Netflix Roulette

So a couple of days ago, I had decided that coffee was going to be the drink of the day.  That was a big mistake.  I used to drink coffee every day but have since switched to tea so a normal intake of coffee turned me into a slightly hyper kid that had been given red cordial and all the sugar in the world.

Fast forward to that night, and although I had calmed down a lot, apparently my mind didn't want to sleep.

So when I have trouble sleeping, I normally put on a movie or some music and can fall asleep to that.

So I formed a plan.

Open netflix, pick a genre, close my eyes and randomly pick something for me to watch.

So I chose musicals because music can put me to sleep.

Closed my eyes and picked something.

Never Say Never.  The Justin Bieber movie.

Well I would want to go to sleep so I wouldn't have to watch this.

Next thing I know, it's 3am, I have watched the whole thing, and I am slightly concerned for myself as I knew all the words to his songs and an awful lot of his dance moves which I cannot explain.

Have I unknowingly had a case of Bieber Fever?  

Definitely not.

Did I enjoy the movie?

I really did.

I've lost the plot!

Aussie Out

xo

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A piercing tale - 2

Happy Sweet Sixteen Sam!  Lets go get you pierced!

Back when I was sixteen, belly button piercings were the "in thing."

Everybody had one.  Now I am not one to follow trends but my sister had talked me into it.  She had it done and with reassurances of how it doesn't even hurt and how I can get pretty belly button rings, and not to mention be super cool.  I caved.

As I was only 16, I needed my Mums permission.  She was not onboard at all.  However she did the standard "ask your father" thinking that my Dad would be completely against a piece of steel going through the belly button of his little girl.  

However that plan didn't work out so well for her when my Dad was all for it.

So with my Mum reluctantly onboard, she agreed to come with me and my sister.  It was a week until my birthday so my Mum decided that she was going to try and get her friend who had her belly pierced to tell me her horror story of the jewellery being rejected by her body.

I wasn't giving up.  I had it in my head that I had to be the cool little sister and if I backed out after agreeing to get it done, I would be the lamest person in the world.

Mum then went with a different tactic.  "What about those boots you had your eye on.  I will buy you the boots if you don't do this."

I did love the boots but my reputation was at risk so I turned that sweet sweet offer down.

The afternoon of my birthday, My Mum, my sister and I all set off in the car to the piercing parlour.  As I mentioned before, I am terrified of needles, so I was seriously starting to freak out.  My Mum had hope that I would back out.

I picked out a pretty purple belly bar, learned about care and cleaning, and signed my fate.

My Mum refused to come in the room with me so my sister joined me to hold my hand (but really she just laughed at me.)

I was marked up.

Was told to lie down.

The clamp was put on.

I had to put my hands under my body so I wouldn't move.

And then I broke out in a stress rash.

It covered my chest, my arms, and was slowly making its way up to my face.  The lady noticed and tried to calm me down, but i told her that the only way I would calm down would be if she just did it.

The next thing I remember is my mother yelling from the waiting room.

"Sam think about it.  You can still get the boots."

I replied.

"Oh no I can't anymore."

It was done!

It didn't get infected and I was the only person in my group of friends to get it done.

It was the perfect thing.

Fast forward 7 years later and it finally got infected.  And not a little bit.  It wasn't pretty.  I ended up having to take it out and because it wasn't the "in" thing anymore, I left it out.

I now have an ugly scar on my belly button due to the infection, the regret that I didn't show off my piercing enough when I actually had it and boot envy because I never did get those boots.

First world problems

Aussie Out

xo

 

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A Work Of Art

You are sitting with your friend for 7+ years.

You get given a task.

If you are right handed use your left hand and if you are left handed, use your right.

Look at your friend.

Ready, set, DRAW!

Ok so the left is clearly me looking sassy and fab as I had curled my hair this day and decided that it was going to be a bright pink lipstick day.

On the left is Lucinda, with her eyelash coming from her eye, and her scarf that she knitted (because it's all about the details.)

As you can see from this picture taken the very same day, it's pretty spot on!

Don't worry, I wont quit my day job.

Aussie Out
xo

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The Haunted House

I just want to first point out that I am not crazy nor am I making any of this up.

Ok so it was quite a few years ago now, my Mum and I were looking for a new place to live because my brother got us thrown out of our old house (cheers for that bro.)

My friend was a real estate agent at the time so she said she would help us find a place for the two of us and our dog.

We had looked at a few places but they were either too small or too old.

Then one day we got a call from my friend that she found us a place and it was perfect for what we wanted.  So we hopped in the car and drove to the house.  It wasn't too far away from where we were staying and the rent was crazy cheap.  We could have the dog and because they were renovating the house, they didn't really care what we did to it.  It was strange however that the house was totally liveable, yet it was clear the owners had not been living in the house for some time.

But we didn't think too much about that and started packing ready to move in.

The first night it started.

