Massage : Questionnaire

Ok, we're back from our massage. When we got there we were given a questionnaire to fill in, asking about skin & hair type, how long you sleep for, what words describe you, etc. that puts you into a category (earth, wind, fire or gold lame)

One of us is FIRE which says "Your nature has a sharp intellectual mind. You have strong views, argue your opinions well and are very ambitious. When balanced you are independent, a great leader, focused and decisive. When out of balance - short-tempered, irritable, showing frustration and angering easily"

The other is EARTH which says "Your nature is stable and holds firmly onto beliefs. You have an excellent long-term memory. When balanced you are caring, dependable, calm and function best with a solid routine. When out of balance - sluggish, tired and resistant to change.""

Guess who matched which description.....
[dino & joe] (trudi didn't come along)

Massage

One of our Pug’s day gifts to each other is a massage at one of the Spa’s in the city. We are off this morning to have our massages, will let you know how it goes later.
Had been thinking of having a mud wrap for myself, but decided that I was a bit too worried that I might enjoy it for more than the relaxation and purification reasons – if you don’t get the drift, I’m not going to explain…..{:-)

[joe]

annoying ads

I was just looking at someone else's blog (you traitor!) about annoying ads on tv. Never afraid to copy other people's good ideas, err I mean I did some research, and found that the top annoying ad in Australia is the Sultana Bran one where the whole family are singing about the grape vine, do you know the one? A close second was the one with the little girl saying "Don't eat the dinosaur, daddy".

Favourite ads? The one with Effie, greek godess saying "hello, good fansch...", and the cartoony one with an old car being cranked up with a pug in the back (no surprise there), but I can't remember what the product is.
[dino]

xmas food

1. around this time of year, we all over indulge a bit, and eat things that we wouldnt normally have. Its affected the stomachs of both of us, with excessive wind (Joe more than me)..... we've even named our christmas pudding 'fart cake' (pooeuuey)

2. normally I have weetbix for my breakie. but last week I tried these little cereal-hoop things, covered in honey and sugar, that are really really mega sweet. Thorpie says they're 'fully sick'. I think I'd agree there.... (bleuuugh)

A betwixt day

What an odd sort of day it is. All this time on our hands ‘cos we are on holiday but not able to do any of the normal maintaining and fixing about the house that I normally associate with being on holiday at home. There's a feeling of waiting on something, probably because we can now almost see the start of the building work happening. Feels like it's been going on for ages and now, just a few weeks away from something physically happening to the house rather than just thoughts and imaginings. It's all probably because I’m not fully occupied, when I’m busy I don’t ponder the house and the vagaries of the building process, I usually just shrug and remind myself that it will get started eventually. But being at home, and idling around, I just want to take a hammer to the place and start taking out the walls, digging up the concrete paving and generally reaping havoc on the place.

I’ve just spent ten minutes securing a decomposing bit of wood covering one of the old air-conditioning units external bits. The bit of wood had probably been installed by the previous owner 10 or 15 years ago to protect the air-con heat exchanger from the elements and last night one of the screws that held the bit of wood secure from rattling in the wind, finally gave in. The bit of wood, free at last, spent its night keeping Dino awake. It wasn't a satisfying task, basically bodging the thing back together, it really needs new wood and a decent job doing on installing it, but what’s the point when the lot will be in a skip in a few weeks time? You can probably tell I hate doing half a job.

[joe]

We're back from our day at the shops....

our mission was to buy a whole new wardrobe each. But we didn't really need another wardrobe, so we just got some clothes instead.
It was a nice day, not too hot, and Joe said that I was not too difficult to go shopping with (compared to last time, when I went into a shop, looked around for about 3 hours, then got fed up cos I couldn't decide what to buy and so just left getting nothing).

Guess what was the first place we went to? Yup, the 3 hour/can't decide/walk out one. I was embarressed to go back there incase the lady recognised me from 6 months ago and called security (or my therapist), but she must have forgiven me because I did buy stuff there.

