So there was a big earthquake in Christchurch ...

After the 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch on Saturday, and the subsequent devastation and aftershocks, the nightly news has been somewhat earthquake-preoccupied.
 
Sarah-Rose: Do we have an emergency kit?
Craig: We have some bottled water.
Sarah-Rose: but no canned food or anything?
Craig: Nah. Do you want to make an emergency kit?
Sarah-Rose: ... nah.
Craig: ...
Sarah-Rose: I want YOU to make an emergency kit.
 
Yes. I am a little worried about the impending apocalypse (there have been two small earthquakes in Wellington this afternoon) but not TOO worried. Obviously.
And Craig is lovely.

I promise, he's not suicidal.

We've had a lot of torrential rain recently. And one of the wonderful wonderful foibles of Park Place and the bushy surrounds is clogged guttering and ... small animals ... and ... actually, I don't know.
All I know that after serious rainfall Craig gets his handy-man on.

Craig: I'm going out on the roof.
Sarah-Rose: Okay.
Craig: If I'm not back in 15 minutes ...
Sarah-Rose: Come and look for you?
Craig: Yes. And if I'm not on the roof?
Sarah-Rose: ... yea?
Craig: Look faster.

A conversation between flatmates

Me: Oh, I'm so excited! I get my new tattoo on Wednesday!
FlatMate: oh, really? what're you getting?
Me: Haven't I tol- I'm getting words across my back.
FM: What words?
Craig: Yea, it'll be W A R D S in big letters.
Me & FM: Huh?
Craig: That would've been funnier if I could spell.

So adorable. I love him a lot. Even if he has trouble spelling words.

One Flesh by Fiona Samuel

A conversation between Craig and I during my first read through of One Flesh.
And that's about all I have to say about that for now.

Except to note that the play has been vetted by the Pastor of the church in which we are due to perform. The script has had the worst of the swearing removed but apparently tits are a-ok by the Lord.

Not feeling very bloggy ...

To: Sarah-Rose
From: Craig
I felt bad about making you walk home tonight so I got you a present, but you’ll have to wait till I get home till you know what it is,
mwhaa haha.

To: Craig
From: Sarah-Rose
You are so cute. And evil. Which is also soooo cute.

A Conversation (of sorts) on the ride home ...

Sarah-Rose: Hee! I wonder if that guy's licence plate (2HORZN) is meant to indicate that he's a cowboy heading for the horizon, or that he's a pimp and has two whores in ??
Craig was wearing sunglasses and I could still STILL tell that he was rolling his eyes. A lot.
Sarah-Rose: Hee! Word play!!

A Conversation between Sisters

A Conversation with a Co-Worker

A coworker sidled up to me:

CW: I think you have a Secret
Me: What?
CW: I think, and I'm not the only person in the office who thinks this, that you have a secret.
Me: Bu-
CW: don't worry, it's a happy secret!
Me: but I don't have a secret ?
CW: No, no, that you DO have a secret
Me: I don't think I do ... what do you think it is?
CW: Hmm. I'll disperse clues
Me: Ah! No!

I'm thinking, naturally, oh christ they think I'm pregnant. Damn. But before I can interrogate, said Co-Worker slinked off to one of the other offices and returned a few minutes later:

CW: Do you want a clue?
Me: Yes! Please!
CW: It involves .... restraints.

And then the Co-Worker just walks away. Leaving me furrowed brow and confused lips at my desk.

I'm pretty sure that more than one person in this darling little office thinks I'm in to BDSM.

(thankfully I find this amusing)

Note: I think this has to do with my prediliction for dark jewellery, pencil skirts, and vertiginous heels. I'm not swanning about in leather with handcuffs hanging next to my ID card or anything. In case you wondered.

Craig almost fell over

Late Sunday night

Me: I think I want to start running.
Craig: What? you mean like you want to get a treadmill?
Me: No. I think outside in the big wide world.
Craig: ... uh ok?
Me: I think I might like it! I really like the jogging on Wii Fit* and yea. I think I might like jogging outside too.
Craig: ... maybe. Are you serious?
Me: Yea! but I think I need to start with a sports bra. And some running shoes.
Craig: Baby, any time you want to go shopping for sports shoes, I am there!

So yes. Maybe? I might start running. It depends how expensive the gear is. If there's one thing I hate, it's spending money on an activity I'm not sure that I will enjoy.
But you know, maybe a new years resolution or something.

* Don't mock. I've lost 13kg doing Wii Fit this year.

I'm still alive: a Rose Tattoo story

Sir C and I flew all the way up to Auckland for ever-so-slightly under 48 hours in order for me to go to Sacred to get a new tattoo.
It was all because of the internet. I put the call out for recommendations for colour tattoo artists in the Wellington area and the internet came back with one recommendation. I asked about Auckland? New Zealand? Anywhere? and I received many many more.
The only person who received more than one was Dan at Sacred Tattoo.


My best "I'm not nervous at all" face (HA)

I took in the idea of a traditional rose tattoo, sans stem & avec curlicues, in shades of pink (FUCHSIA!), the size 8cm squared to 10cm squared, and these photos:



The lovely Dan talked about what I was looking for and drew 3-4 different traditional style roses (after each one I proclaimed "I love it!" and then amazingly the next one was even better) and talked me into ... bit larger than I was originally thinking.



But oh, he was right.

...

And then there's a gap ... Craig had to hold my hand while the outline was tattooed.


The shading was much less painful.


I love the reflection in my glasses.


