You know - who ever invented "change" needs shooting. Hell, no body likes it, no one copes well with it, if we didn't have change things'd stay the same and we'd all be happy and have bagels forever.

Half way up the Killer Hill that runs up the side of the Stamford Plaza is Abe's Bagels. I love that place. Not only do they make a damn fine large-flat-white-coffee-to-go, they have bagel-boy-staff (cept for the cute sweet girl) and I like watching those bagel boys work. It's completely unreasonable to assume the three boys (men) and one girl (woman) to make Abe's Bagels their lifelong career but I wasn't ready for the two new faces today. Sure, they're ok looking too - though chalk and cheese (nutberry brown and short and bubbly/tall pale blonde tall and quiet - well ok, he was concentrating), they seem to be "in training" the former being *too* friendly on the cash register and letting the line build up too long, the later being too careful and slow wrapping bagels compounding the wait but hell, we've all had to learn new things and "fast" often isn't the first thing we learn.

I forgot what I was saying.
Maybe I said it.

Today, Rosie and I went up to Borders so I might use this birthday gift/voucher which was burning a hole in my pocket (in my mind i always pronounce pocket as "poe-kay" - mostly because Mrs Bucket likes her name pronounced Bouquet). I wanted to buy a book on using Macromedia Freehand MX because it's a (nearly said a bad word) curse of a program for my brain. It was one of the first software programs I was taught and I never really understood why> I would want to use it. Years later - now - I understand, of course but sometimes I wonder if using Illustrator might be better but hell, I own Freehand so that's what I use. But I find it difficult. I'm sure i'm only ten hours from NOT finding it difficult, but its that learning curve that my patience won't let me climb. So. Borders. Freehand book. They only had one, and it was the Peach Pit Quick Start to Freehand 9, and considering i have that already and it's not *that* much help for more advanced needs, I was left standing at Borders with my hot little voucher screaming to be used.

We wandered around for a bit, and then I thought I'd have a quick look in the music section. I suddenly remembered Cracker. I had their Kerosine Hat CD years ago and lurved it.. every single track of it.. but as with all CDs that I have owned, I had lost it. Lord knows where the heck they all go. I asked Rosie to help me in the C section because, as Simon says, I have "man eyes" ie: can't see anything for looking. She is wonderful and found the right section and there were three CDs there, none of which was Kerosine Hat, but one of which was "the ultimate Cracker Collection" (or so the sticker said( Garage D'or. Yay. I bought that, along with Jack Johnson's Bushfire Fairytales and I have all this lovely music for my ears. I am a happy girl and thankyou to my workmates for chipping in for my voucher - I spent it on something that makes me smile and *isn't* computer based. That was a change for me, and it didn't hurt a bit!

Maybe change can be a good thing. Changing your underwear is good - we all know and appreciate that. Changing your hair style can be a good thing too. Changing the lead in your pencil never hurts. Changing the channel lets you watch several shows at once. Changing your ideas about people can be helpful and enlightening. Changing your phone number can definately solve some problems. Changing can sometimes mean leaving things behind: sometimes it means leaving people behind. But I guess, in the end, change is life - and if you don't change you go the way of the dinosaur - and changing with grace is a good thing to learn how to do.

I must put that on my "to do" list.

by [michelle] - 9:40 AM

I just had the worlds BEST custard slice. Amazingly enough, it was purchased from Esquires which happens to make the slowest, most mediocre coffee in town!!

[later that same day in the comfort of her lovely house]
so the Ferry trip home had a few moments of excitement - well ok - when I say excitement I mean, I took my head phones off and looked out the window and said "wow, that can't be good". The Ferry was motoring up [down][along] the Habour when it suddenly deccelerated rapidly, honking it's horn [for want of a more nautical term] and doing the Ferry equivalent of a swerve. Seems there was a HUGE container ship and it was too close to the rocks and there wasn't enough room for us so we had to go to the left [starboard?] extra quickly. Now, don't get all worried, it wasn't as if I was thrown from my comforable seat or anything. As I said, I leaned forward, took my headphones off and looked out the window seeing the lulking [is that even a word?] dark shape of the other boat and the lights of the two tugs guiding it alongside. Seems to me, things like that happen in slowmotion.

ps: the date on the previous post is incorrect due to blogger's weirdness of the last 24 hours. it should read 1April rather than 2 April. thankyou. that is all.

by [michelle] - 1:27 PM

by [michelle] - 2:05 PM

Since my birthday, my tolerance for fools - thin as it was - has completely evaporated.
and since I can firmly be a fool as well - I've completely lost patience with myself. I had a truckload of rants built around hairdressers, bosses, clients, recruitment agencies and web rip off merchants - but I will absorb those into my brain and save you all from them.

Instead, I will tell you that I have a new cell phone. It's pretty and its silver and it has a electric blue backlight on the keys. Its a Nokia something-or-other and I have to say, that orgainising it was so simple, it made a very nice change to my week. I also ran into Mags and Marion trying on hulking great diamond rings and I also have to note that diamonds suit us all !

Hi Michelle Sorry about that. We have recorded that we sent 3 emails to you requesting permission to quote you. Obviously between what we asked for and what we thought we had permission for was not the same (ie, When I placed your quote on our site, I assumed that one of our other staff had received back permission from you. Hence why we put the reference to your website etc as I assumed we had permission when I put the quote on our site.) Our sincere apologies for this, as you are quite right, we would not have intentionally done this, as it is not ethical. I have removed your quote. Sorry about that. Warm regards Simon Cope Customer Services > > From: "Michelle Park" > Date: 2003/04/04 Fri AM 09:36:10 GMT+12:00 > To: ProductsFromNZ.com > CC: evergreencomputing.com > Subject: Copyright Infringement > > Dear Sir > > http://productsfromnz.com/browse_1523 > > I have found you have taken content from my website and used it on yours > endorsing your sheepskin underlay. I have not given permission for you use > any of my opinions on your site and furthermore, I was not referring to YOUR > product when I made that statement. > > This is careless web copy. When quoting people you need to seek their > permission, their knowledge as to it's use. > > Please remove any reference to my website and the quote you stole out of > context. > > firmly annoyed, > Michelle Park > thejamjar.com

by [michelle] - 5:51 PM

by [michelle] - 11:05 PM

A guy I used to know, on explaining why he'd turned down a job opportunity said that at his current position as programmer, he was a "big fish in a small pond" and if he went to the new job he'd be a "small fish in a BIG pond". I was thinking about this and how it might be that I am less a fish and more a duck. Floating on the top. Everyone else looking at my ass and wondering what the hell to do with me. The world needs more fish. Being a duck ain't getting me no where.

by [michelle] - 3:46 PM

Want to play cards? You gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away - and know when to run. A list of cards you don't play til you need them. And only play them once:

"It's my house and while you live under my roof you will obey my rules"
"I'd like to remind you, we pay your wages"
"You'll do as you're told"
"I'm just the Graphic Designer"
"You seem to be under the impression this is a discussion" (not strictly a card)
"You don't seem to understand I *enjoy* making your life miserable" (not strictly a card, either)
"It's not my job to understand you, it's my job to keep you alive long enough so you can understand yourself" (nope, 'nother notcard)
"No, you may NOT have my WACOM" (okay, now its just rambling soundbites)
"You can still get pregnant without having penetrative sex - with all that sperm flying about you never know *what's* going to happen" (now that was clearly inappropriate)

Someone said one of these things to me today. It made me feel like I was 10 years old and in no way able to control my life and depressed, too, for most of the evening.. Until.. worn down and ladden with groceries, I stuffed a cream filled sugar dusted good ole kiwi [non of that american crap] donut into my mouth sitting in my car, in the dark, outside the dairy, waiting for my passengers to complete their transactions inside and I have to say its one of the first/only times I have *actually* turned to food for comfort and it was sooooooooo gooooood.

I made those "homer eating noises"

by [michelle] - 5:23 PM

I realised something, last night while I was dreaming. That in my dreams, I have a pub. It is sortof there in every dreamscape, and sometimes I go into that bar and the same three people serve there - two guys and a girl. I don't know their names but I know their faces, and they know mine. I guess this might be a recurring dream, and although the pub's presence is in most dreams (or so i figured in this dream) it's generally a block away, or three blocks away, or in my home town, just ever present, and sometimes I visit it - as I did last night.

The bar was empty last night. The two barmen were fixing something in one of the booths - something electrical, and the woman was behind the bar serving me - her lipstick was pastel pink, her hair blonde and piled on her head. She's no more than 25 or so and keeps the bar spic and span. I drank one glass of guiness and fell off my stool. I seemed to think I was drugged and they laughed and suggested i couldn't hold my alcohol - which is more likely.

Don't you love it when I tell you my naff dreams?

Why I Love Rose - Reason 4578
Email Rules - She showed me how to implement them. I've know of them for years but never bothered using many [any] of the helpful features available in Microsoft Outlook. Now, when you email me, your mail goes into "Personal". My User Group emails and lists go into a folder called "Lists" funnily enough. I have 6 emails, workrelated, in my InBox not.. 6 work email and 25000 emails from you mixed into Flash/LINGO digests. Neat eh? Good Old Rosie. she's not a bad stick.

I think she sensed my eyes on her. I only had about 4 minutes before she woke up with a wide-eyed start looking about this way that way not really sure why she woke and then when I tried to flesh out the picture by drawing the rest of her knees tucked up and white sandles everytime I looked at her she was looking back at me. I think You can feel when someone's looking at you even when you're alseep.

JO r u there??
Me YES!!!
Me SHOULD ahem
should i ring you or are yous till online

thinks
thats gotta be the stoopidest question i've managed to come up with all day
Meok
you're phones engaged so

YOU'RE STILL ONLINE
Me can you tell i am excited to hear from you>?
JO was it your birthday? - did i miss it? i thought it is in may
*panicing*

Me it was you did and its in march and who cares

what chat software do you have these days?
yahoo?
msn?
icq?
email?
smoke signals?
telepathy?

JO msn or shall i get off line?
Me get offline, get off.. GET OFF!!

by [michelle] - 10:00 AM

Today was "Armageddon" Day, and if you weren't there, you were the five people in Auckland who weren't. Well, okay - I exaggerate but there sure where a lot of people there. The queue stretched from the doors of the Aotea Centre, out to Queen Street then down to Wellesley Street threatening to curl around the corner and up that street. It moved relatively smartly considering the inefficiency at the ticket tils and the inability for one person to buy a bunch of tickets so if you wanted a ticket you had to buy it yourself not get a mate to stand in line while you ate sweet and sour pork with Mike in the Atrium food hall hoping they'e txt you when they'd purchased the tickets. ahem. anyway (the noodles were good).

I expected more people dressed in Star Trek and LOTRs outfits etc. I only saw one guy who looked like he might've been dressed up but unfortunately he was only in his ordinary, everyday, shiny black vinyl pants. [btw.. this guy seemed to be everywhere I looked all day.. stalker goth? or 50 of them planted throughout the area?] So, it's packed. Not just crowded but PACKED. Trickles of people single filing one way or the other. You get into the stream you move slowly and you slip out of the stream at a booth you want to see. Getting back into the stream is a lot like joining jump rope.. its all timing. I bashed into *so* many people today. [at one point while in the queue I stepped forward a tad too much and suddenly looked up to see I was with a different group of people AND standing on some guy's foot. I apologised and took a big step back to my own group]

So, what was great about Armageddon? [With all that I saw I also missed *so* much stuff]. Absolute highlight for me was the 30 minute presentation by two of the original designers from Weta Workshop. Their presentation followed the development of the Uruk Kai, or the boss orcs for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship and Two Towers (so far) .. they showed the development from early sketches, to sculptures, to the prosthetics and makeup artists. The New Zealand actor who was the scary boss-orc dude was there,[I can't remember his name, sorry] he talked us through a video made of his makeup session prior to any day of filming. The only part of his body that wasn't glued was his tongue - 11 hours and three people glued and painted him into his orc body/face. The presentation was casual and unrehearsed with the two designers and the actor sitting on two couches on stage telling about their work, their processes, stories as if they were sitting in my lounge talking to me, in fact, I wanted to be closer and interrupt them every five minutes to get more information. They're back again tomorrow and Monday 2pm. I wish I'd known about these presentation thingies before I went, I would have loved to sit in on some of the Anime ones too. Ah well, that's why they put up the website, Michelle, so you know what's going on.

I found two beautiful books that I was aching to purchase but they were just *too* expensive. They included artwork, sketches and notes for the game Final Fantasy, and the movie Spirited Away. A third book was coveted - a comic book called Z! and written by the same guy who did Invader Zim - the pictures were zimish and wonderfully quirky.

