Hommus on my Fitball

Ask no questions and I'll tell you no lies (re: the title for this post). But it's a true story.

I enjoy this blog so much it seems odd that I don't get back to it so often these days, but it's not a permanent condition, honestly! Let's just say I haven't been ready until today. In the words of Spandau Ballet "To cut a long story short...".

I want to thank the previous murder of commenters...[[STOP]] Ok.. said that for effect.. what is a group of commenters? There's flock of sheep, murder of crows (no you aren't crows.. sorry)... gaggle of geese... what about blog commenters and readers? How about I call you a "cartel of commenters" because (according to my dictionary source) it kind-of means "special interest groups"..and "international sydicate" all at the same time? Ok.. so I want to thank the previous cartel of commenters who took part in the "Optional-Maria-Poll #1" (isn't that screaming for a new name?... ergh)! But it's so corny, I have to keep it.

Next, I'll fill you in on some movie's we've recently seen. I will feature the last two because the one before those two.. 'The Reaping' was totally 'blah' for me.. because I'm not into supernatural and horror anymore. Hubby liked it though. It was a Hilary Swank movie based on the horror in the Old Testament.. plagues and things.

Anyway "Georgia Rule" features Lindsay Lohan (the daughter), Felicity Huffman (the mother) and Jane Fonda (the grandmother). I honestly thought I could not see any movie again that featured Lindsay Lohan because Lindsay reminds me so much of a former neighbour (a recent-ish neighbour) at a previous address. She. Was. Psycho. She (the ex-neighbour) eventually lost her job, couldn't pay her mortgage and had to rent out her home...so she left. But prior to that, she robbed me of my quality of life. Not just me at Unit 2, but 'T' at Unit 1 and 'B' at Unit 4. This movie though, Georgia Rule, well.. I decided to go and see it because it seemed like a 'chick flick' and I enjoy Jane Fonda. The movie ended up being ok but quite darker than it actually proposes to be. The theme's could be a bit sad or distressing if watched by fragile souls with similar trouble's. Lindsay's character did end up irking my daughter and I a bit ...she kind of got on our nerves which went hand-in-hand with the mental picture of my ex-neighbour. Overall though, if you like stories about women and relationships and pain and problems and healing, it's worthy of watching. I loved Jane's life-savvy (and soapy!) grandmother character the most. "Ka-ching" to Jane for being cast so well.

'Because I said so" featured; Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore and the mother from Gilmore girls, Lauren Graham. I must admit - I was hesitant to see this after I read the movie-synopsis. But it was better than its synopsis (or the several that I read). A bit too many cheesy, bonk-jokes that had sections of the theatre in hysterics. There is a 'foodie' thread in it as Mandy Moore's character has her own catering company.. following in her Mother's footsteps. Lovely food features throughout.. so it's a thumbs-up for that and also because the movie wasn't as predictable as I thought it might be. There's a screamingly, gratuitous stand-around in bra and knickers part-of-the-movie which included Diane Keaton and her three daughters in the one scene. As roll-your-eyes unnecessary as it was... I must admit, Diane was very brave to stand, sans coat-dress and chunky belt- among three stunning girls young enough to be her grandaughters. She held her own in her undies.

My biggest news to share is that I am leaving on a jet plane. I caught it from Zanna.. it's the plane-catching thing that's going around. Zanna has it pretty bad though because she's just back from Hong Kong and is off to Cuba, Mexico and the U.S.A. soon. Wow, I said that at the risk of it stealing my own frequent flyer thunder didn't I? My miles fade in comparison.. but I don't discount them. It's only a two hour flight.. but times two.. that's four hours and four airport visitations.

Queensland

My girl and hubby have fires in their belly's re: waterslides, so we will go to Wet 'n Wild (water theme park).. and probably a day trip over to (the above picture) South Stradbroke Island (taking our hire car) over on the ferry. We'll also pop north to Beerwah and visit Australia Zoo. I've been several times over the years having family in Qld. The last time I went (in Dec. '03) Steve Irwin spoke to us (the crowd) in the Crocoseum, addressing the critics after he playfully dangled his son Robert near a croc during a show. His name was mud in the media. Steve was in tears as he spoke passionately about his children and what he considered the real dangerous people out there; like drunk drivers (one whom crashed into his Mum, killing her). He pleaded with us to understand that he never at any point endangered his son.

Since Steve's death I knew I wanted to go back to the zoo.. at least once.. to support the cause. If we weren't going there, we'd be going to Dreamworld again probably... but there are no regrets. While we are on the Sunshine coast we will probably drop into some other touristy places along the Glasshouse Mountains tourist drive.

This trip is quite a significant one for my girl and I. We thought we'd never go to Brisbane again. Ever. Anyway.. here I must quote from Spandau Ballet (again) "To cut a long story short".. because the gist of all this is my sister and I are in contact again after 3 years of no contact. Last time my girl and I were in Brisbane (we'd attempted to move up there).. my father died suddenly of a heart attack two weeks after we arrived.. at home.. right there where we were. Anyway.. it will be quite strange and undoubtedly very sad not to have my Dad there in Qld.. but we will visit the memorial garden where his ashes are kept. It's also significant that my girl and I touch base with my sister face to face to continue the healing process between us. And create new, fresh memories.

