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Save a Kitty!

Dear friends,

Please consider donating to the Auckland Cat Rescue or your local cat rescue ;-)
Here in Auckland they regularly trap cats at the stray colonies and de-sex them. Hopefully reducing the number of unwanted kittens born each year and reducing the stray population. They also find homes and foster stray kittens.

You can donate a little or a lot with your credit card online.

Or buy a cat bowl designed by Trelise cooper, Liz mitchell or Cybele, very fancy! Proceeds go to the cat rescue.
You can buy them at Animates and Jansens stores or order them here.

and then theres......

Kitten Adoption Day

02 February 2008
So many kittens needing new homes, so The Lonely Miaow Association, one of the countries biggest rescue groups is holding an adoption day at the Girl Guide Hall in Mt Eden, Auckland.

Best Bus Experience EVER!

I live in Auckland.

You may know that it has one of the sloppiest public transport systems (although its trying to be better).

Today after the trauma of the first day back at work, I was walking to the bus stop, it was a hot sunny day, birds were singing and no children were laughing. While contemplating my sneakers demise and how long I could continue to wear the sad dirty looking things I pressed the crossing button and prayed to the traffic gods for a quick light change, before my gaze could return to my decimated sneakers I caught a glimpse of the Bayveiw bus, Oh god, the lights were still green! I am 50ft away from the bus stop but the road was busy with traffic and I was never going to make it. I waved a "sad little depressed oh god there goes my bus wave" to the driver.

Then O frabjous day, the bus driver waves back and points to the bus stop. He's going to wait for me!!!!

Best bus driver ever.

If I had small asian children.......

I'd do the same. Possibly the cutest costumes I've ever seen.

The mineral deficiency thats making you FAT!

High Blood pressure is sometimes treated with calcium supplements. Why? Well when you have a calcium deficiency you body releases calcitriol (a vitamin D metabolite made by the kidney), which constricts blood vessels (as well as promoting calcium absorption from the intestine and leaching calcium from your bones to restore low blood calcium levels). Constricted blood vessels = higher blood pressure.
Scientists have been discovering that people on this calcium treatment are also losing weight. It turns out that calcitrol also acts as a metabolic switch in fat cells, signaling them to hold on to fat. Getting plenty of calcium means that calcitrol production is supressed and that "hold on to fat" switch stays off.
The effect is more pronounced when you take in extra calcium via low fat dairy products (Leucine and other peptides found in whey can enhance the weight loss effect.)

Its a bit of a fad these days to avoid dairy, but it is a great source of calcium. One low fat fresh and fruity yogurt has 40% of your RDI for calcium and only 72 calories. You body can only absorb small amounts of calcium at a time so a few small servings spread through out the day (and not taken with coffee!) will give maximum effect.

Article in psychology today

Stay in school, just for the holidays

One thing I try impress on the younger generation, is how important it is to stay in school. Also to go to university. Because frankly, nothing will beat those months of summer holidays.

when you are all grown up and stuck in your desk job, with your pitiful holiday leave, you will dream back to those carefree summers. Even if you were poor it didn't matter, you'd never know a full time wage before so you had nothing to compare it too. Lazing about, spontaneous road trips and working a few days here and there for beer money. It was all good.

I have only two weeks off.
I want to drink beer, eat avocados, watch crappy TV till 2 am, play hours of warcraft, read books and go to the shops and to the pub and to the movies.
I don't really want to be digging holes.
I want to have a good time!
So i'm going on strike. Only good times from now on! No more holes.

Spice Rack Solution

Spices, I have some.
Mostly they are still in those little boxes or I've bought them bulk from the Indian shop in Wairau. Handy they are not. So I've been searching the internet for elegant solutions.



One that caught my eye is the magnetic option. I especially liked the idea of mounting a magnetic whiteboard to the inside of a cupboard. Great for writing down the perfect spice mixture to add to the chilli.

Another option was to mount them to the wall. aka this photo. Which I quite like, but I have a huge lack of wall space in my tiny little kitchen.

So I'll be keeping an eye out for cheap containers I can glue magnets to. And I might have to borrow a hot glue gun too.

Recently I implemented the Charge Station idea I saw on some website. All the chargers are inside a breadbox along with all the messy ugly cables. Any our phones and other charge-needy devices sit on top and charge away (see the cables come out a hole in the back of the breadbox)
We had to buy a special multibox to sit inside the Breadbox. The transformers for all the chargers are to wide to sit side by side on a normal multibox.


Inside view: I do plan to tidy up the cables with some handy cable ties. he he

Thrilling Moments - Or Inane tale?

I may be a jinx to motor vehicles.

Since my car is getting surgery of the most deep and troubling kind, I had to take the Inlaws for an outing to the mall on the bus. The bus of course is many minutes late and 3/4 of the way to the mall there is a loud BANG!

