Wow. I have just dragged myself onto my computer for more than 10 minutes at a time for the first time in almost two months. Lots of wonderful blogging been going on in the world of blogging, but not any of it here. Warning, this is a very wonky post.
December: the end of school, planning for being 'properly' back at work, pre-Christmas preparation, house guests (my parents) arriving, other family arriving to stay with mother-in-law, my brother-in-law's short notice wedding (Sydney), Christmas, Lillian not well for the week of Christmas, then I had gastro.
January: Mum with gastro, husband with gastro. Purged unwanted toys, clothes, rubbish. It continues. Bought a new barbecue to replace the one that The Vandal destroyed on his rampage around our house in November. Husband turned 50 yesterday, we threw him a big party on Saturday and had 32 people in the house. Spent yesterday recovering, having quiet brunch and then napping in the afternoon.
My sister had her first baby on Friday 9 January - welcome to the world Grace Jacqueline Lenden Barnes. Now there's an aristocratic name, don't you think? She wasn't very willingly evicted but got out eventually to see the world and meet her stunned parents. I've seen photos but probably won't be able to go and squeeze her in person for a few months yet. *sob*
Despite having had the holidays, I am tired. Tired, very tired. I don't know if it was a good idea for us to stay home for the summer. We haven't had much warm weather yet although tomorrow is expected to be 31 degrees (C). We've had a house full of people, and small children and illness are always tiring. I still feel like I haven't had a holiday, even though I haven't been working or driving anywhere - don't know, really, just feeling oddly unsettled this evening.
Poor Lillian is all over the place with her sleep, both day and night. I feel like I'm doing it all wrong. Trying desperately to discourage her from waking at 5.30am, but when she does then she needs two day sleeps, but if she sleeps a little later she will only sleep once a day and it's hard to know when to put her down. Then she is yelling her head off every evening at bedtime, no matter how tired she is. I took her to the doctor today because she's been coughing at night and waking up a lot, and he says she has tracheo-bronchitis but should be better by the end of the week. *sigh*
So here we are in 2009. From 27 January I am back at work, just two half-days a week. I'm now head of composition, which is so exciting and terrifying at the same time. Many expectations, lots to do. We have a new Head of School - amen to that. I will still be doing some co-ordination for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's Australian Composers' School, which is in June this year. And there are a couple of commissions in the pre-discussion stages which look promising.
Alexander starts school on 5 February. I'm so excited for him. I want him to be as independent as he's ready to be, to leap into his learning, to grab life with the horns. I don't feel too many pangs about him being at school every day this year. He is growing up so fast and very ready to be a Prep boy. He loved Kinder, but he's particularly happy to be back in the same class with his best buddy, Oscar.
Vegie patch update. The tomatoes haven't done anything. I had one snowpea. Lots of radishes but we don't eat them, so I'm not quite sure why I planted them. No beans yet. The corn, zucchini, spring onions and cherry tomato plant are doing really well. I think those get more sun, so we'll see. Because I started so late (late Nov), I may have missed the boat with all of it but never mind, it was a good start and given that summer always comes late to Hobart I may still get some vegetables in the coming months. *sigh*
So, I'll press on. Hopefully a chance for some rest before going back to work in a couple of weeks. I need some space and time to myself just to think straight about anything. My head is spinning and I've been surrounded by people and things to do for just a wee bit too long. Time for bed. Night-night.
Showing posts with label misc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label misc.. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Victory
Well done, America. Let's hope that the election of Barack Obama will indeed bring new hope to a country and a world in need.
I loved his speech. Bravo.
But apparently all is a-buzz in "the blogosphere" about the new First Puppy. Never would the Obama girls have thought such a decision would be so fraught with implications. Welcome to the White House, I guess.
It's a busy week for politics. New Zealand goes to the polls this weekend too. Many are anticipating Helen Clark's defeat. It will be interesting to see what happens, as so far I have not been following the NZ election. Oh, the shame.
