#282: Furniture Tetris
I really, really like rearranging furniture. In preparation for the Epic Internaitonal Feast (tomorrow’s blog), and after days of thoughtful planning, I rearranged our entire upstairs specifically for the party. It was wonderful. After the party I made some minor changes, and our “normal” room now looks like this:
During the party, the goal was to provide comfortable and sociable seating for all, and to prevent bottlenecks near the food. This is what it looked like:
Mmm. . . slightly different seating. . .
There’s very little that’s free, easy, and as empowering as being able to rearrange your own living space. Highly recommended for playing along at home.
I can’t wait to show you the hero picture of the epic international feast. The set-up for that one picture took several minions several weeks.
*not a euphemism.
#281: Mawson Gallery
Mawson Gallery is a tiny studio and gallery built into a suburban home on an ordinary street. I’ve passed it hundreds of times on my way to and from the home of a particular student, so when they cancelled their lesson* I squashed the urge to just go home, and I went there instead.
I was greeted at the door by two small and hysterically excited dogs. Two artists** were in the studio, and they answered my questions without intruding.
It took me about five seconds to ask, “May I touch things?”
I’d come across this:
I was assured that not only could I touch it, I could rearrange it. It was a movable sculpture designed to be interacted with.
From that point on, I was hooked. I love art that can be touched.
The above is a clay postcard with handmade buttons by Linda Davey, which costs $55. Seriously adorable.
The below is West George Street (Glasgow), made from stoneware and zinc. I deliberately photographed the glare, because the background is completely smooth and the foreground is smooth *swoon* It’s $400.
Many of the items in the gallery are “kitchen art” that is beautiful and handmade while also being useful. Most of those were made by one of the women I met.
And some traditional pictures too:
This was raku fired, and costs $140:
Given how much I hate ornaments in my home, it’s odd that I so passionately love sculpture. But I do. There were three stunning bronze pieces about 30cm high. This one is called “The Rehearsal” and it’s $2,200.
But this is the one that couldn’t help but draw the eye. It’s “Lily” by Berendina de Ruiter, and it’s $2,150. That’s the studio area behind her.
The marble itself is smoother and cooler than glass. Marble is the coolest substance ever, and that is all I have to say about that.
*and still paid me, thanks very much – only fair, since I’d driven all the way over and knocked on their door only to discover the student was sick.
**human artists, in case you’re wondering.
S#12: Healing Stones
My mission today was to go to “one of those hippy shops” and buy “something weird.” I bought a pack of “Mystic East” Frangipani incense sticks that apparently “improves the concentration of the mind for meditation and prayer”.
I decided, by way of experiment, to see if burning fangipani incense helped me remember more details from the history book I’m currently reading. Unfortunately, although I can’t say it didn’t improve my concentration, it did give me a headache so quickly that I didn’t have time to crack open the book. Result: Inconclusive, but definitely non-helpful.
I moved the burning sticks on their improvised stand into the laundry – home of cat food, CJ’s bike, and cat litter – to see if it could dissipate the peculiar smell that has lingered in that room since the octopus incident.
I can’t tell for certain if the smell is gone or not, but when I went inside to test the air (and check I hadn’t just burned down our rental home), I got a surprise: Ana was hanging out happily on the floor. Neither cat has EVER just lolled about in the laundry before – it’s their toilet, after all.
So it seems I’m mildly allergic to incense, but my cat really likes it.
Weird.
There are very few items left on the steffmetal.com list of awesomeness. Here’s what I’ve promised to do before the end of next month:
#79: Karaoke (and yep, I’m gonna sing – even if it kills me and every other person in the room – and video it)
#86: Starry Night (at an observatory)
#94: Pay off debt (it’s gonna be a tight squeeze, but I hope we can pay back my parents in the next four weeks).
#89: Dinner and a movie (all by myself – that’s the condition)
#32: Break from technology (four days down, three to go)
#8: Ich bin ein stern (glow in the dark stars)
#28: To the theatre (we plan to see the one-man Lord of the Rings! Awesome!)
and the most expensive exciting. . .
#76: Up in the air (hot air balloon ride!)
On THIS sunday, I’ll be writing about the epic international feast.
#280: Make yum cha
There are about a million different yum cha dishes. The easiest to make (while still looking awesome) is dumplings.
