Mother’s Day (mothers day? where does the bloody apostrophe go?) is almost over for another year and this year I got to help mum celebrate in a way I really didn’t think would ever happen.

I don’t know if that says more about my pessimism or what a turnaround mum has made in the last two years… but mum has honest-to-goodness gone a full 360; from rock bottom to being a picture of health. I rooly truly hope I’ve got mum’s genes, I’ll be a shoe-in to get a telegram from the Queen on my 100th birthday.

Yesterday mum got day release and I chauffered her to our place for a visit. She hasn’t been here since we moved in at Christmas time and  I knew she was itching for a sticky beak. I got a hot tip that she was missing a good corned beef and we whipped some up in the slow cooker for a hot lunch.

Two years ago I wasn’t even sure if mum would be around for much longer, and here she is, out and about and holding court at the dining table.

For added bonus, I got to see my sister and her family for a quick hot chocolate yesterday.

We’re about to head out the door for Dan’s mum’s mother’s day treat at one of her favourite restaurants. Happy mother’s day to all the mums, new mums, mums to be and mums lost. Today’s especially hard for mums who have lost children; hope you find peace today.

Mum hoing down on a scone with fresh jam and cream

My sister ordered this at the coffee shop; had me wishing we weren't having a big hot lunch!

An Instagram from brunch

On Sunday afternoon, this happened while I was standing at the top of some metal stairs:

I have become so attached to this phone, I’m still surprised I haven’t shed any tears over its demise. The screen is stuffed, but is still functioning normally. Provided you’re cool with getting shards of glass jabbed into your finger every time you swipe. I also have to unplug the battery to end every phone call.

Which makes for some fun when leaving voicemail messages. Talk to you later, bye! asd;iasdj;aidfja;isd a 8q3 upqw8ru 39q40r~~@#@#

So this Samsung Galaxy SII has been my second Android phone, after owning two generations of iPhones. Now that Instagram is finally on Android (though, sans tilt-shift) there are no apps making me even contemplate the idea of going back to iOS. After owning Samsung and HTC Android phones, I’m sticking with Samsung and next week I’m getting their Great Aunt Bertha phone, the Galaxy Note.

Great Aunt Bertha is a big girl. Some call it a phablet (phone/tablet) but I’ve been told by wise technology wizards that the word phablet should be banned and I’m inclined to agree.

To preserve the cracked phone before Great Aunt Bertha arrives and to establish good practice for when Great Aunt Bertha is operational, I am instigating rules for mobile phone handling.

Well, one rule really: don’t hold the phone while walking except for the explicit purpose of taking/receiving a phone call.

Cause Great Aunt Bertha is a big girl – and she’ll have a lot more screen to crack.

Are you Android or iOS?

We’re fans of Ze Frank in this house. And tonight we discovered he’s doing a new show. Hurrah!

I’ve only watched the first vid so far, which is so different from his last show… but this video is just… wow. It’s called an Invocation for Beginnings.

It’s not often I watch a video and feel compelled to transcribe chunks of it.

Here’s the video:

If you can’t see the video embedded, you can go see it on YouTube

And there are the bits I just had to capture. Not all of these are relevant to me right now, but they’re still powerful enough for me to want to keep them on short notice.

This one at 0:13 reminds me of housework and blogging and Smarter Admins.

This is an invocation for anyone who hasn’t begun, who’s stuck in a terrible place between zero and one.

The 1:09 is self-explanatory, and I think something that resonates with a whole bunch of us:

Let me think about the people I care about the most.
And how when they fail, or disappoint me.
I still love them and I still give them chances.
And I still see the best in them.
Let me extend that generosity to myself.

At 1:36 you could replace “courage” with “motivation”

Let me remember that my courage is a wild dog.
It won’t just come when I call it.
I have to chase it down and hold on as tight as I can.

This one at 2:01 is something I’ll have to remember the next time I offend someone (i.e. tomorrow)

Let me remember that the impact of criticism is often not the intent of the critic.

And this? This one at 2:27 hits me on so many levels

Let me not think of my work only as a stepping stone to something else.
And if it is, let me become fascinated with the shape of the stone.

Do you have inspirational videos that you like to watch when you need a bit of a prod?

Four days off work and you’d think I’d have the house spick’n'span, I would have installed the floating shelves I’ve got propped up in the hallway, I would have changed the sheets, cleaned the blinds and vaccumed under the couch.

NOPE.

But I did two other Very Important Things. I made Snickers Rocky Road and I installed Intagram on my Android phone.

I have a crush on both things and I would like another 4 days off to make the most of them.

How was your Easter??

Tonight I reached a new “low” in domestic bliss. I tweeted a photo of our new pantry cupboard.

Getting this pantry was an epic weekend event, requiring borrowing a car, lugging it up the stairs and putting it together. Then – because apparently door hinges are optional when buying DIY cupboards from Bunnings – we walked a 3km round trip to our local Bunnings to get the requisite hinges.

But tonight I finally got to fill it up and I was grinning like a Cheshire cat the entire time (is this what my life has come to?) and I shared my excitement with Sarah by tweeting her a photo of my new cupboard in all it’s never-to-be-this-tidy-again glory.

