Thanks to all of you for your musical suggestions the other day; I spent a rather long time searching for songs that afternoon and ignoring everything else I was supposed to be doing. (What can I say? Procrastination is my middle name.)

I ended up downloading a pretty hefty number of songs, ranging from the Vengaboys (!) to Metallica (!) (Seriously, you should see my Recently Added Itunes folder. It's like four different people are sharing it or something.) I organised my music folder on the computer as well, and found some absolute classic songs that I hadn't updated to my Ipod for some reason. Of course, I fixed that. Hooray!

Flagpole sitta - Harvey Danger (This was our Contiki Europe wake-up song! It's also from American Pie, love it.)
Where is the love - Hanson (Brings back obsessed 13 year old memories. I was possibly their biggest stalker fan.)
This is how we do it - Montell Jordan (I was cool once, alright?)
The real Slim Shady - Eminem (I was such a rebel that I bought this single. And it even contains the eff word! Gasp!)

Lately when I've been walking, I've been bringing out the whole treadmill karaoke miming experience once again (believe me, if the house was empty I wouldn't be miming, I'd be singing my lungs out.) I've realised though, not every song works for karaoke miming.

It either has to be a song with;

a) Fantastic angry-ish lyrics; aka Too Bad - Nickelback, Hemorrhage - Fuel, Sick & Tired - Anastacia, Stronger - Britney, (hee) The Kill - 30 Seconds to Mars.

b) A good 'treadmill beat' with stupid-ish lyrics; aka Juicy - Better than Ezra, Lala - Ashlee Simpson, My Humps - Black Eyed Peas, Hypnotic - Craig David, Starry Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold.

c) The 'cheese factor', songs that are full of cheesy goodness; aka On The Way Down - Ryan Cabrera, All Around Me - Savage Garden, Good Times - Tommy Lee,  Just Dance - Jamiroquai.

All the randomness is fabulous when it's me listening to my Ipod, I don't care if the songs jump from Britney to the Beach Boys. But it is kind of amusing when other people are listening in on it.

On our New Zealand Contiki, the tour driver pretty much stole my Ipod most days when we were travelling; our Day Song was Wind it Up - Gwen Stefani, and mine was the only Ipod that had that song on it. Some days, he'd just put random Ipods on shuffle and have them connected to the coach radio so that everyone could hear the songs. I remember cringing at first, just waiting for a daggy song to come through. For some reason, Ipod decided to play about six Roxette songs in a row that day. (Suffice it to say that the next person's Ipod was hooked up at that point!)

Oh well. I guess it was better than the other tour member whose songs consisted of music by The Corrs only. (Shudder) Alright, I'll admit it, I went through a Corrs phase myself once, what? Runaway was a great song! Psh. I would never listen to that music! Dag.

I think it's safe to say that I'm a wee bit addicted to watching the Australian Biggest Loser television show. I watched it last year, mum and I would sit on the lounge watching the show and eating dinner at the same time. (!)

I loved (and hated in the same breath) Fiona, because she was this gorgeous thing, even at 100kgs. And at the end of the series? She was absolutely stunning. Jealous! So jealous!

I also have a love/hate relationship with Ajay Rochester, the host. I think she's great for having lost so much weight and looking confident and all, but I find the way she speaks completely bloody horrid (I'M A-JAY RO-CHES-TARRRR) - she sounds out her words all wrong, she drags out her sentences and she says the most obvious things. (Although I was amused the other evening while watching the show's credits, seeing "Ajay dressed by ___" flash up on the screen, closely followed by "Ajay tanned by ___" soon after. Classic!) Oh, speaking of her dressing, her stylist really needs a good whack on the head.

When this year's show started, I wasn't that interested. It's not that I didn't like the show, I was just a bit disheartened after learning that the winner had cosmetic surgery to tighten up once it was all done. What normal person can afford to do that? Yes, the weight loss is great, but how about leaving it natural? Sheesh. The disinterest didn't last long, though. I'm well and truly suckered back into it.

