Little Black Rabbit

New Blog

2009-10-12T08:46:00.001+10:00

Make sure to visit me over on my new blog.

Happy Endings

2008-12-24T16:58:00.008+10:00

So, I thought I would end this blog with one final post. A happy ending, if you will. As most of you will know, Andrew and I got engaged while we were overseas. In Rome to be precise. It was on the 11th of December, on a gorgeous misty morning. Andrew took me through the city, winding along the alleyways with their slate cobbled streets, up past the top of the Spanish steps, along ancient villas, and up a hill. We arrived at Villa Medici, which has large gardens speckled with statues to one side, and a sweeping view of Rome out the front. It was all very lovely. The photos tell the rest of the tale.

Don't forget to visit me at my new blog.

Happy New Blog!

2008-12-24T11:45:00.006+10:00

Hi all. Well, I believe this may be one of my final posts on this blog. It has been a good couple of years posting, but sadly it has come to and end, because...

I'm starting a new blog!

This new blog is really going to focus on all things writing and illustrating, which as you know is my greatest passion (apart from my puppy). So, feel free to visit me over in my new rabbit hole. I'm still setting it up, but should have my first post up soon. See you on the other side!

Squish out

PS. There is also a link in the side bar: 'kath's new blog' -->

Lain

2008-09-17T14:12:00.002+10:00

Another image I've just completed for my folio. Only 3 sleeps until my big conference. Very excited.

Intermission

2008-09-17T14:10:00.001+10:00

Who doesn't love a miniature knitted monkey?

Paint and Play

2008-09-04T18:50:00.005+10:00

I've been developing my illustration folio for an approaching conference, so thought I'd post some images. It's funny how whenever you start anything creative, for the first few years you just imitate what other people you admire are doing, and then one day, when you're not even looking, your own distinct style creeps in and takes over...

... I seem to have developed a thing for layering watercolour images over texture and collage.

37 Odd Things About Me

2008-07-29T13:02:00.007+10:00

Like you all needed a list...
Anyway, this is currently circling the blogging cyber-sphere and the 'rule' is, if you read it, you must fill it out. So readers beware...

1. Do you like blue cheese?
- No, I don't eat things that smell like dirty feet.

2. Have you ever smoked?
- Haven't we all tried it, at least once? Tried it, loathed it.
Also seem to remember we once tried to smoke a banana skin. The strange things kids do...

3. Do you own a gun?
- Do I look like I own a gun?

4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite?
- What's Kool Aid? I don't drink liquids that look like they'd stain your insides.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
- Ish. I didn't used to, but kind of do nowadays.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
- Not a fan. I like to know what kind of meat I'm eating (would anyone like some trotter with their bun?)

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
- 'The Long Eared Donkey', a funny little stop motion kid's movie. The song about how the poor little guy never fit in always made me cry.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
- Wish I had a more interesting answer, but plain old water.

9. Can you do push ups?
- Yup, but not many. And I only do girly-ones.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
- Some earrings Andrew gave me last birthday, and a gorgeous ring my Ama used to wear.

11. Favorite hobby?
- Writing (then reading and drawing)

12. Do you have A.D.D.?
- If I've made it to question 12, then clearly NO.

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts?
- Am wearing some funky new ones as we speak. Make me look like a hot librarian :)

14. Middle name?
- Nicole.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
- I need to take Frankie to the dog park, what are we having for dinner, and thoughts about the novel I'm currently writing (the characters are running riot in my head).

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
- Water, milo, fresh orange juice (squeeze it me-self)

17. Current worry?
- Will I have enough head space to keep writing now that I'm back at uni?

18. Current hate right now?
- People lacking social skills.

19. Favorite place to be?
- Local: my back deck in the sun with a book
- Favourite cities: Melbourne and London

20. How did you bring in the new year.
- A quiet one with good friends, good food and good wine.

21. Where would you like to go?
- France (Andrew and I just happen to be going at the end of the year)

22. Name three people who will complete this?
- Maybe Sharim? Not sure.

23. Do you own slippers?
- No, but I do adore my bright pink Ugg boots

24 What shirt are you wearing?
- No shirt. And no, I'm not naked - I'm wearing a dress.

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
- Urgh, no. People who sleep on satin sheets also sleep on heart shaped beds. It's just wrong.

26. Can you whistle?
- Yup, in and out, which means I never have to stop to take a breath.

27. Favorite color?
- Blue

28. Would you be a pirate?
- Yes, but not a very good one. I like things to be clean and my food to be cooked and not-mouldy.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
- Most. Anything epic. Love the acoustics.

30. Favorite Girl's Name?
- Lillian / Annabel

31. Favorite boy's name?
- Oliver / Charlie

32. What's in your pocket right now?
- I don't believe in pockets.

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
- Keisha being completely un-subtle in lectures today.

34. What vehicle do you drive?
- Little Black Toyota Corolla. And I love her.

35. Worst injury you've ever had?
- Broken arm. Healed imperfectly, so they needed to re-break it.

36. Do you love where you live?
- With all my heart. Beautiful new townhouse in Ashgrove, and it's all ours :)

37. How many TVs do you have in your house?
- Just the one. But it's big. Makes you go 'oooh'

Squish out.

Mentorship News

2008-07-21T18:23:00.002+10:00

I've been away in perth for a week visiting my gorgeous grandparents (Hi Gran and Papa!), but just before I left I found out that Kate Forsyth enjoyed my writing sample and was interested in working with me! I've only had one phone conversation with her so far, but she is delightful. I'm really looking forward to getting into it. As requested I've sent her the full manuscript and we'll go from there. You can read more about it here on my website, where there are links to her website if you want to find out a bit about her, and also the ASA has just released information about all of this year's winners.

Lonely blue

2008-07-02T17:48:00.006+10:00

Lain

2008-06-30T20:27:00.005+10:00

I finally decided on a design for a character whose story I have been developing over the last 2 years. I've had a lot of trouble finding a style and character who could hold the emotional weight of the tale, but am really happy with this serious little girl. I'm hoping with another few weeks off from uni, I may be able to get properly started on the dummy book. Am hoping to spend some time experimenting with how to apply colour - am currently planning to use water-colour washes, collage and some digital application.

We shall see...

Squish out.

Procrastination

2008-06-06T12:57:00.007+10:00

OK, so I might just be avoiding study, but I have been updating my website again. Even though it might be a great way to avoid uni work, it is also something that I was hustled into doing as I suddenly realised that my site would be getting more hits since my recent writing news. Apart from updating the details of various different sections, I have also added a new section to my portfolio called TYPE ME PINK, which is a crazy little book I created for a uni assignment. I have also added a news link to my homepage (on Andrew's suggestion).

Still no further news on the whole mentorship, which is unfortunate because I've had an anxious tummy and trouble sleeping ever since! I'm not made for this publishing world, where everything moves so slowly - I fear my poor anxious little heart will not last the distance!!

Squish out

More Writing News...

2008-05-31T10:20:00.003+10:00

I had a wonderful phone call last night from the Australian Society of Authors with some exciting news. You can read more about it here on my website. It's all very recent, so I don't know much at this time, but as soon as I know more I will post an update.

Unfortunately I'm too swamped with exams and assignments to properly celebrate. I will have to postpone that for another two weeks time when uni is finished for the term...

Squish out.

Website Update

2008-05-01T17:38:00.003+10:00

Just a quick note to say that I have been updating my writing / illustrating website with my most up to date work. I have included some of my design work in my new design portfolio section, and have also put up some news about recent acceptances.

Squish out.

Look out Sydney!

2008-02-16T19:17:00.003+10:00

Tomorrow Andrew and I fly off to Sydney for a week. It just worked out that Andrew has a conference at the beginning of the week, and I have one at the end, so we took the week off and have a couple of days together in the middle.

My conference is the international Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators Conference. I'm absolutely buzzing. As such, I was doing some sketches today of a funny little girl called Meg who just popped into my head and demanded to be drawn. Haven't figured out her story yet...

See you when we get back!

Meet Frankie

2008-01-26T17:43:00.000+10:00

Yes, we are smitten. Guilty as charged. Already we can't imagine life without him.

Flight of the Sparrow

2008-01-17T17:47:00.000+10:00

What a great start to my writing year! Today I got in the mail an acceptance from The School Magazine for a short story of mine. The magazine has been described as Australia's leading literary mag for young people, and has a very wide distribution. It is beautifully presented, and I feel really honored to have a story coming out in it. Also, it pays quite well...

My story is titled Flight of the Sparrow. It's aimed at slightly older readers, and is about a young girl coming to terms with the loss of her pet. Ironically, it is an adapted version of a picture book of mine, the illustrations of which I have been working on today. I am currently doing a mixed-media version of the image above on canvas. If it turns out, I'll post a copy :)

It feels good to have already achieved one of my 2008 writing resolutions...

tiptoe through the tulips

2008-01-07T14:27:00.000+10:00

Ok, a quick puppy update. Here are the latest photos of our soon to be pup, which were posted on the breeder's website.

This is Frankie admiring the flowers. He's a bit of a poser - Andrew is considering changing his name to Derek. How do you think his Blue Steel pose compares?

These two shots are of his sisters, but they are just so sweet I couldn't resist posting them also.

So, only 17 days to go... The question is, can we last?

New Website

2008-01-04T17:29:00.000+10:00

A very short intermission from our puppy mania, to post my new writing / illustrating website.

Visit me at www.katherinebattersby.com

The site is not currently googleable ... clearly I will have to work on that!

puppy love

2007-12-30T18:53:00.000+10:00

Is he not the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Does your heart not melt? Your bottom lip not quiver? Your arms not want to wrap him up and hold him and squeeze him and love him? If not, then you are clearly not suffering from the current affliction that has taken hold of Andrew and I. It is a textbook case ... of puppy love.

Yes, we have finally decided to get a puppy. This is the tiny bundle of fur, soon to be part of our little family. He is a King Charles Cavalier and Poodle cross (with the unfortunately undignified nickname 'Cavoodle') - a breed known for possessing the beautiful laid back nature of the cavalier, with the intelligence and non-shedding coat of the poodle (can you hear Andrew rejoicing?). Our pup is a little boy and has 7 brothers and sisters. By tomorrow it will hopefully all be finalised, and he should be arriving on our doorstep at the end of Jan, when he is 8 weeks old. We have gone through Omega Park breeders, run by a delightful lady who has been nothing but helpful.

