A Byootaful Life

The Beauty of Nature

Katie — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:26:12 +0000

I love flowers – I think they are absolutely beautiful and whenever I see them on other blogs I get insanely jealous because the most I’ve ever managed to grow in my garden is weeds and a cactus, which is why I was surprised when I found this beauty peeking out from the overgrown grass:

When we were in Bali, we saw beautiful flowers everywhere – mostly frangipanis. Apparently there is a disease in Bali so their frangipanis don’t bloom, but in Lombok they didn’t have the disease, so all their flowers were gorgeous. I tried to take some close-ups to take home with us because I thought it might be nice to get them blown up and framed, to go on the wall. There’s something extra special about photographs if you took them yourself.

I love how the water is speckled on the petals and it pools in the bottom photo. We got some really heavy downpours while in Lombok – it started suddenly and absolutely poured down, then would stop without warning. Very cool, but also too unpredictable! A couple times we’d put off leaving the house only to be relieved when it started raining minutes later, which would have meant we would have been caught in the rain with no umbrella!

This is my favourite “ugly” flower. I think it’s not typically pretty because of all the short, stubby petals happening there, but they curl out softly, forming little points. The bees were active in these flowers – only taking a break when the rain started.

Orchids are beautiful flowers and also a little strange-looking to me. I loved these white ones, with their hints of purple and yellow – so pretty. It makes me wish I had a green thumb, so my garden could always have beautiful flowers, but in this Australian heat, I think you’ve got to really know what you’re doing or your plants don’t survive.

Yes, there will be Puddy posts coming up – she’s been a bit neglected on here for a while!

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Back on Aussie Soil

Katie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:47:19 +0000

Phill and I returned home yesterday morning (Australia Day, how appropriate) at 4am. We were originally due to land at 11pm Monday night, but our plane was delayed two hours due to late arrival, which meant we landed at about 1:15am. Getting through customs in Australia was a huge process, taking about an hour (don’t get me started on their system which involves everyone declaring things to line up in one huge queue to get their bags searched by customs officers) and then we had about another hour and a half driving home. We were so tired we simply stumbed into bed … and I awoke at 7:30am with Puddy wrapped around my leg.

So where were we?

Bali!

I’d never been to Bali before but Phill has been many times growing up, so he loved seeing things that brought back memories. We did lots of shopping and bartering and of course, visited some of the local pubs to watch the cricket with a nice cold Bintang. We rode elephants (they are surprisingly uncomfortable!) and went on a Bali Hai cruise (I couldn’t stop humming the song the whole time) and did a lot of relaxing and swimming.

We are still pretty tired and today begins the process of a million loads of laundry, mowing the overgrown lawn, catching up on bills and credit card payments, cleaning the house and, of course, entertaining Puddy who is now outside and hasn’t seemed to have missed us at all! She followed us around last night because we’d come home in the early hours of the morning, then left again for an Australia Day BBQ at the beach with our friends, so perhaps she was worried we would disappear again if she let us out of her sight!

Anyway, I have a lot of housework to do before heading into work, but I thought I’d jump on and say hi.

Where in the World is Kate?

Katie — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:49:18 +0000

I’ll give you some hints:

1. It involved a plane trip, but didn’t take as long as our trip to England.
2. I’ve seen monkeys and puffer fish, and tomorrow I’m going to see (and have a ride on) elephants.
3. I’ve been trying my hand at bartering… but I’m not very good!
4. Everything is so cheap, not like when we went to Japan in January 2009, so I am trying to buy lots of things!
5. The salesmen are very eager and sometimes get annoying, but it’s definitely an experience!

Any guesses?

Puddy is being housesat at our home by my brother, since I think she would prefer to be in familiar surroundings. I’m missing her heaps, especially missing her curling up with us at night, but it won’t be too long before we are back again.

So that is why it’s pretty quiet around here! I thought I would just pop on while I had Internet access and say G’day..

Not Quite On, Not Quite Off

Katie — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:36:35 +0000

Cats are strange creatures. They like to sleep in strange positions that look really uncomfortable to us. One of Puddy’s favourite places to sleep is on our (messy, unmade) bed, with her backside hanging off. Evidence:

Notice where the matress ends? I can’t believe that would be comfortable, but she’s a cat, so it must be. She was so comfortable in fact, that she didn’t even stir when I took the photo, except for glaring at me a little. I’m pretty sure her backside is actually resting against the metal end of the bed, which would also add to the whole uncomfortable thing, right?

