyes."
Ha ha.
We are off to the park again this afternoon. There will be scooting and pictures to follow.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
That cannot be very comfortable!
Now that I know the shipment is imminent, I have been surfing the Internet for new and interesting felt creations. I found a great website:
www.cutoutandkeep.net
There are some very funny things on there with instructions on how to make them.
As with many websites, this one is supported by advertising and sponsorship. This particular website is sponsored by American Apparel and has the most uncomfortable looking banner that I have ever seen. Just two words - Tank Thong! All the girl needs is the leggings and she could be living in the 80s.
Hurry up felt stash.
www.cutoutandkeep.net
There are some very funny things on there with instructions on how to make them.
As with many websites, this one is supported by advertising and sponsorship. This particular website is sponsored by American Apparel and has the most uncomfortable looking banner that I have ever seen. Just two words - Tank Thong! All the girl needs is the leggings and she could be living in the 80s.
Hurry up felt stash.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
We love you Bris-Vegas
So, having taken a hop over to the UK where I spent most of my time surrounded by cardboard tea chests, we are now in Australia!
Mr Pickle and I did manage to spend some quality time with family and friends in between moving boxes between storage units and Mum and Dad's garage. We are missing everyone but our surroundings are definitely making up for the fact that we are so far away.
Mr Pickle and I have been here for two and a half weeks and we have been to the park every day, because we can. We miss the friends we made in Balikpapan but we don't miss the fact that we couldn't take a stroll outside without being eaten alive by mozzies or nearly being knocked over by ankots and motorbikes.
So far we have taken the river cat across to Bulimba to make use of the fabulous playground there, we have been on the Brisbane wheel (a bit like the London Eye but smaller), splashed about in the water features on the South Bank, joined the library, put Mr Pickle's name on a waiting list for a pre prep school and found a Thursday morning playgroup and done some shopping, some more shopping and then a bit more shopping. We have even been to Ikea.
Jeremy found us a fab house and we signed the tenancy agreement while I was still deranged with jet lag. We take over the place on the 19 July but it looks like we won't have any beds on the day. All we need now is our stuff! Hurry up shipments.
Mr Pickle and I did manage to spend some quality time with family and friends in between moving boxes between storage units and Mum and Dad's garage. We are missing everyone but our surroundings are definitely making up for the fact that we are so far away.
Mr Pickle and I have been here for two and a half weeks and we have been to the park every day, because we can. We miss the friends we made in Balikpapan but we don't miss the fact that we couldn't take a stroll outside without being eaten alive by mozzies or nearly being knocked over by ankots and motorbikes.
So far we have taken the river cat across to Bulimba to make use of the fabulous playground there, we have been on the Brisbane wheel (a bit like the London Eye but smaller), splashed about in the water features on the South Bank, joined the library, put Mr Pickle's name on a waiting list for a pre prep school and found a Thursday morning playgroup and done some shopping, some more shopping and then a bit more shopping. We have even been to Ikea.
Jeremy found us a fab house and we signed the tenancy agreement while I was still deranged with jet lag. We take over the place on the 19 July but it looks like we won't have any beds on the day. All we need now is our stuff! Hurry up shipments.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Celebrations
So it has been decided that having waited this long to organise a Birthday party for Mr Pickle, we will be having an impromptu pool party on Thursday (Chinese New Year and a Public Holiday).
I am planning the cake. It is going to be a Very Hungry Caterpillar cake, as seen on Facebook when Rachel asked Rudy if she could make her one.
I bought the small round cake tin today and Yuni and I will begin the grand bake off tomorrow afternoon. I am going to be making red fondant icing and two tone green swiss meringe buttercream icing for the cupcakes that will make up the body. It is a great cake for a party as the body is made up of two dozen cupcakes and we won't have to cut the face cake up. The cakes are going to be chocolate cakes, as requested by the birthday boy. Daddy will also be pleased.
Watch this space for pics.
I am planning the cake. It is going to be a Very Hungry Caterpillar cake, as seen on Facebook when Rachel asked Rudy if she could make her one.
I bought the small round cake tin today and Yuni and I will begin the grand bake off tomorrow afternoon. I am going to be making red fondant icing and two tone green swiss meringe buttercream icing for the cupcakes that will make up the body. It is a great cake for a party as the body is made up of two dozen cupcakes and we won't have to cut the face cake up. The cakes are going to be chocolate cakes, as requested by the birthday boy. Daddy will also be pleased.
Watch this space for pics.
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