It must be time for a rant...

Feel free to skip this post. But sometimes I need to get stuff of my chest!

Ok so here goes:

• I had nausea, vomiting, ingestion for a week and then like the worst flu ever with a constant fever, where I have been going through over a box of tissues per day for a week. Now I have both the flu and an upset stomach together. How unfair is that?
• We have just been told that our rent will go up. We are already paying $30 more a week than the other units next to us and now will be paying $55 more per week. We originally offered them 9 months ago an extra $20 per week to secure this place, thinking at least our rent won't go up for a while. I had a quick look and for the same price we could easily get a 2 bedroom property but is is worth the cost of moving? It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that our place is crap, no proper heating, the place if falling apart and there are major gaps in all of the doors and windows so it sucks in both winter and summer. I'm actually contemplating a sharehouse right now even though I hate them.
• I am so behind at work due to all of the sick leave so when I'm at home I keep thinking about my poor clients and when I'm at work my colleagues are angry at me for being there in case I infect them. I'm run out of sick leave and am starting to think I will never get better.
• We have this amazing holiday coming up and I'm starting to worry that we won't be able to afford it and that I won't be able to get my thesis done in time. It's hard to be productive when your constantly sick!
  

To try to counter balance all of the complaining a tiny bit:

• We just celebrated button living with us for a year. It is a relieve considering that we had our last cat Molly for only 6 months before she disappeared.
• I have an awesome husband, that word still feels really weird and really old. Still better than wife though in my opinion.
• I made something non- food related, a button bouquet: using lots of different types of buttons, floral wire, and a vintage salt shaker for a friends birthday:
  

Sometimes you really need to rant

Maybe it's due to the worst pain I have ever experienced, or the fact that I got little sleep, or the fact that I can't really move without excruitating pain but am thinking that punching my new neighbour might be a good idea. And I'm the least violent person ever, so much so that I refuse to watch violent tv shows/movies. She and her friend are so loud that I can hear every word of her stupid conversations and her horrible singing to Kylie Minogue and other horrible pop songs. Our walls are not even joined. I never any sound come out from the old neighbours. She is possibly the loudest person ever. I really don't understand how she continually be so loud. The worst part is that when I was lying in bed trying really hard to sleep at 1.30 in the morning I thought well at least I can sleep in since there is no way I can go to work today, but she was up at 7.30 still being ridciously loud. Maybe she hasn't gone to bed. So please please please just SHUT UP!

I don't know what I have done to my back but I have been having the most painful spasms. I think I did it volunteering with the bushfire vicitms, what type of weird karma is that? It is so painful that I just want to cry and it just makes me feel sick. I never take panadol. I might take one every couple of years and because I never take it one always seems to be enough. Last night was so bad that I took two panadol and it did nothing. I then took nurofen and analgesic and still nothing. I was seriously thinking about going to the hospital just to get something stronger. I have an appointment with physio for the first time ever today and am really hoping that they can help.

To balance out the ranting, here's a cute pic of button on her fav chair:

The worst festival ever

With the bottle issue aside, it was still the worst festival I have ever been to. So badly organised! You had to line up to go out of one show and then again to go into another and they closed off most of the stages so for most of main acts most people couldn't even enter. A friend of mine got a ticket just to see girl talk and despite trying to cue hours before the show still couldn't enter along with hundreds of other people.

They clearly sold too many tickets (even though tickets were not even sold out) as it was way too crowded.

The little lonsdale st was the worst, even if you could get in, you couldn't actually see anything unless you were in the first couple of rows because there was no slope or hill.

Also, most of the shows the general public could see for free. In fact for the library, and QV stagse not only could the general public see but they could actually sit down and enjoy the shows without paying. The lonsdale st stage was one of the main stages and you could stand outside the barrier on the footpath where the hobby shop was and enjoy all of the acts if you wanted to for free. Next year, I might go and see a few shows for free instead of giving them my money as I am never handing my money over to them again.

It was also supposed to be a non smoking event, but so many people were smoking and security didn't pull up anyone. On a side note I've disovered that retro type ray bands tends to equals annoying smoker.

I was so over being there that I along with most people left early before the main acts (well I couldn't get in anyway).

Also, despite being quite close to the lonsdale st stage you couldn't actually hear stereolab's vocals.

Never again!

(I will go back to non rant posting next I promise)

Dear Laneway festival organiser,

I had a very unfortunate thing happen to me at your festival yesterday.

I was advised that I couldn't bring in my stainless steel bottle even after I emptied the water from it. I was told that I should have known because it was on the website, but I didn't. There was no information on the ticket and while I understand that you don't want people sneeking in alcohol. I'm not sure what the problem is with an empty bottle. Yes you might argue that it could be used as a weapon, but so could anything- my phone, bag, sunglasses, purse, keys anything.

Both my husband and myself argued with your staff for a few minutes. I explained that it is an expensive bottle, and one staff member assured me that she will still be at the gate until 10pm and will look after it. My husband tried to give his number just in case but they wouldn't take it and I expressed concern that someone might take it, and even asked how will she recognise me. We had about 5 members of staff all assure me that it will be ok and I could collect it at the end of the night and I couldn't come in until I handed it over. So I relunctanctly gave it over. They placed it behind the large rubbish bin at the lonsdale st entrance.

Several hours later (at about 6pm) I went back to where I had seen the staff member put my bottle and realised it wasn't there, I told staff at the same gate and was advised to go talk to Katie. I went around the coner to Katie who basically said there is nothing she can do. She didn't even ask for our details or suggest that she will look into it. We even advised of her the exact time we entered and explained that 5 staff members witnessed what had happened but she didn't even attempt to search who was working at the time. Instead she basically told me that I shouldn't have handed it over, even though I didn't have a choice. So I asked to speak to the manager. I was given a number for a manager named Rachel(0401 455 444) and told I can call her. I called her and again she didn't get my details or even attempt to talk to staff who were on at the time instead when I asked to speak to her manager she hung up the phone of me. I think the most frustrating thing is that no-one even tried even a little to help me.

No this bottle that we are talking about is not some disposable bottle, it's not even a bottle you can buy in shops. It's a special bottle (it's both aluminum free and plastic free and is eco friendly) and as you can see from the website you can buy it from, it is $37.20 not including the shipping charge or the sports cap ($4.95). I think it is only fair that given I know the exact time that I entered and the exact gate (approximately 1pm at the lonsdale stage gate)- that you either locate my bottle (it's a large blue klean kanteen bottle) and return it to me or compensate me the money that it costs.

By the way, my friend has the exact same bottle and showed staff who allowed her to enter the same stage 3 times with it. I also saw another person be told that they can either empty it's content or leave it there. It angers me even more that the mesage is so inconsistent.

By the way, I have since looked at the website which states that:

You can only bring water if it is in a sealed plastic bottle. No glass or cans will be allowed.

It does not state that I can not bring in an empty bottle!

Arrrghhhhh

What was I thinking planning a wedding party (albeit a casual nontraditional party) right in the middle of the last 6 months of my thesis (hopefully!) and the crazy festive and socialisation period with new years eve, BBQs, parties and festivals everywhere. Also note to self: yes do it yourself parties save you money they also leave way too many decisions and responsibilities with us. I'm discovered that i'm not a big fan on party planning and much prefer just going to other peoples parties!

I think both Mr T and I have been a little too laid back up until this point and we woke up after xmas (which was quite distracting) and thought SHIT it's less than a month and we have done NOTHING and between all of the parties and deadlines for my thesis and All Tomorrow Parties (festival in Mount Bulla) and both of us being back at work we don't actually have that much time to do everything.

Things I need to find, but that are proving to be not that easy and time consuming, and so I'm throwing out to the blogworld to possibly help with:

* CHEAP biodegradgble cutlery sets (i found plates yay)
* finding cute recyled napkins (ie: not brown-ish ones)
* hiring cheap tables and chairs
* finding a ring that I like and actually want to wear all the time and that is not environmentally or socially evil and if made locally. Damn eg et al for being closed.
* choosing flowers to decorate with (I could easily go without flowers and am not having a bouquet but it's my friend contribution). I'm not really into flowers but know that I DON"T want roses. Anyone know any cute small-ish flowers? I'm clueless!
* finding cheap vegan wine that everyone will like
* choosing to make something that will feed 70 (including some really big eaters) or so people and that omni's will like
* finding the biggest food mosquito net to cover lots of food
* finding somewhere to hire large speakers etc
* finding cheap cute vegan silver (or white if it has to be) shoes with a tiny bit of a heel because I can't walk in high heels
* helping Mr T to choose lots of music that most people will like and hopefully dance too

I'm sure there is more that I can't think of right now because my brain is dead from working on my thesis for over 12 hours straight. Thanks for letting me rant!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth

I just still don't have internet access or phone. I have decided that Optus is possibly the worst company ever. It was supposed to be connected on wed (the first available time within a fortnight that was available), then friday and then yesterday but still no internet.

