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November 30, 2005
happy november
This month I've been trying to learn how to use my camera properly. Not just turn it onto the auto setting and push the button. Lucky for me my hubby has a degree in photography (yes, he is handy). So every day this month I took my trusty camera everywhere I went and each week Rob taught me a little about film speed, aperture, shutter speed, etc.
I feel like I know a little more about how to take a good photo. Not a great photo (yet!) but a good photo.
Here's a slide show of the pics I took, just in case you are interested....
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:49 PM
almost Harry
Two more sleeps till Harry Potter! (I know the Americans saw Harry like 6 months ago, but that's the price you pay for living in paradise)
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:50 AM
November 29, 2005
for the sydneysiders
I listen to 702ABC. It is probably the closest thing to NPR that we have in Sydney. For a few months now the morning show has been in a state of flux. They have been without a permanant host. People have been filling in, but without a proper host things have seemed, well, temporary.
But as I was driving home and I heard that Adam Spencer will be taking over the morning drive show in 2006.
I'm pretty pleased about it. I think Adam is pretty cool.
Ya gotta love a cool, clever geeky guy who can do the math.
Well done Adam.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 08:35 PM
November 27, 2005
full plate
Thanksgiving goodness. (and yes, he cleaned his plate)
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 09:08 PM
November 26, 2005
Is this real?
I mean I know the Sydney property market is out of control, but who the hell is going to pay 1/2 a million for a unit they can't even live in?
But really, the description is priceless:
Recently renovated, then remodeled again by specialist tunnel engineers, Views to China and back, Easy access to the tunnel and freeway, Icon of the northern beaches, Free flowing air ducts, Building manager (several) on site, High fences for extra security, Floating floorboards (inc floating bedroom), Entertainment room flowing onto 10 metre concrete balcony, 360 degree views (down), 1000 cubic metres of high grade quick drying concrete (ideal for a future pool or decking) and huge underground storage room.
Be sure to read the rest, it's very funny too. If it is real, some agent had a pretty good time writing that copy.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 08:46 AM
November 25, 2005
pumpkin-a-rama
I made four, count them FOUR pumpkin pies today.
But not on purpose.
See, I made the classic Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe from the back of the can. What I didn't count on was that American pie crusts are twice the size of Aussie ones. So I had to whip up a couple of puff pastry pie shells. They don't look so great but they taste ok...yes I've had a little nibble.
Rock on Thanksgiving! I'm sure we will be posting lots more pics very soon.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:45 PM
November 24, 2005
Happy Turkey Day
Just in case making an actual turkey isn't in your plans for Thanksgiving, you can make a Jello turkey.
I think it's a bit gross...but that's me
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 08:17 AM
November 23, 2005
hi
Hello to everyone who made it here from the MAKE blog.
have fun!
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 10:10 PM
November 21, 2005
jiffy
Lookie what I got in the mail today!
mmm, Thanksgiving can't come soon enough!
(ok, I'm not going to make all three boxed for thanksgiving, but I figured what the heck we'll use it right?)
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:10 PM
November 20, 2005
old school
Growing up, November meant cheesy parades, green bean casserole and those mittens that had the string that went up one sleeve and down the other (we called them dummy mittens).
But what made this month extra special was the arrival of the Sears Wishbook. I remember my bro and I would sprawl out on the carpet of my grandmother's living room floor for hours with the Wishbook. We would pour over the pages, find some toy that would make our young lives complete and then dog ear the page for Santa's future reference. (we were very optimistic children) By the time we were done there were so many dog eared pages you couldn't even close the catalogue!
Fast forward too many years and a fellow Flickr member has taken it upon themselves to digitizing a Sears Wishbook from 1979. The whole damn thing! Ain't that cool? (here is part 1, part 2 and part 17, part 17 has the TOYS!)
Look, The Millenium Falcon, a Klingon Cruiser and Weebles! Weebles!
I'm feelin' all nostalgic right now.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:12 AM
November 19, 2005
Foodie Craze
dammit, this game looks like heaps of fun but would cost like $50 to ship to Australia. Its like a culinary version of Trivial Pursuit. I like the topics: Extreme Cuisine (Weird Foods), Savory Scenes (Food in Books, TV, and Film), and Diets and Delusions (Diet Fads and Health) to name a few.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 04:00 PM
November 18, 2005
DIY Challenge
Craftster is running a $10 Hardware Handiwork Challenge.
Basically you go to your local hardware store, spend ten bucks, make some sort of crafty coolness and post a pic on Craftster. Cool, eh? I think it sounds like a brilliant way to stretch those ole creative muscles. Past challenges have included 'Diorama/Shrine Extravaganza', 'New Life for Old Jeans', and '80's Band Homage'. There are some very clever gals (and guys!) over at Craftster.
I might just have to take a trip to Bunnings.
(oh, and if you get the most votes you might win a prize.)
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:34 AM
November 15, 2005
I have no life
I have just over 2 weeks to go in this semester and I am studying my ass off.
I just built the Dewey number a book about standards for central heating of buildings in Denmark.
Sounds riveting doesn't it?
(it's 697.030218489 just so you know)
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:35 PM
November 14, 2005
Sydney is in bloom at the moment. I'm taking lots of macro shots.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:08 PM
secret shame
This show is my newest guilty pleasure. So much so that I bought the DVD today....sad I know...I am truly a ghetto girl at heart.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 04:31 PM
sad but true
I, like everyone else, am pissed off about Fox pulling Arrested Development.
This just adds one more reason why Rupert Murdoch is a money grubbing asshat.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 08:19 AM
November 13, 2005
crumpler-a-go-go
'beer for bags' is back!
rock-n-roll
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 10:07 PM
less #1, always ask
whew, what a busy weekend.
I had to work today so I didn't get much done today.
But yesterday, ah yesterday...
I got to go see Bernard Fanning play.
For free.
See I won tickets recently to this 'private show' at Sydney Theatre. How cool am I? And I took my girlfriend Sam who is the BIGGEST Bernard fan you have ever met. Ever.
So the show started at 4:00pm (yeah, like a Nanna time to go to a show, huh?) 
We decided to grab some lunch before the show, I was havin' a hankerin' for some edamame, so it was off to Wagamama.
And a few beers....
Then when we got to the theatre we signed in and went up to the theatre foyer where there were (more) drink-e-poos, but these were free.
Well, I noticed that some of the people in the growing crowd were wearing lanyards that looked suspiciously like some sort of VIP pass or something.
Well...I'm not one to pass up on an opportunity...and I walked back down to the sign in chick and asked her what the deal is with the lanyards. And she replied, 'oh those are the competition winners'. I told her that I too was a competition winner, and asked if maybe I was meant to have one of those extra special lanyards.
Guess what?
She gave them to me!
As it turns out the people with the lanyards won their spots off of a cable TV station, and I don't even have cable I just registered on a simple web site...
We not only got to see Mr Fanning, we got to go up to the very very front 'mosh pit' area. (yes, I am using that term very loosely!) We got to see the sweat on his friggin' brow!
I have to tell ya, he was awesome. His band was awesome. It was all just, well, awesome.
Now I've seen Powderfinger play before and they rocked. But this was more peaceful, more intimate. And not just because it was in a tiny theatre, but the music was acoustic and more personal.
The band was tight and Bernard was ever so hot. Truly.
So tomorrow I'm going off to buy his CD.
Then we made our way up to Redoak for some post show beers to celebrate my amazing scamming abilities.
ooh, ooh, and I forgot, we saw the blond host dude from Aussie Idol in the audience. He was back with the riff raff, not up the front with us. But the weird thing about the dude from Idol, he is obscenely tan, you'd never know it to look at him on the tube, but he's well onto the road to George Hamilton land....yikes.
But apparently there will be photos of the show on the aforementioned cable station's web site very soon. Just incase you are interested.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:50 PM
November 11, 2005
yabbo
Shane Warne has signed a sponsorship deal with a phone texting company.
ug.
(for those going, 'huh?', Warne is a bad boy cricket player who has become well known for his off the pitch antics. He apparently liked to send sleazy text messages to women that he wanted to sleep with. His wife was not amused.)
