Science Experiments

Today was a series of science experiments.

---

I have undertaken an experiment as to whether letting people know my business exists will improve the potential return and reward of more work.

I have seeded a few petri dishes in town, and even created one rather basic web page.

If you want to be part of these tests and assist in quality control let me know. Constructive feedback is appreciated from friends - or not? Maybe that will be an experiment within the experiment.

---

While mowing the lawn, I proved (or rather, it was proved to me) that mosquitoes can live and breed despite winter conditions. Debby - wanna come check?

I proved that clothes can be dried on the clothesline. I then went on to prove that if they are left on the line long enough, they will dampen with the evening.

I have an experiment under way to see how long one half of a lawn can remain unmowed if the first half looks neat. No doubt I will keep you updated on the outcome of that (as it is one of the most exciting aspects of my life).

---

'Salina proved that her mood can be as sunny as the backyard if she gets to play among the mosquitos and magpies weeds and frangipanni branches.

'Salina proved that her mood could be quite stormy if asked (again) to pick up after herself.

'Salina proved that violin practice can be painful for all involved if she is in a funk.

V proved that he could maintain silence in the face of such a tornado of passion.

---

'Salina proved she was up to the challenge of a different menu - mostly.

I proved tuna-cakes were not as gross as mornay. She proved that steamed spinach was disgusting. We all proved that tuna-cakes, alfredo pasta'n'sauce and steamed spinach combination mouthfuls were an improvement on the separate pieces (especially the spinach bit).

---

'Salina is proving - and improving - her artwork blossoms when she has a happy attitude, a full stomach and 10 minutes before bedtime.

Morning has broken

All across the weekend - mornings were grey skies accompanied by a bright-eyed beautiful girl bearing cups of tea or coffee in bed.

This morning - pink-tinged puffs of cloud haloing bright sunshine - and a little dark spirit grunts out of her bedroom.

Snarls greet my effusive good mornings.

Ah - don't need to be Nostrodamus to work out that its Monday - nor that I will be in REAL trouble in a few years!

---

Still coughing for Queensland, although I have orchestrated it that they are generally confined to a more discrete minute or two of discomfort rather than paroxysms attacking from any angle at any time - so I am getting better.

I know there is this theory that if I go to a doctor I might make a faster recovery, but (I am all but some days) I probably won't get in to see anyone anytime soon, I have an appointment next week anyway so if I am still sick she can cure me then, it will cost an arm and a leg and I will only get to the elbow back, they will tell me its just part of the virus and I should let it run its course - oh, and my mother left me some drugs and advice, and I am sure if I take them and follow that it will be just as effective.

---

Rain is wonderful - until it hits its second week and your partner is reliant on a dry weather job. We used to dream of rain days, where we could enjoy each other's company without the crimp of an eight-year old. But rain days aren't really like that at all. They are me trying to get work, do work, finish work or quote for work and V worrying, worrying, worrying about when the sun will return - and checking to see if he can get a wave.

Our back yard is almost ready for cropping - we have managed to combine the only sunny weekend in the last month with time away so it hasn't been attended to. We DID manage to use the hour that 'Salina was at a birthday party last weekend to get to the front yard, so the neighbourhood doesn't know how dire it is out there!

I am in fear of our next electricity bill. Drying the laundry has been the job of machines for the last little while - I have occasionally pegged in the faint hope that there will be enough dry hours to get a bit for free, but unfortunately that has either never happened OR I am not home in that magical window where the laundry is dry and waiting for the unpeg.

---

So I am sort of getting back on deck. Who knows - maybe I will even visit a blog or two in my breaks today.

Now - I have a daughter to harangue into getting ready for school and drive her there because she has a snowflakes chance of getting on the bus!

---

Edited to add - its amazing what happens when you add peer pressure! Girl Down the Road arrived to catch the bus with her - a rare occurrence as GDR is often at before school care - and a rocket was launched. With 20 seconds to spare, she had violin, lunch box and school bag packed, uniform on, hair brushed and a "bye mum" in passing. Of course, the tip that is her room (and the trail that was created this morning) remains - but I didn't have to drive.

Pensieve

That is IT! Five posts of blither and, although I am not yet hale and hearty, I am heartily sick of the bad blogging being generated by me.

So instead, I have taken inspiration from Robyn at Penseive and will concoct a poem. She has invented a new poetry form called "A Pensieve" - I like it as it doesn't call for patterns in rhyme or rhythm - which, if you know me as a poet, you know that I don't either!!

Here are the rules:

What is a Pensieve? A titled, five-line poem; each line correlates to one of the five senses--sight, sound, scent, taste, touch--and describes the subject (title). The goal is for the reader to take on the poem as his own, being able to "experience" your subject through your words, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling what you described.

Now, the only problem with this is that often you do not try to taste so many things that you would like to describe, but here goes...

Hoons
Yah!!! Go rev your engine, let its gargling screams screech elsewhere.
Let your laser speed stripes reflect across some other crossroads
    Your spinouts muddy some other street and grit their mailboxes
    Vapours of your joy cause others to cough
    And the sad aftertaste of your fuel be more appreciated there.

Still pretty crappy - and so am I...

Courtesy of Aussie Bloggers Forum

Oh for crying out loud! I just climbed out from under my rock and realised I have not updated this since I had to start working to pay the ridiculous food and petrol prices to feed my kids... You would not believe how much more of a drama I could make that But I'm sorry you'll just have to take my word for it..

I am hopped up on caffeine with discovering time doesn't stand still hanging out at the Aussie Bloggers Forums just generally being scary to society in general, my day is a magical flight from the light through yonder window breaks to well after sun-down. I am looking at rectifying this. but never say never.

I won't promise anything to you but I will write something that makes sense soon. Honestly! What do you mean you don't believe me?.

(Generated by the Lazy Bloggers Blogpost Generator, the Aussie Bloggers Forum's 6 month old birthday present to everyone.

Because any post in a blog

is better than no post at all, isn't it?

Still working my butt off - next on the BIG LIST is build a web site for uber-business.

To test myself on it, I played with my family's cattle website all day today. No, not going to link here, otherwise you might try to ring all my family members to find me. I prefer elusive as a tone in the blogworld.

Thats right. I played with html and css. All. Day.

Didn't even get my fix of Dr Phil. Actually, didn't get my fix of much as I tend to go for immersion when working in geekdom. So no lunch, no coffee, no leaving the frigging chair for a few hours.

Hnece I am cross-eyed and can't hold a conversation in human languages. A problem when a chatty 8 year old arrives home. I needed to access coffee (and a muesli bar) for that.

Have to right it before my mother comes to visit in a few hours half hour. Will try to do that by immersing myself in that few hours (eek) half hour of housework I have been threatening for weeks.

In other news. No - we haven't planned anything new for the wedding. No - we haven't got rid of lurgy, although it has moved from the sinuses (yay) to the chest (urgh).

Through doing some work for some friends, I have negotiated a "between visits to Granite Glen" horseriding opportunity for 'Salina. She is pleased with my efforts, and proudly sports a new helmet and riding boots (thanks to Grandpa Stjep's sending some money and some of the wages Pagi ruins enhances her economy with).

Tonight is taco night - yay!!

By the way - some time between now and Thursday I have to create an entertaining and insightful post for the blog that Aussie Bloggers Forum run - because they foolishly wisely have included me as part of their moderation team. Despite promises of hazing newbies, I haven't actually seen any moderating action. (because I am slow on the uptake, perhaps?)

Apparently you don't have to be an Aussie or even a Blogger to join, and there is heaps of blogging info over there - you should check it out! (But please don't test my hazing skills!)