give up

I was just reading Kitkat's blog and thought I might have missed pancake Tuesday - you know the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

I had worked it out that 40 days before Easter was next Tuesday - this Tuesday was for the Sunday before. I forgot to take in Palm Sunday......I was wrong.

I missed Pancake Tuesday. Very cross. Love my pancakes. Don't eat them that much as there is not that much cause for a single person household to mix up a batch.

But Kitkat raised a good point. Do you give up anything for the Lent time? She has a pretty good list - although having just got back onto Facebook I won't be giving that up.

The period of giving up something for 40 days is quite a good one - it allows you to form a new habit.

I think I might give up procrastinating about health and fitness. That would be my big one. I might also give up chocolate (a standard one really) but also chips (have a thing for salty food). I might give up living in a pigsty. Getting onto that one now........

Enjoy your day.

a quickie

Quick post.

I love 'Corner Gas' the tv show. If I make it home in time I ensure I watch it.

In other breaking news - 1/2 the year 12 kids performed today. They have improved since last time. Last time they were lucky to remain focused for 2 1/2 minutes. I almost had a fit. Their recitals last 25 minutes maximum.

Today the kids were focused. Yes there were issues with a few kids technical ability, also a few with a lack of emotion and understanding of character of the pieces BUT the kids played with conviction. I was able to comment on more than "where is the focus?"

Off to two days of Professional development......good stuff.

this week is fun

I have had a funny week so far. I have reactivated my facebook account and found myself making 'friends' with people I already know. I have discovered another person of my name and we are making a great fist of getting to know each other. This has kept me entertained no end.

My students are keeping me laughing - year 8 boys really have dirty minds. Actually all year level kids can have a dirty mind but year 8 boys snigger at the slightest drop of an innuendo. Mention ti-ti's (rhythm name for quavers/eighth notes) and there are guffaws a plenty over the fact I might have mentioned titties........They can only hope.

Year 12s are trying their hardest to be the wittiest. I think I share the lovely Matt with Frogdancer and agree that he is a quick thinking and funny young man. I have this very small class (although the number is about 3% of state numbers for the subject!) and each person in the class look for ways to expand their knowledge and then use the appropriate terminology in the most inappropriate situation. My cheeks hurt at the end of most lessons laughing at their crazy antics.

I looked at two units - well I think shoeboxes! I laughed at the idea of me living with all my instruments in a shoebox.

I donated blood last night and reaquainted myself with the sensation of having a long needle in your arm - bizarre. More importantly I saw the nurses zip into action when the woman next to me fainted. The nurses told me to "look away" as you get the feeling that you might faint and then go out in sympathy. The nurses were funny but very professional.

I am having a good night in - rest of the week is looking busy.

busy week

So the last few days have been interesting.

Something that has been brewing came to a head - and I am much relieved that it is 'sorted'. Can almost deal with it.

Work has been hectic. I have a student teacher at the moment. She is very good and I feel terrible that I have not blogged about her. The first one in ages that has done the right thing and I haven't given her any space. She finishes pretty much at the end of next week. We have been asked to have another one in the school but I don't want another teacher yet. I have to use this time now to get to know my kidlets.

After going out with Frogdancer two weeks ago, I have been quite quiet on the weekends. Been out most other nights of the week though. Tired as a result of being out so often......must be getting old.

Been off to the gym at least once a week. Need to boost this to two times BUT I am quite stoked at the once a week commitment.

Had contact with someone I went to Primary school with. Been interesting emailing someone that I haven't spoken to in 25+ years. So much has happened and where do you start. Been fun.

I reopened my face book account. I had deactivated it due to the fact that I didn't like the regulations they had. When I reactivated it they had got rid of the changes. Quite pleased with that really. Main reason was to keep up with a traveling family member.

Off to look at property today. Also going to clean my place and do the grocery. Kids performing this afternoon down the road from here so off to see them strut their stuff. Brunch tomorrow so weekend filling quickly........

get up and dance

Last night I took myself out to see 'Havana Rakatan'. It was awesome!

Watching these amazing dancers and musicians was fabulous. I also watched how the performers encouraged the audience to get involved with their show. It seemed like VERY hard work to get the Melbourne audience to clap along for sustained periods of time, and even harder to get people up dancing.

I started thinking about audiences - especially Melbourne ones. I have heard a number of performers speak of the reserved nature of Australian audiences. When Australian artists travel overseas, they find the response from the audience a bit overwhelming to begin with.

I saw an interview with The Wiggles who talked about American audiences whistling, cheering etc. They said this was so different to an Australian crowd who cheer - but only at the end of the show. During the show they are applauding loudly - but not with the the same gusto.

