Not duck salad

No ducks were harmed in the making of our dinner tonight, despite the fact that we ate “Crispy Duck Salad”, and “Spicy Fried Rice with Duck”.
We went to the Green Palace in Newtown, which is bloody superb. After a day of hayfever, I probably could have done with less chilli, but it was our own fault (mine mainly) for choosing dishes with more than a modicum of chilli. It’s refreshing to find a Sydney restaurant that actually uses a decent amount of fresh chilli, but we were caught out a little by it.
A selection of tasty fried morsels to start (the mushroom toast wonderful), and a “cleanskin” Pikes Polish Hill Riesling from Vintage Cellars (it’s a very good year for cleanskins, a $20 wine for under $10), a lovely Tom Kha, and the two mains, all for just over $40. And the staff were very smiley (I needed that to counteract today, and the interminable trance chanting “music”).
Buddhism is all well and good, and I am totally and utterly for any religion that advocates peace and non violence to all (humans and non- humans), but please keep the fucking chanting to yourself, and give me back my gin.
But if you feed me good, fresh, clean and intense flavoured food, I can take a bit of chanting with my crispy chilli not duck.
We’ll be going back.

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An Apology !

I eventually got an email from the tech support monkey’s boss, that included the word apologise. I am impressed. They acknowledge that I got the rough end of the pineapple, and they are taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future. Woo Hoo !

In other news, the trip to Vietnam still hasn’t been booked (still not sure if we can take holidays for long enough to make the trip worthwhile – current holidays have us there for less than 2 weeks, which will be very rushed), I have finished another birthday present (unveiling early December), started another one for the same time frame, and procrastinating about starting the last major Christmas project.

Mark is still miserable about school, but he’s going back tomorrow, and hopefully the monsters won’t break him. There is the sound of bunnies munching on fresh hay coming from the living room, and a warm cat at my feet, so I must abed.

And if you haven’t heard, Australia has been having wierd weather. Snow falling on bushfires. Only in Australia. I hope Kate and David are OK.

Oh, and BTW – David interviewed me for the podcast last weekend, so tune in to hear me make a tit of myself in public again.

I can’t talk about it

Work has been pretty stressful, but I can’t talk about it, I am planning a honeymoon to Vietnam, but I don’t know if it’s going to pan out, and I can’t talk about it. Mark has some issues right now, and I can’t talk about it.

I’ve just finished a major project, but I can’t talk about it, because it’s a gift. I also took up a new craft, but I can’t talk about it because it’s a gift.

There’s more, but I can’t talk about it.

So here is a picture of a gorgeous birdie. Peachy.

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Tech Support Monkeys

Apologies if you’re a tech support monkey – rant coming.

I just rang tech support for the company that hosts The Australian Companion Rabbit Society web site. We lost the password for ftp access when Simone’s house caught fire earlier in the year, and I needed to add a stat counter to the site.

I am not the main contact for hosting, but Simone doesn’t have access to a computer on the weekends, so I thought I’d give them a call to see if they could email the password to Simone, and I could log in to her webmail and retrieve the password (because I am not the email contact, I didn’t think email support would work…).

So I rang Michael, who asked a few identifying questions, then told me our hosting package does not include free phone support, and I would have to use email support. I explained the situation, and said that I would be happy to pay if he thought that was the only way – then I asked him if he thought that it was necessary, or if I should try email support, and how long that would take. But he said I’d have to pay for the answer to that question, and hung up on me.

I rang back. The line was a little dodgy, and he hung up on me.

I rang back. He proceeded to rant at me that my phone calls were costing the company money, and that this was the third time I had called, he would have to charge me. He seemed to forget that I had only called three times BECAUSE HE HAD HUNG UP ON ME.

Again, I asked him how long email support would take, and again, he refused to answer on the grounds that I was not paying for technical support (this was after he had informed me that I would be charged regardless). So I said, “Well, if you’ve already charged me, how about giving me some tech support?”. He again asked me to identify myself, and then went off to do some secret nerd stuff, and put me on hold.

While listening to the horrible hold music, I remembered that I had actually updated the site within the last 12 months, and that the password might actually be stored in the Keychain on Sponge Bob the iMac. So I wandered in, accessed the keychain, and found the elusive password.

And hung up on Michael.

Now, as a sometime tech support monkey myself (if I never hear “my ipod’s broken” again it will be too soon, RTFM people), I understand that it’s a tough job. Being polite to morons day in, day out and repeating “is the computer plugged in” would drive most of us spare. But there is no need to behave like a Monty Python skit (“I’m here for an argument” “No you’re not” “well then, why are you arguing with me”) is not very good manners, and a sure sign that your days in tech support are numbered.

I leave you with my favourite tech support joke of all time – the reason why some users are referred to as “12 O’Clock Flashers”.

Click Here. If you ever took a tech support call, you’ll love this.

Undersea delights

One of my customers is a researcher and of seahorses in Sydney Harbour. He is an exraordinarily lovely man, and a very talented photographer. Here is a link to his flickr page, and above is a cephalopod that he photographed in the harbour.

We really do live in an amazing place, and thanks to people like my friend (who was shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition last year), we have beatiful reminders like this.

And here is another cuttlefish (because I am obsessed with cuttlefish). This one is called a “Dumpling Squid”, or a “Pyjama Squid”.

Superb.

On the Lara front, today was full of challenges, and it looks like next week will be chock full.

Lipoma = Good

Dad doesn’t have cancer. At least, not in his throat. Happy Happy Joy Joy. It’s a Lipoma, a fatty tumour which is quite common, and nothing to worry about too much. Another visit to the doctor in 2 months, and hopefully an all clear.

And Kris just informed me that Crocs aren’t content with owning my feet 29 out of 31 days. They want the other 2 days too.

Announcing Crocs Ballet slippers, and Mary Janes.

A personal best

Last time I went swimming, I felt very proud to have done 10 laps. Today I was aiming for 15, but that was an uneven number, so I settled on 16. After 16 I still had some reserves, so I kept going, and made it to 20.

And then I went shopping. I’m so looking forward to being able to buy clothes and feel good about trying them on, but in the meantime, I still need clothes. I bought a couple of dresses that aren’t too horrible, a few tops, and a pair of work pants. And a bra. I won’t admit to what size it is, but it’s a long time since I was a 12b.

So – more swimming, more cooking and eating at home (my food is so much better than takeaway), and maybe this time next year I’ll be buying summer clothes without cringing.