I think Dan is adding the gold to the leaves here. But there's a little bit of blood in the way, I'm basing it on the ink on the paper towel.


The next day I covered it for brunch (a fresh tattoo is not brunch appropriate) but couldn't help peeking at it.


And! I lovelovelove how it peeks out of the sleeve of a regular t-shirt.


And on Sunday? the yellow bruising came in.

But I love it. So much.
The painterly black shading and the three (four?) different shades of pink. Dan says the colours will really come into their own more as it heals. The curlicues and veins in the leaves are actually dark-grey to the outline's true-black, the three (four) different shades of pink, the different shades of green etc etc.

This tattoo definitely makes my others look like babies. I cannot believe how worried I was about the cupcake! But, as Dan says, a little trepidation is healthy. Otherwise you can be caught unawares by the pain.

I was caught a little ... by the post tattooing pain. I thought it would be like my others, a little itchy and after three days it would still feel a little raised but otherwise just like skin again.
This time it feels more like sunburn. It aches, every so slightly, just enough so I forget and over extend my arm and then the pain, the tight-skin sunburn kind of pain.
But of course, I'm not complaining. Because it's my own damn fault.

And totally worth it. Adoration abounds.



By the way? Dan and Sacred Tattoo were amazing.
I felt like Dan helped me design my own tattoo based on quite broad general ideas, and their hygiene and safety procedures were unlike anything I've experienced before. I had to fill out a form with any allergies or medications, that I understood tattoos were permanent (Yes! Seriously!) and that I had agreed upon the design with the artist, Dan even showed me the sealed packaging of the one use needles (At my earlier tattoo appointments I'd seen them open the needles and seen the empty packages but still).
And after all that? it worked out to be cheaper than I had been quoted.
The internet is amazing.


&


Craig and I were sitting in Starbucks post-tattoo and I was bouncing up and down in my seat, peeking at the glad-wrap covered tattoo and Craig smiled and shook his head:
Me: What? I just love it!
Craig: We're going to have to come all the way to Auckland for any other tattoos you want aren't we?
Me: Yip! Well ... maybe.
But if they are colour? then Yes. Definitely yes. Dan was worth the flight.

Reason 7329 I love the humble comma

(703): fucking a dude
(703): i mean: fucking a, dude
(703): wow, that comma made all the difference there

I ♥ http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/

and a hair cut

Co-Worker: Sarah-Rose, are you wearing contact lenses?
Me: Yes ...
Co-Worker: ah! I thought something looked different.
Me: .... I think it might be the fringe. I've been wearing contacts for weeks but I only cut my hair on Friday.
Co-Worker: Oh yes. That might be it.


Perhaps.

Conversation via Txt Message

Twilight is amazing ...

But ONLY because it is so very VERY bad.

I'm sorry but I can't help it. I'm a vampire purist!

'tis the season ...

And I Think He'd Look Hot in a Top Hat and Bowtie
Boyfriend: Ah, don't listen to her, she still believes in magic.
Girlfriend: Jesus! I believe in Jesus!

--117th St & 8th Ave

Overheard by: Schenk
via Overheard in New York, Apr 4, 2009

When Sir C & I catch separate trains ...

Trying to take over the WORLD.

I walked into the lounge, possibly (probably) wearing something pink (probably fuchsia) (okay it was definitely fuchsia) (yes I understand this is becoming worrisome) (yes, I know, both the interminable parentheses AND the fuchsia obsession) (ANYWAY)

Mummy-dearest: Hello Pinky
Sir C: Hee. I guess that makes me The Brain!
Me: Hee. No. You're definitely Pinky. I'm The Brain.
Sir C: Are you calling me stupid?
Mummy-Dearest: What*?
Me: No! nononononono! Just that You are tall while I am short, have a large head, and am infinitely more misanthropic than you my darling-dear
Sir C: ... true**.




* She was a little confused. Cartoons from the late 1990s are not her specialist subject***.
** It is true.
*** It isn't OUR specialist subject either. We were just the right age at the right time and the theme song was damn catchy and and and oh forget it.

My Sister and I are SO cool

Via text message this morning:

 

Charlotte: I'm inAWEgerated!

Me: The end of an error.

Charlotte: We are awesome.

Ghostin' up the place

A conversation between sisters.

Jayne; Buuuh!
Me (walking down the stairs): What?
Jayne:You just looked all ... ethereal. I think it's the curly hair.
Me: And the ghostly pallor?
Jayne: Yea. Quit ghostin' up the place.


Officially my new occupation: Ghostin'.
Duties; a lot of wandering, occasional moaning, wearing of dresses, generally being pale.
Benefits: you never have to brush your hair and shoes are optional.

A conversation via Text Message

Sarah-Rose
Have an amazing time but don't die or get an STD. Love you!

Craig
I promise I'll come home in a good condition and no std. love you xxx

This weekend Craig is away at a Stag-Weekend. As in boys not deer. He knows and lovingly accepts my hyperbole. Which is why we work.

Last Night ...

Craig: So I just have to put up with it for this week because my team are in Cuba with the hurricane.
Me: The Hurricanes? Why?
Craig: ... the hurricaNE. The tornado, storm, thing.
Me: Oh. Hee.
Craig: I have to tell your Dad. He will be so proud!
Me: Eek. I'm surprised at myself.

Edited: My Darling Father would like me to point out that the website for The Hurricanes is NOT Wikipedia. Sheesh. No pleasing some people. And besides, I heart wikipedia!