Possibly too much information

I know, a long time since I last posted. Can we not talk about that please?

Career0ne just sent me this personality profile. It doesn't take long, and was eerily accurate for both Lovergirl and I. Try it yourself.

Apparently I'm best in project type work where I'm in complete control and people will leave me to get on with the job. L is best in jobs where she uses her verbal skills and has authority, such as 'counsellor' or 'minister of religion'!

Me at work:

This is a person who can be very enthusiastic about an environment where they have a strong level of knowledge and where they can take hold of a project, own it completely, work on it from its initial inception and pursue it until a successful conclusion has been reached. Ideally, such projects are short-term in nature and are within an environment where they are an "expert" and feel very competent. Otherwise, they can become pessimistic, critical and doubtful, although, in the early stages of achieving the project, their enthusiasm and energy will keep them buoyant through some of the difficult moments.

A tendency to be so focused on quality can result in some time-management issues, and they can move between being highly distractible and wanting to interact with others, to then wanting to focus 100% on their work, to the point where they resent interruption. The key motivators are also varied. On the one hand, they need and love interaction with people; it is important for them to feel that they are a significant and well-regarded part of the team. On the other hand, they also need to have the opportunity to focus on their work and pursue it, preferably without interruption.

The need to feel secure and to have sufficient data and skills makes them, at times, somewhat pedantic about collecting information and spending quite some time in the preparation phases. Then again, another aspect is that they enjoy being in an environment which is very busy, ever changing, allowing them to work on issues that are short-term and which still allow them to juggle many priorities and be responsive to ever-changing challenges. Under pressure, this can lead them to over commit and take on too much.

Their work style can vary considerably. Ideally, they will enjoy a situation where they are completely on top of the challenges that might arise, familiar with the type of work that they are responsible for and experienced enough to ensure successful outcomes. They are most suited to short-term projects for which they can have total ownership and which require attention to detail, precision, awareness and the pursuit of high quality outcomes. The environment should also allow them to have a number of different projects on the go that can, once completed, be discussed with colleagues. The interaction aspect of their work is important, however, it is just as important for them to control when that interaction occurs.

These individuals can be quite volatile. Despite their genuine team orientation, it is not unusual to find them becoming quite annoyed and reactive when they find themselves under pressure or interrupted for what they perceive to be trivial reasons. They can also be quite pedantic, needing much detail and support, a great deal of time to get on top of their challenges and reassurance that they have the capacity to achieve what they have been set. When they feel on top of their projects and when they are in "people mode", you will find a very warm, enthusiastic and compassionate individual who's good intentions can override the irritation when forced to consider what they perceive as trivial issues.

Summary

An individual with this type of temperament is a scientist for the people, enjoys contact with others outside the workplace and prefers projects that can benefit society in the long run and provide security for them.

The snot edition

Cant talk now. for some reason this is in bold, sorry. we all have colds here except lovergirl. everytime i pick up a baby i get snail trails of baby snot all over my clothes. poor buggers cant sleep, they keep waking themselves up. only way to get some peace is sit holding them. my only baby free time is 7-10pm so I'm not so thrilled with current state of affairs. although i know my only concern should be for their comfort i must confess to a smidgen of impatience. I'VE got a snotty nose too, you know.

thought i'd do this meme from thirdcat

What was I doing 10 years ago?

30th birthday - group holiday at daylesford with about ten friends. I made everyone a poster telling them what i liked about them, with crayon illustrations and sparkles. Years later I would still see them stuck up on people's toilet walls.

Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non weight-gaining world:

potato chips - plain; flavours are an aberration.

chocolate, also plain & dark. White chocolate is waste of good chocolate space.

In a perfect world, that'd be about it.

Five snacks I enjoy in the real world :

popcorn

bananans

hardboiled eggs

last night's leftovers

plain potato chips

cheese on toast

and chocolate

(I'm allowed more than five as I'm breastfeeding)

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Hire a nanny who would do all the crap work while LG & I played with the kids. Also one could hold one baby while I held the other, if both were crying at the same time. I hate not being able to comfort both at once.

