Random Numbers - 'Look at me'

 How many photos of you are there on Facebook? (Tagged – it shows when you go to your profile). Post one – not the one that makes you hottest, but one that shows you having the most fun.


I'm tagged in 17 photos according to Facebook, the coolest thing is that they are from all over, in time and in space, put up by me, friends from here, there, now and years ago. thats cool.


Here's one from last summer showing me holding my son so Kelly could take his photo, I don't know for how much longer I will be able to overpower him, hes growing big and fast! Soon to be 'buff',  apparently, ....... he told his dad that and his dad said 'whats buff?'    hehe. I did laugh.

Random Numbers - ooh i did one! 'City Uniform'

In the wrong order of course (-Random-)

The City uniform

Black tops? - 2 that I regularly wear for work but black pants? there another question. Thats an everyday item so I have 5 pairs of long ones and a pair of short ones. I love not having to worry too much about what to wear for work, I have to look reasonably smart (even if I end up under desks plugging shit in!) I could wear jeans every day if I wanted but I like to put on the 'Uniform' and expect to be taken seriously. So black pants and a shirt it is. - Leaves room for colourful tops if I'm in the mood!

Random Numbers preliminary post

I obviously need a poke with a stick to use this blog as nothing gets done on its own, the next bunch of entries will be all about numbers. I got the idea from @josiecampbell whom I found during the #30daysofme blogfest.
I will be using her suggestions and may even interject some of my own, like 'How many (english) words did you use today that people didn't understand.' 


I think it'll be a good one as I like to know how much of everything there is and the idea of documenting it really appeals to me!


I also like that there are no time contraints and I don't have to write one every day. I will start in the next day or so - it will get posted to twitter too with the #randomnumbers hashtag


Josies list:- from her blog


Blog 1: Music snobs

Look at your music library – records, CDs, iTunes. How many albums do you have on each? How many hours on iTunes? Do you love any albums so much you have purchased them in multiple formats?

Blog 2: Shoes

How many pairs do you have? Breakdown into dressy, sporty, casual. Post a photo of your favourite pair and say why.

Blog 3: Look at me

 How many photos of you are there on Facebook? (Tagged – it shows when you go to your profile). Post one – not the one that makes you hottest, but one that shows you having the most fun.

Blog 4: Drink up

How many bottles are in your liquor cabinet, cupboard, fridge? What's your fave?

Blog 5: Help in the kitchen

How many kitchen appliances do you have? Which one couldn't you live without?

Blog 6: Say cheese

How many types of cheese do you have in your fridge?

Blog 7: The city uniform

How many black tops do you own?

Blog 8: Magnetism

How many magnets are on your fridge and where did they come from?

Blog 9: Tea-totaller

How many types of tea do you have? If the answer is 0 – what's your alternative?

Blog 10: Green thumbs  

How many pot plants (of a legal nature) do you have? What are they? How many are healthy? If yours are thriving – what is your secret?

Blog 11: Bookworm

How many books do you own? How many library books do you have out? Any collections of authors (e.g. I own 27 Agatha Christie books). How many are currently living by your bed?

Blog 12: Collection

Is there something you are a collector of? What is it? Stamps? My Little Ponies? Tea pots? Power tools? How many do you have? How did you get started?

Water - Blog Action Day 15 Oct 2010

Rather than showing depressing pictures of people dying from starvation, walking for miles to collect water and banging on about how we are all selfish and doomed I thought I would share this video with a more positive angle.

'Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it -- inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds. An amazing demo from TEDGlobal 2009.'


P.S. Don't forget to sign the petition over on the right. ->




http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.html

30 Days of Me - its all over, what next?

Well that was fun, sometimes.
A bit too much sharing in one lump for me to continue on with another #30daysofme type challenge. But it has poked me with the stick of blog updating.
Next?
Some are continuing with a different daily or weekly challenge but for me it will be this one off (until the next one off comes along), inspired by friends from the twitterverse.
On October 15th its the United Nations Blog action day, supporting the UN trying to bring clean water to the millions of people around the world who don't have access to it.
As anyone who knows me even a little bit (if its just through this blog and twitter) will realise, Water and helping others are two of my passions so I have a week to turn out something spectacular for the post, we'll see.
o_O
In the meantime have a click on the banner over there--------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>
and sign the petition.
Chur!

