Brief me update:  I’ve reached the epitome of nerdydom and taken a job at a video game store.  It gets boring working from home all the time and I was beginning to turn into an antisocial hermit.  I’ve been friends with some of the employees outside of work for a few years, so there are lots of laughs and it’s a great environment to work in.  I’m still slugging away with the site work, but I’ve branched off into a few more creative activities.  I’m now a pixel artist for a vomitingly cute website called Whuddle World and I’m beginning a new venture into polymer clay charms that I’ll be selling locally (already got some store space lined up!) and online, once I finish the website – Yummy Scrummy.

As an alternative to removing the song from my head with a bullet or the nearest pickaxe, I’ve decided to dull my pain by inflicting it onto others via sharing the music video.  Enjoy!

While playing with the smallest of the two, who was the runt of the litter and just too tiny/cute to resist, it started browsing the interwebs.  I no longer have a mouse, I have a bunny.

After a bit of a browse, she started chatting to Sanjin.  Too bad he doesn’t speak rabbit.

Step 2: training them to code.

I’ve taken on a real job (GASP!) at a clothing store for some extra cashola. Pretty funny story, really. I was in there as a customer, purchasing clothes, and they offered me a job. At first I wasn’t going to take it, because my e-job keeps me busy enough as it is, but the 40% employee discount soon changed my mind ;D I’m saving for a trip to Europe next year so every little bit counts! I’ve been doing some other random offline contract work as well, again for Europe trip savings.

In two days time I’m (finally) moving out of home (for the third time). University finished 6 months ago and it’s taken me this long to find a place I like. I really didn’t want an apartment because 1. I have pets and 2. I have a large family who will be visiting all the time because we’re relatively tight-knit. I found a house in a nice area, 3 bedrooms, and a sun room. I can’t wait to move in, I’m in the midst of packing at the moment; though I think I’m making more mess than progress.

I’ve already arranged for the phone line to be connected tomorrow, so it’ll be working when I move in the next day. I’ll be getting broadband set up once I’ve moved in and it will most likely take a week or two, so I’ll be offline for a while. I’m sure unpacking will keep me plenty busy, and it’ll give me a chance to work on my sites a bit without e-distractions. Speaking of which, I updated my Dracula’s Riddle blawg today with 10 more levels >_>

So long, interwebz! See you in a few weeks!

Spiderbait was one of my favourite bands back in my tweeny highschool years. I have never seen them live and I’m really looking forward to hearing some of their oldies (hopefully they’ll play some). Sneaky Sound System should be great, they completely rocked out when I saw them at Live Earth last year. The below song by The Potbelleez is my current song obsession, so hearing it live will be awesome.

Ahhhh I can’t wait. Just hearing that one song will make the whole weekend worthwhile as far as I’m concerned. Now to find some accommodation and organise cars/who’s driving over .. etc. Wagga (where it’s being held) is about a 2.5 hour drive away – and as I’m the one that works from home (which apparently translates into “you’ve got nothing better to do”), I’ve turned into organiser in chief.

Cannot wait. Dusty Days, here I come.

The next day I woke up, got out of bed, and promptly fell on the floor. I felt like a semi had visited my room during the night and ran me over multiple times. My thighs felt hard as rocks; sore like I’d run a marathon the day before. Every few minutes my knees would decide they didn’t want to support me anymore and buckle. So for the entire day I was walking around like I had a poker jammed up my ass because I couldn’t bend my knees.

That night I had quite possibly the worst sleep of my life. Every time I rolled over in my sleep the muscle pain would wake me up . The next day (yesterday) was WORSE. The pain I felt in my legs spread over my body; even my elbow pits hurt! I’d also started getting cold-like symptoms, mainly a sore throat and swollen glands in my neck. I made a doctors appointment and had to actually get my mum to take me. I haven’t been taken to see a doctor by mother since I was a kid, but I could barely walk, let alone drive myself there.

After describing the course of events that brought me to see her, the first thing the doctor said to me was “so.. been kissing anyone icky lately?” Apparently glandular fever aka mono has been making the rounds the past few weeks, GREAT! She sent me off to get some blood tests to confirm whether it was glandular fever or something else just as icky. Now, I have a minor phobia when it comes to needles. This is thanks to a traumatic experience donating blood when I was 17 that left me with arm-length bruises along the inside of both of my arms; but that’s another story. So needless to say, I was just a TAD concerned with getting blood tests. It was ok though, and I should get some of the test results by this afternoon or tomorrow morning. At least the blood count results that determine whether I have mono or not. They’re checking for a few other things too, like influenza.

The thing I hate most about sickness (apart from the whole.. sick part) is that it’s so BORING. Being able to lay in bed all day seems really appealing until you’re actually doing it. I got my 17 year old brother to help me move some furniture around and now I have a pretty sweet set-up going so that I can lay in bed, use my PC, watch some TV, or play xbox 360. It’s just not very practical if I ever.. y’know.. want to open my desk drawers?

If there are any of you out there looking for an extended vacation from work, please feel free to visit my quarantined bedroom. I’m bored here by myself.

‘Twas the night before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck…
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to “Elves”.
“Vertically Challenged” they were calling themselves.
And labour conditions at the North Pole
were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their rooftops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called “unenlightened.”

And to show you the strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorised use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she’d enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he’d never had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets…they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football…someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, dishevelled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere… even you.
So here is that gift, it’s price beyond worth…
May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on Earth.

Author Unknown

I’ve decided that in December I’m going to do something special for Haunting Echoes.  I’m a firm believer in engaging your community and I run regular competitions and contests on HE.  Some are more successful than others, but the participants always have a great time.  I recently conducted our first “Member of the Year Awards” ceremony and it was a great success and will definitely be an annual event.

A few months ago I ran an e-bingo competition for the community and a lot of fun was had.  I made bingo card images for users wanting to participate, each containing a set of 25 numbers.  Over the next month, an administrator drew numbers between 1-100 at random and participants kept track, crossing them out on their cards.  Bingo was called by a private message to the number caller and prizes (amazon vouchers, etc.) were distributed.  I think Christmas e-bingo is definitely in order!