26/365 AUS Kitty-Hawk

June already. So not making 365 posts within the year. 

Another Who-Who post, this time displaying my cat grooming talent. Grooming usually takes place in a number of locations due to The Who's annoyance at being brushed. It's all good if the brushing is going with the grain. As soon as you get to the backcombing.... well, he was never going to be a goth. This grooming session started on the wall outside the back door, progressed down to the wall outside the bedroom window, round to the wall bordering 'the copse' (The Who's preferred outside 'toilette'), on to the ground in the courtyard then over the gate and into the common area. We finished with an edgy kitty-hawk style, guaranteed to strike terror into the hearts of Bella and Monty, the other third floor dogs (The Who doesn't need a kitty-hawk to strike fear into the heart of Muhammad, the third floor goldfish).

General Sumo recommends:

Avoiding scrambled eggs at Café Segovia

33 Block Place, Melbourne

Grant and I went there this morning, starving after walking out to East Melbourne for a couple of open inspections and then back into the city again. We weren't expecting awesome food but we were expecting some flavour. I must mention, however, that the waiter was very receptive to Grant's complaints so full points to him. However, we will not be going back. For a $17 breakfast, I expect scrambled eggs to be made with dairy products instead of water. And let's not pretend that dairy products aren't added for allergen reasons. Let's call it for what it is: a cost saving measure.

Bengal Tiger

Cnr City Road and Montague Street, South Melbourne

T: 03 9699 4791

Location, location, location. The Bengal Tiger doesn't have it. What it does have is consistently delicious, good quality Indian food with a warm, comfortable interior and friendly, personal service. Perfect for a comfortable mid-week meal or low-key weekend dinner, the only thing missing at The Bengal Tiger, besides a fresh glass per beer, is the people. As that pimply kid on the Bed Shed ad back in Adelaide used to proclaim "it's a pig of a location" and, as a result, it really seems to miss out on the patronage it deserves, at least from an eat-in perspective. But it definitely deserves a visit (or a few). I even felt rewarded for all that time I devoted to reading the Bhagavad Gita when I recognized a scene from the scripture of Krishna and Arjuna preparing to enter battle. That was some hard core reading.

25/365 Fat and Frisky Seeks Same...

... for bold and stripey fun and a little bit of straight arming.

It's been a long time and I have some major work to do if I'm going to catch up on my 365 posts in 365 days. I must confess that I haven't been taking a picture every day either. I'd appreciate it if you could just pretend that all photos were taken on separate days.

This photo is from the Mals and The Faths visit way back when in March. Quite a while ago now. The Who was getting down and dirty with his favouritist toy in the world, Diabeetus Mouse, who is a little hard to see in this picture, partially because he is so small and partially because of his superior camouflage skills. Or, as I'm told the kids on the street are saying at the moment, he has great camouflage 'skillage'. 

Let us now all straight arm in unison (see instructions below) as a sign of support for The Who.

General Sumo recommends:

Straight arming

Yes Grant and Gillsy, you know what it's all about. Here are the instructions for the rest of you:

1. Extend both arms straight in front of you at a 45 degree angle, palms facing each other.
   
2. Turn your hands at a 45 degree angle also.
   
3. Move your hands close together (although not touching) as though you were holding a light object.
   
4. Retract your head and focus your eyes intently on the imagined object in your hands. Dilate your pupils if possible.
   
5. Now move your hands rapidly up and down. If you're feeling particularly dextrous, do this in a slightly circular motion, as though you were juggling the aforementioned light object.
   
6. Remember, the less coordinated you look, the better your straight-arming performance will be.

The lazypatch duvet suit ad

As jwood299 writes: Is this for serious? Grant and I thought this was a joke ad. That said, I think it's supposed to be funny because the actual website is a bit a laugh. At first I just looked it up to amuse colleagues but the more I look at it and the more people I show it to, the more of a good idea it seems. I'd like to point out that you get that whole suit for just over AUD100! 