Hire two nannies to hold the babies when they are sick and can't sleep

Make films

Live in Italy for a year

Buy a comfy house with a council-approved toilet on a big property near a beautiful lake; fly my family up to visit me regularly (I'd say build them a little place of their own on the property but I think Lovergirl might have something to say about that)

Five jobs that I have had:

petrol pump attendant

paper delivery girl

the person who assesses whether you are mad and need to go to the psych hospital

kids' improvisational drama teacher

freelance writer (i like saying that)

Three of my habits:

reading blogs

cooking gorgeous food

leaving kitchen in a mess after cooking gorgeous food

Five places I have lived:

Altona (Melbourne) - childhood home
Preston/Thornbury (Melbourne) - typical lesbian, lived with every girlfriend after 2 dates
Northern NSW
Geraldton
Brisbane

Five people I want to get to know better

Well, that's another thing about me - I hate passing these things on. Because, you know, I'll suggest five people, and they won't do it, and that'll be a kind of rejection, won't it?

But I can manage this.

I've been tagged by Owl at Enough grows

The instructions are:

1. Grab the nearest book of 123 pages or more.
2. Open it to page 123.
3. Find the first 5 sentences and write them down.
4. Then invite 5 friends to do the same.

The nearest book to me is called 'The Post-Baby Conversation'; it's about maintaining your relationship after the birth of your baby. Page 123 is a quote; 'Matt' is explaining his perception of what his partner is going through.

...home, and to go from being a career woman, earning just the same as me, to staying at home playing with kids all day, I would imagine would be fairly demoralising; she needs the intellectual stimulation that is lacking when you are looking after a little kid. So I think all this contributes...

I haven't got to that point yet, but I can see where his partner's coming from.

I'm supposed to tag 5 people but maybe I'll just invite you to do it in my comments, if you feel so inclined. I'm curious to know what interesting tomes other people are reading.

Meme - earliest memory

We went to a multicultural festival recently. We live in the now-deposed Liberal G4ry H4rdgr4ve's seat, who stated some weeks ago that people in his electorate were 'exhausted' by the presence of Sudanese refugees. I did find the festival a little exhausting - we had to stand in a queue for a delicious African spiced pancake, and there was so much face-painting and choir-singing and dancing that it was all a bit overwhelming. If only they weren't here and we could have nice normal undemanding fetes, with coconut ice and a spinning wheel and a devonshire tea tent.

I've been tagged by Meli to tell you about my earliest memory.

The earliest I can remember is my sister's first birthday, so I would have been four. We were holidaying with cousins in Sydney at the time - we'd all gone up on the Southern Aurora, the overnight train from Melbourne. I remember being really excited about the idea of having breakfast in the dining car (Mum of course had packed our dinner so we hadn't experienced the dining car the night before) but come morning I felt too queasy from the constant rocking to eat anything. Mum made me a fabulous dress for Zephyr's party - white chiffon with big pink polka dots all over it, worn over a petticoat. It's a shame I don't have my photo albums up here, I really looked a treat. It could be that I only remember this dress so clearly because Zephyr wore it three years later. Mum also made Zephyr a Humpty-Dumpty birthday cake, out of the Woman's Weekly birthday cake book. It was a square cake, stood on one end and iced in brown, with the outlines of the bricks etched into it with the end of a pipe cleaner. And Humpty-Dumpty, a blown egg, perched on the top. He had little pants on but I can't remember what they were made of! We had that book for years - every year as a birthday approached, we would pore over it for hours to choose this year's birthday cake design. Mum always tried to convince us girls a Dolly Varden cake was the best - basically a cake baked in a pudding basin, decorated with rosettes of cream and icing, with a legless Barbie shoved in then top so she looked like she was wearing a big crinoline. Boring for us - but I guess less complicated than the trains and teddies and farmyards we invariably chose.

We slept in a caravan in our cousins' backyard and it flooded - I remember being woken up in the middle of the night with water coming up through the bottom of the caravan. How is this possible? I might have to check this detail with my parents - it sounds inconceivable that there would be that much flooding while we slept soundly.

The other thing I remember about this holiday was a family walk around Circular Quay. I looked over the edge into the water and asked my mother, 'What would you do if I fell in?' She said, 'I would throw you a flower,' and kept walking. I was shocked! and remember vivid nightmares, in which I thrashed about in the water while my mother walked off, for some time. I told my mother about this quite recently - she couldn't remember it. It's frightening, in a way, they kind of off-the-cuff things you can say as an adult that have a profound impact on literal children. Then again, I don't think I'm truly scarred by the experience.

Me, air headed?

