It was Romme night tonight and sadly I believe the whole game has gone down the drain with the loss of Jick one of the founding members of Romme night who has just left us for pastures greener (the UK).

Sigh. The reason there has been a pall on the game for me is that Tin, her replacement, is a little too competitive and pushy and by the end of the evening I wind up feeling depressed (and no, not because I lost…). This was not the original rummy game plan we started with. On top of this is the fact that we have to stop for a smoko break after every other hand and she swears up a blue streak when things aren’t going her way.

Let me interrupt by saying that the worst word in my everyday vocab is bugger… I get a little green around the gills when there other more forceful words used in such light circumstances. Don’t get me wrong, in extremes of emotion even I have been know to go so far as to expound in VERY colourful language. I just save it up for those times and don’t waste the emotion over a card game…

But then, I’m not that competitive… maybe for some, losing, or having a crap (oops, that just slipped out) hand justifies effing and blinding… You be the judge.

To add insult to injury, once again I have come to bed smelling like a smoker. And Tin even smokes outside… it’s just that outside is very close to inside in my little house and half a pack of cigarettes was consumed in the course of the evening…

So, I have to either let Bet and Poleman know that I am finding it really difficult, (actually Bet and I have talked about it already) or I have to suck it up and play on.

Truth is I don’t want to waste my time spending an evening in a fashion I don’t enjoy.

What would you do?

Jonah and the Wailers are back in business. *guffaw* (I’m sorry, I can’t even take myself seriously given that I sing with a choir by that name.)

I could live with it if the were actually a church based choir. I know churches well enough that I believe them capable of coming up with such a twee name. (At least the churches of my youth. The one I work at now would die first… (well… not literally…))

But really, how can we be even slightly appealing to the public with such an appelation?? I believe I need to come up with another name to refer to them for this forum so that I can keep a straight face and not sound like a freak.

Anyway, now that I have made it perfectly clear I think we are mad, I was delighted to be back in the fold and singing (oops, nearly wrote sinning!!!) with the choir tonight (it has been more than a month since my last rehearsal). They performed the 1st of 4 concerts (the next is in June) while I was in NZ and while a good time was had by all, I think the general consensus was that things ‘could have been better’. In my dreams it was because they didn’t have the benefit of my glorious soprano in the upper echelons of the music.

In my dreams!

I hasten to add that this is not a professional choir by any stretch, in fact it isn’t even an audition choir. Truth is some of us suck at singing. (This is where I point out that I am not referring to me just now…remember? I spent 3 years majoring in vocals at Performing Arts College…). Singing with Jonah, for me, is about getting my confidence and love for the art back not about becoming world famous in Australia.

The confidence part is well on its way, thanks. We are singing “His Eye is on the Sparrow” this term and while the words have been changed for political correctnes (“when my Lord is my portion” appears in our version… the more familiar version mentions that scary guy, you know… Jesus being one’s portion, and we can’t be having that can we???(good grief!)).

So, on Monday nights I may sing, “my lord”, but in my head I’ll be singing about he J guy, so I can live with the changes for one night a week. The biggest deal is that I’m singing, and I’m totally loving it.

For the 1st time in almost 3 years.

And that’s the main thing.

That’s us – Flick and I – Polar Opposites.

Morning – Evening
Introverted – Extroverted
Structured – Fluid

I have thought before about what kind of person I am, in the am I a morning person more than an evening one sort of sense, and I have to face the facts that I really am a morning person.

I concluded this for the following reasons: I prefer to exercise *snorts* in the morning, I get out of bed when the alarm goes off (or within 15 minutes), and I can’t spend hours in bed of a Saturday without the computer or some other entertainment. (Now, now, none of that sort of sniggering thank you; this blog is supposed to be G Rated.)

Whereas, Flick can’t socialise in the AM; she may be bodily out of bed but everything about her, when she first hits the floor, is still asleep. Monosyllabic communication, hair and clothes akimbo, a walking disaster area until at least after she has been through the shower.

On the personality front, (if you read Personality Plus type literature) you will assign the label of Choleric to moi and Sanguine to her. Me? Control Freak. Her? Little Miss Show Me the Party, Baby! If you read Myers Briggs you will assign Flick the Extrovert tag and me the Introvert. Not in the sense being overwhelmingly shy but in the sense that I get peopled out very quickly and need space to keep my head together. Flick can’t handle the quiet… if she has spent the day on her own in an edit suite somewhere all she wants to do is talk/share and tell dee all about it…gulp. Note how these dissimilarities could cause aggravation…

As for structure versus flexibility/fluidity, let me demonstrate.

I squeeze toothpaste from the [bottom] end – always; and, as the tube begins to empty, I lay it flat on the bench and, using the flat head of my toothbrush, scooch the toothpaste up towards the cap so as not to waste any, and so as to keep the tube neat. I blame my Father, because I can remember him teaching me the scooching trick.

Anyhoo, Flick caught on that I hate picking up a tube of paste that is all wobbly in the middle for lack of due care and attention (see above) and now she squeezes from the bottom too. (I haven’t been brave enough to teach her to scooch). That’s what I love about living with a people person, one that is adaptable even though we really are so apparently incompatible.

However, our house is working out very nicely. We had our first family outing last night to go and watch Hitchikers Guide. We both work at recognizing each other’s ways and adapting ourselves to accommodate for them. I love that Flick likes me enough to bend her ways just that little bit and I wish I was better at it myself, for her sake.

Ed.(For those new to this blog, Flick is deeleea’s roommate (flatmate) and the reason this is preying on dee’s mind is that Flick is reading Florence Littauers book .Getting Along with Almost Anybody which deals a lot with getting on with those of a choleric (dee’s) nature and this leaves dee feeling a little vulnerable and on the alert against Flick using all the tricks prescribed therein to whip control right out from underneath her…

I went hitching at the movies tonight, not here… but here.