Hilarity, spending and saving

A Twitter friend retweeted this video of Steven Jacobs, a morning show weather presenter, being "attacked" by a big chook last night. I watched it at bedtime, which was foolish because I couldn't stop laughing, even when I was just thinking about it. All that laughing made me too overstimulated to sleep. 

I watched it again this morning at work and giggled to myself like a nutter. I can't even explain why I find it so hysterical, but I do. I think it might be the flailing.

I lost a lens from my glasses when I was in Brisbane and I have only just got around to getting it replaced (I have spares obviously). I was pleasantly surprised that it only cost me $60. My health insurance paid about half of the cost, which I wasn't expecting because I'd already claimed for lenses this year.  Pretty happy about that. 

I went also went to Priceline on my lunch break to buy some pressed powder because I had used up every last crumb of what I had, and it was 50 per cent off. Wooh! I also stocked up on one of my skincare essentials and it was 20 per cent off. I'm spaving left, right and centre today (spaving = spending + saving). 

Good timing, goofy laugh, no boss

This morning

There's been more wet and windy weather about today, but I timed my comings and goings perfectly. I arrived at an appointment this morning just before heavy rain pelted down, and I got home tonight after pilates minutes before the wind whipped up again. 

My pilates instructor has a goofy laugh that makes me laugh too. 

My boss wasn't interstate today - dang! -  but he will be tomorrow and Wednesday. Wooh!

JBPM: day 20

Dan the nursery cat

He looks stern, but Dan was friendly and enjoyed my pats. His owner at the Glasshaus nursery in Richmond said a lot of people take his photo and post it to Instagram, so maybe he's tired of posing for the snaparazzi. It must be tiresome being a celebrity. 

I think it's funny and a bit odd when people give their pets human names. My family had neighbours once who called their dog, a collie, Kirsty. I wondered if they had a child would they call it Lassie. (They didn't. They had three boys.) 

I cooked three recipes from Pinterest for dinner tonight. Three! New dishes I haven't made before, too -  lime and coconut chicken, avocado and coriander rice, and a mixed berry cobbler. The cobbler wasn't quite right - it didn't rise much, for some reason, and it was a little well done around the edges  - but it was yummy, especially with a generous dollop of whipped cream.  

Speaking of food, I had the blueberry pancakes with lemon curd and creme fraiche at Moth to a Flame for brunch again today. SO good. It was accompanied by the perfect hot chocolate too.  

Luke is watching funny videos on YouTube and roaring with laughter. I have been laughing at him laughing. He has one laugh that goes "HAAA-HAAAH!" that I find particularly amusing. 

Breaking through, squawking, laughing

It was a gloomy (but mild) afternoon in Melbourne. It felt a little ominous, like the calm before the storm, but so far no rain has fallen.  As I was walking home, the sun weakly and briefly broke through the clouds before disappearing again.  

As I was crossing Morell Bridge, a cheeky cockatoo landed on top of one of the lamps and started squawking loudly, seemingly at a woman who was standing nearby. It was looking down at her and really letting rip. Maybe it wanted a cracker? She ignored it, but I took a photo.

In between squawks 

Speaking of Morell Bridge, I must remember to tune into ABC1 at 8.30 on Sunday night to watch The Mystery of a Hansom Cab because some of it was filmed near Morell Bridge. The  telemovie is based on the 1886 novel of the same name, which was a best-selling  murder mystery set in Melbourne. (I haven't read it.)

***

I forgot to mention something funny Luke said to me the other night. I haven't laughed so much in ages. In fact, I didn't just laugh; I guffawed. 

Luke (snuggling up to me): You know what you smell like?

Me: No, what?

Luke: A cricket bat.

Me: Bahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha etc. 

(For the record, what he could smell  was rose hip oil, not linseed oil, which cricketers used to use (and possibly still use) to condition their bats.)

***

Here's a little something for the word nerds among you. 

Giggling, list writing and manicuring

My friend sent me a video of her seven-month-old, Thomas, (one of my 'nephews') having a fit of giggles yesterday. It's impossible not to laugh along with him. He almost looks like he's putting it on, such is his enthusiasm. So cute and funny.  

I wrote a list of things to pack for my New York trip today. I wasn't feeling mentally ready for the trip, but now I feel a little more prepared. Love a good list.

I dislike having long fingernails, but I really like that fresh (DIY) manicured feeling.

Ducks and fairies and funny words

It was such a beautiful, mild sunny day when I set foot out of my flat this afternoon I stood on my front steps, and almost flung my arms wide and said "Aaaaaaah!" to the world.

As I walked to the end of my court it hit me again that I am going to get to stay in my flat for another year and I couldn't help grinning like a loony. Then I crunched some very crispy leaves on the footpath and felt very, very happy.

I had a nice sleep in this morning, although I woke up with my handbag on the floor beside the bed, which is not where it usually lives. Sleep walking again...

I saw a funny little flotilla of ducks on the river as I crossed the bridge today. Don't usually see ducks swimming in formation on the river (above).

In the park on the other side of the river I saw a very large specimen of what my brother and I used to call a fairy when we were kids (below). It was nearly as big as the palm of my hand. Did you used to pick them and blow away the fluffy bits and make a wish? I might have done that if there weren't any people around...

When I came back past later in the afternoon, the big fairy was gone! Gone! It was quite a windy day. I hope Mr Wind made a wish.

My wordy

I learned some interesting words playing Free Rice at work yesterday. Two of them fall into that category of words that sound like they should mean the opposite of what they do (like pulchritude).

Sybaritic means luxurious, but it sounds to me like it should mean scabby or infested with lice or something similarly icky.

Fulgurous means dazzling, but I reckon it sounds like it means something like "bearing fungus". "My, what a fulgurous smile you have!" doesn't sound very complimentary, does it?

Other words I learnt -

* to crepitate is to crackle. I ate some pop rocks this week that made my brain crepitate.

* a bleb is a bubble. Blowing blebs just doesn't have the same ring to it. Sounds like a euphemism for farting.

My next book...

For any word lovers - or people who love word lovers - here is a book I read about in the latest Readers Feast Bookstore Book Guide today - Foyle's Philavery by Christopher Foyle. "Philavery is 'an idiosyncratic collection of uncommon and pleasing words'." I must have it. I'm crepitating with anticipation. There is also a follow up called Foyle's Further Philavery, which is quite a tongue twister, isn't it?

Blog drinks

I went to a great new bar in the city last night called Seamstress (new to me, I mean). There was a cute bartender with a sexy accent and a nice breeze coming through open windows. The walls were painted dark and the ceiling draped with Asian-style fabric. A row of colourful Cheong-Sams hung over the bar. I met up with some people from the Ask Sam blog again. There were some new faces and some familiar ones. I particularly enjoyed catching up with Karma again, who is very kind and lovely, not least because she thinks I'm funny! Hello Karma if you're reading! (We have a tendency to keep calling each other by our blog de plumes.)

Speaking of being funny, like most people, I love to have a laugh, but I realised while lying face down on my osteopath's table a few weeks back that I love it even more when I make someone laugh. I was chatting away to him about stuff and he laughed out loud at a couple of things I said. It was thrilling! If only I were funny enough to make a living out of it....

I should stop here. Oh, just one more thing. Mmmmm....chocolate gelati.

Got any funny/peculiar words for me? What will your next book purchase be? Do you like to make people laugh?