About Me
I live in Western Australia, near the water, in the city. I like to wander about. I love my family and friends. I read when I can, write when I can, take photos and hope for the best.
"When, however, I look over the hints and memorandums I have taken down ... my heart almost fails me at finding how my idle humor has led me aside ..."
Washington Irving
'The Author's Account of Himself'
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon
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Weblog Feed
Blogs I Read
- me, my life + infrastructure
- urban creature
- Benjamin Solah's Blog
- Free Beer
- Papertrap.net
- Monday Sunset
- an evening with Andrew
- One Dog Said To The Other
- Ruminations
- Librarians Matter
- Abstract Gourmet
- Tama Leaver dot Net
- The Journey
- enter the goatlady
- Rachel from Minti
- Clique Communications Blog
- Freo Stencils
- Double Half
- The Not So Secret Life of Simone
- RetGen
Whatever takes my fancy...
Reference Section
On Line Activities
In the Age of the Automobile - and nothing has shaped our culture like the motor car - there have been many great drivers but only one great passenger.
Tom Robbins
Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Accomplished
deanne is a double agent living in calgary
deanne is currently the choreography team leader of the crosstown harmony chorus
deanne is president of on the go
deanne is a lovely soft spoken mambera who has a passion for dancing
deanne is a talented photographer who is passionate about weddings
deanne is right
deanne is her guide dog
deanne is a licensed food handler and a proud member of the personal chefs network
deanne is quite awesome and friendly
deanne is a known port of call to some 4
deanne is to increase the attention given to eye donor awareness month
deanne is writing her first feature
deanne is like all my favorite 80's adjectives rolled up into one
deanne is country with attitude
Deanne typed her name into Googlism. And I am country with attitude.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Stupid Itchy Fake Blogs
Weird, I just typed 'retinitis pigmentosa' into Technorati to see who else is blogging about RP. The first page of results contained mostly blog entries headed 'Foundation Fighting Blindness' and a description of that organisation. Each blog referring to the FFB actually linked to a page called 'injury attorney: information about blindness'. Each blog I checked out was hosted at Blogspot, used the same design template and was named after the supposed author - for example, Deanne Ferris's blog or Joe Blogg's blog. Each profile I checked gave the number of posts as n/a. The blogs gave information about other organisations only to link to injury attorney's site about that organisation or a related topic. Only the links didn't work for me in Opera. I hope I'm not an idiot who now has a virus/trojan/some other awful problem with her computer. Via J-Walk Blogs entry 'Ads In Blogs' I discovered that someone mentioned this in a comment to the article 'The revolution will be commercialized' (kottke.org, 19 October 2004).
The fake blogs make it difficult to find actual blogs discussing subjects of interest, at least using Technorati. They also use the names of real, in this case non-profit, organisations such as the Foundation Fighting Blindness to misdirect web surfers. And it means my genuine blog doesn't rank very well!
If I remember, I may look into this a bit more later.
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The fake blogs make it difficult to find actual blogs discussing subjects of interest, at least using Technorati. They also use the names of real, in this case non-profit, organisations such as the Foundation Fighting Blindness to misdirect web surfers. And it means my genuine blog doesn't rank very well!
If I remember, I may look into this a bit more later.
Animals On The Move
Rosie skipped home on a leash today after someone almost ran her over. Time for our footloose pet to live a quieter life in the backyard with the skinks, a feral rabbit and Rip.
A tiger snake swam by Ripper in the Blackwood at Jalbarragup on Monday. Andrew threw a stick into the river and then spotted what he thought was a very fast-moving duck on the water. The snake had clearly-marked stripes and kept swimming, checking out the disturbance caused by Ripper from a low tree branch before swimming on. Meanwhile, Mum took a fancy to a flower with a pink, purple and white puffball head. There are two other pics along with the pink flower pic, so it might be a bit slow to download.
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A tiger snake swam by Ripper in the Blackwood at Jalbarragup on Monday. Andrew threw a stick into the river and then spotted what he thought was a very fast-moving duck on the water. The snake had clearly-marked stripes and kept swimming, checking out the disturbance caused by Ripper from a low tree branch before swimming on. Meanwhile, Mum took a fancy to a flower with a pink, purple and white puffball head. There are two other pics along with the pink flower pic, so it might be a bit slow to download.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Beyond Me
It's a big ocean we share. Wikipedia's 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake entry provides information about each country affected directly and indirectly by the earthquake near Sumatra and the resulting tsunamis.
'WA feels tsunami aftermath' (The Age, 28 December, 2004) and 'WA baby swept away in tsunami' (The West Australian 28 December, 2004) tell just a little of how the earthquake has affected West Australians so far.
The article by Karen Middleton in The West concludes with a quote from the head of Italy's National Geophysics Institute Enzo Boschi, who said the earth's rotation was affected by the quake: "All the planet is vibrating."
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'WA feels tsunami aftermath' (The Age, 28 December, 2004) and 'WA baby swept away in tsunami' (The West Australian 28 December, 2004) tell just a little of how the earthquake has affected West Australians so far.
The article by Karen Middleton in The West concludes with a quote from the head of Italy's National Geophysics Institute Enzo Boschi, who said the earth's rotation was affected by the quake: "All the planet is vibrating."
Monday, December 27, 2004
End Of Year Changes
Spent way too long re-designing my blog. I changed it because:
The spring green and silver colours are a little cool, I like warmer colours better, so maybe this'll be a temporary change. I also added a few accessibility aids but probably not enough. I just kinda started changing a few colours and the next thing I knew I was adding accesskeys and invisible navigation links. Which may or may not work.
While I updated, I tried to think about the subject matter of my blog but it was too hard to summarise for a description. Well, not that hard - family, friends, public transport, reading, writing, facts I've just learnt (actually, I usually shut down the computer without blogging because I spent too long searching for the answers to questions I've thought important to answer - so now I link to Wikipedia etc so that you can do that whenever you visit and I haven't updated) and sometimes the environment, health and where I've stopped for coffee.
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- I didn't like the burgundy header clashing with the purple sidebar
- I thought maybe the name Inattentive might indicate that I am unobservant and thoughtless rather than just away with the fairies.
- I discovered via Google that someone else's blog is called Inattentive.
- The author of the other Inattentive blog has an actual diagnosis of Inattentive-type ADD.
- Secretly, I knew I would never rid myself of the Dee's Wonky Window name. It just won't go, it loves me. Hopefully my actual window on the world will stick around even longer.
- I wanted to add a link to ezzanrod and the other blogs I check out regularly and which are updated.
- Erin's changed the appearance of her blog three times in as many entries. Two can play at this game!
The spring green and silver colours are a little cool, I like warmer colours better, so maybe this'll be a temporary change. I also added a few accessibility aids but probably not enough. I just kinda started changing a few colours and the next thing I knew I was adding accesskeys and invisible navigation links. Which may or may not work.
While I updated, I tried to think about the subject matter of my blog but it was too hard to summarise for a description. Well, not that hard - family, friends, public transport, reading, writing, facts I've just learnt (actually, I usually shut down the computer without blogging because I spent too long searching for the answers to questions I've thought important to answer - so now I link to Wikipedia etc so that you can do that whenever you visit and I haven't updated) and sometimes the environment, health and where I've stopped for coffee.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas
Mum and Andrew just finished watching The Grinch That Stole Christmas and it seems that Chrissie is over for another year. Megan made yummy potato salad that somehow ended up in our fridge at the end of the day (cue sneaky mother-other daughter laugh) and both Megan and Callum made yummy chocolate balls with icing and sprinkles or hundreds and thousands on them. Erin tells us she and Rod had a barbie at Coles Bay, poor darlings. Nanna brought along apple pie, her jam cakes, jelly cakes and some lamingtons. Not many jam cakes left. I made a funny rice salad. I don't like rice salad but the red apples I sliced up for it tasted sweet. The wind's come up and my bras blew off the washing line.
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Thursday, December 23, 2004
High, Dark, Down and Dirty
Heidi at me, my life + infrastructure took some cool photos through the windows while travelling via plane ('Look! It's a plane! It's a...blurry photo!', 19 December 2004).
Discovered the darkside of knitting the other day. No, Mum hasn't gone bonkers while knitting Rori another blanket. The darkside of knitting is a blog by a knitting gothic from Launceston, Tasmania. You'd think it'd be more likely that Mum would go bonkers while knitting...
At Lanes of Melbourne, the recently re-named ACDC Lane was blogged by Aaron in October. I should have taken a look when I visited! Although, you'd kinda think AC/DC would have an alley named after them. AC/DC Alley, where dirty business happens at night. Done dirt cheap.
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Discovered the darkside of knitting the other day. No, Mum hasn't gone bonkers while knitting Rori another blanket. The darkside of knitting is a blog by a knitting gothic from Launceston, Tasmania. You'd think it'd be more likely that Mum would go bonkers while knitting...
At Lanes of Melbourne, the recently re-named ACDC Lane was blogged by Aaron in October. I should have taken a look when I visited! Although, you'd kinda think AC/DC would have an alley named after them. AC/DC Alley, where dirty business happens at night. Done dirt cheap.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Seals and Trucks
Erin, you updated your blog! Wow... yes, I do remember you pointing out the seal in Geographe Bay. Twas in mid-May of 2002 (really, I remember a lot of what happened that day). And if you don't turn your bloody phone on for Christmas Day I'm going to be very upset! Mum, Dad and I went Chrissie shopping in Margs today. I ate a spinach, fetta, potato and caramelised onion pastry at the new Good Olive delicatessen. From the Good Olive you can watch the trucks and people with holes in their jeans go by. Megan, Rori and I are hopefully visiting Nanna tomorrow. Will send more pics soon!
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Musical Christmases
Our Christmas CD for 2004 is Neil Young Greatest Hits. There's no enthusiasm for Christmas here at the Ferris's. Especially now that Erin won't be here (ha, Erin knows we never have any enthusiasm for Christmas). I confused myself totally on Monday by writing out my Chrissie cards without writing out a list. That way, I almost forgot my closest friends while remembering people I've met once for a few merry drinks in unlikely places. Then I realised that most of my cards will be late and the recipients will have left to celebrate Christmas away. People from Yenda'll be at Bateman's Bay, someone from the Western Districts of Victoria will be in Brizzie and my Sydney friend's'll be in the Western Districts of Victoria. Why don't I celebrate Christmas away? Next year, I reckon we should. We reckon this every year. Every year we say, "We should go to Carols next year." Yep, Carols with Ray. Well, Chrissie in Melbourne would be good, I'd just have to be back in Perth for New Years' with Gill and Judith. Or heavens above, I could do something different for New Years' as well! Nah... just kidding.
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Friday, December 17, 2004
Popeye
I squealed and hid my eyes today. A kangaroo looked a lot like he might just keep bounding through the bush and into the path of our 4WD. A little further along, I saw a miniature horse (but not her foal). I almost never see either roos or the miniature horses at McLeod Creek from the car, even when someone says 'see the roo?' or 'look at the little horses, aren't they cute?' The spinach risotto must have worked.
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Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Lunching
Our book group lunched at the Watershed Winery's café today. We tasted wines (I liked the unwooded chardonnay but I forgot to note the year - actually, I didn't think to note the year and I never do) and I ordered risotto with spinach and yummy basil. I always go for spinach in the hope my eyes will brighten themselves up a bit. The café's situated on a rise, so we looked out over the vineyard and towards the dam. Anytime I'm taken with a view, I take a photo, so if you feel the need to take a virtual trip to Margaret River, you too can see the vineyard and the dam. You'll note we have a very big sky in Western Australia. We do!
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Monday, December 13, 2004
Friendly Faces, Familiar Places
I've just finished reading Nick Earls' The Thompson Gunner, which I picked up from the A & R bookshop at the Perth Railway Station for $12.50. I'm not sure why it was priced at 50% off, I hope there's nothing grubby about it that I didn't notice. The A & R bookshop in Perth's Murray St Mall gets an unnamed mention in the book too.
Despite the issues faced by heroine Meg in her childhood, the novel's light and the characters are so nice! When I was in primary school, I thought maybe all future friends would be nice like that. Maybe because I read too many Trixie Belden mysteries. In fact, reading The Thompson Gunner placed me in the comfy Trixie-reading zone. Which isn't a bad thing - I like that zone.
I wonder if Meg/Nick enjoyed her/his stay in Perth for the comedy/writers festival a year or so ago?
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Despite the issues faced by heroine Meg in her childhood, the novel's light and the characters are so nice! When I was in primary school, I thought maybe all future friends would be nice like that. Maybe because I read too many Trixie Belden mysteries. In fact, reading The Thompson Gunner placed me in the comfy Trixie-reading zone. Which isn't a bad thing - I like that zone.
I wonder if Meg/Nick enjoyed her/his stay in Perth for the comedy/writers festival a year or so ago?
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Doors Closing, Ready Or Not
I saw a woman briefly get snatched in the train doors at Daglish Station last Monday. One stop before, at Shenton Park Station, I boarded after the 'Doors Closing' announcement. I was sure 'Doors Closing' once meant 'Doors closing, stay where you are if you don't want to get stuck.' But if the train driver hasn't waited long enough to let people out before sounding the announcement, then surely it must mean 'Step on board really quick.' Because obviously you'd hardly miss a train you've been waiting ten minutes to catch just because of an automatic announcement. Which is probably what the lady at Daglish was thinking. Fortunately the doors re-opened enough to allow her to step fully into the carriage.
In October I was telling anybody who'd listen that this wouldn't happen in Perth. I can't imagine this happening in Perth, I said after a similar incident in Melbourne, This just wouldn't happen. Perth, of course, being a lovely clean city with talking trains and friendly people.
Melbourne, on the other hand, might be somewhere I'd almost expect a train to take off without me. Which it did. Me and an elderly male passenger wheeling a brown shopping trolley.
We stood at the last carriage - closest to the Bentleigh Station entrance and furthest from the driver. The high-pitched beep beep beeeep signal was given to warn us that the doors were closing before the door was clear of passengers. One woman tried unsuccessfully to hold the doors open and all we could do was stand back and watched the train leave. I was furious.
The old guy looked like it was no big deal and I shouldn't be mad on his behalf. A woman passenger agreed that it wasn't acceptable and said that, in addition, communication with station staff might be a problem due to our differing languages and/or accents. Yeah, yeah. The woman at the station was friendly, took note of the service and my complaint, and called it through to someone.
She didn't sound confident that the complaint would be taken on board by the driver. I guess if he or she can't take on board her or his own passengers... But it's not like he or she is self-employed.
Did I mention that you don't have to read all of this? That if you're a happy type of train driver that picks up all your passengers you can e-mail me with reassurances about transport safety? That I'm comforted that I'm not the only one blogging about the short comings of public transport? Check out Live at the Third Rail if you don't believe me.
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In October I was telling anybody who'd listen that this wouldn't happen in Perth. I can't imagine this happening in Perth, I said after a similar incident in Melbourne, This just wouldn't happen. Perth, of course, being a lovely clean city with talking trains and friendly people.
Melbourne, on the other hand, might be somewhere I'd almost expect a train to take off without me. Which it did. Me and an elderly male passenger wheeling a brown shopping trolley.
We stood at the last carriage - closest to the Bentleigh Station entrance and furthest from the driver. The high-pitched beep beep beeeep signal was given to warn us that the doors were closing before the door was clear of passengers. One woman tried unsuccessfully to hold the doors open and all we could do was stand back and watched the train leave. I was furious.
The old guy looked like it was no big deal and I shouldn't be mad on his behalf. A woman passenger agreed that it wasn't acceptable and said that, in addition, communication with station staff might be a problem due to our differing languages and/or accents. Yeah, yeah. The woman at the station was friendly, took note of the service and my complaint, and called it through to someone.
She didn't sound confident that the complaint would be taken on board by the driver. I guess if he or she can't take on board her or his own passengers... But it's not like he or she is self-employed.
Did I mention that you don't have to read all of this? That if you're a happy type of train driver that picks up all your passengers you can e-mail me with reassurances about transport safety? That I'm comforted that I'm not the only one blogging about the short comings of public transport? Check out Live at the Third Rail if you don't believe me.
