Recycled Water Vs No Water!

Ahhh, here in Brisbane we are undergoing the big debate, do we start recycling our water or do we basically just end up with no water at all. Let's face it, in the long run it is all one Hydrogen atom and 2 oxygen atoms, there are plenty of these laying around, and frankly who cares where they come from. It will ensure that when you turn the tap on, water comes out!! What more could you ask for? Having lived overseas I have drunk many different types of recyled water, and honestly, you wouldn't know unless someone told you. I really don't get this whole thing happening in Toowoomba, would you rather pay huge prices to have the water trucked in from else where? That would be the next whinge, high petrol prices, high water costs.
This is a country that has had it too good for too long. We are so used to being able to have what we want when we want it and we waste the rest. It is when crisis' like this crop up that I realise what a lot of narrow minded people really live in this country, they stick their heads in the sand, close their minds off and deny that anything is wrong. Wake up Australia, things don't just go away if you ignore it, if you don't face the problems, there will be no future generations left to "fix" your mistakes.

Children Vs Computer Games

I recently commented on a friends blog and immediately felt the need to blog this topic!
Yes, I have a young child and yes, he is allowed to play computer games. Daddy is a Computer Guru (yes, insert Geek here) and due to the company that he works for we tend to end up with a few Freebies (so far this has included 1 Xbox, 1 Playstation2 and most recent, a Nintendo DS with Super Mario Bros!). So our house is a little game console heavy, we now have one of everything except the new Xbox (Daddy is a little disappointed, the new Playstation is being launched later this year in Sydney and he won't be able to attend, I am due with #2 around then!!). Anyways back to topic, our house is a Gamer's dream come true. When my son was smaller, we did the thing of limiting what he was exposed to in the way of games, he only played age appropriate games, all the more violent games were saved until he went to bed. Unfortuntly, game designers (with the exception on this brilliant group based here in Brisbane!!) don't keep up with the kids these days. My son learnt the puzzles, did the missions, and grew bored, it all began to get too easy for him. He didn't want to play the "Baby" games anymore. So, after much Mommy/ Daddy debate, and much explaination to these are just games, he has moved onto more "Adult" games such as Halo (BTW he is quite deadly with a shotgun!). We balance what he plays with outdoor play. He understands that not everyone is as lucky as he is with being able to play these games. His hand eye co-ordination is thru the roof, and it has also extended his concentration span too. I am not saying this is for every child out there, but for this little boy, I am going to allow him to continue with his love of gaming. Who knows, maybe one day he'll be one of those new up and coming Gaming athletes ( yes they do now exsist! See here) and the money these guys are making!! Mommy could retire comfortably in a few years maybe?!?!?
Like they say, also everything is okay, IN MODERATION!


PS. Am hooked on this game myself!! If you decide to play, tell them Meleena sent you!!

Virtual human development game



www.human-age.com

Who we are...?

Had an interesting insight today. After a while it seems that you end up whether you plan it or not, getting to the point where you are moving thru everyday, just living to see the next dawn. Bills pile up, kids scream and run amok, clothes need washing etc etc. Yet this morning, after having a chat and coffee with another school mum, I realised that, you know what, my life is not that bad. She was feeling a little lost, #2 is teething and not sleeping, hence neither was she, Dad was preoccupied with being the Breadwinner, and to top it off, no Me time.
I realised I have been VERY lucky in my choice of partners. DH has always been a very hands on Daddy. From the time our #1 was born, he has packed the nappy bag and disappeared for if not the full day at least ½ a day each week for a Boys Day out, leaving me to do as I pleased, sleep in, read or just take a long hot bath with no one hammering on the door to be let in (yes, once you have kids, your privacy is gone, at least till they get to an age where it gets embarrassing, which seems so far in the future!). He cleans, cooks and remembers to put the seat down (I am the outnumbered female in our house!). After listening to my friend, I realised sometimes the grass is most definatly greener right where you stand. Guess I'll cook him a nice dinner tonight to say Thank you :-) Maybe I'll get around to some laundry and surprise him with clean socks too?!?!?

Projects...

I consider myself a collector. I collect many things, not all of them shiney either! I have thanks to my worklife, managed to gather a decent collection of contempory australian Indigenous Art. I also have been collecting those paint your own Lord of the Rings minitures. I have been encourageing my other half to collect all things Stargate related (::sigh:: Michael Shanks). My other half accuses me of collecting projects the most.
I have been thru the beading thing, sewing thing ( have a box full of Medievil clothing patterns I have never made), currently am in the Family tree kick; this is one I come back to every now and then. I am trying to get pics of everyone in the family to place in the family tree....project
Have to say I am proud that I have never sucumbed to the Scrapbooking thing, I just don't get that one. Tho my photo albums are in a horrendous state, as a lot of our pics are digital and so there are huge gaps in the phot timeline! I burn the pics to disc but just isn't the same... project...
Most of my mini obsessions are fuelled by my greatest friend, EBAY. What can't you get thru ebay? I mean, a woman was ebaying the naming rights of her daughter at one stage. My other current project is now 5 mths in, and due in Nov and yes, I am madly combing ebay for those essential items. I have another child, who is 5, we stupidly thought we weren't going again and got rid of everything! So here we are, starting all over again. My proudest purchase so far has been the pram!! $180 worth for $30. So chuffed.
I can feel the sewing bug creeping up on me tho. For #1 we had a lot of sleeping bags rather than blankets (a kicker!!) that we bought over from the US with us, unfort we gave them away and I can't find similar here in Oz, so am thinking of sewing my own, DH will freak..lol.. another project....
One project I have been slowly plowing my way thru has been scanning a lot of old pictures. I have a very old shipping trunk full of photos and am very aware that if our house went up in flames, there is no way I would be able to get it out in time, so am slowly transferring them all to CDROM as I find time, yet another project....
Maybe one day someone will come up with a way to get 48 hr worth of time out of 24 hours so we can fit all these projects in...... project...