Sometimes the weather is apt

So, today is a miserable, wet, windy day.  And it really matches my mood at the moment.  I always dread answering the phone on the weekend and after hours.  It usually means either someone wants me to do something, or else something has gone wrong at work and I need to try and sort it.

Today was the latter.  Problem is that on a Sunday, you can't actually get hold of ANYONE who can do ANYTHING.  For a world that is increasingly 24/7 is is ridiculous to me that out of hours for a company that operates 24/7, you can't get any meaningful assistance.  It doesn't help clients when they are stuck in the middle of nowhere and what you have to do requires the help of someone else.

All I can say is that I hope the week gets better.  And that my garden shed doesn't end up in the neighbours garden if the wind picks up.

May or May Not Monday

An idea borrowed from a blogger who borrowed it from another blogger - the idea is to use it as a way to lighten the burden by confessing what you may or may have not have done that you might need to confess to!

I may or may not have come home from a night away, just to curl up on the sofa in the sun and go straight back to sleep for a couple of hours.

I may or may not laugh every time the cat hops up on the arm of my chair because I know he will start kneading and that is immediately followed by the dribbling.

I may or may not have put off getting the lawnmower sorted properly in the interest of $$ and may or may not be regretting it now as I can't get it to start (again).  *sigh*

I may or may not be relieved that I have FINALLY cleared out former flatmates leftovers from the garage.

I may or may not have filled a rubbish bag with expired stuff from my pantry and fridge - it's embarressing how much stuff I had in the cupboard that expired more than 3 years ago - ick.

I may or may not have to throw out my cheap ugg boots, because the sole is coming apart from the upper, and I may or may not be thinking I will wait until the end of winter before I biff them out.  I may or may not be a hoarder, although not bad enough to EVER appear on the show.

So....anything you may or may not have done that you want to confess to?

I am a grumpy old woman...

There is a great series of programmes that play on UKTV here called the "Grumpy Woman's Guide to..." and the "Grumpy Man's Guide to...".  Basically celebrities are given topics and they get to rant about them...I find it hilarious right up until I realise that I am nodding my head in agreement with their views rather than laughing at them....

The number of times I hear myself talking and all I can hear is my mothers voice...

There are so many things that annoy me:

Getting sick.  Particularly when it is a weekend, holiday or day off.  I am drinking water like it's going out of fashion at the moment in an effort to derail the cold I think I may have caught from a workmate.

Drunk teenagers who think they are cool.  They are not.  We have been there and done that and one day you will realise that when we say you look like an idiot, we are not joking.

Drivers not indicating.  My psychic button is broken.  I don't know if you are going to turn UNLESS YOU INDICATE that this is what you are doing.  It is not optional.  It is a legal requirement.  Don't make me waggle my finger at you!!

Not winning lotto.  Okay, so I hardly ever buy a ticket, but really, that's beside the point!

Sneezing.  I am a chronic sneezer.  Have been since I was a child.  My sneezes are quite quiet and petite (the only thing about me that is small and delicate!).  Yes, I do know that I sound like a cat.  Yes, I am sneezing properly.  Yes, I do sneeze a lot. Yes, I have heard that sneezing is like having an orgasm (I can assure you it's not).  It makes my eyes and nose run and interrupts my conversations - a real pain in the proverbial when most of my work day is spent talking with people!

Cleaning.  Yes, it is great when all the housework is done.  That doesn't mean I like it.  I know that there is a housework fairy somewhere that is supposed to do the vacuuming, clean the bathroom and toilet and was the dishes.  When I find where she's hiding, she is in BIG trouble.

Guilt. There are so many things that I should be doing.  A lot of time it doesn't happen.  Either I forget, run out of time or simply can't be bothered.  I hate feeling guilty for it.  Unless I have upset someone (and they are upset for a reason, not simply because they now have to do the job they had hoped I would do), I have resolved no longer to feel guilty.  We'll see how long that lasts! 

So....what makes you feel grumpy?

How do you find your blogs?