There were no *real* lowpoints, to be honest. With Stormtroopers and Darleks, how could there be. Food and drinks were outragiously expensive, there was no EFTPOS available from buying tickets to purchasing goods - cash only. Which is OK but there are no ATMs in the complex either and very few at that end of town. Kinda annoying not to know that prior. The other thing was more odd than anything - that the visiting celebs charged for autographs - and not that so much but the price they charged. How can Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers) claim his autograph is worth my $35? This is NZ. Why would we pay for that? BTW, he looks as you'd expect - older, heavier. But Erin Grey looks EXACTLY the same. Exactly. (cept she wasn't wearing lycra, she was dressed as a normal woman)

I took photos, but they're on *real* film (take the digital next time m) when i get them developed (still have half a film) I'll put them up and prompt you to see.

OH OH .. gosh i *almost* forgot.. the Apple stand. do I *really* need to say anymore? I mostly took photos of Quicksilver. *sighs* I'm in love forever now I've touched it.

On my way home, tired and amazed at how long I was at Armageddon, I stopped at the Flower place on the highway and bought myself the most amazing bunch of roses - softest cream with delicate pink centres - reminds me of coconut ice. These roses have the most beautiful scent. I might paint them tomorrow.

by [michelle] - 1:02 AM

Wind whistles around the corners of this building, all spooky and stormlike. It's the only way to tell there is any wind at all down town, there are not trees within view of my windows to indicate a breeze. It's turned grey after being autumny blue this morning. Rosie brought in the most wonderful electric tulips this morning. No, really.. electric tulips. hold on.. let me grab the camera.

Cool huh? She's got a lava lamp too and is thinking of bringing that in. By next week, she and I will be the only two in this office. We'll need to make it cosy to help comfort and cushion the fact *we* are it.

by [michelle] - 2:24 PM

by [michelle] - 9:15 PM

TO: Graham
FROM: Michelle

Talking about Flash, Jakob Neilson and why different guidelines are used for different parts of the Web - not one blanket rule that covers everything. You said, you make your site for your audience - and you're completely right. Don't forget though, that sometimes my audience is me. I build my site for myself, so i can look at it, scrapbook and journalise (is that a word?) so the rules I put in place are my own and if I want to have my navigation on the right, for instance, because in my brain the idea the mouse is on the right side of the machine and therefore having the nav on that side makes sense to me - then I can. I don't - but I can. Whereas, if that site was for a wider audience, that would be less acceptable as it would be breaking the rules of convention and expectability (is that a word? usability and expectability - damn good words).

Having a animated Flash intro (with a skip button) is expected on a portfolio, advertising or multimedia site - whereas having that same introduction on a news site is just plain unacceptable.

Maybe we need a list of the suburbs of the Internet:

News sites
Corporate sites
Personal sites
Advertising sites
Community sites
Educational sites

**unfinished**
sorry graham, but the thread went twang somewhere during the day. Thanks for the drink on Friday night. And for the talk. Found a review for Dreamcatcher.. "Considering the immense talent involved, the execution of the film resembles what it would look like to watch a massive train wreck.
Dreamcatcher is the quintessential bad film, an implementation of mainstream trash that fits the current Hollywood standard, which strives to reach the audience of video gamers with the attention spans of paramecia." more... .. so.. maybe we should see it after all *s* at least we get to see The Matrix short first.

Thanks, Nick, for not running away when I freak out. Have a nice Easter Break - talk to you soon.

and world? stop being such a small place:

