krazy kat's korner

Saw Happy Feet today with mum and sister. Awwww! Some really gorgeous animation and I so want a mumbles/gloria plush toy.

But I was reminded why I go to the movies so rarely. Apart from the price (for this one I had a ticket I'd been given by work (back in April) that needed to be used by the end of the year and an extra one for mum), and now the absolute annoyance of allocated seating (though mum said we needed an aisle seat as I'm claustrophobic (and if there were any problems with that request she was going to tell them that I'd scream down the cinema)).

I find it impossible to sit comfortably, I usually have trouble with hearing all dialogue (and mum had a lot of trouble), I hate all the other people and their talking and rustling and thumping seats and being generally annoying, you can't rewind if you miss something - give me a dvd in the comfort of my own lounge chair any day.

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Parents - let your children grow up to be plumbers so they can keep you in the lifestyle you wish to become accustomed to.

We have a sewer problem. Blocked up 15 months ago and then at the end of November, then 3 days later, then 3 weeks later...the last two were covered under the guarantee of the November fixing, but it's just going to block again. The plumber claimed that the bends near where it goes into the mains needs to be replaced, possible slippage and roots. We were wondering whether he was dudding us. He gave us a quote of nearly $2000 (which is extremely difficult for my parents).

Mum and dad decided to get a second quote from a bigger company. They came this morning (ringing at 7.10am and arriving 10 minutes later - we were impressed - NOT! we are not morning people, no one should ring before 9-10am weekdays and 11am weekends). And quoted $3000!

Dad said no thanks, we had a much better quote, and the bloke said pay peanuts you get monkeys doing the job... Since when has plumbing been brain surgery? All they have to do is dig a hole, take out the old bends, double check for roots in the remaining pipe, put in the new bends/pipe, join it up and put the dirt back on top. Dad had been trying to find if he knew anyone who was a licensed plumber just to oversee him doing it. Because apart from the fact it would do him in physically and there's insurance/workcover issues (it's out on the nature strip), Dad is quite capable of doing it.

Yes, it is hard work physically and they tend to have to retire early beause their bodies go kaput, but surgeons charge less than that and you're putting your life in their hands, not your shit (well some surgeons...) And the price difference between the quotes is past ridiculous - does the second plumber have some patented digging technique?

The first plumber has been called, he's getting the paperwork done (the ring before you dig to check where water/electricity/gas etc are - dad knows there's nothing there except for the stormwater pipes he layed, but it still has to be done). Hoping next week possibly.

I have a motto for the water board help section and their total inability to say when they'll arrive (even approximately)..."At Sydney Water, time is fluid".

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My brother stayed up here the last two nights. As he was coming straight from work on Friday, he couldn't bring the cockatiel with him, so Wee Jock went to his friend's house to stay. When M put the bird in the car, Wee Jock started making budgie noises (he did that a few weeks ago when M came up for the night - even though he'd only been here once before). The friend lives only a short distance away and when M got there, Wee Jock was most unhappy and started hissing at him. He was at the wrong house! Hopefully Wee Jock got some amusement out of glaring at their Samoyed, Tosca. He did that when M was dogsitting and freaked poor Tosca out.

I know at least two of these have already been cancelled, but any recommendations from the following:

The Inside
In Justice
Men in Trees

Not sure what else may pop up, but looking forward to the return of Waking the Dead and Third Watch (we might actually finish the final 9 episodes). But no Judging Amy by the look of it (why, Nein, why? you put it on every summer) :(

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You wouldn't want to be in a dire emergency waiting for Sydney Water...dad called them at 5pm (after getting a job number before 1pm today), the person said they'd be here in 1-2 hours...it's now 8.30pm...our second blocked sewer in 4 days - the plumber cleaned it out Wednesday, called them back around midday and they called Sydney Water to tell them the problem is tree roots in the mains (which we knew when we had two blockages within a short time 18 months ago, but Sydney Water won't come out unless it's blocked...but then the plumber unblocks it (temporarily), so they still won't come out).

Hoping to get it bloody well fixed properly this time, and hopefully will be able to get the huge plumber's bill reimbursed.

