Talk You Down

Remember those computer programs you could get that would have a simulated computer program speaking back to you on the other side?

And you sometimes baited it and asked it really stupid questions just to see how it would react?

Well, Ken's still in China and I wanted to chat to him today when I got home from the airport but he was out so I started speaking to the faceless MSN window.

There's a lot of green text and not much else.

Haha, that's pretty pathetic.

Oh dear.

We've Only Just Begun.

Today is Wednesday.

I ate Shin Ramyun on Monday and Tuesday. And given that I have now run out of choy sum (I had to eat all of it as soon as possible because I have no fridge and it was becoming sad and limp) I was not in the mood to eat more instant noodles.

Then again, I was already at home, and so while lying on my fish eye rug I was at war with myself on whether I should order in overpriced pizza or just drive down the road and get some food given that Albany Highway is about a minute's drive. And I did it! I conquered my extreme laziness and got roast pork rice from Good One! Btw, roast pork rice hot is delicious, and roast pork rice cold tastes like congealed fat, which, it is. Blergh.

I think I should start making plans again. This week has been a bit quiet. Poor foodless me.

Anyway, I'm walking back from the District Court this afternoon and I think hmm, maybe I should go buy some black leggings so I can stop stealing Shermaine's (she doesn't realise this because there are about 5 piles of laundry in my house done at different times and stored at different locations) so I walk through Target and on the way out I pick up my 4 Mentos tubes for $2 and am very excited about this and then I pick up some bargain bin cool black shoes, and am on the verge of buying more (I must say I'm quite impressed by the Target range!) and have to mind wrestle myself to stop buying stuff that I really, seriously do not need.

But seriously, this buying things just for the hell of it has to stop. Apart from an obsessive eBay addiction (no, seriously who bids on 30 items a day and consoles herself with the thought that she has made a low offer and probably won't win it, and then doesn't pay until she's reminded about 5 times that she better pay up or they will hang pig's heads on her door), I forced Shermaine to go shopping with me at 8am on Sunday morning to pick up some bargains from the Dalkieth (because it was like, Dalkieth, hello...?) fete! And I did in fact pick up a couple of Mink Pink pieces, new (!) on the cheap!

I don't think I'm particularly extravagant, I DO think everything I buy IS a bargain, and I probably spend less on three dresses than most people spend on one, but then again, I probably buy three dresses to most people's one! ARGH! I need to save money! Someone stop me!

Currently 24: Season One (Special Edition) By Kiefer Sutherland see related

Quirky.

I like quirky collectible things.

I especially like brightly coloured quirky collectible things.

I've found a few stores in the last few months that sell these little oddities, so I thought I'd share them here and see if you have more for me to visit!

Lotus Gifts and Homewares @ 169 Scarborough Beach Road, Mount Hawthorn

coolest things: large wooden brooches, random lamps, completely pointless silver ornaments

Pigeonhole @ Shop 7A Shafto Lane, Perth

coolest things: really random unique art, lomo (!), more random wooden accessories, bottled umbrellas

Urban Records @ 117 Oxford Street, Leederville

coolest things: more useless homeware like toothpick people, flippy clocks, drinking games

The Good Store @ 363 Albany Highway, Victoria Park

coolest things: ruffled umbrellas, shooting games, plants that are actually toilet brushes

The Art Gallery Shop @ Perth Cultural Centre

     coolest things: awesome pantone stuff, crazy looking chairs, Kartell merchandise, lots of plastic

And then of course there's Dlux @ 458 Newcastle Street, West Perth.

Man I wish I wasn't so broke all the time! These are the best places to be on a lazy Saturday...

Currently Chaos Theory By Sarah Chalke, Elisabeth Harnois, Denalda Williams, Patricia Idlette, David Berner see related

Kiss The Rain.

You know how they always tell you to save for a rainy day?

When I was little I REALLY wanted Sea Monkeys, so I saved and saved (because my parents wouldn't buy it for me) and then I bought a set. (Actually, come to think of it, I wonder how I would have saved for it; perhaps ang pow money?) It was actually seriously disappointing; mine never grew bigger than a speck, and definitely never did any tricks.

Anyway, in Uni I used to save a bit, not very much because I liked going out and buying stuff too much, but enough so that by the end of the year I usually had a few thousand, and then I would go on some extended holiday.

When I started working full time in March 2008, I didn't have any real thoughts as to saving but I managed to scrounge up enough to buy this place. In March 2009, I decided that by the end of 2009 I would have enough money saved up to consider buying another little one-bedder and getting my equity up.

I did a budget yesterday based on my actual historical spending since settlement in February and realised I will be flat broke (literally) by the end of the year, especially since we just booked tickets to Japan yesterday!

The practical side of me ('other Sherlene' who likes staying in alone and watching DVDs and drinking Coke from the bottle) says that having ZERO dollars in your bank account when you're 25 and wanting to go to London is not such a good idea, and that a little bit of money saved is a step further in the right direction.

The other side of me ('actual Sherlene' who likes going out and partying and drinking and jumping in puddles) says that this is my first year out in the workforce, earning enough money to go on multiple holidays is a pretty sweet deal, regardless of how much (how little) I actually do earn, and how often can you just keep going on holiday and spending money on completely non-essential things!? (Like, did I REALLY need to bid on 167 items on eBay?) And further to that that if you're only going to come out of 2009 a few thousand bucks ahead (it was meant to be more, but in the last 4 months there's been some crazy budget blowouts) then why bother saving such a small amount and why not just spend it and be happy and deal with saving money next year?

Actual Sherlene also consoles herself with the thought that she already HAS a little one-bedder and so its not like she really is throwing money into the wind. Have I mentioned I <3 my one-bedder? You might bag it for being too small, the building's too old, thin walls (haha), weird hot water system squealiness, gas leak (ok that's actually pretty serious and I should start looking into fixing that) but I look around and I feel happy when I get home. And I love my furniture. Lalalalala.

So in 2009 it'll be Feb Sydney, Mar Singapore, Apr Melbourne, Aug Vietnam, Nov Japan. And fingers crossed, London in March 2010.

There are some perks to working.

Currently I Love You, Man By Paul Rudd, Jason Segel see related

Rage.

I give up.

I don't know why I started organising events really, except that I really enjoy going to things where I know 80% of the people and I like coming up with new bright and colourful ideas and I like getting good deals.

But I don't like people making it seem like THEY are doing ME the favour when they come to my events.

I don't know about you guys, but the last time I checked going to my things was still optional. Granted, I do like people to RSVP and I might bug you UNTIL you RSVP, and if you tell me no, I might ask you a couple more times if you're sure, but if it's a no, I'm not going to plead and cry and beg with you to go.

So I really don't need that kind of bullshit.

The thing is this; if you're a friend of mine, chances are you're probably quite an ok person and I would LIKE to have you at my event and therefore your presence DOES matter. I like to have fun, and if all 10 of you turn up and we all have great laughs and a good time, then all the better! But your presence is not some kind of all consuming force that I cannot do without, and therefore if it's a no, it's a no. Don't leave me hanging with a maybe and then come back and tell me that I am the one who is being pushy.

And yes I do like taking photos, and yes I admit that some of the things I organise are purely because otherwise I would have no 'photos of the week'; call it my insurance for Alzheimer's if you will, and I'm perfectly candid about this and I joke about my Facebook addiction as much as the next person, but there is a line between joking about it and just simply being an ass.

Anyway, this has nothing to do with anyone I've met this week... I have, however, given up this photo diary idea because it was actually really awkward to take photos in perfectly ordinary situations like dinner with Diana on Monday (we did actually take a photo although both reluctantly), or lunch with Phoebe today (who absolutely flat out refused to be caught on camera), or when watching I Love You Man with Sean afterwards (seriously what was I going to do, whip out my camera and pose in the pitch black cinema?) - it was just all so normal and everyday and just the two of us and it didn't feel like a camera moment and forcing the issue made it so strange! So yes, maybe I understand what Tze May was saying about camwhoring at post restaurants!

So maybe there WILL be no Week 27 [22/06/09 - 28/06/09] this week, and maybe my ego will take a hit (oh, cry), but whatever, I say a lot of these things as a joke, but when people start to take my comments about having to prove I have friends seriously maybe its time to stop...