Posted by gadgetgirl at 02:36 PM
November 10, 2005
dammit
I hate it when I want stuff from Urban Outfitters. (link from boingboing)
I might have to try to make one.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 09:17 PM
cake time
(now, my brother's birthday is on November 9, but seeing as Australia is a day ahead of the US I thought I should wait untill today to wish him happy-happy ON his birthday, did that make sense?)
Posted by gadgetgirl at 06:23 PM
November 09, 2005
hmmm
So as I was walking to class tonight I was taking a pic of a building (it didn't turn out) and some freaky woman came up to me, got RIGHT up in my face and shouted, 'gay people suck!'
uummm, OK, whatever.
I finished my photo and continued on to class.
Then I had a good think about this.
Well, yes, gay people DO suck, but so do straight people, infants and well...EVERYONE IN THE WORLD! We all suck something at some time. How else would we drink milkshakes? breast feed? do jello shots?
And isn't it funny that she used the term 'gay people' instead of one of the myriad of horrible homophobic names she could have spouted, she chose to shout, 'gay people'.
I just find it interesting.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 09:02 PM
November 07, 2005
DIY or DIE
Congrats to Jim, Amy and Cinnamon (and the volunteers!) for another stellar DIY Trunk Show.
Looks like it went great.
If you have a crafty business and live in Chicago, get yourself on the list for next year.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 09:33 PM
arrggg
I'm sorry.
Really.
But every time I hear this news report about some cruise ship getting attacked by pirates I have visions of eye patches, peg legs and parrots.
Sad, I know.
I'm stuck at the mental age of 12.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 09:15 PM
November 06, 2005
wrap up
Man, what a busy weekend.
We *finally* saw Serenity this weekend. And yes, it rocked. I really want to get the Firefly DVD. But the question is...do I know too much now? Will the series still be interesting now that I know how it ends? Anyone?
And then today we went to Sculpture By The Sea at Bondi Beach. It was really amazing. If you are in Sydney you shoule make the trek to Bondi to check it out. But go early because the crowds get nuts. I took some really fun pics. But I just had to share this one called 'Star Bangled Spanner'. It reads 'Made in England':
(here's the close up)
Then we walked over to look at the building in Lane Cove that almost fell into the Lane Cove Tunnel. Here ya go Helen:
(here's a different view)
And somewhere in there we went over to IKEA to get a new rug, the old one was a saturated with a tiny bit of cat vomit.
whew, what a busy few days.
I need monday to come around just for a rest.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:02 PM
need tea
note the time stamp.
I am up early
we are going to sculpture by the sea.
Have to go early to catch the 'nice light'
more later.
after caffeene.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 06:04 AM
November 04, 2005
NOOOO!!!!
They better not come to Australia
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 08:23 PM
a bit of good advice from Sydney Busses
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 06:51 PM
November 02, 2005
update...
The saga of the big hole
Now with pictures.
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 09:30 PM
WHOA
SO I got up this morning and on the news they showed this big ass hole in the ground next to an apartment building, I immediately thought 'oh look, more sink holes in California'.
BUT NO
This big ass hole is less than 1K (1/2 mile) from my front door!
See they are building a tunnel (the Lane Cove Tunnel) near where I live and it seems 'a water main burst' or a 'rock slippage' caused part of the tunnel to collapse at like 2am this morning.
YIKES!
Luckily we aren't close too where they are digging.
But I tell you, we can hear about 5 helicopters right now, hopefully we wont see a news article tonight about how two copters smashed into each other.
I can't help but think that between the kerfuffle about the Cross City Tunnel and today's events, god is trying to tell Sydney to just lay off the digging...
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 07:58 AM
November 01, 2005
three things
1. Over 100 people have looked at my shot of Kris' Halloween spread. Why not have a look for yourself?
2. MST3K baby blanket. Wow. It almost makes me want to have a baby. (from Crumpart)
3. Two words....Lego Guitar. rock on! (again from Crumpart)
-gg
Posted by gadgetgirl at 06:20 PM