Captain Black: hmm do you have a cool peace keepers suit?
.michelle: i have.. a cape. does that count? its peaceful. a peaceful cape.
Captain Black: ohhh ... what kinda cape is it?
.michelle: ok.. its more.. a cardigan than a cape.
.michelle: but its a peaceful kinda cardie
Captain Black: oh I see, well then what do you expect?
.michelle: did you go to Armageddon last weekend?
Captain Black: yep
.michelle: did it rock or what? man.. i loved it.
Captain Black: really?... I didnt like it that much.. what day did you go?
.michelle: Saturday. I found a bunch of books i was dying to buy. i took lots of photos of the apple computers and i just LOVED the wetaworkshop presentation in the ASB Theartre
Captain Black: good god I was in the theatre when they were doing the weta thing
.michelle: wasn't it great? i wanted to ask so many questions but all my questions were lame
Captain Black: what were you wearing...
.michelle: you weren't the guy sitting in front of me turning round cos i was laughing too loud?
.michelle: i was wearing a cape
Captain Black: a cardie?
.michelle: well. yes.
Captain Black: did you see anyone wearing unusual clothing on that day?
.michelle: yes i did
Captain Black: like...
.michelle: oh god. you didn't wear black vinyl pants did you?
Captain Black: discribe them...
.michelle: black.. vinyl.. very reflective
Captain Black: na leather
.michelle: everytime i looked up this goth guy with long dark hair and shiny vinyl pants was there
Captain Black: any interesting shirts t-shirts catch your eye?
.michelle: not really.
Captain Black: god dammit
.michelle: what?
Captain Black: mine was chain mail
.michelle: i definately didnt see you.
.michelle: i would've pointed and stared
Captain Black: whats your height?
.michelle: 6'2"
.michelle: hehe.. i lied
.michelle: 5'6"
Captain Black: *checking photographic memory*
.michelle: you *so* didnt see me. i'm invisible in my cape.
Captain Black: cardie
.michelle: well.. i'm still invisible in it
Captain Black: weight?
.michelle: great big fat girl. huge. size of a barn.
Captain Black: oh yeah I remember now...

by [michelle] - 5:16 PM

...

by [michelle] - 2:46 PM

According to this theory, a person (whether male or female) has a particular "brain type". There are three common brain types: for some individuals, empathising is stronger than systemising. This is called the female brain, or a brain of type E. For other individuals, systemising is stronger than empathising. This is called the male brain, or a brain of type S. Yet other individuals are equally strong in their systemising and empathising. This is called the "balanced brain", or a brain of type B. There are now tests you can take to see which type (E, S, or B) you are. Not which type you'd like to be, but which you actually are...read the article. (not the world's greatest article but has a few points that spark interest amongst a few more that irritate)

I just like to do tests *s*

Launch the tests from this page.

And of course.. Mr Parker's Ultimate Tests Test. shuddup.

by [michelle] - 12:52 AM

LINK-A-RAMA

"Corning researchers have found a way to form tiny, barcoded beads that are small enough to be embedded in ink and attached to DNA molecules." read more...

I love this stuff!!

100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR


"No. 1 for the second straight year, [Edward Jones] this stockbroker spends 3.8% of its payroll on training, with an average of 146 hours for every employee. New brokers at the 7,781 branches get more than four times that much. Why does Jones invest so much in its people? "In order to grow, you have to be trained," says managing partner John Bachmann, "or you get trapped in the present." While Wall Street firms are contracting, this Main Street firm is still hiring. The company is owned by employees (25% of them have partnership stakes), and perhaps that's why they care enough to have serious profit sharing and no layoffs. Says one administrative assistant: "I have never experienced working for a company that has so many satisfied employees." --Ann Harrington

by [michelle] - 9:32 AM

Silently low over the fields reflecting moonlight from their snowy coats, Duck held onto Beagle's collar. He could feel Beagle's muscles move as his wings made tiny increments, expert now in finding the currents and lifts. Not so many dogs found their flight as easily as Beagle - he had turned out to be quite talented in flying. The icey quiet of the night keeping Duck awake, a much needed distraction from the need of sleep stress was demanding before their flight.

i dont know what i'm talking about.

by [michelle] - 1:12 PM

Today we turn 4,000,000. News at 11.

by [michelle] - 1:21 PM

Typical Public Holiday Conversation

Look. Stop it, I don't want to have sex with you.
Aw come on, it'll be nice.
No way. You don't want me, you just want sex.
What's wrong with that?
There's a lot wrong with that.
Comeon.. just a bit of.. what's it called, this kind of sex has a name..
....
Enjoyable. That's it.

Can't Fight Nature

I was sitting here, just now, for a considerable amount of time - wanting to blog but realising I was complaining. Again. My inner voice was assuring me (as many close friends and relatives often chant) "only dogs can here you now, michelle" at the level of the whine hurtling round and bouncing off the inside of my skull. I sat for a time thinking of what I could write that wasn't a complaint. Crossed and uncrossed my legs, tapped my chin, gazed at the wall, and wondered.

On Good Friday, a person driving a two door Pajero backed into the side of my car while it was parked on the street. The driver was very sorry, and accepted all fault, helpfully giving me all the details and, happy that our Insurance companies would handle the problem, drove off in his slightly scuffed vehicle. I phoned my Insurance company, after spending an hour or so sweeping up the glass from the road and cleaning it out of my car.

