Monday 27 June 2011

Lots of Randomness

I finally sucked it up and learned how to do a fishtail braid thanks to Hollie's blog. It looks so good and is surprisingly easy. So expect lots of fishtail braids... lots of them!

I also got super cool and fashionable too, all in the one day as I learned an amazingly great tip from Sal's blog that I have to share with you. Yes, all 8 of you :) It's about necklaces. I love statement necklaces but they are too expensive for me. Instead I have a lot of shorter, delicate necklaces that really don't lend themselves to be worn as part of a cluster of necklaces. But thanks to Sal, problem solved. You just link up shorter necklaces to make one long necklace... ok, I didn't explain it very well... go look at the video!

The picture doesn't really do it justice but you get the idea. If you're not aware of Sal's blog, definitely go and check it out. It's fast becoming my favourite blog and don't forget to look at her 'greatest hits' at the top of the page. Very good resource!

TOTALLY changing the subject... last week, I had two very vivid Doctor Who dreams. Which were awesome. I don't really remember dreams that much but to have two dreams that I remember, both regarding Doctor Who? Something's definitely up! (Maybe the Doctor's coming for me????) I haven't been thinking about the show so it's weird that I dreamed about it. But really who wouldn't want to save the universe with these guys when you should be sleeping?

Actually, Rory wasn't in my dream. Sorry! But I had to include him in the photo :)

I remember every single part of the 'plot' of the dreams and there was a heck of a lot of running- as can be expected when you're travelling with the Doctor.

If you thought I was melodramatic in blog land, then you should really meet my subconcious. I was sacrificing myself left, right and centre to save my race. The Doctor was very proud!

Anyway, it got me thinking as to why this would be in my dreams and I came to the conclusion that I am craving adventure. I really, really am! I would love things to be shaken up a bit. And maybe they will be? Because tomorrow I am going to NZ. My flight was rescheduled and I'm off! I will be gone for a week as I probably won't be able to get to a computer. I'll miss popping in and seeing how you're all doing!

Have a great week and see you soon!!!!!

Sunday 26 June 2011

Project 52: three


I love living in a house where I can open up the fridge and find homemade white & milk chocolate mousses just chilling out.

I love living with people who host fancy dinner parties where I get to eat the aforementioned mousse.

I love when people cancel at the last minute and I can bask in the knowledge that they are fools and I will eat their unclaimed mousses.

Friday 24 June 2011

This was supposed to be goodbye...

... But instead I'm sticking around. Because of this.

My flight to New Zealand got cancelled!!! At first, I wasn't too bummed but now it's sinking in and I am bummed. I don't know whether to cancel my trip entirely or not. It really depends how many days I will get in NZ to make it worth it. There will be SUCH a backlog of flights. Ugh, travelling can be the worst.

So I will not be hanging out with my baby Joey, sitting in that chair reading a book- fighting over who gets more room in the chair!


I won't be picnicing with my grandparents- although this is a blessing in disguise because everyone in my family LOVES picnics... except for me. I always try and hide in the car :)

I won't be hanging out with one of the best people I met whilst travelling. Funny because she is stuck in Australia too! Yes, that is how we roll when we're on the dance floor!

But... I do get to go to my girl roomie's end-of-work party! The food looks amazing!!

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Day 17: Side Plait

I can't believe I've not done this look before. I did it for the initial post about the '30 for 30' hair challenge but I haven't actually worn it to school as part of the challenge. It's a very easy look, which I love, but I especially love it on days when I am running late! Especially when I am running late and there is an EXAM to do! (PS I passed!)
I only took one picture of it. *You* know what a side plait looks like, *I* know what a side plait looks like- there's no need for multiple shots.

And that's that for a couple of weeks because school is o-v-a-h for a few weeks! Well, two weeks, which means no more hair posts for a while. I'll probably actually practice a few different styles though because I am a nerd.

