Author: KRidwyn

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Random thoughts

Inspired before breakfast…

My day started as most seem to recently. Late to bed due to working on hubby’s computer (SOOOOOOO can’t wait for mine! Each day brings it closer!!!), then up sometime in the middle of the night to a child with a nightmare or who’s fallen out of bed, then up again sometime around 2.30ish to turn off that talkative toy which has decided to ‘speak’ and wake me up with its annoying electronic voice, back to bed but can’t sleep because my brain has woken up and is buzzing, then up again within the next 30 minutes to an hour, to start working on the computer before I lose access for the day. Sleep deprivation? What sleep deprivation?

This morning though, I have been pleasantly surprised. I don’t always give Google Reader a quick glance over first thing, but am glad I did so this morning. Bun-toting Librarian was also up late last night, and posted a blog that both inspired and challenged me when I discovered it in my RSS feed earlier. And because today looks like it’s going to be a pretty full-on one for me (think: three, possibly four, meetings as part of my new ‘marketing’ career, and all of them with my 3y.o. and 1 y.o. at my feet. Gonna be fun…) I thought I’d share with you all, dear readers, how lovely a start to the day it was. A friend made a comment the other day that really resonated with me. In response to the obligatory greeting ‘How are you?” he said, “Well, I woke up on the right side of the ground this morning…” – well I’ve got one up on that. Not only am I on the right side of the ground today, but I’m happy, healthy, surrounded by a wonderful family, working in a fantastic new job and being intellectually stretched by my wonderful lecturers at QUT. And add to that, being inspired by @fionawb this morning. And all before breakfast! It’s going to be a great day… can’t you just feel it?

Have a lovely one. dear readers!

— Ceridwyn

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momentous events Random thoughts Uncategorized

Feeling like I’ve finally ‘caught up’ with the world…

It’s a bit of an embarrassing confession, but I’m not, and have never been, a part of the i-Revolution. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that, as my Dad had proudly brought home a Commodore 64 sometime in the 80’s, my older brother’s condescending attitude towards Apple MacIntoshes rubbed off. I remained a happy Microsoft – Windows – PC user, partially aware but mostly oblivious to what was happening in the world of Apple.

Suffice it to say, I never got an iPod. Or any other personal music listening device, actually! Several years ago now, I joined in the laughter at those brave fellow teachers who started swapped across to the Mac, and decided that because I was not into photo manipulation, or the creation and publication of music or film, that I was better off not converting. Even iPhones became a status symbol that I preferred not to have, given that I quickly became marginalised with my LG Xenon non-smartphone (it’s a slider, and I love the keyboard for texting with).

But lately, I’m starting to become envious of those who are part of the iWorld. Seeing as I can’t read QR Codes (I’ve made a couple – as evidenced by the bottom of this blog – but have to use others’ phones to read them!) and seeing as an iPad can apparently do brilliant things like this, I’m starting to thaw. Rapidly!

At a meeting yesterday with a brilliant photographer, I actually saw an iPad for the very first time. Touched it. Held it. Saw a promo on it for the next generation of iPads – magnetic screen cover, or something?!! Was impressed by the fact that his iPad was easily the most used computer in his home. And the price, just $449, surprised me. Then my husband came home last night with a new phone. A MOTOBLUR. And I realised that I had it bad. I have the distinct impression that I’m a convert. I want an iPhone. I want an iPad. I want an iPhone. Heck – I’ll even give an iPod a whirl!

Hmmm… does that mean that I’m a dinosaur yet?! LOL

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momentous events Random thoughts

Getting ready…

Bit the bullet yesterday afternoon and (hopefully!) bought my last purchase on credit for a while. (With a paycheck on the imminent horizon, it was time to spoil myself one last time!)

You see, one of the problems with my internet-capability over the last 18 months has been the intermittent mobile broadband signal I get out where I live. Forget ADSL or normal broadband – out here, we don’t even get town water. We have rubbish bins and mail delivery, and that’s it. (Not that that stops my local council for charging me for ‘public transport’. Ha! There’s no bus , train etc for miles!!!) We don’t even have a local shop – our closest is 15 minutes drive. Which I LOVE because it’s SO peaceful and quiet (well, when my kids are asleep that is) but I can’t stand when it comes to technology, because my internet has been just so darn unreliable. Especially when there’s any hint of rain in the air.

18 months ago, I bought myself a Vodafone broadband stick. It was going to be cheaper than the others, and I figured that the coverage would be fairly similar to the other networks. D’Oh! Bad move.

