Declutter

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This ad sums up how I am when it comes to "knowing about stuff". Yes I admit it, I suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This is where I find myself subscribing to a zillion and one things which I immediately hit delete once it reaches my Inbox. I hate the idea that I might not be on top of all the latest current events, trends (not that I really follow any), news and gadgets.

Today, I've decided to overcome this irrational fear and just discovered this really neat function called "UNSUBSCRIBE". That's right folks - gotta say goodbye to those emails from lastminute.com (I think I have only bought something from them once), Alan Kohler's Eureka report (I don't even remember why I subscribed to this investment newsletter - oh right, I work for an investment bank... that may have had something to do with it), visitbritain.com (yes, yes I will be coming but not in the next 6 months), americanapparel.net (I hate the way their models are in their newsletter - I have to make sure nobody is standing behind me before I open them up because they are so risque) and would you believe, I'm also unsubscribing from fairfax.com.au (publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald). I am literally on the SMH website all day, I don't need a follow up email to tell me what I've already read - especially one for business news, one for entertainment news and one for general news.

The idea now is to unsubscribe to everything that I automatically delete. First step - declutter Inbox. Don't know what the second step is as I can only do small amounts of cleaning at a time.

Just a minute in May

This meme seems like a good way for me to do one massive blog post to sum up all that has happened in May.

LOVING: my new nephew (Baby J) who was born on the 20 May 2009. I've never really been one for babies and children but my friend Jill tells me that you do end up loving your own. But I think this extends to baby nephews as well. I believe that this addition to our family has finally filled that yearning my father has always had for a boy.

MAKING:

Baby Blanket

Elijah for Baby J

READING: When in Rome by Penelope Green, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - I'm rotating all three titles depending on how I'm feeling.

WATCHING: Harper's Island, Masterchef Australia, Spooks, Love My Way

SHOPPING:

Shiny shoes for work and play.

COOKING: Bundt cakes. I bought myself a bundt mould and from there, I have since made a chocolate and matcha one, a sour lemon one and an apple and cinnamon one from the last Donna Hay magazine.

LISTENING: This American Life (I'm really loving this podcast), getting back into Cast On, CraftLit, Get It Done Guy.

PLAYING: Living a retro life:

That he might really wear these vintage ties


What I would look like if I were me now in the 70's

DOING: The Global Corporate Challenge. I've been going on walks around the harbour during my lunch to try to clock up 10,000 steps each day. I realise that on an average day, I only walk about 3,000 steps.

Something finished

That's me and my finished Minimalist Cardigan (bad picture - but it's just another black cardigan) and Cobblestone which I had finally finshed for my dad. This was yesterday on the BFG's balcony. He was playing computer games, so I set the timer on my camera phone for the picture. I'd use my camera except the battery was flat (and it was at my house) and I was impatient.

I look really tired - I wasn't really but some days, I just have that look. Generally it ties in with a bad hair day. I'm going through that "I think I should let my hair grow stage" which might last around 2 months before it annoys me so much that I'll make a visit to some random hairdresser and then sit there hating the haircut. I'm also thinking I need to start living the Weight Watchers way of life again.

I tried to find the cable thingy that goes from the phone to my computer but I've misplaced it (story of my life!) and remembered the Bluetooth function on the phone and my Mac. Love Love Love it when technology works. Zap, Zap, Zap and the photos were transferred.

Finished objects but nothing to show

I've been bad with the blogging. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm bad with taking photos - or taking photos and then getting around to getting them off my camera. That has been my excuse for not blogging anyway.
If you actually go to my blog rather than read this through an RSS reader, you'll notice that I've updated my progress bars on my projects. Firstly, Cobblestone has been finished, Anna's shawl is now 90% done, I've killed off the Mr Bean Bear and added a few other things which I have finished recently.

I finally sewed up the Minimalist Cardigan after the BFG nagged (it was kind of sitting on his couch for about 2 months) and I love it. It's kind of heavy but that might have something to do with the very dense moss stitch. After finishing off that particular piece, I had this renewed energy to actually make an effort to finish off other languishing projects. Which of course leads me to Cobblestone which I started for my dad (ages ago). I stopped because I couldn't get my head around the short rows. So I fudged it a bit (but I think I get it now).

Anna's shawl - I tried to get the same colour again (I didn't even care about the dye lot) but Bendigo Woollen Mills no longer make it so I'm using a similar yarn but in a shade darker to finish off the border and be done with it. I love it but I'm over it too. It's a lace shawl with 36 or 38 repeats - I've only done about 25 and then ran out of yarn. Just...need...to...finish...it...

As you can see, no photos - I think I'll try to put some up soon. But no promises.
I realise that my weekends have been rather unproductive. A lot might have to do with just being sucked into that mindless vortex that is the television, catching up with friends and just generally not doing very much - although I think the BFG would disagree with that statement. He's happy to potter around the apartment all weekend, but that would seriously drive me insane. I need to get out of the house at least once every day.