I got my hair trimmed this afternoon and the lady took off so much hair! My hair was wavy from being in the plait and I think that threw her and I feel like she took off way more than we agreed but of course, I didn't say anything. To make matters worse, she cut it unevenly too in the front (I can't see the back so I just have to hope it's straight!) which I didn't notice until I got home and my hair had dried a bit more. So I had to fix it and there is a reason I am not a professional hairdresser, so there's a chunk in my hair right at the front that's a bit 'special'.

BUT I'm sure I'm the only one who notices and honestly, I'm the only one who cares about my hair and studies it, so it doesn't matter. And you know what? My hair probably did need that much taken off. It's just annoying when I'm trying to grow it long for a purpose!

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Katie- Thanks for the encouragement :) My arms would appreciate having the help though because it's actually really tiring braiding all that hair!!

Abigail- I started 'Game of Thrones' a while back but got sidetracked with school so I'm going to get stuck into it now I'm on holidays. It actually pained me to watch the show not having read the book! I'm such a snob when it comes to things like that. From what I've read of the book (all twenty pages!), they have stuck really, really close to the book for the TV show. I'm excited to hear what you think of the book/show.

Gentri- I can't believe you did a hair '30 for 30'... we were obviously meant to be blogging buddies!! I really want to do that 'bow' hairstyle you did on that guest post, I'll definitely give you a shout out for that one.

Rachel- Thanks for stopping by the blog and having a look at all my hairstyles! I've been surprised at how easy a lot of the styles have been... but I would definitely like an extra pair of hands most of the time!

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Day 16: Final Khaleesi Hairstyle

Well, Game of Thrones is over for now so I'm going to have to look elsewhere for my hair inspiration over the next few weeks. I'll have to go crawling back to Camelot for some hairstyles! This is what Daenerys, the khaleesi, wears in her final scenes for this season. It's basically a variation on her normal hairstyle and some may say doesn't really count as a new hairstyle. But it's *my* '30 for 30' and I say it's new :)

Speaking of which, I can't believe I haven't said this yet but I am (just!) over halfway with this challenge. I think I'd like to do the challenge again when I've got short hair and get a good idea at what hairstyles are out there for short hair cuts.

And surprise, surprise... this one didn't come out according to plan. That's it- I'm roping in the khaleesi's maids for help next time!

I really need to get eyes in the back of my head. I was trying to be too clever and didn't secure the first 'circle' of braids around my head so by the time I'd finished the other braids, the first set had drooped and sort of got lost in the rest of the braid down the bottom. When in doubt, use a hair elastic! I want to try this look again on Thursday as a shout out to my fellow Game of Thrones-er at work so we'll see how it goes. I'll post pictures if I remember to take them.

This is a two-fer. You get the side view AND the back of the hairstyle all in one glorious picture! AND you also get to see the tag sticking out of my sweatshirt. What more could you want from a single picture???

And this is me attempting to look wistful and dramatic a la Daenerys. I'm mourning the end of the show. You're completely right- I should not take up acting :)

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Kristy- You are on holidays! Enjoy your days off... unless you got roped into vacation care??

Katie- You really can't see the dog unless she's wearing her little jumper. She is so perfectly camoflagued. She really does get trodden on in the summer, lucky she's a good natured thing!

Jennifer- You're more than welcome to a cookie! You can also follow the link on the post to the recipe. Seems like you had a lovely weekend too!

Monday 20 June 2011

Wonderful day off

Things I did today:

Finished my assignment and handed it in! That's always a good thing. Only one exam to go!

Hung out with Nilly by the heater. It was a chilly day and our house sucks and is always colder inside than the actual temperature outside. Also, please note that Nilly is the EXACT same colour as the rug. It's a pretty unfortunate coincidence. In summer, she gets trod on. A lot.


I made these cookies (thanks Gentri!!). Peanut butter smushed between Ritz crackers with melted white chocolate on them. Yum! The only downside? Getting them off that plate. They hardened and stuck to the plate. I knew it was going to happen but I didn't know that I would have to have the strength of Superman to get them unstuck. Need Superglue? Just melt white chocolate onto the problem spot and wait for it to harden. Problem solved!


