I don’t use petrol vouchers. The Bolshie conspiracy theorist in me knows that the 4c discount I’m getting by buying petrol from Woolworths or Coles is surely recouped many times over somewhere in the money they took from me in order for me to get the voucher in the first place.  The realist in me knows it’s a moot point, since small-town rules dictate that at some point every fortnight I’m going to have to shop at these stores anyway, or else forgo some of the nicer things in life (well, that’s …

I just had a phonecall from Telstra, who were ringing to let me know I have a new account manager (whatever that is) and to ask if I was happy with my current plan and service from them.
Kind of a loaded question really. Should I mention that last year they accidentally removed the ADSL code from my line, resulting in three weeks without internet, because they couldn’t work out what was wrong, and the person who could fix it didn’t speak directly to customers or to the Telstra staff who …

It’s hot, I’m tired, I have a cold and a teensy hangover.
I can’t be arsed getting off the couch and I’ve been surfing forums pretty much since I got up.  At  one point, I detoured to Google Images to find a picture of Robert Pattinson to appease a twifan who may have been traumatised by my Maybelline signature there.
Now, Twilight aside, I’m a bit of a fan of RPatz. Not because he makes me all SQUEEE!!!! (which he doesn’t, although I have noticed in some of his candid shots he …

Edward chuckled and raised one perfect eyebrow. Bella grimaced. Jacob flushed under his russet skin. Edward chuckled again. His face was unreadable. Alice chagrined.  Bella gazed into Edward’s perfect face, marvelling at how the marble Adonis could love someone as plain as her. She grimaced. Edward raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow and chuckled.
Repeat the above paragraph for 1500 pages and you have Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking dawn.
OK, so the writing is terrible.  She’s not the first author who has a toxic relationship with adjectives.  Matthew Riley doesn’t seem to use …

I ducked into the supermarket today to quickly grab a few items I needed for Christmas baking. My plans for a quick dash in, down two aisles and back to the checkout were thwarted, however, by a pair of septuagenarians, one pushing a walker and one a trolley, who would stop every four paces in what could only be described as a two person jack-knife as, bent in towards each other, they would closely scan their shopping list and then the shelves next to them. Four paces, repeat.
I was still deliberating over whether …