Below are some more photos, the bottom one being him with his sister (he's on the left). There will be plenty of photos to follow - as with any proud parents, I'm sure we'll be snap happy...

Year in a glance

2007-12-05T20:34:00.000+10:00

So, we've bought a house and moved house. Andrew's worked lots. I've started and finished a year at uni. Results up, but restful nights down. Andrew worked some more. We bought awesomely opulent furniture, including King couch and hot TV. Andrew worked even more to pay these off. Mum's come and gone and come again :) Friends have got married and pregnant and goodness knows what else. Andrew stopped working for a little while so we could go to Melbourne and buy more things so he had to go back to work again. I've put lots of words on paper and pretended to be an artist. And...Andrew's still working.

Looking forward to a little time off over Christmas to spend with family. Can you guess what Andrew's doing? Luckily he gets Christmas day off.

Oh - I have polished and updated my writer / illustrator website that I originally created for my final web-design subject. I've posted it on our free ADSL site, however it will soon appear on my personalised web address which I've recently purchased. Anyway, for now you can visit it by clicking here .

Enjoy!

Squish out

Umm...ahem...long time no write...

2007-09-27T20:43:00.000+10:00

Well, what can I say? So it's been a long time since either of us have shown our faces around here. Thought it was about time I dropped by and cleared out the tumble weeds and spider's webs. You've probably all deserted us by now, so I guess I'm all but talking to myself. In that case it doesn't much matter how intelligent I sound. Excellent.

So, much has happened since we last tuned in. We have moved house, been to 2 weddings, been sick and recovered, flown to melbourne, eaten lots and become fat and sassy, worked and studied and bludged, gotten sick again, bought new music, returned to the gym and un-fattened (slightly), cured world hunger and the like. Sounds much more interesting when you put it all into one sentence.

One of my subjects at uni at the moment involves web design. I've done two projects so far, both of which are online, so thought I'd post a link so people can visit them if they'd like. Just a disclaimer: all we've learnt is pretty basic principles, so my sites are quite simple html sites. Also, as would seem to be the norm with creating websites, they don't work properly across platforms and browsers. They work best using safari (and look very slightly mong in firefox and explorer, but what can you do?). Content is pretty boring, but such is the way with assignments.

Go here if you know what is good for you. (hah hah, nandy has taken over the computer mwah ah hah!)

Katherine boxed Andrew around the ears and has stolen the keyboard back.

So, I also promised my friend Julie that I'd post some images once I was on uni holidays, so - here they are. I've been experimenting with scanning in my pencil sketches and 'painting' them in photoshop. Still getting the hang of it, but here are my two first attempts:

Now I just have to con Mr Pandy into rejoining the blogging world and 'entertaining' us with his witty banter.

Hope all are well.

Squish out

Goodbye House

2007-06-08T15:36:00.000+10:00

It seems like not long ago we bought our first place, however over 2 years have passed since that day, and we suddenly find ourselves at our last night in out little Taringa apartment. Although we have enjoyed living here, we are definitely ready to move on from what Andrew has affectionately labelled "our little shit-box", to our new 'castle' in Ashgrove. So here is a dedication to the shit-box...

5 things I WILL miss:
- The Kookaburras that sit on our balcony and laugh at the silly humans inside
- The clicking sound the hallway lights make when we come home late
- The park across the road with the awesome train thingy (you HAVE to try it)
- The view from my art desk (trees and sky)
- Sweet Iced Mocha drinks from our local coffee shop (unless we can convince Bean Scene to come with us...)

5 things I will NOT miss:
- The toilet that gurgles throughout the night
- A kitchen clearly designed for either very skinny people or midgets
- Weird onsite managers who seem nice but are actually criminally inane
- The screaming wailing wining Spanish children who live below us
- The floor shaking from 7am - 6pm due to the construction next door (kill me, kill me now)

So, I propose a toast to the good, the bad, and the new. Cheers!

Squish out

the fuzzy shadows of translation

2007-04-09T08:42:00.000+10:00

i am forced, after several days of thought, to conclude that haruki marukami is one of the finest writers that i have ever read. the difficulty however lies in the midst of discerning what is great writing and what is great translation. let me digress for a moment to give you an example: i have never finished crime and punishment. now, it is a safe conclusion that C&P is amongst the finest literary achievements in our written history, and yet the english version was strangely clinical, and really seemed to lack a certain "je ne sais quoi?" (come on! bonus points for random use of french). the question must then be asked - did i fail to enjoy this masterpiece of writing because a) dostoyevsky can't write for shit, or b) the translation of my 1973 penguin classics copy failed to allow me the full joy of dostoyevsky's rage and isolation. hmmm.

whcih then brings me to this point. if i could read japanese, would i apprecaite murakami even more, or less?

this point aside however, i must encourage anyone with even a basic appreciation for the meanderings of semi philiosophical prose to seek out the works of murakami and enjoy them as i have. he has a palpable sense of reality grounding his characters in the present as they swim thru the murky philosophical waters of their lives. I am currently halfway thru "a wild sheep chase", and although a minimum of mental gymnastics are required to appreciate this story, there certainly seems to be a certain depth that is only apparent on closer inspection. lots of analogies to be made right there, but really haven't got the time or the available thought space.

so, do as i do. read murakami. you won't be disappointed.

pandy out.

And now, it's time for the amazing, far-out adventures of pandy in...

2007-04-01T01:39:00.000+10:00

...the year 2007.

I'm so f******g post-modern, i take pictures of shit and then, because i'm better than that, i look at my pictures and say, "hmmm....i need to decrease the aperture to underexpose my unfortunately crafted photoimagepicturethingy, thus compensating for the lgiht..." or something like that. just remember that i don't even understand half the words i just used.

so. cameras. we (by which i mean katherine) are moving towards becoming what some might call discerning amateurs (others may instead swallow that phrase and call us assholes), away from the point and click crappiness of slimline, and into the semi-acceptable world of "prosumer" digital photography.

i am sure that any time now, katherine will be blathering about such things, photoshop, focal depth and bemoaning her lack of polarizing lenses....whcih is fine.

so, soon, you will be suffering the pain of amateur photography getting above itself. i will elaborate more later.

i hope masochism suits you.

pandy out.

Sleep is good .. but somewhat overrated

2007-03-22T18:41:00.000+10:00

I am still loving uni, but I am so exhausted half the time I can't even remember what day of the week it is, and don't even ask me what my name is (Sarah - right...?) Uni and work are so different, and moving between the two is actually quite hard. They seem to both use a different kind of head space, and unfortunately most days I only have half an hour to go from uni to work. I didn't think I would ever look back fondly on my waitressing days, but its mindlessness certainly seemed to fit better with uni life :) And with trying to fit work, uni, study and writing into each day, it would seem there are just not enough hours. Who would have thought it? But that's ok, I've always thought sleep was overrated...

I have my first assignment due in a week which is both exciting and scary. And once this one is in there will be a flood of them to follow. In fact, I'd better stop procrastinating and get to it (especially seeing as I also have to pack for Miki's wedding tonight), but I just thought I'd post my latest computer studies picture that we created today in class. We finally were taught how to render, so now the world is at my finger tips...

Sleepy Squish out

Hooray for plants of the potted variety

2007-03-10T17:37:00.000+10:00

No, that does not mean we have just been plant shopping (even though we desperately need to), but rather that I have been attending uni. Still doesn't make sense? That's ok, it will.

So, my favourite of my three subjects thus far is called computer studies, where they are teaching us to use Adobe Illustrator. It is fantastic. There is NO containing my inner nerd in these classes, and there is no shame involved as my degree is full of people who are comfortable with their inner nern-dom. I am surrounded by funky well-dressed arty nerds - it's truly Katherine heaven :)

So I thought I would share with the world my first stumbling attempts to master the art of illustrator. Keeping in mind I have only had two classes thus far, and I am a woeful amateur, but am having so much fun!

So, this was our project for week one, where we had to trace an atrociously ugly pot plant. Just ignore my woeful attempt to colour it - we haven't been taught to render yet, so I was really just playing silly-buggers!!:

And this is my project from week two, where we had to make our own interpretations of the pot-plant (a later project will be to fully colour it, so I will post the final version in a few weeks):

Am loving being back at uni. I'm sure my enthusiasm will falter as assignments pile up, but am currently enjoying the studying and the projects as it is all stuff I'm really interested in and excited about. See? I really am a nerd...

Squish out

holy cow batman, look at the size of that...

2007-02-24T16:38:00.000+10:00

arse.

oh my goodness. culture shock doesn't quite explain it, but must come close.

kathering and i entered boon town today, because with the impending sale of the unit and a yet to be fixed kitchen cupboard hinge, we decided to take matters into our own hands and make our first ever (and possibly last!) sojourn into the demonic hellspawn cave of fat arses, otherwise known as Bunning's Warehouse.

having never before entered these dens of flubber and crap, we weren't quite prepared for the jolt to the system. faced with the impending, crushing death of a hardware tsunami, we bravely immersed ourselves in the prevalent culture of this backward society and immediately asked (in the gruffest voice i could muster) whether anyone could help us with finding a particular hinge. i feel that i managed to pass myself off as a real "bloke" (note the interesting local dialect, referring to the male of the species), and we were soon redirected to the special orders counter. there we sat waiting for service, all the while observing with steadily rising incredulity the frequent passage of homo fattus arsus, the "fattest arsed" brand of so-called humans we have ever seen. unfortunately we were sufficiently intimidated that pictures seemed like a potentially dangerous option, and so escaping with what may eventually become a special order hinge (if it ever arrives), we raced with all of our dignity back to the relative safety of civilisation, battered and scarred, but all the greater for our experience.

lest we forget. where is my goddamn medal.

pandy out.

Bizarre Foreign Children's Books

2007-02-22T16:17:00.000+10:00

I came across this on another blog I frequent (Brooklyn Arden), and it gave me hope. Hope because, if this is what is being published, then maybe there is hope for me! The blogger is a New York editor, and part of her job is to review foreign publishers' catalogs, and ask for copies of those that sound like good candidates for translation. Needless to say, none of these were chosen, but they were so funny she decided to share them with the world! (ps. a personal favourite is 'Where is my Leopard-Dots Panty'!!). Enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHO'S THE MOST HANDSOME?
Milo is the most handsome gnu in the world. His mother tells him so non-stop. He often asks himself what he's got that the others don't. So Milo decides to take part in a beauty pageant for animals. The first prize is a trip to Paris. But nothing is going as planned. In the crowd of candidates, Milo feels a little alone. And no longer so handsome. Suddenly, he sees a little penguin with his young refrigerator. A drama is at hand.