Then after all that hard work(!), Nilly and I headed outside to warm up. We sat on the steps and basked in the sun. In our past lives, both Nilly and I were cats I think. I can't decide if Nilly did something good or bad to become a dog!! Obviously I messed up big time because now I'm human :)


Watched the last (for now) episode of Game of Thrones. Ending = amazing, mainly because something I'd been hoping for happened and they did it so well. Now that I have finished my assignment and am very, very nearly on holidays, I can devour the books. And yes, as always I got a new hairstyle from the show :)

I hope everyone had a lovely Monday despite the fact that it was, well, a Monday. Thank you all for your sympathy after my run-in with a bull ant last week. Apart from my friend Kristy. I mean, my ex-friend Kristy!

Sunday 19 June 2011

Project 52: two

It's almost ten years to the day that I moved to Australia.
I switched rain for sun
but there were plenty of negatives too.

snakes & spiders

crocs & cockroaches

sharks & jellyfish

I spent the first six months religiously checking inside my shoes before slipping them on
I've spent ten years not swimming in the ocean

This week, my luck ran out.
I had a brush with one of the nasties- one, may I add, that I was in no way warned about.
I was unprepared
for the terrifying, the fear inducing

... ant

The pain was excruciating,
breath-taking (<-- see what I did there??)
And as I fumbled in my shirt to see what had bitten me,
it bit me again.
I shook it out of my shirt
and as I lifted my foot to exact my revenge
it scuttled down a crack in the pavement.


Please note: this photo was taken four days after the terrible incident. SO SO painful! Everyone was like "meh, it's just an ant bite, deal with it". No sympathy whatsoever!


Saturday 18 June 2011

Vet Nurse Chronicles Part 47362846284

It's been a busy two days with work. I really struggled with the sad aspect of the job this week.

There was an older dog who just had the most gorgeous nature. He wasn't too old, around ten, and had come in for a dental. We need to put animals under anaesthetic for dental procedures and because of his age, we ran blood tests to make sure his body would be able to handle the drugs. Some of his results came back a bit wonky (that's a VERY technical medical term... wouldn't expect you guys to understand it, lol!) so an ultrasound was performed and he has a tumour mass inside. So sad, the little guy just came in for a dental and now his prognosis isn't very good.

And yesterday, these customers came in with their dog and they were... not rude, but just very short and clipped with their answers. It was as if me asking the essential questions that I needed to ask was too much trouble for them to answer. That put me in a bad mood because it's really not hard to be pleasant when answering questions so after they went in, I went out into the back room to clean stuff. Because apparently I am a 1950s housewife and cleaning helps to soothe me! Unfortunately that only applies when I am at work :)

A few minutes later, Jess came in to get the drugs needed to put an animal to sleep. And that changed my whole perspective on things. These people weren't being rude to me on purpose, they were just obviously upset about the fact that they knew in their minds that they wouldn't be going home with their dog and didn't feel like engaging in small talk with me. There was nothing in the notes to tip me off to that fact that this appointment would end in euthanasia. I felt awful for thinking poorly of them. This was a big reminder to me that I need to be very aware that there are two sides to every story and not everything is about me and I must NOT judge!

In good news, I got to see my favourite patient, Max. He is a gorgeous Staffy and is my favourite patient because his very first appointment as a new little puppy was on my very first day. He has ended up with some skin problems so as a result, he has been coming in very frequently and I have gotten to see this little guy grow up from a teeny tiny puppy to nice young lad! He's still got some growing to do but his skin problems have cleared up and here's hoping I won't see him again for a very long time!

And we had the funniest cat in as well. As soon as I walked in, it started miaowing at me. And it was a Siamese cat and they have the weirdest miaow in the world. It sounds evil to me, like a normal cat's warning miaow that they give just before the attack you. In a Siamese cat, that's just their general, friendly 'hello'. So I was joking that he was evil, even though he was a total sweetie and would come up to the front of the cage for cuddles. And we had to run some blood tests and we assign the animal's numbers to enter into the computer and by random, this cat's number was 666! And I was laughing about it and went over to his file to see what his surname was and it was Moriarty- who was the arch nemesis in Sherlock Holmes! That's it- the cat is a secret evil genius :)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!!!

