A Brief But Thorough Account Of My Easter Weekend

Thursday I had off work for a nice extra long weekend. I went shopping at Cannington and Midland and picked up a couple of eggs for the folks.

Friday English Lad and his girlfriend popped over to drop off some Robbie Williams Cd's I've been trying to borrow from him. It's only taken a few months - since just before his concert at the end of last year, but hey, I finally got them!

Saturday night I babysat for Ace. With his DVD player not working I had to find an alternative to putting on a DVD and sitting them in front of it. I thought about handcuffing them to their beds but figured they would be able to get out of them because their wrists are much smaller than handcuffs are intended for, plus I didn't think Ace would find it amusing. *kidding* I raided my mum's video cabinet and found a couple of Casper the Ghost video's and one of Porky Pig and put those on instead. They watched all of them without any complaints.

Sunday I woke up with a sore throat and pounding headache but I wasn't going to let that stop me from catching up with a friend for coffee later that afternoon. It didn't help that the guy sitting next to us at the cafe` was chain-smoking like there was no tomorrow. I kept getting the smoke in my face even though he was 'blowing' it in the other direction.

Monday I wasn't feeling any better but thought I would distract myself by baking. I made a yummy lemon meringue pie, some lemon tarts and some delicious banana muffins.

Overall I had a very enjoyable weekend. Can't wait for the next one come Anzac Day!

Happy Easter 2007

I hope everybody has a safe and happy easter.

Try not to eat too many easter eggs at once!

If possible, try to avoid those friends of yours whose kids have eaten too many - they'll be the ones bouncing off the walls! *evil grin*

Random Facts 13

1. The initials M.G. on the famous cars stand for Morris Garage.
2. The top cork-producing countries in the world are Spain, Portugal and Algeria.
3. A ‘vamp’ is the upper front top of a shoe.
4. A group of foxes is called a skulk.
5. Teeth are the only parts of the human body that can’t repair themselves.
6. Only 1 in 1000 animals born in the sea grow to maturity.
7. If all the gold suspended in the world’s seawater were mined. Each person on Earth would received about 4kg.
8. When born, the white whale is black.
9. The bird that lays the largest egg in relation to its own size is the kiwi.
10. When first born a shrimp is male. Over time it gradually evolves to a female

Perth Sunrise

This was forwarded to me and is a picture taken at sunrise from Kings Park.

Why pay Elle millions of dollars, when pictures like this, taken by novices, speak more than words.

Use these sorts of pictures on our tourism brochures for overseas travellers.

Movie Review: Disturbia

Of all the luck! I was randomly handed a double pass to see the preview of this, so I dragged one of my good friends to see it. Very similar theme to the movie Rear Window. The crash scene at the beginning was so realistic, you felt you were there. It kept you on the edge of your seats the whole time. A must see when it's released 12th April.

Plot: After his father's accidental death, Kale Brecht (LaBeouf) remains withdrawn and troubled. When he lashes out at a well-intentioned but insensitive teacher, he find himself under a court-ordered house arrest. His mother, Julie (Moss), continues to cope, working extra shifts to support herself and her son, as she tries in vain to understand the changes in his personality. The walls of his house begin to close in on Kale as he takes chances to extend the boundaries – both physical and emotional – of his confinement. His interests turn outside the windows of his suburban home toward those of his neighbours, including a mutual attraction to the new girl next door (Roemer).

Together, they begin to suspect that another neighbour is a serial killer. Are their suspicions merely the product of Kale’s cabin fever and vivid imagination? Or have they unwittingly stumbled across a crime that could cost them their lives?

Movie Review: Music & Lyrics

My step-father had relatives out for lunch today to celebrate his birthday, so to avoid all the 'oldies' I thought I would finally catch this movie - I've been dying to see it for ages.

I was pleasantly surprised - Hugh Grant is growing on me. I didn't really like any of his earlier stuff, but the last few years he's actually done quite a few good films. Drew Barrymore can seem to do no wrong, I've yet to see a movie of hers and not like her in it.