I went to my room to go to sleep and my Mum did the same.  About 15 minutes after we had both gone to bed, we both heard a loud crash and then footsteps up the hallway.  However these footsteps sounded like someone was wearing big heavy boots.  My Mum yelled out at me asking what I was doing, and I yelled back telling her nothing I was trying to go to sleep but what was she doing.  She yelled back that she was also in bed.  Let the freak out begin.

We lived in this house for a year and in that year a lot of freaky stuff happened.  Things would fall over, the toilet seat would slam shut, my brother heard banging while he was using our shower but nobody was there, the vacuum cleaner would stop and start randomly, my Mum would see shadowed and lights in the hallway while she was in the lounge room.

They say that animals can see the dead, and I fully believe in this now as my dog would just randomly start barking at a corner of the room and jump up like there was someone there.  At first we thought he must be hearing something outside because it was by a window, but there never was.

Now the freakish thing that happened to me.  I was alone in the house as my Mum was at work.  I was sitting on the sofa with my dog asleep on my lap.  All of a sudden he woke up with a start and looked over at the window blinds.  The chord for the blind started swinging.  Now before anyone says anything, there was no breeze, the window was shut, all the doors were shut, there was no reason for this chord to swing.  However swing it did.  For a good 5 minutes, until it suddenly stopped.  It didn't just loose momentum and come to a stop.  It jolted to a stop.  I was terrified.  I called my Mum and she told me to take the dog and get out of the house for a while.

We started looking for a new place to live not much longer after that.

On moving day, our neighbours came up to us and instead of asking us why we were moving, said well done for lasting in that house for so long.  The owners of the house refused to stay in it.  They told us that one night while the man in the house was away for work, the woman ran to the neighbours saying strange things were happening in the house.  As they looked out the window, they saw the lights flicking on and off and shadows walking past the windows.

We then found out from the neighbours that there was an old lady that died in the house.  She died in my bedroom (which might explain why it was the coldest room in the house) and she would sit by the window and just stare (which could explain why my dog would jump up and bark at that window.)

Why this back story?

It's happening again.

I was in bed trying to get to sleep when I heard a creepy male voice whisper "hey."

Sounds stupid I know.  I told my housemates and didn't think much else about it.

A couple of nights later, trying to get to sleep, I heard the same voice whisper "girls."

After having a great laugh about us having a creepy ghost - and naming him Herb the perv - we didn't put much other thought into it.

However a couple of days ago, our stove top started sparking as if someone was trying to light the hobs.  But nobody was near it.  Might just be a malfunction.  Fine.

However the other day, I dropped my crochet needle on the floor.  I saw it fall, I heard it fall.  So I turned the light on to find it but it wasn't there.  Now my crochet hook is fluro green so it's not easy to miss.  Thinking that it might of somehow fallen behind my bed I told myself that I would find it the next day.

I have been cleaning and organising my room for  the past couple of days.  The great declutter of 2015.  But couldn't find my crochet hook anywhere.  So I went downstairs to get a drink of water, then headed back to my room.  When I walked back in, I saw my crochet hook in the middle of my bed.

Had Herb been up to new tricks?

Will he strike again?

Only time will tell!

Aussie Out
xo

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The struggle is real

Hate is a strong word.

I don't hate a lot of things.

But I do hate job hunting!

"You don't have enough experience"
"Sorry you have too much experience"

ARGHHH

On my return from home, I have spent an awful lot of time searching for work.  I reapplied for my old job again (just fewer hours) in the hopes that by this time I would be working and earning money.

But seeing as they had over 100 people apply for the job its taking longer than expected.

There has been so many jobs that I have applied for, and I'm just not hearing anything back.

UNTIL....

I received an email from my old job asking me to come in for an assessment centre.  Lucinda got an email as well so we were on our way!

We got there and was given a post-it note.  Our first task.  Put it behind your back and rip it into an animal in 20 seconds and then explain yourself.  Note I did the worst giraffe I have ever seen in my life and couldn't help but noticed my old managers trying not to laugh at how sad and pathetic it looked.

We then got split into groups, got given a list of 6 people with little bios.  One girl was pretty and loved flower arranging.  One was a mother of young children but was having an affair.  A man who was curing rabies but had indecently exposed himself in front of children... TWICE!  You know, the norm.  We were told that these people were trapped in a cave and it was up to us to decided who to save and who was going to die as there wasn't enough time to save them all.

Our final task was to split into different groups and come up with a marketing idea for easter.  There is no budget, be creative and GO!

All these things I can do, I just happened to be put into groups with a loud mouth who tried not to let anyone else speak, a girl who could barely speak English, and a guy who didn't speak at all.

I'm convinced it was my old managers way of having a bit of fun with me "let's make things interesting for Sam"

I must not have done too bad as I received a call a few days later asking to come back for an interview and some shadowing.  Lucinda also got called back so it was exciting all around.