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Katie- Thanks as always for your lovely comments! I was quite pleased with how my hair ended up too.

Abigail- Thanks! Nilly does look very cute in her jumper... however she has now worked out how to get out of it which she does regularly :(

Ashley- Thanks for commenting, I love your blog, I'm so happy you've started following mine! Yes, Game of Thrones likes to be very shocking but I am addicted to it!

Kristy- Um... you NEED to get Keiran that book, stat!! Or buy him a matching jumper to go with Nilly's.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Day 15: Sansa Joust Hair (but not)

Today I attempted another Game of Thrones hairstyle. This is what Sansa wears when she goes and sees the jousting. If you don't remember the hairstyle, it's either because you were distracted by the part where a horse gets decapitated or you don't watch the show.





You guys, I was really ready this time. I had studied the screencaps I took of her hair, I found a fantastic online tutorial that guided me through the process step by step, I even got up half an hour earlier than usual so that I wouldn't be rushed. But due to the fact that I don't have eyes in the back of my head, I failed. Here is my attempt.
I just couldn't get those buns pinned evenly. You know me- normally I wouldn't care but today for some reason I did. Also on a sidenote, how cool does my pony tail look? I don't know how I did it, otherwise I would totally recreate that look!

I waited around a bit because I knew girl roomie had the day off and maybe she could give me a hand, but if I was her I would use my day off to sleep in and seems like she had the same idea. So I decided to try and work with what I got.

I had literally just put the last pin in place when girl roomie appeared!! Never mind, this is more fun and I did it by myself, whereas I think it might have been cheating if I'd gotten help. There was this whole other braided thing I was going to do with the loose bits at the front as part of the original design but that went to waste when I had to say goodbye to the original design. I was going to leave them loose for a fun, fresh twist on a Medieval hairstyle, like so. But they got annoying so I just tucked them behind my ears.




And now to the fun part, the back!
















And in other news, look who got a new winter jacket today???

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Five Books That Changed Who I Am

It feels like ages ago that Danielle did a meme about the five books that changed her life and tagged all her followers to do the same. I say that it feels like ages ago but really it was only Saturday. I have spent far too much time thinking about the topic which is why it feels so long ago.

It's SUCH a hard list to come up with. I could probably think of five of my favourite books off the top of my head, but not *life changing* ones. That's eleventy times more difficult. I'm still not happy with the list but here goes:

1) The Princess Bride by William Goldman
This is without a doubt my hands down favourite book of all time and if you've only ever seen the movie, then you're missing out on most of the fun by limiting yourself to the movie. I found it amongst my mum's books despite the fact that she's never read it! She brought it at an airport in the 1970s, got bored within the first few pages and it's been floating around our house ever since. I like to think that I was clearly meant to read it, that she brought the book all those years ago just so that one day I would be bored and look at a bookshelf in our house and discover it.

The reason why it is life changing is because I never knew you could write books this way. The way he writes is how I think and I never knew that you were allowed to do that in books- I was a late bloomer! Goldman strikes a lovely balance between earnest and cheesy and the whole style and tone of the book is just wonderful. It was life changing because it inspired me to realise that I didn't have to copy another author's voice, my own was just fine.

2) James Herriot's Dog Stories by... James Herriot
James Herriot was a newly qualified vet in Yorkshire, England during the 1940s, right up until about the 90s, I think. He writes with such joy and simplicity about the animals he treated, their owners and the beautiful setting that he finds himself in. He mainly writes about the 40s and 50s and captures the essence of the era and life in Yorkshire. He's written many books but this was the first book I read of his, when I was about nine and remains my favourite. The stories still make me laugh and cry and are a huge influence on why I am studying to be a vet nurse.