The driver hopped out of the bus to look, he must not have seen anything out of the ordinary because he hopped back in and carried on driving. It was however immediately obvious as we began up the hill that a rear inner tyre had blown, the rollll FLAP rolll FLAP sound was a dead giveaway. So we limped to the top of the hill and were ejected from the bus and we had to walk the rest of the way.

I also got a clock at the mall. Which Zed's Mum Liz bought for me.

Its so Zed's dad can know when its beer O'clock. He has been lamenting the lack of clocks in our house. Not even the microwave clock is going (we have regular power outages so it mostly reads 00:00). I don't even wear a watch. Its like we live in a time free zone.

Friday Favourite Album

My latest high rotate album (which I discovered through LastFM) is "Hissing Fauna". Its by a band called "Of Montreal" which is some sad emo-esque reference to a failed relationship. apparently. The band is not known for keeping its story straight on that one..

Its catchy Indie pop with super hooky choruses, this band is weird and accessible. Lots of beautiful harmonies that remind me of musicals or sixties pop groups. And only sometimes do they sink into that whiney high singing voice that all indie bands seem to use. (Okay actually they use it a lot, but still manage to be melodic). The music makes you wish you already knew the words as I yearn to be singing along right from the first verse of the first song - Suffer for Fashion). I can sense lots of late 70s influences and hear a few harmonies that remind me of Queen and the track "Fabergé falls for Shuggie" strangly reminds of the Number pinball song from Sesame st. You know with marble and some lady singing Seven! (Pointer sisters actually).

I'm sure anyone could find a track to like on this album. Even if its just the pretty one minute interlude after the first track.

Try something new, give it a listen.

Listening to music is a dying activity, not many people put on an album just to listen. Music has become something that is incidental, we listen while going to work, working out, while browsing the internet, driving or cooking dinner.No one seems to have the time to spare on just listening alone.

In truth only a few albums cant stand the scrutiny of the concentrated listen. It can also be an intense experience for the user too. Get comfy, get headphones and do nothing but listen to one of your favourite albums.

Panic!

My car has been in and out of the garage. 1st time to get a warrant and check out the steering because it was driving funny. Well it got the warrant okay, but the mechanic missed the fact that the driver side bush was completely worn hence a ridiculous amount of play in the driver side front wheel. it made for exciting driving experiences thats for sure.

So I took it back to get that fixed (and get a squealing fan belt replaced). That was on Wednesday. I pick up my car and drive it home, everything seems fine. Its a short trip after all. Then on Thursday evening Zed decides to go play music with some fellas in town. But by the time he reaches the city the car is completely over heating! So he parks at work and waits for it too cool down, opens the cooling system and finds its completely dry! So in to work and back with a bottle of hot water (don't pour cold water into a hot radiator) he pours in the water only to find it pours right back out.

I scramble and catch the last bus into town so I can meet him and call the AA (only I have a membership) and they send out a tow truck. Two truck driver give me the heebies. They always seem so aggro, but the two guys that came out were cheery and kind. Only $20 to get a tow to Takapuna (AA pays $40 max, you pay the rest!). The mechanics is right next to a caltex, so we wander in and order a taxi. The attendant lest us use their phone and shouts us a coffee. We call a taxi and moments later we are on our way home.

So we were safe and sound you might think. But no!

We have to be at the airport tomorrow at 6:30am to pick up Zeds parents. So Zed had to text our dear friend, our dear sick friend to ask if we could borrow her car. Of course she comes through for us because she is amazing (Her car is out of action so she organises us to borrow her mums car, what a legend!) but we both have the guilts for waking her up so late to ask. Zed is out now, riding his motorbike to somewhere way out west to pick up the car.

And I will get up and catch the early bus into Takapuna to give my mechanic what for. I think hes disconnected something to get at the squealing fan belt and forgot to do it back up. Or he's knocked something. Hopefully its not because my radiator just decided to die, tonight of all nights.

All I can say is thank god for good friends and friendly tow truck drivers.

Christmas Gift Review

I bought my husband Crysis for Christmas.

I buy him computer games rarely. It usually means I wont see my husband for the next 36 - 48 hours depending on game difficulty and length. So when I get sick of the constant attention, hugs, kisses, gifts, dates, complements, bringing of drinks and general adoration of me, I buy him a game so I can have some me time.

So ladies, if you too like to buy your husband computer games, go here for the best review I've seen in ages. I wish all game reviews were this good.

Oh yeah the Cat!

And in keeping with interweb blog laws, I have scattered adorable pictures of my new cat throughout the side bar.

1 cat = 6 pictures.

2 cats = 12 pictures + at least two of cats wearing christmas outfits.

3 cats = 39 pictures + you have to send out christmas cards with your pets in costume.

4 cats = Flickr account completely dedicated to the 40 odd daily photos.

