Goodbye!

The end of an era. A new beginning. A post full of cliches.

I HAVE A NEW BLOG! It's finally ready! So I won't be posting here anymore. The new one is a couple blog for both me AND Tim, which for some people will be most convenient, while for others, a introduction to the hilarity and sardonic humour that is the most lovable Tim.

But seriously, you should see this shit. It's something else. Something... MAGICAL. Well, now I'm just being silly. But really, it's a beautiful site. Created by my very own Timly. And I'm proud to share it with him.

But yes. If you want to follow me any longer, I'll be at the below address. I understand that due to radio silence you might be loathe to read what I have to say anymore, and that's completely understandable. However, I pinky promise that I'll update on this blog more, if only 'cause Tim spent the better part of a year making it. So I gotta make it good, right?! Right.

And you can't break a pinky promise.

www.notsounwashed.com

Farewell!

~ Jess

Hells yes, boys!

Good evening ladies!

Sorry about the delay in all the blogging. See, I was GONNA get this new swanky blog, and I thought I'd save all my updates until that came along. However, for SOME reason, it's not ready yet. So I thought I'd let the internet in general know that I'm still alive. And I figure I've probably shaken off those stalkers by now.

Or added more!

Nothing says seduction like complete silence.

So yes! Please hold while I check my last update so I know what I've mentioned already.

Haha, shit. I really haven't updated in a while. So it's been more like 10 months since the move to Perth, and I'm totally all settled in now. Most people will know that Tim and I have found ourselves the cutest goddamn little house. It's got it's problems, but hey, who doesn't. And most of it's are fixable. Yeah, we've had the plumber round like 4 times already. But hey! It's still an awesome little house.

Already I've had occasion to be falling down drunk in it like.. what? 3 times? 4? 5? I can't even remember. They all sort of blur into one. But man, this house is great for getting drunk in. There are so many sharp corners, and hard things for me to hurt myself on. And I'm intimately accquainted with the kitchen floor now, it being my constant companion when I'm drunk. It and Debari. Good old Guitari.

Tompkins the Awesome recently came over to visit me, and that was truly great. It was so much fun having him around again, and I was sad to see him go. Hopefully he'll come back one day. But I won't hold my breath. I think he got along with my buddies pretty good, and vice versa. Some more than others I guess. I have clear visions of him getting along with John and such, but not so much people like Felix? That might just be my alcohol riddled brain, but yep. Whatevs!

I also just started uni today! It was the beginning of semester like, last week, but I haven't been able to make it to any classes yet, with work! Hopefully the iLectures will come up soon, so I don't get too behind, but I'm starting to freak out.

Man, the Curtin campus is NOTHING like Mac. Where Macquarie was spacious and spread out, Curtin is packed, and yet still, spread out. There are seriously like, a million buildings in there, and yet the campus is still huge. I'm sure there was much of Mac I didn't get to see in my short time there, but even still. I think I saw more buildings today, in search of one elusive building, that I saw in the entirety of my stay at Macquarie. That's not even an exaggeration.

The other thing is that it seems to be more organised. But I'm just putting that down to a Perth thing in general. Everything here is more efficient. Just about. I'm sure there's one big exception, but I can't think what it is. Anyway, there wasn't some massive mess of students higgldy-piggldy trying to enrol to pick subjects and whatnot. It was actually a one-on-one (well, two, I brought Tim, you see) meeting with the course supervisor, who went through all the options with me. I don't know how they possibly have the time for that, but hell, it was SO much freakin' better than at Mac. Also, their student services bit is WAY more organised, there are a lot more people, and wow, it's just so... not Macquarie.

Also you can order your textbooks online. Nice!

Man, Tim, Debari and I just saw the new X-Files movie. Man, people who say they didn't like it must've have watched any of the show, 'cause I think it really captured the essence of what the show was all about, really really nicely. It was probably even a little better than I was expecting. Man, who the fuck wrote that soundtrack though. That was absolute balls. About a dozen times during the movie I couldn't help but think maybe they got the intern to write it. 'Cause man. It was TRAGIC.

And tomorrow we've got an advanced screening of Taken. I'm not sure if I would've seen this one if it weren't for the free tickets. I mean, it looks okay, but maybe a little generic. I do enjoy watching Liam Neeson do anything though. He'll always be Qui-Gon Jinn to me though. Or at least some kind of kindly mentor.

Or talking lion.

Anyway, I know it's been a while, but that's all I can really think of at the moment. I would mention things like, video games, or like Felix coming home. But I think the people who read this either already know, 'cause they like, see him everyday or have never met the man. And don't care about video games. So I won't bother. I might just sign off.

