Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Feb Photo-a-Day Challenge



Your View Today


Words

Hands


A Stranger



10am


Dinner


Button

Sun

Front Door

Self-Portrait



Makes You Happy

Inside Your Closet

Blue

Heart


Phone

Something New

Time

Drink

Something You Hate To Do

Words (The Last Card)

A Fave Photo Of You

Where You Work (Inside a DOS Screen)

Your Shoes

Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet



Green

Night (Is Coming...)

Something You Ate

Money

Something You're Listening To


Are you going to play?  


On Instagram?  Look me up!  @chickensbees 



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Seven Year Itch

On Valentine's Day, 2005 I was single.  I went out for dinner with a friend and had a lovely time.  Later on that evening, I got a phone call from a guy I had 'met' on a dating website.  We'd chatted for a while on MSN, then graduated to SMS's and phone calls.  He called to invite me out for a drink as he had finished work earlier than expected.  I said yes.

I broke all the 'rules' of Internet dating.  No one knew I was going out with him or where we were going, I gave him my home address and he picked me up from there.  We went to the Rainbow Hotel in Fitzroy and we bought each other drinks.  We chatted and flirted and generally had a great time getting to know each other in the real world. I learned that he was a musician who was just starting to study to become a teacher.  At the time I had just embarked on a librarian course, something that I was never to finish, for many reasons.

As he was driving me home, I remarked that I felt quite tipsy, which was odd, as I had only had about four glasses of Kahlua and milk, which was not a lot for me.  He rather sheepishly told me that that ones he got me 'may have contained double shots'.  The guy was Chyken, and the rest, as they say, is history.  A year later we were engaged, two years after that we got married and now we live in the Castle surrounded  by cats.




Seven years.  It's certainly the longest relationship I've ever been in.  Perhaps seven years has to do with the fact that for the last week I have been itchy.  All.  The.  Time.  I've been to the doctor twice and handed over more money than I care to add up at the chemist in that time.  The doctors have no idea what is causing it.  There is no rash, and I haven't started eating anything new or used any new products.  The chemist and first doctor I saw suggested antihistamines, which cost a fortune, but did nothing.  The only thing that seemed to do anything was marinating in Pinetarsol.  Have you ever smelt that stuff?  It's like a mouldy Christmas tree has thrown up on you.  Not pleasant at all!  After using that I would get about an hour of relief, then I'd have to have another shower.  I went back to the doctor on Monday and she seemed to be the only one who has taken me seriously.  She arranged a battery of tests and put me on some hard core steroid tablets.  The good news?  They WORK!!  Well, kinda.  I'm still itchy, but nowhere near as much.  Hopefully the test results next week will tell us what is causing it, because I don't want to be taking these tablets forever.

So, given that yesterday was Valentine's Day, or as we like to call it, Anniversary Day, it is traditional that we do something to celebrate.  Chyken and I take it in turns to organise a surprise for each other on this day and our Wedding anniversary.  This one was Chyken's turn.

It started with presents!  A rather large box of chocolates and something I had hinted about for Christmas, but didn't get then...


I love it!

We then drove into the city and after much changing of our minds, settled on Lygon Street for dinner.  It was delicious!  We also had the first dessert of the evening there, Creme Caramel and a slice of cheesecake.

The big surprise of the night though was that we were going on a ghost tour.  Of the Old Melbourne Gaol!  This place is spooky enough during the daytime, so I was nervous, but it was really interesting.  They explain at the start that they are not there to convince you of the ghosts, they merely present the facts as they know them.  Lots of stories told by past workers at the gaol and lots of people who have seen/felt things over the years.  An aspect of the tour I was impressed with was that the guide carried and iPad with her and showed us lots of photos of past prisoners and photos that had been sent to them from visitors to the gaol showing unexplained images of what may or may not be ghosts.



Given that I had no idea where we were going, and Chyken is terrible at answering the 'But what should I wear?' question, I was reasonably dressed up to look for ghosts, but thems the breaks!



This is where 133 people were hanged.  Including Ned Kelly.



This is Cell 17.  Apparently  the most haunted area of the gaol.  I went in there and immediately felt sick, rather dizzy and felt that I needed to leave.  I tried to go in there three times, each with the same result.  I'm not what you would call a 'believer', but Cell 17 freaked me out.


They have copies of Ned Kelly's mask that you can try on.  Well. actually they have a sign next to them that says kids can try them on, but if the helmet fits....


I like to think Ned would have done a bit of this while wearing the armour.  



On the way home we had Mr Whippy.  (Dessert Number 2 for those playing along at home).  This van is usually set up near the airport on warm nights .  Sometimes there are two of them trying to out-light each other, but there was only one and he was almost out of sherbet, but had just enough for two ice creams.  The perfect end to a perfect Anniversary Day.

