The Fine Line between Pleasure and Pain

For some time now (in fact, ever since moving to Brunswick), I have been eyeing off the Chinese massage place in Barkly Square (my local shopping centre). I've noticed in the past few months that my back and neck have been a tad tight, and so have thought that a massage might help.

Anyway, to celebrate a year of being open, the Chinese massage place currently has a special deal of either a neck or shoulder massage for only $5... so yesterday, as I was doing some shopping (displacement task from doing study) I noticed that the massage place didn't seem to be busy, so I fronted up and asked for a shoulder massage.

Well... I have to say that I was glad it only went for about 5 minutes, as I think I well and truly passed my pain threshold, and probably couldn't have endured much more at the time. However, as the woman dug her fingers, thumbs, elbow and flat part of her forearm into various parts of my shoulder and upper back muscles, I could feel the knots starting to unravel...

So now, even though my shoulders still feel quite sore to the touch, there is also an exhilarating feeling of looseness (yes, I know, I'll say it, "I am a loose woman, har har" - because I know you're thinking it :-) and all afternoon and evening yesterday, I could feel my spine popping and crackling, as the tension in the muscles had been relieved, and my spine could readjust itself.

I'm thinking that I might return, for a full back massage, after all of my exams and assignments are done, as a "treat" to help me relax after finishing (followed, of course, by a hot bubble bath, complete with wine and a good book, to complete the whole relaxation experience)

I wonder if I could convince the Synod's Ministerial Entitlements committee to include mandatory regular massages in the standard terms of placement for ministers? (although I suspect I have about as much hope of this wish coming true as my fellow-candidate, Martin, has of getting his own wish for the Uniting Church to have Bishops... oh well, we can dream :-)

Coping with the Pointy End of the Semester

All I can say is:

Thank God for Dilbert!

I think these cartoons empitomise how I am feeling right now (and also my current degree of dependence on caffeine :-)

They say blondes have more fun

Well, we'll see about that!

In a fit of boredom and frustration with my current unruly hair style (desperately in need of a cut, and looking a tad mousey) I took desperate measures and bought some blonding cream and did the deed.

So now, my hair is a number of shades lighter (although, as someone pointed out at church today, it's not exactly blonde.) I don't actually GO blonde... just a light, caramelly orangey kind of hue.

But still different enough to make me do a double-take every time I pass a mirror and catch my reflection.

What European city do I belong in?

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Eureka!

Today I found something that I thought I had lost... my larger capacity USB drive!

The heat of today's weather meant that my upstairs study in my flat has been like a sweat box (and the wind has been too vicious to open the window to let in any "breeze"), so I decided to get out my trusty laptop and set it up downstairs, where it is much cooler.

When I was rummaging around in the laptop case for leads, the mouse etc, I found it! I knew that when I moved house from Kew to Brunswick I had packed the little USB drive somewhere logical and safe (but for some reason had it in my head that this place was in my filing cabinet's "computer stuff" file).

So now I feel like my full measure of geek grrrliness has been restored. It's amazing how little things can mean a lot (esp when you are avoiding writing an essay or three! :-)

Spring has sprung... again... I think

Hmm... well after a bit of rollercoasting temperatures, it seems that spring has finally arrived properly (although now that I've said that, it will probably blow a gale, bucket down with rain and hail and reach a maximum of 10 degrees tomorrow).

The one thing I love about being back on the Big Island for spring, is the scent of the jasmine. Throughout my childhood in Sydney, I always had jasmine growing on the fence outside my bedroom window, and when it flowered and filled the air with its heavy scent, it was a sign that spring had arrived.

In Tassie, I discovered that there are different types of jasmine, that seem to flower all year round, so the scent of jasmine was not so strongly connected wtih spring... but here in Melbourne the jasmine is now out in full bloom, and I enjoy walking home from the tram stop, as there are some lovely specimens on fences in my street... reminds me of my childhood, those carefree days.... (and makes me forget for a moment that I still have a number of essays waiting to be written).

Don't mention the football...

So close, and yet so far!

As the mighty Swannies hang up their boots after another season, we lament the fact that they didn't manage to score back-to-back premierships, but the realists among us also acknowledge that the match went to the better team on the day (even though the Swannies had a bit of a revival in the second half).

My mother is currently in counselling to cope with the result (also under an ENT specialist to care for her throat after she screamed herself hoarse during the match :-)

Have Bushsaw, will "prune"!

Ahh.. ya gotta love men with tools! :-)

Keen readers of my blog will be aware that in my current abode there is a tree that overhangs my car parking space, dropping all manner of sticky, sappy goop, pollen etc onto my car, and which is also used as a toilet by just about every pigeon in Brunswick. (This has been a topic of great lament from Yours Truly in the past).

Well, I now lament no more!

During the "break" from classes, one of my fellow candidates, Lindsay, retrieved a bush saw from his farm, and brought it round today, and removed the main branch that was overhanging my car (which of course, we don't call tree-lopping at all, but rather "ultra-pruning"). The task took him all of five minutes. What a man! :-)

So Lindz suggested I now wash the car to remove all the existing excrement and sticky stuff, and just see if the car remains relatively pristine, or whether he needs to return to "prune" off another, higher branch to give my car full protection from the ravages of the local flora and fauna.

Woo-hoo... Thanks Lindz :-)