Man, Fable 2 is gonna be freakin' wicked though. Hells yes, boys!

Good times had by all, I guess.

Oh man, you know what I should do? Blog. Totally.

I expect most of my "fanbase" will've stopped reading by now, with such and enormous hiatus, but hopefully that'll just mean my unidentified stalker will have found someone else to stalk and moved on. Unless they're a serial stalker, I guess. But that's just time consuming.

So! I've been in Perth for nigh on 2 months now. Actually.... exactly 2 months! Yesterday! Coinciding nicely with the anniversary of Timothy and I being together for eighteen months! That's two babies, people! If we were serial concievers. Which I think we all know, we are.

So many serialists this post! I'm a serial serialer. I guess...

I can't even remember when the last time I posted was, but I'm going to go ahead and assume it was before Christmas and New Year and all that.

Christmas was fun. Well, okay, you understand. It was nothing like being at home with my amazing family, despite the fact that the number of presents increased by like 300%. I missed my family so very much. Especially since Dad decided to fly off to America to spend it with his floozies and whatnot. So it would have been a deliciously Dad-free Christmas. But no, I was here. And that was okay. Especially since discovering the most delicious thing ever.

Seriously.

I don't know maybe it's something they do over here? Or maybe it's just a Tim's-Mum thing. But yeah. It sounds horribly fattening and greasy to begin with, that's what I thought too. But don't knock it till you've tried it.

It's like the things Tom's Mum served at his 21st. Bacon wrapped around fruits and things. Only less wacky. Get this. Think about it. Bacon... wrapped around... sausages. Bacon wrapped sausages! I thought it could only lead to heart attacks, but man. MAN. It tastes GOOD. Not something you'd want to indulge in too often though.

Yep! Anyway, then we spent an awkward night with Tim's extended family who really enjoyed pretending I didn't exist. Good times had by all, I guess.

Oh man, looking back at my last post reminds me that it was even before my birthday! Man, my friends here are pretty awesome. They got they funds together and got me a pink DS! And like, Sarah came in and bought it from me! From... ME! Ridiculous!

And then they even hung around the whole night when my party was pretty dull. Kudos to them for their staying power.


Anyway, New Years was also cool! There was drinking too much, and cigars, and some stargazing. I believe I taught Debari about some constellations, but thinking back, I might've been making it up 'cause I was completely plastered. Having said that, I can't even remember what I told him, but we saw THREE SHOOTING STARS. I've never seen any! Woo! Go John's house, being all in the country and all, I guess.

I remember, at the time, totally thinking all "Hmm, I guess that makes sense with the meteor shower and whatnot" or something. The meteor shower? Just how drunk WERE you, lady?

Anyway, we left about when my boss was passed out on the lawn.

And coming next weekend is the beginning of the WeekLAN! I've never been to one, but from last year, and the way people here won't shut the fuck up about it, I'm thinking it's going to be pretty great!

And... I guess that's my list of stuff I've done! My head hurts, so I'ma go away from my computer now, I guess! Everyone else should blog too, dammit!

Video killed the what star?

I have been SO slack since arriving.

In keeping in touch with the old country that is. I'm mostly slack on that because I'm busy doing stuff here. When I'm not working, I'm socialising or just plain not working. I landed a job at EB, by the way, for the people that don't know. I haven't quite sold my soul yet, but man. The things you learn are TERRIFYING.

But yeah, even SMSing. I get sent SMSes and I'm all "I'm in the middle of something or something! I'll reply later!" and then I never do. And after that I'm all "Well, I'll address that in the big mass email I keep meaning to send back home!" but I never do that either.

And calling. Don't get me started on calling. I received an SMS the other day from Tom, and I never replied. And then I was all "Goddamn, I NEVER reply! I'ma call instead!" and... yep. I never did that either.

SO! What I'm basically trying to say here is, I'm sorry all, if you've SMSed or tried to contact me in some way since my arrival, but I've been pretty freaking slack/busy.

I have my own theory for some of it, of course. Being that, before I moved I spent most of my evenings and sometimes days on the internet talking to Tim and doing less socialising than I should, and less video games. So now that I don't need the internet to talk to him, I've tended to shy away from the internet entirely, using my computer for games for the most part.

And then, with our purchase of an XBox 360, I'm using it even less. I've never owned a console before, but man, the 360 is a beautiful machine.

So yep! I'm usually selling video games, playing video games, or talkin' video games. And man, life is pretty sweet.