And... even Bhutan has a new king!
I loved his speech. Bravo.
But apparently all is a-buzz in "the blogosphere" about the new First Puppy. Never would the Obama girls have thought such a decision would be so fraught with implications. Welcome to the White House, I guess.
It's a busy week for politics. New Zealand goes to the polls this weekend too. Many are anticipating Helen Clark's defeat. It will be interesting to see what happens, as so far I have not been following the NZ election. Oh, the shame.
And... even Bhutan has a new king!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Things to do in Hobart for (almost) free
Joining in on a Travel Meme, started by Penni who can stop feeling pathetic now. :D
THINGS TO DO IN MY TOWN FOR (ALMOST) FREE MEME
Here are the rules (because it wouldn't be a meme without rules):
1. List (at least) five things to do for free in your city or town, not just well publicised touristy things, but things YOU might do too!
2. Write it with a visitor in mind.
3. Tag three people* - extra fun if they live somewhere you'd like to know better or you're going to sometime soon.
4. If you're anonymous/coy about where you live, choose another town or city that you know.
Things to do in Hobart:
1. Salamanca Market tops my list. It's a fun, vibrant, weird, quirky, crowded mess of people every Saturday from 9.00am to around 2.00pm, rain or shine. Food, produce, coffee, clothing, jewellery, arts and crafts, bric-a-brac, books, CDs, confectionery, natural Tassie-made bath and beauty products, woodcrafts, plants, toys, buskers, moving statues... you name it. If the cruise ships are in or it's a long weekend or close to Christmas, it's jam-packed. Speaking of jam, don't leave without purchasing a jar of Joanna's Jam - divine homemade jams in several delicious flavours. A jar never lasts long in our house.
2. Drive up Mt Wellington or if you haven't got a car and want to spend money, go on a walking tour. But you can also just take a Metro bus up to Fern Tree and walk along the Pipeline Track or up to Silver Falls. It's a gentle slope up to the falls, and pram friendly (although muddy in winter). The Pipeline Track is also good for a bike ride. The mountain has lots of little tracks all over, some are short walks and some are full-day excursions. Best to find a guide book if you plan to spend more time up there.
3. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a beautiful space to roam and wander. Walk along the many paths and look at the trees, plants, flowers, ponds, conservatory and views. Check out Peter Cundall's vegie patch. There's a café for coffee and snacks or a full meal if you're hungry. On a fine day take a picnic rug, your lunch and a book and just relax in the sunshine. At certain times of the year the Gardens come alive on weekends with special events such as the Tulip Festival in October (entry fee applies), and in summer there are outdoor plays and kids' concerts. A beautiful part of Hobart right near the city centre.
4. The Hobart Aquatic Centre - not free but entry costs are very minimal. Go for a workout at the gym, have a swim, or simply splash around having fun with the kids. There's a cool water slide and a frog slide for the smaller ones. The café has typical swimming-poolside food and plenty of seating for non-swimmers.
5. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. This is one of my favourite places - so much to see and very child-friendly. A huge dinosaur skeleton greets you up the stairs from the entrance on Macquarie Street. There's been a fantastic Antarctic exhibition for some time, including old 3D film footage taken at the South Pole over 100 years ago, real ice for sticky fingers to explore, a very moving and fascinating section on Tasmania's convict history, plus changing art exhibitions. A very good café with the brilliant concept of having the kids' playroom directly opposite so you can sit and have your coffee or lunch while the kids play across the hall in full view.
6. I haven't been here, but my Sources tell me it's GREAT for little (and big) boys who get a kick out of trains: the Tasmanian Transport Museum. Limited opening hours on weekends, and small entry charge.
7. The Taste of Tasmania - if you are around between Christmas and New Year this is a must-visit event. For one week you can sample Tasmanian food and wine to your heart's content, down at the waterfront with all the thousands of locals and visitors who swarm around at a beautiful time of year when the sun is shining, the water is crystal clear, it's not too hot (usually), the Sydney to Hobart yachts and yachties are in... Hobart at its best.