Then onto Myer. what a madhouse. Why oh why does everyone insist on going shopping at the same time during the sales? it was packed full of manic people. Joe was trying to find out the size of shirts, marked 15/35, neither of which was centimetres. The first sales assistant said "you'll have to ask someone in business", then 3 walked past together ignoring us. Then Joe directly asked a saleswoman "Do you know what size this one is", to which she replied "No, I don't" before walking off. Maybe they won't be nominated for the Customer Service award.

We got the tram back to Beacon Cove, then walked along Beach Street to Garden City, dodging the tree branches that were blowing off by the wind that had suddenly whipped up. I hope theres not going to be a storm, they forecast one in a teapot.
[dino]

I can't remember what day it is today

Can't stay for long, we're just going out to the sales. Like Enya says "Sail away, sale away, sale away...."

See Us! and Hear Us Too!!

What a great Pugs Day its been. We did the radio show, we were broadcasting our pictures too on the website, you can see us by clicking here. And if you missed it, or were outside Melbourne, you can hear us too on the same page.... Joe has done his magic with streaming or something

[dino]

Its Pugs Day Eve Morning...

......and this time tomorrow we will be on air, on 94.9fm in Melbourne. Trudi says that she will wipe the floor with what she's wearing!

We will see if we can go the whole 3 hours without mentioning the word 'christmas', all greetings are for 'happy pugs day'. We will have a mystery guest, be playing silly songs, and dedicating the show to all cats and dogs, not just pugs. Oh, and reading out all the messages that you email or SMS us. Catch you then, 25th Dec 10am-1pm

A Boring Blog

A guy that I work with (hello Adam!) said to me today that this blog was very boring. His life is apparently far more interesting: he went to the airport yesterday to say farewell to his boyfriend, oops I mean friend, who was going off to live in Fiji. And he has an orange shower curtain that needs washing.

[dino]

Garden City Pugsday lights

DSC02435.JPG
Originally uploaded by NTRMonjoy.

One of the Garden City houses bedecked in festive illuminations.
If you click on the pic, you can see a larger version and some more shots.
Oh and there is a house under that lot.
[joe]

When is the Queen's Birthday?

I was putting some stuff into my 2005 diary, and noticed the public holidays section. It says the Queen's Birthday Holiday is 13 June for Victoria, but 3 October in Western Australia! Is it a different queen?

I need to know, so that I can schedule an humourous electronic greeting card over the web you see.

One Day In Melbourne

Just got an email from my Mum & Dad in England, they have booked a holiday cruise for 2006 (they like to get in early), that stops in Melbourne for one day! They don't want to overstay their welcome.... but have invited us to join them in Perth for 2 weeks.

[dino]

Sunday night Telly ...and my week

So did you see Carnivàle Milfay on ABC 8:30 last night.
I think I might just be hooked on the show already. All through the show I kept remembering sections of Steinbeck’s ‘The grapes of Wrath’ for obvious reasons I guess.
What am I up to this week just before pugs day, well I’ve done my pugs day gift shopping, its hidden in the house from Dino which is hard to do in a place this small – I’d tell you where I’ve hidden the stuff, but duh! Dino reads this sometimes (mental note, ensure new house extension has a hiding hole or two). Most of this week, as I’m on holiday, I’ll be working on the JOY website makeover that those in charge have asked for. I said originally that I was happy to maintain the information on the site, but wanted no responsibility for the look and feel of the site – things like that are always far too open to the tantrums of the artistic. So what it’ll eventually look like will be a comity decision, I’ll just write the code and make sure the information is as up to date as they provide. Am I just preparing you not to throw stones at me when you eventually look at the new pages? Hm Maybe….
[joe]

6 days 'till we're back on air

Next Saturday (which is Christmas Day in case you hadnt realised), the 3 of us will be presenting the Pugs Day Special of NTRM - 10am - 1pm on JOY 94.9fm, Australia's only full-time gay & lesbian radio station :)

Hopefully you'll be able to see us as well, webcasting our faces on the JOY website

[dino]

Christmas lights in our area

We don't have any Christmas (Pugs Day) decorations as we don't have enough room. Really, if we put up a tree we would loose half of our living space. The neighbours however are a different story, and there seems to be a street competition going on as to who can have the most over-the-top decorations in their front garden. There looks to be an obvious winner.... there are so many lights that the national grid will surely drained of power and street-lamps dim.... but we STILL have not managed to get a photo to put on this blog. Whenever we walk past they are not switched on, it is just a tangle of cables like an overgrown ivy.
Last night we made an effort to wait until it was getting dark at 9 o'clock, armed with camera. We were out of luck, the lights were not on, but the owner of the extraveganza was out adding more. Joe asked the man when they would be switched on, so that we could take a photo. He replied "Every night from 9 till midnight". But it was past nine. And he didnt offer to put them on for us :(
We'll keep trying.

[dino]

Oh no.......

....only 2 fans for NTRM? (see 'Where have you heard this before'). I thought there was at least 5. A few short weeks off air and we're forgotton already, sob sob

[if you think this is just a cheap ploy to get more comments, well, er, ok, you'd be right]

The Stepford Wives

Have you seen the Stepford wives? I'd seen it years ago, but didn't really remember it well, the concept yea, but not the details of the scenes. Just last week we got out the remake of it which turned out to be not a good film, full of inconsistencies.
Tonight we've just finished watching the original version and it's a far better film in all respects, drama, suspense and horror (not graphic, but left to your imagination to supply the fear, always better than any special effect).
Having watched the original I was even more struck by how poor the remake was, bad humor, bad sets and a trashed storyline. Stick with the original and best.

[joe]

Where have you heard this before?

Should be an easy one. But whoever places the correct answer in the comment will be a star and a true fan!

Its a sound file so turn up the sound and click on the play button

What makes fish explode?

We bought some fresh fish at South Melbourne market this morning, Joe started to microwave it and within 30 seconds the fish exploded. Can you not microwave fish? It was dory. Any fish tips appreciated.....

wet shoes

My shoes are still wet from the storm yesterday. I was just leaving work heading for the gym when the rain started. I waited for the hail to ease off a bit then made a run for it. Didnt get too wet but a lot of the roads around south melbourne got completely flooded, including the one just opposite the gym. The first 2 steps into the water and obviously my trainers were completely soaked. It was fun on the running machine with water squishing out of my shoes. Did the rest of my workout barefoot (breaking every health & safety rule I know)

[dino]

Favorite things II

Just had a look at the blog after watching the storm we just had and saw Dino's one about raindrops..He and I differ on somethings.

Unlike Dino, I really like rain. Its even better in Australia than in the UK, in Aus at this time of year it usually warm rain with big fat drops. I especially like rain if its got a storm with it, lightning, thunder etc..I just want to go outside in it for some reason (ok, ok wearing the waterproofs might be a part of it too).

Garden City just had a really heavy storm and I've just had a look to see if the recently completed storm water management features they've built into our street are working. If my sample of one, the closest to our house, is typical of the others in the street, it looks like they might just have to have another go at it. The filter blanket lining the soakaway had floated to the top, uprooting the reeds they had planted into it. Its now a little pond with a floating mat on it.

As for cats.. two would be good.

[joe]

Favourite things

I was thinking about the song 'These are a few of my favourite things...'. I don't like raindrops (its raining today :( ). And I really don't like roses. We tried to kill of the ones in our front garden, but one has survived. In fact its thriving. Maybe its all the raindrops.

But I do like whiskers on kittens. Arden who I work with says he's getting a new kitten today. Joe & I want a cat, but only once the house is finished. It would be too difficult with the building work otherwise.

[dino]

About me for a change

Hello, saw that there was lots about Joe and Dino on this blog so I thought that I'd tell you a bit about me instead.

