Here in Australia, pedestrians have the right of way only in a designated crosswalk, if there are no lines, the car has the right of way and you should seriously look both ways before crossing. Most streets are two-way, so whether crossing at a crosswalk or jaywalking, look right, then left then proceed. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen people just walk across the street, staring straight ahead, as if there are no cars approaching them, when in fact I'm bearing down on you at 60kph (38mph) and you better walk faster, but nooo they proceed to stroll as they are entitled to cross and the cars should stop. Um, no, the only way a driver is required to stop is if you're in a lined crosswalk, but nowadays so many people have this air of entitlement, it's disgusting. What happened to obeying the rules? When it comes to the speed and force of a car against an average sized person, guess what, the car's going to win, you'll either have broken bones or be dead, just cause you thought, I'll take my time crossing the street with cars approaching at full speed. Yeah, you're smart.
At the moment we live across the street from a school therefore there is a crosswalk right in front of our building and in the morning and between 2-4 there is a crossing guard that makes sure the cars stop for children and people crossing. The thing is because it's a crosswalk, means that any time of the day or night cars need to stop if there is a person crossing, if they don't and a cop happens to be there, they can get a fine. What annoys the crap out of me is how many times I've seen people just drive right by, they just look straight ahead or they're busy on their phones or they just don't care. I think there should be more police presence near school crosswalks, if more people get ticketed, maybe more people will then stop when pedestrians are trying to cross the street. There was one time my husband and I were crossing the street in the crosswalk and this wanker in an SUV was trying to give us the hurry up and it looked like he wanted to drive right through my husband, my husband is no puny string bean, so if you hit him a few things are going to happen, one, you'll fuck up your car as he's a big guy, second, you'll go to jail and you'll get fined for going through a crosswalk, because I will remember the make and model of your car whether it's a ute a car or whatever it is you're driving. I'm very into cars and will know the difference between a Falcon and a Commodore. Ok, venting over.
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Lent is here, and of all things to be at the start of Lent, my husbands 40th birthday. Wound up eating at Groove Train, my husband had fish n' chips and I had salt & pepper calamari. When looking at a supermarket catalogue (circular), Coles has a two page display that says fish for Lent, something I don't remember seeing in NY. There is a company here called John West, and they are the Chicken of the Sea, BumbleBee or Starkist of Australia. John West does canned, and frozen seafood. I remember buying BumbleBee flavoured tuna. I had two favourites, lemon pepper & spicy chilli, I remember one time Dukie wanted some spicy tuna and I had to give him milk to tamp down the spiciness in his mouth. So all in all, I had only seen 3 different flavours of tuna, until I got here. I have seen some interesting combinations in 95g cans. There are quite a few selections of the canned variety I thought I'd share the interesting options one has for tuna here in Australia. Chunk style tuna in olive oil blend, chunk style tuna in spring water, light tuna in spring water, light tuna lemon & cracked pepper, light tuna onion & tomato and light tuna sweet chilli. The following are the non-light versions: chilli, lemon & cracked pepper, mango chilli, mild Indian curry, naturally smoked, onion & tomato savoury sauce, oven dried capsicum & chilli, dried tomato & basil, sweet chilli, sweet seeded mustard, sweetcorn & mayonnaise, tomato salsa and zesty vinaigrette. Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper in Oil, Tuna Chunks Chilli, Lime & Ginger in Oil and Tuna Chunks Garlic & Soy in Oil. They even have this lunch thing, tuna & beans and tuna & rice. They have salmon in the frozen food section and tinned sardines, salmon and anchovies.
