After being back from the Northern Territory for about a month now, I am finally doing something with my time again--yay! I must say, that month was agonizing, tortuous even! It is most people's dream to not have to work, to have time to themselves to do whatever it is they want to do. Although I feel like I have hobbies, they're mostly not things I want to spend most of my time doing! I spend a lot of time reading and it's quite an enjoyable past time. However, reading books for eight hours a day doesn't quite work for me. Neither does crocheting, another thing I happen to enjoy though I mostly enjoy doing it while a movie is running in the background, and if I spend all day watching movies, even if I have a scarf or two at the end of the day I will still feel unaccomplished. In the past two years I have also spent much of my free time baking. This is not something I have a problem with except that I have more baked goods than I know how to deal with! Recently I have made gingerbread scones, triple chocolate scones, pumpkin scones, cinnamon oatmeal raisin scones, rosemary butter cookies, macaroons and peanut butter cookies. Surprisingly, I haven't gained any weight, but my roommates really can't eat all of this stuff! And without a workplace to go to or any number of friends willing to give me good feedback (or even better, dinner in return! :) I would end up with stacks and stacks of goodness that went from delicious to stale. I mostly limited myself to baking three times a week...also, I might add that baking isn't exactly an expensive hobby, but it does use up some of the cash which, when jobless, isn't exactly free-flowing. I backtracked to doing a bit of journal ranting, which to be honest was much-needed. When I'm joyfully flowing through life, I don't feel the need to write as much which is a bit silly because the good points of life should be recorded just as much as the bad ones. But I suppose when I'm in the throes of loving life (or more appropriately right now, loving Marcus) I just can't be bothered to pick up pen and paper and try to expound upon all of my joys. It seems more natural to sit and ride them through. Anyway, the journaling was a helpful outlet to the craze inside.
This whole out of work business was also made more difficult with the injured back issue. The back is feeling a lot better, but it's not completely healed. For the first week or two I needed to spend most of my time on my back which didn't allow for doing much of anything. I spent LOTS of time online, but there's only so much you can do online especially with a sometimes faulty internet connection and a computer that's slightly outdated. (Marcus, that is no slam to your computer, it's just the way our old computers work! ;) At least I can use his computer. For some reason when I plug the internet cord into my computer it won't connect. Where is a good IT guy when you need him? I miss the days of bribing IT friends with coffee and cookies... All things considered, there's only so much facebooking to be done and after writing email upon email I got tired of emailing. The best thing I did with my time was reconnect with family and friends on Skype. I got to talk to my sistahs in Portland, who are THE BEST and sent me a kick-ass care package including a cookbook, a cookie scoop, nephew and niece pictures and hand/feet prints, another fun book to be read at my leisure, and chocolate--they also sent me a City of Hillsboro utility bill, which was sweet. That's when you can really tell that someone loves you, they send you their utility bill! (Don't worry Jessi, I'll shred it.) I got to hear all about Jessi having her baby Madison a few weeks ago and got to hear about her birth at home. This lady is a baby-making machine, I've never heard anything like it. Hello, I'm in labor with a child but it's not all that painful so I'll just walk around at home, maybe do some grocery shopping for the guests that are sure to come after I have the baby, and oh, while I'm at it I'll have a baby! On my couch! Oy, that lady seriously amazes me. I also got to hear about Kalisha's latest adventures, which include riding on a tugboat from Hawaii to Alaska for the next two months. We also got to talk about our boys and bond over some relationship parallels, which is nice and something I've missed. I also got to talk to my mom a few times which I haven't done for a long time (certainly too long a time) and I talked to my Peter which was muchly appreciated (especially when he helped me deal with my mini- and not-so-mini-freak-outs and helped me remember things I already know but forget when life gets stressful, which is exactly when I need to remember them). I talked to my Dorita in Peru and I spoke to Vanessa, too, though her microphone wasn't working so she typed back...just a little awkward to be talking to myself, but it was enjoyable all the same. I also got to hear my mama Peruana for little cracks at a time which was fun. All in all, I was able to do a bit of much-needed catching up.