Anyway.. I have pressure here now to finish what I'm doing as hubby needs this space.. so I will finish up. Before my optional poll question I'll add some recent kitchen creations:

Lamb & Vegetable Curry, Jasmine Rice & Yoghurt

Rice Paper Rolls

They included shredded chicken, soba noodles marinated with a bit of sushi vinegar and sesame oil, carrot, spring onions, bean shoots, fresh coriander & Thai sweet chilli sauce. My girl soaked the rice paper sheets for me as I filled them and rolled them.

In conclusion I will leave with you: Optional-Maria-Poll #2 : If you were providing a fruit salad for non-family guests and someone dared you to present each guest with the following fruit salad dish (exactly as pictured, ingredients paid for) and you weren't allowed to say it was a dare --Would you be willing to prepare and present these individual fruit salads?

Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe

Hello to the *special individuals* who are reading this right now.. that's right.. YOU! I muchly appreciate you swinging by to check-in with me. I like to shout-out some praise to my lovely commenters, but some of you pop your invisible pills before clicking on foodie wanderings so then naturally, I can't tell you've been here you rrrrrabbity rrrrascals! :-P My site meter kind-of records the foot prints (The-Blue-Moon-Detective-Agency-Of-Blogs)... so right now I acknowledge you too, ok? (*wink*). Thanks for dropping by and staying long enough to read this far! If you haven't read the post below this one.. meander-on down there... it's a quick catch-up on Mother's Day and I talk about the prezzies I received and it concludes with a mini Mother's Day video (set to music). Speaking of which, I guess I may as well give you a quick catch-up on what eventuated on Sunday.

We went to Ballarat and met my inlaws (6 adults, 2 kids) for lunch. The car was parked a block away and the camera was left inside of the car (doh!), we were already half an hour late (long story and they had started eating without us) so I have no food photographs to show you. But it's not anyone's loss I can assure you. In place of what-might-have-been (as far as food photo's), please accept this token file photograph that closely resembles what I ate on the day. My camembert-stuffed chicken in filo had to be sent back as the centre of the 2 filo parcels I received had cold chicken and cold, melted camembert in the middle. Not room temperature..I'm talking, they pulled them out of the fridge and tried to zap them in their salamander to 'speed-brown' the tops ..but it left me with chilled-centre's. I had a second opinion too and then passed back my plate to the waitress.

When I first tasted the filo's I was assaulted by a bit too much plum sauce.. but after a short time away, my plate came back, same chicken, but they had just re-zapped what I'd already bitten into. To pretty-it-up, they poured even more plum sauce onto it. I felt like I was eating cheap plum sauce parcels. Couldn't taste any chicken or camembert. Not worth the $17 (it was on their 'specials' menu... I should know better). Anyway my girl seemed to like her chicken strips and chips (it was a processed chicken schnitzel, just cut into strips.... short-cut-city).

Anyway... we stayed on at Mum-&-Dad-inlaws for tea (dinner for you international folk). We shouted (ie. paid for) Subway.. but were only charged just under $17 for 2 x footlongs and 3 x 6" subs (like about HALF price). I had a coupon.. but was undercharged after I was overcharged. Anyway.. it was a bargain and the subs were very good. At last some 'sandwich artists' that know how to pile on the salad without me prompting every step of the way. Though Mum&Dad-inlaw only had meatballs with cheese and *nothing* else. Speaking of which someone on YouTube has done a video on how they loathe the term 'sandwich artists'... it's kind of funny! Sorry to Subway employees everywhere... nothing personal.

OK.. referring back to the title of this blog entry. If you've been up-to-date with recent posts, you'll know that hubby and I were kind of poisoned a few weeks back with an afternoon of fly spray in our faces and two smokers sitting in front of us. The next morning at church, I could smell smoke. That next day.. I was having lunch with my girl in a cafe and it smelled like the place had a few smokers. Since then, I have been smelling cigarette smoke where there isn't any. I'm talking, clear as day... like if someone were to blow it in your face. I have also had upper respiratory problems that have lingered since then. Nothing overly shocking..but a very conscious knowledge that something has been up. Coughing all morning. Coughing in the evening.. mainly because of a congested chest that I have difficulty clearing. Coughing up phlegm that seemed to never want to go away. Sometimes a sore throat. It's been a pain in the butt.

However.. ever since we moved into this place on March 14 and then had a new fan in our heater installed.. we have smelled gas in the living room. Initially we thought it was just a bi-product of turning the heater on after it had been off all summer (when the place was being renovated before we moved in). Often.. over the last 7 weeks I have entered the foyer and then the living room to be met with gas smells. Sometimes hubby has identified it too.. sometimes he's just not been so sure. But I've been aware of it 90% of the time.

Today.. I just got fed up with it. I guess I wasn't too keen to jump on the phone and tell the agents until today because I'm still getting over being sick of dealing with them. The amount of repairs they've had to justify and authorise since we've moved in because of shonky renovations has been very stressful. They kind-of got sick of us and we got even more sick of them and of dealing with tradesman from plumbers to lockmiths. The owners fault, but that's another story.