GO ON! DON'T GIVE UP, SLUG!
From all appearances, there is a shell; it's a slug and a snail. However, how about if we trace the slug's ancestors? A poem with a unique viewpoint of a slug.

BUD AND THE NAMELESS POTATO
One day, after school, Bud finds a strange potato on the table. Bud runs after the potato and falls into a fantastic world swept away by a huge vortex. Bud wants to know the name of the potato but it doesn't have any name. And so Bud begins to travel with the nameless potato in search of its lost name all around the world.

THE CAT AND THE CLARINETIST
"A heartwarming fantasy with full of clarinet sound!" What is best ever for me is a life with cat. One evening there came a cat. She loved the sound of my clarinet. As listening to my tone, she got bigger and bigger, first larger than bed, then larger than house! You will be fulfilled with joy by the growing cat as you read on.

WHERE IS MY LEOPARD-DOTS PANTY?
"Oh my! My leopard-dots panty is gone! It was in my drawer!" a kid shouts in his room, and from here the colorful story begins. First, it's a baby lion who puts the panty on his head to be like his father. Then it's a thick and large snake who takes a nap in the panty hanging down. Up next is a flamingo. Wow! She is wearing the panty as a necklace for her wedding. Then a baby otter wears it like a swimming glass. Very hilarious!

PUPPY POO
A Puppy Poo forsaken at the corner of an alley. Everyone avoids it saying "Dirty Poo!" One drizzling spring day, Puppy Poo meets a young dandelion plant who needs fertilization. Puppy Poo joyfully breaks itself down and soaks into the root of dandelion. This self-sacrifice finally blooms a dandelion bud into its full glory. A moving and lessonful story illustrated by Sung-gak Chong.

A GIRL BORN WITH A SOUND OF FART
In the island far south, a baby was born with a sound of fart. She grew up to be a nice girl and her great fart would often save people from wild animals. Then she was asked to save people from the monster that comes for babies when the moon is full. On a full moon night, she set out for the sea to face the monster, with her powerful fart her only leverage.

THE TOILET EXPRESS
Rubbing his sleepy eyes a little boy gets up to pee. But he bumps into the toilet that was on his way to an excursion. The toilet says he was late already and could not help him! The chase starts. The boy follows the toilet to the station and jumps on the Toilet Express. Dynamic illustrations with that familiar feeling of holding to go and the relief that follows is humorously described.

AREN'T THEY ALL DRUNKEN?
Children always ask adults "Why?" and one of the most frequently asked "why?" is "Why do they drink?" This question leads to other questions like "Why do their faces turn red?" "Why do they keep on saying the same thing?" "What happens in their body when they drink?" "Why they come to themselves after some hours?" No one can readily answer these questions, so let's look into the mystery of alcohol!

:)

Squish out

New Townhouse

2007-02-17T10:14:00.000+10:00

Just to mix things up a bit, Andrew and I decided we didn't already have enough stress in our lives (what with Andrew working insane hours and me about to start uni), so we though we would throw buying a new place into the craziness of it all. Yes, Andrew and I fell in love with a gorgeous townhouse in Ashgrove about a month back, and after all the usual business (inspections, agent and solicitor talk, sleepless nights) we have signed the contract! Now we just have to wait on the bank's final yes, sell our place, move house and we'll be dancing!

The block is due to be finished in late May / early June, so we have a while to sort everything out, which is good. Our townhouse has actually been built though (but not completely fitted out yet), so here are the photos thus far:

This is the front of our townhouse. It's a split level house, with a good sized courtyard out the back.

This is the living area and the kitchen. The balcony is out to the right, and the wooden deck and courtyard out to the left. We are REALLY excited about the wooden floorboards...

Floor Plans:

There's a half stair-case from the garage up to the living area and kitchen. Then there's a half set of stairs up to...

the main bedroom and ensuite, then another set up to the two spare bedrooms and the main bathroom.

It's a fascinating block - very long and thin. Ours is the one blacked out. Because we're at the end, we get more windows and privacy which is great!

Can't wait to show everyone through, and I'm already planning housewarmings...

Elementals #2

2007-01-28T14:26:00.000+10:00

Even with getting ready for uni, Australia day parties and hens nights, I have still somehow managed to continue writing my Elementals story. I am now a good 21,000 words in, and am fast approaching the end of my first draft. This is certainly the most committed to an idea I have ever been. I am still loving the process and learning so much (not only about the story and the characters, but about how this whole writing thing works!). I am dreading the second draft, where things actually have to start making sense and there needs to be clear flow and character development, but I'm sure I will enjoy it more than I am currently forecasting...

Being so absorbed by this whole world at present, I have also done some more drawings. I have really just been experimenting with how the different creatures may look. I have posted them on my Elementals blog.

I guess I'd better stop talking about writing, and actually get to and DO some. Damn I love procrastination...

Squish out

Good News Week

2007-01-18T16:36:00.000+10:00

For a year that started out with so much stress and uncertainty, it has certainly quickly turned itself around. I think I have possibly just had the best week I could imagine. I'm going to put it down to Karma :)

Not only did I get into uni, and work offered me exactly the days I required (this is significant, as in 2 years only one other person in my dept has been allowed to work so few days), but I was also able to enrol in every single class and tutorial I needed to make it all work! That alone was enough to put me on a high for months. But that wasn't the end of it.

Next I get a completely unexpected e-mail. Nearly 10 months ago, the first story I ever submitted was a non-fiction short story to the anthology: Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul III. It was so long ago I had completely dismissed it. Initially I only got a form e-mail from the publication company expressing interest, but then 4 days later I get a personal e-mail from the editor asking to purchase my story for their book! It is only small, but it is a start and still very exciting for me :) The book is due for publication in America in August, but you never can predict these things, so we will just wait and see.

And just to top things off, today my SCBWI bulletin arrives in the mail, and they have published one of my images in it! It is nice to know that there are still 4 more that will be in future issues, so it is something for me to look forward to throughout the year.

Well, being my day off I must get back to my writing. I have been a little slack of late (I keep telling myself I deserve a break because I got into uni - what a terrible excuse!)

Squish out

Who likes being poor?

2007-01-13T18:06:00.000+10:00

Not me. But too bad, because I am just about to re-enter the rank of povo uni student! Yes, I got in, so as of Feb 26th I'll be a design student at the Qld College of Art (Griffith). The irony of all this is I've been quashing my excitement for so long (for fear I wouldn't get in), that now that I am actually in, it doesn't feel real. I'm not yet as excited as I should be, even if I am a little more twitchy :) I think it will only really hit me when I'm standing outside my first lecture, desperately hoping I don't look like the 'mature aged student' I keep getting reminded I am. 25 doesn't sound so bad, until you work out I'll be nearly 30 before I finish! Not quite how I envisioned spending my late 20s. But I know I am going to have a blast, and learn so much, and be much closer to where I want to be by the time I finish. I plan to specialise in illustration and graphic art, which have been interests of mine for so long now. It's hard to believe I'm actually doing something about it finally!

It is certainly a year of change ahead. Change is good - it's exciting and challenging and keeps you from getting bored. It keeps you moving and I certainly find the busier I am, the more I get done.

Oh - and the Mater offered me a 2 day a week position, which is exactly what I needed to fit in with uni, so it's all falling into place! Man is that a good feeling :)

Squish out

oh man i am totally geeking out right now...woops, just wet my pants

2007-01-10T17:52:00.000+10:00

okay, so lets face it, i want to be steve jobs.

anyway, macworld (where i want to be, but have little hope of ever getting to). steve is up there, nice black turtle neck and some high pants jeans. doing his thing. and then BAM. iPhone. ohmyfuckinggodthisissocool. right, so i am getting super dooper excited. of course this is tempered by the realisation that we are not going to be seeing said iPhone for at least 12 miserable un-geeky months. but that is ok, because in the interim, my dreams can still come true, tempered as they may be by the grim reality of financial desolation. iTV is real, and with the new airport extreme, i have just become a total melting pot of geeky desire.

so the way i figure it is this. need at least $10K. that way, i can invest (trust me katherine, invest is the right word) in a lov-er-ly new big assed LCD TV, and healthy sound set-up (at last, HDMI AND enough inputs to plug all this crap into without going bloody mental), and of course my new babies, iTV and airport extreme.

oh dear, i have to ask, what does one do when nirvana appears before them and the only condition of entry is financial. bugger.

pandy out

oooh....shiny and white (no, that isn't racist)

2007-01-07T14:20:00.000+10:00

well, finally, last week my new baby arrived. macbook and screen, with whizbang new mouse are all in fine form and being put throught their paces as we speak. its all got me a little bit girlishly inclined to giggle more than i should, but at the end of the day who am i to worry about such things as geeking hysteria.

anyway, just because, here are some new happy snaps of the kids (excuse my photography, i have neither skill nor a decent camera).

so a big w00t to all, i love this shit.

pandy out

Elementals

2006-12-29T10:22:00.000+10:00

I can finally post some images I did a while back! Unfortunately I could not post them back when I created them because one of them was a Christmas gift for mum, but now that Christmas is over for another year (oh woe...) it is safe to post them. The images are from a novel I have been planning for about 6 months, but only recently started writing. It's certainly my favourite project yet, but attempting to write a novel is frightening as they're such huge, unweildy and unpredictable things! It is planned to be a series, but I'm just going to see how it goes (seeing as I've never done this before I'm not going to be too ambitious about the whole thing!).

Anyway, I have created a new site for this project, considering I'll probably be working on it for the next few years, and will therefore no doubt generate enough images to warrant it having its own home. You'll find the link to the Elementals site on the left under the heading 'Illustrations'.

Unfortunately, Andrew has got me hooked on this Wii thing of his, so I'm going off to fight some Raving Rabbids. What a cruel procrastination device (I can see we're going to have to lock it up during exam time). Wish me luck.

Squish out

oh woe betide the human condition...