20/365 Mr Feathers

Mr Feathers is the latest addition to The Who-Who's mouse army, joining such other popular mice as Diabeetus Mouse and Raffia Mouse. Mr Feathers came from a pet store and DIY dog wash in Abbotsford. After voyeuristically watching some dogs have baths, Grant and I checked out the kitten toy section and decided that two mice were clearly not enough for a capable hunter like The Who. So we purchased Mr Feathers, who at first was going to be called Many Cheezburgers Mouse. Above, we see Mr Feathers riding home in the Golf, about to meet his new family. The photo really captures his mixture of excitement and nervous apprehension. 

Mr Feathers has become a close second favourite to Diabeetus. To be fair to third favourite, Raffia Mouse, he is half the mouse he used to be, having lost a lot of his raffia, which can only be a sign of good play times that were had.

General Sumo recommends:

Those toy mice that feel like they're made with real fur

Maybe they are. Try not to think about it. It's not like mice in the wild have tails made of feathers. Not in Australia anyway.

15/365 Steamy Monday

This was the only thing worthy of taking a photo of on Monday. How boring. I did go to work but I'm figuring that it would pretty a) nerdy and b) suspicious if I turned up with a camera and started snapping photos at work. You might get to see all of that top secret innovation that is going on the behind the scenes (can you put an MP3 player in a can of beer and will anyone want it if it's not an iPod?).

So, I've been ironing three items of clothing a night, trying to space out the drudgery. It's going pretty well. Because I slacked on Thursday night and tonight, we'll be wearing rumpled clothes tomorrow. Good thing it's the weekend.

I've been thinking about buying a garment steamer. If anyone has any experience with non-industrial garment steamers, you can leave me a helpful comment below. Even if you've just thought about buying one too, you can leave a comment. It's nice to know that you're not alone.

The other interesting thing that happened is that the black hawk helicopters were doing some sort of military training manoeuvres during the day and evening. They went past my window at work and also upset The Who later on in the evening. He had to hide under the bed on the Jumbo vacuum-seal space saver bag for a while to recuperate.

General Sumo recommends:

Doing your ironing in small bites

Keep it manageable but more than one piece per person per day so you can have the satisfaction of knowing you have a selection of pre-ironed clothes to choose from. It helps me to feel empowered every morning.

13/365 Bill

This is Bill. Bill hangs at The Gertrude Hotel in Fitzroy, waiting for scratches and doggy admiration. Rumor has it that he occasionally lets fly with a particularly pungent fart, although I've fortunately yet to experience this.

Grant and I ate lunch at The Gertrude on Saturday during an interlude in property viewing. I had pumpkin and parmesan ravioli with a tomato and vegetable sauce whilst Grant indulged in the burger. Big marks to my pasta, in particular the sauce, which featured plentiful vegetable action. I find this is often hard to come by in pasta dishes so it was a pleasant surprise. 

At first shunning my advances and seriously endangering my Dr. Doolittle reputation, Bill eventually came around when he realized that his table of lady friends was leaving and he could no longer receive foot scratches. We spent some fun time together, me giving him some energetic rubs on the belly with my feet. It sure did make me miss having a dog. I'm not saying I don't love The Who-Who because who doesn't, right? But there's only so much vigor with which you can rub a kitten's soft white belly.

Sleep well Bill. Until the next time.

General Sumo recommends:

The Gertrude Hotel

148 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

It smelt a little funky this Saturday but I'm prepared to put that down to the copious amounts of rain. Or maybe Bill. I've heard the chicken wings are superb but since I am one of those three Australians who doesn't like chicken, I haven't explored that terrain. Friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere, amusing pet and a fireplace. What's not to love?

The CardioTwister presentation

This was on the TV at The Gertrude. Working out hasn't been this fun since.... well, ever! And I don't know, Cheryl, I reckon I do hate working out more than you do. Check out the padded handlebars at the 2:00 mark. I think you'll appreciate them as much as she does. Also, note that by buying the CardioTwister, you appear to automatically upgrade your digs to a mansion with swimming pool. And for only $14.95 for a 30 day trial (but if you don't like it, you have to pay return shipping)! What I want to know is, if it takes 4-6 weeks to ship, as detailed in tiny writing at the bottom of the last few frames, does your 30 days start from the despatch date or the receipt date? Oh to hell with it! 7/10/09 - Cardio Party at my house!!!!!!

