Melbourne highlights so far

- eating my Mum's delicious egg-lemon soup after a tiring plane journey
- going through all my clothes, shoes, DVDs and wines
- latte!! real, tasty latte, made properly!!
- seeing my brother and sister-in-law's new house (and having house envy)
- wandering through the city streets, checking out old bar haunts and wondering if they've changed
- playing bingo at the Terminus with the old Sensis techie crowd (and extensions)
- variable weather - hot one day, raining the next
- seeing 'Eagle vs. Shark' at the Nova on Lygon St.
- eating a pack of cheese twisties - yum!
- watching Ben rock out on my brother's Guitar Hero game
- hearing Aussie accents everywhere
- just hanging out at home with family

God bless Terry Pratchett

...who assures us that he is not dead, but is only suffering from a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's. Bless him for being such a cheerful bugger! And may he write loads more books while he can! :)

Human milk - add 30p!

This was a sign in my local coffee shop this morning. I looked at it, and looked at it again, and then I asked about it. The guy said, somewhat condescendingly, that it was a joke. Ok, I'm an idiot. But it did make me wonder for a moment there...

The frost has descended

Ah the English Frost. It made its first appearance of the season this morning. I should have known - this week it's been just that bit colder and the wind that much icier. As I left the flat this morning, the first thing I noticed was the little park and playground in our square all frosted over, icicles twinkling in the sunlight. Beautiful! God only knows where all the squirrels are hiding - I just hope the little munchkins are warm!

Counting the days!

It is now 4 days till we take off for Melbourne! I can't decide what I'm looking forward to the most - spending Christmas with my clan, catching up with friends, showing Ben 'my' Melbourne, seeing the Myer Christmas windows, having a summery and BBQ-themed festive season, or eating food that's full of flavour.

I still have my head buried in this project, and won't be surfacing till the last minute on Friday. Haven't even thought about packing, but I am determined not to take much, and do lots of shopping to bring back instead - the pound to Aussie dollar exchange rate is still sweet! I also need to write a few Christmas cards for people over here (I've succumbed... the guilt is too great) before I go.

I'm very excited... I can't wait! :)

Favourite new muso

In the last month or so I have been introduced to the concept of 'filk' aka 'geek folk'. It is highly amusing. Through Neil Gaiman's blog I have discovered Jonathan Coulton who writes some very funny songs of this genre, and even does a cover of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" (beats me why I've always liked that song...). Check out his listening suggestions! (Warning: if you listen to this at work and laugh out loud people will give you strange looks. I'm used to that but you might not be).

Freaking out

Ever had a day where things are just freaking you out? All was well until I went to have lunch with a colleague and we sat outside a cafe where pigeons were abundant. First I tried moving my chair while sitting on it, and because it was one of those wooden slat/foldy ones immediately got a finger wedged under the seat which caused a nasty, bleeding cut.

Then a persistent pigeon not only wouldn't move away from our table but actually hopped onto it and started nosing into my salad! It scared the crap out of me! We shooed it away but it just wouldn't go! We quickly grabbed our trays and headed inside. I was shaking for the next 5 minutes.

Then I got back to work to find emails from clients asking about the work I was meant to have finished today. (The key client was away so I figured I could get away with having it done by the time he got back. Ok, so I've been completely burned out by work and have been taking it easy since my huge deadline - I'm only human!) So that caused the heart rate to go a bit silly-fast.

Then I thought Ben had invited all these people I didn't know to our housewarming and had a little freak about that too (I was wrong and I apologised).

So all in all, I've had about enough shocks for one day! I feel emotionally bruised and my finger still hurts :( I just want to go home and cuddle my giant toy monkey...

Moved and (almost) settled

Well, we are now living in Barnsbury in our lovely new flat. We've been there just about 2 weeks now. The move went really well - can definitely recommend man with a van to do the job. They weren't the cheapest, but were very friendly, efficient and careful, and were English-speaking to boot (always reassuring)! We managed one truckload, plus a short extra trip to the storage depot, and had everything moved within 4 hours, which is brilliant.