There's an ebay auction for an ornament I'm interested in (and costs way too much here). Says Posts to: Australia, N. and S. America, Asia, Europe and Contact the seller for postage costs and services to Australia, N. and S. America, Asia, Europe.

So I contacted, and got back the reply: I am sorry, at this time we cannot ship outside of the United States.

I emailed them back pointing out the above and suggested they change it.

Note: don't ask questions during US holidays...

Reasking: recommendation for what Vienna Teng cd to buy first (I have Warm Strangers mp3ified)?

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I only just survived work. When I got up this morning I was so tired I felt like crying. And had to get up and walk around a few times at work to keep myself awake.

But another fortnight/pay period I've done my full hours. That's a month, four weeks in a row, of doing my full hours. I am superwoman :)

Thursday was funny. I don't normally work it, and I walked in around my old side and K looked at me strangely and said, "What are you doing here?" :)

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I am just a tad excited about finding Barry Jones' autobiography. And annoyed I didn't know till I just saw it in the ABC cattledog. Costs a pretty penny though. A few years back I considered writing to Barry Jones and asking him to write his autobiography...or if he didn't want to do it, let me! Yes, I was younger and stupider...but I so wanted to hear his story.

And everybody reading this either has no idea who I'm talking about or can't stand him.

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And I think my dvd player just exploded. There were these popping sounds coming from the direction of the tv/dvd/vcrs, I looked and couldn't find anything. More popping sounds. The tv turned on okay, the vcrs played okay, the dvd player turned on okay...but it smells. I've unplugged everything until dad can look at them in the morning. Damn dvd player, it's only just over a year old and has barely been used. I had to buy it to replace the previous one in which the power supply carked it. I only paid $60 for it, but still.

Question for anyone living in Europe/maybe UK (cappuccinogirl?):

Is it standard for dvd players/tvs to be able to play/display NTSC dvds? I know here in Oz it is pretty standard. My best friend's hubby emailed me, she wants a dvd from the US, but he's not sure if it will play on their dvd player/tv in Switzerland. Their dvd player is multiregion, so I think it would play NTSC dvds, otherwise it's pretty pointless. But not sure about the tv displaying NTSC. I think their tv is only a few years old.

I found a website that says For playing NTSC DVDs in Europe - all PAL DVD players output NTSC, and MOST PAL TVs will display NTSC with no problems.

For paid members, lj is giving an extra week due to the recent problems. Details on how to get it here.

grrrr...

The time stamp on my Pretender fic was stupid (about 9 hours backward in time). I hope that doesn't mean it got lost in flists. Not that there a lot of Pretender people here.

What is wrong with you, lj?

Dad just saw the Vegemite story on the tv news update.

I don't see why it's a problem if it's for personal use...maybe we need to hide it in toothpaste tubes... And you can get Vegemite in a tube, though it's a wide tube...kinda of like a sunscreen shaped tube...just relabel it.

Howard needs to call Bush right now and demand Vegemite is let in otherwise we're pulling out of Iraq and the Anzus treaty.

Story via bantha_fodder. Didn't the Federal govenment insist on a Vegemite clause in the FTA???

From here:

THE United States has slapped a ban on Vegemite, outraging Australian expatriates there.
The bizarre crackdown was prompted because Vegemite contains folate, which in the US can be added only to breads and cereals.

Expatriates say that enforcement of the ban has been stepped up recently and is ruining lifelong traditions of having Vegemite on toast for breakfast.

Former Geelong man Daniel Fogarty, who now lives in Calgary, Canada, said he was stunned when searched while crossing the US border recently.

"The border guard asked us if we were carrying any Vegemite," Mr Fogarty said.

"I was flabbergasted." Paul Watkins, who owns a store called About Australia in San Antonio, Texas, said he had been forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago.

"We have completely stopped bringing it in," he said.

"(US authorities) have made a stance and there is nothing that can be done about it."


Mum just asked whether they can get around the ban by relabelling it as axle grease.

eta: and they only allow folate to be added to breads and cereals? I can understand legislating that it must be added to those foods, but to restrict it to only those foods? How does that make any sense?