I miss Bob and Jillian. I would gladly have my arse whipped into shape by either of those two, Bob preferably (though he needs to grow his hair back first.) The two Aussie trainers for this year, just don't do it for me. Alright, Shannon does because let's face it, he's gorgeous! I can't help but talk in a Shannon voice after I hear him talk though; it's a real excited, bogan-y type voice. Too funny. Michelle seems quite fake though, I haven't warmed to her at all. I feel like her inner voice is thinking something along the lines of "Fat people. Ew!" And I hate that she has worn the same ugly pair of red joggers all season. Blech.

This past week has been really enjoyable - the last six were flown to Queenstown, to face all sorts of challenges. And I was squeeing with delight when Courtney did the Canyon Swing (been there! done that!) and when Munnalita did the K-Bridge Bungy. (been there! done that!) It's made me want to go back to New Zealand again.

There is one thing I can't stand about the show. The complaining. They're in a house with a body/lifestyle workover completely paid for, and all they do is complain. They complain when they "only" lose 3kgs. They hope for more. They aren't happy. They compare themselves to everyone else, and they complain some more. Gah! I understand it's a competition, but seriously, for them to even lose 0.5-1kg a week is healthy. It's watching them complain about not losing more weight and faster, that makes the show annoying. That, and Ajay's ugly hairstyles and horrible clothing choices. And did I mention her voice?

You know, it doesn't really matter anyway. I'll be watching tonight.

Who wouldn't lose weight for these two trainers? Phwoar. Sign me up.

I just had this huge post typed up, but then ended up closing it down in the midst of a snark fit. Bella Rabbit is doing okay; her eye has calmed down, but she is still sitting in the corner with it closed most of the time which doesn't look good. Meaning? I'm still a worried mum, who is not really in the mood for blogging.

Instead, I am leaving you with a request.

Can you please distract me with your best walking/running songs? Some of you might know that I've been walking at least 30 minutes a day for the last month or so, and I'm exhausting my playlist a little. Give me some of your favourites, save me from a future of walking to the same angry songs over and over.

Happy Easter.

This morning started out like any other holiday morning; I woke up late, pottered around the house and went for a walk on my treadmill. Since it was sunny outside, I figured I'd better get on with the washing, so hung out a couple of baskets and checked on the rabbits while I was out there.

Lucy was a pig as usual, nosing my hand out of the way when I poured in her food for her. Bella though, was nowhere to be seen. I found her hiding under the sheltered end of their hutch, giving me the stink eye. This is nothing unusual, my dear Bella bun isn't the friendliest of rabbits in her best moments. But then she swivelled her head around in the opposite direction, and what I saw frightened the crap out of me.

Her right eye was literally, bulging out of her socket. Not hanging out by a thread or anything, but much, much bigger than a bunny eye should be. I brought her inside (much to her disgust) and checked out her face, it seemed all a little swollen on that side. Since bad things always tend to happen when my parents are out of town (car accidents, illness and the like) I left a panicked message on mum's voicemail asking her what the heck I should do.

She called back and told me this; 'Take her to the damn vet, woman.'

I obliged, bundling her up in her special carry-case and rushing out the door. Rushing around so fast, that I actually forgot that I was in my treadmill outfit and wasn't wearing any shoes. I was in such a state that I'll actually admit something rather embarrassing to blogworld; I totally powdered my hair this morning. My post-workout, greasy, not-washed-in-2-days hair. White talcum powder. The shame! Anyway.

I sat in the waiting area for about an hour, while the dog to my left with diarrhea was sick all over the floor and the dog to my right with vomiting problems hacked up its breakfast all over the floor. Bella and I were both wiggling our noses in disgust at that point. At last, we were called in.

The diagnosis (or lack of one) doesn't look good. The vet shaved her face under her eyeball, and proceeded to stick a couple of needles in her looking for pus or infections. He then opened her mouth and stuck a scope down there, almost resulting in a loss of several fingers because bunny teeth? Are freakin' sharp.

I had two choices; have her put in for exploratory surgery where they would basically open up her face and look for an abcess or tumour, or take her home for the weekend with medicine and hope that her eyeball settles down. The chances are? That she is probably already damaged in that eye, caused by the swelling. He also told me that performing surgery on rabbits is not a good thing, as they don't respond well to anaesthetics. In other words? If she doesn't get better, we'll need to have her put down.