On Friday, they told me that someone would be out between 8 and 1 and so I arranged for someone to be home and about 8 phone calls later including one that escalated to a team leader. I was being assertive not aggressive I promise. And still no real apologies, or internet, and not even a ounce of fake empathy, I know that real empathy is too much to ask for. I finally told the poor person to leave my place at 2.30 and was told at 4.45 by Optus that maybe someone will come out before close of business and that I would just have to wait, yeah right. I asked Optus to call the contractors and find out what time they were coming approximately and was told that they couldn't. I understand that Optus rents the line from Telstra but surely the communications industry can get some communication with the contractor.

Bastards!

Am I really asking too much for my internet and phone that I am paying for to be connected. If It doesn't get fixed soon (like tomorrow) I'm going to the telecommunications ombudsmen.

EBC

I have said so many great things about east brunswick club on here that I feel that I can say this without any hard feelings:

What the hell is up with the one hour and 45 minute wait for food? I know it is crazy on Monday night with every vegan and veg person in Melb appearing to be there but it's been busy on Monday nights for a while now. Surely with the building being packed full of people eating and drinking you can afford to increase the staff in the kitchen or do something to make the food come even a little quicker. I'm happy to wait an hour for a meal but over 90 minutes is ridiculous! Also, please don't send the desserts out an hour before the meal.

On a more positive note the 'chicken' burger with avocado and lime mayo and the desserts still rock.

Eating at a restaurant that doesn't serve meat, surely not!

I'm lucky enough to have lots of friends, family members and acquaintances who enjoy dining at veg restaurants. Some even ask me 'when are you having another mock meat night?' or 'when are we going to ...(insert restaurant name) again?'.

But I have a few acquaintances who never seem pleased with anything really at veg restaurants. Now I in no way think that all veg restaurants are great. In fact I am the first to admit that vegie bar for example doesn't have the most amazing veg food, yet I go there often because it is convenient, quick, kind of cheap and you know what you are getting, plus there is a fair bit of variety. Other times I go to a veg restuarant that is so average with my omnivore friends and I feel like saying 'please don't judge veg food based on this, this is just not a great restaurant'. But I really don't understand never liking any dishes at any veg restaurants.

I ate meat and the rest for over 20 years and not that long ago and occasionally dined at veg restaurants as a meat eater. For me veg restaurants were a positive influence. Veg restaurants helped me to see that veg food can be great unlike other restaurants in which the only options were kind of bland and boring: a green salad(I still hate plain green salads), or pasta with standard tomato based sauce and vegies were the only options. I think I also started to realise that I felt a little bit better after eating veg rather than meat. I just don't get it because well I felt that often the meals I would eat at veg restaurants were superior in terms of imagination and flavour.

Maybe it is just personal tastes, but I had similar tastes when I started dining at veg restaurants as a meat eater. I used to eat chicken parmigiana and all the rest of things that people love. I didn't feel like I was missing out, instead I felt like I was eating more variety. I can't help and be skeptical and think that part of the reluctance to enjoy any veg meals really is some sort of defensive tactic against scary and strange 'vegetarianism'. Because let's face it one of the biggest reasons people will not stop eating meat is taste. If veg food tastes great and they don't feel like they are missing out on their meat, what argument do they have left? Yes there are other reasons but the biggest seem to stem from taste: 'I couldn't live without meat', or 'I couldn't give up my steak'. Any other way you look at it people can and do survive quite sucessively without consuming meat and god knows there are lots of arguments against eating it (health, environmental, animal rights, etc).

What do you think?

Did veg restaurants have a positive influence on you turning veg?