I love stumbling across new blogs to read....there are a few I read daily, which include:

http://ohnoa.com/ - absolutely hilarious and I love her "Funny Bitch Friday", where she showcases blogs written by female bloggers, introducing bloggers and bloggees to new hilarity.

http://thebloggess.com/ - one heck of a woman who finds herself in all sorts of odd situations - be sure to check out her posting about Beyonce the Chicken...she is also inspirational in terms of the project she founded about the travelling red dress (which isn't always a dress and isn't always red), as well as being very open about her struggles with mental illness.

http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/ - Karen from Canada posts about her townie chickens, recipes, renovation and decorating ideas and general tips on how to do various activities and home repairs with a huge dash of humour (including admitting when things don't work out) and style

http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/ - This blog exhausts and inspires me in equal measure.  While procrastination is more than just an idle past-time for me, this blogger shows how much can be done if you just get on and do it.

http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/ - Sugar goodness is the (main) name of the game on this site, where Peabody shares her trials, tribulations and joys (and her CCS - crazy cocker spaniel) and recipes that might inspire you to try something new.

http://betterafter.blogspot.co.nz/ - One day, I'm actually going to try doing some of the amazing transformations that are found on this blog - free furniture converted from drab to fab by extremely talented people inspire me - even if it is just to look at the renovations.

Anyhoo, that's my top six of the moment....it's a constantly changing group, but all interest me for different reasons....

Besides, who could resist Beyonce the Chicken???

The joy of a sunny summer day

Never underestimate the power of a sunny day off in summer, particularly when it comes as a day off work...it's amazing how much you can achieve when you have the motivation of enjoying the day once the small jobs that you've put off get done.

That being said, it is a pain in the proverbial when you can't get the lawnmower to start! 

I have to admit, it is fun walking through town with the cat wailing in his box all the way just after 9am(the vet is within walking distance of home)...getting him into the cage while he does the ninja starfish is entertaining too (you know - all limbs extended and rigid with claws at full scratch), but once he's in the cage, all he does is wail.  Poor baby.  The vet gave him a mostly clean bill of health and topped up his vaccine, which is great - just need to keep an eye on his teeth now.

Getting a hair cut and using vouchers I got for my birthday back in October was fun too - and getting the lawnmower to FINALLY start when I got home, so I could attack the lawn and get it back down to something approaching normal length was an added bonus.

Sometimes all you need is a nice sunny day, something cool to drink and the radio playing in the background to have your perfect summer day.

Sigh. Nope. No Summer After All.

Since 1 December (the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere), it has rained at least once in every 24 hours.  Horrible, horrible, horrible. So it was definitely the kind of weather that encouraged a Sunday roast on the weekend.  A really yummy leg of lamb that I had bought from Farro Fresh in Auckland was destined for the oven and the sacrifice was worth it.  The leftovers this week have made it even more worthwhile.

I roasted it on a bed of rosemary from the garden - the only real downside to it was that I had to pick sprigs of rosemary out of everything, because they aren't exactly easy to chew.  The smell however, was totally divine and the taste even better.  I think next time I would either wrap the rosemary in muslin or finely chop it, so I don't have to worry about twigs!!!

A simple dessert to finish is chopped strawberries with a couple of spoonfuls of sweetened condensed milk.  Yum!

Where are the fairies?

You know, once in a while, I really wish the fairies were still around - you know, the ones that do the vacuuming, laundry, lawns, gardens and cleaning. 

At the moment I'm wondering if they are lost, stolen or strayed, because I sure haven't been able to find them!

Failing that, I guess I have to do it all myself (at least until I get another flatmate to share the load)... we have now had two consecutive days of sunshine, which is helping dry out the soggy garden...I may get another courgette or two yet, after having chopped off most of its leaves after they got powdery mildew.  There is a reason it is easier to buy things at the market (farmers or super) sometimes.

So because I couldn't be bothered cooking a full meal because of the heat, last night was leftover night and I made a version of a panzanetta, an Italian bread salad.

At the end of the day, the bakery department of one of our local supermarkets bags up leftover breadrolls at a discount, so you can get some of the nicer breadrolls (like sundried tomato and olive) cheap as chips.  I had three leftover from a bag I got the other day, so they weren't great for eating on their own, but perfect for this salad...although next time I would recommend using no more than two rolls for a bowl full of salad - otherwise it is more bread than anything else.  Stale rolls seem to work in the this much better than fresh.

Some Kind of Panzanetta

Start by cubing the breadrolls - I like mine fairly chunky, so about 2cm x 2cm cubes - and put them in a pan that you have heated up a couple of tablespoons of oil (a mild olive oil gives this a light and delicious taste), drop in the cubed bread and stir it round until it is all lightly coated and starting to brown.  Basically what you are making are giant croutons, but not as crunchy.

Put them in whatever type of salad you prefer (I added ham, lettuce from my garden, tomato and some onion that I softened in a pan with the ham) and add your preferred dressing - my favourite at the moment (which can be used as  a dip for bread if you want to try something different) is a citrus vinagrette made by a local company called Prenzel...

Enjoy the bonus of feeling virtuous from eating salad (if you have that as a resolution) and being economical by using leftovers.