Now I'm back in the swing of things...

So I shall post again, superfluously. Not, obviously, that these posts aren't always superfluous, but there you go.

Apparently the government has today sent an application to Paris to ask if the Opera House can have world heritage listing. This seems somehow amusing to me, that it's Paris we have to ask. All their buildings are old and pretty and we must sound like the nerdy kid running along going "me too! Me too!". Heh. But I hope we do get it listed, that'd be nice. I mean, that building was in a Jmaes Bond movie once, one of those great early ones, where the bad guy was like "here's a slide show of major cities with recognisable landmarks which I am seriously considering razing to the ground, killing the inhabitants of and sewing the land with salt. So please forward an obscene amount of money to this, my home address, where I plan to be peaceably at home asleep tomorrow, and by the way, the sentries change at 7 o'clock. Please don't send James Bond then, or we'd be conveniently defenceless." and so on. (hmmm.... I appear to have gotten a little carried away there, sorry).

Where was I actually going with this post? I strongly suspect that the answer is a resounding "nowhere", but let us not be discouraged, dear readers.

Oh, while I'm at it, I would like to clarify that the Lucy/Tumnus fics that I was hunting for would definitely have been Grownup!Lucy/NotAnyOlder!Tumnus. It's just that he's so cute/english/scarf-wearing/shirtless. And he has adorable little hoofsie-woofsies, to paraphrase Good Omens. Plus he totally looked like he had a crush on her. (Ahem)

Anyway, yesterday I went and saw King Kong, which was a very Peter Jackson film. Long and a little unrelenting, but basically pretty good. I wasn't a huge fan of the people-being-eaten-by-enormous-insects/leeches/worms-with-teeth/spiders bit, but then, this is mainly because I'm not a huge fan of enormous-insects/leeches/worms-with-teeth/spiders in any capacity, even just as office workers or something. Am speciesist, it seems. *is ashamed*

The other day at work we had an odd discussion, one of the ladies had had a prank played on her by her friends, who had put her profile on a gay dating site, and she had a reply from this really shy, nice-sounding girl, ehich she thought was hilarious, I thought was cruel and the other lady thought was gross. Y'see I'm all for taking that sort of thing as a compliment, but she maintained that it could only ever be seen as grotesque and awful to have "one of them" (she may actually have even said "those") find you attractive. I'm interested to know what you guys think. If someone of the same gender as you expresses romantic interest in you, are you (a) complimented and therefore accept/politely decline, explaining that, lovely as they are, you are not that way inclined, or (b) freak out and run screaming to the hills, stopping only to scrub any areas of your skin where they may have touched you and so on?

Half a trivia star to each answerer of this question who has an argument to back it up. I warn you that "b, because it's gross" or anything similarly cretinous will receive negative stars, but genuinely backed up answers either way will be rewarded.

For those of you who are my school friends, I have to warn you that the dates for Maroubra weekend are currently in stasis until SillyOleTim can figure out whether the dates we currently have will clash with his 21st. Since I picked that weekend at random and his 21st has to work around his Dad leaving the country for 5 months, I'm afraid his will have precedence, just like Kathryn's did over my skiing trip.

Also, the IB would like to officially extend its congratulations to Alex and Alan, who recently got engaged, and go "ooh" about engagement rings. (some people get clucky around babies, I get clucky around jewellery. Mmmm... shiny)

Anyway, get on with your lives, people, and have a pleasant evening.

Recipes for Katrina afar

Spiced couscousBring 500ml chicken stock to the boil. Cover and remove from heat.Heat 2tbsp olive oil and 75g of butter in a small saucepan. Add 1 small onion, finely chopped, and cook unitl softened. Add 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped and cook for another 30sec. Add 1tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander(optional) and turmeric, 1/2tsp of paprika. Cook stirring for 1min or until spices are fragrant. Add the hot stock. Place 2cups of couscous in a heatproof bowl, pour over stock and allow to stand for 5min covered. Use a fork to fluff up couscous. Stir in 1/2cup sultanas, 1/2cup toasted pine nuts and 1/3cup coarsely chopped coriander (or mint). Can add a tbsp or 2 of lemon juice if wanted. Then serve.