11/365 arieanjlhj.,,,,,,,,,,.ewthlkadf

I'm pretty sure that's what The Who was typing. He has discovered an important piece of information that has changed his life: the laptops get hot! Especially when I'm playing Simmies. I'll be busy running the lives of Platypus Chan, Hobson's Bay Hobson's Bay and Thompsons Fitzgerald when all of a sudden the game wildly starts taking photos or recording a film or randomly quits. Oh, The Who-Who must be on the laptop again.

I've tried putting random things on the keyboard to discourage kitten settlement but he tends to just sit on top of them. One time he actually reclined against the screen. He's so relaxed with modern technology.

And yes, Grant, after this photo I did push him off. He got on the Macbook instead.

General Sumo recommends:

Setting up a comfy blanket as an alternative to the warm laptop

It took a bit of prodding and the placement of a tea box on the laptop keyboard but he got the message in the end. He was little bit angry but he got over it.

Sims 2

Playing dollhouse was never this fun before. I like to use the phonebook and name my people after street names. Hence why I have someone called Platypus Chan, sister of Beaver Chan. I also had someone called The Ridge. She was awesome. Then I like to conduct mini-social experiments like, what happens if I make a freaky cult community full of blonde, blue eyed people who aren't allowed to have any technology and whose female members can't work and see how long they can survive and interbreed before they're all related and have to search for partners in the outside world. Next up: the singles neighbourhood.

3/365 Stupid Scott

Apart from a jog this morning at 8:00, this was my only outing for the day. Stupid Scott has given me his stupid cold via stupid Grant! Well, at least it was a good day to be sick. Raining off and on all day and so windy. I think the hedge and the tree outside went horizontal at one point. Where's summer? And don't tell me it's March. I don't want to hear it.

I left the house for that important staple food - chocolate. I tried those new Cadbury Bites. Bought two packets with the intention of leaving one for Grant. But then I couldn't decide if I wanted Cherry Ripe or Picnic so I opened both and only meant to eat half. I even put them back on the shelf. I think we all know that Grant only got to see the empty packets in the bin. I also bought milk to make it look like a had a legitimate reason to be at the IGA. I doubt I was convincing. They were probably just wondering why I wasn't buying Diet Coke. Grant also bought milk and now we have one and a half litres and only one person who drinks milk.

General Sumo recommends: 

Cadbury Bites

Buy two packets and mix them together. It creates a sense of mystery and surprise when you reach into the packet. What will you draw out next?

Stealing warmth from the cat

When you wake up a little bit cold on a chilly day, pull the blanket so that your faithful kitten, who is naturally lying next to you, is forced to lie on your legs or feet. They'll feel angry at first but they'll get over it. Mainly because they're lazy.

2/365 Jumbo

It won't win any photography awards but could possibly have ended in a Darwin award - Grant getting the most out of our new Jumbo vacuum-seal storage bag.  

I was at Big W today to pick up some more wooden coat hangers and, upon turning around, was confronted by a half-aisle selection of vacuum-seal storage bags. After a few minutes of deliberation between Large and Jumbo, I went with Jumbo due to its promise to house two whole bed sets. In a two-bedroom apartment, I am always looking for great storage ideas. Having only seen this type of product in the dubious environment of late-night infomercials before, I hoped that it wouldn't disappoint.

Like the true storage nerd I am, I couldn't wait to get home to try it out. Then, when I did get home, I was tired so I had a nap on the couch whilst The Who-Who had a nap in the new armchair.

Refreshed from my nap and with Grant home from work to share the excitement, we set about putting all of our spare bed accoutrements in the bag. As you can see, we hit a snag trying to get the pillows in. The Jumbo bag really is Jumbo. In the end, it took a quilt, four pillows, two cushions, a knitted rug from Oma and the Aerobed mattress protector. The Jumbo bag was too Jumbo to fit back in the study wardrobe comfortably so it is now under the bed, waiting for The Who to go and lie on it, which he invariably will. This has now freed up space for those important essentials, Corona and Diet Coke, to go in the wardrobe.

General Sumo recommends:

Space Bag vacuum-seal storage bags

About $18 at Big W and probably other places. And yes, it really does work and it really is easy. I always thought infomercials were too good to be true. Maybe I should try the Ab King Pro.