I used to be a backing singer helping out top stars to reach that really high note, but I signed a disturber promising that I would never say who for. I feel like Marni Nixon on 'My Fair Lady' (who I think did the karoke for Audrey Hepburn by hiding under her skirt). Then I lost my voice through straining it too much, and was asked by Dino & Joe to be part of the NTRM team at Joy.

My day job is at the airport, where I've been for nearly 2 years. When I first got the job, I thought that I'd be a glamourous air hostess, and promised Auntie Mary that I'd be jetting off to Paris, but I'm working my way up from the ground. I do aspire to be a 'Stepford Wife' someday though.

Today I was in charge of putting teeny tiny portions of coleslaw into airplane dinners. Not that exciting but better than Enid who got the job of cutting out the paper toilet seat covers

[Trudi the Mute]

whipper snipper

We learnt a new word this week: whipper snipper. Ileus (next door neighbour) asked us if we had a petrol-powered whipper snipper that he could borrow and we didnt know what he was talking about. Joe thought that it meant some kind of flagellation device. Then we saw whipper snippers in the shops that were just strimmers (for cutting the edge of lawns). Is it an Aussie phrase? like 'dead horse' (sauce) and 'ridgy didge' (can't remember what that one means)

[dino]

Watch your flies...

What are flies (the insects) for? Most creatures have a purpose, like bees pollinating flowers, do flies do that too? Or is their purpose just to be annoying to horses and people? I've just been outside cutting the grass and there were 2 or 3 flies buzzing around my ears and trying to land on my nose.... consistently. You'd think that they would get fed up being swatted away, but they don't learn, just keep on trying.

Our house is the first place that I have lived that has fly-screens; and also place that seems to have the most flys (or is that flies, I can'd decide). In the 5 seconds is takes me to open the fly-screen to get back into the house, a fly managed to fly in with me, then decide to fly out again, then in the last nanosecond fly back in to the last inch of the door opening. Does anyone have any tips for a fly-free home?

web dock sunset

web dock sunset.JPG
Originally uploaded by NTRMonjoy.

Just a sunset from our evening stroll down the beach. What a good weekend its been.

[joe]

And Joe... not at the same time though!

joepool.JPG
Originally uploaded by NTRMonjoy.

Dino in the new pool!

dinopool.JPG
Originally uploaded by NTRMonjoy.

The Australian Dream

We now have the ultimate Australian Dream (as opposed to the Ultimate Kylie) - not only our own house, but our own pool too.

Its Sunday, and this morning we went for our first trip to Altona Gate shopping centre. We took a taxi, not having a car, and I didn't think that Joe's new bicycle would make it over the Westgate bridge. Altona is a special place, apart from the shopping centre it also boasts the Toyota engine plant, Mobil Oil refinery and Kemcor plastics factory.

The shops at Altona Gate include Safeway, Best & Less and the (mainly) $2 shop. However, we were heading for KMart, who were offering 25% aquatic equipment this weekend.... and we duly purchased our very own inflatable paddling pool which we have been enjoying all afternoon. We had to blow it up ourselves (couldn't find any foot pumps at KMart), and we filled it up with 366 litres of bore water, which is a yellowy-brown colour but very drought-friendly. The only kurfuffle was getting a taxi to come back home, which we ended up waiting for about 45 minutes to arrive. Do taxi drivers not want to venture over the westgate?

[dino]

Barbie Girl Bird

We have got a Barbie girl bird in our garden. Its song is exactly to the tune of "I'm a barbie girl". Don't know what type of bird it is. Maybe its plastic... its fantastic

[dino]

House News!

The first builder has just been over to have a look at the house, take measurements and photos. Excitement! and I got out of bed 'specially...

[dino]

Well I did it!

Just completed my first morning bike ride on my new bike. Only to St. Kilda and back again, but good for a start. I though I’d be on my own riding along the sea front at this time of the morning (6:40 am at the time) but oh no seems it’s the time that’s guys (in the main) are out in brightly coloured lycra (hmm Mental note… must get some) riding expensive looking road bikes and women to be speed walking. Lots of folk with dogs too and quite a few who looked like they may well have been out all night and decided that the beach and a dip in the bay is just what they need to round off the night of booze and fags.