Consider yourself tagged!
THINGS TO DO IN MY TOWN FOR (ALMOST) FREE MEME
Here are the rules (because it wouldn't be a meme without rules):
1. List (at least) five things to do for free in your city or town, not just well publicised touristy things, but things YOU might do too!
2. Write it with a visitor in mind.
3. Tag three people* - extra fun if they live somewhere you'd like to know better or you're going to sometime soon.
4. If you're anonymous/coy about where you live, choose another town or city that you know.
Things to do in Hobart:
1. Salamanca Market tops my list. It's a fun, vibrant, weird, quirky, crowded mess of people every Saturday from 9.00am to around 2.00pm, rain or shine. Food, produce, coffee, clothing, jewellery, arts and crafts, bric-a-brac, books, CDs, confectionery, natural Tassie-made bath and beauty products, woodcrafts, plants, toys, buskers, moving statues... you name it. If the cruise ships are in or it's a long weekend or close to Christmas, it's jam-packed. Speaking of jam, don't leave without purchasing a jar of Joanna's Jam - divine homemade jams in several delicious flavours. A jar never lasts long in our house.
2. Drive up Mt Wellington or if you haven't got a car and want to spend money, go on a walking tour. But you can also just take a Metro bus up to Fern Tree and walk along the Pipeline Track or up to Silver Falls. It's a gentle slope up to the falls, and pram friendly (although muddy in winter). The Pipeline Track is also good for a bike ride. The mountain has lots of little tracks all over, some are short walks and some are full-day excursions. Best to find a guide book if you plan to spend more time up there.
3. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a beautiful space to roam and wander. Walk along the many paths and look at the trees, plants, flowers, ponds, conservatory and views. Check out Peter Cundall's vegie patch. There's a café for coffee and snacks or a full meal if you're hungry. On a fine day take a picnic rug, your lunch and a book and just relax in the sunshine. At certain times of the year the Gardens come alive on weekends with special events such as the Tulip Festival in October (entry fee applies), and in summer there are outdoor plays and kids' concerts. A beautiful part of Hobart right near the city centre.
4. The Hobart Aquatic Centre - not free but entry costs are very minimal. Go for a workout at the gym, have a swim, or simply splash around having fun with the kids. There's a cool water slide and a frog slide for the smaller ones. The café has typical swimming-poolside food and plenty of seating for non-swimmers.
5. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. This is one of my favourite places - so much to see and very child-friendly. A huge dinosaur skeleton greets you up the stairs from the entrance on Macquarie Street. There's been a fantastic Antarctic exhibition for some time, including old 3D film footage taken at the South Pole over 100 years ago, real ice for sticky fingers to explore, a very moving and fascinating section on Tasmania's convict history, plus changing art exhibitions. A very good café with the brilliant concept of having the kids' playroom directly opposite so you can sit and have your coffee or lunch while the kids play across the hall in full view.
6. I haven't been here, but my Sources tell me it's GREAT for little (and big) boys who get a kick out of trains: the Tasmanian Transport Museum. Limited opening hours on weekends, and small entry charge.
7. The Taste of Tasmania - if you are around between Christmas and New Year this is a must-visit event. For one week you can sample Tasmanian food and wine to your heart's content, down at the waterfront with all the thousands of locals and visitors who swarm around at a beautiful time of year when the sun is shining, the water is crystal clear, it's not too hot (usually), the Sydney to Hobart yachts and yachties are in... Hobart at its best.
Consider yourself tagged!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge
A year and a half ago I made contact again with a dear friend I went to school with. And I mean primary school, so it was a loooong time ago.
