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Our amazing public libraries

Recently, I became aware of the amazing services that our state and local governments provide to all citizens in the form of our public libraries.

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Trends and fashions

I’ve never been the best at keeping up with what’s fashionable. That’s partly because I like to hold on to my money, and partly because I don’t pay enough attention to keep up to date with the current thing. There is another reason though: I’m not sure the mindless pursuit of the current trend is a good idea.

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Bicycles are the best

love riding my bike. It is one of the best pick-me-ups I know. Every time that I am riding my bike I think about just how slow walking is!

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What are your music playlists?

I have completed all my data-gathering for my doctoral thesis and now it’s down to analysis and writing. I am starting to appreciate how important music is to my process, especially having to work around my time engaging and caring for my darling nine-month old daughter. My supervisors have been so supportive and have pointed out that raising children while writing papers meant that there was hardly any time to procrastinate any more. I find myself writing in between my daughter’s naps, structuring thesis outlines on my phone while waiting for her during child care orientation, and so on. I started with just having one “Ember’s writing music” playlist and then I found myself needing different kinds of music for different types of music. I have Jane Austen-esque music for when I am composing words for this blog. When I’m trying to re-organise spreadsheets and data, or when I need to revise references and citations and don’t necessarily need to be thinking I put on music I can sing to. Sometimes they’re guilty pleasure type pop songs or the Beatles, or playlists from different decades or sometimes funk and soul classics. When I’m writing for a deadline, or writing with purpose, I have a playlist of instrumental music from movie soundtracks. Sometimes it’s from the Godfather, or Legends of the Fall or Cinema Paradiso or even Indiana Jones, among many others. I also created a playlist I listen to when I am trying to boost my confidence prior to a presentation or a talk. 

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Review: Cruel Intentions

I recently watched the 1999 teen classic Cruel Intentions. And wow, what a ride.

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My mid-semester paper doesn’t exist in front of the fire

I think one of my greatest refuge places is to sit in front of a fire. I grew up in the Adelaide Hills where fireplaces and bonfires were really common, so there’s a sentimental aspect to it. Watching the flickering flames and hearing the crackling of the wood is just a really tranquil place for me. It’s a place where day to day troubles don’t exist, it’s just me and the fire I’m watching.

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Changing PhD

Many people warned me that my PhD thesis would be much more of an evolving process that a static, three-year project, but for the most part I tended to listen to their well-meaning advice and pretty much ignore it.

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What's the big deal about an ear infection?

This week was a bit of a challenge for me. My nine-month old daughter picked up a bug from her play date at childcare. Our midwife and other parents have warned me about this of course, but there’s nothing like experiencing it all for the first time. I don’t know why I thought she’d never get sick. I tried really hard though. She’s up-to-date with all her immunisations, she’s had the flu shot, and she’s been having a healthy amount of probiotics in her well-balanced diet.

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The five-year anniversary of Mad Men: reflections and recommendations

It's been five years since the 2015 finale of Mad Men. In honour of the acclaimed series, here's 7 episodes, one from each season, to revisit.

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The loch ness monster

I recently went down a rabbit hole looking at the evidence surrounding the Loch Ness Monster. I probably should have been doing something more productive and useful, but monster hunting on the internet proved too hard to resist.

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