(Cue to me turning into a blubbering mess on the vet's table.)

She's home with me now, looking a wee bit sad looking what with her swollen and shaved face. Gave me grumpy looks all the way home, also. Please keep my beautiful bun in your thoughts this Easter weekend; I love my Bella rabbit so, so much.

I hate being paid fortnightly.

At the moment, I have plenty of things that I need to be saving money for. Car registration and insurance, family birthdays all happening at once, moving money for going to England next year, and travel money for my USA Contiki (which is also next year.)

Paying off my car has been fantastic, except for one small thing. It's left me completely broke. As in, starting from zilch, broke. What's annoying, is that said car will also be of absolutely no use to me while I'm overseas. Really, I probably should have stuck with my old car for last year and this year, had I known that I would seriously be picking up and moving countries. Ah well, what's done is done.

I forgot what it was like to save from scratch. Everything I earned over the last year, I paid straight off the car loan; but somehow I managed to keep a small kitty for little spending purchases (aka, My DVD obsession.) Now that I am beginning again? I'm feeling the pinch.

I've opened up my higher-interest savings account again and have started putting little bits in there, but it's moving up oh so slowly. I know it will gradually work its way up, but there's the added pressure of being slightly restricted for time. If everything works out the way I'm hoping it will, I'll be moving in early January 2008. (Say it with me now; Oh shit!) Until then? I'm saving, saving, saving.

At least if I were being paid weekly, I would feel like I was achieving more. I could put more away more often, and not dread waiting two weeks for the next payment. I could convince myself that I was earning more, by being paid more often. You can blame my stupid brain for that clever notion.

I figure if I'm going to be a scrooge for the rest of the year, I might as well be clothed nicely. Therefore, you should all go and buy some Threadless gear, so that I score some too. At least then I'll be poor but fashionable? (Even if no-one does understand the humour!)

Oh, and you know what else?

I still hate being paid fortnightly.

As much as I love hearing about schools in the USA getting huge long summer breaks (and as jealous as I am when their summer rolls around!) I do love how our school terms here are broken up into terms. Usually 10-11 weeks long, with 2 weeks of holidays in the middle. I've found that it makes the year go fairly quickly. Since Term 1 has come to a close as of three hours ago, it's fitting to post some events of note.

• The kidlets and I have almost figured each other out. I have my moments where my good judgement flies out the window in regards to expectations and management, and they have their moments when they drive me completely mad. It's all a balance.

• I'm quite happy after having my student teacher in the classroom all week. She's good with the kidlets, she recognises that they are challenging, and she's pretty creative too. So far so good, she does her next teaching block mid-term 2. (Although she does lose a point or two for sliding a chair across my freshly papered classroom walls and marking them. What can I say? I'm fussy!)

• Speaking of me being picky with my classroom, it still looks lovely. I had some hooks put up high in the walls with string attached, so I've got some hanging lines to display the kidlets work. Next term I'll be aiming to get them full up with art and activities. My storeroom is all cleaned out and ready to be organised again.

• The accreditation of doom? Is practically ready to go off and face judgement day. (Oh dear, I think I left it in my room over the holidays? Crap!)

So that's that.

You guys have really done it this time; you've made this blogger a very happy little camper indeed. 20 comments? About a classically dorky t-shirt post? Fantastic! Excuse me while I frolic around the room, breaking it down in true dork style.

(I'm wearing my glasses today, so I fit the category pretty well.)

Speaking of the specs, I bit the bullet today and made a booking to have my initial appointment for laser eye surgery. It's in two weeks time, meaning I wear my glasses until then to let my eyes settle down from all the contact-wearing. Bloody glasses, everytime I look down at my work or the kidlets, they end up slipping down my nose and making me look like a cranky grandma.

(Works well when paired with the "stern" teacher look, though.)

Apparently I need a referral from a doctor or optometrist before the appointment, so I'll organise that in my holidays coming up. Am so excited! I have this horrible feeling that my eyes are going to be unsuitable for the procedure, even though they're just badly short sighted. Don't ask me why, it's just me being paranoid.

(Did you know that dorks can be extremely paranoid? Now you know.)

If all goes well, hopefully you won't externally be able to tell I am a dork. I'll pretend to be hip, at least until my inner dork rears it's head.

Do you think wearing my "I'm a Noun" shirt in public will give it away?

I got my Threadless order today.

And as much as I love, love, love the designs on the shirts, the sizes? Are mighty freaking tiny. I'm feeling slightly hefferish after squeezing (barely) into the X-Large size. And I just lost 5kgs. What the heck?

Still love them, though. Here they all are (click to see.) They are motivation. Must get into them loosely without squished boobs in the future. Squished boobs aren't flattering.

The first one which I pulled out with a squeal was the "I'm a Noun" shirt. Which I promptly shimmied into and went to show off.

Aly: Hey, Dad! Check out this shirt.
Dad: [squints at writing] Eh?
Aly: Do you get it? Do you? Do you?
Dad: Eh?
Aly: What's a noun, dad?
Dad: A doing word?
Aly: [incredulous look on face] It's a naming word.
Dad: Oh. I'm a name?
Aly: Me! I'm wearing the shirt! Aly is a name! A shirt is a name!
Dad: Oh.
Aly: Nevermind.

I then proceeded to show him the "Loch Ness Imposter" shirt (my all-time favourite), to which he responded "Is that an octopus?" Frustrated, I went off to display my purchases to mum. I knew she would understand.

Aly: Mum, do you get this shirt? [shoves chest in her face]
Mum: [reads] "I'm a Noun"
Aly: Yeah!
Mum: [blank look]
Aly: What's a noun, mum?
Mum: A descibing word?
Aly: BLOODY HELL. It's a naming word. A noun is a naming word.
Mum: Oh, right!
Aly: So do you see it now? I'm a noun!
Mum: Okay then.

Alright, so the fact that my kidlets know more about grammar than my parents is a wee bit frightening, and tell me - what is not funny about clever t-shirts? What's not so funny is the skimpy little sizes, but I'll get over that. Have been avoiding chocolate like crazy this week. Easter! Ack!

As for the final verdict? My sense of humour is either really fabulous, or really lacking. You decide.

The lovely Aimee sent me some questions the other day ready for me to answer, and to spare you from me whinging about a whole load of irrelevant crap, I figured today would be the perfect day to post them. If you're interested in playing along, leave a comment for me and I'll see what kind of questions I can come up with - but no promises for their originality, humour or making sense-ness. (Because that's absolutely a word.)

1) What is something most people don't know about you?

Most people don't know that I can hold a grudge like you would not believe. I'm actually kind of good at it, though it's not a talent that I'm particularly proud of. What's funny is that while I have possibly the flightiest memory in all of Australia, I can recall facts about times when I've been cranky or let-down by someone and simply cannot forget about them. I just can't. It's not like I'll go out of my way to be nasty in return; but I remember. (Just be thankful I'm sparing you my whinges today, alright?)

2) Where do you
see yourself in 5 years?  10?

In 5 years; I want to be back in Australia, hopefully having travelled a fair bit. I want to have gone to England, done my independant USA tour and come back home. I want to be engaged. (!) I want to have purchased a house, complete with a mortgage, two puppies and whatever animals I can convince my partner to let me take care of.

In 10 years; I'd like to be married and have settled down. I want to have travelled a little more, paid off a wee bit of the afore mentioned mortgage, and have two kids. Why two? I like that number. Twins would be nice. Painful, but nice (in theory.)

3) What can't you live without?

My pillows. I know that sounds ridiculous, but nothing feels better than falling asleep on the perfect pillow. I hate soft pillows. They need to be hard and firm and just right. When I'm travelling, the first thing I do is check all the cupboards or find the extra pillows; those cheap and flimsy ones just won't do it for me.

(I also can't live without hair elastics, because my hair? Drive me bonkers at the best of times. Especially now, grumble grumble. Without them, I would probably chuck a Britney.)