So the last 2 weeks have been spent shopping, and sorting stuff in the flat. There were a few hitches (and still are in some cases) with things not quite working as they should, but we're hopefully getting on top of them. Poor Ben has learned to cope without TV and internet... and that's saying something! Importantly, our washing machine just got fixed so we can start assailing our mountain of dirty clothes (which won't be helped much by our trip to Amsterdam this weekend). We've done the department store/kitchen shopping trip, and the home/gardening equipment shopping trip, now all that's left is a furniture shopping trip (you guessed it, Ikea). We had an abortive attempt last weekend, but didn't have all the measurements we needed (d'oh!) so it will have to wait till next weekend.

The housewarming invite has gone out... if any overseas friends are in London on Saturday 1st December, please let me know! The theme is fridge magnets (I am indulging a long-held wish of mine)! Hopefully we'll end up with a fridge completely covered in them. :)

I'm not providing photos of the new flat yet, as there are still boxes of things everywhere. When we get our furniture, and everything's been put away, and it's all pretty-like, I promise you some snaps!

It's a really nice flat, and I'm really happy with it and in it. I think Ben is too. :)

I think I can, I think I can...

Remember 'The Little Train That Could'? That used to be a favourite childhood book of mine. I feel like that little train right now, chugging its way up an enormous mountain, saying "I think I can, I think I can".... I'm ill, have a mountain (ok, maybe just a large hill) of work to get done by Wednesday, am moving house at the weekend, and just made it through a personal crisis. The Universe always seems to give me opportunities to multi-task! hehe

Anyway, wish me well as I chug away, tissues, lemsips, wireframes and bubble wrap in hand...

Belle de Jour, anyone?

Not sure if "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" has made it to Oz, as it's a TV series based on a book which is based on the real-life blog of a London call girl (point being, it's London-based). Anyway it's had a lot of publicity over here, particularly as Billie Piper plays the lead role. Remember the song "Honey to the Bee", released years ago? Yep it's the same Billie, a British favourite after her role as Rose in Dr. Who.

On a whim, I thought I'd check out this so-called blog. Yep, it's real. And, my God, is it hilarious or what? This girl should write professionally (well, I guess she has). I can't remember laughing so much in one afternoon. Needless to say the TV series doesn't *quite* cover the range and depth of raunch the blog does. I'm going to try and read all of Belle's blog entries. From 2003. Bottoms up! hehe

Moves, and more moves

Gee has it been that long since I wrote a blog entry? Tut, tut. I didn't mean for it to be so long between posts. But as you'll soon hear, things have been fairly demanding lately.

Firstly I finally left my beloved Stoke Newington at the end of September :( It was kind of emotional, especially as Lorraine and I had developed an attachment. But I'll be going back periodically, to collect mail, get my hair cut, and catch up with Lorraine. Ben and Jon helped me move half of my stuff (as well as some of theirs) into storage, and the other half into their place in Borough. Eleanor (Jon's gf) had moved in a few days before, so I'm sure the boys had a lot to get used to in a short space of time! Given that they'd not had a cleaner in the entire year they've been here, and aren't the cleaning types, one of the first things Eleanor and I did was to give the flat a good clean. (We're still waiting for the boys to clean the oven and the toilet, 3 weeks later). Despite that, it's been really great living under the same roof as my Benjy, and seeing him every night :) It's also been nice sharing a place with Jon and Eleanor - they're good mates and we always have great conversations.

Ben and I move into our new place in Barnsbury next weekend. I can't believe my month in Borough is almost up! We're very excited though... it's going to be so much fun to finally have our own place and furnish it and sort stuff. (I love sorting stuff, in case anyone was wondering... I've mildly considered becoming a professional 'sorter' at times). We're having our housewarming on December 1st. Invite is pending.