The only other exciting news I've got to share is that the BFG and I are going to New Zealand in September. We're only going for the weekend (leaving Friday in the afternoon and returning first thing Monday morning). I'm excited because it will be our first trip away together - if we don't kill each other, it might mean we can attempt somewhere further away (like Venice). And the other reason why I'm quite excited is that spinning wheels are $100 cheaper (the Ashford brand ones anyway) over there than here in Australia. Okay, so I'm still thinking about the logistics of lugging home a spinning wheel but it's something to consider!

I took a spinning lesson quite a few years ago but never really got into it (and I've always thought that the hand spun yarn came out a bit "home-made") but I'm re-thinking the whole thing and might go get a couple of more lessons before making a commitment to buy.

So she says...

Last night, I went out with a few friends (baby and toddler in tow - theirs not mine) for dinner and drinks. Dinner was a rather mundane affair at Hurricane's which had opened up in Darling Harbour - is it me or does having a fantastic view over the harbour give restaurants the right to serve just "so-so" food?

The highlight of the evening was a tarot card reading at the Watershed pub. I guess anything to draw in the crowds during this current "economic climate". A quick shuffle of the cards, cut the cards into 3 piles and then pick one pile was all that was required to have my fortune told.

Here is a quick summary of what she said to me:

• There is an older man with a child who I will be getting closer with.


• I will be made an offer to work overseas and I'll have to make a decision as to whether or not that is something I want to do.


• I should be expecting a windfall in the form of a salary increase or bonus - more than I expected.


• I will be making some financial decisions which will be quite positive.


• A younger sister will be successful in whatever she does.


• My family situation is good.

Okay, so she wasn't exactly the most exciting clairvoyant out there but it might have something to do with the fact that I was probably number 2359034831 person of the day to ask for a reading.

I have to say, I am a bit sceptical of these sorts of things (although I do subject myself to a daily read of the horoscopes when things aren't working out swimmingly for me - it's really TALKING TO ME!!)...

Anyway, with what she has to say, as far as I know the BFG does not have a child out there somewhere (how creepy would that be??) and there is no way I would want to date someone with a child - I'm reserving my "children love" for my own (people tell me that it will kick in when you have your own children - so we'll see).

As for the money situation - jeez, I really really really want that to happen. But this is why I'm sceptical:

• The press keeps telling us that Australia is headed into a recession due to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC - or Global Fool's Crisis - as I read somewhere) AND I work for an investment bank. I'm lucky I still have a job, so why would they be offering me a salary increase now?


• Isn't everyone coming into a windfall with the Government's $900 handout?
• I completely suck when it comes to managing my own finances (ok BFG - you didn't just read that) so I doubt I would be making any great financial investments.

In terms of my family situation - well let's just say we haven't exactly been The Cleavers for a while. Although the bit about my younger sister might be true as she's a bit of a go-getter and the BFG and I (well it's mainly my idea) have talked about moving to Venice (this was just a random idea I had one day - why not Venice?).

Knitting with green

I'm back at my usual haunt in the Botanical Gardens during my lunch hour for some knitting, reading and enjoying the sunshine. I suddenly have my knitting and reading mojo back but find that the two activities are in conflict. Which is why I'm working towards being able to do both at the same time. I am also obsessively watching Pushing Daisies during my commute to work which also cuts into my available knitting/reading time. Who would have thought there was knitting content in this short-lived series?



Because I'm still trying to work out the 'knitting without looking' thing, I'm just making a pair of simple stockinette stitch socks. The yarn is Tofutsies (that weird mix of wool, soysilk, cotton and chitin [fiber from shrimp]) and a pair of really short Hiya Hiya needles. I'm yet to work out how to do the gusset and toes using such short needles. I'm not sure they are the most comfortable needles to use, but there is definitely a novelty factor about them. It's like knitting with miniature needles.

To the zoo

On a rather wet and rainy Saturday, the BFG and I decided (well actually, I decided) that we should go to the Zoo. The main reason for the visit was so we could see this absolute darling:



I was saying to the BFG, "so we're going to see the Pygmy Rhino". He replied with that exasperated tone that is nomally reserved for little people under the age of five "It's a Pygmy Hippo that we're going to go see". I'm not sure why I had it in my head that it was a rhino, but the one I wanted to see was the new baby!

A trip to the zoo wouldn't be complete without a visit to see the controversial Asian elephant exhibit:



I fully support the breeding programs of the zoos, but actually seeing the elephants in such a small enclosure, I truly believe that they should have been sent to Western Plains Zoo where there would be more space for them.

We also spent a lot of time looking at the Giraffes as the BFG felt a common connection with them because of their height.



Despite the small enclosures for some of the animals, they do get the best view: