Most of you will, by now, know that Liam and I have procured ourselves a cat. But I feel that, seen as he's a new member of the household and incredibly wonderful to have around, it's only right to dedicated quite a lot of this entry to him. I apologise in advance if I'm turning into one of those people who can only talk about their pets and nothing else!
So, it was the 11th of June and I had finally talked Liam into visiting the RSPCA shelter to see about getting a cat. We hadn't intended on actually getting one that day, but just have a look and see how we felt. I had looked online before visiting where they have all the cats profiled in terms of personality etc. So I had made a list of the ones I thought might suit us. Most of them, I admit, were ginger cats (A lot of you will know I have a thing for red-heads!). But there was one long-haired silver tabby that seemed cool called Mushu (what a name!). Once we arrived at the really lovely and open shelter that provides these cats with so much attention and love, we sought out those cats I had my eye on. Mushu was nowhere to be found, so we assumed he had been adopted already. Weep! After spending hours playing and cuddling many a wonderful cat, we found our silver beauty hiding under a basket having a snooze! Once we saw him, and cuddled him (he was all up for the cuddles from the word go!) we knew this was our guy and ended up getting him there and then! The lovely RSPCA guy told us his last owners had surrendered him as they were moving over-seas (a terrible reason to give up a pet, we're bring him home so get ready to meet him!). We learnt, to our absolute horror, that he was originally named Borris! That has to be animal cruelty right? The RSPCA renamed him Mushu but we didn't think that either of these names suited him. Before the day was out we had settled on the name Oscar feeling this suited him wonderfully. I have since learnt that the Celtic origin of this name is 'jumping fighter' which is also quite apt!
Once we got him home, the curiosity switched was flipped on and Oscar began to explore his new home. Here he is taking his first leap into the mad house!
The only down side to Oscar is that he's an early riser and at the weekend he sits outside our bedroom door and meows for literally as long as it takes for us to get up! We just started leaving the door open so he can come and see that we're comatose and not in the mood to play fetch! The only other thing is that he has come with a few minor health problems that have required a few vet visits but he's on the mend and in great form. He has to get some teeth pulled in a couple of months too which will be traumatic but it has to be done. Having a cat aint cheap fyi! But he's wonderful and awesome fun and great company. And also a great excuse to buy toys and scratching posts etc.
In other news ... well there isn't much really! I've had a few interviews that haven't quite worked out but I'm still going. In the mean time I'm writing away and having great fun too. I've signed up for some temping work to keep me going and waiting to hear about a few job possibilities here and there. So we'll see. Liam is well and working away. He adores Oscar and it's very entertaining to watch. He's never had a pet before so it's a bit of a learning curve. Oscar's been on medication almost since we've had him but Liam can't handle giving the tablets to him. He finds it far too traumatising having to scruff a cat and pop a pill into it's mouth. So I take care of that. The one day he had to do it, I found the tablet on the floor the next day! Oscar's sneaky! And Liam is a complete woos! Oh well!
Liam and I went to see the final Harry Potter film during the week. I had been so excited but equally had been dreading it for weeks. It was the end of something that I have grown up with and something that I have depended on for years. I came to realise recently how much it has shaped me, as strange as that may sound. As an aspiring writer it is, for me, the epitome of a children's/young adult story, one that captures your imagination but also looks at basic human themes that we all struggle with. In recent years it has turned into, what some people call, a franchise (I hate that word when used in conjunction with Haryy Potter). For me this has meant people going crazy over the books and movies and the actors but kind of missing the essential wonder of the books themselves. There has been such criticism of the films and of Jo Rowling of late, which has bothered me a lot. We all know the movies are nothing compared to the books, but we also knew they never could be. The wonder of the Harry Potter story lies in Ms Rowling's fabulous ability to write and create a world that feels so possible. The films are a watered down version that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Those who criticise the story based on these movies are as ignorant as anyone can be and painfully neglected of something that has brought so much joy to others.
This final movie was impressive, as far as the movies go, but I felt it lacked some very important, yet subtle, elements. The experience was also less than I had hoped because of the fact that I didn't have my partner in crime with me. Aideen Mc has been my faithful companion to every book launch and movie since I've known her and she was sorely missed last Wednesday. I can't wait to hear what she thinks! For me it was bitter sweet. It was nice to see the story resolved on screen but I also felt that my childhood had been harshly ended as the credits rolled. It is difficult to reconcile myself with the fact that there won't be another book to open or a film to wait in anticipation for. And yet I feel grateful to have been part of that lucky generation that got to grow up with these stories and it's main characters. And so I shall reread the books for many years to come and hope that my children get as much joy out of them as I once did.
Enough sentimental gibberish! Some more Australian observations!
The shortening of words is still intriguing me! It's almost as though syllables cost something so people are trying to be economical! Even the news programmes call politicians 'pollies'! It seems so strange to me but I guess it's part of their vernacular and they wouldn't be the same with out.
Christmas in July is a bit of thing here! Just last night we attended a Christmas in July party hosted by Liam's lovely work colleague Steph. Basically, because the weather's pretty cold here now, it almost feels as though it should be Christmas time. So it is celebrated as we would celebrate it home i.e. with lots of food! Because when the real Christmas comes around it can be up to 40 degrees and everyone hits the beach and the barbies! It's a pretty cool concept but very strange at the same time. Christmas songs and a Christmas tree in July! Bizarre!
Weekend brunch is a big deal. Everyone does it. And it is wonderful I have to say. The Aussies know how to cook breakfast. I usually get Scandinavian eggs which are poached eggs on a bed of english muffins and smoked salmon with a luxourious pouring of hollandaise sauce. Divine but sure to cause heart disease if eaten too frequently!
Well I reckon that's all for now. Love to you all.
Until next time...