I suppose the time wasn't entirely wasted, but when you can summarize your month in a few paragraphs, it can be a little depressing. :) However, I found out on Friday that I got a job working at the Heart Foundation here in Australia. It's an admin assistant role again and it's only from 9-3, but it has potential to be something better. Well, to start with, I had to interview for the position, which is fine and dandy but it was the LONGEST interview I've ever had. For a temp role! They had at least three pages worth of questions to ask me. I'm also getting a week-long handover from the lady who is currently in the position. I went in for my whopping 9-3 today and I felt as though my day was crawling by. I spent most of my morning reading induction materials while my trainer slowly plunked away at the computer. She's a smart lady, but I don't think she makes herself work in any sort of rapid fashion. I was also a little frustrated that after I told her repeatedly that I was very familiar with Outlook, she proceeded to show me how to add a meeting to a calendar, and to tell me that the two arrows on a meeting meant it was a recurring meeting, etc. etc. At each point I nodded, repeated that I was very familiar with Outlook, and then she would just keep going as though I didn't know what I was talking about. That was a bit annoying, and after a while I just gave up and let her do her job of training me, even if parts of it were entirely redundant. Whatevah.
At one point during the day, she was showing me through the office and that's when I realized they are the organization behind the Jump Rope for Heart program. Well...I have a secret that I don't think I ever told anyone. Maybe I told Jessi or Kalisha at the time, but it's one of those guilty childhood blips in my memory, one of those things I never wanted to tell anyone about. When I was in grade school in Spokane, I signed up to do Jump Rope for Heart. I went around the neighborhood knocking on doors, collecting donations in that cute little kid way and slowly amassing sponsors and cash for the event. Then I wussed out, in total Tina fashion, and didn't actually go to the event. This is fear of the unknown mixed with laziness that to this day will keep me from doing something outside of my comfort zone. And so it happened all those years ago. I wussed out and never went to the event but still ended up with the donation-raising cash. I was too scared to go back to people to return their money (which I knew I should have done but didn't) so I kept it. My guilt money. I know I ended up spending it on candy up at Albertson's or maybe at 7-11 (we gals could really stretch our dollar down there, what with 5 cent Twizzler's sticks, Tootsie Rolls, and Bazooka gum). To this day I still feel bad about it. I think karma is being kind to me on this one and letting me make up for that particular blight on my past by having me do a little bit of temp work. It's funny how life can make roundabouts and end up somewhere you wouldn't have expected--yet it's very linked to something in your past. It's like it was all planned.
There we are on the work front. This 9-3 work hour thing is probably a blessing in disguise, because it gives me time to continue working on my cookie stall idea without the excuse of having been at work ALL DAY and not having enough time and/or energy to spend getting this other part organized. As fate would have it, there's a hospitality store right across the street from my new workplace. After my first day of work today, I went to take a gander at their wares and was happily surprised. I went to hospitality warehouse last week to start pricing and while they had a few items that were fairly priced, they had others that were outrageous. Their cookie scoops, albeit a rarity here in Australia, were $52! Fity two freakin' dollars! Jessi and Kalisha's care package today made me feel much better about not having to pay that much for flippin' cookie scoops, but I was appalled. It's like they're making the customer pay for importing costs of each individual scoop. If I ordered that on Amazon it would probably cost me the same price. Maybe less... At the store today I found some scoops for $30 or $40 ish which was better. I also found some cheapie cake stands that will work for the beginning of my enterprise. I'd really like to find some second hand and random antique cake stands to use but I can't say I've found an abundance of those either online or in second hand and antique shops. Fingers crossed, though, and you know I'll be diligent with my looking. It doesn't hurt that we have an antique shop half a block from our house. Handy. My first attempt at selling my baked goods is coming up this Saturday. One of our friends has arranged a lane party (a garage sale of sorts for those lacking garages but having an abundance of back lane) where a bunch of our friends will be selling second-hand goods and home-made wares, complete with a sausage sizzle to raise money for our comedic friend's attempts at eliciting giggles from the Melbourne crowds not to mention live and turn table music from an eternally happy pal. And, of course, my own attempts at scones and cookies. If nothing else, it will be a lot of fun to get together with friends and spend the day in the sun (hopefully there's sun!) but we'll be trying to draw the crowds with chalk arrows on the ground and I know one of us will have to put together some posters for added direction. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!
We also went to another marketplace on Sunday--an organic farmer's market. It's only 15 minutes' drive away from us and it was a quaint little market. Smaller than the market I'd like to be in (stupid David still won't call me back, an email and three voicemails later) and a more expensive entry cost, but my product is quite unique and I think this new market would have a very laid-back environment. Fewer fashionistas and college kids, more families and down-to-earth people (on the downside, there were quite a few children with a sense of entitlement pushing around the adults in the place with their doll strollers and curious hands). But it looks doable. We shall see, I'm going to start the supply investment starting with those good ol' cake stands. And maybe a few mixing bowls since mine didn't make it to Sydney from Portland.