30 Days of Me - Day 30 Your favorite song.

Day 30- Your favorite song.


What a wimpy question to finish on!


So difficult to think of just one.
But if I had to, then it would have to be this chap, and this song. Sooo many memories and good times had to the soundtrack of this album.

30 Days of Me - Day 29 In this past month, what have you learned?

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned.

About Bees.

I have learned always to wear welly boots and thick jeans with my bee jacket when opening a hive. 3 stings in so many weeks is not good.
I've also learned that I swell up and go red and itchy for days from bee stings and I dont like it!


About Blogging.
I've learned how to schedule posts, and use feedburner to send them to twitter, also that I should do it more and read peoples stuff more often. Now I have a list of nice and interesting people from twitter that I follow courtesy of the 30daysofme hashtag. I've also leaned that there are lot of people out there with very similar tastes in music, food, pastimes, jokes and the world feels less lonely for meeting all youse through twitter and this blogging challenge.
My Twitter list created from females I follow mostly from #30daysofme > http://twitter.com/#!/KerryPayne/the-ladies

About Boating.

We saw dolphins this weekend too, not these ones, these are last years ones, actually they could be the same, it was in a similar area.

Even if it looks like its going to be a lovely hot sunny weekend, take at least 3 jumpers, a beanie and a pair of socks. It was fecking cold out there this weekend just gone ( I should really know all this but still associate sailing with hot summeryness and tropical climes)

30 Days of Me - Day 28 How have you changed?

Day 28 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

Labour Weekend 2009, we went to Rotorua for Ryans 13th birthday so he could do the Bungy and we could do other stuff like Mountain biking, White water rafting, Luge etc. While we were away the purchase of our new house went through. We had to hit up friends for email access and fax machines to complete the sale in between all the exciting stuff we did during the day. We got back utterly exhausted (as is often the way here, go away for a weekend end up doing lots of stuff, not resting!)

I was pretty happy in this pic even though I had a sore arse from the mountain biking.

I'm happier now though, Phil has a great new job, (he was made redundant last year so we had a few months of uncertainty).

We have a great new house, bigger, sea views, more comfortable and more 'us' than the last place was. We seem to have less money though, maybe 'cos we keep spending it on fripperies like foundations, re-piling, retaining walls, sorting out the leaky roof or the rotten floors. Seriously, its an awesome house. I don't have a photo of me now - so you can't spot the extra happy fat I've gained! well, that is going slowly too, another reason to be happier than before.

30 Days of Me - Day 27 Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge


Initially it was a lemming like response, 'cos other people I knew were doing it.
Then it was 'actually this could be interesting' especially as I read some of the other blogs. 
It's hard work sometimes, to keep up. Even though I had pre-prepared a lot of entries.
I'm not sure now why I'm doing it. I hate leaving stuff half done so I will soldier on with the silly questions till the end.
I like being nosey and seeing how others are answering their questions
I'm not sure if it will encourage me to use my blog more regularly.

Maybe, Maybe not.

Its been cool putting together some of the stories and finding pics to go with them.

Heres a pic for today. - Something I've been seeing a lot of in the past week or so as I've split the hive then split the split to create 2 Nucs and one main hive going potty.

30 Days of Me - Day 26 What you think about your friends

Day 26- What you think about your friends


What? no, sorry. they are all wonderful of course.


Recently, finding old school friends etc through Facebook has been quite strange, and skype-ing people we haven't seen for 10 years or so! Its a measure of friendship where you can take up where you left off when speaking to someone after 10 or in one case 17 years.

Having travelled for a few years and moved around the UK before that, we have friends all over the place (and family of course) I love that its so easy to track them down now and keep tabs even if its just a 'Like' or a comment on Facebook.



And there's those who will never get there arses into gear as far as facebook is concerned but a phone call once a year seems to do!

Then no facebook and no phone calls but you know if you bump into them again everything will still be cool.

And theres those who you won't see on this earth again but are happy for time you did have with them.