2006-12-25T22:52:00.000+10:00

the thing is of course, that one must at all times assume that the rest of the common filth that happens to co-habitate this world with me is stupid.

the justification is plain to see. point in case #1. www.wiihaveaproblem.com . oh please shoot me now, i can't stand the shame of my humanity any longer. the thing is, i think that the boys over at penny-arcade summed it up perfectly. evidently, the only brand of retarded gnewt who is able to perform such remarkable feats of stupidity are the kind depicted with such tenderness.

this really does justify genetic warfare.

peace out

i was so excited i nearly wii'd my pants (hah!)

2006-12-16T19:44:00.000+10:00

god i love shitty geek humour.

well, the greatest moment in my entire life (really) has been and gone. wii is here, and with it has come happiness known to few up to this point. i suppose that i jesus was real and if he didn't get nailed to a plank, he would have been this happy...i suppose hitler was this happy when he thought he might win the war...maybe death is this happy when he claims another soul at the age of 30...but not many others.

wii is very cool. no one can deny this.

until of course you lose your first match of tennis to a pro bitch called helen who keeps doing these bloody curly shots that i can't work out how to do.

but aside from that...love it. zelda is once again the centre of my life. it has happened with ocarina of time, then with wind waker, and now with twilight princess (i missed majora's mask, but i blame uni and a lack of TV for that). the really interesting this about this last sentence is that it makes absolutely no sense to the ordinary educated individual, but means the world to anyone who has maintained the faith in the holiness of nintendo over the years (put your hands in the air my brothers and sisters and SING!).

so, to stop ranting and get back on track, as katherine said i am just a little bit excited. as sharim pointed out, we have officially had our first wii party and there was goodness all around. i look forward to the next. we just have to wait for more people to get wii, and then once online play comes into the action (metroid prime 3, i am counting on you to resolve the FPS issue for wii after red steel cocked up so badly), life will be great.

on more mundane issues, the head of some world AIDS body was recently quoted in the press as saying that circumcised men in africa had a lower risk of contracting AIDS. the name of this notable individual....Dr Kevin De Cock. HA! now that is something worth laughing at.

peace out kiddies.

Celebrations

2006-12-16T19:06:00.000+10:00

Well, it seems to be 'that time of the year', where celebrations are happening every time you turn around, and with Christmas fast approaching, why the hell not?! And it would seem we too have plenty to celebrate:

1) The purchase of our new Wii gaming system - Andrew seems to be celebrating this purchase more than me. In fact I can hear him celebrating it right now ('wow' goes the tennis crowd as he stuns them with his amazing moves)

2) There is only 1 week until Christmas, presents, and lots of good food :)

3) A magazine has bought two more of my images! Yay! This means more exposure, and more money :)

4) Only 3 weeks until I find out whether I have gotten into my uni course (the anticipation is killing me!!)

5) I am going great guns on a new writing project I am REALLY enjoying. In fact I am having a ball, which is a great feeling. And I have broken my own record in attempting to write a novel. I usually get scared off by the size of the project and stall on an idea only several chapters in. But after going to some workshops and with the support of my writing buddy Jules, I am 10 chapters and 7000 words into it, with plenty of ideas and energy left to continue. Definitely worth celebrating!

6) I got to open my first Christmas present today!! Andrew allowed me to have an early present while we were putting up the Christmas tree. Each year we get each other some new ornaments for our tree (a tradition started by my family when Scott and I were wee little things), and Andrew bought us an incredibly beautiful and elegant set of archangels designed by Georg Jensen:

Hope everyone has a great Christmas! I personally am looking forward to some quiet time in Mackay (spent indulging in Summer fruits, catching up with family and strolling along the beach) and a few days off with my Nandy :)

I'm going to go now to try to convince Nandy to stop neglecting our blog, and to leave the Wii for half an hour to post a blog about it. What a slacker!

Squish out

Back into it

2006-11-27T10:22:00.000+10:00

What is it with the end of the year that makes the world seem to slow and suddenly everything gets so much harder? Work is becoming excrutiatingly painful (ie. very busy), and I am impatient to enter the new year and hopefully new work, new study and new opportunities. But - I will just have to wait and see! I've never been very good at waiting (Andrew will give me eyes that say "Really?", dripping with sarcasm, when he reads this)

I have pretty much had a week off from my writing / illustration stuff because I have been absolutely exhausted. Also Mum and Michael were down this weekend (hi guys - hope you got home safely!) so it was good to take some time off and catch up with family. Lucky for me I also get to spend Christmas with them! And I just found out that my Aunt, Uncle and cousin will be in Mackay for Christmas! I am SO excited! We never get to have big family Christmases, so this will be new to me :)

Unfortunately I don't get to spend Christmas with my Nandy though, which I am feeling very down in the dumps about. :( Poor Nandy is working, so he'll be stuck in Brissy. I fear this will be our lives, at least for the next few years while medicine rules when we get to see each other.

Well, I am slowly easing my way back into writing / illustrating after my week off. I have recently sent of a bunch of my writing projects, so I now have a clean slate to work on one of my more recent ideas. I'm also playing with a new illustration style that is possibly more me than anything I've done yet (ie. I style I played with all through school but have only just rediscovered) so if you want to check it out I've posted a few images on 'Liquorice Allsorts'. I also submitted of a couple more small images to the mag that bought my images last time - wish me luck!

Squish out

Bumbley Deadline

2006-11-17T22:45:00.000+10:00

Well, I am close to my self-imposed deadline for sending off my Bumbley-Bear project. Enforced deadlines are a good thing, as it makes me work harder! So I have put the dummy book together, am making some small adjustments to the text (thanks Jules!!) and have been attempting to put together some colour samples. I'm still not quite happy with the result, but have posted my latest attempt on Bumbley's site if you want to check it out. It might have to do if I want to stick to my deadline!!

If only I could wait until next year when I am studying, when I would not only have access to better technology, but also a better knowledge of how to use it!

Oh well, the experiments will just have to go on. I am slowly learning.

Squish out.

the ape people are coming...

2006-11-06T21:24:00.000+10:00

and i for one will welcome our new overlords. (excuse me the blatant simpson's rip-off)

the reason for my overwhelming joy is the fact that yoshimoto nara is my new excessively worshipped deity of the week (those of you who are aware of my religious pursuasions will enjoy the irony there). the reason...just because. i love pop art, and i have to say that nara is one of the greatest exponents of this particular element of total cool-ness that i would love to hang on the dark brick walls of my as yet non-existent warehouse apartment. enjoy the accusatory stares of these cute little kiddies with their gorillaish miens.

but on to more mundane matters...

...well, to be perfectly honest, this is probably the single greatest moment of the last couple of months (wooo....hate to build stuff up too much): i have officially pre-ordered some wii with a bit of lovin' from the finest game franchise on the face of the planet. in otherwords, wii + zelda arrives Dec 7 and I will be there, with bells on, even though it is a thursday night (i suppose i could pick it up after "work" - note that the inverted commas are deliberate and meaningful). i love you ninty, with all my black shrivelled heart. lub-dub and wotnot.

well, best be off to bed like the demented old granny that i am. work tomorrow and all that. which of course is yet one more wonderful ironic sub-plot in my otherwise dead life (now there is an interesting oxymoron born of by attempts at overly descriptive writing), given that my day job at the moment seems to be keeping all the (cheerfully) demented little grannies in line while they wait for their nursing home beds. you know who you are ladies.

rock on. peace out.
pandy

Bumbling Along

2006-11-05T07:23:00.000+10:00

Just another update on my illustrations.

Monsieur Bumbley-Bear now officially has his own story. This developed because Penguin has recently launched a new series called the 'Puffin Baby Series', and have put out a call looking for submissions from illustrators who are also interested in writing their own stories. The story is to be very simple (minimal words) and aimed at preschoolers.

With the push of a good writing friend (Julie - what would I do without you?!) I have been developing Bumbley-Bear. Penguin requests submission of: the manuscript, a dummy book, character sketches and a finished colour piece. So, I have a lot of work to do!

So far I have been doing a lot of sketching in developing the dummy book, and have made a linked bumbley-bear blog (under the 'Illustrations' heading to the right) to post the pictures on. I hope to do some colour tests next week, so will keep the blog updated with my progress.

Squish out.

Stress and Insanity

2006-10-22T19:36:00.000+10:00

Ok, so as my poor dear Andrew is already painfully aware - I am naturally an incredibly anxious person. Not something people may be very aware of, as I am told I do not tend to show it outwardly. I guess Andrew and Mum tend to bear the brunt of it!

So, due to my anxious predisposition and current circumstances, I am incredibly stressed. Not something I cope well with unfortunately.

The lady at work that I share my caseloads with has resigned, and due to circumstances beyond our control (including incompetent admin staff) we will not get a replacement for at least 2months. So, during that time I am now officially doing two people's jobs. Not good for stress levels.

(Can I make an ironic annotation? - the spell check did not have the word 'caseloads' in its dictionary, and suggested the word 'casualties'!!! Not far from the truth at present...)

I am also judging a competition for the QLD Cancer Fund, which involves reading through 65 teens' experiences with cancer (many of whom have lost a parent or sibling to cancer) and trying to judge who deserves an award. When I was asked to be a judge I was actually quite honored, however I am finding it quite a harrowing and stressful thing to do. Trying to distinguish between these kids' experiences is horrible. I actually feel quite cruel deciding who should get an award over others.

On top of that I am taking on too many things, with so little time in which to do them. I am now writing book reviews for the QLD Writer's Centre magazine, as well as having about 4 major writing projects on the go and trying to develop my portfolio. A recipe for disaster if you ask me! Unfortunately I seem to work better when I have more commitments, however stress levels are currently a little too high for my liking!

But, enough about me. Following are some photos of Andrew finding creative and yet slightly insane ways of coping with his possum's stress:

If only we all had a rabbit to help us with our stress.

Wouldn't we all then be a little more relaxed? (with the unfortunate side-effect of an increase in insanity due to everyone talking to toy rabbits....a worthy sacrifice if you ask me)

Squish out

Bumbley-Bear

2006-10-15T13:59:00.000+10:00

Ok - so I did this drawing this morning, of a rather funny looking bear, and in order for the picture to make sense I need to explain the whole 'Squish Rabbit' concept, because this bear has become a part of Squish's story. Now remember, this IS a kids story, so just bear with me... (no pun intended)

So, there's this rabbit called Squish who lives in a forrest with his cat. Squish owns a pair of spectacular stripy socks, but unbeknownst to him, they are magic socks. In the first story Squish discovers this because while the socks are hanging on the line, a butterfly flies in and a 'something else' flies out. I have a few other story concepts also but will not bore you with the details.