Lamb:

1 tablespoon chilli oil
half tablespoon cinnamon
rack of lamb.

Combine oilandcinnaom to form a paste, then rub it all over the outside of the lamb. Roast for half an hour at 180 degrees.

A long overdue post.

So overdue, in fact, that I'm going to have to resort to dot-point to explain all the zany adventures that have been had since the last post. Once again, for your skim-reading convenience, important points (and "important" points) will be underlined.

Let's see, when I last posted, I was amid a quest for a 1920s costume and a red top. You will doubtless be overjoyed, dear reader, to hear that both of these quests were, in the long run brilliantly successful. I managed to make a blue, fringed 20s dress and feathered, sequined, beaded headband, and also managed to get hold of a couple of garments in red. And, due to being quite outragously nifty and also perhaps some kind of domestic goddess or similar, managed to make a handkerchief hem red skirt with gold edges.

So yes, we went to Spencer's Roaring 20s 21st Party, which was pretty good, except for the fact that Sleazy Dave, one of Tim's friends or friends-in-law, if you will, was there, and kept trying to make Catie and I kiss so he couls take a photo of us. Wierd.

What else? Well, I went to Vanuatu, which was pretty nifty. We stayed in one of those resorts with some suites half on stilts over the water, and stayed in those very suites. We saw lots of starfish and et an awful lot of pineapple. Also we went to another island, called Tanna, and in one day went snorkelling on a reef, saw a cargo cult festival, and went to a volcano. Also, I Tragically lost my camera. With all my photos from the trip, and $50, and my dogtags, and a pair of earrings.

On the upside, however, Christmas was just after this, and I got heaps of brilliant presents, including a new camera and a 2 gigabyte (!) memory card, and a lot of books, and some ultra cool jewellery, notably the necklace in my profile pic after which I've been lusting for some time. (Checkit! Awesome, no?)

Then, unsurprisingly, there was New Years, which was also great, and which included waiting on Bondi Beach for the sun to come up so we could go home, and feuerwerks and all those nifty things.

What else? Well, my sister Alex and I went on zany adventures and saw the powerhouse museum and et at a susi train and bought 4 pairs of shoes in one day.

I heroically rescued a 6 year old from drowning in our pool by dint of jumping in fulling clothed. Which was pretty cool, I mean who hasn't always wanted to do that? Other lifelong ambitions achieved include the purchase of ultra-cool knee-high lace-up boots. Which are, wierdly enough, the second most comfortable pair of shoes I own, despite the heels, and which I have every intention of wearing all winter to keep warm.

My sister Katrina has gone to Albury/Wodonga for a while (weeks? months? who knows?) in order to make a small fortune by being a salesperson extraordinaire at the Betta Electricals there, which are apparently pretty nifty themselves, keep winning Victorian business of the year or something. (not, you understand, that there are whalebone corsets and uptight thinking and anti-sodomy laws, but that they're in the state of Victoria. Although, since it is Victoria, on reflection there may well be anti-sodomy laws, uptight thinking, and even whalebone corsets, but probably not concurrently, I suppose) So we are Katrina-less at present, but she will doubtless return and distribute largess at some point due to having an incredibly well-paying full time job at present. So if you're reading this, Katie, I would like a present. Actually, whoever reads this, that goes for you too. Here at the IB, presents are always accepted.

Nothing else of note has occured, other than the fact that I saw Narnia the other day, and there were some strange Lucy/Tumnus vibes, I rather thought. Tragically, however, there is a total dearth of good/completed fics for this on the internet. But this problem will doubtless resolve in a month or so.

Anyway, here it is, a poor quality post to get me back in the habit of posting. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

Oh, and Trivia Question: Which Austen book features a main character named after the author?