Not quite magic.

I've heard a number of friends talk about the fact that they catch up on Google Talk, so I thought I'd install it, then... abracadabra... I'd be able to chat online.

Not quite that simple.

After downloading, then fixing the anti-virus hiccup, then downloading, then establishing a separate gmail account in order to delete the new gmail account in order to register, then entering a couple of friends' addresses so that they exist in Google Talk for me. And now, two days later I haven't found anyone online anyway and so I'm left wondering if:-

a) no-one wants to talk to me, and me not being on Google Talk was a ploy to explain why they were always talking and I wasn't invited

b) their Google Talk doesn't have me listed, so they don't know I'm waiting for them to come on line so that I can talk to them.

c) it is technology. Of course it wasn't going to be simple. What was I thinking?!?

The chances that this post makes me seem anything other than a paranoid technophobe?

... Not going there!

Infrustructure...

(Noun) The name of the feeling that overtakes drivers when the government hasn't ensured timely construction of road infrastructure.

Okay, so I made that up. My inspiration came from a board in a coffee shop. All coffee shops should employ at least one staff member who passed senior English. Or can read English. Or has had some exposure to English at some point during his/her life.

That said, I will give them credit where it's due. There were no grocer's apostrophes. None. Well done, coffee shop chalk board writer!

Now to find a dictionary to help them with the half-dozen other mistakes.

We had the meeting of the Axe Wielding Murderers Inc. on Thursday and it was great. Emily Sue then came here for two nights and then this afternoon headed back to Givinya's for a few nights until she leaves Queensland.

It's good to know that all cyber space people are not either figments of my imagination, or psychotic. And now she knows that Queensland is not just a fictional place where all the characters from southern soapies go when they leave the show. Win-win really.

And the chance that, having just been a bit catty about the standard of English at one particular coffee shop, there are no errors in my text?

... Approximately None!

Emily Sue - put down the red pen!

Axe-Wielding Murderers Inc.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow so much.



It will be the inaugral meeting of Axe-Wielding Murderers Inc.



Or at least that's for all Emily Sue knows.



You see, our southern bloggy buddy is coming (actually has already come) to Queensland to meet some of us. For all she knows we're psychotic. Let's meet the players, shall we?



There's Crazy Sister. Bit of a clue there in her name. She has an acknowledged relationship with flame that has been well documented on her blog. She also mentions handcuffs. Enough said.



There's Swift Jan who admits to extensive training with sharp implements. She says it's because she's a hair-dresser.



There's Givinya. Now she says she's a speech pathologist, and we've pretended that we met at a university residential college. Who knows, really. I can tell you that she once SMSed me about storing murdered bodies in the void under my kitchen bench.



Then there's me. I've tried to pretend I'm a 30-something woman who works as a pastor in my church. All sweetness and light. Who's to say that I'm not a 57 year old man called Bernard with a fetish for cat-lovers? After all, when asked what my favourite office equipment was during a getting to know you exercise I once answered with much enthusiasm and a dark tone, "the shredder!". No-one was too friendly after that. I'm not certain why.



But now I think about it, what's to say that Emily Sue is all she seemed in cyber-space?



... Approximately Nothing!



And there would have been links within this text if parts of my computer hadn't tried to crash after a monumental "Graze" related confusion. Thankfully blogger automatically saved this tripe for your reading pleasure. How lucky are you?

Tee, Hee.

So I've done it!

I've applied for a University degree.

Now we'll see if they want me.

And how unhappy would I be if they rejected me out of hand?

... Well, I probably would be, you know.

Tears

I found out yesterday that friends of ours from our old stomping ground lost their baby grandaughter in a freakish accident.

My heart cries out for them, and for their son and daughter-in-law and all the family in this time of grief.

My heart cries out at the injustice that their son's home is considered a crime scene until the time when the authorities decide that it was definitely an accident.

I hope that their son can know that it wasn't his fault.

I hope that the family can come together to grieve with and support each other.

The chance that my heart isn't very heavy today?

... Approximately None.

Indecision...

I am not good at making decisions.

I was awake for a couple of hours last night second-guessing my misguided desire to do more study.

I have always wanted to do more God-related study. I don't know if I really should say "more" because I've really done very little, but I've always thought when I hear of someone studying Theology, "you are so lucky!".

I've finally managed to separate studying theology and becoming a minister in my mind, which means that I can study without feeling guilty if I don't actually do anything with it. I know that I work as a Pastor (which may mean Minister to some of you anyway), but my role has very set boundaries and I'm qualified for the parts of the pastoral work that are in my job description. But I'm feeling that I need more knowledge and some different perspectives to be better at this role, even if I never want to do all the stuff that a regular minister does.

So, a Bachelor of Theology sounds like a wonderful idea and I love the sound of some of the units on offer. BUT 24 subjects is a big committment. I don't see how I could fit more than one subject at a time into my life without neglecting my Beloved, my work, or the state of cleanliness in my abode. This means that for the next 12 years I lose my nights and weekends. Hang on, I already lose nights and weekends in my work. How is that going to work?!

I could knock it off in 6 years if I could manage 2 subjects at a time. But that's a huge comittment of time over a significant period. I don't know how people manage it.

But I'd love to have the opportunity to study.

And the Federal Government will help fund the subjects if I do them as part of a course, rather than picking off one-off subjects. That's very nice of them.

But it is a very long time comittment. I will miss much television. Oh, that's right, there's very little worth watching on it anyway, so maybe not really a sacrifice.

But I want to learn more.

But I like having time to spend hanging out with my Beloved.

But there's some really good units that sound interesting.

But there are weeks when I entirely lose my drive, or I get a cold and don't feel like doing anything much.

And I need to make a decision this weekend if I want to do a subject this coming semester.

The chance that I'm certain about what I should do?

... Approximately None!

A Letter From Grandma

I have no inspiration today, so:-

This picture is for Jenny - drawn by Uncle John (Not Auntie!). This is Grandma and Grandad playing tennis at Sherwood.

See, my Grandma used to cheat, too.

The liklihood of having both inspiration and time enough to blog on the one day?

... Approximately None