Has your cat (or dog or child!) have a funny sleeping place or pose?

There’s a Dead Crow on my Front Lawn

Katie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:07:54 +0000

True story.

I was pulling into the driveway a couple days ago when I saw a dead crow lying on the front lawn. It was buzzing with flies and looked disgusting. Huh. A dead crow. I didn’t really care – the crows drive me nuts in the mornings with their incessant cawing, so one less was a good thing. I briefly wondered if Puddy might have killed it, then rolled my eyes at my stupid optimism – my cat can’t catch anything bigger than a cockroach or a lizard. The birds have started sitting on the wall, screeching at Puddy while she crouches hopelessly in the grass, barking up at them. It’s tragic.

I went inside and informed Phill of the body on the lawn and asked him if Puddy was outside. He said no, but she had been out earlier. I said maybe Puddy had killed it and he just gave me a look as if I was stupid.

The crow stayed there for a day. I wasn’t touching it. I figured I’d force Phill to put it in the wheelie bin on the morning of bin day, so it would be taken away quickly. I assume dead crow in a hot wheelie bin would equal a very bad smell. I felt a bit awkward knowing everyone could see our dead crow because it’s not the most pleasant sight (bad omen anyone?) but there was no way on earth I would be touching it.

The night before the bin man was due to come, I wheeled the bins out to the curb, stepping carefully to avoid the carcass. It was so dark I couldn’t even see the crow. No, wait … it was gone.

Someone stole my dead crow.

There was absolutely no sign of it anywhere. It hadn’t been kicked into the bush or dragged away by Puddy since I hadn’t let her outside for fear that she’d start eating it or something and heaven knows what sort of disease it’s carrying. The only evidence at the scene was a small, leafy branch that had been pulled off the bush.

I have two theories:

1. The crows ate it. Crows are gross birds and I assume they wouldn’t think twice about munching down on one of their own.

2. A human ate took it. Maybe the kids down the road wanted to play with it, or someone was so sick of looking at it they took it away? Maybe they used the branch to push the body into a box?

I’m not fussed. In fact, I’m thrilled (and so was Phill). It meant we didn’t have to deal with it. It was a big crow and I was really not looking forward to having to dispose of the body. I never found out how it died and I never found out where it went, but all I know is it’s gone and the cat is allowed outside again.

New Year’s Resolutions

Katie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:37:20 +0000

I don’t generally make New Year’s Resolutions. I never made them growing up so I guess I just didn’t get into the habit, but this year I found myself thinking about possible resolutions – things I wanted to do or change about myself that would benefit from having a definite start-date. I came up with a handful of things but quickly realised they all had a common theme that could be narrowed down to one resolution: to take care of myself.

I don’t take a lot of time for myself – I don’t buy new clothes, instead choosing to wear the same clothes until they become too worn out or too small and only then buying a couple replacement items as cheaply as possible. I don’t look after my hair or my fingernails the way I should because I can’t justify spending the money on myself. I don’t eat as well as I should and I certainly don’t exercise as well as I should. I don’t take some time out to read a book, or have a bubble bath, or listen to music – I’m constantly doing things; things that don’t allow me to relax, take a deep breath and tune out.

So this year, I am focusing on me. I am going to grow my fingernails and keep them long. I normally get little fingernails then for some reason, chew them off, then eventually – months later – grow them again – and I’m sick of it! I’m 24 years old. I should be able to grow my fingernails and keep them long – it’s hardly rocket science. I’m sick of not being able to wear nail polish and having to hide my fingernails when pointing out things or holding a drink.

I am going to buy new clothes as I need them. I’m going to exercise every day by going for a jog or walk and I am going to concentrate on eating smaller potions of healthier food. I’m going to take care of my hair and have it regularly trimmed. I am going to brush it every morning and not just throw it back in a messy bun like I normally do.

Once a week I am going to have “me-time” where I read a book or listen to music or take a bath, using the time to relax and de-stress. No television, no laptop, no iPhone. Just me, myself and I.