I would like to thank Chyken for seven amazing years.  Neither of us could have known this was how that date would end up, but I am so glad it has.  I do not know what I would do without him.  He takes care of me, he picks me up when I am feeling down and he makes me laugh.  Oh how he makes me laugh!  He also  makes the best toasted sandwiches and is the greatest dishwasher-stacker that has ever lived.  I love him much more than a lot. xxx

How do you spend your Anniversary Day?

Friday, February 10, 2012

IKEA Makes Me Happy

When Chyken and I go to IKEA, it is usually for the meatballs.  Sometimes for the breakfast, but usually for the meatballs.  Regardless of what we eat, we always shop afterwards! 

I don't think we have ever gone there without buying something.  While I type this, I am currently eating my lunch off our dinner set which came from IKEA.  I'm drinking cordial out of an IKEA glass under the light from an IKEA lamp.  I'm sure you're getting the idea.  So, when I was approached by RocketFuel to show off the latest IKEA bits and pieces, how could I refuse?

I started to go around my house with a camera with the idea of taking a photo of all our IKEA things, but then I realised two things:

1. It could take all day
2. My house is really messy.


Luckily for us both, you don't need to see the current state of the Castle, because they've sent me some videos to show you on how they have transformed rooms. The videos are short and sweet, you're gonna love them, even if you (for some strange reason) don't like IKEA! 

Laundry

Bedroom for Adults

Kids Bedroom

Study


Go on, check them out, you know you want to!!











*This post is RocketFuel sponsored, which means I am being paid to write about it.  However, I do genuinely love IKEA and I think you should totally watch the videos!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Edenland Fresh Horses Brigade

There's a New Meme Kid On The Block, her name is Eden and her blog is one of the best. Ever. If you haven't read her stuff, go immerse yourself in it now, I promise you won't regret it.

Now, onto the meme.  This week she has asked us to show her our handwriting.  Here is a sample of mine: 





It's actually more numbers and doodles than writing, but I'm at work and I didn't have anything else.  I also think that if I was to write something specifically for this it would be kinda neat and try-hard-esque which would defeat the purpose really, wouldn't it?  I have no idea why I wrote Andy's name down, or even who he is, here's hoping I followed up whatever it was I needed to in regards to him.

I have several Aunts with the most beautiful copperplate handwriting, it makes me jealous.  When I started learning to write we were taught normal printing, but then a few years in they changed to cursive stuff.  I believe this is why mine is pretty awful, but I could just be making that up.

Anyhoo, get thyself over to Eden's blog via the button below and check out her handwriting.  And probably the rest of the blogging world's as well. 




Edenland's Fresh Horses Brigade

Thursday, February 2, 2012

See, It Wasn't That Bad

Just when I think I'm doing OK something happens that makes me realise I'm actually not.

Perhaps I never was and I am just really good at pretending?

Every January my Dad's extended family has a reunion.  I went to the one a few weeks after Dad died, but I only managed to stay for about an hour before the dirty looks being sent in my direction got too much for me and I had to go home.  Last year I tried to go, I even got dressed and into the car, but two minutes down the road I begged Chyken to turn the car around.  I went this year.  This was hard for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that he would be there. But, I went, and I had an OK day.  I got to meet my new second cousin and hang out with some of my favourite people.

Afterwards, I was congratulated on being there.  People said I had done the right thing.  Said they were proud of me.  Said things like 'See, it wasn't that bad'.

Well, no, the actual day wasn't that bad.  I guess.  If you think that hiding in one part of the park too scared to talk to relatives you really wanted to catch up with because they were in his general vicinity isn't that bad.  I would very much have preferred not to put myself in that postition.  But, I guess on the surface the day 'wasn't that bad'.

The day before was a completely different story.

It is those parts of my post truamatic stress disorder that very few people get to see.  The parts where I am unable to get out of bed. The bits where I pick stupid fights with Chyken for absolutely no reason other than to take the focus of myself for a while.   The bits where I am unable to stop crying.  The parts where I am unable to concentrate long enough to write a blog post.  Where I am completely unable to make a decision.  I can't even decide what fucking shape of pasta to cook for dinner when I am having days like that.

Then there are the panic attacks.  They are scary.  Really scary.  Rarely do I realise I'm having one until after it is over.  So gripped by the fear, so overcome with it all.  Muttering things to myself over and over again.  Confused as to why I am feeling like that.  Lost.  Eventually I exhaust myself and sleep for the rest of the day.

The next day I get up, grit my teeth, plaster on a fake smile and force myself into facing the situation I was dreading.  This is the bit people DO see.  The part they base me on.  The part that makes them say things like 'See, it wasn't that bad'. 

If only they realised it IS that bad.



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