Second anniversaries are the cotton and paper anniversary. Since today is Vox's 2nd anniversary show us something made of cotton or paper.
I've submitted the final Major Revision of my thesis!
This week it's grammar and spelling.
8 days:I will have performed my final edits and submitted my thesis for good. The Last (Wednesday Night) Supper. We're going out somewhere (don't know where as yet).
9 days: Figuring out how the hell to pack everything into my suitcases. I may need to get another one.
10 days: I'll be having my farewell thing, eating Mexican at the Prickly Cactus and drinking Fishbowl Margaritas. This will be followed by heading over my beloved Northern Club and downing mystery shots, BHPs, and possibly some Absinthe. Danielle is coming to that from Burnie! Woohoo! None of my voxerhood are coming because they're slack (and because not one of them lives in Tasmania any more (oh, except Olivia, she's coming!))
11 days: Lunch with the family, officially for my sister's birthday, also officially the last time I'll see Mum, Dad, Rowan and Renata before I move. TasUnity is throwing me a farewell dinner of their own. They do such fantastic food! I swear being a good cook is a prerequisite for being a TasUnity Host.
12 days: all my waverley possessions will either be at Lulworth (like the bed and alarm clock) or in my suitcase(s). Staying with the lovely Glennys and Anne, who are taking me to the airport the next day. Dinner at Susie's Hoong Fatt with the G&A, David and John, and Scott. Yay!
13 days: probably an early flight (Don flew out at 6:30am) and then I'll be in Tannum Sands. OMFG I can't wait! I miss Don so much!
I figured James's SMSes were essentially posturing. He sent them to everyone.
Alright, so he cancelled. What he didn't do was suggest that he'd sent anything to anyone besides me. I thought, "fine, I'll invite Neph and Damien to tea elsewhere."
I've struck out because I didn't realise they might make other plans because I didn't know that James had told them it was cancelled.
Was all that really necessary? I mean really.
What about "I don't like cleaning up for these things so maybe we could go elsewhere for our wednesday night thing." Is that too much to ask? I mean really?
What about actually talking to me about it?
No, major autonomous fucking decisions about what amounts to the second-last opportunity for me to see some of my friends before I leave. Hopefully I've got to Neph before she's made alternative plans.
Fuck you, Mr Holloway. I am displeased about your cavalier attitude towards my enjoyment of life while I'm here.
Again kids, Neighbourhood post.
Folks, this is a Neighbourhood only post, because it rants about someone who isn't a Vox member who reads my blog, namely my housemate James. Just thought I'd let you know.
I got an SMS from my housemate James today when I got to Penguin:
"There won't be a Wednesday night dinner next week"
Wednesday Night Dinners used to be Me, Cariad, James and Neph, now they are me, Damien, James and Neph
I quite enjoy our Wednesday dinners, something I've told him a few times. But I simply responded "Oh. Ok. Why's that?"
came his response "Because I'm tired of doing all the cleaning up for it"
I couldn't believe my eyes.
Short of removing dry towels or his washing from the couch (which I've typically removed from the dryer when I need to actually use it) to his bedroom and cleaning the kitty litter, I've not seen any evidence that he did any special cleaning for Wednesdays.
On Wednesdays, before people arrive, I typically wash up at least Monday and Tuesday's plates, and a few weeks I've actually washed up dishes from the previous Wednesday. Times I wash up from the previous wednesday are typically times I haven't cooked since the previous wednesday for whatever reason. There was one week where I washed almost everything on the Friday, asked specifically for him to wash the remaining few (5-7, rinsed but not washed) things I had neither time nor space for, and come that Wednesday, I washed those same things on top of the weekend's dishes. (It's worth noting that I don't live there on weekends, I go to great lengths to adhere to his enjoyment of having me there only 4 nights a week)
rather than burst into the rant you see here, I simply sent:
"Oh. You should have said something, asked me to help more. Told me I wasn't doing enough. I'm sorry! Honestly, I didn't realise."
This might spill over into the talk about chores that he mentioned 6 weeks ago.
On multiple occasions before, I'd asked him if there's any way he felt that I was not contributing enough, because I wanted to make sure I was pulling my weight. When he mentioned about chores one weekend, I asked him when I got back to the house what he'd like me to do, and he had nothing to suggest.
What I rather hope he's learning, and rather suspect he's not, is that, as my mother put it, "there are no good fairies".
I'm not going to reraise an issue that isn't actually mine when the last time I raised it he essentially said that he wasn't sure and would get back to me. The ball's in his court on that.
I'm not going to suggest that he drive to work to get his Ls hours up so he can get a drivers license.
I'm not planning on cooking for him any more, since he hasn't furnished me with any meals for weeks. (other than the Wednesday thing a couple of weeks ago)
The only reason I'll keep bringing his washing back in is because if I don't, it'll either be in the washing machine or the dryer when I need to use them, and I won't not do things for him to my own detriment.
I'm not going to stop washing things up. I actually need to use them.
I'd stop checking the meter box to see if we need to recharge, except that he doesn't seem to care about it, and I really don't want to throw out all my meat when the power goes off mid-weekend while he's not there to fix it.
Whatever he wants in life, it is up to him to get and/or ask for.
I'm diligent about paying the rent, I typically make sure there is power on the card, and I know whose turn it is to purchase it. I avoid using the land-line, and have told him that I will pay for any and all calls made on it, no questions asked, since he doesn't tend to use it at all. My internet usage is Facebook and Vox, basically, and he's actually been able to go down a download plan since I've been here, and I've offered to pay part of the internet costs. He's never been clear on what he wants me to pay for the net.
I have tried to be easy to get along with. I've tried to leave the smallest footprint that I can in his house. I clean the fridge occasionally to prevent mouldy food from taking over. (typically not mine, I might add) I've tried to be approachable about any issue he may have with how I do things or what I'm doing or not doing. I wash the dishes much more frequently than he does. I pay half the power bill, despite actually being there only 4 nights out of 7. I've either taken him to or collected him from work or both most days that I stay there.
Fuck it.
I've been nice. He'll be much better off in terms of things at his house and simple house-knowledge stuff he didn't know before I moved in. He's made well over $500 in rent from a room he was basically not using by renting it to me for 4 nights a week. He can just deal with whatever.
I am not his mother. I am going to cease acting like one.
I'll pay my rent up until the date that I leave (pay that sometime next week), pay the power when it's my turn, and not use the landline at all. I'll leave him some money for laundry powder and stuff too, since I never know when we're about to need it, courtesy of empty boxes being left behind to confuse me. Oh, as I had promised, any alcohol that I have left when I leave, he gets to keep. There'll probably be almost $100 worth. I've bought handy dandy bits and pieces which he can keep too. Knife sharpeners that work, for example, a cake tin without dents, a splatter-guard…
I have 2.5 weeks before I'll be in Gladstone, and I have to say that I doubt we'll keep in touch after that. This was a business arrangement. Some friendships survive them, others do not. Apparently, this is one of the latter.
Have you ever volunteered for something? If so, what?
I've volunteered for heaps of stuff. Most recent was organising the SoCIS dinner, but if you count my pre-18 involvements I've volunteered as:
So that was the pre-18 stuff, post-18 I've been a volunteer:
It looks like my pre-18 stuff was far more religious than my post-18 stuff.
I think I've made a bigger difference in my post-18 stuff than in my pre-18 stuff.
Dylan Carmichael's Blog 