jenwren's blog

Much to my relief, me and my belongings finally have a destination in Sydney.  The Sydney rental market is super-crazy, and had I not been successful in renting somewhere over the weekend, it had become extremely likely that I was going to have to place my stuff in storage.  So I have a place to live.  And it's where I wanted to be, and just down the road (literally) from my sister, in the same street I lived in before (1997-2000, excluding when I lived in Melbourne...).  All very familiar surroundings.

Unfortunately, as it took some time to get an address, the removalists will only just get me moved before the end of the school holidays (I had them all lined up for next week until the little problem of the destination address ruined that plan!).  School term ends tomorrow for me, and I also sign the new lease tomorrow, so I should be back in Armidale late on Thursday.   Beyond that, things are uncertain - my broadband connection in Armidale is to be cut off on the 15th (I had to give 30 days notice - I'm switching ISP) so I'm not likely to be blogging at all after that until my broadband connection is hooked up at the new place.

My new job is absolutely wonderful, but has kept me busy with class preparation and marking, as well as simply getting used to being in a new school.  The first cable sock is finished and the second is up to the heel flap and I've done a little spinning.  Sorry, no photos.  I'm too tired to bother.

This moving house thing has been far too drawn out for my liking...  Thankfully the end is in sight now - the furniture etc. is to be collected on Wednesday and arrive in Sydney on Thursday where my parents will receive it for me while I clean up here and return the keys on Friday before heading to Sydney myself.  The broadband here is due for cut-off today and the phone is already on in Sydney with the new broadband connection ordered.  So this is my last post until the broadband is connected there since I won't blog from work.  I've also moved my web site from my ISP provided free web space to a web host, and eventually this blog will be hosted there on Movable Type.




I have some stash enhancement - three skeins of Nepali Cotton for a weaving project, and some more cream Patonyle for hand dyeing for socks.  I bought them at Wool on Wheels, and would have gone more crazy but needed a better idea of an intended project before buying the yarn (I really want some Rowan 4 ply soft and Wool Cotton - both absolutely beautiful yarns!).  Danielle is having a sale on Noro yarns, but I have no projects in mind for that either.  I will go crazy ordering some books I've wanted for a while just as soon as I'm back in Sydney and clearing my post office box regularly.  There has been very little knitting progress as I've been doing a lot of marking for school when I haven't been packing boxes.  But the second cable sock is at the toe, so it should be well and truly finished by the next post!

I had said I wouldn't post until I had broadband again, but I hadn't expected the broadband to take just three business days to be connected.  Yes.  Three days.  It was on before my furniture even left Armidale.  My new ISP, Internode, rocks.  So really, I haven't posted because I've just been too busy with unpacking and work.  So much so that the current sock didn't get picked up again until last night, and I am three-quarters of the way through grafting the toe.  So close to finished...

I had made an earlier attempt to finish the sock - I went to knitting group at Rubi + Lana last Saturday, but such was my frustration level (I discovered the front brakes on my bicycle were screwed by the removalists just as I was leaving and attempted to take the bike to my garage) that grafting was simply not an appropriate knitting task.  Oh well, I had some time away from the darn boxes with some pretty fine company!

Unpacking on the weekend was focused on making my new home liveable, so the main bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and some of the living room were tackled first.  Thanks to the ANZAC day holiday yesterday, I was able to sort out the second bedroom/study, and unpack the 15 boxes of books downstairs.  The picture above is of the place I'm sitting at right now, though I took the picture shortly before the sun disappeared.   My outlook is of the dense bush in the gully that separates my home from the next block about 50 metres away.  I can't really see those neighbours at all!

This little intruder did take me a little by surprise though...   I noticed him late last night as I was about to go to bed.  First I nearly didn't see him, then I nearly mistook him for very similar (but green) paperweight I own and had unpacked earlier in the day.  I think he's a Leaf-tailed Gecko.  He must have wandered in the door at some time when I had it open to move things in or out, and he's probably been inside at least a few days - he blended in exceptionally well with the carpet, so I wouldn't have spotted him, and he'd made it all the way upstairs to my bedroom!  Nice to know he approves of Patons Patonyle (cream for my own hand dyeing).  I had thought he may be a stowaway I picked up from the removalist's truck, but having looked at the range and habitat, he's probably a local I just hadn't encountered before.  He was released into the night to find a more appropriate home.