I was going to whine about the fact that I've worked a 6 day week (50ish hours) the last 6 weeks out of 8. But then Alex tells me that her contract stipulates a standard 50 hour week and she puts in around 65 hours in general. Ai yai yai... Takes the wind out of my self-pity and I get PAID for my extra day whereas she doesnt.
Anyway, highlights and lowlights of the month.
Played tourist guide though I did nod off on Puffing Billy. No pics of the drool, thankfully.
Kim's 10th(!!) birthday!! It's been 10 years. I still remember that first day, when she started crying that first cry. I was thinking, "It sounds so sweet, almost like music. Maybe babies crying sound different to parents than to outsiders". Fast forward 1 month when her lungs got stronger, I'm cradling her at some ungodly hour, softly going "Shhhhhhhh", fearing the neighbours would knock on the door any minute.
Accidentally sent email to wrong person Major red faces allround. Well, just mine especially since said email contains reference to misdirected recepient.
Won a bottle of wine autographed by Steve Bracks! Yay! It's near worthless to me but have been advised to put it on ebay. Anybody here a politics groupie?
Watched my kid play indoor soccer for the first time Well, it was her first time too. I am glad she's taking up the sport without my prompting cos she is not very receptive to any ideas that originate from me. But apart from this, we have a great relationship.
My current contract expires. Yay. "Why you leave, Chai?", they ask. "Ummmm..., I, ummmm, have to, ummmm, ...., it's hard to get to here from where I live".
I got a new contract starting mid Nov. Yay! The kid can continue her schooling.
A production assistant earns like $7/hour after tax. There goes my alternate career.
Hopefully, my racquetball saga has ended In a nutshell, opposition team argued amongst themselves, walked off in a huff. We got a walkover. There was a tribunal, and they penalised both teams! We replay the round. One of our players not registered correctly. We forfeit all points. Accusations fly. Saga drawn out. Not good.
Got introduced to Aqualung's music. Pretty cool.
Went to see Beauty and the Beast My b'day present for L. It was really good, even more so considering these were amateurs, I think.
Cutting out beef from my diet Cos of this.
Finished a jigsaw. Took me 4 frigging weekends! In the end, it was more of a vendetta than anything.
Hmmm... not much of a life. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
(*) Title is borrowed from William Blake's perception.
21 comments:
hey chai. thanks for your life wrap up. so your princess and mine are about the same in age? i remember the new baby cry and thinking EXACTLY the same thing. then it all changed.
soccer hey? my P has indicated she wants to do soccer too. what's the drill? where do we go? what to do? it's in her genes as her dad comes from a soccer-mad nation - galatasaray, fenerbahce etc - she has a mean strike (is that a real term?)
anyway, any tips would be great.
Chai,
I have also been known to complete jigsaws out of spite alone. Especially ones that are three-quarters goddamn sky. Not that I'm bitter, mind.
Melbournegirl/Chai,
On the upside re crying, I can honestly say that no other child's crying has ever upset me the way Grizzlewick's did. I can now rock small babies up and down the hallway for hours on end without one whit of irritation at their crying - just buddha-like calm while their dear parents get some sleep.
I like to believe this is a skill. Sadly I don't seem to apply for any jobs where it might assist me.
Chai, 10 years flies as quickly as the month does eh?
The boy played soccer for a bit - the parents there were a bit intense for me. Is this an indoor or outdoor thing for you. Our chosen sport has put my parka back on me.
Glad you have a new contract. Well done. Maybe the production assistant thing can be the hobby. Although it has been already, hasn't it?
October has sped along too quickly for me - I think I'd better get something written myself before the night's end.
good point gigglewick, i'm the same. i have the knack. with other people's kids.
luckily princess was a "good baby" and slept well from very early.
it all seems so long ago.
mg : funny regd the first baby cry. Regd indoor soccer, we just rang the local centre (Ashburton) and they had a internal league. They have four all-girl under 11 teams, I think. Pretty good. All the girls seem to have lots of fun. I think there is an outdoor league as well but that starts next year for this centre. All we needed to buy were shin guards and long socks.
ggw: Yeah, that jigsaw. These ones were the CSI ones on sale at Myer. I thought, "Cool! A father/daughter activity." Turned out it was a father activity. It was pretty hard as there is no picture to guide you ie. you go in blind. And there is 1 missing piece. Not sure if this is on purpose or not, or maybe that's why it was on sale. There is a cool UV torch that comes with it though. Allows you to see the solution (ie. the jigsaw is of a crime which you have to solve). I'd bought 2 in the series. Am too scared to start the second one.
hn : Yeah, 10 years! Seems just like yesterday when she'd actually listen to what I say.
You still manage to pack so much into a post!
I once sent an email (of a very personal nature about me) to the wrong person (damn you hotmail!). The recipient assured me he wouldn't read it, but I woul bet my last dollar he did. Just as well if he'd said anything, he would have looked a fool.
cb, if you did monthly'ish posts, yours too would be packed and the difference would be that yours would be 10 times plus denser than mine (denser in the physics sense as opposed to popular slang).
Even having read this, I cannot really imagine what this month has been for you, besides busy, of course. What a strange combination of "stuff!"
Jay! Friend Alex is from Montreal. I was practicing tour guiding Canadiens for when you 2 clowns come down here. And,ummm, bring your gardening clothes.
Chai, I hope you get some 'down' time before the next onslaught of work!
And babies cries. I remember walking into the hospital nursery of 30 babies the day after my son was born, and I knew instantly that he was the one crying. A parent's ear is so atuned, isn't it?
meva, admittedly I was a little sceptical of parenthood prior but I enjoy being one, for now. May have a different opinion when the teen years arrive.
Do you move to the country when they are teenagers? A friend of mine did. Her teenagers are doing all right.
Enjoy ten and jigsaw puzzles - they'll start it with you and then tell everyone 'we finished this puzzle..."
Ten year olds are great. They're a bit smart arsy but they are still all yours.
Butterly stroke.
Drowns.
Yay Chai! I think it sounds like you're doing heaps, not just 'swimming' along.
Happy Birthday to your little one. :)
10 years sure fly by fast!
Stumbled onto this site, just thought I'd say hi. :)
hn : thanks for the encouraging words.
ally : ha ha... what's even funnier is that I cant swim and I cant get myself to enrol in a course.
susie : life is passing me by. Maybe that'll be my nov topic.
tawcan : welcome to my world. must be getting cool up in canada.
how on earth did you nod off on puffing billy? Didn't the sound of a billion little kids screaming and wailing keep you awake? ;)
It's called tuning out. And the rhythmic motion of the choo-choo helps.
Hey Chai.
I totally no what you mean about the red face when you send an email to the wrong person!! But I know about this great email provider called BigString (http://www.bigstring.com), the new free webmail program. It offers revolutionary features. When you send mail from your BigString free email account, you are protected. BigString is like an automatic shredder for your email. You can self-destruct or change an email that's already been sent or read. Don't leave your messages sitting in peoples' inbox forever.
Thanks for the tip.
I haven't got any offspring of my own, but I have lived with several small children and babies who I loved beyond reason. While I was able to remain calm and zen-like during full on crying fits, the parent's dissolved into bundles of wretched emotions crumpled on the floor. I think parents have an empathic bond to their children that makes them feel what their child is feeling. Despite my physical and emotional closeness to the child, I didn't have the emotional connection that of a parent.
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