Inspiration is like a squishy banana

I thought to myself this afternoon that I should stop being lazy and post something. All my grand plans to write something almost everyday is slowly resembling the squishy banana on the sink that I never get around to eating (and now throwing out).

As you can see, its just not happening this evening. I will have to find something interesting for next time...

*sigh*

The fat Jack sat on the mat

During the move, Jack got a little bit... fat. We thought perhaps he is stressed, especially since we cant explain to him what is going on....

Or maybe he is confused and depressed at the loss of being able to sit on the couch all day watching day time t.v...

Or perhaps it's because we don't walk him twice a day anymore now he has a yard to move around in...

What I am now starting to think, is that perhaps its because he is scoffing on the sly. They do say you are what you eat, and if Jack were to finish as he began, he would be 20kg of Bonnie Lite- food for fat old dogs. I can only imagine his delight when he found the box of food equal in size and weight to himself with the lid slightly ajar...

BUSTED!

He was genuinely surprised when I snapped this photo of him. Poor little dog also thinks he can hide under a dining table or behind a curtain and not be seen. Its a mixed blessing this is about as smart as he is going to get.

Better than bad, it's good

During the move I bought a few books to help pass the time. It seems I get just as much fun out of reading about things as doing them. One of the books had instructions for a wooden pincushion (here is a link to the book).

I took one look and was instantly transported back in time to being a kid and watching Ren and Stimpy (for those who have no idea what I am talking about, here is a link that should explain everything). I thought how great it would be to have a log pincushion, and with a few small modifications I could have one. I mean, everyone needs a log!

Another of my achievements that I feel compelled to share is today's lunch. I am one of those people who must have a recipe to cook from and must do a specialised shop just for that recipe. I have long envied Luke who can take half a potato, some stale bread and a paperclip and create an amazing meal (which I have to say is more impressive than MacGyver defusing a bomb whilst hanging upside down under a jumbo coming in to land with nothing more than a can of hairspray, a poem about cats and a post-it note).

Anyway, so here is the picture... and because I feel like a bit of a twat for taking a photo of my lunch and posting it on the Internet (a bit like the photos of people's feet while standing in a circle around a clover daisy or the pictures of someone holding an apple while looking vacantly at something above them and slightly to their right) I thought I would include the recipe that goes with it. I call it.... Chicken Noodle Soup (because that is what it is and I am not very good with names. I was thinking of calling it "chicken and noodles with bok choi and mushrooms in a clear broth", but thought that was a bit long and slightly pretentious).

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock (make up according to directions)
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp chilli
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp lemon grass
1 chicken breast
1 packet rice noodles
sesame oil
rice wine vinegar
1 bunch bok choi, washed and chopped in large chunks
1 handful of button mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 handful of chopped spring onions
Sesame seeds to serve
Pickled ginger to serve

Instructions
1. Pour chicken stock, ginger, chilli, garlic, coriander and lemongrass into a sauce pan. Add chicken breast and cook over a high heat until chicken breast is cooked (approx 7-8 minutes).
2. Remove chicken from stock and allow to cool, keep stock mixture.
3. Cook rice noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and toss through a splash of sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.
4. Warm bok choi and mushrooms in stock mixture, remove before bok choi wilts.

To serve
Place a serve of rice noodles in the bottom of the bowl. Add shredded chicken, mushrooms and bok choi, sprinkle over spring onions. Ladle in some of the stock mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds over everything (in the bowl obviously) and add pickled ginger on top. Serve immediately.

To keep for Ron; put all ingredients into a bowl and the stock mixture into a glass. When ready to eat, heat each separately and combine just before serving. This will prevent the noodles turning to slush.

Too many boxes

I have almost finished the move to Jabiru, and I will be pleased not to have to scrunch another handful of paper for a while. I kind of fell off the edge of the world for a few weeks while the move happened and many hurdles were jumped (namely a few threats by the movers to not move me unless their demands were met. I was partially disappointed the demands weren't fired through my living room window tied to a flaming torch- some people have no understanding of drama at all!). I only have a few boxes left to unpack and I am hoping to get them finished by the end of the week so I can send all these boxes back (or have a fun bonfire in the vacant lot behind my place).