One of the previews was the next Shrek movie which looks absolutely hilarious! *huge cheesy grin*

Plot: Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), is a washed up 80's pop star who’s been reduced to working the nostalgia circuit at county fairs and amusement parks. The charismatic and talented musician gets a chance at a comeback when reigning pop diva, Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) invites him to write and record a duet with her, but there’s a problem – Alex hasn’t written a song in years, he’s never written lyrics, and he has to come up with a hit in a matter of days.

Enter Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), Alex’s beguilingly quirky plant lady, whose flair for words strikes a chord with the struggling songwriter. On the rebound from a bad relationship, Sophie is reluctant to collaborate with anyone, especially commitment-phobe Alex. As their chemistry heats up at the piano and under it, Alex and Sophie will have to face their fears – and the music – if they want to find the love and success they both deserve.

A Tale From The Whale & Ale

I went out to dinner last night to the Whale & Ale - a new pub which has only recently opened up in Clarkson.

The service was excellent and they had an extensive menu. Our meals arrived within 10 minutes of ordering them and was very yummy and reasonably priced. But the flies, they were bad - and we were sitting inside!

I liked the fact that the meals area was completely separate to the bar (unlike the Old Bailey) and they also had an area that you could use as a function room but they had it set up for large groups dining out.

There was a large double fireplace where you can imagine people will congregate around come winter, and a pleasant decor with neutral, soothing colours.

Definitely somewhere I would go back to again to eat.

Movie Review: Reign Over Me

Lucky me! I won a pass to the preview of this movie. Surprisingly, Adam Sandler is very good in this role. There are a few 'lighter' moments in the film (cue the dental secretary and the crazy patient) which goes nicely with the overall theme. Definitely a must see!

Plot: Charlie Fineman (Sandler) is in shutdown. His wife and three daughters, and even the family dog, were victims of 9/11, and since then Charlie has alienated himself from anyone or anything that might remind him of them – including his in-laws, Jonathan and Ginger (Robert Klein and Melinda Dillon), who are unsuccessfully attempting to make contact with him. He has become an eccentric, solitary figure who glides through the streets of Manhattan on his scooter or endlessly plays the same video game in his large apartment where his kitchen is in a constant state of renovation for reasons known only to him. A protective landlady, Adell (Rae Allen), fends off any potential trespassers into Charlie’s life.

When Alan Johnson (Cheadle), a successful dentist and Charlie’s one-time college roommate spots him in the street, the two renew their friendship. Because Alan did not know his family, Charlie lets him into his world, hijacking his life to such a degree (like taking him to an all-night Mel Brooks Movie Marathon) that causes tension between Alan and his wife, Janeane (Jada Pinkett Smith). Although very much in love with his wife, Alan finds a certain freedom in Charlie’s friendship, which gives him a chance to disentangle himself from Janeane’s organisation of his lifestyle. But being Charlie’s friend is not easy; his grief and his suspicion that everyone is spying on him to force him to face the memories he is trying to suppress often lead to violent outbursts.

Alan knows that his friend needs professional aid and a breakthrough comes when Charlie agrees to visit Angela (Liv Tyler), a psychiatrist in Alan’s building. Help also comes from a most unexpected source in one of Alan’s ex-patients, Donna (Saffron Burrows), whose earlier offer of a very different kind of oral procedure to the nervous dentist and the almost disastrous outcome when he knocks her back, demonstrate that she may be a little unhinged herself.

Random Facts 12

1. People living at high altitudes have more red blood cells than people living at sea level.
2. The loop on a belt that holds the loose end is called a ‘keeper’.
3. Experts say the common cold will delay a child’s grown for the cold’s duration.
4. A ‘buccula’ is the name given to a person’s double chin.
5. Male monkeys go bald in the same way men do.
6. The pelican breathes through it’s mouth. It has no nostrils.
7. A lobster’s kidney’s are in its forehead and it’s teeth are in its stomach.
8. The highest rating that can be given to a top quality diamond is D-flawless.
9. Buckingham Palace has 600 rooms.
10. Elephants and short-tailed shrews get only two hours of sleep each day.

You've Gotta Love The Irish!

Some of the best Irish jokes I've heard have come from someone who's Irish. Just like us Aussie's, they don't mind taking the piss out of themselves.

For some good Irish laughs, head here.