(Oh, and I can't live without my family, too. And my Ipod. And pets! Must have pets! Er, is this cheating? O'course not!)

4) If you could change careers and make the same amount of money (or more), would
you switch and what career would you choose?

I would like to be an author, I thought it would be bloody amazing to sit around in some quiet cottage tapping away at a laptop and producing a body of work. This would be fantastic if; a) I could afford to support myself whilst writing, and b) I could actually write.

5) What clique did you
belong to in high school?  Was it the same in College?

I really didn't have a clique, and I haven't stayed in contact with anyone from high school at all. When I look back, our group wasn't the popular one but we weren't exactly dorks, either. (Alright, I secretly might have been a dork, but ssh. It was a secret.) We were just sort of in between, but happy enough I suppose. At university, I was a bit of a loner. I had my dear friend Elissa in my Psychology degree. Then I met a couple of nice folks in my Teaching degree. But at uni? I was just happy for it to be over, and to get out in the real world.

Am sorry for the somewhat boring answers, but I'm trying to refrain from posting random whinges, as hard as that is for me to hold back on. Alright, just one. My first car service (on the new, less than a year old car with abso-fucking-lutely nothing wrong with it) cost me $220. What the fuck? Alright, one more. I took my contacts out in case the Laser Eye company I found ever contacts me back and sets up and appointment, and my fucking glasses keep slipping off my nose. What the fuck? Alright, last one. Why the fuck am I so grumpy today? Someone needs to just punch me in the knee or something, to snap me out of it. GACK.

Now; who's game for MY questions after that?

So firstly, I have to say that yes -- there WAS once an African Lion Safari out my way, because I concede defeat and am not a sore loser. (Although I did hear Minchinbury used in conversation last night, not Warragamba. Dork!)

Now that I have completely lost most of you, I'd just like to say that Lala and Mick are lovely. Nothing like making an arse of yourself the first time you meet people (thankyou, my Sacred Hill Reisling, thankyouverymuch.) It was a lovely evening, with lovely company and 33 lovely bats too. Yes, I was counting them. Don't you count bats? Lovely is my word of the day today.

(Not so lovely is the part where I fell down in Jason's driveway and ended up with a lumpy head. Poor, poor Jason.)

Also, thanks to a very special Anonymous Teacher, this here blog has had it's 2000th comment! 2000! Howzat? Bloody fabulous, is what it is. Angela, I'm absolutely leaving your double post in because I refuse to slip under that magical number, so a big thanks to you too. Nothing wrong with a little cheating, here and there.

The end of this month is also my first bloggiversary, which is a wee bit special if you're a dork like I am. Cannot believe it is April.

What better way to celebrate than by making fun of checking in on who visited this week. It's been a good week blog-wise, I've discovered a couple more bloggers that I'll be adding to my Stalkeriffic Blogs sidebar very soon. Can't wait.

I Hate Ticketek
Do you? I do, too. Why do we have to PAY for bands anyway? Why isn't it free? And why the hell is America getting a tour with two of my all-time favourite bands, and NOT bringing it to Australia. That's what I'd like to know. You suck, Ticketek. You've let me down.

Southern America Contiki Tour
The trip I plan on doing next year! Actually, I'm looking at doing the Grand Northern tour AND the Grand Southern tour, so I can see as much as I can.

Dags
I am one. Even more-so when I am drinking. Embarrassing!

I'm lonely and I think I'll never meet "the one"
Oh darling, I think you need a hug. I know that feeling. But sometimes, you can still feel lonely even when you know you've met "the one". Am I alone thinking that?

I'm not paranoid
Good for you! There's nothing to be paranoid about. (Shifty eyes) There's no-one behind your shoulder. And they're definitely not talking about you. Nosir.

Riddles for Primary Kids
Here's one: How many hours does it a take a primary school teacher who hasn't drunk since her Contiki tour, to digest the previous night's beverages and feel chipper again?

Problems swallowing, pulled muscle
That doesn't sound very pleasant, but I have to ask: Which muscle did you pull and more importantly, how did you pull it?

I sprained my ankle
Have a cookie.