3) The Bible
I had to put this one in so I slipped it in at number 3 :) No other book will have as huge an influence on my life as this book. It comforts me, motivates me, scares me and sometimes, it even makes me laugh. (There is an awesome chapter all about this guy who got assassinated while on the toilet and when his guards thought he'd been in there too long and broke into the room, they couldn't see the dagger that had killed him because he was so fat that his fat rolls had covered up the dagger. Whoever said the Bible was boring??) This is one that I can read like a book or I can dip into time and time again.

4) The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
More people are familiar with Strobel's other book, 'The Case for Christ' that he wrote as an atheistic journalist, in which he closely studies the available evidence for the truth about Jesus. That book was about the 'head' knowledge of Christianity, this book is about the 'heart' knowledge of Christianity. It covers such subjects as 'How can God be so good if He lets people die?" and in it he interviews a range of people. It's a scholarly read that is made easy to take in, thanks to Strobel's informal journalistic style.

It was life changing for many reasons, I think mainly because I assumed that I was the only one who struggled with such issues, and it felt worse because I was a Christian, surely I wasn't supposed to have those feelings. Nobody else in my church ever seemed to bring up these obvious reasons as to why Christianity should be a load of old crock. Also to make a long story short (because I do have a tendancy to ramble on!), I was given this book at completely the right time by the most random person. It showed me that even I, someone who wrestles constantly with my faith, that I might actually be doing something right.

5) The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
I like how my last two books were Christian ones... and then for my next pick I cheat so that I can put the ENTIRE Narnia series down on my list as one book!! I obviously have missed the Christian message somewhere along the way :) These books changed my life in the fact that they were the first fantasy books I ever read. They opened my eyes to a whole new genre of books, ones that could take me to different worlds, like the ones I invented in my head. Even now, any world I create on paper will be a pale imitation of Narnia. These books are so intimately linked with my childhood. I spent large portions of my life daydreaming about Narnia and inserting myself in there, which I then would act out... this is known as Only Child Syndrome. I watched the entire first movie through misty eyes because it was exactly like how I'd pictured it all in my head, the film makers didn't mess up a single thing in bringing that world to life.

And now I bring this humongous post to an end, but before we go...

Eek! Everyone was SO ridiculously lovely and supportive of my last post! I can not even begin to tell you how much it meant to me to get such positive feedback because I was incredibly nervous about posting. I hope my successful poem wasn't just a case of beginner's luck :)

Monday 13 June 2011

Project 52: one

Suddenly I am 17 again
The same restaurant with the same people.
I'm sure we look the same but time has changed us
Time shifts again as we talk about babies, houses and husbands
None of them ours

We cackle like middle aged women-
raucous and people turn to stare
But we are young and vibrant
The world is ours.

Some of us part ways,
I akwardly imitate 20-something gal pals from countless hours of television watching
a hug, a kiss, a promise to meet up soon

We drive home together, listening to the music of our teens
As we both unconsiously mimic the voice and movements of the singer, we catch ourselves and laugh.

Breathless, I discover we are ageless.

Friday 10 June 2011

She works hard for NO money

Another week, another two days of work experience. Although I don't really work that hard. There's often quite a few lulls in the work day at the vet practice and so I spend a lot of time drinking tea and giggling over silly stories. The giggling is usually fuelled by eating too many lollies, which the drug companies send to us along with the drugs. I find it strange, you open up a shipment of drugs, only to find a packet of Shapes or Jelly Babies wedged in between two boxes or at the bottom. As much as I complain about work, it really could be a lot worse.

Truth be told, I'm still not sure if I want to be a vet nurse. I kind of took this course in a fit of 'quarter-life crisis'. I find the science aspect of the course really challenging and I'm not particularly a good person to have in an emergency. I just can't seem to get things into my head, let alone get them to stay there. I will definitely finish my Vet Nurse course because I paid for it because I really do want to work with animals and whilst this might not be what I want to do for the rest of my life, it will be a stepping stone to something else. Is there a job where I just get to play with puppies and kittens because if so, step aside, because that job is mine!!

But today was fun. We had a cruciate ligament repair surgery and a vet from another practice came in to assist with the surgery. He was looking for a particular instrument and when he found it, he picked it up and said "There you are, you sexy thing" and I started laughing (to myself) because he said it exactly how the Doctor would say it. I love when fandom and real life collide unexpectedly.