Also, as for more fun reads to continue from my past blog about books (and thanks Cindy for that facebook classic reads forward, that was great!), here are a few of my latest:
This whole out of work business was also made more difficult with the injured back issue. The back is feeling a lot better, but it's not completely healed. For the first week or two I needed to spend most of my time on my back which didn't allow for doing much of anything. I spent LOTS of time online, but there's only so much you can do online especially with a sometimes faulty internet connection and a computer that's slightly outdated. (Marcus, that is no slam to your computer, it's just the way our old computers work! ;) At least I can use his computer. For some reason when I plug the internet cord into my computer it won't connect. Where is a good IT guy when you need him? I miss the days of bribing IT friends with coffee and cookies... All things considered, there's only so much facebooking to be done and after writing email upon email I got tired of emailing. The best thing I did with my time was reconnect with family and friends on Skype. I got to talk to my sistahs in Portland, who are THE BEST and sent me a kick-ass care package including a cookbook, a cookie scoop, nephew and niece pictures and hand/feet prints, another fun book to be read at my leisure, and chocolate--they also sent me a City of Hillsboro utility bill, which was sweet. That's when you can really tell that someone loves you, they send you their utility bill! (Don't worry Jessi, I'll shred it.) I got to hear all about Jessi having her baby Madison a few weeks ago and got to hear about her birth at home. This lady is a baby-making machine, I've never heard anything like it. Hello, I'm in labor with a child but it's not all that painful so I'll just walk around at home, maybe do some grocery shopping for the guests that are sure to come after I have the baby, and oh, while I'm at it I'll have a baby! On my couch! Oy, that lady seriously amazes me. I also got to hear about Kalisha's latest adventures, which include riding on a tugboat from Hawaii to Alaska for the next two months. We also got to talk about our boys and bond over some relationship parallels, which is nice and something I've missed. I also got to talk to my mom a few times which I haven't done for a long time (certainly too long a time) and I talked to my Peter which was muchly appreciated (especially when he helped me deal with my mini- and not-so-mini-freak-outs and helped me remember things I already know but forget when life gets stressful, which is exactly when I need to remember them). I talked to my Dorita in Peru and I spoke to Vanessa, too, though her microphone wasn't working so she typed back...just a little awkward to be talking to myself, but it was enjoyable all the same. I also got to hear my mama Peruana for little cracks at a time which was fun. All in all, I was able to do a bit of much-needed catching up.
I suppose the time wasn't entirely wasted, but when you can summarize your month in a few paragraphs, it can be a little depressing. :) However, I found out on Friday that I got a job working at the Heart Foundation here in Australia. It's an admin assistant role again and it's only from 9-3, but it has potential to be something better. Well, to start with, I had to interview for the position, which is fine and dandy but it was the LONGEST interview I've ever had. For a temp role! They had at least three pages worth of questions to ask me. I'm also getting a week-long handover from the lady who is currently in the position. I went in for my whopping 9-3 today and I felt as though my day was crawling by. I spent most of my morning reading induction materials while my trainer slowly plunked away at the computer. She's a smart lady, but I don't think she makes herself work in any sort of rapid fashion. I was also a little frustrated that after I told her repeatedly that I was very familiar with Outlook, she proceeded to show me how to add a meeting to a calendar, and to tell me that the two arrows on a meeting meant it was a recurring meeting, etc. etc. At each point I nodded, repeated that I was very familiar with Outlook, and then she would just keep going as though I didn't know what I was talking about. That was a bit annoying, and after a while I just gave up and let her do her job of training me, even if parts of it were entirely redundant. Whatevah.
At one point during the day, she was showing me through the office and that's when I realized they are the organization behind the Jump Rope for Heart program. Well...I have a secret that I don't think I ever told anyone. Maybe I told Jessi or Kalisha at the time, but it's one of those guilty childhood blips in my memory, one of those things I never wanted to tell anyone about. When I was in grade school in Spokane, I signed up to do Jump Rope for Heart. I went around the neighborhood knocking on doors, collecting donations in that cute little kid way and slowly amassing sponsors and cash for the event. Then I wussed out, in total Tina fashion, and didn't actually go to the event. This is fear of the unknown mixed with laziness that to this day will keep me from doing something outside of my comfort zone. And so it happened all those years ago. I wussed out and never went to the event but still ended up with the donation-raising cash. I was too scared to go back to people to return their money (which I knew I should have done but didn't) so I kept it. My guilt money. I know I ended up spending it on candy up at Albertson's or maybe at 7-11 (we gals could really stretch our dollar down there, what with 5 cent Twizzler's sticks, Tootsie Rolls, and Bazooka gum). To this day I still feel bad about it. I think karma is being kind to me on this one and letting me make up for that particular blight on my past by having me do a little bit of temp work. It's funny how life can make roundabouts and end up somewhere you wouldn't have expected--yet it's very linked to something in your past. It's like it was all planned.