Teddy Geiger shirtless pictures
Google's let me down here, too. Maybe you could ask the chick that went to primary school with Teddy Geiger - perhaps she has a stash hidden away somewhere that she could get out for you.

Spotty Arms
I would love to have smooth, spot-free arms. They never go away, no matter what product I use on them. I blame my dad for them. If you figure out the remedy, please let me know.

My skin goes red and splotchy in the sunlight
Perhaps you are a vampire?

I love toe sucking
Toe sucking at weddings
Red Toes are Nice
Sounds like you've got to be very careful about what sort of guests you should invite to your weddings these days.

Bahahaha!
Someone's stolen my word and I'm pissed off. Back off, fools.

Bedtime stories for Primary age kids
I intend on reading my kids any book I can get my hands on. A good variety is the best trick, so they don't get bored with reading. I'd probably stay away from the Mills and Boon romance novels though; I'm just saying.

Death on a Shotover Jet
I could NOT believe that out of all the adventure things we did whilst on Contiki, (the AJ Hackett bungy, skydiving, canyon swinging, white water rafting, river boarding - and yes, I am bragging because I am BRAVE!) the only death that has been recorded was on the Shotover Jet boats. Can you believe jumping over a bloody 209 metre canyon is safer than being a passenger in a boat? Insane!

I'm a Teacher
Me, too. Let's be friends.

Constant Pain in Chest while Burping
Lay off the fizzy drinks for a while, alright?

My Mazda MX5 has a Mouldy Roof
Does it smell like cheese? I like cheese.

Random Highways
I still need some takers for my road trip to nowhere. And yes, there will be random highways involved.

Can you squish bugs with flat shoes?
Baby, you can squish bugs with any shoes. Did you know cockroaches actually POP when you step on them? (shudder)

Headaches at Parent Teacher Interviews
Yep. Sounds about right.

Having Sex on Contiki
This seems to be the question of the month. YES! Alright. Go and have sex on Contiki. I just hope your room-mates don't mind.

Pale Skin
Welcome to my world (heaving a dramatic sigh right about now.) I have this one brown spot around my neck and shoulders from my horrible sunburn last year, which Jason likes to tease me about - brown, white, brown, white!


Floating Heads
Sounds like a nifty band name. The Floating Heads. I like it!

Lightning Rod of Hate
I figure I'm doing my bit for the blogging community by offering my services as a Lightning Rod of Hate. I'll take in all the bad bits and spit them out again. Feel free to use me at any time.

Dainty Sneezes
Well, you certainly aren't talking about my sneezes then. Mine tend to sneak up on me out of nowhere, resulting in a screech-sneeze. Scares the crap out of the kidlets.

Am I really losing my brain?
Your brain and my brain are probably living it up on a beach with cocktails somewhere.

How round should your penis be at the age of 18?
Um, perhaps I missed a class or two in health when I was younger, but round? That doesn't sound right. Oh, wait, round. Gotcha. I'm seeking the advice of any male bloggers out there; help your fellow man and answer this question, would you?

Teeth fillings needed filing down
Oh, that is the worst feeling. Go back and get it fixed before you wear your tongue away from rubbing against it. Right now!

Donut Wedding Cakes
(mumbles something bitter under breath) Alright, I have to say it. Donut wedding cakes are cheap and nasty and really, what's so bad with being traditional and baking a real damn cake. No-one wants to eat donuts at a wedding! They want chocolate, or fruit cake, something you can cut with a knife, for heaven's sake. BUY A DAMN CAKE.

Video of Woman Retching
EW. Why would anyone bring that up when I'm feeling queasy from the night before. You guys are plain mean.

Would a Holiday in the sun help Glandular Fever?
A holiday in the sun would help just about anything. Take me with you!

Ass Self-Spankers
For some reason, I don't think self-spanking would have quite the same effect as er, the other. Oh, what the hell would I know about this anyway? All these searches, you'd think I would be an expert at this kinky stuff.

Baby Emu Puke
What the hell? Who googles this anyway?

I've Lost My Undies
Let's backtrack here; where did you wear them last? What were you doing, and who were you with? Did you wear them at all? I do hope you've got some spares at home.