5 to 10 cats = Cant afford internet and camera is clogged with cat hair anyway.

More than ten cats = Have never heard of the internet as you are the crazy cat lady!

I see myself getting to stage two or three.
The cats name is officially "Sweet girl". Seeing as thats what we call her all the time anyway. Trying to name her anything else would be like trying to get all your friends to call you "Tank" or some other lame nickname. So Sweet girl she is.

I took her to the vet today. Vaccinated, wormed and de-flea-afied ($61) and booked in for a fixing in three weeks. I went to the Glenfield Vets on Diana drive. I think the prices are reasonable, but hey this is the first animal I've ever had to take to a vet.

And so, just like children, once you spend money on them they are officially yours.

Check out my gardening skillz!

Its a pepper or capsicum. Call it what you want but I GREW IT.
Mu hu ha ha ha.
I had more photos, but I've got to come to terms with the fact my camera's macro is not as good as I think it is.

There is something slightly evil overlord to having a garden.

And heres a cucumber. Ignore the weeds. Just admire my cucumber. (Yes I know thats a leading statement leaving me open for all kinds of comebacks.)

OMG morans. Chlorine the element and Chlorine in compounds behave completely differently!

Oh my word. I read the following on a webpage.....

Sucralose

This relatively new additive is marketed under the name Splenda®. Sucralose is basically denatured sucrose. Its preparation involves chlorinating sucrose, chemically changing the structure of the sugar molecules by substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydroxyl groups.

Yes, you did read "chlorinating," adding "chlorine atoms." But isn't chlorine a known carcinogen, you ask? Why would the FDA allow toxic materials to be used in our food and beverages?

Yes, chlorine is a carcinogen. And to the other question, no one said just why the FDA approved it. You should know too that it was approved even with the pre-approval research revealed possible toxicity of the substance.

Yes chlorine(g) is a carcinogen its very reactive and therefore does not occur naturally in nature , but chlorine when bound to other molecules behaves differently. For example. SALT. Beautiful benign salt. 50% Sodium 50% Chloride

(begin sarcasm) Sweet merciful crap salt is 1/2 Chlorine!!!!!!!!!! OMG even the ocean is full of the stuff we are all going to die!!!!!! Every prepared food I buy has some amount of chlorine in it and the ocean is 3% chlorine. Wont the FDA do something!!!!! (end)

GOSH! There is so much misinformation on the internet

Only 15 elements make up 99.5% of the human body; elemental chlorine is the 10th most abundant. Read all about chloride in the body here.

Where to get a deal in New Zealand Cyberspace.

First of all, forget Ferrit. Clunky bleh, horrid expensive. Maybe check on the sales every now and then.








The Deal
One of my favourite discount sites to browse. Heaps of great brands and decent discounts. Fast delivery, free call number advertised on the front page. I've ordered kitset furniture from here. I got a nice little bathroom cabinet. No worries.

Off the Back
One item for sale, heavily discounted, one day only. A new site, one to keep an eye on. (Same idea as woot)

1 Day, Three deals
Similar site except you get three discounted items instead of one! Thrills! Also similar to woot.

Blackmarket
The place to get all your wine. Export labels sold cheap, some clear skins. Lots of great discounts. (Coffee and olive oil also available!)

I wonder if I look like a good wife?

A short video of peoples first impressions, what do people think you are like based on looks alone? . Incredibly fascinating to watch. I wish there was more. Watch it here

Apple Cucumber - Oh yes, I grew it!

This year has been my first attempt at gardening. Grow whatever and keep it organic. Thats the plan. So far lettuces have been sucessful. they're easy and its so great having fresh lettuce. Above is the first non-lettuce item my garden has produced! I was just turning over some leaves and there it was! My very own apple cucumber. I was so stoked I picked it right on the spot. I hope its okay to eat. Its going in my salad tomorrow night. Hope its yum!

New Zealand Roads.

Here we are at a standstill on our national highway.

Everyone knows trying to drive anywhere over summer in the upper north Island is a terrible terrible idea. The best thing to do is get up early, (say 2am) drive to your destination and stay there for the next three weeks.

First and last days of any holiday weekends are also nuts.

But even when I try to be cunning and oh so clever, I still get stuck in traffic! I left a day early, a day before the holiday ended. A day when I thought everyone else would still be soaking up the sun at their holiday destinations. But alas how wrong I was.

Queues from Warkworth to Orewa. I crawled home.

But at least their is always the scenic views to ake your mind off the tedium of driving 10km an hour.

Holidays. Ah the funness

My Christmas tree. What, you may be asking yourself, is that on the top of your tree.
Its actually the cuddly toy version of Ebola. I got Ebola for Christmas and I thought it would look nice on top of the tree?

Anyway thats all from me today. Its hot and its my last day off before heading back to work. I'm off to enjoy the fine weather.