Remember that 'perfectly horrid interview'?  Well, turns out they liked me - go figure!

(i reckon there's something going on, call it divine intervention, fate, karma, destiny - whatever you want!)



Anyway, I stared last Thrusday - 2 day week.

Last week was a 4 day week,

and this week I'm facing my first full week. 



Work is overrated!  when am I supposed to sew, and cook, and have tea with friends?  *sigh* welcome back into the real world!!!



Luckily the job is great, and the people are realy nice.  The project has been running for a year, and goes live in December, so I'm charged with picking up the info so far (catching up with the other staff, as it were).  it's quite a challenge, but I'm enjoying it thus far.



Oh, and they're having a 'summer fair' where you can 'enter' your handiwork, so I thought I'd take my glass over and see what they thought of it. :)



okay, off to cook (& freeze)  food for  a week...



M

Well, finally I finished painting the lounge.  In a fit of dispair after a perfectly horrid interview, I came home and attacked the lounge - I had purchased all  paint already anyway, and needed something constructive to do. 



On Monday I rubbed down all the wood, and filled the holes.

Tuesday I started on the feature wall.   The paint I chose is a lovely pearlised paint, which means that after you've put the last coat on, you brush it (with a broom in my case), to leave lines on in the paint, which reflects the light.  it looks stunning (even if I do have to say so my self).

The other 2 walls are done in a flat pale grey, and they were a lot easier to paint

It took a full week of full time painting, and another weekend to do - it's a bit too time consuming for my liking!!



It was the wood work, however, which reminded me just how much I HATE painting.  argh.  sand, base coat, and 2 top coats, cutting in carefully around the walls and carpet.  argh!  it took 3 hours just to put 1 coat of paint on the door frame, since it's particularly twiddly - I very nearly had a sense of humour failure.



Now, however, it's all done, all the pulgs and pelmets are screwed back in, and I'm 'interviewing' my art to see what will hang in the new lounge.... most of the stuff doesn't match.  oops *grin*



I'm very pleased with the results, though :)



M

Hey,



There was I lazing around enjoying a very lazy start to a Saturday - the sun was shining, but it's cold (okay chilly - about 3 degrees last night)



I was just debating whether to take my tea out into the garden or to sit in a puddle of sun in the house.

...I walked outside.. and found I'd been HOONED!



Last night around 11 I heard raucous laughter just outside my place, but there are often drunk teenagers walking home on a weekend end night, so I ignored it. This morning I found out why they were laughing. One of them evidently felt he had to prove he was 'A MAN' by lifting up one of my terra cotta pots and moving it. Of course, in the process he's broken the pot. I was livid!!! Was? Am!!

My poor cherry tree needs a new home now. :(



The sooner I get my fence up the better - and the way I'm feeling at the moment, I'll electrify the fence on the off chance they may just lean on it in the future.



Mutter!! Of course, there's no point in doing anything about it until I get my fence, and that's dependant on planning permission being issued - so I'll have to wait for the councils wheels to turn.. but needless to say, next time there's a bunch of youths outside my place I will go move them on!



Grr!

M



PS: Hoon comes from Hooligan i'm told!

hey,

The only good thing about having to go to the supreme court was the building itself.  It's one of the oldest in Victoria, and it's magnificently built! Built between 1873 & 1884 - It was clearly built when craftsmen were proud of their job - the ceiling has ornate plaster work on it.  And it's easily 20 feet high.

See

http://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/Supreme+Court/Home/Library/

and

http://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/Supreme+Court/Home/About+the+Court/History/Building/SUPREME+-+Building+-+History+-+Home



The bulding is a square of court rooms built around a central courtyard, which has in it the law library.  this is a circular building whith a high domed roof.  It is 2 storeys, and you get to the top story but a flight of stone stairs (it's just like a visiting an old church or monestary, except you have to  walk through xray, and have your bags scanned.)



On the top floor we found books in sections.  one section held the transcripts of the debates of parliment - from the first parliment.  Then there was a section of english law precidence - the earliest book I found there was published in 1913

In the next collection there were books dating back to 1851!

And the book cases went all the way to the ceiling, you had to use a step ladder to get to them.  The top of the ladders had thick pads of leather, so that they never damaged the books.

I climbed up one to see th 1851 books - and they're there for anyone to use?!?!



After that, I went downstairs and enquired after the oldest book - published in around 1490!!!

The second oldest was published in 1640, and dealt with the change in law (by King Edward??) no longer make it illegal to play sports on the weekend, such activities as morris dancing were to be permitted - after one had been to churc of course - but permitted.  needless to say, the masses at the time couldn't read, and the priests refused to read the new law to them, so they had to be forced to do so!

This one was printed in a nearly legible script, so it was possible to read the page that was open.  The 1490 book was printed in something very close to caligraphy, which makes it nearly impossible to read!



It's a gorgeous space! If you ever visit, I'll drag you there to show you.  :)





Keep well

M

hey,

I've been in the position to support a friend (Wendy) for the last 2 weeks as she supports her friend (Donna) who was on trial for murder. 



2.5 years ago Donna murdered her two sons and then she tried, but failed, to commit suicide.  She does not deny she murdered the boys, but there is strong discussion as to whether she was 'in her right mind' at the time.



Attending court for the first few days was an interesting intelectual experience.



Both the  barristers and the judge wear wigs.  The judge wears a very fancy red robe, while the 2 barristers wear black robes.

There is also an assistant judge who sits beneath the judge, but higher than the barristers.

The defendant sits right at the back of the court facing the judgess (i.e. behind her barrister?!?!?!.)



The room we were in was small (3 'pews' of spectators facing the judge, and 2 rows at 90 degrees to that - but with a viewing gallery at the top.  It reminded me very much of the ye olde image of churches.  The jury sat in what would be the 'choir stalls'



They impannelled 13 jurors, just in case 1 had to be excused - this way there were still 12 when the deliberating had to happen & the risk of a 'mistrial' was mittigated.



The language in the court is very precisise - and it was interesting watching the barristers and the judge debate precidence from previous cases, etc.



The case was obviously very emotional, and the press were all over it (I likened them to vultures cirlcing).  it was fascinating to sit in their midst and watch the court artists capture Donna's likeness.  some of them were very good, some were very mediocre to say the least!

We made a point of avoiding the TV camera (not that the oppostion did, but that's their call.)



Interestingly, the Crown have to prove 'beyond a reasonable doubt' that she did it.  The defence have to prove 'on the balance of probability' that she was insane at the time.  Quite subtle, but very important difference.



Unfortunatly the jury didn't do what Wendy wanted them to, and they found Donna guilty, and not 'mentally impaired' as hoped.  I honestly don't know what I think the correct verdict is.  Either way, she'll serve time -but if it's 'mentally impaired' she gets time in a psych institution, as opposed to a jail, which let's face it, we'd all prefer.  I can't make up my mind if she's better off in either institute.  I don't think there can be a good outcome, but I don't know what the best one is.



Sitting in court is just plain unsavourary.  They put a microscope on your life, and inspect all acts for relevance: When  you tidied the house on the weekend before, does this show intention to do the act? (or was it just that the house was dirty???).  And it certainly makes you cynical.  The boy's father (who didn't under any circumstances, deserve to loose his kids) made my skin crawl.  I can understand that he wanted her punished, but he and his supporters almost cheered when the verdict came in.  Relief I could understand.  cheering just seems to be overly vindictive & small minded...  I think... but who can blame him for  grieving for his boys? (see I'm all confused over this)



I can say that it's the best  deterrent for crime.  Everyone should be made to sit in the court room.  It's an opressive environment, and nothing is personal.

And it's slow - it took 2.5 years to get to court, and the evidence, when given, was done is a painstakingly slow and detailed manner...



Trust me - you dont' want to go there!!!



Unfortunately, it's not quite over, Donna wasn't well enought to attend sentencing, so we'll have to wait for her to be well enough before we all go back in and the judge hears evidence in mittigatgion of sentencing, and then hands down the sentence..

Then the case is over.

*shudder*



M