Picture this scenario: I'm sitting in the staff room on my lunch break, looking at blogs on my iPhone. BB sits next to me, reading the paper. Sue is on the other side of me, eating her lunch. I find BB annoying sometimes, because she likes to think she knows better than the Qualifieds in all the other rooms, but the incident has endeared her to me.

BB opens the paper to the opinion section and reads the main headline toherself: "Why is WA failing the mentally ill?"
To be honest, I expected snark from her.
Instead, BB says, mostly to herself but to everyone else as well, "Because for the most part it's an invisible condition which isn't understood by the majority of the population".

What have I learned? Don't judge your coworkers. They are full of awesome surprises.

This entry was originally posted here. Comment here or over there with Open ID. Comments

Tags: activism, disability
I feel: determined

I went with LM and family to Tombstone, a Tex-Mex restaurant in Mt Lawley. I have decided to do a review of it, so that people who like Mexican/Spanish food can try it out if they are so inclined.

Restaurant:
This restaurant is inaccessible to anyone in a wheelchair. Also, if you have a problem with stairs, not the place to go. The restaurant is up a big flight of stairs. Also, the toilets are down two flights of stairs and around a corridor featuring more stairs. Also, none of the chairs have arms.

Lighting is dim, but not dark, and most of the lights are not fluorescent (I think I saw one that was). Font is large, dark on light, so easy to read. Ambient volume of the room is low. There is music in the background, but it's not very loud.

Staff are friendly. Pleasant atmosphere.

Food:
If you like enchiladas, don't eat them. They aren't enchiladas. They're mini burritos.
If you like burritos but aren't a big eater, then get the enchiladas.
If you don't know the difference, I pity you ;)

The food comes in large portions, and is yummy. Very yummy. The spice is actually spicy, so if you're not used to it get it toned down. The mild is spicy, the medium is very spicy and the hot is SPICY!!!
Also, everything is covered in cheese. Lots of cheese.

Oh, and the guacamole is really good, but not much salt, and also there's chilli powder in it, so it has a kick.

Ok, I'm fairly wiped. Have had a busy week followed by a busy weekend. So goodnight all, see you soon with something more insightful. Maybe.

Also, bug seems to have skipped me. Yays.

This entry was originally posted here. Comment here or over there with Open ID. Comments

I feel: tired

I have just bought my ticket.

I will only be there on Sunday.




I would love it if someone who was going on Sunday would be able to give me a lift *looks hopeful*

I feel: anxious

LM was making chili that I could take to lunch with me today. We also had a bowl of tomatoey meat yums in the fridge

LM: You could take the bowl of meat-stuff, that's already made up.
Me: Yeah, that'll probably be easier for me.
LM: And it means that I get more sleeps.
Me: Hmm? Why does that give you more sleeps?
LM: I won't have to get up early to shred the meats so you can take it to work. 'Cause you don't like shredding meats.
Me: You mean you were gonna get up at six o'clock just to shred meats for me because I don't like to?
LM: ... Maybe...

I feel: loved

Day: One
Goal: 1667
Achieved: 2018
Position: +351

Good start I think. I'm hoping to get as far in front as I can, so that if I have a day without spoons I won't have to worry about writing anything.

I'm not quite sur where I'm going with the story, but I'm liking the way it's shaped. It's probably horrible and needs mass editing though :P

Here is my user page if anyone is interested in adding me as a writing buddy.

This entry was originally posted here. Comment here or over there with Open ID. Comments

I feel: creative

This is the cake I made for my sisters birthday. I'm just going to post all the images, starting with the solid pieces of cake, sans commentary.

The Inspiration

( Kyo Cake )
The Final Product:

I feel: drained

First, cupcakes! I made cupcakes for two of the carers who were leaving, and decorated them like nursery rhymes.
( Cupcakes )

Tags: cupcakes
I feel: blank

I was tagged by girlejones so, here goes!

Rules: List seven quirky things about you. Then tag seven people. You cannot tag the person who tagged you, or tag "Anyone who wants to".

1. I have a toe on my left foot that is smaller and in the wrong place - evidence of clubfoot on my mother's side apparently. ( Wanna see? )
   
2. I sometimes start a conversation half-way through, because I was having it silently in my head. Then I have to go back and explain what I mean.
   
3. When talking on the phone, I use deliberately vague language so that the person I'm talking to can understand, but anyone listening in on the conversation can't.
   
4. I used to call myself a "warecat" (yes, with that spelling) and say that I turned into a cat on the new moon
   
5. I only wear a bra when I'm at the childcare centre. Even though I'm there five days a week, I still like saying "I only wear a bra when I have to".
   
6. I started reading adult fiction before young adult fiction. I still love both.
   
7. I get hives from eating peaches or nectarines, especially tinned or juiced. I also can't have asprin or ibuprofen, or any other blood thinners, because they make me dizzy.

I tag:
lauredhel, angriest, vidyazhi, logansrogue, mynxii, maevele, skwerlie

Tags: fake entry
I feel: sick

Heh, as if I needed more.

One night last week, we're lying in bed trying to sleep and I'm holding my forehead. My headache is particularly bad this night and I'm having trouble sleeping.

Next thing I know, LM reaches over and lightly rubs my forehead and temples in a way He knows helps my headaches. It really helped, and I didn't ask Him to. Once again, He just knew what I needed.

Yesterday, on our way back from dinner, we were talking about random things. He tells me that He went to a place called Little Bean for lunch, and wanted water with His lunch. Turns out that this place only had Fuiji Water. He expressed annoyance that this was the only water there, because "the owners of Fuiji Water opress the people there!". So He complained to the people there.