Which Female Action Hero Are You?
	You are Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You are outgoing, warm, and sociable. Your intelligence and intuition give you a strong sense of right and wrong; you may be soft, sweet, and a little air-headed at times, but you are fully capable of proving yourself more than a stereotype.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Omigod we're not compatible

Lovergirl is... You Are a Hunter Soul

You are driven and ambitious - totally self motiviated to succeed Actively working to acheive what you want, you are skillful in many areas. You are a natural predator with strong instincts ... and more than a little demanding. You are creative, energetic, and an extremely powerful force. An outdoors person, you like animals and relate to them better than people. You tend to have an explosive personality, but also a good sense of humor. People sometimes see you as arrogant or a know it all. You tend to be a bit of a loner, though you hate to be alone. Souls you are most compatible with: Seeker Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

I've really gotta get back to work now

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Gifted, I am

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Huh! well I'm none of those things.

And I certainly don't have musical intelligence. I too would have walked straight past the world famous violinist busking in a Washington subway on his $3.4 million violin. He made $32, apparently.

I'm a lone beacon in a sea of silliness

"You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of silliness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed."

Take the Quiz here!

Xmas Retrospective

Just to finish off Christmas, this meme from PC:

1) Do you have a tree, and if so what is hanging on it?
I'm staying at my sister's in Melbourne. She's been in Europe all year, and her tree is covered in wonderful baubles. Each time I ask, 'Ooh, where did you get this?' she says, self-consciously, 'Oh Czechoslavakia... Croatia... Spain... Moscow...'

2) What's the most successful bit of Christmas cooking you've done so far?

Uh - all the stuff I cooked was good (it usually is - I'm a good cook). Buttermilk pancakes for breakfast with Dad, yummy little smoked trout, avocado & cream cheese hors d'oevres and a kahlua egggnog - with a non-alcoholic version for the teetotallers.

3) And the least successful?
The eggnog did have an unusual texture this year. It wouldn't go thick. It still tasted good though, and was polished off quickly.

4) Which bit of your Christmas shopping are you happiest with?
I suggested Lovergirl buy my sister ten metres of Daintree rainforest which was the most successful gift of the whole extravaganza. I bought Lovergirl a delicious thick fluffy pink dressing gown which seems a fitting representation of the state of our relationship - gorgeous and comfortable. I gave my mother-in-law a book by Women's Weekly journalist David Leser - stories of twenty-one inspiring women - she said she loved it then bought a copy for one of her own friends.

5) Have you opened any of your presents yet? What was it / were they?
Next year's diary from Lovergirl - a stunning photographic publication - a subscription to the Monthly, and an Italian phrasebook. A necklace from Dad that definitely looks like something a nice Maltese girl would wear - just a little bit too much. A Women's Weekly cookbook from Mum - oh, and that ticket to Bali. Crocheted flannels - no Christmas would be complete without them.

6) Do you have any bad Christmas associations that will have to be tackled?
Oh, it's all too close to the bone to relate right now. Just the same as always. See below.

7) What's your favourite carol? Why?

I don't know what it's called but it goes,
'Said the little lamb to the shephered boy
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky shepherd boy?
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the sky
It will bring us (something something hum hum)'

Do you know it?
It has a great swelling last verse and I think the very first time I heard it, it was sung by a mighty choir. Ever since then, when I hear it sung by creaky old voices, my mind's ear hears it sung properly, perfectly.

8) Which part of your Christmas plans is most likely to go awry?
All the family dynamics were definitely a risk. My strategy is to sail through obliviously, like Mr Magoo. Then fly back home 2,000 km away.
9) What's your most favourite thing about Christmas?

The hope. The kernel of goodness in everyone. Feeling part of something bigger. The idea that we could do this for longer than a week a year - feel good, and hopeful, and kindly-disposed. Walking to midnight mass smiling and greeting other church-goers.

10) What's your least favourite thing about it?

How it always lets me down. Christmas is over in a morass of holly-sprigged paper and we all snap back to default position.

11) What Christmassy thing have you seen or heard in the street or on the teeve or in the blogosphere that has
(a) touched your heart

Watching Lovergirl's nephew in his Christmas pageant (see photo at top of entry). Again - it's the hope. Naked hope always makes me cry.

(b) hit a nerve
All the stress and overconsumption. I'm swept along, but a part of me berates myself. I'm eating and buying twice as much as I need to while children in other countries... (you know how the rest goes).

or (c) made you want to barf?

Christmas carols stuck on permanent repeat in my mind after too much time spent on aeroplanes. 'Do They Know It's Christmas' and 'The Little Drummer Boy' are particularly intrusive.

12) Who do you wish you had contacted to say Happy Christmas but haven't so far?

A woman I lost contact with years ago when a mutual friend of ours died of ovarian cancer. I saw her at the Melbourne Writers' Festival earlier this year, she gave me her address and I meant to send her a card. Now I've lost the address.