East of India

7 Degraves Street, Melbourne

Locally designed pieces made with beautiful fabrics imported from India. The fabrics are absolutely what makes these clothes, especially for someone like me who shudders at the touch of synthetics. The quality of production absolutely deserves a mention too. Not too sure about the limited opening hours and slightly uncomfortable buying experience though. On the upside, look out for the cute brown puppy dog under the counter!

Not working

Finally, time to do all those things that make home life run smoothly - make the bed, do the dishes, do the washing, get watch batteries replaced. I feel like I actually have a life again as opposed to just a job and for the first time in about nine months, I don't feel stressed. Turns out I'm actually a nice person without work stress. Who would have guessed?

1/365 Life After Television

With Grant out listening to what I'm sure is a titillating Accounting 1 lecture (for him, it probably is), Dr Who-bama and I thought it was a good time to capture a shot of  The Who molting all over our new chair. Yes, after three years of Grant lying in bed looking at Scandinavian furniture centrefolds, we finally lashed out and bought our very own piece of Scando furniture that did not come from Ikea. 

Pictured above is Grant's new baby - a 1960s Danish armchair with mismatching foot stool in brick leather and whatever kind of timber that is.  Teak? I forgot to ask. Shame on me.  I am clearly not enough of a design junkie. Said chair was purchased from the Three Quarters gallery on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, where we received fantastic service on both days that we visited this last week. We also checked out their warehouse in Kerr Street, behind the Evelyn Hotel, where we again received outstanding service from the very lovely Len. It's so nice to shop somewhere that is run by knowledgeable people with a true passion for what they are selling. 

It was a hard decision in the end as the warehouse and gallery were filled with a plethora of awesome furniture and reminded me (as if I needed it) why I love Scando design so much. Everything is beautiful and functional. I could have bought about 15 new pieces in the one sitting - telephone tables and tiny bedsides with treasure troves of ingenious compartments, high-backed fabric armchairs, big comfy sofas and illuminated beer signs. And then I remembered that we live in a two bedroom apartment and that I'm afraid of bigger dwellings anyway.

The chair purchase was part of an overall nesting change that we are making at the moment. We have decided to have a living area that does not revolve around the television. Our 32" weirdly-cheap-imported-from-China TV has been relegated to the study and we have set the armchair up along the former 'television wall', with a bookcase in the middle. The intention is to buy a new chair to go on the other side of the bookcase, a space currently inhabited by the CD storage. We're thinking the PearsonLloyd Flow chair and foot stool but that's still a few months off so it could change. 

I've just been thinking how odd it is that in the bulk of Australian homes (and I suspect, in a lot of other countries), the living area is entirely based around the television. For the first few months in our apartment, we lived without a television. And you know, I really didn't miss it.  We had the weirdo China TV on order and didn't see the point of buying another TV to fill in the gap. That was until I bought Grant an X-Box 360 for his birthday and the China shipment was delayed. Then it just seemed cruel so we went out and bought a little 19" set.  This is now on top of the bookshelf as we apparently aren't ready to go cold turkey.  I think things will be easier once we have a stereo system set up and can listen to the radio with good quality speakers. I like having the TV on sometimes just for the noise if I'm home alone.

With the television as a focal point, it is so easy just to come home and veg out without thinking about what you are doing. Especially when your brain is dead from a hectic day at work. I'm hoping to build up our stock of games and maybe get a coffee table and put out some drawing or colouring-in supplies to fill the gap. And then there's always reading and talking.

So stay tuned to find out how this little experiment goes and whether Grant flips out when he gets home and finds The Who hanging out in his new chair.

General Sumo recommends:

Three Quarters, 20th Century Furnishings

Gallery - 128 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Victoria

Warehouse - Rear 28 Kerr Street, Fitzroy, Victoria (behind the Evelyn Hotel)

Beautiful imported, vintage Scandinavian furniture. Len at the warehouse was only too happy to oblige our annoying requests to take several chairs off of the shelves to try out. Just quietly, I'd also like to live in the gallery.

South gin and tonic with cucumber

Free pour the gin. Not because you're that cool, just because you can't be bothered getting those nails out of the shot measure and washing it.

Kitten champagne

Because the kitten in your life also deserves something special (sparkling mineral water). Sure, he might pretend he's not interested but he is. Oh he is.