So, one move down, one to go. Almost. Because in the meantime, my workplace has moved too! Yes, Flow Interactive now have a new (and not fully finished) office in Clerkenwell - a much more 'happening' suburb than Highbury & Islington - not nearly so residential, and much closer to central bars, restaurants and the CBD or "City" as it's called here.

So needless to say, getting used to new routines has been the theme of the month. Add to that a crazy work schedule, travelling with the mobile lab, fitting in physio appointments and you have one tired and run-down Mimi. I developed a cold last week but it seems to be disappearing, which is good. 'Cos I sure as hell can't afford any time off work at the moment!

You'll be pleased to hear my wrist is improving... it's no longer swollen and the mobility is much greater since I started physio. I'm not very disciplined at doing my exercises, but it's getting there nevertheless. I'm even going back to football on Monday, after a too-long absence - yay! Not in goal, though.. I doubt I'll be doing that for some months. Just on the pitch, in my old defence position. Let's see if I even remember how to play! ;)

For those more spiritually inclined, I have discovered Sonia Choquette and in doing so have found the next step in my personal development. I've also started seeing a homeopath and am trying to go 'alternative' wherever I can. So, all looking good on that front.

Right now I'm just really looking forward to moving into the new place, and settling into a proper routine. Unsurprisingly, I've been feeling a bit unsettled and all over the shop lately, and I just want a bit of regularity in my life. Fortunately, it's not far away :)

One last, but important, piece of news: my dear friend Zoe and her hubby Alasdair have moved to the UK! They're living in Bishop's Stortford, halfway between London and Cambridge (where their respective jobs are based). We caught up last weekend, and it was great. It's so good to know a good friend from home is just a short train ride away...

Cast-off!

Just a quickie to let you all know I got my cast taken off last Wednesday - yay! My wrist is till a little bruised and swollen, and very stiff, but generally on the mend. The specialist gave me a soft splint to wear on and off for another week, and I am trying to use my hand as much as possible without overdoing it.

You'll be pleased to hear I am now typing with two hands and am able to wash my hair with both hands too. Today was a major achievement - I bought a take-away coffee and was able to carry it in my left hand! Woo! No more missing out on my lovely store-bought morning coffee! Yay! :)

So all is progressing well. This week I am seeing a specialist in hospital again to check on progress, then after that a physio to get some exercises.

One weird thing: I have scratched all the skin on my left hand and wrist off, leaving a new, shiny and very sensitive skin underneath - when I feel something with my left hand, all the textures are amplified, making for interesting sensory experiences! :)

Ciao,
Mimi "The Hand" Iakovidis (as Ben has taken to calling me lately)

We got the flat!!!

Ok, I guess this needs some introduction.

Ben and I have been wanting to move in together for a while now but things like holidays and football injuries and date-coordinating with flatmates kept moving the dates later and later in the year.

But finally, a couple of weeks ago we started on the seemingly huge and daunting task of flat-hunting. We booked up the calendar with viewing dates and potential move dates, and started scouring the web and whoring ourselves out to estate agents. We weren't enjoying it much, and my current project hasn't made it easy for me to ring agents etc. so Ben was doing a lot of the calling around.

Anyway, on Saturday we sneakily double-booked to see a flat in Barnsbury and we really liked it! It was on a nice quiet circular street with a park in the middle, and it had a garden, loads of storage space, high ceilings and a few quirky features like lowered kitchen and bathroom. We went to see it again a couple of hours later, this time armed with a designer tape measure (we were in Islington and desperate - don't ask Ben how much it cost!). This time we were triple booked and the other people viewing it were making 'ooh I like it' noises so Ben and I ran outside and quickly called the agent to put an offer on it. Needless to say the property market in London is very competitive at the moment!