I have started on the week long series of inductions, the first being the cultural heritage induction to the area. I was expecting to be told how evil I am because I am white and cant possibly know what its like to be black, but actually had quite a good time (mainly because I wasn't voraciously ripped into by a hypocritical greenie extremist telling me how horrible I am before they even know my name... no, that was saved for the afternoon but I am choosing to ignore that person). Part of the day included a walk out to Burrunggui and the rock paintings there. I took a few pictures to share, mainly because it is a really amazing place.

The picture above shows three pillars called 'lightning dreaming' and Namarrgon left his eye up there to watch over everything that happens around Jabiru. This site can explain the Lightning Man better than I can.

This is a picture of the Mt Brockman ranges. It looks more impressive in real life (damn my tiny little camera that fits so easily into my bag!)

Of course I had to grab a photo of some of the rock art. Here are the mimi spirits that come out of the rock to show you how to dance (or hunt, I'm not sure since I was at the back of the group for this one- this is probably an important difference, I mean if you have an angry bear running at it you probably want to know the difference between the Charleston and a gun).

For the love of Gadget

I have to admit that I have a secret nerdy love of gadgets. Yes, I was one of those annoying people who had to test out every single feature on each phone upgrade. Imagine my joy in my iphone when not only could I spend ages mucking around with all the standard features, I could download all sorts of pointless apps to annoy everyone around me with.

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I have been secretly coveting a kindle in order to combine my love of gadgets with my love of books. Then apple went and released the ipad and my desire was changed to wanting an ipad. Now I will spend the next four years with my face pressed up against the metaphorical shop window as I admire the ipad from afar.

(photo link)

A little bit Borgo

When I first moved to the gloriously unkempt neighbourhood of Moulden, I likened it to the village of Bistritz in Count Dracula. During the day everything is fine, and there are kids playing in the street, people gardening, the usual suburban scene. After sunset however, you would think you were in a carriage drawn by skeleton horses racing the sun through Borgo Pass. There is the slight panic at sunset to get home and lock the gates. I haven't gone so far as to hang up garlic and throw horse shoes at passer bys.

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The point of this, is that yesterday the street was all lovely and quiet- a bit like this...

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At about 3 in the morning, approximately the time it takes to drunkenly stumble down the hill after the pubs close, the street looked more like this....
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Yes, there was a drunken group of idiots punching on in the street. The police arrived, and for an hour my bedroom was like a silent rave party with occasional muffled expletives. Then they all buggered off leaving me surprisingly wide awake. I used this time to imagine that if I could have one magical superpower it would be to teleport those bogans who ruined my night into remote areas of... say... the Sahara desert. As my inability to sleep continued, the places became more lethal such as a small air bubble in a deep sea cave or perhaps even Pluto.
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So I lay there all morning looking like this...
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(Original image link)

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While the tough guard dog and stoic husband slept soundly next to me. I tried to nudge them both 'accidentally' awake, but those two could sleep through an alien abduction of the type in the X-files that includes shaking walls, bright white lights and Moulder in the corner shouting "SAAAAAAMMMMMAAAANTHAAAAA!". In the end I fell back asleep as the sun was coming up and therefore the terror of night time in Bistritz became (once again) the benign suburban bliss of Moulden.

Stop stomping on my fluffy pink clouds of happiness

I have been having a merry time floating along on fluffy pink clouds of happiness. I don't have to think about work, or having to achieve anything much more than waking up sometime through the day and feeding myself. After the turmoil of the last few days, it is bliss.

That is, until the real estate agent in Gove decides they want to come stomping into my happy pink cloud and ruin everything. I keep getting random calls, "courtesy calls" as they like to call them (more like "bloody-stupid-notices-of-impending-invasion-of-privacy calls") stating they just need to: 1) pop by to see what sort of condition the unit is in; 2) pop by to check on the air conditioning unit; 3) pop by to have this months staff party since we know you are out of town and your flat is still furnished.

There is no point in telling them not to. They cheerily respond that they don't mind and they have a key and can let themselves in. I have told them in the past that I have a vicious dog that will bite their leg off and beat them with it if they try to enter my home while I am not there- and that slowed down the cheery courtesy calls telling me they are letting themselves into the unit (while hearing in the background the turning of a key in the lock and the characteristic squeek of my front door).

Now they know Jack isn't there (and ignoring the fact he generally hides behind the couch and lets me deal with any newcomers to the unit- tough guard dog eh?), they are brimming over with enthusiasm to wander in and out of my home whenever they are in the neighbourhood. I think I will have to remind them of a little thing called the Residential Tenancies Act. Stupid real estate agents!