But yeah! This was only gonna be a short email to let you know that I'm a jerk, that I'm okay, and that things are fun here. There might be a longer, better update soon, but I wouldn't hold your breath, looking at the track record. In fact, with this tiny update, I might even put some emails on top priority instead. So... look forward to that I guess! Unless, y'know, I get distracted. By video games. And christmas shopping.

Life is GOOD.

P.S. Buy everyone you know Mass Effect for Christmas. Even yourself. Even if they don't have a 360. One day they will. And they'll want it.

It's mostly cleaning and packing.

Wow, what do I even say.

Tonight is the end of an era. Tomorrow is the beginning of the end. And then later that week is the end, and the after that, the beginning.

I'm moving. Finally, it's happening and suddenly, with the imminent arrival of my Timothy and the beginning of a full-on week of doing goodbye stuffs, it's close and it's real. By the end of next week I'll be living in a new city, in a new state overlooking a new ocean. I'll be socialising with new friends, eating dinners with a new family, missing the people I used to see all the time, and seeing the people I used to miss all the time.

It's the end of an era, and I'm scared, I'm excited, I'm happy, I'm sad, I'm frustrated, I'm bored and I don't know what to do with myself. Well, I do. It's mostly cleaning and packing. But I'm in so much denial it's been impossible to start.

I'm making it sound worse than it is. I am truly excited. But there are a lot of things about Sydney that I don't want to leave behind. My Mum, my friends, my way of life for the last year or so. Tom's sense of humour, not least. Yes, Tom, you get a special mention. I don't want to make other people feel bad, like they're less important. But Tom's been a close friend for ages. I hardly do anything without him these days, and suddenly his understanding of my mind and hugely similar sense of humour are going to be three thousand kilometres away. You're my Scarecrow, man. I'm going to miss you most of all.

I'd take that analogy further along the Tinman and Cowardly Lion lines, but I think if I starting picking out more individuals, people would get upset at being left out and whatnot. So just Tom being super-special is enough.

Speaking of Tom, he turns 21 tomorrow. The big one. The last birthday anyone's going to be excited about until you turn 30. And think how scary that'll be. You might be married, have kids, a mortage, a divorce, a crazy stepmother, an affair. You might be a millionaire.

Notice I'm talking about you, despite the fact my birthday is just barely over a month later than yours? I'm sure psychologists have a term for that, and I'm pretty sure I know what it is! But I'm not going to say it in case I'm wrong and Jimi reads it. Then I'll never live it down and he might not like me anymore!

He celebrated this milestone birthday on Saturday night. I was celebrating extra hard for him, and I rather regretted it the next day. I made a right fool of myself, in front of people that will probably never forgive me. But I had a good time, and I think that's what counts. Wait...

Anyway, I fell off a chair, okay? It was uneven ground! Just ask Tom! I went all unconcious too. Good times. I had bruises aplenty the next day.

At least, I think, I managed to recruit extra people to come to my OWN party next week. Like Kat! And hopefully Lou! I.. hope they come anyway. Sadface. I also invited Alistair, but, uh. With my performance, I'm not sure he'll come! I'd sure like it though.

And I spent a long time talking to my drunk friends in Perth! Who were celebrating a similar birthday.

Finally, tomorrow is my last day at work. I haven't been working there very long, but wow. I sure have grown attached to the place. It's one of the first places where going there a few times a week didn't feel like a chore, and I didn't count the hours till I got to leave. And boy, am I attached to those kids. I'd like to say I'd steal some after I leave or something, but then if one actually went missing, I'd look like the prime suspect.

Anyway, I think that's where I'd better leave it. I'm tired from all the cleaning and I have to get up early to make final preparations and go to work and things. So the next time I update, I'll probably be in Perth. For good. I'll miss you all.

And update your blogs bitches. It's more important now than ever. How else will I keep up with the Sydney rabble.

Of Borg implants and modern masterpieces

Blog spam!

Yes, another entry this week! Or something. I was almost going to look up when it was to verify my claims, but I won't because goddamn I just can't be bothered and I DO WHAT I WANT.

I actually have some things in particular to scree about today, and I know how you all love the nonsensical ramblings, but don't lose interest yet, 'cause I'm excited so I'm pretty sure you can expect it to be pretty absurd anyhow.

Anyway, first exciting piece of news, my insulin pump, that I mentioned in the last entry! Today when I discussed it with my Diabetes Educator, we decided for once and for all that I will definately be getting one! And what's more, my move isn't delayed at all, which was another worry I had.