Susan Cook was part of a small group of children that I found myself in at St Martins Primary School in Christchurch, and we all became fairly close-knit during the two years before high school due to the fact that we were moved up a year and arrived en masse in Form 2 having bypassed Form 1. I imagine this was something of an experiment in education for the early 1980s, but it worked really well and we all survived. I remember sitting in a group in Mr Kennedy's class, scared of all the big Form 2 kids who knew More Stuff than we did. Turns out we were okay after all. Several of us still keep in contact sporadically, mainly encouraged by Roger Dennis who somehow manages to keep in contact with lots of people. Go Rog.
Nowadays, Susan and her other half Marion 'Weasel' Boatwright are now running the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand, and it looks absolutely brilliant. The website is a great read, with lovely pictures and interesting information. The brief story of how they developed the Lodge is worth a read - on previous incarnations of the website they had a much longer version complete with in-progress photos of the building. What I would give for a weekend there!
Susan Cook was part of a small group of children that I found myself in at St Martins Primary School in Christchurch, and we all became fairly close-knit during the two years before high school due to the fact that we were moved up a year and arrived en masse in Form 2 having bypassed Form 1. I imagine this was something of an experiment in education for the early 1980s, but it worked really well and we all survived. I remember sitting in a group in Mr Kennedy's class, scared of all the big Form 2 kids who knew More Stuff than we did. Turns out we were okay after all. Several of us still keep in contact sporadically, mainly encouraged by Roger Dennis who somehow manages to keep in contact with lots of people. Go Rog.
Nowadays, Susan and her other half Marion 'Weasel' Boatwright are now running the Rough and Tumble Bush Lodge on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand, and it looks absolutely brilliant. The website is a great read, with lovely pictures and interesting information. The brief story of how they developed the Lodge is worth a read - on previous incarnations of the website they had a much longer version complete with in-progress photos of the building. What I would give for a weekend there!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tagged - some facts about me
Here we go then. "Some facts about me" meme. Thanks Penni!
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their name, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
In 1998 I was living in Los Angeles, finishing off my doctorate. In January I saw an ad for a lecturing job in Hobart, Tasmania, but didn't apply because, well, I didn't know where Hobart was and I didn't think I'd want to live there anyway. A friend persuaded me to apply, which I did (three weeks late - can't believe they even read the application! - and they flew me to Tasmania for a week in March to give some lectures, teach a bit, and interview for the job, which they offered me half an hour before I had to get to the airport to fly back to the States. I didn't sleep a wink the whole flight. I was really struck by how beautiful Tasmania was and immediately thought it was a place I'd love to live. I decided to accept the job and give myself 5 years before moving on. That was 10 years ago. So in May 1998 I finished my thesis (flute concerto), graduated with my DMA, and then went on a three-week holiday to Europe with my family. It was a lot of fun, I'd never been to Europe before. I went back to Los Angeles and had three weeks to pack up my belongings and move to Hobart at the end of June, to start my new job on 1 July. I met a lovely man named David who was on staff at the Conservatorium, and we started hanging out together just as friends at the end of that year. That's what I was doing 10 years ago!
Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non weight-gaining world:
1. Red Rock Deli Chips.
2. Chocolate biscuits, any type.
3. Licorice Allsorts.
4. Barbecue Shapes.
5. Crackers and soft cheese like brie, and cashew and parmesan dip. Mmmm.
Five (snacks I enjoy in the real world) more nutritious snacks (since I am not opposed to eating the above in this plane of reality):
1. Mandarins.
2. Crackers and a little bit of cheddar cheese.
3. Almonds.
4. Muesli.
5. Mangoes but golly they're expensive in Tasmania, even in summer.
Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Have a fairy who comes into my house every morning to give the place a quick clean up after the breakfast chaos, puts the washing out and then disappears until the next day bringing milk and fruit as it's needed. And a nanny at my beck and call.
2. Join a fabulous gym and have a personal trainer.
3. Re-furnish my study.
4. Travel three times a year, at least one of them a lying-on-the-beach type of holiday in a place with palm trees and cocktails with the little umbrellas.