We had to wait in suspense all weekend because the agent couldn't get through to the landlord to confirm the offer. So this morning, while I was taking notes in yet another corporate interview, I noticed a text message and thought 'Omigod, it's from Ben, about the flat!' I had to concentrate really hard to keep focused on my work. When I finally read the message and it said "House is ours!!!" I was just so happy and relieved. Yayyyy! :)

Only minor negative is that the flat becomes available on the 24th of October and I promised my landlady (and flatmate) Lorraine I'd be out of here by the end of September. Besides, she's already lined up a new tenant. D'oh! So, I'll have to share Ben's room again for 3 weeks. Given that Ben's flatemate and his girlfriend will also be living there at the time it should be a nice little squeeze! But it will be well worth it. I'm already itching to get our new place all nice and shiny clean for our move! (I know, I have issues)

So, there will be a housewarming party, most likely in November. I'm warning you now - all invited will have to bring a fridge magnet. The more unusual and interesting the better. So you can start shopping for one now!

My left arm

Ok, so it's not a Daniel Day Lewis movie, but it's still pretty interesting. My last 'arm' update (aside from my gratuitous broken-wrist-mentioning Facebook status updates) was written during my week of pain, when I first broke my wrist. I mentioned some flowers and cards I was sent - from work, and my friends Kate and Tom, Ben and Jo, and Alex and Asitha - here are the pics. I also mentioned the painkillers - here is my bedside stash!

My first day back at work was awful - I was so tired and overwhelmed. Fortunately that reduced significantly the next day, and it's been pretty good since. But it's easy for me (and others) to forget that my body is healing and I will (and do) get tired more easily.

About 10 days after the first (half) cast was put on I had a hospital appointment where they removed the cast, X-rayed my wrist again, and put a new, all the way round, fibreglass cast on. This cast was stronger and lighter than the plaster one. I asked the guy who put it on for me (an orthopaedic technician by the name of Tony who was awesome) to wash my arm for me as it had started to feel a bit manky. Here are some pics of my wrist between casts - can you see the bruising? (Apologies, my phone isn't exactly the latest model.) At least the swelling had gone down.


In the meantime I've taken my cast and sling to a wedding, to super corporate client interviews (tip: footy injuries go down well with male execs!) and have even braved London public transport with them. Unsurprisingly, not everyone on the buses and Tube notices my cast or takes care not to knock into me. Some lovely people have given up their seat for me, but they haven't been in the majority I'm afraid. And it's not easy to keep your balance and hang on to bus/train poles with one hand, let me tell you!

So now I am due to get this second cast removed in 10 days and I am practically counting down. Not that I should expect my wrist to be fully operational afterwards... I expect it will take a few months before it regains its strength. I am wondering what it's going to look like though... currently I am scratching the dead skin off it (not pretty, but I can't help myself) - you can see my two-tone thumb where I've scratched the darker skin off. Yes, ewww back to you. Plus I've been told my arm might be super hairy when the cast comes off. Nice...

Disarmingly yours :)

P.S. In case you're wondering, no I haven't let anyone sign my cast. I have a super corporate client and I don't think it would look very good. Maybe on my cast's last day..

The pressure to blog

I admit it, I'm feeling it! Once you start a blog, there's this unspoken expectation that you're going to be adding to it all the time, keeping it fresh or real or whatever the kids are saying these days. Well, having one typing hand and no computer at home (not to mention a stupid-busy project at the moment) have all made it a bit hard to blog regularly. And I have stacks of things to write about, hence my frustration. To make it a bit easier for myself, I've decided to do 'retro' posts when I can - posts that won't be in order of chronology, but will at least fill some of the gaps for you. Ok, I feel a bit better now. Now all I have to do is sort my photos...

On another hysterical note

I have just managed to buy a dress and matching sling from a designer shop around the corner from home. Can you believe it?! She had some matching scrap material left over, and cut and hemmed it nicely for me. Now for some shoes & a wrap and I'm all set for Jenny & Jonny's wedding next weekend! Woo hoo!

Stop the press: My boyfriend's Mum just joined Facebook!!

