Becalmed

Things are certainly quiet about now. I'd wonder if it was just me, except somebody just posted to the Perth Rat Rescue forum calling for life signs.

Work doesn't want me at the moment. As chaosmanor correctly pointed out, this means I can date other corporations. Oddly enough, casual status probably does mean an open relationship :-) I've been obliged to apply for permanent status; didn't at first want to as it means lower per hour rates, but it means I get to go into the office and dust and be paid for it, rather than mucking around with writing online, which is fun but for which I do not get paid! So I guess I can look on this as the last time this will happen to me when the court transcription service goes into a period of low work. School holidays = lawyers taking time off.

I've been finding out what online sources I can access at work without having the Net Police slap me around for wasting valuable work time. Email, sure. They also can't identify the Yog-Sothoth forum as being non-corporate and probably Dreamwidth would get through too, as Elaine suggested. Live Journal and Facebook are right out.

I've been mostly writing or gardening at home this week, but today I went into town to buy some ingredients for a dry rat mix - decided to do this myself as the supermarket versions are unsatisfactory - at Kakulas, where all the supplies are in big bins and you scoop out what you want. Rice, oats, other grains, nuts, dried fruit, local honey (no, that's not in the big bins). It's a wonderful old-fashioned shop still run by the original Mr Kakulas, who has to be 90. I was served by Mr K himself, who is a little uncertain with the new cash registers - the shop will take only cash - but can identify at a glance each of the small bags of grains I drop on the counter.

After this, I got my two-year-old nephew a birthday present. I have NO idea what I can get a toddler that can be easily posted, so it was a book voucher. That way his mum can get something he doesn't already have. Since they live in Port Lincoln, I've got no way of knowing what he's got. I am still hoping at least one of my nephews will turn out to be a fannish bibliophile. The older one is crazy for dinosaurs (he's five) but right now that mostly takes the form of imitating the supposed roar of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Then it was onwards to fantastic_planet for a chat and a book for me. Only one. I'm supposed to be on restricted spending until work picks up. Unfortunately it has two sequels, one of which is already in the shop. So I'm probably doomed.

Salutations