I caught the end of an interview with Tina Arena (Australian entertainer who has been in the lime light since she was 6) where she was comparing European crowds to Australian crowds. She stated that French and Italian crowds have no problem with screaming and applauding half way through a song. Australian crowds, she stated, were enthusiastic but subdued. She talked of the strange feeling, but honour, of being at the receiving end of a standing ovation in Australia.

So there I was last night bopping away and tapping along to the music but feeling quite on my own. I was on my own. (I had made the decision Monday night to go - so got on the internet and booked a ticket.) The man beside was reluctant to show much emotion. Occasionally he tapped his hand on his knee. In the row in front of me, a woman was eager to get up and boogie but her friends shook their collective heads and swayed her to remain seated.

Teaching teenagers music, I realise that part of my job is to encourage kids to feel the music and move to it. I happen to be teaching Cuban music to the year 8s (hence going to see Havana Ratakan last night!) and I tried to get one class dancing this week. There was a lot of nervous, embarrassed laughter. Not a lot of movement. We were playing instruments and they were concentrating on one activity at a time..........I also think that breaking through the Australian psyche is going to take a long time.

alternative reality

Have you ever done a search on your name? Your full name is what I am talking about.

I have a few times and discovered that there are two other people in the world with my name.

Yes - there are two other Widget Girls out there. Both of them live in America. One writes poetry - or least she did when she was in the 9th grade 7 or 8 years ago. Who knows what she is up to now.

The other has my name via marriage. I checked out her family blogspot and she is quite a pretty, blonde thing. I tried, about a year ago, to make contact but received no reply. I am not surprised. If someone wrote you an email and stated that they had your name, would you do anything with it?

Thought not.

The funny thing about this other same-named being is that she is quite strong within her faith. Here am I running away from ALL organised religions and I find another of my name strong within their beliefs. Quite bizarre really.

Now Widget Girl is not that common a name so I keep thinking that this situation is actually like a sci-fi plot line. I have a link to a parallel universe and I am able to see how the other version of me lives their life. In the other life I am married, below 30 and have a young son.

Now this is where my thinking gets REALLY weird (as if it could get any stranger)......

What would you do if you had to choose your reality. Would you choose the one you have? Or would you opt for the path less travelled?

I do believe I would stay with what I know.

I can't see me as a blonde.

Apparantly it's a special day.

So it's Valentines day. Or, in my case, International QuirkyAlone day.

Today I shall:

• buy myself groceries - and the paper to get the housing list etc.
• toddle off to the gym to get a bit of a work out so that I keep my healthy promise to myself.
• iron my clothes, after doing a few loads of washing.....
• catch up with friends on the phone.
• grab a dvd - I am so tired this week after work that I cannot be bothered getting off the couch and I was out last night for a bit. (note to self "GO TO BED EARLY ON WEEKNIGHTS!")
  
• read some of the book I need to for book club - I doubt I am going to get that thing finished.....
• some preparation work for the kidlets.

enough procrastinating now - off and start. How will you spend today?

GGGGGG

Got this from Laura. Loved the idea of it as I needed a distraction.

Apparently this is an easy meme.

You list 10 things you love that all begin with a given letter, and post the list on your blog. Anyone interested can leave a comment, you assign them a new letter, and on it rolls.

My Letter is "G". My answers - in no particular order.

1. Gazpacho
2. Gerberas
3. Gallivanting
4. Grapes - really cold in summer is amazing.
5. Green
6. Glayva (you know the whiskey? It's awesome!)
7. Gentleness
8. Generosity
9. Glitter
10. Gnomes

I thought of including some pictures of them but this was a little harder than I thought......

uplift.

I have calmed down a great deal since my last post.

I am still overwhelmed by the enormity of what has happened in my state but I have calmed down so much.

Now I am amazed by the charity of people in Australia - and for that matter, the world.

So far $45.5 million has been raised. The thing I have found the most overwhelming was hearing from families in far north Queensland who are flooded out of their houses saying they had nothing to worry about. They would give any money to "those poor buggers in Victoria".

According to an announcement over the PA system at school, Friday is a statewide charity day in all Government schools. That's pretty coordinated.

I have heard that 6000 new people have volunteered to donate blood. I have also heard that the number of people volunteering for the fire fighters and other emergency services has increased dramatically.

I feel that despite the overwhelming sadness there are some amazing and beautiful things happening.

OMG #2

They think the number of deaths will rise above 200. 131 so far. FUCK!

My friends are ok. I am relieved.

One friend described the scene as horrific. He spent Saturday spotting his house. The fire was within 1km. The wind swirled around him as the ashes and embers dropped from above. He kept an eye on the weather yesterday but it was calmer as the heat had died down but the wind was from the other direction.

Today he went to work at his hospital where they had to take in the bodies of the local deaths as the morgues are too full. He is emotionally whacked. I am just pleased that he is here.