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It is definitely not hard to find non meat dishes in a sub-tropical area like Brisbane, there's at least one fish n' chips shop in every suburb. I love calamari and the fact that they are not the teeny little rings I'm used to is even better. You can buy calamari and chips but with my diabetes I prefer to eat 6 calamari rings and share my husbands chips. The price for calamari in a shop can be anywhere from 70 - 90 cents a ring, which isn't bad considering they're preparing it for you and the tax is already included. Oh and the tentacles are special order, so you never have to worry if you're going to get alien heads with your rings. My husband prefers snapper when we go to these shops. A proper fish shop will not just give you any fish, you get to ask for what type of fish you want crumbed (breaded), I've seen dory, whiting, and some others I can't remember as I always get calamari, though I have had some stringy calamari at a few places and we are never, ever going back to those locations. I cannot wait for my friends to visit so they can see first-hand the size and taste of these calamaris.
Yesterday was Sunday and it started off on a scary note. My husband usually gets up before me and he did so yesterday and noticed T wasn't around, usually he's like, oh hey you're up, feed me. He went into the kitchen to get a glass of juice and thought that's quite a bit of light coming in from the dining area window, then realizing that the fly-screen was not where it should be, so he gingerly looked out the window, praying he wouldn't see out poor little T on the ground, so he peeked and all he saw was the screen on the floor. Now, to wake up the wife and not scare her that the cat was gone. He woke me up saying he couldn't find T and I put on some clothes and we went out to look, I grabbed the bag of dry food and two cans to tap together, we looked in the back of the complex and the only cat that showed up was the downstairs neighbors cat. We started walking towards the street when my husband noticed T in the bushes by the fence, I called to him and he gave me a distressed mew, I picked him up and he kinda growled. We called out vet and they said, yes bring him right in. I took my insulin shot and put T in his carrier and off we went, as we're approaching the vets office the poor kitty made a poopy in his carrier and man o man it stunk up the car,we had to open the back windows and I had to stick my head out the window (I was in the back with him). When we got to the vets office it was closed, the lady that answered the phone never told us where they were located and now we had to go to another location, it was after 9am and my husband had to be at work at 10am, so we got to the vets, filled out the paperwork and we were trying to figure out how was my hubby going to get to work, I told him why don't you just grab a taxi, this way I'll have my car and then I can take T home in a familiar setting. We get called in and the vets assistant took care of the little oopsy, he weighs 6.55kgs (14lbs) but he is long so it's okay for him. The vet said his heart-rate was a bit high, but considering he fell, was outside, took a ride in the car and he was at the vets it wasn't something to be overly worried about. They gave me 2 options, let them keep him overnight and they'd heavily sedate him and take an x-ray and I could pick him up Monday, or they could do an ultrasound of his stomach area to make sure everything was intact and then he would get a pain killer shot and I would have to medicate him for 3 days after. I took the second option as I didn't want to scare him even more with leaving him in a strange place. The ultrasound came back ok, he got his shot and he went willingly into his carrier. The whole time I'm thinking, shit how much is this going to cost me, single income no spare cash. When I was waiting to pay the bill, a woman asked is there a kitty in there and I said yes, I have one of those mesh carriers so I can belt the cat in the car, I've never liked the plastic containers. They were loving it. So I get the bill and it's only $169 and I was like whew, this I can handle.
I strapped T in the front seat so I can keep an eye on him, and he was pretty quiet on the way home (very unusual for him). When we got home, the neighbors cat comes running to rub against me and I just wanted to get my T upstairs. When I put the carrier down and unzipped it, he came out, and this time walking tall with his tail up. Great sign as he was crouch walking at the vets. He eventually drank some water, actually a lot of water. He didn't get his appetite back until later in the evening. My in-laws brought over a bag of Temptations and he had one or two. While I was sleeping T came to visit me, he came up to me and started kneading my arm. When I woke up this morning he was doing his usual stretchies. He even played with his string a little. He's still a little tired, and I'm keeping an eye on him and all windows are closed while we're sleeping or out. His actual vet called before to see how he was doing, and the fact that he's eating and playing is a great sign. Thank God my baby's okay, he lost one of his nine lives.
Every morning and every evening, I hear these lovely sounds coming from outside, the chirping of little lorikeets. They usually fly in pairs, so it's almost like a conversation, it always sounds happy.