There we are on the work front. This 9-3 work hour thing is probably a blessing in disguise, because it gives me time to continue working on my cookie stall idea without the excuse of having been at work ALL DAY and not having enough time and/or energy to spend getting this other part organized. As fate would have it, there's a hospitality store right across the street from my new workplace. After my first day of work today, I went to take a gander at their wares and was happily surprised. I went to hospitality warehouse last week to start pricing and while they had a few items that were fairly priced, they had others that were outrageous. Their cookie scoops, albeit a rarity here in Australia, were $52! Fity two freakin' dollars! Jessi and Kalisha's care package today made me feel much better about not having to pay that much for flippin' cookie scoops, but I was appalled. It's like they're making the customer pay for importing costs of each individual scoop. If I ordered that on Amazon it would probably cost me the same price. Maybe less... At the store today I found some scoops for $30 or $40 ish which was better. I also found some cheapie cake stands that will work for the beginning of my enterprise. I'd really like to find some second hand and random antique cake stands to use but I can't say I've found an abundance of those either online or in second hand and antique shops. Fingers crossed, though, and you know I'll be diligent with my looking. It doesn't hurt that we have an antique shop half a block from our house. Handy. My first attempt at selling my baked goods is coming up this Saturday. One of our friends has arranged a lane party (a garage sale of sorts for those lacking garages but having an abundance of back lane) where a bunch of our friends will be selling second-hand goods and home-made wares, complete with a sausage sizzle to raise money for our comedic friend's attempts at eliciting giggles from the Melbourne crowds not to mention live and turn table music from an eternally happy pal. And, of course, my own attempts at scones and cookies. If nothing else, it will be a lot of fun to get together with friends and spend the day in the sun (hopefully there's sun!) but we'll be trying to draw the crowds with chalk arrows on the ground and I know one of us will have to put together some posters for added direction. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!
We also went to another marketplace on Sunday--an organic farmer's market. It's only 15 minutes' drive away from us and it was a quaint little market. Smaller than the market I'd like to be in (stupid David still won't call me back, an email and three voicemails later) and a more expensive entry cost, but my product is quite unique and I think this new market would have a very laid-back environment. Fewer fashionistas and college kids, more families and down-to-earth people (on the downside, there were quite a few children with a sense of entitlement pushing around the adults in the place with their doll strollers and curious hands). But it looks doable. We shall see, I'm going to start the supply investment starting with those good ol' cake stands. And maybe a few mixing bowls since mine didn't make it to Sydney from Portland.
Also, as for more fun reads to continue from my past blog about books (and thanks Cindy for that facebook classic reads forward, that was great!), here are a few of my latest:
- currently reading "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, which is a fantasy story surrounding the Sword in the Stone events, King Arthur and the round table, etc. I didn't think I'd like it much, but am quite drawn in
- just finished a "Tale of Two Cities". I normally seem to think I like Dickens a lot, but the first half of the book made me doubt. The second half made up for it and naturally everything ties in together which makes all of the first half relevent and I must say I did very much enjoy that second half
- read Bram Stoker's "Dracula" while we were in the Northern Territory, which was really creepy and enjoyable though there were certainly boring parts when they reflected too much on the relationships in the book and individual characters' long-drawn out self-reflections and journal entries. The action was good and I liked that Stoker's descriptions weren't flowery or contrived, it was more matter-of-fact which made the scary parts even scarier for me because it read more like a history book than a novel (which makes sense since he was math and science guy). It was also funny to see where Stephenie Rice got a lot of her inspiration for Twilight and to see where she copied a lot of her ideas from
- "Picture of Dorian Grey" by Oscar Wilde. If ever it was thought that Dorian was a straight man, it was by naivete and avoidance. Definitely an enjoyable read, lost innocence, beautiful, charming young man and all that. It was a really quick read
- My next book will be "Aphrodite" by Isabel Allende, a gift from my wonderful vagabond sister. Stay tuned on that one. It looks like it will be fun. :)
If anyone comes across any particularly good reads, send some names my way!
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