Reconsiderate
Okay, so it seems a little hypocritical for a blogger to laugh at Christmas newsletters. Especially a blogger who wants to share that learning the symbols keys in Mavis Beacon reminds her of the scene in The Blues Brothers when Jake and Elwood get hit about the heads by Sister Mary Stigmata. The more they swear, the more she hits them, the more they swear, the more I can't ()&(Y* hit the right symbol keys. See?
And, by the way, you don't have to read this. You don't have to respond (although you could comment any time you like - provided you're signed up to Blogger). This doesn't have to be a one-way (see how I got that dash in there first time?) communication. You can e-mail!
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And, by the way, you don't have to read this. You don't have to respond (although you could comment any time you like - provided you're signed up to Blogger). This doesn't have to be a one-way (see how I got that dash in there first time?) communication. You can e-mail!
And By The Way, Merry Christmas
Last year I received a Christmas e-mail full of news about a family I didn't know very well. Of course I wasn't the only recipient and I didn't have a newsletter to send in return. What to do?
Today I remembered this particular Christmas e-mail after reading 'Good tidings we bring ...' by Simon Hoggart in The Guardian (11 December 2004). Guardian readers know what to do with 'round robin Christmas newsletters' - they send them into Simon Hoggart, who has compiled a book. If the article's anything to go by, the book should be a hoot and the perfect antidote to other people's perfectly lettered lives.
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Today I remembered this particular Christmas e-mail after reading 'Good tidings we bring ...' by Simon Hoggart in The Guardian (11 December 2004). Guardian readers know what to do with 'round robin Christmas newsletters' - they send them into Simon Hoggart, who has compiled a book. If the article's anything to go by, the book should be a hoot and the perfect antidote to other people's perfectly lettered lives.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Viewing
Andrew thinks the priest did it.
The priest that was on with Susan?
Yeeaahhh.
Lassiters burnt down on Neighbours! I can't believe it... I don't think it's ever burnt down before but then I don't watch too often.
Mum and I spotted a hired Mercedes campervan parked in the main street of Augusta this evening. We chatted before we ordered fish and chips and Mum wondered aloud what they were doing eating dinner in the street, at the campervan table, with knives and forks. If you can be bothered with knives and forks, wouldn't you drive 100 metres down to the river and the town jetty, or five minutes away to the foreshore at Colour Patch, or the ocean? From their spot in the mainstreet they could see a few closed shops and the building site for the new supermarket.
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The priest that was on with Susan?
Yeeaahhh.
Lassiters burnt down on Neighbours! I can't believe it... I don't think it's ever burnt down before but then I don't watch too often.
Mum and I spotted a hired Mercedes campervan parked in the main street of Augusta this evening. We chatted before we ordered fish and chips and Mum wondered aloud what they were doing eating dinner in the street, at the campervan table, with knives and forks. If you can be bothered with knives and forks, wouldn't you drive 100 metres down to the river and the town jetty, or five minutes away to the foreshore at Colour Patch, or the ocean? From their spot in the mainstreet they could see a few closed shops and the building site for the new supermarket.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Beary Merry
We saw a bear last Friday on our way through to Bunbury. The bear was wearing a Christmas hat and swinging his or her arms about outside the gate at Atelier Jewellery in Karridale. Karridale's a rural locality, so the costume bear came as a surprise. The bear waved excitedly when it saw us coming and so we waved and laughed and felt all festive.
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Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Typing Tips To Ponder
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing on our computer now. My fingers waggle a lot when I type but I hope Mavis'll get me into the swing of things (or the swong of things, depending on whether I can use the backspace or not). Since I installed her, every time I return from boiling the kettle for a cup of tea or a trip to the toilet, a little box obscures the screen to let me know I should stretch my arms or rest my eyes. Then I'm not sure whether maybe I stretched my arms in the kitchen, or rested my eyes in the toilet and wonder if perhaps I should rotate my eyes clockwise, or not.
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Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Trussed Up
Andrew is sleeping in the study and building the trusses for his shed. Therefore, this is all I have time to blog.
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