I’m not scared of my resolution to take care of myself – in fact, I’m excited about it. I feel a bit like I’m being selfish – but then I remember that most women do these things already on a daily basis! Positivity, love, care and optimism – things that aren’t very familiar to me – will flow. That’s the plan anyway. In addition to looking after myself physically, I will be looking after myself financially. I’ll be saving more seriously this year and ensuring my credit card is kept paid off.

What about your resolutions? Did you set any this year?

2009 Recap

Katie — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:29:47 +0000

Alyndabear recently completed a recap of 2009 on her blog and I thought I’d give it a go.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Didn’t study! 2009 was the first year that I wasn’t at school or university and it was great! What else? I visited some countries I’d never been to before, including a sailing tour.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I didn’t really set any hard and fast resolutions last time but I am definitely making some for 2010, resolutions I am determined to achieve!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes, it was a babyful year in 2009. My cousin’s son was born and two friends had baby girls. Oh, and Lulu of Cherry Blossom Adventures gave birth to her son Noah on December 19th.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, but a friend lost her mother.

5. What countries did you visit? We caught the travel bug this year! In February we visited Japan (loved it, hoping to return soon!) and then midyear we went on a EuroTrip, visiting England, Croatia, Italy, France, Prague, Monaco and Vatican City.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? I’ll have to agree with Alynda and say willpower. There are some goals I would like to achieve and it’s basically down to willpower and the personal strength to get through it. I lack this and need to work at it.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The dates of our holidays – they were so amazing! I can’t believe we managed to get to so many countries in so little time.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I can’t pinpoint an exact achievement (in past years I would have probably said something about university) but this year I have grown so much as a person – I’ve started my first savings account and started thinking more seriously about my career and personal life. I’ve also started to socialise a lot more, which has really made an impact in my life.

9. What was your biggest failure? I would have to say that I was hoping I would be working in a more permanent, full-time career. The career I wanted at the end of 2008 turned out to be something I didn’t want and that left me a little confused and anxious about what I was going to do. While it is stressful to not have what I would like to call my career yet, it has been an opportunity for me to stop, take a step back and reassess what sort of career I want.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Ha, yes. I came home from Japan with two broken ribs, I came home from our EuroTrip with broken toes and just recently I suffered from a three-week nasty cold like nothing I’d experienced before. I’m often in the wars.

11. What was the best thing you bought? There’s no one thing that stands out, but I do love my rice cooker! It’s fantastic – you just put the rice in, turn it on and leave it to do its thing – and you get perfect rice every time! I’ve bought a few gorgeous dresses thanks to attending weddings this year and for someone who doesn’t generally buy expensive clothes, it was quite an experience.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? This is a bit of a strange question. There’s a lot of people in my life who experienced tough moments this year and they all pulled through with strength and determination.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Every year there are some people who remind you that not all humankind have morals, decency and respect for human life, and that is depressing. But if you surround yourself with friends and family, you’ll quickly see the other side of the coin.

14. Where did most of your money go? Holidays, groceries and savings.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Holidays and weddings. We attended so many weddings this year … and there’s more to come next year. Welcoming our friend’s baby K into the world was also so exciting – she is absolutely adorable!

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? Oh God, the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow”. We heard that everywhere – literally we’d be in a club in Prague and we’d hear it, then we’d go to another and it would be on again. Would everyone STOP PLAYING IT dammit! Haha.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a) Happier or Sadder? Happier, much happier.
(b) Thinner or Fatter? Ha, a little fatter I think!
(c) Richer or Poorer? The same, but I have more savings than last year. I didn’t know what a savings account was until Phill told me about his that he’d had for years and I regret not starting one while I was at boarding school and receiving an allowance!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Relaxing! I am such a stressful person and I just don’t take the time to relax and smell the roses. My OCD has been spiraling out of control and I can’t help but think that if I forced myself to relax more and stress less, I wouldn’t be so crazy.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Stress.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? Christmas Day was with Phill’s family for the first time ever, and Boxing Day was with my family, so we pretty much had two Christmas Days, which was fabulous.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? More and more every day.

22. How many one-night stands? I’ve never had a one-night stand in my life.

23. What was your favorite TV program? This year I fell in love with Bones.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t hate anyone, but there are some people I dislike.