Just finishing my breakfast as I type, I was too hungry this morning to do as I usually do at the weekend and wait to have breakfast with Dino. Alas Dino is still in bed.

Now what to do for the rest of the day… a bike ride maybe :)

[joe]

Joe reminisces like a codger

Bough myself a bike today – yea, a pushbike. Its been years since I had one, 20 years to be precise. I used to consider myself a keen cyclist but once I was earning enough to have a car and a motorbike, a bicycle became something I just never used. You may also know if you listen to the show, that since moving to Australia, I am once again without a Car or Motorbike (except for when I borrow Dino’s bike) so I’ve become a bit of a heavy user of public transport. After all Melbourne has a great and cheep system of public transport, at least in the city (though many Melbournians would disagree with this statement) so there is little need for a Car. So why did I need a pushbike, hmm well just for the fun of it really. I do a lot of running at the gym so I enjoy aerobic exercise and having a pushbike just lets me enjoy Port Melbourne at a bit more than a walking pace. Handy for nipping down to the video store for a film, or to Coles for a bag of frozen peas or supplies of Freddos for Dino.

Since I bough it this morning, from a great Cycle shop called Freedom Machine, I’ve already explored most of our usual walking haunts. I rode home on it and then immediately wanted to go out on it again, a bit like I remember as a kid, new bike, and wanting to be out and about on it all day long. Already planning a ride down to St. Kilda and back before breakfast tomorrow.

Seems the equipment has moved along quite a bit since I last had a bike. I went in saying I wanted a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike – apparently called a Hybrid – I also wanted a light frame and alloy wheels – it seems that these are bog standard now. Hmm all the trick bits I had wanted in the past seem to be standard equipment. The gears have changed as well, just the push of a button or two now, the up one for up and the down one for down, no having to get used to the feel of the gear slotting in as you slide the changer anymore. And centre pull breaks, all changed. I’ve got disk breaks on this bike – and woo can they stop the thing. Bike pumps now work in both directions, the in and the out stroke both pump air into the tires!

Also seem that there is a load of additional equipment that can be bought, the store has a café attached to it, so you can sit and have a latté and ponder the benefits of seamless chamois lined ‘knicks’. Yup, they don’t call em cycling shorts they are called Knicks. Its also been suggested that these be worn without underpants, and possibly with lubrication on the chamois! Now we are talking!!! I’ll let you know how I get on, if I get a pair or six.

Just time for another quick bikeride before Dino gets home from work.

[joe]

Thursday already!

I’ve not blogged all week. Been at home this week and spending my time learning the intricacies of Cascading Style Sheets! I know how to have a good time….

I guess this must be happening all over the place at the moment, but the gardens around Garden City have started to sprout all sorts of Christmas decoration, mainly of the twinkling light variety. I think the film ‘home alone’ seems to have influenced people far and wide – it seems its not just my dad in his dotage that needs to ‘deck the bows’ with plastic snowmen and Rudolf with his glowing nose. When I was a kid, the festive decorations remained within the house, but now it seems people that decorate are not satisfied unless their houses look like both a homage to the Coca Cola version of ‘father Christmas’ and there very own electric light wonderland. Bahh Humbug I hear you shout. But don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy seeing what folk will do, its just not something I want to do myself.

On one of our regular strolls around Garden City and down the beach, I started to think that I’d like to photograph all of the Christmas decorations as I’m sure that as the folk here change from the old locals, some of these ‘traditions’ might also change. I then started thinking that I should possibly not just stop at the Christmas decorations, but photograph the whole area and dedicate a website to just Garden City. So there it is, my (our) new project for summer, to build and populate a website with whatever I can find out about Garden City and its history. I’ll post the URL once something is up and running.

[joe]