30 Days of Me - Day 25 It's in the bag

Day 25 - What I would find in your bag


I love my bag, its made of a recycled inner tube from Costa Rica! Maybe the energy used to get it here outweighs the sustainability of the recycling involved.  I buy things from the greater good network as I always click on the hungersite etc every day. I guess the advertising works.

Purse. - Boring
Sunglasses. - Polaroid of course, K-Mart specials, I'm sooo styly!
2 letters I should have posted last week, I hope I haven't missed the draw date for the coastguard lottery.
$50 westfield voucher, thats handy. I swapped it for money with Ryan as he's saving up for his X-box 360
Gym Class timetable.
iPhone - I love my iphone, the second really expensive thing I've ever bought that I didn't really need (the first one was my personalised plate).
Reading glasses - yup, getting on a bit now.
Pen from the Hyatt Regency Hotel - they do a good line in pens.
Emergengy YoYo - you knever know when you'll need one.
Eye Cream (or my 'keep young and beautiful' cream).
String - the biggest snapper I've ever caught went up to the frayed bit about 3/4 of the way along so its my snapper measuring string.
Discount Voucher for fuel - its for BP but I don't go there any more since the deep Horizon Disaster so I will use it at the Caltex instead.
Hair Clip
Wallet with buisness cards and random loyalty cards in.
iPod shuffle, Purple of course :)
Car Keys.
Hair clip, yes, another one.
Comb
House keys, 
Party pills  - one left, dont know if it will be any good, its a bit old now.
Lip Chap stuff.
Eye Pencil.
Opinel Pocket knife - It was on 'Kamouraska' when we bought her (our 10m steel cutter we used to live on) its been used used for all sorts of things over the years and just gets a wipe and a drop of 3in1 oil every now and again. I love my knife.
Nasal spray for when the hayfever hits.
Tweezers
Patchouli Oil - my original bottle from when I was 16!
Sequins (just reminded me of this joke).
AA battery, dunno why.
Masking tape with grass on. I'll leave you wondering about that one :)
My Lucky Emergency Macadamia nut.
Parker Pen - given to me by my last employer as a leaving gift.
Usb stick with 3 flavours of Microsoft Security Essentials installers on it. every woman should have one of these!


And then in the side pocket - antihistamine pills, (2 types), Paracetamol, Strepsils, spare carrier bag, stripey pencil.


And then in the little pocket thats meant to be for a phone - business cards and the keys to the office and carpark at work.


Not all of went back in!

30 Days Of Me - Day 24 A letter to your parents

Day 24- A letter to your parents

Your just going to have to bear with me on this one and read it if you've got the stamina! It goes on for 7 pages but I couldn't really cut any out and let it make sense. It more of adventure story than yer normal letter.


When we (Phil and I) left the UK on our little wooden boat in 1992 we wrote home every month or so detailing our adventures for those back in Blighty.
This letter includes Cape St Vincent in the Fog with no engine, Awesome phosphorescence from dolphins and shoals of fish, Gin Palaces, Engine oil and why you shouldn't bother going to Villamoura.

30 Days of Me - Day 23 Something you crave for a lot

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot


Time, time to just sit and read a book, not have anyone expecting you do do anything for them. 
Time for me.
That is all.

30 Days of Me - Day 22 Why am I different

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else


I'm with @tarasutherland on this one, introspective, self absorbed this #30daysofme stuff is sorry, but I had to be obtuse and go for the DNA answer------

What a stupid question.
This does of course!

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/techniques/hoffmangallery/dna.html

30 days of me - Day 21 A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

That was easy, here we have beach, sea, house, garden, blue sky, sun. All of that makes me happy so imagine how happy I am when I'm here, looking out at this.

30 Days of Me - Day 20 Someone you see yourself being with in the future

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future


Is this a trick? I've already got one you see.
I started to write out our life story then thought pictures might be better.

Starting with Batman, The rebel (age 14), Bedroom wall he painted, (remember Roger Dean?), when we were young, the day we bought our first boat 1989 (thanks Bignose), Crossing the Atlantic, Stag night in St Martin, Wedding Day in Anguilla 1994, Wedding Reception in St Martin, With Ryan 1 week old, Sailing past Dominica 1997, Digging the pond 2009.