5. Finish renovating this house, sell it and buy a waterfront in Battery Point, preferably with a bit of flat garden.
Five jobs that I have had:
1. Toy salesgirl.
2. Violin teacher.
3. Music lecturer.
4. Research assistant (=filing and making coffee for my dad).
5. Composer. Is that a job?
Three of my habits:
1. Nail biting. TERRIBLE.
2. Folding things neatly.
3. Gossiping!
Five places I have lived:
1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2. Christchurch, New Zealand.
3. Rochester, New York.
4. Los Angeles, California.
5. Hobart, Tasmania.
Tagged!
Kath
Tracey even though she's moving house and probably won't get to this - hope it's going well TL!
Em
Rachel
Dani
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their name, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
In 1998 I was living in Los Angeles, finishing off my doctorate. In January I saw an ad for a lecturing job in Hobart, Tasmania, but didn't apply because, well, I didn't know where Hobart was and I didn't think I'd want to live there anyway. A friend persuaded me to apply, which I did (three weeks late - can't believe they even read the application! - and they flew me to Tasmania for a week in March to give some lectures, teach a bit, and interview for the job, which they offered me half an hour before I had to get to the airport to fly back to the States. I didn't sleep a wink the whole flight. I was really struck by how beautiful Tasmania was and immediately thought it was a place I'd love to live. I decided to accept the job and give myself 5 years before moving on. That was 10 years ago. So in May 1998 I finished my thesis (flute concerto), graduated with my DMA, and then went on a three-week holiday to Europe with my family. It was a lot of fun, I'd never been to Europe before. I went back to Los Angeles and had three weeks to pack up my belongings and move to Hobart at the end of June, to start my new job on 1 July. I met a lovely man named David who was on staff at the Conservatorium, and we started hanging out together just as friends at the end of that year. That's what I was doing 10 years ago!
Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non weight-gaining world:
1. Red Rock Deli Chips.
2. Chocolate biscuits, any type.
3. Licorice Allsorts.
4. Barbecue Shapes.
5. Crackers and soft cheese like brie, and cashew and parmesan dip. Mmmm.
Five (snacks I enjoy in the real world) more nutritious snacks (since I am not opposed to eating the above in this plane of reality):
1. Mandarins.
2. Crackers and a little bit of cheddar cheese.
3. Almonds.
4. Muesli.
5. Mangoes but golly they're expensive in Tasmania, even in summer.
Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Have a fairy who comes into my house every morning to give the place a quick clean up after the breakfast chaos, puts the washing out and then disappears until the next day bringing milk and fruit as it's needed. And a nanny at my beck and call.
2. Join a fabulous gym and have a personal trainer.
3. Re-furnish my study.
4. Travel three times a year, at least one of them a lying-on-the-beach type of holiday in a place with palm trees and cocktails with the little umbrellas.
5. Finish renovating this house, sell it and buy a waterfront in Battery Point, preferably with a bit of flat garden.
Five jobs that I have had:
1. Toy salesgirl.
2. Violin teacher.
3. Music lecturer.
4. Research assistant (=filing and making coffee for my dad).
5. Composer. Is that a job?
Three of my habits:
1. Nail biting. TERRIBLE.
2. Folding things neatly.
3. Gossiping!
Five places I have lived:
1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2. Christchurch, New Zealand.
3. Rochester, New York.
4. Los Angeles, California.
5. Hobart, Tasmania.
Tagged!
Kath
Tracey even though she's moving house and probably won't get to this - hope it's going well TL!
Em
Rachel
Dani
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Happy days
My dear friend from my mothers' group was married yesterday. David played while the guests arrived, then accompanied her while she sang to her husband. Then there was a delicious catered lunch, the wine flowed, the sun shone and the kids had a jumpy castle, fairy entertainment and reliable babysitters to look after them so the adults could relax. A beautiful day.
Much love and happiness to the 'newlyweds'.
Much love and happiness to the 'newlyweds'.
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