But I'm getting ahead of myself! For those that don't know, an insulin pump is a little thing maybe about the size of a mobile phone or a pager, and I keep with me all the time, and is attached to my insides at all time. It's like a permanent needle or something. And it pumps insulin at a regular basal rate, and allows me to give extra insulin when I eat or y'know, drink six litres of coke. Conversely, it also allows extra flexibility if I don't feel like eating if I'm sick or if I do some kind of exercise or something like that, where I would usually have to fiddle around with blood sugars and insulin.

Now, I'm talking as if you all know the basic workings of diabetes. So sorry if I'm not making a lot of sense! What did I say about nonsensicality?

It also gets me out of a horrible vicious cycle that I'm in at the moment that a lot of people won't even realise that I'm having a lot of trouble with day to day, that goes something like this:

Step 1: Have hypo (low blood sugar)
Step 2: Freak out and overcompensate (have too much sugar)
Step 3: Have high blood sugar from overcompensating
Step 4: Freak out and have too much insulin to compensate
Step 5: Have hypo from too much insulin.
Step 6: I think you can see where I'm going with this.

So basically my blood sugars are swinging from high to low a LOT which is really really unhealthy, and what's more adds to the problem, as it apparently causes cravings for sweet things! Anyway, so the pump will help me to not swing so badly, and things.

There are also a lot of other benefits, but that's probably the main one. Really, when it comes down to it, if you compare what I'm doing at the moment, and what I'll be doing with a pump, there is no way in which have 4 injections a day and forgetting to take my blood sugars is superior.

So basically, come February, I'll be vacationing in the lovely Sydney for two weeks, and getting my very first Borg implant. I could get it done in my new home of Perth, but it would mean some kind of delay, and also this particular Diabetes Centre has some practices which are unique in Australia. So it's just a little better. And seeing I was coming back about then for mah Gramma's birthday, it seemed like there was no reason not to come back!

Anyway, so that's pretty exciting, huh! Sorry about the people who were thoroughly bored by that, but it's the closest thing to a cure that I'll be seeing for a long, LONG time, and goddamn it, I'm pretty goddamn excited.

Let's see, what was the other thing.

Ah yes! I recently went out and purchased the brand new Nightwish album! "Dark Passion Play". Their first release since kicking the epic butt of Tarja out of the band and adopting one Anette Olzon as the new lead singer.

Now, there are a lot of people who're all "Oh man Tarja was the shit, Nightwish is nothing without her!" and there are a lot of people who are all "No way man, Tarja sucked, Anette all the way!" and frankly I was always a bit of both. I was a bit of a hater. Tarja was being a giant bitch, but this new woman just doesn't have the epic sound Tarja did and gives the whole band a more 'poppy' feel.

Anyway, so I bought the new album, mostly out of frustration. And then listening briefly to the beginnings of tracks I was forced to accept that I didn't really like what I was hearing. In particular, it seems that Tarja was holding back their particularly creepy side. For example, the first track a 14 minute epic called The Poet and the Pendulum, mostly seems to involve someone, possibly the songwriter, being cut in half by a giant swinging blade. Now, I'm aware this is a fairly superficial understanding, and I'm sure it's a metaphor for a dozen different things. But it still creeps me out to the point that I can't actually listen to it. This feeling is enhanced by the "chopping through flesh" sound effects and the voice of a small boy saying things like "I'm afraid, I'm so afraid/ Being raped again, and again, and again/ I know I will die alone/ But loved."

It just pushes it a little too far. I'm just not one for violence. Real, imagined, visual, described or anything.

But upon further listening, with the shuffle setting on Winamp turned on, it was far more enjoyable. It really was just unfortunate that their most awful of songs was the first on the album and so, formed my first impression.

For the purposes of this review, I had thought to try and pinpoint a track at which the album peaks. But really, there are so many genres explored and mixed that it's hard to name a favourite. There are several distinctly gentle tracks, many outright metal tracks, and some that seem to blur the boundaries. "The Islander" contains a beautiful and haunting melody, enhanced by the soothing harmonies of Anette, while "Master Passion Greed" explores their darker side once more, and is a lot more... metal, even though it throws in some particularly Bond-esque trumpets. "Eva" gently describes the sadness of a small child being mocked while "Whoever Brings the Night" (one of my personal favourites) seems to be about whores, who 'love to suffer' (I'm not sure I understand that song completely, yet).

Between all these contrasts is the instrumental "Last of the Wilds", half celtic fiddle and uilleann pipes, half roaring guitar solos and metallic beat.

So! "Dark Passion Play" is a masterpiece of modern melodic metal. Not that.. I think there was too much archaic melodic metal. It pleases me on every one of my music loving levels. There's even some gospel in there. Seriously, if that's not multigenre, I just don't know what is.

