M is a stress head. For years we've been trying to figure out ways to help him. Most of his medical problems arise from this. He never stops working or worrying. So last night I made him start a journal. We're doing it together. I give him a word prompt and we both write for 20 minutes. Then we read it out to each other. It was so much fun and the things we both wrote were so funny.

Had to do the shopping to day for Christmas. M's parents are boycotting it this year, so they came up for a visit a few weeks ago. We celebrated with them then. Some of our friends from M flying up on Christmas day. They've demanded a roast. M's put his hand up to cook it, which is fine by me. He might have to work in Christmas afternoon. It's all hands on deck for the silly season.

I'm trying to stay awake, because I have to pick M up from his work Christmas party. I left early, because I'm a lazy socializer, plus they were mainly talking shop. I'm not a night person and lately I haven't been much of a morning person. Funny, I used to be one of those annoying morning people. I would always get up around 6 am in the morning. As soon as the alarm clock went off I would get up. None of this snooze thing. I can't stand the snooze button. That's one of the things M and I always disagree on. He loves the snooze button. Then when I moved back to M and back into my parents for awhile, I became an insomniac. For a year I was living with my parents I was surviving on 2-4 hours a night, usually just 2 hours. I don't know how I survived (especially since I was driving most days). I was on automatic. I managed to complete my degree with really high marks. I finally got some sleep when I moved out of my parents and into a place of my own. I had to drop from studying full-time to part-time so that I could pick up extra shifts to pay the bills but at least I could sleep. I love my family, but I function better away from them. Weird.

Dog is scared of the ceiling fan. What a cack! I turned the fan (in my office) on my way to the kitchen and he started growling. It freaked me out at first because I wasn't sure what he was barking at. I had to abandon my the kettle and go check it out. I had a good chuckle to myself when I realised what all the fuss was about. Then I had to calm him down. Now he's sprawled out on the floor sleeping. Again.

It's strange though, because it's never bothered him before. Maybe because he's never entered a room while I am in the process of turning it on.

M likes to play WoW. He tells me it relaxes him. I always raise my eyebrows to this.
"Is that why you swear at the computer all the time?" I ask.
"It's the only time I get to myself," he replies.
"You didn't have to drag me with you to the doctors, you know."
"I wanted to spend some time with you."
Sometimes I wonder if we speak the same language.

Decisions, decisions....

I had to give up something that I love doing, in order to pursue something else (that I also love doing). Now I'm not so sure if I made the right choice...

The resident diamond python must be back, because the antechinuses seem to have gone...for now. According to some of the staff here, the last spotting of it was in our decrepit shed, by the contractors who were doing some renovation work on the house before we moved in. They refused to go into the shed without the accompiment of one of the staff. Same with the telecommunication workers, if they need to look at the line (which is in the bushes along our driveway), they won't go alone. Diamond pythons aren't venomous, but the other snakes around here may be. Australia has (I think) 20 or is it 10 of the top venomous snakes. I've come into contact with tiger snakes (very aggressive and venomous little buggers), and that was in suburbia. It was in my sisters house while I was house sitting for her (that's another story). And of course heaps of red belly black snakes (at least they aren't aggressive).

V stopped over last night to drop M's keys (M locked himself out of his office yesterday). The antechinuses have been mocking him, so he reckons. A few nights ago, one of them dragged its meal into his bedroom (dead bird). It also had young ones and he could hear them squeaking around all night. He found bits and pieces of the dead bird the next day, near his pillow.

Oh the joys of summer.

Well, we're not pregnant...it was just gluttony on my part. M is disappointed but I'm okay with it. His parents came to stay for an early christmas because they're boycotting it this year. It was fun, lots of eating though.

It's been a very hectic week. We had some friends of M's from NT stay earlier this week as well. We went to the aquarium with B and T. I don't know how I feel about aquariums. I'm not a big fan of wild animals kept in confined spaces (says the girl who has a rabbit and guinea pig in a hutch!). It was sad watching large sharks swim up and down constantly in a small area (one sign of distress). There's a fine line between eco-education and animal cruelty.

Went to watch the Vienese Classic. It really surprised me how much I enjoyed it. Although at the beginning I wasn't so sure. I get distracted easily by people around me. It's because I'm such a control freak. I need things to be orderly, otherwise it distresses me (or am I OCD?). We went out for dinner by the harbour and the service was really bad. It wasn't the people per say, but the way the whole place was run. Drinks and food had to be ordered separately, and there was only one person walking around taking drink orders and the poor thing was run off her feet. There was no communication between the food and drinks staff, so we waited ages for someone to come around to take our order, despite asking several times. Anyway, I got really agitated (not mad, but distressed) and this was after we managed to order. It was because the table behind us were trying to order their drinks but were completely ignored. I managed to take a deep breath (or three) and get over it. See I'm learning. In the past I would have said something or left (which would have agitated M).

The show was great, but I had a guy sitting next to me who came late, so he was breathing heavily for the first few minutes, then he started doing smelly burps. The lady behind me kept on playing with her camera, so all we could hear were the electronic beeping of the camera. At first I couldn't find the source of the sound. She stopped after I turned my body fully around to look at her (subtle aren't I?). There were no cameras allowed. The other thing that I found strange was that people started leaving during the last piece.

After the show, as we were walking out to the foyer, an old lady went to sit on a chair, missed it completely and fell on her butt. The poor thing couldn't move. M and another guy helped pull her up (she was quite a big woman). As you can see, M is the nice person in the relationship!

All in all, it was the perfect non-christmas week.