I looked up 'phantom smells' on the internet.. or the condition where people smell things that aren't actually there. I knew the gas smell was there but not the cigarette smoke. I found that there are many others who smell smoke too.. and some people smell rotting flesh and all sorts of weird things intensely and over long periods. It can come from chemical poisoning..as in .. coming into contact with something toxic. It can be stress.. it can can be hormones.. all sorts of things.

One thing I knew for sure is that my lungs weren't right..and my sense of smell went off-balance after the afternoon of fly spray and ciggy smoke. Which I thought was a bit odd..but I figured with the recent stresses, my body must have been very sensitive.

Hubby didn't seem to have much desire to have the heater looked at... I think he thought all was kind-of ok...and it was easy to not do anything about it and just take a break between tradesmen. But in the last few days.. I have been smelling smoke around the clock almost..and very aware of the gas in the lounge room.. so I thought.. enough is enough! WHAT IF there is a gas leak in the house? I'm the one that spends the most amount of hours at home and I'm the only one in the house that has had upper respiratory issues at present..and a skewed olfactory system.

This morning I rang our agent to tell them of what I suspected.. and late this afternoon a gas heater man (ex Gas and Fuel Corporation) came over and within a minute... he applied his 'sudsy stuff' onto where he would normally search for leaks. If there is a leak.. then the suds bubble-up (like the opening picture). The suds bubbled up, big time. Sure enough we've had gas leaking into the house for weeks and weeks. My lungs haven't been right and I've been smelling smoke nearly all of the time. I'm thinking that the afternoon with fly spray and ciggy smoke just put my senses into toxin overload.. and then my lungs started playing up and I started with the phantom smells. I think I'll still go to my GP and fill him in... see what he has to say anyway. But praise God the gas man knew what he was doing.. and now the problem has been fixed.

I've written much more than I thought I would. I'm always conscious of how much I babble on here...I don't want to put anyone off by churning out paragraph after paragraph.. but sometimes.. it happens that way. I will conclude with a picture and a poll. I think I want to make a poll a regular feature on my blog. It'll just be a bit of fun.. and a chance to rate something or give your opinion which might, in fact tell me more about you too.

Ok. Optional-Maria-Poll #1: Would you ever wear this cupcake scarf happily in public? Feel free to elaborate if you want and rate it out of 10.

Happy Mother's Day!

Forgive me bloggers for I have sinned. It's been 2 weeks since my last blog. Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mum's reading this! :-D --Today is Mother's Day! Please enjoy looking at my Mother's Day Stall gifts from my girl: a vanilla scented votive candle with lots of silver glitter on the outside and the word 'Sweetheart'! (I'm a sucker for glitter usually)! Also a lovely card (with glitter), a 'home sweet home' bunny magnet and a toiletries-pack, being Avon 'Naturals' Lemongrass & Camomile deep moisturising conditioner with a soft apple-green face washer! All for $5! (Not including the card). They do a great job with gifts at the school don't they?

We are headed to Ballarat for lunch today at the 'Park Bistro'. We are meeting my inlaws including hubby's parents, hubby's brother & his family & brother's wife's parents! I wonder if I'll be brave enough to take the camera and photograph our food in front of the family? I think so. Besides, if I chicken-out, hubby will do it. I usually don't care what strangers think.. so yeah.. I'll stick to that general blog-cause policy! Pictured above is our dinner last night. As some of you may know I also do video's on YouTube and one lady I subscribe to has her own (what seems to be) cooking channel. Her latest recipe is 'Lemon and Leek' pasta (using wholemeal spaghetti) so this is it! My 12 year old girl didn't like it but hubby and I did. It has fresh basil, lemon juice and rind, parmesan cheese, vegie stock.. very simple actually, fresh and light. I also made some grilled fish to go alongside of it (Ling which I rubbed with spices first) -and there's a baby spinach and mushroom garnish there too!

Pictured to the right here are two 500gram bags of healthy, powdery, grainy things! They keep being mentioned over and over in the 'hormone health' books I'm reading. We have L.S.A. (linseed, sunflower seed and almond.. great for 'omega's'.. I used to sprinkle it on things many years ago when I read the 'Liver Cleansing Diet') --and Psyllium Husks. There's 4 whole grams of fibre in every heaped teaspoonful of psyllium! I want to increase the fibre in my diet and this seems to be one way (quite a painless way as it has no flavour). I sprinkled the psyllium on my dinner last night.. and though it added some texture it didn't ruin the dinner at all. I was surprised how agreeable it was (so was hubby).


Since I'm squeezing this blog entry into Mother's Day (getting ready for Ballarat) morning and I need to get a move-on, I have to leave it there for now.. but I will make sure it's not another 2 weeks before I post again! In fitting conclusion I will add my last YouTube video. A subscriber in California (who I also subscribe to) did a video and mentioned that it's the 100th anniversary of Mother's Day this year. She asked for fellow vloggers to reply to her video with a video of their own to commemorate this occasion. I put this together last night (in the nic of time)! Turn your speakers up as it has sound. And have a great day whatever you're doing! :-)