Here’s the recipe I utterly mangled:
500g minced chicken (or half chicken half pork)
6 canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped (get sliced ones)
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp each Asian sesame oil, rice wine, and soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour
30 wonton wrappers (which are in the ham and cheese aisle at Woolies)
500mL peanut oil
1. Mix together everything but the wonton wrappers and oil.
2. Lay out the wonton wrappers on a clean bench, covering those you’re not using with a clean wet teatowel.
3. Put a teaspoon or so of mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper, then wet the outside edge and push it together at the top.
4. Steam some (in a steamer lined with greaseproof paper) for twelve minutes. Fry others in oil for about two minutes each (you can tell the oil is at the right temperature when a cube of bread dropped into it immediately sizzled and turns golden). NB: Do not leave boiling oil unattended. It spontanously combusts. NB#2 If your oil suddenly bursts into flame, move it off the heat and put the lid on. You are now a real cook.
5. Eat with soy sauce.
Coming soon: The epic international feast, featuring yum cha dumplings, sushi, and so much more. Getting the mashed potato a day early was the catalyst for something deeply strange but ultimately beautiful (and, my peeps, photogenic).
#279: Cat reunion
I was cunning and did a big clean just before we left for holidays – including the toxic epicness that is my annual oven clean (the plants are downstairs because I set off a Mortein bomb at the same time).
Indah (aka Grumblebum) expressed her displeasure at our abandonment by meowing a great deal for the first day (we also discovered a present she’d left for us in a hidden corner of the living room).
Ana (aka Fuzzybutt) was pleased to see us, but has been misbehaving more than usual.
Still, we’ve been home over a week now and everything is back to usual.
Ana stayed with my parents (so Indah didn’t leave us an even more exciting present of her entrails), and we waited a day before bringing her back. She travels best in a pillowslip – so this video begins the instant I placed her pillowcase on the floor.
#272: Small town lolly shop
*not to be confused with lolly shop which is completely distinct from this entry, since I haven’t repeated myself once*
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm……..looooooolllllliiiieeeesss.
See those jelly beans? One of the flavours was pomegranite. POMEGRANITE! The others were sour lemon, wild cherry, pear, cranberry and apple, watermelon, grape, hawaiian pineapple, lemon and lime, tangerine, banana split, granny smith apple, tropical punch, mango, passion fruit, strawberry, peachy pie, raspberry jam, strawberry smoothie, south seas kiwi, pink grapefruit, and blueberry pie.
Always good to find another Jelly belly imitation.
Hey, fun and educational fact: The word “lolly” originated in Victoria, Australia. It first appeared in print in the 1860s.
Yay us.
#112: Horseriding!
Dogs worship humans. Cats despise us. Horses will meet your eye as you approach, and make up their minds what they think of you (the results of which will be clear as you ride them).
This was my birthday present from CJ, and it was exactly as excellent as I remembered from distant childhood memories (I had friends with horses for a while). Also, it definitely counts as research for my steampunk book.
This was my horse – Max.
As you can see, we hit upon a simply stunning location – and the staff instantly became some of my favourite people. The main lady, Janice, is smart and sarcastic and I can’t imagine her anyplace not surrounded by ducks, cats, dogs and horses (it would be too much of a shame for the animals). Our riding companion was a real country boy (which to me is fantastically exotic). Both CJ and I know we are city folk through and through, and it was great to talk to someone who would be as sickened and uncomfortable in our lives as we would be in his. It was absolutely clear that the quality of our experience was a direct result of the competence and horse knowledge of the staff. These people are passionate about what they do (and so laid back we spent about three times as much time there as we expected – loving every minute).
This is not something I’ve been paid to endorse – it’s something too brilliant to keep to myself. (These guys are emphatically a different company to the Pender Lea operating at Thredbo.) It was about a half hour drive from Merimbula. Here are all their details:
Pender Lea Trail Rides
Kia-Ora Mia
Tantawanglo Lane, Candelo NSW 2550 (6km north of Candelo)
Phone: 02 6493 2862
Mobile: 0427 048 636
Web: www.penderleahorserides.com.au [which is having issues at the moment]
[Editorial note made in 2013: There is significant controversy about this company, including dozens of allegations of animal abuse as well as assaults on people – see comments for details.
Editorial note 2014: The owner has now been convicted of a long list of crimes against animals – see comments for details.]