The day had arrived, I met up with Lucinda the night before and tried to explain everything to her.  So we went in, got given a snazzy uniform and got put on position.  It was a nice feeling being back and was getting hugs from my old work mates.  I also had to help a new staff member as it was only his second day and he didn't know what he was doing.  "Thank god you're here Sam, cos I wouldn't have a clue"  Oh bless.

So after a great catchup with my friends (oh and a bit of work as well) I had my interview.

"You left this job Sam, so why should we hire you back?"

CRAP

I tried my best to explain myself, and answered the questions the best that I could without being cocky because I know all the procedures and the people.

I left the interview unsure.  When I left, my old managers told me that I would always have a job if i wanted it, but I didn't want to go into the whole process thinking that.  That would make me over confident and I could of lost it for myself.

Lucindas interview went well from what she told me, so now all we had to do was wait.

Fast forward a few more days and I have a slight panic attack at the private number flashing on my phone screen.  I answer it and BOOM!  I am officially employed again!  I start next week and the best thing is, Lucinda got the job as well.

This will be the 4th job that we have work together at.

These poor people wont know what hit them.

Prepare for an Aussie invasion!

Aussie Out
xo

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Scones!

So as lent is upon us, and Charlotte has decided to give up chocolate.  I am trying to be kind and bake thing that do not have chocolate in it.

This weeks baking mission : Scones.

A super simple recipe that can go wrong so easily.

You will need :

3 cups of self raising flour

1 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of lemonaid

Put the flour in a bowl and  make a well in the middle.  Add the cream and the lemonaid and using a flat knife, make cutting motions in the mixture until completely combined.  If the mixture is still sticky, add more flour.

Lightly dust a working bench with some more flour and transfer your mixture.  Then knead your dough for a few minutes.  Then roll it out so it is roughly a centimetre thick.

You can either cut it into squares or using a round cutter, into circles.

Pre heat oven 220 Celsius 

Bake 10-12 minutes

Add jam and cream for the top.

A tip for scones the next day, cut in two, put on some nutella and put back together, and heat for 10 seconds in the microwave.  It tastes like dreams coming true.

Enjoy

Aussie Out

xo

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A piercing tale

You know how when you are drunk and you come up with great ideas with your friends?

It never ends well.

The mammoth peer pressure I felt,  on that day was beyond anything I've ever felt before.  I don't regret it, but I wouldn't be bothered if I didn't have it.

So one night when my friends and I were all all the vodka in Sydney, we thought it would be a great idea for us all to get piercings the next day.  Having a crippling fear of needles, I only agreed as I was so drunk somebody could of told me I was going in for trans-gender surgery the next day and I would of thought it a brilliant plan.

When I woke up the next day, I did remember the plan but hoped that everyone else would of forgotten.

I was not so lucky.

So with full acceptance that I was going to have another hole in my body, and that if that hole was anywhere near my face, my mother would kill me, we all went to Newtown in Sydney (which is kinda the place to go for piercings and tattoos and made a booking.

One of my friends got dermals in his arm.

Another a lip ring.

When I told them all I wanted was my second holes done, my friends were not impressed.  I agreed to go a little more daring and agreed to the top part of my ear.

I don't know how it happened.  I could of still been drunk from the night before, but I made the appointment to get my tragus pierced.

My other friends went in first as I slowly freaked out in the waiting room.  They came out one by one with tales of how cranky the guy doing it was.

Finally it was my turn.

Everyone wanted to come in and watch me which the guy was fine with.  He marked me up and then told me to lie down.  I started freaking out and told him that I was terrified of needles.  His reply.

"Well close your F**kin eyes then"

Oh God!

A tight squeeze from my friends hand, a comforting word from another friend, and a sharp needle bursting through my skin and I was done.

What I didn't think through was the inability to sleep on my right side.  Not being able to listen to music on the way to work with my headphones... ohh and the crazy infection that I got.

The infection got sad bad at one point that the skin started growing over the back of the piercing.  However after drenching it in saline solution every couple of hours it did heal, as I was determined to have this piercing as I had suffered for it.

Fast forward a couple of years later and I want to change the jewel into something prettier than a silver ball.  I was having some trouble changing it so went into another piercing place so they could do it.

"Who did this for you?"

The lovely tatted up guy asked as he was changing the jewel.

"I only ask because whoever did it, did it wrong.  It's too far in.  Did it get super infected?"

OH MY GOD!

I knew that guy was an a-hole.

I told him about my experience and he knew straight away who the guy was as he had quite a bad reputation in the piercing and tattoo community.  Something I would of liked to be told at the time.

I still have my tragus pierced.  Half because I feel cool and hip, the other half is because it looks ugly and I have a stupid hole in my ear.

Moral of the story, don't go out drinking with my friends, you will end up with piercings (and tattoos - but thats for a later post)

Aussie Out

xo

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