One Ring to Rule Them All, Mate.

Moving Update: And it’s EMPTY! Only took us two weeks. It’s still a nasty pit, but at least everything’s out.

This one’s for the Snook: Manly Ways to Prepare Turkey. We’re not sure yet whether we’re going to bother doing anything special for Thanksgiving. It’s just too darn hot.

Oh, waaaa waaaaa waaaa, Matt Corby! Turns out he doesn’t like the winner’s song. Well, NO DUH. Nobody does. But remember last year? Damien actually had the talent to turn it into something listenable. Corby’s also fretting that the studio won’t let him release the kind of stuff he wants to write. Dude, why did you even audition for Idol in the first place? I thought we had some talented singers this year, but man, I just wish some of them would’ve cut the whinging about the show format.

Moving Update: Aren’t we done YET? We’re down to the real annoying stuff now, that last 10% that’s hiding in the back corners of drawers and cupboards. Why do we have so much crap? At one point today I found myself carrying a fondue set, a popcorn popper, a jaffle maker, and a stick blender, and I thought to myself: “I’m going to be ashamed to read Unclutterer after this.” Not that we aren’t throwing things out. Ooooh no. We’re getting rid of heaps of stuff. I took three suitcases full of books, videotapes, clothes, toys, and boardgames over to our local Red Cross Op Shop. I’ve carried half a dozen big garbage bags of rubbish out to the trash room. And it’s still not empty! But it will be, hopefully by tomorrow afternoon. Then that gives us a few days to tidy up before the real cleaners come on Thursday to hopefully try to reclaim as much of our security deposit as possible. That also happens to be the DAY OF SETTLEMENT, which I’m a little disappointed to learn we aren’t expected to be at. I was envisioning some sort of very solemn ceremony, where we’d sign something, and they’d sign something, and we’d hand over an oversized cheque, and then there’d be the Ritual Handing Over of Keys. Except we’ve already got all the keys and the lawyer is authorised to dole out the cash, so my dreams of the Great Ritual of Settling on the House will go unfulfilled. Too bad.

While I in no way condone the bashing of goths with goon bags, I still think that’s just about the funniest headline EVER.

Oh, sweet! I would totally use a city bike rental scheme. I’m reluctant to invest in a bike without knowing how much use I’d get out of it, so this would be perfect.

My sister sent me some photos of Penn’s first professional haircut. The lady cut off his crazy wildman hair and turned him into a little yuppie! I said to the Snook: “You know who he looks like? Calvin! In that strip where they’re trying to take his Christmas picture and his hair’s all slicked down and he keeps pulling faces.” So I surfed over to the Calvin & Hobbes Index to look up the date of the strip, and then found it in our Complete Collection. I give you proof:

Look well, Sis, for that is your future!

Things That Are Different in Our New House, Mostly Because It’s Not a Dank Cave:

• I wake up between 6-6:30 every morning to the sight of sunlight streaming in the window.
• I come home and immediately open the front door and the patio door so I can feel the breeze.
• I made some serious smoke with the new stove last night, and it didn’t set off the fire alarms. In fact, it cleared out of the house within 10 minutes.
• I don’t have to make a special effort to see what the weather’s like before I leave the house. There’s always a window within sight.
• I saw a currawong from my desk yesterday morning. Snookums helped me identify it. Nature! Right where I can see it!

I feel like all this light and air flow are going to make such a difference to our moods and health. You should see the piles of dust (and MOLD!) we’re finding behind things at the old place. We talking Is Your House Killing You? territory, folks.

Want. (Link courtesy of Amy, who also wants.)