Horses to suit all standards of riders. Some of the rides available:
- Twilight ride between 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
- Day rides available by booking only.
- Pony Rides for the little people in the family.
- Catering for families, small exclusive groups or large corporate groups.
Horses are visually stunning; a mix of calm and powerful, with daunting size (and bearing; cows are a similar size but no-one describes cows as “noble”) and very visible muscles beneath short fur. They tend to shuffle or stamp a foot periodically and/or swish their tail or shake their head. They snuffle, snort (especially in frustration), whinny (especially in greeting), and neigh. They are hotter than humans to touch, and soft like velvet.
The sensation of having them eat from one’s hand is quite dry and breathy. Their lips are giant and firm (unlike human lips, which are soft and mould to other objects). And they look mighty fine in water.
Walking on a horse is quite leisurely and comfortable, although the four-legged gait is just a little odd. If you fall asleep, you will fall off. Otherwise (unless your saddle is too loose) it is quite difficult to fall off. The reins are no good for balance – just steering. You grip with your knees – using unfamiliar muscles that made us both sore.
Riding a trotting horse is more difficult than any other step – it’s extremely bumpy. You need to get into the syncopated rhythm, and use the stirrups to go up and down with the horse.
A canter (or slow gallop) is exhilarating as well as being quite smooth. If you start to slide off (most likely due to attempting to turn the horse, or if the horse turns itself or leaps an obstacle), you probably won’t be able to correct yourself unless you’re moderately competent (my foot fell out of one stirrup, and that was fine). It feels wonderfully smooth (if you sit back in the saddle and flow with the steps) and fast – like flying, but with the exciting immediacy of being close to the ground.
Getting on a horse is a little like climbing into a tall vehicle while knowing it may or may not move, but a confident (and reasonably tall) person can get on first go using a stirrup. Falling off a horse generally involves a slide to one side or another, a brief trip downwards as the horse exits stage left – then a bruising hit on the shoulder, hip, or side (unless there are complications). Neither of us fell off (CJ had never ridden a horse before).
The strong smell of horse is about 10% Human Male Who Needs A Shower; 50% Leather; and 40% wet dog. It sticks to everything – clothing, humans, saddles, blankets – for days or years afterwards (depending how well they can be washed). So long as you’re outdoors, it smells wonderful (in much the way that freshly-cut grass smells good).
If you haven’t ridden a horse, you REALLY should. We rode for an hour and a half, and it cost $45 each.
Here’s a video that makes our canter look a lot slower than it really is:
Some awesomenesses that are fast approaching:
Karaoke (oh f–foccacia)
Hot air balloon
Meander at a beach
Yeah, yeah. I know. I should have called this one “Beach” and this one “Take heroic coastal pictures”. Whatever.
Look! I’m walking on water!
#277: Go for a walk
It says plenty about me that the year of Daily Awesomeness is in its final stretch, and yet this is the first time walking anywhere has featured.
Flushed with holiday spirit, I followed CJ from the Main Street of Merimbula up the Northern Headland on spider-festooned trails to Bar Beach and back again.
I like pretty things, and thus it was worth it*.
*Whether for CJ’s prettiness or the scenery is anyone’s guess.
#110: Ride a wave
The South coast of New South Wales is much, much cheaper than the rest of the coast – mostly, I think, because the water is always cold (due to being, ya know, South-ish).
I rather hesitantly donned my antiquated swimming trunks and went to the beach with CJ. CJ happily plunged into the water at once. I walked in very cautiously, gasping at the chilly water every time it invaded another square centimetre of skin.
Over the course of about half an hour, I ventured forward until the water was somewhere between my waist and chest. At about that point, two things happened:
I started getting bored.
The wind picked up.
It all seemed like a very bad idea.
But then I spotted one of the rare waves had the even rarer quality of being in just the right spot. I jumped, paddled frantically, and it caught me.
Catching a wave is like being a very small child spun around by a very big adult. When you ARE an adult, and the one pushing you around is the ocean, it’s a wonderful, fast, weightless experience.
More plz 🙂
In real-time news, I have just learned the magical skill of links. Lots and lots of links! You can expect plenty more, my peeps!
A dignified nod of the head to Sommer, who gave me the shortest, most specific, easiest-to-follow instructions at Nathan‘s writing forums.
Felicity Banks 