What more is there to say? - we've been together for 26 years! It only seems like yesterday. Most of its been fun and theres heaps to do together yet. We love it.

30 Days of Me - Day 19 Nicknames

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them.


The main one at home is 'Queenie' bestowed upon me by my family.

Maybe because I have a propensity to expect that flights of angels shall sing me to my rest.
Maybe because I'm a little bit strange.
Probably because I'm quite bossy.
She is one of my favourite characters of all time though, apparently, when they cast Miranda Richardson for the part they had to re-write her as she did such a wonderful and quirky job.


I also have my Rapper Name which is K-Dizzle, from @alansmitheejr, one time creative at work now living the dream in the 'Dam.

I think everyone should have rapper names.
Oh and then there's Kezza, KP, and Major Payne I'm not too fussed what I'm called so long as its not rude - Major Payne is kinda annoying tho' but so was Edgar, I used to get my own back by calling him Eddie, I don't think he liked it.

30 Days of Me - Day 18 Plans/dreams/goals

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have.


Plans - work, work, work. Retire, Buy a bigger boat, sail around the Pacific on it.

Kamouraska St Lucia Feb '94

Dreams - Still need to travel more, tied in with the retiring plan I think, doing what we can afford to do before that, seeing the rest of NZ would be good though - we got here 9 years ago and haven't seen any of the South Island yet.

Goals - Apart from the sailing around the pacific thing. I'd just like to ensure as much as I can that my son continues to grow up into a nice young man. 
A goal I have for someone else. 
I'm allowed, I'm his Mum.
I'm also allowed to scare him shitless and put him off slides for life!

30 Days of Me - Day 17 Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why


When I was at primary school there was fish tank in the hallway by the admin office with a shitload of Neon Tetras in there.
I always wanted to be a tropical fish, I figured it would be easier than school.

Either that or Mother Teresa (OK so she's dead, when she was alive then)


Or maybe this guy just to have balls that big would be cool.


I sense a watery theme going on here, Hmm.

30 Days Of Me - Day 16 Another picture of yourself.

Day 16 - Another picture of yourself.


Work Christmas Party 2008.


 The theme was 'Soul Train'. I kept the shades on most of the night, virtually no-one knew it was me! I think Auckland might have sold out of Afro wigs that week - everyone had one on.
I enjoy dress-ups I probably enjoy putting the costume together as much or even more than actually going out.
I made the dress, trimmed it with feather boas and scouted around all over the place for the rest. Great night was had by all. and yes, I've still got all the gear in the dress up box!

30 Days of Me - Day 15 Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play.

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play.


The thing is, I have an iPhone that i don't really use for music, a Gen II iPod that  I'm not sure where it is, (it does have a purple glow in the dark cover though) and an iPod shuffle that I use in the Gym. Most of my iTunes listening is via my laptop. My iTunes Library has grown to 85GB, mainly cos I've stolen all the nice music I find from other people as well as importing everything we have at home on CD. 
Sometimes I've nicked whole iTunes libraries from people - means for a whole lot of weird, wonderful and eclectic music. I surprise myself sometimes by just putting it on shuffle.


1. Green Gloves by the National - quite nice - I will find out more about that artist - I did, I like them http://www.myspace.com/thenational
2. Woman Trouble - The Artful Dodger http://www.last.fm/music/The+Artful+Dodger. From Southampton! the town of my birth.
3. Rock n roll Singer  - AC/DC I really love AC/DC at most times of the day or night!
4.Constant Craving  - KD Lang Is it a man or a lady? dunno.
5. Aint No Sunshine - The Jackson 5 :) when MJ was still black.
6. 'Crooklyn Clan'! - some out there Rap mix (God knows where that came from, its not labelled properly or anything.)
7. Glory of Love - Peter Cetera - I like a nice Rock Ballad in the Morning!
8. Happy Birthday - Altered Image. 80's much?
9.Open Minded - Bellcrash  cool, funky tune.
10. The Wood in the Fire - The Mighty Sparrow - I'm glad this came up - a nice reminder of the Caribbean


Now I know I like Bellcrash, the National, Artful Dodger.


Its actually a good way of weeding out the iTunes, by putting it on shuffle and seeing what comes up.