Eventually I would love to buy food and feed them to hear their happy tunes. They are a type of parrot found commonly along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania. The Rainbow Lorikeet is a medium-sized parrot, with the length ranging from 25–30 cm (9.8-11.8 in) in size, and has a wingspan of about 17 cm (6.7 in). The weight varies from 75–157 g (2.6–5.5 oz). The plumage of the nominate race, as with all subspecies, is very bright. The head is deep blue with a greenish-yellow nuchal collar, and the rest of the upperparts (wings, back and tail) are deep green. The chest is red with blue-black barring. The belly is deep green, and the thighs and rump are yellow with deep green barring. Rainbow Lorikeets often travel together in pairs and occasionally respond to calls to fly as a flock, then disperse again into pairs. Rainbow Lorikeet pairs defend their feeding and nesting areas aggressively against other Rainbow Lorikeets and other bird species. They chase off not only smaller birds such as the Noisy Miner, but also larger and more powerful birds such as the Australian Magpie.
Rainbow Lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to gathering pollen and nectar from flowers.They also eat crops such as apples, and will raid maize and sorghum. They are also frequent visitors at bird feeders placed in gardens, which supply store-bought nectar, sunflower seeds, and fruits such as apples, grapes and pears.
In many places, including campsites and suburban gardens, wild lorikeets are so used to humans that they can be hand-fed. The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, Australia, is noted for its thousands of lorikeets. Around 8am and 4pm each day the birds gather in a huge, noisy flock in the park's main area. Visitors are encouraged to feed them a specially prepared nectar, and the birds will happily settle on people's arms and heads to consume it. Wild Rainbow Lorikeets can also be hand-fed by visitors at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Packet mixes with a nutritional mix suitable for feeding lorikeets are generally available from vets and pet stores.
Lately I've been feeling very depressed, and I cannot stop crying. Every morning my husband goes off to work and I go watch USTVnow, watch some Pennsylvania tv and catch up on Facebook as a newspaper. I see so many people having fun, doing things I only wish I could, no job, one income, tight budget, no real luxuries allowed, except the freebies my husband gets working for the media. I'm in my pj's most of the day, I used to think that would be an awesome thing, it can be, if you win lotto, but in reality, it sucks big time. I've tried to make friends, but most people have kids and all I have is my fluffy T. I miss having daily conversations with people, I now know why the old ladies would do their banking on a daily basis and talk your ear off, they do that to keep themselves sane, to get some sort of communication or else they become those reclusive cat ladies. I want to go to the beach, I can't, because petrol is $1.63 a litre which is $6.27 a gallon and we can only afford to put fuel in one car. I need to get an oil change, and again, I cannot afford it. I've never been in this situation and it makes me shake with sadness. I don't care about things anymore, don't want to leave the apartment at all, don't really feel like eating anything, thought of food make me nauseous. I just spotted a bottle of Bermuda Pink Sand on my desk and it makes me long for the days I could afford to go on cruises or go visit my relatives in Croatia, I can't even go visit my parents. It's just not fair.
My first memory of coffee was my parents lying in bed and asking me to make them coffee. In the 70's the maker they had was a percolator and I remember assembling it and making them coffee. I wouldn't touch the stuff, I hated the smell. I remember also going to Croatia as a child and everyone drinking "Turkish" coffee, basically espresso with grinds on the bottom and again, I'll pass thank you. Women were known to read the coffee grinds, it was interesting to see. Sanka comes to mind, the commercials for iced Sanka. When I was working in Waldbaums' I would occasionally get a coffee from this store in the Metro Mall. Diet Coke was always my coffee, already sweetened and no chance of burning myself drinking it. Working for the bank, we would go to these WASI meetings and I started my coffee drinking, also when I went to Community Bankers, coffee was served with dessert and I started liking it. Barbara and I had gone on two cruises together (great times) and she would have coffee and I wouldn't, this was back in 2004 & 2005. I started liking cappuccinos at this point, but it was never anything I HAD to have, that's my feeling on diet Coke. :)
I remember going to Starbucks with Laura and she ordered a cappuccino and there was a shot of espresso and foam, very airy foam and she showed the barista and they said that's a cappuccino, um no it's not and she got a different coffee. One day I was in Macy's in the city and felt like having a cappuccino and I totally forgot what had happened to Laura and I was drinking forever before I got to that shot of coffee.
