…at 9pm on a Friday night, when you’re tired and have a headache and don’t feel well, and even though he’s buggered himself, he puts you to bed and brings you water and Panadol and a book, then does the dishes, cleans up the kitchen, and tidies the entire house.

Posted by Melly in Daily Life | 3 Comments »

Posted by Melly in Quizzes, Music | 3 Comments »

I wouldn’t mind seeing some similar laws to these in place over here.

Woof!

Posted by Melly in Soapbox, Humour | No Comments »

Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray’s green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.

Then in 1915, my country said, “Son,
It’s time you stop ramblin’, there’s work to be done.”
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.

And the band played “Waltzing Matilda,”
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.

And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.

Johnny Turk, he was waitin’, he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell —
And in five minutes flat, he’d blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.

But the band played “Waltzing Matilda,”
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.

And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.

Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead —
Never knew there was worse things than dying.

For I’ll go no more “Waltzing Matilda,”
All around the green bush far and free —
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more “Waltzing Matilda” for me.

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.

And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.

But the band played “Waltzing Matilda,”
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.

And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,

And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They’re tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask “What are they marching for?”
And I ask meself the same question.

But the band plays “Waltzing Matilda,”
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.

Lyrics by Eric Fogle

Posted by Melly in Music, Wisdom | 3 Comments »

It was just wonderful to discover that I’m not the only person who does things like this to their cat.

Posted by Melly in Daily Life, Humour, Websites | No Comments »

Thanks to the Internet, it is now possible to speak to people with whom you do not share a first language.

I was chatting on IM just before with a Spanish guy who lives and works in Dominica. His “Ingles” was not so good.

I asked him what he did there, and he answered, “Hotel. I’m a animation.”

Animation at a hotel? Do they draw cartoons in hotels in Dominica?

After a bit of questioning, and with the help of an on-line English-Spanish dictionary, I worked out that he is an entertainer (mostly a dancer) at a beach resort!

I also learned that a “pastor aleman” is a German Shepherd. And Siberian Husky in Spanish is “Siberiano Fuerte”.

Although challenging, it was an extremely fun conversation. We both got so excited every time we figured out what the other person meant!

The experience made me think about how, quite often, those who speak the SAME language have more communication barriers than those who don’t. Wonder if there’ll ever be a dictionary or translator for that?

Posted by Melly in Daily Life | 1 Comment »

RebeccaStar!!!!!

Rebecca made the top score of 80 on my quiz, beating my own husband, and so she wins a prize. I want it to remain a surprise for her, so I won’t reveal exactly what the prize is at this time. I shall let her do a guest post about her prize once she receives it.

Thanks everyone for playing. Make sure you leave Rebecca some nice congratulatory messages. And visit her Xanga!

Posted by Melly in Quizzes | 2 Comments »