Just as exciting for me, though, is that our breakfast bench has been re-instated.

For too long, this little part of our (original) pantry cupboard has been chockas full of other stuff that we couldn’t find a home for. But not any more! And even though it looks daggy, I love that toaster cover because I made the bloody thing myself!

I feel like a bit of a tosspot blogging a photo of a small cupboard in my kitchen, but I’m feeling houseproud and I don’t feel that very often, so I’m basking in it and bloody well enjoying it :)

What cereal should I get for the empty tupperware container there next to the Weet Bix? I’m thinking Coco Pops or Corn Flakes…

This week wasn’t especially BAD, but it was full of niggling things that made it MEH. My working week started with my gorgeous rainbow camo Nine West heels ripped a huge hole in my favourite Verily dress.

Then there’s the usual crap that is associated with a crap week in the office, which of course, I won’t talk about here because it’s the right thing to do. (Although, that reminds me, Carly has a fabulous post about the balance between blogging and working).

Some things aren’t so bad; even though my car is still in the shop for another week, I’ve lived the fast life driving Jarod and Liz’s ZOOM ZOOM Mazda (I have such a crush on their car). And I promised myself to make the effort to finally get back to the pool this week and swim laps – which I did – and the 10 laps turned my upper body into a mass of jelly and sore muscles (and I had to deal with two restless night’s of sleep because of it – good job, rah). But it felt good to be in the pool again, in the slow lane but still managing to lap the woman with the kickboard.

Oh! That’s another thing that made me smile this week – I’ve now got two more people in my real life calling me rah! <3

AND I ate at Sapore, my favourite restaurant in Leichhardt, after way too long and they still had my favourite dish (spinach+ricotta ravioli with creamy pesto sauce and pine nuts). I pretty much licked the plate clean.

So really, I haven’t had that bad a week, but I guess exhausting is a better word for it. Today we stayed in our PJs all day, had multiple naps, watched Wayne’s Word and The Muppets (out now on DVD!) and spent some quality time with the cats.

Because we are smug childless people without a car and we’re enjoying it while we can :)

How’s your weekend going so far?

*Go read Kelley’s blogging how-to post to catch up

We moved house three months and nine days ago and we’re still throwing stuff out.

STILL! We threw out a metric tonne before we moved and again when we started unpacking here. And still, there’s moar.

Tonight I threw out a box of useless junk including:

• Rusty box grater¹
• Broken purple suit covers
• Unread Notebook: magazines
• Destroyed cat toys
• Photo frames without glass or those metal bits to hold your photo IN the frame
• Smelly candles that don’t actually smell
• Christmas wrapping remnants

A fancy potato masher was rescued at the last minute because apparently I wasn’t supposed to put that in the rubbish bag. Close one. (Sorry, hun)

I’ve got a bundle of clothes to donate to Vinnies and I’m trying to find good homes for unwanted/outdated monitors (4:3 hahahahahaha retro) pizza paddles and other random stuff.

But we are still surrounded by STUFF:

Believe it or not, the pic on the left is the new and improved and one-step-closer-to-being-decluttered side of our study. The other pic is the atrocity next to our dining table. We tell ourselves that unpacking those final boxes will mean the cats will run out of high places to sit and stare at us while we watch TV. Then they will just claw us to death in our sleep instead.

So even though I’m being all chillax of late and not caring that I’m behind on emails, freelance work, blogging, whatever else… tonight I had to get rid of someTHING. At least one box of crap.

Achievement: unlocked. No more non-smelly candles or discontinued magazine titles, thankyouverymuch.

To celebrate, I’m doing a half-dance to this:

_________________
¹ Not a euphemism

Will.I.Am looks less-than-thrilled to be surrounded by puppets, but I’ve had this song on repeat all night and I can’t stop dancing to it.

I dare you to not half-dance along to it!

If what I am is what’s in me
Then I’ll stay strong – that’s who I’ll be
and I will always be the best
“me” that I can be.

There’s only one me, I am it
have a dream I’ll follow it
It’s up to me to try.

Oh! I’m a keep my head up high
Keep on reaching high
Never gonna quit
I’ll be getting stronger.

And nothing’s gonna bring me down (no!)
Never gonna stop, gotta go.
Because I know
I’ll keep getting stronger.

And what I am is thoughtful
what I am is musical
what I am is smart
and what I am is brave
what I am is helpful
what I am is special
There’s nothing I can’t achieve.
Because in myself I believe in oh…

Gonna keep our heads up high
Keep on reaching high
Never gonna quit
Just keep getting stronger.

And nothing’s gonna bring us down (no!)
Never give it up, gotta go.
Because I know
I’ll keep getting stronger.

What I am is super
what I am is proud
what I am is friendly
what I am is grouchy
what you are is magical
what you are is special

There’s nothing I can’t achieve.
Because in myself I believe in oh…

Gonna hold my head up high
Keep on reaching high
Never gonna stop
I’ll be getting stronger.

Nothing’s gonna bring me down (no!)
Never give it up gotta go, oh… yeah…
I’ll keep getting strong–er.