Arriving in Brisbane the first time, my then boyfriend took me to Coffee Club for breakfast (Coffee Club is a cafe' chain that serves coffees and meals). I had a cappuccino and it was pretty good, good thick and creamy foam, like someone had put warm CoolWhip in it. It was delicious. Since moving here, I've tried my share of coffees, there are so many cafes. Brisbane is known for it's coffee culture. One day I decided to have a vente cappuccino in Starbucks, and I was not disappointed, it was done properly, I was so happy. McCafe makes really good coffee too, they grind the beans before they make the coffee, it's not some pre-ground stuff that's been sitting around. There are chain coffee places here, Starbucks, McCafe, Coffee Club, Gloria Jean's Coffees, Aroma's, Cibo Espresso, Michel's Patisserie and Zarraffas Coffee. Now, these are just the chains, then you have your little independent cafes too. The coffee I love, love so much because I do not need to put any sweetener in it, is Rouge Coffee. Rouge Coffee are boutique coffee roasters and I don't know what they do, but I can't get enough of their cappuccinos.My husband loves their espressos, but it does come with a kick so he needs one packet of sugar. Another one that I like is Merlo, they have pretty good beans too, and if you want you can buy beans directly from them from all sorts of places for all sorts of prices.
Then you have Campos, also no sugar needed. DiBella, pretty good, haven't tried Elixir yet, and there are a few others I can't remember at this time.
One thing I've noticed since living here, you don't just walk into a coffee place and ask for a cup of coffee, there's no such thing as coffee sitting in a glass pot waiting to serve you, they make it when you order it. A cappuccino is a cappuccino. My typical order at McCafe is: small cappuccino, full cream milk to have here. An espresso is called an espresso or a short black, depending on the cafe. If you want a black coffee, no milk, that's a long black. If you want milk in that coffee, you order either a latte or a flat white. Basic rule of thumb, check out the menu and if not sure, ask the barista. Yes, I said barista, no one just gets you a coffee, they have to be trained to make the coffee. If you want Nescafe, then I'm sorry you're going to have to make it yourself, as every place that serves coffee, has a full on coffee machine, no hot plates keeping your coffee warm ever.
So this Christmas has to be one of the worst ones I have ever experienced. I went to go Christmas shopping and had gone to the ATM and my card spit back out saying it was expired. Lovely! I was "supposed" to have gotten it before the end of the month, but here it was the beginning of December and nothing had arrived. I had no money whatsoever to buy Christmas presents, to get my hair cut, to buy myself a Christmas outfit or to purchase anything. My parents had deposited money in my US account but the stupid effin bank must have made a mistake. I received my statement, two weeks after it was mailed, so why the fuck had I not received my debit card? I had moved in May, and sent a letter stating I had changed addresses, I get my statement so you would think the address would have been correct. To make matters worse as of today January 17, 2014 I have NOT received my debit card AND I sent an email to said bank on January 3rd and I still haven't gotten a response. WTF????? If I sent an email to my Aussie bank, I would have gotten an email response within a day or two......I'll bet you any amount of money none of the workers at said bank would have let this happen to them. Have I not received a response because I used to work there? Their motto is "we treat you like family", really? Where's my fucking debit card? Every day I wait for the postman and run to the mailbox to check to see, has it arrived yet. This is getting ridiculous, if it was sent by boat it would have arrived already, someone fucked up and they fucked up bad. I hope whose ever fault this is, has no access to the only money they have when they really need it.