I found out that my cousin lost his house but he is here.

Now I am hearing the call that "if you can see flames, it is too late to leave."

I am numb.

I am crying at the sheer cruelty of what is happening to my beautiful state.

Both the state Premier and the country's Prime Minister are here and are emotionally smacked by this. Many pictures of them crying and hugging people who have nothing left.

They are treating this as if it were a terrorist attack. 30 Disaster Identification Officers are here from interstate to deal with the growing number of bodies. The army has been brought in to bulldoze, clean up and supply food, bedding and some shelter.

It was reported that many hospitals are running out of morphine for the burn victims and they have doctors who worked with those from the Bali bombings.

Arson is suspected. Arseholes! Complete and utter fuckwits.

If you see someone flicking a lit cigarette but report them!

75 Government schools shut today.

Remember to hug those you love.

Here is how much is affected. (link to Google map)

OMG

I woke up to hear that the toll is over 100 who have died. Over 700 houses have gone. This is crazy.

It took me 30 minutes but last night I got my name down to get an appointment to donate blood.

I have made a cash donation. I will go through the bits and bobs here to donate clothes.

If you would like to make a donation there is a secure online place here

https://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonations.asp

I feel quite helpless.

the day after

Today the temperature top is expected to be half that of yesterday. 23C (73.4F). It's raining sporadically at my place. Electricity has flickered a few times. It's just a change compared to yesterday.

The death toll is 35 from the fires and looks to rise. Some people have said that the flames were 10 - 12ft high. The belief is that those who have perished did so because they left too late and died in their cars trying to outrun the fires.

I have lived in an area near where some of the fires are still burning.

I have rung/contacted some friends who live in the direct line of some of the fires.

I have contacted Bendigo friend - her house ok but many of her friends evacuated and property destroyed. (the fire came within 8kms of her house)

Coldstream friends spent the night with parents in closer suburban house - their house ok and may be going back to their property later today. Fires came very close to their home.

Can't contact Kilmore friends - whole town cut off from most of world.

Warragul friends - haven't tried to contact them yet (same as Kilmore) phone lines cut off. Assuming they drove to family in Melbourne.

Friends in and around Pakenham - again haven't established contact.

One town completely wiped out. The thought of realising that not only have you lost your property but the whole town, infrastructure etc, is gone is a little overwhelming.

What scares me the most is that a few of these fires were deliberately lit. I cannot fathom the thought process of such people.

I now wonder what I can do to help. Obviously staying in Melbourne is a priority. I am looking at donating blood - even though I have slow blood flow - for those who are injured. Just heard a website to look at and will immediately check it out.

The fire fighters, who are predominantly volunteers, are heroes! These people in the CFA, the DSE, the Red Cross, SES and anyone else who have done major/minor activities are amazing.

Ice cubes please

This is the temperature it reached according to The Age newspaper website (115.5F!). I spent the day lying on my bed in front of a fan sort of reading but listening to the radio.

Apparently it might even get hotter!

The sky is quite gray - I don't think from clouds but more likely smoke. There are fires everywhere in the state that I have lived and where friends and acquaintances live. It's crazy.

(the highlands of Victoria)

I have the curtains shut and the wind is howling round my unit. According to the people on the radio - many from the Fire Authorities, the weather bureau - these conditions are worse than what it was like before the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 when a lot of houses and lives were lost. I remember that day and it felt like the earth stood still.

This time I feel like there is a bit more control. The aim of all the authorities is to get through without life loss. I hope we do. We have had 8 years of drought - no real rain so the land is right to burn.

There is a cool change on the way - 6pm tonight is the estimate.

At the other end of the country we have this....

(this is in Far North Queensland.)

Today might be the day to share verse 2 of Dorothy Mackellar's poem - that a lot of Australians know...My Country.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

Every now and then I think - "yep, this is my home and I love it." when I see the amazing natural disasters over the land.

Hope your day wasn't as hot.....

Reflections

This is one of my most favourite pictures from Western Australia.

Just thought I would share.

I need some good Cuban music to use in my teaching. If you know a few good tracks let me know song title and artist. Or just artist..... My year 8's and I will be having some time with Latin American music.

What I have learnt this week....

• Emos don't really do to well in extreme heat conditions. It seems you can't dress in total black - long sleeves and all - without expiring. Then you when you dress in black shorts, tshirt and long socks and black runners you look a little, well, unloved, unkempt and basically a little on the unfit side.
• Value in long term friendships.
• Work is hard to get into when you haven't been there for 2 months. It's even harder when the temperature is over 40C.
• A wet towel under your head when you go to bed means that you do actually sleep.
• Sometimes you just should keep your mouth shut.