27 February 2005

WOE is ME!

Feeling sorry for self as have caught cold! (sniff)

Cold has caused me to miss a birthday party (boo hoo), miss going swimming (again), and have little energy to do anything much (boo). Cold came on on Friday night (boo). On the up side, have slept 15 hours yesterday (yay), found some lonzenges that actually seem to have an effect (yay), watched the Brits fight the Gerries in an afternoon war movie (hoorah!), have had my brow mopped by nurse C-chan (yay) whose expertise in the area of my cold is enhanced by the fact that he is coming out the tail end of the exact same cold.

Will I ever rise again? Only time will tell.

17 February 2005

It's all in your jeans...

My current pair of jeans is wearing out.

Last time I bought a pair of jeans, it was astoundingly easy… I went into the store, found some jeans that were the same style number as last time, tried on the same size and they fitted! Better still, they had some jeans that were not only my size, but my length, which saved me from having to get the jeans altered to fit my shorter-than-average legs. “Fantastic!” I thought! They are now making shorter length jeans, and next time I buy jeans, I can go and buy this exact style and I’ll be able to practically walk out of the shop with them on. I was thrilled, having never had this happen to me before. I have spent the past 2 or so years content in the knowledge that jeans-shopping would never be hard ever again.

But I was sadly wrong…I recently went to jeans store and sought out “my” correct jeans style. First worry - they looked different. After a check with the shop assistant, this particular style of jeans had:
- changed style (despite keeping the same number) to be much higher-waisted
- no longer came in shorter length
- no longer came with button fly option

The first feelings of panic set in. I pushed aside memories of teenage clothes shopping traumas, and decided to try them on anyway, ignoring stick thin shop assistants’ suggestion that I might like to try the larger size. The jeans that had so easily covered my curves 2 years ago now pushed things in where they shouldn’t be and were dreadfully uncomfortable (and no, I haven’t put on weight). Looking at other jeans shops for next couple of hours was fruitless – could not find jeans that flattered me and were a nice colour and style (let alone length). It seems the style of jeans that suits me is no longer in style. Where does that leave me for the next fashion cycle, I wonder?

Most probably jean-less. I think I’m going to explore other options for my casual lower-half outer wear. But my search does raise a few (I think) pertinent questions:

Why would a common brand of jeans give a style of jeans an easily remembered number, only to change that style every couple of years anyway, removing the usefulness of the number? Why not make it clear you are bringing out an entirely new range of styles?

Why do clothing chains uses the word “Jean” in their title as if they are a one-stop-jean-shop, yet mostly sell tops, shorts and skirts, and not cater for the full range of body shapes and leg lengths in their jean range?

How does anyone sit down comfortably wearing high-waisted jeans?

02 February 2005

C-chan and Merry Risa's christmas road trip to Adelaide

or - "There and back again..."

The drive there...
Within an hour of leaving home, we witnessed a bizarre smash on the road, in which a car careened into the back of a semi @ 120kph (prob'ly asleep at the wheel) and the semi went on driving as if he didn't even know he'd been hit. This did much to unsettle our poor nerves, and meant that we had to set aside our new Burt Bacharach compilation for a few hours until happy music seemed appropriate again. The first day was v eventful, with bibical scale locust plagues, cows on the road, Ruth Rendell CD-novel murder mysteries, and temperatures in the high 30's as we made our way to Mildura for the first night .

Arrive at the city of churches and after many family reunions, we start to slide into holiday mode. Went to Victor Harbour, relaxed in a pool, on the tennis court, played with nephew, caught up with brother and Mi-chan, and incredible shrinking parents (parents have both been losing weight).

Back to 'delaide for much to-ing and fro-ing between parents' houses, allergic reactions to pets and dust on sofa beds, and poor communication between all parties about what is going on, when. (We are going to stay in Siddonee for Christmas this year, we've decided). Watched tense, Mother/daughter-in-Law dynamics evolve everywhere we looked. My god, why can’t mother-in-laws let partner/wife of their sons do things their way and accept it as being “different” rather than “wrong”? Why do people lose their ability to put "issues" in perspective where extended families are concerned? I guess it's one of those things that will never change.

The nephew...
Oh how cute yet exhausting. Best moments include:
- nephew bowing (Japanese style) at mannequin dressed as airline pilot outside travel agent
- 5 fully grown adults dancing to ABBA at 11pm in effort to wear out 20 month old, but only suceeding in wearing selves out.
- look of pure delight on his face has he has his first proper swim in the ocean @ Balmoral. Didn't want to get out, despite lips going blue.

I have decided that being an Auntie is fun – you get to try out being a parent, without the full responsibility (no nappy changing). Can act like a silly git, and most of the time a sub-two-year-old will laugh at you adoringly.

Home again, home again, jiggeldy jig!
Drive back home was uneventful, save a spectacularly stuffed up pub meal, in which…

Meal took over an hour to produce, despite there being only 2 other parties in the dining area. Our 2 steak sandwiches somehow got served to someone else, who apparently didn’t realize it wasn’t their lamb cutlets and chicken kiev (how???). Waitress looked extremely stressed, and offered us the latter meals, which was not a good compromise given the lamb cutlets were DEEP FRIED (I kid you not), and so possibly was the Chicken Kiev (although it could have been bathed in oil before baking).

Things now getting ridiculously late, embarrassing and irritating (staff had no skills to deal with mixed up orders), we asked for part of our money back and took the chicken, thinking we could at least cut the chicken out from greasey casing. But we were WRONG WRONG WRONG!! C-chan cut into it, and grease poured out, putting at risk the only remaining edible foods on the dish (cauliflower cheese, chips, carrot, baked potato). Ate what we could and snuck out the side door….