So, last night in bed I was talking about bumbley-bees (because I am Katherine and that's what I do) and Andrew in his half sleepy state suggested that maybe a bee could fly into the magic socks and a bear would come out. I woke up this morning with a very clear image in my head so got to drawing it. When Andrew came back from his run, he looked at my drawings and responded "Wow - where did that come from" !!! What a dork! He'd completely forgotten that he came up with the initial idea!

So, together we created the bumbley-bear. I've posted it on my 'Liquorice Allsorts' blog if you want to check it out :)

Squish out

New Blogs

2006-10-08T19:34:00.000+10:00

Well, I promised I would create some new blogs in which to start organising my images, and I have followed through. It may have taken me longer than promised, and I may or may not have had to make some compromises along the way, but it is done. NOTE: No animals were harmed during the making of these blogs.

SO - if you look to the right of the screen there is a heading 'illustrations' where you will find some of my images. In 'liquorice allsorts' you'll just find a bunch of random images (ie. Katherine didn't feel like doing housework so she drew something instead). The other headings will link to more specific projects. The only one there at present is 'Squish Rabbit', which is one of my picture book ideas. In there are the 3 images the magazine bought if you want to check them out.

I will (hopefully) keep updating them as I go along. When I get some more time I'll post some more images. It's all very much 'in progress' at present (ie. Katherine is tired of staring at the computer screen and needs a break) so bear with me.

You know it's time for a break when you start talking about yourself in 3rd person...

Andrew and I are off to Byron tomorrow, so more when we get back.

Squish out

Good News

2006-10-04T16:03:00.000+10:00

Well, I got some good news today. About a week ago I submitted 4 images to a magazine, and they wrote back today to say they'd like to purchase 3 of them! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to see them in print!

It's a subscription only magazine, so it's not like you'll find it anywhere in the shops, but it's a world wide magazine.

And, I get paid! Pretty good considering they were just some small sketches I did while developing a few characters / scenes for a book. It suddenly makes it all feel a bit more real. It's kind of a small bit of permission to keep trying and dreaming. It's also something that has made me feel I have made the right choice in returning to uni.

I have decided I am going to set-up a new linked blog to post some of my images / work. I'll work on it over the next few days, so when I get that up and going I'll post the images that the magazine bought.

I'm going off now to float along on my little cloud, and savour the high while it lasts...

Squish out.

Got to give me credit for trying...

2006-10-03T11:07:00.000+10:00

Well, here is my third attempt at using my wacom tablet and new software. Still having a great time but certainly not creating masterpieces! This is a simulated pastel piece:

I'm going to have a go at doing some illustrations for some of the stories I've written and characters I've created. If I don't post them, you'll know they were a disaster :) Wish me luck!

Squish out.

mmmmmmm.....

2006-10-01T17:04:00.000+10:00

hot damn that was some fine pizza.

pandy out.

The righteous indignation of the hungry

2006-10-01T16:55:00.000+10:00

I would just like to write in response to a horribly amoral thing I had the misfortune of witnessing today. This goes out to the person (you know who you are mister) who ate my pizza. Yes, I know. It's distressing news.

It all started last night. Some pizza was made. One for each person. Half of each was eaten and the rest was saved for other blissful meals to come. I woke this morning and my pizza was still sitting snugly in the fridge, waiting patiently for dinner that night.

And then I made the fateful decision. To meet a friend out for lunch. On returning home, the guilty was lying in his filthy gluttony, having eaten not only his half of pizza...but also mine.

Oh the grief. Oh the lies and deceit and the rumblings of my poor unsatisfied tummy. He says it was justified. But he knows deep down it was wrong.

We can only hope, dear readers, that karma will get him in the end.

Andrew, I wish you a long life full of indigestion.

Squish out.

Excuses, excuses

2006-09-29T22:25:00.000+10:00

Alright, the first thing I need to do is make some serious excuses for not having blogged in such a long time. I'm honestly feeling a little bit sheepish. Sorry dear blog for neglecting you so. I have returned with renewed faith :)

So - what are these valid excuses for not writing?

Well, first I spent 4 days straight at the Brisbane Writer's Festival, which just blew my mind. A very varied event, where I got to meet lots of new people, learn heaps, and rub shoulders with some of my favourite authors. Very exciting.

Then Nandy and I headed off to Melbourne for 6 nights. Much eating, shopping, eating and walking was done. I return with a renewed wardrobe of things I no longer fit into because I did so much eating. Heh heh.

Now I am back, and I have further indulged in some spending of vast quantities, although this I have been saving for all year. I have finally bought some design technology. So now I find myself with a brand new Wacom Intuos 3 (a tablet for 'drawing' on the computer) and a scanner / printer unit. The possibilities are endless. Now in attempting to become slightly less shy about this whole creative process, I've decided to post my first attempts at using the tablet. My very first attempt was a rough sketch of my toy rabbit Squish:

Pretty sketchy, and very unwieldy! It's initially a little hard to control, and feels very different to using a pencil, but I can see I'll get the hang of it. It becomes quite natural reasonably quickly. Here is my second attempt, a character from a story I'm currently writing. It's a simulated watercolour piece:

Well, still lots of holiday left to continue experimenting and perfecting my craft :) Now that I have a scanner I can scan in all my drawn images, print them out on watercolour paper and paint them as well. Oh the possibilities...

Squish out

two short things...

2006-09-08T21:08:00.000+10:00

the first of whcih is this...because i work so damn hard at the moment, i have decided that in order to relax, i need to revert to the better days of my youth. as such, i have recently downloaded elastomania to the computer at work. however, as in previous posts i have an aversion to sending my hard earned ponies to eastern bloc countries in order to use rather dodgy software that i don't really need, and so i have only found the demo version...damn queensland health and their "inapproriate content" bans on crack and warez sites. anyway, i have since found x-moto , and not dissimilar piece of time wasting wonderment. god bless bored geeks and their fantastic ability to write code to waste my time.

anway, onto the second item of business...

oh my god, but enid blyton never used to be about sex and such. i mean, mr moonface may have been a paedophile, i just don't know, but really, is there any justification for changing the names of those two immortal characters in children's literature, Dick and Fanny. i couldn't believe it, but i read the back of the magic faraway tree in a bookstore the other day, and i find to my horror and disgust that these two beloved, yet inappropriately named characters have been relabelled in some sick american perversion as Rick and Franny. ohmyfuckingodwhatthehellisgoingonhere. what happened to the decidedly camp innocence of the 1960s hey? why can't dick and fanny play together at stick in the mud, the occasional game of pin the tail on the donkey, or just plain old tag.

bugger me.

political correctness and social niceties can kiss my non-existant ass.

yours in frank disgust,

pandy out.

retro funky monkey business and whatnot

2006-09-03T20:39:00.000+10:00

i have been puddling around with sixtyforce recently trying desperately to get my fill of happy nintendo goodness. the reason for this is threefold: 1) my very unpleasant bunny killing friend sharim remains inaccessible by virtue of his and al's constant tripping about the place and their rather full social calender, and as such i am yet to make use of my previously purchased supercard; 2) i am in withdrawal at present whilst i wait for the wii to actually launch so i can get some decent gaming out of my system; and 3) because i know diddy kong racing DS is coming, i just had to engage in a little bit of love with the original. the unfortunate consequence of my actions is that i am now particularly annoyed by the lack of game freeze in the unregistered version, not to mention the fact that registration is $20. now, i know that $20 is not that much, but the principle of the thing is that this is nintendo's greatness that i am talking about, and i really don't feel comfortable shelling out $20 for the priveledge of playing the games that were made great on the n64 on my mac, especially when the games don't run properly (if at all) and also because i fully intend to play them on my DS or the wii (whenever the bloody thing is released).

and so, in desperation i have returned to my old faithful, snes9x. how i have missed the joys of the lost vikings (quite possibly the finest snes game that i ever owned.

rock on nintendo. just hurry the hell up and give me some more love before i put a deposit on a PS3.

pandy out.

i should be the premier

2006-08-30T14:23:00.000+10:00

its true really. i mean look at the moron sitting there right now. he has single handedly and unequivocally fucked the queensland health system, and he still has the gall to sit there feeling all proud of himself and pontificate about the new medical student places that he has created.

i wonder if he ever actually sat down with someone who knows anything at all about medicine or medical education. i wonder if he ever thought that medical students will become doctors, and unless there are more positions available in queensland for doctors, not to mention more training positions, then more medical students is only going to help england and new south wales. has he ever thought about the fact that when medical students become interns, they can only work in hospitals with adequate supervision. has he ever sat down in front of a mirror and thought to himself "my god i am a fully grown dickhead", because he certainly should have by now.

the saddest fact of all however remains the fact that this terminal retard is destined for yet another term in the political fore because the opposition, which disastrously includes a bloody GP of all things (i mean, in all honesty, who ever heard of a GP who could actually manage his own practice, let alone a political career), is such a hopeless bunch of cocks that they will be lucky if they retain the few seats that they have already.

well, that all leaves me with a foul taste in my mouth.

pandy out

despite what you may think

2006-08-28T21:04:00.000+10:00

there are nicer places to have one's finger than inside a glove that is inside a person's...ahem..."bottom hole". not that i am squeamish mind you. it is more a case of have boundaries. for me the boundaries exist somewhere between vomit and arse holes. these are two things that i DO NOT do, under any voluntary circumstances.

whcih of course is something of a quandary given that at present a goodly part of my clinic time is spent reassuring elderly men that no of course there is nothing to worry about please just try to relax while i put my finger were you and i both would rather it is not.

if only i could do my job and still feel like i was doing a complete job without this inevitable part of it. god i hate urology.

what i appreciate most is the fact that no urologist will ever subject himself to the experience that he subjects his patients to. i gather that paying off that expensive automobile is justification for the pokie pokie, whereas given that: a) they know who is going to be doing the pokie pokie to them should they present for said examination of the prostate; and b) they have developed and arse phobia (something akin to an anaphylactic reaction i guess in that previous exposure results in sensitivity to subsequent exposure themselves) based on their daily habits.

so where all of this is going of course is that i cannot wait to finish my urology term, and i would rather appreciate never having to go anywhere near that particular end of a patient again. unless there is a melanoma on it, whcih is of course unlikely.

god i hope that this job starts to pay more really soon. my tolerance for this work is wearing thin. and i have no guarantee of another plastics job next year. crapness in general

bugger it.

pandy out

Brisbane Writer's Festival

2006-08-23T21:01:00.000+10:00

For the first time this year I plan to attend the BWF. It's something I wish I had discovered before now, but I'll just have to be content with attending from now on.

