This is what happens when you go shopping hungry

The items on my shopping list:

 

 

The items I bought:

The Messenger by Markus Zusak

I finished reading Markus Zusak’s The Messenger this morning in my hammock. I really enjoyed this book, but was disappointed by the ending. It felt lazy, and while I’m a fan of inconclusive endings, this one tried to come to a conclusion but it didn’t quite make it.

I did however appreciate the idea behind the messages, and the rest of it didn’t feel contrived at all. One passage especially stood out to me:

“Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are.”

Why Being Made Redundant is like Driving a Car

Two weeks ago I learned that my position at work was being made redundant. As I am clearly now an expert on redundancy, I thought I’d share with you some advice about what you can expect to think and feel if you are also made redundant. I have come to the conclusion that being made redundant is similar to driving a car, so here are five phases or responses you might have if you are made redundant, presented to you in terms of a car ride:  (Note: This is not a normal car ride…)

 

 

Phase 1: Rear-Ended

When you are driving a car and are rear-ended, it is never your fault. You are a victim, and you experience shock as you try to come to grips with what has just happened. You may have some injuries, and you may take some time to recover and start thinking logically. The same is true with redundancy. You usually don’t see it coming, and are shocked when it happens. You are reminded that it’s not based on your performance, that you did nothing wrong–yet it happened anyway. You are angry at the person who decided your role was redundant and wish the situation was different.

Phase 2: Broken Down in the Middle of Nowhere

This is where reality sets in. You thought you knew where you were going, you had a map, and you were on your way there. Now you don’t know where you are, where you’re supposed to be, or which direction to head off in. You don’t even know how long you will be stuck here.

Phase 3: Ring the RAC (or AAA for the Americans)

We’re past the blame game, and now it’s time to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. You’re angry. Make that insurance claim! You’ve gathered all the details, you’ve contacted the insurance company (or, in the case of redundancy, the Fair Work Ombudsman) and you’ve asked all your questions about your obligations and entitlements. You start to think about how to repair your vehicle (or your career) and browse the car companies (job advertisements) for good deals. However, you still think wistfully about your old car (job).

Phase 4: Detour

Moving forward after being made redundant is like taking a detour and never returning to your original route. You were driving along just fine towards your destination, when suddenly you came upon some roadwork which led you to turn off your planned route. Instead of detouring momentarily and then continuing towards your original destination, when you are made redundant the detour becomes permanent. Sometimes it can eventually lead to a similar destination, if you end up in the role you were working towards but with a different company, but it will never lead to the exact destination you set out to reach. However, you will find that the detour brought you some new and exciting opportunities–a lookout point or a giant wooden aardvark you otherwise would have missed. It’s at this point that you begin to think about the future and what it might hold for you.

Phase 5: Road Trip

This is the part where you realise the whole world is open to you! Before your redundancy, you had a set path and couldn’t have veered off course without disrupting your chances at reaching your goal. Now, you can do anything you want. You have received a redundancy package, which should help you through the next few months, and you can choose to continue on a similar road or you can turn onto a new road and see what is there to discover–either way, you will get somewhere good.

American pillowcases vs. Australian pillowcases, Part II

I stand corrected. Apparently, America does make pillowcases with end pockets in them! At least, my friend A. has some, and she bought them at a Target in the U.S. Who knew?

American pillowcases vs. Australian pillowcases

What is the difference between these two pairs of pillowcases?

Look carefully. Look at the ends. Look at the openings. What do you see (or don’t see)?

On the left, you see a pillow sticking out of the end of the bottom pillowcase, and a floppy opening at the end of the top pillowcase. On the right, you see neat & tidy pillowcases with pillows tucked inside the ends. How is this possible? Clever Australians!

Pillow cases in Australia are made with an extra pocket of material at the open end to tuck over the pillow. See example below:

It keeps the pillow inside and makes it look nice. Why haven’t American pillowcase manufacturers (or others around the world) picked up on this detail yet?

365 Photos Project 2013

Needless to say, I haven’t been taking my daily photo this month. When January began, I forgot to start a new theme for the photos, and continued to take “what makes me smile” photos for the first six days. Then I got distracted. In February, which is 4 days away, I’ll start again, with February’s theme being “textures.”

Here are a few more photos I took in January:

2012 Reading List Update #5

It’s 2013. How did I do with my 2012 reading list? Pretty well, I’d say. Some categories I didn’t touch, while others I doubled my goal. Along with the list below, I also read about twelve magazine and journal articles about design thinking and human-centered design.

• 1 biography or memoir
  • A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner
• 1 how-to book
  • Food Rules by Michael Pollan
• 3 2 short story collections
  • To Cut a Long Story Short by Jeffrey Archer
• 1 book on craft
• 1 historical novel
  • Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• 2 books by authors I’ve never read
  • When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
  • Watercolours by Adrienne Ferreira
  • The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
• 2 books by authors I’ve read and want more of
  • Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos
  • The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
• 1 book in a new discipline/field of interest
• 21 book by local authors
  • Fugitive Blue by Claire Thomas
• 21 children’s book
  • It’s a Book by Lane Smith
• 2 classics
• 1 re-read
• 1 book of great heft
• 64 books of poetry
  • The Trouble with Poetry by Billy Collins
  • Nine Horses by Billy Collins
  • Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins
• 2 literary journals
• 1 nonfiction/literary journalism book
  • If Disney Ran Your Hospital; 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently by Fred Lee
• 1 travel writing
• 1 humorous book
• 12 issues of The Sun Magazine
  • January – December 2012 issues