Omigod. What's going on?! I don't know whether to laugh or go into a mild panic. I wish I could be there to see the look on Ben's face when he finds out! (I just sent him a text as he can't access FB at work).

Hats off to June for making a bold move into the social media arena. Question is, can she keep up? hehe (Love you, June! :))

If my Mum joins, I'm quitting. Some things are better left unshared with the folks, y'know?! (Love you too Mum - lots and lots!!) :P

I broke my left wrist...

...saving a goal at footy on Monday night. It was just a few minutes till the game was over, we were losing 3-5 and I was determined not to let the other team's star shooter, Carly, get another goal in before the whistle blew. So when the ball came at me, hard and fast, I stopped it with my left hand. Unfortunately the impact bent my hand all the way back and, as it turned out, broke my wrist. Needless to say it hurt like a bastard. I was in shock and couldn't think beyond getting an ice-pack on it. My teammates were awesome - running cold water over it, making a makeshift sling from a football jersey and generally being attentive. Thank goodness I was persuaded to go to a nearby hospital instead of being complacent and just going home with some frozen peas! I found a cab outside the school we play at, and off to the hospital I went.






The hospital visit was an ordeal in itself (aren't they always?). I had to queue at reception despite the increasing pain which, I'll admit, made me cry. It convinced the receptionist to put me at the front of the nurse queue, so I was grateful for being so emotional (it does help, sometimes). I called Ben to come and keep me company, and in the meantime I saw a nurse who gave me some pills (oh sweet drugs!) and sent me off to have my wrist x-rayed. The x-ray lady told me 'unofficially' that I'd broken my distal radius bone. I mentioned I'd fractured the same wrist when I was 10 but she assured me that it would have fully healed and this was an independent break.

Then came the waiting. Ben found me and we waited together. To pass the time he told me war stories of his broken ankle and broken knee. He also fed me the remainder of my lunch as I was starving. Finally a doctor saw me and told us officially that I'd broken my wrist and would need to get a cast put on it. He said I'd have to wait longer as an old lady had broken both wrists and was being attended to before me. (She'd come out of the elevator in John Lewis and slipped on their shiny floor, putting both hands out to break her fall... see Mum, it's not just sports that are dangerous!)

We continued to wait, and an hour went by. Both Ben and I could barely keep our eyes open. I jokingly said they'd forgotten me. Then a nurse came by and said the doctor had left without passing over my card. So they hadn't known I'd been waiting. And it was almost midnight (I'd got there before 8pm). Nice. Anyway soon after that she got me sorted with a soft half-cast, and made me laugh too, bless her.

So next week they take the soft cast off, x-ray the wrist again, and put on a full, hard cast which I have to wear for at least 4 weeks. Sexy. In the meantime I've taken a few days off work and am living off painkillers and glasses of milk. Living one-armed is sure an eye-opener! I can't open a can, put my hair up or do up my bra without help! Ben has been an angel looking after me, but he can't be here 24/7 so it's all been a bit of an adventure.

Thanks to everyone for the calls, texts, emails, Facebook messages, flowers and cards - you're ace! xx

P.S. I can't believe I just typed all that one-handed!
P.P.S. Thank goodness I'm right-handed!

We finally won at footy!!

All the gals were feeling quite tired, and a few of us were a little ill or injured, but amazingly we got through the match with panache and didn't do our usual thing of 'coming 2nd'. I even did a dive in goal. The score was 2-1 but the victory was sweet nonetheless. And here's a team hug to prove it (I'm in the back, somewhere). Love the ref's expression, don't you? ;)

Acknowledgement

Before I forget... once again I thank Travis Beckham (aka Squidfingers) for permission to use his background pattern. He's got some cool patterns, man! Check them out!

Welcome to my travel/updates blog

Hey everyone, I am replacing my update emails with this here blog. So instead of getting an essay in your inbox every few months, you will have a site you can visit at your own leisure, and hopefully fewer, shorter updates to read! Enjoy! xx