The woman at the TOWER Insurance call centre said her name was Lorraine. She asked how she could help me. I told her I'd just been hit by another car and wanted to refresh my knowledge of my policy, and would appreciate some advice on what to do next so I could get my car back on the road - I've only had two accidents, both with people backing into me and I wasn't sure of the procedure for fixing my car. She asked me for my policy number - I wasn't able to tell her that as I wasn't at home. She asked me for my name - I told her. She asked me for my address - I remembered I hadn't changed it from the move, so had to tell her my old address. My mind went blank. She asked me again I told her what was going on, and that I was trying to remember the address. She pressed and insisted she had to have the address. I told her I understood that, but my mind had gone blank and i needed a moment to recall the address, if should could just give me a moment I would remember it. She continued, her tone indicating her impatience, to explain that with a name "as common as yours" she needed an address. My voice wavered and I suddenly realised I was on the verge of tears and said I would ring back later when I had remembered and I was less upset *crying by this stage* and she hung up. Leaving me there to wonder why I had tried to make a call like that so close to the fright of seeing the big dent in my car door, but also to wonder why she was so abrupt when 90% of callers to this line would be people in my same situation.

I left it for until Sunday. Gathering my Insurance and contact details, making sure I had everything I needed for the phone call, I called TOWER Insurance once more. This time I spoke with Joanne. She easily found my details this time, and was quite happy to change my contact details so they were up to date. She couldn't help me with my Claim, if that was in fact what I needed to do - the thing was, I didn't know what I was supposed to do and was asking that very question - what do I do next. She put me through to the Claims department. I spoke with another woman there. She asked me if I'd been hurt in the accident. She asked me if it was the other drivers fault. No, I wasn't hurt. Yes, it was the other persons fault. Yes, he was Insured. She asked me if I needed a copy of my policy and I thought maybe I did, so she'd post that to me. She then told me I had to deal with him and good luck with that. And hung up.

I'm once again left sitting on my sofa, dead phone in hand wondering.. why is this so difficult. They're sposed to be on MY side.

I decide to phone the Pajero's owners Insurance company, AMI Insurance. Despite the fact I was on hold for 20 minutes, I did finally speak with someone who was helpful. She pulled up the details and the Claim had been lodged. I would have to fill in a Claim form and she would fax it to me, I could fax it back. Excellent. She gave me the Claim number, the Claim Handler's direct dial number (although he was away at present) and I felt a hell of a lot better after talking with her. Still not very far down the track to getting my car fixed but none-the-less, I felt better.

Today, the copy of my policy arrived in the mail. At least TOWER did that. As of last night, the Claim form had not arrived via fax - so i get to spend some more time today on the telephone chasing it. The Pajero driver is out there with a slightly scuffed bumper and a drivable car. I did nothing wrong and my
car is *still* munted, my own Insurance company is being less than helpful, and I am having to spend my time listening to god-awful hold music.

Not all call centre people are bad. I guess, that Vodafone called me, meant they were going to be nicer - I mean they wanted something from me not viceversa. His name was Matt, or Zack, or something else short and snappy, and he had a confident early-twenty-something voice. He hoped he wasn't interrupting but if he could just have a few minutes of my time to welcome me to the Vodafone Network. I said I had time, I had just finished my second game of DAYTONA USA and had, again, been beaten and would appreciate any tips he might have in regards to my arcade driving. He laughed. He had a really nice laugh. I walked outside the arcade so I could hear him better. He wondered about the customer service I had experienced when signing up for my new mobile connection, if I had been told all that I needed to know, was I aware of the insurance offered in case I lost my phone. He didn't even sound like he was reading it from a card - he had good voice modulation and he actually listened to my answers. I told him how happy I had been with the whole experience - how easy it had been, how much I loved my phone and how much I LOVED my phone number. He laughed again and wondered why, and I told him how much i liked the fact my number spelled "tripence" and he thought that was really cool too. When he had covered his list of points, he wished me luck and gave me contact information if I needed to ask any further questions. Just before he left I said, matt (or zack or whatever his name was) I really enjoyed this call..that despite the fact he hadn't been able to help improve my DAYTONA USA driving skills, I thought he'd done a really good job, "well done" (had shades of Paula Abdul but brushed them aside, I was sincere). He seemed surprised and happy and thanked me for that.

Now, I know - okay. I know that the Insurance Call Centre is different from the guy phoning me from Vodafone trying to sell me further mobile products. But, it doesn't take much, to make a customer feel something. I feel really annoyed with TOWER. Their call centre staff didn't do a good job with my calls, and it wasn't isolated to one Staff member who was having a bad day.

This morning I remember I've not felt very well since Monday. I thought it was the smell of the fish in the rubbish at the Ferry Wharf that had made me feel squeemish but I'm *still* feeling yukky. Sue was just here and said it sounded like the virus she's just getting over. Fabulous. Easter Weekend, 2 Days Annual Leave, ANZAC Weekend and all i want to do is sleep and complain. (and that's different from any other time, how?)

I can't fight it, I have nothing to say unless I'm complaining about something.
it.

by [michelle] - 12:03 PM

New Face in the Mirror Project (he's got a nice site and a regular blog)
Lovely Face in the Mirror Project

by [michelle] - 1:36 AM

by [michelle] - 11:20 PM

Life support turned off for Possum 28.04.2003, 7.30pm Critically injured New Zealand rally driver Possum Bourne was tonight taken off full life support at the intensive care unit at Dunedin Hospital. A statement issued by Bourne's family said New Zealand's top rally driver had suffered a severe brain injury in a car crash on April 18 and had been actively managed since then. ...more Unbelievably sad.

phys·i·og·no·my n. pl. phys·i·og·no·mies
The art of judging human character from facial features. Divination based on facial features. Facial features, especially when regarded as revealing character. Aspect and character of an inanimate or abstract entity: the physiognomy of New England.

phre·nol·o·gy n. The study of the shape and protuberances of the skull, based on the now discredited belief that they reveal character and mental capacity.

I bought a book today. I love children's books, especially for their wonderful illustrations (yay picture books). I walked with Rosie to Whitcoulls' Corner today. She was looking for a specific book and I was following with no intention of purchasing anything. (I have to make that decision before I go into a book store or i'll just buy far too many things). I spotted a lovely book (judging books by their covers which is one of the reasons I don't like libraries) called Memoriam, by Gary Crew and illustrated by Shaun Tan. A sombre, but uplifting look at memories and remeberence. Of oral history and the ties that keep families strong. And the common thread of war throughout the generations of a family, marked in time by a large Moreton Bay Fig tree planted the year the story tellers Great Grandfather returned to Australia from World War One. The illustrations are so powerful and understated.

When I got home tonight, I realised that The Red Tree, a book I had purchased a few months ago, was also illustrated by Shaun Tan. He really does a fabulous job. If i could bring myself to distroying a book, I'd frame these pages, and
hang them on my walls so I could see them all the time. Makes me wish I was a much better draw'r.

Speaking of which - I'm missing it. (side steps a classic excuse for a sexual enuendo) Drawing. (knows what you were thinking, Graham) There is a course of Life Drawing up at Selwyn College starting.. um. tonight or.. tomorrow night *typical, michelle - no car* or a shortcourse up at AUT for four times the price, but i could walk there.

by [michelle] - 11:03 AM

I saw a pod of dolphins while I was on the ferry on my way to work this morning.
(okay so, I didn't have my camera with me, and I wasn't *this* close but they were jumping and frollicking about and there were lots of them and Rangitoto Island was in the background so this snaffled picture will do for now)

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING SENSE TO ME TODAY

It's not difficult to become a farmer, but it is difficult to remain a farmer.
What does a dog understand about rats and mice?
That will take care of the mice, said the farmer as he set his house on fire.
The strength of a tree lies in its roots - not its branches.
Where there are people there are customers Meaning: One of these obvious ones, exhorting us to go where the business is! Similar to: Early to bed, early to rise, work like a dog and advertise.
If it were a dog, it would have bitten you already. Meaning:Said to someone who is looking for something which is right under his nose.
Don't replay a losing game.
If you're not doing the cooking, you can't give away the spoon.
When old dogs bark, it's time to watch out. Meaning: Pay heed to the warnings of those who are experienced.
You've got to stare the cat down out of the tree. Meaning: You've got to let some things work out for themselves.
It is better to ride for half a year on a good horse, than to spend your entire life riding on a mule.

Drag and Compare - way cool!

by [michelle] - 1:42 PM