blogging, 101

Hey, I just realised this my 101th post on Boring History Girl. I'm not sure if that's too many, or not enough for the time I've had this blog running, but there you have it.

I wish I had something interesting to say on this momentous occasion. In reality I am sitting in my office, knowing that I should be working on a job application, or a course report, but I am just surfing around looking at rubbish, while watching others drive the streets looking at rubbish. Yes, this week is hard rubbish collection in my suburb, and the scavengers are out in force. I put out a whole heap of old venetian blinds and bits and pieces from the back of my garden, but after only a few hours this is all that is left


I'm not sure what criteria those scavengers who have already visited are employing, but for some reasons these slabs of painted aluminium and a rusty old pot plant holder did not meet with their approval. hopefully by the time I wake tomorrow, they will be gone, because I'd much rather someone used them for something, or sold them onto someone who will use them for something that have them sit in landfill.

And it's funny, because it's actually illegal to remove all of this junk - the council owns it! It must be one of the most regularly broken laws in the kingdom. I guess the council sells some of it on too, but you'd think that the cost of collecting it all, and then the cost of dumping what can't be reused would make them grateful that other people are out there making the most of it. I have a couple of tables and a garden bench thanks to hard rubbish week. I should probably get in the car now and go for a drive in fact. But I shan't, I shall sit here and not do my work instead. I need to do laundry and change the kitty litter, but I have no motivation for even these most classic of procrastination tools.

I wonder what's on TV right now... ... ... sigh.... ... ...

who ate all the pies?

Short answer: I did.

My love of pies is legendary. And there is a new home of the pie (title previously held by Cafe de Vilis, South Road, Mile End)

In the Adelaide Hills is the small town of Hahndorf, settled by German migrants, fleeing religions persecution in their home land, in 1839. Today Hahndorf is a tourist mecca, flooded with men in leiderhosen trying to flog off huge steins of beer and bratwurst and sauerkraut to hoards from Japan and the Philippines, along with sheep wool ugg boots, scented candles, and 'my brother went to Hahndorf and all I got was this lousy t-shirt' t-shirts. It truly is horrendous.

But in the middle of the main street, just past the fifth ompah band, is Pot Belly Pies.

This particular one is lamb, rosemary and mint. The pastry is divine, and the contents cooked with obviously love and care. I've had sterling reports about the beef and Guinness as well as the steak and mushroom varieties. There's also a chicken and cranberry I'd be keen to try.

sprung

It's not that I don't love winter, lordy knows, and lordy knows we all love the rain, I'm mean really, really, really love the rain. It could rain for another 10 years and the whole country would rejoice (rain, not flood!)...

.... however! The blossom in my neighbours front garden, and the daffs in mine (which I shan't photograph because there is no way of disguising the weeds), indicates that longer days and less night time freezing is on the way.

If only it could rain all day, fine up for my ride home and be cold, but not freezing at night, I'd be in heaven.

On a far more solemn note, today is 11 September. Seven years on, here in Australia, it's kinda easy to not realise just what the date is. And I am by no means saying that thousands, and thousands of people have not died in really, really shitty ways since them. Some of these deaths are the active responsibility of my government, and others' governments.

Someone who is probably in a better position to comment, is Marilla at Cupcake Rehab. Marilla not only bakes up scrummy looking cakes (I nick her recipes regularly), has the best eyebrows in cyberspace and fantastic gear for sale, but is a NYC resident, and she seems like she's got her head screwed on straight.

And I notice she's an Obama supporter. Now, I don't claim to understand all the details of the upcoming American election. I don't even claim to understand how their election system works. But I know this. Our previous PM espoused fear, hatred, war and economic growth at the expensive of those who were not in a position to defend themselves. He ignore what western nations were doing to the environment. He ignored the right that the original owners of the land we now all call home have to dignity and self determination. He ignored the voice of the people.

And it cost him.

And we danced and whooped and laughed. I was with 4,000 strangers the night of the election, and the feeling, amongst this diverse group of people was one of hope and happiness. All is not suddenly roses in old Oz. But mercy, Kevin '07 has taken steps that allow me not to be ashamed of my own country.

So if you have the opportunity to chose who represents you in the world, anywhere in the world - PLEASE!!! think about it. Don't put a tick in the same box you always do. Think how you, and your children, and your children's children, will have to justify the actions of this person you chose to represent you.

Don't be afraid of change, or the harder option, or the uncertain!!! Everything must change.

toast update

I know you're all wondering what I've been having on my toast. So I though I'd bring you this little duo.
on toasted Turkish bread. On the left we have savoury mince (with lots of carrot and celery, the way I like it!) with stripe of Rosella's best. On the right scrambled eggs. I must admit that I do kick-arse scrambled eggs. I'd rather have mine that go out most of the time (although I don't put cream in like many places do, in respect for my thighs). the eggs have well placed spots of HP.

*sigh*... bliss....

you're not going to eat that are you?

I found this while wondering around today, on Desperately Seeking Crab (great name). The list below was done up by a guy from Britain called Andrew Wheeler. It's a list of what he thinks all omnivores should eat once in their life. Some of them are great. some of them are gross. some of them I will be googling in about 10 minutes to work out what the hell they are.

Here’s what to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating (I need to work out how to do this using blogger).
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black Pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich (I think it's fair to say Australians don't eat these)
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (again, not an Australian thing)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle ('fraid to say, I don't understand what the fuss is about)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (why?!)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters (seafood makes me gag)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi (but I prefer sweet!)
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (but only if you count the ones that fly in by accident when i'm riding)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (in Switzerland. I was sooooo drunk)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (you can get them on the east coast, but not Adelaide. hey it's a doughnut. Give me a jam doughnut from the Royal Adelaide Show any day!)
50 Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (many, many moons ago. oh, the shame)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (well, absinthe, not sure what brand it was)
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (but I have a funny road kill story, remind me to tell you one day)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (I take it this is a brand. is it like a mince pie? I hate mince pies)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers (zucchini flowers stuffed with blue cheese. and sugared violets. and rose petals. and nasturtium salad)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate (but I've had Haighs)
91. Spam (Maybe, I remember a can being in the pantry when I was young. i guess someone ate it)
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

I'm afraid I've only just made it over the half way mark. I couldn't work out how to cross through but there's a lot of fish or seafood on this list. Fish makes me vomit. literally. I'm a big fan of squid and octopus (as long as it's not stewed), but most other types of seafood inspire repulsion or apathy. There's also some stuff that I don't think you can get in Australia, like hotdogs from a street vendor, or Hostess Fruit Pies. Then again, horse butchers are a bit thin on the ground - I had horse when I briefly lived in France. So I'm going to go to wikipaedia and work out what I can/wish to add to my list.

Let me know if you do this, so that I can come and check it out!