The Federation are dirty Communists

Alright, alright, alright.

I WAS going to start getting shite ready for my move in just over a month. But apparently everyone wants me to blog! Which is fine, I sure like being missed. But you'll regret it when you hear that I haven't blogged in forever 'cause I've been sick and in bed for the last 3 or 4 weeks. But I'll do it now that I've been un-shaped, and using the internet isn't a tedious chore to be avoided at all costs, due to the slowness of dial-up. Yep. Sucks to be me.

A few months ago, during my last stay at the Lady Timlington residence, there was a strain of flu going around now known as the Influenza Apocalyptica. Lotsa people just real sick, and I was among them, resulting in the short stay in the hospital which I may or may not have blogged about. Anyway, I never really got over that! I was coughing and sniffling for months after that. So when I went to the doctor about other things, I also brought up the fact that I just wanted to shake this cold/flu thing forever. So she put me on a weeks worth of antibiotics, and sent me on my merry way. That was a Tuesday. The following Tuesday, after the full course, I was feeling somewhat better, not entirely, but enough. The Thursday of the same week, yes, two days after I'd finished the antibiotics, I start coughing up my lungs and my nose is full of terrifying shite and my head wants to asplode and I want to be sick everywhere.

Thank you doctor!

So yeah, that was a few weeks ago now, and I'm only recently at the stage where I can actually go out or y'know, spend most of my day out of bed. I had to come home from work the other day 'cause I literally felt on the verge of collapse.

The weird thing is, is that I hear a couple of people on the Westside who were sick at the same time as I was, are getting their flu thing back as well, again, at the same time. Which, I dunno, must suggest its something about the virus or bacteria that it makes a reappearance after several months or something? I dunno, it could also be a huge coincidence.

But I don't believe in coincidences.

In other news, the deadline for my move grows ever closer, with D-Day being only slightly more than a month away. However, due to the aforementioned sickness issues, working and other commitments, and sheer laziness I haven't made a dent on the To-Do list I need to complete in this month. Which is starting to worry me slightly. But I also know that I tend to work under pressure, and that this is something that I want a LOT, so I'm sure I can push myself to do it.

It just seems like such an enormous mountain to scratch and claw away at, and it's my fingernails falling apart, not the indefatigable peak.

I think I might've used that word incorrectly. But I've always wanted to use it in a sentence, so it's staying.

Also, karaoke!

Me and my homeboys and girls went into Town this most recent Friday night, for some karaoke hijinks! These hijinks also included Starbucks coffee and EasyWay/bubble tea (depending on what side of the continent you're on). Also, sitting in McDonalds and looking at the cunningly contrived penises made from discarded chip packets that had been strewn about in various lights.

Greg thought they were hammers. Heh.

Sorry, Frets on Fire break. I had to play Push Push (Lady Lightning).

In other other news, I might be getting an insulin pump! Which is pretty great, because I'm possibly the worlds worst diabetic. And also, private health insurance pays the whole damn thing! Wheee! That's upwards of $8000. Wheee! 'Course, it also means I'll be a step closer to being Borg than ever before. But whatever. As long as I don't go blind.

I guess they probably have Borg inplants for that as well. But I'm not ready to get assimilated yet.

Tim pointed out to me last night, that the Federation are like, the hugest bunch of dirty Communists ever. I had never thought of that! It's also shocking that Tim knew more about Star Trek than I did, considering he's hardly/hasn't watched any. I guess I just wasn't paying attention in First Contact.

Anyway! Communists.

In otter news, otters are cute.

I'm re-reading Lord of the Rings at the moment. Anyone that's been near me in the last week will know this already. Because I'm enjoying it SO THOROUGHLY that everyone I talk to has to sit through a neverending stream of me singing it's praises.

This is only surprising to me because when I read it as a younger nerd, I found it pretty boring, and I tending to just skip to the bits with dialogue so that I had a vague idea what was going on, without having to try and decipher the thousands of pages of history and lore. But this time! Having watched the movies many a time, so the plot is fairly well known to me now, the bits of history and lore, and the parts that differ from the movies are the far more interesting. The history especially. So much so in fact, that I'm thinking of having another crack at the Silmarillion. I'm not sure I'm ready for that, but I'm willing to give it a go, quite frankly. 'Cause I just want to know everything about this world. Everything! And he hints at so much stuff that's never explained in the book, as if it's common knowledge. And dammit, I WANT it to be.

Anyway, I think I've procrastinated long enough. It's time to get packing and what-forth (thank you, Tom).

There, you can all stop flaming me now!