So yesterday, in preparation for my NEW COMPUTER that I’m counting the days til (can you tell I’m just a little bit excited about this?!!) I went out and got myself (and I’m quoting the side of the box here) a “Telstra Ultimate Mobile Broadband USB Modem”.

Woohoo! I’m set now! Bring on the computer I can attach it to! LOL

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momentous events Random thoughts

Countdowns are so exciting, aren’t they?!!

I feel a little like Big Kev. I’m so excited, I swear little bits of me are actually escaping out of my skin. The reason, you ask? I’m SOOOO close to re-joining the world of the internet-capable computer owner again, I can just about taste it! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so when I last blogged, I was computerless and jobless. Using hubby’s computer to bemoan my lack of money, my mounting credit card bills and my growing concern over the increasing intensity of demand letters over my past-due bills (boy, they can get rather stroppy, can’t they?!!)

Since then, I’ve got myself a job. Was getting absolutely nowhere with gaining paid employment the ‘traditional’ way, so I mustered as much courage as I could, found a niche that needed filling, went and pitched my proposal to the boss, and he agreed to pay me for the service I was offering. Yay! So now I can say that I’m ranked among the ’employed’ again! I oversee the marketing for St Paul’s Lutheran Primary School, Caboolture. So I’m pretty stoked, and my first pay will go towards purchasing myself my very OWN laptop! Yay!!! So I have around two weeks to decide what I want and where to get it from. I’m actually leaning towards getting a Mac. Never had one before, but I keep hearing good things.

What would YOU recommend?

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#librarytwittermysteryamonth

Just another day in paradise…

I’m still computer-less. And still job hunting. But really, what have I got to complain about? I have my health, my (relative) youth, my family, a home, vehicles, food, clothes. I’m blessed. Truly.

Okay, so I’m scumming a few minutes of time on hubby’s computer – again – and I so can’t WAIT for a job so that I can buy myself a computer and start blogging again. Maybe continuing my assignment for @katiedatwork which has been on permanent hold for almost a month. Still an’all…

My reason for blogging today is to add my impressions of Marianne Delacourt’s “Sharp Turn” to #librarytwittermysteryamonth. I read her “Sharp Shooter”, the first novel featuring Tara Sharp, just to get acquainted with Delacourt’s writing style and protagonist. A great beginning quickly became quite a readable pageturner. Not quite the sophistication of Agatha’s Christie’s classic for the January read, but entertaining nonetheless.

“Sharp Turn” continued the themes commenced in her first. Tara Sharp, a broke Private Investigator living in her parent’s garage, continues to use her ability to see auras to crack cases within a week. In “Sharp Shooter”, the case involved a Mob Boss. In this, Tara moves into the field of motorbike racing and high class brothels. Both were easy reads, with believable characterisation and a choice of setting – Perth – which is obviously well known and dearly loved by the author.

I must admit a little disappointment with the sheer size of the cast though. And although it may have necessary to include some of the wayward characters to eventually become Tara’s “employees”, it seemed a little contrived.

On the whole, they were enjoyable reads. And I’m very much looking forward to reading and reviewing the March #librarytwittermysteryamonth choice! Hopefully by then I’ll have a job and my own computer…

 

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#librarytwittermysteryamonth Random thoughts

Had to do it…

Okay… nicking hubby’s computer again to type this (arrgghh! I really REALLY need one of my own again!!) but seeing as it’s January 31, it’s the last day of posting about Agatha Christie‘s ‘Murder on the Orient Express‘, which I said I would do for the #librarytwittermysteryamonth challenge.

So… to task.

Never read this novel before. Or seen the movie either, so had little expectations of what I was to encounter. Knew it had Poirot (and imagined the actor now famous for his portrayal of the same character) but was looking forward to the storyline.

Have to admit some disappointment though. It felt too trite. Too overworked. Too pat. Even after just the first few chapters, I admitted some surprise at the overuse of some adjectives describing facial characteristics, “expressionless” being an obvious one. Yes, it was clever. Yes, it was well-written with some beautiful turns of phrase. But plot-wise, I felt as though it wasn’t the masterpiece I had expected it to be.

Anyway, that’s my take on it. Sorry if my opinion disappointed anyone!

And sorry too, for my lack of blogging. I’m REALLY looking forward to buying myself another computer (SOOOOOOOO majorly SICK of ones that die on me!) but that’s going to have to wait until I have a job…

Stay safe, dear readers! As always, thanks for visiting. And I’ll try to be back again soon, I promise!

Yours,

Ceridwyn

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momentous events Random thoughts

Silence… not necessarily golden!

I’ve been without a computer since Wednesday. Even now, I’m stealing a few minutes on hubby’s laptop. First email, then googlereader for jobs, quick moderation of the latest on goodoldtalk, and apologise for the absence of spam deletion, then a quick post on here. No time for twitter or facebook, let alone getting any work done on the project I’m meant to be completing for Uni!

I’m starting to realise exactly how much time I spend online, and how little I can get ‘done’ without it!

In a way, this is an obscure apology for the absence of recent reading material on this blog. Sorry!

Ceridwyn

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Random thoughts

oh happy day

Happy Australia Day, everyone!

Hope yours was as lovely as mine…

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Random thoughts

Okay… this is a little strange…

I blogged last week about how I felt when I had graduated but not yet started working. Restless; a bundle of nervous energy. That story had a good ending though. I applied for, and was given, the perfect job.

I find myself in the same situation now. In December last year, I thanked my two emplyers (Coolum Beach Christian College and Glasshouse Country Christian College) profusely, and resigned. My intention was to have just the one employer in 2011, working either part-time (my preferred option, seeing as I wanted to complete as much of the M.IT that I could this year) or full-time. Teaching, or Library work… it did’t really worry me.

But here I am. School’s been back for two days, and I’m at home. ‘Unemployed’. Hmmm…! And it’s not as if I’ve been sitting on my behind doing nothing; I’ve been applying left, right and centre! Was interviewed yesterday by ‘SmartTeachers‘, a company that sources teachers for Private Schools. Even they said that there are no jobs available. So where does that leave me? Restless! And full of nervous energy! I need a job! And because I’ve been without a paycheck since early December and the bills are starting to pile up in a very threatening manner, I need a full-time job… now!

It’s 9.47am. I’ve cleaned and vaccuumed my entire house, baked a cake and transferred the rest of my delectable home-made vanilla slice into containers, done a couple of loads of washing, picked up what feels like several truckloads of toys. All of which is great, but I need to do something which pays…

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Random thoughts

‘P’ plates on – check!

Due to last night’s extreme lack of sleep, and this morning’s early rise to get Miss 6 off to her first day of Year One, I find myself sitting down to blog with no real clear idea of where this will end up. But that’s cool. I’ve been tagging stuff ‘random thoughts’, but on reflection, have noticed that they weren’t particularly random. So, using the (supposed) words of William Wallace made famous by Mel Gibson, “That’s something that we shall have to remedy then!”

Today is this blog’s one-month-and-one-day anniversary. Which makes me officially onto my ‘P’ plates, I’ve decided. Which brings me to some random facts about my travelling experiences, and some random thoughts about the same…

  1. I got my motorbike license before my car license, and I rode the blue Suzuki GSZ250 that I had bought from my older brother from the streets of Eight Mile Plains to Rochedale and back for several weeks from 2am – 4am, teaching myself to drive the thing before I went for (and just passed!) my test.
  2. Almost a year later, that same motorbike died at the top of the Gateway Bridge (hole in the gasket or something? Whatever that means!) but luckily I had enough momentum to get over the top and roll back down towards the toll gates on the southern side. Thank you, guardian angel! I hate to think what might have happened if it had sputtered to a stop 30 seconds earlier… rolling backwards into oncoming traffic may not have been the nicest way for my life to end!
  3. My husband taught me to drive while we were dating, and bought me my very first car. A little red Suzuki Hatch. What a sweetheart!!!
  4. I’ve been on only three planes in my life. Once in the cult, going to the Phillipines for an international conference. Once on my honeymoon on Fraser Island. And once from Brisbane to Proserpine, holidaying with hubby on South Molle island back in 2003. I love plane travel. Wish I could do more… but the presence of three kids in my life tends to place some restrictions on wish fulfilment, I’ve noticed…
  5. I have owned four boats. Two currently reside in my shed. I don’t have a boat license.
  6. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to own, or part-own, a horse. And, of course, go camel-riding!
  7. I absolutely ADORE my caravan! (Might have to sell it though, if I don’t get a job soon…)
  8. We currently have another caravan, and a campertrailer, residing on our property too. Storage for the in-laws. Recent occurrence – we didn’t look like a used car sales yard til just before Christmas. Wish that I could sell THEM! Hehe, wouldn’t that be funny! (not…)
  9. My eldest asked me this morning when she could go up in a rocket. Got quite discouraged when I informed her. But she also wants to drive a tractor when she is 20, so I guess some goals are still within her reach…
  10. My husband and I owned nine different cars in the first nine years of our marriage. Silly, I know. Kidless, double income… lots of fun!

Well, that’ll do for now. More randomness tomorrow, I wonder? Have a lovely rest-of-the-day, dear readers!