No longer a victim of Officeworks

During our recent move from Sunshine Coast to Brisbane we had a very traumatic time trying to find a rental property. The rental market is in crisis in Brisbane and there are zillions of prospective tenants trying to apply for each and every property. We went through two months of concerted effort, searching and attending property inspections, applying and being knocked back until we got to the stage where we had one week to both find somewhere to live and move house. It was super stressful.

But I digress, ....during our application for the unit we eventually got, we ran into Officeworks in a hurry to try and get one A4 page printed from a flash drive. One plain black and white MS Word document. One measly page! And the rude obnoxious Officeworks staffer said "I don't have time to do it, you'll have to pick it up tomorrow."

No, really.... That's exactly what he said.

Anyway, I used to be passionately in love with Officeworks. I'd even contemplated making it my second home. I could just curl up in the corner with the cardboard boxes, make a cosy little bed in the packing popcorn,... And when I wanted to emerge and look successful and powerful, I could go and sit at the Bosses desk in the showroom and put my arms behind my head (as they all do).

Incidentally, who taught them that? Is this a demonstration of masculine power plays at their most primal? Perhaps, like the peacock feather show, this is the human male showing his dominance (and his sweaty armpits) to impress the ladies in the office with his musky scent. Blerk. When I'm in a meeting and I see a man do this I have to stifle a laugh. Go on, strut your stuff, primal man. Ungabung. (Would someone please consult Captain Caveman for the correct spelling please?)

Needless to say, Officeworks has now become a swear word in our home. No more browsing the pen aisle, or softly caressing the DIY Designer Letterhead paper,... No more flicking through empty filofaxes and Day Runners imagining what it would feel like to be organised.

Frankly, Officeworks you big bully, I don't need you! I've discovered the most delicious little online modular organiser application called PocketMod. Have you ever taken a look in your overstuffed handbag to find a diary, a notebook, a Weight Watchers Points tracker, and a shopping list floating around the bottom. PocketMod solves all these problems in an elegant little solution. You can print eight mods (of your choice) on a single page on your printer, and then using their instructions, you can fold it into an eight page mini-book. The mini-book folds with a little pocket to store a business card and the entire book slides easily into your purse, pocket or wallet.

The result of all this tweakability and convenience is a nifty little book that solves a zillion problems, lets you clean out (and lighten your handbag) and throw it all away when you're ready for a revision. There is no leather cover, so you won't feel obliged to hang onto it for a long time. It's one happy little A4/Letter size page,... you could do a new version each day or each week as you need it. I've got mine set up with a week to view diary, a couple of pages of checklists as a To Do list, four pages of food tracking (so I can do my Weight Watchers with discipline) and a shopping list page on the back cover.

With an app like this I need never visit Officeworks ever again! Hahahaha.

A recirculating gravy fountain,...

Now you know why I love reading Instructables - some genius has invented a recirculating gravy fountain. Keep reading and you'll find they have also made a Singapore Sling fountain.

Don't think about the health issues associated this, just read and marvel at this amazing creation.

Mmmmmmmm gravy.