Probably won't be online much as am going home for the long weekend. And the Nilly picture is there because she looks super cute and I wanted to break up my giant block of text.

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Abigail- Thanks for the cat pictures! As I said before, he's gorgeous. And thank you for your double comment :) I will definitely have to check out the book now. It's a trilogy isn't it?

LadyKate- Scare me away? Never!

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Day 14: Double Twist Ponytail


Again, this hairstyle comes courtesy of CuteGirlsHairstyles. I would be lost without these videos! This is a good one to do if your hair is wet and you don't have a lot of time. I wish I'd had a bit more time, but as usual... I was running late :) I don't know what's gotten into me recently. I'm usually really punctual. I blame the recent wintery weather and my mum for buying me a lovely warm douvet that makes me want to stay in bed until the last possible moment!

You can't really see from the 'front' picture but the hair is twisted in two strands from the front and this is continued to form the two stranded pony tail. If I'd had more time I would have re-done the 'twists' to emphasise them better. Same goes for that weird twist (haha, see what I did there??) at the base of the pony tail... but ran out of time. It stayed in well throughout the day but I did take it out in the afternoon as I could feel my hair frizzing due to drying in a twisted shape. My hair really likes to frizz so I don't like to give it lots of opportunity to do so!

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Katie- You are always so sweet about my hair. And a firm supporter of the braids. They're really easy to do and jazz up a simple hairstyle so I like them a lot.

Ina aka Ladria- Thank you for stopping by and saying hi! I am really inspired by 'Game of Thrones' hairstyles so there will be a lot more to come.

Abigail- It's actually really easy to do your hair. I was so surprised because normally I'm a 'wash n go' kinda girl too but there's lots of easy ways to do your hair that look surprisingly good. You should give one of the styles a whirl. Not that there's anything wrong with the messy bun, a definite favourite of mine!

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Double Hair Post

Day 12: The Bunony (or The Bun/Pony)

I was starting to get desperate for inspiration. And then I stumbled across youtube! People posting videos of their hairstyles and HOW TO DO THEM. Why has it taken me a month before I even thought of going to youtube? I'm certainly not the sharpest knife on the counter. Is that even a saying? If I have to ask that question, I think I just proved my point! Oh dear :)

Anyway, there is a lovely lady who does "Cute Girls Hairstyles" and she is a lifesaver! She is a mother doing her young childrens' hair for school. Clearly I am not the target market because I am not a little girl or a mum but she has some fantastic hairstyles that I can't wait to try. 'Waterfall Braid'..? yes please!!

This one is so easy and I feel like I've seen a picture of Madonna rocking this hairstyle at one point in her career so that's how I justified wearing it!

It was so easy that I have no problems incorporating it into my actual hair 'wardrobe'. Well, that is until I chop it all off.










Day 13: Asymmetric Braids

Another day, another 'Game of Thrones' hairstyle? Haha, are you sick of them yet? Better not be because I have a few more up my sleeve and the show's season is not even over.

And again, I copied this hairstyle wrong! And again, I like my version better. I also had to take about a billion photos of it from different angles. I feel a bit egotistical posting so many photos of myself, especially one involving the 'peek over your shoulder' which is usually reserved for nudie photos. But I really wanted you guys to get a good view of the hairstyle, which involves taking a lot of pictures from different angles. Also it was my first attempt at french braiding my fringe and I wanted to share the success!!










Thank you to everyone who commented on my animal posts and especially on my '52 Weeks Project' post. I'm so excited to get started!

Monday 6 June 2011

We interrupt the usual broadcast...

I'm incredibly sleepy and have the worst headache that drifts away and then sneaks back just when I think it's gone. I really need to go to bed so I won't be posting my hairstyle for today. We'll do a double post tomorrow. Instead I give you something a little different.

Danielle and Samantha are doing a little project and have asked for others who would like to join them. I'm always up for a challenge so here goes :)

A while back, Shaina Longstreet took a photo of herself every week for a year and put it on her blog, alongside a poem that she'd written. The blog is a great place to check out and read more about the project.

The other girls have chosen the themes of their photos/poems, which are 'simple little things' and 'moments'.
I have decided on 'breathe'.

I will be taking photos of things that make me forget to breathe- whether it be out of beauty or out of fear.
Things that make me want to take a moment just to breathe, to savour it all, to bask in the wonder and gain some inspiration.

I'm looking forward to the challenge. I need to look for these reminders.

To breathe. Breath is life.

Sunday 5 June 2011

Puppy Style

Now as promised, here are all my foster dogs. These, like the cats, were the animals I looked after when my local animal shelter was full to the brim. It was a 'No Kill' shelter so sometimes there was no room at the shelter so I would look after an animal for a few weeks until there was a space because another animal had been rehomed. Or sometimes the animal would be sick and needed some TLC before being returned to the shelter.

My first EVER foster animal was Lucky, who was an older dog with an underbite and the sweetest, sweetest nature I have ever seen in an animal. I cried buckets when we gave her back to the shelter.

Next was Toby, who I gladly gave back! He peed everywhere and howled throughout the night and had SO much energy. Not the dog for me, but someone else did indeed snap him up. I'd forgotten just how huge his ears were until I saw his pictures... this picture doesn't do them justice but he looks super cute in it.

Next we had Kelly who was my first brush with a 'bigger' dog, although she wasn't big, just very solid. She was such a character and made me absolutely head over heels for the Staffy breed. Staffies hate being left alone, so when I left her alone outside for about fifteen minutes, the resulting photo is what happened. Also my phone was destroyed too in the same outburst. I'd left both my phone and book on the table when I left... neither were intact when I returned! This photo still makes me chuckle. And the book that she ate was a book all about the joys of caring for dogs from animal shelters :)

Then there was Barney. This is my favourite story because I still get to see him. My neighbours had been looking and looking for a dog and had been to the shelter many times, searching for that elusive 'One'. On chatting with them one day, I mentioned that I was fostering a Silky Terrier puppy and they froze, because that was the breed that they actually secretly really wanted. I showed them Barney and it was love at first sight for everyone. I love going back to mum's house and hearing the neighbours' children in the backyard giggle and play with Barney. Such a great end to Barney's story. And he's almost grown into those ears!!
Then I got introduced to cats and unbelievably became a cat person! But I ended up having one more dog, Jezza.

Jezza is your typical shelter dog. Not much to look at, usually an odd mix of breeds and middle-aged but once you get past all that, you have a real winner. Jezza had actually been in the shelter for a while and his brown eyes looked so sad that the shelter staff gave him to me for two weeks so that we could inject some love into him and bring that spark back. Because people do overlook the older dogs, especially the ones that aren't cute. I did feel terrible taking him back because he'd really come out of his shell and there I was, taking him back to that place he hated. BUT it worked because less than a week later, he was gone! He will have made such a lovely addition to a family. Animals are like people, they each have their own personality. But shelter dogs are their own breed really. Every single one I have met has been so incredibly sweet and loving. It's like they genuinely know that you have saved their life and they want to give all their love back to you as a way to say thank you.

Ok, end of lecture :) And now I've finished this post, I have no reason not to continue studying for my exam tomorrow. Shame!

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Abigail- Aw, you'll have to post a picture of your kitty so I can see him!! It is such a hassle trying to find a place that will allow pets. That is the reason why I don't have one at the moment, I just don't know where I'll be next year. I'll wait til I'm more settled- but that doesn't stop me from dreaming!

Gentri- Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love your blog, it was really fun- how could I *not* follow?! I'm also a big softie when it comes to animals, how do they manage to worm their way into our hearts so easily??

Friday 3 June 2011

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I want a pet so bad! I thought working with animals would ease my need for a pet because I'm working with them all day, but it's making it worse. Nilly just isn't cutting it, sorry baby. She's lovely and all but she's really boy roomie's dog and her allegiance lies with him. Apart from that morning this week when she scratched at my door at 7 am because boy roomie had gotten into the shower and she was cold so she wanted to hop into my bed! It was kinda chilly so I understand where she was coming from.