I should note that although I boycott Fuiji Water, this is not a brand we had talked about before. He heard of the unethical business practices and decided to boycott on His own. This, along with His unquestioning* support (and defense of) my Nestlè boycott, proves to me that I have an ethical partner.

*comversation went something like this;
Me: I'm boycotting Nestlè
LM: Why?
Me: *outlines reasons*
LM: Ok then. We need to find an alternative to Milo.

I have a few stories to tell today. Obviously I won't be using any names. But sit back and enjoy!

There are two children in the kindy room who are very close friends, and always hanging out together. One is a presumed-male and one is a presumed-female. Let's call them PM and PF. Today they were playing in the home corner with some Barbie dolls.

PM asked me to help him put a wedding dress on his Barbie. Once I had finished, he declared the Barbie "Super Woman!!" and started flying her around the room. Pretty soon PF joined him, and they flew their Barbies around the room together, rescuing the other dolls and flying in a magic, flying boat, which was actually the toy plastic sink.

Let's look at all the ways this subverts Patriarchy!

1. A boy playing with a girl! Neither one thinks the other has cooties, and they're both at the age when "girls play with girls and boys play with boys"
   
2. PM wanted to play with the Barbies. He often plays with dolls or Barbies or otherwise in the home corner.
   
3. PM did not pretend that his Barbie was a boy.
   
4. He also very clearly wanted his Barbie to be Super Woman!! not Super Girl. He corrected PF when she called it Super Girl.
   
5. PF playing super hero games and rescuing dolls!

It's mostly PM that I focused on, but I think it's great that he is like this. I've seen many a presumed-female wearing pants and getting dirty, but it's so much rarer to see presumed-males wearing dresses and playing with dolls. But I keep seeing it in my centre, and I encourage it when I can! (I never discourage their play, that is a very big no no)

Another thing that happened today was a different presumed-male wanted me to help him try on a dress. This is the same presumed-male I've mentioned before wearing toe-nail polish and playing with a fairy wand.

One of the children today decided to throw a block at another child. It hit him in the head, and he had quite a bruise. I grabbed him an ice-pack, and the other carer comforted him while I wrote out the incident report form (I was the one who saw it, so I wrote it out)

There were two huge roaches!! I have a phobia of roaches. I didn't scream, but I was shaking a little and had to call for help. I couldn't get near them. Two roaches means we have to spray :( But luckily they weren't nesting roaches, so there won't be a colony anywhere (thank the gods!)

Not much reading happened today, which I found disappointing. But the children do love books, so it's not a trend :)

Full-time work starts next week!! I am excited and terrified and full of jibbly-worms!! They wriggle in my belleh!!

Tags: child care, feminism, today in child care
I feel: tired

Should I go to Femmeconne (still thinking about it):

• I will only go for the Sunday, so that the potential time for freak-out is less.
  
• I will wear my Crippling Shyness shirt (Shirt = pale yellow with coloured font. Text = Ask me about my Crippling Shyness)
  
• I will make nut-free, gluten-free vegan cupcakes to share.

As an aside, if at any time you see me running for the nearest bathroom cubicle or other tiny space, leave me alone. I will come out in my own time, and people knocking on the door asking if I'm ok just makes things worse.

Also, check out my spiffy new icon! I tried making more but Gimp doesn't like me today.
(Icon has two frames.
1st Frame: black text on white, "I'm in your Sci-Fi"
2nd Frame: White background. Black text: "Spreading my" Pink Text: "Girl Germs")

I feel: contemplative

Ok, so Femmeconne is coming up. I've been thinking about going but I have some concerns. Please not that I'd be going only on the Saturdy and/or Sunday because I'll have Childcare on Friday (My traineeship starts in two weeks! Huzzah!!)

Reasons For Going:

• Meeting cool people on my flist IRL
  
• Intelligent Feminist discourse
  
• A safe space IRL!!
  
• New friends maybe hopefully?

Concerns I have:

• ANXIETY!!! Yeah, whole new group of people, can't get away easily, no LM.... ANXIETY!!!!!!!!!
  
• Transport: how will I get there and back??
  
• Foods. Foods is a bring your own, but what kitchen facilities are available? When/how is the cooking done? I'm happy to bring and make my own foods, but would like to know how it works when there are many peoples. - Thanks callistra

So tell me, flist. Who among you is going? Any suggestions for me? Should I go?

Help please.

This entry was originally posted here. Comment here or over there with Open ID. Comments

Tags: feminism
I feel: confused

... that my most "normal" dream involved;
+ Dressing up like Cleopatra and performing in a play,
+ During which play I was looking after a child and changing his nappy (it was a dark green cloth nappy)
+ Living on a spaceship until,
+ we landed on a planet with nine moons, which were used for astrological purposes
+ Tried to save the alien creature tiny bird cat things
+ Also there were talking horses.

I woke up and thought "Wow, that dream was so... Normal! Not remotely as surreal as most of my dreams! Practically mundane!"

Not kidding!

Wow, I did not expect such a huge and positive response from the icons. It's been overwhelming.

I've just woken up after a 24 hour charity gaming event so I'm a little bit wiped right now. Thank you all for your suggestions! I'll be making up a heap of new icons soon, once I'm rested and fully able to think in a way that doesn't involve "Does the sunstone need to be placed with the setting sun or set sun over the Eastern seas?"

Thanks again! I am going to be a busy little geek ^_^
I might start working on some new phrases for the icons :)

I feel: tired

( Animated This Time! )

I feel: accomplished