It would seem that each year they run a competition called the 'Write Small' comp, where you have to write a short fiction story of exactly 100 words including the title. Quite a feat. A writing friend challenged me to write one, so after a few different tries (it's actually a lot of fun, although very challenging to communicate so much in so few words) I developed two very different stories to choose between (you can only enter one) . It's judged anonymously, but each year authors and creative writing lecturers tend to short-list / win, so I don't like my chances!! Here is the one I decided to enter:

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Thieves

A misfit of worlds, alone in his den.

Restless hands twitch, a sequence of notes. Grief collects beneath swollen eyes. A young girl’s image, once laughing, now silent.

Lost.

Vengeful mind churning over a town’s betrayal. The scuttle of rats comfort no longer.

Life stole his laughter. “So I will take theirs,” echoes a voice as dank as earthen walls.

Worn pipe clutched in spindly hands. Tapered hat donned, the bells now tolling a minor chord. Emerging from darkness, morning’s light no longer warms his skin. For his first note has pealed, and the children of Hamelin are running.

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Now here is the one Andrew wanted me to enter :)

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Silver Lining

Hester was not a bad man. He donated to charity. Ate well and flossed regularly. Brushed his eye-brows into two firm lines and polished his smile before work. Exercised daily, his bald head shining proudly in the sun as he jiggled down the path.

So when his devoted wife Polly called him a stuffy old sod and ran way with the strongman from the circus, Hester knew it was not going to be a good day. It was all he needed to quit his job, buy a motorcycle and move to Vegas, his eye-brows bristling in the wind.

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Squish out

the perversion of my soul...part 1.

2006-08-21T22:08:00.000+10:00

it begins. there is no stopping it.

i plan to sell my soul to the devil, and then buy it back cheaper on ebay...just like kerry packer did with channel 9. what an inspirational chap. i wonder what kerry packer would have sold on ebay if he hadn't gone arse up. small countries. human lives. his old diana ross CDs. who knows?

anyway, the ebay saga is set to begin. i have used a photo-machine (called a camera by those who don't understand the poetry and music that is in my soul and drives my life) to capture the beauty of my goods, and now i want you to buy them. all of them. ha ha ha.

please continue to wait with baited breath for future updates to the saga. if only i could make this blog do that cool text fading into the distance thing that star wars had...

pandy out.

Look at me, I am God. Look at the size of my luggage

2006-08-21T17:34:00.000+10:00

Anyone who has spoken to us within the last 6 months will know that we have a holiday fast approaching. In fact, I'm pretty sure most will be sick of hearing about it by now. Anyway, nothing too major, but in a few weeks we have 4 weeks off, and are heading to Melbourne to eat, shop and generally spend lots of well earned cash, and then to Byron to tan, eat, shop and generally spend still more well earned cash. In Byron we are staying in an awesome Italian style bed and breakfast. Can't wait!

Anyway, in order to embark on such a trip (considering we have done so little travel together to speak of) we required some decent luggage. Considering we plan for this trip to be one of many, and hope to even head off overseas next year, we decided to 'invest' in some good luggage. Luckily we have a luggage warehouse nearby which was also selling it at a decent price. So here it is - our pride and joy, in all its shiny new glory. Please keep your drool to yourselves.

Squish out.

now the thing about religion...

2006-08-18T23:30:00.000+10:00

...is that i can't stand most of them. there is one in particular (it knows whcih one it is) which dictates to its deranged celebrants that "thou shalt not work on saturday"...apparently this transcends the usual human laziness and desire for weekends to something more, something...religious, dare i say it. now as it happens, myself and my fellow fools who have subjugated ourselves to the whimsy of this particular health system have also signed up to a position that demands that we be available to work shifts on anyday of the week, as required...blah blah blah...

which is of course the reason for this particular rant.

have just commenced a 5 week crash course in wangology 101 (thats urology to those of you in the know)...so its a case of wee wees and prostates up the whazoo...literally. love my job. but beyond my love for fingers up bums and catheters, is my new found detestation of religious excuses for institutionalised laziness justified by means of some particular time most commonly one that i too would like to have off being "god's time" or some other drivel whcih of course means that because the pandy is a godless creature he has no avenue for said institutionally decreed inability to work. now the essence of that dense piece of horrible grammar is that i have to work with a particular nob who by virtue of her closeness to god (and i guess as a corollary of that, my distance from any deity whatsoever, save perhaps for myself ^_^) has decided (and worse than that, apparently had this decision ratified by the powers that be in this particulary beaurocracy) that she does NOT work saturdays. now as we all know, being rational and intelligent (defined as able to read) beings, hospitals don't work without doctors, and that means that some doctors have to work saturdays. this is pretty standard logic.

apparently however, as i have long argued i might add, logic has somehow missed this particulary breed of idol worshipping crazy folk (explains a lot i guess when we all get down to it).

and so, i find myself being forced to work EVERY bloody weekend between now and the end of this horribly penile term.

hooray for religion. causes wars. makes strangers hate each other. means that i have to work every saturday, whilst my "colleague" is engaging in some form of group flagellation or whatever it is that they do together whcih means that there is no way on god's green earth that they could work.

grr.

pandy out

Dear Family

2006-08-14T18:04:00.000+10:00

This is a call out to all my rellies who my dear mother has told me have discovered our blog. You poor souls. I'd really just like to apologise for providing you with such a frightening and possibly unwanted insight into Andrew's and my lives. No excuse really. But if you are reading, and feel like saying something (even if it's just "please be quiet you boring annoying people") then feel free to leave a little comment so I know you've dropped by. Either that or log out NOW and never return to this site - really, it's for your own good.

Well, now that that's said, I have decided to put myself 'out there' and post this little picture I created when designing my letter-head. I'm currently having a writing 'lull', and am going through more of an arty / illustrating phase. So, if I'm feeling brave, I might post some more pictures along the way.

Must off to cook dinner, make lunch for tomorrow and continue my quest for world peace :)

Squish out

Just for Sharim...

2006-08-09T18:02:00.000+10:00

Well, this is for a friend who was complaining that there is 'too much to read' on our blog (code for: we are boring people and very little of interest happens in our sheltered lives) and 'not enough pictures' (code for: we are so hot the public demand that we post more photos of our gorgeous selves). So, due to popular demand, here is a picture. I apologise to our adoring fans - it is not of us :)

It is a picture I took in Mackay when I was there earlier in the year, and captures the beautiful serenity of the place. The little mangrove pushing up through the sand reminds me of a school biology project 3 friends and I did where we had to collect mangrove specimens. We were pushing through the thick mangroves, mud up to our knees, and making riotous sounds in order to scare off the crocodiles whose tracks we kept finding on the sand banks. Now that I think of it, we're lucky to be here today. Katherine 1, Crocodiles 0.

That said - you'll never get me near mangroves again.

Squish out

All things cute and fluffy

2006-08-09T17:34:00.000+10:00

Not really sure about the title of my blog today. Am just feeling rather chirpy. After a considerably BAD week at work last week (which I wont force you all to endure through my retelling) I have come through the fog and am now basking in the warmth at the other end. ie. I am having a better week.

In most part, I think it is due to my decision to return to uni to do some more study. Initially I was paralyzed with fear and uncertainty, but it would seem I have also emerged from that fog, and am currently extremely excited and focused (Andrew might argue with this point, as he has to endure my shifting moods!). I have to put in my application by the end of next month, and then only find out if I've been accepted in early January. What a painfully long time to wait.

Been doing lots of writing lately and entering a few competitions within the Brisbane Writer's Festival. Am also attending a children's writing and illustrating conference in September which I'm really looking forward to - more chances to learn and network and indulge in my fantasies of one day becoming a real 'author' rather than just a 'writer'.

Had another interesting dream the other night. My dreams tend to fuel my writing which is why I just thought of it. This dream is only slightly unsettling, but really kind of nice. I might use the idea in a story, but I'm not sure how yet. Enjoy!

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I was sitting in a coffee shop, and overheard a conversation between two men at the table beside mine. One man was telling his friend that each morning he woke to find stitching winding its way across whatever shirt he had worn to bed that night. He was pointing to his shirt, and I looked across to see thick uneven stitching crawling across it in two diagonal strokes, forming a cross over his chest. It looked like thick red wool, wound with a thinner blue thread. Seeing this, I got a sudden flash of a young girl (maybe 6) with sandy hair, playing in a field in a white dress. Prompted by a sudden urge, I leant across to the man and said, "Your daughter is going to die, and she is trying to mend your heart."

The two men just stared at me, open mouthed. The friend finally said to me, "His daughter died a few weeks ago."

As he said this, I realised that the death of this man's daughter had broken his heart, and that the spirit of his young daughter was returning each night and attempting (in her child like way) to mend it.

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Squish out

oh the anguish you poor people must suffer

2006-08-03T17:29:00.000+10:00

well, the unthinkable has happened. i have actually lost my ability to communicate (or dictate as it were) to the rest of humanity my wishes and desires and greater commands. ha.

it has been threatened before, but this is in fact the first occurrence of such a tragedy. in the past i have become croaky, or perhaps just a little bit sexier (sometimes i can actually sing like barry white and pretend for a while that i am a little white guy - its a little bit like michael jackson in reverse)...but as of yesterday afternoon, i have lost my voice. totally. i am reduced to the pathetic whimpering and whispering of a lost soul unable to articulate beyond simple gestures and and an overwhelming sense of self pity. its horrible i tell you. this has never happened to me before, and now that it has, i find it a strangely dichotomous situation...on the one figurative hand i now have an excuse to a) ignore people and b) not talk to people, both without simply coming across as arrogant and superior (^_^). this is nice. and definitely a plus in certain situations. i don't have the ability to make phone calls, so i simply don't return my pages. its brilliant! however, would also say that the inability to communicate the desires and dictates of my superior intellect is frustrating.

anyway, also strangely feverish, rather headachey, sorely throated and particularly grumpy. grr. so left work early today, and not entirely sure if will be going tomorrow given my current state of unhealth. first time i have taken sick leave. ever. another new experience. not one i like much either given the distinct lack of overtime when it comes to sick leave, but i suppose better to be healthy before i go back to work rather than sick, grumpy, and liable to make mistakes, not to mention unable to ask for anything. i can see it now...patient arrensting, and i can't even yell "clear!" before i shock them. now that would be worth seeing.

anyway, think an early night is in order. sleep good.

pandy out.

the only people who use hammers...

2006-08-01T20:00:00.000+10:00

...are the ones who are too stupid to realise that the hole is round and the peg is square.

the analogy in this instance relates wholly and solely to orthopaedics and orthopaedic registrars...bunch of dickheads that they are. i have been stuck in this bloody unit for 3 weeks two days and i cannot wait to get out. once more i am confined with a bunch of morons with egos as big as the hammers that they swing when they pretend to do surgery, and i am reminded of nothing so pathetic as high school jocks and their problems with tinea, who walked around school scratching them selves and generally being impressed at how itchy they were in the groin region.

arrrggghh. it is hard to express my contempt for this breed of jerk without resorting to inarticulate strings of expletives and contemptuous stares of disgust that i might otherwise reserve for unionists.

but moving on...i can't say that disdain for these tools is the only thing driving my world at present. there is of course that great boon to my existence (not to mention my waning sanity) of my impending holiday. in approximately 6 weeks 3 days i will be at the precipice of a 5 weeks descent into the bliss of nothavingtoworkanymoreatleastuntilsometimeinoctober and i could safely say that i am rather looking forward to it. of course the impending tax refund that is the joy of those who have begun full time work halfway through any given financial year is the financial backbone of my intended expenditures whilst holidaying...so let us pray to the gods of taxation that they are feeling beneficient this year.

rant over
pandy out

who wants to be normal anyway?

2006-07-23T15:46:00.000+10:00

this is really in response to something that katherine said a few posts back.

The adjuration to be "normal" seems shockingly repellent to me; I see neither hope nor comfort in sinking to that low level. I think it is ignorance that makes people think of abnormality only with horror and allows them to remain undismayed at the proximity of "normal" to average and mediocre. For surely anyone who achieves anything is, essentially, abnormal.
-- Dr. Karl Menninger, "The Human Mind", 1930

have been thinking about normal for some time now - mainly because some one else remarked to me that maybe my contrary nature is all an elaborate ruse to set myself apart from the slowly seething mass of mobile meat that constitutes the people we must associate with every day.

perhaps then this is my way of ensuring that amongst a group of individuals who contend that they are one of society's more intelligent groups, i am able to stand apart and feel comfortable in the fact that i have something unique to offer, whilst not necessarily ascending to the breezy heights of intellectual superiority. although, perhaps in my contrariness, i would in fact subtly suggest that the breezy seat is mine by rights.

ha ha.

pandy out.

I get by with a little help from my friends...

2006-07-22T19:50:00.000+10:00

Heh heh. Yes well, we always knew I had a pretty wild imagination, but this image might just come close to what the world looks like to me. Crazy little monsters play and wild looking rabbits with stripy socks roam.

No, seriously - this is my first real attempt at editing an image, so thought I would post it. Please be gentle. Am about to enter some of my writing on NOISE (which I think I mentioned previously) and will use this as my profile picture.

Also - have been looking into returning to uni to do some study next year. Completely unrelated to my current degree - I'm hoping to do a design course at Griffith College of Art. Very exciting but also overwhelmingly frightening. It's scary because I would not only have to try and find a job flexible enough to allow me to do my uni hours, but would also be with a bunch of very talented creative young people which could be quite intimidating. But, it is what I want to do and what I have always known I would eventually do, so I have to take the plunge sometime right? My poor patient Nandy. He has had to deal with my despondency all day, where I have been fretting along the lines of "what if I can't find a job?" and "what if I'm no good?" etc .etc.

But, here I am, after he dragged me through it, and luckily I am on an up again. I know it is going to be so much fun and I'm really excited about everything I am going to learn and about where this is going to lead me. It's certainly a way of getting closer to my aspirations of illustrator. Fingers crossed.

Squish out

My crazy mind

2006-07-18T20:32:00.000+10:00

I had a dream last night which I thought I might post. I must warn you, my dreams are not for the faint hearted. They are often quite twisted and a bit disturbing, and have been compared to David Lynch films (by Brian "Kittens don't play football", for all those college people). This one is not too out there (compared to some of my others) so probably a good place to start so as not to freak people out completely. Anyway, here goes:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I was 12 years old, and home with my many younger brothers and sisters. A sudden dark surge of premonition crept over me, and the world bleached of light. A need to leave the house grabbed me, and I gathered up my brothers and sisters and headed for the door. We hurried through the rain, me carrying my baby sister, holding the hand of my little brother, two siblings holding my jumper behind me and one trailing in the rear. We could feel a dark presence creeping closer, urging us onwards, our pace quickening with urgency. I could feel it gaining on us, and knew that we would not make it unless I made a very hard and brutal choice.

This choice was almost a primal decision for survival. I knew if I did not sacrifice some, we all would die. The baby was slowing my pace significantly, so finding an empty water trough sheltered under another trough, I slipped her into the dark dankness of it’s rotting wood. I hoped that when I returned she would still be there, but knew that the cold chill of the night would claim her.

As we ran, another of the children fell behind, too small and weak to carry on. Finally, ahead I saw a light illuminating a house. I knew it was a safe place, and saw that many people had gathered inside. As we went in, I was struck with recognition. This house was my childhood home. I went up to a tall, rough looking older man, and asked him if he had seen my mother. He looked at me with a disturbing curl of sympathy and concern, and told me I should look in a cabinet crouched in the corner. It was an old dark wooden thing, and opening it I discovered some old photos I recognised as childhood pictures. As I looked at the pictures of Mum and I, I realised that Mum was missing from some of them, and was slowly fading from others.

In horror, I dropped the photos from my hands, and fled from the house. A sudden urge to check on the infant I left behind drove me through the rain. Flailing through the dark, I found the trough, but was too frightened to look at her in fear she had died and I would have to live with that blame and burden. Instead I decided to reach my hand in too feel her foot, in search of either the warmth of life or the clamminess of death. Her foot was cold but strangely hard, and what I pulled from the trough was an ancient worn porcelain doll with empty eyes. My mind reeled in horror at the thought that my baby sister had turned into this soulless doll. And yet at the same time I realised that she had never been real, just like the mother of my mind.

As I looked into those empty eyes, my whole world crashed around me as I realised that nothing that I knew was real.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, will you all still talk to me? Please? Don't lock me up, I really am normal. Who defines what normal is anyway? Off to bed now. Sleep well. Sweet dreams...

Possum out

Playing it cool

2006-07-17T17:04:00.000+10:00

Ever met someone you really admire, and have to actively work at not making an arse of yourself or coming across all gushy and stalker like? Well, that was me on Saturday. I had a workshop on writing for young adults with Isobelle Carmody, a writer whose books I have been reading since I was 13 years old. It was fantastic, and, as has been the case for all writer's I've met so far, she was so lovely and grounded and inspiring. I never imagined a day where Isobelle Carmody would be talking to me like a colleague and even request to see my work (she gave me her address! Now I can be a stalker!). Wow. Very very cool.

Also had yum-cha on the weekend with two of our favourite people in the world. Andrew and I are such amateurs, and if it wasn't for Al and Sharim we would have ended up ordering all sorts of odd and frightening food. Luckily, they were there to guide us through the process (thanks guys!). We also created some happy yum-cha memories - unlike the last time we ate there, where we watched horrified as a bub at our table viscously killed its pork-bun (ie. smashed it on the table) before consuming it. And even then most of it ended up on the floor. And I wont even go into the mango crepe fiasco...

Am currently working on a profile to send into NOISE, a website that profiles young 'artists' (some are questionable talents). When you apply you are also entered into the Spirit Of Youth Awards, where you can win travel fares and grants for workshops etc. I have to send in a 'photo', but it can pretty much be anything you've created, so am working on something at the moment and will post it when it's done and if it's not atrociously amateurish. Also, if they profile me on the website I will add the link to this site.

Must off. As I'm sure you all know I'm very busy and important.

Squish out

it's not that i'm boring, it's just that i haven't got much to say

2006-07-11T20:09:00.000+10:00

well, we tried. we can say that much at least.

we actually went to a "party" - good god, i feel like i'm back at college already. in actuality, it was an old friend's engagement "piss-up" - not quite the student type get-a-goon-bag-and-drink-until-you-fall-into-the-garden of party, but something we like to think was a little more sophisticated. by whcih i mean, the people were older and one of them was getting married.

but it gets me to thinking: i am a total hermit these days. what with working and eating, i really don't have that much time left. but i am also thinking that the fact that i don't see anyone anymore leaves me with little to say when i actually do catch up with people. and hence the resolution - to socialise more. that is not to say that the junior doctors cocktails is my cup of tea. i can't think of much worse that drunk horny interns and residents, except perhaps if nurses are added to the mix ( my sincere apologies to all the nurses i know). however, the first step is actually catching up with good friends - and hence, this friday we are having some arse bending curry with adam and dan. which sounds harmless enough, until you consider that i will need to consume a larger than average amount of lager to quench the fire that will no doubt be coursing thru my bowel racing for a rapid exit. one can only hope that the beer wins at the end of the day.

and so i find myself enacting a resolution. to socialise, despite the inconvenience of it all.

no doubt it will last one week before i must down my sword in shameful defeat.

pandy out.

Writing, OTs and Ernest Hemingway

2006-07-04T17:27:00.000+10:00

Well, I attended said workshop (mentioned in my previous blog) and I was like a kid in a candy shop - however I am not rotund, nor have I lost all my teeth to the rotting decay of sugary sweets (...I have never been very good at similis). Anyway - what I was unsuccessfully trying to get at was that the workshop was fantastic. So valuable and worthwhile and [insert positive adjectives here].

Something interesting I discovered last week - it would seem that it is not uncommon for OTs to secretly harbor a deep desire to write children's books. Not only have I recently found out that two other girls at work have covertly written children's books, but at the workshop I ended up sitting next to an OT from a different hospital! All very odd. It made me start to wonder what else OTs get up to in their 'other' lives.....who knows?

I love the quote Nandy posted several blogs ago. Being another fan of quotes, I thought I may counter it with a quote that helps me to stay sane during the creative writing process:

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?"
~ Robert Schuller

I need to recall this quote at least once a day when writing, to push through the paralyzing fears of 'what if it's not good enough?' or 'what if I put all my time / energy / self into this and nothing comes of it?'. Sometimes I think I need to stick this quote to my forehead (and I'm sure poor patient Nandy would whole-heartedly agree). Either that, or I need a good old dose of Ernest Hemingway wisdom:

"All first drafts are shit" :)

Squish out

i want to smash something

2006-07-03T23:07:00.000+10:00

there is not much that i hate more than being proven wrong. i guess the only thing i hate more is when i manage to do it myself. it makes me feel like a goose. honk.

of course, as all ye of much faith knew, my miniSD card arrived today after my trial by fire on ebay. hence my disgruntled nature at present. i have managed to prove myself wrong. there are no speed freak 12 year olds sucking crack out the back of the warehouse from which my goods were dispensed. rather, it would seem that said warehouse is a well ordered machine regularly churning out the fine electronic goods that i know and love.

bugger.

of course, this is not to say that i am a true believer. closer to a reformed agnostic than anything else, but have hope for me and my sould for all may not be lost.

but don't hold your breath.

pandy out

my life is dull and boring.

2006-07-02T21:28:00.000+10:00

sometimes i wonder why i bother writing all of this rubbish on a website that noone will ever read or wonder about apart from the people i call friends and who i will probably talk to about this crap anyway. but then i recall the wise words of kurt vonnegut before he became a senile old one-punchline donkey:

"Nobody will stop you from creating. Do it tonight. Do it tomorrow. That is the way to make your soul grow -- whether there is a market for it or not! The kick of creation is the act of creating, not anything that happens afterward. I would tell all of you reading this page: Before you go to bed, write a four line poem. Make it as good as you can. Don't show it to anybody. Put it where nobody will find it. And you will discover that you have your reward"

this is something that i like to read on the odd occasion when i am dabbling with a writing project, or generally wondering why i try to create anything with something as flimsy and words and letters. it really is a strangely hopeful passage from such a miserable leftie as vonnegut. but no matter.

speaking of friends however, i have finally added a link to the blog of sharim and al, who we are ashamed (heheh) to admit are our only friends. go to their blog, observe the masterful glory of sharim's photography, watch him eat 15 pieces of deep fried death in a bucket (by which i mean KFC), see a photo of me looking "foppish" (great word that...applies only to myself and any other dork wearing a vest), buy their goods.

pandy out

because i am better than most people i know...

2006-06-29T20:37:00.000+10:00

what is with all these crazy people buying everything on ebay. ebay ebay ebay. i hate ebay. not for any real reason apart from i can't stand the thought of hillbillies peddling their junk to all comers something akin to a never-ending saturday morning garage sale hanging out of a crooked carport in the dead end street that we all know exists in the rundown suburbs of whatever city we live in but blissfully pretend don't exist because they are a stain on life as we know it....deep breath in...and exhale

really, i feel better now.

i guess the biggest problem is that on monday i actually bought something off ebay. i still feel dirty.

but back to ebay. so the thing that i bought, a 2GB miniSD card for my DS supercard, is something that is genuinely hard to find in a shop. added to which, they cost more than they should. so i go to ebay at the behest of Sharim who got the damn supercard for me and made the dangerous assumption that i would already have a miniSD card. and there i am looking away, and i find purportedly brand new miniSD cards for half the price of retail, from some warehouse in melbourne that may or may not peddle crack to school kids from the back door. and i see this buyer satisfaction rating of 100%. which must be good, right? so i think to myself, if i am going to lose some cash, at least it isn't too much, and at least if i am the 101st customer who happens to be the first to get ripped off, i know my hard earned dollars are going to a good cause helping 12 year olds get snapped on ice or GBH or something like that.

anyway, a day or two later, i get an email from my supposed benefactor (who call themselves shop xpress) saying that my miniSD is on its way. it hasn't arrived yet, but if it does get here (and as long as there are no drugs hidden in the packaging) i think i will post a picture just to prove that a) it is possible that i am not completely right about ebay, and b) that my brand new miniSD card works to store all of my illegal DS games.

pandy out

Do I have the wardrobe to be an angst ridden writer?

2006-06-29T18:16:00.000+10:00

Weekends of late have been flying by, consumed by the mundane rituals of living (ie. cooking, cleaning, eating and sleeping) with miniscule time left over to actually 'live'. This weekend, however, I get to indulge in my real passion.

I'm attending a workshop with local children's book writer and illustrator Stephen Axelson, and am so exited that if you plugged me in I could well power the Brisbane city lights. I have attended one other workshop through QWC (QLD Writer's Centre), which was run by Sarah Armstrong, another local author, that was on writing your first novel. It was excellent, and she was very down to earth. The workshop was very practical and inspiring, and I came away with some excellent writing tips that I have been using since. If I have the energy and motivation, I will type up my workshop notes and post them on the site, just in case anyone who might be interested stumbles across them.

Well, off to look through some of my stories in preparation for tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Squish out

in the hands of the inept...

2006-06-27T21:21:00.000+10:00

well, having now read one website and the back of the cereal box, i have decided that i deserve the title 'HE-MAN, Master of the Universe and shitty HTML". it really does seem appropriate once you know me.

but onto more important matters. the squish rabbit and myself have been trying to overcome the obvious hurdle of ignorance (plus a relative amount of stupidity) by teaching ourselves sufficient html to actually modify our crappy little piece of the i-n-t-e-r-n-e-t...and in the way of beginners in all things, we are feeling the swell of pride and moronic grandiosity that comes with a small amount of knowledge, before that little bit of extra knowledge whcih gives us perspective and hence allows us to come face to face with our own sense of overwhelming ineptitude.

which brings me to the opening comment.

i have decided that the people who run the world (ie. the pay office at the hospital) are inept. once more they have proven as much by virtue of my never having had a single correct payslip in the whole year. quite a feat really when you consider that they have had some time to actually come to grips with the whole concept of paying me for the hours that i work. but never fear. i am young, healthy, virile (HA!) and up to the challenge. tomorrow i shall call the aforementioned den of iniquity and demand some answers.

you can expect that i shall return tomorrow, tail between legs like the whipped cur that i am, ashamed and defeated. but for the moment, let hope prevail, shake your can of carbonated beverage before you open it, because it is possible that it won't explode.

pandy out.

RIP Phone...

2006-06-26T20:22:00.000+10:00

Well, here I am, sitting in front of a rather blank looking computor screen attemtping to write my first blog while still maintaining my dignity and sounding at least somewhat intelligent. It was never going to work.

Eating scones while trying to type is not recommended.

Hmmm....this week. Well, my phone decided to commit suicide. There was nothing I could do. I didn't mistreat it. Charged its battery regularly. Kept it clean and dry. Fed it, put it to bed, even read it stories. Maybe it was teenage rebelion (it was, after all, 2 years old - quite an age for a mobile). Anyway - its imminent departure forced me to buy another phone, which I couldn't really afford but allowed me to indulge in my love of technology. I really indulged - I now have a shiny beutiful new LG chocolate phone. It is to die for. If I'm feeling particularly showy later I might post a photo of it....

This week we celebrated 6 years since 'Dr Pandy' stole my ugg boots at college and wooed me in a most untraditional way. Oh well - it seems it worked :) We went to an awesome Brissy restaurant called Isis. Definately our favourite place to eat out (on nice occasions). Anyway, it's been a fantastic 6 years with them only getting better as we go - so here's to many more. I'm really lucky to have such a wonderful boy - love ya Nandy!

Well, that's all for now. Lets hope something interesting happens in my typically mundane eat sleep work kind of life (but no more technological suicides - my fragile emotional self could not cope with the trauma)

Squish out

because what i say matters alot to many different people...

2006-06-26T20:17:00.000+10:00

well, here we are at last. blog heaven. my virulent thoughts are now free to roam the electronic aether, weird little nemes latching onto any succulent host brain and replicating like the mad little demonic rabbits that they are, and propagating. in other words, here are my thoughts, feel free to turn away now.

of course, i don't really expect that anyone will be reading much of this rubbish, so i am really just vainly proselytising myself. woo.

but to matters of substance. i suppose that all things must start in the mud and crap of a disorganised life, so choosing now over any other time is irrelevant. and so i ask myself, what important and relevant things have happened this week?

well, iboughtsomepantssomeverynicepantstheyareblackandilikethem
andtheyaremadebypaulsmithwhoisthiscoolenglishguywithlotsofstyle
andstuff...andihavecutsomethingsandsewnsomethingsandnowtheblood
hasbeenwashedfrommyhandsandthatisgoodbecauseredisnotreallymy
colouranditsmellslikeold20centcoins... but beyond all that, not a great deal has happened to me this week. it has been ordinary. plastic surgery is fun. paul smith is cool. these simple tenets are fact and as such indisputable. what more can i say.

it must be said that one other thing has happened this week. it has been 6 years since i was seduced by the squishy one. to celebrate this momentous event, we ate (again) at Isis, quite simply the best food in this horrible little town. so i think that a little bit of pomp and whatnot is in order. huzzah. cheers to you squish.

pandy out.

first blog

2006-06-25T21:03:00.000+10:00

because we are what we are, we have decided that it is only fitting and proper that the first post to little black rabbit be made as a conjoined effort, rather like siamese twins who cannot turn in different directions without causing bodily harm.

DrPandy wants to be a plastic surgeon when he grows up. he likes the thought of doing boob jobs and driving a porche.

Squish wants to be the nicest person in the world and is progressing well in this direction. she also wants to write books for children because she loves them so much. this really is true. she is an occupational therapist by day working in the oncology ward at a children's hospital (which we cannot name for fear of retribution for subsequent ranting, or possibly damnation to hell by the lovely catholics who run the place).

Squish and the Dr live in blessed sin in their little love shack. they hope that one day they will be able to drive a fast car and live in a love mansion, but a shack will have to do for now.

Squish and the Dr love each other very much and hope for world peace one day. really.

Now that Nandy (ie. 'Dr Pandy') has finished his Miss teen USA application (world peace? Come on...) I thought I would take over the keyboard momentarily. I may warn you that our individual postings may be quite...uh...different. As with most good couples, in many ways we are very different, which should make for variable reading on our blog. Anyway, it's late (ie. 9:08 and we're both Nanna's so it's nearly our bed time) so I'll allow you to maintain your innocence for now and force Nandy to log off.

Nandy and Squish out.