So now it's going to be a trip down memory lane. For about a year and a bit, I fostered animals through the Animal Welfare League. Getting to look after these little guys was what really made me believe that I could maybe do this sort of thing as a job. I'm not in a position to get a pet any time soon so I will have to turn to my memories to keep me company.

With the weather getting colder, my mind heads towards felines so that I can have a cute kitty to snuggle up to. I've had a whole heap of cats to look after. My first ever brush with kittens and actually cats in general was with my 'Presidential Boys': Thomas Jefferson and George Washington? I seriously miss TJ so much. He was such a little character. But George was the one who would help me out with my Bible reading. It's such a tough life being a kitten!
Then there was River, who taught me that love can really change a person (and/or cat). She was completely ferral when I first had her and she became such a loving sweet kitten.

Or PussCat, who taught me that I could love again after my heart got smushed when I wasn't allowed to keep River
Or my 'ginga ninja' twins, who taught me that even when you're really sick, you can always still be doing stuff. Incidentally, this is my favourite cat picture of all time... if you can spot the cat.
Or Pedro, who remains the benchmark that my actual future cat must try and live up to. Seriously, this dude was the bomb. He was chatty and loved nothing more than kicking back, watching some TV and sharing a packet of potato chips with me. He also remains the most handsome cat I've ever seen with beautiful light blue eyes.
Or my 'children': Mario, Starbuck and Teeny(Weeny Bo Beeny), who taught me that three children is an awful lot all at once! If I ever do have real children, I will be spacing those suckers out!!!

Rocky and Other One showed me that it doesn't matter what species you are... 'Doctor Who' is a fun show to watch. Even if you can never quite catch the Tardis during the opening credits, there's always next time :)Latif was the cat that I came home to every day when my mum was sick in hospital and cuddling him while he purred at the end of the day helped me to know that everything would be alright in the end

Elbie who showed me that even if you look like a villain (look at his little 'evil villain' goatee), you can be the biggest sweetheart
And my final boy, Timmy. Who gave me closure over River and turned everything full circle.


And who also showed me that it's always fun to play practical jokes.



And probably because no one has stuck with me throughout this whole post, I'll save my doggy foster animals til tomorrow!

Thursday 2 June 2011

Day 11: The Khaleesi



A day late but I have amazing fast internet that will never run out. I am now content.

‘Game of Thrones’ has all the best hairstyles. I always get at least one new hairstyle from each episode. Today it was my turn to wear the khaleesi’s hairstyle. Normally she just has it randomly braided although upon saying that, you never really see the back of her head so maybe she’s worn it before. Nonetheless, we have similarly lengthed hair and I knew I had to try it out for myself. However this evening when I went back to get pictures of her hair for the blog, I saw that I’d done it a little differently but it still looked good and you get the general idea. There is no way on earth I would be able to plait my hair like that singlehandedly anyway so this will just have to suffice.

My teacher said that he liked my hair and said it looked ‘very Maid Marion’, however my Maid Marion is from the BBC’s Robin Hood and she has short hair, so to me it’s not really very Maid Marion. I find it funny that my MALE teacher is the only one that has really commented on my hair. Maybe *now* he will remember my name?!

We have started a new class today, a unit all about fishes. It is exactly as fascinating as you imagine it would be. We have four sessions each lasting a day in which we learn all about fish. SO SO boring. I don’t think we ever have fishes brought in to us at work. I think it would be more useful to learn about reptiles because I could imagine people bringing those in to be treated by the vet. Fish? Not so much.

Luckily the teacher that we have for this class seems nice. He knows his topic isn‘t everyone‘s passion so he livens up the class with his sense of humour and he let us go home early- my favourite kind of teacher! I’m just not sure if I can take three more sessions of this. I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t the ENTIRE day devoted to fish, I would prefer if the sessions were broken up. Oh well, at least I have a week’s break before the next session!