25. What was the best book you read? I didn’t do much reading this year, but I did get through the Twilight series which were all very good (aside from the first book which I wasn’t too keen on) and I’m currently reading The Host and The Lost Symbol. I’m looking forward to stealing Mum’s Christmas present – Pride, Predjudice and Zombies.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Love Kate Miller-Heidke and grew familiar with Weezer and Birds of Tokyo through Phill.

27. What did you want and get? Family together for Christmas.

28. What did you want and not get? A really expensive top-of-the-line digital camera. I’m saving up.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? The latest Harry Potter was okay and I didn’t mind The Proposal and The Hangover. I find myself often disappointed in films – they just don’t seem to live up to expectations these days.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? My birthday was a quiet one – Phill and I went out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant and watched a movie at home. I turned 24.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Probably more stability in the job/career front.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? I’m not fashionable – I wear what is comfortable and affordable. Jeans (usually 3/4), T-shirt and thongs (flip-flops).

33. What kept you sane? Phill and Puddy.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Fancy? As in have the hots for?

35. What political issue stirred you the most? The count-down to the new American President. It was all over the news here and by the end of it I was so over hearing about it. There was probabably more coverage of that than our own elections.

36. Who did you miss? I’ll always miss family.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Through socialising more, I’ve grown to know some people much better and I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to do so, since I’d figured most of them would have given up on trying to get me to go out!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Things happen for a reason and stressing about it won’t get you anywhere except more stressed. It’s easier said than done, but I’m trying.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. I’m not sure off the top of my head.

40. What are your resolutions for 2010? I’m forming some as we speak (type?). I’ll probably blog about it later, but there’s the usual lose weight, keep my nails long (still struggling with nail biting), stop stressing so much and concentrate on finally getting my career on track.

The Obligitory Christmas Post

Katie — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 07:09:26 +0000

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you all had a fabulous day with your family and friends.

Yesterday was quite busy, juggling three families, but today has been a lot more relaxed. I made a roast chicken lunch with roast potato, carrot and pumpkin – absolutely delicious! I even served brussel sprouts, which weren’t as bad as I remember them being when I was a child – maybe I’ve matured a little and so have my taste buds?

Anyway, we’re now relaxed in front of the television letting lunch settle and I thought it might be a good opportunity to jump online (I haven’t even opened my laptop for the past couple days!) and wish you all a Merry Christmas.

How was your day yesterday? And more importantly – did you have turkey?

Why It’s Important to Put a Sheet on the Spare Bed…or Lock the Door

Katie — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:48:24 +0000

Officially 24 Years Old

Katie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:53:21 +0000

Yesterday I turned 24 and I’m thrilled because 24 is my favourite number.

I had a nice day yesterday – woke up early and then woke Phill up with squeals of “IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!!”. I opened presents while still in bed, then Phill headed off to work and I lazed about for a while. I went to work at 12pm and at 1:15pm I was sent home sick (I’ve been fighting the tail-end of a nasty cold for the last week and a half, and my sudden cough explosions aren’t exactly customer-friendly) so I came home to the air conditioning and did some more lazing about. Phill got home at 5pm and we went out to dinner at a Japanese restaraunt, then came home and watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which was quite funny (gotta love Anna Faris, even in cartoon-form).

It was a nice, relaxing day – quite a contrast to today!

This morning I went to the shops to tackle a small grocery shop, then to get the remaining presents I need to buy for Christmas, figuring it would be quieter today than on the weekend. Ha! Not so! The crowds were crazy! I think many sales started today, so everyone was eager to get reduced presents. At least the shops had almost every register open, which was something I’ve never seen before, so the queues moved quickly. I picked up a few more presents and then headed home … at about 2pm. I literally spent about 5 hours at the shopping centre today!

Which is why I have collapsed onto the couch now and am about to turn on a comedy movie to give me a bit of stress-relief. I think I am just about done with Christmas presents and today I actually allowed myself to buy something for myself – a pair of silver ball stud earrings, for a whopping $7. It felt strange to buy something that wasn’t going to be given as a gif.! I absolutely love giving presents and it’s sometimes hard to stop buying for people.

So… it’s Christmas Day in one week and I think I am ready!