Advance Australia in four easy steps

Step 1

First I emailed the AEC (Australian Electoral Commission) enquiring whether I was still on an electoral roll. Anywhere at all, really.

I thought perhaps I'm still on the one in East Brunswick. Or at a stretch, maybe even on the Traralgon list ... if I was so diligent to update my details before my rapid departure in August last year.

Three emails later, I found my last electorate was Melbourne, under my Haines St address (how I loved that dear little flat in North Melbourne). Goodie, I thought, I get to put Lindsay back in his seat.

Step 2

Then I sent an application to register at my last electoral enrolment address. I received an email shortly afterwards to apply for a postal vote.

So I did. I did it via email in late October. Plenty of time. I read the AEC website thoroughly and I was looking forward to getting my materials in the mail in early November.

Step 3

But a couple of weeks ago, I got a letter saying that my application was rejected! Nonsense. Edwin heard what nonsense I thought it. So, I re-sent the exact same items I had originally sent via email - in hard copy.

Step 4

Today the postal vote came and I am about to pop it back in the mailbox. If the Dutch postal system doesn't fail me, don't ever say I would waste my vote by failing to register, or god forbid, donkey voting. (Even though it's technically mandatory) man, I earnt my right to vote this time.

And Bob, it hasn't gone to waste.

C'mon Aussies, 24 November 2007! I'll be waiting with baited breath.

Mamma mia!

I think I get at least 8.5 points on the domestic goddess scale.

Yesterday, I made pasta.

Without a pasta machine.
All good italian mammas who don't own a pasta machine (yet, or she left it in Australia), use a rolling pin. And it's not easy work. But of course, I'm not a silly "mamma" and made sure I enlisted the help of my minions. And the baked sweet potato, soft goats cheese and slivered almond filling made a wonderful tortellini with a colourful garden salad (with some oranges for fun!) dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Perfetto! Dessert was a lovely chewy pistachio peppered meringue topped with hand-whipped cream, banana slices, cinnamon and some left over slivered almonds. Belissimo!

Halloween in Holland

Anke's Dutch boyfriend, Mike, has come home from working 17 months in the States to stay. To live, actually. With Anke.

To disguise her excitement of seeing Mike for longer than 2 weeks at a time (actually, every morning, evening and weekend - possibly forever!), Anke threw a Halloween dinner party for her man on Saturday. A couple of days later than the real day, but no worries.

The funniest thing was that on Saturday morning Anke had just flown in from India after a few days business work over there and Mike had arrived only a few hours after her. When they finally got to Eindhoven, Anke dragged a jetlagged Mike all over town to find beer, wine, chippies, a whole pumpkin and various other party food. And he didn't cotton on. Not for a moment. Until four of us turned up!

Anke went all out, goed gedaan meid! Oooooooh! A tasty pumpkin and mince stew served with steamed rice followed by a merry pumpkin faced butter cake. Yummo!

See Mike here, very happy to be surrounded by girls so happy to see him!

Who's my little buttercupcake?

Domestic bliss. To wear the pants. To assert the pressure of one's thumb.

This afternoon I was about to head out for a coffee with a friend in town, after having prepared a batch of simply delicious cupcakes (pictured). I said to my hubby, as I walked past him and his friend who were laying the floor in our campervan which was parked outside of the house - "Enjoy afternoon tea. I hope you enjoy the surprise I left you in the loungeroom." And sure enough, I had set up a tray with two cups, two teaspoons, two plates, two forks, two napkins, milk, sugar and 4 cupcakes - two for each boy. Yes, indeed. Afternoon tea with home made cupcakes, clearly for two.

But all Eddie remembered from earlier in the day was that I couldn't find the right frosting recipe and had had to make a second visit to the supermarket and that I was in a panic over the quality of the cupcakes with which I wanted to surprise our niece, 4 year old Sanne at her birthday party scheduled tomorrow. Eddie's dutiful husband ears heard "I'm off for afternoon tea. Whatever you do, don't eat what's in the loungeroom."

So he didn't. Eddie's friend was offered not one, but two cups of coffee. In the loungeroom. They boys chatted and drank their coffee from cups Ed had taken fresh from the cupboard, and not from the tray in the loungeroom.

More than once, Youre commented on the afternoon tea that had been set up, replete with cupcakes, saying how delicious they appeared. Edwin looked at them nervously and didn't dare to call me to check if they were "allowed to eat them." (Ed's words). He thought a) it was silly to be so scared of his wife and b) it would be too embarrassing to have to ask my permission while Youre was listening. So he made the sensible decision and opted to admire the tray set out for two with Youre, while they both secretly salivated and nursed their lonely cups of coffee accompanied only by stale biscuits (store bought last week - blah).

When I got home, the first thing I noticed was the uneaten cupcakes.

The cupcakes I'd prepared for the boys to reward them for their campervan floor-laying afternoon.

The extra cupcakes which I'd made in addition to my surprise-for-4-year-old-Sanne.

The cupcakes that had made me late for my own afternoon tea in town.

I couldn't speak for about 30 minutes. And then I just couldn't stop laughing.

What a darling, my little buttercup buttercupcake, my Eddie.

Nanowrimo 2007

Yes, I'm doing it again, writing a short novel of 50,000 words in the month of November (National Novel Writing Month). It took me 2 1/2 hours to write 1932 words, but maybe I'll get faster as I go.

On average I have to write 1667 words per day, and I have half of November off before I start my job. After 15 November I will probably spend the last two weekends in November churning out 8,000 words a day, which is what I did last year anyway.




I like my novel. It's sort of dark, but not really (hehe) and it has a plot, unlike my meandering mess of a novel from last year. I can't remember what it was called, except that a main character in it was a tree. Yes. But, at least I have already written my first novel and I am quite enjoying this RSI inducing experience so far.

1. 1932 words (and 48068 words and 29 days to go)
2. 4288 words (and 45712 words and still 29 days to go)
3. 7198 words (and 42802 words and 28 days to go)