*10 points to anyone who remembers that Robbie Williams song… Bueller?

So yesterday was my boring post on something that wasn’t deja-vu, but needs a word like deja-vu to describe it. Funny events that have you thinking they’re happening for a reason.

Maybe.

Today I popped into our old neighbourhood in Bohemia, specifically to go shopping at one store that I knew sold what I wanted to buy (nothing exciting or illegal, don’t worry). I detoured to Bohemia on my way home from work, ducked into the shop and was on my merry way.

But when I stumbled out onto the footpath (still walking funny from my sore muscles after the car accident) I literally ran into our vet, Ange, who was walking home with her German Shepherd. Ange’s practice is in another suburb completely, though I know she’s friends with our old neighbours and visits them occasionally.

But that’s WEIRD right? What are the chances of me running into the woman I pay to shove a thermometer up my cats collective bottoms? On a corner neither of us visit regularly?

It just strikes me as WEIRD.

Peculiar, even.

*Queue creepy twilight zone music*

On Thursday I was talking to a fellow Mazda fan about their Mazda 3. Blah blah blah, I want to upgrade from our Mazda 2 one day to a Mazda 3, but not the current design because that’s fugly, I want the design from the same generation as our 2, blah blah blah. This fellow Mazda fan and I kept blabbering on about our love for Mazdas (except the design of the current generation) and I offered to, one day, buying her 3 off her. When you know someone looks after their car so well, you’d be crazy to not at least put that idea out there.

I went home quite chuffed with myself for thinking of such a brilliant idea.

On Friday afternoon, I was driving home after a frantic day in the office, singing along to Roxette’s best-of album and sucking up the sunshine-y air. I was looking forward to getting home, changing out of my work gear and going with Dan to a home-cooked meal at Jarod and Liz’s place.

And then this happened:

My second not-at-fault accident in five months. Only two blocks from where the last accident happened. Courtesy of a tosspot named Kelvin who drives a 2011 BMW on a company lease. I had right of way and he claims he didn’t see me. Which translates to didn’t-look-right-after-looking-left-when-about-to-turn-at-a-t-intersection.

Idiot.

The car spun about 90° from the impact and I was pretty shaken by it.

Not again! My poor car! What a farking moron driver! This is why I never trust BMW drivers! How long will it take to get fixed! NRMA better not screw this up like last time! How do I get to work from the new place? What the hell is my address? Why does my neck hurt? Kelvin better not be giving me a fake mobile phone number! My poor bloody car!

Etc.

I may or may not have bawled like a 12yo missing out on tix to a Justin Beiber concert. I blame the shock of the accident and PMS.

BUT! Dinner was loverley and was a great antidote to get my mind off the bloody accident.

On Saturday, with a sore neck, I went to find a doctor to get checked out.

Protip: if you are in an accident [or injure yourself] while travelling to/from work, it’s covered under Worker’s Comp [well, it is in NSW at least; check your state to be sure]. So even if you’re a bit sore or whatever, but you know it’s nothing major, GET IT LOOKED AT ANYWAY. If anything crops up as a result of the incident later on, you’ll get all treatment covered through your work’s insurance.

Now, my love of my GP, Dr Joe is pretty well-known. I’ve been seeing him for about five years and has been my first regular GP since I was a kid. But Dr Joe is very popular and it was impossible to get in to see him on a Saturday. Instead, I popped along to a medical centre near Dr Joe’s practice, one that I’ve been to before for a tetanus shot.

I waited patiently, without an appointment, and after a measly half-hour wait (I’ve waited 2+ hours to see Dr Joe, even when I have an appointment), I met Dr Edward.

He quickly diganosed me with mild whiplash and processed all the Workcover paperwork. Then Dr Edward started randomly chatting with me about “female health” and was giving me different answers to questions I’ve asked Dr Joe over the last few years. Suggested tests, recommended vitamins, discussed theories, quoted research.

Move over Dr Joe, Dr Edward is my new favourite GP.

I haggled him for a list of practices he works in and he just happens to have a practice in the city – in the very same building where I had my first “proper” full-time job after finishing school.

That’s just weird/random/funny/serendipitous.

After finishing with Dr Edward, we popped over to the local discount chemist to save pennies on expensive prescriptions and grabbed a pastry from the bakery Dan and I used to go to every Saturday morning when we used to live nearby. We plonked ourselves down on a bench and scoffed our flakey goodies and washed them down with Coke Zero (me) and strawberry milk (Dan). I looked up and discovered we were sitting outside a Thai massage centre that I’ve been meaning to try out. We got a flyer in our letterbox last month (even though we live 3 suburbs away) and I put “go get a massage from this place” on my mental to-do list.

And there I was, sitting outside. When I could really do with a massage. Don’t worry, I didn’t actually get a massage, whiplash needs to heal naturally [how boring and painful].

I’m really sorry for the boring, long-winded, dear diary-style post, but I just found the chain of events to be really freaking weird. I didn’t have a sense of deja-vu, but something along those lines. Is there an equivalent phrase to describe a series of events that were seemingly meant to happen?

Since you’ve made it this far down the page, here’s a pic to make you smile: